Chip Foose - love him, hate him, couldn't care less?

[twodko]

Def def def what TT said.

My thoughts are summed up pretty well by Dreamcar.

I do not like wheels bigger than 18" and loath rubber band tires. Foose seems to think cars look better if they're lowered. That is another look I really dislike unless it's a lead sled or low rider.

[Dans 68]

CCL

Dan

[71green go]

I liked the show although I find it a bit outdated now watching reruns....

Most of the cars were neglected and what he did was pretty amazing for guys that probably would have never gotten around to do anything with them...he did speak to family members asking opinions....I am sure if they said NO DONT mod to far from stock he would have listened...these cars were I am sure screened LONG before the episode was ever created ...its TV

The Challenger was Probably put up for sale trying to cash in on a FOOSE car and asking big dollars......

The Man is a true talent look at the rods he did for the Ridler awards...Amazing..

Its a show, If he just build stock looking cars then most probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much...don't think it was intended to make everyone love the designs...I am sure many of the tears from guys receiving a car with over $75,000 parts an labour were real tears of joy...

Chip come take my car...if I don't like the two tone I will just repaint that part!..

[Troy]

A Coronet 440? Mid level, nothing terribly special about it. (The "440" in the name is the trim level - NOT the engine size!) Probably worth less in stock form than the materials in the paint job OR the Hemi alone.

I rarely watch the show these days. Probably have only ever watched parts of the first season or so. However... what do you expect the cars to look like when the lead designer builds custom cars/rods for a living? If they just restored cars then they could save a lot of money on his salary! At least he tries to get a feel for what the owner would want (colors, etc.). The big stereos, wheels, and other assorted doodads are sponsor products. Obviously enough people watch the show for it to still be on the air. It's either popular because people like what they're doing or because it's a train wreck (like most "reality TV"). Either way, it makes money - so it's a success.

If you want to see how to ruin a car try going to some of the big national shows. Lots of WTF moments to be found. On the other hand, rows and rows of totally stock cars gets boring too.

Troy

[John_Kunkel]

I, too, have to respect his talent but a lot of his work isn't to my taste...especially the habit of equipping everything with dubs and rubber bands.

[bull]

You can't really "ruin" a car with wheels. It's a 15 minute fix to put normal wheels on something. The paint jobs are a different story. Lots of work required to fix his paint schemes, and if my car had any of about 90% I've seen of his I would have to fix it. He seems like a real decent guy but his overdone use of two-tons paint schemes looks wrong on the cars he restores. His designs seem to reflect some odd sort of lowrider crossover theme.

[chargerman69]

I hate him a lot, they ruin to many classic's,

[Homerr]

You can't really "ruin" a car with wheels. It's a 15 minute fix to put normal wheels on something. The paint jobs are a different story. Lots of work required to fix his paint schemes, and if my car had any of about 90% I've seen of his I would have to fix it. He seems like a real decent guy but his overdone use of two-tons paint schemes looks wrong on the cars he restores. His designs seem to reflect some odd sort of lowrider crossover theme.

True.  And at least all the orange Chargers haven't had their door handles shaved, so they are just a paint job for someone in the future.   

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Most of the cars were neglected and what he did was pretty amazing for guys that probably would have never gotten around to do anything with them...he did speak to family members asking opinions....I am sure if they said NO DONT mod to far from stock he would have listened...these cars were I am sure screened LONG before the episode was ever created ...its TV

 Totally agree. If it wasn't for Chip and the crew 99% of the cars on the show would still be rotting away. The majority of the cars were rusted out pieces of shit that were way beyond the repair of a home garage mechanic.

There are a bunch of episodes where the insiders say that the owner wants a solid color and Chip does it. The 67 Chevelle episode, Chip paints it a solid silver and it looked amazing. His personal 56 ford pickup, AMAZING!!!! There is no question the man is talented. Does he go overboard on paint? Yes, but when you have built, designed, and painted hundreds if not thousands of cars and the owners tell you to go wild and make a show piece, the two tone makes sense.    

