Nowadays, pro-touring muscle cars are everywhere and we get tons of configurations for a myriad of platforms. And one of the most influential builds that set the stage for the modern pro-touring muscle scene 20 years ago is Joe Rogan’s 1970 Cuda “Sick Fish”, which got reinvented by Roadster Shop for last year and is shining fresh in the celebrity’s garage in 2024.
Forget the controversy around other aspects of the former UFC commentator and current podcaster/comedian’s life—if we focus on his cars, the selection is impeccable—check out Rogan’s 1969 Camaro, also built by Roadster Shop—and this revival only highlights that.
His history with the Mopar king that is the first-generation Plymouth Barracuda started in his teenage years, when his mom sold him her 1971 Barracuda. However, Rogan’s 1970 Cuda restomod was originally unveiled in 2004, having been designed by Chip Foose and built by Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides.
As Rogan puts it in a recent episode of the Oil and Whiskey podcast (one of the hosts is Roadster Shop’ Josh Henning), the Plymouth was built as a show car, and it didn’t meet some of his drivability and performance expectations.
“Chip Foose is a brilliant designer. He’s got these ideas about cars, and he wants them to be show cars. But I drive all my cars, I don’t have any interest in keeping a car in a garage and staring at it. I like to get little rock chips on them, I like to drive them. I don’t mind if they’re dirty, I love them!” Rogan explains in the clip below.
Roadster Shop kept the exterior untouched, redid everything else
Even with all the respect for Troy Trepanier’s work, bringing the iconic muscle car up to Rogan’s standard meant that while Roadster Shop left the exterior mostly untouched, pretty much everything else was remastered.
After all, as Rogan explains in the said podcast, he did buy the 1970 Cuda back from football player Reggie Bush and had it sent to Roadster Shop in the first part of 2020 when their facility was officially closed due to the global health crisis.
Roadster Shop started with their Cuda Fast Track chassis, and with the Plymouth being a unibody vehicle, they cut out the entire floor at the rocker panel level.
The floor wasn’t just lowered in between the perimeter style frame’s main rails. Instead, the builder installed a torque tube and a transaxle. Mounting the Bowler 6600 six-speed manual at the back means gaining leg room and improving the weight distribution.
The old 572ci HEMI V8 was removed. And the new engine of choice isn’t a Hellcat or a Hellephant, because their massive superchargers would’ve poked through the Cuda AAR-style hood of the machine. Instead, Joe Rogan’s 1970 Cuda “Sick Fish” is animated by a Mercury Racing 7.0L LS7-based long block.
Yes, it’s got GM blood, but the unit makes 750 hp naturally aspirated and likes to be revved all the way to 8,300 rpm, which is way higher than what you get with most muscle cars, be they classic or modern units.
HRE wheels replaced the old 22-inch five-spoke units, with this fresh design complementing the restrained silver exterior of the car, with the tucked bumpers and the minimalist door handles, one of the few novelties for this side of the vehicle.
Roadster Shop fabricated long tube headers, mixing these with a 3-inch X-pipe and Borla mufflers, plus the mandatory bypass for when you really want to let that Mercury marine-related V8 scream. Stopping power? It’s got plenty of that, thanks to the 14-inch Baer brakes.
Speaking of drivability, the three-way adjustable coilovers are joined by hydraulic cylinders that allow Rogan to lift the car by 2 inches when the situation demands it.
There’s an all-new cabin done by Avant-Garde Design. Classic elements like the door cards and instrument panel were retained. However, the Recaro leather seats, Ringbrothers steering wheel featuring a carbon fiber circle and central touchscreen hidden beneath the sliding center console bring a more exotic look. Oh, and let’s not forget the Alpine head unit with iPhone connectivity, which, naturally, was a specific request of the podcaster.
Joe Rogan’s 1970 Cuda “Sick Fish” Is a $1M car as rebuilt by Roadster Shop
Cudas are among the most expensive muscle cars you can buy nowadays. Heck, a neglected example will cost you a small fortune.
However, we need to consider that Joe Rogan’s 1970 Cuda “Sick Fish” is much more than the sum of the already expensive parts listed above. All the planning and testing that went into this car means the experience behind the wheel is on a stratospheric level.
For one, when Autotopia LA’s Shawn Davis, who loves remastered builds like Nipsey Hussle’s 1964 Impala Lowrider, got behind the wheel for the clip below, he talked about the muscle car giving you immediate confidence. And that’s not something you can easily say about a 750 hp restomodded muscle car, can you?