Discovery Channel's "FAT 'N FURIOUS": Legend or Lame?

[Jimbo17]

I stopped watching the show the night they showed the guys at someone home looking over an old 30's drag race car or street raced and they made way to much for the car.

After getting back to their shop in Dallas they determined that the car needed a complete new frame because of the many welded patch work attempts to box the frame.

I always thought these were the kinds of things you figure out before purchasing the car not after you purchase it.

Real car restoration shops must cringe just watching what these guys consider a car restoration.

Jimbo

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

I stopped watching the show the night they showed the guys at someone home looking over an old 30's drag race car or street raced and they made way to much for the car.

After getting back to their shop in Dallas they determined that the car needed a complete new frame because of the many welded patch work attempts to box the frame.

I always thought these were the kinds of things you figure out before purchasing the car not after you purchase it.

Real car restoration shops must cringe just watching what these guys consider a car restoration.

Jimbo

wrong show

[1badmonkey]

I thought the Ice Cream van was kinda ok. a little bit. I would have liked to see larger diameter wheels instead of the staggered Cragars, but that is just me.

[1badmonkey]

That being said, I have additional comments regarding "Fat 'n Furious" but I don't want them to influence the current discussion. Carry on!

Speedy, do tell.. there have been enough opines given, lets hear yours. (I will admit I am curious on your take of the show, as you have some good posts about the Outlaws show)

[RockJustRock]

wrong show

That was "Fart 'N Loud".

[38P]

Speedy, do tell.. there have been enough opines given, lets hear yours. (I will admit I am curious on your take of the show, as you have some good posts about the Outlaws show)

The portly Ohioans may be nice guys. But the show lacks credibility.

For example, a customer wanted a Gen 1 Mustang that would turn 100 in the quarter. They bought one with a 289. Then they said they couldn't hit the "bonus" target (Mid 13s @ 100) without swapping to a $$$$ Roush 427.

There have been literally thousands of 289-powered Mustangs that have run that quick and fast over the years with simple bolt-ons. It would only take about 310-325 h.p. in the average Mustang to insure running that quick (My heavy '98 Cobra show car has run 105 m.p.h. with ~ 305-310 h.p. and it's probably 200-300 lbs. heavier than a '60s notchback)

While there may have been other reasons for the swap (customer wanted a Roush mill . . . 289 wasn't rebuildable, etc), the way the episode was edited made it appear that a 289 just wasn't capable of being hopped-up enough to hit the target. I guarantee that plenty of folks on this board could have hit the "bonus" target for way less than the $50,000 they took off of that "mark."

****
Another episode . . . they bought a non-correct used Hemi for a clone car . . . Paid thousands more than just buying a Gen II Mopar crate Hemi with more cubes and more power. Why would anyone who knew what they were doing do that? It wasn't a resto and they weren't trying to pass it off as an original.

****
Another build . . . FE-powered Galaxie . . . Son reviving an old family drag car. They spent big money swapping from an automatic to a manual because "it's better for drag racing." Well maybe if you're Ronnie Sox . . . But I can guarantee you that probably 95% of folks starting out drag racing will be more consistent with an automatic and high-stall converter. And I say this as someone who loves and owns several "man pedal" vehicles.

****
To be fair, these guys remind me of the mechanics I worked with back in the 1980s at Western Auto . . . they knew how to spin wrenches and talk, but they mostly had no clue how to build fast cars on a budget . . . They just didn't have a good command of what was necessary.

[1badmonkey]

The portly Ohioans may be nice guys. But the show lacks credibility.

For example, a customer wanted a Gen 1 Mustang that would turn 100 in the quarter. They bought one with a 289. Then they said they couldn't hit the "bonus" target (Mid 13s @ 100) without swapping to a $$$$ Roush 427.

There have been literally thousands of 289-powered Mustangs that have run that quick and fast over the years with simple bolt-ons. It would only take about 310-325 h.p. in the average Mustang to insure running that quick (My heavy '98 Cobra show car has run 105 m.p.h. with ~ 305-310 h.p. and it's probably 200-300 lbs. heavier than a '60s notchback)

While there may have been other reasons for the swap (customer wanted a Roush mill . . . 289 wasn't rebuildable, etc), the way the episode was edited made it appear that a 289 just wasn't capable of being hopped-up enough to hit the target. I guarantee that plenty of folks on this board could have hit the "bonus" target for way less than the $50,000 they took off of that "mark."

