When Bob Hess rolled into MoParty in a Fox Body Mustang—wearing a turbocharged Gen III HEMI under the hood—people didn't know whether to cheer or call security.

"I'm a Chrysler guy," Hess laughs. "But Fox Bodies work. I just think the Gen III HEMI is a better platform than the LS—it just doesn't have the aftermarket support yet." In true hot-rodding fashion, he decided to prove his point by putting one where it definitely didn't belong.

HEMI Power Meets Fox Body Form

Hess co-owns Big 3 Racing out of West Salem, Ohio, a full-service performance shop that focuses on the major three domestic brands—hence the name. The shop sits about 500 feet from the starting line at Dragway 42, which makes it easy to test out questionable ideas like this one. "It's a shop car in a way," Hess says.

The HEMI started life in a 6.4-liter Ram 2500 that caught fire. Hess tore down the engine, added billet main caps, and originally ran a stock crank. That's since been swapped for a Callies Compstar 3.800-inch stroker crank with center counterweights. Inside, a set of MGP aluminum rods and custom Wiseco pistons hold 10:1 compression—perfect for what's feeding it: a Holset 98mm turbocharger.

Cam specs came from Brian Tooley Racing, with BTR-supplied springs and pushrods rounding out the top end. The HEMI breathes through an Alloy Works intake manifold with a built-in air-to-water intercooler, and everything runs off a Holley Dominator ECU—no piggybacks, no separate controllers. "Anything we can make the Dominator do, we do. Boost control, data logging, all of it runs through Holley."

Fuel comes from an Aeromotive 10.0 brushless pump, with a custom-built cell feeding the HEMI. A Turbo 400 built by local builder Brian Tiffe handles the shifts, while a Strange Engineering Fab 9-inch rear with 3.25 gears puts the power to the ground. "It's still got stock rockers," Hess adds, "but that's about where the stock parts end."

Uncanny Versatility - Outlander or Drag Racer?

Hess doesn't just build dyno queens—he drives them. The car has completed four Sick Weeks and two Hot Rod Drag Weeks, racking up thousands of miles between quarter-mile hits. "I've driven it to and from work," he says casually, like commuting in a 1,900-horse mega monster is normal behavior.

At the track, the Fox has run a 7.33 at 194 mph in the quarter and 4.67 at 154 mph in the eighth. That makes it, as far as anyone knows, the fastest street-driven Gen III HEMI in drag-and-drive competition. "There are a couple faster cars out there," he says, "but they're full race cars. I can still take this one to Dairy Queen."

The car runs C16 at the track but happily sips 93 octane—or whatever's available—on the road. "I've had to put 87 in it before," says Hess. "As long as I'm not in boost, it's fine. That big turbo doesn't light easily, so I just drive it normal."

As of this writing, Hess is building a new motor for the car with an aftermarket block, a billet crank, and a touch more stroke. "The current engine's a 402 or 403 cubic inch," he says. "The new one will be around 421. I got a great deal on a billet crank, so that's what it's getting."

Shop Holley Dominator EFI systems here.

He plans to debut the new setup at Sick Week 2026, with a goal of cracking into the sixes. "If everything holds together," he says, "we'll see a six-second pass. It's time."

A MoParty Hit

The sight of a Fox Body with a Mopar heart idling among Chargers and Challengers at MoParty was pure hot-rod poetry. After all, the original 426 HEMI powered everything from Barracudas to boats to classic dragsters. Don't forget a Gen-III HEMI in a Supra, too. So maybe Hess's Mustang isn't heresy—it's tradition.

As for the reaction? "Most Mopar guys loved it," he says. "The Ford guys were confused. And the LS guys just went quiet."

In a world where brand loyalty runs deep and internet arguments run deeper, a HEMI-swapped Fox Body might be the only thing everyone can agree on—because whether you root for the blue, Bowtie, or Pentastar, seven-second street cars are cool.

Build Sheet — HEMI-Swapped Fox Body (Bob Hess / Big 3 Racing)

Owner / Builder: Bob Hess, co-owner of Big 3 Racing, West Salem, OH

Engine: Gen III HEMI (6.4-liter truck core, 2014–2018 Ram 2500 donor block) with billet main caps; Callies Compstar 3.800" center-counterweighted crank; MGP aluminum rods; custom Wiseco pistons. VVT deleted; Johnson standard-travel lifters; BTR (Brian Tooley Racing) cam spec and valve springs

Compression: 10.0:1

Induction / Boost: HPT 98mm turbocharger / Alloy Works intake with integrated air-to-water intercooler

ECU & Controls: Holley Dominator running the whole combo (boost control and I/O through the ECU; no separate boost controller boxes).Call Recording (1)

Fuel System: Custom fuel cell; Aeromotive brushless 10.0 pump with matching regulator/filters. Street on 93 octane; track on VP C16

Transmission / Converter: Turbo 400 built by Brian Tiffe; 501 Converter torque converter

Rear Axle: Fab 9 in with Strange center section, 3.25:1 gears, Strange axles, and spool

Current Displacement: ≈ 401–402 ci (4.100" bore × 3.800" stroke)

Current Boost: ~35 psi

Performance: 1/4-mile: 7.33 @ 194 mph. 1/8-mile: 4.67 @ 154 mph