It may not be the most modified vehicle we’ve ever featured in NZV8, but Catho Vincent’s ’66 Plymouth Fury is potentially the brightest. Like the lady herself, the car is certainly no shrinking violet and sure knows how to turn heads. Over the last few years the car has been a common sight at events around Waikato and the upper North Island, and just like Catho, it’s often heard before it’s seen.

Sometimes you’ll hear the massive Pioneer/Fusion/Soundstream audio system from a block away, but chances are what you’re more likely to hear is (more…)

I like Chev trucks,” says Andy Brooking, “I’ve had three ’66s, a ’68, a ’78 and a few others; but then again, I like Ford trucks too,” he goes on to say. But do you think he owns either currently? “No” is the answer. “I like things, I buy them, then soon after I always tend to sell them on,” he says. Then again, as owner and operator of parts supply company American Customs and Classics (ACAC), he’s in a good position to be doing a few deals, so you can’t really blame him.

And while not showing a tendency to hoard any particular brand, he’d never really thought about buying a Mopar for himself before either. Sure, he’s bought them for customers, but that’s a different story.

It wasn’t until a customer had Andy bring in a bunch of bits for his Dodge Coronet that he (more…)

What do circular saws, window wipers, in-car heaters, and mufflers all have in common besides the fact they’ll most likely be found in your garage? They were all originally designed by women! Didn’t know that did you? Then again, chances are you didn’t pick this very cool 1968 ’Cuda was designed by a woman, either.
The fact that the car’s owner, Marion Livingstone, and her husband Eric own and operate New Zealand’s most prominent Mopar workshop – West Auckland Engine Recondtioners (WAER) – also had a big
part to play in the design. The build took four years, but the story of how it all came to be goes back three decades.

“When I first met Eric he was driving an E49 Charger and racing his Hemi-powered T-Bucket. I really enjoyed driving that Charger. As time went on the Charger was sold and Eric promised he would one day buy another muscle car. Little did I know it would take 30 years to buy and four years to build,” says Marion, laughing. Those 30-odd years in the middle were consumed with children and business commitments, over which time the desire for a car continued to develop. Throughout that period the business also become known as the place to go if you’re after any form of Mopar engine, transmission, or in many cases the whole mechanical side of a vehicle build.
With all the tricks of the trade learned and numerous contacts overseas, any car Eric decided to build would always be something a bit special, although at first Eric thought this ’Cuda wasn’t meant to be, as he explains. “When I heard this car was for sale I phoned the owner and went with a friend to inspect it.
“The owner must have had a hard night as he was a bit grumpy. The car was parked over a pit that gave me access to give it a good look over, which I did. On climbing out of the pit I mentioned it had some rust and was about to say I will bring Greig [McSporran from Profile Autobody] over to check it, when the owner in no uncertain terms told us to f*** off and slammed the garage door down on us. I figured he sure did not want to sell that car.”
Not long after, Marion saw the car on the road, and reminded Eric that she still wanted it. Being a good husband, he decided to give it another shot and contacted the owner again. This time, a deal was done and the car was now Marion’s.
“We came up with a plan, and we stuck to it. I don’t like changing things along the way, as they never end up right,” Eric says. “It’s simple and functional, and that’s how it should be.”
His idea of simple must be a whole lot different to ours, as you only need to read the spec panel to work out there’s a whole lot more to this car than a big set of wheels and a shiny paint job.
The first step in the car’s build was to strip it down to a bare shell and deliver it to Kiwi Dip Strippers for a dunk in the acid tank. Once back to bare metal the car was delivered to Greig at Profile Autobody, where it would stay for some time. Greig and Eric have worked closely together on numerous projects, and they know the quality of workmanship that can be expected of each other.

