I’ve had more dreams about discovering a Superbird or a Dodge Daytona hiding in a barn than I care to admit, but I don’t think I could even dream up something quite as incredible as this find! Back in 1990, the owner of this bright yellow 440 Six Pack equipped Superbird parked it in their basement, yes basement, and then forgot about it. It sat there until the current owner managed to work out a deal to buy it about a year ago. They pulled it out of the basement and cleaned it up. For whatever reason, they have now decided to part ways with this basement bird. This amazing Plymouth can now be found here on eBay in Croydon, Pennsylvania with a current bid of $114k!
This is such a crazy story that you can’t make something like this up. The previous owner didn’t just have this one bird in their basement, they had another one stashed down there. At one point they apparently had 4 of these winged warriors in their drive way! Looking at the opening going into the basement, I’m actually amazed they were able to get these things in and out without tearing the massive wing off. I can only imagine how it felt to watch such a radical machine slowly lumber out of this hole in the ground!
According to the seller, it had received a complete restoration right before being parked. It looks to have cleaned up extremely well and was clearly given a high end restoration. I’m not sure why they never used it after giving it a complete restoration, but people do some strange things.
I still can’t get over how incredible it is that someone had 2 of these things crammed in their basement, it makes me want to dig out my basement and turn it into a garage! Sadly, I don’t think I’d ever come down to find two Superbirds roosting in it, so it’s probably not worth all the work. For the time being, I’ll just have to keep dreaming! Who else here wishes they had even just one of these cars parked in their garage, barn, or basement?
Such cool finds. Maybe they picked them up for peanuts when dealers couldn’t even move them off their lots. Reminds me of the story of the ’53 Corvette some guy had in his garage and walled it off. Just had a little window you could peek in and see it. The owner’s daughter kept it in her living room after they discovered it and extracted it from it’s tomb IIRC.
Or maybe, they realized the future value and hoarded them away like I did with the “Death of Superman” comic books and cashed in years later. Yes, DC Comics killed off Super Man in the books and brought him back as a cyborg.
The owner was either dumb as a box of rocks or smarter than you’re average bear, Boo-Boo. My money is on Jellystone Park….
So you’re saying the issue I have where he dies is worth money? Maybe my 7 year old self 10 years ago shouldn’t have opened the plastic wrap on it
Oh crap !? Where did I put that old Superbird ?
Honey…..You left it in the basement years ago.
Oh, that’s right, now I remember !…..thanks Sweetie !
Good grief.
Oh yeah, I remember now, right next to the cobra…..
It was hard for dealers to get rid of these.
These were in limited shipment to dealers. Dealer’s sales history determined whether or not they were able to order specialty models in any quantity if at all. Tenure and sales history ruled during this era. Chrysler wasn’t going to ship ‘Bird’s to rural dealers with truck sales history without an SVO. I find it hard to believe that most of us have seen a Superbird on the clearance lot years ago.
I can remember a 70 superbird on our dealers lot for 2 years it didn’t sell
It was white
Buffalo NY
Main Chrysler Plymouth
I think the state of Maryland wouldn’t allow dealers to sell them due to the wing. But that’s relying on my 60ish brain…..
Probably so. In Maryland there is a law against everything. And a fee for everything.
I’d be surprised if that was true Pfk1106. Growing up in Western Maryland, near Cumberland, I remember riding the bus to high school every weekday morning and seeing a Petty blue Superbird parked in the driveway of someones home.
Having been involved with car dealerships in Maryland at that time, I can say for certain that at first Maryland did not permit the sale of these cars in the state, new or used, because they considered that front nose to be part of the body and not a bumper. Chrysler finally came up with a factory approved small rubber bumper strip that mounted to the very front edge. As I recall the strip was about 4 feet long.
Chrysler said it was a factory approved front bumper, so the state vehicle inspectors would refer to the Chrysler information & paperwork to justify the vehicle passing inspection. Since there was yet to be any Federal bumper specifications, Chrysler was free to make a claim that this little strip was a factory bumper!
I was told Maryland was not the only state to require the rubber strip bumper, and I’ve seen a few over the years.
I never did see how anyone could correctly(?) mount a license plate up front on these cars.
A friend of mine was a parts manager at a Chrysler/Plymouth store in the DC area back in 71 and they had several of these they couldn’t sell so they de-Superbirded them by removing the wings and front snouts and sold all of them the cars a few weeks. He had the snouts and wings in storage but none of the buyers ever claimed them. He moved to Florida in the later 70’s so he guessed the dealer either threw them out or sold them.
