Yes we changed the small truck landscape with our little Jetta pickup. It was only a matter of time before Mark turned his attention to the big V8 Ute. Smyth Utes work best with really sturdy 4 door sedans.  In the case of big V8 sedans there just are not that many left to choose from.  Lucky for all of us that the 2005 to 2020 Dodge Charger was made as one of the only 4 door muscle cars in the world. Bingo, American V8 car-truck fans your day is here.

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The tough part was picking the tail lights.  We wanted a bit of tumblehome, a slant forward for the rear tailgate.  After looking at dozens of tail lights and all the fitment issues they challenge you with, modified grand caravan tail lights fit the bill perfectly.  Combined with our exclusive multi panel aluminum bed and stock ford tailgate this car to truck conversion looks as tough as it is.  While the 4 door Charger is completely fine as a sedan, the truck version is really dramatic. From full police themed builds to wild widebody hellcat inspired rides, this Ute does double duty as a great daily or a cars and coffee show hit.

 

As I buy the components for the next version the costs are amazingly low. The 20" hellcat replica wheels are 20 x 10s in the rear with massive 315/35/20 rubber and the fronts are 20 x 9 with 275/40/20 tires for about 1200 bucks. The lowering spring kits are about $200. The fiberglass SRT hood is about $575 delivered.  Paint or wrap make it a wild looking ride that should make the most of this muscle car based design.  Supercharger next? Whatever your combo, the aftermarket is there for you as modern mopars are officially the most popular muscle cars in the U.S. passing both the Camaro and Mustang in sales.

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The bed is a full 6 feet long on the floor, the top rails are 48.5" wide at the narrowest section up front, the width on the floor in front and in back of the wheel wells is 60". The wheel wells are 48.5" at the top near the rails and slope in to 36" wide on the floor. Payload is rated at just about 900 lbs.

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The rear glass is larger than the slider in the Jetta because the Charger is a big car...this glass is out of a GM Colorado truck for easy sourcing and repair if you ever need it.  The rear quarter windows are similar to the ones used in the MK5 Jetta kit but are unique to the Charger look.  The extra room we designed into the kit was really important for big guys.  We love the way the car looks like it came from the factory.  

 

We invite you to check out all the builds on our facebook and Instagram pages. My next build needs to be a hellcat look 392 widebody shop truck don't you think?

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Mark Smith