A 1968 Barracuda That's Full-Tilt

Mike Baldwin of Baltimore, Maryland, contacted us one day to see if we would be interested in taking a look at his '68 Barracuda. Well, you know us, we are always on the lookout for cool cars. After looking at the photos he sent us, we decided to shoot a feature on his car. But when we asked him for some information about the car, he gave us so much we figured we would just let him tell the story.

"It was 1977, I was 18 and just bought my first high-performance Mopar. It was a '70 Road runner, powered by a 383 and backed by a 727 transmission. It was the fastest car I had ever driven, and I spent way too much time and money making it even faster. My dad was a Baltimore City police officer at the time, and I can't say how many times he'd be waiting by the front door, shaking his head when I came home.

"In early 1979, I met my wife Cathy while the Road Runner and I were waiting in line for fuel during the gas shortage. In late 1979, I sold the Runner in preparation to get married. For several years following the sale of the Road Runner, I wanted another Mopar, but with four children, it was impossible. When my son Michael started to show interest in cars in 1999, I couldn't resist convincing my wife to let us do a father/son project.

"As luck would have it, I was able to find the car I'd been dreaming about for a long time--a '68 Barracuda fastback! My son and I were both impressed by its stance and aggressive look. We spent the entire day filming, driving, reviewing documentation, and drooling over the car. Finally, the deal was done, and we owned our Barracuda. Dave Dettloffteh, the previous owner, started the restoration in 1997 and completed the body work in late 2000.

"The car went through an extensive restification, with the quarter-panels, floorpans, and doors replaced. Also, fiberglass fenders and hood were added to the mix. Jim Tech, Inc. of Clinton Township, Michigan, performed the show car-worthy paint job. The car is wired using a Painless Wiring system, and Auto Rod controllers operate all the electronics. The Chrysler Electronic Ignition/MSD box controls the spark all the way up to 7,000 rpm. The dash is now a smooth piece of aluminum with Auto meter gauges to monitor the engine and transmissions vitals.

"Surrounding the interior is a ten-point rollcage. tub work by P.S.I. in Sterling Heights, Michigan, covers the big 32x17.5x15 Mickey Thompson tires. The interior has two JAZ racing seats with Simpson seatbelts. Even though the car has a racy appearance, the interior is fully carpeted with black loop carpet and a black headliner.

"Hours were spent on the Internet searching for replacement parts: headlight bezels, taillights, rear trunk trim, chrome moldings, and so on.

"In July 2004, I visited Ray Barton's shop in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, and met Ray. I was impressed with their extensive knowledge and willingness to spend time answering my numerous questions. I knew the Hemi-into-an-A-Body conversion was not going to be easy, but Ray offered several suggestions, showed me some of his customers' cars, and offered his Hemi resin block for fitment while my motor was being built.

"The right-side inner fender/shock tower needed to be reworked, the master cylinder needed the offset kit, the frame needed to be notched for the headers, and the cross ram was tight against the firewall. Fitting the headers around the stock suspension and steering was a nightmare. I had previously ordered a new set of Hedman Hemi A-Body headers, and as it turned out, three of the tubes needed to be reworked. Then, they were sent to Jet Hot Coatings. they now look great with their Sterling Finish.