The 1974 Snakeskin Green Hellcat really does offer you the best of both worlds as the lightweight vintage body has been crossbred with a modern Hellcat engine that feeds its 700+bhp to the rear wheels via a custom (and expensive…) drivetrain and chassis, making it both lean AND mean. This modern engine can plug into any OBDII using its factory port, giving modern day control and diagnostics to any Dodge dealer or local garage.

How did it get there?

Well, the 525-pound iron engine went in the bin along with its aging K-member, suspension, steering, and drum brakes. A factory fresh Hellcat crate engine started the diet, shedding a massive 125lbs from the car’s weight at a stroke.

That power is sent to the rear wheels via a bulletproof 727 automatic transmission rated at 1000HP modified for this build with a reverse valve body and a Cheetah SCS shifter. For the unanointed, this means that the automatic transmission is shifted manually but with no clutch. It also eliminates the danger of accidentally being shifted into neutral at high RPM.

It really is a very clever bit of kit that brings the best of both worlds to this ultra-high-performance car.

Control Freaks designed a Strange Engineering Ford 9” nodular iron rear end that is fitted with a highway friendly 3.00:1 rear differential because, let’s face it, with this much power there’s simply no benefit to having a 4:11 ratio.

Cruising at a motorway sanctioned 70mph the engine is turning over very slowly for a car that is fitted with a three-speed gearbox but should you want to cut the interior noise even further then there is a key fob operated cut-out on the x-pipe, which turns it into an even quieter y-pipe.

A corner-carving tubular K-member and independent front suspension from Control Freaks were grafted on too – and this shaved another 121lbs into the bargain. Rack and pinion steering came to the cause (that creates a wider turning radius than the factory set up) along with modern vented brake discs.

Further weight reductions come from a fiberglass bonnet and wings, or hood and fenders if you prefer. Numerous modern other components contribute to its hugely impressive power-to-weight ratio.

This new crate motor provided no vacuum assist for power steering, but it does have factory power steering. Significant not for the steering, but for the Hydratech braking system, which uses the hydraulic pressure to add power to the brakes. This is a tried, tested and true system that began with diesel engines, but is now the go-to solution when retrofitting modern power into classics.

The engine bay is so neatly presented, and the work has been done so well, that it looks like a factory installation – and praise really doesn’t come any higher than that, does it?

The underside, on the other hand, looks anything but stock but then that’s only to be expected when it’s been handcrafted to suit this particular application. However, bespoke installations rarely look this neat and we simply can’t find anything under there we don’t like, which is high praise when you’re as pernickety as we are…

1974 Dodge Challenger Hellcat

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