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This article is about the TV show. For the video game, see Pimp My Ride (video game).

Pimp My Ride
File:Pimp My Ride logo.jpg
Created by
Presented by
Theme music composerJeff Cardoni
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes73 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Bruce Beresford-Redman
  • Rick Hurvitz
  • Larry Hochberg
Producers
  • Jennifer Colbert
  • Tess Gamboa
  • Joel Raatz
  • Mark Ryan
  • Brian York
CinematographyScott Sandman
Editors
  • Brian York
  • Mike Bary
  • Stephen Baumhauer
Running time27 minutes
Production companyMTV Series Development
Original release
NetworkMTV
ReleaseMarch 4, 2004 (2004-03-04) –
December 30, 2007 (2007-12-30)

Pimp My Ride is an American television series produced by MTV and hosted by rapper Xzibit. Each episode consists of taking one car in poor condition and restoring it, as well as customizing it. MTV2 has begun airing episodes from Pimp My Ride UK hosted by DJ Tim Westwood, which features cars being customised in Britain, and Pimp My Ride International, featuring cars in central Europe, hosted by rappers Fat Joe and Lil' Jon, as well as the related CMT series Trick My Truck.

Format

This show picks young car owners living in Los Angeles or elsewhere in Southern California. 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, the host (normally rapper Xzibit, but there are occasionally guest hosts such as Chamillionaire) shows up at the participant's house, takes a look at the car himself, makes 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 it to a custom body shop (West Coast Customs (WCC) in Seasons 1–4; replaced by Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) starting 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 Need for Speed: Underground fan had his car painted to look like one specially customized in the Need for Speed: Underground 2 game, while a bowler had a ball spinner installed in his trunk, a badminton player had a badminton net installed in the back of his Dodge Caravan, and a surfer got a clothes dryer in the back of his Volkswagen Type 2. Work usually includes new paint, accessories, chrome, tires and rims, and internal electronics (DVD players, video games, large TFT screens, and other cutting-edge accessories). Most changes are only cosmetic, and mechanical work is generally only done to enable the car to run; the show has replaced entire engines with new engines. Both WCC and GAS are 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, as well as 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

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

  • Owner Ryan (who was preceded by the good-natured manager Q)
  • The heavily pierced tire-specialist Alex
  • Tough-looking interior and fabric maven Ish
  • Electronics (and outrageous engineering) expert Mad Mike
  • Accessories specialist, the appropriately named Big Dane
  • Paint Guys Aren, Buck, 2Shae, and Luis. The latter carried on into the following seasons.

After the third season, WCC manager "Q" announced that he would not be willing to take a role in the show anymore. Q cited a desire to expand the company's business with a customs shop in St. Louis, Missouri called Coast 2 Coast Customs. Ryan Friedlinghaus, the owner of WCC, was featured in Season 4 as the "lead" for discussions on what customizing will be done on the incoming cars.

Seasons 5–6

Beginning with the fifth season, the show moved to another garage, Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), as Ryan, the WCC Owner, moved his shop to Corona, California and has signed a deal with another television production company. However, the show retains Mad Mike (who has quit at WCC and signed at GAS), now dubbed a "car customization specialist". The new cast includes the employees of GAS:

  • "Owner" Beau Boeckmann (In reality, Vice President of Galpin Auto; the owner of Galpin Auto is his father, Bert Boeckmann [1])
  • Electronics Expert And "The Wizard of Wiring" Mad Mike,
  • The Wheels & Tires Specialist Gyasi,
  • Paint & Body Luis,
  • Accessories specialist Diggity Dave,
  • Interiors Rick.
  • Fabricator Cabe.
  • Shop Crew Z

Replacement vehicles

On only three occasions – all season finales – did the show not "pimp" the original automobile.

  • In the first instance,[1] the car to be pimped was actually two-halves of Ford Escorts welded together to make one car, a "cut and shut" job, and was declared unsafe.
  • In the second instance[2] the participant was studying to be an auto mechanic, and WCC decided to let him "pimp" his car as a study project.
  • In the most recent such incident,[3] Xzibit felt the owner's car, a Nissan Pulsar, was not worth fixing, as heat from the car's engine and battery fluid was leaking into the cab, creating a fire hazard.

In all these instances, the vehicles of the participants were replaced with brand new cars, with extensive modifications made to customize each new car for the owner.

Worldwide popularity

Pimp My Ride is one of MTV's most popular shows with nearly all of its worldwide viewers, and also in 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, but only customizes semi-trailer trucks.

Canada

Canada's music network, MuchMusic, also aired the show until MTV Networks signed a deal with CTV, which resulted in MuchMusic losing their rights to MTV programs. MuchMusic's French-language sister station, MusiquePlus, airs the show subtitled in French under the title Pimp mon char ("char" is Quebec French slang for "car"). The show would eventually re-air on Much in the Summer of 2008, showing the later seasons. It has since again been removed from the channel block.

Europe

A UK version of the show launched on June 26, 2005, presented by the DJ Tim Westwood (famously known only by his last name). Carisma Automotive are the customisers for the UK version. The employees in Carisma Automotive are:

  • A legendary boss Jamie Shaw
  • Old man bald head paint expert Ronnie
  • Bodywork king Martin
  • Designer chick Pinky
  • Accessories brawn Richie
  • Audio and Multimedia punk Bluey
  • Wheels and tires prince Junior (Actually, Junior's first name is Stuart)

On October 1, 2008 also the Baltic version of the show was first launched.

