Lifetime Arizona car. Nicely optioned “two tag” car. Numbers on engine match VIN. Paint and engine rebuild by Haynes Speed Shop. Awesome In-Violet over original black interior. A cool small block ‘Cuda ready to rock!

You kind of get the impression that Mopar sat back and watched Ford and Chevy build pony cars before bringing out the ‘Cuda. The ‘Cuda totally nailed the concept, allowing a myriad of engines big and small in a package that was right-sized for performance, all wrapped in some of the best-looking sheetmetal of the era. It’s no wonder that proper ‘Cudas are highly prized with collectors today. This 1972 Plymouth ‘Cuda 340 is a lifetime Arizona car, and being from the desert means that it has all its original sheetmetal and remains super clean underneath even though it has never been fully disassembled. The first of two fender tags will tell you this car was originally gold—bleh—but when it was refinished by Haynes Speed Shop in Arizona a few years ago, they made a more exciting choice: In-Violet! Obviously the vivid purple paint looks awesome on the sporting ‘Cuda and thanks to that clean desert sheetmetal, the bodywork is laser-straight with an awesome shine. Correct “hockey stick” decals with ‘340’ callouts were added to complete the look, making this one of the best-looking E-bodies we’ve seen. Gaps are even, the panels all line up properly, and it has a great feel that only cars that haven’t been blown apart can offer. In short, if you want a clean, straight ‘Cuda, this is a great choice.

The black vinyl interior appears to be largely original and in fantastic condition. The seats aren’t worn or threadbare, the dash hasn’t been cooked by the Arizona sun, and even the door panels look incredibly well preserved. The carpets have surely been replaced at some point because they’re just too nice to be more than 50 years old, but the rest looks like OEM. The dash is full of Rallye instruments, including a factory tach and clock. Experts will quickly spot that this was a factory A/C car, but the system has been removed now that the car isn’t living in Arizona anymore. Other details include the cool driver-oriented center console, factory AM radio, and a highly unusual rear defogger that uses a fan to blow interior air onto the rear window—pretty cool. The headliner is in excellent condition with no sagging or rips, and we’re pretty sure the back seat hasn’t been used in decades. The trunk is nicely finished in matching black carpets with no nasty secrets hiding underneath.

The engine is a correct H-code 340 cubic inch V8 with numbers on the stamping pad that match the VIN. It was rebuilt by Haynes Speed Shop to stock specs and runs superbly today. There’s a high-rise Edelbrock aluminum intake under that chrome air cleaner, as well as a set of long-tube headers to help build a little more power. It runs superbly, starting easily and idling nicely with a great burble from the twin rectangular tips protruding through the lower valence out back. It’s dressed in correct turquoise engine enamel along with a set of Mopar Performance finned valve covers, so it looks great when you pop the hood. Other details include a rebuilt alternator, newer radiator, and bright red plug wires to add a little contrast. Underneath, you’ll note that it hasn’t been restored but retains its factory-applied undercoating with exactly zero issues. As a lifetime western car, rust is a non-issue and while it’s a little dirty from 53 years of living, there are no structural issues to worry about. The transmission was rebuilt and shifts cleanly, and feeds the 8.75-inch rear end which we believe has 3.23 gears inside for easy highway cruising. Fresh Flowmaster mufflers sound fantastic and there are numerous recent components in the front end so it tracks nicely. The stance is exactly right and it sits on factory Rallye wheels and 215/70/15 BFGoodrich T/A radials all around.

Documents include some service receipts.

Chrysler got it right, and when it’s wrapped in one of the most iconic colors of the era, you get one fantastic ‘Cuda. The strong pedigree and long list of options can’t hurt, either. Small block cars are always sharper in the turns than their big block siblings, so why not find out why this one is so much fun to own. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.