SpeedKore’s 1970 ‘Cuda is a 700hp Menace

In its short history, SpeedKore Performance Group has made a name for itself by building high-end, high-power muscle, with an emphasis on classic Mopars. Their latest build, this 1970 ‘Cuda, belongs to SpeedKore co-owner Jim Kacmarcik, so of course it follows the trend of bringing top-notch build quality and design with handling and drivability. It debuted at the 2016 SEMA show and its aggressive presence makes it deserving of its nickname, Menace.

All of the bodywork ahead of the A-pillar is carbon fiber: hood, fenders, valence, header panel, and bumpers. It saved weight off the front tires so that even with a reinforced subfame, Dynamat soundproofing, and a supercharged iron-block Hemi, curb weight is a respectable 3,400 pounds.

Bill Nicoud is responsible for the beautiful paintjob in Lakeshore Blue.

SpeedKore took three main goals into consideration when designing Menace. First, the project had to return a practical driver. It had to be timeless. After all, when you’re starting with one of Mopar’s most iconic models, there’s no point in scrapping the whole thing. Finally, the car had to be innovative, incorporating unique design elements under the hood, in the cabin, and wherever appropriate. Sean Smith, SpeedKore’s design director, took those goals to task, “Our approach is to highlight and preserve the styling of the vehicle that the fan base loves.” That meant no over the top spoilers, wings, or unnecessary scoops, just simple and clean style with a mean presence.

To update the ‘Cuda’s lines, the window and drip rail moldings were eliminated and the hood was simplified. Molded in carbon fiber, the hood’s twin, raised scoops were extended toward the windshield and the cowl vents were deleted. Both the top and bottom of the hood were molded in carbon fiber before being bonded together. The quarter panel pockets house the door opening switches, as in a late-model Corvette. The rectangular notches hint at the somewhat industrial factory latches without interrupting the flow of the carbon fiber door skin. The quarter panels also house the exhaust bezels that were manufactured in-house. At the rear, panel gaps were minimized as a new carbon fiber valence was molded in and a carbon fiber bumper sits tucked into the quarters. You’ll notice that’s quite a bit of sheetmetal that was replaced by carbon fiber. SpeedKore offers lots of E-body parts in the lightweight composite, so designer Sean Smith decided to do a modern take on the AAR graphic and leave the carbon exposed on top of the fenders, hood, and doors.

Parts are laid up with carbon fiber weave that’s been pre-impregnated with resin, usually using four or five layers. They’re cured in an autoclave with 80lbs of pressure per square inch to ensure that the resin flows out for a strong, light part. Then they’re coated in PPG clear to protect the carbon from UV rays.

Depending on the light, the carbon fiber can blend in or stand out.

The interior of the ‘Cuda was treated to the most radical redesign, as all of the carpet, vinyl, and plastic were stripped out leaving only a bare shell for the SpeedKore team to build from. The bones of the car’s interior were 3D scanned and a whole new look was conceived. Bill Jakum began with a new dash that was filled with a billet aluminum gauge cluster. The rear seats were eliminated, in their place is a shelf with twin storage boxes. Front seats began as high-backed Recaro buckets that were trimmed down before they were sent to Gabes Custom Street Rod Interiors in San Bernardino, California. There, Gabe upholstered the seats, dash, console, and door panels in black leather.

The centerpiece of the interior is the dashboard that is hand made and fabricated by Bill Jakum, SpeedKore’s lead metal fabricator. Once the dash was fabricated it was 3D scanned to produce a billet gauge insert to house custom-made Classic Instruments gauges.

Interior panels were made using a 3D scan of the car’s stripped interior. Again, Sean and Lyle worked together getting the lines just right.

Recaro seats were reshaped and upholstered in black leather with French stitching by Gabe’s Custom Street Rod Interiors. Molded interior panels were partially covered, leaving exposed areas of carbon fiber.

After bead blasting and a Cerakote finish, the CNC-machined aluminum door handles look like a casting.

A Bowler Performance 4L80E transmission uses a PCS controller. It’s shifted here, in the console, or with paddle shifters.

The epitome of Mopar pony cars was the Hemi ‘Cuda. Considering the car’s looks, handling, and braking had all received modern upgrades, it only seemed right to use a Gen III Hemi. Wegner Motorsports in Markesan, Wisconsin, took on the job of blueprinting and dyno testing the 6.4L Hemi powerplant. It uses a factory block, crank, and heads with equal-length headers and stainless steel exhaust fabricated by SpeedKore’s Bill Jakum and Ben Murphy. The V8 is topped by a Whipple 2.9L supercharger and carbon fiber valve covers. The combo churns out 720 hp at a street-friendly 5,800rpm, with torque on tap from idle. A custom firewall, core support, and inner fenders, designed by Sean Smith, frame the engine. Lyle Brummer developed the tooling for the molds and they were all formed in carbon fiber.

That’s 720 Hemi horsepower. A 3D-printed air intake system is made from glass-filled nylon. The one-off valve covers are molded in carbon fiber.

Sean Smith sketched the design for the engine bay and worked with engineer Lyle Bummer as he turned the drawings into a Solidworks model that was used to CNC-cut molds for the inner fenders, firewall, and core support.

To return the modern handling befitting a build like this, Speedkore chose a Roadster Shop Fast Track subframe as their new jumping off point. The SpeedKore team modified it starting just behind the control arms, making the rails taller and incorporating them into the firewall and cowl support to minimize flex. The tall Hemi and large, deep-sump oil pan from Stef’s Fabrication Specialties required modifying the Roadster Shop crossmember. A Detroit Speed rack and pinion was the perfect, although not drop-in, solution. SpeedKore fired up their computer drafting software to model the front suspension and design new tie rod spindle drops that eliminate bumpsteer with the new rack. With little room to work, a splined sway bar from Speedway was located ahead of the oil pan. A set of HRE S101 wheels were fitted to Menace, with 19x10s in the front wearing 245/35XR19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and 20×12-inch hoops in the back with massive, 345/30ZR20 Michelins.

HRE S101 wheels feature satin bronze spokes and a brushed lip. The spindles and hubs are C6 Corvette. Baer six-piston Extreme brakes were used with slotted and cross-drilled rotors.

Completing SpeedKore’s vision, Bill Nicoud, SpeedKore’s head painter, spent countless hours prepping the body before spraying it in a custom mix they’ve dubbed Lakeshore Blue. It’s not too far off from the factory 1970 P-6 paint code, Frosted Teal Poly and is a perfect fit for the ‘Cuda. Along with the exposed carbon fiber, the painted panels were drenched in clear to give them amazing depth that only comes from hours of wet sanding and buffing.

The result of SpeedKore’s labor is a perfect melding of muscle-era lines with details that keep rewarding the viewer. The body is very much a ‘Cuda, only refined, while the engine bay and interior reflect SpeedKore’s more modern, muscular aesthetic. This is the most pure example of their design philosophy yet.