Yes, you read the title correctly. Here for your review in a ’70 Plymouth Hemi Barracuda convertible, but as usual, there’s a bit more to the story so you’ll have to read on. This magnificent specimen is located in Templeton, Massachusetts, and is available, here on eBay for a BIN price of $145,000 or best offer.
Statistics vary a bit, depending on whose you are utilizing, but the best information attainable indicates that there were 652 Plymouth ‘Cudas constructed in 1970 with Chrysler’s vaunted Hemi engine and of those 652, only fifteen were convertible body styles. Yes, rarified air territory. But a Hemi Barracuda convertible? Looks like zero.
The listing for this Plymouth is extensive, there many fine images, about 100 actually, with lots of specific detail. It wasn’t until I got deep in the listing and performed a VIN check that I realized that this Barracuda did not commence life as a Hemi equipped car or even as ‘Cuda for that matter. And it would have had to have been a ‘Cuda to have owned a Hemi engine. It was originally a 318 CI, V8 powered Barracuda convertible that underwent a presto-chango conversion. And the conversion has been excellently administered. So, this Plymouth convertible is really a “sort of” tribute car, or a clone, or even a fake (though that sounds a bit chippy) because it is not an original Hemi convertible but it is, now anyway, a Hemi Barracuda convertible – a model Plymouth never built. The collector, who commissioned the conversion, tracked down a date correct 426 CI, 425 HP Hemi V8 engine, and had it rebuilt by a renowned engine builder (Lee Brothers Specialties). The listing spec sheet for the engine indicates a maximum dyno HP of 458. Interestingly enough, this Barracuda was built with a four-speed manual transmission. Noted Mopar guru and statistician Galen Glovier has certified that this car is one of only 17 Barracuda Gran Coupe convertibles produced in 1970, so equipped.
There isn’t a lot to examine here in terms of general condition (or a whole lot depending on your perspective) because this Barracuda has had a top-flite restoration performed, in addition to the powertrain conversion, so it is essentially new – exactly the result that the collector was trying to obtain when the restoration/conversion was initially commissioned. This Convertible did, in fact, originally wear Rallye Red paint over white vinyl upholstery, topped off with a white convertible top so there is a sense of continuity. The donor car, if we shall refer to it that way, was a 38K mile, dry, rust-free California example that has lived on in a similar way to its original incarnation, just with the engine, a “Hemi” four-speed manual transmission, shaker hood, super scat-pack 4.10 Dana differential and the appropriate markings all incorporated. But not to trivialize it as all of this happened, over and above, the complete “frame-off” (I know, there’s not really a frame) restoration. There are many included images that visually detail the body’s restoration.
So, how much did all of this goodness cost? The seller states that it was a $250,000+ investment but it sounds as if the investment dollars weren’t the issue, it was an attempt to recreate what one would have liked to order at a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership 50 years ago but is now available via one’s imagination and checkbook. Anyway, after the car was completed, it was sent to a museum for display and the current owner purchased it from the museum. Since the restoration, this Barracuda has only amassed about 175 miles of operation.
Ok, so if $145 large isn’t an issue, what do you do with this Plymouth? Well, you can drive it, after all, it’s not one of the original fifteen Hemi ‘Cudas; if you break it or damage it you can repair it without feeling like you have just degraded a genuine $2.2 million ‘Cuda (Mecum Auction – August 2015 according to the seller). But still, it is a tremendous amount of scratch for a car so there will be a feeling of defensiveness about its use or display. And what about value anyway? If you have money to burn, I guess it doesn’t matter but many won’t see it that way. They are investors and if they’re going to take a swing at a money harbor, especially in this amount, they will want a return, period. Where will the value of this Barracuda go over the next three to five years? Who knows.
So tell us, you know what you’re getting here, there’s no attempt to hide it; great documentation and a finely prepared car. But what would you do with it, how would you use it?
Beautiful car, a clone, so what. That’s why the asking price is 145k and not 945k.
Would not the value of both real & clone decline if there was a Cuda Dynacorn body?
Ist time i seen a shaker car with a luggage rack, much less a hemi!
1 screw on the red underhood body tag is painted red – the other ain’t – tryin to replicate sloppy factory assembly?
Odd chrome bumperettes are retained on back when you got the elastomeric bumper.
