Long lost 69 fastback Barracuda (VA show car)

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grafixrj

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Location
Yorktown, VA
I am searching for the location of my old 1969 Barracuda fastback I owned for over 20 years (77-97) that was last known to be in Florida according to the guy that got it from me and later sold her...BUT she was spotted in VA a few years ago. I had posted an article to the Barracuda Challenger Forum many years ago, but never heard anything positive. I just found out about this forum and am giving it a try. This Barracuda was called "Cosmic Cuda" and was mainly dark blue pearl (custom mix) with Ice Blue, Irish Mist and Heather Pearl graphics designed and applied by me flanking her side and upper body, along with "Battlestar Galactica" murals I airbrushed and hand painted the details with Rapidiograph pens giving it a comic book type appearance in the murals. She also had a very unique front grill I designed that was tubular with rectangular head lights. Ever see "Corky" or Knight Rider "19th Hole"? Same type of concept except 10 times better! I made it so that the grill trim could remain to give it strength. I will post some pictures soon, but want to see if anyone reaches out first. She was in all the ISCA shows on VA peninsula from 1979-1984 winning 28 trophies. She also had a Dodge Dart Sport hood scoop with gills and a bolt on wing on my (spare) decklid, which was interchangeable as desired. If I find the old documentation with VIN I will post it to help with search. I just want to know how she is and maybe get some pictures from whoever has her or anyone seeing her that responds! Thanks, grafixrj

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Thanks! I would really love to get some close up shots of my murals if ANYONE has any pictures from the VA Beach Pavilion, Hampton Coliseum or Richmond Coliseum ISCA shows during those times you would have seen her. I was also in a few MD (Baltimore) and NC (Raleigh and Charlotte) ISCA shows. Am still trying to locate front view pictures with the rectangular lights and the decklid picture (without spoiler) with the 1967 fish emblem I airbrushed in chrome 3D that fooled a lot of people from a distance!


edit" Found some shots from the paint booth back in 1985! The shiny rectangle on bumper is wax paper covering my Air Force sticker that got me in NASA gate for work and didn't want masking tape to melt to it when Imron clear went on! Sorry about quality...cheap camera shot off computer screen for chrome emblem picture

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Thanks! Yeah it was the "original" Battlestar Galactica too...not the newer digital BG! I bought her used from Ed Miller Racing Enterprises on Battlefield Blvd in Chesapeake VA in 1977 after seeing her in Auto Trader for only $795 during my senior year of high school!
"Heather" (Locklear, Menzies and Thomas) was code Y3 with a 2-barrel 318-V8, 3 on the tree automatic, AC, bench seats (a few years later swapped out with some nice '71 Dodge Challenger high backs and a proper '69 Barracuda console).
The next day her 2-barrel Carter "lit on fire" and my dad blew it out...so after a tune up and motor mount replacement where she almost fell off the lift when they stupidly placed an 8 ft high 4x4 under motor to change mount and dropped her too fast... (yikes!)
Later her first performance purchase was to give her some "shiny new shoes", so she rolled on Fenton Gyro aluminum mags mounted on Regal L-70's on front and G-60's on her rear.
She was already equipped with air shocks (high heels) and traction bars...and (get this) she came with a tow bar on her back bumper (huh?...I quickly said "buh-bye"). Later I found a small boat manual in trunk so I presume she "towed" a small boat...which was odd!
There were now three Y3 Barracuda's at DHS, 2-'69 fastbacks and a Mod-Top coupe, but I kept getting blamed ("it was yellow") for stuff the wild girl with the other '69 (340-Formula-S) fastback was doing so I had to do something drastic... and quick.
Thanks to Mom & Dad who had bought me my very first airbrush for my 16th B'day after seeing a Hot Rod magazine with a "50 perfect painting pointers" article earlier "I was hooked" and got some candy Tangerine and Cherry Red spray bombs and did my first custom paint job setting her apart by airbrushing some castles and horses with knights I had drawn for an art class "stencil" airbrush project the year before (all silhouetted in black with Y3 for clouds) on the custom candy fogged panels I strategically laid out on the sides, nose and trunk.
Later in 1979 while working at an auto glass/body shop "Heather" was stripped of her Y3 dress and given a new "Honda Nice Blue" skirt and transformed the little lady with a few carefully placed airbrushed Battlestar Galactica (I made my own custom ship stencils) murals and sprayed wild custom graphic stripes in "Heather Star Pearl" (magenta) over dark blue (lite purple) and "Frosted Grape Star Pearl" (dark purple) down her sides and over her roof onto hood officially calling her "Cosmic Cuda" with gold leaf lettering. This was her first of many galactic custom paint jobs.
Who would have known even though I dropped out of art (elective) in order to stay in marching band (snare drum) that 4 years later in 1981 her paint job as part of my "art portfolio" would all lead to a 30 year "dream job" contract Graphic Designer position at NASA LaRC where I drove my cool galactic Barracuda show car 20 miles each way "daily" (rain or shine...yes, even snow) until 1997 when I "gave her away" to a friend for a father-son project!
Amongst all the trophies, even though I had an airbrushed in chrome car show display sign saying "Street driven daily" and an Air Force bumper sticker for the gate access, a lot of people still didn't believe me!?! I guess I should have added "just ask the NASA guards" to the sign, but I never did...I knew the truth and had the 200K+ odometer (for over 20 years) to prove it.
Funny the '99 Dakota I bought used (with 18K miles) in '99 I still drive daily today has 240K+ on her right now!
I will try and find more pictures to add to my/her story when I can...I know I have a Y3 pic on a thumb drive somewhere!
Thanks, grafixrj

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I made a mistake it was originally paint code Y2 Sunfire Yellow NOT Y3...something didn't sound right to me and upon looking at the intro for a book I've been working on for many years and some online research with Plymouth paint codes for proof of confirmation I stand corrected and humbly say I'm sorry, it's been quite awhile! I also just noticed I posted this in the wrong section...must be all the the heart meds I'm taking to treat CHF!
 
