Yea but the opportunity cost is not accounted for - sure you can do the labor yourself and make it worthwhile if you're keeping the car, but they are presenting it like they make money so in reality Ed would be better off finding another job :lol:
Parlor room observations:
Edd (the engineer)
probably does quite well doing product endorsements, motivational speaking, and selling his autograph at trade shows. If he hasn't attached his name to gloves and hand cleaners . . . he should. His height probably entitles him to combat pay under Equity rules when he is faced with working on extremely compact vehicles. He might be good on a crossover venue for "This Old House" and many other popular reality based programming. :lol:
Most reality-based (
fantasy) programming has to have a wee bit of scripting, if only to accommodate in-the-field logistics and, of course, the production crew. Some suspension of disbelief is also in order, particularly where the show is pitched to a broad based audience rather than a narrow field of hobbyists. Does the show ever depict the crew having to pitch in when the subject vehicle needs a jump start in the field, or when essential parts are inadvertently strewn across the garage floor? :wink:
Purchasing and/or selling a car while being under the camera's glare - in 45 seconds - is magic. But more to your point, as to the show's underlying premise, not every shadetree mechanic is blessed with a lift and complete complement of tools, with a crew or unseen and (probably remunerated) assistants to ensure everything is in place - when the camera is rolling. I am not familiar enough with the show to offer many relevant observations, but every so often, the shadetree will have to do more than expediently replace a part with something new or used. Instead, he may have to improvise and take a shortcut or two. The Charger episode, which I just viewed, is one such example.
Because I was not a first hand witness, protruding leaf spring shackles could have easily been cut or modified, rather than replaced as a means of saving costs. It was not clear exactly how the vehicle's stance was affected after the replacement. This includes the fact that the leaf springs themselves might have been slightly "tired" after 40 years of stress. One also marvels at the ability to touch up a car with an off-the-shelf can of spray paint. Can't imagine how long that finish will continue to please the new owner - when exposed to the "always mild and dry" British Isles. :wink:
From what I have seen, I like the show. I wouldn't mind it so much if the players were forced to confront a few realistic fix it conundrums other than resorting to internet ordering of and R&R front wheel bearings. But maybe the program would lose some of its mass appeal.
To paraphrase Python:
If we are depicted filming the action, who is filming us?
