[upbeat music]
- [Host] What?
More little people in the Monster Garage?
- Hell yeah!
- Building a car like this is a pretty tall order.
[mechanic chuckles]
- 125 pounds of pure power.
- [Together] Yeah.
- [Host] Jesse's predicting the outcome this time
will be a repeat of last time. [explosions]
- You know what, that's gonna come back to me.
- [Host] But there's no shortage of spirit.
- I don't give up.
- Aww. [musical trill]
[upbeat music]
- Hurry up.
- I'll strangle you and stab your eyes out.
- [Host] We got a tasty one tonight.
- You know it's "Monster Garage," come on.
[static crackles]
- [Host] Join us now,
as Jesse and his g*ng of Maverick Mechanics
rip, grind, and burn,
transforming ordinary street vehicles
into monster machines in "The Monster Garage."
[thunder crashes]
[upbeat music]
♪ Monster
♪ Monster Garage
♪ Monster
♪ Monster Garage
♪ Monster
♪ Monster Garage
♪ Monster
♪ Monster Garage
♪ Monster Garage
- [Host] This week's challenge,
a team of six little people will customize
and lower a rusted out Nissan pickup,
[chain clanks]
converting it into a Southern California classic,
a mini truck. [upbeat music]
[chain clanks]
The rules: when built the vehicle must appear to be...
[chain clanks] dropped.
The team has five grand for parts.
[register dings]
Jesse and the crew have seven days and nights.
On the first day they design.
For the next five they build.
Then on the seventh day [air hisses]
they show and slam.
[expl*si*n]
If successful, they'll walk away with a $4,000 set
of Mac's hottest tools. [wind whooshes]
And they'll each get a 28 volt lithium ion combo kit
from Milwaukee Electric Tools.
And the clock starts now.
[fire whooshes]
[mechanic laughs]
By the time this Nissan came off the line in 1986,
light pickups had captured
a significant place in the market.
Since low riders loved everything that was low and slow,
light trucks had a headstart.
[vehicles rattle]
- Now you got it.
Now you got it.
[upbeat music] [vehicles rattle]
[tires squeal]
- [Host] And so with minor customizing
and a major paint job, the mini truck was born.
[drill whirs]
[upbeat music]
The design team includes: Joe Childs.
He's four foot four,
and a professional auto mechanic
in Hermosa Beach, California.
From Phoenix, Arizona,
Nick Crouch, who has found his life's work
drawing and illustrating mini trucks.
[upbeat music]
The third member of the design team
has been a builder on several "Monster Garage" creations.
[bell chimes]
Chris Artiaga, his day job:
parts runner for "Monster Garage"
where they call him...
[thunder crashes] Body Drop.
[wind whooshes] [upbeat music]
- What's up man?
How you doing man?
- Hey, how you doing?
- Jesse. - Hey, Joe.
- How you doing Joe?
- How you doing?
How you doing?
[wind whooshes]
- All right, let's talk about last build.
Last little person's build.
[dramatic music]
- [Host] The last time little people came to the garage,
the challenge had been to rip apart
one of the world's smallest production cars,
a 1960s era bubble top called a Peel Trident,
and then jam a turbocharged motorcycle engine
in behind the driver. [welder sparks]
[engine stutters]
It seemed like a good idea.
- Well, you guys got a lot of pride.
You worked right till the end.
You got all my respect.
- Thanks a lot, Jesse.
[expl*si*n]
[chain clanks]
- I think that was a little bit of a lofty goal.
You know, we were aiming a little high, so to speak.
I think we'll stick with something
that's kind of right up your alley.
I mean, we've been talking about doing a mini truck
since day one, and I'm like kind of anti mini truck.
It's kind of like a moped, you know?
Like they're, they're sure they're fun to ride around on,
but you don't want your friends to see you on it.
[designers chuckle]
- Whee, look at me.
- Well we got a body drop it, right?
- Yeah.
- Do they make a body drop kit?
- No, that's cuts are us.
- [Jesse] You better know how to do it.
That's all I gotta say.
- [Chris] I'll cut that cab.
- Otherwise we're changing your name.
[designers chuckle]
- You wanna gut the four wheel drive stuff or just...
- [Chris] Yeah, I think so.
I think it needs to be two wheel drive,
and a two wheel drive axle I think
can bolt right in it.
- [Jesse] We gonna be switching the tr*nny out too or,
or leave the four wheel drive unit in there
and just eliminate the front wheels?
- I think we have to change the tr*nny,
'cause it hangs way lower than the frame.
- [Jesse] Okay.
- We need to make it lay frame,
before we body drop it.
- Okay, well then mechanical stuff
we should get on the horn right away.
I think everything else like the airbags, wheels,
you know, we just run stock brakes and all that stuff.
And just, just basically slam it, customize it.
You know how to build a mini truck, right?
- Sure do.
- Okay, cool.
Just making sure.
[dramatic music]
I think it could be done in five days.
[alarm blares]
I hope we don't come up short like the last build.
[expl*si*n]
- [Host] The rear axle and wheels
will need space to go up
when the frame and body drop.
[sparks hiss]
Fabricated steel arches called C notches
will be welded to make space.
