06x06 - Rocking '76 G10 Van

[bunniefuu]

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

Front end's off.

Narrator:
hot-rod hunter richard rawlings

And master mechanic
aaron kaufman

Take on a broken-down workhorse
with a sketchy past.

Richard: I don't know if this
is his van or his house.

Narrator: but this old chevy van
needs more than good loving.

Aaron: sexy, sexy, sexy.

Narrator: so dr. Kaufman
finds a likely donor

For a power-train transplant

To resurrect the van and create
richard's dream getaway vehicle.

Look, look, look.
Holy [bleep]

God!

What do we got
that will k*ll them?

Plus, an old friend shows up
sporting some new wrinkles.

Just blows my mind.

And after hiding for a lifetime,

Richard and aaron uncover
one family's hidden gem.

Wow!

[ Laughing ] holy cow.

Will the monkeys
be able to pull off

This remarkable
transformation...

Screw you, locks!

...or will richards's secret
plan leave them clueless?

What in the hell is this?
It's a primitive bra.

Oh, you're on fire.
Watch out.

This is the shiznit.

-- Captions by vitac --
www.vitac.com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Richard: so, I just got back

From barrett-jackson
a couple of days ago,

And I've been running around
catching up on errands.

Well, I got an empty trailer,

And I got some hundos
in my pockets,

So I'm thinking, "well,
keep your eyes open, richard.

You never know
what you're gonna find."

Sure enough,
on the side of the road,

There's a blue chevy g10 van.



And I swear I saw that sign say
"300 bucks."

I don't know what I'm gonna do
with a $300 van,

But it looked to be
in pretty good shape.

It was a little dirty,
but it wasn't beat-up,
and it wasn't dented,

And for 300 bucks, come on.

I mean, that's a $1,000 vehicle
all day long.

You can use it to haul carpet
or, you know,

Hay for your girlfriend
or, you know, whatever.

Great. I like it.

Sure enough, there's a guy
sitting there on the curb.

This your van?

Russell: yeah.
You looking to buy a van?

Well, I don't know.

It caught my eye
when I came around the corner.

It is an eye-catcher.

My name's russell.

I've had this van
for about seven or eight years.

That door don't work.

Yeah, it does.

Oh, yeah.
Everything works.

You got everything you need
in life in there.

You got some paint.
You got some sheep skin.

You got a rug,
a vacuum cleaner.

If you just had a front porch,
you'd have everything.

[ Laughs ]

I don't know if this is his van
or his house.

When chevy started building
the g10 utility van,

Well, people kind of saw them
as the perfect getaway vehicle.

Hey. What the --

Richard: well, you know what?
They were right.

Folks started tricking them out

With custom interiors,
crazy paint jobs,

Making them into mini
mobile homes they could take out

For completely different
kind of getaway.

$500 -- You could almost
drive it off today.

The sign says $300.

Does it?

Well, I was trying to make
an extra couple hundred bucks.

$300 Today.
Today only.

"Doesn't run.
Leave number."

You're rolling around,
sitting on a curb

With a busted-a*s van,
but you got a cellphone?

Yeah, it wasn't a busted-a*s van
when it was running?

[ Both laugh ]

I buy weird stuff sometimes
when I'm out here by myself,

And the guys will chastise me
a little bit,

But it always makes money,

So I'm not worried about it,
and I'm damn sure not worried

About making money
on a $300 van.

All right, man,
well, I'm not even gonna argue.

It's straight, and it looks like
it'll clean up.


Is fine with me.

If we can get it running and
driving in something minimal,

I can flip this thing
for a grand,

So I gave him his 300 bucks,
and off he goes.

Go buy me a taco now.

Get one.

Like they say, you make
your money when you buy,

And I just made some money.

Richard: whoo!

Howdy, howdy, howdy.
Look at this.

It's pretty crazy, man.

It was on the side
of the road,

And I snagged it up
for 300 bucks.



Hasn't run in a while.

Aaron: you don't say.

But it's really straight
and really rust-free.

Just clean it up, buff it out,
and be done, sell it.

It's got to work
from 300 bucks, man.


From 300 bucks.

If you want to settle
for that.

I think we should have
some fun with it.

I really, really,
really like it.

Every time I think
I've seen it all around here,

Richard pulls in with something
even more strange,

And I got to say, this van
definitely fits the bill.

I love the truck.
I love it, too.

That's why I bought it.

I mean,
I thought it was too cheap.

I would have still bought it
even at $1,000.

You know, I think
I could flip this for $2,000

Once we get it cleaned up.

Aaron:
yeah, richard could flip this,

But I think it provides
a tantalizing opportunity.

Heck, I think
we ought to build it.

I really, really, really,
really, really, really like it.

Personally,
what I'd like to see happen

Is make this
a four-wheel-drive van.

You mean like
'70s excursion van?

I love those.

Aaron: exactly.

I swear to god --

If we don't make this thing
four-wheel-drive...

[ Laughs ]

I hadn't considered building
this van, but I love the idea.

