Thoughts on '70 Charger / SRT-8 conversion

[MikahB]

My brother and I have a '70 Charger 500 that is not a #'s matching car. We built a healthy 440 for the car with a manual valvebody 727 years ago and it runs strong and sounds great (here's a video), but is rough around the edges for sure. Since then, it's been sitting waiting to become a priority again. With the recent sale of my race car (Z06 Vette), and my wife and daughters increasing interest in muscle cars, we're going to tear back into the Charger as a major project.

My bro and I have always had the vision of making a vintage-looking but modern-performing car out of the Charger, and with the availability of SRT8 salvage cars and computers to make the parts work, seems like that might be a good direction.

The part that might be a little radical is I want to use a LOT of the modern car stuff - all the way from the engine and tranny to (maybe) the suspension - including IRS, ABS, and even interior goodies like seats, column (possibly), gauges, etc. I haven't taken any good measurements yet, but I think a wrecked SRT8 Challenger might have a lot of parts it could contribute to a build like this.

The only 70 Charger pieces I'm committed to keeping are the exterior parts - I'm happy to fabricate frame and interior sheet metal to fit whatever bits we choose to install need.

I've read through a couple of 6.1L Hemi retrofits, but haven't found any projects yet where somebody really transplanted a bunch of parts from a donor to an older car. So, any thoughts/challenges/etc.?

[speedfreak68]

Do IT!! you might check out dodgecharger.com, you may be able to get some information on it over there.

[srh3trinity]

Sounds like a great build. I know that the Cuda that is on Bullrun right now has a new Hemi and IRS. Do the SRT-8's have IRS? Just make sure you keep us posted with pics.

[MikahB]

Thanks speedfreak - I didn't even know about dodgecharger.com - guess I'm just not that in touch.

There was some info there about a few projects like this, but the few I saw used too much of the modern interior for my taste. I would like to use seats/column and maybe gauges, but the plastic interior bits are not my cup of tea. It'd be really nice if I could get a modern gage cluster under the original dash shape.

I know the new challenger SRT-8's are IRS, not sure about the other cars. There's a wrecked '10 SRT-8 Challenger on eBay right now that really got me thinking...

[wellis77]

Do it! I don't know of anybody that's taken the IRS from an SRT-8 an put it in an old Mopar. I think it's because there isn't much aftermarket support for the rear. But if you are planning to adapt all the electronics I wouldn't think it would be a problem. The big one, I think, was the traction control is not a sure-grip, but electronic. Most of the IRS I've seen put into older Mopar's have been out of Mustang's. I'm using a Viper IRS and IFS for mine but I would think you could do the exact same with a salvaged SRT-8.

[Yoda4561]

I think there may be a truetrac for that application. May want to ask around on the mopar specific forums since they aughta know. I do know there's a wavetrac for 2008 srt-8's which is an even better differential, but at least twice the cost of a truetrac. The torsen style limited slip rear ends work great with traction control systems that use the brakes to reduce wheelspin.

[Bigblue73]

Do it! Contact Ben Grasso out at Plum Floored Creations (Phoenix). I believe that he used a complete rear suspension for his Charger dubbed the "Night Train". He'd be one to bounce some ideas off of. One thing you need to consider is the control of the transmissions. If you are staying automatic, the NAG1 does not take well to transplants with many electrical issues. I've worked with a few clients on solving the "Counting" issues that they have experienced and most have given up and went a different route. If you go manual, consider your front suspension with respect to the starter location of the stock components which are all passenger side mounted and causes clearance issues for headers and exhaust routing.

[blown9746]

check out www.protouringmopar.com

[Dukes69]

Theres a guy on LXforums, I think he goes by Mopar5150. He put a 68 Charger body over a 05 or so SRT8 Magnum.

[cobragt]

if you could pull it off it would be a sweet conversion

[rrunner68]

SOmeone you definately need to call is Bill Reilly at RMS. He was working with a few other vendors and Mopar Performance to make a complete bolt in rear using a 2010 bolt in IRS setup. They made one prototype right before the big budget cuts last year.
There was a post about it on BBD.com.

[MikahB]

Yeah, I went over and checked out protouringmopar. Seems like a good site but nowhere near the traffic there is here so far. I did see the Charger-bodied SRT-8. That's cool, but a little different than what I'm after. At some point it gets down to semantics - but I do want this to be a '70 Charger with SRT-8 parts, not the other way around ya know? Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the overall look of the new Challenger interiors - be cooler (to me) to fit the SRT-8 instruments/cluster under the old-school dash.

My brother is not a huge fan of pulling the 440 and putting in the 6.1L. He's got a point that even though the 6.1L is a sweet motor, it's never gonna sound like the 440 does. So, he's investigating doing the same concept, only adding MPFI to the 440 and a 545RFE standalone tranny rather than the straight SRT-8 setup. Either way I'm pretty committed to IRS. People who argue that a good straight axle handles as well as IRS have never raced both!

