For the attention of Mike Brewer

[Bren]

Mike,

 

Could you please let us in your secret - how you manage to pick up lovely old motors needing a minimal amount of work for fuck all and then manage to punt them on at a profit to the first couple of people that come to view it - you also seem able to attract people that look like they can walk and chew gum at the same time and don't look as if they live under a mattress on the local allotments.

 

If you could do this we would be most grateful - it would save us immeasurable time having to deal with complete and utter wastes of skin on internet auction sites, and heaven forbid, we may even make enough for a couple of pints and a takeaway.

[Essex V6]

Aye, I watched the XR2 episode last night. The fat knacker's patter is horrendous. I hadn't seen an episode for a few years and did not that Ed China must also have a fondness for the pies these days!

[barefoot]

An interweb acquaintance of mine works in a unit on the same industrial estate as Brewer/China and apparently,

when their cars are ready to be 'sold' the TV bods will on occasion pop round and ask if anyone would like to be involved in the 'buying' shots.

It's telly, nothing you see or hear is ever real.

[dugong]

Mike,

 

Could you please let us in your secret - how you manage to pick up lovely old motors needing a minimal amount of work for fuck all and then manage to punt them on at a profit to the first couple of people that come to view it - you also seem able to attract people that look like they can walk and chew gum at the same time and don't look as if they live under a mattress on the local allotments.

 

If you could do this we would be most grateful - it would save us immeasurable time having to deal with complete and utter wastes of skin on internet auction sites, and heaven forbid, we may even make enough for a couple of pints and a takeaway.

A production team.

[Station]

My favourite one was when he found a pristine mk1 MR2 wing amongst a pile of other car wings.

[Doctormop]

That XR2 from last night's Wheeler Dealers was for sale at a garge in Ansdell near Lytham st annes a couple of months ago, think the asking price was £9995.

[Bren]

I laughed at how clean the bumper was that was pulled out of the boot of the scrapper.

 

Not to mention the general condition of the project car - even the battery terminals were spotless.

 

Come to my man cave Edd, and help me with the bodywork on my Sd1 - you will end up with terminal asbestosis.

[plasticvandan]

im assuming ed works for free,otherwise i would like to see how much profit they really make if his hours are costed...

[Cavcraft]

They said recently in a blog that they are going to be explaining labour costs in the new series. Maybe the buyers are plants but I like the programme, and find it very watchable.

[Bren]

They said recently in a blog that they are going to be explaining labour costs in the new series. Maybe the buyers are plants but I like the programme, and find it very watchable.

I do myself. However I would like to see an episode where the project is punted on eBay and they are at the mercy of the " LO M8 wil u p/x almera wif crusty sills can pic up 2 nite" brigade.

[Bobthebeard]

They said recently in a blog that they are going to be explaining labour costs in the new series. Maybe the buyers are plants but I like the programme, and find it very watchable.

If taken with a pinch o salt and treated as 'entertainment' then Wheeler Dealers is fairly ok. If taken seriously it does tend to be a bit silly IMHO. As it is clearly meant to be 'entertainment' I just watch it as such, and hope to learn something now and then. I don't actually believe it!

[CortinaDave]

I think the reason they dont add Edd's labour costs is they are supposed to be a "partnership" so basically they go halfers on buying the car - mike goes out and finds it and does the deals, then Edd fettles it and they split the profits

[inconsistant]

It's telly, nothing you see or hear is ever real.

 

What!!!1!!!

[simmo]

They said recently in a blog that they are going to be explaining labour costs in the new series. Maybe the buyers are plants but I like the programme, and find it very watchable.

 

I thought that they fessed up in the first series or two that the buyers were FOFs of the crew etc but were supposed to be doing it straight since then.

 

When ever I see Brewer performing I think that's why people put 'no dealers' on ads.

[Cavcraft]

I do myself. However I would like to see an episode where the project is punted on eBay and they are at the mercy of the " LO M8 wil u p/x almera wif crusty sills can pic up 2 nite" brigade.

Now you're cooking. Imagine it on Gumtree too? I honestly reckon between us we could break them and end the show for good.

'Orite m8 wud u swop 4 a bmx bike and a frod mundeo?'

[overrun]

Mike should have told the truth and said that he crashed the XR2 into the back of the camera car, instead of blaming the lass who owned it. #lol

 

It reminded me of my old Sunburst XR2. Great cars.

 

Even at £2500, it was waaaaay too clean, though.

 

Is it the first car ever that Edd has had on his ramp, that didn't have muddy inner arches?

[Bren]

Would have preferred a 1300 super sport - they looked the biz.

[Angrydicky]

My favourite one was when he found a pristine mk1 MR2 wing amongst a pile of other car wings.

