1969 Dodge Charger Daytona 426 Hemi Owner Interview

[68bobba]

The 69 talladega 500 was the first race the Daytonas competed in(and won I might add)....Ford withdrew its cars claiming unsafe conditions....I think in reality they knew what was going to happen....they were going to get their asses whipped

[jbyrd0861]

When the Dodge guys first unloaded this thing at its first race...The competition laughed at them. "You cant be serious" lol they said...That did not last long.

[GIwillo]

the daytonas are ugly in my opinion.the real nascar daytonas were impressive and cool looking, but these street versions just look ridiculous.sorry folks

[OneBadSuperbird]

@GIwillo LOL no need to be sorry. Those of us who are FORTUNATE enough to own Daytonas are more than happy tp deal with them being so "ridiculously ugly". It's crazy that people actually pay "ridiculous" six-figure numbers for Daytonas. I guess there are enough "ridiculous" people out there to make the supply and demand at a level to where these "ridiculous" cars can actually fetch that kind of money. Sorry dude but I think you're just a bit "ridiculous".

[GIwillo]

@OneBadSuperbird

wow...the price does not make the car look cool in my opinion.just because some folks with much money pay a lot for them does not make me adore the cars or even like the look.even if it is the rarity i do not like the look.

so whats up boy?why do you behave so childrish and get insulting?

i think the regular and by the way much cheaper chargers are much more beautiful.it is my opinion, so don't tell em how cool and expensive daytonas

are or even how fortunate the owners are ;)

[OneBadSuperbird]

@GIwillo Sorry about your bad luck. All of us Daytona (abd Superbird) iwners are very happy with our cars. We can appreciate the history and the necessity of the aero parts and the history behind these cars. I've owned wing cars for 30 years and couldn't even imagine not owning one. I can say that as far as automotive enthusiasts go, you are definitely in the minority. That's OK, people like you are why they make belly-button cars like Camaros and Mustangs! Enjoy!!!

[OneBadSuperbird]

@GIwillo Also, in over 30 years of being in the old car hobby, I have NEVER called anyone's car ugly or ridiculous looking. THAT is immature and childish. Not to mention unsportsmanlike. So, that being said, behavior like that will not be tolerated on my YouTube channel from some bozo hiding behind their keyboard. I think it's time to learn some lessons in manners and respecting other people's rides.

[GIwillo]

@OneBadSuperbird

wow....30 years...after almost 50 years of being (a child) on this planet you should learn to deal with criticism.wonder how you made it that far...

[OneBadSuperbird]

@GIwillo Wow, what's the matter? Did a little dose of reality about your lack of class and sportsmanship bother you? The old car hobby doesn't need morons like you. Enjpy your brief stay on my channel as you're about to be blocked and your worthless, classless comments deleted. Example" Donks and low riders are not my cup of tea but I would never criticize someone else's automotive interests. You, unfortunately, are unable to grasp that simple concept.

[GIwillo]

@OneBadSuperbird

you are simply one narrowminded embitterde ols man.write as much as you want.i will always answer with a comment that reflects my opinion.accepting otherones opinions is mature.your arguments are just childrish old boy.

[OneBadSuperbird]

@GIwillo You know I'm right. You know your comments were disrespectul and unsportsmanlike. You know that dissing someone else's choice in cars while hiding behind a keyboard is immature and childish. But hey, I guess this is the era of the internet where it's OK to do stuff like that. Sorry twit, I was raised in a different era with different morals and standards.

[GIwillo]

@OneBadSuperbird

but your moral is to insult people who do not share your opinion.so where is the mature in there?and if i want to diss someone i would talk to him and not to his car.by the way i would not say sorry after i do.think about ;)

i wish i had a mopar, but the point that i do not own one does not mean that i should keep my mouth shut and like or dislike other cars.

remember what you said : " I would never criticize someone else's automotive interests "

stay true to th words you say

[OneBadSuperbird]

@GIwillo OK, your posts are starting to ramble and also starting to not be very coherent. I wouldn't be insulting you if you hadn't cast the first stone here. And I have never dissed anyone else's interests until they cast the first stone so I have no clue where you're going with your last paragraph. I think it may be time for you to chalk this one up as a lesson learned and call it a day.

