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Pimp My Ride

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Pimp My Ride is a TV show produced by MTV. Each episode consists of taking one car in poor condition and restoring it, as well as customizing it. The original American version is hosted by rapper Xzibit.

Contents

Format

The show picks young car owners (requirements limit participants to ages 18-24) living in the Los Angeles/Southern California area. An episode of Pimp My Ride generally begins with the participant showing his or her car off, and convincing MTV why it needs to be "pimped". After this segment, rapper Xzibit shows up at the participant's house, takes a look at the car himself (making wisecracks about the particular things that are wrong with it), and promises the owner a complete makeover of the vehicle.

After examining the car, Xzibit takes the cars to the custom body shop of West Coast Customs (WCC) (Seasons 1-4) or Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) (Season 5-), where the shop team generally replaces most of the components and rebuilds the interior and exterior from scratch.

Each car is a custom "pimp", tailored to the personalities and interests of the owners. For example, a fan had his car painted to look like one in the game, while a bowler had a ball washer installed in his trunk, and a surfer got a full-size dryer (or at least one that fit) in the back of his Volkswagen van. Work usually includes new paint, accessories, chrome, tires and rims, and internal electronics (even, and especially, DVD players, video games, TFT screens of excessive size and other top notch gadgets). Most changes are only cosmetic and mechanical work is generally only done to enable the car to run. However, the show has replaced entire engines with new high performance motors. Customization and extra gifts usually total around US$20,000 (though the show usually doesn't put much emphasis on costs). However, WCC is well-known for putting their own whimsical touches in their work, such as the aforementioned dryer, or an electric fireplace in the trunk of another vehicle.

At the end of the show, the car is revealed to its owner, who typically screams and unleashes a string of profanity which is bleeped by the network. The vehicle's owner is then shown all the details of the renovation and the custom features; in addition, the participant is usually given a gift somehow related to the car or the owner's hobby.

Notes

Seasons 1-4

On only two occasions did WCC not "pimp" the automobile. In the first instance (the last episode of Year 1), the car-to-be-pimped was actually two halves of Ford Escorts welded together to make one car, and was considered unsafe. In the second instance (Episode 8 of Year 2) the "Pimpee" was studying to be an auto mechanic, and WCC decided to let him "pimp" his car as a study project. In both instances, the "Pimpees" were given brand new cars, with extensive WCC modifications to customize the new car for the owner.

Much of the appeal of the show comes from the personalities involved. The WCC employees are an eclectic mix of outgoing personalities, such as:

Xzibit, the show's host, has found a new audience of fans, who appreciate his sense of humor and obvious love of his job. Both he and WCC have experienced boosts in business due to the show: Xzibit has gained wider attention for his music career (as well as hosting and movie gigs), and WCC had to expand their facilities, due to the international exposure Pimp My Ride gave their work. After the second season however, WCC manager "Q" announced that he would not be willing to take a role in the show anymore. He cited a desire to expand the company's business with a customs shop in St. Louis, Missouri. Ryan Friedlinghaus, the owner of WCC, has been featured in season 3 as the "lead" for discussions on what customizing will be done on the incoming cars.

WCC has faced problems with some of their modifications. In December 2004 the shop was fined $16,000 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (along with fellow shop Unique Autosports, which does rides for Speed Channel's Unique Whips) for removing airbags from cars and replacing them with DVD monitors, although this modification was not done on the TV show.

Some of the show's pimped rides have found their way onto eBay, including, but not limited to, the Chevrolet Caprice from season 3. It was auctioned off as a 1996 Chevrolet Impala from Pimp My Ride. [link]

Season 5

MTV has announced that Pimp My Ride will no longer be with WCC. Ryan, the WCC Owner has moved his shop to Corona, CA and is worried about his ability to both do the show and have another shop. The producers of the show will continue new episodes (beginning in season 5) with another garage, GAS - Galpin Auto Sports[link], and will retain Mad Mike [www.cmimadmike.com], now dubbed a "car customization specialist". The new cast includes the employees of GAS:

Pimp My Ride worldwide

Pimp My Ride is one of MTV's most popular shows in nearly all of its worldwide subsidiaries (numbering nearly 100), the only exception being the U.S., where it is second place to The Real World (which is generally much less known outside of the United States). Country Music Television, also owned by MTV parent Viacom, has a show called Trick My Truck that operates on the same principle.

Canada's music network, MuchMusic, also aired the show until MTV Networks signed a deal with CTV and MuchMusic lost their rights to MTV programs.

