Tim Welborn's Yellow Superbird

[CornDogsCharger]

I've seen this car in magazines and coffee table type books many times and I was wondering what the deal was with it.  I was reading in the second issue (1988) of Mopar Muscle, where it was on the cover, and it claims that the car is untouched and all original.  They wrote about the car being the best example of a survivor Superbird.  All of the belts, hoses, paint... everything was untouched.  On one of the tv shows within the past year, they said that all Superbirds were so rushed when they were built that they were thrown together very sloppy and this was the best example of that.  That's good and all and I know Tim is a stand-up guy in this hobby, but my biggest question is... what is the deal with all of the overspray in the engine bay.  If this car is such an "original" "untouched" car, then why does it appear that someone (in recent times) did a very sloppy job masking up the engine bay and sprayed what they could yellow.  There is overspray on the harness, vacuum hoses, connectors, ...everything. I'm not trying to call him out of say anything bad about Tim because he seems like a very good guy and is a long-time Mopar nut.  I've just wondered this ever since I first started seeing this car pop up everywhere.  In the article from '88 the car only had about 6500 miles on it.  It said he bought the car three years earlier ('85).  In the article, you could see the overspray then.  Just wondering if anyone knew the inside scoop to this car?  If someone has pictures, then please post... I can take pictures of the book I have and post.  It has a two-page photo of the engine bay. 

Justin
"CornDog"

[nascarxx29]

Seen this kind of thing many many times not just on this #163481 story car .Its not the owners usually its the magazine that embellish  .When the cars storys dont hold water.I could list many examples  .I got many archives from old ads etc where cars listed by vin got lower mileage then previously advertised down the road .And some that were sold as bodies .Became matching numbers years later.Thats why the clubs and registries are necessary to stockplie this info.As today cars are being built around existing buildsheet and fender tags .When no car exists

[maxwellwedge]

The over spray was a given on Daytona's but the Birds were put together differently and definitely "neater".

[nascarxx29]

As daytonas go overspray is on etc things underhood nose seals headlight trim rings just to name a few.Not typical as to superbird construction lacking these assembly details

[CornDogsCharger]

These are the pictures from the coffee table book that I got.  It's called Art of The Muscle Car by David Newhardt

Justin
"CornDog"

[Charger-Bodie]

I also dont understand how that could be anyting to do with the conversion.... 

[nascarxx29]

The heater box nut would never be painted.Same goes for the electrical bulkhead retaining cilps.Especially the plate behind the booster always black

http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/product-review/muscle-car-book-reviews/art-of-the-muscle-car-a-book-review/

[CornDogsCharger]

It really is a good book with MANY very detailed pictures. 

[maxwellwedge]

My Survivor Bird is going into Mopar Action shortly - Should have some nice detail shots in the article.

[hemigeno]

My Survivor Bird is going into Mopar Action shortly - Should have some nice detail shots in the article.

Cool!  Congrats, Jim!  Have you observed some of the same traits on your 'Bird?

[62 Max]

The heater box nut would never be painted.Same goes for the electrical bulkhead retaining cilps.Especially the plate behind the booster always black

http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/product-review/muscle-car-book-reviews/art-of-the-muscle-car-a-book-review/

Dave,you know that the unibody was painted separately,everything was added later.I doubt there should be over spray on anything but I've been wrong before.And for what it's worth,the blue car still has all the original paaint including the air dry lacquer on wing and nose,no over spray anywhere in the engine compartment..

[hemi68charger]

My Survivor Bird is going into Mopar Action shortly - Should have some nice detail shots in the article.

Awesome Jim !!!!  Good goin'...

AB

[hemi68charger]

The heater box nut would never be painted.Same goes for the electrical bulkhead retaining cilps.Especially the plate behind the booster always black

http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/product-review/muscle-car-book-reviews/art-of-the-muscle-car-a-book-review/

Dave,you know that the unibody was painted separately,everything was added later.I doubt there should be over spray on anything but I've been wrong before.And for what it's worth,the blue car still has all the original paaint including the air dry lacquer on wing and nose,no over spray anywhere in the engine compartment..

I agree... These Birds were made the "assembly" way, no overspray from paint.. Now, whether or not the car needed to be repainted at the selling dealership prior to being sold is another issue.

AB

[Highbanked Hauler]

 could it be that assembly line painter missed that area and it was caught before it went out the door and resprayed?

[tan top]

 didn't the delsser ( spelling ) daytona have over spray on the wipermotor & stuff  , original creative handy work  

oh

The heater box nut would never be painted.Same goes for the electrical bulkhead retaining cilps.Especially the plate behind the booster always black

http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/product-review/muscle-car-book-reviews/art-of-the-muscle-car-a-book-review/

Dave,you know that the unibody was painted separately,everything was added later.I doubt there should be over spray on anything but I've been wrong before.And for what it's worth,the blue car still has all the original paaint including the air dry lacquer on wing and nose,no over spray anywhere in the engine compartment..

I agree... These Birds were made the "assembly" way, no overspray from paint.. Now, whether or not the car needed to be repainted at the selling dealership prior to being sold is another issue.

AB

oh yeah of course ,  they were built on an assembly line

[Charger-Bodie]

What I dont get is: Why is the rest of the firewall a way diff color? Was this thing maybe like an early mule or something before they ironed out a system on doing the mods?

[Highbanked Hauler]

What I dont get is: Why is the rest of the firewall a way diff color? Was this thing maybe like an early mule or something before they ironed out a system on doing the mods?

  Kinda looks like factory primer as it goes to the other side.The conversion didn't have anything to do with the firewall did it?

[Charger-Bodie]

No,but Im just thinking outloud here....Like maybe a first one .like maybe they pulled one off the line to mock stuff up and then ended up useing it or something along them lines....Totally just thinking outloud,it just makes no sense that it would be like it is.

[nascarxx29]

Dave Patik wrote this informative account of a superbirds construction
http://wwnboa.org/patik.htm

[maxwellwedge]

My Survivor Bird is going into Mopar Action shortly - Should have some nice detail shots in the article.

Cool!  Congrats, Jim!  Have you observed some of the same traits on your 'Bird?

Thanks Geno - Nope - mine is all normal in those areas.

[maxwellwedge]

My Survivor Bird is going into Mopar Action shortly - Should have some nice detail shots in the article.

Awesome Jim !!!!  Good goin'...

AB

Thanks "AB"  They tried to get "Doc" as well but alas.....Not ready yet.   

[Aero426]

Jim, is the car coming up in Mopar Action the ex-McBryde Bird?

[nascarxx29]

Is it the Oct1994 Big Mac to Go magazine Superbird MC Bride owned
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,56844.0.html

[maxwellwedge]

Doug and Dave - Yes - That's the one.