Pro-touring Hellcat project

[HPP]

Pro touring seems to cover a large range of builds from simply 17"+ wheels to full blown, over the top metal work and pseudo-psychedelic creations like some of these links show.

So I might ask you to question what is it about a new car that appeals to you that you want duplicated in the classic. Is it the ride and handling? is it the easy of firing up the engine and driving anywhere? Is it the lack of squeaks and rattles and a solid think of the doors in a cabin you can hold a conversation in?  Any of these particulars can be addressed with improvement in the systems in your classic without compromising its vintage integrity and not going the full tilt, quarter million $$ custom route.

If you really don't want to mess with improving the original at all and want to do a full tilt custom modification to a 1 of none build in the high dollar range, then here are some builders to look at;

Steve Strope and Pure Vision Design;  http://www.purevisiondesign.com/

Ring Brothers; https://ringbrothers.com/

Troy Trepanier and Rad Rides; http://www.radrides.com/

Bobby Alloway and the Roadster Shop; http://roadstershop.com/

[erlendch]

Those are some good questions HPP. Let me try to answer them below:
So I might ask you to question what is it about a new car that appeals to you that you want duplicated in the classic. Is it the ride and handling?
Yes!

is it the easy of firing up the engine and driving anywhere?
Yes!

Is it the lack of squeaks and rattles and a solid think of the doors in a cabin you can hold a conversation in? 
Yes, especially this part!

Thanks for links, I'll look into them now.

[erlendch]

       
(...) Nobody has bought it and it's already been repainted once in attempt to increase the appeal.  No telling how far they might come down on that price after several years. (...)

How did you find out it was repainted?

[73rallye440magnum]

I've done rework on RK projects and my experience would encourage you to not do business with them. 

[Stevearino]

       
(...) Nobody has bought it and it's already been repainted once in attempt to increase the appeal.  No telling how far they might come down on that price after several years. (...)

How did you find out it was repainted?

Former incarnation

[JR]

       
(...) Nobody has bought it and it's already been repainted once in attempt to increase the appeal.  No telling how far they might come down on that price after several years. (...)

How did you find out it was repainted?

That's pretty well known. When the car was originally built and was being shown in the magazines, it had a two tone black/gold paint job, and a custom mesh grille. It went up for sale a few months after that. It never sold like that, so they went back and changed those details to disguise the body modifications more as a regular Charger.

I think you may be the only other guy in the entire world that likes the sound of a chopped/channeled/shortened second gen, so the black car already done would be perfect for you, seriously.

Please, buy that one instead of chopping up another. You can repaint it, change the tail panel, and add a 69 grille insert WAY cheaper than building one from scratch.

[Stevearino]

       
(...) Nobody has bought it and it's already been repainted once in attempt to increase the appeal.  No telling how far they might come down on that price after several years. (...)

How did you find out it was repainted?

That's pretty well known. When the car was originally built and was being shown in the magazines, it had a two tone black/gold paint job, and a custom mesh grille. It went up for sale a few months after that. It never sold like that, so they went back and changed those details to disguise the body modifications more as a regular Charger.

I think you may be the only other guy in the entire world that likes the sound of a chopped/channeled/shortened second gen, so the black car already done would be perfect for you, seriously.

Please, buy that one instead of chopping up another. You can repaint it, change the tail panel, and add a 69 grille insert WAY cheaper than building one from scratch.

[erlendch]

       
(...) Nobody has bought it and it's already been repainted once in attempt to increase the appeal.  No telling how far they might come down on that price after several years. (...)

How did you find out it was repainted?

That's pretty well known. When the car was originally built and was being shown in the magazines, it had a two tone black/gold paint job, and a custom mesh grille. It went up for sale a few months after that. It never sold like that, so they went back and changed those details to disguise the body modifications more as a regular Charger.

I think you may be the only other guy in the entire world that likes the sound of a chopped/channeled/shortened second gen, so the black car already done would be perfect for you, seriously.

Please, buy that one instead of chopping up another. You can repaint it, change the tail panel, and add a 69 grille insert WAY cheaper than building one from scratch.

Agree too guys. Just called RK, their President Joe told me that the car was just sold

[73rallye440magnum]

Unless that car was recently consigned through them, they sold it about three years ago.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Man, that black/gold is fuuuuu-uuuuugly! 

[TUFCAT]

Man, that black/gold is fuuuuu-uuuuugly! 

The lack and chrome and trim also adds to the fuglyness.

[J-440]

 Not to mention the mile high wagon wheel stance.  You can go off-roading in that thing!!  If I were you I'd buy someone else's project then spend a little extra to make it your own.  Pro-Touring cars NEVER hold their resale value.  Also, the Hellcat engine package won't be a crate package for awhile.  And besides, with today's technology you can buy a well built small block with a big turbo that will spank most big blocks and will save you weight.  The good times are here to stay!!

