1985 Shelby Charger, Turbo, 5 Speed, Mopar on 2040-cars

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Roadkill builds crazy-cheap 1968 Dodge Charger rat rod using an old motorhome

Certain requests for description simply cannot be fulfilled, like if someone asked you to describe Picasso's Guernica or Gilliam's Brazil. There is only one appropriate answer to such entreaties, and that is: "You just gotta see it." That's where we are with the latest episode of Roadkill, wherein Messr's Freiburger and Finnegan dig out a 1968 Dodge Charger that Freiburger acquired in exchange for a set of cylinder heads, and intend to stuff it with the big-block motor from a long-bed, three-quarter ton Dodge pickup.
Only the pickup is too nice to tear apart, and the Charger needs a whole lot more lovin' - and parts - than initially expected. Enter, stage right, the Class A Dodge Pace Arrow motorhome with a 440 big-block purchased for $1,000, and a retired Plymouth Fury from a previous episode.
What ensues over the course of the 40-minute installment is more cuttin', yankin', leakin', stallin', hammerin' and smokin' action than you've seen in a long time, and some techniques that would have made even Cooter wonder, "I'm not sure if we should do that." By the end, though, the payoff is good enough to make you think about perusing AutoTrader for a '68 Charger just to see if maybe...

Top torque-to-weight ratios under $100k, $50k and $25k

Horsepower may steal a lot of headlines, but the always-more-complex torque figure is often a critical one for both the workingman and the motoring playboy. The measure of rotational force represents the twist that can liquefy one's tires or haul one's horse trailer. Good stuff.
It follows then, that as with the horsepower-to-weight list that we assembled for you a few months ago, a list of cars that offer the most pound-feet with the fewest pounds to carry, is an interesting one to break down. Sure, there's a big difference in how the torque is applied from a turbocharged six-cylinder in a Swedish luxury sedan and a massive heavy-duty truck's turbo-diesel. But being the car/stat geeks that we are, we think it's kinda neat that those two vehicles rank near each other where torque and weight intersect.
As with the horsepower list, we've given you figures as pounds per every one pound-foot. Again broken down into broad price categories, we've got a mixed bag of 2014 and 2015 models here, too. Every effort has been made to select the most up-to-date prices and specs, and we've also to omitted some '14 cars that won't be re-upped after the ongoing yearly changeover.

Is Mopar readying a special-edition Dart for Chicago?

Chrysler has released the above teaser of a limited-edition Mopar 2013 model that will be unveiled at next month's Chicago Auto Show. Although the automaker doesn't announce what vehicle will get the Mopar treatment, closer investigation of the seats and center console suggest that this car will be a special version of the 2013 Dodge Dart.
This will be the fourth Mopar model in as many years, following on the heels of the Mopar 2010 Challenger, Mopar 2011 Charger and the Mopar '2012 300. There are no details for the Mopar '13 Dart, but we do see that the car will retain the signature black-and-blue color scheme as past Mopar editions. Like these previous models, we expect production of Mopar '13 Dart to be limited to just 500 units.
Scroll down for Chrysler's press release teasing the new Mopar model, and we'll be sure to bring you plenty of live images from the show floor in a couple weeks.