1969 Barracuda Fastback

[RealWing]

Thanks Hawk for the explanation and looking forward to see your Roadrunner back on the street soon.
RealWing, have not converted to a voltmeter yet, but when I replaced the alternator wire, I elegantly bypassed the bulkhead connector having the wire still running through the same hole.

View attachment 1715512609

That was a great idea but still leaves the troublesome ammeter connections. They can also overheat and cause a dash fire. Connecting the alternator output directly to the starter relay or battery is still the best option combined with converting the ammeter to voltmeter.

 

[Machmeter1]

RealWing, I have to write that this solution was not my idea, I picked it up on a Mopar tech article.

Today it was a bit of a lucky day for the Barracuda. I finally could get the Waldron's exhaust system fixed. A very friendly and skilled guy at the local exhaust shop Contact Exhaust Warehouse | Fairborn, OH | 937-878-6750 did a great job. He put two bends on my exhaust pipe and it fit perfectly. I proceeded to install the intermediate pipe, muffler and..., got stuck again - a bend on the tailpipe was off too. Ok, again back to the exhaust shop and get the bend fixed. The same guy, I mentioned above needed two minutes to clamp it in the machine and correct the bend. He did not charge me anything, so I paid for his lunch. It is just a pleasure to watch somebody, who enjoys his work and is also really good at it.

My final resume about the Waldron's exhaust system:
The price and initial customer service are good; I might have been an unlucky customer but out of 4 pieces 2 didn't fit; I wrote them an Email and attached pictures of the mismatching parts, till now not really a satisfying response; Quality of the pipes and muffler should be ok.
With a lot of extra time invested and 2 runs to a capable Exhaust shop - I finally got a perfectly fitting single exhaust system. The only thing, the universal tailpipe hanger which came with it needs to be replaced. I need to get something more original looking.
​

Since I was already in town, I tried to get the power steering hose custom made. Drove to "Genuine Auto Parts" and showed them the junk piece I got from SummitRacing. To my surprise, they had one in their warehouse and two hours later I could pick up a new power steering hose (unfortunately not made in USA), but it looked way better than the piece I got from Summit. Most importantly, it had the right fittings and so I placed right away a second order - just to have the right spare part.

Also installed the transmission cooler lines from DoctorDiff Drivetrain Components, they fit very well and seem to be of decent quality.
Got more done today than expected - happy about that.

 

[HawkRod]

all true except in the case where you have a badly discharged battery. Then the current delivered to accessories and the battery may exceed the approx 35 amps limitation on the bulkhead connectors.

Yes, absolutely - I did not think about this situation. I agree fully.

That was a great idea but still leaves the troublesome ammeter connections. They can also overheat and cause a dash fire. Connecting the alternator output directly to the starter relay or battery is still the best option combined with converting the ammeter to voltmeter.

I converted my Road Runner to a voltmeter and made other electrical changes to allow for more power. I got in a discussion with a guy about the ammeter, and he was insistent that the ammeter itself is not a problem. The ammeter itself is very stout, and the connections are bolted to the ammeter rather than the spade connectors. I agree that I don't like the idea of lots of power running through an ammeter and a single point of failure, but with the changes Wolfgang made I would feel pretty confident that his system would be fine.

Hawk

 

[Machmeter1]

Had just a very long phone call with Waldron's Exhaust, car exhaust, truck exhaust, exhaust pipes, mufflers, they were very open to my complaints and took notes of all the issues I ran into. They couldn't explain why the system didn't fit perfectly and apologized for the inconvenience. We agreed on a fair partial refund, so I am good with that and would buy again from them.

 

[Machmeter1]

Short update:
Installed the new P/S pressure hose (right side on the picture)- the left one goes back to SummitRacing. Also connected the heater hoses, organized a few wires, hang the fan shroud over the pullies, and installed fan and spacer. Then I tried to find the fasteners for the fan shroud and realized, that I threw them away. That was a week ago when I cleaned up the garage and the only bolts which were not marked in a zip lock bag - what an idiot - had to order new once for $$

 

[missing linc]

Looks impressive, super clean, I'll say it again, you do really nice work.

 

[Machmeter1]

Working off things from my to-do list which seems to never end. I was missing a little damper spring on the passenger exhaust manifold valve. After an extensive search on the web, I could find a picture of the spring. Well, I did not continue to find someone how sells these springs for probably high dollars. Went to the local hardware store, bought a similar spring, shorten and bend it - done - checked off the list.

I followed the advice from Mpgmike and Realwing and connected an additional ground wire to the radiator. Now I have a connection from - batt. to engine and radiator support/body, and from the radiator support to the radiator - that should be enough ground.

 

[Machmeter1]

Water hose fittings:
A few months ago I ordered (don't remember the vendor) a set of water hose fittings for a 69 318 LA.

