68 Super Bee

[FC7VW9]

Hello all, I view a lot of post on many sites, (mostly Mopar, but I do have other cars) I do post stuff occasionally. This 68 Bee has come into my care. Here is the short version, while on a mini vacation for Mothers Day/ wedding anniversary my brother in law sent me pictures of cars his old ladies mom was selling ( her dads) so my brother in laws old ladies grandfathers cars ( he passed his estate was being liquidated). After some negotiations with my wife ( she got a new kitchen, I get the Super Bee.... the kitchen still has cost me more than the Bee and its almost done). I purchased this car here are the pictures when i picked it up in May 2019.

 

[BAFRAID]

Do you have a picture of the Vin plate?

 

[Ironbuilt]

Kitchen for a Super Bee...Fair trade!!!

 

[FC7VW9]

BAFRAID....here you go, Ironbuilt... its kinda of a win win if we sell the house I get back the kitchen money, if I sell the Bee (not happening) I get the money back.
WM21H8E146661 SPD 3/15/68 LA, and I have the Build sheet along with most of the original paper work, including the first temporary registration that is taped to the windshield. I know this cars history from date of purchase to today.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Great story.

 

[moparedtn]

Ah, my unicorn. A '68 Bee.... I've had two, sorry both are long gone regardless
of the circumstances at the time.
If I'm allowed to dream though, the first choice for a stablemate for Fred the GTX
would be another '68 Bee - preferably, my first one - warts and all.
Good luck with yours and keep us updated!

 

[FC7VW9]

So I have been busy with other stuff, I have a bit of time to continue the story. The original owner whos initials are J. J. J. Jr (we will call him J) purchased this car at Livermore Dodge for his mother-in-law to drive, Livermore is in the SF Bay area in 1968 A/C in a car in that area was not really seen often. He was a defense department contractor, eventually sent to the Mojave Desert, (we have several bases with in an hours drive, and more clear fly days than any other place on earth?) once here the mother-in-law needed A/C, so a 71 Imperial was purchased. This car became the boat towing, occasional weekend drag racer.

 

[FC7VW9]

The car eventually passed from J to his daughter (whom I purchased it from). The interior had become quite fried, the desert is unforgiving to plastic and vinyl. So he drove the car to Tijuana, there it received the tuck and roll treatment. Very common at that time to take a car down and for under $100 new upholstery would be installed over the existing. When I got it to my shop the seats and carpet were removed. Most of the original seat covers and the original carpet were still in place under the covers. After removing the seats I removed about 3 gallons of super fine dust. (more later). This dust was everywhere, body seams, frame rails, window regulators , HVAC components.

 

[FC7VW9]

At some point someone was smart enough to protect the trunk floor with a brush on paint/sealer. Check out the patterns on the headliner and front seat, rear seat had same pattern, the tuck and roll were on the dash pad and kick panels. The dust was every where.

 

[FC7VW9]

This Bee is rust free with the exception of a couple of pin holes on the lower rear window gutter, if you look close on the shots looking up from the trunk floor you can see them, pretty lucky here in the desert rust is not an issue. Original jack instructions.

 

[FC7VW9]

Check out the floor boards, some coins found, the label for the original carpet kit.

 

[FC7VW9]

Here are some other tags found during disassembly, one is the heater box OK tag, one is the seat set tag on the front seat, the broadcast sheet was also found here.

 

[The Rebel]

Great story!

 

[Don selleck]

very nice

 

[FC7VW9]

Thank you for all the comments. After the Bee got back from the border, it was given to the daughter for a daily driver in high school. She ended up putting the drivers fender into a pole. The car was taken to the dealership and this fender was installed replacing the damaged one.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Nice Bee....

 

[FC7VW9]

The Bee got an entire repaint in JJ1, The stripes were removed ("they were stupid"). The daughter drove it for a bit but decided she wanted a bug. The Bee became a weekend driver to tow the boat, until a freeze plug began to leak the car was retired to the back porch. It sat for many years, then one of the young men in the family wanted to do something with it, the grey spray bombing (there is a debate with in the family which one of the young men had the interest). J passed away and the cars were being sold off. My brother in-law text me picture and asked if I was interested, Mothers Day weekend, and our wedding anniversary. After some negotiations with Wifey we went and looked at the car. Apparently the daughters husband had contacted some of the TV "professionals" and was told they car was not interesting enough. Lucky for me, a deal was struck, and the refurb was about to begin. The windshield, interior, pop outs, all exterior trim were removed and car went to the painters. The idea was leave jambs, engine bay, truck compartment alone. Strip exterior to metal and build up to the finished JJ1.

 

[ckessel]

Nice ride you scored. I'm in the resort area of the PRC. Where are you at? By Edwards?

 

[FC7VW9]

After the 3 month sentence turned into a 9 month stay at paint shop jail, it went to my uncles shop where he applied the vinyl top and head liner (Legendary). The car came back to my shop where the refurb began. This car was kinda added in to the schedule as I was working on some other projects that had been purchased years ago. I began with documentation of existing parts. The car still had the original shocks, as well as the original suspension and drive line components. The lower ball joints were shot, so they were removed as well as the rubber parts. Mopar performance replacement dust boots were used, and MOOG ball joints and bushings were also used.

 

[FC7VW9]

The car was stripped of the rest of the suspension, running gear, plumbing, wiring. This car is meant for driving, not a trailer queen like a couple of my others. After removing everything I softly wire wheeled the entire under carriage, then rust mort, then distilled water, blown dried, scotch bright as needed, Metal prepped, the brushed on Eastwood semi gloss chassis paint, two coats about 10 days apart. This car has no undercoating, except in the rear wheel wells. There is none in the front wheel wells? Running gear out.