Goodguys 2023 Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year!
Congratulations to Bob Leenstra for winning the Goodguys 2023 Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year title with your 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda! We’ll see you and your vehicle in Scottsdale, Arizona November 17-19, 2023 at the 26th Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals as part of our 2023 Top 12 display!
In the heyday of Super Stock and Pro Stock drag racing, many of the strongest muscle cars were ordered by factory-supported race teams for the sole purpose of full-throttle blasts on quarter-mile drag strips. When these cars aged out of the professional ranks, they often morphed into bracket racers or street cars. By then the original powerplants were usually long gone.
Bob Leenstra’s ultra-rare ’71 440-powered Barracuda convertible is one of those strip survivors. Being a convertible makes it even more scarce, as drag racers back in the day tended to favor lighter and less flexible coupes. After serving its time on the strip, the car’s history is a little dark, but it resurfaced in the late-’80s when avid Mopar collector Tom Lembeck bought it and commissioned a thorough restoration. Bob acquired the car in 2022.
Bob’s ‘Cuda is a 440 Six Pack with a four-speed manual transmission. For collector context, let’s check the numbers. In addition to being one of just 17 440 Six Pack convertibles, the car is only one of three with a Shaker hood, just one of five with the four-speed transmission, and one of one with a radio delete!
Beyond all that, it is one of the ‘Cudas campaigned by iconic Northwest Super Stock driver Dave Wren. The factory-backed Wren raced a ’70 Barracuda hardtop but switched to the convertible in 1971. He raced it in its original Tor-Red paint with a white top in 1971 and 1972, finishing second at the 1972 Winternationals.
The ‘Cuda is restored to as-delivered condition. When Wren received the car, he pulled the 440 engine and replaced it with a Hemi for drag racing. What happened to the original 440 power plant is one of those mysteries that keep Mopar fans scouring the Internet, but a date-correct big block was rebuilt and installed during the car’s restoration.
Built to be raced, not for comfort, the ’Cuda’s interior is all black, from the padded dash to the vinyl seats and carpet. The gauge cluster is the basic unit. Radio? Nope. Console? Not necessary.
The important stuff is under the hood and under the car. The 390-horsepower 440c.i. big block is topped by a trio of Holley two-barrel carbs and an optional Shaker hood. Ignition comes from a Chrysler dual-point distributor. High-performance factory exhaust manifolds feed a dual exhaust system.
A Hurst pistol-grip shifter guides the A-833 four-speed transmission. The Dana 60 rearend houses 3.54 gears. Drum brakes on all four corners support factory 15-inch steel wheels topped with poverty caps and wrapped in reproduction Goodyear Polyglas tires.
Adding to the provenance of Bob’s car is that it retains all of its body numbers, original fender tag, and the original window sticker, which verifies the car’s rare combination of options and its racing heritage. It’s an incredible piece of muscle car history and a fitting winner for the 2023 Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year title.
Photos by Terry Lysak