A UK version of the show launched on 26 June 2005, presented by the DJ Tim Westwood. Carisma Automotive are the customisers for the UK version.

The German-language MTV Central Europe has two adaptions of the show called Pimp My Fahrrad (English: "Pimp My Bicycle") and Pimp My Whatever. On Pimp My Fahrrad [link], the bike shop Elbcoast Psycles redoes almost the entire bicycle, usually leaving only the frame intact. While the show could be seen as a parody of the American original, it is also a loving tribute, using all the elements of the American show with a bicycle twist. It is hosted by German actor Oliver Korittke. In Pimp My Whatever [link] ElbCoast Psychos return once more to pimp anything from a bathroom and a doghouse to a Birthday Party or even someone's brother. Pimp My Whatever is hosted by MTV's presenter Patrice Bouédibéla. Both shows are located in Hamburg.
The original US Pimp My Ride is shown in English language with German subtitles.

MTV Italy also features a different version of Pimp My Ride, called Pimp My Wheels. Hosted by the Italian hip hop group Gemelli DiVersi, Pimp My Wheels turns old rusty motorscooters or motorcycles into brand-new shiny vehicles.

Pimp My Ride is currently looking for cars all over Europe for Pimp My Ride international.

Cars featured on the show

U.S. Version

Season 1

  1. Wyatt's Daihatsu Hi-Jet (1988)
  2. Nile's Cadillac Sedan de Ville (1978)
  3. Logan's Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (1986)
  4. Christina's Honda Civic (1992)
  5. Antwon's Mitsubishi Mirage (1989)
  6. Mary's Ford Mustang (1967)
  7. *The car was originally fitted with special exhaust pipes that shot out flames when the engine was ignited. However, due to concerns of the WCC owner Ryan that such devices could be illegal, they were quickly removed.
  8. Jared's Ford Ranger (1985)
  9. Danelle's Pontiac Trans Am (1981)
  10. *When the Trans Am was being pimped, some of the WCC crew made references to Smokey and the Bandit. This pimped-out vehicle had a coffee maker installed in a center console and a chandelier in place of the dome light.
  11. Neil's Chevrolet LUV Truck (1974)
  12. Shonda's Mustang Convertible (1989)
  13. *The gear shift and interior rear-view mirror were fitted with over $50,000 worth of diamonds.
  14. Ezra's Nissan Maxima Station Wagon (1984)
  15. *The Nissan was referred to as the 'identity crisis' because of the Datsun and Nissan badges.
  16. Krissy's Volkswagen Baja Bug (1960)
  17. Brian's Honda CRX (1987)
  18. *This was the first car to visually get a brand new engine, as the old engine died before Xzibit could pull it into the shop.
  19. Gabriella's Toyota Land Cruiser (1972)
  20. Kerry's Ford Escort (1989)
  21. *This was two halves of two Ford Escorts welded together, which was fine to everybody until they hoisted it up and found out the bottom of the two halfs was held together by little more then bubble gum (nobody could believe Kerry and his family got all the way from Colorado to Los Angeles with the car like that), therefore the car was considered too dangerous for him to continue to own, so WCC and Xzibit procured a 2004 Scion xB and "pimped" that instead.

Season 2

  1. Ron's Cadillac Eldorado (1984)
  2. *The wheels on it were 24 carat gold, which were worth more than the car itself
  3. Kiearah's Ford Escort (1991)
  4. *Turned into a knock-off replica of a BMW M3
  5. Ryan's Volkswagen Bus (1958)
  6. Alice's Chevrolet Suburban (1985)
  7. Erin's Chevrolet S-10 Blazer (1987)
  8. Josh's Acura Legend (1988)
  9. Quoc-Viet's Nissan 240SX (1989)
  10. *Produced as a replica tie-in with the video game . Of note is that the game uses a fastback, while the pimped car was a coupe.
  11. West's Ford Fairlane (1963)
  12. *The 19-year old owner was hoping to become a mechanic, so WCC and Xzibit decided to let him restore his car himself and procured a 2005 Toyota 4Runner to "pimp".

