01x08 - Ramshackle Rambler

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: right now
on "fast n' loud"...

Whoo!

...hot rod hunter
richard rawlings

And master mechanic
aaron kaufman

Are california dreaming as they
score a '59 rambler surf wagon.

The outside's
pretty damn cool.

Inside pretty well sucks.

But this hot rod...
Mcmillan: [ coughs ]

...is more like a rat ride.

Did we find
any carcasses?

At least some bones
or anything?

As the costs mount
on the rambler,

Richard pins his hopes on
flipping a rare willys gasser.

Come on. Do the dance
with me a little bit.

Then richard and aaron try
to swing a deal

On a 1931 model "a"...

I mean, it is cool,
but it's not 10 grand cool.

And richard faces
his toughest negotiator yet.

What about
all these cracks in there?

...while the rambler
turns out to be

No day at the beach.

I've never seen a car that
refused to come back to life

As bad as this one.

Narrator:
everyone's on edge

As the boys race to get
the rambler ready for auction.

This should be
in my shop.

Kaufman:
I know. It should be.







Texas is so damn big.

When we travel,

It's like you're in texas
for more than half your trip.

So, I got a call
from my buddy in amarillo

About some hot cars.

It's always good
to get out of our backyard

And see what we might find
for our next big build project.

Amarillo's right in the heart
of the panhandle,

Over 300 miles
from dallas.

So, we decided to make it
a two-day trip.

Along the way,

We decided to take on
a texas-sized food challenge.

There's the billboard.

We've seen like a hundred
of them for the 72-ounce steak.

It's the size
of my torso.

I think I could eat the steak
and you can't.

That's what I think.

Yeah-ha!

Let's go
eat a steak.

Whoo!

Well, bottom line is,
we made a little bet.

If he eats everything
and he wins,

Per their rules,
he gets to pick the next car.

And if I eat the whole thing
per their rules and I win,

Then he can't do [bleep]

Howdy, guys.
How you doing?

How y'all doing?
Doing well.

Tell me what the story is
with the 72-ounce steak

I saw

All righty.

It's four-and-a-half pounds
of top sirloin.

Come in,
you have to eat the steak,

The baked potato,
three fried shrimp, a roll.

And if you do,
obviously, it's free.

You get a certificate,
your name on the board,

Your time,
and a shirt.

What's the world record
on that deal?


Golly. Is this a tiger
or a human?

It's a human.

I don't even think
he chewed it.

And left with it
inside of him?

Mm-hmm.
Wow.

I got a world record
of my own,

But it took 31 hours
and 59 minutes to do it.

It wasn't eating
or the other thing, either.

All right.
[ Laughs ]

No, we know
it's gonna be tough,

But I think
I got it.

Wow.

That's not a steak.
That's a roast.

All they did
was take the fur off of it.

When they brought
that food out,

I basically went,
"holy [bleep]

"That is not 72 ounces.

That's like

Well, if you were doing
this bet,

Which one of those
would you eat?

Neither one.

[ Laughs ]

That one there.

All right.
I want that one.

That was
somebody's pet.

All right.

All right.

That's all
you have to eat.

Don't drop it.
I won't.

Let's rock 'n' roll.

Are we good on the rules,
gentlemen?

Yes, sir.

If you guys puke,
contest is over with.

Got it.

I think these boys
are ready to go.

Let 'er rip, tater chip.

Biggest thing is, I don't want
to hear richard whining

About the next car when I'm
trying to get some parts ordered

And get
something done.

And so,
I'm gonna win.

I have to win.

[ Growls ]

I think that it's gonna be
a valiant effort on his part

And he's gonna fail miserably
and I will end up victorious.

[ Laughs ]

Oh, god.

That is horrible.

That was the hardest thing
I ever tried in my life.

Oh.

I got to fart,
but I'm scared to.

[ Growls ]

Richard,
we got cars to buy.

I think
I've had enough.

I'll never
do this again.

You know, I had a great time,
but richard's right.

I'm never
doing this again.

I'm surprised
I could even move this morning.

They say nothing
comes free in life,

And I guarantee you
that was not free.

Definitely paid for it
this morning.

Exactly.

I paid for it
in the middle of the night,

This morning,
again a few minutes ago.

I'm not sure
we're done paying for it.

[ Sighs ]

I'm definitely looking, man.
I just don't see it.

All I see
is farm equipment.

I don't see
any old cars.

Well,
you know,

I usually look at
the gpser thing here and --

There aren't any roads
where it says we're at.

Well, I see the red triangle
where we're at,

But it's just
in a great expanse of gray.

I just hope
it's worth it.

I hope there's at least
something to see out there,

Something
to make it worthwhile.

We pulled up.
We found the place.

Gate was open, so we decided
we'd drive right on in.

[ Snake rattles ]

I didn't know
kyle had his guard rattlesnake

Set out
on the loose.

This is nuts,
man.

This is why
I live in the city.

See some actuals
and farm equipment,

Piles of junk.

I know, man.
I'm a little worried.

We drove all this way,

And he told us
he had some cool cars.

Kyle's a pretty cool cat.

I see him a lot of times
at the swap meet,

I see him at decatur,
I see him at the pate swap meet.

He's just always
bringing some cool cars

From up here
in the panhandle.

