1969 Super Bee...worth restoring? Or make it a driver?

[eldubb440]

you'll regret putting it back together as is......cause you'll be pulling it all back apart when you realize it was a mistake

 

[RemCharger]

How far away is 25 yrs from now... oh ya 2050

 

[DeltaV]

I've had mine apart for 40 years.


Life's little twists and turns.

 

[Krooser]

Block out the paint and buff it out.

Drive it and enjoy it. The heck with anybody thst criticizes the car.

I hoping to get my $800 Coronet on the road in the spring. I'll be smiling too much to even notice the turned up noses.

 

[Dennis H]

Why always orange? Mine was a lousy orange over factory Y2. When returned to factory, there was orange on everything.

 

[Runcharger]

If you hit it, you can pull one of these cars completely apart in a day (a lot longer to put them back together), drive it and collect the parts to restore it. Just finding the parts will take a while and you'll bond with the car if you drive it a bit. I've done so many cars that I built from nothing and you start to hate them and wonder WTF you are doing it after awhile. I see cars pulled apart for decades, all with well meaning owners but do they love the car or love the dream? When I do a car it must be driving within a year of buying it, otherwise you might as well turf it. I realize others enjoy the party differently but that's how it is for me.

 

[eldubb440]

I've had mine apart for 40 years.


Life's little twists and turns.

36 and counting

 

[4mulas]

If you hit it, you can pull one of these cars completely apart in a day (a lot longer to put them back together), drive it and collect the parts to restore it. Just finding the parts will take a while and you'll bond with the car if you drive it a bit. I've done so many cars that I built from nothing and you start to hate them and wonder WTF you are doing it after awhile. I see cars pulled apart for decades, all with well meaning owners but do they love the car or love the dream? When I do a car it must be driving within a year of buying it, otherwise you might as well turf it. I realize others enjoy the party differently but that's how it is for me.

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I couldn’t agree more. Well put Runcharger.

The reason I have the GTX I just got (pictured earlier in the thread) is because someone blew it apart 20 years ago after owning it for a total of 40+ years! Read, lost interest and/or hope. It was just a shell and a bunch of parts and bolts. less than one week of work and I have it just about to be ready to sit on all fours again, then the dash goes in. I have a drivetrain ready to assemble and should have this thing inspected by April and on the road laying rubber! I do think it really only takes a day or two max to blow it apart keeping some level of organization.
Don’t hesitate to keep it running, make it running, and then decide down the road…. Like mentioned, parts and bit and bobs are easier and cheaper to find when you’re not in a panic for them…

 

[Joe Del Monte]

First of all, you have to love it. I think it is an awesome car. To find a Mopar that has the original body panels is really hard, if this one is that is a huge plus. You need at least 40k to make this a really nice car, can you afford that? The car will keep going up over time. Or get it running the way it is and drive it or sell it. Either way it looks like fun to me. I have been restoring my car for 41 years while driving it every summer.

 

[Cojohnso1]

With that undercarriage you would be half way there just getting it road acceptable? So might as well do it all?

 

[Xgoldfish]

Tough decision. Besides the great options N96, M46, D21, the other great part of the Bee is the color combo Y3 and T7. The color combo is key IMO. Unfortunate that someone changed it. I’d bite the bullet and change it now and fix the bottom. I would not put it all back together (though it looks close) and plan to do it years later…probably not going to happen and will be doing work twice if you do. The black interior could be sold relatively easily. Good luck and great car. Your decision, your car.

 

[Some Car Guy]

Shame they did it the wrong way by doing the topside first. Looks plenty nice enough to drive. I’d find a way to seal that bottom up with something to preserve it and let it go at that. You will be wishing you’d just bought a finished car once you tear this apart and see all the time and money it will take. Enjoy it asap.

 

[dspur]

I would drive it a couple of months to enjoy but mainly to see where any deficiencies / gremlins are. The numbers matching makes it worth a restoration in my book and if the engine has had a quality rebuild you are way ahead.

I have a 69 Bee, numbers matching, 4 speed with factory air that I am restoring. I will have more in it than it will be worth but this is my therapy (commercial real estate developer and GC during the day).

I am sure you start out with a better car than me, I have had quarters and a lot of other metal replaced, but the engine and trans had been rebuilt prior. I get a bit ****, but every time I have one item restored it leads to another, but I am guessing I had more corrosion than you have. I even had the wiper pivots seized, the pedals had to be rebuilt, and by the time I get done, very little of the car will remain that isn't basically new, restored or rebuilt.

I would not change much other than the order in which I have done things. It will be like new when done, original color, and a bit rare in that is is a factory four speed and factory air.

 

[sixsixvette]

Thanks all for the comments and support. With my 69 GTX close to completion, I'm going to tear the Super Bee down and just do it right. I'm retired and working on old muscle cars is my hobby. Been a chevy guy for years, but always wanted to jump into Mopar B Body cars. I learned a bunch on the GTX, so the Super Bee will definitely be a little easier to understand and work on.

 

[hunt2elk]

Thanks all for the comments and support. With my 68 GTX close to completion, Im going to tear it's one down and just do it right. Im retired and working on old muscle cars is my hobby. Been a chevy guy for years, but always wanted to jump into Mopar B Body cars. Iv learned a bunch on the GTX, so the Super Bee will definitely be a little easier to understand and work on.

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Good call, I believe you will be happy with that decision.

 

[Some Car Guy]

68 X and 69 Bee. Nice.

 

[sixsixvette]

68 X and 69 Bee. Nice.

Typo...69 GTX and 69 Super Bee

 

[Some Car Guy]

Well that’s not bad either. I have wished my 69 X was a 68 since I bought it. Just like those better.