The first-generation Plymouth Barracuda is like the nice date that your parents wanted you to take to the prom, rather than the later-generation Barracuda which was the racy one that you wanted to go out with. This nice 1966 Plymouth Barracuda can be found here on craigslist in Hillsdale, New York, and the seller is asking $7,800. Thanks to FordGuy 1972 for sending in this tip!
Being a lover of cars that aren’t on just about everyone’s must-have list, I prefer the first-generation Barracudas to the later cars. They were made for the 1964, 1965, and 1966 model years and they have a nice, sort of meek-and-mild quality to them compared to the Hemi-powered third-gen monsters that most people dream about owning.
The profile is fantastic and unmistakable, and the rear window is arguably the most visible – no pun intended – feature. They’re great, especially if the car has AC which, unfortunately, this one doesn’t have. Hagerty lists a 1966 Barracuda in #3 good condition as being valued at $14,200, less 30% for a six-cylinder which this one has, so $9,940. This could be a bargain if it checks out. I’m always worried about rust on a car from this area, though. There’s no mention of it, just that it has a nice body and interior.
Speaking of the interior, it looks great from what we can see in the two lone interior photos. The seats look like new both front and rear. The seller says that they got this car from the original owner and they haven’t even registered it yet, so you’ll be the second owner if you nab it up. It has what I consider the classic Plymouth drivetrain configuration: a 225 slant-six and three-on-the-tree manual transmission.
Here’s the leaning tower of power in all of its 145-hp glory, Chrysler’s famous 225 slant-six. For a 2,800-pound car, that’s a nice amount of horsepower, at least for those who aren’t stuck on having a third-generation Hemi car. Everything works as it should, according to the seller, and it runs and drives great. I know that I’m weird, but I would take this car over a third-generation Barracuda. Have any of you owned a first-generation Barracuda?
I don’t think I have ever seen an early Barracuda equipped like this— 6 cylinder, 3 speed manual, blackwall tires, base hub caps. And with baby blue paint. I kind of like it, from the “it’s very different” and “not like the Barracuda one thinks of” perspective. I’m with Scotty, I enjoy seeing base model cars, I too might prefer this over a Hemi.
Ha! Nice ride Scotty! Just about every Thursday in the summer I meet the girls after there bowling league in the Village. All six lanes of bowling fun. The youngest girl is about 55 and has a 66 just like this but brown. Not as nice as the one here but a nice driver. Slant six and 3 on the tree also. She drives it all over the place during the summer. It is really cool to see it on the road, it takes me back in time everytime I see her in it.
It’s just a pure classic 60s car. I love it. I had a ’64 Dart GT, 273 with automatic. I’m totally good with the 225, but would prefer the automatic at this point. Great car.
I had a slant 6 66 Barracuda, ordered new by my Dad with buckets and console auto. Loved the car, passed down through the family for better than 20 years until my sister ran it out of oil in her way home from college. Put a Duster engine in it, ran it for another couple years but the New England salt finally did it in. Great car, bulletproof (with oil in it) and very torquey. Do recall it would oversteer like crazy on 13 inch tires. Fun or scary, depending on whether you meant to do it.
I’ve seen this car in person, it’s pretty clean and straight and doesn’t suffer from the common A-body maladies. Price will likely be acceptable to someone who is specifically looking for one, but a bit tall from my house….
Best looking body style to wear the Barracuda nameplate.
IMHO you’re correct, but I prefer the 65-65 from end. I’d love this, but a 340-360 would be in order for my tastes !
I’m fond of these, especially 66’s but I think they nailed it with the flat hood 67’s-68’s.
It’s such a sweet little unmolested Barracuda still wearing its steel wheels/poverty caps, and I love the fact it has the /-6 3spd combo. This listing proves great finds still seem to be out there without having to spend massive $!
225 being the ‘big block’ /-6, it’s also a great starting point for a 6=8 sleeper build. Chrysler was the only company to care about building any hi-perf straight six with their Hyper Pak project, while for the other manufacturers their I-6 offerings were simply base no-cost engines. That’s sad as they all offer plenty of potential without going the V8 route…
Personally I find the ’67-’69 Barracudas to be the best-looking of the breed, however I wouldn’t kick this one out the door either. Gotta love that massive backlight! 😍
Pontiac had a hipo inline 6so did Hudson🤔
Doesn’t need to be hopped up, 225 with a 323 rear end is a sweet ride, esp with a stick. Chrysler should have offered them in a two BBL and a four speed, of course it would have robbed sales from the V8s then, but would have been a Godsend to some of us at insurance time.
