05x18 - Texas High School Rat Rod

[bunniefuu]

[saw whirring]

- M-O-N-S-E-R Monster,

G-A-R-A-G-E Garage.

- [Narrator] Join us now as Jesse

and his g*ng of maverick mechanics grip, grind and burn.

Transforming ordinary street vehicles

into monster machines in the monster Garage.

♪ Monster, Monster Garage

♪ Monster, Monster Garage

♪ Monster, Monster Garage

♪ Monster, Monster Garage

♪ Monster, Monster Garage

♪ Monster Garage

[upbeat music]

This week's challenge an unsuspecting class

of high school kids turn a pile of parts

into a one of a kind rat rod.

[upbeat music] [engine roaring]

The rules, when built the vehicle must appear to be ready.

The team has five grand for parts.

Jesse and his high school crew

have only five days to complete their monster.

But they'll need to finish their regular school day first.

[bell rings]

If successful, they'll walk away with a power kit

from Milwaukee Electric Tool,

a Jesse James signature set of Mac tools for themselves,

and a pair of Mac toolboxes for their school.

[upbeat music]

And the clock starts now!

[fire rattling]

Monster Garage is out on the road this week,

far from Long Beach and deep in the heart of Texas,

Austin that is.

We're invading the Texas capital

and heading back to school to make a monster

with the students from the Texas School for the Deaf.

That's right, built by deaf kids.

[students cheering]

[classical music playing]

This 150 year old institution

is just like any other high school in Texas.

[classical music playing] [students cheering]

[students cheering] [whistle blowing]

But for one exception,

[upbeat music]

they have arguably the best auto shop facility in the state.

It's so good, even students from public schools

commute to TSD for shop class.

But this isn't an ordinary school day.

There's a TV crew on campus

and these shop students think it's the local news.

- [Interpreter] We're talking about bike and brakes

and shoe repair.

We've been talking about pistons,

we talking about motor assembly

in different parts of the engine.

- [Narrator] The cameras arrived with a team of interpreters

to translate American sign language.

- [Interpreter] Oh, I love the engine work.

All kinds of engine work, you know, struts, everything.

- [Narrator] But there'll be one more addition

to their class this week.

Waiting in the wings, is every hall monitors nightmare,

Jesse James.

- I'm nervous.

- [Narrator] And he's about to reveal

a monster of a surprise.

This ain't the local news, it's Monster Garage.

[door screeching]

[Byran claps]

- oh wow look at him.

That's Monster Garage.

- What's that?

- [Jesse] So is this everyone?

- [Interpreter] Yeah, that's it.

This is all of us.

- [Narrator] Oh, I love watching your show, Monster Garage.

I watch it every night.

- Cool.

- So tell 'em they didn't think we were gonna really

make 'em do some stupid local TV deal.

- [Interpreter] Oh, please.

No, please.

- How about we build a rat rod instead?

- [Interpreter] Yeah, sounds good.

- [Jesse] You ready?

[country music playing] [engines roaring]

- [Narrator] So what exactly is a rat rod?

A rat rod is in effect the first hot rod

many weekend warriors build.

A no frill street rod,

stripped down to the essentials,

perfect for monsterizing and perfect for these kids.

[engine roaring]

- Are you guys scared?

- [Interpreter] Nah.

Nah.

No, we're not scared.

- What's cool about a car like this is not any rules.

We can just make it however we want.

You know, with the steering and the,

you know, the way it looks.

I mean, make it loud and kind of gnarly looking

and who cares.

- [Interpreter] Y'all want it really loud, right?

So we can hear it as well.

School start to crumble as it pulls away.

- [Narrator] The kids are still in awe

and the reality of reality TV hasn't yet sunk in.

- [Interpreter] I'm in shock right now.

I'm still flabbergasted.

It's very unexpected.

I've heard of other people saying that.

They said it was gonna be the news.

Channel 8 was gonna come out and do a news program on us.

And then I see Jesse and it's in person.

He's famous, you know.

- [Narrator] Jesse leads the team from the classroom

to the shop and introduces them to the cornerstone

of their creation.

A replica 1932 Ford Roadster frame.

- It doesn't matter really, which body we put on it.

If we go like a a 31 and down, we'll have to cut...

We'll have to pinch this frame in because it's too wide.

