No longer carless

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SeattleQQ1Fish

SeattleQQ1Fish

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Messages
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Location
Texas
Finally convinced my wife that I need a new project, and after months of searching, I found this 67 fastback in South Dakota. It's mostly original with the exception of the intake/carb that the previous owner installed (with the wrong linkage.) Looks like the car was resprayed once about a decade ago. This forum has been a great resource in the past, and it's great to be a member.
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Funny story (sort of). When I bought the Barracuda, it was basically rust free and running/driving. The transport company I was working with said it would take two weeks to move it to Seattle. I arranged for pick up the day before I was having surgery for a sports injury, thinking I'd be fine to meet the driver and drive it home two weeks later.
Fast forward three days and, in an opiate haze, I get a call from the driver to meet him and pick up my car. After a good pep talk, I convince my wife she can drive a 50 year old car with manual brakes across Seattle. So, we meet the driver and the Barracuda is the only car on the carrier, parked all the way on top, above the cab. I don't know how many cars this thing could hold, but it must be a lot. The driver climbs up there, fires the car up, warms it up for a minute, puts it in reverse and it immediately dies. He repeats this about a dozen times, and now the car won't start at all. He thinks it's out of gas. My wife and I walk half a mile and drag back gas cans and the car still won't start. Apparently he hauls new cars almost exclusively and doesn't drive old cars.
I'm in no condition to climb up there, so my wife reluctantly climbs up 20 feet into this car, and shooting me homicidal looks, works the brakes while he pulls it down manually with straps. I've never seen such a thing in my life. Crazy. She leaves me with the car and the driver and I go get tacos while waiting for AAA. We get it home and, of course, it fires up instantly.
Apparently, the car encountered monsoon-like rain all across Montana and Idaho, and the spare tire well was completely filled with water. My six-year-old could have gone swimming in there. The wiper seals are probably shot and the carpet on the inside was soaked and had been so for days. It looks like it leaked around the rear window so now the inside is covered in surface rust behind the interior trim.
I got to spend my first days with my new car ripping the carpets out and scraping surface rust instead of driving, but at least I got an interesting story out of it. And it's cool to have a project again.
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Beautiful car! Most of that rust was probibabily there already. That's very common; however, the floors and trunk are still in very good shape.
 
Great story! Welcome aboard!
Good thing the wife didnt wear a skirt and heels! Or did she....lol
Wiper seals and old mylar lockstrip around windshield gaskets probably the culprit(s).
Sharp looking car!
 
SeattleQQ1Fish said:
Finally convinced my wife that I need a new project, and after months of searching, I found this 67 fastback in South Dakota. It's mostly original with the exception of the intake/carb that the previous owner installed (with the wrong linkage.) Looks like the car was resprayed once about a decade ago. This forum has been a great resource in the past, and it's great to be a member.View attachment 1715345784 View attachment 1715345785
Click to expand...

Looks pretty darn nice in the pics !!
 
Welcome to FABO, nice catch on the Barracuda. I like the color, its in great shape...congrats.
 
Welcome to FABO from SoCal...and thanks for the pics and the story.
So, what are your plans for this little beauty (the car, not your wife)?
 
ocdart said:
Welcome to FABO from SoCal...and thanks for the pics and the story.
So, what are your plans for this little beauty (the car, not your wife)?
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For now, I'm going to Por 15 the rusty spots on the floor, fix the throttle linkage, and enjoy driving it for the summer. Once the 9 months of Seattle rain sets in, I might replace the engine with a 340, or maybe rebuild the original 273. I'm thinking 340. I definitely need to do the disc brake swap and figure out how to install the windshield/rear window trim.
 
Welcome from North Dakota. Sweet ride and great story need to tell your wife that your worth all the work she did, than run....LOL
 
Great story ! Nice car too :) now you're fully vested lol enjoy!
 
Welcome aboard! That is a beautiful barracuda and probably my favorite abody! That is a nice solid car cant find them in that shape around here.
 
SeattleQQ1Fish said:
Funny story (sort of). When I bought the Barracuda, it was basically rust free and running/driving. The transport company I was working with said it would take two weeks to move it to Seattle. I arranged for pick up the day before I was having surgery for a sports injury, thinking I'd be fine to meet the driver and drive it home two weeks later.
Fast forward three days and, in an opiate haze, I get a call from the driver to meet him and pick up my car. After a good pep talk, I convince my wife she can drive a 50 year old car with manual brakes across Seattle. So, we meet the driver and the Barracuda is the only car on the carrier, parked all the way on top, above the cab. I don't know how many cars this thing could hold, but it must be a lot. The driver climbs up there, fires the car up, warms it up for a minute, puts it in reverse and it immediately dies. He repeats this about a dozen times, and now the car won't start at all. He thinks it's out of gas. My wife and I walk half a mile and drag back gas cans and the car still won't start. Apparently he hauls new cars almost exclusively and doesn't drive old cars.
I'm in no condition to climb up there, so my wife reluctantly climbs up 20 feet into this car, and shooting me homicidal looks, works the brakes while he pulls it down manually with straps. I've never seen such a thing in my life. Crazy. She leaves me with the car and the driver and I go get tacos while waiting for AAA. We get it home and, of course, it fires up instantly.
Apparently, the car encountered monsoon-like rain all across Montana and Idaho, and the spare tire well was completely filled with water. My six-year-old could have gone swimming in there. The wiper seals are probably shot and the carpet on the inside was soaked and had been so for days. It looks like it leaked around the rear window so now the inside is covered in surface rust behind the interior trim.
I got to spend my first days with my new car ripping the carpets out and scraping surface rust instead of driving, but at least I got an interesting story out of it. And it's cool to have a project again.View attachment 1715345803 View attachment 1715345804 View attachment 1715345805 View attachment 1715345806
Click to expand...

Now tell us how big a grin Ya had getting all that water outta it, something like this ?
 
Nice looking car. Those floors and trunk are in great shape. 67's came with plastic trim around the windows and as far as I know, it's not available. The fix for that is 68-69 gasket and stainless trim.
 
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