Hybrid Technology? Meet The Coroner
Slice & Dice

Hot, thirsty, sometimes unreliable, basic and uncomfortable – delete as applicable. Aren’t original muscle cars great? The era that kicked off in the early-’60s and went through to the early-’70s gave us cars so large they needed their own postal codes, and V8 engine with capacities greater than swimming pools.

But times have changed my friends. Nowadays these aging warriors can be sliced down by a jumped-up compact car, all turbochargers and fancy suspension. But it doesn’t have to be that way, though. What if you could drop an old shell over a newer floorpan? Maybe a ’68 Dodge Coronet over an ’07 Charger? You know what? It might just work. Burnouts and air conditioning, HEMI engine and all…

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-13

The fact is, it works really quite well. Often when you start out on a project you look at each element separately, so a suspension swap leads to bigger brakes, then a few interior modifications. By the time you change the engine and transmission you’ve almost built a new car.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-59

Except all these shiny new bits are surrounded by the old metal of your original model. By the time you’ve gone through all that, what you’re left with can be a big pile of compromise or hand-fabricated custom work, which only you can make sense of.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-94

However, by the time you’ve built a few cars your perspective changes. You can see the bigger picture from the start, which can save a whole world of time as you go along. Often people will buy a complete car as a project even though they fully intend to ditch half the running gear, interior and modify everything else. What sense does that make? When presented with a bare shell and a box of parts – or a complete car – it’s mentally hard to imagine the former being the better option. Even though it probably is…

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-4

But there is another way. Don’t chase around custom fabricating unique parts to make it work – simply choose your ideal body style and drop it over the floorpan of a more modern donor, which gives you late-model technology, off-the-shelf parts availability and ease of use when it’s complete. But first you have to commit 100 per cent, because arguably it’s just as hard as creating everything from scratch.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-124

Blending old and new in one creation is never easy, but that’s what Steven Jarudd from Sweden has managed to do so well here. In essence, what he’s done is take a 1968 Dodge Coronet with a 1969 front end, plus a 2007 Dodge Charger, and blend them together to create something that looks old from the outside, but has all the luxuries and performance you’d expect from a modern muscle car at its core.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-122

Oh, and it wasn’t any old 2007 Charger either – it was a proper, full-fat, tyre-frying SRT8 variant. Which means it came with a 6.1-litre HEMI V8.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-121

There are a few other surprises going on too, although I suspect you probably know who Air Lift Performance are by now!

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-6

What you might not know is that the 2007 Charger has a longer wheelbase than a ’68 Coronet, so Steven worked very carefully with the ’60s bodywork to create something that looks original but really actually isn’t…

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-34

Both the original Coronet and the Charger are pretty cool cars, but put together? Well, that’s another level right there. But how far would you go? For Steven it was always going to be a balancing act between old and new, and it’s interesting what he’s decided to keep and get rid of.

Stuffed In
Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-9

Okay, so you’ll understand by now that what we’re essentially looking at here are two cars merged into one, but maybe you’re not sure how you go about doing that? And if you do understand how it’s done, then I’m sure you’ll agree with me that it’s a credit to Steven’s skills. And especially considering he’s in his 20s and has a trail of cool projects already. In fact, he was only 14 when he started working on his first – a full-size American pickup.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-102

Along with his father and other family members, Steven spends his days working on – and being surrounded by – American metal at the family business, Järudds Bil in Sater. His father started the business a few decades ago and now the workshops are full of very cool American imports. From family projects to daily drivers, they’re all here and it’s been a long time since I saw such variety in one place. I made sure I took a whole bunch of pictures, so I’ll show you around in a future story.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-11

As a breeding ground for creativity this place has got it all. More importantly though – and as is often the case when you work for the family business – Steven isn’t shown any favouritism. In fact, he almost has to work harder, so this project was built on his own time with his own money. One advantage he could work with is the great network of contacts across the water in North America, so sourcing a solid, running ’68 Coronet, with the ’69 front-end conversion already completed was pretty straightforward. With an accident damaged 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 alongside it, the work could begin.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-104

This is the view that greeted me when I first spied the Dodge at Elmia in mid April. I knew then and there this was no updated fascia and something much deeper was going on.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-101

The body was cut away from the floorpan of the ’68 and removed like the shell of a scale RC car, and with the remainder of the damaged Charger shell cut away it was lowered down over the complete running gear. Steven then started all the fabrication work to make the two match.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-125

It might sound a drastic way of doing things, but instead of swapping the modern engine, transmission and assorted brakes etc in to the old shell, this way everything is there as the factory intended. All mounted on crash tested brackets, with part numbers and factory wiring diagrams that actually mean something! Don’t those modern shock towers look at home?

