EXTROVERT CHARACTER
THE 1974 PLYMOUTH CUDA IS ALL PLUSH WITH A GRUMBLE THAT’S A RUSH
When we met Peter Ashcroft, casually leaning on this 1974 Plymouth Barracuda, the Mosgiel resident was in Wanaka visiting a nephew and taking in Easter’s Wheels at Wanaka show.
The petrolhead from way back described himself as the ’Cuda’s caretaker for the weekend, a role we immediately took from him during our stay in Otago.
This ’Cuda was acquired when a Kiwi on a group trip to the US for the Hershey swap meet — billed as the biggest event of its kind in the world — saw it at the Carlisle swap meet in Pennsylvania a week beforehand.
The Kiwi crew had always liked the 74 ’Cuda’s single round headlights and double round taillights, rather than the small twin headlights and long, narrow rear light in the car that preceded it.
The ’Cuda was for sale, and looked in good condition. They drove it around the car park and it was soon acquired, and on its way to NZ.
It arrived in October 2017. A thorough going-over on arrival revealed some rust in the sills, a floor panel and a boot panel which needed replacing and rust in the bottom of the mudguards at the back, where they join the sill.
Rather than simply fix it, new guards were bought from the US for $115 each — a sum that wouldn’t go far toward fixing rust.
It was then repainted in Yellow
Blaze, its original ’Cuda colour. A repaint was easier than colour matching, especially as the match already wasn’t perfect on all the panels.
As for the black striping, that was available from factory, so this one was bought as a decal, and applied. With the rust fixed and the paint dry, the car swanned through the VIN process.
This car has the 440ci motor it came with, that’s 7.2 metric litres, which delivers 280kW to the rear wheels — 45kW more than today’s Holden RSV Commodore — via a three-speed Torqueflite auto.
Seems 761 were built to this spec, at US$3252 with the 440, the last of the big-block motors before manufacturers were forced to get conscious about fuel economy. Some 30 were also produced with the Hemi, the 426ci (7 litres) V8 with 317kW, the ultimate motor to ’Cuda fans and thus a tempting modification to make.
However, the current caretaking family prefer to keep things original, particularly as the 440 is hardly a wet dishrag, as we can confirm.
It sounds fabulous at idle, so much so it’s tempting to sit with the front windows open, simply listening to it grumbling away, sending through a throbbing vibe.
It’s equally tempting to put your foot down and feel those seven litres marshal the troops and pour thrust to the ground to catapult the car forward. At that point one can almost hear petrol pouring through the carbs on its way to glorious detonation.
Those new carbs need more tuning, and there’s still the new windscreen wiper motor and switch to fettle as they don’t work quite as they should. The upholstery, restored in a past life, remains in good condition but the rear wheels may be changed. These were on the car when it arrived but are larger than standard, so when you corner, or hit a bump, the tyre is prone to touch the guard. Replacement standard wheels are hard to find so they’re not on the urgent list.
The car is used a fair bit around Otago and its environs, and no wonder. We spent around five days using it for a range of errands and distances, and discovered it was a pleasure to drive. Ride is plush, as you’d expect from an American car of the era, yet it also corners reasonably well. It’s surprisingly easy to manoeuvre despite its almost 5m length, thanks in part to power steering, and relaxed at our open-road speed limit. In top gear it’s virtually idling along.
Sure, if you want to get the best audio from the engine you’ll be playing with acceleration a bit. And that uses petrol at a great rate but it’s a cheap price to pay for the car’s extrovert character.
As for boot space, that’d be quite good if there wasn’t a spare tyre lodged there. As it is, it’s a bit limited unless you’re prepared to pack around it. Several small bags are better than one big one.
Almost practical, then? Not really, but that’s not what this car’s about. Just ask Uncle Pete. He may not be a teenager these days, but he flashes a cheeky grin after a strop in the ’Cuda.