A Wing and a Prayer

[taxspeaker]

A Wing and a Prayer (Hint from Bob, there are 4 parts to this!)

Part One
I don't own a museum. This pretty-well sums it up for me-these rare old cars need to be driven. The Plymouth Superbirds and Dodge Daytona's were the wildest looking rolling, winged parts bins Detroit ever made and were so in-your-face ridiculous looking that many were hard to sell. However, Ma Mopar didn't make these cars to directly make a profit from their sale, but to make a profit indirectly from the residual sales.

You see, in 1969 Ford and Chrysler both believed that "if you won on Sunday" (meaning the Nascar races), you would sell on Monday. These were the cars that Chrysler needed to win on Sunday with a Teflon-like level of aerodynamics not seen again until nearly 50 years later with the Dodge Viper. These cars were so ahead of their time that they dominated Nascar for about 18 months, until various restrictions essentially made them obsolete at the Nascar level. These cars were the Muhammed Ali's of car racing, the Tiger Woods of car racing, the Babe Ruth's of car racing, and most similarly, the Kareem Abdul Jabbar's (Lew Alcindor to older folks) of car racing because they were so dominating that no one could compete with them. And just like the "no-dunk" rule change in college basketball caused by Mr. Jabbar's dominance, the racing organizations changed the rules so that the domination came to an end. Remember Icarus of ancient Greece who tried to fly to the sun? Well the winged cars got too close to the Nascar sun and fell back to earth after the rule changes. Over the next 10-15 years these cars were pushed aside, raced (and junked), wrecked and driven as daily drivers.

At some point in the very early 1980's real car nuts realized how rare these futuristic machines were (Chrysler made about 1,920 Superbird's in 1970 and about 500 Daytona's in 1969) and started to look for them, thus developing the original limited, but growing demand.  Mopar nuts were the first buyers-people that had always known about, and dreamed about, owning one of these winged wonders. Over time other car fans, museums and investors started to enter the market, slowly driving up prices so that by 2005 or so they were bringing incredible prices in the high five figure range.

And then out came the movies like Fast and Furious, Cars, Joe Dirt as well as the aging baby boomer. When the winged warriors began appearing in movies the timing coincided with the first wave of baby boomers looking to regain their youth or attain their dream car, and in the late 2000s prices skyrocketed into the 6-figure range. Although there have been a few dips since then, the consistent rapidly growing price trend for a 'Bird or Daytona has made them unobtainable for most people except for the wealthy or the ones that bought them years ago. By 2015 David Spade (he of Joe Dirt fame) paid $900,000 for a rare, 426-Hemi 4-speed Daytona, and price increases for the more common 'Birds and Daytona's still continue.

There are several reasons for the ongoing price increase. First and foremost, the rarity of the cars combined with their unique visual appeal continues to support demand. Second, the supply continues to dry up as museums and investors buy the cars and lock them away. Third, two new generations of car buyers are now familiar with the cars and when they reach the age where they have some disposable cash they will want them, and long-term investors realize this and look for the vehicles. Finally, an uncertain future US economy, burdened with an exploding debt load will inevitably succumb to inflation and again, prudent long-term investors are looking for alternative "hard assets" to invest their money in-what better place than the rarest, most identifiable American car ever made whose multi-generational demand will continue for the next fifty years.

End Part 1

[taxspeaker]

Part Two:

For the average American, this means the only time they will ever see one of these rare cars will be at an international car show or a museum. The chance of seeing one on the streets of America diminishes every day and, unless you are in a major city with a car museum or international car show you will never see one, except in YouTube and Twitter video feeds.

I don't own a museum, but I am a very lucky guy, not wealthy, but not poor, just solid middle class. But I have always been lucky in life, cars and a woman. In 1980 I was lucky enough to beat terminal Stage 4 lymphoma, in 2010 I was lucky enough to beat open-heart surgery, in 2012 I was lucky enough to beat multiple melanomas, and now I am lucky enough to have Prostate cancer that is treatable. I was lucky enough to marry an incredible woman over 40 years ago, and still have her with me today, and I am lucky enough to own a Superbird and a Daytona, but I don't own a museum.

In 2010 I bought an old Superbird that had been locked away in a museum forever. It looked good, but every mechanical thing you could imagine was bad, and over the next several years my son, myself, and a friend (Freeman Weaver) got that lifelong dream into dependable driving condition. I was lucky to get it for a song out of that museum because of a divorce (the seller's) and the poor condition of the car, so my cost was reasonable and my labor was free. By late 2013 I drove that Bird regularly everywhere in good weather and was greeted with throngs of kids, teenagers, adults and seniors wanting a picture with the car, or to hear or talk about the car or to ride in the car and I tried to oblige any reasonable request including the young couple at the Louisville Car Show who wanted their wedding pictures taken in the car. That's when the idea hit me-why not take it somewhere that had never seen a Superbird?

