Greatest C-Body Project Vehicle Ever! (Possibly?)

[LocuMob]

Love Roadkill, it reinvigorated me to work on my cars. Having a fleet that needed work, sometimes it became too much. Got me wondering about selling all but one, or selling all and being done with cars. Then I started watching RK episodes I had on my DVR. Then I remembered it's not about what others think, it's what I think. Soni got a car barley running after 22 years of sitting, did minimal maintenance to make it roadworthy, and set off on a 1,250 mile adventure, the CatL Drive to Milwaukee. It was awesome, and just what I needed. I don't realize I did a Roadkill type trip until I had watched another twenty episodes. It made me remember it's not what others think, it's what I think. I want to get the no running cars running even more.

I know most of their cars are hacked before they get them, so I'm fine with some of the destruction they do, and they usually recognize when something is too nice to butcher. I look forward to the next episode I can watch, I should get a sub to MotorTrend tv.

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

I've watched Roadkill from the beginning...The point is...

Work with what you got, and have a blast doing it! People spend years letting cars sit waiting for a proper resto and it never comes for some of them. ALOT of time and potential gets wasted.

These guys show you that it doesnt have to be perfect or great to go have fun and enjoy driving your current car or any car you buy.

They aren't dummies either. Freiburger and Dulcich are real mopar guys and have built some really nice stuff. They have been writing for Mopar Muscle and Hot Rod for years, and other magazines before that and they are in several shows on mototrend.

I like really nice survivor cars and perfect restos. But Scruffy/Ratty cars are more fun to drive in my opinion.

Both of these cars I got running and on the road in a somewhat roadkill fashion and it was a blast, by the end of the summer I had 2 reliable cars that got attention pretty much anywhere I went.View attachment 368174 View attachment 368173

Well that blue car still needs the finishing touches.
It would look way better with some Pacific wonderland plates.
In my driveway.

 

[savoy64]

the guys work on the premise of being backyard mechanics-----one episode had a slip up when they went by a boat/RV dealership that one of them owned----so i am pretty sure they are in fact high achievers that are putting on a bare bones show----kind of like ruttledge....

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

The show is rooted in back yard type mechanics. But there is no guise to sell these guys off as such.
Dave Freiburger is probably, legitimatley, the most connected individual in the auto hobby. Finnegan owned a boat shop and built as well as raced drag boats. Nice boats. Many of the characters in the Motortrend shows are former or current contributors to the magazines that were once part of Petersens publishing. Dave has been the editor of several, such as 4 wheel and Offroad and Hot Rod.

Engine Masters is set at Westech performance. Where much the dyno work for those publishings were done.
This runs through with many of the other shows with the common denominator being Freiburger. Even in the shows he is not in, as he is part of the think tank that creates them. The guy has an 1800 horse street legal car. He has been at the highest end. He is a founder of Power Tour and Drag Week.

So the real concept is, well connected guys, play back yard mechanics.
Watch for the episode where they break Finnegans 55 chev. Dave calls a racer buddy in the area who shows up and fronts them an aluminum hemi block and they build it on a picnic table. You guys got anybody you can text up, local to loan you one of those? Me either.

The longer version is. Years back Dave left the magazine companies to attempt to develop an online concept. It failed. It was too soon and under funded. Later Motortrend bought those companies and brought Dave in, (if he wasn't already instrumental in that deal) to help develop the online presence.

I like it because they will show the fail and not scream deadline deadline like the car shows on Discovery that were trying to add non car people to the viewership.
I hate in when they throw a $2000 blower at an $800 car because of limited episode time and vendor contributions. I also can't stand Daves flipflops. Since the 90's I have not wanted to see his feet! I don't get it. The thought of welding in sandals horrifies me.

I don't expect much from the airport car. Can't imagine what you could do with it. Maybe take 15 people on Power Tour.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Their general schtick is to take something moderately rare and usually old, hop up / make drivable, then beat the snot out of it and/or destroy totally

You should watch a episode, which obviously you have never done. They take junk cars and make them run. Guess it would be better to leave it sit and become one with the earth.

 

[Kram Edyorloh]

Hacks, all of them, everything that "fried burger" has done is sitting with flat tyres in a unit somewhere, almost as bad as that hack Foose, take a car, bling it out, make it steer like a POS then gloat about it, a flip flop wearing nobody in a REAL mechanics World.

 

[BLIMP]

These guys sure are hacks, how dare they call themselves mechanics...sandals?

 

[70bigblockdodge]

The Subaru vs. roadkill challenge with General Mayhem (pre hellcat conversion) on the rally course would have to have been soooo much fun. It also explains why these old cars are so desirable compared to a appliance that will never have desirability beyond the newness.

