1 Of 3: Shriners 1971 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible
The Shriners have been around for more than 150 years now, assisting the ill and especially focusing on helping children nowadays whose parents are financially challenged to pay for their healthcare. With a system like this in place, the Shriners score many points in my book, but they also get credit for having a fun taste in cars, as in 1971 they ordered at least five identical Plymouth Barracuda convertibles to use in a Children’s Hospital parade. However, the order was canceled after Plymouth only delivered three to the dealership, with this 1971 Plymouth Barracuda convertible here on eBay said to be one of the original trio. Apparently, these 3 cars were then split up and eventually sold to individual buyers. This rare project is in Saint Charles, Missouri, with bidding already up to $35,555, but that amount will have to climb higher for a sale, as the reserve still hasn’t been reached.
With Bahama Yellow back on the Barracuda roster for ’71, these three cars weren’t special in terms of an unusual color not available to the general public, and with so many more pleasing hues I’m not sure why this one was chosen. In any event, this Mopar apparently hasn’t been registered since 1985, and some bodywork will be needed before it’s ready for a fresh coat of code EL5 to be sprayed outside. Fortunately, most of the rust seems to be confined to the lower back quarters, and more good news is the exterior seems pretty much complete, sans bumpers. Of course, the panels are nowhere near perfect and some ironing-out will be required. However, this one seems like it’s at a fairly decent starting point overall, when compared to many other E-Body projects that show up in the marketplace.
All of The Shriners’ cars are said to have been ordered identically, meaning this one has a 318 under the hood equipped with a 2-barrel carburetor. While not one of the most powerful options, the small block did offer a respectable 230 horsepower and had a reputation for reliability. The seller doesn’t state that the 318 is still running, but does believe it’s numbers-matching, although he hasn’t checked to make sure. It’s also got a column-shifted automatic transmission, but there’s no word on its current state either.
For an auto that’s thought to have been off the road for nearly four decades, the interior doesn’t look all that bad for the most part, but it does show the common cracks in the dashpad. The fender tag indicates a power-assisted (P37) white convertible top (V3W), so the canvas has been replaced at some point, but the rails still seem to remain in satisfactory condition. If this is indeed a real-deal one-of-three Shriners example, I get that it’s rare and desirable, but I’m a bit concerned that the seller may have set his reserve at a high number. I’m very curious about what our readers have to say about this 1971 Plymouth Barracuda convertible, and any thoughts about a fair price to pay here?
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Comments
This is just getting nutty…. all these E bodies… the good ones always go first… and now we are down to intense projects. Yes, this is a conv with a/c…. but how far behind zero do you want to start from and be underwater the whole time? And NONE of this benefits the shriners or the children… Maybe I’m just getting old….
In 71 I bought a 70 Barracuda Gran Coupe…. drove it over 100k miles over 8 years…
Chuck, all this because they can’t find any of the clowns to go with it.
Not the first time one of these graced BF and launched a discussion of the facts and legends behind the Shriners’ Barracudas.
It would be ironic if this Shriners car wound up sometime in the future on 1-800-Kars-For-Kids…
Yep….I was pretty sure we had seen this before….too high for me at over 30g’s….
I’m nearly certain that will be repainted in a different color. Not to say it looks like poop, it actually looks like baby poop.
That being said one can polish a turd. 🧐
If you don’t mind changing out your polishing pads every 30 seconds.
If it was ordered by the Shriner’s, but never purchased, owned, or used by the Shriner’s….doesn’t that mean there’s not really a lot of connection….to the Shriner’s? Were the cars they ordered rare because they were somehow specially equipped with certain options?
Very nice project car. Colour is great. I bet it brings easily 60-80000 dollars.
The Shriners should spend money on kids, not fancy cars for parades. They do fine with those cute little go carts. Are you sure about this story? Spending so much money like this seems out of character for those good people. As for the car itself, I have to agree, does not look like a factory color and the color is pretty disgusting.
It’s definitely a factory color, Curt. I never found it attractive, either, but Bahama Yellow (Plymouth)/Butterscotch (Dodge) was offered as a part of Chrysler’s High Impact color palette in both 1969 and 1971. In both years, it was among the least popular of those offerings.
My sister has worked for nonprofits for decades doing event planning. There is a lot of overhead. There are several easy ways to check how much of their donations/revenue actually make it to whoever they are helping. That should be part of the research made prior to writing a check.
Steve R
Agree…. About 30 years ago I got ”volunteered” to work as a waiter at a luncheon fundraiser for some cause. I was assigned a table of 8 and had to fill it…. naturally with relatives and friends….. there were about 8 or 10 tables… Before the salads even were served the pitchman was exhorting the room to kick in more and more. Each table competed against the others to raise the most. The spiel continued while the guests ate, I began to feel bad about what was going on…. and the guests were beginning to tire of the whole thing having already paid several times the value of the small meal. Each guest was in about 100 bux….