As for the Challenger, the owner definitely tried to cash in on the Foose name. If he didn't like it he could have painted it or changed up some things but instead threw it on ebay to cash in. Or the owner just couldn't handle the attention of owning a show car.

I'm not a fan of two tone paint but I like Chip's style. He does extremely clean builds and seems like a great guy.  

I hate him a lot, they ruin to many classic's,

That's a harsh statement. To say you hate him because of how he designs cars??? You need to find a new hobby.

How many Ridler awards do you have on your shelf?  

[bill440rt]

Was the Challenger on eBay the actual car from the show? 
I know after that show aired Foose had advertised that you could have built-to-order one of those Challenger look-a-likes. IIRC the real Challenger from the show was making car show rounds on the west coast somewhere by the owner. 

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Was the Challenger on eBay the actual car from the show? 
I know after that show aired Foose had advertised that you could have built-to-order one of those Challenger look-a-likes. IIRC the real Challenger from the show was making car show rounds on the west coast somewhere by the owner. 

Same one. The guy was asking like $200 grand. That's not the asking price of someone who wants to get rid of a car because they don't like the paint.   

[charge69]

You are right!  That is the price of someone figuring out he will get a 1099R for the many thousands of dollars Chip spent on "restoring" his ride!  The "customer" always get a 1099R for the parts and, possibly, "labor" involved in fixing up these cars and I will bet it will bug your eyes out to see what was spent!

I worked with a guy that drove a VW bus he picked up out of California that had Chip's "restoration" done on it. The original owner got a 1099R for over 49K for the work and had to sell the bus to pay the taxes! This was 7 or 8 years ago. I would imagine a LOT more is spent on "restoring" the current crop of cars!

Remember, when dealing with the Government, nothing is "free" !!

[71green go]

yep Disclaimer from application from show


Disclaimer: Applicant agrees to pay all federal, state, and local taxes, including income, use or sales taxes or any other governmental charges imposed on prizes, including the value of any goods or services received and cash gifts, if any, given to me or received by me by reason of my participation in the program and I release and indemnify producer from any liability therefor. I also authorize producer to deduct or withhold any such taxes or charges that require a payment prior to delivery of said prizes, cash or gifts.

just like any tv game show...tax man is waiting out backstage.

Not like that here in Canada, maybe they can start a new show here

[bill440rt]

OK, but $200K is quite a bit more than $49K. 

[hemihead]

Not a fan .  I saw only one show and that was with the Challenger . The part that stuck in my mind was he made a comment about the stripes saying along the lines of that was what Chrysler had on their cars in the 60's and 70's . Now the stripe on the car vaguely resembles a 70 AAR but not quite .
Anybody that doesn't know Mopars should just stay away from them . Period . As far as skill goes , I 've seen his crew do all the work but him personally  ?  The whole ghetto wheel thing has to go . When me and my buddies see a messed up car we look at each other and say that they " Foosed it " or " That's Foosed Up " .

[HeavyFuel]

The guy seems decent, the basis of the show is sound. 

Foose has artistic talent, although it seems that there is a certain 'formula' to his creations, if they really are his.  That could be the plan.  He's an intelligent businessman, it seems.

After all, show and shines are loaded with vehicles that are pretty close to stock, but not all that many that are 'Foosed'.  So I guess he's filling a niche.

Considering the demography of this site's members, most of the responses could have been predicted.  We don't like our classics dicked with to an extreme.

I wouldn't describe myself with the dreaded "P" word, but my taste does lean toward original/original looking.....so most of Foose's creations agonize me.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

I didn't see the Coronet episode but since a 440 engine wasn't available in a Coronet 440, Foose more than likely pulled a 318 out it. If that was the case, well, I'd go with the hemi too.

As far as Foose is concerned even though I don't care too much for his style, he seems like an okay guy and near as I can tell does quality work. And I'd much rather watch Foose's show than Gas Monkey Garage with the egotistical chump flipper Richard. 

