how's the restoration of LEE #1 coming???

[itchyballs]

anybody heard how LEE#! is coming and are there any pics of it??

[The Ghoul]

anybody heard how LEE#! is coming and are there any pics of it??

I think they are still working on chipping the trunk weight outta there!!!!

[wLc]

From the North American General Lee Fan Club.

I have one thing to complete, I found it, I am restoring it. I am building a T3? Light Bronze 1969 Dodge Charger. Then the same guy that painted it in 1978, is painting it orange, again. The same guy that decalled it in 1978, will do it one more time in 2006. The same stuntman that jumped it in 1978, will drive it again. The public will see it again for the first time at the last place it ever appeared as "The General Lee" in 1978. There are no spy shots, no secrets, no updates. "THE" General Lee runs, drives, and moves on the same motor and transmission as it did in 1978, everything else is a replica.

Howdy,
Please read: There are no spy shots, no secrets, no updates.

If you want to see LEE 1 - hell, ride in it, I'll see you in Georgia on the 11th of November, 2006.

Travis

[The Ghoul]

Sounds like he doesn't want people to pick his work apart...
Seems kind fishy to me.
If you are undertaking a project like this and not pulling some trickery why would you not want to document it to bring the price higher? Much less if its that historic of a project. I'm thinking he scrapped the body... just conspiracy punk like that 

[Mike DC]

    
I'm pretty sure the LEE#1 resto story is not B.S.  As far as I know it's really happening.  It's being kept under wraps until an "unveiling" when it's finished.  There's said to be plenty of documentation of the resto to see then.
   

The DOH hobby has been pretty split on this whole issue, actually.  Half of us think it's a great idea.  The other half of us (including yours truly) thinks there's not enough left of the car to call it the same automobile when it's finished so we should just leave it alone.

 

[JimShine]

It IS happening. I am pretty sure the event in Georgia this November will be its unveiling to the public. It will be heavily documented. It is a deal of showing it off as a done car rather than leak progress pics.

I hope to be there to see it. I am doing all I can to make it happen.

[Chargerguy74]

I'd rather it be left untouched and unrestored

[JimShine]

Welp, too late for that. No tears here. I am all for seeing an otherwise dead Charger put back on the road. Now everyone that sees it will enjoy it whereas before only a few diehards understood its importance. It also has a chance of surviving longer now rather than continue to rot away.

[BrianShaughnessy]

I'm not heavy into being a dukes nut but I'm glad he's fixing up that heap...    it was a disappointment to see it the way it was at Carlisle a few years ago.

As for keeping it under wraps... well...   I'd suspect he wants as many people as possible to attend his event in Georgia.     Why give away the surprise?      I'm betting it'll be orange and have an 01 on the doors tho!   

[Chargen69]

Wonder if it will be on ebay after the jump?

















just kidding

[itchyballs]

hopefully at least some of the original cars from the series stay unrestored and as finished with condition fromt the series....

[The Ghoul]

hopefully at least some of the original cars from the series stay unrestored and as finished with condition fromt the series....

I can see them wanting to restor genral 1 to series condition because it was the first and they do have the orrigional shell. But if they were to put the origional shell on display as genral #1 it would make no sence because it has been repainted (green or black?) . So in essance you would have the origional body on display and when you look at it you just see a junk shell. Now, if the shell wasnt painted over and it was the old tattered DOH finish on it I say dont restore it.
Mah well,
just my take on it

[itchyballs]

i can see both sides but i have seen LEE#1 and trust me there is no way that car will have much of its original sheetmetal left when they are done restoring it. besides with new sheetmetal the history has been erased of the car..... so in escence it really will be nothing more  than a restored charger with a ton of japanese replacement sheetmetal...

[The Ghoul]

i can see both sides but i have seen LEE#1 and trust me there is no way that car will have much of its original sheetmetal left when they are done restoring it. besides with new sheetmetal the history has been erased of the car..... so in escence it really will be nothing more  than a restored charger with a ton of japanese replacement sheetmetal...

but it would retain the vin which is in the books as being LEE#1 thus going all the way back to the 'is extensive sheet metal replacement re-body debate'...
I don't think I have the will to get back into that whole mess.
But yes I can see the other side of this as well.

