Eplings Garage backhalved Hellcat video

[Magnified]

That is a hellcat 100%

if the vin is a hellcat and you paid for a hellcat then it’s a hellcat.

...

I understand where you're coming from, but I disagree. And there is no right or wrong answer (including mine). This question is just a matter of opinion (other than for specific licensing or grouping bodies). I personally believe, once the car is basically not streetable, it's not the car you bought from the factory. There's a line where the modifications have gone so far it is more something else than the original vehicle. You can go even further into logical absurdities - like if the VIN plate is removed, but the car is otherwise factory, it's no longer a Hellcat.

Is bruce jenner still bruce jenner? He's only had a few modifications (and I'm assuming his VIN plate is still in place).

 

[WhipCat]

I know it can be opinion based. But there is a simple fact that can’t be ignored.

What is that car? A seriously modded Dodge Challenger hellcat

what was the car? A hellcat

What is it now? A promod

is it a promod? Sure.

Is it a race car? Sure it is.

Is it a challenger? Yep.

Is it a hellcat? 100%.

Is it a dodge? Yes

does it have factory parts? Yes

Does it have aftermarket parts? Yes

Ultimately, what is it? It’s any one of the options above, you pick.

but hellcat it still is.

 

[coolblue]

I know it can be opinion based. But there is a simple fact that can’t be ignored.

What is that car? A seriously modded Dodge Challenger hellcat

what was the car? A hellcat

What is it now? A promod

is it a promod? Sure.

Is it a race car? Sure it is.

Is it a challenger? Yep.

Is it a hellcat? 100%.

Is it a dodge? Yes

does it have factory parts? Yes

Does it have aftermarket parts? Yes

Ultimately, what is it? It’s any one of the options above, you pick.

but hellcat it still is.

Sorry @WhipCat, but I totally agree with @Magnified and his statement "There's a line where the modifications have gone so far it is more something else than the original vehicle" IMHO.

 

[Marc W]

Sorry @WhipCat, but I totally agree with @Magnified and his statement "There's a line where the modifications have gone so far it is more something else than the original vehicle" IMHO.

Where is that line exactly? Is my car still a Hellcat?

 

[coolblue]

Where is that line exactly? Is my car still a Hellcat?

It is definitely subjective. But I think if 1/2 or more the Sheetmetal and suspension is replaced that's a good arguing start point. A couple of months ago Hot Rod had an article about what is original? and Frieberger had a wiped out '69 road runner that he wanted to do a "tag" job with and take the nose and vin and put it on a clean '69 belvedere. And the question was: what's more original? A real '69 body with authentic '69 metal that came down the same assembly line as all other '69 Plymouth models, or a car with the original tag on the firewall and all replacement new panels? (like they do on 'Graveyard Cars'...which I happen to like) Def a valid question. And personally, I'm in the original sheet metal camp. As far as your car, I don't know the details and extent of mods down to the bolt you have done, so only you can answer that question. And really every person only has to answer to themselves.

 

[Hickster]

What is a NASCAR. Just because it says FORD on the grill is it a FORD??? A Toyoter?? Is it the car or the driver?? I guess ask the King Richard. He is the only King left. Since Tom has passed and the other one of the King is the King's son,, Junior. Whom is not involved in car racing any moe. Nation Wide Jaffary may have an opinion, but whom is listening?? Nooo buddy. I should have asked Mr Hendrix when I was at his office 2 years ago. Talkin about sterilization,, whooo. Cleaner than a surgery suit. Got to tour the hole facility and then the track facility including lunch in the upper dining room. Fer shrimps and grits. What a 4 day journey. Jeff, Jimmy and the crews in progress. Each had their own facility,, buildings then the museum on the premisisses. Has nothing to do with stock cars. STOCK,, vegetable stock??

 

[coolblue]

I know it can be opinion based. But there is a simple fact that can’t be ignored.

What is that car? A seriously modded Dodge Challenger hellcat

what was the car? A hellcat

What is it now? A promod

is it a promod? Sure.

Is it a race car? Sure it is.

Is it a challenger? Yep.

