KENWOOD ‘CUDA

When you come across a 1973 Barracuda to work on, you don’t pass up on the chance! Right from the start, Luxe CC Southbay wanted to put a modern twist on a very clean classic, but at the same time make it pop! The Mopar orange “Go Mango” was the perfect color to stand out with, yet it was still a classic feel for the Kenwood build and especially catch the eyes of event attendees wherever it was shown.

Building the ’Cuda in such a way that modernized the vintage ride without taking away from its original factory flare was quite the challenge, but the crew at Luxe CC Southbay were more than up to tackling it. “The theme was consistent and was carried out with the same ideas all the way until completion,” mentions Jeremiah Mayeda, owner of Luxe CC Southbay.

Since it was going to represent Kenwood at various shows, the demo ’Cuda needed to sound the part. With a little help from the engineers at Kenwood, the shop was able to design an “amazing” sound system, mentions Jeremiah. “One your typical classic car enthusiast could only dream of,” he adds.

The crew installed a beautifully redesigned center console, with a nostalgic homage to the original design; modified the door panels to house the mid drivers; and custom-built a trunk enclosure for the woofers and beauty panels to showcase the amps.

As with any show car, time is always of the essence and their biggest challenge was finishing it on time. But with lots of long hours and hard work by all their techs, Luxe CC Southbay was able to power through and meet their time restraints to deliver the loudest ’Cuda to ever drive out of the shop in just four months.

“The finished product was breathtaking!” Jeremiah exclaims. “The paint glowed, while the interior oozed comfort. But the real showstopper was how amazing the audio system came out. It was truly impressive.” As a build everyone from any generation can enjoy, the Barracuda is definitely one of Luxe CC Southbay’s favorites and they love everything about it!