Superbird

[sunk]

Nice! I would take that Superbird over a Ferrari anyday (more low-end torque, more room, reliable and rugged engine).

Yeah, me too. Its a race icon.

[PBB]

Some pics.

[Sei cilindri]

I think the superbird is a true icon and perfectly represents the muscle car area

Earlier in this thread it was stated that a representable example will cost $25K
That seems very cheap to me. If that is truly the case please show me the vender and I will buy it to add to my collection (seriously !)

Nevertheless there is no comparing it to a Ferrari.
I agree that the horsepower is there but as with most American cars cornering and braking let it down considerably which makes driving high speeds or winding roads (or driving winding roads at high speeds for that matter ) not really pleasent.......

Having said that, please call me when you see one for sale at a reasonable price

[Fleet 500]

Earlier in this thread it was stated that a representable example will cost $25K
That seems very cheap to me. If that is truly the case please show me the vender and I will buy it to add to my collection (seriously !)

Nevertheless there is no comparing it to a Ferrari.
I agree that the horsepower is there but as with most American cars cornering and braking let it down considerably which makes driving high speeds or winding roads (or driving winding roads at high speeds for that matter ) not really pleasent.......

Having said that, please call me when you see one for sale at a reasonable price

$25,000 is about the lowest price available for an unrestored Superbird in relativley good condition... you know needing some work but not that much- about a #3 condition.

For over 90% of driving on American roads, the Superbird would be just fine. They do, after all, have a heavy duty suspension. They can certainly do okay on any winding roads or high speeds that the bigger SUVs and my Cadillacs can handle.

You'll probably have a long wait for one at a reasonable price!

[PerfAdv]

On a recent episode of Sports Car Revolution, I think its a Canadian show, there was a segment where the Superbird went up against a.....D..R..U..M.....Roooooooooooooooolll...Honda Odyssey Minivan and lost. It was a autocross in a parking lot. The Superbird couldn't really use its muscle but just shows how far cars have come. Musclecars are really a thing of the past.

[Fleet 500]

On a recent episode of Sports Car Revolution, I think its a Canadian show, there was a segment where the Superbird went up against a.....D..R..U..M.....Roooooooooooooooolll...Honda Odyssey Minivan and lost. It was a autocross in a parking lot. The Superbird couldn't really use its muscle but just shows how far cars have come. Musclecars are really a thing of the past.

Well, driving around in a parking lot is about the only useful thing a Honda Minivan can do!

It looks like, due to the high prices musclecar are commanding, that many people want to live in the past.

[PerfAdv]

It looks like, due to the high prices musclecar are commanding, that many people want to live in the past.

Paradise lost


EDIT: Not a flame. I'm just saying that everything Musclecars did new muscle does better. i.e. : EVO, STI, etc..

[Fleet 500]

Paradise lost

EDIT: Not a flame. I'm just saying that everything Musclecars did new muscle does better. i.e. : EVO, STI, etc..

Well, sometimes (not very often) bargains do pop up.

Yeah, everything except styling (the old muscle cars look like cars, not imitations of Japanese and European cars), longevity, lots of real metal and *soul*. Out here, a '66 Tri-Power GTO or '70 440-6 Pack Challenger get a lot more stares in a parking lot than an EVO or STI.
I prefer the tons of low-end torque the old-school cars had. Even my 5,000-lb Cadillac could probably burn rubber better than an EVO or STI (a non-power-braking type of burnout).

[Matra et Alpine]

Even my 5,000-lb Cadillac could probably burn rubber better than an EVO or STI (a non-power-braking type of burnout).

Probably, FLeet, but of course that's because you're trying to move 5,000 lbs of steel.

The tyres retain better traction trying to move lower masses

[Fleet 500]

Probably, FLeet, but of course that's because you're trying to move 5,000 lbs of steel.

The tyres retain better traction trying to move lower masses

Yeah, true. Especially up a hill, the weight keeps the car from moving forward easier. But it does take a lot of torque to light the tires in the first place. A mid-'80s Cadillac Fleetwood, with a wimpy 249 cu in engine, couldn't burn rubber no matter how hard you try because most of the torque the older Cadillacs had was gone.

[Sei cilindri]

For over 90% of driving on American roads, the Superbird would be just fine. They do, after all, have a heavy duty suspension. They can certainly do okay on any winding roads or high speeds that the bigger SUVs and my Cadillacs can handle.

You'll probably have a long wait for one at a reasonable price!

That probably right , but that is one of the reasons so few new american cars are sold over here, they just do not fit the conditions in most european countries.
Most cars in my collection are Italian altough I also own a couple of Renaults, a 53 Jag and a 59 Buick (nice car but VERY poor handling btw, the 53 Jag is galaxy better in terms of roadholding/handling)

Nevertheless I am dead serious: I am very much interested in a good condition Superbird for a reasonable price and I am not in a hurry so tips now or in the future are welcome

[spi-ti-tout]

most American cars

For over 90% of driving on American roads, the Superbird would be just fine

Doesn't make sense with the sentence below

They can certainly do okay on any winding roads or high speeds that the bigger SUVs and my Cadillacs can handle.

You didn't get it, did you?

["Clevor" Angel]

On a recent episode of Sports Car Revolution, I think its a Canadian show, there was a segment where the Superbird went up against a.....D..R..U..M.....Roooooooooooooooolll...Honda Odyssey Minivan and lost. It was a autocross in a parking lot. The Superbird couldn't really use its muscle but just shows how far cars have come. Musclecars are really a thing of the past.

Musclecars were never really made to handle that well. They came out with trans am editions like the boss 302, TA challenger, and AAR cuda whose handling far exceeding their siblings but still weren't the greatest in the corners. Straight line performance was really all that mattered back then.

[Fleet 500]

That probably right , but that is one of the reasons so few new american cars are sold over here, they just do not fit the conditions in most european countries.
Most cars in my collection are Italian altough I also own a couple of Renaults, a 53 Jag and a 59 Buick (nice car but VERY poor handling btw, the 53 Jag is galaxy better in terms of roadholding/handling)

Nevertheless I am dead serious: I am very much interested in a good condition Superbird for a reasonable price and I am not in a hurry so tips now or in the future are welcome

New American cars are very similar in size and handling with European cars. They are much different than American cars of 30 years ago... back then they were much bigger and had much bigger engines.

Radial tires (if you don't have them already) and a set of heavy-duty shocks will make a big difference in the handling of your '59 Buick. A '59 Buick is a much bigger and heavier car than a '53 Jag, so there is no big surprise in the handling difference. Back when they were sold new, people liked the 6-passenger capability, the large trunk, the powerful engine and the smooth ride of the '59 Buicks (and similar U.S. cars).

I do check out ads of Mopar muscle cars regularly, so if I see a good deal on a Superbird, I'll let you know. It may take a while... hope you can wait.

[Fleet 500]

Doesn't make sense with the sentence below

You didn't get it, did you?

What's not to get?
I'll repeat... for 90% (or probably more) of driving on American roads, the Superbird would have no problem. Neither would a typical large SUV or any of my Cadillacs.

It's generally a myth that a big American car will be all over the road if the driver tries to go through twisty roads at anything over 25 mph. My '69 Cadillac can go through curves on the Big Tujunga Canyon road (in the San Gabriel Mountains) at 40 or 45 in curves posted at 35 mph. And on surface streets, it can do 50-55 mph in curves posted at 40 mph.