Superbird hood

[62 Max]

Con anyone post a picture of the underside of a original 4 bbl Superbird hood in comparison to a sixpack?

Thanks

[graybo]

  I thought they were the same???   

[62 Max]

There seems to be some conflict on that "other site" as to one having center reinforcement and one not having it.

[WINGIN IT]

Bill, did you compare your own already?? 

[Redbird]

I have posted this a number of times before. No one has taken up the mantle to also look into this, especially the DSAC, so I have kind of given up on getting any help.

I am going to guess that the first 22 cars originally came with hoods that at least had the center brace, and those were reworked.

I am going to guess that the first 160 sets of "A" Pillars were at least cut poorly at the bottom.

It would be interesting to see the character lines on the first 31 hoods. Perhaps the add on piece was reworked, or the cuts to fit the underbracing were changed.

Perhaps the first 100 sets of valance panels had the front edge interfering with the nose cone, and a little vise grip or channel lock bending solved the problem.

I think the first 5 cars plus the BIW are the most interesting. I am guessing 1 was the White car used for publicity photos, 1 other one may have been the car Red car (With Black Decals!!!) on the cover of "Stock Car Racing". But again, no one seems interested.


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.

[birdsandbees]

 

[RSI700VIPER]

Interesting discussion.  I thought all Superbirds had the center reinforcement removed from the factory including 4-BBLs, Six BBLs and Hemis.  The ones that I have seen with the reinforcement still present were cars that had questionable history, or were involved in a front end collision.   

[hemi68charger]

As far as I have seen, there was no difference in the hood design on a Superbird based on 4/6/8 bbl. Now, maybe the theory of the first round had the bracing and then it was found through the production cycle it was easier to just cut the section out before mating the upper and the lower together....  That is what I found out when I did my research during my Superbird days......... Every survivor I have ever seen has the section missing. Restored cars, well, unless you know the COMPLETE history of the car that has a braced hood, I go with it having been replaced.....

[odcics2]

Good digging, Redbird.

Now, you will have folks running around, finding out when their Bird was built and maybe replacing cut out sections to be correct!  

Same goes the scoop shapes, if I recall.   A couple of different styles were used.
Some look flat, some rounded on top!!

Only way to confirm is research and vintage photos!  

[Silent-H]

Here is an original paint survivor hood with 5,400 miles.  The hood extension underside was repainted. Note the factory undercoating overspray spot.

[Dave Kanofsky]

Here's a 16k mile original car, 4 bbl, scheduled build date of 11/30.  Brace is gone...

[superbirdtom]

Are their any pics of unrestored Birds without the brace cut out?  creative got the 70 coronet hoods with the outer skin not attached and then measured and cut off the front and put it into a brake to form the 90 degree edge to mate up with their front hood extension that blended it into the nose cone.  Who really knows why the brace was cut out and when? was it right at the beginning? or later on?  and why as mentioned before was it done at all as hemi and 6 pack 70 coronet air cleaners fit just fine.  what ppl want to know really is if u see a bird w a hood that does not have the brace cut out it might be a wreck bird?   another question is if u did smash the front back in 1973 and needed a hood did the replacement hood come w the brace cut out?    I ran across a bird hood back in 83 that I stripped down to metal for a customer and discovered it had been fixed w an extension from another bird of a different color. the hood was blue and the extension orange. It was a mess w the orange extension overlapping what was one inch left of the original and spot welded and bondoed over.  I gave it back and said u need to find a complete extension.  I was just hired to strip the car not restore it.

[odcics2]

Here's a 16k mile original car, 4 bbl, scheduled build date of 11/30.  Brace is gone...

Notice the correct nose color, compared to the fender!   

[Dave Kanofsky]

Here's a 16k mile original car, 4 bbl, scheduled build date of 11/30.  Brace is gone...

Notice the correct nose color, compared to the fender!   

The wing shows the same discrepancy!  Very cool.

[birdsandbees]

I still can't figure out the need for the hood web cut out, considering I'm an undercoat car with hood pad and it doesn't rub the cleaner!

[62 Max]

I still can't figure out the need for the hood web cut out, considering I'm an undercoat car with hood pad and it doesn't rub the cleaner!

I would think there is a difference in manifold height between the 4 bbl and sixpack,that may be an issue.

[6bblgt]

a '70 Super Bee or Coronet R/T with an oval air cleaner base has either a "bulge" (SIX PACK) or "RAMCHARGER" (383HP, 440HP, SIX PACK, HEMI) hood
***** the height of the base plate was engineered to meet the seal of the "RAMCHARGER" hood

the "bulge" hood has additional height clearance built-in VS. the flat hood
the "RAMCHARGER" hood has the center brace removed (factory stamping) a little detail missed when the flat hood pieces were originally spec'd for the Superbird hood 

the height problem doesn't exist with the 4bbl Superbird air cleaner

anyone have access to a '70 "RAMCHARGER" hood w/o the air box attached - to get better pics of the removed brace

[Talkiemoparjr]

Brown hood is a Ramcharger hood.  No brace.
The Orange hood is a "bulge" hood.  Brace.  Its not original on my Six Pack Coronet R/T but we were told it was the same type ( The broadcast sheet has N96 so I know better)

[Talkiemoparjr]

Brown hood.

[gtx6970]

Brown hood is a Ramcharger hood.  No brace.
The Orange hood is a "bulge" hood.  Brace.  Its not original on my Six Pack Coronet R/T but we were told it was the same type ( The broadcast sheet has N96 so I know better)

And you STILL haven't done anything with that car.?

[Talkiemoparjr]

Would you like to make an offer on this 1 of 97   

[gtx6970]

Would you like to make an offer on this 1 of 97   

Oh hell no. the days of me buying a project are LONG gone.
last time I saw that car was 20 plus years ago.