Clean Cuda
One Mean '70 Cuda
Story by Budd Stanley
Watching a hard-rock band perform live is an extremely powerful experience. Especially when the band in question is AC/DC! Despite being seated on the far side of a large stadium, I recently watched an aged Angus, Bon and the boys do their best to manually override the heartbeat of every living soul under the roof. The sound was so powerful it shook internal organs and blew out eardrums, leaving an annoying hum for nearly a week - a similar experience to standing behind this pristine example of a heavily-modified 1970 Cuda built by Radical Rides. The sound that emits from this beast strikes fear into pedestrians and can bring a tear to even the meanest of biker, a no-holds-barred bark that vibrates straight through your body.
The sound this car makes is truly frightening, but that should not detract from the fact that it represents an immaculate example of automotive customization. With a low menacing stance, Radical’s Bill Desrosiers designed the car to have a clean modern look. It's a concept that has come to life beautifully, and minus suspension and wheels, it could easily be mistaken for a 2009 model if there were such a thing. However, as with any car with a look enhanced this much, there is a long story to tell of how this Cuda came to be.
The project came to Bill by a customer who originally wanted to build a Camaro. However, after some talking, it was decided that a Plymouth Barracuda would make a much more unique and interesting build. Starting out with just a shell, the team at Radical went to work cutting, welding and completely reworking the entire body. The floor and transmission tunnel were cut out and raised up to handle the car's extremely low ride height. Every other body panel has also been tweaked, stretched or shaved in some way to create the low-slung and sleek look. All the marker lights were deleted and the bumpers were hand-built to give the car a smooth clean look. All accents have been hand-crafted and shaped to the look that Bill had envisioned. The hood, fascia and rear tail pan have also received a massive amount of attention, including custom breathers on the hood, while the rear is totally redesigned and features a disappearing license plate and very stylish LED rear tail lights.
The chassis also saw an amazing amount of work done to it, starting with factory frame rails that have been heavily manipulated to handle an in-board tri-angulated four-link rear end. Pass-throughs were installed into the frame rails to allow the massive exhaust piping to stay as high off the ground as possible. Suspension comes in the form of a modified Airide system featuring Shockwave shocks and airbags, but Bill also manipulated the rear suspension as mentioned above to provide better clearance for fat tires, while providing a solid suspension foot hold. In most cars, a system like this results in reduction in ride quality. However, this big Cuda provides a comfortably firm ride on public streets, despite tires that more resemble rubber bands.
To bring everything to a stop, a Bear Claw braking system has been installed - a standard-issue system for a car such as this, with four-piston front calipers and large cross-drilled discs. It’s a system that has been proven for many years, and while it may not be the latest and greatest in braking technology, the kit is more than able to bounce an unsuspecting passenger's head off the dash if needed.
When it comes to the business side of this story, this Cuda gets serious with a 525 Hemi V8 with hydraulic lifters, 600 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque, with 490 of those horses surviving to see the rear wheels. Looking more like a Top Fuel unit, it gives the immaculately clean and detailed engine bay an added race car feel and sound. Despite such large numbers, the big thumper is designed to run on pump gas. Mated to the 525 is a Chrysler overdrive automatic which links up with a Dana 3.73 track-locked differential in the back.
Of course, no street car is complete without an interior. This was all accomplished in-house at Radical, with the boys creating handmade rear seats, door panels, consoles and trim. Up front sit two Cobra seats and a custom, leather-wrapped, metal dash filled with Autometer gauges and a Kenwood head unit displaying GPS, satellite radio and a reversing camera. In the trunk, the audio system continues with two AVI 12-inch subs and two AVI amps.
In all, 2,600 hours were invested into the building of this beast. And while the quality of build and attention to detail can be observed by eying up the Cuda, nothing compares to swinging the key and going for a rip. As mentioned above, the sound this car makes with its custom central exhaust tip is truly mythic, being incredibly loud yet still so pleasing to the ear. The thump of a big cam lets everyone know that this Cuda has just as much bite as its bark. Despite a poor steering ratio and rear tires that are way too thin to properly direct the engines fury to the ground, the Cuda has a proper big-block pull, when the right foot gets angry, the Cobra seat's reinforcement is tested by the occupant's body weight. But at the same time, it’s a great car to cruise and enjoy at the same time. With 600 miles on the clock in the first few months the owner has had possession, this Cuda is no showpiece. And that’s a good thing, because it is an even bigger thrill to drive than it is to look at and hear.
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