Chop Cut Rebuild

[69 Runner]

Cool.. Now do my Hemi car please

 

[moparstuart]

Guys, let me say first off that I absolutely enjoy seeing so many of you contribute your thoughts and opinions to our project. For those who think we have committed a great sin by resto-modding this car, let me assure you, NOTHING we've installed can't be undone. The next owner of the vehicle can return it to museum quality, if they choose. Nothing done to the car is irreversible. Remember this too, one year ago the XP was rotting away in a Tennessee field getting worse by the day - not better. If it hadn't been for the keen eye of Shafi Keisler, the support of sponsors and our production, it would most likely have been forgotten and never seen again. Whether you believe this car should be concourse or resto-mod, at the least there is now a car to enjoy.

Thanks for watching!

Great to see you here too dan , as I have said in other threads your on shafi owns the car and can and did do what ever he wanted to the car . But I feel this was way to rare and important of a car to be hacked up and restomodded. You can't get back all the sheet metal that could have been saved that was just hacked off and tossed because you got free AMD stuff. This car is nothing more then a rebody in my opinion with vin stamping cut from the core support and the trunk rail and grafted back into a new body . My two cents

 

[Revhendo]

So tell us Rev, how does a car built on Chop Cut compare to one built on Overhaulin? Does that 69 Camaro from last year, or the Wagon from Season II, meet those same poor standards? Seems to me, if you can take a car a the dragstrip in the final episode, its gotta be pretty much done. We've both seen cars built slowly on budgets NOT on TV, in far worse condition. Owners cut corners all the time for any number of reasons. This TV production has nothing to do with the quality of the work. The builders have 8 or 9 months to do it right. The quality of the job has far more to do with the resources the builder allots to the project, than how the camera's effect the outcome... Just my 2 cents.

Hiya Dan.
Not intending to offend anyone, including you, I have a lot of respect for anyone that puts effort into these cars. You know I know Chip personally and he is an excellent craftsman and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet in this business. But the O'haulin cars always needed tweeking after the filming was done. Some more than others. I got more than my share after the cameras went home. I've also heard some pretty astounding stories of what folks had to pay for their "gifts".
You are a very knowledgable man and one day might even be pretty good at metal work. (We can hope). I am fond of the friendship we have formed. Be honest though, there are things that go on that aren't seen in the pixels of living room reality. To say that TV production has nothing to do with the quality of work is not entirely accurate. The Camaro for instance would've continued with the original body had there not been time constraints. In view of the metal work needed it was to everyones benefit to move over to the Dynacorn body. Otherwise you would have had three more weeks of metalwork for your viewers and we would've been behind on the build. As it was, the car debuted without functioning A/C, an inop tach, and a couple of other issues. These are things that I wouldn't let slide if I were delivering the car to a customer, but seeing how it was only TV.....
How well did that Merc drive at Hot August Nights? How come it wasn't at the drags in Famoso? Just being honest, Dan.

Kevin P. Henderson
Manager
D&P Classics.

 

[ccr-host]

Hiya Dan.
Not intending to offend anyone, including you, I have a lot of respect for anyone that puts effort into these cars. You know I know Chip personally and he is an excellent craftsman and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet in this business. But the O'haulin cars always needed tweeking after the filming was done. Some more than others. I got more than my share after the cameras went home. I've also heard some pretty astounding stories of what folks had to pay for their "gifts".
You are a very knowledgable man and one day might even be pretty good at metal work. (We can hope). I am fond of the friendship we have formed. Be honest though, there are things that go on that aren't seen in the pixels of living room reality. To say that TV production has nothing to do with the quality of work is not entirely accurate. The Camaro for instance would've continued with the original body had there not been time constraints. In view of the metal work needed it was to everyones benefit to move over to the Dynacorn body. Otherwise you would have had three more weeks of metalwork for your viewers and we would've been behind on the build. As it was, the car debuted without functioning A/C, an inop tach, and a couple of other issues. These are things that I wouldn't let slide if I were delivering the car to a customer, but seeing how it was only TV.....
How well did that Merc drive at Hot August Nights? How come it wasn't at the drags in Famoso? Just being honest, Dan.

Kevin P. Henderson
Manager
D&P Classics.

