Thomas Bolton’s journey into and through the car hobby started as it does for many of us. At an early age, he unleashed an untold number of car drawings upon the world. Classic ‘Cudas, Darts and other muscle cars were the inspiration back then. And there can be no doubt the Mopar® muscle cars of the past still inspire him today!
Some of you like your dessert before dinner. So, here you go! Have a look at what has gone into this Charger and sit back, relax and enjoy reading about how it came together.
Fast forwarding from Thomas’ childhood, we see a career change that allowed him to jump into the modern Mopar pool by purchasing a 2019 Scat Pack Charger. He happily cruised around with the bone-stock Charger for a few months until the urge for MORE POWER could no longer be ignored. A call was put into Bailey’s Hyperformance, and a plan was hatched. The stock cam was deemed NOT ENOUGH, and Bailey’s knew exactly what Thomas’ Charger needed to unlock another hundred or so horsepower and about the same amount of torque. All was right with the world. For a short time!
Another call was placed to Bailey’s, and, as is often the case, this call led to a plan for MUCH more power. 392 c.i. isn’t exactly tiny. But, for many of us, it’s simply not big enough. The number 426 haunts us. Thomas made the decision to go bigger, and the 426 build commenced. Welcome to the portion of this piece where we build some drama. Most of us have something happen during our life that tests our resolve. Thomas was tested in a BIG way!
This particular trial came in the form of a fall at work. About three weeks after the WAM show in 2021, Thomas fell at work and fractured his skull. Major surgery was needed. I saw the scars. He pointed to them as if to say, “It happened. I/We took care of it,” said Thomas. “But, newfound clarity and purpose were waiting on the other side of the recovery.” He received the message, “None of us are here for a long time. But, while we are, we can keep putting one foot in front of the other and have a GOOD TIME!” Loud and clear. It was time to build something special. Something capable of putting a smile on his face and hopefully to inspire younger generations.
A rethink was given to the naturally aspirated 426 build. An audible was called, and forced induction was brought into the game! Not your typical blower or turbo system. Thomas needed some crazy in his life, and Bailey’s was happy to uncork two bottles of 67-millimeter mid-mounted turbo insanity! (If that were a hot sauce, I’d buy it! Hey Bailey’s, let’s talk. : ) Most folks would jump to 426 cubic inches with twin turbos and settle down a little. Not Thomas. If the turbos are the “hot sauce,” you’ll need to cool things down a little. So, why not throw in some nitrous? While we were talking about the engine/transmission build, Thomas’ voice kept floating up to a slightly higher pitch. He is quite excited about the potential power and performance and rightly so. When the shakedown/break in HP level is 900, you have constructed a MONSTER! We cannot wait to see, hear and most importantly, FEEL this beast when it’s turned up to 11!
Thomas has taken inspiration and used it for actual growth throughout his life. From his days of drawing cars as a child into adulthood seeing others doing what he does professionally, his quest to simply be inspired led him to his chosen career as a physician’s assistant aiding in open heart surgeries. He used his superpowers to find inspiration and set out to build something to not only put a smile on his face but also inspire younger generations. We rarely see a build combining the best of the best from the high-horsepower racing world with a tasteful blending of show-winning style. But here it is. The best of both worlds tastefully blended into something truly greater than the sum of its parts.
There was no doubt I’d be writing something about this Charger from the moment I saw/heard it roll into the parking deck for Friday Night Lights. It has a presence reserved for only a special few. We have been assured when Thomas takes this beast to the track for the first time, we will be sent the video to share with everyone following along with us at DodgeGarage. Considering he is running around right now on the “mild” 900 horsepower tune while they dial everything in … WE CANNOT WAIT to see when they uncork the monster under the hood, shove a big shot of nitrous into the intake and let it rip!