06x01 - Scat Pack Challenger Part 1

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
right now on "fast n' loud"...

[ Horn honks ]
[ laughs ]

...hot-rod hunter
richard rawlings

And master mechanic
aaron kaufman

Are about to attempt
the impossible...

This thing is rad, dude.

...beefing up the muscle
of a 43-year-old challenger...

[ Laughs ]

...using the horsepower
of its 21st-century cousin.

If they're actually gonna crush
this car,

Can we have the drivetrain
out of it?

With the challenger build
tying aaron up in knots...

It is going in,
but not the way we planned.

...the monkeys get schooled
by a '57 chevy short bus.

Mailbox!

And richard rolls the dice
on another huge gamble.

"Gas monkey life!"

It's a wild week...

Aaron: we're about to run
into a problem here.

...that could leave richard
in a world of hurt.

So now's when I'm supposed
to start freaking out

And wondering why I tore apart
two perfectly good cars.

-- Captions by vitac --
www.vitac.com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Wow!
Welcome to houston, boys.

Yeah, that's what
I'm talking about.

So, here I am back in houston,
texas, strutting my stuff

With all my buddies
at the worldwide auction.

Look at that tricked-out auburn.
Unbelievable.

Heck, even jay riecke showed up.

He's the guy that had me build
the bandit car and the kitt car,

And no wonder.
If you're looking to buy cars --

I mean, serious cars --
this is where the action's at.

This is where all
the bidders are.

This is where people are
with money.

So, I'm gonna hook up with
my good friend john kruse --

You know, he's the hotshot
who owns this whole shebang --

And see if there's something
out here I might want.

John kru--

[ Laughter ]

Jay riecke, you [bleep]

Anyway.

Richard.
Good to see you, brother.

Mr. Kruse.

There's already one car here
in particular

That I've got my eye on.

This one's my color, man.

I love this color.
It's actually called "green go."

Wow.

It's a sassy-a*s green '71 340
scat pack r/t challenger.

It doesn't get any cooler
than that.

This thing is rad, dude.

I've wanted one of these
for a long time.

It's very cool.

So, what's the deal
with this car?

Is it numbers up,
ready to rock?

It's 4-speed.

It's got a replacement block,
so it's not the original one.

So it would be a perfect car
to, you know, play around with.

So it's a nice car.
Underneath's nice.

It's got this scat pack sticker
right there.

I've always wanted me
a scat pack car.

When it comes to muscle cars,

By the late 1960s
and early '70s,

Dodge was really, really
pulling away from the pack.

I mean, they had
the hemi 'cudas out,

Challengers out, chargers out.

And there were these guys
that they all had dodges.

And they got together,
and they tricked out their cars

And did wheels and exhaust
and this and that.

And they called themselves
the scat pack.

Like the rat pack, except cars.

Back in the day,
the scat pack

Was literally what
we'd consider a blog,

But it was a newsletter.

And it was all these
dodge enthusiasts

Talking about what they were
doing with their cars.

For a while,
dodge actually branded

Some of their big muscle cars
with the same handle,

Including the challenger r/t.

All right,
I want to drive it, man.

Let's take it out.

Easy, easy.

Got a little play
in the steering box, man.

So, I took the car
for a test drive,

And there's a few things

That are a little out of
adjustment on the car.

You can't let that clutch out
softly at all.

The clutch sucks.

[ Tires screech ]

Brakes feel okay.
Good.

[ Engine revs ]

[ Laughs ]
whoo!

That was good.
I like it.

It's a big-body car,
though, man.

People don't realize how big
these cars are.

It goes fast,
just like the color says.

It's a neat car.
Oh, it's "green go."

That's right.

So, as I'm driving this car,

I'm thinking how much nicer
it would be

If I get it back to the shop

And have aaron and the rest
of the monkeys

Kind of tweak the performance
issues on the car.

I mean, this is a car I've
always loved the look of.

Yeah!

It's a scat pack challenger.

It is the epitome of muscle car.

[ Engine revs ]

Loving it!

So I want it.

Guys, I like this.

Yeah! Lot 57.


Offered today without reserve.

Richard:
so, this r/t is probably worth
as much as $35,000 to $50,000,

Just depending
on who's in the room.

But I'd like to get it
for 25 or 30 grand.

So I'm really hoping
I get a good deal here.

Hey, shut up, dude.
I'm on television.

[Bleep]

'71, The year that matters.

Everything you want
in a good driving car here,

Ladies and gentlemen.

No reserve.
Can I get $15,000?

$15,000.
$15,000.

Get $20,000?
[ Shouts ]

Bid me $30,000.
$20,000'S there. $30,000?

Where the [bleep] is that?
$25,000.

Without reserve and selling
to the high bidder today.

Richard:
so, the bidding starts,

And there's one thing clear
right away.

There's a lot of people
with money

That want to buy the same car
as I do.