Kevin,

You know I think you're one of the best in the business. I've brought my cars to you more than once to work on them and what you do is superb. Geez, you even built my Vette and I don't think you cut any corners... did you? Yeah it needed some tweaking after breaking it in but, all these cars do. While, you're absolutely right, not everything is finished on the cars we feature once the camera's leave, that is a factor of the deadline to unveil the cars, more than the pressure of the camera's being present. Any customer who brings you a car and says "I need to unveil it at SEMA in 8 months", will face the same challenges we do. You know yourself how many beautiful cars are pushed into SEMA on Sunday night before the show opens. But, 8 or 9 months to do the job correctly, is much different than a few days on Chip's show. I've met Chip a couple of times and he is a very nice guy and a great craftsman. I'd love to own one of his cars. But, we both know that Overhaulin', Pimp My Ride, and others of that ilk do not have a quality build at the end of the day. Where I think we do. I don't think Chip would ever turn around a car in 10 days for a customer, do you? But, 6 to 8 months? I'm sure he could do that standing on his head. My concern is, people get the wrong idea about how we build vs. how other shows build. It's true that we'll never cover the 1,500 to 2,000 hours of labor it takes to do these cars on television; there just isn't the time for that. But, that's not to say those hours didn't happen. I think we show far more of the process and more importantly, the progress than other programs do. Yet, we get the same stigma applied to our builds as these "slam-bam" shows. Just ask yourself this, how much is left to do on a Chop Cut vehicle at the end of filming, vs what's left to do on an Overhaulin' project? While the Mercury didn't run at HAN, it did run two weeks later and we filmed it driving down Central Ave. in Riverside in all it's glory. I highly doubt two additional weeks would help an Overhaulin or PMR car. True? I've seen the facility where those cars go and it's often up to a year for the owner to get their car back in running condition.

 

[dbowperson]

Dan - That is all very well said, and I agree 1000% with it all. It's the owner's car, he/she can do with it as they please. It's great that it can all be undone and returned to original, but even if not, so what. It's their money, their car, and their vision. If people are so concerned about keeping it original, then they should pony up the money to buy and restore it the way they want to. Talk is cheap.

 

[1962savoy]

Dan - That is all very well said, and I agree 1000% with it all. It's the owner's car, he/she can do with it as they please. It's great that it can all be undone and returned to original, but even if not, so what. It's their money, their car, and their vision. If people are so concerned about keeping it original, then they should pony up the money to buy and restore it the way they want to. Talk is cheap.

Hey Dan, I agree with your statment as well ,People have to relise that this is TV entertainment and I'm sure the customer of the car know's full well what to expect. Can you imagine if we restored every car to factory stock...where would the wow factor be in that?? (chalk mark here/paint dab there) YAWN.....Now every one has one DOH!!!!
Keep up the great program and get some more cars done!!!!
P.S.
do you get back to the Toronto area much???:santa:

 

[69 Runner]

You're always driving up in a different (killer) car during the shows. Where do they all come from Dan?

 

[Revhendo]

Kevin,

You know I think you're one of the best in the business. I've brought my cars to you more than once to work on them and what you do is superb. Geez, you even built my Vette and I don't think you cut any corners... did you? Yeah it needed some tweaking after breaking it in but, all these cars do. While, you're absolutely right, not everything is finished on the cars we feature once the camera's leave, that is a factor of the deadline to unveil the cars, more than the pressure of the camera's being present. Any customer who brings you a car and says "I need to unveil it at SEMA in 8 months", will face the same challenges we do. You know yourself how many beautiful cars are pushed into SEMA on Sunday night before the show opens. But, 8 or 9 months to do the job correctly, is much different than a few days on Chip's show. I've met Chip a couple of times and he is a very nice guy and a great craftsman. I'd love to own one of his cars. But, we both know that Overhaulin', Pimp My Ride, and others of that ilk do not have a quality build at the end of the day. Where I think we do. I don't think Chip would ever turn around a car in 10 days for a customer, do you? But, 6 to 8 months? I'm sure he could do that standing on his head. My concern is, people get the wrong idea about how we build vs. how other shows build. It's true that we'll never cover the 1,500 to 2,000 hours of labor it takes to do these cars on television; there just isn't the time for that. But, that's not to say those hours didn't happen. I think we show far more of the process and more importantly, the progress than other programs do. Yet, we get the same stigma applied to our builds as these "slam-bam" shows. Just ask yourself this, how much is left to do on a Chop Cut vehicle at the end of filming, vs what's left to do on an Overhaulin' project? While the Mercury didn't run at HAN, it did run two weeks later and we filmed it driving down Central Ave. in Riverside in all it's glory. I highly doubt two additional weeks would help an Overhaulin or PMR car. True? I've seen the facility where those cars go and it's often up to a year for the owner to get their car back in running condition.

