It’s Fast! 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S Fastback
The seller provides plenty of information on the history of this 1968 Plymouth Barracuda S and why it presents superbly. However, they emphasize the strength of the V8 under the hood and that it is a seriously fast car. I’m unsure whether there is any such thing as automotive perfection, but you will struggle to find any issues with this muscular beauty. They have decided to part with the Plymouth, listing it here on eBay in Tucson, Arizona. They set their BIN at $69,900 but leave the option for interested parties to make an offer.
The seller indicates that a decade has passed since this Barracuda underwent a rotisserie restoration, but its overall condition would make it easy to believe it only ended yesterday. The process included returning the panels to a laser-straight state before applying the original Code J Ember Gold paint. They recently performed a sand and polish, with the car presenting in as-new condition. If the exterior presentation is stunning, its underside is no less impressive. The floors wear the same Ember Gold, with the mechanical components painted in their correct colors as per the factory. I searched for surface corrosion, but this is one of the cleanest classics from this era that I have seen for a while. Most of the tinted glass is original, although this Plymouth features a new windshield, window rubbers, and seals. The restoration included a trip to the platers for the bright trim pieces to return their appearance to show quality. The color-coded steel wheels and dog dish hubcaps make this Formula S a genuine sleeper when we discover what hides under the hood.
Buyers could order their new 1968 Formula S with either a 340ci or 383ci V8 under the hood. This car’s original owner selected the larger motor that produced 300hp when shiny and new. The power feeds to an 8¾” Sure Grip rear end via a three-speed A-727 automatic transmission. Driving chores shouldn’t prove taxing due to the inclusion of power assistance for the steering and front disc brakes. It could have covered the ¼-mile in 15.1 seconds in 1968, but it can probably do better today. The seller indicates that although it is numbers-matching and 1-of-395 Fastbacks featuring the 383/A-727 combination, the engine received some subtle upgrades during a recent rebuild. These included a more aggressive but civilized camshaft, an aluminum intake, a Holley 750cfm carburetor, Jet-Hot coated headers, and custom stainless exhaust with an x-pipe crossover. With the engine breathing significantly improved, it’s easy to see why the seller describes this classic as fast. For those craving originality, reversing the changes should not be challenging. We’re told the Barracuda runs and drives beautifully and is a turnkey classic ready to be enjoyed by its new owner.
Every time I clicked on a supplied photo of this Barracuda, I braced for the one that caused me disappointment. I’ve been through them all, and there’s nothing that causes me grief. The interior continues the theme of spotless presentation, with nothing to criticize. The Black vinyl upholstery is outstanding, with no evidence of wear or stretching on the seats. The bright trim pieces offer an excellent contrast, with the dash, pad, and carpet looking perfect. The wood-rimmed wheel looks fantastic, as does the console. There’s no radio, but who needs one when you can listen to that beautiful V8 barking out its own brand of rock ‘n’ roll? As with the rest of the car, the interior needs nothing.
Sometimes, it can be easy to examine the photos of a classic car and expose faults or weaknesses. This 1968 Barracuda Formula S poses some challenges because every aspect presents so beautifully. The mild upgrades to its engine should pin the occupants in their seats when the driver nails the loud pedal. Still, the changes are readily reversible for a new owner seeking total originality. As the seller rightly states, its drivetrain combination makes it a rare beast, but does that rarity translate into high potential value? That’s a tough call because the low production figure means that examples of this caliber don’t often surface. If you believe NADA or Hagerty, the price is optimistic. However, if we trace sales results over the past five years, they reveal the figure isn’t unprecedented. Fifty-six people are watching the listing, and with around two weeks remaining until it ends, it will be fascinating to see whether one of them elects to hit the BIN button. Do you think they will?
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Comments
Very nice car with a dealer’s price.
This is one nice car, sure sounds as though the modifications were done to increase the fun factor. Yeah not 100% original, but I don’t care.
The mods are very appropriate. Just save the original parts…
Hefty price but I bet it cost more to put this beauty together. BTW, “page not found” wouldn’t let me into the Covair post at first but when I got into it it wouldn’t let me out.
