68 Barracuda trunk/quarter panel transplant?

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Fuzz

Fuzz

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Hey guys! If you look at my other posts you'll see I'm a scatterbrained guy who's just starting out in the mopar world. My original Barracuda has heavily rusted out trunk pan, lower quarter panels, trunk extensions (I think that's what they're called, don't know terminology so take a look at the pics), and the back side of the hump where the wheels are that connects to the floor pan (please fill me in on terminology!).

I managed to acquire a second 68 Barracuda shell in hopes of transplanting good metal onto my original one as it has shot floor pans and is just a sheet metal shell. Any recommendations/plans of attack for essentially cutting and taking the back half of one car and stitching it onto the back of the other?

Thanks in advance! Feel free to laugh away at my hair brained scheme. Black is the car with the bad rear sheet metal, orange is the new donor.

-Fuzz

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Oh Boy! I lost track of your other thread, but I thought the intention of finding another shell was to find one to build instead of the black one? You have tripled the amount of time that it's going to take. Now you have 2 cars to dismantle and one to build, and it takes considerably more time to take it apart where you can reuse the parts. There's not really enough pictures to really say, but the donor might be the better option to build.

You have the enthusiasm, but you need a plan. I couldn't really recommend to a novice to clip a car. More to then stitching it together and it's not a learn to weld project. Too many horror stories of clipped cars scattering the occupants and generally a frowned upon method these days.
 
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From someone who owns a bodyshop. We always tell customers to find the best car possible to start with. So from this statement use the best of the two cars for you project.
 
GeorgeH said:
Oh Boy! I lost track of your other thread, but I thought the intention of finding another shell was to find one to build instead of the black one? You have tripled the amount of time that it's going to take. Now you have 2 cars to dismantle and one to build, and it takes considerably more time to take it apart where you can reuse the parts. There's not really enough pictures to really say, but the donor might be the better option to build.

You have the enthusiasm, but you need a plan. I couldn't really recommend to a novice to clip a car. More to then stitching it together and it's not a learn to weld project. Too many horror stories of clipped cars scattering the occupants and generally a frowned upon method these days.
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The donor has a rusted out floor pan, but in general seemingly better metal. It looked a lot better before I cleaned it out, there was a lot of dirt hiding holes in the donor pans. Beyond the floor pan the rear drivers side post where the roof connects to the body that's got a fair bit of rust too.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem I'm very good at finding cars. :(
 
WayneShelton said:
From someone who owns a bodyshop. We always tell customers to find the best car possible to start with. So from this statement use the best of the two cars for you project.
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What would be determining factors that would put one car ahead of the other?
 
In my experience, rust doesn't necessarily mean the metal is actually bad. I had a few spots on my car that looked terrible, but after some sanding turned out to be just fine.

Personally I'd make a list for each car on what needs to be patched and replaced then compare. It might make the decision pretty easy.

As for what to replace, there are many on here who can elaborate better than I, but generally anywhere rust has eaten through the metal and impacts the structural integrity of that area should be cut out until you hit clean metal.

When reviewing the list of each, it might help to know both pricing for replacement, along with complexity and skill required.
 
adamm said:
In my experience, rust doesn't necessarily mean the metal is actually bad. I had a few spots on my car that looked terrible, but after some sanding turned out to be just fine.

Personally I'd make a list for each car on what needs to be patched and replaced then compare. It might make the decision pretty easy.

As for what to replace, there are many on here who can elaborate better than I, but generally anywhere rust has eaten through the metal and impacts the structural integrity of that area should be cut out until you hit clean metal.

When reviewing the list of each, it might help to know both pricing for replacement, along with complexity and skill required.
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Pretty much summed it up as to what to look for .. when looking for a project car.
 
Most of the parts you mentioned are available from AMD. They are new stampings made from new tooling. Because the aftermarket has to create new stamping dies from scratch, the parts are not 100% accurate but they are better than nothing. I'm happy to have them available.

These cars are nothing more than a pile of individual stampings that were originally spot welded together. If you look carefully. You can find the spot welds and drill them out one at a time. For instance the front floor joints are at the firewall where your feet rest, and along the top of the rocker panel. You have to remove the carpet, door sill moldings, and the wireways to see the welds Then you prep the mating areas and weld the new tin in.

I replaced the entire front clip on my 69 cuda including the frame rails and floor and it turned out well. I have no business doing this kind of stuff but I'm methodical and take time to figure things out. I think I counted over 300 spot welds and using a Blair spot weld cutter all were drilled out. Its going to have to wait to be finished since I've since acquired another 68 cuda and a 64 Val since then. I call it my retirement project.
 
Seeing as how you have no experience or tools I think this is a wonderful way to keep yourself busy and broke for the foreseeable future. I don't think you'll be disuaded though.

Go buy a right angle grinder, a bunch of Roloc discs, tack cloths, wax and grease Remover, dust masks, and a bunch of spray cans of epoxy primer. Strip it to bare metal, then wipe it clean and epoxy it at the end of the day. Keep repeating this until you get both cars done(inside-out, top to bottom).

Now you can see what you've really got. If you choose to move forward we can discuss welders, rotisseries, compressors, ect. If you choose to bail it'll be easier to sell.
 
Stop buying cars for starters. Any peers/mentors/buddies that know cars?? OLD cars. I have a 69 barracuda I have been picking away at for 26+ years. This stuff ain't ez if you buy rusted out stuff.
Add up what you spent on the 2 and the shipping to get them to you?
I bet you would have a solid foundation on 1 car for that price. Not trying to be a dick here just laying some of it out for you...
 
4spdragtop said:
Stop buying cars for starters. Any peers/mentors/buddies that know cars?? OLD cars. I have a 69 barracuda I have been picking away at for 26+ years. This stuff ain't ez if you buy rusted out stuff.
Add up what you spent on the 2 and the shipping to get them to you?
I bet you would have a solid foundation on 1 car for that price. Not trying to be a dick here just laying some of it out for you...
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You're all good. I managed to get both for 2500 so I'm not out too much and a better foundation would cost more in my area.
 
Fuzz said:
You're all good. I managed to get both for 2500 so I'm not out too much and a better foundation would cost more in my area.
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I'd sell one of them and just buy the sheet metal you need from AMD. Would hate to see a restorable Cuda go by the wayside.
 
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