Kevin English was pretty sure he wanted a car from 1960. That was the year he was born, and he wanted a car to match him in age.

He really wasn’t sure what he wanted, but he darn sure wasn’t planning on winding up with a huge, almost completely original, bare- bones, six-cylinder Plymouth sedan. Even with its “Forward Look” MoPar styling, this Plymouth was the plainest of “Plain Janes” — not the car most guys dream about. But English just know the car was too unique, and too original, to pass up. Especially for a paltry asking price of just $3,600!

“I read some stuff from back in 1959 when they rolled it out, some automotive commentators said it ‘looked like a whale sucking a lemon’” he laughs. “I think that was pretty appropriate. They were kind of rejected, the styling, in their day, but man they are sought-after today. People warmed up to them. It only took 60 years, but people really warmed up to the designs.”

English’s humble Desert Beige sedan had less than 70,000 miles on the odometer when he found it in 2015, with the vast majority probably coming in the car’s first 10 years of life. An oil change sticker in the door jamb shows it was serviced in 1980 with 57,000 miles and before that had been in for an oil change in 1973 at just 51,000. Both of those appointments would have been made by the original owner in New Castle, Pa., not far from where the Savoy was originally purchased in Pittsburgh.

The original owner sold the car in 1988 after hanging onto it for 28 years. The next owner had it for 27 years, but drove it even less than the first owner. 

“I saw it [in a classified ad] and the son of the man who owned it was storing it and wanted to get rid of it,” English said. “It was in a storage place and so he just got tired of having to pay the storage on it, and he just wanted to save some money and get rid of it, and I was happy to take it, and I just want to keep it as original as possible… I had them send me pictures, I wanted to see inside the door jambs and along the bodylines and stuff, and he took pictures that showed the original oil change stickers and all that. So I knew it was an original car, and I bought it sight-unseen.

“He was asking $4,200 and I talked him down to $3,600 [laughs]. There are some affordable classics out there, you just gotta find ’em.”

English was pretty confident from the photos he had seen that the car was very original. He didn’t realize how quite pristine until it actually showed up in his driveway.

“I knew by the pictures of the interior and the manuals and advertisements of the day, I knew it was all correct,” he says. “The interior is all original still, the rubber mats and everything. It didn’t have carpeting in it … The driver’s side obviously has the most wear, but it looks like he never took anybody with him because only the driver’s side has any wear on it. Even the brake pedals and stuff don’t have any wear on them. And it’s the original spare in the trunk — let’s hope I don’t have to use it!”

WORKING MAN’S PLYMOUTH

The Savoy lineup was in its sixth year with Plymouth when the 1960 model year dawned. The nameplate had actually been used from 1951-53 on station wagons, but was applied to full-sized Plymouths from 1954-61, and then again to downsized models from 1962-64.

All 1960 Plymouths had a few common major styling changes. Most obvious was a new grille of closed-spaced horizontal blades, accented with thin, vertical division bars. The front fenders had a wing-like look, with feature lines wrapping around the body corners to the front wheel openings, creating a sort of a cove just ahead of the wheel fender treatment. Side trim moldings were rearranged and “shark fin” rear fender panels appeared. The Savoy was the low-priced line in the regular market, but economy level “Fleet Special” editions were provided for commercial customers. Standard equipment for the Savoy and the Deluxe Suburbans included: oil filter, turn signals, dual sun visors, and the tubeless blackwall tires. Single sun visors and other deletions characterized the Fleet Specials. Savoys had no model nameplates, straight side trim moldings from the front door back to the tail tips and single “Jet Age” missile medallions on the rear fins. Uni-body construction was used, Safety-Guard door latches and asymmetrical rear leaf springs were new technical innovations for the 1960 models. So was the new “30-D Economy Six,” 225-cid/145-hp engine, which quickly became known as the “Slant Six” thanks to its 30-degree incline that was supposed by make the car ride and handle better, and be easier to maintain.

Fleet Specials were about $300 cheaper than the Deluxe models and both included two and four-door sedans. The Surburban lineup in the same line included two-and four-door station wagons.

