Selling turbo Dakota for a Hellcat Charger!!!???

I am thinking about doing that and putting up the truck for sale. So going from a high nine (prob mid 9 with the boost controller) to a high 10 car... Am I crazy?

A lot of guys quit racing as they get older. Nothing crazy about that

HEEEEEYYYY,you saying I am old?? lol...

But in reality, that is part of it. I also want to get into "more" of new technology.

I would wait a little longer. The Demon seems to be killing Hellcat prices, and I think they will come down more when the Demon hits the floor.

My dealer has a leftover '16 Cat on the floor. It's already dropped almost $13K, and still no buyers.

I agree, I'd wait a little while or just order a demon and go 9s.

I see quite a few really nice older Mopars up for sale, and I think buying modern muscle is the impetus for a great deal of it. I really want a 2nd gen SRT8 300, but I haven't been able to let go any of my older stuff yet.

just saw a 2 Challengers smoke a rear end/drive line tonight and then a Hellcat do the same within a half hour at the test and tune here at Pacific Raceways, FWIW

The Challenger isn't an option for me since I need 4 doors for the family. And I think the Charger looks better anyway.

I'm with you on the charger, family or not I think that is the one I would buy if I had hellcat money.

I understand your thoughts on this, modern muscle is very very tempting. A friend of mine has been beating a hellcat like it owes him money since they first came out. He has done some road course events, and hundreds of passes on it and it hasn't given up a thing yet. He has modified it some now and it is trapping 140MPH but he can't get it to hook(10.10 best). My Barracuda is nice looking, drives nice, but all the old car rattle trap junk sure gets old lol.

I would be all over buying a hellcat, I agree the charger would be my choice as well, all the comforts of a modern vehicle, with a warranty. If I had one I known I would drive it more than my dart.

I wish I could afford your truck!

I can't wait to hear the crying when the transmissions and rearends start breaking in these cars because trust me, it's gonna happen and it isn't going to be cheap. Lol

That's what warranty is for. You can get at least 100K mile warranty if you want.

So I'm reading the warranty book online (http://www.dodge.com/crossbrand/warranty/pdf/2015-Dodge-Generic_Warranty-1st.pdf) and page 14 section 3.4 says "3.4 Racing Not Covered. Your warranties don’t cover the costs of repairing damage or conditions caused by racing, nor do they cover the repair of any defects that are found as the result of participating in a racing event." There's 40 some odd pages of warranty information. Interesting reading.

A good dealership will get it fixed anyway. Dodge wants these cars out beating on the Camaros and Mustangs. You think they put a line loc and trans brake in the Demon just for fun?

How many Dana 60s and Hemi motors got replaced under warranty? Time marches on.

Dibbs on the Dakota. 😎

I had somewhat similar thoughts, so I bought a '16 Grand Caravan yesterday. Family man status complete. Kept the cuda though, traded my Tahoe on it instead. Still have the old Cummins Ram too.

So...yeah...same here, just what in need...now if I can just figure out what I want to sell so I can afford it... Must...resist...

Make an offer guys! Here are some more pics: https://www.flickr.com/gp/154381965@N05/c2Q3hc

I haven't read about too many problems with the transmissions. It seems the driveshaft is the first thing to go.

there were a ton of the newer Hemi powered cars at MaTS this year. It was about the only group I had time to watch and they were having a blast.

Surprise surprise, a 750+ hp car hooking with slicks breaks parts, nothing new.

Yes they do break but I can rebuild a 727 for under 275.00 and a powerglide for under 250.00 probably closer to 225.00 and in the last 35 years I broke one set of 9 inch gears and never a Dana rearend.

With the way bad news spreads on the internet we should have heard about some failures if they were common at all. There is Hellcats with hundreds and hundreds of passes out there. You know if one broke or blew up it would be plastered everywhere by the ford and chevy crowd and the late model haters lol.

I have 125 passes in a log book with my Procharged SRT. It has 25,000 miles on it since I stuck the blower on it. I upped the boost to 10 pounds about 5,000 miles ago lol
still running great.

It's hard on tires 😛

My kids love being picked up from school in it. It runs 7.60 at 95 MPH in the 1/8 and gets 20 MPG with the AC on. I'm going to sell it only because I'm looking at Pro Mods 😎

When I had my 6 speed SRT I was warned the driveshaft would go IF I hooked it up real good.

