Building this for a customer. Going on year three on this one but heading down the home stretch. Original X9 black 383 Formula S 4 speed car. Not a factory original build but intended to drive and enjoy. Some things like the scoop were requested by the customer. :dunno: Some things like the 496 stroker motor are my influence. :burnout:
Stay tuned for more pics and info on the build. :takepicture:
Front fenders and header panel had been changed but everything else is still original paint. Overall a pretty solid car.
First thing was clean it up and and do a major photo shoot on all gaps and part fitment. :takepicture: Then install the scoop before disassembly.
I will go ahead and give a little spoiler pic. for now.
I like it! Watching this I'm sure it'll be sweet :bigthumb:
:lurking: Oh Ya!!! This should be a fun thread. :lookatthat:
:rebelflag" :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
Unfortunate about the scoop........but "the customer is always right ! :bigthumb:
Gotta love A-body Barracuda custom builds!!! Stroker and 4 spd. :wowzers:
But I'm just a little biased....... :cheers:
I really like 68-69 Cudas.
Quote from: Roadman on September 20, 2017, 03:54:07 PM
Hey @Oldschool (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/oldschool_87) right up your alley. :yes: :rebelflag"
Nice looking car... :ohyeah: Going to be a fun build to follow.
Probably gonna sell the Beast this Spring.... Looking for a more modern ride that has A/C, cupholders, power windows and creature comforts like that.. Sadly, I am getting old..... :crying:
Someone is going to get a super cool ride if they end up with your car. Good luck and hope you find the next car of your dreams.
Quote from: Oldschool on September 21, 2017, 06:11:42 AM
Probably gonna sell the Beast this Spring.... Looking for a more modern ride that has A/C, cupholders, power windows and creature comforts like that.. Sadly, I am getting old..... :crying:
Definitely a nice teaser.
Scoop does distract from car. :notsure:
Snapped this pic and posted fb just yesterday.
Quote from: anlauto on September 20, 2017, 03:30:21 PM
Unfortunate about the scoop........but "the customer is always right ! :bigthumb:
Nothing at all wrong with that scoop if you stuff enough engine under it...... 8) ;)
Quote from: Oldschool on September 21, 2017, 08:43:47 AM
Quote from: anlauto on September 20, 2017, 03:30:21 PM
Unfortunate about the scoop........but "the customer is always right ! :bigthumb:
Nothing at all wrong with that scoop if you stuff enough engine under it...... 8) ;)
Scoop looks at home on that car & I wouldn't mind it on a Super Stock or a /6-318 turned hot rod... But a factory 383 car I'd prefer to leave more or less stock... But it's not my car & he can do as he pleases.. Hopefully he was wise enough to have a second hood (stock) painted at the same time...
The Super Stock hoods look great when you can see Beast lurking underneath it... But I am biased.... LoL...
Yeah, without question your car wears it well.... Seriously Badass..
Quote from: Oldschool on September 21, 2017, 09:44:43 AM
The Super Stock hoods look great when you can see Beast lurking underneath it... But I am biased.... LoL...
While this car is getting a pretty stout motor. Not quite as nasty as yours. That looks pretty sic!
That is a really cool car. One of 331. sweet! :burnout:
Pics of the trouble areas. Really not bad overall. Mostly your typical rust issues with the trunk pan and floor boards being solid. In hindsight the quarters were very repairable but when they are on the car you can't see what's on the backside. I hate to see some bubble pop up after the vehicle is painted and together. So they were replaced.
Pretty good buckle in the cowl panel is a area of concern. I'm sure the front fenders being changed and this buckle are related.
Door striker area seems to be a real issue with these A body's.
Looks like somebody made some room for headers with the firewall. Lower windshield channel was rotten.
Another little trick I like to do when I'm disassembling a car is bag & tag everything and write on the box what's inside. But I do one more step and take a pick of the contents in the box. I use these pics for reference to find some odd part quickly by scrolling through the pics to see what it's boxed with. It's helped me many times.
Wow she was not treated well !!
Worked on the pedal assembly today. Been playing with powder formula's. Came up with this one for clean raw steel. Not exact but I'm pretty happy with it overall. I used 75% cast iron powder mixed with 25% chrome powder. It will be some really durable stuff. Probably start using it on drum brake backing plates also.
Nice!! :bigthumb: Shane, you doing your own powder-coating at your place? I don't remember seeing an pc oven?
Quote from: RzeroB on September 23, 2017, 04:15:14 PM
Nice!! :bigthumb: Shane, you doing your own powder-coating at your place? I don't remember seeing an pc oven?
Yep. I have a smaller one in the shop about the size of a big microwave and larger oven in the small building by the shop. That's where my compressor and blast cabinet are also.
Colour looks good :ohyeah:
Be aware the clutch start switch grounds through the pedal support..... Now that I've covered that.... It looks great...
Man you're doing some cool stuff. If you were just a wee bit closer I'd be hanging out at your place while you're working this project.
Some really nice work man. :bravo: That color on the pedal is great. :bradsthumb:
Quote from: 1 Wild R/T on September 23, 2017, 06:26:28 PM
Be aware the clutch start switch grounds through the pedal support..... Now that I've covered that.... It looks great...
Shouldn't be a issue on this one. It seems 69 Barracuda's don't have clutch safety switches. The starter relay has a fixed ground where you normally hook the safety switch wire. Better remember to push that clutch in on fire up! :o
Preliminary blasting and some etch prime backed up with a light coat of sealer to prevent flash rust.
Heater box restoration. Took a couple boxes to come up with enough parts to build a good one.
Like new!
Sorry, maybe it may look like a silly question but
How do you restore the heather box? The finish is so nice!
Quote from: Husk Challenger on September 28, 2017, 09:29:26 AM
Like new!
Sorry, maybe it may look like a silly question but
How do you restore the heather box? The finish is so nice!
