An alternative to Wheeler Dealers?

[littleade]

Noticed there's a show called 'Car S.O.S' on Thursday at 8pm on Nat Geo. Looks like they do cars up for their owners, rather than look to 'make a profit' ala Mike Brewer, so might be worth a look.

[Claireysmurf]

The bits of it I have seen look ok. I like Fuzz Townsend (who does the work), met him once. Ex Bentley Rhythm Ace and a few other bands too.

[United 11]

yes i watched the one with the sierra RS cosworth and must say its allot better than hearing mike the old mukas voice "ohh i aint drove one of these since i was 17" oh shut up if that was true he must have had some collection

[cs.rogers]

Mike Brewer can be hard work to listen to, though Edd gives a good insight into how different bits and pieces are done. Whats annoying is that they don't give time frames of how long the work takes and they don't seem to build Edd's time into the cost. But, I suppose the show is only really a piece of entertainment and not a televisation of a Haynes manual!

[Oet]

The bits of it I have seen look ok. I like Fuzz Townsend (who does the work), met him once. Ex Bentley Rhythm Ace and a few other bands too.

I like the programme, its pretty decent!

i did not know fuzz was in bentley rythem ace or pop will eat itself!!

[Matt Bodycombe]

I like Wheeler Dealers but Mike is cashing in now though with a dealership in Sheffield ( whether his or licencing his name i don't know) and he was selling cars at a local car supermarket in Canterbury last week. I was really angry at the Porsche boxster episode though as i thought the guy was ripped off. Obviously a garage had tried to rip him off for a new box when sll that was needed was gearbox oil. Guy laid car up and i bet someone as experienced ss Brewer knew it was nothing serious but only paid £1500.

I will check this show out for sure. Another good show, if you can stand the brash US presenters is Overhaulin where they take a wrecked old classic and restore and customise it for the owner. Always nice to see the joy on the owners face even though Chip Foose does not really do originality!

Edited 21 March, 2013 by Matt Bodycombe

[JerryT]

Noticed there's a show called 'Car S.O.S' on Thursday at 8pm on Nat Geo. Looks like they do cars up for their owners, rather than look to 'make a profit' ala Mike Brewer, so might be worth a look.

Bugger, missed it, but thanks to +1 I'm watching now. Triumph Stag, this could end badly.......

[FUBAR]

Ironically I saw this Superb on Ebay, then noticed name of trader.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271155767161?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

I have been watching Wheeler Dealers since the start and especially in the earlier days it was good fun and rolled nicely off the back of the likes of Deals on Wheels. Mike Brewer doesn't bug me still but I am gutted that he seems to have lost the ability to haggle or strike a good deal (bar the last episode) When they come to sell on the buyer is driving the deal all the time for last few series.

Car SOS is fantastic really great idea and could run for a long time fingers crossed as there will be plenty of cases out there.

[trundlenut]

Bugger, missed it, but thanks to +1 I'm watching now. Triumph Stag, this could end badly.......

I was expecting an engine,four wheels and several bins full of rust, but all worked out OK.

[JerryT]

I was expecting an engine,four wheels and several bins full of rust, but all worked out OK.

That Stag was probably the best condition car they have done so far.

Loved the pedal conversion, simple when you think about it

[trundlenut]

They went to the right people for the conversion. Nice to see something done properly.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[Matt Bodycombe]

Yeah I loved that Stag job as well. The guy who runs around getting parts seems a bit of a plonker but the mechanic seems a nice bloke and does a really good job. It is a bit like Overhaulin on Discovery. I wished I saw the earlier episodes with what looks to be a Fiat 850 convertable and a Cosworth but not eard anything about the series as it has not been advertised that well.

As to Brewer, barring the Boxter rip off it is still a good show with some nice cars and I always like to see knackered cars given a new lease of life. As others have mentioned the concept is flawed though as Edd has skill, a unit and tens of thousands of pounds worth of tools and gear so it is unlikely that even a mechanically minded person could repliate what they do. Oh well all good fun!

