Anyone know the whereabouts of Daytona #2?

[Charger_Fan]

I got an interesting PM tonight, from a friend on another board...


I grew up in the Detroit area through the classic Musclecar Era (graduated HS in 1969), and spent most of my high school years cruising Woodward Avenue. My Dad was a GM engineer, and most of my friends were from automaker families in one way or another. One of my best buddies' Dad was the Clairepoint Assembly Plant Manager, where Mopar did a lot of limited run and specialty stuff, and one magical weekend his Dad brought home for the weekend the #2 production model of the Daytona Charger, which was in pre-production before official release. The nose and wing were clearly hand installed and fitted, and a little rough, and the wing was not yet contrast painted, red car and the wing and trunk stripe were later painted white.

This car was a 440 Magnum 4V/ Torqueflite, and had a small dash plaque that called it out as "#2". We ran that car almost non-stop for the entire weekend (on $.23/gallon gas), were the hit of Woodward Avenue and the Northern Detroit suburbs, and it's pretty safe to say that the girls really noticed this car. I follow the classic Musclecars in magazines, on the Net, and the bigger auctions, always in the hope of stumbling across this old friend. I'm a GM guy (the 1969 Z-28 Camaro is my "Perfect Car" fantasy), but I wanted to share this special memory with the Charger Fan.

Steve

So, what do ya think, guys?
I know one of you guru's has the scoop on this baby.

[hemigeno]

I guess it could be 414619, now owned by our very own Daytona connoisseur maxwellwedge.  That's a R4 console automatic and was shipped nearly 6 weeks prior to any other Daytona.

There's a chance it was 356538, since that is technically the #2 Daytona on the Shipping list even though it is the "First US Shipped Daytona".  It's also R4 with a console automatic.  Browney Mascow owned it for a long time, and Larry Bell prior to that.

Whether it's one of those two cars or not, I don't know - but it fits both their description.  I'm still thinking that 287970 was probably the first car, but it was originally F6 Green with a 4-speed car which doesn't fit the bill.

Jim, maybe the DocTona was terrorizing Woodward Avenue before ever crossing the border??



**Edit** The Bell/Mascow car has a white stripe, whereas 414619/DocTona has a black stripe/wing

[tan top]

 intresting story , thanks for sharing 

[XS29J]

could it be one of these...

[Charger_Fan]

I thought for sure the little dash plaque would be the whole key here, but I guess it's possible it was removed before the car was sold.

[maxwellwedge]

I guess it could be 414619, now owned by our very own Daytona connoisseur maxwellwedge.  That's a R4 console automatic and was shipped nearly 6 weeks prior to any other Daytona.

There's a chance it was 356538, since that is technically the #2 Daytona on the Shipping list even though it is the "First US Shipped Daytona".  It's also R4 with a console automatic.  Browney Mascow owned it for a long time, and Larry Bell prior to that.

Whether it's one of those two cars or not, I don't know - but it fits both their description.  I'm still thinking that 287970 was probably the first car, but it was originally F6 Green with a 4-speed car which doesn't fit the bill.

Jim, maybe the DocTona was terrorizing Woodward Avenue before ever crossing the border??



**Edit** The Bell/Mascow car has a white stripe, whereas 414619/DocTona has a black stripe/wing

Wow - connoisseur - sounds french!   

Well if the cruising around was before June 27 it could have been Doc-414619. If it was after June 27 it could have been 356538. Or it could be another "mule" we don't know of.

[nascarxx29]

Just a guess maybe this daytona
Bob Rodger standing by who.s daytona.Is he standing by the first one on the list?

[nascarxx29]

Jims car has a black stripe .With crooked letters.Also there is a daytona on the list not shipped .But Dodge executive garage car very well optoned .Ive seen it and got copy of its buildsheet.Back in the day prior owner was Steve
Sunderman.It has PW 6 way seat just to name a few of its many options

[hemi68charger]

Just a guess maybe this daytona
Bob Rodger standing by who.s daytona.Is he standing by the first one on the list?

Another Daytona which appears to not have an antenna........ 

Or beauty rings for that matter..................

[nascarxx29]

Early debut missing those items?

