Once in a while, an E-Body comes along that seems to be at exactly the level of sheet-metal corrosion that makes it hard to quickly ascertain whether it would make more sense to repair the affected panels, or just go ahead and replace some of them. From what I can tell by the photos, this 1972 Plymouth Barracuda here on eBay is one such example, and while the seller has deemed it as falling into the unmolested category, he provides few additional details beyond that tidbit. There are some positives here as well, so if you’ve been hunting for a Mopar muscle project to restore, this one’s probably worth checking out. It’s located in Athelstane, Wisconsin, with the high bid resting at a disturbing $6,666.66. You can also make that number disappear by hitting the buy-it-now button, which will set you back $14,000.
Given the general lack of information here, this Barracuda is a bit mysterious, so let’s see what clues the pictures can provide. While the Plymouth is currently residing in the Badger State, there’s an Ohio license plate on the back, and it doesn’t look recent. There’s no history given at all about the past whereabouts, and the owner only describes the condition as safe but rusty. However, he reports that the worst areas of corrosion are shown, so I’m guessing the lower areas of the right door, the front section of the quarter behind it, and the fender on the same side are among the most compromised parts of the sheet metal. Unfortunately, the fender tag is so oxidized that several of the codes are unreadable.
By 1972, big block power was no longer an option here, with the 340 now the best that could be had in both the base Barracuda or the ‘Cuda. Thankfully, that’s what’s under the hood, and the seller says that the small block is running off a gas can. One clue that this is possibly still the factory V8 is that the A/C is stated to be blowing cold, since those components are sometimes nixed during engine swaps. The car is said to be drivable, with a few new items present, including brakes and an exhaust system. The seller also mentions that everything else is working as it should, so maybe, after the gas tank is cleaned out or replaced, this one can temporarily serve as a rusty driver until you’re ready to take it to a higher level.
Inside, the floors will likely need some attention, the buckets reupholstered, plus the dash has that common crack near the center. Otherwise, the interior isn’t looking all that bad, and the fact that the dome light is functioning and one of the warning bulbs is on under the gauges seems to offer a ray of hope that the wiring in here might be OK. However, the key issue overall with this car is rust, just hopefully not so much that it’ll make this one a bear to restore. Is this 1972 Plymouth Barracuda one you’d be interested in taking on as a project, or perhaps just enjoying as-is for a while?
This is in rough shape, but appears salvageable. A decade ago, I would welcome a car in this shape as a project, not so much now. My issue is, no title, bill of sale only. Good luck getting it registered and in your name.
Ohio requires a title, for that much money I’d expect the seller to provide one in their name. If they did not, unless this was my dream car, that would be a deal killer. No title on a $500 parts car is one thing, assuming there is a bill of sale from the person you are buying it from, a $14,000 car is a different story.
Steve R
It’s interesting to see if the air cleaner with its notched base is particular to AC-equipped models only…
The best thing about this Mopar, it doesn’t have a bench seat with auto on the column.
Serious case of cancer and no “tittle”? No way.