I mean, I a full-wheel-drive,
off-road excursion van --

That's not something
you'd expect from gas monkey.

Keep talking, aaron.

I think this right here
is sexy, sexy, sexy.

You know, I'm definitely
smelling what aaron's dropping,

But I'm not quite ready
to pull the trigger yet.

We've got an appointment
to check out a car

That I've already pegged
to be our next big build,

So we'll see where that goes,
and then I'll decide

Which one I want to put
time and money into.

Well, I'll have them
get it off the truck,

And we can go see a man
about a car --

One that won't scare kids
if we drive past a school.

Yeah,
it don't have brakes.

Check this out.
'71 'Cuda.

Yeah.

Been in a garage 38 years.

The guy called me, actually,
and he says,

"My brother had this car.

He recently passed away.
I want to sell it."

And he starts telling me
a story.

I'm like, "so, you're telling me
that you got a '71 340 'cuda,

Power steering,
power brakes, a.c.,

And it's been the garage
for 38 years



I don't disbelieve it.

I'm curious
what it looks like, though.

Well, I mean,
it could be worth,

I don't know,
$35,000, $40,000,

If it was up running
and driving.

So, if we could get it bought
for a quarter, that'd be good.

We've never had a 'cuda
in the shop, ever.

I mean, I've never bought
a 'cuda whatsoever.

People in the neighborhood had
to have known the car was there.

Somebody had to have tried
to talk him out of it.

Aaron:
well, it's possible.

Watch us open the garage door,
and it's a four-door nova.

Well, at least we're 7½ miles
from the shop.

[ Laughs ]

Cool.

Hey, sir.
Richard rawlings.

Dale thiede.
Dale, how you doing?

My name's dale.

My brother tony
bought the 'cuda about in 1973.

Let's pop it open.

That was his first car
when he was in high school.

Richard:
I'm not sure what to expect.

I mean, do we got a rusted-out
junk box in there?

You know, is it all beat-up,
halfway torn apart

Because they were gonna restore
it one day or what have you?

Wow.

[ Laughing ] holy cow.

You weren't kidding,
huh?

Rad.

Now, that's what
I'm talking about.

Sure enough,
that's no nova.

That's a '71
plymouth barracuda.

It's pretty tight in here.

Can we roll it out?
Yes.

There we go.
We're rolling now.

If you're a car guy,
a '71 'cuda,

I mean, that is the 'cuda
to have,

And this car's a 340 car

With automatic power steering,
power brakes, and a.c....

Holy cow.

...which was a pretty
rare option in '71

To set up a 'cuda that way.

Plymouth's barracuda
was always trying to take a bite

Out of ford's mustang.

It may not have been first
in sales,

But when it came to muscle cars,
'71 'cuda was a prize catch.

In 1971, production dropped
to about 18,000 for the year,

Which makes them a little bit
harder to find today.

Parked it way back in the '80s
because gasoline was too high.

Gasoline was too high?
Yeah.

Definitely not gonna put it
on the road these days, then.

Aaron: the car's incredibly
straight, no major rust issues.

Man, it is clean.

I mean, it's a straight,
rust-free body,

And these cars are bad
about rust.

I mean, it really is everything
we expected it to be.

My brother bought it
just one street over

In grapevine in the '70s.

Oh, really?

Yes.

So, he was driving this car
in '73?

Yes.

To junior college?
Yes.

Wow.

Richard: what I really liked
about the story

Was that was sold here new

And, you know, local car,
never left,

Been in this garage
for almost 40 years.

It's pretty dadgum cool.

All right,
how much is it?

I got a truck and trailer.

Well, I'd like to have
$30,000 for it.

I'd like
to have lunch, too.

Yeah, me too.

So, while richard's
negotiating the deal,

My opinion about the value
of the car

Is I think that it probably
is kind of a mid-$30,000 car.

I really feel like we've got
a chance to make some money.

Not to mention,
we're only gonna burn

A couple hours here
and a day at the shop with it.

Dale, how about 20 grand?

I'm afraid
I couldn't do it for that.

It's a rust-free car.
It's got the rally dash.

It's got a nice build sheet
under the backseat.

I'll come up
to $25,000.

Well, I'm more set
on $28,000.

[ Whistles ]

All right, sir,
we'll do that.



Thank you.

Will cash be all right?

Yeah.

Well, let me get it
out of the truck.

Turns out, you know,
guy knows his cars.

He knows what it's worth,

And I think
I'm gonna advance it,

But $28,000 --
I paid all the money for it.

That was it.

There you go.
Three stacks of $10,000.

I took $2,000 out of the one
with white on it.

All right.

Richard gave $28,000
for the car,

And I think
that's fair deal.

I mean, I'm happy with it

Because it's gonna take a lot
of money to restore the car.

Golly.

Richard: while it's not running
and driving,

This 1971 'cuda
is in really great shape.

I mean, it's all there,
and it's not rusted out.