[maxwellwedge]

Well, it probably does not apply to these early mule/proto/promo cars but i think trim rings and antenna where shipped in the trunk (along with front license bracket) for dealer install. 414619 is an SE - wasn't 287970 an SE as well? The Robert Rodger car (magazine article above) may be one that was pulled before shipping from Creative and wasn't prepped. It all depends on when that pic was taken. Just seems funny to me that the stuff was not on for the pic - like they hurriedly put the photo shoot together and grabbed a completed car from Creative.

[hemigeno]

Another Daytona which appears to not have an antenna........ 

Or beauty rings for that matter..................

... which is how the cars were shipped from Creative to the dealerships as Jim just stated.  It is strange how they installed the front spoiler for the photo (it was normally shipped loose), but chose to leave most of the other stuff from the trunk off.


None of those are the "#2" car from Grant's story, since the recollections were that it had a white stripe.  MAYBE the Bell/Mascow car, but that's a $200 cab ride from being certain.

[maxwellwedge]

287970 an SE as well?

[hemigeno]

Yep, it was/is an SE

[nascarxx29]

Here is the first US daytona from Shope motors former owner Larry Bell .Present owned Browney Mascow.Just a guess was the 500 of Cotton Owens that was fitted with daytona parts was it R4 Red
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,21213.0.html

[maxwellwedge]

Another Daytona which appears to not have an antenna........ 

Or beauty rings for that matter..................

... which is how the cars were shipped from Creative to the dealerships as Jim just stated.  It is strange how they installed the front spoiler for the photo (it was normally shipped loose), but chose to leave most of the other stuff from the trunk off.


None of those are the "#2" car from Grant's story, since the recollections were that it had a white stripe.  MAYBE the Bell/Mascow car, but that's a $200 cab ride from being certain.

I do notice a front license plate. The story starts that he is smiling in the pits at the Talledega 500. That race was in September....makes me believe that was a car taken when regular production and shipping from Creative was taking place......or not. 

[nascarxx29]

This might be the Bob Rodger car MI plate ****37.As it appears to have no antenna.Also it seems to have the same MI license plate that was on the F6 green playboy daytona
**7437

[Charger_Fan]

Guys, I gave my friend Steve a link to this thread. Here's more of his thoughts...


Grant, I just checked out your link, those guys are amazing. The dash plaque was a very simple brass engraved piece that was about 1"x3", and was stuck on the passenger side of the dash with some adhesive-not a real durable item. The article shown looks exactly like the car I remember, but it had no stripe yet. A red Daytona "came home" one other time and it carried a white stripe. I do not remember if it had the #2 plaque or not, I am assuming it was the same car, but

I'm pretty sure it was in July, I remember it being a short period of time after graduation. Very Interesting, and

Thanks

Steve

[Charger_Fan]

I'm not sure how I quoted myself in a duplicate post, but here I am fixing it. 

[hemigeno]

If it really was in July, then 414619 is out of the question since it was listed as having been shipped on 6/27/69.  Still could have been that car if it was actually in June (that's still "shortly after graduation") when they brought it home.

Must have been some neighborhood to live in back then!

[maxwellwedge]

If it really was in July, then 414619 is out of the question since it was listed as having been shipped on 6/27/69.  Still could have been that car if it was actually in June (that's still "shortly after graduation") when they brought it home.

Must have been some neighborhood to live in back then!

Darn - It was cool thinking ol Doc may have been causing a sensation on Woodward. 

[hemigeno]

Oh, I'm not so sure that it couldn't have still been DocTona.  If Grant's friend's recollection of the time was off by only a week, it'd be distinctly possible.  He didn't exactly seem sure of what month, and who could blame him after 40 years!

[Charger_Fan]

Well guys, I was hoping that little plaque would have been the key here, but I'm guessing it was either removed...or what's worse, the car may have not survived the trip through time to present day.
It's a bummer that he didn't write down the VIN number, huh? Yeah, like any of us would have done THAT back then.

Thanks for giving it a good try, you guys did dig up some interesting stuff. Way to go!

[nascarxx29]

Oh well with a picture or a vin.Its another mopar mystery wingcar


http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2676963770104551716LIksvf

[brcharger]

Really nice topic. I am learning on Daytonas, and this helped me.
Cheers,