The base price for a six-cylinder four-door Deluxe sedan like English’s car was $2,275. Another $120 would have gotten you a V-8. On the options list, Plymouth also offered at 318 small-block V-8, a wedge-head 361 and a new 383 with 330 hp.

Four-door Deluxe sedans were by far the most popular style of Savoy for 1960, with 51,384 built. They were second behind only the Valiant four-door sedan (106,515) in the entire Plymouth lineup

A STELLAR SURVIVOR

English says he had an affinity for Chrysler products long before he landed his pristine Savoy. 

“I’ve always been interested in MoPars. My grandparents had MoPars back in the ‘30s and ’40s. I had a ’39 Plymouth and I had a ’41 Desoto 3-window coupe. I had a ’41 Chrysler Royal and ’60 Chrysler. But this is probably the one I’m just going to hang onto.”

Despite living most of its life in Pennsylvania, English is pretty convinced his big Plymouth rarely came out of the garage on a snowy day. MoPars from the era were notorious for their rust problems, but his Savoy somehow defied the odds. He found a couple of spots on the body he suspects were touched up with paint, but he found no traces of rust anywhere on the sheet metal, or underneath the car.

“I’d say it has at least 90 percent of its original paint, so it’s holding up pretty well for its age. No rust! They said they were built solid in 1960 because they were doing all this undercoat to try to get away from their image, which was a bad image, in ’57-58. They still rusted out, but if you didn’t drive it in the snow or the rain very much, you could kind of get lucky, and this car obviously didn’t see the light of day very often.

“At some point it probably did sit for a long time. Probably with the first owner, when he got older and then between him and second owner, he didn’t put many miles on it either, based on the oil changes.”

The Savoy ran and drove when English acquired it back in 2015. Since then, aside from needing new tires, he says only one problem has ever arisen.

“I ended up having to do the brakes. That was the only thing I had to do,” he says. “One was locking up, and we went in and looked at it they found a lot of original parts still in there [laughs]. Other than that, all I’ve really done is put the bias-ply tires on it. These are copies of the original tires. They didn’t have blackwalls, and this would have had blackwalls originally. I haven’t had any issues other than that. It starts every time and drives as straight as an arrow, unless you get on a freeway and these bias-plys catch everything [laughs] … It’s pretty stable, but you just have to pay attention.”

English was able to acquire a copy of the Savoy’s original build sheet from Chrysler Historical. It showed the dash pad was added at the factory, as was the hood pad and undercoating. The two trim pieces just ahead of the rear wheel openings were also optional.

English and his big four-door have appeared regularly at shows around Wisconsin and the Midwest in recent years, including the Iola Car Show, where it was right at home with flashier machines in the Blue Ribbon area of invited cars. Not everybody takes notice of it, but English says MoPar fans are usually impressed when they see it. Judges are often impressed, too — the car has collected its share of hardware, including first place in the Survivor class at the Geneva Concours in Illinois.

“It’s an affordable classic, and it’s something people go ‘Wow, what is it?’” he says. “A lot of people ask me what it is because other than on the front and on the very back it says Plymouth, but if you see it from the side there is no badging on it.

“It’s just your standard vanilla four-door, and I love it.”

Love MoPars? Here are a few more articles for you reading enjoyment.

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We always get excited when we see a fine Plymouth that exudes low-key coolness. Such was the case when we stumbled upon this 1960 Plymouth Savoy at the 2024 Iola Car Show.

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“My wife and I had bought a used 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner for $650.00 in 1975. It needed a automatic choke, the correct four barrel carburetor, backup light housing and some of body work on the rear quarter panel where it was hit. It had a 4-speed Pistol grip stick shift, AM radio, Hi back front bucket seats, 383 cid and a vinyl top. The color was dark green with a black vinyl top. We had it till my brother-in-law purchased it a few years later. From that time until now my wife and I have raised a family with three children started three business and since sold two of them. During the 48 years that have transpired, I’ve been looking for another Roadrunner.”

