A very special Dodge Daytona 500

(Car Lust) - the Plymouth Superbird was only made for 1970 and the Dodge Daytona 500's year was 1969. Each car was made for one model year so that the car could compete in NASCAR races with the pointed nose and rear wing/spoiler, both designed by NASA. These aerodynamic additions and others to the car body gave it quite an advantage over lesser rounded cars of this vintage. The rear wing was very sturdy--there are even photos of a man sitting on top of it just to prove its rigidity.

But what makes this particular car so special is not its condition or rarity. Nope, it's special because it is one of only two Dodge Daytona 500s left on the planet that are still in the possession of their original owners...

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Reply to
Dodge
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Besides the Honda Element, I've *always* thought that that was *the*

*dumbest*, *ugliest* looking vehicle ever made.
Reply to
Hambone

to each his own.........i like it

Reply to
rob

So what cars of that era do you like?

Reply to
BDK

Pretty much the Mopars *without* the super silly noses and spoilers. My favorite was the '66 Charger - that was the earlier fastback body with the taillights all the way across the rear. Wasn't crazy about the Barracuda.

Reply to
Hambone

I didn't like the original Charger at all. I wanted a 68-70 one really bad. Every time I had the money to buy one, there wasn't a decent one available, so I widened my net to Roadrunners, Chargers, and a couple others.

My idiot cousin had a 70 Roadrunner in mint condition, and he was supposed to call me if/when he sold it, but the bozo sold it to a kid I went to school with in late 73. I saw it and recognized it instantly, and asked the kid who he bought it from, and when he confirmed it was my cousin, I flipped. My cousin said he forgot. That car has been restored, and it comes out once in a while when the weather is nice. Still looks awesome. It's just a 383 car, but I would still love to have it, even though my '08 Charger R/T would beat it in a drag race.

Reply to
BDK

At least he did some good things with it. I was afraid your story was going to end like many of them do: "...the guy totaled it 2 weeks after he bought it".

Reply to
Hambone

I was just speaking from an aesthetics point of view. I'm likely partial to the '66 Charger because my dad owned one when I was a teenager - it was the light blue color. I know that was a standard Chrysler color back then, but I have never seen another '66 Charger 383

4-bbl with it. It had dark blue tuck and roll leather - very classy. Unfortunately my dad stuck (I can't use the word "stored" in this case) literally in a barn, without any preparations for that. When we pulled it out years later, the leather was trashed, and the pistons were rusted to the cylinders. He sold it for $3000.
Reply to
Hambone

Nope, it did have some ratty years though. I vaguely know the guy he sold it to, who still has it about 30 years later.

My first car that I actually bought, a 74 Roadrunner is alive and very well today in the Las Vegas area, with it's original 360 replaced with a stroked 440, and in every way, is in far better condition than it was when it was made. It was one of the very last "fuselage" Roadrunners. There were a couple of the hideous '75's on the truck with it when it came in months after I ordered it, and the dealer wasn't sure if it might not be a 75. We had a deal worked out, that if it was a 75, I wasn't taking it, and he would find me an acceptable car, and get it in a week, or give me the deposit back. There was a 75 on the truck with it, the same color and almost the same exact equipment on it, so I guess they made it twice.

Reply to
BDK

You know - I just realized that I was only thinking of the earlier (mid-60's) Barracuda fastback. I had totally forgotten about the later

70's. You're right - nothing wrong with them.
Reply to
Hambone

No:

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Yes:
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Reply to
Hambone

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Didn't get the complete link on the "No" photo:
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Reply to
Hambone

the 68 hemi superstock is when they got good. the 68 dart too!

Reply to
rob

the old 65s were an off shoot of the early valiant

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>> Yes:

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Reply to
rob

here's what you want.....

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Reply to
rob

Yeah - that's not bad at all. Looks like it borrowed a few styling cues from the '66/'67 Charge.

Reply to
Hambone

Well, it was good enough to get banned ....

like so many other Chrysler cars and engines,

so it has a beauty that's more than skin deep.

If you can't beat it, ban it.

Reply to
C.L. "Budd" Cochran

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