Narrator:
right now on "fast n' loud"...
Whoo!
Narrator: ...hot rod hunter
richard rawlings
And master mechanic
aaron kaufman
Dig out a '64 chevy impala.
It was running and driving
yesterday.
Rawlings:
[ chuckling ] yeah.
Right here.
Narrator:
but back in the shop,
Sue is unimpressed.
Lousy mechanic.
Narrator:
next, ex-fireman richard
Can't resist
a rare bruco fire truck.
That's pretty cool. I've never
seen one of those at all.
Narrator: but does he have
the willpower
To walk away from a caddy
named dolly?
We all love dolly parton,
And you understand
the similarities.
Narrator:
then, scorching texas heat
makes everyone a little crazy.
[ Laughing ] aah!
Narrator: and richard's plan
to sell the impala...
How much?
Narrator:
...takes a nose dive.
No. No, no, no, no.
Come on, man.
Rawlings:
so, it's 8:00 a.m.,
And the temperature
is already in the 90s.
It's so hot, hens are laying
hard-boiled eggs.
Good time to blow out of
the garage and hit the road,
See what we can find
for our next big build project.
Basically, I was just cruising
the net yesterday,
Saw a lead on a '64 impala
pretty close by --
Just outside of dallas
in greenville.
Thought I'd come out
and take a look.
Aaron had slow time
this morning,
So I went in, grabbed him,
threw him in the truck.
Supposedly a documented
two-owner, '64 impala.
It's supposed to be cool.
You know, of all the cars
we have,
I don't think we've ever had
a '64 impala.
Nope.
That's a super popular car.
Yeah.
Guy's place is supposed to be
up here somewhere.
He said there's a fire truck
in the front.
There's the fire truck.
Doesn't look too bad.
I like it.
He didn't say he was bringing
the guy from zz top.
Yeah, that's that,
uh, aaron?
Mm-hmm. [ Laughs ]
Zz top.
What's going on, guys?
Not a lot.
You find it okay?
Yes, sir.
It's out here in the country,
but we can find it.
We're a little out here
in the sticks.
Richard rawlings.
Mike lacey. Nice to meet you.
Busby: larry busby.
Larry, how you doing?
Aaron kaufman.
He's got a beautiful place
here.
We can tell
he's a car guy
'Cause he's got one barn
and then two barns,
And I know they're not cows,
so they must have cars in them.
We've got a '64 impala
over there.
Yeah, that's the one saw
on the net
That I called you
about.
Lacey:
it's buried up over here.
It is a little buried up
over there.
Well, now I know
why you didn't want
To pull it out
and take pictures.
That looks like it's gonna be
a little bit work.
It was running and driving
yesterday.
[ Chuckling ] yeah.
I don't know
if I believe that.
Kaufman:
heard that one before.
For most people, seeing a car
buried under a pile of lumber
And covered
with 10 years of dust
Would make them turn
right around and go home.
This is exactly
what gas monkey likes --
Untouched and forgotten.
How long ago was it
that it drove?
I'd say about 10 years.
Really?
See if I can move
a couple of these things
Where you can
take a look at it.
Well, yeah, why not?
So, what was the plan
when you parked it?
Busby: well,
I was running out of space
With all these other
vehicles.
Besides that, my kids were
starting to go to college.
Rawlings: well, that will stop
the hobby right there.
That will.
Everything looks
pretty sanitary,
Pretty much
where it's supposed to be.
Shouldn't need
a whole lot.
Coat of paint
and an oil change.
Well, that's kind of the way
we like to find them.
I mean, we see so many cars
that have been butchered
And jacked with and messed with,
and, you know,
It's easier to start
with something good.
But you've had it
this long.
Why, all of a sudden, did you
decide to get rid of it?
Well, we had a tornado come
through about two months ago.
I had a big tree
sitting right here --
Probably
about 60, 80 foot tall --
Land on top
of that garage,
And I'm just
real thankful
That it didn't come this way
on these.
Exactly.
If it had come back
the other way,
It would have crushed this car
in a heartbeat.
I said, "well, maybe we need
to sell this thing."
What do you think, aaron?
Can we take it out
and look at it
Where we can
open the doors up?
You bet. No problem.
Grab something fragile.
All right.
Just put around the grille
there?
Yeah, the grille.
Yes, if you can just hook it
on the grille
Or inside the hood there,
might pull okay.
Man, I done got my knees dirty,
dude.
Okay.
What do you think, man?
I think it rocks and rolls.
To tell you the truth,
I'm a little jealous.
Kaufman: it's the right color.
It's the right engine package.
Everything
about it's right.
It could have
some more options.
Could have had
a bigger motor.
Could have had
power windows.
Could have had
bucket seats.
But we don't need
all that.
This car is absolutely perfect
for us.
[ Sighs ]
You guys were wanting
On the old interweb,
there.
Um...
What do you think
about $8,500?
We had some calls
right before you came here.
Well, that's why
I raced out here first.
[ Laughs ]
Man, you know, I'd love
to work with you some,
But we're not gonna be able
to get there.
Huh.
But I can do $9,500.
But that's -- honestly,
that's the car's worth.
I know it needs some work,
but...
Yeah, I mean,
it's a '64 hard-top,
Unmolested and two owners
and low miles and a.c.
Aaron,
what do you think?
