I first saw this car in 2000. It was a really solid western Kansas car but was missing fenders,hood,grill,auto transmission, radiator, front seat, differential, etc. I had a deal struck at $1200 but I came back with the money and the seller backed out because someone else had offered more $$$. Lesson learned: always have a trailer and cash when you go to buy....but that's ok because I was a broke college kid and would've had to sell it. I tracked the buyer and car down in July of 2015 and bought the car-the price was much higher this time. I had to buy this 68 Roadrunner post car, a 68 roadrunner post parts car, and a 69 GTX with no drivetrain (fender tag showed it to be a red 4 speed, dana 60 car) in order to get a good deal. I sold the 68 post RR parts car and the 69 GTX to recoup some money.

I've really struggled with what to do with this car for many reasons. I wanted to keep this build simple because I already have a marathon 70 Barracuda build ( http://www.pro-touring.com/threads/85958-Heavily-modified-1970-Cuda?highlight=) that is almost 9 years in the making. I wanted to keep it simple...I really did...because:

1. I've just got way too many projects going for a guy in his mid 30's with 5 kids. Although I have too many projects, it's getting to be difficult to find a car this clean so I have a problem turning loose of solid projects.

2. This car has it's numbers matching 383, but I already have one original mopar (a 69 survivor charger w/ 383) and I'm more of a restomod guy. I want fuel injection. I've also parted out over a lot of SRT8s over the past couple years so I have all the 6.1L hemi engines I could ever want.

3. I just like to shift. Originally I wanted to mate an A833 4 speed behind the Gen 3 hemi because it would be easy and I wouldn't have to cut up the floor pans/tunnel/torsion bar crossmember. I had all the 4 speed parts collected, rebuilt, and ready to go. Then I came to my senses. I had been driving my 6 speed 2010 Challenger SRT8 and had been loving every shift. I kept wondering "why go easy with a 4 speed when I won't be happy with it?". Then I added up the value of all the 4 speed parts and hydraulic throwout setup and it was crazy how much I could sell it all for. I had several TR6060's and pedal/hydraulic clutch setups in stock from late model Challengers I had parted. Decision made....CUT UP THE FLOOR AND TUNNEL!!


Ultimately, I want something reliable that gets 20mpg. I don't want to wait 5 years for it. I want to be able to drive it to work 1 or 2 days a week (60 mile round trip) and not worry about it being parked in the parking lot. I post this with the hope that I can maintain momentum since people may be checking up on the project. Wish me luck.

I finally started rolling on this project in about September of 2016. Luckily, I have a great buddy Matt, who is an EXCELLENT fabricator. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have his expertise to lean on. Matt has never steered me wrong and he always has great ideas. Matt is the one doing all the metal work. I'll stick to mechanical work. Metal is his thing.



Video added Febn 2024 with preview video of finished product and story of how I found/bought it:

What drew me to this car was the solid nature of the frame rails and torsion bar crossmember.

I was blown away by how solid the trunk floor was. Usually B body floor pans are toast by this age.

The fenders look terrible but they're really quite solid.





It had lots of rash/dents down the sides. The right quarter has so many dents/waves that's its not worth trying to save. I'm sure someone could have...

The doors and quarters are dented but solid. The lower quarters show some rust behind the wheels.

At first glance, the rear window channel and both rear lower corners looked really solid. From a distance it looks like it has a vinyl top but once you get close, you realize that a previous owner used a rubberized coating to simulate a vinyl top. I think it's kind of ingenious!

The dash was mostly complete and in decent shape. I had the dash frame blasted and powder coated and I ordered a new dash wiring harness with the original intent of rebuilding the original; but my plans soon changed. More to come on the dash...



It wasn't a completely loaded car, but it had a good color combo: red with white/red interior.

Remember these nasty looking fenders???





It had lots of rash/dents down the sides. The right quarter has so many dents/waves that's its not worth trying to save. I'm sure someone could have...

After owning the car a year, I finally got tired of looking at the fenders and pulled them. I used a heat gun to warm up the rubberized undercoating on the back side and scraped it all off little by little. The fenders were originally from a satellite and had trim running down the top edge. A buddy welded up all the emblem holes, wheel lip trim holes, and the trim holes along the top ridge of both fenders. Then I took them to a local metal finishing company and they used aluminum oxide to strip the fenders. When I picked them up I was pleased. The guy who owned the business was blown away by how solid they were. They do have a few dings but nothing bad. This is how they looked after picking them up

The fenders were cleaned with wax/grease remover and then fender metal was roughed in with hammer/dolly, spoons, and files.








