We recently installed a Hotchkis rear sway bar on a 65 barracuda. It took two of us 2 1/2 hours to install, so 5 labor hours total. The installation required drilling holes in the rear frame rails that arch over the rear axle. Spacers are used between the metal sides of the boxed frame to keep it from collapsing when the through bolts are tightened.
Anyway, we obsessed over measuring and double-triple-quadruple checking to make sure we got the holes in the right place. It turned out great, and we nailed it. An independent mechanic (who has never worked on a sixties Mopar, much less this particular installation) has been mouthing off that it shouldn't have taken us this long. We also had to remove undercoating so the fender washers would fit right.
I think the know-it-all mechanic is misguided and has no clue what's involved to do this upgrade (and many other jobs) on cars that are over a half century old. What do you guys think? By the way, we also installed a front sway bar and better shocks all around. The car handles way better than it did in 1965.
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