Vehicle Description
1968 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S Convertible Tribute
At a time when the country was embattled with major issues and
turmoil, 1968 turned out to be an outstanding year in the
automotive world with several destined to be legends being born
from U.S. factories. This is when manufacturers went all out with
the production of muscle cars and pony cars with ongoing efforts to
push the limits. Among these giants, there were the more pedestrian
versions that served more as commuter and family cars, which
retained design cues from the memorable monsters.
For consignment, an upcount from original on the number of
cylinders '68 Barracuda in Formula S convertible tribute form with
a fresh 360ci V8 engine and a non verifiable 21,618 miles on the
odometer. We could stop right there because that's reason enough to
buy this car! But wait, there's more! What if we told you, it has
an 8 year old paint job with the quarter panel and trunk drops
replaced, a rebuilt 4-speed manual transmission, large bolt pattern
brakes, and is one of 2,840 drop top fish built this year? Need
more chum? Read on.
Exterior
Wearing an 8 year old coat of a stunning color change, this car is
stunning in Darth Vader sinister black. Though the face of the
Barracuda was changed over the years, the second generation still
presents a distinctive front with wide set headlights housed in
individual grille sections surrounded by metal and plastic bezels.
The grille is composed of horizontal slats looking very much like
the gills of a fish. The hood inserts are for appearance only and
don't vent to the engine and using such items was common on cars of
the era. The Barracuda script emblem is on the fender over the
iconic Formula S plate. 14-inch Ansen aluminum slot wheels with the
much desirable large bolt pattern are wrapped in staggered width
raised white letter BF Goodrich TA radials. We cast our net
rearward and catch the near perfect power actuated black canvas
convertible top and clear plastic rear window, an objectively
beautiful design when viewing the profile of the car. The tail is
encircled by an aluminum ribbon that continues around the small
tail lights. We note the paint is oceans deep, but does have some
flaws and inclusions on the rear quarter panels that the camera
would not pick up.
Interior
Simple red door cards include a vinyl panel under the metal crown,
also in red and a nice contrast to the body color. Inside, the red
vinyl bucket seats look like they left the Hamtramck, Michigan
plant yesterday. The back bench is in great condition and presents
as nearly new. A red steering wheel with horn ring has held up well
over the years and a Mopar Performance tachometer sits in front of
three space age circles making up the gauge cluster while the
center dash area contains the heater controls, and AM/FM radio.
Everything in this area is in its original unrestored condition
with some minor patina. Racing between the bucket seats is a nice
"phallus" shaped center console houses the Hurst shift lever with
adapter for the Inland shift lever from Brewers Performance,
ashtray and storage, and is certainly meant to be subliminal, but
is definitely there. The carpet shows as nearly new, protected by
Barracuda embossed rubber mats and the trunk is very clean and
lined with the typical plaid mat of the era.
Drivetrain
A non original and rebuilt 10,000 miles ago 360ci V8 is present and
accounted for, topped with a AVSII 4-barrel carburetor bolted to
the Weiand Stealth intake manifold. The engine bay presents as show
quality as do the black crinkle finish Mopar Performance valve
covers and pleated air cleaner assembly. A rebuilt 2,000 mile ago
A833 4-speed manual transmission, non-original to the car, backs up
the engine and in the back, we find 3.23 conventional gears in a 8
3/4" axle. Disc brakes occupy the front, meanwhile drums are bolted
to the rear
Undercarriage
Happily clean and dry underneath with only minor surface rust on
minimal areas. 340ci V8 manifolds feed into dual exhaust that is in
good condition as it meanders down the length of the car and meets
stock style mufflers. Torsion bar suspension is found in the front
with leaf springs in the back.
Drive-Ability
If you're a child of the 60's or 70's, these simple interiors and
their inherent distinctive aromas bring back all kinds of memories.
No exception here as we started up this souped up car and headed
out to the loop. Yes, the steering was a bit vague back in the day
and the suspension not all that tight, but on smooth, straight
motorways they are a pleasure to drive. Great visibility from this
car, good power, and nice brakes. As an added bonus, all options
were working as they should in this drop top fishie. While Classic
Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time
of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be
working at the time of your purchase.
Here's the rare opportunity to obtain a worked over, ultra cool
Barracuda drop top in Formula S guise. It's a show car as is, but
you could also opt to take it to the next level with just a bit of
cleaning and detailing. But you won't be a fish out of water if you
pull up to your local car show in this...ooooh, Barracuda!
BH27B8B153609
B-Plymouth Barracuda
H-High Price Class
27-Convertible
B-225ci Slant 6
8-1968
B-Hamtramck, MI Assy Plant
153609-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
