Classic cars are very cool and oftentimes restomods can be even better since they mix those old-school cool looks with modern technology. The restomods that get all the attention are builds that often spare no expense and end up costing six figures though. That’s why this 1973 Dodge Challenger with modern HEMI power is so intriguing because it’ll likely end up being cheaper than a brand new Challenger.
Take one quick look at this classic muscle car and it’s easy to see where the modern iteration gets its good looks – well, minus those new-age 2016 Challenger taillights that look weird here. The long nose and curt rear decklid are timeless but the engine that originally came under the hood of this example wasn’t so great.
That’s why the owner yanked it out in favor of a modern 6.1-liter 392 HEMI. They didn’t just stop with a stock power plant though. They bored it out to 6.4-liters with a Manley Performance stroker kit, added a Holley Dominator EFI system, and now make reportedly around 500-horsepower.
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If it’s hitting that figure it would be more than a brand new Challenger Scat Pack which uses a 6.4-liter 392 HEMI and costs $44,695. There’s more to this restomod than just an updated engine though. The rest of the performance metrics have been attended to as well.
Sending power to the rear wheels is done through a five-speed Tremec TKO transmission and a limited-slip differential. The body is kept in check with a Hotchkis suspension kit and braking is done through the use of Wilwood components including drilled and slotted rotors as well as calipers.
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Still, the old adage about ‘never buy someone else’s project’ might apply here and might explain the relatively low high bid of $31,000 (as of this writing – check it again though as it might have ended by now).
For example, the air conditioning has been updated but is inoperable, the rear panels don’t really match up very well, and the dual cone intakes set where the old fog lights used to be don’t line up with the holes very well.
Of course, those things might not matter to you or you might feel like you could fix them after the fact. While the new Challenger looks cool, there’s certainly some allure to driving the original with modern horsepower under the hood.
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