I will not bury the lede on my Pick of the Day. This 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda is one of the nicest cars on the planet and the single best example I have ever seen. I had the pleasure of personally judging this car at the Future Classic Car Show (now the Future Collector Car Show) during Arizona auction week a few years ago and came away stunned by how well the restoration of this car was executed. If that is not enough, the two other judges on my team were noted classic car restorers and they were as stunned by this car as I was (that’s us judging the car below).
The seller of this specific car spared absolutely no expense on the restoration. According to them, this 1970 ‘Cuda was a fairly famous race car in the Chicago area when new. During its racing days, the car was maroon, but you could still see its original paint color of Limelight Green under the carpeting and in parts of the trunk. When the seller became aware of the car, it had been sitting in a garage since the ’80s and put up for sale in well worn condition. By the time the current owner finally saw the car in person, it had already been sold. Luckily for them, the buyer never paid, so it was re-listed and they were able to buy the car.
This Plymouth ‘Cuda is one of 902, V-code 440 6-barrel cars, which was rated by the factory at 390 horsepower. It is backed by a four-speed manual gearbox. The car is equipped with power steering, power front disc brakes, and a Dana 60 rear end with a 3.54 axle ratio. It has hood tie-down pins, a heavy-duty suspension, heavy-duty 11-inch brakes, road lamps, and the Track Pack. The Rallye instrument cluster group includes variable-speed wipers with electric washers, a tachometer, an electric clock, a 150-mph speedometer, and a woodgrain instrument cluster appliqué.
This ‘Cuda was purchased by the owner in May of 2016 and went through a total nut-and-bolt rotisserie restoration completed by S&S Mopar Muscle in October 2019. After the restoration, it was transported to Arizona, where it is kept in an air-conditioned storage facility in Scottsdale. The car has only been driven to car shows and has accumulated around 4,000 miles since the restoration.
The owner states that this is a numbers-matching car with the exception of the engine. Despite this, it does have a period-correct 440-6 that was stroked for improved drivability, but don’t let that fool you because it’s been dyno’d at 523 horsepower and 606 lb-ft of torque. The entire restoration and every single repair on this car are completely documented.
So here’s the deal: I am not exaggerating at all when I say that this 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda is the best example I have ever seen. It is a lesson in what a proper restoration looks like – not only when new but even after five years. This car is proof positive of what is possible with a no-expense-spared restoration. Yes, the asking price is $195,000 or best offer, but for this car, I am calling that a bargain. If you want a show-winning iconic muscle car at a price that is likely less than the restoration cost, buy this ‘Cuda.
Check out the listing for this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com.
