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1970 Plymouth Superbird Barn Find!

Superbird Barn Find

UPDATE 11/25/2019 – This Superbird dropped off the radar back in 2016, but it has surfaced again. It appears to be offered by the same seller, this time they are offering it as a no reserve auction with a current bid of $40k here on eBay. As we were researching it, we discovered some interesting similarities with one that was listed on craigslist back in 2016, which you can read about here. If the seller sees this, we sure would love to know the full story behind it!

FROM 7/13/2016 – I’m not sure how we overlooked this one, but this Superbird is claimed to be a barn find and it does look the part. It was with the same owner from new until just recently and has 43k miles on the odometer. It’s a little rough around the edges, but it looks absolutely perfect to us! It’s listed here on eBay with bidding starting at $105k and only a couple hours left. The seller mentions that they are taking the car to the Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania this weekend, so I assume they hope to make a deal there.

440-4

Boy, I would have loved to been there when they pulled this one out! The uninterrupted ownership is a nice plus and the mileage is believable. That big block’s fuel system has already been flushed out and the fluids changed in order to make it run again. The seller doesn’t provide much information in their listing, but as already mentioned, I doubt they plan to sell it through eBay.

Bench Seat Column Shift

People always act surprised when they see the bench seat and column shift automatic inside. That may be a let down after admiring the extreme exterior, but that is how most of these came from the factory. You would think bucket seats and a manual transmission would have been a requirement is such a racy looking machine. You could get a 4-speed and a Hemi, but I haven’t seen many so equipped.

Big Fin And Mud Flaps

Plymouth built a couple thousand of these in order to homologate the slippery shape for NASCAR. Race cars were hitting 200 miles per hour and this was an attempt to improve the aerodynamics of the big B-body. It probably generated more lift than they would have liked, but the cars did pretty well until the rules changed in ’71. The Superbird may have been short-lived and little-loved, but the sight of one today is an exciting event. Some may be surprised by the bench seat inside, but I’m more shocked by the mud flaps on this one. Now, that’s not something you see on a Superbird every day!

Comments

  1. Avatar Roselandpete

    Cars were more interesting back then.

    Like 5
  2. Avatar Paul

    this ones in awful, to much to list!!!

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Walter Joy

    Hopefully I will see it this weekend at Carlisle

    Like 0
    • Avatar leiniedude Member

      Hi Walter, I believe you will. Auction ended, 0 bids. Have a great time at Carlisle, I’m jealous.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Dougm

      Jealous too! Carlisle’s my home town, enjoy a Woopie pie for me LOL

      Like 1
  4. Avatar nighttrainx03

    I am sorry but a so called muscle car with a bench seat, a big ass wing and a automatic on the Colum for over a hundred k give me a break. Let the hate begin lol . There are so many nice muscle cars for way under the price of this #$@ that I just cant believe that anybody would pay that much. Don’t get me wrong I think its a nice looking car. A friend of mine had a 69 Cornett RT 440 with a 4 speed, bucket seats and 411 rear gears back in the 70s and that car ran and was scary fast and id give more for that , this super chicken, I don’t think so.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Rspcharger

      You don’t have to believe that somebody would pay that much, auction ended with zero bids.

      Like 3
  5. Avatar Luke Fitzgerald

    Can’t get over how dear these things are – and everybody says they couldn’t shift ’em new – case in point – guy I know – late 70’s now – bought one second hand and 18 months old – $1800 – sold it to finance his sons house a few years ago – BUT, he bought it in Georgia, brought it to Australia, stayed here 30 plus years THEN it went back when sold……try doing that with a 70 Fury….. There’s a great story on “carsinbarns” about a green NYC ‘bird – check it out if you haven’t already

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Van

    Has anybody put the wing and nose on a new challenger. A Hellcat would be faster with 700 HP.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Rspcharger

      Yes, there is an outfit that is doing that. Daytona’s & superbirds.

      Like 3
      • Avatar doc

        Cool!

        Like 1
      • Avatar Robert_B

        WAY COOL…..