A little on the high side,
but I like the car.
I'm kind of with you,
aaron.
I think it's a little
on the high side,
But it's a good car.
$9,500.
That's a deal.
That's a deal.
All right.
Thank you sir.
Ended up
haggling down to $9,500,
So that's not exactly
a gas monkey ripper, there.
That's just --
It's an a.c. Car,
v-8, automatic.
I love it.
Well, you know who we have
to thank for that.
Tell me about it.
This tree right here.
Yeah?
That tree was blocking
getting that impala out,
And until it fell down,
I don't think
he was ever gonna sell it.
Well...
[ Smooches ]
thank you, tree.
I want to say
categorically,
That's the first time
my lips have ever been on wood.
Oh! [ Laughs ]
Right on.
Thanks again, guys.
Thank you very much.
Y'all drive safe.
Take care.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
Busby:
I hate to see the car go.
It means a lot to me.
It's just part of the family.
I've gotten attached to it.
Lacey: I think
they're gonna do wonderful.
They're gonna restore that car,
And somebody's gonna have to
have that car
Who had '64 impala back in
high school or back in the day.
And that's who's gonna buy
that car.
Busby: yonder she goes.
Bye, betsy.
Man:
I don't think anyone's here.
Man #2: they went looking
for cars this morning, right?
Oh, you know what?
They did.
I bet they locked the door,
too.
[ Door rattles ]
[ Laughs ]
that's nice.
Know what? I bet we could go
through a window.
Can you fit?
Yeah. We're gonna
set the alarm off, though.
I don't have to pay
for it.
[ Both laugh ]
Ow!
Oh [bleep]
You better hurry.
K.c., I'm gonna kick [bleep]
out of you.
[ Horn honks ]
[ Whistles ]
Special delivery.
Impala.
Now, that's what
I'm talking about.
Rawlings: impalas are known
for their speed, power,
And quick turning ability.
Up until 1965,
the impalas were
The best-selling full-size
automobile in the u.s.
And one of the most expensive
passenger cars you could buy.
Got the original wheels
and hub caps for it.
It's an a.c. Car -- factory.
Looky there, guys.
Kaufman: imagine that.
Small-block chevrolet.
Everything's
where it should be.
The oil's clean.
The coolant's clean.
They said they fully expected it
to run.
Clutch is free.
Everything looks good.
So, what's the big plan
here for --
We just gonna
clean this up
And get it rocking
and rolling?
No, no, no, no.
As we have it right now,
I mean,
Basically, I don't want
to upset the car too much.
I want this car nice,
clean, stock,
Beautiful paint,
beautiful interior laid out.
And then we'll have all
the original stuff in a big box.
The plan on the 1964 impala
Is to give it
a top-to-bottom restoration,
Which means keeping it
as original as possible
While giving it
some modern updates.
We'll pull the engine
and transmission
And give them
a good, thorough cleaning.
Add new air-ride suspension,
a new set of tires, new brakes,
And return the exterior paint
and the interior
To the original stock colors.
By the time we're done
with it,
You'll think
you're looking at the car
As it rolled off
the assembly line in 1964.
But with
a little gas monkey twist.
All right, man.
You got 24 hours for full paint.
Well, 23 hours,
Yeah,
time's ticking.
In order to make a profit
on this car,
I really got to manage
time and money.
I don't even have a buyer
lined up on this one.
And a car like this
can only sell for so much.
So I'm giving the guys five days
to get the job done.
Right now they're gonna strip
the car down to its frame
And get it ready
for k.c. To paint
First thing in the morning.
Kaufman: so, just sent k.c. Off
to get the car painted.
What me and scot have to do now
is get the interior over to sue.
She's got a little more time on
this one than she usually does,
So hopefully,
I don't get yelled at.
Hey, what's up?
Who are you?
Who am i?
Yeah.
I'm the bearer
of bad news.
What bad news?
I got a '64 impala
that needs a new interior.
Oh, you do this to me
every time.
Yeah, but I don't need it
tomorrow -- like usual.
You probably need it what,
later on tonight?
Yeah, later on tonight.
[ Laughs ]
That's what you do to me.
Yeah.
Well, it's not that bad
this time.
We tore this thing down
this morning.
I figured I'd get the seats
over to you as fast as possible.
What year this car?
All stock.
Just like it was
when it was new.
Original material?
Where you gonna get that at?
That's your problem,
not mine.
All right,
let's haul this junk inside.
Always give me junk.
Don't you ever
bring a ferrari here?
Rawlings: the guys were busy on
the big build back at the shop,
So I decided to take
a little trip to louisiana.
Sometimes, you got to travel a
little further than you want to.
Pulled up here
to mr. Nelson's place,
And I see a really cool
'52 desoto convertible --
Bright yellow, chrome grille,
Just smiling at me
with all those teeth.
I know
I'm in the right place then.
Rawlings:
you must be nelson.
d*ck nelson.
Richard rawlings.
How you doing?
Gas monkey garage.
All right. Good.
Man, that's pretty cool.
I hadn't seen a '52 desoto
in a long time.
Yeah, named her sunshine.
She's bright enough.
That's for sure.
Well, man, you got
some cool stuff out here.
What's the best way
to start?
I don't even know
which direction to go first.
Take a shot
at the tan building.
All right. Cool.
You know, I've been doing this
a long time.
