MOPAR VIRGIN's 1968 Barracuda Convertible RestoMod Journey

Many people on this forum have been graciously helpful with their advice, recommendations and referrals. Felt I should pull back the curtain on this project and chronicle it at bit and provide some visuals.

This all started in my attempt to build the car with my own hands with the help of a very experienced friend with a stunning '55 Chevy Delray who had built several cars. I still work, but he is 12 years older and retired. I challenged him to find a Gen2 Bcuda Convertible -- there were only 8510 of these ever built -- and darn if he didn't find one in two weeks. I really wanted a Gen3, but the ~$40K+ cost of entry was too steep and had seen a deep blue notchback at the Lewiston, ID show and saw potential. We both spoke to the seller who was flipping the car as a "project". It was an AZ car and he'd only had it a couple months to add parts and sell it. Decided to buy it site-unseen and have it shipped to my friend's place in The Dalles, OR. I was 2months removed from the area snowbirding in AZ, but when it arrived he felt the car looked great. Upon my return ... PROBLEMS!!!

The body shop we were arranged to have it prepped and painted at closed to retire. The machine shop we knew and trusted decided to do the same. So we hunted around a lot and finally found a 40yr running body shop who fit-in about 3 projects a year aside from their insurance repair work. I stripped the car down in a day with the Friend's help, and with the A-pillar/lower-windshield channel looking as good as new, we smiled with confidence the car was a winner and hauled it to the recommended sand blasting shop -- then, reality hit!!!

The bare metal revealed the driver-side floor was full of pinholes and need replacing, but the big trouble was learning the entire rear end had been damaged uniformly decades before and covered-up with bondo and a cover paint job. In summary, both rear quarter panels, trunk and lower valance had all been uniformly pushed in about 1/2". This now meant BIG BODY WORK and the owner of the body shop said he didn't want to deal with it, so we were screwed and had to start looking again for a 3rd body shop. The orignal idea was to have me do the body fill and sanding with the friend's help/oversight, then have a body shop do the prep and paint, but this was a MAJOR problem needing a pro and my soon to shrink bank account.

Through pure luck, a mutual close friend and Mopar enthusist, was at a local car show and struck up a conversation with someone who had recently completed a project with a small restoration and body shop business. His experience wwith the process was great, and the shop's painter was at the shop. Met the owner a week later and he was up for the task at a reasonable hourly rate. So, we hauled the car to him and off-to-the-races we went and the project continues.