Though the Ford Mustang is credited with starting the “pony car” movement, it was named after, Plymouth got there first. 17 days before the Mustang was unveiled at the New York World’s Fair in April 1964, Plymouth began selling the Barracuda. And while the Barracuda was in the game for a full decade, it never came close to putting up the sales numbers of the Mustang. The seller has a 1965 edition that hasn’t run in many years and will need loads of work. Located in Yelm, Washington, this primered project is available here on craigslist for $2,000.

Just as the Mustang had its roots in a compact car, the Falcon, the Barracuda was a fastback derivative of the Valiant (at least for 1964-66). And, like the Ford, a six-cylinder engine was standard, and a small-block V8 was optional. Because the styling was still fresh, few physical changes were made to the 1965 Barracuda, but options like disk brakes and factory air conditioning were added to the list. After a slower start in 1964, the Barracuda found 64,600 buyers in 1965, but that number was just a fraction of what Ford was getting out of the ‘Stang.

The seller may have acquired this Plymouth from a friend seven years ago as a project, but it looks as though none of those efforts have ever gotten off the ground. We’re told this “pony” has a 225 cubic inch Slant-Six and a manual transmission (3-speed?). The column shifter has been disassembled, so you’ll have to do more than work on the motor to get this car to drive.

Engine compartment and interior photos are excluded from the seller’s listing, so we don’t know their condition. We’re told the floorboards are rusty, but the rest of the body is okay. Though some items, like a front bumper, are missing in the few photos, the seller says he/she has all of the original parts to go with the project, which may only have 53,000 miles. If you like the pony car genre but don’t want to restore the more popular Mustang, could this Barracuda be in your future? Our thanks go to “Curvette” for this tip.