Now Complete Restoration / Pulling my 1969 'Bee down for strip and paint

[birdsandbees]

Chrysler pentastar on the AMD glass... that BTW is the same just a hair over 1/4" thick as the OEM windshield.

My fancy suction cup holders. Lucked out yesterday.. wife let me drive her new car and we went to Princess Auto 50KM away. These were on sale for $9.99 CDN each !

Car taped and covered ready for windshield install. Now if my L5/S1 would just cooperate!  

[moparnation74]

 

What a wonderful thread!  Sorry, I have to keep referencing this....

I do hope your lower lumbar ad sacrum can hold up!

Have you put your rear glass trim clips in yet?  Any chance of pictures of the hole placements?  My X the sides on the sales the holes are at the bottom, was wondering what yours looked like..

[birdsandbees]

All my rechrome and polished stainless apparently just came back from the Plating House of Canada and I'm hoping to go pick it up along with my cleaned up rear glass on Thur or Friday.

I have my old rear trim clips and two new sets now that I've since bought and they all look different. Want to try the clips for hold on the trim first and then I'll put them in place once I'm sure one of the new sets fits correctly.

Can actually stand up today, hopefully this pinched nerve or what not lets me get at the front windshield install tomorrow or later tonight. Nothing new for me.. had a 3 story building fall on me back in '80.

As for the thread... I keep thinking I'm overdoing the posts, but it's just habit from 25 years of building airplanes and sending customers updates for what they're paying for... or when I'm putting together "how to" DVD's for others to follow step by step.

[66FBCharger]

All my rechrome and polished stainless apparently just came back from the Plating House of Canada and I'm hoping to go pick it up along with my cleaned up rear glass on Thur or Friday.

I have my old rear trim clips and two new sets now that I've since bought and they all look different. Want to try the clips for hold on the trim first and then I'll put them in place once I'm sure one of the new sets fits correctly.

Can actually stand up today, hopefully this pinched nerve or what not lets me get at the front windshield install tomorrow or later tonight. Nothing new for me.. had a 3 story building fall on me back in '80.

As for the thread... I keep thinking I'm overdoing the posts, but it's just habit from 25 years of building airplanes and sending customers updates for what they're paying for... or when I'm putting together "how to" DVD's for others to follow step by step.

This is an awesome thread!
You are posting lots of helpful info and photos. please don't post less. I wouldn't mind if you post more, if possible.
Thanks for posting this thread!!

[moparnation74]

All my rechrome and polished stainless apparently just came back from the Plating House of Canada and I'm hoping to go pick it up along with my cleaned up rear glass on Thur or Friday.

I have my old rear trim clips and two new sets now that I've since bought and they all look different. Want to try the clips for hold on the trim first and then I'll put them in place once I'm sure one of the new sets fits correctly.

Can actually stand up today, hopefully this pinched nerve or what not lets me get at the front windshield install tomorrow or later tonight. Nothing new for me.. had a 3 story building fall on me back in '80.

As for the thread... I keep thinking I'm overdoing the posts, but it's just habit from 25 years of building airplanes and sending customers updates for what they're paying for... or when I'm putting together "how to" DVD's for others to follow step by step.

This is an awesome thread!
You are posting lots of helpful info and photos. please don't post less. I wouldn't mind if you post more, if possible.
Thanks for posting this thread!!

x2

[moparnation74]

All my rechrome and polished stainless apparently just came back from the Plating House of Canada and I'm hoping to go pick it up along with my cleaned up rear glass on Thur or Friday.

I have my old rear trim clips and two new sets now that I've since bought and they all look different. Want to try the clips for hold on the trim first and then I'll put them in place once I'm sure one of the new sets fits correctly.

Can actually stand up today, hopefully this pinched nerve or what not lets me get at the front windshield install tomorrow or later tonight. Nothing new for me.. had a 3 story building fall on me back in '80.

As for the thread... I keep thinking I'm overdoing the posts, but it's just habit from 25 years of building airplanes and sending customers updates for what they're paying for... or when I'm putting together "how to" DVD's for others to follow step by step.

Glad to hear you are doing better.  Back pain is a bear to deal with I know....

Post More!!!

[birdsandbees]

Thanks guys.. I know it's not a Charger, but for the most part a B body is a B body.  and with a wing car as well this seems like the best place to hang out and share this rebuild.

[CDN72SE]

Wayne, how did you come across The Plating House of Canada?

[birdsandbees]

Where George (Body by Biggs) sends everything. My rear bumper was to go and before I knew it everything had been shipped, so with it already there I signed off on it. George says he's the best in the country and where they send all their Lambo and Ferrari stuff ( I bet David uses the same place). You have to reserve a "time slot" (even though mine is a month +late) and it ain't cheap!  

[timmycharger]

wow, thanks for posting 

After seeing the quality of aftermarket bumpers and trim that are available, I see why folks go this route.

[birdsandbees]

Just wish while stuff was getting sent out they had of remembered my mirror.. but think I can buff it up good enough so it doesn't stand out beside the brand new show chrome on the vent window! 

My front bumper was damaged when the old man ditched the car in '69 and I always considered it "patina"... but I bought a new AMD replacement for the car considering how far I've taken it. It's about 1/2 the thickness of the original. 