My son and I talked about it for a while, and he knew of my life-long desire to drive the Alaska Highway, and somewhere the idea for a quick jaunt up the Alaska Highway in the 'Bird came up. As the guy who used to always say "Hold my beer and watch this", common-sense has never been a strength of mine, but the idea coalesced into a plan, the plan into action, and the action into the drive. In June 2015, I drove that old Superbird, by myself with no one "chasing me" from Jeffersonville, Indiana to Whittier, Alaska, a 5,000-miles plus trip.

The trip saw a few breakdowns and a few "events", such as a 360-degree spin-out just outside of Whitehorse Yukon when a wild horse herd ran in front of me at 60 mph on the gravel Alaska Highway, a lost gas tank in Dawson Creek, BC, a 70mph gravel mountain pass with a tire in the middle of the road, and numerous minor mechanical incidents. Oh, and the lost oil pressure in the middle of nowhere while blessed with a satellite phone!

You know what I remember most though? I remember the people. Yes, the scenery was beyond description, the animals and pictures were incredible, the thousands of Go-Pro camera shots and videos continue to entertain us, but it was the people that stand out. The couple that chased me for 20 miles outside of Destruction Bay Yukon just waiting for me to stop so they could get a picture. The scantily-clad "ladies" in Skagway, Alaska who took dozens of pictures draped over, in and around the car. The couple that chased me from Fairbanks to Denali on a gravel road in a driving rainstorm through a forest fire (you can't make this stuff up!). The guys at Inland Chrysler in Dawson Creek, BC that came in after hours on a Friday night to help me with the gas tank issue, and then took hundreds of pictures of the car and asked permission to use it in TV ads. The guys in Saskatoon (Kelvin & friends) that met me for an impromptu car show. The 1st Nation family that had me in tears when they asked if their little boy could get in the car for a picture, and when he honked the beep-beep horn burst out laughing (He had Leukemia). But most of all the hundreds of passers-by waving, honking, taking pictures and engaging me in 30 minute conversations at every gas or rest stop (I was warned by Brennan!).
People need to see these cars. The Superbird is now being finished up in a complete concourse restoration at Magnum Restorations near Chicago. I will drive it some, but nothing like before, and I am afraid it will be treated very gingerly in the future. Which finally brings us to A Wing and a Prayer.

[taxspeaker]

Part 3

About a year ago, I started trying to duplicate my purchase feat on the Superbird by buying a beat-up, piece of crap Daytona on stilts in Texas. Luckily that fell through! I then tried to buy another one that had been totally restored after essentially rusting away to 4 rims, but I just didn't feel "right" about it. In early Fall, 2016 a gentleman contacted me and told me about his Daytona and asked if I would be interested in buying it-an unrestored (but repainted) numbers matching, 440, 4-speed. His price was high, but was fair considering where prices were. I sold one of my other long-term car restorations, borrowed on a life insurance policy, cashed out some savings bonds and drew a little bit out of my 401-k and bought the car. I think my wife bought into some of that "investment" crap in the earlier pages, but then again, she is a better investor than me, so she is probably planning on her future!

For the first time, I took that Daytona to a car show two weeks ago, the same Louisville car show where I took the 'Bird. The sponsors and judges don't like Mopars at that show, but the crowds go absolutely berserk. We were stuck in an out-of-the-way side wing with poor access, poor lighting, poor bathrooms and poor food choices, but people walked all the way around the basketball stadium to see the Daytona. The pictures, the smiles, the comments and the stories brought back the memories of the pleasure I had driving the 'Bird to Alaska. But the pinnacle of the show was when a Dad came by with his son in a wheelchair. He told me his son (about 10-12 years old) was unable to speak from recent brain surgery but that they had heard about the car and made a special trip out to the Exposition Center to see the car because it was his son's all-time favorite car and they didn't think he would ever get to really see one. They were then disappointed when it wasn't in the main exhibit hall.

This father had then pushed that wheelchair all the way over to this other, out of the way exhibit hall after he found out where the Daytona was. We talked for 15 minutes and he snapped several pictures before slowly walking away pushing his son's wheel chair. My brain kicked in about 3 minutes later and I chased them down through the crowds. He was easy to spot as the only 6'6" Dad pushing a wheelchair. When I got in front of him I turned around and said he needed to come back to the car. When we got back I told his Dad that we (myself and my friend Mike who was working the show with me) would do whatever we needed to do to put his son in the driver's seat of the car and start the car so we could get a picture of him and his son in the car. You don't expect to see a 6'6" guy with tears rolling down his cheeks, accompanied by two big grizzled old hard cases like me and Mike doing the same, but that's when the next idea came and here it comes.

