News Acrhive
April 1, 2017
Ever since the Hellcat was announced it had my attention. I'm not the type to get caught up in a frenzy and pay silly prices for things, so I had just been sitting back waiting to see what would happen. I was also only interested in an orange car, and with no orange available in 2015, no big deal to me. Then Go Mango was announced for 2016. I didn't think I'd like it, but after seeing it in person at a local Cars and Coffee it was gorgeous. The gears started turning and I went back and forth trying to decide what to do. After a year of debating with myself the pros and cons of selling Orange Krush and getting a Hellcat, I finally decided to contact Lee at Laukemper Motors. Those who visit this site frequently will remember this is the dealership I worked with on the 2016 2SS Camaro. Lee asked what options I was interested in, which were Go Mango, A8, black interior and rally stripes. He emails back saying he has a 2016 on the lot that has Brass Monkey wheels and a sun roof, and he'll fix me up with the stripes and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Two emails later we had sealed the deal and I trailored Orange Krush to Mound City, MO and took delivery of the 2016 Challenger Hellcat. I've said before that Laukemper actually makes car deals fun as they should be, and I'll be going to them first for everything here on out.
So that closes the chapter on Project Orange Krush for Speedy's Garage. I will admit I was a bit emotional when we unloaded Orange Krush from the trailor. I truly loved that car. I am happy to say it went to a FANTASTIC home, and the new owner has reached out to me and is a gear head who understands what Orange Krush is and appreciates the detail and engineering that went in to the car. I expect we'll be seeing him at some future events and likely ChallengerFest 9 in April 2018. Don't be surprised if I run over and hug the car though!
So a new chapter begins with Project Go Man Go. Cars with souls all seem to start with a story, and Go Man Go is no different. My buddy Greg was gracious enough to bring his Ram 1500 and nice trailor to pick up Orange Krush and make the 10 hour drive with me to Laukemper. Rather than making a stop, we decided to just motor through and drove over night on Friday March 31, 2017 arriving about 9am at the dealership on Saturday April 1, 2017. We visited with Lee for a bit, and Lee took me on a tour of the Hellcat and a short test ride with a quick blast up the highway. We finalized a bit of paper work that was already fully in order and only took about 10 minutes, and Greg and I headed straight back to Middle TN. By the time we pulled back in to my driveway I had been awake for 40 hours! I don't ever want to do that again LOL.
Be on the lookout for a new section of this website that will start detailing Project Go Man Go.
November 24, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! For those coming out of their turkey comas, I thought I'd post up the recent gauge face upgrade we completed on Orange Krush. This is one of those modifications that the driver gets a lot of mileage out of. You look at the gauges constantly and having something custom and unique really improves the driving experience.
October 28, 2016
For improved consistency in shifts as well as the ability to more easily hit my desired launch RPM at the track, I installed a Raptor Shift Light in to Project Orange Krush. Details and video inside!
May 1, 2016
After all the great reviews on the Barton Shifter I had to give one a try. Talk about an upgrade! Details below.
April 19, 2016
ChallengerFest 7 is in the books and was our most successful event to date. Details and pictures inside!
January 23, 2016
Happy New Year folks! I started off the new year with some needed pinion bushing maintenance on Orange Krush! Click the image below for the "How To".
November 14, 2015
The date for ChallengerFest 7 is set! The event will take place the weekend of April 8 - 10, 2016 in Bowling Green, KY. Full event details available at www.ChallengerFest.net.
November 7, 2015
Hit the track for a new personal best this past Saturday. I've gotten consistent in my launch and shifts and am now hitting 10.85 - 10.88 consistently with mid 1.5 60 foot times as well.
July 19, 2015
After searching for an serious brake upgrade for Orange Krush that wouldn't require custom three piece wheels, I found the Baer Brakes Pro Kit. Wow, what an upgrade. This brake system has made the biggest difference in driver experience since the supercharger. Full install information as well as real world testing inside!
