Rusty Mopars pretty much sell themselves, and this 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda in Allen, Texas is far from the rustiest or worst specimen we’ve seen. An original FY1 Lemon Twist yellow 340 car, set off by a black vinyl top, twin duct sport hood with hood pins, and plenty of exterior trim, this would have been one sharp piece of fruit when it left the dealer. Today it sports a running (non-original) 1970 H-code 340, a built automatic transmission, and a host of interior and trim pieces, some removed. The listing here on eBay has tempted at least seven bidders, but it will take more than $8000 to meet the seller’s Reserve.

Missing parts mean some re-assembly required, but at least it runs! Despite its modest displacement, the 340 saw duty in the Trans Am racing series, where 340-equipped ‘Cudas and Challengers faced off against other high-strung small block contenders like the Camaro Z/28 and Boss 302 Mustang. Thanks to this competition the 340 received loving attention from Mopar’s best performance nerds, and anyone could order a 10.25:1 compression ratio rev-happy 340 from their local dealer. Remember, the 340 made 275 HP (gross) on paper, but Motor Trend saw 280 net HP on the dyno from a stock 1970 340. Needless to say, these motors punched above their weight on the track and the stoplight Gran Prix. Nimble handling made the E-body a winner as well. According to Plymouth sales literature, the sporty ‘Cuda model came standard with a 335 HP 383 cid V8. Someone really wanted the high-performance 340 in their bright yellow Plymouth, which makes the choice of an automatic even more strange. Thanks to lov2xlr8 for some details.

Evidence of what the seller calls a “poorly” executed four-speed conversion will need to be sorted by the new owner. Spiritually the road-racing 340 fits better with a manual transmission, but the thought that “real” drivers change their own gears has gone the way of the dodo bird. Today’s real drivers switch off traction control, floor their 600+ HP techno-hyped muscle cars on the freeway, abruptly catch traction, and shoot off the road at obtuse angles.

High school-approved shackles gave this potent Plymouth some late-night attitude. Now they just look silly. Blacked out tail lights and ‘Cuda script tell those slow pokes behind you that this is not their Aunt Carol’s everyday Barracuda, as the non-sporting models were called. This car has dents all over it, and may need more work than meets the eye, but if you’re spending money on a classic, it’s hard to beet a shiny yellow E-body. Would you have ordered the Trans Am-inspired 340 on this ‘Cuda or kept the standard 383?