Hey.
What's up, kyle?

What's going on, man?
Good to see you.

He's always like,
"you got to come up here.

"You go to
check out my place.

You got to see
some of the cars around here."

First thing
that really caught our eye

Is the c.o.e., Man.
This thing's pretty cool.

Why don't y'all
have this thing built,

Have it out
on the streets, man?

What's wrong with y'all?

Time.

Time?
It's what I call tlc.

What the [bleep]
are you gonna do up here?

There ain't nothing
but time.

Walked through,

Saw a couple flatbeds,
couple wreckers.

Here's your wagon
you always been wanting, aaron.

I'm not sure this is the one
I've always been wanting,

But yeah, you're right,
it is a wagon.

There's muscle cars
and there's diesel cars

And '32 fords
and what have you,

And I was just in the mood to
do something a little different,

A little quirky,
you know,

Something you just
don't see every day.

That's kind of hip
to be cool.

Is it brown or is it blue?

It's blue.

I think
it used to be blue.

It's blue.

Well, this one we kind of saved
from the crusher.

'59 Rambler.
Cute little car.

Someone's been cutting on it
a little bit,

A little bit
of rust.

Be careful with them snakes
down there.

The outside's
pretty damn cool.

Inside pretty well sucks.

I've never seen another one.

It's a '59 rambler super.

Super cross country.

Rawlings: nothing said,
"fun, surf, and sun,"

Better than the rambler.

Ramblers are pioneers of design
and styling.

They had cool fins,
a roll-down rear window,

And even cooler front windows
that flared out.

Seat even reclines.
Look at that.

Ramblers were also famous
for the reclining front seats

That could turn
into a giant bed,

Which made them great
for long family road trips.

Well, kyle, what do you need
for something like this?

Treat me right.

I just drove all the way up here
to the middle of nowhere.

[ Laughs ]
$2,500.

Kaufman: I think I'm sitting
in someone --

What'd he say?

I think I'm sitting
in someone else's car.

Kyle's a buddy of mine,
but, I mean, $2,500 for a wagon

That's been sitting
in the field forever?

What about...

$850?
I usually go in half.

But I don't even want
to go there.

Armontrout: richard --
he's pretty tough on you

On trying
to get that price down.

I can understand that 'cause
we have to do the same thing.

What about $1,850?

We're gonna ditch the --
I mean, the suspension.

We're gonna ditch the motor
and transmission.

So, what we're bargaining here
for is a body.

I don't know.

I'm thinking
about 1,200 bucks.

Armontrout: we always
have to work with guys

That leave a little meat
on the bone,

So we left a little meat
on the bone for him, also.

We need
to move it.

Let's do it.
All right.

Cool.
We got a deal there.

All right. See?

Didn't come here
to nowhere land for nothing.

Thank you.

Rawlings: well,
it ended up 1,200 bucks

And I think we got ourselves
a good deal.

This way.

We got a pretty good idea
what we want to do, you know --

Motor it up, tr*nny it up,
get a good rear end under there,

Big wheels,
get it low to the ground,

And just give it
a really cool kind of

Southern-california-surfer
vibe.

We're gonna take
this family station wagon

And turn it
into a hot rod.

That's something
you don't see every day.

But before we get this car back
to gas monkey garage,

We're gonna make
a pilgrimage

To the holy grail of
hot rod sites -- cadillac ranch.

If you're a cadillac lover,
this ranch is your stonehenge.

It's been around
since 1973

When a san francisco artist
collective known as ant farm

Acquired 10 used cadillacs

As a tribute to
the golden age of automobiles,

Then they
buried them facedown.

For car guys like me, leaving
a mark is a rite of passage.

Didn't you say you used to be
a professional tagger

In a past life?

Not allowed
to talk about it.

Oh.
Beautiful, richard.

Couldn't imagine consonants
drawn any better than that.

It's a good time.

Let's go.

Oh, wow.

It's a lot worse
than in the pictures.

[ Truck horn honks ]

We're ramblin', man!
Rambler!

It looks like
a rambler.

This is a cross country
super deluxe rambler.

And if the fins
didn't give it away, it's a '59.

Kaufman:
it's real straight

Except for
the missing floorboard.

Fred flintstone style.

What happened to getting
a little bit better car?

After we ate that steak,
the next thing I know,

We were buying
a rambler wagon.

There were some kind
of weird drugs in that thing.

What do you think
about the paint?

Dude, this paint is --
I like it like it is.

I don't even think
I want it cleared.

I think we buff it out
and wash it.

Let's get it off.
Let's get it off.

I hope you didn't buy
those wheels for this.

They were just kind of free
with the deal.

I kind of like the idea
of powdercoating them

And sticking them on,
but aaron absolutely hates them.

Where's christi at?

Let's get these things
on craigslist. Free.

What's wrong
with we just powdercoating them?

You powdercoat a turd,
it's still a turd.

Oh, no,
not back there.

Aaron hates these tires.

I like them
'cause they save me cash.

And I'm the owner of
this operation, so guess what?

I win.

What are we gonna do
to make this cool?

Gas monkey.

We're gonna start
by de-burlaping the car.

The next thing is,

We're gonna see
if we can remove the rat turds.