The antenna hole was welded closed.

Metal was then ground with mud hog and 80 grit. Edges were hit with rolls scotchbrite one wire wheel. The entire surface was then DA'd again with 80 grit before being cleaned again with wax and grease remover.

Then fenders, nose filler panel, and radiator support were sprayed with 2 coats of Spies and Hecker etch primer, followed by 2 coats of Spies and Hecker 5400 surfacer.

I'm with you on #3

How come the 70 Bee is not listed on your list?

I wish I could have kept the Bee. It was a really solid 383/4 speed post car. I felt I needed to sell the 70 bee to fund my restomod builds. I miss it

Originally, I planned to use an A833 4 speed so I wouldn't have to modify the floor on and torsion bar crossmember. I bought an aluminum flywheel to mate a Gen 3 hemi to a 4 speed. I also bought a Mopar Performance SFI hydro formed bellhousing (part # P5153602) that's designed to mate a late model Hemi to an 833 4 speed or Tremec TKO 5 speeds. It could be used with a mechanical or hydraulic clutch so I bought an American Powertrain hydraulic setup. I also bought a McLeod clutch rated to 500hp.

But my plans changed.....more to come on the transmission...

That bellhousing is a monster.

Yeah-the bell housing is a lot heavier duty then expected.

I actually bought 2 flywheels. I bought the aluminum Mopar flywheel first and then came across the steel flywheel for $100 so I bought it too. turns out Hays actually made both the aluminum flywheel and the steel flywheel for Mopar Performance. They are both 130 tooth.
The aluminum flywheel is 14 pounds and the steel is about 37 pounds. I WAS leaning towards the steel flywheel since this build will mostly be a cruiser/commuter.

I'll have a factory built 6.1L short block from a 56K mile 2009 Challenger I parted out last year. I have a set of C&C ported 6.1 heads (with upgraded springs) from another SRT I parted out. I also bought an Arrington SR2B camshaft for $200 on another forum. Since stock hp rating is 425, I should be between 475 and 500hp at the crank.

I called McLeod, Ram, and Centerforce about what clutch options they would suggest for my scenario. Since this is a "budget" build, I didn't want to break the bank with a twin disc setup and Centerforce only suggested a twin so they were out. Ram said their best single disc was good do 400hp so they were out. McLeod suggested their Super Street Pro kit which includes a pressure plate/throw out bearing and is a dual friction unit. One side is ceramic and the other side is organic. They say it's good to 500hp and is quite comfortable to drive. I pulled the trigger. Summit/Jegs had the best price. Part number is 75209 if anyone needs it for a similar build.

The 833 I planned to use was a 23 spline 833 from a 1970 Super Bee I used to own. It had been mistreated so I had it torn down, rebuilt, and repainted. I actually asked for a high temp paint in a steel color but I got aluminum instead. Oh well, I didn't care enough to have it repainted.

The K frame is next. This is nothing new anymore but for those who don't know...

1. In order to run a Gen 3 Hemi A/C compressor, the steering box mount gussets need trimmed for clearance and the A/C compressor rear mounting ear needs to be cut off.
2. The plates that bolt to the block and attach to the stock engine mounts Are from TTI. They fit seem well but they did need some trimming for clearance on some corners
3. The LX/LC (6.1L) vertical mount oil filter will not fit. I found a 45 degree oil filter adapter from a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Also, a shorter oil filter is required. A stock filter is pictured.

Here are some pictures of the A/C compressor.







This pictures shows where the trimmed rear mounting ear was cut off. It was at the rear end of the compressor and tried to occupy the same space as the drivers side engine mount.

The engine mounts are stock pieces I purchased from Mancini. Since the mounts are not side specific, the mounting bolt is accessed from the rear side on the drivers side mount, which has plenty of clearance.


Since the mount is simply reversed for the passenger side, the bolt is accessed from the front but access is difficult with the oil filter adapter in place. The 3 mounting bolts for the oil filter adapter aren't easy to get to so the solution is the remove the welded on nut on the back side of the passenger engine mount. Then I'll be able to slide the bolt in from the back side (with plenty of clearance) and use a nut/washer on the front side. The picture below shows the interference of the engine mount bolt with the oil filter adapter.

K frame is now done. The last mod is a cut hole for draining oil. It looks different and some may not like the mod, but its not seen very easily with an engine in the engine bay and that's the way I wanted it!







