The Many Faces of the Challenger: Exterior Changes and Mods

The rise of modern muscle cars was something that Dodge could not avoid. With the Challenger leaving the impact that it did in the 1970s with the 426 Hemi it would only be natural to bring back the body style to pair with the third generation of Hemi engines.

In 2008 the third generation of Challengers appeared with many similarities to the first generation. This vehicle shared the same basic grille, taillight, and body of the 1970 Dodge Challenger. The body is a bit bulkier and comes lower to the ground with much less chrome; it is still the perfect modern take of a classic car design to date.

Mid Gen Face Lift & Rear End Change: In 2014 the Challenger was revamped with a few exterior changes. The most noticeable change is from the singular tail light bar that ran the length of the rear tail panel to the two individual taillights. The grille was also updated along with the addition of shaker hoods for special edition models. The changes were influenced by a similar appearance update to the Challenger for the 1971 model year.

Face Off - Hellcats and Demons: Hellcats and Demons were introduced with some slight differences from standard Challengers. The grille of the vehicle is a design that reshaped the traditional design and the headlights were updated to work as part of the induction system. The basic body is used but wide body kits along with a front spoiler were used to differentiate the record setters from the standard.

Modifying the exterior of the Challenger is the best way to separate it from the thousands of other Challengers you will see on the street. Some of the modifications you can make to set yourself apart will also work to help improve drivability and performance. 

Wheels: Aftermarket wheel and tire packages are the place to start. Wheels and tires can be used to help improve the Challenger’s performance in a massive way by improving traction. They also are an attention getter. With just a set of aftermarket wheels, you can separate your vehicle entirely from the masses. 

Spoilers/Air Dams: The Challenger cuts through the air like a brick. The shape of the body is flat and wide and has a high coefficient of drag. This can be helped with the use of air dams and spoilers. These small mods work to help the vehicle behave a bit more stream-line and double to change the appearance altogether.

Wide Body Kits: The body of the widebody demons and hellcats left a major impact on performance enthusiasts. This style makes for an extremely bold appearance while allowing owners to legally fit wider wheel and tire packages at a wider variety of camber settings. 

Grille Replacement: The grille is always a place to start for making the nose of the Challenger bolder. With aftermarket grille options one has the options of making the front end brighter, darker or even appear as another Mopar model entirely. 

Lighting: Aftermarket lighting is an attraction to many. Upgrading the lights will increase lowlight visibility. With projector housings and color options made possible one has the ability to use the lighting to accent other features of the exterior. 

Hoods: The hood is a great place to make changes in appearance. The style can be juristically changed while allowing owners to take advantage of weight savings along with the potential use of scoops and shaker systems to help increase airflow to the engine bay.

When making changes to the exterior features of the Challenger weight savings should be kept in mind. If you are adding or replacing parts it’s best to reduce the total amount of weight you are adding to the vehicle.

Carbon fiber parts are extremely convenient as they will add the least amount of weight but will still retain their structural integrity. Hoods and fenders can be replaced with carbon fiber to retain or alter the appearance of the car while reducing several pounds per component. This type of performance, though, is not cheap.

Trim can be added or removed from the exterior of the Challenger in an effort to make the car stand out. One can strip the exterior of the vehicle of badges and logos for a blank slate while others can add bits of chrome or custom logos to accent the classic appearance of the 70s muscle car.

The Challenger is a dream car for many and specific sub-models may come to mind for many. In the case that one could not afford the exact model, they hoped for they can use aftermarket logos to clone their dream Challenger.

If you are interested in cloning a vehicle you will want to make sure the badges, trim parts and their placement match the real thing exactly.