Monster Garage
A team of professionals headed by expert mechanic Jesse James specialize in transform cars. The clock is ticking as they attempt to turn ordinary vehicles into 'monster machines' in just a week.
Reality
Episodes (25)
White Trash
1994 Ford Explorer (Eddie Bauer Edition) / Garbage Collector Jesse and his crew are challenged to transform a Ford Explorer into an actual, functioning garbage truck. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, Long Beach, Calif. • Brent Davis, bike builder, Brentwood, Calif. • Nick De Avila, offroad truck mechanic and racer, Hermosa Beach, Calif. • Jay LaRosa, customizer, Carson, Calif. • Ivan Sanchez, graphic artist and ""parts guru,"" Long Beach, Calif. • J.P. Schoenbeck, tattoo artist, Highlands Ranch, Colo. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Thom Taylor, hot-rod designer, Laguna Niguel, Calif. • Gregorio Urueta, mechanic and sanitation-truck engineer, Harbor City, Calif.
Firetruck
1996 Lincoln Town Car Limousine / Fire Truck Jesse and his team of designers, welders, fabricators, and mechanics transform a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine into a fire truck • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, Long Beach, Calif. • Vini Bergman, custom-limo builder, California • Ed Blanford, car designer, Southern Calif. • Steve Dennish, hot-rod creator, La Mirada, Calif. • Wink Eller, custom-bike builder, Wink's Performance and Machine, Orange, Calif. • Rick Goodell, fire-engine engineer, Wisconsin • Paul Johnson, mechanic, Artesia, Calif. • Lisa Legohn, welding instructor, Los Angeles Trade Technical College and Compton Community College, Los Angeles, Calif. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Michael Shrout, fireman, Long Beach, Calif.
Swamp Buggy
2000 Volkswagen Beetle / Swamp Boat Before he started work on this VW Bug, Jesse happened across a TV show on how to survive if your car plunges underwater. Lucky coincidence ... or totally irrelevant? • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, Long Beach, Calif. • Ricky Hsu, car designer, Gardena, Calif. • Brian Jendro, car customizer, Temecula, Calif. • John Krawczyk, welder and sculptor, Malibu, Calif. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • J.D. Streett, special-effects supervisor, Shadow Hills, Calif. • Christy Sumner, special-effects technician, Los Angeles, Calif. • Ronnie Thibodaux, boat designer/builder, Centerville, La. • John Uribe, auto-mechanics instructor, Reseda, Calif.
Switchblade
1990 Ford Mustang GT / Lawnmower In Switchblade, Jesse and his team are challenged to turn a 1990 Mustang GT convertible into a fiber-slashing, awe-inspiring monster mower • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, Long Beach, Calif. • George Beers, ""parts guru,"" Stuart, Fla. • Bob Cleveland, lawn-mower engineer and racer, Locust Grove, Ga. • Mike Contreras, oil-rig mechanic, Long Beach, Calif. • Mike Desmond, custom-car designer, MAD Machines, southern California • Bill Dodge, custom-bike builder, Long Beach, Calif. • Carol Hodge, TV commercial director, Seattle, Wash. • Billy Lane, custom-bike builder, Melbourne, Fla. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif.
Freezer Burn
1996 Chevy Impala Supersport / Zamboni In 1996 it was born a Chevy Impala Supersport clone. In 2002 (July 2002, to be more exact) it mutated into a monster capable of smoothing out the roughest of frozen surfaces. Welcome to the story of Freezer Burn. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Bob Van Der Brink, retired high-school shop teacher, Chino Hills, Calif. • Stuart Fuller, hot-rod designer, Downey, Calif. • Ken Hoffman, self-employed fabricator and welder, Simi Valley, Calif. • Renee Newell, sculptor, Santa Monica, Calif. • Dan Padilla, artist • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Tad Yenowine, set-builder, Los Angeles, Calif. • Richard Zamboni, president, Frank J. Zamboni & Co. Inc., Paramount, Calif.
