I need some opinions...

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Bakarooda

Hell On Wheels
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Hi all! I think I have come to the conclusion to take a completely different approach on my Barracuda project, and so far my dad (who's been helping me along the way) agrees with me. But I'd like to know what you think also.

Well, here's the deal: I've been bustin' my *** for the past year and a half trying to get my 'Cuda on the street. For the most part, I've been working with what I've got in order to have a Mopar of my own to cruise around in and take to the track. The original idea was to get it running and driving, cruise around in it for a while, and then tinker with the "little" stuff later on to get it where I want it to be. Furthermore, the fact that my best friend nearly has his Dart on the road has really inspired me to fly into the car and get it running.

The problem is, it seems like it's always one step forward and two steps back with this car, and that's not just from my point of view. Every aspect of this ol' gal needs a lot of work (read: a lot of money, which I don't have). So, I think we've decided to just stop what we've been doing and go to town on it - completely strip it, and start from scratch. It'll probably take ten times longer to finish it this way, but at least it'll get done the right way the first time, and probably cost less money in the end as well. Now, I obviously don't like the idea of not being able to put it on the road for a few more years (of course, who does?), but I realize that at the rate I'm heading now, it'll be a long time before it hits the streets anyways.

So what would you guys do in my situation? Do you think I should just keep plugging away at it, using what I have available to get it out there, or do it the "professional" way and take it down to nothing and start over?

Either way I'm at a standstill right now, and it's to that point that if I carry on with the original plan, everything I do is going to cost money - and I've already mentioned that cash is very tight at the moment. If I take this "new" approach, I'll at least be able to make some forward progress on her, albeit slow and steady. The key is that I can do this without spending much - for a while anyways.

I'd really appreciate some opinions from you guys who have "been there, done that"! Grr... college budgets suck, don't they? :grin:

Thanks in advance everyone!

-Josh
 
Josh, This is a tough one but I was in the same situation 18 months ago.
I could have put the duster on the road with minimal effort and money, but I would be tearing into it every weekend till the end of time... for example.

Rebuild the suspension and by the time you get to doing the interior or body work the suspension needs to be rebuilt again. If it is on the road it will need the regular maint stuff too! as well as the money being put into it for the restore. So my decision was to stop take a deep breath and start from the beginning. my car sits patiently as I pull my hair out because it's not done but all of the parts I put into it a year ago are still brand new. Maybe just maybe when it hits the road the way you had envisioned it, the first ride from the driveway will be very sweet indeed.

If there is one thing I hate in this world its doing things twice. There are some folks here that have a lot more time into there cars and aren't done yet. (funny it seems not so long ago that I was getting advise on being frustrated and overwhelmed :lol: )

If you can convince yourself that it will be worth it then start from the beginning, but it is your decision. With that said... don't settle for mediocrity...it's not the mopar way.

Keep the faith :salut: hope this helps
 
josh when i was young my dad taught me this if you donot have time to do it right the first time where are you going to find the time to do it again also if the car is worth doing a full restore do it from scratch and you will have some thing to be proud of , and not a car the might be ok some time soon in my 50 years of playing with cars i have done it both ways and i like do right the first time it make you a winner
 
Thank you very much for your input... That's exactly the kind of advise I was looking for!

I'm normally not the most patient person, but I definitely have a knack for doing things well. I, too, hate re-doing stuff that I've already done. Granted, there's times where you don't have any choice but to go back over things (if certain parts don't work out or whatever), but that just comes with the territory.

I'm 19, and this Barracuda is my first real project car. The '76 Dart is a side project that's owned by a friend of mine, and the '72 Demon is essentially my family's hotrod. We bought it in running condition with most of the body and interior work already done, and just tied up all the loose ends under the skin. So, despite having a lot of time and money in it, this Barracuda is like nothing I've ever tackled before.

But, I'm far from discouraged. I knew going in that this would be a long, hard road to travel, and indeed, it's living up to expectations.

Thanks again for your input. Keep 'em comin' guys!

-Josh
 
if I had another vehicle and the garage space my dart would be in the process of being completely dismantled and fixed up the right way, regardless of the amount of time it would take.

so if you can do that, do it, I think it will save a lot more headaches than it will cause.
 
