Kind of like an old Vietnam story about a 67 Corvette in the barn
have any of my fellow A body guys bought a car and then forgot about it?
i did 23 years in the Marines and then 2 in the Army finishing with a combat tour in Iraq 2005-06. when i got back home. i was pretty messed up, actually, really messed up and started PTSD therapy that went on for 10 years. early on, around 2008, my therapist suggested that i find something that i really enjoyed and i told him i like old mopars. so he suggested i find one to throw myself into. i found a nice driver quality gold 1969 383 4 speed Formula S fastback numbers matching Barracuda down in South Carolina, bought it and had it shipped to my house in Pittsburgh, PA. i drove it around my housing plan a couple of times and then parked it in my garage, where it sat - for the last 12 years!!
for some reason, i ended up buying three other Barracudas. two 68's and a 69 440 M-Code Cuda. i completely restored one of the 68's and have the 69 M-Code car about 50% completed. i built a new garage and recently moved all the cars and parts to that location, and oddly, "rediscovered" the 69 383 Formula S car.
what i am finding about this forgotten car is that it is really a rather rare car, and one i should have been working on sooner than 12 years after i bought it. i had the car full of parts and in cleaning it out and putting the parts on shelves, discovered all kinds of stuff i apparently also purchased and then forgot about. and then about the car.
this car is a gold fastback "H" code car indicating it was an original 383 car. everything is original on this car - the motor with the chrome valve covers and chrome coil, 4 speed trans, headers; all kinds of odd stuff like rear window defogger blower motor (that works); a clock in the dash; under dash "map light"; dellux interior with headrests; Formula S package; "accent stripe delete"; front disc brakes. i guess this car was ordered as a "sleeper" race car as the only indication of the drivetrain is a chrome "383 Formula S" chrome ornament on both front fenders.
as i noted, this car hasn't been run for 12 years so i'm doing lots of basic stuff. i changed the oil and oil filter; new fuel filter; new battery and cables; drained the old gas; new brake fluid and working on the brakes front and back. i've got a new mini starter ordered as the original 69 giant mopar unit quit working shortly after i parked it. i've got a new clutch kit ordered from Summit as the pressure plate is stuck. i'm going to remove all the plugs and shoot WD-40 in the cylinders before i crank the motor. and hopefully by next week, this "forgotten car" will come back to life! here's some pics of the car. check out all the codes on the original fender tag.
have any of my fellow A body guys bought a car and then forgot about it?
i did 23 years in the Marines and then 2 in the Army finishing with a combat tour in Iraq 2005-06. when i got back home. i was pretty messed up, actually, really messed up and started PTSD therapy that went on for 10 years. early on, around 2008, my therapist suggested that i find something that i really enjoyed and i told him i like old mopars. so he suggested i find one to throw myself into. i found a nice driver quality gold 1969 383 4 speed Formula S fastback numbers matching Barracuda down in South Carolina, bought it and had it shipped to my house in Pittsburgh, PA. i drove it around my housing plan a couple of times and then parked it in my garage, where it sat - for the last 12 years!!
for some reason, i ended up buying three other Barracudas. two 68's and a 69 440 M-Code Cuda. i completely restored one of the 68's and have the 69 M-Code car about 50% completed. i built a new garage and recently moved all the cars and parts to that location, and oddly, "rediscovered" the 69 383 Formula S car.
what i am finding about this forgotten car is that it is really a rather rare car, and one i should have been working on sooner than 12 years after i bought it. i had the car full of parts and in cleaning it out and putting the parts on shelves, discovered all kinds of stuff i apparently also purchased and then forgot about. and then about the car.
this car is a gold fastback "H" code car indicating it was an original 383 car. everything is original on this car - the motor with the chrome valve covers and chrome coil, 4 speed trans, headers; all kinds of odd stuff like rear window defogger blower motor (that works); a clock in the dash; under dash "map light"; dellux interior with headrests; Formula S package; "accent stripe delete"; front disc brakes. i guess this car was ordered as a "sleeper" race car as the only indication of the drivetrain is a chrome "383 Formula S" chrome ornament on both front fenders.
as i noted, this car hasn't been run for 12 years so i'm doing lots of basic stuff. i changed the oil and oil filter; new fuel filter; new battery and cables; drained the old gas; new brake fluid and working on the brakes front and back. i've got a new mini starter ordered as the original 69 giant mopar unit quit working shortly after i parked it. i've got a new clutch kit ordered from Summit as the pressure plate is stuck. i'm going to remove all the plugs and shoot WD-40 in the cylinders before i crank the motor. and hopefully by next week, this "forgotten car" will come back to life! here's some pics of the car. check out all the codes on the original fender tag.
