BUD LINDEMANN ROAD TEST 1973 PLYMOUTH CUDA 340

[@docbhowe]

Still have my 73 cuda 340 4 speed. Rallye red black top, interior and stripe. Great car. First seen it in 87 and finally bought it in 94. 60k on it now. Runs great. 340's are under rated but excellent engines.

[@RavennaAl]

I had a 73 'Cuda 340 when I met my wife. I had rebuilt the engine with 10.5:1 pistons, headers, Holly street dominator intake and a Holly spread bore carb and a Crane cam. Sold it when our son was born, that was 32 years ago. God, I miss that car

[@robertmolitor7785]

I had a 1973 Cuda that was sold while I was away at boot camp by my mother.

[@stevewilson7857]

Robert Molitor what was mom thinking? You weren’t coming home?lol

[@stevewilson7857]

At least you got a son out of the deal but now the car would be more fun :))

[@robertmolitor7785]

@@stevewilson7857 I have no idea but my younger brother had a Vega that never ran and was still sitting there when I went home from boot. I was furious

[@360escapades]

I have a 73 cuda 340,3 speed manual.

[@rocketman63]

Bud Lindemann on Car and Track!! Man, I miss the '70s. Thanks for posting!

[@tommykelley3948]

You can say that again ‼️

[@Storkz0re]

without Bud we couldn't see stock muscle cars handnling nowadays, and this one goes like a dream

[@rfaradiofreeamerica8392]

I read up on the 73 Cuda. Several magazines got mid 15 sec quarter mile times, including Car +Driver. If one were to advance the distributor, put some hotter plugs/wires in and remove the smog items, they were mid 14second cars. Nearly showroom stock. Fast in it's day !

[@Porsche996driver]

Pretty compact for the day, and tight suspension. The new ones are huge and heavy in comparison.

[@ponchoman49]

That was a quick car for 1973 during the smog era. I sure would love a brand new one today

[@josemontano7767]

That’s a cool car i would love to own one this dude drove the HELL out of it.

[@Victoria3232-j7o]

Jose Montano Wish todays road test would show drivers like on these bud lidemman drive todays cars hard to show them under abuse.

[@Doobie1975]

9.8 sec to reach 70mph is still impressive even by 1969-70 standards, definitely not something you would expect out of a 1973 performance car.

[@culcune]

Did I miss it, or did they not mention if this was 4-speed manual or automatic? I couldn't imagine this was an automatic based on its performance.

[@CTjacob13]

@@culcune It was an auto I think. You can see him brake torqueing it when doing the acceleration tests.

[@Doobie1975]

impressive times for it being a smog era powered muscle car.

[@joshn938]

They were more lightweight than the midsize cars, so they took less of a hit performance-wise when smog came in stride. These were good looking cars, they still went, just not as fast as the ones from a few years prior, and with just small-block power.

[@jeremythompson9122]

@@joshn938 I had a 73 Duster 340-4 speed and that car was really quick for something built in 1973. It was a really light car and the 340 was rated at 240 net horsepower in 1973...5 more net horsepower than a much heavier Chevy 454 big block that year. 240 net horsepower was probably equivalent to 280-290 gross horsepower...still pretty decent power in 73 especially in a featherweight car like a Duster. That was the lightest car in the Mopar lineup that year and probably also the fastest Mopar that year. The much heavier 280 net horsepower 440 4 bbl was still around in 73 but only in much heavier cars like Roadrunners and Chargers

[@Lucille69caddy]

Jeremy Thompson Corvette had a 270 hp 454, with far more torque than the 340. In the full size Chevys, they did have 235 hp, again with far more torque than the 340.

[@wms1650]

@@Lucille69caddy I had a 1973 Challenger 340 Rally. A guy with a 1974 Corvette 454 wanted to race 1/4 mile for 100.00. I didn't want to race but a friend said he had ridden in the Corvette and he knew I could win. He put up the money. We raced. I won. I was a high school kid back then.

[@ThePaperSun]

The real downturn didn't take effect until '74.

