- 4/19/2025
Category
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MotorTranscript
00:00I'm an Anstead. I've been fixing cars since I was a teenager and I've set
00:11myself the task of restoring and selling eight crumbling old cars for
00:22profit. It's the ultimate road cruiser and the stakes are high because it's
00:30personal. The cow room is now the bathroom. Okay, everything I make is going
00:36towards this 500 year old farmhouse. She goes today, which means big hammer, that
00:42I've bought for my mum and dad to retire in. So what's gone wrong there?
00:45Bodged. But it's a total wreck. How far away from collapse is this? A really good
00:52storm could cause a problem. Let's do it. With my family by my side. Feels like a
00:58proper brake pedal now. And some help from my engineer mate Darren. Are you joining me
01:03for the ride? Yeah, why not? I've got the best team around me.
01:07Hey, watch out! As I take on eight wrecks on wheels. Perfect. And a house that's falling
01:15apart. What, the whole thing is being kept up by chicken wire? Pretty much. It's a
01:20massive gamble. Come on, breathe. I am losing sleep over this. I'll be honest, I have no
01:25idea what's going on.
01:28They're the satisfying bits when it comes off in one big chomp. Over the summer months the
01:42house has been transforming as we return the front to how it would have looked
01:45originally. Don't make too much mess. We haven't got a wheelbarrow.
01:51Why have we not got a wheelbarrow? Ollie filled it with concrete. Look at it. It's wet concrete
01:57though. No. Oh, is it set? It was covered in like a centimetre of rainwater. But it's set.
02:04Dad needs to go and have a wheelbarrow then. There's plenty to keep us all busy here, but
02:09for lucky old Darren it's his day off. He's on a busman's holiday. At a car show. In Chichester.
02:16He's wearing silly socks and a hat. It's cool, isn't it? It's a great place. Darren's always
02:34on the lookout for cars for us to restore. He's a sucker for an American car, but anything
02:42he looks at needs to make a profit. That's for sale. Sometimes when you look at a car you get a gut
02:54feeling for that car and I'm getting warm fuzzy feelings over the Ford Thunderbird.
03:00Yo! I'm at this car show, mate, and I think I've found us another car. What car is it?
03:12It's American. That's all I want to say at the moment. Just because I live in America,
03:16it doesn't necessarily mean we should get an American car. Yeah. The trouble is I like things you don't like.
03:22Right. So I'll check it all over and if it is a goer, then I think potentially we've found our car.
03:31Don't go buy anything ridiculous. Yeah, no. No, I won't. I won't. I'll see you later, buddy. Cheers.
03:36Bye. Bye.
03:41Morning. Is this your car? It is.
03:44Oh, it's wonderful. Can I hear it run? Of course you can.
03:46Yeah. Wow. That sounds all right, isn't it? Pretty sweet.
03:57Fantastic. Can you pop the hood? No problem.
04:02Oh, wow. So it all looks pretty original under there.
04:07All original. Doesn't overheat. I've drove from Hayling Island this morning. Lovely car.
04:12Ford launched the Thunderbird two-seater as a personal luxury car in 1955.
04:19Subsequent versions gained a rear seat and the Series 4, known as the Jetbird, arrived in 1964.
04:26It had a 300-horsepower 6.4-litre V8 engine. It had power steering and a three-speed
04:33Cruise-O-Matic, which was an automatic transmission designed for a smoother driving experience.
04:38The 64 model's lavish and futuristic interiors were designed with aircraft-inspired elements.
04:48The Landau was distinguished by its vinyl-covered roof and simulated S-bars,
04:53and today it still presents as a luxury, all-American icon.
04:57OK, so I see it's the Landau model. Yep.
05:08But it hasn't got a vinyl roof. No. It needs replacing. It was split on the seam and the water was getting in.
05:15OK. What kind of price are we looking at? I would like £9,000 for it.
05:21Would you take £6,500? No, that's a bit too low. Um...
05:28Eight? Eight.
05:31It's a Landau and it's missing the roof, which is kind of what they're all about.