While the body was in good condition, the lower rear quarters required a few rust repairs, but this was never going to be the type of car that’d be repaired using body filler. Instead, patch panels were crafted and stitched in. Greig’s sheetmetal-working abilities then turned to the rear inner guards, where the chassis rails were unpicked and moved inwards before being restitched. If you didn’t know it wasn’t factory, you’d never be able to tell, such is the workmanship.
The factory wheel arches have been refitted in such a way as to allow a rear seat to be reinstalled, as one of the key criteria for the vehicle was that it must be passenger friendly, unlike Eric’s T-bucket. Other sheetmetal work included smoothing the engine bay and enlarging the radiator area in preparation for fitting a Mancini big block radiator. To give the body shell extra strength, custom chassis connectors were welded to the underside of the body shell, although again, if you didn’t know they weren’t factory, you’d never pick it.
The paint on the other hand is certainly not factory. Based on the latest Challenger orange, the Glasurit hue features some custom ingredients which really make it pop. That same glistening orange coats not only the exterior of the shell, but the underneath and inside also.
While Greig had the car, Eric was sourcing pieces for the engine which would be fitted. Marion didn’t want the car to be over the top, but wanted it to have more than enough power to match its purposeful looks. The answer was a 400 block which now displaces 496ci (8.1 litres) thanks to a 105mm stroker crank, H-beam rods and 10.3:1 JE pistons. With Eric knowing more about building Mopar motors than anyone else around, plenty of expertise has gone into the build. One of those is use of an oversized Hemi sump and modified 1/2-inch Hemi oil pick-up, mated to modified oil galleries in the block. According to Eric, and he should know, this is one of the most important things to do when building a high performance or high revving wedge motor.
Attached to the block via ARP studs are Edelbrock heads which were ported inhouse at WAER.Now fitted with stainless valves which receive instructions from a custom camshaft, the heads are high flowing. Comp Cams double valve springs along with 10-degree moly retainers and locks and Crane Gold Series roller rockers ensure the valvetrain stays intact, as do ARP fasteners which have been used throughout.

While you can’t see all the hard work and high end components used in the motor, the cool Edelbrock six-pack manifold that sits on top of it certainly lets you know the combo is somewhat special. The three carbs fitted also fall into that category.

“All three carbs are modified for the larger engine capacity,” Eric says.“Both outboard carbs have new modified billet metering plates with Holley jets rather than drillings. The centre carburettor has a modified billet metering block with screw-in E-jets for emulsion, idle feed and PVC. The rear carburettor has a modified billet base with the idle mixture screws repositioned to the side so they can be adjusted without removing the carburettor.”
It sounds like a lot of work, but as with the rest of the car, it’s been built right, and with a purpose.
Originally it was thought a rack and pinion steering setup might be required to allow room for the exhaust system, but as it transpired the TTI headers managed to fit, even with four-inch collectors on them.
From here the exhaust shrinks to a twin three-inch system with FlowMaster mufflers. Due to the tubbed wheel arches the stock fuel tank no longer fitted, so Eric had expert fabricator Frank Wigg build a custom drop tank. Incorporated into the tank’s design was room for the exhausts and Dash-8 fittings for the fuel line.
The driveline is as impressive as the engine package, and again it was all taken care of inhouse at WAER. The trans itself is a Torqueflite 727, but besides the casing there are not a lot of original parts left in it. The key features are a reverse pattern manual valve body and 3000rpm stall converter. As if that’s not enough, a Gear Vendors overdrive unit has been fitted, and essentially makes the three-speed trans into a six speed, as ratios can be changed at the press of a button.

The now considerably shorter (the Gear Vendors attaches to the end of the gearbox) driveshaft leads to a narrowed Dana 60 diff with a Truetrac LSD head and 35-spline axles. While it may all sound like overkill for a street car, at least no matter what Marion does, she’ll never be able to damage it.
The switch for the Gear Vendors has been built into the customised centre console modified by Jason Loose at Cut Loose Upholstery. Jason was also responsible for fitting the reproduction trim kit and custom-made carpets the car now wears. A B&M shifter and Grant steering wheel finish off the interior look, as Marion’s request was to keep it as original as possible. This included sending the instrument cluster to America to have it rechromed and reconditioned, as well as having Dashboard Restorations re-vinyl the dash pad.
The last step of the build was sorting the brakes and suspension, and while many Americans opt to install after-market K-members in cars such as this, Eric’s a true believer that you can’t beat how the factory builds them. As such, the original torsion bar setup remains, albeit with new componentry such as upgraded bars, strengthened lower control arms and tubular top arms. These combined with Rancho shocks and a Moog suspension kit ensure the car not only sits right but should be a pleasure to drive also.
Out the back the original rear leaf springs have been replaced with a Caltrac setup which sits on of the chassis rails and is again matched with Rancho shocks.

