Buy 1984 Dodge Daytona Turbo for $1,000

[AngelesRunner]

So a chance to buy a 1984 Dodge Daytona Turbo with 110,000 miles for $1,000. Looks like the URL below but with wheels that don't match. They look sort of like the 2nd URL. Very new tires and smoke from the exhaust that caused it to be trailered back from an interstate trip. Starts and runs but smokes.

http://www.turbododge.com/forums/att..._6240657_n.jpg

http://www.conceptcarz.com/images/Ch..._Image-001.jpg

As far as I can tell, the interior is leather. 5 speed stick.

For those with older T1 turbo experience, Daytona experience, what are the pitfalls to look for and ask about? Does this sound like a reasonable deal?

I have Spirits and Acclaims and Horizons and a Caravan and a not running 89 Turbo Voyager. I'm good for suspension and brakes and head gaskets/valve jobs on 2.2, 2.5 and the 3.0 V6. I know that the 84 model was sort of a one off in that a bunch of things changed for 85-86 and the car changed in 87.

[bigbarneycars]

If it runs and you can't see the ground thru' the floor boards it worth 1K. My .02

[AngelesRunner]

I could look underneath because it was on a trailer and the undercarriage is red/brown from ordinary dirt but it is not rusted. The paint would need polishing compound and then wash and heavy paste wax and it would be entirely satisfactory for a daily driver.

What about the transmission? Supposed to be a 525. Any worries there? ALL of my previous Chry/Dodge/Ply vehicles were/are A413 or the V6 equivalent and I thought the automatics were the only survivors.

[Dr. Johny Dodge]

one year only electrical system
one year onlyboost control system
one year only seats

early 84's had a cam follower issue cured with a service bullitin and diff followers

4 bolt wheels even on turbo cars

low volume oil pump 84/5

I don't think the hoods interchange there's a latch placment issue somewhere between 84 and 86

heater box maybe diff from all others if heat only - heat only cars , the heater core can be changed from under the dash with out ripping the dash out
- heater tubes in the partilar cars are even in a diff place in the firewall than all others

genuinely a one year only car with it's own list of potential challenges

having owned a couple of 86's and having friends who owned the 84 & 85 models , all I can say is the 6's got a lot of things sorted out that really needed it - the dendabality of the 4's an 5's was much lower

myself , I wouldn't have even stoped to read the add for an 84

[djd's turbo]

I've got an 84 with 179k miles on it. Looks like the first picture but silver instead of the rust color. Needs work but I sure love it. Need to get some $ together to get it worked on. Has the checkerboard interior that I understand can't be found anywhere. Will be a challenge!

[1991SpiritES]

one year only electrical system
one year onlyboost control system
one year only seats

early 84's had a cam follower issue cured with a service bullitin and diff followers

4 bolt wheels even on turbo cars

low volume oil pump 84/5

I don't think the hoods interchange there's a latch placment issue somewhere between 84 and 86

heater box maybe diff from all others if heat only - heat only cars , the heater core can be changed from under the dash with out ripping the dash out
- heater tubes in the partilar cars are even in a diff place in the firewall than all others

genuinely a one year only car with it's own list of potential challenges

having owned a couple of 86's and having friends who owned the 84 & 85 models , all I can say is the 6's got a lot of things sorted out that really needed it - the dendabality of the 4's an 5's was much lower

myself , I wouldn't have even stoped to read the add for an 84

Yup 84's have a lot of 1 year only things. They are harder to upgrade performance wise. I learned this from experience. My 1st Turbo car was an 84 Chrysler Laser XE.

[AngelesRunner]

Would the 525 manual take the torque from an 89 2.5 T1 out of the Turbo Voyager? I was going to do a complete 89 Turbo Voyager 2.5 T1 A413 automatic swap into my 89 Horizon with automatic. Should I just do that and give up on the Daytona? Everything I have is daily driver but I want a turbo car really badly. The 89 Horizon has 89 Spirit ventilated front brakes and 220mm rear drums like SLH1 but with stock size 54mm calipers from the Spirit. The Horizon is also changed to 5 lug GLH knuckles with the same larger bearings used on Shadows and Spirits.

I like to buy cheap low mileage cars with a fatal injury and then fix them up to drive cheaply. I.E. Water pump on a 3.0 V6 that causes the car to be sold when I can replace everything! for $500 and then drive it for another 60,000 miles. Did one 93 Spirit for older son (now a US Navy Ensign) and now have another 93 Spirit for youngest son for $600 (waiting for spring weather).

