What have you done today
- Thread starter Mad4slalom
- Start date
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
My Top Gear experience was far worse , at least initially . BBC would not pay expenses to the dozens of car owners of all the marques and model variations they wanted for filming in the old empty TVR works in Blackpool . That meant a 380 mile round trip for me in a V8 Marcos at my own expense !! I said NO as no overnight accommodation was offered either despite them saying filming might go on until late . In the end the Beeb agreed to expenses and overnight in a Travel Lodge but I was not to mention it to other owners as "they will all want it " . One poor guy drove all the way from the South Coast in his Triumph TR3 !!
We were all treated like cattle and herded out the way into the disused TVR works canteen during filming and the Three Not So Wise Monkeys ( you know who I mean !! ) totally ignored us all including the crowd of locals with their families waiting by the gates that who had clearly heard about the filming . Never again !
CaptainK
CCCUK Member
Yeah, I have vague recollections of you telling me the story before. Sounds really bad. I mean these people are using car fans to make a profit / show with no regard to recompense, let alone actually giving a bit more to make it worthwhile to the owner. Imagine if the actors and film crew etc weren't paid, and were just asked to show up etc.
I had an excellent experience when my C3 was used for filming. To cut a long story short I was contacted and asked if I would be prepared to let them use my car for a couple of episodes of Saxondale starring Steve Coogan and Lisa Tarbuck. I readily agreed and had to sign a 'contract' with the company hiring the car, Miller Action Vehicles I think. Anyway they scratched the wheel arch with the tiniest of marks and told me to get it fixed and they would pay. I took the car to the people who had sprayed it initially, they made it good perfectly, free of charge. I told Johnny Miller this and said there was no cost but he insisted on giving me an extra £150.00 on top of the original hire money. As an aside, we went and watched them filming a scene in an Asda car park in Watford with my car in the middle of February, it was freezing (and tedious to be honest) stood around watching 'Take 23, quiet please'. Steve Coogan was great, very friendly and genuinely interested in the car, unlike Lisa Tarbuck who wouldn't even let the wife take a photo.
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Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Continuing the theme...
Last summer I was approached by an agency that provides cars for shows and this one was for celeb antiques. They wouldn't divulge who the celebs would be but offered excellent remuneration including £750.00 for 1 1/2 days, paid hotel, evening meal and a mileage allowance. Lots of too & fro choosing the car after providing several photo's they said would it be ok if one of the celebs carries a very small dog while in the car. Sure I said as we like the doggies and can we sit a small doggy cage on the back seat he asked? *click*
Last summer I was approached by an agency that provides cars for shows and this one was for celeb antiques. They wouldn't divulge who the celebs would be but offered excellent remuneration including £750.00 for 1 1/2 days, paid hotel, evening meal and a mileage allowance. Lots of too & fro choosing the car after providing several photo's they said would it be ok if one of the celebs carries a very small dog while in the car. Sure I said as we like the doggies and can we sit a small doggy cage on the back seat he asked? *click*
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
That is a great shot of Red! How can just a 1/3 rd of a car look soooo good?? Seriously thinking of going down the rack routeI
did one with Remington razors maybe 2016 and they paid me £500 back then, provided lunch and gave me some of the products - men's groomer type things. Interesting watching it play out but long-winded and quite boring after they do the same shot 20 times
View attachment 29195
I love a C3 with or without it but it would also take the eyes off some sunken production marks from the not brilliant pre paint prep. Best rack? Chrome or stainless ? , leaning toward chrome for originality how many fixings? Best make ?
I
did one with Remington razors maybe 2016 and they paid me £500 back then, provided lunch and gave me some of the products - men's groomer type things. Interesting watching it play out but long-winded and quite boring after they do the same shot 20 times
View attachment 29195
I
did one with Remington razors maybe 2016 and they paid me £500 back then, provided lunch and gave me some of the products - men's groomer type things. Interesting watching it play out but long-winded and quite boring after they do the same shot 20 times
View attachment 29195
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
`Nuff said !
