Supercharged Hellcat Hemi-Powered ’71 Barracuda
May 2021 • Photos by Marc Gewertz, build photos courtesy Andy Leach, action photos courtesy Goodguys and Andy Leach Presented by MicksPaint.com & USAutomotive.co.uk
Hard to believe but in the early 60s Chrysler executives wanted to call their new Irv Ritchie-sketched fastback Valiant the Panda? Wisely, they settled on the somewhat more aggressive Barracuda—thank goodness otherwise we’d all be lusting after Plymouth Pandas.
The ’71 Barracuda featured one-year only quad headlights and gills in the front fenders. Rubber bumpers were optional. The yellow convertible was made famous by Nash Bridges TV show.
Introduced in 1964, the Barracuda was eventually redesigned by John Hertlitz and built upon a short, wide version of Chrysler’s B platform called the E-body. While the platform was shared with the Dodge Challenger no body panels were interchangeable. For 1971 the ’Cuda was fitted with four headlights and fender gills. Optional was the rubber bumpers, Dana 60 rear end, and that magical shaker hood. Sadly, however, the cars were getting heavier to meet safety regulations while performance was suffering to meet increasing emissions standards. It was a no-win situation and by ’74 it was curtains for the ’Cuda.
We still wouldn’t say no to one and neither did Kent Matranga when Andy Leach of CAL Automotive Creations, Bennington, NE called to say that a customer had run out of funds to finish the car and would Kent be interested in taking over the project. Incidentally, the original renderings for the project were created by Gary Ragle of Ragle Design who said: “Other than the color scheme and wheels, there really wasn't a lot of design or re-styling involved in this project. A '71 Cuda is just about perfect, in my opinion, so it was more about not screwing it up. It was a real pleasure for me to work with craftsmen like the crew from CAL Automotive. I know anything I sketch up is in very good hands.”
The factory ’Cuda was available with a choice of eight different engines but for this build Leach had decided on a 707 hp supercharged Hellcat Hemi and a Tremec T56 six-speed transmission by Bowler Performance.
The choice of engine necessitated unique front suspension utilizing a highly modified Magnum Force Transformer IFS that shaves 100 lbs from the front end while featuring coil-over shocks and power rack and pinion steering.
Out back the Strange Dana 60 is located by a custom four-link system with RideTech coil-over shocks. Baer Pro+ drilled and slotted 14-inch rotors and six-piston calipers are fitted to all four corners.
The word subtle is much overused, but Kent’s ’Cuda features more than a few subtle tweaks including custom rocker panels, reshaped quarter-panels, reworked cowl, and firewall, custom front and rear valences, custom front and rear belly pans, narrowed and tucked bumpers, and no gills. The twin-scoop hood, while stock, was mildly massaged as were the stock headlights and taillights to improve fit and finish while the door handles were custom machined from billet.
Putting a cage in often necessitates compromise but in this case the team at Cal performed a beautiful job wrapping the moly around the modified Glide Engineering buckets upholstered to exacting spec by Tracy Weaver, Recovery Room Hot Rod Interiors, Plattsmouth, NE.
Despite the impressive fit and PPG finish by Charley Hutton’s Color Studio, Kent is no slouch behind the custom steering wheel made by Atomic Machine. He has often hammered his car through the cones in the Goodguys Autocross. Not since Nash Bridges has anybody driven a ’Cuda as hard. Oh, and if you think the name Matranga is familiar, you’ll recognize it from his father Bob’s ‘Brute Force’ ’55 Chevy featured here: https://www.torqtalk.com/home/bob-matrangas-800-hp-540-ci-twin-turbo-merlin-based-55-chevy-brute-forcepart-2-the-car
Vehicle: 1971 Plymouth Barracuda
Owners: Kent and Lisa Matranga
• Design: Gary Ragle, RagleDesign.com
• Builder: CalAutoCreations.com
• Engine: Supercharged 376 ci (6.2L) Hellcat Hemi
• Performance: 707 hp, 650 lb-ft of torque
• Control: Holley EFI
• Headers: Custom stainless 1-7/8-inch headers,
• Trans: Bowler/Tremec T-56 six-speed
• Shifter: Hurst
• Steering wheel: ’Cuda-inspired design made by AtomicMachine.com
• Steering column: Ididit.com
• Instruments: Dakota Digital
• Clutch: McLeod
• Exhaust: Burns custom 3-inch oval exhaust
• Mufflers: SpinTech with Vibrant resonators
• Front suspension: Modified Magnum Force Transformer IFS
• Front shocks: RideTech coil-overs
• Swaybar: 1-1/4-inch
• Steering: Power rack and pinion
• Rear axle: Strange Engineering Dana 60
• Rear suspension: Four-link
• Master cylinder: Corvette
• Brakes: Baer Pro 14-inch rotors drilled and slotted and 6-piston calipers
• Interior: Tracy Weaver, RecoveryRoomRodInteriors.com
• Roll cage: 1-5/8-inch multi-point chrome moly
• Seats: Modified Glide Engineering
• Wiring: Brad Nagel, Nagel Performance
• Paint: PPG
• Painter: Charley Hutton, Charley Hutton’s Color Studio
• Main body color: Honda Ionized Copper
• Wheels: Ragle Design 18 x 8 front, 20 x 10 rear knock-off
• Tires: Pirelli P-Zero 245/45R18 (front), 295/45R20 (rear)
