Gas monkey

[Sonny Black]

I find when I go to car shows here in Australia a lot of people don't know what it is and pretty much just walk past the Dodge

It's only really the Mopar people that stop and look

I like being different and original so that's all good haha

Here's a pic of me being overshadowed by my brother's new 72 charger I went for a drive to welcome him home on his way past last weekend when he was bringing it home for the first time

View attachment 678459

It is the same here.....except they (non mopar chebby's)try not to look, BUT they still sneak a peek!

 

[Mike67]

Not trying to hurt feelings but ya, pretty much a parts car, especially the 70s models.

 

[Dibbons]

Is this a Dodge?

 

[Slap Stick]

273 MAGNUM?
I guess Commando wouldn't fit?

Kool car!
Seems C body 4 doors get more interest than the Bs, especially the 72 and up.
I have had 2 myself.

 

[Sean440]

Not trying to hurt feelings but ya, pretty much a parts car, especially the 70s models.

No worries mate but I will happily drive my 63 model parts car and take it to shows for as long as I have it, it's pretty rare over here just not as sexy as the coupes for most.

 

[Runner 68]

I remember the outrage from car guys (even non Mopar guys) when Dodge re-introduced the Charger and made it a 4 door. They look OK but they're still a 4 door. Meh.

 

[SteveSS]

Hard to sell a 4 door even if it's a hot rod.

 

[not so famous bob]

Richard is a thief and a jerk. Thinks he is better then everyone else. Its all about the MONEY

AGGRE , NOTHING BUT A PUNK THAT FELL INTO $$$
No amount of b.s. could make me like this guy , or watch anything he is in !

 

[Mike67]

AGGRE , NOTHING BUT A PUNK THAT FELL INTO $$$
No amount of b.s. could make me like this guy , or watch anything he is in !

I don't think he fell into anything...he built his business from the ground up. Followed a dream, had a great marketing strategy which got him the $$$.
Like him or not, the guy made his millions!

 

[SteveSS]

If I'm remembering the right episode he took the car to an auction in OKC and got some decent money for it. He was surprised when the buying couple asked him to autograph it. They bought it because it reminded them of their son who was an officer who was killed in the line of duty. Rawlins said hell if he'd had known that he'd had given them the car. I hope he did.

 

[Slap Stick]

As I understand he inherited a tidy sum from his father.

 

[Dobalovr]

Mario sees a dent in Sonny's front tire(?)

Likely where the belts are bonded together. Usually the strongest part of the tire.....

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=32

 

[BeatersRus]

I don't think he fell into anything...he built his business from the ground up. Followed a dream, had a great marketing strategy which got him the $$$.
Like him or not, the guy made his millions!

he made it off the backs of some mechanics some halfass/tom,
and others like Aaron,who really was his best draw,as well as his best talent.
what bothers me more than anything else,is if you go to gas monkey garage website,
he gives props to some of his mechanics he has now,
but there no mention of the one person,who helped him make it big.
is that the way you would treat a friend ??
just for kicks,i looked up Aarons worth and hes valued at 6 million.

 

[Mike67]

As I understand he inherited a tidy sum from his father.

Regardless he & AK built the first GM car out of a garage. Remember how many years they spent in that raggedy 2 bay shop in the early years? He wasn't building $100k+ cars then...worked and hustled business to get the recognition.
His inheritance ( if true ) had nothing to do with the empire he built.

 

[BeatersRus]

yeah i do recall that he even bought back his first custom sale didnt he on one episode?

 

[Mike67]

he made it off the backs of some mechanics some halfass/tom,
and others like Aaron,who really was his best draw,as well as his best talent.
what bothers me more than anything else,is if you go to gas monkey garage website,
he gives props to some of his mechanics he has now,
but there no mention of the one person,who helped him make it big.
is that the way you would treat a friend ??
just for kicks,i looked up Aarons worth and hes valued at 6 million.

AK is only recognized because of RR...he was a drunk party dog, hell RR let him buy that Falcon on installments. Where is AK now???? Not saying he wasn't talented but he was not the reason for GMs success as proven by the staying power of GM after he left...No body even knows who Arc Light is...
Boyd, Chip, Troy, all built their empires with paid , talented help...thats what you have to have to be successful in any business. And you have to be able to cut those that are not helping your business i.e. Tom & Jordan...
I dont see Kurt Busch, Dale Jr, Sonic Matel (Hot Wheels) knocking down AKs door to build them a ride...????...

 

[SteveSS]

Arron is up here here in Colorado Springs all the time. He has a good relationship with Pikes Peak International Raceway. Always see his Falcon around. Speakiing of PPIR I think they rent about 160 acres to Volkswagen near the track. There must be 10,000 VW buybacks parked nose to nose.

 

[BeatersRus]

boyd coddington is defintely not the person to bring up as a good boss or pr anything.
he created and fostered a hostile work environment and let that one moron steve almost ruin his shop.
the list of people who cycled thru that shop....
i knew for awhile one of the people who worked for boyd.


also,ak as you put it was the guy who solved all the problems and build questions for gm.
the most richard ever did was write checks swig beers and make uninformed deals that the mechanics then had to iron out.
i do give richard props for pulling together his empire of add-ons and businesses,
the hot wheels deal was my fav of course.
but,who really built the cars?..who did the team always look to?

ak also is involved in his passion,the lowrider fords and has a bunch of vids out too.
id say he may not be a huge empire like the one he helped create and left,
but hes doing what he wants and thats really the best thing in life that can happen to you.

 

[Slap Stick]

Regardless he & AK built the first GM car out of a garage. Remember how many years they spent in that raggedy 2 bay shop in the early years? He wasn't building $100k+ cars then...worked and hustled business to get the recognition.
His inheritance ( if true ) had nothing to do with the empire he built.

My point was someone said he fell into money. If you want to say an inheritance is the same....okay.
But that allowed him to do his thing.

I have a friend who knows most of the custom car builders and restores in DFW.
Holding up Coddington as a good example is a fool's errand.
Remember the tv show where the teams bought a car, restored and sold it with the team with the highest profit winning?
The Coddington team as I have it, bought a Barracuda, upgraded the drivetrain and then tried to sell it as a 'Cuda without disclosing it. They got caught and the tv show disappeared.

 

[BeatersRus]

correction to my post,it was not steve,
it was Dwayne,who was the shop foreman and a toxic person to work for.

slapstick,what show was that you mention?

i used to enjoy watching Car Warriors w Jimmy shine,
esp when they switched up to 2 shops doing the builds instead of 1 shop competing against the home team.
never could find the 69 charger episode tho,even tho they show them on each intro to the show

also,speaking of fake cars,do you recall this show?
a 71 satellite and a 71 roadrunner go into the shop and a cloned 71 gtx rolls back out and is advertised and sold as such at auction for 75 GRAND...
it still has a satellite grill in it...ffs!!

one of the things that bothered me the most was the obvious shell bidding from barrys " friends "
the arlen guy is the same one who saves barry butt several times on other builds at the auctions.....