Well Don, Hudson never had any V8 to supersede their I-6 but made their best out of what they had, but I forgot about the OHC Pontiac; my wrong!!! Thanx for correcting me! 👍
Hmm…got from the original owner and hasn’t even titled yet. That would be known as title jumping around these parts.
Pass.
Clearly the person bought it with the intent of selling it at a profit, happens all the time. If everything is legit with the title what’s the big deal? In Arizona at least, if the title is properly signed off and notarized it makes absolutely no difference in the world if the person currently in possession of said vehicle isn’t on the title. Sure there’s a personal potential issue for the seller if they do it all the time and it catches up with them in the form of unpaid taxes on their part and trying to avoid buying a dealer license but zero problems for the new buyer.
I’d drop it off at Chip Foose’s shop and let him have at it! Crate 340, 5-speed, smoothed out.
I would leave it alone.
There are enough crappy modified cars out there.
Please don’t enable the man.
Yes, I still own my ’65 Barracuda. I have had it since 1978, when I bought it for $375, drove it home, yanked out the 273 that was running on five cylinders, and dropped in the 340 that had been in my ’66 Valiant since I built that engine in ’75. I added a 727 Torqueflite, 8.75″ rear end with 4.30 gears, and drove it like that until 2015, when it was disassembled to begin its “third life”. It now has an aluminum 433 cubic inch 3rd gen Hemi with Hilborn stack injection and dry sump oil system, Tremec 6-speed transmission with PPG sequential shift conversion, full frame, independent rear suspension including Hammerhead center section and differential cooler, Detroit Speed Alumaframe front suspension, Viking Berserker active suspension control, Alcon brakes, C&R radiator, Vintage Air, onboard fire suppression system, and a few other goodies. It will be on display at the SEMA show next week.
Come on, Will. Let’s have some pics., please.
I would love to post some pictures, but I’m not allowed to do so.
My first car was a powder blue ’64 Valiant with a 273v8 ( first year as an option ) , I’ve always wanted this generation of Barracuda and I would add the hyper pack option to this slant 6.
I believe the hyper pack only came from the factory with a 170, not a 225. Of course adding a 4bbl intake and carb is an easy task, though the higher spinning shorter crank 170 uses it better. My tastes are more simple, drive it like it is, a time capsule from a much better time.
OOPs, I mean shorter stroke. Don’t get old guys, it a’int purty.
That is true, getting the true feel of the time means driving it stock.
A neighbor girl had one about the same color. Nice car beautiful girl
Super Nice.
So neat to see one unmolested.
This will go fast
I absolutely love this one too! If only my white trash self had Leno type funds! The green 1972 Caprice 4 door hard top & this Barracuda would both be headed my way. These oddball old cars are like crack to me lol.
Stevieg, BINGO!!!!!!!!! And an added sidebar, THAT is what this site is all about!! Would love to park this in my driveway!! GLWA!
Like……..
In 1971, Dad bought a ’65 Valiant. 273 Commando V8, three on the tree. First stick car I ever drove, and it would roast those skinny little rear tires if I wasn’t careful.
I just wish people with money would invest in something else. Mist don’t know scrap about cars and they just see the dollar signs. Don’t care about the car or were it ends up. Buy it cheap sell it high.why not let us less fortunate,and let us buy it for what you got if for. Then every old car out there wouldn’t be 10000 plus.
I somehow miss your logic {or lack of it.} , why should someone sell you anything for what they payed for it.
The only way I would sell something without asking for a profit (indirectly, by asking more than what I paid) was if I found something wrong that I did not want to deal with and I wanted my money back to explore other profit opportunities. I find no matter what you ask, people want a discount and will ask for one even after they ask for your best price.
Wait….the old car hobby is rife with guys buying cars, investing time and money in them, and then ultimately having to let them go without re-couping all their money. That happens all the time, and I’ve surely had it happen to me. I don’t regret any of those…well, there was that Volvo 122…..
Sure, finding that 63 Corvette in a barn for 1500 bucks has happened, but that is the exception and not the rule. Maybe this is why so many Tri-5s, GTOs, Vettes, and Mustangs are restored, because the market is strong for those cars. BaT recently featured a meticulously restored ’57 Fury, and while it was an incredible restoration, probably 100K+, the bids only reached about half of that. So, making money restoring classic cars ain’t as easy as it looks.
My first car was a 66 Valiant in this exact same color with the same engine and and automatic. Bought it for $25 and towed it home. Drove that car for years and it’s probably still running around somewhere in SE MO. Would love to have this one. Makes me feel good all over to see one in this kind of shape!