The German-language MTV Central has two adaptations of the show called Pimp My Fahrrad (English: "Pimp My Bicycle") and Pimp My Whatever. On Pimp My Fahrrad [2], 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 (Germany's safety guidelines are among the strictest in the world, and getting a road permit for thoroughly customized vehicles borders on the impossible. Similar rules apply in most of continental Europe). It is hosted by German actor Oliver Korittke. In Pimp My Whatever [3] 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 presenter Patrice Bouédibéla. Both shows are located in Hamburg.
The original United States 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 broadcasting in almost all European countries with Pimp My Ride International, a European version of the show where cars are pimped from all over Europe in the Netherlands at All Stoff. The show is hosted by Lil' Jon and Fat Joe.

Middle East

Pimp My Ride broadcasts on weekdays in the Middle East on the channel MBC Action.

Pimp My Ride is also broadcasting on MTV Arabia, the new MTV channel for the Arab world, although MTV Arabia didn't start the show from the beginning. Instead they started broadcasting the show from Season 5. MBC Action is still airing old episodes of the show.

New Zealand

A Maori language version called Meke My Waka airs in New Zealand.

South America

MTV Brasil have started the Brazilian Pimp My Ride version, presented by the rock singer Jimmy London, from the group Matanza.

Arab

An Arabic version has started broadcasting on MBC 1 called Dale' Sayaratak (Arabic: دلع سيارتك "Spoil Your Car"). A popular malt beverage manufacturing company "Barbican" sponsored this show "Dale Sayaratak" and they also "pimped" the cars and showed them in their commercials.

DVD releases

U.S. version

Title Region 1 Region 2 DVD Extras
The Complete First Season March 22, 2005[4] February 6, 2006[5] TBA
The Complete Second Season TBA May 21, 2007[6] TBA

U.S. version

Season 1

  1. Wyatt's Daihatsu Hi-Jet (1988)
    • US$20,000 of goods put into the Hi-Jet, painted in "Hi-Jet" blue with silver and gray flames. The "micro-van" was done with a Jet theme, including authentic airliner "fasten your seatbelt" plaques and a large rear spoiler. The rear of the van included a wrap-around couch, wall mounted 15-inch TV and tiny fridge. Wyatt (trying to start a band) was given a preamp and guitar to be able to play music through the stereo system, and a mini camera was installed in the grill and displayed on the internal monitors. Music featured in this episode includes: The Darkness – I Believe In A Thing Called Love.
  2. Nile's Cadillac Sedan DeVille (1978)
    • Nile bought the car for US$700 because it was "big and strong", and she wanted to show that big cars are "not just for guys, the girls can roll too."
    • Painted in candy pink pearl and fitted with 20-inch wheels, the car had a see-through DVD changer in the dash and a plexiglass-encapsulated "river" (playing off the River Nile). And when the trunk opened, a shoe rack full of new shoes automatically extended, replacing the pile of old shoes Nile had stashed in her trunk.
  3. Logan's Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (1986)
    • The floor of the trunk was made to resemble the hardwood floor of a professional basketball court.
    • WCC painted the car with a custom bright green in the front that faded into a dark green from the midpoint towards the rear of the car.
  4. Christine's Honda Civic (1992)
    • The owner of the car lives with her grandmother and two dogs, and revealed that she only drives the car on weekends and keeps the car on blocks to prevent theft.
    • Fitted with leather massage seats and a Lamborghini-style front doors
    • Three days after Christine's episode aired, her grandmother died of gastric cancer.[7]
  5. Antwon's Mitsubishi Mirage (1989)
    • Painted blue that matched the neon they put on the bottom.
    • The show was in memory of Mr. Shannon.
    • WCC put a 10-inch monitor inside the car.
    • WCC also installed a small aquarium in between the rear seats.
    • The original 13-inch wheels were replaced with 18-inch wheels.
  6. Mary's Ford Mustang (1967)
    • Known as "Matty Mustang" by the owner
    • The front seats were made to recline all the way flat so that the custom LCD monitor in the headliner could be easily viewed.
    • The car was originally fitted with special exhaust pipes that shot out flames when the engine was started. However, due to concerns of the WCC owner Ryan that such devices could be illegal, they were quickly removed.
  7. Jared's Ford Ranger (1985)
    • The Ranger was given a pearl orange paint job and lowered 3 inches.
    • Under the truck bed cover was a ping-pong table, which slid out to reveal a couch and a TV with a Nintendo Gamecube.
  8. Danelle's Pontiac Trans Am (1981)
    • 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.
    • The car has a huge bird decal installed on the new Trans Am's hood. However, due to the oversized design, a smaller one replaced it.
  9. Neil's Chevrolet LUV Truck (1974)
  10. Shonda's Ford Mustang Convertible (1989)
    • During the episode, Xzibit made several references to Vanilla Ice because the car featured had an extreme resemblance to the car used by Vanilla Ice in his music video for Ice Ice Baby.
  11. Ezra's Nissan Maxima Station Wagon (1984)
    • The Nissan was referred to as the "identity crisis" because of the Datsun and Nissan badges.
    • The Wagon was turned into a mobile DJ booth by WCC.
  12. Krissy's Volkswagen Baja Bug (1960)
  13. Brian's Honda CRX (1987)
    • 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.
  14. Gabriella's Toyota Land Cruiser (1972)
    • The owner of the car was bought by her former boyfriend prior moving to California.
    • A pick-ax with a padlock came with the Land Cruiser.
    • The car was later sold on eBay by Gabriella. She managed to sell the car in excess of $18000
  15. Kerry's Ford Escort (1988 and 1989) (replaced by Scion xB (2004))
    • The owner of the car moved from Fargo, North Dakota to California with his family.
    • This was a "cut n' shut" car built out of two-halves of two Ford Escorts welded together; therefore the car was considered too dangerous for him to continue to own. To replace it, the brand new Scion xB was to be "pimped" instead.
    • To do pimping, the crew from WCC installed a rag-top electric sunroof, a portable computer and additional high flame sticker in both sides.
Ref:[8]

