• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

70 Hemi Superbird Restoration..................errr.....scratch that........

Thanks. The tubing bender is here and the Chromoly should be here this week. Then it's on! I'm hoping to have it as a roller by spring.
 
will look absolutely sick! Reminds me a bit of Mike Musto's Daytona

Angrier.jpg
 
will look absolutely sick! Reminds me a bit of Mike Musto's Daytona

View attachment 301824

That picture is sick! Love the black on black and the wheels are fitting. Can't believe how well that trunk lid fit's, I'm used to seeing sub-par fiberglass panels. This is going to be a wicked piece of American iron, keep after it!
 
Love that Daytona! Mike sets his cars up to handle well and haul the mail and look great doing it! Mine won't be doing any high G-force corners, but I'll get him in the straights! lol. Sometimes, I think I prefer the body lines of the Daytona and that looks really good in that concept drawing. I'll just have to live with the Superblackbird's lines and even the vinyl top!
 
Love that Daytona! Mike sets his cars up to handle well and haul the mail and look great doing it! Mine won't be doing any high G-force corners, but I'll get him in the straights! lol. Sometimes, I think I prefer the body lines of the Daytona and that looks really good in that concept drawing. I'll just have to live with the Superblackbird's lines and even the vinyl top!

Ok hemirunner. Pm me for my address to drop off the Superbird so you can get a daytona...just trying to help you out...lol
 
Gary, If I did that, then I'd have to give you all the spare 70RR and hemi parts that I've collected over the years and I know you wouldn't all that junk packed in your garage so I'll spare you the agony! Lol
 
Gary, If I did that, then I'd have to give you all the spare 70RR and hemi parts that I've collected over the years and I know you wouldn't all that junk packed in your garage so I'll spare you the agony! Lol

I tell people your one nice guy...BUT I will take the hit an put all that junk in my garage. Some how some way I will make it work. Lmao....by the way your doing a awesome job on the bird. Love this thread.
 
Last edited:
Just for giggles, I thought I'd decode the fender tag of the car that I cut up to make the Superblackbird.... it's more highly optioned than my other RR, lol. I bet it was a sharp car being B5 blue with the vinyl top, stripes and the black bucket interior!

RM23:
Plymouth Belvedere,Satellite
Unknown
2 Door Hardtop

NOG: Unknown
Unknown
St. Louis, MO, USA



E63: 383 cid 4 barrel V8 H.P. 335hp
D32: Heavy Duty Automatic Transmission
EB5: Exterior Color
P6XA: Trim - Premium, Vinyl Bucket Seats, Charcoal/Black
TX9: Int. Door Frames
212: Build Date: February 12
269403: Order number

V1X: Full Vinyl Top, Black
A01: Light Package
A36: Performance Axle Package w/3.55 Ratio
C16: Console w/Woodgrain Panel
C55: Bucket Seats
J25: 3 Speed Wipers

L31: Hood/Fender Mounted Turn Signals
M21: Roof drip rail moldings
N85: Tachometer
R22: AM Radio with 8 Track (10 Watts)
V21: Performance Hood Treatment
V8X: Tranverse Stripes, Black

26: 26in Radiator
END: End of Sales Codes

- - - Updated - - -

In contrast, here's my current roadrunner. All business, lol.
RM23:
Plymouth Belvedere,Satellite
Unknown
2 Door Hardtop

NOG: Unknown
Unknown
St. Louis, MO, USA



E63: 383 cid 4 barrel V8 H.P. 335hp
D21: 4 Speed Manual Transmission
FJ5: Exterior Color
H2X9: Trim - High, Vinyl Bench Seat, Black
TX9: Int. Door Frames
C16: Build Date: December 16
297639: Order number

FJ5: Top Color
J25: 3 Speed Wipers
M21: Roof drip rail moldings
R11: Radio Solid State AM (2 Watts)
V8X: Tranverse Stripes, Black
Y16: Sales Bank

END: End of Sales Codes

- - - Updated - - -

Probably looked something like this...
B5 Blue 70RR.jpg
 
Wow! That was purty!

This is one is badass, it has a s-bird sticker on the upright but looks more like a tona to me.
 