But the motor trans, all that stuff is all basic.

I mean, these guys know how to put motor and trans

and stuff in and we'll make mounts and-

- [Interpreter] Oh yeah, we know how to do that.

- And we can just start putting it together.

- Okay, cool.

[upbeat music]

I think it's a good project.



Pinching the rails.

You know, a classic job to do.

You know that a lot of people did, you know.

These kids are learning cool stuff they

don't even know about yet.

- [Narrator] And this will be a learning experience

all the way around.

- You know, it's about being a challenge for the build team,

but also a challenge for us.

Like myself and the crew to make,

to put ourself in kind of a hard circumstance

and still make the show happen.

- [Narrator] To turn a pile of parts

into a one of a kind rat rod,

this class will build out a chassis

from their 32 Ford frame, then pinch the rails

to adapt to the body before adding controls

and dropping in a V8 power plant

that will send shock waves through the halls of this school.

[tires screeching] [engine revving]

[car crashing]

[upbeat music]

Taking on this monster from the ground up,

the Texas School for the Deaf's own, Byron Terrell.

[graphic rattling]

Greta Cole.

[graphic rattling]

Mickey Hasso.

[graphic rattling]

Michael Thomas.

[graphic rattling]

Michael Anglin.

[graphic rattling]

From the afterschool program.

Hearing student from Austin High, Caleb Goodpaster.

[graphic rattling]

And the teachers, Keith Baker and Donald Pickar.

[country music playing]

To get the students started,

the building blocks for the rat rod chassis

are hauled in right away.

[country music playing]

- I think a good goal today

would be to get inventory and see what we have

and what we're missing.

[upbeat music]

Awesome.

Car in a Box.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The onslaught of parts is an early reminder

that this isn't a typical week of auto shop.

- I would prefer we'd have this organized.

Right now with all these pieces just flying

it's kind of hard for me.

[tools cluttering]

- It makes for good TV.

- Okay, you'll help us here then.

- [Narrator] Jesse teams up with Byron

to tackle the front suspension.

- [Interpreter] We should do that side first

and then this side or?

- No, I think maybe unbolt the stack of springs

and just put one spring in.

So we'll unbolt the stack

and just do the one where we can push it down

and get it to open up.

- [Interpreter] Okay.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The rigid springs don't have much give.

So they'll need to fit the first leaf

before adding the rest.

[upbeat music]

- That should fit now.

[upbeat music]

[upbeat music] [tool clicking]

[upbeat music]

Great.

- [Interpreter] I like working here.

It's a lot more fun.

I really enjoy doing, learning more

and working on the stuff.

This is gonna be a good experience.

[gentle music]

- [Narrator] Byron Terrell doesn't pull any punches

when talking about the treatment of the deaf.

- [Interpreter] To be honest with you.

Hearing people just, they really piss us off.

[gentle music]

They call us dumb and stupid.

And they call us rudimentary.

They talk about our education in that facet.

And we always have to validate

that deaf people can do these things.

If hearing people think that, that we're idiots,

then come visit us here at TSD and see for yourself.

[tools clicking]

- You guys wanna get on one side and pick this up

and we'll slide it underneath.

[tools clicking]

Okay.

[car parts clicking]

There you go.

- [Narrator] The front end is off to a good start

but at the back end it's a different story.

- [Interpreter] So there should be something

that goes in between this piece to hold up right there.

We still need a plate though.

- It's just the plate with the clips.

It's floating.

So it's plate with a clip,

to keep the axle from-

- Yeah, so where's the clip at?

I couldn't find a clip that we wanted.

- Maybe I have to go to auto parts store.

- [Narrator] The backing plates that help hold the axle

inside the housing are nowhere to be found.

- To maybe tomorrow during the day, take that rear end

to a rear end shop and see if they can press it in for us

and put the clips and everything.

Is there a good place around here,

we could take two in the morning.

- [Interpreter] Oh yeah, yeah we could do that.

Yeah.

South Austin parts.

Yeah, this should happen.

[upbeat music]

- It's not moving.

- [Narrator] With 30 years of teaching between them,

Keith Baker and Donald Pickar recognize how important

this monster experience will be.

- [Interpreter] I wish we had Monster Garage

as like a daily class.

If we had this kind of style going on every day,

the kids would acquire so much while they were here.

