Classic face-off is a feature where we show you a couple of similarly priced classic cars from the same era, and you vote for the one you find most appealing.
Despite both being two-door coupes, both being from the late sixties, and both having plenty of style, today’s contenders in Classic Face-Off couldn’t be more different. One is sleek, lightweight and German. While the other is bold, brash and all-American. One thing they do however have in common is that the both need restoration work. And lots of it.
First up is this delightful 1968 Plymouth Barracuda 2-door coupe with a vinyl top. It’s more or less all there, and the seller says the engine runs if you put gas in the carb. Apparently the fuel tank is more like a rusty colander than a fuel tank. Even if you could get it running for any length of time you’d be in trouble as there are no brakes whatsoever. Put bluntly. Bring your own trailer. It has a fairly modest 93,000 miles racked up on what I assume is the original 318 cu.in. V8. Oh and if you’ve spotted that this ‘Cuda is missing its grille don’t worry. It’s in the trunk. Price: $5,000. eBay link here
The other half of today’s contest is a rather forlorn looking 1969 Porsche 911T. It’s a 911. But only just. It’s effectively the replacement for the 912 and it doesn’t have a boxer-six engine. Instead it has a 2.0 litre four-cylinder producing a rather asthmatic 110hp. This particular example has seen a whole heap of work done over the years. It’s been given a turbo-style wide body kit and a slant nose kit. It certainly looks the part. From a distance. Get up close and you realize this thing needs a lot of work. For starters the engine doesn’t turn over. Whether it’s something terminal is unclear. The bodywork and chassis look to be in a rough but salvageable condition. The interior is a mess. Although amazingly the seats don’t look too bad. On the upside it IS a 911. Not a 912, and not a Bug-based replica. Price: $5,000. eBay link here
Loading ...Source: eBay
I’d take the Porsche. But it looks like it has the potential to be a complete money pit!
Barracuda. That 911 looks like its been abused to within an inch of its life.
I want to try something different. So, I will take the Porsche.
The 911 is cool you could pop in a new bigger engine and widen its rear track to fill that body kit and with a lick of paint it would be great it would certainly out manoeuvre the Cuda. To fully appreciate the Cuda you need to be American, muscle cars are ingrained in the culture they are loud, long, wide, thirsty, fast in a straight line but lurch around bends like a speedboat albeit with bags of charm.
The 911 is the one I should have bought instead of the $10K junk I bought to do a V8 conversion on. I would have been 5k up and just a little less body work. Oh well. So if I had to choose right this minute, it would be the Cuda. It would be easier to unload if the need were to arise.