[@ST-cy6we]

Who wouldn't want one of these straight off the showroom TODAY?

[@cuda426hemi]

I got the '74 - last year out of the showroom in '74. Maroon metallic w/white stripe. They punched the choked up 340 to 360 in '74 and they gave you the options for free like the Rallye wheels and fatter meats because the end was nigh and they only sold 4000 in '74. 21 years old I sold my '68 Coronet 500 HT for $500 and saved $500 and walked out with a new $4000 'Cuda. Cool, but a buddy bought the Barracuda - same metallic burgundy but no stripe and a 318; but he saved $1000 msrp and put fat meats on the back; screwed the torsion bars to lower front and put on on a rake and bought some wheels and damn if his fish didn't look cooler than my "real" Cuda !!! good times . 7 mpg when having "fun" 15 on Hwy @ a "high" price of .50¢ a gallon used to aggravate us! 🚗

[@cuda426hemi]

@@RobertPlattBell Problem is I bought my new 'Cuda while working a min wage job bagging groceries and you CAN'T pull that off today for ANY car let alone a cool one !!! 🚗

[@ST-cy6we]

@@RobertPlattBell And nobody cares what you think..

[@ST-cy6we]

@@RobertPlattBell I'm always amazed at people on youtube who spend so much time watching videos of things they don't like. Go watch a video of a Ford Focus. The adults are talking here.

[@knowbodiesfull5768]

"I 'Cuda been a contender."

[@henrystowe6217]

The music in this clip is a gas. It conveys freedom, power and speed. I like the action freeze of the 70 mph reverse camber turn.

[@Koexistence13]

They cut the part where he went off the track

[@justanotherdrunk]

bought a used '73 'Cuda exactly like this in '87 in a seedy part of san fran for $1900. drove the crap out of it with no problems until i sold it to buy a new '88 mustang gt

[@Victoria3232-j7o]

january161992 Any regrets of selling it?

[@justanotherdrunk]

yes i miss all the old cool cars i once had

[@markmartin2819]

Yikes an 88 gt

[@KingCast65]

I hope you've learned from that mistake in '88.

[@adamtrombino106]

I remember my dad talking about test driving a 74 Cuda 360 auto, vs his 71 Cuda 340 3 speed manual ( in Plum Crazy purple, btw) He said he couldn't believe how toned down the car was compared to his. He said it felt lazy, though it had better lower end torque off the line. He said he felt the braking was better due to having discs up front, whereas he had drums all around on his. He also said it rode nicer, but handled sloppy and didn't feel as tight as his already 3 yr old car. That car was driven up Pike's Peak btw in 72.. In the end, he didn't trade it in.. what he did trade it in for in 76.. well I won't say. ;)

[@chargermaster3676]

Adam Trombino yeah unfornatlty after 1972 is were muscle cars started to lose there power due to emissions and government regulations

[@71plymouth.]

Yep, Hahaha: Wow we've been running into each other lately! I'm glad you know about the old CAT videos!

[@adamtrombino106]

It's the only show that really rung out every car it tested ( for the most part) and is a real piece of American automotive history, IMO.

[@71plymouth.]

Adam Trombino Yes-Sir: Exactly Right. Im so happy to see that these episodes still exist for us to see the good cars from back in the day!

[@drippinglass]

Adam Trombino 1976 was a dismal year... The Trans Am with 455 might have been the only decent one.

[@kevinpatrick8788]

my first car was a 72 cuda 340 blue with blue interior. it was 727 auto with slapstick shifter , buckets , console , ps and pb. i got it in 1982 when i was 17 . over the years i had some cool mopars . a 69 satelite with a 426 hemi , 70 road runner factory 440-6 , 74 dart swinger and a 71 barracuda ragtop. my current mopar is a purple 71 duster 340 . original h code 4 speed car now a 727 reverse manual valvebody .

