Car TV Shows.

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REDONE
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Car TV Shows.

Post by REDONE »

So after single-handedly derailing another thread so far into the weeds that it ALMOST went all the way back to Charlie Wenzel, I took a trip down the google hole. I wondered what they heck happened to all the "Good" car shows. TRUCKS! was a good car show. Stacy pushed products, but he made it so blatant that anyone with half a mind knew they were being spoon fed, and I think Stacy had the integrity to be honest. When Duplicolor had him push "Body Shop" parts store paint, he spent a few minutes talking about the differences between enamel, lacquer, and urethane so he wasn't giving a misimpression of what he was laying down. Top Gear (and Amazon's Grand Tour by extension) was a good car show. The interaction between the guys was just a benefit, the show was about CARS! At the time, Jeremy's big freekin mouth wasn't the offense that even I find it to be today, but I also know that's why lots of people liked him. Even if he never spoke a word I bet the same people would still watch just to see a Mazerati demolition derby or a Toyota HiLux dropped out of an airplane.

I've been trying to nail down the tipping point. I think it was about the time of "Full Metal Challenge". FMC with Henry Rollins wasn't an outright "car" show, but it was about the last show I can think of where real people did real things with real tools to real vehicles.

Jesse James took the same concept and turned it into sissy slap-fight crybaby nonsense with "Monster Garage". I don't remember if "Pimp My Ride" was before or after that, but those both seemed to be the petunias growing out of the car shows grave. 90% of the shows runtime would be arguing and throwing things, or crying into the camera first-person style. They never explained what they were doing to the CAR or why they were doing it to the CAR, just a bunch feelings being demonstrated or explained. LAME. If I wanted feelings, I'm sure I could find the Hallmark channel.

Truth be told, I got rid of TV over 10 years ago. Everything turned into a reality show and I got whatever I wanted from the internet and that really hasn't changed much. Now I stream Archer and occasionally one pundit or another, but thought that if I did want to veg out and binge on a car show, are there any?

In my google hole I found this article from Jalopnik: http://jalopnik.com/heres-why-car-tv-sh ... 1729572843

Seems pretty legit, but I was wondering if there are any different opinions here, or if this was just a plug for Jay Leno's Garage.
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by RamJetFSJ »

Youtube. Expedition Overland, Dirt every day, Roadkill, Mighty Car Mods, Bad Obsession Motorsports, some of the stuff on /Drive
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by ShagWagon »

Graveyard Cars restores old Mopars from the grave.

Kinda like what I'm doing with this Jeep....
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by KJ Ryu »

I still watch Stacy on his new show, "Gears." He's still prostituting for the sponsors but, he has too to keep going. I just enjoy watching him, though. http://www.staceydavid.com/
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az chip
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by az chip »

The only one I kind of like now is "Garage Squad". It has been a half hour show but that is changing to an hour in this new season.
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by KJ Ryu »

I watch that, too. One of the guys on it is also on a show called "Truck U" which is kind of lame but, on a Sat morning when I'm not doing anything else, I'll watch it.
Ron

2005 KJ, Hit-n-Run, 2am 6-17-2012, Totaled. :mad:
1977 SJ J10, 4v360, T18, D20, 37x14s, SOA & SF on tons, still ugly.
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Stuka
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by Stuka »

For me its pretty much every Motortrend show (Roadkill, Dirt Every Day, Hotrod Garage, Head2Head, Ignition), Mighty Car Mods, Bad Obsession Motorsport, TFLCar/TFLTruck (mostly reviews), and then a bunch of single person vlog style and how-to style channels.

On TV, I don't really watch anything at all. I may watch one of the discovery shows for a bit, but they mostly just annoy me. ESPECIALLY after the BS they pulled with the Roadkill vs GMG episodes.
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prospector
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by prospector »

REDONE wrote:So after single-handedly derailing another thread so far into the weeds that it ALMOST went all the way back to Charlie Wenzel, I took a trip down the google hole. I wondered what they heck happened to all the "Good" car shows. TRUCKS! was a good car show. Stacy pushed products, but he made it so blatant that anyone with half a mind knew they were being spoon fed, and I think Stacy had the integrity to be honest. When Duplicolor had him push "Body Shop" parts store paint, he spent a few minutes talking about the differences between enamel, lacquer, and urethane so he wasn't giving a misimpression of what he was laying down. Top Gear (and Amazon's Grand Tour by extension) was a good car show. The interaction between the guys was just a benefit, the show was about CARS! At the time, Jeremy's big freekin mouth wasn't the offense that even I find it to be today, but I also know that's why lots of people liked him. Even if he never spoke a word I bet the same people would still watch just to see a Mazerati demolition derby or a Toyota HiLux dropped out of an airplane.

