What happened to Rust Valley Restorers?

Olivia Wilson

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Some TV shows are so meticulously planned, that there’s no way they can’t become successful. However, there are other series that no one really has big hopes for at first, but end up surprising everyone when they hit the popularity jackpot.

The latter describes “Rust Valley Restorers” very well. Despite being a relatively new, very niche show, and having aired only three seasons so far, already people can’t get enough of it. Whether it’s the cast, every car’s restoration process, or just curiosity that drives the “Rust Valley Restorers” audience to loyally follow the show, it doesn’t really matter, as the international success it’s achieved so far speaks for itself.

Nonetheless, fans have been waiting for a fourth season, which has taken a long time to come, and as expected, many are afraid that the show has been cancelled or is on indefinite hiatus.

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So what happened to it? Is another season in the making, or should you lose all hope of seeing Mike Hall’s crew on screen again? Here we have all the answers!

What Happened To The Show?

“Rust Valley Restorers” premiered in December 2018 on the History channel, and its two following seasons were released not long afterwards. However, ever since the end of the third season in early 2020, fans have been flabbergasted not to find positive news about its renewal.

If you are one of those worried fans, then fear no more. In May 2021, it was announced that “Rust Valley Restorers” production company Corus Entertainment, will be renewing the show for another season. Though no dates were set back then, it seems that the series’ high audience ratings are the main reason for its renewal.

This is a relief for all of those hopeful followers of Mike Hall’s team, but it’s normal to wonder why if the show it’s so successful, that it took so long to be renewed.

While we don’t have a clear answer to that, it’s suspected that the show’s fourth season was delayed due to the many restrictions imposed related to the COVID-19 spread in 2020, which affected the work routine of Rust Bros Restoration. As  stated on the business’ website, the workshop is currently closed, and personal visits from clients are only allowed if scheduled, making it only logical to think that filming has been directly affected by these conditions.

Is Mike Auctioning His Cars?

If there’s something that’s been holding our attention since “Rust Valley Restorers” premiered, it’s how massive Mike Hall’s car collection is. This specific and important detail about him is the thing that inspired the idea for the show in the first place, and has been a series-long topic of discussion.

This is why it’s normal that when news of Mike auctioning his collection hit news portals, his fans were worried “Rust Valley Restorers” had come to a definite end.

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So is he really saying goodbye to his cars? The answer is yes, but before you worry, this auction is part of the show’s upcoming fourth season. According to reports, Rust Bros Restorations will take part in the Electric Garage Auctions’ 14th annual bidding event, to take place in late 2021.

The auction’s goal is to sell all of Mike’s 500-plus car collection, including mainly mechanical parts and stored autos, as well as three car restorations completed by his business.

As you might imagine, the online event will be huge, and audiences all around the world are allowed to join in, something unprecedented for Mike’s business, as they are normally limited to personal purchases.

Though it’s not yet known why Mike is selling his cars this way, the event will eventually be seen by “Rust Valley Restorers” audience when the season airs.

How Profitable Is The Business?

When you hear that a man owns over 400 cars, it’s normal that many questions come to mind, especially if these are money-related. Although you might have assumed that a business must be highly profitable for it to be backed by big international networks such as History channel and Netflix, this is not the case with Rust Bros Restorations.

According to Mike Hall, he has invested at least $2 million on his ‘metallic hallucinations’, as he describes his car business. Taking such a big financial risk without knowing how it would result wasn’t a wise decision, as more often than not, he underestimates how much it will cost to complete a restoration project. This is a recurring topic in the show as well, as arguments between Mike and his son Connor related to it occur quite often.

While there’s no way of knowing the current state of Rust Bros Restorations’ finances, the final price of every project made by the shop is understandably expensive.

Starting from the fact that most cars owned by Mike are classics, these usually require long hours of manual work and expensive materials, resulting in high costs which are sometimes afforded by the business, due to their own miscalculations.

What Is “Rust Valley Restorers” About?

If you haven’t watched the series yet, you’re missing a lot. Besides the many things which attract motorheads to “Rust Valley Restorers”, its cast and the story behind it certainly play a big role in the show’s popularity with general audiences.

The fact that the show is broadcast both on open TV and online, has made the series very accessible to everyone around the world. This strategy has had good results so far, especially with the middle-aged male audience.

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There’s no denying that car restoration-centered shows have been a trend for the last decade, but what sets “Rust Valley Restorers” apart from others is definitely its fresh concept, and the fact that they don’t try to cover up their mistakes while managing their business, allowing the viewers to experience first-hand the trials and tribulations that Mike Hall’s working crew goes through to make a living out of it.

How It Came To Be

As most shows, the story of “Rust Valley Restorers” started when a producer discovered Mike Hall and his collection. Though before getting there, a lot had to happen first.

Having started his car collection in his teens, Mike definitely held it dearly for decades. However, at some point he reconsidered the financial trouble that having such a massive collection would mean for his family.