It was even the right colour!

[Junkman]

I find it somewhat hard to believe that Messrs Brewer and China aren't forum members.

[Hendry]

I thought the reason they didn't factor in labour costs was because it was aimed at the DIY motorist and showing them how to buy a "classic" and "restore" it to a reasonable usable condition and if you wish a small profit.

 

Lets be honest if it was solely a show about buying cars and selling them at a profit I'm sure Brewer would be expert at acquiring cars which were sought after with the general public eg diesel Focus/Astra etc cheaply and punt them on for £400/500 profit.

 

What annoys me is sometimes they don't factor in bits that are obvious eg you see them refurb a set of wheels and they've clearly also bought a new set of tyres because you can tell they are brand new but this doesn't get added to the costs or they miss small but important details like fitting a facelift front end or new bumpers and lights to a car but fit the scabby old number plate back on or in the case of the LR Defender they had which they "facelifted" they spent a fortune on front end parts then bought cheap stick on "LAND ROVER" bonnet lettering instead of jus spending a bit extra on genuine up to date badges from a new model from the dealership parts department, really thought that spoiled what they'd done.

 

Wish they'd do more "modern" classics rather than older cars I know next to nothing about or stuff that's a bit too modern eg the Impreza and the 2001 Saab 93 Turbo they did, stuff like RS Turbos, Astra GTEs, Clio Williams, 306 GTi6, that kinda era would be interesting IMO

[Lord Sterling]

I like Wheeler Dealers and enjoy watching it. I do know that some of the stuff regarding buying/selling/labour costs is pretty much glossed over/made up, but I take it with a pinch of salt. The way Edd China explains how to repair stuff is really what it supposed to be about.

 

Before I left England I watched a lot of the early and later series being simultaneously shown on various channels. Wheeler Dealers has suffered the "Top Gear" effect where it's turned from an informative show to an "entertainment" show.

 

There was a huge difference, the early series being much more focussed on the mechanics and generally tidying up the car. The tools were much more down to earth and the kind stuff we're more likely to have in the toolbox/garage/boot. These days its really moved on from that, a lot of the tools are stuff that semi-prifessional mechanics might have access to. The programme has moved towards the "entertainment" side rather than the home-mechanics side and focusses much more on the so-called "disagreements" (particularly at the start of the show which looks very dramatic, but is often nowt more than small opinion)

 

The "buyers" are often production team people. Some of the real buyers of the cars have been online on other sites explaining this. Again, I take this with a pinch of salt. I'm sure that certainly on the newer shows with bigger/more expensive cars, even the "sellers" aren't real.

 

I do still watch whenever I get a bit of time in front of the TV which is rare (we have Sky)

[EssDeeWon]

Not seen this programme in a while but I find them watchable when I do catch one, there may be some rather 'convenient' finds etc but no where near as annoying as Top Gear however, which I cannot bear and refuse to even have it on my TV.

[overrun]

It was even the right colour!

And the mirrors!

[overrun]

Not seen this programme in a while but I find them watchable when I do catch one, there may be some rather 'convenient' finds etc but no where near as annoying as Top Gear however, which I cannot bear and refuse to even have it on my TV.

Edd almost always keeps his forearms covered, so I see why you approve.

[Richard]

It's Junkman that objects to bare arms.

[Pillock]

It's perfectly watchable TV, there has to be a limit to how much you can show in an hour program so yeah there'll be continuity issues and unexplained bits.

[EssDeeWon]

Edd almost always keeps his forearms covered, so I see why you approve.

 

Confused dot com

[Felly Magic]

The reason why Edd has his arms covered is because in 90% of the tight shots, it's not him doing the work, but Paul wearing the same gear as Edd. Edd doesn't have any formal mechanical qualifications at all, his qualifications are in design and fabrication, and often there are schoolboy errors when doing work, which gets glossed over too. It's purely an entertainment show to further both their media careers. The cars are all sourced in one big lump and stored in a barn, and they often come from auction houses, and the survival rate of cars from the show is quite low, most have a date of liability not long after each series was in the can, with very few escapees onto the open market. The Amphicar is for sale rather naughtily by fatty Brewer on Car & Classics as a private sale, and when Brewer gets the 3rd rate sprayshop they use to change the colour, they have a nasty habit of not telling the DVLA, and the V8 Landy 90 they did comes up on both RAC AND DVLA as a 2.5 D. Very naughty.

[overrun]

Confused dot com

Soz BR14N!

 

Your avi confused me.

[warren t claim]

In all fairness there's nothing wrong with substituting the real buyer for an actor as I'm pretty sure they wouldn't knock back a sale due to the punter being camera shy.