Fellow gearheads, today I want to show you another amazing car from one of our twitter followers. His name is Steve, and his car is absolutely out of this world. He raises buffalo in Texas, as you can see from the photo below. He keeps his buffalo in the pasture, and keeps his horses in the garage.  Check out this awesome 1970 ‘Cuda 440 6 Pack!

1970 Cuda 440 6 Pack

In 1970 Dodge introduced the brand new Challenger, and Plymouth showcased its newly designed Barracuda and ‘Cuda models. All were sales hits, and remain desirable collector cars today. The car we are going to look at today is a true collectors item, and one that you will REALLY wish you owned! Thankfully, our friend Steve graciously shared this one with us today! Be sure to follow him on Twitter at @sunger4222 and thank him for sharing with us, as this is a Gearhead Classic!

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Engine Choices

The engine choices on the E body 1970 ‘Cuda were the standard 383 – 4 barrel, 440 – 4 barrel, 440 – 6 barrel (Dodge called it the 6-pack, and Plymouth referred to it as the 6-barrel), and 426 hemi with either 2 or 4 barrel.The beast in black you see here today is a TRUE 440 – 6 barrel, BS34V0B model. Yes, this is a REAL “V” code Cuda! You do not see these every day! This one is triple black with 4 on the floor, power steering, and vinyl top.

The 3 two barrel Holley carbs setup gives this monster an additional 15 horses, which pumps it up to 390 horsepower versus the 375hp 4 barrel setup. The amazing part of this setup is that is that makes 490 lb ft of torque at 3200 rpm! That will put you back in the seat in a hurry!  Approximately 1,750 ‘Cudas with the 440 6 barrel were produced in 1970. Slightly more than half had the 4-speed rather than an automatic. This means there were fewer than 1.000 of these cars ever made, and that was nearly 50 years ago! I doubt there are many of these left today!

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A Racing Legend

Weighing in around 3500 pounds, the 440 6 barrel was actually faster in a 1/8th  mile race than the daunting 426 Hemi. However, the second half of a 1/4 mile run was where the Hemi made its power, and would  end up beating the 440. It did not actually win by much though, and all things equal, the Hemi only would win by 2 or 3 tenths of a second. A win is a win, but the 440 with the 6 pack would give it a run for its money!  For many drag racers of that era that decided to tangle with a ‘Cuda, the image below would be the one they would recognize most.

 

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The History

Steve purchased this 1970 ‘Cuda 440 6 Pack around 2016 out of California, where it had gone through a major overhaul and repair. It was in good condition when he bought it, but the paint and detail work was not to the quality of what this car deserved.  He took his beloved Cuda to John Klump of Radical Restorations, just outside of Dallas, and John worked his paint magic. The paint is fantastic!  This particular car left the factory with a Dana 60 rear end, but somewhere along the line it was been swapped for the current 8 3/4 posi-trac with 3:91 gears. This car must have been raced at some point, since that is a drag racers setup.

 

 

Considering the cost of the paint and the 8-10 miles per gallon, it’s not a daily driver. Steve loves the sound of all those 6 barrels opening at once, so it is not the most fuel efficient car on the road. . He does drive it on weekends and to local car shows, but it gets trailered to any shows that are more than 30 minutes driving time away.

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A Show Winning 1970 ‘Cuda 440 6 Pack

Steve tells us that the 1970 Cuda 440 6 Pack shown here has won many shows, but winning isn’t important to him. He does enjoy the idea that he is one of the select few that has been privileged enough to own a classic ‘Cuda. Steve is a Mopar fan through and through, and proud of it. He really enjoys watching people gawk over it, and loves the fact that people are so fascinated with a car that is nearly 50 years old.. The massive shaker hood scoop/air cleaner and pistol grip shifter always catch spectators attention. And when the show is finally over, there are always plenty of people crowding around to hear this fire breathing bad boy wake up from its slumber and grumble through the dual exhaust. I bet that is pretty amazing to hear!

 

Steve also has one final word for all you Gearheads – “If you ever see me on the road, pull up and say hi, but stop there. If you feel like giving me a run, be sure to have a big smile on your face so I can see you in my rear view mirror when we’re done.”

Be sure to follow him on Twitter at @sunger4222 and thank him for sharing with us, and help us welcome Steve as an Official Gearhead!