THIS 1970 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA EARNED ITS AAR LOOK

“My dad used to take me to the circle tracks, and he was really into Mopars,” says Wayne Bowen of Burgin, Kentucky “He was into asphalt racing, and I got into the dirt track stuff much later. I definitely got the Mopar bug from him.”

Now the owner of Wayne Bowen Racing Supplies in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Bowen tells us that his passion for all things Plymouth really started in earnest with his first car, a ’64 Plymouth Barracuda outfitted with a 273ci small-block V8 and a four-speed manual transmission. 

“My dad found it for me,” he recalls. “It was only two years old at the time. That was an awesome car to have at 16. I was a hit!”

Over the years, Bowen kept busy with various projects that included a C3 Corvette with an Ecklers shooting brake roof conversion as well as a 426 Hemi-powered 1968 Plymouth Road Runner with a four-speed manual gearbox. “Those were still relatively attainable in the early aughts,” he notes of the Plymouth. “It was in the process of being restored when I bought it, and I finished it up. It’s white with a blue interior. I still have it today.” 

He says that working on the Road Runner project rekindled his interest in Mopars after a period of time spent mostly focused on other marques, though he admits that he probably would have taken notice of this 1970 Barracuda regardless. 

“My wife spotted it tucked into some bushes on a backroad near our house, back in 2012,” he recalls. “Everybody’s always on the lookout for a 1970 or ’71 Plymouth Barracuda, you know? Doesn’t matter what kinds of cars you’re into – everyone wants one. But this one was kind of unusual. It had an AAR hood on it, and widebody-style fender flares. It turned out to be a former road racing car. It has actually competed at Pikes Peak.” 

Outfitted with a 440 six-pack, the E-body ticked all of the right boxes, but the owner had allowed it to fall into disrepair. “I talked to him into selling it,” Bowen says. “Him and his buddy were the ones who had been racing it, but his priorities had changed. I told him that if he sold the car to me, I’d give him first right of refusal if I ever decided to sell it myself, and I’d sell it for whatever I had invested in it.” 

Bowen got the Barracuda road-worthy again and eventually decided to move the car on. Since the Plymouth’s former owner had unfortunately passed away in the time since, he ended up selling it to an enthusiast who already had restoration game plan in mind for the E-body. 

“This guy came in here and immediately fell in love with the car,” he explains. “He had a vision for it.”

The new owner had the car stripped down for a rotisserie restoration, a process which included subtle mini tubs to accommodate wider rear wheels as well as eye catching Hemi Orange paintwork. 

“He wasn’t stingy about any of it,” Bowen says. “They didn’t cut any corners.” 

Incredibly, the new owner sold the Plymouth back to Bowen in 2021 with just a few interior odds and ends left to do. Today the Barracuda is motivated by a 500hp, 440 cubic inch V8 that was built by Dale Meers Racing Engines. The big block is matched up with a four-speed manual transmission and a narrowed Moser rear end with 3.91 gears. 

The E-body’s chassis has been treated to subframe connectors as well as a factory-style Hotchkis suspension kit and Wilwood brakes, the latter of which hide behind Rocket Racing wheels wrapped in Nitto high-performance rubber. He notes that the interior is largely stock aside from a back seat that’s been modified to accommodate the mini tubs.

Since reacquiring the Plymouth in 2021, Bowen has taken the Barracuda to a number of different shows, but he says that Holley MoParty stands out as a particular highlight. 

“I absolutely loved MoParty 2023. A show dedicated to Mopars? Are you kidding? I was in. And the Barracuda got plenty of attention at the show.” 

Looking ahead, Bowen says he’d like to build on the road racer look hinted at by the canards on the front valance by making it more of a proper AAR-style ‘Cuda build. He’s already made some significant progress since these photos were taken. 

“I always felt that it was a little bit too much orange, so I put on a matte black AAR-style hood and painted the tops of the fenders to match. There are also some grille moldings that had to be switched out in order to more closely match the original look, so I’ve done that as well. The stripes haven’t been put on yet, but I have those ready to go, too.”

He adds that the exhaust will remain rear-exit mainly due to the fact that the rear valance already has provisions for the exhaust tips, and the modern Rocket Racing wheels are sticking around as well. The Plymouth’s big-block is currently fed by a four-barrel carburetor for the sake of simplicity, but Bowen says he may eventually switch back to a trio of two-barrels for the sheer cool factor of it.

“I love the look of three deuces. They can be a little finicky, but tinkering on these cars are part of the fun for me. I’ve got a ’71 ‘Cuda that I’m planning to bring back to life in the near future as well. And it’ll be a restoration similar to this approach; mostly stock, but updated in some subtle ways. For me it’s about retaining the original feel of the car with some updates that make it more drivable. I don’t want these cars to just sit around forever – it’s not good for them.”

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2024-07-11T14:38:49Z dg43tfdfdgfd