69 Barracuda, added BMF, updated photo links

[MGL]

This is the 69 Barracuda I just finished. I started it on Thursday and was kind of surprised when it was all done but a couple of details on Sunday evening. The kit isn't the greatest, everything including the tailshaft of the trans is molded into the chassis plate, the engine is almost unpleasant to look at, the engine compartment isn't even close, the interior would only look good to somebody that has never seen one of these and I don't know if its in scale or not but the headlights surely can't be. But if you want to build a second generation Barracuda this is just about the only game in town and despite all it's shortcomings I love this kit. I owned 2 67's when I was younger and even though this is a 69 my wife can't tell the difference. The second one was red with a 318 ( painted Chrysler blue) with a bit of a cam in it (I think Direct Connection "Purple Shaft", does that sound right?) and 3.91 gears (or thereabouts). One time the brake light switch failed and I couldn't find a replacement and my ship was getting ready to sail so I wired a toggle switch to the brake lights and stuck it on the dash. While we were underway the Cordoba (alas, no rich Corinthian Leather for us, just the fabric, but it was Florida and no A/C so it was OK.) alternator went out and she didn't want to pay anybody to fix it so she ended up driving the Barracuda for 6 months having to flip a switch every time she hit the brakes. That, along with the stall converter in the 727 with a reverse manual valve body, the ratchet shifter that wasn't adjusted right so you had to hit it twice to go from one to two, and the standard Mopar starter screech annoyed the BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH out her. She hated driving that car but loved being seen driving it. Anyways, here's the model, I didn't bother taking any pictures of the engine or chassis as they look awful but I did wire the engine and paint it Chrysler blue. 383 indeed. If you put a 383 in that car you would have to change the plugs from underneath, you could have a picnic under the hood of this thing.

I added that flat area just in front of the panel that blocks off the trunk along with the chrome trim.

Other than the steering wheel resting on the seat most of the interior (forward of the backseat at least) is pretty good considering the simplistic nature of this kit.

If you have an airbrush and are handy with the Alclad the bumpers aren't too hateful but they do have a mold seem running right across the face of them from one side to the other.

The recall wheels are top notch, I added the parts pak redlines. Just like every Mopar I ever owned I took a few turns out of the torsion bars for a more appropriate stance.

The kit mirrors look more appropriate for an E body Cuda so I used some from my parts box.

And here's a shot of the 1/1. I wish this kit had the same hood but at least they are available from some resin casters. Don't ask me what those hubcaps were from, they did impart a false since of security to many an unsuspecting 5.0 mustang driver 20 something years ago.

Thanks for looking and I hope I didn't annoy you too much with my rambling.

 

 

Edited July 12, 2017 by MGL
Replacing photos

[Dann Tier]

LOVE IT!!- very cool!!

[crazyrichard]

nice build !!

[mangodart]

Very clean 'Cuda, and nice story too

[Hard_2_Handle_454]

I got one of these kits as well.  It's not bad, but like you said it is lacking in quite a few areas.  I remember having trouble getting the bumpers to fit right. 

 

I do, however, like that it includes some custom parts that could be used on other cars.  I used the wing spoiler from the kit on my 70 Cuda; which I was angry that a wing spoiler was not included with the kit.

[Helix]

Good job!

[Mr Stock]

Looks great, I have to admit I had an older issue of this kit about 20 years ago, which I was going to build but I was so dissapointed with the lack of detail I just made a ratty looking junker out of it.

Of course since then Ive learned that the kits molds are 47 years old, and all of a sudden Id like another one to build. Blame Round 2 and there cool old box art! .

Edited April 27, 2016 by Mr Stock

[shoopdog]

Very nice build. This kit is on my wish list but I sure wish Revell would issue one.

[Hubert Rollins]

Nice build.

[Harry P.]

Pretty cool. Nice paint. But where is the chrome on the drip rails?

[Xingu]

A choice had to be made. Drip rails or mirrors.

I like the story behind the build. I wish I had all the old Mopars I used to own.

[Harry P.]

A choice had to be made. Drip rails or mirrors.

No reason on Earth you can't have both...

Speaking of mirrors... inside RVM missing...

[DumpyDan]

Very Nice

[slusher]

Very very nice...

[Ron Hamilton]

That one brings back memories. A friend had a red '67 fastback back in the day. It was a 273 Power Pack with a torqueflite. "Day Two could not come fast enough for him, as he and his Dad installed a set of Hooker Fender well Headers, a Mallory Rev-Pol Ignition Box, and a set of Cheater Slicks the day after they brought it home from the dealer, and they were at the track that weekend running the brackets. He came home with the trophy that night too, as he said the car was super consistent, and quick off of the line.

[GTJUNIOR]

Nice Barracuda.

[Speedfreak]

I'm working on this kit now as well, it is a nightmare, beware! But after all is said and done i still like looking at your finished model. Thanks for posting this.

[JTalmage]

Good looking build!

[V8 Trucker]

classic built, very nice photographed

[MGL]

Pretty cool. Nice paint. But where is the chrome on the drip rails?

Harry, the drip rails aren't well defined and there are no molded in lines around the windows. I was out of masking tape but I picked some up and taped around the drip rails and windows to give myself a line to trim the foil to and added that today. Also, I reduced the size of the photos in MS paint to 25% before uploading them to PB, let me know if that works better. It did make uploading them much, much faster than before.

And here is one of the engine. I wired it but just didn't see the point in doing much with it considering how inaccurate the rest of the engine compartment is. I do have one of these I'm kitbashing with a 68 dart but that won't be done for awhile as I only work on it a little bit in between other stuff. That one is going to be done like my first one if I ever get around to converting it to a 67.

Thanks for all the comments and kind words.

Edited July 12, 2017 by MGL
Replacing photos

[DR JAY]

I walked past this kit in the LHS today...now I'm thinking that I should have picked one up. Next time. Great job on it, though. The Recall Wheels pretty much decided for me...

[Harry P.]

Now you're talking on the drip rails! Much better! 

But your photos are still squished. Try reducing them to 50%.

[Harry P.]

And here is one of the engine. I wired it but just didn't see the point in doing much with it considering how inaccurate the rest of the engine compartment is...

One of the biggest problems with a lot of these old kits that were tooled in the Stone Age is the completely inaccurate gap between the inner fenders and the outer fenders. Obviously there is no such gap on a real car. I don't blame you for not really bothering with the engine compartment... like you said, it's totally inaccurate. Heck, if it was me I'd probably just glue the hood shut!

[StevenGuthmiller]

One of the biggest problems with a lot of these old kits that were tooled in the Stone Age is the completely inaccurate gap between the inner fenders and the outer fenders. Obviously there is no such gap on a real car. I don't blame you for not really bothering with the engine compartment... like you said, it's totally inaccurate. Heck, if it was me I'd probably just glue the hood shut!

MPC was really bad about those inner fender wells with the big gaps.

Really wouldn't be tough to fix if you wanted to spend the time on it.

A little bit of styrene sheet around those would fill them in.

I assume that they did them that way just for ease of assembly.

They didn't want you to have to shoe horn them into the body.

Most of these old annuals were surely lacking under the hood.

From MPC's gaps, to Johan's squared wells, & most of them having those horrible screw posts on the radiator brace!

But I never let that stop me.

They're still very worthy of being built in my opinion.

 

Steve

 

[Rider]

Sounds like a fun 1:1 car. I like the manual brake switch. That would come in handy for tailgaters. The build looks good, nice BMF work, nice touch adding the Chrome trim to the rear compartment carpet area.