Car modification is a tricky venture, and converting a muscle car into an off-roader is even trickier. This is because the modification process is more advanced, requiring top-notch experience and technical expertise than normally needed – as wrong steps could ruin the car and lead to an ugly outcome.
Notably, most muscle cars were built to be driven on smooth roads while a few others were built for track racing, hence, having them modified for off-road duties will ultimately increase their values as common with modified cars. Several muscle car enthusiasts are riding on the off-road modification wave and these examples blew our mind.
10 2007 Ford Mustang
After building this 2007 Mustang, Ford engineers must have been so proud of the achievement and the joy of the car owners back then must have been evident for all to see. However, several years down the line, the excitement seemed to have washed off on this owner as he modified the car into an off-roader.
The massive upgrades in the car include front upper and lower sway bars along with a unique lift kit with Pro Comp rear shocks. It also features a functional conspicuous snorkel with Pro Comp wheels and 265/75 R16 Maxxis Buckshot M/T tires.
9 Furious 7's 1970 Off-Road Dodge Charger R/T
Dennis McCarthy built 11 off-road Chargers for the Furious 7 movie, however, only one survived all the chaos in the movie plot. It was built using a 1970 Dodge Charger's body mated to a Pro 2 truck off-road chassis which prepared it for a role in the movie involving it getting dropped off from a crane – which was then used to simulate the car’s landing after being ejected from a plane.
The hero car is widely considered the greatest car of the Furious franchise and was driven by Vin Diesel.
8 2009 Ford Mustang
When this Mustang was put up for sale over a year ago, it had less than 100,000 miles on it. It’s a 2009 Ford Mustang that has been fully modified for off-road duties. The new features on the car include a new suspension (that puts it at about 7 inches taller than a stock mustang), steel wheels for rock crawling, as well as 30-inch Hankook all-terrain tires.
Also, other customized features on the off-roader include the steel front bumper, custom cage, grill lights, and turn signal lights.
7 1965 Chevelle
The competition was high among the big three automobile companies in the 60s. and in response to Ford's mid-sized Fairlane, which was released in 1962, Chevrolet released the all-new Chevelle, in 1964. The car was based on a new A Platform design and its production lasted for just four years.
The featured car is the 1965 year model of the Chevelle. It’s the two-door hardtop coupe variant and was capture and posted on Flickr by a user named Martin Jones. The car’s off-road modification includes a monster truck chassis and it’s fitted with massive off-road wheels and tires.
6 First Gen Lifted Camaro
We couldn’t help but appreciate the level of technical effort that has gone into this fabrication. That’s because, in modification, the container/presentation does not justify the content, at times. This modified muscle car is a first-generation Camaro that has been jacked up awesomely into a 4x4 with new suspension, chassis, as well as off-road wheels, and complementary massive tires.
To make the car as unique and special as possible, it’s adorned in brown paint color, making heads turn at every public appearance.
5 1967 Chevrolet Camaro
Built by Richard Rawlings Gas Monkey Garage crew on the “Fast N’ Loud” show, this 1967 Chevrolet Camaro is now powered by a specially built 454-cubic inch V8 and mounted on a Chevrolet Blazer chassis. Furthermore, Yukon axles, gears, and lockers were added to the fray while it also has Fuel Maverick 20 x 10 rims holding its massive 44-inch Michelin XZL tires.
The most conspicuous feature of the modified off-road muscle car is its digital Camo Vinyl wrap. In 2016, it was sold at the Barrett-Jackson Auction for a whopping $53,800.
4 1972 Dodge Challenger
Only a few modified muscle cars can ever be as hard as this 1972 Dodge Challenger both in looks and performance. It was curled from Craigslist where its owner, a resident of Fremont in California had put it for sale. According to the ad, this muscle car is dropped on a 1977 M1009 military frame and chassis with a custom transfer case, Dana 60 straight axles, and front locking hubs.
Pop the hood, and you’ll find a 5.7-liter V8 mated to long-tube headers. It also uses a special Flowmaster dual exhaust system.
3 1973 Plymouth Road Runner
The modified muscle car here has a rusty uninviting body, but you’ll be completely wrong to ever reduce this car to its unrestored body. This used to be a “dead, but yet to be buried” 1973 Plymouth Road Runner that has been revived by Motor Trend’s Dirt Every Day crew into the Mad Maxxis Off-RoadRunner.
During the modification, the crew sought out a Cummins 5.0-liter V8 diesel to power the car, which was then complemented with an Allison six-speed automatic from ATS as well as an NP205 from Off-Road Design. The chassis, wheels, and suspension compliments this off-road build.
2 1964 Ford Galaxie
The Ford Galaxie was sort of a predecessor to the muscle car era, it also came with Ford’s first factory-fitted muscle car engine, the 352 Interceptor Special V8. Hence, this vintage car technically qualifies as a muscle car. However, what caught our attention about this car model is what the Triple Nickel Racing team has done to this 1964 model in preparation for the Mexican 1000.
We really can’t describe this off-road racing car well enough, as it's one of the most awesome pieces of Baja racing-engineered cars we’ve seen.
1 1977 El Camino
Being one of the most iconic muscle cars of the 60s and 70s before it got dropped from Chevrolet’s lineup in 1987, we thought we had seen all about the El Camino, but Garrett Davidson wasn’t done. Inheriting the El Camino from his grandfather, Davidson transformed it into an off-roader using recycled parts from other vehicles.
He achieved this by adapting solid axles from a 1967 Jeep Gladiator, leaf springs from Toyota FJ40, and custom-built front arms. Power comes from a 350ci Chevrolet Small Block mated to a 700R4 transmission.