Sam Krahn 
After two years of waiting, we finally have confirmation customers are receiving their Mopar Hellephant engines. The monstrous 1,000 horsepower, 950 lb-ft of torque engine has popped up on a customer’s Facebook page. The Hellephant crate engine made its debut at the 2018 SEMA Show, and a full year’s worth of engines sold out in just two days.
Last October, we reported that production was delayed until late 2019 or 2020 due to quality issues. Mopar sources told MC&T that camshaft tension was too high, leading to failure of that part. Thankfully, FCA is said to have fixed the quality issue before customer deliveries began.
For $29,995, Hellephant customers receive a fully assembled 6.9 L, 1,000 HP supercharged V8 engine. There is nothing else on the market quite like it. Furthermore, it comes with an already built water pump, flywheel, oil pan for the front sump, supercharger, throttle body, coil packs, and fuel injectors. Mopar hand-builds the Hellephant in Indiana.
If you are looking to drop the engine into a pre-1976 vehicle, consider the $2,265 “Plug-and-Play” kit. It allows for near seamless integration for experienced installers. This adds an unlocked pressure control modular, power distribution center, engine wiring harness, chassis harness, accelerator pedal, ground jumper, oxygen sensors, charge air temperature sensors, fuel pump control module and cam bus interface device. This should make your dream classic muscle car builds more achievable.
Mopar originally showcased the build possibilities with the Hellephant in the Dodge Super Charger concept. Based on a 1968 Charger, it is a restored unlike any other. Although customer builds may not get to this level, it highlights how easily the motor can be adapted to older cars. For instance, at the 2019 SEMA Show, Mopar shoved monster engine into a 1958 Plymouth Fury.
We can’t wait to see all of the crazy builds Hellephant customers create. With deliveries underway, we shouldn’t have to wait too much longer.
