My 2 cents.... I like variety. I think the Mad Fabricators Society vids are great. I have one showing a top chop, and a 3 day REAL car build (bloodshot eyes!) The stuff on TV is less for knowledge and more for viewing pleasure/ratings. A show that demonstrates some HotRod History (Socal, Detroit's Woodward Ave, Isky's roadster, etc), a "how to" for the garage hotrodder(something we can go out there and DO to OUR cars), and a shop profile would be great. Theres no shortage of events to cover, things to fix/redo on our rides, and neat projects under way. Just my thoughts. Prolly a narrower audience though. Mark
So it sounds like your general premise is a guy (or group of guys) building a car out of junkyard parts which they will then get to keep if they beat the other guy (or group of guys) in some sort of compe***ion or judging after the fact. There was a program on the BBC that took two pairs of builders, each ***isted by an "expert", and beginning with identical cars. They would then build a car on a limited budget in one week to perform in a certain type of race. They did a similar one in the U.S. where pairs of inexperienced builders would bring their own cars in and turn them into "racers", the winner getting a new car, and the loser having his/her car destroyed. You'll really have to do something to seperate your show from these contest-based programs. I'm a huge fan of the Mad Fabricators Society DVD's, the Choppers episode of Rides and certain Monster Garage episodes. Here's my pitch to you: Drop the contest aspect and make deals with standout builders/shops/clubs to rod/customize a local "beginner" car. Go with your expert for the week to a local car show, examine some of the in-progress and "beater" rides on camera, pointing out items where styling/performance/safety modifications could really improve the car, and choose one or two to actually do work on. Find the owner of the car and if he/she is agreeable, tow the car back to the shop and do***ent as these modifications are done. Maybe the car is a near-stocker with a poorly done lowering job - add a flaked roof, new bushings and better springs or airbags. Perhaps it's a wild death-rod that's all style and no real engineering - gusset those questionably welded joints and correct the bumpsteer problem before taking it out for donuts in the parking lot a la Bleed. Could be a channelled pickup that you have to fold up double in to drive - build sunken floorpans, minimalistic custom buckets and re-position the steering column so it's actually driveable. A show like that would not only show what NOT to do, but show how to modify a ride so that it's not only cool but driveable. Each week could be a different city, a different show, a different shop or garage. The viewer gets to see shows across the US and Canada, learns what to look for when building/buying cl***ic iron, and how to modify it properly. But what the hell do I know. Dave
I agree that "CCR" is pretty good. I've only seen it a few times, but it seems like they skip most of the b.s. and just show the work. D.I.Y. also has a pretty good one called "Cl***ic Car Restoration"? I am not sure of the name. They once did a 62 Vette if that helps. I have not seen many shows that give the viewer a true representation of what is involved in building something.
The shows where the actual build thing the use the, Junk yard wars was good, monster garage is ok if they build something cool, I cant stand the host of pinks, if they didn't have him on there it would be beter but there is too much bs and not enough racing.
I'd like to see a show that not only shows cars being built by pros, but travels around visiting car clubs, home builders,trim shops and trips to Bonneville...all without the ******** phoney arguing and drama.....
Geez, why all the hatred for American Hotrod?....I don't care for Boyd, {seems like a condescending douche} but the show always holds my interest and that's all i ask....Overhauling ****s the big one, with that stupid pranking from the two idiot hosts.....That one should be go swirling down the bowl
Chop Cut Rebuild is same kinda show but there all over the map during the half hour. I like Overhaulin and Horsepower TV
Some good ideas on here the only thing I could add is variety, keep it moving, lets see bucks down tips and tricks, the future legends. There are a lot of very talented people in this country lets flush em out and see their work.
I would ask that the camera linger long enough to let people see something. My Dad had his house/antique store on HGTV (Building Character) and they did this constant fast-zoom thing and kept the camera moving at all times so that you couldn't really see how cool his place is. No time to take in any details. I don't have cable so I don't know about any of the car shows you are asking about to give a comparison to those. This Old House or New Yankee Workshop are good models.
