‘American Pickers’ star Mike Wolfe clashes with Frank Fritz for spending $5.5K on vintage Plymouth Coupe

LECLAIRE, IOWA: ‘American Pickers’ star Mike Wolfe is still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his co-host Frank Fritz has significantly overspent on a junkyard purchase, which subsequently led to a clash between the dynamic duo. 

On Wednesday, May 29, ‘American Pickers’ Season 25 Episode 18 'Quest for the Holy Grail' aired on History Channel, which showed a frustrated Wolfe lashing out at his friend for shelling out $5,500 on a junkyard purchase.

'American Pickers' star Mike Wolfe lashes out at Frank Fritz over poor deal

During the episode, Fritz was seen finding a vintage Plymouth Coupe in a grimy underground bunker in Maryland.  

The fact that the car was reportedly sitting idle for over 35 years could not possibly dissuade Fritz from buying it for $5,500. 

But after striking out the deal, the 58-year-old soon had to face Wolfe's wrath. Wolfe lashed out at his friend for significantly overspending, per Daily Mail.

Fritz confessed during the episode, “When I saw that Plymouth Coup, it looked like a nice original car, it had original paint, it had been sheltered for the last 35 years and it just liked a unique piece.”

In ‘American Pickers’, the Mid-Western duo can be seen traveling across the length and breadth of America to scourge for valuable antics. Though they are open to buying anything antique, their particular interest lies in the auto industry and old toys.

“I don't generally just buy cars, I'm more of a motorcycle guy, but I love the lines on it,” explained Fritz during Wednesday’s episode.

A besotted Fritz offered the Plymouth Coupe owner $5,000 initially, which, needless to say, shocked Wolfe. The 59-year-old reacted by saying, “Whoa,” and adding, “All of a sudden he's spending our money and I'm like, 'What the hell is he talking about it? What car? Why is he interested in it?'”

As the owner of the car did not want to crack a deal at first, Fritz persisted and finally walked away with the Plymouth Coupe for $5,500. 

During his confessional, Fritz admitted, “We were on the road a couple of extra days and that car for some reason kept haunting me. Man, I just can't get that Plymouth Coup out of my mind.”

However, his fixation with the car did not warm up Wolfe who called his friend a “dreamer.”

He shared, “Frankie was all wound up on this car because he's a dreamer, man,” and added, “He sees himself behind the seat of that thing, his arm around his girl, and he's chilling out going down the road.”

Car’s actual valuation was lower than sale price

After the deal was made, the duo learned about the original valuation of the car from their trusted friend Dave Ohrt, who opined the price of the Plymouth Coupe could not have been more than $3,000 to $5,000. 

After the car was towed to their home base in LeClaire, Iowa, Ohrt said, “I see it's in very good condition, but if you did a ground-up restoration on it, you're going to put more into it than it's worth, in my opinion.”

Wolfe, who already doubted the practicality of the purchase, now admitted that his “heart sank” at the valuation.

He shared his annoyance, saying, “That car was a bust. He [Frank] needs to learn he cannot have everything, and he needs to learn when to walk away.”

“If you want that car, you're going to have to call some dealers,” continued Wolfe and added, “I don't care what you do, we're not paying Danielle more hours to try and sell it, we're not paying for ads. I don't know what to do.”

Before walking away, he slammed, “You always get your own way on stuff.”

At the end of the episode, viewers learned that Wolfe’s annoyance was pretty much justified as Fritz admitted the car was sitting in his garage for more than one and a half years, and he is yet to shift the motor. 

He confessed, “The Plymouth is my baby,” before adding, “I took a little hit on it, and I haven't been able to sell it, so for now, I'm going to enjoy it myself.”

Fritz continued, “[I've had to fix] the motor, the transmission, the brakes, the radiator, the alternator, the pumps, the fuel pumps. I mean, this thing has been top to bottom.”

Internet reacts to Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz's clash over 'bust' car deal

Fans were, however, left divided on whether Fritz overspent on the car. 

One of the readers commented online, "How could that car not be worth more than that? It's a piece of American history in great condition & uniquely vintage."

"These guys always overspend on things and expect to raise the price over market value," said someone else.

Another user said, "The car is worth what people are willing to pay for it. Since their goal was selling it and making some profit, they overpaid. If he personally likes that particular car and wants to keep it, then it should have been his own money used to make a personal purchase."

The fourth added, "It was not that bad of a deal. Mike had paid way more than that for a rusty bicycle or rotted out road sign."

Nevertheless, several fans also pointed out that the episode aired is an old one and that Fritz is no longer in the show since 2020. 

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