67/68/69 cuda dilemma
- Thread starter moparmat2000
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moparmat2000
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Looks like a 3" wide gap lol.
moparmat2000
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A couple test fit pix of the RH wheel house and a bit of welding, grinding of the LH plymouth scamp inner wheel house. Plus fitting of the LH inner and outer wheel house sections to one another. I sandblasted the LH inner wheel house after reworking it. No pix, however it will get some 2K epoxy primer soon. The forward alignment holes on the right wheel house line right up with the body. I'm feeling pretty happy with it all so far.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Used LH inner wheelhouse sandblasted and epoxy primered. I guess I may stitch these 2 pieces together today.
famous bob
mopar misfit
Gotta say this ; all that work and u aint mini tubbing it !?!
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Nope Bob, I just unfucked a hack minitub with aluminum tubs, pop rivets, and booger **** welds holding the spring relocators in. Did a great job making the framerails look like those relocators were never there. Go back to page 17 and read through this rebuild from that page on. You will see what all I just unFucked on this car
Additionally if I was to minitub it the correct way by cutting, and moving the inner and then strapping it. I still have to reassemble it completely because of how bad it was originally cut apart. That would be the right way to do it, i would still have to reassemble the whole *** end including floors, and the quarter skins etc. and then when it's all intact and structurally solid, cut the inners and move them in. Additionally the C pillar to outer wheel house inner U channel support was torched away to make room for the aluminum tubs. I will have to fabricate these from scratch and install on both sides since every notchback parts car seems to be rotted through in these areas. Darts are different and wont work. I already looked into it.
Car will have a warmed over 318, 42RH and 3.73s going to run 225-60R15s all around. Really no need for tubs. I can roll the lip and with the right offset I can fit 275-60s without mini tubbing. No need for it.
See pic below of C pillar U channel roof support attached to outer wheel house on another notchback with quarter skin off. This piece has been cut off this car on both sides. The last 2 pix are what I was dealing with. Looking back I am so glad I pulled that whole mess out and started over.
Additionally if I was to minitub it the correct way by cutting, and moving the inner and then strapping it. I still have to reassemble it completely because of how bad it was originally cut apart. That would be the right way to do it, i would still have to reassemble the whole *** end including floors, and the quarter skins etc. and then when it's all intact and structurally solid, cut the inners and move them in. Additionally the C pillar to outer wheel house inner U channel support was torched away to make room for the aluminum tubs. I will have to fabricate these from scratch and install on both sides since every notchback parts car seems to be rotted through in these areas. Darts are different and wont work. I already looked into it.
Car will have a warmed over 318, 42RH and 3.73s going to run 225-60R15s all around. Really no need for tubs. I can roll the lip and with the right offset I can fit 275-60s without mini tubbing. No need for it.
See pic below of C pillar U channel roof support attached to outer wheel house on another notchback with quarter skin off. This piece has been cut off this car on both sides. The last 2 pix are what I was dealing with. Looking back I am so glad I pulled that whole mess out and started over.
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Wow! I made it up to the current post, most impressive! I noted where you used this thing to blow out your cowl. Is it anything special? I tried to use something similar on the Dart but mine is a low-flow nozzle, it doesn't blow hard enough to push the crud out.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Thanks 4 the kudos. It's been a long road in a short period of time,and a longer road to go. The blower is just something I picked up off the matco truck. It does well but theres junk trapped in there it wont ever get out as evidenced by the borescope pix. I will be drilling off the cowl panel, cleaning it out, fixing any minor corrosion, and putting a fresh coat of paint inside.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Well I got the LH wheel house welded up and temp installed. This one slipped right in really easy. The RH one gave me fits. I had to split the sheetmetal on the outer in the front, bump it and weld it, also had to add a strap where it was too short. Nice to see a plan come together.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Well I am ready to put the transition pan in for good. I took a little time with a sharpie to add some words to my Lord God for my little buddy before I cover it all up for good. I hope this helps to keep him safe when he is enjoying this car in his adult life. Maybe Jesus would enjoy copiloting with him every once in awhile.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Pan is clamped. In several places, The 2 upper shock stud/bolts are in place, the 2 forward 1/4-20 sems bolts and body washers are tightened down. All that's left is to weld it, and grind it down. Will do that sometime this week. Framerails are dead level, so there wont be any built in twist when it gets put together.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Well today was welding day. Got that transition pan and the outboard rear lap belt mounts welded in. Started grinding it all down. Was 100° out there I quit around 3:30pm. Got about 1/3 of it ground down. Removing the framerails from this transition pan to reuse the pan I used 3/8" drill bits. Of course that left some big *** holes to rosette weld. That in turn leaves a lot of weld to grind down. Anyhoo, it doesnt look super great up top since I kept having to work the metal down to fit tight at the framerails in the seat pan area, but the welds are solid and that's an area nobody sees anyways. I will work at getting the rest of the welds ground down and the floor pan sanded on the top side to prep it for primer.
