Wicked Wednesday: Restored Barn Find Hemi Cuda Drag Car Stuns at Car Show
Hemi Cuda Drag Car was sitting in a garage for years before being rescued and rebuilt with the coolest valve covers you will ever see.
The recent New Smyrna Beach cruise attracted over 700 classic cars for display and cruising down Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach. But of those 700 cars, one in particular stood above the rest. The one was a Hemi Cuda drag car that was once rotting away in a garage. These little ‘A-Bomb’ dragsters are some of the most legendary lightweight racers in the Mopar world. To let one rot away in a garage ought to be a jailable offence.
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” is all about this Hemi Cuda drag car that has been saved and lovingly rebuit. The car is owned by a gentleman named Dennis. Sean Dever from Junkyards and Barn Finds with Sean caught up to Dennis at a recent car show. Despite the overwhelming number of stunning cars on display and cruising down the street, this drag car captured the attention of Dever and he had to move in for a closer look. Thankfully the owner was nearby and willing to discuss the history of the car with Dever. These legendary cars really need no introduction. But this one has an interesting story that you are going to want to hear.
Rescued By Roofer
The thing with barn finds is you never know when or how they will be discovered. The car you see here was discovered by a roofer in Connecticut. He was doing a roofing job and he asked the owners of the home if he could keep his tools in their garage. They said sure, and when he opened the garage, lo and behold, a Plymouth Barracuda with a 426 Hemi race engine was sitting in there. In fact, it had been sitting there for over eight years. Knowing this was too good to pass up the roofer bought the car. He then sold it to someone who brought the car to New Smyrna Beach. Ironically Dennis was living in Connecticut when he saw the car during a visit to New Smyrna Beach. He bought it, took it back to Connecticut and now he has it back in New Smyrna Beach.
The Build
The car uses a newer 426 Hemi block, although Dennis still has the original. Another significant change on this car is that it was originally a 4-speed manual. However, Dennis has converted it to an automatic transmission. But before we blast Dennis too much for that and say that he isn’t a real driver, it is important to note that he was a former NHRA Super Stock racer. So, we should cut him a bit of slack. The wheels are a more modern set of Cragar mags that Dennis uses as the show wheels. He has the original wheels at home along with the original Pro Stock hood.
Eye Popping Detail
There is so much to like about this car it is hard to focus on just one area. But you have to just love the whimsical valve covers that Dennis is running on this thing. They are painted to look like stacks of $100 bills. That could represent the amount of money this thing is worth or how much it cost to retore. Or it could represent how much money it could make out on the drag strip. In addition to the valve covers the custom paint job makes this car stand out even among a sea of show cars. Checkout the video below to see everything this old Hemi Cuda drag car has to offer.
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