Project Angry Grandpa, our gold-brick 2006 Chrysler 300C, is a pretty stout car for what it is intended to be: a fun mile-muncher that can occasionally go full-kill and have some fun. While the definition of “fun” still needs to be sorted out for that car (whoever designed the electronic stability control for that car deserves to be stuck with a 1994 Pontiac Sunfire sedan for the remainder of their days) in the grand scheme of things, we can still say that it is on track. That doesn’t stop my inbox from being filled up with messages from friends who have suggestions for the next big modification that I can’t afford. High on the list: at least 50% more power, and a six-speed manual transmission. Sadly, both of those are out of the cards: a Gen3 Hemi build is too expensive right now, and nobody but nobody has been able to crack the computer on these LX cars to make a manual trans work. To get a six speed into a Chrysler 300 requires the everything from a Challenger for a conversion. Not that I wouldn’t love to have a three-pedal four-door sedan that can handle itself well…that would be grounds for me permanently keeping the car…but it’s financially improbable right now.
So when I stumbled onto the footage of David Waterworth’s Viper-powered, manually shifted Chrysler 300C drift car, I can say with certainty that part of me is exceptionally jealous. Sam Hubinette might have used the big Mopars before, but Waterworth’s Chrysler looks to have more in common with the former V8 Superstars race cars than it does with anything else. Naturally, it’s gutted inside and out to shed weight, but it’s a drift car…what does that matter? Everything that is needed has been retained, and all of the fluffy crap that isn’t needed is long gone. Comfortable for miles? Nope. But when I feel like being an absolute freaking hoon? Oh, hell yes…