Up front, the old four wheel drive
will have to be torn out or modified
to make room for the front
to slam down to the road.
[soft whir]
Finally, the truck cab will be dropped, sliced in half.
Then the top will be scrunched down six inches
over the lower sheet metal.
The result is a truck that only a dwarf would call roomy.
[upbeat music]
With some final body work and a classy paint job,
the result might just be a major mini.
[upbeat music] [tires squeal]
[hydraulics hiss]
- [Unknown Voice] Day two.
[upbeat music]
- [Host] This may look like smoke and mirrors,
but the dwarf build team is very real.
From Northridge, California,
Michael Gilden, welder, stuntman,
ex-Ewok, part-time actor.
[tools clatter]
He's built a chopper, he's been a bouncer.
He can balance a ladder on his chin.
He's Nate Webnar, a welder from Redondo Beach, California.
[tools rattle]
His parents named him Robert E. Lee,
but he'd rather be known as Ernie.
He's a partner in a car dealership in Billings, Montana.
[tools rattle]
From Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
Mike Cook, a welder, a customizer,
and a four foot two energizer.
[hammer clatters]
[tools rattle]
And staying on from the design,
Joe Childs, a professional auto mechanic
from Hermosa Beach, California.
[tools rattle]
And the man behind the mask,
Chris "Body Drop" Artiaga.
It's been his dream to customize a mini truck.
He's usually Jesse's parts runner.
[Jesse laughs]
[upbeat music]
The little people don't knock before entering.
- Damn it.
- [Host] Jesse's in early,
and he's already pinned the artwork to the grating,
the vision thing that will inspire and guide them.
And Jesse is itching to get started.
- [Jesse] What's up guys?
- Hey. - What's going on?
- [Jesse] You're back, how you doing?
I'm Jesse. - Hey Jesse.
- Michael. - Hey, what's up Michael?
- Mike. - How you doing Mike?
How you doing man?
- How you doing, Jesse?
- So I get to be the parts runner this week,
since you're working?
[Chris laughs]
I could disappear for eight hours when I'm supposed...
When I'm supposed to be at Pep Boys.
Oh well you know, I got two flats,
and then my friend's mom died,
so I had to go [build team laughs]
take his cat to the vet.
[Jesse laughs]
So basically, I dunno if you guys heard the design stuff,
but we'll switch it to two wheel drive.
So tr*nny and front axle,
just slam it, smooth it all off,
take the door handles off, grill, bumpers, and that's it.
Just make it cool.
So, he says he knows how to do it, but...
- [Michael] That's what he told me.
- Yeah.
So I think a good idea today
is just get it stripped.
[cross talk]
Get it gutted apart.
[upbeat music]
[window pops]
- Oh, there it goes.
- Watch out.
[upbeat music]
[roll thumps]
[items clatter]
- [Host] The average person is five feet, 10 inches.
To the average person,
a mini truck on a lift is no big thing.
The average dwarf is more than a foot shorter.
To a dwarf, objects may appear bigger
than they actually are.
[camper shell crashes]
- Totally fine.
- Did you see that?
Oh man.
Are you all right?
How's your neck?
Let me see.
Did you just hit your chin?
Oh, it just skinned your chin.
You're all right.
- Definitely won't get me the chicks.
- [Jesse] Huh?
- Definitely won't get me the chicks.
- [Jesse] Just tell 'em you got in a fight at a bar.
Don't tell him you did it
on a camper shell from a mini truck.
- No, no that'll just blow it.
- That doesn't make you sound tough.
- No, it's gotta be like...
- That looked pretty awesome though.
That was a flying camper shell with a m*dget hooked onto it.
You know that could be the first telltale sign
that things aren't going right.
In the first two minutes of a build
someone's hurt and bleeding.
[Jesse blows raspberry]
[upbeat music]
[saw whirs]
[tire thumps]
[upbeat music]
- [Host] The truck was trashed,
so the team had to give it a serious clean out.
- Lots of change.
Do you guys have a record for the
most change found in a car?
'Cause this has gotta be close.
Quarters, dimes, pennies.
You can add about $5 and 73 cents to the budget
now in case we're short.
[logo rumbles]
- [Host] Michael Golden keeps track of money for a living.
He's an investment counselor
when he isn't working on his own cars.
[chain clanks]
He's also knocked around Hollywood
with minor roles in such movies
as "Star Wars" and "Pulp Fiction."
- What you guys are doing,
is you're taking little people
who actually do something professionally as a group.
It doesn't look Keystone Cop-ish.
It doesn't look munchkin land-y.
I think if anything,
it's gonna change some people's thoughts of little people.
[wind whooshes]
[power tool whirs]
[upbeat music]
[truck parts clatter]
- There you go.
[parts clatter]
- [Mechanic] Yeah.
[upbeat music]
[parts clatter]
[power tool whirs]
[upbeat music]
[power tool whirs]
- [Host] The pickup bed is loose
and ready to be moved aside.
- We need a forklift.
[forklift hums]
Yeah.
[upbeat music]
One job down.
- [Mechanic] All right.
- Now we do the fun stuff.
[upbeat music]
Watch the...
