Dodge Challenger Demon 170 Convertible Conversion Is For Sale

When Dodge launched the Challenger SRT Demon 170, the 1,025-horsepower supercharged V8-powered monster of a drag racer wasn’t missing many tricks. SRT engineers went far beyond what any automaker had done before to transform the Challenger into a car that was ready to tear up quarter-mile strips around the country over and over again. But there’s one thing that the company didn’t offer, probably because it goes completely against the idea of a drag-racing muscle car with gobs of torque.

Don’t worry, though, because the aftermarket took care of it – with the approval of the factory no less. We’re talking about Droptop Customs and its custom convertible variant of the Challenger, which includes this astonishing Demon 170.

Challenger’s Last Call Was An Eight-Second Ride

The Demon 170 was the seventh and final Dodge Last Call special edition of the Challenger, built to mark the end of the line (or so we thought) for Mopar gas-powered muscle.

SRT started with the 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 and went wild. The engine got a modified supercharger that delivered 40% more boost, with a larger throttle body to help air flow. It was tuned to run E85 ethanol on demand for even more power. These changes, among others, led to the astounding 1,025-hp rating.

The engine was also rated at 945 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to tow an aircraft carrier should you so desire. In a car literally designed to pull wheelies, one doesn’t simply cut off the roof when that much torque is in play. We’ll discuss that more in a bit.

To make it the first factory eight-second muscle car – especially on turning just the rear wheels – SRT needed to do even more upgrades. A new rear ring gear, stronger rear differential case, driveshaft, and axles were added. The Demon 170 got Drag Mode shocks, and Mickey Thompson ET Street R drag radials were mounted on the back.

Dodge built 3,300 of them, but never one like this. Florida-based Droptop Customs has turned Challengers into convertibles for almost as long as the modern version was in production. But this isn’t a fly-by-night shop – the open-roof makeover comes with a sign-off from Dodge, and when new, you could order them directly from participating Dodge dealers.

Now the company has moved on to the new Charger coupe, but its last Challenger project involved the insane Demon 170. The company calls the Demon droptop the world’s fastest production convertible. Considering there are some seriously fast supercar convertibles out there, we’ll remain skeptical of the claim, at least in terms of outright speed. As for acceleration, that’s a different story. Though with the modifications required for the folding top, we suspect it’s not as quick as it used to be.

This Looks Like A Conversion That Came Straight Out Of Brampton

The conversion comes with a power soft top, working rear quarter windows, and padding for insulation. It even has a painted header that looks like a factory job, all while keeping most of the car’s trunk space. A glass window means you won’t have to deal with old, yellowed plastic like you find on some cheaper convertibles.

And lastly, yes the car is reinforced underneath. The roof is a primary source of structural rigidity for pretty much any car, but especially so in a high-torque, front-engine muscle car like the Challenger. Without any additional bracing, this car would twist like a pretzel under throttle. We don’t know the extent of the reinforcement underneath this Demon 170, but it must be quite extensive to handle all that torque. The downside is that such changes add weight, and that makes the car slower. But if someone just wants a 1,025-hp convertible with no intent of hitting the strip, here you go.

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Dodge isn’t building any more Demon 170s, so you can’t get a new one. But this might be the closest you can get. This car, serial number 2891, has just 22 miles on the odometer. Even if every one of those was a quarter-mile pass, that’s only 88 passes down the drag strip. Ignoring the staging, run-off, and return, of course.

It’s for sale at Mecum’s Florida Summer Special event set for July 12. Florida in summer is perfect convertible weather (yes, that’s sarcasm) but it will be waiting patiently for the high-bidder to cruise the streets of Orlando … once the sun goes down.

Source: Mecum