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2010 Dodge LC22R Challenger Drag Pak - Retro Racer RevealedYou paid 40 grand for that? It looks like a recovered theft from the police impound yard! From the June, 2011 issue of Mopar Muscle By Steve Magnante
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You paid 40 grand for that? It looks like a recovered theft from the police impound yard! Well, if you’re talking about a 2009 or 2010 LC22R Drag Pak Challenger, know there are plenty of Mopar diehards who have lined up--$39,995 in hand--for a chance to own an example of Dodge’s reborn, factory-built Super Stock drag car. No refugee from Midnight Auto Supply, the ’10 Challenger LC22R Drag Pak picks up where the ’65 Coronet WO21 and ’68 LO23 Dart left off, Hemi power and all. Thanks to big changes in motor vehicle certification laws in the decades since the last batch of factory Hemi drag cars were produced, the new Drag Pak isn’t so much a car, as a parts group that comes wrapped in a fresh Stone White Challenger body shell. It’ll be up to you to install a transmission, rear suspension and axle, exhaust headers and the rolling stock of your choice (none of it is included). And it isn’t being sold as a new car. There is no warranty--or VIN for that matter, so you can forget about running it on the street. These are strip-only machines you buy through Mopar Direct Connection headquarters. The 2010 edition featured here isn’t the first of the breed. Records show there were two Drag Pak development mules built in 2008 before the program went official in 2009. That year, Mopar and the NHRA predicted that 100 would be built to meet the then-current NHRA minimum production requirements for vehicle eligibility in its Stock and Super Stock categories. For 2010, the minimum was dropped to 50 units and that’s where our story begins. Since 1966, Papa’s Dodge of New Britain, Connecticut, has been an active Dodge dealership with a strong background in high performance. Operated today by Dom and Ken Papa, their massive indoor showroom is a veritable museum that mixes old and new in equal measures. Visitors can admire the latest Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep models, then turn around and see a classic ’70 Challenger T/A, a Superbird, and other vintage muscle cars. It’s a fun place to visit. Take the virtual tour at www.papasdodge.com. When he first heard rumors of the new Challenger Drag Pak, Dom Papa knew he had to add one to the collection. Though he missed out on the 2009 production run, he was among the first in line for a 2010 model and got serial number three of the 50 to be built. Dom plans to keep it as-is rather than building it out and going racing. So let’s take a day-one look at the third 2010 LC22R Drag Pak Challenger ever built.  On February 9, 2010, Mopar...  On February 9, 2010, Mopar formally announced the 2010 Drag Pak program to dealerships. On the top is Dom Papa’s hand written application form that he returned to Mopar via FAX. Five months later, in July 2010, Dom was notified that his car had been completed and was ready for delivery. Dom says; “Even though it isn’t a running, driving car like a new Challenger SRT8, this was a chance to get a real-deal factory drag car and add it to our collection. We’re thrilled we got serial number three.” To see a video of it being delivered to the dealership, click on www.papasdodge.com.  Dom says he was “pleasantly...  Dom says he was “pleasantly surprised” by the Drag Pak’s fit, finish, and paintwork. The cars are partially assembled at Chrysler’s Brampton, Ontario plant then shipped to Roush Industries in Livonia, MI for further completion. The standard R/T trunk spoiler is not included on Drag Paks but some cars have been delivered with trunk lids sporting the pre-drilled mounting holes. The trunk lid on Drag Pak 2010003 is a base Challenger V-6 stamping, so it lacks the spoiler mounting holes. Since ’09 and ’10 Drag Paks are delivered minus fuel tanks, the hinged fuel filler door opens into the void of the trunk compartment.  Someone’s finger points to...  Someone’s finger points to the Drag Pak’s semi-finished roof panel joints. On regular production Challengers, a body colored plastic strip fills this gap.  Just as the 1968 Hemi A-Bodies...  Just as the 1968 Hemi A-Bodies featured rectangular metal mirror delete plugs on the driver side door, 2010 Drag Paks utilize triangular plastic patches—secured by a trio of push-in buttons. They cover the holes left by the elimination of the standard Challenger dual rear view mirror assemblies.  With a 3,200-pound shipping...  