Convertible Challenger- Has Anyone Out There Had the Conversion Done?

DSmith · 2021-08-10

Hey gang I stumbled across the Drop Top Customs website and am intrigued by what they have done with the Challenger. Has anyone done this conversion ? I have to confess being a little nervous about a convertible Hellcat. Would make access easier for thieves.....plus I am picturing that cloth top getting ripped off at high speed (ha!). Maybe there is a good reason Dodge hasn't released one, but they sure are cool. Also check out those retro wheels!!!

WVHEMIS

· #2 · Aug 10, 2021

They have already done a Demon so there you go. Still wish Dodge would do it but at this point with the LC platform on borrowed time it ain't gonna happen. Still trying to decide if I want to get a Scat Pack and do this. Most of the models you see at dealers have been done on base models with cloth interiors and almost no options... no thank you.

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DevilsReject97

· #3 · Aug 10, 2021

If you check out the movie Boss Level on Hulu, they supposedly did this to a Hellcat...

There's also this one..

Meet The Challenger SRT Hellcat Convertible That Dodge Won't Make

With its ridiculously powerful engines, a distaste for curvy roads, and its massive blind spots, the Dodge Challenger is an old-school muscle car that only really cares about going as quickly as possible in a straight line. Perhaps that's why Dodge never bothered to make a convertible version to...

carbuzz.com

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Snowman

· #4 · Aug 10, 2021

DevilsReject97 said:
Meet The Challenger SRT Hellcat Convertible That Dodge Won't Make

With its ridiculously powerful engines, a distaste for curvy roads, and its massive blind spots, the Dodge Challenger is an old-school muscle car that only really cares about going as quickly as possible in a straight line. Perhaps that's why Dodge never bothered to make a convertible version to...

carbuzz.com

This exact car was on Cars.com when I ordered my Super Stock earlier this year. I actually considered it...for about 30 seconds.

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Ryabrams

· #5 · Aug 10, 2021

Does this actually interest you? I posted this in another thread a few weeks back.
Autotrader Link

See less See more

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Nemesis RR

· #6 · Aug 11, 2021

I can't imagine that car not rattling over time or flexing when it is time to put the power down.

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baabootoo

· #7 · Aug 11, 2021

Yeah, do they add frame stiffening somewhere????????? You can't just cut a top off w/o adverse affects.

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Carnage72

· #8 · Aug 11, 2021

If you go into the link the sellers comments note that they added strut tower braces plus subframe connectors to stiffen it up

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Frosty

· #9 · Aug 11, 2021

They look so good with the top down but with the top up, that's a whole different story. Probably why the add above has zero pictures with the top up...

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Parshooter

· #10 · Aug 11, 2021

Most converts look like crap with the top up. That's not the point. It's a top down car. l like the white one above. Looks great.

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2ndAmend

· #11 · Aug 12, 2021

There is a structural engineer out there somewhere that spent a decade of his life on finite element analysis of the Challenger body structure and subsequent dynamic testing and years of compiling and analyzing real world data in the effort of making the ultimate HC we now own, looking at this then facing the wall and banging his head against it.

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DevilsReject97

· #12 · Aug 12, 2021

2ndAmend said:
There is a structural engineer out there somewhere that spent a decade of his life on finite element analysis of the Challenger body structure and subsequent dynamic testing and years of compiling and analyzing real world data in the effort of making the ultimate HC we now own, looking at this then facing the wall and banging his head against it.

Or they simply decided they wanted to be lazy and just not offer it.

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that they would sell a lot of convertibles if it was offered...even if it wasnt offered as a Hellcat...

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Chancey

· #13 · Aug 13, 2021

I saw another on done correctly on one of those customization shows a few years back. They added all of the chassis, body and frame supports needed to make it a really good quality build. But I cant get my head around someone cutting the top to try and steal it just because its a bit easier. Also if one of these bad boys flipped, it would be ugly without full roll bar in place on a drop top! But man it did look cool!

