General mayhem will be getting a hellcat!

[Baldwinvette77]

Mention in this video that was probably posted elsewhere 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juGNz1DJ4xw

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

It's already in Michigan getting it done!

[fireguyfire]

My uncle got his hellcat challenger a  couple of weeks ago.
Unreal cool car, but scary!

[TPR]

I'm glad the rumors were true. This is awesome. 
TPR

[Mike DC]

 
I still haven't warmed up to this idea. 

It's out of character with the car. 

And the Hellcat + old Mopar combination won't stay a novelty much longer.   Every $200,000 vintage Mopar at SEMA will probably have one soon enough.   

[Baldwinvette77]

I think its out of character too, but 700hp in a 2nd gen charger built to drive recklessly is fine by me 

[Ghoste]

Yeah, nothing to do with my usual purist rants but somehow I like the idea of Hellcat engines in Hellcat cars way more.  Hmm, maybe that is my usual purist whining just from a different side this time.

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Freiburger believed that as it sat, people had accepted it and fell in "love" with it.  Which is awesome.  But there wasn't any easy next step that is like "WOW" and wouldn't piss people off e.g. 5.7 Hemi swap or 'windows'.  So when Dodge came to them with this idea.... they ran with it. 

[cdr]

i love the idea!!!!

[TPR]

Whether its right or wrong or somewhere in between, its important to put it into context.

a, Freiburger owns a beat up 68 Charger
b, Dodge is basically giving him a Hellcat engine for 'free' (under some sort of sponsorship deal)
c, The whole ethos of the Roadkill show is to hack and hobble shit together just because.

There are more reasons for than against in my opinion, and I'm usually one of the purists.

Putting Hellcat engines into 2nd Gens might become a common thing to do in future, but it seems that these guys will be the first.
I'm looking forward to the episode.
Just my 
TPR

[JB400]

  Unfortunately, it doesn't matter much to me that this is going to happen.  It was going to happen sooner or later, whether it was this car or some one else's.   Honestly, I call it a waste of a Hellcat.  All they're going to do is a burnout.  Outside of a 10 second quarter mile and an embarrassment run against a Tesla, that's basically all that has been done to advertise the Hellcat, is burnouts.  I'd rather see the cars thrown around a series of different tracks and see what the Hellcats are capable of, and if given the red key to one, that's what I'd do.  A run around the Nuremburg ring or a run in the Silver State Challenge would be more impressive.  They might not hold up to the Z/28 or the new GT350, but it'd show the capabilities of the car more better.

  If there's one thing they should do to General Mayhem, it's put a decent grille in it.  It doesn't have to be a stock one, just something different than what they did.

[Daytona R/T SE]

I thought the concept of this car was build something raw and fun with little money.  

So, now it's going to get a high dollar engine and all the high tech crap to go with it ?  


The Charger would have been better off going out in a blaze of glory flying over a creek.

Typical "Hot Rod" bullshit.  

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

I thought the concept of this car was build something raw and fun with little money.  

So, now it's going to get a high dollar engine and all the high tech crap to go with it ?  

The Charger would have been better off going out in a blaze of glory flying over a creek.

Typical "Hot Rod" bullshit.  

They did that.  Been that way for nearly 2 years.  Projects are always changing and evolving.

[Fitz73Chrgr]

Awesome episode.  I dig Dusters. 

[JR]

I'm excited to see the Hellcat Mayhem. They have plenty of cheap beaters already, including the 440 duster they built with mayhems old 440.

As a nice bonus, the hellcat build video will get so many views, and more views= more $. Which means more Roadkill. This is gonna be awesome.

I'd like to see them finish more of the cosmetics though, a new coat of flat black primer, glass installed, and proper seats and replace the bus steering wheel. Although worrying about cosmetics doesn't seem to be freiburgers style.

[tan top]

Awesome episode.  I dig Dusters.  

yeah  , thought that too ,        good episode !!  one of the better ones    , last few have not been that good imo , still good entertainment though ,

[Mike DC]

 
The Mayhem's rat-rod condition is the only reason anybody remembers the car.   Couldn't they leave it ratty a little bit longer?   


Frieburger already has a shiny orange pro-street Hemi '70 Super Bee. 

