V23 on American Rustoration

[briandr1]

Then does this mean he really didny get 10 grand for it lol
 

[tkaz]

I think the V23 came out pretty good, that was a lot of body work, and assuming they didn't just pull another one from the pit, it was pretty straight when it was done.  If you go to the website, a lot of the items that were on the show are up for sale.

I'm not going to sit around and defend the place and their prices; but I can understand what they have to do to make a decent TV show.  I will say that if there was a film crew at my house trying to make a show out of one of my resto jobs, they would fall asleep!

[briandr1]

LOL I agree your right

[globalcompressors]

you know what???

If the pricing is real, and if it's a real customer, (remember...t.v.), I say more power to him!

If I did the work, and my customer is happy...that's what matters. If I charge $500 or $5000
for the job, and I get it...awesome!

You don't want to pay the price...go get a paint brush and a magic marker,  paint your machine,
put a sticker on it, and call it restored... 

You "armchair Quarterbacks" .... crack me up...HAHAHAHAHA!!!

[Eric]

overpriced in my opinion.... But he does have cool stuff come in... And I'm sure it's all real... I mean
Stoner Coffee machines are pitched by schools all the time.... lucky though the missing parts are readally available at any flea market.

[Marvin]

Sounds high to me for that machine.  I do agree with Eric about price and being happy.  The problem with the show for me is :

The viewers don't see what goes into the restoration.  They want to see drama and be fluffed up.  We can't see the down and dirty details of assembly and individual parts.  A whole machine is brought in, restored, and delivered in 30 minutes.  Kind of blows it out of the water for me. 

I want to see detailed pictures / up close views of the stuff.

I've seen some stuff get delivered and was like OMG.  I couldn't charge that kind of money, do a job like that and be able to sleep at night.  Look at the Pepsi machine that Moondawg had a while back.  Is the TV making quality go away?

 

 

[Eric]

A old couple drives from New York with a smashed/sad machine.... with no clue on restoration cost.... Who hops in their car, drives across country with no clue of what it's gonna cost? They know they're on TV....
I would have rather have seem them spend more time showing that poor guy restoring it... that, to me was the best part. you never see the good stuff/restoration part enough... And the Pep Boy Statue...come on!
Didn't see anything on that.... Very cool and rare piece.

[globalcompressors]

Sounds high to me for that machine.  I do agree with Eric about price and being happy.  The problem with the show for me is :

The viewers don't see what goes into the restoration.  They want to see drama and be fluffed up.  We can't see the down and dirty details of assembly and individual parts.  A whole machine is brought in, restored, and delivered in 30 minutes.  Kind of blows it out of the water for me.  

I want to see detailed pictures / up close views of the stuff.

I've seen some stuff get delivered and was like OMG.  I couldn't charge that kind of money, do a job like that and be able to sleep at night.  Look at the Pepsi machine that Moondawg had a while back.  Is the TV making quality go away?

 

  

Dude... it's ALL tv. Do you really think Big Paul and Junior build a bike in 3 days or Ty Pennington builds a complete home
in under a week? It's all 'fluff".  

The quality is in YOUR control. There's no rule that says a full time restorer (or compressor mechanic) has to go BROKE!!!  I charge
what I charge and I sleep just fine at night. I'm right there, on the edge of what I can charge, and frankly, it weeds out the "tire kickers".
I don't want to do a half ass job for someone, and then lose sleep because I used a 50 year old fan motor, simply because it ran.

You Guys can kick Rick around all you want. I've spoken with him a few times and have been in his store, at Cesar's Palace...yes Cesar's.
None of you guys could even afford the rent of that store, let alone afford the shop area he had...and ALL BEFORE HE HAD A TV SHOW!!!

You restoration Guys want to work for free...okay. Customers looking for restoration... you want to pay for a half assed job...fine.
You come to me....you're gonna pay for it.  I will tell you this though... I'll put my machines up against anyone, and
I'll show you how to make a profit and how to keep your customers happy.

Marvin, you are like I am, in the business...and want to see EVERYTHING. Me too, but the typical customer...they don't need to go through
all of that, and the folks at home, watching tv...boring.    hahaha sure, have a camera crew in my shop, watching for 3 or 4 hours, me... building
a compressor unit... better to set up a camera on "This Old House" and watch paint dry!  

[collecture]

The quality is in YOUR control....None of you guys could even afford the rent of that store, let alone afford the shop area he had...

First off - I agree with you Eric - quality is in our control!! My Father-In-Law always used to say "I'd looked at the guy that came to fix my plumbing and say to myself 'If THAT guy can do it - I can do it!!'" If only he had had the Internet (as it has become)! What a wonderful tool!!
Personally, I think I would rather learn how to do something than pay someone to do it (within cost efficient reason). It took me a long time to realize that!

Secondly - Don't underestimate the wealth of some people on this site! It is not a cheap hobby! It is a somewhat debasing statement! Money is cheap now too (if you got the credit)!

[90grad]

The geek engineer (my wife calls me an "Enginerd") in me wishes they would show more of the technical side, but, as Eric stated, that wouldn't make for good TV.  I didn't have any basis with his price, because he basically rebuilt the machine from scratch (or at least that's what it appeared) and I couldn't estimate on something like that.  My big issue with Rick and some other stuff you see on TV is when he provides some untrue information (he called the 23 a Vendorlator 23...okay, that's picky) or makes a quote to what a machine is now worth.  The old adage, "it's worth what someone will pay" certainly applies, but, selfishly, that can drive up the price on stuff for regular yahoos like me.

That said, I think there is also a credibility issue involved.  If Eric at Global Compressors, Pat, Glen, or some of the other restoration folks here told me it would cost x-number of dollars to restore or repair something, I positively know two things....

1. The work will be top notch.
2. The price will be fair for both him and me.  I have NO problem paying for quality work, and I know these guys deliver.

Why do I know this?... They have established reputations, both business and personal.  I've dealt with these guys at one or both of these levels and I have the experience to fall back on.  Rick Dale is certainly a good businessman, as you don't run a company for many years by screwing up all the time, but because there is a now a TV show involved, sometimes a little tarnish to the reputation happens and is exposed here.  Examples....

1. Rick's treatment of Josh (loman4ec) over the Victor Cooler transaction.
2. The show's (I won't say Rick, because this was a show story) presentation of the VMC 27 restoration.
3. The infamous Vendo 39 transformation from a Cavalier 72.  

Holy mackeral, I didn't mean to type so much.  I like to watch the show to see what's coming in, and I will shamelessly admit it's fun to correct Rick when he's made a hiccup or when we know the real back story to the segment.  The bottom line is this is TV.  They gotta do something to get people watching, because the advertising is where the real money is.

Just my 2 cents (well, 1 cent after Obama take his cut).

Wayne