Before


After

A closeup of the trimmed gusseting after cleanup

I feel your pain....but I would have loved to had that much room for the 5.7 in my Duster. I used a spool mount k frame, and hacked the drivers side mount TTI sent me in order to get the AC compressor in where it's supposed to be. I moved the saddle on the k frame, and spaced the compressor out to clear the header tube. Keep up the good work, it's lookin good!

Does he have any more of these bell housing left?

I bought the guys last bell housing...

I got the K frame back from the powdercoater. I went with Eastwood's Rally Wheel Charcoal.

The lower control arms were boxed. I believe the plates came from PST and were something like $22 shipped. They were blasted first, then plates welded on, then powder coated in Eastwood's stamped steel.

In bare metal



after powder coat

I also had fun with the a/c compressor and the TTI mounts. I ended up knocking the nut off the passenger mount and flipping the bolt. My drivers side has a flag nut that I welded up that keeps me from needing to get a wrench on it to tighten. I also drilled and safety wired the mounts to the block, I do NOT want those coming loose once the car is together.

I got my 6.1L heads back from the machine shop last week. These CNC ported heads were actually in the trunk of an SRT that I bought from the insurance pool. They were filthy so I had the machine shop do a valve job, replace the valve seals, and resurface them. The chambers have some nicks from a blown up piston but hey...they were free!! Plus they had upgraded PAC valve springs



Intake ports



Exhaust ports

The passenger side quarter panel was cut off; the whole quarter was dented and wavy so it wasn't worth saving. The driver's side quarter just needed a lower patch panel. the dropoffs/trunk extensions are also being replaced. All pieces are AMD

The passenger's side rocker had also taken quite a beating. A previous owner must have hit a pole. The damage:



Closeup carnage

First I took it to a local frame shop and had them pull out the dent somewhat.



I bought a new complete AMD rocker, with the hope that just a section could be used if the rest looked ok underneath.....but that's never the way that works out.



The front side of the rocker was very solid. The backside...not so much

For several weeks, I would go check on progress and I would end up ordering more AMD sheetmetal. That's just the way these projects seem to go. Originally the rear crossmember, which is behind the rear bumper, was just going to get some patches. But once the bumper was off, and the rust was exposed, I ended up buying the rear crossmember, the sheetmetal right above it, and the rear corner pieces that run between the crossmember and the quarter panel.



New rear crossmember.




When I first got the car, I looked at the rear window channel and thought it looked pretty solid:

It turns out i was wrong...

The rubberized coating that was put on the roof was extremely hardened and wouldn't budge with a wire cup wheel; it would just smear. We tried a heat gun and putty knife but it took too much heat to warm it up and warping the roof skin was a concern. Finally, this disc did the trick. The key was not to drive through all the layers at once but do keep moving around and take one layer off at a time.

figures they didn't damage the rusted area of that rocker. nice work.

So much for just a patch/splice. The whole right rocker ended up coming out





New AMD rocker in place

This next idea is purely Matt's idea. The profile of the inner wheel house is pretty much vertical but the profile of the outside wheel house slopes into the wheel tub and encroaches on available tire space. After looking at the gap between the quarter panel skin and the outer wheel tub, Matt took some measurements and cut out a section of the old outer wheel house. Matt made a plug that will allow more tire by taking the slope out of the outer wheel house profile

Great job on the outer wheel well modifcation!
Pat

I can personally confirm that the roof has been completely stripped!

Whew!

Yep! Mark (GY3) has been helping me out in a big way by stripping the rubberized coating and paint from the roof, drip rails, trunk gutters, etc. I know I won't get doe by the time baby #5 arrives in late March but some real progress has been made in the last 2 weeks! Thanks Mark!

Thanks Pat! I.m really happy with them. Matt really had a great idea for the outer wheel house.

Matt cut a piece out of the new sheetmetal piece above the rear crossmember. We didn't want to disturb the lip/profile of the lower edge that sits agains the deckled

The driver's side quarter had a bid dent on the character line. Picture before...

I've got a 70 Cuda restomod that has snowballed out of control. Im currently 8 years into a 3 year build....Im sure many of you can sympathize. So....my original intent for this Roadrunner was for it to be simple. I had decided on just doing some sheetmetal repair and as far as drivetrain, I was going use a Gen 3 6.1L hemi, 23 spline 833 4 speed manual trans, and an 8 3/4" rearend. I didn't want this project to spiral out of control either so I was dead set against change. I just wanted to keep it simple to speed up the build, save money, and not have to cut the floor pans. I had a 4 speed completely rebuilt/ painted and I bought all the parts to convert from a 727 auto to a 4 speed manual.........and then one day I added up the costs of a installing an 833 (see list below) and I realized how much just a 4 speed costs.....I decided to install a TR6060 6 speed instead of an 23 spline 833. The 833 4 speed would have been easier and faster, but...

