http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NwsERB16U0
Bob Gough is not the typical muscle car enthusiast. At the age of 13 his family moved to France, and he was introduced to European sports cars; like Alphas, Ferraris, etc. So, he tended to look down on the American muscle car. They had all power and torque but couldn’t handle the turns like their European counterparts.
Bob’s opinion changed, though, when he first laid eyes on the ’67 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S. The car looked like a poor man’s Aston Martin, and Bob learned that the Formula S option gave the car better handling than most muscle cars. Finally Bob had found an American muscle car that he could get behind.
After purchasing the car in the late 80’s, Bob has made a few minor modifications. He changed the transmission to a Tremec 5-speed and had custom 15-inch steelies made to replace the original 14-inch wheels. The larger-diameter wheels allow Bob to have a better feel for the road. He also swapped out the original 273 V-8 engine producing 235 horsepower for an engine from a 69 Barracuda; a 340 V-8. Bob swapped out the cam too so now his ‘Cuda is producing around 380 hp.
The in-house suspension from Plymouth already allows Bob’s ‘Cuda to handle all but the tightest curves like a sports car. The only change for Bob was adding nitrogen shocks; since they did not exist in 1967. He can hang with the sports cars through most turns and his American Muscle allows him to pull away on the straightaways.
The only downside to this Barracuda is the potential for rear wheel lock up. So, turns need to be handled cautiously by slowing down and braking early. Bob knows this but will never replace his ‘Cuda with something better. In fact, he is building a Stroker 340 engine and is thinking about swapping to fuel injection for added reliability. Bob Gough, like many of us, has bonded with his car, always thinking up things to work on, never selling.
Ashley Cegelka basically grew up at car shows as a kid, which nurtured her love of classic musclecars. As she got older, her love heightened for the Ford Mustang specifically, and her first car was an ’83 Mustang with T-Tops that her grandpa helped her to get out on the road. Now that she’s grown her summers are spent at car shows and the dragstrip, taking in the rumble of an awesome engine and the clean lines of a great ride.
