08/25/2008
"You see this car, pal? You see this car? This car cost more than your watch..." (Dodge Daytona edition)
It's the end of summer - perfect cruising weather - and my fancy turns lightly to thoughts of hot rods.
Unlike last year at this time, I won't be visiting the local custom car show again; too many older people (who should know better) walking around with their hair greased back (men) or in pink poodle skirts (women), a la "Happy Days." And the cars - although plentiful, and gorgeous - are the same every year.
Instead, I've been banging around some of the car sites on the web, marveling at what the monied men my age will pay for the cars of their youth. And the answer is: plenty.
For example, today we have on the block 2 of the most extreme examples of the muscle car craze of the late 1960's: the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona Hemi. Already a long, powerful car, the Daytona added a nosecone extension to make the damn thing even longer, and bolted the largest, highest airfoil imaginable to the back. NASCAR stylee, for the street.
The example you see above is one the current owner will have to be persuaded* to sell, and he'll tell you himself:
"...when we had the opportunity to purchase the finest restored 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona Hemi in the world, we jumped at it! And now that we have it ... I truly don't want to sell it.
I purchased a rotating stage for our photo shoots here ... and I put the Daytona on it after we pulled it off the trailer ... and it sits and spins slowly all day, every day ... and I'm not letting anyone take it down! I can stand there and watch it rotate around (for hours if I had the time) and never get bored doing so. We do restorations here at Best of Show, and I've seen some spectacular cars in my lifetime, but this is one of the most spectacularly restored Mopars I've ever laid eyes on.
This Daytona has ceased being a car and is a work of art.... This is the finest restored 1969 Dodge Daytona I've ever laid my eyes on, and I can't conceive of one better, nor could I hope to surpass this car in my own shop. Hence, my desire not to sell the car ... it's one I could not replace, even if I wished to. Restored by Dave Ferro's shop over at Totally Auto, this is as good as it gets."
However, this gent will allow his heart to be broken if you can see your way clear to paying him $699,000. You read that correctly. Follow the above link to the owner's detailed description, and he'll persuade you in his own words.
And if he doesn't, there's a similiarly gorgeous (or grotesque, depending on your point of view) example of a limited edition (1 of 139) Daytona. The selling point here is that it's an original, unrestored car in fabulous shape. Only $245,000.
Next in the series will be cars touched by the magic hand of Carroll Shelby, similiarly bargain priced.
And now I will jump into my 8-year old unrestored Civic and take my 57 year-old frame (unrestored) to the gym.
*At the top of the car list, choose 1969 for the year and Dodge for the make, and you'll see the complete listing with description and photos. You can't link directly to that page (or at least I can't); I have no idea why.