Driver-Quality Muscle: 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda
Homologation specials are a breed of vehicle that has all but disappeared from the automotive landscape. It gave us such classics as the Boss Mustang and original Camaro Z28, which were little more than thinly disguised racers for road use. As many categories move towards a greater dependence on control components and parity, manufacturers are less motivated to spend millions of dollars producing specific models for competition use. The 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda is one such vehicle, and this one is a driver-grade vehicle needing a new home. The seller has listed it here on Craigslist in Florence, Montana. They have set their price at $75,000, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L. for spotting it for us.
I’ve long harbored admiration for the Third generation Barracuda because I feel its styling perfectly embodies what a muscle car should look like. A low roofline and bulging flanks provide a sense of purpose, and the wheel arches always beg to be filled with a decent set of wheels and tires. This 1970 ‘Cuda delivers everything I could want in a classic of this type, and I wouldn’t mind finding it in my garage. It presents nicely in Code F8 Ivy Green, with its body wearing the correct stripes and decals you expect to see on the AAR variant. The photo quality doesn’t do this classic justice, but the seller describes it as a driver-quality vehicle. They are often the best type because they are vehicles that owners can enjoy without the fear that a single errant stone could spoil perfection. The panels are straight, and the gaps are consistent. They claim it has won multiple show awards, and the overall presentation makes the claim unsurprising. I always recommend in-person inspections before purchase, and the limited photos, in this case, make that imperative. I can’t spot any rust problems, and none are mentioned in the listing, but climbing under this ‘Cuda should provide some peace of mind. The chrome and glass appear in good order, as do the beautiful Rallye wheels.
The 1970 AAR ‘Cuda was designed to compete against the Mustang Boss 302 and the Camaro Z28 in the highly-competitive Trans Am series. While the roadgoing versions of those cars featured sub-5-liter V8s as per the category rules, those handing over the cash for the AAR received the 340ci Six-Pack V8. Buyers could choose a TorqueFlite to perform shifting duties, although this car features the more desirable four-speed manual transmission. Plymouth claimed power and torque figures of 290hp and 345 ft/lbs, but it is worth remembering that this car emerged in an era when many manufacturers were somewhat less than honest about such things. Many knowledgeable people suggest the power figure is probably closer to 350hp, which is conceivable for the period and specifications. The company may also have misled on the subject of performance because enthusiasts have had little trouble improving upon the factory’s official ¼-mile ET of 14.8 seconds and a top speed of 129mph. The seller indicates that this ‘Cuda isn’t numbers-matching, but its V8 is date-correct. It runs and drives perfectly, with no mechanical needs or maladies. They provide no interior shots but supply some helpful information. It presents well in Black vinyl and features the desirable pistol-grip shifter. The seller fitted an aftermarket stereo but includes the factory radio for those focused on originality.
I’ve had the privilege to write about a few 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cudas in recent months, and all have stirred healthy debate among readers. Many question the company’s official power figures, while others provide reasoned discussion on the subject of potential value. I expect this car to be no different, and it will be fascinating to gauge your reaction to it and whether the loss of its original engine undermines the price. So, over to you.
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Comments
Adam very good write up! But … The seller got to be kidding! $75,000 and 6 photos! Of course Craigslist! Wow… The Mopar community knows about these cars very well. The seller gave no vin number or picture of the fender tag. How do we know it’s not a clone? Your word.. sorry if your going to sell your ride at a high price give the buyers all information on your ride and at least 25 shots including the interior and underneath. The TA/AAR have special exhaust brackets for this model. We need to see them. I sorry if I am on a rant. Just tired of seeing nice rides high prices lack of pictures and information. It’s a good looking AAR but…… 🐻🇺🇸
Actually, the price of this car generally represents the low end of where numbers start and go up from there. If the seller had more pics and everything correct as you ask for, it would probably be more expensive. Color does look a shade off however. Cool car.
Nice car but I am more intrigued with Florence Montana. Population 821. I looks beautiful but it is out there, then you keep going.
drove one in red into the 80s if i had 75 grand lying around i would buy right now this car has class and muscle !!!!!!
