Build A Hellcat Eater

[MrSony]

I could give a sh*t about trying to match a 707hp car with a 30k mile warranty and ac with my 35 year old grandma mobile. I don't care. After you match a hellcat, what next? The chiron? The hennesey venom? There's no end to it. Build it for what you will use it for the most. It's not the 80s anymore. Hell, from what I've gathered from my years of reading vintage car magazines since I could read, from about the 50s to the 80s if your street machine had 400hp, you were king sh*t of **** mountain. Now a base v6 mustang makes 300hp. There's no point in trying to out perform modern cars anymore. It can be done, but it's not nearly as easy or cheap as it used to be. But, it is still satisfying to stomp Johnny ****boy in his fart can civic with a basic small block.

 

[Speedman87]

You guys really took this thread the wrong way. I was just trying to get some data collection on what it would take to build a drag car on that level. The hellcat part of it was meaningless other than a benchmark. Never said I would or wanted to attempt to build something like this. Just wanted some knowledge and different perspectives. Maybe even help some people out at the drag strip. The thread was started more out of curiosity. If most of you feel this was about modifying a “Grandma” G body for performance, why didn’t you just stick with the factory smogged down 5.0 or 3.8 and call it a day.

 

[MrSony]

You guys really took this thread the wrong way. I was just trying to get some data collection on what it would take to build a drag car on that level. The hellcat part of it was meaningless other than a benchmark. Never said I would or wanted to attempt to build something like this. Just wanted some knowledge and different perspectives. Maybe even help some people out at the drag strip. The thread was started more out of curiosity. If most of you feel this was about modifying a “Grandma” G body for performance, why didn’t you just stick with the factory smogged down 5.0 or 3.8 and call it a day.

Because the 3.8 and 5.0s suck lol.
There's nothing saying we shouldn't modify our cars for better performance, but it's useless to try and compete with modern cars.

To answer your original question, twin turbo LS. that's it. hellcat killer for $5,000 or less. More if you want it to turn, stop, have ac, etc.

 

[Turbolq4]

Lq4, twin 78/75s, e85, powerglide, gearvender, Strange S60, serious chassis/suspension mods.

It would make huge stupid power.

 

[fleming442]

Why didn't you name the thread "How Do I go 9s in a G?"

Additionally, those referring to them as "grandma cars" are probably young enough that they would actually be your great-grandma's car, but that doesn't sound as good, do it?
It's a pointless thread. The G is an extremely versatile platform; how much money ya got and how crafty are ya?

 

[64nailhead]

I didn't take the thread wrong way. Turbolq4 has the start of what you need to add onto what you already have.

Your 6.0 with a LJMS stage 2 turbo cam, PAC 1204x or PAC 1205X valve spring swap. Contact Jose at Forced Inductions and get something along the lines of one of his Borg S485's and an intercooler that is a step or two above an $80 Chinesium unit.

This is the base that's needed, then you need traction control which is best suited by something like a Holley Dominator or Megasquirt MS3X or an MS3 with a JB Performance add on. The traction control along with an easy 800 wheel WHP by 16 lbs of boost.

You may not realize it, but you are much closer than you think. And yes, this will be streetable if you are willing to spend the money for good tires and suspension upgrades. The parts that Turbolq4 and I have described are approx 9-11K and you won't beat the turnkey Hellcat, you will STOMP it.

There are places to save some money and there are places that you need to spend money on a build like this. It comes down to your idea of 'streetable'.

Of course I'm assuming that you'll be able to handle the install of these parts because you already have a 6.0 in a G-body that I assume you installed. I'd also assume you'll most likely need help getting it dialed in, but so did you're buddy with the Hellcat - he used the factory, and you'll be using a local dyno operator and drag racer.

FWIW, I'm into what you're describing and am in the process of building it. I plan to be in the 9's for less than 7K with 8.5 cert car.

 

[64nailhead]

Lq4, twin 78/75s, e85, powerglide, gearvender, Strange S60, serious chassis/suspension mods.

It would make huge stupid power.

