02x01 - Back in the Borderland

[bunniefuu]

[tools whir]

[engine revs]

[country music playing]

[Scooter] Getting close to that Chevy.
Few more miles, should see an S-Mart.

-Make a left.
-Sounds like a plan, man.

What are those, goats or dogs?

-Those are goats.
-Hah! They got 'em with sweaters.

[chuckles]

-[clicking]
-[Rabbit] Damn it.

-[Scooter] What happened?
-[Rabbit] I think we're overheatin'.

-We've gotta get a better damn truck.
-[clicking continues]

[Scooter] Man!

[Rabbit sighs]

[Scooter] Smoking, huh?

-What? Ah, pues…
-[Rabbit] Oh!

-[Scooter] Pfft!
-[Rabbit] Oh.

[coughing]

You know what? [grunts]
I've gotta go take a leak. I'll be back.

[Rabbit] You go do that.

[sighs] Well, looks like
we got a little time to k*ll.

[producer] Get us caught up, then.
What's been goin' on?

[rock music playing]

[Rabbit] Coming off of last year,

our little business venture
worked out pretty well.

Jumpin' over the border
from El Paso to Juarez,

sourcing and securing rare
and valuable classic cars,

and fixin' and flippin' them
back in the States

got us a decent profit of about $310,000,

which was more than enough
to have another go at it.

[Scooter] Whoo!

[Rabbit] But this time,
we're goin' deeper into Mexico

to go after even more rare
and expensive cars

with the goal of makin' 500 grand
before the end of winter.

We also had some big changes in the shop.

Mike decided to take another opportunity.

And Jenicio had twins!

Between that and his dad's shop,
that boy's got his hands full.

But the rest of us
were still game to give it a go.

-I love it.
-Yep.

[Rabbit] We're swingin' for the fences

to make Borderland Customs
a household name.

So the team invested in
a proper full-time shop,

bigger and better than before.

[Jaime] Let's go, guys.

[Rabbit] And Jaime stepped up
to run that side of the operation.

-You take one side, and I take the other.
-Yeah.

[Rabbit] Scooter's been working on his
network of car scouts south of the border,

and one of his contacts tracked down
a great new lead

on a '52 Chevy back in Chihuahua.

Well, that was kind of a lot.

I know, man.
I've been holding that for a while.

-Let's go. Vamonos. You ready?
-We ain't going anywhere.

-We gotta let this thing cool off.
-My favorite cantina's around the corner.

When the motor stops smoking,
let's go there to cool off.

[Rabbit] It beats
standin' out here sweatin'.

[theme music playing]

[upbeat country music playing]

[Wes] Camaro!

-Let's see what we got to work with.
-All right. So.

-[man 1] Let's get it done.
-Toolbox up, tools in hand.

And here we go.

[Wes] Let's bag and tag everything.

-Nuts, bolts, Ziploc bags.
-[man 2] Okay.

I'll keep everything bagged and tagged
back here in the back.

[man 1] Hey, Lucky's here. Never fear.

-[Wes] Uh-oh.
-[Jaime laughs]

So quite a bit has changed
here at Borderland Customs.

[man 2] Lucky, wanna start
grabbin' the seats?

-Movin' them out?
-[Lucky] I'll start.

[Jaime] For starters,
we have a couple of fresh new faces.

[man 2] I'm gonna get
these taillights out real quick.

-It's like teeth. Keep what you got.
-[Wes] That's it.

[Jaime] Andy.
He's a paint and design genius.

He's always got tons of great ideas.

Let's make some kind of exotic,
like, very limey,

see-through-ish kind of a candy.

Go crazy from there.

-[laughs]
-[Wes] Yeah! We'll just make it.

[Jaime] And definitely has his own style.

[Wes] How's everything looking in there?

[Lucky] Well, so far so good.

-[Wes] Hey!
-Little surface--

-[Wes] You're already making money.
-[Lucky] Look at that.

We're gonna throw that in
on the budget. 37 cents.

[Lucky laughs]

[Jaime] And Lucky, an interior whiz

who can create
beautiful custom designs from scratch.

You gotta go slow.

[Jaime] He can't stand
anything short of perfect.

Aw, I'mma have to do this side over.

Make sure you get my good side.

Before Scooter and Rabbit headed down
to Chihuahua to find a 1952 Chevy…

[horn honks]

…they scored us a sweet 1970 Camaro
for our first build in the new shop.

It has some rust issues
that we'll have to take care of,

but otherwise, it's a pretty solid car.

Since this is our first car
out of the gate,

we're starting modestly
with a $20,000 budget.

[Lucky] Heck yeah!

[Jaime] We're gonna turn it
into a street legal racer

because we have experience with that,

and racing is super popular
here in El Paso.

We're gonna put a 505 under the hood
and make it fly down the track.

[tires squeal and engine revs]

[Jaime] Upgrading the suspension,
adding a custom interior,

and after the purchase price of 5,500
and the upgrades of about 20 grand,

it could bring us
a nice $30,000 to $40,000 profit,

which will keep the lights on

until Scooter and Rabbit get here
with that '52 Chevy.

[Wes] Who's got my grinder?

[upbeat music playing]

-[horns blaring]
-[dogs barking]

-[lively conversation]
-[men singing in Spanish]

-♪ Que bonito, Chihuahua! ♪
-Whoo!

[speaking Spanish]

[laughter]

[Scooter] Mmm!

I think I'm gonna need a refill.

-No.
-I wish you could have some.

-But you're driving.
-I wish I could too.

I gotta be the responsible one
around here.

