Of course, you know the ’69 Charger, but not this one. And that’s because we’re dealing with a Viper-powered 1969 Dodge Charger that took a fortune to build over a decade ago and is now looking for a new owner.
In the world of pro-touring muscle cars, there’s no right or wrong, even though traditionalists will have you believe otherwise. For one, not everybody agrees with Joe Rogan’s 1970 Cuda “Sick Fish” gaining a 750 hp Mercury Racing N/A V8 for 2023, because that LS-based engine takes the build out of the Mopar realm. So how about this classic Charger staying in the family in the most wicked way possible?
Fitting a 2005 Dodge Viper 8.3L V10, along with the Gen III supercar’s Tremec T56 six-speed manual transmission, rear axle (LSD), and braking system, into the old Dodge did require a bit of extra work, though.
How much? Well, the papers of the restomod show that Wiscounsin-based Xtreme Innovations & Fabrication injected over $300,000 into this build. We’re talking 2011 money, as that’s when the four-year project was completed, which makes for over $415,000 when adjusted for inflation.
A significant part of the investment went into fabricating a 2×3″ steel frame chassis. The Charger was a unibody car to begin with, but the new chassis required the floor and transmission tune to be raised, and we haven’t even gotten to the controversial part yet.
Still, if you’d like something that can make this Charger look restrained by comparison, perhaps this off-road Viper build done by an ex-Tesla engineer will cover it.
The Viper swap saw the firewall being pushed back two inches
If you noticed something different about the dash-to-axle ratio of the Viper-powered 1969 Dodge Charger, that’s because the front axle was moved 2 inches forward. The LWB (long wheelbase) hides a custom K member, mixed with Viper control arms and power steering. Or maybe you prefer to call this an EWB (extended wheelbase) Charger.
That meaty V10 needed the firewall to be pushed back 2 inches to fit, while the front fenders’ inner sides and core supports were fabricated.
The AFCO two-way adjustable coilovers sit behind forged SRT wheels (18-inch units up front and 19-inch ones at the rear).
The exterior, with its tucked and shaved bumpers and electric hideaway headlights, is finished in black with red tail stripes. However, the Bring a Trailer seller, which had the car since 2012, explains there are some bubbles in the paint on both rear pillars, close to the rear window. It’s worth mentioning the “resto” part of the build involved replacing the hood, roof, and quarter panel skins. Guess you don’t have to worry about putting some miles on the car and affecting the paint anymore…
As for the interior, which is finished in black leather and features tweed upholstery, cars have grown a lot over the years. And this explains why the Dodge Neon front seats look right at home inside this Charger.
The custom dash and the Billet Specialties steering wheel talk about the period when the muscle car got restomodded, but you also get Viper-sourced shifter and pedals, along with push-button ignition and Vintage Air climate control. There’s a Kenwood infotainment system, as well as an amplified MTX 10-inch subwoofer and four large speakers.
Expect the Viper-powered 1969 Dodge Charger to fetch over $300,000
The digital odometer shows 4,400 miles, of which 3,200 were covered by the seller. And while the overall mileage remains unknown, that’s hardly relevant now.
The trunk has its own story to tell. There’s a 17-gallon fuel cell between the Viper-logo bulkhead and the back seat and an Optima battery in there.
In factory form, the 8.3L V10 heart of the third-generation Viper makes 500 hp and 525 lb-ft. However, this engine was fitted with Oliver Racing Parts billet connecting rods and CP-Carrillo pistons, plus a reworked crankshaft and many others.
At the time of writing, the Bring a Trailer auction for the Viper-powered 1969 Dodge Charger was still fresh, with 7 days to go. So the $69,000 top bid can’t be trusted.
How do you evaluate such a car? We’ll get as close to it as possible by telling you that, back in June, a ’69 Charger-bodied 2001 Dodge Viper GTS—using a similar color scheme and the very same chrome wheels—sold for $250,000 on the said auction platform. And, as easily demonstrated by the video below, that V10 soundtrack of the classic Mopar is intoxicating.
Why you’ll lose money on many builds, even on a Viper V10-powered classic Dodge Charger
It’s been one year since the Viper V10-powered 1969 Dodge Charger 6-speed was listed on Bring a Trailer. Well, despite somebody placing a $226,000 bid on the muscle monster last year, the reserve was not met. And the vehicle has yet to resurface (on BAT or other auction platforms). Nevertheless, its Texas-based seller is still active on BAT, having sold a 2011 Shelby GT500 in July 2024.
As a rule of thumb, the cases where you can recover your investment—not to mention making a profit—on an “old” build like this (11 years at the time of the listing) are sporadic. Despite often proving excellent custom machines, such vehicles are worth much more to the one whose vision they represent than to potential future owners. Hopefully, that Viper V10 will be put to asphalt shredding work someday, whether we know about it or not.