They called the Cuda a hemi but it was actually a 340 six pack. Even a stock street hemi wouldn't have beat the 55. When it ran in Memphis while filming the movie, it was running in the 10's. The track GM stated it was running right on the B/HR record which was the ahra equivalent to modified production. It was fast for a street car. Fun movie. I bought the DVD many years ago.
@@waynetaylor8082 The 1970 Challenger T/A says "340 Six Pak" on the fender but the air cleaner decal says "Six *Pack."* The 69 and a 1/2 Super Bee (first Six Pack Dodge) says "Six Pack" on the hood and air cleaner. The 70 440 Challenger has "440 Six Pack" emblems on the hood....... I'm not going to list all the various models but "Six *Pack"* was used a lot more than "Six _Pak."_
We love this movie. We know "Mechanic" said that 'Cuda had a hemi with a Torque-flite, but take a closer look. It appears to be an AAR 'Cuda, which would have had a 340 Six-Pak.
One of the all time great Motor Head movie's. They'll never be able to duplicate, because let's face it. You need old V8 muscle car's for it. Not chainsaw rice burners with zoomie muffler's. Ya just can't beat the sound of a small or big block V8...
@@mc4492 Let's face it a 1.5 liter 4 cylinder just doesn't have the same effect on ones sense's. Not saying there not fast because I know they can be. They're just not as sexy as a V8 in any displacement, and yes I'm old school. I owned a slew of muscle car's in my youth. From a 1957 Chevy to a 1970 Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 4 speed car. My friends have some more unique names for Asian car's, that I won't mention. Do to the fact you never know, some woke liberal might be trigger by them... 😉
The thing is those little rice rockets are the new 32' Fords and those bangers are the new flat head engines and I say this because they are a dime a dozen and what some young people can afford which is sad as I prefer a V8 muscle car
@@mc4492I've been to some drift competitions, and listening to those unmuffled "smaller displacement than a 2 liter soda bottle" engines, "chainsaw" buzz comes to mind. Ironically, the first American hot rods ever where Ford's flathead four cylinders, making 200 hp at 6,000 RPM with the right overhead conversation and cam choice to go with an Ed Winfield carb. but when it comes to sound, only an imported V12 beats the large displacement V8s (think of the movie Gumball Rally, when they're all burning out of NYC).
It's actually a lousy movie. We just liked the cars and the romantic idea of freely traveling about the country making a living from hustling drag races. I suppose it could have been great, but in reality it was awful.
The Brotherhood use to meet after midnight behind the IHOP at Crenshaw Square. We followed them to Aviation where they got off a few races until a '60 Chevy Biscayne dropped it's driveshaft on his launch. The cops were coming so everyone split. This was 1968 before Willie got the Daytona. I was driving a '56 Chevy wagon with a 394 Olds and Hydro.
You are a legend and a pioneer, my brother. Was there much action back then, with the hot shoes? Like a Max Wedge or Hemi vs a 409 etc on the street. Like Detroit. You lived the best times, man.
According to one of the scenes in this movie the 55 Chevy had a brand new LS6 454 in it, which was a brand new engine that GM had introduced at the time of this movie. The engine had a set of headers and a dual carbureted tunnel ram on it. This would have made this the most powerful factory engine money could buy at the time of the making of this movie. Evan more powerful than a Chrysler Hemi.
That Daytona is is rare bird indeed! Growing up as a teenager in ‘80s Australia we had our beloved Street Machine magazines and a red and black Daytona ended up in some cruising photos! Now I know why this guy probably had to have one
ARR Cuda. This car came with the most power small block ever in a Chrysler. The engine was very special for this one. Three Holey carbs and special cylinder heads available only for this car. It also tells you how bad ass this Chevy really was...
It's as if the minds of two old men racers, with decades of knowledge, experience, wisdom, were put into the bodies of young men, and let loose on the street racing world.
Big Willies Daytona looks like early in his ownership. Later shots show the back bumper removed, the taillights replaced with what looked like trailer lights, and the side windows dark tinted Lexan. He went through a lot to lighten it, he wanted a car to match his reputation. Does anyone know if it was a Hemi originally? I know it was later on, a Keith Black Hemi.
Hey, I’m just curious if you may have listened to this podcast series about Big Willie. I got a few episodes in and the strange things that was said about him and his car seemed so far fetched I could listen any more. He claimed he would on a regular basis drop the car off at a shop to have it acid dipped to lighten it. Like it was some thing like getting your seats reupholstered. Said he did it a few times, the last time the guy was racist so he left it in the acid til it was gone. Seemed like an interesting dude but that podcast was pis poor imo.
