Hemi Superbird out of 41 year hibernation

[areibel]

From Moparts-
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=7760206&an=0&page=0&gonew=1#UNREAD

[magnumauto]

Hello all, I want to share with all of you a car that came into our shop this week in Illinois from Oklahoma.
The car is a 1970 Hemi Superbird, 4 speed, FJ5 limelight green with white bucket seat interior!!!! only 14,000 original miles.
The current owner bought it in 1972 in the condition you see here. The motor had spun a bearing and was placed in the trunk! He was told at the time that the original owner was an American Indian from North East OK and he believes that the Indian was the one who did the custom paint job on it. He was also told that the Indian had 2 of these cars, the other one being a 440 car. Does anyone remember seeing this car back then?
It is hard to tell in the pictures but the roof is painted textured red, kind of looks like a vinyl top.
The car itself is complete and numbers matching motor and transmission and the only rust to be found is the trunk floor from the engine being in there and the trunk would not close all the way.
The plan is to restore it back to its original glory and be completed by the end of 2014.

Mark from Magnum Auto Restoration, formerly Blue Star Body Works

[WINGIN IT]

Very cool ! 
Great color combo too !
Any pics of it back in the day with the retro paint job?

[1966hemi]

This find just goes to show these cars are still out there in storage. What a neat car! Cool story behind it as well.

[magnumauto]

I do not know if he has any pictures of it from years ago, but I will ask him.
It is hard to tell but there is a faint blue stripe that goes down the middle of the body as wide as the side scoop, I am not sure why it faded faster than the rest of the car...Maybe it was buffed off and then they added the rear blue tail stripe?
Mark

[Highbanked Hauler]

Its quite possible that the car got a spray on vinyl top in a can back in the day. I personally have done a few dealer cars in the 70S and  the (paint) looked marginal best.

[hotrod98]

I don't remember ever seeing this one. There are several valuable mopars in the Indian territory near here. I've bought a few over the years. The one thing that I don't do it is go there looking for them even though my family is from there and I'm part Choctaw Indian. I specifically steer clear of the Osage and they tend to have most of the mopars.
I tried to buy a Herb McCandless 70 Cuda near Tahlequah that had practically no miles on it. Was like a time capsule. Hated missing out on that car. I would have kept it until the day I died.
Looking forward to seeing more info on this one.

[Indygenerallee]

That's wild! Man 14,000 miles and in that shape, hard to believe he has had it for this long and never done anything to it before now! Never know where these cars are! I found out the other day that there is a 10,000 mile original 69 Superbee just 5 minutes from my house one owner and he bought it from our families Dodge dealership back in 1968, was taken to the dragstrip and thats it!!

[nascarxx29]

Looks good .If your looking for its back history any prior owners name vin buildsheet fendertag etc

[areibel]

So it's the same guy that's held onto it for this long, since '72?  Or did someone else finally talk him out of it? 
Cool car though, I wonder what it takes to buy one that's been sitting for that long.  I can't wait to see your progress!

[magnumauto]

Same owner today as in 1972....He bought it a a young age, had a family, changed professions, a few other things and now can afford to brinng his baby back to its former glory!!!!!

[tan top]

   intresting story  , looking forward to seeing more pictures & stuff as the work progresses 

[rnjump]

  I believe I saw you hauling it eastbound on I-44 around Lebanon MO on Wednesday or Thursday. Could this be the same one? Very cool find. Tell us how you found it.

[magnumauto]

Yes, same car...not many others looking like this today. He left OK early Wednesday morning and made it to our place Wednesday night. Its first trip out of OK in its life. All that way on an open trailer. He said he had lots of looks and a crowd everytime he stopped. That is one of the reasons he wanted to get here in one day, wouldn't be able to sleep if it was on a trailer in the hotel parking lot all night!
Same owner today as in 1972.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

He was told at the time that the original owner was an American Indian from North East OK and he believes that the Indian was the one who did the custom paint job on it. He was also told that the Indian had 2 of these cars, the other one being a 440 car.

Obviously, he didn't spend a lot of wampum on the paint.

[rob-dirt]

  Glad To See Their Still Stuff Out Their - That What I Call A Barn Find  Would Love To Have That 

[1974dodgecharger]

man stories like still exist I LOVE IT and especially when they are TRUE and you can tell this is the REAL DEAL!!!!

[rnjump]

Yes, same car...not many others looking like this today. He left OK early Wednesday morning and made it to our place Wednesday night. Its first trip out of OK in its life. All that way on an open trailer. He said he had lots of looks and a crowd everytime he stopped. That is one of the reasons he wanted to get here in one day, wouldn't be able to sleep if it was on a trailer in the hotel parking lot all night!
Same owner today as in 1972.

I drove mine Saturday around our town of 10,000 or so people. I have had maybe 15-20 old cars in my time but nothing draws a crowd like my Superbird. I came out of the parts store and had to wait for two different groups to take their pictures with it and then had a guy try and stop me in traffic. I would say 50% of the people wave or give me a thumbs up and at least 75% notice and stare. It can be embarrassing at times but I am enjoying it anyway. One guy told my wife it was a $300,000 car. That didn't help!

[Redbird]

So much more interesting as it sits than any restored car. As it sits it is history. Restored, someone will just bring pictures to put alongside a perfect carcass- another Blade Runner car.

Probably the most detailed pictures I've ever seen of a White Bucket seat S/B on the web were the pictures of the 5/50 car when it was for sale a few years ago. Unbelievable pictures if you can find a set.

[pettybird]

I have had maybe 15-20 old cars in my time but nothing draws a crowd like my Superbird.

That's the "well, duh" comment of the year right there.

[nascarxx29]

Thinks there only 4 or 5 recorded FJ5 hemi birds.Didnt see any with white interior

[pettybird]

So much more interesting as it sits than any restored car. As it sits it is history. Restored, someone will just bring pictures to put alongside a perfect carcass- another Blade Runner car.

Probably the most detailed pictures I've ever seen of a White Bucket seat S/B on the web were the pictures of the 5/50 car when it was for sale a few years ago. Unbelievable pictures if you can find a set.

I like the old paint jobs but I'd have to repaint a green/white car back to stock.  That's just too cool of a combo. 

[Old Moparz]

Let this story be a good reminder to anyone who sees an old car sitting that hasn't been restored & the owner won't sell it & says, "I'm gonna fix it up one day."    

[nascarxx29]

Its one of 58 like this one http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=92309.0

[66FBCharger]

When you say it will be restored to it's original glory, do you mean it will be restored back to lime green or back to the custom paint job ?