Well, aaron and I
talked a lot about it

On the way home from amarillo,
and we were checking it out.

I want kind of a surfer wagon
taken to the next level.

So, the plan on this car
is to gut it completely.

We're gonna rip out the motor,
rip out the rear end,

Rip out the floors.

By the time we're done,
we should have a pretty cool car

That we can take to the leake
auction by the end of the week.

But it's not gonna be easy.

This is a massive job

That's gonna take every bit
of gas monkey ingenuity.

Whoo. Holy cow,
that thing stinks.

It smells.

No kidding.

Well, you guys
get that [bleep] cleaned out

'Cause I ain't
getting in there.

Narrator: coming up
on "fast n' loud"...

[ Coughs ]

Thank god
you don't have smell-o-vision.

You know how long I've wanted
a freaking willys gasser?

It could be worth
as much as $200,000.

Rawlings:
welcome to suburbia.

Man.

Kaufman: I can already smell
the berber.

This is not
my style here.

As swamped as aaron is
with the rambler,

I stole him away for
a little gas monkey business.

What's up, man?
Long time, no see.

Yeah, buddy.
How you been?

Doing good.

My friend elrod -- he's as
passionate about cars as we are.

He's always got
some cool hot rods around.

And when I'm looking
at cars this old,

It's great to have aaron along
as a second set of eyes.

How much
is this thing?

[ Chuckles ]
not for sale.

Oh, come on.
I just started tweaking it.

How come they always
do that to us, aaron?

They show us the stuff
that's not for sale first.

Oh, yeah.

"Oh, this is not
for sale."

What do you got
in the garage here, man?

Oh, this is the other half
of the hobbies.

This is,
like, suburbia.

I didn't expect
to see, like,

A mancave back here
full of everything cool.

Rawlings: I was pretty jazzed
about some of the cars

That elrod was showing us.

But when I saw
the '31 model "a,"

That was the one for me.

This is the shining gem
right here, man.

This is it.

Rawlings: it's not
a completely untouched body,

But it's a great project
for gas monkey garage.

I was going for an early, like,
a mid '40s lake-style roadster.

Most of the people
that came back from world w*r ii

Had experience
working on airplanes

And tanks and things like that,

And when they came back,
they had a need for speed.

You know, I'd like
to hear it run, richard.

All right.
Let's fire it up.

See if we can
bother the neighbors.

Elrod: roadsters were really
popular for the lightweight.

You could strip them down
easily, take the fenders off.

You could take
the windshield off.

You basically just had a seat
and an engine,

And the primary objective
was to just go fast.

[ Engine sputtering ]

Come on, come on,
come on, come on.

[ Engine sputters, turns over ]

Whoo!

[ Engine shuts off ]

Rawlings:
perfect, man.

All right.
I agree with that.

All right,
so I saw your ad on the net.

What do you really got to have
for it?

[ Sighs ]
well, I don't know.

I mean, you know,
when these are done,

They bring
some big money.

They do.

The traditional
hot-rod thing --

And this one's
a long way from done.

Yeah.
I don't know.

I had it out there,

And I was kind of thinking
about $10,000.

I mean, it is cool,
but it's not 10 grand cool.

There's just no way.
[ Sighs ]

I'm thinking
like $6,000.

Oh, man,
this thing's got a title, too.

I got a title
to go with this car, so...

That does
make a difference.

I mean, you can't get titles
like you used to be able to.

Right,
and it's in my name.

You're not gonna have to
monkey around with this thing.

You know, no pun intended
on the "monkey."

Come on,
man.

[ Laughs ]

Man,
I can maybe go $9,000.

I don't know.
I mean, I'm at $6,000.

You're at $9,000.

What is the middle --
$7,500.

And you know
gas monkey always deals in cash.

I got it on me.
Aaron likes it.

I mean,
think of it that way.

Aaron actually likes something
I'm thinking about buying.

Yeah,
I think I could do that.

All right. Cool.
That's a deal.

All right.
Thanks, man.

Appreciate it.
Appreciate it.

I've wanted a model "a"
on deuce rails for a long time,

And now I'll have one
for a little bit of time.

Here we go.
[ Laughter ]

Let's get it loaded, aaron.
Definitely.

'31 Model "a" on 32 rails,
a little flathead motor,

Get the wheel
and tire size right,

Put some juice brakes
on it,

And you got yourself just a real
original badass hot rod --

Fast,
fun, cool.

Just got the '59 rambler
back to the garage,

And the guys are wasting no time
tearing it down.

Mcmillan: aaron says there's
a lot of life in this car.

I think we're gonna have to give
this car a lot of life.

Man:
speaking of a lot of life,

I think there's a lot of life
living in this car,

Like probably 10,000 rats
at one time.

The smell of this car --
unbelievable.

[ Coughs ]

You can smell the rat turds from
anywhere here on the compound --

Outside the shop,
inside the shop.

[ Groans ]

Thank god
you don't have smell-o-vision.

Mcmillan:
you know what?

This might be the worst one
I've ever had to clean out.

I've cleaned out
some pretty bad ones before

With the rats, but...

Kaufman:
it's nasty. It smells.

But we'll be done in a second,

Get the pressure washer
out here,

And maybe start turning the life
around in this little car.

