Burnt in forest fire 440-6 Superbird

sunroofsuperbird · March 29, 2006, 08:40:39 PM

After seeing the pics and story's of the burnt daytona it brought back memories of my own tragedy. this is some pics of [before and after] my 440-6 4SP 410 dana lemon twist white interior superbird. I owned this car before they were worth much and beat on it hard in high school and blew engine up. I had engine out and was replacing engine when some idiot decided to burn trash on a windy day in a drought in 1983. He burnt over 1000 acers and many houses including my parents. and many old cars. this superbird of mine plus I had a 1900 mile 68 383 charger 2 68 GTXs 69 GTS dart and a 55 ford truck. the only car I had that survived was a 68 Cadillac 4dr [What luck] . as bad as it felt then its even worst now with the values of these cars. Although I would have beat on it way worst after I got it running again I was only 18 when it burnt. I parted this car out in the 80s and sold the hull [title] later. I wish I still had it now. or would like to know what ever happened to it. If anyone knows where it is or if its for sale please let me know. the Vin # was RM23V0A172639 .

moparsinbarns · March 29, 2006, 08:53:58 PM

Give me the name of the guy that started the fire so I can go kill him..lol. Thats REALLY sad. How did it get pancaked so much?

mustanghater · March 29, 2006, 09:00:29 PM

If I had that Car I'd still be beating on it today. I don't see why the term 'trailor queen" is around cause they need driven hard.

terrible one · March 29, 2006, 09:02:25 PM

Geez! That is a real bummer! Poor bird. I'll bet it got flattened by the falling roof?

sunroofsuperbird · March 29, 2006, 09:18:13 PM

Yes the roof fell in on it. I am building a clone now that will get beat on as hard as I did this one or harder. if you cant drive it why have it. I gave $3000.00 for this car in 1980 on a chevy used car lot were it had sat many years.

sunroofsuperbird · March 29, 2006, 10:10:15 PM

Here is a pic of the Charger I am going to be making a daytona 4X4 clone out of when I finish my superbird. I have it up on the dodge 440 4x4 truck frame now and still have to make the daytona parts and put in 69 tailpanel.

hemi68charger · March 29, 2006, 10:12:25 PM

My Goodness... What a horrible sight...... Imagine if that happened now......

Thanks for sharing, even of a bad memory..........

Troy

hotrod98 · March 29, 2006, 10:31:35 PM

How about a pic of that challenger wagon.

BigBlockSam · March 29, 2006, 10:55:18 PM

nascarxx29 · March 30, 2006, 09:25:46 AM

I got a picture saved of a purple challenger station wagon it has a gremlin hatch and oldsmobile vista cruiser roof .Sorry to see another superbird go down .I had my six pack car go down for the last count .And witnessed and 440 and a 426 car .I got some titles and dash vins and paperwork .That will never be on any car.My mopar momentos

tan top · March 30, 2006, 09:53:01 AM

thats a sad sight ( sunroofsuperbird)

what was the 1900 mile 68 charger like ,would like to see some pictures before it was burnt, if you have any

sunroofsuperbird · March 30, 2006, 09:43:35 PM

Heres a pic of the 68 charger after it was burnt. Never took any before it burnt didnt think about it ever being worth anything then as it was only a 383 car. [If I only knew] I was taking motor out to go in a dart I had.

sunroofsuperbird · March 30, 2006, 10:35:22 PM

Heres a pic of my challenger wagon

sunroofsuperbird · March 30, 2006, 10:41:24 PM

heres a before shot of my wagon when I bought it. I thought some of you may get a kick out of it as it has a daytona stlye nose on it. it is a real R/T SE 4sp car. I didn't care much for the nose so I put back on the orig grille. and added a gremlim rear hatch so you could get in the back.

PocketThunder · March 30, 2006, 11:02:32 PM

Far out man! that thing is Rad.

hotrod98 · March 30, 2006, 11:05:02 PM

You know, if I tried to make my own steel daytona nose...that's probably how it would turn out.
Did I mention that I'm not very good with sheetmetal.

tan top · March 31, 2006, 02:40:03 AM

Quote from: sunroofsuperbird on March 30, 2006, 09:43:35 PM
Heres a pic of the 68 charger after it was burnt. Never took any before it burnt didnt think about it ever being worth anything then as it was only a 383 car. [If I only knew] I was taking motor out to go in a dart I had.

thanks for the picture

, another charger gone to the " great junk yard in the sky "

. it is true if we only knew then what we know now.

hotrod98 · March 31, 2006, 08:47:55 AM

Marty,
With the station wagon craze that's going on now, that car is worth even more money than it was a few years ago. You ever wonder what it would bring at Barrett-Jackson?

Highbanked Hauler · March 31, 2006, 04:06:32 PM

Quote from: sunroofsuperbird on March 29, 2006, 10:10:15 PM
Here is a pic of the Charger I am going to be making a daytona 4X4 clone out of when I finish my superbird. I have it up on the dodge 440 4x4 truck frame now and still have to make the daytona parts and put in 69 tailpanel.

Did you have that FWD General at Carlisle last year?

THE CHARGER PUNK · March 31, 2006, 05:04:44 PM

DUDE ,that wagon is awesome i have to make me one of those things that is the coolest car i have ever seen-MATT

moparsinbarns · March 31, 2006, 07:32:31 PM

was ur general lee 4x4 a real RT...if it was..WASTE OF A RT

sunroofsuperbird · March 31, 2006, 10:38:54 PM

Hi Yes my 4x4 Charger is a real R/T. 440 4sp car. it was on its way to the scrap yard when I bought it for $25.00 in 1982. and I brought it home and put it up on the 4x4 frame and have put well over 100.000 maybe 200.000 miles on it since and love it more now than I did in 1982 when I built it just to run through the woods.

