This Needs Fixing

 I really like The Repair Shop.

So a car-based version should be ideal viewing for me.

Dominic Chinea could present it.  For those of you  who aren't familiar with him or the show, he's the bloke at the front with the beard who does the metalworky stuff for them.

And he also restores vehicles.

However, somebody else has had this idea - it must be someone not connected with The Repair Shop because it's called "Repair Lot" not "The Repair Lot"

And it doesn't work.

According to The Telegrah & Argus, a Bradford-centred publication?, the show is hosted by Abigayle Andre.  She's a Tik-Tok star apparently.

It isn't.

The actual host is somebody else I've also never heard of - Charlotte Vowden.

The format of this show is exactly the same as that of The Repair Shop in that:

• They get someone into their workshop with something of sentimental value that needs fixing.
• They have a chat about what needs fixing.
• They fix it.
• They get the owner back in and unveil it to them - literally.
• They show lots of short clips of the outside of the building and the local wildlife and rain.

A simple format that doesn't work with cars.  It is not possible to really engage or empathise with someone who has a Peugeot 306 with a leak, a semi-working door mirror and a dodgy rear light cluster.

The "experts" are fine.  You've got a bodywork specialist, an interiors specialist (with a scary sleeve tattoo thing going on) and two mechanics.

The first mechanic is called Hannah Gordon but she isn't the actress who I always think of in one of two ways:

• The one who isn't Susan Hampshire
• The one who killed Victor Meldrew

The other mechanic is Derek Drinkwater who, if my memory serves me correctly, considerably helped Elvis when they did the Bedford Dormobile on Wheeler Dealers.

But that isn't many experts so to try and match the Repair Shop who have experts in metalwork, horology, soft toys, ceramics, upholstery, jewellery, electronics, woodwork, leatherwork, cycles, musical instruments, millinery, bookbinding, paintings, cobbling and I'm sure I've missed out a few more, Repair Lot have an automotive memorabilia bit which is where the aforementioned Abigayle fits in to it - pointless.

So, do I like it?

Not a lot.

Three Weeks Worth of News

I didn't post anything last week so here's something that tickled my fancy last week, something that tickled my fancy this week and something that will  tickle my fancy next week.

From last week, it's my favourite American car site Car+Driver with this story about Ford hoping to be able to get their vehicles to repossess themselves when the payments are not forthcoming.

From this week, it's my favourite Australian car site with this story of a couple of men old enough to know better, one Dutch and one Belgian who appear to have hired a couple of Ferraris in Italy that they clearly didn't have the skills to drive at speed.  This is a very spectacular video and they will be picking bits of debris from that swimming pool for years to come:

From next week, I give you the new series of Wheeler Dealers.  It looks like they are doing a Triumph Dolomite Sprint - well, they were never going to do a 1500HL like I used to own - but a Sprint is good too.  The Facebook Trail is here.  Surely they can't be serious?  Well they are.  And don't call me Shirley.

Goblin Works Mod Shop

The latest series in the Goblin Works Garage franchise sees the Goblins modding cars for individuals with tired vehicles.  I haven't a clue how they are chosen or who provides the funding - they seem to have a budget of £10K for each one.

OK, it's going to be Discovery funding it.

But in the past, they've always claimed to be making money on their vehicles in a Gas Monkey sort of way - notice the similarities between GMG and GWG?

The GWG bit of the Discovery Website is here.

I have enjoyed the series so far - today I watched the episode where they turned this Mk.V Golf GTi belonging to "Joel from Camberley" from this:

into this:

Although you can't see the biggest change here in because Jimmy de Ville is stood in front of it.

Not only did they give the car Lambo-style scissor-doors (which was surprisingly easy - you can buy kits) but he also added, and this is the controversial bit, a "brushed aluminium with rivets" look for the doors breaking up the garish but attractive green triangly finish on the rest of the car.

It is the first time a car owner has admitted to not liking something on one of their mods.

The only irritating bit for me is the formulaic nature of the show.

1. Meet the car owner and the vehicle.
2. A Goblin takes the car for a test-drive.
3. Helen draws a picture of what they will be aiming for.
4. A Goblin or two goes out to research something that they will do to the car.
5. A Goblin goes somewhere with the car owner to get some ideas.
6. The Goblins have a three-way split video call to feed back what was discussed with the owner.
7. They get some bought-in parts and fit them.
8. (This is the really irritating bit) The owner phones whichever Goblin is in the workshop at the time to pretend they are missing their car and would like some clues as to what is happening with it).
9. The car gets wrapped.
10. The car gets finished off.
11. The Goblin from number 2 takes it out for another test-drive.
12. The car is returned to its owner.

