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

[birdsandbees]

A bit more prying with a round punch for no tearing..

And the bushing is in ! 20 minutes on the final attempt, with arms aching and hands about done.

I then took a two hour rest and figured "I've got this" and went out to do the second one. Thought this will be quick, 2 hours later I threw the tools on the floor and gave up for the day. Next day 1 hr -50 minutes had it all in except I couldn't get one hung up end to go across fully into the mount. I lubed the shit out of it, clamped two pairs of vice grips on and hoped it would flow in by itself overnight. This morning I found it had done just that and it just needed a bit more leverage to push it in completely. Clamped the grips on for a pry spot and done.

Taped up the rubbers, after sanding out all the scratches and repainted the mounts and the bar area between them.

All painted, ready to install to car once the paint cures. Next time... I'll cut the f'n straps off the mounts!! I'd hate to be the customer with the 9 hour labour bill to install two pieces of rubber!!!

Don't forget your parts in the Evaporust, they may be a bit lighter when you find them next! But there is evidence of that OE gold zinc plating!! lol

Reading for the past 2 years how all the repop window seals / slides, that goes on the back of the vent frame, are junk and too tight I splurged for some OEM ones that are formed with the curve and correct dimensions. $260 friggin CDN dollars delivered for two pieces of mylar and fuzz. It is what it is...

At least the guide pins that came with them are almost correct to OE and not enormously oversize like the repops!

[green69rt]

I had the same tight fit problem with the window seals.  I used ArmorAll to lubricate the seals and they worked much better.  Made a tiny mess but cleaned up ok after it dried.   And yes, bought the NOS pieces, $100US per seal, crazy!

[birdsandbees]

I have two sets of repop seals and they are definitely heavier and not preshaped in the curve. The slider pins that came with them are at least 15% wider and thicker than OEM. One set is to cut for the rear pop out windows, so when I'm done I guess I'll at least have a set to sell to someone else with a Coupe / Post car for theirs! 

[Charger-Bodie]

I had the same tight fit problem with the window seals.  I used ArmorAll to lubricate the seals and they worked much better.  Made a tiny mess but cleaned up ok after it dried.   And yes, bought the NOS pieces, $100US per seal, crazy!

I've lubed them with silicone spray , lighuid graphite. Tons of tries. Jus keep in mind that you want to do all those attempts before installing the cat whiskers.

[green69rt]

I had the same tight fit problem with the window seals.  I used ArmorAll to lubricate the seals and they worked much better.  Made a tiny mess but cleaned up ok after it dried.   And yes, bought the NOS pieces, $100US per seal, crazy!

I've lubed them with silicone spray , lighuid graphite. Tons of tries. Jus keep in mind that you want to do all those attempts before installing the cat whiskers.

Exactly,  I think Armor All has silicone in it, and yes don't get on the whiskers.  Still need to put those in on my car.  I get the impression that the NOS seals are now all used up.

[birdsandbees]

No.. well maybe on the NOS. The OEM just got expensive as others have bought them all up to resell. As I noted, I bought direct from a mopar dealer this time around and am not using the thicker heavier repop seals that I bought 2 years back for the door glass. I am using them for the flip out coupe windows though.

..man and nobody is impressed that I got those sway bar rubbers in.. my hands are still aching! 

[birdsandbees]

Sway bar mounted and the bushing mount bolts tightened to 200 in - lbs. Now's the time to swing it back and forth and get the squeaks out!

After lots of playing and finding a mix of white spray grease and Krown rust and lube was the best to remove the squeaks. Bar link and rubbers swung back ready to be put in place. Ready to lower car to floor.

Car back on it's suspension, link moved into place and tightened to 100 in- lbs. Actually bottoming the threads and why many snap on removal.

Why bleed the master cylinder on the bench and drip fluid everywhere, when there's less mess to be made just doing it in the car.

Absolutely dry brake system, you bet your ass I'm going DOT 5 and not worrying about paint loss!

Master partially filled and ready to bleed.

My helper for today..

Tiny bubbles, in the wine. My back locked up shortly into this, so as far as we'll get today!

[Dino]

When you're done with that thing, can you come and finish my car for me? I have food and beer!

[birdsandbees]

LOL Dirk !! When I'm done with this thing I need to start on cleaning up the Super Bird for Talladega 2019. That and I need to get the wife's '64 Vette cleaned up and SOLD to pay for some of this nonsense! 

[Dino]

Now where are your priorities! 

Excellent work as always my friend!   

[birdsandbees]

Last time I try to bleed a master on the car. First 5 minutes air was gone from front reservoir, 4 hours in and still air on the rear I thought the plastic fitting must be sucking air so put a metal line on. Nope!

