Chrysler Barracuda Still Racing??

[PaulSands]

Is the Tony Lanfranchi Chrysler Barracuda** that participated in British saloon Car Championships circa 1974-1976 still racing anywhere??

[Andrew Kitson]

You mean the yellow Southern Organs one? Dunno, would like to know myself.

[PaulSands]

That's the one

[TimD]

Haven't seen it racing lately, but I'm certain I've heard of its continued survival in captivity. I do seem to recall that it raced as a Plymouth Hemi-Cuda in period.

[jimclark]

The 'Cuda was a Plymouth (division of Chrysler) product. The other Chrysler variation was the Dodge division vehicle named Challenger. The Chrysler brand itself didn't have a "pony car" under it's banner. The most famous on this side of the pond in road racing, was the All American Racers (Dan Gurney team) Barracudas driven by Dan himself and Swede Savage; and the Autodynamics Challenger driven by Sam Posey. They competed in the Trans American Series.

Not the greatest pics, but the first i've found:

The green car following the white Pontiac Firebird is the Autodynamics Challenger:
http://www.petelyons.com/Photo%20Gal...Lag_8and77.jpg

the AAR Barracuda:
http://www.petelyons.com/Photo%20Gal...lymouth48a.jpg

[jimclark]

Ahhhh...much better 'Cuda pics...
http://www.historictransam.com/Drive...zBarracuda.htm

and Challenger:
http://www.historictransam.com/Drive...Challenger.htm

[Eddy V]

Could it be the one that appeared in Belgium in the late seventies and was raced by Bertinchamps sr.?

[COLIN STUBBS]

ooh last time i saw that it was stuffed in the grass bank a the mountain at cadwell with very smokey front brakes!!!!!

[carrera]

Looked like a Plymouth testing at Snett on Friday. Thought it was a Shelby Mustang at first.

[PaulSands]

At Snett? Did you see what kind of stickers were on it? Is it a likely HSCC or CTCRC entrant?

[carrera]

It was a metallic blue colour. No stickers. Did not race with us (CTCRC) over the weekend.

Have you tried the Snetterton office, they may have a list of drivers/cars that tested on Friday.

[carrera]

Just had a quick search on web, car looked like the '64 version. Huge rear glass cover.

[John Turner]

Although not this car (as far as I know), those of you interested in 'Cudas' might like to know that Graham Bryant's car was out at Goodwood, driven brilliantly in Part 1 of the St.Mary's trophy by Liuzzi, who pushed it through to 2nd at the start and held this position for a few laps before being overwhelmed by a couple of even heavier V8 American muscle cars.

[Andrew Kitson]

My bet it was bryant's car out at Snett in pre Goodwood test.

[COOPERMAN]

Shame that as an avid mopar nut was looking forward to seeing both the dart and barracuda show them blue oval boys a thing or two! Perhaps 2007?

[ian.stewart]

Thought i would revive this thread, I have a strong feeling Lafranchis Hemi ended up in Sweden, I saw a picture of it in a mag a few years ago, cant remember but it may have been tubbed or just had the springs moved inboard to fit bigger tires, but it is still alive and racing.

[R59]

What's amazing is when you see a 'Cuda sitting next to one of it's stablemates - like a Charger.

My buddy is currently restoring a Charger (no, not in Orange!).

One obstacle to running Mopar stuff is the sheer price of the tuning parts. The cheapest horsepower is Chevy. You can build more than two Chevy's for one Hemi!

I looked at building a 'Cuda some time back, but very nearly went down the route of doing a Buick GSX instead. Then I bought my former thundersaloon, and the rest is history.

Back to the thread.

This will be the car then - and Colin - here's that one of the car in the bank! Is that at the bottom of the mountain?

Rob.

[jimclark]

"What's amazing is when you see a 'Cuda sitting next to one of it's stablemates - like a Charger."

Hmmmmm.... 'Not sure if you mean "Chrysler" or "ponycar" stablemates...do you really mean the Charger (in which case the Road Runner of the Plymouth division would be more appropriate), definitely not a ponycar?:


Or do you actually mean the Challenger (Dodge division ponycar)?


Or, was the Challenger re-badged as Charger across the pond?

[jimclark]

'Neglected to include the link to the article "The #71 K&K Dodge (Charger) Daytona Visits Europe"

http://aerowarriors.com/tw71.html

[Al Weyman]

Thats a rebadged Plymouth Superbird isn't it, the car that holds the outright NASCAR record set at Talladaga (I think?) with the last man to do an IROC race in my car #11 Buddy Baker. I think the old hand 'King' in the Pixar movie Cars was based on Buddy and the Plymouth what an awesome bit of kit I love it. I believe it was also responsible for NASCAR banning the big block cars and introducing a raft of measures to slow them down from 200mph plus average lap times.

[ian.stewart]

Officially as far as I am aware the US chrysler products were not available in the UK, I may be wrong as Lafranchi ran his car in a British series, I am fairly sure the car was a Hemi as well and not a 440, I think the US imports were done on a personal basis, so the name in the US would have been the same as in the UK, However the possibility of the Cuda coming via Austrailia or South Africa is also a possibility, Aus Chrysler were I think selling cars in the UK at the time and there was a Charger but it was an totally austrailian car which was available in 2 & 4 door variants but possibly only with a 318 engine,

[ian.stewart]

Plymouth Superbird and Dodge Charger Daytona were both bewinged chrysler prodoucts, there were a couple of spectacular looking convertables made as well,
Ford also got into the super slipery game as well with the Talladaga??sp? spoiler, which may have been powered by the Cammer,
I think Nascar got cold feet at this point and pulled the plug on anything bigger than 350cu and a certain amount of car produced, Dont know how they get around it today with the hand built cars today do they just use screen posts so the can still call it what they want, , the next queation would be, Is this all down to people like Smokey Yunnick??

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Thats a rebadged Plymouth Superbird isn't it, the car that holds the outright NASCAR record set at Talladaga (I think?) with the last man to do an IROC race in my car #11 Buddy Baker. I think the old hand 'King' in the Pixar movie Cars was based on Buddy and the Plymouth what an awesome bit of kit I love it. I believe it was also responsible for NASCAR banning the big block cars and introducing a raft of measures to slow them down from 200mph plus average lap times.

The Daytona and Superbird were entirely different chassis.
To their credit they WERE modified prod. vehicle then right down to torsion bar suspension.

The MOPAR and FORD boys were well advanced on the next series of aero cars when France Sr. pulled the plug.
Sr. was a gearhead at heart, but Detroit had no love for him; one can only wonder what they think of his snot-nosed grandchild Brian.

Bob

[zefarelly]

keep an eye on Masters stock car series then Cooperman

thats where all the big boys hang out

[DAVID PATERSON]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Thats a rebadged Plymouth Superbird isn't it, the car that holds the outright NASCAR record set at Talladaga (I think?) with the last man to do an IROC race in my car #11 Buddy Baker. I think the old hand 'King' in the Pixar movie Cars was based on Buddy and the Plymouth what an awesome bit of kit I love it.

King in the movie "Cars" is voiced by Richard Petty and is more or less STP blue in coulr, i think he also wears No. 43 from memory.