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-88

As I mentioned earlier, the only real external clue to what lies beneath is the increased wheel base. That’s because the original Coronet was 2.95 meters long with the Charger coming in at 3.05 meters. Rather than chop the floorpan down and have to shorten every line, pipe, wire and the propshaft, Steven carefully removed the original rear arch section and moved it further back; cleverly replicating the original lines of the otherwise unaltered, and heavily patined body.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-93

The fact the rest of the body has been left ‘as is’ really adds to the trickery for me. It’s kind of beaten on, patinated and ready to rock. The later ’69 front end has obviously been on there for a long time and goes to show how manufacturers just change a little metal here and there, but you’re essentially buying the same wine – just with a different label. I also prefer the slightly squashed, more aggressive look of it over the ’68.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-98

You could have bought a ’68/68 Coronet with a HEMI in it originally, so it’s fitting that it’s still got the right engine in the front. The modern badges almost look original on the front wings, don’t you think? And the 425hp that it delivers out of the box is pretty cool too…

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-99

That side graphic which Steven used to help hide his subtle rear arch work is another detail I really like. In fact, the more you look at the Coroner, the more the details come through.

Is That Original?
Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-82

The 22-inch American Racing Torq Thrust wheels really make the whole car look like a toy. But as you’ve seen in my pictures, it can be driven nice and low on the Air Lift Performance suspension.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-91

The wheels measure 9.0 inches wide at the front and 10.5 inches wide at the back, although Steven still seems to have traction problems now and again. Either that or I guess he doesn’t like the 295/25 rear tyres and feels the need to punish them on a regular basis. He’s also added some custom made centre caps with his ‘Crazy by Steven’ logo, just so you don’t forget whose work you’re looking at.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-92

Another modern touch are the LED Angel Eye headlights. It’s weird because if you put these on a lowered, big-wheeled Coronet they’d probably look a little odd. But here, when coupled with the overall impact of the project, they seem a natural choice.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-57

Same goes for the back end where stock light surrounds hide modern LED bulbs.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-81

Once again Steven cherry-picked bits of technology that suited his purpose. It’s this balance that I really admire in his work ethos.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-105

On paper when you describe this car to people, it sounds like it shouldn’t work, but they always want to see more. I’ve always fancied mixing old and new in a project and I think I’ve worked out how Steven has succeeded where others fail.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-41

He’s let the old be old, and the new be new. Does that make sense? Let me explain myself…

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-108

Instead of retrimming the interior in a faux ’60s-style, he’s left it as standard ’07 Charger SRT8 spec – modern plastics and all. Because it works. The clever bit has been fitting it so seamlessly into the two-door ’60s shell.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-116

There’s no aftermarket shifter like you might add to a stock ’07 Charger, or even a modern shifter that you might use to show a modern transmission in a ’60s car. Sticking with the original modern Dodge equipment has kept things simple and effective.

Jaruds Bil SE Crazy by Steven Coronet Charger-132

That leaves the drama of the project to the very idea of it. Recognising that the combination of old and new doesn’t need any added spice – it’s enough on its own. The other thing I love about the Coronet is that I wouldn’t have imagined it before I saw it in the metal, which means it’s very much the result of one man’s vision and hard work. You want power and style? Comfort and reliability? Not a problem. Maybe Steven isn’t so crazy after all. Hybrids are the way forward!

Bryn Musselwhite
Instagram: speedhunters_Bryn
bryn@speedhunters.com

Cutting Room Floor
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1

this is the most amazing thing i have seen in the past month or so.

2

Could we have a side-by-side comparison with an original '68 Coronet? I'd like to see the difference in wheelbase.

3

I freaking love this.  Nice one!!!!

4

Crazy. something you need to see in person. All the little details of "I wonder how he did ______ ."

5

This....just.....wow. The amount of work that must have gone into this is mind boggling. More features like this please (if they even exist)!!!

6

That is cool. WOW

7

I LOVE ALL THINGS MOPAR AND THIS IS JUST INSAAAAAAAAAAAAANE. #MOPARORNOCAR

8

I want to do this with a FJ Holden Ute and a GTS R33 Skyline.. How much easier that would be if the FJ wasn't a frame car.

9

Just for my "car culture": This is street legal in US?

