1967 Cuda FB project

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cudak888 said:
Congrats - both on your recovery process and being able to get to the car.

That said - following Treblig's comment - is it possible to get an entirely custom window made for the car without venturing into Six-Pack Resto prices?

Besides the fact that a new window would prevent having to cut a piece of tempered glass, the ability to get it made wider could help you keep the factory look of those pencil-thin A-pillars and stay in keeping with the sublimely subtle chop.

-Kurt

P.S.: This has to be my favorite chop of all time, I might add, if not my favorite A-body Barracuda on the whole site. Might even be my favorite Barracuda, and that's coming from a fellow who has worshiped the E-body Barracuda over the A-body since the age of 10.
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First off, thank you for the kind words! Second, altho it looks like I'm spending a lot of money on this car, I am doing it with as little money as possible. My time doesn't take anything out of the checkbook and piss the wife off. :D I saw the u-tube videos and I am almost positive I can do this. The windshield I am using is a takeout that's old and pitted, so if I crash and burn, no loss. If it works, I saved money!!!
The wheels I am going to have custom made are gonna be spendy so I have to watch the pocketbook real close.
 
SNKEBIT said:
First off, thank you for the kind words! Second, altho it looks like I'm spending a lot of money on this car, I am doing it with as little money as possible. My time doesn't take anything out of the checkbook and piss the wife off. :D I saw the u-tube videos and I am almost positive I can do this. The windshield I am using is a takeout that's old and pitted, so if I crash and burn, no loss. If it works, I saved money!!!
The wheels I am going to have custom made are gonna be spendy so I have to watch the pocketbook real close.
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A fellow member of Club Thrifty Mopar. :cheers:

All the power to you for doing it on a budget. It's the effort that doesn't come cheap, but it's the source of the reward, isn't it?

Speaking of spendy, are you headed for a stock grille on this build? Not that it's any of my business, but - if I may share this thought - I keep envisioning a Duster's sharktooth grill on it. The cross-section of the grafted Road Runner hood bulge looks as if Chrysler intended it to match with the same bulge on the Duster grill:

jshyco.jpg


Just a thought. Looking at the combo, it's surprising nobody put the B-body hood bulge on the A-body to begin with, grill or no grill.

-Kurt
 
I'm still debating on setting the factory grille/headlights deeper into the opening. More "eyebrow" above lights ala late model challis. Does that make sense? My grille was fairly mint and I like the looks. The duster grille looks pretty good too, I will see if my brother has one! :glasses7:
 
SNKEBIT said:
I'm still debating on setting the factory grille/headlights deeper into the opening. More "eyebrow" above lights ala late model challis. Does that make sense? My grille was fairly mint and I like the looks. The duster grille looks pretty good too, I will see if my brother has one! :glasses7:
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I know exactly what you have in mind - had to be one of the first things I noticed when I first rented a Challenger and gave it a thorough look over for details and generally get answers to "what did they have to do differently from the Charger/300s when they were tasked to shoehorn the old styling onto their present LX platform/package?" Can't say I was thrilled when I found out the dual headlamps were a single joined unit, but it only took a second to envision them at a 45 degree angle on a hypothetical modernized Chrysler 300G (!)

Do you think it's possible to hide the top of the lamps with the already tall grill opening and large headlamps? Seems to me as if the grill openings would be working against you, unless you were thinking of building them up from the top or bottom edge a bit.

You might want to play around with the full-width Duster grill a bit. Though I've seen the '69 Valiant's full-width grill on a Duster, I can't recall anyone grafting a full-width A-body grill onto a Barracuda before. The sides should mate to the fenders without issue, though it may require extending the filler at the bottom - the Valiant/Duster full-width grill design had a filler panel below it to take up the gap; I'm not sure if the '67 front panel cutouts make up for it or not.

