1969 Dodge Super Bee Coupe Restoration

[dadsbee]

CAN ANYONE HELP WITH THE LIGHT HOUSING FINISH??? Looks like galvanized in some respects on the show side, but not the back and there it definitely appears to be OE in black???

Also I cannot find a single picture of a licence plate light with that deflector plate on it. Is it correct on a '69 Bee?? or no plate?

 

[dadsbee]

Thanks to HemiGeno and Lennard on DC . Com for helping me out. Bright zinc housing and galvanized shield. Probably why my OE is all rusted. Still curious about the replacement I bought used, that black sure looks OE on the housing! Any ideas there guys?

 

[dadsbee]

Geno has also found for me from the parts book that only the Charger, Charger RT and Stationwagons get the shield and other B bodies don't. I was just on my way to the shop to make a new shield out of a sheet of galvanized I have, so saved me that work in the nick of time! Thanks again to Geno !

 

[dadsbee]

While my obtained replacement used OE licence plate light housing is black, it was determined through a couple helpful individuals this morning that it should be bright zinc and the shield galvanized. ALSO, notice how both the OE's I have have square corners and the "NOS" or Repops for sale are round!?

I determined I'm too far into this car $ wise to spend more money replating, or buying an NOS one for $350US or a cheap repop for $75US + shipping for something that isn't really seen. SO the lamp socket was covered and wire taped off for media blasting.

Broke out my mini blaster and my bucket of glass powder, dawned a respirator, eye protection and a full face shield and gave the parts a light blast.

All cleaned up and it was also determined this morning that the "shield" is a Charger and Stationwagon only item. Not used on other B bodies, such as my Coronet - SuperBee.

I coated the housing with RPM, reassembled with a new gasket, tested the light and then installed to my rear bumper.

Installed the nylon plate "nuts" to the plate holder.

DO NOT install the lower ones, like I did, before you get the hinge together as the pin head won't slide by them!

 

[dadsbee]

Little trick to hold the spring ends in place while you get the pin in.

Pin into place and just needs the push nut installed onto it's end and then the spring hooked behind the tab in the square hole. Note the attachment bolts are NOT OE and are a size bigger. Somewhere in time they got upsized and holes drilled accordingly (bracket and bumper) so no going back to correct.

Licence plate "stop" rubber. Two required.

Stop rubbers installed to bumper.

Licence mounting plate assembly installed.

View from behind. Looks clean and I'm satisfied. (I know.. that's what she said in the blue room)

 

[moparnation74]

Thanks to HemiGeno and Lennard on DC . Com for helping me out. Bright zinc housing and galvanized shield. Probably why my OE is all rusted. Still curious about the replacement I bought used, that black sure looks OE on the housing! Any ideas there guys?

View attachment 687707 View attachment 687708 View attachment 687709

Lennard is a douchebag....Maybe he can tell everyone what his user name is........Instead of lurking around here as the "pussy" he is....Come on Lennard be a man for once and show yourself......

That prick aside.....Gene is one of a few over there that knows originality and has the most original Daytona on the planet.....but doesn't know it all...we all dont but the more together we can know a lot.....So tell him to come over to this side of town...It is more happening over here....just look at the number of postings and threads created


That original plating is "illegal" to do because of the outlawed components.......One being cyanide.....

It has a very funky look.....The fuel tank straps, headlight buckets, license plate brackets, AT dust shield had this finish.....

It is no longer available but there is someone doing it but apparently you have to be in the "know" to get it done.....I just haven't been in the "know" group.....

Wanna see a NOS Plymouth license plate bracket.....You will probably never see one again....Furthermore, "your" individuals that helped you are wrong on the attachment bracket......Proof is in the picture attached.....

Later NOS ones were black....

 

[themechanic]

I hope you take lots of photos at the wedding after going through all of this for your girl.

 

[dadsbee]

Well Justin, he's done me no wrong and took the time to first offer his cell # that I couldn't use on my old flipper and then emailed me pictures of the NOS light. Obviously things haven't been so swell with you two.. lol Geno as well, helped me out with pictures of the NOS on his own car. Nobody here offered anything in 24 hours.