Season 2

  1. "Big" Ron's Cadillac Eldorado (1984)
    • The rims put on it were 24 carat gold plated 18-inch Daytons, and were worth more than the car originally.
  2. Kiearah's Ford Escort (1991)
    • Turned into a replica of a BMW M3.
  3. Ryan's Volkswagen Bus (1958)
    • Since Ryan loves to surf, an automated surf rack was installed on the roof.
    • A 40-inch TV was installed in the back, making it the largest television WCC has ever put in a car.
    • A fold-out stop sign that read "CHILL" (like the kind found on school buses) was put on the side.
  4. Alice's Chevrolet Suburban (1985)
    • WCC installed a working sink in the back along with a "mirror" since Alice wanted to be a make-up artist.
  5. Erin's Chevrolet S-10 Blazer (1987)
    • Fitted with a fireplace in the back and flames on the side.
  6. Josh's Acura Legend (1988)
    • A bowling ball (signed by the WCC crew), a set of bowling shoes and a customized WCC bowling shirt were given to Josh with his pimped ride.
  7. Quoc-Viet's Nissan 240SX (1989)
    • Produced as a replica tie-in with the video game Need for Speed: Underground 2 (which Xzibit appears on the soundtrack on), because the owner was a fan of the video game series. Of note is that the game uses a hatchback, while the pimped car was a coupe.
  8. Wes's Ford Fairlane (1963)
    • 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". This is the only time that the car intended to be pimped was returned to the person without being worked on, and the only time in the show's three replacement vehicles (to date) that the person got back the old car and received a new pimped vehicle.

Season 3

  1. Nate's Ford Econoline (1985)
    • Formerly a Municipal Van, turned into a limousine for the band that the owner played for. The hot tub in the rear was so heavy that hydraulic airbags were required to support it.
    • This pimped vehicle is seen on the intro episode of "Where are they now?".
  2. Sara's Chevrolet S-10 (1988)
    • An 8 Ball Pool table was mounted on the back of the truck, a limousine divider was installed on the back window to make the pool table playable in all angles.
    • The exterior was painted black metallic with air brushed graphics on the sides and hood.
    • Features a fog machine under the hood.
    • The owner of the car revealed that would be going to move to Tennessee to be with her fiancé. To do pimping, a GPS is installed.
  3. Brooke's Chevrolet Cavalier Convertible (1991)
    • Nicknamed "Betsy" by the owner.
    • A digital projector was mounted on the trunk lid that 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.
  4. Tom's Chevrolet Caprice (1996)
    • This was a former Police car.
    • Since Tom is a skateboarder, WCC equips the Caprice with grind rail from the rear bumper, with Impala-like body kits, custom gold paint, and super hi-beam lights inside the trunk.
    • The car has been equipped with police lights via microphone. Tom also received a WCC skateboard.
  5. JT's Honda Civic (1988)
  6. Jekara's Chevrolet Bel Air (1955)
    • Named "Big Bertha" by the owner and revealed the car was used by her family in two generations.
    • Repainted to white and pink with old school pinstripes.
    • 20" symbolic rims with BFGoodrich tires.
    • 2'7" monitors that pop out of the seats
    • Motorized closet in the trunk
  7. Vivian's Toyota Wonderwagon LE (1986)
    • Was given a dog grooming area in the trunk, and a recreated 1980s-style arcade table-top game in the passenger cab area.
  8. Eric's Mitsubishi Eclipse (1998)
    • To reflect his job as a baggage handler at the airport, the hatch area had three belts that simulated a baggage claim area. On each belt, was a Sony PSP.
    • Given a "half-half" paint job, where one side was one color scheme, while the other side was another color scheme.

