06x05 - Muscle Memory

[bunniefuu]

[rock music playing]

[Shawn] Dave,
that's a total different deal.

I mean, we already talked about this.

[Dave on phone] I hear you. I just--
The more I was thinking about it,

I think a big-block
is the way I'd like to proceed.

If you're talking about something
like changing the whole motor,

I mean… That's a big deal. I mean…

[Shawn] We were just celebrating
finishing up the Bronco

for the WhistlePig Whiskey event tomorrow

when I get a call that just may blow up

the biggest upgrade and trade deal
of all time.

[Dave] I don't see the big-block
being that much more

of a significant change from the 350.

[Shawn] We're about to build
a Camaro for this guy, Dave,

and in turn, trade it for Dave's Humvee,

which then leads us
to the crown jewel of this deal,

a 1963 Jaguar XKE.

I mean, the 350 engine that's in that car
is, like, perfect for that car.

That's an original engine for that car.

Now Dave's trying
to move the goalposts on me

by asking
for a big-block motor in this thing,

which is totally gonna grenade this deal.

[Dave] Yeah, I think with the big-block,
it's gonna take me back to my racing days.

I wanna be able
to get a good jump off the line.

I wanna feel that power in my chest.

[Shawn] There's a cost for that
'cause that is not cheap.

I mean, we're talking about
taking out a motor

and putting in another motor,

and Dave, frankly, when we made this deal,
we talked about this original 350.

[Dave] You know, Shawn,
this deal's way more in your favor.

You're getting
almost two complete Humvees.

You're getting brand-new doors,
all kinds of extra parts. I mean…

Argh… [sighs]

[Dave] If you don't put a big-block
in that Camaro, we don't have a deal.

[pensive music playing]

[exhales]

Okay, Dave, I tell you what.
I'll see what I can do.

I know Mark's not gonna go for this,
but maybe I can put something together.

I don't know. It's just--
Let me see if I can work something out,

and, uh, I'll get back to you on that,
all right?

[Dave] All right, Shawn. I appreciate it.

-Talk to you in a bit. Bye.
-[Dave] Bye-bye.

[exhales sharply]

[Shawn] All right, where were we?
All right. Here we go.

-You all good?
-Everything's good.

Let's toast to tomorrow,
everything's a success.

-[all] Cheers.
-[Mark] Bottoms up.

[Shawn] Cheers, everybody.

[Mark] Good job.

-[tools whirring]
-[engine revving]

["Big Show"
by Tristan Ivemy & Jack Monroe playing]

[bird screeching]

♪ Are you ready for the big show? ♪

♪ Are you ready for the fire? ♪

[Mark] People are already gathering
for a big, local whiskey-tasting event,

and we're confident
this one-of-a-kind vehicle will create

an entirely new
and unforgettable experience

for the crowds
who want to sample WhistlePig's whiskey.

WhistlePig, they're based out of Vermont.
They've only seen pictures of this truck.

And because the timeline was so tight
for this event,

Mitch from Whistlepig just flew out,

and he's gonna put eyes on this truck
for the very first time in person.

We took an early '80s Gen 3 Ford Bronco

and created
an extended sit-down seating area

by expanding the bed
and adding a third axle.

♪ No, no, there won't be
No mercy shown tonight ♪

♪ Because you know I'm fighting for you… ♪

[Mark] But it's also
an authentic overland camping vehicle

that can travel the roads
and traverse the roughest terrain.

And with its unique camping features,

you can survive in the wild
for as long as you need.

We turned this forgotten classic

into one of the most versatile vehicles
Gotham Garage has ever built.

-Hey, Mitch, nice to meet you, brother.
-It's a pleasure.

Now it's time to show this to Mitch
and hope he falls in love with it.

-Oh. Thank you.
-[Shawn] Gentlemen, right over here.

So this is your official
WhistlePig Whiskey tasting vehicle.

♪ One, two, three, four, ooh ♪

[rock music playing]

-[Mark] So, what do you think, huh?
-Dude, it's amazing.

[music resumes]

My crew put in everything
they could put into this

knowing we were doing it for you guys.

-So… This is Tony, Jake, Constance.
-[Constance] Hi.

-Caveman's there.
-Nice to meet you.

-[Caveman] Love the handlebars.
-Thanks. I like your beard.

