Last night I broke bread with Jim Sassorosi. Who, over hunks of red meat and enormous bacon-covered baked patatoes, told me that the Dodge Challenger recently surpassed the Ram truck as the vehicle Chrysler Corporation customers accessorize the most.
He should know. Jim is the Director of Mopar Parts Sales and Marketing which means he's in charge of selling you everything from Hemi crate motors to fancy floor mats. And according to Jim, Dodge dealers are now selling more Mopar stuff for Challengers then they are for Rams.
I think we need to get in on the action.
Of course our dinner conversation turned to our long-term 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T, which I of course brought to the restaurant to show Jim.
"Jim, ol' buddy ol' pal, I think our Challenger can use a little love," I said as we exited the Manhattan Beach bistro for the parking lot. "Maybe some of those parts you were showing off at SEMA back in November."
"Sure, what do you want," he replied. "Lower suspension? Torque Thrust style wheels? How about a strobe stripe down the side and a Challenger T/A style hoodscoop like we used back in 1970."
"Um, okay," I replied before he could reconsider. "And how about some floor mats."
"No problem."
So what do you think? Should we start throwing parts at our Challenger?
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
hybris says:
05:51 PM, 01/26/10
YES YES YES YES YES!
Back in the day people bought these cars, drove them off the lot and started modding them within 30 minutes.
I see no reason why Edmund's shouldn't do the same.
Murtman says:
05:56 PM, 01/26/10
How about a little bit of engine modification?
http://www.mopar.com/performance/features/392hemi/index.html
cah11705 says:
06:02 PM, 01/26/10
Insideline has had the Challenger long enough that we understand the stock car, now it's time to see what you can do to make this thing even better! I do prefer the hood scoop, wheels, summer tires (it is a cali car) and lowered a bit.
rick8365 says:
06:07 PM, 01/26/10
Yes...have at it!
Something like or to the level of the project Mustang GT would be fine with me - but the twist might be only Mopar sourced parts can be used.
hybris says:
06:10 PM, 01/26/10
You guys need to get a Mustang and start mod it and the Camaro as far as you dare and after one year have a three way smackdown on the muscle classics.
It would make for great posts and arguments in the comments.
kingkhalas says:
06:11 PM, 01/26/10
obviously.
subytrojan says:
06:28 PM, 01/26/10
As Stone Cold Steve Austin would say...
carguy622 says:
06:30 PM, 01/26/10
As Angelina Jolie said in Tomb Raider: Absolutely.
wrinklebump says:
06:59 PM, 01/26/10
Yes. Lowering kit, fatter tires. It probably wouldn't take much to really improve the performance of the car around the corners, either.
e90_m3 says:
08:09 PM, 01/26/10
Accessorize... like putting SRT-8 badges on their V6 models?
Super-hot red Challenger in the pic though.
DCuerpoJr says:
08:25 PM, 01/26/10
Scott said:
"So what do you think? Should we start throwing parts at our Challenger?"
My answer:
"HELL F#%$IN' YEAH!"
charlesb says:
08:39 PM, 01/26/10
You should have ponied up the bucks for the SRT8 on the front end of this test rather than "throwing parts" at this car.
cruiserhead1 says:
08:56 PM, 01/26/10
It would be a fun experiment to put some bigger meats on it, firm up the suspension, maybe open up the breathing a tad with CAI and cat back exhaust - just basic stuff-
and then do a comparison with the SRT8 and see how it stacks up performance and value.
stovt001 says:
09:31 PM, 01/26/10
Yeah, some Mopar upgrades could be pretty cool.
heartland says:
04:56 AM, 01/27/10
It's about time!
Although not strictly Mopar, a Hurst shifter will do wonders for that car.
And a catback exhaust, and coil-overs and...
Erin will go nuts.
drhorrible says:
05:11 AM, 01/27/10
Get'er done. Go for it. Hell yeah.
lowmilelude says:
05:40 AM, 01/27/10
Performance mods only. If you load this thing up with vinyl graphics, hood scoops, and floor mats and pay no attention to the honking lump under the hood; it'll be an insult.
hemisam says:
05:43 AM, 01/27/10
Is that a rhetorical question?!? I've got a Hurst competition shifter, Corsa cat-back exhaust, Pedderised and MOPAR'd suspension, Nitto INVO's, test mule Vararam cold air intake, etc... on my 2009 Challenger R/T purchased in May. Let's see some action.
rick8365 says:
06:00 AM, 01/27/10
"Erin will go nuts."
hahaha ............. have the mods done by March 17.... Erin Go Nuts!
ahightower says:
06:27 AM, 01/27/10
The lowering springs are essential. That's the only thing "wrong" to my eye.
plumcrazy2 says:
06:34 AM, 01/27/10
I have a question about that TA Scoop. Is it functional or just for looks? I think it looks great but it lame if its not real. Honestly I'm a little upset about the stock hood. On most models the scoops are just for looks, then they came out and said on the RT Classic that the scoops are "Functional" but it is FAR from ram air. Have you seen what they call functional? I guess its true that they do let air go under the hood and that's were the engine is, but I have no idea how it will improve performance. Hood scoops were cool back in the day because they made the car go faster, if they don't do that anymore why are they there?
s197gt says:
06:39 AM, 01/27/10
wheels/tires first. (again, for the 10th time, the stock wheels FAIL.)
then suspension.
then engine updgrades.
no fake anything.
re-test after every addition so we know what makes a difference and by how much.
jeepsrt says:
07:54 AM, 01/27/10
+1 to everything, I would love to see this car modded.
bodyblue says:
08:11 AM, 01/27/10
Yeah, take a cool looking Challenger and put a bunch of tasteless crap on it and turn it from what it is and make it loud, gaudy and juvenile. Good idea! If you are going to do anything to it make the mods unseen. The Challenger in black is understated and elegant, dont screw it up. What about a performance chip? (unseen and effective) .....some bigger brakes?.........cold air intake?..........maybe some different mufflers (if it does not make it a lot louder and ruins the cars sedate cruising).......chrome wheels look like garbage on any car or truck so dont do it! Mopar floor mats always look nice. In other words dont make it look like most cars....keep it smooth and classy and on the down low.......a sleek freight train in Black Crystal Pearl that nobody suspects is not stock.
audisport says:
08:34 AM, 01/27/10
Springs, wheels. Dont touch the hood. Pleeeeease.
jederino says:
09:07 AM, 01/27/10
I vote to start with the suspension mods. Can you get this thing to improve it's cornering grip and responsiveness? That is the priority, and could really improve the street cred.
jeepsrt says:
09:22 AM, 01/27/10
Like audisport said, springs, wheels/maybe black wheels and a cold air intake, leave off the gaudy non functional add ons.
misterfusion says:
09:24 AM, 01/27/10
I've always preferred stock; and as the poster above implored, please don't make any juvenile decal "mods", or add non-functional appearance parts.
hybris says:
09:27 AM, 01/27/10
+1 misterfusion
If it doesn't add numbers don't get it.
cr_driver says:
09:53 AM, 01/27/10
cruiserhead1 says:
08:56 PM, 01/26/10
It would be a fun experiment to put some bigger meats on it, firm up the suspension, maybe open up the breathing a tad with CAI and cat back exhaust - just basic stuff-
and then do a comparison with the SRT8 and see how it stacks up performance and value.
+100
seriousekid says:
01:27 PM, 01/27/10
OH YEAH!!!
mrjost55 says:
01:51 PM, 05/10/10
As many have said this, Yes!