Plymouth's LEGENDARY Answer To The Z28 & BOSS 302 - The Rare 1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda

[@rarecars3336]

What do you think of the new animations on this video? Do we keep them or get rid of them?

[@MachineintheMonkey]

I’ve just let the chooks out to run, enjoying my morning coffee in Queensland, Australia watching another great video mate… and the animations look fine👍

[@SJR_Media_Group]

Great video.

[@williamg2552]

Keep ‘em.

[@davidmcdermott3415]

I had a '70 Cuda but always wanted the AAR. Such an amazing car.

[@bobailanjian3700]

The 340 was a really good engine, even without the tri power set up. My brother's 340 4bbl routinely ate Z28's an Trans Ams for lunch at the Fremont drag strip.

[@theayatollahofrockandrollah]

to build a homologation spec street car that carried as much of the character of the race car into the road car while also giving it some semblance of manors .....you have a way with words man...beautiful

[@skeetersaurus6249]

I owned one...1970 AAR Cuda with a 340 six pack, M22 Muncie, 3:92-to-1 sure-grip rear end...and while it was 'advertised' at 270-HP, it was making more like 405-HP...I kid you not, you go to the track and 'line up with Z28's and Boss 302's, and you ended up sitting next to 428 Cobra Jets and 427's! NO ONE on any quarter-mile track was going to let you line up side-by-side with another small-block...and it was easy to push the AAR-Cuda into high 12's, stock...other than some better tires! Then again, I saw a 425-hp 426 Hemi line up against an LS-6 454 'Vette...and beat him by half a second...stock to stock! The Hemi ran high 11's, the Vette couldn't get that 454 below lower 12's...Hemi was in a 1968 Roadrunner, and was reaching into the 115-mph area...a solid 5-mph and about .7 seconds faster than that 454! Don't believe everything Ford and GM claimed...Dodge was less-expensive AND faster than either of them!

[@rarecars3336]

Wow i knew they were underrated but I didn't know it was that extreme. 12 seconds in the quarter would probably put it around there since a 20121ish mustang GT has 412hp and that's a 12 second car.

[@bluesky-ud9wg]

Uh, M22? How....

[@budlanctot3060]

Sorry, buddy, the M22 4spd is a GM trans. And the rear axle ratio was 3.91:1. You need to polish up your "stories".

[@charlieweinstock2136]

In my very humble opinion the barrel sided Deusenberg and the 70 Cuda are the two most aesthetically pleasing American cars ever designed. This version would've been a ball to drive I bet.

[@rarecars3336]

The 70 Cuda is such a good looking car, it is simple yet masculine!

[@johnhughes2043]

I ran a ‘68 formula s ‘cuda - 340 / auto in ‘71-‘74. The ‘70 body change did make them a bit porky, mine was about 3000 lbs. and the only handicap where the heads, no w2’s, couldn’t afford them when they hit. Only two rides that EVER spanked me around Ft. Lauderdale was a well driver dz four speed z-28 and a 375/396 Nova. It didn’t matter if the 340 was a 4bbl or 6bbl, tuned and driven correctly they pounded the ground! I’d have to think the de-stroked 305 was a sound and feel to behold with a manual behind it. I loved all my Mopars they where always the anti jaw jacking GM/ Ford rides. Made ‘em both look a a lot of Plymouth tailights!

[@bobby1970]

I was born July 8, 1970. It's very cool to be born the same year as this car.

[@kenvickers3752]

Only thing cooler was to drive them

[@svenmartin840]

i remember seeing these in Brookfield Motors in Brookfield Mass. And they where and still a work of art.

[@Mondo762]

My 18th birthday was spent at Sears Point Raceway in 1969 watching a TransAm Series race with Mark Donahue (Camaro) and Parnelli Jones (Mustang) in a tight race. What a great time. Small block V8's Rule!

[@PierreMenard-xq5uy]

Weren't you a Tire salesman.......lol

[@PierreMenard-xq5uy]

Hey Mister...Didnt your Cousin used to Own that Tire shop right around the corner ? .....lol xo

[@georgeharleydavidsonrider156]

Great video. Thank you for sharing.

[@robroaring7175]

Very cool to spot the legendary Aussie XY GTHO Phase3 in the background at 1.15. Utter monsters in the day. Assuming it’s a real deal car, being in the company of all those other pieces of automotive art! Rob, Tasmania, Australia

[@afterthought3341]

Good day , and the LJ in the background?

