Let’s say you end up with a derelict 1968 Plymouth Barracuda that’s just a shell on a frame. What do you do with it? I know, “sell it for parts” comes to mind if you’re not into project cars. But the right answer is: you turn it into a nostalgia drag racer.
That’s exactly what the folks at “Scotts Speed Shop” did with a 1968 ‘Cuda they bought in August 2022. Off the road for 40 years, the Mopar had an empty engine bay and a bare-naked interior.
However, it came with a roll cage and a chassis modified for drag racing. It’s unclear whether it was raced back in the late 1960s or modified later in its life, but the seller said it hadn’t been driven since the early 1980s.
Quite familiar with similar projects, the dudes needed less than four months to put the Barracuda back on the road. And they didn’t take the simple rat rod route either. They opted to revive it as a drag racer and sourced every single part needed to make it run and drive again.
Not surprisingly, they went with a blown big-block V8 under the hood. The mill cranks out way more than a period-correct HEMI and it’s louder than anything you’ll find in a production car today. They also revamped the chassis and reworked the interior. The cabin now sports a proper dash, a steering wheel, and a bucket seat, while still retaining the roll cage it came with.
It’s not yet ready to hit the drag strip though. It still needs some adjustments here and there, including suspension work, but it finally runs and drives. And it was reliable enough for the owner to take it for its first spin in a whopping 40 years.
But you know what’s really cool about this build? It’s the fact that they didn’t meddle with the bodywork. The shell proudly wears its battle scars, including dings and scratches, as well as surface corrosion and even rust holes. Call me crazy, but I’m a sucker for barn-found-style race cars with meaty rear tires, skinny front wheels, and big engines popping out in front of the windshield.
Will the owner take this ‘Cuda to the drag strip? It’s part of the plan, but it probably won’t happen anytime soon since the car still needs some work. But you can hear that blown V8 roar like mad in the video below.
And by the way, did you know that Plymouth actually built a drag-ready Barracuda in 1968? It’s called the B029, it’s powered by the mighty 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8, and it was built in only 50 units for Super Stock drag racing.
It was assembled by Hurst Performance and wasn’t intended for public road use. It’s a six-figure collectible in 2022 and one of the rarest and most desirable Barracudas ever made.
