1970 PLYMOUTH CUDA GRAND SPORT

1970 Plymouth Cuda Grand Sport                                                                 NO 69

 

A beautiful example of the classic American Muscle car.

Engine:   383-CI 4BBL 83/4 Rear 3.91 Gear           Automatic 727-3 speed on original drive

Rally dash – factory all stock 150mph Speedometer

Power steering                                                                 Power disk brakes

Original green Grand Coup convertible                  Leather seats, Bucket with console

 15” Rally wheels, on Goodyear Eagle white letter tires

 Correct spare and bottle                Rim blow steering wheel – correct for car and works

 Power windows                                Driver side remote mirror – sport mirrors

Shaker hood, wing, fog lights, hood pins, and rubber bumper

 Correct exhaust manifolds, rocker moldings

 Original build Sheet, high option car

 

The Plymouth Rapid Transit System

 

In car circles no other words elicit same the high energy response as “Hemi!”  The highlight of the marketing of this engine in 1970 model year was Chrysler Rapid Transit System (RTS) which was made up of some of the fastest cars in class of that period. Charter members of the RTS were the renown 426 cid Hemi Cuda, the GTX fleshed out with either the 426 Hemi or 440 4 bbl, the same choice was available in the Road Runner and Sport Fury GT with the 440 cid 6 bbl Holly Carburetors, and the light Duster came armed the 340 cid blaster. About this the Plymouth marketing people wrote:

“Those of us at Plymouth who design and build high-performance cars have been inspired to go beyond just offering cars with big engines, good suspensions, great            brakes, and fat tires.

 We now have a system.  An integrated program. . . It’s a total concept in high-performance transportation which combines the lessons learned in competition, an information network, people who understand high-performance, trick parts and great products. The Rapid Transport System is years of racing experience at Daytona, Indianapolis, Riverside. . . It’s the cars themselves, drag racing cars, Grand National stackers, rally and Championship cars.  And it’s the input (and output) gained from all this racing.”

The leader of this pack was undoubtedly the Hemi Cuda.  Designed by Carl Cameron, to fit any engine option Chrysler offered, the 1970 Plymouth Cuda was one of the cleanest most recognizable designs in automotive history.  But all the cars of RTS looked good and ran well.  Below we have the average quarter mile speed and time as registered by professional racers Sox and Martin.  The handling time was registered over three laps at Willow Springs Raceway.

 

Time            Speed         Handling      Ave Speed

426 Hemi Cuda                     13.54              107.26             1:52.7              79.86 mph

Weight: 3825 lbs

383 Cuda                                14.39               98.98              1:51.9              80.43 mph

Weight: 3575 lbs

Road Runner 440 +6             13.61               106.10             1:50.3              81.06 mph

Weight: 3965 lbs

GTX 440 +4                            13.62               102.91             1:53.8              79.09 mph

Weight: 3795 lbs

Duster 340                              14.07               100.09             1:50.9              81.15 mph

Weight: 3265 lbs

 

The Lang Collection is fortunate to have so many prime examples of these fine automobiles.

 

                                                From information secured at http://www.allpar.com/plymouth/rapid-transit-system.html