Plymouth decided to go Trans-Am racing in 1970; one of the results is this AAR ‘Cuda listed for sale here on eBay. AAR stands for All American Racing, familiar to anyone who remembers the famous Dan Gurney. The ‘Cuda has been bid all the way up to $7,800 although the reserve hasn’t been met yet. There’s also a buy it now set at $12,500 and you’ll have to transport the car home from Centennial, Wyoming if you are the winning bidder.
The seller explains that there is some rust repair necessary. There sure is! Thankfully all the patch panels necessary are available, but boy there’s a lot of work here. You can see on this side where someone started to cut the rusty metal out.
I was actually surprised to see this much trunk floor in place. That broken spoiler didn’t make me feel good but there is a second one pictured in the auction listing that is intact. There’s also the rare AAR hood but it is damaged slightly.
I’m not sure whether we should be happy that the floor has been so neatly cut away or sad that it had to be! It certainly can be repaired and the value of these Mopars seems to keep going up — is this project worth it to you?
Apparently the color scheme or what’s left of it is correct and the complete trim tag is shown below for those true dyed-in-the-wool Mopar enthusiasts. Also, if you want to learn more about the AAR ‘Cudas I found some neat reference articles here, here and here. If you take the time to look them over you will learn that only 2,724 of these 1970 AAR ‘Cudas (note, this is not a Barracuda) were produced. 2,500 were required for the car to be eligible for the Trans-Am series.
Here’s the trim tag like I promised. Are any of you going to be watching this auction? Let us know in the comments!
No words other than what a shame.
yup. but somebody will tackle the restoration given the crazy values on these things.
i don’t think i’ve ever seen one outside of a magazine, car show or big cruise event. can’t say the same for early Z’s, T/A’s, Boss 302’s or even Cougar Eliminators.
i love their look, especially the flashy colors combined with the all-business pinned flat black hood.
i wonder what they drove like….? i’ve read that the dual-4 barrell 302’s were a mess on the street & imagine that 6-barrel small blocks are not much better.
I had a 340 Six-pak and it drove beautifully. So well, in fact, that I was constantly looking for a reason the open the outside carbs. The howl of the air and scream of the engine was pure automotive joy! There were no rev limiters and one had to be careful though.
Here we go again,,,
No longer a car, only a potential car. Many dollar will need to be lavished over this POS before it returns to car status.
What jackass does this to a car?
Somebody that already used the parts for his other project and is selling what is left.
I don’t understand the MOPAR pricing thing over other domestic classic musclecars. It’s insane.
Probably fewer of them made, as C/P/D has always been the smallest of the big three.
Back in the day, one of my older brothers classmates had a blue AAR Cuda. I can’t swear to the year but it looks similar IIRC. I never had a chance to ride in it but I did see it on the street a couple of times, looked like a blast and he sure could drive it. This was a follow-up to a 66 Nicky Chevelle SS427 (yes the engine was transplanted with a 427 at the dealership). That was a Holy Terror also.
The ebay page is gone so someone either bought it or the ad was pulled.
It’s a shame to let a car (regardless of age or make/model) get into that condition.
It’ll be a Year One catalog queen, with possibly some parts on it made in China (repro).
This is just as original 1970 AAR as this finished product will be.
Yeah because the new challenger is made with only American-Made parts. I’m guessing the old Mopar will still have more American parts when it’s done than that new plastic one.
And of course a 48 year old car can’t compete with a brand new sports car. That’s fine, you enjoy your plastic, the rest of us will keep the originals with all their nostalgia.
I have a great day even when I just open the hood and snug bolts, check fluids and clean my old 390 up. Yeah my 67 Fairlane or my 50 Hydraglide won’t run as fast, corner and wipe my nose for me but they do make me feel 40 year younger and make me grin for hours, my new Fusion will never be able to compete with that.
Never bough any car or bike for the investment, always for the important reason, I like them. If I do sell them it’s only to replace it with something else that strikes my fancy. I for one will stick with what makes me happy, life’s to short to not do that.
