THE late 60s and early 70s gave us the golden era of American muscle cars. They were proportioned so deliciously right, and none more so than E-body Mopars like the ’71 Plymouth Barracuda. Fronted by a brawny, shark-like mouth, its tight style lines flow through to wonderfully curvaceous hips, topped by a perfectly structured roofline.
It’s these features – coupled with the rarity of ’71 Barracudas – that drew Matt Mitchell and partner Katie Bourke into a hunt for an example to call their own.
“We always wanted to do a restomod, creating a reliable car for us both to use,” Matt says. “For me, it’s more than just a car with hand controls. As a tetraplegic, I need to consider the seat height and positioning, and access to other control points.”
Thankfully, Matt and Katie had someone in their immediate circle who understood these needs and was more than qualified to take on the job. Matt’s brother is Andrew Mitchell, owner of Auto Transformers and builder of the showstopping ‘Gold Rush’ Lincoln Zephyr (SM, Aug ’15). Given Andrew’s fondness for modified rides, it was a given that the Barracuda wouldn’t fall victim to a granny-spec resto. In fact, the project steadily escalated, with an extra 18 months spent on the bespoke bodywork alone.
Once stripped, the body was found to be mostly straight, though poorly repaired damage to one rear-quarter soon came to light. Furthermore, the right A-pillar had more holes than a Chux cloth, and tinworm had devoured the boot floor. This is all regular fare for the Auto Transformers team, who swiftly rectified the issues before the fun stuff began.
Denne historien er fra February 2022-utgaven av Street Machine Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra February 2022-utgaven av Street Machine Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
ANIKA HODGES
THE CAR DROVE INTO OUR SHED AS A CREAM 202CI VC AND DROVE OUT AS A SILVER CAR WITH A 355 V8
STAGE FRIGHT
IT TOOK OWEN SCOTT MORE THAN 20 YEARS TO BUILD A TROPHY-WINING, 600HP EH HOLDEN UTE THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME
THE Ummmal SUSPECT
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT MINI-TRUCKS. THIS SUMMERNATS TOP 60 HILUX IS A PROPER STREET MACHINE
FULLY UTILISED
HARDWOOD ROD & CUSTOM TURNS DARREN ISON'S HAND-ME-DOWN HT INTO A SMOOTH OPERATOR
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
PEOPLE POWER
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OUT-AND-OUT MAYHEM
STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE IS ALREADY A ROLLICKING GOOD TIME, BUT WHAT CAR EVENT CAN'T BE MADE EVEN BETTER BY ADDING A BURNOUT COMP? INTRODUCING OUR INAUGURAL RODS OUT!
BAD TO THE BONE
THANKS TO HIS SON, ANDY, THE LATE MARIO COLALILLO’S 39 PLYMOUTH COUPE IS BACK ON THE ROAD AND STILL ONE OF THE BADDEST HOT RODS IN THE COUNTRY
THE CHALLENGE IS REAL
FROM TRACK DRAMAS TO SOARING TEMPERATURES, DRAG CHALLENGE 2024 THREW US SOME OF ITS TOUGHEST TESTS YET, BUT IT ALSO BROUGHT SOME OF THE QUICKEST TIMES THE EVENT HAS EVER SEEN
