Salvaggio Design Create A Special 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner For Kevin Hart

I’m not always sure of what to make of resto-mods, but this 1969 Salvaggio Design Plymouth Roadrunner built for Kevin Hart might be convincing me.

Ok, I’m never a fan of cutting up original cars, but this doesn’t seem to have been destroyed in the process of making what we see here. The attention to detail and the quality of the build is truly excellent. So what’s gone into it.

Kevin Hart is quite well known as an actor and comedian, but also as a car enthusiast. He has a particular affinity for American muscle cars and doesn’t just have a collection like a museum, he likes to drive them. This means he wants performance and reliability and enlists specialist craftsmen to build something to meet his needs.

One his preferred craftsmen is Wisconsin-based Dave Salvaggio. Hart and Salvaggio worked together on some of his previous projects and Kevin returned for this, the latest one, the 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner.

1969 Plymouth Roadrunner

Senior designer Sean Smith worked with Hart to deliver a more timeless heritage build, but with true Mopar muscle. The priorities were a Hemi engine and custom carbon fibre panels. Pair these with a sinister black, with Halloween orange accents and you have something that doesn’t scream at what lies underneath. Even the wheel conceals it with their hubcap type style. Though you will notice they are quite wide. They need to be.

The idea was to create a car that from a distance would appear to be simple, but when you get up close those that know would start to appreciate the details.

Hemi Engine & Carbon Fibre

To start with a sound donor car was sourced. The team at Salvaggio Design scanned the car in 3D to create a computer model before designing a custom frame using CAD software.

Detroit Speed provided assistance on their X-Gen 595 front suspension package so Salvaggio could fabricate the frame to accommodate it. This was so successful that it will be available to order for all Mopar B body platforms.

The team fabricated a rollcage, removable floors, the wheel hubs and many more parts. The shaved the drip rails to smooth out the lines without taking anything away from the original Plymouth design.

The only original panels left on the car are the roof, doors, fenders and rear quarter panels. Everything else has been rejuvenated, replaced or revised.

The new panels included a carbon fibre hood, which was designed by Sean Smith with used styling cues from the from the A12 race package for the Roadrunner. Sean also designed the flush fitting bumpers that Brothers Composite manufactured.

All the metal work was completed at Salvaggio Design along with the paint. the many hours sanding and reshaping the long panels with the sharp edges until it was ready. Pure BASF black paint was applied in multiple coats giving the high gloss finish to the exterior. The interior received a matte clearcoat with matte orange pearl underneath.

Many billet parts were produced for the car. Sean designed them in 3D, and they were machined by RAZ Technical Solutions from solid aluminium.

The three piece grille was finished in brushed nickel from the Odgen Chrome artisans who were large contributors to the project.

The door mirror is another billet feature, inspired by the original, has a brushed nickel finish and some more of the Halloween orange.

The Billet taillight surrounds house LED halos for both turn and brake light functions. Each conder is hinged giving access to the fuel filler on the driver’s side and a batter disconnect on the other.

Even the door handles got the billet treatment. Taking inspiration from the originals the profile was slimmed down, the lock removed, and a pocket was machined into the leading edge to improve the feel.

The three piece hubs are a tribute to the original 1969 Roadrunner ‘dog dish’ design but are much more solid and have far more texture and detail. They also won’t fly off when taking a turn.

Inside the car there are billet parts too. The door handles that have been added to the door cards, the steering wheel and even the gear shifter too.

Hemi

Mario Abascal at Gearhead Fabrication built the 426 ci Hemi as a hybrid Demon / Hellcat motor designed to run on California 91 octane fuel. Even on pump gas it produces a staggering, dyno proven 940 hp.

Inside the V8 there is a Winberg crank, CP Pistons, Boostline rods, ARP hardware. A Dodge Demon camshaft, ported Demon heads, Holley Dominator EFI fuel injection and a Magnaflow exhausts.

A Whipple 3.8L supercharger sits on top in a beautifully finished bespoke CNC machined housing painted in Orange Candy satin.

The engine sits in a handcrafted bay which was designed to show off the rollcage and highlight some of the mechanical features. It’s got an industrial look to it which conceals the induction system, and throttle body, meaning that the supercharger takes centre stage.

To cope with the hot LA traffic Salvaggio used a Power Cool radiator with SPAL fans. For the cain there is air conditioning by Vintage Air.

The engine is mated to a six speed Tremec 6060 transmission, which was strengthened for this build and a 9″ rear end with a 3.70 ratio. These axles are really strong and each one hits the dyno to make sure they run nice and quiet

The font suspension from DSE being fabricated in to the Salvaggio frame rails has meant that the Roadrunner now has a full frame body.

Finishing off the running gear there are JRI shocks, six piston Brembo calipers at the front with 14″ rotors and 13″ with four pots at the rear. It needs really good brakes with all the performance on offer. These are however hidden behind 18 x 10″ front and 20 x 12″ HRE wheels which are designed to retain the classis appearance of the originals.

Kevin Hart Salvaggio Design 1969 Roadrunner Tech Spec

Engine:
426 cubic-inch (7-liter) Hemi built by Gearhead Fabrication with Winberg crankshaft, CP pistons, Boostline connecting rods, ARP mains studs, head and rod bolts, Dodge Demon camshaft, ported Demon heads, Holley Dominator EFI, bespoke Whipple 3.8L supercharger with CNC housing, Magnaflow exhaust, high-pressure Melling oil pump, Power Cool radiator with SPAL fans, air conditioning by Vintage Air with EZ Clip AC hoses

Transmission:
Built Tremec 6060 six-speed manual, John’s Industries Ford 9” axle with 3.70 gear ratio

Chassis:
Laser-cut and TIG-welded Salvaggio Design B body chassis frame with full rollcage, Detroit Speed & Engineering X-Gen 595 front suspension package, four-link rear suspension with Panhard bar, JRI shocks front and rear, Ididit steering column

Brakes:
Brembo six-piston calipers, 14” rotors front, four-piston calipers, 13” rotors rear

Wheels / Tires:
18×10” front, 20×12” rear black HRE Steelies Are Tough wheels with Salvaggio Design three-piece billet hub caps, 285/35 R18 front and 345/30 R20 rear Michelin Pilot Sport tires with orange sidewall stripes by Diamond Back Classic Radials

Exterior:
Design, scanning, CAD, metal-shaping, bodywork, paintwork by Salvaggio Design including removable floors, custom firewall, radiator support, wheel tubs and trunk, shaved drip rails. Carbon fiber hood and bumpers manufactured by Brothers Composites. Custom billet three-piece grille, driver’s door mirror, door handles and window trim finished in brushed nickel by Ogden Chrome

Interior:
Black, perforated, and splattered Italian leather upholstered by Gabe’s Custom Interiors on Recaro front seats, custom rear seats, headliner, door panels and trunk using orange contrast stitching. Salvaggio billet steering wheel, shifter, door handles, and instrument cluster with Dakota digital gauges