These cool aftermarket parts will help you transform your classic or modern Dodge Charger into a better-performing muscle car.
When it comes to muscle cars, it rarely gets better than the legendary Dodge Charger. The Dodge Charger has been one of the best muscle car models since its debut in 1966, and even though it went on a break for almost two decades, it’s still going strong today and is one of just a few muscle car models still in production.
There’s a lot to love about the Charger, but one key reason why gearheads adore it is its ease of modification. The Charger has always been one of the best American project cars, whether you’re working on the latest 2023 Dodge Charger or an older classic model. With that said, let’s explore some cool aftermarket parts that can completely transform your Charger for the better.
10 Body Kit
If there’s one thing that can completely change how your Charger looks, it’s a body kit. This mostly applies to modern Chargers. The modern Charger still has a mighty V8 under its hood, but since it’s a plain-looking four-door sedan, gearheads consider it to be one of the coolest American sleeper cars. To make it look more sporty and muscular, you’ll need a body kit.
Going for a full body kit at once can help cut costs, but if that’s not an option, you can get components like bumpers, spoilers, side skirts, and diffusers separately. With these cool aesthetic updates, your Dodge Charger price is sure to go up if you ever wish to sell.
9 Cold Air Intake System
A new cold air intake system is one of the first upgrades you should think about if you want an instant performance upgrade. A bigger and better cold air intake system pumps more oxygen into the engine, resulting in a bump in horsepower figures.
Another huge benefit of adding a new cold air intake system is the engine noise every time you accelerate.
8 Bucket Seats With Harnesses
As we mentioned earlier, the Dodge Charger has evolved into more of a family sedan than a muscle car. As such, although the 2023 Dodge Charger comes with heated and ventilated front seats, they’re not the most suitable for high-octane driving.
This is why drivers who have made the necessary upgrades and want to enjoy driving their Charger at speed should consider investing in bucket seats with harnesses instead of the traditional three-point safety belts.
7 Supercharger or Turbocharger
Forced induction is one of the most important inventions in the auto industry, as it helped manufacturers generate a lot more power from smaller engines. This upgrade is key if you don’t own high-performance or special versions of the Charger that come with forced induction from the factory, such as the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, which has a supercharged V8.
The two main forced induction options are superchargers and turbochargers, and they each have their benefits and shortfalls. For instance, turbos are more efficient while superchargers have no lag. Regardless of what you choose, both options offer increased performance and superb sound.
6 Adjustable Shocks Or Coilovers
After boosting your Charger’s performance with the upgrades above, it’s important to ensure that your suspension system is capable of handling the extra power. That’s where adjustable shock absorbers or coilovers come in.
With adjustable shocks, the ride height and stiffness vary depending on the road conditions and driver preferences. This allows drivers to tweak how the vehicle handles depending on driving situations.
5 Exhaust System And Exhaust Tips
Upgrading your exhaust system is just as important as the performance upgrades outlined above, as you may not get their full benefits without a performance exhaust. This especially applies to modern Dodge Chargers that have highly restrictive exhaust systems to meet stringent emission regulations.
As such, a new exhaust system is vital to increase the breathability of the engine, which in turn can increase power. A new exhaust tip can also improve the aesthetic and create one of the best exhaust notes.
4 Anti-Roll Bars
Muscle cars have a reputation for being some of the worst-handling cars on the market, which is not surprising when you have a large V8 engine in the front sending power to the rear wheels. If you want to take corners with more confidence in your Charger, anti-roll bars are a great upgrade.
Anti-roll bars work by minimizing the body lean of the Dodge Charger when taking a corner, increasing roll resistance. They also improve vehicle balance in terms of over steer and under steer, improving the Charger’s handling.
3 Wheels, Tires, And Rims
If you take a look at some of the coolest drag-racing muscle cars, you’ll notice that they all have bigger wheels and tires than the average car. That’s not by accident.
Bigger wheels play a key role in the transfer of power from the vehicle to the asphalt. Bigger wheels and tires also improve the grip and overall handling of the car. Once you’ve upgraded the wheels and tires, the next step is to find some cool rims that look good on the Dodge Charger.
2 Brakes And Brake Lines
Stopping power is extremely important in muscle cars, not just for safety purposes, but also for handling. As such, getting bigger and better brakes is a vital part of the Dodge Charger modification process, especially if you’ve used some of the other mods above to increase power.
While upgrading the brakes, it’s important to remember that the brake lines need an upgrade too. Stainless-steel brake lines are the best option for the Dodge Charger, as they reduce swelling and can withstand more pressure.
1 Lighting Kit – Underbody, Grille, And Interior
There’s something about lighting that makes cars look a lot cooler, especially at night. Thankfully, there are multiple options out there. Starting with the exterior, an underbody lighting kit and grille lighting kit can have a significant impact on the overall aesthetic, making the Charger look cooler and meaner than it already is.
Inside, owners can invest in an ambient lighting kit and a starlight headliner if they want their Dodge Charger to look like some of the coolest luxury car interiors.
