The new Challenger is a blast...
The new Challenger is a blast to drive, but we wanted a little more in terms of style and performance.
This extra assurance prompted us to install their kit on our Challenger, and we were very pleased with the results. Not only is this kit easy to install, it also makes the engine bay look cleaner as well as improving horsepower by a K&N claimed 20 or so horsepower. While this sounds like a big gain for a cold air kit, looking at the factory unit, with its multi-chambers to quiet induction roar, we can certainly deduce how it could be possible. As you'll see later in the article, we installed the kit in about an hour, and then verified K&N's claims with before-and-after testing at the drag strip.
To complement our Challenger's improved performance, we decided the car should have some kind of stripes. Since the silver color of our car lends itself well to black accents, we contacted Graphic Express to see what stripes were available for the new Challenger, but were told they were still waiting for a car on which they could design the decals. Wanting to help out, we quickly volunteered our car, giving us the chance to see multiple stripe applications before choosing the '71 R/T-style double stripe for our Challenger. Additionally, Graphic Express designed a hood blackout which is on our car, and a variety of other stripes for the Challenger that can be seen on their website or in their ads. We like the idea of vinyl decals when striping a car. Not only are the decals inexpensive and relatively easy to install, if you grow tired of a certain look the decals can be removed without damaging the paint and replaced with a different style. Since the hood and sides of our Challenger were accented in black, we felt the car would look better with a black spoiler as well. Although the extra-strong double sided tape holding the spoiler in place fought hard, the crew at JD's Paint and Body removed the spoiler without damage and prepped and painted it satin black to match the stripes.
Starting up front, we decided...
Starting up front, we decided to install a K&N cold air kit. Relatively inexpensive and easy to install, K&N kits offer good horsepower gains, and better yet, won't void your car's warranty.
Adding even more contrast to the car, we decided to tint the windows of our Challenger next so we called friend Scott Kowalski of Kowalski's Glass Tinting in Lakeland, Florida. There are many reasons to tint the glass of a car, and the first being somewhat obvious as we live in Florida and the hot sun really cooks the inside of cars, making them uncomfortable and damaging the interior. Since window tint can lower temperatures substantially, it makes sense given that we're located in a tropical climate. Second, we simply like the way the car looks with dark windows. The Challenger has high sides, and we think it just looks better broken up with contrasting stripes and dark glass. Third, while the new Challenger draws attention, and we do appreciate all the thumbs-up gestures, the tint will actually give us some privacy at times when we don't want to be on display. Fortunately, Scott has a computer program that quickly cut sheets of 3M tinting into individual pieces for each window. Scott recommended the darkest legal tint we could apply, then cut and installed the tint right from his truck in just a couple of hours. This is another modification that doesn't cost much, but really makes a difference in the look and comfort of the vehicle.
While we've certainly enjoyed our new Challenger R/T in stock form, we must say that we now like the way it looks, and the way it runs, even better. As we move forward with this project, we look forward to improving both the show and the go, so stay tuned to future issues. And for more photographs of this project be sure to visit moparmusclemagazine.com.
The K&N kit contains all the...
The K&N kit contains all the items necessary for a quick installation. Even taking pictures, we had the kit installed in about an hour.
The inlet air temp sensor...
The inlet air temp sensor must be disconnected, removed, and installed in the new inlet tube.
After loosening the clamps...
After loosening the clamps and disconnecting the breather hose, the factory airbox can be unbolted and removed as one unit.
The instructions provided...
The instructions provided with the kit were clear and concise, with close-up photos of the installation. This made the process easy to accomplish with simple hand tools.
The new inlet tube is obviously...
The new inlet tube is obviously less restrictive than the factory unit, offering inlet air a straight shot, then a smooth arc into the throttle body.
The new airbox really seals...
The new airbox really seals the filter from engine bay heat, and seals to the hood as well for a tight fit. Cool air makes a big difference in performance, so K&N makes every effort to keep engine heat away from the filter and inlet.
A key to the performance of...
A key to the performance of this system is the less restrictive K&N "filtercharger" element. This reusable element can be washed and re-oiled, comes with a great warranty, and can dramatically improve power.
We took our Challenger to...
We took our Challenger to the Lakeland Drag Strip on a Thursday to get some baseline runs and hopefully install our cold air kit for comparison runs. Unfortunately, an oil-down kept us from performing the test the same day, but we went back on a Saturday several weeks later to finish our test.
Returning to the track after...
Returning to the track after installing the K&N kit, the results were dramatic. While the track preparation was definitely better on the Saturday when we ran, track prep alone can't account for all of the half second we picked up in the eighth mile. Needless to say, we're impressed with this induction kit.
Timeslips don't lie, and these...
Timeslips don't lie, and these clearly show the dramatic improvement after installing the K & N cold air induction. We made each pass in the left lane, and on the left, our best baseline pass of 9.61 seconds, on the right, the much improved pass of 8.95 seconds after installing the kit.
Notice that mph was up significantly...
Notice that mph was up significantly as well, demonstrating a fairly dramatic improvement in power. We could say more, but results like these speak for themselves.