Bill’s 1970 Plymouth AAR ’Cuda doesn’t wear the polished, carefully preserved look that usually surrounds valuable muscle cars today. Its paint, modifications, and visible scars instead tell the story of a car that spent decades being used exactly as its owner wanted.
He bought the Plymouth in 1973 with around 20,000 miles already showing, and it has remained with him ever since. Today, the odometer reads roughly 84,000 miles, most of them accumulated long before anyone started worrying about preserving originality for concours judging.
Mopar Keith documented the car and Bill’s history with it on YouTube, revealing just how eventful those miles have been. The AAR has survived crashes, harsh winters, long-term storage, stolen parts, and even a nearby building fire.
Plenty of valuable muscle cars eventually become too precious to use, yet Bill has no interest in turning this one into a flawless restoration. His approach is to fix what needs attention, keep oil and fuel in it, and continue driving.
It Was Already Modified When Bill Bought It
The AAR ’Cuda was far from factory-fresh by the time Bill became its owner. Its previous owner had already fitted air shocks, wide rear tires, aftermarket wheels, and the distinctive hand-painted side striping that remains one of the car’s most recognizable details.
Under the hood sits the expected 340 Six Barrel V8 paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Bill says the car had about 20,000 miles when he bought it, meaning he has personally added roughly 64,000 miles over more than five decades.
Those weren’t gentle collector-car miles, either. Bill recalls driving the Plymouth through Iowa winters when his regular winter car failed, and he also admits the car accumulated what he jokingly calls “a few hard miles.”
One Crash Required A New Front End
One of those hard miles ended badly on a gravel road. Bill says he crossed the center line and collided with another vehicle, requiring replacement front fenders, a grille, and repainting of the front portion of the car.
That history is still visible today because much of the rear still carries older paint while the front shows evidence of repair. Even the hood has its own unexplained damage, although Bill declined to elaborate when the subject came up.
Another unusual chapter involved the original air-cleaner base being stolen while Bill was working on a farm. A replacement was eventually sourced, although it wasn’t the correct AAR-specific component, and the car continues to wear that part today.
Then It Sat For About 20 Years
Family responsibilities eventually pushed the Plymouth onto the back burner, and Bill says it spent roughly two decades sitting in storage. When the building was due to be removed, he finally pulled the car out and began trying to revive it.
The long sleep had taken its toll. Old oil had separated into roughly 2.5 inches of sludge in the bottom of the pan, the carburetors had dried out, seals were leaking, hoses had deteriorated, and the oil-pump relief valve appeared to be stuck.
After cleaning the pan and pickup tube and installing a replacement oil pump that Bill says cost about $40, the engine came back to life. The carburetors and fuel system required additional work, but the original 340 has continued running since.
The More He Drives It, The Better It Gets
Bill says the AAR initially smoked after returning to the road, possibly because the piston rings had been stuck during its long storage. Interestingly, he says the problem gradually improved as he drove it, and the car now seems happier the more mileage it gets.
The Plymouth has also survived threats that had nothing to do with driving. At one point, a building next to its storage location caught fire, and someone reportedly used a garden hose to keep the garage containing the ’Cuda wet while firefighters dealt with the blaze.
Bill also recalled police chases from his younger years, saying knowledge of the local gravel roads could sometimes help a driver disappear. Those stories belong to a very different era, and they add another layer to a car whose history would be impossible to recreate through restoration.
Bill Has No Plans To Make It Perfect
The AAR has since appeared in the Barn Finds world and at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, where its unrestored character has become part of the attraction. Bill says people seem to like the car exactly as it is, scars and all.
His plans therefore involve little beyond fixing minor issues and keeping it roadworthy. After 53 years of ownership, countless adventures, and two decades of storage, this AAR ’Cuda has earned the right to keep wearing its history instead of having it polished away.