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

[birdsandbees]

I have 6 gauges on the table, everyone one of them has it's needle pointing exactly at the corner between rim and bolt flange. Something to consider if yours are anything other..

No point in watching paint dry, so we'll do the Odometer. Clean all the number wheels with Rubbing Alcohol and those cheap hard tipped Q tips you bought by accident, that hurt your ears if you use them. Not the nice fluffy original Q tip brand that would leave lint.

Peel the label backing part way back and use it as your handle DO NOT touch the label. Place the Zero below where it needs to be and gently slide it up until it matches the existing zero shape exactly and press into place.

Tweezers keep things from rolling as you start the label at zero. Then you'll need to remove, pick up spool and afix label. Do not use your fingers.. smooth it into place with the Q tip.

Notice the white line at the end of the wrap.. $*(%@$( !!

We'll fix that with some sharpy marker.

Didn't look like it was too faded when I started...

Kinda like a Rubick's cube, but I figured out how to get the mileage back to correct. Start at the left and get your number and "cog" wheel correct, then move to the right while holding the set wheel and cog and rotate until the next one is correct. Hold those 2 sets and rotate the 3rd.. etc. Or you can do like many and make it all Zero again.. not my cuppa tea.

[Ghoste]

That is some nice work!!

[birdsandbees]

THANKS Ghoste ! 

[Shadow71]

What an excellent thread!

This is the best of the net, when someone takes the time to take so many pictures and go through the process in such detail!

Gonna take me a while, but I intend to go through it start to finish!!!!!!

[birdsandbees]

Thanks Shadow, just habit for me as I do exactly what I'm doing on every aircraft build or repair that I've done for 25 years. Even when I was it was film only..   Part is proof for customers as to what work was done, some are for complete "how to build" CD's that I have produced and mainly it's for me so I remember wtf I did last week!!  

BTW, there won't be much happening today. I'm starting to think I live in Colorado and should move to Arizona! 45 CM / 18 inches of new white stuff last night is keeping me a tad busy.

The GOOD NEWS today, radiator shop just called and they were able to source a new core for my 053 rad and I should have it back by next Wednesday!  

[birdsandbees]

Clean plastic and repainted "hoods" ready to reassemble.

Melting some scrap and original location posts together.

All posts melted down tight and it's an assembly again.

Gauge faces in paint and decals ready to install.

Face wiped with a windex wetted cloth and back of decal sprayed.

All decals in place after carefully placing with tweezers and then using both thumbs to slide into exact location. Be sure to trim your nails before you start. Once in place use a clean soft cloth (not paper towel) to wipe from center out to remove windex.

Ready to do speedometer

[birdsandbees]

Decal on and needle back on. REMEMBER to hold that metal wheel from moving on the back. Install needle at ~20MPH and turn to 0.

I took this picture to show where the odometer "cogs" lock in... but now that I have it on a computer monitor it also shows I'm opening up my finished work, as the center decal isn't down tight by the looks of things!

Odometer back in ready to install to housing.

Took the speedo for a test drive, using the old cable and a drill IN REVERSE!!

Ready to rivet the faces back on. Be careful, if you bend a needle use tweezers to gently fix it.

Some perfect length AD3-3 rivets.

Face plates riveted back on.

[birdsandbees]

All gauges / instruments / switches back in housing.

The new RTE- IVR4 regulator has a blinking Red light !

RTE was also nice enough to save me from digging through my electronics drawer. They included the correct resistor to use in the "sender" to ground line, FOR TEST PURPOSES, that should have your gauge show FULL. If not, adjust your gauge needle using the adjuster holes in the rear of the gauge.

All tested and plastic / hood cover in place with the original push pins.

New bezel in place and impossible to get a good shot... I took at least 60 with different lighting. So here's a couple that don't show how nice it came out.

Another shot with different lighting. Still not great, you'll have to take my word for it. It looks brand new!

[birdsandbees]

Took my electric car for a 0.4 mile test drive tooo...

https://youtu.be/gO2FlLyGmCg

[BLK 68 R/T]

Your dash cluster looks fantastic! Nice work 

[Lennard]

Your dash cluster looks fantastic! Nice work 

beautiful!

[birdsandbees]

THANKS guys. Gotta open it back up and fix that odometer wheel this morning.

[birdsandbees]

I've had a camera in my hand since I was 10 years old and the wife couldn't take a good picture if she tried, but it appears she bettered me this round! LOL Just glad she's part of the excitement in this car. It's part of her too, as it's the car I had when dating and we drove away from the Church in it as well when married in '82!

[BDF]

That's looking great!

[tan top]

 

[CDN72SE]

Looking good. 

[birdsandbees]

THANKS guys!

Was out playing real Canadian for 11 days!

Came back from 10 full days of ice fishing and my 053 radiator was ready for pick up.

All the little dings removed and recored, looking like new. Not too shiny, not to dull, think it looks correct.

The 2 row core for the 2949 053 radiator if anyone is interested, to cut your search time. I've never had an issue with the Bee overheating with the stock radiator.

[birdsandbees]

Today would have been my Daughter's 33rd Birthday, so just puttering in the shop. 

Radiator bolted in place so it's safe and off the shop floor.

Using the heat gun to straighten out the 49 year old LCA strut shields.

I think the rear licence plate holder needs a bit of work.

Disassembled for straightening and all hardware dropped in the Evaporust bucket.

Looks like I can use the 6" vise as my anvil for this one.

Most of the "body" dollied flat and fixing the edges.

Close enough for me.

Ready for media blast, prime and paint in semi gloss black.

[birdsandbees]

More puttering..

New lower radiator hose Dayco 70592

It didn't come with an anti collapse spring, so I carefully spun it out of the old one.

..and installed the spring into the new hose.

Hose clamp kits I've had since 1990.

The 1990 kits have the correct finish.

Current day kit I bought, forgetting I had some, is a bit dark to OEM standards.

[birdsandbees]

Hose clamps and licence plate parts RPM'd.

Easy way to measure for heater hose cutting, for a one shot no screw up deal!

Lower radiator hose in place. I probably should have trimmed a bit off it's length, but it's on there now . Yep, it's a Fram oil filter.. get over it. (all I've run since this engine was rebuilt in 1979 and it runs perfect and is clean inside)

New upper hose. Dayco 70369. Would have fit my old incorrect radiator perfectly as the hose spout on it is closer to the cap. Took some twisting and massaging but I made it work for the correct 053 radiator.

All ready to fill the radiator, once I'm closer to first start. Still need to install the heater hose "straps" to join the two hoses.

[Lennard]

Beautiful

[Charger-Bodie]

But, the heater hoses are supposed to cross.

[birdsandbees]

Been up and down that road and sideways CB... I was set to cross them and was swayed that it wasn't necessarily correct.

[Charger-Bodie]

Been up and down that road and sideways CB... I was set to cross them and was swayed that it wasn't necessarily correct.

How do you mean? Everything I've seen over the year shows crossed.

[birdsandbees]

Was informed that numerous true survivors were never crossed. Makes more sense than crossing them, but who knows for sure. Certainly neater running parallel... and I have enough "extra" at the front in both hoses that I can cross them if someone convinces me that crossed is truly correct.