[@SJR_Media_Group]

I grew up in the Muscle Car era. I was a Chevy guy, one fellow gearhead was a Ford guy, another was a Mopar guy. I had a 67 Chevelle SS 396 with every high performance option from factory. Rated at 375 hp but was closer to 425 hp. My friend's 428 Mustang Cobra Jet was a beast. My other friend's 340 Mopar was no slouch. It never failed to impress. All 3 of us wish we had kept our cars in garage. Today they are worth a fortune. We all sold them and got different cars. My Maserati I drive now will out accelerate, brake, turn, my Chevelle, and it's top speed is almost obscene. But, I miss the Chevelle.

[@johnhughes2043]

That Maser doesn’t have the soul the Chevelle did, fast, turn and stop agreed, just not the same animal as the Chevy 👍

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@@johnhughes2043 Thanks for comment. Totally agree, Late Model Italian Supercar is going to sell for far less than my 67 Chevelle SS is worth today. It was a blast to drive. Sold it to a kid who totaled it in less than a week. Way too much power and way too inexperienced to handle it. Should have kept it in the garage. Could be driving a True Classic if I had.

[@Tom-hg7kl]

One of my alltime favorite cars. The 70 Cuda may have been and is to me, one of the absolutely best looking cars ever built. I was born in 1960 and remember when the 70 Cuda came out in 1969. I was 9 years old and just about to turn 10. I wanted one really badly. Still do, maybe the lottery someday. lol

[@ralphgreenjr.2466]

Im lucky to have had a 68 Z-28, 65 65 hypo Mustang, and a 70 Plymouth AAR 340x6 Cuda. They all could haul the freight, but the freight master was the 68 Z-28 with dual quad and 456 gears!

[@rarecars3336]

that 302 screaming with those 456s had to be fun!

[@FrankFitzpatrick-rh5dh]

I've had & driven almost every muscle car there was. These were my favorite behind a Shelby GT-350 I would slap some heat cycled R compound tires & Minilite wheels on Drive to Lime Rock to do some driving & drive back home . Those were some good times .

[@weekendgarage3299]

One of my favorite cars!

[@brycemorrill8764]

Always a favorite

[@mattnagem2392]

The 340 Sixpack came with hydraulic lifters. However it did have bespoked adjustable rocker arms.😊

[@budlanctot3060]

That is a fact. The AAR's had regular 340 hydraulic cam and lifters, just different length intake pushrods with cupped ends and adjustable rockers.

[@michaeltrent2726]

Way back in 1980 i had a duster with a 340 wedge......never got beat

[@robertfrye5161]

I had my car serviced by the best racing mechanic in the area. You never knew what cars would be there. He worked on all types but was a magician with triple card set ups. He worked on 440 and 340 six pack cars, he changed the vacuum to mechanical, big difference in throttle response

[@Tom-hg7kl]

I had a six pack 440 4 speed 69 Charger R/T. No, it wasn't factory but was a factory six pack engine. I had the mechanical linkage holley six pak and as a carb specialist back then, it never missed a beat. That thing would fry a set of M 50's in a heartbeat.

[@alexgolovchenko3791]

Love those cars Man! To answer your question though, if I had $80,000.00 kicking around I'd build up a 1969 Z/28 clone with 383 stroker, six speed manual and 4:10 posi.

[@thomasauslander3757]

Better get started on your hobbies..

[@rarecars3336]

That is a pretty awesome build, I might end up doing the same with that budget!

[@rogerdodrill4733]

Think u can buy real z38 for 80k

[@mikecone4049]

1 of the best looking cars

[@rarecars3336]

Absolutely agree

[@afterthought3341]

1:14 got to be Australian collection with the Torana in the back and XW or XY gt .

[@robbchastain3036]

All I know is that I got to attend the 1970 running of Watkins Glen because my father was one of two engine men at Bud Moore Engineering and the Cudas of Dan Gurney and Swede Savage were absolute beauties to behold. And I still think about seeing them up-close whenever I see one of the modern Challengers, which mimic the stance and the cool of those AAR Cudas.

[@tkskagen]

The mid-1960s TRAMS-AM/ Early CAN-AM Racing is the races I have always prefered to watch due to the competition being about the drivers back then. And the different body styles and AERO designs where absoutly interesting to compare!

[@rarecars3336]

That is a great series as well, so much awesome racing happened back then!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Can-Am went through periods where one car or another was completely unbeatable unless it broke down. It's a great period, but it was one of the least 'balanced' eras/categories in racing ever. They called it _The Bruce and Denny Show_ for a reason.

