Petty Museum

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1972RM23
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Petty Museum

Post by 1972RM23 » Sat May 30, 2015 9:52 pm

This was posted about Petty bringing a 1970 Super Bird to Goodwood in June.
I don't think that is an actual race driven Petty Super Bird tho.
Any way you will notice the the museum's back ground there is an actual? 1971 Petty RR
Also in the background there is a scale (wind tunnel?) 1971-72 RR in the museum.
I'm thinking this was on of the scale models used to get drag aero numbers for the 1971 Super Bird that never was.
Video on this web page.
http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/jump-onbo ... 1707200643


Anyway. Has anyone ever been to the museum to confirm?

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Re: Petty Museum

Post by bruce » Fri Jul 17, 2015 7:56 am

Yeah, I'd guess the Superbird at Goodwood is the museum car that never saw a race lap and was built long after the race Superbirds were gone from the Petty shop. You better believe I've looked the wind tunnel '71 model over real good. Mostly to figure out how I could sneak it out of there without being noticed... :D

Not sure it's the '71 Superbird wind tunnel model. It has a fairly normal looking '71 front bumper and grille... but I could be wrong!
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Re: Petty Museum

Post by ILUV72RRs » Fri Jul 17, 2015 11:56 am

The Petty Superbird was built later using Bird parts they still had to install on Petty's '70 Road Runner short track car which was built to replace the first short track car that was destroyed. So yes it was raced, just not as a Superbird. As for you hoping to take that '71 wind tunnel car home with you. You better have the strength of four guys to lift and carry it because I can tell you that thing is heavy! We have the '69 Dodge Charger wind tunnel car out here in California. That is the '71 "Superbird" wind tunnel car as the majority of the nose on it in testing was modeling clay which you can see in the pictures of it in the wind tunnel, and they probably filled in the holes in the back where the wing was mounted wanting it to look pretty in Petty's museum.

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Re: Petty Museum

Post by bruce » Fri Jul 17, 2015 2:17 pm

Consider me educated... on all points! Thanks! :beer:
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Re: Petty Museum

Post by ILUV72RRs » Fri Jul 17, 2015 2:44 pm

I heard that the '71 Charger wind tunnel test car was given to a college but unfortunately I don't remember which one. Time has a habit of erasing our memory bank as we get older. :(

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Re: Petty Museum

Post by bruce » Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:12 am

I happen to have a couple photos I took before I hauled it out of the museum… :D

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Re: Petty Museum

Post by bruce » Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:15 am

Interesting the model has a standard Road Runner hood. Petty never ran the Road Runner hood on his '71 or '72 did he?
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Re: Petty Museum

Post by ILUV72RRs » Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:24 am

There are pictures of a Petty #43 '71 Road Runner running testing at a track but that car was the Chrysler test car with Petty's number on it, and not Petty's actual race car. It's possible that the wind tunnel testing of the 3/8 car made them realize it would be better for aerodynamics to run the Satellite hood and not the Road Runner hood for the smoothness of the air running over the hood area.

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Re: Petty Museum

Post by 1972RM23 » Sat Jul 18, 2015 10:19 pm

Curious Blue test car
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