WHY DIDINT ENGINEERS MAKE THE 68 A FASTBACK TO BEGIN WITH ??

[69_500]

What exactly is a "latter"? I'm sure you mean a Ladder. I don't think I've seen anyone lay a ladder on their car and go anywhere like that. I have seem ladders laying on the roofs of Daytona's though when in the garage. Put a sheet of plywood from the roof to the wing and it makes for a huge shelf to store things on in a garage.

[Mike DC]

I've always been amazed that Mopar decided to push the C500/Daytona's fastback window plugs past the level of the trunklid. 

It seems like they could have just done the new C500 rear window glass right up flush with the top edge of the trunklid much more easily.  It would have given the cars most of the fastback's benefits while still avoiding most of the headaches.    And it would have looked MUCH closer to a stock 2nd-gen.  You'd still have been left with a sliver of "tunned-back" appearance to the rear window area, and the overall sillohoutte of the car would not have been altered. 

[daytonalo]

You have a point ! Just one more fact why they went into Bankruptcy

[pettybird]

Rick Edwards took the passenger seat out of his 'bird to accommodate a large potted tree.  He said the pot was larger than the seat, and he drove slowly home with the foliage flapping in the breeze.


I bought a Dart GTS hood at a swap meet and had to carry it home ratchet-strapped to the roof of the 'bird...I don't recall ladders, though.  I bought a used, autographed tire from Petty Enterprises at this year's WW/NBOA meet and didn't really have room for it.  I got teased a LOT that I should unbolt the wing and slide the tire on, like a rack.  Mom saved the day be deciding we could use a new cooler when we got home, so throwing that away freed up enough space for luggage, three people, the tire, two NASCAR wheels, a chunk of Ryan Newman's fender, fluids/parts/tools/spare/full size floor jack and all the diecasts and trinkets I took down there to get signed.



It's funny what you do when a car is just a car to you.

[Ghoste]

I've always been amazed that Mopar decided to push the C500/Daytona's fastback window plugs past the level of the trunklid. 

It seems like they could have just done the new C500 rear window glass right up flush with the top edge of the trunklid much more easily.  It would have given the cars most of the fastback's benefits while still avoiding most of the headaches.    And it would have looked MUCH closer to a stock 2nd-gen.  You'd still have been left with a sliver of "tunned-back" appearance to the rear window area, and the overall sillohoutte of the car would not have been altered. 

I think, and I'm only guessing, that it was because they didn't want to make a small difference.  The backlight was a problem and the rear of the car had been the problem on the 1st gens as well.  They wanted it to be right aerodynamically and easy just didn't fit into the picture.  Except for the grille that was to evolve into the nosecone, the idea was to stop compromising and start winning races.

[Mike DC]

That occurs to me too, but it doesn't explain why the Plymouth 'Birds got away without hacking into their trunklids.  (And the Plumouths would have been even less "fast-backed" than my proposed Charger situation.)  With the 'Birds, the engineers were told that they couldn't hack into the decklid hole.  The homologation number had quadrupled from 500 to almost 2000 cars, and they had to start worrying about actually selling the 'Birds unlike the Charger Daytonas. 

They say the 'Birds weren't quite as fast as the Daytonas, and I'm sure the rear window would have been a big part of the issue.  But it's not like the Superbirds were SLOW or anything.  It seems like they would have stomped the Fords well enough with just the less-severe fastback window idea on a Charger.  I have to imagine that surely they tried it with clay models during all their wind-tunnel testing sessions on the original C500. 



Either way it's the front end of those cars that was the major aeordynamic deal-breaker in the big picture.  For most race cars, a decent rear window won't really make you faster but a bad one will slow you down.  A rear window has to be particularly bad to warrant the kind of major-league aerodynamic attention that the Chargers got. 

   

[Ghoste]

But, with the 'birds, the stylists were allowed to have their say whereas the Daytona was all down to the scientists.  And, they did modify the Superbirds slightly.  As you say, the homologation number may have affected it too.

[BROCK]

As I understand it Chrysler aerodynamisists studied differing backlight angles to arrive at 22 degrees.
Isn't the back glass the same on all 2nd gen Chargers?  If so, maybe it was the quicker fix.  They
sure seemed more intent on quick solutions for getting the right parts for the shape out as quickly
as posible. 

[kab69440]

I've always been amazed that Mopar decided to push the C500/Daytona's fastback window plugs past the level of the trunklid. 

It seems like they could have just done the new C500 rear window glass right up flush with the top edge of the trunklid much more easily.  It would have given the cars most of the fastback's benefits while still avoiding most of the headaches.    And it would have looked MUCH closer to a stock 2nd-gen.  You'd still have been left with a sliver of "tunned-back" appearance to the rear window area, and the overall sillohoutte of the car would not have been altered. 

That's a great idea! If someone did a plug that way it would probably look like this...   








                                                                                                                                       

[JimShine]

Imagine how tall the wing would need to be for that lid to clear!

[Mike DC]

Yowsa!  Good point Jim. 

Probably time to give up on the QP mounting and just fasten the wing onto the trunklid itself. 


I'm sure the wing wouldn't be as strong on the street cars that way, but it wouldn't have mattered very much.  NASCAR wouldn't have cared if the wing struts were reinforced on the racing Daytonas as long as the difference didn't look too obvious.  The wings could have been mounted right at the edge of the trunklid/QP edge, and then the NASCAR versions could have had the wings attached to the QPs while the street-cars could have had the wings raising up with the trunklids. 

 

[kab69440]

I believe I remember someone posting a pic of a plug-less Daytona clone and the stock trunklid open underneath the wing with an inch or so to spare.

[Ghoste]

Big Bill France was a lot fussier about the cars being the same as what was on the street back then and given his nervousness about the whole Ford vs Chrysler show getting out of hand I'm not so sure that he would have allowed a different rear spoiler on the race cars than the street cars.  I guess it's a moot point anyway since we're guessing with hindsight.
And Kab, you're right, someone did post a pic like that.

[A383Wing]

I believe I remember someone posting a pic of a plug-less Daytona clone and the stock trunklid open underneath the wing with an inch or so to spare.

That's what our car has, no plug, stock trunk lid, stock location for wing placement, and less than an inch clearance when trunk lid opens past wing. I can get a picture tomorrow if anyone needs it.

Bryan  

[kab69440]

SEE???!!!  I'm NOT crazy!...

[Mike DC]

It wouldn't have to be a visibly different wing on the outside of the car.  Just different bracing under the trunklid would do the job.

   

[Magnumcharger]

I was contemplating this very thing earlier today.

[Ghoste]

It certainly would improve rear visibility wouldn't it.

[daytonalo]

What is that backlite from ?

[hemigeno]

[Moderator Voice]

Some of you might notice that a couple of replies were deleted from this thread.  No need to rehash what was in those replies, but there is a reason they're gone and it isn't because Larry said anything he shouldn't have.

[/Moderator Voice]

Carry on...

[Highbanked Hauler]

It used to take 4 years to get a car from the drawing board to production in that era. Chrysler was already committed to the 68 body when the 66 was on the track the same way Ford was when the 70 came out.

[Magnumcharger]

What is that backlite from ?

Microsoft Paint program....and my overly fertile mind....

[moparstuart]

I was contemplating this very thing earlier today.

looks really good