I would love to have a Monster Garage class.

- [Narrator] In addition to the students,

the teachers will also be put to the test.

- [Interpreter] Okay, when I'm actually teaching the kids

the things that we cover, we talk about the basics.

With Monster Garage, everything is just constantly running.

There's never a stop.

The time and the pace is very different.

Monster Garage is perpetual.

- I'm gonna go tomorrow

and see a guy like one hour away from here

that has an old body.

Maybe he'll sell us.

But the big thing is if we get 1930 or down,

we're gonna have to cut that frame in half

and pinch it closer, just so you know.

But I've done it before so it's cool.

- Cool.

- Thank you.

[gentle music]

- [Narrator] Day one is done, but they'll be back tomorrow

after a full school day

to continue their crash course in Monster Rat Rod 101.

[upbeat music]

Monster Garage Factoid.

In 1894, deaf football players from Gallaudet University

caught opponents stealing their plays.

to keep their signs confidential,

they huddled around the quarterback before each snap.

A practice that continues

at every level of football to this day.

♪ Monster, Monster Garage

Day two.

[upbeat music]

while the kids are in class,

Jesse's on a field trip in his 1959 Chevy Apache.

[upbeat music]

The stop, "Slicks Junkyard" an hour away

where he hopes to find a body for the monster.

[upbeat music]

News travels fast

when the outlawed Jesse James is in cowboy country.

He meets a welcoming committee everywhere he goes.

- Steve called you.

- Yeah.

- You need a need a body. - Yeah.

- I got one right down here.

- A little roadster

- Want to pick up? - Yep.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] It doesn't take him long

to spot the perfect pieces for the job.

- This is perfect.

They said it.

Test strip is still on it from the factory right here,

which I thought was neat.

- [Narrator] The remnants of a 1929 model A Roadster pickup.

- Pretty hard to come by for a real Roadster pickup.

That's cool.

- [Narrator] It may fit the project,

but will it fit the budget?

- So what do you want for this think?

- Man, if I was in better straits I'd just give it to you,

to be honest with you.

Man, is eight too much?

Eight, is that cool with you?

- [Person Behind Camera] Yeah.

- That cool? - That's cool.

Thanks Jesse.

All right. - Appreciate it sir.

The hardest thing now is who's gonna load

that thing in the back of my truck in the sun. [laughs]

- Got a crew here to help you.

- [Narrator] A cool 800 bucks on a hot Texas Day

scores Jesse the body.

And with a little help from the locals, he wrestles it up

and heads back to class.

[country music]

while he's enjoying the country roads,

Mr. Baker and Mr. Pickar haul the rear end to a nearby store

to get it fit with backing plates.

- [Store Worker] I'll take care of it.

- [Interpreter] Okay.

- I gotta pick it up for you.

- [Interpreter] Yeah, it'll work.

- [Narrator] But the parts they need aren't in stock.

And instead of having the axle assembled,

the teachers set up a delivery to the shop.

[indistinct]

- No problem.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Bye-Bye.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Back at TSD, class is out and the garage is in.

[upbeat music]

Mickey, Michael, Byron and Greta secure the rear end

below the frame rails.

[upbeat music]

- Make sure you let the students do it.

And me being hands off.

[upbeat music]

- [Interpreter] Turn that on.

[upbeat music]

It's not going in.

Wait, go get a screwdriver.

[upbeat music]

Let's see if we can get the flathead all the way through.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The back end

is starting to weigh down the team.

But these kids know all about overcoming challenges.

[upbeat music] [tools roaring]

- [Interpreter] We're trying to put in this little bolt here

but it doesn't quite fit.

So we're having to use this to get it on there.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Greta Cole has partial hearing in one ear.

She started off at public school

but eventually found a home at TSD and in shop class.

- It's like going to one language to another, you know.

It's much easier.

That's what I enjoy.

I like putting things together and see how it works.

That's why I like auto service and the multimedia computer.

- Much like Greta coming to the school for the deaf

was an eye-opening experience for Michael Anglin.

- [Interpreter] I've learned more here

and got more experience.

Got the best education.

I'm able to communicate.

I have no problem.

I'm able to use American Sign Language.

I'm able to have a good set of friends, have fun,

enjoy myself.