I don't. [giggles]

-I'm really excited about that '52, man.
-I am too.

If your contact's right,
it'll be a great find.

[Scooter] It's supposed to be
a turnkey vehicle.

So, yes, I'm happy, man.

-We made a lot of money last year.
-Yes, we did.

-But we gotta make even more this year.
-More, yes, more. More!

So, you know what?
I have to go to the restroom.

Again? Make it quick, buddy.

-Let's get on the road.
-It'll be quick. Don't leave.

I'll be right back.
[as Terminator] "I'll be back."

-[in Spanish] Hey, Scooter.
-[Scooter] Hey, Carlos.

[Carlos] You still flipping cars?

-[Scooter] Yes, why do…
-[static breaking up audio]

[Carlos] Lincoln '66… suicide doors.

[Scooter] How cool! Yes.

[Carlos] …because my wife…

[Scooter] I'll follow you, let me…

Rabbito!

[in English] Come here!
Hurry up! Quick, quick.

[fast-paced music playing]

-[Rabbit] What's going on?
-I found us a car lead, man.

'66 Continental, suicide doors.

This guy Carlos I met.
He'll lead us to it, but we gotta go.

-We gotta go!
-[Rabbit] Let's go.

What's the rush?

[Scooter] His wife is mad.
He spent so much time at the cantina.

Let's go!

Get out the way!

-[speaking Spanish]
-[barking]

Get this thing started, man. Come on!

-Come on now, you guy, hurry up!
-[engine grinds]

[Scooter] Uh-oh.

-[engine starts]
-[Rabbit] Hold on to your a*s, boys.

-Which way did he go?
-I don't know, we just gotta find him.

Where does Carlos live?

He says he's not far. Come on, come on.

You know, we came all the way
from El Paso deeper into Mexico

looking for a '52 Chevrolet,

but then got a lead
on a suicide-door Lincoln,

which anybody knows is worth twice as much
as that old '52 Chevy any day of the week.

-I got a good feeling about this Lincoln.
-You gotta watch those feelings of yours.

That might be
that burrito you had this morning.

[Scooter] He's right there!

Punch it, punch it. Catch up to him, man.

[Rabbit] I can't push it too hard.
It'll overheat.

[Scooter] There it is. [chuckles]

-[Rabbit] I see the Lincoln.
-[Scooter] There's our car.

-Carlos!
-[in Spanish] Did you get lost or what?

[Scooter] No, the gringo was driving.
But here we are. Where's the car?

-Here. Do you want to see it?
-Yes, let's see it.

-[Rabbit, in English] Let's see this.
-[Carlos speaking Spanish]

[Scooter] They don't make 'em
like they used to, he says.

[Rabbit] 1966 Lincoln Continental.

Arguably one of the most iconic
and prestigious American luxury cars

is the Lincoln Continental.

Everyone ranging from US presidents
to Elvis the King himself

owned one of these.

[engine revving]

[Rabbit] With its rear-hinged doors,

this design was created
to give enough comfort for a king or queen

to sit in the back seat.

This fourth generation is timeless,

and many were manufactured in Mexico.

It's no surprise it had excellent sales
south of the border.

And a fully restored one
would fulfill any collector's fantasy.

[Scooter speaking Spanish]

[Carlos speaking Spanish]

[Scooter] He says the hubcaps
are original.

-[Carlos speaking Spanish]
-[Scooter] Original seats, he says.

It's pretty straight, Rabbit.
Let's open it up.

[Rabbit] 461 V8.

This is basically a Ford Y-block engine.

They're kind of big.
It's not very fast. It's kind of torquey.

[speaks Spanish]

[in Spanish] This guy knows everything
about cars. He's like Wikipedia.

At least he acts
like he knows everything, but…

[laughs]

[Rabbit, in English] This is what makes it
special right here. The suicide doors.

Suicide doors. Do you know
why they call them suicide doors?

-Tell me.
-Mm, I don't. You tell me.

[Rabbit] It was before seat belts.
If you were in the back,

and the doors opened, you'd fly out.

Oh, yeah. [chuckles]

-[Rabbit] Let's see how good she runs.
-[Scooter] All right.

Step over here. Watch the sparks fly.

[engine revving]

Like a top.

Pretty solid.

Do you realize
we got a suicide door Lincoln?

One like this could bring


I'm not the biggest Ford Lincoln guy,

but if you gon' have one,
that's the best one to have.

But there's no way
we're gonna tow that with our C10, man.

I've got an idea.

-You always have an idea.
-Always.

Carlos, what does a man like you,

in the middle of a damn cotton field
in Mexico, have with a Lincoln?

You know what a man like you needs?
A classic C10 truck.

[Scooter translates]

[Rabbit] One of the most desirable,
best-sellin' trucks of all time.

[Scooter translates]

-[Rabbit] Inline six-cylinder.
-[translates]

Got a five-speed manual transmission
with overdrive.

-This truck is ready to work.
-[Scooter translates]

-[Carlos speaking Spanish]
-He says he likes the truck.

His dad used to have one.

[Rabbit] Ask if he's got
the title to that Lincoln.

[speaking Spanish]

-[Carlos replies]
-He's got it.

-Tell him normally…
-[translates]

…I would offer about 2,500
and this truck for your Lincoln.

[translates]

[Rabbit] But, full disclosure,

this truck's got
a slight overheatin' problem.

[translates]

I will give another thousand,
so that's 3,500 total,

to cover any repairs.

[Carlos speaking Spanish]

[Scooter] He says it's good,
but he's looking…

he's looking, like, for you
to maybe offer him a little bit more.