I can smell that thing
from around the corner.

You ought to hop inside.

We got her
all cleaned out.

I'm not getting
in there.

[ Laughs ]
oh, man.

Did we find
any carcasses?

At least some bones
or anything?

No, but this thing had more
rat houses and hideaways.

This was like
a rat mansion.

Rawlings: so, the guys finally
got the car cleaned out

And ready to be washed,

But I'm already looking ahead
to my next deal.

My friend thomas
is dropping off

The most badass car
I've ever gotten my hands on.

Come on back!

I'm always on the hunt
for new cars.

You know,
I've got to flip a few.

Got a call from an individual,
said he had a '41 willys coupe.

I couldn't go.

I was busy with the shop

And the big build that we were
getting ready for the auction,

So I had to stay.

So I called a friend of mine,
thomas.

I said, "dude, grab your cash.
Go get me this car."

Narrator: the 1941 willys coupe
was designed for the times

As a modern-looking cheap
and compact car.

Only produced until 1942,

Hot rodders flock to their rare
and unmistakable shape.

What a drive,
man.

What a drive.

You know how long I've wanted
a frickin' willys gasser?

Dude,
you own a willys gasser.

And I'm telling you,

I think you own a willys gasser
with a great story.

I've got
a stinking suspicion

That this is one of
stone, woods & cook's old cars.

[ Engine revs ]

Rawlings:
willys cars are incredibly rare.

Hot rodders love
to turn them into gassers,

Cars that were meant
for drag racing.

But a stone, woods & cook
willys gasser is even rarer.

In the drag racing wars
of the 1960s,

No team was more feared

Than this legendary
drag-racing trio.

Many hot-rod enthusiasts

Consider their 1941
supercharged willys

To be the most famous drag car
in history.

The team is also famous
for another reason.

Fred stone, tim woods,
and doug cook

Were the first multi-racial team
in drag-racing history.

This car
has all the telltale signs.

First off, okay, all of stone,
woods & cook's cars were blue.

This car is blue.

If you'll look at the work
that's done on this car,

It's good work
by even today's standards.

I mean, even the cuff for
the fender well headers here,

I've had a lot of old gassers
in my time.

I've never had a willys.

But I mean, that's a pretty
dadgum good square.

I mean, you definitely
have to be completely sober

To build that.

And even
on the brake component there

Where the brake line's
going through,

They drilled it
for weight.

I mean, they drilled everything
on this car.

The motor support, scot,
you see those.

They drilled
and lightened them.

There's only so many stone,
woods & cook cars in the world.

If I did nothing to it, it could
be worth as much as $200,000.

But it's got to be authentic.

Those front wheels are worth
a grand apiece, easy.

Oh, at least.
I'll be honest with you.

I had a guy
at a truck stop

Offer me $2,500 apiece
for the wheels.

Sh--

I am freaking out
on this '41 willys.

I only got 7 grand in it,

And I think it's worth
a whole lot more.

Thomas,
I appreciate it.

This makes it
all worth it.

When you find
the good ones,

It makes all the bad ones
worth it.

Kaufman: so, we got rid
of all the gnarly rat turds,

And now we're
pressure-washing the rambler.

After this,
the hard work can begin.

Hey, k.c.,
Aaron said go ahead,

Rip all the suspension out,
get the motor out, and chuck it.

All right.

It's not necessarily
just the condition of this car

That caused us to rip it apart.

Most of the cars, we buy them
strictly for the body.

We know we're not gonna use
their drivetrain.

We know we're gonna use
their suspension,

Especially on earlier vehicles.

[ Laughter ]

[ Laughing ]
that's what I'm talking about.

Mcmillan:
what this is,

Is somebody attempted
to lower this car the wrong way.

Coil spring
is supposed to be a coil spring

With nice, even coils
and be straight up and down.

As you can see here,
they heated that with a torch

Until it was glowing red and
the spring started to compress.

Therefore when we
jacked the car up,

The springs basically
fell out on their own.

That's [bleep]

Kaufman: we're gonna retrofit it
with an all-new suspension,

All-new drivetrain,
all-new electronics.

But this one,
even if we weren't going to,

Still had to be gutted

Just to get the nastiness
out of the car.

Hey, k.c., I didn't even
have to cut the tank out.

We're not done yet.

Once we got the car
into the shop

And we were really able
to get under it,

A big job became a monster job.

When you figure in the rust,
rats, and age,

There's really nothing usable
in the suspension.

We're gonna have to start
this one from scratch.

We expected a big job,
but nothing like this.

Narrator: coming up
on "fast n' loud"...

Kaufman:
I know we're behind things.

Believe me, richard knows.

Do you all know
what you're doing?

This car
should be in my shop.

Picked up all the parts
for the rambler.

Let's see
what santa brought us today.

Kaufman:
got our boxes in.

Team's ready to work.

Open everything up,
we think we're doing good.

Go to put everything on,
realize there's a snag.

Both: motor mounts.

Motor mount
adapter plate.

All right, well,
we're missing something.

Kaufman:
the last thing we can afford

On a build as challenging
as this rambler is losing time,

And getting the wrong parts
is a major setback.

I mean,
we're building 90% of this car,

Which basically means
we're building it from scratch.

