Remember when OEM manufacturers seemed to be intensely focused on torque? Engine configurations like GM’s Tuned-Port and Cross-Fire fuel injection sprouted up with long intake tubes to help boost low-end performance. Tuning for torque was epitomized in Mopar’s Long Ram intake manifolds used in the ’60s that featured intake runners that measured 30 inches.

The idea behind the long length of the intake runner was that as the valve closes, the incoming air stacks-up against the back of the intake valve. The long runner helps separate the cylinder’s air supply from the plenum and if the length and sonic tuning of the intake is correct, there will still be a slight increase in pressure of the incoming air the next time the intake valve opens. This acts as a sort of supercharging, but not to the extent that would be gained from a mechanical means. You can only trick Mother Nature so much.

The profile gives little clue as to what kind of power lays underhood. The front view gives a little bit of it away, however.

Randy Weaver of Weaver Customs in Sandy, Utah, was looking to build torque in his version of a monster Mopar, but he wanted more than what was available in a gas-fueled engine. As he puts it, “We wanted to do something unique that had never been done before. We love a challenge!” That challenge came when it was time to put some low-end grunt under the hood of this 1970 ‘Cuda accurately named “Torc”. Too much was nowhere near enough and Randy knew he needed the kind of stump-pulling power that only diesel fuel could provide. Known more for their torque than high-revving horsepower, Randy knew that diesel was the way to go.

When looking for a way to alter the rotation of the earth, it takes more than just fuel and a long intake track. In this case, it took a 6.7L Cummins with Carillo rods, Mahle pistons, ported and polished head, dual fuelers, twin Borg-Warner turbos (S366 over S480), a 500 shot of NOS and Industrial Injection 5×18 race injectors. The package was then tuned by Gorilla Performance and the end result was 1,500 rear-wheel horsepower and twice that many lb-ft of torque.

To make sure all that force makes it to the wheels, a fully-manual 48RE transmission featuring a Turbo-Hydro 400 output conversion from Randy’s Transmissions stands between the twist of the full-bore Cummins and the grip of those Mickey Thompson SR radials wapped around Forgeline Dropkick wheels (18×8 up front, 20×15 rear). To help rein in all of that motion, a complete set of Wilwood brakes using 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers grab hold of 14-inch rotors.

As staggering as those numbers may be, shoehorning an engine that once resided comfortably under the expansive hoods of 2500 and 3500 series Ram pickups into the body of a Plymouth ‘Cuda was easier said than done. Starting with a Roadster Shop chassis wearing RideTech coilover shocks, the body was then massaged to make room for the massive motor.

As you can imagine, the firewall was modified for additional clearance and since the Plymouth ‘Cuda is not known for an excessively high hoodline, a full length hood scoop provides the additional headroom needed to allow the hood to close. Even so, one of those Borg-Warner turbos still peers ominously out through an opening in the hood, providing a fresh, cooler air entry into the engine.

A full-length hood scoop allows the inline powerplant to fit under the hand fabricated hood, but just barely. A single turbo peeks out through an opening to grasp as much air as the engine can ingest.

Once the boundaries for the engine were established, it was time to modify the external characteristics of the Plymouth. That list includes channeling the body down over the chassis by 2-1/2 inches and dropping the roofline down 1-1/2 inches in the rear while laying the flush-mounted windshield back about an inch to bring everything into alignment. To further the radical nature of the build and to help with aero, a custom front splitter was created as well as a full belly pan. All the exterior body panels were smoothed including the aforementioned hand-fabricated hood and all barbs like door handles and external mirrors have been shaved clean.

Less obvious modifications, while not standing front-stage, also fit into the combination to create a highly customized package. Small features like the custom rockers and drip-rails blend into the overall build, while other items like the centrally-located rear outlet for the Flowmaster exhaust proclaim that this is a highly-modified build front to rear, a point that is seconded by the use of a custom-built rear deck-lid spoiler that ties around the entire back edge of the vehicle. Once the seasoned artists at Weaver Customs fit everything under the ‘Cuda’s custom shell, they then worked with Axalta to custom mix a special tone of paint, now known as Torc Grey.

The same level of craftsmanship was carried out inside the cockpit and an excessive use of form, fit, and function blends with the in-your-face overall character of the car. Extensive modifications are easy to spot, while other items blend into their surroundings to emphasize the car’s intent without pulling away from the car’s focus.

Inside, TORC is a business office that requires your full attention. Cranking out “Working For The Weekend” would be fitting from the Kicker sound system.

All the soft surfaces inside were treated to Hyde’s Leather by JS Custom Interior and the hand-fabricated all-steel dash was stuffed with a complement of Dakota Digital gauges to keep track of the engine’s operation and vehicle speed. Covered door panels stand in stark contrast to the sheet metal console and give the car both its show and go persona. To put tunes to the torque, a complete Kicker audio system was installed, but in this case, all the amps, tweeters and woofers can do little to tame this savage torque monster.

In starting with a base car that Randy Weaver describes as “decent but rough”, the crew at Weaver Customs took about 11 months to create this stunning street monster that you see here, and that was working fifteen hours a day, seven days a week. Even so, the crew continued building Torc right up until five minutes before the car was to be shipped off to its debut at the Detroit Autorama this past February.

Since then, the car has been officially shown four times. In the short time since its completion, Torc has already brought home the metal with “Outstanding ProTouring” from Detroit and “Best Pro Touring” from the Salt Lake Autorama along with “Outstanding Interior”, “Utah’s Top 10” and “Best Engineered”. Torc also won the title “World’s Ultimate Mopar Modified” from Musclecars At The Strip and won a “Goodguys Award” at Del Mar. To top that off, with a tasteful blend of all of the custom touches that separate this car from an ever-growing crowd of high-end builds, and the power potential that resides under the hood, there’s not enough shelf space available to house all of the enthusiast’s hearts that Torc has already captured in the short time that it has been out in public viewing.

But, just to prove that Torc is more than just a pretty face, it has already participated in one autocross and is currently headed out on the Hot Rod Power Tour. Then, once the show circuit is completed, future plans for Torc are best described in Randy Weaver’s own words, “We plan to drive the pants off of it soon!” That is something we all want to lay witness to.