I like watching all those shows if I dont have my own wrenching to do. It also helps motivate me to take on projects that I had previously thought were above my skill level. Im not glued to the set or anything but, whatever. Part of it is that the guys that are doing these builds dont come off as any kind of super geniuses or anything, just guys that know the tips and tricks, have access to the right tools, and put in the elbow grease.
My favorite of the mech shows now is "Build or Bust" on the Speed Channel.
You (Joe Schmowe) get 30 days of working in a Biker shop, access to all their tools, and in 30 days you have to build a bike to the quality they would sell on their showroom floor. You are allowed to ask for advice, but you have to do all the work. If you make it, (bike has to be able to do a burnout at the end) you get to keep the bike. If you dont, shop keeps it, and finishes it. Most people DONT make it. So you really DONT know how its going to turnout. Afterwatching this show, its like sh!t, I could do that, whereas before I never would have had a clue as to what is entailed. Makes me want to build a mild chopper now. Maybe thats the goal of all these shows is to help drive the industry ? If So, works on me.
Part of the American Hot Rod Drama:
(cut/paste from another site)
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Tension Between Boyd and Chip Foose?
Has to do with Boyd getting into some serious business problems that resulted in him having to file bankrupcy chapter 13 in the early-mid 90's. he ended up losing his first “Hot Rods by Boyd’ business, the stock holders petitioned to have Chip Foose, who at the time was Vice President, take over Boyd’s company. Boyd & Diane (Boyd’s first wife and Controller of the current business; Boyd’s Garage) were both “removed” from any ownership or involvement of Hot Rods by Boyd. Basically, Boyd lost not only his Hot Rods by Boyd business, but also the Boyds Billet Wheel business, the Mattel, Revell, Pactra Paints and other licensing rights to the Hot Rods by Boyd name, Cars and all products Boyd had built or created during that time. Boyd to this day resents the fact that Chip Foose was approached by the stock holders to run the Boyd Companies and feels that although he had a great hand in helping Chip establish himself back then, Chip personally & professionally stabbed him in the back.
heres a link to the finacial problems:
http://www.americanmotor.com/news.cfm?newsid=365-------------------------------
That also explains why Boyd was so tweaked out over losing "Charlie".... cause guess where/who he went to go work for
(hint: Rhymes with Chip Foose) Saw a show bout a month ago where Charlie was working for Foose on some Cadillacs (?) for the SEMA show or something like that in Vegas.
