If Chrysler had tossed Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati or Jaguar the keys to their cars and said, "Show us something", you might get something like one of our widebody, MUSCLEMAXXX cars.

MUSCLEMAXXX is the ultimate expression of our MUSCLEROD program. It's everything we know about building high-tech, high performance machines out of classic MOPAR muscle cars, taken to another dimension. Like all of our MUSCLERODS, our focus is to respect the original design of these beautiful machines which means anything we do can only enhance its look and amplify its attitude.

Built on our MUSCLEROD concept, our MUSCLEMAXXX cars feature cleverly-crafted body mods that enhance the original car's shape, with exaggerated proportions that are so carefully added and blended, that they can be hard to notice when the car is sitting by itself. Put it next to an original though and "WOW!", you'll be amazed by the difference, both in how much there is and in how little there seems to be.

We build MUSCLEROD MUSCLEMAXXX cars exclusively on MOPAR B&E body platforms.

We wanted to see how far we could take a classic Charger. Turns out, the answer is "Pretty Far".

What started as a pure exploration of design and expression in sheet metal, turned into something else:  You're looking at the very first MUSCLEMAXXX, the car that became the foundation of a new build style. And while new versions of our MUSCLEMAX builds continue to push boundaries, the genesis of them all is this 1968 Charger. The original idea was to see how close to the ground we could put a factory unibody. That by itself, might not have been such a big deal, but having it maintain great ride and handing characteristics too, well, that was something else.

Because body and structural chassis was our focus, we kept the drivetrain updates simple; a slightly warmed-over 383 is still backed by its refreshed, but original A-833 4-speed. Sway bars, springs and even the interior, have been left alone save for a little TLC. But the body is a different story. Since our goal was always to put it as close to terra firma as possible with the unibody intact, we started by channeling the body 3" down over the frame. This lead to lowering the rockers 2" while raising the wheel wells a like amount and relocating all the suspension pick up points so the car would ride and drive factory-fresh. These mods, along with big, low-profile tires in the front and massive ones  in the rear, nailed the stance. If you ever wondered how low you can go with a static stance on a unibody MOPAR, this is it.

Stuffing those big rollers up and inside the rear wheel wells brought more challenges, namely, making the car wider. Now a stock '68 Charger is pretty wide, so we added 5 more inches in the back for good measure. Then we contoured the new quarter panel lines to blend seamlessly into the doors as those beautiful Charger lines continue forward. We topped it off with an all-steel hood featuring hand fabbed heat extractors and a brilliant, green paint job with black tail stripes sporting a marbleized finish.

After a lot of head scratching, calculating, cutting, welding, hammering and head scratching (we did that a lot), we are happy to say it's mission accomplished. The Charger is low, sinewy, sexy and drives like a dream. It also went beyond our wildest (or is that, widest) dreams, to spawn a genre of widebody MOPARS we call MUSCLEMAXXX.

Build Highlights

Body

• Quarters widened 5", blended into forward sheet metal
• Rockers lowered 2"
• Wheel arches raised & flared 2"
• Body channeled over frame 3"
• All-steel hood built with heat extractors

Driveline/Chassis/Suspension

• Factory 383 rebuilt with Comp Cam: 450bhp
• Factory A-833 4-Speed Manual transmission
• Factory 8.75 Rear
• Factory torsion bars & leaf springs; pick-up points relocated to accommodate frame channeling

Interior

• Tilt Steering column
• Vintage-Air A/C System
• Factory gauges, dash & seats

Looks like we're on to something.

If MUSCLEMAXXX 1 was our proof-of-concept, MUSCLEMAXXX 2 is a testament to the truth of the design and engineering that went into it. MAXXX 2 is the first commissioned widebody MOPAR we built. Also a 68 Charger, this build benefits from experience and a bigger budget.  Interestingly, it was in some ways more challenging to build, since we were essentially mirroring the first car. Except for things like color, wheels, tires and interior, it was the same car, which meant those beautifully exaggerated proportions, meticulously blended into factory sheet metal as to be almost unseen, and that low and menacing, yet daily-driver capable stance, had to be replicated. Our first attempt at repeating our repeatable build process, was like getting lightning to strike twice. MAXXX 2 was our lightning rod.

One huge benefit of this build is that we knew exactly what we were trying to achieve, starting with the stance. This time, in addition to making the necessary modifications to the factory frame, we also tapped aftermarket MOPAR suspension specialist, Alter-K-tion, for new front and rear suspension components that helped us get the ground-hugging look and drivability we wanted. The new front k-member features coil-overs; eliminating the torsion bars frees up space which allows for much better suspension geometry and virtually unlimited tuning capability. Out back, the factory leaf springs are also replaced with coil-overs that give the same ride and tuning benefits.

For the body, it was more of the not-the-same-old-same: we sliced, widened and blended the quarters, adding about 5 inches to the already wide B-Body. We dropped everything over the revised factory frame and floor, lowered the rocker panels, raised the wheel openings and built another, all-steel custom hood to give proper clearance where it was due.