10

TomFR  Don't know, Bryn forgot to mention that this is in USA or elsewhere, but I guess that this is in Europe after the name of the father's kid. It seams that the story is being written by somebody who never saw the car. Strange, here on speedhunters.com

11

automatic...., f#$%ing nope

12

They way he managed to fit that new interior into the old shell is admirable. Is there any link with pictures of the building process?

13

Awsome!  I actually think it looks better with the rear wheel arch pushed back... 60s cars' trunks are so long and skinny.  (I would like a '70 Plymouth Satellite/GTX/Roadrunner front though!)

14

greenroadster TomFR ''This is the view that greeted me when I first spied the Dodge at Elmia in mid April''
That is in Sweden.

15

got it already.

16

so amzing fuck seriuz if youy dont post skid vidz at all evr again what the point you shoot cars ride shotty an stil no vidz evr fuk no sklz or prfcshn

17

Hands down the coolest build I've seen in quite a while, superb.

18

I really like the idea of fusing a modern car with an oldschool ride, yeah, pretty awesome this idea, hope to see more of this stuff soon.

19
jeunehatchback

greenroadster TomFR Strange, that you should post that here on speedhunters,com. The rest of us can read - joined up and everything...

20

nissanbenny umm...
Is it just me, or does everybody's brain hurt trying to read this?

21

jeunehatchback So, should I know were Elmia is? Is that a village or a street? A city? Should I guess even further?

23

That's a really cool post which I thoroughly enjoyed. Now where are the Pro Touring cars from Rad Rides by Troy and Ring Brothers? I hope Keith still has them on his list...

24
Benjamin Meyer

Maaaaaaaaaaaaan, this ish right here, this ish right here, this ish right here ... #JOYOFMACHINE.

25

Speaking from a Japanese point of view, when I look at that front end it screams overweight c10 skyline, boss idea and car too !

26

Cool in each and every way, but how is this road legal? Is the law in Sweden really that lenient? Over here (mainland Europe. Holland to be more specific) this isn't even remotely legal as the unibody needs to stay intact as is, so only replacing outer panels is possible, The roof and pillars can't even be touched without going to some sort of strict SVA-approval. If thats even at all possible....

27

This is the type of project I dream about but don't have the balls (or money or most importantly skill) to do

28

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Other-Pickups-Incredible-one-of-a-kind-show-truck-1955-Chevy-Mercedes-3100-One-of-a-Kind-/141338491669?forcerrptr=true&hash=item20e86e3b15&item=141338491669&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
Same gig, but an early 2000's Mercedes SUV under a '55 Chevy pickup. I've got an acquaintance who slammed an early '50s Pontiac body over a mid-'90s Cadillac, very sweet ride. I really like the idea of doing things this way.

29

WOW that interior conversion is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!

30

My head hurts just thinking about how difficult it must have been to get those door cards to work so flawlessly. Just one of many mind blowing things about this car.

31

This might asvell be the car of the year for me, reallly amazing build love that there's no fancy paintwork done

32

koko san Care to share any links to the build, I'm quite curious myself?

33

@TROLLS ROYCE greenroadster  To answer your original question, if the chassis is legal, then yes. Body drops aren't common due to the extensive work in most cases (just like the wheelbase here), but there isn't a lot of restrictions legally on it.

34

not taking away any credit this guy deserves ( and he deserves a lot) but truck guys have been doing this for a long time.

35

Fantastic build.

36

This is awesome.

37

Wow that interior made me do a double take for a second.  What an interesting way to go about a build.

38

shiftyXTI koko san 
http://www.facebook.com/JaruddsBil
go through the pictures

39

So very cool. I think comparing old muscle cars with more modern muscle, performance oriented cars of today is unthinkable. The muscle cars of the 60's and 70's were great for that era, running, driving works of art. Today's muscle and performance cars are in a class of their own. What has remained consistent is the dedication car people have whether they drive a Miata or Charger.

40

@TROLLS ROYCE Still haven't gotten to that part of the country. We will have to catch them at a show and slot some time for a feature shoot. Thanks for remembering though!

41

lochie same but with an FC!

42
Speedhunters_Bryn

@Importmuscle It's pretty damn special huh?

43
Speedhunters_Bryn

Jun Imai Haha, it looks like a full size toy in the neutral stone backgrounds!

44
Speedhunters_Bryn

@Lou Yup, that's why when I spotted it at Elmia I had to know more.

45
Speedhunters_Bryn

3nigm4 Body swapping is not an uncommon thing, they're out there.

46
Speedhunters_Bryn

NICKCEFFY lochie When you start thinking about all the potential swaps, it can blow your mind!