Not a lot more to add except:

1. It all seems to be filmed in the original Wheeler Dealers workshop.
2. Rumours abound that Helen Stanley and Anthony Partridge are a couple.

Oooh!

The Long and Short of It.

I saw this in an Autocar Story today:

It looks like a cobbled-together in a shed, kit version of a Lamborghini LM002:

But it is actually a hell of a lot more than that.

It is an electric vehicle with a range-extender engine "built for expeditions as extreme and diverse as crossing the Antarctic or penetrating uncharted Amazon rainforests."

It's about the size of a Transit but very light weight with a high ground-clearance - it is called The Fering Pioneer.

This is the story.

It also has a bit of a Jeep Gladiator look about it...

...which I wouldn't have spotted if I hadn't read this Fox News story which talks about the best and worst cars for tall and short people.  Although Consumer Reports should get the credit for it.

You would think that convertibles would be best for tall drivers since there is infinite headroom.

Think again:

Shame about the number plate but I'm sure the Fox News viewers would appreciate it.

Apparently the second-best car for short drivers is the BMW 7-Series and the first-best car for tall drivers is the BMW 7-Series.

I think it just means it has very adjustable seats.

Home Brew

 Wheeler Dealers is coming home!

But wait, that's not Ant Anstead.

No, that's Marc Priestley aka "Elvis" - the British based mechanic who worked with Mike on Wheeler Dealers - Dream Car.

Which I never watched.

The full announcement is here on YouTube:

Elvis is taking over from Ant and the three of them appear in that video talking about what will be the series-after-next.

I look forward to it being British again and I have every confidence that Elvis will make a fine third incarnation of the WD Mechanic - a Jon Pertwee to Ant's Patrick Troughton if you will.

One other thing I took from the video was a throw-away comment from Ant about his wives.

So I looked them up on Wikipedia.

His first wife, according to Wiki, is famous for being Ant Anstead's ex-wife.

His second wife, however, who is also Ant Anstead's ex-wife, seems to be a TV Presenter.

One person who gets virtually zero mention, however, is Edd - still the original and best and I bet a lot of the show's fans' first choice to resume the role.  It was stated that Ant will be calling in from time to time so I think we really need a "Three Mechanics" episode at some point - if Doctor Who can do it, then there's no reason why Wheeler Dealers can't.

Sounds Like Brewer's Telling Porkies

Well he is a used car salesman. 

I am a big fan of Wheeler Dealers - both the Edd era and the Ant era.

So I follow them on Facebook.

So I was somewhat perplexed to see this posting today:

Now Mike Brewer is obviously a car guy.

I am also a car guy.  I must be, I spend time writing a car blog that only 7 people read. And, speaking as a car guy, I am pretty confident in saying that things car guys find the opposite of interesting include:

• SUVs that farmers wouldn't be interested in
• Chinese Budget motors
• Bog-Standard Electric Cars

So I am incredibly sceptical when Mike Brewer says,

"MG has launched two new models, expanding the range to include an all-new EV and a plug-in hybrid variant of the HS SUV. Having seen the MG Motor UK ZS EV at the NEC last year, I can't wait to have a test drive in this. What do you think?"

I think MG must be paying you an awful lot of money to post that - it makes you less credible than Dominic Cummings.

The comments mostly though pick up on the fact that these cars look like a VW parked next to a Mazda.  All cross-overs look the same anyway but here I have got onto Paint and produced a VW parked next to a Mazda:

They've got a point.

Old News

I really like Wheeler Dealers.

And on Facebook, I have really liked Wheeler Dealers.

But most of their posts point at a website called musclecarszone.com

And, while I think it does have some interesting articles on there, it is really very rarely that I will click on one.  Mainly because the website itself can only be described (by me at least) as very tacky due to the awful clickbait advertising you get on there:

And if you're using a geriatric laptop like mine, the page takes forever to come up.

I  guess this advertising must have some effect because while I am never tempted to watch the video that billionaires in my locality don't want me to watch or to find out which celebrity I wouldn't expect to be dead is actually dead while a picture of a non-dead celebrity is luring me in - there must be enough people out there who do click on them to justify their presence.

Any road up, the musclecarszone article that Wheeler Dealers on Facebook pointed me at today didn't seem to add up - so I clicked on it.

Apparently, "This Lady Has Been Driving The Same 1957 Chevrolet Car For 53 Years! 116,000 Miles On The Odometer"  - which is the article in the Screenshot above.

However, it doesn't take a Degree in Statistics (sad but true - I have a degree in Statistics) to realise that a 1957-bought car 53 years later only takes us to 2010.

For some reason, musclecarszone.com have taken a YouTube Posting from six-ish years ago, taken the commentary to be the text, and published it as a new story.

