'68 Barracuda Formula S Fastback Restoration
Problems with Build--Old Damage
There were several issues to overcome with this build even though I thought I knew the car's history and damage. Apparently not. In the past, I had clearance issues with aftermarket radiators with fans. They simply interfered with the water pump snout by more than 1/4". I thought it was design issues and I went with a stock setup most of the time.
Turns out, when Dave at CRW was welding up K-Frame bracing, he found a segment of the K-Frame that was filled with brass. See photo below.
I already was suspecious about front end damage as there was a welded crack in the right front frame rail in front of the suspension mounts. Many opined that it was just a factory mistake. The welding was shitty, but solid. And I had no problems with the car for 200,000 miles. But now, coupling the K-Frame damage and shitty repair with the front frame rail damage, and I condluced that this car was in a very massive front-end accident prior to my owning it.
Further inspection of the fully painted car showed that the core support was misaligned and was about 3/16" further back than stock. Thus the issues with radiator clearance. Further thinking through the probable accident lead to other indications of what happened. My hood inserts were the stock '67 finned ones and not the argent silver ones with 340-S callout. I thought that was just an assembly mistake. But what probably happened was the car was repaired with '67 parts as the accident happened (AFAIK) very early in '68 and the car was built in late '67. If I had known, I would have had AMD replace the core support, maybe with the wide version that they offer. But too late now.
This heavy front-end damage coupled with the damage to the rear ascribed to being hit by a PU truck leads me to believe that he spun the car and hit the right front corner and the rear very hard. At least now all that damage has been repaired.
![20230127_132942[1].jpg](https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachments/20230127_132942-1-jpg.1716068853/ "20230127_132942[1].jpg")
![20230127_132957[1].jpg](https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachments/20230127_132957-1-jpg.1716068855/ "20230127_132957[1].jpg")
Problems with Build--Old Damage
There were several issues to overcome with this build even though I thought I knew the car's history and damage. Apparently not. In the past, I had clearance issues with aftermarket radiators with fans. They simply interfered with the water pump snout by more than 1/4". I thought it was design issues and I went with a stock setup most of the time.
Turns out, when Dave at CRW was welding up K-Frame bracing, he found a segment of the K-Frame that was filled with brass. See photo below.
I already was suspecious about front end damage as there was a welded crack in the right front frame rail in front of the suspension mounts. Many opined that it was just a factory mistake. The welding was shitty, but solid. And I had no problems with the car for 200,000 miles. But now, coupling the K-Frame damage and shitty repair with the front frame rail damage, and I condluced that this car was in a very massive front-end accident prior to my owning it.
Further inspection of the fully painted car showed that the core support was misaligned and was about 3/16" further back than stock. Thus the issues with radiator clearance. Further thinking through the probable accident lead to other indications of what happened. My hood inserts were the stock '67 finned ones and not the argent silver ones with 340-S callout. I thought that was just an assembly mistake. But what probably happened was the car was repaired with '67 parts as the accident happened (AFAIK) very early in '68 and the car was built in late '67. If I had known, I would have had AMD replace the core support, maybe with the wide version that they offer. But too late now.
This heavy front-end damage coupled with the damage to the rear ascribed to being hit by a PU truck leads me to believe that he spun the car and hit the right front corner and the rear very hard. At least now all that damage has been repaired.