1968 Dodge Charger Comes With Shocking Surprise Under the Hood: the Dyno Tells the Truth!

Westen Champlin was not going to let his dream go. He got his hands on a 1968 Dodge Charger, and while he kept the patina (yes, that thing is a pile of rust!), he modified just about everything about the powertrain.

Before it underwent all these changes, the Dodge went from running bad to running worse (well, we're not going to use his exact words, though!).

Now, he is not going to spare this car. He is going to drive it until it breaks down, fix it, and break it again. The good, old Charger does burnouts like no tomorrow, leaving a trace of rubber on the tarmac and a massive cloud of smoke around.

It raises dust and throws gravel like a truck would, while Westen Champlin cheers. "I love this car so much!" he screams so that he can be heard with that noisy powerhouse filling the air with a ferocious roar.

The Charger has a brand-new power steering system and power brakes. There are huge holes in the floor that he can see right through when he is driving. However, he says it runs and drives like a brand-new Charger. Until it just shuts off.

He is having so much fun with it that he forgets to refill the tank. Yes, those gauges stopped working ages ago. So, Westen will need some help to get to the gas station.

That engine pumps out "at least 1,000 horsepower," Westen says when someone asks at the gas station. But it is a joke because he has never actually dynoed the Charger. "Lipstick on a pig, that is exactly what that motor is," he keeps joking.

Off he goes after the refill. But his ride is not exactly a walk in the park. "I think the exhaust just fell off, and it's trying to cook my foot!" he screams. He can hear bolts and nuts falling off on the road.

This car is a public danger. It’s got no seatbelts, the headlights and taillights don't work. But that won't stop Westen Champlin for having his fair share of fun.

Westen even has the courage to pit his bucket of rust against a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, the beast with a HEMI V8 and 1,075 horsepower. "It is going to outrun that car!" he says. But he's got issues getting behind the wheel, because the door is stuck.

Useless to say that the Demon left the 1968 Charger lightyears behind. Westen claims it needs a new motor. In fact, it needs new everything.

He also decides he needs to answer all those questions about the horsepower that the engine makes, so he finally dynos it. The exhaust goes bang and fills the shop with smoke, while the screen shows a not-so-impressive 215 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque. Obviously, nothing to write home about. So much for that 1,000-horsepower joke.

But he's got a 426-cubic-inch V8 on his mind for the Charger, operating in the company of an 871 blower.