The word “Daytona” conjures up thundering American V8s on sandy beaches or high banked ovals, but somehow it also seems at home on this sporty red hatchback from Dodge. Chrysler has always done its own thing, and when its Big Three competitors of the 1980s were exploring a new era of performance cars using traditional avenues, the men and women at the Pentastar were trying out turbochargers and front-wheel drive. Although many Mopar fans wish that the Daytona had a classic LA small block under the hood and an 8 3/4″ Sure-Grip out back, it’s not bad to accept things the way they are. And this Daytona (now on eBay) is pretty rad.

“Turbo Z” is an evocative name. It smacks of gamesmanship, since it’s close enough to “Z28” to raise some eyebrows at GM Corporate, but not close enough for them to have done anything about it. Under the hood our featured “Z” is Chrysler’s 2.2-liter Turbo “I,” which was capable for the era with 146 horsepower and 170 lb.-ft. of torque. Considering it yanked around a mere 2,700 pounds of Daytona, a five-speed car would have felt quite peppy, if not a little rough. It may not have had the torque of a comparable Camaro or Mustang, but then as now, some people enjoyed the latest technology and good fuel mileage in their performance cars.

The Iowa-based seller is presenting the Daytona as a rust-free survivor, and the pictures of the undercarriage support that claim. It also wears its original paint and dealer tag from Alabama. It’s not a perfect car; as you can see, the leather seats show some wear but are still in presentable shape for being 38 years old. The air conditioning does not work, nor do the windshield wipers or clock. The headliner is starting to “sag in one corner.”

Additionally, the fuel tank leaks when it’s filled to capacity. The seller thinks that it’s a hose of some sort, but hasn’t had time to investigate the problem any further than that. These are certainly inconveniences, but they’re the kind of inconveniences one can cope with when you find a nice solid car with shiny original paint. There’s even a walkaround video of the car, and it looks as good as it does in pictures. Plus, it has the uncommon “T-Bar Roof Package” and comes with some extra parts.

If you’re in your mid-40s as I am, and you grew up watching cheesy car movies, you may remember Frank Sinatra driving a Turbo Z in Cannonball Run 2. I vividly recall questioning its ability to pass Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. in their ’84 Corvette, but such is the magic of movies. If you want to enjoy some of that Rat Pack provenance for yourself, the seller is asking $9,000 for this clean “Flash Red” Daytona.