The owner of this 1972 Plymouth ‘Cuda is pretty candid about the fact that it is a car with its fair share of rust problems. However, the amount of work that is going to be required to revive this classic is going to vary, depending on each person’s own perspective. If you take a look at this car and feel that it is a project that you are willing to tackle, then you will find the ‘Cuda located in Taylors Falls, Minnesota, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding on the ‘Cuda has reached $7,557, but the reserve hasn’t been met.

On the face of it, the ‘Cuda actually doesn’t look to be too bad. Certainly, there is some visible external rust on the vehicle, but it doesn’t appear to be too severe. Interestingly, the owner does note that the quarter panels are fiberglass, which means that there is no rust to address there. The ‘Cuda apparently started life finished in Rallye Red with a White vinyl top, but has received a make-over at some point in Tor Red with a Black top. Now we get to the real issues. The floors of the ‘Cuda are very rusty, and these will need to be replaced. That’s just the starting point, because the rear frame rails are also pretty bad, and these will also need to be replaced. They are actually so bad that I would be hesitant to drive the car due to the deterioration around the rear spring hangers. The front rails look okay, but I would be inclined to have the whole underside media blasted to establish just what needs replacing. With the sheer quantity of surface corrosion that is present under the car, this would be a virtual necessity if the rust issues are to be addressed properly.

It seems that the ‘Cuda has, at some point, belonged to an individual with a passion for the rattle-can. You can see some of the original White interior trim peeking out from under their black handiwork. The interior is another aspect of the car that will require a full restoration, but at least it does appear to be complete. Items such as the wheel, gauges, floor console, and the majority of the dash itself, would certainly look okay after a clean. However, the majority of the upholstered surfaces, the headliner, and the carpet, will all require replacement.

While it isn’t totally clear, I believe that the 340ci V8 residing under the hood might be original. In addition, the ‘Cuda comes with a TorqueFlite transmission, 8¾”  Sure Grip rear end, power steering, and power front disc brakes. The provided engine photos are pretty ordinary, but they do reveal that the engine now wears a set of headers. That’s just the tip of the iceberg because the engine has received a rebuild at some point. While the details aren’t terribly specific, we know that the engine now sports an aggressive cam, along with adjustable rockers. The good news is that the engine runs and the car drives. However, as I said earlier, I wouldn’t be driving it too far or too hard with those rear frame rails. Anyway, a strong engine is a pretty fair starting point.

So, what do you think? Is it a project that you would take on? I can see that there is a lot of work ahead for the next owner of this 1972 ‘Cuda. It is not going to be a restoration project for the faint-hearted, and it isn’t going to be cheap. Over to our readers for thoughts on this one.