1969 Barracuda 340 Formula S - Sprucing Up and Finishing Touches

[1WildRT]

As you are buying all these reproduction parts do yourself a favor & hold on to all the original parts.... There are lots of guys that restore components.. A restored original component will virtually always be a better option than the reproduction part... Your uncle provided you with a great foundation... 69 Fastback 340 four speed Barracuda in a great color... A bodies don't get any better than that...

Oh, Spring Fling is coming up in a few months, hope you are able to make it out...

 

[Qwiglee]

I'm sure this company is responsible for many messes.

I think the kit I got from Layson's was a new product not made by PG Classics although they share many of the same problems.

As you are buying all these reproduction parts do yourself a favor & hold on to all the original parts.... There are lots of guys that restore components.. A restored original component will virtually always be a better option than the reproduction part... Your uncle provided you with a great foundation... 69 Fastback 340 four speed Barracuda in a great color... A bodies don't get any better than that...

Oh, Spring Fling is coming up in a few months, hope you are able to make it out...

I have been saving almost every piece.

Can you send them back?

Layson's said I could return them but I decided to try making them work and did some cutting and drilling so by the time I realized just how bad they were, it was too late.

Beautiful color. If the Tail Panel trim is still not on, I just saw a guy who needed measurements for the holes in the trunk lid. The name of the thread is: 69 barracuda trunk trim mounting by @Cudafishboi
I don't really know how to do a link to another thread, but it was posted on Wednesday. You could possibly provide the measurements.

My trunk was replaced with a '68 trunk and the holes were different. Anyway, I already replaced the trunk panel with a new repop. It also needed some work to fit right. I think there are 14 holes and I had to drill 4 new holes for the panel to fit.

Below, you can see how the end profile on the repop is shaped much differently. I used a hand file and carefully reshaped the edge to match. Fortunately I still have my original panel but it had been completely sanded and stripped of all its paint and clear coat.

 

[A56]

People are already paying a big price for these parts. You would hope the 2nd or newer attempt would have hit the mark.

 

[Qwiglee]

Excuse me while I beat a dead horse but here are a few more pics of the poor design quality of the grilles.

 

[1969cuda]

Very frustrating I’m sure. That really is unacceptable.

 

[Hyper_pak]

Great car! Did you get the car decoded? The reason I ask is because there are so many trim packages in 69. So is this an "A53" car?

 

[1969cuda]

You must have missed the fender tag post.

 

[1WildRT]

 

[harrisonm]

People are already paying a big price for these parts. You would hope the 2nd or newer attempt would have hit the mark.

So PG Classics just keeps on selling parts they Know won't fit??? That's BS.
about 12 years ago, my 69 Barracuda grills were pretty bad and I came really close to getting a set of the PG Classics ones. But even back then, I had heard a lot of bad stuff about them. I used to do a lot of work on older Corvettes, and I was pretty good with plastic and fiberglass work. So I decided to restore them myself. I had the outer metal parts re-chromed and carefully fixed the broken/cracked plastic. When I was done, they looked really good. So never throw the old stuff away.

 

[A56]

So PG Classics just keeps on selling parts they Know won't fit??? That's BS.
about 12 years ago, my 69 Barracuda grills were pretty bad and I came really close to getting a set of the PG Classics ones. But even back then, I had heard a lot of bad stuff about them. I used to do a lot of work on older Corvettes, and I was pretty good with plastic and fiberglass work. So I decided to restore them myself. I had the outer metal parts re-chromed and carefully fixed the broken/cracked plastic. When I was done, they looked really good. So never throw the old stuff away.

The posting to youtube appears to be 9 months ago, but not sure of the year these repairs were made.

 

[Hyper_pak]

View attachment 1716502093

I saw it, I just don't know all the codes and meanings.
Why do some have a Fish emblem under the front fender Barracuda script and some don't?

 

[Qwiglee]

So I decided to take a shot at repairing the original grille. You can see in the photos, there were some previous attempts at repair with some kind of black stuff but it eventually cracked. After seeing that, I knew I didn't want to simply "glue" the cracks without adding some reinforcement. I decided to use a fiberglass repair kit with fiberglass cloth for strength.

On the inside surfaces I filled cracks and gaps with plastic JB Weld and then sanded smooth.

