Superbird assembly

[RealWing]

I was reading a Chrysler memo dated Aug 25, 1969 that documented a meeting at Creative Industries that describes how the Superbirds will be assembled. It stated that it will start with a conventional BIW Belvedere with the special hood and fenders. Then it was to be shipped to Clairpointe Pre-Production facility to modify the backlight. Then it is to be shipped back to Lynch Road to do down the assembly line and then back to Clairpointe to add the nose and wing etc.
Does anyone have any insight if this is actually how it was made?
Jim

[rainbow4jd]

I was reading a Chrysler memo dated Aug 25, 1969 that documented a meeting at Creative Industries that describes how the Superbirds will be assembled. It stated that it will start with a conventional BIW Belvedere with the special hood and fenders. Then it was to be shipped to Clairpointe Pre-Production facility to modify the backlight. Then it is to be shipped back to Lynch Road to do down the assembly line and then back to Clairpointe to add the nose and wing etc.
Does anyone have any insight if this is actually how it was made?
Jim

don't know the answer but having seen several of the Ford assembly plants over the years - its rather common to have special mods done off line and then returned to the line for normal stuff like exterior paint then the guts.     

[Aero426]

Lynch Road, then to Clairpointe.    Then shipped.  A few cars returned to Lynch Road for repairs.   

The repeated back and forth discussed in that early discussion does not make sense.  A transportation nightmare. The process would be streamlined.

[RealWing]

Lynch Road, then to Clairpointe.    Then shipped.  A few cars returned to Lynch Road for repairs.  

The repeated back and forth discussed in that early discussion does not make sense.  A transportation nightmare. The process would be streamlined.

I agree, it doesn't make sense - so maybe they modified this assembly sequence after this meeting on Aug 25th??

Or maybe this was just for building the prototype cars??

[Aero426]

David Patik from PCG at one time offered a document detailing the Superbird assembly procedure. I do not have a copy.   I thought the story was that they took cars into repair cubbyholes at Lynch Road to work on them.  They only built them on certain days of the week so it was not an everyday disruption to the line.

[birdsandbees]

What I understood as well.. that the 'Birds never went to Creative.

[Aero426]

What I understood as well.. that the 'Birds never went to Creative.

Correct. Creative was involved as a supplier, but the cars did not go there.

[rainbow4jd]

This definitely reads to me as a referral to the prototype build.     Just my opinion.

[RealWing]

David Patik from PCG at one time offered a document detailing the Superbird assembly procedure. I do not have a copy.   I thought the story was that they took cars into repair cubbyholes at Lynch Road to work on them.  They only built them on certain days of the week so it was not an everyday disruption to the line.

I e-mailed David to get his thoughts and he said there was no way that bare metal (BIW) cars would be shipped on trucks back and forth in Nov/Dec Michigan weather!!!

Seems more likely that this memo only referred to the prototypes shipped between Lynch Road Assembly and Clairpointe Pre-production Facility  and back.

[ae8i]

David Patik from PCG at one time offered a document detailing the Superbird assembly procedure. I do not have a copy.   I thought the story was that they took cars into repair cubbyholes at Lynch Road to work on them.  They only built them on certain days of the week so it was not an everyday disruption to the line.

http://www.wwnboa.org/patik.htm

[odcics2]

Perhaps reading one of the later documents on the aerowarrior site would help straighten things out?   

[RealWing]

Perhaps reading one of the later documents on the aerowarrior site would help straighten things out?  

Went through all the Chrysler documents I had and the Aero Warrior docs and there were no later docs that were relevant that I could find.  

[Redbird]

I'm guessing that this very early car is the first car on the 1920 list. It was built well in advance of the cars that followed.

This could logically be the white car used on press photos. White would be easy to retouch the paint on if items did not fit right.

There is some other paperwork that says the first 5 Superbirds (I think I remember the number correctly) were pilot cars.

I'd also guess that the Red car on the cover of "Stock Car Racing Magazine"was one of the pilot cars. The dates match up for that.

The paperwork detailing this also notes problems with the early cars; a-pillar trim not fitting, hoods not fitting, "Plymouth" decals not being ready.

I have asked about this before, but no one has been interested.

