'Barn find' 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona doesn't run, but is worth a ton

This "barn find" was actually discovered under a shed, but that doesn't make it any less of a diamond in the rough.

A rusty, but very original 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona that has seen much better days may be seeing them again soon, as it's set to cross the block at the upcoming Mecum Auctions event Kissimmee, Fla., in January.

According to Mopar Muscle magazine, the big-winged muscle car was purchased earlier this year from its second owner, an Alabama man who bought it for $1,800 in 1974 and promptly had a set of flames painted on its front fenders to turn things up to 11 for a spring break trip to Panama City.

He kept it running up until four years ago, parking it under an open side shed for good after a minor accident flattened its pointy nose. (The auction photos were clearly staged in a different location after the sale.) Nevertheless, the red coupe has just 20,553 miles on its numbers-matching 440 Magnum V8, and features the rare combination of bucket seats and a console-mounted 3-speed automatic transmission.

Even in its current condition, the payday at the end of a restoration is potentially huge. Only 503 Charger Daytonas were ever built, and values for top examples with the 440 engine have cracked the $250,000 barrier in recent days, while models fitted with a 426/425 HEMI V8 are closing in on the $1 million mark.

Mecumâ€™s pre-auction estimate for the car is $150,000-$180,000. Not bad for something that cost $3,993 new and doesn't even run.

I think she got it in 1974. Don’t remember what year it was but think it was a ‘71. We sure put it through its paces. She got rid of it for an El Camino we nicknamed ‘Mutha”. Her dad used to buy them from customers who came in to trade cars and felt they were getting the shaft on trade in values.
I always thought she was one lucky girl since I couldn’t afford a car. lol

My brother purchased a 1968 Super Bee (same color as the one in your photo but without the snorkel scoop hood)) in San Francisco after returning from Vietnam. He really wanted a GTO or Bullet Mustang GT but the warranty would be voided even if you put bigger than stock tires on it. He soon had to report for duty at Ft. Rucker, Alabama and drove it back there

It was “equipped with a 383 HiPro and 4spd”, and as was the case in those days, it required a tune-up after he was getting much rubber in 4th gear. So he went to the local garage and got the new plugs, wires, and points for the 383 HiPro and home to install them. He pulled the fist plug and realized that it was different then what he just bought so he returned them the garage and the mechanic verified they were the right plugs for the 383. So he went tot he local Dodge dealer and they gave him the same parts. So he met wit the shop manager who took the VIN number to see what was going on.

About a week went by and my brother got a letter informing him that he had purchased 1 of 7 factory specialty cars that Dodge built with some modified 440 to dominate the street/weekend drags and that if he chose to race it Dodge would reimburse his expenses to maintain the car. He only raced twice and gave up because he would lose due to the factory tires always breaking loose while shifting.

Then, he got married, had kids and sold it in 74 because it was not practical for the family. He still has the letter and wonders how much that car would be worth today. From my experience it was the fastest thing I ever rode in my life and when he stomped on it would definitely slam you back into the seat

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