It is an interesting story.  I watched and enjoyed an old lady talking about her old car.  It's a Bel Air - not that the article tells you that - presumably because the YouTube Posting doesn't tell you that.

But it ain't new news.

I suppose that at least it also isn't fake news.

But either way, come on Mike, give us some real news (and without the dodgy ads - I don't care that at least 12 celebrities don't wear panties - honest!)

Fair deal?

The Discovery Quest Channel has started showing Wheeler Dealers.

This is excellent news for me - Quest is a Freeview Channel and I am a big fan of the show.

They have started to show the episodes right back from the first series in 2003.

For those of you unfamiliar with the programme, used car dealer Mike Brewer buys a classic car in need of a little attention at a knock-down price.  Then, trusted mechanic Edd China gives the car the attention and finally Mike sells the car on for a profit (if you don't count Edd's labour).

I have heard speculation over the years that all is not what it seems on this show.

I have heard that the people Mike buys the cars off and those he sells them to are production staff from the show.

I have heard that Edd doesn't do any of the work.

This interview from Total Car Magazine implies all is legit.  This is from this year.

This forum post from Wheel Whores implies otherwise.  This is from 2008.

A guy calling himself Pete Nice says he pretended to be the bloke Mike bought a knackered Beetle off -  this would be him:

Indeed, in the episode, this bloke is called Pete.

 

The episode involved converting the Beetle into a Beach Buggy.

 

Whether or not it is the same Pete is open to conjecture but there is something fishy in that episode from Series 2.  The knackered old Beetle had registration number FTD 243J.  That plate appears on the workshop wall behind Edd during that episode: 

However, when the conversion is complete, the finished Beach Buggy sports a completely different registration number - UPW 450H: 

That, to me, implies a completely different, slightly older, base car was used.

 

But never mind.

 

I would have thought, nowadays, if the show wasn't genuine, they would have to declare that bits were fabricated for entertainment purposes.  There are certainly such disclaimers on American Hot-Rod and Classic Car Rescue.

 

However, in 2003 such rules probably didn't exist.

 

Let's just say all is legit today.

 

Deal?

Restoring the Faith

We seem to have a plethora of car make-over/restoration shows on UK telly at the moment.

We have series 2 of Channel 5's Classic Car Rescue on a Monday night.  We have ongoing Wheeler Dealers on Discovery.  Quest are repeating Chop Shop, London Garage on a Thursday and we have a new entry from Channel 4 on a Sunday namely, For The Love of Cars:

This features Philip Glenister and "internationally renowned car designer" Ant Anstead restoring classic British cars.  I put that bit in quotes because that is how Channel 4 describe him - I'd never heard of him before and he does seem to be an extremely competent mechanic/car restorer - not too sure about the relevance of his design qualifications though.

 

Ant gets on with the actual restoration work while Phil becomes DCI Gene Hunt with ever-varying amounts of stubble and goes out to have adventures and meet people and groups with stories to tell of whichever vehicle is up for restoration that week.

 

Week one saw the Escort Mexico in the picture above - the best bit was the look on the face of a Liverpool Police Officer who used to drive one in the '70s.  They were interviewing him for the series in a back alley somewhere on Merseyside and he suddenly heard the siren approaching of one of the cars in the fleet he used to use.  He got to drive it again and meet up with a '70s car-thief too.

 

Week two was the Series I Land-Rover where Phil got to meet a Landie enthusiast who you wouldn't want to meet down the pub and another who you definitely would - they even named the restored Landie after him.

 

Next week it's the Triumph Stag - really looking forward to see what they do with my favourite classic.

 

Classic Car Rescue, which I did a bit about Series 1 on, has changed a little bit.  There are still the silly, contrived, badly-acted arguments but I think there is a little more actual car restoration being shown.  The final valuation now comes in via "classic car expert" Paul O'Neill.  I put that in quotes because Paul O'Neill is an ex-Touring Car Driver who does the Twitter bits during the BTCC Coverage and is the brother of a Spice Girl.  I'm a big fan of Paul (him being a Scouser helps) but I've never heard him described as a "classic car expert" before.

 

Bernie Fineman's previous show, Chop Shop, London Garage is probably the nearest to what I think of as the original and best show like these, American Hot-Rod which I posted about back in 2011.  These two shows are more make-over than restoration but enthralling viewing to me.

 

According to wiki though, American Hot-Rod wasn't the first - Wheeler Dealers is older - and still going strong.  I love Wheeler Dealers but it's quite rare that I get to watch it because it is on Pay-TV - this is surely a prime show for Quest to take on?

 

Anyway, I hope as many of these shows continue as possible for many years into the future when one day they will be restoring Nissan Jukes and Citroen DS3s.