Yes, you read right. This is a Plymouth ‘Cuda with a 318 cubic inch V8 engine. Not a 340, or a 383, or a 440, and certainly not a 426 Hemi. As the performance market cooled off in 1972, Plymouth made the 318 the standard motor in a ‘Cuda rather than a 340. That did nothing to bolster sales and by 1974 the Barracuda (and the similar Dodge Challenger) disappeared from the Chrysler roster. This ’73 ‘Cuda 318 has more than its fair share of see-through sheet metal, so you’ll have your work cut out for you. Located in Hialeah, Florida, this Mopar project is available here on eBay where you’ll have to bid more than $5,756 to hopefully crack the reserve.
When Plymouth reworked the Barracuda in 1970, they distanced it from the compact Valiant it had previously been based upon. It now had a new E-body platform that was also employed on the new Challenger over at Dodge, with no common body panels. Barracuda sales jumped 50% over 1969, then fell off quickly as the insurance companies cracked down on muscle cars. It didn’t matter that not all Barracudas were performance machines, and sales dropped off by 60% and stayed there.
The 318 ‘Cuda was not a hot commodity, selling just 2,722 copies in 1973, with 1,832 being fitted with an automatic transmission like the seller’s car. We’re not given any history on the automobile by the seller. He/she bought it the way you see it to do a restoration. But with other cars and a motorcycle to attend to, that isn’t likely going to happen.
Rust is Enemy #1 on this Plymouth. The driver’s side rear quarter panel appears to have been chewed away, and the trunk lid and floor have holes, as do the floorboards, especially under the driver’s feet. So, if you were to acquire this car to restore it, be prepared to lay down a sizeable chunk with your body man to buy metal. The interior is rough, including the upholstery and dash pad. No mention is made of the running condition of the powertrain, but these 318s were hearty motors. ‘Cudas are popular with collectors, but will these folks want to restore one with that small block even if it turns out to be original?
Looks like it we submerged.
Actually, I remember one that a mechanic at the gas station I worked at that was just a little better than this in 1982, Ohio winters just ate these things away in no time here. I say better shape, because it still ran and he daily drove it the 2 miles to the gas station.
Back many moons ago a friend I worked with had a 318 car very similar to this car. Car had wheels and was an automatic was stolen 2 times and he got it back. Guess the culprits decided wasn’t quick enough.
This is a rust bucket.. floors and trunk lid done.. who knows what it looks like underneath! This Cuda is very sad. Really don’t know about the engine. It’s a 318 and it can come back to life! If someone is really looking for a project no more than $8,000. Who am I kidding it’s a Mopar . Someone is going to go crazy on the bidding!🤦
I’m a analyst at Penkse Logistics( Mopar) so I work with the suppliers, in the kits, performance. Somebody will be this pup..back to life…!
318 was the optimal motor for these E Bodies, that is why most of them were sold that way. What I do not understand is the Cuda name. Not much difference than a Barracuda, except the 2 years earlier had stronger motors. Not sure why you would want a Cuda over the exact same thing as a Barracuda except if for some idiotic reason you thought the name was cooler sounding. Just the same, Chrysler knew they could sell it for more cash despite a standard engine, so they did that. Capitalism at its worst.
The Cuda had a shorter wheelbase than the Barracuda and probably a few package difference.
Wheelbase is not different between the Cuda and Barracuda. Though the Challenger had a longer wheelbase.
By ’73, Cuda was mostly a trim upgrade to make the car look sportier. You got the rally gauges, the wood-like trim, and especially those cool-looking hood snouts.
I like how the exhaust resonator looks like it is doubling as a wheel chock.
I think you’re forgetting something – the Cuda was available with the 340, while the Barracuda did not
There is a lot of differences between a
Barracuda and a Cuda and every change cost the manufacturer and the customer cash. Study automotive marketing and you may embrace the benefits of capitalism, after all Chrysler is a business comrade.
Every system has costs comrade, including ignorance about the basic laws of economics.
Leftist economic systems always perform worse.
Communism is from the cabal who want it all. Easiest way is for the general population to own nothing, comrade.
It wasn’t the optimal motor for these cars, it was the base v8, nothing more . You wanted performance, you bought a ‘Cuda with a 340. No Barracudas came with them.
Seems to me Chrysler was pretty good about letting you mix and match engines anyway you wanted as long as your check didn’t bounce. I once saw a Belvedere base wagon with a Hemi in it from the factory. That car came with a standard 225 SS, yet some buyer had different ideas and Chrysler had no problem satisfying his childish ideas as long as he signed on the bottom line.
Cuda was the performnce suspension package. It just so happen the better engine options were tied to this, but you could get a 383 Barracuda.
I’d give a tenner for the nifty graphite equa-laser hanging under the dash.
Had a 1973 cuda in 86, pistol grip 4 speed 416 ci original was 340. This car is just…yuck……as far as 318 they are work horses. Had a couple,Great motor, dropped one in My 37 Plymouth coupe with 4 on the floor, never lacked power as it was my daily driver.
Underwater engine , forget it.
I had a beautiful 73 green with white stripes with a 328 2bbl. It was not fast but I loved it. I was stationed in the Navy, I went to sea and it was stolen. I came home to no car. It was never found. Wish I still had it. Paid 1200 for it in 1980. O rust at all, perfect white interior black carpet. Caint afford one now.
Same here, but mine had no stripe. Paid $1600 in ’78, it had a cheap dark green repaint over a yellow that would reveal itself as that green paint would peel off.
Mine had the Mopar rust that was standard on all cars driven in the northeast.
