Photo: Mecum Auctions
By definition, any vehicle we gearheads refer to as a “restomod” is a classic car that was modernized during restoration. Notice the awe-inspiring 1971 Challenger convertible in the featured photo? It’s a great illustration of what restomodding is all about.
Designed by Carl Cameron and built from 1969 to 1974, the Dodge Challenger we all know and love was available with lots of engines, including the Chrysler Slant inline-six. In terms of displacement, the best the Challenger could do was 440 cu.in., which converts to 7.2 liters of full-on Americana.
This Challenger here, however, is a little bit more extreme. The butterscotch-painted convertible hides a 572 cu. in. (9.3-liter) HEMI V8 under its hood. Worth approximately $20,000 in crate form, the eight-cylinder mill is rated 650 horsepower and 660 lb-ft (895 Nm) of tire-shredding oomph.
The earth-shattering torque trumps that of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat’s 6.2-liter supercharged bruiser. A Tremec TKO 5-speeder backs this powertrain up, together with a 3.91:1-geared 8.75-inch rear end. Sweet setup, but very expensive nonetheless. Estimated to fetch between $165,000 and $210,000 at auction, the custom-built Mopar machine was featured in the June 2013 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. Not a bad resume, if I may add.
But that bundle of cash gets you more just a topless Challenger with more firepower than North Korea. The show-quality cruiser Mecum Auctions will sell off at the Kissimmee 2017 auction is adorned with luxury goodies that include German-weave carpet, diamond-stitched leather seats, a steering wheel borrowed from a 1970s Ferrari, and a one-off dashboard layout.
What’s more, the 18-inch Kinesis wheels really go together with the slick paint job. From a visual standpoint, this restomodded Challenger certainly has what it needs to turn heads at the traffic lights. But for a car guy like me, the TTI headers and Magnaflow mufflers do the talking. With their help, the enormous HEMI V8 is able to sing the song of its people loud and clear.
This Challenger here, however, is a little bit more extreme. The butterscotch-painted convertible hides a 572 cu. in. (9.3-liter) HEMI V8 under its hood. Worth approximately $20,000 in crate form, the eight-cylinder mill is rated 650 horsepower and 660 lb-ft (895 Nm) of tire-shredding oomph.
The earth-shattering torque trumps that of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat’s 6.2-liter supercharged bruiser. A Tremec TKO 5-speeder backs this powertrain up, together with a 3.91:1-geared 8.75-inch rear end. Sweet setup, but very expensive nonetheless. Estimated to fetch between $165,000 and $210,000 at auction, the custom-built Mopar machine was featured in the June 2013 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. Not a bad resume, if I may add.
But that bundle of cash gets you more just a topless Challenger with more firepower than North Korea. The show-quality cruiser Mecum Auctions will sell off at the Kissimmee 2017 auction is adorned with luxury goodies that include German-weave carpet, diamond-stitched leather seats, a steering wheel borrowed from a 1970s Ferrari, and a one-off dashboard layout.
What’s more, the 18-inch Kinesis wheels really go together with the slick paint job. From a visual standpoint, this restomodded Challenger certainly has what it needs to turn heads at the traffic lights. But for a car guy like me, the TTI headers and Magnaflow mufflers do the talking. With their help, the enormous HEMI V8 is able to sing the song of its people loud and clear.
Google News