10 Of The Best Car Restoration TV Shows Worth Watching In 2024
It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to restore a broken-down car so that it can hit the streets again. Numerous people from all walks of life have vehicles sitting in their garages that used to be forces of nature. From removing rust to installing new parts entirely, repairs can add up quickly, to the point where it's easier to just leave the car as is and reminisce about better days.
That's undoubtedly part of the appeal of the vast number of car restoration shows that have come out over the years. Even if someone doesn't necessarily want to fix up their own car, there's something therapeutic about watching a team of professionals restore do it. They may encounter problems along the way, but part of the thrill comes down to seeing how they manage to circumvent it. Sometimes they find an even better, more modern component to make the vehicle perform better than how it was originally manufactured. The genre of car restoration has even extended into TikTok, with plenty of accounts featuring people fixing up classic cars.
However, anyone who prefers old-school media consumption may want to know what the best car restoration shows are. We've compiled a list of great ones, with a variety of styles and tones. Some emphasize making eco-friendly cars, while others are more about how ridiculous they can make a car look. We've also got information about where to watch each one, so you can begin your next binge-watch right away.
Wheeler Dealers
When one starts a binge-watch of the British car restoration series, "Wheeler Dealers," they'll have plenty to view for quite some time. The show has already amassed over 250 episodes since it first aired in 2003, and throughout that time, much of the basic structure has remained the same. One thing gearheads are bound to appreciate about this particular show is that it takes a no-nonsense approach to fixing up vehicles. Car restoration programs aren't immune to manufacturing artificial drama for the sake of keeping viewers invested, but on "Wheeler Dealers," it's all about presenting classic cars and how people can fix them up on their own.
Basically, host Mike Brewer acquires a vehicle, providing plenty of information along the way about some of its noteworthy features and what makes it so special, and then hands it over to a mechanic, where its needs are assessed. The price of each repair or part to replace is provided, giving viewers at home a sense of what they could expect if they had to fix up the same vehicle. Brewer then sells the car, providing a breakdown of how much profit was made after factoring in the price of repairs.
"Wheeler Dealers" is primarily geared toward at-home DIYers. It's an invaluable resource, especially if someone has the precise car that's featured in any one of the show's many episodes. Plus, the show has launched a couple of spinoffs — "Wheeler Dealers Trading Up" and "Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car" — in case one runs out of regular episodes.
Where To Watch: MotorTrend, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+, Max
Top Gear
Having been on the air for decades, "Top Gear" isn't an average car restoration show. That's probably because it doesn't exactly get caught up in the whole "restoration" part of the equation. Instead, the series focuses on numerous aspects of automotive life, from showcasing and racing classic cars to having experts in the field discuss the industry. It's an all-in-one approach, where each episode holds something different, and every so often, someone will need to repair a car, especially if it breaks down in the middle of driving it.
Jeremy Clarkson is a whiz at cars, but it's often funnier when he pretends he doesn't know what he's doing. That sense of humor is likely what's kept fans coming back through all these years. Even if the show doesn't go too in-depth on repairs, there are plenty of other aspects to keep audiences invested. "Top Gear" has showcased many memorable stunts, from trying to turn regular cars into amphibious vehicles to double-decker racing. There may not be much for DIYers to take away from, but it's going to be entertaining nonetheless.
"Top Gear" makes for an ideal supplement to any gearhead's education. There's so much to learn from, and even if they don't fix up cars all that often, it's a must-watch regardless.
Where To Watch: Netflix, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video
Street Outlaws
The "Fast & Furious" film franchise has featured many flashy cars we'd love to own throughout its run. Those movies often feature stunts that definitely aren't recommended for people to try at home, but that didn't stop Discovery's "Street Outlaws" series from showing another side to street racing. The show makes it abundantly clear that street racing is illegal, adding warnings to episodes that the races depicted on the series were done on closed courses.
But street races are only one aspect of the equation. Before the cars take to the streets, viewers watch them undergo customizations to help them drive as fast as possible. While making such modifications to one's own car isn't recommended (it can't be overstated that street racing is illegal), it can be fun to watch. And the guys featured on the program are true-blue professionals, as Jerry "Monza" Johnston said in an interview with Diamond Pistons to talk about upgrading his 1972 Camaro Rally Sport: "It's a whole new learning curve going from nitrous to turbo. The turbo motors have more power management, so the biggest deal for me is learning [how] to use all of the technology involved."