Season 4

  1. Jessica's AMC Pacer (1976)
    • 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. The entire interior of the car was retrofitted with yellow shag carpeting; when he saw it Xzibit promptly joked, "Who killed Big Bird?"
    • This car was infested with rat droppings; indeed, the mechanics found a live rat inside the car. Consequently, Xzibit's gift to the car's owner was a cat, which Jessica named "Pacer".
    • At the end it says; "no rats were harmed in the pimpin' of this ride"
  2. Josh's Toyota Corolla (2003)
    • The car had suffered a lot of superficial body damage before it was "pimped". The reverse gear was also broken, which WCC had repaired. Intriguing features of this car included four liquid crystal displays mounted in the left and right of both front and rear bumpers.
    • Since being pimped, Josh wrecked the car, as he brought it to the "Where are They Now?" episode sans hood. Xzibit mockingly told Josh that they do not do Re-Pimps. Xzibit also revealed that, 15 minutes after giving Josh his rental car (MTV gives rental cars to the owners whose cars are being pimped) he also wrecked his rental car (a Chevrolet Malibu).
  3. Heather's Chevrolet C10 (1986)
    • This truck was "pimped" so that the entire truck bed could come out at an angle. Also, the driver's seat included a special raise and lower feature, as Heather (a very short female) had difficulty seeing out the back.
    • The truck had its brakes nearly completely gone (which emits a very loud screeching sound); the show featured the truck hitting an egg (before the brakes were fixed), then rerunning the same stunt with fixed brakes, where the egg was not hit.
    • The truck also had, for proper weight, cow manure, and hoes (Xzibit frequently told the audience during this episode that the "hoes" were of the gardening kind, not the other kind) in the truck bed before being "pimped".
    • The electronics in the back of her truck cost more than US$30,000.
  4. Tin's Dodge Grand Caravan (1988)
    • Since the owner was a full-time student who often slept in his van, the van was installed with a custom fully reclining Maybach-style seat positioned between two waterfalls. It also included a 17-inch LCD flip monitor, a built-in DVD player. In addition, Tin was given a laptop with wireless internet, a wireless keyboard and a USB compatible microscope. The original grill was swapped out for that of a Plymouth Voyager. Since Tin played badminton, a badminton net was installed in the rear of the van.
  5. Alex's Chevrolet Chevelle Convertible (1968)
    • 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.
    • Alex revealed on the "Where are They Now?" episode that he wrecked the car the first day he got it back.
  6. Rashae's Ford Taurus (1989)
    • 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.
    • The Taurus's front door hinges were altered to swing upward, Lamborghini-style, and the rear doors opened horizontally without hinges.
  7. Jake's Buick Century (1986)
    • The WCC crew removed the backseats and replaced it with the MTX Audio JackHammer, a 22-inch subwoofer weighing 369 pounds. A decibel meter was installed in the dash to alert Jake to keep it down. Uniquely, due to wanting a retro 1950s nature for the car, this would perhaps be the only car in Pimp My Ride's history to have flat black paint, and alloys replaced with regular steel wheels, whitewalls, and hubcaps.
    • During the filming of this episode, Big Dane told Jake to "Be more excited, or I will stomp you."
  8. Cristi's Chevrolet Panel Truck (1957)

Season 5

  1. Calvin's Chevrolet Malibu (1977)
    • This was the first car to be pimped at Galpin Auto Sports.
    • Having stated that Calvin had seen a UFO (known as the Flying Saucer) after living in the desert, his car was painted silver with green glow-in-the-dark crop circles and featured doors that opened automatically via a remote control.
  2. Erin's Volkswagen Thing (1973)
    • The Thing (known as the VW 181 in other markets) was equipped with a faux alligator and snakeskin interior.
    • The car was equipped with a custom terrarium.
    • The GAS crew equipped it with a 200-horsepower turbo engine.
  3. Monique's Mitsubishi Galant (1994)
    • The Galant was painted sky blue with a white sun on the hood and doors. The GAS crew swapped the rear seat for a chaise longue, featuring 6 LCD monitors and a laptop that could be pulled out.
    • One of the more notable features was a scrolling LED marquee installed on which Monique could display her spoken word poetry.
  4. Dante's Ford Econoline Ice Cream Truck (1976)
    • 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.
    • The truck was painted sapphire blue with icicles on the side. Ice cream-related features included a touch screen order system, a robotic arm which can dispense the ice cream to the customer at a kid level, and a full stock of ice cream.
    • He still sells ice cream in the north side of Long Beach, California.
    • The GAS crew found a family of eight mice in this van when stripping it.
  5. Jason's Toyota T100 (1994)
