Amongst muscle car enthusiasts there are cars that are considered to be greats, whilst there are those that have managed to achieve legendary status. The Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda would have to fit into the latter category. This particular Hemi ‘Cuda is going to require a lot of work, but with a good example easily commanding a respectable 6-figure value today, it would seem to be well worth the effort. It is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $43,988, but the reserve hasn’t been met. An indication of roughly where the reserve might be is best demonstrated by the fact that the owner has also set a BIN of $99,000.
The ‘Cuda is said to be a solid car, but the owner does admit to the fact that it will still require some metalwork. As you can see from this photo, some of the rust issues with the car have already been partially addressed, but I’m not sure about the quality of the work. Of course, the quality of the supplied photos doesn’t really help in this case. In all honesty, when you are dealing with a car that has been dismantled to this point and is of this potential value, I would be inclined to completely dismantle the vehicle and perform a full nut-and-bolt restoration. I believe that it would be well worth the effort, and could save the next owner from some potential rust issues further down the track. Apart from the rust in the rear quarter panels, the car will require a new trunk pan, while a section of the transmission tunnel appears to have been cut out as well. All of these issues will need to be addressed before a fresh coat of that fantastic EV2 Tor Red paint can be applied. One item that is missing is the correct shaker hood, so a replacement for this will need to be located.
What makes this ‘Cuda a true legend is what lurks under the hood. A 426ci Hemi V8 pumping out 425hp made these cars absolute brutes. In automatic form, they could leap from 0-60 in 5.4 seconds, while the ¼ mile could be absolutely demolished in 13.5 seconds. The bad news with this car is that it is not a full numbers-matching vehicle. The automatic transmission is original, but the rear end isn’t. The Hemi block is said to be a correct, non-stamped item, and it seems that most of the major components such as cylinder heads, the intake, and carburetors, are also present. What does appear to be missing in the photos of the engine components is the conrods and pistons, which is a real blow. This lack of originality is going to have an impact upon the vehicle’s ultimate value, but by just how much is a real unknown at this point.
It should be no surprise to learn that the interior of the ‘Cuda is going to require a complete restoration, and the photos that the owner supplies don’t really indicate what, apart from the dash with Rallye Instrument Cluster, is present. When it was new, the ‘Cuda featured a Black interior with bucket seats and a floor console. I don’t see any of these items present in the photos and the owner’s description is a bit vague on what is actually present. Even if these items are present and in need of restoration, it is going to cost somewhere in the region of $2,300 for a complete interior trim kit, including a headliner and carpet set. It isn’t a cheap investment but would seem to be justified in a car like this. What you can see in this photo is just how solid and clean the front floors appear to be.
If this 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda was a numbers-matching car, then fully restored, there would be no reason why it couldn’t be worth figures in excess of $250,000, while a perfect and faithful restoration could push this figure well beyond $350,000. It isn’t clear how much the lack of an original engine or rear end is going to hurt the value, but I would expect that if the restoration is completed to a very high standard, then a figure of between $180,000 and $200,000 would be achievable in the right circumstances. Restoring this ‘Cuda is going to be a big job, but I believe that the end result would be well worth the effort.
The car May of been a Hemi with
matching numbers butttt… NOM means no go for 99k. Sorry hard to type when my phone 📱 BS alarm keeps going off 😏
At 45 with 6 k engine build, five plus parts and ten k paint says should’ve bought the prior mopar convertible guaranteed resale value desirable car listed .
It brought 42.6 k
https://barnfinds.com/plum-crazy-convertible-1971-plymouth-barracuda/
I like the car just NOM is NOM and not almost original matching numbers means don’t sell the
house and buy it at a cra cra price😏👀
Trying to interpret your stated view.
Let me reduce it to: A pile of parts and non original one at that is not worth 45K. Once this would have been obvious, Since car collecting turned into a competitive sport it sadly seems to have been lost to the whiff of potential profit…..
Not worth the ask with nom plus cost to restore. Unless plan is to keep it. Even then ask is too much. Real nos parts are costly. I would build with 4 wheel big disc brake, carbon wheels, 5speed, etc. Make a great driver that goes fast n stops even faster, plus handles well. Leave the NOS restorations for 100% original or survivor cars. I don’t get bringing back Vin tag and data plates on car like these.
They were too fast to stop and ill handling when new. Why repeat the same poor driving performance? it’s why so many cars like this of All makes were wrecked so soon after leaving dealers lots.
Not every Hemi Cuda is going to be worth millions of dollars. Especially ones that aren’t at 80% to 100% original survivors or 90/100pt resoto’s. Build it to drive you’ll never get your money back on ones like.this anyways. At least at the price they want.
Agree. I drove a 440 Cuda once, waaaaaay too much power for the car, poor handling. Only good in a straight line. The corners were scary. Let the rich boys use these as investments, as for me, there are far better and cheaper cars out there to choose from.
Crappy pics with junk on or around it, for a car thats up tp 65 large? How can you tell what you are buying? Enough parts missing to detract from the value. I’m sure someone with more coin will buy this up. Good luck.
Cheers
GPC
I drove an FE5 70 Hemi Cuda 4 speed on a private road in 2006. Incredible power but the horrible Chrysler interiors made me Feel like I was sitting on a pile of dirty laundry. Lousy brakes. Lousy handling. But that power. $99,000. Yeah maybe in 2005, when really good Hemi Cudas commanded $500,000 and up. Pass.
Meh. I’d rather have a ‘70 Challenger R/T Hemi myself, but that’s because I’m a Dodge guy. The Demon 340 is more compatible with my bank account, though. I’ve had two ‘71 Demons, and I’d gladly have another one.
With 7 days left and the bid is $65k currently my guess is it’ll hit that $90k number. Insane as it may seem the Mopars still bring the big money despite being in poor condition and or missing parts.
MMTB buys this one. Crazy money for a clapped out POS, Barrett Jackson causes major delusion once again.
“Clapped out POS”
That phrase will now supplant the excreable use of the word “p—-a.
So much more accurate!
Just when you think seller pictures can’t get any worse, this one has pictures of a smartphone’s pictures and they’re all sideways. Sometimes I think it must be a miracle for them to get them posted on the web.
Just wanted to say that maybe the possibly missing connecting rods and pistons are already installed in the block. The picture I am viewing is too dark to see if that is the case or not.
For that kind of money I’d rather buy a Dodge Demon. !!!!!!!
And the Fools Rush in……junk
I cannot seeing anyone ponying up the dollars bid on this pile.
Bidders must be pulling sellers chain 😁
Is it a period correct motor..show the numbers .. either way . It’s not worth what he’s presuming. Sorry…it’s gotta be exact numbers matching to request that kinda money. So buyers beware.
Bumped his head.My thinkin. JS
The seller is delusional. I would not pay 99dollars for all that junk much less 99k. No longer available reserve not met. Just because its a mopar does not mean its worth big money.
That’s why there’s Corvairs and Edsels to cheaply and safely restore