Mopar virgin checking in with new 1969 Barracuda - with questions.... ;)

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Hetman

Hetman

Well-Known Member
Joined
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Location
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Hi folks! It's a pleasure to be here. I am completely new to the Mopar world, having been raised in a Ford family, then I went Chevy with the purchase of a 1973 Monte Carlo in college, 25 years ago. I have always liked Mopars as well, but never owned one till now.

I bought a nice rust-free 1969 Barracuda nearly two years ago in California and have been trying to bring the fish back to its original glory. My Barracuda has an A15 code on the trim tag. In trying to research this, I was led to a thread on this forum, and I am grateful to cudamark and cosgig for the information provided on this option package. I would like to ask some questions to help me understand more about this option package. I appreciate any help, and thank you for your patience since this is my first Mopar.

My VIN: BH23F98301557

Trim tag codes: E44, D31, B3, H4B, B5, 222, 215194, A01, A04, A15, G11, G33, J25, L31, M21, R11, V6X, END

1) What is a "C" model? My car is a 2-door sedan from the looks of it. My car has a 318 and auto with column shift.

2) My car has the A01 light package, and I suppose all the power goodies and lights are present on my Barracuda. However, where would the cornering lights be found for this option package?

3) My car has lots of stainless trim and moldings but I'm not sure all of them are there for the A15 package; some of my trim was in the trunk when I bought it. I'd like to know if I'm missing something. What is a wheelhouse opening skirt? Is it stainless trim around the wheel well lip (my car has these), or a skirt covering the whole rear wheel area? Where would the body side moldings be? Are they rub strips along the side of the car where it might be bumped by other car doors, or stainless trim along the lower rocker panel area? My car has neither, but since it was repainted once, any rub strips might have been removed.

4) What is this performance hood treatment that is mentioned? My car's hood looks flat and normal, without any holes or ducting. Since it was repainted, no stripes are evident. Is this feature a stripe?

5) What does the tape stripe (V6X) look like? I've seen many different stripes on these cars but have no idea what mine should look like. My Barracuda has the V6X code in the trim tag, which lists as a black longitudinal sport stripe. Should this be along the bottom of the car, or a fat one just below the windows?

6) My car has the L31 hood mount turn signals, and they are present on the car. Is this also part of the A15 Spring Special package?

7) Was Sure-Grip installed on every A15 car? What would the gear ratio be for my car? What kind of axle should I have? Once again, I am completely unfamiliar with Chrysler cars....trying to learn now! ;)

8) My car has G11 tinted glass. Is that also part of the Spring Special package?

9) My car has H4B high trim. What does "high" mean?

10) Are there any reliable records as to how many Spring Special cars were manufactured? How long were they produced? My car was built on Feb. 22. I understand that this package was also available for the Fury. What other cars had this package? How rare are they today? Does this option package carry any particular collector interest/value/premium, and if so, what would that be?

I'm excited about this Barracuda and especially the prospect of having a rare one. :) I don't know if rare translates into valuable, but just the same, I love cars and this being my first Mopar, I am excited to own it. Thank you for all your help in getting it back into tip-top shape.

-Mike
 
Welcome aboard there are a ton helpful members on this site
 
Thank you all for the very warm welcome. Here's a picture of the blue fish just after painting, but prior to reassembly.

88069232.jpg


And here she is when I bought her nearly 2 years ago. And I know it's just a matter of (very little) time before someone notices that the car's color code is B3 and it appears to have been repainted in B5. I am most unhappy by this turn of events in my absence (I'm overseas) but I guess the fish still looks nice in this (B5) color. I just wish they had gotten it right (and I don't have the money right now to redo the whole car again, so for now this color stays.

dsc2592a.jpg


Original paint underhood:

dsc2627v.jpg


data plate on fender:

dsc2630f.jpg
 
2) I think they are Ashtray, glovebox and the trunk.
3)Its a peice of trim all the way around the wheel wells.
4) only hood treatment I've seen is on 340/383/440 'Cudas
6)Yes I think the turn signal indacators are for the A15 package
7) more than likely its a 3.23 or a 3.91
8) No its an extra cost option
9) Its a higher priced car
10) I think all plymouths had the package as an option, I don't know the dates.
 
Thanks for that extra info, Kegan! Nice kitty on your shoulder too. ;)
 
BH23:
Plymouth Barracuda
High
2 Door Hardtop
F9B: 318 230HP 1-2BBL 8 CYL
1969
Dodge Main, Hamtramck, MI, USA
301557: Sequence number
E44: 318 cid 2 barrel V8 230hp
D31: A904 3-Speed Auto Trans.
B3: Light Blue Metallic Exterior Color
B3: Trim - Basic, Cloth/Vinyl Bench Seat, Unknown Color
H4B: Blue Int. Door Frames
222: Build Date: February 22
212519: Order number
A01: light group
A04: Basic (Radio) Group
A15: 69 only Chrysler/Plymouth Spring Special wo/ vinyl top
G11: Tinted Glass (all)
G33: LH Remote Racing Mirror
J25: 3 Speed Wipers
L31: Hood/Fender Mounted Turn Signals
M21: Roof drip rail moldings
R11: Radio Solid State AM (2 Watts)
V6X: Longitudinal Stripes, Black
END: End of Sales Codes
 
Yes! Thank you Kegan, and welcome aboard Hetman, jump on in and enjoy.
 
V6X stripe
 

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1) What is a "C" model? My car is a 2-door sedan from the looks of it. My car has a 318 and auto with column shift.

