Junkyard Wars

[Lucky]

Love the show, but I have a few questions:

1. How do they set it up so that the two teams always have different plans and configurations for their machines? Anyone know how this is decided?

2. I find it hard to believe that every team always finishes their machine in 10 hours...what do they do when one team doesnt complete it?

3. How much "planting" of junk goes on? Does the show strategically place needed stuff in the junkyard or is that stuff already there? Hard to believe that a real junkyard would have so many workings engines, etc!

 

[minendo]

<< 1. How do they set it up so that the two teams always have different plans and configurations for their machines? Anyone know how this is decided? >>


Probably just luck since the two teams have different professional backgrounds, therefore they will have different designs.


<< 2. I find it hard to believe that every team always finishes their machine in 10 hours...what do they do when one team doesnt complete it? >>


Havent you noticed that they are always putting the finishing touches on it the next day?

 

[toph99]

i'm sure they do have challenges where one team(or both) had problems finishing in time, enough so that they didn't work. They just wouldn't air that one i guess. I was thinking the same thing about the working engines part, although i do know that they rip apart whatever was made and put it all back in the junkyard when they're done with the competition.

 

[Lucky]

the designs are just so different EVERY time that I have a hard time believing that designs are not chosen beforehand, or that both teams are not allowed to have the same design. too much of a coincidence that in 20+ shows I've seen, they've never been the same.

and yes I know about finishing touches, but they supposedly only have an hour for that...what happens if they put it together and find out something major like an engine wont run? again, hard for me to believe i guess.

 

[Lucky]

up

 

[Sluggo]

There was a post about this a long time ago, search the archives, it had a link to guy who had been on a show.

There is planting of parts, along with planting of lots of bogus parts. The "experts" know beforehand what they are going to have to build, and submit suggestions of what kinds of stuff they would like to have planted. The expert cant go look for parts, he has to depend on the regular dudes to find what he requested. It may be there, or it may be "close" to what he asked for, or some remote version of what he wanted, that he has to make work.

Found the link, actually a thread posted by me, probably why I remembered it

 

[Lucky]

great read sluggo.

link to read.

 

[GooberPHX420]

that show is tight, I would love to be in a contest like that

did you see the one recently (it may have been a rerun) where they made canons? those were pretty awesome.

 

[Lucky]

i was impressed more by todays show where they had to build underwater torpedos and "hit" the other's teams boat.

 

[HamSupLo]

I liked the episode where they had to build boats and raced them upstream against some rapids. I always root for the team that goes for the daring and creative designs.

Did you guys watch the season finale between the Miami Gearheads vs. the Rocketmen? they had to build machines to knockdown walls. The episode was so messed up. Everyone totally broke the rules.

 

[ssanches]

It's ALL rigged. Imagine finding stuff, getting all parts, putting everything together, and running (racing) it!

 

[wyvrn]

I love this show. Right now watching the MEGA wars, with Russian, British and American teams. They have to build a car that will be amphibious, scale boulders, and run a race on salt flats. Cool Even if some of the parts are planted, they have to do a lot of work to get these vehicles running.

 

[Lucky]

<< I love this show. Right now watching the MEGA wars, with Russian, British and American teams. They have to build a car that will be amphibious, scale boulders, and run a race on salt flats. Cool >>



thats an old one. Americans win!

 

[wyvrn]

Yeah I had it taped and just now getting around to watching it. Thanks for telling me ahead of time

 

[BooneRebel]

<< 2. I find it hard to believe that every team always finishes their machine in 10 hours...what do they do when one team doesnt complete it? >>

They don't always finish on time. Most of the shows they mention a 1-hour 'tweak' time the day of the competition, some of the shows the teams are still working on their creations that day, others just paint & decorate. And I can think of at least one show (the 'hydroplane' episode) where one team never got there machine running once it was in the water. It was a pretty one-sided race.


<< 3. How much "planting" of junk goes on? Does the show strategically place needed stuff in the junkyard or is that stuff already there? Hard to believe that a real junkyard would have so many workings engines, etc! >>

Yes, they place items. If you pay attention, they'll even tell you how much items cost (such as the monster truck episode, they quoted the cost of the tractor tires). It would be much harder if the teams had to work out of a real junkyard, imagine if they had to rebuild each engine before it could be used. It would take much longer than 10 hours per show, I assure you.

 

[iamwiz82]

i saw one from the british version where the 2 teams did build the (nearly) same design. Originally, one team had a totally different idea, but they couldnt get it to work.

I thought the hydrofoil episode was lame. I didnt even bother finishing it.

BTW, has anyone noticed that whenever they have Americans vers British, the Americans always build big and usually win??

 

[Croton]

it's still a show of genius!!