1970 Plymouth Cuda 340 - Movie Man's Mopar

Imagination meets reality where the rubber meets the road. With the 'Cuda completed, I had a chance to gauge how Mr. Zarpas' plan translated on the tarmac. Meeting in scenic Malibu, Chris casually handed over the keys, suggesting, "Man, you gotta' drive it!" O.K. Chris-PCH or Mulholland? A couple stabs of the throttle to prime the cold mill with raw fuel and a twist of the original, well used key brought the 340 to life. Each early opening of the long duration Edelbrock cam broadcast the 340's purpose; the tinny, uneven beat of gasses popping from the high compression cylinders into Hooker Headers. Ferrying the hydrocarbon-rich exhaust residue (created by doubling the factory 340 cam's overlap) a 2 1/2-inch exhaust system with two-chamber Flowmasters minimally masks the powerplant's music. It works on the street, thanks to unassisted disc brakes and that free-wheeling manual tranny.

The factory Pistol Grip shifter, grafted to the Richmond 'box below, still carried a four-speed pattern on its tip. "You can get a six-speed pattern-plate made," came a suggestion, as though it was an oversight. "Yeah, but I'd rather just know what's down there, while keeping it looking stock....Reverse is down and to the right, let's go," came the answer. The low first of the Richmond, amplified by the 3.91 ratio in the rear, was selected as Chris urged, "Go ahead, I built it to drive." Gear reduction, and the strong, quick revving 340, had first gear gone in a flash of the tach-500 rpm past the 5,500 marked redline. Restraining habit, I quick-shifted, (rather than power-shifted) the still cold gearbox, out of respect, and settled into a cruise along PCH. Top gear, top down, 75mph, and 2,700 rpm-it really was built to drive.

Even set in the exotic-car saturated corridor of Los Angeles, the Viper red on red 'Cuda's draw was magnetic. From behind the wheel, comments of "Nice car" directed my way had me picturing the completion of my own long neglected '70 'Cuda ragtop. As we ambled up the twisty canyon pass towards Mulholland, the 'Cuda's flair for this kind of driving was innate, running the fast groove of the two-lane as if it were bred for it, which it was. Running the full length of the West's most famous canyon highway, back down to meet the sunset over the California coast, this Plymouth captures a picture and makes it real.

Key Sources
"I contacted Greg, and said you have to do this car."

Accuracy Restoration by Greg Buhlinger
Dept. MPRM
5532 Saint Anne, Unit B
Cypress, California, 90630
(714) 952-4052

Special built 16:1 manual steering box. "I knew Dick way back when I lived up in the Northwest, and we raced together. I had no idea he was running Firm Feel until I started doing business with the company. He's a man who knows his Mopars

Firm Feel, Inc.
Dept. MPRM
2730 N.W. Bliss Rd.
Vancouver, WA 98685
(360) 574-8093

"An old-school machinist, he built the motor, and stands by the workmanship."

Hales Automotive
(714) 871-2054

"We always replace all the lines with Fine Lines repop O.E. replacements. It fits without much tweaking."

Fine Lines
Dept. MPRM
650 West Smith Rd., #8
Medina, OH 44256
(800) 778-8237
Fax (330) 722-8994
www.finelinesinc.com

"They did all of the interior using their unique process. Colored items such as our red interior are all dyed, but the quality is outstanding. We had the pieces matched to the seat material, for color uniformity original cars never had."