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JOHNSON & JOHNSON ’CUDA

Designed to Set Standards Rarely Explored—and to be Driven to the Limits

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Picture of Stephen K. Anderson

Stephen K. Anderson

Photography: Josh Mishler

Say what you will, but function is back! We find more high-profile cars built to be driven, and -driven hard. Everywhere you look, car owners and builders are searching out new ways to put the fun back into driving the wheels off the rides they build, and they’re looking to the past for their inspiration as they recreate older brands to kick the snot out of new, overpriced super cars. It’s an old technique, as aged as the hobby itself.

More and more of these creatively conceived and well-engineered cars are actually being designed to be driven hard. We find that adventurous enthusiasts are slipping behind the wheel of their new creations to realize firsthand the exhilaration of driving a really fun, really fast, totally capable performance car.

This is significant when you put it into the proper perspective, as driving the cars we build is why they were built in the first place. But the more difficult show car judging became, the more these cars became coddled and relegated to the confines of a trailer. If you have driven your ride any distance, or nailed the throttle a few times, then you know the exuberance that’s begging to be repeated. It’s what cars are designed to do, and with all of the advanced hardware that is available today to bring them into this century, the driving experience truly can  be sensational.

Pulling such a creation into a box—only to be started to show that it can and then hand-pushed on its plastic-wrapped, hand-grooved tires into a well-appointed display booth—may win trophies, but that kind of judging has absolutely nothing to do with why an automobile exists in the first place, and it greatly obscures why we own the cars we do. Drive them regularly and they become a part of your being, a just reward for so much effort being put forth.  These are the standards by which Alan Johnson built Bob Johnson’s Street Machine Of The Year-winning 1971 Hemi ’Cuda.

Bob Johnson’s ’Cuda is radical in every respect and is so well built that it was easy to figure it to be a likely candidate for a trailered, pampered life. While it’s ridden in a few, it’s certainly not at home on one. This ’Cuda shines brightest sliding through cones at autocross events, being tested all-out on runway shakedowns at over 180 mph, or spinning doughnuts for photographer Josh Mishler.

Hey, it’s just a car—like the space shuttle is just a plane!

By combining philosophies and concepts—both aged and modern, whimsical and clinical—the end results often prove to be more than inspirational.  Because the car is based on an all-time favorite muscle car, its easy to see why everything had to be not only right on, but several levels beyond what we might consider sound but standard car building. Right from the outset this car was to be different; it had to be fanciful, yet frighteningly fast, evocative with visions of the past, yet provocative enough to take on known dimensions that have already impacted history, and carry those accepted notions beyond the realm, quite possibly to the cutting edge of how some people view and use their cars.

The brainchild of Gainesville, Georgia’s Bob Johnson and Gadsden, Alabama’s Alan Johnson (along with others), this ’Cuda was built around new concepts that have rarely been united in quite this way. While each in its own right was more than capable of raising the rate of blood flow, the Johnsons gained a huge appreciation (and understanding) of one another’s tastes, intentions and expectations. It’s proof that great minds can do wondrous things when united with enough talent.

It’s not easy to put Bob Johnson’s ’Cuda into proper perspective, but think about its initial performance test runs: Without any fuss, Johnson and crew rolled into a local airfield, and minutes later they were pressing the pavement at 180 mph with no drama. While they are considering higher limits, 200-plus will have to come on another day, as that calls for more and proper preparation. And then there’s the engine: A 572-cubic-inch Hemi that thunders with 870 hp at 6,700 rpm, and a massive 781 lb-ft of torque at 5,100 rpm—all on pump gas!

We’ll let you put the car into whatever perspective you best think fits, as these kinds of numbers are usually reserved for racecars and exotic hand-built sports cars, and only a few of them at that. Not surprisingly, a good number of the components used in this ’Cuda come directly from racing–competitive environments.

Once you get a strong grasp of all the facts surrounding this car, know that the real thrill comes from the inside, when you are pinned in those high-back bucket seats with smoke bellowing from underneath the tires, with smiles as wide as Texas stretched across the faces of those on board. After all, this is a rolling adventure, designed to test the limits of performance: through the corners, wide open, going head to head with some of the fastest cars built today. As they say, life’s a journey, and the journey is life itself.