[GIwillo]

@OneBadSuperbird

ok, now i am satisfied.just wanted to stop you calling me an idiot because i do not like the daytona.thats what it was all about in the last comments.now like what u like, and i do it myself. ;)

cheers and have fun with your ride.

regards

[OneBadSuperbird]

@GIwillo OK but let me leave you with one final analogy. Let's talk Mopars. Let's take a 1961 Plynouth Valiant 4-door sedan. It doesn't have the timeless design of '69 Charger or a '70 Challenger. But if one popped up for sale in some little old lady's garage down the street in super low-milege survivor condition, I would be on it like white on rice. I would be more than thrilled to take it to shows and cruises simply because it survived the test of time and is a nice car. CONTINUED...

[OneBadSuperbird]

@GIwillo That's what being a well-rounded auto enthusiast is all about. It's being able to appreciate a nice car no matter what it is. We are into these cool old cars to enjoy them and preserve them for future generations, not get into debates about what is "ugly" or "ridiculous" looking. The Mopar musclecar hobby is "graying". I have noticed this for several years now. If the younger generation doesn't take a liking to them, when we're all gone, these cars will just fade away.

[GIwillo]

@OneBadSuperbird

ok, so you go from the point of cultural assets.i understand, and you are right.i only thought of owning a muscle car i would like to cruise with.i do not know that much about the history of these old and rare cars.thats your game i think.

so i have to say now :

sorry for my rude language.i appreciate you opinion and enthusiasm

best regards

[OneBadSuperbird]

@GIwillo No apologies needed! My goal has always been to educate people about these cars. The history of the Daytonas and Superbirds are amazing. They were NOT designed by designers, they were designed by engineers in a wind tunnel to do one thing and one thing only -- be stable at 200 MPH. There is a lot of muscle car history out there and it is all fascinating.  Delve into it and you will be amazed and maybe even find the car of your dreams. Best of luck to you!

[olikat8]

@GIwillo Larry Rathgeb and the guys who design the aero equipment on the Daytona Charger and Superbirds were missile engineers for Chrysler. They were asked what would it take for the B-bodies to beat Ford and Mr.Rathgeb roughly sketched it out in a few seconds.

[GIwillo]

@olikat8

ok, that is some kind of impressing.never seen a car designed by some rocket designers.must have been some of the fastest racecars of their time when they need to get such big wings and panels attached to the body.should be sick to drive in one original race daytona. :)

[johnpointer]

@olikat8 My dad, John Pointer, had been in Chrysler Missile, and designed many of the new pieces of test equipment to get real-world measurements from the cars on the track. He and Larry had two similar ideas, and if you google "John Pointer Sketch Daytona" you'll find the one he made in the meeting with the race team.

The 68 Charger 500 could only make about 184 MPH with two years of work on the body. Fords and Chevys were making 186-188. They needed to do something drastic. (continued)

[johnpointer]

My dad thought, "If we're not winning with what we're selling, maybe we can sell enough of what we'll win with to qualify as a stock car." The answer was a little over 500 units.

Larry was the lead designer. In the meeting, my dad asked, "Do you care what it looks like?"

"Will it be fast?"

"Oh yeah."

"Do it."

Buddy Baker beat 200mph for the first time on an open track, Bobby Isaac set 28 world speed records and topped out at Bonneville at 246 MPH in the #71 K&K Insurance Daytona in 1971.

[johnpointer]

p.s. I'm John Pointer, Jr., hence the "johnpointer" user name. I wound up here looking to see what I could find on Daytonas partially because my dad passed away last Friday and I'm spending some time connecting with his legacy.

[olikat8]

@johnpointer Sorry to hear that about your father.

[olikat8]

@johnpointer Cool, cool- thanks for more info on this part of history.

