Car that Rennie drives
Does anyone know the specifics of the car that Rennie drives, I know it's a Hemi Barracuda but can anyone tell me some more detail on it?
share1968 Plymouth Barracuda HEMI Super Sport
The Barracuda received minor styling changes and a greater availability of engines for 1968 with the reintroduction of the 225 Slant Six engine. The top of the line 383 also received a power boost. The 273 cid engines were retired. To give the Barracuda more of a performance image, Plymouth quietly built a small number of Hemi powered Barracudas to give to professional drag racers, but these were so rare that they didn't really help the Barracuda's boring image.There are only 70 known in existence... or at least only 70 were manufactured and shipped.
The cars in the movie were mostly 318 and 383 models that had custom styling to resemble the SuperSport cars.
Hey thanks for that, I have got myself hooked on his motor. It is a shame that there is not much info about them on the internet. Would love to see one someday but I imagine it is just wishful thinking. Thye are probably quite rare in the US and I think here in England they are non-existent.
share I happened across the last half of this film after work last night so I didn't see it all. I was flipping channels when the Barracuda caught my attention. I noticed there was some discussion about it on this list and since I have 19 years racing experience with the little "A"-bodies I thought I'd add my 2 cents. The car was supposed to be a 1968 Plymouth Hurst Hemi Super Stock Barracuda. These cars were specially prepared by Hurst for Plymouth as a sort of Factory racecar for the purpose of dominating the Super Stock class of drag racing. Bodies were pulled from the production line before recieving their drivetrains and shipped to the Hurst facility where they recieved heavy modifications. The mods were extensive so I'll just hit the highlights. Each car recieved a full-race prepped 426cid Hemi V-8 with either a 833 4-speed or a 727 Torqueflite auto transmission. The Hemi is so massive the mods were required to the inner fenderwells and a special master cylinder was fitted. Special chassie-stiffening bracing was added to the unibody structure and out back was mounted a special set of leaf springs with either a 8 3/4" (automatic tranny) or a Dana 60 (manual tranny) differential. The steel front fenders and hood were replaced with lightweight fiberglass pieces. The window glass was replaced with light-weight thin Corning glass and the window regulator replaced with a simple nylon webbing strap to work the windows up and down. No radio or heater was available. The back seat was also deleted and the fronts were replaced with lightweight Dodge van seats mounted on aluminum brackets. All this adds up to a very fast 1/4-mile drag racing car and they are still dominant today. Prices are in the $150,000 bracket and above. It is believed about 70 or so cars were built and all but about a dozen or so have been accounted for. A Dodge version built on the Dart hardtop was built at the same time in about the same numbers. These cars were built for sanctioned racing only and not intended to be driven on the street. At the time they were built they could not be tagged and street driven. On the street a machine like this would be very dangerous and "twitchy" to drive. There is just too much power for the size of the package. The Hemi would not take too well to stop and go traffic. Handling and braking ability is not suited to the street either. This is a race car, pure and simple.
Now on more streetable, real world versions the little Plymouth was more of an all around winner. Besides the mundane Slant-6 and 318" V-8 powered versions, a high-performance "Formula S" package was offered across all 3 body styles(convertable, fastback, and coupe). This model came with stiffer rear springs and torsion bars and excellent 4-piston disc brakes. Engine choices were the famous, high-revving 340" V-8 and a big-block 383". The deluxe interior had comfortable bucket seats with center console and a 150mph speedo and 8000rpm tachometer. Tranny options were 4-speed manual or 727 Torqueflite auto. The 383 cars handled little better then the Hemi race versions. That heavy engine threw the balance all off and the car cornered like a truck. But the 340 cars drove great. I personally feel the coupe body has the best balance.
