RM23V0A171645 auction - May 2025

[held1823]

https://www.freijeauctioneers.com/auctions/863/lot/53498-1970-plymouth-road-runner-super-bird-vin-rm23v0a171645

the back story

https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/10/14/former-indiana-sheriff-jamey-noel-sentenced-to-15-years-in-prison-as-part-of-plea-deal/

[WINGIN IT]

 How to titles / transfer of ownership work on cars that are seized?  Can one just register it as usual, or does it require a state issued VIN or lots of red tape to register?

[held1823]

How to titles / transfer of ownership work on cars that are seized?  Can one just register it as usual, or does it require a state issued VIN or lots of red tape to register?

the cars carry their normal indiana title. they have been in the possession of the state for a good while now.

[taxspeaker]

Well, I live in the county of the former sheriff, know the cars and know the sheriff. This Tor-Red car is quite possibly the ugliest Superbird on the planet, but I was bidding on it for awhile because we were going to make it a YouTube driver restoration project. I have now been outbid and do not plan on re-entering that bidding contest because the dollars no longer work. I was not going to do a restoration on the car, I was just going to return it to driver quality by repairing and replacing the 50 years of crap, and then paint it, all on YouTube as how to's and follow alongs. Since I am now out of the bidding, here are the results of extensive research and examination of the car.

The inspection is Thursday-2 days out-and I would venture to suggest the first thing I would do is crawl under the car and verify VIN's on the engine and transmission rather than trust statements from the seller. I would then verify VIN's on the radiator core, the trunk lip, the fender tag and the dash. I will be there inspecting the other Bird and will be doing the same thing on it, returning Saturday to bid and save the 2.5% internet fee.

So if you are interested in this one here are the results of my knowledge and extensive research of this car:

1970 Tor Red Superbird RM23 V0A171645, says rust-free California car
440-6 Bbl, automatic on column, bench seats black interior, showing 93,244 miles, tic-toc tach, says matching numbers,, Sold $77,000 8/10/2013 at Barret Jackson Reno Lot 711 Sold at Mecum Harrisburg in 2015 for $72,500, (Lots of pictures shows lost more aftermarket mods, decals, hoses, etc now removed) unsold in 2019 for $70,000 at Mecum Indy Lot F122, This is probably the only SUperbird on the planet that has declined in value while being driven <500 miles in the last 15 years, and comments at 2 of the 3 auctions were all the same-it is the ugliest car here.

Repair Items Noted
Incorrect trunk mounted fuel cell-a major fire issue next to trunk battery and with flares on top!
Incorrect trunk mounted battery-wiring exposed undercar? and expanded fire risk
Not sure if fuel cell and/or battery actually functional
DO NOT PARK THIS CAR IN GARAGE UNTIL BATTERY and FUEL CELL RISKS ADDRESSED
Weld holes cut in body to run positive battery cable if applicable
Incorrect left quarter gas tank mount ala Daytona-need to repair quarter panel for hole
Incorrect trunk lid tie downs ala front hood need to repair trunk lid for holes
Headers and wrong exhaust, needing all new exhaust and tips
Non-functional use of traction bars which do not work on Mopars
Decals, decals, decals out the wazoo, many more removed over the years and traces remain
Missing rubber nose bumper, broken/missing radio antenna
Metal strips on windshield and rear window
No wiper arms or blades
Passenger and driver mirrors both non-Superbird parts-no passenger mirror on build sheet
Tail panel blacked out, nose decals wrong, bad and pinstriped 50 years ago
Interior-6 too many gauges all a fire hazard with haphazard wiring, leaking connections
Rewire dash-50 years of jack-leg additions
Interior-replace dash plastic to remove gauge hole cutouts and switches
Interior-car is column shift and still has that column but shifter moved to floor-reweld floor and assemble needed parts, repair or replace carpet
Interior-replace dash bezel and possible glove box for ridiculous stick-ons that do not apply to this fake race car
Interior-missing ash tray
Engine Bay- Wrong coil, plug wires, distributor cap, coil mounting
Engine Bay-nose tray/spring, master cyl. cap, htr hose clamp, alternator all incorrectly chromed
Engine Bay-radiator and heater hoses and radiator cap incorrect
Engine Bay-wrong valve covers, wrong brake vacuum hose
Engine Bay-wrong intake and carb and mounting
Engine Bay-rewire engine bay for obvious wiring issues
Engine Bay-bad ballast, missing positive battery cable,
Engine Bay-These did not have electronic ignition so wiring and ECM incorrect
Engine Bay-incorrect fuel filter and mounting
Engine Bay-incorrect distributor
Engine Bay-missing windshield washer hose and reservoir/pump, wiring all wrong
Engine Bay-fender tag chromed!

