Random Hemi E-Body of the Week

[Cuda Cody]

    

[fc7cuda]

Pick a Pair of Pachyderm Packing Purple Plymouths ...

Ok, how about this pair ... they're almost twins ... not identical twins, but fraternal twins being that they were both scheduled to have been "born" on the same day (May 25th SPD 525), have sequential VIN numbers,  but have a couple of subtle differences between them.

This is BS23R0B349098 ...



And this is it's fraternal twin BS23R0B349099 ...



The "twins" are so similar it's sometimes a little difficult to tell them apart. They're both In-Violet, both ride on steel wheels with hubcaps, both have automatic transmissions with console mounted Slap-Stiks, both have black vinyl interiors and both have the non-Rallye "cyclops" instrument cluster.

Here is 349098's interior ...



and here is 349099's interior ...



Looks almost identical don't they? Perhaps the most noticeable difference between them is that 349098 has a "bald" head while 349099 has a "full head of black hair" ... in other words, 349098 has a painted top and 349099 has a black vinyl top. In addition, 349098 has a standard LH outside mirror while 349099 has a pair of painted Sport Mirrors.

349098's "bald head" ...



and 349099's "full head of black hair" ...



Pretty cool Pair of Purple Plymouths!! 349098 has been sold and I do not know who the new owner may be. However, 349099 is still for sale as far as I know and it's owner is here on the forum. It's being marketed through Champion Motors out of New York and you can see the ad if you bang it here  https://www.championmotorsinternational.com/1970-plymouth-barracuda-hemi-c-851.htm?make=Plymouth

I used to own and restored 349099, it's the origin of my FC7Cuda name.  Really nice car, but afew small issues.

[RzeroB]

On to June ... a little late getting this month started ... so lets get to it!!   



Our first June car is JS23R0B371978 and it was scheduled to roll down the line at Hamtramck on June 8th (SPD 608). It is finished in the very appropriate color of EV2 Hemi-Orange along with a V1X black vinyl top, a H6X9 black vinyl interior and those cool looking color matched steel wheels and dog-dish hubcaps.



From the Fender-Tag we can see that it is a 4-speed and it's equipped with the A33 3:54 geared Track-Pack Axle Package, B51 Power Disc Brakes, C16 Center Console, G34 painted LH Sport Mirror among other things. Note the Y09 code indicating that the car was ordered for the international market. It is also the only known "Y09" international sales code '70 Hemi Challenger RT that I know of. The car was presumably ordered by a U.S. military member stationed overseas and picked up upon his return to the U.S.



Clean, like new interior, with the highly desired R22 AM/8-track radio/tape player. 



Cool picture featuring the iconic "Pistol-Grip" 4-speed shifter. 



I don't think that's the factory enamel paint ... just look at that EV2 Hemi-Orange paint shine - looks like glass!! 

When the car was for sale with WeBe Autos they made a great video of it. Make sure you have the sound on as this Hemi has a great exhaust note to it (don't they all?). Enjoy!! 

[fc7cuda]

Beautiful car. 

Good to see no stripes, just body lines.

[RzeroB]

Like most all of the Hemi E-body convertibles, this apex fish needs no introduction. This '70 HemiCuda 'vert was scheduled to be the last Hemi powered E-body 'vert to roll out of Hamtramck in 1970 with an SPD of 605.



BS27R0B363502 is 1 of 18 1970 Hemi Cuda convertibles ever made. 1 of 14 made for the U.S. market and of those, 1 of only 9 with an automatic. It is finished in EW1 Alpine White with V6X black "hockey stick" stripes and a H6E4 red vinyl interior and a V3X black convertible top - a rather striking combination! This car is also equipped with the A62 Rallye Gauge Pkg, B51 Power Disc Brakes, C16 Center Console, P31 Power Windows and S77 Power Steering among other things.



Now that is a "red" interior - that H6E4 red viny interior is so "red" that it almost looks like it is glowing and shouting out "hey! look at me!" Apparently that was the whole point. The car was ordered by a dealer in New Jersey who wanted a car with an attention getting combination to it to attract potential customers into the dealership. Instead of springing for a lesser car in a wild color combination, this dealer surprisingly went all-out with this HemiCuda 'vert.



A lot of these cars have some interesting history behind them - and this one is no exception. Around 1980 or so, the car found itself in Tom's River NJ owned by a man who allegedly developed a bad drug habit. Whether it was because of the drugs or something else, the man became paranoid that somebody was going to try and steal the HemiCuda - so he literally chained it to a tree!! Soon after that the word got about the car. Bill Rolick tracked down the leads and eventually found it. However, when he attempted to talk to the man about it, he was allegedly chased off of the property with a gun!! After that, the man moved the HemiCuda into a dilapidated old garage to hide it - and chained it to the foundation!!

