The jig we do as hot rolls is usually something like this: We find a classic car, strip it down to the bare body, and then rebuild it to fit our often-modern vision. With a Pro Touring or restomod build, this includes the addition of a modern high-powered EFI motor, modern brakes (often with ABS on nicer builds), and amenities like air conditioning and a Rockin sound system. In essence, the classic lines of the old body are preserved, inlaid with the latest performance and cruising technologies. It’s time consuming and expensive, but it gives us the look we want along with modern performance.
But what if I did it the other way around? This would be where I took a modern performance car and added body panels to repeat the classic lines. This isn’t a new idea, but frankly we haven’t liked the results in the past. The problem is that modern cars have modern dimensions and bodies that don’t always work well with the lines of our classics. This is especially true about windshields and pillars. For example, we remember a company that was trying to make a C5 Corvette look like a vintage C2′ Vette, but the windshield area just killed it off because the C5’s A-pillars were too abrasive for aerodynamics. It looked wrong. We haven’t yet been able to see one of those modern, modified muscle cars where the proportions were correct, or at least close enough to look good.
That was until we spied on builds from eXoMod creations. It was the design of their C68 CARBON (a clever icon of the 1968 Charger) and actually looks like a vintage Dodge Charger! Now, we’re not saying it’s a replica, but it definitely embodies the spirit of the revamped ’68-70’s 21st-century Charger. You’ll get all the modern performance and technology of a new Dodge Hellcat (707 hp) or even a Hellcat Redeye (807 hp) with the classic vibe of its 1960s predecessor. They’re also currently showing off the C69 CARBON, which has been reworked in carbon fiber to look like a 1969 Charger.
eXoMod Creations is indebted to Dodge for making this possible. As you can see, the C68 CARBON Charger is exactly the same length as the 1968 Charger. It also has the exact same wheelbase! Add to that that the windshield shovel isn’t as severe as some cars, like Camaros and Corvettes, and you end up with ratios close enough to work. One area that is changing, though, is the vehicle’s width, as the eXoMod C68 CARBON is a true widebody. This is done by using quarter panels and fenders instead of the fender flares used in the modern Dodge widebody. The result of all that body-swapping voodoo is a modern Dodge Hellcat that has the look of a vintage Charger, with the right proportions so your eye won’t dismiss it as some kind of bait-and-switch deal.
As they said in their old gensu knife ad, “But wait – there’s more!” You see, the new, vintage-looking body panels aren’t stamped steel, they’re carbon fibre. This means the new, old-fashioned Mopar is 400 pounds lighter than the factory Hellcat Challenger! Losing weight is like the free horsepower of a really stupid fast car. Oh, and the body panel swap retains Dodge’s powertrain warranty.
The eXoMod’s interior remains well stocked except for the better Italian leather for the seats. All the high-tech options found in the new Hellcat are still there, so you have heated and cooled seats, launch control, and safety tools like airbags and backup sensors.
eXoMod does not stop with chargers. Other classic Mopars get a rejuvenating carbon treatment, too. The D71 is modeled after the 1971 Dodge Demon, and we have to say, the display looks like a kick. This trip, which is limited to just 25 vehicles, should take place around the summer of 2023. Like all eXoMods, there are plenty of color options, wheels and finishes.
Do you want something more brutal? How about a Hellcat that was refinished to look like a 1969 Daytona Charger? Yes, big nose, big carbon fiber spoiler, tons of stance. They are currently building the Daytona and hope to show it at the MCACN event in November in Chicago. All eXoMod conversions roll on high-end Forgeline wheels. Even these pulleys, which look like vintage steel, are actually 20″ Forgeline wheels!
Now that’s not an inexpensive proposition, but what is it these days? Consider the cost of taking a 1968 supercharger and shoving it into everything is a 2022 Hellcat. All the comforts, all the power, all the modern suspension parts, the flush glass, the latest technology. A building like this would be hundreds of thousands and would take forever to get it done. eXoMod can convert your current Challenger (all the way to a 2011 R/T model) for $275,000, build, paint, and on the road in about 8 weeks! They also sell complete cars, customized to your taste, starting at $400,000 for a 707-hp Hellcat or $450,000 for an 807-hp Redeye!
