PHILLIP PASCOE

WHEN local Chrysler fan Phillip Pascoe moved to the USA more than a decade ago, he took along his twin-turbo 360-powered VF Valiant VIP to keep his toes in Aussie waters, so to speak. While living Stateside, he owned a number of cool Yankee rides as well, including a Dodge Hellcat that he was keen to bring back with him when he returned to Oz last year. However, at around $45K to convert the car for local rego, the sums just weren’t going to add up. So Phillip sold the Dodge and did the next best thing, buying a 1500-mile Hellcat engine and gearbox from an insurance wreck and hatching a plan to repower his ever-faithful VIP. Back in Oz, Phillip entrusted the conversion to long-time Brisbane Mopar nut Scott Munro. Scott has six months of spare time invested in the conversion so far, much of which has been spent creating room in the VF to house the 6.2-litre donk and huge eight-speed ZF transmission. “The underbody has needed major mods to make it all fit,” he says. “The transmission tunnel has been centred and widened, while the firewall now uses the hump from a wheelbarrow to keep it looking neat – it was a good-quality Sherlock barrow though!” The old turbo 360 mill was built well before turbos became the norm and was good for around 600rwhp, but the pair are hoping for 900hp at the wheels with this new combo after a tune and pulley upgrade. The rest of the car will remain as-is, with everything fitting under the bonnet and retaining its current VIP exterior livery.