Doing a straight resto is
not really gas monkey's thing,

And since I know thomas
over at fired up is into 'cudas,

I think I'll flip this one
over to him,

Which means I know what our next
big build's gonna be.

We're gonna turn that van
into a 4x4.

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

The van rolls in,

And the monkeys are ready
to walk out.

Are ski masks required
to drive this thing?

Then, aaron tries to strike
a deal without richard.

Aaron: just when I thought
we left the '90s behind us.

Wow.

Richard: [ whistles ]
hey, all you monkeys.

Means you, too, coy.

What?

All right, guys,
you all ready for the next one?

Yeah.
Yep.

It's right outside that door.

Let's get it.

It's gonna be like
a pinto-gremlin-mesh thing.

It's got to be green.

Richard: [ laughs ]

All right,
let's go back to cleaning.

Where's it at?
The van's blocking it.

Let's get it in, man.

Oh, boy.

Come on.
Let's push.

Jeremy:
still kind of new here,

And I thought we were gonna be
doing a lot of hot rods,

You know, "fast n' loud,"

And he brings in
this creeper van.

It's van-tastic.

Wasn't sure if I bought
the guy's van or his house,

But it's really
rust-free.

And I think the paint

Will buff out pretty good,
don't you?

It's really moldy.

It's a no-window creeper van.

Are, like, ski masks required
to drive this thing, or...?

Richard: hey, it's a.k.

You decided
to let us build it?

Yeah.

I might have an idea.

Vans are super-popular
like, expedition vehicles.

That's what I'm talking about
right there.

If we have something
like that,

I think I might have
a use for it.

Richard: you know,
the wheels in my head

Started turning
as soon as I bought this van.

I may have use for it
that will pay off way better

Than even selling it,

But I got to wait a little bit
for some confirmation

On a sweet deal it got brewing,

And then I can let everybody in
on my big secret.

What are you thinking?

It's a big box
on a square, flat frame,

And so I figure
we go get another truck,

And then basically
just put its springs

And shackles and hangers
on this.

Love to put
a three-quarter-ton underneath.

I think three-quarter-ton,
four-wheel-drive van

Just screams
a lot of things.

This screams "hazmat suit"
all over it.

And there may be some screaming
from inside the van, too.

Richard: well, here we go.

Here's the plan to turn
this big blue hunk of steel

Into a wicked


Without dipping too far
into my wallet.

Aaron:
so, to make this

A four-wheel-drive,
all-terrain excursion van,

We're basically gonna keep
the one thing

That makes this a van --
the blue box.

Everything else
is gonna go in the dumpster.

Then I'm gonna need to find

Something that we all love
down here in texas,

And that's a truck.

Not just any truck,
but a 4x4 truck

That we can steal
the drivetrain,

The suspension out of
and use as a perfect platform

For our four-wheel-drive van.

No new wheels?
Nope.

No new exhaust?
Not necessary.

I am liking
the sound of that.

The paint --
well, it's in good shape,

So we're just gonna
buff it out.

When we're done
with this van,

It will no longer scare
women and children.

Believe it or not,
this will be one sweet ride.

That's kickass.

I would like the van
to look like it got built

Like '81, '82,

And so,
it's not overly techy.

We're not gonna put
light bars on it

And 49-inch tires on it.

I thought it would be cool
to have, like,

A little sundowner, like, canopy
that rolls out of the side

From the roof rack,
you know?

Okay, you're getting
a little far now.

I got to stop you there.


All I want to put into it.

You don't need
any more than a week,

And when it's done,

Y'all might just be surprised
by my brilliance.

Why don't we get it outside,
get it cleaned up,

Cleaned out, and you start
looking for a truck.

Yeah.

Let's go wash
this thing.

Whoo!

What?

Steering, steering.

Am I clear?

It might, might --
yep, it's got it.

Aaron:
so, I think I found us a truck.

The guy put a new motor in it,
like, less than a month ago,

So I'm fixing to run up there
and go look at.

You guys can go ahead and start
tearing this thing down.

You know what I want done.

Oh. Oh, you're on fire.

Watch out.

I'm just kidding.
[ Laughs ]

Richard: in our line of work,
you never know

When an old friend
is gonna stop by the shop.

Well, today, we got a visit
from an old friend.

It's just that he has
a few new wrinkles.

[ Laughs ]

What do you think
about that?

He hit a deer, right?

That's what they said.

So, you remember the '56 nomad
that we built

For dale earnhardt jr.?

That thing drives perfect.

Uh-huh.

Well, he kept it around,

And then he ended up
giving it away as prize

To one of his fans,
and that fan --

Well, he drove it a couple miles

Before having an unfortunate
run-in with a deer.

The door still shuts
pretty close to all right.

It's clicking
a little bit.

The fender's just putting
pressure on it,

To be honest with you.

Mark: hey. Mark.
Right off the movers.

What's the name? Mark?
Mark.

You're just dropping it off?
Just dropping it off.

Are you a friend of the owner
or anything or just the driver?

No, he's the same city,
las vegas.

