1970 Super Bird Cuyahoga Falls Ohio 1972 - 1975

[426HemiChick]

Hi Folks,            07 April 2023

Dena and I were talking about old times when the subject of a 70 Bird popped up. Back during the subject time frame I had an Arco Service Station at the corner of Graham Rd and Oakwood Drive in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio. One of my customers had a Bright Red Bird with a white top, wing and interior.

The subject car had very few miles on it and was in impeccable condition. The car lived about three houses behind my station on Oakwood Drive. I would service the car once each early summer. I don't remember the owner's name or address; I still have the station records so one of these days I'm going to search those files and see if I can find something on that Bird. I know a VIN won't be in there but the owner's name and address most likely will be.

I'm quite certain the owner was the original owner and possibly bought it at Ray Thomas Chrysler Plymouth on Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls. I believe the interior was buckets, had 440, Auto, PS, PB, Radio. Just wondering if anyone knows anything about this Bird.

Best Always
426 Hemi Chicks

[nascarxx29]

I didn't find anything I checked my old wingcar newsletter.Name or vin would help

[426HemiChick]

I didn't find anything I checked my old wingcar newsletter.Name or vin would help

Hi nascarxx29,            11 April 2023

Thanks for the reply; as luck would have it I went into the garage to have a look see if the box of station records was visible. Low and behold I think I spotted the box. The problem is the box is on top of stuff with big stuff on top of it and all around it.

Our pup "Friday" has a Vet appointment this afternoon. Once he is back home I'm going to try and extricate the record's box. If it is the correct box we'll rummage through it. I'm sure the owner's name, address and service dates will be in it. We hope we can find enough info that you'll be able to pinpoint the Bird and its current owner.

It would be something else again if the original owner still has the car. We had our Daytona 48 years so maybe he still has his Bird.

Thanks Again
Best Always
426 Hemi Chicks

[PettyMower]

Was the name Frank Zittle?

[nascarxx29]

This guy's on FB


Bob Macak
Former Auto Mechanic at Ray Thomas Chrysler Plymouth Dealer. Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

[426HemiChick]

Hi PettyMower, nascarxx29,            12 April 2023

I'm lucky if I remember my name. We still have to get that box out from under all the stuff piled on and around it. The garage, where it is, has some of the 60+ years worth of stuff we brought from Texas. Hopefully, we'll get to it sometime this weekend.

Thanks for the Info.

Best Always
426 Hemi Chicks

[426HemiChick]

Was the name Frank Zittle?

Hi PettyMower,          14 April 2023

Don't recognize the name, it's been about 50 Years since we had the station. It's no longer a station, was a transmission shop for awhile. Don't know what it is now.

Going to try and get to the box later today. Have to run to the bank in the morning. Overpaid my CC by a huge amount so I'll x-fer enough to cover it. The CC company will refund it and I'll put it back. This is what I get for being in a hurry and not paying attention. The worst part is I didn't even owe them any money, just like to keep a large credit balance, just not as large as it'll be.

Best Always
426 Heni Chicks

[tan top]

Was the name Frank Zittle?

good find ,   

[426HemiChick]

Hi Folks,           21 April 2023

Haven't forgotten to dig out what we believe to be the container that's holding our old service station's records. Lots of lifting and moving things around before we can even get to it.

The old hinges are getting "worser" by the day; went to a new Ortho Surgeon Wednesday. Looks like I'll have surgery in early June for the left and two weeks later for the right . . . . if my left's rehab goes well. I intend to make sure it does; I want my knees working "More Gooder" than they have worked in 33 years.

Rest assured we want to find out where the subject Bird is Roosting; probably right under our noses.

Hope everyone is doing well; everything is fine here other than the aforementioned hinges.

Weather is fine, 80's - 90's daytime, 60's - 70's night, humidity around 8%. No rain for a while and probably won't be until Monsoon season sometime early - late Fall.

Back as soon as we pry the records box out of its "wedgie" in the garage.

Best Always
426 Hemi Chicks

[PettyMower]

good find ,   
[/quote]

Thanks!  Frank looks like the kind of guy that would dye his top white.  LOL

[PettyMower]

Flynn's Tire & Auto Service

[426HemiChick]

Hi Folks,            25 April 2023

That looks like the old building we had, significantly revamped. The two bays to the left of the office space were added after we left. The parking lot has shrunk due to the road in front and the one to the left having been widened. The fuel islands, (3), two in front and one on the left side are history as is the large sign and light tower in the wedge next to the intersection.

I'm thinking the building address is 614 Graham Rd, not 640. Google can mess up a wet dream.

I'll try to make an effort to get to the box in the next couple days. My knees are so screwed up, my fault, that I have to be careful what I do. I can no longer walk the dogs around the small block of 7 houses. These seven houses sit on about 1 acre of land.