My gosh, you sure sound like me when I was young. You need that enthusiasm, and that drive, and that egotism. You have 3 shows "worked out" and no money. What if the first show is successful and they want your 12 shows in a hurry? What if a backer puts in the money, who's going to have controlling interest and control. People that have no interest in hotrods, aren't going to last longer than the next click. Niche market. Money and ratings are correct. The truth actually is about holding the audience from commercial to commercial, nothing more. They care less about the content, just holding the audience and selling the time. Who are they going to buy from, someone with 3 shows, no pilot, and no money, or are they going to go with fat pockets with 13 mediocre shows in the can ready to go? You say, "its just a matter of time that the TV industry will catch up to me...". Unfortunately it has p***ed you by and you need to concentrate on getting the cash first and getting a deal that won't cut you out of the control and then try to catch up. We all have great ideas that could be blockbusters, and I include myself in that group, but until a workable package goes together, it ain't going to happen. Even Henry Ford got squeezed out of two car companies by the suits before he took control and formed the Ford Motor Co. Nothing has changed. You can get upset with me if you want, but I have been there. Failure is inevitable, but success may be hiding in the shadows and the effort of failing may present the opportunity. Can you recognize it? Tom Edison once said, I didn't know how to invent the lightbulb, but I knew 10,000 ways not to invent it and that was the key. Don't give up, just be realistic, and put first things first. Get the money first, using whatever video you have now as a presentation. If that isn't good enough to get money, and your presentation skills and salesmanship aren't good enough, then you are back to square one. Please take this all in the correct context, I am honestly trying to help if I can.
Maybe you could do certain areas during each show like suspensions and what it takes to do them. You can get an ideal what it takes to do each type afterall what is this site doing answering those exact type of questions. You can only put so much in a half hour or hour show so concentrate on one specific area on each show like engines or trans or brakes you get more detail out there doing that.
I say seperate a car into four builds and air it over a monthes time. Do different things to it each week. Make the build a month long instead of a week and do it like the Hamb Chop was done. NOBODY GETS PAID. They just get to show up and do the work for their 15 minutes of fame or what ever. Spend a lot more time showing how things are done. Chop, Channel, Section. Frenched Headlites, Tail lights etc. Show how to weld sheetmetal so it doesn't warp out. Show how to make linkages that work. Show people how to cut Saftey Gl*** with a roller and lighter fluid so they don't waste a lot of time grinding etc. Show how to lead a welded area smooth. Put a front clip on or M-II frontend from a donor not a catalog. Then show how to do the interior yourself instead of taking it to a pricey nicey shop. Use tools that every body has not those we all wish we had. This is just what I would like to see. Gumpa
You've given me the incentive to pitch a similar show. I'm going to call it "Slammin (Dorzzzzz)" It'll start out with the star (me of course) slamming his shop door so hard that the pictures are knocked off the walls. The concept will be the reconstruction of said door, subject to delays caused by angry slamming of the partially repaired door when the platinum high tech performance door hinges failed to arrive in time for the one hour show deadline. As a tension reliever, all the people involved in the door project will be taken out to the shop to grab a wrench and work on that old flathead V8 motor that's been sitting for the last 10 years...... Uh Oh! The valves are all stuck in the flattie....more tension, more drama. I live for this stuff!!
That would be a good idea...spend half the show going to a cool show (The round-up, the showdown, billetproof) or someone's shop for an old timer interview then use the other half of the show for tech. The format must work, you see it on old man car tv shows all the time. Oh and still let me host it!
I think everyone has already bashed all the current shows enough. I have learned tidbits from a lot of the shows like Trucks, Biker build off, that new muscle car show with the two goofy guys. The problem is that they think the show needs to be a big tease to work. I don't need to have someone yanking my chain every 5 minutes to try and get me to not turn the channel. It's actually pretty sad, "Don't go away, Courtney will be right back". Make the show good enough on it's own merit so that I will hang around and watch because I like the show and trust that I will be entertained and satisfied. Think of it like a magazine; I know what I will see in every rag out there like CKD, R&C, Hot Rod, etc... but I walk in and plop down $15 for a Rodders Journal before they can get it on the shelf, and I'll look for a nice clean one that nobody has dogeared the edges. No Fluff, No teasers. Save the airtime for the content. Dave
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. It really helps to see what you all want to see on the air. I couldn't agree with you more about how much some of these shows are all drama and no substance. Feel free to PM me any more suggestions or comments you might have, or just keep the thread going. Thanks!
Ow trust me I've been working on not only Pitots but Movies too for the past 3 years..And I have had the meeting and Connections...Its a mattter of Time, Money and People to help...I'm not *****ing at all...I'm just waiting for the right time...I wish I could tell the plot of the Show and you would agree that it AWESOME.,.I'm currently collecting all the footage.. but till then I'll just keep going on the Pilot and Hopfully bring it to the m***es...And yes it would be easy to shoot 13 episodes...But the reality is I'm a one man army now till I can make my Production company bigger.. i'll continue to Shoot my MFS DVD's and find diffrent mediums to bring Hot Rodding media to the world..Indepently.
