Before becoming an off-road monster, this specific 1970 Dodge Challenger lived its life as a mundane, beat-up dirt-track race car. It had already made appearances in Roadkill episodes 54 and 56. Purists can rest easy knowing that the vehicle was never a candidate for a factory restoration—it was heavily clapped out, structurally modified, and missing many of its original Mopar components.
The team took the ORC to a lava flow area for "desert bashing". The "100-Year Sandstorm": During the test, a severe sandstorm hit with 70 mph winds Catastrophic Failure:
: The guys start with a mundane dirt-track race car (previously seen in Roadkill episodes 54 and 56). To make it trail-ready, they cut into the bodywork to fit giant off-road tires. roadkill garage s02e04 the off road challenger
Freiburger and Dulcich also made several key modifications to prep the engine for heavy-duty off-road use:
: The episode highlights the show's "wrong thing the right way" mantra, including using an impact wrench to install cylinder heads in a pinch. The Survival Story: The 100-Year Sandstorm Before becoming an off-road monster, this specific 1970
In this episode:
In S02E04, David Freiburger and Steve Dulcich set out to turn this former circle-track beater into a desert-bashing machine. Modifications: To accommodate massive off-road tires, the team famously hacked away the sheet metal from the wheel arches. Powertrain: The initial build featured a 318 cubic-inch small-block Mopar The team took the ORC to a lava
The build featured a 318 cubic-inch small-block V8 . In later revivals of this specific car, the team discussed rebuilding it into a high-RPM "screaming 318" with a tunnel ram, aiming for roughly 450 horsepower .
Roadkill Garage S02E04: The Off-Road Challenger is an inspiring episode that showcases the possibilities of DIY automotive projects. Eric and Sam's adventure is a must-watch for car enthusiasts, off-road enthusiasts, and anyone who loves a good challenge. With their off-road Challenger, they demonstrate that even the most unlikely cars can be transformed into powerful machines capable of handling the toughest terrain.
The guys famously used it to perform chaotic "Brodies" (donuts) in open fields.
In “The Off-Road Challenger!”, Freiburger and Dulcich tackle a premise that is as brilliant as it is bizarre: . This wasn't a pristine, numbers-matching collectible. The car in question started its life as a mundane dirt-track race car, previously seen in Roadkill episodes 54 and 56, making it the perfect canvas for their experiment.