Chrysler 300C SRT8 Is One Badass Budget Hellcat-fighter
Dynomax VT exhaust, Power Stop Z26 performance brakes, and 560 horsepower make this ride a fire-breathing sleeper.
Even with the 2011 facelift, the Chrysler 300 is old. As in if it were a child, it would be in middle school now old. Not that that’s a problem; it’s still a great-looking car, and people are still happily buying them. Plus, it also means that there are a lot out there that are plenty of blank canvases for hot rodders who love the 300’s traditional look, big engine bay, and rear-wheel drive layout. That’s why we’re loving this episode of Car Craft’s Week to Wicked with host Jason Scudellari. The star of the show is a 2006 300C SRT8. Not everyone will have the budget to replicate this build (a $10,000 car and a blank check), but it’s certainly something to aspire to.
At the outset, this 2006 is all stock with over 100,000 miles. By the end, it’s a fire-breathing sleeper that can hang with Hellcats. “I’ve always kind of felt that Chrysler was left out; Chrysler never got a Hellcat engine,” says Johnny Hunkins, the editor of Car Craft. “So here we have a chance to take an SRT8, put a blower on it, and kind of get in that Hellcat range.” While that already sounds like music to our ears, he also says that when all is said and done, it will also be 50-state street legal and a comfortable daily driver. One that packs an impressive 560 horsepower.
The build, day-by-day
On day one, the team removes the front end to install the Edelbrock E-Force blower, spark plugs, fuel rails, and bigger injectors. Then the front end goes back together with a new air cooler. Day two brings a new fuel pump, LED daytime running lights, and suspension work. The Car Craft team installs Petty’s Garage coilovers and a beefier sway bar up front, which will make the SRT8 handle like a whole other animal.
Day three dawns, and brakes and rear suspension are on the docket. Massive Power Stop Z26 performance brakes and huge rotors replace stock units up front. Out back, the rear suspension is radically overhauled. The subframe is dropped to install a new sway bar, adjustable springs, new shocks, and new rotors.
With two days left, the team installs a rear shock tower brace, a new Dynomax VT exhaust, head and tail lights, fluids, battery, and an engine tune. Of course, no build is without drama. Here, a cameraman sat on a plastic fuel line, breaking it. Luckily, RockAuto comes through with a quick fix, and everything is mostly wrapped up by Thursday.
On the final day, it gets wheels, tires, badges, some pinstriping, and a wash and wax.”The load was a little lighter on this build, which I like,” Jason says. Of course, take that with a grain of salt; they’re working in a professional garage with an approximate budget of $25,000. Most car guys would kill to have a budget like that. Still, as Hunkins says of his first ride-along in the blown SRT8: “You’ve gotta love a car like this, man.”
Not everyone has the budget or the tools to build a hot rod 300C like this. But it certainly is enough to give us some ideas for our next projects.
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