- [Narrator] But it's the hands-on aspect of auto shop

that has Michael happy to do homework.

- [Interpreter] I love shop class

because it's something that I can see

and be engaged in as a student

and I can actually physically experience something

that I can see repaired

and I can see myself doing in the future

- [Narrator] With the rear end hung

these kids are confident.

- [Interpreter] All right, let it go.

Okay,

so what do y'all think about the axles?

Is it tough?

Nah, that was simple.

Oh, it's a little bit heavy.

- [Narrator] Jesse's back with the Ford Roadster in tow.

- Hot.

[car door bangs]

[Interpreter] Okay guys, do y'all wanna move this in?

[upbeat music]

- We got what we needed.

[upbeat music]

We got to see some hill billies [laughs].

[upbeat music]

- [Interpreter] He picked something totally different

than what I thought he would.

That style, it's just, it's rusty.

Wow.

It's very rusty.

It's a rat rod.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] But this build won't be a simple bolt-on job.

They'll need to butcher the body and customize the frame

to fit inside the rusty shell.

- Go back some more.

[upbeat music]

- It looks like junk now, but it'll be cool.

I promise [chuckles].

[upbeat music]

You see how wide this frame is here?

What we need to do is cut the rest of this floor out.

That's overhanging.

This whole door skin and everything,

this'll go down to like right here,

you know it's a lot of body work.

Cool?

- [Narrator] After checking out the body on the frame,

they begin customizing it to fit the rails.

- There.

Right here.

- And then all this out.

- Yeah, just this.

We just wanna leave...

The frame will be right here.

- [Caleb] Yeah.

[torch spattering]

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Despite meeting only yesterday, Michael

and Caleb make a good body work team.

[upbeat music]

- I've worked with Keith before,

but all these students are new to me.

So it's a new experience.

[upbeat music]

- Hearing student, Caleb Goodpaster

comes to class here every day,

but in the afterschool program,

he's usually not learning with deaf peers.

- I go to school at Austin High

and I just come over here for two hours of the day

and then go back over there.

I was a little nervous when we first started this

because it's like a whole new language and I don't speak it.

- [Narrator] Although he doesn't sign,

he does understand the universal language of metal.

- Rock on.

- You ready?

- [Caleb] Yeah. - Wanna set it up there?

See if we can stretch it over.

- [Narrator] After the body trim they check its fit

before committing to pinching the frame.

[country music]

- If we move the frame in like one inch, then it'll be,

[whistles]

it'll slide on real easy.

So tomorrow we'll cut the cross braces off

and we'll heat it up and pinch it in

and it should drop right straight down.

- Very creative.

[fan whirring]

You ready for me to take the kids over?

- [Interpreter] Yeah,

let's go over the classroom a little bit.

[gentle music]

- [Narrator] As the day winds down, Jesse brings the crew

back to the classroom.

And today he's the one taking notes.

So I heard you guys have your own like secret language,

sign language that you do so no one can know

what you're talking about.

- [Interpreter] We've got, "Wow."

W with O in the mouth.

There you go, "Wow."

- What else?

What other slang?

Like what's up?

- [Interpreter] What's up?

- [Caleb] What other signs?

How about cool.

- [laughs] That's.

We need one sign for Monster Garage.

Not spelling it out.

- [Interpreter] Yeah, Monster Garage.

- Monster. - [Interpreter] Monster,

and Garage.

- Garage.

- [Interpreter] Yep. - Okay.

- [Interpreter] Monster Garage.

It's three fingers.

Monster Garage. - All right, cool.

All right guys.

Good job today.

- [Narrator] After another four hour session,

the rat rod is slowly taking shape

but they have a long road ahead

and only three more afternoons to go.

[country music]

[door bangs]

Monster Garage factoid.

An estimated 20 million people in the US

are hearing impaired.

Of which, 420,000 are completely deaf.

A population that exceeds that of Atlanta,

St. Louis or Miami.

♪ Monster, Monster Garage

Day three.

They finished with school

but their monster's nowhere near running.

[gentle music]

- I think we have motor and trans got here.

So you wanna grab motor and trans

and start popping that together

and then I'll start hacking on the frame.

That's our two main goals today.

Oh lordy.

It's a lot of work for mere mortals

but us super humans it's just fine.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] While the students

were working on their brainpower

Jags delivered the horsepower power.