July 5, 2015
A little pet project at Speedy's Garage this week. Crazy Coolers and I have partenered up to help Racing4Vets at ChallengerFest7. They're offering $100 off with discount code SPEEDYS GARAGE at checkout. If ten units sell with this code they will donate a cooler to the charity auction at ChallengerFest7 with 100% of the proceeds going to Racing4Vets! I bought one myself and it is a TON of fun. I've got some modifciations lined up as well so stay tuned :)
June 28, 2015
I kenw Orange Krush had a sub four second 0-60 in her. Finally got it today playing around on some back roads. The Nitto 555R tires get the job done on the street. With a little more finesse on the 1-2 gear change I think a 3.8 is in there.
June 2, 2015
Modifying the rear sway bar end links makes mounting Weld wheels MUCH easier at the track.
April 15, 2015
ChallengerFest 6 is in the books and was one of the best events to date. We were blessed with beautiful weather, beautiful fast cars, and a record breaking charity auction. Full details inside.
March 22, 2015
The rear 295/35R20 Nitto Invos finally wore out on Orange Krush after an amazing 20,000 miles that included more tire spin than I really wanted. I upgraded to some Nitto 555R drag radials in a 305/35R20 size. They fit, with a little massaging. Hit the picture below to see how it's done. I got some new wheels at the same time as well :) The 555Rs rock!
November 22, 2014
Some friends and I hit Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY for the final test and tune day of 2014. Weather was great and we all had a fantastic time. My goal was to test the new RPM built transmission and McLeod RXT clutch and both worked flawlessly. I hit a new personal best of 10.88. With a bit more practice on the driving I think the car has 10.70s in it.
October 19, 2014
First I'd like to wish my lovely wife a Happy Birthday and thank her for spending it with me at a car show :) Each October one of the largest car shows in the area is held. Orange Krush took 2nd in Street Rods 1949 - 2012 which is a LARGE class. A supercharged ACR Viper took 1st, so all in all not a bad day.
September 15, 2014
The date for ChallengerFest6 has been set! The event will kick off Friday April 10, 2015 and will run throught he weekend to Sunday April 12, 2015 in Bowling Green, KY. Stay tuned for updates!
August 30, 2014
I've been taking teh Challenger out and just enjoying some back road hooliganism. I decided to hook up my GoPro Hero3+ Silver for some video. I've also been working the 0-60 time and so far ran a best of 4.16 seconds. If I could get better traction to use full power in 1st and 2nd gear this would easily be well under 4 seconds. Stay tuned for part two with more video using an upgraded external mic for the GoPro.
June 29, 2014
I needed a more accurate way to log boost, so I installed a 3BAR MAP sensor and wired it in to the Diablo Trinity for data logging. Now I can see exactly how much boost I make and when.
June 19, 2014
It's a twofer today as I've been busy getting the Challenger ready for car show season. Some new engine covers, aka wiring harness covers, and a custom painted coolant reservoir were in order. How to videos inside. Thanks to Joe Agent with www.AgentAutomotive.com for the paint work and hydro dipping and Nate with www.RebadgeDesign.com for the killer OEM style badges.
May 6, 2014
I upgraded the clutch and transmission on Orange Krush. See the how to below!
April 20, 2014
Happy Easter everyone. I would encourage you to truly think about today and consider that it means more than egg hunts. I hope you enjoy today with your families.
April 18, 2014
I've finally finished the article on this year's ChallengerFest5 event. It was another great one with perfect weather and a good turn out. The Holiday Inn University Plaza took excellent care of us again this year as did the staff at Beech Bend Raceway. Thanks to all the sponsors and attendees for coming out! Thanks to the generosity of the vendors and event participants we raised over $8000.00 for our event charity Racing4Vets!
March 28, 2014
I was able to attend the March Texas Mile and as usual I had a blast seeing some nice hot rods, but more importantly catching up with friends I don't get to see enough.