Dang, I wish I'd known
you were coming from las vegas.

I'd have told you
to bring me some money.

[ Chuckles ]
and women.

K.c., We're gonna do this entire
side and the hood, I guess.

Man, I hope we don't
have to paint the roof.

There's parts to find.

You can buy aftermarket fenders
for '55 and '57,

But you can't buy one for '56,

So we need to find a really
nice, original '56 fender

To put on there.

I don't really think
we need a hood,

Just fenders
and trim and stuff.

Fenders and trim.
Oh, here we go.

Front trim piece.

It got the bucket
and the lens.

You know the expression
"deer in the headlights"?

Well, this deer took it
literally.

Hey, mark,
thanks for bringing it out.

K.c., Y'all get it
off the trailer,

And I'll get with jonathan,
tell him

To start ordering parts.
Yes, sir.

Whoo!
Watch out for that deer!

Aaron: so, you know
I got the guys working

On the van
back in the shop,

Taking it all apart
and buffing it.

But we don't have

The four-wheel-drive parts
for it yet.

Well, on the internet
this morning,

I found a c/k2500.

It's a four-wheel-drive
pickup truck, three-quarter-ton.

It looks like a pretty gosh darn
donor truck for our van.

Uh-huh.

Aaron: no, you're not
imagining things.

This sexy specimen by my side
is not richard,

And where the heck
is tripster anyway?

Well, richard got tied up
doing some paperwork

For the nomad repair job,

And this here is chris.

We call him "mater"

Because he's usually doing
tow jobs for gas monkey.

Mater -- you know,
he's a man of few words,

But he's just the muscle I need
to help me with my mission

To find a four-wheel-drive
donor truck

To go underneath our chevy van.

Richard didn't give me
much of a budget,

And even though this soaks up
quite a bit of it,

As long as nothing's wrong
with it and it works,

Man, I think is gonna be
a heck of a parts truck.

Yeah. Yeah.

Aaron:
well, look at that.

That is a beautiful
son of a g*n, ain't it?

[ Laughs ]
yeah, it is.

So, I'm really hoping
it works out.

When I get back
to the shop tonight,

I'm gonna have a van
with no drivetrain.

I'm gonna have a van
with no suspension,

So if I don't come back
with something,

Then tomorrow, it's gonna be --
well, it's gonna be

Real important
to get it right tomorrow.

How you doing?
How's it going?

Marc parsons.
Aaron kaufman.

Nice to meet you.
This is tow mater.

Some people call him
chris, though.

Fair enough.

I'm marc parsons.

I'm selling
a 1978 chevrolet k20.

It's got a fuel-injected engine
in it.

There you go.

Wow.

Just when I thought
we left the '90s behind us.

Yeah, it's coming back.

It's got a heavy
eight-lug rear end,

Eight-lug front.

You know,
it's got all the crap we need.

We just got to find out
if it actually works.

Runs and drives good.

You mind if we go for a ride
down the road and back?

Have at it, brother.

You got any neighbors
you don't like?

Not most of them.
All right.

See if we can't startle
things up a little bit.

Chris: looks like
it's an interesting road.

Aaron: so, mater and I took
the truck down the road,

And it seems to drive fine
in two-wheel drive.

We put it in four.

I really couldn't' find
anything to drive over

Except for there were some
sticks in this guy's driveway.

All right,
I feel like a real man now.

I made short work
of these sticks.

They weren't very big, but
now they know who the boss is.

These are the parts that I want,
and if bought them individually,

They would cost far more

Than what the vehicle's
gonna cost me,

Which I'm hoping
is about 3,500 bucks

Because that's all
I brought today.

Aaron: can't imagine
you would separate yourself

From such a sweet piece.

Yeah, you know,
move on to something different.

Yeah?

These are the parts
that I'm looking for.

You're asking $3,700 for it?

Yeah.

I got a little bit
of a tight budget.

I can give you
$3,500 for it.

Fair enough.

You want to do that?

Yeah, that will work.

All right.
Let's make a deal.

Appreciate it, man.

I'll let you count it.

All right.

Ready to load it up?

Yeah.
Don't need to put no ramps.

Check and see.
Make that clearance.

If there's not any clearance,
it will make noise.

[ Laughs ]

Going over the wheel well
over here.

[ Laughs ]

We're in.

Aaron:
when we left the shop,

The guys were already
tearing down the van.

That's about how high
the van's gonna be.

So, when we get back,
it'd make me really happy

To start pulling
all the parts off this truck.

In fact, that would be a great
beginning to this project.

I think
that's gonna be possible.

Yeah.

[ Both laugh ]

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

Oh, dang. Look at that.
Watch out.

The van delivers
more surprises.

Look, look, look,
look, look.

And k.c. Battles the nomad.

We're gonna worry
about that later.

He broke something.

[ Cellphone rings ]

What's up?

Man: hey, richard.
It's a done deal.

No [bleep] really?

Really.

So, we can do it?
It's okay?

It's approved?