[Carlos speaking Spanish]

He says… he's…
You're not just taking any car, he goes.

They don't make those…
those kind of cars like these.

-They don't make trucks like this anymore.
-[Scooter translates]

I can use that same line back.

-I'll tell you what we can do.
-[translates]

-3,750.
-[translates]

The C10 for the Lincoln.

[translates]

[in Spanish] Deal or no deal?

-[in English] Deal?
-There's a deal.

-Shake on it.
-We got a deal. Thank you, Carlos.

[speaking Spanish]

-We got one problem.
-[Scooter] What is it?

-How are we gonna get that trailer back?
-We can ask him if we can leave it here.

-Ask him for a few days.
-Yes.

-Then we'll be back.
-[Carlos speaks Spanish]

He says we can park it there on the side,
so it'll be away from the road.

-Get this man paid.
-[Scooter] Okay.

-Get our paperwork swapped.
-Let me find the money.

Think I left it here, with the candies.

[Rabbit] This deal is major.

In the US,
this would at least cost 20 grand.

And after I fired it up,
I never let them keys get out of my hand,

'cause old Rabbit
wasn't leavin' without 'em.

Sure, we didn't get
the Chevy we promised Jaime,

but, hell, this is a way bigger score.

-Everything's for a reason, right?
-Right.

-For a reason.
-To make more money.

Exactly.

[both] Exactly.

[dynamic music playing]

[Wes] When the Camaro first arrived,

we noticed there was some rust
in the lower quarter panels.

Rust is like termites.

This car could be eaten up
all the way through.

If it's everywhere, it's gonna add
weeks to my fabrication at best.

So, unfortunately,
the rust is between two pieces of metal,

and it's workin' its way to the surface.

I'm very relieved though.

I'm only seein'
small sections rusted through

and not the entire panels.

We gotta make sure
we clear all this out, repair this,

so when they bodywork it and paint it,
this will never come back again.

So, to save a little money, I'm going
to fabricate some new patch panels

and patch these areas up
where the rust has gone through.

So this is what I like to do.
I like to make pieces, not buy them.

Cut it out, weld it in.
You're good as new.

Yeah. Only 100 more to go.

["Work [Step it Up]"
by Amy McKnight playing]

-♪ Work ♪
-♪ Work, work, step it up ♪

-♪ Just work ♪
-♪ Work, work, work, nine to five ♪

♪ Work ♪
-♪ And work, work, work ♪

-♪ Yeah, everybody work, work, work ♪
-♪ Keep it goin' now ♪

[upbeat rock music playing]

So, on the '70 Camaro,
we're basically goin' all-black interior.

It's gettin' new sun visors,
new headliner, all new door panels,

new seat covers, and the new carpet kit.

So, basically, once the '70 Camaro's done,
it's gonna be all brand new inside.

I'm basically starting from scratch
on this build.

It's a lot on my plate, but it's my chance
to show the team what I can do.

People tend to focus on the paint job
and what's underneath the hood,

but when you think about it, the driver's
butt's gonna be in the seat all day long,

so seats need to be comfortable.

We got nice, beautiful covers
that I've already sewn.

I just need to add
a little bit of new foam,

'cause it can't just look good.
It's gotta feel good.

And there you go.

So on to the rest.

♪ You know I do what I want ♪

♪ Do it like this, do it like that ♪

♪ You know I take what I need ♪

♪ Can't stop, won't stop, no stoppin' me ♪

[sander whirring]

Hmm.

That's what happens
when you don't get an education.

Stay in school, kids.

[Andy] Wes is finished with the metalwork,
so that means it's time for me to shine.

My first car for Borderland Customs.
I'm ready to paint it.

I'm just a c*ck over here, man.
It's just… it's like bartending.

On this particular build,
we're gonna stay classic.

This bein' my first paint job,
I figure I better not go wild.

The same time, I think it's very important
that I kinda add my own touch.

Tiger Orange is a color
that's really popular.

The thing is,
is this Camaro is really curvy,

so I think we really need
to kinda give a glow to it.

So when we add this red,
it's gonna make a really cool, fiery red,

which is gonna attract a buyer
like a moth to a flame.

[upbeat music playing]

♪ Cruisin' down the highway
The right way, yeah, yeah ♪

[horns blaring]

[Scooter] Mexican candies are
the best, man.

Mmm! Mmm-hmm-hmm!

-[speaking Spanish]
-This is my favorite part.

-This is my-- Right here.
-Sitting here with my little buddy.

-While you're on a Mexican sugar high.
-Mm-hm. Mmm! Try one.

And you work your way around it.
Uh-hmm-hmm.

-No, but… but work it, work…
-[groans] Ugh!

[laughing] Work it, work it.

-That's disgusting! Ugh!
-You didn't like it?

-Mmm!
-Ugh!

[upbeat music playing]

[car horn blaring]

[Rabbit] It's like a candy-coated scorpion
or somethin'.

[Scooter] Oh, have you had those? Mmm.
They're good. Especially the tail part.

[chuckling]

-[Rabbit] Been trapped in a car with him.
-[Scooter] Jaime, this is for you.

-[Wes] What's--
-This is the ultimate bribe.

-[Scooter] The ultimate bribe.
-[Wes] This is no Chevy.

[Rabbit] This right here is k*ller.

Let's talk about the goods.

Oh yeah. The candy.
We got lollipops. We got the…

-[Wes] No, the car.
-[Rabbit] The car!

Oh, the car. Okay, yeah. Let's do that.

