Junkyard Dave is a YouTube channel that follows David Nenno as he rebuilds cars, races cars, and puts together an occasional special project. A few months ago, he started working on building a 2021 Dodge Charger Magnum Widebody Hellcat Wagon. 

I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Nenno about his most recent video. In it, he gave us an early glimpse of what the project will look like when finished. In short, it is the wagon of wagons. Details of the conversation and his project follow. 

The beginning of the Dodge Charger Wagon

The Junkyard Dave channel has been active on YouTube for several years. So, the channel has seen its fair share of projects. Along the way, the host built a Dodge Magnum Wagon and tracked it. He liked it so much that he decided to return to the wagon idea again. This time, however, he decided he was going to make a modern interpretation of it with a Hellcat powerplant, and a widebody appearance.

The only problem is that Dodge no longer makes a wagon. The Dodge Magnum wagon ceased to exist years ago. So, creating a wagon from nothing was going to take a bit of ingenuity. Undeterred, a Dodge Charger was sourced as the starting point of the conversion. From there, a 2021 Charger front end and widebody parts had to be brought in. 

Unsurprisingly, grafting on the wagon’s rear roof to the Charger was the real challenge. Getting the body lines right and maintaining the correct panel gaps required a good bit of filler. In fact, there is some concern that the body filler added significant weight. The hope is to keep the finished project under 5,000 lbs. So, once all the shaping, sculpting, and sanding are done, the intention is to create a mold for a carbon fiber conversion of the wagon’s rear. This will lighten the project up and be good for track times later. 

Sunlight reveals the Dodge Charger Magnum Widebody Hellcat Wagon

In a video uploaded on Thursday, the unfinished Dodge Charger Magnum Widebody Wagon was rolled out into the sun. Even though the vehicle did not have its powertrain or the proper fitting wheel and tire combination, the width of the vehicle and the wagon’s rear give the impression of a machine that means business. The car looked stunning! The video is linked below.

All of the custom work is not solely on the outside of this Dodge Charger Magnum amalgamation. The powerplant will receive some focus as well. The Hellcat engine is sourced from a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. That engine on its own is a healthy 707 horsepower beast. But, Mr. Nenno told me the goal for this build is to produce around 1,000 hp. So, modifying the engine is very much in the plans. 

Big plans for the wagon

Overall, this project has the potential to make a lot of smiles. Mr. Nenno seems to recognize that. So, he is planning on taking the wagon to various events, race tracks, and possibly even the big show, SEMA. SEMA is the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association show in Las Vegas. Most any company involved in custom automotive work is at the annual event.  

I believe it was Shakespeare who said, rumors of the wagon’s death are greatly exaggerated. Okay, maybe it wasn’t Shakespeare. But, the Junkyard Dave YouTube channel is proving that there is a definite interest in wagons still amongst enthusiasts. This Dodge Charger Magnum Widebody Hellcat Wagon project proves that. Sadly, it takes time to put such a machine together. So, we must anxiously await more videos to see the progress. But, it will be worth the wait to see the finished wagon soon.