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moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Got a bit more grinding done on the welds. Working my way around to the right side front. Thats all I got left to grind down. Back is all ground down and cleaned up. Circled with a sharpie about a half dozen welds that I wasnt too happy with. Will go back and hit those with the welder again.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Used a perfectly sized screwdriver shank to line up the holes for the seat braces. Got everything welded in, and rest of the spotwelds on the transition pan ground down. Test fit the trunk divider panel. The lower tabs and upper hooks line up well. Got a couple weld spots that are solid but sit up a bit high for my liking. I need to grind on those as well. Stevie Wonder might think they are AoK but I dont lol
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Not much new to report. It's been hotter n hell out here. We had some rain, it's made the humidity go waaay up making the heat even more miserable. Yesterday was 103°, and today it was 104°. I have other projects I have been working on. I may have to be done with this until cooler weather prevails. I did figure out what screen I want to put on the 4x6 speaker grille frames I made awhile back. With selecting stuff like this sometimes the right thing has to "pop" when you see it. Well today at work, I was dumping some scrap metal from my department into the scrap dumpsters. I spy some perforated aluminum scrap. I'm like hey now this is exactly what I am looking for. Well the sample piece in the pic is actually too thin and easily dented because its .015" thick. But the holes are .078" diameter which I like. I did find on ebay however the same aluminum perforated sheet in .040" thick with the same .078" diameter holes. Not sure if I want to JB weld the screws in place making them like studs and HB weld the screen over the top and shape the edges, or mount the screen from behind leaving the frame exposed. I will be picking up a 24"x24" piece of this stuff since I will be making similar grille covers for the 6x9s
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moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
I do tend to jump around a bit, however I have multiple things for this build going on in my head. It's like I have a built in rolodex and I am mentally working on different parts in my head for this thing. Kind of like the American Pickers guys, my brain pops when it sees the right thing needed for any given project on this thing.
Anyhoo, I got a really good deal awhile back on a windshield washer kit with the electric pump. Since this car is a blank slate as the fender tag was lost to the 4 winds long ago, it was a toss up as far as it being a prestolite V speed or corporate 2 speed wiper assembly under the hood. We all know the 2 speed wiper switch isnt set up for electric washer and uses a foot pump, and I have an electric washer reservoir tank.
Anyways I also got a nicely restored 2 speed wiper motor from another fabo member, and have 2 rough prestolite V speeds i will eventually turn into 1 good one. I also have the correct wiper switches for either type of motor.
Here is my solution since the new M&H engine and dash harnesses both have the brown electric washer wire serviced in, is to unpin it at the switch end. Repin it into a single connector, plugged into a single brown wire of the same gage, and run this wire down to the modified foot pump to this heavy duty momentary contact switch I just bought, then run the wire up to the fuse box and jump it in. This way nothing is modified in the car in such a way that it cannot be easily undone should we decide to rebuild a V speed at a later date for the car.
Below is an original pump that does not work, and the pump that I flipped over the cup and welded from the back, and opened up the back for a switch. I think I had pix of how I modded the foot pump mount awhile back. You can see theres enough room for the back of the switch to not touch the floorboard, however I will make a plastic shield to go behind the switch.
Anyhoo, I got a really good deal awhile back on a windshield washer kit with the electric pump. Since this car is a blank slate as the fender tag was lost to the 4 winds long ago, it was a toss up as far as it being a prestolite V speed or corporate 2 speed wiper assembly under the hood. We all know the 2 speed wiper switch isnt set up for electric washer and uses a foot pump, and I have an electric washer reservoir tank.
Anyways I also got a nicely restored 2 speed wiper motor from another fabo member, and have 2 rough prestolite V speeds i will eventually turn into 1 good one. I also have the correct wiper switches for either type of motor.