Dan,
Hey man, sorry if I somehow implied that your show is the same as O'haulin.
It's not. I was more addressing where you said something about the TV production not affecting the build.
I understand that TV is a very hard business and you have to have a compelling product if you want to make a buck at it. You've done very well for many seasons now and the show is improving in quality. If not for shows like yours, the new products that are available to us may go unnoticed.
It is fair to say that things are done for production quality and to keep things interesting to your viewers. I also will say that the time to build the cars is more realistic and the quality is a fairer example of the shops you visit. Yet, I will stand by what I said about some things being given a lower priority for the sake of film. What's the phrase? We can fix it in post?
The Merc was a beautiful car when it was done, but it wasn't done when it was inferred. Just saying. It's not like a Rich Evans deal or anything.

If I don't see ya before, Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Kevin

 

[Donny]

Dreamers listening to their buddies who know nothing, they have an idea how much they want to pay, but ignorant of the real cost(s). These TV shows are entertaining, but so far from reality that it gives a faux reality of the real deal.

 

[ccr-host]

Kevin,

I gotta stop posting so early in the morning. Obviously, I'm sounding more grumpy than I really am before my first coffee... All that is really just a pet peeve, nothing more. Like I've always said, we try to show as much of the reality about these builds as possible. And yes, we do downplay what's not finished in some cases. But, we don't state that it is finished if it's not! Overall we've been pretty lucky if you don't count the R.E. build. The good thing is, being a documentary format rather than a "how-to" show, we can say things don't fit when they don't and do fit, when they do! Not many shows have that luxury. We can be far more honest with the viewers than most shows can. I remember very clearly Darryl stating that in the end, there was nearly as much work getting the Dynacorn body to show quallity as there would have been by fixing the original body he presented. We also showed the problems with the Detroit Speed product and the transmission too.That kind of thing is not done very often on automotive TV.

You have a great Christmas too! I'll try to drop by for a smoke and spit session before the holidays hit. Cheers!

 

[ccr-host]

You're always driving up in a different (killer) car during the shows. Where do they all come from Dan?

Didn't you know? I am the richest man in the world!

The cars usually belong to customers at the shops. Don't tell anyone. I like the money angle better!

 

[69 Runner]

For a quarter your secret is safe with me.:eusa_whistle:

can't vouch for the rest of the riff raff on here though :edgy:

 

[Revhendo]

For a quarter your secret is safe with me.:eusa_whistle:

can't vouch for the rest of the riff raff on here though :edgy:

Wait, I keep forgetting, am I riff or raff?
(By the way, Dan loves it when you compare his show to that Two Guys Garage thing).:icon_axe:

 

[69 Runner]

Don't you love their lil table commercials?

 

[Revhendo]

Sometimes I think they would be better off trying to sell the table.

 

[Revhendo]

And sometimes you forget about the quiet times.
Sorry Dan, I tried to find the "Swiss Ball" clip, but I think you have that pretty well hidden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1n9d4nXVNc

 

[Gary_gtx67]

It funny I was watching that same episode and the exact thing was going through my head! They don't understand it ain't like a ford were you just get a bigger hammer to fix things! My dad and I both were very disturbed by this show.

 

[Sam Robinson]

Saw car in person last Saturday at Fontana Drag Strip where I work starting line and raced since 2001. Not what I would have done with car, but to each there own. Nice looking car but did not run down track very good. I think last pass was in the 14's at 97mph. My street driven truck runs 13.0's! lol. Not sure who was driving car but they looked to be a rookie at the track possibly.

 

[69 Runner]

So this is how I see it. Hy Hemi runner, the correct R6 and black interior, Wilwood brakes, a 572 would be fine, but I'd prefer a 426, Dana 60 (with 4.10s) and it can be a test mule for a McLeod M-800

Whaddya think Dan? Shouldn't take you guys all that long.:icon_rolleyes: I'm sure AMD would love the publicity for all the Mopar licensed metal my car will need

 

[MarPar]

Wait, I keep forgetting, am I riff or raff?
(By the way, Dan loves it when you compare his show to that Two Guys Garage thing).:icon_axe:

better than frick or frack...

at the rate i'm goin', i'm riff AND raff!! lol