anyone recognize this #6 Daytona - Not Buddy Baker's

[70Sbird]

Hey everyone,
went up to the Chicago suburbs Saturday with a friend to buy a 68 Barracuda body, the car wasn't that great so we went home with an empty trailer. We made a few stops on he way back to look at some other old mopars we saw along the way and happened to swing into an auto repair shop with a Dart and Charger sitting in view. The two guys that owned it were there and we chatted for quite some time, on the wall were pictures of some of their old cars and memorabilia, including this picture of a Daytona.
Anyone recognize it, or know anyting about the history? I got the impression that the driver was a relative of theirs, but details were a little sketchy as it was late afternoon and they were already most of the way through a case of Bush light!
Thanks!
Scott

[Aero426]

That is Gary Bettenhausen, 1971 at Pocono.

[hemi68charger]

Would that be Gary Bettenhausen?

[hemi68charger]

That is Gary Bettenhausen.

I missed it by "that" much...

[nascarxx29]

There was a picture on ebay same car
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gary-Bettenhausen-1969-Dodge-Daytona-NASCAR-pic-Pocono-/260861634114

[70Sbird]

You guys are awesome!!!
Doug, do you know if Gary was a midwest racer?
Thanks
Scott

[Aero426]

From Tinley Park Illinois.    Major league Indy and open wheel driver with massive history through the mid 1990's.

That was the first stock car race at Pocono.  It was a one time drive for Gary and the only race in a stock car that season.    He drove for Penske '72 through '74 in open wheel.

That is the first car I have ever seen with the slotted Clement style wheels.   

[nascarxx29]

[tan top]

  

[Dave Kanofsky]

Scott -

Do you remember where that shop was?  As you know I'm in the SW suburbs of Chicago.

[70Sbird]

Scott -

Do you remember where that shop was?  As you know I'm in the SW suburbs of Chicago.

Dave, The car we looked at was in Elburn, almost too far west to be a suburb. The shop where the picture was at is actually closer to me than you, I believe it was in La Rose on IL 89.

[Dave Kanofsky]

Scott -

Do you remember where that shop was?  As you know I'm in the SW suburbs of Chicago.

Dave, The car we looked at was in Elburn, almost too far west to be a suburb. The shop where the picture was at is actually closer to me than you, I believe it was in La Rose on IL 89.

These days, I think anything east of Rt. 39 is considered a suburb !

[nascarxx29]

Unrelated but I came across a vintage pcture

[odcics2]

This car has been found, hiding under a Plymouth Volare skin.   

[tan top]

This car has been found, hiding under a Plymouth Volare skin.   

    ...

[Aero426]

This car has been found, hiding under a Plymouth Volare skin.   

Anyone that buys an unidentified old race car wants to believe they found something significant based on "what they were told".   The best part is that this one can be proven "by the metal" of the car, all by itself.    The owner should go buy a lottery ticket immediately.     

[69_500]

That is awesome.

[odcics2]

Putting it all together, gathering stories, photographs, connecting the dots.   Hope to see the last guy that owned it in a few weeks to see if he remembers who put the latest skin on it.   On the other end, trying to find the first driver-owner, after it came out of Nichels shop in 1968.

Hope to have it all the history together in Feb. 

[daytonalo]

Scott -

Do you remember where that shop was?  As you know I'm in the SW suburbs of Chicago.

Dave, The car we looked at was in Elburn, almost too far west to be a suburb. The shop where the picture was at is actually closer to me than you, I believe it was in La Rose on IL 89.

These days, I think anything east of Rt. 39 is considered a suburb !

I was told Chicago is a ghetto ?

[70Sbird]

Putting it all together, gathering stories, photographs, connecting the dots.   Hope to see the last guy that owned it in a few weeks to see if he remembers who put the latest skin on it.   On the other end, trying to find the first driver-owner, after it came out of Nichels shop in 1968.

Hope to have it all the history together in Feb.  

Just curious, could this be the Car in question? I saw this car two months ago and was told it was a shortened Nichels chassis with a Volare body???
This is not in the Chicago ghetto, but it is in this lovely ghetto state of Illinois....

[Aero426]

Putting it all together, gathering stories, photographs, connecting the dots.   Hope to see the last guy that owned it in a few weeks to see if he remembers who put the latest skin on it.   On the other end, trying to find the first driver-owner, after it came out of Nichels shop in 1968.

Hope to have it all the history together in Feb.  

Just curious, could this be the Car in question? I saw this car two months ago and was told it was a shortened Nichels chassis with a Volare body???
This is not in the Chicago ghetto, but it is in this lovely ghetto state of Illinois....

Same idea, but that is not the car being discussed. 

[70Sbird]

Thanks Doug,
I'm no expert on Stock cars but I had some doubts about the story behind the car I saw, it just sounded similar to the recent post on this old thread. That would be one hell of a coincidence if it were true and this was the same car!

