Often the cry of “Too far gone!” comes from the man or woman with a perfect car in their garage. This 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda located in Bainbridge, Ohio has been parked since 1984, perhaps behind a garage or barn, waiting for the owner’s mythical “someday” restoration. Listed here on eBay, this Plymouth has attracted 20 bids up to $8000.
When super-rare 1970-1974 E-Body Chryslers sell above $3 million USD, the “rising tide floats all boats,” and similar cars like this one rise as well. Consequently, cars previously abandoned, declared “too far gone,” or sold for front-pocket money magically pull $8000 bids on eBay… or more! Truthfully, rust repair beats un-twisting a crash-damaged car any day, and metal parts for these cars are becoming more available over time. Still not everything is reproduced.
Good news – you don’t have to wonder what the floors look like! Actually, more sellers should rip out their rodent-fouled carpet and let loose the truth about whatever lurks beneath. Years ago a buddy of mine pushed his heel through the passenger floorboard of my ’78 Buick LeSabre, so I bought a generic rectangular patch panel at the parts store, shoved it whole under the carpet, and never touched it again. That’s no way to treat a classic like this.
Though currently equipped with a 318 cid V8, the car began life with a 383 V8 with automatic transmission. This car features manual brakes and no air-conditioning. Consulting the (detached) fender tag and the Fender Tag Decoder at mymopar.com tell us this ‘Cuda came with the E63 code 383 cid four-barrel V8 making 335 HP, Heavy Duty Automatic Transmission, Light Package, Bucket Seats, Hood Tie Down Pins, Hood/Fender Mounted Turn Signals, Roof drip rail moldings, Decklid Moldings Treatment, Dual Exhaust, Chrome Exhaust Tips, AM Radio, and Green Body Side Stripes. Right then; who’s ready to put in a bid on this Ohio behind-the-barn find Mopar?
After I win the lottery.
After you win the lottery wouldn’t why you buy cars that are already finished or at least better project material.
How bad is this car when even the fender tag is half eaten by rust?
Steve R
$8,000 for thiis rust bucke
Ive rebuilt worse, but at 8k+ reserve seems to me to be steep.
To my eye, these E-Bodied Plymouths somehow manage to look worth saving no matter their condition: https://barnfinds.com/superbird-1970-plymouth-road-runner – I wonder whatever happened to this one?
No worries it’s prob had tags placed by now on another body as a poser car!
Nice but metal prices for new parts are seven to ten times what a mustang same era reproduction part sells for in cost!
IE meaning find the least rusted vehicle unless your nick name is deep pockets !
1970 is the desired year!
Why do folks remove tags?
I always ask is this cars original tag when I see it off the car! I guess I have trust issues 😜
If one pulls the tag then show me other sections with vins to feel better!
@Classic Steel – Respectfully; 1971 is the desired year. 1970 is a distant 2nd. All others are also-rans.
Always wanting to obsorb …
Why 71?
I know the Hemi 71 is desired but this was a 383 etc.
Is it because production dropped in 71?
@Classic Steel – Respectfully; the ’71 ‘Cuda is better looking than the ’70, in every way. Front Grille? No contest. Fender gills or no fender gills? I’ll take gills… so will nearly everyone else. Thank you for the question.
“I’ve got a 383 ‘cuda, I think I’ll put a 318 in it”
@glen – Back when my brother and I had our 1968 Mustang FB, Bullitt was still around in theaters. Ours was a 4-speed 302. We warmed it up enough that I was able to win my class with it at Beeline Dragway. I even took 3rd overall in the Demented Hare TSD Rally (my navigator was a girl from Chicago, whose family moved to Scottsdale when Greyhound/Dial transferred her father here). She was a sharp cookie. That Mustang was really cool.
One day, I met a man who really wanted to trade cars with me. He had a Silver/Silver 1966 427 Corvette roadster! He wanted the better gas mileage. I wanted a big block Corvette til my teeth hurt, and was desperate to do the deal, but my folks wouldn’t agree.
On paper, the trade was an even deal (at the time), but was not to be.
One of the many superb deals that slipped through my fingers.
I heard he pulled the ORIGINAL 427 and swapped in a 327, for the gas mileage. My heart hurts over this one to this day.
Sigh.
We all prob have them stories of our youth!
My two kicks in the head we’re ..
