68 Cuda dual exhaust cut outs in valence

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Cuda68Scott

Cuda68Scott

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I would like to convert my standard valence that has just one round exhaust cutout to the formula s style with 2 rectangular cut outs that will accept the formula s exhaust tips. Has anybody done this with a little metal work? I am also interested in the dimensions and exact location of the cut outs.
 
AMD makes a new valance with dual cut outs. I can tell you there is a lot of spot welds and a pain in the *** to remove. I removed my original but have not put on replacement as the trunk drops and lower quarters need replaced. The fit of new part is good just needs a little massaging.
 
Hi. I bought a valance with the two cut outs from Layson's back in 2007. It is probably still availabe if you wanted to change the whol piece. Bobby
 
67cudafb said:
AMD makes a new valance with dual cut outs. I can tell you there is a lot of spot welds and a pain in the *** to remove. I removed my original but have not put on replacement as the trunk drops and lower quarters need replaced. The fit of new part is good just needs a little massaging.
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Yeah I have seen a few valence replacements in FABO, and it does look pretty involved. I was thinking maybe just some cutting, bending, and metal patches could get something close without replacing the whole panel.
 
It would be less work to modify your existing valance
 
67cudafb if you could post a photo of your amd cut outs from below and measurements from center I would appreciate it.
 
I contacted wildcat mopars about the similar part for 67 model ( commando ).
I did get reply with some pics of the piece but no measurements.
Should I assume the square cutout is centered with the round cutout ?
Sounds logical.

I did ask for a price on the piece in follow-up email.... no reply.
Probably because there is so much cutting involved in removal.
Good luck
 
you think that would be right since pipes would still be in the same location
 
What I did on my 67 was took an old rusted valance and cut out just the metal around the tips and cut the original valance then welded in the 2 cut outs from what I remember the pieces of the cut out were 5x7 but not much bigger so if someone out there has there old valance its a cheap way of getting what you need. just a thought good luck
 

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67cudafb said:
I had to replace mine because it had crash damage from PO. I will try to get pics tomorrow with measurements.
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Well, technically, it may not have been the PO's fault. I have had many people rear end me in mine. I have one that was hit 3 times.

I had a guy rear end me once while I was 5 deep waiting in line to turn left to go to my golf league after week one time. This butt hole rear ends me then has the balls to get out and say that it wasn't his fault. He's a "professional driver" (truck driver) and hasn't had a ticket in 17 years.... Uhh, hello McFly, YOU rear ended ME - that is YOUR FAULT, not mine.

and then he says, "Why didn't you pull up all the way to the stoplight?"

"Because I was 5th in line at that RED LIGHT and there were 4 OTHER CARS in front of me, in the way that I couldn't pull up."

If you were such a good driver, why didn't you see the situation and react so you didn't HIT ME???

Well, when the cop showed up, he got a ticket. --> OH, Speed Racer just got his "first ticket"....


After getting rear ended 5 times in 2 different 68 Barracudas, I have realized that maybe the rear tail lights are not big/bright enough for the idiots to see. However, the cars hold up real well. On my one daily driver 68, I once was rear ended by an old man driving my son to school, and he hit me while I was stopped waiting for someone ahead of us to turn left at the light in front of us. His hood was buckled and his radiator was starting to spew. The old guy gets out and looks at my Barracuda and tries to say, "your car doesn't look like it is damaged..."

I showed him a few minor dents in the rear valence (where two other drivers had already hit me) and said look at the dents you put in my car. (He wasn't just going to get out of this scott-free... So he offered me $100 to settle and not call the police. I took it. It was a fair deal for both of us.

On the way to school, my son was commenting how impressed he was with the strength of the Barracuda to take that hit and barely have any dents to show it, while that other guy's hood was folded in half.... Luckily, nobody was hurt.

So my point is, that the dents in the rear valence are most not likely the previous owners fault, he probably was rear ended like I was so many times...

