Take a look at this Cheap Muscle Car Challenge: ViceGrip Garage, Thunder Chicken & Road Trip Chaos!
The Cheap Muscle Car Challenge Part 1 is packed with everything gearheads love—rusty V8s, roadside repairs, unexpected drama, and plenty of laughs. Hosted on Cleetus McFarland’s channel, the episode teams up with Derek from ViceGrip Garage to test the limits of cheap muscle cars in a wild road trip challenge back to Florida.
Picking the Cars at ViceGrip Garage
This time, the guys don’t search Facebook Marketplace for their rides. Instead, they head straight to Derek’s ViceGrip Garage compound, where an entire collection of old-school V8 machines waits. From Fox Body Mustangs and Monte Carlos to Corvettes and Thunderbirds, the lineup offers plenty of tempting options. Each car has its own unique set of problems—some roar to life instantly, while others need fuel dumped into the carburetor just to start.
The “Thunder Chicken” Choice
After plenty of back-and-forth, one team commits to a Thunderbird, quickly nicknamed the “Thunder Chicken.” While it looks promising at first, the T-Bird reveals some serious issues. A clunky rear end, leaking radiator hoses, and questionable wiring all make the crew wonder if they made the right choice. But with new fans installed and some quick fixes, the Thunderbird is declared roadworthy—at least on paper.
Repairs, Fabrication & Frustration
The garage session turns into an all-day marathon. The team battles overspray, tackles radiator issues, fabricates small parts, and replaces melted wires. Derek provides his expertise, but even with his help, repairs stretch on for hours. The T-Bird may not be pretty, but it’s slowly transforming into a functional road-trip warrior.
On the Road: Burnouts & Overheating
Once the team gets the Thunderbird on the road, the real entertainment begins. The car struggles with overheating, makes a screeching one-tire burnout, and scrapes along backroads like a true budget hot rod. Despite the chaos, the silver paint earns it the nickname “Silver Fox”, and the guys can’t help but laugh at the T-Bird’s unpredictable nature.
Dinner, Drips & Melted Wires
Even a quick stop for dinner brings more problems. The Thunderbird drips coolant, fights electrical gremlins, and suffers from melted plug wires brushing up against the headers. Still, the team pushes on, determined to prove that this “cheap muscle car” can survive the challenge.
A Highway Patrol Close Call
The road trip takes a dramatic turn when the group gets pulled over by highway patrol. With no headlights, failing taillights, and an unreadable license plate, the Thunderbird is one step away from being grounded. Luckily, the team escapes with only a warning and gets back on the road.
Muscle Car Spirit Lives On
By the end of the episode, the Thunderbird has racked up nearly 200 miles, averaging an impressive 19.4 MPG despite constant breakdowns. From smoky burnouts to police stops, the Cheap Muscle Car Challenge Part 1 captures the raw excitement of old V8 muscle cars—unpredictable, frustrating, but endlessly entertaining.
