1969 Dodge Super Bee Coupe Restoration

[dadsbee]

Vehicle bay swap so I can put the Bee on the hoist to do front fender shields and front bumper installation. Looks like I have more work in line.. Bird shut off everytime I let go of the key, until about the 10th start. Sounds like I have a ignition switch going.

Bee fired right up with choke on and one tap of the pedal, just like it always has for 40 years.

But we don't want to go out in the snow...

Nice snowscape..

..and another.

Carb rebuild kit and some smaller jets to try are on order for my 750 Holley. Idles way to rich and the idle mixture screws are almost all the way in.

Back on the hoist, so I don' have to slide around on the floor like a Harbour Seal.

Did a bit of dusting..

Why you never let your kids out of your sight. Paint shop jack standed the car to polish it and peeled some of my cosmoline off the LCA's. A bitch to try and duplicate my original dipping...

 

[dadsbee]

Headlight water shields and rubbers.

Metal shield in place. I had to drill the fender hole. It was either welded up somewhere in time, or the car never had shields on it to begin with. If it was welded, they did a good job hiding it.

So happy that I left the bumper off to do the shield install ! OE Pentastar looks so much better than the reproduction.

Rubber seals all in place with the stainless "snaps".

You might wonder what the "electrical marr connector" is for in the install kit.

The shield attach screw goes into the area between the grill support and the radiator support.

 

[dadsbee]

Fender splash shields ready for rubber seals and installation.

Frame rail and splash shield seal kits and hardware.

Splash shield vertical seals. There is a left and right, so before you start snapping them on verify hole location.

Where I purchased the fender splash shield seals, with GREAT service. I got the headlight shield seals from Classics in California, but wish I'd bought them elsewhere that didn't use UPS as their only shipping option.

My OE's to compare and get seals in correct directions.

Vertical rubber seal in place with it's attached push "pins". Shorter edge goes onto the shield, longer to fill the gap to fender.

Top rubber seals use plastic push pins. Surprising for the time period and considering all the other spots have metal retainer pins. When I first saw them I thought another repro "good enough". But they're exactly as per my OE.

Fender splash shield ready to install to the car.

Close up of the top rubber seal installation using the plastic push pins.

 

[oldbee]

Be still my beating heart! Jeez, luv it.

 

[dadsbee]

Fender rim taped off and scuffed the clear coat on the tab that attaches to the splash shield.

Painted Black with some semi-gloss. Factory wouldn't have been this neat...

Ready for splash shield and it's black phosphate body bolt.

20 years from now, when the next round of restorers come on board they'll think they have all OE parts with these licensed reproduction bumper brackets. All part numbers and Chrysler logos stamped in by AMD, identical to my OE brackets. Not a good thing AFAIConcerned.

Inner brackets in place first.

And then the outers. Also installed the joiner bolt loose in each as there's not as much "play" in the mating holes as in the bracket slots.

All four brackets loosely in place.

AMD reproduction bumper ready to go, I previously painted the back, to prevent rust through, with Tremclad aluminum.

How to work alone. Two bolts taped in place so I could hold the bumper and get a nut on each bolt.

Safely in place with two bolts.

 

[dadsbee]

Flat washer, lock washer and nut. Item count is correct, but not OE correct for colour or quality. Don't crawl in there and look...

What worked for me... I snugged each of the inner brackets down to the frame rail... with them slid out full so I wasn't worried about the bumper hitting the nose of the car.

I centered the bumper to get even "overlap" on each side of the car. My buddy lined it up perfectly!

Pretty darn close. I then snugged up the bumper to bracket bolts on the inner brackets ONLY to keep the bumper on center.

I then played a bit with gap distances using my fingers as a gauge (there's a joke in there somewhere). Once fairly happy I snugged up the bumper to bracket bolts on the outer brackets. Only then did I snug up the rear bracket bolt that pulls both brackets to the frame. If I had of tightened the bracket to frame first, I could have bent the bumper as the bumper bolts pulled it back to the bracket.