“We moved to Florida from New Jersey 15 years ago and in 2021 found this restored GTX of all places back in New Jersey. It was in an auction. The photos and videos showed us it was the car for us. 1970 Blue Plymouth GTX with a 440 automatic three- speed Torqueflight transmission, AM-8 track radio with 4-speaker system, Hi back front bucket seats, center console, wood steering wheel, chrome tip exhaust, Magnum 500 wheels and simulated wood dash. After winning the auction, I flew to New Jersey and drove the car back to Florida. Every time I stopped to get gas, people would ask if they could take a photos of it. I spent more time at the gas stations speaking with old car enthusiasts than I did filling the GTX with gas. It was great!”

“Since driving to florida I’ve added factory cruise control and a factory 6-way driver seat adjusters. Also, installed an electric trunk latch. It is from a 1973 dart but matches up and works good on the GTX.”

“We are having a great time with the GTX and our 9 grand kids. They love it too.”

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George Baptiste found the fountain of youth back in 1968! It comes in the shape of a ’68 Barracuda and is filled with 426 Hemi power. There is something to be said for getting the blood flowing with a Hemi… George is still loving his MoPar at the age of 91.

“I bought this Hemi Barracuda in 1968 from Idle Wild Motors in Queens New York. It’s a BO29 original 4-speed 426 HEMI. They made only 50 or so. The car was parked from 1968-1993. I started racing the car in ’93 after I retired at the age of 61. I raced it in the NHRA and IHRA circuit. I have 12 NHRA class wins and one championship in IHRA. To this day my car (my baby) and I are still going strong at my age of 91!”

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VanDerBrink Auctions will be auctioning off a crazy collection of cars when it liquidates the Soneff’s Master Garage Collection this Saturday (June 10). The collection features dozens of coveted MoPar project cars that will certainly have restorers drooling. The sheer number of incomplete and partially restored cars is staggering.

For this week’s “We’d Buy That!” we’re going to opt for one of the Soneff Collection cars that doesn’t appear to need any work. This 1969 Plymouth Road Runner convertible is quite a prize! According to the listing, this rare droptop has “undergone a 3 year restoration from top to bottom. It runs and drives beautifully and what an investment car and fun to drive. The car is B3 blue metallic in color with white vinyl top and boot. it has Rally Stripes. Rally Rims. The car is powered by a numbers-matching drivetrain and is a 383 V8 with automatic transmission. There are 67,851 miles showing on the odometer. It has dual exhaust. The interior is white vinyl bucket seats with blue carpet. Headrest option on the seats. Power steering and 8 track tape with AM radio, manual windows and locks.”

Only 2,128 Roadrunner convertibles were built in ’69. This one has been restored to a high level and is a numbers-matching car. There’s something gnarly and unrefined about Roadrunners that just makes them eternally cool. For some top-down fun on a summer day, this muscle machine would be hard to beat!

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In the summer of 2021, an unrestored, one-of-one 1979 AMC Gremlin AMX prototype appeared at the weekly Bakers of Milford car show in Milford, Mich. The car is owned by Mike Smith, a former employee of American Motors, Jeep and Chrysler Corp. Shortly after appearing at the show, Smith’s prototype was featured in Old Cars.

Smith was pleased with the story on his AMX prototype and subsequently mentioned having knowledge of the whereabouts of an original, one-owner Rallye Red 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda that had been idled since the ’70s. He and the car’s original owner, Mike Gabriel, had worked together at AMC, Jeep and Chrysler Corp. Smith joined Chrysler in 1968, moved to Jeep in 1973, then AMC in 1979. Gabriel had earned his Mechanical Engineering Degree from Michigan Technological University in 1969 and was hired by AMC the same year. The men’s career paths crossed numerous times during vehicle development at these companies. They respected one another and developed a lifelong friendship that lasted until Gabriel passed away in February 2011 at the age of 65.

Over the years, the two of them had brief discussions about Gabriel’s 1970 Hemi ’Cuda. Smith found himself often asking Gabriel the same questions: “Are you doing anything with your Hemi ’Cuda to get it back on the road?” and “Is there anything I can do to help you with it?” Gabriel would roll his shoulders, shake his head and, for the most part, act disinterested in discussing the Hemi ’Cuda.

