donsrods
Well-known member
I know we have discussed this show before on here, and also that they occasionally visit us here, but I watched the show last night again and really have to comment.
I think any time someone puts out a show based on their work it should be the very best they have to offer. The cars being cranked out by DVAP are not much more than a quickie Scheib spray job, some parts scavaged off of other similar cars, engines and transmissions pulled from some car in the yard, and a coverup interior done in a day or two. If they were auctioning the cars as such that would be one thing, but I have heard terms like "full restoration" and "rebuilt engine" used at the auction block and IMO neither is truthful.
For example, the term "full restoration" means just that. Every component is brought back to factory specs and appearances or replaced with a new part. I have never seen them do a rotissery job on any car, nor have they rebuilt major components like the rear end, transmission, brakes, engine, suspension, etc. On the 68 Charger they did last night they plopped a rusty 383 and transmission out of some car, put it directly into the car, and then had the nerve to say at the auction "the engine has been rebuilt."
Unless they editted out the machining, rebuilding, and painting of that engine, it was not done.
Another area is the bondo they apply to get the car presentable. Every restoration has some filler in it, that I get, but you need to apply it sparingly and over a SUPER clean substrate. They were smearing tons of filler over panels last night that still had rust on them and were proud of that work. I pity the guys who buy these "fully restored and rebuilt" cars because I bet it is only a matter of time before the bubbles start showing up under the paint job. They sort of explain away that shoddiness by saying "we are selling driver quality cars at a fraction of their true value" but that doesn't make covering up bad steel and junkyard motors right.
The icing on the cake was when they took this Charger "Muscle Car" to the drags and it turned over 19 seconds in the quarter !!!!!! [cl For Gods sake, a stock VW beetle turns those times! [cl If that engine were healthy it should turn no more than 14 flat, even the 2011 Charger on the show turned that.
You guys at DVAP may be a good source for old car parts, but you really need to stay away from the "restoration game."
Don
I think any time someone puts out a show based on their work it should be the very best they have to offer. The cars being cranked out by DVAP are not much more than a quickie Scheib spray job, some parts scavaged off of other similar cars, engines and transmissions pulled from some car in the yard, and a coverup interior done in a day or two. If they were auctioning the cars as such that would be one thing, but I have heard terms like "full restoration" and "rebuilt engine" used at the auction block and IMO neither is truthful.
For example, the term "full restoration" means just that. Every component is brought back to factory specs and appearances or replaced with a new part. I have never seen them do a rotissery job on any car, nor have they rebuilt major components like the rear end, transmission, brakes, engine, suspension, etc. On the 68 Charger they did last night they plopped a rusty 383 and transmission out of some car, put it directly into the car, and then had the nerve to say at the auction "the engine has been rebuilt."
Unless they editted out the machining, rebuilding, and painting of that engine, it was not done.Another area is the bondo they apply to get the car presentable. Every restoration has some filler in it, that I get, but you need to apply it sparingly and over a SUPER clean substrate. They were smearing tons of filler over panels last night that still had rust on them and were proud of that work. I pity the guys who buy these "fully restored and rebuilt" cars because I bet it is only a matter of time before the bubbles start showing up under the paint job. They sort of explain away that shoddiness by saying "we are selling driver quality cars at a fraction of their true value" but that doesn't make covering up bad steel and junkyard motors right.
The icing on the cake was when they took this Charger "Muscle Car" to the drags and it turned over 19 seconds in the quarter !!!!!! [cl For Gods sake, a stock VW beetle turns those times! [cl If that engine were healthy it should turn no more than 14 flat, even the 2011 Charger on the show turned that.
You guys at DVAP may be a good source for old car parts, but you really need to stay away from the "restoration game."
Don
