Whether you are an owner, potential buyer, restorer, or Mopar enthusiast of this era, this book will provide you with startling new insight on the 1970 Plymouth Superbird.
Use this resource to examine the 1970 Plymouth Superbird from nose cone to rear wing, review the factory options, and relive its glory days with Richard Petty and Pete Hamilton behind the wheel.
"Petty signs with Ford!" Those four words tore through the racing world like a hot knife through butter while loyalists threw their hands up in disbelief. King Richard's defection was in part because Plymouth hadn't built a Dodge Daytona counterpart for the NASCAR circuit, in addition to the fact that Petty Enterprises wanted to be the sole racing parts distributor for Plymouth at the time. Plymouth weathered the backlash publicly while privately scurrying to create a car to lure Richard back to Plymouth. That car? The 1970 Plymouth Superbird.
Production models languished on salesroom floors due in part to NASCAR having increased the homologation requirement from 500 units to 2,000. These cars were highly specialized, seen as being in excess in proportion to the hottest street cars of the period. Fast-forward to today, Superbirds are highly collectible and are a star attraction at car shows and auctions, pulling top dollar and generating real excitement. What a difference a few decades makes!
Each volume in the In Detail series provides an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, and an examination of where the care is on the market today. Also included are paint and option codes, VIN and build-tag decoders, as well as production numbers.
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Evolution to Aero
The Post-War Boom and the Townsend Era
The Need for Speed
Wind Tunnels
Wings and “The Summer of ’69”
Chapter 2: Building Bigger ’Birds
Out Back
On to Lynch Road
Metal Shop
Painting by Numbers
Trim and Chassis Line
Out the Door, Down the Street
Conclusion
Chapter 3: Marketing and Competition: How the ’Birds Flew
Marketing in General
The Real Deal
Maryland: The Muscle Car “Killer”
Road Runners Revisited
Superbird . . . less
Other Marketing Efforts
Wings in Flight: The Superbird in Competition
Wings in Other Flight Patterns
Draggin’ Wings and More
And Then onto the Salt . . .
Chapter 4: Hardware and Factory Options: What Made the ’Birds Super
General Specifications
A13 Superbird Package, Standard Equipment
A13 Standard Superbird Suspension Package
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price
Driveline Options
Engine
Transmission
Axle
Exterior Color Options
Interior Color and Trim Options
Optional Equipment Not Available
Standard A13 Equipment Not Noted Above
Running Production Changes
Factory Optional Equipment List
Interior Options
A Few Final Notes on Quickly Identifying a Superbird
Chapter 5: A ’Bird in Hand: Buying, Collecting, and Restoring Superbirds
Levels of Collector Cars
Provenance Matters . . . a Lot
Options Add Up
Restoring a Superbird
Appendix I: Superbird by the Numbers
Decoding a VIN Tag
Decoding a Fender Tag
Decoding a Broadcast Sheet
Window Sticker
Appendix II: Replacement Parts List
Whether you are an owner, potential buyer, restorer, or Mopar enthusiast of this era, this book will provide you with startling new insight on the 1970 Plymouth Superbird.
Use this resource to examine the 1970 Plymouth Superbird from nose cone to rear wing, review the factory options, and relive its glory days with Richard Petty and Pete Hamilton behind the wheel.
"Petty signs with Ford!" Those four words tore through the racing world like a hot knife through butter while loyalists threw their hands up in disbelief. King Richard's defection was in part because Plymouth hadn't built a Dodge Daytona counterpart for the NASCAR circuit, in addition to the fact that Petty Enterprises wanted to be the sole racing parts distributor for Plymouth at the time. Plymouth weathered the backlash publicly while privately scurrying to create a car to lure Richard back to Plymouth. That car? The 1970 Plymouth Superbird.
Production models languished on salesroom floors due in part to NASCAR having increased the homologation requirement from 500 units to 2,000. These cars were highly specialized, seen as being in excess in proportion to the hottest street cars of the period. Fast-forward to today, Superbirds are highly collectible and are a star attraction at car shows and auctions, pulling top dollar and generating real excitement. What a difference a few decades makes!
Each volume in the In Detail series provides an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, and an examination of where the care is on the market today. Also included are paint and option codes, VIN and build-tag decoders, as well as production numbers.
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Evolution to Aero
The Post-War Boom and the Townsend Era
The Need for Speed
Wind Tunnels
Wings and “The Summer of ’69”
Chapter 2: Building Bigger ’Birds
Out Back
On to Lynch Road
Metal Shop
Painting by Numbers
Trim and Chassis Line
Out the Door, Down the Street
Conclusion
Chapter 3: Marketing and Competition: How the ’Birds Flew
Marketing in General
The Real Deal
Maryland: The Muscle Car “Killer”
Road Runners Revisited
Superbird . . . less
Other Marketing Efforts
Wings in Flight: The Superbird in Competition
Wings in Other Flight Patterns
Draggin’ Wings and More
And Then onto the Salt . . .
Chapter 4: Hardware and Factory Options: What Made the ’Birds Super
General Specifications
A13 Superbird Package, Standard Equipment
A13 Standard Superbird Suspension Package
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price
Driveline Options
Engine
Transmission
Axle
Exterior Color Options
Interior Color and Trim Options
Optional Equipment Not Available
Standard A13 Equipment Not Noted Above
Running Production Changes
Factory Optional Equipment List
Interior Options
A Few Final Notes on Quickly Identifying a Superbird
Chapter 5: A ’Bird in Hand: Buying, Collecting, and Restoring Superbirds
Levels of Collector Cars
Provenance Matters . . . a Lot
Options Add Up
Restoring a Superbird
Appendix I: Superbird by the Numbers
Decoding a VIN Tag
Decoding a Fender Tag
Decoding a Broadcast Sheet
Window Sticker
Appendix II: Replacement Parts List