[taxspeaker]

Old gene mcriley bird from California, also needs quarter wheel areas repaired, extensively oval raced in the day
 Wiring has more slices and dices than Nancy Pelosi cheeks.

[hemi-hampton]

Anybody that say's California Car, first thing I would check for is the N95 option on Fender Tag or window sticker or broadcast sheet. As far as I know all cars shipped to or sold to California would have to have the N95 Emission code option. Not sure if this would apply to a Superbird though? Just my opinion. others may vary  

[Dave Kanofsky]

I believe it does have the N95 equipment, that's the silver tube on the passenger side in the trunk ahead of the wing support.  My old SuperBird had this as well.

As Bob mentioned, FLARES ON TOP OF THE FUEL CELL!?!?!?!?
Did they learn nothing from the R101 Airship?  Iron Maiden mentions the flares as a cause of the fire and casualties in "Empire of the Clouds":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsM6wpIA3Sc&t=278s&ab_channel=ScirylLyrics

[Redbird]

Taxspeaker,

Please explain how this car was extensively oval raced and where that happened back in the day.

[taxspeaker]

Old dodge charger website posts  refer to the old owner and the racing in california

[Redbird]

Is this what project wing cars are going for these days? There was another car that sold on the web this past month, non-numbers, needing paint and a whole host of items. It went for a lot more than I expected. I guess I'm completely out of the loop.

I'm curious about the guy that is in jail now. How did he have 20 cars, an 8000 SF house, mistress with a kid, big lifestyle, besides his own family; and it appears to have gone on for years? Internet searching him and his activities seems to show all this was out there. Did he weave a tale where a rich uncle dropped a pile of cash on him or did people around him close their eyes for years?

[Sgt Superbird]

The auction results:

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/investigations/focus/jamey-noel-classic-car-auction-brings-in-12m-for-restitution-indiana-clark-county/417-3a1ed769-71c1-43c6-a54a-6f56632807fb

[Redbird]

Taxspeaker,

Thank you so your time making observations a writing them up for others to weigh!!!

Not to be critical, but just a thought. As a reader it is hard for me to make it through a long list and even more so to make it through when the important items are intermixed with small items like "missing headlight door decal, wrong hoses, or wrong trunk pad." Perhaps list those items in a subsection. I know that they need to be addressed and fixed, which will take time and somewhat minor money.

As a reader I'm more concerned about the bigger issues being listed as a group. Such as; if the trunk floor is rusted out, the nose is full of bondo, needs a whole new paint job, or the thing has a motor that is from a 1975 car and it doesn't even run.

Sure the small parts will add up, but it's confusing when the small items are interspaced with "someone's dog has ripped up the whole interior and back window is cracked." Note that all these items anbove are not from this car but rather are examples that cost real time and money to fix versus weekend handyman jobs.

For ball parking, estimating scale helps someone like me. A paint job might be ballpark $ 15K, a uncracked unworn original steering wheel $ 1-1.5K, a proper upper radiator hose (not numbers correct) $  50.

[taxspeaker]

All good suggestions redbird, thanks