Barn-Found 1968 Dodge Charger Gets Turbo 2JZ Swap, It's Ridiculously Awesome

That's what YouTube's "Finnegan's Garage" did and the idea is so wrong that it's actually awesome. Because why not and screw convention. Not to mention that we're talking about the legendary 2JZ, the engine that made the Supra one of the most iconic sports cars out there.

If you haven't been following the channel, Finnegan got this beat-up, barn-kept Charger in 2019. And its story is unique. Modified in 1969 to go ARCA stock car racing, the Charger never made it on the track and, for reasons unknown, it ended up spending 50 years in a barn.

After buying the car off eBay, Finnegan got it running and drove it from Georgia to Indiana to visit the original builder. In 2020, he came close to selling it but changed his mind when he got the idea to swap the original 383-cubic-inch V8 with a 2JZ. Fast forward to October 2021 and the Toyota-powered Charger took its first trip with a Supra engine between the front wheels.

But mind you, this isn't a top-of-the-line build. There's absolutely nothing fancy about this Charger, which still sports its original body panels, faded paint and rust included. It has a stripped-out interior and it still rides on Hoosier dirt oval tires, so it's just a ridiculous idea that has enough parts to make it work. And that's exactly what makes it cool.

Sure, Mopar purists might see "blasphemy" written all over this project, but I think a 2JZ swap is a much better option than putting it back in storage. What's more, Finnegan says that the Dodge is "lighter, faster, and twice as powerful than before," so it's all good for a garage-built project. And even though I am a Mopar guy and I love big-block V8s, the 2JZ sounds awesome for an inline-six mill.

Hit the play button below to see it roar. If you're a car guy, you need to forget about badges and nameplates and just enjoy it.