The wheel setup that Marion had been thinking of for the last 30 years consisted of 15×6 and 15×12-inch Weld Racing Prostar rims. The latter are fitted with massive 15×16.5×31 Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro tyres. To stop the rolling weight of this-sized tyre is no simple task, but with a set of Wilwood Dynalite callipers and 310mm rotors hiding in behind them, it’s well taken care of. Up front are Wilwood Superlites with slightly smaller 298mm rotors.
At the time of photographing it the car was so newly finished that the sweat hadn’t dried on Eric’s forehead, and it had yet to turn a tyre in anger. One thing’s for sure though, and that’s when it does hit the road it will be a sight to see. It’s not often you see an A-body ’Cuda around, let alone one that’s as good as this, and the icing on the cake will be the smile Marion gives as she passes everything else in sight. Got to give it to the women folk, they do know how to design cool garage toys!

1968 Plymouth Barracuda – Specifications

Engine: Mopar 496ci (8.1-litre) Wedge, 1971 400 Mopar block, 105mm forged steel stroker crank, JE custom forged pistons, 10.3:1 compression ratio, H-beam con rods, moly file fit rings, enlarged Hemi sump, modified ½-inch Hemi oil pick-up and block oil galleries, Rollmaster timing kit with Iwis chain, ARP main studs, billet solid flat tappet camshaft (110-lobe separation, Adv duration In 289 Ex 291, duration at .050 In 255 Ex 258, valve lift In .541 Ex .536), Johnson solid lifters, blueprinted and balanced, Cometic multi layer steel head gaskets, ported Edelbrock alloy heads, 54.3mm inlet valves, 46mm stainless exhaust valves, Comp Cams double valve springs, 10-degree moly retainers and locks, Crane Gold Series roller rockers, Custom 3/8-inch moly pushrods, ARP head stud kit, Mopar Performance rocker hold down kit, polished Mopar Performance rocker covers, Edelbrock Mopar alloy six-pack manifold, three Holley carburettors, dash-6 braided fuel lines, billet air cleaner with a K&N air filter, Aeromotive electric fuel pump with 1/2-inch shut-off tap and filter, Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator, dash-8 fuel lines to the regulator and dash-6 into the modified Holleys, alloy drop tank, Mopar Performance electronic distributor, modified advance curve, MSD 6AL, MSD Blaster coil, MSD leads, TTI coated two-inch headers with four-inch collector, three-inch exhaust system, FlowMaster mufflers, Mancini custom alloy big block radiator, two 356mm electric fans, deloomed and smoothed engine bay
Driveline: Torqueflite 727 transmission, competition clutches and bands, extra clutches, steel spline front planetary, bolt-in sprag, billet rear servo, solid front servo, modified servo and clutch spring kit, 4.2 KD lever, reverse pattern rear band apply, manual valve body, deep sump and oil pickup, custom 3000 stall converter, SFI flex plate, 11mm Hemi converter bolt kit, narrowed Dana 60 diff, 35-spline axles, Truetrac LSD, Gear Vendors overdrive unit, custom driveshaft
Suspension: Upgraded torsion bars, strengthened lower control arms, tubular top suspension A-arms, Rancho adjustable shock absorbers, full Moog suspension kit, factory sway bars, reconditioned power steering box with a firm feel kit, Caltrac inboard rear suspension system
Brakes: Wilwood Superlite four-pot front callipers, 298mm rotors, Wilwood Dynalite four-pot rear callipers, 310mm rotors, aluminium hubs, braided lines, internal hand brake
Wheels/tyres: 15×6- and 15×12-inch Weld Racing Prostar rims, 195/70R15 Hankook tyres, 15×16.5×31 Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro rear tyres
Exterior: Custom chassis connectors, custom tubs, narrowed rails, smoothed engine bay, customised Glasurit paint
Interior: Full retrim, painted seat frames, modified rear seat, custom carpets, Grant Mopar Tuff steering wheel, B&M Black Diamond ratchet shifter, restored gauges, Auto Meter shift light, tachometer, oil pressure gauges, Pioneer head unit, Kicker four-inch front speakers, Kicker 6×9-inch rear speakers, Sony amplifier
Performance: Approx 580-600hp (433-447kW), dyno tune not completed until after magazine print date)