[power tool rattles]
[sparks hiss]
- [Host] After an hour of ripping, grinding, and burning,
Mike Cook may be a tad greasy,
but he makes sure his ducktail is well coiffed.
[mechanic whistles]
- Wow man.
You got like a whole grease beard going on.
Cleaning parts with your sideburns again?
[logo rumbles]
- I've worked on cars since,
since I was like 16.
I really got into it just to build my own hot rods,
and street rods and stuff.
I never ever thought I would be doing it professionally.
- [Host] He's also a part-time actor.
- Sometimes I'm, I'm a mechanic being an actor,
and other times I'm an actor trying to be a mechanic.
Depends if the customer's looking.
I'm trying to act like a mechanic.
- 125 pounds of pure power!
Ugh.
[video squeals]
[upbeat music]
[power tool whirs]
[upbeat music]
[parts clatter]
- Got it?
[upbeat music]
[parts clatter]
- Does it taste any good?
[mechanic laughs]
- [Off Screen Voice] Want another one?
- [Mechanic] Can't take you anywhere.
[upbeat music]
[parts clatter]
[upbeat music]
- [Host] The tr*nny is out.
They've ripped all the junk from the pickup
and removed the bed.
- I think we'll know more after tomorrow.
- I think we're, yeah.
- I think, I think we did really good today.
It just depends on how things go back together,
switching over from four wheel drive to two wheel drive.
Eh, you know it's Monster Garage.
You gonna be walking around with gloves on?
Come on.
- Team Oil Can.
- [Together] Team Oil Can.
[all laugh]
[dramatic music]
- [Host] It's the end of day two,
and the little people seem to be up to the challenge,
dropping and customizing a mini truck.
[upbeat music]
Monster garage factoid:
short people earn significantly less.
Studies show tall people get married sooner,
promoted sooner, and earn higher wages.
Over a 30 year period,
the average six foot person earns $66,000
more than someone five foot five.
That's 13,200 bucks an inch.
[upbeat music]
♪ Monster
♪ Monster Garage
[air hisses]
- [Host] Day three,
[tires squeal]
and the six dwarfs are ready to roll on the mini truck.
Chris Artiaga, Body Drop, will not be working
his usual "Monster Garage" job as parts runner.
[upbeat music]
- I don't have to run and get parts.
I have to help work on this beautiful thing.
- [Host] Jesse walks in and asks for a progress report.
- We're trying to balance things out with you know,
what to do underneath and what to do on top
to keep everybody busy.
So he is like, we can't take the front wheels off yet,
until we get the tr*nny and stuff in.
'Cause we're gonna change the A-arms
and all that stuff on the front end.
- Right.
- [Joe] And we can't tear that down until we get...
- Does it, is it coming with new A arms,
or just spindles?
- Well the four wheel drive A arms won't work
with the two wheel drive spindles.
- Is it the same mounts though?
- I believe so, yeah.
- [Host] Joe doesn't seem entirely sure,
but then this may be the first time
anyone has converted a four wheel drive
to a two wheel drive.
Who would need to?
Jesse wants a closer look.
- [Jesse] There's no way.
It'll be like six inches off the...
- It hangs, it hangs way too low.
- That's gonna screw us right there.
- It would've been easier
if we started with two wheel drive, huh?
Let's find out from Brian.
See if we can get maybe a whole clip.
- [Joe] That's what they're bringing.
- Oh, the whole front clip?
- [Joe] The whole front clip.
I think they chopped it off.
- Yeah. 'cause you look at,
look at where that sits in relation to the body.
- [Joe] Yeah.
- That's eight inches.
- [Joe] It hangs low.
It hangs way low.
- That'd be eight inches off the ground in front.
[upbeat music] - [Host] Jesse is right.
If they left the four wheel drive
suspension in place,
the mini truck couldn't be slammed flat to the ground.
It would look like a launch ramp,
and that wouldn't fly in the world of mini trucks.
- There you go homeboy.
It's the whole mount, everything.
- Yeah, what if we just cut the frame
and like put this whole frame right up in there?
- [Jesse] Now you're talking.
- We'd have to suspend the engine
or something while we swap it over,
but that's about the best thing.
- Let's just yank the motor out.
The tr*nny's already out, right?
- Yeah.
- [Jesse] Let's yank the motor out, Clip it.
- Let's do that, yeah.
- [Jesse] This whole clip...
- [Host] This is a major change in plans.
Now, they'll slice off the front
of the two wheel drive frame,
wheels, spindles and all,
and weld it as an entire piece into the hole
where the original front end frame used to be.
- We're gonna cut the frame right here
and we're gonna change everything this way,
'cause this is all four wheel drive.
It sits too low, and a two wheel drive,
if we dropped it, it'll be a lot more clearance.
[upbeat music]
- We got new ones.
- [Jesse] Okay, keep going, keep going, keep going.
Pump it.
[upbeat music]
[sparks hiss]
[upbeat music]
[parts thump]
[upbeat music]
- I love it 'cause there's gonna be
all those mini truck dudes on tv,
be like "Why are you doing?
What an idiot.
What are you doing it like that for?"
Rah, whatever.
Never built a mini truck.
[logo rumbles]
I'm a welder.
I've done mig, tig, aluminum, stainless, mild steel.