Loved that car too, it was the only car I wanted at the time.
Flood damage anyone?
I agree. A victim to one of Florida’s hurricanes.
Before it was 69 & 70 Mach 1’s everyday, now it is Cuda’s everyday.
Nice find, but I have enough on my plate already. I have a 73′ Roadrunner 340 pistol grip 4spd car. I finally got it painted, and now working on the interior. I also have a 2018 RT Scat Pack Challenger. 392 Hemi and 6spd automatic. Very fast I might add. Lol. But this Cuda would be a nice project for sure. Whom ever gets it be prepared to spend lot’s of cash restoring it.
I bought my son a 73 Cuda as his first car in 83. It was a 318 with 3 spd on the floor. We quickly changed it to a 340 with auto. I later found some production figures which showed that there were only 37 built in 73 with that configuration. The car was Rally Red. He still has the car stored to be restored again in the future. BTW in 70 the Cuda became another Plymouth model in the E body lineup not just a optional change.
Bought a brand new left over 1973 Cuda in 1974
Red, black stripes, black interior, bucket seats console 318 auto, slap stick, power steering and A/C $3300
It was a sad day indeed when both the Challenger and the Barracuda disappeared from MOPARLAND. And they defamed the Charger name with the Cordoba look. And then the little one’s.
Never really got over it :(
I didn’t think it could get any worse then they created not a “Retro” but a four door Charger…GRRRR!
Yeap, the day’s of car’s with style, class and shape are gone, now all the cars look the same. The rebirth of the challenger was a breath of fresh air but I still can’t understand why they put 4 door’s on the charger.
Of course don’t restore it, no big $$$ to be made. Only two options left. Once is to crush it. I mean nobody would want to learn how to weld in floor pans or anything like that. It’s just a 318 auto.. Just think about all the work involved to upgrade it to a 383 or God forbid some modern powerplant that uses those annoying electronics to start and run. Imagine how tough it’d be forcing an overdrive transmission into that trans tunnel. All the body and paint work involved to perfect it, mind-blowing. Option 2 is for someone to be able to afford to buy it, without the stigma of not being a 1 in a?## car. Be able to build a motor that’ll set you back in the seat without setting them back by $$$. The point is, there has been so many cool old rides that get passed over because they aren’t worth restoring since they were ” just a” whatever. I grew up during the height of powerful factory badass hotrods , so I’ve been fortunate to see and drive a bunch of vehicles. GTX,SS,SD,BOSS,Z/28,GS,AAR,RS,MACH…if it had letters …. It’s always about those. The others got owner induced performance and it was a great time to be involved. It’s not that people are being discouraged to modify these cars, it’s just the essence of the activity of hotrodding such is getting profoundly overshadowed by the $$$ being made off of the perfection of restoration of the really rare ones. Someone buys this Barracuda modifying the floor pans,maybe a cage,do a rebuilt camper motor,slide a 6 spd in it, figure out an IRS it’ll be in more magazines,catch more eyes and turn more tires than one tucked away in some collection. Sell it, someone buy it,hotrod the hell outta it,and enjoy the dadgum thing.
It’s 50 years old and a Florida car. How many hurricanes did it “survive?”
How about a Cuda with a slant 6 & 3 speed ? Another unicorn, at the time father in law found this and was a daily driver for the brother in law. Would have been late ’80’s early ’90s. Was a decent body for the midwest, medium blue, I think white interior. Bare bones for sure. Had it thru the mid 2000s, remember he posted it to ebay to get a down payment for a WPC 4 Dr wagon. Went for over twice the reserve, guy showed up the next day with a certified check. Told him the cert check could be fraud, told him to have the guy come back with a USPS money order, which he did the following week. Nice tribute car base……
Had a green 71. I hated the thing. It was one of the most unreliable cars I ever owned. Electrical gremlins galore, ran hot, even after new everything coolant related. The trunk pan disappeared which seemed over night. After the third door handle broke I just left the driver’s window down enough to reach in as I quickly grew tired of sliding over the console. I was glad the day I sold it. I then switched to a 70 Challenger convertible which received the 440 swap. This one hung around for a bunch of years until I got the I am tired of cars bug at which point I watched it get picked up and dissappear into the shredder. It was the late 80s and non numbers matching nothing cars weren’t worth the space they occupied. The one here is well…. to me junk. A nice one(if you wanted one) could be bought for far less than the cost of trying to restore this sonar blip in today’s market. An option less 318 car is not high on the high roller collector list but will no doubt become a battle ground for the I gotta get one before they are all a million dollars guys..
A lil TLC, spit n polish and you have a winner!!!!😁
In the 80s this would’ve been a 50-200 dollar parts car that would be stripped and scrapped. I wish I could’ve predicted the future, I’ve sent several muscle ere Mopars to meet their maker as they were deemed not worth saving.
Yep, as a owner of 2 ‘Cuda’s from 1972, both 340’s, one with 4 speed, one with Slap Stix auto, this 73 rust bucket is a sad sight indeed, not worth the $$$ to try to bring it back to life
At 80 years of age I still remember my new 1970 318, 3 on the floor, standard trans, Plumb Crazy, black vinyl top, high back bucket sets, Cuda. The car received complements as if it was a George Barris’s custom. Electrical and carb problems for sure. A chick magnet, no need to mention.
I’m trying to figure out who in their right mind buys a new Cuda then opts for the least powerful V8? I’d love to have a but first on the list would be a 440.
318 sounds like a bad choice for a Cuda, but in ’73, the biggest engine you could get was a 340. 440 disappeared in ’71.