Honestly, if any of us got the chance to be on a reality TV show where their cars, trucks, and SUVs get upgraded to a unique level for free, we’d jump at the chance. The same happened to all the contestants on that famous reality show that started it all, Pimp My Ride. Hosted by multitalented rapper, musician, and actor Xzibit, the show was a runaway success and came at the time people still had blind faith in the "reality" portrayed on reality TV.

The bubble sure burst later, though, when everyone began to realize that reality TV isn’t all that real to begin with. And like the rest of them, truths began to come out about Pimp My Ride, as well. The show was scripted, the contestants already knew they had been chosen, and most were even prepped to appear on the camera properly. The magic of the show went bust, but diehard fans still swear by West Coast Customs and Xzibit and all those sweet rides that were given overhauls bordering on the absurd.

The show ran on drama and flair, and the more over-the-top it was, the better the ratings got. There were grins and back slaps, squeals and screams, and plenty of gasps and happy jumping. But what went on behind the scenes was a lot different than what was shown on the screens. While there was nothing dark or drastic, bits of the show were definitely amped up and fake. So here’s everything we all tend to forget about the classic mid-2000s show, Pimp My Ride…

20 Most Of The Auditions Were Fake

According to Huffington Post, many contestants admitted that they had been pre-briefed about their appearance on the show. So all those wide-eyed surprise reactions you saw on TV were simply well-directed and well-orchestrated by the show’s producers. And it became easier for those who knew someone on the show because then you could be on TV, get your car done up in strange ways, and get your little slice of fame as well. Of course, other than getting your car fixed up, there was no payment involved for the participants. But since the cars got famous, so did the contestants—at least, until the next reality show came along.

19 The Sob Stories Were Touched Up

Reality shows are probably, maybe, sometimes around 50% real, with many things being spiced up to get better Television Rating Points (TRPs). Pimp My Ride was no different, and not only were the contestant auditions fake but their background stories were also touched up plenty.

If they had one teeny-tiny little problem, the show's writers added plenty of creativity and turned them into full-blown sob stories!

The idea was to get the viewer’s sympathy and build upon the almost desperate need of the contestant to get his or her car fixed and looking awesome. If the sob stories were good, then the choice of the contestant not only seemed fair but nearly righteous.

18 The Contestants’ Homes Weren’t Real

According to News24, most of the houses where Xzibit went on to ring the bell and “surprise” the contestants with the news that they had been chosen to be on Pimp My Ride weren’t real. Sure, they were homes and houses of course, but not the actual residences of the contestants. These were rentals hired by the show’s producers at secured locations to make shooting easier and perhaps more convenient. Also, they probably didn’t want to film the hovels the contestants actually lived in, or maybe Xzibit didn’t want to travel all over town. The contestants were usually bought in a little before the filming began, and just hung around in their fake homes, practicing their fake backstories!

17 None Of The Cars Were Actually Fixed

The purpose of a car isn’t just to look good, a car has to run right and move well. And to do that, it has to be in top shape, mechanically. According to Looper, there was nothing exciting about replacing an engine or tightening the brakes or even making sure the transmission worked. Most of the actual major issues of cars that rolled in for a revamp on Pimp My Ride were overlooked. The cars were glammed up simply with an interior and exterior facade, along with some upgrades that were never even needed in the cars in the first place. Like a candy machine. Or a sound system that was illegal in every single states.

16 MTV Kept A Tow Truck On Beck & Call

Many cars that floated in for a fix-up on Pimp My Ride were way past the fixer-upper stage to begin with. And despite all that jazzed up paint, those interiors, and some gadgets, the mechanicals of many cars were basically falling apart.

There wasn’t much that could have been done with the junkers, so MTV decided to keep a tow truck around.

And boy, did it come handy. According to Huffington Post, co-producer Larry Hochberg remembers sending the tow truck for rescues pretty often since the cars wouldn’t start or would stall in the middle of the road. So the tow truck was indeed a lifesaver for the poor guests!