[moparnation74]

Also, the Hellcat engine package won't be a crate package for awhile. 

Purchase someone else's mistake.  That way, if you do get disappointed.  At least you got it at a discount.

[TUFCAT]

Based solely on what I've read and heard.... Hellcat engine technology doesn't render itself easily into a "plug and play" situation so the availability of a crate engine package may never come.

[Mike DC]

                
The Hellcat isn't the only 700 hp street engine ever made.  The right fuel-injected 572" (gen-2) Hemi could probably spank it in every way except Federal emission standards & gas mileage.  

The Hellcat motor is iron-blocked and has big supercharger on top, whereas an all-aluminum old Hemi is around 530 lbs.  So the new motor probably doesn't even have a weight advantage.  

[chargerman69]

Have you seen this 69
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Charger-National-Award-Winning-Charger-Pro-Touring-512-700-HP-V8-5-Speed-A-C-/221626242414?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3399f4156e&item=221626242414&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Have you seen this 69
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Charger-National-Award-Winning-Charger-Pro-Touring-512-700-HP-V8-5-Speed-A-C-/221626242414?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3399f4156e&item=221626242414&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

Buy it now: $179,900.00. 

The sad things is that he probably has far more into it and he won't get anywhere near the BIN price for it.

[hollywood1336]

I definitely agree with the train of thought here, try to find a car where the shortening and chopping have already been done, would be a shame to see it happen to another perfectly good and already beautiful body style.
On another note, my car is documented in the "almost there" thread. I have stuffed a 2001 Gen II Viper motor and 6 speed Tremec under the hood of my 68 Pro-Tourer. Front suspension was completely upgraded to a Bill Reilly unit, 18" Boss wheels with Nitto tires. Rear suspension is Firm Feel. Interior has been completely gone through, I am still finishing electrics though. 6 way electric seats out of an 06 GTO reupholstered in black leather, Original back seat reupholstered in the same leather. Dash is carbon fiber with Auto Meter gauges. There is plenty more and I will have 52k into the build with about 4k in mistakes when complete. I have had the car on the street and am extremely amazed at how the car handles, very flat around the corners and smooth down the road. The acceleration is brutal and the motor extremely reliable, and all aluminum. The car currently weighs 3100 lbs. I didn't shorten or chop and except for the lowered stance it still looks like a beautiful 68 Charger. I give this little history because with a business license and resale license to buy parts at wholesale and including labor I could have built my car for 120k. These 200 and 250k cars are way over priced. It would be a shame to throw your hard earned bonus at a car that will only be worth pennies when it's complete. My car appeals to a limited crowd, had a shortened and chopped it, that crowd would be significantly smaller.
I am a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry and am somewhat of a perfectionist. My car isn't perfect and there are definitely things I would do differently with regards to body and paint on my next build, I have done all the work myself except for paint. I have been to plenty of shows and seen plenty of cars from the so called experts and they all have taken short cuts. Too many to list and completely not expected on a 200k car.
Buy the new Hellcat Charger if you want something shorter and more modern, or the Hellcat Challenger if you want classic lines. Use your bonus to buy a real Hemi Charger, that's smart buying because it will only increase in value.

[Ghoste]

Of course the Hellcat is warranted even for competition use so that might be an advantage as well.

[Troy]

Buying the godawful mess that has already been altered is your best bet. There doesn't need to be 2 of them in the world! And it's been for sale forever because no one else wants it. The things you'd need to change to make it look like a 69 are minor compared to shortening ALL the original sized panels. If you're writing a check instead of doing manual labor figure a shop that's capable of the quality you want is going to charge $100+ per hour. A "normal" restoration back to factory specs can easily be a 1,200 hours and you're wanting to add several hundred (if not another 1,000) hours of hand forming sheet metal to that. Then you want an engine that doesn't currently exist in the after market.

It's a lot easier than that to get a Charger to drive like a new one. Look at Autodynamic's car. Modern Hemi, big brakes, after market suspension, modern sound system and wiring, lots of insulation and sound deadening...

Troy

[Ghoste]

Or appreciate it for what it is and get a new car to be a new car?

[73rallye440magnum]

The black car has been sold for over two years.

[myk]

The black car has been sold for over two years.

To Stevie Wonder, I'm assuming...

[73rallye440magnum]

I spent a fair amount of time around it and it's a pretty cool car. For some reason most people on the site love to rag on it.

[Stevearino]

I spent a fair amount of time around it and it's a pretty cool car. For some reason most people on the site love to rag on it.

Don't know why. That is one great looking ride.