I checked the totals and got in my pocket enough for our table to ”win”. After the guests left, the crew ate and the pitchman explained that he does this for a living and about 70% is ”overhead”…. At least i could tell my guests that we ”won”…. That was a real awakening…
As I remember, no one was given a receipt for tax purposes…
You must be joking my friend. I may be mistaken, but the Shriners I know buy their own vehicles. The club itself does not pay for their vehicles. What they spend on their vehicles has nothing to do with the money they raise and donate to their organization. The Shriners DO spend their money on the kids.
That is good to hear. So what is the story about these cars? An urban legend, a scam?
You must have just moved to America. The Shriners do so much great stuff, it is hard to believe. What organization are you in that does half as much as the Shriners? How many crippled children have YOU helped? I am not a Shriner, but I see the things they do for children. They spend so much out of their own pockets, and someone wants to slam them. Thank God for the selfless members of the Shriners !!!!! YOU have no right to spit on them or the children they help. You need to do a little more research.
Great color, much different than ugly same color as your neighbors car.
I’m wondering when it acquired that “raisin bran” (two scoops) hood? That hood was standard on ‘Cuda models, except when the Shaker came with an optional engine, but I don’t recall it being available as an option on a base Barracuda like this one, nor on the Gran Coupes.
I’m not knowledgeable about Mopars, but I don’t see what makes this E-body in this condition worth $35.5k. If it were a 340 powered 4 speed I could understand, but outside of factory air I don’t see anything special. Just my opinion.
It’s a ‘71 AND a convertible, That’s all that matters here……. $$$
I AM a Mopar guy but I agree with you 100%. I love most of them, especially from the pony car and muscle car era but the prices they are going for, and the thinking involved with the buyers paying the ridiculous prices really are starting to take some of the glow off the rose for me. I used to love early first generation Broncos for what they were….a tough, mostly uncivilized vehicle to get you places and do things. Now prices people are willing to pay for such a basic, no frills (but still a good vehicle albeit crude and unrefined) that are restored beyond any level than they came from the factory and will barely if ever see any off pavement driving has really turned me off to them. I’m not saying people should basically give them, Mopar muscle and pony or early 1st Gen Broncos but the prices that fools with too much money will pay is kind of sickening.
I have never understood why convertible car’s have A/C in them?
Because at one time they were “cars”, and were driven on hot humid rainy days.
Live a in a hot climate state and you will quickly understand why ragtops need AC. Sun up = top up with AC on.
Sun down = top down with AC off.
The bidding for this car needing body work and has rust seems pretty crazy. I never liked convertibles anyway. The fable about the Shriners sounds plausible since ragtops would be useful for parades.
Drive one in the summer………………..
Its what the market will bear ….🐻
Me, i think the reserve has been met.. 😗
Not mentioning a running car is a sign folks… and if your wanting $$$ then one has a running vehicle video…
The color is not favorable to me.
Black, orange, sublime green green for me ..
But just my two cents…
If this car could some how be used as a donation tax write off than maybe I could see say 40k for a 318 equipped Cuda.Yes I know its a convertible but you have to consider the rebuild. I hope it sells for as much as Shriners can get.
This is being sold by a private owner. The story goes the Shriners ordered them, but never took possession, the seller gets whatever money this car sells for, not the charity.
Steve R
One of these showed up here at BF 3.5 years ago. There was a deep conversation about the paint color – it being custom, chosen by the Shriner’s – and the actual number of these.
https://barnfinds.com/1-of-3-1971-plymouth-barracuda-convertible-1/
If only 3 were made, there seems to be a lot more than that claimed.
Nice find, sir!
Here are all the VIN’s together, so perhaps there are more than three?
This listing BH27G1B247537
Marks Boes BH27G1B247534
John Mihelich’s BH27G1B245788
Jon Strongs BH27G1B245791
Apparently there are more than three??
I recall Butterscotch Mopars, specifically a Duster. It wasn’t a great color, looking like a dirty yellow.
I have put on here before about buying one of these in 1979 for 25 bucks but am compelled to do it again. I just like reminding myself of how most people had no idea what these things could be worth in the future especially us. It was so full of rust it was unbelievable even for being 8 years old at the time. 318 auto. Can’t remember if it was column or floor shift tho. The interior was perfect with white leather seats and power windows plus power top. The left rear window was the only electrical component that did not work, we started it up and put water in the radiator and it just poured out on the ground thru the cracks in the block, we drove it around till the motor got hot and the doors would not open. The carpets sagged as there was no metal left in the floors. What a time to grow up in.
Mentioned above… In ’79 I sold my 70 Baracuda Gran Coupe 318 column auto a/c for 700 bux… It had 115k miles, new front fenders, detatched rear spring mounts (rust) and lots of bondo under brand new red paint ! The intake manifold was so full of crud that the automatic choke didn’t work… so we put a manual choke on it.
The night before the buyer took it, I took it out one last time… it still did 115 but the body was loose on the rear suspension…. LOVED that car but needed the 700 bux…. and it needed alot of rebuild…. Oh well…..
