65 Barracuda Garage Find - I need some help

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ClassicImport

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So I have been out of the Mopar game for a bit. After I sold my 69 Plumb Crazy Road Runner and then my 70 Hemi Orange Road Runner as well, all for the honorable reason of wanting to focus on a good start to my family, I just couldn't seem to get back into it with the same fervor as before.

That is until the "Curse" returned :)

The day before yesterday I found a 1965 Barracuda on Craig's list. I had 72 Gran Torino that I wanted to trade. The little Cuda wasn't very "seeable" so I said no thanks. It was buried under a lean-to out of the rain but covered in years of dust and grime. After he made the deal much sweeter by throwing in another car, 3 guns and $500.00 cash we made the trade for my Torino. I love craigs list:cheers:

So....I wenched her up and drug her home (Like a good man should8)
Now here I am. I don't know much about this particular year and model. I know the car was originally from California and then lived the rest of it's life in Eastern Oregon. Has very very little rust anywhere. Has from what i can tell the original 273 V8. Hell, even has the Spare Tire and Rims with perfect hub caps all still on Bias-ply tires. Glass is all good, Everything is there accept I believe the interior has some new carpet. I believe they were going to remove the engine cause the radiator is missing and some wires cut as if preparing to remove but never got around to it. The engine looks like you could thrown in another radiator, replace some wires and start her up. Car is very straight other than a rear quarter ding and crease.

Over all car is very nice. To start I was wondering what an all original car in this condition is worth.? Not sure if I want to keep it or sell it or even trade it but thought this would be a good group to start with. Vin # V855189044. Im going to attach the pics from my phone. (I just need to figure out how) I took these the day I found the car. I'll post better pics as soon as I can.

Thanks for reading, I would appreciate any help I could get.
 
Welcome to Fabo, sounds like a nice find, would love to see pictures!

According to the VIN it is a real V8 car, is it a Formula "S" model? What are some of the options?
 
Ill try and post some more Pics soon. Other than typical rust spots in the classic cars, is there anywhere specific for this year I should be looking?
 

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Hey, sorry cant really help with the valuing of your new car, I would say somewhere $2500-$3500 but that is a ballpark and i could be way off. Numbers matching would be a plus. Do us a favor and post pics when you can, if you're having trouble, email them to me at cuda169@hotmail.com and i will post them for you. Also do me a favor and post pics of the torino!! I love them cars, a buddy of mine had 2 or 3 of them, wrote them all off drinking and driving...dumbass
 
Nice looking car! Need more pics of the interior and engine to better determine the value. I would give it a good cleaning, looks like the paint may even buff out some, that thing will look decent with some TLC.
 
Cool thank you, ok here's some interior Pics. I'll post engine pic's as well. I really appreciate the help everyone :)
 

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The guy who traded me the car said it was running years ago. His nephew got a hold of it and was going to tear out the engine and replace it. He got into it a bit and then just stopped and parked it. Engine appears original and turns freely so it isn't seized, But it is filthy.
 

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wow man, looks great I fall in love with those early fish more and more evrey day, that front bumper looks pretty wavy there hahah looks like it has stoped a few items in the past
 
Nice Score. What are your plans. Originial drivetrain/paint? She looks like shes all there and pretty dam solid.
 
I have a 65 Barracuda that I bought for $1,700.00 back when prices were higher about three years ago in similar condition.

I spent about $800.00 on new front end parts bushings, ball joints, and tie rod ends. $200.00 on dual exhaust system. Put on some centerline wheels and tires $800.00. Had to rebuild the brakes $400.00 in parts. I honed, ringed and resealed the engine for about $400.00 in parts. Oh I also spend about $200.00 getting it registered.

So now I'm into it for about $4,500.00 and it needs paint and interior to be really nice.

The car is really cool I have no regrets as it reminds me of my highschool 66 Barracuda. I also have it for sale with no interest what so ever on here and other outlets for 4,500.00 obo

These cars are great cars that require a lot of money to restore or hotrod with not very good return on investment.

Nice looking little car on the outside. Interior seats carpet and door panels are not original.
 
I concur with "zhandfull".... seats and floormats aren't original. Looks like the original red exterior, but it may have been repainted. Is the dashboard blue? I can't quite tell from the pictures.

Anyway, I have a 65 that was originally my dad's car - purchased brand new when I was 11 years old. I still have the price sticker from the window - which he meticulously saved - and which I believe says $2700 +/-

I have spent at least 3 times that much in the last 10 years on the car. Cragars, new rubber, exhaust, vintage Edelbrock DB3 intake, new Edelbrock 4 bbl, transmission overhaul, Spitfire headers, etc., etc.... You get the picture.

But I love the car - for what it is - and was (lots of teenage memories "under the glass"). It's certainly not a muscle car, and it will never bring what the later model 'Cudas are worth. But it's so uncommon - and as each year goes by - gets a little more desirable and perhaps, more valuable - at leat to me.

For a couple grand, it looks to me like you hit a grand slam.
 
Yes I have the Mopar "curse" too. In a way, for your sake, I hope you don't love this car because like others have said you can sink a lot of money into it and it won't fetch much if you decide to sell. But, to some of us, they are just so lovable we can't help ourselves.

I'm not sure red is the original color, and the seats have been recovered different from what it had originally. As far as where to check for rust: inside the cowl, floor pans, torsion mounts, bottom of doors, spare tire well.

I bet the 273 will fire up without too much trouble. Good luck, and if you decide to save this little fish, you've found the right place to get help doing it.
 
I can tell you your steering wheel looks like it has been replaced. Also something to look for is the valiant badging. On 64 and 65 they did not have their own identity so you should have valuant badging everywhere. Your instrument cluster looks right to be a 65 (another tell tale). I found some interesting spots for rust though. Obviously the lower rear quarters. Check the battery tray. If it was left it may have spilled and taken out the inner fender well. On the lower from quarters look at the frame rails. I have found several spots water can get trapped and rust through. Also looks like you may be missing the chrome trim around the rear wheel wells. Anything else you may want to know. I am just getting towards the end of my restoration. I also have the service manual in PDF format highly recommend it.
 
Steering wheel looks to be original to me, same one I have. BTW what's the story with the engine compartment paint? The firewall looks white, fenders gold maybe...
 
I had that steering wheel on my 66 I think there was a couple different styles they used on the early A cars
 
Steering wheel is the factory optional woodgrain wheel. If you don't want it, I do! Looks like a white car that's been repainted red. I think there should be some Barracuda script emblems on the front fenders, there's a difference between 64 & 65 emblems. Headlight trim rings can be a bit expensive to replace. Looks to be a pretty solid car.
 
You can check the front floor pans, they all rust there.
 
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