15 The Cars Were Made To Look Junked, On Purpose

Not all the cars were all that bad when they rolled in for an upgrade on the show. So, hoping to make things look more convincing, some of the not-so-bad cars were then junked up further.

The idea was to milk sob stories as much as possible to make the junker look deserving of its upgrades.

The producers didn’t exactly take a bat to the car, but they did add a few dings and dents, and also made the inside look as if a tornado hit it. The contestants had to act out a whole scene to “convince” the producers that they and their cars were deserving of the show’s favors.

14 Everything Was Scripted, Down To The Tears

This wasn’t a “real” reality show, so to speak. Here, the contestants were handed out scripts and even given some acting lessons to make their reactions look genuine.

But the point was that it had to be OTT, Over The Top.

A simple grin and thank you wasn’t the right reaction for the final unveil, there had to be some tears, hugs and of course, the mandatory fist bumps and back slaps. The sob stories had to be pretty moving, enough to move the contestants themselves to tears while they narrated it. The more the drama, the merrier it was for the show and its producers.

13 The Contestants Did Not Have A Say In The Upgrades

Despite the car belonging to the contestants, once the fixer-uppers took hold of it, that was it. The say of the contestants ended there and then. So if the producers decided to put in a candy machine, so be it—and the owner then had to look over-the-moon happy with this zany upgrade and play along for the cameras. Even if he hated candy. And the “upgrade” usually caused more of a problem and was nowhere near a solution for the junker. The idea of the show was to be OTT and grandiose, so accordingly, the producers decided on the upgrades, even if it ruined the car for the contestant.

12 But They Still Had To Look And Act Happy

According to Reddit, there was one contestant who specifically told the custom-car guys that she could not stand a car with red interiors. So imagine her aggravated surprise when she saw her car roll in for the final reveal complete with, you guessed it, bright red interiors. But this was a show, and her “role” was to act out like she was super pumped with the changes and the upgrades. So she did just that, even if all she wanted to do was rip the red leather seats out with her bare hands. This was the same with all contestants, they simply had to look happy with whatever they got.

11 The Pimped Up Cars Became Celebrities 

Even if the car was whacked-out way beyond the limits of common sense and viability, it still became a recognizable set of wheels. People would stop and stare at the jacked-up cars, try and take pictures of the vehicles, and even beg for a ride or a picture with the owners.

For a short while, Pimp My Ride was a sensation and the pimped-up cars became sensations in themselves.

Even if the owners hated their rides and couldn’t wait to get rid of them! This is the price the owners, and their cars, had to pay for their newfound celebrity status, short as it may have been.

10 The Car Owners Became Celebrities Too

There was one guy who was actually pulled over by the cops, not because he was speeding or anything, but because he and his car had been on the show and the cops not only recognized the car, but they wanted to see and feel it. So the contestants became mini-celebrities in their own right, even if they did not like what had been done to their rides. The sob stories and the happy reactions to the grand unveiling of their pimped-up car only added to their fan following. For a while at least, the contestants and their cars got a taste of fame, and most, if not all, enjoyed it to the utmost.

9 The Show Wasn’t Very Nice To Some Contestants

The guy who got the candy machine installed in his car was on the heavier side, and for sure, he may have had a sweet tooth. But MTV went out on a roll to show his “love for candy” to justify the installation of a candy machine in his car. They actually dumped out bags of candy in the insides of his car to exaggerate it all, though this contestant later told Huffington Post how it was all lies. But since it was all exciting, he kept mum and went with the flow. The candy machine came minus a lid and threw candy all over the car, so ultimately, it had to be removed.

8 Xzibit, Though, Was Very Nice

Ask any contestant and they remember the show’s host, Xzibit, with fondness. This was a genuine man, said many, who would often go out of the way to convince the West Coast Customs guys to take up deserving cases, or even put in a few gifts here and there himself.

Xzibit’s popularity grew along with the show, though he was a decent rapper already.

But this show brought him into the limelight, and he was happy enough to make sure he treated everyone nicely enough for people to remember him. The producers remember him fondly as well, saying he didn’t have any starry airs or tantrums.

