Much has been said about the Rust Valley Restorers, one of the most popular car shows on the History channel. The show is now in its second season, and season one is on Netflix as well. And despite being a show that is based in Tappen, British Columbia, which is like the middle of nowhere, it is now watched in 190 countries.
Like with any reality TV car show, things have been said about it as well as the crew, pointing to the fakeness of it all, but according to the crew, this is as authentic it can get.
Still, the show's premise seems a bit surreal to be completely true, leading the fans to question what's real and what's fake in Rust Valley Restorers. Including the sparks that fly between all of them, especially when the going gets tough. If you are a fan of the show, let us bring to you some details about the crew and how they started it all, from being nobodies to becoming reality TV celebrities.
15 Mike Hall Was Already A Reality TV Star
Mike Hall was a high-danger-pay-scale rock climber who appeared on the show Highway Through Hell. This show was a rather edge-of-the-seat series about the treacherous mountainous highways of British Columbia, and people who went through accidents, recovery, and towing. So being in front of the cameras was nothing new for Mike Hall.
14 Mike Hall Got His Show When A Detail Slipped Out
While he was in Highway Through Hell, the story that he was selling a five-acre piece of land along with some 340 old cars went viral. Matt Shewchuk, a producer with Vancouver-based Mayhem Entertainment got excited about it all and decided that a show on Hall would be awesome... and the rest is history.
13 The Story Went Viral Because Hall Increased The Price
Mike Hall’s original offer for the property he owned along with the cars was for some $1.19 million. When he did not find any takers, instead of lowering the price, he bumped it up to $1.45 million – this was one of the reasons this story caught the eyes of various social media handles and went viral. And so the show was born.
12 Mike’s Son, Connor Hall, Says His Father Does Not Get ‘Business’
Mike Hall takes up cars as projects, loving them so much that he cannot say no to restoring, even when the project turns into a massive loss. He once took up the restoration of a Lincoln, quoting some $15,000 but ended up spending close to $50,000 on it. Connor calls it a loss but Mike Hall calls it an investment!
11 Once, Mike Charged The Press For Taking Pictures Of The Cars
Of course, it's not always that Mike Hall does not take advantage of an opportunity presented to him. Once when press group showed up to take photos of the cars, Hall permitted them but with a caveat – they had to pay $10 to take the pictures, and the press was kind of miffed about it later.
10 For Cassidy, Mike Is Her “Super Good Boss”
Cassidy Mceown is one of the two female crew on the show, and perhaps also youngest. To her, Mike Hall is a ‘super good boss’ because he patiently teaches her everything there is to know about cars. Other than Mike Hall, Cassidy loves Alice Cooper and spending a day at the beach as well as pitbull dogs.
9 Cassidy Mceown Needed Three Tries To Get Her Driver’s License
If you look at the social media handles of Rust Valley Restorers, Cassidy Mceown will come out to be quite the favorite with the audience. She joined the crew in episode two and comes from a family of gearheads, according to her. The girl adds quite the comedic touch to the show, adores cars, but cannot seem to drive to save her life!
8 The Crew Make It Easy To Understand The Goings-On
There are plenty of cars shows around to watch, but what sets the Rust Valley Restorers apart is the fact that while the cast does use technical jargon to discuss the restoration projects, they make sure that the audience and even car noobs can understand what is going on. And this makes the show popular as well as easy to watch.
7 But It’s Still Pretty New For The Cast To Be Famous
It's still perfectly all right if you haven’t heard about the Rust Valley Restorers yet, and that’s because the show is still a new one. It came to fruition in December 2018 only. So yes, the cast isn’t as famous as other reality stars of similar shows, but most of them only seem to care about the cars they end up restoring in any case.
6 Mike Hall Still Wants To Sell Rust Bros
The ‘Rust Bros’ field with its 400 cars things in Rust Valley Restorers that are all too real, even though some fans have questioned its veracity. And despite getting famous, Hall still wants to sell the property and most of the cars because he feels age is catching up and he does not want to leave a rotting field and broken down cars as a legacy for his family.
5 Some Cars, Mike Hall Will Never Restore
There are quite a few junkers on his property. These cars have no life in them, but they come with a nostalgic air, and Hall loves to look at them. While restoring cars gives him a high, he says some of the cars on his property evoke such a sense of the faraway that he would never want to restore them, just look at them from time to time.
4 Mike Likes Everything Old School But Connor Prefers Tech
If it was left to Mike Hall, he’d do all the restoration the “old way”, which means triple the time and double the spend. While he does get away with a lot, his son Connor gets him to see the reason now and then. Connor has the business acumen his father lacks, and that’s a good thing.
3 The Crew Is A Bunch Of Funny Guys
Despite the financial tension that often leads to arguments between the cast, they tend to get along with each other just fine. Even the arguments often end up in a joke and laughter, diffusing all the tension. This is not something the producers can get them to do, its simply the equation between them and it makes for a great show.
2 Avery Is A Hell Of A Team With Mike Hall
Avery Shoaf can work marvels on just about any car and has engineering skills that outshine many others. Other than his skill and his one-liners, Avery also makes sure that Mike Hall does not go overboard with impulsive buys and expensive decisions. Not only is he a valued second-in-command, but he also loves dancing.
1 Connor Hall, Mike Hall’s son, Is Avery’s Disciple
Connor is Mike’s son but when it comes to business acumen and engineering know-how, he has been Avery’s disciple for long. Mike Hall is more of a car lover, who can go to any length to restore a car because he wants to. Along with Avery, its Connor who becomes the voice of reason for Mike, and together, the duo dissuades him from the more disastrous decisions.