$27,500 Is on the stage
with me, bid.

$30,000.
[ Shouts ]

$30,000.
Bid me $32,000.

Oh, you got some
competition, bro.

I mean, people kept, you know,
$1,000 here, $1,000 there.

I don't think the car's
worth more than that.

Yes?
I think it is.

$31,000?
Bid me $32,000.

$32,000?
Bid me $33,000.

I think you're okay
at 35 grand.

$35,000.
$35,000.

$37,000 Is the next bid.
[ Man shouts ]

Bid me $40,000.
[ Groans ]

$37,000?
Bid me $40,000.

Bid me $40,000.
$38,000.

$38,000.
$39,000.

k*lling me.
$40,000.


Fine, let's just do it.




$41,000.

$42,000.
$42,000.

No.

You're out, big boy.

That's just too much.

Good friends don't talk you
out of good cars.

$42,000 For the first time.
Second time.

Out it goes!
Third and final call!

You won!
Sold, $42,000!

There we go!
That's going to a good home.

Well done, guys. Sold for
$42,000, gas monkey garage.

Richard:
okay, I know I spent more money
than I said I would.

But, hey, this is
a scat pack car,

And ultimately I think that
makes it worth the investment.

I really don't know what I want
to do with it yet,

But it sure would be nice
to hop up the engine in it.

As it is, I still got
a little money in my pocket

And a little bit more
shopping to do.

I already own the car
that I was really hot for,

So as long as I got that,
weekend's a blast.

[ Birds chirping ]

So, this is what sunrise
looks like.

What's up, man?

Hey, what's up, brother?

Why do we have to have meetings
in the early morning?

I'm an early riser.

I got to get
my beauty sleep.

I know, I know.
Too much partying.

I do not party.
I just like to have a good time.

Yeah, yeah.
That's what I've heard.

So, no sooner do I get back
into town than alex,

The guy who runs
gas monkey bar n' grill,

Gives me a shout for
an early-morning powwow.

About every month or so,

We get together and look
at the financials --

Go over the numbers,
see what's working,

What's not working,
and what have you.

And today he says,

"I want to talk to you
about something else."

We're doing really well, man.
Better than expected.

So it's time to step this thing
up and expand the brand.

Whatever happened to just "make
a bunch of money and keep it"?

Why do we always
got to risk it?

Well, no. That's what we want.
We want to make more money.

We've got
an opportunity to.

What is it?

There's a place
right next door.

It's about a 3,000-cap

Live-music venue
that we can take over.

It's vacant.
It can be ours tomorrow.

Hmm.

So, one of the things I like
about alex

Is he likes to think big,
you know, like me.

But problem is, sometimes big
is trouble or hard work.

Will that steal, like, business
from here?

No, man.

The shows that we're doing here,
we're doing 1,000 cap.

This is a different venue.
This is a bigger place.

We've got an opportunity
to do bigger acts.

It's gonna be insane
if we do it.

What about startup?

I'm gonna need some money.

[ Laughs ]
I hate your idea of "some."

Look at this place.
Oh, man.

Golly!

You know, I've had a lot
of success at the garage,

And now at the grill.

And some people might think,
"well, stop while you're ahead."

And that's just not my style.

I mean, if I've got a chance,

I'm gonna kick the doors in
on something else.

Hey, you haven't done me
wrong yet, man.

Everything's jamming, so I guess
it's worth taking a look at it.

So, I guess get the keys

And give me a call
and we'll go check it out.

All right.
Let's do it.

Later, man.
All right, dude.

Call me when
you get the keys.

Okay, will do.

As soon as I start
making money.

[ Chuckles ]

[ Horn honking ]

What's he doing out there?

Is that richard?
What the hell?

Oh, does richard have
a new dodge?

Guess richard's bringing us
"doughnuts" for breakfast.

[ Laughs ]

So, I was so excited about
my '71 scat pack challenger

That I got at the auction
the other day

That I called my buddies over at
dodge to tell them all about it.

And they said, "hey,
if you like that,

Well, buddy, have we got
something for you."

[ Engine revs ]

Look what I got!

Cool!
[ Laughs ]

Next thing you know, they set me
up with this bad boy,

One of the pre-production models

Of their new scat pack
challenger.

That's pretty sweet.


Shaker hood --

You name it.
Let's go hammer it out.

It sounds good.
Yeah, let's go.

It's pretty rad.
This is a bad dude, man.

[ Engine revs ]

[ Laughs ]

Man, I bet those
old-time scat packers

Would be drooling
over this thing.

I mean, it's plenty fast
and feels good.

So, this is yours?

No, I don't get
to keep it, man.

Nobody does.

It's like a pre-production
or something.

They can't sell it, is what
he was explaining to me.

They're not exactly


That are gonna roll off the end
of the line.

Therefore, they don't want them
out there in the public.

It's just a test car.
Exactly.