[olikat8]

@GIwillo - I am a Mopar fan- I own a hot rodded '69 Valiant 2-dr sedan and a vintage Fury cop car that was a fire inspector's car. A friend of mine owns a '70 Hemi Superbird w/ a 4-speed; they are neat cars and designed for 1 purpose...but I will agree with you, they are goofy looking aestetically speaking. The are an ultimate expreesion of 'form follows function,' and even the head of Chrysler back at the time (Bob McCurry) thought they were fugly. Badass, but fugly

[irarawkstarr]

Joe Dirt drove one of these in the movie... it was probably just a clone though.

[muta157]

I'm not trying to be a troll but I'm just curious what makes this a $1.5 million car? I know it's 40 years old, and powerful but there are others that are that. Again, I'm just curious not trying to pick a fight, because I'm sure you all know more about cars then I do.

[OneBadSuperbird]

@muta157 $1.5 million was probably too much even before the economy tanked but this car was probably worth every bit of $750,000. What makes it worth so much is the rarity, the engine and the racing history homogation background of the car. Whenever a bodystyle is built (as the Daytonas and Superbirds were) strictly to legalize the car for a racing sanctioning body (i.e. NASCAR), the calue goes through the roof. Couple that with this car's option list and you've got big bucks.

[muta157]

@OneBadSuperbird Thanks, I saw that and it blew me away. Actually $750,000 blows me away.....but with a NASCAR tie in and age I can start to see the value a little more.

[kctransplant]

that is one SERIOUSLY rare and sweet ride!! I sure hope that cars has been well taken care of for all of these years!!!

[coombsy16]

-drool-

[JackFlemingFan]

Sharp!!

[outlawxbcoupe]

Nice car,so rare.

[eerockk111]

Good work.

Musclecar Mopar at its finest!! Ahhh , the memories.

[chevystud88]

I would cry if I had just sat in one, that's a piece of NASCAR history right there. I would love to own one that was driven by Richard Petty at Talladega.

[bretoff]

What is the story with those wheels, I have never seen those, in video he says they were re-called

[OneBadSuperbird]

Those are the factory optional Kelsey-Hayes magnesium wheels. They were recalled due to cracking around the lug nut holes.

[AbbeSJK]

this car is RARE

[Rotzloeffi]

@AbbeSJK: But it looks like a Toyota and a Nissan made love. Don't get me wrong, I love Mopar and all, but this was design fail. Course it's rare and legendary, know what I mean...

[winged70bbody2]

@Rotzloeffi No.. it was a design win... ask anyone willing to pay 500k + for it..

you could buy 10 $50,000 1000 horsepower Supras ..think about it...

Maybe people just don't like fartcans and plastic as much??

Yes..I would pick this car over a warehouse full of skylines and supras..

this was when cars were to built to win not to "please the kiddies"

[Rotzloeffi]

@winged70bbody2: I would pick this car over a warehouse full of skylines and supras too, I just said that it looks very weird cause of that aerodynamics thingy in the front and all that. And why the fuck should I personally rate the design of a car by means of how much money people would pay for it. As I said, don't get me wrong, I love the 69' Charger and I love muscle cars. It's ok for me that it looks strange, because it's a legend.

[Chudstoned79]

I wonder how much it sold for in 1969

[GMdrivingMOPARguy]

$5500 give or take. Not kidding either, that was a really expensive car then

[clay4916]

Great car, but how about pix of that magnificent Hemi? All we can see is the top of the air filter housing.

[OneBadSuperbird]

I'd love to show you the engine but it's hard to turn back the hands of time and get more footage of the car. This video was shot 21 years ago and I used all the footage that we had. We were walking through the parking lot at the 1988 Mopar Nationals getting some quick shots before it got dark. I shot the car a few more times at some of the wing car meets over the years and am sure I have much more detailed footage of it but I'd have to do some serious digging to get to it.

[Ivansson92]

love that car, its so fucking brtual

[Ivansson92]

*brutal*

[ronofontario]

BEAUTIFUL....... that's all I can say...

[narutoguy345]

i want a 1969 dodge charger with a 426 blown

[iplayveryloud]

so you want a devalued 1969 dodge charger hemi? haha smart...

[mongoose704]

In factory form the Hemi was detuned and rough...a big disappointment. In the hands of a knowledgable owner....500 horses easy. There's a reason everything from pro stock on up uses hemis.