Originally it was a Hemi car. A rival car club challenged Big Willie to a race. The other racer was Bo Pete in a Willys drag truck. Willie lost real bad so the Brotherhood took up a collection to have Willie's Daytona turned into a race car. The second race, Willie beat Bo Pete.
I gotta '55 Chevy with a 454 Tunnel ram and a Hurst on the floor She waiting tonight down at the parking lot Outside the 7-11 store Me and my partner Dennis Built her strait out scratch And he rides with me from town to town We only run for the money Got no strings attached We shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down Tonight, tonight the strip's just right I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat Summer's here and the time is right For racin' in the street We take all the action we can meet And we cover all the northeast state When the strip shuts down, we run 'em in the street From the fire roads to the interstate Now some guys they just give up living And start dying little by little, piece by piece Some guys come home from work and wash up And go racin' in the street Tonight, tonight the strip's just right I wanna blow 'em all out of their seats We're calling out around the world We're going racin' in the street I met her on the strip three years ago In a Hemi with this dude from L.A. I blew that 'Cuda off my back And drove that little girl away But now there's wrinkles around my baby's eyes And she cries herself to sleep at night When I come home the house is dark She sighs, "Baby, did you make it all right?" She sits on the porch of her daddy's house But all her pretty dreams are torn She stares off alone into the night With the eyes of one who hates for just being born For all the shut down strangers and hot rod angels Rumbling through this promised land Tonight my baby and me we're gonna ride to the sea And wash these sins off our hands Tonight, tonight the highway's bright Out of our way mister you best keep 'Cause summer's here and the time is right For racin' in the streets...... (seems a better fit with Lyric changes.... Hey Bruce Take Notice, no such thing as a 396 fuelie head)
Some guys they give up living and start dying little by little, piece by piece. Some guys come home from work and wash up - and go racing in the street.
The AAR 'cuda,, couldn't even hook up !! It that would of had slicks,, the out come would of been different,, especially with a good driver.😉 Pretty frigg'n impressive though,, for a stock 4 bolt - X head 340,, with a P.O.S. Holley 6 pk. Those cars were, & are,, ''very '' special.
for those debating what engine the 55 had, there is a good video on the car's history in the movie, there were 3 different cars, the one in the race scenes had a dual carb tunnel ram 454, was capable of high 10's 1/4 mile...they also used that engine's sound for the gutless engine in a famous trans am
The only two cars that had a 454 were for interior scenes only but the main car for the outside scenes “racing” including falfas in American graffiti had a L88 427. The 2x4 setup was removed for graffiti
@@sc7453 While this was underway, Universal procured three BBC crate engines - two 454 cubic-inch V8s and an L88 427 big-block - through General Motors and had them delivered to Competition. On the 454 cars, Ruth installed a Weiand tunnel ram with dual four-barrel Holley carbs, aluminum heads, and a Muncie M22 Rock Crusher four-speed transmission topped with a Hurst shifter. The 427 stunt car made do with a single four-barrel Holley and a TH400 automatic. All three cars were equipped with 1960s Oldsmobile Positraction rears with 4.88:1 gears, straight axles with coilovers, and four-wheel disc brakes.
@@Batalia122 When this movie was being filmed the LS6 454 was a just released new engine from GM. Where there even aluminum heads even designed for the 454 yet? If the aluminum heads for the 427 worked then I guess there would have been.
@Christopher Sanders According to the specs, The main '55 Chevy featured a 454 engine with aluminum heads, tunnel ram intake and dual Holley carburetors. The transmission was a rock crusher Muncie M-22 hooked to 4.88 gears. A straight axle and four-wheel disc brakes were also employed. Lots of fiberglass was used, and sliding Plexiglas was used for windows
Barely? the start of the race, that 55 was 6 car lengths out. And if you look close, that was not the coda that crossed the finish line. was most likely a duster with the double stripe. then they clicked back to the coda when the cops showed up. Magic movie making.
Lol no they couldn’t. The 55 Chevy and Dodge Daytona in this movie were 10 second quarter mile cars. Todays turbo 4 cylinders only run around the 13-14 second quarter mile zone.
You know your car is fast when the cops are chasing you and you stop to pick up your buddy 😂
An underrated movie. I remember watching this one on the basement TV at 2 am when I was supposed to be asleep. 😀
Broadcasted on Speed Channel as an episode of “The Lost Drive-In” with your host Bruce Dern!😮
One of the '55 cars used in this movie ended up as Bob Falfa's wicked '55 in American Graffiti a couple years later... pretty cool...
Sounded just the same .
