The Plymouth Barracuda is a two-door pony car manufactured by Plymouth from 1964 to 1974.
The first-generation Barracuda, a hardtop fastback, was based on the A-body platform (shared with the Valiant). The first generation car featured distinctive wraparound back glass and was marketed from 1964 to 1966.
The second-generation Barracuda, built from 1967 to 1969, though still Valiant-based, was heavily redesigned. Body designs were now available in fastback, hardtop coupé, and convertible versions.
The third generation, offered from 1970 to 1974, was no longer based on the A-body, but on the Chrysler E-body. The completely new design was similar to the Dodge Challenger and available in hardtop and convertible body styles. The Barracuda was discontinued after the 1974 model year.
Second generation (1967-1969)
The second-generation Barracuda, now a 108 in (2,743 mm) wheelbase A-body, still shared many components with the Valiant but was stylishly redesigned with model-specific sheet metal, and a convertible and hardtop coupe joining the original fastback offering.
The new Barracuda was chiefly the work of John E. Herlitz and John Samsen, with Coke-bottle side contours and heavily revised front and rear ends. Design cues included a concave rear deck panel, wider wheel openings, curved side glass, and S-curved roof pillars on the hardtop.
The rear portion of the roof on the fastback coupe was more streamlined, and the back glass, raked at a substantially horizontal angle, was much smaller compared with that of the previous model. Also, the use of chrome trim on the external sheet metal was more restrained.
During this time the first U.S. Federal auto safety standards were phased in, and Chrysler's response to the introduction of each phase distinguishes each model year of the second-generation Barracuda:
1967: no sidemarker lamps or reflectors and backup lights on the rear valance by the license plate.
1968: round side marker lamps without reflectors, mostly white tail lamps with backup lights in the tail lamp housing.
1969: little tweak on the front grill, rectangular side marker reflectors without lamps, and the backup lamps were moved back to the rear valance by the license plate.
As the pony-car class became established and competition increased, Plymouth began to revise the Barracuda's engine options.
In 1967, while the 225 cu in (3.7 L) slant-6 was still the base engine, the V8 options ranged from the two- and four-barrel versions of the 273 cu in (4.5 L) to a seldom-ordered 383 cu in (6.3 L) "B" big-block, rated at 280 bhp (209 kW), the latter available only with the Formula S package.
Some points of interest with the 1967 Cudas were that the front and rear bumpers were identical. They have the same license plate indent and mounting bracket.
In 1968, the 273 was replaced by the 318 cu in (5.2 L) LA engine as the smallest V8 available, and the new 340 cu in (5.6 L) LA four-barrel was released. The 383 Super Commando engine was upgraded with the intake manifold, camshaft, and cylinder heads from the Road Runner and Super Bee, but the more restrictive exhaust manifolds specific to the A-body cars limited its output to 300 bhp (224 kW).
Also in 1968, Chrysler made approximately fifty fastback Barracudas equipped with the 426 cu in (7.0 L) Hemi for Super Stock drag racing. These cars were assembled by Hurst Performance and featured items such as lightweight Chemcor side glass, fiberglass front fenders, hood scoop, lightweight seats, sound deadener, and other street equipment such as rear seats omitted. An included sticker indicated that the car was not for use on public roads; it could run the quarter-mile in the mid-tens in 1968.
For the South African export market, a 190 bhp (142 kW) high-performance version of the 225 slant-6 called Charger Power was offered with 9.3:1 compression, two-barrel carburetor, more aggressive camshaft, and low-restriction exhaust system.[citation needed] A handful of Savage GTs were also built from the second-generation Barracuda.
In 1969, Plymouth placed an increased emphasis on performance. A new option was the Mod Top, a vinyl roof covering with a floral motif, available in 1969 and 1970. Plymouth sold it as a package with seat and door panel inserts done in the same pattern.
The 1969 version of the 383 engine was upgraded to increase power output to 330 bhp (246 kW), and a new trim package called 'Cuda was released. The 'Cuda, based on the Formula S option, was available with either the 340, 383 and, new for 1969, the 440 Super Commando V8. The successor for this generation of the Barracuda as a sporty Valiant was the 1970 Plymouth Duster.
Source: Wikipedia
Reply With Quote