I've only watched American Hot Rod a couple of times. The tension of course is all built around the impossible schedules, which of course you would think a guy like Boyd could avoid. He must have folks lined up with big checks, willing to wait. I was very disappointed with the show, because I actually like American Chopper even though I'm not into bikes, and was hoping for a similar show on cars. The big differences to me are that: 1) In Chopper, it is a family deal. You can see the family relationships, and when the old man blows up it isn't just business. The folks care about something more than the paycheck. 2) Pauly is a very creative guy, and they spend time showing him struggling with creating something that the customer will be happy writing the big check for. He agonizes over it, and not just the problems of getting stuff to fit together. 3) They also do stuff like the NYFD memorial bike and the Lance Armstrong bike that are connected to the rest of the world, not just eye candy for its own sake.
The Boyd's guys are just there to hammer out another Boydmobile and collect their pay. I remember when some idiot drilled into an intake manifold on an assembled engine to mount a temperature sensor. Let's think a little about metal shavings running through the water pump, boys. But no, the only concern on the show was that the finish on the manifold was marred.