 

[PH27L7]

These guys sure are hacks, how dare they call themselves mechanics...sandals

To many those cars may be the pinnacle of engineering innovation and masterpieces that showcase some of the finest mechanical skills of the greatest minds in the automotive industry. I can respect those opinions. My opinion happens to differ, please don’t be offended. Since it’s a successful show, obviously my opinion is in the minority. BTW, I have watched some episodes, albeit only about 3/4 each, couldn’t take any more than that. One of those was the Chevy gasser show. Maybe they could make one out of the Chrysler limo for a few laughs.

It was unfair for me to insult the hosts, I don’t know them from Adam & judging their work from a few segments on TV is unfair. Whatever is shown on TV or similar media is really just a scripted image intended to entertain; one may believe they know the host individual (or skill set in this case), where the reality differs greatly. In movies we call these individuals actors, those that do the best job of pretending to be someone they are not get academy awards.

 

[Kram Edyorloh]

That 55 blew its brains out when they tried to race it, brand new all alloy engine....back to the drawing board,
F-bomb Camaro, never been seen again after he crashed it, its just thrown together junk, bit like that Coddington stuff was IMO.

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

Kram,
I'm struggling to understand if you are a world class car builder that I have never heard of, that hangs out on For C bodies only, or some kind of thread troll?
Are we talking about the same cars?
Here is a page from the nhra news that pertains to this thrown together junk.
Mike Finnegan vs. Jarrad Scott: Let the gasser games begin

As far as Coddington and Foose? Are you talking about these guys?

If you don't like a show or a person I get that. But if these cars are thrown together ****, built by hacks. How do they compare to the cars and people building them on this site? How do they compare to the factories build quality?
Beyond that, with your expertise in both. Will you consider pointing those of us that are interested in the direction of the good cars?

For your disposal, here is a pic of a drag car blowing its brains out on the track. Inside of it is a 68 year old man who is known to some as the winnings driver in the history of drag racing.
Not sure if this is thrown together ****, or if cars are known to break or get crashed at racetracks.

 

[Walter Joy]

Freiburger and Finnegan are some of the most down to earth and real guys I have ever met. Awesome to talk to, knowledgeable in their work. I have yet to watch the episode, however, I know the owner of the car itself. He is a younger kid like all of us, however has his roots deep in Mopars and routinely shares it on his social media. While it is a rare C-Body, it would have most likely have sat in that Midwest field until the end of time. And wouldn't you have them touch that car compared to Rawlings or some other big name "car person"?

 

[King Hooter]

Well it wouldn't be their first fusey. There was that 73' Fury "race car"

 

[69SportSatellite]

I watch these shows from time to time, even Wheeler Dealers. Much (okay nearly all) of what they show is staged, and I too abhor the "deadlines deadlines deadlines" along with their uncanny ability to find any and all rare parts needed or work to be sourced out immediately and close by.

But, every once in a while I'll pick up a useful tip or learn something new, which for someone with the limited mechanical skills I have, is helpful. That alone can be worth the price of admission.

 

[3175375]

I watch these shows from time to time, even Wheeler Dealers. Much (okay nearly all) of what they show is staged, and I too abhor the "deadlines deadlines deadlines" along with their uncanny ability to find any and all rare parts needed or work to be sourced out immediately and close by.

But, every once in a while I'll pick up a useful tip or learn something new, which for someone with the limited mechanical skills I have, is helpful. That alone can be worth the price of admission.

Your point about finding a tip or new idea is exactly why I watch these shows. The rest of the show, to me, is all self-gratification (look at me, Aren’t I awesome!) and drama...

 

[frankthetank81]

Roadkill is a great show. The rescue cars that would otherwise rot to the ground. They inspire people to just get out and drive, my favorite saying of theirs is "Don't get it right, just get it running". They have inspired me to get a C body finally, I want to have a summer daily driver that is not a new vehicle. In general if the car is valuable they do not hack it up, but if it is already a **** box then they are just going to go full send on hacking it up.

 

[My65cuda]

Now I have to watch it since opinions are all over the place. I've toyed with the idea of doing an online show from our garage. if I can get out of the current business I'm in, I'll likely explore it.

 

[frankthetank81]

Now I have to watch it since opinions are all over the place. I've toyed with the idea of doing an online show from our garage. if I can get out of the current business I'm in, I'll likely explore it.

Some episodes are epic others fall flat on their ***. And they admit when they do. They also end in failure quite often which is very refreshing and relatable. But when they do "win" you are genuinely happy for them.

It it is always worth a shot, that is why things like Youtube were built for, original content

 

[65Fury440]

The latest RK episode, they drive a supercharged T Bird with a welded rear end through North and South Dakota, with no heater.

They do end up strapping a generator to the trunk and running an extension cord to a heater in the cab.

The fact that they do the trip in freezing temps is amusing, and a little surprising, since they don't have to.

 

[71Polara383]

Uploaded on Facebook... looks like they got it out on the road!