I've been trying to nail down the tipping point. I think it was about the time of "Full Metal Challenge". FMC with Henry Rollins wasn't an outright "car" show, but it was about the last show I can think of where real people did real things with real tools to real vehicles.

Jesse James took the same concept and turned it into sissy slap-fight crybaby nonsense with "Monster Garage". I don't remember if "Pimp My Ride" was before or after that, but those both seemed to be the petunias growing out of the car shows grave. 90% of the shows runtime would be arguing and throwing things, or crying into the camera first-person style. They never explained what they were doing to the CAR or why they were doing it to the CAR, just a bunch feelings being demonstrated or explained. LAME. If I wanted feelings, I'm sure I could find the Hallmark channel.

Truth be told, I got rid of TV over 10 years ago. Everything turned into a reality show and I got whatever I wanted from the internet and that really hasn't changed much. Now I stream Archer and occasionally one pundit or another, but thought that if I did want to veg out and binge on a car show, are there any?

In my google hole I found this article from Jalopnik: http://jalopnik.com/heres-why-car-tv-sh ... 1729572843

Seems pretty legit, but I was wondering if there are any different opinions here, or if this was just a plug for Jay Leno's Garage.

Ya gotta check out Roadkill, Dirt Every Day, and Roadkill garage on youtube, best car and 4x4 shows I've seen anywhere.

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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by SJTD »

No cable or sat, gave that up around 1990. Lately I've got Amazon Prime. Been watching the original Top Gear, now on season 7. And Grand Tour. Yeah, Jeremy can get old, especially when you watch it every night.

Have to see if some of the other shows mentioned here are available. Hope they aren't like that chopper show with the foul mouthed old man and his foul mouthed crybaby kids?
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by dodgerammit »

not a tv watcher here either. Wife has netflix, and it keeps her happy. I have youtube and follow Dirt everyday, roadkill, regular cars, etc. I'm happy without the garbage being spooned, no, shoveled into my viewing experience.
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by Lumpskie »

I have nothing new to add. But, another vote for Roadkill, Dirt Everyday, Mighty Car Mods, Grand Tour. Sounds like I need to check out Bad Obsession...

So, what was the deal with Roadkill and Gas Monkey Garage?
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by prospector »

They went head to head in their mopars, gas monkey in a 68-69 dodge dart, built to the hilt, and roadkill in freibergers '69 dodge charger with the full on computerized dodge hellcat engine setup, built by a specialty factory affilliated company, 707 hp. When the lights turned green all roadkill saw was the quickly fading tail lights of a dodge dart, it was GONE. Freiberger and finnigan went home embarassed.
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by Stuka »

prospector wrote:They went head to head in their mopars, gas monkey in a 68-69 dodge dart, built to the hilt, and roadkill in freibergers '69 dodge charger with the full on computerized dodge hellcat engine setup, built by a specialty factory affilliated company, 707 hp. When the lights turned green all roadkill saw was the quickly fading tail lights of a dodge dart, it was GONE. Freiberger and finnigan went home embarassed.
Wow, so much wrong in this statement.

1: GMG only agreed to the challenge after Dodge stepped in and said "you either agree, or we pull our funding". because GMG wanted nothing to do with Roadkill. The whole idea of the challenge WAS Dodges.

2: BOTH teams were required to use a Hellcat Engine and Transmission. Dodge provided the setups to both teams.

3: Car bodies were supposed to be in stock form. GMG back halved their car and did a full tub, which allowed for FAR larger tires.

4: GMG did not use the 8sp ZF trans, they put in a power glide (FAR less parasitic losses, 2sp perfect for drag racing)

5: While another team did the engine swap on the RK Charger, GMG also hired out their Hemi stuff to DiabloSport.

6: The single biggest issue, and what I was alluding too above, is the BS that Discovery channel pulled. Not just the stuff that was done on purpose to spice up the show (GMG actually said they broke the rules on purpose), but the Roadkill crew was NOT ALLOWED TO RECORD THE RACE. So the big race, that was at Roadkill Nights, could not be recorded by Roadkill.

