2006 Dodge Charger - Something Old, Something New

Around here, we've been into cars longer than we sometimes like to remember. To put this in perspective, air shocks, glasspack mufflers, and Keystone Classic wheels were still in style when we had our first cars. In those days, musclecars could still be found in the back rows of local used-car lots and could be purchased for hundreds, not thousands, of dollars. Of course, in retrospect we should have bought every one of those cars and stored them for future sale, then someone would be writing for our magazine instead of vice-versa, but our foresight wasn't very clear in those youthful days. We'd simply purchase one car at a time, fix it up some, then sell or trade it, and move on to our next project. Since aftermarket components were few and far between in those days, one of the first things we'd do to our car was to have the local exhaust shop install dual exhaust and glasspack mufflers. Cherry Bombs were the mufflers of choice back then, and Cherry Bomb probably contributed to more "disturbing the peace" violations than any other exhaust manufacturer. so when we heard the company was still around and wanted to upgrade and customize a new Dodge Charger, we wanted to be involved.

If any company has seen the evolution of the automotive aftermarket it is Cherry Bomb. Thumbing their noses at noise ordinance laws, Cherry Bomb was one of the first exhaust companies to provide gearheads with what they wanted: loud, free-flowing exhaust. Since then, Cherry bomb has stuck to their roots, providing great performing exhaust systems for classic cars, as well as providing innovative new products for late-model vehicles. When it came to their own car, however, they had plans to combine the best of both worlds and apply time-tested upgrades to a state-of-the-art '06 Dodge Charger. Since the car would be a rolling advertisement for their company, it had to be flashy but not overdone. To accomplish this goal they turned directly to the source of the vehicle-Mopar.

Since many of the parts used for this build came directly from Mopar Performance, Jon Clark and the Mopar Performance team were enlisted to accomplish most of the work on the Cherry Bomb Charger. Wanting to enhance performance as well as looks, a Mopar Performance engine controller, cold-air kit, headers, and camshaft were added to the already potent 5.7 Hemi. Additionally, a looser converter was installed to get the revs up for hard launches. Chrome valve covers were also added for a little extra "bling" under the hood.

When it came to exhaust, Cherry Bomb integrated two of its kits, using their crossover exhaust system and Cherry Bomb Vortex mufflers in the front, with a pair of old-school glasspack mufflers in back. The result is a free-flowing exhaust that enhances the performance of this vehicle and gives the Hemi engine a throaty growl.

Since the engine modifications would make this Charger perform better than it did from the factory, the suspension and brakes needed to be upgraded as well. Mopar Performance adjustable coilover shocks were added on all four corners to improve the Charger's handling without sacrificing ride quality. Stainless Steel Brakes' four-wheel disc brakes were then installed to ensure braking performance was balanced with the remainder of the vehicle. Helping the aesthetics as well as the handling, 22-inch Chip Foose-designed wheels were matched with Allsport performance tires to make this a well-rounded performance vehicle.

Inside the Charger, subtlety was the key to making this vehicle both functional and unique. The already sporty interior was upgraded with a Mopar Performance shifter knob and pedal pads; custom "Cherry Bomb" embroidered headrests were utilized to tie the interior to the rest of the Charger's theme. Additionally, a Kicker subwoofer and speakers were added to provide entertainment for passengers.

Externally, Cherry Bomb decided to be slightly more extreme when modifying their car. Adding an SRT ground-effects kit gave the already sporty R/T a more performance-oriented look. Since the Charger's wheelwells just scream for bigger wheels and tires, the aforementioned Foose wheels were added for a striking look. A wire-mesh grille and custom-painted graphics blend performance with class and enhance the lines of this already distinguished car.