1. I had a 50K mile TR6060 sitting in the shop....with everything needed to complete the swap. I had parted out a 2009 Challenger SRT8 so I had the stock twin disc clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, hydraulic throwout, hydraulic line/reservoir, clutch pedals, etc....just waiting to be used. And it was originally paired to a 6.1 so it was easy to assemble.
2. I started adding up the value of all the parts for the 4 speed swap: rebuilt 833, Lakewood SFI Bell housing, new Mcleod clutch/pressure plate, Mopar Flywheel, hydraulic throwout bearing setup, z bar, fork, actuator rods, boot/seals, fork pivot, pedal assembly, etc and I thought... "Why am I spending this much for a 4 speed?!?!?!?!?" I'll could sell it all to pay for the tunnel and crossmember fabrication work."
3. I didn't want to cut the tunnel and floor for the 6 speed but in reality I want to drive this car to work 1 or 2 days a week (70 mile roundtrip) so why go to the trouble of a Gen 3 hemi with a 4 speed?!?!

Pictures coming soon...

At first I really didn't want to modify the floor pans since they were pretty solid, but I finally came to my senses. I'm really excited about the subframe connectors, which are made of 2"x4" steel rectangular tubing that channel through the floor pans. Should really help to eliminate flex and improve rigidity.

Right quarter panel went on after that

Rear window channel

Rear window patches are from AMD...

[

The numbers matching 383 came out of the car and one of my "windowed" 6.1L hemi blocks went in the bay for mockup.




I've got a hollow TR6060 case/shell that I use for mockup. It went in for a rough cut on the tunnel...

driver's side quarter panel rust:



rust cut out:



Patch panel roughed in:

I took the dash frame to a local powdercoater, who blasted and powder coated it in a satin black. The only blasting cabinet he had big enough to blast this dash used coal slag, which is quite aggressive so I was worried it would warp the metal. I asked him to turn the pressure way down; he said he used 40 psi (instead of his usual 100 psi) and it turned out great! I am really happy with the texture and finish. Plus I got rid of the UGLY marroon.

I don't have a good picture of the dash frame beforehand, but the metal around the VIN plate will give you an idea of what it looked like. This car had been sitting in a field in western kansas without a windshield for more then 1o years so all the paint had been baked off the top of the dash frame

[img]http://i.imgur.com/sLTWloQ.jpg?1[/img]





After getting the dash frame pwdercoated and buying a new M&H dash harness, I started thinking, which is never good for my wallet. I realized I didn't want to work with the taxi dash gauges so i began looking for a 1968 rallye dash frame, which I bought off facebook. After considering dash options, I decided on a Dakota Digital unit for several reasons. First, I really like the look. Secondly, the TR6060 doesn't have a speedo output so Dakota has a GPS based speedometer box which is plug and play with the Charger VHX gauges.

I tried to sell these Challenger SRT seats for 6 months with no luck so I guess I'll use them in the Roadrunner. Usually I sell stuff and 2 months later I wish I hadn't so this was a nice change!





The roadrunner has never had front seats in it for the last 20+ years so It was fun to sit in the car for the first time

amazing body work. can't even tell the window channel was done.

Thanks Dave! Matt really does incredible work.

View from below which shows how the 2x4" ties into the rear frame rails





This picture is looking to the rear of the car and shows the driver's side subframe connector which channels through the torsion bar crossmember and ties into the forward frame rail:



Same rail just viewed from the side:



Passenger side subframe connector tying into the front subframe rail:

I'm debating some interesting rear suspension options at the moment...stay tuned

Well...My intent was to stay simple, but this project has snowballed.

After some thinking, I've decided on independent rear suspension! For a commuter restomod, I decided I wanted something different then leaf springs. I was looking at a 4 link setup, a 2 link/panhard bar setup, and IRS.
I part out SRT8's for a weekend gig and I have several complete IRS setups laying around. Matt set one up under the car and decided it wouldn't be too crazy to adapt. He had been contemplating doing the same thing to his wife's car so he's been thinking about it awhile. Ultimately we decided it would be worth pursuing.

