First time I caught this show today!
Has it been on long? Can't believe I never noticed this before. Bit annoyed about that.
Can anyone summarise Mike's deals to date from the £300 starting point?
Thanks!
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mike seems to know his stuff but i would have choose the ka over the polo, yes i agree great show ,, you can catch mike on discovery home and leisure channel every tuesday with wheeler dealers and another show i can't remember name of..
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Bah! No Sky.....
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
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wrecks to riches is on ITV1 sundays about 4:30pm(ish) so you don't need sky.
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you can catch mike on discovery home and leisure channel every tuesday with wheeler dealers and another show i can't remember name of..
its 'deals on wheels' which is on turbo tuesday discovery home and leisure along with 5th gear all on sky channel 133 all well worth watching.
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His deals are summarised at the start of each programme. Look out for it after the Grand Prix on ITV1 next Sunday. I enjoy it.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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His deals are summarised at the start of each programme. Look out for it after the Grand Prix on ITV1 next Sunday. I enjoy it. Hawkeye ----------------------------- Stranger in a strange land
Thanks.
Mike Brewer seems a decent sort of bloke too. Not the stereotypical car dealer that's for sure!
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Only saw the first episode, where he got an N-plate Cinquecento for his £300 from a dealer in Reading that I recognised. I reckon he didn't manage to pronounce "Cinquecento" correctly once throughout the entire show!
Last I saw (at the end of that episode) was that he was going to turn his £750 from the Fiat into a Rover 400 - does anyone mind summarising for me what he's done since then? (Since I can't find this repeated on the ITV2 listings!)
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Only saw the first episode, where he got an N-plate Cinquecento for his £300 from a dealer in Reading that I recognised.
Seems cheap for an N plater!
Especially from a dealer!!
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mike's got his own site where he has lots to say!
tinyurl.com/2z3f3
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mike's got his own site where he has lots to say! tinyurl.com/2z3f3
Nice site. Thanks for that.
A google search for Mike Brewer does not pick up that site though - it must be very new!
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it seems like a new site there's lots to read and do on there, i especially like the cap car valuation page very useful.
you never know he may start up a forum (a rival for backroom, oh dear!)
he's a rising star on the up.
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Any man that rates the Rover 75 CDTi as best diesel car on the road knows his onions. I miss Deals on Wheels especially the first series which was funny, informative and educational.
Good luck to the man, nice to see he's got his own show, I thought his talents were under used on Driven and this looks like the perfect show for him.
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There is a real gap in the market for someone like Mike (or HJ for that matter).
All car shows seem to start out with 'here's how to buy a cheap banger' and then quickly morph in to 'tonight we go to Paradise Island to test drive the brand new Ferrari/Porsche/Mercedes and if you want one its only 4 squillion pounds, what a bargain'.
I assume that if a programme is successful the offers from the manufacturers flood in and its difficult to turn down.
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>>it seems like a new site
Don't think so - quite a lot seems out of date - for example the bit about Mike himself discussing what he *will* be doing in 2002.
Which would make it written in 2001.
I was quite surprised that in the quick look I had everything seemed older than I would have expected. But then, I didn't read it very closely.
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Haven't seen them all and actually find his Arfur Daley impression a bit tiresome. However, I've seen shows on which they've also done up a mini, Ford Capri and Porsche 924?
IMO the show's a bit of a con really as he's got an experienced mechanic on tap to do all the hard work so what would be the biggest expense for most of us is not part of the equation for him.
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I agree, the whole premise is a little unrealistic, after all if it were that easy we'd all be doing it wouldn't we?
That said, as entertainment it is quite fun to watch and makes a change from decorating programmes. The one this week about auctions was quite informative as well.
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I worked on a TV program that Mike presented a few years ago, he is a really nice guy, always had time to talk to the assistants and camera guys.
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Watched the 'Wrecks to Riches' programme yesterday (the one with Mike Brewer trading cars).
