: They take the modified muscle car to the desert to test its capabilities against lava flows and open terrain.
Freiburger and Dulcich looked at the battered E-body shell and saw the perfect canvas for a "Battlecar". Their goal for Season 2, Episode 4 was simple:
The episode originally aired on May 4, 2017, via the MotorTrend On Demand platform. It remains a fan-favorite automotive "moving violation" that perfectly captures the show's signature ethos: doing the wrong thing the right way. The Backstory of the Car
The episode's climax involves testing the car in the desert, where the duo faced extreme environmental challenges: 100-Year Sandstorm: roadkill garage s02e04 the off road challenger
In , hosts David Freiburger and Steve Dulcich take a 1970 Dodge Challenger dirt-track race car and transform it into the ultimate desert-bashing "Mad Max" machine. By hacking away the pristine vintage sheet metal to clear massive, aggressive off-road tires, the duo establishes one of the most iconic "battle car" builds in the show's history. This episode embodies the true Roadkill spirit: doing the wrong thing the right way to achieve maximum automotive fun. The Backstory of the Dirt-Track Challenger
While the car originally ran a bone-stock 318 engine, this episode follows the effort to get it running reliably for desert duty. In later revivals of this car, it eventually receives a "Junkyard 360" for mud-slinging power after the original 318 was damaged by a sandstorm.
The 12-valve Cummins is mechanically simple, making it ideal for dirty work. The hosts adjust the fuel delivery to ensure the heavy car has the low-end torque required to churn through mud without stalling. : They take the modified muscle car to
To clear the massive off-road tires, Freiburger and Dulcich took a Sawzall and angle grinders to the pristine lines of the 1970 E-body. They cut away massive sections of the wheel wells and fenders, prioritizing utility and tire clearance over classic muscle car aesthetics. 2. Powertrain and Low Compression The Off-Road Challenger Is Reborn! | Roadkill Garage
: They take the modified "Off-Road Challenger" (ORC) to a lava flow in the desert.
#RoadkillGarage #OffRoadChallenger #MotorTrend It remains a fan-favorite automotive "moving violation" that
delivers the ultimate Mad Max-style automotive transformation. Hosted by automotive journalists David Freiburger and Steve Dulcich, this classic episode pushes the philosophy of "doing the wrong thing the right way" to its absolute limit. By taking a clapped-out 1970 Dodge Challenger and converting it into a desert-shredding off-road beast, the duo created an iconic project car known to fans as the ORC (Off-Road Challenger) . The Origin of the Off-Road Challenger
The protagonist of this episode is a 1972 Dodge Challenger that is far from concours quality. Sporting the usual Roadkill pedigree of faded paint and body rot, the car is the perfect candidate for a radical, no-holds-barred modification. The goal is simple but ambitious: lift the suspension, fit massive all-terrain tires, and gear the drivetrain to handle the dirt.
: Following the engine failure in the sandstorm, the Challenger sat neglected for two years before being revived in later episodes (like Season 4, Episode 1) with a fresh 360ci powerplant. Where is it now?
The episode's appeal is clear from its reception. The official description on platforms like Radio Times boasts that "there is no episode of Roadkill or Roadkill Garage that out-Mad-Maxes this one".