The rear window area certainly looks more like a daytona than a bird, but as badass as that is, he can call it anything he likes, lol!
 

Attachments

  • lee-sicilios-1969-dodge-daytona-bonneville-racer-033.jpg
    lee-sicilios-1969-dodge-daytona-bonneville-racer-033.jpg
    70.8 KB · Views: 379
  • lee-sicilios-1969-dodge-daytona-bonneville-racer-088.jpg
    lee-sicilios-1969-dodge-daytona-bonneville-racer-088.jpg
    72.3 KB · Views: 372
Last edited:
Well, I spent all day playing with my rear end......literally. All friggin day! I went out to dad's shop and we turned some bushings for the housing ends, chamfered them for welding, and found some bushing we already had to line the center section up on the alignment bar. After all that, I starting working on the housing when I got home.

- - - Updated - - -

The faceplate is for a centered pinion rear as the pinion is centered in the housing. I didn't want to go with that setup so I measured the offset of the tunnel right in front of the pinion which was 1.25". I "unwelded" the reinforcement on the faceplate and I'm moving it over 1-1/4". I redrilled the stud holes over 1.25 and then fitted the ring. The piece of the faceplate hanging into the center of the reinforcement will get cut out and welded in to patch the open gap on the other side.
48C9A5C8-927B-4D81-8B0B-2F4D2E9AC95F_zpswd1na1az.jpg


- - - Updated - - -

I nearly finished that mess, getting most of the new holes drilled with the exception of the four that go in the relocated piece. My plasma cutter refused to fire and it looks as if there is an error code on the PC board. Wonderful.
With that setback, I started fitting the rest of the pieces. The kit was designed for 3.00" axle tubes and I'm using 3.25" axle tubes with 1/4" wall thickness. That required that all these braces get opened up.
I removed .125" of material all the way around the inside of these cut braces. Not fun.
FD5F0FC5-26E8-42EC-AEA9-2314D6188548_zpsdba9p2v3.jpg


- - - Updated - - -

You can see the material removed from the one on the left as it's scribed on the one to the right.
After those were fitted, I mocked up the rest of the pieces. The face plate was notched for the 3.00 tube to fit into. In order to fit the larger 3.25 tube, I had to cut that notch .600" wider. Once done, I started making sure it would all fit together and start figuring housing and tube length as my 24" axle tubes will end up more like 17" or so.
9A8C11FD-3111-4F31-9AD8-FE5B0DAE815C_zpsgijyic3y.jpg


- - - Updated - - -

I was surprised that it all fit as well as it did. Two thumbs up for Chassis Engineering.
AEDC7D2D-4FF3-4CBD-8DD5-71CB18C9724A_zpsqujkdnkz.jpg


- - - Updated - - -

AF6F45D8-11A4-4A83-A751-F96292647F55_zps1unoq9he.jpg


- - - Updated - - -

90D8456C-0675-4D75-94EC-EEF7F2B10C28_zpswf2re6b3.jpg


- - - Updated - - -

Now to chamfer the tubes and cut them to length and get out the welder!
 
How is it even possible to muster this level of skill in a single lifetime of practice?! I suppose I can understand how a guy who has 15 employees and sells custom cars on TV for half a million dollars can do it, but a regular guy? In his garage? In his spare time? It's beyond comprehension...

Hemirunner: You are a regular guy right? LOL.
 
he sure is and helluva nice guy to talk to also, AND he is building awesome HEMI mopars. i wish i had this talent. awesome work.:3gears::icon_pray::icon_pray::icon_pray:
 
Thanks guys. I'm just a regular working stiff who can't afford to write big checks and am convinced I can do anything that any other human can do. All my few successes are piled on top of all my failures. I think that a person can learn just as much by failure as success.
 
Had a little time today, just over an hour. I thought I'd form and weld up one of the shock towers.
2584AD6B-2767-4341-A257-A06BB9F19871_zpsan1zt1dm.jpg


- - - Updated - - -

The little fireplace/chimney pieces were cut out by one of my buddies with a plasma table (everyone needs a friend like this!). They'll be the back and the part that forms the tower.
 
Unbelievable skills! You are in a different dimension than most of us.. lol
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top