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

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I want to extend my profuse thanks and gratitude to all who have welcomed me and helped me understand more about my Mopar. You guys are phenomenal!! You have answered me so fast I have to back up and regroup before I come up with more newbie questions! LOL. I want to also thank all of your for your kindness and congratulations on the car, and compliments.

When I bought this car I didn't know anything about Plymouths but I love old American muscle cars and when I saw this one, what I noticed is that it was a Cuda (plus!!), a Chrysler (also a plus! I knew I would take some hits from you guys for being a Ford, then Chevy man... LOL), and that it was absolutely rust-free, wreck-free, complete, and well cared for most of its life. How could I go wrong? Sure, it's not a 1970 4-speed convertible with a Hemi, but still a nice, pretty, solid original V8 muscle/pony (fish...) car. The fact that it has Sure-Grip and a rare option package is icing on the cake.

Now, I'd also like to thank Geof for his detailed explanation and observations about my car and in particular, the Spring Special package. He is the one who described this package which led me to this forum during my Google search. My original post with all my questions were in response to his post in that other thread. Some of my questions were in response to my misunderstanding of the nomenclature used by Chrysler (A body vs. C body, and cornering lights question) and the descriptions in that thread. So thanks, Geof, for further clarification. I can't think of any more questions I have about that at the moment. Yours and Kegan's information has been very helpful and I am grateful for your assistance and all of you here at this fantastic forum!

Since I am away from my car, I can't easily take more pictures of it at the moment. However, I will upload a few more from when I bought it.
 
No problem here Hetman, hope you get home soon so you can start enjoying that car. It sure is a nice looking ride, and I can tell you're very proud of it already, and rightly so!!! Keep us updated as things progress, it's nic e to have you with us!! Geof
 
Welcome aboard Hetman!

I'm not positive on this (and it might've been mentioned already), but I think Spring Specials had the trunk lid painted red in between the aluminum trim pieces. My '68 was.
 
Thanks, Geof! I will keep you all updated. And yes, I am proud of my fish and liking it more and more each day! Now I keep seeing all these Barracudas in the picture thread with Hemis in them and I can't help but dream...LOL.

Leanna, we're friends on FB! :) I thought I recognized that lime green Barracuda. And I don't know about these things myself, but yes, my Barracuda does have red paint on the rear trim panel and between the panel and deck lid chrome. I will post pics of that in a bit. Do you know if only Spring Specials got that treatment, or were other option packages also treated to that paint scheme? I've been checking out the 2nd generation fish picture thread and I've seen some cars which apparently are Spring Specials with that paint treatment, and others with that red paint which don't seem to have all those other options.

One more question, could any engine be ordered with the Spring Special option package? And could any other Barracuda model (coupe, fastback and convertible, as well as the special engine options) have this Spring Special option package too?

I am going to copy some pictures I found from the picture thread of a car named Lullabell which looks nearly identical to what mine looked like when it was new. I don't know think this was a Spring Special car but it looks very similar to mine, though the rear trim piece only has red above it, and not along the bottom stripe like mine, and it's missing the black stripe down the side. Does anyone have the trim tag codes for this car?

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Thanks so much for asking, Spike! It's been very slow-going but there is progress to report. It was determined that the engine needed to be rebuilt, so a completely new 318 was installed. The guy (Andy) who's working on the fish said he felt the engine that was in the car was not original, so I went along. Mind you, it is difficult for me to manage this operation from 10,000 miles away, and since the engine was completely free to me, I agreed to it. Andy is very busy; apparently too busy to check all the codes on the block, heads, etc, so there's still this little doubt in my mind, or perhaps hope, that the engine was in fact the original engine to the car, and if it was, I mourn its loss. I am a super huge history buff and the possible loss of the original engine tears me apart. However, on the plus side, the new engine was free of charge, so I have to move on. So the Cuda has a new 318 installed, and is up and running again.

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The blue fish has also been painted and put back together. The bumpers were straightened and rechromed. I'm sorry I don't have a good picture but this shows where we're at now. New tires will be installed soon (Andy told me he didn't feel anything wider than 215/60 14 would work on my rims), and they will be BFGoodrich white letters. I'm keeping the original rims because I think the turbine hubcaps look awesome. They are not installed yet in the picture.

