I'm Heartbroken. Time to face reality that my Cuda is a parts car.

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RSie

Idiot In Training
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Got the back seat out.. gave the wheel wells the hammer tap test.. shot on both sides.
So far, it needs: Both frame rails, torsion support, inner fenders (which I have from a Dart I parted out last summer).
What I'd need to get her back on the road: inner fender tops (the clip I have, those are kinda ratty.. could patch them, but that would be a 'hack job' to me).
Full front floor. Back floor/hump. Both side rockers, inner and outer. Drivers side pillar is shot top and bottom. Firewall top pass corner is shot. Bottom of firewall is paper thin.

I haven't even gotten to the underside of the back yet, trunk area.. think I'll find more rot here and there.

It's time to let dreams go. Find a cheap more door, sell a some parts to make up a few bucks.

Dammit.
 
You, yourself said "find a cheap more door". That's how I saved a 68 vert for a friend/customer. When the serious rust was out, it was literally gutted like a fish. Firewall back to tail panel, rocker to rocker. Can be done. Patience, don't think it has to be done tomorrow. Vigilance, strike when the iron is hot on good deals for parts.
 
I should add, "Diclaimer: I'm not saying more doors are only good for cutting up."
 
bummer, only you know how much you're willing to go though. there are other cars out there that will make you happy. don't spend too much time feeling bad about it
 
You, yourself said "find a cheap more door". That's how I saved a 68 vert for a friend/customer. When the serious rust was out, it was literally gutted like a fish. Firewall back to tail panel, rocker to rocker. Can be done. Patience, don't think it has to be done tomorrow. Vigilance, strike when the iron is hot on good deals for parts.
Lots of things to unpack here,lol
Obligatory "if you want to fix it, gimme half of what it's worth parting out, and it's yours!", lol
Patience... I waited 10 years to work on her.. kept her in the garage, kept the kids away.
I'm 53, and I've beat the hell out of my body in that time. Smoke too much, drink too much, don't eat right, etc..
My Pa died at 57. He had a '62 Ford Galaxie 500 ragtop he had been working on here and there for years.. it's rotting away in one of my brothers yards right now. I don't want that to be me.
I also have a 17 year old kid.. he's never ridden in a car with roll up windows. Much less an A-body with a stout 340 and and a rear with 4.10 gears.. I'd like to give him that time... maybe let him borrow it for senior prom. If it's a more-door Valiant that he smokes the Honda big wing guy with, that's even better to me than doing with a bright red cuda... I was always a 'sleeper' guy.
 
I should add, "Diclaimer: I'm not saying more doors are only good for cutting up."
More-doors can look pretty nice. And it's awesome when you learn you don't have to get out of the car to let someone in/out of the back seat. :)
 
Agreed. We all have to admit to our limitations sometimes, best to stay focused with the purity of purpose and what your able to do. Direct quote from Uncle Tony’s Garage and the car guys ultimate survival guide. The fun part about a more door is you can beat on it hard and not feel guilty about it!
 
Agreed. We all have to admit to our limitations sometimes, best to stay focused with the purity of purpose and what your able to do. Direct quote from Uncle Tony’s Garage and the car guys ultimate survival guide. The fun part about a more door is you can beat on it hard and not feel guilty about it!
I can beat hard on any car and not feel bad about it! Just not with the wife along.. she went through a garage roof in a camaro with an idiot.. 12 surgeries later her teeth match again, so I can forgive her not being into the whole 'stomp on it!' thing.
 
RIP dreams.....
:(
Post some photos. There are brave people out there with the time and talent.
 
You're just gonna have to sit down and make a decision. I had to with my car. It has WAY more rust than I ever planned on or wanted to deal with. But I am chipping away at it one repair at the time. You simply need to decide if you want to do that, or find another one.
 
Yeah.. I'l wait another 10 years until I can big tire it. In the meantime, I'll limp along my rustbucket 2001 Caravan that needs a back wheel bearing, and leaking power steering. The days my wife needs the van, I'll hop in my'98 Cherokee with broken back springs to get me the 3 miles to work.
You guys all have a-bodies you can drive.. still a dream to me.
 
Sorry to anyone if I got too snarky. Dealing with sleep deprivation for the last couple weeks due to cluster headaches, trying to stay awake.. I know an hour after I fall asleep I'm gonna be screaming, pacing the floors, and puking up snot. Yay.
 
Yeah.. I'l wait another 10 years until I can big tire it. In the meantime, I'll limp along my rustbucket 2001 Caravan that needs a back wheel bearing, and leaking power steering. The days my wife needs the van, I'll hop in my'98 Cherokee with broken back springs to get me the 3 miles to work.
You guys all have a-bodies you can drive.. still a dream to me.

Well I guess I could. I'd have to put on goggles cause I got no front or rear glass. But it does run and run well. LOL
 
Still working on getting "Project Black Dog" as I have decided to call it to the point of being driveable.
I can certainly relate to and understand where you're coming from, when I was trying to get the parts, money and time together 25 years ago during the build of the green '70 there were many times I wondered if I'd ever get it back on the road. Tough decision for you, but someone will have the time and budget to do the Cuda justice.