So now we're in the process

Of installing
a rear trailing arm suspension,

Which is basically
two long control arms

That attach the rear-end housing
to the frame of the car.

Also, we're clearing a path
for the exhaust,

And since we can't run
underneath the car,

We're gonna run it
through the crossmember,

Which is basically
a section of frame

That's perpendicular

And ties both the left
and right railing in it.

And, you know, half the floors
are being fabricated,

As well as transmission.

It's almost like
we're building a car

And then slipping our rambler
over the top of it.

So the work is enormous.

The crossmember we got is a kit,
and it wouldn't fit this car,

So even our aftermarket parts
have been modified.

Every part of this car
we're gonna have to build,

And that eats up
a massive amount of time

And makes it incredibly
difficult to deliver on time.

Getting this car to the auction

Is gonna be right down
to the wire.

Rawlings: while the guys
are working on the rambler,

I'm doing a little research
on the willys gasser.

Bad news -- it's not
a stone, woods & cook car.

There's a lot of design features
and some extra stuff

That they did to those,

And this car
just doesn't have any of them.

And I just found out
that the original

Stone, woods & cook cars
are all accounted for.

So, I won't be selling this one
for 200 grand,

But it's still
worth a ton of money,

And I know there's
a serious collector out there

That's gonna want it.

Mcmillan: what I'm about to do
is install the new oil pan.

It's eating up a lot of time
and a lot of cash,

But something we have to do.

This pan is just three
or four inches too deep,

And it hangs
out the bottom of the car.

We're making this car
go all the way to the ground.

You don't want that
to be the first thing

That hits the ground,
so we had to change it.

Kaufman: here we are
still working on the rambler.

And when I say "working," I mean
making parts of the rambler.

And on a schedule like this

When we have to
get this thing done

And get it to auction,
this is not what I like to see.

About this point in the build,
I like to be putting it together

And at least have heard it run.

Doesn't matter
what we do to this car.

It's always wanting more.

Kaufman: the crew's
really feeling the burn

On this
little rambler project here.

Everything we're trying
is just fighting us 100%.

I've never seen a car that
refused to come back to life

As bad as this one.

It's crazy.

Kaufman:
you know what, though?

The difference between us
and everyone else

Is that we're not gonna give up
and we're gonna win.

Excellent.
I appreciate it.

This morning we're waiting
on parts to get here

Bright and early.

Here are all the parts we need,

Basically make some major leaps
ahead today,

And stubbed our toe first box.

Looks like homeboy
made a mistake.

This is pretty much what I
expect out of a build like this.

You know, second time in a week
we've got the wrong parts.

It's almost like the rambler's
trying to tell me something,

Like, "let me rust in peace."

Okay,
so what can we do?

Based on the amount
of time we have,

What do you think's
gonna happen?

I don't know.

We're already behind schedule.
You know, when are we not?

But this one more so than ever.

And we absolutely
don't have the parts we need.

And not only do I feel
like we're behind --

It looks like we're behind.

And I know we're behind.
And believe me, richard knows.

Rawlings: we're having
so many setbacks with this car.

We're not sure how we're
gonna make it to the auction.

The guys are doing more work
than I ever imagined,

And we're just blowing
through the cash.

At least we still have
those free wheels.

Hopefully that's one last thing
I have to worry about.

Kaufman:
we got a free set of wheels,

Which was really generous.

Problem is, though,
generosity only goes so far.

This one wheel has four leaks
in it.

Multiple leaking points
at the bead.

I'm a big fan
of asking questions,

And when someone wants
to give me a free set of wheels,

I think that you should
ask the question "why."

And I think that the answer
might be

Because they're worthless piles
of [bleep]

The bead sits down here,
so it's this, ain't it?

Man: the time and money we're
gonna put into these wheels,

We could have got new wheels
by now, huh?

Yeah.

The smart question is,
should we switch wheels?

Just got to find out
how richard wants to play it,

Because richard may
have to have these.

He may not
want to spend the money.

We may not
have the wheels available.

So, just something that me and
richard have to get together on

And make a decision.

[ Imitates g*nsh*t ]

I feel like
we're just chasing our tail

If we go sandblasting

And trying
to take this over there

And remount the tires again
and then they leak and...

I don't want to spend the money,
though, man.

We run a risk of keep playing
with the wheels we got.

That's another $1,200,
shipping overnight.

I mean,
that [bleep] heavy.


Dude, we're already over budget
on this car and over --

Well,
time, really.

The budget hasn't been
that horrible,

But the time
is k*lling me.

The time's gonna be bad

Trying to
get the other cars right

And the other wheels
right.

Quit chasing our tail.

Just order those
and be done.

That --
I have to spend the money,

So that saves me time.

So that's the only way
I can make it work.

Let me go through
and measure them and see.

All right.
Cool.

As if
I don't have enough problems,

I just had to pony up

And we're behind
getting it to sue's.

And look who just showed up
to yell at me.

Hey, richard.
What's going on?

Very dangerous being the shop
like this with no shoes on.

You're wearing sandals?
So?

What's going on
with this car?

Do you all know
what you're doing?

This car
should be in my shop.

I was supposed to have the car
two days ago.

He always rushes me.

Now it's my turn
to get on his total a*s.

I'm having k.c.
Fix the seat frame.