05:35And I do see a hole in the overrider, which kind of worries me about anything else.
05:40And I'm buying this on behalf of somebody else. So...
05:43Would you meet in the middle at, say, seven and a half?
05:48Yeah, that's, uh, that's OK with me.
05:50Yeah? That's great. Thank you very much indeed, seven and a half.
05:53Lovely. Thank you. Thank you very much.
05:55Thanks very much. Yeah, I just hope Ant likes it.
05:57Morning.
06:16How cool is this?
06:18You didn't buy it though, right?
06:19Of course we bought it. It's got the 390 motor in there, 300 horsepower.
06:24It was called the Jetbird from the Jet Age. How cool is that?
06:29See, my experience with these American cars is they get out of control financially very quickly.
06:34These are great cars. All we've got to do is that final little finish on this car,
06:40and this is going to be an awesome car.
06:42Is there profit in this? Yeah, of course there's profit in this.
06:45Look me in the eyes.
06:47Um, there's profit in this.
06:49All right, tell me the worst things about it.
06:54Well, obviously it should have the vinyl roof or the Landau roof,
06:58which is the whole raison d'etre for this model car.
07:01Do we have that?
07:02No.
07:03See, another thing is the parts are going to have to come from America.
07:05Yeah, but I know somebody that can get parts in America.
07:08Yeah, I have a funny feeling he needs me.
07:10So, at the front, we've got two bumper guards, or we call them overriders here,
07:16that need replacing.
07:17All right, what's it like under there?
07:18Oh, it's really neat under here.
07:24Have a look at that.
07:26I mean, we don't need to do much under here.
07:29Okay, to give Darren his dues, the car seems mechanically sound,
07:36so the key to this restoration will be making the most of that glorious 1960s design.
07:42All right, what's wrong in here?
07:45Okay, gear selector. It jumps in and out of gear. Really quick fix.
07:51Just look how cool the seats are in the back of this car.
07:54It is pretty cool in here.
07:55Yeah, I thought you'd like it.
07:57I'm starting to understand why Darren bought this.
08:01But the UK market for left-hand drive American classics can be volatile,
08:06so it's hard to predict the profit on this one.
08:08Oh, my God. Look at the size of it.
08:10Right, so tidy this up, maybe repaint the floor.
08:13Yep.
08:14And actually, it's going to be quite a nice boot.
08:15Exactly.
08:18All right, let's talk about cash.
08:19Mm-hmm.
08:20What did this cost?
08:22Seven and a half.
08:23Seven and a half?
08:25Seven and a half.
08:26And what about margin, though?
08:28Good one in the UK is sort of between 12,000 and 15,000.
08:33And in fact, they're worth more in the US than they are here.
08:36They're a bit of a fish out of water here.
08:39Is it going to fit in the barn?
08:40I didn't think about that.
08:42I bet you it doesn't fit in the barn.
08:49It's not going to fit, is it?
08:50The good news is our T-Birds engine runs like a dream.
08:56Let's go, buddy. Come on.
08:57She does sound pretty cool.
09:00But she needs a facelift, a new vinyl roof, new overriders and a trunk overhaul.
09:05And the cheapest place to get parts, it's America.
09:09That'll do. That'll do.
09:12Luckily, I'm about to make a trip back to the USA for work.
09:15I'll have a good look around the car.
09:17I'll do you a list of all bits that I think you might be able to get a hold of while you're out there.
09:22I'm only going to America for a short trip.
09:23Real easy to get parts. I mean, it won't take you long.
09:26I mean, surely we're going to save loads of money.
09:29All right.
09:31Cool.
09:33Before I head back to California, I want to make sure work continues on the house.
09:38My Auntie Maria is on a mission to fix the fallen down front wall.
09:44It looks like I'm on an archaeological dig at the moment, but I'm not.
09:47With this huge ivy root, it's actually grown underneath this wall.
09:55The bricks have actually come away and are leaning to the right.
10:00Auntie Maria is a talented garden designer, so I'm incredibly lucky she's agreed to help.
10:08So I've exposed this root. Once this is all cleared, we can then rebuild the wall.