Richard: that was the call
I've been waiting for.

I mentioned to y'all I've
been waiting on confirmation

On something
that I've had brewing -- hint.

So, that was it.
That was the call.

I am so freaking excited
because this could kick

The gas monkey empire
into overdrive.

That is gonna be
the coolest thing

Gas monkey's
ever pulled off.

One thing --
we need a recipe.

You need what?
A re-ci-pe.

A recipe?
Yeah, a recipe.

Once the van is finished,

Aaron and I are gonna take
a little field trip,

And you'll get your first taste
of the next big thing

From gas monkey garage,
so stay tuned.

Cool. Good news, man.
It's a good day.

Bye, now.

Christie, I need some coffee
to go with my good day.

Somebody else
want to grab gloves?

I got it.

Just you?

I got it.
I'll just get my...

Oh, look. Ants.

Ants everywhere?
Yeah.

Got a little trail going on
in there.

Got an alien ant farm.
Oh, look at that.

Oh, dang, look at that!
Watch out.

Ah, you just flung them
all over me.

Look, look, look,
look, look.

Let me out of the ant farm.

Holy [bleep] god!

What do we got
that will k*ll them?

Burn them suckers.

Where's some lighter fluid?

[ Horn honks ]

Aaron: got back
to gas monkey garage

With this incredibly large
hulk of crap.

Really ugly truck,
but it has all the things

That I need to put
into our van.

[ Engine turns over ]

[ Laughs ]

[ Laughs ]

Now go fast, real fast.

g*n it, g*n it.
[Bleep] floor it.

[ Laughing ] yeah!

[ Brakes squeal ]

Yeah!
Do a spin-out.

Spin it out.

[ Engine revs ]

[Bleep]
we'll do it later.

Mike:
it didn't do a burnout.

That wasn't a burnout.
No.

I'll go ahead
and put it on the rack.

Aaron: just as I had hoped,

The van is already torn down
to the body.

Ow.

So, the guys are ready to pounce
on tearing down the 4x4.

All right,
don't scratch it.

Everybody good?

Front end's off.

Aaron:
this should go really fast

Because all I really want
from the truck

Is the power train,
the suspension, and the axles.

Then I'll have everything I need
for a marriage

That can only be made
in gas monkey heaven.

There's a ground strap
or a battery cable here

That's very well-connected.

Will someone get me
some cutters?

All right, come on.

Clear over here.

The astute viewer
may have noticed by now

That the planned mating
of the three-quarter-ton

Chevy 4x4 power train
into the body of the creeper van

Is not exactly
a bolt-on proposition.

They're both chevys,
only a few years apart,

But they're two
completely different species

That would never mate
in the wild.

It's almost there now.
Got it?

That's enough to get it
out of the frame, yep.

On the 4x4, everything
was attached to rigid frame,

Which is why it's called
"body-on-frame design."

Boom, sucker.

Do we not have one of these
that has any ba*ls?

Once we get all the drivetrain
suspension parts off the 4x4,

We no longer have any need
for that big, heavy frame.

Bye-bye, frame.

Way to go.

Now we have all the parts
from the 4x4

That we need to attach
to the van,

But the van
doesn't have a frame.

It's a unibody,

Which means that cabin
and the chassis are integrated,

Eliminating the need
for an independent chassis.

Our solution to the conundrum
is to fabricate brackets

To weld to the body

To provide mounting points
for the suspension.

Nice job with the brackets,
jeremy.

Just got to tap
this last one in.

Same goes
for our donor engine.

We used some monkey engineering

To create a cradle
that actually connects the motor

And the body itself to secure it
all in place.

That is one good-looking cradle,
if I do say so myself.

Once the guys get everything
test-fitted,

All the parts have to come back
off to get cleaned, painted,

And ready to be
permanently installed.

[ Dog barking ]

[ Laughing ]
holy cow, man.

That's big.

Is that how tall
it's gonna be?

Yes.
It looks like it will fall over

If you take a corner
too fast.

You know, I bet
it's not that bad at all.

That is crazy.
Everything's moving right along.

Everything's been fitting,
you know,

As well as donor parts
grafted onto van fit.

I'm gonna do some research.

I got some ideas
for the interior.

I want something kind of
funny, crazy, you know?

Oh, I think if you need
something funny, crazy,

Or just plain weird.

I think a van's
a perfect place to start.

At first, when aaron fell in
love with it,

I was kind of lukewarm
on the idea,

But then I had a vision,
a dream quest, if you will.

And when you find out
what it is,

You'll be even more impressed
with what richard's

Willing to do
with gas monkey garage,

And if not,
well, I'll buy you a shot.

Very cool.

I'm excited,
and I got an idea for it.

So as long
as the four-wheel drive works,

We're gonna be
in good shape.

It did when we cut
the other one apart.

Whoa!

Mike: you know, when a deer
tangles with a chevy nomad,

It's pretty obvious who's gonna
get the worst of it -- the deer.

But this car is being
just as ornery with k.c.,

And all he's trying to do
is get that fender to fit.

