1968 Barracuda Notch - Plano, TX

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Looking good Michael. I think I am going to steal your dolly idea to put mine in.
Come on Clair it's about time to start making progress on yours, after all it has been apart almost as long as mine.
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Been a while since I went to Keller's last... but it was with Michael and some other folks from the crew. I think I need to throw some money at getting my EFI tuned by someone who has the time and knowhow so I can start driving the thing some day. Some day soon.

Clair
 
Looks like there's quite a few DFW mopar guys...we need to make a Keller burger run.

Ooooh Keller's. Gee, where else can you get beer delivered by car hops. Isn't there something intrinsically wrong with that? I go for burger, fries, shake, and a nap.

Daty lives in East Plano near Los Rios and 14th. I live in north Plano near Legacy and Custer. I work in Richardson near Alma and Renner. Clair lives in North Richland Hills a good half hour west on the other side of DFW airport. A good outing we did once that was more centrally located was the slick track go cart racing at Speed Zone on 35 just south of 635. There is also an awesome monthly car show in NRH when the weather gets better.
 
I just do not understand why all of you want to live where the weather gets so bad. Down here in Grand Prairie we have great weather while you have the storms. Yet everyone I know lives up there. LOL
 
Can you give more details on your rear suspension? Is your car mini tubbed? Is the rear a standard width a-body housing? Do you have anymore detialed suspension photos from under the car?

It looks Awesome.....
 
Daty lives in East Plano near Los Rios and 14th. I live in north Plano near Legacy and Custer. I work in Richardson near Alma and Renner. Clair lives in North Richland Hills a good half hour west on the other side of DFW airport. A good outing we did once that was more centrally located was the slick track go cart racing at Speed Zone on 35 just south of 635. There is also an awesome monthly car show in NRH when the weather gets better.


Just let me know when you all are going. I will try to make it over. We are out on the far west side of Fort Worth. Hope to have either my 71 Dart or 71 Charger here at the house in the next month or two.
 
Can you give more details on your rear suspension? Is your car mini tubbed? Is the rear a standard width a-body housing? Do you have anymore detialed suspension photos from under the car?

It looks Awesome.....

SORRY MAN, I missed all of page #2.... Is the Rear housing stock width or cut down?
 
I just do not understand why all of you want to live where the weather gets so bad. Down here in Grand Prairie we have great weather while you have the storms. Yet everyone I know lives up there. LOL

I think the crap weather is centered around DFW airport. I live a full half hour northeast of there.
 
SORRY MAN, I missed all of page #2.... Is the Rear housing stock width or cut down?

I was having an axle built, so it is 7/8" narrower per side than the previous axle. The previous was a stock '69 A body axle with Moser axles. I had the new one cut narrower to center a wheel with 1" offset in the wheel tub. There is roughly the same clearance between the tire and the frame as there is between the tire and the wheel lip. Wheel is 15x10 and tire is a 325/50-15 drag radial.
 
Just let me know when you all are going. I will try to make it over. We are out on the far west side of Fort Worth. Hope to have either my 71 Dart or 71 Charger here at the house in the next month or two.

I don't think most people realize how big DFW is. I live just North of Dallas and I am probably a solid hour drive at 60 to 70mph from where you are and that would be in very light traffic. Yep, just checked, Benbrook to Plano is 62 miles.

Reminds me of when I lived in El Paso, TX. It was a shorter drive to San Diego, Ca than to Houston, TX.
 
I drive from here on the West side of Fort Worth to Carrollton about 3 times a month and from my house to Garland about the same. (to race offroad R/C cars) I am meeting up with some Oklahoma/Kansas Mopar guys this weekend in Decatur for the swap meet. So driving over is no problem....just may not be in the old Mopar. :)

Visiting with others, looking at cars and talking about projects is well worth the drive!
 
I drive from here on the West side of Fort Worth to Carrollton about 3 times a month and from my house to Garland about the same. (to race offroad R/C cars) I am meeting up with some Oklahoma/Kansas Mopar guys this weekend in Decatur for the swap meet. So driving over is no problem....just may not be in the old Mopar. :)

Visiting with others, looking at cars and talking about projects is well worth the drive!