-[laughing]
-'66 Lincoln Continental.

Straight as an arrow.

No rust, no rot.

This thing has got potential for days.

I'm diggin' it, man.

-Do you know how much money we paid?
-Ten.

[Rabbit] 3,750.

-[Jaime] Okay.
-[team] Oh!

-You can't find this.
-We just hit bank.

That's a great deal, but you left here
with a truck and trailer.

-So that's the other part.
-The other part.

-We just gave him the truck also.
-[Andy] Yo. What?

-We didn't need the truck.
-What?

So we no longer have a shop truck?

-No, we don't.
-[Scooter] Nope.

I'll take a bribe. 'Cause
it's what it's startin' to look like.

-[Scooter] Have a lollipop.
-[Jaime] Scouts that make their own rules.

-[Scooter] No…
-Ugh!

I tell you what, Jaime,
I'll make you a deal.

I will take your job and you can sit
in a car for eight hours with this guy,

with no radio, no AC…

-[laughter]
-And a bag full of sugar.

We upgraded the shop.
Time to upgrade the truck.

-Yes.
-You gave the trailer up? Or no?

-[Rabbit] No, we still got a trailer.
-Okay.

But it's sitting in a cotton field
somewhere right now. But it's cool.

-The trailer's in a cotton field?
-[Scooter] Yes, yes.

-[Andy] It's gone. Okay, it's gone.
-[Scooter] No, it's not gone!

We're focusin' on the hole
and not the donut.

-This is what's gonna be the big payday.
-[Scooter] The moneymaker.

-We'll turn Lincoln pennies into dollars.
-[Jaime] Okay.

-[Scooter] Yes.
-Right.

-[Jaime] Bring it in.
-[Scooter] Watch the candy. The loot!

-Cut it sharp. Cut it sharp!
-[Scooter speaking Spanish]

Yeah, baby.

-Ugh!
-[Scooter] Whoo!

-[Lucky] A sus ordenes.
-[Scooter] Sí! This is a big one.

[Wes] It's an open canvas for sure.

[Andy] How about the doors
opening like that?

[Wes] That's what these cars are
known for. Suicide doors.

You drove it all the way back from Mexico.

-Yes.
-And it drove okay?

I'll be honest with you, a little tune-up,
I mean, would do it nothin' but good.

Hey, what's up with the duct tape?

Doesn't look like
there's anything wrong with it.

[Scooter] An old trick.

People look at your car
and see all this tape on it.

Like, "It's too messed up.
I'm not gonna mess with it."

In other words, it's a camouflage.

-That way, nobody steals it.
-Yes. Mexican camouflage.

Cool.

And the car is pretty much straight.

-In my department, I'm diggin' what I see.
-You're still paintin' a football field.

What color are you thinkin'
on the outside?

What if we went with a phantom idea, where
all of a sudden this car is whited out?

Everything's white,
but we've got a blood-red interior.

-Okay.
-If we do that, I really think…

Because this has a lot of room,

I say we paint a dragon
down the side of this.

Like a dragon dragon?

[Jaime] Don't you think we should try
something a little more traditional?

[Andy] I knew it'd shock you.

-From the man with blue hair? Not at all.
-Ah, there you go! Okay.

I would turn it into a very fiery dragon
that's breathing fire.

-However, I saw the looks on your faces.
-No fire!

So, what we could do is,

I'll just use, like, a silver or somethin'
and kinda just paint it in.

It'll be a part of the blend.

Doesn't stand out really bold,
but yet it's there.

How many of these do you see
rollin' down the roads anyway?

-Not with a dragon.
-You nailed it.

That's the reason
we need to take it over the top.

It's definitely gonna stand out
in a crowd.

[Rabbit] You know what?

That would attract attention,
not just for the car, but for the shop.

-Go with it.
-Okay.

[Wes] So, build plan,
we're thinkin' a white Lincoln.

Dragon on the side to stand out.

Tune-up.

-Get it runnin', drivin', stoppin' good.
-[Jaime] Yeah.

-What about the interior?
-[tires screech]

[Lucky] Well, we keep the red interior.

-We do some gray stitching.
-[sewing machine rattling]

[Lucky] And then we go ahead
and add maybe some gray suede.

-Bring out the dragon a little more.
-[Andy] I'm lovin' it.

-[Lucky] Original, but spice it up.
-[Jaime] Yeah, spice it up.

-I'm in.
-[Scooter] Let's do it.

-[Andy] All right.
-[Jaime] Budget should be 15 to 25 grand.

-[Andy] Okay.
-[Jaime] How much can you sell this for?

[Rabbit] You know…

I think with his artwork, someone
might be willing to pay up to 80 grand.

-[Jaime] Okay.
-Ándale, there you go, huh?

We've all agreed
what's happening with this car.

-You need to bring that '52 back here.
-[Scooter] Okay.

First things first.
We have to find a shop truck.

[Jaime] True.
But let's keep it under 25,000, please.

-[Scooter] Money well spent.
-[Rabbit] Know what, Andy?

Candy's not gonna dig you guys
out of this one next time.

-Teardown started.
-Whoo! Right on.

-[Wes] Are y'all walkin' home?
-[Scooter] Bye, guys.

-[Rabbit] We're going truck shopping.
-[Scooter] Yes.

♪ Shopping for a new truck ♪

[Jaime] All right, let's tear this thing
down and see what we got.

[Andy] We got a lot of work, man.
We got interior this time.

[Lucky] Yeah, we actually do.

-[Wes] Get this hood off?
-[Andy] Yes, sir.