Wow.

[ Engine revs ]

Whoo!
That's what I'm talking about.

[ Laughs ]

What do you think?
Take it racing or what?

Go to grudge night,
go to the drag strip.

He said we could do
any damn thing we want

And then send it back,
and they'd tear it apart.

Anything?

Aaron:
"anything's" a big word.

When you say "anything" to me,

I'm gonna take it literally.

You're not really gonna
give it back, are you?

I can't believe they're just
gonna crush it.

Neither can i, but they said
that they have to do it

With, I guess, the first few
or something.

If they're actually
gonna crush this car,

Can we have the drivetrain
out of it?

Because...i'm thinking
I might know of a way

To make your '71
a heck of a lot meaner.

If you want an old car that was
fast, we could do that.

So, what are you suggesting?

If we can finagle the drivetrain
out of this,

Then we can put it
in our car.

We can change out
the subframe on it,

The suspension,
wheels, tires, brakes.

We can build a 1970 2015.

Okay, did I hear that right?

Does aaron really want
to steal the guts

Out of this brand-new car

And stick them
in the '71 challenger?

Hmm.

You know, dodge did say
they wanted the 2015 back

In about three weeks,

But they didn't say
that it had to be

In exactly the same condition
as when they gave it to me.

That is excellent!

Narrator: ...a '57 short bus
is ready to ditch class....

Oh!

...while aaron's lesson plan

For a challenger mash-up

Could leave richard with one car
or none.

This might be one of the dumber
things I've done.

[ Engine revs ]

Richard: whoo!
That's what I'm talking about.

This morning,
dodge gave me the keys

To a 2015 scat pack
pre-production challenger,

And like a fool,
I let aaron know

That they were gonna destroy it

As soon as I was done having
my way with it.

I can't believe they're just
gonna crush it.

Next thing you know, he starts
to lead me down the path

Of my least resistance.

If we can finagle the drivetrain
out of this,

Then we can put it
in our car.

We can build a 1970 2015.

Yep. He's stirring up exactly
the kind of trouble I like.

He wants to take
the perfectly good guts

Out of my brand-new car and drop
them into the '71 challenger.

Seriously?
Put it in this one?

Yeah. You got to remember,
this car --

This car's modeled
after that car.

Yeah, it's a '71.
Almost entirely.

Well, yeah, but that's like
a restored, done, perfect car.


Yeah. It's just another car.

Holy cow, dude.
I don't know. Will it all fit?

I mean,
this is what you do.

You're talking about
putting that motor --

The answer is "no,
it doesn't fit."

The question is,
"can we make it fit?"

Oh, man.

We have the technology,
the opportunity, the ability.

All we need is the parts.

But this is
already a nice...

Yeah.
But you got to remember,

This car's not gonna look
any different.

I mean, it's still
gonna be this car.

It's just gonna have a 392
fuel-injected motor in it.

Wow.

You've come up with some crazy
[bleep] before, but, golly, man.

I mean, to do this,
we're gonna have to destroy

Two perfectly good,
paid-for cars.

You know, it sounds like a crazy
plan, but you know what?

Here's the thing.

I did want to goose up
the performance

Since I first drove this car
back in houston.

And I do have alex
knocking at my door

To open up a new, big,
live music venue.

So a big score on this 1971
might just come in handy.

You know, this car done
like you're talking about

Could be a $140,000,
$150,000 car.

And if I get the parts for free,
I'm in this for $42,000...

[ Chuckles ]
um...

All right, I'm gonna do it
before I change my mind.

Let's do it.
I like it.

You get the black one.
I'll get the green one.

Golly, I can't believe I'm gonna
tear these two cars apart.

It's not even smart.
It's gonna be fun, though.

[ Engines rev ]

So, there you go.

I've got one car that's
definitely worth a lot of money,

But with a little bit of help,
it could be worth a lot more.

And then I've got another car

That doesn't need any help
at all,

But I've got to get it back
to dodge in three weeks.

And aaron's thinking,
if I put the two together,

I'll have one '71 challenger
that's worth mega bucks

And would be a kick-a*s
thing to drive.

What's going on?

What's going on?
So, what do you think?

Y'all be shopping
at the same store or what?

Well,
it's kind of like this.

So, here's the plan.

Our '71 scat pack challenger

Is all shiny and nice
on the outside,

But under the hood,
it's got a modest --

Well, at least, for my taste --


Meanwhile, our 2015 challenger
has a 392 hemi v-8,

Producing 485 horsepower
in a functional shaker hood.

But anyone can have that,

And I'd like to have something
that not just anyone can have.

Since nobody's had access
to a 2015 hemi yet,

I want to attempt first
to transplant the muscle

From our 2015 into our '71.

And hopefully, it will all work
out the way I've got planned.

Of course, we'll probably need
to do a new cradle on this,

New suspension, coilovers,
big brakes on it.