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I'm really looking forward to getting this wonderful car over to me in Europe very soon. It's been over 2 years since I bought it and I haven't driven it yet!! Imagine waiting so long. It should be shipped within 2 weeks so I should take delivery of it before winter sets in. I am very excited about that!
 
One warning about those turbine caps: they are very heavy, and since Mopars have a habit of shedding the wheel covers during "spirited" driving (think of the Charger in "Bullitt"), you want to be careful not to lose one of them in the weeds -- it won't be easy to replace.

Nice car -- enjoy it!
 
Man that's a sweet cuda.that is my fav.A-Body style right there.i love the 67,69 barracudas like this..there's someone in our town w/ a white on white conv.like yours..very sweet ride my friend.hope it gets over to ya soon..God Bless..Bear R.-
 
Thank you so much, Bear and Max, for the kind words!! It really is nice that you folks have been so kind to me and helpful and informative! I really appreciate it and I look forward to experiencing the Mopar magic. (true, my dad has an 89 Dodge van since new and I have driven it many times but I've never had a classic Mopar muscle car).

Now I also have good news. The fish has been loaded onto a boat to swim through the Pacific Ocean, slither through the Panama Canal, and make the long migratory swim across the Atlantic Ocean to the great port of Bremerhaven. So I should be able to finally catch it in about 2 months. Here it is along with my 72 Ford E200 getting loaded.

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Wow.well it's on the way.a long way but it's comin..i bet you cant wait..man thats great..good for you.again my favorite style A-Body.my all time favorite.awesome lookin ride....as far as your 1st Mopar you'll never want another ford or chevy in your life..well,not a classic anyways.we all gotta drive what we can to get by on.but,when it comes to muscle cars it's a MoPaR or no CaR..your gonna freak out man..cant wait to hear about it..just to give ya something diff.to look at while ya wait,here's my old A-Body I had..sold it for my 67 Coronet 440.it's a 63 Dodge Dart GT conv.it was tough to get rid of.but my dream car has always been then the 66,67 Coronets..and,The Good Lord blessed me w/one.,had to give up the Dart though.didnt like to see it leave.but it has a great home.and is being restored.its original body color was white.w/white interior and a white top..wow.God Bless ya..Bear R.-
 

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God bless you too, Brother Bear! :) Thank you also for your kind comments and remarks. That's mighty nice of you. I can see also that you are a big fan of Chrysler! I can feel your enthusiasm and I appreciate your trying to convey that to me. You must know that I have no way of knowing what you feel because I've never tried Mopar yet! LOL. And yes, I am very anxious to get behind the wheel and feel what it is that you are so excited about. Not only you, of course, but you're the first who's attempted to explain it to me. I know lots of people are crazy about Chrysler and I've never really know why, but maybe that magic will hit me like a spell as well! To be honest, when I look at the pictures of this car, I get more excited. It is a very beautiful, very sensuous, very sexy design. The lines are indeed remarkable. I can't wait to get behind the wheel and take her for a spin. What is it about Mopar that makes people so excited? It can't be only the design or looks of the cars, nor the build quality, nor the power necessarily. I'm very curious. ;) Your vert looks sweet, and your Coronet too!!

I just got some pictures from the shipping company and here are a few (most were dark and/or out of focus slightly, and low resolution). Still, the Cuda looks really, really sweet!! Very beautiful lines. The new tires (215/60 14) look mean too. Still, I'd like to fit some fatter rubber on there but first things first. How does this fish handle? How does it brake? I have a 318 in my 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee LTD and it is FAST!!! So I can only imagine that in a Cuda it should be significantly quicker. My car should also have the Sure-Grip axle (which I love in real-life driving situations) so it should be nice. People, from what I've read, have praised these A-bodies for their handling, so I'd like to see how it feels.