****
Another episode . . . they bought a non-correct used Hemi for a clone car . . . Paid thousands more than just buying a Gen II Mopar crate Hemi with more cubes and more power. Why would anyone who knew what they were doing do that? It wasn't a resto and they weren't trying to pass it off as an original.

****
Another build . . . FE-powered Galaxie . . . Son reviving an old family drag car. They spent big money swapping from an automatic to a manual because "it's better for drag racing." Well maybe if you're Ronnie Sox . . . But I can guarantee you that probably 95% of folks starting out drag racing will be more consistent with an automatic and high-stall converter. And I say this as someone who loves and owns several "man pedal" vehicles.

****
To be fair, these guys remind me of the mechanics I worked with back in the 1980s at Western Auto . . . they knew how to spin wrenches and talk, but they mostly had no clue how to build fast cars on a budget . . . They just didn't have a good command of what was necessary.

I agree on every single point.

or the corvette, putting those large diameter wheels on a car that isplanned to be sold at at a Corvette show. Im a wheel guy, but, not those on that car.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

And that's why speedy and the rest of us don't have tv shows they'd be boring as hell to everyone outside the hardcore gear heads... ho hum we're gonna step on a 289 to run 100mph et's or screw that we are gonna install a fire breathing roush 427 big block....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what one you think the reg guys that are not gearheads but into cars changed the channel on when the ads start?? give ya a hint speedy it's not the 427 fire breather!!! Goes back to tool time.. and most likely before THAT, "more powAr, ugg ugg uggg.. these are not tech series, they are entertainment tv shows that happen to circle around cars... Sadly many can't handle that..


look at what sells on the front page here, they run very little tech, it's all hoot'n anny smashes,crashes,wrecks.. and this IS a gearhead page..

[Beagle]

I'm not sure what you said the first time, much less the sixth.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

I'm not sure what you said the first time, much less the sixth.

on the sauce a tad early???

[38P]

And that's why speedy and the rest of us don't have tv shows they'd be boring as hell to everyone outside the hardcore gear heads... ho hum we're gonna step on a 289 to run 100mph et's or screw that we are gonna install a fire breathing roush 427 big block....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what one you think the reg guys that are not gearheads but into cars changed the channel on when the ads start?? give ya a hint speedy it's not the 427 fire breather!!! Goes back to tool time.. and most likely before THAT, "more powAr, ugg ugg uggg.. these are not tech series, they are entertainment tv shows that happen to circle around cars... Sadly many can't handle that..


look at what sells on the front page here, they run very little tech, it's all hoot'n anny smashes,crashes,wrecks.. and this IS a gearhead page..

Then why not be honest about it. Just say we COULD do it cheaper, but we're just going to rip off the know-nothing "mark" so that non-gearheads aren't bored.

BTW, the HEMI clone episode shows the flaw in your analysis. , "more powAr, ugg ugg uggg".. would have dictated going with the Mopar Performance crate 528 ( http://www.summitracing.com/search/d...ily/mopar-hemi ) and saving about five grand.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

Then why not be honest about it. Just say we COULD do it cheaper, but we're just going to rip off the know-nothing "mark" so that non-gearheads aren't bored.

BTW, the HEMI clone episode shows the flaw in your analysis. , "more powAr, ugg ugg uggg".. would have dictated going with the Mopar Performance crate 528 ( http://www.summitracing.com/search/d...ily/mopar-hemi ) and saving about five grand.

if you can do better start a tv show... simple and now you go from the 289 to 427 show to a mopar one... <rolls eyes> it's E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T.. I know as a lawyer you might have a hard time with that.. but try..

[Beagle]

on the sauce a tad early???

Me?! LMFAO at you, jackass. Who posted six times, then deleted them AND their post saying "Not sure what I did..." and then still had to edit their original post?

... "what one you think the reg guys that are not gearheads but into cars changed the channel on when the ads start??"

My cat speaks more coherently than this.

[STINEY]

Beags, take it easy on the cat. He's not THAT high up on the food chain.......could be worse, but still, he has to be wary of dogs, and they aren't the smartest things.



People still watch TV? Amazing.

[Beagle]

Beags, take it easy on the cat. He's not THAT high up on the food chain.......could be worse, but still, he has to be wary of dogs, and they aren't the smartest things.



People still watch TV? Amazing.

Sage advice Stiney! I turned on Street Outlaws for a laugh yesterday. Some kid saying he was gonna win because his competitor had a stick, and you can't launch a Mustang with a stick. Queue the race, and there is clearly an air shifted automatic in that Mustang. The cat left the room in disgust.

I'm starting to like that animal more.