[horse neighs] [upbeat music]

[upbeat music]

- [Interpreter] Oh it's cool.

[upbeat music]

- [Interpreter] This is a 350.

It's 350 Chevy.

That's what this is guys.



- [Narrator] But how much will this engine cost the team?

- [Interpreter] I would say 3,800, 4,000

with everything on it like that.

Maybe 5,000.

Less than 5,000.

Less than 5,000.

- [Narrator] Wrong.

Maybe Mickey knows the answer to this pricing pop quiz.

- [Interpreter] This was zip zero.

Nada!

[people clapping] [bell rings]

- [Voice Over] Zip zero.

Nada.

- We go, we go back.

- Yeah.

- [Narrator] Jesse gets ready to pinch the frame

to match the 29th body.

[upbeat music]

Locking it to the lift by welding in support beams.

- So this is mounted solid.

So when we, when we really heat it up

and pull on it really hard,

it doesn't pull it off the bench, you know.

[upbeat music] [torch whirring]

- [Narrator] Before bending in the steel rails,

they'll cutout the crust member,

which they'll replace after the pinch.

- [Interpreter] Well we're shrinking in both sides

to make it even.

- And seven,

like the three, four.

[upbeat music]

- [Interpreter] All right, now I'm trying to cut.

We're supposed to cut off the excess piece here.

So once I slice through this

then we're gonna be able to tighten the frame up.

No, I've never done this before.

First time, the great chance to learn.

- [Narrator] For Mickey Hasso

there's no better place to learn than the Monster Garage.

- [Interpreter] I watch Monster Garage every chance I get.

I wanna see that creativity.

I wanna see them pull something from nothing.

I wanna see 'em pull in making it, you know,

the jet propulsion.

I wanna see the fire come out.

I wanna see some new,

creative welding thing that they've done.

- [Narrator] Like any typical teenager,

Mickey spends a lot of time in front of the tube.

But he isn't just watching,

he's chatting it up with friends.

- [Interpreter] Who is this?

Hi.

Say hello.

Hi.

- [Interpreter] She's a friend of mine from El Paso,

one of my best friends.

Where we keep in touch through relay service here.

- [Narrator] Mr. Baker instructs Michael

through sectioning the windshield.

Chopping away eight inches of frame to lower the profile.

- [Interpreter] This is the old school style hands-on work.

Keep it in the same slot.

Making sure it's flat.

Don't go at an angle.

Make sure you're going straight through it.

Why do you hold both sides of it?

Just hold one side of it.

[upbeat music]

Keep sound straight.

Gotta be straight.

[saw whirring] [gentle music]

Go, go, go, go, go.

Go, go, go.

[saw whirring] [gentle music]

Yay.

That ain't none, that's cheap.

Look at mine.

Look at them.

Look at them g*ns.

Hi.

- [Narrator] Michael Thomas digs the change of pace

this monster project demands

- [Interpreter] In regular class

it can be boring [chuckles].

We focus on a little something.

We listen to what's being .

This week, it is active.

We are doing something, we are working on something.

I love working with my hands.

Deaf people are always being told they can't do things.

We can get a job, we can work.

We can do everything.

We have the skills, we have the hands, we have the mind.

We can make our hands work to fix things.

[torch whirring]

- [Narrator] After sectioning the windshield,

Caleb takes it back together.

And finally the axle plates they ordered on day two

have arrived.

But when Keith checks its fit against the housing,

he finds it's the wrong piece for the job.

- [Interpreter] It's not fitting.

Look at the bearing.

Take that off.

You see right there?

It has to be flat up against it.

Yeah, it should be flushed up against.

- [Narrator] Finding a replacement piece

will have to wait until tomorrow.

It doesn't seem like much,

but without the backing plate holding in the bearing

the wheels, the axle, and all hell could break loose.

Jesse turns up the heat in the shop,

[upbeat music]

and begins torching the 32 rails to fit their 29 Model A.

[upbeat music] [torch whirring]

[saw whirring] [upbeat music]

- Try it.

Go ahead.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Once the rails are heated,

they use a vice to pinch in the front.

[upbeat music]

- Yeah, keep going.

[upbeat music]

That's good.

- [Narrator] After the frame lost a few inches

in the waistline, Mickey locks it back together

by tacking in the cross member.