Golf-Ball Collector
1984 Porsche 944 / Golf-Ball Collector Golfers beware! This is no ordinary range-picker. It's a 1984 Porsche 944 that Jesse and company transformed into a player-harassing, ball-snagging monster back in August 2002. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Alex Anderson, custom-car builder, Temecula, Calif. • Mac Gillum, former drag racer and range-picker builder, Different Designs, Stanton, Calif. • Pete Pepe, creative designer, Disney Animation • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Eric Scarlett, custom-car builder/shop owner and former U.S. Navy SEAL technician, Ventura, Calif. • Wendy Schmidt, animatronics specialist, Los Angeles, Calif. • Jay Skwarlo, bicycle mechanic/builder and hot-rodder, Long Beach, Calif.
Grim Ripper
1973 Miller Meteor Cadillac Hearse / Car Crusher-Destroyer Death was certainly the theme of this mission: the transformation of a 1973 Miller Meteor Cadillac hearse into a formidable car-crushing beast. Because it marked the first failure — and destruction — of a Monster vehicle. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • George Barris, custom-car designer (including the Batmobile, Kitt from Knightrider, the Munsters' Koach, and the DeLorean from Back to the Future) • Tim Conder, mechanic and motorcycle customizer, Seattle, Wash. • Jose Gonzalez, motorcycle customizer and forklift repairman, Yale/Chase, Long Beach, Calif. • Bart Grande, dyno shop owner and racer, GodSpeed Dyno Works, Oceanside, Calif. • Doran Hirschkorn, Bobcat manufacturing engineer, Bismarck, N.D. • Steve ""Tombstone"" Sterle, horror-prop manufacturer, Hollywood Tombstones, San Fernando Valley, Calif.
Pontoon Bus
1989 Ford 20-Passenger School Bus / Pontoon Imagine — It's August 2002, and you've acquired a 1989 Ford 20-passenger school bus. What to do. Well, why not turn it into a pontoon party boat? Ah, if only Gilligan had had Jesse James and his team of monster mechanics around. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Charlie Conn Jr., bus technician, A to Z Bus Sales, Riverside, Calif. • Jim Day, metal fabricator/sculptor, Inglewood, Calif. • Steve Furnish, fabricator, Wolff's Customs, Long Beach, Calif. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Darren Shurig, engineering fabricator, Fountain Valley, Calif. • John West, owner/designer, Ultraboats, San Diego, Calif.
Delivery Truck
1998 Chevy Mac Tool Truck / Ultimate Delivery Truck In September 2002, Jesse James and the Monster crew set out to turn a 1998 Mac Tool truck into the ""ultimate"" delivery truck. Now, you might be thinking that's pretty ho-hum for this garage ... but have we mentioned that the transition involves a crossbow, cannon and catapult? Let's just say that you do not want Jesse James delivering your new 19-inch TV. The truck was equiped with the following: dual air cannons, a single 6-inch barrel air cannon, a ballista, & a trebuchet • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Paul Campbell, surgical nurse for Stanley Frileck M.D., Santa Monica, Calif. • Jim Farley, truck mechanic and hot-rodder, Reno, Nev. • Dais Nagao, artist /motorcycle designer, Honda, Pasadena, Calif. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • David Norris, owner, Sky Signs, Phoenixville, Pa. • Ron Toms, entrepreneur and medieval wea
Hot-Air Balloon
1995 Geo Tracker / Hot-Air Balloon In October 2002, Jesse and his team hunkered down to see if they could redefine ""off-road"" ... literally. And in the process, they learned that you're not supposed to throw certain items — such as bowling balls — out of hot-air balloons. Bummer • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Chris Brown, custom-car designer, Brown Auto Design, Fullerton, Calif. • Chopper Dave, motorcycle builder, West Coast Choppers • Dan Danknick, software engineer, Orange, Calif. • Martin Harms, designer, Aerostar, Sioux Falls, S.D. • Chuck Mignacco, welder, Oakland, Calif. • Dave Park, attorney and motorcycle builder, San Diego, Calif. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Jerry Schell, balloonist, Tucson, Ariz.