[@360escapades]

Sorry for your loss

[@phillipanderson2607]

My brother had a 1972 Cuda 340 with a Hurst pistol grip 4 speed. It had mild cam and was quite when ldleling. It had a slight rocking motion at the stop light. It had a positive track rear end a 391 Dana with 50s on the back tires and 70s on front tires. It was pretty fast red light to red light. The right front tire would come off the ground about 5 inches. When drag racing. Top end speed on interstate was about 90 miles per hour. . It was red with black interior and flat black hood. That was a fun time back in the 1970s.

[@randylute2005]

i had a 74/318 Barracuda i bought new..Michigan State Police clocked me at 156mph...(God is my wittness)...

[@melrose9252]

@@randylute2005< A 318 doing 156? What, falling off a mountain?

[@sharitcuello5026]

Vaya mucha nostalgia por este Plymouth barracuda hemi 340 six pack de 1973 Bro

[@jefflove1932]

I had one of these, got it in 1979, it was a good car. But it was painted black, no a/c and living in the desert. Not only looked it it was a hot ride

[@Victoria3232-j7o]

No AC and out in the desert what jay leno says when men were men and women were glad of it.

[@Doobie1975]

Performance wise was IMO really good even by 1969-70 standards, it's like the smog pumps and emission control devices didn't really hurt performance and drivability on this car like it did with many cars built around this time period.

[@jeremythompson9122]

I had a 73 Duster 340-4 speed and that thing was really fast even before I ditched the smog equipment and put on headers and dual cherry bombs. Man I miss that car

[@jeremythompson9122]

Also had a 69 Roadrunner 383-4 speed. My absolute favorite car that I ever owned. Even my grandmother loved driving that car lol She wasn't a typical old grandma

[@abriel3016]

Well, it was good for the smog years anyway.

[@jameshardin1100]

Did I hear him say "Body lean was not excessive," lol. I had a 73 Challenger. Kewl cars!

[@jeremythompson9895]

The 340 Cuda/Challenger and 340 Duster/Dart Sport were really the only good performers left by 1973 other than a 455SD Trans Am/Firebird Formula. Not quite as fast as a 70-71 340 Cuda because of the shitty gas and smog equipment but still pretty quick. The 340 in a small car like a Cuda or Duster was your best bet if you wanted to buy a new Mopar in 1973. By then the Hemi and 440+6 we're gone and the 440 4bbl was down to 280 horsepower. The 340 was rated at 240 hp and was alot lighter than a 440

[@culcune]

You had the advantage of handling with the smaller cars; their overall weight and engine weight made them all around cars rather than just drag racers. But, 280 net horsepower was nothing to sneeze at as far as a '73 Charger or Roadrunner was concerned, but just not going around turns, and I bet the acceleration and quarter mile times were probably equal or better with the smaller cars, too.

[@hendo337]

The '73 454 Vette and S3 weren't bad, the '73 Buick GS 455 and '73 Hurst Olds 455 ran strong too.

[@hendo337]

The '73 Mopars with he E68 400 260hp ran strong too.

[@robertmolitor7785]

Had this car in Red back in high school graduated in 81. I went into the Navy in 82 when I came home from boot camp my car was gone my mother sold it 🤬

[@kolbpilot]

A friend bought a new, off the lot, '73, Dodge Dart 340 automatic way back when. Bench seat, blue on blue with white vinyl top. Rear end ratio probably in the 3.23-3.31 range. No "sure grip" rear end, either. He would have a local carburetor shop tune it up & I really thought that thing ran well for a '73 during its first fifty thousand miles of life. Eventually it deteriorated & was wrecked & disappeared.

[@paycheckvomitthorax]

I owned one of these 43 years ago.

[@iDONTdoFacebook]

@paycheckvomitthorax Me too! I bought my yellow (with black longitudinal stripes/black vinyl top/black interior) ‘74 ‘Cuda 360 in 1976 as a Junior in high school. I traded my pristine B5 blue with white vinyl top/blue interior ‘71 Barracuda 318 for it. I’d bought the ‘71 the year before when I’d started high school as a sophomore. Wish I had ‘em both back! What color was yours?

[@albundy8052]

Wish I had my old Dodge, Back.