I've done every sort of welding.
- [Host] Nate Webnar may be new to mini trucking,
but he's customized lots of other rides,
including a chopper
that fits his four foot, four inch frame perfectly.
- My dad is six five and my mom is, is five three.
So I always say I get my height from my dad,
and my shortness from my mom.
[upbeat music] [sparks hiss]
[hammer thumps]
- [Mechanic] We're good.
- [Host] The new front frame clip
is ready to be married.
[wedding bells chime] [mechanic hums wedding march]
[parts scrape]
- Let's take it up some.
Okay, Body, lift that jacks in.
[parts clank]
You wanna be called Body or Drop just for short?
Body Drop's too many syllables.
You might get a new nickname outta this episode.
- What the hell are you talking about?
[mechanic chuckles]
[logo rumbles]
[upbeat music]
- [Host] Body Drop was hired by Jesse
to be the parts runner for "Monster Garage."
[chain clanks]
[upbeat music]
- It turned into home for me, 'cause I work here.
I'm here every week.
I enjoy being here.
If I didn't enjoy being here,
then I probably wouldn't be here.
[static crackles]
- [Host] Day three is wrapping up.
Most of the work has centered on the engine
and the front end.
In the back, Mike is waiting for parts.
♪ Happy birthday to me
[spray can hisses] [fire whooshes]
♪ Happy birthday to me
[fire whooshes]
[wind whooshes] [upbeat music]
- [Host] As the dwarfs build team gathers to leave,
they're quickly learning how time flies in "Monster Garage."
There's much left to do,
and they are already at the halfway point.
[chain clanks]
[upbeat music]
Day four and there's a long to-do list.
Build a whole new rear suspension,
[wind whooshes]
put the engine back in, [wind whooshes]
drop the body, and weld in a new front frame.
Attaching the frame is beyond the experience
of this crew of little people.
- Unless you cut a lot of frames
and weld 'em back together like I do,
this just makes it a little bit stronger so.
And makes it so it'll put it on each piece
so you're a flat to flat surface then welding,
so it's got a good strong joint.
[upbeat music] [sparks hiss]
- [Host] With the frame welded,
[wind whooshes] [upbeat music]
time to drop the engine back in.
- [Joe] Bring it down, slowly.
Okay, yeah, we just gotta angle it.
- [Host] Joe must be feeling optimistic.
He's already thinking about how they should act
when it's all a great success.
- Not even at the end, [tools clatter]
when they complete this or we fail,
we're not gonna hug.
High fives, maybe something like that.
And I saw an episode the other night,
they had this whole hug at the end.
What's up with that?
Monster Garage.
- [Unknown Voice] You're not hugging?
- Do we look like [glass shatters]?
[tool drops]
Huh?
[indistinct speech]
Do we look like [glass shatters] to you?
[logo rumbles]
[upbeat music]
- [Host] No, Mike Cook.
We think you're a manly guy.
- I'm butch!
- [Host] You customize cars for a living.
You've sung in a rockabilly band called the Poison Oakies,
and you've descended from a long line
of gearheads, including your mother.
- What does my mom do? [laughs]
She's a body man or I guess woman, whatever.
She works at my dad's hot rod shop,
where I work at,
and she does most of the body work,
and me and her run parts.
Before that, she was a roofer for a couple years.
She could be mean.
- [Host] Like mother, like son.
- Yeah, man, yeah!
- [Host] Jesse was impressed.
- I like that guy.
He's got a lot of anger in him.
[Mike laughs]
Seems like he's told multiple people in his lifetime
to [expletive obscured] you.
- Hell yeah!
[chain clanks]
- [Host] Just when they're ready to bolt the engine in,
they make an unpleasant discovery.
- Part of the arm is a crooked,
and then there's the motor.
- [Host] Damn, the oil pan.
The four wheel drive version won't fit
in the new two wheel drive frame.
One more problem caused by changing the front end.
No choice.
They pull it out again and wait for the right pan.
- [Joe] You need to tell Brian we need an oil pan.
- Anybody ever brings one of these pieces of crap
to my dad's shop,
I'll strangle you, and stab your eyes out!
[wind whooshes] [upbeat music]
- [Host] The original Nissan fuel tank has been ripped out.
It would've dragged and then sparked,
and then...
[expl*si*n]
Kaboom!
[chain clanks]
They replace it with an 18 gallon racing fuel cell.
It has an extra advantage: a built-in fuel pump.
[tool whirs]
- Hell yeah.
- [Host] Always the joker,
garage manager Brian Conroy starts needling
the little guy from Oklahoma.
- You don't know what you're doing.
- Go make out with your grandma and leave me alone.
- [Host] Ernie, the car dealer from Montana,
steps in to try a little diplomacy.
You know what happens when diplomacy fails.
[bell dings] [upbeat music]
Brian Conroy, the monster, is 6'1", 230 pounds.
Ernie, the little guy from the big sky
tipped the scales at 105 pounds.
- Hey, it looks like you're losing.
You're about to get your a*s kicked by a m*dget.
[Brian laughs]
[audience shouts]
- [Host] Back to the main event in a moment.
But first, who is this guy?