Turned down a heads up trade of my first car new paint black 55 belair hardtop punched out 327 four speed 12 bolt etc. for a early Hemi challenger with faded paint of a friend !
These were the project cars back then …..
2nd biggest mistake was after college not begging or stealing two grand to buy a real Yenko 69 with a 454 but orig block was stored in the garage ! The two grand funds were not available..,
@Classic Steel – You beat me on the stories… but all I was saying was that the 318 in place of 383 swap is very believable, for the time.
I wish he just found another car! I don’t think there really is a “good old days”, when I hear stories like yours or Classic Steels’ .
Back in the early 70’s I had a 67 Vette. Started life as a 350 hp but the kid I bought from blew that up and put in a 300 hp 327. Well I trashed that pretty soon and made a deal with a guy for a 350 hp out of his 66 Corvette. He was putting in a big block. I also got his factory side pipes. Cool. All went well for a couple years then I trashed that engine. Again luck stepped up and my boss spun a bearing in his 69 Z/28. Junkyard only offered $25 for a trade and i bought it and rebuilt it. Best mill I had in that car.
I remember quite a few big block cars running around with smaller than stock engines, high fuel cost and the dreaded unleaded put some folks in a state of panic. Some people just traded their high horsepower machine in on a …..compact???!!like my uncle did back in ’73, killer L78 Nova that he street raced too.
it is what it is, i don’t think it would bring crazy money or enough to justify the ask. NEXT
“…so I bought a generic rectangular patch panel at the parts store, shoved it whole under the carpet,”
Big spender, typically road signs are used for this purpose. Have you ever seen a rusty road sign?
edh… Ha! Good idea – I’ve seen that done with some low-budget hot rods. One of those small “Parking Hours” signs would have probably worked, except I’d have gone to jail for stealing it.
Ya they’re aluminum for a reason….
a lot of road signs are made out of aluminum, no rust. Discovered I had one in the floor boards of my 38 Plymouth when I pulled the carpets to fix the worn out shifter.
Galvanized steel is my preferred material. My ’67 MGB’s seats were moving around due to severely compromised floors so I cut up a stock tank on my sister’s farm and bent up the sides and bolted them to the rockers and trans tunnel. Covered with a slab of 3/8″ plywood. Lasted long enough for me to buy a ’69 with marginally better floors.
TriPowerVette- reminds me of a buddy back in high school. He had one of the fastest cars at school, a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400. Everyone was impressed by how it barked the tires going into second gear. He got serious with a girl that lived 40 miles away. All of that visiting burned a lot of fuel. He swapped out the 400 for a 301. Would hate to be the next owner of that car.
@Rock On – Even though a ’77 was one of the ‘Automotive Dark Ages’ cars, your story still makes me a little sad. I guess we can be glad he didn’t swap in a Nissan 6-cyl turbo-diesel with 100 H.P.
(see: https://barnfinds.com/midas-package-survivor-1980-international-scout/#comment-453636)
Any year E-body is the desired year if it’s solid.
I would rather tackle any kind of wrecked twisted metal,
than to ever have to deal with serious rust….that said,-
I think some people have no idea what they are gonna
be involved with on a car like this.I sure don’t understand
the crazy price tags on some of these very rusty Mopars.
Sure who wouldn’t want one,but….I would like to say that
my car still retained 80% of its original metal.
No thanks….I’ll buy a new challenger with blue tooth
this was indeed a pretty car when new though I do love Mopars, put me in the ” too far gone” group I would imagine even if I had the $$ would not take this on
After restoring 2 Rustangs for the wife I will never buy a rusted classic again, no motor or mechanical issues yes but absolutely no rust.
@JW – (Those are my grandfather’s initials) – My brother and I instituted the same rule after the Project From Hell – our 1970 442 Convertible. GREAT car in its day. The rear quarters were rusted, and there was misc. rust elsewhere. There wasn’t the aftermarket support back then that there is today, but we finally had emptied our coffers, and it was not done. We schlocked the remaining work together and changed colors (Painted it GM Appliance White), to help hide the imperfections.
We still sold it for a profit, and it was a fine driver, but it really was 2nd rate, compared to our usual standards.
The rule is: If it’s rusty, let someone else experience the heartache (hard way).
Gave you a wiser and older thumbs up.
Thanks TriPowerVette !!!
My “as found” 41k 1970 Barracuda 4-speed 383……
Rust belt cars are just not worth it no matter how rare.