Tom Skjonsberg's Hemi 'Cuda is the car Ma Mopar should have built back in 1969. |
Looks like a factory install, doesn't it? Joey's Place in Edmonton did the body-resto and Hemi-installation work and made it all look original. |
White buckets/rear bench and AM radio were original equipment on this car in 1969, but the Hurst (and the A-833 under it) weren't. |
What if Chrysler had offered the 426 Hemi as a factory option on the Plymouth Barracuda before 1970? That's the idea behind the 100-point restification of Tom Skjonsberg's '69 Barracuda convertible.
Before Tom brought it home to Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, this '69 had three previous owners. The first owner won it in a prize drawing held by the Kinsman Club of Calgary at the Calgary Stampede. As built and awarded then, it was red with a white top and white bucket seat interior, with a 225 Slant Six under the hood.
Tom bought it as a driver in 1994 and decided to make it a phantom Hemi. The body was restored by Joey's Place in Edmonton, Alberta, who replaced the quarters, floorpans, trunk floor, and front fenders, and applied the basecoat/clearcoat black finish. They also installed the Hemi powertrain, which came from a Hurst-built '68 Hemi Dart (with the engine rebuilt by Lee's Brothers Hi Performance Racing Engines in Red Deer). Reproduction interior and top parts came from YearOne, and what they didn't supply came off three parts cars. Joey's Place also did the top and interior installs.
This phantom Hemi 'Cuda is now one of Tom's show-and-go cars, trailered to out-of-town events and driven to local shows (weather permitting).
Imagine if this was a factory build. Now, imagine what the bottom line on its window sticker would read!