Season 3

  1. Nate's Ford Econoline (1985)
  2. *Formerly a Municipal Van, turned into a Limosine for the band that the owner played for.
  3. Sara's Chevrolet S10
  4. Brooke's Chevrolet Cavalier Convertible (1991)
  5. *A digital projector was mounted on the trunk lid, which could pivot so that the projector faced forward and could turn any wall into a drive-in movie theater. A popcorn maker was also installed in the center console, and individual DVD players were also stuffed into the headrests so the rear passengers could each watch their own movie.
  6. Tom's Chevrolet Caprice (1996)
  7. *This was a former Police car.
  8. JT's Honda Civic (1988)
  9. Jekara's Chevrolet Bel Air (1955)
  10. *Dubbed Big Bertha by the owner.
  11. Vivian's Toyota Van LE (1986)
  12. Eric's Mitsubishi Eclipse (1998)

Season 4

  1. Jessica's AMC Pacer (1976)
  2. *The owner of the vehicle was studying to become a nutritionist. The car was fitted with a huge cloth sunroof, a rear wing with a solar panel to power the electronics, and a juicer in the trunk.
  3. *This car was infested with rat droppings; indeed, the mechanics found a live rat inside the car. Consequentially, Xzibit's gift to the car's owner was a live cat (because cats kill rats).
  4. Josh's Toyota Corolla (2003)
  5. *The car had suffered a lot of superficial body damage before it was 'pimped'. Intriguing features of this car included four LCD monitors - mounted in the left and right of both front and rear bumpers!
  6. Heather's Chevrolet C10 (1986)
  7. Tin's Dodge Caravan (1988)
  8. *Since the owner was a full-time student who often slept in his car, the van was installed with a custom fully-reclining Maybach-style seat positioned between two waterfalls.
  9. Alex's Chevrolet Chevelle convertible (1968)
  10. *An all-new small-block Chevy V8 engine was installed in the car in order to live up to its reputation as a muscle car. Also, since the driver practiced magic, it also had its sound system concealed, only to be revealed by a secret incantation.
  11. Rashae's Ford Taurus (1989)
  12. *This car was fitted with memory foam seats for the comfort of the driver, and since the owner had aspirations to be a Hollywood stuntwoman, the trunk was fitted with a professional stunt cushion.
  13. Jake's Buick Century (1986)
  14. *The WCC crew removed the backseats and replaced it with the MTX JackHammer, a 22" subwoofer weighing 360 lbs. A decibel meter was installed in the dash to alert the driver to keep it down.
  15. Cristi's Chevrolet Panel Truck (1957)
  16. *The owner was of Italian descent. The WCC crew installed a copy of the Michelangelo's famous mural painting The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the truck.

Season 5

  1. Calvin's Chevrolet Malibu (1977)
  2. Erin's Volkswagen Thing (1973)
  3. Monique's Mitsubishi Galant (1994)
  4. Dante's Ford Econoline ice cream truck (1976)
  5. *This was the first actual business vehicle to be pimped, which means Dante could receive a tax deduction if he gets taxed for everything put into it.
  6. *Not to be outdone by Jessica's rat, the GAS crew found eight mice in this van when stripping it.
  7. Jason's Toyota T100 (1994)
  8. *Of all the cars featured in previous episodes, the Toyota T100 could possibly be described as the worst looking car. Having been completely stripped of all parts, only the actual frame remained, as well as the cabin. Other than a complete "pimping" of his car, Jason also received a Yamaha Raptor 660 All Terrain Vehicle which also was pimped. The GAS crew put two LCD screens and a DVD player on the ATV.

Special

  1. Jeep Wrangler
  2. *This car was "pimped" for The Tonight Show announcer John Melendez.
  3. MTV Presents Xbox: The Next Generation Revealed
  4. *The crew pimped out the original Xbox.

UK Version

Season 1 (2005)
  1. Morris Minor (1961)
  2. Volkswagen Golf (1989)
  3. Ford Granada Hearse (1983)
  4. Fiat Panda (1987)
  5. Ford Capri (1986)
  6. Bez's black cab (1986)
Season 2 (2006)
  1. Nissan Sunny (1988)
  2. BMW 316 E30 (1989)
  3. Volkswagen Split Screen Camper (1967)
  4. Volkswagen Polo (1990)
  5. *The car owner had been a flight attendant and was trying to earn a Private Pilot License at the time of the filming. The car was fitted with actual Boeing 747 seats.
  6. Suzuki Swift (1991)

Spoofs

Pimp My Model

The Harvard Graduate School of Design came up with a spoof that called for a character named "X-ACTO" to come and pimp models in the architecture studio. The refurbishings wound up nearly destroying the integrity of the model but comments on the longstanding dialectic in architecture between "cool design" and "good design."

Gimp My Ride

MTV UK created and showed promos for a joke show called [Gimp My Ride].

