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.
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Throughout the build, the chemistry between Freiburger and Dulcich shines. Watching them solve clearance issues with brute force and questionable engineering is half the fun of the episode. They bypassed traditional off-road fabrication in favor of quick fixes that kept the project moving forward on a tight timeline. The Maiden Voyage: Hitting the Trails
and Steve Dulcich take the "Vanishing Paint" 1970 Dodge Challenger and transform it into a "Mad Max"-style desert basher Episode Highlights The Build Strategy roadkill garage s02e04 the off road challenger
"Roadkill Garage" The Off-Road Challenger! (TV Episode 2017)
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 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
: It debuted on the main Roadkill series (Episodes 54 and 56), where the guys threw a tunnel ram onto a stock 318 ci small-block V8.
To accommodate giant off-road tires, the guys hacked away significant portions of the E-body's sheet metal. The Powerplant:
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 . The Maiden Voyage: Hitting the Trails and Steve
Driving a lifted, rear-wheel-drive muscle car on rugged dirt trails presents immediate challenges. Without four-wheel drive, the Challenger had to rely entirely on momentum, driver skill, and the biting grip of its rear mud tires. Freiburger and Dulcich took turns behind the wheel, tackling steep dirt inclines, navigating rocky paths, and sending the orange Mopar sliding through loose silt.
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Reviving a neglected project car inevitably means chasing down nagging mechanical issues. During the build, the duo had to address several safety and drivability problems. When tackling the brake system, for instance, they found the hardline running across the firewall to be compromised, requiring them to cut, re-flare, and couple the lines to restore stopping power.
," David Freiburger and Steve Dulcich take a 1970 Dodge Challenger and transform it into a "Mad Max"-style desert basher.