There's one thing I know.
If a guy builds
an entire building
And fills it full of his cars,
He's got
a serious car collection.
I can't wait to see
what's inside.
Unbelievable.
That's pretty cool.
I've never seen one of those
at all.
Ooh. That's ugly.
The engine's not as easy
as we thought it was gonna be.
So we're looking at another
What's the best way
to start?
I don't even know
which direction to go first.
Take a shot
at the tan building.
All right. Cool.
Rawlings: so,
I'm in the middle of louisiana,
Looking for a car to buy.
I'm at d*ck nelson's place,
And he's walking me through
an entire hangar full of cars.
I'm might have
just found heaven.
Man!
And this is just one
of your buildings.
Unbelievable.
There's probably 60, 70 cars
in this building,
And I'm just like,
"I don't know where to start."
I'm like a kid in a candy store.
I'm like, "I want to go there.
I want to go over there."
This isn't a nest.
This is a virtual cornucopia
of automobile history here.
It's everywhere.
Look at these sun visors.
They're like sun tents.
What kind is this?
That'd be a '29 chrysler.
This one looks
pretty interesting, a hard-top.
It is.
Let's take a look
at your other buildings.
All right.
Golly.
Your place just keeps going
and going, man.
It does, doesn't it?
It's a disease.
Walk out of that building,
and there's a bruco fire truck.
Rawlings: I was a fireman
for about five or six years
When I was younger,
and that's pretty cool.
I've never seen one of those
at all.
It's a six-cylinder,
huge motor,
And the seats here
are really neat.
They look at each other. That's
where your guys would sit.
Wow.
Since the 1940s, brucos have
served as multipurpose trucks.
They were manufactured
by the brumbaugh body company,
Which changed its name to bruco
Shortly after the end
of world w*r ii.
I immediately see it,
And I'm thinking,
"man, I used to be a fireman.
It'd be pretty cool
to have that thing around."
You selling
something like this?
It'd make a pretty badass
motorcycle hauler.
[ Laughs ]
Just put a modern drivetrain
under there.
This could be pretty cool.
I could tell d*ck thought
I was just pulling his chain,
But I really want this truck.
We've never had one
at gas monkey,
And I know just the guy who's
gonna want this for his company.
Now I just got to convince d*ck
to give it to me for the cheap.
Well, you're serious?
You want to buy it?
I think I do.
$4,500.
That puts me in
at about $5,000 total.
It's still a good deal.
[ Sighs ]
Can't go any lower than that?
No.
Well, it's gonna cost me $600
just to get it to dallas.
How about $4,250?
Are you ready to do this?
I'm ready to do it.
Tomorrow?
No, like right now.
Gas monkey deals in cash.
That'll work.
We ended up settling on $4,250,
Which I think is
a pretty good deal
For a one-of-a-kind fire truck
like this.
So, $4,250, I got myself
a bruco fire truck?
I guess you do.
Thank you, sir.
Can we go eat some crawfish
and drink some beer?
That's good.
Drink some crawfish
and eat some beer.
Let's do it.
I'm with you.
Mathieu: richard gave me
So as usual,
I'm racing to get it done
Before he gets back
from his road trip.
Aaron wanted to go
with a white top on it
To kind of break up all the
green that the car already had,
So I got it mixed up,
and it's about time to sh**t it.
Painting the impala's going to
be a multi-step process.
First, I'm gonna paint the top.
Then, once it dries,
we'll paint the body
The original
chevrolet turquoise blue.
In the '60s,
ford, chevy, and dodge,
All the chrysler corporation,
everything --
Used a lot of colors like this.
They were more pastel colors.
They weren't real poppy,
Like the new colors are --
modern colors.
I think, when we go back to
the original color of the car
With a white top, it's gonna
complement each other very well.
All right. She's done.
Rawlings:
man, I want some crawfish.
That's a great idea.
We gonna take this?
Yeah.
Is this thing fast?
Yeah, it'll run.
So, d*ck and I are
headed over
To a good, old-fashioned
craw boil.
He's taking me
in his '52 desoto.
[ Laughs ]
Then, d*ck tells me he's got
another car I might like.
He says her name's dolly.
What's not to like about that?
Nelson: dolly happens to be
a well-endowed '55 cadillac,
And it was very easy
to name her.
We all love dolly parton, and
you understand the similarities.
It's a good, solid body.
Interior's still original.
This is an a.c. Car, too.
Wow.
That is pretty spectacular
for original-type interior.
Beautiful '55
coupe de ville.
Continental kit.
Real original -- an honest car,
Just like the other ones
that are in here.
So, this is the 331,
right?
Nelson: it is.
Golly.
The name de ville is from the
french, meaning, "on the town,"
And in 1955, plenty of people
wanted to be seen
In this stylish caddy.
It featured a wrap-around,
panoramic windshield,
A flowing florentine-curved
roof line, and higher tail fins.
On the road,
it more than held its own
As a solid performance car.
Well,
what if I said $10,000?
That wouldn't work.
What if I said $11,000?
$15,000.
How about $12,500, cash?
$15,000.
Does it make any difference
if I go to $13,000?
I'll do $14,500.
I'll come down
a little bit.
[ Laughing ] come on.
Yeah.
You got to make it look like
I'm getting a deal here.
Make me feel good.
