1970 was a great year to visit your Plymouth dealer, as there were several fine offerings in the lineup, including the Road Runner, the GTX, and that wacky Superbird with the NASCAR-winning nose and wing. Another excellent choice for this period was the redesigned Barracuda, which got a new body and platform in ’70 for its third and final generation. Stepping up to the ‘Cuda got buyers a 383 as the standard powerplant, and while selecting a different engine usually meant opting for something larger, a small block 340 was also on the menu, which is how this 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda here on eBay is equipped. Located in Miami, Florida, this one’s a real beauty, and it sports an unusual array of hardware. This Mopar isn’t cheap either, with the seller seeking $87,000, but he’s also willing to listen to offers.
The 340 under the hood is stated as numbers-matching, and it seems to be running strong from the video posted in the listing. In the 4-barrel configuration, this small block got a factory horsepower rating of 275, plenty of ponies to have some fun with. What’s unusual here is the 3-speed manual transmission, but it’s the same number of gears found in the TorqueFlite, so I’d expect similar performance, although most of the stick-shift examples came with a 4-speed. However, it’s sort of a fun novelty, and one I’m sure will spark lots of curiosity at auto gatherings.
While he doesn’t go into very many details, the owner states that lots of time and money have been invested in this ‘Cuda. We don’t get to see any photos of how this one looked before the efforts began, but the results seem to show a body that’s hard to find any faults with. The Rallye Red paint shines beautifully, and the elastomeric bumpers really make this one stand out. The painted wheels, dog dish hubcaps, and BF Goodrich white letter tires also work great here.
Many E-Bodies came with a black interior, so it’s fun to see that the red theme continues inside, with the seller believing that the components in here are still original. If that’s the case, the odometer reading of 42,278 might be actual, as I doubt it would remain in this sort of condition if those numbers were on their second trip around. It’s also good to see the Rallye instrument cluster, with all of the gauges listed as working. Eighty-seven grand is a lot of cash, but all things considered, I’m not so sure this 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda won’t command a price near that amount. What do you think?
Cool Cuda. Looks a base model Stephens. 340, 3 by the knee 🦵 🏁
About as basic as you could get. After 55 years no need to change a thing. Good looking ‘Cuda.
So once again, another way overpriced Mopar. Nice condition no doubt (though the seat bottoms will need redying) and the bumper package & Rallye dash are nice options….but a 3 speed never excited me, and neither did red on red. Moparites will pay extremely for these cars, but in my humble opinion (and this is a maybe) $65k tops and I’m being kind….
This car is a rolling enigma. This bizarre combination of premium options (elastomeric bumpers, bucket seats, rallye gauges, console) and downright CHEAP (three speed manual, dog dish hubcaps*) is mind boggling.
*If they’re original to the car. Televised collector car auctions have convinced owners and restoration shops that this was a common muscle car “look” back in the day. As a result, there are a higher percentage of cars of this type rolling on steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps today than were “born” with them.
Steel wheels and poverty caps were very popular on muscle cars because they were stock. Why pay extra when the majority of the owners put some sort of mags on later? Steelies were saved for snow tires.
Couldn’t have said it any better. as soon as you took delivery, you ditched the stock wheels for winter tires & put on a set of Cragar or Keystone Classics.
As someone that was not only alive and kept himself keenly aware of what was going on during the muscle car era, I also saw many of them sold at my father’s Chrysler-Plymouth dealership, I assure you that this look was neither common nor popular back then. The few cars that were special ordered this way were intended to be headed for the custom wheel and tire shop almost immediately after the taillights crossed the curb on the way out of the dealership. There were more muscle cars sold with plain old stainless steel full wheel covers like Grandpa would have ordered on his sedan than were sold with poverty caps, and the vast majority of them were sold with rally wheels or chromed road wheels. This look has been popularized by the commentators on the collector car auctions. And shame on them, because most of them are old enough to know better.