Marion Livingstone – Owner Profile

Car club: Wheels Inc
Age: Younger than Eric
Occupation: Self employed – West Auckland Engine Reconditioners
Previously owned cars: 1972 E49 Charger, 1923 Hemi T-bucket
Dream car: The next one
Why the ’Cuda: When I first met Eric he was driving an E49 Charger and racing his Hemi T-bucket. I really enjoyed driving that Charger. As time went on the Charger was sold and Eric promised he would one day buy another muscle car. Little did I know it would take 30 years to buy and four years to build!
Build time: Four years
Length of ownership: Four years
Marion thanks: Greig from Profile Autobody, Wayne from Western Auto Electrical, Jason Loose from Cut Loose Upholstery, Frank Wigg Fabricators, Kevin Marcroft Metal Polishers, Mark Stokes Vehicle Certification, Kerry from Pit Stop Henderson, Martin for all the machining and hours of help and the rest of the staff at WAER

Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Adam Croy

The September issue of NZV8 Magazine has just reached shop shelves and it’s full up with a whole load of feature cars, news, event reports and everything you need to know about the V8 scene in NZ. Grab a copy before they sell out.

In this month’s issue we have a striking cover car in the form of ’69 Holden Monaro HT. This LS3-powered machine is beautifully detailed and finished to a standard that’s rarely seen, even in a NZV8 feature car. Other cars in the new issue include a big block Plymouth Satellite and a 1987 Ford Thunderbird drag machine that runs a 522ci big block Chevy engine. We also check out Craig Date’s drag-spec T-bucket which can pull 9 second passes making it one of the quickest in the country. Our final feature car is certainly unique, it’s a Nissan Navara ute powerd by a twin turbo LS1 engine, with 700+ horsepower this is one scary mini truck. We also have an special feature showing some of the craziest engine conversions in the country and then we get serious with advice on how to do a conversion properly. We take a close look at Ford’s new supercharged ‘Coyote’ V8 engine and get some technical advice on choosing the right clutch.

All this plus the usual advice, readers’ rides, shed visit and news to keep you up to date with all that’s happening on the NZ V8 scene. This is an epic issue so make sure you pick up a copy now before they sell out!

In the world of classic muscle cars there aren’t many more coveted machines that the Plymouth Hemi Cuda. This rare beast is about as exclusive and desirable as any Ferrari or Bugatti. That said, paying $3.2 million U.S dollars for one still seems on the steep side.

If you have that sort of money to blow then a fully mint example has just been put up for sale. This 1970 Hemi Cuda, has been driven just 17,729 miles, and will set you back the price of roughly 190 brand new Suzuki Swifts.

So why the hell is this car worth so much? Well, it was very rare even when it was built, and this model has a long history in Trans-Am racing in the States but obviously not this particular example. But what really makes this particular car unique is that it’s the first E-body Hemi Cuda, build by hand at Chrysler’s Claire Point, Michigan facility. It was built as a prototype and was never actually intended for sale, but eventually found its way into private hands. (more…)

If you can’t get enough of all things Mopar then why not modify your iPhone with the latest Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth wallpapers from Cool Car Pics. A pack of 35 professionally photographed and designed V8 Mopar wallpapers are now available on iTunes in this latest Cool Car Pics offering. All it takes is a quick download to your iPhone or iPod touch and you have a whole bunch of premium shots of modified Mopar machines that will make your iPhone stand out from all others.

Here are some of the V8 Mopars included:

• Dodge Charger R/T
• Plymouth ‘Cuda with over 930bhp at the wheels
• 1929 Dodge Coupe dragster
• 1971 Dodge Challenger with over 1000bhp at the wheels
• 1972 Dodge Challenger
• 1999 Dodge Viper GTS-R circuit car
• 6-second Dodge Avenger Funny Car
• 1974 Dodge Challenger convertible
• 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
• Dodge Dart
• Dodge Little Red Wagon
• 1965 Dodge Monaco
• Dodge Challenger SRT-8
• 1971 Chrysler Valiant
• 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 Funny Car
• 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Fastback Pro Street
• 1972 Plymouth Road Runner
• 1963 Plymouth Belvedere
• 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda
• Plymouth ‘Cuda convertible

All cars are either show cars or racing cars shot professionally for magazines.