47
Speedhunters_Bryn

muhammadilham It's not a conventional automatic like on say an older car, modern auto boxes can be very responsive.

48
Speedhunters_Bryn

tomok You're right, again it's one of those things that in the metal makes a lot more sense than when somebody describes it.

49
Speedhunters_Bryn

BitchezOnMahDick420 It's funny isn't it when you see different cars pop through a design. The design world really is one big melting pot.

50
Speedhunters_Bryn

gliebau It makes total sense to me, look far enough forward through a projects life and you're probably going to change so much it makes sense to do this from the start. It's just the scale of involvement that puts a lot of people off.

51
Speedhunters_Bryn

janchuks Yup, that does it for me too. It really helps the impact when you look inside!

52
Speedhunters_Bryn

steelyknives Oh for sure, I don't want anybody to think this is a new idea. Just a really nicely executed example of it. Although I would say it's easier for truck guys as they're generally dealing with a seperate chassis.

53

this is killer (y)

54

Speedhunters_Bryn Hey Bryn, I'm also a fan of the idea. Obviously the truck I linked and the build in this article are stunning examples that took a lot of time and money to make, as any proper street rod build does. I wish I had photos of the Pontiac I mentioned, though... The fellow that built it is a rat rodder from Vegas who's into the Rockabilly scene, and he kept the body and interior of the original Pontiac in very rough condition, but set the whole deal on top of a clean Cadillac chassis. He cut out the original Pontiac dash and made it an insert that fit over the complete, untouched Cadillac dash board, so that all of the modern controls were available but hidden beneath panels of the '50s dash board. Mexican blankets over the original Pontiac bench seats, which were just welded to the Cadillac floorboards. It was really trick, and cost him much less than $10,000 to build.

55

Thats a really cool build. Now I want to plop an e30 on top of an e92!

56

This is such an amazing build. Does anyone have an information on that front spoiler? custom work?

57

Speedhunters_Bryn 
The ever so slightly moved wheel arch is brilliant.  Gives the car that bit of "something doesn't quite look like it should" but done so well (as is the rest of the car) that is looks elegant.  I really, really like this.  With aircon and modern comfort, I would daily this here in Los Angeles!!

58

Kevski Style I'm pretty sure Sweden has a well thought-out 'custom-built' vehicle approval system. I know for bikes at least you can get something fully scratch-built on the road, so I don't see why a car like this would not be allowed.

59

Xoliul Kevski Style : Bikes isn't as much of a problem here either, but I was wondering the following: Since the Charger and the Coronet are both unibody designs with subframes and the actuall car is a 2007 Charger with a Coronet Body, it is probably billed as a 2007 Charger? Where I'm from, you can make this happen but only if you go through with a full roadworthy test costing a shitload of money which also happens to be pain to get through. Next to that, if you do get through it, the car will be billed as a 2014 car from then on out, unless you import the car from another country. For instance: The car doesn't have rear seatbelt's, which will never fly over here

It is a really cool build though! I'm just wondering how all the legal stuff works over there? That being said, the car is wearing non legal plates, so is it even road legal????

60

Kevski Style Xoliul We can register cars as "amateur built vehicle" in Sweden. There are rules about engine power vs brake size vs weigh of the car, exhaust noise and emission etc. I think you have to pass two inspections; one during the build and one final inspection to get it road legal. It is from what i understand quite hard to pass these inspections, as it should be imo :)

61

greenroadster jeunehatchback Actually it says in the article after the fifth image "Blending old and new in one creation is never easy, but that’s what Steven Jarudd from Sweden has managed to do so well here."

62

I dig it but it's almost predictable.  I don't care for the Hemi on the sides, it makes it look comical.  It's still a kool car though.

63

Does anyone have a glass of water because I lost my hat on wednesday and my dad has to bake some bread with garlic and chives?

64

donkyyyyyy did you know he has twelve dolphins in each cylinder with two bags of potatoes and a spoon that is missing the handle, under my foot is ten crates of milk with one bag of cat cat cat cat cat cat hat hat

65

E Sutton stop smelling my feet peter, I dont have time for your shinanigans let alone your addiction to wheat milk

66

No doubt a nice effort, but this has been done before. West Coast Customs did (almost) this exact build 5 years ago.

67

A guy in Australia did a similar thing with a valiant charger. It is crossed with a 300c

68

That's an ideal muscle

69

Missed this. Great feature!

70

TheVictorBoyce Yeah sure, cool and, all, but this kid did it himself+some friends, and he is like 23.

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