68 Barracuda FB S clone

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sydcuda

sydcuda

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2005
Messages
395
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Location
ALICE SPRINGS, AUSTRALIA
Duh! Posted many of my resto pics in my member gallery before I noticed this was here. So I'll put em all here from now. The car: 68 FB 318, purchased here in Australia about 6 yrs ago. It's been in varying stages of restification since (I only drove it a few times before parking it and starting work). Just recently back from body shop after 2 years and lots of hassles with delays - as Im sure many will know all too well about. The good thing is that the car came back mirror straight and better than I could have hoped for. It's in the garage now being pieced back together as money and time permit. List of features at present or in the works:

Paint: Originally MM1 Turbine Bronze now custom heavily metallic blue

Steering: Converted to RHD with rack and pinion steering mounted rearwards on modified K member

Transmission: Conversion from A904 to A833 with tunnel hump, hydraulic clutch and clutch brakes pedals all fitted up

Interior: Custom (RMD) right hand dash, with Classic Instruments G Force guages, legendary seat covers.

Suspension: Tubular upper control arms and boxed lowers, KYB Gas shocks, .920 torsion bars

Front Brakes: 12 inch slotted and drilled rotors with modern 2 piston PBR calipers, 8 inch dual diaphram booster mounted on Aus Chrysler offset bracket (engineered to allow use of booster on right hand side of engine bay).

Engine: 360 bored .30 over, 10.7 compression, stock crank and rods (ARP rod bolts), Edelbrock aluminium heads, air gap manifold, comp cams XE274, MSD pro billet E curve dist., speed demon 750 cfm carb, vintage Mickey Thompson valve covers.

Wheels: 15 x 8 Cragar SS (forged version by Weld) rear with 275/60/15 BFG TAs, 15 x7 Cragars with 225/60/15 BFG TAs front.

Will start with build/paint pics and add others to show progress as I go.

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Brake booster, hydraulic clutch master cylinder, set-up. The brake booster offset bracket is a factory mopar deal here in Australia for 67-70 A bodies - remember there is less room on this side of the engine bay and without the offset bracket the booster would not clear the valve cover. I used an hydraulic clutch so I could install an A833 and not have to worry about trying to install a mechanical linkage on the wrong side of the bellhousing (ie. the car is right hand drive) and also to save some space for headers and steering on the right side.

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from all I have seen and read the car guys down under are real car guys. To have to go thru the efforts and expense to convert one of our cars to right hand drive to be legal there is something else

The car looks fantastic

keep the pictures coming
 
I want a filler tube like that for the gas tank / trunk of my ragtop !
How to aquire one ?
 
WildCat said:
from all I have seen and read the car guys down under are real car guys. To have to go thru the efforts and expense to convert one of our cars to right hand drive to be legal there is something else

The car looks fantastic

keep the pictures coming
Click to expand...

You said it all.

Ray
 
You put the master on the wrong side!!!! Sorry about that, had to say it. That thing looks sweeeeet. I love the color and those fat tires out back.

Mike
 
im diggin the color mate....please do me a favor and when you get it running....do a nasty burnout with it and get either a photo or video of it. either or, but id like a video more....
 
great to see another Aussie on here, I've noticed there are a few. Great looking build up, although I can't help but be jealous of you having my absolute fav A body.
Keep the pics coming
 
Wow that`s a ton of hard work! Beautiful paint job! I`m partial to the 68 fastbacks.:toothy10: Keep the photos of your progress coming.

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Thanks for all the kind words fellas, although I've been registered here since 2005 I've really only started using this site and I wonder why it took me so long to get involved, the wealth of information and ideas, not to mention the cars, is fantastic.

Just on the RHD biz. with the car, I could have left it (or reverted it to) LHD but I want to drive the car often so keeping it LHD wasnt really an option (imagine driving a LHD car on the left hand side of the road and all the visibility problems that come with that). The car had been "converted" to RHD when I purchased it - you wont believe it but the conversion was a "chain drive" which means that the steering box and lower steering column remains on the left side of the car, the steering shaft is cut about halfway up and a chain mechanism is fitted which connects with the remainder of the steering shaft and steering wheel which is mounted on the right side of the car!!!

I've always loved the 68 barracudas and when this one came up I jumped on it. Unfortunately a casualty was my beautiful 318 1970 Valiant 770 hardtop which I restored before this one (pics attached). I eventually had to make a choice between the two and it was a very difficult decision. But I know once this car is done I'll forget about missing the Valiant.

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Nice work so far!! By any chance is that some of the new Duplicolor ready to shoot paint?
 
nice fastback. i too commend you guys down there for really doign what it takes to have your car your way.

i am also partial to 68 fastbacks.................=P~

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68 Sedan said:
Nice work so far!! By any chance is that some of the new Duplicolor ready to shoot paint?
Click to expand...

Nah, its not Duplicolor, right at this moment I cant remember the brand but its two stage (base and clear) with hardener added to the clear. The car didnt really need colour buffing it was perfect off the gun.
 
Some pics of restored grill. To begin with, it had some dings in it and splits in the metal on the outer edge of the headlight surrounds. I knocked out the dings and sanded the surface smooth using fine grit paper, had the splits in the outer edges aluminium welded and then filed the welds down and sander that smooth too. Originally had the surrounds re-anodised but it turned out the the welded parts were of a different grade alumin. and the anodising didnt take to those parts. So had the surrounds chrome plated instead. Turned out very nicely.

My original plastic inserts were good and only need re-dying (used VHT spray dye satin black) to bring the colour back up, used a paint stick to paint the leading edges of the inserts silver. Only need new lenses to completely finish the grill.

Unfortunately the last pic of the grills on the car (just mocked up not properly installed yet) dont do them justice due to the dust and manky bumper (which will be re-chromed eventually).

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Some pics of the custom dash. Used a Rocky Mountain Dashes (which I understand are now defunct) piece made to order, in fact the first RHD dash they did. I wanted something similar to the stock dash configuration, hence the guage set-up (quad, tach and speedo - the additional 2 guages you see are for mock up only, will replace with Air/Fuel gauge and something else) and paint scheme. Used VHT wrinkle finish paint for the upper part and painted the lower, LED lights for indicators and warning lights. Champfered the edges of the guage openings to give it a more finished look and painted the inside of the barrels as well. I kept the original thumbwheel radio and had to flip an A body faceplate upside down to make it fit - will make a custom faceplate eventually.

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Outstanding work! Please keep the progress photos coming.
 
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