"Street Outlaws" ran for 105 episodes on Discovery Channel, going off the air in 2019. The show's legacy has been tarnished in recent years due to the death of Ryan Fellows while filming the spinoff series, "Street Outlaws: Fastest in America," — yet another reminder of how dangerous this kind of racing can be.
Where To Watch: Discovery+, Max, Hulu
Pimp My Ride
"Pimp My Ride" is definitely not a car restoration show to watch for genuine ideas on how to fix up your own vehicle. The 2000s MTV reality series was completely ridiculous in all of the best ways. Watching the show these days functions as a time capsule of sorts — you can relive the days when you would come home from school, turn on MTV, and see what Xzibit and West Coast Customs had up their sleeves this time.
To be fair to "Pimp My Ride," the crew drastically transformed old, beat-up cars owned by various guests. The cars got new paint jobs and were usually outfitted with a superior audio system. But then the repair shop would always go the extra mile to include something positively outrageous. This includes putting a chandelier inside a car or outfitting a nurse's vehicle with a CAT scan machine. Those features elevated "Pimp My Ride" from just another reality show geared toward Gen X to a legendary pop culture staple.
The show's legacy has been reassessed in recent years, and many details have emerged since it went off the air about how much of what was portrayed was totally fake. The crew apparently had to remove a number of features once filming wrapped so some cars could actually be driven. However, even if the most ridiculous "Pimp My Ride" modifications never made it onto the road, the show remains entertaining.
Where To Watch: Buy episodes on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV
Lost Car Rescue
Have you ever driven through the backcountry only to find abandoned cars collecting rust off the side of the highway? It's easy not to give them a second thought, but Matt Sager, who leads the History series, "Lost Car Rescue," sees these vehicles through a completely different lens. With a full team at his disposal, he searches for cars lost to the ravages of time in Canada and then attempts to secure fix them up. Pilot Jessica James takes Sager up in the air to gain a bird's eye view, finding all sorts of cool long-forgotten cars.
What makes "Lost Car Rescue" stand apart from other car restoration series is that it's not necessarily about turning a profit. It's merely an attempt to find the history behind a given car and give it a new lease on life. Sager said so himself when talking about his best finds on a "Today in BC" podcast episode: "I have to say, my best find is not so much dictated on the value. When I find a car, what I'm looking for is a car that no one else knows where it is, or a car that's truly lost undeniably. One that basically fell through the cracks of time, been encapsulated in a barn or abandoned over a ravine."
While watching cars get fixed up is engaging on its own, another upside to this show is simply seeing how the crew manages to get the vehicles out of their precarious predicaments. Some of these cars are truly stuck in the muck, and a whole team is needed to secure them.
Where To Watch: Hulu
Vice Grip Garage
YouTube has given so many a platform they wouldn't have had otherwise. It allows budding filmmakers to showcase their artwork or vlog their daily lives. And that DIY attitude extends into the realm of car restoration, as the series "Vice Grip Garage" has taken off in a big way, garnering over 1.8 million subscribers.
The account is spearheaded by Derek Bieri, who simply wanted an outlet to show off his automotive know-how. He spoke about the beginning of Vice Grip Garage's journey in an interview with Sick the Magazine: "I thought, 'Hey, I could do that. I just gotta learn how to film.' So, one night I taped a broken iPhone to a garage door and put a small block and a four-speed in a Camaro, got it going, and here we are."
His videos may have a disclaimer saying the content about to be seen isn't inherently educational, but there's clearly a lot for people to learn. Bieri often tries to fix up cars for as little money as possible, which is great for DIYers who may be on a budget and trying to get their own vehicles back up and running.
One major appealing aspect to "Vice Grip Garage" is its authentic feel. Watching a car restoration show on a major network may give a sense that some qualities are exaggerated for the cameras (see: "Pimp My Ride"). Bieri comes across as a guy who simply loves cars and wants to share that passion with others.
Where To Watch: YouTube
Iron Resurrection
Seeing as "Iron Resurrection" places a lot of emphasis on the husband-wife duo of Joe and Amanda Martin, one might surmise the reality show would feature a lot of forced drama between the two, either within their relationship or as they try to fix up cars together. However, this show really doesn't go down that route. In an interview with Fuel Curve, Joe Martin said that's precisely how the team wants it to be: "There aren't a lot of antics on it. We refuse to do that. Our viewers like the educational side of things. We're not actors. We think that added drama is ridiculous, and we refuse to do any of that on our show."