I made no discussion here on the licence plate holders OE finish, so not sure where that came from. I know some are galvanized and some are black. Mine has been black as far back as I can remember and so is the one on my Bird so what I went with. No evidence during media blast that mine was ever galvanized, but evidence could have been long gone from previous paintings.

 

[dadsbee]

I hope you take lots of photos at the wedding after going through all of this for your girl.

LOL, I'm going through all of this for ME ! Therapy for the loss of one Daughter but a great boost that Daughter # 2 wants to be driven to the alter in the car knowing full well why I'm restoring it.

 

[moparnation74]

Well Justin, he's done me no wrong and took the time to first offer his cell # that I couldn't use on my old flipper and then emailed me pictures of the NOS light. Obviously things haven't been so swell with you two.. lol Geno as well, helped me out with pictures of the NOS on his own car. Nobody here offered anything in 24 hours.

I made no discussion here on the licence plate holders OE finish, so not sure where that came from. I know some are galvanized and some are black. Mine has been black as far back as I can remember and so is the one on my Bird so what I went with. No evidence during media blast that mine was ever galvanized, but evidence could have been long gone from previous paintings.

Best of luck with that gent....Since your in contact tell him to send me a PM?

Gene knows his stuff well and has had some very good teachers to learn and to take information from. It is nice to describe parts that a professional restorer restored for your car. Like you, I am a hands on type of guy but to each is own, right........Would be nice if those guys came over here......

24hrs, lol.....Did you PM anyone? Did you create a new thread? Did you attach a members name to your post to alert them? These are additional tools you can use FYI if you want faster responses.....Never ever take weight that the number of eyes in the GD is the same in the build threads....Sad but true....On every forum out there....

For some reason I get updates sometimes on your thread and sometimes not.....I just randomly checked in here.....The updates are very helpful to respond to recent postings. It is kinda annoying when they don't work effectively.....It could be due to some software glitch or time away from a thread....I dont know...

Well, I am telling you since I deal in NOS and have seen more variety of these than than most will...These are not memories but realities.......The black is a later NOS piece a superseded correct part but the wrong finishes....The "funky" galvanized part is the "correct" day 1 original finish....

 

[dadsbee]

24hrs, lol.....

HEY... I'm on a schedule here!!

 

[moparnation74]

HEY... I'm on a schedule here!!

I like that!....that you are with that wedding......Looking forward to some pics of the Bee strutting its stuff!

 

[dadsbee]

Already made contact with my paint man and he's on board that as soon as I have my hood all back together he'll come over with one of his shop guys and put the cars nose back on with me. Also lined up for early January to seam seal and paint my friggin roof rails he missed and cut and polish the car.

 

[moparnation74]

Already made contact with my paint man and he's on board that as soon as I have my hood all back together he'll come over with one of his shop guys and put the cars nose back on with me. Also lined up for early January to seam seal and paint my friggin roof rails he missed and cut and polish the car.

Man once that hood gets on.....thats like the icing on the cake.......Nice!

 

[dadsbee]

Finally got my "postie held hostage" rivets today, so if I don't F it up I should have the Ramcharger boxes back together tomorrow and looking OE.

 

[moparnation74]

Finally got my "postie held hostage" rivets today, so if I don't F it up I should have the Ramcharger boxes back together tomorrow and looking OE.

You won't! Looking forward to pics!

 

[Super Rob]

x2

 

[oldbee]

Pics or it didn’t happen,lol !

 

[dadsbee]

Plowing F'n snow for the past 3 hours oldbee.... airbox assembly is next on the agenda, if I have the energy left!

 

[dadsbee]

My "held hostage by posties" rivets finally arrived yesterday... only 2.5 weeks late.

Based on careful extraction and measuring of the OE rivets this was what I determined the OE's were.

I've set over 1/2 a million rivets in the past 25 years, none have terrified me as much as the next 33 to be done. Practice run on some fiberglass scraps.

Go big or go home, here we go! So nervous I almost forgot to put the air flapper inside! That wouldn't have ended well...

ONE... .. Thirty Two to go !

One end, of one air box, done.

Hard part is staying creative to get every rivet sitting flat on the bucking bar.

Another end done!!! Yahooo....

Drivers side air box together.

Passenger side air box together.