1975 Dodge Charger Daytona
If you wanted to emulate your favorite NASCAR driver by buying a '75 Dodge Charger, you would have been out of luck. Turns out, the unique new body design with its vertical nose and square edges was bypassed by NASCAR which kept the more streamlined '74 body style, one which Richard Petty favored. Chargers were moving from sporty rides and leaning more towards personal luxury cars and 1975 epitomized the start of that direction, sharing many characteristics with the Chrysler Cordoba.
For consignment, a 1975 Dodge Charger Daytona that is a long, long way from being a personal luxury car. Well, maybe not that long as the interior retains elements of originality. But this one has been Pro Streeted with a 505 cubic inch stroker built by Seth's Auto and Performance Center in Beaver Springs, PA. You know, professionals! This baby is fully built and achieved 657 horsepower on the dyno. Take that, NASCAR!
Exterior
Only 283 1975 Dodge Charger Daytonas were produced and most of them were patterned as this one, with Lucerne Blue Metallic over Silver Cloud Metallic two tone. This deep end of the pool paint job was performed by Jim Wagner of Lewistown, PA. This one has had the trim shaved, the bumpers painted blue and bumperettes removed, and a Mopar snorkel fiberglass scoop added to the steel hood. The paint, lenses, and panel gaps all look fantastic. Weld ProStar wheels occupy the corners with 7x15" in front and 15x15" in the rear where 31x18R15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman SR tires reside. Meanwhile, we were hard pressed to find faults on the exterior.
Interior
The door panels are close to the originals with some custom touches including an aluminum plate where the faux wood would have been and a custom design piece where a courtesy light once resided. The tall back front bucket seats have button back vinyl upholstery in blue and lend credence to the personal luxury car efforts by Dodge. The rear seats have been removed to make room for the tubbed wheel wells and roll cage. Blue carpet covers the back where we also find several speakers. A Mopar Tuff Wheel is positioned in front of the custom dash, where once again brushed aluminum takes the place of faux wood. AutoMeter Carbon Fiber series gauges now provide the info to the driver and an AM/FM/CD head unit provides the tunes. A B&M shifter with reverse lock out is console mounted is a sleek, aluminum panel. The center console includes an armrest and storage bin. Low pile blue carpet covers the floor and along with the blue headliner, is in very nice condition. In the trunk we find a 20 gallon Summit Racing fuel cell and a battery box and a trunk with room to spare.
Drivetrain
As it says on the hood scoop, a monster 505ci stroker engine resides under the hood. Built on a 440ci block, the build included a 4.350 bore, a Scat 4.250 stroke crank, Scat rods, Diamond pistons, and a Comp Cams solid roller cam. Harland Sharp 1.5 rocker rollers are bolted to the Edelbrock Performer RPM heads and perched on top is an Edelbrock Victor 440 intake mated to a 950cfm QuickFuel carburetor. Whew! But the fun doesn't end there. The A727 3-speed automatic Torqueflite transmission has a shift kit and sends a tidal wave of power to a Ford 9" rear in a Moser axle with 4.11 Richmond posi gears. Mere mortal brakes simply would not do here, so the wheels are fitted with factory disc brakes up front and Wilwood power disc brakes in the rear. All this gusto is exhausted via TTI headers. The engine bay is clean and all business with polished metals, stainless steel, and braided hoses.
Undercarriage
More business underneath starting with dual 3" exhaust that runs from the headers to the back where it meets Flowmaster mufflers after which they dump just before the rear bumper. The narrowed axle allows the massive rear meats to be tucked behind the fender while being connected to a 4 link suspension with Alden coilovers. In the front, the factory torsion bar suspension provides the ride. It's all very clean and purposeful with only minor occurrences of surface rust.
Drive-Ability
Wake up, Morgantown, we're test driving the Daytona! It makes its presence known as the cacophony bounces from hillside to hillside. We don't need to go full throttle, it's obvious this has plenty of power while maintaining a pedestrian interior, (from the front seats forward), regular seat belts and all! We're testing functions and the only thing that doesn't work is the fuel gauge, which makes sense since there's a cell in lieu of a tank.
The Daytona was an add on package to the Charger SE, not a submodel unto itself. Still, with less than 300 in existence and this configuration being one of one, we're looking at a fairly special car in our Hallowed Halls and one that looks good, goes fast, and may be one of the more desirable Mopars to come out of the malaise period. Here's a turnkey Pro Streeter looking for love.
XS22K5R244292
X-Dodge Charger
S-Special Price Class
22-2 Door Hardtop Coupe
K-360ci 2bbl V8
5-1975
R-Windsor, Ontario, Canada Assy Plant
244292-Sequential Unit Number
FENDER TAG
XS22:
Dodge Charger
Special Price Class
2-Door Hardtop
K5R:360ci 2bbl V8, 1975
Windsor, ONT, CAN
244292: Sequence number
E57:360 cid 2 barrel V8 255hp
D34:Light Duty Automatic Transmission
KB5:Lucerne Blue Metallic Exterior Color
C6B6:Trim - Charger, Vinyl Bucket Seats, Blue
000:Full Door Panels
326:Build Date: March 26
171880:Order number
LA2:Silver Cloud Metallic Top Color
U:USA Specifications
28:28" Radiator
B12:Heavy Duty Front Disc Brakes
A57:Rallye Package
B41:Front Disc Brakes w/Standard 10in RR Drum
C21:Center Front Seat Cushion
C56:Bucket Seats
F11: 46 Amp Alternator (std with AC)
G55:Outside LH Remote Painted Racing Mirror
G67:Unknown
G77:End Mirrors
J52:Inside Hood Release
K5X:Unknown
L31:Hood/Fender Mounted Turn Signals
M21:Roof drip rail moldings
M26:Wheel Lip Moldings
M31:Belt Moldings
END:End of Sales Codes
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