5 Classic Plymouths on eBay That Go Beyond the Barracuda

BOLD RIDE

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Posted by Zach Doell

                                      

                                    

When you think of ‘60s and ‘70s muscle cars, a few storied shapes may come to mind. Commence daydreaming…and back to reality. More often than not, the Plymouth Barracuda and even more fearsome ‘Cuda are amongst them. And for good reason. 

 

But during that age of big V8s and silly power, there was still more fun to be had in the Plymouth line beyond the Barracuda. Don’t believe us? Take a look at these five classics below, each currently on the market.

1968 Plymouth Road Runner

Muscle cars were beginning to creep up in price in the late ‘60s, and in the process this priced out some of the customers who originally sought “cheap speed.” That is, until Plymouth took a two-door Belvedere, fitted it with a standard 335 horsepower 383 V8, and gave it the speedy “Road Runner” bird theme. Burnouts followed, especially when the 426 Hemi was optioned.

This Road Runner is a first-year ’68 model, and it’s said to be an original 383 and four-speed manual car. Befitting that “cheap speed” mantra, it doesn’t have power steering or power brakes.

1967 Plymouth GTX

This car does though. The Plymouth GTX shared the same Belvedere roots as the Road Runner, but catered to upmarket muscle car palates. Arriving in ’67, it packed the big 440 cu. in Super Commando V8 as standard, with zero to 60 in 6.8 seconds, and granted the 426 Hemi Elephant engine as a desirable, albeit expensive $600 option.

This car is said to be one of those first-year, Hemi-equipped GTX muscle machines, and interestingly the seller notes it was once owned by Reggie Jackson himself. Its original Hemi has been replaced, though that engine comes with the car.

1964 Plymouth Sport Fury

The Fury of the early ‘60s was a lesson in styling for Chrysler. In 1960, it went a bit wild with exaggerated fins and swoopy trim, apparently not in tune with most buyers. By ’64 it had mellowed, flattened and today it looks rather defined, bordering on menacing.

This car is a ’64 Sport Fury, grrr, and it’s claimed to pack a numbers matching 383 V8, which connects to a rather uncommon four-speed manual. That setup would have lent around 330 horsepower circa ’64, and it ought to have shifted the Fury’s weight pretty easily.

1964 Plymouth Valiant Signet

The second-generation Valiant would give birth to the lithe Barracuda and kicked the polarizing styling of its predecessor. That’s perhaps best observed in the Valiant’s svelte top-tier Signet trim, available as a two-door hardtop or convertible. Engine choices ranged between Chrysler’s two slant-sixes and the new for ’64 273 V8.

This Signet convertible is said to originally have toted one of the slant-sixes, but now features the running gear from a 273 V8-equipped ’68 Barracuda. The proportions? They’ve aged nicely.

1971 Plymouth Duster

The Duster arrived in 1970 as a two-door fastback variation of the Valiant. In base slant-six trim it didn’t set the world alight, but when equipped with Plymouth’s 340 cu. in. V8 and some go-fast graphics–the 275 horsepower Duster 340 became an insurance-loophole-jumping speed machine.

This car is claimed to have originally been a slant-six equipped Duster, but it was recently adorned in Duster 340 likeness and now sports a built engine from a Fury underneath the hood, among other goodies.


Photo Credit: ’67 GTX via Carbuffs Inc.
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