Hot rods on cable TV

[JB-ed]

I recently learned that national hot-rod organizations and hot-rod parts suppliers are helping fund the spate of hot-rod related shows on cable TV. The idea, of course, is to build up the failing hot-rod market. And it seems to be working with renewed interest by younger people. Perhaps some of our antique-car preservation organizations ought to do the same thing   TV shows showing the work of restoration shops or major private collectors.

[John_S_in_Penna]

JB, the cause-and-effect relationship might be

the opposite of what you state.  Television programming

is usually produced when there's thought to be a 

ready market for the program.  I think it may be unlikely

that they are producing a program, figuring that the

market is sparse but meanwhile hoping to build it up.

 

I agree with you:  I'd like to see a thorough, historically

accurate program on antique cars.

[1912Staver]

I am afraid I find most of the automotive oriented TV bordering on unwatchable. Obviously fake, phony and contrived.  In some ways it may have done more harm than good. Now every "barn find" is easily worth a kings ransom and that cool rat rod practically puts itself together. Decent cars get hacked up and workable project cars get so overvalued they sit until the only buyer is the scrapman.

 

Greg in Canada

Edited September 28, 2018 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[JB-ed]

John S-- in the world of cable TV, many of the channels are open to supplied content, for which they then sell advertising. Look at the types of advertisers on some of these hot-rod building (and yes, contrived ) shows and you may begin to suspect that the advertisers may also be the content suppliers.

 

Greg in Canada--you are absolutely correct. These hot-rod building shows are contrived and absolutely economically unrealistic. The problem is, they generate business for suppliers of hot-rod kits and for membership in the associations. And that's the intent of the shows. I suggest that we need equivalents in restoration. Obviously more realistic and more credible, but we need something.

[padgett]

You mean you do not like Wheeler-Dealers ? Now including labour hours but do seem low. Restoration Garage is clearly too expensive to mention but Dan Short almost always mentions days, hours, and parts cost.

 

Do suspect you could place almost any decent content and do notice the same characters appearing in multiple shows.

[1937hd45]

Quote

 

If there was a market for "Restoration" programs someone would fill it. Graveyard Carz is as close to AACA judging quality as you will ever watch IMO. It won't take long to find someone that hates the show, but you can't find fault in the finished products. Bob 

[1912Staver]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

You mean you do not like Wheeler-Dealers ? Now including labour hours but do seem low. Restoration Garage is clearly too expensive to mention but Dan Short almost always mentions days, hours, and parts cost.

 

Do suspect you could place almost any decent content and do notice the same characters appearing in multiple shows.

My only real problem with "Wheeler- Dealers" is the basic premise...the emphasis on a quick flip and the profit .   I tend to keep cars for decades, not to make a buck but because I liked the car enough to buy it. Usually at the cost of doing without a lot of things to free up the cash {like cable TV and a cell phone, I am in Canada and both those services are quite expensive compared to the U.S.}

  This emphasis on profit has struck car after car off my perhaps someday list. And I am sure I am not the only one.

Its a hobby to me, not a "side hustle".

Greg in Canada. 

Edited September 28, 2018 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[billorn]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

You mean you do not like Wheeler-Dealers ? Now including labour hours but do seem low. Restoration Garage is clearly too expensive to mention but Dan Short almost always mentions days, hours, and parts cost.

 

Do suspect you could place almost any decent content and do notice the same characters appearing in multiple shows.

 

I like how he sits down with the customer at the end and says basically ' you wanted us to give it a tune up but we fixed everything and rebuilt the motor. You're original budget was $7500 but the bill is now $58,000.'

 

Then the customer says it's ok he loves the car.

 

Lol lol!!!

[padgett]

You left out the part where Dan finds the additional needs, calls the customer, and gets the ok. There was one, I believe with a 60 Chev, where the additional work was too much and the customer pulled the plug. My feeling is that he does not do any work that is not authorized (though sanity is not required).

[John348]

37 minutes ago, padgett said:

You left out the part where Dan finds the additional needs, calls the customer, and gets the ok. There was one, I believe with a 60 Chev, where the additional work was too much and the customer pulled the plug. My feeling is that he does not do any work that is not authorized (though sanity is not required).

 

Actually I am pretty sure they told the owner that they could not do it "they said too much was missing" It is all scripted BS, he hands the owner a bill for  X amount of dollars at the end of the job, anyone who thinks that is the way things work is dreaming

[Pfeil]

So what happened to the AACA guys that had a show on Velocity?

 Also Wheeler Dealers does flip cars, but for me Ed China "was" Wheeler Dealers. Ed had a penchant for VW and Porsche air cooled engines but for myself having been a VW line mechanic and VW unit repair ( just rebuilding engines and trans axles) mechanic in my early automotive career, Ed did some very questionable job procedures that would make any good service manager show you the door. When Ed exited the show I stopped watching.

 I like Chasing Classic cars because has some real classic cars. That's why I watch. Wayne does get into Hot Rods and that's ok for me as long as you make your own car and not cut something  , and Chasing classic cars is mostly flipping too. I feel sorry for Rodger. One of these days he's going to be under a car and die there. I don't get why de doesn't use a lift when he should. 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[billorn]

Did you ever notice that Wayne Carinni is wrong about the price of a car almost every single time? My wife and me have a running joke about how far off he will be each time. He says oh its worth 200,000$. Then auctioneer says SOLD!!! 160,000$!!! Then Wayne says he will do better on the next one. He does find some cool stuff tho.

[Ozstatman]

37 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

 I feel sorry for Rodger. One of these days he's going to be under a car and die there. I don't get why de doesn't use a lift when he should. 

Too "old school" to use a lift? Either that or, Wayne won't install one!

