Once the Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack is at the shop and on the lift, we get a look at the underside of the car with the stock midpipes. We watch as Jason from the Muffler World 2 removes the bolts holding the pipes to the exhaust manifolds along with loosening the clamps at the rear of the section.
Then, with the magic of video editing, the job is done. The old pipes are on the ground and the new pipes are bolted up. The new setup not only does away with the restriction of the catalytic convertors, but the piping has fewer bends, so the engine can exhale a little easier.
Listen to the Roar
Our first example of the HemiFam Charger running with the new exhaust setup comes in the garage, but the video quickly jumps outside, where we can hear the car roar without the echo of garage walls. With the camera behind the car, it is incredibly loud, with the wicked grumble that you would expect from a 485-horsepower Hemi.
Royer then takes us for a ride in his Charger, first with the windows up and then with them down. With the windows up, we can hear the exhaust, but you could still carry on a conversation. With the windows down, it is probably best to just be quiet and enjoy the exhaust note of the free-breathing Hemi.
Finally, the camera is stationary as the Charger idles in the driveway, backs onto the road and makes a quick hit heading away from the house. The video ends with Royer explaining that he loves how the car feels and sounds, but he points out that if your neighbors don’t like your stock Scat Pack Charger – they really aren’t going to like it with the louder exhaust.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
You must be logged in to post a comment.