First I clean it with a scuff pad and comet in warm water. Then I wet sand it with 1000 grit sandpaper. Get it nice and dry. Then shoot 2 coats of mat clear on the whole thing.
Once you do that you will see little fibers standing up in the finish. Let that dry and wet sand again until smooth making sure not to sand through anywhere with 1500 grit.
Now your ready to shoot everything with 1 even coat of mat clear. Done! When I say mat clear I'm talking about clear with a hardener shot through a paint gun. It might be possible to do with rattle can but I'm not sure.
You do amazing work Shane! I love looking at your resto pictures. You restore things to a level of detail that I truly admire and appreciate. All these little details add up! Fantastic job! :clapping:
Thanks for the answer!
Very interesting and instructive. :thankyou:
looking great :bigthumb:
Quote from: YellowThumper on September 21, 2017, 08:01:37 AM
Definitely a nice teaser.
Scoop does distract from car. :notsure:
Snapped this pic and posted fb just yesterday.
Was that down in Orange County somewhere?
Amazing work Shane. Thanks for taking your time to shoot/post the pics and the info you share is appreciated!
It is in Corona at an unmarked warehouse building.
Moving along to the cowl panel. Besides the 2 kinks we also have perforation along the lower window channel. We have a parts car and it actually had a perfect one to donate. Also a couple little patches for the rf apron right where the fender mounts. Filler work on engine compartment.
The engine build. 383 with a lot of go fast goodies bored and stroked to a 496. Should be a real hand full in front of a 4 speed manual in a little A Body. :burnout:
Love this thread! :inlove: Nice work man. :clapping:
Very cool :waving:
Yeah, Shane does some amazingly beautiful work ...
He's lucky he lives an hour away from me ... if he was any closer I'd be hanging out at his shop waaaaay to much trying to be his understudy and wearing out my welcome in the process!!
Quote from: RzeroB on October 10, 2017, 10:28:09 PM
Yeah, Shane does some amazingly beautiful work ...
He's lucky he lives an hour away from me ... if he was any closer I'd be hanging out at his shop waaaaay to much trying to be his understudy and wearing out my welcome in the process!!
We need a e-bodies Live stream! :lurking: We could name it...........?
Quote from: Cudakiller70 on October 11, 2017, 10:45:51 AM
Quote from: RzeroB on October 10, 2017, 10:28:09 PM
Yeah, Shane does some amazingly beautiful work ...
He's lucky he lives an hour away from me ... if he was any closer I'd be hanging out at his shop waaaaay to much trying to be his understudy and wearing out my welcome in the process!!
We need a e-bodies Live stream!
I'm afraid mine would consist of to many bleeps! :haha:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on October 11, 2017, 01:03:50 PM
Quote from: Cudakiller70 on October 11, 2017, 10:45:51 AM
Quote from: RzeroB on October 10, 2017, 10:28:09 PM
Yeah, Shane does some amazingly beautiful work ...
He's lucky he lives an hour away from me ... if he was any closer I'd be hanging out at his shop waaaaay to much trying to be his understudy and wearing out my welcome in the process!!
We need a e-bodies Live stream!
I'm afraid mine would consist of to many bleeps! :haha:
Ok "Shanes bleeping bleep" show! Graveyard Carz less the drama. But through in a BBQ episode now and then.
Nice and clean with steady progress - really liking that, good things take time :yes:
That will be a striking sight rumbling around :takealook:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on October 10, 2017, 01:41:06 PM
The engine build. 383 with a lot of go fast goodies bored and stroked to a 496. Should be a real hand full in front of a 4 speed manual in a little A Body. :burnout:
Sounds like a great combo to me !! :bigthumb:
Some panel replacement and sheet metal repair. Fenders were pretty beat up up but rust free. Doors were really nice and rust free.
Beautiful lines on the Fastback Cudas , always loved them :bigthumb:
More body progress. 2 coats of poly surfacer and curing in the hot sun and then it's ready for full blocking.
Nice job! and wow clean shop for a body shop! :bradsthumb:
"Beautiful lines on the Fastback Cudas , always loved them :bigthumb:"
Me too,I always thought they had a nice European look to them.
looks fantastic :bigthumb:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on October 10, 2017, 01:41:06 PM
The engine build. 383 with a lot of go fast goodies bored and stroked to a 496. Should be a real hand full in front of a 4 speed manual in a little A Body. :burnout:
You obviously do great work. I was wondering if the left rear motor mount pad is going to clear to power steering gearbox or if you are going to do something different there?
Quote from: cuda dad on October 25, 2017, 09:34:45 PM
Quote from: Shane Kelley on October 10, 2017, 01:41:06 PM
The engine build. 383 with a lot of go fast goodies bored and stroked to a 496. Should be a real hand full in front of a 4 speed manual in a little A Body. :burnout:
You obviously do great work. I was wondering if the left rear motor mount pad is going to clear to power steering gearbox or if you are going to do something different there?
This one has manual steering so that not a issue. He does have another one of these with power steering and that doesn't seem to be a issue. Maybe the way these big block A body's have a funky motor mount they made it clear the box? :dunno: I know you do have to pay attention to what block you use. It has to be drilled in the front for the odd motor mount bracket. Not all big blocks are are drilled there. See pic.
Front K member assembly. Fresh Brewer built matching #'s 4 speed. TTI headers and CP's favorite Centerforce clutch. :pokeeye: New Hurst shifter box and restored handle.
Quick Fuel 850 Mechanical secondary w/electric choke. It's kind hard to see but I made custom plug wire holders to hold the wires up against the block and route them from the bottom up between the header tubes.
Oooh tasty...