And I thought
we might do the same wheels,

Just in like 19s and 20s, 18s
and 20s, something like that.

I thought we might leave
the factory seats

And just reupholster them so we
add more bolsters to the side

And the bottom of your legs.

So, what's our budget,

Seeing as how we got a free
motor and transmission?

Richard:
nothing about this is free.

I got 42 grand in this,

And it's a done, restored,


So?
It's not our money.

He's nervous, so I feel his
pain, but it's not our money.

That's right, k.c.
It's not your money.

It's my money.
But if aaron's right,

Then I could keep a whole lot
more of it in my pocket,

Because basically I have
a mobil parts store

Right here to pick through.

But I only have it
for three weeks,

So I'm not gonna give aaron

More than 15 days and $15,000
for this.

And since we're turning two cars
into one,

I better clear north of 100k
or it didn't work.

Man:
what about dodge?

Do they not want the '15 back,

Or are we just not gonna
give it back?

I'm kind of thinking
it's better

To ask forgiveness
than permission.

"This is what's left."

Well, we could just put this one
back in this.

They might not even
realize it.

[ Laughter ]

"Holy cow!
This 392 turned into a 340.

How's that happen?"

"This thing runs like [bleep]
when it's cold, man.

What's going on?"
Golly, man.

Aaron: okay, let's put them
on the lifts.

Man:
I'm working on the green one.

Man #2:
I got the black one.

Richard:
somebody sh**t me now.

This might be one of
the dumber things I've done.

Aaron:
so, there you have it.

Richard was in a good mood,

And he's gonna let us cut up
his borrowed car.

I'm sure he'll make money on it.

I'm almost certain

That richard will make money
someway, somehow.

But today the party's all ours.

All right.
Let's gut these two fish.

K.c.: You know, this is actually
a pretty neat idea.

We've never quite done anything
like this

Since I've been at the garage.

Of course, there isn't
gonna be much for me to do,

And I want to keep it that way.

The paint on this car is nice,

And we're not gonna
repaint anything,

So we're gonna keep ourselves
from scratching it.

Just taking extra precautions

To make sure this goes
as smoothly as possible.

Spin it.
Spin it.

Man: all right, boss.
What's the plan?

We're gonna drop the exhaust
off of it

And pull the driveshaft on it,

And then we're gonna come
underneath it,

Lower the car down.
Bop bop bop bop bop.

Set the cradle down,

And then we're gonna lift
the car up off of it

And wheel this thing out.

We've already got a few things
working in our favor.

From the '71
to the 2015 challenger,

Dodge stuck with the original
classic unibody frame design.

What are you doing,
loosening up the torsion bars?

Jason: what that means is that
the k-member cradle

In the front works
as a front suspension

As well as an engine
and transmission support.

That makes this job
a lot easier.

On the assembly line, they would
roll the car body to it,

Bring the k-member with
the motor up from the bottom,

Bolt it to the car.

So we're gonna do
the total opposite

To remove it, obviously.

Of course, there's a few more
bells and whistles

In the way on this 2015.

There's two different computers
that run it.

You've got one that controls
the engine and power train,

And then you've got one that
controls every other accessory

Inside the vehicle.

So the older one
not having the computer

That controls the inside,

We're gonna have to adapt it
to make it work,

Maybe trick it into seeing
those other features

So that the engine
runs normally.

Man:
all right. Going up.

Perfect height.

Dang, richard,
tearing it all up.

[Bleep]

Can you take it off
from there?

I got it.

Aaron: come on down!

You got this figured out,
or...

Yeah, we're ready to go.
Just got to bust the bolts off.

That's it.
We're ready.

All right.
Let's get this show on the road.

[ Whirring ]

Cool.

All right.
One down, one to go.

Check it out, tony. It's just
like the bus you had in school.

My bus wasn't that long.
Oh, you had a super short.

Yeah, I had to wear a helmet
on my bus.

[ Laughs ]

Richard: so, before aaron
sold me on his scheme

To do a mash-up
of my challengers,

I was cruising
the old interwebs,

And I ran across a '57 chevy
shorty school bus.

This is so wicked.
That is excellent!

I got it for 7 grand,

And I've always wanted
a short school bus.

I think they're kind of cool.
They make cool hot rods.

Put big wheels on them,
bag them, get them down low.

That's really, really,
really cool.

It's basically like
an overgrown car.

But it's a mini bus.

Well,
this is super cool, man.

How do you intend
on getting it off?

Pull it off
and let him drive it.

That way, if it rolls off,
it won't hurt nobody.

All right.
Let's do it, man.

You think
that's gonna work?

Man: which one's
the hand brake here?

Hand brake?

It's this one.

This looks dangerous.
Go for it.

Hold on.

Try the brakes.

Brake!
Brake!

Mailbox! Oh!

Yeah!

Didn't even tear nothing up.