Yeah.
Well, let's cover her up,
and we'll think about it.
Rule number one
in any negotiation --
Know when to walk away.
So I started
to cover her back up
Just to see
what mr. Nelson would do.
I'll work
on it a little more.
That's what I'm talking about.
$13,500.
All right. I'll take it.
Cool.
Cool.
Awesome.
I got my cadillac.
Can we eat crawfish
and drink some beer now?
I think I'm with you.
Let's go do it.
Whoo! Hot.
All right. I don't even know
how to do this.
I think
that's still alive.
This is kind of like dating
in high school.
Too much work
and not enough meat.
Nelson: well, you want
to suck the head out of one?
No.
There it is.
I ain't into that.
[ Laughs ]
Kaufman:
k.c. Got the car back today.
It looks absolutely fantastic.
But, man, I'm starting
to feel the heat now,
'Cause we don't have wheels.
We don't have suspension.
The car's sitting on old drums.
So it's absolutely go time now.
So the second
we got it off the trailer,
We didn't waste any time.
Pushed it right in the shop.
Got to work.
Well, guys, the first thing
I want to do --
Let's ditch all these hoses.
Let's clean everything up.
If we've got wires
that don't go anywhere,
Let's get rid of them.
If we've hoses that don't go
anywhere, let's get rid of them.
So we yanked
the control arms off.
We had to cut the brake lines,
get those off.
None of that stuff's gonna
go back on, anyway.
We've got brand-new parts
to hang
On the front end
and the rear end.
Mathieu:
steering's out of the car.
Time to move on
to lower control arms,
So we need to get
the lower control arms off,
Get the springs, shocks.
[ Grunts ]
I'm gonna get it all torn down,
cleaned up,
Paint the frame rails on it,
And get ready to put the new
air-ride suspension on it.
Yeah.
That's what that'll get you.
Watch out for them ginger arms.
Those [bleep] will get you.
As always, I've been tasked
with the rear of the car.
My favorite.
On this particular car,
we're not gonna keep anything.
We're gonna take
the rear end out.
We're gonna take
the drum brakes apart.
We're gonna take the spring out.
We're gonna take
the panhard bar out.
We're gonna take all of it out
and throw almost all of it away.
I'm gonna rebuild the drum
brakes, reseal the rear end,
And start putting it all
back together
With all of her new
air-ride parts.
It's gonna be a lot better.
K.c.!
[ Laughs ]
[ Laughter ]
I saw him coming.
I was like, "hell, yeah!"
Zoom!
Kaufman: so, we're inside,
working on the '64 impala,
And richard comes tearing in
With what looks like
a giant easter egg.
Hey, you managed
to keep the trailer
A little cleaner
this time.
Check this out.
'55 Coupe de ville.
Been in the garage
for about 30-some years.
Saber wheels.
Best part --
look at that.
Best part is the baby [bleep]
yellow interior.
[ Chuckling ]
where else would there be
A yellow-on-yellow
coupe de ville but louisiana?
[ Laughs ]
Well, now, you done good,
man.
Whoever had it
definitely took care of it.
I dig it. Cool.
Rawlings:
man, I know it's a good day
When I bring home a car
and aaron actually likes it.
Awesome car, richard.
Thank you, sir.
Now you got to
get it running.
This car's been sitting around
for 30 years.
Before we get too excited, we
got to know if it can fire up.
All right,
let's see what happens.
[ Engine whines ]
Whoo!
Does anyone want
to check the points?
The motor's turning over fine.
It's just not firing up.
[ Engine whines ]
Go ahead and k*ll it.
We gave it
a good, faithful effort.
I bet phipps has it running
Before we get here
in the morning.
I'm gonna have phipps
put a set of points in it,
And hopefully,
that's all she needs
'Cause I've already got
a potential buyer on this thing.
You know the drill,
my man.
I'll see you.
Okay.
See you in the morning.
Mathieu: so, this morning,
I get into work real early.
I got to get the undercarriage
of the '64 impala clean
And painted black.
Once I'm done with that,
I got to start installing
the air-ride suspension.
We got a nice suspension
from ridetech.
It's gonna go great.
It's full bolt-on kit.
Includes upper and lower
control arm, sway bars.
We got all the kit for the back.
That's scot's deal.
Everything's gonna go real good.
We're working on it all day.
Full of energy.
It's gonna go real nice.
So, here we are,
Tearing apart
the '64 impala's motor.
Should run that car just fine,
So what we're gonna do is
we're gonna clean it up,
Pretty it up a little bit,
Re-gasket so we don't have
any leaks,
And make it look
like the day it was new.
Ooh. That's ugly.
Didn't really change the oil
very often, did they?
Ooh, no.
That's probably why our valve
seals don't look so good.
I really thought this engine
was gonna be in decent shape
And we weren't gonna have to
mess around with it too much.
That's really nasty.
But apparently,
The previous owners hadn't been
taking care of it well.
That's what happens to oil
When you ran the living tar out
of them and never changed it.
It's hard on the rest
of the motor.
At this point, I'm not sure
this engine's gonna fly.
Even if I can get it to run,
It's gonna smoke
something awful.
Our only choices now are
to buy a new one or rebuild it.
I'm gonna have to talk it over
with richard.
Rawlings:
what's up, man?
Oh, nada.
On the impala...
