1986 Dodge Daytona hatchback, 98K orig miles. Comes with large parts stash.

1986 Dodge Daytona

It’s unfortunately time to let go of our beloved 1986 Dodge Daytona. I bought the car in October 2011 while TDY in Virginia and had it shipped to our home in Texas. It had 44,100 original miles at the time and ran, but was a rather neglected basket case. I bought the car to fix up for my wife, as it’s a virtual clone of the car she had in the early 1990s when we were dating. Now that we’re retired and back in Texas, our priorities have changed…and so have our house and garage, which are both much smaller.

After buying the car I soon got it going – and going well. It became my defacto daily driver, and has served me well for years. I never got the paint done as planned, so my wife really never took to it like she did her old one. I drove the car all over the country and it has never left me stranded. It lived with us in West Texas, Tucson, metro St. Louis, and is now back in Texas. As such, the car’s never really seen snow or salt (it was stored winters when we lived in St. Louis), and the body is very straight and rot-free.

Today the car has 98,233 miles and seems just broken in. No leaks or drips, no excess oil consumption, etc. There’s barely a system on the car I haven’t touched in the past 12 years. I did an R134a conversion (with all new parts) years ago and the A/C works just fine (for those of you who have done R-12 to R134a conversions, you know it’s not as cold/efficient…but it’s better than baking). The engine and trans have always received regular service, and a few years ago I took it off the road for six months for major work, including a complete steering and suspension rebuild, engine service (timing belt, balance shaft chain, and complete re-seal), complete brake service, transmission service, new half-shafts, and more. I’ve kept a very detailed maintenance log and any buyer can see that virtually every part of the car has been addressed.

The car is equipped with the 2.5L four-cylinder and the A413 3-speed automatic. The 2.5 was rated at 100HP (but by now I’m pretty sure some of those horses have left the stable). The drivetrain is in top-notch condition nonetheless. It also has the factory sunroof option, complete with the hard-to-find storage bag. Tires have less than 3,000 miles on them. Interior is nicer than you’d expect, with no dash cracks. The car was in a storage locker in St. Louis from December of 2022 until a few weeks ago, when I drove it down here (again, without issue). It has a smallish 14-gallon gas tank, but typically delivers 300 miles per fill-up. And while the pictures show steel wheels with Wal-Mart wheel covers, the original 18-spoke alloy wheels are included (I was going to have them refurbished, but never did). Very rare Mopar rear window louvers are also included (they are faded and could use refurbishment). And yes, I have the hood ornament.

I could go on and on and on, but let me mention a few of the car’s issues (which are all minor). The right rear quarter bodyside molding is gone (I have an NOS replacement in a different color). The driver’s side door lower weatherstripping (on the body, not the door) is broken and missing pieces. Part of the right-side rubber windshield molding is crispy-crittered (don’t know why the left side is still good). The trip odometer sticks when rolling over from two to three digits. The window tint looks like it was done by a child. The car was repainted in the 1990s, but since then almost all the clear coat has departed the planet…so the original Garnet Red metallic paint is now matte. A couple of the speakers (there are six) need replacement…I replaced them all in 2011, but it’s once again time. Finally, the body has a small dent near the side molding behind the passenger’s door. I actually saw that one happen. As I was leaving the base exchange at Davis-Monthan AFB, a careless shopper simply released her cart in the parking lot on a very windy day. Of course it headed straight for the Daytona, and despite a pretty decent 75-meter sprint, I was too late to catch it…or to see the woman drive off!

This is simply a really great car that you seldom see anymore. It can be restored or driven…or both.So what’s the catch?

There is a catch…and it’s a big one. For much of my adult life I’ve been into the 1980s front-wheel-drive Chryslers. I’ve had various minivans, a Shadow, a Sundance, a couple of K-cars, and a stunning 1986 Chrysler Laser. As a result, I have accumulated boxes and boxes (and boxes) of parts. As many know, there is a great deal of parts commonality with the 80s Chryslers, so the piles have grown for a long time. And that’s the catch.

Since this is my last mini-Mopar, I need all the parts to go with this car. Most enthusiasts would say “cool;” however, I understand this may be an impediment for some folks. I am just not willing to sell hundreds of parts on a piecemeal basis, so this has to be a package deal. As I previously stated, our new house is one-third the size of our home in St. Louis, and the garage and driveway are half the size. We have to have the space, so all of this stuff has to go. How much is there? Hard to say at present, but it looks like at least 8-10 large boxes full. Someone will definitely need a pickup or a minivan with the seats removed to load all this stuff. Parts include everything from tune-up and maintenance items to body and interior parts to brakes, struts, etc. The vast majority of parts are brand new. I spent the last few days cataloguing all the parts and ended up with an almost six-page MS Word spreadsheet. I’m happy to send that to anyone separately…just send me a message. Please-please-please…if you’re not willing or able to take all the parts with the car, let this one go.

In summary, it’s a great car we’ve owned and loved for almost 12 years. Hate to let it go, but need the space. You can drive it anywhere. All the parts have to go with the car. Obviously, it’s being sold as-is without warranty. If you’re in South Texas I welcome you to check it out on your own – or have a mechanic do so. It just passed its TX safety inspection last week with flying colors.

Car and parts must be picked up in Corpus Christi, TX. If you ship, I can assist your selected shipper, but I won’t ship or deliver myself.

Price? I’m opening the bidding at $2700.00 for the whole package. We’ll see if there are any bites and go from there, I guess. I think it’s worth more than that, of course, but our preference is for the car to go to a good home where it will be loved and cared for as we have done. In this day and age, most would agree that a running, driving car is worth at least that amount.

Cash or bank check only, please. I'd like a $250.00 deposit via PayPal within 24 hours of the auction's end. I'd also like it all gone within a week, but I'll work with any buyer.

Contact me anytime with questions. I am also advertising the car in my local area and reserve the right to end the auction if I sell it outside this forum. Thanks for reading!

• Make: Dodge
• Model: Daytona
• Type: Hatchback
• Doors: 2
• Year: 1986
• Mileage: 98233
• VIN: 1B3BA44K8GG264286
• Color: Red
• Engine size: 2.5L SOHC TBI 4-cyl
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Transmission: Automatic
• Interior color: Red
• Drive side: Left-Hand Drive
• Vehicle Title: Clean
Want to buy? Contact seller!