Parting out A-Bodies

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Dustoff248

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Can't believe how many people are parting out better cars than what I'm tryng to restore. I understand that it's hard to find decent fenders to place those are heavely damage but as long as AMD feels that it's not cost effective to run new fenders for the '64-69 'cudas, people are finding that there ability to fix up a early model Barracuda is just too expensive. I joined a Facebook Group who obviously were associated with AMD who stated that it was ok for AMD to not make '67-69 fenders because of the small number of cars produced. When I stated that I was aware that there were only approx 114,000 '70-74 Barracudas for which AMD was making new front fenders and yet they were not making them for the 140,000+, '67-69 Barracuda's that were built. They stated that there wasn't the interest in the '67-69 that there was in the '70-74. and that it not cost-effective to make new molds to make the parts. That the fenders would cost about $2000.00 a piece to produce and people wouldn't buy them. People posted the fact that they were buying used damaged fender for $500.00+ and then having to pay for 50 hours of repair work on them. They would be willing to pay the higher price for th new part. The individuals then stated that restoring and building our older cars was becoming a rich man's game. I hope they are wrongas I enjoy wrking on my old cars and I'm not rich. How do you feel about this?
(1968 Barracuda I'm building)

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Layson's has some good body parts. Call them way easier than online!
 
You do realize that when AMD has to make the die that forms each fender it’s over $140,000.00 per side. That’s $280,000.00 per pair. Selling those fenders at $500 each means they need to sell 560 sets plus there will be loss for transportation damages and free donations for car clubs and such. No offence but if your pissed off about how they refuse to represent you car with new parts…. Make them yourself.
I am amazed how much stuff they reproduce already and the logistics of that alone is amazing. Okay my 66’ barracuda was not even on their radar, but I got it done and it’s a show winner with out them.

My 72’ Demon 340 is up next for rebuild and it will go much smoother because of them.So will they have everything? No. But I am glad of the parts I can get and what I cannot get I will get from donor cars and scrap yards and peoples basements. That’s what makes this hobby interesting, it’s why us Mopar guys stick together and network like we do. If you want it easy- go buy a Nova or Mustang. lol! Honestly it may not seem fair. But if you want a cool car like your Barracuda, it’s partially cool because there are not 50 of them at every show like the above mentioned cars. Good luck with your restoration. I hope you do find all the parts you need. Start a want ad on this site. There are plenty of people that will sell you clean stuff at a decent price.
Syleng1
 
I built my cars years ago. Today I would buy a completed body (or nearly so) and go from there.
 
So for 67-69 Barracudas currently AMD makes:
front valance.
Inner fender aprons.
outer rocker panels.
inner rocker panels.
full interior floor.
trunk floor.
trunk floor extensions.
full outer quarter panels.
outer wheelhouses.
inner wheel houses.
rear deck panel.
rear valance.
Front / rear bumpers.
That's basically everything a 55 year old muscle car could need EXCEPT for the single most desirable, and usually rusted and bent part, front fenders.
I don't buy the "too expensive to develop" reasoning. If that were the case, they wouldn't have made new fenders for Darts, and Valiants, yet they do. Oddly, they make fenders for cars that you can still find on 4 door sedans. {yes, those are depleting too}
I'm happy AMD makes Dart and Valiant fenders, but the truth is, if they were to make only 1 A body fender, the 67-69 Barracuda would have been a more logical choice.
Demand is there. These cars are valuable. Used fenders are few and far between.
The most needed body parts for 67-69 Barracudas are front fenders.
My advice is phone, email AMD, and ask for them. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Never say never.
 
History has proved most A body guys, are very conservative (tight) and slow to pull the trigger to buy repop sheetmetal. I remember a few years ago AMD was running out of some Mopar metal and said they would not be repoping any more in the forseeable future. They soldout in days!
 