Mother MoPar’s willingness to throw parts together in odd combinations is part of the MoPar charm, and why so many of them are unique today. It’s a good thing. I used to have a Challenger T/A that was copper with a black hood, stripes, wheels, and spoilers, and a white vinyl top and interior. It was a crazy looking thing, but probably one of just a handful issued like that.
To my everlasting regret in ’78 I took a pass on a 340 ’70 Challenger R/T owned by a senior citizen that was copper/bronze with a factory black PAINTED roof.
Needed a valve job and I didn’t think it worth $1100 – stupid s–t!
Collector car auctions don’t have anything to do with the popularity of dog dish hubcaps and body colored steel wheels. That look has been popular since the mid-80’s, well before auctions were a driving force in the market. I lived near several You Pull It style wrecking yards, we’d always look for dog dish hubcaps, particularly the late-60’s and early-70’s stainless steel Plymouth and Dodge (with the red stamped 3 point logo). Dog dish hubcaps were $1.49 each and a nice set of 4 was an easy $40-50 and you’d sell every set you brought. Other makes were popular, but other than a couple of Chevy versions, none sold nearly as well.
Steve R
You may be correct about the mid 80s, and later. But as Phil D states, when cars like this were new, this look (poverty caps, etc.) was neither common nor popular.
370zpp, my point is that the popularity has little to no relation to auctions, not what was popular when the cars were new. The rise in popularity of dog dish hubcaps predates auctions entering mainstream consciousness. Auctions have become a convenient boogeyman, where they get the blame for everything.
Steve R
Back in my “street racing days”, in my 1967 Olds 4-4-2, a friend of mine had a similar ‘Cuda (340 with a 3 speed manual transmission), his father got it for him because he thought a 3 speed was safer than a 4 speed (?). First gear in that car was very impressive, 2nd and 3rd gears…not so much.
I never knew they offered elastomeric bumpers on the rear, I graduated high school in 1970 and this is the first I have ever seen! It’s a LOT of red, but this is a show car. If I had it as a driver I’d add the road wheels and a 4 speed, keeping the originals of course. The red is one of those love it or hate it deals… I had a completely loaded 67 GTO convert, red, red interior, and a white top that broke up the sea of red.
When I was in H.S. (’74-’76) I had a duster with a 340 and a 4speed. 1st gear just got you off the line, for any speed you had to hit 2nd. I always thought 3 gears was enough with a six or a V-8.
I had a 68 442 that had a 3 speed (Fomoco btw) and I swapped for a 4 speed Muncie. A bit more fun to go thru the gears and such but not a bit faster at the drag strip.
The way that car is optioned it’s probably a one of one. Id say it’s special and do more checking.
The Chevy Camaro and Nova Yenkos and COPOs had dog dish hub caps and some of the most boring colors your grandparents wouldn’t look at twice. Under the hood was another story.
A friend in 71 bought a slightly used twin to this Cuda but in plum crazy. I really liked driving that car and the 3 speed shifted real nice. The 340’s were overachievers so the performance was good. About a year earlier I had bought a used 69 Judge, Ram Air III and also a 3 speed. Kind of rare with the 3 speed but I enjoyed that car immensely. I guess I don’t mind 3 speeds at all.
Ordered a new Cuda in 70 mine was slant six base car,went in catalog ,ordered it with Hemi $334 option,shaker hood,$134,4 speed$68,Dana 60,super stock springs and pinion snubber, $285, no problem getting it ordered,of course I worked for Plymouth dealer.Car came in with 13 inch wheels and Dog dishes. First thing I did was prep it and then took it to back lot and proceeded to burn those 13 inch tires off,took about 3 burn out till one popped, took inside and put the aftermarket wheels and tires I bought for car and went cruising up on Sunset Blvd.in Hollywood. Great memories,of a great time in California in the 60’s and 70’s .
Robbo the 426 Hemi was less than a $400 option ?