Pro touring charger

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Great article. autodynamics your car is badass! easily one of my favorites. 

[autodynamics]

thanks at least someone here can appreciate it!!!!

[tan top]

good read !!  awesome looking charger Dude !!  tried to post the artical up here , cant do it not good at computers  ,wont let me save it as a picture for some reason 

[NorwayCharger]

 

THUNK! That's the sound Pete Filippatos enjoys hearing every time he closes the door on a client's Bentley, Benz, BMW or other high-line car. It's the sweet sound of solid build-quality and a stark contrast to the "Buh-klang!" he'd hear from the doors of the 1969 Dodge Charger he bought as a weekend toy a few years ago.

Filippatos' company, Autodynamics of Merrick, N.Y., installs high-end audio, alarms and hidden radar detectors into luxury cars. "When you drive those cars every day, you get used to the power and quality," he said. One drive in his Charger, however, reminded him of how loose and wobbly Detroit favorites from the 1960's and 1970's felt on the road.

He'd test-driven the new, retro-styled Dodge Challenger and decided he wanted that car's modern performance and feel, but in the classic Charger body. That's what the "resto-mod" trend is all about. Some well-heeled car enthusiasts spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to modernize old cars. Filippatos did it for much less.

After a bumper-to-bumper transformation, his Charger now makes a solid "Thunk!" when its doors close. Even more welcome sounds include a daunting exhaust bellow from the new 425-horsepower fuel-injected 6.1-liter Hemi V8 (the same engine as in a 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8) and the shrieking of fat rear tires as they disappear in a smoky, rubber-shredding burnout.

Sounds that are missing from this revamped muscle machine include rattles, squeaks, creaks and road roar common to many cars of its vintage. Credit for the quiet ride goes to a complete body makeover that eliminated sources of unwanted noises, and also to yards of Dynamat sound insulation stuffed into its hollow spaces. A modern automatic overdrive transmission keeps engine revs low at highway speeds and helps boost gas mileage into the low-20's.


The project started with a solid, amazingly rust-free Charger. Its 318 cu.-in. V8, the standard engine in 1969, was a far cry from the optional 426 Hemi and high-performance 440 engines that made the second-generation Charger a musclecar legend. But the car has the same look as those factory hotrods, with long, lean, crisp lines that combine "elegant" and "sinister" into the same description.

Working with various vendors, including K&M Autokraft in Deer Park, N.Y, Filippatos had his vintage Charger infused with all-new parts and personality. Suspension still follows the original factory setup -- torsion bars in front and leaf springs in back -- but was updated and tweaked for crisper handling.

Those mods, and a new Firm Feel steering box, give the Charger a considerably tighter driving feel than before. Low-profile tires on 18-inch Budnik wheels really fill out the wheel wells, and the Charger sits two inches lower than stock. It's a stance that makes the car look ready to inhale the road. Brakes are modern 4-wheel discs.

To give the Charger a cleaner look, the crew at K&M Autokraft shaved its door handles, drip rails, side markers and antenna and filled gaps. They realigned the fenders, hood, doors and trunk panels and rebuilt the closing mechanisms to get that reassuring "Thunk!" sound. Lighting is modernized with xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights and LED taillights.

The interior is a mix of old and new and includes power windows and locks. Corbeau front seats are upholstered in leather to match the original style. Check out the aftermarket paddle shifters on the steering wheel and updated gauges in the classic Charger instrument panel. Remote starting and power door openers add modern luxury, and a high-end audio system, with iPod connector, is neatly hidden behind the Charger's original radio faceplate.

Filippatos said his re-charged Charger can run the quarter-mile in the 12-second range, on par with the 2010 Challenger SRT8 and quicker than any unmodified classic Charger. He's especially happy to enjoy quiet, fatigue-free, air-conditioned comfort on long trips, something that can't be said for all the old musclecars he passes.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Nice write up

[mikepmcs]

WOW!!

[HITMAN 149]

yes verrrrry nice!!!!

great job!!!

[MoparManJim]

Nice car man!  

But I half to admit here, when I took a glace at the very first photo.... I swear that charger in the top photo had moved backwards like  afew hairs.

[autodynamics]

did some really trick stuff.. pics coming asap

[Finn]

 

[bull]

I like that steering wheel. Might have to get one...

[autodynamics]

ovrchrged.....getting some fresh air. i still have to powder coat it....and retune my pcm......cant wait...

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Just when I think your car couldn't get any better you do this.   every time I see your car it inspires me to get off my ass and do some upgrades. great work!

[NYCMille]

There are nice Charger's and there is Pete's Charger... it's on entirely differently level. He's a detail nut so when I say that "OVRCHRGD" is every bit as nice as the cars from Legendary, Steve Strope and Chip Foose and that is NOT and exaggeration. The other thing is drives the piss out of it... 

God bless ya' Boy...

[Rolling_Thunder]

"OVRCHRGD" is every bit as nice as the cars from Legendary, Steve Strope and Chip Foose and that is NOT and exaggeration.

Mike -  from what I have seen of Pete's car in photos it greatly exceeds the quality of the people you mentioned...   I admire Strope and the others but I nit-pick them to death ---  IE. different AN fittings used throughout, HORRIBLE wiring, HORRIBLE fuel lines, using pre fabbed A/C kits instead of doing a clean install...       

Petes car is on another level that EVERYONE should aspire to reach -  I will not be in that category - but it is possible with time, money, and imagination. 

[jb666]

I'm sitting here looking for words to say... And nothing but WOW comes to mind... Simply AMAZING job on the car.. I am in love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[Cooter]

I wonder how much "WOW" this thing costs to build if someone was looking to do one like it.......

[autodynamics]

I actually have all my really receipts... but I never added my labor in......thanks to all for the comments  i will post finished pics this week.

[Charger´69]

I red all 18 pages, amazing work and great Charger, I like 

[autodynamics]

yesterday a bunch of us took a ride to rinebeck ny at a goodguys show....left at 6am.. rollling through the mountians with pure american muscle..... it was a real nice trip.... buzzing along at 80mph.... too bad we didnt stay for sunday ovrchrgd and black widow.. (buick) would of won..........anyways here are some pics..

[autodynamics]

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Must have been a hell of a sight seeing all those machines flying down the road. 

[autodynamics]

It was a sight to see.plus the rumbles from the exhaust echoing of he mountains was even better

[hemi68charger]

Very cool pics... Looks like a great time by all.................   I would have been like  with my 4.10's....... 

[RIDELIKEHELL]

What a sight! Those are some killer rides! I really dig that Coronet....