'90 W250 5.9 Cummins, Automatic, 4wd on 2040-cars

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Watching a 2010 Dodge Challenger become a Plymouth GTX is a restomod education

We cover a lot of restomods, many of them one-off SEMA show cars and low-volume builds from professional shops that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Autoevolution tells the story of Steve Mirabelli, who creates Mopar restomods as a hobby when home from his day job as a NASCAR Sprint Cup car builder for Hendrick Motorsports. Working on his own, the stuff we've seen from Mirabelli so far deserves to sit at the same table as Kore and Ring Brothers. First he spent four years turning a 2006 Dodge Charger SRT8 into a 1968 Dodge Charger, the cardinal feat being the proportions; many builds leave the modern Charger's thick sides uniting a nosecone and high Daytona wing. Mirabelli didn't let himself off so easy, finding a '68 Charger abandoned in a field to lay over the '06 chassis, then working the proportions — such as adding 11 inches to the wheelbase — so that the 20-inch wheels look like they could have been stock fitment in '68.    His current build is recasting a 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T into a thid-gen Plymouth GTX, May 6 representing two years since the first video documenting the process. These videos are another highlight. For anyone who's ever wanted to see every step in how the professionals turn classic cars into modern monsters, Mirabelli's criminally under-watched YouTube channel is the place to go. There are 43 videos so far on the GTX transformation, with Mirabelli taking time to explain and demonstrate his thought process and methods every step of the way. It's an online course in restomodding, maybe the perfect final binge before returning to our outdoor lives.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

The first production 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10 is up for grabs

The 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10 was a game-changer both for parent company Chrysler and the U.S. auto industry at large. While it was significant for bringing its automaker out of its dull, post-1980s funk, it also lit a fire under the rest of Detroit. If it hadn't been for the Viper, the world may not have gotten the C5 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (and its many world-class successors) or the revived Ford GT.  And the very first one is headed to auction.  This Viper is particularly special for two reasons. Not only was it the first production RT/10 to roll off the line at Chrysler's Mack Avenue plant (the Viper wouldn't move to Conner Avenue Assembly until 1996), but it was immediately scooped up by industry icon and then-Chrysler executive Lee Iacocca, who famously ushered fellow great Bob Lutz on stage at the Viper concept's reveal and told him to "build the damn thing." Even if you've never heard of Iacocca, you're certainly familiar with the cars he's influenced, whether you know it or not. Whether it's the Chrysler K-Car platform (and the minivan segment it spawned) or the 1964 Ford Mustang, one of Iacocca's projects has undoubtedly touched your life in one way or another.  Showing just over 6,200 miles, this Viper remained in Iacocca's possession from day one until his passing in 2019. Even without the Iacocca connection, this would be a special lot. VIN #001 is all-original, packing the 8.0-liter V10 engine that made the Viper famous. Dodge's bruiser was also known for being light on superfluous extras, such as anti-lock brakes, which the Viper didn't receive until 2001 — just before the second-generation model was discontinued.  Bonhams projects this Viper will go for between $100,000 and $125,000. That's probably a bargain. Opportunities to own such a unique and significant piece of automotive history come around very rarely, and considering this is about the same amount FCA was charging for a brand-new Viper when it went out production in 2017, it's not an unreasonable price point.  The Viper will cross the block on Jan. 16.

Dodge Viper production to end after 2017

We can't say we're surprised, but we're still saddened to report that the Dodge Viper will not live on past the 2017 model year. It's had a solid 25-year run, though, and that's worth celebrating. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles does just that for the Viper's final model year, with five special editions (some of which seem less special than others, admittedly): The 1:28 Edition ACR, GTS-R Commemorative Edition ACR, VoooDoo II Edition ACR, Snakeskin Edition GTC, and Dodge Dealer Edition ACR. Instead of running through what makes each of these 2017 Vipers special, we'll direct your attention to the press release below and the images above. All but the Dodge Dealer Edition commemorate memorable Viper models of the past 25 years, and the GTS-R is probably the pick of the litter with its classic blue-on-white paint scheme. Unless you prefer to err on the side of gaudy, in which case Dodge has you (and your car) covered with Snakeskin Green. If none of these special-edition Viper models strikes your fancy but you'd still like to park a 2017 Viper in your garage, fret not. Dodge is still offering its "1 of 1" customization program for the Viper's final year of production. Finally, instead of dwelling on the past, even when that past is as exciting as the Viper's, let's choose to look to the future with the only logical question left unanswered: What's next? Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.