This 1969 Dodge Charger "Defector" Is Pure Power
The ever-incredible projects of builders Ringbrothers continue to impress, with the latest being this 1969 Dodge Charger, nicknamed Defector. We’ve covered their cars before, and when we heard about this new one, we felt we had to give it some love. Unveiled at the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas by company founders Jim and Mike Ring, the Defector is a thoroughly mad, utterly wonderful Charger restomod. Powered by a 6.4 liter Hemi V8, the Defector flies down highways like a blast of 00 buckshot from Satan’s shotgun.
The brothers found themselves an unloved Charger body and set to work on it with the kind of frenetic skill that blows our minds clean away. The body’s been shortened by two inches through the trunk, while the wheelbase has been stretched out another three. The side rockers have been extended, and the quarter panels dropped and extended. The front valance has also been dropped, and the wheel arches opened up. The Defector’s been given a brand new lick of paint in the form of a custom color fresh from BASF Glasurit called Greener On The Other Side. The result is a hunched creature that’s the automotive equivalent of a panther ready to pounce. This time around, the prey is the fool in an Infiniti who fancies their luck in a drag race.
Marshalling the 6.4 liter V8 into some semblance of manageability are six Baer brakes. Sometimes you’ve gotta stop, I guess. The Charger’s wheels are custom 19-inchers by California machinists HRE. A custom Flowmaster exhaust system is tasked with spitting out the car’s waste gases, because when you build something this good you want it to sound perfect. Inside, the interior’s been fitted with the whole nine yards, including custom seats, gauges, and a sound system by Alpine.
I’ve made sure to include plenty of pictures because this is a car that’s gotta be seen to be believed. The child of 4700 hours of hard work, you’re going to need some time to gaze lovingly at this Charger.
