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Pawn Stars

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They might have even made it up for drama on the show that the car didn't run. Then again it's Las Vegas, so I can see someone pushing it into the lot, desperately hoping to get some gambling money.

I still like the show though because so much weird stuff comes into the shop. Iowa pawn shops are full of worthless junk and maybe the occasional overpriced firearm or instrument.
 
I'm glad to hear the outrage on the rebuild. I was quoted the same a few years ago to rebuild my 1098 (but I had to help). I went with someone else and the 1275.

He clearly made a mistake thinking 3000 prices and didn't do his homework enough. I can't throw stones in that direction.

I think my wife found it more humorous than I did -- now another family has to wait for "more british car parts".

George
 
Got a big kick out of the Sprite segment on Pawn Stars.
The price paid and the cost for an engine rebuild were
just plain nuts. Keep in mind this is television and
everything on the show is STAGED. Discovered this on
a previous episode when a pinball machine was featured.
Another hobby of mine. The same thing happened...paid
way to much, cost way too much to restore and the appraisal was about 10 times the market value. Another pinball collector
knew the machine and the owner and told us the machine
was never sold to the pawn shop or even restored. Pure
fiction!

On the good side the general public thinks all of us that
have Spridgets are sitting on a gold mine!
Steve
 
I wouldn't think it'd cost any more than to have a small block chevy built. Half as many parts and you can source stuff online so easily now.

There are two 1098 complete engines on ebay for 250.00 each within driving distance of me.

Having an engine in hand, you can have the machine work done to the head, block, and have the crank turned for well under 1000 dollars. That includes new cam bearings and all the measurement stuff and labor to have it installed.

So I'm thinking maybe around 1500 dollars, but I've obviously not looked into this. AND it's always cheaper to buy someone else's working example. This is why I have a shiny sprite. It was cheaper for me to buy mine whole and complete than to do all that work myself in my garage. Mostly the body and paint though. I can rebuild an engine if I have to, but I no patience or attention to detail with visual stuff like body and paint.
 
You should try pricing quality Spridget parts vs SBC parts, you might be shocked!
 
Prices for individual parts might be higher, but machine work is machine work. These cars were common enough that it's easier to throw one together than say, a Messerschmidt microcar. Most people are unwilling to hunt for seperate parts all over the world using the internet. So I presume the price will be high for them. that or they want to write one check to one guy and turn the key. That's probably what the 6,000 dollar TV rebuild included. They'd have rolled it out with the Union Jack painted on the whole body and it'd have every goofy wooden accessory Victoria British sold bolted onto it :wink:

The only reason I'm into these cars is they're attainable by some middle class schlub like myself. I'm not driving around in a big Healey for a reason :wink:
 
Luke_Healey said:
They'd have rolled it out with the Union Jack painted on the whole body and it'd have every goofy wooden accessory Victoria British sold bolted onto it :wink:
Click to expand...

The interior of that car was already full of crazy aftermarket gauges, stereo, carpeting, etc.
 
The stuff they bring in (and how it leaves the custom shop afterwards) is always sort of tacky on that show.

They had a metal Ford roadster that I liked before it got painted baby blue :wink:

The Harleys or Harley knockoff bikes are always hideous to me. They had some sort of Belgian bike in on one episode that I liked alright. Part of the reason I like driving old stuff is to experience it as old stuff rather than to customize it with a bunch of JC Whitney trinkets, but taste will vary.

Here's that pretty ford they ruined:

https://www.history.com/shows/pawn-stars/videos/taking-a-chance#taking-a-chance
 
For comparision, I get aprox. $4000 for a stage 1 rebuild, all the best parts, AE pistons, tri metal bearings, Payen gaskets, good AE cam bearings, APT cam and lifters, vernier timing gear set etc., all proper machine work needed, and all specs blueprinted to my desire specs, ARP fastners, new hardware pretty much thru out, and over all highest standard job. From there you can add options like big bore, ported heads, roller rockers whatever floats your boat and spend more. I think I represent a quaily product at a good price, and I do more of this than a normal garage and don't work on cars, just rebuilding engines, so I like to think I a bit more verse in it than a all purpose garage. My prices are higher than some and cheaper than many,I live a good part of the country to do this work, cost of living here is well below what it is in most other places. SO with that being said, it could cost that much with R&R involved and other repairs including the engine repair, but who knows we're not looking at the car.

I think this episode was all about a TV show, and pretty much trumped up for TV and very badly done for any of us who know these cars and this hobby. First off, why would he give good money for a car he had not heard run or driven. Secondly he didn't mention anything horribly wrong when the car was driven to the shop. The you have the mechanic claiming, "the main bearings are shot, you gonna need a crankshaft". I like to know how he was able to make that claim, I sure the heck could not, a rod knock yeah, worn main bearings without disassembling the engine, no freaking way.It was just TV show, probably is good running little car in real life. I guess this is the same way Nascar drivers felt when they saw "Days of Thunder" :smile:
 
you mean you are NOT supposed to treat rental cars like that?

m
 
He's not a businessman on TV, only when not on TV. The segments are all set up's and are blocked out ahead of time, so I'm not surprised the temp guage was at zero. Car may have been in the lot for a couple of days.

Some of the stuff is interesting and the show is entertaining, but not 'in the moment' reality.
 
bgbassplyr said:
Some of the stuff is interesting and the show is entertaining, but not 'in the moment' reality.
Click to expand...

Yep, reality where he is located would be tourist coming in pawning their jewelry to get back home, or make a second run at the blackjack tables :smile:
 
Steve P. said:
On the good side the general public thinks all of us that
have Spridgets are sitting on a gold mine!
Steve
Click to expand...

I don't know if that's a good thing. I think it will just leave more unrestored sprites sitting in garages or worse yet under tarps with people wanting a pile of cash before they let them go.

In addition to the weird guages and stuff, I also noticed that the sprite was lacking a hood emblem.

I enjoyed the show last night and watched a few more episodes. I thought some of the stuff was pretty cool. Then again, perhaps I should stick with Antiques roadshow, all kinds of cool stuff there too and I think you get a better idea of the prices from the experts.

That gun and helmet were cool! I also liked that Les Paul!
 
If you guys like this kind of stuff, you should check out "American Pickers" on History channel Monday night. Great show about a couple of scavengers who scour the countryside looking for junk and trying to make a profit. Lots of old motorcycles, bicycles, tractors, scooters, and cars. I got hooked on it and hate that it only comes on once a week! I don't know about you all, but I love the art of the deal. Can't wait for garage sale weather!
 
Is the History Channel still planning on producing/airing TopGear America?
 
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