Wheeler Dealers Series 17, Episode 2, Griff
Discussion
Series 17 of Wheeler Dealers started on the Discovery Channel, Mon 7th Sept with Mike Brewer and Marc 'Elvis' Priestley based in the UK again.
Episode 1 was a 1965 Mini and episode 2 is available to download now on Discovery. It features a grey Griff 4.0 litre, registration number K13 MAH. Curiously the MOT history has 2 anomalies where the mileage has gone down slightly.
I haven't watched it yet so no idea how good/bad it will be. Just a heads up.
Episode 1 was a 1965 Mini and episode 2 is available to download now on Discovery. It features a grey Griff 4.0 litre, registration number K13 MAH. Curiously the MOT history has 2 anomalies where the mileage has gone down slightly.
I haven't watched it yet so no idea how good/bad it will be. Just a heads up.
While I enjoyed the Griff episode and I do like Elvis (mind you I also liked Ant and could tolerate Ed) it did seem like they didn’t do much. They stripped the engine all the while talking about how it didn’t need it. Then they replaced the dashboard trim and a bulb for the number plate. That was about it. Interesting in places but not as technical as previously…
Also, they seem to have added back in a couple of minutes of waffle about the history of the car they are looking for (this was in early series, was dropped and is now back) and it just feels like padding.
In the US series they started telling us how many hours they spend on the car which was a nice addition as that was always absent from their costings but now back in the UK and this has been dropped. Don’t know why…?
Also, they seem to have added back in a couple of minutes of waffle about the history of the car they are looking for (this was in early series, was dropped and is now back) and it just feels like padding.
In the US series they started telling us how many hours they spend on the car which was a nice addition as that was always absent from their costings but now back in the UK and this has been dropped. Don’t know why…?
I have always suspected that if they include the cost of time then most of the projects would result in a significant loss. Note that they also never include the costs of searching, viewing (time and travel costs), collecting, and selling. The show is fun but does promote a fantasy that there is money to be made.
This^^^
It's entertainment, but wouldn't be if it had to pay for itself or showed the true heartache, utter frustration, and broken knuckles that are part and parcel of its real life counterpart.
Ditto the home makeover progs. Except they are downright dangerous in the threat they pose to your marital bliss... ( ...."But Nick Knowles manages to decorate a whole house in a day"...)
It's entertainment, but wouldn't be if it had to pay for itself or showed the true heartache, utter frustration, and broken knuckles that are part and parcel of its real life counterpart.
Ditto the home makeover progs. Except they are downright dangerous in the threat they pose to your marital bliss... ( ...."But Nick Knowles manages to decorate a whole house in a day"...)
The addition on manhours in the USA based editions was welcomed but it always infuriated me about the hidden costs. They added on travel costs of re-patriated cars, but in the UK, they never mention the fuel costs in collecting a vehicle, sometimes hundreds of miles away, nor insurance or VED if it was driven back. 
Accommodation too undoubtedly since MB "apparently" turned up in his own car and drove the purchased one back, rarely trailered). Admittedly, they probably had a traders coverall policy for the insurance but they are NOT cheap.
And we all have ramps, pneumatic tools, various shades of undercoat and paint and top notch welding gear 'just lying about.' The spray jobs always sounded suspiciously cheap and they don't add on VAT either, something many of us can't avoid.
Accommodation too undoubtedly since MB "apparently" turned up in his own car and drove the purchased one back, rarely trailered). Admittedly, they probably had a traders coverall policy for the insurance but they are NOT cheap. And we all have ramps, pneumatic tools, various shades of undercoat and paint and top notch welding gear 'just lying about.' The spray jobs always sounded suspiciously cheap and they don't add on VAT either, something many of us can't avoid.
It’s not really a show where they’re trying to show Joe Public how to make money on used cars, it’s about taking a car and improving (sometimes saving) it and giving you the details of the things they did along the way. Often Edd would say to do this at a garage would cost x or y.
The sale is almost the happy ending and the next chapter in that car’s life.
Yes they talk about a nominal profit, but in no way are they suggesting that you too could do it. If you’re viewing it in that fashion then IMO you’re missing the point - but if that’s your thing then try also considering the wedge of cash Discovery pays them to present the show….then every car would make a massive profit for MB and this week’s mechanic
It’s not the same without Edd but I still like it.
The sale is almost the happy ending and the next chapter in that car’s life.
Yes they talk about a nominal profit, but in no way are they suggesting that you too could do it. If you’re viewing it in that fashion then IMO you’re missing the point - but if that’s your thing then try also considering the wedge of cash Discovery pays them to present the show….then every car would make a massive profit for MB and this week’s mechanic
It’s not the same without Edd but I still like it.
Gareth9702 said:
I have always suspected that if they include the cost of time then most of the projects would result in a significant loss. Note that they also never include the costs of searching, viewing (time and travel costs), collecting, and selling. The show is fun but does promote a fantasy that there is money to be made.
Yeah, I get that. My point was that they added it for the US seasons but ha e now dropped it again…?MustangGT said:
Agreed, he comes across as a wannabee, good job the buying and selling is not his only source of income!
Nevertheless he bought the Griff for 15K & sold it for 22K, even with the work done, sounds like a decent profit to me.No mention whatsoever about the condition of the Chassis!
R8FUN said:
MustangGT said:
Agreed, he comes across as a wannabee, good job the buying and selling is not his only source of income!
Nevertheless he bought the Griff for 15K & sold it for 22K, even with the work done, sounds like a decent profit to me.No mention whatsoever about the condition of the Chassis!
R8FUN said:
Nevertheless he bought the Griff for 15K & sold it for 22K, even with the work done, sounds like a decent profit to me.
No mention whatsoever about the condition of the Chassis!
In one of the trading up type programs Mike Brewer did, he bought a fairly special Mk1 Escort from someone I know. Speaking with him, it was all a bit different to what ended up in the show!No mention whatsoever about the condition of the Chassis!
Anyway, I saw this and regret selling all my TVR bits and pieces. I have a hankering for a pre-cat Griff now, even though they can look like a wheel barrow from a certain angle behind the car...
Just watched the programme, nice car, and although not too in depth in what was done to it, one thing I found grating, was the "tacky dash " that was replaced, but no mention of the god awful ariel on the rear quarter panel.
When the meeting was organized at the sale point, a posting on Facebook was asking for owners to attend, not too far from me, but Brewer really grates on me, so didn't bother.
When the meeting was organized at the sale point, a posting on Facebook was asking for owners to attend, not too far from me, but Brewer really grates on me, so didn't bother.
It would have been a lot more interesting had they shown us changing the dash out. I noticed they didn't get the lower dash re-venered, it was conveniently covered up with a cloth. So the main Dash would have had a different veneer the the lower part.
The Buyer looked happy but never asked what condition the chassis was in???
The Buyer looked happy but never asked what condition the chassis was in???
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