The Grocery-Getter From Hell

Among one-off automotive projects, few creations capture the imagination like a Hellcat-powered minivan. A Tennessee-based fabrication shop has now turned that fantasy into a fully functional machine, completing an extensive year-long build that transforms a humble 2021 Chrysler Pacifica into what the builders jokingly call the “Pacifi-Cat.”

The project began innocently enough: a flood-damaged, fully loaded Pacifica was purchased from auction as a blank canvas. But instead of restoring the V6-powered family hauler, the team committed to an all-out mechanical reinvention, centered on the 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat Redeye V8 sourced from a wrecked Challenger donor.

The idea of a Hellcat minivan has circulated online for years. We’ve seen a similar project before, but this build is one of the first documented, fully engineered attempts to make that fantasy actually road-worthy.

What elevates this particular effort is its restraint: the exterior remains unmistakably Pacifica, and the interior retains the practical layout Chrysler is known for. Yet underneath, nearly every major mechanical system has been redesigned, fabricated, or relocated to accommodate horsepower levels normally reserved for Dodge’s most extreme performance cars.

The Process Was Not Easy

To make the Redeye powertrain fit, the guys at the goonzquad YouTube Channel stripped the Pacifica to its skeleton and constructed a custom front subframe designed specifically around the Hellcat’s dimensions. New upper and lower control arms were built from scratch, along with a low-profile rack and pinion system to clear the massive engine.

Cooling proved another challenge: transmission, oil, and supercharger intercoolers were repositioned throughout the chassis, including in the wheel wells, due to space limitations in the Pacifica’s nose. A custom fuel cell was installed at the rear but designed in such a way that the factory exterior filler remains functional, a small but significant detail that preserves the van’s sleeper demeanor.

The rear of the vehicle is just as radical. The team adapted the Challenger’s entire rear subframe, complete with big brakes and the correct geometry to support rear-wheel drive. A new driveshaft tunnel was formed through the Pacifica’s floor, then seamlessly carpeted to retain a stock appearance inside. Unsurprisingly, electronics became one of the greatest challenges.

Merging the Challenger’s engine and transmission control systems with the Pacifica’s body modules required extensive rewiring and custom calibration work. While the engine now starts, idles, and responds cleanly, the team continues refining communication between modules to eliminate limp mode and achieve full drivability.

Bottom Line

What began as a flooded minivan destined for the scrapyard has emerged as one of the most ambitious Hellcat conversions in recent memory. With custom fabrication throughout, a near-stock appearance, and the promise of Redeye performance once final tuning is complete, this Pacifica stands as a showcase of both technical creativity and unapologetic automotive enthusiasm. Would putting in a Hellcat V8 crate engine have been better? Probably, but where’s the fun in that?

When the last electronic hurdles are cleared, the “Pacifi-Cat” may become the ultimate sleeper, a family hauler capable of embarrassing genuine performance cars while looking like it’s on its way to school pickup. It’s the kind of build that reminds the car world why wild ideas still matter: because sometimes the most outrageous concepts deserve to be made real.