Superbird Option V6Y Dust Swirl Side Tape Stripe Decal

[Redbird]

The 1970 440+6 decals are one of the things that I believe were not done when the "Root Beer" 1970 GTX pilot car was sent to Vail Colorado in April 1969 for photo shoots. Other things not ready for that photo shoot include the trim ring on the 1970 woodgrain steering wheel, chrome trim around the front grill and the rubber trim on the front bumper (also of note is that particular car did not have the metal "Plymouth" trim piece on the hood. If one looks at things like the 1970 GTX TV commercial, the 1970 GTX Canadian postcard, the 1970 Belvedere dealer filmstrip, the October 1969 Plymouth "Traveller" magazine, and the 1970 Plymouth dealer Data Book; it seems like the "Root Beer" GTX was updated as the correct pieces became available.

[Arnie Cunningham]

Wow!  More excellent information.
The more I look at the "x"s on the bottom of the dust stripe, the more it becomes clear that they were part of the swirls and not "footprints" as someone described to me.  They are however, an accurate means of determining top and bottom of the stripe.

[Arnie Cunningham]

"Superbird" decals were done differently. The center standing bird was first printed, there was another standing bird about an inch to the left of this one. The birds were then cut out and imported to another sheet where the round lettering had been cut and also imported to. That way all the ink and clear coat didn't need to be put on the lettering. FWIW there is more detail on the big standing birds on the Superbird than the small regular birds. For instance in the purple above the "Superbird's" right eye there is a small black charactor line, like he has "squinted" his eye or something similar.

On the Superbird decals, was the standing bird and lettering on the left headlight bucket a separate decal installed on another decal?  If you bought one over the counter back in the day, would you have received a complete headlight decal with the standing bird or would you have received two separate decals?

[A383Wing]

it looks like a separate decal placed over the bucket decal

Bryan

[Ghoste]

This like the ultimate Road Runner decal primer, this is great!

[pettybird]

"Superbird" decals were done differently. The center standing bird was first printed, there was another standing bird about an inch to the left of this one. The birds were then cut out and imported to another sheet where the round lettering had been cut and also imported to. That way all the ink and clear coat didn't need to be put on the lettering. FWIW there is more detail on the big standing birds on the Superbird than the small regular birds. For instance in the purple above the "Superbird's" right eye there is a small black charactor line, like he has "squinted" his eye or something similar.

On the Superbird decals, was the standing bird and lettering on the left headlight bucket a separate decal installed on another decal?  If you bought one over the counter back in the day, would you have received a complete headlight decal with the standing bird or would you have received two separate decals?

Two decals, AFAIK.  I have a partial set from the 70's. 

[nascarxx29]

The 1970 440+6 decals are one of the things that I believe were not done when the "Root Beer" 1970 GTX pilot car was sent to Vail Colorado in April 1969 for photo shoots. Other things not ready for that photo shoot include the trim ring on the 1970 woodgrain steering wheel, chrome trim around the front grill and the rubber trim on the front bumper (also of note is that particular car did not have the metal "Plymouth" trim piece on the hood. If one looks at things like the 1970 GTX TV commercial, the 1970 GTX Canadian postcard, the 1970 Belvedere dealer filmstrip, the October 1969 Plymouth "Traveller" magazine, and the 1970 Plymouth dealer Data Book; it seems like the "Root Beer" GTX was updated as the correct pieces became available.

Was just on ebay a seen there was a copy of Plymouth Traveler Magazine
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/1970-PLYMOUTH-Traveler-Magazine-w-1971-Plymouth-Cars-Barracuda-GTX-Road-Runner-/180910406340?pt=Motors_Manuals_Literature&hash=item2a1f19bac4

[PettyMower]

Redbird,

Here's a guess on the different spacing on the standing Road Runner decal sheets.

The close spacing was intended for the assembly line, where the decals were peeled off the sheet one at a time.

The wider spacing were to be cut into rectangular pieces. Possibly for the parts department counter sales.

Jay

[Redbird]

Jay,

That type of thinking could be the reason for the difference in spacing.

The small standing birds were available over the counter and plenty of NOS examples from back in the day are still out there today.

The decals were put on transfer sheets (what you buy them on when you get a retail type decal) after printing as part of the manufacturing process.

No one peeled them off the the printing sheets on the car assembly line, the decals were too flimsy. So they could have been put on transfer sheets with multiple decals for efficient automobile assembly line purposes.

Good thought.