Chrome Underground

[John348]

I know I can't be the only whose intelligence is insulted with the TV show "Chrome Underground" They try to make buying an antique car like an episode of Miami Vice or like a third world high level drug deal... BAD TV. I found myself watching it just hoping they would get shot!

[auburnseeker]

Do they start by replying to the craigslist ads I posted? Sounds like the same type of critters I have been getting.

[John_S_in_Penna]

I haven't seen that particular show. The internet says it is on

the Discovery Channel.

You know how television sensationalizes everything. Our lives and

our hobby are quite ordinary, though interesting to a true car fan.

The internet says these car-seekers travel into "lawless countries."

I suspect the producers want to broaden interest by making things

appear exciting. You may realize that "reality" shows are rehearsed

and directed, and are thus not really reality.

Though TV personalities try to appear glamorous and exciting, the

entertainment industry is fraught with immorality and unhappy lives.

But most television programs are no longer a good influence on society.

Not only are TV personalities not examples be be admired or imitated,

they are people to feel sorry for.

Edited March 1, 2015 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[John348]

Velocity, I know it is scripted, but this is bad! Takes a boring hobby and makes it look like Miami Vice (so far no speed boats)

[Paul Dobbin]

I tuned in for about 15 minutes of this mess and decided it was not for me. Like most of these collector car shows, it didn't represent the great people I've associated with for over 40 years in this hobby. I fear that it will effect the outsiders opinion of what we know this hobby is really like.

My opinion is probably based in my introduction to the hobby long before 1979 when the antique car became a "collector car" or "ïnvestment vehicle". The fantasy of the Barrett Jackson Auctions leave me with the same impression, that it's all about the money.

[John_S_in_Penna]

I agree that TV gives a wrong impression of our hobby.

Paul, you probably know--unlike all the wide-eyed television

viewers--that our hobby is a friendly fellowship that can be

very affordable.

I enjoy sharing my cars with friends, or with the public at shows.

Time after time, I tell friends and acquaintances on the little 3-car

garage tour that "You can have a nice old car for the price of a

used Ford Taurus." They are dumbfounded, thinking that the

hobby is for the affluent--and therefore far beyond their means.

How many people on the sidelines, who casually admire old cars,

never investigate further because the televised auctions gave

them the wrong impression!

[Guest marlin65]

WOW. Just when you think these shows can't be anymore ridiculous this comes along. I watched it for fun and it wasn't even that. Wonder if there is anyway to get a hold of the producers? Ed Dade City,Fl

[bhambulldog]

I watched the first 15 minutes of the first episode.

Unbelievable story. They get scammed out of $30,000. And, a out of work mercenary gets it back, on the promise of a $2,000 dollar reward.. hokey

Edited March 1, 2015 by bhambulldog (see edit history)

[Guest AlCapone]

It is garbage television and truly an insult to our intelligence ! A show for true losers !

Wayne

[Matt Harwood]

I saw that last 15 minutes or so and was wondering, "What the heck is this?!?" I didn't see any apparent danger, and I'm not sure that big cities in Argentina are full of people who will kill you for a unique old car or hot rod, but that one bodyguard dude made it sound like they were Marines driving through downtown Tehran in convertibles. Then when the bodyguard said he bought an MGB and wanted to take it home with the other cars and they said no, he got all huffy and took off. Yeah, an MGB from Argentina is a gold mine, because you can only buy those, oh, EVERYWHERE, for $8500. He didn't seem to understand that a 40-foot container would hold two cars. Three cars don't fit, even little cars. They couldn't just "throw it in there," they'd have to book another container, which certainly isn't cheap.

Then they said they found a '50s Eldorado convertible worth "in the $300,000 range." That's when I turned the channel.

[earl e rizer]

The best thing to do about these crappy reality car shows is not watch them. Maybe even send a message to the network that airs them telling them your thoughts and that you don't watch their channel based on the garbage they produce.

As a Canadian I'm particularly embarrassed by the show "Restoration Garage" as it is based in Ontario Canada. Awful.

