Opinions on this '68 Barracuda

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rymanrph

rymanrph

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I'm looking at purchasing this '68 Barracuda and thought I'd get some input from some with a lot more knowledge than myself.

Here is the seller's description: "1968 Baracuda, 360 engine bore .30, ( less than 2000 miles on engine), Holly 4bbl, 480/280 comp cams, KB 107 pistons, interior is in great shape, clean carpet, like new seats, auto, Soild car, needs paint."

It was built to be a drag car (manual steering, manual front disc brakes, fiberglass front fenders). I would enjoy taking it to the track, but I would want to add some power options so that I could enjoy driving it to work or on short trips occasionally if I wanted to. I'm looking for a cruiser that I can take to the track once or twice a year.

Any red flags jump out at anyone? The car is about 3.5 hours from me, so it would be difficult to check it out before committing. At $7,500, is it worth a shot, or is that price out of line?

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Thanks for your opinions/input. I hope to be in a notchback Barracuda soon.
 
First thing that popped into my head was you said it was built to be a race car......What rear end and gear ratio is in it? If it has something like 4.30s/4.56s it wont be a very friendly cruiser. Also torque converter type and stall speed.

Second, i see the fender tag. I would get a pic or at least the numbers from it. Could add or subtract value depending on how it left the factory?

Third, gotta check for rust.....frame rails, passenger and trunk floors, etc.
 
Looks good and solid for that price, check floor pans ,sub frame for rust and trunk.
As I can see it is a 67 with a 1968 dash(door mirror forward,tail lights,front grill)is 67, and
1968 marker lights on the side .1967 wiper motor.
Welcome to Fabo.

Darryl
 
not good or bad just an observation. the header panel (plymouth letters) and grilles look to be 67, as well as the trunk, trim and taillights are 67 units. Second on what rick said. some of that less critical, while things like rust very critical/
 
Here's my thoughts/opinions...

1. It's a notch, that's a plus in my book.
2. Paint looks to be decent, if you're happy with the condition and color that would be a huge savings, BUT, only if body and frame and floors (uni-body) are in good condition with no major repair/bondo work (paint and body are the MOST expensive part of owning these cars)
3. If the motor, tranny and rear-end are good, and you're happy with level of perfomance, that's also another huge savings.
4. Suspension and brakes are important and need to be checked but are not as big of a hit to your wallet to repair/upgrade

If all the above are good then I would think an offer in the $6500 range may be a good place to start. In my opinion it's a buyers market right now.
 
The seller didn't build the car and has only driven it a handful of times, so he doesn't know the ins and outs of the car. He just recently bought a Duster that he really wanted, so he's selling this to buy a house. I'd feel a lot more confident about buying it from the builder, but if its a good deal, I'm sure I can correct/change things as I need to.

It has an 8 3/4 rear end, but he wasn't sure on the ratio. Unknown transmission.

He did say that the body/frame is in good shape. Some pitting here and there, but no rot.

Is there a page where I can see a good comparison of the year differences? I recognized the side markers as '68, but I haven't looked at enough to know any other differences between the different years.
 
looks liek its a drum brake master cyl. make sure the brakes check out when you look at it..

some of that wiring looks damn crappy under the hood.. look close at that and the under dash wiring and make sure it isn't all butchered.


why is the heater core bypassed? is it bad?

280.480 cam will want some converter and gear to really run properly. so it does depend on how you want to cruise the car. if its a highway car you may not like it.. locally it could be a fun toy.. not that you can't change the cam and gear if you wanted to..


the biggest thing is go over it with a fine tooth comb and look for bondo or rot. check the floors, frame rails, cowl and look close at the quarters and make sure it isn't just a polished turd.


all in all it doesn't look bad but its only a picture that can really hide a lot. stuff i mentioned wouldn't be a deal breaker for me but it would be a bargaining chip..
 
abodyjoe said:
looks liek its a drum brake master cyl. make sure the brakes check out when you look at it..

some of that wiring looks damn crappy under the hood.. look close at that and the under dash wiring and make sure it isn't all butchered.


why is the heater core bypassed? is it bad?

280.480 cam will want some converter and gear to really run properly. so it does depend on how you want to cruise the car. if its a highway car you may not like it.. locally it could be a fun toy.. not that you can't change the cam and gear if you wanted to..


the biggest thing is go over it with a fine tooth comb and look for bondo or rot. check the floors, frame rails, cowl and look close at the quarters and make sure it isn't just a polished turd.


all in all it doesn't look bad but its only a picture that can really hide a lot. stuff i mentioned wouldn't be a deal breaker for me but it would be a bargaining chip..
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It's amazing how good a car can show in pictures. That's how I got burned. Take the trip or pay a professional in the area to look at it. $200 goes REALLY fast replacing, fixing adding stuff to these cars.
 
What's your experience with Mopar A-Body cars? If you do not have any (and that's okay) then you need to take an experienced person with you and look at this car in person. Also, ask the seller to put you in touch with the previous owner/builder. Too many unknowns at this point. Lastly, welcome to FABO.
 
