The Floyd Brothers 68 Barracuda Fastback

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Tue Oct 31, 06 11:10 am

Thought it was about time we shoved up some details of what we have been / are going to be getting on with!

I'm sure most know Me and Gareth (Brothers, if you didn't know) bought the Barracuda back in (about... ) 2003. Stock 225 slant 6 with slight overheating problems! By the euronats this year we ran a 19.271 after a lot of grazed knuckles, a steep learning curve, 2 engine swaps and a very full swear box!

Not much gain, I hear you say! But the thing is we have always had a plan. We want to build the motor up, keeping it /6 as it is a bit different. Gareth knows a lot more about cars than I do, but neither of us has ever attempted much more than de-rusting a dog eared beetle before, so we are on a very steep learning curve!

Our plan is to do all work ourselves on a budget, so that when all is said and done, even if we are the slowest car in the club, we will have built it and raced it ourselves! The stupid technical questions will start now as it's about time we started asking advice from a lot of you guys and maybe along the way we will get in amongst the slower 8's! Who knows, maybe one day we will even get proper quick!

Anyhoo, enough rambling. Here's a few pic's from when we started to pull the engine for the first time (earlier this year) And when I'm not rushing off to work, we'll update along the way... (Hope this isn't boring for you 8 guys, but it's our first attempt!)

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Tue Oct 31, 06 11:31 am

So the stripping of the ancilleries commenced...

We had an old old motor in there that was drinking oil, so we bought another for a song. Plan was to plonk it in, re-attach everything, then go driving. Didn't quite work...

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Tue Oct 31, 06 11:42 am

Once we'd started stripping the first problem became pretty apparent. We had invested in a set of Clifford Shorty headers and a Holley 390 cfm 4Bbbl. Problem was, they didn't fit. This picture shows the arrangement of the oil filter on the original engine. The pump is housed right down UNDER the slant and remote pipes run around the back of the block and back down the other side to where you see the filter now.

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Tue Oct 31, 06 11:45 am

Quick offer up shows there ain't no WAY that's a-going on there!

Quite surprised how spacious and comfy the engine bay feels, though!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Oct 31, 06 11:49 am

V. interesting GarStu. Keep the pictures coming

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Oct 31, 06 12:01 pm

There are guys in Aus running 13's with /6's. There is even a vid of a guy in a /6 VC Valiant running 11's. He still has the push button auto, it's really funny watching him reach forward to push the button for each shift. Obviously these /6's have modifications (in the form of big turbos) but it's possible to wind up the big block boys with little engines.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Oct 31, 06 1:06 pm

I never had this problem on the Duster coz the oil filter is mounted at the back of the engine on the opposite side, is your oil filter remote mounted?? If so, easiest way would be to have new oil lines made up and relocate the oil filter to the inner wing perhaps.
The only problem I had was clearing the steering box, a problem you aren't going to encounter.

Ivor · Post by **Ivor** » Tue Oct 31, 06 4:40 pm

Has anyone suggested remote mounting the oil filter...easy job!

This is going to be a great thread, as you guys know we managed to get an old mates slant six to go like a bat out out of hell...go on boys, I'm just down the road if you need a hand!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Oct 31, 06 5:11 pm

Yes me

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Tue Oct 31, 06 6:39 pm

Skippy wrote: If so, easiest way would be to have new oil lines made up and relocate the oil filter to the inner wing perhaps.

You'd think that wouldn't you!

Right found some more photo's. This is the view down the side of the block showing the restricted access. The second engine had the filter running directly from the pump, which we had wrongly assumed would be fine...

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Tue Oct 31, 06 6:44 pm

Ivor wrote:Has anyone suggested remote mounting the oil filter...easy job!

This is going to be a great thread, as you guys know we managed to get an old mates slant six to go like a bat out out of hell...go on boys, I'm just down the road if you need a hand!

You know we will take you up on that at some point, Ivor! All help and suggestions gratefully recieved! James, that is where we are aiming ultimately, but it will be a good while coming as we are still learning and want to undertake all work ourselves!

The problem with re-routing it was trying to find anywhere in the world that could make the hoses. These are the fittings and nobody seemed to be able to make us anything up as they are very odd sizings.

Gareth · Post by **Gareth** » Tue Oct 31, 06 6:57 pm

Dean, was the Duster LHD or RHD because on our car (which is RHD) we have exactly that problem. We cobbled together a solution that scrapheap challenge would have frowned on but it got us to the nats

Tidier solution on the list of things to do this winter !

Gareth · Post by **Gareth** » Tue Oct 31, 06 7:10 pm

Ivor wrote:we managed to get an old mates slant six to go like a bat out out of hell...go on boys, I'm just down the road if you need a hand!

Any help and advice gratefully received Ivor, going like a bat out of hell will fit the bill nicely

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Tue Oct 31, 06 9:00 pm

The filter is now mounted on the inner wing, with (as Gareth said Heath Robinson) remote lines. They might be shiny and braided, but the amount of different sized couplings at the one end is a bit of a dogs breakfast! (A bloomin' expensive dogs breakfast, I might add! I should be in the hose business!) Trying to find a photo, but might have to go take some fresh tomorrow. What we really need is one of these that Gareth found...