One of the hottest Mopar engines in the muscle car era was the 340 small-block. When installed in a lighter automobile like a Barracuda or Challenger, it could be quite potent. And desirable enough to account for nearly 217,000 Chrysler installations between 1968 and 73. That’s the powerplant in the seller’s car, a 1973 Plymouth ‘Cuda from the Barracuda line-up. This car is quite rough, and it looks as though the rust may be what’s holding it all together. Located in Oxford, New York, this Plymouth is available here on eBay where bidding has arrived at the unusual figure of $15,099.98.

The Plymouth Barracuda got a new lease on life in 1970 when it was redesigned and no longer an offshoot of the compact Valiant. A lot of its production was performance editions, and you could even get a 426 Hemi in a ‘Cuda through 1971. But the insurance companies dealt the market segment a hard blow and demand for “muscle cars” went into decline shortly thereafter. By 1973, Barracuda production had slipped by two-thirds. Of the little more than 19,000 of the “pony cars” built in ’73, half were ‘Cuda models, and a third were ‘Cuda 340s. With a 4-speed manual transmission, output barely topped 2,000 units.  Chrysler pulled the plug on the Barracuda and its Dodge sibling, the Challenger, in 1974.

From the looks of things, this ’73 Cuda has been off the road for some time, spending much of its time in the Great Outdoors. We’re told it has 45,000 original miles, but its appearance suggests that may be optimistic. We don’t know if the 340 under the hood is original to the car and it does not run, but the seller says it will try to turn over. So, we assume the drivetrain likely has a rebuild in its future.

There is little to get excited about regarding the car’s physical condition. Much of the sheet metal is eaten away and rust has created large, gaping holes in places like the trunk. Even the cowl tag has rotted off, but the seller says readable portions of the car’s build sheet have survived. When new, this 340 had the standard Barracuda dashboard and was ordered without a console. As with the body, the interior is going to need a great deal of work. Given the level of bidding, would-be owners must see this Plymouth as a viable restoration because it would be expensive as a parts car.