1969 Barracuda Project

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69'Barracuda

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Location
Fort Riley Kansas
Hey all just bought a 1969 Barracuda fastback and am working on restoring it. It was originally a Formula S 383 auto console (one of 272 made in 1969), scorch red, no A/C, fold down rear seat, door edge protectors, undercoated, sport package, basic radio group, remote control drivers mirror, passenger mirror and I'm still finding out more stuff it came with every day (sadly no paperwork or fender tag, I posted on the missing thread hoping someone has something belonging to my car). I am only 19 and have a lot to learn about old cars but I don't think they make them like they used to and if anyone has advice or tips on restoring a 69 barracuda, or any car for that matter, or even if you used to own a 69' Barracuda and have some stories to tell about them I would be happy to hear from you. Thanks. (In the pics the interior is all stripped for painting.)

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Wow! Heck of a project you have there. Just keep reading! Look at others resto cars for a good knowledge of what goes where correctly. You can always modify it to you like later.

Get books as well.
 
Wow! Heck of a project you have there. Just keep reading! Look at others resto cars for a good knowledge of what goes where correctly. You can always modify it to you like later.

Get books as well.
I'll make sure to do that. I do know where 90 percent of things go, (I disassembled the entire interior) but I do agree it is a heck of a project! Thanks.
 
Take lots of pictures as you go along. Lots of times its hard to remember how stuff goes back together over time if left apart too long.

Looks like a nice project car.
 
Whatever you do, dont ever get discouraged. I have had my 67 since 2009. Didnt actually start on it till 2011. Even so, its been a slow work in progress. Family, work, kids and other stuff sees to that. On your end, probably friends, work, family. Sometimes i walk into the shop to do other projects either home related, or kid related like fixing bicycle tubes etc, and she sits. The point is, you own the car, dont put a time limit on yourself, enjoy the journey.

Btw is it still a 383 car, or is it now a small block? I noticed a 4 gear changer in the floor on your interior shot. Did you convert it to stick?

The one year only 69 hood is the same stamping for the 73-76 dart, so if the hood has issues, it shouldent be too hard to find a replacement.

One last thing, DMT makes a windshield wiper pivot repair kit. Comes with all the seals, gaskets, etc. Also comes with grease fittings. You have to drill holes in the diecast pivot housings to put the fittings in and pump up the wiper pivot shafts with grease. Worn out internal wiper pivot seals are the main cause for front floorpan rustout. The wiper pivots are not rebuildable. However the good thing is only the seals are what goes bad, and this is a great way to fix it. The grease performs 2 functions, it lubricates the wiper shafts, and acts as a barrier keeping water from entering the car from this point. The kit is pretty inexpensive. I think $20 on evilbay.

Hope this helps
Matt
 
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Whatever you do, dont ever get discouraged. I have had my 67 since 2009. Didnt actually start on it till 2011. Even so, its been a slow work in progress. Family, work, kids and other stuff sees to that. On your end, probably friends, work, family. Sometimes i walk into the shop to do other projects either home related, or kid related like fixing bicycle tubes etc, and she sits. The point is, you own the car, dont put a time limit on yourself, enjoy the journey.

Btw is it still a 383 car, or is it now a small block? I noticed a 4 gear changer in the floor on your interior shot. Did you convert it to stick?
Thanks for the words of advice. I'm hoping to at least get the interior nice and then running and save body work for when I rebuild some funds. I wish it was still a 383, Previous owner put a built 360 in it as well as converted it to manual, however as I'm finding he's Jerry rigged about 90 percent of the car, he was building it for racing so he didn't care about the car like I do, so I wouldn't be surprised if something's wrong with the tranny. I have been looking for a 1969 383 (I'd like to find my original but I know that will never happen), still unsure if I am going to leave it manual or convert it back to the original console auto.
 
Stick shift cars are lots of fun on the street. My 67 was a slant sux 3 on the tree, with 9" drums all around. Its morphing into a 360, A833 OD 4 speed (no console) , 8&3/4 rear, everything big bolt pattern with power cordoba big brakes on 74 dart spindles and power steering.

Try to network with folks on here. There may be some FABO members close by who can help.

I know what its like to get a car somebody formerly botched up, especially if your unsure of what its supposed to look like in the areas that were modified like the 4 speed conversion your has. If its messed up It sucks having to unfuck it. I'd recommend taking lots of pix of this and maybe posting them on the appropriate forums here and ask questions about the install. I am sure there folks here who will chime in, and maybe post pix of the correct install.

Kinda odd he would swap in a stick for drag duty. Autos are more consistent. Who knows, maybe the 383 4 speed combo was long gone when he got the car and he had a clapped out 360 dart sport 4 speed car with a good drivetrain.

