Located in Flower Mound, Texas and for sale here on Craigslist is this 1965 Plymouth Barracuda project car. It is for sale with an asking price of $2,000 OBO. The big sticking point on this car is that the title is missing and the car will come with a Bill of Sale only. However, the owner is willing to assist the buyer to secure a bonded title. Our thanks must go to Barn Finds reader Marc G for referring this beauty to us.
I honestly hate seeing cars left sitting in grass like this. To me there’s something quite sad and even a bit undignified about the sight. I really hope that this particular car gets to see the road restored to something resembling its former glory. It certainly deserves to do better than this. Having now waxed lyrical, it’s time for the good news. There are no shots of the underside of this old girl, but the seller states that it has very little rust. The term “very little” can mean very different things to different people, but we can live in hope. What I will say is that from the supplied photos it all looks quite promising with a potentially solid car and little in the way of rust or rot on the outside. I’m also very relieved to see that that amazing rear window appears to be intact and in good condition.
This is about as close as we get to an interior shot. There’s not a lot that can be discerned here without the aid of a set of binoculars. It looks like the interior may be intact, but the condition is a great unknown. It does look like there is either a stash of parts in there, or a pile of junk. Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the former. I believe that the items on the table are more parts for the car.
The seller states that the engine is the 273ci V8, backed by an auto transmission. As you can see, the engine has been partially dismantled. There is no word on where the missing components are, but hopefully they are among the items that we could see inside the car or on the table in the last shot.
This has the potential to be quite a big project, but the supplied photos paint an optimistic picture. If the car is as solid and rust-free as it appears in the photos then it would be a sound basis for a great project. I went scouting around the internet to see what was about and found one relatively complete one for sale at twice the price of this one, and a tree had fallen on that example! I’ve always liked the look of these and that rear glass is about as distinctive as it gets. I hope that someone brings it back to life. It deserves it.
I was snagged by these fish while stationed at Wurtsmith AFB in Michigan. Matter of fact, I owned three over the course of eight years. During that time, I scoured the local salvage yards for parts and spent a lot of time in the base Auto Hobby Shop.
When I mustered out of the military, I headed home to the Catskills of NY in the culmination of my efforts: a late year 1965 white Barracuda with a stock blue racing stripe up her middle and a few “hard-to-find” OEM options installed.
That summer, I drove to the Plymouth Barracuda/Cuda Owner’s club show in Ivyland, Pa. I was directed to park next to three pristine “Class I” Barracuda’s (1964-1966). Even though her front cowl was primered gray in preparation of a paint job, people started crawling over my fish like ants on a sugar cube!
As the Technical Director of the club came over to introduce myself, I heard a voice from inside my car, “Hey, what’s this knob on the lower left of your dash?” People crowded around him to look as I asked, “What does the bezel say?”. “Rear Window”, came the reply. They all looked at me as I tossed my keys to the questioner and gestured to the trunk.
The crowd followed him to my fish’s tail, but they were not prepared for the trunk to spring open as he turned the key in the lock. I explained that the 1964 and early 1965 models had a metal slide mechanism to hold the trunk lid open. Plymouth then switched it to a spring-actuated cylinder for late 1965 and 1966 models.
By now, the guy with my key had his head inside the trunk and had found the electric motor mounted to the right of the trunk and slots in the sheet metal inside the passenger side of the bubble window. “Is that a rear window defogger?!”, he asked incredulously. I replied, “And it’s ‘FACTORY’!”
While everyone jostled for a look, the Tech Director turned to me and said, “Now son, I’ve been into Barracuda’s since they first came out. I know every option Plymouth ever put in these and I’ve NEVER seen one of these in person. Don’t TELL me you found that (defogger) in a junk yard for $100!” I shrugged and replied, “Ok.”… and smiled. “AHHH!!”, he yelled, laughing, “Where did you find it?!” I replied, “I found it in a Salvage yard for $5!”
It was a good day… and a good car… and a good club.
(The attached photo isn’t mine, but looks identical, except the wheels and tires.)
@Cap10 – This is the sort of comment that I love to see in Barn Finds. It gives the reader some ‘meat’. Wish I could give you more than 1 ‘thumbs up’.
I have problems posting pictures but my 65 is always the only one at car shows.
My cousins had a ’64, w/the Push button Torque-Flight transmission! I was promised it by my uncle when I was old enough to drive and had the funds in the mid ’70s. Mycousin who had it then, let a “friend” drive it, and he took it up a stone covered road towards a camp meeting. The guy drove it through a wooden road barrier. Cracked the windshield, dented the hood, broke one of the wiper blades off! I got out of the back seat, and walked VB over a mile down the road, tears streaming down my face! My uncle, and grandfather, a Chrysler mechanic at the time just shook his head, and said that it’s going to cost a chunk of cash to replace the wiper and fix the body. Last I saw it, it was for sale, as is at $2500! Back in ’75!😥
Restore the body and interior as needed, drop in a 340 cu. motor and have a blast! $2k sounds like a fair price if the floors and frame rails are as solid as the rest looks to be.
Call the guys at ” Fired Up Garage” . If the rear window is in top condition, and the rust is not too bad, this baby is a great starting point for a sweet ride. The 340 will bolt right in, and the Torqueflite will handle it with no issues. ( One could always add a GearVendors overdrive if they wanted a lower ratio for Saturday nights out in the boonies….to go “fishing”
I blew up the picture and the headsare inside the car on floor board. Couldn’t see intake but probably on the other side. Exhaust manifolds are on the table.
@Randy W – Excellent detective work. Thumbs up.
Love the stories. I have a 65 cuda been is storage for years. Stories like these make me want to get it out and work on it. Idk maybe someone else would have more time. Located in south bend IN.
@Jeremy – Please send it into the site if you decide to sell it!
Looked at this when it was first posted. Not a 2K car – owned many – this was parked for reasons. It had sunk to long and less face it – not as desirable as a Ford Mustang or even a Nova in it’s state. Did notice it was equipped with the rare factory air as seen on the firewall.
Currently working on a Formula S resto to replace my second Cuda which was an S car and should have been my first – mom was all in but dad didn’t like the 4 speed. So I bought it after I moved out and had it and a 65 273/auto Cuda. That was like more that a dozen A body Cuda’s ago. Owned every year of Formula S cars but stayed with the small blocks.
would u trade for a 53 chevy , teo door bel-air .no motor or tran. chopper top and shave door handles . iam ask $3750.00 but would think about trade for the barracude .thank danny
If he’s says 2k obo you can get it for less. The rear glass has to be worth half that. Couldn’t go too wrong here.
Gentlemen, the auto is a Valient, a valient attempt to make a sports car out of el cheapos.
Lots of mention of 340 but they Don’t grow on trees, so a mild 318 or 360, which are plentiful and less costly, would be a viable option.
What auto is in rig, and are those small bolt pattern wheels with ity- bitty brakes?
If rear and front window are fine, with only a modicum of rust, this price is a decent buy.
Make neat father son or daughter, a great entry vehicle into old auto ranks, and future college funder.
There are many parts out there and at reasonable prices.
A properly set up 318 would give plenty power and decent street mileage as well.
In my price range but way to distant from home., but yet¿¿¿¿¿¿?
Concours, never, but a driver for sure.
Awesome. Just got done building one that had sat in a dirt lot since 73′. Was a 273 car but now has a very healthy 360 Magnum/LA. REALLY fun car and it’s great having everyone ask what it is.