Update! I was able to purchase an amazing piece of history for the Superbird
Original/Unrestored Superbird
- Thread starter Pumpdoc
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NICE, I thought about that block of Dave's for some time... too long it appears! Good for you!
yessir Dave hooked it up!
I spoke with Doug a couple of weeks ago about this car. I'm glad he put several pages about it in the latest newsletter.
I am again attaching here something that was deleted from the post regarding the looking for a 440 engine.
The www.aerowarriors.com/new.html page has a lot of new found information on Superbird production.
The 10/21/69 minutes item #9 says there will be 5 pilot cars and 1 body in white at that time. The NASCAR 1920 serial # list (available from the Daytona Superbird auto club) shows 5 cars delivered 10/17, 10/24 and 10/29. All the later cars on the 1920 list come in larger groups. My thought is that the 5 cars could have been the pilot cars. Brennan Cook has just sorted the 1920 list on dodgecharger.com (aero cars). He has identified RM23?OA149855, the potential 5th car built in serial # to be possible. A thought would be that could have been the BIW car (I know BIW cars didn't have serial #'s) but it would have the modifications started.
The 10/30/69 meeting minutes. Item #3)a) says there was interference between the air cleaner and hood (question here why would this happen if the '70 Coronets already worked since the back of the Coronet hood was used for the Superbird?) First 22 parts to be reworked.
Item #3)f) A pillar moulding fit problems. First 160 sets to be reworked. (note: I have one of the first 130 cars plus a mid production car and 1 set of parts counter mouldings from 1977, 3 sets of mouldings. The 3 passenger sets are identical, the early driver one has differences)
Item 3)g) the first 31 hood character lines different those hoods to be used.
Items 3)a&b) first 100 valances to be used but need changes.
Item 7) 5 tools and gages missing (David Patik I believe called them fixtures) So on the early cars were some things hand drilled and fitted?
Item 2) first 500 cars had late show up of decals (wing, nose or quarter?) Where were these cars fitted with decals in a field? (from the memo it doesn't look like the dealers put them on)
11/13/69 minutes. 1)on schedule 2)Decals stop and go shipments-overtime 4)defects-especially scoops (again my thought is what do we see on early cars?).
11/13/69 Milestones Memo there was a proposed Belvedere Body in White to Creative proposed 9/10-actual 9/15. From the Nascar 1920 list the 1st. Superbird was received at Clairpointe 10/17. So these are probably not the same cars. Was the process to send a car to Creative before the pilot cars to fit things?
Same 11/13/69 Milestones Memo says the first production cars were shipped to Clairpointe 11/13. The NASCAR 1920 list shows car #6 shipped to Clairpointe 11/3. I believe this reinforces that the first 5 cars were pilot cars.
After reading this info I think it would be very interesting to look at the very early cars, especially 1-5,1-22,1-31,1-160 to see what was different from the later cars, and especially to have the early car owners look at their cars.
Doug put a picture in the newsletter of the Tor-Red Superbird at Cape Cod probably late 1969 from Stock Car Racing magazine. I believe that is one of the 5 pilot cars too. That car has Black Decals, probably has to do with the delivery challenges mentioned above. The 3/1970 SCR issue has a b/w picture on page 52 of the Tor-Red car taken from the other side showing a water view. Looks like could be an iffy nose color match.
Nice find on the engine block, but the original still seems to be lost to time.
I am again attaching here something that was deleted from the post regarding the looking for a 440 engine.
The www.aerowarriors.com/new.html page has a lot of new found information on Superbird production.
The 10/21/69 minutes item #9 says there will be 5 pilot cars and 1 body in white at that time. The NASCAR 1920 serial # list (available from the Daytona Superbird auto club) shows 5 cars delivered 10/17, 10/24 and 10/29. All the later cars on the 1920 list come in larger groups. My thought is that the 5 cars could have been the pilot cars. Brennan Cook has just sorted the 1920 list on dodgecharger.com (aero cars). He has identified RM23?OA149855, the potential 5th car built in serial # to be possible. A thought would be that could have been the BIW car (I know BIW cars didn't have serial #'s) but it would have the modifications started.
The 10/30/69 meeting minutes. Item #3)a) says there was interference between the air cleaner and hood (question here why would this happen if the '70 Coronets already worked since the back of the Coronet hood was used for the Superbird?) First 22 parts to be reworked.
Item #3)f) A pillar moulding fit problems. First 160 sets to be reworked. (note: I have one of the first 130 cars plus a mid production car and 1 set of parts counter mouldings from 1977, 3 sets of mouldings. The 3 passenger sets are identical, the early driver one has differences)
Item 3)g) the first 31 hood character lines different those hoods to be used.
Items 3)a&b) first 100 valances to be used but need changes.
Item 7) 5 tools and gages missing (David Patik I believe called them fixtures) So on the early cars were some things hand drilled and fitted?
