1968 Barracuda Notch 340

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I8NEMO

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2019
Messages
740
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790
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I waited 12 weeks for the Cuda Tribute grille to arrive. After dismantling a factory 2014 Chally grille months ago, I found the Cuda Tribute Grille by accident on-line, go figure. I chose this grille because it is fiberglass (actually a cap) and does not have all of the surrounding "stuff" to cut away and build returns for. I knew I would have to at least shorten it so being fiberglass, I can re-glass, shape, add, delete and I've done some reverse mold work in the past so I felt comfortable spending the money. The grille has been shortened 7" via cutting headlight buckets loose and trimming each side of the center section. The Cuda Tribute "buckets" are way too small to center on any protruding lens feature of the headlights so I had to enlist the 2014 grille buckets to aid in this purpose

Thanks to Gorilla tape I've been able to mock up 2 distinct looks. Look 1. was to recess the center section so as to leave the factory car nose piece alone. The grille rectangular openings are truncated or funneled , reattaching the forward portion of the center piece ie : recessing the grille section, towards the rearward opening on the light buckets meant pinching the upper and lower horizontal sections together. Not optimum, but I was surprised how much I didn't hate the look.

This morning I thought it was time to mock up the 73 Cuda bumper (yes it will get shortened and tucked) as I knew it would cover the lower portion of the grille and it also lends itself to the natural bow of this late model Chally grille too. With the bumper in place I could start to wrap my head around extending the factory steel nose piece to reach the front of the upper grille as Look #2 and NOT recess the grille center section. I mocked this up with some black closed cell drawer liner I had (used for door seals in my heater/vent rebuild) and put the car back on the ground.

Pics are from eye level, the headlights are starting to look more sinister and with gaps closing up the look of the lights is starting to pay for the time they required to get right. Imagine away the droop in the drawer liner, and a softer vertical radius off the grille and I think this look #2 has potential plus fabbing a new nose piece won't be any more work than all the glass filling needed for Look #1. Once the grille is reunited with the buckets, I'll lay up 4 or 5 more continuous courses on the back for strength (remember this thing is a fascia designed to fit over a factory grille), I will also include hard points for mounting. After this, the next biggest hurdle is the custom trim filler pieces that will join the grille to the inner fender radii. I'm not a big "Murder/Black out" guy so I think the grille will be or have some silver...at least on the 73 Cuda centerpiece... we shall see.

I know some of you guys will hate this...just go easy on me!

Now I'm wondering :Do I still have enough A body parts left to qualify for this forum? :)

Enjoy

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Sorry man I'm not feelin it. I know you were asking for yea's and nea's. It reminds me too much of a 74-76 Toyota Celica in the front like that.
 
Great that you are thinking outside the box. If you like it, who cares what the rest of us think? I want to see the finished product. Always liked that grille.
 
Sorry man I'm not feelin it. I know you were asking for yea's and nea's. It reminds me too much of a 74-76 Toyota Celica in the front like that.
Thanks for your input, now that you said that, i can see some resemblance! Will keep that in mind as i move forward .
 
Great that you are thinking outside the box. If you like it, who cares what the rest of us think? I want to see the finished product. Always liked that grille.
Thanks man, nobody wants to finish this like i do, heard that! I like to share because clearly i can't see everything, and am open to critique. MoparMats comment about the Toyota Celica resemblance had some validity, I'll probably look at Celica pics tomorrow and see what comes of it, maybe i end up changing something ?
Great that you are thinking outside the box. If you like it, who cares what the rest of us think? I want to see the finished product. Always liked that grille.
 
I waited 12 weeks for the Cuda Tribute grille to arrive. After dismantling a factory 2014 Chally grille months ago, I found the Cuda Tribute Grille by accident on-line, go figure. I chose this grille because it is fiberglass (actually a cap) and does not have all of the surrounding "stuff" to cut away and build returns for. I knew I would have to at least shorten it so being fiberglass, I can re-glass, shape, add, delete and I've done some reverse mold work in the past so I felt comfortable spending the money. The grille has been shortened 7" via cutting headlight buckets loose and trimming each side of the center section. The Cuda Tribute "buckets" are way too small to center on any protruding lens feature of the headlights so I had to enlist the 2014 grille buckets to aid in this purpose

Thanks to Gorilla tape I've been able to mock up 2 distinct looks. Look 1. was to recess the center section so as to leave the factory car nose piece alone. The grille rectangular openings are truncated or funneled , reattaching the forward portion of the center piece ie : recessing the grille section, towards the rearward opening on the light buckets meant pinching the upper and lower horizontal sections together. Not optimum, but I was surprised how much I didn't hate the look.

This morning I thought it was time to mock up the 73 Cuda bumper (yes it will get shortened and tucked) as I knew it would cover the lower portion of the grille and it also lends itself to the natural bow of this late model Chally grille too. With the bumper in place I could start to wrap my head around extending the factory steel nose piece to reach the front of the upper grille as Look #2 and NOT recess the grille center section. I mocked this up with some black closed cell drawer liner I had (used for door seals in my heater/vent rebuild) and put the car back on the ground.

Pics are from eye level, the headlights are starting to look more sinister and with gaps closing up the look of the lights is starting to pay for the time they required to get right. Imagine away the droop in the drawer liner, and a softer vertical radius off the grille and I think this look #2 has potential plus fabbing a new nose piece won't be any more work than all the glass filling needed for Look #1. Once the grille is reunited with the buckets, I'll lay up 4 or 5 more continuous courses on the back for strength (remember this thing is a fascia designed to fit over a factory grille), I will also include hard points for mounting. After this, the next biggest hurdle is the custom trim filler pieces that will join the grille to the inner fender radii. I'm not a big "Murder/Black out" guy so I think the grille will be or have some silver...at least on the 73 Cuda centerpiece... we shall see.

