MOPAR JOHNS B5 DAYTONA RESTORATION!!

[Mopar John]

69__500,
  Thanks for the update on your dad. That takes a special person to get rid of something that important and take it all a half a world away to help others! I am glad that you have an AERO car and keeping the family tradition alive!
I'm sure your dad enjoys your car! The problem with my Daytona was that I picked it up on the way to TALLADEGA that Tuesday and only had a trip to the alignment shop on it. I knew it was risky but I wasn't going without it! If you say you can wait till the next one you can't guarantee that everything will work out five years from now. Troy Angelly who restored our Daytona went down with us to represent his work and our car. Thursday night after dinner we had a hard time starting the car. The end result was that it lost it's prime. Once we put some gas in it, it started right up. But it wasn't running real well. Troy and I drove it over to the trailer lot and worked on it under the lights. We worked on the float and didn't have a hard time starting after that. We changed plugs because they were 40 year old NOS Champions but that didn't help ( there back in now! ) We adjusted the timing and it ran real strong up and down the highway in front of the meet hotels. Troy and I took turns letting it have it! WOW!! It runs right there with the six pack bird!!
Thanks!

[Mopar John]

                                         1988 TALLADEGA PART 5 THE TRIP HOME!!
The big meet is now over and it's time to head home. Mike and I get a good nights sleep after an exhausting day! We get up early and get some breakfast and load up our luggage. We also have the two GOODYEAR stock car tires in the trunk and two in the backseat like on the way down. Alabama is like our home state of Indiana when your traveling north/south it takes forever! We finally make it to Louisville, Kentucky and I remeber thinking were almost home! About half way between Louisville and Indianapolis we hear another loud pop and then the all too familar flapping sound! This time out of the left rear! I pull over in a good spot and we get out to see what's happened this time? We'll you guessed it another blown off sidewall @#$%^&*(! Mike says to me, Dad what are we going to do now? You put the spare on the right rear in Birmingham. By the time he was done asking and saw the smile on my face he knew the answer! We were going to run two of the GOODYEAR stock car tires on the way home!! We put the two with the most tread on the back. We also moved the spare to the left front. It looked like it was another canidate ready to shed it's sidewall!! I am thankfull that it wasn't raining and that I tested these tires before we left!! We made it the rest of the way home without incident. The 1988 TALLADEGA meet was now history! It was one of the best that I had been to! Sorry, no pictures??

[Mopar John]

                                                       DAYTONA PARTS
   I had been watching for Daytona parts the years since I bought the cars. They were hard to find back then! I spotted an ad in Hemmings Motor News. I was a subscriber 3rd class and would read all the Mopar ads as soon as I got them. The good stuff was usually gone by the first class subscribers. The ad read "1969 SUPERBIRD WING" ??
I contacted the seller and he still had it!! He told me he had a 1969 Dodge Charger 500 HEMI car and they were restoring it. He told me that someone had made a Daytona out of it and they were returning it back to a stock 500. This was about the time that everyone figured out the serial number sequence for 500's and Daytona's. Before that people were actually trying to switch 500's and sell them as Daytonas saying the 500's didn't sell and Chrysler used them for Daytonas? The deal worked out and I now had a real wing for the other car. The front end parts were already sold @#$%^&*! I had also found a correct date code carb, distributor and radiator by then! While I'm on parts, another member of the Mopar community has responded to my want ad. I was able to purchase a set of NOS 11 X 2 1/2 brake shoes for the rear of the B5 car! I thought brake shoes would have been a lot easier! I am very excited that another item is off the short list. Thanks to all who have helped!!

[moparstuart]

So at what time john did you decide the blue car was your priority ?  At first you only wanted the red car ?  Is the blue car now your favorite or was it just more all there to restore ?  Do you still have a soft spot  for the red car  ?  Just curious 

[Mopar John]

moparstuart,
I see you are paying attention! I didn't want to buy the blue car but had to! I tried to sell it and got it back! It sat outside when there wasn't enough room! But the tide started to turn when the values started to rise and the broadcast sheet wasn't turning up for the R4 car. I had two possibilities, one that it was in a mixup and in another car or whoever took the seats out would come forward with it. Neither has happened and chances are less each day! Then as cars were being found more and more R4 cars with black interiors with white wings were showing up everywhere! In addition many more similar V2 cars were showing up! Remember I bought these cars to be differant to begin with! So about 5 years ago I decided the B5 color was more rare, that car had it's broadcast sheet and was the only one I had seen with the buddy seat. Also very few had the basic Dodge hubcaps! The decision was made to restore that car first. Some of my wildest ideas are to paint the R4 car panther pink for my wife with a white wing and interior and put a crate HEMI in it @#$%^&!