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Got the back seat out.. gave the wheel wells the hammer tap test.. shot on both sides.
So far, it needs: Both frame rails, torsion support, inner fenders (which I have from a Dart I parted out last summer).
What I'd need to get her back on the road: inner fender tops (the clip I have, those are kinda ratty.. could patch them, but that would be a 'hack job' to me).
Full front floor. Back floor/hump. Both side rockers, inner and outer. Drivers side pillar is shot top and bottom. Firewall top pass corner is shot. Bottom of firewall is paper thin.

I haven't even gotten to the underside of the back yet, trunk area.. think I'll find more rot here and there.

It's time to let dreams go. Find a cheap more door, sell a some parts to make up a few bucks.

Dammit.

PRO STREET

Chris Alston's Chassisworks, Inc.; Chassisworks - Pro 4-Link (3x2")

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Parts car...schmartz car! Just adjust your expectations. So many cars get junked just because they'll never be "right". **** it! If it brings you happiness...bust out the big can of "I don't give a ****". Get that ***** on the road and puff out your chest. If you have decided it's too far gone... what do you have to lose?

Cut corners and get that **** box rolling. You only live once, and it's only a car. Screw the correct parts, ect. Get that damn cuda rollin'. Bondo, hammers, rivit guns....who gives a ****. Buy a 30 pack, roll up your sleeves, and go to it. A banged up cuda is still cooler than 99.9% of the **** on the road. Hell, I'm fabbing up a junkyard **** Dart just because it's fun, cheap, and I'm not ruining a piece of history. Just go for it. We'll all be dead soon enough, and nobody will give a **** about your cuda. It'll be a burden to the next guy. If you want it, build it...and don't worry about what the rich Mopar jerkoffs think.
 
hey man, at least you got a plan! That's more than some of us who have a project, or 10 and no time or sometimes no will. Sell parts, collect some cash and buy another that's farther ahead than the last. It all comes around in the end.
 
There's a ton of guys on this board with "projects" trying to make them perfect. Truth is....none of us are 20, rich, and nobody cares anyway. If your wiper arms aren't correctly date coded...so be it. You got a cool car. Piece it together. Lower your standards. I've lived in the trailer park and the mansion... guess which was more fun.
 
Sorry to hear that buddy. I know the feeling it seems like I take one step forward and three backwards on mine what started out as a simple 500 dollar engine swap has turned into a full out project once I started digging into it every thing was bad and needed to be replaced I mean everything lol. Take it one piece at a time and keep working or buy another one that is in better shape may not be a barracuda maybe a dart or duster or something like that. Take it slow and dont get frustrated if you do it's no longer fun. And if its not fun its simply not worth it!! Hobbies are supposed to be stress relief not stress creators.
 
I have 2 notchbacks. Had my 67 for over 10 years. It's a gutted shell that I finished doing the metal work on. Its shoved in the corner of my shop, and I have a 69 notchback I am restoring w my son.

Because of a hack minitub job on the 69 in the late 1980s, along with rust and body damage issues I will have to replace the trunk transition pan, trunk extensions, inner and outer wheel houses, rear valance, both quarter skins, spare tire well, Dutchman panel, drivers side inner fender, and full main floor pan. Plus all the metal work and patching it will require besides all that.

It was an ex drag car so besides the typical 50 year old car rotted floors that have to be replaced, theres been holes drilled for **** everywhere, including on the cowl panel to mount gages on it outside the car. The studs for the wiper motor were cut off and a sheetmetal plate riveted over the hole, the console brackets were hacked off, a bunch of extra holes drilled into the trans tunnel, and the forward console bracket was crudely hammered flat. The angle bracing behind the rear seat was sawsalled out to make way for the pop riveted and siliconed in mini tubs, and the rear seat hooks on the floor and package tray were also crudely hammered flat.

Somebody also took a sander to it, then left it to the elements for a number of years. And since it was 3/4 of the way stripped out. Missing a front clip as well. It's been a 4 year scavenger hunt to find everything to put it together including every piece of hardware. Also being it was a parts car, the entire front suspension except torsion bars was also missing. I had to find a K frame and whatnot to make it at least a roller. It's like the 3 legged dog, with one eye missing, and an ear cut off that answers to the name lucky. We may just name the ole girl that. Shes lucky we found her, otherwise she was headed towards the scrap yard.

If you think your 69 is too far gone, then I cant imagine what you might possibly think of this one? At least you have more of a car to start with than we did. Pix below are of it. Car in the background behind the quarter skins is my 67.

I am almost 51, yeah I got issues with my body that slows me down. Nerve issues in my lower back that makes my left leg do wierd **** all the time is a biggie, and a real pain. Most people at this age have some issues starting. Buy a wire welder, an air operated die grinder with a cut off wheel, and like some other posters said, fix it one piece at a time. Its overwhelming to look at the big picture, but working one job on it from start to finish will get you there.

Your only 53 man that ain't old!!! You say you smoke and drink too much, dont eat right, well STOP!!! Correcting those things will make you feel sooo much better in a fairly short period of time, and prob help you live longer. Your pops died at 57, well that doesnt have to be you.

If you say it's too far gone and beyond your capability, then sell it complete to somebody who has the knowhow to fix it. I wish we started with something as complete as what you have. I have seen a lot of real talented people on this website do some real fantastic metal work and restore some really rotted crap. Maybe you can find somebody here on FABO who lives close by who knows how to do sheetmetal work who can help you. Just because it may be beyond your skill set, doesnt mean it's not fixable. 69 is the rarest year for 2nd gen barracudas. Cutting one up is a sin.

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