Plymouth’s Barracuda wasn’t a player in the pony car wars until 1970 when they unveiled perhaps the most perfectly-proportioned example to date. The long hood/short deck styling of the ‘Cuda nailed the quintessential muscle car look and with Chrysler’s vast array of options, powertrains, and vivid colors, it became the most versatile of them all. This particular ‘Cuda has an interesting story to tell about its restoration and is quite possibly the straightest, cleanest piece of performance hardware we’ve ever featured.

The first thing you need to know is that this car has a salvage title. Now before you turn away, let me tell you why, because it has absolutely zero effect on the quality of the car or your ability to get a clean title in your home state. About ten years ago, this car was completely disassembled for restoration and as those things go, parts of it were scattered all over town. The body was at the sandblaster, the interior was in a storage facility, the engine was at the machine shop, and, well, you know how that goes. You also know that any restoration is a long process, and somewhere along the line a divorce happened. So there was this disassembled car that became a point of contention, and ultimately it was awarded to the wife. She, of course, didn’t want the car (divorces are like that sometimes) and instead made an insurance claim on the various components. The insurance company, given that this wasn’t a valuable Hemi ‘Cuda or something like that, saw the disassembled hulk of a body, now in primer, and wrote it off as a total loss and cut her a check, which was apparently the plan all along. In turn, this allowed the husband to buy it back and finish the job, although by this time the interior had been damaged by water in the storage facility.

Anyway, the bottom line is that the restoration took a slight detour, but the results are simply spectacular. It started out as a nicely optioned ‘Cuda in Burnished Red, as the cowl tag details:

BS23:
Plymouth Barracuda
Special, 'Cuda
2-door hardtop
G4B: 318 cubic inch V8
1974
Dodge Main, Hamtramck, MI, USA
161439: Sequence number
E44: 318 cubic inch V8 V8
D34: Automatic Transmission
GE7: Burnished Red Metallic Exterior Color
A6XW: Trim - Basic, Vinyl Bucket Seats, Black/White
000: Full Door Panels
A17: Build Date: October 17
238146: Order number
GE7: Burnished Red Metallic (Dodge) Top Color
U: USA Specifications
B41: Front Disc Brakes w/Standard 10in RR Drum
C16: Console w/Woodgrain Panel
C56: Bucket Seats
G11: Tinted Glass (all)
G54: Outside LH Remote Chrome Racing Mirror
G64: Outside RH Manual Chrome Racing Mirror
G74: Dual Chrome Racing Mirrors
J52: Inside Hood Release
J54: Sport Hood
M21: Roof drip rail moldings
M25: Wide sill moldings
M26: Wheel Lip Moldings
M31: Belt Moldings
M88: Decklid Moldings Treatment
N76: Coolant Recovery System
R34: Unknown
V6W: Longitudinal Stripes, White
L2: Unknown
348: Unknown

The body is laser-straight and now wears a spectacular coat of purple metallic paint that’s a little more impressive than regular old Plum Crazy. Back in the ‘70s, the dealer installed a white vinyl half-roof, which is on the car today and looks so good, it has to have been replaced when the car was restored. The quarters are original and the floors show no signs of wholesale replacement or patching, so there’s little doubt that this was an ultra-clean car before the restoration. Panel gaps are quite good all around, surely better than original, and someone spent all those long hours block sanding the body to make it look truly spectacular. Just sight down the sides and you’ll see just how good this car really is—there are no distortions, no waves, not even any traces of orange peel in the final 2-stage urethane finish. This was obviously a labor of love.

Other details like the sport hood, the argent grille and the satin black tail panel with four round taillights are all in excellent shape with great attention to detail. Chrome bumpers look fresh and while the hockey sticks stay ‘340’ this car still packs a 318, although substantially beefed up from its original specifications. As straight as this car looks, it’s even better in person.

The interior was a total loss following the insurance claim, and that’s probably a good thing since the stock black-and-white setup was ditched in favor of all-new black duds that look fantastic. High-back buckets carry reproduction seat covers with textured inserts, there are new black carpets on the floor with the correct weave and nap, and fresh door panels look great. The original gauges covered little more than the basics, so auxiliary Sun instruments were added to monitor temperature and amperage and they actually look great the way they’re snugged into the original dash. Plymouth’s center console angles the shifter towards the driver and has been finished with carbon-fiber trim and a Hurst Pro-Matic 2 shifter for the TorqueFlite underneath. An AM/FM stereo radio from a later Chrysler product fits neatly in the dash and retains the OEM feel, powering a set of 6x9 speakers on the rear package shelf. With only a few thousand miles since the work was completed, the interior remains fresh and ready to enjoy. Even the trunk is neatly finished with a reproduction mat, and peeling it back shows that there are no nasty surprises underneath.

Power comes from a rumbling 318 cubic inch V8 that sounds right and moves the ‘Cuda with ease. No, it’s not a Hemi-powered tire-shredder, but if you like to drive, this car just works right. Thanks to a 4-barrel Edelbrock carb and matching intake, plus a set of long-tube headers, it has a nice, fat torque curve and RIGHT NOW throttle response. A few chrome dress-up items give the engine bay a bit of sparkle, along with a big aluminum fan up front to keep it cool. Most of the systems are stock Chrysler equipment, including the electrical and braking, so reliability is impeccable and parts are easy to find. The 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic clicks through the gears without complaint once you get used to the action on that Hurst shifter and the 8.75-inch rear end hangs on original leaf springs augmented by air shocks (the filler valve is in the trunk) to fine-tune the ride and handling. The chassis shows a light dusting of undercoating, but not so heavy that it hides anything, and you’ll have to agree that this is one clean ‘Cuda. A newer dual exhaust system sounds awesome and doesn’t use the same old Flowmasters as everyone else, so it’s not obnoxious. Polished Weld Pro-Star wheels look fantastic against the purple paint and wear staggered 15-inch blackwall radials.

This is simply an ultra-clean, ready-to-enjoy pony car with good performance and stunning good looks. Use it as-is or perhaps you have a motor sitting on a stand waiting for the perfect donor. Either way, you will definitely get noticed in this purple Plymouth and the ride just can’t be beat. Go ahead, try to find a super solid ‘Cuda, never mind a fully finished piece, at this price. Or you could take this one home and be having fun by the weekend.