Time passed and the man left his home and family allegedly to enter drug rehap, or move to Europe, depending on which story you heard. Anyway, he never came back and his wife assumed ownership of the car. Tragically she died in a car wreck a short time later leaving their three children, and the HemiCuda, in the care of grandpa and grandma (you can't make this stuff up!!).

Mopar people still knew the car was out there ... somewhere, and around 1999 Steve Juliano got involved. Steve actually managed to meet with grandpa and see the car. Steve made an offer of reportedly $225,000 but grandpa turned him down saying that the HemiCuda was the only thing of any value that the kids inherited and whatever it was going to sell for would be split three-ways to benefit the kids. In 2002 Galen got involved, inspected the car and gave it his GG report and appraisal which really pumped up granpa's expectations as to what it could sell for. Steve came back again and pumped up his offer to $325,000, but grandpa turned him down again citing the appraisal by GG. Frustrated, Steve dropped out, but Dave Mamulski stepped in ... and stepped up, by offering $460,000 for the car. Grandpa liked Dave's number and a deal was finally struck!!

At the 2011 Russo and Steele Scottsdale auction the car was offered up for sale ... and it sold ... for $1.705 million!! Whew!! If grandpa had held out a few more years he really would have set the kids up ... for life!!



And we all know who the buyers were ... those mysterious guys from the Pacific Northwest ... The Brothers (who are those guys??). Here is the car in an episode of their "Muscle Car of the Week" video series. Enjoy!!

[RzeroB]

This is BS23R0B376069. I don't know what those guys looking at so closely on the passenger side of the engine compartment?    Don't they know the "fender tag" is on the other side over on the driver's inner fender? 



Here's the fender tag those guys are NOT looking at. It's a little hard to read, but from it we can see that this HemiCuda came dressed from the factory in FF4 Lime-Green with a H6X9 black vinyl interior. It also has a 4-speed, A34 Super Track Pack 4:10 geared Dana Axle Package, B51 Power Disc Brakes and a C16 Center Console.  Lastly we can see that this HemiCuda was scheduled to roll down the line at Hamtramck on June 12th as indicated by it's SPD of 612.

Since these guys obviously are not looking at the "fender tag", what are they looking at so closely? What? They're looking at another tag on the passenger side inner fender?    Oh, I get it, it must be an "export tag" they're looking at!    (Hmmm? I had a pic of that "export" tag ... but the operative word here is "had" as in past tense)

Yes it is! This HemiCuda was sold new in the U.S, but it didn't stay there for long. Inspired by the success of Henri Chemin and his French racing HemiCudas, Jean Francois Morel of France purchased this car in 1972 and had it "exported" over to France. Jean Francois brought the car to France to complete in the same road courses and hill climbs that Chemin was having so much success with in his cars. Here is the car in it's racing livery wearing it's French registration of 2566-RQ-31.



After years of successful campaigning, it was retired and placed into storage. Years later in 2004, it was discovered, and shipped back across the Atlantic, but this time to Canada and some lucky Canadian. The car was subsequently restored back to it's original form as can be seen in the first picture and is still in Canada as far as I know.

This was a hard car to find pictures of. These are the only three pics of this car that I have. If you have more pics, or info on it, by all means post it up! 

[71REDCUDA]

A few of the "Chemin" 70 Hemicuda Y09 international export cars. Not sure which is which.. Tag is for "blue" race car.

[71REDCUDA]

This is BS23R0B376069. I don't know what those guys looking at so closely on the passenger side of the engine compartment?    Don't they know the "fender tag" is on the other side over on the driver's inner fender? 



Here's the fender tag those guys are NOT looking at. It's a little hard to read, but from it we can see that this HemiCuda came dressed from the factory in FF4 Lime-Green with a H6X9 black vinyl interior. It also has a 4-speed, A34 Super Track Pack 4:10 geared Dana Axle Package, B51 Power Disc Brakes and a C16 Center Console.  Lastly we can see that this HemiCuda was scheduled to roll down the line at Hamtramck on June 12th as indicated by it's SPD of 612.

