Dave the Sparky Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Just discovered it on discovery shed, I found it interesting but of course others may disagree.... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merp0 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Hopefully it'll turn up on Quest in about 5 years, something to look forward to 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammy Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 There is some bodgery in evidence - I think the shocker mounts break when someone bounces the front up and down ( been on a few times before) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 First aired some years ago, been on the repeat cycle ever since. It's a shame really, up till a few years ago you could still find the postings over on the RGB boards that dated from the time the program was being made and it's eventual screening. It's interesting to see the differences directorial control and editing make on the telling of a story. In reality, the guy came across somewhat differently to how was made out in the story. More of a dreamer perhaps, who'd been egged on by the crew, and less of a muppet. I seem to remember it being a bit of a case of someone who didn't know enough to understand what he didn't know, being encouraged in to ever dumber directions and to ignore the advice of people who did know better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave the Sparky Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 As a complete novice I found some stuff interesting, got a couple more episodes to watch, I caught it at chassis stage... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 It's quiet enjoyable to watch in a cringing sort of way; plenty of opportunities to shout at the telly! Usually "No, don't do that", "What the **** are you doing?" and that sort of thing. It's the little details as well, like open hoses and pipes while cutting/grinding/filing near the ends so that they catch a nice load of swarf. It's like one of those information films you get shown of how not to do stuff. If you like the detailed build type progs' try and catch some of the Mark Evans " A ____ Is Born" series when they're on. They're just as staged really, but they do show someone genuinely excited and with some competence learning and developing "proper" amateur type skills. I know he still does a bit of bodging, but at least it's the reasonable, safe type! More to the point, at least the whole aim of the programmes is to show decent quality builds and not just knock the industry and people like us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dombanks Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 It's quiet enjoyable to watch in a cringing sort of way; plenty of opportunities to shout at the telly! Usually "No, don't do that", "What the **** are you doing?" and that sort of thing. It's the little details as well, like open hoses and pipes while cutting/grinding/filing near the ends so that they catch a nice load of swarf. It's like one of those information films you get shown of how not to do stuff. If you like the detailed build type progs' try and catch some of the Mark Evans " A ____ Is Born" series when they're on. They're just as staged really, but they do show someone genuinely excited and with some competence learning and developing "proper" amateur type skills. I know he still does a bit of bodging, but at least it's the reasonable, safe type! More to the point, at least the whole aim of the programmes is to show decent quality builds and not just knock the industry and people like us. they just had A MG if born on at the weekend on shed or whatever, it look stunning when it was done. also really liked his off road 100 wheelbase landy one too. i find his enthusiasm slighly infectious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Yep, I keep the MG is Born and A 4x4 is Born on my Sky +; great for restoring your mojo if you've lost patience/heart with the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stanton Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 and if you look really closely at the footage of his first event at Mallory you might just see a few ex Westfield owners in the background supping a brew and having a bacon butty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave the Sparky Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Watched another episode and it is comical, who builds a car in a garage with no way of getting it out! He doesn't even know if he's going to want to drive it! Strangely compelling.... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FILFAN Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Was on again tonight in full. Been a while since I watched it. I agree that he prob was forced down some directions but who on earth goes out to build a race team from scratch with no experience on driving or building. Would love to know how it ended up finally but I'm guessing not well. Oh would also of decked his sponsor if i got that treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Someone who knows enough to be dangerous... Seriously though, there were a lot of factors that all came together to create a perfect storm of muppetry. the producers must have been rubbing there hands with glee when they realised. Sadly a lot of the contemporary threads that were over on the 750 MC forum by people that were involved, and the guy himself seem to have been lost when they changed their forum. They gave an interesting back story. The guy himself knew a little about cars, about racing etc. but sadly he was at that point where he hadn't actually learnt enough to realise how much he didn't know. He was also surrounded by a group of friends and experts who were very experienced and could have given hime vast amounts of help and advice. However though a combination of stubbornness and ego, (though the ego may well have been stoked off-camera by the producers), he chose to ignore a lot of this and go his own way. Throw in careful editing that minimised any success, or just made it look accidental, and exaggerated any problem or opportunity to make him look daft. It's a classic example of how the TV makers will tell the story they want to regardless. The sponsors, like some of the personal friends, probably saw the weighting on the wall early on and sought to distance themselves and pull out of the project. again, we only see and hear what the film makers want us to. Last thing I remember hearing was that the unfinished project was up for sale and that the chassis had been so butchered it was more or less condemned. The real shame of it is, had the producers wanted to tell a completely different story and the guy been more open to advice and suggestions, he could have either made a good crack and race prepping his existing car and running that. Or, if they'd wanted to concentrate on someone learning racecraft etc. buy an ex championship car that ready to race and campaign that instead. As the program stands though, (and it is in that car crash TV style a guilty pleasure to watch ) a copy should perhaps be given to every new builder with the instruction: watch this, make careful note of what he does. Then do the opposite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocket_rabbit Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Yeah I remember watching the whole series about 18 months ago and laughing at various bits of it. I think a thread about the Dominator chassis is still on LCB about someone posing the question 'How would you reinforce the chassis?' They posted up a picture of the chassis and asked people to put red lines in for addition bracing. Some bloke replied with a big cross through it all!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajpearson Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Got to admit I found it on its last run, and recorded it all on Sky. Being a Novice kit car builder, but with plenty of experience of cars i did find it compelling viewing. But as you have all said, i guessed there were some good editorial decisions to make it more interesting for the viewer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Not sure about good decisions but if you pretend you know nothing about cars and there oily bits, they certainly make it a much more watchable and entertaining programme. And of course, that's what all the multi grade running through our veins true Petrolheads often forget when it comes to TV programmes; if they actually made the programmes we want, or the way we ask, there be no bl**** audience. :laugh: sadly, we'd probably miss them too 'cause we're either in the garage or out blatting at the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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