I'm oficially a Mopar A body guy!

-
Z

zoltan c

65Fish
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
68
Reaction score
0
Location
Abbotsford, BC. Canada
I bought a 1965 barracuda, (Canadian model I think since it says Valiant on the trunk and the front of the hood- just a guess, since I'm new to all this mopar stuff.)
So, to introduce myself, I'm from British Columbia Canada and I'm a mechanic and I recently got the urge to tinker with an old car again. I'm also into motorcycles I currently own a 2001 Moto Guzzi V11S and a 1978 Honda cb400(which I'm turning into a cafe racer).
The cuda is in fairly nice shape, but it needs the interior done. I want to also change the engine to a V8 as well as upgrade to disc brakes and new suspension bits. I will post some pictures soon!
I look forward to being involved with this forum, and sharing with you the progress of my project.

Zoltan
 
Welcome to the site Zoltan.
I am still looking for my next A body congrad's on the barracuda.
There is a lot of good help here,and when you do post pic don't forget to post one of your cb400 also. mike from down south in Akansas.
 
Welcome aboard zoltan. In 65 the Barracudas were actually still part of the Plymouth Valiant line, and today they are part of the most sought after A Body line. :) Congrats on a great find.
 
Thanks for the welcome guys! Here are some pics the day I picked her up! She is a little dirty but most of it washed off. I noticed from pictures of other 65 cudas that my instrument cluster looks way different and also I tried to decode the VIN number that is on the registration and I can't seem to get it. I'll have to check the VIN and the fender tag on the car. I have been so busy because it took me 3 weeks to buy the car, emails and phone calls as well as multiple offers and an 80 km towing job later and a lighter wallet. But I'm happy to have the car because I fell in love with it the first day I saw it sitting in a backyard.
Also I'm from Abbotsford in the lower mainland about one hour drive east of Vancouver just north of the border from Sumas WA. At least I can easily get parts shipped to my shipping address in Sumas, which from the looks of it I will be using a lot.

DSCF1710.jpg


DSCF1712.jpg


DSCF1713_2.jpg


DSCF1716.jpg


DSCF1717.jpg


DSCF1759.jpg


DSCF1763.jpg
 
That looks like it's in really solid shape, very nice find, I'm sure you'll have a blast working on it. I'm new to this forum too and Mopars for that matter, lots of good info here and very friendly and helpful people.
 
as a feloow newbie, welcome aboard...
although you got a head start on being a mechanic, you'll find these guys know
A LOT about Mopar, and Mopar related accessories....hehe

blind, sits dutifully on the welcome wagon.
 
If there is on thing I know for sure is that I don't know much for sure! I'm very glad that this forum is available because it is the best tool that you could have even if I am a mechanic there are always other guys with more knowledge and experience that myself. That is why one of the first things I did was to sign up for this forum, before I start my project.
I have a million questions already, but I also hope that I can be of some help to others. I was a Chrysler technician for a couple of years when I still worked in the automotive field. I am now a diesel locomotive heavy duty mechanic, but my first trade was automotive and I still work on cars out of my garage at home.
 
Actually, that looks to be in much better shape than most of the ones of that vintage that I've looked at. If you're having trouble decoding the VIN, start a new thread with your VIN and we'll decode it for you. If you'd moved the camera over a little to the right on that door panel shot, we would have been able to read it right there. :)
 
I see you're in Abbotsford, just across the pond from me, hope you survived the storms ok. I saw some pics of a beautiful restored Barracuda like yours on the island here that had a tree narrowly miss a full hit on it, went through the carport and smashed the rear glass, probably some other minor damage, hard to tell with the tree still engulfing it. What a bummer.
 
That's too bad, I hope he can get a replacement glass. That was my biggest fear when the storm came that something would smash into the rear glass on mine before I had a chance to get her safely inside the garage. I was working hard to get the garage cleaned up so I can put the cuda in and I managed to do that last Thursday. I will start taking the interior out so I can have a look and see how much rust I have to deal with. I'm trying to see if the local auto parts suppliers can hook me up with some POR-15 and hope to seal the underside and the inside of the floor with it.
Today I have to get some Christmas shopping done, since I haven't even started. My kids asked my wife what she got for me for Christmas and her reply was: "A barracuda for the next 3 Christmases!" I said look at it this way if I spent about 12K on the cuda over the next to years that is only 6K per year which is only $500 a month which is about what most people spend on car payments. My other vehicles are paid for (and also very cheap 89 Dodge Colt bought for $300 and a 93 tracker) so it is very economical to fix up the cuda. O:)
 
Nice logic there Zoltan, my wife just rolls her eyes when I explain all the benefits she will receive from my projects. I tell her it's just another investment, I'm just diversifying our portfolio. :thumbup: I managed to get my Duster home from my son's where it was outside before the storm hit too. It was safe in the garage while the wife's modern iron was outside weathering the storm. The first thing I thought of when I saw the smashed rear glass on the Cuda was that getting a replacement may be a problem, I hope not. Any autobody supplier or Lordco type place will have POR 15, if you haven't used it before, make sure you pour some into a container to use and seal the rest of the can with saran wrap under the lid quickly or it will dry in the can in very short order, and it's not cheap, also wear gloves, it takes days to wear off of your hands.
 
Welcome Zoltan, I'm just across the pond as well. Nice to have you and I hope you enjoy your new project :headbang:

pic4.JPG
 
Nice looking Barracuda Zoltan. First of all, let's get rid of some myths here:

The rear glass is NOT hard to find. They are almost indestructible and most Barracuda owners have a spare in their rafters (I know I do). Most Barracuda shells you will find in a wrecking yard will have everything missing except the rear glass. They sell for about $100, don't let anyone tell you they are rare and worth $1000, that's BS. There's more rear windows out there than cars to put them in.

The first Hemi under glass was actually a 1965, which was later refitted to look like a '66, then they did up a '67 I think.

Your instrument cluster is that of a Dart. You can read all about the Canadian versions here: http://www.earlyabodyforum.com/board/messages/394/393.html
 
Welcome aboard A bodies only! and a Big Ole Howdy from Texas EH! LOL Good looking little baracuda you picked up there.Will make a super nice little ride! :coffee2:

Bobby
 
Welcome Zoltan, from another fellow BC'er. That's definitely a Canuck 'Cuda as it has the US Dart dash and the "Valiant hood ornament....oonly een Caneeda,yoo say???? Good luck on the resto. Maybe we'll meet up at the former Cloverdale meet this year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top