[logo rumbles]
[upbeat music]
Robert E. Lee, the "E" stands for Ernie,
was born in New Jersey,
and grew up poor in Montana.
In 20 years he's worked his way up
to become a partner in a Billings car dealership.
[dramatic music]
- Greetings, I'm Indiana Ernie,
and welcome to the Temple of the Tribeca.
[cheerful music]
Dude, surf's up and the deals are hot.
[upbeat music]
G'day, mate!
I'm Crocodile Ernie out in the outback.
- What do I bring?
I bring organization.
I bring enthusiasm.
I bring common knowledge of what little people can do.
My job, what I do, what I make my living at,
what I excel at, is making sure that things merge together.
[chain clanks]
[indistinct speech]
- No, I'm peace. [musical trill]
I love you.
- I love you too, man.
- [Host] With peace restored, [upbeat music]
things are looking up in the garage,
especially when the airbags for the suspension arrive.
The cost, 320 bucks.
[upbeat music] [sparks hiss]
- That one's not all the way tight.
It's gotta go on the inside.
[upbeat music]
[tool rattles and whirs]
[upbeat music]
[sparks hiss]
[part clatters]
[upbeat music]
- [Host] The rear bags will be attached to plates
which have not yet been installed on the "C" notches.
Measurements have to be perfect
so the body will slam flat to the road all the way around.
[hammer taps]
[upbeat music]
- [Crew Member] Hey, hey. - Yeah?
- Hey, that ain't gonna work.
[hammer taps]
That ain't gonna work.
- Why you doing that?
- [Camera Operator] Hey, Body Drop.
What you doing, what are you doing, what are you doing?
- [Host] What the little people need
more than taunts from the camera crew
is some expert advice.
[upbeat music]
[dramatic music]
The cavalry is coming.
[dramatic music]
They call themselves Severed Ties,
a mini truck club.
Body Drop is one of their own.
- Severed ties.
Good times, good people
and mini trucks of course.
How's it going big, bad, Body Drop?
- [Host] Josh Freeman and Body Drop
go way back in the mini truck culture.
The other dwarfs quickly realized
this guy brings some badly needed
expert advice to the build.
- Let's get it done for you guys.
How big of a body drop are you doing, Body Drop?
- [Chris] I'm gonna go like this.
- [Josh] Yep.
- [Chris] I'm gonna cross.
- You don't even have to go.
You don't even have to go off
halfway up if you don't want to.
Take your gap out right there as low as you want.
Just let 'em overlap,
and weld on the outside and weld on the inside.
So your biggest thing is right...
- [Chris] I'm gonna have to cut this?
Oh no 'cause it's a two piece drive line, okay.
- It is a two piece?
- [Chris] Yes. - Beautiful.
With the carry band.
Beautiful brand new carry.
- Beautiful.
[dramatic music]
- [Host] At the end of day four there's good news.
They have a clear idea of what to do.
And bad news, only two days to do it.
[dramatic music]
[upbeat music]
"Monster Garage" factoid: Nissan was the first company
to produce light pickups in large numbers.
The original was the Datsun 220.
It had a 37 horsepower engine.
[liquid bubbles]
♪ Monster
♪ Monster Garage
[upbeat music]
- [Host] Yesterday the mini truckers
provided much needed direction to the mini crew,
and now day five, they are pumped up
and ready to cut and weld.
[upbeat music]
- We've gotta drop the front of the,
the front support about four inches
for the body drop to be all the way around.
- Jesse's been checking his weekly planner.
- You guys better hurry the hell up.
- Yeah, we take three steps forward
and two steps backwards.
- Time's running short. [drum rimshot]
Building a car like this is a pretty tall order.
[drum rimshot]
We don't want to shortchange the viewers.
[drum rimshot] [laugh track laughs]
- [Host] Jesse is beginning to doubt
whether they can finish in the remaining two days.
But then he also doubts the whole idea of mini trucks.
[tires squeal] [playful music]
- Mini truckers.
Don't none of them guys have jobs?
[wind whooshes]
- It's like synchronized swimming
but with mini trucks.
[Chris laughs]
They should all have those nose plugs and mascara on.
[playful music]
- [Host] Body Drop doesn't let Jesse's doubts
ruin his dream of getting this truck dropped
and out the door in time to win the prize
and impress his mini trucking friends.
- You want me to show you where to cut?
- No, I'm just gonna cut right here.
- I didn't want to cut it with the plasma.
- How are you gonna cut it, Saws All?
- Yeah.
- Okay, well then I'm not gonna worry about it.
- [Chris] But if you wanna do it from the inside
with the Saws All that's cool.
- Cleaner.
[upbeat music] [tool whirs]
- [Host] He seems to know what he's doing.
But earlier someone on the crew noticed
that Body Drop was spending a lot of time on the phone.
- [Chris] So go like three inches?
[indistinct speech]
Okay, I'll do that.
[wind whooshes]
- [Host] It turns out that while he may be known
around the garage as Body Drop,
he hasn't sliced cut and welded much sheet metal.
[upbeat music]
[tool whirs]
♪ That really won't work
♪ That really won't work
- [Host] A barbershop quartet?
Who let them past the security guards?
