- Seller: George F (Contact)
- Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
- Mileage: 15,677 Shown
- Chassis #: 1852601567
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 225 Slant-Six
- Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
The collector car hobby is sometimes misunderstood; many believe that to collect old cars requires a trust fund and a staff mechanic, but as we here at Barn Finds know, that is absolutely not the case. Some of the best collector car values in America are Chrysler’s “Early A’s,” the 1960-1966 A-Body compacts. We’re talking Valiants, Darts, and Barracudas like this 1965 model being offered as a Barn Finds Auction. The A-Body is off-the-beaten-path enough to be inexpensive, elegantly engineered enough to be easy to work on, and practical enough to use daily. We don’t know too much about this car, but we can piece together the basics and give you a good idea what to expect if you decide to bid on this early fish.
The sporty Barracuda evokes images of the vaguely European Formula “S” model, with its 273 Commando, racing stripes, and snorty exhaust system. The reality is that many of them were equipped like this one, with a 225-cubic-inch Slant Six and a three-speed on the column. This one appears to have an aftermarket air conditioning setup; the compressor doesn’t look like a Chrysler unit, nor do the underdash vents. It might be a nice feature if you don’t like sticking to vinyl seats. The 225 made 145 horsepower for the entirety of the 1960s, and it was often backed up by Chrysler’s A-903 three speed with a non-synchro first gear. You’ll want to acclimate yourself to putting the gearshift into second before sliding it into first or reverse, lest you be greeted by a grating crash! from the spinning gears. It doesn’t take too long; I own a 225 Dart with an A-903. It’s kind of fun.
There are few differences between a 1964 and a 1965 Barracuda, and one of them is the gauge cluster. The 1965 model had two large gauge pods compared to the 1964’s large speedometer and smaller auxiliary gauges. The interior of this example looks pretty clean, but there is a sign on the large rear glass that the Barracuda has no brakes, but the seller has addressed the issue and it now has working brakes. By the way, the story about the Barracuda’s rear glass being unobtainable is just that – a story. It’s apparently quite easy to find in the A-Body world, and nowhere near as expensive as some would like you to believe.
The Barracuda appears to still ride on its original 13-inch rims with their unique (frustrating to find wheels for) 5×4″ lug pattern. There are few options out there for 13-inch wheels of the proper height; the only one I know of that is reasonably priced is the Maxxis P185/80R13 whitewall tire. Corvair people (including myself) think they’re pretty good, but I’ve swapped my Dart to 15″ steelies for more tire options. If you look at the pictures below, you’ll see that the Barracuda is not perfect; it has a shiny paint job, but some areas are bubbling and others are peeling. In my opinion, this could be a great driver with a little TLC, and I wouldn’t worry about the paint right now. If you want to enjoy the old car lifestyle but don’t have a monthly allowance, it’s hard to beat one of these A-Bodies.
Bid On This Auction
bklynguy bid $4,500.00 2025-04-04 14:28:45
Grover bid $3,800.00 2025-04-04 06:57:17
oldcarguy5085 bid $3,550.00 2025-04-03 16:40:04
Roverray bid $3,300.00 2025-04-03 16:35:28
theduck13 bid $3,000.00 2025-04-03 16:23:33- Roverray bid $2,750.00 2025-04-03 16:16:35
freeman bid $2,500.00 2025-04-03 15:52:42- theduck13 bid $2,080.00 2025-04-03 15:00:02
- Roverray bid $1,830.00 2025-04-03 10:23:37
- Grover bid $1,550.00 2025-04-02 07:57:12
- oldcarguy5085 bid $1,300.00 2025-03-31 14:11:22
Bugsy bid $1,050.00 2025-03-30 08:06:54- oldcarguy5085 bid $800.00 2025-03-29 16:31:37
What about the Jaguar beside the Plymouth?
What about it?
iS IT FOR SALE?
I had a 1965 Formula S and i dont remember all the Valiant Vs. Especially the Valiant on the horn button. One thing I remember was how bad the brakes were. Had to stand on the pedal to stop! I loved that car and it was one of many 4 speed cars i had after. Wonder if it would be worth it to put a tremec and a 340 in it?
I know most people pre3fer the later Barracuda body style, but I may be one of the few how prefer this earlier style with its sloped back roofline. True, It did not pack the muscle of the later ones, but to me the styling is better.
I’m sure if the car was original paint, you would have mentioned it. But I can’t see any evidence of a quick masking job or pulled trim. From the pictures, no signs of unintentional overspray. Could it be?
I have told some younger Gen Xers about the left handed lug nut threads on the driver’s side wheels of Chrysler products of that era and they found it hard to believe.
Worked at ‘ Mitch’s ‘ Texaco by Taft HS in Chicago in the late 60’s. Learned the lug nut issue the hard way. Some things you never forget Could never understand why others didn’t do it also if it was better. Even trucks and heavy equipment.
I worked at Curt’s Texaco in Framingham, MA in the late 70’s. I also learned the hard way about Mopar left handed threads on the left side of the car. Snapped a couple off with the air gun. Oops. Whenever I leave my 1968 Barracuda for any possible wheel/tire/brake work, I leave a giant note taped to the dashboard regarding those left side lug nuts.
My Son and I were buying a 70 Dodge pickup and I asked the seller (my brother in law)about the lug nuts. My son kept quiet thinking I was jacking with him
It looks to be a very clean example of a good survivor. It’s interesting to know that the rear glass is available reasonably. It still amazes me that a 60 year old vehicle like this, still has enough interest that an odd shaped glass like this is not made of ‘unobtainium’!
Had one of these when I was 16 loved it 273 4spd wish I had kept it!