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

[CDN72SE]

Thanks for the answer, I've been going back and forth between the two, haven't ordered anything yet.
If you ever need an extra Ramcharger decal let me know, I accidentally bought one from Year One about 20 years ago, lol.

[Dino]

I love the PCG decals, did my instrument cluster with those a few years ago and it looks perfect!   

Your car is sure coming along nicely!   

[birdsandbees]

If you ever need an extra Ramcharger decal let me know, I accidentally bought one from Year One about 20 years ago, lol.

Thanks, I just bought one from David.. think I bought one from someone else a few months ago (and it's on the shelf somewhere) and I think I have a Year One decal in my file folder as well from 1989... but if I messed them all up I'll come see you! 

..and Thanks Dino, she's a couple months behind what I wanted, but at least we're making progress. Hoping I can get my rear axle housing back soon and start assembling the rear end, but he doesn't want to bother blasting and painting it until the metal man is done with my K frame holding the front frame rails in the correct place so he can paint it same time.

Project will go back burner within the next month, as I need to be North shortly after Mothers Day to open our flyin camp.

[birdsandbees]

Getting my water pump, timing chain cover etc all cleaned up and ready for my new double roller chain and gears to arrive on Monday. Then I can button the motor back up with a new oil pan and get everything blasted, primed and painted.

Cleaned up the harmonic balancer lip seal surface in the lathe.

Also popped my rocker covers for the very first time since 1989... amazingly clean and as noted in another thread ZERO leakage. Looks like I siliconed them to the cover and nothing to the head. Regular cheap $3 cork gaskets from back in time. Wish I could find them, all I've been able to buy is those hard $30 things. OH well.. those gaskets will do for now when I throw an old set of covers on for media blasting before paint.

[birdsandbees]

Flipped the motor and pulled the pan and windage tray. Everything looks super clean in there, cylinders still have x hatch, no ring wear step, cam and lifters look pretty clean.... and then I went looking for trouble.

Stuck a piece of 1/8" wire into the sump pick up screen and gave it the full circle sweep.. these popped out. Figure the two hard plastic/rubber pieces are part of a valve stem seal. I have on exhaust seal that is split open. The metal piece appears to be part of an oil control ring, but I can't see anyway how such could get out of the grove.. between the piston and cylinder wall and down into the pan.. .keeping it's cylinder diameter and proper shape. It must be from way back at engine rebuild time or before rebuild and just residing in the back of the intake... or at least I hope.

[birdsandbees]

Finally got my replacement seat belt set, these ones being nice and shinny and not crusty like the first set I was shipped. Figured while they were paying the shipping for my belts I'd splurge the 300 bucks and buy a new dash pad. Very disappointed in the lack of detail in the reproduction pad and giving serious thought to sending it back. No sharp edges or detail at the heater / defroster control area, 45 degree chamfer is missing on the pad to dash transition and the dash pad end angles are not even close to the original.

[birdsandbees]

 

[Dino]

Yay on the belts but on the dash pad. I'd send that back without thinking twice.

[birdsandbees]

Does anyone make a dash pad that is OEM correct?... before I try to return this one.

[b5blue]

Who made that dash pad? (If you don't mind sharing?) The side by side photos really are striking just how "off" the repop is! Not much better than a "Coverlay" cap!

[birdsandbees]

China #1888-70 B. Bought it from PG Classic Restoration Parts in Ottawa. Web description is "THIS NEW REPRODUCTION 69-70 Mopar B-Body Charger, Roadrunner, Coronet, Gtx,Super Bee. Reproduction vinyl covered dash pad features all the details as original. Includes a Metal core and pre-installed studs with factory attaching point locations. These pads are assembled by hand"

I presume you'd get the identical pad from B/E&A, as they use the same part numbers and in the seat belt box there was a notice paper that said "B/E&A and PG Classic sells this seat belt set as decorative and not DOT approved".

I just looked at Classics in California and see they sell what appears to be the exact pad, but scrolling some more I see they sell another for $200US more that is made by Legendary. The icon picture states that both are OE Style, but when you click for full description the Legendary one says "Correct contours and dimensions". Issue with Classics for me is while there is no reason this size of an item can't go courier they show it truck freight as they did with my rear frame rails that could have easily gone on the brown truck.

Does anyone know if Legendary's pad is truly correct to OEM details???

[birdsandbees]

Picture I just got emailed from the shop. Subject title was "Flintstone car". 

Entire trunk, wheel wells and frame rails out. Cleaning up, drilling holes in quarter lips, etc, ready to install and weld in new metal.

[birdsandbees]

Good call on the new timing set ! 

If that has the stock cam I'd be inclined to degree it in @108-109 to help with torque and throttle response. 


Ron

My new gears and chain arrived. It's got three key ways, I can install it OEM straight up, or 4 retarded for more high RPM HP, or 4 advanced for more low end torque. Suspect going with the 4 advanced is the smartest thing to do, or should I just stick with factory setting on this stock 383 magnum?

[Dino]

What cam do you have in there? Mine had 4 degrees ground in. I set mine at 108 for more torque. It makes sense on a street car. Most fun from light to light and less importance what it does up top.

Degree that thing, don't trust the markings on the gear. I have experience in this matter....   

[birdsandbees]

As noted it's a bone stock 383 magnum, just the way it came off Lynch Rd. I can lock things down so nothing moves and then make sure zero/zero works on the gear/chain assembly the same as the factory set up, then go with the 4 advance keyway location instead.

[birdsandbees]

Starting to realize the difference between a tremclad overhaul and a restoration is the 100's of hours of media blasting!!    Got all my pulleys, alternator brackets, bolts, water pump, etc media blasted today and the stuff that needs to be black painted into semi gloss.

In between paint coats I located my stock timing chain gears to 0 - 0 and then removed them. Temporarily installed my new double roller kit on 0 - 0, to make sure the marks were indeed correct vs keyway position, and then re and re'd it on the 4 degree advanced keyway for a little more low end torque. Timing chain cover seal and gaskets in place, installed and then the dual gaskets on windage tray and my new 402 oil pan torqued down into place.

Found a perfect sized spray can lid that fit nicely in the lip seal, then later put a bead of sealant around it, so media blasting the engine won't be an issue of anything getting inside. All I need to do now is temporarily install an old set of rocker covers and make some block off plates for water galleries and exhaust ports. Then I can take the engine over to the resto shop for proper media blast and engine paint.

[birdsandbees]

 

[birdsandbees]

 

[Dino]

Ha! I did the exact same thing to my engine yesterday and today. Just finished installing the parts. Feels good to make progress doesn't it?   

[billssuperbird]

 

[birdsandbees]

Lots of work getting a motor sealed up for media blasting... but it's done and ready for blasting and painting.

Also found my, long thought lost, visor mount seat belt brackets today while rummaging through my oldest roller cabinet looking for something else. Wondered where they had gone, been there since 1988!

[birdsandbees]

3 mornings later and it looks like I have frame rails in, all wheel wells, rear valance panel and trunk pan. Friggin over the axle pan still hasn't shown up. 

[RIDELIKEHELL]

 

[birdsandbees]

Father in law pulled up today.. made it across the border with my stash! 

Might have to have an LCA dipping party in Ontario for the local guys, to pay for this $400 jug! 

[birdsandbees]

Well hallelujah, I now have a full new floor, new frame rails, new leaf spring mounts, wheel wells, etc. The guys figure two more days of welding to put everything back in place and then body work can start.