1970 Plymouth Cuda Is So Red Inside You'll Forget About Everything Else

Officially a pony car, the line came into existence in 1964, at a time when all other great names of the segment were being born. It was Chrysler's response to what Ford and GM were doing, and for a brief period of time, up until a decade later, it managed to hold them both off in style.

In the ten years it was on the market the Barracuda burned through three generations, each of them bringing something new and exciting to the table: the first one introduced the moniker to the world, the second brought a new design, and the third introduced a body that no longer had anything in common with the Valiant model it had shared so many parts and bodywork until then.

It is this third generation that is presently highly appreciated by collectors around the country, with exquisite examples of the breed changing hands for large amounts of money during specialized events. And that's something this customized 1970 car is hoping to achieve as well.

1970 was the first year of the third generation, during which time three versions of the car were offered, namely the Barracuda, the more upscale Gran Coupe, and the highly collectible Cuda. The one we have here belongs to the latter group but, as you can clearly see, it doesn't present itself in stock form anymore.

The Plymouth now wears the telltale signs of custom modifications, in our case a frame-off build performed by a Texas-based custom shop known as Killer Hot Rods. And the changes these guys made cover everything from what can be found under the hood to what the car has to offer visually and comfort-wise.

Historically speaking the Barracudas of the 1970s were powered by a large variety of engines, starting with the 198ci slant-6 and ending with the impressive 440ci V8 unit. The one this car has on is somewhere in between, but it's not one of the engines offered from the factory floor back then.

More to the point, the car packs a 372ci HEMI whose build was handled by another specialist called True Street Hot Rods. It's supercharged and alcohol-injected and that allows it to develop a total of 526 hp. And that was proven on the dyno, we're told. An automatic transmission makes sure all that power is sent at the right time to where it's needed.

The car's underpinnings have been modified as well, and it now rocks a coilover suspension system with Magnum Force gear and subframe connectors. When it needs to stop, the Cuda uses Wilwood brakes.

The power of the engine is transferred to the ground with the help of Forgeline wheels. They are wrapped in Nitto tires and come with an 18-inch diameter for the front and a 19-inch one for the rear.

Visually the Cuda is a true sight to behold. The exterior, still sporting the lines that have made the breed famous over the years, is wrapped in a dull shade of gray that is simply turned into a sensorial delight by the carefully placed detailing in red.

The same color is abundantly used inside as well. Accessible by means of doors with shaved handles, the interior is an explosion of red that covers everything except the dashboard where the Dakota Digital gauges are fitted. One of these gauges, the odometer, shows just 4,200 miles (6,750 km) of use on the car.

A closer look also reveals a head unit ahead of the shifter that is also not red. That one is there to be used with iPhones, as the Cuda now has Apple CarPlay compatibility.

We came across this beautiful build as we were looking through the goodies people are bringing to Dallas, Texas, at the end of the month. Hopes are it will sell there at the hands of auction house Mecum and that it'll make a splash.

It's not entirely clear how much the owner of the Cuda hopes to fetch for the ride, but there does seem to be a reserve on it. For reference, valuation company Hagerty places a Concours condition 1970 Plymouth Cuda (meaning not modified in any way) at around $88,500.

Chances are this here Cuda will go for a lot more than that, if all conditions are right, especially given the mods performed on it. We will of course keep our eyes on Dallas later this month and report back with fresh info as soon as we learn the selling price of this incredible beast.