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

[birdsandbees]

Managed to get the drivers side rear window assembly sitting very nice, the seal just a hair shy of the quarter panel.

This rubber edging that I use on airplane fairings was perfect to slide in place.

The U shape makes it perfect to push up into place between the metal window frame and the rubber seal.

Better view of the rubber gap filler going into place.

And a smear of RTV and it's water tight.

Bit of a gap in both back corners, so taped them off and filled.

Black silicon into place with finger.

Tape peeled and looks nice and clean. Without a light, you don't even see it actually.

INTERIOR HERE I COME!

[birdsandbees]

New trunk divider panel for behind the rear seat from Legendary.

New package tray.

Some of the interior parts. Rear trim panels and roof rails painted TX9 Gloss Black, door panel trim polished, window trim cleaned and wiped down a few weeks ago with Transmission fluid. That returned the darkness to the black.

Some of the interior parts. Rear trim panels and roof rails painted TX9 Gloss Black, door panel trim polished, window trim cleaned and wiped down a few weeks ago with Transmission fluid. That returned it's darkness to the black.

I removed the headliner install clips I used, since it's now glued along the pinch weld. Now I have them for the next job.. lol

The rear window package tray and it's trim. Supposably this trim piece is Plymouth, the Dodge is supposed to go on the pinch weld before glass install to hide the butyl. All I know is this has ALWAYS been in the car.

Trim gets stapled to the package tray.

If you just slide it back you'll be stuck in the butyl and it'll look like....

[birdsandbees]

Start in one corner and "pie" lift it into place so the trim sits above the butyl sealant.

Package tray and trunk divider in place.

Package tray retainer brackets. I rebent them for a better fit than stock.

I installed them to check shape and then took them back out for paint.

Nicest thing about the package tray, it's little "push" made my headliner sail panels fit perfect.

Drivers side.

Gotta love it..

Don't forget your water deflectors.

[birdsandbees]

The deflectors clip onto the interior panel of the rear window "well".

Need to clean up my A and B pillar covers.

Shape of the B pillar trim. Don't lose it, apparently it's not reproduced.

[kent]

Such detail Wayne! We're all watching. Thanks

[birdsandbees]

Just like a good paint job, interior installation is all in the prep work. I have soaked and scrubbed these trim pieces for hours and see why guys give up and paint them.

Wet they look shiny, but always return to looking gray in the grain.

Based on me using it for other stuff and how it worked, I soaked the A pillar trim pieces in Easy Off oven cleaner for 20 minutes, scrubbed with a brush, then lightly with some green scotchbrite.

Rinse and wash with soap... and look at that!

Did the same with the filthy B pillar "windlace" that is not reproduced. They cleaned up nicely as well and then I wiped them down with "Wipe New". Outers done, middle not.

A pillar trim, left coated with Wipe New and right not.

All ready to install, like new trim!

B pillar windlace in place.

[birdsandbees]

A pillar shown in installation postion.

Make sure you watch that the tab goes under the metal in the dash area so it fits into the corner up against the windshield gasket correctly.

A pillar trim in place.

Drivers side showing the correct #10 washer head screws. The ones in the repro kit had the wrong heads, but you can buy correct ones at NAPA.

Don't miss the screw up under the dash.

Hope you put these windshield trim retainers in before you installed the windshield! (you could get them in now, but wouldn't be fun)

The windshield to headliner trim was previously painted the same flattish black as the dash. It does not get painted gloss TX9 like the other interior trim pieces. #8 x 5/8" oval head screws x 6.

Windshield to headliner trim in place, over top of the A pillar trim pieces.

[birdsandbees]

Headliner to roof rail trim uses 6 of these clips and one screw.

Clips slide it place like so. This is the the drivers side, picture taken from the front looking rearward.

3 on the front door section and three on the rear seat area. I used a bit of butyl to hold them in place so they didn't slide off while installing.

Screw goes about 4" from the front end, into the roof rails screw slot. Rubber hammer used to knock the trim clips tight onto the headliner mounting edge.

One side in place!

Detail of how the trim fits around the B pillar windlace. Why the lace goes on first.

Sail panel sure sitting nice now! I put the last clip on the headliner/roof rail trim about 1" from the back.

Door panel vapour barrier. I told Patik I had a coupe and didn't want crank holes in the back... he gave me no arm rest holes either.

[birdsandbees]

Mind you, same thing with the panels. No crank holes and arm rests not punched out either. Don't think any car came without rear arm rests...

Arm rest screw holes. I cut out the plugs and carefully cut the outer material.

Windlace for the lower rear door openings.

My old ones are pretty beat up and grungy, but thinking they're going to get the Easy Off treatment as well to see if I can use them.