Wow! Ok then.
I bought a new AAR in 1970. At the time Chrysler had Sox&Martin and Dick Landy, doing national tours talking about their performance cars and giving tips on how to “Turn them up”. Funny but Landy specifically told me at his clinic in Memphis, “The 340 Six pack is a slick package, it actually makes 350 hp”. Your right on and the clinics convinced me to go from a 3:55 gear to a 3:91 and to do a pretty radical recurve on the distributor. All in at 2500 rpm. The little car dropped from a 15:20 first time out to eventually a track record at Lackeland in H/A pure stock to 14:23. I still have the certificate from Lakeland. Yep, slick package…
Your comment/description is spot on…..the 340 sixpak/6bbl. engine package cars were a force to be contended with…..if you knew how to tune them (as you said) they were strong runners, especially with the 4 speed & 3:91 rear axles….carbs were also jetted a tad lean from the factory for emission reasons. Yep, distributor curve all in by 2500 & points set right, along with timing and you’re ready for action. I saw them in street races back in the day knock off 440 hp cars….this being said, I believe this one is priced too high….
Brought back the good ol days Sox and martin dandy dick Landy! Great memories!
Definetely an underrated motor,plymouth claiming it made only 15hp more than the 340 4v,especially if it had the x heads which i’m sure the 340 six pack should of had.but if this is a date correct motor it could have” j” heads as well and not all “j” heads came with 2.02/1.60 valves.
There’s nothing typical about a one year only barn stormer. The motor was a far cry from a 340 4bbl, these select high nickel blocks were the best of the bunch, steel forged crank and actual 11.23 compression ratio.
The cam was a bit more jukie than the standard 340, and yes X heads but with adjustable rockers. Super high rise 6 barrel manifold and 3 matched Holley’s the distributor was factory curved to be all in at 3,000, so it was easy to change it to 2,500. The one thing that was a bit of a limiter was the curve back on the exhaust to pipe it out in front of the rear wheels. Otherwise these beauties would have been closer to 360 hp.
The shame is they didn’t make 71’s.
That’s awesome ‘Cuda.. but I agree he should have a couple dozen pictures. I think it’s probably in Florence CO though. Craigslist software will add it from the listing information automatically and it could be that he wasn’t paying attention, reason being it’s listed it in the Denver Craigslist and it looks to me like the seller put Florence in parentheses so people would know it isn’t in the Denver area. My dad had some retirement land between Florence and Canyon City back in the day too and I grew up in Colorado so I’m familiar with the area and the pics look like that part of CO.
My cousin had a 1970 blue Cuda with the 340 in it and a had the 1971 dodge challenger with 318 in it great cars wish i still had them.
A good set of vacuum gauges are required to tune these up proper much like any multi carb setups they much pull equally amounts of air or it just doesn’t work well. How do I know? Had many 4 cylinder 4 carb JDM sport bikes & still have the Uber expensive gauge setup not the plastic ball type which are cheap & not accurate.
Tuning these are a lot easier than you think. You can keep the Uni-Syn in its box for dialing in this setup.
Think of that six-pack as one six-barrel carburetor with four secondaries. The secondaries are vacuum operated and can be controlled with secondary springs and metering plates just like any Holley 4160 — you just have two sets of secondaries.
Dial in the center carb to idle and provide the accelerator pump squirt you’d need in any two-barrel engine. Then set up the secondary carbs with matching setups — the vacuum actuation will mask any small differences between the outboard carbs and when you set ’em up right, the vacuum setup will ensure you don’t get anymore carb than your engine needs.
If you’ve dialed in a couple of vacuum-secondary Holley 4 bbls, setting up a Chrysler six-pack will be no drama at all.
Exactly. Can’t tell you how many people comment on my 65 GTO Tri-Power and talk about how hard it is to “synch” the carbs! I also have a Corvair with the 4 carb engine, those you synch, just like my old MGB. I also “synched” a few Austin Healy’s back in the day. The SU carbs were pretty simple to work with. That being said, I’m not a Mopar guy, but I always liked these, nice trailer too!