Could u get the pistol grip shifter(& tachometer) with the slant 6? Nah. lol
Still 60k high,Hemi Cuda clones are common and rarely crack 6 figures anymore.
I still like them though,nothing to do with trying to be a 7 figure car,simply a great,sharply styled car.The word ” Hemi ” still has an impact whether Mother Mopar put it there or not.
So someone took a 1 of 17 car (and maybe the only one left) and made it into something that was never made .. Looks really nice, but I’d rather it was left with the 318 .
The ebay listing says there were five 4-speed ‘Cuda convertibles. But I agree with the molestation of a surviving 1 of 17 car. I hope the new buyer gets all the original 318 parts back for the asking price.
Here, here. A 318, 1 of 17 car isn’t that collectible (strictly speaking), but a lot more special than this.
Pretty soon the 225s/318 cars will be rare. Someday people will wrongfully assume that all we drove were big blocks. I feel it is a crime to assault a car like this. Besides, a hemi in an E Body was a crummy car anyhow, esp in a convert. The 318 was what the engineers (read, smart people) knew to be the best over all balance in terms of drive ability, MPG, handling, reliability, etc.
That sort of what I was thinking too. It is a nice, well done car, but I like stock for something this rare. This was done for investment purposes. I am not believing the $250,000 build story.
The $250K probably assumes EVERY hour of research and if the owner put his time in at what, $85-150 per hour plus the fact that a restoration of this quality – IF you paid someone to do the entire resto on a retail dollar – it alone would be $150K. Plus the original buy, plus the buy on the hemi drivetrain. Not sure there are $250K in receipts.
I have customers who over invest in cars because they have deep pockets and want what they want, the way they want it. I have a customer now who started a restomod that when done would maybe get a buyer at $40 -50K. His budget was $60K. Car is about 60% done and already had $120K in it.
Another clone, of a car that never existed. $145K to see if someone else is just as foolish to pay for a fake. I bet I could buy a good copy of the Mona Lisa, but it would always be a fake. The $$ real though, and I could probably buy a real cuda’ or camaro/Firebird that was a real version of its self for the cash and still have some gas money. Pass, Punt.
I remember when the doocumented ones were over a million and I couldn’t get my head around that. Here is a “Tribute” car at under hundred and a half, and it appears perfect. Who knows, anyone who is knowledgable, will know its an impersonator, somewhat similar to Cobras, but compared to this car ,Cobras aren’t that rare, allott of times Cobra replicas fool the experts. This car could do that, but common sense tells you otherwise. If I had the money, would I buy it anyway, it depends on the size of the lottery I win.
Remember that slant 6 Challenger? Look for it in about a year.
That said…you could certainly order a Charger or Challenger with all of the luxury goodies and a Hemi and it would be a R/T-S/E. You could order them without the R/T package and have just an S/E. For the life of me I can’t recall if Plymouth had a similar setup. ” ‘Cuda” was the moniker for the performance versions while “Barracuda” denoted either a plain-Jane or luxury model…but were they engine-limited? Nothing above a 318? Owners’ manuals won’t help here because they listed every possible option and combination. The answer would lie in the dealer ordering system, I’m guessing.
That said…could you have gone in and have your dealer COPO a luxury Barracuda with a 440?
I believe the engine line up for the base “Barracuda” was slant six, 318, 383 2 barrel and 383 four barrel. In the early 90’s, before prices were silly, I often saw a triple black 383 Barracuda convertible that was local to me. Having the flat hood, the 383 call out badges were on the front fenders.
Pretty soon the 225s/318 cars will be rare. Someday people will wrongfully assume that all we drove were big blocks. I feel it is a crime to assault a car like this. Besides, a hemi in an E Body was a crummy car anyhow, esp in a convert. The 318 was what the engineers (read, smart people) knew to be the best over all balance in terms of drive ability, MPG, handling, reliability, etc.
Didn’t the Gran Coupe package come with leather seats? I friend in high school had a ’71 Gran Coupe hardtop and it had black leather seats.
Hemi & a trunk luggage rack, wierd.
Car would be excellent with with original 318.
It seems like a well done restomod but I have to agre with the majority here being a car guy if the doner car where a survivor that he did this with or a rare 1 of 17 it should have been left alone!!
Fake, no matter how you spin it.
