What is the most collectable C3?
Discussion
Exactly!
To clear up a little point - am I right in thinking that the 'Cuda is the Barracuda with a high performance engine option, i.e.
Barracuda 6 cylinder or 318 V8 for shopping
'Cuda, 340 (inc AAR 'Cuda) 'Cuda 383, 'Cuda 440, Hemi 'Cuda
Love to drive a Hemi 'Cuda past Mayor Ken while he's talking to a news reporter about his cycling / walking initiatives!!!
To clear up a little point - am I right in thinking that the 'Cuda is the Barracuda with a high performance engine option, i.e.
Barracuda 6 cylinder or 318 V8 for shopping
'Cuda, 340 (inc AAR 'Cuda) 'Cuda 383, 'Cuda 440, Hemi 'Cuda
Love to drive a Hemi 'Cuda past Mayor Ken while he's talking to a news reporter about his cycling / walking initiatives!!!
The Barracuda was launched on April 1, 1964, some two weeks before the Mustang's debut, and when some auto writers saw the new Barracuda, they might well have regarded it as an April Fool's Day prank. Unlike the Mustang, whose exterior design had been drawn up on the proverbial clean sheet of paper, the Barracuda was little more than a Plymouth Valiant two-door with a huge glass fastback grafted onto its hindquarters. In fact, during its first year in production the Barracuda was a sub-model of the Valiant line, and it carried Valiant as well as Barracuda badging.
To be fair to the Barracuda, though, it should be noted that the Mustang was based on an even more mundane foundation. While both cars had live rear axles hung on semi-elliptic springs and a horse-and-buggy arrangement, the Barracuda drivers could legitimately say their cars handled better than those of their Mustang-owning brethren. A representation of Chrysler engineering, the Valiant offered a torsion bar front suspension that was far superior to the Falcon's (and Mustang's) totally prosaic layout.
The Mustang did, however, own a bit of an edge in the engine compartment. Though many Mustangs were equipped with the mundane Ford in-line six-cylinder, the top-of-the-line engine - the 289 cubic inch overhead valve V-8 - was a stronger performer than the Barracuda's 273 cubic inch V-8. In 1965 the Mustang 289 offered 200 horsepower and 282 pound-feet of torque, while the Barracuda's 273, lifted intact from the Valiant line, produced 180 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Plymouth also offered Barracuda buyers the choice of two six-cylinder powerplants, the anemic 170 cubic inch version and the 225 cubic inch engine, which had a reputation for absolute reliability. Most of the Barracuda buyers, though, opted for the V-8, which was derived from the stalwart 318 cubic inch block that was Plymouth's answer to the Chevy small block.
A large measure of a sporty car's appeal is its styling, and while the Mustang was an unqualified home run with the public, the Barracuda was more like a sharp double down the line. From some angles the Plymouth is handsome. Looking at the car head-on, its wide-spaced round headlights flanking smaller "driving lights" and a narrow grille present a well-integrated look that is evocative of late-'50s, early '60s Italian design. Both A and B pillars are artfully drawn, and the rear quarter windows make an appealing side window opening. But, oh, that huge glass fastback! Certainly it is the most distinctive feature of the design, the only element that cries out, "I'm sporty!," but sticking 2,000 square inches of glass out back is positively ungainly. While the Mustang reiterated the long hood/short deck look of classic American roadsters, the Barracuda's hood was shorter than the length from its B pillar to the rear bumper. The Barracuda was more than six inches longer than the Mustang, and much of that was in rear overhang. The proportions are clean, but not nearly as aggressive as the first Mustang.
Inside, the Barracuda lifted liberally from its sistership, the Valiant. The car did offer vinyl-covered semi-bucket seats and a rudimentary floorshifter/console, but the instrumentation was sparse as seen through the thin-rim deep-dish steering wheel. With the car's 188-inch overall length, one might have assumed the rear seating would be reasonably ample, but due to the car's 106-inch wheelbase -- two inches shorter than that of the Mustang -- it wasn't much better than in the Ford. One area where the Barracuda did shine, though, was versatility. Its rear seatback folded down to provide station wagon-like cargo space.
