1973 Plymouth Barracuda - Cruiserfish

Matt got his 'Cuda finished the day before leaving on the '07 Power Tour. Fortunately, a day-before mishap didn't keep him from making the cross-country run. "I promised all the guys at YearOne and my other sponsors that I'd have the car done for the Power Tour. I got it done the Friday night before," Matt recalls. "My dad and I were on one of our last testdrives with it, and we were coming back through a country road. Luckily, we were only doing about 25, when the left rear wheel fell off. I almost didn't go, but my dad said, 'Nobody's going to notice it--just go!' Only one person noticed that the quarter was a little messed up."

Fast Facts
'73 Plymouth 'Cuda
Matt Gaisbacher
Charleroi, PA

Total '73 Plymouth Barracuda production: 19,281
'73 'Cuda production: 9,305 (6,583 with 340, 2,722 with 318)
'73 'Cuda production, 340/manual transmission: 2,007
Time needed to turn rusted basketcase into the car seen here: two years

Mopar Power

Engine: There's no replacement for displacement, especially in 451ci (440 crank in a 400 block) form. Good stuff includes a 0.480-inch lift/280-degree duration Comp Cam, Mopar Performance dual-plane intake wearing an Edelbrock 750 carburetor, Mopar electronic ignition, and tti headers and mufflers breathing through a 2 1/2-inch exhaust system.
Transmission: A Passon Performance-modified 833 (with an Overdrive Fourth gear), stirred with an OEM-style, Passon-built, pistol-grip shifter.
Rearend: Call them "economy" gears if you want-3.91 cogs in an 8 3/4-inch Mopar Sure Grip rearend, good for as much as 18 mpg on the highway. (Your mileage may vary.)

Sure Grip

Suspension: Front: C.A.P. tubular upper control arms and adjustable strut rods; Rear: Eaton Detroit Spring custom Super Stock springs (lowered 1 1/2 inches)
Brakes: Stainless Steel Brakes discs all around, with SSBC Force 10 calipers.
Wheels: Foose billet five-spoke Nitrous IIs, (17x8-inch in front, 18x9-inch in back) wearing Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tires (P245/45R17 in front, P255/45R18 in back).

High Impact

Body: Original '73 Plymouth Barracuda, restored by owner and father. Original components retained: Cowl, firewall, A-pillars, roof panel, framerails (and not too much more). Aftermarket parts sourced from YearOne include both quarter-panels, floorpans, trunk floor, rear valence. "Shaker" hoodscoop sourced from Harm's Auto-stock (flat) hood converted to Shaker by Matt. Barbed wire used for grille bars sourced from the fence behind Matt's house. Other custom fabrications include rear roll pan, shaved side marker lights, and shaved bumpers with flush-mounted turn signals. Bodywork, metal finishing, and paint prep by Matt and Russell Gaisbacher (Matt's father) at Russell's Body and Frame, Charleroi, Pennsylvania.
Paint: BASF'S PX8 Black, sprayed on by Bob Smith at Russell's Body and Frame.
Interior: Original 'Cuda bucket seats restored with seat and carpet kits by Legendary Auto Interiors, and other repro interior items from YearOne. Redline Gauge Works gauges, Billet Specialties steering wheel, Alpine sound system, and Crow Enterprizes seatbelts adorn the otherwise-stock cabin.

Matt would like to thank all who helped him complete his car.