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11 September 2017

This Hellcat-powered '69 Dodge Charger is a Republican's dream car

By James LisleJames Lisle

Admittedly, the fuel economy probably isn’t that great. But there’s still plenty of space in the back for your American flags, low-alcohol beer, and that salacious cousin of yours that you didn’t notice was a real looker until now.

While the 527kW (707hp) 1969 Dodge Charger, made by Cleveland Power And Performance in Ohio, has been tearing up the internet for some time, more images about the build went up on the workshop’s Facebook page earlier this week.

The original shell was an abandoned project that hadn't seen the road for 20 years. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com) The original shell was an abandoned project that hadn't seen the road for 20 years. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com)

The updates come as additional work is spent on the exterior to streamline the seams and to flush out the edges in order to make it look as factory fresh and OEM as possible. Now wearing side skirts, the Charger - lovingly referred to as 'Reverence' - has also had work in the swapped interior, to ensure that all the electronics and their connections, well... work. It’s pretty cool stuff.

Old meets new. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com) Old meets new. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com)

While engine swaps with Hellcat units are becoming an increasingly popular phenomenon in the States, this 1969 Dodge Charger combines the best of both worlds, staying true to both Dodge's muscle car heritage and its loyal followers.

  • It's a far cry from the fat slabs of hard, squeaky plastic found on most old-school Chargers. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com) It's a far cry from the fat slabs of hard, squeaky plastic found on most old-school Chargers. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com)
  • As epic as it is - we have to wonder how long before those FCA electrics give way. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com) As epic as it is - we have to wonder how long before those FCA electrics give way. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com)

Admittedly, it’s not an extremely over-the-top retromod, like Singer's 911 for instance, where every single part is fabricated, modified, or improved, but it’s still a fabulous piece of work.

Refreshingly however, the philosophy of Reverence is to be driven on the street, not to be blown up on the track - hence the focus on production-car like elements; the interior, everyday drivability and reliability. It even features the suspension from the 2016 Dodge Charger donor car from which the compenents are from. That's independent suspension all round, with a multi-link setup at the back.

It’s a car to get out on the weekend to drive at six or seven tenths, rather than taking it to the drag strip or local Bunnings carpark to thrash every now and then.

Most of the recent work has been focused on smoothing out the rougher edges. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com) Most of the recent work has been focused on smoothing out the rougher edges. (image credit: Cleveland Power And Performance/Facebook.com)

That mightn’t be everyone’s focus in a ‘60s/’70s muscle car project, but hey, it’s still a hell of a car to drool over, and with 1025 of the budgeted 2700 hours completed, we’re extremely excited to see what the finished project will look like.

What do you think of the Hellcat-powered Charger? Is there a better old car/new car combination out there that you’d like to see? Tell us what you think in the comment below.