Oh, the eighties! Things were changing all around, socially, politically, musically as well as on the automotive front. But being an automotive website, I’ll stick to the car stuff. Chrysler Corporation, who had a near-death experience in the ’70s, stepped back from the precipice and reinvented itself for the ’80s with a fleet of smaller, lighter front-wheel-drive models. And here is an example in the form of a 1984 Dodge Daytona that is located in Warrensburg, Missouri and is available, here on Facebook Marketplace for $1,500, OBO. Thanks to Terry for this tip!
To borrow an already used auto ad tagline, “This is not your father’s Daytona”. While Chevrolet and Ford decided to keep their Camaro and Mustang, respectively, on a tried and true V8 upfront, drive wheels in the rear configuration, Dodge choose to use their FWD G-body for the gen-five (’84-’93) Daytona, a model that is better known by 1969’s Charger Daytona, a high-winged, extended nose production Charger model designed to homologate changes for the NASCAR Grand National series. While similar to the “L” platform Charger, the Daytona was a slightly larger performance model that shared showroom space with Chrylser’s Laser. Offered in three trim levels, Standard, Turbo, and Turbo Z, this first year Daytona saw production totals of just under 50K units.
Our barn find appears to be a Turbo version which research indicates should be a 142 net HP, 2.2-liter four-cylinder “turbo” engine attached to a five-speed manual transaxle. The listing displays the engine’s displacement as 2.5 liters but that appears to be in error as that larger engine didn’t show up in the Daytona until 1986. The seller claims that the engine does turn over but does not start. Of note, there is some rodent attacked wiring, the radiator is listed as missing along with “a few other items in the engine compartment“.
With a mileage recording of 51K miles and the last license registration being 1990, this Daytona has been cooling its heels for 30+ years. And I have to say that it cleans up pretty well! There are some obvious rust spots that are more than just minor, but they are manageable. The remainder of the exterior is fair with faded trim and disappearing clear coat on the surface of the hood, but the finish all-in-all isn’t terrible and there is no obvious sign of crash damage. The seller mentions that he has an extra set of wheels included in the sale.
The interior is a real surprise, it’s quite clean and shows little wear other than a billowing headliner. The interior layout and materials are so typical of the chocky, blocky design typical for Mopars of this era. Years ago they looked cheap but like so many things that age, it’s now quaint. The driver’s footwell is the only area that looks like it needs attention but other than that, it’s good to go.
So, are ’80s cars coming into their own? Some brands/models are including the Camaro Z28/Firebird TransAm, Fox-body Mustang GT, Buick Grand National, Monte Carlo SS, etc. Interestingly, Dodge, with its go another direction approach, managed to produce some note-worthy hot-footing with only four cylinders and FWD. Want to know a little more? Check out this Motor Week video. One thing’s for certain, the asking price here won’t break the bank, right?
Some of the Ugliest stock wheels ever!
Overpriced, even as a parts car.
Steve R
My aunts 88 Shelby Z had those rims and they looked awesome on the face lifted Daytona. I suspect they were swapped in at some point because they weren’t stock Shelby rims. I also really like 80’s Chrysler interiors like this, they looked and felt much different than any other auto brand.
Too much cancer rust and probably over priced
Cancer you say………….
Call me small-minded, picky, sensitive, childish, too PC, whatever. But I recoil when that term is thrown around casually in a non-medical fashion. Having worked for a cancer charity for many years, and dealt with the disease myself, it bothers me to see it used so “easily”.
Bill, I am certain you meant no harm here, and I am not trying to offend.
best
BT
Surface rust isn’t a huge deal but when it eats completely through the surface, it’s considered cancerous. The phrase has been used for decades to describe this type of rust and no one was or is currently trying to offend anyone with it.
..Which is what I said in my post Jesse, that I was certain Bill meant no harm at all.
Let’s just keep on doing what we’ve been doing for decades then!
bt
A 2.2 liter 4 cylinder does not a Hot Rod make. While these are not totally without merit-rusty, non running, parts missing-
Unless this is a good fit as a parts car it’s a Leaver-Right. (Leave ‘er right there)
Why did Dodge want another 80’s let down like the 80’s Ford Mustang. Parts Car ! That’s questionable
I would never think of this as a hot rod.
The torque steer on these was frightening and then you couple that with miserable tires and the fuel mileage was horrible.
The good news is it had a 50,000 mile warranty
Bad news headgasket usually went for the 2nd time shortly after it expired
Mice don’t snip wires that evenly, they chew and strip the insulation. Whoever hacked the radiator out probably cut them as they may have been in the way.
People who live in the north and rat belt areas don’t deserve to ever own nice cars. Just give them appliances like Camrys, Accords, Ford trucks or force them to take mass transit.
Even in the early 80s, this car was weak sauce. It was never hot rod. Dodge was putting that turbo 2.2 in everything it built, including minivans. For it to call this thing a Charger Daytona took a lot of guts. They were hoping we had short memories for the real Daytonas, and they were wrong.
That different car on the trailer. Has different wheels than the other picture. Something odd there.