When I was watching the new american version, I noticed that bus with all the grafiti, I keep on seeing that bus. So, I was just wondering if it was the same junkyard as the one in the British version 'Scrapheap'

-- Jeremy Phillippe (cannabis@home.com), January 03, 2001

Answers

Yes it was. Same scrap, and recyled challenges (the first UK year, the ones that haven't been shown here). Next year, both shows get shot in the US.

-- Jeff - The NERDS (dp@the-nerds.org), January 03, 2001.

Yes, it was shot in England in the same junkyard, which makes it even more stupid that they didn't keep Kryton.

-- Richard Manahan (rjcyclesk8@hotmail.com), January 03, 2001.

I'm confused. If it's taped in England, then why did I see a Chevy Caprice Yellow Cab in the junkyard and a few other older American-Made Cars??? I know there's probably a few large American Cars in Europe, but that many????...and I only saw one small "European-Type" car?? After seeing that all American 1985 model Chevy Caprice Yellow Cab, I thought for sure they were in the good Ole' USA.

-- Tom Vogl (TJV1974@yahoo.com), January 04, 2001.

I noticed all the American cars too. They must have searched quite a while to find all those American cars in the UK. I saw two Olds, a Caddy Seville, and that taxi-cab. And the Olds they pulled the engine out of looked perfectly fine and driveable.

-- LTDScott (LTDScott@home.com), January 04, 2001.

"I noticed all the American cars too. They must have searched quite a while to find all those American cars in the UK. I saw two Olds, a Caddy Seville, and that taxi-cab. And the Olds they pulled the engine out of looked perfectly fine and driveable.

-- LTDScott (LTDScott@home.com), January 04, 2001. "

I noticed that Olds looked pretty new too, but the motorcycle looked *brand new* - no scratches, waxed finish that shines in the sun.

Well I guess though it follows the rules; I mean if those new (or mostly new vehicles just *happen* to be in the junk yard then they can use them :-)

Also too, it might take a lot longer than 10 hours to fix junk motor.

But I wonder: If nothing is scripted, did both teams have a choice of large and small (working) engines somewhere in the yard?

-- Ray (johndude99@hotmail.com), January 04, 2001.

The motorcycle's owner had customized it. Looked like a telephone pole or possibly a stone wall was his tool of choice. The forks were seriously bent back. Given how the frame is done on that style of bike, it was likely toataled out.

The people that put stuff in the yard (Richard and Sim) are scrounges at heart. Any car in the yard had failed the annual inspection, usually for structural rot, and wasn't legal on the road any more. They don't buy "legal" machines unless they have no other choice.

The land rover we cut in half had a long list of problems, and did come out of a "breakers yard". Remember that big turntable they used on "muncher" (the building demolition challenge)? Well it was particularly useful in keeping both ends of the machine connected to each other.

-- Jeff - The NERDS (dp@the-nerds.org), January 04, 2001.

I taped it and watched the last 2 episodes again. Did anyone notice the Oldsmobile that the engine came out of had the steering wheel on the left side??? That tells me the car probably came from the US. Why would the producers arrange for it to be shipped all the way to England just for the show? I still think it was taped in the US. Too many American cars there.

-- Tom Vogl (TJV1974@yahoo.com), January 05, 2001.

There are british car nuts that import genuine american cars. In the intro shoot for our team, you notice we were leaning on old american iron (I got the 57 chevy, geo got an old caddy, crash a classic mustang). That was shot in DOWNTOWN London. A shop built into what was the arches under a rail bridge. (a real pain in the ass, as the rail bridge was the second busiest rail line in the UK. We never got two sentences off between trains.)

It goes both ways. Go to any "MG car club" event, and you will see lots of RHD cars.

Want something worse, go to japan, and you will see LHD rolls royce and Jag's. The people that buy them want to emphasise that they are imports. (Japan and UK share driving conventions)

Knowing the guys that buy stuff for the yard, that car will have failed MOT. (annual inspection. Much more stringent than in the US, they check for frame rot). I had a chance to get a good look at every vehicle in the yard when I was over. They came in two flavors: Recent ones, that had custom bodywork (tree's, rollovers, etc). Those were where you looked first for running engines. The other kind was exemplified by the machine that Muncher was made from. They didn't have to cut away much of the body, just kick the rust away.

Our robin (steam car) required a little patching undeneath, there were a couple of places where the holes in the chassis rails were bigger than I was comfortable with.

Land Rovers "look good" as their aluminum bodies don't rust out. But their frames do. "fine lace" is a good description. I got thru the frame rails, which are massive in appearance on a single charge of the recip saw. (took a bunch of blades, because I kept bending the tips, but only one charge).

-- Jeff - The NERDS (dp@the-nerds.org), January 05, 2001.

You will be hard pressed to find a Right Hand Drive american car, anywhere. Japanese and European cars tend to be built either way, depending on where they are sold.

On one of the big american cars I noticed a "USA" sticker, of the style that is popular in europe for stating what country you are from (Licence plates usually don't betray it). I would guess it was imported by a car nut, or likely by US military/government personnel, who often had the option of taking large amounts of personal possesions with them, including vehicles.

I recall photos of my in-laws in France in the early '60s driving a huge Pontiac. My Father-in-law said he never would have done it if he'd been aware of the narrow roads. The next time he went over, he bought a BMW.

-- Michael Steeves (Michael@mks-tech.com), January 05, 2001.

Yes the American version is taped in the UK. You should have been able to figure that out by seeing that big round orange thing in the scrapyard, the old scale and the huge crane rail way out in the background. I think a lot of people need to realise that America does export autos to Europe. If you ask me, the reason there were so many american cars in the scrapheap is because they still had to make the American version more American. I guess they filmed it in the UK because the Americans didn't have their own stocked junkyard ready. This brings me to my next answer. If I'm wrong about this please e- mail me. The reason the cars in the scrapyard looked like they were in top running order is because they do have to have a number of "must have to work" items in order for the show to work.

-- Mark Peterson (worm-boy@another.com), January 06, 2001.

Hi! I have Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Classic 4D -74. I have planned with my boyfriend that next summer we would travel to Europe and if there is someone who knows something about European cruisings. We looking for a few cruisings to go. So if you know something, please mail me!

-- Johanna Metsälä (miss_betsie@hotmail.com), November 03, 2003.