[taxspeaker]

Part 4-Final

This Daytona was delivered to King Dodge in Portland, Oregon on August 29, 1969. It was made to be driven at Daytona in Florida, so that's what I am going to do. God and doctors willing, in late June, 2017 I am going to haul the Daytona to Portland, Oregon in my trailer and then drive it on the back roads to Daytona Beach, Florida. The first stop will be in West Pasco, Washington where the first owner lived, and near where his son lives now. I will then meander through Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado back roads, heading down to cross US Hwy 36 in northern Kansas and Missouri, avoiding interstate highways and driving no more than a few hundred miles each day.

Along the way, I hope to show up at a few obscure car shows, see some friends, family and Mopar owners and most of all let the car be the star of the trip. Sometime in mid-July I will get to Daytona Beach, snap some pictures and head home. You see, this wing, along with a prayer for safe passage, is going to Daytona.

So, you guys, whose opinions I value greatly and whose advice I might take, let 'er rip. You don't need to tell me not to do it, or that the car is too valuable to do the trip because I won't listen. Frankly, I would rather see that little boy in a wheelchair's smiles than have the money I spent on the car, because I want to see the smiles again.

Sorry for the long story or if it seems too egotistical-it's about what's happening to these cars, not their drivers

Bob J
Taxspeaker

[RealWing]

Good for you. Go for it

[Q5XX29]

What a great read. You have a great perspective, and I congratulate you on your success, in so many ways. Thank you for posting, and be sure to update us with your new adventures!

[Dave Kanofsky]

Good on you for making that boy and his dad's day brighter!

And this trip sounds a lot safer than the South American journey you had previously proposed, or is that still on that table also?

Either way, safe travels!

[tan top]

thanks for sharing the story !!  great stuff   

[Bob]

Awesome story, adventure and a act of Godly kindness. 

[taxspeaker]

Here are 3 pictures from that car show that it has been suggested I post. Some professional photographer wanted my permission to take pictures of some models and I said ok as long as we got a few copies. I apologize-1 of the pictures doesn't have the Daytona in it, but has my 65 in it-not that any of you guys would actually notice the car!

And Dave, the South America trip was nixed by the majority votes of my wife and kids!

[Ryan.C]

Great story 

I will never forget my first ride in a legit Daytona!

[Stevetona]

Nice article. And smart family! I wouldn't drive an old KIA through the back roads of Mexico let alone a car worth 6 figures. The corrupt cops and the cartel would be jumping over each other for a car like that.  

[birdsandbees]

Hey Bob.. you got a better shot of the giant gal!!   

Great story.. don't take your car to Mexico !!

Just keep jumping those hurdles... I can certainly understand and appreciate your quest! 

[SBBob]

Great, great, great story - LOVED it.  I too believe that they are meant to DRIVE!  In 1999 I took the ride of my life.  5 friends with their areo cars and my self drove from Seattle to the aero car reunion in Alabama.  Every where we stopped was a car show.  I was chastised for driving my car there, but responded by say that I had the most fun getting there and would be having the most fun going home

[farm966]

Taxspeaker, if you are going to Daytona, let me know when you will be there and if you plan on cutting through Ocala to get there. I live in Ocala, it is about an hour and 15 minutes west of Daytona, I would love to see the car. If you are going to be in Daytona over a weekend I would love to get a picture of my 'bird clone next to a Daytona, if schedules align of course. Great story, thanks.

David

[taxspeaker]

Bob-great pictures, thanks. We talked several years ago and you told me how much you drove your bird-probably a world record for mileage on a Superbird!
As trip gets closer I will repost to this thread to try to set up some meetings across the US. Only required stops are Portland Or, West Pasco Wa, The King's shop on North Carolina and Daytona Florida.

Thanks
Bob J

[41husk]

Great story.  I would love to see the car if you come close to the StLouis area.

[taxspeaker]

Over the weekend we decided to get into fixing several of the minor electrical gremlins that are always in these cars. My dealership days in the early 70's were often the electrical trouble shooter, so this doesn't phase me. I pulled the bucket seats and crawled up under the dash to do 3 things: pull the radio and send it out for repair; pull the clock/tach and see if I can fix it or if not send it out as well; and trace down why the dash reverse indicator would not work.

So here is the fat 60+ year old guy laying on the floor reaching up into that wiring maze, and I find a piece of paper folded up and stuffed into the 1" wide lip at the bottom of the dash under the headlight switch's left side. I did not think too much about it and set it aside while I continued to work.

When I got out from under the dash I decided to look at the old piece of paper. To my shock it was a very legible April, 1970 speeding ticket from Lincoln City Oregon, near where this Daytona had been delivered! I could even read the name and address of the guy that got the ticket. When we talked to the son of who (we though) was the original owner he was never real clear about it and we got 1 story that he bought it new, and another story that he bought it in 1971 or 1972 from the original owner who could not afford the insurance.