Well, almost all vendors carry the same looking product, but no way that the bypass hose fitting matches the hole in the water pump. I strongly believe that I had the original water pump on the motor. So either I am wrong, or these products are not correct for a 69 SB. Also, the new water pump from Bill Rolik Enterprises - N.O.S., Reproduction, and Replacement Chrysler Parts - which is slightly different from the original (3 inlets/alternator bracket seat) had the same bypass hole diameter, like the one I had on the motor.
Therefore, I will definitely keep the old water pump core and get it rebuilt in the future.

For the dyno test, I used the fitting, which I was able to rescue from the old water pump. It had a lot of pitting on it so I wanted to replace it. Regarding bypass hose fittings, there are some helpful articles here on FABO. So I went to the local hardware store, got some of the suggested fittings, and started experimenting.

The best solution for me:
I used one of the fittings from the above-mentioned sets in combination with a 3/4M x 1/2F
brass adapter.
Hopefully, that helps someone who is dealing with the same issue - wasted a lot of time on that subject.

 

[Machmeter1]

Spark plug wires:
Got one of the sets advertised for a 69 SB and Pertronix compatible. Even though I laid them out and tried to match each wire to a cylinder, I am not really happy with those precut wires. For a more satisfying result, next time I gonna cut and crimp the spark plug wires by myself. For now, I leave them as they are.
With the spark plug wires installed, the engine compartment starts to look more complete again.

 

[HawkRod]

Spark plug wires:
Got one of the sets advertised for a 69 SB and Pertronix compatible. Even though I laid them out and tried to match each wire to a cylinder, I am not really happy with those precut wires. For a more satisfying result, next time I gonna cut and crimp the spark plug wires by myself. For now, I leave them as they are.
With the spark plug wires installed, the engine compartment starts to look more complete again.

I also have given up on precut spark plug wires and simply cut my own - I have found I end up with a better result and a cleaner installation.

Looks super clean and nice! Keep up the good work!

Hawk

 

[qkcuda]

Looks a lot nicer than when I first got it.

 

[Machmeter1]

Thanks Qkcuda, still missing the big black piece on top of the water pump, that will be the project for next winter.

 

[qkcuda]

If you get your driveshaft, will it be running soon?

 

[Machmeter1]

There are still things to do, but I am working on it.

 

[Machmeter1]

Fuel sending unit:
Finally, I got something done, which I kept postponing due to safety concerns - installed the fuel sending unit. Even though I worked very cautiously, had the fuel tank drained as best as I could, tank checked with an endoscope, 2 fire extinguishers close by, it was still very scary and stupid to work under the car. Definitely, the last time that I do such a job at home risking health, house and car - just too dangerous and absolutely not worth it. Thank God nothing happened.
If there is again an issue with the sending unit or tank, I will bring it to a shop, empty the tank there, flush it with water, and get the whole tank replaced - no compromises anymore. My initial plan was to do this job at Kammer&Kammer when we installed the engine but due to limited time, we didn't.

Reason for replacing the fuel sending unit and all fuel lines was, the car came with a 3/8" big block set up and electric fuel pump. Also, the whole system didn't look really good anymore, so for safety reasons, it was absolutely mandatory to replace everything.

Aftermarket replacement fuel sending units are known for false readings, so I tried to find an original unit in good condition. Thanks to member Barracudakid I got a really nice 5/16" unit in decent condition. After soaking the unit for two hours in simple green and cleaning the contacts with a fiberglass pen it turned out really nice. From Bill Rolik Enterprises - N.O.S., Reproduction, and Replacement Chrysler Parts I purchased an OE type filter, ground strap, and rubber seal. The brass float had a dent but did not leak air. Still, when I changed the units I decided to use the brass float from the 3/8" unit. There was no way to fit the ground strap to the pre-bend fuel line, so I ended up connecting them with a wire and an additional ground wire to the body.

Curious if it will work in a satisfying way - the ohm reading looks ok. ​

 

[Machmeter1]

Weatherstrip trunk:
Installed a new weatherstrip on the trunk. Removing all the old weatherstrip and adhesive took almost half a day and was quite a punishment. I took my time and worked very cautiously in order not to damage the original paint. Preinstalled the weatherstrip with plenty of spring clamps and made reference marks. Those reference marks allowed a satisfying installation result and prevented ending up too short or too long. A bit of trimming on the intersection was required anyways.

On my previous projects, I used M3 weatherstrip adhesive and achieved very satisfying results with it. I didn't want to change a winning system and therefore decided to use this product again. I applied adhesive just from one reference mark to the other reference mark at a time. Continuing this way, I kept working all around the trunk opening. The two lower rear corners are a bit tricky, due to change in the sheet metal profile.