February 1, 2014
Well, Orange Krush came up for its 5 year power train life time warranty inspection, so I figured what the heck, I'd take it in. You'll be shocked at the result! Dodge only offered this type of warranty in 2009, don't I feel special :)
January 1, 2014
Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all have a fantastic 2014 and look forward to seeing you at ChallengerFest5 the weekend of April 4-6, 2014 in Bowling Green, KY. It's hard to beleieve we are already coming up on our FIFTH year! Full event details can be found at www.ChallengerFest5.com. See you soon!
November 23, 2013
Some friends and I hit the track one last time for the season. The stock clutch is finally starting to slip during shifts at the track so it's time for an upgrade over the winter. A 10.92 @ 128 was my best of the day. All in all it was a fantastic day at the track. Hit my YouTube channel www.youtube.com/speedysgarage for more video from the day. I notated my rear tire pressures on each slip below.
September 7, 2013
The local Corvette Club puts on a nice sized car show each year so I decied to check it out and enter the Challenger. It got 1st Place in the Modified Mopar class.
June 11, 2013
An upgrade to the Hurst Shifter
April 6, 2013
Our 4th Annual ChallengerFest event was a huge success. 160 cars in the car show and 115 cars on the race track with 100s of spectators. I got my first 10 second pass at the event to boot!
March 21, 2013
After doing the tap dance from the clutch to the brake at the drag strip during the burn out, I decided to get a line lock. How I did the install below.
March 1, 2013
I had a coolant pressurization issue that led me to disassembling the top end of motor in Orange Krush. Turns out it was the lower radiator hose collapsing. See the trouble shooting and engine tear down video information HERE.
January 12, 2013
ChallengerFest4 is in full effect. This is an event you DO NOT want to miss.
December 17, 2012
Since I'm now running the car on slicks, I decided I'd better upgrade the drive shaft to avoid any issues. I went with the two piece chromoly drive shaft from The Drive Shaft Shop.
October 27, 2012
I attended the Texas Mile again to see my buddy set a new Modern Hemi World Record of 205.7MPH in the standing mile. It wasn't easy, and we definitely had to work for it, but that made setting the record that much sweeter.
August 25, 2012
A local church puts on a pretty large car show each year with good food and hot rods. I met up with a couple of friends and we had a great time. Orange Krush even won best in class.
June 2, 2012
After feeling the full fury of Orange Krush on the track with a set of borrowed slicks and skinnies, I had to order a set for myself. They showed up this past week and now it's time to go faster. The car was over powering the drag radials of late and these are a HUGE help. The tires are Hoosier 28x10 rears and M&H Race Master 28x4.5 fronts on Weld Forged 17x10 rears and 17x4.5 fronts, in the "High Pad" option for bigger brakes.
April 29, 2012
I've posted a few pictures from ChallengerFest3 for those that had to miss the event. Keep your eyes peeled for the next issue of Modern Mopar Magazine (2nd quarter 2012) for a full article on on the event and race class winners written by yours truly.
Also, set a new personal best at ChallengerFest3 when a buddy let me borrow his slicks and skinnies to try out. Needless to asy the drag radials were sold 30 minutes later and I now have a slick and skinny package on it's way to my front door!
April 7, 2012
Challengerfest3 is coming up next weekend, April 13-15, 2012, in Bowling Green, KY. If you own a Challenger and miss this event, you're missing THE Challenger event of the year. Car show, drag racing, good times with good people. Details inside. Presented by Modern Mopar Forum.
April 2, 2012
I flew out to Texas last weekend to help my buddy's with their cars and attend the March 2012 TX Mile event. Both met their goals, and Karl Schello set the World Record for a Modern Hemi in a standing mile event with a 200.9 MPH run!
December 17, 2011
I picked up a DiabloSport Trinity to make data logging easier. I can now log Air Fuel Ratio on the Trinity with the rest of the OBDII suppled PIDs.
December 11, 2011
I fianlly got rid of the last rams head emblem on Project Orange Krush.
December 4, 2011
It's been a busy week for Orange Krush. I took a week of vacation and did a bit of maintenance. First off, a spark plug swap. How To video inside.
