Last week, the pilot for “Diesel Brothers” aired on the Discovery Channel. Centered around the goings-on at Diesel Sellerz HQ near Salt Lake City, Utah, the show has had a promising start as it followed two builds: a 2007 Duramax and a 1948 Willys, the latter of which went to completion while the former is still mid-build.

A fire started in the Duramax build early on in Episode 2.

The drama kicks off right away in episode two, as “Heavy D,” the CEO of Diesel Sellerz, watches his Duramax project go up in flames right there in the shop. After the dust settles and the plastic finishes melting, the truck is clearly in a bad way and the finger-pointing begins. Although we can rule out Billy Joel, Heavy D couldn’t care less about who started the fire; all he wants to know is the extent of the damage and how it’s going to affect the build. Fortunately, the fire didn’t reach the engine, and a new cab is purchased for $1100 to get the project back on track.

The old red flatbed truck was harsh on its passengers, and prone to breakdowns too.

Meanwhile, another project is cooking (pun intended) in the shop: the company flatbed truck. Numerous problems plague the vehicle, from its harsh ride to its worn-out drivetrain. Heavy D hatches his plan: make the truck a four-wheel-drive, extend the bed, customize a diamond-stack exhaust, add a crane, install a pair of winches, and slap on a heavy-duty front bumper. Military axles from an MRAP are swapped in, as are a set of 46-inch military-grade tires, while the frame is lengthened five feet. The moment of truth arrives as a friend of Heavy D’s gets stuck in the mud, and the flatbed swoops in for a successful rescue.

The Duramax gets a new Garrett turbocharger that will ramp up the horsepower to 650, and it heads off to get a tan bedliner and final assembly to get it all wrapped up. Its debut to the contest winner goes off at a blowout diesel event near the shop, complete with a mud drag to get down and dirty in. All in all, it’s one heck of a truck, and one heck of a party to boot.