Worth Fixing? 1970 Plymouth Cuda 340 Project
Plymouth treated the Barracuda to a new platform in 1970, saying goodbye to its six-year roots to the Valiant compact. Sales jumped 50% and the future looked bright – until the muscle car market, which the Barracuda was part of, hit the skids due to higher insurance premiums. This 1970 edition is a ‘Cuda 340, the entry performance Barracuda. But it’s been harvested of its drivetrain and other key pieces. With no front-end infrastructure to attach wheels to, it’s less than a roller but more than a shell. Located in Palmdale, California, this Mopar project is available here on eBay. $4,200 is the current bid, but you’ll have to go higher to take it home.
Of the nearly 49,000 Barracudas produced in 1970, fewer than 1,800 had the 275 hp, 340 cubic inch V8 with an automatic transmission. This once-blue Barracuda is now devoid of that pair plus anything else you might find under the hood (or so we think). Picked clean sometime after 1981 when we were told this vehicle was last on the road. Though you’d have to source new power, all the various tags (VIN, fender, etc.) are said to match.
Part of the deal includes a 340 V8 that’s in parts and pieces along with another 727 tranny. If you don’t want them, the seller may be willing to talk turkey about the final price. The listing is a bit confusing in terms of what’s not in the photos that comes with the car, like the front suspension, steering column, dashboard, and so forth. So, while the seller says the auto “has all the major parts and components” the photography could be better.
This is a Fred Flintstone-style car when it comes to floorboards (there are none; they have been removed likely due to rust or other damage). The seller has welding skills and could repair all of that for an additional charge. If the Plymouth doesn’t sell as presented, he/she will begin fixing it up and relist the ‘Cuda at a higher price. If you’re not handy at doing some of this work, you might want to test these waters with the seller.
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Comments
Lots to do here. Was likely a parts car once, but I’m sure it will be brought back. That rear window rot is nasty.
LS swap
A big loss just move on!!!
Floor pans have NO RUST
It
Is
A
Beauty
How can one really consider this a Cuda 340 when there is no 340? This is only really good for what few usable parts remain.
I’d follow the advice on the license plate: “EEE”! and run.
Whine, whine, whine. Opportunity knocks.
It’s not even a roller for that matter.
4k is about what it is worth in its present condition. And that’s pushing it, (no) pun intended.
Some assembly required doesn’t even say it. Unless you know body work and are mechanically inclined. Stay away
In this current market, a GREAT buy! Floors have been removed, that labor saves potential buyers monies on the backside! For get the current drive train, you can go either way, return a 340 back or up grade, either way is a winner! For those people engaged into the current market, disregard the very same old naysayers that live to run every potential car project down on this site! They either are still lost in last century and car prices of those days or have not been a participant in this current market! To be successful in today’s market you have to adjust your mindset and be able to evolve as the market changes. Some people can, most just continue the same old negative song and dance!
But , one can also loose a lot of money on such a project or loose many years waiting for some VERY important and expensive body god to perform his magic !experience is bought in years so don’t put it down …
YOLO
Well, most of the replacement sheet metal is available as licensed reproductions on the aftermarket, so that helps. Since you’re buying just a non-rolling body shell, it’s a blank canvas to be filled according to your personal taste. Being able to weld in new metal is only part of the equation, though. Being able to weld that metal in properly, so the body is still straight and meets factory specs when you’re done is the hard part. That requires all of the proper jigs and fixtures to keep everything lined up while the panels are installed, which takes it out of the amateur league. Once you have the body repaired laser-straight and painted, the fun really begins. Do you go the Mark Worman route and restore everything to original condition, or do you do the restomod thing? It’s your call, but whatever you decide to do, you still have months, if not years of work ahead of you once the body is done, so don’t kid yourself. This one is a lot of work no matter what you decide to do.
If he has ALL the parts – just show some of them – and always run from the “if I wash it – the price goes up” crowd…..
Ended at $9,600. Reserve Not Met.
Come on now!