♪ That really won't work
♪ That really won't work
♪ I'm telling you that won't work ♪
- [Host] Actually they're known as The Highlights,
invited by Jesse to sing a song
created just for Chris "Body Drop" Artiaga,
in recognition of the encouragement
and sensitivity he has shown other crews
on other episodes of "Monster Garage."
- That ain't gonna work.
That ain't gonna work.
That ain't gonna work.
That ain't gonna work.
[chain clanks]
♪ That really won't
♪ Work
- Hey. [crew applauds]
- That's for you, special.
[upbeat music] [tool whirs]
[truck rattles] [upbeat music]
[triumphant music]
- [Host] Yes, the body finally dropped,
and Body Drop gets to keep his garage name.
- [Jesse] What you got?
- The gaskets, the oil pan and some silicone.
- [Jesse] You got the oil pump pickup, cool.
- They're yours. [parts thump]
- Thanks a lot.
[upbeat music]
- [Host] For three days,
all they've done is torch, rip and grind.
It's taken too long.
Now finally they begin to put the truck back together.
- [Mechanic] Push that way.
[upbeat music]
- Hey, did you get the motor in already?
- Yeah. - Sweet.
[upbeat music]
[tool rattles] [upbeat music]
[sparks hiss]
- [Host] Meanwhile, Mike is already
spot welding the dropped body.
[upbeat music] [sparks hiss]
- [Off Screen Voice] How's it going?
You working?
- I hate this.
Ah, this is making me mad.
- [Host] It isn't going too smoothly.
- Man, this is [expletive obscured].
So I did my Cadillac door handles.
They weren't this damn hard.
Three minutes. [phone beeps]
- [Host] Frustrated, he calls
the one welding expert he trusts.
[phone rings] [upbeat music]
- Hurry up, stupid phone.
Hey, is dad with you?
Let me talk to him.
Hey, I'm trying to weld some sheet metal,
it keeps blowing through.
What do I need to do?
All right, so just turn it down?
All right, thanks, bye.
[phone beeps]
- [Host] If he's burning holes in the metal,
turn down the welder.
[sparks hiss] [upbeat music]
[engine stutters]
It's looking a bit grim.
The engine won't start,
the four link suspension isn't in yet,
the rear airbags haven't been installed.
and Body Drop had said these items would be complete by now.
- Trying to get a breather so I don't crack.
You know, [indistinct] just little bit of time out.
You know like...
I got like my mind's like, I'm tired.
- Oh, I'm sorry, but we're gonna make it.
We're gonna make it.
- [Crew Member] You tired?
- Yeah, I'm tired, everybody's tired.
- No, I'm not giving up.
I'll fight 'til the bitter end.
I don't give up.
- [Host] Just before shutting down,
a poll is taken.
One day to go, scale of one to 10.
Will they finish the build?
[tool whirs] - Ah, I give it a six.
- I give it a five for a 50/50.
- Five and a half.
Six, five and a half.
Five.
- I'll give you a nine.
Nine.
In fact, no, no, no.
Let's correct that, let's give you a 10.
Let's give you a 10.
I didn't come six states just to watch a piece of metal
sit here with rust on the roof.
I came to watch a truck drive.
I got Body Drop, I got Nate,
I got Mike, I got Mike.
I'll take a team every day over an individual.
[dramatic music]
[engine stutters]
- [Host] The engine won't start.
The tires are wrong.
- So what now, oh wise one?
- [Host] Will the second little person team
follow the failure brick road?
Stick around.
[upbeat music]
♪ Monster
♪ Monster Garage
[hydraulics hiss]
- [Host] Day six. [upbeat music]
Jesse's driving to work in a smart car.
It's a two seater,
but he's taking the ride share idea to a whole new level.
All the little people are crammed in.
[upbeat music]
As the crew of dwarfs walk in,
they still face some big challenges
if they're going to finish this mini truck build by tonight.
The engine is back in but won't start.
The cab has been dropped but needs serious body work,
and the rear suspension is only half together.
- We gotta rebuild distributor.
Got the crank trigger inside there.
We'll see if that gets us some spark.
- [Host] Joe Childs has been the engine man on this build.
He's well aware this is the last day.
- If we don't start it today,
we're not gonna start it tomorrow. [chuckles]
[indistinct speech in background]
Crank it. [engine stutters]
Hold it.
We got spark now we got fuel.
So we're making progress.
[upbeat music] [sparks hiss]
- [Host] Bringing up the rear,
Nate Webnar's making progress, too.
The four link suspension is all but complete.
- When I put the four link system, it's all done now.
It's all welded.
Everything's good to go.
[upbeat music]
- [Host] With the four link in place,
they can cross that off the list
and start on the next item,
installing the airbags on the rear end.
[sparks hiss] [upbeat music]
- [Nate] That ain't go anywhere.
- [Host] Nate welds the airbag mounting plates
temporarily in place so that Body Drop can decide
if he's measured the placement correctly.
But Body Drop is more worried about going blind.
Nate just assumes it's correct.
Pressured to finish, he starts laying bead.
[sparks hiss] [upbeat music]
- You know what?
I wish you didn't throw that bead.
- Why is that? [tool whirs]
Because this might need to come up a little.
- [Nate] Dude, I don't think it's gonna matter, Body Drop.