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Thank mate but that '72 is long gone now over the border into white rose country. Now luggage racks. I wouldn't not buy a C3 if it had a rack fitted but I would deffo not fit one to a non rack Corvette. Just my opinion of course and chrome 6 fixings and make sure you don't block the gas cap cover from openingThat is a great shot of Red! How can just a 1/3 rd of a car look soooo good?? Seriously thinking of going down the rack route
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Whilst we are reminiscing about filming exploits , here is the newspaper article about the `Great Farmhouse Breakfast` shoot I was involved in cooking up breakfast on the shovel . It also involved a film crew from Midlands Today TV programme . The loco I was driving 
was only a relatively small tank engine designed primarily for shunting duties and short trip freight trains so the cab was cramped enough for a driver and fireman . We had to cram in a young lady interviewer plus a camera / sound recording guy with large shoulder mounted camera : very cosy !! Apart from asking lots of questions they wanted shots from various angles and asking me to hold poses in front of the fire hole with the shovel complete with sausages , eggs , bacon and tomatoes held over the fire . It was damned hot and burning my hands so I told them to hurry up ! After sturring it all around with a fork umpteen times until they were happy , the `breakfast ` ended up as a one giant congealed mass like an omelette . I sent my fireman off to blag some slices of bread from the station buffet and we carved it up into squares and made sandwiches out of it . The young lady was astonished when she saw us eating and asked if I was worried about germs on the coal shovel . I told her that if any germs could survive the intense heat in the firebox they were quite welcome to have a go at my stomach !
When the train reached the end of the journey at Kidderminster Station we were greeted the hoard of dignitaries mentioned in the news paper and I had to then cook up more sausages so they could pose by the loco with me eating them off a fork . Can`t believe that was 23 years ago now ! Where has the time gone ???
was only a relatively small tank engine designed primarily for shunting duties and short trip freight trains so the cab was cramped enough for a driver and fireman . We had to cram in a young lady interviewer plus a camera / sound recording guy with large shoulder mounted camera : very cosy !! Apart from asking lots of questions they wanted shots from various angles and asking me to hold poses in front of the fire hole with the shovel complete with sausages , eggs , bacon and tomatoes held over the fire . It was damned hot and burning my hands so I told them to hurry up ! After sturring it all around with a fork umpteen times until they were happy , the `breakfast ` ended up as a one giant congealed mass like an omelette . I sent my fireman off to blag some slices of bread from the station buffet and we carved it up into squares and made sandwiches out of it . The young lady was astonished when she saw us eating and asked if I was worried about germs on the coal shovel . I told her that if any germs could survive the intense heat in the firebox they were quite welcome to have a go at my stomach ! When the train reached the end of the journey at Kidderminster Station we were greeted the hoard of dignitaries mentioned in the news paper and I had to then cook up more sausages so they could pose by the loco with me eating them off a fork . Can`t believe that was 23 years ago now ! Where has the time gone ???
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
That was always my thoughts too but every now and again I see one that just looks right. Maybe I will buy a second hand one , then just place it in situ when it’s in the vette room and pop it on the bench when I go out for a drive!! . Best of both worlds and no holes in the deck !Thank mate but that '72 is long gone now over the border into white rose country. Now luggage racks. I wouldn't not buy a C3 if it had a rack fitted but I would deffo not fit one to a non rack Corvette. Just my opinion of course and chrome 6 fixings and make sure you don't block the gas cap cover from opening
The funny thing is , … I’m not even joking !!
. I always said half the fun of vette ownership is buying stuff for it .
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
Nassau65
CCCUK Member
I’ve know a few people who’ve done that unfortunatelyThank mate but that '72 is long gone now over the border into white rose country. Now luggage racks. I wouldn't not buy a C3 if it had a rack fitted but I would deffo not fit one to a non rack Corvette. Just my opinion of course and chrome 6 fixings and make sure you don't block the gas cap cover from opening
I must admit I nearly did it once in my youth.
