Car enthusiasts Rick Dore and Chuck Palumbo, the latter being a former wrestler, share with Shrabasti Mallik that the most exciting part of their journey is understanding the mentality of the car hoarder
Rick Dore
You are a specialist in custom cars and hot rods. Is there a difference between the twoIJ
Not exactly. Essentially they are both types of cars. That is what Chuck and I specialise in.
How did you find your calling as a custom car builderIJ
It’s all the stuff we heard as kids about growing up and getting through school and getting your first job and moving on in life. I would say it’s the same with this — working hard, learning your trade whether it’s welding or metal shaping or mechanical — you’ve got to start somewhere and stay consistent with it.
In the forthcoming season of Extreme Car Hoarders you will be seen restoring hidden classic cars. Please share with us a few interesting stories and history of the cars that you have come across.
Meeting the hoarders has always been the most interesting part of the show. It’s exciting; we never know what we are going to find or what the hoarders are going to be like. Each hoarder has a different personality; they have a distinct set of problems and emotions. One of the most interesting story that we came across was of a guy who owned a 1937 Dodge pickup truck — a project he was working on with his father, who died a few years back. I just felt like this guy had a few unresolved issues with his father and wanted to finish this project. So for me, there was an instant emotional connection of relationship between ‘father and son’. It was kind of sad but it was the one I identified with the most. During the show we came across many iconic cars like 1937 lincoln, Zephyr and Chrysler 300D.
What factors do you keep in mind when you restore a carIJ Do you give it a new look or do you change a few partsIJ
Both of us like restoring old cars. Chuck likes the muscle cars and trucks, but I like the vintage. It all depends on what the hoarder has in store. For me the older the car the better it is, as there is no criteria. It always depends on the dream of the hoarder. We need one vehicle that’s in good shape, so that it does not strap us financially. Otherwise it will just kill us while we rebuild the car.
For the most part, it’s the hoarder who gets to pick the car, and it’s usually a car sitting in the middle of a bunch of other cars that has never been touched, but they've always wanted to build.
Chuck Palumbo
You have been associated with the show ever since the beginning. Share with us details of some of the amazing cars that you came across.
The ‘37 Dodge truck like Rick mentioned, it was a very emotional point for both of us. It was very rewarding because we were finishing a project that he had previously started with his dad. From a vehicle standpoint, the Dodge truck is one of my favourites — the ‘37 was a great year — and we took it from 1937 technology to 2015.
Also, I like old trucks in general. Their performance and speed is something which mesmerises me a lot.
Apart from being a wrestler, you are also passionate about cars — a mechanic and car/motorcycle enthusiast. When did you develop such interest in automobilesIJ
Not to bore you with wrestling, but wrestling is all about being on the road. It’s very incentive-based — the more you work, the more you get paid, the more time you spend on the road, the more money you make. But at the same time you sacrifice your body to entertain the people. And, 12 years in the business was enough for me.
The great thing I like about the transition is that I get to be home with my family every night, well, for most parts, unless Rick and I are up in the high desert. And I like coming home to my family almost everyday. It’s been a nice transition because I grew up in the automotive and the auto body industry and also the motorcycle business. I was able to get back to that, which is where my true passion is. But Rick and I are able to do this now as almost as entertainers. So it’s been a nice change.
Tell us something about the format of the show. How long does it take for one to finish rebuilding a carIJ
Because this business is driven by challenges, we turn those challenges into motivation. Every day it’s a challenge because we’re working with a hoarder who does not want to let go. So that’s an uphill battle the whole way, and then we’re trying to sell them on the car. We’re trying to get him to earn our trust. And we’ve got this pile of rust — at the time the cheapest car we bring to the shop — and Rick and I look at each other and say, ‘Oh man what did we get ourselves into,’ and then to see to the fact that the car finished.
I think one of the huge things for us is to see the way we’ve changed the outlook or the attitude of every hoarder. You see a hoarder, who when we meet are gloomy and it looks like they’ve a million pounds worth of worries strapped to their back. And when they get their cars, they look as light as a feather, smiling from ear to ear. I find that very interesting.
Do you and Rick share the same creative ideas or do you have clashes during the projectIJ
We had a great learning experience in the first season and the second season gave us a chance to know each other better. But you have to remember when you have two guys who are so passionate about what they do there will be some head-butting and some disagreements. But when you take that chemistry within two guys and pick out the best things from both, that’s special and that’s what makes our show so special. You have two different guys from two different corners of the field with one common goal — I think that’s what makes us special and I think that’s what definitely makes it work.