Joe Medwick, of Columbia, Pennsylvania, received a phone call in February 1987 from a close friend of the Green family of Harleysville, Pennsylvania. Their patriarch, Harry Green, had passed away two years prior, and the family had decided it was time to part with his big blue car. After all, two newer small cars would fit in the same space in the garage. The friend of the family was simply trying to determine the Plymouth's value. The caller was unable to fill in the more important details, which would determine the value, so Joe agreed to make the trip to see the car. But before we go any further, we need to back up to the beginning of story.
In 1970, Harry Green was considering trading in his current driver: a '64 Ford Galaxie XL convertible with a dual-quad-fed 427 with a four-speed. His friend told him about two very unusual cars sitting at nearby Lansdale Chrysler-Plymouth. They were Superbirds: one Tor-Red and the other Petty Blue. Harry went to have a look and was going to purchase the orangish one until his friend told him that it looked too much like a pumpkin, so he chose the blue one. Both of these particular 'Birds were 440-powered cars. The story goes that Harry and his friend drove straight from the dealership in the Superbird to the local hospital to visit Harry's wife and newborn daughter.
For most of the next fourteen years, the Superbird was used as Harry's daily driver (and Harry was not known to be the easiest person on a car). It was even seen on occasion towing a utility trailer made from a pickup bed. It survived 14 years of southeast Pennsylvania's salt-laden roads.
Now we fast-forward to 1987. After examining the Superbird, Joe was able to strike a deal with Harry's widow; he assured her his intension was to restore the 'Bird rather than just cut it up. the 'Bird was Harry's mode of transportation for business (he was a lawyer), so all receipts had been kept for tax purposes. As a result, the entire history of the car is documented.
For the next twelve years, the 'Bird sat. Joe partially disassembled the car to determine what it was going to need. the list became so long that parts were acquired as opportunity and funds allowed. Fortunately, most of the special Superbird parts could be reused.
Originally, the bird came...
Originally, the bird came with a black interior. Joe has replaced the black with a sanitary white cockpit that accents the blue perfectly. Since the photos were taken, Joe has found an N.O.S. steering wheel to replace the aftermarket one.
The giant Plymouth lettering...
The giant Plymouth lettering and the tall wing are cool and indicative of the race heritage of the Superbird, but these giant B-Bodies sat on dealership lots for years afterwards. Seems the normal John Q. Public wasn't too interested in driving Richard Petty's blue wing car.