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

[tan top]

  looks good 

[Dino]

Friggin' stunning that is!   

[birdsandbees]

Thanks guys!!! 

Fingers are about f'd.. but I got all wheels done in 800 and then 1000 today. Cleaned and cleared in tarnish preventer.

Unwrapped my tires enough to see FedEx bounced and messed up 2 of 5 stickers. Saved two good ones as spares and left the best one on the tire for my spare wheel in the trunk.

Also found another use for my engine stand.. 

[6bblgt]

original spare tires didn't have a label on them

[birdsandbees]

You sure know how to bust a guys bubble..  Can't believe someone took the time to peel stickers.. but then again I guess they probably never had them in the first place being bought in bulk!

[CDN72SE]

I actually forgot that our water / dishwasher turns the old aluminum pots bronzish... so I washed the other three before I started sanding and polishing. Dishwasher did a good job cleaning 39 years of dirt out of the webs though!!

What's happening with your car CDN??

Waiting to get in the paint booth, one car ahead of me.  

Wow Canadian Tire wheels, lol. Look good.

Loving the Blue. 

[birdsandbees]

Was requested to get to the resto shop pronto this morning... not what I had planned on a freezing rain day but what can you do? Heck, they had it all gift wrapped for me when I got there!   George wanted my approval on the undercarriage before they started spraying.. good thing I guess. I wanted a few plug welds smoothed out to look more like spot welds and with that underway I gave them the 'Blue" light to proceed. Should all be in paint by now.

Hood covered in dust... you wouldn't know it!  

Got my carb cleaned up, spacer hogged out previously and all set in place to make sure the spacer is enough for the carb mechanisms and that everything moves smoothly. Had to set my cleaner in place for the "look".  

[hemi-hampton]

   No Rotisserie to paint Undercarriage. I hope he has a Pressure Pot. LEON.

[birdsandbees]

He refuses to put unibodies on a rotisserie "from seeing too many horror stories". Same deal as doing ALL my metal work with the car bolted / welded to a solid jig frame bigger than the car and not sitting on some axle stands.

If he wants to roll around on the floor at 63 years of age.. more power to him 

And of course yes to the pressure pot.

[Charger-Bodie]

I agree with him about Metal work on the rotisserie but painting them doesn't hurt anything

[hemi-hampton]

He refuses to put unibodies on a rotisserie "from seeing too many horror stories". Same deal as doing ALL my metal work with the car bolted / welded to a solid jig frame bigger than the car and not sitting on some axle stands.

If he wants to roll around on the floor at 63 years of age.. more power to him 

And of course yes to the pressure pot.

I agree 100%. thats why I weld in lots of reinforcement metal brackets & or use frame rail/sub frame connectors. I've painted undercarriage's on jack stands just like that. Not fun. Did this 70 T/A Challenger like that 20 years ago. LEON.

[birdsandbees]

Last purchase from Jegs.. $40 for 20 chrome "big block rocker cover" bolts... at minimum a 1/4" too long (that I had to cut wheel off and thread chase) even using a lock washer, flat washer and load spreader plate. Their listing picture showed washers came with them.... they did not and then no reply or care from Jegs to my inquiry as to why. Luckily found some stainless in town to keep the look and get the rockers installed.

PCV and breather (after clean and paint) installed, as well as the plug wires. All that is left is a fuel line from carb to pump, the fuel filter in between and to paint and clear the filter lid.

Was to get my car shell back today, but blizzard conditions here. Maybe tomorrow or early into next week..

[birdsandbees]

UPDATE... Jegs is refunding my money on the rocker bolts!    So I guess we're friends again!   

Not much done this weekend, thanks to continuous snow fall and countless hours in the plow truck, but I got my fuel lines all on. Inlet hose for frame rail line to pump, pump to filter and filter to carb lines.

Didn't want the filter sitting boiling on the manifold again, like the past few decades, so I grabbed some random aircraft tube clamps from my parts shelves and made a holder and stole the rubber cushion from another to make it a clean install. Filter is now up in the air, not touching anything or in the way of anything.

K frame, engine and trans now ready to stuff back into the body shell. Hopefull I see it Monday or Tuesday so I can start installing the other stuff that needs to go in first.

[Lennard]

Looks very clean... as does all the work you do.

[birdsandbees]

THANKS Lennard... it's sure come a long way from a "scuff and paint" !!   

[Lennard]

Do it once,  do it right. 

[birdsandbees]

Picked up my wheels / tires today. Open to honest opinions on what you guys think of the look??!!

These wheels owe me nothing... bought 39 years ago I've certainly got my money out of them and it cost me a whole 60 bucks cash to de-tire the old michelins, mount the Goodyear Raceways with new stems x 5 and have them all balanced. Great using the same tire shop for 32 years!

Pending another blizzard up here, I get my car shell back tomorrow afternoon!  

[moparnation74]

Love the steelie!  The other 4 look like a truck rim to me......

What do the center caps look like or does it have those?

[birdsandbees]

Yah.. I should go snap a cap into one and lug nuts for the true look!

[timmycharger]

I love the retro look!     As a personal preference to compliment the vintage wheels, I would like to see period correct raised white letter tires but I don't even know if they even exist.

They sure did clean up nice though. 

[birdsandbees]

You can buy any "period" tire you desire these days, some from Goodyear and another that refaces BF Goodrich radials. Mine are right from Goodyear.. Bias Ply SPEEDWAY Red Streaks that are what originally came on the car.

I had someone else tell me to get the "2nd day" wheel look correct he would have gone with raised white letter Wide Ovals.

Not buying new tires, but if it doesn't look right on the car I'll have to find some Road Wheels I guess. Don't want the steelie dog dish look... but I do have 3 correct '69 Dodge Coronet / Charger hub caps though and would need a 4th, but not to sure on that look either.

Gonna go put a cap in and lug nut up a wheel for pics.

[moparnation74]

You can buy any "period" tire you desire these days, some from Goodyear and another that refaces BF Goodrich radials. Mine are right from Goodyear.. Bias Ply Raceway Red Streaks that are what originally came on the car.

I had someone else tell me to get the "2nd day" wheel look correct he would have gone with raised white letter Wide Ovals.

Not buying new tires, but if it doesn't look right on the car I'll have to find some Road Wheels I guess. Don't want the steelie dog dish look... but I do have 3 correct '69 Dodge Coronet / Charger hub caps though and would need a 4th, but not to sure on that look either.

Gonna go put a cap in and lug nut up a wheel for pics.

Now the wide ovals would be a nice addition......

The cap might make or break it for me but that is just my opinion btw.....no offense meant....

I am picturing these in my mind on the Bee and not just based on the rim only

[6bblgt]

SPEEDWAY

while they wouldn't be my first choice - their history with you & the car would keep them in place 

[Dino]

I like them.   

When the car is done and you don't like them it's an easy fix, but I think they'll look great on your car.

[birdsandbees]

SPEEDWAY

while they wouldn't be my first choice - their history with you & the car would keep them in place 

YAH.. LOL.. that's what it says on the tires!