The engine's not as easy
as we thought it was gonna be.
You know how we were just gonna
do a once-over,
Hit it with some gaskets,
and clean it up, put it back in?
But looks like
the valves are burned,
And, my god,
it would screw us
If we built a nice car,
put it all together,
And it smoked
when you fire it up.
'Cause you know when it's gonna
puff the most
Is when we fire it
across stage.
Big, blue smoke behind it.
And the chance of us getting
any money out of it
Is pretty much shot.
I don't really have the budget
for this.
This is not
what I wanted to hear.
I didn't want to buy
a new engine for this car,
So we're gonna rebuild it
instead.
More importantly, this is
costing me time and money
That I just don't have.
So, we're looking at another
By the time
we're done done.
Yeah.
[ Horn blares ]
It's getting hot out here!
[ Laughing ] aah!
Come to papa.
Give it to me.
Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
Kaufman:
it was a touch decision,
But richard and I are gonna have
the '64 impala motor rebuilt.
So we took it over
to city motor supply,
And they're gonna make it look
and function
Like it did the day it was born.
They're gonna line-bore it,
Make sure the cylinders
are straight,
The crank shaft's straight,
the camshaft's straight.
Man:
what we're doing here --
I bored the block.
Now we're honing it.
[ Speaking indistinctly ]
So I'm paying for what?
Drop heads in the cylinders.
That way, the rings sit good.
What they're gonna do is
reinstall brand-new parts,
Fix any problems there might
have been inside the engine.
They're gonna paint it,
send it back to us.
Rawlings:
texas summers are brutal.
It's already over 100 degrees.
Freaking hot in here.
Whoo-wee.
It's pissing everybody off.
Everybody's getting a little
crazy, especially aaron.
[ Horn blares ]
Rawlings: today, we finally got
the bruco delivered.
Had to get a big truck
to get a big truck here.
It looked a little scary.
Oh, we're definitely gonna be
able to do something with this.
You know what --
this is got to be
One of the baddest-a*s
fire trucks made.
Basically, we just got it
hooked up to the wrecker.
Gonna put a little tension
on it.
Get it over the flat spot
on the trailer, there,
And once we get it moving,
it'll do all right.
Kaufman: richard
went on some kind of adventure
And bought
one of these things.
Showed me a couple pictures
of it.
I wasn't really sure
what to think.
But after seeing it in person,
I don't know.
I like it.
It's pretty cool.
Other way!
I think I'm just gonna do what
I do best at a time like this.
[ Bell rings ]
The other thing is
I love bells and whistles.
I didn't find a whistle,
but I damn sure found the bell.
Turn!
Straighten it up
a little bit, scot.
Oh [bleep]
getting hot out here!
Whoo!
[ Laughs ]
[ Laughing ] aah! Aah!
It looked like it was gonna be
a mess coming off there,
And it kind of started
headed that way,
But all in all, we got it off
a lot cleaner
Than a lot of cars
come off.
Cut like a razor blade!
Rawlings: keep cutting.
There --
just keep on that track.
It's in there now.
Looks badass -- we're gonna try
to get it running,
Put some batteries in it,
Throw some gasoline
down into the carb
And see what happens.
I found a new toy.
I'm pretty stoked.
Kaufman: scot just showed up
with the motor.
First thing I notice
before he even stops the truck
Is the engine's black.
I'm ecstatic.
You know, I kind of thought
they might paint it orange,
Which was the factory color
for this engine,
But I can't stand it.
And I know that hurts a lot
of people out there in tv land,
But you know what?
I can't stand orange motors.
And I'm tickled to death
they painted our engine black.
Makes me happy.
Even if I'm the only one,
it's the only one that matters.
Well, I guess let's get it out.
We're just getting some
of the infrastructure in place
So we can get the motor in.
Making sure
we get our air lines,
Our fuel supply, and brake lines
All tightened down
on the frame and out of the way.
Biggest reason we're gonna do it
now as opposed to later
Is because once the motor
and transmission are in,
Makes it incredibly difficult
to stick the trans lines in
And feed the brake lines
underneath it.
So a couple minutes spent now
will save us hours later.
Mcmillan: while aaron preps
the engine block,
I'm gonna hook up the motor
and transmission.
We had the transmission rebuilt,
as well,
And it's practically brand-new.
Kaufman:
hook it all back together.
Bolt it all up so that when
we slide it in the car,
Half the hard work's done.
Just turn this way.
Come to papa.
Give it to me.
Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
Scot,
watch your right ankle.
I'm gonna come back
about another 6 inches or so.
Ready to come down?
Yeah. Watch this.
I don't want to bend it.
Yep.
Come on with it.
Okay. Come down.
Just -- a little bit,
little bit.
Okay, roll it back a little --
about an inch.
h*.
Let me see.
You happy?
Great. Great. Oh.
Watch your feet, scot.
So, we've got the motor
and the transmission installed.
Just a couple details
we have to put together,
And then we can start
putting the core support on --
Radiator, battery, fans,
stuff like that.
So the end is near.
We just got to keep hustling.
Rawlings: so, these our new
wheels for the impala?
Man: they are.
Hell, yeah.
Let's go check them out
real quick.
So, our friend david coker
from rocket racing wheels
Just dropped off the wheels
for our '64 impala.
They look awesome.
Oh, yeah. Sweet.
