Warning: don’t read this post unless your tetanus booster is up to date! This thoroughly beaten 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda looks like the vehicular version of Gene Hackman’s character “Popeye” Doyle, in the 1975 movie The French Connection II, after the bad guys kidnap and beat the crap out of him, string him out on heroin, and throw him out of a moving car. On the up-side, the seller claims this is a real numbers-matching 440 cid ‘Cuda, and it’s hard to go wrong with that powerplant in a slick E Body Mopar. Listed here on eBay, the Buy It Now price of $15,000 seems optimistic unless I missed the part of the story where it comes with bars of gold in the glove box, but there’s probably someone web-searching “Dynacorn E-Body” at this moment and wondering “What if?”
While lower models kept the full “Barracuda” name in 1970, Plymouth referred to high-performance models as simply ‘Cuda, and these came with hood bulges, pin locks, and heavier suspension components. Plymouth claimed, “not only are the handling goodies oversized; they’re Heavy Duty.” The “inverted hockey stick” with engine designation was optional only on ‘Cuda models.
The aftermarket-looking sleeve on the steering column and the wheel itself are actually original equipment (this and other details courtesy of oldcarbrochures.com). The Barracuda began life as a variant of the compact and economy-minded Valiant, but Chrysler designed the new-for-1970 E-body Barracuda and Dodge Challenger pony cars with ground-hugging style and the performance required to steal Mustang, Camaro, and Firebird sales.
The U code (440 cid, 4-barrel or “4 barrow” if you’re talking into your cell phone) made 375 HP and 480 lb-ft of torque. With a standard 3.54:1 rear axle ratio, avoiding wheel-spin in this Plymouth probably required more thought than creating it.
Did I mention that some rust repair would be necessary? Good news, though; with most of the floor pan completely eaten away, you can get a good look at that driveshaft. The probably-original green-green color combination may say “Stuck in the ’70s” more than others, but some view it as added exclusivity. Any car can be rebuilt, but some cars can’t be restored for less than they’re worth even if the price is one dollar. What do you think about this one?
OK could be a mild stroke, but wtf?
This person is crazy, I wouldn’t pay 500.00 for that rust bucket.
This whole project can only be described as nostalgia on steroids . It sure ain’t real
I,am tasting the salt from here….!Wow…
$1500.00 would be fair for the few parts that
might not be rusted beyond repair.If the Vin# plate
is solid,then that is basically what you are getting.
This is a real tear jerker…whether Iam crying over the
car,….or laughing over the owners insane price…
“There aint enough welding supplies in my state…for this one”! LOL
Well, judging by the block of wood, it must roll, that’s a plus. Apparently, we’ve gotten to the point, where ANYTHING resembling a muscle car, can bring this kind of money. Makes a guy want to get a rollback, and dig every hulk out of the dirt. Pay for that truck in no time,,,
$15,000? Ha Ha Ha Ha!
I just had to send this question to the seller on eBay.
How do you know it has 4 “barrows”? Did you count them? Where are these “barrows” and what do they do? Ha Ha Ha Ha!
My bet is that they are on the wheels
Wheelbarrows to sweep it into, of course…
Exactly my thought but with 4 barrows, you’ll make more trips to the recycler.
The French Connection came out in 1971. Beyond that I agree with your other points.
* Oops! French Connection II. My bad. Never saw it though.
I give the seller credit for not trying to sugar coat the car like so many others do.
It will probably be bought by someone that rebody it or a wide eyed dreamer.
Steve R
Wow! $15000 for a parts car. Someone would need more money than sense to take on that kind of project.
JUNK!!!! Pull the motor and crush the rest.
Dynacorn doesn’t make a Cuda body, just the Challenger, & its $17,500. You will have well over that in sheetmetal repair on this one. No mention if the engine condition, so figure complete drivetrain rebuild, another 4-5 grand. Five thousand or more in an interior. By time you paint it, you’re 50-60k into it. There are plenty of nice ones out there for sale for less. So why?
Twenty years ago, we had to pay people to drag stuff like this to the crusher.
Precisely why they can ask this foolishness. There’s none left.
They can ask what they want,
dose’nt mean they gettin it…
How does a car get this rusty? they must fill it up with salt water from the factory.
I take it you’re not from the Midwest, or any place that uses salt. After a while, these became someone’s year round beater, and a couple years in a salt bath, is all it takes. This was very common in Wisconsin. Junkyards were full of them, with no motors.
If someone pays $15K their either stoned or crazy, hopefully they don’t own a AK-47.
That poor thing. Put it out of it’s misery. ANOTHER Barrett-Jackson viewer no doubt. LOL
15k is this a cover story of paying off a p orn star if your the big guy in Washington
Seriously yes it’s s cuda but one it’s ruff!!!!’
But,……..it has a Ray-de-O ! It was a work car, the previous owner worked in the salt mine, and lost his !
I’ve always wanted a lace doily with a 440 in it.
Its a bare-a-cuda alright ! Barely anything left , but at one time ….
‘cuda, not ‘Cuda.
That “4 Barrow” must be made by “Elderbrock”.
Man, this car is a total mess. Excuse me as I now need to go get a tetanus shot.
Somebody’s hoping to get paid big bucks to clean out the back abandoned shed. Looks too far gone, too late for a possible break even repair/restoration. This is Just parts with a title. Lots a luck!!
Wrong movie reference, kids. CHeck the date for The French Connection again.
Better reference would be MANNIX. His vastly abused dark green Cuda ‘verts were so cool they continued after Chrysler Corporation stopped making them
Hi Rick. I just did check. My link, the movie name, and the date are all correct for the French Connection II which includes the scene I referenced. I do appreciate you all fixing my errors, since I definitely am not perfect and also because people stumble onto these posts via Google-searching cars, etc. but this one is OK as printed. Cheers!
When will people stop storing their cars in the Atlantic Ocean!!
Wow!I’ll give him 150.00 and I would probably lose money ! With all the metal that has rusted away,I’ll bet it weighs half it original weight,these people that think because it a muscle car it Worth alot, maybe if it where at half a car it may be worth 5,000 good luck dreamer never going to happen with this one!
If I was sixteen years old again I’d still say life’s too short.
A Mopar that only Fred Flintstone could appreciate, .. no way, it’s done.
I wonder if he’d be offended if I offered him $20,000. Do you think he’d be offended?
Looking at the original ’70 cuda on Ebay, just short of 200k, it seems to me there might be a little bit of room for profit. And it has the original jack in the trunk! A few years ago, a fellow on BAT posted that he shipped cars to Vietnam, or Thailand, or nearby, where, he said, the body guys could make anything out of anything, for cheap.
Isn’t it Costa Rica or El Salvador now where cheap restorations can be had?
Freaking fred Flintstone man..and yes I guess any rusted out used to be muscle car is worth piles of money now…
This same car was on CL a couple of weeks ago. Price was 10K. The flipper payed all the money and then some.
I am almost sure it will be rebodied which to me is a illegal activity. I am a huge mopar fan but just about cry when I see junk like this for huge bucks
Bought a 70 440 /auto fc7 (purple) in late 80s Fast cuda with rim-blow wheel,15 in rallys loaded $1000. fast . its in a collection in cali somewhere it was low mile 57k then. Still have good pics of it. Miss it ,can never get it back. Good times then.
$15,000? Yeah right, ok…
Got a bridge in Brooklyn I wanna sell ya…
Now if it were of THIS caliber,
then YES, bidding could start at $15 Grand…
But as it now sits, I highly doubt it’s
worth the price of the eBay ad…