Bruzilla
Well-Known Member
I watched the premiere, and found it mildly interesting once they got past the endless fat jokes. The show dealt with a Brand X car and a 1969 Coronet convertible that they wanted to clone into a Hemi RT. I wasn't impressed with the show so much on a technical level, but I thought it was a great "how to" on how not to do a car these days.
They paid $12,500 for the car, which in the shape it was in, which was really rough, was way high. Then they decided to go old school with the engine and they paid $25,000 for a used, incomplete, 1969 engine, which was a high price several years ago, and well better than twice what I think most would pay nowadays. Then, in a pattern of thinking that I couldn't figure out, they decide to put an EFI system on the engine. They didn't want to use a crate Hemi because they wanted to be correct for the period, then they opt for EFI. Go figure.
The whole time they're discussing the car, they're throwing around numbers that are more reminiscent of 2004 than 2014, and they're talking about how this clone will bring in six figures... yeah... that'll happen. They end up getting into the car for around $77,000, and they need to sell high because they underbid the work on the Ford Galaxy they're working on and they need the Mopar money to make up the difference.
So they get the car done, take it over to some guy who they sell cars to, and the look on their faces when he hits them across the face with a reality check on prices is just classic. They come in at $125k, I guess expecting to settle on $100k+, and this guy comes back with an undefined something in the $70s counter offer. Smack! Welcome to reality! They start talking Hemi, Hemi, Hemi, and he explains that seven years ago they would be on the mark, but this isn't seven years ago and they end up selling the car for I think $84k.
Lack of market research, bad buying decisions, and thinking the market is still booming cost them I would guess about $25,000-$35,000. I can't see these guys being around for long.
They paid $12,500 for the car, which in the shape it was in, which was really rough, was way high. Then they decided to go old school with the engine and they paid $25,000 for a used, incomplete, 1969 engine, which was a high price several years ago, and well better than twice what I think most would pay nowadays. Then, in a pattern of thinking that I couldn't figure out, they decide to put an EFI system on the engine. They didn't want to use a crate Hemi because they wanted to be correct for the period, then they opt for EFI. Go figure.
The whole time they're discussing the car, they're throwing around numbers that are more reminiscent of 2004 than 2014, and they're talking about how this clone will bring in six figures... yeah... that'll happen. They end up getting into the car for around $77,000, and they need to sell high because they underbid the work on the Ford Galaxy they're working on and they need the Mopar money to make up the difference.
So they get the car done, take it over to some guy who they sell cars to, and the look on their faces when he hits them across the face with a reality check on prices is just classic. They come in at $125k, I guess expecting to settle on $100k+, and this guy comes back with an undefined something in the $70s counter offer. Smack! Welcome to reality! They start talking Hemi, Hemi, Hemi, and he explains that seven years ago they would be on the mark, but this isn't seven years ago and they end up selling the car for I think $84k.
Lack of market research, bad buying decisions, and thinking the market is still booming cost them I would guess about $25,000-$35,000. I can't see these guys being around for long.
That guy sure knew saps when he saw them. The great Bigger Idiot theory was proven again. 
