FINALLY!! Production 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona in a wind tunnel

[odcics2]

This is the car from the WPC Museum, so the scoops do not have openings, since the car has 70 Charger fenders on it.
Nevertheless, here's a photo to accompany the words below:

(this was probably the first test ever for a production Daytona [according to Romberg, they were focused on the race vehicle]; the 0.37 CD was also exceptional for its period, and also the vehicle came in at -0.14 rear lift thanks to the 23 inch rear wing).

So - THIS production Daytona measured at .37   

The .29 figure we have all learned to quote is for the much lower RACE version with side glass. 
The .29 appeared on the Daytona drag study graph prepared by Gary Romberg and found in the "F" body aero study booklet.

[Aero426]

That's very cool to see.    Was this done in Auburn Hills?

Look how nicely the air flows over the rear window area.     

Ford tested a street Daytona in their tunnel in 1969.    Most likely a car they "borrowed".   Here is the link to the report.

http://www.superbirdclub.com/FordAero.html

[JB400]

Cool pic   Thanks for sharing

[tan top]

 wonder what difference door mirrors & handles make  if you took them off , the street / production  version


interesting stuff ,  thanks for sharing  

[Mopar Nut]

Cool picture, thanks for sharing

[Ghoste]

That is cool, how did they get an ok to do it?

[pettybird]

officially the coolest thing on the internet this week.

[Redbird]

Very cool pictures and information on the cd.

For its time it sounds like an excellent cd. It also gives real numbers to compare to, say for instance next to a street 1982 Trans Am.

Does the red laser line represent the center of aerodynamic mass? With the small bump in the airstream above the windshield/roof line, does that indicate a drag area?

[odcics2]

I got this email with the photo from the Chrysler tunnel. I have no further info on details
other than the posted quote and that it happened in June, 2012!   What's a few years waiting for info like this?   

The Ford information from August 6, 1969 indicate a race car comparison, not production, IMO.
I say that because the 88 had a 585 HP engine, according to Larry Rathgeb, when it ran 200.447.
On a plain straight, I'd think a few more MPHs would be possible, getting close to the Ford "600 hp =204" number.

Certainly, a production car would not get there, considering the extra drag of mirrors, door handles and distance from the ground.

[Ghoste]

Could the Ford engineers have not extrapolated that info from a street version by removing the obvious street items such as that?  Even comparing the improvement between a street Daytona and regular Charger?

[Aero426]

We don't know exactly how they did it. The Ford tunnel was low speed and data was extrapolated to a theoretical top speed based on 600 hp.  Charlie Gray's answer was that they used a street car, probably obtained locally.
Mr. Gray was in charge of the Ford stock car program. Based on the .37 hard numbers of the street car, and the known numbers of the 88, the calculated potential of the street car may be optimistic.

[odcics2]

They could have removed the obvious and lowered the car in front easily enough.
Too bad there aren't any photos that surfaced...   

[Ghoste]

Which makes more sense to me.  To get their hands on one of the race versions that early in the program would they not have had to purchase it from one of the Chrysler racers?  And wasn't Nichols primarily building all of them for the Chrysler teams?

[Aero426]

I think it would be tough to get hands on a race Daytona.  Not impossible, but who would do it?

[hemi68charger]

That's very cool to see.    Was this done in Auburn Hills?

Look how nicely the air flows over the rear window area.      

Ford tested a street Daytona in their tunnel in 1969.    Most likely a car they "borrowed".   Here is the link to the report.

http://www.superbirdclub.com/FordAero.html

Guess that explains why there wasn't a Superbird in the comparisons although they had a '70 Ford and Mercury there........

Wonder if there were any '69 Daytonas "stolen" back then in Dearborn........   

[Ghoste]

No need really, they just went out and bought what they needed.  Chrysler did the same thing.

[Aero426]

Guess that explains why there wasn't a Superbird in the comparisons although they had a '70 Ford and Mercury there........

At the time of the test, the Superbird did not exist.  Or at least it was not yet roaming the street.

[odcics2]

I think it would be tough to get hands on a race Daytona.  Not impossible, but who would do it?

James Hylton was disgruntled...       

[Mike DC]

 
Is there known wind tunnel data for the stock production (non-aero) 2nd-gens?

[Aero426]

Don't see a plain old CD number.  But the old paperwork references CdA (Drag coefficient x frontal area) for comparitive purposes from a 1971 performance estimation memo:

Wing Cars  7.0
1971 race cars 9.5 (Street Road Runner 10.2, Dodge 11.2 - both with windows up)
1970 standard body cars 10.3

The G-series tunnel tests say the standard 1971 cars had roughly 300 hundred pounds more rear lift compared to a Daytona.

[Mikesmoparperformance]

Awesome stuff very cool!

[TUFCAT]

Wow!!  Great idea to do that after all these years!

[nascarxx29]

Another Daytona to be tested in 2015      http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,119798.0.html

[maxwellwedge]

And mine has the holes under the fender scoops .....let's see if it matters.  

[oldcarnut]

Maybe I just don't see it but is there a chin spoiler on it?