Car theft is on the rise and one of its victims was Richard Rawlings who owns Gas Monkey Garage and is the star of Fast N’ Loud.
His Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, the second ever made, was stolen approximately eight or nine months ago. Following the theft, Rawlings made a plea for the car’s return and the arrest of the people who stole it.
Unfortunately, months passed without any sightings of the car. However, that all changed when a local repo guy recently spotted Rawlings’ Hellcat seemingly abandoned in the back of an industrial complex.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxxtBdAAz1x/
Rawlings quickly went to check it out and discovered the model intact, but covered in dust. While the car had apparently been sitting there for awhile, the battery still had enough charge to unlock the doors with the keyless remote. However, it didn’t have enough juice to the start the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 707 hp (527 kW / 717 PS) and 650 lb-ft (880 Nm) of torque.
It’s kind of surprising the car was found intact as the engine alone costs around $20,000 (£15,860 / €17,968) in crate form. The car was also in pretty decent shape, but there were a few dents, scratches and scraps. The model also smelled like someone smoked a lot of weed in the interior but, more importantly to Rawlings, an important photo was missing.
Rawlings hasn’t said much since the Challenger was found, but he did say he has to sort out the issue with his insurance company. His insurer gave him “some money” for the car, but not what Rawlings thought the model was worth. As a result, it’s not entirely clear if Rawlings can repay some or all of that money and get the car back.
Warning: Video contains NSFW language