Vintage Test Drive of a 1969 Hemi Dodge Daytona Charger

[chargerman69]

Anyone seen this video before?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMQV3o_xb_o

[Ghoste]

I have.  I think it may have come up on here before?  Cool video.

[daytonalo]

What a mess !!! Surprised the front wheels didn't snap off !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hemi68charger]

I never get any audio on this clip......... Others, can you hear it? Both my speaker and YouTube volume are up.....

[Ghoste]

When I saw it before there was audio but it was french.

[StoneCold]

I never get any audio on this clip......... Others, can you hear it? Both my speaker and YouTube volume are up.....

Audio is there out of left channel only.

[FJMG]

Notice how calm he is in the latter portion of the video? No sudden steering correction, calmly reaches down to manually up/downshift, sun in the eyes does not bother him, all the while the tires are screaming for help in the background!
His former racing roots seem apparent to me.

[Highwaystar]

That's the way I like to drive 'em. White knuckle..

[tan top]

 never tire of watching that video , shame cant put subtitles or translate what he is saying 

[Ghoste]

I thought someone did translate it when it was up before?

[tan top]

I thought someone did translate it when it was up before?

  oh !  I remember seeing it before on here ,  may well of been after I saw it , it was translated in a later post 

[Ghoste]

If I can find it I'm going to save the translation.

[CornDogsCharger]

That was awesome!  Somehow, I have never seen that until now.  It's crazy how calm he is while he's driving the piss out of that car.  Does anyone know where that was filmed?

Justin
"CornDog"

[Ghoste]

I think it was filmed in Quebec.

[1966hemi]

Mont Tremblant race course . Look it up on Google.

[Montreal Wing Car]

Mais oui, it was indeed shot at Tremblant for a TV show called "Prenez le Volant". Was re-released on DVD as part of a tribute to the pilot, Jacques Duval, who had a good career as a pro driver, mainly in Porsches, hence his "American cars are overweight pigs" attitude ;-).  http://cmhf.ca/jacques-duval/
I'll see if I can find copies of the DVD in the bargain bin at the video store if anyone is interested in a better quality copy.
Car is most probably XX29J9B414638, sold new in Quebec, was thought to have been burned and parted out, but resurfaced later as a regular Charger? http://mapleleafmopars.homestead.com/carsinbarns33.html

Ben

[FJMG]

Yes, Jacques even mentions Savarija (the selling dealer) in his written article about the car. According to a member on the French forum the car was sold almost immediately after the track test (spring of 1970).
When I was in Quebec many years ago I was fortunate enough to speak to the person who bought this car from Savarija and he was generous enough to share his recollection;

Savarija was having a few "issues" at the time and when an he came in to check status of a car he ordered, Savarija indicated he would not get the car and in order to save the deposit Savarija offered his "personal car" up to him, 69 Hemi Daytona.
The gentleman agreed and Savarija had the car painted white because the paint job from creative was so horrible (and was described as such by Jacques in his written article). The new owner never new that the car was originally a different color.
He kept the car for a little more than a year during which he replaced the alternator many times. The car finally had an electrical meltdown, he made an insurance claim and the car was subsequently "written off". He was surprised since he thought the car was certainly repairable.
The car resurfaced in 1977 (possibly even 1976) in Manitoba as a wingless fastback r/t.

[Ghoste]

Wingless, I wonder why?

[Montreal Wing Car]

FJMG, the dealer's name was actually Savaria et fils (Savaria and son).
The car was sent to Pintendre auto to be scrapped, since the cost of repair was higher than the value of a 15-year-old Charger, and that is where the wing was separated from the car. It reappeared in Ontario or Manitoba in the 80's, where it would have been easier to "resurrect" the VIN I guess. Maybe the fact it had been scrapped explains why it has not resurfaced since? Seems the wing is still around here...

Ben

[FJMG]

Yes that is my understanding that the wing was removed when scrapped and a member on the quebec car forum seems to indicate that he knew where the wing is today. However the original owner told me it was scrapped after his ordeal, about late 71, maybe 72,  BUT we are talking about a persons memory here so he may be off a bit. .
The only FACT I know is who bought it in Manitoba in 1977, and he bought it from a Winnipeg used car dealer which is why I stated it MAY have been in Manitoba as early as 1976 but I do not know for sure. The car was vandalized in his garage around 1979 (paint and windshield), then sold in 1982 and still with that owner.
No info from time of insurance, around 72ish to 1977.

[ACUDANUT]

Too bad the dumb ass's can't learn English.
How many real French people are there in Canada.
Try this. http://www.strategypage.com/humor/articles/military_humor_complete_list_of_french_jokes.asp

[FJMG]

They know English quite well, i should know, i married one!
we are a country with two official languages. There is even a French university in Manitoba.
If you wish to be employed by the Feds you need to be bilingual.

[Ghoste]

They don't all know english, I think it depends on how close to the St. Lawrence you are?  But not many anglophiles speak french either.

[ACUDANUT]

They know English quite well, i should know, i married one!
we are a country with two official languages. There is even a French university in Manitoba.
If you wish to be employed by the Feds you need to be bilingual.

