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70 SB needs major spa treatment to bring her beauty back

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bat_girl

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Dear All,Does anyone know of a TV show/society that is willing to assist in the rotisserie restoration of a 1970 SB 440 4bbl? I am seeking to defray the restoration cost and bring a Winged Woman out to play again.She has been in storage a long time, but looks solid when I saw her last weekend (pics available). Light cosmetic damage to the nose, engine gone through to refresh & regasket, and new rubber throughout as well as the braking system are the major items. I am wishing to my Plymouth Fairy Godmother to bring her back on the road quickly if possible. Or a longer restoration will occur, but she will be coming back ;)I appreciate any advice and direction that this forum can offer.Thank you
 

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Hi bat_girl, welcome to the forum. Had the 'bird a long time? What's the story? I like the 'Not For Sale - Don't Ask' written on the windshield. :)

There are a lot of Superbird experts on this site, I'm sure someone can help out...

-=Photon440=-
 
Thanks for the support!

Nervous that I will get some negative comments that she is "aged" and in deteriorated condition. Long story short, she has been with the original owner (my dad) and in storage for a long time. She has rusted up a bit from what I recall but still holds a special place in my dad's and my heart. I have time and energy to focus on her as dad is not as young as he once was and is unable to work on her now. Without asking for sympathy/pity, I need to get this done sooner rather than later (6-12 months is my hope).
 
Wow, that's ambitious. Not to be a downer or anything but how's the funds. More pictures will definitely get the answers your looking for. Take as many as you can and I'm sure you will start getting suggestions and incite on what it's gonna take to get the old girl back to the ball. Also many of us would love the chance to get to work on a wing car.
 
Hi Bat_girl. Welcome to the site!

No one here is going to give you negative comments due to the aged condition - you should see some of our cars! A Superbird is a great car to have.

So to your restoration: I am working to restore my 1970 Road Runner in one year. That is an extremely aggressive plan due to all the things that need to happen. For me, my goal is to do a "bucket list" drive around the country next year in my classic car. I am doing most of the work myself except for bodywork and paint (I know a big ticket item). I have a lift and have restored 3 other cars, so I have some experience. Mind you, I still have A LOT to learn, but I muddle through a lot of tasks.

The next question is what you mean by restore. Everyone has different ideas. To some, restore means a nut and bolt rotisserie restoration that brings the car back to perfect original factory condition. To others, it is to slap some paint on and call it a day. For a rotisserie restoration, 6 months is a near impossibility unless you can write a VERY large check or you do not work and have incredible skills working on cars. You will still need a lot of parts too.

Forgive me if I make an assumption, but my guess is that you want to get this done while Dad is still with you, and you have some time pressures due to that. My first suggestion is to really think about what you want the car to be when it is "done". Shortcuts are OK if you have limited time or budget. Maybe leave the interior alone? Don't rebuild the engine? Any of those choices are based on having a good understanding of what you are starting with.

At any rate, I suggest you put a plan together and start a restoration thread. There are a lot of great people at this site that can help you think through what your step should be. It might not be easy, but the folks here can help set you straight and on a path to a reasonable goal you can hopefully achieve given your budget and time constraints.

Hope this helped some...

Hawk
 
Welcome aboard Bat girl!!! That is a cool project and i wish you luck and a welcome aboard, if any can help , its hear! :)
 
Ok, here we go....

Dad had an auto repair facility that I grew up around and helped at in my late teens to late twenties. I am familiar with the shop and am realistic in what needs to be done and some of the cost factors. Hawk hit quite a few items on the nose in his post.

Body: Rotisserie vs. quick fix. A good question that can't be answered w/o more of a tear down. I say do what is necessary to make her right. But need advice and guidance on this topic. Suggestions on paint shops are more than welcome.

Engine: Tear down, sand blast/media blast, mineral spirit soak the metal. Fresh rings, camshaft, lifters, & pushrods as the replace items.

Interior: Can be done at a later date. She has a few tears in the leather, but they add character for now ;)

Funding: Looking to defray cost (hoping TV show will be interested), but need to have plan B for funding & timing to get this done.

Workspace: Plenty of shops in the area to rent a bay & hoist. A few close professional mechanic friends can help pull the motor & trans out for the heavier work. I would refresh the engine with dad (good project together) even if it meant he sits in a chair and dictates what to do. (I am an engineer now, so between the garage days & now, I think this is a realistic endeavor and know when to ask my friends for help!)
 

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Hi again. First of all, thanks for some more pictures. Of course you have the bent nose, but the interior looks passable. Can you get underneath to look for rust in the frame rails, or bubbles under the paint? In your first post you said it looks solid, which would be good. Was the car in reasonable shape before going into storage? When was it last driven?

