Earlier this week, a video of a Viper-powered Chrysler 300 mysteriously appeared on Dodge's YouTube channel. Was it bound for SEMA? Was it an engineer's toy? No one knew - until now.
The car in question is Derek Ekins' 2006 Chrysler 300 Touring. While it originally came with an anemic 3.5-liter V6, fate intervened. When Ekins was visiting a salvage yard, he spotted a wrecked Viper and came up with an idea: replace the V6 with the Viper's 8.3-liter V10.
The build took almost year, but virtually everything (except the wiring harness and computer reflash) was done by Ekins himself. The process sounds simple enough, but Ekins had to install Eibach adjustable coilovers, a T56 Tremec six-speed manual transmission, a custom Aeromotive fuel tank, and a C&R racing radiator.
According to Ekins, "I built it knowing about the power and trying to keep it reliable." He added, "I didn't really build it to race it. I just wanted something different. I really liked the Viper, but I couldn't fit my whole family in it."
