1969 Charger 500
Restomod Hemi
We really like cars that see the abuse of everyday driving while packing some serious power. Sidney Nemes of Cote Saint Luc, Quebec, Canada, has a '69 Charger 500 that's a great example of that. Before Sidney got hold of the Charger, it was cared for by Buddy Arrington, a popular independent NASCAR driver. This car was recently certified in the Chrysler Registry, but that doesn't keep him from playing with it.
Sidney isn't a build-it-and-leave-it-alone kind of guy; he's got to constantly have his hands in his car. The latest wave of attention went to this car's engine. It's a 528-inch Hemi crate motor rated at 650 horsepower. After driving the car with this powerplant, Sidney wanted a little more. He pulled it and handed it over to the guys at Paneritis Performance of Montreal, Canada, to up the ante. Once there, it got high-flow heads, new pistons, a Ray Barton Stage-V dual-carb intake, and a little higher compression. On pump gas, it dynoed at 834 horsepower and 730 lb-ft of torque--not too shabby for a street car. With a seriously upgraded cooling system, Sidney doesn't see the temperature needle go past 180 degrees F too often.
The other project Sidney has recently undertaken is the interior. He traded his worn-out factory steering wheel for Flaming River's Waterfall model. With the updated steering wheel, the factory seats looked out of place, so he swapped in chairs from an SRT-8 with all the fancy electric doo-dads. All the upholstery was redone by Classic Upholstery, also in Montreal, Canada.
Under the car is an upgraded suspension with Wilwood disc brakes on all four corners. It doesn't seem like there is much left untouched, but we're sure Sidney will find something to change in the future.
Mothers Picture Perfect Award
This is the place to show off your pride and joy to the rest of mankind, so we figure those readers who took the time to capture a really cool shot of their hot rod should get a little bonus. Mothers agreed, and decided to come to the party with some freebies for the best picture submitted to PHR.
Each month, the editors at PHR will sift through the images and pick the one with the best composition, lighting, and overall quality. The winner will get a cool assortment of Mothers products to keep his or her ride looking nice and shiny. Mail us a photograph or, if you're a modern guy, email us a digital image. Remember that digital images need to be 300 dpi, and the bigger the image, the larger it can run. Also, be sure to include info on the car, along with your name and address. Good luck!