I know of two Datsun Roadster in the basement
Love the recall wheels
I personally think these wheels are ugly as sin. what is the story on them? I am not familiar and don’t think I have ever seen them before.
lug nutts came loose on them i believe
They were recalled for cracking. Extremely rare now, probably part of that $114K on eBay. And if you don’t drive the car much, no problem. And, yes, they were factory.
Never available on a Superbird, recall wheels came out in august 68 and and were recalled a few weeks later because of wheel cracks from loosening lugs due to bad wheel design.
My Dad brought home a B5 BLUE Superbird from a used car lot about 1976 and my Mom thought it was the ugliest thing ever and made him take it back, on the plus side he came back with a burnt orange ’70 Superbee that he kept until the early ’80s.
Which Rocco are you? I didn’t know Barn Finds let two same name members leave comments. I hope the other members don’t get us mixed up. LOL.
I’m the Ford version.
Seller has shared the reserve: $118,500
Could’a bought a low mile pristine Hemi orange Superbird in the summer of 1980 for 5K, and as I was college, had to turn it down. That one was a six pack too. Sometimes life is too cruel.
In 1969 my dad had an opportunity to buy a cherry 1965 Cobra for $5K. But it was of course too impractical at that stage of our family. Later, he was wondering whether he might have just been able to park it and hold it, if he’d only known….
And my dad who had factory ordered his ’69 GTO convertible in mid ’68, Verdero green with a tint match top on black interior. Canadian records put it at one of two sold here. Sister born in 72 so….sold car. Yup, I bring it up at family Christmas dinners.
Yep, I could have had a solid Petty blue Superbird in 1981 for 2700 bucks, and the guy wanted my ’71 340 Duster. He said the cops kept hassling him. Young and dumb…
Yes, but your college degree has made your money than the Superbird ever would have. Ask me how I know.
As a blue collar factory worker the things that make my life worth living is looking foward to my weekly PBR drunk, and when the pipes under my trailer don’t freeze in the winter.
College is much more important than an old car.
Your right about the college, to a point. The tail end baby Boomers have really gotten the shaft. The country is now flush with eager young educated types and the employers are laughing all the way to the bank. Twice in my career I have been forced out of a job, each time at the top of the pay scale and with ample vacation time and benefits. I haven’t seen a raise in years. I could have gone the management route as I was strongly encouraged to do, but then to benefit myself, I would be forced to “abuse” those below me, won’t do that. So here I sit, 56 years old and making 1/2 of what I once did (work twice as hard) and without any health insurance or vacation time. You and I both played by the rules, but where has it gotten us? Okay, to be fair, I made enough over the years to still be fairly comfortable, I won’t starve, but it sure wasn’t the life I was promised 40 years ago. I wonder what the man who will buy this car does for a living? That is what sometimes makes me lament here. Did he get lucky in the job world, or did he walk over others to get where he is today? That in general is my big problem with all these insane car prices. The kind of people you see at a Mecum auction bidding, do they look like you and I? Do they look like they are paying a fair wage to their workers? So they get a shiny car to show off, but will that car drive them through the gates of Heaven? Sorry, feeling kind’a blue today, really shouldn’t hit send, but I will.
Billy- Life is like a river…you float down it and sometimes you hit the bank and other times you hit the rapids. As long as you have done it your way even if it hasnt made you wealthy….thats the way it goes. I wouldnt waste a minute wondering why those fools at the auctions pay the stupid priced they do. How they got their money and what they waste it on is their problem. When I was a young college graduate and a few advanced degrees ago the last thing I ever wanted was to get on the ratrace wheel. I dont regret ny of my choices or how the breaks have gone…except for the two times the economy collapsed with the internet bubble and the Bush meltdown. Got my clock cleaned. Screw ’em! Too much Barnfinds to read! lol
I know a guy who sells mostly and buys a few at Mecum. He is “normal” and has worked pretty hard to get there. He does mostly Camaros, but will do any Muscle car he thinks will turn him a buck. He is not a collector that I can tell. Drives a POS S10 most of the time. Lives well. Works hard. Started as a body man. Worked his way up to used car salesman – found his niche selling muscle cars.
College? Meh. Got the degree, but worked my way thru college as a sign painter and am still in sign industry as a “project manager” – like was said – making less now than in 2007, with no insurance or benefits other than liberal vacation and personal time. Can’t get a new job – at 50, too old for places to want to train or take on.
I do get to look at BF on company PC for now.