My opinion, Make it drive. The only part of resto that needs to be done all at once is paint.
Can you imagine putting soooo much time and money into a car that you can't enjoy driving it ?
I plan winter projects for my cars and accumulate parts all year and make preporations. As of haloween all focus is on Christmas. Come Jan 2nd its all about cars again and what they'll see at spring thaw.
I know a couple guys who took a car completely apart and got burned out in the process. Overwhemed or lost interest and then can't give it away. Long as it'll go around the block it'll sell.
I bought my 68 notchback as a designated parts car and I've removed many pieces over the years but it'll still start and drive. I've purchased rebuilt starters and new fuel pumps etc.. rather than rob those parts that will kill its over the curb appeal.
 
Thank you RedFish! I hear what you're saying, and that's what I was thinking back when I started this project.

My predicament now is that in order to get this car on the street with it's big block, I need to upgrade both the front and rear suspension, put disc brakes on it, completely re-do the entire drivetrain, and so on. I know already that it's going to take forever, and that's where the second idea comes from. It already needs so much, why not just do it all?
 
You can build a disc brake front end on the workbench and stick it under any engine. Same goes for rear end, interior. Every aspect of the car can be upgraded and enjoyed while the big block is waiting for it's time to go in. At that point in time you should have parts and funds for radiater, exhaust etc... that goes with the engine upgrade.
There is no method to the madness though. Just different strokes for different folks. Good luck with any route you take :)
 
Let me tell you what has worked for me Josh. "In the beginning" when I was your age (can you feel it coming) I'd buy my mopars finished already on the road and I'd drive the bag off them and move on to another one. About 25 yrs. ago I decided that I'd break my next car down to the bare bones and take my time putting it on the street. I always farmed out the body work and paint and I'd look after the power train which was always BB 4 speeds. A couple cars took 2 years and my last 2, including the Demon, took 4 yrs. This way the cars were completed once and it was when I could afford them. Hell nowadays I can afford to rush out and put down 50K for a full blown hell raiser but that ain't half as much fun as building your own.


Terry:burnout:
 
I to feel your pain. I bought a rolling chassic. a few weeks later I bought a running truck for the 360 motor. I started to marry the two together then I found out the frontend needed fixing. then this and then that. So I just stopped the whole project took a deep breath----------------------------
tore the whole car apart and starting from scratch. Since I had done that I am finding all sort of future problems that would have cost dearly later. So with that said I set a 5 year plan. Although it is not a complete restore, it should still turn a few heads.
My plan will follow something like this;
year 1; body work and primer
year 2; suspension
year 3; paint
year 4; interior
year 5; motor
I think in the long run it will save tons of money, get done faster, look better and I can enjoy it more. and knowing that when i take a good look at it I won't find something "else" to fix that I messed while trying to drive and fix.

So with that, it does not matter what any of us say because like the old saying opinions are like a$$holes, everyones got one and they usually stink. So whatever you do do it the way you want it. You will be more happy in the end.
 
tear it down and do it from scratch. im into year 5 on mine but it will be worth it when its done. the last thing im doing is the motor because i want to drive it and not have anything left to do once its running.
if you an buy/build a rotisserie, it makes things alot easier.
if you have the car completly stripped, paint is easier and makes for a nicer job, no painting this and later painting that and no masking.
 
For me, the project is the fun part of the ownership. There's always something that can be stripped, sanded and finished. Every step that you finish, is one more item you can be proud of looking at, and eventually all those parts can be assembled and taken out to show others.

If you think about it, people collect and restore a lot of things other than cars. Usually they are only people who derive the satisfaction of doing it because their hobby isn't able to be driven around lol. We just get a little anxoius because we can drive ours..

Grant
 
I got my 69 Barracuda when I was 16 (got it for 600 because the slant 6 needed to be rebuilt - Blow By) but other than that it ran. My dad and I rebuilt the Slant 6 and put it back in and we put a 318 in it when I was 18 just before I graduated from High School and have been restoring (read replacing parts as they fail) since then. I'm 34 now and all that's left is the interior. It took getting rear ended to get the body straightened and painted, but it really looks nice now. Of course, now it's time to refresh the engine (it's burning oil), the tranny leaks fluid and the rear end has a nice whine to it after I step on it at a light or stop sign (HE HE!). But I've had a lot of fun in it. Upgraded the front drum brakes to the disc brakes off a 75 Valiant - boy what a difference. I'd like to think that I've saved quite a bit not having a car payment - only credit card payments as parts were needed.