We moved
the transmission tunnel up,

So it wouldn't work,
so we're fixing this,

Because you can't cover it
until I get the frame fixed.

This should be
in my shop.

I know.
It should be.

It should be
on the road.

When it comes up auction time
and we don't have a car,

Someone's got to answer for it.

Narrator: coming up...

I think the car just easily
brings 25 grand.

What's up
with the rambler?

We may have a little more
mechanic work,

And we definitely
got to build the exhaust, so...

Do you think
we can make it

Or we just gonna k*ll ourselves
and then probably still miss it?

Rawlings:
the leake auction's in two days.

I don't think the rambler's
gonna be ready in time.

This is the last day where
I can pull out of the auction

Without having
to pay the penalty,

So I'm gonna have to sit down
with aaron and figure it out.

What's up
with the rambler?

Well,
still got exhaust to do,

We haven't been to sue's yet,
and we haven't fired it yet.

So we may have
a little more mechanic work,

And we definitely
got to build the exhaust, so...

You think
we can make it

Or we just gonna k*ll ourselves
and then probably still miss it?

I'd hate
to have it limping along

And having a problem

And, you know,
then we're gonna lose it

'Cause we can always
put it in no reserve.

So if we send it up there
and it's got a problem...

I think the good money's
on safe money.

Don't try
and risk it.

I'm gonna go call them,
pull it.

I mean,
I don't have any choice.

That's the safest thing
to do right now.

All right.

I'll err on the side of smart,
go pull it.

I was pretty disappointed
about missing the auction,

But there's no crying
at gas monkey.

Got a potential buyer coming in
on the '41 willys.

Time to make
some gas monkey monies.

[ Engine shuts off ]

Brian bass owns bass kustoms
here in dallas

And is a phenomenally respected
builder worldwide.

You got a willys,
huh?

Right here.
Let's check it out.

He heard from somebody
that I had it.

I couldn't think
of a better owner for this car.

When thomas bought me this car,

He thought it was
a stone, woods & cook car.

It's not.
But it's still very valuable.

I only paid 7 grand for it,

And it's worth a whole hell
of a lot more.

So,
here it is.

Man, I really wish I wouldn't
have come and looked at it.

[ Laughs ]

Bass: willys is the
quintessential gas-class hot rod

From the '60s.

I've personally been
searching for one for years

But, you know, I'd never
had the means to buy one.

And when one
gets in front of you,

You may only have one chance,

And this is my chance,
so I'm here to try and take it.

What do you know about the car
as far as history?

I mean,
it's obviously an old drag car.

I don't know
a whole lot.

But the work
on it's very good.

The way they drilled out
everything to lighten up,

It's just not hacked together
like a lot of race cars.

I mean,
even the doorjambs.

They're drilled out.

The work
is just above par.

This was the gasser,
gas class of the '60s.

Everybody wanted
a willys coupe.

And, I mean, that's why
I want a willys coupe,

Because of the history involved
in the gassers.

I want a willys coupe,
but...

Rawlings:
bottom line --

I'm in this business
to make a little money,

And that's a very expensive car
to build,

Takes a very long time
to do it right,

And I just don't have the time.

Okay, well, let's get down
to brass tacks, then.

What do you got to have
for it?

I think the car
just easily brings 25 grand.

Normally,
I would agree with you,

But you're missing
a few pieces.

And stuff like this
for this car that's missing

Is actually expensive.

Like, the reproduction grille
is about 800 bucks,

Rocker panels, I think,
are another 700 or 800 bucks.

I mean, I'm gonna have to
put some money into it

To get to
where you're at.

And if you knew some history
on it, I'd pay it gladly.

But with not
knowing the history,

With it being unknown,
I mean,

It's obviously
a race car,

But we just don't know
whose race car it was

Or if it was anything,
you know, of note.

But here's where I'm at.

I'm at 20 right now.

I know I can sell this car
for 25 grand.

He knows I can sell this car
for 25 grand.

He's just trying
to get a better deal.

Hey, that's the car business.

This one
I don't have to move on.

I think if I put it out there
at even $33,500 or best offer,

Somebody's gonna step up
at $25,000 or better.

Yeah, but I'm standing here
right in front of you right now.

Come on.

Do the dance with me
a little bit.

Give me a little bit of --
yeah.

A little bit
of leeway here.

$25,000
I'm gonna stick to.

You can't give me anything,
huh?

I think I was giving it
to you at $25,000.

That's my problem.

I should have
just said $30,000

And then we would have settled
at $25,000.

You can't even give me
$1,000?

$24,000?
Come on.

I feel like I'd just be
giving it away.

I've always
treated you right.

If I put it out there,

It's gonna bring more
than the $25,000.

Actually,
you're right.

You were being fair
with $25,000.

And you know me.

I got to
get a better deal.

But $25,000.
Let's do $25,000.

You own it.

Bass:
I really wish

Richard wouldn't have put
the screws to me so bad,

But, you know, in the end,
I'm getting a willys coupe,

Something I've always
dreamed about owning.

And it's worth it to me.

It's badass,
dude.

I can feel the four gears
right now.

Rawlings:
I hate to see this one go.

It's probably the only one
I'll ever own in my life.

But very few people can say
they owned a '41 willys.