Looks like another one of those ‘once-was’ projects. All you need is an engine, and a transmission, and a hood, and a whole lot of money, and YOU can make it look new again. For crying in a daggonned slop bucket, Earl! Looks like everything is missing, even the ad on Ebay…
Is it true that many repo parts are made in China? I was not aware of that, but makes sense. Even makes me want to have a restored one less now. Do I want a piece of my youth? Yes, but what I even want more is the country of my youth where the average man had a decent family supporting job. I would give up ever seeing another old car for the rest of my life if we could have that instead. Question, do you think the people who can pay six figures for an old car worry about such things?
As far as I know there are at least two domestic manufacturers of parts and unibodies.
I thought most were made in Taiwan, close to China.
Mark at graveyard cars. R u interested?
wonder what it finally sold for? Not many pics and they were all bad. Guess it will keep a good sheet metal guy busy for quite a while. They say something is only worth what someone will pay for it- must be the data plate and maybe it has papers. SMH. Good luck to the new owner!
Cheers
GPC
Having graduated from HS in ’75, we had quite a parking lot full of Chevelle SS-396’s, Camaro’s, Mustangs, 442’s and the like. However, the one that stood out was an AAR Cuda the same color as this one, but a 4 speed w/ the awesome pistol grip shifter.
The kid who drove it was a great guy, and once in a while would let it rip!
Was involved in a wreck that took it off the road, and was parted out.
If this listing was in upper NY state, I would have thought it was his car…
To me, style is what the vintage cars have that their modern successors lack. People often bought a Boss 302, Z/28, or ‘Cuda to race (either on the street or at the drags). People buy a new challenger demon in an attempt to impress people on the way to the office. I’m way more impressed with what they accomplished from say…1967-1971…given the technology that existed back then. Car guys built them. Computer nerds build the new stuff.
Ours was Plum Crazy. Some clown had painted it black by the time we got it. My brother an I spent $1500+ doing a top end and rebuilding the carbs. It ran well (for a small block), but it blew the emissions test. At the station, the inspector looked at out receipts and told us we’d have to spend another $500, before we could get a waiver, because we spent the $1500 BEFORE we had failed an emissions test.
He was a nice guy and thought himself pretty knowledgeable. So, he had us pull into the dyno area (relatively unused), and he opened the hood. After taking the top off the air cleaner, he let out a slight gasp, whistled, then said “Here’s your waiver, get outta here”.
We sold it to a friend in our circle who is a “1 brander”… if it isn’t Mopar, it doesn’t exist. We just needed to get on to the next project.
I’d rather have a ’70-’71 Dodge Challenger T/A. Pretty much the same car, only more Dodgey. :)
G L with that 71 TA. Only available for one yr. 1970
“A 1971 model using the 340 engine with a 4-barrel carburetor was planned and appeared in advertising, but was not produced since Dodge had withdrawn from the race series.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Challenger#Models
This ad is from a October 1970 Motor Trend magazine. A ’71 T/A was advertised, but not produced. My bad.
Another rusted out POS that someone thinks is worth alot of money.
Odd that this item just came up. I, just this passed weekend seen a Yellow, AAR Cuda on a trailer, on the way to Belgium, on a ship from Miami(I did stop them and asked). I was just wondering if it was legit. Ether way, SAD.
Saw. You saw.
I seen that to
Maybe the new owner was gonna take it for a spin at Spa. F1 racetrack in the Ardennes.
I am not sure you really understand the classic car hobby.
Please clarify that comment.
