Save Your Dodge Challenger's Widebody - Add This Aftermarket Item to Protect Your Paint

The Torque News extended family recently hit the automotive testing jackpot. In addition to some other great vehicles, we had a pair of very special Challengers in out testing garages simultaneously. One was a 2019 Challenger R/T Scat Pack with the Widebody package. We have nothing but great things to say about this very special car.

Our test week coincided with the remnants of hurricane Florence. We only got heavy rains from the storm, but it flooded the streets and left a lot of fine silt and mud behind. That fine silty mud did a great job of illustrating the way that water, stones, sand, mud, and tar will be kicked up from the front tires of the Challenger Widebody and then onto the sides of the car.

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As our image illustrates, the super-wide and super-sticky Pirellis on our tester stuck out past the added fender flares. Particularly at the road surface, the tires are out past the body and will throw up whatever is on the road. Our Patrick Rall is no stranger to track days. He reports that this issue is already well known to any Challenger owner who has drag-raced their car. Owners are adding flaps and protective film to the sides of the car in order to prevent damage to the paint on the body panels and the fender flares.

Our second image illustrates well ho the front leading edge of the rear fender flares really take a beating. The way to protect that area is with a clear film, or a front mudflap may do the trick.

Nobody likes the look of splashguards on a muscle car. However, dinged up paint and sandblasted fender flares are also not a great look on a $50K+ vehicle. Time to hit the MOPAR catalog.

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