[Mark] Let me walk you through
this beautiful car that we built for you.

♪ One, two, three, four, oh! ♪

[Mark] We started
with a four-wheel drive Ford Bronco.

We lifted it. It's got
all brand-new suspension underneath it.

Tony made
this freaking awesome stacked grill.

Got off-road lights
so you can see at night.

[Mitch] Perfect.

[Mark] Big bumper, in case a tree
gets in the way, you can take it out.

We cut the fenders
out of the way for clearance,

put these big fender flares on it.

-22-inch wheels, 37-inch tires.
-[Mitch] Oh-oh…

[Mark] So this is a short-bed Ford bed

that we actually had
to mate the two together.

-So you got three axles total.
-I mean, you would never know.

[Mark] Now the truck bed has
plenty of room for a tasting area

with these custom fold-out benches.

[Mitch] Gorgeous. It's spectacular.

We incorporated
the solo stove into the tailgate.

You can do the campout right here.
Roast the marshmallows, whole nine yards.

[Mitch] Nice.

-Ohh…
-Everybody knows who they're following

and where to go.

This is more
than I could have possibly imagined.

[Mark] So, we did some custom stuff
with the two barrels that you sent us.

One of them is mounted in the truck.

The other one is for everybody else
that's gonna walk up.

-Okay.
-Check it out.

All right, you ready?

-Born ready. Let's go.
-[Mark] Watch this.

[Mitch] Dude.

-All right. The whiskey bar is open.
-[applauding]

-[Mark] There it is. Whiskey bar is open.
-That's secret agent stuff.

-That's the vault.
-[Mitch] And then there are my bottles?

-[Mark] There you go.
-[Mitch] You guys are incredible.

[Mark] Lift that and look inside.

-[Mitch] Oh! Perfect.
-[Mark] How do you like that?

-Total ice chest ready to go.
-I'm-- I'm speechless.

When I asked for a mobile tasting room,
I wasn't quite sure what to expect,

but I had faith in the Gotham Garage team
to knock it out of the park

and they over-delivered.

-What do you think?
-[Shawn] He's smiling.

-[Mark] He looks happy.
-Smiling. That's what we like.

What better way to present my whiskey?

Well, how about we get
to some whiskey tasting?

-Let's get to the whiskey tasting.
-Let's do some whiskey tasting.

[Shawn] It's about time.

[Mark] Everybody, get up in here.
We're about to do whiskey tasting.

[rock music playing]

[Mark] Our truck with all of its
original touches is clearly a head turner.

It's gonna be
a great calling card for WhistlePig,

which is exactly what our client wanted.

When all is said and done,

we're gonna walk away
with a little over 50 grand,

which means everyone gets a good payday.

-Cheers.
-[Mitch] Thanks.

[Tony] Cheers.

♪ Get quick, go fast ♪

♪ Get good, don't you stop… ♪

[Mark] That WhistlePig party was cool.

[Tony] I don't think
it could've gone any better.

-[Constance] They were so happy.
-Talk about a success.

Speaking of success,
this is its successor.

-That's some nice Detroit iron.
-[Shawn] Yeah, it's nice.

So this is the kind of project
we can actually have a good time with.

When we collected
on our trade with Dangerous Dan,

this '70 SS Camaro was definitely

the diamond in the rough
at this scrapyard.

It's a rare
and highly sought-after second-gen Camaro

and the perfect starter car

for the upgrade and trade cycle
I've put together.

When we get this car finished
for our client, Dave,

we're supposed to trade it
for a first gen Humvee.

However, I got a call from Dave
a couple of days ago,

and he says he's not willing
to trade the Humvee for the Camaro

unless we install
a big-block engine in it.

Let me see if I can work something out,

and I'll get back to you on that,
all right?

[Dave] All right, Shawn. I appreciate it.

And, uh, [smacks lips] I haven't
exactly run that by Mark just yet.

Our client used to have a car like this

back in the day
before he got shipped overseas,

and his young wife crashed the car
back in the day, so--

Oh, I bet that marriage ended early.

You know, it did because he came back

-and said, "What the heck is this?"
-[all laughing]

And he wants something
that he can take to the track

that can put down some serious speed
and some good handling.

You know, he doesn't want
just a Sunday cruiser.

And, uh, speaking of which,
he also wants to swap out this 350

for a big-block engine.