It was close, man.
It was close.

[ Laughs ]

Richard: we almost took out
my own mailbox.

I mean, at least we could have

Taken out
the neighbor's mailbox.

That's all right.

Let's get in here and
get you paid. Come on.

[ Whirring ]

Keep going.

Man:
that 392 hemi is huge.

[Bleep] whoo!

If we could just bolt this
right like this into that,

It'd be sweet.

Boy, that's awesome.

So, now that we've
successfully gutted

Our '15 and '71 challengers,

Now I can get a good look

At what challenges
we might be up against

Trying to transplant
this high-horsepower motor

Into this older car.

There you go.

What does this thing make
for power?


More than the new stingrays.

Well, that should give our '71
some giddyup and go.

Mm.

Gosh darn it.

I can already see
one problem.

That output shaft
is way too long.

You know what else?
You see that shifter location?

Oh, yeah.
It's pretty far back.

Let's go ahead and pull it.

Don't we have that t56
on the shelf?

So, it turns out
our 2015 mobil parts store

Hasn't worked out quite as well
as I originally envisioned.

I can already tell that using
the 2015 transmission

Is gonna require a ton
of modifications

That'll slow down this build
exponentially.

Feel good?
Yeah.

Whoo, that b*tch is hot.

More, more, more, more.

But the good news is,

I've got a perfectly good
transmission

Already on the shelf,

And it looks like it might be
a better fit overall.

I know this wasn't part
of the master plan

That I discussed with richard,

So I may hold off on telling him
about this tiny extra expense.

What he doesn't know
can't hurt him, right?

We can go ahead and pull
the clutch on it, too.

But considering what
we're attempting,

Not really a big surprise,
either.

And hey, if it were easy,
it wouldn't be interesting.

Narrator:
...the '57 short bus...

Puts dustin on the hot seat.

And aaron's challenger
mash-up...

Hold on, aaron.

...hits another roadblock.

It will not clear
this crossmember.

That is a bummer.

We're gonna wreck.
We're gonna wreck.

Where do you want to go?

Aaron:
so, a couple days ago,

I sold richard
on kind of a wild plan

To, well, rip out the antiquated
guts out of a '71 challenger

And replace them

With his 6.4-liter
hemi mega monster motor

Out of his pre-production
scat pack 2015 challenger.

Who knew?
He went for it.

So, one of the complexities
of making our '71 drive

Like a modern vehicle
is the fact that the suspension

Is straight out
of the stone age.

And since our 2015 suspension
won't transfer,

We're gonna have to find
a bolt-in solution

For upgraded suspension
and steering.

All right,
let her down.

As luck would have it,

Magnumforce just started making
an all-new

Cradle and suspension kit

That's gonna work out perfect
for our needs.

This right here will make things
extremely easy.

Absolutely.

Yours in?
Yeah.

Once we get
our transmission mounted,

Then we're gonna slide
our entire drivetrain

Back under the car
and get a look

For the first time
at how these antiquated

And cutting-edge challenger
bits and pieces

Are gonna get along together.

Is it going in?
Is it going in?

Well, it is going in,
but not the way we planned.

We've had issues.

We were just under
the assumption

That we were gonna be able to
plug and play everything,

And it's turning out to be a tad
more difficult than that.

And so now is when I'm supposed
to start freaking out

And wondering why I tore apart
two perfectly correct cars.

On day 2½, I would probably
not freak out yet.

All right, I'll come back
when it's on all fours.

And then I'll start
getting worried.

Sounds good.

[ Grunts ]

I can't see very well.

Am I clear of the control arm
down there, aaron?

So far.
I'll let you know.

All right.
Come on up.

Aaron: since nobody's
dropped a 2015 engine

Into one of these bodies before,

We're really in
uncharted territory.

Right here
is where I want it.

So, let it down a little bit,
k.c.

And that's why I want to get
the big pieces inside the car

So that we know
what all the small work is.

So what we're doing is
we're actually putting

The big legos in first
before we put the trim on.

Be tight getting it
in there.

Just...set it in there,
and we'll go slow.

Hold on, aaron.

How's that steering shaft
gonna do?

We're about to run
into a problem here.

We will not clear
this crossmember.

Ooh. That's a problem.
Boy, that sucks.

That is a bummer.

So, we slid the engine in.

And, no surprise, the gremlins

Are starting to rear
their ugly heads.

I got to get underneath it.

This car had a 4-speed
transmission,

Which was an incredibly
small package.

Now we're putting in a 6-speed.
It's much bigger.

And sure enough,
the torsion bar crossmember

That spans the inside
of the transmission tunnel

Is definitely in the way.
It's gonna have to go.

So we're gonna cut it off here
at the edge of the trans tunnel,

We're gonna cut it off here,
and cut it off here.

And we'll cap it later.

Right now, we're just gonna
cut it out,

Do spot welds, and cut across
and remove it.

