Mopar’s winged warriors aren’t for everybody—five decades after their introduction, the nose cones and sky-high wings of the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona and 1970 Plymouth Superbird continue to split opinions. However, with the collector market exploding as Dodge leads the electrification of the muscle car segment, those aero cars have more fans than ever. Now, there are collectors out there who have adormed their garages with both. And, in the case of the avid Mopar fan whose passing brought us here, we can talk about restomodding the Daytona and the Superbird.
We’ve already discussed Jerry Fry’s Plymouth Superbird, which is animated by a 572 HEMI and sports an unapologetic pro-touring approach that makes it stand out from a mile away.
Unlike that modern aero-loaded machine, the collector’s Daytona features a more reserved exterior, at least for now. As showcased on his Instagram account, this gentleman used to own what appears to be a stock 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona—back with a red tail stripe—which he sold back in 2020 (check out the second post below).
Returning to his current classic Charger Daytona, this is portrayed in the first post below. And the modern custom wheels, with their tail-matching white finish, easily give the custom nature of the machine away—for the record, these could be Rotiforms. Regardless, if we look past the spokes, we’ll notice modern stopping hardware supplied by Wilwood Brakes.
That Hellcat heart transplant demanded many other modern goodies
All we have for now is a close-frame video of the Mopar. However, this is enough to notice quite a few custom, high-caliber details of the build. Sure, the project could be a Daytona tribute rather than one of the rare originals, which could put purists at ease, given the extensive modifications fitted to the vehicle. Besides, sometimes it’s difficult to draw the line, as a ’69 Daytona pro street built by Wally Elder demonstrates, since his project started off with an original Daytona… roof, but we digress.
For one, as mentioned in the title, the engine bay no longer holds the original engine, which would’ve been a 440 or a 426 HEMI. Instead, the area between the firewall and the nose cone is now occupied by a Hellcat.
If this is a crate engine, right out of the box, we’re dealing with 707 hp and 650 lb-ft. Regardless, the motor now breathes via side pipes.
After all, the original 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona became the first racer to hit 200 mph on a closed course and that Hellcat addition sounds like a proper way to honor the NASCAR heritage of the badge.
It appears that the interior isn’t complete yet. And while the cabin seem to lack seats, we can still see a roll cage and a chrome steering wheel, while it appears that the 6.2 supercharged HEMI sends its muscle to the rear wheels via a manual. Of course, this level of power means you should also expect serious chassis updates, while we can see the an added tubular structure in the engine bay.
Hopefully, we’ll get a more detailed look at Jerry Fry’s Hellcat-powered classic Dodge Charger Daytona once the build is 100% completed. Meanwhile, the brief tour in the clip below is enough to get our hearts racing.
