Project Starfish
1968 Barracuda Pro Touring
Text and images provided by Ariston Speed Shop.
The client on this build is Mike Hoover of Hoover Mercedes in Parker, Colorado and will mix Mike's love of Mopars and Mercedes into one cool ride. We will be fitting the car with a Mercedes Twin Turbo V12, 5 speed auto transmission, full Mercedes suspension including ABS, Ride Control, and Traction Control.
Mike has owned the Cuda for years, purchased with the winnings from taking the season Drag Race Title in his Father's '71 Barracuda. It has undergone several restorations and re-powers over the years, as well as some fender benders, this build is a life long dream for Mike that is going to come true.
First order of business is to strip the car in preparation for a complete media blast down to bare metal and install on the rotisserie, which will be key to the first several stages of this build.
Fresh out of the blaster. All the parts were blasted separately to get in every nook and cranny. Next I cut out some old home-built sub frame connectors and installed some stronger and nicer subframe connectors and toque boxes we got from USCT Motorsports. They fit great and firmed up the frame considerably.
Next I started planning home I was going to graft in the Mercedes suspension. Rather than try to work off the floor and fit everything up into the car, I am going to turn the car upside down and work from above. This is much easier to fit things as well as measure, plumb and square things up. I used cheap electrical conduit to brace the car. I knew I would be cutting out a section of both the front and rear frame rails, so the bracing would have to support and hold everything in place during this operation. I also painstakingly made sure the car was as level as possible.
To simulate the road/ground I welded "goal posts" on each end and strung string lines. These goal posts were level and plumb. I indent to use these to pull dimensions too. The string lines were as well parallel and square. Static ride height was measured from the string lines. I took a lot of dimensions from sample cars so we could determine sub frame mounting points at the ride height we wanted.
A donor car provided a front frame clip and suspension sub frame. I have good measurements from a sample car so we could set the frame to the correct ride height and angle. Measure and cut, adjust, and adjust, is how I do this. I had to get it fairly close and in the car before I could re-pull the string lines and get the measurements perfect.
Once I got it where I wanted, measure a couple dozen more times, I tack welded the Mercedes frame section to the Cuda frame and removed the suspension.
Now it is time to blend the frame rails together. I used 12ga steel to make new frame sections.
I left the contoured inner fenders intact as much as I could, this worked for wheel clearance on the Mercedes, so will work on he Cuda. I blended these to the Cuda with 18ga sheet metal. All this work really firms up the uni body construction on the Cuda. The shock towers will get additional bracing back to the fire wall and A-pillar.
By squaring off the inner fenders I created room in the engine bay for components.
Time for the rear suspension.
I traveled up and helped Mike chop the rear frame section out of a donor car, sawzall and grinder got it done in short order. Helped that he had a fork lift to roll the donor car around. Same routine as the front, cut the Barracuda frame til it slide down in and I can re-pull the string lines.
Got it fit in and tack welding in place, then pulled the suspension and started blending.
Lots of patterns and good old muscle, hammer, and anvil got this section made.
Got most of the rear frame blended and welded up.
Time to cut all the bracing loose so I can more the car back up right and finish the interior portion of the rear frame as it comes up through the floor. While cutting all the bracing the body did not move at all or bind on the bracing while I was cutting. Good sign it is all sound and strong to this point.
After I get all the frame work finished, it is time to start on the roll cage. The cage will flow as much as I can with the body lines and still comply with some NHRA regulations.