[gentle music]

- Perfect.

[gentle music]

So we're done for the day?

- Yeah, we're just cleaning up right now before we head out.

- Okay cool.

- [Interpreter] Let's get the hell outta here.

- [Narrator] Their engine isn't loaded

and the rear end is still in shambles,

but the class heads home confident they'll be able to finish

before the door slams on Friday.

[gentle country music]

[upbeat music]

Day four. [bell rings]

The books are put away,

but if they want to close the book on this rat rod,

they'll need to kick it into high gear.

Priority number one, the motor.

- Remember it's real important that it goes

inside right there.

Those things have to match up.

It has to slide inside that hole.

That's real important when you put it on.

[upbeat music] [tools whirring]

[upbeat music]

[upbeat music] [tools whirring]

- [Narrator] The crew swarms around the engine,

getting it ready to meet the frame.

- [Interpreter] Okay, you can go ahead

and start tightening this up.

[upbeat music]

First, we'll get that connected

and then we'll put it onto the frame.

Put the engine onto the frame and get it connected.

And then we'll put in the alternator, the starter

and do all the wires and get everything connected.

- [Narrator] But first the frame needs some fine tuning.

- You can, if you want, you can take that Sawzall

and cut these off.

But just cut the weld because we wanna reuse these brackets.

[upbeat music]

[saw whirring] [upbeat music]

- It is just that equipment's not so great.

We have some earphones.

You want to borrow 'em?

- [Interpreter] I don't need 'em.

- I can't hear anything after riding my bike.

[gentle music]

- [Interpreter] You should join us at the deaf school.

[saw whirring]

[Jesse laughing]

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] As Mickey removes the brackets,

Jesse finishes welding the cross beam

and shows he's getting the hang of sign language slang.

- Hey, I made a new sign.

This is welding.

That's tack.

- [Narrator] He's starting to see the benefits

of working with a deaf crew.

- I kinda like it better

'cause most of the time people's mouths

are what get 'em in the biggest trouble on Monster Garage.

So this is a drama free build.

- [Narrator] But it won't be drama free

unless they finish the rear axle.

And after some modifications

the plates still aren't working.

- What's it hit?

- [Interpreter] Okay, well see

when we have the bearings on there,

you gotta have the retainer cap on there.

But they gave us one that was kind of flat

and it didn't fit on there right.

So that's why it's kind of stuck.

If we had the proper retaining cap on there,

then the bearings would be able to-

- Oh you mean the axle's stuck?

It doesn't roll.

Can we get new caps or something

so we can roll this thing off of here tomorrow?

- [Interpreter] I mean I can take the caps off, and-

- Yeah, I mean we gotta do whatever it takes to get it done.

So I mean this is like, you know,

if it doesn't roll then we're not even gonna be able

to take it off the lift.

- [Narrator] If they can't find a set of plates that fit

this rat rod will be visiting the big exterminator

in the sky.

- [Interpreter] Yeah, that's a big problem.

But you know, we're gonna try our best

to see what we can do.

If we can use that, make it a bigger piece.

It should be fun.

- [Narrator] And the potential for failure

is slowly setting in.

- We're not gonna have the rear end together.

I mean we still got a ton of stuff to do.

So...

You wanna try to throw the body on real quick?

Maybe that'll give us some-

- That's fine. - Inspiration.

[gentle country music]

- [Narrator] Any sign of improvement will be welcomed

at this point.

[gentle country music]

- [laughs] Just...

[tools banging] [gentle country music]

- [Narrator] The 29 body fits tight around the bent frame,

but Jesse's still trying to straighten out the crew.

- Cool. - All right.

- You guys are working in like a bee swarm

where you're going around to thing to thing to thing.

So we need to stop and make a list

of what we need to accomplish.

- [Interpreter] So go to the classroom, make a list.

- Yeah.

[gentle music]

- So the two things we got the body on.

The body fits.

The chassis's done.

The two things that we have to do tomorrow

is get the wheels on it so it rolls

and put the motor trains in and fire it up.

- [Interpreter] If we get everything done,

I think we should be able to complete it by tomorrow.

- Okay, cool.

Alright good.

Eat your dinner guys.

- [Interpreter] Good night.

- [Narrator] The monster has a long way to go,

but Jesse isn't about to throw in the towel.