[CDN72SE]

Thanks for the info, yes and wow! I think my trim is good enough, lol. I did have my front and rear bumpers re-chromed back in the late 80's so I think that's as far as I will go.

[Lennard]

$1400 to re-chrome 1 bumper?  Holy sh!t!!

[birdsandbees]

Yah... but those are Canadian pesos Lennard!   $1045 US right now.

I paid $550 for an AMD repro front bumper... and considering it's 1/2 the thickness, you can't tighten the bumper bolts fully without pocketing it, needs to be fully waxed before installation or it will surely rust.... I think $1400 to repair and rechrome the heavy OEM rear isn't too bad a deal. Definitely more than I figured, but this guy has a captive audience and works on time slot reservations for the high end restoration shops. If it's not prefect... it goes back!  

Platers are few and far between in Canada now.. the MOE have shut 90% of them down.

[alfaitalia]

Blimey....was that chrome plate .....or gold!? It's a lot cheaper than that in the UK......at least something is!

[Lennard]

Yah... but those are Canadian pesos Lennard!   $1045 US right now.

I paid $550 for an AMD repro front bumper... and considering it's 1/2 the thickness, you can't tighten the bumper bolts fully without pocketing it, needs to be fully waxed before installation or it will surely rust.... I think $1400 to repair and rechrome the heavy OEM rear isn't too bad a deal. Definitely more than I figured, but this guy has a captive audience and works on time slot reservations for the high end restoration shops. If it's not prefect... it goes back!  

Platers are few and far between in Canada now.. the MOE have shut 90% of them down.

Yeah,  it's also a supply and demand thing. I paid $350 U.S. dollars per bumper for straightening, welding a few cracks and re-chroming 2 months ago and they look better than new.

[birdsandbees]

Blimey....was that chrome plate .....or gold!? It's a lot cheaper than that in the UK......at least something is!

A 6' long x 10" wide bumper, go get a recent quote! Straighten, tweak, repair typical end flange cracks, strip and chrome.

Like I said, the Ministry of the Environment has shut down most every plater in Canada. The remaining ones are either jumping through government hoops or moving every few months. The one we had here in town, that use to do TRW's seatbelt work, is now nothing but a paved industrial lot with remediation vents and a security fence... building torn down.

BTW.. $1400 for the bumper didn't get to me.. $250 for EACH rear window latch did!! 

[CDN72SE]

I had no idea, your car will look stunning that's for sure.

[birdsandbees]

Thanks I just wish I could get it to the point it needs to be at quicker to install all the shiny stuff and admire it!!

Long way to go, even before it's ready to put the fenders and hood back on. Need to get the engine / K frame assembly in, rear end assembly installed, brakes all together, exhaust installed, fuel tank, etc and running... then I can take it for an alignment and once that's done the fenders, grill support and hood can go back on. Then it needs to have it's final cut and polish, put the stainless and bumble bee stripe on along with lots of other stuff.

[TommyGun]

I would not align it until all parts are installed so the suspension is loaded or your alignment will be off once assembled. Great job by the way I check this thread every day.

[birdsandbees]

 I figure the alignment should be fine with about 200 lbs of weight set across the rad support / inner wheel wells. Have easy access to 4 bags of plastic pellets to do so.. and a lot easier to do and not scratch anything with the fenders off.

That said, the resto shop owner has done numerous both ways and told me the difference weighted and unweighted isn't even worth resetting.

When the time comes I'm going to weigh the hood / fenders / bumper and load the nose accordingly.

[birdsandbees]

DISCLAIMER !!!! This is my first windshield installation of my life, so your mileage may vary!!  

Tools for windshield installation. Paint brush set on sale at CTC for 7 bucks, a couple of plastic putty knives and a grout cleaning tool.

Flipped the lower portion of the rubber seal back.

Light bead of 3M08509 Butyl across the bottom and part way up the sides, being sure to keep it behind the tabs and drain holes.

Seal back in place, making sure it's sitting correctly on the three tabs and drain holes.

[birdsandbees]

Pulled back 1/2 the top and then the side and put a small bead of butyl there as well. NOTE: the factory only sealed the bottom and a few inches up the sides! Maybe they expected the rest to just leak and drain?? Like I said, my first windshield.

Passenger post being sealed.

Passenger side roof pinch being sealed.

Windshield across the inner fenders, ready to lift into place. No two man show here!

DO NOT just shove the seal back onto the pinch weld, roll it on from behind. This allows the front lip to sit high and then flip down ONTO the Butyl and not just shoving it out of the way and making a mess.

[birdsandbees]

Rubber lubed with Glass cleaner.. don't try this on your rubbers at home!   LOL

Windshield into place, sitting in lower edge of rubber seal.

Now the fun begins. Lube with window cleaner and use plastic paint brush handles to work seal over glass edge.

Push seal back on inside and up and over on the outside.

[birdsandbees]

Grout cleaner works good (sand the sharp corners off first so you don't cut the rubber) to lift the rubber up and around.

Upper seal being pushed out onto the edge of the glass. This is step one, all the way across.

Rubber pushed up and against top edge of glass.

Gang of brushes to keep the rubber from slipping back.