Somewhere in Virginia, several notable classic cars were recently rescued from a slow death thanks to a father/son restoration team. Mopar fans will smile because a triple-black 1972 Plymouth Cuda 340 is among them. In fact, two black Cudas were saved in this sizable yard find.
The story is shared by Jerry Heasley on YouTube, and it's a bittersweet one. The cars were owned by the parents of a woman named Rachel, and they've since passed on. Her father loved cars, having amassed quite a collection that he worked on and raced. Apparently, the later years of their lives were a bit rough, and the vehicles were essentially abandoned. Now some of the cars are finding love from new enthusiasts who plan to fix them up.
The focal point of the video is a 1972 Cuda, wearing original black paint with a black interior and a black vinyl top – hence the triple-black classification. The car packs a 340 cubic-inch V8 and was modified for drag racing, but at some point, it developed an issue with the carburetor and was parked. Sadly, the roof is quite rusty under the vinyl coverings but that's not stopping the new owners from restoring it.
The other black Cuda is a 1973 model, also wielding a 340 V8 with a four-speed manual transmission. Scouring through the car, it was discovered to have a rally dash but being a later model, it's not quite as desirable as the '72. However, it's in better shape than the other car, and a restoration is planned for it as well.
It seems the original owner of these vehicles was a Dodge fan. Also found in the overgrown yard was a 1964 Dodge Dart with a 273 cubic-inch V8. A much newer Dodge Dakota from either the late 1990s or early 2000s was also there, modified with an aftermarket hood, seats, and sporting a custom paint job. It's not entirely a Dodge graveyard, however. A rare 1961 Chevrolet Bel Air bubble top with a four-speed manual was plucked from the yard, and we also see a pair of white Camaro Z28s, one from the 1970s and another from the mid-1990s. A 2001 Ford Mustang V6 also gets rescued.
The video ends with the Cudas and the Bel Air getting a long overdue powerwash, and that alone makes them look considerably better. Hopefully, the new owners don't find any terminal damage that could render these classics unrestorable.
