A 1969 Plymouth Barracuda Sheds The Slant Six for Gen III Hemi Power

When Todd Stong returned home from Vietnam in December 1968, he found himself ready, willing, and financially able to snatch up a new, hot ride to call his own. “I had saved my money in the military and decided to jump back into the car market. I quickly bought myself a ’68 Mustang GTA from a friend whose wife unexpectedly got pregnant, ” Todd says. However, that pony car didn’t last long in the new owner’s stable, as he soon found out the Mustang didn’t work very well in the snowy winter weather that was typical at his home in Trooper, Pennsylvania.

Six months later, Todd was back in the hunt for a keeper ride. By now, the young car aficionado had plenty of time to research the cars that were popular and reliable, but he also wanted to know what was fast out on the streets. “My best friend’s older brother was a mechanic at a Chrysler dealership. He told me a 340-powered Dodge Dart with 3.91 gears stuffed out back was the ticket. So, I ordered a new Dart Swinger and traded in my GTA. Boy, was I infected with Mopar Fever from then on!”

As time went on and Todd moved into other phases of life, his muscle car affliction diminished somewhat, but never really went away. In 1981 he stumbled upon a ’69 340 four-speed Dart, which he bought and had restored locally. However, more life changes came as Todd went through a divorce in 1988 and decided he wanted a fresh start. “I moved to the Midwest and sold my Dart, though I held on to the extra parts I had stashed away.”

Photo by Scotty Lachenauer

In 1996 Todd moved back east to Pennsylvania, this time settling in Skippack. This was also around the time the internet was coming into many households, including Todd’s. “MoParts.com was established on the ’net and I saw that it was a great place to buy and sell Chrysler cars and parts. I advertised the parts that I had kept locked away and I quickly sold them to eager buyers,” he says. Thinking he was out of the hobby for good, Todd soon realized he was slowly getting pulled back into the Mopar world. “Guys I sold parts to started sending me car ads that they thought were good deals on collectible Mopars. Next thing you know I was traveling all around the U.S., from Georgia to California, Michigan to Maryland, looking at cars for sale.”

Before Todd knew it, he was the owner of three Mopar A-bodies. These included a ’69 Dart Swinger, a ’71 Demon, and a ’71 Duster, all of them 340-motivated rides. Thoroughly back in the hobby now, he set out to get his freshly purchased Duster restored back to stock.

“I ended up sending the Duster to a shop in nearby Mansfield. While it was there, the shop owner told me about a guy who was parting ways with a ’69 Barracuda. The shop owner wasn’t personally interested in the car, but mentioned my name to the seller, Ray Martin. The car was a basic, unmolested Slant Six model, which got me thinking of ways to create a more modern muscle ride.”

Though Todd was reinvigorated with the Mopar bug, he couldn’t help thinking back to the 340 Dart he’d had years earlier, and how often he’d had carburetor and air conditioning problems. He wanted to get back into a classic Mopar, but without the hassles of “classic” componentry.

Photo by Scotty Lachenauer

“I thought this Barracuda could be the ideal car for a resto-mod, so that I could add some modern amenities to make it a more dependable and comfortable ride. Today’s technology in a Chrysler car from yesterday would be a win-win in my book.”

After purchasing the car, Todd decided to hand it off to Warhart Customs of Quakertown, Pennsylvania. There, proprietors Josh Wardle and Dave Gerhart took the Barracuda under their wing and set up a game plan to infuse this modest Slant Six Barracuda with a dose of Chrysler V-8 power. Along with adding some choice up-to-date accoutrements, the word from Todd was to keep it nearly stock appearing on the outside, to help keep this ride under the radar as a unique “sleeper.”

The Barracuda arrived at Warhart in August 2017 and was quickly stripped of its pertinent parts. Obviously, the drivetrain was first to go in order to make room for the coming high-horse powerplant. “We knew Todd from building him a ’71 Duster, so we were well aware that he was not a purist at heart — though he had a true passion for these A-bodies. He is a fan of the stock looks though, so we took that into consideration when planning out the build with him,” Josh states.

The GEN III Hemi fills out the A-body engine bay, bringing updated power while remaining tidy. Air inlet tube is a custom addition. Photo by Scotty Lachenauer

Once a game plan was set, the body was chemically stripped and blasted in preparation for the required bodywork. The guys uncovered some rust in the rear quarters and damage from a fairly good hit on the front driver’s side. After tackling some repair work on the rear crossmember and frame rails, new quarter panels, inner wheelhouses, and trunk extensions were installed. The shop also did some straightening and grafting of the front fenders using donor parts from other Barracudas, since there was not a lot of replacement sheetmetal available for these early A-bodies at the time of the build.

While the bodywork was underway, Todd approached the Warhart crew with an idea. “I really wanted a modern powertrain in this one and had talked to Mike from EFI Source at an event at Maple Grove Raceway. He had a 6.1-liter [GEN III] Hemi he was swapping into something, and I thought that engine would work well in the Barracuda. After talking to Josh and Dave, we decided to search one out,” Todd says.

A 2010 Hemi was then sourced from an SRT Charger, and it soon made its way to Warhart. The engine was then cleaned up and checked out. A new oil pan was installed, the injectors were cleaned and tested, and the engine was given a fresh coat of paint. While that was happening, all new suspension parts were ordered from Reilly Motorsports. Front and rear RMS coilovers were installed along with a Chrysler 8¾ fitted with an Auburn differential. The complete unit was rebuilt by Bill Worley from Bill Worley’s Garage in Green Lane, Pennsylvania. The Hemi went in next, mated to a freshly rebuilt 727. Once all the clearances were adjusted and the fitment of the new engine was deemed complete, the car was blown apart again for the finish bodywork.

