While Dodge went with big-car styling cues for its new pony, Plymouth favored a certain economy of line. The Barracuda may have looked lean, but with the right engine, it could be very mean. And no muscle car was meaner than the 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda.
Sporting derivations again were 'Cudas and featured five hot V-8s, from the sharp 275-bhp 340 and flexible 335-bhp 383, to the imposing 375-bhp four-barrel 440 and the brutal 390-bhp 440+6. Atop the list: the merciless 425-bhp 426 Hemi.
Plymouth knew the big-blocks' mission, and gave the 440 and Hemi 'Cudas a suspension tailored to heavy-metal acceleration. They had no aft stabilizer bar, but their rear leaf springs numbered five on the right, six on the left, with thicknesses chosen to equalize tire loads in hole shots. Wheel hop was negligible, but careless starts would still send the skins (F70x14s on 440s, F60x15s on Hemis) up in smoke.
The Barracuda rode a two-inch shorter wheelbase than the Challenger, though its body dimensions were the same. The 'Cuda's standard hood had phony intakes, but the functional shaker scoop was included with the Hemi and was a $97 option on other 'Cudas. Mopar gave the Hemi hydraulic lifters for '70, so it was easier to maintain and, according to some testers, had improved low-rpm power. Some also were impressed with the Hemi car's handling, though others said it was hopelessly nose-heavy. All agreed that ordering the optional 11.3-inch front disc brakes was a smart move. But which 'Cuda was quickest?
Compared to the $871 Hemi, the 440+6 was a bargain at $250. Both came with a Hurst pistol-grip four-speed or Slap-Stik TorqueFlite and an extra-heavy duty Dana axle. Both had quirks that could make for an interesting drive to the supermarket: The six-barrel's vacuum-actuated front and rear carbs came on with little warning, while the Hemi's stiff throttle linkage sometimes snapped all eight barrels open at once.
The 440+6 was easier to tune than a Hemi, and could stay with one to 70 mph or so. That might be enough away from a stoplight. But not in really serious action, where the relentless race-bred 426 was in its element. Nobody handed this engine its reputation. It earned it.
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For more cool information on muscle cars, check out:
- Plymouth muscle cars spanned the spectrum from fanciful to fearsome -- and sometimes displayed both qualities in a single model. See profiles, photos, and specifications of Plymouth muscle cars.
- Muscle cars came in many shapes and sizes. Here are features on more than 100 muscle cars, including photos and specifications for each model.
- Muscle cars created their own culture. To learn about it, read How Muscle Cars Work.
Check out these profiles of muscle cars, which include photos and specifications for each model:
- Cougar pulled out of Mustang's shadow with the striped and spoilered 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator.
- Beep, beep! Make way for one of the baddest muscle cars of all time, the 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Hemi.
- The 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am combined sports-car handling and muscle car power.
- An all-aluminum, race-proven V-8 defined the rare and wicked 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
For related car information, see these articles:
- The engine is what gives a muscle car its flamboyant personality. To learn everything you need to know about car engines, see How Car Engines Work.
- Muscle cars wouldn't have much muscle without horsepower -- but what exactly is horsepower? How Horsepower Works answers that question.
- NASCAR race cars embody the muscle car philosophy of power. Read How NASCAR Race Cars Work to find out what makes these charged-up racers go.
- Are you thinking of buying a 2007 muscle car, or any other car? See Consumer Guide Automotive's New-Car Reviews, Prices, and Information.
