D.I.Y. Gang’s 2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat rebuild project has been an interesting thing to watch. If you are unfamiliar with this car, it’s a Copart find that had been involved in a garage fire. It was in a bad, bad way at the start of this project…the roof of the garage had collapsed onto the car, just about everything visible had been flash-fried, and the only good news in most people’s eyes was that the 6.2L Hellcat mill had actually managed to survive more-or-less in one piece, with an excellent compression test. Most people would’ve yanked the engine and transmission and would’ve sent the rest off, but José has been adamant from the start: this exact car will be rebuilt from the ground up. It’s unquestionably the most ambitious project we’ve seen, and what really catches our eye is how young José is and how deep he’s in on the car. The last time a Challenger was seen this blown apart, it was being put together on the line at Brampton in Ontario.
There has been some question as to whether or not the Hellcat was even worth rebuilding, due to heat damage. We know the car was on a frame buck for a while, and there is nothing left of the outer sheetmetal. We hope that there’s a V6 Challenger with a blown engine somewhere waiting to donate it’s sheetmetal, but we also want to see this project succeed no matter what, if for no other reason than because someone had the fortitude to look at what almost anyone else would’ve written off and say, “Hell with it, I’ll fix it.”
Kinda like taking a “poop” and recreating the hamburger….” have fries with that?”
Unless he is doing it to show off skills (aka advertisement). Waste of time and money. No way this is profitable on it’s own.
If he was able to get a V-6 roller for a grand or so. Them I would say do it. If he has to buy any of the sheet metal from Mopar. He’s just doing it to be doing it. Gona loose his ass if its just for resale . That’s just my 2 cents.
Contrary to popular belief, not all car builds are for resale. Some are for the love of doing it, or the love that particular car or truck. I know it sounds crazy but that is why some of us do it. I can’t speak for this guy, but I never would have any luck with some of the oddball things I’ve done.
I’m no metallurgical scientist, but wouldn’t the structure of the car be significantly weakened by the extreme temperature? Or at least make it prone to cracks?
Money pit, Jose I admire your enthusiasm but you and D.I.Y. are going to loose your asses on this one.
He has to be doing it to get paid by YOUTUBE . Seriously , who in there right mind would by this car . The CARFAX would make anyone run for the hills . I would much rather buy a 6 popper car turned into a Hellcat clone than that disaster . It wouldn’t be quite as bad if he were making a race car, be it drag or a road course / auto crosser , that didn’t need all those special modules, computers .