Now this is a Wagon a guy could fall in love with

[Wild one]

https://www.motortrend.com/features/1969-dodge-coronet-500-hellcat-engine-station-wagon-mecum-auction-indy-2024/?eml=organic%3Aeml%3Abrz%3A20240510%3A1969-dodge%3Aarticle%3Anwsltr%3Aowcst%3Amt&utm_source=braze&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mtod_newsletter

 

[Wild one]

Hellwagon! What If a Hellcat-Powered Dodge Charger Had Five Doors?!​

This 1969 Dodge Coronet 500 wagon is that car, and it’s a far cry from the simple grocery-getter it appears to be.
KJ JonesWriterMecum AuctionsPhotographerMay 09, 2024


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For obvious and somewhat understandable reasons, station wagons are not knee-jerk first choices when it comes to building a vehicle to use for cruising and/or racing. Of course, Kevin Schweizer’s “ZephZilla” is a major contradiction to that notion, but in the big picture, full-size, nine-passenger wagons aren’t in the hot-rod limelight.






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However, modified station wagons can be cool, provided they’re made with all the parts that are necessary for making them so. In the case of this 1969 Dodge Coronet 500, Mecum Auctions/Indianapolis Lot number F260, a complete 6.2-liter Dodge SRT Hellcat engine package tops the list of goodies that give the OG family hauler immediate cred.
It’s important that we acknowledge the possibility of this wagon being big-block-equipped (typically a 383 cubic-inch powerplant) from the factory back in 1969, as were some of its Chevy (396ci) and Ford (429ci) competitors. With the right boxes checked on an order sheet and whatever additional dollars were necessary, the cubes, four-barrel carburetors, and even four-speed manual transmissions could be had for the long-roof cars, essentially making them “muscle” wagons of the period.
In 2005, Dodge gave performance wagons another go with the Magnum, a long-roof Charger that hung around until it was discontinued in 2008. The R/T model could be had with a 340-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine. SRT-8 Magnums packed a little more heat with a 425-horspower 6.1-liter Hemi, and although rear-wheel drive and a four-speed automatic transmission were standard drivetrain fare, all-wheel drive with a five-speed automatic was optional (on RT and 3.5-liter V-6-powered SXT models).


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It’s unknown whether this hopped-up five-door was one of those heavyweight champs back in the day. But focusing on the here and now, it definitely has performance chops, while somehow keeping a semblance of anonymity with its roof rack and wood-grain body panels.

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The only visual hints that this R6 Red ride could be more than just an ordinary station wagon are bits that pay homage to two-door 1969 “Scat Pack” Dodges, including a N96 Ramcharger-style hood with scoops and Scat Pack-themed spinner-type wheelcovers.

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Inside, its black finish is meticulous, and everything looks factory stock from the front to the third-row back seat (that faces rearward), except for trick (and stealth) Dakota Digital RTX gauges that are incorporated into the instrument panel.

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Hellwagon’s supercharged 6.2-liter SRT Hellcat V-8 engine is equipped with red “Hemi” valve covers, a conical air filter, modern cooling equipment, and an exhaust system that’s highlighted by TTI headers. Jake’s Performance built the Coronet 500’s Compushift-managed GM 4L80E automatic transmission and 2,600-stall torque converter that are mated to the engine with a Reid conversion bellhousing.

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Beneath this unique beast is a Moser Dana 60-type axle that’s loaded with a Detroit Tru-Trac differential and 3.73 gears, and custom, wider-than-stock steel rear wheels. Hotchkis sway bars, CalTracs traction bars, Bilstein shocks, a Borgeson steering box, and Wilwood brakes comprise its front and rear suspension. Whoever wins the bid will also get the Hellwagon’s dyno data and the OG owner's manual, too.

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Hellwagon is just one of the thousands of vehicles that will cross the block at Dana Mecum's 37th Original Spring Classic at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. Friday, May 17 is its hopeful sale date.

 

[fitteenhundred]

This is the wagon Clark needed on National Lampoons Vacation.