Wrecks to Riches - Season 1

Barry White, a Hot Rod superstar, is struggling to find a wreck to work on for the upcoming Kruse Auto Auction in Las Vegas. He wants to build a'super muscle' car that looks like the 1960s but drives like 2005. After trawling junkyards, Barry has run out of time. He finds an old wreck belonging to his daughter Jen, but she storms off after hearing the news. The Speed Shop emergency turns into a family feud, and Barry's team tries to turn a clapped-out Chevy Chevelle into a show-stopping muscle car in just four weeks. The cost of the car and Barry's money back are uncertain, and their fate lies in the hands of fickle buyers. Barry's money, reputation, and family relations are on the line as they try to pull off the project. The story highlights the challenges faced by a talented team in transforming a seemingly simple car into a stunning masterpiece.

Barry White is attempting to recreate a '71 Plymouth Road Runner for the Silver Auto Auction in Reno, Nevada. After discovering the rusty Road Runner, Barry buys a second Plymouth to create a Super Muscle Car. His designer, Chris Brown, suggests they create a GTX, the top-of-the-line Plymouth muscle car, using a MOPAR Hemi engine. However, the project runs out of time and costs Barry more than he initially wanted. As they get into their Frankenstein creation, they realize it may have been a mistake. MOPAR fans are hard-markers and fiercely protective of their brand. Barry and the team must decide whether to create a GTX to loosen the cash or leave with a monster no one wants.

Barry White buys '69 Camaro shell from a wrecking yard, but it turns out to be cursed. The build is delayed due to hidden rust and dodgy bodywork, causing him to spend more money than planned on new sheet-metal. Strange things happen, such as the super-charger not fitting the engine, wrong parts being delivered, and the engine bay catching fire. The team dubs the Camaro "Christine" after Stephen King's killer car. Barry receives help from the Corona Police Department and muscle car fans, and the well-drilled machine works perfectly. Christine is ready for auction at Jackson Hole, but Camaro owes him $40,000. The auction starts, and a rival fully-restored Camaro goes under the hammer for $25,000. Will Christine's curse mean Barry loses his shirt?

Class is in at Barry White’s Speed Shop. Five students from the local Hot Rod University volunteer to help Barry’s team turn a clapped-out ’70 Pontiac Le Mans into a brand new GTO for the Silver Auto Auction in Portland, Oregon. With just four weeks to complete the transformation, it seems like a good idea — until Barry finds the pitfalls of playing teacher and producing a Super Muscle Car at the same time. There are speed bumps at every turn. Seems no one did the homework on GTO parts — the crucial front-end is missing in action. And the promise of a job to the best student turns the classroom into a Bullpen. The students spilt into A and B teams creating a distraction just when Barry needs results. If that isn’t enough, word is there’s no money at the Portland auction. Barry’s favourite buyers aren’t coming. GTO 101 is shaping up for disaster.

Barry White's speed shop is struggling to turn 10 wrecks into auction showpieces, and morale is low. To revive his team, Barry plans to build a green, super-muscle dragster based on a '60s Chevy Nova,' 'Gangreen'. The team is excited about the car, as it brings back memories and motivates drag fans. However, Barry knows that putting a drag car under the hammer is a big gamble, as there will be limited buyers and it won't be the car to take shopping. He encourages his young paint and body guy, Todd, and challenges another of his charges, Branden, to get an old shop dragster ready for a showdown at the end of the build. The team is about to find out if they can make a race-certified, street-legal, fire-breather monster in four weeks.

Barry White's reputation as an award winning hot rod builder is on the line. He has a crazy idea to recreate a '60s Stock Car — in race-trim, but street legal. And not just any Stock Car; he's asked legendary race car driver Parnelli Jones for permission to reproduce his 1964 Mercury Marauder and he doesn't want to let him down. Normally Barry needs four weeks to transform old wrecks into auction drawcards, but this time he only has three. He's thinking a rough and ready stock car should be any easy build. Until he finds out nobody makes the parts anymore. Adding to his worries, he doesn't have his normal team of workers and has to call in some family favors. The speed shop is stressed to the max, so it's all hands on deck. But will everyone pull their weight? He has two deadlines, the McCormick auction in Palm Springs, and an assessment of his work from Parnelli Jones himself. Will he make the grade and make some money?

Barry White is learning the hard way that some wrecks are better than others. Despite 25 years in the Hot Rod business, he can still find that he's bought himself a lemon once his team strips it down. It's a craps shoot, costing time and money just to get the body in shape before he can work his Super Muscle Car magic. Well, this time he's taking a shortcut. He's found a '71 Ford Torino in almost showroom condition. It's a perfect blank canvas to transform into a hot street machine. Sure, it's more money upfront — $12k compared with his usual 3 to 6 — but this thing looks like it has only been driven to Wal-Mart on Sundays. Tony Correia, the body guy, thinks Christmas has come early. For the first time he only has to tweak the panels to exaggerate the factory lines. Designer and parts guy Chris Brown thinks he's on easy street. Just a few parts to find, nothing too exotic, and a reasonable schedule compared to the normal race. And to cap it all off, a team of cyclists wants in on the build, taking even more heat off the team. What could go wrong with this cruise? Try an AWOL engine, mismatched paint, a car accident and the wrong brakes. And the auction price? You won't believe it.

Barry White and the Speed Shop team are exhausted. The challenge of transforming a rusted wreck into a gleaming, powerful, super muscle car is enormous in itself. But every month, for the last 9 months, they've done exactly that. Now, there is just one car left to build. For the grand finale, Barry is looking to create something truly unique and buried away at the back of a scrap yard, he finds it. The Dodge Dart. Stock standard, this was not a vehicle to get an enthusiast's heart racing. It was a compact, with good but not outstanding performance. That was until someone got the idea of dropping in a massively powerful Hemi engine, and creating the fastest accelerating car on the road. Barry plans to recapture the spirit of that '69 legend, by building his own Hemi Dart. After completing nine previous cars on time, he's confident he can do it. Maybe too confident. Before he's even bought the wreck, Barry's committed to sell the Dart at the Russo and Steele auction, in Scottsdale Arizona, at any price. He has to get the car there, and unless it's perfect, he'll lose a fortune. Designer Chris Brown has a plan to bump up the price, by injecting a little Rock and Roll into the Dart. He's got a contact with the 80's band Poison. It's a perfect fit. The "Poison Dart". But can he convince drummer Ricky Rocket to come down the Speed Shop and give the car his blessing? 4 weeks. An implausibly powerful car. A rockstar to wrangle. Selling at any price. Can Barry White pull off perhaps the biggest challenge he's faced in the series? If the Dart misses the target, it will end up costing Barry a fortune.