65 Barracuda repairs

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moper

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Well, I don't think I ever planned to have a "resto thread" on this car - but things got out of hand and now my project has become a PROJECT. Pics will accompany when I remember to upload all from my camera.
It started with wanting to do the front end, replace slant 6 with a 273, and paint the car in prepartion to sell it. It's now a strip to metal, repair previous substandard work, repair additional rust and mechanicals, complete color change, plus revamp suspension and brakes in order to maybe sell.
I knew the car had filler. I didn't know how much or why...lol. Now I do. So stay tuned - I have to put it aside for a little while to build a 496 for a customer - then it will be back to this project. Pics coming...
 
Seems like only yesterday I was working on this car...lol. Not sure what the plan is now that it's a year into it. I have (finally!) located and bought two good rear quarter sections of other cars so I'll have all my good steel for the rear. I'm tossing around two ideas.. One is to restore the car with either a 6 or 8 in it. The other is to cut it up and build a 25.3 spec street/race car out of it. Currently the shell is residing in my portable garage. I've got a Super Bee I'm up to my ankles in and a Fox body Mustang coming right behind it for soem minor body repairs. Then I have my Chevelle to do. So it might very well be another year before I get back to this one. I still have a boatload of pictures detailing the taking apart, and subsequent discovered damage to the poor girl. She is definately a pig with hot lipstick...
 
So here's some pictures... Starting with what she looked like, and what lay underneath. It looked good enough for me when I got her. I cleaned a bit, tuned a bit, and drove her for a couple summers. But - I knew there was filler and it was starting to show, and last year January I had a serious money issue. I wanted to fix the car in order to sell. I found collision damage and existing and repaired rust in both quarters, outer wheelshoueses, and trunk extensions. Plus a rusted passenger side floor, both fenders hacked with rust and filler, and the mounting flange for the fenders on the inner fenders is badly rusted too. Not stuff to quickly fix... So I made other arrangements and the money issue was resolved, allowing me to make a parts list and see about locating stuff. Used fenders came from CA, but no dice on quarters or rear sheet metal... Found one in AR, and after a year, he found a nother one so I have both sides coming now. Not sure when I'll get back to it, but at least the parts are piling up...

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So a few years have passed and I was looking for something of my own to work on over the winter so the little '65 is back in the garage. I finished stripping the filler and 80 different paint jobs off it. Discovered the rust isn't as bad as I thought in the back, but there are a few injuries from minor hits that were simply filled ad can be metal worked to repair them. I had thought about selling the car when done - so this would be a "fix up and sell" deal, but the family expressed some valid arguments to keep it so the plan now is to fix the body issues and modify it to fit my own tastes, and we'll see if I keep or sell when it's done. I always thought the '66 D Dart package was a cool deal. Like the '69 Z28, with parts available at the dealer to be installed, and made to do a certain job well for the era. So I'm titling this one the "B Barracuda". My interpretation of a precursor of the D Dart and WO cars, and ultimately the SS A's.

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So a few years have passed and I was looking for something of my own to work on over the winter so the little '65 is back in the garage. I finished stripping the filler and 80 different paint jobs off it. Discovered the rust isn't as bad as I thought in the back, but there are a few injuries from minor hits that were simply filled ad can be metal worked to repair them. I had thought about selling the car when done - so this would be a "fix up and sell" deal, but the family expressed some valid arguments to keep it so the plan now is to fix the body issues and modify it to fit my own tastes, and we'll see if I keep or sell when it's done. I always thought the '66 D Dart package was a cool deal. Like the '69 Z28, with parts available at the dealer to be installed, and made to do a certain job well for the era. So I'm titling this one the "B Barracuda". My interpretation of a precursor of the D Dart and WO cars, and ultimately the SS A's.

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Hey Mopar, that isn't a 273 ! Lol Go big or go home eh?
 
Update - I haven't really been in the work on cars stuff lately. But I managed to finish the rough in of the engine mounts so it's bolted in and all on rubber mounts. Next step is pulling it and working the right inner fender to give more space for the headers.
 
Have had some time and more motivation lately... Fixed the RH fender, ordered up the quarter panels repairs sections for both sides (thanks Layson's), and started straightening the LH fender. "winter" is over, and I need to get back to the Imperial so this one will get the steel work done, the inner fender modified, and then shot with epoxy so I can stick it in storage for the summer. It's getting there!
 
Sure it is. Big blocks don’t fit, remember?
Pshhh, who said that? Its just the exhaust that doesnt.....:lol:

Who am I kidding, Hi-po logs fit like a glove with 1 finger cut off.
 
Not in mine... Well not with an RB where I wanted it anyway...lol. What I'm doing are permanent changes to this unibody that will look factory.
 
Working on making my rust-free bent fenders straight... RH took some work. LH is taking work... and prayers...lol.
 
So, spent the weekend working on the rear end of the car... At least three separate impacts, and one hidden on the rh corner... So a bit of dent removal via bfh work, prybars, and my favorite bodyworking hammers and dollies and it's straight. Still need some fabrication in a few spots but it's getting there...
 
Finally got a chance to get back to the garage... Repaired the pass side trunk extension, and the Layson's rear quarter repair panel. The panel is not a terribly good execution, and I have had to section it to make it fit properly. Not a huge deal, and typical for the mid-price-point panels I've worked with.
 
Pretty quarters...lol. If I've removed 10lbs of filler off this car thus far I think. At least 10lbs.

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