Correct Daytona / Superbird Wings

[hotrod98]

Jack McGaughey Enterprises is taking a survey to see who might be interested in a correct wing for Daytonas and Superbirds. If you're building a clone or planning a clone project in the near future please visit the sight and fill out the short survey. This is the guy that I mentioned that will build a correct nose as well. If there's enough interest, we might get a nice wing at a fair price.

http://www.wingcarfab.com/index.html

[69_500]

has he tried to do one yet to see how close it comes out to stock?

[Daytona Guy]

I called about a year ago and talked to Jack. He said that they did not make noses, but that they do major surgery to restore wing car parts. I asked point blank, "Can you make a Daytona nose", and he said, "No, not at this time". So maybe they are at the place where they can do it. Either way, you will be paying upwards of 9000.00 for a steel nose, and that would be cheep. Myself, I just cannot see putting a nose of that value on a clone car. That just me.

If you look at the site closely they do more for the Superbird. What I saw was a nose for the Bird. Most if not all of the Wing parts that you see on that site are restored originals.

They do great work.

[hotrod98]

Earlier this year he quoted me $7000 for a nose. He said something about having access to the dimensions for the Daytona version. I agree that it would not be smart to place a component that expensive on the front of a clone. However, since he's thinking along the lines of gearing up and mass producing (so to speak) multiples of a part, maybe he can get all of the prices down a little. He is talking about both wings though and implies that he's talking correct radiuses as well as the other dimensions. He's thinking $3500 but seems to be searching for a fair price through the survey. I think Jack can do it if anyone can. Check out his sight again, it's been updated a little.
I manage a dealership body shop and we repair medium duty and heavy duty trucks and of course that means fiberglass. I really don't like fiberglass parts very much and would like to avoid f/g if at all possible. I know that I will have to use some f/g parts...fender scoops and headlamp buckets.
I think I remember you saying that the owners of real Daytonas have approached you about building replicas of their real cars. Maybe there's a market there somewhere. I've been tempted many times to give up that regular paycheck to start the resto stuff full time. Just not brave enough.

[BigBlockSam]

his stuff is incredible but alot of money for a clone. cast aluminum wing is the way to go with a clone. some as the nascar wing and alot cheaper. i spoke to Jack on the phone when i was gathering my parts. he was nice on the phone and took some time to talk to me. if i was restoring a real superbird, he would be first on my list. Rene

[Old Moparz]

Maybe it's my budget, maybe I just don't see the value in the cars the same way, maybe my standards are lower, or maybe I'm just a tight wad, but $3500 for a wing? That ain't ever going to happen if I'm paying the bills. I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but these are "cars" & they were never exotic cars from the beginning. If there are thousands of people willing to pay 6 figures or more for a "car" than maybe they'll pay $3500 for a part on it. I'm willing to bet that there aren't. I can honestly say that I would never pay 6 figures for a car, even if I had that amount to spend on a car. There's absolutely no need for me to do that, & I love cars. If I didn't already have a wing, I'd carve it out of a log instead of paying that much. In my opinion, I'd go as high as $1200 for a ready to bolt on wing, that needs absolutely nothing except paint.

[69_500]

The last NOS Daytona wing I saw advertised was $3,500. Just for an idea, but i'd rather pay that for a real wing, than $3,500 for one this guy is making. Sure his might be just as good, but its not origional. Origionality has value to me anyways.

Oh and hey Old Moparz if you ever decide to give up on the whole Daytona thing, let me know I'd take that wing off your hands.

[Lightning]

god, for $9,000 I could pay my car off and have it fully the way I want it, lol.

[hotrod98]

I totally agree with you guys. $3500 for a wing is way too expensive.  However, I will admit that I have bought parts that were not well made in the past and would then regret that I didn't go ahead and save up a little more $ and buy the premium parts to begin with. So I have to rationalize this in my mind while I decide what to do. Most of us spend a lot of time thinking and weighing the advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons, etc. of our purchases.
I know that I will never be able to afford a real Daytona, they have always been just a little out of reach. Since I have to settle for a clone, then I want to build a nice one that will hold up and not have fiberglass coming apart and looking like crap. Even with the hemi, I can build a premium quality car for around $45,000 or less. It won't be for sale so I'm not concerned with having too much invested. Heck, my wife's new Daytona truck was $26,000 and it will continue to depreciate from here on out.  Bottom line is, you can convert your car for $6000 to$7000 and have a nice looking car or spend $15,000 to $18,000 and have an awesome car. It's up to each individual to decide just what he can afford and just how nice he is willing to accept.
At my age, I've become very hard to impress.

