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This Hellcat-powered ’33 Chrysler CT-8 Royal Business Coupe combines modern muscle and elegance. (Photo by Jim Campisano)
The world of street rods is littered with copycats. There are a million ‘32 Fords, many done up like Milner’s yellow deuce coupe from American Graffiti. Fenderless highboys abound. One thing you never see, though, is a ‘33 Chrysler CT-8 Royal Business Coupe with a Challenger Hellcat powertrain.
For authenticity, the owner actually retained the stock Hellcat’s rolling stock, with factory-sized Pirellis in the rear. (Photo by Jim Campisano)
Until now, that is. This CT-8 Royal Business Coupe looks positively regal. It has a presence. Best of all, the body is the genuine article, real Depression-era steel and not a fiberglass replica. It features all the ChryCo brightwork it was born with in 1933, including the headlamps, horns, and radiator cap gazelle.
If you have never seen a CT-8 Royal Business Coupe before, don’t beat yourself up too much. Only 226 were built in a year that was the height of the Great Depression. With 24.9 percent of the population unemployed, there was little market for a luxury vehicle that cost between $1,000 and $1,500. A Model B Ford with a V8 was $590, so that should give you some perspective on how dear these were.
It's a tight fit, but the supercharged Gen-3 HEMI fits under the three-piece hood. (Photos by Jim Campisano)
Our feature car is owned and co-built by George Stump. He’s a pretty hardcore Mopar lover, though he appreciates other marques.
Hellcat Power
One thing you won’t find under that lovely louvered hood is a Chevy engine. Beneath the four-piece bonnet is the heart of the modern Mopar performance revolution: A 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI. Coming out of a wrecked Challenger, the Hellcat powerplant is mated to its original eight-speed automatic. Except for the headers, which were fabricated by George’s longtime friend Ed Britz, Flowmaster mufflers and 2.75-diameter exhaust, the motor is as it left the assembly line.
Britz, in fact, helped George build the entire car. The two were very close friends for a long, long, time. Britz has gone to that great street rod garage in the sky and George misses him every day. Driving this machine, he says, brings the pair back together.
“I think of him every time I look at the car,” said George.
Every piece of trim is original to the car, including the chrome on the vented hood. One alteration is the Hellcat logo on the door that once hid the opening for the hand-crank for the starter (right). (Photos by Jim Campisano)
A blown HEMI was not part of the original plan. The owner said he was actually looking for a 392-inch Scat Pak mill. Scouring the web for wrecked vehicles, he came across a totaled Hellcat. That was a significant improvement, though one which added a higher degree of difficulty.
All the power goes to a 9-inch rear from Moser Engineering. It houses 3.25:1 gears and 35-spline axles from Strange.
Making It Perform With A 92-year Old Frame
There’s no high-dollar chassis under this street rod. It is the original frame from ’33, though it has been improved quite a bit. Britz was a renowned street rod builder and George said he was the first person to adapt a Mustang II front suspension to a Model A Ford in the mid-’70s.
It was Britz who fabricated the front crossmember for the Royal Coupe. A Thunderbird rack-and-pinion setup was added, as were Fatman Fabrications upper and lower control arms. A Ridetech 4-bar rear suspension was installed and that company’s coilovers are employed at all four corners. Sway bars (front and rear) keep the cornering flat.
George went to Intro for the wheels (18×8-inches up front, 20×11-rear). They are spectacular and wrapped in OE-fitment Pirelli tires. In keeping with the Hellcat theme, George kept that car’s rear size: 275/40ZR20.
LED bulbs project much brighter light from the factory headlight housings than they did in 1933. This Chrysler was a high-ticket item when new, which contributed to its low production numbers. We love the original flying gazelle radiator cap. Owner George Stump put a ton of effort into making the one-ratty body as straight and perfect as possible. (Left two photos by Jim Campisano; right photo courtesy of George Stump)
George and Ed did all the bodywork and paint. This was no walk in the park, as the body was in very poor condition. For a color, George chose Cool Vanilla, a factory hue from PPG that was offered from 2010-2020.
The only thing they did not do on the build was the interior. Dave Chrissy from Chrissy Interiors in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, revitalized the cockpit. He totally revamped the 1968 Corvette seats and covered them in BMW Fawn Beige leather. Speed Hut got the nod for the gauges, which sit in a refurbished factory cluster. A Cadillac tilt and telescopic column gave George a place to mount the steering wheel.
The original dash came down to the line just below the gauges/glovebox door, etc. To accommodate the A/C and controls, the owner and Ed Britz fabricated the matching panel below it. It looks like it was born there. The seats are out of a ’68 Corvette and are covered with Fawn Beige BMW leather. (Photos by Jim Campisano)
Factory Electronics
Getting the Hellcat computer and wiring to work in the ’33 was perhaps the biggest hurdle. There were no over-the-counter wiring harnesses available at the time of the swap. George sent the donor car’s harness to Hot Wire Automotive in Mena, Arkansas, where shop owner Chris Squier laid it out on the floor, and figured out how to make it work. It was a long process and once everything was back in the car she fired right up.
There was only one hitch: George could not shift the electronic transmission out of Park. This confounded the experts until someone pointed out he needed to install the factory Radio Frequency (RF) Hub and wire it in. The module controls gear selection.
Once that was solved, it was nothing but tire-frying fun. After our photo shoot, George took your author for a nice ride in the pre-war classic and we can tell you one thing: This is a fabulous build. Unlike a lot of street rods I’ve driven or ridden in, this feels like a real car, not a cobbled-together kit. It was smooth, rattle-free. The exhaust rumbled and when George matted the throttle, the supercharger whine delightfully filled the cabin.
The marks on the interior panels are badges of honor. Coolers, lawn chairs, tools, etc., are always along for a good time. We don't know many street rodders who've put 12,000-plus miles on their machines. (Photos by Jim Campisano)
When the Challenger and Charger returned to the market in the first decade of this century, they were embraced to a degree, but there was no mad rush to dealerships. First of all, the Charger had four doors, which many felt was a mortal sin. (Hey, it was one more door than the Charger 2.2 had and it was rear-wheel drive.)
The Challenger mimicked the styling of its 1970 namesake, but it really didn’t catch on with enthusiasts right away. Both, however, exploded in popularity with the introduction of the SRT Hellcat models in 2015. With 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, Mopar enthusiasts looking for modern muscle suddenly had their choice of two-door coupe or four-door sedan.
We think George and Ed really succeeded in marrying the best of Chrysler’s Depression-era opulence with today’s powertrain and suspension magic. The CT-8 Royal Business Coupe has timeless design and except for the rolling stock, it has been retained. It looks low, but the top has not been chopped.
Hellcat logo fits perfectly on this ’33 Chrysler. (Photos by Jim Campisano)
Example: The headlights look stock, but were fitted with LED headlights. You simply can’t tell until you turn them on.
“Driving it is my favorite part of the car,” said George. “It runs straight and handles well. Ed knew how to set it up.”
He’s not kidding when he says he loves getting behind the wheel. George has put 12,000 miles on the ’33 since the completion of the 37 month build. The is one CT-8 Royal Business Coupe that gets driven.