“Gabriel was focused on raising a family, and his automotive passion was strictly Jeep,” Smith said. “He was driven to make the evolution of the product a success. His leadership role in the Jeep vehicle development program impacted its acceptance within the company and allowed the Jeep to thrive in the automobile industry.”

Mike Gabriel was “Mr. Jeep,” and Smith said Gabriel’s interest in the ’Cuda waned once he became engrossed in Jeeps. As Gabriel dove into his work at Jeep, the ’Cuda became a run-around car until it developed an engine problem in the 1970s. After an attempt to repair it without success, the car was left in a partially dismantled state.

“I talked to him over the years about the car, but he just did not seem interested,” Smith continued. “I think the poor condition of the car turned him off. He bought the car new, and that’s how he remembered it, and he didn’t consider it a special collector car, but more as a project to be addressed at another time. Out of sight, out of mind, so to speak. He had a career, wife, home and Jeeps, then, later, children. No time to think about an aging, old Plymouth. So, it sat. And that is how it remains today. He did not consider it valuable, just a tiring old car that maybe one day will get back on the road.”

On the other hand, Smith has a direct connection and soft spot for the legendary 426-cube Hemi engine and any of the Chrysler products that were powered by it. He was a performance engineer at Chrysler Corp. where he worked on the 1970 Hemi and drove many Hemis during the development of the package. In fact, one of his first jobs as an engineer involved aerodynamic testing of the Dodge Daytona at the Chelsea Proving Grounds. It also explains why Smith would often ask about the Hemi ’Cuda and try to nudge his good friend into getting it running again.

Life with a Hemi ’Cuda

On Dec. 19, 1969, Mike Gabriel — who had recently graduated from college and turned 24 years old — gifted himself with the new Rallye Red 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda from J.E. Grissom Chrysler-Plymouth in Center Line, Mich. The well-optioned ’Cuda arrived at the dealership from the Hamtramck Assembly Plant and went into dealer inventory, where Gabriel spotted it. His first choice was actually a Hemi Road Runner, but the dealership didn’t have one in its inventory, so Gabriel “settled” for the Hemi ’Cuda instead.

In addition to the 426-cid Hemi V-8 with dual four-barrel carburetors factory-rated at 425 hp, the Hemi ’Cuda’s performance equipment included the 4.10-ratio Dana 9-3/4 rear axle behind the three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. The car’s interior was optioned with bucket seats, a console with woodgrain trim, the Rallye instrument cluster and an AM radio. In addition, the car sported the racy Shaker Hood, hood tie-down pins and color-keyed Elastomeric front bumper.

From 1970 to 1973, Gabriel used the Hemi ’Cuda as a daily driver, even during Michigan’s snowy winter months. In 1973, he decided not to put himself and the Hemi ’Cuda through another Michigan winter and its white-knuckle driving conditions. Michigan’s application of road salt further influenced Gabriel to store the car during the snowy season as he attempted to keep it from succumbing to rust. Fortunately for Gabriel, a promotion at AMC allowed him to lease a company vehicle. In 1973, he was relocated to Jeep headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, and his vehicle of choice for the daily commute from his residence in Plymouth, Mich., to Toledo was a Jeep CJ.

Dave Thompson, who worked with Gabriel at AMC, recalls seeing Gabriel’s Rallye Red ’70 Hemi ’Cuda parked in the AMC employee lot on numerous occasions in the early 1970s.

“Back in the day, employees were faithful to the company, and when a non-AMC parked in the lot, it wasn’t favorably accepted, but when the Hemi ’Cuda showed up, no one complained about it being there,” Thompson recalled.

One day, Thompson realized he’d not seen the ’Cuda in the lot for a while. Since spotting an automobile from a competing manufacturer was unusual, the bright-red Plymouth’s disappearance went noticed.

Little did Thompson or any other AMC employee know Gabriel’s Hemi ’Cuda had gone into storage where it would remain for the next 45 years — and counting.