Is it a hellcat? 100%.

Is it a dodge? Yes

does it have factory parts? Yes

Does it have aftermarket parts? Yes

Ultimately, what is it? It’s any one of the options above, you pick.

but hellcat it still is.

Where is that line exactly? Is my car still a Hellcat?

BTW. This is in no way a reflection or negativity of the car itself. That car is kick-ass and the workmanship is phenomenal. The question is all about how much of it is still original Hellcat and still is it?

 

[Dman007]

BTW. This is in no way a reflection or negativity of the car itself. That car is kick-ass and the workmanship is phenomenal. The question is all about how much of it is still original Hellcat and still is it?

Agree 100%, badass car and great workmanship!

 

[Jack_Toepfer]

A lot of you guys are way off base.

I imagine not many of you have been following 007 since the beginning... but it didn't take long for Epling to be the fastest Hellcat... in a form that was unarguably Hellcat. Then the competition got faster, as did he.

At a car show, that car is a Hellcat... and it may be parked next to a Camaro SS promod... with a VIN tag and a steel roof - guess what? It's a Camaro SS.

What's being implied here is that a clone is more of a Hellcat than an actual Hellcat. You can swap every piece except for factory "stamped" identifying tags from a HC to an SXT and all of a sudden it's a Hellcat.

It can't race in a stock Hellcat class... but nobody is implying that it is anything other than what it is.

At what point would you boys pull his badge off?
Blower swap? Block swap? Gear swap? Tranny swap? Well there are plenty of guys on here who've done just that who would very much disagree.
What about weight reduction? Removing the back seat? Trunk liner? Interior panels? Putting in a racing seat? Nope... you're still not going to tell someone it isn't a Hellcat any longer because the guy is sitting in a Kirkey.

Give me a break... Epling has had the most BADASS HELLCAT on the planet from the get go... it isn't the Hellcat that everyone wants - I have no desire to own that car - but it's been a Hellcat since Dodge took his money and he took the keys. You can't take it away.

 

[WhipCat]

A lot of you guys are way off base.

I imagine not many of you have been following 007 since the beginning... but it didn't take long for Epling to be the fastest Hellcat... in a form that was unarguably Hellcat. Then the competition got faster, as did he.

At a car show, that car is a Hellcat... and it may be parked next to a Camaro SS promod... with a VIN tag and a steel roof - guess what? It's a Camaro SS.

What's being implied here is that a clone is more of a Hellcat than an actual Hellcat. You can swap every piece except for factory "stamped" identifying tags from a HC to an SXT and all of a sudden it's a Hellcat.

It can't race in a stock Hellcat class... but nobody is implying that it is anything other than what it is.

At what point would you boys pull his badge off?
Blower swap? Block swap? Gear swap? Tranny swap? Well there are plenty of guys on here who've done just that who would very much disagree.
What about weight reduction? Removing the back seat? Trunk liner? Interior panels? Putting in a racing seat? Nope... you're still not going to tell someone it isn't a Hellcat any longer because the guy is sitting in a Kirkey.

Give me a break... Epling has had the most BADASS HELLCAT on the planet from the get go... it isn't the Hellcat that everyone wants - I have no desire to own that car - but it's been a Hellcat since Dodge took his money and he took the keys. You can't take it away.

exactly

 

[Marc W]

A lot of you guys are way off base.

I imagine not many of you have been following 007 since the beginning... but it didn't take long for Epling to be the fastest Hellcat... in a form that was unarguably Hellcat. Then the competition got faster, as did he.

At a car show, that car is a Hellcat... and it may be parked next to a Camaro SS promod... with a VIN tag and a steel roof - guess what? It's a Camaro SS.

What's being implied here is that a clone is more of a Hellcat than an actual Hellcat. You can swap every piece except for factory "stamped" identifying tags from a HC to an SXT and all of a sudden it's a Hellcat.

It can't race in a stock Hellcat class... but nobody is implying that it is anything other than what it is.