- It is.
- [Nate] Why is it gonna matter that much?
- Huh?
- [Nate] Why is it gonna matter?
Is it half the drag?
- It has to lay flat on the ground.
- That's the, the whole thing?
[cross talk]
- [Chris] That's what a body drop is.
- When we mock it, we just tack it up.
He ended up...
Thought it was done,
but I-I needed to see how the mock up was.
The mock up was wrong,
but so all we gotta do is undo it and then move it up.
Just gonna add some time.
- [Host] Add some time? [ominous music]
At this point that doesn't set well with Joe.
- Man it doesn't matter if it's a little too high.
We don't have a chance if we have to keep doing it twice,
or three times, just gotta throw the bags on it.
- The truck needs to lay flat on the ground.
Why did I body drop it
if it's not gonna lay flat on the ground?
- I mean we can't, we can't do things three or four times.
We just gotta put it together.
We've been waiting four days for this rear end.
- We've been waiting four days for that motor.
- I know the motor's in though.
I'm just trying to get it started.
- And the rear end's in,
and we're just trying to get it perfect.
- [Host] Body Drop may still have that vision thing,
but the rest of the crew is ready to rebel.
As they see it, just getting this wreck of a Nissan
out the door by midnight
and under its own power will be a miracle.
- I'm worried about this.
- Why, you want me to help you?
- Yeah.
- The bags bottoming out?
- No they're not.
They need to come up more because the axle...
[cross talk]
- An inch and like a half off the ground.
- Just buzz it with the plasma.
[sparks hiss] [upbeat music]
- [Host] As he urges the crew to just do it,
Jesse is uncharacteristically positive
and calm on this final sixth day.
[sparks hiss] [upbeat music]
[engine stutters]
Meanwhile, back at the front, the engine is still dead.
Joe is sure he's narrowed the cause down to fuel injectors.
- Everything's on.
Yeah, we're getting spark,
and the timing, and I mean it fired right up.
It's a fuel problem.
- [Host] Maybe Jesse's positive vibes
will have an effect on the cold dead engine.
[engine stutters]
[engine revs]
So on the sixth day, the engine started.
Another milestone.
- Shut it off.
- This motor's probably had a ground strap on it.
- Yeah.
- On that other frame,
and when we switched it,
it was never grounded out.
- I mean the battery grounds directly to the motor.
- No, it's grounded, I bet it'll run.
- But to the chassis, yeah.
- Run like a champ, you ground it.
- We'll put a couple grounds on it, awesome.
[upbeat music]
♪ Yeah
[upbeat music]
[welder hisses]
[parts clatter]
[upbeat music]
- Watch your fingers on that tire.
- I got it.
- Rims are too wide.
- [Host] Doesn't fit?
Well, that's why they invented plasma torches.
[torch hisses] [upbeat music]
[indistinct speech] [upbeat music]
- Watch your fingers on the tire.
[upbeat music] [parts rattle]
- Uh oh.
That don't fit.
- [Host] Even after cutting larger spaces
for the new wheels,
the bed rides on them and teeters.
The wheels won't turn.
The mini truck can't move.
This is not good.
- Come on, tell me what to do.
I don't know what to do.
I don't build mini trucks.
So what now, oh wise one?
It's your build.
Me big person, big truck.
Little person, little truck.
- I never been in that position,
where I had the wrong wheels.
- Well, we got anything we could put it on here?
Some stockers or something just to roll it, see if it works?
[pensive music]
- [Host] Night has fallen in Long Beach,
part stores are closed.
The mood is dark in "Monster Garage."
- The way I look at it now, it's pride football.
It's like fourth quarter and you're down by 40 points.
- All right.
- So we just keep working 'til midnight.
- [Chris] All right.
- Don't give up.
- Cool.
[pensive music]
- Well let's do this.
Well, I don't know.
I'm not gonna start making decisions
'cause I'm not the one in charge,
- [Host] But just when failure seems certain,
one of those "Monster Garage" magic moments occurs
in the form of a Christian band called X Death Star X.
♪ That really won't work
[record scratch]
- [Host] No more of that negative nabob harmonizing.
These death star guys are billed
as bringing an uplifting positive message.
[metal music] [indistinct singing]
[crew cheers]
Whether it was the dwarf mosh pit
or the barrage of sound coming out of the Death Star X band,
something seems to have pumped up the mood in the garage.
[upbeat music]
- You know what, when, let's just hold on.
- All right.
- Let's not make this any harder than we need to.
- Okay.
- Check it out.
[cross talk]
- Let's torch this out,
roll it and let the wheels do the clearing.
- That could work.
[upbeat music]
[air hisses]
- Wow.
[upbeat music]
Yay.
- [Host] With less than three hours to go,
they're back on a roll.
[upbeat music]
- [Chris] There we go, in line.
- [Team Member] Oh, we got plenty room.
- [Chris] Jesse just weld it to the cab, we're done.
[welder sparks]
[upbeat music]
- [Host] Jesse is less than pleased,
but decides to let them continue.
- Let's roll.
- Let's do it.
Where's our drive shaft?
I don't know.
Body Drop, where's the drive shaft?
- He said he was gonna work late tonight and...