Here is my solution since the new M&H engine and dash harnesses both have the brown electric washer wire serviced in, is to unpin it at the switch end. Repin it into a single connector, plugged into a single brown wire of the same gage, and run this wire down to the modified foot pump to this heavy duty momentary contact switch I just bought, then run the wire up to the fuse box and jump it in. This way nothing is modified in the car in such a way that it cannot be easily undone should we decide to rebuild a V speed at a later date for the car.
Below is an original pump that does not work, and the pump that I flipped over the cup and welded from the back, and opened up the back for a switch. I think I had pix of how I modded the foot pump mount awhile back. You can see theres enough room for the back of the switch to not touch the floorboard, however I will make a plastic shield to go behind the switch.
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moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
With the rain we had, and now 104°- 105° days the pan got a fair amount of flash rust, so I knocked that off, dressed the welds on the trunk braces, and shot 2 coats of epoxy primer on it. Now I am ready for the next part which will likely be the wheel houses installation once this heat subsides a bit.
440jimr
Well-Known Member
I like the foot pump mod....nice work. I am sure I speak for others, we appreciate you documenting your build for us!
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Thank you. It's been slow going with the heat out there. Wheel houses are all built up, so that may be what goes in next.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
So one of the things I had on a wish list for both cudas was positive battery cables. Yes I have charred and tortured looking originals. I also have a 318 as a mockup in my 67. So after buying and trying 3 different "repop" cables that were supposed to be "correct" but were too short. Plus they didnt have the woven heat shielding on the starter end like my tortured looking OEM one has. They had to be returned , I decided I would just make my own for both cars in the right length. I have a car with a mockup engine in it may as well use it. Anyhoo since I figured this might be a problem with many others 67-69 small block A bodies I made up 6 extra cable sets, 3 sets tentatively sold. If anybody is interested let me know. Price for a positive and negative set is about $100 cheaper than Year One. Not concours correct for a 100 point resto, but very nice with good quality materials, and are proper length fit the firewall clip.
Heres pix.
Heres pix.
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moparmat2000
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Picked up a few needed things in the junkyard a couple weeks ago. Got lucky and got this 90° filter adaptor for sonny's 318 off an M body engine in the motor pile. Engine was laying on its side, with the filter side pointed straight up. Only small block mopar there. Easy peasy. This thing was crusty as heck. Had to scrape the chunx off it with a small screwdriver first before scrubbing and cleaning it inside and out with mineral spirits then lacquer thinner to get the rest. That engine probably has got 302 castings on it. I may have to go back for those. I also picked up a slightly used weiand stealth 8022 for $200. Right now she is a parts collection along with sheetmetal that's slowly going in. Temps are starting to come down to reasonable. 93°-96° is reasonable after the 116° **** we had.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Well I drove to lubbock and met up with a fellow fabo guy who was all the way from San Diego CA. Andy who goes by ABCuda on fabo was travelling across the country delivering barracuda parts as he went. I scored a southern California clean Chunk "O" Cuda from him. I will be slowly and carefully dismantling this cardaver as it has many needed structural parts and rust thru replacement parts that will be used for my sons 69 notch.
The pieces we need off of it are parts I just cannot buy as repops. My only option until this gem popped up was to fabricate what we needed. I could have done that since I do possess those skillz, but would have preferred to not. The trunk jamb water channels on our cuda are so rust perforated, and on this cardaver they are solid. It also has great condition and intact trunk hinge supports, and solid roof to outer wheelhouse supports with only light surface rust. These were ruthlessly torched out of my sons car when ricky racer stuck those horrid aluminum tubs in probably back in the 1980s sometime.
The pieces we need off of it are parts I just cannot buy as repops. My only option until this gem popped up was to fabricate what we needed. I could have done that since I do possess those skillz, but would have preferred to not. The trunk jamb water channels on our cuda are so rust perforated, and on this cardaver they are solid. It also has great condition and intact trunk hinge supports, and solid roof to outer wheelhouse supports with only light surface rust. These were ruthlessly torched out of my sons car when ricky racer stuck those horrid aluminum tubs in probably back in the 1980s sometime.
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moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Just some of the areas I needed metal for circled because it was torched out or because of the rust perforation thats going on.
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440jimr
Well-Known Member
Nice score!
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Started peeling this one open today. I think I made pretty good progress on it. Keeping the tops of the quarters, the trunk hinge supports. The rear window C channel, and the C pillar roof supports. The rest of it as I clean it up and take pix will go on the sale forum including the framerails wheel houses and crossmembers. Should have this thing pretty much apart by monday afternoon.
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