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Chancey

· #14 · Aug 13, 2021

2ndAmend said:
There is a structural engineer out there somewhere that spent a decade of his life on finite element analysis of the Challenger body structure and subsequent dynamic testing and years of compiling and analyzing real world data in the effort of making the ultimate HC we now own, looking at this then facing the wall and banging his head against it.

Ha! You are probably right!

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GreenMachine15

· #15 · Aug 13, 2021

DevilsReject97 said:
Or they simply decided they wanted to be lazy and just not offer it.

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that they would sell a lot of convertibles if it was offered...even if it wasnt offered as a Hellcat...

You are the first person in history to call the hellcat engineers lazy lol
In my opinion, the hellcat platform is way too much power for a convertible. These things would be tearing the body like the foxbody mustang t-tops cars in the 80s/90s.
Not to mention decapitations in accidents.

2015 Hellcat Challenger A8 Sublime. Engine: 2.85 Metco, 10%OD ATI, Metco Idlers, hpindy 15% UD acc crank pulley, TBA Lwr Idler, FI SC Spacers, 180 Thermo, 1050X Injectors, FAS Ported Snout, FAS Billet Bearing Plate, CFM 105mm TB, JLT CAI, JLT Oil Seperators, TBA Boost Ref Adptr - Tuning: OST Dyno Engine 93/C16 & Trans via MPVI2 Hp Tuners - Exhaust: JBA Catless Downpipes, Trackhawk Exhaust Tips - Drivetrain: 3.09 Rear Diff, DIRS & Race Brace, 1pc DSS Aluminum DS, BMR Modded Safety Loop, Petty Trans Brace - Suspension: Eibach Pro-kit Springs, Eibach Front Upper Adj Arms, BMR Rear Lwr Arms, BMR Subframe Connectors, Speedlogix Front Strut Brace, Petty Ent Rear 4pt Shock Tower Brace, Bwoody F/R Sway Bar Links, Short rears - Wheels/Tires: 10.5 Replicas, 305 Nitto 555R Drag, Black Lug Nuts, Blackout Center Caps - Exterior: Perf Wing, ZL1 Splitter/Rear Diffusr/Side Skirts/Rear Ext, Redeye Emblems, Blackout Front/Rear Emblems, AMD Fuel Door, Fastys LED Tubes, Tint, Oracle Markers

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DevilsReject97

· #16 · Aug 13, 2021

GreenMachine15 said:
You are the first person in history to call the hellcat engineers lazy lol
In my opinion, the hellcat platform is way too much power for a convertible. These things would be tearing the body like the foxbody mustang t-tops cars in the 80s/90s.
Not to mention decapitations in accidents.

Considering the designers didn't have to worry about the Hellcat when the car was designed/engineered, yes, they were lazy. Additionally, plenty of high powered cars have been convertibles.... and no, the Hellcat would be just fine without destroying the body (if it was properly sorted). I've seen several 750+ ZL1 convertibles, both in 5th and 6th gen form.... and they are fun toys...

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GreenMachine15

· #17 · Aug 13, 2021

DevilsReject97 said:
Considering the designers didn't have to worry about the Hellcat when the car was designed/engineered, yes, they were lazy. Additionally, plenty of high powered cars have been convertibles.... and no, the Hellcat would be just fine without destroying the body (if it was properly sorted). I've seen several 750+ ZL1 convertibles, both in 5th and 6th gen form.... and they are fun toys...

I have a cage and subframe connectors in my car and have seen the entire bare floor in the car and structural points. The challenger is built very very well. To call this masterpiece 'lazy' is ridiculous. Everyone has an opinion. Mine is what i have seen.
Nothing off a production line from dodge was meant for 1,000hp. Once you get past 850, you start to understand what would happen to a convertible, especially if it had a sticky tire.