[@tkskagen]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 But this period was absolutely fantastic to watch!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@tkskagen Definitely. It was kinda like Loeb and his Citroens in rallying during the 00s. It was a great era, but you had a pretty good idea who was gonna win.

[@MiguelGarcia-vj7oo]

​@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 with that logic you can say that about all eras and series of vintage motorsports. The 911 for an example has dominated so much in the 60s,70, and 80s..... But what group 5, DRM, IMSA and trans Am series is boring because it won so much? God no...... motorsports has been balanced due to it's plateauing in tech innovation and BOP rules for the last 10ish years..... and there is a strong argument that modern motorsports is boring as hell........

[@clouya]

I bought a 70 AAR Cuda a couple years ago. It’s lemon twist yellow, all original, all matching numbers with 49,737 miles on it. It stayed in a heated and cooled garage for over 30 years. I can’t decide if I want to drive it or keep the miles low on it

[@KC5ZMV]

Disconnect the speedo drive it by the tach

[@rogerdodrill4733]

Drive it now. After death, no more driving​@@KC5ZMV

[@whiteorchid5412]

I knew someone who owned a car like this back in 1970 when I was 9 years old. As noted here it was truly a sight to behold especially back then. The Cuda's were sharper, cleaner and a more pure design than the Challengers of that era which were also good but made to appeal more to the family man.

[@garysarnowski3113]

Came raked from the factory, G60X15 tires in back, E60X15 in front.

[@williamduckworth305]

I had a coworker years ago who had a couple if these AAR cudas and i think either a hemi or a 440 wedge cuda...this was around 1985. He was a Mopar fanatic..some he prolly still has em.

[@mikecone4049]

Mopar is my jam and i had no idea that they did a trans am engine but that might be because the camaro used the 302 in both the street and race version ( different versions im sure) were as the plymouth used a 30? And a 340 on the street. I remember hearing about the 302 camaros. Ive won money with that trivia because people automatically say thats a ford engine, then school begins :)

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

As of 1970 Chevy used their 350, destroked to 302. MOPAR used their 340, destroked to 303.8. Pontiac used a 303.6 CI version of their V8. Ford stuck with their 302. AMC used their heavy duty replacement block, with a displacement of 304.6.

[@mpetersen6]

​@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 The AMC Special Service Block (390/401 water jackets with 360 cast cylinders) could use the parts catalog 4 bolt mains. It's really to bad that Trans Am really didn't continue like it ws in 70.

[@mpetersen6]

Engine wise both Ford and Chevy were in the right spot for TransAm. Chevy had the 327 block and 283 crank. Instant 302. Ford had the 289. All it needed was a stroke increase. And then the Cleveland came out.

[@BROCKWOOD64]

Since you asked, I'll weigh in on my choice between original & hot rod. For me, the caretaker of an original car finds himself limited to preservation whereas the builder of a hotrod that matches whatever specs suit them is enjoyed as even the originals were intended. That is to be driven!

[@williamharmon3076]

@BROOKWOOD64, I agree totally, I would rather have a nice clone or tribute car ,that I can take liberties with in the building process than( ie clone or tribute car) than have a numbers matching car sitting in the garage with a cover over it that nobody can enjoy,with out worrying about devaluing the car, if you build your own, go have fun with it, I see too many trailer queens... never driven...lol

[@edzimdahl1158]

Contaire, even if had a numbers correct car I would still continue to use and enjoy it, toys are meant to be used, enjoyed, and cared for, showboat trailer queens don't exist in my world,, having anything just for the sheer bragging rights of "I have a _ ", is totally bullshit

[@Chris-bz6wl]

Those 340’s were awesome, saw them absolutely destroy Ford and GM big blocks bitd, there was a few Olds that ran great against them though.

[@rarecars3336]

Not one negative comment that I could find about the 340 says it all...

[@hunterhendrickson5890]

I know exactly where one of these is and the owner will not let it go and instead prefers to let it rot in a field. It sucks that it’s that way, it’s canary yellow but I’d still take it any day

[@sportsterray66]

Lemon Twist Yellow. 🍋

[@barryrussell4106]

Love the video. The 305 was so high strung it would blow up with mustangs and Camaros behind it. Swede Savage could drive those cars. There is a video somewhere on KZbin I saw of a cuda pulling the field badly by car links till it blew.

