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Paul's Body Shop is proud to be taking on the restoration of the Motown Missile.  We have found a few stories on the past of a car that was thought to be lost forever.

The Motown Missile: 1972 Plymouth Barracuda drag car

Read more at http://www.allpar.com/racing/missile/motown.html?ktrack=kcplink

See more Mopar and Motown Missile stories when you scroll down to the bottom of

 the page on the link above.

You can also check out this link.

Is The 1972 Motown Missile ‘Cuda Gone Forever?

There will be an article published in MOPAR

ACTION DECEMBER 2010 edition. . . be looking for it!

VISIT FROM THE 'CUDA'S ORIGINAL BUILDER, DICK OLDFIELD

On Friday 03 December 2010 we brought DICK "BARNEY" OLDFIELD, the builder

of the MOTOWN MISSILE BARRACUDA" down from BUFFALO, NY to visit at GEORGE

PAUL'S SHOP and videotape analyzing the car and authenticating it. We got

several hours of footage. MARK came down from OTTAWA to BUFFALO, and flew

down with DICK for this technical session.

We had a special event FRIDAY night for GEORGE'S Dirt Track racing group,

an awards banquet. I had dropped MARK and DICK off at the hotel, and we went

back at 630 in a LIMO owned and driven by DANIEL to pick them up. DANIEL and

GEORGE had spent the last month restoring the LIMO especially to use for this

event. On the way to the hotel, I called DICK to ask if they were ready. He

said yeah, and I told him "I will have my car pick ya'll up". He said OK,

but I'm sure he didn't have a clue, until the LIMO pulled up at the hotel.

At the banquet, I prepared an announcement with several minutes of history

about DICK for the MC to read that there was a PRO STOCK racing legend in the

audience, and DICK got a huge round of applause. Dick told me "You just had

to do that, didn't ya?". Later, DICK said that was the first time he ever

rode in a LIMO ! ! !

GEORGE had washed the car and cleaned all the crud from underneath, and

it actually looked pretty good, DICK was impressed. Saturday morning we all

went to breakfast together and then to the shop where we spent a couple hours

going over details of the car, noting what was original and things that had

been changed since 1972.

After the session with the CUDA on SATURDAY afternoon, we spent several

hours on GEORGE'S three 4-wheelers racing through all the trails on GEORGE'S

70 acres, taking turns leading the group . . . chase the leader. Our lap

times increased with each pass . . . GEORGE unleashed 3 kids (DICK, MARK and

ME) without supervision . . . serious trouble ! ! !

After we did the CUDA analysis and 4-wheeling on Saturday, we went home

to GEORGES to view a CD that DAN CHOCKLEY had sent me (friend I met on-line

buying SHELBY restoration parts . . . CHOCKOSTANG is his company). Dan, who

is from ILLINOIS was passing through STAR several weeks earlier in his

motorhome on a SUNDAY (finishing up a parts hunting trip through the South)

and he saw GEORGE'S garage door open. He stopped in, and found only me there

working on my BMW. I showed him the CUDA and he got excited. He said he

thought he had an old reel to reel in storage somewhere that he shot at TULSA

back in 1972, and would look for it. He found it, got it transferred to CD,

and sent me a copy. Old film usually deteriorates, especially 40 years old,

but the storage conditions must have been just right, because the film was

perfect. This would be the first time for me to watch it.

That CD has clear shots of about 45 minutes of drag racing at TULSA 1972,

including several passes of the 'CUDA. On the last pass, the CUDA is up on

two wheels in first, shifts to second without coming down, and lifts again in

third . . . winning the race. DICK was there in 1972, and while watching the

film was naming all the cars and drivers. There was about a 10 minute pan of

the parking lot, and DICK was naming the trailers and motor homes. We

watched the video twice, and it was just a special night.

That 1972 TULSA video will be a feature "never before seen footage" part

of the video biography of RESTORATION OF THE MOTOWN MISSILE BARRACUDA.

DICK flew out from JACKSON on Sunday and went to CALIFORNIA. He was

flying out there from MISSISSIPPI to consult on the WIRE CAR, and said he

would be there a few weeks. MARK headed out the same time on his way back to

OTTAWA.

It was an adventure packed nonstop weekend we'll long remember, and a

super boost to the start of this historic restoration.

No work will be done on the CUDA until FEBRUARY, when we setup time lapse

photography, then start taking it apart and cataloging all parts. I'll send

pictures as they happen. No rush here, it's gonna be done right.

Be looking for the APRIL issue of MOPAR ACTION, which hit the newsstands

mid DEC. Look for a feature story on the CUDA inside under "BARN FINDS". Got

another article coming out in CLASSIC AND THOROUGHBRED CARS too, look for the

MARCH ISSUE and the feature article in the "DISCOVERED" section . . .

E.B.

Just an update on the Missile.  The owners aren't quite ready to begin restoration.  There is a car show at Amelia Island, Georgia where "barn finds" are shown, and they are thinking about taking the Missile in its current state.