Purists need to look elsewhere, as the Grand Wagoneer is the project’s starting point.
Is it modern rejuvenation or automotive abuse to swap a mint 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer for a Hellcat? Collins Bros Jeep has already started the drivetrain swap.
Dennis Collins explains why he chose such a magnificent Grand Wagoneer to start with. It requires less work to get it back to factory-fresh condition. He claims that a lower quality example would need months of restoration in order to be restored to the same condition.
Original Grand Wagoneer came with a 5.9-liter V8 that produced 144 horsepower (108kilowatts) as well as 280 pound-feet (382 Newton-meters). This was driven through a three speed automatic with part time four-wheel drive and low-range gearing. Collins Bros Jeep builds a Hellcat using an exhaust manifold from Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. This should give the Hellcat a significant upgrade of its output of 707 horsepower (527 kW) or 645 lbft (875).
Collins mentions that the company will make other improvements to its Hellwagon. These modifications should be relatively invisible to anyone not familiar with the classic SUVs. This concept is very similar to what Icon does with the Broncos and Land Cruisers. We believe a suspension upgrade, a more modern four-wheel drive system and wider tires to deal with the extra power would be the most probable mechanical upgrades. Bluetooth support is sufficient to stream music from the inside.
Below is a video that provides an update on the project. Both the body and chassis are now removed. We are excited to see the progress.