1968 Barracuda Restomod

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JGC403

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Joined
Nov 22, 2010
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Location
Baileyton, TN
I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel with my 1985 D-150 project, so I can start working on my 1968 Barracuda. When I lived in Arizona I found this car in California. Car was/is a basket case previous owner started parting it out, and I didn't know better at the time and bought it anyway. At the very least, hopefully there won't be to much rust on it. Never worked on it in AZ. Then I moved to Pennsylvania brought the Cuda with then moved to Tennessee and the car followed again. Now is finally the time to start workin on it.

I decoded the fender tag and the VIN, just for fun cause I'll be modernizing it for better handling and driveability. Some cars should be restored, but cars never stayed stock for long people modified them and made them their own. Technology has improved over the last 49 years and I don't want a "new" 1968 Barracuda that drives and handles like a 50 year old car. I want this car to handle like it's on rails. I keep telling my Dad I'll run circles around his 2009 Challenger SRT, lol.

I want to autocross the car. So I'm going to upgrading the suspension but keeping the torsion bar setup. I really want a big block, I know a big block isn't supposed to be able to go around corners, but I'm going to give it a shot. I want this thing to put down some power, Basically I want Hellcat power. The Barracuda has a weight advantage over the Hellcat, so it should still have a better power to weight ratio than the new Challenger Demon.
I thought about putting a turbo on it, but since trying to lighten the front end is one of my goals that would be counter productive. All of the turbo setups I have seen the turbo is in front of the front wheels and I don't think there is any room under the car for a remote mount setup. So I think I settled on building a 451 or 470 for it, 400 block, Trick Flow heads. 700 hp at crank.

I'll be putting my Jeep's 408 in the car to get it on the road. The big block will take some time to build and I have that engine just sitting in the Jeep, until I get around to that project.
I'll be keeping it a floor shift auto. 8.75 B-body rear. 18" wheels and good tires. Pin type 11.75" disc brakes in the front, disc out back, spool type K-member, manual 16:1 steering, manual brakes,
Car was originally gold with gold interior, its now going to be still an original 1968 color QQ-1 Electric Blue, with a black interior.

The 408 is a magnum block, Eddy heads, aluminum 1.6:1 ratio roller rockers, compression is around 9.5:1, cam duration @ 0.050" 210/220; 0.512" lift, lobe separation 112*, Hughes Airgap intake manifold for fuel injection.
IMAG0012.JPG


So here is the VIN and Fender Tag Decoded:
Price class: High
Body Type: 2dr sport H/top
engine: 318 2-bbl
assembly plant: Hamtramck

A6- Console
B4- Bucket Seats
K7- Passenger outside manual mirror
M6- Driver outside remote operated mirror
R1- Am Radio
X2- Tinted windshield only
19- wide sill mouldings
25- drip rail mouldings
30- body belt mouldings
78- wheel lip mouldings
axle- 2.76 rear axle ratio
interior- Deluxe Trim Grade, Vinyl, Gold
other- Medium Gold Metalic upper door frame; black horizontal sport stripe
Build Date: September 15
fender tag.jpg


So here is how it sites right now, disassembled some of it:
1968 Barracuda start 1.jpg


The rust I knew about was a hole in the firewall under to cowl, the floor boards under your feet on the passenger and driverside, and a spot on the rear window, the rear window gasket had been leaking and rotted out the sheet metal around it.
323.JPG


I had started to strip the paint off of the driverside fender, when I was in PA. Looks like it was in a fender bender at one time, found lots of bondo. Painted over it with a rattle can just so there wouldn't be exposed metal when I brought it to Tennessee on the car trailer. I'll try and pull the dent out first, if that doesn't work I'll get a new one from AMD, or I have a set of fiberglass fenders that I may put on. The fiberglass fenders only weight about 5lbs a piece.
Barracuda fender.jpg


I had noticed a little rust coming thru the primer on the rear quarter panels, so I wanted to take a look and see how bad it was. So tonight I took the DA to it, I could see the layers of paint as I went, they put bondo right over the original gold pant then painted it with the grey primer. Ended up using my cheap harbor freight soda blaster to finish it off. The Soda blaster worked better than I thought it would.
pass rear quarter 1.jpg

pass rear quarter 2.jpg

pass rear quarter 3.jpg


I'm thinking about getting the car dipped. That will give me a clean slate to work with and remove rust and paint everywhere. Or should I just keep soda blasting/ abrasive blasting it? Should I worry about all of the little spaces that you can't get to with blasting it and as long as its not heavily rusted it should be fine? What do you guys do around the rear wheel wells and the tight areas inside the trunk?

That's it for now.
 
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Looks like a solid project it reminds me of how much work I have in mine. I have it nearly ready for paint. Keep us posted with your progress.
Check out my build thread
67' fastback Barracuda
 
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Looks like a solid project it reminds me of how much work I have in mine. I have it nearly ready for paint. Keep us posted with your progress.
Check out my build thread
67' fastback Barracuda
good luck on the front fenders. there have been 3 diff guys wanting "rape" prices for them on here.
 
