Money can buy a lot of things. Hot women, small portions of strange food, luxury suites at sporting events you have no interest in, congressmen seeking campaign contributions even though they're not actually campaigning, and even some cool cars. What it can't buy, however, is respect. That's got to be earned, especially when it comes to hobbies comprised of full-blown fanatics. Hot rodding is one such hobby, and any well-off newcomer seeking entrance into its inner circle is immediately met with suspicion. Larry Nguyen knows this all too well. That's probably because the first muscle car he's ever built is a jaw-dropping '73 Cuda named Hellfish that packs a 1,240hp twin-turbo Hemi into a Roadster Shop chassis. The young Asian dude sitting behind the wheel only adds to the mystique. Just because Larry's first muscle car is nicer than yours, however, doesn't take away from his genuine passion for all things automotive. The fact that it culminated in one badass Mopar is simply icing on the cake.

When your parents are busy establishing roots in a new country, they have better things to do than mess around with cars. For any first-generation enthusiast, there's no such thing as inheriting the car bug from a parent. It has to come from within. Since dad didn't have any project cars around the house, Larry had to get creative. "I'm not sure why my attraction to cars is so strong, but I've always loved cars since I was a kid. I started out with RC cars, and messed around with them nonstop," he recalls. "I jumped them off ramps, ran them through puddles, and eventually transitioned from electric to gas-powered RC cars. I was always fascinated by the engineering involved with making them go faster and handle better."

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Like many kids of his generation, the import tuning scene drew him in once he reached driving age. While it's easy to paint all import fans as ricers, Larry's choice in vehicles clearly demonstrates that he's always prioritized performance over aesthetics. "I wanted something fast that I could also take skiing, so I bought an all-wheel-drive '05 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. I was eager to start modifying it to see how much performance parts actually improved performance at the track," he explains. Granted, while fart-can-equipped Civics do little more than make noise, the WRC-inspired Evo is a machine that runs deep 13s at the dragstrip while pulling 1.8-second 60-foots at will on street tires. Not too shabby by 2005 standards. Nevertheless, Larry was more interested in honing his road racing skills. "My car looked completely stock, and I focused most of my attention on suspension modifications. I was always looking for ways to reduce unsprung weight and improve lap times. It was strictly for the track experience and trying to become a better driver, not the look-at-me factor."

As Larry's professional career progressed, he eventually started up his own company and did quite well for himself. Naturally, that meant upgrading to fancier, track-oriented machines. His impressive list of past rides includes several Ferraris, a Lamborghini, a Maserati, and a Ford GT. Despite his success, Larry has somehow maintained a strong sense of humility and he's quick to avert attention from his exotic car past. It's got nothing to do with shame and everything to do with being humble. This is one of the few well-off dudes who doesn't like attention. "Every different type of car has certain social implications. If you're into tuner cars, then you're a hooligan, and if you're into exotics, then you're a rich and arrogant prick," Larry candidly admits. "I love driving exotic cars to experience the g's and to hear and feel all of the mechanical components working together. They're shameless expressions of engineering. One day my fianc pointed out that I'd probably enjoy these cars even more if they performed like exotics, but looked like a Civic. She was right. I hated my Lamborghini because I couldn't drive it more than 50 feet before people started hooting and hollering, and asking how I made my money. It sucked. I sold it before it hit 500 miles."

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While egomaniacs live for this kind of attention, Larry wanted a different kind of supercar experience. "Exotic cars are fantastic to drive, but they start getting boring after a while. They're all mid-engine and have high revving V-8s, so the experience from one car to the next is the same," he opines. "There's a lot of ignorance out there amongst rich guys that just because you have a Ferrari or a Porsche, it should garner instant respect. That's bs. You have to peel back the body, look at the chassis and suspension, and see how the car actually performs. I got to a point where I wanted to re-engage with cars in a way that was more familiar to my roots, but different from the exotic car experience. I had never owned a muscle car before, but with all the aftermarket chassis out there these days, I didn't see why you couldn't have modern performance and handling with classic, old-school lines."

As Larry searched the muscle car landscape, the 'Cuda stood out as the perfect platform through which to execute his vision. "I like the lines of the 'Cuda, and there aren't many Pro Touring 'Cudas out there. It had to have modern performance and handling without being too outrageous," he explains. Not surprisingly, Larry's standard of modern performance was quite high. "I wanted over 1,000 hp and twin turbos because the ricer in me just loves turbos. An LS motor would have been too sacrilegious, so I had to stick with a Mopar engine. An EFI Gen III Hemi made the most sense in order to meet the horsepower and driveability goals for the 'Cuda. With my other cars, I can't take my son with me on drives. The back seat in a 'Cuda may be small, but unlike mid-engine cars, it still has a back seat."

