This 1969 Dodge Charger looks as spooky as your next-door neighbour’s lawn full of witches and pumpkins grinning in the dark did last week. Grin is what this Charger does since it received a 1,000-horsepower Hellephant V8 engine.
The Hellephant in the SEMA room is the Dodge Charger made by Ringbrothers. They call it 'TUSK' and claim that it punctuates the classic 'Mopar or no car' saying.
To look and drive the way it does right now, the over five-decade-old Charger received extensive fabrication and carbon-fiber components, a modern chassis, and suspension, while there is a 6.2-liter Hellephant V8 engine operating under that huge hood. It is one of the absolutely insane 100 such engines that Mopar built.
The Hellephant V8 generates 1,000 horsepower (1,014 PS) and 950 lb-ft (1,288 Nm) of torque that go straight to the rear wheels. The Facebook post that includes the photos of the restomod says Dominic Toretto, the character from the Fast & Furious franchise, in his 1970 Charger, can't keep up, and it's probably right.
Mike and Jim Ring rebuilt everything on the classic muscle car. The Charger now sits around a new custom chassis supplied by Roadster Shop. They came up with a revised suspension setup with Fox RS SV coilovers, independent rear suspension, and a wider track, which is now of 58.75 inches (1,492 millimeters) wide.
Photo: Ringbrothers
Meanwhile, the front wheels now spin from another position than the stock one, 2 inches forward, for an extended wheelbase and better stability. The team needed to reconfigure the entire space to also make room for that Hellephant V8. The engine is linked to a Bowler Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission with a carbon fiber driveshaft. Stopping power is provided via a set of Baer Extreme 6S six-piston calipers.
And it's not all mechanics, but looks, too. There is a one-piece carbon fiber grille surround with a single piece of billet machined chrome trim at the front. The model got redesigned front and rear bumpers, new fenders, and new door skins, while the rocker panels sit lower. The faux side vents vanished.
The model is finished in what the Ringbrothers call "Black to the Future" with contrasting gold elements. The car rides on Tusk Edition HRE wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
The team completely reupholstered the cabin in black leather from Upholstery Unlimited and mounted new gauges. They also came up with a carbon fiber steering wheel, center console, and shifter to highlight the sporty DNA. A Vintage Air HVAC system and a JL Audio system found room on board as well.
Approximately 5,000 hours. That is how much the Ringbrothers took to complete the project. The car is on display at 2023 SEMA in Las Vegas, in the company of the 1965 Ford Mustang Uncaged.
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