November 12, 2011
More 11.50s at the track this wekeend. If I can get some decent traction to bring the 60 foots down into the low 1.7x range I'll be in the very low 11 second category. Good thing Beech Bend is lax on rules or they'd probably want me to put a cage in the car.
October 29, 2011
I set a new PB in Orange Krush this weekend at Beech Bend Raceway. A hotter tune on some 109 unleaded race gas, thanks Hemituner, and some better driving netted a 11.51 at 123. I'm pretty happy with that for a car I can drive to the track, race, and drive home. OH, and I got nearly 24MPG to boot haha.
October 26, 2011
I attended the TX Mile to help my buddy Sam out for the October event. He hit his goal of 180MPH and then some, setting the record for the fastest Challenger in the standing mile. Hit the image below for videos and pictures from the event. Congrats buddy.
August 30, 2011
Speedy'sGarage has been a bit quiet this summer. For that I appologize, but things should start to ramp back up. I've been in the process of moving and it's been very hectic. I've got a few things planned for Project Orange Krush to help get a bit faster at the track, and those changes and results will be posted up right here. I've also got a few "Garage" projects in queue and I'm considering adding those to my site as well. Lemme know if you'd like to see projects out side of Orange Krush posted here!
May 16, 2011
Challengerfest2 went of without a hitch. We had great weather, a blast at the track, and loads of beautiful Challengers.
April 3, 2011
Well, I finally met my goal. I've been gunning for an 11 second pass in the 1/4 mile and last night I did it at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY. This was done on 93 octane and the same tune I drive on every day thanks to HemiTuner. Thanks to DSS for the 1400HP axles to stand up to the abuse of the hard launches, and Magnacharger for a SWEET supercharger!
March 30, 2011
I flew out to Houston, TX to pit crew my buddy's Challenger that has about the same mods as mine. He ran 175MPH in the standing mile which is impressive considering a Lamborghini at the event ran 160MPH.
March 17, 2011
I wanted to dressup my engine bay a bit for upcoming car shows this season. I ordered a Billet Technology underhood dressup kit and WOW is it high quality.
March 13, 2011
I hit the track this weekend to test out the M&H drag radials. I'm happy to report they did great. I love this Challenger. Look at all the gear I could fit in the trunk to drive to the track. Lets see a Mustang or Camaro do that! I also hit a personal best with the drag radials and am knocking on the door of the 11s.
March 11, 2011
I got my specialty plate today, and I'm happy to report that Orange Krush passed an emission test with flying colors. Amazing that a near 600RWHP car can pass emissions and get 20+ MPGs!
I hope local Law Enforcement doesn't give me a hard time!
February 27, 2011
I've had a busy past couple of days prepping Orange Krush for upcoming test and tunes. I got the DriveShaftShop Level 5 axles installed as well as the Pettys Garage drive shaft safety loop. I wanna thank Agent Automotive in Mt. Juliet, TN for letting me use one of their lifts for the installation and the expert help with the install. If you're in middle TN and need anything done on your hot rod I wouldn't hesitate to recommend those guys.
February 1, 2011
ChallengerFest 2 is in full swing. The event will be held in Bowling Green, KY the weekend of April 29 - May 1, 2011. There will be a car show, drag racing, and just a general good time with fellow hot rod enthusiasts.
January 29, 2011
Today I installed a SRT chin spoiler and belly pan on Orange Krush. It's a nice upgrade if there's a need to replace parts.
January 18, 2011
My 1400HP Drive Shaft Shop axles showed up today. More on these later too haha.
January 12, 2011
My Petty's Garage drive shaft loop showed up today. More on this later.
January 8, 2011
In preparing for the 2011 track season, I've procured some M&H drag radials and Cobra R wheels to run them on. These will definitely help my times at the track.
January 1, 2011
I made the first modification to Orange Krush for 2011. I added a matching brake pedal cover haha. It's Mercedes P/N 203-430-00-84. Pop the old rubber cover off, pop the new matching cover on. A little WD40 helps.