Not good for the hoist, but, lifted the ass end to get air trapped in front of master bore. Air came out of front and rear reservoirs on the first few strokes.

Then lifted the nose, same deal on air. Back to level and a few strokes showed I was clear. Who the hell needs to go to the gym! Almost 6 hours of leg and arm work.

At first I couldn't get the rear to draw any fluid down and wondered WTF was plugged or possible wrong with the master. Went around to all my stainless line connections and gave them a snug. Found the two lines off the axle Y went 1/2 turn and then no issues quickly bleeding the rear lines.

These nice line fittings made rear bleeding easy.

Now the front bleeder screws, if the Chrysler designer wasn't probably gone already I'd kill him for burying them behind the knuckle.

Wrench bent to get on bleeder and swing almost a 1/5th of a turn.

Fronts bled easy and I have a firm pedal! Time to get the rear bumper on and finally get her out of my hoist bay.. when the snow stops!! $(@*%$

[lukedukem]

This has inspired me to tackle my 69 bee this winter. Good job.
I'll be referring to this thread quite a bit. Glad it's a sticky 

Didn't know it wasn't good to do that with the lift. I've done it with my charger before. Lift the front to help purge air out of cooling system.

Luke

[birdsandbees]

OE rear bumper attach brackets. They were media blasted and sealed / painted with epoxy paint.

Drivers side bracket 2856 631. Also has 72780 on it, but so does the passenger side so I presume they were stock #'d as a set.

Passenger side. Believe it is 2856 630

First time I've totally unwrapped my repaired and rechomed OE bumper. So this is what $1400cdn gets you. Looks damn good.

Pretty close to a mirror.

Looks like they put a lot of work into the passenger side straightening before rechrome

My front OE was in pretty bad shape, thanks to Dad's ditch run, so I bought an AMD reproduction.

Looks pretty good. I was told it would be thinner, but it's the same 0.95" thickness as my OE rear one.

[birdsandbees]

Picked some loose spots off on the back side of the rear bumper.

Everything loose picked off.

Was suggested by the shop that did my body work and paint to seal the back side of the bumpers, so rust doesn't make it's way through and around to the front.

Bumper holes taped off and ready to paint the back sides.

Both bumpers sealed with 2 coats of Tremclad.

Went to mount my rear bumper and opened my mounting bolt kit. WTH.. 8 bolts and 2 nuts. Unless I'm seriously missing something I require 8 bolts and 6 nuts to install the brackets as only two mount spots have nuts welded in the frame. All bolt kits I can find are being sold this way... 4 nuts short!

Installed my drivers seat, as I needed the hoist bay to work on the wife's plastic thing.

Guess "Therapy" will sit for a bit while I work on cleaning up the Vette.

[JB400]

First time I seen a seat having a seatbelt to save seat

[birdsandbees]

Didn't want it sliding back when I pushed in the clutch ! 

[birdsandbees]

Update on my bumper bracket "missing" nuts. I talked to Jeff Brown today at 521 restorations and asked if he could sell me just 4 nuts as all the kits seem to be short 4 nuts for installation. Instead of doing what he could have done and sold me 4 nuts + postage, etc.. he asked what happened to the captive / welded on nuts that should be on the brackets for the horizontal attach bolts. Low and behold I looked at the brackets and can see 4 weld spots around each hole, so somewhere in time those nuts disappeared. I don't remember it happening or when.

So despite the brackets being nicely epoxy painted, I guess I'm breaking out the welder to tack 4 x 7/16 nuts in place, then blasting and repainting to touch up.

[green69rt]

I have a lot of respect for Jeff.  It wasn't clear if he gave you good advice or not,  Things end up ok??

[birdsandbees]

As I said, in Irish.. lol, he COULD have just sold me the combi nut / washers that I thought I was missing, took my money and carried on. Instead he asked me what happened to the nuts that are welded onto the brackets, sold me nothing and we shared pictures back and forth instead.

[hemi-hampton]

any udpates   LEON.

[b5blue]

  Yea and while were waiting I'd like to point out my AMD rear bumper (on my 70 Charger) is pitting and getting crappy from mostly just sitting around neglected on my carport a few years. So wax the heck out of bumper, and keep it well waxed cuz your car is much nicer!!

[birdsandbees]

Well Leon  , nothing to update unfortunately. I'm at our camp in Northern Ontario for the summers, only home for 2 days every 3 weeks to cut grass.

B5, why I was told to paint the back of even the original OE bumper, to help with the rust and yes she'll be waxed to death on the other side before and after install.

[CDN72SE]

Missing the updates.  Hope you are enjoying your time up North.

[timmycharger]

 

Same here, love this build!

[Lennard]

Same here, love this build!