Even if you weren’t a fan, you’ve probably watched MTV’s Pimp My Ride from the mid-2000s at some point.
Hosted by rapper Xzibit, the show consisted of people living in LA or across Southern California making a case for why their old banged up cars deserve to get the royal treatment, followed by Xzibit swinging by their place, picking up the ride and taking it to a custom body shop.
During the first 4 seasons, that body shop used to be West Coast Customs in Corona, CA, though starting with season 5 they replaced it with Galpin Auto Sports.
However, as much fun as the show might have seemed to the casual viewer, according to Looper, there are many hidden truths that may change your perception once you find out what went down behind the cameras.
For starters, some people/contestants complained that the actual work done on the cars was sloppy and that certain technical issues the cars may have had before they went into the shop were ignored in favor of simply installing flashy aftermarket bits.
Also, some cars may have taken as much as 7 months to get “pimped” once they entered the shop, and not days as the show would have you believe. In the meantime, one contestant stated that MTV only paid for a rental car for the first two months and that he had a difficult time securing a rental afterwards due to his young age.
Still, one of the worst stories regarding the show has to be the fact that some cars were made out to look worse than they actually were, simply because the character’s backstory wasn’t interesting enough.
Then again, what else can you expect from “Reality TV” producers?