Gives an amazingly distorted view of car trading. Half the programme was an ad for Fords of Winsford, where they were auctioning P/X's direct to the trade.
I used to be in the trade years ago and have been to many an auction - but never one where the buyers were allowed to test-drive a car before bidding (as Brewer was). I also liked the way all the traders were very friendly and one volunteered the info that a Vectra had a blowing manifold gasket. From my past experience, most traders are at each others throats and would take delight in another trader buying a duff car!
He also shows some nice profits on his cars but neglects to factor in expenses such as travel, VAT and income tax. Knocks some of those 'profits' on the head a bit. Not to mention the customers who come back six months later threating to go to Trading Standards because the tape player's packed up.
I know its only entertainment, but I can imagine quite a few folk jumping in and wanting to have a go at home trading on the basis of this programme. I dare say a fair few will get their fingers burnt, there are easier ways to make a living....
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I always got the underlying feeling that the dealers were giving him a good deal on the car just 'cos they're on telly. Good publicity and draws the punters into the showroom. The price of a cheap p/x is peanuts for national tv advertising.
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I know its only entertainment, but I can imagine quite a few folk jumping in and wanting to have a go at home trading on the basis of this programme. I dare say a fair few will get their fingers burnt, there are easier ways to make a living....
I thought exactly this, too (& I'm not involved in the motor trade). I'm sure a lot of people will think they can make a grand a week if they can buy & sell just one car, then they'll be suicidal when one of the cars doesn't sell or an engine blows up. It's easy for Mike to sell the cars - I'm sure they'd all be checked to make sure there's no comeback to ITV.
Isn't there a recent EU rule that effectively forces traders to be responsible for faults for 6 mths?
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I got exactly the same impression. For that matter, how do we know he didn't buy a lemon at some point and lose the lot? All he'd have to do is miss that out of the story and start again with the money he spent on that.
It sounds like a good profit on each car, but you only need one to go wrong and you lose the lot.
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My thoughts exactly; very unrealistic. One car was above Brewers budget so the dealership manager let him have it below trade as a favour to a mate knowing it was easy to sell on for a huge profit.
Mr average tends not to have too many mates in the trade and particularly not those who owe such favours.
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And where do the buyers come from? One phone call and a buyer is lining up to snatch the car out of his hands? None of them walk away Why? because they know it comes with a bomb proof guarantee - IE in the event of a complaint the TV company are not going to let any hint of complaint or disatisfaction leak out, so the buyer will be bought off.
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Admittedly it does show a sweetened view of trading, but so far I'd say it's been quite entertaining and pretty informative for new buyers just looking for a car for themselves. The first one (where he bought that little gem of a Cinquecento and failed to pronounce it the same way twice) was a perfect example of how NOT to buy a car - the guy who came to see it really didn't know what he was looking for and just agreed with everything Mike said - a great example of psychology and 'leading'. Fortunately he put him straight on it for the cameras and didn't take advantage, but the illustration is a good one.
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Interesting his comments about the SRi Vectra were different to those *he* made some time ago on this forum.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=42...2
Maybe it was because in this instance there was a potential profit to be made from it.
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Interesting his comments about the SRi Vectra were different to those *he* made some time ago on this forum. www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=42...2 Maybe it was because in this instance there was a potential profit to be made from it.
Interesting, didn't realise he'd ever posted on here.
I have to say, I don't really see any hypocrisy here, the one view is from his idea of an owners point of view. In the programme yesterday it was totally a case of 'is this a good car to get for selling on'
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One thing I found a little dubious though, at the start of the Alfa, frenzied bidding, then he put one in, and everybody shut-up. The first part done for the camera's benefit perhaps?
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Remember,its only entertainment,about as realisistic as Corrie.Cheap TV,makes profits for ITV shareholders.
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A darn sight more entertaining than Corrie too.
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You just have to bear in mind that every single "reality TV" programme is completely and utterly rigged!
