NASCAR List Unsorted
THE PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD NASCAR RACE PROGRAM 1920 SERIAL NUMBER LIST (Product Planning Technical Services Fleet Engineering)
I don't personally know anyone who has seen an original serial number list. The photo to the right is of the cover of the copy I purchased from the Daytona-Superbird Auto Club many years ago. These are still available from DSAC and show up on Ebay from time to time. In addition to 77 pages of Superbird serial numbers, there are a dozen or so other documents describing aspects of the Superbird project. This is a must have for any Superbird Enthusiast.This set of documents is just one of many available from DSAC. Also available is one of the aerodynamic engineering studies and a copy of the Superbird-only parts list that was supposed to be mailed to the first owner of each car. The Superbird-only parts list is more extensive than the one found in the 1970 Mopar Parts Catalog used by the dealerships. It has a number of hand-drawn illustrations (and a few part number errors).
THE FORM ON WHICH THE LIST IS PRINTED
PRODUCTION DATE NOTICE: The fender tags of all Superbirds found to date have the same "B30" production date stamped in them regardless of the ACTUAL date they were built. B30 is code for November 30th, 1969. We don't have actual production dates for the cars when they were initially constructed/built at the Lynch Road Plant but we do have arrival and departure dates of the cars at the Clairpointe Sub-Assembly plant. These dates start with 10/17/69 and end with 12/16/69.
For those of you who have not seen the list, here is the first page. You can see it contains 25 entries. The entries are not in order by VIN code. They are, instead, in a seemingly random order. The only consistency is the "Date Received". If there is an order to the list, this is it. This list is a chronological register of the date a Superbird was received at the Clairpointe sub-assembly plant to be fitted with the nosecone, rear wing and decals.
For those of us who did not work the Lynch Road assembly line, we tend to picture a robot-perfect mechanized situation where a perfect car with the VIN code of, say, 123456 was followed out the door by the next perfect car 123457. I am sure this vision would evoke gales of laughter from anyone who has actually worked in an assembly line situation. It is a much more flowing, imperfect dance where only the end goal of "git-er-done" is focused upon.
For those of us who did not work the Lynch Road assembly line, we tend to picture a robot-perfect mechanized situation where a perfect car with the VIN code of, say, 123456 was followed out the door by the next perfect car 123457. I am sure this vision would evoke gales of laughter from anyone who has actually worked in an assembly line situation. It is a much more flowing, imperfect dance where only the end goal of "git-er-done" is focused upon.
SHEET/PAGE 54 CHANGE IN PHOTOCOPYINGFor some reason, whomever was making the first photocopy of the list decided to change the settings on their copy machine. That gives the remaining sheets the appearance of having larger print or using a different form for recording the data. The form is the same.
SHEET/PAGE 77
The last page of Superbird serial numbers contains 20 entries. This brings the total number of entries in the list up to the NASCAR required 1920. Some of the handwritten notes found on the list are original to the list. The handwritten numbers next to VIN numbers and the box with totals were not on the original list. These were entered by someone attempting to answer the often asked question: "How many Superbirds were built with each of the three engine options?" Of course, the accuracy of their totals depends upon the accuracy of the list itself. And, the totals do not include any Superbirds built that are not on the list. It records 1162 4-Barrel cars (U Code), 665 6-Barrel cars (V Code), and 93 Hemi cars (R Code). I believe the list provides a reasonably accurate representation of the Percentages of cars produced with each engine even if it does not answer exactly the question of quantity. Even with all the apparent mistakes in the list, the NASCAR list accurately represents an overwhelming majority of the cars built.
The last page of Superbird serial numbers contains 20 entries. This brings the total number of entries in the list up to the NASCAR required 1920. Some of the handwritten notes found on the list are original to the list. The handwritten numbers next to VIN numbers and the box with totals were not on the original list. These were entered by someone attempting to answer the often asked question: "How many Superbirds were built with each of the three engine options?" Of course, the accuracy of their totals depends upon the accuracy of the list itself. And, the totals do not include any Superbirds built that are not on the list. It records 1162 4-Barrel cars (U Code), 665 6-Barrel cars (V Code), and 93 Hemi cars (R Code). I believe the list provides a reasonably accurate representation of the Percentages of cars produced with each engine even if it does not answer exactly the question of quantity. Even with all the apparent mistakes in the list, the NASCAR list accurately represents an overwhelming majority of the cars built.
.jpg)
So, the percentages, according to the NASCAR list, are as follows:
U Code 440-4 Cars 60.52%
V Code 440-6 Cars 34.64%
R Code Hemi Cars 04.84%
U Code 440-4 Cars 60.52%
V Code 440-6 Cars 34.64%
R Code Hemi Cars 04.84%
