Summary
- Car restoration shows offer a glimpse into restoring and upgrading automobiles, creating powerhouses on the road.
- All-female car restoration shows challenge stereotypes, inspiring female fans to get involved in the industry.
- The best car restoration shows offer a blend of dramatic car reveals and precise, DIY-friendly restoration work.
The best car restoration shows take the world's love of cars and motorcycles and deliver a series that shows people making them bigger and better. This has been a popular genre since the 1990s when Top Gear took the world by storm, and things have just gotten better as time goes on. These shows offer a look at not only restoring an automobile to its original glory but also upgrading it — both inside and out. These shows take a car that has seen better days and restore the interior and exterior, delivering a work of art in many cases.
There are also shows that do much more than update the looks of an automobile. Some of the best car shows also upgrade the engines and other parts to make the once-normal cars into powerhouses on the road. This allows viewers to see some of the best examples of car building and repairing, as well as the restoration process that not only delivers impressive results but also examples that help instruct people who want to do a little work on their car themselves. When it comes to the best car restoration shows, there is something out there for everyone.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.15 All Girls Garage (2012 - )
Featuring An All-Female Cast
All Girls Garage plays on the idea that auto mechanics and car restoration are male-dominated interests by flipping it on its head. The show features three hosts — Sarah "Bogi" Lateiner, Faye Hadley, and Cristy Lee. The legendary Jessie Combs was also on the show for four seasons, but she passed away in 2019 when she attempted to break the women's land-speed record in the Alvord Desert, Oregon.
Seeing this kind of show done from a new perspective is a lot of fun and may inspire other female fans to get more involved in a world that can sometimes seem closed off. The show has also become one of the most popular of the best car restoration shows, with 12 seasons and counting. It remains must-watch television as one of the best car restoration shows with an all-female cast.
14 Pimp My Ride (2004-2007)
Xzibit Hosts This Auto Restoration Show
Rapper Xzibit hosted one of the best car restoration shows on MTV with Pimp My Ride. The hip-hop-themed reality series lasted six seasons over three years and featured cars in poor condition being both restored and customized. After choosing the car for the job, Xzibit takes it to a custom body shop, which was West Coast Customs in the first four seasons and Galpin Auto Sports after that, and they replace almost everything and rebuild the car from scratch. They then finish things off by "pimping" it out with something that fits the car's owner's personality and likes.
It was such a success that it spawned international spinoffs and a truck series on CMT.
Since the show's time on the air, there have been a lot of hilarious details revealed about the series, from its more scripted format to the fact that the new cars didn't necessarily work. However, there was a lot of fun to be had with just how ridiculous the series could get with the cars they came up with. It was such a success that it spawned international spinoffs and a truck series on CMT.
13 Downey's Dream Cars (2022)
Robert Downey Jr. Seeks To Turn Vehicles Into Eco-Friendly Cars
While Robert Downey Jr.'s Oscar win marks a very exciting landmark in his acting career, many fans might not know about his secret and passionate reality series which serves as his own entry in the car restoration genre. Debuting on Discovery+, Downey Jr. led a unique, unscripted series in which he takes sports and muscle cars and turns them into eco-friendly machines. This seems to be a passion project for Downey Jr, as he channels his inner Tony Stark to tweak and tinker with what he finds.
Downey Jr. and his team take a bold approach to the series as eco-friendly mindsets do not always exist in the world of classic cars. However, even the biggest gearhead might be curious to see how he pulls off each restoration. Not only does this show give people a chance to see the former Avenger in a reality show, but also to see what he does when pairing tech with cars.
12 Overhaulin' (2005-2008)
Restoring Cars As A Surprise For The Owners
Overhaulin' was one of the best car restoration shows that aired on various networks from 2004 through 2020, with nine seasons and 113 episodes. The series features auto designer Chip Foose and his co-host Chris Jacobs. Much like Pimp Your Ride, the show overhauls an old and worn-out car. However, instead of a person coming to them, friends nominate someone to have their car overhauled without the person knowing it is happening.
The co-hosts then act out as fake insurance adjusters or law enforcement agents as Fosse and his team take the car and remake it into a customized masterpiece. The show is a more grounded and realistic approach than what is seen on Pimp Your Ride, making the restorations all the more impressive as they seem to be brand-new by the time the team is done with them.
