Looking back at the early Factory Experimental cars of the 1960’s — like the incredible replica of Fred Cain’s famous “Hurri-Cane II” Barracuda featured here — it’s easy to see how they paved the way for today’s modern Funny Cars that carry little resemblance to a production vehicle, throwing all recognition to the wayside in the name of all-out performance. From the altered wheelbase, both front and rear, to the extreme rake of the body, to the location of the engine and it’s profusion through the hood and windshield, these cars were only the beginning.

This ’67 Barracuda, being auctioned on eBay, is an almost exacting replica of the A/FX car that Wilmington, Massachusetts native Fred F. Cain campaigned up and down the East coast and in Canada during the late 1960’s with Bob Cain at the wheel. The Cain’s raced a number of “Hurri-Cane” cars, all similar in appearance to this one, including a real AA/FC before they hung it up for good.

The original ’67 Hurri-Cane came about after the Fred F. Cain Motors team got a glimpse of the new ’67 ‘Cuda after they had already begun construction of a ’66 A/FX ‘Cuda. The team promptly bought a body-in-white car and the rest was history. It took the team an estimated 2 to 3 months to make the significant alterations common of the A/FX cars of the era, and they hit the track running late in the ’66 season. 

The seller of this recreation on eBay described this as the very first ’67 ‘Cuda race car he ever laid eyes on, and despite being put off at the time by the “funny” look of the car with its altered wheelbase and stance, began to take a liking to it. Years later, an original ’67 was found by the seller in the North Carolina, and with the blessing of Bob Cain and his family, the project of recreating that very machine that raced from 1966 through 1969 was born.

The car was torn down to the bare shell, with the rear floors and rear end area of the car and the factory wheel tubs all removed, sandblasted, and cleaned up before being reinstalled into the car a full 12-inches forward of the factory location. The front end, likewise, was shifted forward 25 inches, with the front end stretched 15-inches and the wheel wells forward 10-inches. The engine, meanwhile, was move back 11-inches for weight transfer — a hallmark of the early A/FX’er’s. A new frame was built virtually identical to the original, as well, using 2 x 4 square tubing with one-inch holes notched through for weight savings.

The only liberty taken with the car, which ix explained in the listing but difficult to discern from images of the original car is the roll cage, which had to be built up to modern code in order to be allowed to race.

While the car was being built, the engine was also coming together, beginning with a World Products iron block with 4.5-inch bores, a billet steel 4.150 crank, billet rods and coated CP pistons, and a roller camshaft, topped with a set of period-correct, raised D-port cylinder heads. Sticking well out of the hood in plain sight is the original set of always-cool Hilborn injection stacks. A 727 Torqueflite transmission with a custom 3500 stall converter backs it all up, leading back to 4:50 gears in a Mopar 8-3/4-inch rear end housing, turning a set of classic, original 16 x 10 Cragar racing wheels. Like the original Hurri-Cain, this replica has a hand-made front axle, and also features a Watts link, with Monroe levelers up front and some stout leaf springs in the rear.

While you might think of this as a show-only piece, you’d be sorely mistaken. This car is raced and raced often, making passes alongside another early Funny Car, Steve Moth’s “Bad News” 1964 Dodge. Weighing in at 2,800 lbs. the alcohol-burning Hurri-Cain has been 1.32 to the sixty-foot clocks, although no official 1/8-mile or 1/4-mile numbers are given in the listing.

The Hurri-Cain, a surefire head-turner anywhere you might take it, embodies A/FX and the creation of the early Funny Cars, and for the right price, this bad boy will have a new home. Most cars won’t make you money back, but if we had to guess, this one might be as much an investment as it is anything. Match racing, anyone?