You may have seen the "antiques" programmes where idiot punters are given a time limit to buy the stuff (mostly chosen by the TV producers BTW).From personal experience of standing at antiques fairs where this codswallop has been recorded, I can tell you that filming starts as dealers are setting up, (often very early), and is still being finalized at the end of the day when aforesaid dealers are packing up!
Bah humbug!
Roger.
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One thing I found a little dubious though, at the start of the Alfa, frenzied bidding, then he put one in, and everybody shut-up.
Yes, this was particularly unlikely - especially as one trader said he's sold 2 that week and had a customer for another one lined up.
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Did anyone catch the month and year of the Irish reg 156? If it was a '98 or a '99 the trade price paid was about right.
HJ, if it's any help, the car's reg was VBZ 5252.
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Did anyone see yesterdays edition?
I turned off after 15 minutes as it was him buying from his mates again (scooter and quad bike) and i've never even heard of the brand he bought so it seems like a way to get his mates scooter on telly, him to fill some viewing time and also maybe make a profit.
Also the farmer buying the quad bike look soooo set up.
i like mike brewer and generally all his programs are top drawer but this one started off ok and is turning into a stinker...
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Also - with the rise of cloning I would hate the resistration number and colour and make of my new car broadcast to 15 million people...........
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Quite agree about stink. Only bit that I found interesting were those silly ears on the helmet.
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>>it was him buyingfrom his mates again (scooter and quad bike) >>
i like mike brewer and generally all his programs are top drawer but this one started off ok and is turning into a stinker...
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he got the demonstrator scooter down from 1800 to 1200 just like that, 'incredible',, and that was his dealer mate's opening offer to him not mike's offer.
now how likely is that??
ditto the i like mike brewer comments, i'll stick to deals on wheels and wheeler dealers on discovery home and leisure.
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It was a 1999.
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Not only a poor program, but it makes a profit as well! The premium rate number for the competition will get thousands of calls which should more than cover the cost of the prize car, whatever it turns out to be.
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The sale of the quad bike to that farmer was just about the worst acting I've ever seen!!!
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On "Wrecks to Riches" he was selling this on E-Bay.
Now I know it was recorded a while ago, but can anyone find this Eunos on E-Bay?
It had a leather steering wheel, was a 52,000 miler automatic import on a W plate.
I'm sure someone has better know-how than me for searching E-Bay.
Also it would be nice to know how anyone goes about finding this!
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You can do an advanced search and specify a price range and a year of registration.
But eBay is currently only showing items sold as far back as 8 April. Guess the program was recorded before that?
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I only caught it in passing, but I think on his pc screen I noticed an auction close date of 25/04/2004
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just 'cos I know what I'm saying doesn't mean I know what I'm talking about
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So the prize car was a brand new MG ZR which Mike paid under £8k.
Can anyone remember the dealer he got it from?
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The dealer is Colliers, they have a few locations in Birmingham.
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Colliers IIRC
www2.mg-rover.com/rover_GB_en/dynamic/map.jsp?page...3
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Mikes site is absolutely dreadful. Loaded with appalling punctuation, bad spelling and "Arfur Daley" banter throughout.
I got fed up reading after a couple of pages. Mike, you don't have any feedback page, so if you're listening;
www.wheelerdealer.com/capvalue-results.asp
Mike's guide to selling you car
Should be Mike's guide to selling "your" car.
www.wheelerdealer.com/selling-guide.asp#23a
Well? Easy aint it, sure the second ad cost more but your more likely to sell it.
Should be "you're" more likely to sell it.
www.wheelerdealer.com/selling-guide.asp#25a
If you have something tasty advertised your always gonna gonna run the risk of Messer?s, Burks who just want to come round and waste your time and get a drive in your car.
Should be "gonna run the risk of Messers or Burks who just want to come round.
So you then qualify who a "Messer" is but not a "Burk". Presume you mean "berk". Neither word should be capitalised.
