| Author |
 Topic  |
|
arrocuda
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
 Posted - 04 May 2010 : 11:12:06
|
As I said earlier I'd post a thread with some pics I have taken of my Rapier Fastback custom build. Unfortunately I didn't take any pics before I started, but to give you an idea, I bought the car on the 'bay' for £280. The guy I bought it off had started to restore it but because of work commitments hadn't found the time to continue and like so many of these projects had decided to sell the car on.
So... all the usual problems to rectify, mostly involving Iron Oxide in undesireable places, I started remedial work. Once I'd completed I had the 'idea' and decided that if I was going to do it then now was the time whilst I had a good sound body to work with but hadn't wasted the time or expense of doing the final paintwork and finishing jobs. Purists... please be warned that the images you are about to see might cause some distress. 
Anyway.... for those who have never seen or can't remember what a '67 Plymouth Barracuda looks like... here's a pic.
As you can see the rear section of the car is much more extended than the Rapier's, giving the car a gentle slope down to the rear panel. I considered trying to reproduce this but after spending a few hours with my 'Gimp' program (photoshop if your using windows), decided to just modify the existing panel work as it wasn't as effective on a short wheelbase car as it is on its american cousin.
Anyway.... phase one.... remodel the rear wings and plate over the rear quarter windows to reproduce the basic look of the '67. Here... are the pics.
Apologies for the 'shonky' phone pics but still not got around to buying a proper digital camera. At the time I took them the lock up was absolutely chokka cos I'd lost some storage space I was using for parts for my other cars. Things have freed up a little now as I had a massive ebay sale... even sold a couple of cars in the end. Also, I couldn't move the car cos I had removed the front struts for new springs (Sierra lowering type)
Upside down in the pic, but they are 'progressive' so I'm hoping that they will improve the handling of the car. They fitted the keeps perfectly but despite only being 40mm lower than standard Sierra springs, they have dropped the rapier by about 80mm!!  So..... future camber adjustments will most likely be required. Personally.... I love it and helps to give the car a similar stance to the '67 in the pic above. Whilst I had the struts out I painted them and replaced everything with new parts but didn't take a pic, but is something that I'm sure most of you will have seen before. Is just nice to know that I won't have to do any work on the suspension or brakes for a while as it's all been replaced with new components.
Once the struts were replaced I could roll the car out for a better shot. Lost the other pics I took at the time but it gives you an idea of the overall side view.
I gave the car a flash over of paint so I could see the imperfections for when I do the final finish and also to get a better idea of how the car will look completed, so I can make any necessary changes before it's too late.
You can see that the roofline is not as the '67 where it meets the 'C' panel so I decided to do this.....
Re-radiusing the rear windows helped to soften the roofline perfectly so I was really pleased with the effect. Here's some pics that demonstrate my point.
I am on with welding the new pillar panels in at the moment and then it's on to the final stage of refabricating the new boot lid. Here's a pic of the rear end on the car as it is at the moment. I have repositioned the spoiler off of the H120 lid I bought on the bay to give an idea how it would look when it has the filler piece welded underneath and the lid welded to the top. Purists can relax at this point... and breathe a sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge that the car wasn't an H120 and I'm really not that crazy I'd cut up a Holbay model!!
So there you have it.... comments good or bad are welcomed whilst I retire to my bunker to take cover!  Back with more as the project develops!
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
|
|
Tony Fearn
United Kingdom
60 Posts |
Posted - 05 May 2010 : 00:00:48
|
Looks good Tim. I'm impressed, not having such skills myself. Will love to see the finished article.
Tony.
Tony Fearn |
 |
|
|
arrocuda
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 06 May 2010 : 13:38:39
|
Thanks Tony... is my first attempt at a custom build but had plenty of practice restoring rusty ones. Mostly Mantas really. Had several A series's in the past and still got one ('72 model), but I might sell it as this car is THE one. Planning on using it as a daily driver as I've always done with all my cars. Looking forward to confusing people that recognise it as a Rapier as it approaches, but don't as it comes alongside and from the rear! If you get my meaning!
