Build A Hellcat Eater

[1 RARE T]

 

[69hurstolds]

Reading this “debate” has been humorous and entertaining to say the least.

I just think it’s awesome to live in a time where we can have a conversation about how to build our 40 year old malaise-mobiles to match the performance of an affordable, attainable 700 hp factory muscle car. Soak on that one for a second. I firmly believe we are living in the good old days. It doesn’t matter who’s dick is bigger anymore because we’re all huge!!

I think fleming442 has the biggest one. You can see it sticking out the collar of all his shirts he wears.

It's great to be able to make and buy HP again. I know it was a common deal to yank out 30x engines out of Montes/Cutlasses back in the early 90s and shove in a 350/400/403/454/455 between the frame rails and go like hell with the anemic G-bodies.

Now it's evolved to LS swaps with even greater efficiency and popularity. 350-500 easy street HP is attainable without even trying. That alone should bring a smile to people's faces.

But I still think if you can afford it, buy the Camaro/Challenger/Charger/Mustang, et al, package that comes with 400+ HP and handles way better than the cars of yesteryear. And if the treehuggers don't get their way, there may be more cool stuff coming around the corner.

Building your own is cool, too. You did it. Now you get a cookie. But once the sun comes up tomorrow, you'll be yesterday's news. Just like the Corvette ZR-1 from 1990. OMG! 375 HP out of a 'vette! And now, the LT5 in the new ZR1 is double that. A 1990 ZR-1 is cool in its own right, but it's hardly relevant today as a raw performance car. It's 30 years old. The wife's XT5 V6 has something like 67 less HP than that ZR-1 from 1990.

I recall a time when the new G-bodies were the "new" cars and weak power and nobody was impressed with them. There certainly wasn't any issue with the older cars keeping up with the castrated 80s. But here we are on a forum trying to figure out the best way to do something, whether restore/modify/repair, or whatever you're doing to one of your favorite "old" cars.

So build it if you wish. It really only matters if you have fun with it and accept the DNA transfer to the sharp parts of the car as you work on it and build it bigger/stronger/faster. And hopefully not spend $6 million in the process.

 

[motorheadmike]

Pull out all the extra crap and suddenly the playing field is leveled (except for cost). Uh oh. Add the basic bolt-ons and we're talking 9s.

Something to consider in about 5 years when these Hellcats start to really hit the used car market.​

 

[DRIVEN]

Something to consider in about 5 years when these Hellcats start to really hit the used car market.

In 5 years I'll consider every used Hellcat on the market to be beat to sh*t and utterly used up.

 

[motorheadmike]

In 5 years I'll consider every used Hellcat on the market to be beat to sh*t and utterly used up.

I know mine will be.

 

[DRIVEN]

You'll get bored long before 5 years is up.

 

[motorheadmike]

You'll get bored long before 5 years is up.

That is a risk I am willing to take.

 

[69hurstolds]

In 5 years I'll consider every used Hellcat on the market to be beat to sh*t and utterly used up.

Imagine this was white and 7 years from now- MotorheadMike: Imma gonna fix it up one day. It'll be worth a lot of money.

 

[pontiacgp]

You'll get bored long before 5 years is up.

Mike has a 4 decade old wagon that he still drives and works on so I don't think he'll be bored and I bet the Hellkitty will have some mods to make sure it survives it's 9 lives....

 

[69hurstolds]

Mike has a 4 decade old wagon that he still drives and works on so I don't think he'll be bored and I bet the Hellkitty will have some mods to make sure it survives it's 9 lives....

He's going to put a 4.8 LS in it eventually.