Plumcrazybee
Well-Known Member
Hey guys, as you know I am pretty new here. Well, lurked for awhile, but you all seemed pretty cool so I joined. I bought this car for $300. Yes, only two zeros there. Original Super Bee (yes, real) Plum Crazy, 383, pistol grip 4 speed, Ramcharger hood, 3 speed wipers, bench seat, black interior, black vinyl top, white "C" stripe, hood pins, am radio.
It is a numbers matching car as far as engine/trans/vin/data plate/core support/trunk seal lip. Only non-original parts I have found is a switch under dash(more later), and a DANA 60 w/3.54 sure grip. It is also an original Colorado car (where I live). It is actually a western slope car, which if you are not familiar, is yes, the western slope of the Rockies. High desert, minimal snow, no rust. Well, not much.
Trunk seal was gone of course, so trunk floor and bottom of rear quarters were rusted thru where the water stood. But that was it. One window was down halfway, it was up to frame in a field/pasture on a guys small farm, and cats had started a condominium in it.
I pulled it out of field, aired up tires, sprayed WD-40 in cylinders, pored some gas in carb..this is where my friends were all laughing at me, no way would it start, right? 2 tries…it was running. I was so freaked out I shut it off and went and bought spark plugs, oil, air filter, oil filter, fuel filter…blah blah…Drained gas tank, and what came out has probably ruined that farmers field forever. But fresh gas, fresh oil, started right up and sat there idling by itself. 97,000 original miles. Last license plate was 1993 (This was about 2000)
Took it for a drive down the country road out front, it drove fine. Brakes worked, 4 speed shifted well, but drivers seat back was broken. So every time I jumped on the throttle I did a back flip into the back seat. So we rigged seat with duct tape and safety wire(which, as you know, will fix anything), and I drove it 15 miles home. And I smelled like cat piss for about 3 days. But it was home.
It started out as many do, just pull interior, replace it, tinker with the car…right? Next thing I knew engine, trans, interior, everything was out and scattered in garage. I worked on it like a maniac for a few years. Then got it painted, and got screwed (as with another former Plum Crazy Bee owner on here did). Paid a good chunk for that work. Didn't want to put it together like it was, couldn't see spending $10,000 to fix body and paint either. So I shoved it in a corner and ignored it for about a decade.
But life has a way of bringing things you once loved back around. I grew up street racing Mopars, I took my girlfriend on our first date in a tunnel rammed 340, 4 speed duster 32 years ago. That girlfriend is now my wife, and has been for 30 years. She loved my cars. She had never been around the hobby, but she fell right into it. I'm the guy that got a new tach for Christmas, things like that.
She has been bugging me for the last few years to get the Bee going. I tried, but looked at the paint and got frustrated. So I left it in the corner. Then not too long ago we find out she has colon cancer. What a kick in the teeth. Prognosis is pretty good, and I pray every day that she comes out ok. We are staying positive, and counting on the Lord to help us through. But the friends and family that have circled the wagons around us has been amazing. I have tears in my eyes typing this it has been so overwhelming.
So now to the moral of the story. Sorry it was so long. I gave the Super Bee to her for our 30th anniversary, with the promise I would finish it. And I have been busting my *** on it. And I am getting a little old to be busting too much ***. So I thought I would share a couple pics of where it stands as of today.
My hopes and prayers are out there for all of my Mopar family, that they do not have to deal with detours in life like cancer. But it is sure getting pretty common, isn't it?
It is a numbers matching car as far as engine/trans/vin/data plate/core support/trunk seal lip. Only non-original parts I have found is a switch under dash(more later), and a DANA 60 w/3.54 sure grip. It is also an original Colorado car (where I live). It is actually a western slope car, which if you are not familiar, is yes, the western slope of the Rockies. High desert, minimal snow, no rust. Well, not much.
Trunk seal was gone of course, so trunk floor and bottom of rear quarters were rusted thru where the water stood. But that was it. One window was down halfway, it was up to frame in a field/pasture on a guys small farm, and cats had started a condominium in it.
I pulled it out of field, aired up tires, sprayed WD-40 in cylinders, pored some gas in carb..this is where my friends were all laughing at me, no way would it start, right? 2 tries…it was running. I was so freaked out I shut it off and went and bought spark plugs, oil, air filter, oil filter, fuel filter…blah blah…Drained gas tank, and what came out has probably ruined that farmers field forever. But fresh gas, fresh oil, started right up and sat there idling by itself. 97,000 original miles. Last license plate was 1993 (This was about 2000)
Took it for a drive down the country road out front, it drove fine. Brakes worked, 4 speed shifted well, but drivers seat back was broken. So every time I jumped on the throttle I did a back flip into the back seat. So we rigged seat with duct tape and safety wire(which, as you know, will fix anything), and I drove it 15 miles home. And I smelled like cat piss for about 3 days. But it was home.
It started out as many do, just pull interior, replace it, tinker with the car…right? Next thing I knew engine, trans, interior, everything was out and scattered in garage. I worked on it like a maniac for a few years. Then got it painted, and got screwed (as with another former Plum Crazy Bee owner on here did). Paid a good chunk for that work. Didn't want to put it together like it was, couldn't see spending $10,000 to fix body and paint either. So I shoved it in a corner and ignored it for about a decade.
But life has a way of bringing things you once loved back around. I grew up street racing Mopars, I took my girlfriend on our first date in a tunnel rammed 340, 4 speed duster 32 years ago. That girlfriend is now my wife, and has been for 30 years. She loved my cars. She had never been around the hobby, but she fell right into it. I'm the guy that got a new tach for Christmas, things like that.
She has been bugging me for the last few years to get the Bee going. I tried, but looked at the paint and got frustrated. So I left it in the corner. Then not too long ago we find out she has colon cancer. What a kick in the teeth. Prognosis is pretty good, and I pray every day that she comes out ok. We are staying positive, and counting on the Lord to help us through. But the friends and family that have circled the wagons around us has been amazing. I have tears in my eyes typing this it has been so overwhelming.
So now to the moral of the story. Sorry it was so long. I gave the Super Bee to her for our 30th anniversary, with the promise I would finish it. And I have been busting my *** on it. And I am getting a little old to be busting too much ***. So I thought I would share a couple pics of where it stands as of today.
My hopes and prayers are out there for all of my Mopar family, that they do not have to deal with detours in life like cancer. But it is sure getting pretty common, isn't it?