Oh crap! I forgot that the swap meet was this weekend! I told #1 Son that we'd work on his train table Saturday, but the swap meet would be so much more fun... :banghead:

Clair
 
Freight delivery today. Six foot long box with a crate frame built around it.
Contents:
CAR INFORMATION
Plymouth - 1968
HARDTOP 2 Door BARRACUDA - Model BH23-7, BH23-8, BH23-9 Parts
  • Windshield
    (Curved Glass) 22" x 58"
    Pattern: DW690
    Tint: GBN - Green tint glass with blue shade across the top​
  • Front Vent Right (Early 68.)
    (Curved Glass) 8" x 16"
    Pattern: DV4072
    Tint: YTN - Solar Gray tint​
  • Front Vent Left (Early 68.)
    (Curved Glass) 8" x 16"
    Pattern: DV4073
    Tint: YTN - Solar Gray tint​
  • Front Door Right
    (Curved Glass) 18" x 30"
    Pattern: DD3848
    Tint: YTN - Solar Gray tint​
  • Front Door Left
    (Curved Glass) 18" x 30"
    Pattern: DD3849
    Tint: YTN - Solar Gray tint​
  • Quarter Right
    (Curved Glass) 14" x 20"
    Pattern: DQ4074
    Tint: YTN - Solar Gray tint​
  • Quarter Left
    (Curved Glass) 14" x 20"
    Pattern: DQ4075
    Tint: YTN - Solar Gray tint​
  • Back
    (Curved Glass) 26" x 52"
    Pattern: DB4076
    Tint: YTN - Solar Gray tint​

Absolutely beautiful! I pulled all the side glass and matched it up, looks to be perfect. As close to a fit check I can get without pulling the existing glass. I repacked it... so sorry, no pictures yet. I was nervous enough handling all that glass between the excitement and the fact that the glass is custom order pay before they make it one off glass! The rear glass and windshield also looked to be correct.

I met the reps for this company at a Goodguys show two years ago. Their banner claimed they had patterns for all cars '65 and older and many cars since. I was skeptical, means they have Fords, Chevys, and maybe E-body glass right, so the first thing I asked is about the rear glass. Guy opens the laptop, scrolls through a file, then says: "Yep." Really. Someone has a part for a '68 Notch? Turns out they CNC cut the glass. Since the curve of the side glass is standard as long as they have the pattern in the computer they can make it!

Cost for all 8 pieces: $1425. Brand new glass. Tempered safety glass, AS-1 and AS-2 DOT labels. Factory tinted. http://www.sandersreproglass.com/
 
Mike that is awesome. You are really going all out on it now. It is going to be strange seeing it without the pantina.
 
Front and rear window trim and drip rail molding removed today. Due to the angle of the rear window and the trim, the upper rear piece had its difficult moments.
 
Windshield and dash assembly removed today... my ten year old son Alec removed all the bolts and helped with the dash removal.
 
...Here is your time warp age reference: I bought the wheels on lay-away at SuperShops pre 1990 while working at a Montgomery Ward as a tire buster. Remember Eddie and Ercie Hill?...
Eddie "Thrill" Hill, First into the 5's (5.98)! Yeah, I remember Super Shops....Erson Cams, Mallory ignitions and Comp T/A tires stacked like barrels. "..Because everyone deserves performance."...
 
Alec (10 year old son) and I did a little more on the car today. Removed the weatherstripping and the stainless channel that goes up the windshield post, over the top of the door glass and quarter glass on both sides. Interesting note, there are strips of foam that go between the stainless and the body. Removed the headliner retainers on both sides, took pictures of where all the clips were located for the headliner and the retainer. Pulled the front seat belts. Put all the small pieces and screws in containers and labeled them. Took some pictures. Also pulled most of the windshield trim clips, there are a few along the bottom edge I will have to drill the heads off the screws. Noticed that some of the clips are narrower than others.

This car sat outside through at least 18 years of sand storms in El Paso, Texas. The car has not been in El Paso since 1993. I am finding sand in every crevice of this car as I disassemble it.

