Ep 9. Planes and Flames

In American Restoration season 3 episode 9 titled "Planes and Flames," the team at Rick's Restorations takes on some unique and challenging projects.

The episode opens with a customer coming in with a vintage motorcycle frame that he found in his grandfather's barn. The frame is rusted and deemed a "basket case" by the team. They accept the challenge and set out to restore it to its former glory. They have to get creative with finding replacement parts since the bike is so old and unique, but they manage to restore it beautifully.

Next, a customer brings in a 1950s style gas pump that they acquired from an old gas station. It's in rough shape with rusty dents and damaged glass, but the customer wants it to be fully restored. The team has to replace the glass, fix the rust, and repaint the entire pump. They even added LED lights to make it a truly eye-catching piece.

The third restoration project in this episode is a little more unusual. A customer comes in with a vintage pinball machine from the 1960s that caught on fire. The fire didn't damage the actual game board, but the cabinet and artwork were badly burned. The restoration team has to strip the cabinet down to the bare wood, sand it, and rebuild the entire artwork from scratch. It's a difficult restoration, but the end result is a beautiful, like-new pinball machine.

The last project of the episode is perhaps the most unique. A customer brings in a retired military jet engine and wants it restored to its former glory. The team has to take the engine apart completely and then buff and polish all the parts to perfection. They also have to replace some of the damaged parts, which proves to be a challenge due to the engine's age. The end result is a beautifully restored engine that can be used as a display piece for years to come.

Throughout the episode, viewers get to see the step-by-step process of each restoration project. The team at Rick's Restorations works diligently to ensure that each piece looks as close to the original as possible while also incorporating modern technologies when necessary. The show also highlights the importance of preserving these vintage pieces and the history they represent.

Overall, "Planes and Flames" is a fun and exciting episode of American Restoration that will make viewers appreciate the art of restoration and the skill of the team at Rick's Restorations.