Thundering Hemisphere 

While a factory Hemi short block is certainly capable for most applications, the requirements for this particular effort led the Johnsons to Indy Cylinder Heads and Ken Lazzeri, whose expertise with Hemi engines is second to none. Soon Lazzeri had an Indy Cylinder Heads Hemi block (4.500-inch bore and 4.500-inch stroke) on an engine stand, awaiting a pair of heads. The heads—born of highly advanced CNC machining techniques—used here offer optimized airflow with critically shaped, 170cc chambers to maximize combustion. While 2.400-inch stainless intake valves augment the 295cc intake runners, smaller 1.940-inch exhaust valves join with larger 510cc exhaust runners to maximize the scavenging effect of all that combustion. A  gear-driven four-stage dry sump system from Missile Enterprises was arranged in combination with a custom sump tank from Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop (JHRS), Earl’s Ano-Tuff fittings and lengths of Pro-Lite braided stainless hose ensure reliability even at the limit. So it is with the ARP 12-point fasteners used in the assembly process of the engine and the drivetrain, as well as throughout the chassis.

To realize the benefits of these exceptional reciprocating components, Competition Cams created a solid roller-lifter camshaft that provides .650-inch lift at 268 degrees of duration for the intake valves, and .630-inch lift at 264 degrees on the exhaust side. Spun by a heavy-duty timing chain, the valvetrain also incorporates Comp’s 1.6:1- and 1.7:1-ratio roller lifters, along with the best multi-element springs and titanium hardware, to ensure absolute reliability where it’s needed–cruising some abandoned backroad in the middle of nowhere.

While this hardware is impressive on its own and was designed to work together even better, without a purpose-built induction system mapped and tuned specifically for this engine it’s all for nothing. That’s why JHRS looked to Hogan’s racing manifolds to create a fuel injection delivery system suited specifically to this engine. Fed from a custom aluminum tank fitted with a Weldon pump and regulator to Hogan’s fuel rails and a Weldon regulator, this complex yet highly effective intake manifold utilizes a 90mm Accufab throttle body to deliver metered amounts of air. A FAST electronic control unit fires the NOS direct port injectors in precise intervals to bring about a successive combustion process that kicks its occupants like an Alabama (or is that Georgia?) mule.

As expected, producing as much, or more, power as a current NASCAR Cup car, albeit with more cubic inches, this highly evolved Hemi produces a lot of heat and exhaust flow. To evacuate all these gases, and as quickly as possible, JHRS shaped a custom set of long-tube headers utilizing a set of Burns merged 2-inch collectors and 2 1/2-inch primary tubes precisely shaped to meet the tight space and performance requirements. Like the headers, the rest of the 3-1/2-inch exhaust system is ceramic coated and fully covered with Design Engineering insulation wrap. This starts at the collectors and runs along the center tunnel through Rod Shop Performance mufflers, until turning outward just ahead of the rear-mounted transaxle through special openings just ahead of the rear wheels. 

Cooling comes by way of twin Stewart electric water pumps that expedite flow through a Walker radiator cooled by a single Cooling Components shrouded electric fan.

Scorching Michelins

While original Plymouth ’Cudas had nothing on their pony car competitors, as none of them handled particularly well, either, Bob Johnson’s modern iteration represents an entirely different approach to building G-force side loads.

Fabricated around Art Morrison’s tubular framerails and front crossmember, joining C5 Corvette spindles and suspension arms, are Bilstein shocks wrapped in Hyperco coil springs. However, this chassis has gained significant stiffness and style from an integral milled aluminum firewall, created like other similar hardware by Heath Griffin using a conventional mill—no CNC machining centers here. Following the perimeter of the body along its outer edges, it rises from the framerails over the bell housing in an inverted V that aligns perfectly with a matching aluminum rear-engine mount. Mounted to the chassis with polyurethane bushings, the engine mount attaches between the block and the bell housing.