[moparstuart]

moparstuart,
I see you are paying attention! I didn't want to buy the blue car but had to! I tried to sell it and got it back! It sat outside when there wasn't enough room! But the tide started to turn when the values started to rise and the broadcast sheet wasn't turning up for the R4 car. I had two possibilities, one that it was in a mixup and in another car or whoever took the seats out would come forward with it. Neither has happened and chances are less each day! Then as cars were being found more and more R4 cars with black interiors with white wings were showing up everywhere! In addition many more similar V2 cars were showing up! Remember I bought these cars to be differant to begin with! So about 5 years ago I decided the B5 color was more rare, that car had it's broadcast sheet and was the only one I had seen with the buddy seat. Also very few had the basic Dodge hubcaps! The decision was made to restore that car first. Some of my wildest ideas are to paint the R4 car panther pink for my wife with a white wing and interior and put a crate HEMI in it @#$%^&!

I alway like the details and that one bugged me thanks for answering it  , you will have two nice cars when your done anyway you go .
  my wife wants me to paint her daytona clone pink too . 

[Mopar John]

                                          1989 and 1990 NATIONAL MEETS!
I was unable to attend the 1989 national meet! The reason was that we bought a new home! The old home was on a narrow 2 acre tract and a couple of the neighbors were getting their fill of me and all the cars! So we bought 13 acres nearby surrounded by the Indiana Toll Road I-80/90. There was a quad level home and a 36 X 48 pole barn with 12 foot ceiling and cement floor! It even had a small office/tool room! The blue Daytona never sat outside again! When we moved I had bought a small delivery truck from my employer to use mainly as a swap meet truck. It took 20 some loads to move the household items and all the car parts@#$%^&*(! There is a picture that shows the new pole barn, the delivery truck and a Plymouth Volare that I bought the boys. They used the Volare to Dukes of Hazzard the 13 acres! What a way to learn how to drive! I junked it after they pulled up to the polebarn one day with it on fire @#$%^&*()! There is another picture that shows the back of the new home, Michelles first car a 1973 Plymouth Road Runner and our 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix AERO COUPE! This was one of about 1100 made!
In 1990 I attended the national meet in Sweetwater, Tennesse. Unfortunately all I have is a picture of the dash plaque. There is also a picture of some DSAC wooden nickles from the 10th anniversary of the club. ENJOY!

[hemi68charger]

Nice 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix 2 + 2  AERO COUPE   

Troy

[Mopar John]

Troy,
Thanks on the nice AEROCOUPE! We used that car as a second car and drove it a lot! Most people didn't know what it was. All 1100 were built the same except one! It is in the TALLADEGA museum and it's painted black with a brown interior. There will be more shots of the car in a future segment. It was a nice addition to the collection.

[Mopar John]

                                 1991 DSAC NATIONAL MEET ROAD AMERICA!!
For the 1991 national meet we attended the Chicago Historic Races held at the ROAD AMERICA track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. We had paddock parking and were able to see all the cars making laps on the track! We also were able to go through the pits and see all the cars! It was a great time with a nice day and nice setting. I still have my event t-shirt from that meet. I think I bought it because it had an orange Superbird and a blue Daytona on it. I also have the paddock pass for the car. The turnout was about 20 cars and I thought it should have been more for this rare opportunity?

[tan top]

more awesome pictures & story     

[Mopar John]

                                                 1991 DSAC MEET PART 2!
More pictures of the wing cars from 1991. The last picture in the previous post was of a wild paint scheme on a Superbird. Most of the cars have been restored now and you don't see all the wild paint jobs and modifications like you did back then! You will see a black Daytona with 1970 rally wheels on it in this batch. This was also very common on a lot of Daytonas back then. Some even had the recall wheels on them! Those were recalled way before the Daytonas came out but looked neat anyway! ENJOY!  

[Mopar John]

Thanks tan top! I was typing part 2 while you posted. I'm glad your enjoying the story!