I like Mythbusters when they do car related stuff....like bolting the rocket on the 66 Impala........Shares of Darwin...... Also like "Dirty Jobs"....it's a hoot.............
Can we see a prevailing desire here? Reality check...how come so many of you know so much about the other shows? Because you tuned in. They got you. Even if only for a short time. I see a certain something looming in the background of this idea. There's a cross culture in what the mainstream knows as "traditional hot rods" and much of it has nothing at all to do with what we like and pursue. Tattooed girls with lousy makeup, rusty junk, mutated punk/rockabilly music. While some folks following that form may occasionally hit a winner most are pieced together rattle-traps that I've never seen in my life of cars/hotrodding. Most of us understand the history of rods and customs and sadly it's a story that's told over and over. So the challenge is to get the viewer to imbed his/her mind in the past and how we relate it to today. I agree with the ideas of interviews and "old world" craftsmanship being the foundation of the show. Consider the best ever episode of "Monster Garage" with the legendary customizers and the 54 Chevy. Travel around and hit the individual garage. Car shows and the internet are unlimited resources for that. We all want to see what someone's in the process of building. Project pics do extremely well here for that reason alone. When you do tech stuff cover it well. The last thing anyone in this craft needs is another "car in a week" or "deadline" show. What's the ****in point? I'd rather hit my mark than a date on the calender. Quality is forever. Quality craftsmanship should be honored and p***ed on. I'm never impressed by a dozen guys slingin gallons of "mud' on a soon to be show car. If nothing else show stuff done right and safe. Right and safe doesn't remove outrageous and crazy, either. A car like "Deaths Doorstep" by littleman is a fantastic example of that point, as well as many others on this board. Do a show honoring old engines one at a time...the flathead, the Nailhead, early Olds and Caddys, and at least one show on the time-honored small block Chevy. A lot of old timers doing current street rods started somewhere and in many cases somehwere cool. That's my take, anyways.
If you haven't seen it, Stacey David is back on the air again, but now has his own," Stacey David's Gearz" show. I've seen a few episodes now, it's nitty gritty and no drama. http://www.gearztv.com/ Also, there's now a show called Livin' the Low Life, which features the low rider style. My favorite episode (the first one) so far is "The Bombs," which features the Pachuco Bombs, 30's to late 50's cars with all the accessories they came with cruising low and slow.
sadayo must be watching Speed TV right now. But I agree about the Gears show. Stacy David comes off as a guy who knows what he is talking about, not a script reader. Pretty much the only show I try to see.
Yes......Gearz with Stacey David is decent. Hands on and no "deadline drama". Not all episodes involve traditional stuff, but one of the builds in progress is a deuce roadster for which he goes to a boneyard to pull a nailhead!!
Without a doubt Rides was the only car show that gave car guys a real show that wasnt corny, and was filmed with real production values.
I agree with most of the comments about less drama and more building stuff. I think thats why the most popular threads on here are the ones with a lot of pics of all of the little projects on an actual build. Actual craftsmanship is what people crave to see and watch so we can learn how to do new things, or things a different way. One thing I like about Overhaulin is Foose really seems to put his all into every build. I also like the fact that he does an Illustration for every build so every one knows what direction the build going. I have to admit I'm bias(I'm an Illustrator), but I believe that's an important step that most people skip. It would be great to see a show about traditional rods being built by craftsmen, and not carnies!
Its simple just give us a show that builds a rod from beginning to end showing every aspect of the build and the reasons for the decisions that are made during the build. Project33.com is a great outline, although its a fibergl*** car(and we dont want to watch a show about building a gl*** car) it's still a great build. Dont Rush the build we arent interested in seeing a car finished in an hour, we would prefer to have a format that would take maybe 8 weeks to build a car. Gary
I think most of the current shows on TV are no better than watching a root c****...I have not seen Stacey Davids snew show yet, but I do know him and he has a good business plan behind his shows, I have talked to him a bit about them and what he has learned through the year doing the shows. I loved Biker Build off the best. Even though I feel most shows ****, its still hot rods on TV... I have a good show idea, I even went through the whole deal as pitching it to a network exec...they liked it but said I needed an agent to help with it, I was offering the idea to them for free if I got to do one episode....TV types couldn;t graops the free idea, they wanted me to pay an agent and in turn they would have to pay bigger bucks for the idea through the agent....I still have all the guidlines and biz plan if interested, PM me.... Tim Strange www.strangemotion.com
Who was the ***** blond who did the motorcycle show named somthing Smith. You need her. michele Smith I think.
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