When did that happen?

The other night
when we were finishing up with the Bronco,

and I didn't wanna bother you
with the trivial details and…

This motor is completely fine
for this build the way it is.

I'm not buying a new big-block,
and you're not buying a new big-block.

[Shawn] We don't have one around?

No, and even if I did,
I wouldn't throw it in this car.

That makes the deal
way too lopsided in his favor.

He's stuck on it.

He says if he doesn't get
a big-block in this Camaro,

he's not doing the swap.

Here's how I see it, Shawn.

You either find one for free,

or Dave does the deal
the original way it was put together,

or we just find another buyer.

[Shawn] This deal is not only huge
for me personally,

but it's exactly what the shop needs
to get back on track right now.

I don't think we should miss out
on a '63 Jaguar XKE

just because we can't get our hands on
a big-block engine for this Camaro.

So anyways, whether we're making this
for Dave or a new potential buyer,

I still have a clear vision
on how I want to build this car.

We're gonna go pretty retro on this thing,
very nostalgic.

We're going to leave the outside
pretty much factory-ish.

That way it still has that old look to it,

like it could still drive around
in the '70s.

I want this vehicle to recapture
the glory days of the early 1970s.

But I also want it mean enough
to tear up the track.

That original 350 Chevy engine
that's in there now is already powerful,

but once we give it a complete overhaul,

it'll be pumping out
at least 300 horsepower.

Even though this second-gen Camaro
got some suspension upgrades,

it had a pretty rough ride
by today's standards.

So to make sure
this baby runs down the track

and hugs those turns,

we're gonna yank that outdated front clip
and overhaul the suspension

so that we can give it
a lower center of gravity

to handle the extra horsepower
of that small-block Chevy

and to give it that race car stability.

As for the body,
we want to maintain that iconic Gen 2 look

and give it a badass paint job,

but, of course, we're gonna add
a few unique Gotham Garage touches.

When we're done,
this Camaro is gonna scream 1970,

and whoever gets behind the wheel

is gonna want to throw on
a pair of bell-bottoms

before they take this thing for a drive.

And this is something
that Constance wanted, am I right?

Yes. American muscle, something cool.

It's gonna be fun.

That being said, you need
to get the interior ripped out of this,

trunk needs to get cleaned, we need
to get the suspension from underneath it.

Constance, you can take the motor
and dress it up.

Then you can get it put back in there.

I'm gonna get on out of here

and go think about
the direction of the shop

and how I wanna move forward
with everything,

and then I'll be back for the hard stuff.

[Jake] Cool.

[Shawn] That's a good way
of getting out of work.

I could use that line myself.

You know what? Are you ready for lunch?

-[Constance laughs]
-We just got here.

-[Caveman] Okay, breakfast.
-[Tony] Let's get to work.

[rock music playing]

There we go.

[Tony] Pretty solid layer
of crust and dust on here.

[Constance] Oh, man!

[Tony chuckles]

[Constance] There's a lot of stuff
in here, guys.

[Caveman] Of course. What did you expect?

[Constance] This Camaro has 50 years
of wear and tear, dust, dirt.

I mean, critters living in it,
and who knows what else.

[Tony] For sure something was living,
bathroom, all of it.

-[Constance] Something or multiple things?
-[Tony laughs]

-[sneezing]
-Bless you.

[Constance] Once everything's out of here,

if there's no major disasters
underneath all of this dust and dirt,

we'll be able to start
rebuilding everything back again.

[Caveman] I already
took the suspension out.

-Damn, Caveman, you made a mess back here.
-I didn't make a mess. It's all organized.

-[Tony] Oh, man.
-[Caveman] Okay, now I can clean up.

[Tony] We'll get this cleaned up,

and tomorrow,
Constance can get started on the motor.

-[Constance] Perfect.
-Cool.

["I Am Who I Am" by Dirty Talk playing]

[music stops]

[tools whirring]

[Constance] I got
this 350 out of the Camaro.

It's clearly not pretty at all.

I'm gonna strip everything down,
get everything cleaned up,

send it out, get it machined.

When it gets back,
we'll go ahead and build it all up.

[tool cranking]

I know Dave, the client,
is really insisting on this big-block,

but trust me, when I'm done with this 350,

it'll have more than enough power
for what he wants to do on the track.

I find this kind of work really calming.

