Hurricane Ian devastated Florida, the Carolinas, and portions of the Caribbean exactly one year ago. Ian, the deadliest storm to hit Florida since 1935, left a trail of destruction worth an estimated $113 billion and more than 161 casualties. The latter number includes numerous vehicles that were submerged or severely damaged. not just contemporary vehicles, but also priceless vintage vehicles. A McLaren P1 and a 1970 Plymouth Superbird were well-known vehicles.
The Mopar was one of two “winged warriors” dragged out of storage by the flood. The Superbird flipped on its roof in the process and sustained significant damage to its vinyl top, hood, trunk lid, and wing. The disappointed owner decided to sell the wrecked Plymouth a few weeks after the incident.
The new owner displayed the damaged Superbird at the 2022 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) and commissioned a frame-off restoration after the show. Twelve months have passed since the “winged warrior” got damaged, and the Mopar is still dismantled. However, the big dents in the body are gone, and the shell is almost ready for a respray.
Documented by YouTube’s “Auto Archaeology,” the Superbird now rocks a brand new tail panel, fresh frame rails sourced from a 1970 Satellite, and a perfect trunk floor. The tall wing is finally straight, and the damaged front fender was straightened and saved.
Even though there isn’t much to see right now but a shell that has been painted with primer, this Plymouth Superbird is still in the early stages of being restored to become one of the best ones ever. This picture is made much more touching by the fact that this car was crushed and flooded just one year prior. How uncommon is this Superbird, then? It’s still unknown how many were constructed in 1970. The widely recognized figure for Plymouth’s production is 1,935 units sold in the US and up to 47 sent to Canada, despite published figures that claim the company manufactured as many as 2,783. We can say with certainty that the Superbird is not as rare as the 503-unit-produced 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona.
However, this Mopar is not a run-of-the-mill Superbird fitted with the entry-level 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) four-barrel V8. This car was ordered with the Six Pack version of the lump, which came with a trio of two-barrel carbs.
And while more than 1,000 vehicles had the four-barrel version ordered, only 716 Superbirds had the Six Pack unit. There were 135 produced, thus they weren’t quite as expensive and unusual as HEMI automobiles, but they were still pricey (up to $500,000).
How soon will this Superbird be back on the open road revving its V8? Given that frame-off repairs might take up to five years, that is a challenging topic. Even though it might go more quickly, this Mopar won’t be finished by the end of 2023. If we’re lucky, it might start traveling in late 2024.