Wheeler Dealer goes to Germany for an e30 m3

[Tom64]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83qyAWnXPSQ

[Ironhead]

I really enjoy that show. Not entirely sure why....

BUT....some of the resto work they do sure is cheesy. Painting body panels with spray cans...stuff like that. And the "profit" they claim at the end is pretty much bogus, because they totally disregard all the labor time put into the cars. The tall guy who does the repair work is pretty talented....that sort of labor is far from free.

The lesson I get from the show is that buying used cars and then flipping them for a profit is VERY difficult to pull off consistently. Particularly enthusiast used cars.

[MTree]

This a very old episode. The show was evolved since these days.

[///Mflossin]

I really enjoy that show. Not entirely sure why....

BUT....some of the resto work they do sure is cheesy. Painting body panels with spray cans...stuff like that. And the "profit" they claim at the end is pretty much bogus, because they totally disregard all the labor time put into the cars. The tall guy who does the repair work is pretty talented....that sort of labor is far from free.

The lesson I get from the show is that buying used cars and then flipping them for a profit is VERY difficult to pull off consistently. Particularly enthusiast used cars.

That is so funny because I like that show too! That's Ed China. Can never forget his name.....it just seems like and odd name. Anyhow yeah.....he'll put about 80 hours into a car and they'll turn it for 1,000 quid more than they bought it for and only include part pricing. So basically yeah....free labor and they are never making money if you value your time. The guy does have skills.

[Tom64]

Well, it is a TV show, I'm sure they are making money.....

[Ironhead]

Well, it is a TV show, I'm sure they are making money.....

True....but the premise is very misleading. They use "free" labor, do cheesy things I could never bring myself to do to a car, and even then don't make much money.

[diegom6]

That car had the extended fuel range option! Like mine, very cool In the other hand, the seats are RECARO? ANd what cloth is that one? Very nice M3 there, hope is like that todays

[02fanatic]

Yeah that's an old episode, but I never saw it...look how thin and young Mike looks! I believe the tall guy is Edd (with 2 d's) China...I watch the show all the time, and I actually enjoy it very much. I've learned a few wrenching tricks along the way. I also chuckle about the free sweat equity when when calculating the "profit". The one thing that absolutely drives me nuts though is the way Mike seems to always sit on the damn bonnet (hood to us dumb Americans)! That is crazy!

[fat_louis]

yeah, and they never mention the mileage on the cars either. At least with Pimp my Ride they make sure the cars will keep on running and pay those hapless kids (who always seem to spend a lot of time taking care of their moms) taxes on the 40K worth of stereo equipment and door handle shaving they put on a $200 car. you also notice that they never get decent tires for their cars either. and how do you get a name like Ed China? That is almost as ridiculous as when michael vick used the fake name Ron Mexico at the doctor's office. love the show nonetheless, but it is entertaining when Velocity (RIP discovery HD theater) says the episode is all new when everyone has been watching them for two years on youtube.

[BMG]

G21TGJ shows up on the UK car insurance database as an M3 with current insurance, so it looks to be alive and well in the UK, some place.

The show always was a bit cheesy, I would rather they drop the profit angle and just show each cars achilles heel and the repairs, but yeah, worth a watch.
Also didn't know Ed was guy behind all the road legal junk, like beds...

[MTree]

I have my DVR setup to record any new episodes that come up and i'm always excited to see if thier is a new episode recorded and what car it wil be!

From what i have read online, Edd China is a Mechanical Engineer and holds various titles in the Guiness Boook of World records for fastest Barstool, Houses and odd stuff like that.

I agree with everyone about the cost of labor. Knowledge comes at a price and it is inherent when you utilize a specialist for something in life. Having the ability to know the cars your bringing in makes the repair or troubleshooting that much easier. Unfortunately, many of us do not have the experience to work on that many cars.

On that note, If my wife allowed me to be a Wheeler dealer, (Bring in random cars and fix them to make crumbs as profit all in effort to have some good ole' fun)

Here's my List:

1)Audi UR Quattro
2)Ford Escort RS cosworth
3)GMC Typhoon
4)Defender 90
5)VW Scirocco 16V

[nrubenstein]

On one hand, a lot of what they do is super cheesy. On the other hand, every now and then I pick up something useful. Like the bumper repair that they did on the 840Ci. Watching all of the other fabrication porn shows is interesting, sometimes, but I never really feel like I've picked up something useful when someone has explained to me how to use a $5-25k tool that I will probably never et the chance to touch, much less use.

And yeah, the modern shows today have a lot more "good" technique in them.

[Ironhead]

On one hand, a lot of what they do is super cheesy. On the other hand, every now and then I pick up something useful. Like the bumper repair that they did on the 840Ci. Watching all of the other fabrication porn shows is interesting, sometimes, but I never really feel like I've picked up something useful when someone has explained to me how to use a $5-25k tool that I will probably never et the chance to touch, much less use.

And yeah, the modern shows today have a lot more "good" technique in them.

Agreed.

I like how Ed tears into the cars and simply fixes them without ever consulting a manual.....he just looks at the layout and figures out on his own how he is going to get to where he needs to be. I also like how he adapts simple tools rather than having access to exotic specialized items....seating seals and bearings with the appropriate sized socket, that sort of thing.

What the show does slam home though, is that from an economic standpoint a car does have a very finite lifespan. Unless a car is truly rare and desireable, like a Ferrari GTO or something, it makes no financial sense to try to rebuild them once their factory lifespan has been used up. In the show, they do many cheap and cheesy things to "rebuild" the cars they buy, and in most cases are simply buying a bit of time with the car rather than truly restoring/rebuilding anything. Yet even taking that into account, and also the fact that they buy used cars very cheap, once labor is factored in they really make absolutely nothing.

It drives home what I think most of us already knew....restoring/rebuilding your older car is generally a labor of love rather than a sound financial investment. We might tell our spouses/significant others differently, but we know the truth.....

[nrubenstein]

I could give away my E30s and rent a 328i as a daily and come out ahead. It's one of those things that I accepted long ago.

Agreed.

I like how Ed tears into the cars and simply fixes them without ever consulting a manual.....he just looks at the layout and figures out on his own how he is going to get to where he needs to be. I also like how he adapts simple tools rather than having access to exotic specialized items....seating seals and bearings with the appropriate sized socket, that sort of thing.

What the show does slam home though, is that from an economic standpoint a car does have a very finite lifespan. Unless a car is truly rare and desireable, like a Ferrari GTO or something, it makes no financial sense to try to rebuild them once their factory lifespan has been used up. In the show, they do many cheap and cheesy things to "rebuild" the cars they buy, and in most cases are simply buying a bit of time with the car rather than truly restoring/rebuilding anything. Yet even taking that into account, and also the fact that they buy used cars very cheap, once labor is factored in they really make absolutely nothing.

It drives home what I think most of us already knew....restoring/rebuilding your older car is generally a labor of love rather than a sound financial investment. We might tell our spouses/significant others differently, but we know the truth.....