They called the Cuda a hemi but it was actually a 340 six pack. Even a stock street hemi wouldn't have beat the 55. When it ran in Memphis while filming the movie, it was running in the 10's. The track GM stated it was running right on the B/HR record which was the ahra equivalent to modified production. It was fast for a street car. Fun movie. I bought the DVD many years ago.
Being a Plymouth it would technically be a "Six Barrel." Six "Pack" was the name Dodge used.
@@theinsaneshecklador6598 you're watching too much "graveyard carz"....
It appears to be a 1970 AAR Cuda
@@theinsaneshecklador6598Dodge spelled it SIX PAK, just saying.
@@waynetaylor8082 The 1970 Challenger T/A says "340 Six Pak" on the fender but the air cleaner decal says "Six *Pack."* The 69 and a 1/2 Super Bee (first Six Pack Dodge) says "Six Pack" on the hood and air cleaner. The 70 440 Challenger has "440 Six Pack" emblems on the hood....... I'm not going to list all the various models but "Six *Pack"* was used a lot more than "Six _Pak."_
We love this movie.
We know "Mechanic" said that 'Cuda had a hemi with a Torque-flite, but take a closer look. It appears to be an AAR 'Cuda, which would have had a 340 Six-Pak.
I thought the same thing odd haha
That 340 6pack would have probably blew the doors off a hemi cuda. To be honest.
I'm a Mopar guy thru and thru, but that 55 is bad ass..
It sure is. They say it's the same exact car that Bob is driving in American Graffiti.
One of the all time great Motor Head movie's. They'll never be able to duplicate, because let's face it. You need old V8 muscle car's for it. Not chainsaw rice burners with zoomie muffler's. Ya just can't beat the sound of a small or big block V8...
He said chainsaw rice burners 🤣😅😂
@@mc4492 Let's face it a 1.5 liter 4 cylinder just doesn't have the same effect on ones sense's. Not saying there not fast because I know they can be. They're just not as sexy as a V8 in any displacement, and yes I'm old school. I owned a slew of muscle car's in my youth. From a 1957 Chevy to a 1970 Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 4 speed car. My friends have some more unique names for Asian car's, that I won't mention. Do to the fact you never know, some woke liberal might be trigger by them... 😉
The thing is those little rice rockets are the new 32' Fords and those bangers are the new flat head engines and I say this because they are a dime a dozen and what some young people can afford which is sad as I prefer a V8 muscle car
@@mc4492I've been to some drift competitions, and listening to those unmuffled "smaller displacement than a 2 liter soda bottle" engines, "chainsaw" buzz comes to mind. Ironically, the first American hot rods ever where Ford's flathead four cylinders, making 200 hp at 6,000 RPM with the right overhead conversation and cam choice to go with an Ed Winfield carb. but when it comes to sound, only an imported V12 beats the large displacement V8s (think of the movie Gumball Rally, when they're all burning out of NYC).
It's actually a lousy movie. We just liked the cars and the romantic idea of freely traveling about the country making a living from hustling drag races.
I suppose it could have been great, but in reality it was awful.
The engine sounds always draw me right into this movie. Hell of an intro.
I believe we sawed the guy off even if we did lose two hundred.
Loved that movie! Wish I still had the Collectors Edition in the Tin that I bought in the late 80's on VHS
What a time to be alive!!!
The Brotherhood use to meet after midnight behind the IHOP at Crenshaw Square. We followed them to Aviation where they got off a few races until a '60 Chevy Biscayne dropped it's driveshaft on his launch. The cops were coming so everyone split. This was 1968 before Willie got the Daytona. I was driving a '56 Chevy wagon with a 394 Olds and Hydro.
You are a legend and a pioneer, my brother. Was there much action back then, with the hot shoes? Like a Max Wedge or Hemi vs a 409 etc on the street. Like Detroit. You lived the best times, man.
Thats the way I remember street racing.
Had a 340 6 pack with a hurst pistol grip shifter. Fast for its day...
According to one of the scenes in this movie the 55 Chevy had a brand new LS6 454 in it, which was a brand new engine that GM had introduced at the time of this movie. The engine had a set of headers and a dual carbureted tunnel ram on it. This would have made this the most powerful factory engine money could buy at the time of the making of this movie. Evan more powerful than a Chrysler Hemi.
55”s still dominate at the track today, sometimes greatness lasts forever❤❤❤
That Daytona is is rare bird indeed! Growing up as a teenager in ‘80s Australia we had our beloved Street Machine magazines and a red and black Daytona ended up in some cruising photos!
Now I know why this guy probably had to have one
Built for 180mph NASCAR races. Standard 440 cubic inch or optional 426 Hemi but wasn't really intended for 1/4-mile bracket racing.
