Could a 69 Bee be ordered with an open rear?

[hunt2elk]

Curious if a 69 super bee could have been bought with an open rear end? Just disassembled mine and that is what I found. Ring gear is a 3.23 with a date of 11-11-68. The cars build date on the fender tag is January so that adds up. I thought all Road Runners and Super Bees would have come standard with a sure grip.

 

[R413]

Sure grip is Optional in a 383 Bee and many mopar muscle cars came with an open rear. Just how they did it.

 

[hunt2elk]

Sure grip is Optional in a 383 Bee and many mopar muscle cars came with an open rear. Just how they did it.

Learn something new every day, thanks.

 

[Photon440]

My '70 road runner was 3.23 open.

 

[oldbee]

‘69? Now I’m curious, pretty sure a ‘68 Bee was standard sure-grip. Course the memory is slowly going! ‘68’s only had a limited number of options, they wanted to compete price wise,But be slightly better. Original RR’s came with rubber floor carpet, then Plymouth went carpet when the Bee’s came out.

 

[BB BELLA]

my 69 383 mag 4 speed was open!who orders that?

 

[hunt2elk]

Maybe because it was a one wheel wonder, my car didn't get beat on much. That will all change when I am done with it though.

 

[Kern Dog]

I find it odd that so many 4 speed cars came without a tachometer or a Sure Grip diff.

 

[oldbee]

Where is @moparnation74 ? “The world wonders” to paraphrase WWII concerning Adm.Halsey task force not being where he was supposed to be.

 

[oldbee]

I find it odd that so many 4 speed cars came without a tachometer or a Sure Grip diff.

Back then, every I needed to be dotted to get what you wanted, not very many options were bundled like they are now.

 

[R413]

Yes and you must remember that $25 was a lot of coin. Options added up really quickly back then.
Yes on the option groups. Today most cars have many options, not many bare bones cars around anymore.

 

[oldbee]

Yes and you must remember that $25 was a lot of coin. Options added up really quickly back then.
Yes on the option groups. Today most cars have many options, not many bare bones cars around anymore.

Yup, just like the $600+ Hemi option(I sooo wanted)!

 

[moparnation74]

Where is @moparnation74 ? “The world wonders” to paraphrase WWII concerning Adm.Halsey task force not being where he was supposed to be.

Does the OP have a BS?.......Based on the dates Joel posted I would lean that it is the original rear to the car. It is highly unlikely a rear swap would end up with the date.......

As another mentioned above sure grips were not standard for 383's.....

Thing is....does it really matter? Wouldn't it be better to have a suregrip.......No one is going to pull the pumpkin.....No judge event is going to spring the tires and also check for gear ratio?

Be glad you dont have a Dana which has a date stamping and other markings on the axel tubes......

 

[Cranky]

Back then not many special ordered their cars (or knew what a SureGrip was and heck, I didn't much know about them either) and the dealer ordered the cheapest they could for their sales bank and a SG wasn't important to them IF they even knew what one was!! Remember how cheap a roadrunner could be bought for? Most of them were sitting on the lot and ready to go and had very few options if any....and I parted a lot of Mopars in the 70's and do not recall any of them having a SG. Would I have known what I was looking at? Probably not but knew how to check a rear end to see if it would track both wheels.

 

[hunt2elk]

Does the OP have a BS?.......Based on the dates Joel posted I would lean that it is the original rear to the car. It is highly unlikely a rear swap would end up with the date.......

Unfortunately, no build sheet. Everything I have taken apart on the car sure looks to be original, including the rear end. So with the date on the gear I am guessing it is the born with stuff. I just thought it odd that Bees and RR's were built to be performance cars, but you sure don't get much performance with an open gear set. Probably would have been one of the first things I would have changed after driving it off the lot.

 

[moparnation74]

Unfortunately, no build sheet. Everything I have taken apart on the car sure looks to be original, including the rear end. So with the date on the gear I am guessing it is the born with stuff. I just thought it odd that Bees and RR's were built to be performance cars, but you sure don't get much performance with an open gear set. Probably would have been one of the first things I would have changed after driving it off the lot.

Based on the dates I would agree......the probability of a pumpkin/rear switch later in life to fall within the build date is near impossible.........

I agree it sounds odd but it is what happened...

 

[fratzog lover]

My 2 owner 68 Roadrunner was a 3.23 open. Many were.

 

[dla4567]

My 70 Six Pack Super Bee was a well optioned car but did have an open rear (3:23). It also has a 22” radiator. I believe if it had a sure grip or a 4 speed it had a 26” rad.

 

[dadsbee]

I believe if it had a sure grip or a 4 speed it had a 26” rad.

Nope.. not in a '69 Bee anyhow. 383HP, 4 gear, sure grip, 22" -053 radiator with auto or 4 gear.

Mine's a 925 / 595 / 603 drive train.
383 - 4 bbl HP w/4 speed
3.23 S/G 8.75" HD w/11" rear drum brakes
A833 4 - speed 23 spline / 11" clutch

 

[33 IMP]

Related question, out of curiosity. (Pretty sure I know the answer).
Could you order a Dana behind a 383 4sp?