[Guest AlCapone]

The best thing to do about these crappy reality car shows is not watch them. Maybe even send a message to the network that airs them telling them your thoughts and that you don't watch their channel based on the garbage they produce.

As a Canadian I'm particularly embarrassed by the show "Restoration Garage" as it is based in Ontario Canada. Awful.

I agree on all counts ! Wayne

[39BuickEight]

I love car shows in general, but this one is unwatchable.

[Rusty_OToole]

I have a friend whose brother owns a custom motorcycle shop in British Columbia. Someone did a show at his place and it was just as phony and hokey as you would think. The actual build of the bike took about 6 months, they compressed it into a week. Plus generated all sorts of phony conflict and drama that didn't exist, while ignoring the actual design ingenuity and craftsmanship.

[Amphicar BUYER]

I don't watch for this very reason. Knowing firsthand, from friends and family that have been on these so called "reality" shows, it is indeed manufactured drama and basically using unwitting and unpaid amateur actors.

I was on "Shipping Wars" when I had a couple Amphicars shipped from Texas. Roy the obligatory a-hole was who they decided should "win" the non-existent auction. I did not partake in the direction or baiting Roy tried. You never saw the show? My episode was VERY short and it does not even come up under searches or descriptions of the episodes because I did not create enough drama for "good TV". (He had a blue gyrocopter in the trailer) I got absolutely NOTHING for my trouble, no discount for working around their random schedule and the associated BS... nothing.

A friend was on "Junkyard wars (I'll let him tell his story if he is so inclined) and my sister was on "Clean Sweep" They made her place look like "Hoarders" and the room the remodeled was cheaper than furnishing a dorm room. No quality or craftsmanship as they lead you to believe.

[Guest AlCapone]

I don't watch for this very reason. Knowing firsthand, from friends and family that have been on these so called "reality" shows, it is indeed manufactured drama and basically using unwitting and unpaid amateur actors.

I was on "Shipping Wars" when I had a couple Amphicars shipped from Texas. Roy the obligatory a-hole was who they decided should "win" the non-existent auction. I did not partake in the direction or baiting Roy tried. You never saw the show? My episode was VERY short and it does not even come up under searches or descriptions of the episodes because I did not create enough drama for "good TV". (He had a blue gyrocopter in the trailer) I got absolutely NOTHING for my trouble, no discount for working around their random schedule and the associated BS... nothing.

A friend was on "Junkyard wars (I'll let him tell his story if he is so inclined) and my sister was on "Clean Sweep" They made her place look like "Hoarders" and the room the remodeled was cheaper than furnishing a dorm room. No quality or craftsmanship as they lead you to believe.

Youand your family musty volunteer to participate as you can't possibly be selected randomly correct ?

Wayne

[Restorer32]

Being from Amish country I find Amish Mafia to be extremely offensive and a total fabrication. If that show were about Catholics or Muslims or any other main stream religion there would be an uproar.

[60FlatTop]

A friend from Sweden may visit this summer and my son is working toward a degree in vidiography. We have talked about creating a video called "Swedish Picker". We are worried that it won't be recognized as a parody; ARE there parodies out there and I'm just not catching it?

Bernie

[Highlander160]

I turned down a shot on some show BS. I asked around, wondered what was in it for participants, etc. The replies I got were enlightening. The one I remember most was the producer's use of what was called "Frankenbites". Whether or not it was correct, the gig is that they edit things to sound like what they want it to be vs the real deal. If I were to say "...and so n so is a complete a** hole..." they can edit it to say one of my friends or comrades on the show was the one I was speaking of. Reality? I got your reality "right here"! What's really sad, and not to get too political, it seems all the public figures that we elect to be our advocates use the business model of a friggen reality show vs actually earning the position. I see it from the White House on down, but hey maybe that's just my observation. A neon single fingered salute to most all of em. Although I gotta say, having my own history of real street racing (did I just say that?) I sort of enjoy "Street Outlaws". Not as real as what we did but the cars are so freakin fast these days we'd never survive. At least it's "organized" to a degree. Your results may vary, tax n title extra, blah, blah, blah...

