Hellcat-Swapped 1972 Dodge Challenger Waves Goodbye to Malaise-Era Past

Granted, things weren't all that bad in 1973. Most high-compression engines had been discontinued at the time, but some muscle cars were still generating a solid 250-to-300 horsepower. However, Mopar enthusiasts usually agree that the golden era ended in 1971. Because that's when Chrysler discontinued both the six-barrel 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB and the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI.

While nameplates like the Plymouth GTX and Dodge Super Bee were discontinued, cars like the Charger, Challenger, Barracuda, and Road Runner returned for 1972 without high-performance mills. And that's precisely why so many post-1971 Mopar muscle cars are currently rotting away in junkyards.

It's a sad fate for classics that aren't underpowered or ugly, but it seems like most are doomed to become rust buckets. Restoring them would be too expensive relative to their current market values. On the flip side, some of these somewhat undesirable rigs morph into restomods. This 1972 Dodge Challenger is proof that these cars still have a future.

Spotted at the Kaotic Speed shop, this Mopar may look like a 1972 Challenger R/T at first glance. It sports the right R/T stripes on the sides, it has a vinyl top, and it's finished in what appears to be a period-correct Rallye Red color. But a closer inspection reveals blacked-out trim, which wasn't available at the time, and larger 20-inch wheels.

Moreover, this Challenger was stripped of its original engine and now packs a modern Hellcat. Yup, I'm talking about the supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 that motivates the range-topping versions of the 2023 Challenger and Charger. It's available as a crate engine via Mopar Performance, and it cranks out 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet (881 Nm) of torque from the factory.

Needless to say, that's a massive upgrade given that the range-topping 1972 Challenger came with a 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 good for only 240 horses and 290 pound-feet (393 Nm) of twist. And since the Hellcat V8 is also available with a "plug and play" kit, installing it in pre-1976 Mopars is a breeze.

The Challenger is not yet ready to hit the road, but the Hellcat has already been dropped under the hood, and it's making a lot of noise through the exhaust pipes. And even though I'm not a big fan of restomods, I really like what the folks at Kaotic Speed did with this one.

It's a cool recipe for an unloved Mopar that's too expensive to restore to original specifications. Hit the play button below and let me know what you think.