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About the Car:
The Plymouth Super Bird was created for the same reason as the Dodge Daytona -- a full on high speed race machine designed for the NASCAR races, but available to the public.
Trying to capture some of the success that their Dodge brothers had in 1969 with their Daytona, Plymouth tried the same thing in 1970 with their creation, the Plymouth Superbird. Although similar in appearance, the Superbird was actually quite different from the Daytona. The Superbird was based on the Plymouth Road Runner and the nose, airfoil, and basic sheet metal was different between the Daytona and Superbird. The special nose added 19 inches to the overall length (the Daytona's was 18 inches), and the trunk spoiler was more angled and higher than the Daytonas. On both models, the spoiler was two feet high so that the owner could open the trunk. Although it created quite an impression on the street, the wing did almost no aerodynamic good under 90 mph.
NASCAR only required 500 copies to be built in 1969, but in 1970, NASCAR required a manufacturer to build one unit per dealer. In the end, Plymouth built a total of 1,920 SuperBirds. SuperBirds were available with three different engines. The most popular was the basic Super Commando 440 V8 with a single four barrel carb rated at 375 bhp. Next up was the 440 Six Pack rated at 390 bhp. At the top, and ordered by just 93 buyers, was the mighty 426 Hemi, rated at 425 bhp. Despite the success of the SuperBird on the tracks, 1970 would be the only year it was made.
Although looks were not very good to most people I know, most people would actually say "oh that car sucks and is ugly". This car can kick ass though. With its powerful engines such as the 440 with 390 bhp which ran the 1/4 mile in 14.26, or its other well known engine, the 426 with 415 bhp which ran the 1/4 mile in 13.50. The Hemi engine was very powerful, but as stated above only 93 people bought them.
| 1970 Plymouth Super Bird |
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My Thoughts:
Although I could probably agree with most people on saying this is an ugly car, the engine in it was not close to its appearance. I would own one of these cars in a minute and would race people just to shut them up. This car was a screamer and could fly. I'd love to own one of these babies, I wouldn't care what people would say about it, because I think it's a sweet car, and could kick a lot of peoples' cars ass.
The chances of anybody ever seeing one of these beauties is slim to none. Not even 2,000 of these were built, so it's a true classic, and would probably cost a bundle. I'm probably assuming not even half of these cars are left, and the ones that are left have probably been beefed up beyond desire and are raced. If not raced then the people that do own one of these probably have it put away somewhere out of reach from harm and weather, and arent even drove, and just kept in mint condition and treated like they are in a museum.
So if anybody has ever seen one of these beauties, even if it's a piece of crap, you should find yourself worthy, because you have just seen a great piece of art.
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