Another "not my cuppa tea" but not my car and some love this

[Ghoste]

So...

http://www.detroitspeed.com/Projects/moe-1969-charger/moe-1969-charger-pg-1.html

[JB400]

I've been following this one for quite a while.  I figured I'll inquire about the electric hidden headlight motors they're using, as well as the windshield wiper motor they plan on using.

[TUFCAT]

Wow, that's a very professional build going on! 

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Wow that looks like one of those true "no expense spared" builds....right down to the custom engraved supercharger.  partial to the color combo as well

Looks like it started out as a 4-speed car (possibly an R/T as well)

[HPP]

While the workmanship on this is stellar and there are lots of neat fabrication tricks in it, the Camaro suspension just really ruins it for me.

[WHITE AND RED 69]

I like it. A bit on the extreme side but you can't argue with the quality. Wouldn't want to see the bill at the end though    Definitely a money is no object build.

A lot of cool touches, I really like what they did with the front valance opening, ties it in with the grill.

[Stevearino]

I've been following this one for quite a while.  I figured I'll inquire about the electric hidden headlight motors they're using, as well as the windshield wiper motor they plan on using.

I hope you have better luck than I had. They had some very nice tail lights that they had made for this project and I inquired about them. They could not be bothered to return my phone calls.

http://www.detroitspeed.com/Projects/moe-1969-charger/moe-1969-charger-pg-7.html

[kanadanmajava]

The dashboard looked pretty horrible. But carbon disc brake rotors? Going to attend plenty of track days? And still decided to pick an automatic.

I was trying to find pictures how the subframe was mounted. The idea is interesting even though I didn't like his subframe choice. The front mounting points were well visible in couple of pictures but I couldn't figure out where the rear mounting point were supposed to be.

The chassis got plenty of bondo.

[tan top]

     wow  , this is some real nice work going on     clever stuff    ,   they have fabrication  skills & imagination that's for sure  

totally destroyed  that  charger though imo    still each to their own    

awesome build     

[myk]

I like it. A bit on the extreme side but you can't argue with the quality. Wouldn't want to see the bill at the end though    Definitely a money is no object build.

A lot of cool touches, I really like what they did with the front valance opening, ties it in with the grill.

The bill for this car and the Chevelle will be more than I'll earn in my lifetime...

[Mike DC]

While the workmanship on this is stellar and there are lots of neat fabrication tricks in it, the Camaro suspension just really ruins it for me.

Agreed.

They used a Hemi which probably seems brand-pure to a GM crowd.  But in the eyes of the Mopar crowd that subframe is like dropping an LS motor in it.   

[Charger-Bodie]

I actually like it. And I'd much rather see that suspension in it than a ls motor.

[1965gp]

Front valence looks really good- I am I'm love with the door handles you can't see from the side.

Have to say they did a decent job of leaving the lines alone.

[bill440rt]

While the workmanship on this is stellar and there are lots of neat fabrication tricks in it, the Camaro suspension just really ruins it for me.

I like the overall design too, but yeah the Camaro subframe just kills it when there are so many Mopar trick suspensions out there.
Looks like some fine craftsmanship. 

[Mike DC]

I actually like it. And I'd much rather see that suspension in it than a ls motor.

IMO the Camaro subframe is just as wrong an LS motor.  



In fact I can forgive an LS motor pretty easily if it was a handling-oriented project with any kind of budget limits.  GM & Ford were producing aluminum-block V8 engines 10-15 years ago.  Mopar still doesn't, even though their ponycar is the most overweight of all three.  I have no sympathy if this costs Mopar some long term appeal.

Think about it - 15 years is the difference between 1959 and 1974.  Or 1977 and 1992.  Mopar is 15 years behind on this.  

Have to say they did a decent job of leaving the lines alone.

Agreed.  They deserve props for that, considering how often these big-$$$ builds have been monkeying with 2nd-gen lines lately.  

[JB400]

It was probably cheaper for them to graft a Camaro stub setup with Corvette suspension and drop a supercharged Hemi in it than it was to keep the car all Mopar and get it to perform at the same level with one off parts.  Besides, you can buy all the factory front end parts to put it back.

[HPP]

The dashboard looked pretty horrible. But carbon disc brake rotors? Going to attend plenty of track days?

I'd like to think so, but somehow I doubt it will. A number of these big dollar builds spend a year touring shows. They may get invited to the Optima USCA race after SEMA this fall, they might run it, probably won't, then they disappear into a garage.