Wow...you move quickly...from a bare block yesterday at lunch time to a complete motor in 25 hours :woohoo: :worship:
Quote from: anlauto on October 27, 2017, 11:47:47 AM
Wow...you move quickly...from a bare block yesterday at lunch time to a complete motor in 25 hours :woohoo: :worship:
I wish I was that fast. The car is actually a lot further along than the pics show. Should be caught up and current in about 3 or 4 weeks. Stay tuned. I usually just add a group of photos and progress once a week. I threw a bonus group in this week. :)
Really like the way you did the plug wires Shane. Question : Is the coil an MSD Blaster ? Just ask because I've heard its not good to mount them horizontal. We used an MSD Hi Vibration on toxicwolf car.
Shane, you're an artist! You might of said already ... but how exactly did you manage to squeeze 496 cubes out of a 383 block again??
It will be interesting to see how the Cforce clutch holds up , with almost 500 CI my bet is not long , , I had one that actually made it through a whole weekend once , well not quite , new clutch on monday after installing on Fri :Thud:
Is there a dent or crease in #1 header tube?
Watching "you guys" build cars is like watching pro golfers on TV. You make it Look sooo easy, until I try it. :Thud: I didn't play golf very long and anymore. Awesome build :bigthumb:
Quote from: RzeroB on October 27, 2017, 01:17:47 PM
Shane, you're an artist! You might of said already ... but how exactly did you manage to squeeze 496 cubes out of a 383 block again??
Pretty much it's all in the stroke. Bore is only 60 over. 4.310 bore and 4.25 stroke. Stock stroke is 3.38. Compression should be 10.7 to 1. You can see in this pic how close it comes to oil pickup even after a little massaging. Only block mods needed was notching each lower cylinder to clear the heads of the rod bolts. Block had to be decked 60 also to achieve zero deck. But that may have been needed with a standard rebuild anyway.
Quote from: Cudakiller70 on October 27, 2017, 02:11:56 PM
Is there a dent or crease in #1 header tube?
Watching "you guys" build cars is like watching pro golfers on TV. You make it Look sooo easy, until I try it. :Thud: I didn't play golf very long and anymore. Awesome build :bigthumb:
If your talking about right where it goes to the head. That's just where it's been stretched from round to the square to match the ports. All of the tubes have that it just shows up best in that pic on #1.
It might look easy but it's not. I'm still dealing with clutch linkage interference issues. That sucks since everything is in the car now and there is no room to work. :pullinghair: Every time I work on or build these big block or Hemi cars the more I love 340's. No they don't have the stump pulling torque but when it comes time to work on them life is a whole lot better.
Quote from: Roadman on October 27, 2017, 12:54:22 PM
Really like the way you did the plug wires Shane. Question : Is the coil an MSD Blaster ? Just ask because I've heard its not good to mount them horizontal. We used an MSD Hi Vibration on toxicwolf car.
Thank you!
Yes it is and I have had nothing but issues on my Cuda and Road Runner with them. Even a high vibration one died after 150 miles. I will need to address this before the car hits the streets. I built this motor and assembled everything a couple years ago before the MSD problems plagued me.
Quote from: Shane Kelley on October 27, 2017, 02:23:41 PM
Pretty much it's all in the stroke. Bore is only 60 over. 4.310 bore and 4.25 stroke. Stock stroke is 3.38. Compression should be 10.7 to 1. You can see in this pic how close it comes to oil pickup even after a little massaging. Only block mods needed was notching each lower cylinder to clear the heads of the rod bolts.
Tight!! Sometimes I still think things are flexing and moving around in there and that you need more room than just a few thousandths ... but of course they are not flexing and moving around ... unless it's within millisecond before it completely lets go!! :o
Went by your neck of the woods last Sunday. Thought about giving you a shout and seeing what you were up to. If you are ever going to spend most of the day in the shop working on one of your projects give me a call - I'd be happy to come on out and fetch beers or whatever for you!! :cheers:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on October 27, 2017, 02:36:10 PM
Quote from: Cudakiller70 on October 27, 2017, 02:11:56 PM
Is there a dent or crease in #1 header tube?
Watching "you guys" build cars is like watching pro golfers on TV. You make it Look sooo easy, until I try it. :Thud: I didn't play golf very long and anymore. Awesome build :bigthumb:
If your talking about right where it goes to the head. That's just where it's been stretched from round to the square to match the ports. All of the tubes have that it just shows up best in that pic on #1.
It might look easy but it's not. I'm still dealing with clutch linkage interference issues. That sucks since everything is in the car now and there is no room to work. :pullinghair: Every time I work on or build these big block or Hemi cars the more I love 340's. No they don't have the stump pulling torque but when it comes time to work on them life is a whole lot better.
Would hydraulic be an option, don't really know if it would even help you there :notsure:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on October 27, 2017, 02:36:10 PM
Quote from: Cudakiller70 on October 27, 2017, 02:11:56 PM
Is there a dent or crease in #1 header tube?
Watching "you guys" build cars is like watching pro golfers on TV. You make it Look sooo easy, until I try it. :Thud: I didn't play golf very long and anymore. Awesome build :bigthumb:
If your talking about right where it goes to the head. That's just where it's been stretched from round to the square to match the ports. All of the tubes have that it just shows up best in that pic on #1.
It might look easy but it's not. I'm still dealing with clutch linkage interference issues. That sucks since everything is in the car now and there is no room to work. :pullinghair: Every time I work on or build these big block or Hemi cars the more I love 340's. No they don't have the stump pulling torque but when it comes time to work on them life is a whole lot better.
Hydraulic clutch is the only way to go :alan2cents:
Tilton Hyd is the best way to go , McLeod offers them also
they just expand forward pushing on the front of the trans , all you need is a hose into & a bleed hose out of the belhousing , every block I have seen is taller than the factory spec & needs to be decked to bring it down to zero deck .
The engine looks great BTW :bradsthumb:
Looks great :worship:
Shane - what are the details of your stroker build? Kit? Home brew?
Quote from: larry4406 on October 29, 2017, 05:28:52 AM
Shane - what are the details of your stroker build? Kit? Home brew?