[tan top]

Thanks tan top! I was typing part 2 while you posted. I'm glad your enjoying the story!

yeap sure am , love reading & seeing  this sort of thing  , thanks for sharing all the stuff  John  

[Mopar John]

                                           1991 WING WARRIORS MEET!
In 1991 I also attended the WING WARRIORS meet that was held in Willowbrook, Illinois. It was a small turnout and mainly guys I knew from the Chicago Mopar club. I am sorry that I can't find any pictures on this meet?? I do have just one of the dash plaque! Speaking of pictures, I check each one before I post! It's been a while since I typed up my thoughts and then lost them because one of the pictures was the wrong size @#$%^&*(!

[moparstuart]

Nice 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix 2 + 2  AERO COUPE   

Troy

wayne used to have one too   

[moparstuart]

                                                1991 DSAC MEET PART 2!
More pictures of the wing cars from 1991. The last picture in the previous post was of a wild paint scheme on a Superbird. Most of the cars have been restored now and you don't see all the wild paint jobs and modifications like you did back then! You will see a black Daytona with 1970 rally wheels on it in this batch. This was also very common on a lot of Daytonas back then. Some even had the recall wheels on them! Those were recalled way before the Daytonas came out but looked neat anyway! ENJOY!  

that wild painted rainbow bird is wayne's  it is being restored as we speak in minnesota .

    http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,57850.0.html    restration thread

[Mopar John]

                                                               1992
No national meet this year but plenty going on! I told you about my first car earlier and how my dad handled that situation. When the 3 kids were born we started a bank account for all 3. Whenever they got a monatary gift we would deposit it into their bank accounts. When they got older I informed them that it was their car account. The more they saved the better car that they would have to start out. Michelle did well becoming a trusted baby sitter in our area and saved some extra money. About the time she needed her first car a friend of mine had a 1973 Road Runner body for sale. Nice car blue with white interior. I had an extra 318 V8 with a 904 auto trans in the shop. So Michelle bought the body and I threw the engine and trans in then painted it. She made out well and drove it problem free for several years! I think she would like to have it back! It's still in our area now maroon with a 440 and 727. Attached are some pictures of my painting the Road Runner!

[Mopar John]

                                                         MORE 1992!
Now that I wasn't afraid of the racecar anymore I would race it occaisionally. My home track was now a small independent track in Osceola, Indiana! It was located in between South Bend and Elkahart, Indiana. More laid back and plenty of time for practice runs. I was now running a 727 automatic trans and more consistant. Even doing a little winning! I was struggling with the 727's though. I couldn't get one to last! The car was now running in the low 12's!! I have attached a few pictures from that year. It looks like I have a dial in of 12:29 on the windshield.

[pettybird]

the first car in the '91 meet pics is our car--not hard to miss the "bullet" dent in the quarter or the CB antenna.  that's my jacket on the passenger seat, too, as I wouldn't have my license for two more years.  the first meet I drove do was Vandergrift PA with the infamous Milsek incident 

Those were dark days for us in the couple years after dad died, but the wing meets brought us some much needed continuity.  if we didn't have the friends we do in the clubs the cars would have most likely been sold. 

[Mopar John]

pettybird,
I am glad you and mom have hung onto the cars! In addition you have steadily been upgrading them! Hopefully those pictures brought back some good memories! I hope we can hook up on your trip home this weekend!!

[pettybird]

pettybird,
I am glad you and mom have hung onto the cars! In addition you have steadily been upgrading them! Hopefully those pictures brought back some good memories! I hope we can hook up on your trip home this weekend!!

I'll be by sometime late morning tomorrow, traffic permitting.  I'm staying the night up here just north of milwaukee, driving down to you, and then going home to watch prime time barrett-jackson. 

[Mopar John]

                                                    1986 2 + 2 AEROCOUPE
As moparstuart pointed out his friend Wayne also had a 1986 Pontiac aerocoupe. I found some better pictures of mine while digging through the old photos from 1992! These are seldom seen now!

[nascarxx29]

Guy near me bought one new 2+2 Aero Coupe. Still hasnt had it out of the garage.I got its time capsule type pictures to dig up

[Mopar John]

                                            AEROCAR COLLECTION 1992/1993!
Here are some neat photos of our AEROCAR collection from 1992/1993! From left to right is the 1986 Pontiac 2+2 aerocoupe, 1970 Rebel Machine, 1969 Dodge Daytona blue, 1970 Plymouth Superbird, 1969 Dodge Daytona red, 1970 Plymouth GTX dragcar and last is Michelles 1973 Plymouth Road Runner!! These are some of my favorite pictures! The Daytonas even have wings back on them!! ENJOY!