Our wallpapers are available for iPhone4, iPhone 3GS/3G/2G and all iPod touch versions.

All pictures are downloaded straight to your phone. No internet connection is needed once you’ve got the images on your device – simply browse through them and add the ones you want to your lock or home screen. (more…)

The March 2011 issue of NZV8 has just hit the shelves, so don’t forget to grab your copy today.

In this month’s issue we have a wicked big block Plymouth Barracuda cover car, this 1968 fastback is flawlessly finished and comes packing a 600hp 496ci powerplant. Other feature cars include a ’66 Chevy Malibu street car and a VK Commodore ‘Blue Meanie’ replica (except better). There’s also a supercharged 1963 Ford Fairlane and we see who comes out top between FPV’s new GT-P and HSV’s GTS with an old fashioned showdown. We have full event reports from the Kumeu Car Show, the Jalopy Dust Up at Waihi Beach and round two of the Central Muscle Cars. Our awesome sheds section takes us to the expansive garage of Robyn and John Dellamura who show us an amazing collection of American metal and memorabilia. (more…)

“Riding loud Harleys down Route 66 with no helmet is not the most sensible thing to do, but you will always remember it. This ’Cuda will be about as close as I will get to that with four wheels,” says Russell O’Donoghue. A man with an appreciation for all things American; he worked in the States for more than 20 years and, more pertinently, owns this astonishing 1970 ’Cuda.

He couldn’t have chosen a more desirable base to build from. ’Cuda convertibles are nigh on impossible to find and rank among the most desirable muscle cars on the planet. Of course, that desirability comes at a cost, but after years of working as a superyacht captain, he was ready to own the car of his dreams.

But the ’Cuda dream very nearly turned into a nightmare before the build even started. Though it was a show car in the land of stars and stripes, on its arrival in New Zealand the car was found to be an utter basket-case. Had it been a common vehicle it would have been scrapped, but being one of only 12 1970 Gran Coupe Convertibles built, that was never going to be an option.

It’s a situation that could have put Russell off cars for good, and while he says he will never build another car to this extent, we are extremely glad he saw the project through to completion, because the result is one of the most impressive vehicles ever to featured in NZV8.

(more…)

Something very interesting for the modern muscle car scene happened at the recently held SEMA show in Las Vegas. Ralph Gilles, the man who heads Chrysler’s Dodge brand in the states came out and told a crowd of Mopar-obsessed fans that a resurrection of the classic Barracuda may be on the cards.

It’s not as crazy as it sounds, especially with Dodge already re-released the Challenger, which was the Barracuda’s fellow pony car sibling from 1970 through 1974, so the new vehicles platform has already been developed. The bigger question is how exactly would Chrysler differentiate the two models if they shared a platform and featured similar styling? Also, how would the model fit into the current Chrysler range? Being that the Plymouth brand was phased out from the Chrysler Group’s portfolio back in 2001, if the ‘Cuda brought back from oblivion, it would most likely be marketed under the Chrysler brand.

“There’s a lot of pressure on us to bring the ‘Cuda back,” said Ralph Gilles, he added that “the customers have been stomping their feet for it.”

This is the second occasion that the Chrysler Group has looked into bringing back the ‘Cuda nameplate, but due to ownership changes and of course, last year’s bailout, the company was forced to put all plans on hold. But now, with improved financial stability it could be time for this motoring icon to return to the fold. Stay tuned.

“… And so Wayne Grimmer caught the “Big One.” … Enough Said.”

Every good man has his hobbies. Some like golf; others like to tinker in their garage. Wayne Grimmer loves fish. Big, full blown fish to be precise.

This obviously means he loves his game fishing.