I love the way my 2010 Challenger SRT8 handles/drives so that helped greatly in the decision. The K frame will need to be shortened 2 inches in the middle and the original mounting pads will need to be cut off so the IRS frame can slide between the Roadrunners rear frame railst. This is the IRS K frame before modification:



First thing, the K frame was reinforced/boxed in a few areas:

The IRS frame needed to be shortened 2.0" but the 2.0" could not come from the middle of the frame because of the differential mounting bolts. Here a few pictures of the K frame to better illustrate the cuts. The first picture is looking at the IRS frame from behind. The cut is a 1" slice that was taken from the right side, just outside of the right differential mounting bolt. A 1" slice was also taken out of the forward bar of the IRS frame (not pictured)



The next two pictures are also taken from the back side of the IRS frame. The first picture is the passenger side where a 1.0" vertical cut was made to both bars of the IRS frame.



This picture shows the "Z" shaped cut on the driver's side-just outside of the left differential mounting bolt. On the driver's side a straight 1" slice was not possible duet to the contours of the IRS frame and the left side differential bolt bushing.



This is not the differential Ill be using. I plan to use a limited slip 3.91 Getrag differential

These are not wheels I will be using but this is right height....TaDAAAAAAAA!!!

So exciting to see this go together!

That is awesome great build page

Great job on the IRS!!! Since all of the suspension mounting points for the control arms and stuff just moved inward a little, will you be able to use it all back without modification? If you can, and only have to shorten the axle assemblies that will be great!

Since the IRS frame was shortened 2.0" in the middle, the link lengths and geometry were untouched. As you stated, I should just have to have the axle shafts each shortened 1.0".

I love the ride height it looks wicked !!! I have a project thats ben neglected for over a year to take care of my dad . but now IM back !! and full steam !!!

NICE! I am not a patient person so I've really had to work on my patience. I have a similar 70 Cuda build that is currently 8 years in the making. Periodic breaks can be beneficial though. They have allowed me to refocus/refresh or to gather funds to make a better build. Good luck with your progress.

Awesome build! I'm in the middle of transferring both front and rear suspensions from a 2006 Charger R/T (I'll upgrade to SRT-like components after install) to my '50 Panel Van and your thread has caught my eye...

Did you bolt the rear cradle in or weld it in? Do you have any pics of how the connection points ended up?

I don't have any good pictures at the moment but I will try to get some. The IRS frame was too wide so it was modified in two ways. We didn't want to modify the links/geometry. to do this, two inches needed to come out of the middle of the IRS frame. Since the differential mounts to the rear bar of the IRS frame, one inch was taken out on the outside of both the differential mounting holes. The passenger side section cuts were straight up/down on both frame bars but the driver side cut was a Z shaped cut (offset) due to some bushings. Next the 4 IRS mounting ears were cut off to fit the IRS frame between the rear subframe rails. The IRS frame will be welded in. The subframe rail will also be notched to raise the IRS frame up into the car and to allow full articulation of the links.

Damn!! Can't wait to see this car in driveable condition!

So you're actually going to weld it in? I've thought about the same thing, but I wasn't sure it would be good for the long run. I suppose "why not" though... I mean, they make solid aluminum mounts, so why not just take it one step further?

Can't wait to see more pictures! Thank you for posting and replying! (now if I can figure out how to get the board to notify me when someone replies to the thread... I'll be a happy man)

Originally I wanted it to be removable but the rear frame rails will have to be cut/modified enough that it may as well just be welded in. It's not something you can just remove and go back to a solid axle. The differential mount holes are bushed so it is insulated somewhat

How did you handle the rear anti-sway bar? Did you retain it or did you nix it? Or are you planning a different anti-sway bar entirely?

Just asking because the Roadrunner really needs an anti-sway bar. My '66 Charger has body roll like no other and the Roadrunner (being a bigger and heavier car) is sure to be even worse

I can't wait to see what you do for mounting rear shocks/springs!

I removed the LX sway bar and will go custom later

Will you toss the stock LX rear shocks/springs aside and go with standard coil-overs for the IRS?

The IRS is getting welded in so the frame rails were cut:





This is the plate that will be welded in to cap the frame rail.

Transmission crossmember from below:

Originally I was going to make the original K-frame/torsion bar setup work but I changed my mind and decided to go with Reilly Motorsports for the front suspension. The RMS Alterktion setup showed up this last week. Woohoo!

cool trans mount!!
Pat

Thanks Pat! Your charger has some sweet modifications as well!

In order to keep the seats low and provide clearance for the electric motors, a custom pan was made under both front seats.

