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Plymouth "Hellduster" Flexes Hellcat Muscle in Offroad Package

With SUVs and crossovers continuing to climb the sales ladder, what do you do when you wish to be surrounded by something special while enjoying that elevated driving position? Well, why not commission a build like the one we have here, which is as idiosyncratic as a daily driver can get? This is a 1979 Plymouth Trail Duster that has been restomodded to hell/heaven and back.
Plymouth Hellduster build 6 photos
Photo: horsepower_northwest/instagram
Plymouth Hellduster buildPlymouth Hellduster buildPlymouth Hellduster buildPlymouth Hellduster buildPlymouth Hellduster build
As old-school aficionados would tell you, the Trail Duster, which was built between 1974 and 1980, was Plymouth's version of the Dodge Ramcharger. And the example now parked on your screens has been taken quite far from its factory configuration, even though it may not seem like it at first.

This offroader has been gifted with serious muscle while receiving a host of other tech mods that support the gym visit, thanks to the folks over at Horsepower Northwest. This is a small shop in Washington and we've previously covered a Viper-animated 1971 Plymouth GTX the Mopar-addicted crew put together.

The Canyon Red hue covering the generous real estate might be fresh, but you should know this is an old-school color. And the same can be said about the cabin; as you can notice in the one the Instagram posts below, even the gauge cluster plays the time capsule card.

However, once the driver pushes the engine start button and awakens the Hellcat crate motor, the supercharger whine of the 6.2-liter HEMI gives the modern tech away. Not that the handmade 3-inch exhaust would be any better at concealing the muscle. As for the rollover protection structure present inside the car, this may not be visible at first.

The 707-pony V8, which features a generously-sized all-in-one radiator/trans cooler/supercharger cooler/AC condenser, works with a NAG1 five-speed automatic, which uses a modern knob-style shifter on the console.

Further down the power line, we find an Atlas transfer case, as well as Dynatrack axles. And, to answer your frame-related questions, this has been completely boxed in (the rails were reinforced with plates).

We're always happy to see such standout offroaders roaming the streets, and with the project almost completed, the time for the Hellduster to shine is nearly here. Meanwhile, you can enjoy a preview via the Instagram posts below.




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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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