Mopar Fires Up Crate of Motors

From a throwback muscle car with a modern-day motor to a beer-wagon version of the ProMaster commercial van, FCA US is throwing down the Mopar gauntlet at this year’s Specialty Equipment Market Assn. show in Las Vegas.

But the Italian-American automaker’s biggest SEMA “reveal” isn’t a vehicle. It’s a pair of engines – either a 345 or 392 Hemi V-8 – now available as crate motors for installation in your car of choice.

The 345 kit produces 383 hp and 425 lb.-ft. (576 Nm) of torque from the 5.7L engine, while the 392 kit punches out 485 hp and 472 lb.-ft. (640 Nm) of torque from the 6.4L Hemi. The kits are optimized for use with manual transmissions, but automatics can be adapted.

Pricing is $6,070 for the 5.7L and $9,335 for the 6.4L. The engines are available through FCA dealers or at Mopar.com/CrateHEMI.

To operate properly, the off-the-shelf crate engines require purchase of a $1,795 installation kit that includes a power distribution center, a powertrain control module, engine and chassis wiring harnesses, an accelerator pedal, oxygen sensors, ground jumper, charge air temperature sensor and installation information. The kits also are available for anyone who already has a 2014 or newer engine and wants to install it.

Mopar also offers a variety of accessory and hardware kits to add power steering and air conditioning to new engines installed in older models.

At SEMA, FCA’s Mopar parts division displays several vehicles incorporating the crate engines, including the Dodge Shakedown Challenger and Jeep CJ66.

392 Hemi crate engine in Shakedown Challenger.

The Dodge concept bolts a 392 crate engine and 6-speed manual gearbox into a ’71 Challenger body, with the engine breathing through a heritage-inspired Shaker hood scoop, while front and rear fascias and lights are borrowed from the ’17 Challenger. The Shakedown Challenger rides on a custom suspension incorporating Hellcat brakes, wheels and tires.

The Jeep CJ66 is a mashup of three Wranglers, melding a TJ frame with a CJ body along with a variety of JK parts such as the grille, headlights and interior center console to create the concept. Power comes from a Mopar 345 crate engine hooked to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Other Mopar concepts sharing the stage at SEMA:

Pietro Gorlier, head of Mopar-FCA Global, says SEMA provides an opportunity to test some conceptual products and parts to determine whether they should be brought to market.

“SEMA is the moment of the year where we get work on what we like to do the most,” Gorlier says.

Customization is on the rise, he says, with Challenger owners adding an average $1,000 worth of extras per car, while Wrangler owners tack on $950 per Jeep. Every Jeep sold incorporates at least one Mopar item, Gorlier says.

Mopar operates 10 customization shops in the U.S. and one in Brazil, processing makeovers of 230,000 vehicles annually, he says. Another custom shop is on the drawing board for Italy. The shops are seeing an 18% increase in business this year and Gorlier projects Mopar growth in the “high single digits” for the next decade.

At SEMA, Mopar also announces the launch of its restoration parts web portal, Mopar.com/restoration, to help enthusiasts locate Mopar-licensed parts for their classic cars.

[email protected] @bobgritzinger