DARRIN Stokes has had his eye on this 1971 Plymouth Barracuda for quite a while, originally spotting it for sale around 15 years ago. But it wasn’t until recently that he was able to get his hands on the low-mileage factory 383 big-block car, and once he did, it didn’t stay stock for long. It’s now running a ProFlo-built 472 Hemi with an 8/71 pump on top and an EFI-converted Enderle injector hat. The donk is hooked up to a 727 transmission and a Strange Dana 60 rear end.
Because Darrin stuck with Chrysler parts for the whole build, there was no need to go through the hassles of engineering like he had to with his previous car, a blown big-block Pontiac GTO streeter.
Running on E85 through a Haltech ECU, the whole rig makes 686rwhp at a fairly stress-free 5500rpm, while churning out a mammoth 1150ft-lb of torque. The combo has no dramas at all lighting up the rear hoops, and Darrin built the car to do a decent powerskid while also being a reliable and easy-driving street weapon.
Since acquiring the car around four years ago, Darrin has put 10,000 miles on the clock and is planning on driving the old girl up to Bathurst for the Autofest in the winter.
But before that big drive, Adam from Just Engine Management is going to retune the car to run on 98-octane, to make looking for fuel less stressful during the trip. Hooked up to the Haltech ECU is a flex fuel sensor, so once a petrol tune is uploaded onto the system, Darrin will be able to switch back and forth from E85 as he likes.
Check out the video as Darrin talks us through his cool ’Cuda.
Comments