We’ve seen some head-scratchers in the Can It Be Saved series here on Barn Finds, and this 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z is one of the head-scratchin’est ones so far. A small front-drive car that needs a total restoration that will surely surpass its value by several times. It can be found listed here on eBay in impossibly beautiful Monterey, California and the seller has a $2,000 buy-it-now price listed, or you can make an offer.
What’s your offer so far? Hello? Is anyone out there? Dodge offered the Daytona from late 1983 for the 1984 model year, up until 1993. Pop-up headlights were part of a 1987 model update and these cars came in so many flavors that it would make Bresler’s jealous. Carrol Shelby got involved with Chrysler early in the 1980s and the combined companies made some fun cars with both two and four doors.
This car is in rough shape, but I didn’t need to mention that. I love the seller’s enthusiasm and optimism, saying that this car was running when parked a few years ago and while not mentioning the exterior other than to say that they believe the paint is original, they say that the interior could be restored without much effort.
Here’s that interior. For anyone with a YouTube channel who finds and cleans old forgotten cars, this one has a big payoff written all over it. A $50,000 dry ice blaster and whatever other tools that you’d need would probably pay off on this one vehicle if you got enough hits. I’m guessing the passenger window is gone because it isn’t shown in the photos and the interior looks like it’s been through (insert random natural disaster here). The back seat area is there and just think how great it’ll look after you hit it with your XJ-2000 dry-ice-blaster!
The Chrysler 2.2-liter turbocharged inline-four, I thought, would have shown Turbo II rather than just Turbo but I could be wrong. It should have had 174 horsepower and it couldn’t look much rougher than it does, with open coolant reservoirs, missing brake lines out of the master cylinder, etc. This one must have been a parts car for the last few years. It sends power, or it did, to the front wheels through a nice, close-ration five-speed manual. So, back to my original question: can this one be saved, or is it just a parts car now?
Looks like they pulled it out of a California mud slide
From the pictures, it appears to be in a junk yard. I’d say that a good place for it to stay.
I had one in 1987. They weren’t well built cars. Designed to be disposable cars like the K-cars and other cheap transportation to bail Chrysler out of bankruptcy. Cost of restoration could never be recovered.
Idk looking at that little Turbo id at least get it running just for kicks lol
Looks like it just got pulled out of the Monterey bay. Yikes.
The only way I can think of to get an interior that dirty and moldy, short of shoveling dirt inside it, is to submerge it.
Probably but WHY??
This is a real mudder, but the mud bath was where?
Usually to get the stink out of something you fill it with dry soil, sloppy wet soil just doesn’t work. You can not combine dry soil with a carwash to save time.
The best way to get stink out of a semi trailer is coffee. Just the cheap stuff, sprinkle (or dump in this one) and let it sit for a while. Sweep it up and there you go. Works a charm on semi trailers, I think this may be beyond that.
At least they took the air filter off…
Monterey huh? Did junior drive her into the ocean, while on a bender, back in ’92?
I’m sure it was a nice car before it was driven into a lake and left there for a week.
Too bad, these are/were cool cars and there is some rarity to the Shelby models. I know less than one thousand 1988 Shelby Daytona’s were made, off the top of my head anyway, not sure about 89 and it’s late, so I’m not going to look it up.
I had a V6 one of these. Can’t remember if it was 89 or 91 all I remember is it was a great car. Handled like it was on rails and the V6 was no slouch. Beautiful red with grey velour interior similar to this but nice and had a spoiler on back. Was leaking gear oil from the trans and was an idiot and to lazy to fix it so I sold it. STUPID.
If it runs, would be an excellent candidate for the Alaskan 4th of July car Launch!
I have owned several Daytona Shelby’s as well as a GLH Turbo and two different GLHS’s and. LeBaron VNT convertible. This Daytona would make a great parts car for some of the bits, but it would take a ton of time, work, and money to get it back on the road. That being said, they were all a blast to drive and I really miss the GLH and the GLHS. They really lived up to the name :)
My son bought one, it was tinny but very quick and fun to drive. I believe that Shelby put a plack with his signature on the valve cover.
Our ’86 was solid, fast, and as you say, fun to drive. This car looks like it’s had way too much fun by someone.
Well, if the engine is ok, it could be yanked and put in a dune buggy/sandrail frame and be pretty fun. I’m guessing the turbo is ready to grenade given how the car was cared for.
I’me left wondering why anyone would bother saving a piece of crap like this. It wasn’t much of a car even when it was new!
I wouldn’t give $10.00 for this pile of scrap.
This one is a little far gone, what a shame
I think I get the grift. 1. Pack up a bottle of tire shine and your phone.
2. Take a tour of your local junkyard.
3. Find something red that might have value
4. Wipe the tires and body down with the tire shine.
5. Take pictures and list it online.
6. If you get any bids, work out a purchase from said junkyard and flip the car.
7. If no interest, you’re only out a few ounces of tire shine 😃
Junk, Pull-a-part junk….dream on.