Rust Valley Restorers

Knowing that restoring every car he owned was an almost impossible endeavor, due to cost and time, in 2016 Mike put his property on sale, along with all his cars for $1.19 million.

The result wasn’t as good as expected. He didn’t have any potential buyers, and no one seemed to be that greatly interested in it, until he raised the price to $1.45 million the next year. As if it was a magic trick, word spread, and soon Mike was called by people all around the world who wanted to know more about it.

At the very end no one ended up buying anything from Mike, but the whole thing took the attention of Mayhem Entertainment’s executives Tyson Hepburn and Matt Shewchuk, who later on were supported by Corus Entertainment to pitch the show to the History channel.

Who Is Mike Hall?

Knowing he owns such a big car collection, and that his business is featured on TV, you might assume Mike Hall is some sort of stuck-up millionaire. However, there’s nothing farther away from reality, as Mike is the perfect definition of a cool guy.

A native of Tappen in British Columbia, Mike is known all around the place as Rasta Blasta, for his appearance and rock blaster profession. With his business Chimera Springs Rock Works, Mike traveled all around North America breaking rocks, and collecting cars.

In the early 2010s, Mike’s profession gained him an appearance in the Discovery Canada’s show “Highway Thru Hell”. Unbeknownst to him, that small job would partially land him his own series years later, as producer Matt Shewchuk already knew him from that show.

Maybe the way Mike became a TV personality was unexpected, but what led his path to hoarding so many cars wasn’t a trick of destiny. He has spent several years and an uncountable amount of money on this passion. Some of his autos aren’t in good condition, many not even fit to drive, but ‘being able to look at them’ definitely makes Mike happy.

Has He Sold Anything?

Of course, Mike Hall has managed to sell some of his cars, but the selling of his property is on stand-by, at least as long as Rust Bros Restorations exists.

As it happens, the already booming car industry in the area has helped his business to become a tourist attraction for the last couple of years. Located near the Trans-Canada Highway and the White Post Auto Museum & Antiques Mall, Rust Bros Restorations’ is conveniently placed for curious motorheads and collectors, making it difficult for Mike to just sell the property without a second thought, as he would have done years ago.

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Even if Mike’s five-acre property and his many cars are ever sold, it’s certain he won’t be saying goodbye to his collecting hobby. As he affirmed, he still has another property in his name, and at least 10 automobiles ‘squirreled away’.

What Is Mike Hall’s Net Worth?

Mike Hall’s net worth is not as big as that of his fellow reality TV stars from other shows, but it’s impressive enough considering his career as a rock blaster and car restorer.

We don’t really have an estimation of how much money he earns from Rust Bros Restorations and his salary from the show is unknown. Nonetheless, according to reports, salaries for rock blasters in Canada are around $70,000 annually. However, as Mike owned his own company, it’s logical to think his earnings from it were much higher.

Considering all of that, and the fact that Mike has invested millions into his new business, it’s safe to estimate his net worth at well over $2 million.

Who Is Avery Shoaf?

He’s known for being more than an investor for Rust Bros Restorations – Avery Shoaf is Mike’s long-time friend and his perfect sidekick, whose impressive car restoration skills are to be envied.

Avery’s fame as the ‘muscle car Macgyver’ is not a coincidence, though. Prior to taking part in Rust Bros Restorations, he owned Avery Tappen Restorations, which focused on repairing and restoring equipment. Although that’s not exactly the same as being in the vehicle field, his passion and love for classic cars perfectly complements his extensive knowledge of metal building. As is obvious, Avery is experienced enough to manage the work-load Mike brings him, while adding the humorous tone necessary for the show.

Who’s Connor Charman-Hall?

Although he’s Mike’s son, he’s not on the mechanical side of the job, and prefers to contribute to it from his office.

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Connor is always the first to realize when Mike makes careless business decisions, but the father-son relationship isn’t tense due to it.

Having previously worked with Avery, Connor is both a manager and worried son. Though interestingly enough, he’s not exactly a rookie in the car-fixing field either, having experience working with local car shops, and being taught some skills by his father.

Who’s Sarah Ward?

Even if Sarah Ward isn’t a mechanic, her extensive knowledge of cars is a big help to the business. While partially managing Rust Bros Restorations might be challenging, considering the many issues it has as a new business, Sarah has enough skills to help Mike’s work team to find the car parts they need, and getting the perfect deals for those.

Is The Show Real?

As cool as the guys from “Rust Valley Restorers” are, no one can fault the audience for not entirely trusting the show.

However, unlike other reality stars, Mike Hall is sincere about the real extent of his show’s genuineness. As he told the website Driving in 2019, the show is ‘90% real’, meaning that discussions about money, the tension that comes from it, and his miscalculations, are actually as real as they come. Nonetheless, there’s no denying that many scenes are set to happen beforehand, added to the fact that some of the restoration projects are partially chosen by the production team.

While this might be disappointing to some, that’s just the way reality TV works. At the end of the day, the cast’s dynamics and the work they do is completely genuine, and that’s what’s most important, and of most interest to the fanatical viewing audience.

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