I know some of you guys will hate this...just go easy on me!

Now I'm wondering :Do I still have enough A body parts left to qualify for this forum? :)

Enjoy

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View attachment 1715377891
Totally dig it but I am a bit biased! Here is pix of my fiberglass grill. Your grill exemplifies all that this sight is about. It is a open forum with all kind of folks. As some will like it and some won't but no one will condemn you for it. I am stuffing a gen 3 in a old demon and some folks think it is cool some think I have ruined the car. Do you man do you. We will watch as your build unfolds!

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If you havent cut up the original steel fenders for this, I seriously recommend that you use fiberglass ones for this. Those preemo steel ones on that car are worth a lot more to a restorer since nobody repops them, and are worthless to a restorer once you cut and weld onto them for this.

In other words, if they are solid and straight gennie steel fenders they may be worth up to $1,000-$1,200 for the pair to the right person restoring a 68. You can get fiberglass copies a lot cheaper. Matter of fact a guy was selling a pair of fiberglass ones for I think $400 for the pair on here not too long ago.
 
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Totally dig it but I am a bit biased! Here is pix of my fiberglass grill. Your grill exemplifies all that this sight is about. It is a open forum with all kind of folks. As some will like it and some won't but no one will condemn you for it. I am stuffing a gen 3 in a old demon and some folks think it is cool some think I have ruined the car. Do you man do you. We will watch as your build unfolds!

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First off I See 2 Mopars in your pic dressed in my favorite color! Nice job!
Totally dig it but I am a bit biased! Here is pix of my fiberglass grill. Your grill exemplifies all that this sight is about. It is a open forum with all kind of folks. As some will like it and some won't but no one will condemn you for it. I am stuffing a gen 3 in a old demon and some folks think it is cool some think I have ruined the car. Do you man do you. We will watch as your build unfolds!

View attachment 1715378161
 
I like it!

I'll come right out and say it. Im not a huge fan of a lot of the A body cars. I DO like the Darts, Dusters and notch back cudas tho.

I will probably never sell my dart but if i did it would be for one of the aforementioned body styles!

I think your grill looks good.
 
The Archery Deer Hunt has slowed progress a bit but still moving fwd. The Cuda Tribute Challenger grille has been shortened and re- glasses together. Center grille mount complete. Quick and dirty silver to see if I like. I built a temp. Center mount for the bumper to begin measuring and fabbing permanent mounts to frame.

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I wasn’t sure when I saw the first pics, but now that it’s silver where you can actually see the grill, I love it!
 
Here's the silver grille with mocked up nose piece, no bumper though.

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i think a bumper is going to detract from the look
I was of the same opinion, and still may be. My plan is to see this bumper to its finished state which is shortened on the ends and also slice the center so as to close the angle .75" on each side for a perfect fit-to-grille. If I'm not feelin' it Ill mock it in body color and go for the E Body Cuda optional elastomeric bumper. If I'm not feelin' that...guess I'll punt and go bumperless.
 
I waited 12 weeks for the Cuda Tribute grille to arrive. After dismantling a factory 2014 Chally grille months ago, I found the Cuda Tribute Grille by accident on-line, go figure. I chose this grille because it is fiberglass (actually a cap) and does not have all of the surrounding "stuff" to cut away and build returns for. I knew I would have to at least shorten it so being fiberglass, I can re-glass, shape, add, delete and I've done some reverse mold work in the past so I felt comfortable spending the money. The grille has been shortened 7" via cutting headlight buckets loose and trimming each side of the center section. The Cuda Tribute "buckets" are way too small to center on any protruding lens feature of the headlights so I had to enlist the 2014 grille buckets to aid in this purpose

Thanks to Gorilla tape I've been able to mock up 2 distinct looks. Look 1. was to recess the center section so as to leave the factory car nose piece alone. The grille rectangular openings are truncated or funneled , reattaching the forward portion of the center piece ie : recessing the grille section, towards the rearward opening on the light buckets meant pinching the upper and lower horizontal sections together. Not optimum, but I was surprised how much I didn't hate the look.

This morning I thought it was time to mock up the 73 Cuda bumper (yes it will get shortened and tucked) as I knew it would cover the lower portion of the grille and it also lends itself to the natural bow of this late model Chally grille too. With the bumper in place I could start to wrap my head around extending the factory steel nose piece to reach the front of the upper grille as Look #2 and NOT recess the grille center section. I mocked this up with some black closed cell drawer liner I had (used for door seals in my heater/vent rebuild) and put the car back on the ground.

Pics are from eye level, the headlights are starting to look more sinister and with gaps closing up the look of the lights is starting to pay for the time they required to get right. Imagine away the droop in the drawer liner, and a softer vertical radius off the grille and I think this look #2 has potential plus fabbing a new nose piece won't be any more work than all the glass filling needed for Look #1. Once the grille is reunited with the buckets, I'll lay up 4 or 5 more continuous courses on the back for strength (remember this thing is a fascia designed to fit over a factory grille), I will also include hard points for mounting. After this, the next biggest hurdle is the custom trim filler pieces that will join the grille to the inner fender radii. I'm not a big "Murder/Black out" guy so I think the grille will be or have some silver...at least on the 73 Cuda centerpiece... we shall see.

I know some of you guys will hate this...just go easy on me!

Now I'm wondering :Do I still have enough A body parts left to qualify for this forum? :)

Enjoy

View attachment 1715377878

View attachment 1715377879

View attachment 1715377880

View attachment 1715377891
Looks like a 75 toyota celica

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