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Welcome to FABO. You will find answers to most of your questions in time.

I don't understand your question. where did you get your idea about a "C" model? The car is an "A" Body. Roadrunners and Chargers from the same era are "B" Bodies, a "C" would be a Monaco or Newport.
 
OK, lets run down your questions one by one...

(1) The "C" model referred to would be a C-body car, or the the boats of the fleet like,Fury, Newport, Polara, New Yorker, and all the large cars

(2) There is no mention of "cornering lights" in the A01 package for 1969, it is part of the A14 "Spring Special" package and may allude to the side marker lights located at all 4 corners of the car? The A15 package for 69 is the same as the A14 package without the vinyl top

(3) The mouldings included in the A14 are as follows...B-pillar mouldings, Door upper frame and quarter mouldings, Body belt mouldings, Drip rail mouldings, Wheelhouse opening skirt, and bumper guards ft.& rear.

Now, I can't say for sure, but I know there were no fender skirts on Cudas in any year. My theory is that this may be the red wheelhouse liners that were optional on Cudas in 69, coded as J35

I also believe that the body side mouldings were vinyl and at the body line to keep door dings from happening.

(4) The performance hood treatment is a stripe package, and I believe it it the longitudinal dual stripes down the center of the hood

(5) The V6X stripe answer is pictured above!!

(6) The hood mounted turn signals are part of the A14 package, but and added cost option on Chargers

(7) Sure Grip is part of the A14 package, and thus every car coded with the A14 or A15 package would get one

(8) If the car has an option listed seperately, like the G11 on your car, it is not part of a package and was chosen by the purchaser. If it was part of a package, the buyer would have been informed of the inclusion and would not be charged for it as an option

(9) A "high" level trim designation is meant to verify the amount of "bling" persent on that model. Barracudas were high trim level models as opposed to a Valiant, which would have almost no trim at all. The more trim, the higher the price of the car, and the flashier the model. Low trim was mostly for fleet, taxi, and low level sedans

(10) I don't believe that Chrysler kept records of how many cars got any certain trim package, unless it is a documented rare car, such as an M-code car, T/A, 6pak or Hemi car that has been researches and documented to the 9's.

The Spring Special package was an attempt to boost sales of new cars going into the last quarter of the model year, and in this case was to sell cars whose body style was not being carried over to the next model year. Who needs a bunch of 69 Cuda trim sitting around in 1970 , where it would not fit the 70 model Cudas?? Why not include all of it in an option package and charge once for it than hope somebody will order it piece by piece?? Sorta like nowadays when they zero out the option cost of last years model to sell you the car and get it off the lot!!

The package itself could be had on any model car, and I have a buddy who has a 69 Roadrunner Spring Special car. No increased value for just the package, but having some of the items from the package on the car certainly increases its value. Items such as the hood mounted turn signals are rare, and add value to the car because they are there, same as the Sure Grip.

All in all, it is a pretty rare option, and you get a bunch of good stuff that makes your car unique, and I personally think you are lucky to have it!! Enjoy that puppy!!

I hope some of this helps, and it may not all be correct, but it's as close as I can figure!! Geof
 
Welcome from another 69 fish owner!! That is a really sharp car!! From the looks of the drivers side exhaust manifold, it looks like the hipo 340 manifolds. Maybe you have a 340?? Chk the engine block for casting #'s. Here is a pic with the longitudual stripe. Yours wouldnt have the "340" callout though.
 

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from ford, to chebby,,to mopar,,guess you saved the best for last,,,welcome,,from the pic of the repaint looks to dark to be B5 still a nice color,
 
Welcome to the Mopar world, Hetman! Glad you've seen the light and come on over from the 'darkside'.
You've found the best A-body site on the web. Post up more pics of your pretty notchback when you get the chance.
 
Hyper Pak, thank you for your help and the welcome! I asked a bunch of questions based on information provided in a thread in the technical section which gave a lot of information about the Spring Special package. Since I don't know much about Chrysler's, I didn't recognize that the C model referred to the big (and very beautiful - I"ve always loved them!) cars. So I didn't clearly understand what the author was talking about.

Hyper_pak said:
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1) What is a "C" model? My car is a 2-door sedan from the looks of it. My car has a 318 and auto with column shift.

.
Welcome to FABO. You will find answers to most of your questions in time.

I don't understand your question. where did you get your idea about a "C" model? The car is an "A" Body. Roadrunners and Chargers from the same era are "B" Bodies, a "C" would be a Monaco or Newport.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you so much for your observations and compliment!! I also really like the looks of this car and chose it because it was a nice original, not beat up, not rusted Barracuda. I sort of bought it without knowing much about Chryslers at all but it was complete and unmolested.

As for the engine, that I do not know. I am unfamiliar with these cars but I will try to check the engine numbers (that will be hard for now because I am overseas and the car is being prepared by my buddy in Los Angeles). I always assumed it had the original 318 in it. I found a 2-barrel carb and the original intake manifold in the trunk, along with the air cleaner. It appears someone replaced that with a 4-barrel setup. I don't know if the engine is original but I think it probably is, and if so, it should be a 318.

4spdragtop said:
Welcome from another 69 fish owner!! That is a really sharp car!! From the looks of the drivers side exhaust manifold, it looks like the hipo 340 manifolds. Maybe you have a 340?? Chk the engine block for casting #'s. Here is a pic with the longitudual stripe. Yours wouldnt have the "340" callout though.
Click to expand...
 
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