7 Many Of The “Upgrades” Weren’t Legal

In case you are wondering what kind of upgrades could be illegal in a car, try a champagne pop machine that basically did nothing but promote dangerous driving. So yes, that one had to be removed. Of course, it was removed only after the episode had been shot with a deliriously happy contestant practically salivating at the thought of his car-turned-butler ride. MTV decided it did not condone drinking and driving, and so decided to off the upgrade before handing the car over to the contestant. And since the contestant could not exactly profess his love for drinking and driving, he kept mum, too!

6 Some Were Not Well Thought Out At All

Then there was one guy on the show who so loved his fish that he got a little fish tank installed in his car. All well and good, right? The fish tank was sealed tight, so it did not spill any water in the car. There was also a little straw to let in oxygen inside the tank. The only problem was when this fish fan parked his car in the sun and went for some work; the sun heated up the water and turned the fish into fish soup. So his little fish went off to fishy heaven, and the upgrade turned into a graveyard. Eventually, it had to be removed. And there are plenty more such gaffes where this one came from.

5 Some Were Plain Scams To Get Better TRPs

According to Reddit, other upgrades didn’t work at all and were instead rigged to show as if they did, all to get better TRPs for the show. For instance, they installed a robotic arm in one of the cars that were shown to be fully operative.

Except for the fact that it was being operated by a technician behind the scenes with a remote control in his hand.

Obviously, this was one upgrade that didn’t work as smoothly as it was shown to be, and it had to be removed before the car finally went back to the owner. Another faulty upgrade was a bunch of LED lights put on a seat. Unfortunately for the owner, these lights got extremely hot and, again, had to be removed to keep the car and the driver safe.

4 The Upgrades Took Time To Get Done

Once a contestant rolled in his ride, he could kiss it goodbye for a while to come. The editors of reality shows are clever enough to fine-tune the final video cuts in a way that makes everything looks fast-paced, dramatic and quick. In reality, once the car was chosen, the contestant often had to sit and wait for the final reveal for months. So most of the contestants were left high and dry, minus a ride, while they waited for their car to be pimped-out and upgraded. Sadly, sometimes it wasn’t worth the entire wait, even if the contestants had to act out be extremely happy with the final reveal.

3 Many Contestants Weren’t Reimbursed For Rentals

When a contestant gave his car to MTV to be pimped, he still needed some wheels to continue daily life during the wait. Most contestants had to get rentals simply because the transformation of their cars took months.

Some of the contestants later spoke up and said that while they were reimbursed for their rentals for the first couple of months, the later months were a different story.

MTV stopped paying them, and there wasn’t much they could do but meet the show’s producers and plead their case. Sometimes though, the pleas fell on deaf ears and after the first few months, they had to bear the expense of the rentals themselves.

2 The Upgraded Rides Could Not Be Sold On eBay

In case the contestants thought they could make a sweet profit by selling their celebrity rides for a tidy little profit by auctioning them off on eBay, they couldn’t. The producers made all the contestants sign a contract that stipulated that these rides could not be sold on eBay, at least for a good number of years. There are some people who still managed to find loopholes and were able to sell off their cars through other ways and make a neat profit from their and their cars' celebrity status. Some retained their cars, though, and enjoyed the popularity their recognizable rides brought to them.

1 Most Contestants Would Happily Revisit The Show

Despite the unreal "reality" of the show, and the fact that contestants didn’t always sign up for what they received, most contestants had a blast on the show. And most also said that they’d love a chance to get back on the show if MTV ever planned a revival. It was an exciting time for them, and it gave them all a bit of mini-celebrity status that they could milk for a good number of years to come, even if it was just to be a little more popular with their peers. Plus, their cars remained unique for years to come, enough for people to recognize the rides from that time they were featured and upgraded on Pimp My Ride.

Sources: HuffingtonPost.com, Cyber-Breeze.com, News24.com. Reddit.com, and Looper.com.