    • Having been completely stripped of all parts and stolen, only the actual frame and cabin remained (he still can drive it because California state law says that in order to drive a car, it must have working headlights, which it has). The car was painted in a camouflage style purple, white, grey, and black, nicknamed "glamoflage" (sticking out instead of blending in as camouflage does). The seats had a layer of kevlar added. Other than a complete "pimping" of his car, Jason also received a Yamaha Raptor 350 All Terrain Vehicle that was also pimped. The GAS crew put two LCD monitors and a DVD player on the ATV.
  6. Joe's Cadillac Sedan DeVille Limousine (1988)
    • Xzibit was stopped by a LASD policeman while driving the car to the GAS garage.
    • Having replaced the divider with a 50-inch plasma monitor, a TubeRunners custom Pneumatic tube system was installed so the passengers could communicate with the driver.
    • A rumble seat was installed in the trunk, with a 27-inch LCD TV that flipped up from the roof. Joe was warned not to drive the limo with anyone sitting back there.
  7. Shawna's Toyota Celica (1990)
    • Given mods like Lamborghini-style scissor doors, bodykit, outrageous paint scheme, and other related modifications.
    • Installed in the trunk was an Apple PowerBook laptop with 2 terabytes of hard drive space, via external hard drives. It could also be controlled with a 7-inch touch screen in the front.
    • In the console, GAS gave Shawna an iPod Nano and a Palm Treo cell phone, which Shawna did not know how to use, as she had never owned a computer or a cell phone.
  8. Tad's Land Rover Range Rover (1989)
    • The owner is an Ethiopian immigrant and GAS crew added the Ethiopian flag at the right side of the hood.
    • Xzibit finds the graphics on the SUV and he does not know what kind of graphics these are.
    • The Range Rover was given an orange paint job with a white stripe. In the rear a water bed and water machine were installed. On the roof GAS installed a satellite dish which could connect to the internet from anywhere in the world.
    • This pimped vehicle is seen on the intro episode of "Where are they now?".
  9. Gerald's Chevrolet Monte Carlo (1978)
    • Gerald's Monte Carlo was given the Southern "Box" treatment. It was painted black with leopard flames on the front.
    • The car was given 24-inch spinners, which raised it by 8 inches. This is a GAS record for the largest rims installed on a car.
  10. Ellyn's Ford Contour (1996)
    • Xzibit finds a car marked with claws that Ellyn explains was attacked by a bear while she and her friends were camping.
    • The GAS crew equips her car with green and orange tear graphics and the muffler-like salmon cannon in order to prevent a bear from attacking her car again.
  11. John's Mercury Cougar (1968)
    • Xzibit found one spinner on the car's tires
    • The car was painted black base with canary yellow racing stripes. GAS also installed a 450 hp Roush racing motor. Special feature was the 32-foot inflatable projector screen
  12. Xilomen's Ford Probe (1995)
    • Car's Aztec-style paint scheme by street artist Man One; interior seats done up with Aztec pyramid designs; trunk made to hold art supplies for Xilomen's art classes; car can "paint" via paint guns in each tire's wheel well.
  13. Tyler's Chevrolet El Camino (1965)
    • A football fan's El Camino becomes the ultimate tailgating machine. Metallic purple paint job with yellow flames. New 350 cubic-inch, 350 hp engine with bird catcher blowers. Satellite TV with five plasma monitors, 5,000 Watt audio amplifier, and PlayStation 2. Also includes a propane grill and Wunder Bar condiment dispenser.
    • In addition, Tyler received tickets to the 2006 Oakland Raiders season opener, as well as a Randy Moss NFL jersey.
    • Tyler's grandfather had won this car playing poker and had given it to him.
  14. Lawanna's Volkswagen Bug (1968)
    • Car's body parts placed with the Porsche and Ferrari body kits by the GAS crew.
    • The car's theme was "Hair Force One". This is due to the fact that Lawanna was a hair stylist who was about to enter the Air Force. In the trunk in the car's front was installed a sink with shampoo and conditioner dispensers, as well as waterproof speakers and an iPod nano. Inside the car was a high-power hair dryer which got air via a scoop on the car's roof.
    • The cockpit featured airplane-style gauges and a flight navigation system. Xzibit also gave her a plane toy that includes flight lessons in order to fly a real plane.
  15. Josh's Chevrolet K5 Blazer (1987)
    • The snowboarder's ride was given an RC car-style paint job, 6 subwoofers in the trunk, and a 60-inch flip-up LCD monitor in the rear.
    • Presumably inspired by Mad Magazine's Pimp My Ride parody, the truck received diamond-plate mud flaps with 7-inch monitors installed in them.
    • Josh also received a new Burton snowboard with a 7-inch monitor built-in.
  16. Mary's Nissan Pulsar (1988) (replaced with a new Ford Mustang GT (2006))
    • Due to the high temperatures the engine was giving off to the cockpit, Xzibit replaced the Pulsar with a brand-new Ford Mustang GT to be pimped.
    • This is only the third time in the series history, and the first time using GAS as the customizer, that the vehicle was replaced rather than pimped.
    • The new Mustang GT was painted bright green with chrome on the front end. The interior featured seventeen monitors between the pillars, sun visors, dashboard, and head rests. In the trunk were three additional monitors, including a 20-inch monitor that could pop out, tilt, and spin around. This is a PMR record for most monitors installed (20 total).

