chopper shows -- have they jumped the shark?
 

Seems like everybody's dog is building a chopper. Have they jumped the shark, or do people still watch the crap?

They jumped after the first season.

In related news, Billy Zane surrendered himself to the Melbourne FL police today to answer charges of Manslaughter.

AFJ

I hope they've jumped. All of the custom building cars/bikes stuff is crap to me. It might be interesting if it was more about the craft and less about people arguing and drama.

I read that Zane had a BAL of .192. Ouch.

Who is Billy Zane?

I like his bikes

http://www.dvdfever.co.uk/reviews/phantom.jpg


ROFL!

OK, I think he means Billy Lane, who was drunk off his ass driving his pickemup. He crossed the double-yellow trying to pass two cars and completely splattered a guy riding his scooter in the other direction.

Manslaughter is all he got booked for, eh? Lane should be shot, hung, castrated, and then shot again. He's already waiting on a DUI trial in NC.

Yes.

I watched for a year or so (OC Choppers, Biker Build Off, etc), but found myself more and more being repulsed by the build quality of the bikes. Not to mention they are all function follows form, and as an engineer/machinist, I can't handle that.

I also get a kick when they show a custom wheel being machined on a CNC mill, and talk about how a set of wheels costs $10,000 or so.

Please, send that work to me. I'll gladly machine those wheels all day long for $10K a set.

I think they have jumped the shark too. Years ago.


Billy's Hubless Chopper is probably the only bike I ever really stopped and took notice of.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1159272116.jpg

Jumped the shark for sure. Can the builds get anymore fugly?

Shark.

I watched a few OCC shows, but quickly lost interest.
Same with Overhauled.

I recognize that Paul Jr. and Foose both have talent in their respective fields, but neither their particular style nor the shows in general hold my interest. I would much rather watch a program that is really a "how to" than a program that is a "look at us".

But even the current shows that profess themselves to be "how to", like CCR, 2Guys, Trucks, etc. are very lacking in detail.

I guess I should just face the fact that TV=entertainment and TV=/=educational.

Yeah, they are more of the same-old same-old. Even choppers by the likes of Big dog, Ironhorse, etc. are fairly commonplace at bike nights.

The 2 builders whom I admire are Matt Hoch and...Izuro??(that isn't right, but he is the japanese guy based in Las Vegas IIRC--his bikesa re all old-school-- true works of art.

Shinya Kimura, formerly of Zero Engineering based in Vegas and Japan, now running an operation in Cali known as Chabott Engineering.

that's him. His bikes are magnificent.

BTW the word on Billy-boy:

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060926/NEWS01/609260328

TANJ - $15k bail my ass!

Jumped. I still like an occasional dose of OCC, mind you, (Shelby bike looks pretty sweet so far) but even that show jumped when it started taking me on "field trips" with the guys to go shoot quail or gramma's birthday or whatever.

American Hot Rod never left the dock, AFAIC.

Most of the rest of 'em didn't interest me much from the beginning. Except maybe the first show on Jesse James.

JP

OCC was a soap opera from day one... if you watch Paul Sr closely he looks like he's on the verge of cracking up (laughing) at any moment (as if he is thinking are these people really buying this crap?). I have noticed they have started doing allot of charity work trying redeem (or draw more attention to?) themselves.

Biker build-off is the only show I can stand to watch.., although most of the bikes they build look uncomfortable and marginally functional. For instance the highly stylized gas tanks and the big bore engine combos look like they have a hundred mile range.

I liked the down south bike builder show, they actually showed more about building bikes than shop drama... most likely that's why the show didn't last. Their bikes were butt ugly however they at least showed you how they built them.

Build of bust is self serving steaming pile of monkey dung. They either bring in some poor guy/gall that is totally clueless and stand around ridiculing them while they try to build a bike. Or if they get someone who is mechanically inclined they piss and moan about "t I though you said you haven't done this before?".
As if any of those dolts build any of their bike BY THEMSELVES! They buy a frame from this guy and pre-built engine from that guy and send everything out to be painted by someone else all while having a shop full of cronies to do their grinding/welding/sheet metal for them.

I don't enjoy those shows to much.

But this term, "jump the shark"?
Does it have anything to do with "the Fonz" water ski jumping over a shark in one of the final episodes of "Happy Days"?

If it is, fine, if not, nevermind. :p

Thanks


KT

Exactly.

http://www.jumptheshark.com/about.htm

Oh, these shows are *IN* the shark tank...

OCC - There was a guy that frequented an RX-7 board that I was on. He used to go to Bible Study group with the Tuttles.

He said he was shocked the first time he saw the show because they do not behave like that in person. Especially at church functions.

He said after the show came out they pretty much disapeared from church.

is there no shame
 

After I saw this little gem, I thought for sure the end of the world was next! Talk about over-exposed and saturated! GAD! I know the name of the game is earn as much as you can, but they should have said "NO"!
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/9...9103100uc8.jpg
FOR SHAME, GUYS....FOR SHAME!