Now for the car in the film. It appeared to be a normal fastback with a small block V-8 and a 4-speed. A big block or Hemi car would not have been able to pull off some of the driving manuvers shown. The chin spoiler was a nice touch as was the Super Stock hood scoop. The black "hockey-stick" Hemi stripe on the sides came from a '70 Cuda and the pistol-grip shifter is from a '71 A-body bench seat car, probably a Dart or a Duster.(I have one in my 340 powered '67 Valiant) No "Formula S" badges were present on the fenders but it appeared to have the deluxe interior front seats. A six-point roll cage was installed. I feel the Hemi-powered feature was added purely as a plot device to convey overkill from a horsepower standpoint. If Cavezial's character had become that skilled in high-speed driving, he would have known the Hemi or any big block engine would have put him at a disadvantage. In his situation, top-end speed and handling is more important then brute horsepower. A well built 340 would have provided all the power he needed. Even with the Eldorado having a 502" V-8, the Eldo is very heavy(almost 5000lbs)and it's power-to-weight ratio is inferior to the Plymouth (with a 340 it will weigh in at about 2900lbs). I'm not sure of the 502's power, but I'm sure it's well under 400hp. The 502 is a torque brute, not a high horsepower mill. A 340 can be built to put out a reliable 400hp and still be able to run down the road all day long. Again, advantage Plymouth. Back in the '80's, a friend had a '68 Formula S Coupe with a 4-speed and a 406" stroker engine. That stroker was absolutely impressive as it would twist as high as 9000rpms and be able to cruise top-end at 140+. Of course the car had a full Rally prep with suspension, brakes, and body mods for running those speeds. It could be driven one-handed at 130. I have ridden in a real Hurst Hemi Dart before, which was a blast, but that little Cuda was downright scary.
Thanks man, you obviously know your cars. They also mention something called 'acid dipped' in the movie, do you know what that was about? I would absolutely love to see one of these babies or even something similar would be great. There must be some kind of show in the US where they are on parade or something. I was in North Carolina early this year and we visited a place calle Pigeon Forge, where they had a pretty big classic car show. If I had know what the Hemi was then I would definitely have looked out for it. Anyway thanks again for your info, I'm off to impress people with my new found knowledge of the 'Cuda!!
share Acid dipping was literally that, the body part was dipped in acid that would eat away at the metal to make it thinner and therefore lighter. I don't believe any of the Super Stock Barracuda's or Dart's were dipped, I'm almost certain they weren't. The survival rate for acid dipped race cars is not great as the process had to be carried out very carefully. After dipping in the acid, the bodies were placed in a bath of neutralizing agent to stop the action of the acid. If the neutralizing bath is not done correctly, the acid will continue to eat away at the metal until there is nothing left. A great many a famous racecar ended up in the salvage yard because of this. I'm not aware of anyone offering the process today.
Hemi cars are fairly common at classic car shows that are open to all marques. Your best bet for Hemi viewing is to attend an all Mopar show, Mopar meaning Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth cars. The 426 Hemi is most commonly seen in the B-body class of cars, those include Road Runner's, Charger's, Coronet's, Belvedere's. Second is the E-bodies, the 1970-71 Challenger's and Barracuda's. If you are very lucky, a Super Stock A-body Dart or Barracuda may show up.
The engine itself is hard to mistake for anything else. It really fills up the engine bay. The valve covers are huge and the spark plug wires go into holes in the middle of them. 2 four-barrel carbureters are the norm, either in an inline configuration of the street versions or the staggered cross-ram setup of the race versions. Once you see how massive they are in person, you will understand why they are nick-named the "Elephant engine". You can also do an on-line search. Just type in "426 Hemi" and you will find loads of information.
Happy Hemi hunting.
That old Cadillac is early GM front wheel drive. We had a, 70-72 Eldo at a gas station I worked at my first job; made a demo derby car. I had to move it one day, drove it across the parking lot and into the shop. They already had the exhaust cut off so that was all I heard. It left black streaks from start to stop from the back tires as I unknowingly left the parking brake on. It made absolutely no difference to that motor whether the back wheels turned or not. Thought it was cool.
shareI cried a little when you talked about demoing that caddy. Any who im almost positive that they were running a 318 in the cuda just buy the way it handled on film. I would just like to mention on a different car in the movie. At the start when he had a bmw? or mercedes? i cant remeber and t boned him when he was driveing an early 80s caddy, and did that much damagem in calling bull i hit a tree head on in my 82 caddy at 55 and we still drove her home.but plan and simple this is a car movie. If you like older cars this is the movie for you. if you like rice burners go rent fast and the furious or somethin.
shareRight On-
thanks for all the info. about the real Hemi Barracudas.
I'm into these cars also, and knew the movie car was a "fake"
In fact they had about 6 cars trucked up to Canada from
California to do this film. I was told that the 4 speed shifter
that Cray uses was just "wired or taped" down there in an automatic car
and hefaked shifting.
I'd love to know more about where these cars ended up.
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Virtually any old A-body Cuda of the 68-69 vintage would work, just pop on a Super Stock hood and you have a look-a-like. The biggest "tell" as far as the true Factory prepped cars and those in the movie was window regulators, the race car just had a plexi-glass side window with a strap attached to it, with a snap located for the full-up position saved about 20 pounds. As far as the transmission it may well have been an automatic with a manual reverse shift patern, I had one in a 340 Dart that i converted from manual and it looked and acted much the same.
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