10:13And it's that that knocked the wall over?
10:15Yes. And lifted the step.
10:17All right. Well, I'm going to be in the barn fixing some cars.
10:21All right. Go and have fun.
10:27The T-Bird looks great on the outside, but the trunk, which, by the way,
10:31Ford claimed contained 694 litres of air, lets it down.
10:36And the problem is, is what's hidden under all these panels.
10:39Ford introduced this deep well trunk in the fourth generation T-Birds after customers complained
10:47about a lack of luggage space in the previous model.
10:52You only need to look at the trunk sill to realise why the trunk cavity is so much worse than the rest of
10:57the car. Because, of course, the rain hits the body of the car, runs down the shut line of the trunk,
11:03pulls inside the trunk, because this has failed.
11:06Now, generally, this boot is actually quite solid. Although it has a load of surface rust,
11:16it's pretty robust, and it's amazing how massive it is.
11:19Before this trunk can be repainted, there's a few holes that need repairing first.
11:32And when I'm done welding, it will be as tough as the day it was made.
11:36I've headed back to the USA for work. But while I'm here, I can pick up replacement parts to give
11:51the 1964 Thunderbird a facelift. I just need Darren to get on with the shopping list.
11:59So far, it's not too bad. The majority of the things are small ticket items, which is great,
12:05but they'll make a big difference to the visual appearance of the car.
12:12Hello, Ant. Hey, how you doing?
12:14Okay, you got a pen? Yeah, yeah, go for it.
12:16Bumper overriders for the front. Yeah.
12:19Dashboard top. Yeah, sure.
12:20A set of boot mats. No problem.
12:23And we need that vinyl roof kit. Wait, wait, that's huge.
12:27Yeah, you'll need another suitcase. All right, good luck.
12:30Cheers, mate. Bye.
12:31Cheers. Excellent.
12:35On close inspection, Darren's found out that the heater matrix isn't working.
12:42But luckily for us, the previous owner left a brand new one in the boot, uh, trunk.
12:46So now it's time to reinstate it and get some heat back in the Thunderbird.
12:51The heater matrix is a mini radiator located deep inside the dashboard.
12:58The engine's hot coolant is continually pumped through it and a fan blows air through the matrix,
13:04warming up the cabin.
13:05So now it's time to reinstate it and it's time to reinstate it.
13:10Well, I found the fan heater box and, frankly, it's enormous.
13:15With the inlet and outlet pipes disconnected, Darren should be able to pull the heater box from under the dash.
13:23Well, in theory, anyway.
13:30Oh, that is one big heavy lump.
13:40Meanwhile, over in California, I've got my shopping list and I found the perfect supply store in the LA suburbs.
13:46Right, Larry's Thunderbird and Mustang parts.
13:52This is the place.
13:56Darren would love it here.
13:58All right. Hi.
13:59Hey, how are you?
14:00I hope you're going to be up here.
14:02It's a pleasure to meet you, your man.
14:03I'm John.
14:04I'm hoping that you're going to have some, uh, Thunderbird parts for me.
14:08All right, so let's take a look. You ready?
14:13Whoa!
14:16And I think we're on a winner.
14:24At the workshop, Darren's fitting the new heater matrix.
14:30Perfect.
14:33Last task is to manoeuvre the huge, heavy heater box back under the dash.
14:38This is the tricky bit.
14:41Yeah, I wish I was there to help you, mate, but I'm a bit swamped right now.
14:46Yeah, I wish I was there to help you.
14:47All right, I didn't know.
14:50Is this the right one?
14:51Keep it.
14:57Oh, my God.
14:59T-Bird shopping, done.
15:03I'll miss you.
15:04Appreciate it, buddy. Thank you.
15:05Back at the barn, Darren's hoping all the digging around in the dashboard was worth it.
15:14And after a few minutes...
15:29We've actually got warm air blowing inside the cabin, so I'd say that's a right result.
15:36I jetted back from the States and I come bearing gifts. And by gifts, I mean parts for our T-Bird.
15:52Oh, my God.
