Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

[Gene M.]

I just finished reading October issue and on the last page Jim McGowan talks about the car "reality" shows on TV. I must agree most of them are pure entertainment with nothing of educational value. There used to be some good shows that would "restore and fabricate stuff". But now everything is buy this and bolt it on. One great big commercial.

With the loss of Speed Channel it is difficult to even find car shows. "Fast and Loud" and "Overhauling", being some of the few "Car Soap Operas". Spike has the "Power Block" that has become one continuous commercial. The only one is the "Muscle Car" that fabricates anything. The others are again all bolt on commercials. Also ever notice the breaks for the real commercials are about as long as the time spent on the show..........!

I'm glad Hemmings Muscle Machines and Classic Car still have more articles than advertisements. Too bad I can't find any Chrome Bumper Corvette Magazines I can say the same about. Excluding our "Restorer" publication of course.

[Warren F.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

Channel 246, the Velocity channel in HD on Dish Network has automobile programs.

[Thomas H.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

I agree, a lot of those shows are scripted to the max. Plus I don't know how much confidence I'd have in a car that was totally dissembled and then reassembled in 5 days, including paint!

I tend to gravitate towards Chasing Classic Cars. While there is not a lot of building being done, it seems somewhat believable and they deal with some pretty neat cars.

Tom

[Gene M.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

I agree, a lot of those shows are scripted to the max. Plus I don't know how much confidence I'd have in a car that was totally dissembled and then reassembled in 5 days, including paint!

I tend to gravitate towards Chasing Classic Cars. While there is not a lot of building being done, it seems somewhat believable and they deal with some pretty neat cars.

Tom

Yes, Chasing Classic Cars is not bad, but every time I see it, it's a repeat. I like the old guy that gets to fix almost anything Careenie brings in. The number of good shows has dropped. Such as My Classic Car and the Two guys garage, Gears, American Hot Rod, Pinks, Legendary in Canada, Are you faster than Red Necks, What is My Car Worth, and I'm sure I left some out are gone. The new Fox Sports station SUCKS, nothing I'm going to watch.

I think the guys that work on Mopar's is still on and the junk yard that build a car on the cheap is still aired. I have not seen any more on the ex special forces guy that restores car.

I guess the good in all this is I watch less TV.

[Ara G.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

Gene, I am completely disappointed in Speed being no more. One channel had lots of good shows. All the crap is entertainment...but it's entertainment. After long days, all I want is a beer and an entertaining car show...Fast 'n loud is funny. I call it "stupid humor"...Also, I am ripped that 80% of Barrett was televised on Fox 1, then the last hour was televised on Fox 2, then some was televised on National Geographic channel!!!! Are you kidding me? I am convinced Fox wants to make it so hard to find the damn programs that ratings go down and they can use the lower ratings for justifying not renewing the contract to air shows like that. Just total bs. Regardless of anyone's opinions on watching car auctions on TV, it sure beats the hell out of watching what my better half is inside watching....OMG.........ARA

[Dan D.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

What is the deal on the Speed channel? I was so mad I complained to TW - did no good at all. The clerks just don't know anything. Did speed go out, or did Foxnews1 just replace it? I refuse to watch it.

-Dan-

[Roger W.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

Fox bought the Speed Channel. Now Fox Sports is just like those other dumb sports channels that have a bunch of people talking to each other about sports. They are just trying to impress each other.

[Dan A.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

Velocity TV has numerous car shows, some better than others. Their show "Corvette Nation", shown Friday nights, is pretty weak. Some of the Speed Channel shows have moved to MAV TV, owned by the Lucas Oil folks. Unfortunately it is not universally available. Chasing Classic Cars is my favorite, especially Roger the mechanic, as others have noted. Roger was quite the semi - professional driver back in the day.

[Louis T.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

Jim McGowan's article seems to be a minor rework of one he wrote in 2005 (a sad commentary that little has changed on TV in all this time).