Most Barracuda buyers, of course, weren't looking for a station wagon replacement. They wanted stylish, sporty fun, and Plymouth provided that with its Formula S package. Designed for competition, it ended up on many cars whose only racing experience occurred getting to parking spots in the drive-in, but it was reasonably potent. It began with the "Commando 273" version of the V-8 engine, which used a four-barrel carburetor, revised cams, dome-topped pistons and high-compression heads to produce a conservative 230 horsepower (in truth it was nearer 270). To compensate for the additional power and torque, the Formula S was also equipped with wider wheels, Goodyear Blue Streak tires, heavy-duty front torsion bars, higher-rate rear springs and an anti-roll bar. The result was a car that could vault from zero to 60 miles per hour in eight seconds flat, a respectable performance.
Of course, the Barracuda wasn't the runaway success that the Mustang was in 1964. If one combines the 1964 and 1965 sales total for each model, the Barracuda garnered about 88,000 sales versus 680,000 for the Mustang. But in Chrysler Corporation's eyes, the Barracuda was a success that was worth following up, and that follow-up came with an extremely attractive re-styling that occurred in time for the 1967 model year.
This time around, Plymouth offered three separate body styles bearing the Barracuda name: a much better integrated fastback, a sleek convertible, and an arresting hardtop. Meanwhile, Chrysler, wrapped up in the muscle car war with Ford and General Motors, continued to up the horsepower ante. The newly revised Barracudas could be purchased with a 340 cubic-inch version of the Chrysler small block V-8 boasting 275 horsepower, a 383 cubic-inch big block offering a conservative 300 horsepower, or even the 426 "hemi." This was a drag race only package, featuring a race-tuned Hemi and a seriously lightened body. Acid-dipped doors, lexan in place of glass, factory delete of anything not essential to life on the dragstrip (e.g. back seat, sound deadener, window cranks). Lightweight van seats on aluminum brackets were used in place of the factory bench. They had a little sticker which indicated that the car was not for use on public highways, but for "supervised acceleration trials" only. Those in the know said the hot all-around pick was the 340, because it offered better handling than the nose-heavy 383 or hemi versions.
For '69 a limited number of 440 Darts and Barracudas were produced. Spaulding Dodge had produced some in '68, but these weren't true factory packages, even if they did masquerade as a "dealer installed option". Car Life tested the 'Cuda 440 at 0-60 in 5.6 sec, and 14.0 @ 103 in the quarter mile. They were disappointed. It seemed that they just couldn't get the car to hook up. It kept spinning the tires.
In 1970, the fickle sporty car market demanded and received a completely new Barracuda. The re-style was attractive though lacking a bit of the distinctiveness of the '67-'69 models. No fastback version was offered, but the convertible and hardtops caught on to the tune of a 73 percent sales increase for the line. But emission regulations and fuel economy concerns were slowly strangling the sporty car market. After 1970 Barracuda sales fell precipitously, and the model vanished from the Plymouth line after 1974.
Personally I'd rather drive past our Ken in a 454 Chevelle
>> Edited by The Wiz on Tuesday 2nd March 16:56
To be fair to the Barracuda, though, it should be noted that the Mustang was based on an even more mundane foundation. While both cars had live rear axles hung on semi-elliptic springs and a horse-and-buggy arrangement, the Barracuda drivers could legitimately say their cars handled better than those of their Mustang-owning brethren. A representation of Chrysler engineering, the Valiant offered a torsion bar front suspension that was far superior to the Falcon's (and Mustang's) totally prosaic layout.
The Mustang did, however, own a bit of an edge in the engine compartment. Though many Mustangs were equipped with the mundane Ford in-line six-cylinder, the top-of-the-line engine - the 289 cubic inch overhead valve V-8 - was a stronger performer than the Barracuda's 273 cubic inch V-8. In 1965 the Mustang 289 offered 200 horsepower and 282 pound-feet of torque, while the Barracuda's 273, lifted intact from the Valiant line, produced 180 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Plymouth also offered Barracuda buyers the choice of two six-cylinder powerplants, the anemic 170 cubic inch version and the 225 cubic inch engine, which had a reputation for absolute reliability. Most of the Barracuda buyers, though, opted for the V-8, which was derived from the stalwart 318 cubic inch block that was Plymouth's answer to the Chevy small block.
