Mechanic Rescues 1965 Barracuda Parked for Decades, One Year Later, It Runs and Drives

Rescued by YouTube's "Vice Grip Garage," this Barracuda was a one-family classic until 2024. The story goes that the original owner drove it until the late 1990s, restoring it before passing it on to his son. The vehicle remained in the family for over two more decades, but it didn't get much action on the road.

After a few short years, the Barracuda started having issues, and the son and grandson opted to push it to the back of the yard and park it under a carport. In 2024, Derek Bieri bought the car and attempted to fix it on-site so he could drive it back home (as he did with many barn finds in the past).

But things didn't go as planned. Although it agreed to fire up and drive, the Barracuda overheated and stopped working after only 14 miles on the highway. Derek had no choice but to put it on a trailer.

Almost one year later, he decided it was time to revive the Mopar and get it back on the road. The fastback had several issues: the Slant-Six refused to run, and the brakes didn't work. It wasn't an easy task, but he eventually turned the Plymouth into a driver. He also revived the weathered paint and dropped a new carpet inside the cabin.

He documented everything and posted a lengthy video on his YouTube channel. The footage is over two hours long, but it's quite entertaining if you want a closer look at how to revive a Slant-Six and how to prep a classic that's been sitting for too long for public road use.

The final 10 minutes of the video show the Barracuda driving surprisingly smoothly. The interior is also a nice place to spend time after proper detailing. The exterior is far from perfect, but the Mopar still has a few good years ahead before the rust spots become an issue.

Speaking of the paint, the pinkish hue is a bit puzzling. It doesn't look like any color Plymouth offered in 1965, and it's not a weathered Medium Red or Ruby, either. Perhaps the first owner painted it in a non-original hue? Either way, the interior is red, which is factory-correct.

Now I know this Barracuda isn't worth much due to its inline-six powerplant, but I think that's exactly what makes this rescue noteworthy. Slant-Six Mopars have been treated as throw-away cars for decades, and they're usually damaged beyond salvation. This one took long-term storage like a champ, and it's road-worthy again. It definitely deserves time in the spotlight.

Derek has way too many project cars on his hands, so he's letting this Barracuda go. The vehicle is listed on eBay in a no-reserve auction, with bidding at $7,100 with five days to go. By the way, this is one of 64,596 Barracudas produced in 1965, the nameplate's second year on the market. The 225-cubic-inch (3.7-liter) Slant-Six was originally rated at 145 horsepower.