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Finally got round to changing the Transfer Case fluid on the Grand Cherokee today . Couldn`t do it at the time of the rest of the service as the supplier cocked up my order for the fluid by only sending one bottle !! At least that`s a job put to bed for another 30,000 miles .
Roscobbc
Moderator
On the subject of these car resto 'shows', I'm minded of the show that 'restored' Pete Knodt's '74 big block coupe. I invited the production team along to a regional meeting - no real issues there.....team later spoke with me re. what Pete would have wanted from his car (we both had very similar 'goals') and I knew exactly what he wanted to do with the car. This was all noted by the production team (and duly ignored). I've mentioned it before but the production team get a member of the recipients family to sign a contract. This has a 'gagging' clause that specifically excludes any discussions with media organisations (other than themselves) and effectively allows then to do what they want with the vehicle, minimising any comebacks from the family or owner of the car when returned after 'restoration'.
Petes' brother was the 'family' member. He is a shrewd solicitor and refused to sign their documentation as presented utill a number of changes had been made.
It didn't get signed-off until close (or even after) the car was returned to Pete. So many people had involvement with the resto, seemingly as individuals one after the other were unable to do the work. Gearbox issues, exhaust issues, wiring issues, trim issues were all encountered and most the people brought-in seemed totally out of their depth. They even removed the hi-stall torque converter and replaced with stock. Returning home with the car after the 'unveiling' at Brands Hatch Pete experienced major brake failure. Reason - new front calipers had been installed, but calipers 'halves' hadn't been torque-up before installation. There was a catalogue of other issues, So guy's and gal's - if you are unfortunate enough to fall ill at some point and unable to start (or complete) a resto of your classic car best give careful thought about telling your close family perhaps to carefully consider contacting one of these shows on your behalf?
Petes' brother was the 'family' member. He is a shrewd solicitor and refused to sign their documentation as presented utill a number of changes had been made.
It didn't get signed-off until close (or even after) the car was returned to Pete. So many people had involvement with the resto, seemingly as individuals one after the other were unable to do the work. Gearbox issues, exhaust issues, wiring issues, trim issues were all encountered and most the people brought-in seemed totally out of their depth. They even removed the hi-stall torque converter and replaced with stock. Returning home with the car after the 'unveiling' at Brands Hatch Pete experienced major brake failure. Reason - new front calipers had been installed, but calipers 'halves' hadn't been torque-up before installation. There was a catalogue of other issues, So guy's and gal's - if you are unfortunate enough to fall ill at some point and unable to start (or complete) a resto of your classic car best give careful thought about telling your close family perhaps to carefully consider contacting one of these shows on your behalf?
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
What a bunch of cowboys !! But I have heard similar stories about these resto gangs .
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Sounds familiar to me too .
antijam
CCCUK Member
I must admit I've often wondered just what you get back after consigning your (potential) pride and joy to one of the car resto shows. Having sought shelter indoors today from my freezing garage I was idly watching an episode of 'Car SOS' presented by Tim Shaw and Fuzz Townshend. The duo rescue and restore cars whose owners have suffered some health crisis preventing them from carrying out the work themselves. The programme hinges on the fact that the owner is totally unaware that the work is being carried out, friends or family having contacted the show in secret .
It's a worthy enough concept but I always have a slight unease over quite how pleased the owner really is when presented with his car restored to apparently pristine condition after a resto over which he - or she - has had absolutely no control or even input.
A few years ago I was restoring a 1948 MG TC and coincidentally just prior to this there had been an episode of the TV programme "For the Love of Cars" doing exactly the same thing. As in all these programs the success of the concept hinges on the personality of the presenters , in this case Philip Glenister and Ant Anstead, rather than the detail of the restoration. As part of my resto I bought a complete new metal clad wooden framed 'tub' for the car at a cost of around £6k from the same company that had supplied bodies to the programme....
I was told the production company had actually ended up buying three such tubs before they managed to assemble something presentable. This resto was not done for a specific owner but the finished car was presumably sold afterwards. I hope the buyer gave it a comprehensive inspection.