This 1970 Barracuda Convertible is a project-grade car that is going to require a fair bit of work before it hits the road again. Listed for sale here on eBay, it is located in Brooklet, Georgia. It comes with a clear title but the fender tag is missing. Bidding has seen the price rise to $14,500 but the reserve hasn’t been met. If someone really wants this one and wants to avoid the hassles associated with an auction, the seller has also set a BIN of $27,000.
There are couple of big issues to consider with this particular Plymouth. The first of these is rust. The seller is pretty open and honest about this, and has provided plenty of clear photos to give a full picture of the work involved in restoring this car. There is visible rust in both lower quarter panels, the bottom corners of the doors and the lower corners of both front wings. There is also some visible on the rocker panels. All of this appears to be rot-through.
There is some rust and rot such as this visible on the underside of this Barracuda, although this lot appears to be the worst of that as the underside of the car has been heavily undercoated. In addition the front floor under the driver’s left foot is rotted through, along with the trunk floor. To me the most concerning rot is in the bottom corners of the door-frames at the dog-legs as these are vitally important for structural integrity.
The interior is largely complete, but is probably also going to require a full restoration. The dash pad is cracked in several places while the seats are going to require new covers. The dash itself appears to be complete, and the floor console is also present and looks like it may be okay. The door trims and other interior trim will all either need replacing or restoration. The soft-top is also shredded, but the mechanism and frame operate perfectly and latch securely.
This is the 318ci V8 backed by an automatic transmission. The car was originally parked in 1981 due to a starter-motor failure. It hasn’t roared into life since. The news here is also not particularly good, as the seller has tried to wind the motor by hand and it appears to be locked. Hopefully it can be freed, but if it can’t then that will be a major disappointment.
There’s no getting around the fact that in good condition this Barracuda would represent an incredibly desirable car. The styling on these is stunning, and being a convertible just gives it the extra “wow” factor. In first-class condition these are continuing to command great money, and that trend will probably continue over time. With this one there’s a yawning chasm between where the auction currently stands and what the seller has set as the BIN price. There is also an enormous amount of work involved in bringing this car back to life, and that’s what can be gleaned from the photos. Whether this is a viable restoration project will depend entirely on whether the body can be made structurally safe and sound. My own feeling is that it’s probably worth the punt to restore it as I can’t see the price of these going anywhere but up.
Love the 70 Cudas but being a 318 / auto doesn’t make it desirable to me and not being a convertible fan and all the rust it’s a big PASS in my book.
A 318 makes it more desirable to me.. By far the best engine for it. That is why they were standard engines, they were the best compromise that skilled engineers came up with. Good reliability, handling, gas mileage, ease of maintenance…need I go on? Trust me, for a long term ownership, this is the engine you want. If you are going to flip for top dollar, maybe not. The boys on Graveyard Cars were asked what engine they would want in a car for a long road trip, hands down, the trusty 318.
That there, is A LOT of work.
Such a waste. Parked over a broken starter….🤔
No kidding. What was the cost of a starter? About the same as a fifth of J8m Beam and a case of Miller. What a jerk.
Convertibles Bri g bigggg bucks.
I like it at a reasonable price .
Mye hardtop version had door closing issues. I didn’t dare jack mine with the doors open or it would take a door realignment even when new. I can’t imagine a rusty convertible being able to drive much, the integrity must be shot.
As been said many times over, buy a completed one with a 340 small block, it will cost far less in the long run than repairing this one. But should be saved, they are a rare car.
Too far gone
I love it when a seller prices a project car at what the fully restored version is worth.
The cost of repair is too extensive. When the car is done, you still have a 318 cuda. I hope someone has deep pockets so it will see the road once more.
Hmmmm. Connecticut plate issued in or before 1980, on a car parked in 1981 that only needed a $30 starter and now in Ga. With no fender tag or build sheet but a title in a previous owners name. And a BIN of $27K.
Knock a zero off that price and I might take a chance.
Dirty, I agree with you. And this LOOKS like a CT car from back in the day, with all the rust and rot you’d expect from the snow and salt.
Of course, back in 1981 this was just an old beater. Could easily have been a high school car. So maybe a bad starter was all it took to park it for “someday.”
– John
I would guess that in 1981 it was in far better condition that it is now ( the tin worm has been eating steady since). Even if it was in twice the condition it is now, I’m sure someone would have given $500 for it, replaced the starter, or even the ring gear if that’s the problem, just so they could rock a convertible, especially a Barracuda.
That “broken starter” May have been a locked up motor back in ’81.
I have unfrozen a motor before using Kroil.