Converting a Daytona or 500 to a regular Charger...

[Magnumcharger]

Just wondering if anybody's been stupid enough to actually attempt this conversion?

[Ghoste]

It would not surprise me.

[Magnumcharger]

Problem is...I actually saw a Hemi-Daytona that had been retrofitted back to a normal Charger front end. And wing removed...
http://mapleleafmopars.homestead.com/carsinbarns33.html

Mind you, that was a while ago!
People are SMARTER now...

[terrible one]

There was a 500 on Ebay that someone had put a normal '68 grill in, but that's the furthest I've seen. I prefer the normal hidden headlight grill to the Coronet style myself.

[Argos_Chargers]

the normal '68 grille was what came on a '69 500...That way it reduced the turbulence at high speeds from ari trapped inside the inset grille

[Ghoste]

Not exactly.  It was a 68 grille but it was a 68 Coronet grille that they used. 

[UFO]

Maybe it had something to do with parts availability.

[Fitz73Chrgr]

I heard dealerships converted a few Daytonas back to regular Chargers because they couldn't get people to buy them.  Don't know if that has any truth to it or not.

[69bronzeT5]

Ive converted 2 Daytonas into regular Chargers.













Models that is

[FJMG]

    I'm sure there must have been a least a couple Daytonas involved in front-end collisons with 69 front-ends subsequently substituted and the wing removed (not sure why it would be removed, maybe more people wanted chargers not Daytonas in the 70's).

[terrible one]

the normal '68 grille was what came on a '69 500...That way it reduced the turbulence at high speeds from ari trapped inside the inset grille

They used a '68 Coronet grill. I meant that this one had a normal '68 Charger hidden headlight grill.

[Mike DC]

   
The Valuzets (subcontracted General Lee builders for Warner Bros from 1979-'81) said that one time they actually looked at a pair of Daytonas some guy had for sale. 
After figuring up the cost/effort of retrofitting a Daytona to look like a stock '69, they decided it wasn't worth pursuing. 


   

[daytonalo]

Does anyone on here know what happened to the 69 orange Hemi Charger ?

[Beep Beep Dave]

Wow great link...I just spent a few hours surfing that site!
Dave

[hemigeno]

Wow great link...I just spent a few hours surfing that site!
Dave

Oh, the irony...   

I heard dealerships converted a few Daytonas back to regular Chargers because they couldn't get people to buy them. Don't know if that has any truth to it or not.

That's more of an urban legend than fact.  There are rumors that one or two Superbirds met the re-conversion fate, but even those are undocumented AFAIK.  To my knowledge no unsold Daytona was converted back to a "regular" Charger by the original selling dealership - but I won't say that it never happened just because those words tend to stick in your craw when you have to eat them.

I'm sure there must have been a least a couple Daytonas involved in front-end collisons with 69 front-ends subsequently substituted and the wing removed (not sure why it would be removed, maybe more people wanted chargers not Daytonas in the 70's).

Very true.  This car had a similar treatment except the wing wasn't removed:

[supserdave]

f.w.i.w. A guy I work with claims a girl in his high school class got one new, and they removed the nose and wing???

Could be hearsay, quite a few years and beers involved since the supposed incident.

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

Here ya go

http://carsinbarns.com/Superbirds%20&%20Daytonas/pg24.html

[hemigeno]

Here ya go

I've read that before, and that was certainly quite a find. 

Was the reason you posted that link/picture to show that at least one Superbird was converted by an owner back to a 'Runner (for some unknown reason), or are you trying to use that photo as evidence that a dealership re-converted the car while still new in an effort to sell it?

[Ghoste]

I think Matt just enjoys a good wing car controversy.

[learical1]

Back in the '70's, it wasn't at all uncommon to see 'Birds with 70 RR front ends and Daytonas with 69 or 70 front ends.  The cars weren't that valuable yet, and your insurance company would just get you a used front end clip in case of a front end collision.  I had a 'Bird I purchased with a 70 RR front end, and a friend had a Daytona with a 70 Charger loop bumper.