[Daytona Guy]

It's all good. If you got the money, buy the best. One thing I have noticed even with the "best", I become, like you, very hard to please. If I have to pay a lot of money for something my expectrations go way up. I would like to know with all these steel parts out there for Daytona's, how many of those parts have a glaze of bondo on them. Unless you have something stamped, it is next to impossible to make something perfectly smooth. Or, how much primer will it take to make it smooth, or will you see waves in it looking at it from the right angle. I have always found that I have had to rework almost everything I have bought, especially the nose!!!!

One thing about the glass rear plug - - Be careful about the paint you but on it. I would be worried if I put a 5000.00 paint job on it and had your fiberglass crack at a seam or shrink and show a ridge. Then you have to redo it. Maybe do a single stage paint and wait two years to prove it'self, then take the leap. I have joined glass to steal, and there is a way to do it that will minimize the cracking, but it will take a lot of glass. The major problem with glass, even if it does not crack, it will coflow. It will change shape, not to a degree that would change my opinion on buying a glass valance or even a nose, but it will be more noticeable on your back window, because you are joining two different materials together in a place where a lot of flexing occurs. I would say that after two years you will see a wavy appearance where they join. This can be minimised by over lapping your glass on the sail panels. Just my opinion. I wish you all the success in the world on making a killer clone. Keep us up to date.

[BigBlockSam]

i've seen acouple of glass wings sagging in the middle with time. Rene

[69_500]

I still say that one of these days I'll own a real Daytona. I have thought many times however about building a clone car and just enjoying it. But then again if I had a real Daytona I'd still get it out just as much as I do the 500. Which works out to about 6,000-8,000 miles a year.

[hotrod98]

I absolutely will not use a fiberglass plug mostly because of the problems that you mentioned.
I won't use a repro steel plug because a correct back glass and moldings are not available. The only way that I see to do a nice job is to use a vega plug and I have one in the basement.
I posted the pic of your vega plug a few days ago and couldn't remember whether or not it was yours. I never could figure out what that lip was at the bottom of that plug.
As for bodywork, that's not a problem. I do that on a regular basis. I've performed many difficult repairs over the years. I've installed gills in non cuda fenders, recessed side markers, replaced roofs, quarters, floors and just about everything else. The install of the plug doesn't worry me. I just know that to do it right and not have to redo it I need to figure out every step. Remember, I'm cutting on an R/T SE triple black car. I had better do it right or I'm going to piss off a lot of people, mostly my wife. She likes the car just the way it is. She loves Daytonas, but hates to see me cut my car. She's trying to talk me into leaving the back glass alone and she's starting to make sense. It would be so much easier to return the car to it's original form if I left the glass alone. She keeps saying..."you're not trying to pass the car off as a real Daytona".
Anyone heard this argument before?
I have to admit that the blue 70 car at St. Louis last year was very nice and it had the stock back glass. I would drive it in a heartbeat. No chebby joke intended.

[hotrod98]

Better pics.

[BigBlockSam]

don't cut up the r/t. get a 69 roller and go to town on it   

[hotrod98]

Four more pics.

[Daytona Guy]

Ya, but look at this clone. I think the window just sets it off, and puts the car over the top.

[hotrod98]

You won't get an argument from me. I couldn't agree more. Like I said before, I go back and forth on that issue. lol

[hotrod98]

I don't think you can get those body lines using that vega plug. It's too wide.

[Daytona Guy]

I'm sorry, but that front seal is unacceptable.

Yes, that is a vega plug... That is the Q5 one that I posted. Here is my window. What body line are you thinking of ? You are right, the vega is slightly wider. half inch I believe.

[hotrod98]

You could have fooled me. The car looks legit.
And as for the seal, if your talking about the St. Louis car, I was a little more concerned with the wheel choice.  I like the way this car is set up.  Is it a clone or one of the seven real SE's.

[Daytona Guy]

That green one is real. It is a beauty.

I must say that the St Louie car is nice. They did a good job for not doing the rear window. With the nose seal fixed, it a keeper 

[BigBlockSam]

Ya, but look at this clone. I think the window just sets it off, and puts the car over the top.   

[69_500]

The only thing I see with the Q5 clone car that seems off is the window plug. The plug seems to be missing a bit of a the buldge that a real window plug has. A real plug isn't really flush, it has a slight bubble effect to it, going from the lower portion of the window to the deck lid.

[BigBlockSam]

that Q5 clone is stunning