The Plymouth Barracuda was a totally new car in 1970, finally losing its six-year association with the Valiant. It gained its own platform that it would share with the new Dodge Challenger, but all its sheet metal was exclusively its own. The ‘Cuda 340 was the entry-level muscle version of the pony car and the only one using a small-block engine for power. This 1970 ‘Cuda 340 looks to have been stored outdoors for years and has already been harvested for its motor, transmission and rear half floor panels. The car is located in Corinth, New York and several folks apparently believe this is a restorable car because the bidding here on eBay has reached $5,100, yet the reserve is still unmet.

The Plymouth ‘Cuda could be had with a variety of engines and transmissions, beginning with the 340 and 383 to the 440 and even the Hemi. In `1970, the second most-often ordered combination was the ‘Cuda coupe with a 340 4-barrel and a 4-speed gearbox. That would have been 2,372 units out of 48,867 total Barracuda’s built that year, including the seller’s car. The 340 was rated at 275 hp, not bad for a car that weighed about 2,800 lbs. A shout out to Mopar1 for the Barracuda statistics.

I would be curious as to what factors motivate the bidding on a car like this. It’s been rotting outdoors for who knows how long. Some of the sheet metal is not straight and the pans under the back seat and trunk have been extracted. There is probably rust that we can’t see. Much of the interior is missing, specifically the seats. And the engine and transmission were pulled for another project, so it will never be original again. I can only assume that the bidders believe this car can one day become the Concours edition that Hagerty says is worth $70,000. But is that a realistic goal?

The seller says the VIN tag imbedded in the dash pad matches the fender tag and body stamps. And the glass is said to be good and the same can be said of the rocker panels. But the buyer is going to need to weld in rear rails, rear seat pan and trunk pan. Then an interior and new drivetrain sourced. The seller says he would entertain trading this car for another Mopar. Is this a project that you would take on? I’d prefer looking for a solid survivor instead.