And as for Billy Lane...bye bye Billy! Remember when you were famous? Now you're INfamous! AZZHOLE!!!!! It's terrible that a person's life had to be snuffed out during his downward spiral! Why can't they just self destruct without involving someone else?

Yeah I agree.........................sand_man. When I saw their 'cologne' in Avon's book I just about puked. I said finally someone has figured out a way to completely whore themselves out more than Billy Carter!

I'm not so sure. I watched a few moments of a car builder show last night and in the time I had it on, I saw two procedures we Porsche folks would either not do, or would consider very carefully:

1) Armor-All EVERYTHING, including and especially the tires paying particular attention to the recessed portions of the tread and

2) EXTENSIVE use of Bondo.

............ amateurs. Actually, amateur professionals.

Pure marketing.

"Jump the shark"?!?! Is that like "flog the dolphin" or "spank the monkey" or "rough the suspect"?

Yessiree bob, long time ago. Right after the 2nd season of OCC. And those biker build offs are mostly ugly. I do like the Englishman's classic bikes though.

If anyone asks me to have a car on Overhauling, I'd say no thanks. Looks real good until you get real close. Half the time they can't get the engine started. Last week water was runing out of the water pump. Yeah, like I want a car rebuilt by them?

I agree it should be more craft and less drama. My 12 year old daughter suffers from Hypermelodramatosis so I get enough of that in real life.

How about we talk some folks like Tim Hancock and Henry Schmidt into putting in several motion sensitive garage cams. Puit one by the lathe, one by the milling machine, one in the assembly area, etc.....

I actually am finding everone's responses very interesting. If I may ask, what type of auto or motorcycle show would you guys enjoy watching, or find interesting? Do you think more "how to" is needed, or less "bling" and more actualy performance work on the shows?

Bling? Chrome don't get you home, and sure doesn't make my car faster on the track.

How about no bling, all how-to?
How to cut out the front section of the floor pan and weld in the replacement part...
How to fabricate and replace the rusted out old battery box...

In fact... just take Waynes 101 Projects book and make 101 episodes.
(Make sure you pay him royalties so he can keep the forums going.)



Only 5 posts? Programming spy lurking in our midst?

Absolute fav is that guy that focuses on one brand and does a complete history including the actual cars from that era. Then he takes them out and thrashes them.

Victory by Design

In-famous is when you're MORE than famous. he's not just famous, he's IN-famous.

Love the show, its almost too good for TV.

I have also noticed that most of the "car" shows seem to be more of an infomercial.

Dave - You are right on the mark for this one! The godd@mn shows could not whore-out anymore than if you were watching nascar!

Gives a new meaning to obvious product placement...........jeeez

More "how-to"
Less phoney drama--the sweating over deadlines, the stupid "pranks" on overhaulin, the in-fighting.
and I would really like to see a follow-up--as to how these (bikes, cars, whatever) actually have held up 2,000 miles/6 months, etc later.

I know the ones on overhaulin have to be on the verge of shambles with the way they slap the things together in their rush to get done.

A good template would be a more exciting version of the 'Classic car restoration" show on DIY network--the show where the guy restored a 58(IIRC) vette, an alfa, the packard, and the 68 camaro.
The "Trucks" show was good whent Stacey was on there--since they ****canned him, I can't stand to watch that program anymore, I watched it all the time previous to his being let-go--it was informative and ahd the right balance of common fix-its to radical custom.

There used to be an English guy and he had a show where he would pick something interesting like a 1966 Harley or a Jag XKE and completely restore it w/o all bling. He' go fins a real piece and haul to his garage and start the process

It was really aimed towards the do-it-your-selfer, He did almost everything by himself and he had a guy on the side that helped as well and threw in a few laughs, very entertaining and infromative.

Sadly I never see it anymore, cannot even think of the name!

A Chopper is Born, A Plane is Born, etc..

Most of the better shows come from Oversea's. The only comment can make about chopper building is that it must not be that hard. If you think of it, balancing a bike on two wheels is nothing compared to making a sports car that actually can handle.

I'll skip the 30 minute episode on washing the car. :lol:

But, yeah, that's the kind of stuff to watch.

A Car is Born was fantastic. I watched every episode of the restoration of the Jag convertible.

I also like PINKS, although that isn't a rebuild show. I just like watching the car get loaded onto someone else's trailer at the end ("Walk away.....from me.....my love").

Oddly enough, I' m a producer with the company that does Classic Car Restoration and Classic Rides. I agree with you guys, I think Victory by Design and Top Gear are the best shows out there and am trying to push our shows in that direction. I'm campaigning for a 70's 911 to be the next candidate for Classic Car, I'll let you know how that goes.