[ Tool whirs ]

I'm still optimistic that,
once we knock this out,

We can still finish mocking up
the engine and suspension,

You know, to our satisfaction
by the end of the day.

Man: all right.
Let's see what this is about.

Oh, nice.
Yikes.

So, as you know,
there's no real bodywork

Or paint to do
on the challenger.

See what it looks like
on the inside.

Richard told me and keke he's
got the perfect project for us.

Dude, there's, like, no brakes,
no clutch.

This thing's a hunk of crap,
dude.

So I guess keke and I

Are supposed to get
this piece of junk running.

But this being our first
short bus,

We kind of need some help.

So we're bringing in
the big g*ns.

Okay, so maybe not that big.

Pbht!

Oh, we can work on this.

I was expecting to see something
like you've never seen before,

You know.

But instead, this is something
we see all the time.

What, a motor?

A fire waiting to happen.

[ Laughs ]

And, of course, rat droppings
in the engine bay.

It just has to run.

If we can just get it to start
and run,

I say we did our job.

Keenan:
getting this bus running is
a little above my pay grade,

So I'm out of here.

They won't even notice I'm gone.

I got a battery.

I need something to...

[ Horn honks ]

[ Laughs ]
what the hell is that?

A horn vibrating
on your [bleep]

[ Horn honks ]

[ Laughing ]

Is it stuck or what?

Yeah. Stop!
Let me unplug it.

Stop!

All right,
I'm not doing nothing.

[ Horn honks ]

All right,
horn's unplugged.

Dude, just plug it back in.

It's probably stuck
on the steering wheel.

[ Horn honking ]

Hold on!

Whoa!

[Bleep]
my foot was in there!

In where?
It was right there!

You didn't tell me you were
gonna turn it over!

I didn't do nothing.
Yes, you did!

The [bleep] motor
just moved!

I didn't touch anything!

You're such a [bleep]
dude.

Okay, try it now.

[ Engine sputters ]

All right.
It spins over.

Like, good,
or just like...

No, actually not bad.

Dustin: engine turned over,
which is a really good thing.

Means the electrical components
actually do work

And probably all it needs
is a coil.

You want to tell them we need
a coil for a '55 school bus?

Yeah.

Not gonna hold my breath
waiting on that one.

Almost out.

Yep.
Right on it.

All right!

Aaron: so, now that we've
cleared out that oh-so-obtrusive

Section of torsion-bar
crossmember off the frame

Of our '71, we can try
and stab the engine again.

This time, I expect it
to fit pretty good.

Come on.

Coming down.

So far, so good.
Come on.

Ease to your right.
Come on down.

Until I say.
Stop.

Excellent.

Man:
we have 100% clearance room.

We've got enough.
We can make it.

Why don't you go ahead
and put some bolts in there?

Let me go over and look
on the other side.

Man: hey, guys.
I hate to say it.

Transmission's still hanging out
the bottom of the car.

This is a pain in the rear,
that's for sure.

Aaron: well,
we did manage to clear out

The section of torsion bar
crossmember that was in our way.

However, the transmission
is still

Hanging below the bottom
of the car.

And there are many people
out there

That would just let that fly.

I happen to not be one of them.

I think this car's getting
a transmission tunnel.

It's hanging out the bottom
of the car right now.

Yeah. Cool.

Yeah. That's...

That's exactly
what's gonna happen.

My best solution at this point

Is to fabricate an entirely new
transmission tunnel

That will allow us to
move the transmission

Up into the car a couple inches.

We weren't expecting to do
any sheet-metal work

At all on this build,

So this is definitely gonna
set us back a day or two.

But, I mean, we're breaking
new ground here.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

Awesome.

Richard:
this place is huge, dude.

Narrator: ...richard rolls the
dice on a rocking new venture...

"Gas monkey live!"

...while the challenger build

Still has aaron
singing the blues.

Golly.
It's a pain in the rear.

Narrator: was it, "a,"
quarterback johnny unitas,

"B," actor jack nicholson,

"C," stunt driver evel knievel,

Or, "d," astronaut john glenn?

Narrator:
the answer is "d."

John glenn was a passenger
in a dodge challenger pace car

When it skidded off the track,
injuring 24 people.

Hey, you're gonna have to unbolt
it spanish way -- "manuel."

Mike: ever since aaron
had the bright idea

To drop the hemi from the 2015
into the '71,

There's been a lot of stuff to
keep pretty much everybody busy.

Jeremy's knocking out
the transmission tunnel.

K.c.'S working
on the new flywheel

That we got
for the transmission.

Pretty big difference.

Jason's doing...

Something somebody cares about.

And then there's me,
the body guy.

What's the scoop,
my man?

What the hell are you letting
mike do to my seats?

Aaron:
he's just skinning them.

I got to get this padded bra
off of her.

That is something that we do

Kind of need to make
a decision on.

