R/T 440 4 bbl HP. Nice. Is it a '68 or '69? Has Spencer had it long?
Another Mopar Off My Bucket List - Barracuda Fastback
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1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
It's a '68. We picked it up in Oklahoma about 6 or 7 years ago when he came home on leave. She was pretty nasty. These are pictures of the way it looked the first day after we got back from picking it up.
The floors were pretty much gone including the trunk floor. No seats, no instrument cluster, no engine, no transmission, no radiator, no driveshaft, quarter panels were rusted out, grill was junk, rear valance panel junk, no console, etc, etc...
We unloaded it and tore it down as far as we could right away. Spencer only had a few days before he had to return to Iraq.
Although the car was originally silver, someone had painted the engine bay orange in preparation for making a Dukes of Hazard clone.
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ariffle
Fish Shouldn't Rust
- it sure is lookin spiffy John!
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
Spiffy. - Now that's a word I haven't heard in a long time Wally.
Thanks.
signed - the Beav
So when are you going to post an update on my twin?
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ariffle
Fish Shouldn't Rust
Ya, I tend to use spiffy and groovy all the time. you should see the looks I get, priceless.
As far as any new post's on my car, well..... well......
not much to post on. seems as though any funds I earn have no priority with regards to my 67. as it turns out, everyone has pressing needs with their cars. my son's truck needed a new clutch and everything that you could imagine that goes along with it, My wifes car is always needing a few hundred spent on it monthly and then ther's my daughters Neon.. nuff said about that. You already know what happened a couple months back, well now I wished I had rebuild the head cuz now it needs it. I get to do all the things I did a short while ago all over again and then some, just to get to the head.
AAARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!
Sometimes life just sucks the will outa ya....
Long story short, no progress and most likely no fun to be had with it on the road this summer.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
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Well, it had the grille, all (?) the glass, fenders and doors... That's a bigger project than I'd take on.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
I'd advised him to pass on the car once we saw it. - But he only had a short time home on leave and didn't want to go back without purchasing one. There were a few others available but none were R/Ts and he was insistent that it had to be. I don't remember how much he gave for it but I think the guy was asking 6 or 7 thousand and Spencer got him down to $4500. - Way, way too much for what was there.
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1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
While sitting in the garage I started thinking over the radiator shroud that I'd made for the Barracuda. Although I like the way it looks, the design is flawed.
The replacement radiator I chose after the car got wrecked was a Champion 3? or 4? core. I wanted more coolant capacity and went with aluminum so that it would displace more heat. The thicker core did not allow me enough room to run the stock fan and the factory shroud wouldn't mate with the aftermarket radiator.
So I bought a large diameter electric fan that barely fit between the water pump pulley and the radiator. I thought that a fabricated shroud would help pull air through so I modified a stainless steel one that I'd bought at a swap meet.
Because I'm running Evans waterless coolant I expected the temperature to be warmer than the previous 50/50 mix I had before. It all seemed to be working fine with no surprises.
BUT! - As I said, I got to thinking about my setup and it dawned on me that it's not right.
You see, the electric fan has it's own shroud-like structure surrounding it already and the shroud that I'd built actually blocks off any air from traveling through the radiator except for the fan opening. I created a large dead space everywhere except where the fan is.
The way I see it I've got a few options.
1) Use a hole saw to make several holes around the main fan hole that would allow air to pass through. - Stainless is a pain to drill - especially with a hole saw.
2)Remove the shroud altogether and run without. - Easy-peezy.
3)Check and see if I can trim off the structure that surrounds the electric fan so that it will allow air through from the entire radiator surface. I think I like this choice best but I'm not sure if it'll work until I pull everything apart.
The replacement radiator I chose after the car got wrecked was a Champion 3? or 4? core. I wanted more coolant capacity and went with aluminum so that it would displace more heat. The thicker core did not allow me enough room to run the stock fan and the factory shroud wouldn't mate with the aftermarket radiator.
So I bought a large diameter electric fan that barely fit between the water pump pulley and the radiator. I thought that a fabricated shroud would help pull air through so I modified a stainless steel one that I'd bought at a swap meet.