        I have only thought these new versions were just OK. I would like to see one of these in person, but judging from the photos, I could own one of these.

        Probably some special addition with a huge price tag but looks cool.

        Wonder if that front end would lift at 150mph? Might need a bigger spoiler.

        Like 0
  7. Avatar JW

    I never saw the love of these cars, even when new they are as big as a yacht and the nose with that big wing out back just turned me off no matter how fast they were. I agree you can find a super nice musclecar for a lot less $$$.

    Like 3
    • Avatar dennis

      First time I saw one of these when I was 9 years old riding my Stingray 5 speed bike to the Chrysler Plymouth Imperial dealer in Rochester Michigan, it was late summer of 1969. I thought it was the dumbest looking car I ever saw. I used to go to the dealer and drool over Roadrunners and 300’s The Super Bird was B5 blue, I dreamed of owning the B5 blue with white interior 69 Road Runner or the triple white 70 300 the dealer still had in stock with some early 70’s Can still smell those brand spanking new Mopars. Awesome.. This one looks like many cheap Road Runners thrown together to hit the 2000? mark they were required to build.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Al

        Me too, same age, same year, same bike in green the ‘Pea Picker” lol! We used to ride a cpl miles from home to the mom & pop mart, get our candy or Acorn machine, 10 cent pistachio handful & watch the traffic light out front. SO many muscle cars back then to look at it was crazy. The best part was when we saw a car coming from 700′-900’ towards us to the light & we’d call out the make, model & year long before it stopped at the light. Then we’d yell to them ‘LIGHT EM UP” & 1 in 6 or so would. Today, I can stand 6’ away from most cars & cant tell you who makes it.

        Like 1
  8. Avatar doc

    It is what it is and if any of you currently owned a Hemi version you would be sitting on a big pile of money. Ya see, they only made a handful of these cars and as far as price? Any car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. There may be some that are better looking, there is always one that is faster It is a personal choice that is why there are soooooooooo many different types and styles of cars! If they were all the same, that would be rather boring don’tcha think? Think of how many of the really cool cars like the one night train mentioned wound up in the crusher, yet here we have a decent example of a very unique and historical vehicle with very low mileage . I think that is pretty cool

    Like 4
  9. Avatar nighttrainx03

    Doc I completely understand what you are saying and agree with you mostly But I think you missed my point. What gets me with this particular bird is the bench seat and a column shifter. I don’t think that was Richard Petty’s idea. I am a ford guy and bleed blue. Could you imagine seeing a Boss 429 mustang with a column shift and a beech seat, but they did do the same stupid thing with the Torino’s. I always hated seeing a big block 429 Torino in race trim (decals and wheels) with a shaker hood and look inside and see a bench seat and a column shift. Now if that bird was built like for what it was to represent im all in. Even the Chevy boys had to put up with that nonsense with the chevelle. But I guess not everybody wants buckets and a floor shift. You know what they say each to his own and if everybody’s opinions was the same it would be pretty boring wouldn’t it.

    Like 2
    • Avatar M B

      The allure for many CHRYSLER muscle cars is that many DO exist without the options that might elevate them into “a nicer car” orientation. The fewer options, the more rare AND more valuable to collectors. I guess you missed the “blank” where the clock would be?

      On these cars, the deal was top speed, not acceleration to such quarter mile quickness, so column shifting was fine. Even “leaving it in Drive” would be fine.

      I guess you weren’t around or have seen how some of the Chevy guys drool over a “bench seat SS” Chevelle? I have as this was a “delete option” from a regular Chevelle, which took extra effort to make happen, unlike the SB where you had to make the buckets and console happen on the option sheet.

      Look at the recent Mecum auctions. Prices range from middle $100K upward, depending upon the options (or lack thereof), mileage, and condition. Might not be a 426 Hemi, but it’s still fine as is.

      AND it looks much better than the prior “barn find” SB that sold for close to $100K in worse condition!

      Might not be your “cup of tea”, but it can be for somebody else.

