Why would you purchase a 1971 Ford Torino Wagon with a Cummins 12-valve diesel engine swapped in it? Because your name is Mike Finnegan and you thought it would be an awesome vehicle to use to tow your newly purchased Toyota mini truck home with, of course! But why would you grab Tony Angelo and have him help you take the Torino from a manageable 300-ish horsepower to over 800 galloping horses? Because Cleetus McFarland challenged you to a diesel swap drag race duel - you know a normal day in the life of Roadkillers! That’s right, in this episode of Roadkill, Finnegan and Tony take a diversion from their road trip to take on Cleetus in a diesel swapped Ford vs Ford drag race…but spoiler alert, all the real Roadkill action takes place as they take the Torino to new levels of ‘hot mess’. Hold on tight, this one’s a roller coaster!

Diesel Swap Drag Racing Torino Wagon!

Mike Finnegan

David Freiburger

Hilarious Car Showdown!

Rotsun Lives Again

If there has been one car in the Roadkill fleet that absolutely never fails to fail, it’s the 1971 Datsun 240z rust bucket known as the Rotsun. From the beginning, the Rotsun has let Freiburger and Finnegan down over and over, whether it be at autocross events, drag races, shootouts, or even 24 Hours of Lemons. However, it’s the one car the guys can never quite give up on even though it’s fulling deserving of desertion. Over the years it’s had a variation of power plants, it’s latest being a junkyard turbocharged 5.0 Liter V8 pulled from a fox body Mustang. Now on this episode of Roadkill, Freiburger and Finnegan attempt to get the Rotsun back up and running after years of neglect, by finally fixing its independent rear suspension issues and attempting to drive it to SEMA. Will the Rotsun fail to fail? Will it break more axles or will the axles break the guys?

What’s better than racing a cheap beater? Picking the worst possible beater and making your friend drive it. On this episode of Roadkill, Freiburger and Finnegan buy each other their worst automotive nightmares and put them to the test against Steve Dulcich in an epic showdown! Finnegan rides high, Freiburger works through some “cosmetic” damage, and Dulcich rampages through fire.

Where’s the best place to drive a ‘86 T-bird powered by a 302 V8 topped with a 6-71 Blower and welded gears? Across the frozen tundra of the northern USA of course! On this episode of Roadkill, Freiburger and Finnegan take the T-Bizzle on a classic road trip with plenty of fail. Follow along as the guys reveal a new project car and pull off the most patriotic burnouts in Roadkill history!

Blown T-bird Winter Road Trip!

While we’re all at home let’s look back at favorite project cars and find out what’s going on with them today. On this episode of Roadkill, Freiburger and Finnegan come to you from their own garages to give you the Top 10 Project Cars of Roadkill. Ever wondered what happened to your favorites, or what the guys really think of them? Find out all that plus what the future holds for them now!

Top 10 Project Car Updates!

Freiburger and Finnegan clean out the wheels stashed in the garage by slapping them on a neglected '66 Dodge D100 Utiline truck and hitting the road. As the guys quest to find the perfect 440 for it, the only real question is, will you love this truck as much as Freiburger?

D100 Pick Up Rescue!

Freiburger scrounges his parts pile to put together a killer 350 V8, while Finnegan and David Newbern add some power upgrades to the mini truck's four-banger. The pandemic might be keeping them in separate garages, but it doesn't change the Roadkill "work with what you got" mentality!

At-Home Build-Off: COVID 350 vs Mini Truck!

Freiburger and Steve Dulcich finally find out who has the better cheap 4x4. For years Freiburger has touted the superiority of the Suburban, while Dulchich rallies a Durango. Now they'll settle it in an off-road challenge -- for pinks!

Cheap 4x4 Challenge!

Mike Finnegan and Tony Angelo have a build off and race like no other! Tony transforms a shell of an '85 Monte Carlo into a beast, while Finnegan makes Newbern's Nova run with Ramp Truck parts. It's three days of wrenching, two tracks, and one unbelievable race!

Budget Drag Build and Battle!

Finnegan and David Newbern rescue an unbelievably mint '67 Pontiac Firebird. This Crusher Camaro look-alike has been stowed in a barn behind a dragstrip for almost two decades. Now the guys battle old parts, downpours and other issues in order to get this old drag car racing down the track once again.

Barn Find Firebird Rescue!

Ready for a scenic, 1,300-mile road trip in questionable junk? Freiburger and Dulcich hit the road in the '68 Wreck Runner, a four-speed, 383ci clone made from the scraps of a '68 Road Runner and a '68 Satellite. It only has a few little issues, so why not hit the road to sort 'em out?

Road Trippin' the Wreck Runner!

From the moment the '67 Firebird was plucked from a barn next to a drag strip, you've been asking for this race. On this episode of Roadkill, Finnegan and Newbern take the bird on an 800-mile road trip to race Freiburger and Dulcich in the Crusher Camaro. The question isn't just who will win, it's will they even make it to the strip?

Barnfind Firebird vs Crusher Camaro!

On this episode of Roadkill, Freiburger and Finnegan take on Dulcich and Newbern in a circle-track car shootout. On Episode 108, the guys picked up a beaten blue Duster circle-track car and promised a shootout. Now they're at a rally course in Texas to pit it against the Faster with Finnegan dirt-track Camaro.

Dirt Track Rally Shootout!

Ride along with Hot Rod's David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan as they continue their love/hate relationship with hot rods, street machines and other highly strung performance vehicles. In Roadkill, Freiburger and Finnegan hit the road in everything from a 1968 Ford Ranchero to a 1500 horsepower Camaro called the F-Bomb. Just getting to their destination is an adventure.

Diesel Swap Drag Racing Torino Wagon!

Seasons13

Season 9 Episodes13

Cast2

Discussion

Episode Summary