Photo: screenshot from Facebook
If you have the greenback to buy a Rebel, congratulations! It’s one of the most interesting pickups in the half-ton segment, and an alternative to the ever-popular Raptor from Ford. The question is, can you swap the HEMI V8 with the Hellcat from Dodge?
Considering that none other than Ram is working on the Rebel TRX with the 707-horsepower engine, the answer is yes! But 5thGenRams forum member DieselDak didn’t want to wait for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to deliver, choosing instead to swap the Hellcrate into the Rebel with the help fo America’s Most Wanted 4x4 in Holly, Michigan. It wasn't simple, though.
Pulling out the HEMI was anything but complicated, and the same can be said about the 707-horsepower transplant. On the other hand, the electrical parts, cooling, and fine-tuning of the Hellcat weren’t so simple. DieselDak and the tuning shop had to relocate the oil filter, modify a bracket to clear the alternator, upgrade the fuel system, and so forth.
In addition to the engine swap, the one-off build features a widebody package from Fiberwerx that includes 4-inch wider fenders made from carbon fiber. The tires were also changed with 37-inch by 12.5-inch Nitto Ridge Grabblers, the wheels are Method 701 Trail Series, and the bedsides are four inches wider. The finishing touches are the Rebel Supercharged decals.
It’s hard to estimate how much DieselDak paid for this build, but all things considered, it wasn’t cheap. The 2019 Ram 1500 in Rebel flavor is $44,240 excluding destination charge for rear-wheel drive. The Hellcrate adds $16,800 to the price, and there are many more to things to list and calculate before coming up with the total.
In other words, 5thGenRams forum member DieselDak paid more for this truck and subsequent modifications compared to the price of the Ford F-150 Raptor. But on the upside, the EcoBoost V6 doesn’t compare to the Hellcat V8 in terms of sheer excitement.
Ram plans to launch the 1500 Rebel TRX sometime in 2020, probably in the third quarter of the year. It still isn’t known if the engine will produce 707 horsepower as it does in the Charger SRT Hellcat, but what we do know is that development was outsourced by FCA to a Detroit-based company.
Pulling out the HEMI was anything but complicated, and the same can be said about the 707-horsepower transplant. On the other hand, the electrical parts, cooling, and fine-tuning of the Hellcat weren’t so simple. DieselDak and the tuning shop had to relocate the oil filter, modify a bracket to clear the alternator, upgrade the fuel system, and so forth.
In addition to the engine swap, the one-off build features a widebody package from Fiberwerx that includes 4-inch wider fenders made from carbon fiber. The tires were also changed with 37-inch by 12.5-inch Nitto Ridge Grabblers, the wheels are Method 701 Trail Series, and the bedsides are four inches wider. The finishing touches are the Rebel Supercharged decals.
It’s hard to estimate how much DieselDak paid for this build, but all things considered, it wasn’t cheap. The 2019 Ram 1500 in Rebel flavor is $44,240 excluding destination charge for rear-wheel drive. The Hellcrate adds $16,800 to the price, and there are many more to things to list and calculate before coming up with the total.
In other words, 5thGenRams forum member DieselDak paid more for this truck and subsequent modifications compared to the price of the Ford F-150 Raptor. But on the upside, the EcoBoost V6 doesn’t compare to the Hellcat V8 in terms of sheer excitement.
Ram plans to launch the 1500 Rebel TRX sometime in 2020, probably in the third quarter of the year. It still isn’t known if the engine will produce 707 horsepower as it does in the Charger SRT Hellcat, but what we do know is that development was outsourced by FCA to a Detroit-based company.
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