Barn finds are nearly always exciting, but sometimes hype can get confused with actual value. A 1970 Plymouth Superbird is up for sale on Craigslist in West Wareham, Massachusetts for just $70,000—a bargain compared to other complete examples of the rare muscle car. The hitch? It’s not quite in showroom condition.
Anyone with $200,000 can take home a super clean Superbird, but why do that when you can buy one that has spent the last ten New England winters outside. In the woods.
The seller clearly “knows what he has”: A 1970 Plymouth Superbird with the original 440-cubic-inch V8, a four-speed manual transmission, and only 48,000 miles on the odometer. The six-barrel carburetor was swapped out for two four-barrels at some point, but the engine is claimed to be otherwise original. This Plymouth also has a rare white interior with front bucket seats in place of the more common bench.
Not surprisingly, the car needs a full restoration. The seller’s list of “needs replacement” items comprises a large portion of the ad itself and includes rear quarter panels, trunk and interior floor pans, the gas tank, the rear window, and lower valance. In the seller’s own words, “You will spend 10s of 1000s, but if you have that kind of $$ and/or skills, then you will have a car worth 200-300k.” The firm asking price of $70,000 is a great start down that rabbit hole.
The Superbird was only produced for one year in 1970. It was a heavily modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner and was created as part of the homologation requirements that NASCAR had for production-based cars in its top race series. Beyond its aerodynamic looks and rarity, the cars are well-known for having been raced by Richard Petty in a beautiful baby blue livery.