For power, we upped the ante of Chrysler's formidable 440, bringing its cube count to 535 inches and feeding it with Hilborn stack injection. It's backed by a TKO600-5-speed and a stout, Chrysler 8.75 rear. Big brakes work with bigger wheels and tires to keep it planted and pointed in the right direction and to haul it down fast from its new-found power output.

Inside, where MAXXX 1 relied on factory threads, this one is full-custom, featuring a new dash, door panels, seats, center console and more, all built and stitched by Steve Holcomb.

If there's truth to packaging lightning in a bottle, MUSCLEMAXXX 2 is it.

Build Highlights

Body

• Quarters widened, blended into forward sheet metal
• Rockers lowered
• Wheel arches raised
• Body channeled over frame with Z'd front frame & raised rear shock crossmember
• All-steel hood built with heat extractors

Driveline/Chassis/Suspension

• Chrysler 440 Stroked to 535
• Hilborn Injected 8 Stack
• TKO600 5-speed
• Chrysler 8.75 Rear
• Reilly Motorsports Alter-K-tion and Street-Lynx
• Wilwood brakes and Boyd wheels

Interior

• Full custom interior by Steve Holcomb of Knoxville, TN
• Tilt Steering column
• Vintage-Air A/C System
• Classic Instruments

This gives a completely new meaning to Giving Them "The Bird".

Giving someone the bird is a euphemism for showing your most famous finger to someone that you might be angry at, annoyed by or otherwise unhappy with. And while we're not mad at anyone, our MUSCLEMAXXX Road Runner can easily be considered a "finger" in the face of established, custom car building standards, especially as they are applied to classic muscle cars. Our MUSCLEMAXXX Road Runner is our second customer-commissioned widebody build and it goes to show that blondes (and Chargers) aren't the only ones that get to have all the fun. In fact, MAXXX 3 might have just upped the fun factor by using a 392 inch G3 HEMI as it go source, but more on the drivetrain later.

Building on our first two MUSCLEMAXXX projects, this 69 Road Runner was treated to a similar widening treatment as its cross-brand siblings. We say similar because although the effect is the same, when it comes to sheet metal curves, corners and surfaces, Road Runners are different animals than Chargers. True, they were designed around a similar Coke-bottle theme, but they achieved it in a much more angular, almost brutish fashion. Don't get us wrong, we think Road Runners are beautiful machines as-built, they are just decidedly blockier than the swoopy Charger. Regardless, we widened and blended the quarters fore and aft to integrate them into the doors and trailing edges of the car. We also blended the tail lights into the quarters, tucked the bumpers front and back, and set the trunk off with a hand-formed, steel decklid spoiler. As with the others, the frame was modified to set the car down as low as possible, the rockers lowered and the wheel arches raised and flared for the 300+mm wide rear tires. Like the spoiler, the hood is all steel and hand formed and incorporates classic Road Runner side-wide air intake pick ups. For paint, we went with a custom color that falls somewhere between Chrysler's Y-8 & Y-10 paint codes, which are Gold Leaf Poly and Tawny Gold Poly respectively.

For the fun factor we mentioned, the 392 G3 HEMI represents the first move towards modern engine muscle for one of our MUSCLEMAXXX builds. Fortified with a cam & heads, this mill makes well north of 500bhp but still delivers the driving refinement and reliability of modern muscle cars. The T56 manual transmission gives it plenty of options for moving forward, still only one for backward, and 6 piston Baer brakes and Forgeline wheels to make it handle very, very well. Like MAXXX 2, the Road Runner utilizes a Reilly Sport Alter-k-tion front suspension with its Street-Lynx set up in the rear.

This time around, the fully custom interior was handled by Sculpt Garage in San Marco, Texas, while a tilt steering wheel, A/C, power windows and even a push button start feature keep the modern creature comforts coming and the cruising easy and relaxed.

For us, MAXXX 3 was our dare-to-be-different build among our dare-to-build-differently build style. And last we checked, no Coyote can lay claim to keeping up with this Road Runner.

Build Highlights

Body

• Quarters widened, blended into forward sheet metal
• Rockers lowered
• Wheel arches raised & flared
• Body channeled over frame
• All-steel hood
• Split bumpers
• Blended tail lights
• Integrated rear spoiler

Driveline/Chassis/Suspension

• 392 3G HEMI with upgraded heads & cam
• Tremec T-56 Speed Manual transmission
• Ford-style 9" Rear
• Reilly Motorsports Alter-K-tion and Street-Lynx suspension
• Baer 6-piston brakes
• Forgeline wheels

Interior

• Full custom interior by Sculpt Garage in San Marcos, TX
• Tilt Steering column
• Vintage-Air A/C System
• Power windows
• Dakota Digital instruments and A/C controller
• Push-button start

If it holds a HEMI, we're in.

Xtra-wide, Xtra-sexy and X-tra special, that's what the three X's in MUSCLEMAXXX stand for, and since E-body MOPARS have virtually the same suspension and pick-up points of B-body's, there no reason they can't get the same love, so MUSCLEMAXXX 4 is based on a 1970 Dodge Challenger. It's the first, and only one of its kind for us so far and, oddly enough, we have Mother MOPAR to thank for it. Well, kind of. A little backstory before we get to this build.