The Discovery

On Dec. 4, 2022, Gabriel’s daughter, Danielle, invited me to see her father’s long-hidden car in the storage facility where it had been quietly tucked four years earlier. The photo shoot for Old Cars was done there with minimal disturbance to the car, and as it was found; nothing was staged or manipulated. Once its cover was removed, the Hemi ’Cuda was pushed away from the gray cinder-block wall to allow enough room to safely get around the car during the photo shoot. All four tires were on dollies, which made moving the car into position simple.

Prior to seeing the car, I was told it had been idled back in 1976 due to an engine noise. During the photo shoot, I thoroughly examined the Hemi ’Cuda and it was evident the car had been sitting for many years. Indeed, it wore red, white and blue 1976 Michigan bicentennial license plates. When the hood was raised, a plastic bag containing eight spark plugs was found sitting in the battery tray, and the valve covers were gone. Upon investigating the interior, I discovered the valve covers were sitting on the floor, behind the front seats. Behind the front passenger seat was a replacement high-performance camshaft in the original box.

With’s Gabriel’s death, we’ll never be able to verify exactly why his work on the Hemi ’Cuda’s engine stopped. Gabriel did leave some clues, however.

Further review of the engine compartment revealed a loose radiator with the coolant lines disconnected and shifted aside, and the timing chain cover loosened and partially removed. It appeared Gabriel had planned on sliding the old camshaft out to install the new high-performance replacement that is still boxed inside the car. Judging by the evidence presented before me, something had gone wrong and the camshaft swap process came to a halt.

The ’70 Cuda was, indeed, a bona fide, numbers-matching Hemi with the engine it was born with. I found that the engine and transmission identification numbers matched, and the information on the car’s fender tags indicated it had, indeed, left the factory as a 426 Hemi with the three-speed automatic transmission. It did not appear the engine, transmission and drivetrain had ever been out of the ’Cuda.

After studying the physical evidence, it appears Gabriel may have discovered the engine needed to be removed to correctly complete the camshaft swap, stalling the work. (It’s impossible for an untrained person to change the camshaft on a 426 Hemi with the engine still in the car.)

Inside the glove box were two important pieces of documentation: proof of insurance, and a vehicle registration form with an expiration date of June 1976. These documents were neatly folded and placed in an envelope. This documentation further verified the Hemi ’Cuda was idled the year the United States celebrated its bicentennial.

A ’Cuda that Binds

Gabriel’s son, Matt, was born in 1985 and has fond memories of seeing the Hemi ’Cuda parked in the garage at their home in Canton, Mich. Growing up in the Detroit area, he’d look forward to attending the annual Woodward Dream Cruise with his father, usually in a Jeep Renegade with the hardtop removed so they could get a good look at the cars.

Matt was curious about his father’s Hemi ’Cuda, although he’d never heard the engine run. During the Dream Cruise, they’d see a fast muscle car or a couple cars preparing for a little street race and Matt would ask his dad if the Hemi ’Cuda was faster. His father would usually just chuckle and respond by saying, “The ’Cuda would blow their doors off.”

Over the years, there was always talk of restoring the car, according to Matt. Many friends, neighbors and colleagues offered to help. There were also strangers who found the car and offered to buy it.

“One day, my father found a note attached to the ’Cuda,” Matt recalled. “Apparently someone managed to get into the garage, looked it over, then offered to give him a fully restored 1970 ’Cuda 340 as an even, straight-up trade. My father didn’t want any part of it.”

To this day, seeing the Hemi ’Cuda parked in the garage and hanging around it, and talking to his father about the ’Cuda, are some of the fondest memories Matt says he has from his youth.

Matt’s sister, Danielle, was born in 1984 and witnessed first-hand the affection her father had for the Hemi ’Cuda that he would talk about so little.

“My father and I did not talk about the car or discuss it at length, as I recall,” she said. “It was referenced throughout my life and caused a stir from time to time. I knew it was a big deal for him to purchase the car and therefore it had immense sentimental value.”

“My dad would always ask my mother, brother and I to keep the garage closed if the car was uncovered,” she added. “Our house in Canton was a modest 1970s ranch home with a two-car garage facing the street. Our home in Plymouth had a much longer driveway on an incline that curved into the three-car garage. Over the years, I think two times, one at our family home in Canton and the subsequent home in Plymouth, people had stopped by to make offers on buying the ’Cuda. It was like this little secret treasure to my dad.”

