Ram Cuda

A car can acquire some interesting stories over 45 years. If that car is this 1965 Plymouth Barracuda, it can also collect a transfer case, some sweet van-style fender flares, and a set of dualies out back. This Plymouth started life much like any other 1965 Barracuda, and was known to trip the win light at Fremont Dragstrip before being transformed into a show car in 1978 with some help of a man named Steve at BullShift Transmissions in San Jose, California. Today the Plymouth is owned and driven by Debi Hesselien-Leary, who refers to the mighty Plymouth by its given name of Ram Cuda.
The Ram Cuda is all Plymouth from the flared fenders up, with some extensive under body modifications that bring most all of Detroit together in one old Mopar. The front end of the Ram Cuda arose from a Model 27 1/2 ton Jeep, and the 205 transfer case is connected to a Saginaw 3 three speed transmission. The back of the Ram Cuda gets traction with a 1-ton Ford dualie rear end. Ram Cuda had a six-pack equipped 340 V8 at one time, but now packs a mighty Slant Six under the hood.

Despite serious fabrication going on under the Plymouth, the Ram Cuda was purpose built as a show car. The Plymouth made the rounds on the west coast Autorama circuit from 1978-1982. The Ram Cuda fell into Debi’s hands in 1997 with an on the spot deal for 800 bucks, and she’s kept it in as was condition ever since. While she has been known to drive the Ram Cuda up and down El Camino Real, the mighty Plymouth is mostly hauled to car shows these days. Debi says that getting the Ram Cuda down off the trailer and over the wheel chocks into her driveway is a no ramps required operation.

“I fly it off the trailer”, said Debi.

Debi plans to keep the Ram Cuda long enough to bring back the perfectly aged paint to former show car luster. She’s taken careful tracings of all the original lettering on the car as well as the iridescent flame job that’s faded all but out of sight. In the meantime the Ram Cuda will hang out in her driveway in wait for the next Mopar show, or trip up El Camino Real.

More: Mopar Alley: Dedicated to thepreservation of all Chrysler Products  [Moparalley.org]