Hemi bird hits Toronto auction

[BIG ZAZA]

Here is the hemi bird discussed here before.

http://www.ccpauctions.com/lot-details.php?RefNum=r003&EventID=98

Really nice solid car

[nascarxx29]

Was this former NJ car of Mark Decastro

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[rob-dirt]

    HEMI 

[birdsandbees]

At least the listing admits that they stamped the non-original engine block with the VIN #. Bet that's forgotten on the next flip when it becomes a numbers matching car..  . Better to leave / mill the pad blank, almost be honest, and call it a warrantee replacement if you're going to play games.

Beautiful car! 

[Beep Beep Dave]

Who is this noted expert?

a noted Mopar authority and restoration expert thoroughly inspect it to ensure it was as correct as possible, and upon completion gave the car his stamp of approval.

Dave

[Ghoste]

Rumoured to be Mauro Bracca.  Without his permission though it would be improper for the auction house to use his name.

[alfaitalia]

Nice!...but he could have waited a little longer before he put the plug leads the the guides..then the paint might have been dry!

[hemigeno]

Nice!...but he could have waited a little longer before he put the plug leads the the guides..then the paint might have been dry!

That's deliberate.  Same thing observed on OEM installations.

[BIG ZAZA]

Nice!...but he could have waited a little longer before he put the plug leads the the guides..then the paint might have been dry!

That's deliberate.  Same thing observed on OEM installations.

Hey guys we did do alot of updates to car after the current owner purchased the car. When the car was reassembled during the resto the owner had passed and the family did the best they could to finish the car.

The job went well with the help of some awesome NOS parts we found and original parts. I would have loved to do an OE resto on it but you can't do them all.

Good eye on noticing the orange paint on the wires. Yes this is what happened on the production line.

The car is a real hemibird and all original panels and good solid car.


Previous listing and discussion on here

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,125031.msg1556053.html#msg1556053

[dual fours]

Would the two grove pulley on the alternator be on this particular car?
I'm still fussing over which "Goodyear Polyglas GT" tire to look for, the early ones (up to 10-31-69) without the raised white size numbers or the late ones (11-1-69 to 12-31-69) with the raised white size numbers. Cars build date Oct.15,69. Just how close did the assembly line workers adhere to the dates? Or was it a mandatory date limit.
I can't see the pentastar on the right fender, I must be going blind.
That Superbird looks so smooth.

[held1823]

Would the two grove pulley on the alternator be on this particular car?

correctly so

[alfaitalia]

Nice!...but he could have waited a little longer before he put the plug leads the the guides..then the paint might have been dry!

That's deliberate.  Same thing observed on OEM installations.

Hmmm.....Ok. But if you go into that much detail, where are the paint runs and the poorly finished interior paint, the bad panel gaps. etc etc. IMO you either make it as it should have been built in an ideal no expenses spared world that no factory could/would do in the 60s/70s (like this car mainly is).....or you try to do it as Day One, which to be honest you never really see except on those very rare mint, stored survivors.

[Ghoste]

As big zaza explained though, the initial restoration was completed by the family of a deceased previous owner and was therefore rushed.  The current owner had some things done to correct some of things done to the car before but the current owner bought the car to flip, not to re-restore.  Perhaps the next owner will spend the time and money to take it to the next level?

[Aero426]

Was this former NJ car of Mark Decastro

Yes, it is.   

[maxwellwedge]

Would the two grove pulley on the alternator be on this particular car?
I'm still fussing over which "Goodyear Polyglas GT" tire to look for, the early ones (up to 10-31-69) without the raised white size numbers or the late ones (11-1-69 to 12-31-69) with the raised white size numbers. Cars build date Oct.15,69. Just how close did the assembly line workers adhere to the dates? Or was it a mandatory date limit.
I can't see the pentastar on the right fender, I must be going blind.
That Superbird looks so smooth.

2 groove on a Hemi Alt  - yes....on 69-71...not sure on 68 and prior.

You can go size or no size tires on a Bird - no one can dispute that.

The spark plug wires can have paint all over them...many engines were dressed while the paint was still wet.

I think Mauro did a great job with the detail items...like Ghoste mentioned - the car was already restored when it was given to him to straighten out the nuts and bolts. If Mauro and Jeff Cabot were doing the entire car it would be Gold worthy.

[Aero426]

Back in the good old days.    $2800 with a running 440.       

[maxwellwedge]

Great pic Doug!

[Aero426]

Great pic Doug!

Thanks.   It is spring 1980.     The Bird and Spoiler II were owned by the same man in Louisiana.   Dad bought the Spoiler II first ($680!) and drove it back.   He then flew back down and drove the Superbird back.    He never looked at the VIN on the paperwork until he stopped at a rest area.     He bought thinking it was a 440 car.    When he got it home, the first time I saw the car,  I saw the R and freaked.      This is one that dad wished he would have kept.     

[Beep Beep Dave]

Great picture and story Doug...what was the going rate for a Hemi Superbird sporting a 440 in 1980?

Dave

[Aero426]

Great picture and story Doug...what was the going rate for a Hemi Superbird sporting a 440 in 1980?

Dave

$2800 bucks.    It was resold later that summer for $5200, delivered to New Jersey.    The guy who bought it,  his dad kept saying,  "That's a lot of money.  Do you think the kid will be able to get his money out of it?"    True story.       That guy owned it for many years.   I am sure he did OK on the back side.   

[Beep Beep Dave]

Thanks sold for sticker 10 years later at $5200!

Dave

[BIG ZAZA]

"Hmmm.....Ok. But if you go into that much detail, where are the paint runs and the poorly finished interior paint, the bad panel gaps. etc etc. IMO you either make it as it should have been built in an ideal no expenses spared world that no factory could/would do in the 60s/70s (like this car mainly is).....or you try to do it as Day One, which to be honest you never really see except on those very rare mint, stored survivors."

As I said in the previous post. I did not restore the car.

When you take a job like this which was already restored and you need to work with a car that's already over restored adding the runs and factory imperfections will be out of place. Secondly the majority of the people want it without the crazy factory look.

I would probably be able to say that 15% of the restorations we do want the full factory look.

[Ghoste]

Out of curiousity, does anyone know how long ago the engine was restamped in this car? 

[BIG ZAZA]

Out of curiousity, does anyone know how long ago the engine was restamped in this car? 

The car had the hemi in it when the car came into Canada. The previous owner believed it was a matching numbers car.

Timeframe was early nineties I think

[BIG ZAZA]

The hemibird was auctioned of today.

Total with auction fee is $435000 Canadian Funds.