Just Bought a 65 Barracuda that sat for over 20yrs.

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Mr.Extrodinaire

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My son's in 2nd yr incollege & we are working on prepping for a first start on a 60yr old Cuda I got for $1,500.00 from a client of mine which let the car sit in her carport for 20yrs. Here in Tucson! We're Stocking up parts to replace most standard wear parts that are not expected to be worth neglecting. I, being a military trained metal worker & owned 2 other Mopars, will be rebuilding the original radiator. My son & I will be replacing, front end suspension, freeze plugs, points, condenser, coil, dist cap, plug wires & plugs. Replacing hoses, radiator hose water inlet because it is mostly a useless chunk of rust! Both front & rear drum brake pads, cylinders, hardware & turning original drums & replacing bearings if needed. Replacing water pump, new belt, rebuilding the original 2 Barrel carburetor for its 273ci 4.5L Stock V8. Of course, going to do a compression test & gage the crank bearings to determine wear & condition of crank, rods & rings. Going to put in fresh oil with Marvael Mistery Oil for first start after putting a clean new oil filter & squirting Seafoam Into the cylinders to soak the rings. Of course, set the rocker/lifter gaps & spray Marvel Mystery oil to loosen sludge in heads before first start to allow best case to revive life into the old powerhouse.
It would be great to hear of any wisdom from those who have already went on a similar " ROLLER COASTER RIDE" !
I've shared what I am thinking! Anyone have fair warnings of what not to do because it could be devastating after what your experience has proved to be reality?
There is a lot here, but all this is the easy list. The work is just getting ready to begin! Thanks in advance to all you Risk Takers that have proud results that have equipped you with real stories to share!
Blessings & thanks in Advance!
 
i'd yank the valve covers off and see how bad everything might be. should give you a pretty good picture of what the rest would look like. if that passed the sniff test, i'd pull the plugs and squirt some MMO in the cyls and bar the motor over by hand real easy. make sure it's not clunky and chunky or super stiff in any one place.

throw some gaskets at the carb, do the absolute cheapest points, condenser, cap, rotor wires & plugs i could get. drain it and throw some cheap oil in and filter on. then see if could get it to pop and fart on a nurse bottle.

if it makes fire, then i'd sit down a make a plan of attack. deciding what i wanted to upgrade, what absolutely needed to be replaced and what direction i wanted to take the car.

considerations such as: why rebuild the brakes if upgrading to discs or bothering to repair [blank] when you're upgrading or replacing it are key to not spending the time and money doing something twice.

make it safe, make it reliable, upgrade smartly. sounds like a fun project!
 
I'd replace the parts that ned to be, and run the rest until they are shot. Some new replacement parts these days are junk, the rest are a matter of luck. So points, condensor, ball joints, tie rod ends, wouldn't toss unless they fail or are out of spec. Heck even water pumps I've bought have been no good, How could someone screw that up you ask? Oh they can. Had one the inlet was flattened - on the side! I asked my parts guy if he had a D-shaped hose to match. OK. Brings in another one from his distributor and the impeller is hitting the housing. He's not happy - and that was A-1 Cardone...

Bleed the brakes. When looking for replacement brake parts, be aware the brake system saw a minor change in '68 and then the drum brake hardware and shoes changed in '69. So you want to match whichever system you go for so the adjusters turn the correct direction. The shoes are basically backward compatible but the hardware is not; its '68 and earlier or '69 and up.

Get the factory shop manual!
 
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Mr.Extrodinaire said:
My son's in 2nd yr incollege & we are working on prepping for a first start on a 60yr old Cuda I got for $1,500.00 from a client of mine which let the car sit in her carport for 20yrs. Here in Tucson! We're Stocking up parts to replace most standard wear parts that are not expected to be worth neglecting. I, being a military trained metal worker & owned 2 other Mopars, will be rebuilding the original radiator. My son & I will be replacing, front end suspension, freeze plugs, points, condenser, coil, dist cap, plug wires & plugs. Replacing hoses, radiator hose water inlet because it is mostly a useless chunk of rust! Both front & rear drum brake pads, cylinders, hardware & turning original drums & replacing bearings if needed. Replacing water pump, new belt, rebuilding the original 2 Barrel carburetor for its 273ci 4.5L Stock V8. Of course, going to do a compression test & gage the crank bearings to determine wear & condition of crank, rods & rings. Going to put in fresh oil with Marvael Mistery Oil for first start after putting a clean new oil filter & squirting Seafoam Into the cylinders to soak the rings. Of course, set the rocker/lifter gaps & spray Marvel Mystery oil to loosen sludge in heads before first start to allow best case to revive life into the old powerhouse.
It would be great to hear of any wisdom from those who have already went on a similar " ROLLER COASTER RIDE" !
I've shared what I am thinking! Anyone have fair warnings of what not to do because it could be devastating after what your experience has proved to be reality?
There is a lot here, but all this is the easy list. The work is just getting ready to begin! Thanks in advance to all you Risk Takers that have proud results that have equipped you with real stories to share!
Blessings & thanks in Advance!
Click to expand...