Photo by Scotty Lachenauer

The unit body was put on a rotisserie where the Warhart crew worked their magic on its flanks; once it was laser-straight, the body was treated to four coats of R6 Scorch Red in BASF RM Diamont covered with six coats of DC 5300 clear. After it was heat cured, color sanding followed in stages up to 3000 grit before final polishing.

As soon as the unit body was finished, the crew was ready to put all the pieces together. The RMS suspension went back in, along with the 8¾ out back. Wilwood disc brakes were installed at the corners, and the new Hemi and 727 transmission were returned to the engine bay. The engine was topped with a custom intake made by Warhart, along with a BBK throttle body. A Ron Francis “24/7 Access” wiring harness ties it all together, and a Q1 carbon fiber driveshaft delivers the power to the axle.

A set of TTI headers feeds a 2½- inch all-stainless steel Pypes exhaust system, and a custom-built aluminum radiator from Raceway keeps the Hemi cool. To help give this ride that old-school sleeper look, a set of large-bolt-pattern 15-inch steel wheels was sourced, painted body color, and shod in classic redline rubber.

From the cabin, the Barracuda’s modifications aren’t apparent--it’s all as Plymouth intended back in 1969, down to the “thumbwheel” radio. Only the A/C vents deviate from stock. Photo by Scotty Lachenauer

The interior continues with the stock look. “The factory 150-mph Rallye dash was restored in house by Warhart. We also installed the seats, the movable glass, the door panels, and added cruise control and a Classic Auto Air HVAC system,” Josh says. An updated but vintage-looking AM/FM radio was added and Laudenslager’s Upholstery in Orefield, Pennsylvania, handled the installation of the factory-correct Legendary Auto Interior skins and a new headliner.

The Barracuda made its first run on July 18th, 2018. “I couldn’t attend the Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle in 2019, and then the following year, the event was cancelled because of COVID-19. But after the 2021 show I drove past [original owner] Ray’s house and decided to stop by. I showed him the transformed Barracuda and even got to cruise with him. He was pleased with its appearance, but also surprised with its new decked-out ’Cuda look. Ray was an avid NASCAR fan and motorcyclist; unfortunately, he passed away shortly after I met up with him.”

Overall, the Barracuda retained many of its original aesthetic attributes, in keeping with the original game plan. Todd was happy to paint the car its original Scorch Red, and surely wanted that steel-wheel coolness factor. Add-ons include the ’69 ’Cuda hood scoops and factory striping. Todd even had a custom fender decal made with a 370-cu.in. engine call out, which denotes the 6.1-liter Hemi in units of volume more appropriate for a muscle-era Plymouth. So, what’s it like to drive this modern/vintage amalgamation of Mopar’s finest options and upgrades? “The Barracuda cruises effortlessly. It has highway gears and, according to the dash tach, at 65 mph the engine is turning 2,200 rpm. If you pull out and are rolling and then decide to open it up, the tires will spin, letting you know there is plenty of muscle under the hood to get the job done and make driving fun,” Todd says.

Todd Stong has owned a string of high-performance Mopar A-bodies, starting with the brand-new 340 Dart he ordered in 1969. But this Barracuda is his first project to merge old and new technology. Photo by Scotty Lachenauer

“The coilover shocks with rack-and-pinion steering allow for a comfortable ride and easy handling,” he continues, “complemented by Wilwood brakes all around. I find it has the feel and ride of a newer car. The one thing that reminds me that I’m driving a vehicle built 53 years ago is the larger diameter stock-style woodgrain steering wheel. And despite sound deadener in the firewall, floors, doors, and ceiling, it’s not as quiet as the modern-day car, but I like to hear the low rumble of the 6.1 coming through the dual exhaust.”

In the end, adhering to the plan yielded just what Todd was looking for, and in fairly short order. “The ’Cuda was a record build for me, as Warhart Customs completed it in just under one year. At the time, Mopar 6.1 Hemi conversion kits weren’t available, so that aspect took some time, and searching for parts was a challenge. Then add in the custom workmanship that Josh and Dave did to bring this flawless build to fruition. They made it look like the Barracuda came from Chrysler’s assembly plant this way.”

Specifications--1969 Plymouth Barracuda

Photo by Scotty Lachenauer

ENGINE

Block type: Chrysler GEN III Hemi OHV V-8, cast-iron

Displacement: 6.1 liters (370 cubic inches)

Bore x stroke: 4.055 x 3.58 inches

Compression ratio: 10.2:1

Horsepower: 425 @ 6,200 rpm

Torque: 420 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm

Camshaft: Chrysler hydraulic roller, .571/.551-in lift, 221/255 degrees duration (@ .050), intake/exhaust

Induction system: Custom intlet tube BBK throttle body, EFI Source engine management

Exhaust system: TTI headers, Pypes 2.5-inch stainless pipes, Flowmaster mufflers

TRANSMISSION

Type: Chrysler TorqueFlite 727

Ratios: 1st/2.45:1 … 2nd/1.45:1 … 3rd/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.20:1

DIFFERENTIAL

Type: Chrysler 8-3/4 with Auburn limited-slip

Ratio: 2.76:1

STEERING

Type: Rack and pinion

Ratio: 15.0:1

BRAKES

Type: Wilwood four-wheel disc

SUSPENSION

Front: Reilly Motorsports independent with coilover shocks

Rear: Reilly Motorsports four-link trailing arm with coilover shocks

WHEELS & TIRES

Wheels: Wheel Vintiques stamped steel

Front: 15 x 7 inches

Rear: 15 x 8 inches

Tires: Diamond Back Classic radial redline

Front: 215/60-15

Rear: 275/60-15

Photo by Scotty Lachenauer