It takes me back
to just pure American muscle.

It's just what I grew up doing.

My dad is an amazing mechanic.

He's all muscle,
all speed, and growing up,

he was always working
on these kind of cars.

I was in the shop every day with my dad,
watching him have an eye for detail

and really make sure
everything was always perfect.

[music continues]

[Shawn sighs] Constance, I need some help.

[Constance] No.

[Shawn] I got myself in a situation.

I need to get a big-block in that Camaro.

That was already a thing. Mark said "no."

If I don't get a big-block in that Camaro,

my whole upgrade and trade deal
falls apart.

I literally am, like,
almost done with this 350.

Dave, the client, will not back down
from wanting a big-block in this thing.

Obviously, we need someone
to donate to the cause.

[softly] Donate.

I know you've got connections out there.
I know you can find me something.

-I'm running out of options here.
-A free big-block?

I'm not talking exactly free.
We could be creative with this.

I mean, we got this 350 that you built.

We're talking about a very valuable motor

that we could do
a little swap with, right?

The only person I know that would even
maybe have something like that is my dad.

Ernie? Would you call him for me?

Listen, I have to go see him anyway,
so I will ask him what he has,

and if, for some reason, he has something,

you're gonna owe me so big.

[sighs in relief]
I knew you'd save my life. Saved my life!

[music resumes]

[hisses]

[Mark] I've been doing a lot of thinking

since this high-end client thing
didn't work out.

Who would have thought we'd go
from XNR to concept car,

all the way to a custom Ferrari,
and wind up

right back where we were
without a direction to go in?

We have a niche, we just gotta
figure out how to get bigger and better

without having to deal
with these high-end client people.

Ah, there she is.

When I work by myself,
I can think, my head is clear,

no one's around, I'm not bothered.

Seriously, could you think
if Caveman was around?

-[Caveman] Buzzsaw!
-[whirring]

Yeah! We got a hole!

-[screaming]
-[metal clanking]

[Mark] Well, I think it's time
we get this truck finished.

This Kenworth truck was brought
into the shop a couple years ago,

and we started working on it,
but we just never got it finished up.

It's always been
a personal project for me.

It's a Gotham Garage version
of my father's semi-truck

that he used to drive a long time ago
when he was in the trucking industry.

As a kid, I'd come home from school

and see that semi parked out
in front of the house

and know that my dad was home.

Those are the kind of memories
you don't forget about when you're a kid.

The team and I have put in
a lot of work over the last few years,

and they've gotten me pretty far along.

And now there's not a lot left
to get it finished up.

[tools whirring]

With this old truck,
there's no clients, no deadline.

I can just work and think
and maybe figure some things out.

'Cause Gotham Garage needs a new path.

I just gotta be able to see it.

And I think
as this Kenworth comes together,

so will my thoughts on the bigger picture.

["Fixer Up"
by Ted Barnes & Ali Friend playing]

[music fades away]

-[Constance] Hey, Dad.
-[Ernie] Hey. Haven't seen you in forever.

I know. I've been busy.

-Yeah. How you doing?
-[Constance] Good.

My dad has a shop just outside of L.A.,
and he's a big Chevy guy,

so I'm really hoping
that he has a Chevy big-block for us.

He usually has
a lot of spare engines laying around,

so maybe he will have something
that I need,

and I'll even get
the good daughter discount.

-[Constance] Yeah.
-All right. Do me a favor.

Gently take that off
so I can start working on that.

[Constance] Even if I wanna have
a conversation with my dad,

it's usually while we're working on cars,
because he's not the kind of dad

to not put you to work
if you're available.

So, what are you guys working on?

Umm… Actually, we're working on
a Camaro right now.

-Oh, yeah? '69, '70?
-Yeah. '70.

[Constance] My dad loves Camaros.

I mean,
he's literally a walking encyclopedia

on anything you need
to know about any Camaro.

-Small-block?
-Uh-huh.

Guy calls and says,
"I want a big-block now."

[Ernie] Good choice.
I'd put a big-block in it. It's a '70.

-Yeah. But--
-Where are you gonna get a big-block?

[scoffs] Oh, God. I gotta do everything.

[chuckles] You don't have anything
in the back?

No. I got small-block stuff back there.
I don't have big-block stuff.

-[Constance] Can you call someone?
-[Ernie] How much money you got to spend?

