1196 Wigwam Parkway
Henderson, NV 89074
702.369.7037
Reach us at
Mon - Fri: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Our shop is open
Henderson, NV 89074
Reach us at
Our shop is open
A 1969 Charger with a 440 stroked to 513 cubic inches, about 600 horsepower at the tires, and an iPad that runs everything from the hood to the headlights. Built to look factory and drive every day.
Nostalgia Hot Rods builds custom cars at 1196 Wigwam Parkway, Henderson, NV 89074, just outside Las Vegas, and at our second shop in Cedar City, Utah. Call (702) 369-7037. Autotopia LA filmed this 1969 Dodge Charger with Dustin in Las Vegas the day before SEMA, about ten years after we built it. Every spec on this page comes from Dustin on camera in that video.
Here’s what’s on the car, as Dustin walks through it in Autotopia LA’s video.
| Part | On our 1969 Charger |
|---|---|
| Engine | 440 stroked to 513 cubic inches, AFR heads |
| Power | About 600 horsepower at the tires |
| Transmission | 727 TorqueFlite with a Gear Vendors overdrive and a manual valve body |
| Rear end | 9 inch Ford with 4.11 gears |
| Front suspension | Tubular K member, bolted to the factory frame rails |
| Rear suspension | Four link |
| Shocks and bars | RideTech coilovers, Speedway sway bars front and rear |
| Wheels and tires | 20 inch and 18 inch wheels, 335 rear tires |
| Paint | A modern Acura SUV color, painted bumpers, some chrome kept |
| Interior | Heated modern Charger seats front and rear, custom door panels |
| Controls | An iPad runs the hood, windows, trunk, starting and headlights |
The engine is the Charger’s own kind of power: a 440 big block, stroked to 513 cubic inches, with AFR heads. Dustin puts it at about 600 horsepower at the tires. The video’s title rounds the engine to 500 cubic inches. We use Dustin’s figure.
Stroking means fitting a crankshaft with a longer stroke, so each piston travels further and the engine displaces more. On this 440 it adds 73 cubic inches, and more torque with them.
Plenty of custom Chargers on the road today get a modern Hemi swap. This one keeps a big block Mopar engine and makes its power the old way, with displacement.
Behind it is a 727 TorqueFlite automatic with a Gear Vendors overdrive. Out back, a 9 inch Ford rear end with 4.11 gears puts it to the ground through 335 rear tires.
The transmission has a manual valve body. In drive it shifts up through first, second and third by itself, but it will not downshift on its own.
That’s on purpose. If the driver puts their foot down at cruising speed, the car stays in third instead of dropping a gear and breaking the rear tires loose. For a downshift, you move the lever yourself.
It’s a small detail, and it’s the kind we ask about at the start of every build: who’s going to drive the car, and how.
Up front, the Charger sits on a tubular K member, still bolted to the factory frame rails. The rear uses a four link. RideTech coilovers and Speedway sway bars front and rear finish the suspension.
Dustin calls it a good handling car for how big and heavy it is. The 1969 Charger is a big car, so that’s real praise.
He also says you can slide it around, and even on 335 rear tires it’ll still light them up. It’s fun to drive, which is the point.
Tell us about your car and how you want to drive it. We’ll talk through what we’d build.
The color comes from a modern car: Dustin says it’s from a 2010 or 2011 Acura SUV. The bumpers are painted, rear included, and some chrome stays on the car.
Look closely at the bumpers. They’re tucked in just a little, which gives the look of a subtle spoiler. The bumper bolts weren’t even shaved.
Dustin explains the thinking on camera: “We just try to keep it body style as factory as possible.” It’s old school with a modern twist, which is what this owner wanted.
Keeping a body as factory as possible still takes bodywork. The panels have to be straight, the gaps even and the bumpers fitted before the paint job goes on. A modern color shows every flaw in the metal under it, so the body work matters as much as the paint.
The wheels are 20 inch and 18 inch, big enough to look modern without changing the car’s shape.
Every electric function on this Charger runs from an iPad. That includes the hood, the windows, the trunk, starting the car, the headlights and the headlight buckets.
Inside, the seats are modern Charger seats, front and rear, and they’re heated. The windows are full power. There’s a center console with a custom iPad holder.
The dash stays close to factory. We made a flat panel for the gauges, and the door panels are custom, built to look like a factory Charger while keeping it old school.
Autotopia LA filmed this Charger about ten years after we built it. On the drive, it feels like what it is: a total driver.
That’s how we build every car. Street Trucks reported in October 2023 that we do fabrication, interior and paint in our own shop, so one team plans the engine, the chassis and the cabin together.
Our projects typically take 9 to 12 months, as All Chevy Performance reported in June 2024. Dustin put our average higher in March 2023, at about a year and a half to two years. More custom fabrication takes longer, and we’ll tell you at the start.
All Chevy Performance said it in June 2024: our builds are meant to be driven. Ten years on, this Charger still is.
See all of our restomod and pro touring builds, or read about our twin turbo 1969 Camaro, another 1969 muscle car rebuilt to drive like a modern one.
For more Chevelles, Corvettes and trucks, see our custom Chevelle builds and read about our custom hot rod and street rod builds.
You don’t need to live near Las Vegas or Cedar City. Our builds ship to collectors, racers and enthusiasts across the world.
We don’t publish prices. Every build has too many variables, from the starting car to the parts you choose. Reach out for a proper quote at (702) 369-7037 or use the quote form.
We build Mopars too. This 1969 Dodge Charger is one of ours, built around a stroked 440 big block.
Yes. This one has heated modern Charger seats, full power windows and an iPad that runs every electric function, while the body stays close to factory.
It changes how an automatic transmission shifts. On this Charger it shifts up by itself in drive but never downshifts on its own. To drop a gear, the driver moves the lever.
Yes. This Charger wears a color from a 2010 or 2011 Acura SUV. Body and paint are done in our own shop, as Street Trucks reported in October 2023.
Our projects typically take 9 to 12 months, as All Chevy Performance reported in June 2024. Dustin put our average higher in March 2023, at about a year and a half to two years. Builds with more custom fabrication can take longer.
Tell us about your car and how you want to drive it. We’ll walk you through the build.
Nostalgia Hot Rods · 1196 Wigwam Parkway, Henderson, NV 89074 · (702) 369-7037