Who doesn’t remember Chrysler’s “Hi-Impact” colors of the early 1970s? Some of the choices were pretty wild and made most any performance car wearing one look faster. This 1971 ‘Cuda 340 was finished in GY3 Curious Yellow, and it may have been one of only a couple of hundred so built. While it looks okay at first glance, the seller reminds us that it doesn’t run and a restoration is needed, including new floor pans. Located in Helena, Arkansas, interest in this Mopar has brought the ante to $29,200 after 57 bids here on eBay. With no reserve, someone will take this project home.
When Plymouth redesigned the Barracuda in 1970, sales improved by 50% from the prior year. But the success was short-lived as sales plunged by two-thirds the very next year as muscle cars were starting to fall out of favor (thanks to higher insurance premiums and growing emissions controls). 16,492 Barracuda’s were assembled in 1971, the only year the car had quad headlights. The coupe version of the ‘Cuda performance model accounted for 5,383 cars and 2.008 of those had the 340 small block V8 with an automatic transmission.
Sources indicated that fewer than nine percent of all Barracuda’s in ’71 wore Curious Yellow paint, so if you do the math, then the number could be fewer than 200 ‘Cuda 340s with an automatic, including the seller’s car. We’re told this is a factory 340 Plymouth, but the seller doesn’t go as far as saying the engine is original to the car and the bright orange paint on the motor looks rather fresh. The 340 will turn by hand but the seller hasn’t tried to hook everything up to see if it will run.
We’ve seen rustier Mopar’s here on Barn Finds and the seller says the floors must go although the photos are not as pessimistic. There’s no mistaking what kind of power is/was under the hood, given the giant billboards on the quarter panels announcing engine displacement. What we can see of the vinyl top looks ready for a re-do as well. We’re told the grille is original and not a reproduction, something we assume you don’t find on many of these cars when restored. How much north of $30,000 would you go to take this one home?
29k and climbing? For this non-running project?? Unbelievable.
Gotta agree there. I love Cudas and Challengers. However, thousands upon thousands (millions?) of ready-to-enjoy classics can be bought for that kind of coin.
My neighbor in the mid 70s bought a 340 71 Cuda. Beautiful shiny black but he had it repainted with a cheap paint job in this yellow color. It did look okay, for a while, but in not too many months it started to look bad and got worse. Shoulda kept the factory black if ya ask me. Of course, that 340 with a 4 speed made some great noises, and that made up for a lot. Mind you, just the standard exhaust was all he had, but it still was just the perfect amount of toughness in the sound. No silly loud mufflers like today. Back then the cops made sure you were not too much of an annoyance. (as they still should today) I was in high school and he was like a decade older than me. He would never let me drive it, though I did drool over it a lot. He told me that he wanted a Cuda ever since he read about them out in a rice patty in Vietnam. Even picked out the color he would have one day, yellow. Told me it had to be a 71 and it had to be yellow but when he got discharged it was to late for a brand new one and he didn’t like the looks of the later ones. It had to be just like the one he had seen in that magazine that particular night. Told me that it later rained and his mag got ruined. Being an air force guy, I never had to put up with stuff like that, though I did spend several days eating bugs out in the woods on a training exercise just before flight school.. For years I really didn’t understand why that exact combo meant so much to him, but after seeing a little combat myself I kind of understand. War does strange things to your soul, and you latch on to anything that can take you away from the harsh reality and remind you of home. A lot of guys came home from there pretty mentally injured, so if this car was his only quirk, he did okay.
These were fun cars in 70, until you had a drag race with a 340 Duster that blew you in the weeds. Now past $32,600. Hard to imagine. My Hemmings just sit in the plastic wrapper anymore. Cant be bothered to even open them with 2x prices becoming the norm. Not to mention shop service costs of hundreds or thousands just to tune or replace minor parts. Plus storage fees…
It appears that my days as an enthusiast are over.
Of course – the Cuda’s heavier. Physics prevail.
But not if you had the 440 or hemi in the Cuda – unavailable in Duster.
(I’m assuming a 383 in the Cuda would also be beat by a 340 duster of the same model year with same trans & rear end ratio.)
I would think no Cuda dynacorn bodies being yet available only boost the price of these originals.
That engine compartment looks to have some yellow paint. overspray. paint on the shock towers ect. That just means that some work was attempted,original paint and how original is the paint. I,m not trying to pick it apart. I just had my 71 fc7 duster compleatly repainted and everything strip before paint.When its done there wont be any paint where it should not be.Nice combo and looks like a good to restore cuda. Back in the 80,s-90,s. I bought a 70 440 cuda 56k original miles and purple,$1000,70 barracuda convert $1200,a 70 challenger $300, 70 barracuda gran coupe $350. All where drivers!And hundreds of other brands. I bought and sold many since i read all the ads and knocked on a lot of doors. daily My friends that knew me than say i should write a book on what i had back then. Ford,chev ,gm stuff,mopars amongst other stuff ,boats i had it all and cant belive the prices now for resto. stuff. What a lucky guy i am to have had so many cars and the stories about them.
To bring it back to show room condition, YOU need at least 100.000
$33,100 now with 4 days left!! Not the best photos.
how’s that saying go…….. A fool and his money are soon parted
I ve heard that saying but what I would like to know is how did the fool get his money in the first place?
Well, thanks BJ for creating the stupid high prices. No argument from me that these were and are fun cars, but not at these ridiculous prices. I hope when they restore them, they leave out the rattles
And improve the ride, because they rode worse than my go cart did !!! Lol
Any E. Sold my 1972 Cuda, 340 “Slap Stick” for $1000 in 1978. It had 100k miles.
I’m with Jay E. My cool car days are done.