It's a 440 Source kit. 440 Source has a lot of haters out there and most people that dog them have never even used them. Just parrots repeating something they read in a comment on a the internet. They also have a lot of people who like their products. If I was building a full time race car I might go a different direction. But for a street car I was very impressed with the quality of there stroker kits. It's a nice kit because it's a proven combination that makes over 500hp and remains very streetable.
Quote from: Chryco Psycho on October 27, 2017, 10:09:46 PM
Tilton Hyd is the best way to go , McLeod offers them also
they just expand forward pushing on the front of the trans , all you need is a hose into & a bleed hose out of the belhousing , every block I have seen is taller than the factory spec & needs to be decked to bring it down to zero deck .
The engine looks great BTW :bradsthumb:
I may end up going that route. I actually have linkage on the car working now. But I'm not sure I'm getting enough travel. It's releasing the clutch but the pedal is sitting lower than I like. I'm going to see how it feels once I fire the motor up. If it feels fine I may just extend the push rod to bring the pedal up some. I did one of those hydraulic set ups on the Hemi car I built. They work good but I'm just not a fan of how the pedal feels.
I think the 440Source kits are great. One phone call and the complete kit is coming. Lots of guys have went quite fast with them. I would never build a stock stroke engine these days if it needed a crank turn and new pistons.
The CF clutches never Feel right , no pedal pressure & then they Pop over center , very hard to release smoothly for the same reason , I hope yours lasts more then 72 hrs or you will be pulling it out again . :crying:
I have used 15 or more 440 Source kits , great stuff :bigthumb:
For mufflers Flowaster 40's for this one?
Quote from: Cudakiller70 on October 29, 2017, 12:23:04 PM
For mufflers Flowaster 40's for this one?
Actually going with the Dynomax Super Turbo's on this one. TTI 3" with X pipe all the way out the back through TTI tips. If it was my car I would most definitely be going FlowMaster 40's. Owner wanted a more mellow tone on this one.
Quote from: MoparCar on November 04, 2017, 07:26:03 AM
Quote from: Shane Kelley on October 03, 2017, 10:50:58 AM
Moving along to the cowl panel. Besides the 2 kinks we also have perforation along the lower window channel. We have a parts car and it actually had a perfect one to donate. Also a couple little patches for the rf apron right where the fender mounts. Filler work on engine compartment.
@Shane Kelley (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/shane-kelley_440) Shane you do great work! Thanks for posting and teaching! In this post a few pages back you were working on the cowl. It appears you shot the lower cowl edge with weld through primer, taped off and maybe shot epoxy? Can you clarify you process for cowls? I'm replacing both lower and uppers on my Challenger and want it right. We all know this is a very hard area to prep correctly and get paint into after assembled. Do you epoxy and scuff for future? Do you seam seal at all like the factory had between the upper and lowers? What if the cowl is new with an E-coat? Do you remove the E-coat and epoxy? What's your normal process to protect from future rust and allow proper adhesion for topcoats in the paint process?
Thanks in advance. Very much appreciated!!
Wes
This is a A body and quite different in the build design than a E body. I did use epoxy primer on replacement cowl panel and the base cowl on the car. I then shot a couple coats of gloss black on the base part before attaching the upper outer cowl. I actually put a welding blanket inside the cowl before I welded them together. I let one end hang out the lower vent. I left this in there until until car was ready to paint. That way it kept primer and over spray from building up in there. I would have loved to have used seam seal on the inside but there is no way to get in there after the top is welded on. I used Honey Coat with a wand and tried to get to all the edges. I went up through the vent openings on each end.
Now for your E body. The E coat can stay on the new panels. Just grind and use weld through primer everywhere your going to weld. I would hit it all with 180 on a DA and hit it with some primer and I would probably go ahead and paint the inside of the upper cowl. (that's just me). On the lower part I would have it all prepped and ready for paint before welding. Easier to get to it now before it's together. You can and I would use seam sealer inside the cowl. You can go through the vent openings to get to the outer area and the cowl grill openings to get to the firewall areas. It is tricky because you can't get any kind of seam sealer/caulk gun in there. Use a small brush about 1' wide. Put some on the brush and apply to the area. It will take some time but just keep it going and overlapped. Once you have a 12" section just run the brush across that whole area to even it out. For painting I always paint inside the cowl before I do the car. That will keep from getting dry paint in there and also keep from getting any runs around the edges when you are trying to get the paint and clear in there. Here is a couple pics how I painted mine.
:takealook: Love seeing your work. Nice job!!!! :perfect10:
Lets do some work on the dash. :banana:
More dash work. Check out the 383 stamp label on instrument housing. Also upgraded the tach to 8000k with modern electronics. Redline gauges did that work. Heater control and cables were a real nasty mess. Took a couple of units to build one good one. Same for cables. Nothing offered for these cars like the E body.
Great Job , the dash looks better than new
I love these barracudas, been looking for one to add to my garage
Terrific work Shane.
Great to see and read the details on this.
Thanks for the compliments eveyone! :bigthumb: Anybody has any questions about how or why I did something don't hesitate to ask.
:worship: You truly are an inspiration Shane! Excellent work!
Wow that dash assembly really pops! Nice job! :bravo:
After 2 seperate stages of poly surfacer and blocking the car is in final prime. All the body joints sealed with 2 part 3m heavy body seam sealer. Then a final wet block sanding and 4 coats of single stage enamel. Bottom of the car sprayed with heavy gravel guard. Painted surfaces wet sanded and buffed. Inside doors and rear trim painted low gloss black.
Oh wow, That sure is beautiful! Black sure separates the men from the boys huh! :drooling:
I will say I didn't care for the hood scoop when I started this project. But now that everything is black and I can get the overall look of the whole car. I changed my thoughts on it. Now my feeling is that it's the perfect look for the car.
