A real Barn Find instead of a story-The Bird in the Barn for 43 years!)

[held1823]

beautiful. simply beautiful.

[taxspeaker]

Finally-the engine. We had to bore it 30-no choice. The block soaked for 3 days with no movement of the pistons, and the rod bollts were essentially welded together after 43 years of mouse pee in the cylinder walls. Dead mice found inside driver's valve cover, valley pan and inside the intake, but we are now moving forward. Drive train should finish up finally next week. No body action taken-we have car strapped down on an open trailer inside the shop. The pieces to get her safely foing are just about done.

https://youtu.be/nicnmJgqTD0

We have rebuilt(not replaced) the original gauge cluster, master cylinder, power booster, wiper motor, alternator, starter, heater box, 4-speed, and now the engine. In working on the brake pedal we found a broken clutch return spring (that big useless thing), a "frozen from rust" clutch Z-bar and the original owner's manual and delivery invoice. We have the parts to rebuild the front & rear brakes and lines, as well as the gas lines.

[Stevetona]

Glad you were able to save the engine. Those damn mice can get into anything. I had an engine failure in a Cessna once because of a baby mouse getting sucked into the carburetor venturi. Ended up as a glider.

[hemi-hampton]

Any Updates   LEON.

[taxspeaker]

crankcase mice house

Engine is now rebuilt. I don't think we would have been able to clean and drive it! Trans is also rebuilt and ready to roll. Car is now at Magnum Restoration for body and paint.

Picking up a new barn find bird tonight! New post tomorrow night.

[rob-dirt]

crankcase mice house

Engine is now rebuilt. I don't think we would have been able to clean and drive it! Trans is also rebuilt and ready to roll. Car is now at Magnum Restoration for body and paint.



Picking up a new barn find bird tonight! New post tomorrow night.

New Barn Find     Pictures Please 

[taxspeaker]

More to come

This is the one that Ryan Brutt wrote about in Hot Rod last fall from "Hippie Drag Racer" Terry Sevener estate in Arkansas. No exterior changes will be made-it had the vinyl top removed 45 years ago for marketing purposes as the pace car at Birmingham AL Intl Raceway and was painted dark blue back then. Paint is not very good, but the Day 2 effect will bve left unchanged with the 1975 pinstripes and Richard Petty signature on the nose. The interior will be fixed back to the way it was new but the car will be driven as is. This is the only picture now-I am at work and after 16 hours driving yesterday and Sunday we were too tired to do anything but get it off the trailer last night.

[moparstuart]

 I know the car well  was here in missouri for the last Year or so 

[tan top]

 

[moparstuart]

  love some of the pin striping and period look it has

[moparstuart]

 

[taxspeaker]

Engine is running & has been dynoed, trans rebuilt Here it is going to media blasting July 23

[Birdflu]

Exciting! 

[Charger_Fan]

Congrats on your latest purchase, I love wing cars with neat history like that. 

Looking forward to your continued progress updates!

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Ah so you bought Terry's old car.  Did Billy give you the owners info before Terry?  I talked to him a while back.

[taxspeaker]

Thanks Ryan. No, I was not provided anything other than oral piecemeal history. Anyone with info, I would appreciate back info.
Thanks
Bob

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Thanks Ryan. No, I was not provided anything other than oral piecemeal history. Anyone with info, I would appreciate back info.
Thanks
Bob

Sent ya DM with all the info.

[Aero426]

Back in the day, it was quite a looker.   

[taxspeaker]

Thanks! Sadly the paint is now quite old & faded, won't buff out.

[Charger1970]

I stumbled upon the blue Superbird at a show in Missouri in 2017. It was especially interesting to me because the parts store decal in the rear window is from my hometown on the other side of the state. My older brothers and I don't recall ever seeing the car around though. It would be fun to hear the history of the car.

[taxspeaker]

The side window decals are still there, and will be left. Here is the history provided to me. Nearly ready to drive-wiring is all done and tested, hope to finish re-assembling and installing heater box this week, followed by radio, carpet and front seats and off we go by next weekend. I have been in contact with previous owner's sister (owner now deceased), and with the owner prior to that in Alabama.

Car was originally Lemon Twist yellow and bought new out of Birmingham, AL by a 62 year old couple who immediately removed the vinyl top and had it painted Petty blue. A year later they decided it was too big and they traded it in. It was then sold to the guy I have been in contact with. He stripped the car to bare metal and painted it dark blue and when the wing decals came in they had the colors reversed-which he didn't notice until he put them on. They are still wrong today!

He also had the latch tray made to stainless steel and polished. He also had it pinstriped and got Richard Petty to sign the car. There is a claim, as yet unverified, that he was a friend of the guy that owned the Birmingham International Raceway, and that he was paid to act as the pace car, thus getting Richard Petty's signature. I have asked for pictures or anything. Part of the fun of the cars is the old stories.

While rewiring the car, stuck up under the dash I found a very old carton of "Peacock rubbers" which I guess he had in there for when he got lucky. Must never have got lucky because the pack is full. Still have the pack-you never know.

Funny side note: In 4 wing cars i have found old stuff as follows:
Alaska highway bird: diamond ring in diamond box (fake) and $3.87 in change
Yellow Daytona: 1970 speeding ticket and no change
Green barn find: More old s**t than you can imagine, 700 dead mice and $11.18 in change
Bluebird: box of rubbers and $4.40 in change

Maybe the guy that used to own the white bird took the fake ring to the guy that owned the blue bird with the unused rubbers and that explains the rubbers. Pushing $20 bucks in change-I will send it to Troy since we are revisiting his 8ball dream of a wing car to put in his wing car piggy bank

[Simonic]

[quote  8ball dream of a wing car
[/quote]
I'm gonna have to get one of these 8 ball things.....I've never seen one in the uk.....but you never know....I may get lucky

[held1823]

great story. and awesome wing collection you have gathered.

p.s. -save your twenty bucks; look at the date on the 8 ball post.

[cudavic]

Back in the day, it was quite a looker.   

Yes, it certainly was a looker back in the day.

[taxspeaker]

Can't believe in this group of sharp-eyed guys that nobody picked up on the exact amount of change found in the Blue Bird!