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Originally Posted by Jerry H.
Just found this thread and I'll add my experience with the Superbird. In 1970 I was 17 and working part time as a 'gopher' for a very small town Plymouth-GMC dealership. He had maybe 6 or 7 new Plymouths and 5 or 6 new GMCs in stock at one time. I came to work one afternoon after school and this pointy nose, orange, Road Runner looking car with a big wing on the trunk lid sitting in the front ready to be dealer prepped. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a 440 4bbl car with an automatic on the column and a bench seat. Rally style wheels and white letter tires.
I took the car in the detail bay and pulled all the plastic coverings, etc., washed it and checked it out to get it ready for sale. As in all of the Chrysler products in those days, the paint was very iffy. About 1 in 3 cars had to have some paint work done, 1 in 5 required a complete repaint. Evidently Chrysler paid for it under warranty. When I was finished with it pulled it out and parked it with 3 other cars in a special covered display area and forgot about it.
After a few months of anguishing there the owner called me and told me to move it to the regular front line with the other new and front line used cars, hoping that by moving it someone might notice it and it might generate some interest. The office was only about 25 feet from the street with no curb. And if you have ever driven one of these cars the biggest problem is the nose. It's hard to gauge the distance in front. You can probably see where this is going. As I was maneuvering this 'Bird around I bumped the nose on the concrete building. The owner comes out ranting and raving about how he can't sell the car and now I've wrecked it and he surely won't be able to sell it now. I was scared to death.
When he cooled off he realized it was just a scratch and no problem to touch up. But that car sat around for another 5 or 6 months! I still remember the family that bought it and the lady that drove it to work at the local zipper plant every day.
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GR8 story & glad you survived!
My take: The few times I've been behind the wheel of a '69 Daytona or '70 Superbird it always seems odd that you can see the end of the hood, but not how much extra nose is beyond that, eh?
Really though, piece-o-cake for anyone who grew up around (and drove) true '60's & '70s American Full size cars and parallel parked them - like my 1st car: 1968 440 New Yawker.
The two below will be auctioned tomorrow, Saturday 11 April, 2015 @ the Houston MECUM auction. Advertisement today stated coverage would negin telecast @ 2pm Eastern Standard Time. Check your local listings.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alvin
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