[engine roaring]

- It's tough.

After a couple days of being here

and trying to communicate and get my point across and teach.

'cause I felt like, you know, the kids

and the instructors weren't understanding

the full concept of Monster Garage.

They didn't come to us.

We came to them.

We came here, said,

"Hey, let's let us build a car at your school."

We know it's gonna be cool.

So getting them to automatically understand the show,

just because we want to come here and do it

isn't always gonna be the perfect thing.

Trying to attempt something like we're doing,

the hardest thing is that they could totally fail

and everybody would be cool with it.

If it doesn't make it, people will say,

"Well they were deaf," you know.

And me personally, I have a problem with that.

[upbeat music]

I think that's all the more reason to make it,

to prove that they can do it.

[upbeat music]

[students cheering]

♪ Monster, Monster Garage.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Day five.

Rat Rod 101 starts at 9:00 AM today.

The school shuts down for the weekend at 2:00 PM

so they only have a few hours to finish

or they and their school walk away with nothing.

- This thing's gotta run.

We're running it off a cliff.

[upbeat music]

[upbeat music] [tools clicking]

- [Narrator] But this crew isn't about to let

the potential for failure slow them down,

and they start by finishing off the front suspension.

- [Interpreter] Is that all right?

- Yeah, you got all the threads?

- [Interpreter] Yeah.

- It should be okay.

Yeah, let's put it on its wheels

then we can put the motor and trans in.

- [Narrator] The students are learning the monster way,

pulling a set of wheels off a dead Mercedes

outside the shop to keep their rat rod dreams alive.

[upbeat music]

Now that the front end will support its weight,

they can finally wheel the engine over

and get this rat rod running.

- Mr. Baker, bring it up.

- Get over here

little bit more.

Let it rest on them front mounts.

All right, that's good.

[upbeat music]

Once it's right where they want it.

[Jesse sighs]

- [Narrator] Jesse fuses the motor mounts

to the frame locking the engine in place.

[upbeat music] [torch whirring]

[saw whirring]

- You wanna start wiring it up?

[saw whirring]

And we can just fire it up on like a catch can.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The students hear Jesse's advice

from the night before splitting up

and tackling their own job.

[upbeat music]

- [Interpreter] He's doing all right.

Kids are progressing pretty well today.

- [Narrator] But it isn't long

before Professor James spots a problem with Byron.

- [Narrator] The hell are you doing?

- [Narrator] It ain't the car, it's the cap.

- [laughs] That's perfect.

Yeah [laughs].

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Once Jesse tucks in the radiator,

he and Caleb position the truck bed on the frame

before Mickey steps in to lock it down.

[upbeat music]

- [Interpreter] Right now we're just gonna tack it on

to the steering wheel

and then we're gonna put it on in the steering column.

[upbeat music]

[upbeat music] [torch whirring]

[upbeat music]

- I don't know,

we should probably get the rear end in there next,

so we can put the wheels on it?

- [Narrator] The back end has been haunting this build

from day one.

But the teachers have found a set of plates

and a pair of junkyard axles.

If these plates don't fit their rear end,

this build is over.

You gonna cut the end off of it?

- [Interpreter] I just need that one piece right there.

- Put put this in that chop saw over there

and just cut it off.

- Yeah.

- [Interpreter] Okay, that's fine.

[gentle music]

- [Narrator] Mickey follows Jesse's direction

quickly chopping off the end of the axle

to free the peace they hope will fit.

[gentle music]

[tools cluttering]

They reassemble their new axle with the used plate

and bring it back to the car for the moment of truth.

[dramatic music]

- Come on.

Move it.

Chop chop.

[dramatic music]

- [Interpreter] Yeah, it's gonna work.

Yeah it will.

- [Narrator] The plate fits snug

and its bulk pattern is right on the money.

After four days they finally caught a break.

But they still need to fire it up to claim victory

and with just over an hour to go

there's not a moment to spare.

[gentle music]

After mounting tires onto the rear

the class has reached the moment

they've been waiting for all week.

- We got something to put gas in.

Let's put it down.

Let's put it on the ground.

Go back to the right, to the right.

[upbeat music]

Take them out.

[upbeat music]

Let's leave it there.

Let's leave it.

See if it fires right here.

Go ahead.

