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Best of 2014: Left For Dead In A Ditch: The Newfoundland Ravine Daytona


Best of 2014: Left For Dead In A Ditch: The Newfoundland Ravine Daytona

The photos look like a crime scene. The remnants of a T5 Copper 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona lay scattered, crushed, picked apart by parts looters among the trees and brush of a ravine in Newfoundland, Canada. The body panels that are left are almost unrecognizable. The roof is absolutely collapsed. There is no evidence of a wing or the nose cone. Effectively, there is nothing left to this car but the VIN tags, enough pieces for garage art and maybe enough metal for a toaster. Yet, there is someone who is going to attempt to restore this car.

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According to the owner of the paperwork of this Daytona, it had been parked in a gravel pit sometime in the mid-1970s after it’s 440 sent a rod through the block in 1973. The town was building a dam to contain floodwaters that had been an issue for quite some time, and when the bulldozers came in to do the job, they shoved the Daytona into the ravine.

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Now, here’s the kicker: It’s going to be restored, one way or another. A couple of years ago this car was purchased and the owner started collecting pieces necessary to get this Daytona back on the road. Among purchases: Wing, nose, Daytona hood, rear window plug and most of a ’68 Charger that had been used as a parts donor that was in considerably better shape. Even more interestingly, Graveyard Carz is eyeing the project as a potential build for their show.

Even with as much love as we have for the Winged Warriors, this Daytona is too far gone for our tastes. The investment will be unbelievably huge and time-consuming. But, if the car somehow rolls again, the story behind it will be nothing short of amazing.

Click Here to see the entire story, plus more pictures, on DodgeCharger.com

Click Here to see the Graveyard Carz post about the Daytona on Facebook

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20 thoughts on “Best of 2014: Left For Dead In A Ditch: The Newfoundland Ravine Daytona

  1. 75Duster

    My opinion is that the Daytona is beyond saving, other than doing a complete re-body, and then adding the VIN tags, it still wouldn’t make it a original Dodge Daytona, however if the current owner has the finances to fund a total restoration of what is left of this Daytona then I wish them the best of luck.

  2. Ye Olde Pharte

    A person might be able to salvage the firewall, that’s about all I see. Otherwise, yeah, you’re building a car around a vin tag.

    If Graveyard Carz takes it on, I’d watch.

  3. The Crusty Autoworker

    “Now, here’s the kicker: It’s going to be restored, one way or another. A couple of years ago this car was purchased and the owner started collecting pieces necessary to get this Daytona back on the road.”

    Restored! Now that’s funny stuff right there.

  4. Piston Pete

    Just because you CAN (can they really?) doesn’t always mean you Should.
    That said, if they put it on TV, I’d watch. At least that would show the project has some credibility; television exposure equals credibility, right?

  5. Tom P

    I’m sure a punch set can make a numbers matching block turn up! When it does it’ll be called a “survivor” too.

  6. Garry

    That cars been painted so many times we might already be looking at a VIN swap. Wouldn’t that be an interesting twist.

  7. Chesley

    I’m the guy who found this car and showed the owner of it now where it was located and helped him retrieve it, it’s in pretty rough shape.

  8. Dennis

    i have taken parts of that car about 25 years ago before it was all crushed up with rocks and half buried,the original 440 was blown and the nose cone was taken off years before she was dumped and about 5-6 yrs ago the nose cone got dumped in the water and buried,the owner that dumped the car took of the wing and put it on a super bee,I still have some of the parts kickin around she was only about 3-4 mins away from where I lived

  9. Nytro

    Restored?
    Laughable!
    A clone will be built from a ’68 Charger and this car’s VIN will be attached to it, which is a federal crime.
    There’s no viable purpose to take on this project other than someone wants their fifteen minutes.

  10. Ryan

    how the hell are you going to restore it in that condition? I think thats beyond restoration, id love to see it on the road again dont get me wrong but damn look at that thing

  11. Jackie Dooling

    My dad owned this car in 1972. He certainly has many stories about when this car was on the road and when it was taken away from Sugarloaf Hill. He blew the motor at 135 m/hr.

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