[Mark Shaw]

I think the most realistic show was when Jay Leno recently spotlighted a local club member with his 1926 Model T hot rod.  My friend Clayton has been on two of Jay's shows this year.  He was featured because he really is a family man who works on cars in his two car garage and does mechanical restorations for others as a side business.  I supplied a few parts for the 27 Buick he restored & he is currently working on two other brass era cars for others.

[padgett]

They always leave stuff out like "Garage Squad" only works on cars around Chicago. Watching BJ Vegas at moment (set to record and fast forward to interesting cars) Trucks seem to outnumber Mustangs this year & clones/mods are popular. Thurs/Fri prices seemed reasonable. Usually skip the battle of the beards (dangerous around rotating machinery).

 

I just record interesting things (mostly Discovery, Velocity, SiFi, and Boomerang) and watch late.

 

BTW Roger (CCC) has had some ex$pen$ive medical issues but is still around - see his facebook page for more info.

[60FlatTop]

A great show would be one that visits the current owners of project cars from previous TV shows. Anyone on the Forum own one?

 

I'm just sitting here thinking about all the bleeps and new segways into commercials.

 

I have noticed that times I do stop on a channel and watch a few minutes it is always at the point where a suspense filled moments arises, just before and commercial, that I roll my eyes and push the button on the channel changer.

 

I worked in the garage this morning for a couple of hours and had a great time. Anyone watching me would have been bored to tears. The hobby has always been a personal, self satisfying thing to me. Hanging out with one person for a while is OK- for a while. Making it a third party TV event just makes it a cartoon. I'd rather read a book.

Bernie

Edited September 29, 2018 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[padgett]

Well we are slowly getting into the glorious time of the year we Floridians put up with summer for. Right now the only time to work in the garage is 2am to 10am & since retirement am a bit lazy. Is strange, when first out of college I spent years working in a carport. Have changed clutches on an oak tree root. Now that I have space and a well equipped garage, do not do as much. Youth is wasted on the young.

[JACK M]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

Youth is wasted on the young

 

YUP !!

[1937hd45]

Nobody mentioned "Bitchin Rides" yet, I've seen four of their builds and their quality of finish is equal to Pebble Beach class winners. Skilled staff, every tool known to man, and a two to three year build will turn out quality like that. Bob 

[JACK M]

17 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Nobody mentioned "Bitchin Rides" yet, I've seen four of their builds and their quality of finish is equal to Pebble Beach class winners. Skilled staff, every tool known to man, and a two to three year build will turn out quality like that. Bob 

 

I agree, I have been to their shop and seen several of their projects.

I show up in a crowd in one episode.

A friend of mine works some sales for these guys. I even got to sit in the drivers seat of the Futureliner.

[1937hd45]

3 hours ago, JACK M said:

 

I agree, I have been to their shop and seen several of their projects.

I show up in a crowd in one episode.

A friend of mine works some sales for these guys. I even got to sit in the drivers seat of the Futureliner.

I'd really like to get a tour of the shop, meet both lead guys at the Grand National Roadster Show, and they were just normal car guys. Show biz hasn't effected them, just turning out good products. Bob 

[Pfeil]

On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 3:29 PM, 1937hd45 said:

Nobody mentioned "Bitchin Rides" yet, I've seen four of their builds and their quality of finish is equal to Pebble Beach class winners. Skilled staff, every tool  Sknown to man, and a two to three year build will turn out quality like that. Bob 

Seems to me the General forum is a place for what AACA is all about, so if someone brings up customizing and such and after some quarrelsome exchanges gets shunted into the modified section. 

 So, Bitchen Rides.  A 1952 Pontiac is not a Pontiac anymore with a LS3 in it,  and is not a 1952 Pontiac with wheels so big the car looks like a "Hot Wheels" toy. The engine IS the BRAND and the Pontiac became a NON Pontiac.

To be honest I really couldn't get past the Billy Goat Goatee either. First impressions count.

 

[Pfeil]

Does anyone know what happened to the AACA guys on  Velocity ???? 

[JACK M]

11 hours ago, Pfeil said:

 A 1952 Pontiac is not a Pontiac anymore with a LS3 in it,  and is not a 1952 Pontiac with wheels so big the car looks like a "Hot Wheels" toy. The engine IS the BRAND and the Pontiac became a NON Pontiac.

 

 

 

So 90% of the early Fords out there should be called Chevrolets?

[Pfeil]

1 hour ago, JACK M said:

 

So 90% of the early Fords out there should be called Chevrolets?

If they have a Chevrolet engine in them yep. Henry would probably say that if he were alive.

[JACK M]

I guess all of the DMVs will have to get onboard with this.

In my state even the most highly modified cars will be titled to what they look like.

It makes it easier for the police.

There are many vehicles out there that have zero parts that came on what they are titled as. Like those fiberglass bucket Ts and such. (sometimes called replicas. That should make ol Henry roll over in his grave).

There is a guy around here that has a slant six in his bucket T. But he still has to title it as a Ford not a Dodge or Plymouth.  Although the other thousands would be Chevrolets.

Fun Stuff !!

[60FlatTop]

A more global approach would be to call the car with an Irish name and a French named engine a Huguenot.

 

I have tried to watch those TV shows. I know some are better than others so I watched the better ones with the sound off. The script writer fingerprints were all over it anyway.

 

To the original topic, influencing a young audience requires a hero for them to aspire to. I am not seeing the role model type while watching the antics of these shows. If any of them came to me for a job interview I wouldn't want to send them out in front of a client. They are fictional characters or counter culture types at best. A young person following in their footsteps will have a tough time getting a job to earn the money for a second car of any type.

 

I work and have a browser minimized with this forum running through the day. If I had to get up and turn on the TV or drive somewhere to participate no one would know who I was.