1st/2nd Gen Barracuda Handling

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elmog

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I always hear what a great handling car the Barracuda "S" is, but compared to what? Other muscle cars? Corvettes? The "S" was offered with stiffer leafs/torsion bars, sway bar, wider tires etc., but how did this benefit the handling compared to a stocker? Did it result if a very poor ride quality? Also, what improvements besides nitrogen shocks and radial tires would benefit an "S" model?
Thanks.

Elmog
 
comparatively speaking, a lighter car with well thought out suspension they handled quite a bit better than their counter parts. not corvette levels, but nothing to sneeze at. IMO ride quality didn't suffer much if at all. I've driven both flavors (and generations) and a car with better t-bars, springs and a sway bar handles night and day difference to a stock slop job.

on a stock car S car, without changing any suspension components, I'd up the t-bars to big block or 9.20 bars, add a slightly larger sway bar with poly mounts and run good shocks (Bilstein, QA1, etx). out back, stock S springs or circle track springs. you could upgrade to an adjustable hangar and poly bushings, but that's not strictly necessary. depending on your driving style, and overall set up you could also add a rear sway bar.

with that set up it would be a nice taut ride without being overbearing.

if you are upgrading to discs/big bolt pattern then the sky is the limit with ample offerings in the aftermarket for literally every component.
 
JYH! Is that really you? Hi, man...

Just read the contemporary road tests. Tom McCahill of Popular Mechanics said it was the best handling American car he'd ever driven. So did Car & Driver magazine. The A-body torsion bar suspension was superior to the other pony cars for two reasons: it was anchored to the firewall, not the fender wells, so it was stiffer; and the geometry was set up to have a lower center of roll. The Mopar rear springs were superior in that they incorporated anti-dive (the front hanger lower than the rear), and anti-wind-up (the front section was shorter and stiffer than the back section).
 
JYH! Is that really you? Hi, man...

Just read the contemporary road tests. Tom McCahill of Popular Mechanics said it was the best handling American car he'd ever driven. So did Car & Driver magazine. The A-body torsion bar suspension was superior to the other pony cars for two reasons: it was anchored to the firewall, not the fender wells, so it was stiffer; and the geometry was set up to have a lower center of roll. The Mopar rear springs were superior in that they incorporated anti-dive (the front hanger lower than the rear), and anti-wind-up (the front section was shorter and stiffer than the back section).
greetings MVH, this is genuinely JYH and absolutely not an AI appropriation conceived in a lab

(ps glad to hear you got your car back on the road)
 
Yeah, driving the copper 'cuda again... just in time for $5-$6 gas... How's the warhorse?
 
Yeah, driving the copper 'cuda again... just in time for $5-$6 gas... How's the warhorse?
still rolling strong. due for a fluff and fold after the last 20yrs. so I'm gonna throw on some headers and an X pipe I have kicking around, swap out the tired shocks for something a little more zooty and possibly swap the t-bars. freshen up the bushings all around. nothing too serious. I'm trying to get underway on a OD or GV upgrade, but I figure I should get it back up to "armed and ready to fire" status before anything else.

it doesn't like sitting, that much I can tell you!
 
I always hear what a great handling car the Barracuda "S" is, but compared to what? Other muscle cars? Corvettes? The "S" was offered with stiffer leafs/torsion bars, sway bar, wider tires etc., but how did this benefit the handling compared to a stocker? Did it result if a very poor ride quality? Also, what improvements besides nitrogen shocks and radial tires would benefit an "S" model?
Thanks.

Elmog

Mine is put back to stock 1966 Formula S suspension with 16:1 manual box, with exception of Performance radial tires on 15 x 6 Minilite wheels, Bilstein shocks, needle bearing Idler arm, and polyurethane sway bar end links. Rides great compared to all the Polyurethane bushings I used to run and still handles great. They took SCCA stock class in 1966. I only drive on the street, no road racing or autocross. My friend road races and loved the way it drove and handled. My brothers 67 Barracuda was set up similarly rode and handled about the same. It is going to be redone soon back to factory with Firm feel tubular upper control arms.
 
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My '69 steering suspension is rebuilt with rubber bushings, original 340-S torsion bars, stock front sway bar rubber bushings, and replacement rear leaf springs from ESPO. Rides very nice takes bumps well and goes around the corners out on country roads well. I do have aluminum heads and intake on the stroke engine so I am sure that helps too.
 
Thanks to everyone that responded.:) I am on the lookout for an early Barracuda and just wanted to set the issue straight concerning the handling. Looks like I'm in for a treat once I find the right car to buy. I'm familiar with Mopars (my dad worked for Chrysler=Chrysler family) and my first car was a '65 Belvedere/273 so I look forward to getting back into Mopars. It true that nobody buys a muscle car for the delightful handling, but its nice to know that the Barracudas weren't so bad at handling.
 
When I first drove my '65, I notice front end roll. It felt like the front wheels would roll under but it was solid to the ground. The ride was about right for a 100K car. I installed a 1.125 " roll bar. The ride is better and no roll. Faster turns are solid. I've always like MOPAR cars because of the superior suspensions compared to the competition.
 
That generation was meant to go in a straight line and stay under 110 mph in the wind. lol
Formula S, my foot. lol
 
That generation was meant to go in a straight line and stay under 110 mph in the wind. lol
Formula S, my foot. lol
Watch some old road test reviews on youtube. What do you see? Vintage musclecars being thrashed around race tracks through the curves to assess how well did they corner and brake. So it wasn't always all about straight lines.
 