Here's the link to the current article (you need to be a subscriber to read it in its entirety):

http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2013/10/01/hmn_opinion4.html

Here's the link to the complete earlier article:

http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2005/06/01/hmn_feature16.html

The only shows I personally ever learned anything from are the original 1992-2000 Shadetree Mechanic episodes hosted by Sam Memmolo and Dave Bowman on TNN, which later became Spike TV (I even recall they once did a front transverse spring conversion on a Mid-Year), and the current British series Wheeler Dealers on Velocity.

An interesting new series (also on Velocity) is FantomWorks - what's refreshing is that they show the shop owner Dan Short (he's the ex-special forces guy that Gene mentioned) actually discussing the cost of various restoration options with car owners (this has always been excluded or glossed over on other shows), and in most cases they come in within budget. They even show some of the shop's mistakes. On one of the shows, they built a hardtop to mimic a SWC for a '63 convertible. They had several of these tops in various degrees of completion on display at Corvettes at Carlisle this past August. I understand the show has been renewed for a second season.

[Gene M.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

Louis,
Yes I agree the old Shadetree Mechanic episodes were good. Also the early shows Stacy Davids did were good fabrication shows. The new Gears show was just a bolt on commercial. But I think that was lost to with Speed.

And I wish Chip Foose would stop putting huge 20" "buck board wagon" wheels on classic cars. It takes the classic look away from the cars. uck...! The 20" "buck board wagon" wheels make the car look like a copy cat by those West Coast Custom guys and a lot of the stuff on the BJ auction.

I was watching Fast and Loud to night. It is kinda funny, not to be taken serious.

Are all the missing car shows that were on Speed canceled?

[Bill M.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

I sit there screaming at these shows it kills me when some guy with an expensive beard is running around yelling at everybody that i need this car done now and then goes back to his desk.I yell get in there and help but no gotta talk about the next project if I am to stay in business. Is it me or were they checking for the date code on that big block in the wrong spot? Realy miss the old Shadetree.

[Bill H.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

An interesting new series (also on Velocity) is FantomWorks - what's refreshing is that they show the shop owner Dan Short (he's the ex-special forces guy that Gene mentioned) actually discussing the cost of various restoration options with car owners (this has always been excluded or glossed over on other shows), and in most cases they come in within budget. They even show some of the shop's mistakes. On one of the shows, they built a hardtop to mimic a SWC for a '63 convertible. They had several of these tops in various degrees of completion on display at Corvettes at Carlisle this past August. I understand the show has been renewed for a second season.

The owner of the 63 was extremely upset with Dan Short, what was promised for the money and not done. Felt he got ripped, never do business with them again, etc.

[William F.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

The "Corvette Nation" show isn't too bad, but too many Kalifornia Kustom type Corvettes. The 2 Brits on "Overhauling" are intertaining, and the mechanic with the Rod Stewart hair knows his stuff and viewers get to see his mechanical work, but show hasn't featured a Corvette, unless I missed it.

[Bill H.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

Louis,
Yes I agree the old Shadetree Mechanic episodes were good. Also the early shows Stacy Davids did were good fabrication shows. The new Gears show was just a bolt on commercial. But I think that was lost to with Speed.

And I wish Chip Foose would stop putting huge 20" "buck board wagon" wheels on classic cars. It takes the classic look away from the cars. uck...! The 20" "buck board wagon" wheels make the car look like a copy cat by those West Coast Custom guys and a lot of the stuff on the BJ auction.


Are all the missing car shows that were on Speed canceled?

What's My Car Worth was on Velocity this week, looked like a new episode to me. ShadeTree was good a long time ago and turned into a commercial just like Gears. (But then, even Norm Abrams's New Yankee Workshop started out with him showing how to building jigs in your garage to bore pocket holes and later on he had a $5k pocket hole machine that "everyone should have in their home shop" ).

[Bill H.]

Re: Neat editorial in Hemmings Muscle Machines

The "Corvette Nation" show isn't too bad, but too many Kalifornia Kustom type Corvettes. The 2 Brits on "Overhauling" are intertaining, and the mechanic with the Rod Stewart hair knows his stuff and viewers get to see his mechanical work, but show hasn't featured a Corvette, unless I missed it.

They did a C4 (85 or so) and bitched the whole time about the "horrible American electrics", this from guys who usually work on Lucas, Ha! The mechanic does "Used Car/Sell It Quick" repairs.