(Video: VictoryRedColorado YouTube) – Over the years you have seen photos of this car on BangShift but before now you’ve likely never seen it run. Joe Hickenbottom’s 1965 Barracuda called Leggin’ It is one of the interesting retro drag cars we can remember seeing in recent years. Covered in patina and carrying a generally rough hewn appearance, the car has a tunnel ram equipped big block Mopar wedge engine and Hickenbottom races it all over the place. Proof comes in the form of the video below which was shot at Byron Dragway in Illinois last summer at the Meltdown Drags event. Hickenbottom is based in California so that right there tells you how dedicated he is to the cause to drag this thing halfway across creation to go have some fun.
The video shows him squaring off with a dude in a beautiful straight axle Nova and while the Nova gets out on him, Joe keeps his foot planted and passes the Chevy when it suffers some sort of mechanical issue. As you will see the Barracuda rips off a low 12-second elapsed time a little more than 100mph. No, that is not top fuel level elapsed time stuff but this car is so fun to watch and to look at.
Between the retro lettering and haggard exterior appearance which just has character dripping off of it to the early 1960s style reverse rake that the car has to the massively radiused rear wheel openings, and weed burner style headers, it is just so much fun to check out.
In our mind, old school drag racing like is showcased at the Meltdown Drags is not about low ET of the meet, setting some sort of record or looking like a bad ass. It is about celebrating the the past and reveling in the cool history of the sport and of hot rodding in general. Nostalgia purists could pick this one to pieces and happily we say to Hell with ’em. We’re in love.
The Chevy was left standing!
I love the early ‘Cudas and this one can leg it all the way to my garage – I remember watching the St. Mary’s Trophy race from the Goodwood Revival some years ago when one came up the pack belching smoke but carried on regardless to finish. An early ‘Cuda also gives you a chance to easily swap in a Hemi and I would go for a sleeper running on upgraded suspension and brakes under a completely stock body and even keep the original wheels,
Then I’d go out hunting Chevys….
Looks like the Chevy might have won…………..if it hadn’t broke…..
It is a 1966 model.