[@mpetersen6]

I wonder if that had anything to do with the oil pan configuration. The front cross member forcing a mid sup pan. I know the Javelins were running an extra wide 11 quart pan specially built for road racing. I would assume that the Mopar along with everybody else had specially built pans.

[@earlrichardson385]

The biggest problem with those cars was the weight. They were heavier then the Mustang or Camaro. Sadly Chrysler still has that problem. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@rarecars3336]

this is still true haha

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Chevy and Ford built their pony cars by taking a compact, cutting a bit out of the wheelbase and putting sports coupe bodywork on it. The MOPAR E-bodies applied that formula to an intermediate platform.

[@sebdupree1]

​​​@@skaldlouiscyphre2453the chevrolet camaro was built on a Dedicated 2 door platform called the f body which is a 2 door Only platform

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@sebdupree1 Don't forget, the F-body is a modified X-body. The Camaro is derived from the Nova, much like the first gen Mustang was derived from the Falcon.

[@romankalyniuk2596]

And the AMX

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

At the depths of the mid 70's gas crunch, I swapped a 71 4bbl 340 into my 70 440-6 RR. That made a great combo and got great mileage, A833, Dana 3.54 and headers. Ma screwed up BIG by not developing more 340s and putting more of them in other combos.

[@rarecars3336]

The 340 seems like the perfect powerplant when done correctly. I love the B-Body Mopars!

[@mpetersen6]

Small blocks were not required. The displacement was. Mopar along with AMC and Pontiac got to the limit by destroking larger motors. Prior to this only overboring was allowed. Hence limited involvement by private teams running 273 based engines. To reach 305 inches a 273 would need a .331" overbore. Achievable if you cast 273 blocks with 340 water jackets.

[@wrongmower]

The guy that just finished my 340(418) stroker has a AAR he bought new and it is stunning 🇺🇸👍

[@jason3280]

The mini lite wheels from the race cars are some of the best looking wheels ever made

[@chrisd9961]

Two blocks from me is a aar cuda sleeping in a garage

[@budlanctot3060]

At one time in the 80's, in my neighborhood, there were 3 mopar trans am cars within a 1/4 mile radius of each other

[@thebionicbassplayer]

Built a model of the Challenger T/A, love the Cuda AAR. I don't love it enough to spend $84,000.

[@jackbower8671]

I'd definitely have to build an AAR because the only color i want is the panther pink and they're quite rare

[@unclenoidentity186]

I always thought the Cuda was smaller than the Challenger only in length, I thought they were a bit wider than challengers.

[@t.s.racing]

I don't recall the width, but yes the Challenger was longer, I believe 2". Like the ElCamino was slightly longer than the Chevelle, the extra length helped in Drag Racing.

[@avman1339]

Most Plymouth versions of the comparable Dodge products, B-body, E-body were a bit smaller because Plymouth was Chrysler's "value" brand, so they had a bit less room in the back seat floorboards.

[@camerondouglas4162]

Too much carburetion for a small block. True story: A long time Dodge mechanic, Charlie Meeks, told me about a customer who bought a new T/A Challenger and was unhappy with how it ran. Charlie finally put on a single 650 cfm Carter and the customer loved it.

[@tekis0]

I'm really digging this channel! Please keep putting "0-60 times" in the videos? Thank-you.

[@PeteT-qs4yr]

The AAR cuda in my opinion is the sexiest of all the 70s muscle cars. If I had 83,000 laying around I'm buying the original every time

[@paulsnell1274]

That Javelin/AMX in the race video! Ooo

[@mry82]

Yes, always opt for the manual!

[@DarkhorseMuscle]

What a cool time for cars

[@barrycuda3769]

Another thing I found out about recently is that the so called Plymouth Hemi Cuda at the start of Two lane blacktop movie , that raced against the '55 Chevy , was actually an AAR Cuda , if you look carefully you can see the strobe stripe on it's side.

[@rarecars3336]

Wow that is a cool tidbit, I did not know that!

[@barrycuda3769]

@@rarecars3336 Another give away that it's an AAR is the driving lamps.

[@hombre1965]

I had a ‘67 barracuda 4-speed with a ‘70 340 dropped in it. I so regret selling it many years ago.

[@96Dak318]

I prefer my 1973 challenger rallye package with a factory 340, 4 speed, 8 3/4 rear with 3.55 gears and suregrip. It’s not numbers matching which means i don’t feel bad hopping it up and driving it every day. It’s essentially the same exact car as the cuda

[@rarecars3336]

Still a super sweet car! But yes very similar build, I am sure its a blast to drive!

