Another Mopar Off My Bucket List - Barracuda Fastback

[1967 'cuda]

Sorry to hear about your cousin John. I am sure your aunt appreciates you being there, that in itself is more help than you realize.

So sad.............................

Thanks guys. Most people express grief when they lose a relative. It's understandable to feel a loss. Whatever I'm feeling cannot be as extreme as those that knew her better. I was always the guy that received birthday cards and Christmas cards but never sent any. At funerals others always seemed to know what to say while I was unable. I truly feel blessed to have had as many nice people in my life as I have and hope that they know I share their pain.

A few months from now I will find it hard to remember details about the circumstances surrounding Paulette's death. I won't remember the funeral. I'm not sure if it's a curse or a blessing, but it's the way my brain works. I've been this way all my life. I don't remember most of the details from when my mom or dad passed away. The sadness and sense of loss remain - but little else.

Working in the garage is what I do. It's the place I go. It's become part of who I am. I've been back at the projects but that doesn't mean the events of this past week haven't affected me. Until time washes them from my memory I'll still have them weighing heavily.

 

[1967 'cuda]

The driveway was still littered with parts and tools left lying after working on the Roadrunner. This morning I spent some time moving the clutter back inside. That torqueflite was still outside. Rather than spend the effort to get it back in the garage I figured I'd be better off assembling the transmission adapter and fitting it behind the motor.

The adapter is fairly simple. One thing I hadn't counted on was the remnants of the old Ford adapter that was used with the fuel altered. The back of the crank still has a sleeve on it. I may have to either put heat on it or try splitting it to get it off.

The new adapter has a sleeve/spacer that cannot go onto the back of the crankshaft until the old sleeve is removed.

In addition to removing that sleeve, I'll need to cut my rear engine plate. I'm not sure if I should open it all the way up or if I should leave some material for extra strength. The plate is 1/4" thick and will affect spacing. I need to figure out what affect it will have and if I need to have any other machine work done to compensate. The thought of cutting the mounting plate to fit around the perimeter of the adapter occurred to me. If it fit snuggly around the outside of the aluminum adapter I could have them welded together without that extra 1/4" pushing the transmission back.

Without anyone here to give me a hand, I used the cherry picker to lift it into place. Although the body was tilted up the lift was so tall that it didn't want to clear the body as I maneuvered the transmission in. The tabs that I tack-welded for the seat mount had to come back off and I can see that I'll be doing more chassis modification for the driveshaft. I'm not sure I'll be able to get the shaft angle figured out without getting a rear end assembled first.

I'm glad to have the transmission in place but there's still a lot of work to do to make it all work together.

 

[1967 'cuda]

Things are tight. With the transmission in place I set the seat on top of the tailshaft. Then I took a tape measure to see how much head clearance was left. From the lowest point of the seat to the roof I measured approximately 33". Then I sat in the seat and measured how high my head was from the bottom most part of the seat. 33" again. - And that's without a cage or wearing a helmet.

There are a few areas that can be adjusted. The roof patch is very thick above where the driver sits. At it's lowest point it's probably an inch and a half lower than it will be once everything is back in shape and it's ground down. Another way I think I can gain clearance is by moving the seat further back. The body really has a wedge shape to it and I think I'd gain a few more inches of head clearance if I modify the chassis to allow the seat to slide back another 6-8". Legroom was less than I wanted anyway, so the farther back I adjust things - the more comfortable it'll be.

I'm planning on fabricating all of the cross-members and transmission mounts to be beneath the transmission. I want to be able to remove the transmission from the topside when done. I think I'll also make a stout (bolt to the frame) removable transmission cover to use in conjunction with a transmission blanket. I am concerned about sprag/drum failure causing a big explosion between my legs. The driveshaft will get some beefy loops as well. Weight isn't a concern as much as safety.

I may be able to use measurements off the Dana in the Barracuda to establish the position of the rear end yoke. If that works out I'm hoping to start fabbing some of the roll cage soon.

 

[famous bob]

Things are tight. With the transmission in place I set the seat on top of the tailshaft. Then I took a tape measure to see how much head clearance was left. From the lowest point of the seat to the roof I measured approximately 33". Then I sat in the seat and measured how high my head was from the bottom most part of the seat. 33" again. - And that's without a cage or wearing a helmet.