Using Google street view, if you hit the intersection just right, you can see the building as it was in 2014. None of the green facade, just the old brick building and the additional two bays to the left. There was a Sinclair station there originally; ARCO built the new building in 71-72. We got it in September 1972, 51 years ago.

We'll try to dig the stuff out, just not going to risk damaging the legs any more than they already are.

Thanks for your efforts. We are anxious to see what we can unearth. We looked at the houses on the street to the side. We had three customers in the block on that side, one had a beautiful Model T, the Bird and a Caddy, a story unto itself.

Ah, I have the time:

One day the owner of the Caddy came to the station and told me his car wouldn't start. Went into his garage, tried to start it. Turned over but wouldn't fire. Popped the Dist. cap off and cranked it over with my manual switch. Rotor didn't turn. Pulled the Dist., the drive gear was worn to almost nothing and looked like it had been on fire . . . . probably had been.

Had the car towed to the station, put it on the rack and pulled the drain plug. Nothing came out . . . . for awhile that is. All of a sudden a glob of something appeared where the drain plug came from. Eventually, the glob made it to the oil collection gizmo. I asked the owner what he had been putting in his engine. He proudly said "I put a can of STP in it every week." It took forever for the goopy crap to come out. It took some gasoline and kerosene to flush it out.

A new distributor, a new filter and a crankcase of new oil. Fired it up, let it run about thirty minutes, drained the new cheap oil, replaced the filter again, filled the crankcase with our top of the line 10-40 and she was running like a top. Told him to forget STP and to trade the Caddy in while it was still running.

The Caddy guy, Model T guy and the Bird guy all lived in the clump of houses behind the station.

Compared to now I was just a 33 year old kid back then. Holy shit, where'd the time go?

We'll find it.

Best Always
426 Hemi Chicks

[PettyMower]

If (1) can of STP is good for an engine, a can a week should make it last a forever!   

[426HemiChick]

If (1) can of STP is good for an engine, a can a week should make it last a forever! 

Hi PettyMower,          26 April 2023

We ran into numerous goofy things while we had the station. A couple examples:

Customer comes in and wants his brakes adjusted. Put the car on the rack, adjusted them. Dropped rack, got in the car and tested the brakes. They still didn't work. Had the owner get in the car, ran it back up then had him press on the brake pedal. The brake drums were so thin that you could see them expanding when the pedal was depressed. Have to keep in mind, this was in Ohio which paves the roads with SALT. He needed new drums on all four. It was a well seasoned Chrysler Valiant.

Another car came in for something requiring it to be lifted on the rack. We only had frame contact lifts. The car was a mid 60s Chevy with an X-Frame. Set the lift pads and started the lift. As the lift started its upward journey, the car just sat there emitting crunching noises. Stopped the lift, looked under the car. The frame was rusted so thin it was collapsing as the lift went up. Put the lift down, told the customer to find a place with a drive on lift or take it to a junk yard before he falls through the floor while driving down Ohio's Pothole Filled Highways.

Back then, cars driven all year lasted maybe three years. The body rot was unbelievable. Can't believe we ever lived there. Some of the crappiest weather in the US; average annual sunshine: 67 days.

Here in Phoenix, we don't have 67 bad days and our bad days are just a bit cloudy and a bit cooler than usual. Depending on who you talk to here, we have two seasons: Hot and Hotter. We love it. Mosquitoes don't do well here, they're on the "Endangered Species List."

Thanks PettyMower
Best Always
426 Hemi Chicks

[PettyMower]

You're very welcome!
My 'Bird was sold new in Mt. Morris, Michigan to an owner that lived in Toledo.
Thankfully it was owned by someone that appreciated the car, and took good care of it.  He actually owned (3) Superbirds.
In 1986, I bought it and it's been in Maryland ever since.

[426HemiChick]

Hi PettyMower,           26 April 2023

Glad you were able to get your car and that the previous owner took very good care of it.

Back when the C-500's were coming out, I was heading for a long stint in Japan. Only saw a Daytona from a photo in a Playboy magazine a buddy sent me. When I finally returned to the States (1972), Chrysler was no Longer making Hemi's. Had to look around for something used that was in good shape and Hemi Powered.

We found the Daytona and a short while later a 70 Hemi Cuda 4-spd. Our Hemi Daytona was the cat's ass, greatest car we have ever owned, bar none. The Cuda was the biggest disappointment we ever owned. Its only saving grace was the Hemi Engine and 4-spd. Wish we still had it as it would be worth a few now.

Thanks and Take Care
Best Always
426 Hemi Chicks

PS: Good news today, New Knee Surgeon is going to replace my left knee 01 June 2023, 56 days from now.