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heartbeat programme
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Old-Nail
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:18 pm    Post subject: heartbeat programme Reply with quote

I'm not a regular watcher of TV but I have watched a couple of episodes of the Heartbeat ? thing based in the 60's Yorkshire dales.

My gripe with this show is that on both occasions that I watched it I witnessed what could only be described as the mistreatment of classic vehicles, what with wheels skidding and engines screaming to make a 'chase' scene (which appears obligitary).

On both occasions a classic vehicle was destroyed in a crash, I was so P****ed off that I wouldn't watch another episode!

I understand that the producers may purchase the old vehicles to that end, and the cost is merely written off as production costs, but what of the part of our motoring heritage that is also written off in the process!

Should we complain? Should we campaign? what do you think?

Signed Mr. Angry! Evil or Very Mad
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buzzy bee
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

I don't agree with crashing the cars but as long as no long term damage is done to these cars, screaming tyres and engines is all ok. I am a loyal fan of Heartbeat and noone will change that! hehe Very Happy

The one thing that does annoy me is that most of the cars/trucks on Heartbeat are in a1 condition, would a farm pickup/landrover be perfect?

Cheers

Dave
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Uncle Joe
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Heartbeat has just started again here. For me, it must be an almost perfect soap! We have to watch it anyway, because "our Mauds" do, but at least we can look at the cars, and annoy with comments such as "I used to have one of those!" or even better, "I nearly bought one of those once!"

Apart from the car crashes, which I'll come back to, the thing that does annoy me is the lack of accuracy. The programme is set in the late '60's. Using examples from memory, Police bikes at that time were either Triumph Saints or LE Velocettes. A place like Aidensfield would like as not had the latter. Passenger trains were already Diesels as well. Then again, most of the cars seem too old. How many late '60's models are seen?

Getting back to the crashes. This is one thing that annoys me, because if these cars really are crashed and destroyed, they cant be replaced. I just hope that we are all being fooled by clever editing and camera work.

However, there is a parallel that can be drawn. There are a heck of a lot of "restorers" out there that are destroying cars simply by rushing the job, cutting corners, and generally not listening to experienced people! I realise that people have to learn by their mistakes, as well as the fact that neither I nor anyone else can tell them what to do, but even so, do they realise what they are doing?

Signed: Mr Even Angrier
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admin



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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

From what I've read its usually old rotters that get destroyed, bulled up to look good, not that it makes it any better IMHO as there are still spares getting junked just to make some tired old programme

I guess this is the risk when cars get tatty and worth zilch, either someone will buy them to do them up, they'll be scrapped, the banger mob will gleefully destroy them entirely, or perhaps a TV crew will trash them. I'd rather see past-it cars lead a gentle retirement, disintegrating in a quiet field somewhere than see them smashed up for the hell of it

Rick
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Uncle Joe
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It might just be correct about it being rotters that are destroyed.

We started talking about this subject yesterday at our club. One of the gang, an avid "American Graffiti" fan, pointed out that if you look closely at the crash scene after the race towards the end, the car that starts the race is a pillared model, the car that crashes a hardtop with a bit of black tape to make it look like a pillared version....apparently, the first one was too good to crash!

Could the Heartbeat team do the same?
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Old-Nail
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not entirely convinced.

As old cars become rarer there are less and less vehicles that are 'beyond saving'. The examples that I saw destroyed on Heartbeat were certainly good examples, I distinctly remember seeing the twisted metal of the aftermath and thinking "and someone out there would kill for that grille and front bumper!"

To a production crew the vehicle is of no consequence, it is merely contained within part of the total cost for making the show, right up there with the cost of hot-dogs etc. Any attempt to exchange a good car for a tarted up one would not be for the sake of vehicle preservation but to reduce the overall budget.

Sometimes I despair of our 'market driven' values, taken to it's logical conclusion an eccentric billionaire is perfectly entitled to buy up the most unique and rare historic vehicles and put on a banger racing 'do' with them for himself and his mates - not ethical - but legal if you don't care. Sad
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Uncle Joe
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is there any difference apart from time, between the Heartbeat lot wrecking a classic car in an instant in a crash scene, or some half-baked person doing a cowboy restoration that falls into unrestorable condition after a couple of years?
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Old-Nail
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmm... perhaps intent?

T.V. productions will wreck perfectly servicable vehicles for the sake of viewing ratings, whereas a badly restored car may be due to nothing more sinister than incompetence.

The person that bodges a repair or restoration simply to make a fast buck is neither better nor worse than the heartbeat crew, they're both vandals! Evil or Very Mad rant rant etc....
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Uncle Joe
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with your suggestion about intent.

I do think though that in this day and age, there is no excuse for incompetence, although we all suffer from that in one way or another!

If someone was restoring a vehicle, and didn't know how to do a particular job, then there are always forums like this one to ask for advice.
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admin



Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 925

PostPosted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 10:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

How do you define a 'cowboy' restoration though?

- not done with 100% original spec components?
- not perhaps done to factory finish?
- or only done partially, ie still leaving some parts untouched?
- or left half done and abandoned, for someone else to take on?

Lots of things can affect the level of resto undertaken - parts availability, budget, time, and information available are just a few contributory factors. At least the vehicles are still around, available perhaps for future owners to take them on and perform a non-'cowboy' job, which has to be better than vehicles being smashed up simply to satisfy a scriptwriters quest for on-screen glory?

So while I agree that a 100% perfect resto is perhaps the ideal goal, the fact that a vehicle survives, even if not restored to Pebble Beach standards, is much better than a car being lost for good, so I don't see a direct parallel with cars being smashed up on TV, or bangered.

I know that some would sneer at the brush painted job I did on the Ford pickup, to get it back on the road, but to be honest I don't really care, and like I say, it means the vehicle will survive into the future, where it could then receive the nut and bolt job perhaps it deserves??

Rick
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Old-Nail
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 10:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like to refer to my own mechanical incompetence as 'absent mindedness' Laughing

And the cosmetic incompetence is 'inginuity!' Very Happy
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Uncle Joe
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's no easy answer to what describes a cowboy restoration, simply because it could cover so much. If I was going out to buy a project just now, then none of the points mentioned would bother me.

As an example, one thing that would bother me is if I saw evidence of poorly repaired rust. Thats usually the killer for classics, and if its just covered up with say a quick "blow over" rather than cut out, it will only spread.
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Old-Nail
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As I said in the previous post I think that to define something as a 'Cowboy' resto implies a certain deliberate shortcut made with the intent to either decieve or for greater financial gain.

The ordinary owner who uses varying or different means in order to keep his old classic on the road does not therefore qualify as a 'Cowboy', he is simply resourceful! Cool
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Uncle Joe
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with your definition for "cowboy," and also that everybody who runs a classic has to be resourceful at one time or another.

However, if that recourcefulness is not mentioned to a prospective buyer, then surely the seller becomes a cowboy?

Now then tell us about your recourcefulness! I'll bet that its a bit of rust on the 2cv near the suspension mount! That was one of mine, anyway!
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Uncle Joe
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Going back to the subject of Heartbeat, they have started showing what I assume is an old series here.

In todays prog., Davids Aunty Peg has just made an appearence. For those of you that are (or aren't interested), the Austin Goodwood that she drives is the six cylinder version of my first ever restoration..... talk about memories today!
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