My Shaker is a lowly 5.7 auto. Dealer told me the if I break it at the strip they will send a rollback to get it and fix it under warranty. They bet me I can't break it.

There is a local guy here with a 6 speed RT with slicks on it, he has put parts on the ground a few times lol. I think the dealer fixed it once, not sure about the other times. I think it also has nitrous.

Here is my plan with the Hellcat:

Drop my 17 month old off at daycare
Drop my wife off at work
Use navigation to find our new 1/4 mile track about 50 miles away
Run AC to keep Houston humidity out of the car
Turn on the ventilated seat
Put on some old school RUSH to jam to with the Harmon Kardon system
Run some 10'8s at the track
Go pick up baby and wife
Stop at Taco Cabana and get some drive through
Go home

Sounds good except for the Rush.

You really can't beat these late model cars power wise. People with bolt ons, tunes and a little more boost are making 800HP with Hellcats in daily drivable cars that don't shake the neighborhood with cam lope while idling, don't need constant maintenance aside from oil changes and knock out almost 20mpg in 4400 pound cars.

I don't think anyone will say a hellcat is the CHEAPEST way to build a 9 or 10 second drag car, but it has to be one of the easiest. To build just about any other mopar into a 9 second car, you literally have to build the whole car. To build a 9 second Hellcat, it seems like you just do a few bolt ons and replace the driveshaft and axles. On top of that, the car can do so much more than what 99% of the old school cars here running 9's can do. Handling, long road trips, sit in hot traffic, keep you comfortable.

Me personally, as great of an all around car as the hellcat is...it's just not hot rod enough for me. It's just another new challenger which are the new mustangs as far as 'me too cars' go. From a hot rod/drag racer perspective, I see a lot more potential and a far greater cool-factor taking a hellcat engine and planting in it in a nice old body with a Dana 60, 727 and a 4 link rear.

Some guys enjoy building and doing the work to build a 9 second car, some are cheap and do it on a budget, some are to lazy and would rather pay someone to do it for them, and some do it so they can go to car shows and brag about running 9's but never do so. Whatever floats your boat. LOL

i see ALOT of 9 sec. street/show cars that have never been to the track

EASY now, you can build a 750+ hp/4000lb capable 727 for $275? Lets not get carried away

All you have done on this post is insult people. I have built a few nine second STREET cars including one that ran 9.2's. And both were able to be enjoyed driving every day on the street and not just at the track after being trailered there. Just because we can now afford something that will provide great performance along with a lot of other luxuries doesn't make someone one lazy.

I would never race a 4000 pound race car. Lol

Surprise surprise, a 750+ hp car hooking with slicks breaks parts, nothing new. [/quote]


Yes they do break but I can rebuild a 727 for under 275.00 and a powerglide for under 250.00 probably closer to 225.00 and in the last 35 years I broke one set of 9 inch gears and never a Dana rearend. [/quote]

EASY now, you can build a 750+ hp/4000lb capable 727 for $275? Lets not get carried away [/quote]


I would never race a 4000 pound race car. Lol [/quote]

Plenty of guys do, doesn't change the fact that you're making silly claims. Everyone gets you don't like late model stuff, whatever, no one cares, doesn't mean you have to start making ridiculous claims to justify your argument, smacks of desperation

No desperation here. I'm the cheap guy I was talking about. My bracket racing is strictly budget. Even my heads up combo is built with budget in mine and lack specialty items.

Awesome 👍, but don't make ridiculous claims about what you do to make what others decide to do look like a bad idea

I am not looking to bracket race or drive a rattly, rough riding, loud trailer car any more. That is why I went to the turbo Dakota. But now, technology has passed that..and hence the Hellcat. 10 years from now, there will be something else.

BTW, the AMG is sold and I believe the Dakota is sold..so on the way....

Congratulations!

Dakota, has been sold locally to someone in Texas. I will miss that truck as it was fun to drive, but will enjoy the Hellcat too. I will let him disclose if he chooses, as he is a member of this site.

I have been on the site for about 15 years and will continue to lurk to see if the new owner posts.

Thanks everyone!

We want to know your opinion of the Cat

Me too...Been thinking a lot about the Hellcat stuff. Sure looks fun and with the new Demon coming out hoping Hellcat prices fall a bit. Best of luck with the new toy!!

Yes please! Let us know how you like it.