Rust Valley Restorers

My name is Mike Hall. Over the last 40 years,

against better judgment,

I've managed to amass over 400 classic cars.

These cars are my legacy.

But I'm running out of time to restore them all.

So I opened up a restoration shop, with my son, Connor,

and my best friend, Avery,

to try and turn my passion into profit.

Restoring cars that the average person can afford.

But it's tough making a buck,

so I'm going to have to get the whole car-crazed town behind me

to help get the job done.

But that's how things roll here in Rust Valley.

Going up!

Oh, she's a heavy pig.

Hang on. Okay, keep her over a bit.

Tractor!

That was almost too easy.

First year running the shop, I didn't have a very good year.

I mean, we built some amazing cars, but my finances took a shit-kicking.

Get!

In a desperate attempt to dig himself out of a hole,

Mike listed his yard and his entire collection of 400 classic cars for sale.

I've had a couple of people nibbling. I've sold a few cars,

but I'm not ready to give it away.

The weather's warming up, spring's coming, people are calling.

I'm getting my mojo back. We're on to a new start.

Hopefully this year will be a lot better. We're going to try it one more time.

What could go wrong?

- What are we looking for today? - Something easy.

Mike, Connor, and Avery are prowling Mike's Field of Dreams

on the hunt for the perfect restoration project.

What about this one?

This one's pretty rare.

This is a Utility Sedan.

In 1955, Chevy made 17,000 of these,

and this one was a factory V8 car.

I need a win. I need a win to start,

not halfway through the season. I need a win right out of the gates.

It's literally the first car we looked at.

Okay, let's keep going.

How about an El Camino? This one's...

We also don't need to choose the second car we walk by.

Okay...

Start of the year, crunch time. It's been a long winter.

We have no money coming for months. First big build of the year,

let's do it right.

What about the Pontiac? We've walked by it 100 times.

Four-doors are worth less cuz they're family cars,

but it sure is mint.

****.

This piece was here.

I find that highly unlikely.

I think the lights were here too, but I'm not sure.

There's some headlights missing. Then there's some chrome missing.

People are taking our stuff!

Or possibly Mike sold them and forgot about it.

I don't know if shit's going missing,

but I don't remember seeing this piece missing.

I guarantee stuff goes missing.

- If we want to build that '56... - You gotta buy that.

...I gotta buy those things. There's gotta be an easier one, buddy.

There is an easier one.

You have the most expensive workbench in Rust Valley.

How long's it been sitting out? Four years, five years?

- Six years, seven years. - Six years?

We can take a look if you want.

We can mount that right there.

Two dollars for the bolts and 55,000 for the bench.

It's a rolling bench, eh, Connor?

I can't think of anyone else in the world that will have a '68 ragtop Camaro

used as a workbench.

Ever since it got pushed into that shop, it's had tools on it.

It's the world's most expensive tool bench.

It's stupid.

Here's what the car looked like when I bought it.

It was a '68 Firebird that I bought for 2,000 bucks.

Now, it's a '68 RS/SS Camaro clone.

It was a Firebird, but the basic car is exactly the same dimensions.

The only difference is the bumpers, and the sheet metal.

We cloned it as a big-block RS/SS Camaro.

As we like to say, the "Famaro," or the "Cambird,"

one of the two.

What do you like, Famaro or Cambird?

- They both suck. - I'd like it sold. That's what I'd like.

But, Firebird or Camaro,

this is one of the most popular muscle cars ever made.

Depending on who you ask, the word "Camaro"

either means "camaraderie and friendship,"

or "a vicious animal that eats Mustangs."

More luxurious and powerful than the Firebird,

the Camaro arrived late on the muscle car scene,

but shocked the world when it dominated Trans-Am racing

in 1968.

It's been like a black hole ever since I started it.

- How much have you spent on this car? - It's got to be pushing 50 grand.

Look, there's Teeter Core, there's door seals, there's rubber.

He's ashamed of how much money he's put into it.

You might even say it's become a personal demon for him.

Is that a spare crossmember, too? Did you need two?

I don't remember what that's for.