Drain the gas from the tank and replace fuel filters. The rest sounds good. Keep everything, and I mean everything, till you are happy with results, there is a lot of substandard junk out there. Hopefully that 273 is not stuck and she will fire right up.
 
After making sure the engine turns freely by hand I would prime the oil pump before attempting to start. Good luck with your Barracuda. My grandparents bought one new in 64 or 65.
 
I’d check the oil, throw a battery in it, squirt some fuel down its yap and twist the old ignition stick. You might be surprised. Ask the lady why they parked it, there could be some good info there. I bought my first dart because the previous owner parked it when the power steering pump wouldn’t work. I put fluid in it and drove it home.
 
I'd file the points, gap them, pull plugs and give the cylinders a squirt with oil, put a good battery in, hit the key with the plugs out, put plugs back in, (or new ones if the existing ones are bad, could be a hell of a story just in looking at those plugs....) hook up a hose to the fuel pump and dip the other end into a fresh can of fuel that I set by the front wheel near the pump... and let er rip.... maybe clean the carb and do a quick rebuild on it in between all of that. I understand everything on your list of "replace right now" stuff but let's just see if we have fire first...
Within the past couple of months I bought a /6 and trans, fan blade to output flange on trans... air filter housing to oil pan... While it was on my trailer I hooked up a hot battery to the starter via jumper cables, and a jumper to the hot on the coil, filed the points, splashed some gas in the carb, jumped the terminals on the starter with a screwdriver and was surprised it fired right up after having sat on the dirt floor of a barn for nobody remembered how long..... I bought that whole motor and trans package for 1 part that the PO wouldn't seperate.... I then took off what I wanted and sold the trans to one guy and the engine to another.... and was an easier sell on the engine since I could tell the buyer it did in fact run and didn't knock.... I didn't run it any longer than necessary to verify that, since I didn't have a radiator connected.... but it ran, started easily, and sounded strong... surprising how easy it did fire up.
I had to buy the whole motor/trans, for the adapter plate they used in the 60s, to bolt a small block 727 to a /6 block....
 
Welcome aboard!

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66fs said:
Drain the gas from the tank and replace fuel filters. The rest sounds good. Keep everything, and I mean everything, till you are happy with results, there is a lot of substandard junk out there. Hopefully that 273 is not stuck and she will fire right up.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for your suggestions.
I actually was foucsed on the engine when typing the initial list, but yes, I am planning on dropping the tank, draining it, checking for moisture, rust & varnish as well as the condition & function of the fuel level sending unit & the conditon of the filler neck & rubber seal! Hopefully, being in Tucson AZ has mitigated levels of rust & rot in the places that really matter. So far, the battery box & water intake are the biggest rust victims, unless I count the Radiator cap & thermostat which had nearly every bit of steel coverted to a pile of moist rust! No more evidence of hard matter could be detected that wasn't brass!
I appreciate all the feedback!
It helps me to know I'm on the right track!
Also shows that hawe have quite a bit of work before this car could be simply used the drive to the track
 
junkyardhero said:
i'd yank the valve covers off and see how bad everything might be. should give you a pretty good picture of what the rest would look like. if that passed the sniff test, i'd pull the plugs and squirt some MMO in the cyls and bar the motor over by hand real easy. make sure it's not clunky and chunky or super stiff in any one place.

throw some gaskets at the carb, do the absolute cheapest points, condenser, cap, rotor wires & plugs i could get. drain it and throw some cheap oil in and filter on. then see if could get it to pop and fart on a nurse bottle.

if it makes fire, then i'd sit down a make a plan of attack. deciding what i wanted to upgrade, what absolutely needed to be replaced and what direction i wanted to take the car.

considerations such as: why rebuild the brakes if upgrading to discs or bothering to repair [blank] when you're upgrading or replacing it are key to not spending the time and money doing something twice.

make it safe, make it reliable, upgrade smartly. sounds like a fun project!
Click to expand...
 
I plan on keeping every part I removed if has usability left in it! HOWEVER, my initial focus is to RESTORE OEM FACTORY CONDITIONS if at all possible! Upgrades are always a future path, but having factory original condition is a rarity that some still find value in! If it isn't being produced today, & most times, even if replacement parts are being made, THE SAYING: THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE THEY USED TO, falls to the ground when quality & integrity are lost because people fail trealize, MONEY DRIVES PEOPLE TO MAKE BAD DECISIONS!
 
Get your hand up inside the vent box and check for cowl rust.

AZ climate may have speared it.

I'd check anyway.
 
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