Big Willy Daytona

[262chargers]

There was a few old posts, but I didn't want to bump them, so heres a new one...
Its my understanding that Chrysler gave "Big Willy" a couple Daytonas to promote on the street?

The story behind this one is a guy named Gary French bought it out of Big Willy & Tomika's backyard.
Big Willy also had "The King Daytona", which as legend goes, he had acid dipped a few too many times, and he had "The Queen Daytona", which Tomika, his girlfriend raced.




Same car in this ad? The Hooker & the Milodon decal look about the same?


Anybody shed any light on this?

[Ghoste]

The one on the trailer is the backup car.  The one in the ad is probably the original King Daytona.  I had never heard any story before about Chrysler giving the cars to him.  Anything is possible but it seems a little suspect when you consider that Big Willie's notoriety came from the fact that he was the president of a group that did exactly what it says on the door of that car.  The "STREET" Racers of Los Angeles.

[tan top]

the story i heard and it is probably was mentioned in the last thread ,Big Willie had three DAYTONAS  2 were HEMI cars & one was a 440 the 440 DAYTONA is the only one left , the two HEMI cars were destroyed in the 70's, and i think the red DAYTONA in two lane black top is the DAYTONA in the picture on the trailer ,just painted another color

[262chargers]

This is one of his "wing cars"...

[hotrod98]

Seems like I remember reading that he towed the race car daytona with a similar looking daytona and that the tow car is the one that survived.
Might be wrong, my memory is lousy nowadays.

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

the 2 lane blktop daytona which was one of big willys also has the ford thunderbolt tear drop hood as well-MATT, so maybe that is the car, is that one a 4-spd?

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

also the one in 2 lane blktop had no rear bumper-MATT

[greenpigs]

  An article in a Mopar magazine years ago had an interview with "BIG' Willy and he said the Queen Daytona was destroyed in a race and stripped and given to a local farmer. The king daytona was messed up by his acid dipping as stated before. Then they used alot of the parts and made the current ride which I think is a 66 barracuda. He had a another Daytona that I think was a 440 car but was mostly stock and could be the car pictured but not the king daytona.I think he got a good deal on the Daytonas like dealer price but hardly free.
  If I ever made a Daytona clone it would be of the King Daytona!

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

the king daytona was a ev2 hemi orange 426 hemi w/ 4-spd and american racing 200s ,minus rear bumper,add teardrop hood scoop and speed stickers correct?-MATT

[greenpigs]

It was, but the HEMI was a stroker with a tunnel ram intake..a Pro stock motor of the day.

The other stuff is obvious.

[69_500]

If I'm not mistaken the Daytona in Two lane Blacktop is F6 green. Its been a while since I've watched the movie but I do know that is it for a fact Big Willies Daytona in the movie. It is the one that was acid dipped not too long after that and lost.

The 440 car is an interesting car in its own right. I saw that car about 2 years ago. when I went to look at a 440 4 speed Daytona that Gary was selling. I missed out on the car by a few hours. Another couple from Indiana got there before I did and puchsed the car on sight, about 2 hours before I got there. They were still there when i arrived but the deal had been struck.

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

no 69500 the car is most definitely ev2 hemi orange-MATT

[tan top]

watched 2 lane black top last night,the orange  daytona had modified rear wheel well openings & a tear drop hood scoop

[nascarxx29]

Its a orange .And the 440 daytona that was big willys car.That Gary F currently retains that tear drop hood

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

did anybody catch what rims were on the car in 2 lane blktop? in the ad they are american racing 200s like the main 55 chevy has-MATT

[69_500]

Never really paid that much attention to it, figured it would be set up identical to all the pictures of Big Willies cars.

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

definitely a mean looking daytona , would love to have the king if it were still around-MATT

[nascarxx29]

[69_500]

Who wouldn't want a HEMI Daytona?

[Blown70]

So did the KING daytona look like the one in the first post or was it painted different?

Does anyone have better shots of this car?

Thanks

Tom

[WilliesDaytona]

I am Gary French, the owner of Big Willies last existing Daytona, When I bought the car from Big Willie and Tomiko, Willie told me the car had never been raced, but the floor above the pinion snubber area has been BLOWN OUT and the X brace broken from the package tray, then rewelded and braced with a piece of 1/4 inch 2 inch wide bar stock, welded to the floor, I know as well as anyone who has had a high horsepower Mopar, that just doesn't happen with a basicly stock 440 and an automatic with a stock converter, I always figured Willie did the old switcharoo and installed one of the Kieth Black Built Hemis and clutchflite transmissions, the floor tells a story along with the fact the bolts that hold the brake pedal assembly in have some rounded edges and the plug for the clutch linkage has been removed and has witness marks of something rubbing in and out of it, then my thoughts were confirmed this weekend while I had the car at the Hot Rod Reunion, areal nice fellow told me he was in California from 1974 to 1979 and can remember my car runnning at Big Willies track from mid 74 to 78, he said it had a Pro Stock Style HEMI and a Clutchflite and was one of the fastest Street Style cars at the track, I asked him if he was positive about the years and he WAS POSITIVE, now let me add a couple more details The Queen Daytona was crashed in 1973, the King Daytona was acid dipped too much in late 1971  early 1972, Big willie told me Kieth BLack had freshened my 440 and put it back in my car around 1979 and it was parked after that, around this same time The Police Daytona ( 1966 Barracuda with Wing and NOSE) was built as thier all out race car ....

Was this car raced ?   I think so...

Does the car have the hood from the car in Two Lane Blacktop ?  Yes

Is it the King or Queen Daytona ? No,  it was called   Duke and Dutchess Daytona

Did Big Willie Run 200s or Torq Thrust ?  He used Magnesium Torq Thrust the ONLY time the car had 200s was for the photo shoot for American Racing

Is my car the car in Two Lane or The American Racing Wheel ad ?   NO, but I wish it was

[69_500]

Glad to see your posting on the site now.

Welcome, and looking forward to more post by you.

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

shit man thing is a beauty, can u take some close ups of the quarters and fenders of how the stickers are placed,and also did big willy give you any pics of the car back in the day or maybe of what the queen daytona looked like?, i dont think there are any existing photos floating around the net of the queen, can you help me out?-MATT

[WilliesDaytona]

I have a very large collection of Big Willie and Tomiko memorbilia, I have picture of all the cars during different stages, except for mine I have one magazine that has a Small picture of it back in its hay day... I would buy copies of any Personal picture of any BIG WILLIE CARS, anyone may have out there that maybe they took at some tracks, one of the coolest things I have is a Mopar Promo sheet with Big Wille poring Bleach under the Tires of The King Daytona and Tomiko is getting ready to do a burnout, doing the burnout and then getting Ready to Knock Dyno Dons head off at the Chrismas Tree..

[Brock Samson]

why should you need help since you can build a fiberglass daytona front clip in a weekend?.. 
be sure to post pics kid.