Hi y'all,
i know this is a lengthy post but here goes. I have recently bought a half stripped 69 barracuda notchback from Dartos up in Wichita Falls Tx on Fabo for some parts for my 67 cuda restification. i do have a Vin, and a bill of sale, and getting a title is no problem where i live, as i have done this countless times before.
my wife likes the fact that i love restoring old muscle cars. she calls me the ultimate recycler. anyway when we first met she didnt know what a barracuda was, or a road runner for that matter. she did know and like the 70 chevelle SS, and 69 camaro SS, but these are more well known. i told her when i am done with my 67 i would like to build up a nice car for her. i have been looking at 69 camaros, and 70/71 chevelles and since these are iconic in their own way they are pretty pricey even for a basket case, so i presented her with the idea of refurbishing the 69 cuda shell for her to drive once i am done with my 67.
Georga likes that idea, she likes the shape of the 67-69 notchback says it reminds her of a camaro in a way, plus i am only into a rolling shell minus interior, driveline, grilles, and fenders for only $300. its basically a clean slate, and can be built how she wants it to be. i told her we for drivability and cost we should probably install a 360 magnum and AOD from a wrecked late model dodge pickup, or ram van since i can get thes at my local police auction cheap and use a fast EFI on an edelbrock intake for drivability, mebbe use a ford 8.8 rear from a ranger pickup, since the bolt pattern is the same as a mopar, and the gears and a limited slip are easier to find, or use an 8.25 rear axle out of a chrysler fifth ave or jeep cherokee, and i have most of the pieces parts lying around to add stock power discs and power steering. aftermarket A/C with a Sanyo compressor will likely round it all out along with smoothing out the firewall.
so heres the dilemma. the 69 nose sheetmetal is missing and the tail lamps and housings are shot. the center trunk panel for the 69 is long gone. i will probably spring for a set of fiberglass fenders and upper header and lower valance from stinger fiberglass that solves this part of the dilemma. tho it would have been nicer to have the steel ones that were on the car, but this would have added to the price i payed for the car, so i really cant complain. i have a spare hood that is 67/68 vintage that came with the parts car minus its pot metal inserts. i can use this hood but will mean using a 67/68 header panel, and grilles. i also have a nice used set of 67 taillamps and housings, along with center tail panel trim, and a good used pair of 67 reverse lights and bezels. i have a set of bumpers that are straight but need rechroming, we may paint these body color. i have the trim pieces if she wants a vinyl top, and since the back window trim is already gone off the car, i can buy a new rear window gasket from steele rubber that has a black locking strip to go with a black vinyl top making the roofline a bit formal. plus i have a box of clip nuts and body bolts and hardware from the old 74 dart 4 door i stripped for parts on my project.
i like the idea of using the pieces we already have that are not going on my car, or are castoffs from my car but are in good condition for a driver. since this car is really nothing special like a big block car or formula S i dont think there is any point in trying to make it original. i figure we can keep the 69 side marker reflectors, use the 67 taillamps and trim, use a 67/68 hood, and since i have a spare set of grilles from a 67 we may be able to find another set of these to make a good set, or find a set of 68 grilles making the car a 67/68/69.
she wants to pick the body color, upholstery, i showed her speedhuts line of gages, and said we can make a custom sheetmetal panel, since all i have is an empty dash frame and she can design her own gages. i said we can look at rims, and steering wheels and floor shifters too. this was originally a console car, but the only thing left is the front bracket. Georga likes the idea of carpet and bucket seats and no console, so an aftermarket automatic floor shifter is in order. we will be looking at these as well.
this car was an ex race car, and has a spring relocation kit done to it, but has hacked in aluminum wheel tubs, and cut some sections of the trunk floor beyond where the stock inner fenders are supposed to be. those have to go. we may keep it narrowed in the back, but i will have to get some stock inner and outer wheel houses from an old duster as these are the same stampings as the cuda, and widen and install them. i will have to hang rear quarter skins on it as well. it already has sub frame connectors. these are 2x2 box steel, they look to be installed ok, i will look at them a bit more once the shell is on a rotisserie. this may be a few years as i got to finish my car first, but it allows us time to collect up parts for it.
i think we got a good plan for this car, tho when she saw the pix she was like OMG you spent $300 on that. my response was at first i laughed, and said it was much cheaper than $3000 on a basket case camaro or chevelle, and i have some of the pieces its missing, putting us ahead of the game, tho i am starting with something in worse shape than what i have seen some people on here part out.
below is the pix of our new addition. it looks rough from somebody sanding most of the paint offand it getting surface rust, but not bad once you DA it to bare metal, and primer it. also at this moment i am not looking to sell anything off it like the SBP rallyes, or manual steering box, when i start rebuilding it, i will reassess whats coming off, and probably list the parts here.
what do y'all think? should we keep the body as a 69 only and try to find those unique pieces to keep it looking as a 69, or use what we have to make the back as a 67, the sides as a 69, and the grilles as a 67 or 68 ?
Matt