The Dodge Daytona is one of those 80s models we all recognize when out in the wild or at a local car show, but it hasn’t seemingly become a sought-after collector car. As a project, however, it makes an awful lot of sense. Why? Well, it has some terrific styling that still looks relatively fresh today, and the turbocharged engines have shown they respond well to modifications. There are some shortcomings – there always are – but overall, this 1984 Dodge Daytona Turbo listed here on craigslist looks like a good foundation for a project. The seller is asking $6,000 before he takes off for college. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Barney for the tip.

The Daytona was a looker when it was new, and it got progressively better with age as it added some aerodynamic enhancements and contemporary styling touches. The earlier cars like this one came equipped with the famous “pizza” wheels, named such because they looked like a pepperoni pie. The subtle rear spoiler, dark-tinted taillights, and nicely integrated bumpers all combined to make even a base-model Daytona an attractive entry into sports coupe ownership. The seller’s car has weathered brown paint but is largely rust-free, thanks to its presumably long-term presence in the Pacific Northwest, where cars like these seemingly live on as everyday drivers.

In 1984, you could get a Daytona with the high-end Mark Cross leather package, and I believe the Daytona shown here is equipped with this package. The reason being is it clearly has optional leather seating surfaces front and rear, which look quite elaborate and fitting with the style of the Mark Cross cars. According to various online sources, it would have also had some additional illuminating features throughout the cabin, and 1984 was the only year of the true leather interior with corresponding material on the door panels as well. In subsequent years, the leather became a “pleather”-type material. This Daytona also appears to have the optional “Message Information Center.”

The Turbo I engines were good for 142 horsepower. They were also known for headgasket issues, so I’d want to ask the seller if he’s seeing any coolant mixing with the oil. He mentions that the individual he purchased the car off of lavished it was ongoing maintenance, and a sheet included with the listing photos shows a long list of service work performed. At the present time, the Daytona does have some issues, including a high idle and running low on oil on a regular basis. The seller either is thinking wishfully or doesn’t realize that having to constantly top off the oil is a sign of worse things to come, but the next owner will have to sort that out. Would you take on this early turbocharged Daytona driver?