Because I'm running Evans waterless coolant I expected the temperature to be warmer than the previous 50/50 mix I had before. It all seemed to be working fine with no surprises.
BUT! - As I said, I got to thinking about my setup and it dawned on me that it's not right.
You see, the electric fan has it's own shroud-like structure surrounding it already and the shroud that I'd built actually blocks off any air from traveling through the radiator except for the fan opening. I created a large dead space everywhere except where the fan is.
The way I see it I've got a few options.
1) Use a hole saw to make several holes around the main fan hole that would allow air to pass through. - Stainless is a pain to drill - especially with a hole saw.
2)Remove the shroud altogether and run without. - Easy-peezy.
3)Check and see if I can trim off the structure that surrounds the electric fan so that it will allow air through from the entire radiator surface. I think I like this choice best but I'm not sure if it'll work until I pull everything apart.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
The Charger firewall/inner fenders hole filling process has gotten further. I had decided not to straighten out the distortions and wrinkles in the firewall that were made during the production process and only focused on filling holes. Once I applied paint I realized how much more noticeable they are now that there's no hoses, wiper motor, or fan motor there. The picture seems to show more flaws than there actually are because the paint on the firewall is reflecting the shock tower. It doesn't look bad but maybe I should do a do-over. The motor will probably cover the majority of what is seen.
My 2 cents:The way I see it I've got a few options.
1) Use a hole saw to make several holes around the main fan hole that would allow air to pass through. - Stainless is a pain to drill - especially with a hole saw.
2)Remove the shroud altogether and run without. - Easy-peezy.
3)Check and see if I can trim off the structure that surrounds the electric fan so that it will allow air through from the entire radiator surface. I think I like this choice best but I'm not sure if it'll work until I pull everything apart.
Option 1 is essentially option 2 with more work.
Option 3 could be a not so good idea after all. It depends on whether the fan shroud is tight around the fan. If it isn't, the air flowing through the radiator outside the fan will compete with the air being sucked through the fan when it passes through the exit hole of the shroud. It could lead to a poorer net flow through the radiator.
Could you post a pic?
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
It's dark outside now but I can draw you one for the time being. It's a crude rendition but it might give you an idea of how it's set up.
The fan is mounted directly to the radiator and fits tight against it. My hole for the fan in the shroud is tight around the fan assembly. The fan assembly has a shroud-like lip that extends from where it mounts to the radiator out to about the point it mates with the shroud I built.
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Good morning!
I would assume that the fan assembly doesn't block flow around the fan? If so, then the fan shroud is really not doing anything except blocking any air flow that could possibly pass through the radiator outside the fan diameter.
I would assume that the fan assembly doesn't block flow around the fan? If so, then the fan shroud is really not doing anything except blocking any air flow that could possibly pass through the radiator outside the fan diameter.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
Yup. That's the problem. Although the fan assembly doesn't totally block the air coming through the radiator outside of it's diameter, it restricts it almost completely.
I had tunnel vision when I made the darn thing and only concentrated on getting it all to fit together and look good. I had so many aspects of the car build coming together at the same time that I didn't notice the potential monster problem I was creating. I'm not going to try a 50/50 mix in the system because I'm committed to keeping the Evans coolant. - But I am curious to know if I would have been overheating running regular antifreeze. If it weren't such a pain in the butt to switch back & forth, I'd give it a try before making any modifications.
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1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
DING! DANG! DAGNABIT! Problems always seem to escalate.
When I went to work on the Barracuda radiator today I saw that I was going to have to remove the fan from the radiator before I could take the shroud off. It was held in place by 4 of those zip-tie looking fasteners that you push through the radiator fins. Naturally, they're a one time use fastener so I nipped the ends off of the one side and pulled them through. The local NAPA had replacements in stock so I thought I was set.
After removing the shroud I went to put the fan back on. - That's when I saw some coolant seeping from the area of one of those pull-through fasteners. Apparently I put to much stress on one when I was trying to cut it off.