The car that GMG built was a good car, Aaron knows his stuff. And I actually like Aaron, I just cannot stand Richard. But the BS "reality" TV crap that was pulled is what pissed people off.

EDIT: BTW, Diversified Creations that did the hemi swap on the charger is not Chrysler affiliated shop. They did the swap simply because the RK guys didn't have the time to do it themselves. And they were very clear and open about that fact.
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prospector
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by prospector »

Stuka wrote:
prospector wrote:They went head to head in their mopars, gas monkey in a 68-69 dodge dart, built to the hilt, and roadkill in freibergers '69 dodge charger with the full on computerized dodge hellcat engine setup, built by a specialty factory affilliated company, 707 hp. When the lights turned green all roadkill saw was the quickly fading tail lights of a dodge dart, it was GONE. Freiberger and finnigan went home embarassed.
Wow, so much wrong in this statement.

1: GMG only agreed to the challenge after Dodge stepped in and said "you either agree, or we pull our funding". because GMG wanted nothing to do with Roadkill. The whole idea of the challenge WAS Dodges.

2: BOTH teams were required to use a Hellcat Engine and Transmission. Dodge provided the setups to both teams.

3: Car bodies were supposed to be in stock form. GMG back halved their car and did a full tub, which allowed for FAR larger tires.

4: GMG did not use the 8sp ZF trans, they put in a power glide (FAR less parasitic losses, 2sp perfect for drag racing)

5: While another team did the engine swap on the RK Charger, GMG also hired out their Hemi stuff to DiabloSport.

6: The single biggest issue, and what I was alluding too above, is the BS that Discovery channel pulled. Not just the stuff that was done on purpose to spice up the show (GMG actually said they broke the rules on purpose), but the Roadkill crew was NOT ALLOWED TO RECORD THE RACE. So the big race, that was at Roadkill Nights, could not be recorded by Roadkill.

The car that GMG built was a good car, Aaron knows his stuff. And I actually like Aaron, I just cannot stand Richard. But the BS "reality" TV crap that was pulled is what pissed people off.

EDIT: BTW, Diversified Creations that did the hemi swap on the charger is not Chrysler affiliated shop. They did the swap simply because the RK guys didn't have the time to do it themselves. And they were very clear and open about that fact.

Yeah yeah Stuka, I was just giving the barest synopsis, I didn't want to have to type all the stuff you just did. :D
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by Stuka »

prospector wrote:Yeah yeah Stuka, I was just giving the barest synopsis, I didn't want to have to type all the stuff you just did. :D
Fair enough ;)
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by az chip »

Doesn't matter much. It is for entertainment only. I think. Some take it a little serious I guess. That is ok too.
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by Lumpskie »

Thanks for filling me in. From what I saw, I could tell that there was something strange about that race. Sounds like Discovery messed the whole thing up with it's reality show mentality. I remember back when that channel was full of animal documentaries... those were the days.
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by Stuka »

Lumpskie wrote:Thanks for filling me in. From what I saw, I could tell that there was something strange about that race. Sounds like Discovery messed the whole thing up with it's reality show mentality. I remember back when that channel was full of animal documentaries... those were the days.
Yeah, I miss the Discovery of the 80's and 90's.
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by dodgerammit »

Stuka wrote:
Lumpskie wrote:Thanks for filling me in. From what I saw, I could tell that there was something strange about that race. Sounds like Discovery messed the whole thing up with it's reality show mentality. I remember back when that channel was full of animal documentaries... those were the days.
Yeah, I miss the Discovery of the 80's and 90's.
Same here. Loved watching actual science stuff. Next, they'll have a show called "OW, my balls!" :P
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Re: Car TV Shows.

Post by SJTD »

Back when I S-canned the cable I told them I only want Discovery and a few others. They said the networks are free. I said I don't want them.

They missed the point.

Around that time I took the kids to see my aunt in the afternoon. As usual she was watching TV. During that visit there was a commercial for the news that was coming up with a spot about a sleezey Valentines day segment they were going to have. Then the regular programing was interrupted for police chase that ended up with the guy cornered in a parking lot. Gunfire ensued.

"They're killing him now" was the insightful commentary from the talking head.

I don't miss broadcast TV.

Apologies REDONE for derailing your thread. :)
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