[ Closed ] 1988 Dodge Daytona 2.2L Turbo Ricky Schroder(!) Star Car {SOLD!}

Let's make a long post tedious...

We were prepping to race the 2023 High Plains Drifter 24 hour event. Our team was ready. Our plans were finalized. Our car... wasn't running. So, a week before the race we found and purchased one of the finest examples of 1980's motoring; the 1988 Dodge Daytona Ricky Schroder car. The Daytona was so good, that Car & Driver Magazine declared "They've done it: the G24 is so hot it will scorch your throttle foot. This new sport coupe is the first bona-fide all-American front-wheel-drive muscle car." - Car & Driver July 1983

We were so pumped to have this bona-fide American muscle car in our possession. We prepped the car in the week leading up to the race and headed to the track, where we spent all of Friday and most of Saturday morning doing our final prep (i.e. fixing stupid stuff and swearing a lot).

Let's just say that we were pretty confident that a Class C win was already in the bag. Which, as they say is why they play the games. The race started great! 3rd place in class after a handful of laps. A brief full course caution allowed our hot-shoe driver some respite before he took off like Dan Gurney in a GT40. All was well. And then it wasn't. The temperature gauge pegged. Our driver pulled into the pits, where we noticed a coolant leak.

After a 60 minute parts run to find whatever coolant hose would fit and a few minutes installing said coolant hose, we were ready to get back on track to DOMINATE! But our FWD muscle car had a different idea. Our next driver was trying to fire it up. With every rotation of the engine more and more water was puking out the tailpipe. Day over. Race over. We managed about 45 minutes of track time (12 laps), but managed NOT TO FINISH IN LAST PLACE! Pride secured.

We also managed a "We Got Screwed" Honorable Mention and about 10 seconds of video in the HPD wrap up video (starting at the 7:10 mark).

So now, we have two race cars. One runs (this one). The other doesn't (but it will). Our wives say we don't need two race cars. Our HOA and angry neighbors seem to agree. (Trust us, we're not bringing down the values as much as some of our neighbors). But, I digress.

Our loss is, well, probably your loss too. But at least you can tell your friends about the awesome race car you just bought.

Now, on to the actual car details...

This "beautiful" 1988 Dodge Daytona 2.2L was built for the Dodge International Star Challenge (DISC) that ran during the years 1988-1989. The DISC featured well known B-level celebrities like Ted Nugent, "the drummer from Ratt" (I'm sure he has a name), and the heartthrob of all 80's stars RICKY SCHRODER! 

This vehicle was removed from the production line with 15 other Daytonas sporting sequential serial numbers. These vehicles were then sent to Koffel's Place in Walled Lake, MI for final preparation.

This Dodge Daytona has the venerable (powerful? reliable?) 2.2 liter Turbocharged and Intercooled engine with Koffel's special head treatment, race exhaust system (no Cat), and electronics. The front suspension includes fully adjustable coil overs with camber adjustment plates for accurate and quick suspension adjustments and a tubular front strut tower brace. The rear suspension includes Koni shocks and stock(?) springs The factory brakes were replaced with 4 piston Wilwood calipers with large front and rear rotors and a manual brake proportioning valve. Other modifications include a fully welded roll cage, 15 gallon fuel cell, Konig driving seat, brake cooling air ducts, on board fire system, window net, and body and chassis reinforcements. The vehicle battery was moved to the rear trunk/hatch area.

Some additional modifications have been made throughout the years. The original intercooler was replaced with a JDM air-to-air unit and a large Griffin aluminum radiator was installed. The original cylinder head was found to be cracked (see our sob story above). It was replaced with a rebuilt head from Steven at Turbo Dodge Parts. The original modified head will be included in the sale. The original turbocharger oil and coolant lines have been replaced with stainless braided units. The front brake pads were recently replaced with Hawk DTC-60 units that only have an hour-and-a-half of track time on them. The factory 15" wheels were replaced with 17" Enkei units shod with Dunlop Direzza tires measuring 245/40R17. These tires have one or two more races left in them. The stock interior was completely removed, with the exception of the dash and gauge cluster. The car was most recently used in a 24 Hour Lemons race at High Plains Raceway and has been set up with additional front, roof, and door lighting as required by Lemons night race rules.

The provenance and racing history of the vehicle are largely unknown (no log books). There is little information available on the Dodge International Star Challenge. We know that the vehicles were driven by (then famous) rock and movie stars. This particular vehicle was driven by Ricky Schroder of "Silver Spoons" fame. The DISC vehicles and events were sponsored by Hardees and MADD. The races were contested in 1988 and 1989 as support events at IMSA races. Our understanding is the races were 15-30 minutes in length.

The coachwork looks to be factory original; handmade by robots. All body panels are in good shape with no racing damage. The vehicle was not stored in a garage for most of its life and shows sun damage to the original sponsor decals as well as faded, cracked, and missing paint. This car will not win the Concours d'Elegance, but would likely compete well in Concours d'Lemons. Additionally, the racing harness and fire bottle have 2023 expiration dates.

This vehicle is sold with a Colorado tile. It is intended for track use only, but could (in theory) be licensed for street use (HVAC and door windows are for suckers). The vehicle passes race and light tech and could be used in series other than Lemons.

Spare parts include: one new half-shaft, the original cylinder head, a window net, and a two volume Dodge factory repair manual set. 

All of this for a measly $6,000 (OBO)! If you pay in all nickels, we'll knock $500 off the price (but you'll have to sit there and count them with us)...

Tons of photos here: https://www.racingjunk.com/24-hours-of- … car.html#2

Don't miss your chance to own a piece of Dodge history that is rarer than a McLaren Senna or Ferrari SF90!