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With the long list of performance goals in place, Larry found a superclean '73 'Cuda and enlisted The Roadster Shop to transform his dream into reality. It's a decision he didn't take lightly. "Bolting on a bunch of suspension parts isn't the same as building a car around an all-new chassis. The chassis and suspension are the backbone of a car, and I went with Roadster Shop because they build their own chassis," says Larry.

Since the Cuda's sheetmetal was already in great shape, The Roadster Shop went to work nipping and tucking various sections of the body for a tidier appearance. "This is definitely one of the better cars we've had to start with. We kept all the original panels, but cut and fit the bumpers tighter to the body, shaved all the emblems and trim, and built custom front and rear lower valance panels," Phil Gerber of The Roadster Shop explains. "We fitted the grille and taillights off of a '70 'Cuda, and built a custom lip spoiler into the decklid and quarter-panels. We wanted to give the car a more modern look while staying true to the lines of the 'Cuda."

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Although packaging the turbos took a bit of creativity, the end product is a superclean and functional package. "Mounting the turbos in the back of the car allowed for a clean engine compartment while keeping out the heat," Phil says. "We modified one of our production chassis by creating more passages in the crossmembers for the charge pipes, but otherwise the chassis is 95 percent a production piece." After making its way from the rear-mounted turbos into the engine bay, the boost feeds a 426ci Gen III Hemi based on a Mopar Performance aluminum block. A forged Callies rotating assembly fortifies the bottom end, while a custom Roadster Shop sheetmetal intake manifold and ported 6.4L factory cylinder head castings channel boost into the cylinders. The result is 1,241 hp and 1,027 lb-ft, which is routed to a Tremec T56 trans and a Strange 9-inch rearend.

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As someone who values the driving experience over unwanted attention, the 'Cuda—now named Hellfish—has exceeded all of Larry's lofty expectations. "I wanted a car that scares me, and this car definitely meets that requirement. Unlike an exotic car, there is no ABS or traction control in the 'Cuda; your right foot is the traction control," Larry jokes. Knowing full well that affluent newcomers are often met with suspicion when venturing into the muscle car world, Larry didn't know what to expect when building the 'Cuda. Ultimately, most enthusiasts immediately understood the design philosophy behind the car, and have been able to appreciate it for its merit, stereotypes be damned. "I love meeting new people who enjoy this hobby, and surprisingly, people have overwhelmingly given the car a warm welcome. It attracts all kinds of people. The muscle car guys appreciate the power, the tuner guys like the turbos and modern technology, and the exotic car guys like the color scheme and overall look of the car. It engages everyone, as there are characteristics and details that celebrate many different car scenes."

It's never too late to get your first muscle car, and for a man who was growing tired of mid-engine exotic cars, the 'Cuda represents an exciting new foray into previously unexplored territory. "This car is an expression of where I've been with cars and where I want to go. It's the only car I have that does that," Larry says. "For me, this is an exciting adventure into a different era of cars, and I look forward to what comes next."

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.data {color:#000000;font:12px verdana,arial,helvetica;background-color:#FFFFFF;} Fast Facts 1973 Plymouth 'Cuda Owner: Larry Nguyen City: Kirkland, WA Engine Type: Chrysler 426ci Gen III Hemi small-block Block: Mopar Performance aluminum bored to 4.125 inches Oiling: Melling oil pump, Milodon pan Rotating Assembly: Callies 4.000-inch steel crank and rods, Mahle 9.0:1 pistons Cylinder Heads: CNC-ported 6.4L Hemi aluminum castings with 2.140/1.656-inch valves Camshaft: Custom COMP Cams hydraulic roller (specs classified) by BES Racing Engines Valvetrain: COMP Cams lifters, PSI valvesprings Induction: Custom Roadster Shop twin-turbo system and intake manifold; Treadstone intercoolers, Wilson throttle-body Ignition: MSD coil packs and wires Exhaust: Custom Roadster Shop headers, Tial wastegates Cooling System: Ron Davis radiator and electric fans Output: 1,241 hp at 6,500 rpm and 1,027 lb-ft at 6,200 rpm Drivetrain Transmission: Tremec T56 six-speed manual, QuickTime bellhousing, Ace clutch Rear Axle: Strange 9-inch rearend with 3.90:1 gears and Truetrac differential Chassis Front Suspension: Roadster Shop Fast Track chassis, tubular control arms, billet spindles, splined sway bar; Hypercoil springs; Penske double-adjustable shocks;Woodward steering rack Rear Suspension: Roadster Shop four-link and Panhard bar; Hypercoil springs; Penske double-adjustable shocks Brakes: Wilwood 14-inch discs and six-piston calipers, front; Wilwood 12-inch discs and four-piston calipers, rear Wheels: Forgeline DE3P 19x10 (front); 20x12 (rear) Tires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport 295/30ZR19 (front), 335/30ZR20 (rear)