1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

The real deal with matching numbers throughout. That's what we're looking at here with what some regard as the holiest of Holy-Grail muscle cars: The 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda ' a model that represented not only the zenith of the era's infatuation with high performance, but also the end of it. The 1971 model year was the last for a factory 426 Street Hemi, and the factory muscle-car era faded quickly afterward. Records indicate that only 107 Hemi 'Cuda hardtop models were produced for the U.S. domestic market in 1971, only 48 of them equipped with automatics. This award-winning, thoroughly documented, California-delivered 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda in FE5 Rallye Red still features its original unibody sheet metal and is billed as among the very best examples still existing today. - this Hemi 'Cuda was sold new and stayed in Southern California, before it was discovered in recent years and faithfully restored. Further, the seller notes the no-expense-spared restoration, which was completed in 2009, involved a plethora of mint original and production-line correct original restoration parts. The restored car debuted at the Mopars At The Strip show in Las Vegas, where it took home top O.E. Gold honors under the scrutiny of ICCA O.E. Gold judging lead by David Wise, principal at MMC Detroit, a leading Mopar authority. It was then taken to the Mopar Nationals, where it once again scored O.E. Gold by a different judging staff. It is known to be the first and'so far'only 1971 Hemi 'Cuda to achieve two O.E. Gold awards, the highest level of certified recognition in the Mopar community. MATCHING NUMBERS Per the seller's documentation and his description, including personal inspections by Mopar numbers guru Galen Govier and David Wise, the car is assured to contain unaltered, factory-original stampings and documentation. The VIN sequence stampings match on the cowl stamping and the radiator core support stamping. The VIN sequence was also factory stamped on the engine block and transmission and, again, those on this 'Cuda match and are all born with stampings and numbers. Additionally, the dash-mounted VIN tag is said to be the original and never removed from the original dash pad, even during the car's restoration. The driver's door jamb still carries the proper and original matching mylar VIN decal. The car also retains its original fender tags, along with two completely intact broadcast sheets. - The car's original 426-cu.in. Street Hemi V-8 engine and console-shifted 727 TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission have been rebuilt and remain in show-ready appearance. The engine was rebuilt by Dick Landy Industries and is said to start easily with the manual choke and run well. The transmission is also reported to shift effortlessly, but is reported to drip a bit of fluid after sitting for a while. The rest of the original-spec powertrain includes the requisite 8.75 axle, with a 3.55 geared Sure-Grip differential. All of the supporting components with the powertrain, including underhood accessories, are said to be factory-correct, with all of the appropriate date stampings and markings. Due largely to spending most of its life in dry Southern California, the body was to be in amazing condition prior to the restoration, with no rust. In fact, the seller asserts the car retains all of its original unibody sheet metal. A rotisserie restoration of the 'Cuda prepped the body for a respray of the original single-stage FE5-code Rallye Red exterior color. The 11-year-old paintwork's quality is reported to be as good or better than the factory paint job, showing essentially as new, as the car reportedly has not been driven on the road since the restoration was completed and it has been continually stored in a climate-controlled garage. - all of the glass is original and date-code correct, showing some light, age-related scratches. Fresh weather strips and seals were installed during the restoration. The exterior, with front and rear spoilers, is presented showing nearly all of its original as-delivered options, the single exception being the adhesive body-side protective moldings that were originally ordered with it. A set of NOS moldings comes with the car. - the black leather bucket seat interior is composed of a mix of original and correct reproduction elements, with the seat covers, door panels, kick panels, woodgrain-topped center console, seat backs, and crack-free dash pad all billed as original and showing in very good condition. - all of the interior lights and gauges are all functional, along with the heater and original AM radio. -- the chassis, suspension and braking components have been restored to factory specifications and various components show original or replicated assembly-line markings. There are no known issues or needs with the suspension or braking systems, but admittedly, the car has effectively not been driven since it was restored. - everything from the bushings and shocks to the brake components as having essentially no miles on them ' and the same goes for the reproduction Goodyear Polyglas tires, which are mounted on the original Rallye wheels. Additional paperwork for this 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda includes two broadcast sheets, Gold certification certificates and authentication/fender tag decoding from Galen Govier and David Wise. Yes, this is a real-deal, one-of-107, 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda, with all matching numbers and all of its original unibody sheet metal. For those on a quest for the Holy Grail of Mopar muscle, it looks like we've found your next car.