I owned a blue AAR when I was in high school. The carburetors were changed from the factory vacuum linkage to a mechanical linkage for the six-pack before I bought it. I guess to regulate the outside carburetors better. However, I never could get it to run right. I ended up trading it in for $2,500 wishing I didn’t have to as I really liked it and knew it would be worth 10 times that someday. Boy was I wrong; it’s worth nearly 40 times that today. Anyway, the people that buy these cars don’t buy them for the performance anymore. If they did, they would buy the latest version of hell on wheels. They buy them for the nostalgia. God willing I’ll have another one someday as I relish the idea of driving around in my old car reliving my high school days. And you can’t get that from the current crop of muscles no matter what the cost. I hope someone gets it and brings it back from the dead. There are less and less of these great, great cars every day, so IMHO we should save as many as possible.
No, nostalgia maybe, but more likely as an investment. If nostalgia is what you are interested, then it would be the slant six or 318 duster 3 speed you drove in high school.
Not for me, as I said, I had an AAR 340 six-pack. In my high school days the car lovers had muscle cars. The slant six guys were not car lovers. They’ll have no desire to get another for the nostalgia.
@Mark, How does a high school kid afford the insurance on a muscle car? How does a high school kid get his parents to sign for a car that dangerous? BTW, where does it say that a car lover needs to own a high performance car? A standard engine car could be polished up to look pretty, prob got you where you had to go more reliably too. Standard engines had adequate performance, and love for a car means all sorts of things, like the ability to track well around a corner, something those big blocks never did. I think you are equating being cool in high school with being a car lover.
Why is it that there is always someone on these forums that are looking for an argument. Billy 007, yes, you could have another car than a muscle car and be a car lover, but the kids who were driving something with a slant six in my high school we’re not driving the car they loved. You are much younger than me. When I was in high school insurance rates were not that much different to add a student to the parent’s policy. There were many of us that had muscle cars in high school. Off the top of my head I can remember a 1970 SS 396 Chevelle, a 1970 SS 396 Camero, a 1969 Mustang with a CJ 428, a 1970 Nova that had an engine built at a speed shop (he probably had the fastest car), I could go on and on. So it wasn’t even odd that I had an AAR. Further, I was talking about my time in high school, not today or any other school for that matteR. Yes, there are people who love their 4 door Scamp with a slant six. But not in my high school in 1975.
@Mark, I am not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand. BTW- I was still in high school in 1975, so I think we can relate on age, but not on social status I think. Even in 1975, adding a performance car driven by a high schooler would cause the rates to soar. Also, driving a car only a few years old in high school means you came from a fancier place then me. Nothing wrong from coming from an upper middle class back ground, heck, you couldn’t help that anymore then I being born into a family poorer then church mice living on hymnals in the basement. In MY high school lot, no one had a muscle car, even the teachers. (Okay, my English teacher has a new 73 Vette, but it was only a 350 4 speed, though we thought it was pretty cool anyway) I myself did end up with a RR, but I bought it myself when I was 18 and had to pay through the nose for all the associated costs. What I still do not understand is how any parents would allow an underage inexperienced driver a performance car, I know mine sure didn’t, the 318 I had was even a stretch for them.
I would say you are both right depending on where you lived. I am from Long Island and I was in HS 10 years after you guys in the 80’s. Our lot was filled with muscle. My friend Terry had a 70 440 Challenger, Eric a 340 Duster in B5 Blue, 3 Mikes – 76 455 T/A, 78 400 T/A and a 69 Astro Blue Black Vinyl Top Z28, 4th Mike with a 65 Falcon, Dennis had a 71 Z28 with a small block 400 in it, a few Nova’s and Chevelle’s in there too. Me? Well I had a 70 Mach 1 428 CJ slip through my hands before I could get it to the guys house for 2400 – still kills me. I was into vans and I wound up buying a 79 Chevy Van fully customized with bed and mood lights which lived up to its moniker don’t come knockin’ if the van is rockin’! We all worked on our own cars too although my V6 didn’t need much more that an occasional screwdriver starter jump every now and then. Good times.
Car lovers only love muscle cars with the big motors, huh? I’m glad you told this car lover whose first car (and one of my favourites) was a 258 I-6, 4-speed ‘78 AMC Concord which has been in the family since it was new, and has been fully restored. I’d take it over any 800 hp modern muscle car, any day of the week.