[Lucky] I might have to take my hat off
on this one.

[Jaime] Let's go, guys.

While we wait for the Camaro to dry,

we should start working
on the Continental.

This is a great car, and I know
we can make a lot of money on it.

Even though it's not the '52 Chevy
Rabbit promised me, I'm excited,

because you don't get the chance to work
on a suicide door Lincoln very often.

-[Andy] Hood comin' off.
-[Jaime] That was quick.

[Jaime] And this should be
a huge ticket item for the shop.

But it's gonna be
quite a lot of work to do.

-[Andy] Gosh almighty.
-[Wes laughs]

[Andy] That is a trunk lid.

This car is so big,
and it's gonna take a lot of time.

Time is money, and we don't have
either one to waste at this point,

'cause we need a new truck
and a bunch of cars to work on.

[Jaime] Holy moly!

Ugh, this is like… mouse house.

They must've found this
in a field somewhere or somethin'.

Get all the rats and mice all up in there.

[Jaime] That's gross. Eww, ew, ew.

-I ain't taken the headliner off yet.
-[Jaime] What does that mean?

[Lucky] We might find mice and rats
up there. You never know.

They like to climb up there on the top.

-That's where they keep warm.
-You…

Yes, I've seen it before.

-Lizards, all… mice.
-Lizards?

-Yeah. Yeah.
-Uh-uh.

That… that's a Texas thing.
Or are you messing with me?

-Want me to come get you if I find one?
-No. Mm-mm.

[upbeat music playing]

[Jaime] All right, dudes. Time to go.

[Wes] I'm excited to finish up
the Camaro tomorrow.

[Lucky] Let's do it.

That's a beast of an engine.

You wanted a race car?

This is what you need for a race car.
Stroked big-block.

You know, hopefully, we can get
six, 700 horsepower out of this thing.

-Oh my gosh.
-[Wes chuckles]

You can never have too much horsepower.

-[Jaime] Oh my gosh.
-Ever.

[Jaime] Wes found the engine.
It's a Chevy big-block.

The price we paid for it was 6,500.
That's a fair price for a beefy engine.

Making a race car,
it really slims the market down

to a particular buyer.

But hot-rodding is huge in West Texas,
especially where we are.

This engine is the centerpiece
of the build,

so hopefully, we'll…
make our money back plus some.

-[Wes] Right there.
-It's in.

[tool clatters]

Oh yeah! It's a tight fit.

-[Jaime] We've done worse.
-[Wes chuckles] Right?

Still got a lot of assembly to do.

[grunts]

[Wes] When the car came in,
there were areas that were rusted out

that I had to patch up.

So now we have to make sure
all the pieces fit together perfectly.

A monster engine like this

is gonna throw out
a tremendous amount of energy.

So if there are any weak points,
it could buckle the body panels

or cause stress cracks.

Doing this shop,
we wanna build a reputation.

When people see our cars,
we want the lines to line up,

door gaps to be good, quality builds.

That's what brings the big money.
That's what we're here to do.

[Jaime] How about this color?

-[Wes] You like it?
-You know what I like about it?

It's not exactly orange,
and it's not exactly red.

-What would you name it?
-Red-orange.

[both laugh]

Oh, that's just so flippin' original.
How about El Paso Sunset?

Yeah.

-El Paso Sunset.
-[magical tinkling sound]

-Red-orange.
-[Jaime laughs] Oh God.

Okay, let's finish this up
and give it back to Andy.

[Andy] We're nearing
the finish line on this racer.

I just need to add
the iconic Camaro stripe,

a little polish,
and then we can get it to the strip.

This is totally in my wheelhouse, because
before I came to Borderland Customs,

I worked for NHRA doing drag racing cars.

[engines revving]

I was born and… and bred into it.

My granddad started
a body shop back in 1948.

So I'm carrying on the third generation.

I have a lot of passion for this industry,
but most of all,

I'm seeking the artistic form
of everything.

As an artist, you gotta be dead
to make any money.

Lucky for me,
I figured out a way to do it.

[dramatic music playing]

[Jaime] I am so excited,

because the first build of the winter
is ready to hit the market.

When the Camaro arrived at the garage,
it pretty much was just a shell of a car.

We removed all the rust,

installed beautiful custom black interior,

topped it off
with an eye-popping paint job.

We also gave it disc brakes and fat tires.

But under the hood
is what makes it a real showstopper.

We gave it a ton of power
with a big-block Chevy

that's gonna make the gearheads go crazy.

♪ All day, all night
We gonna fight, fight, fight ♪

[Jaime] The team
really came together for this one,

and it's a solid resto
to start things off.

All that's left
is to take it for a spin at the track,

where Rabbit has lined up
a potential buyer to see what she can do.

[Scooter] Go, Jaime, go!
Go, Jaime, go, Jaime, go!

Vroom! Prr-prr-prr-prr!

[starts engine]

[Scooter] Oh damn! Oh-h*!

[Rabbit] That thing is running
like a herd of turtles.

[Scooter] I know, man, huh.
It sounds kind of weird.

-[Jaime sighs]
-[Scooter] What's up?

[Jaime] I'm not 100% happy
with the way it's running right now.

-[Rabbit] Not at all.
-Something's going on with it.

Like, maybe change the fuel pump.

-Different style. I don't know.
-It takes a lot of gas to fuel this beast.

-[Jaime] I know.
-How y'all doing? Beautiful car.

-[Scooter] What's up, Ben?
-[Rabbit] Benjamin!

-I'm Jaime.
-Nice to meet you, Jaime. Benjamin.

