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

[kent]

Oh man my heart would of been in my throat when I seen the cracking. So did you paint the brown bolts or purchase a kit with new ones in them?
I'm going to have to go back and read your whole thread to see how you did it. One of the best out there. Right down to the spay bomb paint #'s. You being from Canada helps me out immensely.
Going to take me a bit. Super work!

[birdsandbees]

You could paint a couple old hood hinge bolts, but for $3 bucks US each I just bought them from Jamie at Megaparts. I have him on speed dial ..  

[kent]

Thank you. Good to know.

PM sent

[Charger-Bodie]

You could paint a couple old hood hinge bolts, but for $3 bucks US each I just bought them from Jamie at Megaparts. I have him on speed dial ..  

Jamie rules!

[birdsandbees]

Trying to hand paint the Black. Went on not bad, but just can't get a flow out that would look as clean as spray.

And then it curdled. Fun place to sand. Gave it another coat and the bastards can sit in the corner for awhile. Time to move on.......

New side marker retainers. One missed the stamper!

New reflectors and gaskets.

Tried a test fit before peeling the two face tape, thankfully. Snapped the locators off.

Found that the reproduction bezels from PG Classics only have a 1/4" long slot and the OE's are 5/16, so I filed out the holes an equal amount in each direction.

Corrected left, as received right.

Didn't break the second one.

[birdsandbees]

Reproduction bezels and reflectors ready to install.

Rear install view of side marker.

Front marker bezels/reflectors installed.

K frame to radiator brace being installed. Note clip nut on K frame end.

K frame to radiator support brace installed.

Getting headlight water shields ready to install.

New grill Bee installed.

Tail panel installed.

[hemi-hampton]

looks nice   leon.

[Troy]

I really appreciate all the work and you sharing it with us. I sometimes have to read several pages at once and forget to post anything.

Troy

[birdsandbees]

Thanks guys.

Troy I started this and sometimes question my sanity. Becoming a lot of work downsizing and posting, but I started it.. I'll finish it. Both the car and the thread! 

[Lennard]

Thanks guys.

Troy I started this and sometimes question my sanity. Becoming a lot of work downsizing and posting, but I started it.. I'll finish it. Both the car and the thread! 

[kent]

I just finished the whole thing. I also would like to thank you Wayne for taking the time to post such a great read with such in depth detail with amazing photos to boot.  I wish I could go back when you asked three or four times if anyone thought this was helpful and if it was too boring. Helpful? Hell yes! Boring? Most certainly not. Found quite a few tips that I have never heard of before. Thanks! The time and money you went through just to find that certain shade of paint to make things appear to be fresh off the line. I being colored blind found these tips were simply amazing. Not to mention RPM. Never heard of it before. Ordered a couple of tins this morning. Too much maybe but I will pass this along and share that tip.
I realize this project is coming to a end and would just like to add my appreciation for your efforts.
Thanks Wayne.
Great car!







Edit...
Wayne just reread the part about the RPM. Have you lost faith? Did you happen to check any of your other coated parts? I wonder if maybe the steering knuckle and shaft got hot from the exhaust and ran off? Just a thought? My RPM should be here next week. Did I screw up??

[birdsandbees]

I haven't seen rusting anywhere else that I RPM'd, including the front suspension center link, tie rod ends, sleeve, etc. I may have noticed a patch on my steering knuckle while I was blacking out the grill. Will have a better look later into the week. Going to swap garage bays with the cars and get the Bee back on the lift to install the headlight and fender shields + front bumper assembly.

Justin swears by Boeshield T9 as a rust preventative, probably my go to for maintenance coatings from here out.

[kent]

I read this evening over on the Moparts site that it doesn't like getting hot once applied. So I was thinking since they were in close proximity to exhaust manifold it might have melted off??

Anyway Wayne I'm going to sit down again and watch the show. Carry on my man.

[birdsandbees]

Never even dawned on me what the wiper motor covers redish/orange "smear" was until someone asked about it on the FBBO forum.

Recoated including touching up the factory drips and blobs. I have enough left to do another 1000 wiper motors!

Something I haven't done to a car in 31 years, this one to be exact. Practicing for a part in The Karate Kid.

My painter told me to get some wax on it, so I'm listening.

Wax on.. wax off. Hand rubbed out. Next time I might get brave with a buffer.

I'd say we've got the panels lined up pretty good.

Drivers side..

It never gets old..

[birdsandbees]

Drivers quarter panel.

Time to put some bling on this thing.

Hood scoop bezels back on.

One of my bigger fears taken care of. The back glass trim went on perfect! The last "pro" I had install my back glass had to drill and put a screw through each lower corner to hold it down.

