Wrecks to Riches

Barry's looking for a new challenge and as far as he's concerned, there's only one choice - an El Camino. His newest fabricator, Bobby, has an emotional attachment to the El Camino; his dad gave him a '69 when he was a teenager. Although not Bobby's car, Barry's '70 El Camino wreck tugs at Bobby's heart. He's helping rebuild this one for his dad, who'll be 'looking over his shoulder' as fiercely as his boss. Barry's money and Bobby's family ties are at stake - and they only have four weeks to get the car ready for auction.

Barry, Chris and Tony are looking for a racing legend. Two actually. The boys start searching for a '68 Mercury Cougar. Barry wants to transform it into a Super Muscle Car classic racer, the XR-7G. The G stands for Gurney, as in Dan Gurney. He is the second legend on their hit-list, an old-school racer who flew the U.S. flag around the world in Formula One, Indy, and the famous Le Mans behind the wheel of the Ford GT. To get Dan's blessing would be a dream come true. And having him sign the car would be the ultimate endorsement. But if that's gonna happen, there's a lot of work to do with no time for screw-ups. Everything will have to be perfect to entice the legend to join the project. Barry's daughter Jen has a thing for legends that belies her tender age. She loves the old-school monsters above modern race cars; the raw engineering and power of the early classics are what spins her wheels. Will she get the chance to meet the great man? Jen will move heaven and earth to make it happen. Jen is also moving herself. She's finally leaving home and living in her own apartment. It's a big turning point in the White's lives: Mom, Becky, has to say goodbye to her only child, while Barry gets her bedroom back for car stuff. But it's not as if they won't see each other every day at the shop!

When it comes to cars, Barry's mind is never far away from the drag strip. He's now set his staff to finding a '64 Fairlane to become nothing less than a Thunderbolt. What plans: a 427 V-8 engine, fibreglass hood, over-sized rears and racing seats...and it will be street-legal. Everyone's excited, including his regular parts suppliers. Two guys from O'Reilly's turn up to pitch in for the build. It's a laugh a minute as they verbally wrestle Barry about who knows best. And there's more; rather than risk an open auction as usual, Barry's going to start his own... at the Speed Shop! Barry, Becky and Chris hope to round up some high-rollers to duke it out in the bidding. Barry's DIY auction is a first. But if he can convert his building skills into entrepreneurship he stands a chance. And there's no commission! Becky and Jen become event managers, a first for both. Will they have to block off the street? Who's doing the catering? What about parking? Permits? Auctioneer? The event snowballs into an logistics nightmare. And there's another wildcard; paint and body guy Tony starts thinking he might just bid for the Thunderbolt himself! Barry has no idea. This could be their most eventful auction yet.

The Road Runner made the Coyote look stupid in cartoon land. How will Barry and the team go with their SMC version? This no-frills speedster was a favorite with moonshiners, it could out-run any police car. Barry doesn't plan to break the law, but he sure wants to break the rules. Helping him are some more guys from O'Reilly and MOPAR guru Ronnie Jenkins. It's the A-team turning this ugly duckling into a swaggering swan. And Barry has another auction brainstorm: "Sell it on the internet!" Barry's entrepreneurial spirit is ignited by his DIY auction, now he's putting his next creation online, hoping to flush out buyers from absolutely everywhere. Bidders can watch the build progress on Barry's website as they contemplate how much they think it's worth. What's more the last two days of auction will be watched at SEMA, by Barry, his team and thousands of SEMA visitors who have a chance to bid themselves through computers at the TURBO stand. A big screen projector and loud auctioneer calling the online action will be a SEMA showstopper. Then it's out to the SEMA skid pan to smoke up the Road Runner before adoring fans.

The Muscle Car Era has made Barry White a happy man, along with his high-dollar customers who buy his creations at auction. But this hot rodder and drag racer is always looking for a challenge and Barry finds it one morning during his pre-breakfast stroll. Outside his neighbor's house sits an American classic; a '57 Chevy, with a 4-sale sign that Barry can't walk past. The only question in Barry's mind is whether to turn it into restoration project or a quarter-mile burning dragster? The answer comes only too quickly, as the body turns out to be junk… too much time, too much money for restoration. Barry decides to head for the track and give it the Mother Of All nose jobs and a monster motor to try to hook a drag-racing fan. He decides to hold the auction at the Wally Parks National Hot Rod Association Museum. And if that's not risky enough, Barry wants to try a new way of selling; a silent auction, with sealed bids. It works for Real Estate auctions, but can it work for Barry? Turns out there's nothing 'silent' about this auction!

Barry White and his team have always been into recycling big time. They rebuild left-for-dead junkers into stunning showroom Super Muscle. But this time they're going for broke; full-on, tree-hugging torque with an enviro-friendly '71 Chevrolet Chevelle. Just how do you build a 'green' hot rod? You need more than a change of color. The plan for this eco-overhaul calls for improved mileage, reduced emissions and non-toxic paint, just for starters. And to help Barry 'correct' this former gas-guzzling Chevelle, he gets extra muscle from a possie of Prison Guards who know all about Correctional Facilities. In four weeks they'll need to bring the last of the original oil-thirsty Muscle Cars into the climate-aware 21st Century, in time for Barry's second 'home' auction. But who wants to buy a 'Hippy Hot Rod'? Paint and Body guy Tony can't think of anyone. But Barry, Jen and Chris think it's the way of the future. Can Barry's Speed Shop turn into a Green House?