Anyway, thanks for the links guys - keep 'em coming.

[mikedc]

If you want a 1970 Charger with the engine, tranny, IRS, IFS, dashboard, and seats out of a modern SRT-8 . . . well, you want an SRT-8 with the skin of a 1970 Charger on it.


Might I suggest you not butcher up a workable Charger for this?

It sounds like you're gonna hack apart a decent Charger, and you ultimately won't use much more of the bare shell than you can get with a $500 rusted-out hulk.

[MikahB]

If you want a 1970 Charger with the engine, tranny, IRS, IFS, dashboard, and seats out of a modern SRT-8 . . . well, you want an SRT-8 with the skin of a 1970 Charger on it.

Might I suggest you not butcher up a workable Charger for this?

It sounds like you're gonna hack apart a decent Charger, and you ultimately won't use much more of the bare shell than you can get with a $500 rusted-out hulk.

If you consider this butchering a good car, I understand and that's fine but that's not really my take on it; our car will be a modified '70, not a rebodied SRT-8. I'll keep as much of the original car as I can and make it work like we want it to. Make no mistake - from the outside this will look like a '70 with bigger brakes. The inside will look like a '70 with upgraded seats and instruments - we'll probably build our own center console. Everbody's got their own goals for their car, mine have more to do with performance and comfort than with staying faithful to the original.

[rjsjea]

The show "Street Customs" where West Coast Customs (I know, i know) did a 72 charger over a srt8 charger.

They built it for Gary Dourdan from CSI. Might be worth a google for ya

[Dukes69]

Yeah, I went over and checked out protouringmopar. Seems like a good site but nowhere near the traffic there is here so far.

Can't have traffic with out members

I did see the Charger-bodied SRT-8. That's cool, but a little different than what I'm after. At some point it gets down to semantics - but I do want this to be a '70 Charger with SRT-8 parts, not the other way around ya know? Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the overall look of the new Challenger interiors - be cooler (to me) to fit the SRT-8 instruments/cluster under the old-school dash.

My brother is not a huge fan of pulling the 440 and putting in the 6.1L. He's got a point that even though the 6.1L is a sweet motor, it's never gonna sound like the 440 does. So, he's investigating doing the same concept, only adding MPFI to the 440 and a 545RFE standalone tranny rather than the straight SRT-8 setup. Either way I'm pretty committed to IRS. People who argue that a good straight axle handles as well as IRS have never raced both!

Anyway, thanks for the links guys - keep 'em coming.

There's a couple of us doing 3Gen hemi's in our cars over at PTM. I couldn't imagine IRS being too difficult. Start cutting to make fit and weld to keep it in place. Anything is possible if you have time or money.

Not sure how you sold your brother on the IRS and not the new hemi. And if you want big cubes Inertia sells a couple stroker kits that will get it to 426 or 440 CI.

Heres a 68 thats getting a viper V10 and viper IRS: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/in...c,54842.0.html

Have fun. :D

[mikedc]

If you consider this butchering a good car, I understand and that's fine but that's not really my take on it; our car will be a modified '70, not a rebodied SRT-8. I'll keep as much of the original car as I can and make it work like we want it to. Make no mistake - from the outside this will look like a '70 with bigger brakes. The inside will look like a '70 with upgraded seats and instruments - we'll probably build our own center console. Everbody's got their own goals for their car, mine have more to do with performance and comfort than with staying faithful to the original.

Well, it's your project.


I've seen pics of one or two of these conversions in the past and that's what I'm thinking of. It usually looks like they've got the floor & firewall of the SRT-8 and they put the roof & sides of the 68-70 Charger onto it. (Sorta like a giant plastic model's body being fitted around the chassis floor piece.)

I don't know how you plan to do it. But once you're cutting out the floor/subframes and the firewall of the old car, then it's wasteful to start with a workable intact 1960s unibody. Just my personal opinion.

[noff57]

YEAH Go to www.dodgecharger.com I am a member of that forum. Some of those guys really know what they are talking about and can really help you out.

[blown9746]

The show "Street Customs" where West Coast Customs (I know, i know) did a 72 charger over a srt8 charger.

They built it for Gary Dourdan from CSI. Might be worth a google for ya

it was a 68 and looked to be a real pain to do, but the end result was pretty good

[markjanos]

Ive had a 6.1 hemi in my 72 cuda for 2 years, I still love it , there is NO !!!!!comparison from my built 360 that I took out, tons of power if you put the gas down or drives smooth an easy like a stock car , love It I have a complete IRS from a 2007 nissan 350Z , works great, all aluminum , same bolt pattern a mopar , same width as mopar , strong, can handle 600hp , did I mention NO comparison to an old style motor.