Season 6

  1. "Where are They Now?" Episode
    • Xzibit revisited the pimped cars:
      • "Big" Ron (Cadillac El Dorado)
      • Dante (Ford Econoline Ice Cream Truck)
      • Josh (Toyota Corolla)
      • Nile (Cadillac DeVille)
      • Ryan (VW Bus)
      • Christine (Honda Civic)
      • Alex (Chevrolet Chevelle).
    • Two of the cars have since been wrecked: Josh's Corolla (he also totaled the rental car they gave him) and Alex's Chevelle (which was totaled the first day he got it).
    • Two of the rides were seen in the intro part of this episode are: Tad's Range Rover and Nate's Econoline.
  2. Tenita's Ford Thunderbird (1965)
    • Equipped with a new Ford Racing Engine, Kumho racing tires that makes pink smoke if the driver does a burnout, windows that roll up by snapping, and a trunk that takes pictures when the trunk lid is opened.
  3. Mike's Wonder Bread Truck (1978)
    • Mike had bought the van from the Wonder Bread company for US$300 when they retired it from their fleet.
    • Mike had done a pimping job on his own car. The back of his car contained a chandelier, a couch, a surfboard, a TV, and a Super NES; making it the first car on the show that had a video game system in the car before it was pimped.
    • Mad Mike hooked up two MTX Audio JackHammers into the car.
    • Xzibit said the Super NES was what he thought was the first Nintendo, it was actually the second.
  4. Kristoffer's Chevrolet Impala SS (1965)
    • This show featured California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
    • It was equipped with GM's 6.6 liter Duramax turbodiesel, mated with an Allison Transmission, and intended to run on biodiesel.
    • The show was working in correlation with MTV's Break the Addiction campaign.
    • The GAS crew also equipped the car with hemp covered seats, which prompted Schwarzenegger to remind the crew that hemp was illegal in California.
  5. Spechelle's Mercedes-Benz 300SD (1981)
    • GAS paints the car pink with a redish-pink symbol on the front, they took the Mercedes symbol off and made a big "S" made out of diamonds (actually rhinestones). Monitors were put in all of the head rests (Facing forward for some strange reason, making it so people in the front seats would have to turn their head around to watch them). Also, it included fake beaver skin seats. At the end they gave her custom-made pink Roller Skates.
    • GAS crew equips with a special "crunk trunk", which opens and closes repeatedly. However, this show features GAS crew Jason, placing his arm on an open trunk. Mad Mike then tests it out, and Jason's arm becomes amputated. Jason says that it's "only a flesh wound". The blood nearly stained the car. (intended to be a spoof of the Black Knight scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.)
    • After the placing of the beaver fur on the seats it says "no rabbits were harmed or pimped during the making of this episode"
    • The forward facing head rest monitors were dubbed "Extreme Hatervision" by Mad Mike and Xzibit.
    • The car was sideswiped across both passenger doors and as a result, was totaled and went to scrap.
  6. Robert's Chevrolet Van (1984)
    • The GAS crew equips with a slot machine in order to open the sliding door, the owner must get a jackpot. A craps table floor and a keyboard piano with a roulette table built inside of a baby grand piano replica were installed as well.
    • Wayne Newton was also featured in this episode.
  7. Laila's Plymouth Grand Voyager Expresso (1998)
    • The van was equipped with a special "Vroom Box" which enabled the van to sound like other different types of "Supercars" including a Ford GT and an Aston-Martin Vanquish.
    • The van's original grill was replaced with an aftermarket replica of a Dodge Caravan grill.
  8. Seth's Nissan Maxima (1989)
    • Because of his love of both Transformers and all kinds of candy, his car's pimping includes a "Transforming" back seat that slides open to reveal the sound system and monitors, and a cotton candy machine in the trunk.
  9. Vanessa's Ford Festiva L (1991)
    • Nicknamed "Zippy" by the owner
    • Vanessa's car has a nitrous tank installed.
    • The car is put on a body kit from Festiva Motorsports
    • This episode began a 10-episode marathon that was originally intended to be a 'sneak peek' at the new season. However, a 7th season was never produced.
  10. Jonathan's Honda CRX (1991)
    • In honor of Jonathan's love of comic books (and the Fantastic Four in particular) and surfing, the car was painted with "Silver Surfer" chrome, and the interior done up with Fantastic Four accents, including a comic keeper replacing the glove box (loaded with a copy of Fantastic Four #48—the issue in which the Silver Surfer premiered—valued at US$4,000) and a rear A/V/Xbox setup inspired by The Thing. He was also presented with a custom "Silver Surfer" surfboard.
    • Due to being unavailable to film this episode, Xzibit's hosting duties were filled in by rapper Chamillionaire, who—according to the episode—used to drive a CRX as his work vehicle, transporting urine samples from doctors' offices to the testing facility.
  11. David's Ford Econoline (1972)
    • Since he was running a family dog grooming business, the back of his van got the ultimate grooming station with a new bathtub and a drying cage with a 32-inch monitor so the dogs can watch TV while they get dried off.
    • They also hooked him up with a slide-out 42-inch monitor, a black and blue paint job with cage graphics because he wanted to become a cage fighter.
    • GAS also gave him a hot dog maker in his dash when he gets hungry.
  12. Will's Jeep Grand Wagoneer (1987)
  13. Esmerelda's Pontiac Sunbird (1991)
    • Esmerelda really likes the beach, so she had a Hawaiian Tiki god painted on the hood, and tiki gods stitched into the leather seats.
    • In the trunk, a snow cone maker was installed, along with 2x150w Genesis waterproof subwoofers.
    • GAS installed a mood control gadget: angry (smoke), sad (light washers), flirty (wolf whistle), happy (flashing internal lights), and a rollerbar with high powered binoculars mounted on it.
    • Wheels and tires: 18 Tezzen Sonic alloys, Pirelli P-Zero tires.
  14. Justin's Toyota RAV4 (1997)
  15. Terese's Ford LTD Crown Victoria Station Wagon (1984)
    • Makes several references to the "Family Truckster" from National Lampoon's Vacation.
    • GAS turns the car into a look-alike ambulance.
  16. Amber's Chevy Cavalier (2002)
  17. Louis' Subaru Impreza (1996)
  18. Andrew's Cadillac Fleetwood Hearse (1970)
    • This hearse was painted black with custom airbrushed skulls in the front half. A coffin equipped with a grill slides automatically out the back.

Pimp My Ride UK

Season 1 (2005)

  1. Asif Nawab's Volkswagen Golf Mark II (1989)
    • The Golf was made over with Lamborghini-style doors.
  2. Bethan Jones' Morris Minor (1961)
    • Bethan Jones wanted her car pimped so it could be her wedding car. The headrests had custom embroidered "Mr." and "Mrs." (Mrs on the driver's side, naturally), as well as a matching love seat in the boot. Surfboards were resting on a new roof rack, and since Bethan was "really into" photography the garage install a laptop, printer, digital camera, plus a mobile phone to upload pictures on the go.
  3. Jay Rotheram's Ford Granada Hearse (1983)
    • The funeral car was pimped for Jay and his band to perform gigs in.
  4. Armick Abolian's Fiat Panda (1987)
    • The Panda was pimped with a trailer containing skate equipment.
    • It also had three bucket seats installed.
  5. Sean Egan's Ford Capri (1986)
    • The interior was decorated with over one thousand Swarovski crystals. There is a rumour that Sean does not own the car anymore.[9]
  6. Bez's Black Cab (1988)
    • Starring also Davina McCall from Big Brother.
    • Ironically, the car was originally a sleeper before being rebuilt, with Bez having spent his Big Brother prize money on a Chevy V8 and race exhaust.
    • The sound and video system included a DJ turntable, twenty speakers, eight amps, two DVD players, fifteen TV screens and a camera on the grill linked to one of the screens.
    • The sign on top of the car saying "TAXI" was changed to say "PIMP".