Checking for even bumper distance out from headlight buckets. I'm not measuring, I'm seeing where the ruler hits vs the bumper detail. A bit of playing on the left and right bracket assemblies "in and out" and I called it GOOD and tightened everything down!

Doesn't get much better than that, not on this car anyhow!

Reproduction signal lights that I painted the housings flat black previously.

Bit of dielectric grease on the connectors.

Had to tweak the mounting ears just a tad so the signal lights would sit correctly. Very slightly I must add, amazed at this AMD bumper so far.

 

[dadsbee]

Bumper on, signal lights in.

Clip nut on outer bumper bracket to attach the fender brace.

Fender brace in place.

Rock shield hardware and I found that there's four extra bolts there. Perfect, as I need two for my hood latch!

Rock guard. Another AMD reproduction that we stripped and painted with Black epoxy semi-gloss in the paint shop booth.

Four clip nuts go on the rock guard, where it attaches to the bottom of the bumper.

One clip nut goes on each of the inner bumper brackets, for a total of six.

Rock guard in place.

Down to rear fender well splash shields and LCA strut shields to install.

The only thing I'm not happy about on the AMD bumper. They punched the licence plate screw holder holes the same size as bumper bolts. Too big for the nylon screw retainers, they just fall out. Guess I'll have to do some shopping to see if someone sells a larger size.

 

[Deanfitz27]

Bumper on, signal lights in.

Clip nut on outer bumper bracket to attach the fender brace.

Fender brace in place.

Rock shield hardware and I found that there's four extra bolts there. Perfect, as I need two for my hood latch!

Rock guard. Another AMD reproduction that we stripped and painted with Black epoxy semi-gloss in the paint shop booth.

Four clip nuts go on the rock guard, where it attaches to the bottom of the bumper.

One clip nut goes on each of the inner bumper brackets, for a total of six.

Rock guard in place.

Down to rear fender well splash shields and LCA strut shields to install.

The only thing I'm not happy about on the AMD bumper. They punched the licence plate screw holder holes the same size as bumper bolts. Too big for the nylon screw retainers, they just fall out. Guess I'll have to do some shopping to see if someone sells a larger size.

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Looking great

 

[coronet500]

Can't wait to see it done! Reminds me of my high school business teacher, "Miss McGuire". I was in love. , Miss McGuire wasn't bad either!

 

[dadsbee]

Drivers side splash shield up into place.

Top bolt in first, then work your way down.

Glad I fitted the shields before the fender was on, as I still needed a helper to coax it up to get the lower bolt in.

Now we're where we need to be.

And a bit of cushy hammer work to get the fender "boss" over into place.

One down and 20 minutes gone.

Passengers side went similar but no way I was getting the lower bolt slot in place without pushing the fender out and no way I was doing that.

Marked the distance..

..and marked the shield accordingly.

Unibits rock!

 

[dadsbee]

My friend helping again.

Passenger side in place.

I previously cleaned up my OE K frame / strut shields by soaking them in 100LL Aviation fuel. It took years of goo, undercoating and the likes off of them and then I used a heat gun to reform them straight.

Interesting thing on my car, the passenger side was riveted on and the drivers side was bolted on with factory self taps. They are usually one or the other, but not BOTH! Head markings are correct for factory install. I found that my E track bolts, from my enclosed trailer, were as close to correct as you could get without waiting for reproductions. Head marking, from a distance, even looks right.

Passenger side installed.

Drivers side installed.

Looks like Steve at ECS missed a spot, but I can fix that...

Quick hit with the MIG and we should be good.

 

[moparnation74]

My friend helping again.

Passenger side in place.

I previously cleaned up my OE K frame / strut shields by soaking them in 100LL Aviation fuel. It took years of goo, undercoating and the likes off of them and then I used a heat gun to reform them straight.

