1 of 0: 1970 Plymouth Barracuda
If Plymouth ever decided to build an E-body Barracuda as a 4-door sedan, this is what it may have looked like. This is a “one-of-none” creation, using the shell of a 1972 Dodge Coronet sedan and some custom fabrication to pull off the final product. Whether you love or hate the idea of a multi-door pony car, this labor of love is going to auction in Kissimmee, Florida in January 2023 here on Mecum. Our thanks to PRA4SNW for this most interesting of tips!
There were rumors of Chrysler building a 4-door Barracuda or Dodge Challenger when the new E-body was conceived in the late 1960s. Ford and Chevy were supposedly considering a similar move. But none of that (thankfully?) ever came to fruition. Car enthusiast Dave Walden decided that he would build one of his own and got to work in 2010, a project that took several years to complete. Loads of handmade bodywork would be involved and the finished product was 1.5 inches wider than the original B-body Coronet. Details work was so specific that Walden even went as far as to get a special VIN for the car and created a build sheet and window sticker for it as if it were on the showroom floor in 1970.
Though this one-of-a-kind has a 340 cubic inch V8 and automatic transmission, it was not built as a ‘Cuda but more like a Gran Coupe instead. The car even has a bench seat rather than buckets. Walden’s masterpiece was finished in 2016 and saw no use until after his passing in 2019 when it then went into a Mopar collection owned by Gary Edwards. Since then, a whopping one mile has been added to the odometer which started at zero.
This automobile presents as brand-new and nary a flaw can be found in the photos, a testament to Walden’s careful work. The Tor Red paint is beautiful, the black vinyl top shiny, and the matching vinyl interior is most inviting. This auto looks very much like something that Plymouth would have built, but you must ask yourself “why”? 50 years after these cars were prevalent on the road, their styling comes across as rather odd. For what will likely be a small fortune, you can be the one to own a car that never was!
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Comments
For those of you (like me) who would cringe at the idea of someone building a SHORTY, 70s Cuda, now you can also cringe at the exact opposite.
The proportions are all WRONG!
Hopefully they didn’t cut up a perfectly
good Barracuda for this.
Or even a perfectly good Coronet sedan for that matter..
The Cornet was a SHELL, barely anything left on it, and, they used repoduction Barracuda Body Parts
Wow did they not see the proportions while the work was going on. Nobody stepped back and said WAIT something is off? Scary that someone spent some all that time and money one this one. Sorry
Don’t know where that some came from, phone gets carried away sometimes.
There was an article on the Hemmings website, written by the automotive engineer who did this car. In it, he detailed the incredibly EXTENSIVE modifications/fabrications that were necessary to complete this car. He also stated that the looks were going to be a point of controversy, but that a photochop is MUCH easier than the real thing! BTW: he started with a 4 door Coronet hulk. Very interesting article (links below)
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/four-door-1970-plymouth-barracuda/
https://davewaldencollection.com/4-door-baracuda/
Being a 4 door car lover. I love it! There is definately a place in history for 4 Drs and more people are proudly collecting. I think the proportions would be perfect for the 4 dr version
Poorly thought out windows,the front and rear do not fit at all with the sides making for an awkward look.It could be really cool if that glaring wart was fixed.
Rear tires look a little bit too close to the rear doors but beyond that I don’t think it looks That bad. I don’t think it’s possible to fix the rear window angle because of the body shape of the Barracuda.
I wouldn’t take a second mortgage out on the house to build or own it, but it’s interesting.
A good friend of mine was lifelong friends with the builder of this car, and I’ve enjoyed getting some inside baseball on this over the years. Dave Walden was a longtime Mopar enthusiast/collector and put extensive research into this car, based on a concept/working mule created back in the day.
It is a cool story if nothing else. Dave passed away a few years ago, but you can check out his impressive collection of this (and other cars), and also a blog post he wrote about the process in the links below. Interesting rabbit hole to go down on a Saturday.
https://davewaldencollection.com/
http://4doorcuda.com/blog/?m=201704
He knew it would be polarizing as mentioned in one of his blog posts. I think ‘what-ifs’ can be really cool and I’m sure many of us enthusiasts have dreamed of doing a different take on a vehicle we love. This was not anybody trying to pass it off as something that was magically found or hidden or discovered, or anything like that. IMO, love or hate it I have all the respect for somebody like him putting in the work to pursue a project like this.
Bonus, for those concerned…no actual ‘Cuda was harmed in the building of this vehicle!
But they did use some NOS parts that could have been
used on original Barracuda restorations.
If you’re building a car from scratch,why not just use aftermarket
parts?
I think getting into the opportunity cost of NOS parts use would create a never-ending spiral–but would be a fun discussion nonetheless. For example, what about NOS parts used on tributes or clones, which in my opinion are…well, that’s also a discussion for another time. Guys doing restomods (which I do tend to like) also use NOS parts here & there. And so on…
They fabricated a lot of things, but I’d guess it was just a matter of some NOS parts being more readily available than aftermarket ones. I could be wrong but who knows.
