Hey guys,
I'm stuck too, but I have two problems: first, I'm a big car guy, and two, I am a Mopar guy. I drove the Fury & Polara 440s and 383s in the days and had my Plymouth GTX muscle car. I love a big car. I like Mopar.
I can see what you are all saying. I don't quite feel the same. But I feel you are not wrong. Here: For me, I feel the Daytona would have been almost perfect with the 6.1 in it. The looks of the Daytona are much better than the SRT8 body (ie, my suede inserts on my Daytona are black, stitching and radio/shifter covers are Mango to match the car much classier than silver suede with red stitching). I don't love the 5.7 engine, but I like it. The mileage isn't bad and it isn't terrible for performance. With proper ECU tuning, and someone will have it right sometime, the engine would have plenty of moxie. The looks are tough to beat for a four door big car. Even the young kids like it. The girls and women love it. It is a head turner. It's comfortable. I like the amenities.
In the old days my big Fury or Polara would run a 5.6 60' with the 440 auto with posi. It would run a 14 something in the quarter. Heck, my Daytona does that and gets much better milage at 25 MPG, to boot. And it's looks and amenities are much superior. And so is the technology. I don't have to fiddle with points, carbs, or plugs for 100,000 miles, better brakes, better suspension, and more dependable.
When you get out of your rock hard ride Road Runner (my GTX with the Dana 60 and Hurst 4 speed road like a lumber wagon [ had seven leaf springs on one side and nine on the other ]), and bad milage with fuel you can't get anymore so you have to detune the engine, and then worry about it when you go on a trip; and when it is HOT you can't drive it because it doesn't have air (my GTX couldn't be driven above 80 degrees because it would bake you inside the cabin), you'll love your Daytona.
Nothing is perfect. Maybe Dodge pushed the envelope to get us baby boomers to buy. I'm not fully happy either. But I'm much more happy with what I have than what I had, and I haven't regretted it. I just regret winter coming...
3767, usually Hemi's are not bought for in-town PD units due to it's not a "highway" cruiser. However, with the dual-purpose Hemi, that might change, depending on the department's view. Some will get the six, some the Hemi. Sheriff's would get the Hemi. Highway Patrol the Hemi's. The rest of the car makes a nice patrol package for sure. Basics are basics. Headers, intake, cam -- yep, now I'm faster!
If SC would get their poop in a group and come up with a rip snorting dependable tuning curve for my Daytona maybe that's the answer. But I can already go fast enough for Mike to turn on me and give me his signature

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Dave, if you trade in your RT I think all the Daytona would give you is more looks. If you have the Road package, I think it's the same isn't it? Or are you jumping ship for the SRT8, or Challenger?
Mike, glad you vented. It would be fun if all of us got together in Vegas for a quick cola drink next June. Hey, Dave can you make it to Vegas next June? We'll all meet at... pick it Mike! (I'm planning on driving back out to see my Dad in CA for Father's Day) -- I use I15 through Vegas -- it would be fun to stop and BS -- without the meter


. Anyone else close to Vegas during that time?
MN