[odcics2]

I'm guessing that this very early car is the first car on the 1920 list. It was built well in advance of the cars that followed.

This could logically be the white car used on press photos. White would be easy to retouch the paint on if items did not fit right.

There is some other paperwork that says the first 5 Superbirds (I think I remember the number correctly) were pilot cars.

I'd also guess that the Red car on the cover of "Stock Car Racing Magazine"was one of the pilot cars. The dates match up for that.

The paperwork detailing this also notes problems with the early cars; a-pillar trim not fitting, hoods not fitting, "Plymouth" decals not being ready.

I have asked about this before, but no one has been interested.

...and that's sad...   

[Redbird]

Here is something I posted before:

The www.aerowarriors.com/new.html page has a lot of new found information on Superbird production.

The 10/21/69 minutes item #9 says there will be 5 pilot cars and 1 body in white at that time. The NASCAR 1920 serial # list (available from the Daytona Superbird auto club) shows 5 cars delivered 10/17, 10/24 and 10/29. All the later cars on the 1920 list come in larger groups. My thought is that the 5 cars could have been the pilot cars. Brennan Cook has just sorted the 1920 list on dodgecharger.com (aero cars). He has identified RM23?OA149855, the potential 5th car built in serial # to be possible. A thought would be that could have been the BIW car (I know BIW cars didn't have serial #'s) but it would have the modifications started.

The 10/30/69 meeting minutes. Item #3)a) says there was interference between the air cleaner and hood (question here why would this happen if the '70 Coronets already worked since the back of the Coronet hood was used for the Superbird?) First 22 parts to be reworked.

Item #3)f) A pillar moulding fit problems. First 160 sets to be reworked. (note: I have one of the first 130 cars plus a mid production car and 1 set of parts counter mouldings from 1977, 3 sets of mouldings. The 3 passenger sets are identical, the early driver one has differences)

Item 3)g) the first 31 hood character lines different those hoods to be used.

Items 3)a&b) first 100 valances to be used but need changes.

Item 7) 5 tools and gages missing (David Patik I believe called them fixtures) So on the early cars were some things hand drilled and fitted?

Item 2) first 500 cars had late show up of decals (wing, nose or quarter?) Where were these cars fitted with decals in a field? (from the memo it doesn't look like the dealers put them on)

11/13/69 minutes. 1)on schedule 2)Decals stop and go shipments-overtime 4)defects-especially scoops (again my thought is what do we see on early cars?).

11/13/69 Milestones Memo there was a proposed Belvedere Body in White to Creative proposed 9/10-actual 9/15. From the Nascar 1920 list the 1st. Superbird was received at Clairpointe 10/17. So these are probably not the same cars. Was the process to send a car to Creative before the pilot cars to fit things?

Same 11/13/69 Milestones Memo says the first production cars were shipped to Clairpointe 11/13. The NASCAR 1920 list shows car #6 shipped to Clairpointe 11/3. I believe this reinforces that the first 5 cars were pilot cars.


After reading this info I think it would be very interesting to look at the very early cars, especially 1-5,1-22,1-31,1-160 to see what was different from the later cars, and especially to have the early car owners look at their cars.

[RealWing]

11/13/69 Milestones Memo there was a proposed Belvedere Body in White to Creative proposed 9/10-actual 9/15. From the Nascar 1920 list the 1st. Superbird was received at Clairpointe 10/17. So these are probably not the same cars. Was the process to send a car to Creative before the pilot cars to fit things?

Agree - not the same cars. You are probably correct that the BIW car was only produced for test fitting all the parts.

Same 11/13/69 Milestones Memo says the first production cars were shipped to Clairpointe 11/13. The NASCAR 1920 list shows car #6 shipped to Clairpointe 11/3. I believe this reinforces that the first 5 cars were pilot cars.

I think you meant the first prod car was shipped to Clairpointe 11/03 (not 11/13)

These 5  cars do certainly seem to be the prototypes.
Right after that, production seems to be ramping up:
5 cars shipped on Nov 3rd to Clpte
12 cars shipped on Nov 4th to Clpte
15 cars shipped on Nov 5th to Clpte
29 cars shipped on Nov 6th to Clpte

Jim

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