With a 3,200-pound shipping weight, the Drag Pak weighs about 1,000 pounds less than a standard production Challenger R/T. To save weight, the standard door glass is replaced with 3⁄16 thick clear polycarbonate plastic replicas. Supplied by Shields, they’re treated with Supercoat to resist scratches. Contrary to reports stating the Drag Paks are delivered with the windows in the retracted position, Papa’s car was delivered with both windows fully raised. Previous ’65 and ’68 Race Hemi package cars used breakage-prone Chemcor lightweight door glass.  Challenger Drag Paks use a...  Challenger Drag Paks use a specific regulator unit which bears a sticker that reads: Challenger Drag Pkg. Car Door Module and displays part number P5MOPP319. Not visible are the marks left inside the door by the hand saw used to remove the adhesive-bonded inner door side impact brace tubes. This work was performed at Roush. Note the empty door speaker clearance hole. In true factory drag car tradition, these cars are strictly radio delete.  The windshield and backlite...  The windshield and backlite are standard issue Mopar safety glass but are temporarily installed for shipping. This allows easy removal for rollcage fabrication. Drag Paks are delivered via enclosed trailers to keep the semi-bonded glass from blowing out during transportation. Both glass panels are marked with yellow dots indicating the location of small adhesive dabs. The rear side windows are also production-grade Mopar shatterproof glass.  Riveted to the passenger side...  Riveted to the passenger side strut tower, every 2009 and 2010 Drag Pak features a laser-etched aluminum I.D. tag like this. Cars built in 2009 have serial numbers starting with 2009. This example is the third 2010 unit built and accordingly bears serial number 2010003. We haven’t yet seen if Mopar has retained this identification system on the new $85,512 Viper V-10 powered Drag Pak Challengers for 2011.  The usual VIN spot on the...  The usual VIN spot on the dash surface is vacant. This makes it impossible to register a Drag Pak for legal road use. Remember, Dodge hasn’t certified the Drag Pak for federal crashworthiness, fuel economy, or emissions compliance—and doesn’t intend to do so. These are dragstrip-only machines.  No Bostrum A100 van seats...  No Bostrum A100 van seats here, Drag Paks feature two driver-side Viper bucket seats. The stock Challenger rear seat, hand brake assembly and center console are deleted. Roush enlarges the transmission tunnel to accommodate anything from a 727 TorqueFlite to a Jerico, but it’s up to the purchaser to cut a shift handle access hole to suit his specific needs. The circular heater and A/C controls and dash outlets are dummies since the HVAC system is omitted to shave pounds.  Unlike the 2009 Challenger...  Unlike the 2009 Challenger Drag Paks (which shipped with an empty manual or automatic transmission case), 2010 Drag Pak Challengers are shipped without a transmission. The trio of lightweight pedals and the installation of a clutch slave cylinder identify number 2010003 as being intended for use with a manual transmission. 2010 Drag Paks ordered for competition in automatic drag classes do not have a clutch pedal and employ a wider brake pedal pad.  While previous 1965 Coronet...  While previous 1965 Coronet and 1968 Dart Race Hemi package cars required trunk-mount battery conversion kits, happily every new V-6, R/T, and SRT8 Challenger comes factory stock with a trunk mounted battery. No Drag Pak modifications are made to the stock tray though it’s certainly too small for a vintage 100-pound Mopar Super Stock battery. This angle offers another view of the Roush-fabbed metal differential cover panel. The Brampton body plant intentionally minimized the application of seam sealer and sound insulation padding to reduce mass—and mess—during welding.  Though some 2009 Drag Paks...  Though some 2009 Drag Paks feature the 160-mph SRT8 speedometer, 2010 models use the stock Challenger 140-mph speedometer. None of the gauges function, and the steering wheel air bag (and all others) is deleted. Other deletions include thumb button stereo and cruise control stalk functions and the elimination of the column mounted turn signal indicator/windshield wiper switch assembly. At Roush, a separate Mopar Performance switch panel is installed in the place normally reserved for the stereo system.  The rear seat area is intentionally...  