Blue's Barracuda
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Blue's Barracuda
'68 Barracuda's are probably my favourite Mopar of all time, I've had a couple many years ago and have wanted another for a good few years now. when I bought the Valiant I couldn't decide which I'd rather have, so looked for both, the Valiant came up first so I happily went for that. I decided a Barracuda would be my retirement project and left it at that.
Then about a year ago I thought I've got a little bit of money earning nothing in a savings account, I've got the space, what am I waiting for?
Finding one wasn't easy, there's virtually none in the UK and what there are are RHD often in a sad state. I don't mind work but I didn't want a major project either.
So the brief was it had to be a '68, it had to be a fastback, V8, no rust and as complete and damage free as possible. Other than that I wasn't too fussed. So the search was on and I can tell you there's virtually nothing out there, and what little there was was either wrecks, race cars or crazily overpriced resto's.
Wrecks were under $10k, then nothing and the nice stuff starts at $20k and goes to $60k and then there's the cars that someone dropped a Hemi in and your into the $100K mark. Most of these cars don't sell and endlessly do the rounds of the usual internet sites and sellers.
So that's the background, in early November I spotted one on eBay as a buy it now and apart from being a bit scuffier than I ideally wanted, it fitted the brief. Problem was it was suspiciously cheap, a zero feedback seller who I rapidly deduced was almost certainly Mexican, it didn't inspire confidence.
So I watched it and continued searching. Then after a few weeks he dropped the price, I still couldn't make my mind up and then a day before the auction ended I thought what the hell and hit the button. At this point I hadn't spoken to or even contacted the seller, not what I'd recommend at all.
As it happened, when I called him the Mexican guy was happy enough to deal with me and sent me copies of the documents and was no problem to deal with at all. So, fast forward to Christmas Eve when Don kindly picked it up from Southampton for me I got to see what I'd actually bought, even though it had come out of Nevada, serious rust was my big worry. It was pretty much as described, no better no worse, phew!
Then about a year ago I thought I've got a little bit of money earning nothing in a savings account, I've got the space, what am I waiting for?
Finding one wasn't easy, there's virtually none in the UK and what there are are RHD often in a sad state. I don't mind work but I didn't want a major project either.
So the brief was it had to be a '68, it had to be a fastback, V8, no rust and as complete and damage free as possible. Other than that I wasn't too fussed. So the search was on and I can tell you there's virtually nothing out there, and what little there was was either wrecks, race cars or crazily overpriced resto's.
Wrecks were under $10k, then nothing and the nice stuff starts at $20k and goes to $60k and then there's the cars that someone dropped a Hemi in and your into the $100K mark. Most of these cars don't sell and endlessly do the rounds of the usual internet sites and sellers.
So that's the background, in early November I spotted one on eBay as a buy it now and apart from being a bit scuffier than I ideally wanted, it fitted the brief. Problem was it was suspiciously cheap, a zero feedback seller who I rapidly deduced was almost certainly Mexican, it didn't inspire confidence.
So I watched it and continued searching. Then after a few weeks he dropped the price, I still couldn't make my mind up and then a day before the auction ended I thought what the hell and hit the button. At this point I hadn't spoken to or even contacted the seller, not what I'd recommend at all.
As it happened, when I called him the Mexican guy was happy enough to deal with me and sent me copies of the documents and was no problem to deal with at all. So, fast forward to Christmas Eve when Don kindly picked it up from Southampton for me I got to see what I'd actually bought, even though it had come out of Nevada, serious rust was my big worry. It was pretty much as described, no better no worse, phew!
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“This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no foolin’ around”
Apart from a recently dropped in 360 the car is stock. it has a few knocks and dings and some minor rust at the bottom of one rear quarter, I've yet to find any other rust. It has the worlds worst driveway paint job which I don't think is hiding anything. The interior is tired original, with fabric inserts added and some time I think, dash is complete and not hacked up though someone thought the best way to dress up the faded plastic chrome would be to paint it all black...
I'm now on with sorting a few jobs for the MOT, I was fooling myself that It wouldn't need much, when I said stock I mean almost certainly never touched, every bush, balljoint and track rod end was totally shot, every wheel cyl weeping, no great surprise or problem the whole front suspension is off and stripped all the parts are on their way. The upper A arm bushes were that bad the inner sleeves had seized to the cams, and had to be cut out, never had to do that before, horrible job!
I'm really happy with it though and loving getting on with, you can tell that can't you?
I'm now on with sorting a few jobs for the MOT, I was fooling myself that It wouldn't need much, when I said stock I mean almost certainly never touched, every bush, balljoint and track rod end was totally shot, every wheel cyl weeping, no great surprise or problem the whole front suspension is off and stripped all the parts are on their way. The upper A arm bushes were that bad the inner sleeves had seized to the cams, and had to be cut out, never had to do that before, horrible job!
I'm really happy with it though and loving getting on with, you can tell that can't you?
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“This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no foolin’ around”
nice one!!
looks great from here
looks great from here
Si
1970 Charger 500
383 | 4bbl | 727 column | PAS | PAB | buckets/buddy - check out my photos HERE
If you don't want another same old brand-new car ... you could be DODGE MATERIAL
1970 Dodge Charger Registry - https://www.1970chargerregistry.com/
1970 Charger 500
383 | 4bbl | 727 column | PAS | PAB | buckets/buddy - check out my photos HERE
If you don't want another same old brand-new car ... you could be DODGE MATERIAL
1970 Dodge Charger Registry - https://www.1970chargerregistry.com/
Just going to fix the drums for now Pete, will probably fit stock style '73 up discs at some stage.Pete wrote:Wilwoods on the Horizon???
I think I was very lucky all in all with this one, I was beginning to resign myself to having to pay over the odds if I was ever going to get one.
I've been watching one for the last year that is absolutely beautiful, a bit too nice for me to actually want to use though, $33K it was. Watched it to see what it would come down too when it didn't sell, actually went up to 38k after a couple of months and then it went on eBay, I bid on it and there were several other bidders and it didn't even reach 20k, it didn't hid reserve. It's still for sale a year on and I think it's 28K now, such is the Barracuda market, I really don't know what the "true" value of these cars is.
“This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no foolin’ around”
- Johnny Dart
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Dorian, in '68 there was just a Barracuda or a Formula S which would have had a 340 or 383. This one is just a regular Barracuda and a pretty low optioned one at that. Formula S prices are all over the place as well, I spotted 2 in the same colour, both looked mint one was 28K the other 65K don't think either of them sold.
“This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no foolin’ around”
Re: Blue's Barracuda
My thought process exactly but I wasn't brave enough to 'buy it now' blind. (Things I HAVE seen and bought have turned out to be money pits)Blue wrote:........ I thought I've got a little bit of money earning nothing in a savings account, I've got the space, what am I waiting for?
Well done - look forward to seeing it.
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