![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:36 • Filed to: Televisionlopnik | ![]() | ![]() |
I know I'm hella late on this one, but I watched Wheeler Dealers, a Discovery show, for the first time last night. It was the episode where he buys a Porsche Boxter S for one thousand pounds (yes, they're British). At first, I was a little turned off by the short guy's shouty nature and obviously staged transactions, but enter: the tall guy with the funny hair. The mechanic on this show does a great job at explaining the processes of repairing the car and giving you an idea of the time and equipment needed to perform it. The scenes of him fixing the automatic transmission and installing the exhaust on the Boxster was excellent. 9/10 will watch again.
TL;DR: Want to flip cars? Watch other people do it.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:38 |
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This sounds like it would only serve to motivate my car-flipping desires. I'll watch. :)
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:42 |
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This is one of my favorite shows! I definitely want to flip cars for a hobby someday when I have time/money and these guys are to blame.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:43 |
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I love this show, even more entertaining than TG. New season starts next Tuesday in the UK.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:44 |
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Great show. Fun and informative. Can't recommend enough.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:45 |
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BE WARNED: You will realize how much work it truly is to take some of these beaters and turn them into running cars that you would want to sell to someone. It often takes them a lot more work and effort than they thought. This often leads to them losing some money. Just fair warning.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:48 |
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They actually made me re-think flipping cars because it looks so labor and money intensive. You forget all the special equipment and knowledge you'd have to amass to truly be able to sort the problems most used cars have. It really didn't quelch the desire to do it though; just made me think it may not be a good idea.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:50 |
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Yes! I wasn't expecting it to be so informative. After just a 45 minute show, I now believe I could take a crack at changing the transmission fluid in a Boxster. It may be false confidence, but I feel like I learned something.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:52 |
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I hate Mike Brewer (the salesman bloke). It's not only that he's an arse (especially in earlier seasons; I remember that in one episode he broke a heart of a man who sold him his w123 for next to nothing and then bragged on camera about what a good deal it was), but he also has an annoying habit of patting people he meets on their back and sitting on cars. Argh.
They also have a habit of performing dodgy, sub par and sometimes downright illegal modifications and repairs on that show. Like the time they installed a cheap HID kit on a Lexus LS that didn't have the required self leveling system or headlight washers.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:52 |
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I just wish they showed re-runs more often so I can get caught up...
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:53 |
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Yeah I get that. When I do decide to try it, it'll be for fun only. It definitely wont replace my day job
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:54 |
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If you factor in how much time they spend working on the cars they really don't make squat from the car.
I still love it.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:58 |
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In short:
Mike = annoying
Edd = awesome
![]() 09/11/2013 at 14:58 |
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Yes he definitely rubs me the wrong way. To go to the camera after shaking a guys hand (and smacking the shit out of his back) and brag about how he lowballed the guy standing right there is pretty shitty, especially when some of these people had to break their hearts to get rid of their old car. He definitely bothers me.
I got that feeling with the brake re-finishing on the Porsche (I don't know if you've seen that one). They use a lathe like tool to grind off the top layer of the brakes, but I'm sure he didn't do it for all four since they weren't all messed up. I feel like that would probably be bad for braking performance and wear on the other brakes unevenly. Again I'm no expert, but it does make you think twice about buying from someone you know is flipping cars privately.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 15:00 |
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^ Alternate TL;DR
![]() 09/11/2013 at 15:03 |
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Along these same lines, I realized why rust is the enemy of all enemies. Some of the work Edd has to go through to fix a relatively minor bodywork issue is pretty impressive.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 15:08 |
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I never cared for when he'd come in to "check up" on Edd halfway through to show and then act all pissed off that the car looked the same, even though Edd had just done a ton if work. I know it was all an act but it bugged me just the same. I think that was more in the earlier shows too and something they've got away from.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 15:12 |
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Yes. That'd usually annoy me too. Although to be fair, I don't think Ed does that much work on those cars. He's more of a presenter-mechanic than just a mechanic. If you look in the credits there are other people credited for being mechanics.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 15:16 |
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It's not a bad show, although Mike Brewer has an annoying voice, from his choice of words to his accent via the volume of most of it. Also, they never factor in labour costs, so for you to have the same fortunes as them you need to already be Edd China and have a big workshop full of stuff.
But some of the cars they find are very cool. The new series starts off with a Lamborghini Urraco!
![]() 09/11/2013 at 15:22 |
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YES, IT IS VERY MUCH THE VOLUME OF HIS VOICE. WHY CAN'T WE TALK AT REASONABLE VOLUMES? HOW FAR AWAY ARE THE BOOM MICS?!
![]() 09/11/2013 at 15:25 |
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Paul!
![]() 09/11/2013 at 15:26 |
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My wife actually looks up at the tv at the end of each episode. It's always to mock the host for the ridiculously slim profit margins. Yeah, I want to see an hourly labor charge ticker on the bottom of the screen.
Ignoring that BS, they do work on some cool stuff. It took balls to fix that old Dino a few seasons back.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 16:43 |
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It's natural for a London back street car dealer like he is or used to be.
![]() 09/11/2013 at 17:57 |
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I don't think you can make a real profit out of it.
They don't show the costs of labor .