“I have some correspondence saved from my dad’s friends that mention the Hemi ’Cuda. It was a central conversation in my dad’s life, but not between my father and me.”

Danielle and Matt Gabriel have often wondered why their father chose to leave his ’70 Hemi ’Cuda idled with the engine disabled. They, with the help of others, have searched long and hard for the answers, but each time they discuss it, they can draw no definitive conclusion.

According to Danielle and Matt, their father was an exceptional listener and planner. He was a man of few words who followed a plan. Perhaps his ultimate plan for the Hemi ’Cuda was to make it a retirement project. They dream of seeing the ’Cuda restored and hearing the 426 Hemi engine run for the first time.

At this time, the journey for the Gabriel family ’70 Hemi ’Cuda is not clear. When it starts the next phase of its journey — whatever that might entail — we hope to document that next step. Stay tuned!

A Tribute to ‘Mr. Jeep’

By Mike Smith

In 1973, I joined Jeep engineering after leaving Chrysler Corp. as manager of vehicle development. One of the duties I had was responsibility for exhaust emissions, testing and certification. That responsibility was being transferred from Jeep to American Motors, largely because Jeep used AMC engines and it was expedited to combine the two functions. Jeep was a totally owned subsidiary of AMC at that time, and was just beginning to integrate some engineering functions. Jeep was a separate group housed in Toledo, Ohio, with its own engineering and manufacturing operations. AMC Engineering was in Detroit.

Mike Gabriel was the responsible engineer for AMC. Mike was assigned to take over that duty. Mike and I spent a lot of time getting the vehicles certified for the 1975 model year. We became close friends. It was then that I learned he had a 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda. He was still driving it at the time, but was concentrating on his job and responsibilities at Jeep. His allegiance to Jeep was admirable. He thoroughly engrossed himself in Jeep and became one of the greatest advocates for the brand. Over the years, he was often referred to as “Mr. Jeep” and “Mike Jeep” and more. He became well-known for his protection of the brand and its heritage. He held fast to his principles that the Jeep should always remain a Jeep. He did not compromise. Meetings could get very painful if he disagreed with something you were trying to do that compromised what he felt would dilute the product.

Mike’s allegiance to Jeep continued throughout his entire career at AMC and Chrysler. He was a major player in establishing Camp Jeep where we met with customers at a week-long event in places across the United States. Mike listened intently to the customer and drove those ideas home. It could be said that he was the protector of the brand. He was, indeed, a warrior.

Mike’s integrity was impeccable, and he cared about people just as much as he did about Jeeps. He was always available, if you needed him. He did not engage in idle talk and rumors. He would listen and learn.

Lunch was always an adventure. He did not like wasting time eating, so he had a phrase which he often used, and that was “bulk per bite.” He could make a world-famous salad, and very efficiently eat it. Lunch was always quick with him. I often tried to engage him and talk about his ’Cuda during lunch. He usually quickly blew it off and returned to his favorite subject, which was Jeeps.

When I moved from manager of Jeep Vehicle Development to a different job in 1979, Mike replaced me in Toledo, working for Jim Thornton. Jim was a great mentor and Mike excelled under Jim. He developed a respect for Mike’s ability and integrity, which led to Mike becoming a major player in later years, while still working on Jeep.

I recall one incident that has stuck with me over the years. We had direct employees and contract employees. Direct employees got more paid holidays than contract employees. In this incident, a contract employee that was going through some difficult financial times told Mike that he really would like to work during a holiday. The facility was closed for the holiday, but Mike said to him, “Come in and drive a Jeep.” By that, Mike meant drive a test vehicle for a day and get familiar with it and evaluate it and report on it. This individual needed seat time, but his job didn’t allow enough freedom to experience the vehicle during normal working hours. He got paid, plus a great education in this Jeep on a variety of roads for eight hours on that holiday. He turned in a thorough report and highlighted some issues that were important that required time in the vehicle. This vehicle engineer went on to become a valuable team player, but never forgot the time he was allowed to get a day’s pay for driving a vehicle without interference.