Listen, I need
the friends and family discount,

because this is a trade car.

So, it sounds like "no money" to me.

If no money is an option,
I'll also take no money.

That's what it sounds like. Yeah.
No discounts here, I hate to tell you.

-I know.
-Umm…

I can call my buddy Jeff
and see if he's got anything.

He's always got it in his line
around there. He won't rip you off.

Make sure to tell him I sent you.
He'll take care of you. He's a good guy.

So, all right. Are we done here,
so I gotta fire this thing up?

-Tightened up.
-All right.

God help us. [grunts]

Remember, you rebuilt
that carburetor, not me.

-It's on you.
-Your name's on the shop door.

[engine starts]

[Ernie] Nice. Nice. Nice.

♪ She walks
Like she got some recipes ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh… ♪

[Shawn] Who we looking for?

-[Constance] Jeff.
-[Jeff] Hey, guys. How can I help you?

-Are you Jeff?
-I am.

I'm Constance, Ernie's daughter.

-Oh, nice to meet you. I know your dad.
-Nice to meet you.

-Yeah, he's great. [chuckles]
-Yeah, he called ahead.

He said you were looking
for a 454 big-block.

-That's correct.
-Yes, we are. You got anything like that?

I do. Come on over here.

All right. Let's check out what you got.
I know you got a ton of motors.

-[Constance] Quite a bit of stuff.
-Of course.

Well, it was good he called ahead
because we had to dig out a few.

-I have a Hemi
-[Shawn] Oh, no. Hemi's not gonna work.

-[Constance chuckles]
-[Jeff] Oh…

Well, I happen to have a big-block.

Okay. That looks like
a big-block we could use.

Nice Chevy 454.

-Fully complete. That's nice.
-[Jeff] Yeah.

We did a compression check on it
and everything's good.

-This ran in a car?
-Yeah, it did run in a vehicle.

What's this gonna set us back?

Um…

We're looking at two grand.

-Two grand?
-Yeah.

That's a little out of our budget.
I tell you what.

We've got a really nice
little small-block Chevy motor.

Yeah.

I just did the complete rebuild on it.

Internal's all fresh.
It's beautiful outside.

-Like, it's ready to go.
-Okay.

[Shawn] And it's Ernie's daughter.

-The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
-[Jeff] Right.

So, we'd be willing to trade that done,
built motor for something like this.

Umm…

The 350s are pretty common.

So, I'd take a thousand off of this.

I'd give this to you for a grand.
You know?

Wow.

The motor we need is here.

The cash to buy it is not here.

We're gonna have
to find a way to get this motor for zero.

Well, that's why you're here.
That's your job.

I build the motors. You negotiate.

-Yeah.
-That's how this works.

I don't see this being easy.

What about something you don't have?
What's something you need?

I have everything.

[chuckles]

-You know what we do have?
-[Jeff] Mm-hmm.

We have the complete original stock,
front suspension off this '70 Camaro.

-Ooh.
-[Constance] All in great condition.

-Really good condition.
-We upgraded.

But everything stock on it
was in great condition.

We'll give you
that complete front suspension

and the motor she built for this.

-Uh-- This is just a running, driving 454.
-Yeah.

The front end parts are saleable
because it's stock. Umm…

I'm thinking maybe 500 for that.

Oh, my God.

-I thought Ernie hooked us up.
-Look how close we are. We're $500 apart.

$500 cash, and this would be yours.

Five hundred bucks.

[Constance] I got it. I got it.

Motor, front-end parts,

and I have Ernie take you to lunch,
unlimited beer.

[Jeff] Well…

[suspenseful music playing]

I haven't seen your dad for a while.
It would be good to catch up with him.

Being that you built that 350,

and he brags on your work,

and I know that if you're
as meticulous as him, it's perfect.

Umm…

Let's do the engine
and the front end parts,

lunch with your dad, and call it even.

-Hey, now we're talking.
-Nice.

-Thank you so much.
-Oh, you're welcome.

I'll tell you what, Jeff.
We'll go back to the shop,

we'll get that 350,
we'll get that front suspension for you.

You'll have this ready for us to load up,
and we'll be back within the hour.

You got it.

-I appreciate that.
-Thank you.

-Thank you, guys.
-We'll be back. Thanks.

