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1987-1988 Dodge Daytona

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1987  Big changes occurred to the Daytona in 1987. On the outside, the body was completely updated. In the front, the headlights were now concealed pop-up units. In the back, the taillights were now a single unit that went across the entire rear and curved around the corners.

 

For the first time, a Daytona was available without a rear spoiler, as the base Daytona did not come with a rear spoiler. The non-turbocharged 2.2 liter engine was also gone, replaced by the 2.5 liter in-line 4.

 

The Daytona models were shuffled around once again. A third model was available again, the Daytona Pacifica. The Pacifica was the "luxury" Daytona, and was situated between the base Daytona and the top of the line Daytona - now called the Daytona Shelby Z. Air conditioning was standard on the Pacifica, along with a leather wrapped steering wheel. Also exclusive to the Daytona Pacifica was an overhead console, which included a dome lamp, garage door opener, sunglass holder, map lights, and an outside temperature display. The overhead console was deleted on the Pacificas with T-Tops. The electronic digital dash previously available only in the Chrysler Laser was now optional on the Pacifica. The Daytona Pacifica's standard engine was the 146 horsepower 2.2 liter turbo (now called the Turbo I). The Pacifica had low rate springs, larger sway bars than the base Daytona, and front and rear gas charged shocks. Also, for the first time, 4-wheel power disc brakes were now standard on the Pacifica and Shelby Z. The Pacifica received tastefully understated body side sill spoilers unique to this model, along with special 15 X 6-inch cast aluminum road wheels running on P205/60HR15 tires.

 

The top dog was now the Daytona Shelby Z, as Lee Iacocca's friendship with the legendary Carroll Shelby was now influencing Daytona performance. The powerplant for the Shelby Z was a brand new turbocharged 2.2 liter engine. This engine used an air-to-air intercooler to force cooler air into the turbocharger at a higher 12 psi of pressure. The output of this engine, dubbed the Turbo II, was an impressive 174 horsepower and 200 lb/ft torque. This reduced 0-60 times to the 7-8 second range. Other standard Shelby Z features were multiport fuel injection, a higher capacity 5-speed manual (an automatic was not even available with the Turbo II engine), four-wheel disc brakes, and maximum performance suspension. The Shelby Z rode on 15 X 6.5-inch cast aluminum wheels on P225/50VR15 tires.

 

There were now 3 transaxle choices on the Daytona. Standard on the base and Pacifica models was the 5-speed manual, with a 3-speed automatic optional. The top gear ratio for the 5-speed was 2.51, 3.02 for the automatic. The new high capacity Getrag 5-speed manual was the only transaxle available with the Turbo II engine, and it had a final top gear ratio of 2.74.

 

 

1988  The Daytona rolled into 1988 with few changes. Five new colors were added. All Daytona engines now came with roller camshaft followers, reducing friction and increasing efficiency. The Turbo I engine now came with a low-inertia turbocharger and a dual-tuned intake manifold. All radios were replaced with the new Chrysler Infinity sound system, with a CD player available for the first time.

 

After a 1-year hiatus, the C/S Performance package was back. Available only on the base Daytona, the C/S package gave you the Turbo I engine, the Pacifica's performance handling suspension and exhaust, and 4-wheel disc brakes. The wheels were also upgraded to the Shelby's 15 X 6.5-inch cast aluminum wheels with P205/60R15 tires. On the outside, the C/S package gave you a rear spoiler and C/S badging. The C/S package provided you high performance in a car with reduced weight, as the car had none of the side skirts and body cladding of the other models.

 

All of the changes must have rang a positive tone with the public, as sales more than doubled in 1988, to over 66,000 Daytonas. The best however, was yet to come.