The 1966 Barracuda featured here was purchased from its umpteenth owner around 1997, and I spent a few years pursuing a major body and interior restoration during much of my free time. This first section will look into the body work.

When purchased, the car was pretty badly rusted. Both front fenders, parts of the floor pans, and both rear fenders needed replacement. The rest of the body, including the frame, was solid. The both the engine and transmission were replaced - other than that, simple maintenance has been the only demand, mechanically.

One of the few slant sixes produced this year, the car has unique Valiant emblems rather than the Barracuda emblems which were designed for the 1966 release. I have researched this, and found that the car shares most of its trim with the 1966 Valiant, including taillights, steering wheel, and rear view mirrors. The reason for this may be found in the car's VIN number, which locates it to the Dodge plant, and while carrying a Barracuda body designation, it has a Dart/Valiant production number. It is possible that this car was pre-production, or simply very early production.

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1966 Restoration 2 >