Yeah, the proportion of the windshield and rear glass is sort of the elephant in the room, but good workmanship all around and quite the vision taken all the way to completion. Like it or not, gotta respect that. How could you ever estimate the value (or what someone is willing to pay) to own this one? Any ideas, readers?
Another interesting Barracuda concept that never was is the 1975 Barracuda. Good Motor Trend article here titled, “The Fish That Got Away”:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/0709phr-1975-barracuda/
It’s awesome! Just needs a/c
Firing squad to the builder
I think is cool , very Aussie looking.
All that comes to mind is Ralph Kramden and “humina humina humina”…..
Hell no! A 4 door Barracuda? I’ve never seen one. Unless I’m mistaken, didn’t Plymouth already offer a 4 door? Wasn’t that the Valiant? By now, I would think it’d be the 4 door Satellite.
The Satellite 4 door was the sister to the Coronet 4 door in these years.
The side windows are too tall, they are taller than the windshield, to me that’s what makes it look odd. If the side windows matched the front you could lower the top and make it look normal. (Just my opinion)
It reminds me of the modern (4 door) Charger. Perhaps this is what that would have been back then. I don’t think it is ugly at all, it just looks like it could have been an everyday car.
I agree. I think it looks great. It’s too bad Plymouth didn’t offer a 4 door Cuda.
The first thing that came to my mind was……..
This HAS to be from Australia. They have so many cars that are kind of like North American cars, but have a unique and intriguing design element to them. A lot of their most unique cars are performance oriented four door sedans.
I don’t find it ugly, it looks like something Chrysler Corp could have actually brought to market. The build quality looks like it was well done.
It’s different that’s for sure and the builder ought to be lauded for the uniqueness of it and the most probably very difficult work involved to get everything to “LOOK RIGHT”. What strikes me the most is the mismatch of the windshield to the roof line. I don’t know if the windshield needs to be taller or the front section of the roof needs to be lower, maybe a PHOTOSHOP
expert could finagle it around. It is unique, I like it and wouldn’t mind owning & driving it
No matter how many negatives there are about the final product, this is one heck of a build and he deserved to be proud of his work. Sure, the proportions are out on the roof and side glass (maybe if he had raised the door sides?) but, amazing work.
I’m no Mopar guy, but unless I’m mistaken; you can go to any Chrysler dealership and buy a brand new FOUR DOOR Dodge Charger. A FOUR DOOR CHARGER !!!!!!!!!!!! And you want to complain about this? Sorry, but that 4 door train has already left the station.
Those dreaded 4-door Chargers have proven to be good cars and solid sellers for well over a decade.
Time passes.
Tastes change.
Let it pass.
I’ve long thought Chrysler should’ve announced a “2-door Charger” as an April Fool’s prank with a fully worked-up prelaunch website showing an otherwise-stock new Charger with gaping holes where its’ rear doors would be, either as an unspoken-of elephant in the room or with a paragraph or so selling that as a feature.
Just wait until Chevy launches an FWD small-crossover-based, crewcab El Camino to compete with the Ford Maverick.
It is cool and different, but lets be happy there is only one.
Worse custom idea in the history of custom ideas…
Workmanship was flawless and the commitment to the objective was stellar, on the level with a ‘50s Barris brothers custom, BUT…
it also looks like a failed prototype from the late-60s at Chrysler, bound for the crusher. Too bland to be called Barracuda, I can imagine it being on a Hertz rental lot in Pasadena.
Rick, You kinda said it all and put a lid on it.
Gotta give credit for the thought that went into this project. Beautiful work. Just a couple of suggestions for the new owner. If you don’t feel all sentimental about it, raking the windshield a bit more and taking about 3-4 inches off the roofline would make the body perfect. One more thing – a pistol grip, manual tranny would move it up to awesome.
Looks great from the waist down but I can’t get over that fivehead. A couple inches taller windshield would work wonders, even if it means using a filler piece at the bottom.
Ford version
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/ford-falcon-gt-reinvention-is-no-crown-victoria-but-a-virtual-4-door-mustang-50-201780.html?utm_source=ae_webpush&utm_medium=ae_webpush_notification
Well, I’ve seen uglier cars.
Bwaha-ha-ha… the hell I have! Looks like the love child of a 3-way between an Aztek, a Volvo, and and a Checker sedan.
While I somewhat like the concept. I mean, today’s Charger IS a 4 door. So not so far from home base. I would to see this car built with a lower roof line and as a 4 door hardtop. I think it would help making it more plausible.
Looks like the front roofline of a hearse , its so off that it simply draws all the attention
You know those cars the royals have with high rooflines so the crowds can see them ?
This car is perfect for top hat wearing muscle car enthusiasts…
Next up? Maybe a T&C wagon?