NOVEMBER 2019 CARCRAFT.COM 57TECH NOTES
Who: Dave Teller
What: 1970 Plymouth Barracuda
Where: Las Vegas, NV
Engine: The original 318 that the Barra-
cuda rolled out of the assembly line
with was gone by the time Dave pur-
chased the car. In its place was a ’68-
dated 383 big-block. When he decided
to freshen up the motor as he was get-
ting the body back in shape, part of that
included adding a stroker kit from Mus-
cle Motors in Lansing, MI. Its kit con-
sists of a new 4340 heat-treated forged
crank, 6.700-inch-long GM-style rods,
Diamond Racing 10.5:1 forged pistons,
and a Comp Cams solid-lifter camshaft.
At the top end, Dave installed a set of
Edelbrock RPM big-block Chrysler alu-
minum cylinder heads that were mas-
saged with some mild porting, while a
set of Hedman headers, TTI pipes, and
Dynomax VT mufflers were his choice
to round out the exhaust duties. HBR
Competition Engines in Las Vegas did
the machine work and bottom-end
assembly, while the rest of the work
was done by him at home. On the dyno,
it produced 438 rwhp at 4,800 rpm
and 618 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm.
Induction: An Edelbrock Performer
RPM 383 intake manifold paired with a
Holley 750-cfm carburetor from the
Carb Shop in Ontario, CA, crown the
top end of the stroked 383.
Electronics: Spark distribution on the
Barracuda is achieved with a Chrysler
electronic distributor, MSD plug wires,
and an MSD coil. Dave invested many
hours in setting up the distributor to
maximize the engine’s efficiency. He
credits this particular aspect in taking
the car from “pretty quick” to “truly
quick.”
Transmission: A 727 Torqueflite has
always handled the Barracuda’s shift-
ing duties. During the rebuild process,
he had a Cheetah manual valvebody
and a TCI 12-inch, 2,000-stall-speed
converter installed.
Rearend: The back of the car still
wears its original 8^3 ⁄ 4 rear. Shortly after
the move to Las Vegas, Dave swapped
the 2.76:1-geared open housing with a
3.55:1 posi unit. He also installed a set
of Moser axles.
Chassis/Suspension/Brakes: The
Barracuda’s chassis is still in its stock
configuration, with only the addition of
frame connectors. At the rear, Dave
added a Calvert Racing Caltracs Drag
Pac suspension kit that includes split-
mono leaf springs, traction bars, and
KYB shocks at all four corners. Up front
Dave installed a set of Wilwood cali-
pers, while the rear still retains the
original Chrysler drum brakes.
Wheels/Tires: Rolling stock on the
car serves a dual purpose. Whether he
is driving to a show or the track, there
is no wheel swapping taking place. At
the front, Dave installed a set of
3.50x15 Center Line Auto Drag Series
chrome wheels wrapped in Nexen
Sb802 165/SR15 tires; at the rear are
8.50x15 Center Line Auto Drag Series
chrome wheels mounted on
P295/65R15 Mickey Thompson ET
Street S/S tires.
Paint/Body: The Barracuda wears
much of its original Chrysler sheet-
metal. In 2005, Dave began an exten-
sive restoration and replaced many of
the body panels. At the time, guys likehim working on these cars didn’t have
the luxury of opening a catalog and
buying new sheetmetal. The parts he
used were either used or N.O.S. The
Hemi-flavored hoodscoop is a recent
addition. Prior to its installation, Dave
was running a flat hood on the car. The
bodywork spanned about three years
of his spare time working out of his
garage at home. The car was eventu-
ally painted in a two-stage Dodge Ram
Inferno Red Crystal Pearlcoat.
Interior: Toward the end of the resto-
ration, Dave’s attention was directed at
putting the interior back in shape. That
was accomplished with the re-skinning
of the front and rear seats with some
reproduction seat covers from Legend-
ary Auto Interiors. He had ABC Dis-
count Upholstery in Las Vegas handle
all the work. The rest of the interior is
factory stock, except for the Hurst
Quarter Stick and the RCI belts.