A rare 1970 Plymouth Superbird coupe will cross the auction block at the end of the month, expected to fetch a high price. Only 135 such cars were made with a seven-liter V8 Hemi under the hood, but this one was completely restored, modernized and engine-swapped following a road incident.
Specifically, the driver piloting this Superbird down a drift course lost control of the car and veered off the road, damaging the body and the drivetrain. The owner decided not to restore it and just abandoned it for several decades.
In late 2021, car collector Tyler Hoover acquired the Plymouth for $130,000. Media commenting on the deal said it was the cheapest Superbird available in the United States at the time. Once bought, he restored its body using OEM parts scavenged from the more common Plymouth Road Runner model and had the engine swapped out for a 8.7-liter Hemi V8. Equipped with new cooling and hooked to the wheels through a Tremec transmission, the mill is said to pump out more than 500 horsepower.
As well, the restomod wound up with power windows, a Vintage Air climate control system and a custom audio system. The seller notes that not a single Firebird had as much as an AC in stock form.
The expected price is unknown, but Autoevolution reports that the most expensive Superbird changed hands for a cool $1,650,000 at an auction in July this year. Time will tell how close this one will come.