1969 Dodge Super Bee Coupe Restoration

[moparnation74]

Picked some loose spots off on the back side of the rear bumper.

Everything loose picked off.

Was suggested by the shop that did my body work and paint to seal the back side of the bumpers, so rust doesn't make it's way through and around to the front.

Bumper holes taped off and ready to paint the back sides.

Both bumpers sealed with 2 coats of Tremclad.

Went to mount my rear bumper and opened my mounting bolt kit. WTH.. 8 bolts and 2 nuts. Unless I'm seriously missing something I require 8 bolts and 6 nuts to install the brackets as only two mount spots have nuts welded in the frame. All bolt kits I can find are being sold this way... 4 nuts short! (anyone have 4 they wanna part with??)

Installed my drivers seat, as I needed the hoist bay to work on the wife's plastic thing.

Guess "Therapy" will sit for a bit while I work on cleaning up the Vette.

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I both my bolts and hardware from Bill Rolik.....You can order the correct number for your application....

Bumper look great......Thanks for including the thickness of the AMD's I too have always heard they were thinner....Good to know that maybe thats not always the case...

 

[HT413]

tbe Bee’s turning out great, she’d be proud for sure. Your story really strikes a cord with me, as all my kids are little yet. My car’s not a 10th as nice as yours, fortunately the kids are too young to notice... they’re in love with daddy’s ‘race car’. We pile into her most every weekend for hotdogs and ice cream at the local Stewart’s.

Here’s a shot of them helping detail the engine bay, and one of my middle boy working hard on the trans. And here’s one of my daughter trying on her new safety glasses...

 

[dadsbee]

Thanks HT ! Great pit crew you've got there.

 

[showard]

Involving your kids always help instill the interest and appreciation and pass it on to the next generation and helps the family bond. I like seeing son's and daughters participation and hearing about family stories.
Looks like there having fun.

 

[The Rebel]

Car is really coming along great! Love the pic's of the kids. They're only small for a short amount of time and a grownup forever. I really miss my kids being 8-10.

 

[dadsbee]

Update on my bumper bracket "missing" nuts. I talked to Jeff Brown today at 521 restorations and asked if he could sell me just 4 nuts as all the kits seem to be short 4 nuts for installation. Instead of doing what he could have done and sold me 4 nuts + postage, etc.. he asked what happened to the captive / welded on nuts that should be on the brackets for the horizontal attach bolts. Low and behold I looked at the brackets and can see 4 weld spots around each hole, so somewhere in time those nuts disappeared. I don't remember it happening or when.

So despite the brackets being nicely epoxy painted, I guess I'm breaking out the welder to tack 4 x 7/16 nuts in place, then blasting and repainting to touch up.

 

[dadsbee]

Hey guys, I survived another Summer / Fall at camp and once I get stuff caught up around here I hope to get back into the car assembly / rebuild. I was stood up in the Spring for alignment and was to get it done early this Fall so scrambled to get the trailer all ready for the 3 hour trip to my buddies up North. So the Queen Bee is now in her hive! Now if I just had somewhere to take her, as my buddy is now too busy on his 14 day work turn around from the diamond mine and all my back up garages say their mechanic isn't comfortable working on her. The search continues next week for a facility to get the front end aligned, so I can continue to put Therapy back together again! At least I've got the tie downs sorted out and with the tracks off to the sides all I have to do is loosen the ratchet and pop the hold down loops off the tires and lay the assembly to the side. Reverse to tie her down, no removal from tracks required or crawling around on the floor! Not a lot of room in a trailer when the gal has hips like this, but the side door I ordered is almost perfect to get out of the car after driving in, otherwise I'd have to winch her in and out. Should have had the door put about another foot forward, but would have made the trailer side look out of wack.. lol. I could move the car back about 6" on the next load and probably be able to open the drivers door full. I currently have about 14" between trunk lid and trailer back door.

 

[moparnation74]

Hey guys, I survived another Summer / Fall at camp and once I get stuff caught up around here I hope to get back into the car assembly / rebuild. I was stood up in the Spring for alignment and was to get it done early this Fall so scrambled to get the trailer all ready for the 3 hour trip to my buddies up North. So the Queen Bee is now in her hive! Now if I just had somewhere to take her, as my buddy is now too busy on his 14 day work turn around from the diamond mine and all my back up garages say their mechanic isn't comfortable working on her. The search continues next week for a facility to get the front end aligned, so I can continue to put Therapy back together again! At least I've got the tie downs sorted out and with the tracks off to the sides all I have to do is loosen the ratchet and pop the hold down loops off the tires and lay the assembly to the side. Reverse to tie her down, no removal from tracks required or crawling around on the floor! Not a lot of room in a trailer when the gal has hips like this, but the side door I ordered is almost perfect to get out of the car after driving in, otherwise I'd have to winch her in and out. Should have had the door put about another foot forward, but would have made the trailer side look out of wack.. lol. I could move the car back about 6" on the next load and probably be able to open the drivers door full. I currently have about 14" between trunk lid and trailer back door.
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Wayne

Great to see you back my friend!.....Car looks amazing!

 

[HT413]

Do the alignment yourself. Super easy. Years ago I refreshed the front end and added disc brakes so she needed an alignment.

Did my own just so I could safely test drive it and then drive it to the alignment shop. It tracked so well on that test drive that I never did make it to that alignment shop. That was maybe 5-6 years ago.