Sounds like it needs
a little work, but it… it's all there.

We're gettin' her dialed in.
Slowly but surely.

[Benjamin] I do love
those split-bumper Camaros.

Paint job is phenomenal.

Not only is she pretty,
but she's built right.

-You mind if I take a look at it?
-Let's knock it out, man.

[Benjamin] Oh my God, look at that.
That is beautiful.

[Rabbit] Just like I told you
on the phone.




-[Benjamin] Wow!
-[Rabbit] 70 block.

What do you think
it'd take to own this beast?

This one's gonna be about 65 grand
when it's all said and done.

Uh… I don't know, man.
What do you think about 60?

Uh… that's a little light. I'll be honest.
This car's gonna bring all the money.

That's not what I was listening to
when it was going down the track.

[Rabbit] We're gettin' it dialed in.

You give us a couple of days,
we'll take your money.

-So a couple of days, say, yeah?
-[Scooter] Yeah.

[Benjamin] Well, how about
we put a little wager on it?

A wager?

[Benjamin] I got a little something
that might keep up with this.

It's a nice little 350.

She's nothing to look at,
but she can get up and go.

I say, I get the car for 60 if I beat you,
and if you win, I'll give you the 65.

So you're telling me

if you outrun this car with what you got,
you're gonna give us 60 grand?

Exactly what I'm saying.

And if we outrun you,
you're gonna give us 65 grand?

Yep.

Give us a couple days
to get this thing dialed in.

We'll meet back here at the track.

Will do. I'll see you in a couple of days.

-Take some Benjamins from Benjamin.
-[Scooter] Yes, for sure.

I don't always trust handshake deals.
[sighs]

I mean, we haven't
even seen the money yet.

But for an extra 5K,
I'll make sure that Camaro is ready to go.

We need to get the car back to the shop
and figure out what's going on.

-[Scooter] All right. Let's go.
-[Jaime] All right.

[upbeat rock music playing]

-What's up?
-Hey. What you got for me?

Basically, it's gonna be perforated.
Suede, diamond.

Put new foam. Here's the materials.

-Check it out. That'll be the perforated.
-Oh, right.

-[Lucky] Right there.
-[Jaime] Ooh! I love that.

I don't have the gray suede yet,
so I can't show you.

[Jaime] Okay, okay.

I think it looks wonderful.
Keep up the hard work.

I'm borrowing your tool. I'll be back.

[Lucky] I'm pretty much going all out
on this Lincoln on the interior.

That way, we can make sure
that we get top dollar.

People want a Lincoln because it's badass
and elegant at the same time.

That's why celebrities
and gangsters were drawn to 'em.

So all the details inside and out
are gonna matter.

When it comes to upholstery in cars,
you do have to have passion for it.

It's an art.

Coming from a migrant family,
couldn't afford to pay for anything,

so we had to learn
how to work on our cars.

But the love of cars
really came from when I met my wife,

and her father did upholstery.

That's where my passion really came in.

When I'm sewin' on those machines,
it's like a rush like no other.

You hear that needle
just goin' up and down,

and just that "hrrr" takes you
to a whole 'nother world.

I'm very OCD.

If I have a certain amount
of stitches on one side,

I gotta make sure I have an equal amount
of stitches on the other side.

And I will sit there and count
every single stitch if I have to.

[horn honking]

-[Wes] Nice.
-[Scooter speaks Spanish]

-[Wes] All right, guys!
-[Scooter speaks Spanish]

Talk about an upgrade.

This looks like they're burning money,
doesn't it?

It does. So what are we out on this?

We actually got a smoking deal.
This is a late-model truck.

-Diesel.
-[Jamie sighs] He's pulling a salesman.

-I just see dollar signs flyin'.
-[Jaime] Yeah. I do too!

[Wes] Let me ask Scooter.

-Scooter, what are we out for this?
-[Jaime] He…

Uh, I'm gonna plead the fifth on that.
Rabbit, go ahead. Tell him.

It was high mileage,
so I got it for 30,000.

-Oh my…
-[Andy laughs]

-[Rabbit] But--
-Is that too much?

-I told you, 25,000! All right…
-[Rabbit] And this is something else.

-Productivity.
-[Jaime] That 5K is on you.

[Rabbit] All we gotta do is win this race
and we're in the clear.

-[Scooter] It does.
-[Andy] I think y'all did a good job.

Now it's time to hustle.

-Turn that money back the other direction.
-[Rabbit] Exactly.

[Wes] Yeah.

[lively music playing]

Since we're gonna try to sell this
to an upscale buyer,

because it is a Lincoln,

we're gonna make some upgrades
under the hood,

including replacing the carburetor.

This will make it run nice and smooth

and feel more like
the luxury vehicle it is.

So this is a very minimal investment

for trying to achieve
what we're trying to do.

Hey, Jaime, check this out.

-[Jaime] Wow. That's nice.
-[Lucky] What do you think?

-So far?
-[Jaime] I love it.

[Lucky] See if it's gon' fit. [exhales]

[thumping]

-[Lucky] That looks good.
-[Jaime] Yeah.

[Lucky] It's good.

Initial first test fit.

Huh. [bleep]

[Jaime] What's wrong?

-[Lucky] Damn.
-What's wrong?

What are you lookin' at?

[Lucky] Look how far my damn line's off.
Oh, son of a mother sucker.

All right.
So there's an easy answer to this, right?

[Lucky] No, there's no such thing.
I have to redo the whole damn back lean.

-It's all off.
-[Jaime] We can't just redo the bad part?