There are a few areas that can be adjusted. The roof patch is very thick above where the driver sits. At it's lowest point it's probably an inch and a half lower than it will be once everything is back in shape and it's ground down. Another way I think I can gain clearance is by moving the seat further back. The body really has a wedge shape to it and I think I'd gain a few more inches of head clearance if I modify the chassis to allow the seat to slide back another 6-8". Legroom was less than I wanted anyway, so the farther back I adjust things - the more comfortable it'll be.

I'm planning on fabricating all of the cross-members and transmission mounts to be beneath the transmission. I want to be able to remove the transmission from the topside when done. I think I'll also make a stout (bolt to the frame) removable transmission cover to use in conjunction with a transmission blanket. I am concerned about sprag/drum failure causing a big explosion between my legs. The driveshaft will get some beefy loops as well. Weight isn't a concern as much as safety.

I may be able to use measurements off the Dana in the Barracuda to establish the position of the rear end yoke. If that works out I'm hoping to start fabbing some of the roll cage soon.

--------------watching !-----------

 

[SNKEBIT]

Remember, the pinion won't be centered unless one side of the rear end housing was shortened more than the other.

 

[famous bob]

Remember, the pinion won't be centered unless one side of the rear end housing was shortened more than the other.

WOW, JUST THINK HOW SHORT THE DRIVESHAFT IS GONNA BE ! ( FINGER F. U. ON MY PART) LOL

 

[1967 'cuda]

Remember, the pinion won't be centered unless one side of the rear end housing was shortened more than the other.

I know that when I have the rear end narrowed - my priorities will be to get the width correct and to make sure the pinion aligns. We played around with axle lengths on the last two rears we had done to even out tire clearance in the wheel wells. If we ever swap rear ends in the Roadrunner we'll probably do the same. When we measured for new tires/wheels the other day we found about a 5/8" difference from side to side.

 

[1967 'cuda]

WOW, JUST THINK HOW SHORT THE DRIVESHAFT IS GONNA BE ! ( FINGER F. U. ON MY PART) LOL

I'm not sure of the length yet but according to my tape measure it'll likely be around 16". I may make one fat loop around it instead of installing two.

 

[JAndrea]

WOW, JUST THINK HOW SHORT THE DRIVESHAFT IS GONNA BE ! ( FINGER F. U. ON MY PART) LOL

Hey Bob... Trying to get ahold of you about the heads you'd like to get rid of. But maybe your inbox is full?? Anybody sees Bob around pass on the message. Thanks!

 

[1967 'cuda]

WOW, JUST THINK HOW SHORT THE DRIVESHAFT IS GONNA BE ! ( FINGER F. U. ON MY PART) LOL

Bob started a thread with pictures of his Barracuda. If you can't get a message to him other ways, I'd try posting on that thread. - Otherwise, I'm sure he'll show up here sooner or later.
a few pics

 

[1967 'cuda]

I got busy with the cut-off wheel again today. I already had an idea of where I needed to cut the frame. After marking it off and rechecking things a couple of times I placed jacks beneath the chassis to keep it from flexing when things came apart.

Once cut I went ahead and positioned the seat. It's about 8" further back now and legroom seems perfect.

The view from the driver's seat isn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's hard to tell with the plastic still on the Lexan.

This thing is really hard to crawl in and out of when the body's down. I had to lower it to see how much head clearance I was going to have now. Although I had more room than before, it's still not enough. It looks like I need to consider raising the rear body mounts a few inches.

I had liked the stance the body already had but it'll probably be OK after lifting the back.

The step stool came in handy for crawling in.

Tomorrow I'll have to make a trip to the weld shop to get some steel so I can weld the chassis back together. I would have liked to have cut out the last crossbar on the floor for driveshaft clearance but figured it best to wait until the rest of the frame was re-welded. With any luck I'll get the cut out sections fabbed & welded and have time to work on the driveshaft hoop.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I didn't accomplish a lot the past few days when the weather was cooler. - Still bummed out about my cousin. Today I wanted to hit it hard. Unfortunately it was hot outside again.