So it's going to a great home.

Can't wait to drop it off
and see brian get after it.

I got to get back
to doing what I'm doing,

And you
take my lay home.

When you bring back the truck,
I'll help you load it up.

Right on.
All right.

Have a good one,
brian.

Selling the willys coupe
made me feel a whole lot better

About missing the auction
with the rambler.

Sad to see it go,

But the way the rambler's
been bleeding me dry,

I just want to get it finished
and get it gone.

Mcmillan:
look what I got.

Kaufman: I'm really excited
about the new wheels

That arrived
for the rambler today.

They looked pretty darn swell.

They're a little edgy
for this car,

But that's just what I wanted.

Best thing of all --
they hold air.

[ Laughs ]
look at that.

And the wheels aren't the
only thing that arrived today.

Joe came by from bendpak.

Brought us a couple
of brand-new lifts

And an exhaust tubing bender.

So, while the guys
are finishing up

The last few things
on the rambler,

I'm still making things happen.

I just sold a car
without leaving the shop.

Just sold my '31 model "a"
roadster project

That I got from elrod.

Hate to see it go,

But I'm just not gonna have
the time to get to it,

So I put it up on the net,
see who was interested.

Boom, instantly sold
to a guy in finland.

Does it look like $9,000 worth
of machinery?

No,
it looks like junk.

I sold it in 2 days.
I'm making 2 grand on it.

That's pretty good
for gas monkey.

All right.
Let me have that.

They made $2,000 on rust?

Rawlings:
it's all hands on deck now.

I got to unload this rambler.

Normally I'd be putting ads
online and writing it up,

But that's what
I got christi for.

Hey, aaron.

Yes, ma'am.

Richard asked me to
put the rambler on the internet,

So I need to know about it,
what's in it.

Put line one --
"good stuff."

Line two --
"more cool stuff."

I don't think
that works.

Depends on
who your buyer is.

Super cross country.

It's got
a 700r4 transmission.

What?

Nine-inch rear end,
which is positive traction.

Patched front floor pans.

Patched floor what?

Floor pans.

Patched,
replaced rear floor pans.

Suspension --
modified mustang ii.

Tubular upper
and lower control arms.

What'd you say?
Power rack and pinion.

Truck arm
rear suspension.

Can I put all this
in an ad on the internet?

Yeah,
absolutely.

If they have
any more questions than this,

Tell them
that the car's not for them

And have a good day.
Okay.

Of course, whoever buys this car

Probably gonna want
to drive it, right?

We haven't even
test-fired the motor yet,

So I'm gonna check with aaron,
see where we're at.

Are we getting close?

Yeah, basically waiting on sue,
on the interior, and...

Man,
that's pretty much it.

We got to
do the exhaust on it,

But now that we got the new lift
and the new bender,

I think we might be able
to do the exhaust here.

Did we switch it
to a key

Or does it still got
the push-button start?

No, no, no, no.
It's on key.

Why don't you turn the key
and see if it comes alive?

Oh,
I'm down with that.

[ Whistles ]

[ Engine sputters ]

You ready?
Yeah.

[ Engine turns over ]

Yeah! Whoo!

[ Laughs ]

Kaufman: to hear the motor
start -- what a relief.

You know, finally.

This thing with the rambler
has been an a*s-kicking

The whole, entire way.

For all the hard work,
I'm happy we did it.

Now all we got to do is put
the hood on it and sell it.

Yeah.

That's your problem,
not mine.

Yeah,
it is my problem.

I make them
and you sell them.

Rawlings:
who knows how much money

We would have made
at the auction?

Might have made a k*lling,
might have lost our a*s.

But gas monkey's
not just about making money.

Aaron and I really love cars,

And bringing one back to life
is its own reward.

[ Engine revs ]

And let's face it.

This one was a nasty,
stubborn box of rat [bleep]

I know we have to
get the money back.

If this thing doesn't go
for the right money,

I wouldn't mind having
this around the shop to drive.

Oh, I wouldn't mind,
either.

Let's hope we sell it,
though,

'Cause I don't need
a [bleep] wagon.

Yeah, I agree.

Narrator:
next on "fast n' loud...

Whoo!

How's it sound,
lewis?

Eh.

What about
all these cracks?

Here's the rambler seat.

I'm gonna show you the material
he's gonna put on here.

So, we gonna cut the material,
and we're gonna sew it on.

Look, this is my house drape.

Now he wants to put it
on his seat.

Eh. Crazy.

We're gonna plead this
like this.

And here
is gonna be flower material.

This is gonna look ugh.

Why, richard?
Crazy gas monkey.

[ Laughs ]

Thanks.

Surprise!

Kaufman: one of the wildest
things about this car

Is the fact that it looks just
like it did when we bought it.

Everything we've done
to this car

Is practically
underneath the car.

You really have to lift
to appreciate or take a ride.

You know,
this was the first exhaust

That we custom-made there
at gas monkey garage

'Cause we just
got our bender in.

One of the difficult things
with a car this low

Is getting all the exhaust
and all the equipment

Tucked up
inside of the car

So we don't damage it
when we drive it

And go over speed bumps
or hit potholes.

Got air ride in the front
and the rear

With a completely new
rear suspension, truck arm rear.