11 Counting Cars (2012-2021)
A Spin-Off From Pawn Stars
Counting Cars is a show that aired on History and is a spinoff from the extremely popular Pawn Stars series. In this series, Danny Koker owns a car restoration company known as Count's Kustoms, and after he made appearances on Pawn Stars, he got a show of his own, which premiered in 2012. Counting Cars has Koker's company obtaining automobiles and motorcycles and restoring them, as well as a little bit of drama concerning the cast members.
The show ended after 10 seasons and 184 episodes.
It is the kind of show that is elevated by the colorful characters who inhabit it, with some of the most memorable moments simply being the interactions. However, that should not take away from the amazing car work done on the show which will deliver just what fans of the car restoration genre are looking for. The show ended after 10 seasons and 184 episodes.
10 Fast N Loud (2012-2020)
Misfit Garage & Garage Rehab Spun Off Of This Show
One of the biggest thrills of the series is seeing the hosts traveling around the country in search of the overlooked gems with hidden potential.
This Discovery Channel TV show features Richard Rawlings, lead mechanic Aaron Kaufman, and Gas Monkey Garage from Dallas, Texas. It's a great combination of Kaufman's restoration work and the deal-making Rawlings does to turn the cars into a profit. One of the biggest thrills of the series is seeing the hosts traveling around the country in search of the overlooked gems with hidden potential.
Seeing what the hosts can do with derelict cars is always impressive and showcases the obvious love they have for automobiles. Unfortunately, after 16 seasons spanning eight years, Rawlings announced on The Joe Rogan Experience that the show was coming to an end. Despite this, it remains popular among the gearhead community, especially in the earlier seasons. Because of this popularity, Fast N Loud created spinoffs Misfit Garage and Garage Rehab.
10 Best Car Building & Repairing Shows (And Where To Stream Them)
For the thousands of car models available, there are seemingly just as many shows. Car enthusiasts are living the dream.9 Wheeler Dealers (2003-2022)
A British Car Restoration Show With A DIY Approach
A British TV series with over 17 seasons under its hood, Wheeler Dealers stars Mike Brewer, Edd China, Ant Anstead, and, more recently, Marc Priestly. The show tackles car restoration with a no-nonsense approach, which means it's very informative and isn't held back by artificial drama — something most gearheads and fans of car shows will likely appreciate. The work is shown to be precise and not unnecessarily flashy, making for one of the most relatable shows in the genre.
The most appealing aspect of the show is that it's geared towards DIYers. It shows what to look for in buying a car as well as how to fix minor problems ranging anywhere from an oil change or polish to the suspension and brakes. There is a step-by-step aspect to the whole operation that is fascinating to see and may inspire amateur viewers to get more involved in the car world.
8 Chasing Classic Cars (2008-2021)
A Vintage Car Restoration Show
In Chasing Classic Cars, the viewers follow Wayne Carini, a Ferrari expert, classic car restorer, and son of the famous Bob Carini, as he "chases" vintage cars and restores them in the hopes of selling them at auction. Because he is highly respected in the car community, he has access to secret garages that no one else does.
Chasing Classic Cars is exactly what car restoration is all about. It's original and portrays the good and the bad of the restoration process without artificial drama or glamor. Some of the best aspects of the show are just seeing car lovers meet and share what their respective collections of cars mean to them. It is not hard to get caught up in the passion of the world. The show also features classic movie cars and cars rarely seen by the public nowadays.
7 Graveyard Carz (2012- )
A Car Restoration Show That Specializes In Mopar Muscle Cars
Shot on location in Springfield, Oregon, Graveyard Carz came to inception when Mark Worman wanted to restore a 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda. Throughout the first six seasons, the viewer gets to see the 'Cuda restored, along with other classic cars, by the cast, also known as The Ghouls.
Because of the way the show is shot and edited, the car reveals differ from those seen in similar shows. Instead of a dramatically revealed finished product, the focus is placed on the smaller yet crucial sub-assembly builds on the car. While the show only restores Mopar muscle cars, and may only appeal to a certain niche, it's entertaining nonetheless. It is a fascinating look at the longer process of putting real work into restoring a far. While it requires more patience on the part of the viewers, the payoff is all the more exciting.