[Shawn] I think Jeff drinks a lot of beer,

and he's thinking, "That's a good value."

[Constance] Sure.
That's Ernie's problem now, though.

[Shawn] Oh, okay.

♪ No, no ♪

♪ Yes, yes ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh… ♪

[tools clanking]

[Constance] I mean, luckily,
my dad recommended us to someone

that not only had a big-block,
but a complete engine, which is great.

Only problem is,
it, uh, definitely needs a good bath.

I'm gonna get
everything broken down first,

then we'll clean everything,
paint everything,

replace any parts that need be,

and she should be
pretty good to go, actually.

[Shawn] We got the big-block engine in,
and Constance is already working on it.

I called the client
and told him the good news,

then I talked to Mark and told him
I didn't pay a nickel for this thing,

and he's all happy about it.

Even though we don't have a crazy deadline
on this car like we normally do,

these upgrade and trades
can go south real quick,

so we need to get this car all done up

and over to Dave's pronto.

[rock music playing]

Now that this 454 is all cleaned,
painted, and dialed in and ready,

we can go ahead
and mount it up to the new suspension.

-All right, can I get some help over here?
-[Jake] No.

[Constance laughs]

It's ready for install.

[rock music playing]

[Constance] That suspension is literally
miles better than that stock stuff.

I mean, it's made for a street.
It's made for a track.

It's really gonna handle
all that power that we just put in.

[Tony] Let's get this engine in there.

[Caveman] All right.
There it goes. [toots]

With the engine mounted
on the new suspension,

now we just have
to drop the car right on top of it.

Caveman, you're gonna make sure
that the shifter makes it up in that hole.

Once we get it hooked up,

we'll get this bad boy out
for a test-drive and see how it runs.

[tools whirring]

[Tony] We're almost there.

Everything look all right?

-[Jake] Yeah.
-[Caveman] Yeah.

-[Jake] I think it looks good.
-You guys want to see if it'll fire up?

Okay, abracadabra, zippity zap.

-You didn't do the--
-No, I'm not.

-[Jake] Cross your fingers.
-Come on, Tony. Put the key in it.

-Are you sure that's it?
-[engine starts, revs]

[Caveman] Yeah!

-[engine roaring]
-[screaming]

The engine sounds absolutely k*ller.

Now we have to get the hood on it
and take it out for a test-drive.

With this new engine and suspension,
it's gonna be fast.

I think we're gonna have that
race car speed that we're looking for.

[grunts]

All right. Hood's on.
You guys ready for a test-drive?

Yeah, let's do it, man.

Kick the tires and light the fire.

[rock music playing]

[music stops]

[Tony] Let's see what it does.

I don't want to see
any tread left on them tires.

Caveman, that's exactly why
I'm doing the test-drive and you're not.

Fine. Do it the girly way.

-[engine starts]
-Oh, damn. That sounds sweet.

All right, here I go.

[music resumes]

-It sure does sound good.
-Yeah, it sounds great.

It sounds like
the beast is being unleashed.

-It looks a little bouncy in the back.
-I was going to say, he's really bouncy.

Did it feel as bouncy as it looked?

I mean, everything's shaking.
It's got this big-block in it.

Might give you trouble trying to hook up.

All right. I'm just gonna take one
just a little faster and see what it does.

Cool.

[engines starts]

All right. Drive it like you stole it.

[engine revs]

[snaps]

[all] Whoa!

[tense music playing]

-[Jake] That almost opened the trunk.
-[Caveman] I know. Did you see that?

So, what we know is we have an issue.

[Tony] At high speed,
this car handles dramatically worse.

It isn't drivable,
let alone racetrack ready.

Our client wants to feel the horsepower,

but there's no way
he's gonna be able to drive it.

It's like riding a rodeo bull.

-Did you feel it?
-[engine stops]

My teeth are chattering
and my eyeballs are shaking.

Yeah. It don't get any worse than that.

Oh, that's a problem.
We'll have to fix that, man.

It's got so much power, but he'll
never be able to take it to a track.

Yeah, and that rear end
ain't gonna handle that motor.

Tell you what, I should give Mark a call,

tell him what we're dealing with
and see what he wants to do.

-Back to the shop?
-[Tony] Back to the shop.

[rock music playing]

[music stops]

To the moon, Alex. To the moon!

[Mark] Problem?

