Daytona clone or leave it be?

[hemi68charger]

Holy Cow !!!  How's it going with this project? How are the panels fitting? I'm afraid when it's all said and done, I may have to go this route on my '69 Charger 500 and would LOVE to do it myself...  Doesn't the rear trunk floor pan need to go in before the taillamp panel is installed? (of course, I'm assuming you're either using a full floor or the taillamp panel isn't welded in yet...

Just hold off a few more months Troy till I get my 70 r/t done. Then I can sell it and buy your C500 

'70 R/T?... 

[BigBlockSam]

Here's one

thank you  i'm gonna keep that thread going. i had fun reading it back and there was a link to another of my threads in there 

[Daytona Guy]

I've done both. I would never build a GL again, it was fun and had a blast when I was 19, but now it's just a little kidish and a nitch thing, and yes it does get attention but for completely different reasons.

In the long term the Daytona keeps its value and respect from every muscle car enthusiast of both Ford and Chevy people. Being in the GL group i noticed that it is just over done. I am saying this because I have done both - and from experience there is no builders remorse with the Daytona.

My GL should be able to be found on this site - I posted some pics some time ago.

Dane

[Daytona Guy]

I felt the car was more of a "Caricature" than a muscle car (Mopar). I got the GL out of my system, but I can't get the Daytona out of my system. Again this is just me and my experience.


Dane

[Indygenerallee]

I have tracked down a complete rust free Vega hatch for $150.00 from Texas, and I have a lead on a nice 70 hood. fenders and I think I the guy will trade my 69 hood and fenders for them!

[BigBlockSam]

i got a good 70 hood i'd sell . i'm in nj

[Mike DC]

I felt the car was more of a "Caricature" than a muscle car (Mopar). I got the GL out of my system, but I can't get the Daytona out of my system. Again this is just me and my experience.

IMHO the GL wasn't really so much a caricature per se.  It was portraying the types of amateur racecars that tended to be pretty caricatured and cobbled-together in reality.  




Not to start bashing the wing cars but IMHO they are no less a caricature than a GL.  

Try showing a pic of a wing car to someone from the present day who doesn't know anything about the backstory of the car.  To them it just looks like a very goofy George Barris-style custom, not a high-tech aero racer.  

I respect the wing cars for what they were and the technological progress they represented.  But the fact is, they only enjoy high respect today because their creation & racing career was a factory job (and now collectors are paying through the nose for them).  If the Daytona was an invention of a modern-day amateur racer/hobbyist then IMHO we would consider them hopelessly crude and goofy looking - even if we were aware of the aerodynamic reasons for the mods.  

[Indygenerallee]

I really think I am going to go the Daytona direction, I love General Lee's but the more I think about it the more I want a little creative freedom in making the Daytona "mine", I asked the wife what she thought of the Daytona vs. General Lee and she said she liked both!

[Daytona Guy]

I really think I am going to go the Daytona direction, I love General Lee's but the more I think about it the more I want a little creative freedom in making the Daytona "mine", I asked the wife what she thought of the Daytona vs. General Lee and she said she liked both!

Was her eyes closed - and thinking of Bo or Luke  when she answered

[Indygenerallee]

  I really think she could care less about the Dukes of Hazzard (she is 23 so she never was much into it! I am 32) I just told her this was the last car I was going to build and I think that's what she is more happy about! 

[Daytona Guy]

This is where we agree to disagree, The GL is a caricature of the Southern good old boy mentality – it is a character in a program (that actually grew bigger than Bo and Luke, and they resented it, but came to embrace it). A Daytona is not a caricature – it is an accrual real life Mopar that was both produced for public and race consumption by Chrysler.

My point was they are two different animals. One has a Hollywood niche, like the Bat Mobile & Herbie, that as kids get older will lose its niche (and I believe has). If the New Duke's movie wasn't so skank-i-fied with two losers for Bo and Luke or dumb and Dumber, and an air head ding-bat for Daisy, the car might have made more of a comeback, and had more acceptance from Family viewers. Instead they chose to appeal to the "wife-beater" crowd that smokes "tree". Ha ha – can you tell how I feel? I would never let my kids watch that white trash. Yet, with the Daytona – a true historical monument will retain its luster if not increase in its appeal over time, thus no builder's remorse.

My wife is 9 years younger than I am and she had a Duke's lunch box. She loved Bo and Luke

Dane

[Charger-Bodie]

One thing I will add is this: I know you are a tech and all that ,and so am I , but be forwarned that if you want to build a Daytona clone correctly it will be a ton of very hard work. Ive been building cars for 25 years and the Daytona clone was the most challenging thing mechanical Ive ever done.


Edit. Dont get me wrong,Im not trying to discourage you from doing it. And ,I dont regret doing it either because Its my dream car. Just saying.

[Indygenerallee]

See If I do build a clone I am not going to say it has to have this and that or it's not real, It's mainly cosmetic and I have no problem with that, I have bagged and done stock floor bodydrops, I really don't see it as being that big of a challenge but maybe thats because I have seen much more complicated jobs. My Daytona won't look "stock" so as long as it has the wing, nose and Vega hatch it's good for me as I am not the take it to a show and sit all day type of guy, I like to drive cars and this one would be driven often! jacked up a little higher than stock with some Cragar SS's 

[nvrbdn]

oh yea, old school muscle.

[Mike DC]

This is where we agree to disagree, The GL is a caricature of the Southern good old boy mentality – it is a character in a program (that actually grew bigger than Bo and Luke, and they resented it, but came to embrace it). A Daytona is not a caricature – it is an accrual real life Mopar that was both produced for public and race consumption by Chrysler.