It's amazing how driving around in a '70's coupe attracts so much interest... especially from youngsters funnily enough! Then you get the tales from older folks who used to have one and wished they had never sold it etc etc. With the Manta's you would get more interest and admiration down the local filling station than someone pulling up in a Ferrari! not sure why I'm telling you this as I'm sure you forumites have experienced this phenomena first hand and don't need me to tell you. |
|
|
|
1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 07 May 2010 : 13:53:41
|
Hmmm - I think I like it, a baby Barracuda.
I've often wondered if a Mopar 318 would fit in a Rapier (it's been done with Ford 289) - a lot of work but immense amounts of tyre smoking fun
From youngsters I've had "is that a Mustang?", "my Dad used to have one of those", and worse "grandad had one of those".
|
|
|
|
Holbay120
United Kingdom
177 Posts |
Posted - 07 May 2010 : 15:28:58
|
I saw this on Google a couple of weeks ago and I think what you are doing is very clever - a mark 2 fastback? ingenious- and your fabrication skills are very impressive. Sometimes in the 70's you would see customised rapiers with flared wheelarches 3 foot wide wheels and bonnet scoops etc and I thought they were abominations but your what if? idea is excellent. I know what you mean about pulling up in a 70's coupe' someone always talks to me, what I enjoy even more is when these people who must get past you at all costs pull out to overtake and then you just pull the old overdrive trick (without speeding of course because that would be against the law!) and see their seepish or downright embarrased faces when they pull back in behind you, not that I would do it often because I'm in my 50's and sensible now!. Anyway I think this will be wonderful when finished and I hope you use a 1725 powerplant in whichever guise and can only wish you the best of luck Best Regards
David McKenna |
|
|
|
arrocuda
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 07 May 2010 : 21:58:03
|
Thanks for all the positive feedback everybody.... just making a start on a template for the new boot lid and finding the compound curves to be mind boggling. The existing lid curves in 4 dimensions ....add to that the re-shaped rear wings and I refuse to use a flat piece of metal for the new lid as I'm worried it will look too 'kitcar' and spoil the finish. This may take some time. :-/
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
|
|
|
bigt80
United Kingdom
1052 Posts |
Posted - 09 May 2010 : 20:58:38
|
quote:
Originally posted by arrocuda
Thanks for all the positive feedback everybody.... just making a start on a template for the new boot lid and finding the compound curves to be mind boggling. The existing lid curves in 4 dimensions ....add to that the re-shaped rear wings and I refuse to use a flat piece of metal for the new lid as I'm worried it will look too 'kitcar' and spoil the finish. This may take some time. :-/
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda').
Yes; I reckon that's damn good. Don't think I'd have gone to the trouble of reshaping the 'C' post, but I guess as you're for major surgery, you'd best get the look you want. Glad to see the pics - had not realised you'd posted when I did my earlier response. Keep plugging away: it will be worth it in the end. I can't even complete my basic rebuild!! . Cheers. G. |
|
|
|
1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 13:21:56
|
| Is that colour Wardance Red? |
|
|
|
argonaut
Hungary
39 Posts |
Posted - 17 May 2010 : 08:59:32
|
Nice project, I like the style you're aiming at and you're obviously fairly handy with the welder, good luck with the project and I look forward to seeing the finished result.
@1922 - you forgot "Is that one o' them Oldbay motors?" ;-) |
|
|
|
arrocuda
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 17 May 2010 : 13:09:28
|
The colour isn't reproduced very well on the PC screen. Least ways on mine it looks more red than in real life. The actual colour is a more 'orangey' shade than it appears here. Is only a tack coat so as I could be sure I hadn't got any bad dents or low/high spots in the panels. I mixed it from paint I had in store cos I want the final paint job in a really deep orange. Hoping for something like this in the end.
