1968 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S 383

This kit has been in my stash for a while and I plan on making some mods to it.  The kit is an AMT '69 Barracuda and it will be backdated one year to 1968.  I removed the peak on the front panel and I will replace the hood with a hood from Modelhaas, I replaced the trans with a Torqueflite short tail trans from Competition Resins and I partially assembled the engine, the wheels and tires are Pegasus Shuey's, the interior console is from the Revell '68 Dart Hemi kit.  I haven't decided on a body color yet, but the interior will have white seats and side panels.  The body has engine compartment side panels from an old AMT Charger chassis and it will have side markers made from shirt pins.  



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Can you show a pic of the chassis Mike please, I got an MPC version recently and thought they were the same kit.

Everything in my chassis is mouilded in as I expected.

It is just an all-in-one chassis from the AMT kit. MPC and AMT are all under the same umbrella and AMT started using their kits under their name.

I started working on the chassis by drilling out the exhaust. I will add some styrene and put on some aluminium tubing for exhaust tips. The engine has been painted with Mopar Street Hemi Orange Engine Paint. I need to drill the distributor cap and the heads for ignition wiring. Since the paintbooth was up and running, I painted some engine parts with Tamiya TS-29 Semi Gloss Black.







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I went to drill the distributor for plug wires and the distributor broken off the water pump. I used my cordless drill on a slow speed and routed a groove for the replace shaft made from 1/16th inch styrene. I enjoy adding plug wires to my engines! I was thinking of replacing the water pump with another unit from my parts box, but I decided to stay with the kit unit. I found a better detailed set of exhaust manifolds and I will use those instead.



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Very nice start!

Thanks Chris! I'll wire up the engine today and add the fan assembly and air cleaner.

Other than some touchups and a few decals, the engine is done. This is a high performance 383 CID with a four barrel carb. A test fit in the chassis shows that some mods are necessary.



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I've been painting and detailing this afternoon.  The interior and the seats got an initial coat of white primer and the instrument panel, console and the rear seat backcover got a coat of Tamiya TS-29 Semi Gloss Black.  I'll paint the interior floor with the Semi Gloss Black followed by a generous coating of clear embossing powder.  If the black paint doesn't cover the embossing powder, I'll paint over the powder with flat black paint with a brush.  The chassis got a coat of grey primer followed by a coat of Model Master Bright Calypso Metallic.  I drilled the body for side markers, although the holes are difficult to see.



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I detailed the chassis this morning and added the engine. If you look closely, you can see the engine mounts I made from square styrene stock.



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I did a mockup to check on fit. So far, so good! I'm not too sure about the side panels I had used for the engine compartment. I may re-align them differently. I did a mockup of the interior and I am liking what I am seeing!



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As an experiment, I used Mod Podge instead of waterdown Elmers glue to hold my embossing powder. Didn't work. I removed the embossing powder when I lightly rub my finger on it. I guess I should have used the Elmers instead.



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I went back and used watered down Elmers Glue and the embossing powder stuck to it better than Mod Podge. I primered the body and body parts this afternoon and I found that I need to do more sanding and filling on the nose piece. I was anxious to see some paint on the Barracuda and I painted and detailed the taillight piece. Not bad!



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I painted the Barracuda this afternoon with Model Master Bright Calypso Metallic Lacquer. I have to admit that the color looks pretty good! This is almost a perfect match to my '65 Coronet convertible that I plant on building someday.



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I started on the body by adding the side markers. I used 4 shirt pins inserted into holes that I drilled with my pin vise and a small drill bit the size of the pin shaft. I painted the lenses with an amber and a red Sharpie. And, I couldn't resist a mockup!




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I kept looking at my side markers and I felt that they could be more. Last night, I sliced 8 styrene rings from a 3/32 inch tube. I only needed 4, but sliced 8 just in case I would loose one or more. This morning I painted them with Model Master Aluminium Metalizer and then I attached them to the side marker pin heads I had previously made. I need to go back and touchup the side marker with some Tamiya Clear Orange and Clear Red.
I am not 100% happy with them as they do stand out from the body quite a bit.




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With the tubes glued to the pinheads, I sanded them down, applied some Molotow Liquid Chrome and Tamiya Clear Orange and Clear Red paint. Now, they are closer to the body and son't look as bad as they did before.



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I started foiling this afternoon. I started with the hardest areas to foil. The wheelwells, rocker panels and the rear taillight. The wheelwells alone took me almost an hour to do.



I keep hearing Heart and their song, Barracuda in my mind!

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I finished foiling this afternoon. Now to paint the interior ceiling and assemble the whole thing.




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Nice work so far. I dig this color and love the work on the marker lights

Thanks Dirk! The side markers could be better if I had taken the time to really think things through. I should rethink them!

I got the Barracuda into 3 coats of Testors Ultra Gloss Clearcoat this morning. And, the underside of the Barracuda hood got a coating of Model Master Bright Calypso Metallic.




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It's getting there! I started adding the valances and bumpers. So far the rear is done and the front is being worked on. If there is a reason why I don't like old AMT/MPC kits, this is one of them! I have been stressing for hours on the grille and front valance since they don't want to fit correctly!




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The more I stared at the front of the Barracuda, the more I hated it! I don't like the poor fit of the grilles and the open ends of the lower grille header. I tore it all apart! The grille header will have some shaped styrene added to the ends and I will try to reshape the grilles and the grill header for a better fit! And, I thought I was making progress!




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Tonight, I tried my hand at creating a set of exhaust tips made from styrene. I used two pieces of 1/8th inch styrene tube and two short lengths of 1/16th inch rod glued together. The rods fits into two holes I drilled in the molded chassis pan exhaust and the molded tubes have angle cuts made with eye-ball engineering. Now to paint them up!




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This is really coming along nicely. You’ve done a great job with cleaning up this 50 year old mold.

Thanks Spanky19! Having built this previously, I wanted something more than what was offered in the box. This kit leaves a lot to be desired!

I coated the Keith Marks Decals with two coats of Microscale Liquid Decal Film. I'll let this dry for a day or so and then start decaling.




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I applied the Keith Marks decals to the '68 Barracuda. Now it is finally done!




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