Starting a new project car and need help with parts interchangeability

-
H

hudskit

Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2011
Messages
17
Reaction score
12
Location
Maryland
Hi all,

I am starting a new project which would entail transferring parts from my 70 duster donor car to a 1965 Barracuda and before I find out the hard way that this isn't a good idea I thought I might ask the resident gurus if I'm barking up the wrong tree here.

The front end on the duster is a 73 front disc brake factory set-up- will this transfer over to the 65 Cuda?

The motor is a crate 360 with a Lakewood bell housing and a Tremac 5 speed attached - beyond the obvious clearance issues in the tunnel area anything else?

I have the power steering assembly I'd like to switch over and was wondering if there are any header systems that will work in this possible assembly- 360 with power steering ?

Last- I have some super stock leaf springs as well- will these transfer over?

The intended Cuda is to become a simple street car with a mildly built 360 and hopefully the tremec to aid on the highway cruising .

Thanks in advance to all for any help you can offer.

best,
Keith
 
Welcome to the site!

The 73 front will swap right over. Swap the UCAs, MC, spindles, rotors, calipers, and the proportioning vavle.

I've never installed a Tremac before; someone else will have to chime in on that as well as the headers.

The SS springs are a direct swap as well.

Good luck with your project.
 
Brad4406 said:
Welcome to the site!

The 73 front will swap right over. Swap the UCAs, MC, spindles, rotors, calipers, and the proportioning vavle.

I've never installed a Tremac before; someone else will have to chime in on that as well as the headers.

The SS springs are a direct swap as well.

Good luck with your project.
Click to expand...

that above inormation is true, you will have to use your 65 lower control arms, and the 65 k frame.

good luck w your project. make sure you use the duster master cylinder, and proportioning valve with the disc setup, as it ports more fluid for the front calipers to work properly. and splits the brake system.

matt

( thats not bad. its only one hundred dollars)
 
The 73 K-frame it self will not fit your Barracuda but the disc brake parts will as said above. If your Barracuda isn't a V8 you will need to find a V8 center link for it. The later ones won't work. You also need to do some research on what oil pan it takes to put a 360 in your Barracuda. I have read posts about the oil pan differences/issues but don't recall the details.
 
Thanks for all the info on the front end - that is very good news since it's almost all new parts. On the rear that;s great news about the springs - and I am assuming that the Cuda still has the smaller bolt-pattern rear axles will the duster ones swap over as well? I am not sure about the axle diameter and bearing sizes and whether they interchange or not…

On the header front using the duster power steering box - that I am stuck with no choice at all due to that box? I have read with interest the threads about the spitfire headers and the TTi/ hooker headers and I am guessing that none of these will fit either- what about the fender well headers I saw mentioned back a few threads? I am loathe to cut up the car but if it's my only choice between power steering and no power steering I will be grabbing my hole saw kit pretty quickly….. ( us chubby guys need our A/C and our power steering :)

What about frame ties- with a mid 400's hp motor will they be needed?

I genuinely appreciate the input guys - this would be my first "A" body project of this vintage and I do remember my painful learning curve on my last project and I am really trying to avoid it this time if i can.
 
For a nice rear end conversion that will gain you rear discs, an 8.8 Ford rear out of a 1996 or newer Explorer will fit very well if you are willing to use Mustang deep offset wheels. They can be found all over with 3.55 gears, psoi, 31 spline axles, and discs stock. Just be sure to grab all the parts you can at the bone yard like the companion flange for the driveshaft, the bolts for it, and the brake lines, as you can use two factory Ford rubber lines to hook to the Mopar system.Two things need to be done.The front wheels can hit the upper control arms due to the deep offset and I had to go with triangle shaped tubular upper control arms to make them work. The rims I used were 2006 polished 18 inch aluminum five spoke with 6.3 inch back space by 8.5 wide. In back, I had to move the springs into the frame rails to get clearance, but now have some 245 x 18s back there. Makes for a great stance and appearance. On the steering box, is there an after market company that makes a small power steering box? It might be your solution, and the power will be a great help with those wide weenies up front.
 

Attachments

  • 7 14 2013 210.jpg
    50.7 KB · Views: 358
That actually sounds pretty impressive - amazing looking Dart there , by the way - but how much trouble is it to move the leaf springs?
 
Sorry for the late reply, I don't stop here too often. The rear spring relocation wasn't too hard, Just measure very carefully and use the stock hangers as a reference point to show you where to put the new spring eye holes. I tried to get the highest location for the top hole I could, and still had to use a lot of lowering block to get the ride height I wanted.
 

Attachments

  • P6030006.jpg
    36.6 KB · Views: 169
With the Lakewod scatter shield and that transmission you will need to cut the trans tunnel out and fabricate a new one. Whats wrong with the Duster, a better option for what you want to do.
 
If the Barracuda is mostly stock it most likely has the small 7-1/4 rear end. That definitely has to go.
If you had the V-8/Tremec combo running in the Duster then chances are the rear end is definitely NOT a 7-1/4, might be an 8-3/4. You should ID it. The whole rear end will bolt right into the Barracuda as is. If it is original to the car then it is the small 4" bolt pattern. But because the front end has been converted to the later and larger BBP, the rear possibly was converted also. You can easily check by trying to swap wheels around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top