Also went through the contents of the glovebox. I forgot that I had the original owners manual, warranty booklet, and certicard. Car was purchased new 11/12/1968 from McCracken Motor Company in Carlsbad New Mexico. Found a picture of the dealership on the web:
http://photosnlb.smugmug.com/keyword/1968.424/1681317430_JKJz4sH#!i=1681317430&k=JKJz4sH
I looked up the address on google and did a street view. The building is still there!

I also found evidence of two other owners from the seventies. One of which I bought the car from in 1988 after it had been sitting for at least five years. I found a gas receipt for 13.5 gallons of gas for 40 cents per gallon. No date on the receipt. Found a Midas muffler receipt from 1975 and a Montgomery Wards receipt for tires in 1979.
 
Went to Keller's Saturday night...yumm burgers and beer...man was the place packed..they were flippin burgers like crazy. I swear next time I go I'll post up. Didn't have the Dart out I need to go get my 5 year tag for it. There was a black 71 Scamp there looked to be running a 340.
My buddy Steve did have his 340 sixpack 70 Coronet there.
 
Worked on the car a little more today with my 10 year old son Alec.
In February we removed the engine/trans/K-frame/front suspension assembly.
Last month we pulled the windshield trim, drip rail moldings and rear window trim, and the following week pulled the windshield and the dash assembly.
Last weekend we only had about an hour or so, we pulled the weatherstripping from the door openings, the seat belts, and the molding that holds the sides of the headliner in place.
This weekend we pulled the front and rear seats, the console, the carpet, all remaining interior trim, the door panels, package tray, the rear window, and all the window trim clips. In addition I took a angle grinder with a flapper disk and removed the up to 1/4" thick bondo on the quarter panel behind the driver's side door. I think I got it all, we will see when it goes for media blasting.

Two pictures attached, one is an overall picture, the second is a close up of the damaged area. If you look closely, the area I circled is a crease that is not supposed to be there. The top edge next to the window is supposed to be straight. I aligned the door at the front and the rocker panel, notice how the gap is wider than it should be and gets wider at the top of the door. I highlighted the pull holes with a black Sharpie. All the areas you see where I took it to the metal had bondo. I have a complete quarter, door jamb and rocker that I picked up from Carl in St Louis several years ago.

Still to go:
Remove quarter and door glass assemblies.
Remove bumpers.
Remove all exterior trim.
Remove remainder of wiring.
Remove brake lines and other random parts under the hood.
Pull all the plugs,
Scrape up seam sealer (fun, fun, and more fun)
 

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GG1 Dark Forest Green Deliciousness (picture hardly does it justice) of a panel that has not seen daylight since 1968.

Beyond that I see the openings for two 6x9 speakers and the ports for the sub woofer enclosure that will have "defrost vent" grills covering the holes!
 

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A little more progress today. Removed the quarter glass and all associated hardware from both sides. Figured out why the rear windows were such a pain. The roller that goes in the rear vertical guide was broken on both sides. Interesting how this guide adjusts both top and bottom. Need to pay attention on re-assembly to make sure that it works like it should and does not bind.

Interesting find. There was a "spare" up stop in the bottom of the passenger side rear quarter window area that was probably dropped when the car was being assembled! I wonder if it rattled a little in there?

Removed the window assembly and all the hardware, plugs, mirror, door handle, lock, latch assembly, weatherstripping and everything else from the drivers side door. The door is an empty shell now.

Pulled the damaged striker, splash shield, emblems, and the front marker light on the drivers side as well.
 
Minor progress today...

Finished removing the window assembly and all the hardware, plugs, door handle, lock, latch assembly, weatherstripping and everything else from the passenger side door. This door is an empty shell now also.

Pulled the striker, splash shield, emblems, and the front marker light on the passenger side as well.

Started on the engine harness removal. Pulled the washer assembly.

Still to go:
Remove bumpers.
Remove all exterior trim.
Remove remainder of wiring.
Remove brake lines and other random parts under the hood.
Remove the brake pedal assembly.
Pull all the plugs,
Scrape up seam sealer (fun, fun, and more fun)
 

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Saturday isn't looking good but we are going to try and go to Keller's Saturday night...there is also the Cruise on Forest this Saturday. But they are forecasting scattered thunderstorms Saturday evening. :(
 
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