I just know one thing 67-69 cuda front fenders in good condition are a rarity. So much so that an undented rust free one will fetch $400-$500. Even an undented one with a bit of patchable rust on the bottom will fetch $250-$300. Take care of em they are like gold.
 
Stick shift cars are lots of fun on the street. My 67 was a slant sux 3 on the tree, with 9" drums all around. Its morphing into a 360, A833 OD 4 speed (no console) , 8&3/4 rear, everything big bolt pattern with power cordoba big brakes on 74 dart spindles and power steering.

Try to network with folks on here. There may be some FABO members close by who can help.

I know what its like to get a car somebody formerly botched up, especially if your unsure of what its supposed to look like in the areas that were modified like the 4 speed conversion your has. If its messed up It sucks having to unfuck it. I'd recommend taking lots of pix of this and maybe posting them on the appropriate forums here and ask questions about the install. I am sure there folks here who will chime in, and maybe post pix of the correct install.

Kinda odd he would swap in a stick for drag duty. Autos are more consistent. Who knows, maybe the 383 4 speed combo was long gone when he got the car and he had a clapped out 360 dart sport 4 speed car with a good drivetrain.

I just know one thing 67-69 cuda front fenders in good condition are a rarity. So much so that an undented rust free one will fetch $400-$500. Even an undented one with a bit of patchable rust on the bottom will fetch $250-$300. Take care of em they are like gold.
Oh wow okay. I did get some fiberglass fenders and two egg crates for 600, not sure if I'm going to keep anything but I figured new fiberglass fenders are sometimes 500 a piece alone and these don't have any cracks or anything so both fenders and both egg crates was a good deal.
 
I have a 69 notchback as well. Bought it for parts half stripped. Decided to keep it as a future rebuild. Since its missing front fenders, will prob have no choice but to go with fiberglass for that one. I will make that one a 67-68-69. I have a 68 hood and grilles, 67 taillights and trim, and 69 side reflectors.

If your steel fenders are in good condition, i'd recommend keeping them only because sometimes fiberglass doesnt fit as well as steel, plus if its raceglass its so thin it will crack over time on the street, street glass fenders actually are thick enough to withstand the pounding of street use, but because they add enough fiberglass for this they weigh about as much as the steel ones your trying to replace, so the weight savings is negligible, and you have to deal with fitment issues.

I have contacted AMD and golden star both about making steel outer door skins and new steel fenders. Have not heard back from them yet. I have seen guys weld together 3-4 different fenders to make 1 good one, so i know there is a market for them.
 
I have a 69 notchback as well. Bought it for parts half stripped. Decided to keep it as a future rebuild. Since its missing front fenders, will prob have no choice but to go with fiberglass for that one. I will make that one a 67-68-69. I have a 68 hood and grilles, 67 taillights and trim, and 69 side reflectors.

If your steel fenders are in good condition, i'd recommend keeping them only because sometimes fiberglass doesnt fit as well as steel, plus if its raceglass its so thin it will crack over time on the street, street glass fenders actually are thick enough to withstand the pounding of street use, but because they add enough fiberglass for this they weigh about as much as the steel ones your trying to replace, so the weight savings is negligible, and you have to deal with fitment issues.

I have contacted AMD and golden star both about making steel outer door skins and new steel fenders. Have not heard back from them yet. I have seen guys weld together 3-4 different fenders to make 1 good one, so i know there is a market for them.
Yea I'll make sure to keep them. The driver side one I believe is toast, rust through the frame that goes down it by the door and the top where it mounts to the car is rusted through, the other one just has some dents in it and that's about it I believe.
 
Yea I'll make sure to keep them. The driver side one I believe is toast, rust through the frame that goes down it by the door and the top where it mounts to the car is rusted through, the other one just has some dents in it and that's about it I believe.

To the right metal guy the drivers side is prob repairable. I cant wait for repop steel fenders and door skins though.
 
Dual exhaust bracket reinforcement. Single exhaust cars used a bracket on the drivers side that also held the brakeline. My 67 was a slant 6, and had 3 dimples in the floorpan on the RH side for this reinforcement and bracket. I templated out these parts out of a sevetely rusted original, and fabricated my own reinforcement. And exhaust hangar bracket.

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Dual exhaust bracket reinforcement. Single exhaust cars used a bracket on the drivers side that also held the brakeline. My 67 was a slant 6, and had 3 dimples in the floorpan on the RH side for this reinforcement and bracket. I templated out these parts out of a sevetely rusted original, and fabricated my own reinforcement. And exhaust hangar bracket.

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Oh that's what that is? Glad you mentioned that, I figured it was something the previous owner had done.
 
