Photo: Westen Champlin
Did you ever have to make the tough decision of choosing between a good old reliable pick-up truck and a fun muscle car? Well, no matter how harsh you felt the economy upon your shoulders, at least it's free to dream, right? But today isn't about daydreaming because we're about to witness dreams come true, at least for some. So let's see how one such man, or better-called hero, tries to turn a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat into an off-roading monster. Will he succeed? Let's find out!
Depending on the specs, a new 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Jailbreak model with a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 engine could run you for about $74,000.
The Redeye version is going for roughly $82k, and the SRT Super Stock is starting at $91,300. They're all packed with the 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8, making some of the best noises a muscle car can make. It's not called a Hellcat for nothing.
Westen, from the "Westen Champlin" YouTube channel, got himself one recently with the explicit intention of turning it into an off-roading beast so his pick-up-loving friends wouldn't make fun of him anymore. A noble purpose, indeed.
In all fairness, he didn't get a new one, but a 2017 model with a 6.2-liter HEMI that can produce 707 horsepower or 717 ps with 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque. Not too shabby for a RWD 6-speed manual muscle car that can hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 199 mph or 320 kph.
After careful consideration, Westen decided he wouldn't just raise the car a few notches, throw in a few spacers, and slap on some 35-inch tires. The whole purpose, nay, mission, is to make it perform like it was built from scratch with heavy off-roading in mind.
This means making it 4 feet taller (121 cm), installing a four-wheel drive system, a 1-ton F350 axle, and an entirely new suspension system.
Now, because the F350 axle they're using is 81 inches (206 cm) long, and the Hellcat's body is just 71 inches (180 cm), it will be sticking out 5 inches (13 cm) on each side, making it look awesome-scary. Then, the old steering has to go, along with the brakes. Everything should work out as planned.
In theory, at least, because the practical side of things is like solving an engineering puzzle with cutting and welding in the mix. After installing the frame rail, they still had more to go with the axle, brakes, bearings, and whatnot. They also had to try on the tires to see at least what it would look like, and it didn't disappoint.
Sadly, this is where the first part of the adventure ends. The second episode should be up soon enough, depending on their progress. But if this first attempt is anything to go by, then the "driving parts" should also go in smoothly.
The Redeye version is going for roughly $82k, and the SRT Super Stock is starting at $91,300. They're all packed with the 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8, making some of the best noises a muscle car can make. It's not called a Hellcat for nothing.
Westen, from the "Westen Champlin" YouTube channel, got himself one recently with the explicit intention of turning it into an off-roading beast so his pick-up-loving friends wouldn't make fun of him anymore. A noble purpose, indeed.
In all fairness, he didn't get a new one, but a 2017 model with a 6.2-liter HEMI that can produce 707 horsepower or 717 ps with 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque. Not too shabby for a RWD 6-speed manual muscle car that can hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 199 mph or 320 kph.
After careful consideration, Westen decided he wouldn't just raise the car a few notches, throw in a few spacers, and slap on some 35-inch tires. The whole purpose, nay, mission, is to make it perform like it was built from scratch with heavy off-roading in mind.
This means making it 4 feet taller (121 cm), installing a four-wheel drive system, a 1-ton F350 axle, and an entirely new suspension system.
Now, because the F350 axle they're using is 81 inches (206 cm) long, and the Hellcat's body is just 71 inches (180 cm), it will be sticking out 5 inches (13 cm) on each side, making it look awesome-scary. Then, the old steering has to go, along with the brakes. Everything should work out as planned.
In theory, at least, because the practical side of things is like solving an engineering puzzle with cutting and welding in the mix. After installing the frame rail, they still had more to go with the axle, brakes, bearings, and whatnot. They also had to try on the tires to see at least what it would look like, and it didn't disappoint.
Sadly, this is where the first part of the adventure ends. The second episode should be up soon enough, depending on their progress. But if this first attempt is anything to go by, then the "driving parts" should also go in smoothly.
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