At what point would you boys pull his badge off?
Blower swap? Block swap? Gear swap? Tranny swap? Well there are plenty of guys on here who've done just that who would very much disagree.
What about weight reduction? Removing the back seat? Trunk liner? Interior panels? Putting in a racing seat? Nope... you're still not going to tell someone it isn't a Hellcat any longer because the guy is sitting in a Kirkey.

Give me a break... Epling has had the most BADASS HELLCAT on the planet from the get go... it isn't the Hellcat that everyone wants - I have no desire to own that car - but it's been a Hellcat since Dodge took his money and he took the keys. You can't take it away.

What he said... ☝️

 

[Marc W]

A car is not a ________ when it originates from a stack of Chromoly tubing that is bent and welded into a complete chassis and the body panels are fabricated to replicate a ________ and hung on that tube chassis. That is a Pro Mod or a Funny Car or a NASCAR series car. Those are replicas and not really what they are identified as. Kinda like a guy in the ladies room who identifies as ______ 😝 Nobody thinks John Force is really driving a Camaro (well maybe wrestling fans do). A car like 007 is a real Hellcat because started out as one and still has that basic foundation. Now it has been back halfed. That is just a mod. A diff conversion on steroids. It has been modified but there’s still a lot of that original car. If you try to say it’s not a Hellcat, then.... what is it? Not a Challenger? Not a Dodge? It just looses it Hellcat badge because it’s violated some code of Hellcatism? I can see the argument about what is “stock” when it comes to performance. But not whether it’s a Hellcat when it is still wearing its original badge on its original steel body attached to its original steel subframe? In my opinion it can legitimately identify as a modded HELLCAT because that’s what it is.

 

[Markp]

It's a Hellcat the same way Bruce Jenner is still a man. You can cut and chop off stuff and add new things but it is still a Hellcat.

 

[Marc W]

It's a Hellcat the same way Bruce Jenner is still a man. You can cut and chop off stuff and add new things but it is a Hellcat.

Are you saying that the Eplings should change it’s name from 007 to... Bruce? 😂

 

[Hpindy]

It's a racecat !

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[Markp]

It's a racecat !

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It's non binary challenger model fluid.

 

[Hpindy]

It's non binary challenger model fluid.

10100011001010


You mean binary like that?

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[Hpindy]

This type of argument has been around for ever . It's a matter of opinion I figure . In my opinion it's a race car . There is not much hellcat left other then the vin . I also think the same about my car due to amount of mods I have made to it . I call my car and "an angry hybrid " lol but at the end of the day they are representing us Mopar guy/gals very well .

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[Jack_Toepfer]

This type of argument has been around for ever . It's a matter of opinion I figure . In my opinion it's a race car . There is not much hellcat left other then the vin . I also think the same about my car due to amount of mods I have made to it . I call my car and "an angry hybrid " lol but at the end of the day they are representing us Mopar guy/gals very well .

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I agree, it is a race car.

At what point did you decide it wasn't a Hellcat any longer? It had a COMPLETELY different rear-end in the car before it was back-halved. There wasn't a single stock suspension component on the car before it went to the shop to get racecar'd.
Straight axle, suspension mounts, coilovers, driveshaft .... and all the way up to the radiator wasn't Hellcat... so was it the fact that they removed Dodge steel and replaced it with their own? Added some carbon?

Curious, not looking for an argument, just trying to figure out where you draw the line, so that I can argue with that

 

[Hpindy]

I agree, it is a race car.

At what point did you decide it wasn't a Hellcat any longer? It had a COMPLETELY different rear-end in the car before it was back-halved. There wasn't a single stock suspension component on the car before it went to the shop to get racecar'd.
Straight axle, suspension mounts, coilovers, driveshaft .... and all the way up to the radiator wasn't Hellcat... so was it the fact that they removed Dodge steel and replaced it with their own? Added some carbon?

Curious, not looking for an argument, just trying to figure out where you draw the line, so that I can argue with that

For me it's a car by car basis . For me it was a race car before the back half due to the following :

Gutted to the extreme ( dash, factory safety equipment, doors , lexan , etc)

Aftermarket engine controller




This is my opinion for what it's worth.

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