December 30, 2010
This will probably be the final modification to Orange Krush for 2010. I added an Aeroforce fuel pressure sensor so I can see the fuel pressure on the Interceptor gauge.
November 29, 2010
Arrington released their dual pump fuel hat produced by Fore Precision Works and I had to have one in Orange Krush. Install video inside.
November 13, 2010
I got a little time off work and headed back to Beech Bend to try and improve my 1/4 mile times. I lowered the air pressure in the Nitto Invos and ran a best time of 12.8 at 117.6. I think it's time for some drag radials. Here's some video of the run:
October 17, 2010
I attended the 2010 Octoberfest car show. The Challenger placed 1st in the modified class. There were tons of nice vehicles on display and the weather was perfect.
October 3, 2010
After hearing from some friends that the stock belt tensioner was failing at a high rate on supercharged Challengers, I decided to upgrade mine to a more robust Dayco unit. Installation video included.
September 26, 2010
I attended the 21st Annual Music City Mopar Car Club's Car Show this weekend and had a ball. The weather was awesome and Project Orange Krush won 1st place in it's class.
September 15, 2010
I've had a couple of folks ask me if I had T-shirts or other items representing Speedy's Garage, so I decided to establish a few thing for those interested. Purchase of these products goes directly to supporting Speedy's Garage and further testing and product reviews. The products are also pretty darn cool if I do say so myself. This isn't cheap junk either, the prints are NICE!
September 14, 2010
I've put 1500 to 2,000 miles on Project Orange Krush since Arrington built the supercharged power plant, so I decided to pull the plug from the #1 cylinder to see how it looked. I'm happy to report it looked perfect.
September 13, 2010
Challenger Fest 2010 Posters are now available for those interested. I've used this printing shop before and they allow single orders. It costs a few bucks more than ordering 500 quantity, but this way those that want them can just order and we don't have to try to prepay, order in batches, etc.
September 12, 2010
I'd been wanting to do something to dress up the engine bay a bit since installing the blower. I picked up some half covers and had a special pant job applied.
August 25, 2010
This past weekend I went up to Bowling Green, KY for Challenger Fest 2010 and had a blast. Took Orange Krush down the strip for the first time as well.
August 16, 2010
I installed a fuel pressure gauge on the fuel rail of Project Orange Krush. Easy, effective, and looks good to boot. Install video included.
August 15, 2010
I attended the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, OH this weekend. It was pretty hot, and shade was scarce but still a good time. It was awesome to see so many Mopars in one spot and some VERY fast classic muscle run down the track.
July 29, 2010
The stock air box connected to the Magnuson supercharger just wasn't doing it for me. I decided to modify my Mopar CAI to fit and it turned out perfectly. The supercharger loves the extra air and required a tune touch up as well. Based on other results I'd expect to show a 20RWHP gain with this addition to the car.
May 26, 2010
While having the car's power plant upgraded at Arrington Engines in Martinsville, VA we had the opportunity to visit Richard Petty's Garage. What a great experience that was. A big thanks to Eric at Arrington for setting up the visit and chauffeuring us over and thanks to Greg and the rest of the folks at Petty's Garage for making us feel right at home. I captured a lot of great images through the lens of my camera, so be sure to check them out!
May 12, 2010
After five long days of working on hooking up the gauges in Project Orange Krush I'm finally done. Check ou the install video I put together to see how it's done the RIGHT way.
April 19, 2010
Well, I bit the bullet and decided to upgrade the power plant significantly in the Challenger. I'll start a seperate blog for that upgrade process, so be sure to check it often for updates. I went with an Arrington Forged 360ci (6.0L) motor with some head and cam work as well as a Magnuson Magna Charger Supercharger. Should be a fun ride. I've decided to call this Project Orange Krush.
April 17, 2010
The folks at the Camaro5 forum were nice enough to invite us Challenger folks to their Camaro5Fest 2010. We had a blast and many thanks to the great hospitality Camaro5!
April 12, 2010
I wanted to add a little something to the Challenger's interior for the car shows this summer. I wanted to keep it simple, and relative, so I had the R/T logo embroidered on the headrests. They turned out great.