Looking good...

3/8" butyl tape was the perfect thickness for the back glass install and the stainless trim sits beautiful .

Windshield top stainless in place. Sits on rubber PERFECT !

Passenger side stainless on and sits perfect.

[birdsandbees]

Driver's side adds another reason not to seal the rubber to the glass during windshield install. 3/16" gap to where it needs to be.

That's where it needs to be.

2 x 2 and a clamp to pull the rubber over without popping the lock strip.

Trim in place but still not happy with the drivers side. I walked away before I did something stupid! Need to remove the trim again and try to get the drivers side of the rubber seal to move over on the metal opening. I must have got the windshield about 3/32" off center on install.

[timmycharger]

Wow!! Great job putting on that trim, that was a huge pain for me, I still need to warm up the vinyl around the top corners to get trim to sit flush on mine.

Great work and attention to detail as always. 

[birdsandbees]

Thanks Tim, I'm glad I'm not fighting a vinyl top to boot! I have to re and re the rear glass trim on the Bird to fix some dents before the 50th Reunion and not looking forward to that attempt.

[birdsandbees]

Lower windshield trims retainer "tab" slid into place and then screwed to the A pillar. Screw hole is slotted so you can pull the trim down tighter and then tighten screw.

Windshield trim installed and sitting nice on the passenger side.

Drivers side, still a work in progress. Cut a board the exact length to pull the rubber over even and not pop the lock strip.
Trim slid into place and snapped down. I've left it clamped for now to hopefully take a set.

A bit of manual manipulation with a plastic handle to get the rubber seals corners all nicely into place.

Drip rail trim going on. The rear window "curl" has to be in place BEFORE the rear swing out window frame goes in. Then the rail trim is hooked over the metal drip rail and starting at the front snapped over the metal rail and into place. Went easier than I expected, body shop told me it was a three person job.

Front drip rail trim installed and joiner angle piece in place.

Drivers side drip rail trim in place, other than the A pillar.

Stainless adding to the bedtime "pop" !

[alfaitalia]

Great work...as always! I love this thread....but I'm not sure if it's inspiration to get mine done to the highest standard I can.....or it's just demoralizing due to the fact that mine will never be that good!

[birdsandbees]

Thanks and Sorry.. all in one! 

[birdsandbees]

Not much done today, was up 'till 3 AM messaging a fishing buddy back and forth that lost his young Brother to Cancer yesterday. Only 25 years old with what started as colon cancer a few years ago and spread to most of his insides. "Over 50" is a myth guys...   
......................

Needed to install the proper oval head screws and realized behind the trim curl was just a wide open gap for water to run down the drip rail and right into the quarter panel. Sealant and reinstall trim piece. I may be blind, but I could find nothing in the FSM on drip rail trim install needing sealant here.. maybe they let it run inside the quarter panel. All I know for sure is the curl has to be on first, then the roof rail seal channel, then the pop out window assembly.

Sealed up tight, ready for upper trim rails, their seals and the swing out window assembly.

Antenna assembly installed and actually straight.

Don't forget a drip loop in the antenna cable and I still have to seal the grommet hole so mice can't crawl in . It's not the OE grommet, not even sure if one was originally there, I added it.

[green69rt]

Needed to install the proper oval head screws and realized behind the trim curl was just a wide open gap for water to run down the drip rail and right into the quarter panel. Sealant and reinstall trim piece. I may be blind, but I could find nothing in the FSM on drip rail trim install needing sealant here.. maybe they let it run inside the quarter panel. All I know for sure is the curl has to be on first, then the roof rail seal channel, then the pop out window assembly.

Oh oh, now I need to check mine.  Thanks for the observation!

[birdsandbees]

I'm sure it was probably just left to leak Mitch.. no different than less than perfectly sealing window felts/cat wiskers. Just figured I'd seal it up so it didn't..

[birdsandbees]

Clamps off and final drip rail trim pieces in place. Windshield rubber is still not totally where I want it, but I'm getting it there a bit at a time. Wish I could just work with the "care", fit and timeline of the assembly line, but that's not me.

Almost have the rubber in the bottom drivers corner into place.

Upper drivers corner still off, but slowly getting it there.

Passenger side upper corner was perfect right out of the gate.

Nothing like drilling two holes in your car on the lower passenger fender, where we had to put some new metal in. Thankfully zero filler ! Locator pin 3/32 and retainer pin 3/16".(I did it the easy way, locator straight up, not 72* clockwise!.. I probably should have just glued it sans tabs)

Can't go without the Pentastar.