[aznbmxer182]

hey man thats a very nice Charger Daytona

[Felix2313]

Daytona 4ever!!!

[winged70bbody2]

@iRePzSKuLLgANG Know whats funny.. he could sell it and buy EVERYTHING you own.

[OneBadSuperbird]

@winged70bbody2 It's amazing how ignorant some people are, ain't it? I saw this Dayrona again for the first time in many years at the Monster Mopar Weekend in St. Louis and we did an interview with owner Phil Jackson. The car is currently for sale for $800K. That's more than the skullgang moron could earn in ten lifetimes. I'm going to post an updated video of our interview with Phil in a few days with the vinyl top back on the car. Phil was doing burnouts at the hotel with the Daytona.

[winged70bbody2]

@OneBadSuperbird That's how it should be...My kids b-day is today..I took him for a ride in the superbird last night and did a big fat scorcher...(needs new tires anyway)

[MoParguytilidie]

i have seen this thing sell for as much as 750,000 thousand dollars!!! maybe more that i havent seen!!!! what a car i wish i had one!!! even a 69 charger R/T would be good enough for me too. lucky guy...

[guess1265]

426 baby

[bambamh20]

nice ride !

[directconnection1969]

1969 Daytonas never had Kelsey Hayes Recall wheels but Phil still has these original examples on the car to this day to my knowledge. I have a picture of this car with the original paint still on it with the dealer installed white vinyl top. Funny thing, in this picture the car is sporting 1970 15 X 7 inch Rallye wheels which the original owner had put on the car because he thought they looked a lot cooler then the original wheels. A doctor owned this car when it was new. A real XX29J9 Daytona!

[directconnection1969]

Phil Jackson's car in Missouri! Hard to believe this car was wrecked at one time and sported a 1970 Charger R/T hideaway headlight grille and front valance assembly up front. Car is a black tail stripe car not white and originally had a dealer installed white vinyl top when new. Yes, a Daytona with a vinyl top. Different to say the least. It did not come with Kelsey Hayes Recall wheels as all didn't but are still on the to this day.  I think at last count Phil has 4 1969 Hemi Daytonas.

[OneBadSuperbird]

Wow, thanks for the awesome background on this car. It's always cool to know some of the prior history of a car, especially one as significant as this one. That is also awesone that Phil Jackson has four Hemi Daytonas. Definitely something to be really proud of. Thanks for watching the video and commenting on it.

[WastedCar]

Thank God! Another Hemi Daytona Survivor!

God bless the Wing Cars!

[sithlord229freak]

Beautiful.

[CSXMFG]

LOL...What sucked is when Chrysler threw on the wing and front end! They really made it miserable for our friends over at holmann & moody, and our boss 9's really had to work hard for their money! But even then we thought they were just a beautiful car...LOL...except when they kicked our pants off and won!

[OneBadSuperbird]

Man, them were the days!

[thund4life]

that car was never for sale for 1,5 million its way to much

[MoParguytilidie]

im going to disagree with you, but ive seen on barrett jackson i hink it was the hemicuda or the barracuda i orget which one but either way that thing sold for close to 400grand. a collector might pay for it, let me rephrase that, a crazed collector. nice car though, it may be worth it if it had like 11,000 miles on is original 426 or 440.

[WingCharger]

That looks a little different from F8. It looks like A7 Grey. And, I thought the recalls were not available with Daytona. They were recalled when the 500's were out, so I thought they couldnt be ordered on a Daytona. I am 14, and have a huge intrest in Mopars. I hope to buy a '69, and clone a Daytona. It will have a 426 Hemi four speed, and recall wheels. Because it is a clone, rules for factory correctness dont always apply.

[OneBadSuperbird]

Trust me, it's definitely F8 Green. A7 was never available on Daytonas. A4 Platinum Silver Metallic was. Keep in mind that this video was shot in 1988 on VHS tape so twenty years can affect the colors on a VHS tape. Good luck on your Daytona clone project. Keep in mind that for the car to look halfway decent, that you have to plan on spending at least double or triple of whatever it was you thought you would spend on the project. That's why most Daytona clones are never completed.