-Kurt
 
Windshields are laminated safety glass not solid tempered like the rear glass.
Laminated can be cut with a simple glass scoring cutter.
You score the glass on one side then complete the break
by tapping and applying pressure.
Then you score the other side and complete the break same as before.
Now you have both layers of the laminated glass broke but it is held
together by the plastic film between the two.
Now you put denatured alcohol on the break and let it work its way into the plastic.
It will soften and you can start to flex the break a small amount. This allows the alcohol
to seep into the break even more. Now you light the alcohol on fire and the plastic
will get hot enough to let go. You now have a cut off flaming piece of glass in your
pliers grip and a windshield ready to be ground smooth. Best done with a water belt.
Done this hundreds of times for chopped tops thousands on other laminated.
Get a old windshield and practice on. I never have seen anyone cut laminated
successful on their first try.
 
Treblig said:
Won't that play havoc with your hood latch, radiator, etc??

treblig
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There's quite a bit of room behind A-body headlamp buckets without getting tangled up into the radiator or hood latch, isn't there? Inner fenders can always be chopped back a bit.

Or were you thinking of clearance with the Duster grill? I can see an external cooler or AC system interfering, but a later latch should be easily graftable into the front of the Barracuda (though, now that I think of it, the release lever for the Valiant/Duster sticks right through the hole in the lower filler panel.

-Kurt
 
Treblig said:
Won't that play havoc with your hood latch, radiator, etc??

treblig
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LOL I am the master at coming up with ways to make things work. Just need a little patience and think outside the box. :D

My buddy comes over all the time and just shakes his head and asks "how did you come up with that idea?" I just say "it was easy." lol
 
Mmm cookies.
Practice on a scrap windshield if you have never cut curved laminate glass before. Its free.
To your advantage Barracuda windshields are almost flat so they are as easy as they get to cut. Confirm your technique and tools are good for free. This advise is free. It can be expensive if you don't take the freebee's.
 
SNKEBIT said:
Do I get a cookie if I pull it off on the first try? LOL:prayer:
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I have NO doubt you can do it!! You're a lot like me....the more anyone says that I can't do something the more I'm hell bent on doing it, even if it's impossible!!
The problem with cutting laminated (shaped/formed) front windshields, as opposed to flat glass, is the tremendous amount of stress that the glass is under. As long as you're careful and go slow and do a little reading (or U tube watching) you'll do fine. My "personal" biggest obstacle is patience, I want to get it done and I tend to get in a hurry. I've learned over the years to slow down but it's really hard after decades of working as hard and as fast I can. The only reason my body is so damaged (injuries) is because I don't know when to quit (and I'm over 60 years old!!!).


GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Treblig
 
Well, I tried the windshield chop today. Was almost done and ended up with a crack on the corner. I figured out why after the fact. The top and bottom cut have to be right on top of each other. I had the bottom cut a 32nd too deep in the crack area and I'm sure that's the reason for it. Sat the windshield in the car and sized to two side pieces to fit. Now, just have to weld them in.
View attachment WP_20160220_007.jpg

View attachment WP_20160220_009.jpg

View attachment WP_20160220_011.jpg

View attachment WP_20160220_012.jpg

Now, where do I send the cookie??? :D
 
You did real good!! Most folks don't even get nearly that far before getting a crack. You almost made it all the way. At least you know exactly where you stand "size wise". Eat the cookie yourself to get some energy to do the next one.

You know, if the crack is only on one side you can get it repaired (or do it yourself) real cheap!!!
A clean crack like that will totally disappear once it's repaired.
treblig
 
This guy cut the corners off first. Maybe that relieves the stress before doing any cutting. That's where yours' broke right??

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gyiR0basb4"]Cut windshield chop top custom auto glass how to laminated - YouTube[/ame]

Treblig
 
Treblig said:
What's Going On???

Treblig
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Damn "real" work!!! :protest::banghead: I really hate it that I have to make the wife happy.............. lol:wack: A guy should be able to work on his toys all day long and have the wife make all the cash.... :glasses7:
 
Finally ordered and received the QA1 rear coil overs today. Put them on and didn't take any pics.....

No eye candy for you!!!! :D

I think I am going to get the engine out of the 300 today or tomorrow and start mocking up the Paxton placement. Nothing like a blown hemi...... :glasses7:
 
Finished up pass side windshield A-pillar. No pics yet. Going to get a band saw today and haul home a Viper that needs some paint work. Never ending stuff taking my time away from the Cuda!!!!!!!!! :protest:
 
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