Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion American Restoration TV Show

Well after reading some of the responses about American Pickers, I was wondering what everyones opinion was about the show "American Restoration" that's filmed out in Vegas. Good, bad, overhyped drama? What say you?

Same ----, different pile.

OK I'll bite. I like the fact it shows some of the processes in getting from A-Z in restoration which I am naive to for the most part. Some of the stuff brought in is unusual and not my cup of tea and intrigues me from that point of view. However the negatives are the contrived conflict between the players and artificial deadlines which adds "drama" to the show and the constant drone of the thrash guitar which augments my tinnitus. All the latter concerns are seen on most "reality" shows; characters in conflict, artificial tests/deadlines and overbearing "music".
Fred

SAME DIALOG/Script writers, different P.O.S. "Actors".
Superman/Batman are more Believable & don't forget Santa's sled flies on Reindeer Gas!

What happens in Las Vegas, should stay in Vegas.

I love the Pickers and American Restoration just because of the old signs, pumps, etc they all come across but yes, the ***** involved wih the shows suck.

Forget the bickering...

It is the instances where a "client" brings in one manufacturer's item. And gets a different manufacturer's item, in return (the Coke Machine restoration, the first year comes to mind)... And then they all "gush" about how the "restoration" looks so original and correct...

Also the same old tired BS, they put forth about the "History" of the items... Especially when it comes to the "Gas and Oil" items...

Pickers, Pawn Shop and Restoration all 3; use the same people to do their research... And most of the time they are completely "off base", IMO...

You'll get more Useful information off Matthews Auction site, past & future Not just gas/oil.

I've been guilty of watching the Pickers a few times. No so with the other show. I find that I do not miss them and have a much better outlook simply by reading a good book. As long as they have an audience they'll continue to product this dribble. By the way....I got a call, several weeks ago, from a young guy from Las Vegas wanting to buy several hundred gas pumps. He knew my name but refused to give me his??? Kinda figured it was the Son? Paul www.severngaspumps.com

Rick and I used to share spaces at many of the swap meets here in the mid-west. Him with his gas pumps and Coke machines, me with my air meters.
His work was some of the best I have ever seen.

About 12 years ago he came to my house here in St. Louis and purchased my last 75 gas pumps, the following year he returned and bought all the parts I had left from parting out about 125 pumps.

I am a contributor to the show, meaning I send them answers, mostly literature about a subject, in return they list my name at the end of the show. To see my name you need to record the show and run it back in slow motion, it goes by quickly.

I talk to Rick occasionally, about two years ago we were discussing the show and I told him he should explain a process used in the restorations. I see that they are now doing that.

My opinion is turn off the sound and just look at the stuff he has, same with the Pickers.

Jack Sim

...wow, called and wouldn't tell you his name? that's pretty sketchy...

...here's the original thread about this ***** show - on the third page, the Coke machine that they lied about is shown in a screen grab from the show, before the History Channel pulled the video from the web:

http://oldgas.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=208176&page=1

...a POS Vendo was delivered to Rick, and a Cavalier was presented as the 'restored' pump...interestingly, the Vendo WAS restored, but as a refrigerator...it was on Rick's website...

...the show is garbage, and obviously the 'stars' have no integrity whatsoever...


...well put...

At $200,000 per episode [Storage Wars/Duck Bros], who needs Integrity?

Mark, I actually asked the caller...."I have your number on my incoming call list, give me a name to post with it, and I'll give you a call if I run across a group of pumps?" His reply...."just keep my number on file and call me with what you find" I promptly filed it in the circular can. Paul www.severngaspumps.com

I watch the show occasionally for the same reason I watch the pickers. Just in hope of seeing a cool piece.
As for the artificial drama? Same circus, different tent!

I had high hopes for this show when it first came out. I was hoping it was going to be like the early years of American Chopper, where the focus was on them working on things, and showing the process. Instead it's just about the drama around the shop. I think most of this drama is fake and scripted.

LOL...I can just picture that...