[@96Dak318]

@@rarecars3336 thanks man and it definitely is but also a labor of love. It’s a 50 year old car and has all the problems that go along with that, i’ve been working on it since i bought it 3 years ago lol

[@budlanctot3060]

Meh, I don't think so, but if you like it, that's all that matters.

[@rogerlairamore207]

My first car when I was 16 in the summer of 1978 was a 72 Plymouth Cuda 340 competition orange, with a white stripe on both sides with a white vinyl top and white interior that car was fast for what it was, I beat all my friends cars at school like a 1970 Mach 1 mustang 351, a 1974 Firebird Formula 400, on the interstate, a 1971 Camaro 350, a 1971 302 mustang, and my cousins, 1970 Chevelle, SS 396.

[@pierredecine1936]

I was a teenager in the 70's, this was always my Dream Car - alas, never had one, went 73 Datsun 610 - $1,000 pro-built engine - was probably as or faster - high 13's quarter mile ...

[@tomreyn3610]

You got to love racing that involves - Left & Right turns. NOT - go fast, turn left. Would think, all the advertisers would want to see their Brands seen from every angle!

[@rarecars3336]

Agreed, direction changes just make for such an entertaining watch

[@joellamoureux7914]

Trans am is awesome. The cars the lack of only left turns, the hills, and the competition! I Love the Cuda. As a GM Fan, I really prefer the Firebird but the Cuda is a truly awesome vehicle. Why didn't dodge bring that name back SMH

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

The current TA2 class puts on some really good races.

[@trainglen22]

The AAR CUDA is a beautiful car. The 340 is probably the best V-8 engine ever made by Chrysler.

[@rogerdodrill4733]

426 hemi is nice & more legendary

[@guyski666]

One things for sure - a $85,000 1970 AAR Cuda will probably keep appreciating (unlikely to depreciate very much) - a $100,000 2023 Ford,GM, or Dodge truck will depreciate over $20,000 as soon as you leave the dealership :)

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Keep in mind, some day that modern appliance will be a classic too. I remember as a kid people insisting things like Hondas and Datsuns would never be classics, and yet here we are.

[@thomasauslander3757]

Just keep them in the garage for 50 years..

[@guyski666]

good point :)@@skaldlouiscyphre2453

[@richardmontana5864]

The Chrysler 340 Magnum is probably the best V-8 ever made in a production car. Huge valves, it outran 350,351's, and many 400 series big-blockes. Plus it was 100lbs. lighter than the 383 Magnum version. Handled very .

[@barrycuda3769]

One of the AAR CUDAS featured on "Muscle car of the week " , the presenter states that they had 15 inch rear wheels and 14 inch on the front , I know that they came with taller sidewall tires on the rear ,and had 15 x7 inch wheels all around, but could it be that some of them had fourteens on the front ? I'd say probably not. I've often wondered why the Gurney/ Savage trans am cudas had so much of a problem with the engines blowing, especially considering , Keith Black was involved with them , I'm not sure how much he was involved, but I thought I'd read somewhere that they ran a special Keith Black engine block , which I would think was probably aluminum , but probably not ???

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

One of those Keith Black prepared engines found it's way into a Superbird. Richard Brooks ran it at Daytona, finished 7th. That was the last time one of the winged warriors ran in NASCAR.

[@aarmancuda3570]

The AAR & TA were the first American cars to come with different size tires..Out back was a G-60x15 tire(bigger than the Hemi Cuda) & a E60x15 front tire..The larger rear tire was used to give it a rake so the rear side exhaust would clear better..All AAR's came with a 15x7 Rallye wheel as standard equipment.. it was optional on the TA Challenger however..

[@budlanctot3060]

​@aarmancuda3570 mostly true. My AAR front ride height was set all the way down on the lower control arm bumpers right from the factory. I presume for the "rake appearance".

[@barrycuda3769]

@@budlanctot3060 Cool , do you still have it ?

[@budlanctot3060]

​@@barrycuda3769yes

[@melchiando]

Chevy called them back then and said "we want our camaro body lines back! Mopar proceeded to also use them on the charger

[@shanemitchell477]

No I would buy an SC/Rambler personally.

[@jts9120]

Ford and Chevy guys hated the 340. It could eat up their best big blocks😂

[@jrwstl02]

I have a little 400 Pontiac that “ate” 340’s and most 440’s. Mostly stock engines and tires, back in the mid to late ‘70’s. Fun times. Still have the light little Firebird with RA 400.