Nut-Shaker
1997 F-150 Ford Pickup Truck / Tree-Shaker No, this machine shakes nuts (and fruit) from trees. Using a hydraulically powered clamp and rotating mass device, this harvesting device latches onto a tree, shakes vigorously, then collects the falling nuts in an umbrella — all without damaging the tree. Able to shake up to three trees a minute, this machine has revolutionized the agricultural industry. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Russ Angold, agricultural engineer, San Luis Obispo, Calif. • Tim Beghoefer, hydraulics technician/ journeyman mechanic, Milwaukee, Wis. • Mike Pittinger, mechanical engineer/underwater welder, Baltimore, Md. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Dan Robinson, farm equipment repairman/welder, Omaha, Neb. • Ralph Westerhoff, service manager, Orchard Machinery Corporation, Tulare, Calif.
NASCAR Street Sweeper
2002 Dodge Intrepid / Street Sweeper Race-car driver Kyle Petty helps to transform a stock car into a street sweeper and to test it at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Anyone who's seen Jesse behind the wheel knows how much driving at extreme speeds bums him out. Not! • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Kyle Petty, CEO, Petty Enterprises, and driver, Sprint Dodge car, Level Cross, N.C. • Jon Babek, R&D engineering specialist, Petty Enterprises, Level Cross, N.C. • James ""Bobby"" Brock, engineer, TYMCO, Waco, Texas • David Jones, industrial artist and custom fabricator, New Design Customz, Walker, La. • Laura Parker, art teacher and welder, Sacramento, Calif. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Jim Reeves, vice president of operations, FAA repair station, Carollton, Texas • Albert Yu, artist, designer and teacher, Pasadena Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, Calif. Honorary Team Mem
Ambulance / Wheelie Car
1983 Ford E-350 XL Chassis, Type II / Wheelie Car This is all we need to say about this episode's transformation: Built in November 2002, it is Jesse's favorite monster so far. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Josh Brown, graphic designer and custom-car fabricator, Hemet, Calif. • Mike Desmond, custom-car designer, MAD Machines, Southern California • David Dyson, paramedic and custom-parts maker, Fremont, Calif. • Darrell Ferguson, cell-phone company field engineer and builder/driver of the ""world's fastest muscle car,"" El Sobrante, Calif. • Richard Pauza, fabricator and custom-hot rod builder, Gilberts, Ill. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Richard Schroeder, wheelstander (wheelie-car) expert, Diamond Bar, Calif.
PT Cruiser / Wood Chipper
2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser / Wood Chipper If Jesse was truly psyched about the Wheelie Car monster, his reaction to the Wood Chipper was .. less than enthusiastic. As in, ""This is like someone coming to my shop and asking me to build a moped."" • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Johan Bakker, mechanical design engineer, Unisys, Brighton, Mich. • Pete Finlan, custom painter, car builder and artist, Vista, Calif. • Mick Gifford, tree-chipper expert, Morbark, Inc., Winn, Mich. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Erich Woodall, certified and master welder, fabricator and street racer, Edgewater, Md. • Matt Zabas, artist, engineer and fabricator, 13 Choppers, Cardiff, Calif.