-No. See how wide this is right here?
-[Jaime] Yeah.

[Lucky] Okay?
Look how skinny this is right here.

It's not the same width.

I hate to ask you this 'cause I know
you don't feel too hot right now, but…

Oh, I'm furious.
I hate… I hate messin' up.

So how long do you think
it'd take to fix somethin' like this?

[Lucky] sh*t.

This is gonna set me back
a couple of days.

[sighs]

Yeah. All right.

[Lucky groans]

This is what happens
when you're in a hurry.

And I hate…

I hate freaking making mistakes.

[sighs]

[bleep]

Get my chalk.

We got a reputation to uphold.

That guy is depending on me
to do badass interior work.

So this sh*t's gotta be done right.
I mean, no question about it.

So stay tuned for part two.

[country rock music playing]

[Scooter] Not this time, sister!

No, no, no!

Aah! [chuckles]

She won!

Hey. This is actually a challenge
for a body shop man.

This is one of the longest race cars
that's been manufactured.

-Yeah. It's got big panels.
-Thus the board.

Okay. So I think this looks really good.

How are the doors comin' though?

I should have these primed
in two and a half days.

-Final primer.
-We don't wanna jinx anything, so…

I work with Murphy every day.

-When things go wrong, they do.
-[laughing]

[Jaime] The body on the Lincoln
was actually pretty good.

So now I'm just waiting for Lucky
to do the interior fix.

I'm gonna rush Andy to do the paint job.

We still don't have the Camaro sold yet.
No money in the bank.

We need to keep moving,
keep these cars moving, getting 'em done.

-So paint maybe by Friday or Monday?
-[clicks tongue]

Probably paint on Monday, I would say.

-Friday, then. Okay.
-Monday.

-[Jaime] It's Friday.
-Every time I give a deadline.

-You're good.
-Deadlines are like rules. We break 'em.

You're a pro.

Bye. I've got a race to get to.

-Friday. [laughing]
-Oh my God.

[upbeat rock music playing]

[Scooter] There he is.

[Jaime] The Camaro is race ready.

Wes and I adjusted the fuel regulator
on the Camaro and retuned the carburetor.

I think we're good to go,
but you never know.

With these type of things,
mechanically, anything can happen.

-Hey, Benjamin.
-I see you brought a chauffeur.

-Chauffeur!
-What's up?

-No, no.
-How you doin', man?

-Good.
-No. This is the driver.

Yeah. I don't have the need for speed.

[Wes] I've been racing cars
for well over 30 years.

I started off racin' dirt bikes.

From then, I moved on to drag racin'.

Rabbit said the guy
is a local here at the track.

So that means my reaction times
are gonna have to be lightnin' fast.

And hopefully,
the Camaro will do the rest.

-[Rabbit] Let's make this clear.
-Yeah.

You beat us,
you get the Camaro for 60 grand.

-Yes, sir.
-But if we win, you buy it for 65 grand.

[Scooter] 65!

[Benjamin] I'm down with that.
If you win, you got your 65.

-[Scooter speaks Spanish]

-But I seriously doubt that.
-[Wes] So what do you got in that thing?

A little tricked-out 350
in a featherlight frame.

-Don't judge a book by its cover.
-[Wes] All right.

-[Scooter] Confidence!
-[Rabbit] Glad I got a tetanus shot.

-[Wes] Yeah!
-[laughter]

I'm from the South.

I grew up on these old pickup trucks
ridin' around.

And it ain't all about that look.
It's all about the go.

You never know.

Ben's old truck could be a sleeper car
that'll blow your doors off.

But I'm itching to get our first deal done

and to get the extra $5,000
to make up for the shop truck.

Wes, it's time for you
to make us some money, son.

-I'm ready. It's what I'm here for.
-Ah, we'll see.

[Wes] There's only one way to find out.

[tense music playing]

So the key to winnin' here
is gonna be a good hole shot.

Need to get off the line quick, make sure
I hit all the gears at the right time

so we can get the win.

[Scooter] Let's go, Wes!

-[wolf whistles]
-[engine revving]

[squealing]

[Scooter] Whoo!

Whoo! Smokin'!

[Jaime] Smoking!

[rock music playing]

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Lights out… ♪

[Scooter wolf whistles]

♪ Let's go… ♪

-[bleeping]
-[engines revving]

♪ Lights out, go, go, go ♪

♪ Trick ignition and away we go ♪

♪ It don't get better, no, no, no ♪

♪ So lights out, go, go, go ♪

-♪ Lights out, go, go, go… ♪
-[Scooter] Go, go, go, go, go!

♪ Away we go ♪

♪ Go, go, go ♪

-♪ Go, go, go ♪
-[Scooter] Whoo!

Yee-hee-hee! We won, we won!

[laughs] Yes! Sí! Yes!

-[whistling]
-[Jaime] He did it!

-[Rabbit] Oh, Wesley's got a new nickname.
-[Scooter speaks Spanish]

[Rabbit] He is the Lumberjack,
'cause he chopped that tree down.

[Scooter] He turned it into toothpicks!

An extra five grand.

-[Rabbit] Bingo.
-Extra five.

-[Wes] Just like that.
-What happened, son?

Nothin', I just bought me
a beautiful $65,000 car.

-That's a damn good-lookin' boat anchor!
-All right! Yeah, man, oh my God.

It's worth every penny if you ask me.

My wife ain't gonna be very happy, but…

-Oh, you're married, dude?
-After this purchase, maybe not.

[Scooter chuckling]

[Benjamin] Today, it wasn't really a race.
It was more of a test.