Quote from: Shane Kelley on November 09, 2017, 03:50:58 PM
I will say I didn't care for the hood scoop when I started this project. But now that everything is black and I can get the overall look of the whole car. I changed my thoughts on it. Now my feeling is that it's the perfect look for the car.
:iagree: Yep.
Quote from: Shane Kelley on November 09, 2017, 03:50:58 PM
I will say I didn't care for the hood scoop when I started this project. But now that everything is black and I can get the overall look of the whole car. I changed my thoughts on it. Now my feeling is that it's the perfect look for the car.
:iagree: I don't "hate" it.... :thinking:
Very nice paint. Yes 69 Cuda's just have that plain hood but it has the peak in the middle which is always an issue with a hood scoop it seems.
I like it. Once it's rumbling and rolling it'll be one mean puppy! 8)
:wowzers:
Awesome !!
Looks great Shane! :perfect10:
Car back home in my shop for assembly. This is the car I did the thread with the 3rd member build and rear drum brake build.
This build is starting to look real mean.
Love the scoop!! :1place:
That is Sliiiiick!!! :1place: :perfect10: :1place:
I always find it odd the aftermarket brakes hang the calipers off the back instead of off the front :huh:
Have wondered that as well. In my opinion as far as functionality is concerned the calipers are clamping onto a rotating surface. So there would be no difference at any orientation or position. However, the way I see it OEMS have to cover all climate conditions. The rotors would be able to expel more rain water with the calipers in forward position. In the rearward position, the rotors would still retaining more water.
Nonsense I fill my head with.
Quote from: anlauto on November 13, 2017, 01:43:21 PM
I always find it odd the aftermarket brakes hang the calipers off the back instead of off the front :huh:
Often they will interfere with the sway bar in front , swap the spindles & change calipers & it all mounts up front anyway
Moving along. Grills in and scoop buttoned up. Sound deadener in the trunk and thermal barrier on the inside of the roof. 15x7 and 15x8 cop wheels installed. This will be the finished look on the wheels. No hubcaps. Still need to make adjustments with the ride height. Super Stock springs really have the rear up. I did install the adjustable front spring hangers so that will bring it down 1 1/2 inches.
Hey Shane what wire separators are those?
Looks pretty clean.
Not loving the wheel choice, but man.....your paint work is incredible :drooling: :worship: :worship: :worship: :worship:
Quote from: HP_Cuda on November 20, 2017, 11:59:59 AM
Hey Shane what wire separators are those?
Looks pretty clean.
Taylor. Small block takes a couple sets and big block takes 3 sets. If you want everything to look like a wiring schematic when your done.
Quote from: anlauto on November 20, 2017, 12:14:19 PM
Not loving the wheel choice, but man.....your paint work is incredible :drooling: :worship: :worship: :worship: :worship:
Thanks for the compliment on the paint.
Wheels are always subjective. I will say in person they look pretty good to me. Nothing fancy. Just a raw muscle look. The Mad Max Interceptor comes to my mind looking at the car.
Wait till CP see's those tires. :pokeeye:
As long as they don't shred & take out a 1/4 or fender , don't care about the tires but I would hate to the paint & body damaged
Beautiful paint! I read about the wheels and didn't think they would look good but in the shots the white letter tires with the blackout wheels gives it a tough 60's stock car look. Wheels are a 5 minute change out too.
Quote from: Shane Kelley on November 09, 2017, 03:50:58 PM
I will say I didn't care for the hood scoop when I started this project. But now that everything is black and I can get the overall look of the whole car. I changed my thoughts on it. Now my feeling is that it's the perfect look for the car.
I agree that the hood scoop really adds to the car. :yes: Did I understand correctly that the paint is a single stage enamel with no clear coat? The paint job is awesome, but it is doubly awesome if there is no clear on that paint! :twothumbsup:
Quote from: usraptor on November 20, 2017, 05:08:42 PM
Quote from: Shane Kelley on November 09, 2017, 03:50:58 PM
I will say I didn't care for the hood scoop when I started this project. But now that everything is black and I can get the overall look of the whole car. I changed my thoughts on it. Now my feeling is that it's the perfect look for the car.
I agree that the hood scoop really adds to the car. :yes: Did I understand correctly that the paint is a single stage enamel with no clear coat? The paint job is awesome, but it is doubly awesome if there is no clear on that paint! :twothumbsup:
Single-stage, no clear. Car looks great in pictures, but it looks even better in person. I've been to Shane's place and the paint on that car is almost as deep and "wet" looking as any base-clear paint job that I have seen. I don't know how he does it, but Shane does some amazing paint work. :worship:
I was going to say I am jealous because my 69 cuda has been in restoration jail for 4 years but in reality, I am just in AWE! Beautiful, man. :perfect10:
Some assembly in the engine compartment and in the process of restoring steering column. Back up lights restoration.
You do beautiful work Shane, love your attention to detail..... :perfect10:
I love the wheels, makes it look tough....
Are you putting Dog Dishes or Hub Caps on it?
Extremely nice work!
Quote from: Jim AAR on December 01, 2017, 08:35:21 AM
I love the wheels, makes it look tough....
Are you putting Dog Dishes or Hub Caps on it?
No wheel covers of any type. Going for the all business raw muscle look.
I have really been slacking over the holidays. I did get the column finished and the new repop wheel came in to round it out. After a long wait I finally got the radiator from Glen-Ray and as usual no disappointments with it. Bob does some of the most detailed meticulous radiator builds. They seem high on price but once you see them in person you understand why. Going to get it in this weekend and I will post up some pics. Last big item needed for under the hood and engine fire up. I may even try to fire it up this weekend. :banana:
One of the most exciting days during a restoration. :banana:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on December 29, 2017, 01:55:14 PM
..I may even try to fire it up this weekend. :banana:
Quote from: Cuda Cody on December 29, 2017, 01:58:43 PM
One of the most exciting days during a restoration. :banana:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on December 29, 2017, 01:55:14 PM
..I may even try to fire it up this weekend. :banana:
Do we get video Shane. :popcorn:
Quote from: Roadman on December 29, 2017, 02:31:49 PM
Quote from: Cuda Cody on December 29, 2017, 01:58:43 PM
One of the most exciting days during a restoration. :banana:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on December 29, 2017, 01:55:14 PM
..I may even try to fire it up this weekend. :banana:
Do we get video Shane. :popcorn:
If everything goes good i'm sure a video can be provided. Haven't installed the exhaust yet so it should sound pretty wicked.
