The Barracuda

Piet had always wanted to own a V8 Muscle car and at that time he had his eye on a Cobra. One day, he decided to drive one but at 6.3ft it was not a comfortable fit to say the least. After this, Piet and his son (Drikus Botha from AAM) started looking at Barracudas as an alternative option. He had always had a love for C2 Corvettes but with all the sentimental value and driving quality that his Barracuda has, it is by far his dream car.

- Joe Van Zyl

Initially, Drikus bought the car in 2012 to restore for himself but in early 2013 he got the opportunity to buy another ’68 Barracuda and Piet decided to take over the other project. At that stage, it was in the body shop just prior to paint so he had the opportunity to choose his own colour. The colour he decided on is a Ford Focus Winning Blue. The paint type is Sikkens Automotive Paint. The original plan for the build was a full nut and bolt rebuild with a V8 conversion to his own specifications.

The bodywork was in fair condition and 100% complete. The rust was not too bad and the rust that was on the car was in all the usual places. The bodywork took approximately 6 months to complete. Piet would definitely advise a reputable body shop with guarantees in place to ensure that they stand by their work.

The car still has its original chassis. The front and rear suspension is original, fully rebuilt with Moog Suspension Parts. He chose the suspension because of the ride quality and level of comfort. The car also has its original 7 ¼ rear end. There are disc brakes all round. All the new parts were imported and supplied by AAM.