Classic muscle cars seem to be more popular than ever these days, but, if we're honest, some of these American animals are more special than others. For instance, a Dodge Coronet probably won't get the same attention as a Challenger, Charger or a Plymouth Cuda, but not if Dave Kindig has anything to say about it.
Well, the said aficionado, whom you might know thanks to his Bitchin' Rides TV show, did wish to utter a few words on the matter, which is how the 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T we have here was born.
The built made its debut at last year's SEMA show, but we haven't discussed it and boy, oh boy does it deserve our attention. Given the fact that we're talking about an original R/T here, purists won't be thrilled by the project and yet it's difficult to look past the said game-changing nature of the build.
Starting from the top, this was chopped in subtle manner, so it doesn't scream "custom car culture". Then we have the unique front and rear fascias, which go beyond the hidden headlights offered by the retro Charger, featuring concealed LED stripes instead (make sure to check out the lights-on appearance of the car in the image gallery above).
The more discrete bumpers, together with the flush door handles (a signature of Kinding-it Design, the gearhead's shop) and also-flush gas cap deserve plenty of credit for appearance of the vehicle. And, at least from where I'm standing, if we skip the lack of a fastback profile, the look of this Coronet somehow reminds one the first-generation Charger, with its focus on luxury.
This is also true for the cabin of this R/T, which is where the retro feel is preserved, once again in a take that could be taken for a factory approach. Nevertheless, while the front seats are rebuilt version of the originals, the rear ones were deleted. Part of this came from the need to accommodate super-fat rear wheels/tires.
To be more precise, the wheels, which were designed by Dave, come in a 20x15-inch size up in the back and in a 20x8.5-inch size up front. These are shod in monstrous Pirelli PZero rubber: 405/25 R24 to deliver the muscle and 235/35 R20 to steer.
Now that we've reached the tech side of the vehicle, you should know this features an Art Morrison frame. As for the motivation, we're looking at a Hellcat V8 working with a 2.9-liter Whipple blower, which makes for a streetable 770 hp and 750 lb-ft (1,017 Nm ) of torque. And yes, there's a six-speed manual in there, with this being supplied by Tremec.
This is a build that shows the infinite ways of the Mopar community, which is why it deserves a round of applause. And the clapping is done, the walkwaround clip below allows us to get a good taste of the Coronet.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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