f you live in Nebraska, the name Kuck is synonymous with great cars. Kuck Motorsports houses a private collection of over 100 cars, ranging from vintage racers to classic hot rods, muscle cars, movie cars, and modern-day race cars. The late Gary Kuck was the driving force behind the original collection. Today, as a family, the Kucks, Sue and her son Scott, are both total gearheads, so it should come as no surprise that during a bench racing session talk turned to building a full-tube chassis muscle car, a street legal racer based on a ’71 Plymouth Barracuda.

In the beginning the seafood recipe was kept simple. One ’71 Barracuda, blend well with a wrecked ’04 Viper, and spice things up with a heavy dose of horsepower through a ’70 426 Hemi engine. Mix well and serve on a platform of finely crafted tubes.

The team at Kuck Motorsports dove into the project and before long the chassis jig was filled with tubing supporting the narrowed front and rear suspension from the ’04 Dodge Viper parts car. The early iron Hemi was mounted 12 inches back in the frame with a TREMEC six-speed tranny passing the power to the Viper rear. The engine setback made room for the two monster turbos force-feeding the Hemi.

Things were going along swimmingly and then it came time to mount the body panels to the sea of tubing that make up the chassis and rollcage. The body was completely gutted and the process of mounting the sheetmetal was started, but the Kuck team quickly decided they were in over their heads … but help was nearby when Boesch Hot Rod Concepts jumped in to rescue the project.

When the car arrived in Humphrey, Nebraska (home to Boesch Hot Rod Concepts), all the sheetmetal was removed from the tubing structure and work fitting the panels began anew.

When all the smoke and grinder sparks had cleared, the Barracuda was a full 5 inches wider front and rear with reskinned doors smoothly transitioning to the wider front and rear panels. A new decklid and custom spoiler was formed in steel, while carbon fiber was chosen for the hood. Rather than conventional rocker panels, a custom set of 4-inch side exhaust pipes are covered with sheetmetal to prevent potential burns. Front and rear valances are hand formed items that echo the original look. The result is a car that is instantly recognizable as a vintage Barracuda, but with a much more menacing shape and stance.

There is a tentative completion goal of Goodguys Columbus 2023, and you can bet we’ll be there to bring you a finished look at this superfast fish.

7. If you are wondering why the engine was set back a full 12 inches it has to do with making room for two huge turbos. This setback also helps with weight distribution. An Optima battery will spin this monster to life and Dakota Digital gauges will keep an eye on things.

9. The quarters were widened on the top while the side panels carry the stock contours except in the front where they gently taper to meet the slightly reshaped door. This is a radical modification, yet it appears almost stock.

11. The original doorskin is cut to allow the new door line panel to be welded in place. Leaving the stock door handles in place adds to the factory-built illusion.

13. The new widened front end meant the stock bumper would have to be widened, too. The bumper was also tucked tight to the leading edge of the fenders.

15. The ’71 Plymouth Barracuda is one of the best-looking muscle cars ever produced. For that reason, Boesch went to great lengths to preserve the inherent good looks while reshaping virtually every panel on the car.

17. A reformed wheel opening perfectly wraps around the temporary 19×10 wheels while the reshaped leading edge of the door flows into the widened front fenders.

19. Out back the original taillights and license plate surround remain in place between the widened quarter-panels. The rear bumper will be tucked tight and a custom valance will be formed below the bumper.

21. A flip-fill fuel cap leads to a custom-fabricated gas tank. Once again, the style of the filler cap is in keeping with the ’70s theme of the car.

23. We love the shape of the hand-formed rear spoiler; a great combination of form and function. Note the flawless fit of the rear glass.

24. No, they’re not laying a fiberglass skin over the roof. Boesch is building a fiberglass headliner for the car. This is one clever way to solve the problem of installing a headliner under a reconfigured roof.