It is easier to fabricate smaller patch panels I stead of trying to replace the entire fender. That's how I did it and the more patches I made the better my sheet welding skills got. It is not perfect but UT was never going to be a rotisserie restoration anyway. Good luck and be patient.

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FM3 Dart said:
So for 67-69 Barracudas currently AMD makes:
front valance.
Inner fender aprons.
outer rocker panels.
inner rocker panels.
full interior floor.
trunk floor.
trunk floor extensions.
full outer quarter panels.
outer wheelhouses.
inner wheel houses.
rear deck panel.
rear valance.
Front / rear bumpers.
That's basically everything a 55 year old muscle car could need EXCEPT for the single most desirable, and usually rusted and bent part, front fenders.
I don't buy the "too expensive to develop" reasoning. If that were the case, they wouldn't have made new fenders for Darts, and Valiants, yet they do. Oddly, they make fenders for cars that you can still find on 4 door sedans. {yes, those are depleting too}
I'm happy AMD makes Dart and Valiant fenders, but the truth is, if they were to make only 1 A body fender, the 67-69 Barracuda would have been a more logical choice.
Demand is there. These cars are valuable. Used fenders are few and far between.
The most needed body parts for 67-69 Barracudas are front fenders.
My advice is phone, email AMD, and ask for them. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Never say never.
Click to expand...
Since fenders are a one year only design for 69 Barracudas, and the same for 67/68, they would need to make 2 separate molds to cover all 3 years. Now, the hardest part to find for 67-69 Barracudas would be the trunk extensions, or “drops”, which would fit all 3 years and are non existent in the secondary market, and in the good used market. Yet they make them for Darts. And no, they are not interchangeable. They could also put out the inner fender splash shields, especially the rear ones, that would cover all 3 years, but they do not. Slightly easier to find in the good used market, they are almost always rusted out. They make em for Darts, but of course not interchangeable with Barracudas. Yes, a lot of people need fenders, but almost all Barracudas being restored need the trunk drops and rear splash shields, and have for decades.
 
Fact of the matter is if they once made these fenders, then they already have the dies. If a short run costs too much at the press company stamping them, they need to bundle a run with more popular and better selling parts. I don’t buy the cost too much or no profit in it.

They should remember, they are not just selling restoration/replacement parts, they are providing a service.
 
Sorry but I don't buy the die cost you guoted. If wanted to produce 1000,000 parts sure the dies could cost that much if thevpart is produced in th USA. But if we're only talking about a possible 200,000 fenders, which means almost every Barracuda out there could have better, less costly parts. I know that American companies won't allow foreign dies into the country, but these could be brought into reputable company in Mexico and produced there at a much fairer price and you have to remember that the more parts you stamp out the lower the costs.
.Also a company has to look at the benefits that they'll gain in the market by producing the parts needed by the not rich by the rich and famous, but by the common man.
If AMD isn't willing to produce the parts they should sell thr rights to a company that is willing and stop driving up the price of the part.
 
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140,000 gen ll Barracudas.
x 15% surviving.
=21,000
x 20% that need new fenders.
=4200 pairs of fenders.

You can disagree with my assumptions, but I believe before tooling up for production, a company like AMD would project far fewer to be sold than those 4200 pairs.
 
cosgig said:
Since fenders are a one year only design for 69 Barracudas, and the same for 67/68, they would need to make 2 separate molds to cover all 3 years. Now, the hardest part to find for 67-69 Barracudas would be the trunk extensions, or “drops”, which would fit all 3 years and are non existent in the secondary market, and in the good used market. Yet they make them for Darts. And no, they are not interchangeable. They could also put out the inner fender splash shields, especially the rear ones, that would cover all 3 years, but they do not. Slightly easier to find in the good used market, they are almost always rusted out. They make em for Darts, but of course not interchangeable with Barracudas. Yes, a lot of people need fenders, but almost all Barracudas being restored need the trunk drops and rear splash shields, and have for decades.
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Sorry but the trunkextension and the drop are all avaiable on AMD website for all three years.
 
