1970 Plymouth Cuda

       
 
 
Made By:
1 Badd Ride
Scale:
1/24
MSRP:
US$14.99
Overview:
Packaging (Design):9/10
Packaging (Durability):8/10
Casting (Body):10/10
Casting (Interior):9/10
Casting (Chassis):8/10
Casting (Engine):7/10
Paint (Exterior):8/10
Paint (Interior):8/10
Paint (Trim/Graphics):8/10
Overall Panel Fit:10/10
Total Score:8.4/10

 
Buy this car at eBay
1 Badd Ride 1970 Barracuda
1 Badd Ride 1970 Cuda Packaging 1 Badd Ride 1970 Cuda Rear Fender 1 Badd Ride 1970 Cuda Interior 1 Badd Ride 1970 Cuda Engine 1 Badd Ride 1970 Cuda Chassis 1 Badd Ride 1970 Cuda Trunk

 
Buy this car at eBay

Packaging

Series 11 continues to use 1BR's "classic" design. Since this series is all-classic Mopar, the cars have been changed to a green '70 Challenger and a Yellow '70 Barracuda on the front of the box. One end flap uses a maroon version of the Challenger graphic, while the other end retains the silver '05 Mustang they've used right along. The Barracuda is repeated on the back of the box next to the styling & performance box (rated at 650rwhp and 600lb-ft@~4700rpm). The styling changes listed don't quite match the car (or its drawings), as they mention side vents for brake cooling and an integrated rear spoiler. As with the other recent series, the car is fully closed with plastic bands holding the hood and trunk closed and a plastic tray holding the doors closed.

 

Casting/Paint

As with the Challenger, this all-new tooling shows that 1 Badd Ride knows how to put together a good looking diecast. The fit & finish are excellent, with smooth transitions between panels, even break lines, and no casting flaws. The hood is a stylized version of the original AAR hood, with an open scoop that also works as a handy hood opener (although unlike the 1:1 version, this scoop won't crack if you use it to open the hood). The wheels, front and rear fascias, and exhaust tips are chrome, headlights and windows are transparent clear, taillights are transparent red, and the rear spoiler is cast in black. Everything here looks nice & clean, with no casting or finish problems at all. For the most part, the paint looks amazing as well: 1BR's paint department has really been working hard to come up with some outstanding finishes, and the 'Cuda continues that theme with a modern version of the original Vitamin C Orange, this time with a slight metallic sheen. The only problem area is around the hood: the black on top of the fenders and nose doesn't quite match the black used on the hood, and orange lines show along all the panel lines. The cowl is also orange, and the edges of the black on the front fenders don't match the doors. It's too bad that this area didn't turn out better, because the rest of the paint job is truly outstanding. Even the AAR stripes down the sides look flawless, matching the body contours very well. The griles are painted flat black with no bleed or overspray, and the mirror inserts are silver. Under the hood, the big Hemi is done well, and goes into an updated version of the 'Cuda's side dump exhaust system. The interior also looks good, with an excellent six-point crash cage, racing buckets, and performance gauge cluster in an otherwise stock interior. A silver fuel cell is the only thing in the trunk.

 

Features/Accessories

The doors, hood, and trunk open, the front wheels can be posed, and all four wheels can flex up & down indepedently thanks to a working coil spring suspension. Also, the brake rotors spin with the wheels, but he calipers remain stationary.

 

Accuracy

As this is a highly modified car, it gets a little leeway as far as accuracy. It's kept many of the original Barracuda design elements, including the arrow-straight character line between the headlights and the rear bumper, the lower air intake, and even a tiny "Plymouth" in the left grille screen. the only thing that throws off the look to me is the chrome grille surround...flat black to match the original AAR look or even matte silver for a mainline Barracuda would've sold the design a little better.

 

Overall

If not for the paint around the hood, this would've been a home run. As it is, it's still a great replica that pays homage to one of the ultimate muscle cars of all time. It look is modern, but it has still stayed true to the spirit of the original 'Cuda. Highly recommended.

 

Have a question, comment, or criticism about this review?
Send me an e-mail with your thoughts!