Once the weatherstrip was installed I greased it with Vaseline and kept the drunk lit shut for 3 days. A new weatherstrip always needs a bit of time to get its final shape and seal smoothly all around. Vaseline is very helpful in making this process easier and prevents the new weatherstrip from sticking to the trunk lid.

Quite happy with the quality of this weatherstrip - don't know the manufacturer/brand - bought it with the car.

I just love to hear the sound now when closing the trunk lid.

 

[Machmeter1]

Setting the ride height:
I emptied the fuel tank and don't wanna mess around with fuel in the garage again, so I will just get 2 gallons which I need for a first test drive. Before that, I wanna get an initial setting on the front and rear suspension.
According to my research, the 108" wheelbase Barracuda has a fuel tank capacity of 18 gallons which equals 109.31 pounds or 49.57 kg.
So before tightening the leaf spring bushings and shackles on the rear suspension, I wanted to simulate a full gas tank. Grabbed a scale, loaded the trunk with the desired ballast, and bounced the car several times - that was easy.

The front suspension still gives me some headache. I made me a simple gauge that I placed under the inner measuring points. According to the Shop Manual, there should be a 1-3/8" difference between the inner and outer measuring points. Well, I followed the instructions, set one side at a time, bounced the car a few times, and proceeded with the other side. Thought I got the right setting, but when I checked it again on the next day the measurements on passenger and driver side differed. Well, set it again and let it sit overnight - next day the same problem again.

It seems that the torsion bars have quite a delay in finding the final tension - is that normal?

Thanks, Wolfgang

 

[HawkRod]

Wolfgang,

I have had similar issues. I finally simply counted the number of full turns that I tightened the torsion bar adjusting bolts and used the same number of turns on both sides - 40 in my case. This was measured from the same reference with the top of the bolt flush with the top of the fitting. That seemed to work for me.

 

[qkcuda]

I simply measured at the wheel lip and evened up both sides. If the rear springs are slightly different it will affect the torsion bar adjustment.

 

[Machmeter1]

Hawk and Qkcuda, thanks for the input, good to know that I am not the only one who experienced this problem. Counting the numbers or measuring the threaded distance on the bolts is definitely an idea. I also thought about going the easy way and just measure the distance on the wheel lips, but I am concerned about the accuracy of this method.
I am aware that a classic car is not built with the precision of a Swiss watch, but still, I want to stay at least within the tolerances provided by Plymouth - whenever it is possible.

 

[Machmeter1]

Finally, after another night I got a perfect result on both sides. Like you mentioned Qkcuda, a bit off on the rear springs and it affects the torsion bar adjustments. On the rear and also on the front equal measurements on both wheel lips - even though I kept setting the ride height in the front according to the SM.
It seems like the Barracuda still has a very straight body.

 

[Machmeter1]

Door lock ferrules:
Making slow progress, but the to-do list is long. After reading this article:
A body door lock ferrules
I followed suit and ordered those ferrules: Body - Body Plugs - 67-76 A Body Duster Dart Stainless Door Lock Ferrules - 67-76, A, Body, Duster, Dart, Stainless, Door, Lock, Ferrules
They fit perfectly, are priced fair, and look (in my opinion) better than the transparent plastic junk. Removal of the door panel was not necessary, I used a stiff wire from a coat hanger and bent a hook on one side - that worked fine for bending the tabs.

@rob_robinson87 and @ocdart, thank you for the tip.

 

[Machmeter1]

Carpet sampling:
Due to a later installed console, the original carpet had a few cutouts and needed to be replaced. Otherwise, I would have kept the original carpet, which does not show signs of fading (see picture below) and is still in very good condition. The carpet at the fold-down area ditto, therefore I didn’t want to touch this area.

So, the problem was to find a new carpet which matches the color of the original carpet.

I ordered a few model/year specific samples from Auto Carpet for Car, Truck, Van - Stock Interiors, but none of them really matched the existing carpet. One of my last options was to send a sample of the original carpet to Stockinteriors, which worked out perfectly. They send me two more samples and one of those (ACC 620) matched almost perfectly – was very happy about that.

Thank you, Stockinteriors!

 

[Machmeter1]

Floor pan preparation:
Removing the carpet is always good for a surprise. I was very happy with the condition of the floor pan on the Barracuda. Some imperfections, but one of the nicest floors I have seen so far. The same goes for the back seat, it seems like it has not seen much passengers in the last 50 years.

The following tasks were on the to-do list: Removing the brackets from the console (car came originally without console); plug the holes from the safety loop and B&M shifter with rubber blind plugs; clean and conserve the floor pan.

Since some guys from the classic Porsche community pay a lot of money for concours horse hair padding, I decided to keep the original insulation, which is still in excellent condition.

 

[Machmeter1]

Carpet installation:
As mentioned in a previous post, I decided to reuse the horsehair padding. The carpet itself is an ACC product without mass backing and was ordered through Stockinteriors - fitment was ok.