That's really looking good. Makes me want one again.
Everything looks great :bradsthumb:
Need a video of the fireup :pokeeye:
Shane,
Can you share a little of your process for restoring things like the back up light housings in your previous post of few back? They look perfect. Those things were nasty and you made them factory fresh!
Such great work!
Wes
The housings are new repops. Had to reuse all the other hardware and lenses. The lens are made of actual glass. Basically I bead blasted and painted the socket assemblies and polished the glass lens. The housings come all chrome and need the black added to them. Anybody restoring on these old cars needs a bead blast cabinet. That is the key to restoring and cleaning so many things during a restoration. I did get the radiator from Glen-Ray installed with the shroud and hoses.
While is was so cold this weekend I didn't get much done on the 69. Not to mention I couldn't leave my 71 alone. (whole new project going on with it)
Thanks for the explanation on your light restoration. I have a bead blast cabinet also and it's one of the most used tools sometimes.
Nice radiator!
Wes
Everything is looking great :bigthumb:
Thank you everyone for the compliments!
Finally got it fired up with minimal issues. Small fuel leak and coolant leak. Tightened the fuel fitting and replaced a hose clamp. Fixed!!! :banana:
So here it the link to the gallery with the video of it running. This is with open headers. Junk battery.
https://forum.e-bodies.org/gallery/sa=view;id=614
Awesome Shane! You build great cars.
Another disgusting build, man you build some very nice rides, hit the high bar again! Love the rumble!
Quote from: Shane Kelley on January 08, 2018, 07:07:44 AM
Thank you everyone for the compliments!
Finally got it fired up with minimal issues. Small fuel leak and coolant leak. Tightened the fuel fitting and replaced a hose clamp. Fixed!!! :banana:
So here it the link to the gallery with the video of it running. This is with open headers. Junk battery.
https://forum.e-bodies.org/gallery/sa=view;id=614
Love the look! I am very biased to black with black steelies :banana:
Moving along on the project. Restored and installed emergency brake handle assembly. (NOTE) Install this damn thing first. It's a real hassle once everything is in the way. Got the column in but have a issue fitting up the the steering box. Car was power steering and I converted it to manual and used the adapter. The shaft looked fine when I restored it with no signs of being collapsed. It was all still in the car hooked up. :thinking: Guess I will pull the column back out and see if the shaft will slide out enough to bolt up to the box. Very baffling!
I haven't owned one in awhile but in that interior shot perhaps the column is sitting too far back?
The column issue is resolved. Somehow the shaft got collapsed (big mystery) since I'm the one who disassembled it. Anyway I was able to slid it out enough to bolt up. It wasn't really that easy but you get the idea. Interior rear view mirror restored. Bumpers are on and all the electrical sorted out and there were a couple pesky gremlins that fought me. Reverse lights, dash lights and E brake light on the dash. All good now except dash lights. Tracked it down to a faulty headlight switch. Found a NOS switch on Ebay so that will resolve it. This thing has some pretty cool looking back up lights. Waiting on a driveshaft and it should be mobile.
What a great car!
Your work looks perfect Shane! Congrats! :bravo:
:iagree: Top notch work for sure! :worship:
Impeccable! :clapping: What a beautiful ride!
Looks great! I think you installed the back bumper on the front and vice versa though. :D
:twothumbsup: Awesome work
:iagree: I've seen this car in person and it is as nice as the pictures make it look. Shane takes his time and does everything the right way. :cheers:
That is so nice on so many levels, thanks for sharing :bradsthumb:
Few more pics of progress. I'm glad to have all the sound deadener done. That stuff takes way longer than you would think especially getting into all the grooves and making good contact everywhere. Everything pertaining to the dash is done except waiting on the knobs to come back from chrome plating.
Wow! I don't know how I missed this thread before today. What an awesome job and set of skills Shane!
Making a little more headway. Lots of metal interior trim to try and get painted this. Time to start on the seats as well.
Front and back glass installed. I find it amazing that no matter how much you get done they never really look like a car until the glass goes in.
Took some time and patience but I got the carpet install and I'm very happy with the way it fits. Also installed the rear trunk finish panel and I have to say it really makes the rear view look nice. Like Alan says "I'm on the home stretch!"
It's too clean, is this going into a museum?
:D
Shane, that looks so awesome. Your builds are an inspiration to us! Thanks for the update.
Wes
looks great: I love this stage and it is hard to stop bolting stuff on. Every piece you add makes the car look better so you want to hang something else on.
Thanks for the comparison photos and products. They really help. I also prefer the smoother finish as I'm not doing an OEM restoration.
I appreciate the help.
Wes
Like Alan says. I'm on the home stretch. Ended up having to switch over to a hydraulic throw out bearing. Just couldn't get the mechanical linkage to clear everything. They made a Z bar to work with the TTI headers. But as i found out it won't clear the Powermaster mini starter on the return stroke. So I couldn't get enough travel out of the linkage. Who would of thought the mini starter caused clearance issues?
3" TTI exhaust is on along with their stainless tips. 3" is quite the battle on a A body. Especially on the passenger side above the axle and squeezed between the gas tank and rear spring shackle.