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Man that's too bad you gave it away. We all do things we shouldn't have done. Nice car. Hope you find it.
 
Yeah I miss her a lot, but my giving her away "sowed a seed" toward my buying my '99 Dakota when my fiance (now wife of 20 years) gave me her insurance money (since I fixed body repair) for a down payment on it after her car got rear ended in 1999 by a nice police officer who thought I had moved forward at the light...but I had "stopped" again...why you ask?...because it was still RED and he was behind me! BAM!

Thanks, grafixrj
 
Yeah I miss her a lot, but my giving her away "sowed a seed" toward my buying my '99 Dakota when my fiance (now wife of 20 years) gave me her insurance money (since I fixed body repair) for a down payment on it after her car got rear ended in 1999 by a nice police officer who thought I had moved forward at the light...but I had "stopped" again...why you ask?...because it was still RED and he was behind me! BAM!

Thanks, grafixrj

I made a mistake it was originally paint code Y2 Sunfire Yellow NOT Y3...something didn't sound right to me and upon looking at the intro for a book I've been working on for many years and some online research with Plymouth paint codes for proof of confirmation I stand corrected and humbly say I'm sorry, it's been quite awhile! I also just noticed I posted this in the wrong section...must be all the the heart meds I'm taking to treat CHF!

edit: This picture is before I decided to do the airbrushing for the knights murals

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I am searching for the location of my old 1969 Barracuda fastback I owned for over 20 years (77-97) that was last known to be in Florida according to the guy that got it from me and later sold her...BUT she was spotted in VA a few years ago. I had posted an article to the Barracuda Challenger Forum many years ago, but never heard anything positive. I just found out about this forum and am giving it a try. This Barracuda was called "Cosmic Cuda" and was mainly dark blue pearl (custom mix) with Ice Blue, Irish Mist and Heather Pearl graphics designed and applied by me flanking her side and upper body, along with "Battlestar Galactica" murals I airbrushed and hand painted the details with Rapidiograph pens giving it a comic book type appearance in the murals. She also had a very unique front grill I designed that was tubular with rectangular head lights. Ever see "Corky" or Knight Rider "19th Hole"? Same type of concept except 10 times better! I made it so that the grill trim could remain to give it strength. I will post some pictures soon, but want to see if anyone reaches out first. She was in all the ISCA shows on VA peninsula from 1979-1984 winning 28 trophies. She also had a Dodge Dart Sport hood scoop with gills and a bolt on wing on my (spare) decklid, which was interchangeable as desired. If I find the old documentation with VIN I will post it to help with search. I just want to know how she is and maybe get some pictures from whoever has her or anyone seeing her that responds! Thanks, grafixrj

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Why don't you try posting it at " Lost Muscle Cars.com"
 
I made a mistake it was originally paint code Y2 Sunfire Yellow NOT Y3...something didn't sound right to me and upon looking at the intro for a book I've been working on for many years and some online research with Plymouth paint codes for proof of confirmation I stand corrected and humbly say I'm sorry, it's been quite awhile! I also just noticed I posted this in the wrong section...must be all the the heart meds I'm taking to treat CHF!

edit: This picture is before I decided to do the airbrushing for the knights murals

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Looks just like my dark green '74 Tradesman 100 long wheelbase. Mine had a sliding door and an amber roof vent.
 
Looks just like my dark green '74 Tradesman 100 long wheelbase. Mine had a sliding door and an amber roof vent.
That was my sister's (became a mom) van and was Nightwatch Green.
She got it after she got rid of her 2nd Barracuda...a nice Red 1967 fastback with a 340 if I recall!
 
You're results improve with more networking.......
Trying to keep it simple right now, not much time to spend on PC so have to learn to balance time better between all the honey-dos while she's at work...and take care of 2 furr baby cats!
 
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CAMARO FOUND AFTER 40+ YEARS
I want to thank Wes for locating my old Camaro.
I reached out to Lost Muscle Cars to help find my 1970 1/2 Camaro SS, that I purchased when I was 17 years old.
With the VIN and a photo, Wes found it.
Here it is at a car show in 1979 (Yellow)
Here it is last year when the current owner purchased it last year in Massachusetts. (Orange)
Thank you Wes.

Just a recent example
 
Thanks! I would really love to get some close up shots of my murals if ANYONE has any pictures from the VA Beach Pavilion, Hampton Coliseum or Richmond Coliseum ISCA shows during those times you would have seen her. I was also in a few MD (Baltimore) and NC (Raleigh and Charlotte) ISCA shows. Am still trying to locate front view pictures with the rectangular lights and the decklid picture (without spoiler) with the 1967 fish emblem I airbrushed in chrome 3D that fooled a lot of people from a distance!


edit" Found some shots from the paint booth back in 1985! The shiny rectangle on bumper is wax paper covering my Air Force sticker that got me in NASA gate for work and didn't want masking tape to melt to it when Imron clear went on! Sorry about quality...cheap camera shot off computer screen for chrome emblem picture

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Trying to keep it simple right now, not much time to spend on PC so have to learn to balance time better between all the honey-dos while she's at work...and take care of 2 furr baby cats!
 
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