I am really surprised I didn't come across this forum until now. I am usually up on these things much better.
Anyway, I'm from Long Island New York and have owned my Barracuda Gran Coupe for 20 years now, bought it when I was 19 years old with only 36k miles on it... it has 77K now. It was my daily driver for about 5 years. I first looked at the car a year before I bought it. The guy posted it for sale in the paper, but never sold it. He was asking $6500 for it. I drove by that car every single week for a year and kept my eyes on the classified. Then, one day, I saw an ad for a 1970 Cuda for $6,000...that's it, but I recognized the phone number. I called up and ran over as soon as I saw it. I was the first one there. I didn't have the money, and he was firm asking for the $6000. I went home, and talked to Mom... and asked if I could borrow a little money and scraped together $5000. I went over to his house with the cash in hand and waved it under his nose. He couldn't resist and the car was mine.
It was originally owned by a Vietnam Vet in Jamaica, NY. Funny, that is where I was born. The poor guy though didn't come home the same and after a couple of years, he ended up parking it up on blocks for about 15 years. The daughter of a guy he knew was dating the guy I bought it off of. He was supposed to buy it and keep it for the older guy... but his daughter broke up with him and he never sold the car back to the old guy. I found out this when the girls father saw the car at a cruise night, and started yelling at me that this was "his car". Not anymore. When I got it home, it needed a bit of work... all new rubber and it still had the original anti-freeze in the car... came out like mud. Took about a week to finally get that cleared out. It also only had a quart of oil in it. The guy I bought it off was an idiot.
I ended up getting the body straightened out a few years ago. It was never hit, had only minor rust in the rear quarters. I also pulled the engine and rebuilt it with a slight bump in the cam.
It is a 1970 Barracuda Gran Coupe. 383-4v, 727 auto. with 3.23 gears in the 8 3/4 rear. Car has the Gran Coupe interior, leather seats, , PS, PB, A/C, overhead console, AM 8-Track, 5 speaker radio with the fader control on the dash. It still worked when I bought the car.
I have an Edelbrock 750 on the car now, but still have the original AVS. It also has a magno-flow stainless steel exhaust on it now with the KYB shocks. Amazing the difference those shocks made in the ride and feel of the car.
I took the car to Englishtown, NJ this year for the Mopar Nationals show and ran it. I made it to the semi-finals with the car running consistent 15.0 1/4 mile times at 90 mph. I also drove it a couple of years ago to the Mopar Nats in Columbus... yes drove it, didn't trailer it. That was a HOT cross country run in August in a black on black car.
Some pics:
Coming home from the Mopar Nats:
I also have a 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona, 13.8 at 101MPH in the 1/4