My friend and fellow employee Matt Johnson must have been a detective in another life, because he said we were going to find out about this and he took it upon himself yesterday and today to trace it down. Today, we talked to the guy, yes that guy, whose name was on the ticket, who bought the car new, and who sold it to the guy (and he knew his name) that we mistakenly thought was the original owner. During the 12-18 months he owned it he got 4-6 speeding tickets, drag raced it at the dragstrip that is still in operation today, and used it to haul surfboards to the beach where he lived! His insurance got cancelled after the last ticket and he sold the car directly to the (now 2nd) owner!

The guy that bought it new bought the car while still on a Navy ship, so he bought it jointly with his sister. The guy's brain is fried, as his sister told us, from 40 years of drugs, but his sister was a wealth of information, and is going to send us pictures of her and her brother with the car in 1970, and if she can find it, with the surfboards sticking out the side windows! She literally screamed with excitement when we told her we owned the Daytona.

So now the trip plans may be modified a bit. Go see her and her wacked out brother first in Sparks, NV for pictures, then go to Pasco, Wa for the son of the 2nd owner pictures, then go to New York for the 3rd owner pictures, then to Daytona. I am afraid a health setback may delay my plans a bit, but still on the schedule for July 1!

It goes to show you, no one found this ticket in nearly 50 years of ownership, operation, repairing, driving and even repainting-search every corner of these cars for information.

Since I am on a caffeine buzz, I may as well tell the story about what I found in my Superbird shortly after I got it years ago. I had it in my garage, getting ready to work on  some wiring (what is it about wiring on these cars?), and pulled the drivers seat. I then went around and pulled the passenger seat and when I set it on the floor I heard something fall out from under the seat, which I just assumed was an old screwdriver or something. About 2 hours later I moved the seat and laying on the floor was one of those black velvet jewelry boxes.

If there could have been a drum roll I waited for it, and finally opened the box. Inside the box was the biggest diamond ring (true story!) I had ever seen, a Rolex watchband and if I remember right another small ring. My shop at the time was in a bad area, it was nighttime, the bay door was open and the lights were on and I was sitting there holding a diamond ring as big as a nickel. That garage door went down quicker than hot pepper salsa through a 70 year old colon!

I called my wife and she immediately heard my voice and knew something was up. I told her to call our friend the jewelry guy and his appraiser wife, because I was coming home with a surprise. When I got home I showed her the box and asked her to go over to the jeweler's house and get his wife to appraise the ring. It might pay for a vacation, or heck maybe the bird, or maybe even retirement! I waited by the phone while she ran over to her friend's with the box, with visions of immense wealth in my head. Maybe I would be on one of those  "I won the lottery"s shows and blow it all on a new house and 5 Mopars!

About 20 minutes later Jean (my wife) called and asked if I was sitting down. Oh the excitement, the dreams, yes the wildest hopes. I told her I was ready and she put her friend on the phone. Her friend said 2 words that took me to an even higher level of excitement-these must be some super-rare diamond I had never heard about-something called cubic zirconium. Man, even the name sound expensive. At this point I knew I was buying a 70 Hemi R/T 4-speed Charger before I did anything else. I then asked him those most important words-what was a 2 carat cubic zirconium worth and could he immediately write Jean a receipt and put it in the safe.

His laughter started as a low chuckle which quickly rose to a deep, foghorn-like belly laugh. Finally he calmed down and I repeated, what's it worth. He said I will give you $10 for the box. If you don't get it, cubic zirconium is a fake diamond, just like the fake Rolex band and the fake other ring. I told him he didn't need to put it in the safe then.

Bob

[birdsandbees]

Keep havin fun Bob !!   

[Dave Kanofsky]

Great stories, thanks for sharing.
Always amazing to find a clue like that ticket and be able to hunt down the original owner!

[70 sublime]

Better question

How much over the speed limit was the ticket for ?

[taxspeaker]

That ticket was for 75 in a 50

The lady I thought was his sister was his ex-wife who bought it jointly with him new. They ordered a plum crazy 440-6 challenger which was sold out from under him, so when they went to the dealership the Daytona was still wrapped up(I'm not sure what that means) and they bought it. For the guys involved with the new car sales, were Daytona's wrapped in cellophane or some other kind of wrapper for cross country shipping? The car went over the Rockies and Cascades to Oregon from Michigan. If I talk with her again I will ask what she meant-I didn't think about it until we went over the phone notes this morning.

[70 sublime]

Would not a 69 Daytona been sitting around for a while before a 70 Challenger could have shown up ?

[Mopar John]

Bob,
Great story!
I feel that finding original/previous owner info is important.
MJ

[held1823]

it was done by the dealership, but dad always talked about a green daytona from nashville, tennessee being wrapped in paper to "hide" it until some event at the lot.