I did buy the rectangular tubing to tie the frame back together when I got up. Taking a cue from Anders, I used a pair of ratchet straps to pull the rear section to the front.

Once I had it all leveled out I tacked it all together and moved my clamps out of the way. I've welded up all of it except a few of the bottom seams. I could have gotten them but figured they could wait until I borrow that rotisserie. - No sense sacrificing quality and burning myself up doing overhead welding.

The seat saddles nicely in the frame notch I made.

Now that I'll be sitting further back the family jewels are safer from a grenading 727 but I'll still be right above that driveshaft.

 

[1967 'cuda]

After measuring for a proper driveshaft loop I realized that the seat brackets would need to be fabbed at the same time. I started out by cutting & notching tubing to use as the risers. Later on I'll make a top plate that will act as a base to mount the seat to.

It got too late in the day to go back to the weld shop to buy more steel. I spent some time stripping the rest of the paint off of the front spoiler. I'll have to finish the rest of the fiberglass repairs soon. Before I lay any more glass on the front spoiler I do need to make a new body latch. The old one had a rod that protruded through just below the grill. It seemed pretty flimsy and I want one that will open quickly but will be sturdy enough that I won't be worried about the body flying open at the track.

 

[360DartGT66]

Much obliged for the ratchet strap cred but I don't feel like I invented anything.

Looks to me like you do pretty decent metal fabbing, John!

 

[famous bob]

Much obliged for the ratchet strap cred but I don't feel like I invented anything.

Looks to me like you do pretty decent metal fabbing, John!

in the pics, looks like the front u joint will be pounding on the cross brace underneath it, and the jewels ! -------LOL

 

[1967 'cuda]

Much obliged for the ratchet strap cred but I don't feel like I invented anything.

Looks to me like you do pretty decent metal fabbing, John!

Thanks Anders. I'd heard of using ratchet straps for that purpose before but without being reminded about it when I was reading your thread I probably wouldn't have remembered to do it.

 

[1967 'cuda]

in the pics, looks like the front u joint will be pounding on the cross brace underneath it, and the jewels ! -------LOL

There's no doubt that I'll be closer to it than I'd like but there's no way around it. I sure hope nothing breaks! I had considered making a loop that would be long enough to cover most of the shaft but it would have to be made in two half moon pieces (where I could remove the top half) so I could get the driveshaft in.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I don't like it! I realize that there was insufficient headroom in the car and something had to be done, but I don't like it.

Today I pulled the hinge pins on the back of the body and cut the hinge bracket tubing off. Then I jacked the body to a height where there was enough clearance for the driver. My plan was to raise it 2" but unless I was to lift it both in the front & the back, I had to go further. - Otherwise the gain was minimal.

I'm 5'10". I imagine someone taller might still have a problem. I still need to crawl back inside the car and measure to see if it's going to work as-is. If it turns out I've got more room than needed, I'll lower it back down some before I make the new brackets.

The temperature is in the mid-80s today but the humidity must be sky high. I had to take a break and sat in the garage with the air on to cool off. While at the computer I did a search for fuel cells. I think I'll try one of these 4 gallon aluminum ones that I found.

With the body down I scoped out how much room there was to mount the tank. It looks like there is plenty of space in front of the radiator. I'll have to extend the chassis forward of the front axle.

 

[SNKEBIT]

John, tilt the seat back a little so you are laying back a little more. A little tilt adds a lot of headroom.

 

[1967 'cuda]

John, tilt the seat back a little so you are laying back a little more. A little tilt adds a lot of headroom.

Good suggestion Mitch. As I was playing around with the seat I saw that I could easily gain another inch of room by doing just that. I can't cut down the back seat brackets because I need the driveshaft clearance but I should be able to raise the front about an inch to get the tilt. I know I don't have a cage in place yet but figured I better keep about 3" above my head for room.

 

[1967 'cuda]

CRIPES, it's hot!



I played around with the body height some more. I was all set to take SNKEBIT's suggestion after seeing that my head would be closer to the ground by over an inch. I decided to take another measurement with the body and realized it didn't work after all. The problem is that the when my head is tilted back farther it coincides with the curvature of back of the roof. I actually ended up with 1/2" less space. It sure seemed like a solid plan.