Hoping to be finished in about 5 weeks. Running out of time so I sent the seat out to get the covers installed. If nothing major pops up I should make it. Lots of trim left to polish and install. That's the last biggest dreaded thing to do along with building the front door vent window assemblies.
Wow :handshake:
Well first drive from one building down the driveway and back into my main shop. Pretty interesting. Not seat, manual steering and brakes still need bled again so you have to give the pedal a couple pumps. Then there's the clutch pedal thing. Thought I was going to pull the steering wheel off trying to hold myself up and pushing the clutch while steering. I have to say this car is starting to grow on me. When I started this build I just flat out didn't like the looks of these. This one is looking bad ass!
If we're being honest.....I love the build of this car, the quality throughout is exceptional, I've leaned to live with the hood scoop, but I hate the wheels....they just cheapen up the look of the whole car :alan2cents:
If the customer wants a Super Stock Hemi Barracuda look....then use the correct looking steel wheels and get rid of the radials....run some skinny's up front with some tall tires out back.....
Better yet, throw on some vintage mags :alan2cents:
I would throw on different wheels if it was my car but I think it might look cool once the windows and other bits are installed. I like the white letter tires as they give it a vintage Street Machine look. The owner can experiment with trim rings or center caps if he doesn't like the bare wheels. I like the 5 spoke mag look on old cars but other people like different looks.
I love this build, the scoop is perfect and I love the blacked out wheels with white letter tires! I don't think the "cheapen up the look" at all. You could do black steelies but this is an amazing build
@Shane Kelley (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/shane-kelley_440), much better than most of us could ever do. :drinkingbud:
Beautiful car ! :yes:
Yea...I know ...I'm an old fart.....I just don't like BFG's I guess.....maybe a red line radial ...
I love it! I'd drive that any day! Great work as always Shane! Black looks so good.
Wes
Black is tough to photograph, I can imagine Shane's work looks even better in person.
I can't say I'm a big A-Body guy but you knocked this one out of the park! Just wow!!!!!! Made my head turn! :yes: :bradsthumb:
Quote from: RUNCHARGER on May 13, 2018, 11:21:06 AM
Black is tough to photograph, I can imagine Shane's work looks even better in person.
I've seen it in person and it does. Amazing thing is that black is a single-stage that looks as deep and "wet" as just about any base-clear paint job. I don't know how he does it, but Shane is an amazing wizard with this stuff. :ohyeah:
Thanks for the compliments everyone. Fixing and polishing trim has really slowed me down. I'm dredging my way through it. This trim repair and polishing is a serious time hog! I was thinking there wasn't much trim on this car in the back of my mind. Well there is plenty and I think every piece has at least 1 dent and most have multiple dents. Interior even has trim. Speaking of interior. Man these cars have a lot of metal trim parts. Got some chrome back from the plating shop as well.
Heck yes there is a ton of trim on these cars !! , only the 66 charger was worse :Thud:
Well it could be a 67-68.
Then you end up restoring the grille surround and headlight buckets. Heavy nicked and usually tweaked to hell. Same with trunk trim.
Did you buy the repro 69 grille assy and trunk trim?
How do you like the sound with dynomax mufflers?
I enjoy doing the trim. It's good therapy, but yes you can't be in a hurry.
Quote from: autoxcuda on June 19, 2018, 03:23:08 PM
Well it could be a 67-68.
Then you end up restoring the grille surround and headlight buckets. Heavy nicked and usually tweaked to hell. Same with trunk trim.
Did you buy the repro 69 grille assy and trunk trim?
Yes. Repop stuff! Non of it is awesome but it's decent. I'm happy to able to even get it.
Have all that trim to do on our 69FB :Thud:
Restored our Grills, done by Totally Auto.
Rechromed the Wing window parts and bumpers
New Repop door handles, mirrors, reverse bezels, park light bezels, trunk trim plate...
All the stainless will be hours of resto... never done any but will watch Cody's videos again! My budget is so blown up.
The more I do, the more I need to do. If I do this then I can't not do that... the snowball effect.
It's all good though.
Shane sets a pretty tall bar to aim for.
Seems like he just started and now he's almost done!
Quote from: Shane Kelley on June 20, 2018, 05:23:01 AM
Quote from: autoxcuda on June 19, 2018, 03:23:08 PM
Well it could be a 67-68.
Then you end up restoring the grille surround and headlight buckets. Heavy nicked and usually tweaked to hell. Same with trunk trim.
Did you buy the repro 69 grille assy and trunk trim?
Yes. Repop stuff! Non of it is awesome but it's decent. I'm happy to able to even get it.
The 69 grilles get costly pot metal chroming and you need to start with or buy straight non cracked pieces.
And straightening and polishing rear trim is very time consuming or costly. Then to make it look OE it needs to be sent out for bright dipped anodizing. A repro might be thinner and no fit as well, most restored pieces still has noticeable issues. Unless you start with primo pieces.
Just about to wrap this beast up. You guys think E body side glass sucks to install? Try some of these. Real pain in the ass! These interiors have like a million pieces compared to E bodies also.
Still bad a.. there.
Also feel your pain on another I am doing. 64 Falcon Sprint. Wind wings apart like what you show and trim pieces for miles.
Thanks for posting it up here.
I keep looking at the reflection on the door, sweet paint. For a minute I thought you put some stickers on the wing window. Amazing detail work on everything.
Quote from: Cudakiller70 on July 18, 2018, 09:12:40 AM
I keep looking at the reflection on the door, sweet paint. For a minute I thought you put some stickers on the wing window. Amazing detail work on everything.
Thank you! This is the best pic to me that really shows the finish and panel fit.
Quote from: Shane Kelley on July 18, 2018, 10:11:50 AM
Quote from: Cudakiller70 on July 18, 2018, 09:12:40 AM
I keep looking at the reflection on the door, sweet paint. For a minute I thought you put some stickers on the wing window. Amazing detail work on everything.
Thank you! This is the best pic to me that really shows the finish and panel fit.
