‘Hell National’ Is a Buick Legend with Hellcat Power

Buick Grand National came with a healthy turbocharged V6, but this one features a supercharged Hemi.

The Hellcat Hemi from the Dodge Challenger and Charger has become one of the most popular options for owners of project cars. Between the engines taken out of wrecked cars and the Hellcrate Mopar crate engines, we have seen the supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi in all sorts of classic muscle cars, but Enrique Ojeda has one of the most unique Hellcat-swapped builds.

Ojeda put the supercharged Hellcat Hemi in a Buick Grand National, a car known for its powerful turbocharged V6. What is considered blasphemy by many General Motors purists has taken the internet by storm, but it is more than just a Grand National with a Hellcat Hemi. It has a Ford rear differential, brake calipers from a Tesla Model S, brake rotors from a Camaro SS and motor mounts intended for an LS1.

While it is an odd mix of parts, Ojeda’s Hell National is one of the coolest Buicks we have ever seen.

The Creation of Hell National

Enrique Ojeda found this Buick Grand National rotting on a farm in the middle of nowhere. When he found the Buick, he had recently sold his 1969 Dodge Charger with a supercharged 440, so he has space for a new project.

Initially, he planned to restore the car to original, with the turbocharged V6, but then he came across a wrecked 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. Although he had never attempted such an elaborate project, Ojeda purchased the engine and transmission from the wrecked super sedan.

Installing the Hellcat Hemi in the Buick Grand National was far more than just making a Dodge engine fit under the hood. In addition to a standalone engine management system, Ojeda reinforced the chassis and tubbed the rear end, making room for wider rear tires.

He added motor mounts intended for an LS1 build to hold the Hellcat in place, along with a custom transmission crossmember. A custom driveshaft connects the ZF 8-speed automatic transmission to the 9-inch Ford rear differential and the car has a long list of custom suspension components, including Vi-King coilovers.

Finally, the Wilwood master cylinder feeds six-piston Wilwood front calipers over Camaro SS rotors while the rear brakes are taken directly from a Tesla Model S.

The majority of the early stages of the build were completed in a two-car garage, where Ojeda and his friend, Lenny Nguyen, solved many of the unique problems with this unusual Hellcat swap.

Modifying the Hellcat Hemi

The Hellcat Hemi that Ojeda installed in his Buick was more or less stock at first, but it required some modifications to work in the Grand National. In addition to the EFI Source gold box standalone harness, the engine was fitted with a custom throttle body from SDG Motorsports and a set of custom headers when it was first installed. The engine also featured 1000cc fuel injectors and Fore fuel rails, with a BWoody heat exchanger helping to keep intake temperatures low.

That setup made more than 700 horsepower and surely would have been plenty of power to make the Hell National a blast to drive, but as the project progress, Ojeda began adding more power. A 2.69 upper pulley and a Ripatuned “Incognito” lower pulley add extra boost while an E85 flex fuel lit by Xenocron Tuning, a tune from Mike at Syn Garage and a collection of other underhood upgrades lead to more than 800 horsepower.

Ojeda continues to tweak and perfect the Hell National while enjoying his Mopar-powered Buick. He provided all of the pictures here and the videos are courtesy of his Hemithing is Possible YouTube channel. He has built a big following of both fans and haters, which is a sign of a great project car.

Photos: Enrique Ojeda

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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