Interesting thing on my car, the passenger side was riveted on and the drivers side was bolted on with factory self taps. They are usually one or the other, but not BOTH! Head markings are correct for factory install. I found that my E track bolts, from my enclosed trailer, were as close to correct as you could get without waiting for reproductions. Head marking, from a distance, even looks right.

Passenger side installed.

Drivers side installed.

Looks like Steve at ECS missed a spot, but I can fix that...

Quick hit with the MIG and we should be good.

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I have seen you bolt/rivet situation......Very cool yours had that and nice to report to show the things done on the line during shifts and hardware available....

 

[moparnation74]

Fender splash shields ready for rubber seals and installation.

Frame rail and splash shield seal kits and hardware.

Splash shield vertical seals. There is a left and right, so before you start snapping them on verify hole location.

Where I purchased the fender splash shield seals, with GREAT service. I got the headlight shield seals from Classics in California, but wish I'd bought them elsewhere that didn't use UPS as their only shipping option.

My OE's to compare and get seals in correct directions.

Vertical rubber seal in place with it's attached push "pins". Shorter edge goes onto the shield, longer to fill the gap to fender.

Top rubber seals use plastic push pins. Surprising for the time period and considering all the other spots have metal retainer pins. When I first saw them I thought another repro "good enough". But they're exactly as per my OE.

Fender splash shield ready to install to the car.

Close up of the top rubber seal installation using the plastic push pins.

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Intresting your bee had the plastic push pins. My 69 charger had the same but my X had the metal clips. Through all the years I have seen both used in various plants and never understood why 2 styles?.....I think the separation may have been early 69 builds and pre 69 cars......but the X is the only early 69 I have had......

I agree with you because when I first used the plastic pins. I thought they were a cheap, incorrect piece but they are not...

 

[moparnation74]

Bumper on, signal lights in.

Clip nut on outer bumper bracket to attach the fender brace.

Fender brace in place.

Rock shield hardware and I found that there's four extra bolts there. Perfect, as I need two for my hood latch!

Rock guard. Another AMD reproduction that we stripped and painted with Black epoxy semi-gloss in the paint shop booth.

Four clip nuts go on the rock guard, where it attaches to the bottom of the bumper.

One clip nut goes on each of the inner bumper brackets, for a total of six.

Rock guard in place.

Down to rear fender well splash shields and LCA strut shields to install.

The only thing I'm not happy about on the AMD bumper. They punched the licence plate screw holder holes the same size as bumper bolts. Too big for the nylon screw retainers, they just fall out. Guess I'll have to do some shopping to see if someone sells a larger size.

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Do you have a pic of the stampings....I would like to compare them for my personal reference....

 

[dadsbee]

Intresting your bee had the plastic push pins. My 69 charger had the same but my X had the metal clips. Through all the years I have seen both used in various plants and never understood why 2 styles?.....I think the separation may have been early 69 builds and pre 69 cars......but the X is the only early 69 I have had......

I agree with you because when I first used the plastic pins. I thought they were a cheap, incorrect piece but they are not...

Defintely OE.. yeppers!

 

[moparnation74]

Defintely OE.. yeppers!
View attachment 734113

Thats not in question....whats interesting is when they made the switch....what was the build date on your bee?...My charger was 4/69 and the X was 10/68.......my four other 69 chargers were 2-5/69 and had the plastic pins...3 68's I had, had the metal clips....The bubble is the early 69's when the plants changed things over....

 

[dadsbee]

Do you have a pic of the stampings....I would like to compare them for my personal reference....

Do bears **** in the woods....

 

[dadsbee]

Build date Feb 25, 1969. I just figured it was a Plymouth / Dodge thing, like plastic and metal headlight water shields, but I guess not.

 

[moparnation74]

Build date Feb 25, 1969. I just figured it was a Plymouth / Dodge thing, like plastic and metal headlight water shields, but I guess not.

I don't 100% know myself.........my sample size is too small in comparison to the big picture....

 

[oldbee]

Woah,woah; are the lights working before we go any farther? Lol