Coker:
rocket racing wheels is
A vintage and hot-rod
wheel manufacturer
From back in the '60s in
the hot-rod and muscle-car era.
And I relaunched the brand
about four years ago.
Kaufman: all right. Yeah.
Freaking cool.
We'll get some rubber and
get these things mounted up.
I'm down with that.
Rawlings: but I'm not gonna
let david leave empty-handed.
I know he's a big collector
of hot rods and motorcycles,
And he's been looking
for something to haul them in --
Like my bruco.
I only paid 4,250 bucks for it.
Hopefully, I can get it
in his price range.
Check it out.
Bruco action, dude.
Coker: he knows that I like
unusual and different vehicles.
And we walk around the corner,
And that was the first thing
I saw.
Whoa!
I imagine it
with a modern chassis
Or a modern diesel motor
in it.
Get it down low.
Strip down all this stuff
and get it just kind of sleek.
Logo it up -- rocket.
Oh, dude.
That'd just look crazy, man.
That would be insane.
Coker:
honestly, when I saw the bruco,
I'm like, "ooh, yes. That's it."
I guess the question is,
richard,
What do you got to have
out of it?
I'd go just an even 5 grand.
Just call it that.
$4,500?
Ah, I can't do that.
Come on.
I'll tell you what.
You get the thing running,
All right. Cool.
I can do that.
That's awesome.
Kickass.
I thought it was a fair price.
And I basically paid him
his asking price
'Cause I felt like
it was a good deal.
Well, I'm stoked, man.
It'll be in every magazine
on the planet, easy.
Not to mention how many wheels
it's gonna sell for you.
I even like that better.
How come you don't have a belt
on the power steering?
Lousy mechanic.
[ Chuckling ]
lousy mechanic, aaron.
That's what
she just called you.
[ Tires squeal ]
Aah!
[ Sighs ]
What's up, sue?
Martin: what's up, monkey?
We got impala for you.
It's not an impala.
It's a chimpala.
Chimpala?
Yeah.
Like chimp monkey.
Yeah!
[ Laughter ]
Right here. Come on.
[ Engine turns over ]
[ As sue ] park right here.
[ Engine revs ]
Whoa. [ Laughs ]
Kaufman: something come out
of the front end?
I don't know.
First little drive out of
the shop over here to sue's,
Everything felt good.
As soon as we get in --
what is it, like 500 yards?
Maybe.
Before we had
our first problem.
How come you don't have a belt
on the power steering?
We don't?
It threw it, then.
It blew off.
That's what it was. I got it.
Okay, that's it.
Turn it off.
Yeah.
It's underneath the car.
That's how come
there's not one --
'Cause it threw it off.
The power-steering belt
came off,
And looks like -- cursory
inspection aaron was looking at,
Looks like a couple things
just need to be adjusted,
And that's
what threw it off.
Oh, well.
How long's it gonna take you
to put the seats and stuff in?
Martin: five minutes.
Five minutes?
Yes.
Awesome.
So don't let anybody start
or move the car
Until we come
back to get it.
How come?
Because something broke.
Lousy mechanic.
[ Chuckling ]
lousy mechanic, aaron.
That's what
she just called you.
She don't want to hear
what I got to say
About the upholstery,
though.
Hello. Is richard here?
I'm always here, magnus.
Hello, richard.
Hell, you should
just move in here.
You're always here.
Yeah.
What are you doing
back in the states?
I need to come back
because I sold out all the cars.
My buddy magnus from sweden --
he's back in town again.
I don't know what he's doing
with these cadillacs over there,
But they are selling
like hot cakes.
He comes with a pocket
full of cash,
And he's looking for caddies.
How you doing on the ones
that I sold you already?
What about
that cursed caddy?
The cursed caddy, yeah.
I took it
to our upholstery shop.
When I told them
about the curse
And the haunted car
and all that,
His wife looked at me like --
I knew there was something
Because some bungee she had
next to the car
Get loose
and hit her hand,
And it was swelling up
like that.
And she was afraid
of being there.
See, that's why I just wanted
to get rid of that car.
Magnus was the one that bought
the cursed caddy from me,
And let me tell you -- I was
just glad to get it out of here.
Magnus, I've done some business
with for a long time,
And I didn't want
to sell it to him,
But he wanted it,
and he didn't believe the story.
Well, now he knows.
Well, you called me.
I told you I had one left.
Here we go.
'55 Coupe de ville.
Second owner.
It's got 72,000 original miles.
This is one of the nicest
original interiors I've seen.
I mean, just really,
really clean and nice.
Oh, yeah. So, what mystery
numbers you have for this one?
I don't know. Think we could get
to around $16,500?
That's way too much.
Around $10,000.
I paid $13,500 for this caddy.
Dolly deserves
a little more respect.
Who do you think you are --
a gas monkey?
No, but --
That's my line.
Yeah, but I need to have
the swedish line, and that's...
[ Laughing ] golly.
Negotiating about the price
is always fun
Because you always got
a little extra room,
And I know
he got a little extra room,
So it's sometimes little bet
who will lay down first.
No, I can't go $10,000.
I'll keep this car and drive it
around for the hell of it.
You know,
put a white top on it,
Kick it out there,
and ask a whole lot more money.
It looks to be a nice car,
and, like I said,
I need something new
coming into the showroom,
And, well, we do a deal.