[engine whirring]

[engine purring]

[engine whirring]

[engine fires]

It might be off.

Yeah, yeah 180.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Jesse spots the problem right away.

They check to make sure the distributor is firing

at the right time.

- So when we turn the engine over,

this piston should come up on the compression stroke

when this points to it.

So it should go...

- [Interpreter] That's one right?

- Yep.

[upbeat music]

Oh, right there.

- [Interpreter] We need to turn that to the forward.

- Yeah 180.

'cause it was backfiring through the carburetor, right?

Usually if the timing's a little bit off,

It'll pop through the exhaust.

I'm pretty sure the guys at Jags do that on purpose

just so they can laugh

- [Narrator] After rotating the distributor

to fix the firing order the engine should start right up.

- Yeah, we need some more gas.

Come on.

Easy, don't burn Byron.

- These guys are dangerous.

[build team laughs]

[Jesse laughs]

[engine purring]

[engine blows]

[Jesse cheers]

Put it out.

Put it out.

- [laughs] These guys are dangerous.

For me to say that, it's gotta be pretty bad.

I think I got good reactions.

Do I still have my eyebrows? [laughs]

- [Narrator] Jesse nearly lost his lid.

[Jesse laughs]

And they need a breather while the smoke clears.

- Yeah, I'm cool.

Got quick reactions like a ninja

- [Narrator] But the clock won't stop just because they do.

[country music playing]

In the final hour of a long week it all comes down to this.

[country music playing]

[engine roaring]

[team cheering and clapping]

- I knew it would work, [laughs].

[gentle music]

- Are you worried?

- [Interpreter] I think it's great.

I'm excited.

I'm pumped.

I was worried.

I didn't think we'd make it.

I'm in the same boat he was in.

But we did it and we succeeded.

[gentle music]

If we'd have quit we wouldn't succeed it.

So the thing is don't give up.

You can't succeed.

- You guys want some tools?

[gentle music]

[students clapping]

Good job.

Caleb.

Greta.

So for all you guys, all the students,

you get Jesse James toolkit and Milwaukee Power Toolkit.

And then for your school, for your teachers,

we get two Big Mac toolboxes for them.

So, and you guys can keep that.

You know, this is the, out of all the high school projects,

this is the hardest one we've done.

So you guys should be proud of yourself

that out of all the high school builds we've done,

this is the hardest one.

So any anybody says that deaf kids can't do the same

as hearing kids, they're crazy.

[gentle music]

- Build cost tally;

Hard cash, $2,697.

Frame and kit cost, $5,711.77.

Freebie value, $5,563.85.

Grand total, $13,972.62.

♪ Monster, Monster Garage

[gentle music]

- Hey monster rat roadster,

the big shwag's here.

That's right.

We've returned to the Texas School for the Deaf

for another monster challenge.

[engine roaring]

- So you guys wanna go see the car?

- [Student] Yes.

- We painted it bright pink.

- [Narrator] Yeah, right!

[country music]

- What do you think?

Cool?

[country music]

Get in there.

You wanna try to drive it?

Just tell 'em to go real slow.

All right, up.

[country music]

[engine roaring]

[upbeat music] [engine roaring]

- I never had anything that cool when I was in high school.

[upbeat music] [engine purring]

- [Narrator] What's Byron think of the rod he helped build?

- [Interpreter] It's a little bit louder.

It's a little bit faster.

You know the engine running really good.

So yeah, I like it.

- [Narrator] Now that Byron

has put it through its paces on campus.

he hands the wheel to Caleb

to roll the latest monster into the outside world.

And now this new rat rod's got a hot date

at an impromptu Austin gathering.

[gentle music]

Caleb pulls into the eager crowd.

[country music] [engine purring]

[crowd cheering] [country music]

- Five days.

- Yeah, we started with the 32 frame in five days.

Built it from scratch.

[country music] [engine purring]

- Burn that rubber, Byron!

This monster's no kitty car!

[crowd cheering] [engine roaring]

- Yeah!

- [Narrator] Five young builders, five days, one rat rod.

The school of Monster is out.

'cause Jesse's got no time for driving real slow

tractors on the go, or instant ba*ls of fire!

He's got metal to burn!

Sparks to fly!

The next Monster Garage challenge is just a round

the band.

[gentle music]