Do we have any bolts for it?
Nope.

Y'all didn't get
the [bleep] hood bolts?

We don't know
where they're at.

K.c.: We did a little
cross measuring on it

And come to find out

We're about 3/8 of an inch
back still,

Which is causing us big problems

On trying to get our fender
lined up.

This is not comfortable.
This is way off here.

So, we're gonna try to push it
all forward,

See if we can't bend whatever's
bent back straight, maybe.

I thought you broke
something.

[ Clattering ]

Worry about
that [bleep] later.

We're gonna worry
about that later.

We don't need that
right now.

Aah!

How we doing
on the earnhardt special?

We're running
into a couple issues.

I think this fender sat around
for a little while,

And people were kind of
leaning on it, moving on it.

It's just kind of twisted
and out of shape a little.

So, we're having problems
fighting it.

We don't fix cars,
generally,

But we built this one,
so we told him we would.

How do we get this thing
done and out of here,
and how much time?

We're done with everything else
except for the door gap.

If we move this bracket
and get this gap right,

I think we'd be done
by the end of the week.

End of the week?
Mike: yeah.

All right, just get it done.
I need it out of here.

End of the week
is good for me.

Sounds good.

Did ken get that last
fuel line hooked up?

Ken?
Ken: yeah?

Last fuel line hooked up?
Yeah.

He says game on.

Charles:
so, on our '76 g10 van,

We're super close
to being able to fire it up.

I'm gonna go through
some of the simple systems

To make sure
that everything's good to go

Before we actually test it
and start it.

[ Engine sputters ]

It sounds almost as good
as it did a week ago

When it was
in the other vehicle.

[ Laughs ]

[ Engine sputters ]

Except for that crazy
noise there.

Is that the converter?

Is the nuts on it,
the converter?

There's nothing covering it.

Why don't you hop under there
and take a look?

Apparently,
nobody bothered to tighten up

Anything under the van.

And we're gonna add some more
oil to the transfer case.

Shut up.

We'll take a second to capture
this moment for posterity.

Are you taking
a selfie?

And then we'll give this beast
another go.

[ Engine sputters ]

You see that arc?

[ Engine sputters ]

Hey,
it's arcing off the --

Yeah, it is.

Like a son of a b*tch.
Watch, the a.c. Lines.

Hit it.

[ Engine sputters ]
[ laughter ]

Hey, who grounded
this motor?

Nobody.

If nobody grounded the motor,
don't touch that key again.

We'll burn this thing
to the ground.

If it didn't have a ground strap
on it, then let's start over.

Charles: I'm gonna get
that ground strap on.

Should fire up no problem.

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

What in the hell is this?

Richard's ready
to talk interiors...

I'm taking the bear.

...while aaron's just talking
to himself.

Screw you, locks!

Narrator:
the answer is "d."

Having been forced out
of both gm and chevrolet,

William durant
ran a bowling alley

In flint, michigan
until his death in 1947.

Aaron: hey, jeremy, help me
get this steering arm in.

Jeremy:
yeah, that makes me happy.

How absolutely excellent.

Man, that makes me happy.

Screw you, locks!

[ Chuckles ]

Aaron: we've got a great little
excursion van coming together.

Excuse me.

We ended up harvesting
a 4x4 engine and drivetrain

Out of an old donor truck

And fabricated the mounts
and brackets

To marry it
to the underbody of the van.

That's it.

Once we get some wheels
and tires on it,

This thing will simply ooze

Over whatever terrain
it's up against.

Oh, the pick-up points
are...

Richard tells me
he's going to be handling

The interior for the van
because, apparently,

He has some super-secret plan
for it.

And he's pretty excited
about it,

Which in my experience,

Means it's either something
incredibly stupid

Or something
incredibly brilliant --

Kind of like the man himself.

Mike:
our roof rack showed up,

And I get the luxury
of putting it together.

There's only four pieces

But about 30 brackets
and this many bolts.

I got a lot to do.
I better get busy.

Pbht!

Awesome!

How's that look, jerms?

You want to get on that side,
and we'll...

Oh, we're gonna drag it off?
Yeah.

Back away.

Good?

Let's see if we can get it
any taller.

Golly.

Hey, mike, you want to give me
a hand with this spare?

Ready?
Yeah.

Remember, mike,
I don't have much to hold onto.

Are you nervous?

No, I just don't want to
slide off with it.

Why do you trust me
to do this?

I don't know.

You're high enough.
Watch them lights.

I think reverse is going out
in this thing.

Hey, you want to wait
till I'm on there?

Okay. Go for it.

[ Humming ]

Really?

[ Humming ]

It'd be a really [bleep] way
to end the day.

[ Humming ]

Just kidding.
[ Laughs ]

Thanks, mike.

What if we have a flat?
How are you gonna get it down?

That's whoever's problem
that's driving it.

What exactly
are you doing, coy?

I'm just letting the blood
rush to my head

Instead of my feet.