Sold, sold, sold.
Thank you.
Going to sweden.
I think richard get a little
better deal this time,
But I will catch him next time,
though.
Now I can afford
a steak dinner tonight.
Oh, yeah.
You're gonna probably make me
buy you one, though, huh?
I didn't make quite
as much money as I wanted to
On this car,
but dealing with magnus --
He's always there,
and he's always got cash.
Sometimes, you got to take care
of your good customers,
And you make your big money
when you can.
Let's get some banking
done.
Yeah. Thank you.
Rawlings: so, we got the car
back from sue today.
Still not done, though.
We got a power-steering-line
problem
And a few finishing touches
yet to do.
But I'm totally stoked
'Cause my good friend dennis
is stopping by.
He and I still hold the 2007
world record for the cannonball.
The cannonball is
a cross-country road race
From new york to l.a.
It was run a bunch of times
in the '70s,
And the previous record stood
since 1979.
Then, a buddy of mine decided
to bet us 50 grand
That we couldn't
beat the record.
Right now. Bet.
See you.
Well, guess what.
He lost. We won.
Man: ladies and gentlemen,
Dennis collins
and richard rawlings.
True motoring legends.
[ Cheers and applause ]
We did it in 31 hours
and 59 minutes,
And today, he's bringing by
the ferrari we did it in.
[ Laughing ] yeah!
What up? What up?
Oh, you even brought your son,
con man.
How's it going?
Dude, I ain't seen this car
in a while.
Five years.
It is the five-year
anniversary.
It's been five years.
Can you believe that?
Collins:
we've become a really good team,
And we were always incredibly
competitive in other rallies.
So we figured
if we did this together,
We'd have a good chance of
actually accomplishing the goal,
Which was to set the record.
Pretty cool --
I didn't know
If our record
would stay for five years,
But 31 hours,
That's right, baby.
You need
to get one of these.
No, I'm out.
Golly.
I'd be the guy
that got hepatitis "j"
From getting a tattoo.
Kaufman:
hepatitis "z."
Or whatever it is.
What are you guys working on
today?
We just finished a '64 impala,
but --
Well, we haven't finished it.
We're still working.
We're trying desperately
to get it done today.
So you say
it's still running good?
It runs great.
You want to go for a rip?
Hell, yeah.
Let's rip it, dude.
All right.
Con, I'll be right back.
I'm gonna take richard
for a run.
Is your life insurance
paid up?
[ Tires squeal ]
Aah!
[ Tires squeal ]
[ Laughs ] whoa.
[ Tires screech ]
[ Laughs ]
Whoa! Ow!
How was that?
That was kickass.
[ Both laugh ]
Whoa!
He teach you to drive
like that yet?
No, but I'm sure he's gonna
teach me someday.
Dude, this car is brutal,
period.
Where you going, man?
Me and con are going
to the fireworks show
Over in addison.
Benny lane's place --
autosource dallas.
The fourth of july auto show?
How the hell did I forget that?
It's a great place
for a potential buyer,
So I got to get aaron
to throw the hood on.
We'll get out there,
And hopefully we'll find
somebody that wants this impala.
Cool. I'll see you down there,
then, man.
Con man, good seeing you,
brother.
Let me get aaron to get
this impala on the ground,
And we'll meet you over there.
All right. Cool.
My lord.
Ridetech suspension.
I'm probably 45 grand
on this car.
How much?
Hey. What's going on?
Hey, doug.
Hey, k.c.
What's going on?
I'm just getting
the brake lines done.
Is this what the underneath
of the car looks like?
You've never seen a car
from this point, have you?
Hell, yeah, dude.
I just got myself
into a situation in life now
That I don't have to
get down here with you guys.
Little better on my side.
Teach me how to do that.
Yeah. It's called
"save your money," son.
Quit buying
your girl boobies.
We done yet?
No, but if you come back,
I need a wrench.
Half-inch.
Half-inch wrench.
[ Engine turns over ]
Kaufman: this is the type
of project that we love to get
At gas monkey garage.
It's an iconic car.
It's a great build.
You know,
time to let our talent shine.
Rawlings: the plan aaron
laid down on the car
I was definitely for.
He wanted to keep it
as stock appearance as possible,
But let's get it down low.
Let's give it
a little attitude.
The color -- we used
a 1964 turquoise, white top.
The next thing we had to do was
up the reliability.
Just getting this thing running
wasn't gonna be enough.
We had the engine
completely rebuilt.
It was
the factory-original motor,
The factory-original
transmission,
So we had it rebuilt,
as well.
With the motivation for this car
completely redone,
We turned our attention
to the aggression.
So, naturally,
the only thing we could do
Was lay it on the ground.
And that meant air-ride
technologies and big wheels.
You know,
rocket racing wheels
Seem to be a natural fit
on this one.
I love the stagger.
I think
it helps push the car
Into a really mean
attitude.
We put power disk brakes
in the front
Just so I could sleep better
at night.
There was one thing
That we couldn't get
on the same page about --
The interior.
Yeah, k*lled the budget
on that.
Aaron wanted
to rebuild the interior.
I thought the old interior
would have done fine,
But in the end, aaron won,
and I spent 4 more grand.
This is a great example
Of aaron having the right idea
for the car,
Me willing
to spend the budget,
And we ended up
with a great '64 impala.