A large measure of a sporty car's appeal is its styling, and while the Mustang was an unqualified home run with the public, the Barracuda was more like a sharp double down the line. From some angles the Plymouth is handsome. Looking at the car head-on, its wide-spaced round headlights flanking smaller "driving lights" and a narrow grille present a well-integrated look that is evocative of late-'50s, early '60s Italian design. Both A and B pillars are artfully drawn, and the rear quarter windows make an appealing side window opening. But, oh, that huge glass fastback! Certainly it is the most distinctive feature of the design, the only element that cries out, "I'm sporty!," but sticking 2,000 square inches of glass out back is positively ungainly. While the Mustang reiterated the long hood/short deck look of classic American roadsters, the Barracuda's hood was shorter than the length from its B pillar to the rear bumper. The Barracuda was more than six inches longer than the Mustang, and much of that was in rear overhang. The proportions are clean, but not nearly as aggressive as the first Mustang.
Inside, the Barracuda lifted liberally from its sistership, the Valiant. The car did offer vinyl-covered semi-bucket seats and a rudimentary floorshifter/console, but the instrumentation was sparse as seen through the thin-rim deep-dish steering wheel. With the car's 188-inch overall length, one might have assumed the rear seating would be reasonably ample, but due to the car's 106-inch wheelbase -- two inches shorter than that of the Mustang -- it wasn't much better than in the Ford. One area where the Barracuda did shine, though, was versatility. Its rear seatback folded down to provide station wagon-like cargo space.
Most Barracuda buyers, of course, weren't looking for a station wagon replacement. They wanted stylish, sporty fun, and Plymouth provided that with its Formula S package. Designed for competition, it ended up on many cars whose only racing experience occurred getting to parking spots in the drive-in, but it was reasonably potent. It began with the "Commando 273" version of the V-8 engine, which used a four-barrel carburetor, revised cams, dome-topped pistons and high-compression heads to produce a conservative 230 horsepower (in truth it was nearer 270). To compensate for the additional power and torque, the Formula S was also equipped with wider wheels, Goodyear Blue Streak tires, heavy-duty front torsion bars, higher-rate rear springs and an anti-roll bar. The result was a car that could vault from zero to 60 miles per hour in eight seconds flat, a respectable performance.
Of course, the Barracuda wasn't the runaway success that the Mustang was in 1964. If one combines the 1964 and 1965 sales total for each model, the Barracuda garnered about 88,000 sales versus 680,000 for the Mustang. But in Chrysler Corporation's eyes, the Barracuda was a success that was worth following up, and that follow-up came with an extremely attractive re-styling that occurred in time for the 1967 model year.
This time around, Plymouth offered three separate body styles bearing the Barracuda name: a much better integrated fastback, a sleek convertible, and an arresting hardtop. Meanwhile, Chrysler, wrapped up in the muscle car war with Ford and General Motors, continued to up the horsepower ante. The newly revised Barracudas could be purchased with a 340 cubic-inch version of the Chrysler small block V-8 boasting 275 horsepower, a 383 cubic-inch big block offering a conservative 300 horsepower, or even the 426 "hemi." This was a drag race only package, featuring a race-tuned Hemi and a seriously lightened body. Acid-dipped doors, lexan in place of glass, factory delete of anything not essential to life on the dragstrip (e.g. back seat, sound deadener, window cranks). Lightweight van seats on aluminum brackets were used in place of the factory bench. They had a little sticker which indicated that the car was not for use on public highways, but for "supervised acceleration trials" only. Those in the know said the hot all-around pick was the 340, because it offered better handling than the nose-heavy 383 or hemi versions.
For '69 a limited number of 440 Darts and Barracudas were produced. Spaulding Dodge had produced some in '68, but these weren't true factory packages, even if they did masquerade as a "dealer installed option". Car Life tested the 'Cuda 440 at 0-60 in 5.6 sec, and 14.0 @ 103 in the quarter mile. They were disappointed. It seemed that they just couldn't get the car to hook up. It kept spinning the tires.