Item 2) first 500 cars had late show up of decals (wing, nose or quarter?) Where were these cars fitted with decals in a field? (from the memo it doesn't look like the dealers put them on)
11/13/69 minutes. 1)on schedule 2)Decals stop and go shipments-overtime 4)defects-especially scoops (again my thought is what do we see on early cars?).
11/13/69 Milestones Memo there was a proposed Belvedere Body in White to Creative proposed 9/10-actual 9/15. From the Nascar 1920 list the 1st. Superbird was received at Clairpointe 10/17. So these are probably not the same cars. Was the process to send a car to Creative before the pilot cars to fit things?
Same 11/13/69 Milestones Memo says the first production cars were shipped to Clairpointe 11/13. The NASCAR 1920 list shows car #6 shipped to Clairpointe 11/3. I believe this reinforces that the first 5 cars were pilot cars.
After reading this info I think it would be very interesting to look at the very early cars, especially 1-5,1-22,1-31,1-160 to see what was different from the later cars, and especially to have the early car owners look at their cars.
Doug put a picture in the newsletter of the Tor-Red Superbird at Cape Cod probably late 1969 from Stock Car Racing magazine. I believe that is one of the 5 pilot cars too. That car has Black Decals, probably has to do with the delivery challenges mentioned above. The 3/1970 SCR issue has a b/w picture on page 52 of the Tor-Red car taken from the other side showing a water view. Looks like could be an iffy nose color match.
Nice find on the engine block, but the original still seems to be lost to time.
Vinny
Well-Known Member
FYI, there are column shift automatic Superbirds out there.
440 PHIXX
The Island of Misfit Mopars
Someone else can elaborate. Wasn’t that “standard” on the Superbird. Or was the 4 speed standard, and the automatic a no cost option, because of the deleted Dana 60 in favor of the 8 3/4.
Hemi2Much
Well-Known Member
There is a guy on YouTube ( Scotts Speed Shop ) that had a SS Twin Plug 426 Hemi that was WINDOWED on both sides of the block. He had it repaired and actually got it running and just recently sold the engine.
matthon
Well-Known Member
I've seen a Superbird around here with a column shift and bucket seats.
And your point is? There were column shift Hemi Cuda's & floor shifted six cylinder Dodge Darts... Back in the sixties & seventies if you checked the right boxes, the US auto makers would build you just about anything...
Vinny
Well-Known Member
My point? Simple. I was just clarifying that a bird with a 727 did not have to be optioned with a console. It was also available on the column.
In about the 5th post, the fender tag is decoded. A couple folks didn't read that post and were asking questions that were already answered. This car has the C16 for console and D32 for an auto, so, auto on the floor. The i terior code is for bucket seats, but that is no guarantee for a floor shifter.
The fender tag appears to be missing the Gate Sequence Number and the Line Sequence Number. Very understandable if it was a Pilot car.
Other numbers that would be on all Superbirds: V19 and V88 are missing too. Additionally it has the V1X on it, Unique to this and perhaps the other Superbird Pilot cars. Again very understandable since it was a Pilot car.
Other numbers that would be on all Superbirds: V19 and V88 are missing too. Additionally it has the V1X on it, Unique to this and perhaps the other Superbird Pilot cars. Again very understandable since it was a Pilot car.
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Dallas a guy I worked with had a car like that. White, black vinyl top 440+6 and I think a 4 speed.
maxwedgechar
Well-Known Member
My Max has a warranty block. There are no numbers on the number pad. The original owner worked at the dealer where he bought it and I think that when he blew it up the Zone Office got him another because he was racing it. And doing very well at it from what I understand!
6bblgt
New Member
AWESOME FIND!!
per Brennan Cook's site -
this is the first VIN'd Superbird shipped to the Clairpointe facility on Friday 10/17/69 (the second car showed up a week later: Friday 10/24/69)
& the last and ONLY to leave on Friday 12/19/69 (13 cars left on Thursday 12/18/69) ***** sounds like it stayed there as a "MASTER REFERENCE" ??
if the first 11 Superbirds were "normal" Plymouth b-bodies, they would've been "scheduled" 10/23/69 - are any others of the first 10 known? 0A1498xx?
per Brennan Cook's site -
this is the first VIN'd Superbird shipped to the Clairpointe facility on Friday 10/17/69 (the second car showed up a week later: Friday 10/24/69)
& the last and ONLY to leave on Friday 12/19/69 (13 cars left on Thursday 12/18/69) ***** sounds like it stayed there as a "MASTER REFERENCE" ??
if the first 11 Superbirds were "normal" Plymouth b-bodies, they would've been "scheduled" 10/23/69 - are any others of the first 10 known? 0A1498xx?
Good morning, just so you know, I would love to purchase a six pack Plymouth sport fury GT. That is a sweet car. I’m not sure about those other cars. Brennan is definitely the man. I’m learning more each day and it has become aware to me that that is actually the first Superbird made. It was also on a 1970 Dealer promotion. They were the last pictures in it.
gtx6970
Well-Known Member
Friend of mine owns the 3rd one built, 1st one believed to be shipped
Awesome piece of history
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