My point was they are two different animals. One has a Hollywood niche, like the Bat Mobile & Herbie, that as kids get older will lose its niche (and I believe has). If the New Duke's movie wasn't so skank-i-fied with two losers for Bo and Luke or dumb and Dumber, and an air head ding-bat for Daisy, the car might have made more of a comeback, and had more acceptance from Family viewers. Instead they chose to appeal to the "wife-beater" crowd that smokes "tree". Ha ha – can you tell how I feel? I would never let my kids watch that white trash. Yet, with the Daytona – a true historical monument will retain its luster if not increase in its appeal over time, thus no builder's remorse.

My wife is 9 years younger than I am and she had a Duke's lunch box. She loved Bo and Luke

Was DOH a caricatured show?  Oh yeah, totally. 
I'm just saying the appearance of the GL itself wasn't far away from the real dirt-track cars of the period. 

It sounds like you're basically saying the Daytona concept doesn't get outgrown the way the GL does.  I won't argue with that. 

[BigBlockSam]

i went to a local show at the whiskey . there where 4 GL's there ...................no daytona's . this was a local show not a big one

[Indygenerallee]

I am at this point almost 100% sure I am going to build a Daytona clone I am going to call Stinger fiberglass Monday and talk to them about the kit and what it totally consists of, I don't think I saw the wing brackets that weld to the trunk floor if I get some decent pics I will make my own out of some channel, I did a search and have the measurements on the decklid 21 5/8" on each outside edge and 21 1/2" center on trunk, I am having the Vega complete rust free rear hatch shipped Greyhound as soon as possible, and maybe I can get together with guy with the 70 hood and fenders this next week and get that deal done, get all of the parts compiled. I had a couple questions does anyone know who sells the pattern where to drill the holes in the quarters for the wing uprights? and the trunk lid hinges I saw a couple posts of a guy that had made them but the posts were from way back in 2005 if someone could trace the side profile of a Daytona/500 trunk hinge I could make one from that, I also have a 74 Charger dutchman panel lined up for the gutter section. I was thinking about using my stock 69 Charger vacuum pods for the headlights as I saw they have a spring on the factory Daytonas to keep them up under vacuum failure, I think it should be doable or just do a linear actuator.

[Daytona Guy]

See If I do build a clone I am not going to say it has to have this and that or it's not real, It's mainly cosmetic and I have no problem with that, I have bagged and done stock floor bodydrops, I really don't see it as being that big of a challenge but maybe thats because I have seen much more complicated jobs. My Daytona won't look "stock" so as long as it has the wing, nose and Vega hatch it's good for me as I am not the take it to a show and sit all day type of guy, I like to drive cars and this one would be driven often! jacked up a little higher than stock with some Cragar SS's 

Thats it - do it your own creative way.

[Daytona Guy]

I am at this point almost 100% sure I am going to build a Daytona clone I am going to call Stinger fiberglass Monday and talk to them about the kit and what it totally consists of, I don't think I saw the wing brackets that weld to the trunk floor if I get some decent pics I will make my own out of some channel, I did a search and have the measurements on the decklid 21 5/8" on each outside edge and 21 1/2" center on trunk, I am having the Vega complete rust free rear hatch shipped Greyhound as soon as possible, and maybe I can get together with guy with the 70 hood and fenders this next week and get that deal done, get all of the parts compiled. I had a couple questions does anyone know who sells the pattern where to drill the holes in the quarters for the wing uprights? and the trunk lid hinges I saw a couple posts of a guy that had made them but the posts were from way back in 2005 if someone could trace the side profile of a Daytona/500 trunk hinge I could make one from that, I also have a 74 Charger dutchman panel lined up for the gutter section. I was thinking about using my stock 69 Charger vacuum pods for the headlights as I saw they have a spring on the factory Daytonas to keep them up under vacuum failure, I think it should be doable or just do a linear actuator.

About the quarters and the wing holes - let the wing you get dictate that, especially with aftermarket anything. Be more concerned about the wings location – any close up picture gets you really close.

Dane

[tan top]

make it a  C500 clone ,    can always make it a daytona later !! 

[Charger-Bodie]

See If I do build a clone I am not going to say it has to have this and that or it's not real, It's mainly cosmetic and I have no problem with that, I have bagged and done stock floor bodydrops, I really don't see it as being that big of a challenge but maybe thats because I have seen much more complicated jobs. My Daytona won't look "stock" so as long as it has the wing, nose and Vega hatch it's good for me as I am not the take it to a show and sit all day type of guy, I like to drive cars and this one would be driven often! jacked up a little higher than stock with some Cragar SS's 

Yep. you are probably right.....

[Indygenerallee]

I found posts where "Daytonalo" was making and selling the trunk hinges, I tried e-mailing him but it just came back "full e-mail, daemon failure" looks like the last time he was on the forum was last year!?

[Hemi Runner]

My Daytona won't look "stock" so as long as it has the wing, nose and Vega hatch it's good for me as I am not the take it to a show and sit all day type of guy, I like to drive cars and this one would be driven often! jacked up a little higher than stock with some Cragar SS's 

I'm not putting you down so don't take offense but that look sucked when it was "the look" everyone had to have These aero cars look even worse when jacked up as the ride height was already too high from the factory. I bought my RR in 1983 with that look and couldn't wait to change it.  Just my opinion and it's worth nothing

[Indygenerallee]

  Not jacked to the sky but a slight rake with some beefy meats on the back is more what I was meaning. not where it looks like a car on a 4x4 chassis!

[Charger-Bodie]

By the way , here is a link to my "easy" Daytona clone:


http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,59899.0.html