2015 Hellcat Challenger A8 Sublime. Engine: 2.85 Metco, 10%OD ATI, Metco Idlers, hpindy 15% UD acc crank pulley, TBA Lwr Idler, FI SC Spacers, 180 Thermo, 1050X Injectors, FAS Ported Snout, FAS Billet Bearing Plate, CFM 105mm TB, JLT CAI, JLT Oil Seperators, TBA Boost Ref Adptr - Tuning: OST Dyno Engine 93/C16 & Trans via MPVI2 Hp Tuners - Exhaust: JBA Catless Downpipes, Trackhawk Exhaust Tips - Drivetrain: 3.09 Rear Diff, DIRS & Race Brace, 1pc DSS Aluminum DS, BMR Modded Safety Loop, Petty Trans Brace - Suspension: Eibach Pro-kit Springs, Eibach Front Upper Adj Arms, BMR Rear Lwr Arms, BMR Subframe Connectors, Speedlogix Front Strut Brace, Petty Ent Rear 4pt Shock Tower Brace, Bwoody F/R Sway Bar Links, Short rears - Wheels/Tires: 10.5 Replicas, 305 Nitto 555R Drag, Black Lug Nuts, Blackout Center Caps - Exterior: Perf Wing, ZL1 Splitter/Rear Diffusr/Side Skirts/Rear Ext, Redeye Emblems, Blackout Front/Rear Emblems, AMD Fuel Door, Fastys LED Tubes, Tint, Oracle Markers

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2ndAmend

· #18 · Aug 13, 2021

No company is too lazy to make more money. If the economics were there, they would have done it.

Many of you may be too young to recall but convertible production ceased in the U.S. in 1976. Reasons cited were increased safety regulations and waning demand (510k in '65, 76k in '71). Though they came back in the 80's they only account for a small percentage of sales.

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DevilsReject97

· #19 · Aug 13, 2021

GreenMachine15 said:
I have a cage and subframe connectors in my car and have seen the entire bare floor in the car and structural points. The challenger is built very very well. To call this masterpiece 'lazy' is ridiculous.

And once again, you keep on with the Hellcat nonsense. My statement stands...DaimlerChrysler was lazy and didn't pursue a convertible Challenger. My statement has NOTHING to do with the Hellcat itself. I've known plenty of people who would have outright bought a convertible Challenger but since they couldn't went with a Camaro or a Mustang.

2ndAmend said:
No company is too lazy to make more money. If the economics were there, they would have done it.

Many of you may be too young to recall but convertible production ceased in the U.S. in 1976. Reasons cited were increased safety regulations and waning demand (510k in '65, 76k in '71). Though they came back in the 80's they only account for a small percentage of sales.

FCA has sold about 40-42k total Hellcat powered Challengers.... and they've sold about 674k of the Challenger since it's came back in 2008. To think they couldn't have sold 50-60k of the car as a convertible is ridiculous. The reality is that Dodge missed on this....

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Chancey

· #20 · Aug 13, 2021

I would not pretend to know why Dodge/FCA chose not to do a convertible platform on the newer challengers. But for what its worth, I had a 2013 Shelby GT500 hardtop that pushed over 800 hp after the basic mods I chose were added. (663 hp from the dealer floor before mods). And it was far more stable a platform than a 2012 GT500 convertible that a friend of mine had and I drove often. It only had 550 hp from the factory , and remained unmodified. You know the 2012 500 was built/supported chassis wise more than a hardtop would be from the factory too. So...and this is my uneducated opinion, based ONLY on my basic muscle car knowledge, but maybe FCA/Dodge/Chrysler thought it would need a roll cage on the higher horsepower cars to go convertible for safety reasons alone, and the bean counters won the argument? This does not explain why they did not offer or build a base model, SXT/6 banger/ or naturally aspirated ragtop for the cool factor alone as Camaro and Ford offered. But again this is ONLY my uneducated opinion!

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