Driveway Find: 1970 Plymouth Barracuda
Plymouth had two hits on their hands in the 1970 model year. One was the Duster, a new fastback version of the Valiant compact, which sold like hotcakes. Another was the all-new revamped Barracuda, which finally parted ways with the Valiant and got a platform of its own. Sales jumped by 50% before the demand for performance cars took a downturn in the 1970s. The seller’s Barracuda decodes as having the basic 318 cubic inch V8 (they all weren’t muscle machines) and has been sitting for years. From a driveway in Los Angeles, California, this Mopar is ready for a restoration here on craigslist. The asking price is $22,000. Hats off to Gunter Kramer for another great tip!
The seller’s automobile also decodes as a “premium” edition which could imply it’s a Gran Coupe. The houndstooth upholstery might also support that. But we don’t see any such badging and the seller doesn’t identify it as such. IF that were the case, it would be one of less than 5,000 built in 1970. The car has an automatic transmission and factory air conditioning, so it’s no basic Plymouth.
From the photos provided, this looks like a pretty rust-free Plymouth. Especially if it’s been parked outside in the driveway for any length of time. Most of the pics show a clean body, undercarriage, and a lack of plastic filler. We’re told the engine turns freely, but being a runner isn’t likely as we see no radiator in the photos, either. Perhaps if whatever issues the engine has can be sorted out, you might have a daily driver, at least for the near term.
One downside to the sale is that the title has taken flight after all these years, so all the seller can offer is a bill of sale. If you were to keep the car in California, you might have a bunch of back DMV fees to pay unless the owner put the registration in “no-op” status. While the seller suggests this car might be a great candidate for a restomod or Hemi conversion, it would be nice to keep it original as they only come that way once.
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Comments
If it has any type of registration in the current owner’s name, which the blocked out license plate implies, then that owner should be able to get a replacement title with little effort.
Which would make getting anyone to hand over $22K a lot easier and faster.
Other than that, nice seemingly unmolested Barracuda.
You can pretty much guarantee the guys flipping the car. As you said, he could get a replacement title if it were in his name. He probably doesn’t want the hassle and expense, if the cars been sitting long enough to drop out of the system he’ll need to get the VIN verified, then pay DMV fees and sales tax (it’s 10.75% where I live), that could easily cost him a couple of thousand dollars. Instead he’s going to make it the next owners problem, especially if the bill of sale is in a previous owners name. It’s a potential can of worms nobody has been willing to deal with in the 26 days it’s been listed. That alone tells a story. Good deals don’t last long.
Steve R
California is ridiculous with it’s DMV fees.
DMV fees primarily fund the CHP. One of my buddies is a patrol officer, he pulled in just over $200k last year with overtime, not including benefits. He also takes vacation for the entire months of December and June, not complaining, that’s the way the system is set up and offers.
Steve R
The Peoples Republik of Kalifornia is ridiculous with EVERYTHING, that’s why I left after 33 years!
That’s a Gran Coupe emblem on the tail panel. Just a few luxury upgrades from a standard Coupe, but a nice option if a buyer wasn’t looking for pure muscle car. The 318 was plenty of power for these cars, and the 340, 383 and hemi cars were really a blast.
It is a Gran Coupe; there are Gran Coupe crests on the fenders and the tail panel. And I hope the buyer DOES NOT turn this into another ‘Cuda tribute :(
Holy Moly!
Where do you start??
Where do you stop??
All for a less desired lesser equipped “cuda”.
Okay. All of you 30 to 40 year old dads out there that are motivated gearheads, pay attention! Here is a perfect example of the dad/son/daughter “family” bonding project. IMHO. What a beautiful way to retrieve your children from the ginormous society revolving around all the electronic devices that has become the eventual decay of interpersonal physical activities that has become so rare within the family structure.
Let alone the survival of our species.
Again, IMO.
Spot on Billy! Our electronic society is in FULL DECAY MODE! Phones were invented to talk to one another, yet this Generation would rather waste time goin back n forth with texts!🙄 Would be a nice Father/Daughter project since this is an A/C – Auto ‘Cuda imo. A daughter might appreciate this Grande Coupe “AS IS” and then it wouldn’t get turned into a Restomod or something else other than the way it was Born! Sort the paperwork FIRST! Might have better luck selling it!
