Counting Cars

Rick Harrison, of the ultra-successful Pawn Stars TV show, would send some work to "Counts Kustoms" across town in Las Vegas. In time, Danny "The Count" Koker, the owner of the place, got his own show. The same thing happened to Rick Dale, who stars in American Restoration. Knowing the Pawn Star guys has its benefits!

In this show, you have a bunch of tough-looking, gruff-sounding bike guys who underneath are pussycats.....at least in Koker's character. Danny and his crew of Kevin, Scott, Roli, Horny Mike, Shannon and others fix up just about any kind of car you give them and transform them into an amazing-looking vehicle, whether it's a muscle car, classic car from the early years, bike or a coffin-on-wheels! You see a lot of variation of restoration projects and that keeps it interesting, along with the crew, who are fun to watch.

What's different is that these nasty-looking dudes, led by their boss, have a special heart for people who have served their country, or have been disabled, or want something as a tribute to a fallen family member. Yeah, it's very sentimental and even sappy at times...but it works. I admit there are times I have a tear in my eye at the end of these shows. I like the feel-good endings. You don't see much of that anymore on TV.

I have no education or workplace experience in shop, mechanics, or engineering... & I've been a fan of this show for about eleven years.

After being discovered & featured as a recurring guest star on the hit series Pawn Stars (2009), Danny Koker, owner of Count's Customs, a maverick Las Vegas autoshop enterprise, was given his own show by History Channel.

It (almost) could not have gone better.

Danny has one of the most infectious likeable personalities in reality television history. His passion for sports cars & choppers is unrivalled - not merely from a materialistic perspective, but from the history & the experiences they hold, for himself & for his customers.

But, as the maxim goes, "never mix business with pleasure". This is a frequently broken rule in life, & a major pillar in the dynamic of this show is the need to balance Danny's passion for the pieces of art he & his team creates with the financial demands of running a business. This is where Kevin Mack (and in Season 1, Scott Jones) comes in, as a foil to Danny's often unrestrained personality. To add even more character notes to the show, the antics of some of Count's Customs' talented but adolescent staff (especially Horny Mike) create some amusing side stories.

I would give this series a 10/10 for packing a potent punch of entertainment, but I deduct a star for one reason. Loud muscle cars & shiny, tweaked-up choppers may make for more exciting television than other road vehicles. However, for a guy like me who has a penchant for quiet, smooth sedans, the Count's Customs focus on rubber-burners has become repetitive, detracting from my enjoyment of the series as the seasons rolled on.

Regardless of my personal motoring preferences, I still insist that this is one of the greatest reality television series of all time.

Great premise for a show, if there weren't throngs of other car restoration shows on TV. But this one is slightly different.

Propped up by the backdrop of glitzy Las Vegas, the show revolves around Danny Koker, a well-known Vegas personality who's business interests not only surround cars, but tattoo parlours and bars. The show is creatively scripted, as most reality shows, and contains obviously cast-ed story-lines examples being one of Koker's cast of characters restoring their own car, or taking on the teaching duties of "airbrushing" to a colleague, all to have a contest at the end to see who is the better airbrush artist. Some shows focus on a specific customer and their story, which can tug at the heartstrings and keeps it interesting. The viewer is filled in on specific facts related to the original vehicle, and is given a glimpse into how Koker and his team are going to approach each project. In the end, Koker and his team do their magic on an automobile or motorcycle raised from the scrapyard, only to bring it back to a greater glory. His work is fabulous and his attention to detail, although good, sometimes shows up on some of the smaller stuff, like headlight chrome which remains pitted and dull remaining on what is a beautifully restored auto. Could be an issue with not being able to find a 60 year old part? So I never said the show was perfect. Barring that, its an interesting watch, however too much time is spent on the story-lines in my opinion, where more could be dedicated to the intricacies of the beautiful work they do, and focusing on the difficulties of exactly how they get it done, like re- manufacturing parts where none are able to be found. Did I mention the headlight chrome? All in all, Koker is an engaging sort. He has what seems an warm TV personality, a good heart and a good soul. He helps out the Vets with doing things for no money, and takes time to look after those who have been dealt a bad hand or have an unfortunate story, which makes this totally watchable. Take a look, it will help you kill 30 minutes.

The production value of the show is excellent. Danny 'The Count' Koker and his crew are extremely talented and are, for the most part, fun to watch. The only caveats are 'Horny Mike' and Danny's business manager, Scott. Horny Mike's and Scott's screen time is abysmal and needs an extreme make-over. Where the heck is Ty Pennington when you need him?