I will add that nothing "jumps out" at me as in the valuation of the car. It doesn't sound like it is being presented as something that it is not. it appears to be a patched together car containing several years of parts some noted. as far as price goes it does not seem outrageous, nor a steal. it will require more work as all 40+ year old cars and expected at the price it is being offered for.
 
Looks good and from what above members have said, the owner/builder has used a couple years of 2nd gen cuda parts to put it together. That is no big deal as that is mostly cosmetic stuff, And wont affect the performance. You said it was built as a drag car, take a look under the dash at the wiring..make sure it hasnt been butchered. Also make sure that all buzzers, bells and whistles work cuz we know it could be a nightmare trying to figure it out! Nice looking car by the way! Welcome and keep us posted. Oh yeah make the trip to look at it....I wouldnt trust anyone elses opinion or eyes(no offense). Would you ask a 46 year old to marry you without looking at her??? Or taking her for a "test drive"??
 
Thank you all for the welcome and the input. I don't have any experience with A bodies, or older Mopars in general. However, I'm pretty handy in the garage and I can follow directions pretty well, but my experience is mainly with Jeeps. I'm not afraid to completely disassemble something and put it back together if need be. I enjoy learning and being challenged when it comes to cars.

I wish I knew someone that I could take with me, but all of my friends don't even know how to change their own engine oil, so I'll just have to learn as much as I can before going and be willing to walk away from it or take a chance with what I find.

I sent a message to the seller asking if he could put me in touch with the builder. Hopefully he can and that will provide me with some additional information.
 
rymanrph said:
...I don't have any experience with A bodies, or older Mopars in general. ...I wish I knew someone that I could take with me, but all of my friends don't even know how to change their own engine oil, so I'll just have to learn as much as I can before going and be willing to walk away from it or take a chance with what I find.
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Where is this car located? There may be a member here on FABO willing to meet you and look at the car. Also, "bump" this thread to the top this evening and ask for other things to look for so you can better educate youself. And, it wouldn't hurt to ask the seller to send you more pictures (more interior shots, trunk, underneath the car, and of VIN tag (dash) and data plate on driver's side inner fender).
 
The VIN is BH23B8B281063, so it is a 1968. I spoke to the previous owner (not the builder, but he did know more).

He said it has a 727 trans with a 2800-3200 stall converter. It is a 8 3/4 rear end, but wasn't sure of the gears.

The '67 parts were put on the car before he owned it. Apparently the interior came from a Dart that was in better shape. He said there was a roll bar in it at one point and that it would run low 10s in the quarter mile (I don't know much but that seems awfully fast).

He said he had actually owned the car twice and there wasn't any rust, but it really needed a paint job - he didn't elaborate more on what that meant.
 
So knowing the VIN now we can determine it was a /6 car (B) so the K-frame change or conversion mounts have been used. if built/ converted for racing I would "assume" K-frame. So with that are they spool mount or pad style?
The disc brakes are they single piston big bolt pattern of 4 piston kelsey-hayes small pattern.
Again though, what the car is worth is what are you willing to part with to own it. check avg prices do a quick check list in your head of things that you want to do to the car that will make it "yours".
Your skill set will also make a big difference in the whole "diminished returns" aspect of the car. The more you're capable of doing the better you are in liquid assets (cash) invested. Myself my time is the love of the hobby and being productive with my time, so I don't count it directly.

Body parts for these cars are not really being re-poped, or are just starting to get some needed attention and tend to be the most costly for good metal. grilles, fenders, trim seem to be upper end cost items, while a lot of other parts are very interchangeable and accessible.

I think for a little bit more you can find something, more correct that will have better future value overall from an investment stand point.
 
My 2 cents- 68 body with 67 parts, Dart seats, bought recently and not driven much= do not commit until you climb all over it. Just because someone said the 360 was rebuilt means nothing without reciepts. If I wanted a notch and this was a possible based on the limited info you've posted $5k with no documentation of what's been done, $6500 if it's all true. There will be other 68's coming along. Buy with your head not your heart. I have a dead 84 rampage in the driveway because I trusted the pr!ck in Montana's word. Once it's yours, it's yours. Hope it works out for you.
 
IMO No way for $7500! The car is way too much of a mix-match for me. Then there's the former race car history. Race cars get abused & pushed to the limits. Most get built for less than the abuse they take. Former "racecars" (oops I spelled that backwards again) don't make good street cars. It looks like a single stage paint job on it & the hood is blue. Given the fact that the current owner seems to know (or devulge) very little about it & hasn't owned it very long I smell a flipper! Save your $$ & keep looking! As moparbob71.2 already advised, "Buy with your head not your heart!"
 
I'd pass on it, way too many unknown factors. Good luck either way though!
 
If you want to put the correct 68 parts on this car it will be well over $1000 just just for decent trunk trim and grille bezels but then you have the cost of high priced tail lights too. I wouldn't touch this car anyway near the asking price when there is much better notchbacks to be had around that price.
 