Since these guys obviously are not looking at the "fender tag", what are they looking at so closely? What? They're looking at another tag on the passenger side inner fender?    Oh, I get it, it must be an "export tag" they're looking at!    (Hmmm? I had a pic of that "export" tag ... but the operative word here is "had" as in past tense)

Yes it is! This HemiCuda was sold new in the U.S, but it didn't stay there for long. Inspired by the success of Henri Chemin and his French racing HemiCudas, Jean Francois Morel of France purchased this car in 1972 and had it "exported" over to France. Jean Francois brought the car to France to complete in the same road courses and hill climbs that Chemin was having so much success with in his cars. Here is the car in it's racing livery wearing it's French registration of 2566-RQ-31.



After years of successful campaigning, it was retired and placed into storage. Years later in 2004, it was discovered, and shipped back across the Atlantic, but this time to Canada and some lucky Canadian. The car was subsequently restored back to it's original form as can be seen in the first picture and is still in Canada as far as I know.

This was a hard car to find pictures of. These are the only three pics of this car that I have. If you have more pics, or info on it, by all means post it up! 

Passenger side of FF4 car.. funny it says Y05 of the fendertag but here is the French export tag. Also, this is a late built car.

[RzeroB]

Thanks for all the extra pics Nicklas!! 

With your first post, I had seen the pics of Chemin's restored blue car ... but all the pics of the red cars are new to me. A few years ago, I stumbled onto a website aptly named "french racing hemi cuda" (or something to that effect). I knew nothing of the Chrysler France racing program before I stumbled upon that website. It was by a frenchman who pretty much chronicled the progression of the program from it's inception in the mid '60's up to it's demise in the mid '70's. There were multiple cars and most VINs were listed but for the most part they identified each car only by their registration (license plate) numbers. That would have been fine, but there were a couple of cars which had different registration numbers over the course of their career and there were others where the registration number wasn't linked to a particular VIN. It was a fascinating read, but sadly it's now gone as the web link is dead and only gives you the "404 error - target not found" when you click on it.     I'm going to cross reference some of those registration numbers in the pics and see what I can find.

As for your second post, great find on the export tag for the FF4 car!! Yes it has an export tag on it, but it was sold new in the U.S., hence the YO5 sales code. Jean Francois Morel didn't purchase it and have it exported over to France until 1972.

Thanks again Nicklas!! 

[RzeroB]

The first red car pic I can't make out the registration number ... ??8 C? 33    Can't make out the second pic registration either ... ??6? RQ 77    The third pic registration number is crystal clear ... but I can't correlate 9395 SF 77 to any of their R-code cars.    I did read where they also had a couple of non R-code cars that they swapped Hemi's into ... so maybe these first three pics are those cars??

I like the fourth pic, with the three 'Cuda's leading the charge! The good news is that with the lead car, 7405 QA 21, we got a hit!! It is R0B283733. Actually I should say "was". The story went that it was wrecked in a race in 1975. It went through different hands before it wound up with a guy in Norway where it was ultimately parted out and scrapped. 

The blue and white car and associated tag are R0B249759 which was Chemin's car and you can almost make out the registration which is "6752 WK 75". That car was brought back to the U.S. in 2012 and was restored by Redline Restorations out of Connecticut for it's new owner Mike C.

Thanks again Nicklas for the great pics!! 

[benlavigne]

Tom,
That Lime Green car was restored by a friend, Serge Ste-Marie, in Quebec.
Here is the listing after Jonh Scotti bought it
http://www.johnscotticlassiccars.com/fr/occasion/inventaire/inventory-sold/plymouth-cuda-hemi-1970/6989632/
It was re-sold to a Chrysler dealer in Ontario, called Town and Country, for the owner's collection.

Ben

[1ownr]

We went to the Newport Car Museum today with the East Coast Challenger Club (new generation). Looks like one of the twins lives there now. The Museum is about a year old and is located in Portsmouth, RI.

judy

[1ownr]

Here is the 'cuda

[anlauto]

Tom,
That Lime Green car was restored by a friend, Serge Ste-Marie, in Quebec.
Here is the listing after Jonh Scotti bought it
http://www.johnscotticlassiccars.com/fr/occasion/inventaire/inventory-sold/plymouth-cuda-hemi-1970/6989632/
It was re-sold to a Chrysler dealer in Ontario, called Town and Country, for the owner's collection.

Ben

I didn't realize the car Serge did had that racing history...cool story...

[RzeroB]

Tom,
That Lime Green car was restored by a friend, Serge Ste-Marie, in Quebec.
Here is the listing after Jonh Scotti bought it
http://www.johnscotticlassiccars.com/fr/occasion/inventaire/inventory-sold/plymouth-cuda-hemi-1970/6989632/
It was re-sold to a Chrysler dealer in Ontario, called Town and Country, for the owner's collection.

Ben

Thanks for the link and update Ben!!