In 1970, the fickle sporty car market demanded and received a completely new Barracuda. The re-style was attractive though lacking a bit of the distinctiveness of the '67-'69 models. No fastback version was offered, but the convertible and hardtops caught on to the tune of a 73 percent sales increase for the line. But emission regulations and fuel economy concerns were slowly strangling the sporty car market. After 1970 Barracuda sales fell precipitously, and the model vanished from the Plymouth line after 1974.
Personally I'd rather drive past our Ken in a 454 Chevelle
>> Edited by The Wiz on Tuesday 2nd March 16:56
As yes pick ups / Utes. About the only one that really counts I think is the Chevy El Camino. Envious of the success that Ford was having with its car/truck Ranchero that debuted in 1957, Chevrolet struck back with its new El Camino model in 1959. Originally based on the Impala, the half car, half truck El Camino survived for only two years, but reappeared in 1964 based on the Chevelle. This new El Camino shared most of its underpinnings and powertrains (including high performance engines) with the Chevelle. SS versions would debut in 1968 and firmly establish the El Camino as a muscle car/truck.
The 1966 El Camino saw the introduction of the mighty 396 engines, with either a 325 bhp or 350 bhp version available. The 375 bhp version available in the Chevelle was, sadly, unavailable in the El Camino. Standard equipment on all El Camino's included specially calibrated high rate springs and double acting shocks at each wheel. The interior was all vinyl and bucket seats, and special consoles were available. The Synchro-Mesh three-speed transmission was standard, but a four-speed wide or close ratio transmission or the two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission could be ordered.
The 1968 El Camino received the same changes as the Chevelle and was now based on the 116 inch wheelbase platform used by the Chevelle sedan and wagon. The SS396 debuted as a new model of the El Camino and, just like in the Chevelle, came only with one of the 396 V8s. The new El Camino featured a longer hood, "vee" rear side windows, a recessed rear window (like the Chevelle) and a rakish front end. The tailgate of the SS models had a narrow band of black which framed the SS396 emblem. The front fenders also sported the new "396" emblem. Simulated twin-domed hood scoops were included with louvered ports located at the rear edge of the hood. The grille was accented in black and featured the 396 emblem. All SS also featured standard six inch wheels with red line tires. The standard engine in the SS396 remained the 325 bhp 396 engine. The 350bhp version was still available and finally the 375bhp was available for the first time.
The 1970 El Camino received the same changes as the Chevelle including a new more blunted Vee front end and a new grille, which was black accented on the SS. The El Camino was still available in either Base or Custom trims, but now the SS option was only available on the Custom trim. The Custom Pickup had bright trim, which ran from the front to rear bumper about a quarter of the way up the side. The wheelwells also sported bright trim. The popular cowl induction hood was also optional on the SS. The SS option included special patern and custom vinyl seat trim, sport mirrors, striping, and badges, 15x7 Rally rims, fat RWL tires, SS emblems, black out grille, and a choice of three of the four high performance 402 cid V8 engines. Interestingly, although the 396 engines now displaced 402 cubic inches, they were either called "396" or "Turbo-Jet." But the key for performance buyers was the introduction of the new corporate 454 engines, the LS5 rated at 360 bhp and the mighty 450 bhp LS6. The 454 engines came only with the Turbo-Hydramatic or a close-ratio four speed manual transmission.
The 1971 was not immune from the general collapse of muscle car performance. In response to GM's edict that all engines ran on unleaded fuel and to meet ever restrictive emission standards, Chevrolet detuned all its engines which resulted in large drops in engine output. The 402 engine that was previously still known as a 396 was renamed the "Turbo Jet 400" and offered only 300bhp, down from 3500bhp. The 375bhp version was no longer available. The LS6 454 was also killed, but the LS5 454 returned with 365bhp, an increase of 5bhp from 1970. All El Caminos got the new single headlight design from the Monte Carlo and could be optioned with hood stripes and the cowl induction hood. The SS package was again only available on the Custom Pickup and included a special instrumentation panel with a black steering wheel and column and an "SS" hub emblem. It also included 15x7 inch sport wheels, F60x15 white-lettered bias ply tires, a sports-type remote control outside body colored rearview mirror, power disc brakes, and high output battery. Interestingly, only the LS5 carried external engine ID; they carried "SS 454" badges. All others only said "SS." That was a pretty revealing sign of the times. As part of GM's brand dilution strategy, GMC offered an identical version of the El Camino that they called the "Sprint" with an "SP" option which mirrored the SS package.