"I don't know what this $1,000 is for."

Mike...

It has to end.

Maybe I just don't want to throw any more money at it.

- It depresses me. - But you can't not finish it.

What's it worth finished, 60, 70?

- Should be. - It's an RS/SS rag.

- And it's a Big Block, it's a standard. - Yeah.

It needs to go.

- If we had a battery, we could fire it up. - I bet it sounds good.

Every time I've touched it, it's cost me thousands,

and it never seems to get any closer. It's time.

This is a better sheet than you got in your house, Mike.

- Cleaner, anyways. - Cleaner.

- This is a 427... - No, it's a 454, just with 427...

A ZZ454 crate.

When it's done, I'm gonna have 500 horse, five-speed stick, four-wheel disc brakes,

little extra chrome, hideaway headlights,

fancier interior, it's going to feel amazing.

- Keep spraying it. - I don't feel like having

- this bottle light on fire. - It won't light on fire.

Do you know how many times I've watched you guys blowing fire out of carburetors?

Yeah, fire it up.

That was a pretty quick start.

It sounds nasty.

It's going to be a scary little car.

That give you any idea what kind of mileage it's gonna give?

Very poor.

You know what they call that?

Smiles per gallon.

Here we go.

Cassidy, you want to come over and give me a hand pulling these seats out?

Mike's got his old crew back, racing to finish the Camaro in time

for Rust Valley's summer kickoff car show, just six weeks away.

It's going in that show, and it's going to be ready.

Pluck that baby out.

There's going to be lots of people, lots of nice cars,

and lots of money.

Mike, how are you?

- I'm Gregg. - Glad to meet you.

So, how can I help you?

Mike has his first potential client of the year.

More clients, more business. Hopefully, more business, more money.

I really need a 1970 Coronet Super Bee.

When my youngest daughter, Amanda,

was little, I had another Super Bee.

We just used to mess with it, it was kind of our thing to do

as a dad thing. Circumstances, we had to get rid of it,

and I promised her

we would mess with the car again. So...

It was a big part of our past.

I can't guarantee it, but I might know where there's a Bee for sale.

- We're going to track one down. - Thank you.

Ave, we're heading to Russell's.

1970 Super Bees, they only made about 12,000 of them, give or take.

This Bee is going to be more than a car to Gregg.

I'm going to try and get him his Bee and build him his dream car.

The Dynamic Duo!

How's it going? Told you we'd stop by one day.

How you guys doing, you crazies?

- How you doing? - Jesus!

I got something for you, it's a ram. Should put that on the hood of your truck.

- Full curl. - It's the full curl ram, bro.

- That's worth money, you know? - Three thousand bucks, it's yours.

This was an old sheep.

Russell's a Mopar freak. He's got a lot of cool stuff.

He has a lot of expensive stuff.

That's why Russell's a tough guy to deal with.

Russ, the Bee I sold you last year...

- Is it restored yet? - No.

- Where is it? - Over in my barn.

It's changed a little bit since the last time you saw it.

- For the worse or for the better? - Depends how you look at it.

Nice windshield you put in it!

Open her up, Mike.

Last fall...

- How much do you want for this? - Fifteen grand.

- Fifteen grand, you're not out of hand. - No.

...Mike sold Russ a 1970 Coronet Super Bee,

and now, he wants it back.

He's owned this car once, he made some money on it,

now he wants it back. I don't know what's going through Mike's mind,

I think he's absolutely insane.

Roof looks good. Fenders are good.

- Thing's running and driving already. - No need to look in there.

- What do you mean? How do you beat... - Whoa!

Where's the 440, Russ, and the 727?

I was going to put a Hemi in it, that was my plan.

I need the car.

I tell you what I would do.

I would agree to give you back the car and the parts,

with a catch.

- Watch out here. - Here, I'll just roll under.

- There you go, Avery. - I know how the farmers do it.

Where we going, Russ?

- We're going over here. - You've got a babbling brook.

A babbling brook is what I got.

Here's the rock that I do not want.

Look at this rock that's gotta get out of here, man.