Season 2 (2006)

  1. Chris' Nissan Sunny (1988)
    • Chris won his car in a Poker game. Due to the rough condition of the bodywork, a mint-condition donor car was used for its parts.
  2. Adam's BMW 316i E30 (1989)
    • Adam obviously did not have trouble sleeping before filming. Instead of answering the door, Westwood had to wake him up!
    • The car had an additional taekwondo training boot on his car trunk.
  3. Zoë's Volkswagen Split Screen Camper Van (1967)
    • Zoë was actually conceived in her own campervan dubbed "The Beastie",
    • The car had been in her family for nearly 40 years.
  4. Lana's Volkswagen Polo (1991)
    • Lana 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.
    • Lana likes party, the car added a beauty kit on side trolley inside her car.
  5. Jamie's Suzuki Swift GTi (1991)
    • Jamie was given a hand cast of his favourite actor, and of course Westwood. The car was covered in vinyl stickers in his favourite Japanese style.
  6. Sheerin's Volkswagen Beetle (1969)
    • Sheerin's Beetle was given a custom cowskin paint job on the roof, and had a mosaic floor to reflect her Middle-Eastern heritage.
  7. Lawrence's Ford Anglia (1959)
    • As Lawrence was a fan of 1950s culture, the car was pimped in the style of a 1950s hotrod. An American style diner was installed in the boot. It was advertised for sale in the March 2007 issue of Custom Car Magazine and the May 2007 issue of Retro Ford.
  8. Hannah's Kia Pride (1991)
    • On the way to the garage, Westwood blew up the engine.
  9. Danny's Bedford Rascal (1990)
  10. Jono's Volkswagen Type 2 Pickup (1979)
    • No fewer than 12 panels were replaced before paint, then a hot tub, complete with colour changing (chromotherapy) jets was added.
Special
  1. Madonna's Volkswagen LT (2000)
    • The interior of the van was pimped for the music video "Sorry". The exterior was kept original.

Season 3 (2007)

  1. LDV 400 Series Minibus (1994)
    • This was pimped as part of the 2007 Comic Relief appeal, the "Community Volunteer Transport" of the Staffordshire Moorlands. The van features an LCD screen bingo game that is linked behind each seat of the bus for the elderly passengers.
  2. Oli's Renault Clio RT (1991)
  3. Robin's Ford Transit (1992)
    • The van was used as a tour bus for Robin and his band, Playground Legend. It had a recording studio with a sofa in the rear, and the outside was decorated with the band's logo and a picture of the band members.
  4. Abi's Daihatsu Hi-Jet (1999)
  5. Dave's Ford Fiesta (1994)
  6. Jaguar XJ (1990)

Pimp My Ride Baltic

Season 1 (2008)

  1. Paulius Nissan Bluebird
  2. Kaspars Honda Civic (1994)
  3. Kadri's Fiat Panda (1985)

Pimp My Ride International

Season 1 (2006)

  1. Marek's Trabant 601 (1981) (Presented by Fat Joe)
    • The chassis of the car was completely rusted out, and needed a donor car to replace many of its parts.
    • Since the owner was practising to be a chef, a stove and table were installed in the trunk.
    • The car was fitted with 16-inch white rims, given an orange paint job, and a checkered roof.
  2. Ronny's Datsun 310 Cherry (1981) (Presented by Lil' Jon)
    • Painted in cherry red with two racing strips down the middle of the car.
    • Custom twin round lights were fitted front and rear, giving the car a "mini" muscle-car or rally-car look.
    • This car was used by three generations of Gouveia family.
  3. Cecila's Citroën ZX (ca 1993) (Presented by Fat Joe)
  4. Emil and Jonas' Audi 80L (1973) (Presented by Lil' Jon)
    • The car was owned by identical twins, who lived together in Sweden and both performed in a black-metal band.
    • The car was modified to give a goth appearance.
    • Unique touches included plastic human body parts embedded under leather on the car's bonnet and roof, and a grille to scare off forest trolls.
  5. Djibril Cissé's Dodge Ram Van (1984) (Presented by Fat Joe)
    • The van belonged to Djibril Cissé who, after pimping his own prestige cars, wanted to see what the garage could do to his old van.
    • Airbrushed with an A-Team style paint job and fitted with a fully custom hand-made 300c body kit.
  6. Carolin's Opel Kadett Cabrio (1990) (Presented by Lil' Jon)
    • This car was a rigged convertible top and hatches of spiders inside the car.

Pop culture references

Since the show's debut, Pimp My Ride has been referred to numerous times by other television shows and comedic acts; several similar shows have aired on other networks. Other companies, including MTV itself, have spoofed the series on their own shows, acts, or television commercials.

As part of a 2006 advertising campaign, Volkswagen created a series of television commercials called Un-Pimp My Ride, starring Swedish actor Peter Stormare as an effete German engineer named Wolfgang. The ads were created as a parody of the Pimp My Ride TV Show. The three 30-second spots became something of an Internet phenomenon when popular automotive news website Leftlane News uploaded the ads to the video distribution service, YouTube.