[polywideblock]

Was the Challenger on eBay the actual car from the show? 
I know after that show aired Foose had advertised that you could have built-to-order one of those Challenger look-a-likes. IIRC the real Challenger from the show was making car show rounds on the west coast somewhere by the owner. 

one in the same, they were moning about how he'd ruined the car and they just couldn't look at it anymore

[charge69]

That's funny about "not being able to look at it anymore". I would have been seriously pissed also!

bill440rt:  Remember, I am talking about a VW bus that Chip "restored" at least 8 years ago, maybe longer!  Yeah, the guy is crazy for asking 200K for it but, a fella's got to make a little profit on it, don't he?  Ha!  I would not be surprised to see at least a 100K 1099R presented to the owner!  Screw your Challenger up AND charge you the taxes on 100K to do it! WTF !!!!!!!!

[bill440rt]

It all boils down to a matter of tastes. Some people like his style, others don't. It's that simple. Put up one picture of a custom car, ANY custom car, and some will have some good to say while others will nit-pick it to death.
Like what was mentioned, this is TV. The disclaimer is printed on the application. People must be fully aware what they're getting themselves into if it's printed right on the application. Who are we to judge that? From what I'm reading about this Challenger sale is that there were family health issues?    Regardless, they sure seemed damn happy when it was revealed.

As stated, he is a CUSTOMIZER. He builds hot rods for a living. There are plenty of others out there doing similar builds (Steve Strope, Troy Trepanier, etc), yet it seems when it comes to Mopars it's blasphemy.
I like seeing some of the latest trends. There are more aftermarket parts available these days than ever before imagined. Brake upgrades, suspension upgrades, chassis, interior, modern engine swaps, the list goes on & on.
It's come a long way since aluminum slotted wheels, air shocks, sidepipes, blowers sticking thru hoods, and diamond tuck velvet upholstery. It's just another trend, like the pro-street movement. It'll be here a while, something else will come along at some point. 

[polywideblock]

the host of the show said it himself on the episode where the did the coronet /super bee   mopar guys are hard core and some are gonna hate it


liked the episode where they did the 69 roadrunner convert   


    and  like I said in original post they told them they were going stock on the challenger and they still gave it the "hot rod" treatment 

[Kern Dog]

I agree with the OP to a point. I'm sure that Chip is capable of a stock type build though. My guess is what he is smart enough to leave rare or valueable cars alone.
I am a fan of the big wheel look as long as the wheels are no larger than 20s. I actually prefer an 18" wheel as long as the width is there. I went with 18x10 and 18x9 because I wanted the same diameter tire as stock but with more width and a shorter sidewall for better handling.
Some of Foose's paintwork is not my taste especially some of the heavy metallics or 2 tone designs.

[RallyeMike]

His folks do quality work and it makes the car owners happy every time. So his style is not my cup of tea, but what's not to like about making other people happy?! 

[JamieZ]

As many have said, Chip Foose's craftsmanship and attention to detail is top notch.  His style....well that's a matter of taste.  I think his look works on some cars...but no so much on others.

I do really like the concept of Overhaulin'  take some normal deserving guy's (or gal's) car and finish it up for them to a level they could never do.  I'm sure some of it is exaggerated/overplayed, but it's nice when TV shows (especially car shows) have a "feel good" vibe to them instead of a make money (Gas Monkey Garage) or drama (Graveyard Carz) theme.  It's the same reason that I like Search and Restore on the PowerBlock.

[projectanimal]

As many have said, Chip Foose's craftsmanship and attention to detail is top notch.  His style....well that's a matter of taste.  I think his look works on some cars...but no so much on others.

I do really like the concept of Overhaulin'  take some normal deserving guy's (or gal's) car and finish it up for them to a level they could never do.  I'm sure some of it is exaggerated/overplayed, but it's nice when TV shows (especially car shows) have a "feel good" vibe to them instead of a make money (Gas Monkey Garage) or drama (Graveyard Carz) theme.  It's the same reason that I like Search and Restore on the PowerBlock.

X2... Love the show, guys do great work, and chip is Very talented.  I miss AJ though! 
I forget which episodes, but back in the early years gas monkey boys were used to help restore a few cars.  I'm pretty sure that's where they got the idea to make their own show.  Richard had a ponytail and was trying to work on the cars...