That is stunning! :worship:
You know Shane I have never really liked the older Barracuda body style but this one looks amazing!
:burnout:
Quote from: HP_Cuda on July 18, 2018, 11:41:49 AM
You know Shane I have never really liked the older Barracuda body style but this one looks amazing!
:burnout:
Thanks! It's funny hearing you say that. I have friends that come up to me all the time and follow the build on FB. They say the same thing. I feel the same way myself. When I started this build I absolutely hated these cars. Then he wanted that big ass hood scoop put on it. I wasn't feeling it at all. (see pic) But once the car came together wrapped in slick paint it really grew on me. Now the scoop makes it that much meaner looking.
I love the 67-69 Barracudas. I think they have good styling, decent interiors and they really run well with a 340 in them.
Great job on the black paint & great looking car overall , nice work !!
So the car is really close. Just a little more exterior trim, front end alignment and fluid change. Owner came by for the first time since the body was painted and took it to town for a test drive.
Ran into a a issue with the repop steering wheel. They don't taper the inside of the hub to allow the steering wheel to fit down on the column enough. (see first pic) So I used a die grinder to try and create the taper. Ended up being just a tad to much so then the wheel was to close making the horn honk when you turned it. Ended up cutting the hub out of the factory wheel and welding into the repop wheel. All seems well.
I put about about 50 miles on it. Very pleased with the way it rides and drives. What's really impressive is the interior room compared to a E body. I didn't realize how much room these cars have inside. I'm long legged and still have to move the seat up a little to work the clutch and all kinds of room above my head. This thing is a real brute! You can roll into the throttle in any of the first 3 gears and it will try and jump out from under you. :stayinlane:
QuoteThese interiors have like a million pieces compared to E bodies also.
I noticed the same thing when I disassembled my Dart. There are a LOT more fasteners on an A-body then there were on my E. Maybe that's why the E-bodies have a reputation for being rattle traps?
The car looks great!
Some outside pics. Last pic is the owner and his wife heading out for a test drive. He will be taking it home next weekend.
Love the car, quality of the build is second to none....but absolutely hate the wheel/tire choice :alan2cents: If he must have the black steel wheel, make sure the rim is period correct, then ditch the BFG's for thin Red Lines up front, and a black wall cheater slick out back....I'd rather see a vintage mag wheel up front with a steel wheel on the back.
Amazing work, just went to page one of this thread WOW what a difference. :perfect10:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on August 14, 2018, 09:18:30 AM
Ran into a a issue with the repop steering wheel. They don't taper the inside of the hub to allow the steering wheel to fit down on the column enough. (see first pic) So I used a die grinder to try and create the taper. Ended up being just a tad to much so then the wheel was to close making the horn honk when you turned it. Ended up cutting the hub out of the factory wheel and welding into the repop wheel. All seems well.
:unbelievable: Geez Shane!! Is there anything that you CAN'T do?? :worship:
(https://forum.e-bodies.org/dlattach/;topic=3638.0;attach=70727;image)
They look very pleased ... and why wouldn't they be? 100% bad-a$$ and looks better than new. Your workmanship is simply amazing!
Yup: Great job, makes me want to do another one. Probably the most practical muscle era Mopar made.
Job well done - very nice!!
Thanks guys!
So here's the deal on the wheels and tires. Owner loves them and I must say I like the look also. I understand Alan having issues with the look being the purist he is and that's ok. The car was never meant to mimic a super stock car or any other factory muscle. The owner just loved that scoop so that's why it's on there. It's a custom build and like most the cars I build I hate going to crazy with modifications. I like to stay with most the factory cues. I'm really, really surprised no one figured out the inspiration for the look. So here it is! Also a before and after pic.
That car looks awesome, if someone doesnt like it they should either ignore it or buy it and make it whatever they like....
You could actually make a barracuda a mad-max car...the first image made me think that!
It's the last of the Interceptors!!!
This is it! Car has gone home with it's happy owner. These are the final pics. and a link to the gallery with a short video driving the car and stabbing the throttle a little bit. Runs strong to say the least.
https://forum.e-bodies.org/gallery/;sa=view;id=709
You do absolutely incredible work Shane :drooling: :worship: :slapme5:
Quote from: anlauto on September 05, 2018, 01:49:19 PM
You do absolutely incredible work Shane :drooling: :worship: :slapme5:
Thank you Alan! Non of my builds are perfect but like I tell everyone, it's the best I can do.
Quote from: Shane Kelley on September 05, 2018, 02:06:57 PM
Quote from: anlauto on September 05, 2018, 01:49:19 PM
You do absolutely incredible work Shane :drooling: :worship: :slapme5:
Thank you Alan! Non of my builds are perfect but like I tell everyone, it's the best I can do.
That's all we can do :lurking: :bravo:
Quote from: Shane Kelley on September 05, 2018, 02:06:57 PM
Quote from: anlauto on September 05, 2018, 01:49:19 PM
You do absolutely incredible work Shane :drooling: :worship: :slapme5:
Thank you Alan! Non of my builds are perfect but like I tell everyone, it's the best I can do.
:iagree: This car is just stunning! :rubeyes:
Awesome build again Shane, first class!
Both of you, Shane and Alan build cars that are so well built just amazing! Glad you guys and others take the time to share your builds, so neat to see what can be done. Thank you both!
Great build Shane! The paint looks stunning and the rest of the car matches the paint.
Incredibly clean and well built.
Thanks for posting the build for all of us to follow along and dream with.
Mike
The Cuda looks awesome ... what is next Shane ??
Quote from: Chryco Psycho on September 24, 2018, 10:25:24 PM
The Cuda looks awesome ... what is next Shane ??
Thank you!
I'm going to try and hold off any big builds until I get my addition on my shop finished. I have a few mild jobs to do in the meantime. Mostly upgrades and minor paint work for various people.