Daytona R/T SE · March 31, 2006, 11:02:50 PM

Quote from: sunroofsuperbird on March 31, 2006, 10:38:54 PM
Hi Yes my 4x4 Charger is a real R/T. 440 4sp car. it was on its way to the scrap yard when I bought it for $25.00 in 1982. and I brought it home and put it up on the 4x4 frame and have put well over 100.000 maybe 200.000 miles on it since and love it more now than I did in 1982 when I built it just to run through the woods.

Man,that car is cool

...

moparsinbarns · April 02, 2006, 07:11:49 PM

Ya, I dont really like it, especially since it was a reat 440/4spd RT car.

But u got it for for 25 bucks? Great catch but it would look better as a RT instead of a 4x4 General Lee

PocketThunder · April 11, 2006, 12:52:57 PM

Quote from: moparsinbarns on April 02, 2006, 07:11:49 PM
Ya, I dont really like it, especially since it was a reat 440/4spd RT car. But u got it for for 25 bucks? Great catch but it would look better as a RT instead of a 4x4 General Lee

Jeez, quit busting the guys balls over the 4x4.

Charger_Fan · April 11, 2006, 02:51:14 PM

Quote from: PocketThunder on April 11, 2006, 12:52:57 PM
Quote from: moparsinbarns on April 02, 2006, 07:11:49 PM
Ya, I dont really like it, especially since it was a reat 440/4spd RT car. But u got it for for 25 bucks? Great catch but it would look better as a RT instead of a 4x4 General Lee
Jeez, quit busting the guys balls over the 4x4.

Just think...if he didn't make it into a 4x4 back then, it's current configuration would probably be 6 cases of Campbell's chicken soup cans.

I'd rather see it as a cool 4x4, thanks.
Besides, like he said earlier, Chargers (& most other musclecars) weren't worth much at all in 1982. I even parted a '70 Charger myself in the mid 90's, which I'm still beating myself up for.

Thanks for sharing the stories & pics, SunroofSuperbird.

Ghoste · April 12, 2006, 04:10:12 AM

Ain't that the truth.

chargervert · April 13, 2006, 03:58:48 PM

That story is quite a tradgedy, I hate seeing cars lost to fire like that,because theres usually no chance of saving them!

69_500 · April 13, 2006, 07:19:23 PM

And if you do save them from the fire, they usually wind up wearing all new sheetmetal. Pretty much the only things that remain are the numbers. It is possible, but a lot more costly to save those cars than to do a rebody. Which I personally think a rebody is something that should be avoided at all cost.

wingcar builder · January 12, 2017, 11:19:18 PM

Wow! found this old thread tonight. I ended up buying the 68' Charger on the 4x4 frame from Marty back around 2010 and it's back to stock now not finished but hopefully get back on it before spring. by the way the frame front and rear was beautiful on this just needed the typical trunk pan and quarters and had couple small holes in the floor pan.

cdr · January 13, 2017, 12:00:27 AM

crj1968 · January 13, 2017, 12:59:40 AM

Sweet!!!!!!

love the hubcaps BTW!

500Jon · January 13, 2017, 12:24:29 PM

Hi Sunroof.
That 4x4 General is the best ever!
Is it time to put her back to stock as Mother Mopar made her?
I certainly would being a 4-speed NUT!!!

$25 R/T's...thats just MENTAL...

You could even get an emblem for that money now...

5J

tan top · January 13, 2017, 05:14:29 PM

Quote from: wingcar builder on January 12, 2017, 11:19:18 PM
Wow! found this old thread tonight. I ended up buying the 68' Charger on the 4x4 frame from Marty back around 2010 and it's back to stock now not finished but hopefully get back on it before spring. by the way the frame front and rear was beautiful on this just needed the typical trunk pan and quarters and had couple small holes in the floor pan.

looks good ! nice job

wingcar builder · January 13, 2017, 06:50:36 PM

Thanks, it was a vinyl top car which it has now. was a 383 auto on floor but I put a 4spd in it and sure grip in also. can't wait get back on it.

bannedbird · January 13, 2017, 07:38:01 PM

Certainly got some history, that body. You may want to keep that 4 x 4 frame to put it back to "stock" 1980's configuration one day - lol.

wingcar builder · January 14, 2017, 12:43:37 PM

That's ok...I'll pass.

nakita7 · January 15, 2017, 03:18:00 PM

Man that wagon is just right! Love it.

Highbanked Hauler · January 15, 2017, 04:56:17 PM

Quote from: moparsinbarns on April 02, 2006, 07:11:49 PM
Ya, I dont really like it, especially since it was a reat 440/4spd RT car. But u got it for for 25 bucks? Great catch but it would look better as a RT instead of a 4x4 General Lee

I have seen more rebuildable Mopars scrapped than probably most of you as I dealt with a few salvage yards at the time. The gas shortage did a number on performance car that they didn't recover from till the 90S. These cars were just another brick in the wall. In 73 I could have bought a 66 Hemi - 4 spd. Satellite for $1400. In 82 I was told about a wrecked Daytona that was being sold for 2500 and I couldn't buy either. These cars weren't worth crap in that era.

cbrestorations · January 15, 2017, 11:27:14 PM

i assume the superbird was scrapped may moons ago?

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Burnt in forest fire 440-6 Superbird