[@jts9120]

@@jrwstl02 Ok

[@e24nine55]

Is that an aussie XY GT falcon I can see at 1:16? The orange car to the left of the cuda.

[@josh9422]

Being in the late 70s early 80s we had a 68 cornet . I would have loved to had one of these cudaz in the 80s our transmission gave up in the cornet I remember being told we had to get rid of the cornet I still can remember to this day not being happy about that and that we didn't fix it even if it meant engine trany and rear end . Lol ahh the days .

[@onekoneb]

But the 'Cuda suspension... Didn't it still have torsion bars up front?

[@budlanctot3060]

Yes, but it had bigger t-bars, heavier, specially arched rear springs, AND a rear sway bar(first Mopar to have a factory-installed rear sway bar) I'm not positive but the front sway bar maybe thicker than regular 340 Cuda. IMO, the best option on the car is the FAST-RATIO power steering.

[@tristangillis7365]

For the last question: Neither. I'd get a Cuda with a 440 Big Block. More bigger, more better. =P

[@rickmcinnis3820]

I think this one wins the prize for usage of the word ACTUALLY

[@rarecars3336]

Lmao - not my best writing. I will work on improving that

[@grimmerjxcts2206]

Can we have videos on Saleen cars?

[@Zzus321]

Better times.

[@rarecars3336]

An amazing era of automotive design

[@sportsterray66]

No mention of the fact that at that time, the AAR & T/A were the only factory production cars to come standard with two different tire sizes for front & rear? 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️🧏‍♂️

[@BigJoe5.0]

Thanks for mentioning and being useful 👍

[@budlanctot3060]

Coincidentally, like the AAR's, my SRT8 came with different size tires front & rear, and NO spare tire. Not that there'd be room in the trunk for a spare tire, anyway.

[@greengabe5]

A ton of people also repainted their AAR Cudas because the stripes were seen as ugly by some at the time. A similar thing happened to the Charger Daytonas, people didn’t like the nose cones and wings, so some people had them reverted to the normal charger front end and took the wing off

[@JOEMAMMADRINK40Z]

says who when?

[@rarecars3336]

That is crazy to me because I really like these stripes, but to each their own!

[@WaterWeightsClub]

How did they build 2000+ Cuda's in 5 weeks? Where is this accomplishment registered, the Guinness World Records? tnx! B

[@budlanctot3060]

I think what the narrator was referring to was that they built them(AAR's & T/A's) in two(?) production runs over 5weeks time overall. It was in March & April of '70, I think.

[@Crossdatsun]

Ik a KZbinr i think its jennings motor sports he found a i belive blue AAR cuda that was rusty had bullet holes and no engine and he was restoring it

[@rarecars3336]

That sounds rad, do you have a link to that video?

[@johnmurphy2958]

I take a 70 Cuda and build a clone. And definitely make it better handling bigger wheels and tires and more horsepower.

[@jeffreywilson690]

I would take an old body put new suspension new running gear in it and drive it

[@johnudon8537]

At the end of the 1970 transam series, the boss 302 came out in first place &amc was second, with that Said I'll stick with the boss 302

[@ericdary8041]

Shh, don’t give the secret away! 😢

[@roberthill2219]

More great content but I'd like to throw a few things in, as usual. All the AARs and T/As were made as a group, there was no options to order, no color to pick, you took what was available and I've heard a few stories of cars getting shipped cross country for a buyer that wanted a certain color and transmission. Next up is maybe half the cars were built with what Chrysler called 'fast ratio steering' which was actually just a different Pittman arm. The final thing is they were built in almost every color offered on E bodys, with and without vinyl tops,randomly, with only 'High Impact' colors getting the rubber bumpers...and some did and some didn't!!! Also, under that hood, not only did they have special heads with offset rockers for radical porting, the blocks had extra beef for strength, revised oil passages and provisions for 4 bolt mains... in fact these heads and blocks were so good that they helped Richard Petty win a bunch of races in the mid 70s. ..Many a 'TA' block was plucked from a AAR or T/A and would be winning races all the way into the 80s and a few even wound up in the Craftsman truck series in the mid 90s!!!! Again, another stellar feature! Thank you!!!!

[@barrycuda3769]

So , did Chrysler not actually have any quick ratio steering boxes but just an alternative pitman arm ?. Interesting.

[@thomasauslander3757]

Thanks for the additional information on the ARRs..