This picture is looking to the rear of the car and shows the driver's side subframe connector which channels through the torsion bar crossmember and ties into the forward frame rail:



Same rail just viewed from the side:



Passenger side subframe connector tying into the front subframe rail:

The trunk floor pan was really quite solid but there were a couple small holes along the trailing edge that Matt patched:

Transmission crossmember from the top..

Master cylinder and pedals were sourced from the Challenger SRT8 I parted out.

The pedals from the 2009 Challenger are mounted with 6 bolts. We tried to mount it with just 4 bolts, but the pedal bracket flexed too much so a plate with two more mounting points was added:



View from the side. it will still be boxed in


Pedals were hung but the and placed the pedals over the steering column hole. The pedals were heated and straightened. Then they were cut and the foot pads were removed/reoriented

Before:


After

A few more pictures of the modified floor pans under the front bucket seats





View from below:

I ordered a shifter with a 1.0" lateral offset (toward the driver) and 4.25" aft offset. Disregard the 4 speed pattern on the handle!

Here's the first part of the tunnel:





The Holley Dominator ECU mounts to the top of the tunnel near the firewall. You can see it in the next 2 pictures:

Since the Photobucket extortion attempt, I've been dreading the thread rebuild but I finally bit the bullet and installed all the pictures using imgur.com. If anyone else is still looking for options, you should consider imgur. I've come to like the site in the last week. Anyways...

This is the second section of the tunnel has been roughed in and the new column has been installed. This picture also shown the shifter installed.

On the rotisserie so the IRS K frame can be welded in:

Second segment of the tunnel has been welded in. A bezel (seen in bottom right corner) is in process which will have a groove all the way around; carpet will fit into the groove.

After having the Roadrunner dash powdercoated, I changed directions and bought a 1968 Charger Rallye dash frame off one of the facebook trader pages for $100 plus shipping. Here it is in place:



I also picked up a set of Dakota Digital gauges.



[img]http://i.imgur.com/k2hCd8o.jpg?1[/img]

IRS getting welded in

Tunnel from below

Tunnel and tunnel cover/closeout

Very nice fab work, can't wait to see more.

Since I eliminated the torsion bars, I have a lot more options for manifolds/headers. Since this car will have about 475-500hp, I decided to go with the factory stainless headers that came on the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. The SRT headers are really durable pieces that also flow very well; they flow as well as any aftermarket shorty header; and SRT headers can easily handle 500hp. Only above that level would longtube headers make a real difference. I couldn't use the factory headers from the Charger/Challenger/etc because they basically point at the firewall in a B body Mopar. The Jeep manifolds point down at a better angle and they hug the block (maybe a little too well) but they will still need some modification on the passenger side in order to clear the bell housing/starter. I also didn't want to spend $750 on a set of mild steel headers that I would have to clearance (ding/dent) anyway.

The driver's side manifold bumped into the alterktion motor mount so the easiest thing is to modify the motor mount.



The straight piece was removed in favor of a curved pipe. this if the view looking toward the firewall (rearward)



This view is looking forward



I will have tons of room between the frame rails and manifolds. The manifolds will also be easy to remove if need be. I plan to drive this car a lot...

The passenger side crashed hard against the area on the bell housing where the starter mounts. The manifold wasn't even close to seating/mounting.



Matt sliced the passenger manifold, heated it up, and bent the collector end outward a few degrees. Then he welded it back up. Sorry-the pictures aren't very good but the silver area in the next two pictures is where the slice was made.

Brake kits are too expensive and since I have parted out SRT8's, I figured I should use what I have. Matt had a bracket machined (and ordered 4 sets for future builds). Now i've got 4 piston Brembo calipers with Dodge rotors (for easy replacement). The other benefit is that my master cylinder and brake pedal are from an SRT Challenger so its a perfect pairing.

Hadn't seen that yet! Cool!

The differential is going to be a limited slip Getrag unit that I pulled from a 2010 Challenger SRT8 I parted out. The Challengers with the 6 speed manual transmission received a 3.91 ratio vs the 3.06 that came with the automatic. My 2010 Challenger daily driver has the exact same 6.1L, 6 speed, and Getrag 3.91. With the .50 overdrive ratio, I am turning 2,000 RPM at 85mph. Should be fun off the line and still comfortable on the highway. The differential just got installed so that exhaust could be routed.

View from the right side...


View from behind:

The OEM SRT wheels just didn't look right so I finally decided on a wheel.....now that I know the 20x9 will fit over the Brembo calipers, I can order up the other 3 wheels.