68 barracuda help needed

-

68cuda383

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2016
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Location
australia
Gday all,
I have a 68 barracuda, south African built. I am trying to de code the vin, but not having much luck. Does anyone know how to de code the south African id plates.

Cheers,
John
 

Where's Ters when we need him...

We have a member from south Africa that checks in peridiocally, we can see if he knows anything about them...

I got nuthin.... #-o
 
Hi John, I thought I had the only Sth African built Barracuda in Aus. Looks like I'm not alone! How many more can there be? Sorry can't help with the plate decode, in fact my car doesn't have one at all. Was lost during repaint by the PO.

There is a Sth African Valiant forum where someone might be able to help.
 
Why don't you guys from down under post some pictures of your cars so we can see what they look like??? :D

We like to see Mopars from all over the world... :cheers:


Those Australian Chargers are real cool!!! :glasses7:
 
There's a couple of photos on here of mine Krazy.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=338427

Wow, that's awesome!! I love the blue on it.. and it's right hand drive... I've never seen one of those like that.

I've had many 67 & 68 fastbacks over the years. The dash gauges are much different than ours, but the center console looks the same.

My mom used to have a 67 fastback when I was growing up and we used to fall asleep in the back when we visited our great grandma on the north side of town. Mom would stay late and it was an hour drive home. She would put sleeping bags and pillows in the back for my brother and I to fall asleep in on the ride home. It was fun to watch the stars and see the street lights flash by as she drove on the highway home. Then they would carry us to bed if we couldn't wake up when they arrived...
 
I got one of those Australian Chargers, that's what put me onto Mopars as a young bloke.

Those are cool!

They never made a body style like that for the US...

But we do see some of the ones that people imported from Australia when we go to Mopar Nationals at the end of summer here...

What engines did they offer in the Chargers and Barracudas down there? 6 cylinders? V-8's?
 
Barracudas were never sold by Chrysler in Australia, seems there are a few that were imported early from South Africa, being left hand drive made them an easy import. There are a lot more US cars these days since they changed the law allowing right hand drive cars (have to be over 30 years old or something).

The aussie Chargers mostly came with a locally built straight six in 215, 245 and 265 ci varieties and there were quite a few 318 small blocks. For a really short period they built a number of 340s too and these are pretty rare and collectable these days. Some other later Chryslers got 360s too but there were no big blocks offered in the locally built cars.

The hero Chargers were the E38s and E49s which had a high performance 265 with triple webber carbs. The E49 (1972) held the record for the fastest production naturally aspirated six cylinder (in the world? maybe just Aus) until the late 80s.
 
The PO of my Barracuda was looking at Mustangs back in the early 70s but was sold on the Cuda because he could lay the seat down and "sleep" in the back. I didn't ask what he was up to in there, I don't think I want to know!
 
The PO of my Barracuda was looking at Mustangs back in the early 70s but was sold on the Cuda because he could lay the seat down and "sleep" in the back. I didn't ask what he was up to in there, I don't think I want to know!

When my brother and I grew out of our cribs, mom picked up the twin mattresses in the back of her Barracuda fastback with the seat and trunk panel folded down, the whole twin mattress fit in the car with the trunk closed...

I drove a 68 fastback when I was in college. One of my best friends moved to Texas and didn't like it, so came back to live with his brother in Joliet, IL. He had no money, but his brother had a spare room, so I loaned him the money for the cheapest water bed that they carried. We loaded the single size water bed in the back of my fastback and closed the trunk, and the kid at the water bed store was so amazed that it all fit in the car, he kept saying, "I've never seen a car like this before..." #-o #-o #-o
 
The PO of my Barracuda was looking at Mustangs back in the early 70s but was sold on the Cuda because he could lay the seat down and "sleep" in the back. I didn't ask what he was up to in there, I don't think I want to know!

Sometimes it's best not to ask... :glasses7:

I've had a few "good times" that it's best not to go into details.... :D
 
Hi John!

South African VIN's were very vague... seeing yours will tell straight away if it is indeed SA assembled.

Feel free to inbox and or post the VIN? I'll help where I can.

Ters.
 
We (South African Mopar Owners Group) had a look at the VIN plate you mailed me....consensus as to what I have quoted before. South African Chrysler tags does not carry information as US/Canadian or any other assemblies do. You tag does state "Elsies river" as assembled. Many Dodges/Valiants were assembled there, as was some in Silverton Pretoria.


Unfortunately, no specific information can be identified from the tag....

Ters.
 
-
Back
Top Bottom