I don't know the ins and outs of having a tv show pay for costs - I think Graveyard Carz is working on a Superbird right now. Likely you'll have to get a lot of photos to document what's needed to get some interest from prospective agents. An interesting back story would probably help get some interest in your cause!

However it plays out, you'll find lots of support here...
 
So if I may, here is my suggestion:

Sorry if this is blunt, but I would not plan on a TV show or anyone to fund the restoration. I'm not saying to not try, but don't count on it. Maybe Overhaulin or some other car show might do it, but if I were you, I wouldn't bet on it.

I suggest that instead you get the car running and driving as is. That is what I did with my 70 Road Runner. It sat for 17 years before it was brought back to life. The motor has 80,000 miles, and to the best of my knowledge, has never been apart. These engines are pretty stout - why not just get the thing running?

So, my suggestion is to get it running, do brakes, new gas tank (likely needed), make sure gauges work, lights, etc. Even doing that with Dad will be great for him and you. Then finally driving it, even in that rough condition, will be a great experience. Trust me he'll love it.

Once it is running and moving under its own power, then take it to a body shop you trust (or try yourself) and have the body cleaned up.

Given time and money constraints, I think this is your best plan. Even if you NEVER get to the bodywork before Dad leaves us, trust me, he will have a blast just getting out and about in the car as is.

My $0.02
 
Holy crap that is one beautiful car, I'm shure foose would do it if you were to make up some sort of story about how you got it, then pitch it to the guys at Velocity. He knows that it would bring in mega ratings for his foose products, a wing car overhaulin, it would be one of the most watched overhaulin ever. It can't hurt to try, all they can say is no, considering the rarity of your car, and the attention wing cars bring, I would bet that they would be interested
 
welcome to the site, and your SB is awesome. i would do what hsorman suggest and get it running and gauges an such. from the pictures i see. i would scour and deep clean that thing and see how good it comes out. if you go to shows put it in the survivor group. you will still have a crowd around your car an be talking about it alllllllll day. godd luck batgirl. i think its beautiful right now.
 
Here is what mine looked like after I got it running and before I started the restoration. What you may not see is the S**tty grin plastered on my face because I am driving it around. Yes, it was rusty, dented, the interior was crappy, the engine bay was horrible and the exhaust was hanging on by a thread - but by golly it was AWESOME!

I'm not trying to brow beat you into just getting the Superbird running, I'm just trying to give what I think is the best chance you will have at putting a huge smile on your Dad's face. The forum will be here to help you get through it!

PB230110.jpg
 
Thank you for all the suggestions :) A dear family friend and the professional mechanic and I have been discussing the project this week. All of you are persuading me to consider the motor & mechanical option first to allow for some quicker fun before starting on the body.

I am realistic that a TV show may not save the day, but some lucky ones are able to be on these shows and we would be fortunate to even be considered.

Love all the pics you are providing as well :) Nice to be among kindred spirits!
 
hsorman said:
Here is what mine looked like after I got it running and before I started the restoration. What you may not see is the S**tty grin plastered on my face because I am driving it around. Yes, it was rusty, dented, the interior was crappy, the engine bay was horrible and the exhaust was hanging on by a thread - but by golly it was AWESOME!

I'm not trying to brow beat you into just getting the Superbird running, I'm just trying to give what I think is the best chance you will have at putting a huge smile on your Dad's face. The forum will be here to help you get through it!

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Lol, I trust we would have all had the same smile as well, How many of us hasn't done the same thing WITH, the same smile proud, excited, and ready to go!

bat_girl, This will work out good for you! And i hope the opportunity comes around we can see you and the Superbird on a TV show, Joining this site will help you greatly during the SB remake.. :)
 
Batgirl- I am in the middle of doing the same care, similar condition. I can share with you pics and up to the minute pricing as well as a reference to an individual who is just finishing paint on mine out of a small shop in Northern Michigan. You can not beat this guys prices and workmanship. I live in Detroit area and would be happy to share my experience...just PM me to establish contact.
 
The day job has demanded more time and travel the last few weeks than anticipated and of course ta few bumps in the road happened as well. Life happens, right? Help I had counted on isn't going to pull through, so this will be a longer process than originally thought. Not worried on my end though :) Goals for the next 6 weeks: Find a facility with a bay/hoist to rent, get/ the SB in there for the underbody check and begin to with the motor: cam/lifters/push rods.

One more trip to the Carolinas on tap for sure towards the end of the month for work. Fly into N Carolina, drive to S Carolina and visit battery manufacturing facilities (bat_girl - get it?) for the job in between. Anybody out there in the Winston-Salem/Florence areas up for dinner?

- - - Updated - - -

Looking for some local "mid-West" shows to visit this spring/summer to network and meet everyone. Any suggestions?
 
I'd be happy to help but wrong area .. hopefully some VEBer will offer up some suggestions on the S Carolina area.

BTW Detmatt1 might be of help with a facility in Detroit
 
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