As he progressed in the corporation, Mike became known for day trips where he would invite a group to accompany him on a day trip to familiarize themselves with a variety of vehicles on public roads.

When I left AMC in early ’84, the production YJ Wrangler was just getting started, and Mike was a part of the development group. He took an active role and drove the team to bring it home. Even though I was gone, we often talked about where the program was going. He …accompanied [Jim Thornton and I] when we visited Hines Bender Corp. to explore the potential of making a bent-tube frame. In fact, Mike was one of the few people who knew what we were doing. Fortunately for him, he was not associated with the program when Jim Thornton and I got crucified for it. He managed to stay out of sight and help bring the program home. His saving grace was he didn’t expound on what we were doing. As I said earlier, Mike did not engage in idle conversation. But he never missed an opportunity to participate, and he loved the CJ and made sure he protected its heritage.

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Martin Silver is the proud owner of this fine Valiant V-200 from the Great White North.

This is what Martin had to add about this Plymouth…

“I purchased my 1965 Valiant in 2012. This Valiant was originally purchased in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. At the time Chrysler Canada was on strike so this car was manufactured in Detroit and is an American Model Valiant. The car was sold and transported to Ontario in 1990 after the passing of the original owner. I’m the fifth owner of this original pristine condition vehicle. It has never seen a winter road and currently has just over 35,000 original miles on it’s 225 c.i.d. Slant-Six engine. It had 26,849 miles on it when I acquired it. Outside of one repaint in 1978 resulting from a minor rear fender bender, the add of electronic ignition, add of 14″ wheels & rims from the original 13” ones, all body parts, trim interior, carpets and AM radio are original. “

“I enjoy taking it out twice a week to two car clubs I belong to (Thornhill Cruisers and Markham Stouffville Cruisers), visits to seniors homes and cruises with the respective clubs to countryside destinations. My wife Elen named it “Sweet Ride” which it is now known by. It not only looks like new, but it drives like new and even more so after a recent tranny rebuild and new master cylinder replacement.”

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John Paxos’ Belvedere is a sharp award-winning convertible. 

John can give you the 4-1-1 on his sweet Plymouth…

” This car was found in Texas in 2000. The car had off-frame restoration that was completed in 2007. It received AACA First Junior, and Senior awards and was selected AACA National Award Winner in 2019. The car is powered by the V-800 Fury engine with two four-barrel carbs, 3/4 race cam and 290 horsepower.”

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Bruce Backert has been lucky enough to own this classic MoPar twice. 

Here is the story of this impressive Plymouth….

“I bought this car after high school graduation, 1968. It was a HiPo 273 / 4-speed car. I I built it over the next year and made numerous changes. The next year I went into the Army and hung onto it. After the Army, I got interested in Harleys and sold the Barracuda to a buddy’s younger brother who always loved the car.” 

“Long story short, I tracked the guy down around 2009 and he still had it. He still had never driven it in the winter just like I had done. At the time, he wasn’t interested in selling it back, but within 18 months he contacted me and sold it back to me. He had kept it stored but had not really kept it as well as I would have liked. He had also blown the engine I’d built. 273 bored .60 over / balanced / ported / semi polished / Crane cam and valve spring kit / Hooker fender-well headers / Edelbrock mid-rise / Holly 650 / distributor curve kit and some other items. So, I picked it up from Wisconsin and just basically cleaned things up. Headers were rusted out so replaced those. Put new exhaust on / cleaned up the replacement 273 which was from a Mr. Norm’s Dodge Dart.”

“I have since started a modern Hemi transplant w/AT and have stalled out but intend to get back on it next year. It’s sitting in my son’s warehouse in Michigan and I’m in Missouri so plan on dragging it back here and finishing it. The Hemi is in. The modern radiator is in. The trans is in but all the electronic changes remain. I do have the ECM.”

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If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Have you ever wondered what your classic ride is worth? Old Cars has you covered with the Old Cars Report Price Guide. We are your source for unbiased and real-world pricing. Subscribe today and find out what your car is really worth! CLICK HERE to subscribe.

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The post Old Cars Reader Wheels: 1965 Plymouth Barracuda appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.