There fore I am forming my own stance on the subject.
If I had found this shell I would have painted and decailed it as it was and weather it to make it look like it sat for all that time. Then put it on display in a museum!! LOL

[JimShine]

Screw the books. Here is the VIN. Save it and compare it for yourselves

[itchyballs]

something that will have that much sheetmetal and parts replaced  could never be considered original. i don't see how it could be?

[Mike DC]

 
DOH fans have been debating the LEE#1 issue for a long time.  It will be significantly reworked & replaced by the time it's restored. 


. . . But the same thing is true for half the other musclecars undergoing restorations these days.  It's a issue that can be debated all over the old-car hobby at this point.

 

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

vin:XP29H9B193680

Body Type:   X  =  Dodge Charger
Price Class:   P  =  Premium
Body Type:   29  =  2 Door Sports Hardtop
Engine:   H  =  383 330HP OR 335HP 1-4BBL 8 CYL
Year:   9  =  1969
Sequence Number: 193680  =  93680th Vehical Built

there you have it the 1st general lee to be seen on the television was a basic 383 optioned with vinyl roof and rocker moudling trim(from what i can see)-MATT

[JimShine]

Here is an update for anyone that cares. The car will be shown on November 11th in Covington Georgia.

http://www.generalleefanclub.com/

[69charger383]

Are they gonna jump it again? I hope not

[6pkrunner]

"THE" General Lee runs, drives, and moves on the same motor and transmission as it did in 1978, everything else is a replica.

[/i][/b]

Sounds like a complete rebody if the motor and tranny are the only original parts. Am I reading this correctly?

[JimShine]

I know it seems impossible, but wait until it you read about it before you draw any conclusions.

[Mike DC]

 
They say it's not a full-blown rebody.  It'll be pretty chopped-up for sure, but technically it'll still be made out of more of LEE#1 than any other single Dodge Charger.  (After this we're getting into the "re-body debate" again, and we've had plenty of threads about that already.  The issue is all over the old-car hobby.)

----------------------------------------------------------------

It's the same old unibody shell and probably most of the same framerails & passenger floors.  I saw the car up close a few times before the resto, and IMHO the chassis was bent & disassembled a lot worse than it was actually rusted.

I suspect probably everything  behind the rear axle is gonna be totally gone, though.  It's too messed up & cemented. 
(Yeah, I really mean all of it.  You might as well put the car on a chopping block and whack off the last 3 feet with a giant butcher knife.)

And the whole outer skin hardly had a decent area on it.

   

[6pkrunner]

I've seen pictures of the car when it was found, located, dug out. While not wanting to open the can of worms over rebody, one must seriously ask when the point of no return is passed.

One has a unibody shell and needs work. Most would agree that replacing the complete doors does not affect originality to the point of being a called rebody. Now both quarters join the doors. Still the original car? Then the trunk and trunk extensions. Floor pans.Inner fenders and rad support. Firewall. Roof.

I know everyone has varying definitions of when to call it beyond original. But to spend hundreds of hours to retain the frame rails (if they are still good) is stretching it. I am in no way saying this about number 1 Lee, just seeing where people call it. Alan on Moparts is restoring the BarrelCuda and when do you say that there is more of other cars into the result than rolled off the showroom floor. While he is doing an above and beyond job and is to be commended for this level of restoration dedication, it really cannot be called an original car by a long shot.
Again not meant to be a chit disturber, just wondering where original ends and reproduction or tribute takes over.

[JimShine]

I have seen the car after it was sandblasted (the public will too when all is said and done). Rot was not an issue. I suggest everyone wait and get more facts before making assumptions. And as far as the hundreds of hours goes, yup, they are going the distance on this one. It will no doubt be the most extensive restoration of a 1969 Charger to date. Nothing was spared to salvage as much original metal as possible.