I'll have to drain the Evans and take the radiator in to have it repaired tomorrow.
When I went to work on the Barracuda radiator today I saw that I was going to have to remove the fan from the radiator before I could take the shroud off. It was held in place by 4 of those zip-tie looking fasteners that you push through the radiator fins. Naturally, they're a one time use fastener so I nipped the ends off of the one side and pulled them through. The local NAPA had replacements in stock so I thought I was set.
After removing the shroud I went to put the fan back on. - That's when I saw some coolant seeping from the area of one of those pull-through fasteners. Apparently I put to much stress on one when I was trying to cut it off.
I'll have to drain the Evans and take the radiator in to have it repaired tomorrow.
SNKEBIT
Spending $$ on Mopars
DING! DANG!
I'll have to drain the Evans and take the radiator in to have it repaired tomorrow.
I be curious as to how they're gonna fix the aluminum..............
69_340_GTS
Well-Known Member
Weld it just like any other metal?
I hate those cheap plastic fan fasteners. Not good. Never have been. Not good at all.
I hate those cheap plastic fan fasteners. Not good. Never have been. Not good at all.
SNKEBIT
Spending $$ on Mopars
Ever try to weld the thin tubes of an aluminum radiator?
ariffle
Fish Shouldn't Rust
What a P.I.T.A!!!DING! DANG! DAGNABIT! Problems always seem to escalate.
When I went to work on the Barracuda radiator today I saw that I was going to have to remove the fan from the radiator before I could take the shroud off. It was held in place by 4 of those zip-tie looking fasteners that you push through the radiator fins. Naturally, they're a one time use fastener so I nipped the ends off of the one side and pulled them through. The local NAPA had replacements in stock so I thought I was set.
After removing the shroud I went to put the fan back on. - That's when I saw some coolant seeping from the area of one of those pull-through fasteners. Apparently I put to much stress on one when I was trying to cut it off.
I'll have to drain the Evans and take the radiator in to have it repaired tomorrow.
I have those type of days WAY too often. almost everything I do takes me two steps backwards before any progress is made. I'm sorry to hear about your radiator John. I hope they can weld the fins up, it's gonna be difficult. Aluminium has to be almost completely sterile to get it to weld. Even then it could burn a big hole in it.
Bollocks! You didn't deserve that.
69_340_GTS
Well-Known Member
Nah, I can't weld at all! But I just assume that someone with the proper skills and equipment can patch it up.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
I called Larry's Auto here in town that I thought could fix it. He has a shop that did body work/radiator repair but it turns out he no longer does the radiator repair work anymore.
The next closest shop is Berringer Radiator - 10 miles away in Octavia so I called them. He said he could get to it whenever I brought it in.The owner is an older guy who must be in his 70s by now. He's always had a good reputation for his work. It's probably been 20 years since I last had him do any for me.
I told him that it was an aftermarket aluminum Champion radiator and where the leak was coming from. I figured he wouldn't be able to tell me how he'd be doing the repair until he actually saw the radiator but I asked him anyway. (I knew that some radiators are re-cored, some are soldered or brazed, and that they sometimes they will pinch off a leaking tube and close the ends.) He told me he thought an epoxy repair might work best. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
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1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
I know my memory is poor but I must have pulled some crap when I was younger and Karma is paying me back.
As I was making the previous reply in the garage my computer blew up. - That's right. It literally exploded. There was a sudden flash of light, sparks, and a few popping noises.
I've had computers die on me before but none as dramatically as that one. The dirty shop environment is most likely the cause. The rear case fan stopped working a few months ago so I unplugged it and left the side cover off. A few weeks ago the CPU fan began emitting a high pitched noise. I blew everything out with the compressor and hoped I could milk it along as long as possible.
I think I may get by replacing the power supply and those 2 fans but I'm not sure if anything else is toast.
We're running 4 different computers in our house so I'm back online now. Karma is a *****.
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A bang and some popping noises sure sounds like the power supply.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
I was facing the open computer case when it happened and I could see the flash come from the power supply. I'm just hoping there wasn't a surge that could've taken out the motherboard or drives.
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