I can say that these fastback 2nd generation Barracudas can take a good hit from behind. I once was rear ended by a drunk 18 year old that had a mid 80's Ford Escort top ended out and rear ended me on the highway doing over 80 mph, and I walked away with severe whiplash, no other injuries. The cop told me that if I had been driving a new car, I could have been killed. I was lucky to be driving an old car in such good shape... (I didn't feel lucky due to the fact that he DID hit me)... But even with that car, the frame was pulled straight, the rear quarter panel was replaced and the car was back driveable again.

I guess, you could say that my second job is a crash test dummy in 68 Barracudas....
 
Our first 67 notch was rear ended 3 times in as many years. A Triumph TR7 lifted it and bent the gas tank.
I added a 3rd high mount brake lamp on the package shelf and 2 more bulbs in each OEM rear lamp fixture. It was never rear ended again.
One of the fist things I did to the red 67 I have today was add the fixture on the package shelf. It hasn't been rear ended yet.
 
RedFish said:
Our first 67 notch was rear ended 3 times in as many years. A Triumph TR7 lifted it and bent the gas tank.
I added a 3rd high mount brake lamp on the package shelf and 2 more bulbs in each OEM rear lamp fixture. It was never rear ended again.
One of the fist things I did to the red 67 I have today was add the fixture on the package shelf. It hasn't been rear ended yet.
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So you recognized the problem also....


It's not as bad on the 67's and 69's because at least they have the "horseshoe" shape, where 68 is just a spot in the middle of the horseshoe. The backup lights are bigger than the regular tail lights.... (maybe we should drive them in reverse... LOL!)

It's easier to add the high brake lamp on a notch, than a fastback.... That is a good suggestion. Or maybe some aftermarket can make a center panel for the trunk lids where we can put in the LED lights all the way similar to the current Charger...


We gotta do something to catch people's attention. They are all driving around with their head up their a$$ talking on cell phones and not paying attention to their driving. Many of them don't know or care about our cars and are indifferent to wrecking them for us... OMG!
 
I did exactly what you are asking about. My valance was rust free, so I just cut out the holes and rolled back the edges. After a lot of searching I found this template, which was pretty accurate. Here are a few pictures.
 

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Thanks qkcuda and hemi446, that is what I kind of hand in mind. So it looks like I have a couple of good options - either find an old S valence to cannibalize the cut outs or try some cutting and bending like qk did. Appreciate the measurements also.

Any recommendations for the best exhaust tips and hangar hardware?
 
You know I am going to reveal my A-body ignorance here but what the heck, it's all part of the education.

In the past I was mostly an E-body guy but now that I am trying to get back into the hobby I am looking for a 67-69 fastback. I have since looked a couple of them and had one of them up on lift so I could get a good look underneath. While examining the rear valance panel on this one 68, I noticed that they appeared to be welded in with the valance to quarter-panel seams filled and smoothed. At first I thought that they were supposed to be bolted in like an E-body, and what I was looking at was a cheesy collision repair job (the filling and smoothing wasn't so great). So I searched the FABO site and found the correct answer in this thread.

Now the only question seems to be what to do with the seams? I have seen a couple that are filled and smoothed and I saw one that the seam was clearly visible. Found a thread here on FABO for this subject too. Looks like either way is acceptable. If "knowledge is power" than FABO makes you strong! Thanks FABO for the continuing education!
 
qkcuda said:
I did exactly what you are asking about. My valance was rust free, so I just cut out the holes and rolled back the edges. After a lot of searching I found this template, which was pretty accurate. Here are a few pictures.
Click to expand...

Good work.

To the OP- this method looks promising. When I was considering this same modification, I decided it might look cleaner if I cut the hole completely to size, and took a slice of rectangular tubing and cut off the bottom, or bend up a piece of flat stock (1/2 of an inch?) and welded it to the backside of cutout instead of the snip and roll. While the snip and roll more closely emulates the stamping used on the true article, it is not as crisp.
 
67cudafb said:
amd makes a new valance with dual cut outs. I can tell you there is a lot of spot welds and a pain in the *** to remove. I removed my original but have not put on replacement as the trunk drops and lower quarters need replaced. The fit of new part is good just needs a little massaging.
Click to expand...
x2.
 
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