Ep 1. Parked in the Keys

In season 11 episode 1 of Fast N' Loud titled "Parked in the Keys," the Gas Monkey team is back and better than ever, taking on a new challenge that requires them to put their skills to the test. This episode sees Richard Rawlings and his crew in the beautiful Florida Keys, where they are on the hunt for a rare 1955 Messerschmitt KR200 microcar that has been parked for years, waiting to be restored.

Even though the Messerschmitt KR200 was produced in Germany during the 1950s, it became a popular car in the United States in the 1960s. The vehicle is known for its unique design, including a bubble-shaped canopy along with its three-wheeled configuration. As soon as the Gas Monkey team hears about this parked Messerschmitt, they jump at the opportunity to restore this rare vehicle. The car has been sitting in a garage for 50 years, and it appears to be in bad shape, giving the Gas Monkey team a challenge to restore it to its former glory.

The team has to purchase the Messerschmitt KR200 from its original owner, who has become attached to the vehicle and has been reluctant to sell it. However, with Richard charm and persuasiveness, he convinces the owner to let the Gas Monkey team restore the car. The team then transports the Messerschmitt KR200 to their garage, where they start the restoration process.

The team starts by completely dismantling the vehicle and restoring each component. They repair the dents and scratches on the bodywork, replace the engine, and also replace all the interior components, including the seats, flooring, and dashboard. The team has to deal with various issues, including mismatched paint on the bodywork and a carburetor issue that stops the engine from running, but they eventually solve these problems.

However, the Gas Monkey team faces difficulties with the final stage of the restoration, which is painting the car. When the team first paints the Messerschmitt KR200, there are some issues with the paint job. Richard being a perfectionist refuses to accept anything but the best, therefore, he takes the car apart and redoes the paint. But after the second round of painting, the car still hasn't reached the right finish that they have envisioned, forcing them to attempt the painting process a third time.

By the time the painting is finally finished, the team has put in more than 130 hours and used over 14 gallons of paint to paint the car. With the painting and general restoration complete, the team finally takes the car on a test drive, taking it out on the open road, where it performs marvelously.

In conclusion, "Parked in the Keys" is the perfect Fast N' Loud first episode of season 11, as it showcases the Gas Monkey team's ability to restore classic cars to their former glory. With their determination and hard work, the team brought back this rare vehicle and made it look even better than it did when it first came out. Fans of the series will love this episode, as they get to see Richard and his team tackle a new challenge and work their magic to turn an old, rusted car into something exquisite.