Last big window Barracuda 66 built ?

[Kemper]

I have a 66 barracuda with a very late production date of July 18th. The car is a Califronia car and seems to have been built with every available option including a vinyl roof.
Fender tag says it should have disc brakes but I think it came with 9 inch all around. Someone said they may have been using up the parts they could before moving to 67s.

Also it has a no glare finish in the centers of a lot of the parts such as radio,wiper, lights,cigarette lighter knobs The wiper arms also had a no glare coating. Is this common for California cars and has anyone seen this before ?

 

[Oldmanmopar]

I have three of those knobs from a 66 valiant that is now a race car. The knobs state what the are for on the knob. Wiper, Lights, Lighter

 

[Kemper]

I have three of those knobs from a 66 valiant that is now a race car. The knobs state what the are for on the knob. Wiper, Lights, Lighter

Mine are just smooth with the finish in the centers.

 

[cudamark]

Mine are just smooth with the finish in the centers.

Yours are correct, It was the Darts that had the knobs identified that year.

 

[cudamark]

I have a 66 barracuda with a very late production date of July 18th. The car is a Califronia car and seems to have been built with every available option including a vinyl roof.
Fender tag says it should have disc brakes but I think it came with 9 inch all around. Someone said they may have been using up the parts they could before moving to 67s.

Also it has a no glare finish in the centers of a lot of the parts such as radio,wiper, lights,cigarette lighter knobs The wiper arms also had a no glare coating. Is this common for California cars and has anyone seen this before ?

The brakes continued on the same in 1967. If it's a V8 car, it would have 10" drums as standard equipment, with disc brakes as an option. How about some photos? Sounds like you may have one of the last '66 Barracudas. I have one of the first! Aug 17, 1965 build date and an original Hawaii car. Mine has some carry-over stuff from 1965. I've looked at hundreds of '66 Barracudas over the last 45 years and haven't found an earlier build date.

 

[Kemper]

Yours are correct, It was the Darts that had the knobs identified that year.

Is it just California cars that had the " anti-glare " in the centers ? I haven't seen this on another car .

 

[Kemper]

The brakes continued on the same in 1967. If it's a V8 car, it would have 10" drums as standard equipment, with disc brakes as an option. How about some photos? Sounds like you may have one of the last '66 Barracudas. I have one of the first! Aug 17, 1965 build date and an original Hawaii car. Mine has some carry-over stuff from 1965. I've looked at hundreds of '66 Barracudas over the last 45 years and haven't found an earlier build date.

The car is just a shell with the underside done and about ready for paint. I think I have a pic of the fender tag.

 

[jeff alder]

As much as I hate to post this...mistakes are made on everything. Even fender tags! It looks like it was optioned with disc brakes. I have 2 65 performance package Barracudas. One has enhanced braking
and the other one does not. You just never know what truly happened on the day at the plant your car was built at. Unless of course we were at the plant on that day.

 

[cudamark]

The car is just a shell with the underside done and about ready for paint. I think I have a pic of the fender tag.
View attachment 1716454318

Yeah, that's coded for disc brakes. Also, Formula S 273 4bbl, automatic, C.A.P., AM radio, A/C, tach, bucket seats, and remote LH mirror. It's also coded as bright red paint, but, looks more like dark red in you photo.

 

[64_Barracuda]

That's interesting....... Gaylen's books I believe state that the plants all shut down the second Friday to end production of that year and then reopened the first monday in August, giving 2 weeks for retooling..... Gaylen also says the date was more of a "when the car should have been completed". but why anyone would put a date after the second friday is kind of strange...... I wonder how many other cars have this kind of a date code..

 

[cudamark]

Not only after the 3RD Friday, but, the 18th was a Sunday in 1965. Did they work on Sundays? If this was built at the LA plant, that supports my contention that the LA plant was not tooled up to make the new models as soon as the Hamtramck plant was. My reasoning......my 08-17-65 S.O. date '66 Barracuda was built in Hamtramck, but, shipped to Hawaii! Why would they do that if the LA plant was up and running at the same time? I conclude that Chrysler wanted all the dealers to have the new models on hand for the launch of the new cars. Since it takes time to get a new car to Hawaii (by boat you see) They had to get one underway as soon as possible. If LA was slow in getting retooled, they had to ship one from Hamtramck, even if it costs more to do it. Sound likely to you all?

 

[64_Barracuda]

It’s a 66 so it was a Monday.

 

[Kemper]

That's interesting....... Gaylen's books I believe state that the plants all shut down the second Friday to end production of that year and then reopened the first monday in August, giving 2 weeks for retooling..... Gaylen also says the date was more of a "when the car should have been completed". but why anyone would put a date after the second friday is kind of strange...... I wonder how many other cars have this kind of a date code..

The date is the beginning of the 4th week in July after 3 Fridays have passed. It may be the latest build date on one, I don't know but I haven't seen a later date.

 

[cudamark]

It’s a 66 so it was a Monday.

You're right! I was looking under 1965. It was indeed a Monday car.....the 3rd Monday in July 1966. What's the VIN on that thing?