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Is this the proper look or material for the rear window ledge?
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Does the side panel look correct (as far as color is concerned)?
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I realize the car has been painted a very incorrect color. It should be B3 but it's not. But the door panel looks off too. Shouldn't it be closer to the seat color? Actually, I think the seats have been recovered anyway, and may not be correct either.
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Here's where it gets ugly. The kick panels are horrid and surely not correct. The carpet looks wrong too.
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Also, what are these holes in the dash?

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Thanks for all your input!
 
Man that's nice.very nice ..sorry about the color being off but I like it.and you know what ..?the car is yours and it's all there man..!!..now you do what you wanna do to it.as far as interior.the only things that looks like it needs replaced is the carpet and kick panels.thats such a cheap fix though..i like the Barracuda a lot..i hope you do too.thanks for the comment you gave me..thats too cool.theres nothing like a Mopar...the old school mopars..there not the best handling cars but I love them for everything though.. from the motors to Their looks..that cuda has a bad *** stance and look to it..you scored buddy...you scored big time..Barry..( Bear R.- ) oh,heres a better pic.of the 67 Coronet 440.my dream ride since my youth..finally got one..and wasn't even looking..but here she is....I love the rear window on those coupe cudas.i didn't know they came to a V shape like that..wow.thats cool..again man.you scored a nice ride.be happy man..you did good.
 

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Looks like the holes in the dash is where your thumb wheel radio was and cigarette lighter.
The second set has a black dash the original one was silver.
And the wrap on the steering wheel throws it off for me too. id rather see the stock steering wheel with a few minor cracks like the first pictures.where is the wiper blades and antenna?
did he forget to reinstall them along with the radio?

Good luck it looks like nice car other wise.
Johnny

Hetman said:
God bless you too, Brother Bear! :) Thank you also for your kind comments and remarks. That's mighty nice of you. I can see also that you are a big fan of Chrysler! I can feel your enthusiasm and I appreciate your trying to convey that to me. You must know that I have no way of knowing what you feel because I've never tried Mopar yet! LOL. And yes, I am very anxious to get behind the wheel and feel what it is that you are so excited about. Not only you, of course, but you're the first who's attempted to explain it to me. I know lots of people are crazy about Chrysler and I've never really know why, but maybe that magic will hit me like a spell as well! To be honest, when I look at the pictures of this car, I get more excited. It is a very beautiful, very sensuous, very sexy design. The lines are indeed remarkable. I can't wait to get behind the wheel and take her for a spin. What is it about Mopar that makes people so excited? It can't be only the design or looks of the cars, nor the build quality, nor the power necessarily. I'm very curious. ;) Your vert looks sweet, and your Coronet too!!

I just got some pictures from the shipping company and here are a few (most were dark and/or out of focus slightly, and low resolution). Still, the Cuda looks really, really sweet!! Very beautiful lines. The new tires (215/60 14) look mean too. Still, I'd like to fit some fatter rubber on there but first things first. How does this fish handle? How does it brake? I have a 318 in my 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee LTD and it is FAST!!! So I can only imagine that in a Cuda it should be significantly quicker. My car should also have the Sure-Grip axle (which I love in real-life driving situations) so it should be nice. People, from what I've read, have praised these A-bodies for their handling, so I'd like to see how it feels.

g3uy.jpg


858d.jpg


57uo.jpg


yrgg.jpg


bbcu.jpg


iy74.jpg


Is this the proper look or material for the rear window ledge?
aheh.jpg


w2y8.jpg


Does the side panel look correct (as far as color is concerned)?
9pkk.jpg


I realize the car has been painted a very incorrect color. It should be B3 but it's not. But the door panel looks off too. Shouldn't it be closer to the seat color? Actually, I think the seats have been recovered anyway, and may not be correct either.
abvk.jpg


Here's where it gets ugly. The kick panels are horrid and surely not correct. The carpet looks wrong too.
i30j.jpg


Also, what are these holes in the dash?

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Thanks for all your input!
Click to expand...
 
Nice ride...enjoy it...I kinda like the blue ink on the white letters. I wonder if theres a way to permanently replicate that? It blends well with the blue paint. If those are 215/60/14 tires they look 'pretty meaty' to me.
 
johnnycuda said:
Looks like the holes in the dash is where your thumb wheel radio was and cigarette lighter.
The second set has a black dash the original one was silver.
And the wrap on the steering wheel throws it off for me too. id rather see the stock steering wheel with a few minor cracks like the first pictures.where is the wiper blades and antenna?
did he forget to reinstall them along with the radio?

