I entered the Mopar Nats judged show competition," says New York state trooper and wing car aficionado John Antonelli, "because there aren't many Mopar-only shows nearby that have judging. I looked forward to having the opportunity to have judges tell me areas I could improve, so that I could do so as time and money allowed in the future."
Like many Mopar enthusiast restorers, John believes that enjoyment of one's favorite classic automobile is a two-pronged endeavor. While setting these venerable beasts loose on the street is always a vicarious thrill, the quest for knowledge and the inherent competitiveness of pitting one's own handiwork against that of another is also a significant attraction to the judged showfield. Judged showing being a means to an end was what set John and his Daytona on the road to Columbus last year, and his experience validates the premise that show competition can be one of the most valuable and cost effective ways to perfect your Mopar restoration.
"I have always thought wing cars were the ultimate musclecar-era Mopar," says John. "As far back as Jr. High School I remember being interested in Daytonas and Superbirds and their NASCAR racing past. I've liked the Charger body style the most. I was determined to find a specific Daytona that had the options I was looking for (four-speed, power steering, power brakes) because I wasn't in a rush. I came close to buying other Daytonas, but it always came back to finding the best car I could to start with. This is always more cost effective in the long run than restoring a basket case."
For five years John diligently searched for his dream car. Many were looked at across the country, but when a fellow wing car club member decided to loosen his grip on this particular F6 model, John jumped at the opportunity.
The Daytona had already benefited from an earlier restoration, and was in pretty good shape when John took the title. The level of detail, however, was not where John wanted it, so he immediately began working on the 440 Magnum V8, four-speed tranny, 3.54 rearend and undercarriage. Inside, John removed the dash, console and trim, which he sent to Dave Patik of Performance Car Graphics. Bill Evans made up a new wiring harness, and Frank Badalson of Roger Gibson Auto Restoration proved to be a big help in supplying the correct engine and undercarriage detailing items, as well as research assistance. In addition to farming out some of the detail work and collecting restoration tidbits here and there, John says he spent hours studying an original Daytona owned by wing car guru David Benasutti of New Jersey. David also played a role in the final detailing process, along with Paul Kaufman. And like most successful restoration projects, the unfailing support of wife Jackie was the glue that made it all stick together.
"When working on the car," recalls John, "my goal was to make the [Daytona] as close as possible to the way it was built without totally...dismantling and re-restoring the car. Much work was done to the car (continued) before I bought it, and it was very nice, but much more detailing was needed. Many repro parts like correct hoses, etc. weren't available when the car was first done. I knew going into the Mopar Nats judged competition that there were areas of my car I could improve even more, but financially I couldn't do all I wanted. Things like slightly pitted door handles cost me points, but I expected it."