This is probably the nicest Mopar restoration candidate I’ve seen in a long time. Sure it needs pretty much everything but everything is there to start with and the best part is it’s not swiss cheese. Solid. I sure hope whoever gets it brings it back factory. I’ve owned a couple of 318 Dusters and while it’s not 10 second quarter mile material, the 318 has plenty enough for something like this. Nice car.
The lack of a radiator denotes the “air-cooled” engine option, something Plymouth came out with to combat the wildly selling VW Bug. This extremely rare non-running diamond in the rust is worth $22k easily.
These were a dime a dozen as I was coming of age for these cars. Being in New England, they never had A/C, but a 318 made for a fun car even if it did not throw you into the seat. Drum brakes at every corner meant it did not strain your arms slowing down either (I never did understand what those straps were that were bolted to the floor).
While this one is nice and clean for what it is, without a title I would not touch it for more that $100 as it’s nothing but parts. California is one of the few states that is somewhat sympathetic to this hobby of ours, but they are not interested in registering stolen cars. If a title was easy to get, this car would have one by now.
Roland, they were a common site in New England. But after they got to be 10 or so years old, most of them were rust buckets.
Sad but true. 1st Chrysler was Cordoba in Alabama, the ones at the beach rusted fast. Own a Chrysler still – what is a mopar anyway?
After EVERY car in New England got to be 10 years old or so most were rust buckets ; some worse than others , the Vega and every Asian import were rusted badly before they hit 10 years old
Steve R
I appreciate your friends service to his state. Ever wonder what he ends up with at the end of the year?
As far as title find out what your states rules are for getting a title. Just because California charges so much your state might have alot lesser fees.. I know I could get a title for alot less money.
If you wanted $22k for a car would you spend $300 to get a title? There are times to sell a car without a title. This is not one of them.
A year or two ago, I bought a 57 Chevy in Southern Cal. It had no title, last plate was 86. It was too cheap to pass up. I brought it back, had it inspected, got a bonded title, easy peasy. And cheap. By the time I got a title ( I would never start working on one until I have a title) a guy was begging me to sell it to him. I did.
For $22,000, you could buy that 1967 Plymouth Coronet 440 to that was written up the other day. You would have plenty of money left over to do the body and paint.
Well said Jack. I would sooner buy the Coronet and stuff a stroker 440 into the engine bay.
First of all the Coronet was a Dodge not a Plymouth. And this is a letter car which gets a higher premium and the body i9s straight so the interior needs work, please get your facts straight.
Thanks Frank. I don’t know how they could ever run this site without you.
You see a 300 somewhere in this ad? Those were the only ‘letter’ cars Chrysler ever made….
Wow man….getting pretty rough around here with the mister “make sure you have every itsy bitsy teeny weenie polka-dot bikini fact exactly perfecto-mundo to the enth degree”….because we’re all having fun and 99% of us pretty much understand what we are all talking about.
Maybe use the time spent correcting and add something positive. Just a observation on my part.
Have fun man….
What do you mean by letter car? I know of the Chrysler 300 letter cars, not so much for Barracudas.
I posted this on the wrong subject I was referring to the 1964 300 K
Yep…a Grand Coupe but the seller doesn’t know that….so kinda fishy there and by the way – a serviceman older friend passing thru LA with his Cuda behind the U-haul on a trailer had them both stolen in the 70’s at the hotel they stopped to spend the night – never found it….did see the picture of it from the move.
I kinda wondered about that scenario myself.
Now, I’m not savy on “California” dmv red tape…but wouldn’t you be able to do a VIN search and see what the status is on the title?
Someone better informed might enlighten us.
If this car actually exists, it really does have potential. Wish I were younger.
I would restore it as is, as a 318 GC.
One change I would make is the hood, I always found the flat hood too wide looking with nothing to break it up, so I would add a ‘cuda hood.
As for the price, to me it is a $15k car with a good title. At 22k and no title, not even worth negotiating on.
No paperwork, no go. It could be stolen. Also, who sells a Cuda with no paperwork!!!
A car thief?
Those flat hoods used to go for good money because talented guys could make a shaker hood out of it. Strangely you could get the Grand Coupe option on the convertible.
Really nice to see that someone edited out my reference to “illegal immigrants”. OKAY, then why don’t you tell me what you call everything that is invading our southern border? Vacationers with “legal” passports?
Really people! I call a spade a spade.
Can’t believe this crap.
The administration started calling them “newcomers” last week.
Steve R
What? Is it April first already? WOW what a price.i mean really.
Sorry Rod, no April fools this year.