Q&A: Wheeler Dealers Mike Brewer and Edd China
USED car experts Mike Brewer and Edd China are returning to the States to sniff out second hand motors with money-making potential.
We caught up with the wheeling, dealing duo to find out about their new show and to see what cars they recommend if your life changes suddenly.
You’re into the 13th series of Wheeler Dealers, what’s new about this one?
Mike: Well, the new series continues in the same vein as the previous twelve series but this one takes place from our brand new shop in California where we work on a host of cars from around the world, so it’s different in that respect.
Do you worry you’ll ever get bored of working on cars?
Edd: Probably not because there are so many cars out there so I don’t think we’ll ever get bored of doing what we do. We’ve worked on hundreds of cars and there’s always something different so it’s hard to get bored of individual vehicles.
How does it differ buying and selling in the States compared to in the UK?
Brits won’t tell you if it’s had something wrong go wrong with the engine
Mike: It’s easier to work on cars in America because the weather is better and so there’s less rust and wear and tear on the vehicles, which makes our job a lot easier. Plus, the Americans are much easier to deal with, they’re very honest with previous work that’s gone on, whereas Brits won’t tell you if it’s had something wrong go wrong with the engine, they’ll just say it’s running fine now. In Europe we tend to disguise the car’s history.
We’ve immersed ourselves in the culture here in Southern California and we found that from a very early age kids are sat with their dads and granddads in workshops and so they’re very honest about what work they’ve done on it.
Edd: There’s a real community feel in the States and it would probably be frowned upon if you lied about your vehicle’s history here by the car community.
You do up a 1988 Ford Mustang, 1980 Chevy Luv and 1963 Corvair to name a few. What was the best to work on?
Mike: A wonderful Volvo PB544 saloon was my favourite. It’s a classic American shape but with a great four-cyclinder engine despite it being a lightweight car. It actually dominated the world rally championships in the mid ’60s. We also worked on a Series 2 Land Rover and Sunbeam Alpine which was a lot of fun.
Edd: We also worked on a CCVC, which was really the car that made Honda, it became the Honda Civic and really saved them from going under at the time. I think they were about to throw the towel in before they had success with this car, it’s a real cute little car so that was a lot of fun to work on.
People change cars for all sorts of reasons. If someone is having a baby what car would you recommend?
Mike: If you’re having a family I’d recommend a Type 2 VW Camper so you’ve got lovely weekends ahead of you with your family. They’re a lot of fun to drive, and maintain too. Plus they’ve got all the room in the world.
What if someone is getting married, what car should someone buy?
Edd: Maybe a convertible like an F-Type Jaguar or something similar. It’s a cool car to be driving around in for both of you, and if you’ve got a bit of extra money before the baby comes along it would be a good car to be seen in.
Mike: I’d agree with that. 1957 Thunderbirds make good wedding cars too if you’re looking for a cool car to actually get married in. We worked on a Triumph Spitfire once too which went on to become a wedding car for a couple, who still drive that motor today.
A red convertible is your typical mid-life crisis car
What if you’re bored of your regular motor?
Mike: We laugh about this but a red convertible is your typical mid-life crisis car, so maybe a Porsche? I actually used to work with a guy who got laid off and divorced around the same time so he went out and upgraded from a Volkswagen Passat to a brand new Mercedes SL convertible.
Edd: Mustangs are bags of fun too, and they’re pretty practical too so they’re a good option if you’re looking for a cool car. They don’t have many cup holders, but Mustang drivers don’t seem to care too much.
What car is best if you’re cutting back on costs?
Edd: The Honda CVCC (Civic) was bought out for exactly that reason, to be very economical to run so that would be a good one if you could get your hands on it
Mike: In fact if you buy a classic car today at the right price and keep it in good condition, within two years you’ll be able to sell that car for a profit. Therefore you can actually drive a car these days and make money on it. I’d advise you go out and buy a MK1 or Mk2 Ford Escort or Cortina.
A Peugeot 205 GTi recently sold for £25,000 so there are some real money-spinners to be had for around £4,000 – £5,000. The world of classic cars is a really good thing, it’s fundamentally free motoring. People are buying classic Ferraris and making millions on them now.
The brand new season of WHEELER DEALERS will have its world premiere in the UK on Discovery Channel, 9pm, Monday 9th May (Sky 520, Virgin 250, BT TV 322, TalkTalk 322)