In Episode 26 of the Movies.com Muppet show Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony, Statler and Waldorf's balcony box gets decorated. Waldorf states in his amusement, "What is this? 'Pimp my Balcony?'".

Xzibit appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and a sketch was shown called "Pimp My Bride". The sketch shows a typical bride forming into a lingerie-bearing bride, with an LCD screen attached to her back (which is very common in the MTV program itself). The sketch was filmed in the same style as the show, most notably the camera angles. Robot Chicken did a segment in one episode, with a show called "Pimp My Sister".

In episode 8 of Season 1 in The Boondocks entitled "The Real", Riley was able to convince two reality makeover shows to work on his Granddad's belongings. One of the shows is "Pimp My Ride", to 'pimp out' his Granddad's car. Xzibit also did the voice-over of his animated self in this episode.

In series 3 of Bo' Selecta!, there is a short sketch entitled "Pimp My Bride" in which a comedic imitation of Michael Jackson helps people by giving their wives a makeover.

On the Drake & Josh episode I Love Sushi, the boys enter a contest for a television show called "Pump My Room". They win & the people tell Drake & Josh to leave their home so they can remodel their home. It turns out they rob them of everything & that it's really a phony TV show. So they get temporary jobs packaging sushi at The Ball & Vance Fish Corp.

In an episode of We're Experiencing Technical Difficulties, there is a short segment called "Pimp My Grandma" which took aspects and effects straight from Pimp My Ride.

A 2013 ad campaign for SKODA, starring Xzibit, parodies the fact that in some episodes they would simply replace to car completely with another, in this case a SKODA Yeti.

Viacom, the owner of the Pimp My Ride franchise, has made legal threats against a number of small business owners over the use of the words Pimp My... in business names. Businesses using the names Pimp My Pet and Pimp My Snack have been threatened with legal action for an alleged breach of a trademark owned by Viacom. The website Pimp My Snack is now known as Pimp That Snack.

Similar programs

  • Thematic variations:
    • Monster Garage: Also features outrageous custom engineering of vehicles, albeit within an entirely different program format.
    • NASCAR Angels: Rebuilds cars (cosmetic, and mechanical) for needy, or deserving fans.
    • Overhaulin': Like Pimp My Ride, Overhaulin' features automobiles in poor condition being restored to show-quality. However, Overhaulin' places emphasis on performance enhancements, works with a set time limit (usually a week), tricks vehicle owners into parting with their cars, and is aimed for a more mature audience. Although ostensibly a competitor of Pimp My Ride, one episode featured a WCC paint job.
    • Ride with Funkmaster Flex: Produced by MTV, reviews interesting cars.
    • Trick My Truck: CMT's equivalent to Pimp My Ride features the Chrome Shop Mafia customizing semi-trailer trucks for lucky fans.
    • Unique Whips: The East Coast equivalent of West Coast Customs
  • Foreign versions:
    • Pimp My Car (MTV Indonesia) a version of Pimp My Ride.
    • Pimp My Room (MTV, The Netherlands) features some friendly competition between three students to see who will win the university student bedroom or apartment overhaul. Subsequently the room is "pimped".
    • Pimp My Wheels (MTV, Italy) in which mopeds and motorcycles are customized.
    • Meke My Waka (New Zealand) A similar program shown on Māori Television.
    • All the Gear No Idea! (British) for Men & Motors, dealt with motorcycles, with the bike being shipped to US customiser LA County Choprods for work. Unlike other similar shows, the owner of the bike also received a makeover.
  • Parodies:
    • Pimp My Kettle (MTV Australia) a series of short mini-documentaries about pimping kitchen kettles (also hosted on the website). The website also includes pictures of real kettles pimped by artists and professional car customizers.
    • Proxenete My Brete (Quebec, Pimp my Lemon) parody of the show performed by teenagers of Zebu production from Vaudreuil. The three internet episodes are extremely satirical, usually involving "pimping" the car with a non-existent budget and with things such as cardboard skirts, wooden spoilers, Christmas lights, aluminum foil rims, etc.
    • Chav My Motor (UK) satire, based on the boy racer culture of car modification amongst Chavs.
    • Pimp My Fahrrad (German) where bicycles are pimped by ElbCoast Psycles.
    • Pimp My Whatever (German) where anything can be pimped.
    • Skanger me Banger(Irish) bebo.com/skangermebanger. hosted by 'Colin Farrell', who skangers 'Damos' honda civic. This is an obvious parody with Irish trance tunes and set in inner city Dublin
    • Pimp My Sleigh (Russia)

See also

References

  1. ^ Season Finale of Season 1
  2. ^ Season Finale of Season 2
  3. ^ Season Finale of Season 5
  4. ^ Amazon.com: MTV's Pimp My Ride – The Complete First Season: Danny (VIII), 2Shae, Aren Fanning, Ryan Friedlinghaus, Tim Westwood, Q (IV), Alex (XXI), Jimmy (IX), Abraham (III),...
  5. ^ Amazon.co.uk: Pimp My Ride : Complete Season 1: Xzibit: DVD
  6. ^ Amazon.co.uk: Pimp My Ride – Series 2: Pimp My Ride: DVD
  7. ^ Season 6, Episode 1 – "Where Are They Now"
  8. ^ MTV/Xzibit (2005). Pimp My Ride The Complete First Season (DVD). MTV Home Entertainment/Paramount.
  9. ^ Retro Ford Magazine. Issue 3

Fansites and resources

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