February 28, 2010
Catch Can Update: Lots of chatter on the web about the necessity of a Catch Can. Here's what mine captured in 3,000 miles. I think the results speak for themselves.
February 27, 2010
The Challenger is one year old today. To celebrate I went for a nice long drive to one of my favorite eating locals in a small middle Tennessee town. The weather was nice and the soothing rumble of the Hemi V8 on a Saturday afternoon was great therapy. I ticked over 5,000 miles on that drive today and have enjoyed every minute spent in the car.
January 24, 2010
Back before Christmas I ordered a Hurst short throw 6 speed shifter for the Challenger. Today, I finally installed it.
November 27, 2009
Our local Mopar Club was asked to represent at the Nashville International Auto Show. I decided to take the Challenger down and put it on display and it was well received by the attendees.
November 13, 2009
I've never understood why Dodge put the Ram's Head on the Challenger. It just doesn't fit the personality of the vehicle. Today, I replaced the Ram's Head on the nose of the car with something more fitting. I did a quick video to show how to remove the stock emblem and install the new one as well.
October 18, 2009
I entered the Challenger in the Octoberfest car show today in middle TN, and I'm happy to report it won 1st place in the modified class.
October 4, 2009
I finally visited the fella we met at the cruise-in over the summer. He's got quite a setup, and collection, of Mopar muscle cars.
September 27, 2009
I entered the Challenger in a local car show and it one first place in its class.
September 14, 2009
The Challenger attracts a lot of attention, sometimes from local law enforcement. I needed to even the odds so I installed some counter measures.
September 2, 2009
My friend "Zippy" just took delivery of is 2010 ZR1 Corvette. Man, one of these days.......
August 24, 2009
I've posted the Eibach Installation Video up. You can view it HERE.
August 19, 2009
It's been a busy couple of weeks for the Challenger. I've made some pretty big changes to the car, the first of which was an Eibach Pro Kit suspension. I did the install in my garage on a very hot 95 degree day with 50% humidity. It would have been A LOT more fun in cooler weather.
Next, I installed new tires and wheels. I went with Boss 338 Gray in a 20x8.5 for the front and 20x10 for the rear. I used Nitto Invo tires to finish the package. I'm thrilled with how it turned out.
July 17-18, 2009
We visit a couple of Cruise-ins on the weekends and met a very interesting fellow with some RARE vehicles.
July 8, 2009
The Eibach Pro Kit showed up today. Now I just need to wait for the wheels and I can change the stance of this bad boy.
July 3, 2009
After weeks of hot and humid weather, I finally got a break and was able to finish up the detailing series with Part 3: Interior Cleaning and Protecting.
June 24, 2009
Installed the Billet Technologies Catch Can to keep that gunk outta my intake.
June 19, 2009
Today I installed and tested the functional hood scoops. The results were very surprising.
June 13, 2009
The rally stripes and window tint are installed.
June 3, 2009
I had the Challenger weighed to see what the actual number of my car was.
June 1, 2009
I've been pretty busy the past couple of weeks. I've ordered some rally stripes, have a window tint appointment, and painted my brake calipers.
May 13, 2009
Part two of the detailing series is now posted which covers polishing and waxing.
May 11, 2009
I finally got some decent weather and was able to complete the video segments for the Magnaflow Cat-Back exhaust article. Lots of video and information on this one. The exhaust sounds awesome, but fitting the driver's side tail pipe was a bit of an issue. There are dyno results for this modification in the article as well.
May 7, 2009
The Mopar Cold Air Intake article is complete, along with an installation video and dyno resultes. Check it out.
May 6, 2009
I spent yesterday morning at The Performance Garage in Smyrna, TN for some dyno testing of the Mopar CAI and Magnaflow 16515 exhaust. The exhaust sounds great and now the car sounds like it looks. I've got some analysis to do on the dyno runs as well as some video editing before the article will be published. I should have it completed next week so stay tuned.