[Aero426]

Scott, this should be the same car as your photo (in 1978) before the new wore off.    Believe it was crashed out for good in 1980.  

[Stevearino]

Jeez Doug, Is there anything about the history of old Mopar race cars you don't know about?

[Aero426]

Jeez Doug, Is there anything about the history of old Mopar race cars you don't know about?

Coming from you, that is high praise.  I wish I could say I was that good, but I'm no expert.   Often the answers come collectively.   There are still a lot of unanswered questions about what cars went where and what happened to them.    

[69_500]

Putting it all together, gathering stories, photographs, connecting the dots.   Hope to see the last guy that owned it in a few weeks to see if he remembers who put the latest skin on it.   On the other end, trying to find the first driver-owner, after it came out of Nichels shop in 1968.

Hope to have it all the history together in Feb. 

So I am hoping that the current owner of the car is planning to take it back to the Daytona skin?

[odcics2]

Possibly...  would have to find a complete race Daytona front end, rear plug, plexiglass rear window, and a race wing.

[Redbird]

Correct me if I am wrong, but were not the sheetmetal parts of race Daytona and race Superbird front ends converted from factory pieces? As has been shown the race Superbird front fenders were supplied w/o the interior front piece and braces. Were not the nose cones converted from the street pieces too? As shown on the Petty cars, at least the Petty cars had fabricated cone bracing. There seem to be sources of pictures for reference on cone supports. I get that the valance panels may have been custom fabricated.

It would seem that if someone were going to fabricate a race front end it would be fairly straightforward, especially compared to getting the frame and cage of the old race car straightened out.

Back window plug, it seems like folks have figured out how to build a repo plug.

[odcics2]

Correct me if I am wrong, but were not the sheetmetal parts of race Daytona and race Superbird front ends converted from factory pieces? As has been shown the race Superbird front fenders were supplied w/o the interior front piece and braces. Were not the nose cones converted from the street pieces too? As shown on the Petty cars, at least the Petty cars had fabricated cone bracing. There seem to be sources of pictures for reference on cone supports. I get that the valance panels may have been custom fabricated.

It would seem that if someone were going to fabricate a race front end it would be fairly straightforward, especially compared to getting the frame and cage of the old race car straightened out.

Back window plug, it seems like folks have figured out how to build a repo plug.

In my opinion, there are two ways to do it: Correct, vintage parts or reproduced/modified 70 parts.     
   
The front rails, cage, floor pans, rear rails of this race car are fine, all things considered.  Just have to add some wheelbase back in!

Some Daytonas used street cones, some were 'race' w/o headlight doors punched out from the factory.
Hoods used were real Daytona hoods, not just a chopped up 70 Charger hood, in most cases.
Most had real Daytona fenders, again, not cobbled from '70 fenders.
I have found out that the updated parts were all bought from Nichels Engineering, when the car was updated
to the "#6". Considering this was done in the summer of 1971, it's very possible the parts came from another car
that was converted back into a regular "70" Charger for the Nascar circuit. Think the Bobby Allison Charger, for an example.
Or, it was stock that Ray had in the loft.   
 

[Redbird]

Thanks Greg!

I would guess if someone were to consider doing this project, at best they would come out even cash wise-if they counted the labor to build it and searching time at $0.

It is never going to be the car that won the Daytona 500, or the other blue car that was in the garage next to it. Or the car that sat at the 1970 and 1971 auto shows. My guess is that it will always be kind of a second tier car in terms of historic value, and the amount of $ someone would put in it would reflect that. If it got restored, all the sheet metal behind the firewall back would probably have to come from a 318 or 383 Charger shell. Would it be better or worse than the Marcus car redone in the 1970's, I don't know?

It seems from past history that a race wing is findable.

It would be a cool car one way or another.

[odcics2]

Still waiting for the 1970 Daytona 500 car to be found!   

Yes - need to find a 318 Charger for the roof, doors, 1/4 panels and back end. 

[odcics2]

 Been finding a dark red or maybe burgundy paint in the interior of the #6 Bettenhausen car.
Anyone know of a 68 Charger with that color interior on any circle track circuit??

By looking at the car closely, it appears to have been a Nichels built 68 Charger short track car.
Who had it first, before Darnell, is the question. Bay got it in 1970, after his Coronet crashed and burnt.
So, it was already a 2 year old car...   

[wingcar builder]

Well, here is the rest of my theory on this Chassis. I'll have to Call Joe and ask him again about the time frame.but couple years ago he told me on the way back from Riverside he left his Charger at Nichels to have it made into a Daytona. he said when he got back his old car was sitting there and his #18 was sitting there all ready to go. a whole new chassis. Like I said let me double check the time frame. it could be the chassis being the color Joe run back before the Daytona.

[odcics2]

With the weather getting better, I'll take off some of the Aspen body and check out the original outer rockers, by the lower cage. That should help identify things by colors.