If it didn't beat my old farm truck,
I would've needed a $5,000 discount.

-Man, you're gonna have a blast.
-[Benjamin] Thank you.

Now it's time to get a few Benjamins
goin' back this way. Follow me.

Today was a great sales day.
We made some great profit.

A little quick math for you guys
keepin' up at home.

We bought this old Camaro for 5,500 bucks.

We put 20 grand into it
and sold this car for 65 grand.

That's a profit of $39,500.

We're still diggin'
ourselves out of a hole, though.

Between the Lincoln and the shop truck,
we're down about 16 grand.

The extra 5K helps
smooth things over with Jaime,

but she still has her heart
set on that '52 Chevy.

So it looks like we're headin' back
to Chihuahua tomorrow.

[Scooter, chuckling] Yee!

I feel like kissing this car. [kisses]

When are you guys gonna let me race?
I wanna race.

-[Rabbit] Never.
-[Scooter] Never?

[moody music playing]

[Andy] Finally, we're done with
this big beast as far as body work.

It's time to get it in paint.

So I kept the Camaro classic.

Now I get to open up
and have a little fun.

[upbeat music playing]

I decided to give this car
definitely a black and white look.

I know I told the guys
I was gonna blend the dragon in,

but I'm gonna take a risk
and add some color.

♪ Spit fire like a lyrical dragon ♪

♪ Trails of ashes, man, I'm flaggin' ♪

♪ Alpha, omega, the epitome of flow ♪

♪ Whatever, the way that
I'll be out the do'… ♪

[Andy] I really wanna show Jaime
and the rest of the team

what it is I can do
with an airbrush in graphic design.

And of course, I won't ever stop,
always wantin' to add more and add more.

I'm always loving my design
as I'm doing it.

And then when I'm done,
I'm doing nothing but doubting it.

But here we go.

[Lucky] Ready?

[music fades]

[country rock music playing]

Y'all come here for a second.
I got somethin' y'all gotta see.

-Uh-oh!
-[Andy] Just got it out of paint.

[Wes] The suspense is killin' us.

-[Andy] I say we do it. Let's roll.
-[Wes] Let's do it.

[Andy] All right, man.
Lucky, grab that corner, will ya?

All right, man.
Honest, true reactions, guys.

-Whoo!
-[Andy] It's what I would call different.

Very different.

-It's definitely bold.
-Oh yeah.

-Yeah, I like it.
-There won't be another one, for sure.

-No.
-I thought you said subtle.

-Yeah.
-[Wes] The detail, the artwork.

-And it just… keeps goin'.
-I'm not gonna lie, Wes.

I took the airbrush and I'd set it down,
and somethin' else would come to me.

It's kind of a curse,
I guess you would say.

It looks like it just started growin'.
I'll admit, it's… it's cool as hell.

But… Rabbit's got
his work cut out for him.

I mean, this is gonna
narrow the buyers down.

[Andy] Narrow our buyer pool,

but increase our chances
of sellin' to the bigger fish.

Yeah.

[Rabbit] Some say car building is
a form of art.

And, man, did we prove it with this one.

♪ I'm runnin' the gauntlet ♪

♪ I'm changin' the game ♪

♪ When I'm at the top, yeah
Remember my name… ♪

[Rabbit] Our '66 Lincoln Continental
is complete,

and it's unlike anything we've ever done.

Andy and Lucky show
their true artistic talent with this one.

So it's only fitting for them
to take it on its inaugural ride.

We've straightened out the massive body,
and Andy used it as a canvas

to do an over-the-top airbrush design.

Made some upgrades under the hood,
gave it a fresh set of wheels,

and completely upgraded the interior
with a k*ller design in suede fabric.

Art is subjective, so a car like this
needs to get a lot of eyes on it

to find that perfect buyer.

We're taking it
to a local car show in El Paso

to find that right person
with some deep pockets.

♪ We came, we saw, we takin' it all ♪

♪ Sittin' on top, you know me no more ♪

♪ We're runnin' the gauntlet
We runnin' the… ♪

♪ Whoo! ♪

[music fades]

[upbeat music playing]

Look, I bought cheese, and I bought steak.

-Pan dulce!
-We're a long ways from home.

-Yeah.
-And we've got, like, cheese and meat.

Yeah. What's wrong?

-We're a long ways from home.
-We got AC, man.

-The cold--
-That's not how refrigeration works, bud.

They don't have to be that cold.
I know what I'm talking about, man.

-Uhh…
-[Scooter] Huh?

[moody music playing]

[Scooter] One, two, Lux, Carranza.

Okay, '52 Chevy should be right in here.
Right in here, let's see.

[Rabbit] Definitely see
a bunch of junky cars.

-[Scooter] That's not a good sign.
-[Rabbit] Oh…

[Scooter] I don't see no turnkey.
Let's see.

What? Oh no.

-[Rabbit] Not what I'd call turnkey.
-[Scooter] Are you serious?

[bleep]

[Scooter] Yeah.

You know, Scooter, you would think,

after years of dealing with you,
I would be used to being let down.

[Scooter] Aah… [bleep]

[mimics Scooter]
"Turnkey, it's ready to go."

Well, that's what he told me, man.

It's got an engine in it.

It's trash. Do you realize
the last time this thing ran?

This damn thing's
rough as a night in jail.

Hell, it don't have seats in it.

God almighty.

I swear to God, the more you look at it,
the worse it gets.

-Jaime's gonna flip when she sees this.
-[Scooter] Oh, yeah.

Aah!

[theme music playing]