My ability to give “thumbs up “ disappeared for a while from my phone. I deleted the bookmark and created a new one. That solved the problem.
If you just had to have an S, you would have been much better off with a 340. Good weight distribution made for a better all around car that was more pleasant to drive either in a straight line or around a corner. Plus, with an LA engine, you could actually get your hands on the spark plugs. These modified Valiants were not designed for big blocks like the later E Bodies were. I had a friend in those days with a 69 with a 225 3sp. Such a great car, sporty looking and yet practical. What more could you want, maybe a 318 with a 3 or 4sp, but nothing else. Even as a young man in those days, I never understood the logic behind over the top performance. As an engineer, I just shook my head.
As an engineer myself soon to be fifty years, the thought “what more could you want” should never enter an engineer’s brain.
Engineers strive for performance, but also efficiency in perfect measure. No one purposely over engineered in one area, not cost effective. I did a great deal of, what shall we call it, lets just say government work. We were told to make things efficient, not fancy, to give the taxpayers their moneys worth.
“These modified Falcon’s were not ment for the Ford FE motor” ………..
Not an engineer both I’ve owned both the FoMoCo version and the Mopar version….
Nice car for the money…….numbers matching counts a lot in that change……
I have never of the government giving tax payers their money’s worth. All you ever hear about as cost over runs.
Grant it’s about the wow factor, this wasn’t built to corner. It was built to shred tires. This was 1968 Ford was putting FE motors in Mustangs and Cougars, Chevy big block Camaros. Chrysler needed a big block pony car, quite simple.
Instead of wow, I would ask why? Though I am not a performance type person, I can see the allure, but with that performance one must also think of safety. Safety for you and others on the road. Over the top straight line performance is not good for either of those things. A 340 would have at least handled better, making it an enjoyable car on all sorts of roads.
And the 340 was also faster. And some of these cars were made with 440’s. They are the ones worth the money.
Next people will say the 340 was faster than the BO29 cars.
Mr. Grant,
In order that you do not shake your head too much and cause injury, I suggest you do not ever attend a Drag Week type event. These events require the cars to be street driven between various drag strips. The cars must be licensed and insured. Most of them pull a trailer between the strips due to rules on parts, legality of slicks on US roads, and not being allowed to have a support vehicle. The quickest time at one of these events is 5.773 seconds at 259.66 mph in the quarter mile. This year the top cars were slow, the fastest run was only 6.032 seconds at 249.76 mph in the quarter mile.
Respectfully,
Clint
Gorgeous car. I know I’m nitpicking here but I’d prefer more of the ‘60s Mopar turquoise engine color rather than the chrome shiny bits, but that’s just me. I think he’ll get his price eventually.
Chrome valve covers were original equipment on this car, but you’re right that the intake manifold would have been turquoise. Those headers are pretty blingy, though.
I’ve been trying to decide what color to paint my ’66 Belvedere II. I think this color might be heading the pack now.
Prefer the sedan Cudas of 68, 69.
Such a awesome car. I had a 68 318 Barracuda when I was young. Same color and maybe some day again. Your car is a dream. Perfect.
Stunning.
Whether or not it is the car, engine or color we would want glad to see someone was so highly motivated in preserving one that this rare, stunner is the result.
The execution is possibly better than what this ’68 was when new.
Seller should get his price.
These were still the red headed stepchildren of the pony car wars.
Does it have PS and PB though? I don’t see a PS pump nor a vacuum booster for the brakes. I thought these didn’t have room for either of those along with AC due to the size of the engine. I could be wrong, feel free to correct me if I am wrong, more of an AMC guy.
When it comes down to it, these were really just plymo valiants with a big block engine. 69k can buy a lot more than this. Just my opinion.
Well done, very well done. Gorgeous.
Years ago, I owned a 64 Formula S 4spd with the square tipped single exhaust and it’s throaty tone, which I loved. I never cared for this body style even when Sox and Martin were kicking a$$ at drag strips everywhere..
Gotta have a radio.
