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Bobby Unser #5 Superbird

Started by TiMopar, June 07, 2010, 11:50:17 AM

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TiMopar

Does anyone have a frontal picture of this car they could post please?

hemi68charger

That is one cool looking racin' 'Bird...... No scoops though it looks like...........

:2thumbs:
Troy
'69 Charger Daytona 440 auto 4.10 Dana ( now 426 HEMI )
'70 Superbird 426 Hemi auto: Lindsley Bonneville Salt Flat world record holder (220.2mph)
Houston Mopar Club Connection

Aero426

Not the best photo, but it's pretty simple in the front.   Screened over left headlight opening for the oil cooler and a bare aluminum spoiler.


Highbanked Hauler

  Damn that car sets tight to the ground. I also like the body work on the quarters :drool5:
69 Charger 500, original owner  
68 Charger former parts car in process of rebuilding
92 Cummins Turbo Diesel
04 PT Cruiser

hemi68charger

Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on June 07, 2010, 08:27:42 PM
  Damn that car sets tight to the ground. I also like the body work on the quarters :drool5:

I would just LOVE to see one of these puppies with today's technology heading down the backstretch of Talladega.   :cheers:
Troy
'69 Charger Daytona 440 auto 4.10 Dana ( now 426 HEMI )
'70 Superbird 426 Hemi auto: Lindsley Bonneville Salt Flat world record holder (220.2mph)
Houston Mopar Club Connection

chargergirl

Nah...they'll just get disqualified again for some crazy reason.
Trust your Woobie!

A383Wing

Quote from: hemi68charger on June 07, 2010, 09:45:19 PM
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on June 07, 2010, 08:27:42 PM
  Damn that car sets tight to the ground. I also like the body work on the quarters :drool5:

I would just LOVE to see one of these puppies with today's technology heading down the backstretch of Talladega.   :cheers:

A few years ago Buddy Baker was asked that question....his response was that it would probably turn a 235MPH average lap....  :shruggy:

hemigeno

Quote from: hemi68charger on June 07, 2010, 11:52:14 AM
No scoops though it looks like...........



Sorta flies against the whole "fender scoops were for tire clearance" theory, duddnit? 

:scratchchin: :stirthepot:




Aero426

Agreed on the scoops.   But the statement has always been the need for the scoops went back to the '68 2 x 2 program, and they were a "just in case" contingency.  

Terry Nichels has said the 5 car was 'the biggest cheater of them all".  

FJ5WING

I love the pic in the original posting!

Maybe there was no need for the tire clearence if it was a lower banked track? I realize they used the wingcars on the superspeedways but could be a low buck team and didnt have the resources for too many cars? I know its a lot of "ifs" but we are just here speculating right?
wingless now, but still around.

hemigeno

Just guessing here, but did the Nichels crew find a way to lower the car around the chassis and still meet the clearance requirements?  I'm looking at how low the quarterpanel is in comparison to the top of the rim - while the car is sitting still no less.

Comparing that to the pictures I have of Grand National cars hanging on the wall, the #5 looks considerably lower.



Oh, and I don't think the Nichels Engineering team would be classified as a low buck team...  for the day, they were pretty well funded.

nascarxx29

1969 R4 Daytona XX29L9B410772
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23UOA174597
1970 FY1 Superbird RM23UOA166242
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23VOA179697
1968 426 Road Runner RM21J8A134509
1970 Coronet RT WS23UOA224126
1970 Daytona Clone XP29GOG178701

nascarxx29

1969 R4 Daytona XX29L9B410772
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23UOA174597
1970 FY1 Superbird RM23UOA166242
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23VOA179697
1968 426 Road Runner RM21J8A134509
1970 Coronet RT WS23UOA224126
1970 Daytona Clone XP29GOG178701

Aero426

Quote from: hemigeno on June 08, 2010, 09:00:00 AM



Oh, and I don't think the Nichels Engineering team would be classified as a low buck team...  for the day, they were pretty well funded.

As I understand it, the #5 car was run out of Ray's pocket.    Bobby Unser may have brought a little money from Olsonite  (toilet seats)  from the  Indy car program, but it's only on the car in a couple of races, and never at the four Milwaukee races.    You can see photos of this same car running on dirt with out a nose and wing, and asphalt.  Ray certainly wasn't poor but this was not the same as when Chrysler was paying the freight.    