Looks like a solid project it reminds me of how much work I have in mine. I have it nearly ready for paint. Keep us posted with your progress.
Check out my build thread
67' fastback Barracuda

I wish I had your welding skills. How did you strip the original paint off? Did you leave the original sound deadener that was inside the rear quarter panels and trunk area?

I like doing the mechanical parts so much more than body work. The truck we didn't have to do any body work just stripped the old paint off and repainted it. Now I got some body work on this one. As of right now I'm not very good at welding and I'll have to do some on this project. I have a buddy that can weld, his aren't the prettiest welds and I can't always rely on someone else. So I have been watching some youtube videos and will have to get my welder out and start practicing.

I'm going to build it as I get the money for it. I have been watching Graveyard cars and taking notes, lol. I have been trying to come up with a order to assemble a car, so I can order parts ahead of time but not to far in advance that its just sitting on the shelf and I could of spent my money wiser elsewhere to keep the project moving forward. I plan on doing it like the factory did, putting the engine, trans, K-frame, and front suspension together then dropping the body over it. Assembling the rear axle and leaf springs as one assembly then installing in the car etc.

I have been planning this project for sometime and the list keeps getting longer, lol. Here is my list:

Body:
-rust repair
-front and rear torque boxes
-US Car tool lower core support frame brace
-frame connectors
-J-bars
-mini tub
-moving windshield wiper motor
-moving blower motor or aftermarket AC
-Battery relocate
-shaved bumpers re-chromed
-QQ-1 blue w/ black center stripe
-Spoilers by Randy front spoiler
-Fiberglass hood with six pack scoop

Suspension:
-FFI 16:1 manual steering box
-FFI needle bearing idler arm
-FFI pitman arm bearing sector support
-FFI tubular upper A-arms
-boxed OEM lowers
-Polygrahite bushings
-Bilstein shocks
-adjustable strut rods
-Front and rear sway bars
-11.75" pin type disc brakes in the front
-rear disc brakes
-18" wheels
-modern tires
-new torsion bars (haven't decided what size yet)
-new leaf springs
-I'm going to lower the car approximately 1" with the torsion bars and matching leaf springs

Interior:
-changed to black
-seats recovered, with a little more support on the sides
-restored Rallye dash
-fixing all common electrical issues with these cars
-headlight relay upgrade

Drivetrain:
-408 for now
-fuel injected
-low ratio, non-lockup 998/999 trans
-B-body 8.75" rear
 
First I removed all the under coating with a propane torch and scraper and
had everything media blasted but the body panels. Then etch primed the bare metal and used aircraft stripped to remove the paint from the body panels (had been painted 4 times) I took it to bare metal. I left the sound deadening coating on the inside of the panels. I have been working on my bee as of late but plan to get back on the 67' soon.
BTW I live 15 minutes from Baileyton
 
First I removed all the under coating with a propane torch and scraper and
had everything media blasted but the body panels. Then etch primed the bare metal and used aircraft stripped to remove the paint from the body panels (had been painted 4 times) I took it to bare metal. I left the sound deadening coating on the inside of the panels. I have been working on my bee as of late but plan to get back on the 67' soon.
BTW I live 15 minutes from Baileyton

No kidding, where you at?

I think I might know you, do you work over at David's Engine shop by 11E? If you do you welded my oil pan for my truck.
 
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I work at John Sevier Fossil plant switch yard in rogersville. I live in Keplar about half way between rogersville and baileyton and have a rogersville address.
 
Ok, gottcha, you live almost right on the other side of the mountain behind me. The guy I thought you were has, I think a 1967 Barracuda also.
 
Yep that's about where I'm at. If you have any questions or need parts feel free to shoot me a
pm. I don't have many parts but have some knowledge lol.
 
Yep that's about where I'm at. If you have any questions or need parts feel free to shoot me a
pm. I don't have many parts but have some knowledge lol.

Same here, if you need a hand with anything, especially when workin on a Mopar lol, just let me know.


Got this book a couple of weeks ago, suggested by CudaChick1968. I was trying to figure out what was included in some of the option packages for my car and its been interesting and helpful.
Barracuda book.jpg
 
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Same here, if you need a hand with anything, especially when workin on a Mopar lol, just let me know.


Got this book a couple of weeks ago, suggested by CudaChick1968. I was trying to figure out what was included in some of the option packages for my car and its been interesting and helpful.
View attachment 1715016041
mine wasn`t in as bad of shape as yours, but still took me 7 yrs to finish, good idea going w/ a small block. this is gonna add up $$ wise!
 
Today was my day off so I attempted to do some tack welds. In the picture I was jumping around all over the place so no order, but there appears to be some improvement. Couldn't break them with a pointed body hammer. Until the regulator broke on the tank and I found out what happens when there is no shielding gas.
Front:
practice welds 1.jpg


Back:
practice welds 2.jpg
 
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