Beautiful Plymouth AAR Cuda 340 6 barrel 4 speed Vintage Air AC Turn Key

1970 Plymouth Barracuda Description

AAR ‘Cuda For Sale!

Up for auction is my beautiful and rare 1970 AAR ‘Cuda 4 speed.
A little history first and then a lot more information and pictures of this awesome eye magnet.
In the glory days of Trans Am racing, great drivers like Sam Posey and Mark Donohue plied the racetracks of America in some of the most exciting production-based cars ever built. Ford trotted out the Boss 302, GM had the Camaro Z-28, and not to be left out, Plymouth muscled up the Barracuda to create the ‘Cuda. Carroll Shelby’s Mustangs had won the 5.0-liter class of the SCCA Trans-American Championship for Manufacturers in 1966 and 1967, and the Camaros took the trophy in 1968 and 1969, and Chrysler wanted a slice of the pie.
To qualify for the SCAA road racing series Plymouth decided to create a specially equipped model of the high performance ‘Cuda. The result was the 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda, Plymouth’s factory built race car. Has there ever been a more in-your-face vehicle built in North America? Three carburetors, fiberglass hood and spoiler, side exit exhaust and eye popping graphics make the Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda impossible to ignore. With hopes of breaking the Big Two’s lock, Plymouth hired Dan Gurney’s All American Racers in Santa Ana, CA to build and race the new Trans-Am ‘Cuda. It was more than competitive, winning it’s fair share of races.
You could not miss the differences between an AAR and a regular Barracuda on the street, starting with eye catching paint colors like the Deep Burnt Orange on this car which perfectly sets off the aggressive “strobe light” graphics in flat black and matching fiberglass hood. The result is a bold and sinister look from any angle. The eyebrow spoilers up front match the molded spoiler out back, giving the car a purposeful stance. The exhaust tips poking out from in front of the rear BF Goodrich Radial TA’s are another clue that an AAR ‘Cuda means business. Pop the hood pins, and the 340 V-8 greets you with the Six Pack option that breathe through the functional hood scoop.

Looks terrific from any angle. And this is one of only 1,120 4 speed AAR's produced.

Let's start with this car's bona fides. Yes, it is a legitimate AAR 4 speed (BS23JOB vin and D21 on the fender tag). And all the body and frame vin stampings match. The motor and transmission are not numbers matching, although it is a 340 with factory 6 barrel and correct A-833 transmission. So if you are a purist, interested only in matching number engines and transmissions, this is not the car for you. But if you'd love to have an awesome, real 4 speed, 340 six barrel AAR that will win more than it's share of trophies at your local shows, keep reading. This car is turn key and go, rebuilt motor, great brakes, good tires and rebuilt suspension and the clutch is in fine shape. Car needs nothing to get in and go for a 1,000 mile drive. It even has a Vintage Air AC system to keep you comfortable on the road. Bid confidently.

Fender tag.

The radiator support.

Cowl stamping..

Factory door sticker.

Now let's take a look at the rust and bondo free exterior. Here she is in her current home, my climate controlled garage. As you will see in the next series of pictures, the body is reasonably straight, about as as good as it came from the factory, gaps are good, and all trim, chrome and glass are in generally very fine shape, as is the weatherstripping and seals. This is not a perfect, trailer queen with a $25,000 paint job, it has a lustrous, good looking paint job and attractive graphics. It has the usual small nicks and imperfections you would expect from a car that has been driven. No dings. This car is for someone who wants to actually drive and enjoy their muscle car artwork without worrying constantly about every little thing.

The correct staggered wheels and tires are in great shape, lots of tread left.

The strobe stripes are just so bad ass.

Nice gaps and this is the correct AAR antenna, they are not all the same, just fyi.

The engine was rebuilt by a PO, it has hardened valve seats and a mopar purple cam and features a very nice idle. I tuned the carbs and she starts and runs perfectly. I would drive this car across country, no problem. The engine bay is nicely detailed and presents very well. And, BIG BONUS - a Vintage Air air conditioning unit blows nice and cold for those hot summer days and nights. This may be the only AAR so equipped. The original air cleaner seal was in bad shape, it will have a new seal installed when delivered.

I fabricated a hood support in order to remove the springs to avoid warping the hood, it looks good and works fine.

The interior is in very nice condition, seats look good, no rips or tears, no issues with the dash. Standard gauges and I added a tach and oil pressure gauge. Aftermarket stereo with BlueTooth. Steering wheel has a couple of cracks and the headliner has a small rip in it. The headliner never bothered me enough to fix it but I am including a new headliner with the car.

AC makes the car so much more livable, believe me you will love this.

Door panels are in good shape as well, a few marks here and there. Oops, I forgot to take a pic of the passenger door panel, I can send you one if you message me.

I completely rebuilt the front suspension, every component. Drives down the road straight and true.

Floors are in great shape, just like the rest of the car. Pinch welds are as close to perfect as you will find.

The exhaust system is in good condition. Having the side exhausts just sounds so awesome, the engine burbling in stereo. Yessss!

Click here to see some videos of the car running and driving.

I have a reasonable reserve so bid to win, my objective in running this auction is to find a new owner for this beautiful car. Hagerty shows a valuation of over $80,000 for a #3 condition 4 speed AAR Cuda, $73,300 + 10% for a 4 speed. My reserve is substantially under that, but I am not giving this car away.

The Fine Print

I have been collecting classic and muscle cars for 45 years and this is a very nice car which I have described to the best of myability. Having said that, many things are subjective and different people have differing opinions about all kinds of things, cars and their condition included. As such the car is sold as-is. There is no warranty of any kind at all, this is a 48 year old car and it is not perfect or exactly like new, it would be inmpossible to detail the entirety of any car, so if I missed something I apologize, but this does not change the validity of the auction. Please contact me if you have any questions or need any additional information.

Your bid is binding once the reserve is met. A $1,000 deposit is due immediately upon auction close if you are the winning bidder, payable through Paypal. Full payment is due with 5 business days of auction ending, preferably with a wire transfer. I will assist with shipping within reason, but it is at your expense. And please, if you do not have the money or permission to buy this car, don't bid. I reserve the right to cancel any bid from any bidder I deem not qualified, if you have no feedback send me a message and let's talk, you can easily convince me you're a legit buyer.