Giant six-piston Red Devil brake calipers add another dimension of capability to the chassis, as do the 15-inch titanium rotors, which greatly reduce rotating mass and unspring weight. Add an Addco 1.5-inch antirollbar, along with Maval rack-and-pinion steering, and it’s a certainty that every detail has been considered in maximizing the effectiveness of the front suspension.

While a solid axle was considered at one point, the decision was made to go fully independent, despite the difficulty in accomplishing this alteration. In creating this new frame, a round-tube removable segment was created around the transaxle, with pickup points for the lower A-arms. Like the front suspension, the back legs are based on C5 Corvette control arms, another set of Bilstein/  Hyperco coilovers and one of Addco’s 7/8-inch sway bars. Braking is also on par with the front end, as matching six-piston Red Devil brake calipers and another set of 15-inch titanium rotors were fitted for maximum effectiveness. It all looks pretty good, too!

To bring all of this hardware down to earth, a one-of-a-kind set of Colorado Custom aluminum two-piece rims, designed by Chris Ito, was created with beautiful contours and an impressive strength-to-weight ratio. While the 19×10-inch fronts with 8.5-inch backspacing are wrapped in Michelin 295/30-19 Pilots, larger 20x12s with 6.5-inch backspacing test the construction of the 335/30-20 Pilots .

Other details that underline Johnson’s thorough approach include custom C5 heavy-duty half-shafts from The Drive Shaft Shop. The transaxle and differential were specially built by Rockland, with a limited slip maintaining control of the hardened 3.42 gears.

Internal Affairs

As innovative and fresh as the body, drivetrain and chassis, the interior displays a truly unique appearance. It has a decidedly mechanical-looking edge to it, thanks to the various elements combining both racing and modern rodding approaches. Originally built in a two-plus-two configuration, this ’Cuda is strictly a two-seater, as the backseats have been replaced with sculptured and vented steel, flowing from behind the buckets to the base of the rear window.

A custom central dash area and console below add a “pure business” appeal, with a convenient combination of switches and controls that are functional and informative, and engaging to everyone lucky enough to be operating this nimble missile. The gauge cluster, for instance, was initialized in cardboard and welding rod, with several variations made before arriving at the precise, and final, combination of elements. From there, aluminum housings were turned from aluminum bar stock, as were the removable housing faces that capture the Classic Instruments movements within the -housing.

The center console also captures attention with a combination of details that is functional and just plain trick, starting with that amazing shifter decked out with an original pistol grip! On either side, beautiful Recaro seats were fitted with graphite leather, accented with center eyelets by upholstery wizard Paul Atkins, who quite often collaborates with Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop.

Safety considerations were also critical to this project, which accounts for the full rollcage and Safecraft’s full harness system and high-tech fire control center. Additional features include a Sony audio system that’s on par with the high-performance approach taken throughout this car’s creation, along with Vintage Air temperature controls, Dakota Digital keyless entry and a Flaming River steering wheel, and this interior space certainly reflects the theme of this amazing car. 

Details on Detail

While the various mechanical aspects of Johnson’s ’Cuda are each impressive in their own right, it’s the visual elements that have been incorporated in just about every area that really defines this car’s unique appeal.

Obviously the body was a prime consideration, in that it would conceal so many mechanical changes—including a longer wheelbase—while giving this car its truly unique appeal. While it may appear somewhat different in one area or another, know that almost every single panel, from the roof on down, has been either replaced or reworked from its foundation—only the trunklid is original. First off, the body has been wedge-sectioned 1 inch, tapering to the front, and when combined with the windshield that has been laid back 2 inches, the envelope provides a speedy-looking appeal.

The front wheel openings have been moved forward 3.5 inches and up 1, while custom grille inserts have been utilized between the fenders, along with milled headlight bezels securing the Sirius HID lighting, for an amazing look. The entire roof section has been moved back 3 inches and the sail panels altered, while the back window has been laid forward 2 inches, which is taken up in longer glass; the window has also been flush-mounted for a better appearance and to reduce aerodynamic drag. Add in the hand-built trunklid spoiler, door panels and carbon fiber elements, like the hood and fenders from 3G Services in Taylor, Michigan, and you have a ’Cuda unlike any other.

