Which pillar as a 4dr has a longer A-pillar as they have a taller windshield.. You can splice a piece in for repair but it's not a direct replacement if using it whole.
New to Mopar! Here's my new 1969 Superbee project car!
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brandonf2514@gm
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It's the passenger side door pillar.
brandonf2514@gm
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Yeah, I'm just some know-it-all.
That car has serious, serious rot issues & one can only guess what can't be seen is as rough as what can be seen.A good rule of thumb is to figure out what you think you're going to spend, then add another 40%. Like it or not, but here's an honest & realistic assessment:
15+ grand in AMD parts.
8 grand+ on the interior.
10+ grand on the drive train.
A grand + for the cooling system
A grand + in brakes
2 grand in tires & wheels
7,000 on bumpers, grille, trim, emblems, decals, rubber parts, etc.
2 grand in suspension, F&R
2 grand on paint & materials
A grand on glass, trim & gaskets
A grand on the fuel system
A grand + for exhaust
$$$$ for wiring & dashboard pieces.
$$$$ for body work you'll have to farm out to others
Doing a quality job on the Bee body will take a professional body man somewhere around 1,500-2,000 hours. Of course if you just want to get it to "Joe Dirt" quality, it'll cost you a lot less.
I'm not trying to insult you, rather, I'm trying to talk you out of getting into a financial black hole. In all honesty, you're better off finding a better car.
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I see 1500 hours, easily more for body reconstruction, straightening, and paint......... and I'm equipped, experienced, and efficient. The math isn't friendly
a nice donor 2 door can easily cut that number in half ........
a nice donor 2 door can easily cut that number in half ........
That's a big project cause lots of time when you see that amount of rust easily in the end it's the stuff you don't see that gets you... Good luck with this project.
brandonf2514@gm
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I thought about getting a 2 door donor yesterday actually. Say a nice 2 door cornet shell for $1500 online. Also,I should probably mention that my brother owns a body shop and while I'm not a body man per say,he is and he's going to do all of the body work and paint the car for me for free. So all of the body work and paint will be done free of charge. Not sure how much that deducts total from the restoration figures that you guys are estimating. I'll be doing the interior,any fiber glass work,sandblasting,and other miscellaneous stuff myself. I have to outsource the engine and trans to be rebuilt. This will be a rotisserie restoration,it's just that I'm not building it back to a nut and bolt factory car,but it will be a very clean build.I see 1500 hours, easily more for body reconstruction, straightening, and paint......... and I'm equipped, experienced, and efficient. The math isn't friendly
a nice donor 2 door can easily cut that number in half ........
brandonf2514@gm
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Also remember that it's not like I'm starting from scratch with this car. I already have most every major outside body panel for this car. I have a good hood,2 good fenders,2 good doors,2 good quaters,a good trunk lid,a rust free replacement pillar,and good rear tail panel. So for one,I'm not spending 15+ grand on amd parts as the figure above says haha. Most of the time will be spent of body work,fair enough,but I've already got every major outside metal panel already " in good condition " it's just a matter of make sure the car is straight,pulling off all of the current metal,fixing what needs to be fixed and installing the new metal pieces that I have. Will it be easy,no.
These guys are spot on with the amount of time and money this car will take to complete. It will help out tremendously financially with your brother donating all his time on the body. And yes, there will be more rot than you are seeing now once things are opened up and blasted. Another thing to remember is that parts and pieces for these lovely old Mopars cost 2-3 times what Ford and Chevy stuff does, and there are far fewer places to buy from. I think everyone who commented just wants you to be aware of what you are getting into with a car needing so much. There are already far too many projects like this that get started and then abandoned after getting into them.
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brandonf2514@gm
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Yeah I get that,and I appreciate the sentiment from that point of view. I know this won't be super easy restoration,but I won't have to pay out $90,000 for it either haha. Well maybe 90k if I put the orginal engine on a stand and drop a nice purring kitty setup into it instead ;) but luckily I finding the 60 year old orginal engine more interesting ;) anyone can build power,but car has its orginal engine only once usually,unless you get lucky and find it again.
Llamaback
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Don't let you brother do that for you for free. That is insane. That is a few years of work in a normal body shop. You've got to pay him something to take that on. The body work on that is like 90% of the restoration.
brandonf2514@gm
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Haha,he's more than up for the challenge. He has a full staff and hasn't touched a car in 4 years. Plus we do stuff like that for each other. It's only 2 of us and our parents are deceased. I gave him a fair condition running 69 L78 chevelle a few years back.
brandonf2514@gm
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Thanks for your feedback as well sir!Yeah, I'm just some know-it-all.
A good rule of thumb is to figure out what you think you're going to spend, then add another 40%. Like it or not, but here's an honest & realistic assessment:
15+ grand in AMD parts.
8 grand+ on the interior.
10+ grand on the drive train.
A grand + for the cooling system
A grand + in brakes
2 grand in tires & wheels
7,000 on bumpers, grille, trim, emblems, decals, rubber parts, etc.
2 grand in suspension, F&R
2 grand on paint & materials
A grand on glass, trim & gaskets
A grand on the fuel system
A grand + for exhaust
$$$$ for wiring & dashboard pieces.
$$$$ for body work you'll have to farm out to others
Doing a quality job on the Bee body will take a professional body man somewhere around 1,500-2,000 hours. Of course if you just want to get it to "Joe Dirt" quality, it'll cost you a lot less.
I'm not trying to insult you, rather, I'm trying to talk you out of getting into a financial black hole. In all honesty, you're better off finding a better car.
brandonf2514@gm
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I do have a question. Being that I'm using the original engine,what hp range would you guys recommend that I stay in for a factory block. I want keep the orginal engine and kick it up a little bit,but not to the point where I have a high chance of throwing a rod through the orginal block. So what's a safe streetable range for an orginal block?
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Gotta read the field before going off or sideways around here. The majority will go WELL out of their way to help a fellow out no matter how deep the bucket is, until you slight them. Glad RC came back one more time to spell it out in full. Most that are helping have been at this game for 40+ years and know far too well just how deep the hole can get in a restoration because we've "been there... done dat"!
A properly put together and tuned 550hp/ft. lbs. of torque big block is plenty safe and a load of fun with a 4-speed. I think most will say that 600 hp is fine before having to do anything extra to the block.
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Find a good machine shop/engine builder cause a 350hp 383 could blow a rod out the side of the block if the work isn't done right...
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FYI, 12 years ago, I bought a 68 Hemi Charger in pieces. When I bought it, the car had already rotisserie painted, but needed to be put back together. All the parts were there, but everything needed to be cleaned up and put back together. The only items needing to be replaced in the interior were the carpet and headliner. All of the exterior parts were there, including the original 1968 exhaust system, which was reused. The engine needed to be rebuilt, and of course a Hemi costs more to rebuild, but not that much more than a big block. I cleaned nearly everything up and assembled the car myself with virtually nothing to be replaced other than a few missing small parts. I originally thought that I'd spend 25 grand, but it ended up being 40.
This is why I say for you to figure what you think you'll spend, then add 40%. Good for you getting free bodywork, but your car is still going to need more than what I put into this 12 years ago.
This is how I bought the Charger in 2012 (no rust ever and with all original body panels) ....
40 grand later ....
brandonf2514@gm
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Looks like it turned out very nice in the end. Sorry we got off on the wrong foot. We live in the era where internet trolls run rapid and words like money pit,scrap yard and etc are usually how they start off haha. I apologize for putting in the same boat as a internet troll. Haha.
brandonf2514@gm
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Thanks,this is exactly what I'm looking for!
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