[bowchickabowwow78]

My dad had a Hemi Orange w/ black stripes 1969 dodge charger daytona with a 426 Hemi and a 4 speed auto. This and my dads car were one of 36 known to date. He beat this exact car in that same show. My dad placed first for best in show in numerous nats. Everything was completely stock except for replacement carpet. He put 45,000 into this car and recieved nearly 200,000 back. And that was in 1992 mind you. And that car is now worth close to a million, if it had a manual like this it would be 1.5

[OneBadSuperbird]

I've filmed that car many times over the years. It is EF8 green. Keep in mind that this footage is taken from 20 year old VHS tape so the colors may not be as they originally were.

Good luck on your project. I hope you have some mighty deep pockets as it will cost you close to $75K to build the car you described and that's with cutting some corners. A lot of folks don't realize how difficult a proper wing car clone is to build. That's why many wing car clone projects never get finished.

[WingCharger]

Thanks! I am going to just do parts as I get money to do parts. I am actually considereing doind all the Daytona areas, wing, rear window plug, fender scoops, A-pillar trim, and then throw A 500 grille on. Ford guys would know a thing. I am actually thinkning the engine over also. A lot of guys have been doing the new Hemi 5.7L or 6.1L swaps. So, I might do that if I find a 5.7 in a Hemi Ram in a junkyard near me. The four speed from a small block mounts right up!

Thanks! I will need luck!

[nickkalisz]

where's your mullet yank

[OneBadSuperbird]

What a typical Canucklehead!

[OneBadSuperbird]

Ahhhhhhh but beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder! Ever wonder why a Daytona costs about 4-5 times more than a regular '69 Charger? It's certainly not cuz people agree with your skewed belief! LOL!!!

[prideventures]

wow nice it is nice to see a "youngin" looking for some real muscle - something he could actually build in his back yard - I rebuilt a Coronet R/T '68 in my yard - engine - paint (in a self made plastic booth) - body etc. - it was great fun - had some of the kids in the neighborhood help and they got the bug also....

[veyron361]

i looove the daytona charger. my two favorite cars are the 1969 charger and the 1970 challenger. im 15 years old right now and i want to save about 20,000 to get a challenger or charger in relatively good shape( it'll be nearly impossible to get one in perfect condition for that price :) ).i can only dream of getting a daytona in that condition, but if i do well in life, getting one of those babies could be a reality.

[OneBadSuperbird]

Hey that's great to see the younger generation getting into the old school musclecars. We old geezers need someone to pass the torch to. Leep faith in the dream and someday you'll have the cars you want.

[68chargerlover]

Very nice car this has to be fun to drive in,theres not alot of them around,its fun seeing the real cars come out guys now day have no clue,I have a 68 prostreet it also has a hemi.

[OneBadSuperbird]

That sounds like a sweet ride!!!

[68chargerlover]

Yeah I think it has 20k on it, it was turned into a prostreet car in the late 70s its never seen a bad day in its life. Its a 572 hemi.

[OneBadSuperbird]

That's truly a Charger that's lived a charmed life. All cars should have it so good. The 572 Hemi sounds sweet. I'm in the midst of a mechanical makeover on the red, white and blue Superbird I have in another video. I'm still undecided on the 572 or 588 Hemi and who is gonna build it and what pieces we're gonna start with. If the car is gonna get raced this year, a decision is gonna have to be made in the next couple of weeks. Do you have any videos posted of your Charger?

[wcsnoman]

Have you considered getting a 572 keith black hemi?? That one be a sweet power plant.

[OneBadSuperbird]

Yup, I actually was looking at a used 572 Keith Black. Very nice stuff! I've changed my mind on the whole Hemi thing though. The dollars to build a good Hemi just aren't making cents. We're going to go with a Mega-Block based Wedge with B1 heads instead. About 1/3 the cost and we only lose like 100 horsepower.

[JeepinDG]

Hey I agree the hemi is very expensive to build, But I dont think you will be that bad with the wedge.

World racing engines (I think) sells a BIG hemi and a BIG wedge--Like 600+ cubes if I remember right and they both put out like 1100HP naturaly.