[@barrycuda3769]

Also, I think it was Swede Savages trans am Cuda that went to a new owner in France , and he took the 340 out and installed a 426 Hemi , and raced it at Le Mans .But it ended.up back in America with it's original 340 back in and repainted back to the AAR team colors.

[@roberthill2219]

@@barrycuda3769 Nope... but maybe... the car said to be the 42 was donated to Good Year and was a part of their traveling road show for a few years... it was found in a Good Year storage area and restored in the early 90s... Savage totaled one of the three and that leaves the Dan Gurney car as the one that went to France... maybe...

[@roberthill2219]

@@thomasauslander3757 You are very welcome. Mopar or no car.

[@alanmichaelbourdon]

Icon or not the Baracuda NEVER won Trans AM. Boss 302 Mustang( 69 - 70) or the 304 Javelin(71 - 72).

[@hydroplainsdrifter]

I never understood how the street version was allowed to have a 340 if the goal was to qualify a 305.

[@derektrieglaff9103]

As much power as the 303.8 destroked 340 made in the racecar, it was all above 4500 rpm. It basically would've had to be the exact engine to be able to move the fully dressed 'Cuda off the line. The 340 street engine had better manners. Besides, they were actually homologating the engine block... not the displacement. If that was the case then the camaro of the same year would've had to have a 302 when in fact, they had LT1 350s. Ford was the only manufacturer who ACTUALLY produced an engine with the correct displacement as a factory option in 1970. even the javelin had a 390 in their 1970 dan gurney special.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Because the SCCA was trying to keep factory interest high. If the companies are averse to offering a small-displacement, hi-po engine, allowing them to destroke an existing engine might make them more willing to participate. The bigger displacement, less highly strung street version was more appealing to customers, meaning the bean-counters would be easier to persuade into approving it for production. If the bean-counters cause the brand to withdraw support, it reduces the overall level of competition. The SCCA also allowed cars to run larger wheels and tires than they were offered with for the same reason. It's reasonable to have the cars all running the same brakes and the same tires. Production based GT and touring car racing is always a compromise between putting the various models of car on an equal footing and trying to maintain similarities to the production models. When they get too strict in one direction you get waves of certain models dominating (like the Sierra and then R32 Skyline in Group A), when get too loose you end up with a silhouette formula. Personally, I'm tempted to believe that gradually becoming a silhouette series is the inevitable fate of any production based category that survives too long. GT3 is a good example of a category that's slowly marched in that direction since it's start.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@derektrieglaff9103 Ironically, AMC modified their engines (raised the deck height) for that year, giving them a version with a 304 displacement. I can't help but wonder if that was the result of preparing to homologate a hot-rod 304 engine for Trans-Am, only to end-up not needing to build that version of that engine. Chevy would have just combined the LT-1 with the 302's crank to make it a 302, if the rules didn't change. Ford had an engine; the stories about Pontiac and MOPAR's stillborn 303s are known; the AMC engine is the only one that not much is known about.

[@derektrieglaff9103]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 if you combined the LT1 block with the 302 crank you would've gotten something like a 330ci engine. The LT1 was a 350ci engine whereas the DZ302 was a 327 block with a 283 crank. So, just using the LT1 block would've been useless to meet the 305ci displacement limit. That's why chevy just stuck with the 69 DZ302 for the 1970 series. By 1971 the trans am series upped the cubic inch rule to accommodate the new engine sizes. That's where the Boss 351 came in and the continued use of the LT1. Pontiac already had a 350ci engine and mopar wasn't even racing. AMC did still use javelins for trans am but, I'm pretty sure they were using a destroked 360 at that time. I'm pretty sure it was the 360 block and pistons with the 304 crank. Which would put the displacement at right around 330ci.

[@derektrieglaff9103]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 I appreciate your comparison of trans am racing in the 60s and 70s to JGTC and silhouette racing of the late 70s early 80s and the aussie supercar racing of the 90s. You're right when it comes to convincing the bean counters. Because in the end factory racing development is all about making the money from the public. As they say, win on Sunday, sell on Monday.

[@albertrettenmaier225]

Maching numbers are great foe collectors, but clone bilt cars drive just as well.and if you are buildinh you can make other mods making drivability much better.

[@markczyruk]

Yep..AAR Cuda's are heavy..worth about $30 a pound or more these days😊

[@sirswerve2493]

All I need to say is the Dan Gurney.

