This show is best described as a continuation of the "Wheeler Dealers" series, but with two different guys hosting it, instead of Mike Brewster and Edd China. The concept is, at the core of it, the same: every episode the hosts of the show buy a decrepit old vehicle ("banger"), restore it, breathe a new life into it and sell it on for a bit of profit.
Just as in the "Wheeler Dealers", we get to see the entire process, all the way from the purchase, which is always spiced up with a bit of haggle; over the restoration, where there's a lot of informative DIY stuff to learn, albeit at the most superficial level because the 30 minute format doesn't allow for much more; to the selling of the restored and improved vehicle off to a keen buyer, again with a bit of haggle.
There are natural differences to the "Wheeler Dealers". The hosts in this one, Will Trickett and Gus Gregory, both do all the phases together, because they act as partners. Both are equally adept at the economical and the mechanical aspect of the job. Unlike Mike Brewster, none of them comes across as sleazy or bullish, when it comes to purchasing and selling, which is a good thing, nor is either of them an eccentric know-it-all car mechanic genius, like Edd China, which is any way you take it. They pose as common, down-to-earth blokes that just love the job they do, nothing more, nothing less. They are also quite likable, particularly Will with his wild mutton chops, and that is enough to make for an enjoying half an hour of watch per episode.
Then there are contrivances by the show makers, aimed at really setting "Flipping Bangers" apart from "Wheeler Dealers", which are really unneccessary to my mind, because, when I start thinking about them, they take away from the show, instead of adding to it.
The first one is that Will and Gus try to pose as good friends, which is ridiculous. Everyone can see that there is no real chemistry between the two and any type of banter between them, such as Gus picking on Will for humourous effect, just feels staged and forced, and falls flat. The second device is all that business with making tea and having tea all the time, but with no follow up. I'm aware that it's England and all, but does the tea have to be mentioned every five minutes, without us ever even seeing the blokes actually sipping it, enjoying it or discussing the taste?
The third device is their so-called "business model" for which they had "quit their day jobs", and making it seem real-life. Apparently, they buy one "banger" per week, allocate one day of their time to procure it, four days to restore it and one day to sell it on. They invest their own cash into the car and into all the neccessary reparations, and they have no time to do anything else because the car consumes all their time. They cash-in between 500 and 1000 pounds of "profit" after every sale, then they move on, buying the next car with the money they've earned previously.
It's really ridiculous when you think about it. The sales make in total between 2000 and 4000 pounds monthly to split between the two. I doubt you can live in England on 2000 pounds a month. And that's without counting in the running costs: the rent for the garage, the electricity, the tools that break and need to be replaced, the storage of cars they don't sell off right away? Not to mention taxes. These things all eat away the "profits", don't they? On top of that, it so happens that they manage to buy a completely different brand of car every single episode. Who in real life does that? In real life people concentrate on only a couple of brands, preferrably ones they can "flip" quickly, and they do the same chosen brands over and over again. That's how you make your job better, faster and more viable. It's a fantasy to think you can quickly move from a Beetle to an Alfa, then to a Lada, then to God-knows-what in a matter of days, especially when it comes to vintage models, which they all are in this series.
There's no reality in any of these contrivances and the only reality is that the show makers create them to keep the audience engaged somehow. It does nothing for me, other than making me deduct two stars from what would've been a ten-star rating. To me it would have been enough if they just kept it educational. Education is what I expect when I turn on a documentary channel. Entertainment is secondary. And I certainly don't care for those Yank-type "reality TV" tropes.
Just as in the "Wheeler Dealers", we get to see the entire process, all the way from the purchase, which is always spiced up with a bit of haggle; over the restoration, where there's a lot of informative DIY stuff to learn, albeit at the most superficial level because the 30 minute format doesn't allow for much more; to the selling of the restored and improved vehicle off to a keen buyer, again with a bit of haggle.
There are natural differences to the "Wheeler Dealers". The hosts in this one, Will Trickett and Gus Gregory, both do all the phases together, because they act as partners. Both are equally adept at the economical and the mechanical aspect of the job. Unlike Mike Brewster, none of them comes across as sleazy or bullish, when it comes to purchasing and selling, which is a good thing, nor is either of them an eccentric know-it-all car mechanic genius, like Edd China, which is any way you take it. They pose as common, down-to-earth blokes that just love the job they do, nothing more, nothing less. They are also quite likable, particularly Will with his wild mutton chops, and that is enough to make for an enjoying half an hour of watch per episode.
Then there are contrivances by the show makers, aimed at really setting "Flipping Bangers" apart from "Wheeler Dealers", which are really unneccessary to my mind, because, when I start thinking about them, they take away from the show, instead of adding to it.
The first one is that Will and Gus try to pose as good friends, which is ridiculous. Everyone can see that there is no real chemistry between the two and any type of banter between them, such as Gus picking on Will for humourous effect, just feels staged and forced, and falls flat. The second device is all that business with making tea and having tea all the time, but with no follow up. I'm aware that it's England and all, but does the tea have to be mentioned every five minutes, without us ever even seeing the blokes actually sipping it, enjoying it or discussing the taste?
The third device is their so-called "business model" for which they had "quit their day jobs", and making it seem real-life. Apparently, they buy one "banger" per week, allocate one day of their time to procure it, four days to restore it and one day to sell it on. They invest their own cash into the car and into all the neccessary reparations, and they have no time to do anything else because the car consumes all their time. They cash-in between 500 and 1000 pounds of "profit" after every sale, then they move on, buying the next car with the money they've earned previously.
It's really ridiculous when you think about it. The sales make in total between 2000 and 4000 pounds monthly to split between the two. I doubt you can live in England on 2000 pounds a month. And that's without counting in the running costs: the rent for the garage, the electricity, the tools that break and need to be replaced, the storage of cars they don't sell off right away? Not to mention taxes. These things all eat away the "profits", don't they? On top of that, it so happens that they manage to buy a completely different brand of car every single episode. Who in real life does that? In real life people concentrate on only a couple of brands, preferrably ones they can "flip" quickly, and they do the same chosen brands over and over again. That's how you make your job better, faster and more viable. It's a fantasy to think you can quickly move from a Beetle to an Alfa, then to a Lada, then to God-knows-what in a matter of days, especially when it comes to vintage models, which they all are in this series.
There's no reality in any of these contrivances and the only reality is that the show makers create them to keep the audience engaged somehow. It does nothing for me, other than making me deduct two stars from what would've been a ten-star rating. To me it would have been enough if they just kept it educational. Education is what I expect when I turn on a documentary channel. Entertainment is secondary. And I certainly don't care for those Yank-type "reality TV" tropes.
