..........Well, here it is, my 1987 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z. The engine, the 2.2 TII (Garrett trubo + intercooler), the tranny is the A555 5-speed manual with GETREG gears. The color is "Flash Red" and it is basically fully loaded. PS, PB, A/C, 4 wheel disc brakes, electric windows, door locks, sideview mirrors, rear defrost, illuminated vanity mirrors, T-tops, enthusiast driver's seat and 15" Crab rims.
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..........I had bought this car in December of 2003 due to being broad-sided in the 70 Charger (Our Beast) in October of 2003. I knew from the beginning I should not have bought this car, but, it was a Shelby Z and it was fairly cheap. Within two weeks, I found out why it was so cheap!
A pic of the Daytona that was online when I bought it.
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..........After one day, the turbo wouldn't spool up. Took the car back, they fixed it. About a week later, the rear wiper and defrost didn't work, was getting overboost all the time, the front end squeeked and noticed the engine had WAY too much oil in it. Another week goes by. Blowing smoke, running like a two cylinder. Went to take the car back to the used car salesman telling him he sold me a lemon and I wanted my money back. He insisted he didn't sell me a lemon and refused to give me my money back. So, No Charger, and after three weeks, no Daytona.
..........I ended up having the engine and turbo rebuilt by a shop that I thought I could trust in January 2004. I immediately questioned the quality of work done when I went to pick the car up. I get to the shop and the Daytona is out front, and looks ready to go. I pay the shop, get my paperwork and keys and head out to my car. I start it up and go pop the hood to check out my newly rebuilt engine. After opening the hood, Ky-Man (my son) points out something leaking! FUEL !!! I shut the car off and go back into the shop. They fixed it no problem. Thing the car is fixed, right ?
WRONG !!!
A week goes by, and oil has started to leaked. Long story short, at the fifth time taking it in and oil is still leaking, I hear one of the mechanics say "I hate working on this car". My thoughts are if he hates working on it, he probably isn't doing his best job on it either. Needless to say, that shop doesn't get my buisiness anymore.
At this point, I started doing all the work on the Daytona myself. Yes, I did find and fix the oil leak. Around March of '07, the Daytona started blowing smoke, running rough. After some troubleshooting, I found #2 had no compression. Finally decided to take the engine to see why there was no compression on #2 cylinder. During this process I found out why things were never quite right with the engine. Many things had been half done, or not done at all! So, I pulled out #2 Piston. As it came out of the engine, parts of the lands in between the rings fell off the piston. Thus explaining the lack of compression. I inspected the cylinder walls for scoring. Somehow, there was none!
Disgusted at the fact I had been ripped off by another mechanic not doing the job right, I just ended up letting the Daytona sit in our garage. In July I had bought our 07 Charger Daytona R/T, and having too much fun with it, the '87 Daytona ended up sitting for quite a while.
Now, I have the bug to put our '70 Charger back on the road. In order to do that, money is needed. I love the Shelby Z and would love to go all out on it, but, in order to get the money for '70, the money has to come from somewhere. A sacrifice has to be made. Sadly, it will be the Daytona, when the time comes. This why I call it "The SACRIFICE". Once I get it fixed, RIGHT, it will be for sale! I don't want to, but it is something that has to be done.
So, I will update the page as I make progress. I have just received the new piston and rings from FWD PERFORMANCE and will be putting it in this weekend.
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UPDATE: 3/05/10
..........Well, after God only knows how long this has been fiddle-farted with, today my son Ky got the Daytona running!!
He ran it around the block, everythings fine. Since I'm in South Carolina and the family is still in San Diego, they were moving to an apartment to save some $$$$. Well, I guess my wife was driving the Daytona over to a friends, and as she is turning down the friend's street, the engine catches fire!!! She calls the fire dept. and I guess some people came out with hoses and put the fire out! Vicki is fine thankfully! The fire department's assesment of the fire was that a power steering line ruptured and caught fire. I'm waiting to get pics from Vicki to see the damage.
This is the only picture I got that shows any damage. It doesn't look like much, but damage to power steering lines, electrical, vacuum, fuel as well as paint.