 

[Glenwood]

There is a good place near me that specializes in alignments. Probably too far for you but they have a good reputation around here.

www.thealignmentcentre.ca

 

[Officer Higgins]

Hey guys, I survived another Summer / Fall at camp and once I get stuff caught up around here I hope to get back into the car assembly / rebuild. I was stood up in the Spring for alignment and was to get it done early this Fall so scrambled to get the trailer all ready for the 3 hour trip to my buddies up North. So the Queen Bee is now in her hive! Now if I just had somewhere to take her, as my buddy is now too busy on his 14 day work turn around from the diamond mine and all my back up garages say their mechanic isn't comfortable working on her. The search continues next week for a facility to get the front end aligned, so I can continue to put Therapy back together again! At least I've got the tie downs sorted out and with the tracks off to the sides all I have to do is loosen the ratchet and pop the hold down loops off the tires and lay the assembly to the side. Reverse to tie her down, no removal from tracks required or crawling around on the floor! Not a lot of room in a trailer when the gal has hips like this, but the side door I ordered is almost perfect to get out of the car after driving in, otherwise I'd have to winch her in and out. Should have had the door put about another foot forward, but would have made the trailer side look out of wack.. lol. I could move the car back about 6" on the next load and probably be able to open the drivers door full. I currently have about 14" between trunk lid and trailer back door.
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what paint code is that?

 

[dadsbee]

There is a good place near me that specializes in alignments. Probably too far for you but they have a good reputation around here.

www.thealignmentcentre.ca

May be a possibility. I was gonna haul 3 hours each way to my buddies, so 2 hours (to where I was born in the boro) wouldn't be a big deal if I don't find someone local. Thanks.

 

[dadsbee]

what paint code is that?

A bit darker than B5 and a bit lighter than I used to have the car! lol

HOK0403- House of Kolors Shimrin solvent based paint. 4 coats of blue, then a clear coat that was interfaced and then two more coats of clear. Believe it or not the car still needs to be cut and polished. Price of the stuff isn't for anyone with a heart condition.

 

[Officer Higgins]

Yeah i bet really looks nice friend !

 

[Charger72]

Nice to see you at it again Wayne.

 

[dadsbee]

Every local shop I'd almost trust to have my car on their equipment will not do a preliminary alignment for me. Some are terrified to touch it and those that MIGHT say I have to have it ALL together before they would. Absolute nonsense, so guess I'm looking further out into the Province again. Have an email off to the shop in Peterborough that Glenwood suggested that knows mopar, will see what they say. At least if I end up there I can visit my Sister and see if she'll buy me supper! :scratchchin:

 

[747mopar]

Hey guys, I survived another Summer / Fall at camp and once I get stuff caught up around here I hope to get back into the car assembly / rebuild. I was stood up in the Spring for alignment and was to get it done early this Fall so scrambled to get the trailer all ready for the 3 hour trip to my buddies up North. So the Queen Bee is now in her hive! Now if I just had somewhere to take her, as my buddy is now too busy on his 14 day work turn around from the diamond mine and all my back up garages say their mechanic isn't comfortable working on her. The search continues next week for a facility to get the front end aligned, so I can continue to put Therapy back together again! At least I've got the tie downs sorted out and with the tracks off to the sides all I have to do is loosen the ratchet and pop the hold down loops off the tires and lay the assembly to the side. Reverse to tie her down, no removal from tracks required or crawling around on the floor! Not a lot of room in a trailer when the gal has hips like this, but the side door I ordered is almost perfect to get out of the car after driving in, otherwise I'd have to winch her in and out. Should have had the door put about another foot forward, but would have made the trailer side look out of wack.. lol. I could move the car back about 6" on the next load and probably be able to open the drivers door full. I currently have about 14" between trunk lid and trailer back door.
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Wow, can't wait to see that all together and in the sun, paint looks great!! I'm typically not a big fan of blue but that's absolutely beautiful. Great job

 

[dadsbee]

Thanks Fella! Even though my old man bought this car new, and it's been mine since 1979, I couldn't do B5 myself. Last time (1988) I painted it darker, but on this round I shot for 1/2 way between the original B5 and what I had on it. Think we got it pretty close to what I wanted and it looks good. Doesn't photograph well for true colour but the in trailer shot through the side door is pretty much spot on. This shot shows it very well as well.

Guy in Peterborough won't align without the car together either, so it's lock the cams where I put them at max in and max out and use a tape measure to get 1/8 toe in and continue to assemble. Gotta get her done so I can start cleaning the Bird up for Talladega.

 

[dadsbee]

As I cruised back home this morning from a 3 hour round trip, with these mint 14" road wheels, I was watching the time on the dash clock as I entered town at 10:59. My mind was reminded of the freedom that was so bravely fought for that allows me to do such crazy things.
Saw an advert on Kijji last night for 4 original road wheels, c/w trim rings and tires for what was a steal. Not even sure I want to put them on my car, but I wasn't going to ignore the opportunity being presented. Arriving early this morning and talking with the seller for an hour or so we then loaded the 4 wheels into my truck after I handed him some cash. He then asked what was I using for a spare and even though I told him I had a mint painted steelie he handed me another road wheel c/w trim ring from behind his garage door. Then as I was three pointing the truck around in his laneway to leave he ran out with 2 more MINT trim rings and handed them to me gratis. The only thing that would have made the deal better would have been the trim rings being "hens teeth" '69's... that can sell for a grand each. Not to be, but they're close enough '70's. Wheels are original, never been repainted!!

 

[JB400]

Good score