1985 Daytona Turbo Z - Looking for Input

[KManiac]

A family friend is looking to sell their Daytona Turbo Z. This one is fully loaded with leather, power goodies, computer voice, etc. It has been in their family since new, belonging first to the Grandmother. When the car was about four years old, the original owner's son drove it through a Cyclone fence. The insurance company deemed it "Totaled". He tried to fix it himself and failed. Ownership passed to original owner's daughter and son-in-law. They replace a bent K-member, had the car professionally repainted by going to bare metal and working up (black) and installed new tires. Unfortunately, they never finished installing the outside mirrors, which are in the trunk. This slightly unfinished project has been sitting unregistered and undriven for the last 16 years, either in a garage or wrapped under a car cover. It has 41,000 original miles on the 2.2 -turbo. It starts and runs great. I am thinking of taking it off their hads and finishing this myself.

Anyone out there with experience with this year and model? What are the good points and what are the weak points. Any input would be appreciated.

[GOLIATHGMC]

Having owned an '86 C/S Daytona for 15 years now, I think I qualify for a bit of info. Perhaps a bit of history is a good place to start.
Daytona models began in 1984, but they took a giant leap forward technologically in '85. The good news is that the underpinnings of that car are very similar to many other Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth models of the era ('84-'90), and parts are plentiful and inexpensive. The '85 you have there is the first generation of that body ('84-'86), and my personal favorite. There were 3 basic trim levels; Daytona (non turbo), Daytona Turbo, and Daytona Turbo Z. The "Z" was by far the sharpest looking, and the best performer. My car is also a "C/S" (Shelby) which was an add-on to the "Z" package.
High points are that this car is a blast to drive, agile, powerful, and can easily see above 30 mpg. Most replacement parts are cheap and plentiful, and the car is easy to wrench on. They are also rare, so there is a nice "uniqueness" factor.
Lows are mostly things that were changed by the factory in later years (and you can easily convert to the later equip). You dont mention what trans it has, but the stock 5 spd A-525 was best swapped out with a later A-555 if you modified for higher HP. No intercooler was available with this generation (called "Turbo 1" engine), but the factory Turbo 2 intercooler setup from later cars can be installed. Later cars also came with 4 wheel disc brakes. Mopar Performance also has plenty of Mod parts for these cars, and there is plenty of other info out there.
I could go on forever, because I love this car and I will have it forever. If you have any other specifics you want to know about, please feel free to ask or email me at [email protected]. Good Luck!
George
REBEL Motorsports

[motorhead1963]

I purchased a 1985 turbo-z in 1990.I still own it,but has been garaged for last couple years,charging problems I need to work on.The engine has 175000 miles on it but still runs great.Weak link probably the transmission,broke spider gears once and tore up a bearing and shaft on another occasion on original trans,replaced for about $200 with used tranny.The performance does not compare to 16 valve turbo engines(srt4 much stronger)but still a good performer.A limited slip diff.would make huge difference on a daytona.These cars very rare in my area(southern va)I hope to repaint mine,put some 17's on it and let my son drive it to high school in about 3 years.Mine has manual windows,locks etc.mid 80's turbo dodges sometimes have a surge when idling in 1st/2nd gear at low speed,even when new,making for a jerky ride once in a while(quite a few warranty problems concerning this Im sure)If you can get this car pretty cheap jump on it,maybe one day you can switch it over to rear wheel drive with a 360 like Ive seen done(sure cant be easy,but Id love to drive it)good luck

[TurboDuck]

Hey Kmaniac, if you decide not to buy it, let me know. I love that year TurboZ car. The only ones I like (marginally) better is the '92-'93 years.

[vamc]

Had an 86 turbo z some time ago, maybe i can help.