Car of the Week: 1969 Dodge Daytona Hemi

mongooz

mongooz

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OK, let's be honest. We had no shot at the hottest girl in our high school class. The captain of the cheerleading squad was just out of our league.

And so is this car. But it never hurts to dream.

If we were ever going to buy a '69 Hemi Daytona, this is the one! It's Dark Green inside and out, it's loaded with just about every goodie you could order on one of these winged legends, and it's one of only 22 Hemi Daytonas with a 4-speed. In fact, the listing for the car states it is "the most highly optioned Hemi Daytona known to exist."

It's got a copy of the original broadcast sheet, it lived in Arizona, it's got its original Hemi 426 ... it's hard to find anything about this car that's not totally awesome.

Not surprisingly, it found its way into a Mecum auction. It will be up for sale at Mecum's big Indy Auction May 13-21, and we can't wait to see the bidding frenzy it generates.

[the car brought $1.32 million dollars, the most any hemi daytona has ever sold for]
 
I should like it, but something about the proportions just looks terribly off to me - sort of like a Olds Toronado front end mated with a Plymouth rear, and it just doesn't work for me.
 
bsman said:
I should like it, but something about the proportions just looks terribly off to me - sort of like a Olds Toronado front end mated with a Plymouth rear, and it just doesn't work for me.
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it is kinda goofy looking, but it was purpose built to do one thing.
200+ mph around Daytona/Taladega and at that time it was one of the fastest things on the track. so....it is what it is.
 
mongooz said:
it is kinda goofy looking, but it was purpose built to do one thing.
200+ mph around Daytona/Taladega and at that time it was one of the fastest things on the track. so....it is what it is.
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Well, since I rarely have the opportunity to drive faster than perhaps 175, it's not really for me!
 
I never knew this car existed. I may of seen some.... not up close... and thought it was a Superbird.
 
bsman said:
Well, since I rarely have the opportunity to drive faster than perhaps 175, it's not really for me!
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They were hitting 200mph with those on super speedways like Daytona and Taladega. One of the races had many of the top drivers boycott because it was to fast for the tire technology at the time.
 
The scoops over the front fenders were added because the tires were hitting inside under race conditions in nascar. I don’t know who here has driven dodge and Plymouth product from back in the day but 200 in that is nuts .
 
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mongooz said:
please tell me that yours WILL have a 4 speed in it.
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Sorry. No.
It’s originally a 383 with an automatic transmission.
I’ve got a 440 to go into it, but I’m not swapping the transmission and cutting up the floor for the different shifter placement.
 
dodgechargerfan said:
Sorry. No.
It’s originally a 383 with an automatic transmission.
I’ve got a 440 to go into it, but I’m not swapping the transmission and cutting up the floor for the different shifter placement.
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that's ^^ not the only work you'd have to do to change over to a 4 speed.
mopars are almost IMPOSSIBLE to switch over. none of the reinforcement bracing for the clutch pedal, etc., is in an auto car. they were not like ford and chevy that built them with everything there no matter which trans was used.
i know, i tried to switch my 73 challenger to a 4 speed, and every shop i talked to said "get a 4 speed car". they didn't want any fucking thing to do with the swap. i had a squadron mate who switched his 67 cornet to a 4 speed, and he was re-welding bracing every other month.
so....i get it. but maybe......just maybe....put a console in it and have a floor shift auto ??
 
mongooz said:
that's ^^ not the only work you'd have to do to change over to a 4 speed.
mopars are almost IMPOSSIBLE to switch over. none of the reinforcement bracing is in an auto car.
i know, i tried to switch my 73 challenger to a 4 speed, and every shop i talked to said "get a 4 speed car". they didn't want any fucking thing to do with the swap. i had a squadron mate who switched his 67 cornet to a 4 speed, and he was re-welding bracing every other month.
so....i get it. but maybe......just maybe....put a console in it and have a floor shift auto ??
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Yep. There’s more to it for sure, but those are the big ones.
Other than a bracket for the z-bar, there’s nothing you NEED to switch to 4-speed, but if you really hot rod it, the torque boxes are a must to strengthen the frame rails.
Those are readily available in the aftermarket for B-Body and E-Body MOPARs. I don’t know about the A-Body torque boxes.
 
dodgechargerfan said:
Yep. There’s more to it for sure, but those are the big ones.
Other than a bracket for the z-bar, there’s nothing you NEED to switch to 4-speed, but if you really hot rod it, the torque boxes are a must to strengthen the frame rails.
Those are readily available in the aftermarket for B-Body and E-Body MOPARs. I don’t know about the A-Body torque boxes.
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yes, they're available NOW.
not in the 70's :idea:
 
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