I have always found it interesting that Ray ran a Superbird in 1972 when they ran 1971 Road Runners the previous year.  It strikes me that they had left over pieces to burn off, and built one last Superbird race car.    It was a very  fast car while it lasted.  


nascarxx29

Nothing on the #5 wing but found some stuff on olsonite  http://www.olsoniteeagle.com/
1969 R4 Daytona XX29L9B410772
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23UOA174597
1970 FY1 Superbird RM23UOA166242
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23VOA179697
1968 426 Road Runner RM21J8A134509
1970 Coronet RT WS23UOA224126
1970 Daytona Clone XP29GOG178701

superbirdtom


nascarxx29

Might be more #5 reference pictures from
Frank Kierzek photographed many cars and drivers at the Milwaukee Mile from 1969 to 1977. His son Tom is making many of these photos (including several winged car shots) available for purchase. Contact Tom for a list of cars and drivers, size and pricing information.

Tom Kierzek
1304 Jefferson St.
West Bend, WI 53090
Phone: (262) 335-2411
E-mail: tkierzek@sbcglobal.net
1969 R4 Daytona XX29L9B410772
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23UOA174597
1970 FY1 Superbird RM23UOA166242
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23VOA179697
1968 426 Road Runner RM21J8A134509
1970 Coronet RT WS23UOA224126
1970 Daytona Clone XP29GOG178701

Aero426

The car on the outside looks familiar...


nascarxx29

1969 R4 Daytona XX29L9B410772
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23UOA174597
1970 FY1 Superbird RM23UOA166242
1970 EV2 Superbird RM23VOA179697
1968 426 Road Runner RM21J8A134509
1970 Coronet RT WS23UOA224126
1970 Daytona Clone XP29GOG178701

wingcar

A little trivia...
At one time I had in my collection the rear window plug out of that Superbird. 
It had been cut out (and not all that neatly) and clearly showed the paint and decal.  It also
still had the window braces and 2 thirds of the "Plexiglas" rear window still mounted.  Which
brings up the question.....I thought all "Stockcars" had to run the factory glass rear and front windows?
(Perhaps, an example of what Terry Nichels meant when he said:
"the 5 car was 'the biggest cheater of them all". 
1970 Daytona Charger SE "clone" (440/Auto)
1967 Charger (360,6-pak/Auto)
2008 Challenger SRT8 BLK (6.1/Auto) 6050 of 6400

Aero426

The front glass was stock, but the rear was typically plexiglas on race Superbirds and Daytonas.   The 7 car has a plexi back window.






The doors of the Unser car are still floating around.   They were up for grabs at a memorabilia auction at Auburn some time ago.   The wing is still around too.



TiMopar

Thank you to everyone who responded to this post. The reason I asked for a front view of this car is as follows; the boss of the shop where I'm working decided that he wanted to make a Nascar racecar style 'Bird from his 70 Satellite and asked me to give him an idea of a 'look'. I remembered that picture from when it was originally posted and showed him. So, to cut a long story short, that is what I am currently working on... Did anyone else notice the small scoop thing on the top of the rear quarter behind the wing upright? Anyone like to hazard a guess what it might be for? If this thing turns out looking half decent I shall post some pictures! Cheers.

41husk

Look foreward to some pictures :cheers:
1969 Dodge Charger 500 440/727
1970 Challenger convertible 340/727
1970 Plymouth Duster FM3
1974 Dodge Dart /6/904
1983 Plymouth Scamp GT 2.2 Auto
1950 Dodge Pilot house pick up

Aero426

Quote from: TiMopar on June 08, 2010, 01:49:04 PM
Did anyone else notice the small scoop thing on the top of the rear quarter behind the wing upright? Anyone like to hazard a guess what it might be for? If this thing turns out looking half decent I shall post some pictures! Cheers.

It is the fuel overflow vent.   It is kind of cone shaped widening to the rear.   The long skinny line from the fuel cell mounts to it inside the rear quarter.  Some cars have it this way and others have a simple tube poking out the back of the quarter or tail panel. 




Highbanked Hauler

Quote from: hemi68charger on June 07, 2010, 09:45:19 PM
Quote from: Highbanked Hauler on June 07, 2010, 08:27:42 PM
  Damn that car sets tight to the ground. I also like the body work on the quarters :drool5:

I would just LOVE to see one of these puppies with today's technology heading down the backstretch of Talladega.   :cheers:
Me too, There's enough parts available now that with deep pockets one could build a Chrysler stocker for Vintage racing. :2thumbs:
69 Charger 500, original owner  
68 Charger former parts car in process of rebuilding
92 Cummins Turbo Diesel
04 PT Cruiser