All right, cool.
Where we at, a-ron?

She's running, driving,

Doing everything
she's supposed to do?

Yeah, it fires and runs.

As you can see, we've already
been back and forth

To the store
a couple of times.

It rides like
the old truck did.

It handles better
than the old truck did.

So, like I said, it steers fine,
it brakes fine.

That thing will drive
wherever you need to go.

All right, cool,

'Cause I just about got
the master plan on the interior.

I'm gonna drive it then,
put some miles on it.

Cool.
I'm excited.

This is gonna be rad.
You're gonna love this surprise.

Hope you like the desert.
Bring some sunscreen.

Richard: I got plans
for this van, big plans,

Plans that might change
the course of history.

You got a tape measure
down there?

Let me see that.

But that's not even
the best part.

Oh, yeah.

The best part --
in the grand scheme of things,

These plans
will hardly cost me a dime.

Hey, where's k.c.?

Does anybody know
where k.c. Is?

Really? I've been looking
all over the place for you,

And you're right here
on the couch.

Watching tv.
Dude, I need stuff for the van,

And I'm thinking this couch
is perfect.

Are we gonna haul this
back there now?

No, we aren't.
You are.

I can't do this by myself.
There's no way.

Dude, let's just get it
to the back. Come on.

[ Groans ]

This is gonna be rad,
dude.

This is the shiznit.

Here's the deal --

I'm fixing to take this van out
for an off-road expedition.

Now, we got the rugged
four-wheel drive covered,

But I want the inside of this
thing to be pure comfort.

And this couch --
well it fits the bill.

I'm talking vintage
'70s style --

Wood paneling, shag carpet,
barrel seats,

The whole nine yards.

That's what I'm talking about.

And I know just the guys
to pull it off --

My friends over at 44 build.

Whoa!

You may remember 44 build --
they helped redecorate

The offices when I moved
into the new building.

And we did a little swap.
I built them a truck.

Nobody knows at the shop
what I'm doing here at 44.

They don't even know
where I took the van.

I just told them I had it.
I got this.

You know, if I can own a company
like gas monkey garage,

I'm sure I can figure out

How to get an interior
into a four-wheel drive van.

[ Laughs ]

Man: oh, my god.
That's ridiculous.

That's a big [bleep]

Watch the roof!

Watch the roof!

That van richard brought by
is badass.

Blue.
It is.

I'm just gonna
search around.

These guys got everything
in here I need.

This is a one-stop shop
for the expedition van interior.

That's what I need
right there.

I need some crates.

Yeah, this will work.

Y'all got all kinds of [bleep]
in here.

The kitty rug might work.
My bobcat?

This would go on the wall.
What about this?

This place is pretty cool.
I mean, everywhere you look,
there's something cool

That you want
that you didn't know you wanted

And you probably have absolutely
no use for, but you want it.

What in the hell is this?
It's a primitive bra.

That crate would look cool
up on top, too.

I'm taking the bear.

That's kind of like
an oversized mexican blanket.

Serape.
Yes!

I'm giving them two days and two
grand of the original budget.

And then I'm gonna slap
some signage on it, grab aaron,

Jump in the van,
and we're heading south.

I'm gonna do, like, a '70s-style
off-road van-o-rama.

Whoo!

And I'm gonna finally reveal
my big secret.

Stay tuned.

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

The plan for the van
is finally revealed.

Richard:
here's the secret ingredient.

Dog chew toys?

But will it end
before it gets started?

[ Engine sputters ]

All right, joseph, here's
your baby all put back together.

Joseph:
my name is joseph lemoine,

And I am the owner of
the dale earnhardt '56 nomad.

Hardest thing about this
actually was finding a fender.

It's nice to see
her back together.

It's like missing a friend
when it's not in the garage.

It's an empty hole in your heart
when it's not in the garage.

Exactly.
I understand.

It was just perfect.

We blended the roof,
blended the hood,

Fixed the whole thing.

I mean, we just didn't paint
the other side

Pretty much
is all that we didn't do.

When I'm at the supermarket
or just going down the street,

Someone will say,
"I love the color."

Oh, that's right.
That's right.

And they know the car is right
by just looking at it.

I love it.
You know, I'm a wagon guy.

I couldn't be happier, really.

You're all back together.
Thank you so much.

And now it's time
to take it home.

You know,
I made this for you,

And it's kind of a fun thing,
but check it out.

Oh, "blood, sweat,
and deers."

[ Laughter ]

Very good.

That's pretty funny.

Aaron: okay, red rider,
for this whole episode,

You've been keeping your plans
a big secret.

Well, you got me out here.

Now you gonna tell me
what we're doing?

Richard: you bet you,
my bearded compadre.

We're off to make tequila.

Tequila?

Sí. Tequila.

And actually
you're off to make tequila.

I'm just driving the van
and looking pretty.

So, why tequila?

You know, the whole time
you were building us

The expedition van,
I got to thinking --

What's the next move?

And so,
I did some research.