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
|
|
|
arrocuda
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2010 : 12:20:06
|
quote:
Originally posted by 1922
Hmmm - I think I like it, a baby Barracuda.
Meant to answer but forgot... that really the Barracuda was only used to give me the possible future styling cues that might have been adopted if they had decided to do a restyled later version. When I did the photo editing exercise it struck me that it would be silly to try to reproduce the exact styling of the '67 Barracuda. So I decided to just take the general differences and apply them in a way that might have been done, so as to keep the original Rapier look.
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
|
|
|
arrocuda
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2010 : 22:43:40
|
Some time since I posted but lots been happening that has been getting in the way of doing any serious work on the project car. Was made redundant when The company I worked for got bought out at the back end of last year. Was planning to leave to set up my own business around a project that I had been working on. Wasn't ready when I left. so had to devote most all my time to getting it finished so I could get some money coming in again.
Completed that and now find a little time to get back to the car so I welded the new C pillar panels in. They are now waiting filler and priming. A few weeks a go I decided to attack the bootlid. Pics are still difficult due to the lack of space around the car and it's hard to get it all in when you're so close up.
Made a template for the new lid.
Nothing particularly interesting about it.... just 'mapped' the one side and then cut two pieces of card to get the symmetry right. From the template I then cut a piece of sheet steel that I had removed from a scrap Peuguot 405 boot lid. (Modern cars can be useful) ..... and shaped it using the template and an angle grinder into this.
Using the metal from the Peuguot gives an otherwise flat piece of metal the subtle contours of a factory finished piece. I rested it on top and it looks better than I expected. Tomorrow the welding set is coming out so I'm hoping to be able to update with more soon.
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
Edited by - arrocuda on 10 Jul 2010 23:02:53 |
|
|
|
1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 23:27:58
|
| Recycling! Your saving the environment too |
|
|
|
arrocuda
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2010 : 16:25:53
|
quote:
Originally posted by 1922
Recycling! Your saving the environment too
Would be a shame to waste good metal!
Managed to get a little more time down there yesterday. Is now welded and levelled with the grinder ready for filler. Apologies for darkness of the pic but the temporary festoon lighting is tough on the camera. Really need a little sunlight through the door. Also, the job had to be carried out in situ' due to the need to bend the metal whilst tacking it in to place, so as it would level up at exactly the same height as the wings. A little bit of grinding off a slight excess of metal on the curvy bits, and removing the excess weld left me with this.
I need to sort out some rectangular reversing light/fog lamps to build into the strip of metal I need to cut to fill the gap below the spoiler. So... if anyone has any ideas as to where I can find some countersunk types that fit the bill, give me a shout.
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
Edited by - arrocuda on 12 Jul 2010 16:30:04 |
|
|
|
arrocuda
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2010 : 20:47:54
|
Went down again tonight cos I promised a friend I would root out some A series Manta parts he's looking for. Came across this. Couldn't help propping it up in the orifice where the lower panel will be welded to the boot lid. They are two reversing lights with an integral chrome strip connecting them. The lenses which I took off them for safe keeping are clear and cover the whole of the units including the black foam bits. Be interesting to see if anyone recognises which model of car they came off. They have been turned upside down.
All I need to do now is find the lenses for them, but I think the integral chrome strip gives it a really good 'factory fitted look'.
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
|
|
|
UMU
United Kingdom
343 Posts |
Posted - 23 Nov 2010 : 21:52:31
|
Inspired!!
Very interesting read there, nice one.
Where abouts in the country are you?
Whats your plans again for the engine and running gear? I want to get mine so itll not just challange others, whilst leaving many behind, as it does now. But have some serious legs.
I have been warned though, that the overdrive will not take anything more powerful than an XR3i - which still isnt enough for what im after.
also i need to sort out the steering, which when its windy, allow the car to drift - similar to a blimin van
cheers
 |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
The 'Arrocuda' build.