- Yeah, that'd be nice if the one thing we left you
to handle by yourself and totally bombs.
- [Host] At the last minute, just as Body Drop promised,
they get the shaft.
[upbeat music]
[tool whirs]
Midnight is less than two hours away.
The lift is lowered for the launch.
The last hurdle: starting the engine again.
- Go for it, yeah.
[engine stutters]
- [Host] For over a century,
there's been one easy way to start a dry engine.
Even though it's a no-no.
- Go ahead.
- [Joe] Must be getting spark now.
[engine stutters]
[engine revs]
[upbeat music]
- [Host] Just when the mini truck seems headed out the door,
one more hurdle.
The lowered frame high centers on the lift.
[upbeat music]
It may not be the most elegant ride
to roar out of "Monster Garage,"
somebody else will give it a beauty treatment,
but it is dropped and bagged
and rolling under its own power.
- Good job.
- Thank you, Jesse.
[Mike thumps]
- Hell yeah!
[Jesse laughs]
- What do you think about that, Mike?
- You know what I think?
I think we're getting drunk tonight, baby!
[upbeat music] [Jesse laughs]
- [Host] Celebration will come later.
For now, Jesse offers the Oklahoma welder
a lift back to the garage for the award ceremony.
[Mike laughs]
[upbeat music]
- Good job, guys.
- Thanks.
- Hell yeah.
- All right guys. [thumps toolbox]
Mac Tools, Milwaukee Power Toolkit for all you guys.
Good job.
- [Mike] Hell yeah.
- How's it feel, Body Drop?
- Feels good.
- [Jesse] Tired?
- Yeah, I worked my a*s off this week.
- No, you still got a little a*s there.
[all laugh]
[upbeat music]
- [Host] Build cost tally:
hard cash $3,249 and 67 cents.
Freebies: $1,479.
Vehicle cost: 1500 bucks.
Coins found $5 and 73 cents.
Bringing the grand total to $6,222 and 94 cents.
[liquid bubbles] [upbeat music]
♪ Monster
♪ Monster Garage
[upbeat music]
- You gotta be kidding me,
ladies and gentlemen the big swag, and guess what?
We're in Las Vegas, Nevada.
You guys having a good time?
[crowd cheers]
That's right.
For another Monster Garage Challenge
and I'm so excited.
We got a mini truck, ladies and gentleman.
Built by five little guys in five days.
You gotta be kidding me, circa 1980.
Take a look at this beast.
[upbeat music]
- [Host] Why Las Vegas?
To hit the Simply Choice cruise night.
Check out the sweet rides on the desert side.
[horn honks]
[upbeat music]
[horns honk]
[upbeat music]
[crowd cheers]
- Here it comes now!
Give a little noise for these guys.
[engine revs] [crowd cheers]
- Hey, how are you guys?
Yeah, welcome to Vegas.
Hey man.
Hey.
[crowd cheers]
All right, man.
[indistinct speech]
Hey man, thanks for coming down to Vegas
for the Monster Garage Challenge.
Appreciate it.
I'm all pumped I get to hang out
with you three guys tonight.
- Right!
- We actually sorta had plans.
- We got plans.
- Well, can I at least drive the car?
- No.
No, he drives.
- No, I drive.
- He drives.
- I'm a swag, you ain't gonna drive it.
[keys rattle]
[upbeat music]
[crowd cheers]
[host yells]
All right, I guess I won't drive the mini truck.
Okay.
[upbeat music]
Did you see that?
[upbeat music]
Even though they need a hand from the crowd,
these builders have their sights set
on the bright lights of Vegas.
[upbeat music]
[engine revs]
[hydraulics hiss]
- [Mike] All right, all right, all right.
[door clicks]
[upbeat music]
What you think, guys?
Not too bad for a little mini truck.
Hey, it works, huh?
- [Host] So what d the crowd at Fremont Street think?
- Yeah, I like this truck.
This is nice.
[upbeat music]
- Oh, it's unusual for this. [chuckles]
- Very good.
- Very good, there it is, huh?
- That's something different.
Don't see this in Iowa. [laughs]
They built that in five days?
Really?
That's pretty good.
- Nice job guys.
- Did you do it?
- [Mechanic] Yep, I'm one of them.
- Wow, that's awesome.
- They're pretty cool.
That's good.
- [Tourist] Thanks guys.
I appreciate it.
- Oh, life is good.
- That's right.
You ever modeled?
[camera flashes]
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [Host] I knew that mini truck was a chick magnet.
Who knows what kind of trouble three little people
and a blonde can get into in Vegas?
- I get a kick outta them with them girls in that.
- Yeah.
[tourist chuckles]
[upbeat music]
- [Host] The builders got no time for tackling big swag.
You see three little guys?
Monsters in drag are people that sell them short.
We got metal to burn,
sparks to fire,
The next Monster Garage Challenge
is just around that bend!
[crowd cheers]
[soft musical score]
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05x04 - Mini-People Mini-Truck
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A team of five people with mechanical, fabricating, or modifying expertise was assembled to modify a vehicle into a "monster machine."
A team of five people with mechanical, fabricating, or modifying expertise was assembled to modify a vehicle into a "monster machine."