Roadkill (web series)

Cast

Main

• David Freiburger: co-leader of Roadkill. He has spent the vast majority of his career working for the various brands owned by Motor Trend Group.
• Mike Finnegan: employed by Motor Trend Group since 2010. He is also a semi-pro winning boat racer and skilled fabricator, and wacky hijinxist. In addition to his role on Roadkill, he also records, edits, and produces the YouTube feature Finnegan's Garage on his personal channel. His signature slogan, 'This is the best day at work ever!'

  Featured

• Lucky Costa: co-host of Hot Rod Garage. Lucky is called in when an exceptionally "Roadkilled" vehicle needs some extra help.
• Tony Angelo: co-host of Hot Rod Garage. Tony is an accomplished mechanic, successful race car driver, and former drifter, and was voted to his position of Hot Rod Garage host by fan choice. Like Lucky Costa, he often makes appearances on Roadkill when Finnegan and Freiburger need help. Tony is also the undisputed champion of breaking Roadkill vehicles
• Steve Dulcich: a certified engine guru. Steve's farm serves as the backdrop for Roadkill Garage.
• Mike Cotten: friend of Finnegan, co-host of "Faster with Finnegan," and also featured on "Finnegan's Garage."
• David Newbern: friend of Finnegan, co-host of "Faster with Finnegan," and also featured on "Finnegan's Garage."
• Steve Magnante: an automotive historian and host of "Roadkill's Junkyard Gold."
• Steve Brulé: co-host of Engine Masters. Expert engine builder and dyno operator. Works at Westech Performance in Mira Loma, California. David Freiburger explains that Steve was responsible for introducing him and Mike Finnegan.
• Rick Péwé: a former editor of Petersen's 4-Wheel & Offroading Magazine.
• Elana Scherr: the former Editor-In-Chief of Roadkill magazine and the Roadkill.com website. Along with Freiburger, she is the voice of Roadkill social media. Elana left the company with the demise of the Roadkill magazine.
• Terry the Terrier: one of the beloved shop dogs at Steve Dulcich's shop in the middle of the California desert.

  Spin-offs and magazine

Vehicles

Features and expressions

• "Because Roadkill": An expression commonly used on the show, which is typically spoken under one of two conditions: 1) to justify doing something irresponsible, financially foolish, and/or completely unnecessary to a vehicle; or 2) to try to explain when something has 'inexplicably' gone wrong with said Roadkill-modded vehicle. "Because Roadkill" situations can happen anywhere.
• "Best day at work ever": Usually said by Finnegan, in response to something that would make the average person burst into tears. Finn takes it all in, responding gracefully and elegantly with the heartfelt "best day at work ever". Then again: sometimes it actually IS the best day at work ever.
• "It'll be fine" or "It'll work Perfectly/Flawlessly": One of Freiburger's more common quotes, usually at the end of a detailed description of what "Not to do" and its impending failure later in the episode.
• "Mint": Freiburger's description of any vehicle that has working doors, a front windshield, and possibly one or more headlights powered by an actual working alternator.
• "It'll dzus right back":As in a quarter turn dzus brand fastener, which are used to hold on panels of race cars. Describes a moment you cut a part of your car or truck out for just a brief moment of enjoyment, without thinking of the long-term effects of removing the part, or how to put it back on. Generally made in the middle of the desert.
• BAM!!: Freiburger's frequent exclamation. Sometimes "BAM!!" is used to punctuate major success. Sometimes "BAM!!" is used for whatever inexplicable reason Freiburger wants.
• "I declare victory": Finnegan's version of "BAM!!".
• "That'll buff out": Usually used when the guys stumble upon some extremely damaged object on the ground or part of a car, or do some damage of their own.
• Failure is 'LIKE' Success...: An ongoing theme within the show is the continual failure and subsequent challenges of the episode's project, a vehicle often modified on a tight budget and frequently 'enhanced' with second-hand or re-purposed parts. These parts are often inadequately installed due to lack of time and/or sleep - the end result is: the cars break down. Roadkill capitalizes on failure with catchphrases like "Because Roadkill" and David Freiburger's use of "debacle" as a frequent exclamation to the current state of their efforts towards a resolution.
• Despite working in hazardous conditions, Freiburger has rarely been seen wearing shoes. He only seems to wear flip-flops. The few exceptions: in later Roadkill episodes Freiburger sports a pair of black Vans Era Canvas sneakers, as well as a pair of Merrell Moab hiking shoes.
• Running with the theme of the cast's resourcefulness of utilizing junkyard parts and cheap products to achieve their goals, Zip Ties are so frequently used that Roadkill Garage have a mock info-segment called "The Roadkill Garage Zip Tie Moment" - where David Freiburger or Steve Dulcich find new and creative ways to make use of zip ties in their project. The use of zip ties has become so emblematic of the "budget car modification" sub-culture that the Roadkill team now hold the Roadkill Zip-Tie Drags event which is a day dedicated to Drag Racing, and other social activities. Originally held in Arizona on June 30, 2016 - the meet was a large success and further dates and venues have been scheduled.
• Finneganeconomics, or Finnenomics, is a recognized theory of economic loss. Applied loosely to Roadkill, it is based on "always losing the largest amount of money in any automotive deal made during an Internet show". Elements of Finneganeconomics include: 1) buying a car for well over an internet show's meager budget; 2) buying a car, then selling it back to the previous owner for far less than its internet show purchase price; 3) fixing a car and making improvements only to sell the improved car for less money than used to even buy it originally; 4) despite any upgrades, breaking the car and ditching it in any garage or storage lot available; or 5) struggling to rationalize keeping a vehicle that ultimately proves to be beyond salvation.
• In some episodes where the vehicle overheats, they take the hood off the vehicle to keep the vehicle running. The first instance of this was with the Crusher Camaro's impossibly larger blower scoop and then shifted later to the '69 Impala, and more recently any chance to show an engines guts.
• Regardless of a car's limitations, Roadkill makes the most of every opportunity to attempt a burnout.
• When trying to get a car on the road the crew always insist on getting the important things done first, like making an entire fuel system for a vehicle that already has one before making the brakes work, putting a blower on an engine instead of fixing cooling problems, or putting new wheels and tires on before checking if the car even runs.
• Commonly one of the hosts will refer to the abnormally high quality performance parts the crew are fitting to vehicles that should be in a junkyard. Such instances include the supercharger that created the Draguar and most components on the Rotsun.
• Sometimes the 'go-to' improvement for an old tired engine is a new, shiny engine. Any LS will do just fine.
• "Keep lowering your standards until you achieve a goal": a new phrase in the Roadkill universe usually used by Finnegan who tends to add it to a sentence after either something goes wrong or a basic idea fails.
• "Tony Broke It": Every time HRG host Tony Angelo is invited to the show, he manages to break the "high quality vehicle" that the guys built.
• "I know the rules, so I'm allowed to break them": Finnegans go-to expression before butchering a vehicle.
• "It's working!": a phrase often exclaimed by Finnegan, usually after overcoming various difficulties and having better than anticipated results.
• "No gauges hence no bad news" : a phrase used by Freiburger to indicate that ignorance is indeed bliss when it comes to a Roadkill car.