Things are not going well for this 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda Convertible. The owner's garage caught fire with this muscle car inside. He was able to get this vehicle out, but not before it incurred some damage.
Photos at the end of this video show the 'Cuda before the fire. The Sassy Grass Green paint was better at the time, but the car was still far from perfect. The owner was collecting parts to restore it, but the vehicle needed a lot of work to be roadworthy again.
The owner still wants to restore this 'Cuda, but it's going to take even more work now. The paint is severely faded. The grille is gone; the windshield is cracked. Inside, there are no rear seats.
Plymouth offered the regular Barracuda, and the 'Cuda was the performance-oriented model. This one has a 340-cubic-inch (5.57-liter) V8 and an automatic gearbox with the shifter on the steering column.
Plymouth offered a wide array of engines. The Barracuda's base powerplant was a 198-cubic-inch (3.25-liter) inline six. Meanwhile, buyers could get the 'Cuda with mills, including Chrysler's famous 426-cubic-inch (6.98-liter) Hemi V8 making 425 horsepower.
The '71 'Cuda is a relatively rare model. Plymouth sold 18,690 of them that year, according to Hagerty, which was down from 55,499 units in 1970.
The '71 model adopted a four-headlight layout versus two the previous year. Chrome gills were on the front fenders. The taillights were also different. Plymouth offered 21 exterior colors.
The other cars in this owner's collection included a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS with power windows. He also had a 1970 Barracuda and a Henderson motorcycle.
The owner is rebuilding his garage, so this 'Cuda can return there when the construction is done. Maybe, the muscle car's restoration can finally begin.
While this example is in rough shape, there are 'Cudas in worse condition. Motor1.com covered a triple-black 1972 Plymouth Cuda 340 in Virginia in the woods in March. Leaves covered the body. A flatbed truck with a winch hauled it out of the trees.