Thing rides, drives,
and handles fantastic.

The front floor pans
were absolutely destroyed

In this car.

We could stand
on the ground

While we were sitting
where we were supposed to drive.

This floor from fire wall
to seat -- completely new.

You know,
when it came to the interior,

We picked out
some strange fabric.

Come to find out these are
the drapes out of sue's house.

So, this is weird
and fits this car perfect.

This car just didn't need
a paint job.

It's got a cool,
badass look like it is,

So we decided
to leave it alone.

You know, it took 20 to 30 years
for the car to look this bad.

Why would I change it?

This car
is basically brand-new.

Grab your girlfriend
and go to the beach.

Grab your dog
and go to the lake.

Whatever you want to do.

Whoever buys this car
is probably gonna look

More homeless
than me.

As soon
as we missed the auction,

I got busy
trying to sell the rambler.

Online ads, the interweb, word
of mouth, whatever it takes.

I got to get rid of this car.

Old-fashioned work has paid off.

Guy just walked in and
he's interested in the rambler.

I got 19 grand in this car,

And I need at least that
to break even.

What's going on there,
guys?

Well,
looking for my wife.

Really?

Car for my wife.
What about for him?

How you doing?
Richard rawlings.

Ed keating.

My wife's been interested
in a classic car

For the last couple
of years.

She wanted a hot rod
or what?

Not necessarily
hot rod.

Just '50s, '60s, something
with really nice lines.

Got lucky with gas monkey being
here in the same town we're in,

And actually came out just
to talk to him about, you know,

What we might want.

Our little wagon here
we just completed

About three
or four days ago,

And it's pretty trick
little car.

It looks
a little deceiving.

Underneath with the shell that
you're looking at right here

Is basically full-on
every-day driver,

Every bit as nice
as your lexus.

[ Chuckling ]
this ron davis radiator

Cost more than the car did
when we bought it.

Well, that's the kind
of thing I'd like for her.

I don't want something
that's gonna break down.

What do you like?

Well,
I like that one a lot more,

But this one's around
what she would like.

Price point on this car's
probably, you know,

Somewhere around 25 grand.

Why is it worth 25 grand?

I can't tell you
why it's that much money

Without taking you
for a ride in it.

What do you think,
lew?

It's good.

It's awesome.

It is.

[ Tires screech ]

Whoo!

Rambler rodeo!

How's it sound,
lewis?

Eh.

Wow.

What'd you think
about that ride?

It was nice.

Rawlings: nice?

Not exactly what I wanted
to hear from a 10-year-old.

I wanted him to say,
"I just crapped my pants!"

But I got one more way
to convince these guys

That they got to have this car.

[ Machinery whirring ]

Oh, man.

That's incredible.

Mm-hmm.

Everything's easy to get to,
easy to work on, nice and clean.

And the fact
that it's hot rod underneath

And it's the old,
classic wagon on the top is --

That's definitely
what she wants.

Cool.

Well, it sounds like
it's gonna be a good fit.

Well, all we got to do
is figure out the monies.

We got to work
on that next.

What about all these cracks
and holes in there?

This is why I don't like kids
around the garage.

What it is,
is it's a little bit of rust,

But what we did is we patched
the rust that was structural

And the other stuff,

There's no reason
to spend the money to fix it

Because it's just wasted time
and effort.

If you see all this
under here, lewis?

Uh-huh.
All that's new.

Oh, all right.
Right.

I'm thinking
it's time for lewis

To go play with some hubcaps
or something.

It's time for daddy and I
to talk money.

Just to cut to the chase,
if you're serious,

You want to buy the car today,
I'll sell it for 20 grand.

That's the bottom line.
That's what I can do.

I understand
what you've done to it.

I can appreciate that.

I'm still wanting
to stay under $20,000, though.

Can you get $18,500?

I think I can get $18,500
all over the place.

There's probably hands in
the air out there in the street.

You know,
the car will make my wife happy.

That should count
for another 5 grand right there.

[ Sighs ]

How many wives do you know
that are happy?

[ Sighs ]

Dad, it's sort of
a take it or leave it.

Tell him.

Tell him to do it
for $20,000.

You really should.

I think I can convince her
$20,000 was good.

Awesome.
That's a deal.

Excellent.
What do you think?

I think
it's good.

It's coming out
of your inheritance.

I think it's awesome.
[ Laughter ]

Both: thanks, lewis!

Narrator: richard bought
the rambler for $1,200.

It needed an overhauled
suspension, a tasteful interior,

New wheels, and bleach.

Parts and labor totaled $16,900.

Richard and his wingman closed
the deal at a cool 20 grand.

Richard scored
a rare '41 willys coupe.

Rawlings:
don't really want to talk money

On how I got it
and how much it was.

Narrator: he scored again when
he flipped it for huge cash.

The crew also got their hands
on a 1931 model "a" roadster...

...and pedaled it to helsinki
for $9,500.

Those three cars pulled in

$21,900 Of pure,
unpainted profit.

Here at gas monkey garage,

In an effort to reduce the mass
in our local landfills,

We've decided
to start crushing our cans.

You know, a '59 rambler's
the perfect car for summer.

You know what else is good
for the summer?

What?
Swimming.

Be safe,
aaron.