Volkswagen \"unpimp my auto\" commercials

In February 2006 Volkswagen released a series of three "Unpimp My Auto" commercials that were an obvious parody of the popular TV-shows and their hosts. The ads feature actor Peter Stormare as the head of a team of German engineers destroying "pimped" cars in various ways while proclaiming that it was time to "unpimp ze auto" and replacing them with brand new Volkswagen Golf GTIs, adding the punchline "The GTI mark V, pretuned by German engineers".

Bristol My Ride

The commercial pitching tickets for the Sharpie 500 NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The commercial features a bald man aka "The Fan Man" who takes a car and "Bristols it" or turns into the "Bristol Fan Machine".

Jimmy Kimmel Live

A PMR spoof appeared in Jimmy Kimmel Live, called Pimp My Bride featuring Xzibit himself and written by Kimmel's team. This short skit shows Xzibit entering a church and excited to see the bride who is getting pimped - after which, Xzibit tells the groom to come to the alley with him and reveals the bride, who, as expected, is done up like a prostitute with lingerie and has a television installed on her back.

MADtv

The Fox Network's sketch comedy show MADtv did a segment in 2005 entitled Pimp My Bride. It starred Jordan Peele as Xzibit, who crashes a wedding and takes away the bride. At the end of the skit, she goes back to the wedding dressed as a prostitute. It was done and presented very similarly as the spoof on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and it is disputed as to which came first.

MAD Magazine

A PMR spoof appeared in MAD #456, called Dump My Ride. The car, "dumped" by "Messed-up Customs", was (apparently: referenced against diagrams from Chilton's Auto Repair Manual 1972-1979: Collector's Edition) a 1977 AMC Gremlin, which was outfitted with multiple television sets, a miniature race-car track, a deep fryer, and a koi pond. The spoof ultimately ended with the car being vandalized and left on blocks in a parking lot when the owner went into a store.

Chav My Motor

A PMR spoof appeared on VH1 in the UK, called Chav My Motor. Although there was advertising for the show, it was never shown, as it turned out to be an April Fools joke. At midday, a picture spoofing the test card (with the word "fool" written on the blackboard) was shown with an announcement that Chav my Motor would not be shown due to "ongoing police investigations", and would be shown on April 1 of the following year.

Sniff Petrol

Automotive satire website Sniff Petrol created a fake advertisement for a PMR spoof entitled "Spud My Ride" in [issue 65]. The advertisement features a quote from a "happy customer": "I had my Citroën Saxo turned into a massive potato. Now I look like a **censored**ing idiot. Thanks Spud My Ride."

Robot Chicken

Spoofing PMR, Robot Chicken's version was Pimp My Sister, where a pimp and his stable turned a kid's nice, average sister into a whore for the kid to pimp.

Weebl and Bob

The Weebl and Bob episode [joust2] features the car belonging to the character Bob being "pimped" for a joust, by a jar of jam and a talking blind fried egg known as "Eggsy Bit".

Internet Comedy

[Pimp My Ride Spoof]

Wizard

An issue of Wizard featured an article in which superheros and their "supermobiles" (e.g-Batman and the Batmobile, Wonder Woman and her invisible jet, Optimus Prime) were pimped.

Date Movie

The film Date Movie features a part where Julia Jones (Alyson Hannigan), the main character, gets "pimped", complete with gold teeth.

Pimp my Fahrrad

German program where a team pimps out someone's bicycle.

Pimp my Whatever

German program where a team pimps out anything. Recent episodes include a Brother, a Room, and a whole day. The theme song has sparked controversy: It is just the PMR theme song with a chorus of girls, sounding similar to the ones in the PMR song, shout "WHATEVER" instead of "ride".

Pimp That Snack

An Internet site devoted to people applying the concept to popular snack foods to make huge versions. Formerly called 'Pimp My Snack,' but now changed due to legal reasons. [link]

Pimp my OpenBSD bootfloppy

A howto describing step-by-step the customization of an OpenBSD installation floppy.

Shark Tale

After painting a shark, a kid said " I just Pimped your hide!"

Other TV references to Pimp My Ride

Comedy Central's '' The final round of this game show often involves the winning contestant having to save his or her grand prize car from vandalism by the losing contestants; on several episodes, getting a question wrong led to said contestants being allowed to throw cans of paint onto the car, to which host Jimmy Carr referred jokingly as "pimping [the contestant's] ride".

Pimp My Wagon

Shown as an advertisement for the MTV Music Awards in which Borat pimped a man's wagon with a hi-fi leopard skin and tinsel

Similar programs

External links

Official links

Fansites and resources

 

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