'Rust Valley Restorers' season 5 sees Hall expand collection, face eviction (original) (raw)

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'Rust Valley Restorers' season 5 sees Hall expand collection, face eviction

The British-Columbia-based TV show is back yet again, and star Mike Hall begins by turning episode one into a family affair

Published Sep 19, 2024 • 3 minute read

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Mike Hall (center), Avery Shoaf (left) and Connor Hall of 'Rust Valley Restorers'

Mike Hall (center), Avery Shoaf (left) and Connor Hall of 'Rust Valley Restorers' Photo by History Channel

With dreadlocks flying and welding torch flaming, Mike Hall and his buddies are coming back to televisions across Canada today, restoring junkers from Hall’s wrecking yard in Tappen, B.C. and now defying an eviction notice on the newest season of Rust Valley Restorers. Previous seasons saw Hall auction off more than 500 cars from his “Field of Dreams” junkyard. (He ended up keeping 50 of them.)

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But now we’re on to season five – beginning at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 19 on the History Channel and streaming on StackTV – which even more palpably demonstrates his lack of discipline as he continues to buy cars. Hall’s collection of derelict vehicles is now back to over 100, despite the fact he has been ordered to get off the property.

Season 5, episode 1 is a case in point. Hall decides there could be money in restoring a vintage International Scout plucked from his ever-increasing pile of junkers. So then he gets three more. “I bought two, and one was given to me, and—” he says defensively.

The cameras follow Hall, his bumbling sidekick Avery Shoaf, and his mechanic son Connor through the restoration and the search for a buyer, which brings about a surprising ending.

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Hall brings his two brothers and sisters into episode one in an emotional bid to restore their father’s original 1960s Mercury sedan. When they discover the car is too far gone for resurrection, Mike decides to transplant the running gear – specifically its 390-cubic-inch police-interceptor V8 engine – from the rusted-out Mercury into a 1955 Ford Thunderbird in memory of his late father.

Remarkably, Hall and the series are avidly watched around the world, making the six-foot-four restoration giant an international star. Not bad for a Rocky Mountain rock-scaler who has been buying cars by the dozens since the age of 16.

“Some of the coolest cars we have built are in season five,” Hall enthuses on a telephone call from his Rust Bros restoration shop. “When we started this, I didn’t know what I was doing. By season three, I was starting to smarten up. It was a steep learning curve.”

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  1. Mike Hall (right) and Avery Shoal with the 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle they drove from B.C. to Toronto, for the Motorama Custom Car Expo, early March 2024 'Rust Bros' drive big-block 1968 Chevy from B.C. to Toronto’s Motorama
  2. Rust Valley restorer Mike Hall with a 1955 Chevrolet station wagon – one of 500 of his cars that will be auctioned in October. 'Rust Valley Restorers' is holding a massive auction of tonnes of cars
  3. Mike Hall is the star of hit reality show Rust Valley Restorers. The story behind 'Rust Valley Restorers'
  4. A Fix Auto technician looks at damage on the fender of Mike Hall's 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle 'Rust Bros' '68 Chevy cross-country winter trip ends in irony

He admits to losing a lot of money with the early restorations of his own relics or customer cars, and says things have just gotten more expensive. “The cost of materials has doubled since COVID,” he says. “If you tear it apart, the restoration will be $100,000. That’s why we are trying to do drivers — the kind of cars people can afford.”

In January, Hall worked with producer Matt Shewchuk to start the Rust Bros YouTube channel, which now boasts 150,000 subscribers, 22 million views, and 70,000 comments. “Restorations are very expensive, so we are showing people how to do it,” he says.

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Featured on the YouTube series is his ‘bucket list’ cross-Canada drive in a restomod 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle SS convertible, which was restored off the frame in 90 days. It is powered by a Chevy small-block engine coupled to a five-speed transmission. Four-wheel disc brakes provide the stopping power.

“I drove to Vancouver to get tires, and then went on right to Newfoundland,” he says. “Some days, we would drive 1,200 kilometers.” They travelled 20,000 kilometers (12,400 miles) across Canada without a spare tire, as the trunk was filled with T-shirts to give away.

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“I can’t believe what a beautiful country Canada is and how many people love this show. In Newfoundland, they chased us for three hours just to give us some canned moose meat,” Mike says.

As season five unfolds, Mike talks about how surprised and grateful he is that the show has gone this far. “I never thought we’d get the first season,” he says. “It was supposed to be a rock-scaling show. The next thing I know, season two is on Netflix in 170 countries. It’s been a five-year blur.”

Want to tune in? Rust Valley Restorers season five premieres Thursday, September 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The History Channel, and is also streaming on StackTV.

Alyn Edwards is a classic car enthusiast and a partner in a Vancouver-based public relations company. aedwards@peakco.com

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Alyn Edwards picture

Alyn Edwards

Alyn Edwards used paper route money to buy a 1934 Ford coupe at the age of 14 intending to turn it into a California style chopped and channeled hot rod. His interest in cars has endured throughout his working life as a newspaper reporter, feature writer and communications consultant. He is a partner in a Vancouver-based public relations company and is passionate about restoring classic cars and writing stories about people who cherish the special cars in their life.

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