Should I just go with what I have and do an 89 Turbo Voyager automatic to 89 Horizon Automatic transplant?

$1,000 for an 84 Daytona with $110,000 miles then how much more to make it run well?

[mopar-tech]

Would the 525 manual take the torque from an 89 2.5 T1 out of the Turbo Voyager?

Only if you drove around like grandmom.

Lifespan with a 525 behind a healthy 2.5 is a handful of minutes. I know as I broke a fresh one on the Summit Point roadcourse in my Daytona.

[tryingbe]

So a chance to buy a 1984 Dodge Daytona Turbo with 110,000 miles for $1,000.

Avoid 1984 at all cost, even free.

If the reasons Dr. Johny Dodge gave isn't good enough, here are more.

Modifications? Forget it.
Tune? Forget it, unless you want to buy parts car and swap all electronics over
Replacement 1 year only part? Forget it.
Finding guides and how to for 1 year only car? Forget it?

[mopar-tech]

Avoid 1984 at all cost, even free.

If it was in nice shape I'd not go that far. I would replace the 4 lug stuff with 5 lug and yank out the wiring and replace with SMEC.

Clean cars that are not rot buckets are hard to find, I'd rather do a few upgrades then rust repair.

[tryingbe]

Clean cars that are not rot buckets are hard to find, I'd rather do a few upgrades then rust repair.

Not this part of the country.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/5317767062.html
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/5352843776.html
http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/5365503438.html

[mopar-tech]

Here in the North East they are all GONE.

Rot buckets from stem to stern almost without exception. You could look for months before finding a car that isn't "too bad"

One reason that I shipped a '67 Dart from the west cost to CT. FAR cheaper to ship a clean car than try and make a crusty car rust free.

[tryingbe]

FAR cheaper to ship a clean car than try and make a crusty car rust free.

I absolutely agree.

[AngelesRunner]

Yeah! Between ages 16 and 18 I determined that I hated bodywork trying to keep family Fiats (B4 they abandoned the USA) from rusting away in New Orleans humidity. Sometimes I thought they were rusting faster than I was fixing. Was better with heavier GM iron, after we all dumped the Fiats, but I still HATED bodywork.

I started to think last night that if I were going to do a swap it would be turbo Voyager into Horizon. None of the kids want such an old car and I now much prefer the upright seating position in Acclaims and the Horizon to sitting on my spine.

This 84 Daytona is not rusty at all but one of my rules is "Don't buy a car model in the 1st three years it is out." and this is a 32 year old example of the 1st year that a car model was produced.

The reason that 57 Chevys were so good and that there are so many of them is that the 58 (intended for 57) was such a POS that they couldn't get developed and produced on time and had to build the 56 Chevy for an additional year. By that time they had the bugs worked out and many of the 57's were produced with the 283 engine.

Thanks everyone for talking me out of an emotional purchase. The 89 Horizon is already converted to 5 lug w/GLH knuckles and Spirit vented front discs w/220mm rear drums and KYB all around.

[mopar-tech]

This 84 Daytona is not rusty at all but one of my rules is "Don't buy a car model in the 1st three years it is out." and this is a 32 year old example of the 1st year that a car model was produced.

Well if its a 32 year old car then first year shortcomings are well known at this point. You are buying a car based on the fact it needs a minimum of body work. The other stuff is all detail and in the big picture rather meaningless in my book.

Find a rotted Daytona Shelby, drop out the drivetrain, k-member, harness, struts and rear control arm and attach to a clean '84 body.

If it takes you longer than a couple of weeks... you be slacking.

[cordes]

Weren't the strut mounts different up top in 84 too?

[mopar-tech]

Weren't the strut mounts different up top in 84 too?

84-86 interchange.

[Dr. Johny Dodge]

one ting to note if anyone was thinking of swaping the engine harness in an 84 to run the newer computers

you GOTTA change every single stinkin wire in the car

engine harness is diff
dash harness is diff
door harness is diff
rear body harness is diff .. at least the plugs will be

the way the dash and door harness' connect is compleately different from any 85 and up car

I learned this the hard way when I tryed years ago to swap in an 84 door harness because it was for full power options

ha ha .. not gonna happen
- that one was a long day