I agree with previous posters: the whole 'Horny Mike' thing gets old in a hurry. All of the horns on everything from his helmets and vests, to even some bicycle he hammered together, are quite juvenile. Just a little bit of that adolescent nonsense goes a very long way. While I'm sure he's a nice guy and excellent at his craft, he just comes across on screen as the sort of not-quite-there kid you tolerated in high school shop class but never invited to the swim party because you thought he might try to eat the lawn furniture for a goof.

Scott, The Count's business manager, falls into pretty much the same category as 'Horny Mike' - great at what he does but an absolute pig on television. Whether he intends to or not, Scott comes across as a loud-mouthed boorish type who would try to out-yawp Chewbacca in normal conversation just because he can. There is nothing subtle about him. He's a middle-aged, hulking, mountain of a man with the booming voice of an air raid siren. His behavior on camera gives you the sense that he is well-aware of this fact and has probably used it to his advantage since adolescence, where, like 'Horny Mike', he seems to be permanently wedged. Another irritating facet of Scott's is that he tries desperately to 'look cool' by dressing in the same style as Danny and the rest. While it works on them, it just makes Scott look like the proverbial fat kid that never fit in on the playground and is still trying to make up for it 40 years after the fact. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the disdain Scott appears to have for the shop's customers, if you can believe that. He tipped his hand in one episode during a typical interview after a scene in which a customer haggles with him and the guys for one of their creations. Scott, true to his overbearing and piggish nature, actually said to the camera, "I just wanted him to give me my money and get the f&%# out of here!" What a disgraceful old gonk. The net effect of his performance is to make me cringe and change the channel... a lot. He needs much less face time on my television.

All in all, the show is great entertainment. I predict it will be another gem in The History Channel's crown if they ever manage to sort out the 'Horny Mike and Scott' conundrum. It is definitely worth a watch.

I'm a KUSTOM KAR KULTURE kinda gal. I love the vibe, looks, sounds, craftsmanship of 1950's - 1960's & 1970's classic hot rods, street rods, tail-dragging low riders, and super cars. Motorcycle's are my thing too, as I own three classic's myself. I also like classic 1950's early 60's rock 'n roll, rock-a-billy, some 50's beat, and some country western too. So I think I am more or less well rounded and with that whole scene... In the beginning - I did not care one iota for Scott's obnoxious loud mouth, in your face, disrespectful attitude - so I am glad he's now history. His whole shtick was over the top. I also never cared for Horny Mike! Punk-rocker's with spiked Mohawks that are tinted green, purple, red and wear studs, horns, tattoos, facial and body piercing's, etc, turn me off. Horny Mike isn't cute or sexy - or as cool as he thinks he is. He comes off as a totally arrogant, dirty minded, mean spirited slob, with no respect for his Employer or fellow CK workers, and sasses around thinking he is some Air Brush Artist God, when he is mediocre at best. If he was as great as he brags he is, he would have been discovered as one of the great artistic talents in the USA. He has not! Danny needs to get rid of "Horny Baloney" and hire someone who can do amazing airbrushing, pin-stripping, special effects, custom paint, and also get greasy and fabricate cars too... There are so many young custom car talents longing for their big break to show what they've got - and Danny needs to do a national talent search towards that end... as well as someone less Toady looking and more intelligent acting. I understand Danny's background as the Count, his music and Band, and his Chopper Motorcycle and Groovy Van's penchant... but that that whole counter culture theme is now fast going out of style as is Danny's pony tail, ubiquitous head bandanna, and always in baggy jeans with a Levi vest and chain drive wallet. The show is now getting a little long in the tooth and needs serious updating getting away from the Dracula themes and purple velvet. I mean, The Munster's Show was over in the 1960's! I feel for Rolli. He is like an immigrant duck of out water and without a flock. His hatred of Horny is very evident too. It makes me cringe to watch Horny Mike and Rolli try to make nice - it isn't there and as viewer it feels very uncomfortable to watch. It is evident that NO ONE at CK likes Mike. Not even Danny, so why he is still there is a mystery. The Counting Cars Show is a production and it is scripted, directed and rehearsed. Nothing is spur of the moment or real time "reality". There is just too much at stake with advertisers and network ratings to allow for an embarrassing gaff. Even the car searching in the streets and asking others to pull over, is scripted and set up. Counting Car's cannot be everything all in one. Custom Cars, Choppers, Rock and Roll Bands, Tattoo Parlor, Celebrity Cameo's, and company competition of whose the coolest or rudest dude alive. The show is chasing it's tail now and it feels like it. It's run out of gas. I hope they can rescue it. Or it'll just be one more car show junked!