I guess the real question is: Do you have another car to drive while your is being worked on? I didn't, thats why I kept mine running all these years. If yes - I'd say to do it right. Otherwise you'll be re-doing lots of stuff as things wear out before you get to it all - like me. I've rebuilt the front suspension quite a few times - probably three or four, but the last time was also replacing stuff that got wore out by being rear ended.

Am I delusional?
 
Josh;

I feel your pain.My 70 Dart has been off the road for about 13 years...

I recently made the decision to at least do enough work to get it in rolling condition.Need it able to drive on and off a trailer as we will be moving and Im NOT leaving it behind or selling either.

So now I need to add the disc brakes,manual steering,engine ,trans hood,seats....You get the picture..

At least I'll have the short term satisfaction of ripping up and down the block before putting it on the trailer!
 
Thank you so much everyone!

I think I've made the decision to just take it down to nothing and start from the bottom up.

I really appreciate everyone's input. It's made choosing that much easier.

-Josh
 
Hey, am I too late?

My object of taking the time to write this is I want to see more A bodies on the road.
And while it is wise to do it right the first time you MAY not want to do it all at once.
Just a couple of things to emphasize what other people have said about your situation.
I'll admit that the reliablity of my A bodies is second to none.
But any of these cars, no matter what is done, if used will require maintenance or more work at some point.
I know.
The following all depends on what you are starting with and where you want to go.

First.
Be real careful that you don’t get this beast apart and “loose it.”
I see cars for sale all the time that are in pieces. (Some assembly required)
It is better for it to be in one piece and I wouldn't want you to get into that kind of situation.
Know what I mean?
Next.
You said “BIG BLOCK”?
Whoa Nellie. You do know that this takes the complication factor up exponentially?
Good for bragging but I know people that have gone to the trouble and called their beloved car a “nose heavy pig”. But only in private.
If you want to actually drive the car in your lifetime you might want to reconsider.
Think about the gas, money and cussing you will save by sticking with a screaming small block.
Much more simple
Next item.
Remember, bodywork is the black hole of time management on these things.
This is what will bite you.
Again, how it looks all depends on what you want to do with the car.
And what you can live with.
See what I wrote to this person. I know you already have the car but some of it might apply.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=24221
 
de69cuda said:
I got my 69 Barracuda when I was 16 (got it for 600 because the slant 6 needed to be rebuilt - Blow By) but other than that it ran. My dad and I rebuilt the Slant 6 and put it back in and we put a 318 in it when I was 18 just before I graduated from High School and have been restoring (read replacing parts as they fail) since then. I'm 34 now and all that's left is the interior. It took getting rear ended to get the body straightened and painted, but it really looks nice now. Of course, now it's time to refresh the engine (it's burning oil), the tranny leaks fluid and the rear end has a nice whine to it after I step on it at a light or stop sign (HE HE!). But I've had a lot of fun in it. Upgraded the front drum brakes to the disc brakes off a 75 Valiant - boy what a difference. I'd like to think that I've saved quite a bit not having a car payment - only credit card payments as parts were needed.

I guess the real question is: Do you have another car to drive while your is being worked on? I didn't, thats why I kept mine running all these years. If yes - I'd say to do it right. Otherwise you'll be re-doing lots of stuff as things wear out before you get to it all - like me. I've rebuilt the front suspension quite a few times - probably three or four, but the last time was also replacing stuff that got wore out by being rear ended.

Am I delusional?
Click to expand...

no put down intended. this is what i mean. it seems to me to go this route you are never really done, just always fixing something and when you get that fixed, something else needs fixing.
if you have a place to store the car for a few years, and something else to drive, do a complete resto. when you get done its all new
 
Thank you both again for your opinions!

I have four cars in my possession now, as listed in my signature, which is apparently not showing up...

This '69 Barracuda is my baby, and I bought it with the intention of turning it in to a big block ground pounder from the very start.

I also have a '72 Demon, which is kind of an ongoing father-son resto-mod project that my dad and I have been plugging away at for the two years or so we've owned it.

There's a '76 Dart Sport that is actually owned by a friend of mine, but we've got equal amounts of time and work into it, with the intention of taking it from being a grandma-mobile to a nice little 13-second small block street car.

I also have a Dakota, which is my daily driver, grocery getter, parts hauler, and even a tow truck.

As far as storage space is concerned, my parents are more than willing to keep the car in their side yard. It's cramped and not the most ideal spot to try and work, but I can push it out front and into the driveway whenever I need without too much effort.

I hope that clears some stuff up! Thanks again guys!
 
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