2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Plus Widebody
2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Plus Widebody
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Matt Harper

Original Poster:

7,022 posts

229 months

Sunday 24th March 2019
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For the last 4 years, I've owned and loved my 2015 Scat Pack Challenger. I pretty much liked everything about it except it's inability to put power onto the tarmac, due to it's inadequate stock wheel/tire package (245/40/20 on a 9" x 20" Mopar Lightweight wheel). When I've bracket raced my car, I've used a bigger tire on a non-stock wheel, but it looked odd and there were some rubbing issues.

When Dodge announced their Challenger revamp in December 2018, the car that got my attention was the Scat Pack Widebody. It very obviously has less power than it's Hellcat and Red Eye siblings, but the experts stated that the Scat Pack was the better balanced car and was easier to drive fast as a result.

Widebody Challengers are quite hard to come-by - they get snapped-up as soon as they are released, so when this one was allocated to my dealer, I moved quickly. I always feel a bit disloyal when I chop a car in for a new one, but this car is such an improvement on it's predecessor, I got over my guilt fairly quickly.

The main improvement is the 305/35/20 on 10.5"x20" wheel, with 6 piston brakes and electronically adjustable shocks. To accommodate the bigger tire/wheel package, extended wheel arches are required, which add a distinct muscularity to an already aggressive look.







2019 Scat Pack also gets the Hellcat front clip and hood. I was less keen on the more flat-fronted look of the Hellcat initially, but it has grown on me.





Power is provided by the unchanged 392cu in Hemi - unchanged and delivering a stout 485hp and 475lb ft of torque. Mine has the venerable ZF/Torqueflite 8 speed auto - I would have preferred a manual, despite it's Tremec clunkiness, but the clutch is just too heavy for my petite wife, who drives the car more than I do.





Inside, there are not many changes, just subtle stuff. It's a bit dark in there, but very comfortable and well appointed.





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As you'd expect, Dodge add a few "Easter Eggs", fun little touches that hark back to the Challenger's heritage.







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I need to get started with some mods - it needs a catch can and I will be replacing the stock intake with the AfE Momentum I had on my previous car. I'll also be adding the larger throttle body I had on my red Challenger. I live in FL so will put it on summer tires once I've nuked these Pirelli All Seasons - and the current vanity plate no longer applies.

It's a beast. I love it.

Pericoloso

44,044 posts

191 months

Sunday 24th March 2019
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Love it.

This car needs some stripes to break up the whiteness.....smile

d_a_n1979

13,561 posts

100 months

Monday 25th March 2019
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That's stunning cool

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

7,022 posts

229 months

Sunday 31st March 2019
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Modification #1 - Oil Catch-Can/Separator.

Very simple - but very necessary on cars with Mopar Apache engines. Federal emissions control regs demand that anything that is emitted from the crankcase, via the PCV valve must be redirected back into the engine (invariably through the intake manifold). This is a less than optimal solution with this motor, because liquid emissions (oil) end up pooling in the intake - at best causing smokey cold starts, but also contaminating inlet tracts, valve seats and stems, eventually creating a hard varnish which is almost impossible to remove from a composite manifold.

This device negates the transfer tube and replaces it with a vessel that allows the gas emissions to pass back into the intake, but captures the liquids, so no oil gets sucked back into the intake. Simple and effective.





My car just rolled over 700 miles and the motor is starting to loosen-up a little. I'll drop the oil at 1000 miles and have it analyzed - just to be sure everything is as it should be.

Mod #2 will be hard-wiring my radar detector, while I wait for my new aFe Momentum cold air system to arrive. Not sure how this is going to work on a 2019 car that has two air-catcher systems (one on each side) I suspect the pass side duct serves as general under-hood cooling, whereas the drivers side ducts directly into the air-box.