66 Cuda

[wmckusick]

Ok, I'm new, and I've picked up a 66 barracuda that is exactly like the one a friend had back when I was a teen (yeah, that car was only like 10 years old back then). thanks for the encouragement to restore to factory original what is mostly original but need confirmation. I've got the engine and tranny out already and checked numbers and so far everything matches as correct. I've seen where the color of stuff is critical, especially things like the tranny being natural metal color. I've noticed mine seems to of been painted black at some point?

Engine color looks orangish to me but it is 50 years old...I've read where it should be international harvester red from tractor supply.

I'm in the process of cleaning off the 50 years of grime and if someone could point me to a color chart I'd really appreciate it.
Things in particular right now are frame components, they look like they might of been the same color as the car?

plan is to clean and regasket motor and tranny. Paint engine compartment and bottom of car including all frame components to original specs, new gasket for rear end and clean and paint that too along with new shocks, clean and paint suspension. Then onto the exterior, fix small rot in bottom of quarters, then any dings taken care of, full repaint and top coat...then chrome work.

Aggressive but it's my hobby and man cave so why not push for spring!

 

[pishta]

Check motor number on side, could be a factory orange 340, but if its a 273, IH red will work. Sometimes the bell gets an overspray of motor color. suspension and frame is semigloss black. Motor bay is body color, rad support in front is semigloss black behind grill (as your is) so you cant see it behind grill. Thats is debatable but it looks strange to see a light colored car through the grill. Is that copper or brown? that copper was my 65's color but tag said silver poly so I painted it silver. Cosgig is the 66 man, ask away. remember that the 66 is a one year style so before you replace trim parts, check your originals out for restoration, especially rear lenses.

 

[wmckusick]

So far the only thing I don't have as for trim is...nothing. All parts and pieces are complete but in need of re-chrome, buffing, cleaning...Thanks for the frame details. As for motor number see picture. One other thing I found was a C under a motor mount and then when cleaning off the grime I found another C on the frame with what looked like yellow paint?

paint code is YY1 B. need to research and confirm what that is.

 

[66fyssh]

Looks like paint code YY1 is Bronze.

 

[Rustyfish]

That engine stamp belongs to a '66-'69 273.

 

[wmckusick]

Thanks! wierd thing is that the exterior is like a bronze (brown as shown) but engine compartment is like a goldish color. I can't read the bottom section that well. Does the B stand for black racing stripe? (PO had given me a box that he says are correct racing stripe kit for the car)
Currently also has dual pin stripes at handle height that runs the length of car on side.

 

[wmckusick]

yep, it appears to be correct, thinking someone had changed to 4 barrel intake, fender tag has 313 under ABC which from what I've seen says it is 272 with 2. Bummer, thought I had an all original (although I do have a 2 brl intake with carb...

edit, forgot to quote rustyfish "That engine stamp belongs to a '66-'69 273."

 

[66fyssh]

You can request the IBM card and build overview by mail from Chrysler. I got one for my 66 Barracuda. It shows the dealer that sold it, and basically decodes the fender tag. Exterior color, interior color, motor, trans, mine shows optioned for seat belts and front dics brakes.

It's pretty cool. I think it cost me $45 a couple years ago. Here's the link.

http://www.fcanorthamerica.com/company/Heritage/Pages/Build-Records.aspx

I can post pics later today, got to run to appointment.

 

[wmckusick]

So I've got the suspension pretty much disassembled. I've read in other forums that the torsion bars should slide back with the lower control arm. removed read c clip and unbolted front nut and all has been removed as far as upper control arm and such. I don't want to bang on anything considering it all looks straight and good. Is it just me or does it sound about right that if I drop the K member the torsion bars should just come out? I'll post another picture later today, the fenders are off and she's looking naked...guess that's why she's my mistress!

 

[Tadams]

Looks like an awesome car. That last picture looks a lot like the status my 65 is in at the present. Have fun!

 

[cosgig]

On the engine block under the drivers side head in the front will be a series of stamped characters, which will be the engine assembly code! There should be a displacement stamp, which should read 273, a letter character, which if it is a 66 assembly should be a "B", and the assembly date of the engine, which should supercede your cars assembly date by 2 days to maybe up to 3 months!

Next would be the color, which should not be painted behind the grille area! That should be black, and not a nice paint job!! Typically, they reached in there and just shot it haphazardly, because the guy didn't want to do his job in the first place!! If yours is painted body color, and it matches the exterior color, I would venture to say that the exterior has a newer top coat that doesn't match the engine bay, and the color indicated by the cor code is Bronze Metallic!

Next, the engine casting number 2806030 indicates that it is a 318 block, the correct casting number for a 64-66 273 block would be 2465330!

As for the stripes, the "B" code mentioned above is for 67 and up stripes, and only I dictates the color black! You will need to reference your build sheet of you have it and look for the "31-" codes, which will indicate if, and what color, the stripe was if the car indeed came with one!

If you are removing the K frame, you will need to back off the torsion bar adjusters to relieve pressure on the T bars, then you can U clip them and try to slide them out the back! They do not always want to slide, and there is a special clamp tool which will not mar the bar itself, which you do not want to do! Any mar, clamp or vise grip marks could cause a crack to form and break the bar! Then you would need to unfasten the upper ball joint, steering coupler, and lower the entire am frame assembly as a unit!! What else?? Looks like a nice little car, glad you have such a fine palate to work with!!