Generic braided repro on the left... and OE GRAINED windlace on the right.

My back locked up crawling out and thought I'd grab a shot from the floor!!

[birdsandbees]

Figured as good a time as any to put some wax on the rear trim panels. Again painted TX9 Gloss Black.

My door windlace was covered in paint from a poorly taped off paint job in '88 and 50 years of grime. Didn't want to use the incorrect reproductions so I coated these with full strength paint stripper for 15 minutes, gave a quick scrub and a rinse. Absolutely beautiful, even before a wipe of Wipe New.

Checking for location with trim panel. Windlace goes inside about 1/2".

Windlace in place, looks brand new.

Rear seat vapour barrier installation. Cord seal (draft caulking) put around top and sides, as well as arm rest screw holes. (I also misted some Krown rust inhibitor into some seams before I closed this up)

Vapour barried pressed into place.

At the bottom you flip the barrier into the slot at the bottom of the frame so any water drains into the quarter panel.

Then you tape the bottom.

[birdsandbees]

Passenger side trim panel all in place, with the stainless "door" panel retainer.

Drivers side all together. Everything fit very nice. Panel is tight to window rubber seal, headliner install undisturbed.

The parts just keep coming! Sorting out what OE and what Repro parts to use for arm rests, door handles, etc.

One rear arm rest needs a bit of help, but other than that a good cleaning and they're all usable.

Clamp and rulers to have a workable part, then contact cement and spring clamps to get the vinyl back into place.

Door panel clips, what came with the reproductions top and OE's bottom.

Do NOT knock the cut outs in the panels (PG Classics) out to install the clips!

Use a screw driver and remove about 1/2 of the cut outs thickness.

[birdsandbees]

Then use a sharp screw driver to split the panel mid way to make a pocket for the clip.

I'm using the repro clips in the back, so I have enough good OE ones for the front door panels.

Drivers side panel in place, you can see the bump from me removing the panel plug. I put part of it back, but still a bump. You don't see it without the flash.

Passenger side panel in clean.

[birdsandbees]

Arm rests repaired as needed, cleaned up and ready to install. Ash tray retainers polished up.

Ash tray lids polished up. I spy an old airplane rudder stashed up on the garage door tracks.

I guess after 2 years my few wrinkles aren't coming out on their own. Medium heat so you don't darken the fabric. It's not necessarily the wrinkle itself you need to remove. Push a finger into the headliner in various places and see if the wrinkle disappears. Some spots it was about 8" away from the wrinkle that needed a little shrink to make it disappear.

Note the wrinkle does not always come out while heating. Heat your spot and let cool to see what changes. Fold lines in the headliner from shipping came out easily by just running the heat gun down the fold. Still a few spots to touch up later, but it's better than factory already hands down.

Cleaning up my back seat with Scrubbing Bubbles. Still in great shape! Had it recovered in 1988 ! ?? Did it originally come with a seat emblem in the middle?

Seat back in place, sits nice on the hooks and package tray. Realized it needs to come out to make life easy for seat belt install. At least I didn't put in the 2nd arm rest before I realized that!

Sorting out my seat belts for install. Almost thought I was missing a front belt set.. but all there.

Back seat sorted out, ready to bolt in place.

[kent]

Looking real great Wayne as usual. Kudos to the details!. Did you ever use a mist of water then the heat on the wrinkles. Slightly better shrinkage in the liner. Just like steaming the material.  But you are right you headliner looks great! Not worth the effort on yours. Pretty tight.
Thanks for the easy off tip. How did you hear about this? I don't know if I would of tried that with plastic. Turned out great! Do you think it slightly melted the panel to turn out like new? I heard that heat does the same thing. Just the same I have the same look on my pillar panels and will be trying it.

I have your show on two channels now. Carry on!  

[birdsandbees]

I only have two real wrinkles Kent, from day one. Pulled that one bow hoop down a bit more than I should have when installing. Never done a headliner before, think I did pretty well!  As for the A pillar trim, it didn't melt it... it just got under the dirt and lifted it off like it does removing paint and anodize. Figured it was worth a shot. It did however soften up the rubberish B pillar and door seam windlace from it's hard state, and that's a good thing!

[kent]

Oh yes, I guess you did pretty well! You sir are a perfectionist in every sense of the word. I'm glad your doing this resto. With all of us ducklings following along. Lots to learn from you. So glad with your documentation. So thorough in every detail. With very little questioning.
That is all.

[birdsandbees]

Kent, I've learned immensely from others threads here and elsewhere.. I'm just trying to fill in the gaps with pictures, cause they're worth a 1000 words each! 

