1970-74 Plymouth Barracuda Fiberglass Body

Steel 1970-74 Plymouth Barracuda

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1970-74 Plymouth Barracuda Fiberglass Body

There will always be a certain percentage of car buffs that will argue their point of Real Steel is better than Fiberglass. As a Fiberglass Car Bodies Manufacturer with over 2 decades in the business, we have heard this argument countless times. While our background is mostly 1932 Ford Hot Rod Bodies, our point of view still applies to a Fiberglass Muscle Car Body. If steel is your preference, there are still a few Muscle Car Projects out there. If you are looking for a package that is designed to work together, then you might consider a Fiberglass Muscle Car/Chassis. Outlined below are a few things to consider, whichever way you decide that works best for you.

Rust Removal, Minor or Re-Skin

Unless you luck up on a true barn find which was nestled safely out of the elements it probably will have rust issues. In the best case it will be only minor with a little rust showing on the quarters above and behind the rear wheel openings. Maybe even a little on the front fenders, down low behind the front wheel openings. Usually worse on the passenger side as more water, ice and snow always tend to gather on the side of the road.

Now the worse case, a re-skin will be needed. Hope for only the easy parts that un-bolt, such as front fenders, doors, hood and decklid. Be prepared though you may have to go deeper to include replacing quarter panels, outer wheel tubs and maybe even a roof skin. These are mostly exterior but don’t stop now, pull the carpet and check that floor. It doesn’t take but a few time leaving down the door glasses, once the carpet gets wet then the real damage is set in motion.

Once Re-Skinned, now fabrications begins.

Once you have rust removal behind you. Done the work or paid the price, now you can focus on making those body modifications that you may need. Maybe a little wider tire? Will a mini tube do the job? Will it take a full back half rear suspension? Unfortunately having a back seat doesn’t leave much room for a wide tire.

Small Block, Big Block or Late Hemi

Mopar designers made room for both small block and big block engines. However if your dream Cuda has a killer low stance, you have to maintain about 5 inches of ground clearance under the oil pan and headers. Just remember, when the car drops the power train has to stay put. The existing transmission tunnel may not allow for the lower stance. This is especially true for the larger automatics.

A few Benefits of a 1970-74 Plymouth Barracuda Fiberglass Body

A fiberglass muscle car body can have many benefits over OE steel body depending on the manufacturer’s approach when designing the body. During the Design/Construction phase of the fiberglass mould for the 1970-74 Plymouth Barracuda Fiberglass Body  we used the same design as on our 1969 Chevy Camaro Fiberglass Body. Making allowances are made for:

• Choice of either design, a OE Fit or Flush Fit Windshield, Quarter Glasses and Back Glass. This feature gives the muscle car a more modern and cleaner look.
• Wider rear wheel openings. Allows for easier removal of those bigger rear tires.
• Choice of either a 1970-71 or 1972-74 rear body panel design.
• Shaved Drip Rails. Another step toward a more modern and cleaner look.
• Choice of stock or smooth firewall. If a more original look is what you are going for, then a stock firewall is the answer. If your goal is a more up to date look, the smooth firewall will look the best. With the use of a compact A/C Unit and 90 degree Master Cylinder/Brake Pedal Package tucked behind the firewall the engine compartment can remain clean.
• Compatible with both OE and Aftermarket Sheet Metal. Factory mounting locations are incorporated in the 1970-74 Plymouth Barracuda Fiberglass Body to allow for installing steel fenders, doors and trunk lid.
• CAD Designed full frame chassis. Designed to work with our Fiberglass Muscle Car Body. Featuring front and rear torque box design, allowing for offset front and rear frame rails. Mustang II front Suspension, Ford 9″/4-Bar Rear Suspension. Adjustable Coil Overs on front and rear to maintain ride height. Front/Rear Frame Rails as well as necessary brackets are CNC Laser cut and formed.
• Construction Versatility – During body construction a spray in sound deadener and ceramic heat control can be applied prior to installing the body re-enforcement system. As full service Rod Shop we can also install wiring harness, A/C Units, Steering Columns and many more other items.

Unibody Construction vs Full Frame Construction

The Plymouth Barracuda utilized a hybrid Unibody design, however this design can be very restricted when building a Pro Touring or Pro Street Car. We designed a full frame to mount our fiberglass body on. The full frame design opens up the door for more building options such as the use of wider rear tires, lower stance and the use of modern power train components.

A Brief History of the 1970-74 Plymouth Barracuda

The Third Generation of the Plymouth Barracuda

The 1970 was the beginning of the E-Body Design, which Plymouth continued to build through 1974. The Barracuda series was available in 3 Trim Options, Base Coupe Grand Coupe, and Cuda. They were mostly manufactured as hard tops but offered a limited amount of convertibles. The E-Body Platform included a larger engine bay allowing for more engine room. 1970 was the first year that the 426 Hemi was available to the retail market. This new engine option sure put a smile on the Mopar fan faces. Several other engine options were offered including :

• 198 Slant-6 | 125hp
• 225 Slant-6 | 145hp
• 318 V8 | 230hp
• 340 V8 | 275hp
• 383 V8 w/4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust | 330hp
• 440 Super Commando Six Pack (3, 2-barrel carbs) | 390hp
• 426 Hemi | 425hp

The AAR Cuda was powered the 340 ci engine with 3 Two Barrel carb. induction.

The 1971 Model had a couple of major changes in appearance. It sported a new grille design with dual headlights and front fender louvers. It was the only year Barracuda to have these features. The engine options remained the same as 1970.

The 1972 new year new designs. Plymouth changed the grille and went back to single headlights. The rear body panel also changed from 2 rectangular taillights to 4 circular taillights. Now the most heartbreaking change of all was driven by the nations gas shortage and new government emissions standards. This  was probably the darkest period in Muscle Car History. Some remember it as the death of the Muscle Car. Plymouth said goodbye to the 383,440 and 426 Hemi.  Even the smaller 340 and 318’s were de-tuned to meet the emissions standard.

In 1973 the federal government issued more regulations which required Plymouth to make more changes. These changes included front and rear safety bumpers. Plymouth like other car manufacturers of that time were making changes that progressively decrease the Barracuda performance. Stringent safety and exhaust emissions forced Plymouth to discontinue the big block engine option. The remain engine options were de-tuned to reduce exhaust emissions. Good exhaust emissions = less power.

In 1974 Plymouth replaced the 340 with a slightly more powerful 360. The Plymouth Barracuda was on it’s way out. Even Ford Mustang sales were plummeting. Plymouth designers were busy making plans for cars that with better fuel-efficiency and economy. There was simply no place for the early 70’s high horse power Muscle Cars.

Fast forward to today. We can blend the best of both worlds. The look of the 70’s Muscle Car and the efficiency of the modern power trains such as the late Hemi. With car world embracing the use of fuel injection, computers and multiple speed transmissions we can have both power and economy.our