Dave Christie’s Cummins-powered 1969 Dodge Charger 4×4 is the kind of machine that instantly stops people in their tracks. When it showed up at the 2025 Fall 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals in Danville, Indiana, spectators couldn’t help but stare. The aggressive stance and unconventional shape look like something pulled straight from a dystopian movie set. Dave describes it in simpler terms: “Dukes of Hazzard meets Cummins meets 4×4.”
The result is a unforgettable combination of classic muscle car styling and diesel truck hardware, all rolled into a machine that looks ready for anything.
More Than Just A Charger Body On A Truck Chassis
At first glance, some people assume Dave’s build is simply a Dodge Charger body mounted onto a 4×4 truck chassis. While that assumption is partly true, the reality is far more complex. The vehicle is the result of serious engineering work rather than a simple body swap.
The project began when Dave, owner of Bulletproof Garage in Camby, Indiana, purchased an old Charger 4×4 conversion that had been sitting unused for years. The Charger body rested on a late-1970s Ram truck frame, but the vehicle had been heavily cut up and lacked Charger structure from the cowl forward.
To move the project in the right direction, Dave sourced a 1996 Dodge Ram 3500 extended cab dually. The truck offered exactly what he wanted: a stout chassis and the legendary Cummins turbodiesel engine. Rather than dropping the Charger body directly onto the Ram frame, Dave carefully integrated Charger sheetmetal with the Ram’s structural components.
As a result, the vehicle uses the Ram’s firewall, inner fenderwells, floorpan, cargo bed floor, and core support. Even the interior carpet is the original carpet from the Ram donor truck.
Blending two very different vehicles required some creative fabrication. To make the Charger bodywork fit properly, Dave removed 37.7 inches from the Ram’s frame. Space limitations also forced him to abandon the Charger’s factory hideaway headlights.
Tweaked 12-Valve
Naturally, the heart of the build is the 12-valve Cummins turbodiesel, and Dave made sure it received the right upgrades. The engine now runs a revised fuel plate, upgraded delivery valves, and stronger governor springs to unlock additional power.
The stock turbocharger was replaced with an HE351 sourced from a 2006 Ram. Fuel delivery is handled by a FASS fuel system, ensuring the diesel mill receives a steady supply of fuel under load. Exhaust exits through a hood stack.
NV4500 Transmission And 1-Ton Running Gear
Backing the diesel engine is an NV4500 five-speed manual transmission equipped with a Valair dual-disc ceramic clutch. Power then flows through an NP241HD two-speed transfer case before reaching the axles.
Up front sits a Dana 60, while the rear is handled by a Dana 80. Both axles run 4.10:1 gears, and the rear Dana 80 retains its factory locker to keep traction available when conditions get rough.
Leveled Suspension, Bilstein Shocks, 35s
The suspension remains based on the Ram 3500’s factory leaf-spring setup, although Dave made a few changes to refine the stance. He removed two lift blocks from each side of the rear suspension along with the overload springs. This modification lowered the rear roughly seven inches and leveled the Charger’s profile.
A Bilstein shock absorber sits at each corner to keep the big rig under control.
Rolling stock consists of 35×12.50R20LT Toyo Open Country M/T tires mounted on 10-inch-wide Grid Off-Road wheels.
Flat Black Paint And Riveted Patch Panels
The exterior finish reflects the Charger’s rugged personality. Dave coated the body in Rust-Oleum flat black, giving the car a tough, industrial appearance.
The build took place during the COVID era, when supply chain problems made certain parts difficult to obtain. Rear fenders were unavailable at the time, so Dave fabricated riveted patch panels to replace rusted metal in the rear quarter-panels. He has since received new fenders, which will eventually replace the temporary patch panels.
Not A Trailer Queen
Despite its wild appearance, Dave’s Charger 4×4 is not a garage ornament. The car, which he fittingly calls “Bulletproof,” gets driven regularly.
It even manages impressive efficiency for such an unconventional build. Dave reports the Charger can deliver around 22 mpg with the air conditioning running while towing a trailer carrying another Charger at highway speeds. According to him, the vehicle drives much like a 1/2-ton truck.
In other words, this Cummins-powered Charger may look like it belongs in a post-apocalyptic movie, but it performs like a practical diesel workhorse. No apocalypse required.
Photos by Ken Brubaker and Dave Christie
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