MINI / Snowmobile
Project Vehicle: 2003 MINI Cooper Richard Petty challenged Jesse for a race in snowy mountains of Wyoming. Can Jesse overcome his lack of experience on ice, or the challenge is just too hot for him to handle? Design team: Rick Soles (MINI USA paint and body training manager, car customizer), Matt Lube (Polaris Snowmobiles product manager, 2 time snowmobile hill climbing champion), Raphael Zammitt (General Motors senior car designer) Build team: Jack Nickerson, welder and hot rod builder from Upland, California Hector Orlandi, master technician from Saginaw, Michigan Brady Cambern, Tison Snowmobiles head mechanic from Tacoma, Washington Rick Soles, MINI expert from Wallkrill, New York Matt Lube, snowmobile expert from Buffalo, Minnesota
Suburban / Wedding Chapel
1994 Chevrolet Suburban C2500 / Wedding Chapel Here's a wedding you wouldn't want to miss. This build even had a dash of mutiny that resulted in some interesting moments. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Donald Burnes, minister, Southern California • Tonna Carlo, hot-rod painter, fabricator and Discovery.com bulletin-board regular, Olympia, Wash. • John Frye, designer, Honda, Torrance, Calif. • Tony Gentile, custom hot-rod builder, Tujunga, Calif. • Steve Hosking, certified electrical, mechanical and computer engineer, Santa Cruz, Calif. • Charles Kegg, pipe-organ builder, Cleveland, Ohio • Ray Kent, technical director, Laguna Playhouse, Aliso Viejo, Calif. • Jim Morrison, industrial contractor, hot-rod builder and Discovery.com bulletin-board regular, Salem, Ohio • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif.
Doom Buggy
1990 Mazda RX7 / Sandrail The name of this Mazda RX7-turned-sand rail? Doom Buggy. Yup. That sounds about right. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Lil' John Buttera, hot-rod designer and builder, Lil' John's Place, Los Alamitos, Calif. • Jason Conant, car builder, Mazda Recycling, Elk Grove, Calif. • Mike Ferguson, sand-rail builder/racer and owner, Big Chicken Bar Stools, Tempe, Ariz. • Cole Foster, car and bike customizer, Salinas Boys Customs, Salinas, Calif. • Anthony Luera, graphic artist and bike builder, West Coast Choppers, Glendora, Calif. • Jim McKenna, technology services manager, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Alameda, Calif. • Art Osborne, designer, Honda Acura, Pasadena, Calif. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif.
Road Ramp
1987 Winnebago Itasca/Suncruiser / Skate Ramp Will Jesse and his team — which includes pro skater Tony Hawk — successfully turn a 1987 Winnebago Itasca/Suncruiser into a skate ramp? • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Chris ""Body Drop"" Artiaga, skate-boarder and fabricator, San Luis Obispo, Calif. • Nigel Benjamin, former lead vocalist for a British glam band turned music studio designer, Toluca Lake, Calif. • Steve Cadena, creative consultant, Gaylord's Kustom Trucks, Long Beach, Calif. • Tony Hawk, pro skater, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. • Jason Jessee, pro skater and motorcycle fabricator, Santa Cruz, Calif. • Jeff King, skate rail and ramp builder, San Diego, Calif. • Joe ""Leaf Eater"" McCluskey, custom-car builder, Hemet, Calif. • Mike McIntyre, skate ramp engineer and builder, SITE Design Group, Tempe, Ariz. • Rick Thorne, professional BMX freestyler, Santa Ana, Calif.
Hot Dogster
Hot Dog Vending Stand / Dragster Jesse and his crew of New Yorkers take a NYC Hot Dog Cart and transform it into a 1,000 horsepower dragster. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Tom Betar, senior master tech, Ford Dealership, West Nyack, N.Y. • Steve Bonge, classic customizer, New York, N.Y. • Mike Desmond, custom-car designer, MAD Machines, Southern California • Louis Di Raimondo, hot-dog cart manufacturer and owner, All American Hot Dog Carts, Miami, Fla. • Dan Ferrazzano, mechanic, Ferrazzano Service Center, Philadelphia, Pa. • Indian Larry, motorcycle builder, New York, N.Y. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Dave Tucci Jr., street-rod fabricator, Tucci Engineering, Marcy, N.Y.
Rock Crawler
1968 Ford Bronco / Rock Climber After it's voted on by viewers, the producers of Monster Garage put into motion a Ford Bronco to be turned into a Rock Climber • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Mike Allen, editor, Popular Mechanics, New York, N.Y. • Mike Duncan, owner, FourXDoctor, Burbank, Calif. • Brandon ""The Knife"" Gillen, owner, Anarchy Offroad, Sandy, Utah • Ryan ""Lindy"" Lindberg, owner, Strictly Broncos, Los Angeles, Calif. • Andy McCloskey, attorney, San Diego, Calif. • Steve Rumore, owner, Avalanche Engineering and Avalanche Ranch, Bayfield, Colo.