cosgig said:
Since fenders are a one year only design for 69 Barracudas, and the same for 67/68, they would need to make 2 separate molds to cover all 3 years. Now, the hardest part to find for 67-69 Barracudas would be the trunk extensions, or “drops”, which would fit all 3 years and are non existent in the secondary market, and in the good used market. Yet they make them for Darts. And no, they are not interchangeable. They could also put out the inner fender splash shields, especially the rear ones, that would cover all 3 years, but they do not. Slightly easier to find in the good used market, they are almost always rusted out. They make em for Darts, but of course not interchangeable with Barracudas. Yes, a lot of people need fenders, but almost all Barracudas being restored need the trunk drops and rear splash shields, and have for decades.
Click to expand...
AMD makes 67-69 Barracuda trunk extensions [trunk drops]. I have installed them and they are excellent.
67-68 fenders are not the same. There are differences in the headlight and bezel mounting. But the basic stamping of the 67, 68, and 69 fenders are the same, other than the 69 side marker. A removable tool can be used for the 69 version in production, so an entirely separate die is not required.
 
you can get all the fenders and doors you need for an early or mid Barracuda here or ebay. There is a lot more to consider than just die cost when stamping new parts. 600 ton stamping presses are not cheap. The cost of the steel to make the fender. The cost of labor. Die repairmen to maintain the dies. Workmans comp. Cost of public utilities...all the fixed and variable costs it takes to run a factory. No purist car guy wants to part out a restorable car it's just part of the necessary evil to save other cars! thanks for saving the one you have!
 
Have to agree parts cost and shipping are getting "out of sight". I just paid $900 to ship the two back seat parts from a '62 Signet cross-country, and they fit in two std bicycle cartons. One additional source of cheap parts not specifically mentioned is FB Marketplace. Its a real hassle getting the seller and shipping worked out, but I have been amazed what pops up nationwide if you search with skill and put in the effort paying shipping. In a little more than a week I found two grills, the surround border trim, two headlight bezels, and two taillight assemblies for the '62. Most of it was in one shipment for $200 cost plus $141 shipping, and then UPS lost it in my home city. If you can work out traveling with a trailer or renting a U-Haul there's cheap parts cars popping up on marketplace, too. The sellers are hit and miss but you get an idea about them after some communications. Where there's a will there's a way.

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AMD could do like ABS (Auto Body Specialties does with their rear quarter panels. They produce the fender without a hole for the 67 and provide instructions on how to reproduce the hole or rectangle. If you're in the process of restoring a Barracuda, you should not have an issue with creating the hole or rectangle.
And as I said before , AMD does not need to buy a die that will 1,000,000 parts. There are dies made that much cheap and will produce a quality part. 20,000 pairs of fenders made would allow the owners/builders able to keep their cars an not make this rich man's game.
 
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Are the chinese making fenders, IDK? I know the old A bodies are super popular in South America and Mexico, as well. Labor is a big issue in the US, seems like one of these companies could find a mfr overseas if not already doing that, would require some quality control.
 
Already stated that the parts could be produced in Mexico for far less. Don't think that they want to help out the average owners of these cars I
 
Some thread a year or so back someone offered AMD a pair of NOS second gen Barracuda fenders so AMD could use as a model. AMD said no not interested. Guy was gonna let AMD borrow them for free and AMD had no interest.
 
I got real lucky with my build. I talked to AMD when they had a sale on '68 rear quarter panels. I got the last set they had before going to the generic version without running light holes. AMD installed them and the rear valance all for a reasonable price. Shipping the car from Denver to Atlanta was only $1600 so that was worth it. As the 'Cuda is black, the body work had to be perfect and new fenders were the only way to go as my car had multiple hits in each rear quarter over the 54 years I have owned it. But the sheet metal was the cheap part. The body work and paint at $600/gal was far more expensive than metal work.

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