I’m with you Jeff. My wife’s first new car was a Concord, and she loved it! No one could tell her she was not a car lover, she sure loved THAT car! Mark with all due respect, people love what they love, even if others may not love the same thing. To say only performance cars are a car you can love is painting with too broad a stroke. My old man never owned a V8 in his life, but no one ever accused him of not being a car lover.
This will never be turned back into a real AAR unless the restorer sources a true AAR/TA 340 engine and transmission, unique to these cars. I can’t tell you how many parts are exclusive to this car down to springs, torsion bars, on and on.
Trying to clone will give you the look, but not the same performance and handling. Here’s mine.
The most interesting thing I thought was the engine had a completely different 340 block. But the only difference is there was extra webbing put into the casting to allow for 4 bolt main caps. But it didn’t come with 4 bolt mains. Always seemed odd to me
I could be wrong, but my understanding was the block was used in “NASCAR” as a 355 cube and the block was drilled for the 4 bolt mains. as needed at a later date.
Never used in Nascar. The 1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda and Dodge T/A Challenger were the only cars to have this “special” 340. It was purpose built to qualify for Dan Gurney’s Trans Am Series racing. In order for a manufacturer to qualify a car for this series they had to manufacture a minimum run of 500 (I believe is the quantity) to be eligible for that specific racing series.
I clicked the link and there is no trace of the original ad on EBay’s site. There is a message that says “We looked everywhere. Looks like that page is missing.”
That’s a first for me. Like it never existed.
This is my favorite Cuda and would love to own one someday.
Anyone concerned that the tag has been removed from the car?
Soooo can’t tell….are you for or against one being back on the track/street ?
What Roger said… Yeah, you can have your brand new challenger which will cost you $100,000 anyway, and do nothing but depreciate. I’m a Ford and AMC nut, but I would take a “lowly” ‘70 Cuda AAR over a new challenger every day of the week.
Nah, for like 35K ya could have a new hemi six speed Challenger that would leave an AAR in the dust, you don’t need a Demon to embarrass ANY old muscle car. Heck, my new turbo Civic will do that, and thats even 10K less. 50 years of innovation has its advantages. Comparing this to a 1970 is like in 1970 comparing a new car to a Model T. Be nostalgic all you want, no harm in that, and love what you love, but do not lie to yourself…new cars are far superior in most every way.
Which car did the tag come off?
How do we know it’s real?
Never ever remove the tag……
They should be like the mattress tags and against the law 😉
My flintsone feet don’t move cars very well similar to the AAR (almost A rare) car..
blaster…….yeah but people will be breaking their necks trying to get a glimpse of the 70 Cuda, while the kids in the backseat are saying, “if this new car would get out of the way I could see it too”, all the while you’re saying, “hey look at me! , look at me! “…..just the way it is…..
When I went to school(1973 grad.) there were the kids who had the “COOL” cars, in my case a 1972 Dodge Van B300 Sportsman Royal Maxi and then the ones who furthered their education, unless you were lucky enough to come from a well to do family, which we had none. Funny, as the latter can only afford the cars that we “COOL” kids once had and drove daily while growing up, but are now parked in some storage somewhere. Just Saying !!!
It’s good to be king(rich)
Again too many comments about a guy selling a fender tag
It is correct that the newer cars can out perform the older muscle ones, but the older ones we had to drive them and when they broke, we fixed them ourselves. Try texting in one or placing a phone call. If you could make the call, you couldn’t here from the rumble of the engines. “COOL” Still have my 69′ 340 Dart Swinger and I don’t use the radio while driving. What’s the use !!!!
Well here it is almost 2 years later.
I am the whatever that bought this project.
All numbers do match
Actually 1 of 5 know to exist.3 automatic 2 four speed
Is alot of work but myself and son are doing all the work.
Actually signed in to for ebodies only. Tom’s EK2