From then on until 1974 the SS Camino became a progressively paler imitation of its former glorious self
>> Edited by The Wiz on Wednesday 3rd March 09:11
The 1966 El Camino saw the introduction of the mighty 396 engines, with either a 325 bhp or 350 bhp version available. The 375 bhp version available in the Chevelle was, sadly, unavailable in the El Camino. Standard equipment on all El Camino's included specially calibrated high rate springs and double acting shocks at each wheel. The interior was all vinyl and bucket seats, and special consoles were available. The Synchro-Mesh three-speed transmission was standard, but a four-speed wide or close ratio transmission or the two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission could be ordered.
The 1968 El Camino received the same changes as the Chevelle and was now based on the 116 inch wheelbase platform used by the Chevelle sedan and wagon. The SS396 debuted as a new model of the El Camino and, just like in the Chevelle, came only with one of the 396 V8s. The new El Camino featured a longer hood, "vee" rear side windows, a recessed rear window (like the Chevelle) and a rakish front end. The tailgate of the SS models had a narrow band of black which framed the SS396 emblem. The front fenders also sported the new "396" emblem. Simulated twin-domed hood scoops were included with louvered ports located at the rear edge of the hood. The grille was accented in black and featured the 396 emblem. All SS also featured standard six inch wheels with red line tires. The standard engine in the SS396 remained the 325 bhp 396 engine. The 350bhp version was still available and finally the 375bhp was available for the first time.
The 1970 El Camino received the same changes as the Chevelle including a new more blunted Vee front end and a new grille, which was black accented on the SS. The El Camino was still available in either Base or Custom trims, but now the SS option was only available on the Custom trim. The Custom Pickup had bright trim, which ran from the front to rear bumper about a quarter of the way up the side. The wheelwells also sported bright trim. The popular cowl induction hood was also optional on the SS. The SS option included special patern and custom vinyl seat trim, sport mirrors, striping, and badges, 15x7 Rally rims, fat RWL tires, SS emblems, black out grille, and a choice of three of the four high performance 402 cid V8 engines. Interestingly, although the 396 engines now displaced 402 cubic inches, they were either called "396" or "Turbo-Jet." But the key for performance buyers was the introduction of the new corporate 454 engines, the LS5 rated at 360 bhp and the mighty 450 bhp LS6. The 454 engines came only with the Turbo-Hydramatic or a close-ratio four speed manual transmission.
The 1971 was not immune from the general collapse of muscle car performance. In response to GM's edict that all engines ran on unleaded fuel and to meet ever restrictive emission standards, Chevrolet detuned all its engines which resulted in large drops in engine output. The 402 engine that was previously still known as a 396 was renamed the "Turbo Jet 400" and offered only 300bhp, down from 3500bhp. The 375bhp version was no longer available. The LS6 454 was also killed, but the LS5 454 returned with 365bhp, an increase of 5bhp from 1970. All El Caminos got the new single headlight design from the Monte Carlo and could be optioned with hood stripes and the cowl induction hood. The SS package was again only available on the Custom Pickup and included a special instrumentation panel with a black steering wheel and column and an "SS" hub emblem. It also included 15x7 inch sport wheels, F60x15 white-lettered bias ply tires, a sports-type remote control outside body colored rearview mirror, power disc brakes, and high output battery. Interestingly, only the LS5 carried external engine ID; they carried "SS 454" badges. All others only said "SS." That was a pretty revealing sign of the times. As part of GM's brand dilution strategy, GMC offered an identical version of the El Camino that they called the "Sprint" with an "SP" option which mirrored the SS package.
From then on until 1974 the SS Camino became a progressively paler imitation of its former glorious self
>> Edited by The Wiz on Wednesday 3rd March 09:11
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