The beautiful Buddha Orange DuPont Hot Hues paint was specially mixed for this project, and a slightly darker rendition of the base color was used to highlight the “Hemi” logo, starting at the back of the doors and running across the flanks. Wesley Johnson, Ray Lowery and Greg Chalcraft handled the bodywork and paint preparation, while Chalcraft handled the flawless paint.

Like the rest of this ’Cuda, the engine also shows very well, with highlights that might confound those who are unaware of this car’s performance potential. Combinations of brushed aluminum, usually milled, are surrounded by cross-carbon-fiber elements filling the well-thought-out contours. The valve covers, for instance, are beautifully coated and perfectly smooth but for milled aluminum plug guides mounted with six ARP 12-point fasteners positioned around its circumference. Similar hues can also be found around the detailed reservoirs joined with a Tilton pivoting master cylinder/ pedal assembly, and so it is with other tricks found everywhere in the engine compartment.

As you back away from the engine, the carbon fiber panels lining the engine compartment stand out even more, and know that the hood is made from the same space-age material. Even the front fenders are made of carbon fiber, as are other details such as the rollcage inserts, the advanced console and other areas displayed throughout this car.

Beyond all the premium finishes are other details that mimic the look of exotic metals. As you can see, this unique approach to detailing is effective.

Concept ‘Cuda

When taking on a project as involved as this one, many builders, like Johnson, involve someone who can envision the overall and illustrate both the appearance of the car as well as the specific aspects found throughout. Call them designers or visionaries or both, but in this case call him Chris Ito (he’s both). Long known for his intense understanding of innovative automotive art forms and the capability to capture those ideas on paper, while translating them in a way that they can be duplicated in the real world, Ito nailed this ’Cuda. From the sweeping contours that ever so slightly alter the the body to all the smaller details such as the custom grille inserts, the shapes adapted to the hood and fenders or the interior configuration, Ito provided an amazing array of concepts that would otherwise have been difficult to translate to various fabricators. As much as anyone on the team, Ito can be extremely proud of the finished results, because without him, Bob Johnson’s ’Cuda just wouldn’t have been the same.

Alan & Angie Johnson

Since opening Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop in Gadsden, Alabama, Alan and Angie Johnson have built cars in their own style. Always looking beyond what they’ve done in the past to test their own limitations and grow from the experience, the Johnsons have been willing to impart their own philosophy, and that has paid dividends with an impressive list of exceptional, award-winning projects that have come of age over the decades.

When you visit Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop and observe the wealth of creativity displayed on a routine daily basis, it’s obvious that Alan and Angie have surrounded themselves with exceptionally talented individuals. Craftsmen such as Tony Inman and Mogens Sorensen handled the majority of the chassis and body fabrication here, and Shane Phillips made sure that every component was ready when required. Don’t let their their kicked-back demeanor fool you: The JHRS team members are right at home with computer-controlled milling centers, aerodynamics, welding or, to sum it all up, building the Goodguys 2006 Street Machine of the Year..

As it turns out, no matter the challenge or the vintage, Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop knows how to improve on any aspect of a car the owners wish to change, especially if they like to drive it when it’s done.

In keeping with their affable, laid-back nature, Alan and Angie are quick to credit everyone else involved in the build that secured this car as the prototype for a new generation of vehicles—ones which are as functional as they are radical.

Engineered Art

While we could fill an entire issue with all of the buildups provided, we think our inside look at Bob Johnson’s ’Cuda will provide you with a view of what actually took place during the lengthy assembly process. These are the steps they used to achieve such stunning results, and every aspect of this car tells of the alliance between the design and the technology. This, coupled with the capability that brought all of these elements together, is what created a car that stands so truly unique, and is absolutely amazing on every level.

Build-Up

Well suited to its title as the Goodguys 2006 Street Machine of the Year, Bob Johnson’s ’Cuda corners, accelerates, and brakes with amazing ease, and it looks incredible while doing so!

ARTICLE SOURCES

Picture of Johnson's Hot Rod Shop

Johnson's Hot Rod Shop

2439 East Meighan Boulevard
Gadsden, AL 35903

Phone 256-492-5989

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