Just A Question About Wing Cars In General

[Iron Chef]

I don't own a Superbird or Daytona (but would be nice!), but I was wondering: When new, could these cars be ordered from the factory with option choices or were they ordered by dealers only and you "got what you got."  I don't think I've ever seen any of them with options like power windows or defoggers (don't even know if this was available).

[nascarxx29]

There are a few known with PWs 

http://aerowarriors.com/sss.html

[pettybird]

The majority were sales bank cars, meaning that someone sitting in an office down at corporate built them.  You COULD order your wing car, but the orders had to be placed pretty early. 

[maxwellwedge]

I have one with power windows and rear defogger.

I think.....maybe....most if not all the Canadian cars had the rear defogger

But yes - most were all kind of like Sales Bank cars..

[Iron Chef]

Thanks guys...I always wondered about this.  I have a 3rd Gen Charger and '70 Challenger now.  Someday I hope to add to the stable. 

[nascarxx29]

The daytonas that showed on the list as a nascar driver cars or Dodge garage.Were well optioned

[5hunert]

I have one with power windows and rear defogger.

I think.....maybe....most if not all the Canadian cars had the rear defogger

But yes - most were all kind of like Sales Bank cars..

Given the location of the rear defog duct in relation to the relocated rear window, I'm not sure how effective the rear defog was on Daytonas.

[hemi68charger]

Given the location of the rear defog duct in relation to the relocated rear window, I'm not sure how effective the rear defog was on Daytonas.

excellent point and observation....... but hey,,,, nowadays,,,, it's just cool to say one's car has it......

[5hunert]

I'll make one wild hypothesis that the registry gurus will possibly back up for me (or tell me I'm wrong).  Since the Daytona was based on the more upscale Charger, and the Superbird was based on the more conservative Roadrunner, Daytonas were more likely to fill the body tag with optional equipment.

Just a hunch.

[odcics2]

 

[1970Moparmann]

 

[hemi68charger]

I'll make one wild hypothesis that the registry gurus will possibly back up for me (or tell me I'm wrong).  Since the Daytona was based on the more upscale Charger, and the Superbird was based on the more conservative Roadrunner, Daytonas were more likely to fill the body tag with optional equipment.

Just a hunch.

Well, due to the fact Superbirds were from Lynch Road, their fender tags were sparce to begin with.. So, you can't really compare the two...

[pettybird]

...and 'birds all had power steering, power brakes, disc brakes, and an axle package to start. 

[WINGIN IT]

...and 'birds all had power steering, power brakes, disc brakes, and an axle package to start. 

Ya what he said.
None of this drum brake crap, power or not. 

[5hunert]

Good point.     It would be interesting to see how "comfort options" stacked up, such as power windows, music equipment, light packages and such. 

[Aero426]

Other than the Daytona having buckets as the most common seating, my opinion is that the cars in general are very similarly equipped.     Of course, you could get a Six Barrel on a Superbird, but not on a Daytona.   You can kind of spin the tale in either direction depending on which side of the fence you are on.   

[1970Moparmann]

Other than the Daytona having buckets as the most common seating, my opinion is that the cars in general are very similarly equipped.     Of course, you could get a Six Barrel on a Superbird, but not on a Daytona.   You can kind of spin the tale in either direction depending on which side of the fence you are on.   

I'm kind of partial to 6 packs! 

[WINGIN IT]

Yeah definitely depends on your camp.
Pistol grip vs , knoob, or rather knob.
I'm sure there were more PW Daytonas than Superbirds, if that's an option that's desired by some.

[moparstuart]

Other than the Daytona having buckets as the most common seating, my opinion is that the cars in general are very similarly equipped.     Of course, you could get a Six Barrel on a Superbird, but not on a Daytona.   You can kind of spin the tale in either direction depending on which side of the fence you are on.   

Yes bench seat and column shift are seen alot on birds .

[WINGIN IT]

More than I'd like to see that's for sure 
Then there's the wanna be 4 speed drivers ( console automatics) ...

[5hunert]

Other than the Daytona having buckets as the most common seating, my opinion is that the cars in general are very similarly equipped.     Of course, you could get a Six Barrel on a Superbird, but not on a Daytona.   You can kind of spin the tale in either direction depending on which side of the fence you are on.   

Yes bench seat and column shift are seen alot on birds .

Small item, but Daytona's came standard with a clock, while the 'birds often had a delete plate next to the speedo.

[pettybird]

More than I'd like to see that's for sure 
Then there's the wanna be 4 speed drivers ( console automatics) ...