@@chriswerkes8313
You can tell that to Sox and Martin
Great racing scenes.
This is the best movie on street racing ever. Nothing like doing it on the street😊
American muscle right there. My buddy introduced this great movie to me in 87, it was on Beta lol.
ARR Cuda. This car came with the most power small block ever in a Chrysler. The engine was very special for this one. Three Holey carbs and special cylinder heads available only for this car. It also tells you how bad ass this Chevy really was...
I like how he went back to pick up his buddy!! Kids nowadays would have left him behind!!😮
It's as if the minds of two old men racers, with decades of knowledge, experience, wisdom, were put into the bodies of young men, and let loose on the street racing world.
Must be at least 30 or more years since I saw this movie! Always remembered it but never came across it again! Wonder if its on netflix?
You can sometimes find them at vendors (the DVD'S) at swap meets and car shows cruise-ins, that's where I found my copy.
Big Willies Daytona looks like early in his ownership. Later shots show the back bumper removed, the taillights replaced with what looked like trailer lights, and the side windows dark tinted Lexan. He went through a lot to lighten it, he wanted a car to match his reputation. Does anyone know if it was a Hemi originally? I know it was later on, a Keith Black Hemi.
Don't know about it being an original Hemi car , but he did go thru at least three of them .
Hey, I’m just curious if you may have listened to this podcast series about Big Willie. I got a few episodes in and the strange things that was said about him and his car seemed so far fetched I could listen any more. He claimed he would on a regular basis drop the car off at a shop to have it acid dipped to lighten it. Like it was some thing like getting your seats reupholstered. Said he did it a few times, the last time the guy was racist so he left it in the acid til it was gone. Seemed like an interesting dude but that podcast was pis poor imo.
Originally it was a Hemi car. A rival car club challenged Big Willie to a race. The other racer was Bo Pete in a Willys drag truck. Willie lost real bad so the Brotherhood took up a collection to have Willie's Daytona turned into a race car. The second race, Willie beat Bo Pete.
actually, the Daytona was big willie's wifes car (Sachiko?)
@@markreibson7030yep big willy car was acid dipped to long and destroyed.
I swear this looks like our old illegal drag strip South Eubank in, ABQ from back in the day. Just the look and feel. Man, those were the days!
The days when movie studios thought nothing about thrashing an AAR Cuda and a Daytona.
Big willie , was the best of times 👍
Lived it in the 80's in Modesto Ca
Same here in KY. Street racing is still alive and well all across the country.
" that Plymouth had a hemi with a torqueflite...i believe we saw the guy off even if we did lose 200".....
The best road movie ever...
That was a VERY close race. Just imagine if the 'Cuda had been hopped up a little more or if it were a gasser as well.
Awesome movie and yes I own a 55 Chevy
i believe this was lakeland dragway(shelby county) in tennessee
closest you get be the NHRA Wally Parks Nostalgia Nationals
Big Willie's Daytona!
Big Willie king of the street racers, always kept those big dogs with him.
I gotta '55 Chevy with a 454
Tunnel ram and a Hurst on the floor
She waiting tonight down at the parking lot
Outside the 7-11 store
Me and my partner Dennis
Built her strait out scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money
Got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down
Tonight, tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat
Summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street
We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast state
When the strip shuts down, we run 'em in the street
From the fire roads to the interstate
Now some guys they just give up living
And start dying little by little, piece by piece
Some guys come home from work and wash up
And go racin' in the street
Tonight, tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em all out of their seats
We're calling out around the world
We're going racin' in the street
I met her on the strip three years ago
In a Hemi with this dude from L.A.
I blew that 'Cuda off my back
And drove that little girl away
But now there's wrinkles around my baby's eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
When I come home the house is dark
She sighs, "Baby, did you make it all right?"
She sits on the porch of her daddy's house
But all her pretty dreams are torn
She stares off alone into the night
With the eyes of one who hates for just being born
For all the shut down strangers and hot rod angels
Rumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me we're gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands
Tonight, tonight the highway's bright
Out of our way mister you best keep
'Cause summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the streets......
(seems a better fit with Lyric changes.... Hey Bruce Take Notice, no such thing as a 396 fuelie head)
340 turns into a grande coupe both in FE5 red
you caught that at the finish line. Car had a double pin stripe
Ok the girl playing the drifter along for the rides she died not long after the film . Warren Oates (GTO), also later played sgt Hulka in Stripes.
Some guys they give up living and start dying little by little, piece by piece.
Some guys come home from work and wash up - and go racing in the street.
