While many members of the Brotherhood of Muscle own Challengers, Chargers, Durangos or other HEMI® engine-powered full-size machines, there’s also a tight-knit crew of front-wheel-drive Dodge fans keeping the flame alive. Over a decade ago, the Dodge Avenger R/T gave enthusiasts a sporty alternative to the Charger – a midsized sedan powered by the same 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that motivates the Challenger SXT. Offered in both front- and all-wheel-drive, the Avenger R/T delivered 283 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque in stock form, making it a fun, fuel-friendly daily driver that carved out its own following.
Geoff Fauver was one of those drivers – but he wasn’t content with stock. When he got behind the wheel of his 2014 Avenger R/T, it wasn’t long before he started modifying it. Today, more than ten years after the car rolled off the line, it’s one of the wildest Avengers you’ll ever see – decked out in full Star Wars regalia and oozing Empire attitude. Nicknamed the “Radical Trooper,” Fauver’s Avenger takes inspiration from the Imperial Stormtrooper, blending white paint and black accents with intricate details and custom touches. But this wasn’t the plan from day one.
“I definitely didn’t expect to take the Avenger this far,” Fauver says. “But it’s been a blast. It kind of took on a life of its own.”
From the beginning, the car wore a GALCT1C plate – a subtle nod to the galaxy far, far away. Fauver and his wife Lara tossed around stormtrooper ideas early on, but it wasn’t until their daughter stopped using the car that things really started moving. “Once I got it back and started driving it as my spare car, the ideas just kept flowing. At first, I thought I’d clean it up and do a few subtle things to make it stand out from all the other Avengers out there.”
A few details turned into full-on theming: TIE Fighters on the hood, victory markings for downed Rebel ships on the fenders. Fauver started bringing it to cars and coffee events instead of his 392, and the response surprised him. “People were saying, ‘That’s a clean Avenger,’ or ‘You don’t see these at shows much.’ That’s when I realized – maybe this is my new project car. Time to bring the full vision to life.”
Now, the Radical Trooper pulls double duty as a fun daily and a full-fledged show car. But for Fauver, it’s more than just a passion project – it’s a legacy in progress.
“The more I do to the car, the more heads it turns. That’s part of what keeps me going,” he says. “But the main reason? This is probably going to be my grandson’s first car.”
That grandson, now eight years old, got his Mopar® start at age one – standing in the driver’s seat of the 392, gripping the wheel, pressing the start button. He’s been to national meets like WAM3 in Dallas, helps clean the car before shows and proudly tells people it’ll be his someday. “He’s got the bug,” Fauver laughs. “His specialty is cleaning the wheels. That’s his job.”
The car started life with Z-striped cloth seats, Royale leather bolsters, red stitching and Dodge’s Sun/Sound Group. Painted Bright White and priced at just $28,330 when new, it was a solid mid-sized sedan. Today? Every inch of it has been touched. Inside, outside, under the hood – it’s all been transformed. But the evolution didn’t happen overnight.
“It’s been a gradual but consistent build,” Fauver says. “I’m always working on something or planning the next step. When you’re pouring more money into a car than it’s worth on paper, you know it’s a passion build.”
Some of the details are subtle. Others are just plain wild. Take the custom headlights – built over six weeks and costing over $1,000 in parts alone. “Who does that for an Avenger? Nobody. But for me, it’s about the details.”
Or the roof aero spoiler – originally made for a 10th-gen Civic, chopped in half to integrate with the Avenger’s roof antenna and lit up like a starship thruster using hidden LED rock pods. Brake? It glows red. Turn signal? Yellow. “It fits the whole Star Wars vibe perfectly.”
Even the small mods get the same treatment. “I’ll try something cheap just to test the look – like Amazon canards – and then redo it with a custom one-off version that matches exactly what I envisioned.” From handmade ABS plastic aero to strategically placed Empire logos, every detail serves the theme.
Here’s a look at what’s been done – so far:
ENGINE BAY & PERFORMANCE
- RPM Motorsports 3” mandrel-bent CAI (white)
- Hi-flow washable cone filter
- Custom direct-fed intake through fog light housing
- MMX ported 80mm throttle body
- American Brother Designs billet dress-up (white)
- Upgraded all-aluminum oil cooler/filter housing
- NGK Iridium IX spark plugs
- Muffler delete w/3” straight pipe & Scat Pack chrome tips
- PowerStop drilled/slotted rotors & ceramic pads
- Megan Racing Street Series coilovers
INTERIOR
- Dreamcolor fiberoptic LED accents (dash, doors)
- Custom white mesh door inserts
- Real 3K carbon fiber trim (34-piece interior kit)
- 10” wireless CarPlay/Android Auto screen w/backup cams
- JBL/NVX audio upgrades
- Custom luxury floor mats w/Radical Trooper & Empire logos
- Hidden lighting control switch (interior, underglow, roof aero)
- 20% tint, gloss green forged carbon fiber door sills
EXTERIOR
- Custom dual-projector LED headlights w/smoked lenses
- Lighting Trendz & NextLevelNeo LED halos (including Empire logos)
- Custom LED lighting in grille, fog light eyebrows, bumper bezels, engine bay
- Full 6-piece 300-LED underglow kit
- White 20×8.5 Shift Spring rims (including matching spare)
- Falken Azenis 255/35ZR20 tires (including matching spare)
- 3-piece front splitter, white rear winglets
- Custom dual front canards
- Custom lower bumper bezel (retrofitted from WRX) with signal lights
- Custom roof aero spoiler (retrofitted from Civic), lit like thrusters
- Custom rear spoiler (retrofitted from WRX STI)
- Window banner with center graphic
And that’s just for now. Fauver’s working on Duraflex side skirts and a custom rear diffuser next, but there’s a long list of future plans: a custom hood, vinyl wrap, engine tune, SRT® seats, Brembos – and maybe, just maybe, a HEMI engine swap.
“As crazy as it sounds, a HEMI might go in at some point. It would be a big job – not just an engine swap – but I’ve talked about it with my mechanic. It’s doable. We’ll see how long this Pentastar and the 62TE hold up.”
Giving Credit Where It’s Due
Fauver’s quick to acknowledge the people and communities who’ve supported him along the way.
“First and foremost – my family. They put up with this hobby and share it with me, whether it’s local shows or long road trips. I’ve also got to shout out my car clubs: All Modern Mopars of Ohio (AMMO), NoLimits937 out of Dayton, Columbus Cars & Coffee, and Miami Valley Mopar Club. Tons of support and friendships there.”
He gives special thanks to:
- Buddy Holley @ Liberty Chrysler Jeep Dodge (Pataskala, OH)
- Tony @ AutoMedics South LLC (Mt. Sterling, OH)
- Steve Cuthrell @ NextLevelNeo (Winchester, VA)
- Anthony Alli @ Lighting Trendz
- Wayne Palmer (Project Alice)
- Ghozt Lighting Sequence Society (Facebook Group)
- Todd Isaac @ JaxWax (Columbus, OH)
- 5moreHP.com (for custom vinyl, show boards and flags)
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