 

[memike]

Great right up cosgig :glasses7: Thank you for your time once again helping a member, this is a great build going on here I will enjoy watching and learning from I bet :color:

 

[JDMopar]

If you back the torsion bar bolts all the way off, and it still feels like there's tension on the bars....remove the rubber bump stops for the upper control arms. Sometimes that wee bit of extra drop is enough. I take the nut off of the lower control arm pin thru the k member, and pry them back until they pop loose. Good luck.

 

[wmckusick]

..dang forgot to get latest pic. weird thing is I found the code you speak of and 273-B sounds about right (I'll confirm in my notes) did they use 318 blocks for 273's? And the big question is, IF it ain't original, what's acceptable, realizing I was told from the PO that it was all original. I know it's mine but trying to stay original and acceptable and not go fast insane...got enough of that. and 318's were orange correct?

Yes to the relief of torsion bars, will try the bumper removal to see if that helps, if not I'll drop the entire K frame anyways for cleaning and painting black.

 

[cosgig]

Looks to me by the pic that the front under the grille is indeed blacked out!! Good news, it may not have been repainted after all!! Do you have the front windshield out in that pic?? That would also help sleuth out whether your car had a stripe or not! When doing my car, the stripe was painted before the windshield went in and there was the stripe under the windshield gasket!! Why the engine bay is a different color is still a mystery! Can you pic where the fender meets the inner fender so we can see the difference? And maybe clean up a spot in the engine bay really good and picture that closeup, maybe we can cross reference that chart for color identity!!

They did not use 318 blocks in place of 273 blocks, as the 318 didn't appear until the 67 model year! How about showing the other side of the block where the casting date of the block is cast right into the side of the block?? That would help narrow it down, as well as the assembly stamp previously mentioned!!

 

[wmckusick]

Casting on sides show 2-18-66 so maybe it's a 318 from then. I will definitely remember to get stamped numbers later today. really need to figure out what it truly is so I can start getting correct parts...hate multiple trips for inaccurate counter help.

yes the windshield is out in pics. no evidence of stripe. so they "painted" them on, much better than stick on! What about pin stripes on side? curent ones on car are stick on, thinking these were done by Po's in the past.

Definitely been repainted a shade darker, wherever the chrome was the original bronze metallic is under that and clear.

 

[Abodybomber]

Cosgigs's, your reference guy here. What a sweet start,to work with. Good Luck.

 

[Commando66]

Very ambitious start. Great to see another 66 getting back on the road.

 

[wmckusick]

On the engine block under the drivers side head in the front will be a series of stamped characters, which will be the engine assembly code! There should be a displacement stamp, which should read 273, a letter character, which if it is a 66 assembly should be a "B", and the assembly date of the engine, which should supercede your cars assembly date by 2 days to maybe up to 3 months!

stamped into the block on the drivers side is B 273-7-5

 

[cosgig]

Well, there you go, it is a 66 273, built on what could be the last day of production! Funny that the casting date is so early, and has the 67 and up casting code, but the assembly date is what it is, a 66 273 built on July 5th!! I'd like to see the certicard or build sheet to see the order date of the car, must be a late late build!!!

 

[wmckusick]

Well, there you go, it is a 66 273, built on what could be the last day of production! Funny that the casting date is so early, and has the 67 and up casting code, but the assembly date is what it is, a 66 273 built on July 5th!! I'd like to see the certicard or build sheet to see the order date of the car, must be a late late build!!!

I'll get a pic of it but from what I remember it was the last day of production...was fantasizing that it was the last one off the line...

 

[wmckusick]

Well the torsion bars came out by dropping the K frame a little, the left side popped out from the frame and then wiggled it out towards the front. Then the right side came out of the back with the frame. propped up the frame and gently tapped the frame and it came free.

Starting the process from front to back scraping old under coating from fender wells...who said we need to go to a gym to get exercise, ain't never restored cars! I'm doing this mainly because I want to make sure there isn't anything hidden, I'll re-coat during restore (maybe not so think though, pretty ugly if you ask me)

Question: I want to paint the K frame and suspension black, what about the unibody frame rails? Should they be black too or car color? yeah, i know the easy way would be car color but thinking it looks sharper black...want to stay authentic but nice.

Thanks

 

[cosgig]

Wow, you're jumping right in on this car, and making good progress at that!! I would be in the camp to paint the frame rails back to body color if it was feasible, but shooting color isn't as easy as black I know! I don't think the frames were painted all the way with body color either, but maybe in the engine bay, none of the underside was painted body color, just some overspray that may have reached in about a foot from the rockers! In the end, it's your car and should be done the way YOU are going to be happy with it!!!

 

[wmckusick]

Wow, you're jumping right in on this car, and making good progress at that!! I would be in the camp to paint the frame rails back to body color if it was feasible, but shooting color isn't as easy as black I know! I don't think the frames were painted all the way with body color either, but maybe in the engine bay, none of the underside was painted body color, just some overspray that may have reached in about a foot from the rockers! In the end, it's your car and should be done the way YOU are going to be happy with it!!!

OH YEAH...plan is to be ready for spring! :toothy1:

Since the interior is mint it's mainly cleaning 50 years of built up grime and taking care of dings and zings before fresh paint. I like the look of suspension totally black and shiny...typical male...oooo shiny things!

 

[memike]

Digging this build :cheers: