Practically Classics Forum

TerryG wrote:

Phil P wrote:Car SOS received the highest viewing figures for any Nat Geo series.

Here comes Series 2

HOORAY I like the story behind the cars myself, if only all our old cars could talk about there history.

Grease Monkey wrote:I have really enjoyed all the episodes, but, like many others, I would like to have seen more work being done, but saying that I understand the producers need to attract a wider audience than just us greasy fingered individuals.
The choice of vehicles has been excellent, I particulary enjoyed the Austin 12 programme, it was interesting to see the metal stitching process, but I see that Fuzz is still a bit 'ham fisted', especially when it came to adjusting the timing chain on the Austin and pressing the shaft out of the Lotus' hub. He always liked the BIG hammer approach in Practical Classics workshop!!
I think Fuzz comes across very well on the box, but Tim seems a bit of an arse!!

Having now watched all the episodes and also having read through this whole thread, I'd also like to pick up on a few bits!

Phil - having read your posts on here and also seen from the TV that you are clearly a bloke with a dry sense of humour, I'd say we ought to be seeing more of you on screen than Tim. I'm sure he is a nice bloke, but I do wonder why he has to put himself across as, as John says above, a bit of an arse. It wouldn't be so bad if he did it well or if it was relevant but it just takes away from the programme IMHO....

John also mentions the producers needing to attract a wider audience, which has been picked up on elsewhere in this thread. The question is, why? I can't really see that a back-story will bring in viewers who are not interested in cars, the best it'll do is make wives grudgingly watch with their car mad husbands! (or potentially the other way round in some cases) There's plenty of specialist car magazines out there, so why not have an in-depth, specialist TV show too? I'd wager that there's literally hundreds of thousands who would welcome this

As regards Fuzz's occasional ham-fistedness. I'm sure there's not many amongst us who have gone about things a bit too gung ho and broken stuff - at least it wasn't edited out!

Finally, a question for Phil. On last week's show there was a black two door coupe parked up, covered in dust and minus one of said doors, behind the car being worked on. Been trying to think what it was. For some reason I''m thinking it may have been a Bitter, although guessing this is unlikely. Any clues?

The car in the background was a customers car that had been invloved in a collision with an imoveable object of some description. It was Nissan whatsit turbo thingy. Sorry I don't know what it was. I know it needed a door and wing plus the sill straightening. It wasn't a Car SOS subject so I didn't take any notice of it. I know one of the guys at Westgate raved about it but to me it was Japanese nuff said! Now if it had been a Dodge Viper I would have been mortified seeing it damaged.

Don't be hard on Tim he is good at parts blagging. There really is something about cameras and studio lights that causes aluminium to break!!

I think the programme makers have got it right. Perhaps a couple of minutes less socialising at the start and at the finish and have another 5 minutes of actually doing the resto work? I have to be careful what I say because I would like to be considered if there is a second series. I know the programme makers read this Forum so I don't want to...er...urinate in my own custard!

Having a TV version of Practical Classics would work but to only a very small audience plus I can see this Forum being full of postings telling the folks doing the programme that they don't know what they are doing and that the wrong this or that was used and this is type of TV ruins the restoration and classic car hobby. I know because I had a long private message off somebody who posts on this forum telling me all things we did wrong and actually said that he had sent me a private message so that he wouldn't embarass me in front of the other forum readers as we clearly didn't know what we were doing! I replied to him in private and explained, without revealing any behind the scenes imformation, that we had a very tight time scale and had to do some things with cameras and film lights surrounding us. I haven't received a reply to say ok I understand or anything else. I can only assume he was satisfied with my explanation.

Phil

from the programme ive seen on the net (rover) it seemed an interesting programme. a couple of things to remember are, don't get shouty as in classic car rescue as its just not interesting! and fix my alternator on the next series
just need now to find the rest of the series on the net..

The one thing that is good the owners really love there cars, and they do not put them on Ebay after they have been done.

So many WD cars appear there and fake buyers for the end of the show not

Surely not? That is terrible selling a car after it has been lovingly restored. I am shocked. I do check all the sales adds in the classic car mags when I go into WH Smiths lending library.

Phil

SEE YA wrote:The one thing that is good the owners really love there cars, and they do not put them on Ebay after they have been done.

So many WD cars appear there and fake buyers for the end of the show not

whats a wd car? speak slowly coz im thick

rich. wrote:

SEE YA wrote:The one thing that is good the owners really love there cars, and they do not put them on Ebay after they have been done.

So many WD cars appear there and fake buyers for the end of the show not

whats a wd car? speak slowly coz im thick

"Wheeler Dealers" I think.....

thanks! something else i don't watch have i missed anything?

Some good some bad... Regardless on whether the "sale" at the end is genuine or not there are usually some useful tips, especially in the earlier stuff... I've found that it seems to depend on the age of the car they are doing, some of the post 1990 stuff I don't find very interesting... Worth a watch if you see them, though... Far better than some of the others that are around!

Further to an earlier post i made I've certainly enjoyed the last few episodes of Car SOS, i wasn't impressed with the earlier ones but they have got better as the series has continued...

Phil, do you know if they'll be releasing DVDs with extra footage?