Here in the U.S. they want us to speak Spanish...I do congratulate the Mexicans though.. They took over this Country without firing a shot. 

[1966hemi]

Luckily, I can speak both French and English fluently without any cross over accents, also can read and write both. That has helped me get good jobs when I was still working.

[Montreal Wing Car]

Too bad the dumb ass's can't learn English.
How many real French people are there in Canada.
Try this. http://www.strategypage.com/humor/articles/military_humor_complete_list_of_french_jokes.asp

Please do not confuse French-Canadians, most of whom are in Quebec, with the French from France! We are as close to our "ancestors" as Americans are to the British! All we share is the langage, and we actually do a better job at preserving it than them...

Ben

[ACUDANUT]

Good point sir. 

[hemi68charger]

Finally... I was able to listen to the video on my smartphone... Guess there's no "left or right" speaker on that......... I understood some of it since I took French in college........

One things for sure, I won't be putting my "soon-to-be" Hemi Daytona through that.......... No squealing tires in the corners other than in a straight line from a stop..... 

[GOTWING]

i have not seen it thanks ! that made my day !  dude has balls of steel !

[200MPH]

Notice how calm he is in the latter portion of the video? No sudden steering correction, calmly reaches down to manually up/downshift, sun in the eyes does not bother him, all the while the tires are screaming for help in the background!
His former racing roots seem apparent to me.

I was thinking the same thing as those poor tires are screaming for Mercy !

[hemigeno]

The current owner of the T5 HemiDaytona in this test drive video (XX29J9B414638) sent some photos, which I think might help clear up some confusion surrounding whether the car was actually "scrapped".  I asked permission and volunteered to post his photos, since he lives in a fairly rural area of Canada with what he described as rather lousy internet service.  As you can see from the next dozen or so pics, 414638 is very much alive and well.

These first several photos show the all-important hemi subframe and other identifying characteristics.  In the second shot, you can see where the car's original hemi door emblems were mudded over.  At one time, it had a 383 engine installed in place of the 426 - and during one of the car's several paintjobs I guess the previous owner opted to remove the badges - since they had become "false advertising"   

[hemigeno]

Next up are a couple of shots of the radiator yoke.  The car's most recent paintjob was red, which is why you don't see much T5 (more on that coming up).  In the first photo, you can see where the latch tray reinforcement bracket's spot welds were installed, and the owner pointed out what is likely a remnant of the Hemi Power Steering Cooler bracket peeking out from underneath the yoke flange--directly below the slotted hole near the center of the yoke.  Very sharp-eyed folks might question the K-frame, since the engine mounting brackets aren't of the Hemi persuasion.  The underneath side still has its skid plate (only installed on Hemi K-frames in '69), and you can reportedly still see where the replacement brackets were installed in lieu of the original Hemi type.  

The second pic shows where the yoke was drilled for the Daytona headlight wiring harness retainer.  You can also see where the inside large slotted hole was deformed or worn slightly from the hood pin too, as well as the single battery cooling hole on the left/driver's side radiator yoke (late '69 model year trait).

[hemigeno]

Here are several paint strata shots the owner took, to show the various colors the car has worn.  The most important ones are the T5 at the bottom, followed by white.   Several different reds over the years too.  It's quite surprising the number of times this car was painted between 1971 and 1976/7.

The last shot shows that all the previous owners who repainted the car (even the dealership!!) didn't even bother to remove the door handles when they painted the car.  

[hemigeno]

Next up are some engine bay shots.  The original PS box and/or its unique Hemi-only high-pressure hose adapter have been lost, but you can see the 3/8" fuel line in the second shot... those only came on Hemicars in 1969.  The return line is folded over on itself right below the firewall (the 383 2bbl installed in the car didn't use a vapor separator w/ return line, so it was removed to that point).  It still has the hemi-only offset bracket for the brake booster, and you can tell by the proportioning valve that it is a disc brake car.

You can also see the second hole behind the battery which is only found on Daytonas... it's about 2-3" forward from the factory-punched hole normally used to retain the regular Charger headlight wiring harness in its recessed tray behind the battery.  Creative Industries hand-drilled the second hole in an attempt to get a few more inches of slack for hooking up the nosecone headlight harness.

[hemigeno]

The first two shots are from the A-pillar, which still wears its original T5 and was never painted by either the dealership (who painted it white) or the successive owners who removed the nose & wing before painting it again... and again... and... well, you get the picture.

The last photo shows the wing washers and braces in place, although there isn't normally body-color (T5) overspray on the wing braces (you can still see their original black color though).



If I receive any more photos from the Owner that he would like to see posted, I'll be happy to do so for him... and I'll make corrections if I've screwed the story up!!   In the meantime, I hope his information & photos have helped clear a bit of the mystery surrounding this very cool car.

[Ghoste]

Those are great, thanks Gene.  Be sure to thank the owner for letting us know too.

[tan top]

Those are great, thanks Gene.  Be sure to thank the owner for letting us know too.

     awesome stuff Geno , thanks for sharing 

[JB400]

Thanks for sharing

[Montreal Wing Car]

Great, Thanks for sharing!
What are the current owner's plan for the car? Any time frame?

Ben