Welcome. Have you seen the car in person? Started and hit the road? I think if you are still thinking about it. As suggested, see if a FABO member with knowledge lives near by. Or get an inspection. If you don't mind the mix match parts, and it runs stops and is as advertised. Well it is only money.
I have put $2500. Into a $4000 Swinger in 3 months. Due to injury I dont do my oen work though.
I do however do my own stunts. Good luck and hope you find your ride.
 
moparbob71.2 said:
My 2 cents- 68 body with 67 parts, Dart seats, bought recently and not driven much= do not commit until you climb all over it. Just because someone said the 360 was rebuilt means nothing without reciepts. If I wanted a notch and this was a possible based on the limited info you've posted $5k with no documentation of what's been done, $6500 if it's all true. There will be other 68's coming along. Buy with your head not your heart. I have a dead 84 rampage in the driveway because I trusted the pr!ck in Montana's word. Once it's yours, it's yours. Hope it works out for you.
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I agree. That thing is a hodge podge of parts.

So this guy buys it as is and how long has he had it. I'd interject random questions about how long he has had it and why he is selling it. See if his story stays straight. Bringing a friend to listen and observe is helpful.

It seems like a car tossed together. I hope you are real familar with A-bodies and the parts. Do not assume the engine is rebuilt (it 2nd hand info now anyways). Or if it was rebuilt correctly or rebuilt and messed up.

I'd look it as a bunch of parts roughly bolted together. You need to and be capable of going through the whole car to detox it: goofy wiring, bad tune, parts barely hanging on, parts installed incorrectly....

$4K to $6K car.

IMO No way for $7500! The car is way too much of a mix-match for me. Then there's the former race car history. Race cars get abused & pushed to the limits. Most get built for less than the abuse they take. Former "racecars" (oops I spelled that backwards again) don't make good street cars. It looks like a single stage paint job on it & the hood is blue. Given the fact that the current owner seems to know (or devulge) very little about it & hasn't owned it very long I smell a flipper! Save your $$ & keep looking! As moparbob71.2 already advised, "Buy with your head not your heart!"
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Or car is a mess and he is over his head.
 
I would say it's a little steep, considering it's a mish-mash of different years and sort of has that "crack *****" feel to it (no offense). It actually looks pretty good though.....just that hood sort of kills it. There's just about no way you could screw one together on your own, even with your free labor, for that price, but I think you've gotta knock off at least $1000 from the price.

Oh yeah.....and if there's any rust bubbles forming anywhere, or lots of replaced sheetmetal/fiberglassed rusted floors etc......that negates everything I just said.
 
I've requested some additional pictures and the seller said that he would send them to me Thursday. I know that the car has been posted before on Craigslist at the same price a month ago. His initial email said that he'd sell it for $7,000 since that's what he has in it.

If he can come down $500 without any negotiation, he still has some room to budge. Supposedly he's trying to buy a new house and if this is keeping him from doing that, he won't let my cash walk.

As long as there isn't a ton of rust or needed body repairs, its probably a good fit for me. My current Jeep I'm working on wasn't in terrible shape when I bought it, but I've rebuilt it twice in three years and you'd be hard pressed to find a dozen original parts on it. I like to make a vehicle my own.

Would I like it better if it didn't have some of this issues it does? Probably, but I might be spending extra on items I may end up replacing anyway. I enjoy a project and looking at before and after pictures. I get more out of spending a couple hundred/thousand dollars many different times than putting it into a complete vehicle. Maybe that's bad; maybe not.

If the additional pictures don't make me any more uncomfortable, I'll take a Saturday or Sunday to drive up there with a friend to take a look, perfectly willing to come home empty handed (save for the money I didn't spend).
 
Also, if this particular vehicle doesn't work out for me, are there any sites that you can recommend to look on? Everything on Autotrader Classics seems very expensive and Ebay seems hit and miss. Other than multiple Craigslist searching, I don't have any other sources.
 
I got some of the fender tag info:

12345678 AX TRM PNT UBS
5 8 1 H5X JJ1 B
BH23 21 5 23 203 104670

From what I've found online, it equates to this:

CAR: Plymouth Barracuda 2 Door Hardtop
ENGINE: 225cid Slant Six
TRANSMISSION: 3-Speed Automatic
TIRES: 6.95x14 White Sidewall
MODEL YEAR: 1968
BUILD DATE: February 03.
AXLE: 2.76 Rear Axle Ratio
INTERIOR: High Trim Grade, Vinyl Bench Seats. Black Interior.
PAINT: Medium Gold Metallic (Dodge), Ember Gold Metallic (Plymouth), Sovereign Gold Metallic (Chrysler, Imperial).
OTHER: Black (Dodge, Plymouth), Formal Black (Chrysler, Imperial) Racing Stripe.

MOLDINGS:
25: Drip Rail Mouldings
78: Wheel Lip Mouldings

I'm still trying to get the other lines. I don't think this changes my mind about anything, just helps me know a little more and what has been changed.
 
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