MY dad, uncle & some friends ordered new barracudas in 69 plus I have owned some in the past. Have any questions feel free to ask. I bought new fiberglass fenders for my 69 barracuda because I couldn't find steel ones that I was happy with. The ones I did find needed a lot of work for a whole lot of money.

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MY dad, uncle & some friends ordered new barracudas in 69 plus I have owned some in the past. Have any questions feel free to ask. I bought new fiberglass fenders for my 69 barracuda because I couldn't find steel ones that I was happy with. The ones I did find needed a lot of work for a whole lot of money.

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I'll be sure to ask you if I have any big questions thanks. You said you owned them, what do you think of them? I obviously haven't driven mine yet so I'm curious to see how they perform, especially with the formula s suspension changes which i've read really made these cars take corners well compared to other cars of the era.
 
I my self haven't drove any big block barracudas. My dad has & he said he really didn't see any difference. There is not much difference between big block & small block cars. The torsion bars are bigger. My dads 340 barracuda handled pretty much the same as my uncles 383 barracuda. Both 4pds & formula S cars
 
They dont ride like the new cars do, however if your car has the big block torsion bars still in it, and a small block in it, you are miles ahead. I am looking for a set of big block A body bars. I have a set of 340 bars now. Small blocks weigh about 200 lbs less.

Unless your foing for that full original type restoration, I'd skip the little factory weenie tootsie roll diameter swaybars. Go with a 1&1/4 incher on the front, and at minimum a 3/4 incher on the back, all polyurethane bushings all around, and good kyb or bilstein shocks. Widest rim i think you can get on the front is a 7" , and on the back with a stock wheelwell is an 8", and go with the widest aggressive rubber that you can safely put on those wider rims.

If your car doesnt have front disc brakes, I'd recommend upgrading to a BBP setup. (Big bolt pattern) your cuda and all a bodys used a 5 bolt 4" circle up thru 1972. B body and up used a 5 bolt 4&1/2" circle known as a bbp. A set of upper control arms from a 73 up A body gives you a larger ball joint, you also need the 73 up disc brakes. Everything from the spindle out.

The main reason for the bbp swap, is theres more variety of wheels for the bbp, which is incidentally the same as the new ford mustang. So if you like the mustang bullitt wheels they fit. Incidentally, i looked at your original pix and saw you had rallyes on it, with what looks like 73 up centercaps. The car may have been upgraded to bbp already saving you some trouble. A good indicator would be single piston brake calipers. Those started in 1973.
 
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They dont ride like the new cars do, however if your car has the big block torsion bars still in it, and a small block in it, you are miles ahead. I am looking for a set of big block A body bars. I have a set of 340 bars now. Small blocks weigh about 200 lbs less.

Unless your foing for that full original type restoration, I'd skip the little factory weenie tootsie roll diameter swaybars. Go with a 1&1/4 incher on the front, and at minimum a 3/4 incher on the back, all polyurethane bushings all around, and good kyb or bilstein shocks. Widest rim i think you can get on the front is a 7" , and on the back with a stock wheelwell is an 8", and go with the widest aggressive rubber that you can safely put on those wider rims.

If your car doesnt have front disc brakes, I'd recommend upgrading to a BBP setup. (Big bolt pattern) your cuda and all a bodys used a 5 bolt 4" circle up thru 1972. B body and up used a 5 bolt 4&1/2" circle known as a bbp. A set of upper control arms from a 73 up A body gives you a larger ball joint, you also need the 73 up disc brakes. Everything from the spindle out.

The main reason for the bbp swap, is theres more variety of wheels for the bbp, which is incidentally the same as the new ford mustang. So if you like the mustang bullitt wheels they fit. Incidentally, i looked at your original pix and saw you had rallyes on it, with what looks like 73 up centercaps. The car may have been upgraded to bbp already saving you some trouble. A good indicator would be single piston brake calipers. Those started in 1973.
It does have the front disc, I believe previous owner did that. They seem to work fine
 
It does have the front disc, I believe previous owner did that. They seem to work fine

If its a single piston slider or pin type caliper, its been converted to bbp.

Again like you said prev owner converted it. More than likely bbp, and again this puts you miles ahead on your build. Most guys end up converting up to bbp disc brakes, these setups complete from spindle out with upper control arms go for an easy $300 needing everything rebuilt
 
If its a single piston slider or pin type caliper, its been converted to bbp.

Again like you said prev owner converted it. More than likely bbp, and again this puts you miles ahead on your build. Most guys end up converting up to bbp disc brakes, these setups complete from spindle out with upper control arms go for an easy $300 needing everything rebuilt
I don't know what all they've done, but I do know he took it off a 73 duster? I'm pretty sure it was a duster
 
Yep 73 up A body. Knowing this will sure help when you need to buy brake parts or front end parts. I am pretty good at identifying this stuff. Can probably help figure out what all was done.
 
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