..........

FSM calls for no washers on the single seat belts, but I had these steel "hat" bushings that worked perfect to take up the slop when using a C10 bolt. I don't think there's been back seat belts in place since '78

Center doubles spaced perfectly with just enough free shank left on the C12 bolt for them to swivel if needed.

Back belts all in.

Rear seat back in, passenger side arm rest installed and belts bagged for now.

Refurbished mirror post that I picked up on Ebay for less than I could buy materials to refurbish one. My mirror was borrowed from a C body so needed replacing.

2765577.. don't come nicer than this.

Why you put screws in all the holes BEFORE you install the headliner. Jam the driver in and rock it back and forth to cut the liner.

Roll the cut headliner around the screws and then remove the screws.

[birdsandbees]

Mirror post installed with 2 x 5/8" and 1 x 1" #10 oval head screws.

Sunvisors all cleaned up and ready to install with the shoulder belt clips.

How they go together.

Temporary screws popped out of headliner and clip shown in correct orientation

Clip screwed in place and time to get serious.

Hole melted and sealed with the soldering gun. Hole is for the visor spring and base to go in.

Visor / clip assembly.

Don't forget to buy a couple new Barbie size dildos!

[birdsandbees]

The metal end of the visor shaft is adjustable in and out to get the correct position to fit to the mirror "sockets". Then install a new rubber tip.

Visors and shoulder harness clips both installed.

Leave it to Chrysler to make a C11 bolt shorter than a C10 bolt. You'd think an 11 would be between a C10 and a C12, but it ain't! Thank god they weren't in the aviation industry. C11 is for the shoulder belt mounting.

Find the hole with your finger and press to make a mark in the headliner, then burn the bolt hole with the soldering gun and then install the shoulder belt. No washers.

Shoulder belt in place. These stupid elastic snap ends are the reason they went to two storage clips and just folding up the belt in '70.

Plastic plugs for the allen bolt hole in the door panels. Only place I found them.

Plug in place.

Polishing up my mirror housing. Believe it to be a C body part, but I like it... other than it could use a new mirror.

[birdsandbees]

Need something in there that shines, with all that black interior!

Just in case the next owner wants speakers in the back! Ran some 14/2 down the passenger side before the carpet goes in.

Carpet vacuumed waiting for the wife to demonstrate how the carpet cleaner works.

Nice backed formed carpet that I bought in '88. Still in great shape.

[birdsandbees]

Was hoping for a live demo, but was advised how to work it myself! LOL

Might be a bit of dirt in there after 31 years!

Came out looking pretty nice. Now to see how well it still fits.

Must be getting close, the empty box collection is getting out of hand!

Honouring inspector # 47 ! 

New package tray and back seat in place.

Carpet, gas pedal, front seat and a white stripe.. oh and an alignment and then we're done! oh and wiper arms and blades.. and a carb rebuild.. and ....

[birdsandbees]

Wife helped me get the front seat out of the marine container. Top side is still looking good after 31 years since recover.

Bottom side, looks like I have some track / adjusters to restore and I want to firm up the springs somehow as well.

Need some new plastic hinge covers.

Yes.. I was / am a Redneck. Guess they didn't make washers and cotter pins back when...

Need a pair of these.

New seat spacer blocks and correct nuts for under the car. I grabbed some new 5/16 x1.5" carriage bolts when I went up town after this shot.

[CDN72SE]

Lookin' good Wayne, and it is nice to see those empty boxes piling up. 

[birdsandbees]

Thanks! 
.........

Front seat separated to repaint some sections.

Seat tracks removed for clean up and a quick repaint. Mechanically sound, just need some TLC.

Upholstery clamped back out of the way to prep and paint the seat back swing arms.

Seat bottom prepped, taped off and painted where I could.

Mice will appreciate the new shine, nobody else will see it. I need to wipe the springs down with Krown and add a stiffener wire, if I can, into the springs.

Swing arms primed and painted.

Figured I may as well get the center hinge / seat back mount as well.

Would be nice if I had some seat mounting holes... metal man missed step 600, used the seat brace bracket holes to weld to the new pan instead !

[birdsandbees]

Hopefully I have the tracks taped off good enough to keep the media out of them while blasting.. Doubtful, but worth a try as they don't come apart without drilling out rivets.

In the cabinet and ready to blast away.

Out of the blaster, tape taken off, wiped clean and primed.

Painted in 1603 semi-gloss and mother nature obliged for a paint bake with sunshine and 19*C !

Passenger side of the seat is nice and firm, drivers side not so much. Borrowed some of #1 son's election sign frames cheap spring steel and practiced my safety wire tying.

Good for another few decades.