Jeremiah 29:11

I would imagine we will have a tough time choosing between the Challenger and 'Cuda if they are both introduced.

August 2, 2006

My wheels

Fast cars get Grosse Pointe man all revved up

Speed aficionado can't choose favorite between Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger.
Jenny King / Special to The Detroit News

Bob Lees loves fast cars. And the Grosse Pointe resident owns a couple of them: a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda convertible ('Cuda 383) and a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440-6 Pack.

The Cuda is blue; the Challenger is green. Lees, a George Washington University alum, would have a lot of trouble choosing a favorite.

"That's like asking a person to name a favorite child," he said.

The Cuda had been a company car before Lees bought it in 1973.

Lees has had the metallic blue Cuda -- which has a Slap Stik automatic transmission (for better drag racing) and a creamy-white vinyl convertible top -- restored twice. It has a small Tuff steering wheel, shiny chrome hood latches, louver-like fish scaling on the rocker panels and a bored-and-stroked engine that now offers 431-cubic-inch displacement.

It also has a hot cam and special heads, he said.

"The name 'Cuda refers only to Barracuda performance models, which could be ordered with one of several engines including a big Hemi," he explained.

The base retail price for the '70 Plymouth Cuda convertible was $3,433, he said.

The Challenger is no slouch. If the "sublime green" paint doesn't make you blink twice, its performance will. The Challenger's 440-inch engine is ably assisted by a 6 Pack: three two-barrel carburetors.

But Lees' car family doesn't stop there. The enthusiast has a yellow 1969 Barracuda 340S with black convertible top that he bought in California from its original owner around 1990. This Cuda needs restoring, said Lees, who is thinking of selling it.

"Because it is smaller and lighter than the later models, it runs like a scalded cat," he said.

Lees has a 1957 DeSoto that is being restored and someday will emerge as a beautiful black-and-gold mid-50s finned beauty.

His 1959 Chrysler 300E convertible is another restoration in progress.

There's also a Triumph TR-8 in the Lees automotive family, and his everyday driver is a stunning new pewter-colored Chrysler Crossfire convertible.

Jenny King is a Metro Detroit-based freelance writer.

Between the blue Plymouth Barracuda or green Dodge Challenger, Bob Lees can't pick his favorite ride.



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