You probably already know about the Phantom ‘Cuda, a 1971 440-6 car with a 4-speed and shaker hood which touched off the whole production. Only 108 of these Mopars were ever produced. It’s been a labor of love in the making for years, but what’s debatably one of the most famous ’71 Plymouth ‘Cudas in the world has finally been restored to its former glory.
Crushed in a horrific street racing accident, this rare muscle car was used to help promote Graveyard Carz in a clever spot. The crew buried the crushed Mopar in loose dirt, then hooked up the modified hearse they built, dragging the ‘Cuda out of the ground as if it were brought back from the grave by some necromancer. People were fascinated by that visual – let’s be honest, most car shows pretty much do the same things, so seeing something like that would be memorable.
Honestly, the Phantom ‘Cuda was pretty badly mangled, probably to the point that the average person would say it wasn’t worth anything and should be junked. But the average person doesn’t know much. With something so rare and desirable, combined with determined people and the right skills, a restoration is possible even if only mangled metal is left.
That’s what the video shows off, a miracle restoration. While it took a long time to complete, that was mostly due to the shop getting really super busy, so this project had to be set aside for some time.
If you’re working on some project car and are stuck, use this as inspiration. Even if it takes you years to get that thing running and looking good, don’t give up. The difference between builders who impress everyone and people who just have a smoldering former project sitting at their house is determination. With that, even if you don’t know how to fix certain things, you will learn how – we see it all the time. Sure, these guys are professionals and they have that advantage, but they still had to fight to get this amazing car done.
Wonderful views on that!