1974 was the end of the line for the Plymouth Barracuda, with those third-generation cars seeming to be the ones everybody wants nowadays, no matter how much work is needed to get them looking like new again. The seller describes his car as a very solid time capsule survivor, which some might find a bit optimistic. However, I would certainly agree there’s potential, so if you’re looking for an E-Body project, this 1974 Plymouth Cuda can be spotted here on eBay. This Mopar is in De Soto, Kansas, with the no-reserve auction currently sitting at $7,000. Our thanks go to reader Mitchell G., who found this one and sent us the tip!
The seller mentions that the ‘Cuda has some rust perforations here and there, but calls it a very solid car. Several of the panels may be usable, but there’s quite a bit of visible corrosion present, especially on the passenger side. Those quarters will need replacing, as will the trunk pan, plus the owner states that the rear frame will require some minor patching. On the plus side, the car does appear pretty much complete outside, and replacement quarters will be included in the sale. The Cragar S/S wheels are coated in wax for protection, and I do appreciate the large tires out back and stance here, which is probably an appearance I never outgrew from my childhood to early adult years!
Generally, a survivor car is often considered to be a numbers-matching example, but this ‘Cuda has had its original 318 engine replaced with a 360. By 1974, the car was down to only those two choices, a far cry from the plethora of powerplants that could be had in the earlier days. The only details we get about the 360 are that it’s healthy, plus the car will yard-drive with an external fuel supply connected. A new gas tank and sending unit will be included, and it’s definitely a positive that the automatic transmission is still the factory component. The brakes are also listed as functional.
That might be the smallest aftermarket steering wheel I’ve ever seen on any car, which looks like it would be more at home on one of those racing games that could be found in seventies arcades! Other than the package tray insert and a few knobs, the interior seems mostly complete, and wouldn’t it be something if that cool vintage sound system still works? A couple of more good news items are that the front frame, torsion area, and floors are claimed to be awesome, and kudos to the seller for not setting a reserve here. Is this final-year Plymouth Cuda one you’d consider taking on as a project?
Getting it into drive could be painful 🪡
Unfortunately, even though replacement panels come with the car, it will still be a very expensive undertaking to restore this one. The average body repair shop won’t touch it, and quality restoration shops are getting harder to find, as well as guys who haven’t retired that know how to do the work. GLWTA and the same to the new owner! :-)
Already ended. Would’ve been nice to hear how much it went for!
Pioneer Supertuner!!!
They go for around $350-400 on eBay, in working order, vintage equalizers sell for a pretty penny too.
Steve R
I was more excited by that Pioneer than I was by the car, and I’m a Mopar guy!
Agreed. I had the same Pioneer KP500 for many years and it was a great unit. I sold it a few years ago on ebay.
I still have and use the KP-500 I got 44 years ago. Was in my 72 Challenger high school car for years.
Those bumpers are hideous!
That was a better looking solution to the ’74 bumper requirements than most manufacturers came up with. Easy enough to remove, but I like them because that’s the way it came. My ’73 had them and I think the ’73 and ’74 look wrong without them.
Nice, you can drive this mopar with handcuffs on.
This was driven in the winter. Often.
For someone with patience and deep pockets, they could one day have the privilege of repainting this one in a non-puke based color, and without the $5.95 stripe kit from Crapco.
It looks like someone parked this in 1984 and forgot all about it.
Everything screams vintage and would be cool to restore it and retain these items, and the stripes.
Yes, it gives off a strong mid-80’s vibe. It looks like it was a pretty nice car at one time, too bad it wasn’t stored well.
Period modified cars are often pretty cool, even when tastes change, they represent a point in time. It’s unfortunate that many people reflexively want to “restore” cars that have survived reasonable well to stock. All that does is drive up the cost and guarantee the car will forever be a garage queen. They don’t realize that cleaning the car up and addressing whatever mechanical needs it has is the most cost effective route, nor do they even consider a car like this in good condition would guarantee a crowd at any coffee and cars.
Steve R
I would think the rear leaf spring shackles would fail with all that rust in the rear of the vehicle.
“This listing was ended by the seller on Tue, Apr 22 at 2:24 PM because the item is no longer available.”