Based in Texas, the series follows Martin Bros Customs, which Joe oversees with his brother, Jason. It's a family affair dedicated to simply showing off how to restore classic cars and motorcycles to pristine condition. The team isn't too concerned with "pimping" out the rides, either. It's clear the crew just loves cars and wants to restore them to their former glory. While Joe and Jason handle a lot on the mechanical side of things, Amanda tends to be the one handling the financial books.
For viewers, "Iron Resurrection" is a chance to see some classic cars get the care and attention they deserve. This includes a 1965 Pontiac Catalina, which ranks among the most underappreciated Pontiac muscle cars.
Where To Watch: MotorTrend, Discovery+, Max, The Roku Channel
Counting Cars
Spinoffs are a staple of the TV landscape, and a show as influential and popular as "Pawn Stars" naturally had to get a spinoff of its own. Danny Koker, aka The Count, was featured periodically on the History reality series, offering Rick Harrison and other members of the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop advice on rare cars that would come in. With an infectious personality, it should come as no surprise that Koker wound up with his own show, 2012's "Counting Cars."
Something hardcore fans would know about Danny Koker of "Counting Cars" is that he's a self-taught mechanic. That prowess came in handy for 184 episodes that ran until 2021. Koker's rock 'n' roll attitude really carried the series, and made any bits of drama unrelated to car restoration actually entertaining. One thing that's accurate about the show is the restoration (the most important part). Any vehicle that came into Count's Kustoms got fully restored, often after a ton of hard work from Koker and his crew.
Sometimes, even Koker's old "Pawn Stars" buddies would swing by for a guest spot. At the end of the day, the strength of "Counting Cars" rests in its charismatic host, who frequently wants to hang onto cars he restores rather than sell them.
Where To Watch: History, The Roku Channel
Downey's Dream Cars
After his tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but before winning an Oscar for his role in "Oppenheimer," Robert Downey Jr. ventured into the world of car restoration with "Downey's Dream Cars," which debuted in 2023. In the series, Downey attempts to become a real-life Tony Stark by taking older vehicles and finding ways to incorporate newer technologies to make them more environmentally friendly. And yes, Downey's well aware of the perceived hypocrisy of having a show to raise awareness for the environment while owning a bunch of cars for himself.
While speaking with MotorTrend about the show, the Academy Award winner explained his thought process: "I was thinking how to be literally self-sustaining for the coalition," he stated, in reference to the Footprint Coalition, a venture capital group founded by Downey that focuses on investing in green technology. "The end game can't be for me to have Max pay to make them cooler and do a show [about it], and pay me to do the cool show. This has to be about these cars winding up somewhere else." So in the show, Downey fixes up some cars he already owns, including a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE, and then gives them away to other people.
From switching to electric power to utilizing biodiesel, it's always interesting to see what the show manages to accomplish with a set of classic cars. Downey actually used technology for good with zero possibility of an Ultron-type situation wreaking havoc.
Where To Watch: Max
Fast N' Loud
For a period of time, there was no escaping "Fast n' Loud" on Discovery. A survey conducted by The New York Times in 2016 found that out of the most popular TV shows at the time, "Fast n' Loud" was the most favored by men. The reality series put out 16 seasons between 2012 and 2020, and even though it's been off the year for some time now, it's still worth revisiting.
The show features Richard Rawlings and the crew at Gas Monkey Garage as they renovate a bunch of beat-up, old cars. After the cars are done up nice, the goal then is to sell for a profit, so the show winds up being part car restoration, and part wheeling and dealing. Throughout its prolific run, a ton of vehicles came through the shop. Rawlings spoke with Take to the Road in 2018 about his all-time favorite build: "You know my [favorite] one was the 2006 Ford GT," he said. "It was an unbelievable build. We took a supercar and made it better. It really is my [favorite] car."
"Fast n' Loud" may be over, but Gas Monkey Garage is still going strong. Rawlings has even taken it to the next level by pursuing motorsports sponsorships. This team was the real deal, and the show has plenty for even seasoned gearheads to learn about.
Where To Watch: Max, Discovery+, Tubi