SUPER corn ball Movie ,,its a classic and I love it ,,but Hollywood known nothing about street racing
The AAR 'cuda,, couldn't even hook up !!
It that would of had slicks,, the out come would of been different,, especially with a good driver.😉
Pretty frigg'n impressive though,, for a stock 4 bolt - X head 340,, with a P.O.S. Holley 6 pk.
Those cars were, & are,, ''very '' special.
888 лайк мой
Only muscle cars and Rods can pull this scene off.
340 AAR Cuda not a 440 or Hemi as many think it is
this ones for you larry bird. love ya r i p..
The Big Willie King Daytona
for those debating what engine the 55 had, there is a good video on the car's history in the movie, there were 3 different cars, the one in the race scenes had a dual carb tunnel ram 454, was capable of high 10's 1/4 mile...they also used that engine's sound for the gutless engine in a famous trans am
The only two cars that had a 454 were for interior scenes only but the main car for the outside scenes “racing” including falfas in American graffiti had a L88 427. The 2x4 setup was removed for graffiti
Yup your rite
Not the same ‘Cuda (AAR) at the finish line. Blink, and you miss it.
I believe a superbird or a Daytona which is even better!
0:06
Don't play with Big Block Chevys !
The only thing that gave the Chrysler hemi hell in the streets
The 55 had a L88 427 with over 500 hp. Ran 10s all day long.
In the movie he says it’s a 454
@@sc7453 While this was underway, Universal procured three BBC crate engines - two 454 cubic-inch V8s and an L88 427 big-block - through General Motors and had them delivered to Competition.
On the 454 cars, Ruth installed a Weiand tunnel ram with dual four-barrel Holley carbs, aluminum heads, and a Muncie M22 Rock Crusher four-speed transmission topped with a Hurst shifter. The 427 stunt car made do with a single four-barrel Holley and a TH400 automatic. All three cars were equipped with 1960s Oldsmobile Positraction rears with 4.88:1 gears, straight axles with coilovers, and four-wheel disc brakes.
@@Batalia122 When this movie was being filmed the LS6 454 was a just released new engine from GM. Where there even aluminum heads even designed for the 454 yet? If the aluminum heads for the 427 worked then I guess there would have been.
@Christopher Sanders According to the specs, The main '55 Chevy featured a 454 engine with aluminum heads, tunnel ram intake and dual Holley carburetors. The transmission was a rock crusher Muncie M-22 hooked to 4.88 gears. A straight axle and four-wheel disc brakes were also employed. Lots of fiberglass was used, and sliding Plexiglas was used for windows
@@Batalia122 I'm impressed by the 4 wheel disc brakes. Christ me 67 326 HO Firebird had drums all around....talk about crap.😆
James taylor doesnt say much in this movie. Only brian wilson does most of the talking😂
The Cuda would have won with a 440 6pack mine ran low 10s
😂
In your dreams. A stock 440 6 pac on the dyne made 405 HP we ran one. Takes a lot to run low 10's.
340 six pack would have taken him if he wouldn’t have smoked the tires off the line.
Not even close, that 55 was a 10.99 car in the quarter mile. That 340 was lucky to make 320 HP.
And slopar name officially handed down here for the record
AAR 'cuda
That CUDA had A HEMI with a torque flight. I think we saw the guy off even if we did lose 200
James Taylor: (updated) “ That Plymouth DID’NT have a Hemi with a Torque Flite! I believe we sawed the guy off even though we did loose two hundred!
If you pause the movie at just the right time you can see the 'Cuda is a AAR. Has the black AAR Stripes and logo. AAR's were not Hemi's.
American Grea featy Og 55
I seen this movie at a drive in theater, good plot but acting sucks.
Just like Nooscar......it's RIGGED!!! 🤣
Too bad a hopped up Chevy barely beat stock mopar!!! Lol
Barely? the start of the race, that 55 was 6 car lengths out. And if you look close, that was not the coda that crossed the finish line. was most likely a duster with the double stripe. then they clicked back to the coda when the cops showed up. Magic movie making.
New cars suck
Ironically, most turbo 4-banger hatchbacks today could beat these cars.
Uh no, they could not
But, thanks for stopping by.
Lol no they couldn’t. The 55 Chevy and Dodge Daytona in this movie were 10 second quarter mile cars. Todays turbo 4 cylinders only run around the 13-14 second quarter mile zone.
Some is not most .
Not that '55😂
They ran 10 seconds. But traction was tough because those bias ply tires were a disadvantage
Aside from the cars in the movie, the movie itself sucked.
Hey it’s the old Brotherhood. I almost forgot.