Everyone loves a good barn find story and this one is almost unbelievable. In American car collecting once you get into the 1970s, it doesn’t get any better than finding a 1970 Plymouth Superbird. And this one is of particular interest because it is a one-of-one Rallye Red aero warriors. And that’s why at first everyone thought it was a clone. But read on.

Sitting for years in Texas, the folks at Classic Car Cowboy in Dallas, first got wind of the Superbird’s existence through a cable TV car show host. The cheap-looking red paint was unfortunate in pictures, but overall it still looked more than worthy of a close-up. So off the Classic Cowboys went with cash in hand.

There was concern that this was a tribute made from real Superbird pieces

After smoking the Plymouth over, the Cowboys were a bit skeptical. There was concern that this barn find was a tribute made from real Superbird pieces. Door Jambs and inside the trunk they saw Rallye Red paint, which Superbirds did not come in. Checking out the serial numbers would shed light on what this started out as.

But one of the serial plates was gone and another was damaged. Still, the price was right and the pieces real so the Cowboys took a shot and bought the question mark ‘bird. Once back in Dallas they would get an expert in deciphering Mopar stuff to give them a verdict.

They began disassembling the old Plymouth to see what other secrets it held

The Cowboys brought over David Wise who owns MMC Detroit. He specializes in Mopar restoration guidance, reference guides, and inspections. Wise drove to Dallas to check out the ‘bird in person. Together, they began disassembling the old Plymouth to see what other secrets it might be hiding.

Hidden serial numbers revealed it was painted with the code FE5, which stands for Rallye Red. Wise told The Drive he was able to peel back undercoating as well as behind the front fenders. Well preserved Rallye Red paint was everywhere. He even checked the thickness of the paint with a density meter just to make sure nothing was hiding behind what he saw. This was the real deal; a one-of-one Plymouth Superbird.

For now, it will undergo only a mechanical restoration

For now, the Cowboys are doing a mechanical restoration with the goal of debuting it at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals this summer. They’ll leave it this way as much to show off just a bit as allow skeptics to look it over. You know, just in case any “experts” count its originality. Then they’ll restore it back to original as it deserves. 

So, there are still car barn finds out there that are not only rare and desirable but await discovery to add another chapter to the history books. But you won’t find them if you don’t seek them out. So the next time someone gives you a line on a car, go check it out. You might just run into something like a one-of-one Plymouth Superbird.