Russ Weid wanted a nice custom car to drive after he retired from Chrysler, little did he know how far down the project rabbit hole he would fall. The 1968 Dodge Charger known as “Incision” that was built for Russ by Jesse’s Classics & Customs is way beyond anything he had planned. Russ doesn’t have any issues with the project creep Incision went through, because the final product made it worth it.

It may shock people, but Russ wasn’t always a Mopar guy, he used to be all about Chevy products. Russ had several Corvettes and Chevelles when he was young because they were relatively cheap at the time. The fun cars had to go away for a while after Russ bought a house and started a family.

“I worked at Chrysler for 30 years as a mechanic and a test driver. I was a Chevy guy and that changed over the years because all my friends drove Mopars. The 1968 Charger was the car I fell in love with, and that’s why I got this car,” Russ explains.

Russ hunted for over a year and a half to find the exact car he wanted to use as the base for his build. Sure, there were plenty of cars out in Texas and California, but that would be a long trip from Michigan if those cars didn’t fit the bill. Russ’s wife Diane found a car on Facebook Marketplace that had only been listed for an hour that was exactly what Russ needed. It turns out the car was only 20 minutes from Russ’s house, and after a phone call, followed by a visit, the deal was done and Russ had his car.

“The car sat in Ohio for 10 years in a shop of a guy who was trying to finish it. He ended up selling the car to the guy I bought it from, it sat in his shop for another seven years before I got it. The car was rough, but he had already purchased a lot of parts that I got with it. We sold those parts to help us with the build, it wasn’t a rust bucket, but it needed help,” Russ states.

So, Russ had his car, he had his shop, but he was still trying to figure out what the build’s final direction would be. Well, Russ would get some inspiration and help from his grandson and the rest is history.

“My grandson went to car shows with me and helped guide what we were going to do. At first, he steered me towards a built 440 engine combo, but then he wanted to do a Gen II Hemi. Well, then he saw a Hellcat and thought we should put that type of engine in the car. My grandson helped a lot with this build and goes to all the shows with me,” Russ says.

Jesse Hernandez and the crew at Jesse’s Classics & Customs tore into the Charger with a vengeance. A full frame and tubular control arms from Schwartz Performance replaced the OEM parts. RideTech Shockwave shocks and an Accuair air system were also added to give Incision its sinister stance. Jesse laid down the Hose Of Kolor Brandywine Kandy on the car perfectly. Inside, Luna’s Custom Upholstery created a stunning interior that uses a cinnamon and black color scheme. A supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI out of a Hellcat sends horsepower to the 4L80 transmission and back to the Currie 9” rearend. Incision rolls on a set of SV63 XLT wheels from Savini, and is brought to a stop by a full set of Wilwood brakes.

“This wasn’t the plan for this build, it just kind of happened. Jessie really stepped up and created a stunning car that I love. I can’t thank him enough for the work he put in and my family for their support,” Russ says.

Incision will spend the rest of this year on the show circuit, but after that, Russ plans on driving the car as much as possible.