– Beautifully restored vintage 1968 Barracuda Funny Car
– After sitting for a decade, it recently sold online for $32,250
– It’s a great “cackle” car and the alcohol-fueled Gen I HEMI® engine sounds fantastic
It’s the 1968 Plymouth Barracuda fiberglass-bodied, flip-top Funny Car that was campaigned back in the day by the husband and wife team of Bob and Shirley Sullivan from Kansas City, KS. Bob was the chief mechanic, technical expert and driver. Shirley was the pit crew and business manager. Since the 1950s, they had run drag cars, eventually moving up to Top Fuel dragsters. However, the Funny Car scene was where the “match race” action was to make money. Starting in 1965, they jumped into the circuit with a steel-bodied 1965 Barracuda, with a supercharged Gen I HEMI engine for power. The “Pandemonium V” was a popular performer and a fan favorite! Next came a roofless Camaro “roadster” Funny Car, also powered by a Chrysler HEMI engine, and with the rules changing (requiring a more stock-looking body), the decision was made to build a new car, “Pandemonium VII” which was a gorgeous 1968 Barracuda that is the focus of tis story.
PERIOD-CORRECT SUPERCHARGED HEMI ENGINE
Expertly built by Jim Swedberg, a 392 Gen I HEMI engine enlarged to 417 cubic inches, fitted with 10:1 Venolia pistons, Brooks Rods, Engle roller cam with special grind, Isky valve springs and Smith Bros. pushrods. Other modifications included Milodon gear drive, Milodon rear sump pan, 354 oil pump with billet hard anodized pickup, Super Mag 4 Mallory magneto. Topped with a 6-71 supercharger three-port Enderle Bugcatcher and Deist blower straps. It’s a “retro” race engine all the way, built with reliability in mind.
FIBERGLASS BODY
At first glance, it looks like a regular production car, but when the slicks, wheelie bars and parachute are discovered, it’s clearly a heavily modified drag race vehicles – yes, an early Funny Car when they still had a fairly stock appearance!
FUNCTIONAL OPENING DRIVER’S DOOR
A unique construction feature of the car is that when building it, it had become obvious the wife Shirley would not have the physical strength alone to lift up the (not-so-lightweight) body after a run to get husband Bob out of the car! The decision was made to make the driver’s side door fully functional, and the skin was cut out of the fiberglass and made fully functional, including the use of a factory door handle!
CHROME-MOLY CHASSIS CONSTRUCTED
While the original Fletcher Chassis had survived the years (albeit being parted from the body and then being used on a bracket racer), it was inspected and deemed to have been extensively modified front and rear, plus the tubing thickness that was used (too thin) would no longer meet the required specs to run on the track. So after considerable and careful measuring of the chassis, it was replicated (thanks to modern CAD technology) in every detail to what it had originally been, except now with the required thicker tubing. Dual Moon fuel tanks and fire restraint system added.
SAFETY CAGE
The large-sized roll cage was standard procedure back when the car was first constructed. Three-spoke steering wheel, minimal upholstery with updated multi-point driver’s safety harness. Things were rather basic back in these early days!
SLIGHTLY STRETCHED
While the fiberglass body mold was done on a stock Barracuda, in order to add high-speed stability in the way of a longer wheelbase, the front clip was lengthened to accommodate the extension from standard 108- to 120-inch wheelbase modification.
STOCK BARRACUDA GRILLES
In these early days of Funny Car racing, the various cars had different unique characteristics, and the Pandemonium VII was a great example, retaining the stock Barracuda grilles and removal of the front bumper, replaced with a “cow-catcher” front spoiler.
STOCK REAR TRIM
Removal of the rear bumper, small lip spoiler and fitting of stock rear trim part of the design when making up the mold for the car, and lightweight plexiglas windows added. A single parachute mounted in center and up high to ensure proper blossom.
ROLLING STOCK
12.00-16 M&H Drag Slicks were used and mounted on a pair of period-correct slotted mag wheels.
UNDER THE BODY
The fully tube chassis has coil-over front suspension, P&S steering, ’33 Willys front spindles, Olds rear end (3.90:1 ratio), with ladder bars. 2-speed race transmission and electric starter.
ACCURATE ART
Extreme attention was given to accurately reproduce the original paint work done on the car, faithful down to every last detail. Candy Brandy paint, lace and gold leaf applied, a true work of automotive art!
’60s ACTION SHOTS
Vintage photography was found on the classic Barracuda which provided valuable verification of the car’s paint and lettering. Bob and Shirley ran the car mostly on the AHRA (American Hot Rod Association) circuit during the 1968 and ’69 racing seasons. According to records, the best time for the car was 8.25 seconds in the quarter-mile, at 183 miles per hour (on nitromethane fuel).
NO-RESERVE ONLINE AUCTION
After the car had changed hands after the complete restoration, the historical HEMI engine-powered drag car sold for the high bid of $32,250, and now the new owner has a rolling time capsule! The loud and colorful machine still very much has the ability to entertain fans at nostalgia events, either by static displays or “Cacklefest” exhibits where the big Gen I supercharged HEMI engine is fired up in all its glory!
Author: James Maxwell
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