Story: Jonathan Millstein
Photography: Pepper Perfect
The third-generation Chally first put rubber to the road more than five years ago, but it’s still hotter on the streets than the Texas sun. Proof of that resides down in San Antonio, where Abel’s Body & Paint Shop threw gasoline on the fire by making this 2012 Challenger SRT8 392 one of the hottest around.
As the competition increases, wheels, a system and paint alone no longer cut it in the customizing world. Not wanting to blend into the crowd, this Dodge was given custom quarter panels like none before. “We didn’t put the typical vents everybody else always does,” says Dimas Quintana, owner of Abel’s Body & Paint Shop. “We actually bought a hood from a Dodge Challenger, cut out the vents and put those on the quarter panel, so they could be the same as the hood.” While the vents create a streamlined look from the front to the back of the Chally, they aren’t just for show. “I had to build the air brake duct to make them fully functional from the back,” adds Dimas.
While the vents give the rear a look that’s new to the Challenger, it’s the Asanti-inspired all-metal widebody built entirely in-house that makes it stick out. “Once we put [the widebody] in place, we had to extend it another two inches on each side, because [the owner] got Asanti to make him some wider wheels,” says Dimas, “so we had to cut it up and, of course, redo it.”
The flat black and green of the exterior is also present throughout the inside, while the double stitching of the seats and the dash are color-matched to the green of the wheels. Where the color really pops, though, is in the trunk—under the glow of green light reflecting off acrylic glass. There, two JL Audio 10W3 subs provide the boom, while a Memphis Car Audio amp resting on acrylic gives the power. “He wanted to show part of the wires—make it look like a furniture type of thing, with the wires coming in,” says Dimas.
Seeing all that went into the Chally, it’s hard to hate. But haters gonna, and one recently took his or her key to it in a vicious way. Needless to say, Dimas and the guys got it looking right in no time. As the old adage goes, “If they’re shooting at you, you know you’re doing something right.” This Challenger is doing a lot right.
Spec The Technique:
Year/Make/Model: 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392
Performance: Stock engine; Brembo brakes; MagnaFlow HP exhaust
Exterior: Dupont flat black, flat clear green pearl rally stripes; grille and vents replaced with Asanti-style mesh inserts; widebody Asanti-like kit manufactured by Abel’s Body & Paint Shop; shaved door handles; functional rear brake cooling ducts cut from a Challenger hood; smoked-out lights
Interior: Reupholstered by Mustang Custom Upholstery with green double stitching and inserts to match wheel color; dash, console, bezels and door handles painted to match wheels
Ice: Memphis Car Audio HYBRID MC5.1400 amplifier; Infinity speakers; fiberglass face and amp rack; two JL Audio 10W3 subs; K40 radar detector; Viper 5704 Responder LC3 with remote start; all audio by Cesar Alvarez of Sun-Masters
Wheels/Tires: Asanti AF-164 wheels, 22×9 front, 24×14 rear; Pirelli P ZERO NERO tires, 265/30/22 front, 405/25/24 rear
Shout-Outs: The crew at Abel’s; painter Everardo Orozco; bodymen Hector Rodriguez and Pancho Castillo; helpers Frank Orozco, Joe and Leonard Arredondo; detailer Alfred Garzi; INXS auto/truck accessories; Thomas Hudgens and Sam Gonzalez