Well it’s a beautiful fake, just like the girl who has adjustments made to her breast and buttocks, functional, yes, looks good, yes, rides nice yes, hi maintenance, absolutely, it’s all up to what makes you happy, if I had an extra 150 large, I’d probably settle for a real 440 convertible, but that’s me, I like original
What was that about Galen certifying it ? Was that the original car ?
Value is like beauty, it’s in the eye of the beholder. If the original builder/bank roller wanted a Barracuda Hemi and not a ‘Cuda Hemi, so be it. But to take a 1 of 17 and rape it, oh well, money talks, you know what walks. If I had $145K and loved the build, I’d buy it. I’d rather have an over restored, hand built “perfect“ restoration over the shoddy, UAW built garbage that Chrysler rolled out back then, just saying…
Well value will only be tanking in the next 5 years. Millenials ain’t interested in these things. A clutch? WTF is THAT?? Oh, WORK! No USB ports. Wait, even if they have the money, they don’t own homes. Can’t park it in the street overnight. First off, boomers, tail enders like myself hitting the big 6 come Oct 1, even if I had the cash to buy, just wouldn’t as I know in 5 yrs when comes to sell, I’ll have to HOPE that there’s a younger one out there with the $$$ & a lover of this particular car. As there’s a host of a LOT of other things he can buy for $145k, Motorcoach, Scarab or Donzi, in otherwords, something you can use a LOT & not just around the block or to a show. If they are going muscle car, for that cash, it’d be a new ZR1 Vette conv or a Shelby GT500, something NEW, fast & RELIABLE for a nice long road trip. IDK, thats just me, but sadly I don’t see much a future for muscle cars. The shows, events & even just on the road, someone older than I is driving, owning & showing them. Even my own two sons been around my muscle cars & classic vettes while growing up, thought they’d take an interest. At going on 29, he drives a newer Volt & the one going on 27, my clone, drives his mom’s ’05 Grand Caravan. I just don’t see the ones in their 20’s-40’s, showing interest strong enough to pay the big money for. I can’t see paying $145k for something I owned in ’79 Black on black w/ a 440 6 pak in a hardtop w/ pistol grip, ex cond I sold for $3000. Sold because I didn’t care for the ride, the handling sucked on the curvy hilly roads in Fairfield Cty, CT. I ended up with buying a ’72 Trans-Am 455/4sp.but now, I’d much rather have a ’70 T/A with the 455HO over this. Handling AND balls to boot!
Indeed. At some point, like $30k, you can get a 2018 Honda Accord or Civic R and tweak it for $2k (or not, for the R) and you’ve got acceleration, HP, torque and cornering performance numbers that put vintage muscle cars, BWMs and Porsches to shame – and you are still under a factory warranty. Why bother with a fussy vintage rattle box, other than the sexy sheet metal. Faster, safer, easier to maintain and insure. The newer vehicles trounce a vintage ride.
I have both a 73 Grand Prix SJ w a 455 in it every option for its day, including factory sunroof A/C power everything, and I own a 2018 Mercedes E43 AMG 400 hp twin turbos awesome vehicle, electronics are outta this world, it there’s nothing in the world to getting on the Sprain Brook pkwy, opening my sunroof and pouncing in that Quadra jet on top of that gas guzzler 455 that has all of 275 hp, it’s just a different feeling to pop am 8 track in the tape deck and cruise, o new car can do that for me
I hope to not offend, but are you on the right website? What you are talking about is sort of like talking up the devil at the Vatican lol.
The actual number of legit 70 Hemi Cuda convertibles is 14, according to Galen and Dave Wise. I believe the record price paid was $2 million at Barrett Jackson in 2006 for a yellow one. At least you could drive this one. And the seller isn’t trying to represent it as one of the 14. Nice car, but still too much money.
Tom(above), IMO this is an unrealistic car with way too much money spent for nothing! – remember – these were mass produced cheap cars coming off the assembly line, 1 after the other quickly – & most had crappy paint/orange peel, poor body panel alignment, squeaks, rattles, etc.
& if it sat on a lot for months, it would have surface rust underneath.
I’d much rather see this car in half decent shape that still had shiny paint for the most part & an acceptable original interior – because i prefer to see what the factory mass produced, as opposed what could be done by a Picasso classic car restorer.
Beautiful Car but it’s still a FAKE:
If you have that kind of money to invest
in buy something real were market will
be stable on car and probably hold your investment