I believe it's a better car
than it was when it was new.
I think there's a buyer
out there for this car.
I think they're gonna step up
and pay the right price for it,
And they're gonna be
real happy.
We're at kaboom town
in addison, texas.
It's this little town
outside of dallas.
Nobody thinks a whole lot
about it,
But there's planes
and craziness.
Dude,
check out the [bleep] cars.
Right next
to magnum, p.i., Bro.
Bunch of ferraris,
couple lamborghinis,
Some bentleys,
some nice cars out here.
And, of course,
the gas monkey garage '64.
Yeah!
Sometimes, I feel like I'm doing
all the work around here.
First, I rebuild the car.
Now I may have found
our buyer.
I called my stepdad, rob,
to meet us at the show.
He used to have
a '61 impala,
So I figured no better place,
no better time
To show him
our '64 impala freshly finished.
Whoa! Look at that.
Man, y'all wasn't kidding.
Mercy.
What do you think, man?
Get your attention?
Golly,
you talk about a car.
It's an awesome car.
True two-owner car
with 70,000 miles,
But we tried to keep it just
kind of a nice, stocky driver.
Get it a little low.
Give it a little attitude.
It is the original car.
Just that whole era
right there --
The '64 chevy has
a wonderful stance.
Beautiful car.
My lord.
Ridetech suspension.
Air-ride.
Simple, simple, simple.
Oh, baby.
Rob rolled up on our '64,
and you could tell he liked it.
It was the right color.
It was the right look.
And you could tell
he was digging it.
He just had to go for a ride
in it.
Aaron, why don't you get him
in the car
And show him
what it'll do?
What a nice car.
Kaufman: so, I went for
a little ride around the block.
He was hooked
from the first turn.
I mean, it is sweet.
Good, lord, the car rides
like brand new.
Nice, nice, nice.
Going up and down the street,
And, golly, it handles just like
you're riding in a chair.
What did you think
about that, sir?
I think it was sweet.
Oh, yeah. I got him.
I'm ringing him in.
He's ready to buy,
So now all I got to do is
come to the right price.
Well, how much money
did you bring?
I'm looking
in the $30,000 thing.
No. No, no, no, no.
Come on, man.
As much as you move
these things,
It'll be easy for you
to make it up on the next one.
Oh, god!
[ Laughs ]
I'm in the business
of shoveling money?
Negotiation's pretty rough
with rob.
You know,
I've never sold him a car,
But I met him a couple times,
and I'm like, "come on, man."
I'm probably 45 grand
on this car.
How much?
But these older cars
Just don't bring
that much money anymore.
It's a big car.
I'm gonna tell you what --
$35,000.
I put nearly $20,000 worth
of work in this car,
And I'm not gonna let it go
for anything less than $40,000.
No, there ain't no way.
Come on.
What are you at,
$45,000?
I'm at $45,000.
I ain't even hardly moving
from there.
I noticed you hadn't moved
at all is what I'm noticing.
Stewart: richard does drive
a real hard bargain.
Just won't move off his numbers.
I'm thinking $40,000 is
a hell of a lot of money.
Can I say that
while we're negotiating?
You just hit my number.
See, I'm gonna split that
in half.
I'm at $42,500.
And the gas.
And the gas.
And a couple
of t-shirts.
[Bleep] man.
We settled at $42,500,
But he pressured me out for
two t-shirts and a tank of gas.
Call it a deal?
That is a deal and a half.
All right.
Stewart: I'm happy with it.
I'm real happy with it.
It is worth the price.
I am looking forward
to having it.
No either one of us won
on this,
But that is a sweet car,
and I'll be real happy with it.
Oh, I [bleep] won, dude.
Let's go.
Bottom line --
You put a lot of blood,
sweat, and tears in this.
Yeah.
Probably not near as much
as your mom had
Bringing you
into the world.
Probably not.
Stewart: oh, he bargains hard,
doesn't he?
Narrator: richard revisited
his fireman days
And bought a rare
bruco fire truck for $4,250.
After having it
special-delivered to the shop,
He sold it
to a long-time client.
Richard fell
for a caddy named dolly
And brought her home
for a cool $13,500.
He quickly flipped it to a swede
who had to have it.
And finally, richard bought
a '64 impala for $9,500.
After giving it a new paint job,
air-ride, rebuilding the engine,
And an interior from sue,
His parts and labor totaled
$19,500.
But he kept the sale
in the family
And sold the impala to
aaron's stepfather for $42,500.
Overall, richard's tally for the
week was a staggering $24,000.
Rawlings:
well, happy birthday, america.
Check it. Check it, baby.
One, two.
[ Farts ]
[ Farts ]
By the way...
[ Laughing ] ow!
That's for pushing me
through the window.
That hurt.
[ Tires squeal ]
[ Laughter ]
Man: got it all on tape.
[Bleep] yeah.
Almost had it.
I'm leaving you.
Come on [bleep]
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01x07 - Frankensteined Ford
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Richard Rawlings and prodigious mechanic Aaron Kaufmann seek out forgotten and abandoned classic cars for restoration at their Gas Monkey Garage.
Richard Rawlings and prodigious mechanic Aaron Kaufmann seek out forgotten and abandoned classic cars for restoration at their Gas Monkey Garage.