You know every big empire

Had a clear, white liquid
at its core.

I mean, think about it.
The russians had vodka.

The british had gin.
The romans had...

Hey, they had something.

And the gas monkey empire
is gonna have tequila.

Aaron: uh, all those empires
ended up falling apart.

That's right.

And that's why I decided
my clear, white liquid

Was gonna be different.

It needed
a secret ingredient.

That might be the ticket,
huh?

That is the ticket.

And here's
the secret ingredient.

Boom.

Dog chew toys?

No, that's cinnamon, man.

In tequila?
Yeah!

We just got to figure out
how to make it first.

That's what I brought you
along for.

Look, man, oh, I forgot.
I got you something.

Yeah?
Yeah.

I got you some books
on making tequila.

So that's what we're looking for
right there.

We need the agave cactus
to make tequila.

I can't see [bleep] here.
I'll be back.

Aaron: step one --
we got to find us some agave.

Got to be agave
around here somewhere.

I guess if you want something
done right,

You got to do it yourself.

Oh!
Shot out the other side!

I think I see something
up there.

Why don't you pull off
just up ahead up here?

I got it.

[ Thud ]

That was the agave
you m*rder*d.

Oh, did I run one over?
Yeah.

[ Screaming ]

[ Dinosaur roars ]

Announcer: they're hard at it,
slugging each other with...

Sweet nectar of life.
There's my agave.

Great.
I'll go find some bottles.

No.

Too small.
Way too small.

Too big.

It's got to be blue agave.

Aw, he's cute.

That's it!

Where'd you get it?

Well, there's a nursery
right over that hill.

[ Laughs ]
get to cooking.

I still got to find
them bottles.

Oh, there's another one.

Oh, yeah.

That -- it's got some on it.

It's not product placement.
Whoo!

Aaron!
[ Whistles ]

I found some bottles,
and they're perfect!

If I don't break it,
the perfect bottle!

Whoo!

Keep working on it, aaron,

And then wake me up
when you got the perfect brew.

[ Howls ]

Dude, what is all this?

This is my still.

Let's see what you got.

All right, dude,
this is it.

Hard work
and perseverance.

Tell me about it.

Whoo!

Ahh.

Perfect!

My little bearded wonder
did it!

Keep going, man.

I'm gonna need
about 100 bottles of this.

I got the recipe down.

Let's just figure out
how we get home now.

There it is --
the holy grail of tequila.

Oh, I like it.

[ Laughs ]

Whoo!

Let her rip,
tater chip.

[ Engine sputters ]

[ Sputtering continues ]

Did you use the parts out
of the van to make that still?

I might have.

[ Sighs ]

Is there
any tequila left?

Help! Help me!

Whoo!

Here we are.
Gas monkey tequila is born.

But first we had to have
an expedition van.

Parts somewhere.

Agave.

When aaron said

He wanted to build
an expedition van,

I got pretty excited
'cause I was thinking

Four-wheel drive
and 1970s expedition van deluxe,

Something that raymond rawlings
would have driven.

Well, we didn't really have
a lot of time,

And like always,
we didn't have a lot of money

To spend on this one.

And, let's be honest,
you really don't want to spend

Quite a lot of money on a g10,
especially a '76,

So we hit up the internet
and we found a truck,

A three-quarter-ton,
fuel-injected,

Small-block, four-wheel drive,
had the right axles for it,

Everything we needed,
and the price was right.

Let's make a deal.
Appreciate it, man.

But all that heavy-duty stuff

Came off of our body
on a framed truck,

And we had to attach it
to our unibody van.

Ultimately we've got
exactly what we want.

Usually aaron has a pretty good
idea of what he wants to do

Style-wise and everything, but I
kind of had an idea on my own

Of what I wanted that interior
to look like,

So as soon as the guys
finished it up,

Didn't tell them
what I was doing

And ran down to our friends
at 44 build.

And they had
every single thing

I thought I'd ever want
for this van.

I mean, just look at it --

Shag carpet,
swivel barrel chair,

Wood paneling --
wood paneling galore.

I mean, you cannot have
a '70s expedition van

Without wood paneling.

That's what
I'm talking about.

Painting it
would have been cool,

But we wanted to keep
that vintage look,

So I had the guys buff it.

And, well,
it turned out pretty good.

So we didn't bother
painting the van,

But I did have k.c. Paint
the wheels and bumper

So at least they'd match.

And then to top it all off,

I added some retro lighting
to cut through the desert night,

A roof rack
to haul around all of our crap,

And then we added a cb radio,
well, because of the '70s.

Whoo!
Get you some of that...

Tequila.

There you have it --
gas monkey expedition van,

Gas monkey tequila,

Made right here
in the good ol' u.s.a.

We got to get back.

I got to sell
some of this stuff.

No kidding. It's nice to recoup
the dollars on this.

We sure didn't spend any.

We got a lot invested.

I've been meaning
to ask you.

What's that,
my bearded friend?

Why cinnamon?

Because it's sweet and spicy,
like me.