[Taylormade]

I've watched Fantomworks a few times, and at least they have the guts to tell what they charged customers for the work they did. But the prices are astronomical for the work done. They did a 41 Buick and many of the closeup shots of the "restored" car showed rust and pitting on the interior parts. In another show they did a little bubble car for some poor woman who shelled out 36,000 bucks just for the restoration work (parts not included) and closeups of the "restored" car showed a dirty and pitted dash and steering column, a rusty ignition switch and a taillight with the worst chrome job I've ever seen held on by incorrect screws, and other shoddy work. Who in their right mind would advertise such substandard work on national television?

[60FlatTop]

I spend quite a bit of my extra money on my cars and the car hobby. It is really good for me to stop at someone's business. I might spend a few bucks.

Last fall I was driving back from Buffalo and spotted a shop with old cars for sale. I slowed down and then thought about walking into a place and meeting the same personality portrayed on TV or some wanna be. I didn't stop, just kept going.

About a week later, and closer to home, I drove by a similar shop coming back from Rochester. I had the same thought and drove right by.

Over the years I have discovered that I am not alone in how I think. There is a good chance the two times I didn't stop can be multiplied across the country to other car guys who see this crap on TV and don't want to see it in person. So if the commercial endeavors of of these producers saved me some money and wrongly stereotyped a decent businessman, I'm good. Too bad about the guy who missed bringing home a bag of groceries, though.

Bernie

[72caddy]

I have had several business trips in South America over the past couple of years and the way the program protrays people from this area is disgusting. True there are bad neighborhoods anywhere you have 15 million people packed into one spot but those are not the neighborhoods these guys find the cars. Space is at an extreme premium. Anyone that has a space that can have more than one car is in a good neighborhood.

[Matt Harwood]

I've watched Fantomworks a few times, and at least they have the guts to tell what they charged customers for the work they did. But the prices are astronomical for the work done. They did a 41 Buick and many of the closeup shots of the "restored" car showed rust and pitting on the interior parts. In another show they did a little bubble car for some poor woman who shelled out 36,000 bucks just for the restoration work (parts not included) and closeups of the "restored" car showed a dirty and pitted dash and steering column, a rusty ignition switch and a taillight with the worst chrome job I've ever seen held on by incorrect screws, and other shoddy work. Who in their right mind would advertise such substandard work on national television?

I figured I was the only one who noticed all the sub-standard work on that '41 Buick simply because I have one. There were so many things wrong on that car and they kept calling it a show car that I was puzzled. Did they just not know any better and figure that shiny was good? Did they cut corners to meet a budget? Did the TV schedule have some influence on it? I was especially astounded by how difficult they made it seem to find a small-series Buick 248 straight-8, as if it was unobtainium rather than something built for more than a decade. Even the dual carb setup, which was apparently what they were looking for, is a relatively easy thing to find on eBay. Big series? Not so much.

Anyway, I, too, was surprised that the guy spent more than $60,000 and got a car that wouldn't even get 3rd place at a Buick Club meet.

[Guest marlin65]

I kind of like Graveyard Carz. The insults Mark hurls at his guys are hilarious but what I really like is that he restores his cars to stock and does them beautifully.

Fantom Works is OK, a lot less drama then most shows. I love his shop. Has anyone ever been there?

Wheeler-Dealers is OK too,especially when they do American cars although my favorite was the 1903 Darraqc (sp?). I would love to see the London-_Brighton run.

Counting Cars is so-so. They have a tendency to hack cars up.

Chasing Classic Cars is interesting. Must be nice to travel all over,spend boatloads of money and have people ready to do anything you want. Ed Dade City,Florida

[John348]

I agree the quality of the cars I had seen look to be top shelf. I differ I from you with the insults. As a retired skilled tradesman I would not tolerate an employer speaking down to me like he does, but it is scripted