As promised, some background on my car and what I’m trying to achieve. My 65 Barracuda was built in St. Louis, # 85,391st off of the line. As best I can tell, it is completely original. Super 225 and a 904 transmission. 41,000 on the OD. It had the 13” wheels and factory hubcaps. The car was complete, missing nothing. The only thing done that was not factory, was an AM to FM converter and a CB antennae (drilled a 1” dia. Hole) mounted on top of the left rear fender. The car was basically a “roller” other than it had been sitting next to a house since 1988. After two years of visiting and bribing the elderly “cat” lady (with cat food for her cats…a lot of cats) that lived in the house, she put me in touch with her son, who had the title. He and I went back and forth on the phone for several weeks. He said he didn’t want to really sell it, but soon he changed his mind and we agreed on a price. It was now mine. My son’s helped me trailer the car (after cutting a tree that had grown up between the chassis and the rear bumper) out to our hangar at the airport. The car basically sat for nearly another year, before I could do anything to it. New gas tank, tires and 14” rally wheels, brakes, carb kit, radiator, alternator, starter, fluids, battery, transmission service. She busted right off and I drove it to my house 32 miles away. I drove the car around town for about two months with everyone wanting to know what it was and telling me how cool they thought the car was. It is now on my rotisserie with three new floor pans, and a spare tire / trunk pan and a salvaged Inner front fender panel and rear driver’s side valance. I have tied the frame rails and will be installing torque boxes.
The engine has a .020 main and rods forged crank and .030 over pistons. Block casting number 2463430. The head has stock valves. There was very little wear to the cam and lifters. Over all the engine seems fine, however I was surprised that someone had been into the engine. Whoever it was, never payed attention to the numbers on the rods, as they were all install in the wrong cylinders. Where I’m headed…I want to occasionally cruise the car and some occasional challenging, and visit the local strip. I want to go .040 over on the bore, 1.70 and 1.44 valves, a .100 maybe .125 on the head with some deburring and smoothing in the ports, hardened exhaust valve seats. I have a wet NoS cheater system and plate. Offenhauser intake, 390cfm Holley, Clifford headers. With the 65 crank, I’m sort of stuck with the original 904. I will be installing new rear springs and a shortened 8.75 / 3.91 LS rear with 11” drum brakes. I have new tubular upper control arms and completely restored and re-enforced lower control arms and Scarebird disc brakes. The only thing I can do with the 904 is a shift kit and maybe a 4000 stall converter, brake launch. I have not made a decision about the cam. I want the car to be a 1/8 mile performer. I do all of my own work and assembling, except the machine shop necessities. The other day, I was on the phone with “Charlie” in Ocala FL. I got quite and education on a lot of my questions. Top ring gap important for “spraying.” I hope I didn’t bore anyone with my project. All suggestions and recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
Norm
BTW...I'm having a fit trying to resize some of my pictures. Working on getting them posted.
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