Remember we discussed
building up the hip

And side bolstering on them?

So, the question is,
do we do it here --

Get the foam and shape them
ourselves?

Basically, we're gluing foam
and we're sanding it down.

Or do I just have
someone else do it?

Why aren't we using the ones
from the 2015?

Don't we have a whole car
we can strip?

As a matter of fact,
we did measure them,

And the reality of the situation
is, far too wide, sir.

Um, hmm.

So, when aaron sold me on the
idea of this mishmash build,

I was lured by the idea
of free parts.

And "free"? That's a world I'll
never get tired of hearing.

So if he thinks that we got
the time for one of our guys

To do the shaping of the seats,

Well, then have at it,
because a penny saved

Is, well, a penny
I can spend on beer.

Ahh.

I mean, do we have somebody here
that can do it?

I can do it.

I mean, it's essentially
bodywork.

Bodywork and foam.

Step up, coy.

I just did.
Whoa!

Working on seats
might just be like bodywork.

I don't know.
I've never done it before.

But there's really no bodywork
to be done

On this pristine '71 challenger

And I don't want
to get sent home today.

Kind of checked
the "tv guide,"

And..."Days of our lives"
is a rerun.

If mike wants to do the seats,
I'm completely happy with that.

Spray glue, put it on,
knock it down.

Like you said,
it is just bodywork.

Let's do it that way.
Awesome, man.

Well, I'm out of here.

I got somebody else to see
who wants to spend my money.

Welcome to
gas monkey's future.

This place is huge, dude.

Massive.



Wow! That is a lot
of plaster guitar.

Do you really think
we can pack this thing up

Two or three times a week?
That's our goal.

Richard: there's got to be
some kind of astral alignment

Making this the week
of crazy ideas.

Aaron's got me pulling apart
two perfectly good cars,

And now alex wants me to open up
a giant live-music venue.

Huh.

I must have caught
the crazy, too,

Because I agreed
to scope this place out.

We got our v.i.p. Space
over here.

Yeah!
"Richard's private bar."

Got the v.i.p. Cabanas.

It's got trucks.
I like trucks.

Stage is pretty rad.

It's huge.

So, if the last place
didn't make it that long,

What makes you think
we can do better?

Last place was a restaurant
and bar. We're not.

This is gonna be
a live-music venue.

Do I get to go up
onstage?

Yeah, let's go.
Can I act like I can sing?

Uh...

So, what are you thinking?

I mean, this has sort of got
a little bit of our flavor,

But it needs to be amped up
a little more gas monkey-style.

I mean, it needs
some cosmetic work.

But I think the focal point
needs to be the production, man.

I want to do a 30-foot-wide
by 11-foot-tall video wall

On the back here.

I want enough sound in here

To where it'll knock
your clothes off.

I want people to walk in
and be blown away.

Like, "gas monkey live!
Whoo!"

I guess it works.

Do I have to sign
a lease today,

Or can I try
to sell some cars?

We got to move.

Yeah,
somebody else will jump

On this building in a heartbeat.
Absolutely.

You know, risk is all about

Place and time
and pulling the trigger.

And this is definitely
the right place.

And I think it's the right time.

Well, you want money.
I got no time to think about it.

I'm finally making money,

And you want to take it
and throw it into this.

It's time.

I'm down.
I like the risk.

Let's do it.

Aaron: as is becoming really
obvious on our '71 challenger,

We're doing motor, transmission,
exhaust, suspension, brakes --

Basically building a whole car,
minus the body --

You can expect a fair amount
of challenges.

As far as timeline goes,

Originally we weren't
painting the car,

So we had a bit more time
on our hands.

But it's rapidly being eat up
with problems.

Where should I start?

The header fitment -- it sucks.

[ Whirring ]

Uh, the passenger-side header
doesn't fit at all.

The driver-side header
fits fine.

Golly.
It's a pain in the rear.

And then there's the matter of
getting the very computerized


Analog 1971 challenger gauges.

This thing right here
may be a dinosaur.

We may not need this.

The wiring harness
on our 2015 challenger,

It just doesn't lend itself well
to working with anything else

On this planet
except for that car.

And then I set jason to
installing the 2015 pedals.

Now even they're beginning
to be a headache.

This definitely
is not gonna work.

Hey, aaron.

All of which
eats into our schedule.

I would like to have had
the front suspension,

Rear suspension,
end finish done,

Brakes on, steering hooked up,
and driveline in right now.

I'd like to be attempting
to start it today,

Or possibly in the morning.

The reality of the situation is

That we're not going to be
anywhere near that tomorrow,

Or even the next day.

Wow, we got a --

We got a bunch of problems

Holding us up at the moment,
huh?

Narrator: ...the '57 short bus
launches a surprise attack.

Man: [ laughing ]
dude, that hit the roof!

And the challenger build...

What's up with this thing?

What's not up with it?

