1969 Super bee am I paying too much?

[Bill Walak]

I’ve been talking with a guy that has a non numbers matching 69 Super bee. He lives 16 hours from me so I haven’t seen the car in-person yet. It needs full restoration. He claims it has almost no rust and is solid but is not a matching numbers car (383 and a 4 spd in it now) He wants 15k. I’m new to mopars what do you guys think?

 

[hunt2elk]

Get any more pics? One of the fender tag would be nice also. Has the N96 fresh air scoops on the hood, are they original and is all the ductwork intact? Original 4-speed car? Looks like rust or damage behind the right front tire area? Just my opinion, but I would think 10k would be more in line. By the way, welcome to the site.

 

[Cncguy1]

He's already replaced rear quarters so check them out and make sure they were done right.

 

[Bill Walak]

Thanks guys, he is sending more pictures I will post as they come in, I’m not sure about the duct work, I noticed the spot behind the right front tire, I’ve got to find out more about that. I believe it is an original 4 spd. I was thinking 15k was a bit high

 

[HawkRod]

He claims it has almost no rust...

I would ask him a great deal about that statement. What almost no rust means to him may be very different that what it means to you. These old cars EAT metal. When you go to fix up the bodies you end up replacing a lot of metal. Usually if there is some there is a lot more.

In my opinion, for $15K, it must be a very nice body, 100% complete, and driveable, or pretty close to it.

Ask lots of questions.

Good Luck

 

[WileE]

In a word, yes. Of course, condition factors apply & it's possible it may not even be worth HALF that. An extensive scrutiny of the inside/underside is crucial.

 

[63RedFury]

I agree with hsorman...for 15k it better have a very very clean body. Drive ,not yard drive. And be complete. Just from the few pics you have posted it looks more like a 10k car

 

[PurpleBeeper]

OK, well..... I would want to know what is "not numbers matching"? If it is a 69 super bee (not a coronet) and is an original 4 speed car & original N96 car but just doesn't have the original 383 engine....with the rust it has (& some I can't see), I would think it's worth every bit of $20k & $15k sounds like a great deal to me. I guess I'd want to know how the frame looks too. Fenders are easy to bolt on, frame rails are not. I would expect the trunk to be rotted too, but that can be fixed.

Could you get a bunch more pictures & start looking for cheap plane tickets to his area? Maybe figure out how to transport it back ahead of time?

 

[moes]

Welcome aboard, I would go and look at the car myself and have someone with knowledge about these cars come with you. Not to scare you but I've had to many friends buy a Mopar, get them home, start to work on them and then realize how much work and money is needed to restore them. I always tell them to buy the best car you can start with. You next have to figure in all the cost of restoration, including the orginal cost of the car to buy. Then get your wallet out, these cars eat money when you restore them. Just my to cent worth?

 

[davek]

I agree you need to look at it. Bought my Bee and still dumping money in it because wrong parts. But I got a great Deal but it still was the most I paid for a Mopar. Look for the fender tag mine was missing.Dont rush and bring cash.

 

[hanks73340]

Listen to everyone above. I ended up buying a 73 charger before the one I have now for 6k. Ended up putting 14k into it when all done. A friend took it off my hands for 12k and finished it for even more. Love these cars but patience and money are definitely required.

 

[Moparstyle]

Listen to what the guys say above and welcome to the site just my opinion 15k is to much for that car as for rust from what i can see in the pics the pass fender is rusted threw on the bottom common problem not a big deal i would definitely as why the rear quarters were replaced might be another one of those guys that got in way over there heads and thought the car was going to make them money in return good luck with it hope you can get some better pics before you drive up there

 

[threewood]

It is very hard to throw a price out without more pictures. The guy might not be far off or he could be way off but you need to get eyes on if interested and then you can negotiate depending on what you find wrong with it....and you will find problems.

Personally, I find the 69 Bees to be my favorite body styles. If it is rust free (rails, pans, trunk, extensions, dutchman, cowl, doors, trunk channels it may be worth close to his asking price but for that money it should run and drive.

 

[Billccm]

I agree running and driving for 15, but I can tell you I looked at many 14 cars that were worse than this one.

I also believe 68 and 69 super bees are on the top of my list.

 

[themechanic]

Are you looking for a driver, a car to restore, or one you can drive and restore as you go? It will be very easy to put $20 to $30 thousand into a complete restoration with today's prices. That's a lot of money. Make sure you look around for a good long time before you make a purchase.

 

[eldubb440]

almost no rust?..... looks like quarters have been replaced, I'd be shocked if they aren't half-assed...... I'd also be shocked if it doesn't need all the usual: trunk pan, quarters, drops, Dutchman, outer wheel houses......... I cannot believe what people are asking for these projects, at the height of the 2007 bubble this was a $3500 car......... you can have my GTX for 20K and would be waaaaayyyyy far ahead of that thing

 

[eldubb440]

you can have my GTX for 20K and would be waaaaayyyyy far ahead of that thing

did I just type that?

 

[69Coronetrt]

I’ve been talking with a guy that has a non numbers matching 69 Super bee. He lives 16 hours from me so I haven’t seen the car in-person yet. It needs full restoration. He claims it has almost no rust and is solid but is not a matching numbers car (383 and a 4 spd in it now) He wants 15k. I’m new to mopars what do you guys think?

View attachment 594451 View attachment 594452

I think if you are new to Mopar you need to:

Have an honest conversation with yourself as to the intended purpose of the car. Why a Mopar? If you want a full on resto mod or racer, why spend Super Bee money when a less expensive Coronet 440 will do? Do you want a full on 100 point trailer queen show car? A nice driver? Short trips to local shows? Long trips with or without the family? Only you can answer what you want to do with the car. Save time and money. Decide up front what you are going to do with the car when done.

Do a lot more research on what you want to buy before you spend the money on something you don’t know about.

Spend time looking at other cars and pricing. Learn what is a good price.

Learn what is available for aftermarket sheet metal, parts, etc.

See and inspect the car before you buy it. Know what you are looking at and what it’s going to cost before you buy it.

Be realistic as to what you can afford to get from point A to B, who is going to do the work and what it will cost to get there. It’s nothing to spend 15K on a car that needs another 25K to be done. Do you have the disposable cash to get there or are you already tied up with a mortgage, truck payment, raising kids, etc?

Does a spouse support the spending?

 

[PP1RT]

did I just type that?

Hey! I thought i was gonna inherit that one! Dammit

 

[PP1RT]

Find out as much as you can about the car. People say this and that about the price. To be honest a decent Super Bee project is a bitch to find even if you have connections all over the place.

Without giving out the location of your guy maybe a clue as to part of the country it's located so someone can do an inspection for you? Mid west ...east coast....canadia? I would be more than happy to look it over if it was in my area and you dont have to worry about it being bought out from under you. I already have the Super Bee i have always wanted.