|
More on his blog at http://evbcblog.blogspot.com "I grew up in a MoPar family. Dad drove a white 1966 Barracuda and a red 1964 Valiant (my first car), Mom drove a 1967 Barracuda fastback, and my uncle drove a 1969 Roadrunner. I used to sit and listen to my Dad and Uncle tell stories of how they could take a Mustang from a light every time in the Valiant... I remember riding in his Roadrunner, thinking how cool it was to have the Roadrunner cartoon on the inside of the door panels. Way Cool! Hearing the stories my dad and uncle (they were brothers) would tell kinda got me started into cars. As I got older, I drove the 66 to my High School prom, racing a guy in a 65 Mustang and beating him to the exit ramp. He had a new respect for the "odd shaped" car after that. I did wreck the car in the rain one night doing only suspension damage and I felt awful for doing it. I drove my Mom's Barracuda a lot and even had one of the girls at school tell me I looked good in it and I should drive it more often (hint, hint, wink, wink). The 64 Valiant was my daily driver until the left rear spring shackle was too much for the frame and found its way into the trunk. The car met its final doom at my senior high school grad party where we painted it demolition derby style, beat it with sledge hammers and rolled it down a hill three times.
When I got out, the 67 and 66 Barracudas were still at home but Mom's torsion bar had spun the frame section where it was mounted. We ended up stripping it of all useful parts and cutting it into easy to carry pieces.
He said he was restoring it and it wasn't for sale. About a week later, he was driving past my parents house and he spotted my Dad's Barracuda and stopped to see if it was for sale. My sister was at the house that day and talked to the guy. I had told her about the green cuda near the store and she told the guy Dad's car was not for sale, but she knew of one nearby. That's when he realized we were talking about the same cars. In the end I won. 6 months later he has a "For Sale" sign in the window. Seems after getting it thru inspection (somehow) the engine started to have a bad rod knock. I bought the car for $500.00 and attempted to drive it to my parents house, a 15 mile drive. The 225 /6 was knocking BAD and we got about one mile from the house when #5 connecting rod decided to do some block remodeling and put a large hole in it.
Currently I'm welding in floors and repairing much of the rust damage due to its life in salt covered roads in New England. My plans are to upgrade to front disc brakes and electronic ignition to make the car more reliable. Use polygraphite bushings to improve its handling. And to customize the interior and make it more comfortable to drive. A "restification" so to speak. No body mods but possibly removal of some trim to clean up the looks a bit.
Janurary 2008. Well that was a while ago. Since then I have made 4 trips to Carlisle and gotten so much work done. I have converted the ignition to electronic with scavenged components. I have replaced the 9 inch drum brakes with 10 inch drum rear and 4 piston Kelsey Hayes disc brakes up front. This car stops when I want it to! I have new front fenders I got at Carlise for $50.00. Yeah, for the pair! I purchased new rear 1/4 panels and installed them. Funny story, the guy I bought the car from has "fixed" the rust in the 1/4 panels in a very unique way. He used that spray expanding foam in the trunk, then fiberglassed over it. I rebuilt the front suspension. Welded in new rear frame sections where the rear springs attached and installed new bushings and shackles as one was welded to the frame. The more I get into I find that this car was a mess! Its over the "Holy Crap, when do I get to drive this thing" stage. Life has a funny way of changing the priority of things and for awhile the car was onhold. I got divorced and re-married and we needed to blend two familes. The solution: an addition to my wifes house. More like an attached garage with bedrooms on top.  I had the car towed to to it's new home where I found it much eaiser to work on indoors. I have since completed many minor projects to get the car road ready and ready it is. It is insured, registered, and driven to its 1st car show.(not the prettiest car there).
.jpg)
There is more to do before I chance the log trip to Carlise, but it may be there this year. Right now I am enjoying just driving it around town on the weekends and finally fufilling a promise I made my kids years ago. I told them "When I get the Barracuda on the road, we can go for a ride in it and get ice cream". Thats one big thing I finally crossed of the list.
Roger Kizer
|
Stationed
in Colorado in the Army I briefly owned a 1968 Barracuda Fastback until
I shipped out for Italy. I could have bought any car, but got that bomb
instead. No front bumper and the left rear 1/4 panel was bashed in.
I bought pinstriping for it before I got antifreeze. Hey, it looked
cool.
The
white 66 Barracuda remained for a while and brings me to a story on
how I have my current car. We would go grocery shopping at a store where
my Mom works and one day parked at a house near the store I spotted
a green 1966 Barracuda. I stopped to look and ask if it was for sale,
thinking about a parts car. I told him about Dad's car and my plans.
Thats
it! As you can see by the pictures I have my work cut out for me. Wish
me luck!
