Hellcat Hood Install on a Charger R/T: What’s Up in the Forum?
Swapping the hood from a Hellcat requires a list of parts, including items for the internals.
When the modern Dodge Charger was introduced for the 2015 model year, it was revealed that the SXT and R/T models would have one hood and front end design while the Scat Pack, SRT 392 and Hellcat all have a different hood and front end. Since then, the sportier front end of the higher-performance models has proven to be a popular feature and because of that, the company now offers packages that apply the Scat Pack/SRT front end to the SXT or R/T models.
What about those folks who bought a Charger R/T before this package was available? For them, if they want the sportier front end, they will need to buy the parts and perform the swap. That is too much for some people, so for those who want to make their Charger SXT or R/T a bit sportier, the Hellcat hood swap is a great option.
Unfortunately, even if you buy a complete hood from a Hellcat, there are things that you will need to buy to make the new bonnet work on your R/T. However, “nickjam” is in the middle of this project and he has put together a complete list of things needed to install the Hellcat hood on a Charger R/T with near-factory fitment and function.
Introduction
When the OP first introduced us to his project, he began with a quick explanation of what he was doing and why he decided to write up the process.
I have been researching the swap from the standard R/T hood to a Hellcat hood for the last year. I have seen pictures of it done and seen videos of people doing it, but information on part numbers and full disclosure on the process from an R/T body style to a Hellcat hood are hard if not impossible to come by. Most people doing these swaps have the Scat Pack and not the R/T body style. So, I finally made the plunge and bought all the parts and pieces to do this swap. I figured I should share my experience so here is all the information as I go through this journey. The parts will be showing up over the next two weeks and the project is expected to take about 2 months.
He also explained that in addition to the new hood, he is installing Mopar splash guards at all four corners and while that isn’t really relevant to the hood swap – it is like an extra bonus DIY for Charger R/T owners.
Parts List
If you buy a Hellcat hood from a Charger SRT Hellcat owner, you will have almost everything that you need to simply swap the hoods, but you will need some extra items under the hood. The Hellcat hood has vents that the R/T does not, so in making the swap, you will need to get the ABS cover and a cold air intake cover in addition to all of the different hood bits.
Hood: 68265428AA (There is an indentation on the center of the R/T bumper that matches a line on the stock hood that will not match the Hellcat hood)
ABS Cover: 68272122AA (Right side air vent can drain water on the ABS module, so this is a Mopar cover that comes on the Hellcat to protect it)
Cold Air Intake Cover: FastHemis.Com – American Car Craft Mopar Cold Air Intake Cover (Left air vent can drain water on to the CAI)
Hood Insulation: 68309049AB
Hood Air Vent Bezels: 68202581AC & 68202580AC
Ram Air Bezel: 68202462AD
Hood bumpers: 05054227AA (Two of them, the ones on the stock hood looked like they would not transfer well so just bought two of them to add to this hood)
Hood Weather Strip: 68040220AC
Hood Radiator Weather Strip: 68271447AAFront Splash Guards: 82212243AB (Part of the project, but has nothing to do with the hood)
Rear Splash Guards: 82214950 (Part of the project, but has nothing to do with the hood)
The Project Begins
In the short time since the OP introduced the project, he has completed two steps. So far, he installed the ABS cover on the passenger’s side of the engine bay and he has installed the slash guards behind all four tires.
Unfortunately, he also found that the place where he ordered the Hellcat hood does not have one in stock, so he is still hunting for a new hood in his price range. This means that he hasn’t shared the actual install process, but this project is fairly straightforward. Once you have ordered those parts, installing the hood insulation, the vent bezels, the ram air bezel, the bumpers and the weather strips all go into the logical locations.
Key Issues
It should be noted that while the Hellcat hood will bolt right up to the Charger R/T, the differently-shaped front fascia on the two packages will cause the new hood to fit oddly. As the OP pointed out, the R/T hood has a groove that extends down into the top of the front fascia, so when you bolt up the Hellcat hood, that groove on the front fascia will not line up to anything on the Hellcat hood.
With that in mind, getting the cleanest look with the Hellcat hood is to also add the Hellcat, Scat Pack or SRT 392 front fascia to your Charger R/T, but if you are purely interested in the hood swap, this thread has all of the information that you will need.
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