"run a HPI check just make sure you get a telephone number of them first"
Should be "get a telephone number from them first" (not of or off).
www.wheelerdealer.com/selling-guide.asp#26a
When the punter comes round its best to be as open and honest
Should be "when the punter comes round it's best ..."
Have all the paper work to hand so you don?t have to scurry off inside to find it only to leave the keys in the ignition, you might say goodbye to your motor.
Should be "ignition; you might ..."
Don?t let them drive it straight away; make sure that their serious before letting anyone loose with the car.
"make sure they're serious"
I have in the past sold a Vauxhall Nova with its only feature being a rear wash wipe and made that one item last ten minutes of chat and it the most important thing to have on any car, honestly you may laugh but it works.
Two "ands" in a single sentence.
Its should be "it's".
and it the most important thing" should be "and it BEING the most important thing
www.wheelerdealer.com/selling-guide.asp#27a
Will they want to test drive it? Yes they well, so you need to be prepared.
You mean "Yes they WILL".
and when you swap over now matter how honest they look
Should be "no matter how honest they look".
www.wheelerdealer.com/selling-guide.asp#28a
best to give them a few minutes after the test drive to let everything sink in, but don?t give them to long
Should be "too long"
Take command of the deal, its still your car
Should be "it's still your car"
www.wheelerdealer.com/selling-guide.asp#29a
bankers draft, However never release a car on an un-cleared cheque now matter how honest the buyer looks
"however" not CAPITALISED, and "cheque no matter how honest.."
If the cars being bought by banker?s draft
Should be "car's" (as in "car is")
After this I just got plain fed up wading through such a poor example of an informative site.
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Agree, needs to read Eats,Shoots and Leaves
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Mikes site is absolutely dreadful. Loaded with appalling punctuation, bad spelling>>
what's it like to be perfect? (as SWDAST keeps asking me)
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Mikes site is absolutely dreadful. Loaded with appalling >>punctuation, bad spelling and "Arfur Daley" banter throughout.
As unlikely as it may seem, there are people out there whos punctuation is not perfect, and whos English is not spoken in the Queen's best plum tones (myself amongst them); yet they have heads full of interesting and valuable information for others. Assuming those others are not too stuck-up to listen to someone so common.
My Father has very little education, and his letter writing leaves a lot to be desired, yet as a builder/joiner, amnd with no architectural training he has designed houses and other buildings from scratch where I, supposedly educated, wouldn't even know where to start.
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Don't disagree BB; Content v. Presentation, comprehension just needs a bit of a polish that's all.
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Sorry - bit like selling a car, the mechanics may be sound, the car honest and reliable, but when you put it up for sale it has a bit of a wash and brush up...just to give it that little bit extra credibility.
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Fair enough, just thought the disassembly of his site went a little too far.
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So the prize car was a brand new MG ZR which Mike paid under £8k. Can anyone remember the dealer he got it from?
Can't believe he chose that, especially given the size of his wife and the fact they had 3 kids.
The Merc would have been my choice. The Rover would be my last choice, even against a Perodua!
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Can't believe he chose that, especially given the size of his wife and the fact they had 3 kids. The Merc would have been my choice.
Totally agree, but the thought did occur to me that perhaps his agenda was to sell it on immediately and that would be the best choice in that case.
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>> Can't believe he chose that, especially given the size of his >> wife and the fact they had 3 kids. >> >> The Merc would have been my choice. Totally agree, but the thought did occur to me that perhaps his agenda was to sell it on immediately and that would be the best choice in that case.
He would lose most on the Rover as it was new and gets the hardest depreciation (added to suspicion as to why he was selling such a new car - program was filmed last summer by the look of things so nobody would have known about it then). The Merc would have retained its £8k most (if not all of it), followed by the Honda.
Yellow is also not the best retainer of value.
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>> So the prize car was a brand new MG ZR >>
Can't believe he chose that, especially given the size of his wife and the fact they had 3 kids.
He (the winner) did mention that it was going to be his toy. Besides which, he already owns an aging merc and a Peugeot Partner that he can squeeze the family into.
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