[Rob 4x4]

That stag restore and moddification was done very well I thought, the look on the owners face when driving it at the end was brilliant.

Series link is set!

Didn't the parts bloke (tim is it?) Have a small run on fifth gear?

[Oet]

brewer is just a kn*b, its just all too put on cockney for me, and i cringe when he always puts his hands over cars, or worse still leans/sits on them after ed has painted them. That being said i like the programme still and always watch it.

Overhaulin is souless imo, another massive money making machine turning around a car, like west coast customs, course they can do it, look at their budget..its not real life.

I much prefer fastnloud, far more gritty restorations, and some awesome stuff comes through their doors, plus its quite funny at times!

I think i have seen that guy tim on something else Rob, think it was fifth gear!

[mikey vrs]

Wheeler dealers is ok,its only a hour long so they cant cover everything in detail,i enjoyed the moggy traveler episode,its abit silly & unrealistic at times but its just a entertainment program,i like car sos too,its a slightly different take on things,fast & loud is good to watch too,i even liked the garage when that was on.

[Oet]

lol, the garage, jock is so obnoxious it makes for fun viewing, he sacked pretty much everyone didnt he?

[Penpusher]

They're repeating the Autotrader programmes, but can't remember the channel. Like Wheeler Dealers, it features Mike Brewer and Ed China and could be a good programme, but I find they switch between Mike selling a car and Ed tarting up a part-exchange too often. Every time they switch, they summarise what they've done and what they're going to do and they seem to repeat it about 10 times throughout the programme, leaving little time for presenting what they're actually doing.

[BJM]

The Garage re-surfaced on Quest last night.

Love the programme - I used to work (40 odd years ago) with a guy like Jock, and it brought it all flooding back.

Great fun watching him trying to fit a new set of points to the MG, and then comparing it to the PC analysis of the Beemer How quickly we forget things that a few years ago we would have done in our sleep, and become dependent on technology instead.

[Redboy]

Not convinced by the format of Car SOS. WD is getting a bit tired with repeats. As for MB taking advantage, is it not caveat emptor? He has been caught out and had to recondition a '76 911 box in one of the early shows. It does seem that autobox problem can be solved by fluid changes.

[Oet]

yes, ho really cares anyway, its all setup on WD, do you think the buyers or the sellers are real?

they aren't, i heard the buyers were members of the tv crews family...

and anyway, as said, the car got sold as it had a potentail problem, you don't pay top money for a car, that has a gearbox issue (or any issue), unless you are foolish, even if you have a feeling that you might know what it is, you are still taking a risk, so you offer accordingly at worst case scenario. Common sense imo.

[Matt Bodycombe]

Not familiar with fastnloud: what channel is it on? Garage on Quest I have not seen for a while (not sure if it is on virgin package, I changed to virgin because of sky's shockingly slow broadband).I remember there was quite a few bust ups and balls up job though. Not the sort of place I would take me car to :/

[RS939]

You can watch Fast n loud on youtube, its really worth a watch, when its on you can find it on discovery channel (IIRC) Classic car SOS is good also.

[Oet]

i like Aaron, he has a grizzly beard, and really knows his stuff!

[Brian69]

I love Wheeler Dealers and accept no imitations. The Minor Traveller was a cracking programme. Edd seems a really nice bloke and I think Mike's an old Mod, so can't be a bad lad.

[unclerichy]

I've only just found Car SOS (via the magic of the Internet) and like both series. The Wheeler Dealer 'banter' is rather formulaic: "Mike: Cor Edd, you ain't done nuffink. Edd: Yes I have, I've done the brakes/service/gearbox" and they could cut out the haggling - 90% of the time it's being bought for then sold for the mid-price. Cue Mike "'old out your 'and"

Car SOS is all a bit Cilla Black meets Challenge Anneka; folk with some sort of human interest back-story and a (usually three week) time pressure followed by "ah, we pretended we were inviting you to a wedding/rave/film premiere" reveal.

Still, the more car programmes the better.

Edited 24 March, 2013 by unclerichy