My Mopar experience: 1978, living in Virginia Beach, VA because of a new job. Time to dump my then 1971 Pinto that I bought new and now had 63,000 miles and rust, with a trunk that filled with rain, and it needed a head gasket. I liked the looks of the new Plymouth Volare or Dodge Aspen, can’t recall which it was, but I went to a Mopar dealership and was considering the Volare or Aspen. I didn’t really get excited about most of the new cars in my price range that year, so it was like I might have to settle for a Chrysler product. As I looked at the cars on the lot I noticed they all had a little bit of surface rust. Brand new cars with rust starting! The salesman told me it was due to the salt in the air from the nearby Atlantic Ocean. So I thought, must not be very good paint if their cars are rusting already. I left that dealership pronto and never again considered anything built by Chrysler. Quality in a lot of cars built in the 1970s was pretty poor. I then saw the 1978 Toyota Celica and wanted that, but the dealer wanted to sell them for sticker price because they were Motor Trend car of the year. So I left that dealership quickly. The salesman said I was getting a bargain at sticker price since most dealers wanted above sticker price for that car. Sure!
Steve, what did you end up getting, and how did it work out?
Thanks Steve, misinterpreted the ad. So I guess being a Shriners Cuda conv. and given there were only three made makes the point. I have no idea what this car should bring but I still would have to factor in rebuild.I could see maybe 40k for this 318 equipped Cuda.
One of my first cars was a ’73 Cougar convertible with a similar color combo – light gold, brown dash and white houndstooth seats, with AC. According to the numbers, it was a 1 of 1 car in that paint and interior combination. I dearly loved it, but it was just weird looking.
I’m a huge fan of Plymouth’s butterscotch color, but I could never restore that Cuda and keep the interior.
The rest of the story which I have posted here before is: as I was walking out of the Toyota dealership when the salesman wanted sticker price of $6,200 for Motor Trend Car of the Year, Toyota Celica coupe, the salesman yelled, “don’t leave angry and go buy an AMC car. I will give you $200 for your Pinto”. I just kept walking out the door. So I went to the local AMC dealer and bought a new 1978 AMC Concord for $4,800 plus tax and license, $5,200. Several months later I met my AMC salesman after he changed jobs to sell at a Chevy dealership. He told me they sold me that AMC Concord for $50 profit since they just wanted to get rid of those cars which were not selling well. I drove the Concord for the next 14 years. Like a British racing green body with tan vinyl top and sand tan velour interior, 2 DR, 258 engine, no power brakes because I was not used to power brakes then and I saved, I think, $83 by not getting them. I was still in poverty consciousness back then, even though at the time I had a decent paying job. After the Concord engine gave out probably because in the past I had a con man, backyard mechanic do a valve job for a stuck valve, I spotted a 1976 Dodge Monaco yellow 2 dr with tan top, gold plaid interior that looked almost new. No one had ever sat in the backseat. This was in the early 1990’s and the car had 43,000 miles on it. Spotless, even the engine looked new, it was so clean. No scratches in the paint. An elderly couple had owned it. On the highway test drive I heard a rattle sound in the engine that came and went. Owner of car lot denied he ever heard such a sound. I bought the car anyway since it was a beauty, even though I had vowed never to own a Mopar. It had the big lean burn engine, maybe 443 cubes. I can’t recall, but I know it was over 400 cubes. After driving it for awhile the engine froze up. So I sold it and the guy who bought it fixed the problem, a broken timing belt, that was the source of the rattle sound. I then bought a used car for the first time which turned out to be one of my favorite cars. A 1982, red AMC Eagle S/X coupe, 4wd which was great on snow and ice. It had I think 83,000 miles on it but was in great condition. One Xmas eve on the way to a party the engine overheated, I didn’t know that there was a leak and I lost the antifreeze. It warped the head so I then bought a 2010 Yaris coupe because I am cheap. My first Japanese car and enjoyed driving a car that did not use oil in between oil changes and had great gas mileage. After that, a new yellow 2016 Honda Fit which was fantastic, I got 50 mpg on the highway when I had no passenger, and that was with a regular engine. We then needed a SUV so traded the Fit for a new 2019 Ford Escape. Only had that for one year because we needed a bigger SUV and got our present SUV, 2020 Chevy Traverse. Big mistake going back to American vehicle. Had to add oil before it had 40,000 miles on it. When I complained I was told that GM claims that it is normal for that engine to use up to 2.5 qts between oil changes. I was too cheap to pay more for a Japanese SUV. Chevy dealer took off $7,000 from sticker price on the Traverse, so it was a good deal. Now with 56,000 miles on it after 4 yrs, the dealer claims the rear toe links are loose, so that will be $900 to replace. Currently waiting to hear back from GM to see if they will pay for some of that since when toe links are damaged, you are instructed to report this to GM. GM wants the dealer to send them the diagnosis and cost of repair estimate, but dealer fears “being dinged by GM for sending it”, and so they don’t want to comply with sending the info.
To my buddy 454 rat , if pedophelia is your thing !
Are 71 cudas spozed to have “gills” on front fenders ??