But yes most employers are looking for at least the most basic of degrees. Even to answer the phone. 2008 made emplyers realize they could get same work out of half the staff and Obamacare seems to have made it easier for employers to not offer insurance. plus part time rules etc. things will never be same as they were.
Life is fine. We’re getting by. Made my fair share of mistakes along the way. This is where I am, not complaining at all. Just observing.
Remember both of these cars, as well as the other two. They’re both from my hometown Rochester N.Y.
The previous owner/restorers clearly knew what they had and tucked them away for a rainy day..having said that, a barn car this does not make though….
Anyway, restorations 25+yrs ago were even harder than they are today, if not as expensive, there was very little repop available and thus left one to original parts sourcing, which wasnt as easy as click sorting thru ebay or online mopar web forums. Knowledge was also harder to find – but – original survivor cars were a bit easier. Someone put in some serious work and it shows!
The magnesium wheels are very unique & rare and top off the car nicely!
My hats off to those that saw the future status of these cars so many decades ago and acted accordingly!
You never know , as evidenced here, where these things will show up. Back in the mid-90’s, I worked for an asphalt company near Madison, Wis. One day, we went to a farm out in the middle of nowhere to do a driveway. Nobody around, small farm, several outbuildings ( with no doors, lean to’s really) During one of our many breakdowns, we’re sitting around waiting, I look in one of the shed’s, and there is a car under a cover, with what looked like a wing on the back. Curiosity got the best of me, I peeked in, Holy Crap, it’s a Superbird! Blue.
As said, not very popular at the time. Never saw ANY in the midwest driving around. I always wondered what ever happened to that blue one. Farmer Brown knew what he had too.
I would have gone back and stolen it. Those old Mopar were easy to steal.
Hi Joe, HA! Stealing stuff from (older) farmers is like taking candy from a baby.( great people, just a tad out of touch) I hear ya’, any pre-locking steering column car was a snap. Hot lead to the coil, jump the starter, and away we go. ( don’t forget the speedo cable, so mom doesn’t know,,,,,many years pass, that cable, for whatever reason, was never reattached, and now,,,,voila, low mileage car on BF’s)
You boys better watch out for them Duke boys. They don’t like it when you steal from old farmers, especially mopars.
Nice to see what they look like with the headlight doors open. A first for me.
I put an aircraft in a hangar. Went to go revive it and was astonished to find that 21 years had passed since I placed it there. I knew it was there, but just forgot about it didn’t keep track of time with all of lifes challenges. Probably something similar here. The aircraft wasn’t worth a dime more in 21 years. Should have put a hemi cuda ( insert favorite car here) instead.
What kind of aircraft?
Schweitzer 2-33. When I dug out the logbooks it had less than 100 hours of flight time. I knew it was there, but just lost track of the years since it was parked. I always planned on flying it again the NEXT spring, then the next then the next. With a fresh annual and tire the new owner was flying it a week later.
My first sailplane hitch was in a 2-33. Wouldn’t mind having one now at 72……………..(I’m an old 46 Ercoupe 415-C owner)
Not to be a wise azz ,,,,,,,, but did you fall & hit your head,,,,,how could someone forget about their plane ? You must have a lot of toys/distractions.
It is true that they couldn’t move these off lots. In fact apparently dealers were known to have removed the wing and nose in order to move the cars off the lots. It is likely many Superbirds were driving around owners unaware. Who knows a few of those might still be out there.
I distinctly remember seeing a line of Superbirds, or Daytonas on a dealer’s lot in Columbus OH, probably about 20 of them, it was funny, I also remember a 1969 Camaro Pace Car replica convertible in front of us at that same time, I was around 12 and a car nut. In 1974 I bought a 69 Super Bee, nice shape but a little rust behind rear wheel wells, $500, emerald green with white stripe 383 AT no options, wrecked it.
I’m having a hard time believing this story. How can anybody put a car like this in the basement and “forget about it”, unless they have a really bad case of senility. New car dealers that were lucky enough to get one of these didn’t have much trouble selling them, but as used cars they were a nightmare. Insurance companies saw to that. Wish I’d bought a dozen.
The story is real…the part that he forgot about them is BS! These cars were well know to the local Mopar guys in my home town of Rochester, NY back in the 80’s. We knew they were there and so did he…as he was reminded every time he entered his basement!! Every time I drove by the owners house for the past 25 years I thought about these cars!
Absolutely Jim, they sat outside his house long enough. Its a shame no local guys knew they were for sale
I think “forgot” is a figurative usage. He put the cars down there and let them sit and gain value. I have a lot of things I own that I “forgot” about. Toy car collection. I have it but don’t do anything with it except tryi8ng to sell them off now to regain the space they take.