Demolition-Derby Car
1970 Pink Cadillac Coupe Deville / Demolition-Derby Car When you think of a Cadillac Deville, what do you think of? Resevoir Dogs? Mary Kay Cosmetics? Aretha Franklin tunes? Try a butt-kicking demolition-derby car designed, built and driven by an all-chick (well, except for Jesse) team. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Maria Alvarado, welder, Wilmington, Calif. • Erin Enderle, metal sculptor, Westminister, Colo. • Lt. Mustardseed, welder/fabricator, Los Angeles, Calif. • Juanita Myers, welder/fabricator, Los Angeles, Calif. • Tom Prewitt, custom painter, Damon's Motorcycle Creations, Brea, Calif. • Cindy Regimbald, demolition-derby racer and service adviser, Jeep/Isuzu, Rutland, Vt. • Crystal Stern, bartender and drag racer, Clearlake, Calif.
Tundrinator
2003 Toyota Tundra / Terminator 3 Integration In Terminator 3, machines battle mankind. Well, as you know, in Monster Garage, that happens as well (remember the The Grim Ripper?). This time, Jesse uses the movie's motif as inspiration for a stealthy motorcycle launcher, born from a garden variety Toyota Tundra pick-up truck. But will the monster win its fight against its human creators? • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Tom Conard, car-maintenance adviser, Toyota, Redondo Beach, Calif. • Sean Gibbs, welder/pipe fitter, Middletown, Calif. • Dwaine Jungen, rock-crawler builder, Tucson, Ariz. • Jeff Mann, production designer, Terminator 3, Swordfish, etc., Los Angeles, Calif. • Paul Moore, custom race-car builder, Seaside, Calif. • Eric Roy Ortega, fabricator, California Street Rods, Cypress, Calif. • Monte Rex Perlin, stunt double, Terminator 3, etc., Los Angeles, Calif.
Low Bull-Rider
1970 Ford Ranchero / Mechanical Bull Oh yeah. This 4,300-pound low ridin', high buckin' bull started out as a 1970 Ford Ranchero before Jesse and his crew fed it a week's diet of 12 batteries, eight solenoids and four hydraulic pumps and cylinders. Not to mention a mean set of 6-foot steer horns as a hood ornament. Is anyone crazy enough to actually ride this thing? • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • Chad Denton, bull rider, Oroville, Calif • Eric Jones, hydraulics expert, Pro Hopper Inc., Van Nuys, Calif. • Quinter Pittillo, custom-car builder, Sacramento, Calif. • Edgar Sifuentes, hydraulics expert, Pro Hopper Inc., Van Nuys, Calif. • Rob Smets, bull fighter, Shamrock, Texas
Sling Ray
1973 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray / Mud Bogger Hey, if Jesse and his team are going to create a souped-up, mud-spitting off-road dragster, they're going to start it off right: with a 1973 Corvette whose engine is nothing other than a 454 Chevy big block. • Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif. • John Best, Corvette mechanic, Brea, Calif. • Dave Collier, electrician/desert racer, San Marcos, Calif. • Chuck Courty Jr., national mud-bogging champ, Pittsburgh, Pa. • Dick Guldstrand, race-car racer/builder/designer and Corvette expert, Guldstrand Engineering, Burbank, Calif. • Bobby McCurdy, fabricator, Henderson, Nev. • Mike Stapleton, head mechanic, Wilson Motor Sports, Bellflower, Calif. • Don Vierstra, freelance artist, Buena Park, Calif.
Under the Hood
The Cast and Crew reflect back on the previous 24 episodes of Monster Garage. Segment 1) The Idea to Make the Show Segment 2) How an episode is made Segment 3) Picking the crew Segment 4) The Worst moments on Monster Garage Segment 5) And on the 7th day...