[@boneseyyl1060]

I wish I had my old 67 Acadian (chevy II) My first car. My old 1970 Cutlass. My old 1968 Cutlass convertible. (my favorite and had 2, one for parts) And finally my old 71 Chevelle which I sold in the late 90's. Still I wouldn't go back and buy an old car now. Too expensive, can't drive em when you want to, and there are plenty of newer, better cars out there. They just don't have the class of the oldies though.

[@carlosdyer5868]

Did anybody notice the Rhythm in the background music that resembles Heart's major hit, Barracuda.

[@radioguy1620]

sure seemed to turn well !

[@knowbodiesfull5768]

Not even Mike Connors could get that 'Cuda to run like the ones made just three years earlier.

[@TheGbeecher]

Very nice! ❤ Unfortunately - the tail end of the 'Muscle Car' era...😢

[@fifteenbyfive]

This was a "Compact" car, in America.

[@cuda426hemi]

The Valiant/Duster was the compact Plymouth. 🚗

[@tinker1148]

It handled excellent for the time!

[@craigcontofalsky4387]

It handled much better than the 383 Challenger!

[@Doobie1975]

For some reason I can't help but think of the 1970-73 Camaro when I see the taillights of this car.

[@drippinglass]

I like the taillights in my ‘70 better. 😀

[@Comeoffitman]

When the people made it slower it saved gasoline fuel. It was a way President Lincoln made this America a better place on it!

[@hendo337]

The meanest cars of '73-'74 were definitely the Pontiac 455 SD and Corvette and S3 454.

[@ralphpalmer9090]

Any car that can corner at 140 mph is not for the faint of heart.

[@RivieraByBuick]

"You be the JUDGE" - sponsored by Pontiac ?

[@georgeharleydavidsonrider156]

They need to bring back the barracuda.

[@R1ze2the0k8z10n]

An era when good drivers were one with the car, not with electronic assist crap....

[@R1ze2the0k8z10n]

@wzrubicon 1 Stop dreaming? Who said I was dreaming? You sound like a bit of a hater. Further I didn't comment anything about these classics being BETTER. 2ND, i own a 2020 ram hemi, yes it drives pretty good like your new truck. I also own a 1970 cuda 340. Its cool because of its simplicity, easy to repair. So I like new and old. 3rd, a stock 426 hemi isn't much, but the most powerful engines on earth are derived from the 426 hemi, for top fuel and the funny cars. 10,000 horepower, plus. Can a modified ford v6 come close to that? Never. 4th, I will determine what I want to dream and decide whats cool. 5th, as the classic cars like the hemi cuda continue to climb, your f150 and my ram will continue to depreciate. Thats too bad.

[@KingCast65]

@wzrubicon 1 I'll take my mostly analog 1988 BMW 535is over most of the new BMWs any day, no airbag and no real power to speak of either. And make sure you get that warranty fix on the F150 before your tranny blows up.... 2013-2019 they are all fucked up. Too bad a client of ours bought a used 2013 from a certain dealer here in Washington just out of the 5 year warranty from Ford. So he bought the aftermarket warranty and those fokkers refused to pay to fix his ride. They said it was because of sludge, but he has his receipts for oil changes for the 18 months he had the car. Now we gotta sue those fokkers. So your car is still under factory warranty though, be sure to watch out bro.

[@kanukster]

A better choice for 73 might have been the 340 Duster. Lighter means faster.

[@southjerseyboy2844]

kanukster true but in my opinion the Cuda’ was a better looking car.

[@hugieflhr03]

A friend had the 318 challenger but all were good cars.

[@johnzito125]

1;50 to 1:56 he says... The front end stuck, the rear tracked well. I think a NY City subway car would've handled better.

[@terryschnereger8531]

Whatever happened to this particular Cuda?

[@leecrt967]

I'm sure it's tuna cans by now.

[@southjerseyboy2844]

Probably sent back to Plymouth and disassembled or maybe fixed and sold either way it’s probably in a junkyard or long gone by now.