Ok guys I’ll stop with the lame jokes. But as you can imagine, I’m profiling Wayne Grimmer and his wicked 1968 Plymouth Barracuda. And I mean what isn’t there to love about it? It’s big, bad and it does some extreme wheelies on the start line. Wayne has been around the drag racing scene for quite a while, but my Dad and I discovered him when were at the drags, and he pointed out the ‘Cuda. “Now that’s a real car!” he exclaimed with excitement, eager to see how it ran on the start line, and he was itching to have a look, when it rolled gracefully back into the pits. As you can imagine, dad was off like a rocket (and began scoping around, pointing out all the specs in the engine, getting down to look underneath it, around it, you name it.

Now, my Dad being from the hot rod scene in his day (he owned a T-Bucket) always enjoys talking to me about the cars he owned or that he wished to own, and he admitted to me later that afternoon as we were driving back to Auckland, that a Plymouth was high on his list of cars he wants to own. And I could hardly argue. It was incredible. Though honestly, the child in me found the giant Barracuda painted down the sides of the car to be the most appealing.

As you all probably guessed by now, the joke is because his car is a Barracuda and I’ve made it look like a half car half fish hybrid. Again I’m impressed with how this has turned out, especially the car. And of course the small cartoon version of Wayne, having hooked the “Big One.” I do have to give the credit to dad as it was his idea for this one. Thanks Dad!

So, all in all, Wayne Grimmer, that car of yours is definitely a sight for sore eyes, and turns heads where ever she goes. An exceptional car that shows true love and dedication for what you do, and shows you have a real passion for drag racing. I also have that awesome poster of your car that was in NZV8 magazine a while back. Looks awesome on my bedroom wall!

Coming up next:
Something a little special…Watch this space!

Following on from a popular debut at the SEMA show last year, American tuners HPP has released new details about their Daytona Concept conversion package for the Dodge Challenger.

Designed to mimic the old favourite Plymouth Superbird, the base package features a new front nose, pop-up headlights, an aluminum bonnet (with a T/A-style scoop), new taillights, 20-inch wheels and of course a signature massive rear wing. The cabin gets a replacement instrument cluster, a unique shifter, and HHP floor mats.

Other available options include a special ventilated hood, ground effects lighting, painted interior trim and custom seats.

In terms of performance, the company offers three different superchargers for the 6.1-litre HEMI V8, three KW coilover suspensions, and a Magnaflow exhaust.

Getting this old school cool machine isn’t cheap and with every aftermarket item selected the entire package adds up to $41,461 USD and that doesn’t include the price of the donor Dodge Challenger.

Check out images of the HPP Plymouth Superbird in the gallery below. (more…)

Featuring the famous 1957 Plymouth Fury, the killer car, this is the official trailer. Highschool geek Arnie Cunningham falls in love with “Christine”, a bright red 1958 Plymouth Fury which has seen much better days. Setting himself the task of restoring the car to its original condition, his friends notice that the car is not the only thing that is changing. Arnie seems to spend more and more time with his car. He’s also developed a sort of cocky arrogance which does not seem like the real Arnie at all.

Christine gets a long-awaited makeover

One of less than 60 left in existence

It’s got the size and luxury that’s bound to steal your heart!

Star of the forward look – there’s no catching Plymouth now!

Full size C body commercial showing the factory and the car

900hp Hemi-powered Road Runner. Immaculate in every way and about as powerful as street cars come. Young Achievers: This week its the fastest 24 year old in NZ – Morice McMillin and his Chev powered Funny Car. Event: If you prefer a bit of a slower pace, we attended the GM Car Club’s annual show to check out a few rides and find out what the GM Club is all about.

900hp Hemi-powered Road Runner. Immaculate in every way and about as powerful as street cars come. Young Achievers: This week its the fastest 24 year old in NZ – Morice McMillin and his Chev powered Funny Car. Event: If you prefer a bit of a slower pace, we attended the GM Car Club’s annual show to check out a few rides and find out what the GM Club is all about.

Wile E Coyote and the Road Runner are back introducing the new convertible for 1969

The Plymouth Road Runner advertised using the Road Runner and Wile E Coyote

Some cool old footage of a Limelight Green 1970 Superbird 440 Six Barrel automatic way back in around 1983 doing some burnouts and getting sideways. Doors are Dukes of Hazzard-style

Yellow Bird Numbers matching Car Completely restored.