[Tony] The problem is that
we're putting so much power down

that back engine's
bouncing all over the place.

Uh… That's not good.

I give Shawn and Constance some credit

for getting us a big-block
without having to spend any cash,

but now it's caused a new problem.

The big-block is way too powerful
for that stock rear suspension,

and you can be sure I'm not gonna be
spending any money to fix this problem.

I mean,
it's obviously just way too much torque.

[Tony] The front's a race car,
but the back is…

-it's just sloppy.
-[Mark] Mmm.

If we got wheel hop, then it's
'cause of good old Mr. Leaf Spring.

A leaf spring is like a bow.

It's designed to deal
with tension as it goes up and down.

With a small-block engine,
that would have worked just fine.

But with the big-block,
we're adding a ton of torque,

and if it can't handle it,
that energy has to go somewhere,

and you can see it
chattering through the whole car.

[Tony] I think we have to replace
the original suspension in the back.

Problem with that is it's too much money
for this car for this deal.

This car came to us in a trade,
so technically it was free?

[Tony] Yeah.

[Mark] We had the modern suspension
that we added to the front end.

If we're going to add a rear suspension,
we're going to have to buy it

and that's going to add
three or four grand to this deal,

lopsided, not in our direction.

-Way too much.
-[Tony] Yeah.

The old-school solution
for the old-school build

is just fabricate some traction bars.

I mean, that's definitely old-school,
but it works.

That's something I could do quick.
We could be back out there today.

Sounds good.
Let's get this slammed out then.

[tools whirring]

[Mark] Traction bars
are simple rectangular tubes

that are bolted to the leaf springs

to stabilize their movement,
keeping them rigid enough

so when that big-block power hits,
they absorb more of the energy

without freaking out
and getting squirrelly.

They were used
back in the late '60s and the early '70s

when people started putting
big-blocks in the muscle cars

and having the same problem we have now.

All right, Caveman,
you want to get this one painted up?

[Mark] This solution not only stabilizes
the rear end of the car,

but it's very inexpensive
and it's an old-school fix.

[Tony] It'll bolt in right here.

[Mark] A callback to good old-fashioned
know-how and ingenuity.

-[Tony] How's it look, Constance?
-[Constance] I think we're good.

[whirring]

[Jake] You wanna bounce on that
and tell me how it feels?

It feels pretty tight.

-Better?
-That's pretty stiff.

We've still got some daylight.
You guys wanna go run it again?

Let's give it another test run
and see if it's fixed.

-All right.
-[Jake] Let's do it.

♪ Oh-oh-oh, oh, oh, oh-oh-oh, oh ♪

♪ Can't you see
Can't, can't you see we're fearless? ♪

[music stops]

[dramatic music playing]

[Jake] You ready, Tony?

All right, moment of truth, man.

[engine revs]

-All right, ready?
-[Caveman] Go!

-Come on!
-[Constance] Go for it!

[Caveman yelling] Do it! Do it! Yeah!

[tires screech]

[engine revs]

-[Caveman] Whoo!
-[Constance] Yeah!

[Jake laughing] Yeah!

-[Constance] It sounds amazing.
-[Caveman] My turn!

-I got my turn--
-[Jake] Oh, that sounds good.

[Mark] The Camaro shot out like a b*llet.

No shimmy, no shake,
no wheel hop, no chatter.

That tells me
traction bars are doing their job.

There's a little fishtailing at the end.

That's typical
of them little skinny stock tires.

That's an easy fix.

Now, we're a big step closer
to the finish line

in getting this baby traded
for that Humvee.

[Jake] Good idea on the old-school fix.

[Caveman] Nice!

-[Constance] Well?
-That felt pretty good.

-[Mark] Yeah. I bet, man. It looked good.
-[Tony] Yeah.

-[Constance] Yeah!
-I didn't see no chatter, no hop.

The car just loads and launches.

-Yep. And this big-block just screams.
-[laughs]

Obviously, we'll have to put
bigger, wider wheels

and tires on it to get it to plant.

But I did stop
and get something on the way here

to finish it off the rest of the way.

Since we put a big-block in it
and we got a big-block hood on it,

we might as well
put the big-block balance on it

and keep it all period correct
with the front.

[Caveman] Wow.

[Mark] Get back to the shop
and you guys get the balance on the front.

Then I can get this thing painted.