[@hendo337]

I think a '73 Ford/Mercury with a 351C 4V 246-266hp would run pretty well in comparison with a 4 speed and good gearing.

[@alexlevy322]

why don’t someone come up with a modern suspension and correct tire size package for these old muscle cars? I bet they would handle, and accelerate on par with current super cars of today!!

[@markanthony3275]

I love the excesses of everything LOL!

[@orange70383]

It amazed me how they took the best looking version the 1970 and then proceeded to make it uglier every year.

[@puckhead7716]

71 was the best looking.

[@drippinglass]

I have a '70... Cleanest design by far. And the tail lights suck on the '71, and everyone knows it.

[@drippinglass]

BigKing Bud The '71 B Bodies looked like Ford's. And the '71 Charger was nothing more than a 2 door Coronet. Don't believe me? The 1st letter of the VIN was "W" not "X"... A Coronet.

[@cuda426hemi]

@@drippinglass Well that's because it WAS a Coronet with a fastback and buckets in '66 and (no buckets) '67 -always a B Body. 🚗

[@drippinglass]

cuda426hemi The ‘68 thru ‘70 Charger VIN started with X. The Coronet those years was W. In ‘71 the 2 door “Charger” became a W.

[@jameshardin1100]

60 grand today.

[@stevensteven2227]

Special slid ride packages!

[@marksicotte6403]

is that how drifting got started?

[@Victoria3232-j7o]

mark sicotte people drifted before it was famous just wasn't known to well yet.

[@culcune]

I have watched many of the Bud Lindeman tests, and I forget which car they were testing, but he used the actual term 'drifting'. I believe it was one of the late 60s videos.

[@Greatdome99]

I don't think "handling" is the issue--it's tire adhesion (or lack thereof). Handling here is more about driver ability than the car's terribly skinny tires or car brand.

[@ss396rip]

It has the chap stick auto.

[@kellyh4035]

The 340 was never a straight line engine. Even before smog, it was a top end rever, not a low end torque engine.

[@michaelv3340]

Things would get much worse during the malaise era.

[@dancingtrout6719]

the standard model could be a better Buy.. thats what he said .....lol

[@Troy_nov1965]

Had a 70 Dart with a 340 , it ran like a scalded dog but handled like shit.

[@harryjones2420]

look at it lean

[@Ridendrty]

“EPA restrictions retarded our reaction times” yep

[@jasoncarpp7742]

If only today's Mopar cars performed like this.

[@melrose9252]

They do, have you heard of a Hell Cat?

[@smilsmff]

Lol that was something lol

[@scdevon]

Torsion bar front suspension. Yeesh.

[@markkrul3429]

Yeah I know ...right off a stage coach.

[@orange70383]

Torsion bars worked great I had 6 70 cudas and never had any trouble with 'em. But these were a mans car so.....

[@davidrobertson6255]

Torsion bars are great. With a little bit of tuning, they handle suprizingly well. Don't forget how heavy duty it is, many modern hey duty pickups have torsion bars up front and leafs in back. They handle the roads just fine!

[@tomlea3713]

They're durable but notorious for wearing out lower control arm bushings. Weird setup compared to Ford and GM

[@richardprice5978]

so F1 car had them and where competitive + older chp USA pursuit 440 v-8 coronets 2 for a long time so yeh it works and in my eyes better than steel spring coils ( o and its stiffer just use higher side wall tires to soak up the smaller bumps in the road ) and takes up less space unlike the 1-gen ford mustang that has problems with shock towers fitment no thanks

[@johndoe-fm9ne]

facebook.com/groups/131633717350604/

[@Grit489]

Not a true pony car with horrible build quality and cheap plastic interiors.

[@toddbob55]

It was Embarrassing to be seen in a Chrysler in the 70/80s cars were ugly the quality just wasnt there and the sound that Starter when cranking engine yikes

[@360escapades]

But now everyone wants a cuda go figure..

[@ralphpalmer9090]

Any car that can corner at 140 mph is not for the faint of heart.