[jennyw5000]

While much good can be said about the 426 Hemi, one must remember why Richard Petty left Chrysler: Ford had introduced the Boss-429 to the NASCAR Circuit and Petty grew weary of seeing it's tail lights. For the first time, the 426 Hemi strained trying to keep up with a competitor, and that was the Boss 429. Sorry...but those are the facts.

[OneBadSuperbird]

Ahhhhh ha ha ha! Well Jenny, we're going to have to lump you in with the rest of the clueless Ford Dorks. The REAL reason Richard Petty went to Ford is because Dodge had introduced the Charger Daytona and Chrysler wouldn't let him have one due to the FACT that he was a Plymouth driver. When Plymouth came out with the Superbird, Mr. Petty came running back to Mopar after just ONE year with Ford. Gee, what does THAT tell you about the "almighty" Boss 429? Gee, you're not an idiot, are you?

[OneBadSuperbird]

To further illustrate what an IDIOT you are, the sources for the information I posted above is from the many Q & A sessions that have taken place at the various wing car meets over the years with FORD and CHRYSLER engineers from the glory days. Are you telling me that YOU know more than they do? Or are you telling me that history didn't really happen? I swear you Ford Dorks have to be absolutely, positively the STUPIDEST people on the planet!

[jennyw5000]

There was nothing in my post to demean anyone. E.g., "stupid", "dumb", et al. It's been my experience that people hurl insults for lack of an intelligent comment. In any event, Petty left Ford after one season because Ford dropped out of racing at that time, and then returned. Where is Plymouth now? The 'new' Dodge Charger? Please spare me talk on Muscle Cars. Todays vehicles such as the ZO6 or the Corbra, will virtually decimate the 'Muscle Cars' of past. Honest. :-)

[mfuji0001]

why were the rims recalled? 0_o

[OneBadSuperbird]

They were magnesim and were prone to cracking.

[jennyw5000]

Well...that was the craziest thing. Dodge made a mistake and made them square...which in turn made for a very rough ride. ;-)

[OneBadSuperbird]

That has to be the strangest post I've seen on here yet. What the heck was that all supposed to mean anyway? Did you forget to take your prozac this morning? :-)

[jennyw5000]

Oh, that, LOL! That was in response to the question of why were the Rims recalled. I did put that under 'Reply' (as I am now) but how it wound up here, I know not. Btw, just playing the antagonist. I am a MOPAR fan from waaaay back. (See my next post, and yes, it's true).

[jennyw5000]

As I said, I've been a MOPAR fan for years. Back in 1977 I was in Vermont and pulled into an out of the way gas station. In their lot was a 1967 Plymouth GTX with 426 Hemi for...$2,500.00. Twenty five hundred bucks! We wanted to buy it but we were only married for a few years and had two young children under three...so $2,500 may as well have been a million dollars. If I recall, that only had about 30K miles assuming the Odometer was correct. Sigh...

[OneBadSuperbird]

Ahhhh OK, I thought it may have been a case of you hitting "reply" next to the wrong post but wasn't sure. OK, I'm cool with ya playing the antagonist as I do it myself. HOWEVER, now we have a whole new issue with your $2,500 Hemi GTX story. Your YouTube profile shows your age as 35. So this being the case, you're telling me that you were married and had two young children when YOU were four years old? If that's really the case, I think Jerry Springer might want to have you on his next show!

[jennyw5000]

As I write this I have hit 'Reply' and am directly under your post while typing, and don't know why these are showing up all over. Re Jerry Springer, LOL! 35? I wish! I'll check the profile but no way, I am almost 56 :-/. And yes, the story re the '67 GTX is true. Painful but true. That Daytona is worth some very serious money as I am sure everyone is aware. Even moreso, the 70 'Cuda Hemi convertible is worth a Kings Ransom, being as rare as it is.

[OneBadSuperbird]

56?!? Now I know that women like to lie about their age but 21 years??? Hey, at least ya got the "reply" thingie to work right this time! :-)

[erikensandra]

its great

but a r/t looks better

[KubaPoland]

I love charger but this daytona version is ugly - sepecjaly front "spoiler" but it is classic!!!

