If you’re like me and commit yourself body, mind and soul to the uncaring void that is the internet, you’ll have known that two of the biggest automotive YouTube channels came together for a budget build-off using Craigslist and whatever local connections they could exploit. However, for those that haven’t watched the epic collaboration, I’ll spoil it for you by saying that Mighty Car Mods got their asses handed to them.
I know that on the internet, opinions are just like assholes - they require close examination before they can be ridiculed by experts - but there really isn’t a lot of wiggle room here.
Just take a look at how hard Marty and Moog from Mighty Car Mods tried to create their Subarute, a Subaru WRX converted into a Aussie-inspired ute, complete with E85 conversion, standalone engine management, new wheels and tires, and custom roll cage. They took every bit of their three day allotted time to finish, with an entire team working around the clock, fueled by pizza and jet lag.
However, Freiburger and Finnegan, hosts of Roadkill and master hacks that they are, adopted a different approach - one that would prove more fruitful in the long run.
They opted to build the quintessential overpowered American land barge, a 1969 Impala Custom with a 700 horsepower, blown big block Chevy V8 (that they had stored years ago), with stock suspension, rear end, brakes, and creature comforts.
They ratchet strapped the radiator to the car and zip tied the steering wheel on. The alternator was deleted because it didn’t fit without dangerously hacking the frame rails, choosing to just swap batteries when the car ran low on charge.
They completed the car, which looked like the star of a good Mad Max prequel, in the parking lot of Westech Performance, with just the two guys over two days, using the last day to button up non-essential components, like the steering rack.
And then the cars went against each other, and although the Subarute put down the best times around their parking lot track because of its 30 year technological advantage, the Impala was unfreakingtouchable in the only department that mattered - unadulterated thrills and smoky, burnout entertainment.
This single display (in which the tire didn’t explode, but flew off the rim) disregarded convention and it showed the world that having fun doesn’t mean you need a budget, but a few friends, an empty parking lot, an old car, and a whole lot of noise.
That, in my opinion, is the underlying point of both shows, and the boys at Roadkill showed the relative try-hards at Mighty Car Mods how it’s done.
However, there is the slightest chance that I’m wrong, so sound off in the comments with any disagreements so I can let you know how mistaken you are.