...has richard
ready to surrender.

Richard: next time I say "yes"
to a crazy idea like this,

Will somebody just sh**t me?

Quit trying to put
so much pressure.

I wasn't putting
any pressure.

Yes, you are!

I'm putting the weight
of the d.a.

That's too hard.

Viewers, will you tell this guy
to listen to me?

They didn't say a damn thing.
I listened.

None of them.

Whatever.

[ Sighs ]
it smells funny in here.

Probably should clean out
this rat [bleep]

So, while most of the guys

Are dealing with this challenger
engine switcheroo,

Richard wants me and dustin
to get the short bus running.

I guess he's in a big hurry
to flip it or something.

You know richard.
He's always about the money.

So, I'm gonna get
some brake fluid.

I've already put
a little bit in,

And I'm gonna put some more in,

See if I can't get these brakes
to bleed up.

Pressure up a little bit,

See if we can get
some kind of brake

So we know if we need to change
the master cylinder or not.

Whoa!

[Bleep]
dustin!

What?
Check this out, dude.

Have you ever seen this?

[ Both laugh ]

Whoa.

I am actually getting some kind
of brake now.

Are you?

[ Laughing ]
dude, that hit the roof!

It's still going!

Ugh.

You're gonna clean
that [bleep] up, dude.

Look, it's on the mirror.

Dustin: I think
our master cylinder is bad.

So, while mike's in there
playing with brakes

And making it make a mess,

I got the parts that we needed

To try to, hopefully.
Make this thing run.

I need some starter fluid.

Can you imagine driving
this thing,

And then be like,
"oh [bleep] it's raining"?

[ Windshield wiper squeaking ]

Ready?

Hey.
Huh?

Go.

[ Engine sputters ]

We're not getting a spark.
All right.

All right!
Yeah.

I wish this fan worked.

Kind of a neat fan.

I think one of the
spark-plug wires is bad,

So I'm gonna replace it.

All right. Start it.

[ Engine sputters ]

[ Engine turns over ]

Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa!

Whoo!

[ Laughs ]

I saw fire.

Yep,
you sure as hell did!

Hey, and the fan's working!

How does that
[bleep] happen?

You're welcome.
My job here is done.

That's what I like to see --
everybody just doing something.

What's up with this thing?

Well,
what's not up with it?

This thing
has posed a challenge

At every single inch
and every single corner.

You're already doing
the hair stroke.

I haven't even told you
what's wrong yet.

[ Laughing ] yeah,
but you started out negative.

The '15 platform has posed a lot
of challenges.

I still feel
pretty confident.

We still have a couple
major hurdles.

Our harness was made for, like,
two different engines,

So we've got a lot more wiring
left to do.

I thought we could put
this in tonight,

And we still could,
but I'm gonna try to do

A little more work
on the header

Before we try and stab it
'cause it is very, very tight.

Richard:
wait a second.

I'm not saying
that this information's

Coming totally out of the blue.
I'm not an idiot.

But I really thought
this project

Was rolling on a little bit
better than this.

Also, we haven't finalized
the clutch

And brake quadrant
right now.

We got the gas pedal in,

But the gas pedal's gonna
have to be modified

Because, without changing
the firewall,

We're not gonna be able to
get it off the carpet.

[ Both talking ]

If the noises coming out

Of aaron's mouth
are any indication,

It doesn't sound like
this situation

Is changing anytime soon.

We're not gonna
be able to use

The factory '15 exhaust

Because the manifolds
aren't gonna work on this,

And we can't use the cats on it,
so it'd kind of be a waste.

We could still cut the dumps
off of it,

But then we'd waste
that exhaust system.

So, amongst that and a couple
other small things,

You know, we're doing okay.

This whole thing was
a huge risk for me.

I had two good cars
when we started this build,

So aaron better deliver me one
snazzy-a*s, working, driving car

When it's supposed to be done
in eight days,

Or this will be the last time

I sign up for one of
his crazy schemes.

I mean, seriously,
I had two good cars.

Next time I say "yes"
to a crazy idea like this,

Will somebody just sh**t me?

Don't you want to hear
about the gauges? They're done.

[Bleep]

Guess I'll stop asking.

Narrator: next week
on "fast n' loud"...

This is a bad situation.

...the challenger build
gets brutal...

I really hope I don't screw
this one up.

...as aaron and the crew race to
meet the big monkey's deadline.

Richard's not [bleep] around
this time. We're late.

While the challenger pushes
aaron to the edge...

All done!

...richard makes
a rare find...

Wow!

...but gets hung up
by an odd offer.

$6,350.

Where does that number
come from?

Narrator: and while the crew
gets schooled

By a stomach-turning ride
in the short bus...

Will richard get a sweet taste
of victory?

It's got to be done.

Or will the challenger leave
the monkeys feeling sour?

I'm saying [bleep] this.

That sucks.