Any time I look at one of this generation Barracuda it reminds me of a commercial from years ago where the parents car wouldn’t start so they asked their son to borrow his car. His car being a big block blown Barracuda with the air scoop poking out of the hood, side exit exhaust, and every other speed parts that could be thrown at it, of the same generation as the sellers car here. Probably was an ad for the Diehard battery?
It was a Plymouth superbird and I think it was for Shell gasoline. Dad couldn’t drive a stick and kept hopping the car up and down.
Thats a beautiful car. I always liked the 68-69 better then the “cuda in 1970. 383 makes it more fun! The mild day 2 mods are great also…not every old car has to be a factory correct museum piece. To bad, like so many others, it is priced way out of range for me.
In our part of Wisconsin there was 1 of these bought new by a local young man. It was the fastest car in the area. Nobody could beat him. It is still in the area but in pieces. Talked with the owner 2 months ago and asked him about it, the usual reply, I’m going to restore it someday.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the car however for my taste there are 2 flaws and one option I would like. 1. I live in an area that requires AC. And # 2 NO radio, must have quality sound weather it was original or not. The one option is wheels.
The dash looked like it once had air, but nothing under the hood these days. Could you get air in these? I don’t see why not, for sure you could with any other engine from the factory. Worth remembering, air was much more rare in those days.
The A/C hung from under the dash on the A-Body Barracudas, but wasn’t available on 383 cars. A/C cars had a different firewall, too. Power steering wasn’t available on 383s until 1969. My ’68 340 car has both, something I enjoy having my youth in my rearview mirror.
I would offer 50 if i had it..but then again my wife might make me sleep in it.
Always my favorite generation of Barracuda. Gorgeous car. Sad. I don’t have 70 large to play.
I purchased second hand a 1968 Formula “S” sedan or notchback Barracuda with a 340 and automatic tranny. Funny story is that it was owned by an older lady that drove it local and just to church on Sunday. After an engine rebuild and dropping in some 410 gears in the rear end the car was a blast in the local stoplight wars. Alas . living in the snow belt of Pittsburgh the road deicing took its toll on all the steel parts of the car. I salvaged the engine and sold it to someone who dropped it into a 73 ‘Cuda to replace the 318 from the factory. It was one of the most fun cars I ever owned.
Not sure what to think about the right rear trunk lid trim to taillight trim, something doesn’t seem right compared to the other side. Awesome looking Barracuda!
everyone I see are miss aliened on the right side rear.
Lovely looking car. I’ve always loved the 1967-69 Plymouth Barracuda, probably more so than 1970 and later models. $69,000 seems way too expensive for a car like this, even given this example’s condition. I’d be willing to pay close to $30,000 for the car.
I had a midnight blue ’67 Cuda fastback with the base 273 ci/180 hp V8 w/3 speed TorqueFlite and drum brakes. Loved the looks but, had three warranty claims (two for transmission, one for brakes). Dealer said that was the year they used green castings for the drums. Had to remove center front license plate bracket to avoid overheating in traffic (cured by mounting license plate to left front bumper). Cowl leaked like a sieve, had to bail out the passenger’s side front footwell on rainy days. A/C had annoying click when compressor engaged. Traded it after two years with 27K miles for a new ’69 BMW 2500. Sold the Bimmer to a collector 30 years later.
Something is amiss with the deck lid fit to taillight on the right side of this vehicle. Neither Hamtramck or Los Angles would ship something like this. I had a 1968 fast back and a “68 notch back as well as a 1967 notch back and all had proper fit deck lid to tail lamp on the passenger side of the vehicle
Had a Formula S, all Green, 4 Speed. Still, I do not know why I traded it in. It had 3:23 posi. Not much out of the hole but blew minds on the NYS Thruway ! Thank You for reminding me of how much of an Idiot, I am ! 😐
Royal Chrysler Plymouth 103rd and Lafayette in Chicago Illinois and all the ram charges cars super bees Daytona the Dodge charger RT they made a movie about that barracuda corky with Robert Blake
Once owned a 1967 Barracuda with a 273 V8. Solid lifters and 4 speed.
Factory stock it could routinely turn 16 flat in the quarter mile. That was
at a commercial drag strip with electronic timing.