Good luck it looks like nice car other wise.
Johnny
Click to expand...

Johnny, thanks so much for your helpful comments. It probably would have taken me a few years more to realize that my dash is black when it should be silver. Did I understand you correctly? I see in the pictures I posted earlier of a very similar Barracuda that the dash is indeed silver (stainless steel, aluminum?). Please explain what has happened here. Am I missing some kind of metal trim cover for the front of the dash?

I agree that the steering wheel cover has to go. I've seen this car only once, the day I bought it, April 18, 2011, in Los Angeles. I know nothing about Mopars at all, so of course I didn't recognize the wrong color dash. Andy, the guy who has worked on the car, didn't do anything else to it like taking off the steering wheel wrap, but I will do that as soon as it arrives in Europe. Andy didn't forget to put on the rest of the radio antenna; it was like that when I bought it. There was no radio that came with the car either. Eventually I will probably be needing to buy one if they are available. I don't like the ugly holes in the front of hte dash where the radio should be. The wipers were removed and put on my other car, a 63 Cutlass, which had none, and Andy forgot to get me another set...

Speaking of holes in the dash, I was asking about those two square/rectangular holes in the top of the dash. What are they?!

Thanks for your help!
 
ZooKypr said:
Nice ride...enjoy it...I kinda like the blue ink on the white letters. I wonder if theres a way to permanently replicate that? It blends well with the blue paint. If those are 215/60/14 tires they look 'pretty meaty' to me.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Zookeeper! I actually like the way that blue ink looks on that car; it matches the color perfectly. The tires do look stout enough, not wide but not narrow. I'm told these cars have only a 5.5" wide rim! That's super narrow! No wonder a wider tire won't work on these rims.
 
Also, thanks AIV and Bear!

Bear, I appreciate your inexhaustible enthusiasm for the Mopar brand! It's contagious! I don't know much about Mopars yet but I do have a 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee LTD with theat 318 engine in it and I am quite impressed with how smoothly it runs and they say they are basically bulletproof. Mine runs great at 138,000 miles and it even has a very nice V8 rumble to it even with the cat on it and through single exhaust. I love that Jeep! So it stands to reason that I'll love the Cuda even more. ;)

Also, I really like the looks of your Coronet 440. I like the coupes very much. My dad bought a 4-door new in 68, had it delivered to Panama where he was working, then promptly sold it because he made a good profit on it, I suppose. I was born a few months afterwards so I don't remember that car.
 
I found out from Andy that the brightwork on the dash was in poor condition and the simplest solution was to paint it, so he painted it black. I suspect I can find some decent chrome paint and repaint it at some point in the future, or find a decent shop that will chrome-plate those plastic panels. What do you think? The brightwork is on removable panels as far as I know and can be redone in factory style.

I still don't know what the square holes in the dash are; I suspect they may be ventilation ducts?

The Cuda is in Europe now and should arrive in Poland within the next few days. I will keep you posted.
 
What are the lights on each side of the lisence plate? I see dual exhaust coming through those holes if it were mine ;)







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Thanks for the welcome, Young Gun! And for the link to parts sources, Shane. :)

Just heard from the shipping company; the Cuda is on its way and should be at my home tomorrow or Saturday. I'm giddy! LOL
 
Here are pictures of the original California black plates:

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There are 2 small holes in the passenger side front fender. What are they? What should be here?

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After unloading the Cuda and cleaning it up, I was able to take a few pictures. In general I am bitterly disappointed that the paint job is far from what I expected. Besides shooting the wrong color, those lazy oafs did nothing to prepare the surface!! Every little door ding and small dent still greets me every time I glance at the car. Overall, a complete waste of money. I am very, very unhappy about that!!! On the bright side, at least the car is not in worse condition. I can repaint it at some point in the future when funds allow, but we all know that that will take a very long time to do (disassembly, prep, paint, reassembly). Time off the road! Time which I already invested and the car should already be perfect.


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