There is no doubt, that the most anticipated vehicle from Ram Trucks is the upcoming Ram 1500 Rebel TRX. The HELLCAT-powered truck has been on the radar of enthusiasts since the 2016 Ram 1500 Rebel TRX Concept made its debut at the 2016 State Fair of Texas. While the 2016 Ram 1500 Rebel TRX Concept hinted at the styling cues for the 2019 Ram 1500 design, people have been eagerly waiting for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) own 707 horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI HELLCAT V8 to make it under the hood of the popular offroader.
While FCA is out testing prototypes of the upcoming TRX, one man couldn’t wait and has created his own. Our very own 5thGenRams forum member DieselDak, with some help from the team at America’s Most Wanted 4×4 in Holly, Michigan, have created the first 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel with a HELLCAT powertrain outside of FCA. That’s right, instead of waiting for Ram to release the truck, he took matters into his own hands and created a 707 horsepower monster.
While the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 looks at home in the engine bay of the 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel, it wasn’t a simple task. Electrical, cooling and tuning all played important roles in bringing the HELLCAT to live in the DT-platform truck to life. Things such as relocating the oil filter, altering a bracket on the frame to clear the alternator, and a few other things took a bit of innovation. The truck also features a completely upgraded fuel system to push fuel to the massive HEMI up front. The truck’s cab also had to come off the frame, to get the HELLCAT motor in the engine bay without taking the 2.3-liter IHI supercharger off the top.
We were lucky enough to attend the first start-up of this truck and it is simply amazing. But the engine is only part of the package that DieselDak has put together. The truck runs the new widebody kit for the 2019 Ram 1500 from the team at Fiberwerx. The kit includes 4-inch wider carbon fiber fenders to allow for the massive 37-inch x 12.5-inch Nitto Ridge Grabblers on Method 701 Trail Series Wheels and 4-inch wider bedsides that are also made of carbon fiber and add 2.5-inch more clearance than the stock bedsides. The truck also features “Rebel Supercharged” graphics on the bed and cab. But that’s only a small bit of what went into this truck.
The 5thGenRams crew will be in Ontario, Canada at the end of the month doing some testing of our long-term 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Sport, we are hoping to get some time with DieselDak and his HELLCAT-power Rebel 1500 to give you a little more detail about this awesome 5th generation Ram 1500 Rebel. So stay tuned…
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