Too many thumbs down on this one. I love these old birds!
From Nebraska and years ago I was coming back from Indiana picking up a car and came to a little town, I believe in Illinois that was working on their main street and was detouring everyone a couple blocks out of the way. As we were cutting thru town I went by an older lady on a corner of the block that had just finished mowing her yard. I looked over as she was putting the mower away in the garage and here was a Superbird sitting. I drove around the block and stopped to talk to her. Her grandson had died, had several cars they sold but kept this one for his two nephews when they got older. I gently asked how they were going to split this between the two nephews and that hadn’t occurred to them but left my card in case they sorted it out. Never heard from them. If any gearhead out there knows of this car let me know here what happened in that situation……….Thanks
@billy apparently you have an angry fan base. I’m a manager and I’m not in any way proud of you for taking the high road and giving management the perverbial middle finger. Sadly, some of the people who get ” stepped on” often don’t earn their keep. I spent my early days slaving on a farm being paid by the day. I earned my money and my respect. I also learned that I wanted to be the guy in charge. Don’t minimalize that accomplishment. Bosses aren’t bad. They are necessary. Without them non of your coveted cars would have gotten built. End rant (truth).
My friend, I have found that most indeed earn their keep and more, but when it comes to maximizing company profits, promises made to hard workers usually get stepped on. There has to be some middle ground between profits and average workers well being. This country is a world of hurt and unless the working man gets on his feet again, it will collapse under its own weight. In the 1800s Marx and Engels said in “Das Kapital” that the communists wouldn’t have to fight the capitalists to take over, given enough time it would destroy itself through too few people having money and power and the average worker would revolt out of sheer frustration. I am not a commie by any means, but capitalism is broken in this nation. We need to dig up Teddy Roosevelt to break some of these trusts and FDR too to put some teeth back into the labor laws. Okay, rant over. BTW, sorry for the earlier self pity post, had to vent. BTW number 2…for those of you wondering, I did not vote for Mr. T.
Hi Billy, I understand your feelings. I too, feel I worked my life away, in part, because of a few bad decisions, don’t have a lot to show for it. Like you, I did ok, but just ok, and it seems seeing cars like this, that command huge prices, just doesn’t seem fair. I don’t think a lot of people buy these high end cars, just a select few pass them around to each other. You are right, I don’t see “Joe Lunchbox” at these auctions either, but they are entertaining when it’s 0 degrees outside. As the rules state, “no politics” ( although, it seems to be loosely enforced) and the sorry state of our electoral process is sad ( these were the choices?) but I like to think of BF’s as kind of the shelter from all that BS, and we can still enjoy babbling about the cars. Hang in there, pal.
The irony, Billy, is that we just elected a guy president who represents every flaw in modern capitalism that you just enunciated. Take a look at his cabinet of billionaires. There’s a big screwing coming for the working folks…the very people who swallowed his line. Lets just hope he doesnt like Superbirds. he might gold plate ’em!
Good points Billy. No hard feelings, I enjoy an intelligent conversation. Good luck, and sorry about Mr. T. He will equally embarrass us Canadians. Apologies for the political nature of this comment, it’s practically unavoidable at this point……
I feel the need to chime I spent my entire working life and I too have gotten by. I’ll soon be 57 both my knees need replacing, my back is shot, and I am a kidney cancer survivor. I have work hard all my life for the man first as an auto mechanic and then as a welder fabricator. My employer is a billionaire and I sit at home now on disability. The world is not an equal place gentleman so what we have to do is to decide if we’re going to be a cup 1/2 full or a cup 1/2 empty kind of person I’m personally working making the best of what I have and being as inventive as I can with what I have. If your head is just above water find a higher rock to stand on. As for the car only ever saw one in person in my life and it was pounding threw traffic to fast for a good look, but what I do remember is the sound that was awesome haven’t herd any car quit like it. End of rant thanks.
This is awesome. Now in my 50’s, I still drool when I drive down evergreen road in Beverly Hills, MI, and see the Superbird under a tarp in a carport that has been there since I was 16…never left a note or anything, thinking they obviously know what they have…it’s still there, but for how long? Maybe it will be featured here someday…?
Sold for $118,500.00. 61 bids.
I friend of mine has had his Superbird since he was a teenager in high school. He has told me time and again that he wouldn’t sell his for a million bucks and the truth is, he most likely wouldn’t
When i read about the Maryland front bumper issue all i could picture after that was chrysler front collision testing like you see on tv.
they actually outlawed them because they had no front bumper i think.