I'd take offense if we didn't have one of each...

[moparstuart]

More than I'd like to see that's for sure 
Then there's the wanna be 4 speed drivers ( console automatics) ...

I'm making mine a manual , but leaving the automatic console   

[WINGIN IT]

More than I'd like to see that's for sure 
Then there's the wanna be 4 speed drivers ( console automatics) ...

I'm making mine a manual , but leaving the automatic console   

Good for you! Get some clutchin' in before that knee blows out on ya... 

Pettybird, I got one of each too, at the moment.. but mine's on the column  so feel free to call me the kettle... LOL .

[moparstuart]

More than I'd like to see that's for sure  
Then there's the wanna be 4 speed drivers ( console automatics) ...

I'm making mine a manual , but leaving the automatic console  

Good for you! Get some clutchin' in before that knee blows out on ya...  

Pettybird, I got one of each too, at the moment.. but mine's on the column   so feel free to call me the kettle... LOL .

well the viper six speed will have a pansy hydrolic clutch so no blowing out my knee in this car anyway , now the brake pedal in the Rat rod my do it in .

[ksquared]

 Of course, you could get a Six Barrel on a Superbird, but not on a Daytona.   You can kind of spin the tale in either direction depending on which side of the fence you are on.   

But you also had to have a vinyl roof on the Superbird, which helped to contribute to an increased cd over the Daytona.  I calculated it one time, and at high speed the increased horsepower of the Six Barrel Superbird would not compensate for the lower cd of the Daytona with a four-barrel carb.

[WINGIN IT]

Of course, you could get a Six Barrel on a Superbird, but not on a Daytona.   You can kind of spin the tale in either direction depending on which side of the fence you are on.  

But you also had to have a vinyl roof on the Superbird, which helped to contribute to an increased cd over the Daytona.  I calculated it one time, and at high speed the increased horsepower of the Six Barrel Superbird would not compensate for the lower cd of the Daytona with a four-barrel carb.

Get out really?  So you're saying that the Superbird loses at least 15 hp with a boar grain vinyl top at high speed??
Assuming both a Daytona and Superbird were identically equipped , do they weigh the same??

[Rarepearl]

I wonder at what stage the cars were pulled off the line to get outfitted as Superbirds and Daytonas.  Were they pulled off the line before they passed by the stations that installed all of the options?  Were the options installed later?  My guess is that if you ordered early enough and you knew the right person you could get some nice options.  The question is where and when were these installed.

[hemigeno]

I'm not as well-versed on Superbird construction as I am Daytonas - but for the latter, there was no such thing as "pulling them off the line" for conversion.  They were sent through Hamtramck and purpose-built as complete cars (minus a couple of specific items) prior to transferring to Creative Industries for conversion.  A few options normally available on "regular" Chargers were not available on Daytonas, such as A/C and luggage rack being two examples, but pretty much the entire arsenal of options were available apart from those exceptions - which all had practical reasons for their exclusion.

The O/P's question about whether the Daytonas were ordered or spec'd by customers, the dealerships, or a Chrysler department somewhere has yet to be answered completely.  I personally think it was a combination of the three... a few customers were able to custom-order their car, but those were only the ones who were lucky enough to hear about the car's introduction early enough to have been able to place such an order.  The procedures for such an ordering process were spelled out in factory documentation.  Some dealerships probably did put in requests or orders for cars, and I have heard unconfirmed stories that Chrysler received more requests (orders?) for Daytonas than the +/-500 they actually built in the end.  Whether those dealerships got a car they ordered/wanted - or even received a Daytona at all - might have been a function of the Regional Sales Manager's decision... i.e. you can't escape politics even in the automotive world.  Just look at all the mentions made of reassignment on the Dealer Invoice list published through the WW/NBOA a few years back.  That should give at least some idea of this topic's dynamic nature.

In the end, nobody knows the "whole" story on how the cars were ordered or procured - it's just us armchair quarterbacks looking at a mere highlight reel from a football game played 43 years ago and trying to figure out the conversations held between a head coach and his offensive coordinator.  Not really possible to do, but we enjoy the guesswork nonetheless.

[pettybird]

OK so is there an identifier for a dealer-ordered car for STOCK?  I've seen sales bank cars and "sold" cars which I'm assuming are cars built for specific customers.  Were dealer ordered, stock cars coded either way?

[maxwellwedge]

I know Mr. Norm put "Sold Car" on most of his orders just to get the cars quicker....even though they weren't really sold.....but he was probably the exception.