The Mopar Built for 200 MPH – a Restored 1969 Dodge Daytona
When Eric Vidmar began his search for a 1969 Dodge Daytona, he knew it would’t be easy. For one thing, only 503 of the high-wing, extended-nose cars were built, and many of them were used up on racetracks. The few rare survivors are often traded among serious collectors and museums, meaning the public seldom sees these vehicles for sale.
“I had been searching for a Daytona for five years with no luck and would have loved to find a survivor and go through the restoration process myself,” he says, “but vehicles of this rarity are usually in restored condition.”
So, when a one-of-139 Daytona – a numbers-matching 440 car with a four-speed transmission and the Super Track Pack option – was set to cross an auction block, Eric knew he had to pursue it. “After we inspected the Daytona and got the backstory on the vehicle,” he says, “it was clear I would be purchasing a restored vehicle and bypass the restoration process.”
Designed for the racetrack and produced in limited numbers to make it legal for NASCAR, the ’69 Daytona featured several special body modifications, most noticeably the towering 23-inch-tall rear wing, the aerodynamic sheetmetal nose cone that replaced the stock grille, and other tweaks designed to help the car cut through the wind and be stable at high speeds. How fast was it? It was the first NASCAR vehicle to top 200 miles per hour at Talladega Speedway.
The Dodge Daytona was built on the Charger’s R/T platform, meaning it featured heavy-duty components and the 440c.i. big block V8 that produced 375 horsepower. There were 70 Daytonas produced with the 426c.i. Hemi engine. Eric’s car features the Super Track Pack option that included front disc brakes and 3.54 rear gears. The car also has the optional 26-inch copper radiator.
In addition to the numbers-matching drivetrain, Eric’s Dodge Daytona has all the original sheet metal pieces, include the nose cone. It has 36,000 original miles and is painted in the original Hemi Orange paint. OEM Magnum 500 wheels are wrapped in 205/70R14 redline tires. The black vinyl interior features bucket seats, a console and radio.
Eric says the Daytona was 90-percent restored when he bought it. That last 10 percent, though, is often the most difficult. “Finding original date-coded and/or matching number parts can be a serious challenge,” he says, “not to mention the time it may take to locate them.”
We must admit that the hunt for the last few pieces has to be fun, and the result in bringing them all together in a package like this Dodge Daytona has to be a rewarding experience.
Photos: Terry Lysak, Todd Ryden