      When the cars were new, many sat on the lots and were converted to normal cars. Factory a/c was NOT available, so that probably hampered sales, too. Personally, back then, I liked the Charger Daytonas better, but after being involved in a SB restoration in the early 1990s, with a copy of the SB build instructions, the SB was a “cleaner” build than the Daytona. The SB is an acquired taste, compared to the Daytona.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Arthell64

        I prefer a bench seat with column shift over buckets and auto floor shift. My favorite is a bench seat with a 4 speed. I don’t like ac cars either.

        Like 4
  10. Avatar stillrunners

    With Paul….this one’s scary if my eyes don’t deceive me….it will get picked over and still the seller will make a profit…..

    Like 0
  11. Avatar doc

    Mopar was funny like that, and it may have been ordered that way, again personal choice,
    At one time I bought a used ’70 duster 340. It had buckets but a column shift. It also had 4 piston front calipers. Go figure We were Mopar guys and that was the first duster we had seen with that configuration. Someone special ordered that set up.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Loco Mikado

    Some cars were bought equipped the way they were to get around high insurance rates. A friend of mine owned a ’68 Dodge Coronet 2 dr HT with a bench seat. It had a HP 383, 4spd & HD suspension. His insurance company insured it as a ’68 Coronet with a V8. He paid the same rate as somebody else with a 318. It had the same drive train as a Super Bee or Road Runner and it was a sleeper and had low insurance rates, probably 1\4 of what the guys with a Super Bee or Road Runner were paying. Saw this happen more than once in the day.

    Like 5
  13. Avatar Snotty

    Mudflaps were a common sight when this car was on the street “back in the day” maybe it helped save the quarters.

    Like 1
  14. Avatar leiniedude Member

    About the bench seat. I have never put them on a scale, but have always heard the bench was lighter than a pair of bucket seats. Makes sense in a muscle car.

    Like 1
  15. Avatar Doc

    Another advantage to a bench seat is the right hand S.O.B. turn You know, make a sharp right turn and you say to the shy girl to your right ” slide over baby”!
    heh The olden days..

    Like 3
  16. Avatar Roselandpete

    I prefer to date in a convertible so I can ask the girl if she likes “riding around topless” and wait for her response. :)

    Like 2
  17. Avatar doc

    1963 Continental convertible! The best of both worlds!

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Robert_B

    I always like these.

    Wish I would have bought one of these “back in the day”. I did have a 1969 dodge Polara with a 440 magnum, auto trans and bench seat.

    It was an ex California CHP car with the HD suspension etc.

    That thing was big but fast. The muscle cars such as mustangs and camaros would always get me off the line but I would blow past them like a freight train at about 60 mph just before she shifted out of second gear, once I hit high I was gone like a rocket. The little small block muscle cars would run out of steam and that big 440 would just keep pulling all the way up to 130 or so.

    My car was slammed down low with the adjustable torsion bar front end with huge “stock car special” goodyears with treads 12″ in front and 14″ in the rear. Fender clearance courtesy of my dad’s jig saw. I was going for the stock car look and the thing was cheap so…

    So the way this bird is configured would be fine with me.

    With that big bench seat and the back seat you know how many people and girls you can stuff in one of these? My car would be a rolling party on Saturday nights, it was a blast. Great memories.

    Like 2
  19. Avatar mk

    Okay looking car with a ugly hunk of metal hanging off the front of it…..

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Eric

    In the early 80’s, I was offered a Superbird for $500. Blue, 440 4 spd bucket seat car. No engine or trans, no front seats or console. kind of beat up and a bit rusty. I passed because I didn’t have anyplace to store it. d’oh.

    Like 2
  21. Avatar TimM

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again!! If I were to drop this amount of money on a car like this it must have a 4 speed!!!

    Like 0
  22. Avatar Troy s

    All about racing and proof of how serious these guys took it. Nothing about this car was about improving highway driving or carrying groceries. I believe they weren’t outlawed in ’71 but restricted to a 305 cubic inch wedge which took away any advantage. I read that in a very old stock car magazine years ago.

    Like 0

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