If you didn't already know, we only build MUSCLEMAXXX on MOPAR B & E-body platforms, but if it hadn't been for some stubborn and forceful Chrysler executives in the 1960's, we might only be building on the B-body platform and here's why. It's rumored that the originally planned 3rd generation Barracuda didn't look anything like the one we came to know and covet in 1970; yes, MAXXX 4 is a Challenger, but without the Barracuda, there'd be no E-body Challenger. Anyway, the proposed Barracuda was shot down when corporate brass and marketing found out that the HEMI wouldn't fit in it. Since the HEMI meant so much to the marketing and public image of Chrysler, the new Barracuda had to make way for the Elephant, and the E-body was born. It combined the width of the B-body with the length on an A-body and created a sporty new car capable of housing the Corporation's most fearsome engine. For us and our MUSCEMAXXX cars, it's the width that lets us include E-body's easily into our program. Now, back to this 1970 Challenger.

Like we said, with the same underpinnings and architecture, E-body's are naturals for a MAXXX build. Like its bigger brothers, it's hips were hiked out and blended, it was lowered over the modified chassis and its wheel wells raised to keep proportions right and clearances as needed for excellent, anytime, anywhere driving. Custom spoilers make an appearance along with our custom, hand-fabbed hood and it utilizes the same Reilly Motorsports suspension components so we know it rides and drives superbly. Under the hood, the engine game has been stepped up again with a Hellcat crate engine, and that means 700+ ponies kicking a 6-speed manual through a Ford 9" rear. Upgraded and upsized wheels, tires and brakes from our trusted build partners help deliver the power and provide poise and control.

Steve Holcomb from Knoxville, TN is again responsible for the full custom interior which features all the most requested modern car comforts like A/C, power windows, tilt wheel and more.

And then there's that rich, beautiful, deep finish paint. It's green. You can envy it , or we can build one for you.

Build Highlights

Body

• Quarters widened, blended into forward sheet metal
• Rockers lowered
• Wheel arches raised
• Body channeled over frame
• All-steel hood
• Bumpers tucked front and rear
• Blended tail lights
• Custom spoilers

Driveline/Chassis/Suspension

• Hellcat crate engine
• Tremec T-56 Speed Manual transmission
• Ford-style 9" Rear
• Reilly Motorsports Alter-K-tion and Street-Lynx suspension
• Wilwood brakes
• Boyd Coddington wheels

Interior

• Full custom interior by Steve Holcomb, Knoxville, TN
• Tilt Steering column
• Vintage-Air A/C System
• Power windows
• Dakota Digital instruments and A/C controller
• Push-button start

Sinking to new lows.

For us, everything we do here at the MUSCLEROD Shop is about elevating the performance, style and utility of classic muscle cars so you can get out and make new memories with them. So it might seem strange that one of the cars of our MUSCLEMAXX build series, the one designed to take them to the greatest heights, is being described as taking them to new lows. But with this build, we're digging deep to go even higher. Stick around and you'll see that this is a whole other level of build.

MAXXX 5 is our most recent and aggressive MUSCLEMAXXX. It employs all the expertly engineered and finely crafted elements of all the other MAXXX projects, and then takes them just a little bit further. There's the requisite frame mods and widened quarters, but that's not all; the top has been chopped and the body sectioned, which means this 69 Charger- yes, another Charger, is designed to look X-tra low, lean and menacing. One point of particular pride for us on this build is how we were able to section the body and still retain the Charger's signature Coke-bottle shape and characteristic top bodyline intersection where the quarter meets the fender in the door. Moving on, it has tucked bumpers, custom made air inlets, extractors and diffusers and another of our house-made custom hoods.

Power is also a BIG point of departure because this time around, V8's of any kind are gone, replaced by Chrysler's biggest bad boy, its V10 engine. This powerhouse punishes a 6-speed tranny and doesn't quit until you pull your foot out of the throttle.

Another big change is an upgrade to a Roadster Shop fully independent front and rear suspension. The RS team has an excellent product and we're happy to have it keeping MAXXX 5 in touch with the tarmac.

Inside, Sculpt Garage in San Marcos, TX has done it again with a beautiful custom interior, and when the car's owner is grinning ear-to-ear with the power of 10, they can sit back and enjoy effortless driving in comfort thanks to the modern amenities they have at hand.

Build Highlights

Body

• Chopped, channeled & sectioned
• Quarters widened, blended into forward sheet metal
• Rockers lowered
• Wheel arches raised & flared
• Body channeled over frame
• All-steel hood
• Tucked bumpers front and back

Driveline/Chassis/Suspension

• Stage 3 VIPER V10
• Tremec T-56 Speed Manual transmission
• Roadster Shop independent front & rear suspension
• Baer 6-piston brakes
• Forgeline wheels

Interior

• Full custom interior by Sculpt Garage in San Marcos, TX
• Tilt Steering column
• Vintage-Air A/C System
• Power windows
• Dakota Digital instruments and A/C controller
• Push-button start