Any one remember the Alan Johnson G-Force Cuda that came out a few years back. Builder and owner were all over the whole "we're going to run this thing" bandwagon. I think it did a few autocrosses, was sold at a huge loss, and has fallen off the radar since.

The thing is, not all of these high dollar builds are necessarily highly effective autocross/road racers. I've seen a few instances over on protouring.com where dedicated autocrosses have been enlisted to test and sort high end builds and they aren't able to get them to work as well as some of the more stock based set ups the trick suspension replaced. Failing that, the shop takes the car  to BJ or Mecum and unload them to some one who wants a show pony. Unfortunately many of them are too nice to become touring cars, which is where their real strength may lie.

I'm not surprised Detroit Speed used the Camaro stub, after-all that is how they made their bones and where the expertise lies. I'm just disappointed to see it because at the beginning of the build they were announcing on a number of boards how they were working on some Mopar pieces to add to their catalog. This isn't really what I would have envisioned and with all the additional support structure required to graft a Camaro stub under a Mopar, I don't see where it can be an offering that will have any increased performance without a huge weight penalty.  Of course, it would give us access to $60 tubular control arms and $50 springs, but that about it.

[Ghoste]

I thought they had stated this was a one off for this guy and they had little interest in doing any Mopar stuff?

[Homerr]

Wow that looks like one of those true "no expense spared" builds....right down to the custom engraved supercharger.  partial to the color combo as well

Looks like it started out as a 4-speed car (possibly an R/T as well)

It was a nice looking car.

[Ghoste]

Sure was.

[hatersaurusrex]

I normally don't care about this kind of thing - but if you're gonna go full-bore like this it would be much better to start with a clean XP car.

That said, I really like everything about it - except the dash.  I do get the need to retain the factory cluster so you can have a functional EVIC system, etc - but the execution looks like someone took a trough sink and jammed a bunch of random electrics into it.

[keepat]

We can all question somebody's vision but I'm not sure you can question the quality of this build, absolutely phenomenal!
The shop is spotless and all the pictures are perfect quality. I'm sure I will steal, I mean admire many of these details. ;-)
Pat

[myk]

This car will never see a minute of track time.  It WILL get pushed by a team of white gloves across the BJ auction floor within the next year or so...

[WHITE AND RED 69]

The original car wasn't that great. First off, the grill emblems were on backwards!    Take a look at page 10 of the build. Quarters held on with rivets, rust all over, trunk pan with 20 patch panels, rust in frame rails, and god knows what other terrible areas they found. This car needed help and Detroit Speed is making stunner with it. Can't wait to see it finished.

I'm really hoping they release the one piece grill trim they made. The one piece looks so much cleaner compared to the 7 piece stock setup.

This car will never see a minute of track time.  It WILL get pushed by a team of white gloves across the BJ auction floor within the next year or so...

I hope you are wrong Myk. It would be a shame for this not to be used. But Detroit Speed beats the hell out of the cars they build so hopefully we will see it out on a course whoopin some chevy's.

[HPP]

Wouldn't that be like kickin' your cousin's butt since you share the same undercarriage/foundation genes?

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Wouldn't that be like kickin' your cousin's butt since you share the same undercarriage/foundation genes?

  Yeah but at least it is mopar powered.

[myk]

The original car wasn't that great. First off, the grill emblems were on backwards!    Take a look at page 10 of the build. Quarters held on with rivets, rust all over, trunk pan with 20 patch panels, rust in frame rails, and god knows what other terrible areas they found. This car needed help and Detroit Speed is making stunner with it. Can't wait to see it finished.

I'm really hoping they release the one piece grill trim they made. The one piece looks so much cleaner compared to the 7 piece stock setup.

This car will never see a minute of track time.  It WILL get pushed by a team of white gloves across the BJ auction floor within the next year or so...

I hope you are wrong Myk. It would be a shame for this not to be used. But Detroit Speed beats the hell out of the cars they build so hopefully we will see it out on a course whoopin some chevy's.

That would be NICE...

[Ghoste]

I predict the auction block for it as well and owner disappointment when it brings a fraction of what he spent.

[TexasStroker]

I really liked a lot of this build when I saw it in MM. 

The real buzzkill was when the article said they basically had zero interest in producing anything for the Mopar side of the hobby.  Some of that stuff would be really easy to crank out...

I don't think anyone has said it, and maybe it is just me, but I really like the radiator cover....almost looks like it mirrors the stock underhood structure.  I am wanting to make something to "fill the gap" and that is the type of item I'd likely come out ahead on to just buy up front as oppose to tackle myself.

Didn't know the car had been painted yet.