It took quite some time for Dean Branham to get his 1969 Barracuda to this stage in its existence, but all the hard work, trials and tribulations have been more than worth it.
“My dad bought this car in 1998, and it was a clapped-out, rusted mess with a 318 and bald tires. But it moved under its own power, so we drove it home and parked it in the field where it sat for five years.”
Back then, Dean was racing a 1968 Coronet that was good for low 10s, but it was just not enough. “The Coronet as cool but was just not scratching my need for speed itch,” Dean admitted. “I probably mowed the grass around that Barracuda a hundred times but never saw it as an old tired relic. Instead, I envisioned a Hemi super stocker doing a wheelie. So as I shot grass clippings into the grill for the last time, I hooked it up to the lawn tractor and pulled it into the garage.”
PLANS CHANGE… THEN CHANGE AGAIN
Branham decided it was time to build a race car and the first version of the Barracuda was completed in 2006. With the massaged naturally-aspirated alcohol-injected 540 engine out of the Coronet and 700 pounds less weight to move, it ran 9.10 at 150 MPH with a completely stock body other than a fiberglass hood and fenders.
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