'71 Plymouth 'Cuda
Calvin Kiser, Freeland, Maryland
Mopar Power
- Engine: Calvin tells us the engine did not need to be opened up for a rebuild, but a Billet Specialties Tru-Trac serpentine belt system is used to operate the air conditioning, power steering, and the alternator. An Edelbrock top end with a 750 carburetor finishes off the engine. Headman Headers and polished 3-inch exhaust send the sounds out the back.
- Transmission: A rebuilt 833 means gear changes are done when Calvin says so.
- Rear: It's a basic 83?4 with 3.73 gears
Sure Grip
- Suspension: The front of the car is supported by a Magnumforce tubular suspension, and the rear is supported by the factory springs, stock shocks, and custom-build traction bars.
- Brakes: Making sure Calvin gets whoa'd in time is a chrome master cylinder and brake booster by Classic Performance Products, and 13-inch Wilwood brakes.
- Wheels/Tires: Billet Specialties Legacy II wheels measuring 18x8 and 20x9 1/2 support Goodyear RS-A tires measuring 225/45/18 and 255/45/20.
High Impact
- Paint/Body: The guys at F and F Speed in White Hall, Maryland, covered the body with several coats of Tor Red--which coincidentally looks orange. Even with over 105,000 miles on the car, it was in relatively good shape, only requiring minimal bodywork. The billboards were painted on, and the 383 designation in the billboard was replaced with 'Cuda. The firewall and inner fenders were smoothed, and the factory driving lights were recessed into the bumper.
- Interior: Statler's Auto Upholstery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, handled the interior resto-modding by covering the seats in leather, adding a billet steering wheel and a Polk/JVC sound system.
When Calvin and his wife got...
When Calvin and his wife got married in 1977, his friends decorated the car with the traditional gala of streamers, white shoe polish, and tin cans tied to the bumper. All was well until he noticed that the porous billboard decals allowed the shoe polish to permanently retain the pre-honeymoon message written on the car. Several weeks later he had to have the damaged billboards replaced.