I have a friend putting together a 5.3 with a forged rotating assembly, 243 heads and a set of billet VS 7875's and a 9". It's in a 5 gen camaro - expecting 1200whp by 15psi. I can't wait for him to get it done and see what happens.

 

[olds307 and 403]

As said, boost, boost and more boost. The base Hellcat is now 717 HP, Red Eye is 797 HP. You will need a trans and rear to live, no small task, can the 6L90E take that power? If not, at best you are left with the shitty geared 4L80E, no where near the awesome ZF 8 SPD or modern 6 speed manual in the Hellcat. Definitely need a 9" or S60 rear to live, 3.55 gears would be max for me with a lot of highway driving and a 4L80E. Suspension, tires and brakes are massively behind the Hellcat. Thousands to get anywhere close. Also creature comforts, G bodies don't even have decent mirror adjustments or working A/C in most cases. Let alone adaptive cruise, auto high beams, heated and cooled seats, command start, heated wheel, UConnect system etc. You can make it faster but you will never make it as nice to drive, end of story. I take pride in my 88 CSC because it is the last full frame, two door Olds V8 powered car Oldsmobile built. Mine in a straight line should keep up with our V6 Challenger, in the corners or stopping, get real, not even close. Also mpg down about 15 on the highway. This is why I don't get the LS craze in old cars, guys like me would look under the hood, shake our heads and keep walking. A semi modern motor at best, the new Gen 5 with a 8 or 10 speed is so much better than a Gen 4 with an antique gearing 4L80E, sorry a 4L70E won't live under real power. Possible to match for speed but how much money spent and what do have when finished?

 

[69hurstolds]

You could get a baseline G-body and take it to the slalom course and probably keep up with a Hellcat. 🙂 The hellcats can go ungodly quick in a straight line, but if you want something to handle to go along with that power...that ain't the car. The Hellcat series is probably the closest thing you'll get to the old theory of the muscle cars from the wayback machine. But make no mistake. The Hellcat takes no prisoners from point A to point B. But handling isn't in the cards for it. It just ain't. There are better handling cars out there for doing that. It's just a choice you have to make.

I find it's rather strange that they waited 10 years to even give the Challenger a sack. The clamp down on tinkering with the computer kept the tuners out of it, at least in the beginning. I haven't followed the car line so I'm not sure what it would take to do tuning on one now. Maybe they lifted that. I dunno.

You will not build the same car that Dodge can because they have the advantage of economy of scale. They have spent the money on design/research/testing/assembly line/parts to make it all work economically for them. You, on the other hand, can probably build something that could very well make it come in second place. But it will take you a long time to get there. Meanwhile, you can pay the money, go buy a new Hellcat, and put 20K miles on it before you get your project car out the door. It's a lofty goal. But you really have to want to do it without regard for pouring your heart/soul/money into something that may or may not work right out of the box. If a Hellcat didn't work right out of the box, you take it to the dealership service bay and wiener about the warranty issue. And they fix it. The one thing I do like about most of these performance vehicles is that they're flow-through. Meaning if you walk in and order one, they'll build it. The way it should be. I mean, looking around, you can still get great deals on leftover Hellcats.

I am glad we have Shelby GT500s and Hellcat versions, ZL1s and any other performance-oriented car to be able to choose. I'd love to see this keep going. Not sure if it will. I hope that there's something else around the corner that is bigger and badder and makes the Hellcat get renamed "pussycat". Who knows? But the young millennials are likely going to let us down and we're going to start seeing the end of the monster cars in my lifetime.

 

[69hurstolds]

I have a friend putting together a 5.3 with a forged rotating assembly, 243 heads and a set of billet VS 7875's and a 9". It's in a 5 gen camaro - expecting 1200whp by 15psi. I can't wait for him to get it done and see what happens.

That's all cool and all, but if it had a V8 to begin with, it should be a 6.2. Why people try to make huge power from 5.3 truck engines when they could start with a 6.2 is beyond me. It's like trying to choose between building a 260 or 403 Olds V8.