[GenericGene]

One of the finest -

[CrazyIvan1745]

I loved those kind of Nascars..

[winged70bbody2]

god theres just something about a daytona

versus a superbird though...i have a bird and LOATHE a daytona..... god

[OneBadSuperbird]

Now I don't know about all that. I have two Birds and a Daytona and I'd have to say that Birds and Daytonas rank pretty high on the totem pole. Daytona is a more refined higher end hot rod while the Bird is more of a boy-racer kind of car. I would never kick either one of em out of bed. To say that you "loathe" Daytonas is pretty unsportsmanlike of a "car person".

[mfuji0001]

Is it true that birds were faster than Daytonas or the other way around? 0_o

[OneBadSuperbird]

Daytonas did indeed hold a slight aerodynamic advantage over Superbirds. This was due to the Daytona having a slipperier shape to the back window area.

[winged70bbody2]

i do know about all that...to have winged cars and not give "ford dorks" some credit for the "coming about" of your cars..is pretty unsportsmanlike of a true car enthusiast...either way i do prefer the daytona over the superbird (even though i have not owned one) the same way the guy with the 1970 roadrunner would prefer the superbird over his 'runner..guy i have been around aero cars,be it superbirds,talledegas etc all of my life..i have been involved in every discussion and arguement had..

[OneBadSuperbird]

Oh heck, I do give the Ford Dorks credit! If it wasn't for them, the aero cars wouldn't exist. But, sadly, that's about all the credit they get. I've been around cars plenty long enough to know that when it comes to quality automobiles and engineering, Ford lagged way behind Chrysler. Henry Ford had a theory of dolng business called "planned obsolescence". Make a car just good enough to keep the sheeple coming back. Sorry if it botthers you but I don't subscribe to that theory.

[winged70bbody2]

yeah..im good...i dont want a part of ford what so ever...i have put enough tranys in taurus' and ranger/explorers to make me puke...not to mention the engines in said cars.lets look at an example.1987 mustang vs 1987 daytona...both cars had cheesy plastic interiors that fade,fords more than chryslers..

fords 5.0

versus chryslers 4 cyl turbo

versus chevrolets tpi 350

road and track covered this one...guess which one won the comparison?

[winged70bbody2]

yup...the daytona...

i have a lt1 camaro and that fucker is quick

ive had a shelby daytona and it was very fast also..

my kid brother has a 91 mustang gt..

what a joke...and they group that car with the camaro and daytona?

yeah...

although i also have a 1994 taurus sho

that car is something fun..a 4 door car that will take its 5.0 big brother for all its worth..but ford had nothing to do with the engines on those though except to give yamaha the engine mount and trans info so go figure..

[OneBadSuperbird]

Sounds pretty cool. Just don't line that SHO Taurus up against a SRT-8 Charger!

[winged70bbody2]

i dont think id have a chance without spray..

but for the harder battles that the car faces, i do run a 100 shot of nitrous..i think it may be closer than youd imagine.zex makes an awesome dry system for v-6s..right now the has 218 hp @ 6200 RPM and 306 hp @ 6400 on spray..the thing that makes these cars faster than comparable rated cars is that the hp rating and torque curve is incredibly flat..remember that the srt is a very heavy girl

[winged70bbody2]

1/4 mile times are bests so far

13.391 @ 109.430 with a 60 ft time of 2.122

very respectable..i have never ran at the track without but would imagine its somewhere around 14.4-14.9 again very nice for a damn taurus.

[OneBadSuperbird]

That is totally awesome! I've been a fan of four-door cars forever and paid real close attention to the SHO's when they first came out. Heck, I still have all the magazine road tests and dealer brochures on those cars stashed away. Is the car cosmetically as nice as the drivetrain is?

[ze1boss]

I have pictures of this car after it was wrecked in Phoenix in 75. It had a dealer installed vinyl roof. A doctor ordered it new. Those wheels never came on Daytonas. They were recalled Sept. 68. Daytona production started late April early May of 69. This is the only Hemi 4-speed Daytona sold in the Phoenix area. Dave you are a lucky man.  Very rare find

[OneBadSuperbird]

""Dave you are a lucky man."" Dave sold that car many, many years ago.

