Lyndsy Payne’s 1970 Dodge Super Bee

07/25/2017
10 min read

Lyndsy Payne’s 1970 Dodge Super Bee

07/25/2017
10 min read

Often, when one thinks back to the days of being 10 years old, memories of playing catch or building a soapbox car may come to mind. These are the somewhat traditional types of activities that kids may participate in with their fathers. However, Lyndsy Payne was fortunate enough to be a part of something a little grander. At this early age, Lyndsy’s father purchased a project car for the two of them to work on, and not just any car, but rather a 1970 Dodge Super Bee. With mismatched body panels resembling a Pantone color book, and some classic Dodge rot, at first glance building this Bee appeared to be a daunting task. However, after a thorough inspection, the father-daughter team established that the classic Mopar had solid bones beneath its neglected shell and decided to push forward with their project. The restoration was now underway.


Once a direction was decided upon for the Super Bee, the excitement of acquiring the vehicle tapered down and the Payne’s plan for getting the car up to snuff was set in motion. Unfortunately, not long after the build began, Lyndsy’s father fell ill. This made it very difficult for him to work on the car. However, in true gearhead fashion, the two were determined and not about to let anything stand in the way of completing their project. Instead of putting things on hold, Dad took on a more supervisory role as the teardown began.



After logging countless hours in the garage, the Super Bee really started coming together. The Dodge’s 383ci engine was mildly built to put out a healthy 410hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The Chrysler big-block was mated to a B&M-shifted 727 Torqueflite transmission and finished off with 3.23 gears in the rear to set the Bee’s tires in motion. While she insists that it’s no horsepower monster, Lyndsy’s Super Bee still has plenty of sting. Eventually, the car was resprayed with a fresh layer of paint and treated to a refreshed interior, complete with custom embroidered Super Bee logos on the back seat and door panels.



17 years of hard work and dedication later, the Bee is just about complete in Lyndsy’s eyes. However, when we asked if she was through with the build, Lyndsy joked, “Is a project ever truly finished?” Currently Payne is on the hunt for OEM chrome molding for the front grille and is looking to add some more rumble with a new exhaust system. She conveyed that there were still a few other loose ends to tie up, but nothing major from what we can tell. Lyndsy adds that while it isn’t a perfect restoration, the blood, sweat, tears, and breaks of frustration that went into this clean father-daughter build make up for all of that. Keep up with Lyndsy as she continues to make new memories with her classic Mopar by following @lynzpayne on Instagram.


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