I was taking measurements each time I crawled in & out of the car. Eventually I was able to lower it back down some and I think I'm satisfied with how it sits now. It may not be as low as I originally had it located but at least it's not jacked up as sky high as the last position.

One thing I noticed is that I hadn't had the body properly centered on the chassis. With the steel I had on hand I wasn't able to re-do the mounts properly so I just tacked the tubing into place for now. Tomorrow I'll get new metal and fabricate my hinges again. It should be easy now that everything is positioned where it's going to stay.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I went ahead and bought one of those aluminum RCI 4 gallon fuel cells. JEGS and SUMMIT RACING had them priced at $153.49. I got one off of eBay for $63 + $21.16 shipping. I saved $69.33. It's being shipped from Texas so I might have it before this weekend.

Spencer called earlier. He finally was able to get in contact with Ken Black and discussed the Hemi. The arrival time has been bumped back a few more weeks again so we may not see it until October. He was able to get the information we needed regarding the Stage V heads and will hopefully be ordering the matching intake/blower kit soon.

Work on the funnycar was interrupted by a thunderstorm. There's a 20% chance of rain again tomorrow. If it misses us maybe I can finish the body hinges, seat mount, and driveshaft loop.

Before the fuel cell arrives I should be able to start fabricating the front chassis extension that it will attach to. I already have the tank dimensions. The front latch for the body will need to be incorporated into the extension also.

 

[famous bob]

I went ahead and bought one of those aluminum RCI 4 gallon fuel cells. JEGS and SUMMIT RACING had them priced at $153.49. I got one off of eBay for $63 + $21.16 shipping. I saved $69.33. It's being shipped from Texas so I might have it before this weekend.

Spencer called earlier. He finally was able to get in contact with Ken Black and discussed the Hemi. The arrival time has been bumped back a few more weeks again so we may not see it until October. He was able to get the information we needed regarding the Stage V heads and will hopefully be ordering the matching intake/blower kit soon.

Work on the funnycar was interrupted by a thunderstorm. There's a 20% chance of rain again tomorrow. If it misses us maybe I can finish the body hinges, seat mount, and driveshaft loop.

Before the fuel cell arrives I should be able to start fabricating the front chassis extension that it will attach to. I already have the tank dimensions. The front latch for the body will need to be incorporated into the extension also.

dam you got a lot of energy !! what are you takin, I need some !!---LOL

 

[1967 'cuda]

dam you got a lot of energy !! what are you takin, I need some !!---LOL

I don't think I've got that much energy! It's more like these projects I'm attached to have fallen off a cliff and I keep moving because I can't let go.

I've been running on empty for some time now. Every day I really have to push myself to get stuff accomplished. I start out tired and it goes downhill from there. I suppose I do get a caffeine boost from all the Mountain Dew though.

 

[1967 'cuda]

Normally I'm excited when I see another Dodge Charger pull up in front of our house. Today it made me nervous. As I was working in the garage Teresa came out and said there was a police car out front. When I turned around and looked, - sure enough. Lights flashing and all.

I figured they were probably here to complain about the funnycar. Teresa ran back inside the house because she didn't want to have to deal with it. I thought I'd meet the officer half way so I headed out the garage door. Boy, was I relieved! This time they weren't here for me - they had someone pulled over on the street out front.

As far as the car goes, I spent the day measuring, buying steel, cutting steel, and getting everything ready for welding tomorrow. I even cut the parts for the floor supports and the driveshaft loop. I also spent some time sanding down some of the high spots on the roof fiberglass. My patchwork has made it rigid but it still needs a lot of re-shaping. One of the things I measured was for an escape hatch. Putting one in would probably take care of 3/4 of the roof distortion.

The square tubing doesn't look like much yet. It's just rough cut to length. Each piece still needs to be ground, reshaped, and re-cut. I used some of the old rectangular pieces that were cut out as props that I'll need to hold the new steel in place as it's being tacked up.

I would have gotten farther but my welding lead doesn't reach far enough. Tomorrow I'll have to use a jack to slide the car over and roll it partway into the garage.