 

[Qwiglee]

The inner grill trim actually originally had black painted on the inside edge where the egg crate grill sits so I masked off and sprayed SEM satin trim black.

Re-installed the inner trim with 1/8" aluminum pop rivets with 4-40 washers for strength.

The egg crate grille from the repop kit was usable but they ship it unpainted so I sprayed it with more of the SEM Satin black and then sanded the faces back to bare metal which is the correct look for Formula S.

I was going to use the new repop grille screen retaining clips but when I was about to install them I noticed that they are both the same. I had labeled them "L" and "R" when I removed them because they are supposed to be mirror opposite of each other and the difference is important as you can see in the other photo, the mounting posts are offset slightly and the clip matches this. I ended up just cleaning the originals clips and re-using them. Another negative point for the repop.

Finally, I used some 3D metal polish and buffed the parking light trim. I used a Dremel with a tiny cloth wheel to get into the corners.

 

[1969cuda]

Great work!

 

[Qwiglee]

Final results.

 

[Qwiglee]

I saw it, I just don't know all the codes and meanings.
Why do some have a Fish emblem under the front fender Barracuda script and some don't?

My dad said this car had the fish emblems when he bought it. The car has been repainted twice so they probably got removed during one of those repaints. I may replace them at some point. The question I am not sure about is why some have the fish and some have 340 S.
I have a couple of grainy vintage photos of this car but it is hard to tell for certain if the fish badges are there. I think I can see them.

Notice the hood scoops. My dad went out and bought the optional hoods scoops and installed them without the stripes.

 

[Hyper_pak]

Thanks or that.
I think if you had the 340 call out in the stripe you didn't get the 340-S emblem on the fender.

 

[340sFastback]

Thanks or that.
I think if you had the 340 call out in the stripe you didn't get the 340-S emblem on the fender.View attachment 1716502299

Yeah I think if you got the side stripe with 340 in it you didn't get the 340-S emblem. But not sure if I fish was there for the side stripe Formula S cars. I pretty sure the Cuda 340 cars has the fish emblem though.

 

[autoxcuda]

@Qwiglee I think I saw you driving your Pontiac a few months ago north on Telegraph maybe making left onto Kimble.

This Sunday is Ventura Cars and Coffee. I’ll be there with my Hemi Satellite

 

[autoxcuda]

@Qwiglee is that a personalized plate?

I know the original plate number 3 letters/3 numbers for my car, but it was turned in for a personalized plate in the early 70’s.

Would love to get the same for a new plate.

 

[Hellcat Cuda]

cool car and story, love the family history, I hope you keep it in the family forever! I have almost the same car but with 727 auto. Different story with mine, it was a barn find we discovered 6 years ago, not good documentation on it, so we took it down to the frame and a sloooooow build back up, real challenge finding the last few pieces and correcting a new wiring harness that wasn't put in too well. Love your pics for reference, keep showing her off, and good luck. Here is my IG page on Bonnie if you want to see her progress over the years... @restorationrealaties ........new tailight housings and bumpers going on next!

View attachment 1716439903

View attachment 1716439904

Ooooh, if I may ask, where did you get your new tail light housings?

 

[harrisonm]

So I decided to take a shot at repairing the original grille. You can see in the photos, there were some previous attempts at repair with some kind of black stuff but it eventually cracked. After seeing that, I knew I didn't want to simply "glue" the cracks without adding some reinforcement. I decided to use a fiberglass repair kit with fiberglass cloth for strength.
View attachment 1716502235

View attachment 1716502240View attachment 1716502241
View attachment 1716502242View attachment 1716502243

View attachment 1716502247View attachment 1716502248
On the inside surfaces I filled cracks and gaps with plastic JB Weld and then sanded smooth.
View attachment 1716502249View attachment 1716502250

Great work, @Qwiglee. I use fiberglass matt too, but I always use regular 24-hour cure JB Weld. Once the backside is cured, you can make a V groove in the cracks and fill them in. Very strong and very little chance of cracking again.

 

[340sFastback]

Where did you get trunk trim panel from? I need an extra to hang up in my garage ....

 

[Hyper_pak]

I saw a video today, I don't know which is correct!
It's got the 340-S emblem and the callout stripe.

 

[4spdragtop]

@RAT ROD AL has one.

Where did you get trunk trim panel from? I need an extra to hang up in my garage ....