Growing up, young gun Sal Pezzolla of East Greenbush, New York loved cruising the town and taking hot laps in his dad Nick’s ’70 GTO. However, it was a chance fishing trip with his grandfather that really got him interested in one particular muscle car, a serious Mopar ride. “My grandfather would take me fishing when I was around eight or nine. One day we passed a car that was outside under a tarp, just off the road, and it got my interest up. We would drive past it often and we would take guesses at the make and model of the mysterious car under the cover. It was tough to tell. One day a storm kicked the tarp up on the backside of the car. My grandfather, who was a Mopar guy through and through, told me it was a ’70 ‘Cuda. I was hooked, “states Sal.

Luckily for Sal, there was another local ride he saw often which helped keep that Mopar flame burning strong. “Down the street, a neighbor, Don Kirsch, had a ’71 340 ‘Cuda that he would drive around the neighborhood. I loved the way the Plymouth pony car looked and sounded. So, naturally, the car “under the tarp” became a fascination then an obsession. It got so bad that when I was 10, I told my grandfather that one day, I would own the ‘Cuda under the tarp. He just brushed it off, like anyone would whose grandkid said they want to own a rusted-out car sitting outside under a tarp would do.”

During his college years, Sal started his own landscaping business, and began saving the money that hopefully would one day buy the covered Plymouth pony car. “On a whim I decided to drop by the ‘Cuda house. I had heard the owner was a grumpy old man and didn’t want to be bothered about the car. I met, Frank [last name withheld], who interestingly enough was very friendly, and started up a conversation about my business and if he ever needed any lawn mowing to give me a call. He eventually hired me to mow a lawn down the street every two weeks. After a few mows I struck up a conversation and steered it toward the topic of vintage cars. That’s when Frank told me that he had an old car. I acted like I didn’t know,” states Sal.

What Frank went on to tell him was news to Sal. Turns out that his car was not just a 'Cuda but an AAR, which took Sal by surprise as he had never seen anything but the tail panel on the car. No matter what, it all made sense. Sal knew a good amount about Mopars by this time and understood the rarity of the car, which even made it all worse for the young muscle car fan. So,

The AAR in "AAR Cuda" stands for All American Racers, the name of Dan Gurney’s race team as the car was built to homologate for the SCCA Trans-Am racing series. The 'Cuda was a 1970 Plymouth model designed with a specific engine, suspension, and aerodynamic features to compete with other race cars like the Ford Mustang. It was powered by a 340 cubic inch V8 with a six-barrel carburetor setup, producing 290 horsepower. The AAR 'Cuda featured a lightweight fiberglass hood with a large center scoop, side-exit exhausts, staggered tire sizes for better handling, and distinctive graphics. A total of 2,724 1970 AAR 'Cuda models were built during a short production run in March and April of that year.

Sal continued to mow Frank’s lawn for the summer with no mention of the car. At the end of August, he then made a pitch to see the car, which was refused by Frank. But at least he had his foot in the door so to speak.

Labor Day weekend Sal got his bravado up and went over to Frank’s and begged to see the car. This time around Frank obliged. The condition of the AAR was pretty bad at this point, having sat for four decades in a variety of makeshift car ports and tarps. But that didn’t deter Sal. After looking over the rusted hulk, Sal pulled out an envelope of cash and made a serious offer ownership. Sadly, his gesture was refused without even a response. “I respected his decision not to sell the car but at least he knew I was serious about purchasing,” states Sal.

A few months later Sal got the call he was waiting for. “In early November Frank randomly called me and told me that the car would be for sale on the terms that I restore it and not flip it for a profit. I explained that I wanted the car to keep and would restore the car back to its former glory.” A couple of weeks later Sal returned with his grandfather and looked over the car. Frank’s asking price was more that Sal’s first offer, but not by much, and interestingly enough Sal’s offer was twice as much as anyone else who bid. A deal was then struck between the parties and the car was finally in Sal’s possession.

Frank’s Backstory

There is plenty of history that goes along with this ‘Cuda. Frank bought the AAR new off the lot at the Armory Garage in January 1971 and it was his first car. He drove the car to school at nearby Hudson Valley Community College and used it as his daily ride all year. In February 1972 he put a rod through the oil pan while he was pinning the needle on the Northway, just outside town. Since it was under warranty, it was set to get a replacement engine. However, try as they may they could not locate any TA 340’s. So, they contacted Keith Black who had a plethora of original TA engines and purchased an original TA block. The dealership did the swap, using the pertinent parts of the original 340 six-barrel to finish off the engine and then returned the car to Frank.

Sal and his grandpa, Paul Pezzolla.

The car remained a daily driver for the better part of 15 years, all the way up to the mid-‘80s. That’s when the center carburetor started giving him troubles, leaking fuel. At that point Frank decided to park the car. He first parked it in a warehouse in downtown Albany which didn’t sit easy with him. So, he moved the car to his property. He pulled the trim rings and put them in the trunk and locked the hood down with a pad lock through the hood pins. He laid some pressure treated board on the grass and parked the car on it, covering with a carport at first, then just a series of tarps. That’s where the car sat until Sal purchased it on November 19, 2019.

The options on the AAR are pretty basic. The build sheet which they found in the car shows that this is a low option AAR. It’s a column shifted 727 transmission car, born in F8 Green Metallic paint with a black vinyl top and matching black vinyl interior. It’s got all the standard AAR bells and whistles, like a heavy-duty suspension with front and rear sway bars and heavy-duty leaf springs, and the AAR only fiberglass hood, along with the front and rear spoilers. The stripes are AAR only, and the strobe design which really sets this ride apart from the rest. Under the hood is the punchy 340/six-barrel mill, a powerplant which has become a favorite over the years in Mopar-dom.

Sal’s Redemption Song

Once in his possession, Sal went to work on his ride. He collected as many parts as possible and sent the AAR out to Menands Classic Cars in August 2020 where Dave Archambault did the extensive metal work and Brandon Mielenz laid out the F8 green on the flanks. Then Ed Margosian assembled the car, putting the Mopar back to stock in a complete nut-and-bolt restoration. The Mopar was transformed to the glory you see here and returned to Sal in April of 2023

As a side note, while restoring this 'Cuda, Sal got a lead on another AAR that was sitting out in Pennsylvania. Amazingly it was a Moulin Rouge FM3 (think Pink Panther), one of the rarest colors on any Mopar. This particular car was involved in a head on collision over three decades ago and had sat in a field in disrepair until Sal showed up and took it home. That car was then sold off to finance the rebuild of his 'Cuda. The tale on the Moulin Rouge car is a story in itself.

With the AAR fully sorted, Sal enjoys his beautiful ‘Cuda whenever he gets the chance. It’s a stunning ride that once again prowls the streets of Greater Albany, just like it did under the right foot of its original owner. Sal sums it up this way. “It was a car that I wanted since I was eight years old. All these years later I’m able to be the car’s caretaker and have it bring me back to those youthful days of fishing with my grandpa. It doesn’t get any better than that.”