[@79tazman]

Plymouth had the AAR Cuda and Dodge had the T/A Challenger

[@PotatoeJoe69]

If I had $83,000, I dont know if I could buy an AAR 'Cuda. I know myself, I modify everything. I leave nothing stock. I can't, it's an impulse. 😅 On that knowledge alone, I would buy a 6 cylinder 'Cuda, find a good 340 core, throw some Trick Flow heads and intake mani on it, Edelbrock 4bbl carb, some ceramic coated longtube headers and a cam. I'd build myself a real spicey AAR clone, because I cannot bare the thought of molesting a real, orginal AAR 'Cuda with modern aftermarket parts.

[@rarecars3336]

I think I would do the same!

[@ilovel.a.6731]

I would build a clone with a Demon engine! 💪🏾 MOPAR BABY 💪🏾😂❤

[@timmebruer5205]

Since they didnt run a 305 ci engine in the street version how did it make it legal for this type of racing

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Because, starting in 1970 Trans-Am allowed teams to destroke larger engines to meet the 5000 cc limit, rather than requiring the destroked version in the homologation model.

[@timsacco6g694]

If I had a spare 84K laying around I would definitely try to find a 340 Cuda', in red, black or B5 blue, preferably with a pistol grip 4 speed, I never liked the garish graphics on the AAR's and definitely can not stand "high impact" colors, but that's just me

[@thatguy-jl4ni]

$84,000 I would build one of the cars I've designed. I'd have a one of a kind.

[@derekemrie2987]

Lovely cars, but if I had that kind of spare "change" I would likely do neither; I have only a car port, and a fine condition AAR needs a more sheltered home, I would need significantly more than $84K, as I would need a garage, best a climate controlled garage to keep the vehicle from the damages of "open air" storage. A hot rod would require at least a modest garage, well maybe a hot rod would be more doable, as I admire classics, but I don't have the mind set to buy one and never drive it...and at least occasionally "gun the hell" out of it!!

[@twolak1972]

I wanted to buy a 70 340 6 pk cuda right out of high school. Little bastard had every option . 4 spd, 4.11 posi, traction bars, shaker hood scoop , factory hood pins . My dad took one look and said NO WAY ILLE BURY YOU IN THAT CAR. Man I shed some tears driving away from that DREAM. . Dad was a very smart man . LOL

[@dougg1075]

When cars were art and not built off wind tunnel data

[@michaelbonade4667]

Is it beautiful simplicity or a lack of sophistication….im glad there was a arena where these engines were wrung out to their internal limits…I love the trans am legacy, and I’ll take a high free revving 289, 302 305 in a light package and stiff suspension

[@darylshanks3150]

Interesting question. I would want as many as possible so if I could get 2 clones for the same cost I would get 2 clones, not to mention I would want to drive the piss out of them and I wouldn't want to devalue a rare classic.

[@WyattWillis88]

I wish we were able to just buy a 340 six pack crate engine

[@zairomolino4074]

Half an answer: 340 was a performance engine before scca trams am 302 and 305 were engineered for it. The 305 in standard production car was all but performance

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

The 305 wasn't around until '76, long after the era of Trans-Am requiring a homologated engine to be under 5000 ccs. MOPAR could use their 340 because the rules changed to allow engines over the displacement limit to be destroked. Chevy switched the Z/28 to using a 350 as well, instead of the 302 it used for the 1st generation.

[@zairomolino4074]

67/68 z28 was a 305 wasn't it? Not the people carrier 305 you said but a 305 as for the ford was a 302 beast. And yes in 1970 you could use a destroked engine. I'm sure was not the 350 ,related to but not it, because small block are my poison

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@zairomolino4074 No, in that era Chevy used the 302 in the Z/28 and a 307 in other applications. The 302 was Chevy's Trans-Am homologation engine until the rules changed to allow a bigger engine in the production model. The '70 model went with a 350, similar to the homologation models from MOPAR (340), AMC (service block) and Pontiac (400). Ford kept the 302 for another year. If the rules didn't change we would have seen ~303 CI engines from Pontiac and MOPAR, along with a hot-rodded 304 from AMC.

[@zairomolino4074]

​​@@skaldlouiscyphre2453dude, you are right! I very mistook the number. Thumbs up for you!

[@zairomolino4074]

As fact the 1970 z28 "road going version" had the 350 (lt-1?) Not the 302 anymore

[@ssnerd583]

Build me a clone and let 'er RIP!!!!! W0000000000T!!!

[@rarecars3336]

Heck yeah!