The rear seat area is intentionally arranged to ease rollcage fabrication. The rectangular cover panel over the rear axle hump is not OE Challenger architecture. Rather, the formed metal cover is provided to allow clearance for a Dana 60 live axle. Temporary rivets secure the cover for easy removal during race chassis fabrication. The open area between the interior and trunk compartment must be closed for NHRA compliance. All transmission tunnel, floor pan, and other chassis modifications to the unibody are performed by Roush personnel in Livonia, Michigan.  Though 2009 Drag Paks were...  Though 2009 Drag Paks were ostensibly offered with your choice of a 275hp 360 small-block (PN P5MOPP197), 305hp 5.7 Hemi (PN P5MOPP190) or 390hp 6.1 Hemi (PN P5MOPP189), the 2010 Drag Pak supplement sheet lists all of these engines plus a new 375hp 6.4 liter Hemi (PN P5MOPP794). However, a quick chat with Dave Hakim (one of the Drag Pak “chefs” during his tenure at Mopar Performance), confirms that the vast majority of 2009 and 2010 Drag Paks are equipped with the 6.1-liter Hemi shown here. Despite the 12.6:1 compression ratio and hot .584/.552 lift hydraulic roller cam, the NHRA rates the 6.1 Hemi at 390 hp (385 with manual transmission). Real world output is a tad higher.  Shipped minus a transmission,...  Shipped minus a transmission, the solid motor mounts safely balances the Hemi during delivery. The lightweight aluminum Moroso oil pan is notched to clear the removable (bolt-in) frame crossmember. The customer must source his own flywheel, clutch, blow shield, headers, etc. The paper plugs stuffed into the exhaust ports are newspaper scraps from the Thursday, November 26, 2009, edition of the Lexington, Kentucky, Herald.  Worms eye view of the underbody...  Worms eye view of the underbody shows where Roush personnel massaged the driveline tunnel for increased transmission, driveshaft, and rear axle clearance. All surgery scars are protected by a coat of white paint. Unlike the 2009 Drag Pak, the 2010 models ship without a dummy transmission so they lack the yellow temporary transmission support crossmember used in ’09.  A quartet of plastic plugs...  A quartet of plastic plugs replace the factory knock sensors in the block. Though every Drag Pak engine is fitted with premium goodies from Mopar Performance, ATI, Scat, Diamond, Moroso and others, engine disassembly and blue printing is recommended before competition use.  2009 Drag Pak Challengers...  2009 Drag Pak Challengers were shipped with a stock rear suspension cradle—minus brakes, differential centersection, and axle half shafts. Since the entire unit was destined to be replaced by a live axle for drag racing, it was a wasteful scenario. For 2010, Chrysler simplified matters by substituting this temporary rear axle unit that’s made by Al-Ko of Elkhart, Indiana, and is secured to the underbody by four bolts. The white paper sticker on the axle tube reads: “Shipping bracket only, discard.” Again, note the Roush-modified axle hump area. It’ll fit anything up to a Dana 60 rear axle.  Another change for 2010 is...  Another change for 2010 is the substitution of the Mark Williams front disc brakes (PN P5MOPP203) used in 2009 with similar items from Strange. Either way, they’re several pounds lighter than the Challenger’s stock 14.2-inch front disc brakes. It is up to the owner to plumb the entire brake system since no lines or hoses are provided.  Many early 2009 Drag Pak Challengers...  Many early 2009 Drag Pak Challengers rolled on Goodyear T175/90D17 temporary spare tires mounted on 17-inch gloss black steel rims with 18 small circular holes. Late 2009 cars and all 2010 deliveries switched to 15-inch utility trailer wheels fitted to ST205/75D15 Load Star K550 tires. Some of the rims are painted gray while others are white with red and blue pin stripes.  The Drag Pak’s ’70 Challenger...  The Drag Pak’s ’70 Challenger T/A inspired hood and scoop are rendered in lightweight carbon fiber. External air is channeled directly into the foam-sealed throttle-body pan via the square hole seen here. A larger hole would allow pressurized air to escape, degrading the ram effect. Thoughtfully, the 12 Dzus hold-down fasteners are supplied loose so they can be installed after the hood has been painted.  A box in the trunk includes...  A box in the trunk includes the items shown here. The stock Challenger wiring harness is included but is not intended for direct use. Rather, the instruction book suggests “harvesting” the terminal ends for use in the minimized race car electrical system.  To learn more, grab a copy...  To learn more, grab a copy of Jim Schild’s 2009 Dodge Challenger LC22R Drag Pak Authenticity Guide from Auto Review publishing (www.theautoreview.com or jschild@htc.net). Note the 17-inch temporary spare tires and wheels installed on the 2009 Drag Pak cover car.
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