[ze1boss]

I have not seen him since 1989.  I just reconized his voice on the tape. I never knew he owned the car.

[OneBadSuperbird]

Yup, his voice is pretty easily recognizable! Besides the F8 Green Hemi Daytona, Dave also had a V2 Hemi Orange Daytona. That car is also long since gone.

[formerice]

I'll bet that car would run the arse off anything that NASCAR runs today. They were banned cause they were too fast. Stop and think, you could go to your local Dodge dealer and buy a car that was too fast. I believe one of those held the speed record at Bonnievile for a long time.

[marcusbondi]

You better 'stop and think'; because @ 200mph down the main street to get a thing of milk, you ain't stoppin on drum brakes in a hurry... LOL! I'm not flaming u; Daytona Charger is my fave car of all time! King Richard my fave driver! Cheers.

[ze1boss]

Not to many new cars are going to stop from 200 mph with there little disc brakes either!!! And back then they had better materials that are not legal today for the drum brakes that would stop one of those 4000+ pound cars with no fade.

[ze1boss]

I read that these were hitting 240mph on the back strait of Daytona or Talledega. A Daytona out of Texas does hold a record at Bonneville at 239 or 241mph. Was set last summer.

[dallaspolo]

Were both Daytona and Superbird Banned? I remember my dad had a 69 Daytona Red/white with a 440x6 till about 7 yrs ago. Only had 36K miles on it.

[jennyw5000]

Banned? Speed record at the Salt Flats? Excuse me, but where on Earth are you getting this information from?

[OneBadSuperbird]

Ahhhhhhhh yes, some more clueless stupidity from the Ford Dork! Well, let's see, the wing cars were restricted to 305 cubic inches in 1971 while the other cars could run up to 429 inches. That may as well be banned. And I guess you are unaware of all the speed records that were set by the late Bobby Isaac at Bonneville with the #71 K & K Insurance Dodge Charger Daytona? Do you take stupid pills when you get up in the morning or what? What clueless blather are you going to come up with next?

[liljgoneman]

look at nascars "car of the future" big wing, radical aero shape. hmmmm..... only 40 years behind chrysler. outlawed because they (nascar) didnt dream it up! who has the better idea now?

[DaveBonds]

I remember seeing this car around Denver a few times a while back. Neat car. I like the Kelsey Hayes Wheels, but I don't think I would drive on them. Maybe get Colorado Customs to make an aluminum set. That magnesium is spooky stuff.

[kingluros]

well, the daytona version of the charger wasn't build to look good..cuase back in the 60's, a car only could participate in the NASCAR championship, if the street version has been sold at least 500 times, or so, and thats why dodge built this version...simply to use the  advantage of the aerodynamics...

[maxell07c0]

why were those rims (wheels)recalled?

[chargerSbee]

due to a design defect which caused the lug nuts to work loose, resulting in the centers pulling out.

[coronet1968]

actually the last superbird to sell from a dealership took 4 years. it was white and sold for 2500 if my memory serves me

[harley333man]

I read somewhere that some Superbirds hung around in dealerships for a few years waiting for buyers, unlike the Charger Daytonas.

[harley333man]

A flush fitted rear window and flush grille on the Charger 500 helped the aerodynamics to the tune of 5mph, but to catch and beat the fastback Fords, the wing was needed to keep the back end down, and the long nose to cut through the air. In order to comply with the racing rules, it had to be a production car, so a limited run of 505 were built, despite 1200 orders being taken. Crysler alegedly lost $1000-$1500 on each one they sold, at $4000. (Oh, for a time machine!)

[tmsfb]

actually there was not 1200 orders, there was just a contract signed between "creative industries" and dodge for an order of 500 cars...

[harley333man]

I thought the dealers had this model listed in among the options, and they got more orders than were in the contract with Creative Industries. I've seen the 505 production number quoted in a few places on the internet and in specialist books, although why build 505 when only 500 were needed? Any suggestions for conclusively verifying one or the other?