Watch some old road test reviews on youtube. What do you see? Vintage musclecars being thrashed around race tracks through the curves to assess how well did they corner and brake. So it wasn't always all about straight lines.
Your talking to a man that has/had a 67 fastback since 1977.
We have some curvy dangerous roads here in Idaho, I learned many years ago I was safer going in a straight line with no wind. lol
If you want to go do a road course in a 67 fastback, go for it, that's what the guard rail is for. lol
 
Your talking to a man that has/had a 67 fastback since 1977.
We have some curvy dangerous roads here in Idaho, I learned many years ago I was safer going in a straight line with no wind. lol
If you want to go do a road course in a 67 fastback, go for it, that's what the guard rail is for. lol

I feel sorry for you. On a road I have and never had a problem going fast( 100 mph all day long and 140 mph for bursts), stopping (10 in drums), or going around corners with any A Body Barracuda from 1972. What suspension are you running?
 
Your talking to a man that has/had a 67 fastback since 1977.
We have some curvy dangerous roads here in Idaho, I learned many years ago I was safer going in a straight line with no wind. lol
If you want to go do a road course in a 67 fastback, go for it, that's what the guard rail is for. lol
lol, I have owned mine since '79 thank you.
 
I feel sorry for you. On a road I have and never had a problem going fast( 100 mph all day long and 140 mph for bursts), stopping (10 in drums), or going around corners with any A Body Barracuda from 1972. What suspension are you running?
If the bushings get rotted or the ball joints tie rod ends pitman arms steering boxes ect get worn these cars handle like crap and won't corner at all. But if all the suspension components are in 100 percent top notch condition these cars corner fairly well in stock form is my experience.
 
If the bushings get rotted or the ball joints tie rod ends pitman arms steering boxes ect get worn these cars handle like crap and won't corner at all. But if all the suspension components are in 100 percent top notch condition these cars corner fairly well in stock form is my experience.

I agree with you, but you can't compare a worn out suspension to anything. I used to rebuild the front suspension around 100,000 miles using the best stuff I could find. I can tell what parts you will probably have to replace, and what to leave alone.
 
Your talking to a man that has/had a 67 fastback since 1977.
We have some curvy dangerous roads here in Idaho, I learned many years ago I was safer going in a straight line with no wind. lol
If you want to go do a road course in a 67 fastback, go for it, that's what the guard rail is for. lol
In my youth I was obsessed with competition. When Go Karts came on the seen, I had one and had lots of fun racing. Later I stepped up to drag racing, stock cars and then sports cars. Road courses are much more fun than going straight for a few seconds. Fast cars have been my llife. At 83, I still get a kick out driving fast on curvy roads. You should try it sometime. You just might like it!
 
Handling is far superior in the A-body WITH the handling package than just about anything from the competition. Ride quality with the handling package was also excellent.
 
My girlfriend's family in 1970 had a 66 Mustang coupe they had bought new. Nothing fancy, 289-2 and manual floor shift. I had my first Barracuda, 1967 FB, 273 Commando 4 speed, Non-Formula S, 10 " drums. She had a younger sister who needed a ride back to Ohio University in Athens Ohio so we ended up driving the 66 about 4 hrs each way with me driving the entire way. I remember the front end feeling very vague. The comparison was shocking with my 67 being a much better driving car. Another thing, early Mustangs tended to be tail draggers. I guess the rear springs sagged pretty quickly. There's a reason Carroll Shelby had to rework the suspension mounting points.

The first ever Trans Am race was won by a 66 273 Dart.

It doesn't take much to have a good handling a-body as long as the suspension rubber is fresh.
My 68 with .920 bars, Moog offset control arm bushings, 2* pos caster, 16:1 manual steering, 73 brakes and K frame, sway bar, HD leafs and poly shackle bushings tracks like a freight train.

G3 Hemi soon, 1.04 bars and flat oval track springs waiting.
 
The ‘66 Formula S handles good enough that it can be easy driven in todays aggressive traffic. Not too bad for a 56 year old! The limiting factor for improvement will be tire width.
 
The early Mustangs were customized Falcons. The Falcon was a marginal car as far as quality. The 3rd gen Mustang handled much better but never compared to the same year MOPARS. I was a line mech for a Ford dealer in Salt Lake in '72. The new 390 Mustang was a beast to drive. All power and no finesse. My '65 has all original suspension with new Monroe's and the 1 1/8" front sway bar. It doesn't handle like my '05 Sebring rag top but it feels solid with a slight oversteer, which I liked from my dirt track days.
 
The ‘66 Formula S handles good enough that it can be easy driven in todays aggressive traffic. Not too bad for a 56 year old! The limiting factor for improvement will be tire width.
Tire width, you say? (yeah, it's been cut a bit).




AlanLuskCuda.jpg
 
I always hear what a great handling car the Barracuda "S" is, but compared to what? Other muscle cars? Corvettes? The "S" was offered with stiffer leafs/torsion bars, sway bar, wider tires etc., but how did this benefit the handling compared to a stocker? Did it result if a very poor ride quality? Also, what improvements besides nitrogen shocks and radial tires would benefit an "S" model?
Thanks.

Elmog

Thanks to everyone that responded.:) I am on the lookout for an early Barracuda and just wanted to set the issue straight concerning the handling. Looks like I'm in for a treat once I find the right car to buy. I'm familiar with Mopars (my dad worked for Chrysler=Chrysler family) and my first car was a '65 Belvedere/273 so I look forward to getting back into Mopars. It true that nobody buys a muscle car for the delightful handling, but its nice to know that the Barracudas weren't so bad at handling.
Are you looking for a "Fixer" or a "Runner" ? I always like to go through a car, and make sure they are updated the way I like them. Best parts, etc...
 
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