[JR]

I don't think a fresh matching coat of flat black primer would make it too fancy. They'd probably do it with rustoleum spray cans, can't get anymore low buck than that.

As for the seats and steering wheel, I think the car could be driven a lot quicker and more comfortable if the drivers arms weren't spaced 3 feet apart as he saws on the steering wheel that probably came out of the motorhome while also holding himself onto if for dear life before he slides across to the passenger seat. I actually wince out loud everytime they show a driving shot. It looks so uncomfortable.

Those small changes would make the car so much better. My opinion anyway.

[Bob T]

Awesome episode.  I dig Dusters. 

Yeah same. Good for a laugh with a few beers.
Sat there and watched the one with the GM Gen III out of the truck and into the flatbottom, that was cool, used to have one that would do 70 mph.

[Baldwinvette77]

I picture the "finished" charger to look a bit like the muscletruck, junk body, with a bunch of high performance junk under it 

[lukedukem]

Awesome episode.  I dig Dusters.  

yeah  , thought that too ,        good episode !!  one of the better ones    , last few have not been that good imo , still good entertainment though ,

And who would've thought that motor home 440 would produce that much HP.  Of corse with mods, but still cool


Luke

[moparguy01]

They lost me with that duster episode. Just like the mid 90s when the Mopar magazines went from "build a budget big block for 3500" to build a cheap "10000 big block!!" The idea is to build stuff out of things sitting. Nobody has aluminum heads, brand new cam and lifter sets, and another duster with a 8 3/4 setup with all the good stuff and disc brakes just sitting around. They took a. Cool cheap budget build and took it out of the budget category IMO. Now its a "we have sponsorship money budgets"

[redmist]

Whats obvious in this thread, is that Mopar people hate everything that isn't what they like. Including, but not limited to old mopars, as well as new Mopars. Any combination of the two triggers the "Get off my lawn!" crowd to start stacking 8 round clips in their bring home M1 garands.

[jaak]

Although this episode wasn't as funny as some of the others, and didn't have a lot of mayhem... I liked it. It was surprising to see Steve Dulcich on there, I always liked the tech articles he wrote when he worked for Mopar Muscle. I met him/chatted with him at the Mopar Nationals years ago... seems like a pretty cool guy.

Jason

[1974dodgecharger]

I guess you cant please everybody....YES its possible to have aluminum heads lying around, cams, etc...did you see his warehouse?  You don't accumulate that in one day, but decades of stuff OF NOT SELLING!!!  YES THERES A REASON PEOPLE DONT SELL THEIR THINGS!

I think it was a great episode not enough driving adventures though, but great build episode.

Maybe mopar people are cautious what happens to mopar cars that a lot of us like to keep it original???  then get mad when we someone that adds aftermarket items to a mopar......

[Steve P.]

I agree and disagree with most of the comments before me. Sure, it is great to build something out of nothing, but that wasn't always the premise. They have built much from little and now they, like many of us, have received a raise and they can afford better toys!!!!  I like the show. It cracks me up and is much closer to REALITY than most REALITY shows have ever been!!!!

[Stegs]

right

And he traded a set of of cylinder heads for the charger body itself

he kept the car from being scraped out or trashed


Now Dodge wants to give him a hellcat motor and some of you guys are pooping on the idea?

I dont get it....the car is getting a 2nd, 3rd, 4th chance at life with a fantastic motor!


I love the idea, that car deserves it!

[Brass]

Exactly.  I am 100% in favor of the Hellcat engine for the General Mayhem.  That is the essence of hot-rodding and the car is not a restoration.  The swap will generate useable knowledge, it will make the car more fun, and it'll represent better.  Look how many times the Crusher evolved?  How many people can afford a big LS?  If that's not enough to convince you, maybe getting a better engine will inspire more love/attention for it in the future.  Because all that being said, I admit it does bother me that it needs glass and isn't licensed/street legal.  I want to see it move beyond its current, useable-only-in-dirt status.

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Sorta on topic... here's a side blog about the 440 into the Duster episode.

http://www.hotrod.com/features/1505-roadkill-builds-a-budget-12-second-big-block-1970-duster-40-plus-photos-here/

Ryan

[Brass]

Looks like they were able to get some gains using aluminum heads, despite the low compression.