Top RUSToration shows you should watch

For many of us on the east coast, the weather is already starting to turn, leaves are slowly changing and the Motorsports season is quickly approaching its crescendo. Soon the holiday craze will set in and many of us won’t think about our cars until the final weeks of the spring thaw. RUSToration shows are a great way to spend some of your hibernation hours. Though they might not get you off the couch to brave the ice box better known as your garage, they just might be enough to keep you mentally engaged and motivated throughout the deep freeze. And after some extensive research, we’ve compiled a list of the top RUSToration shows you should watch during the off season… 

Roadkill

A GTM favorite, Roadkill** chronicles the adventures of Freiburger & Finnegan as they convert cars we would consider “junkers” into stunt cars, long distance cannonballers or all out racers. If you like “MacGyvering”, Roadkill is definitely the show for you. More importantly, if you end up binge watching all of Roadkill, you can always check other shows associated with Roadkill like: Junkyard Gold, Engine Masters, Hot Rod Garage, Roadkill Garage, etc.

Available on: Youtube, Motortrend, Motortrend Go (formerly Velocity)
**Check out Dan S review of Roadkill from earlier this year. #bestdayofworkever!

Rust Valley Restorers

Rust Valley Restorers (RVR) follows Rust Bros owner Mike Hall’s attempt to restore and sell the over 400 cars he’s amassed over his lifetime. The show takes place on-site at Mike’s property along the Trans-Canada highway in whats known as “rust valley” nestled in the Rocky Mountains region of central British Columbia. At 62 years old, Mike (above:center) with the help of his son Connor (above:right) and best friend Avery (above:left) has decided he needs to thin the herd of his “metallic hallucinations” – a task that is nearly at a point of costing him more than its worth. This show is a diamond in the rough to say the least, but that’s part of it’s charm. #letterkenny.

Available on: Netflix
**Check out the Rust Valley Restorers: Season 2 review.

Car Masters: Rust to Riches

Car Masters** follows Mark Towle and his Temecula, California based team at Gotham Garage’s new business venture: start with a $1000 vehicle and build something worth trading for another vehicle, build, repeat, trade, until finally having a vehicle worth $100k+ dollars – or what they refer to as “the 6 figure pay day.”  – unlike other RUSToration shows, this series is cumulative which keeps you more engaged as you track the team’s overall progress.

Available on: Netflix
**Check out the review of Car Masters: Rust to Riches from 2019. Season 2 Review from 2020.

Counting Cars

Set in the heart of Las Vegas, Danny “the Count” Koker and the team from Counts Kustoms don’t settle for anything less than #fullsend on any of their builds. Arguably as flashy as the city they’re based in, the builds can range from mild-to-wild. Cars, Choppers… pretty much anything on wheels. Although the show can feel a bit “produced” from time-to-time, it still gets our vote since it set the stage for shows like: Detroit Steel, Big Easy Motors, and others that follow a similar format. In the end, the work is really good and nothing stops this team from creating unique one-offs for all types of vehicles and customers. #sendit

Available on: History Channel

Goblin Works Garage

Set in Britain’s industrial north, Goblin Works Garage (GWG) is the only show in this bunch that takes place in Europe focusing on the #restomod of modern European classics. Each episode has a center piece vehicle: MINI 1275 GT, E30 BMW, Volvo 245, Porsche 944, to name a few. While working on the featured vehicle of the week, they also attempt a second (maybe less important build) which is usually a motorcycle. Each episode has a different objective: turn a cheap used car into an a drift car, bagged show car, sleeper-dragster, track-day (hpde) bomber, etc., and then find a buyer. Since the show is currently airing season 2, it hasn’t quite hit it’s stride making the chemistry of the GWG team a bit awkward. Despite not having the charm of other shows –  the work is top notch! – but the GWG team takes some getting used to. Admittedly, we’ve learned and adopted a couple of techniques from watching GWG for our own #restomod projects.

Available on: Motortrend, Motortrend Go (formerly Velocity)

Garage Squad

Garage Squad is the car worlds version of HGTV’s Extreme Home Makeover. The Garage Squad’s mission is to seek out unfinished project cars and get them across their long awaited finish line on behalf of the owners. If you’re into home renovation shows, this is the RUSToration show for you. The big reveal is often very emotional and gives you those “feels.”  – Garage Squad is definitely a show you can share with your significant other especially if they’re not a petrol-head.

Available on: Motortrend, Motortrend Go (formerly Velocity)

Salvage Hunters: Car Classics

Salvage Hunters: Car Classics (SHCC) is actually a spin-off of famed British antiques dealer Drew Pritchard’s show “Salvage Hunters”. SHCC has a slower pace than many of the other RUSToration shows on this list, but Drew’s keen eye for design sets this show apart from the rest. Many times cars are chosen not for their significance or pedigree but rather what Drew can conjure up, to expand upon a key element in the the vehicle’s design that speaks to him artistically. All projects are kept within a budget, but the work is overall superb.

Available on: Motortrend, Motortrend Go (formerly Velocity)

Can’t get enough?

Here’s a list of RUSToration shows you can check out for yourself on all the major providers:

#neverstoplearning