-[Tony] Yeah, sounds good.
-Cool. Nice job, you guys.

I'm going to go run
a few stop lights on the way back.

-Let me try it, Tony.
-Come on, I'll give you a hundred bucks.

-[engine roaring]
-I can't hear you.

[inaudible]

["I'm a Winner" by Danny J. Grace playing]

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh… ♪

[music stops]

[rock music playing]

[Mark] Even with the coat of primer,
the SS Camaro looks pretty cool.

But I'm gonna step it up a couple notches,

and I'm gonna use the retro colors
to make a bold new statement.

In the heyday of muscle cars,

orange became
the color of choice on so many models.

Very distinctive of the counterculture
of the late '60s and '70s.

An old-school touch that our client,
Dave, is sure to appreciate.

But black is always classic
and makes a statement.

So why not run an asymmetrical stripe
right up the middle?

Now, this car looks like it's in motion
even when it's sitting still.

All right, well,
let's get this thing put together

and trade it for that Humvee
and then get on to that XKE.

[Tony] Let's get it done.

[Shawn] The Camaro is almost done,
and it looks amazing.

The team has built it out
exactly the way Dave wanted it,

even upgrading it to a big-block engine.

[Caveman] In case of a water landing,
please grab your cushion.

[all laughing]

[Shawn] Once he sees it and loves it,
he'll trade us that Humvee,

and that'll get us one step closer
to that classic Jaguar XKE

and a big payday.

And that's the end goal here.

[Mark] Our client never got
the opportunity

to race his '70 SS Camaro back in the day.

But now he's gonna have
something even better.

We've taken it to a whole new level

with monster power
and silky smooth handling.

[engine revs]

This street muscle is now
a serious contender at the track.

[engine revving]

[tires screeching]

[all applauding]

[Mark] I don't think
our client will miss the good old days

when he can have
this retro rocket right now.

[Mark] You know what I love
about all the deals you make, Shawn?

You always put me down these roads
that are out in the middle of nowhere.

That's where the good deals are.

You do realize
that my truck is lower, right?

-[Shawn] Yeah.
-[Mark chuckles]

[Shawn] Dave's been a pretty tough
negotiator every step of this deal.

I think we gotta be prepared
for anything with this guy.

Oh, yeah. There he is.

Hey.

-Hey, Dave. How's it going?
-Pretty good.

-Mark, here.
-Dave. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

And there is your new Camaro.

[Dave] Hey.
Nice to finally see it in person.

Well, let's take a look at it.

[Mark] Everything you asked us
to do, we did.

[rock music playing]

What we have is a split bumper,
'70, big-block car.

Obviously, it's got a 454 in it.

Put on some nice wheels and tires.

You have a G-comp suspension in the front

and you have
the original leaf spring suspension

in the back with traction bars.

It's got a roll bar
with a fire extinguisher.

All brand-new interior.
Carpet, everything.

Steering wheel, brand-new mirrors,

brand-new windshield,
brand-new back windshield.

-Put the SS spoiler on the back for you.
-[Shawn] Mmm.

Want me to show you the heartbeat
of this Chevrolet?

-[Shawn] Oh, yeah.
-Let's take a look at it.

[Mark] This ought to make you happy

'cause Shawn had to pull off a miracle
to get you this big-block.

-454 big-block.
-[Dave] Beautiful.

[engine starts]

[engine roars]

[engine stops]

You gotta love that. Am I right?

If that ain't enough heartbeat for you,
my friend, I don't know what is.

So, what do you think?

This is a full-on race car,
but it's street-legal.

You can drive it,
but you can put it on the track

and tow it around with the big dogs.

Dave, it's what you wanted
and a whole lot more. What do you think?

Umm…

I can see
you guys did a lot of work to it,

but I'm just not sure
if it's for me or not.

"Not sure it's for you"? I mean,
this is exactly what we talked about.

You know, I've had
an image in my head for 20 years,

and it's just not what I had in my mind.

Hopefully it's better
than what you pictured in your mind.

It's different.

[Shawn] We jumped through hoops
for this guy,

putting a big-block in this thing

and giving him
pretty much everything he asked for.

And this is how he reacts?

This elaborate upgrade and trade deal
is falling apart on me.

[Shawn] Different in a good way? I mean…

Not what I had in mind.

[theme music playing]

[music stops]