15:55Is that thing finished yet?
15:58You're back already. Oh, and you've got the stuff as well.
16:02Dashboard top.
16:04Good guess.
16:05Got one overrider here.
16:07Oh, brilliant.
16:08Lovely.
16:09Vinyl roof kit.
16:10Vinyl roof kit.
16:11Yeah. You happy?
16:12I'm ecstatic. That's brilliant.
16:14I'm ecstatic.
16:17Whether it's fixing cars or fixing the house, I'm always looking to save cash.
16:22And my old wheeler dealer mate, Mike Brewer, has some surplus bricks I could use for the renovations.
16:28So I've sent my dad and Michael to Mike's house to see if there's a bargain to be had.
16:35When we get there, you're going to have to strike this deal, right?
16:38Because I don't... I wouldn't have the first place. I wouldn't even know where to start.
16:42Okay, hang on a minute. So we don't know how much we're paying for these bricks.
16:46I'm a bit concerned if I've got to negotiate with Mike.
16:50Because he's a seasoned negotiator. He's a wheeler dealer, for goodness sake.
16:55I believe in you, Dad. Mike knows you're not a pushover.
17:00Here they are. Nigel, you've come up in the world. Look at you.
17:05Hey.
17:05Hey, Mike.
17:06This sort of suits you.
17:07Yeah.
17:08Hey, good to see you.
17:09Good to see you too.
17:10Good to meet you, Mike.
17:11Long time to see you.
17:12Oh, darling.
17:13Good to see you, mate.
17:14Good to see you.
17:15How are you?
17:15Yeah, good, really good.
17:16Good.
17:16This is son, Michael.
17:17Nice to meet you, Mike.
17:18Hi, nice to meet you, Michelle.
17:18How are you?
17:19And sent us on a mission.
17:21Yeah.
17:21Apparently you've had a conversation about bricks.
17:23Yeah, well, in amongst our many chats about cars,
17:26he says that he has a desire for bricks.
17:29So me and Michelle, we've managed to gather quite a few spare ones.
17:33So you interested?
17:35Yeah, definitely. We'd like to come and have a look.
17:36Let me lead the way.
17:37Go for it.
17:37Right, so when we got the house, it came with an oversupply of bricks, Nigel.
17:44Ouch. How many bricks?
17:46Well, we think when we first got the house, there was probably about 55,000,
17:52of which we've used some, so there's probably about 40,000 left.
17:55We're not moving 40,000 bricks, are we?
17:57Well, you can take as many or as little as you require.
18:01A thousand, initially. Wait till I get my hands on Anthony.
18:05Where is he?
18:06Well, he's not here. He's left us to do this job.
18:08Typical.
18:09Look, in terms of price, actually, what me and Michelle,
18:13because we love you and we love ants, free.
18:16That's really kind.
18:17Well, good luck, boys.
18:18Oh, God, what have they let us in for?
18:21Nigel and Michael, unfortunately for those two lads,
18:26they've got a bit of an afternoon ahead of them,
18:27so it's kind of a big job for them, but I'm pretty sure
18:31that once they get in the flow of it, they'll just get through it.
18:34It needs to treat it like exercise.
18:43While Dad and Michael sort out the bricks,
18:45I've taken the T-Bird over to the paint booth to get the trunk
18:48looking like it did when it came out the factory 60 years ago.
18:54What I'm going to do is actually primer it first.
18:56Then I'll do the seam sealer layer, make it look pretty,
18:59and hit it with a spray of white.
19:02Yeah, this is going to look like a brand-new trunk,
19:05because, of course, you can't say boot anymore.
19:06This is an American car. We have to say trunk.
19:08I mean, the volume of paint inside here is about your average front end
19:11of a British sports car on the outside.
19:15That's amazing how good a condition it is for a 60-year-old car.
19:19So do this properly. This car will last another 60 years.
19:23Now for the messy bit.
19:31Oh my gosh, that boot is so big.
19:45A few minutes to flash off, seam sealer on,
19:48and I'm going to hit it with a fresh layer of white.
20:06While the paint dries on the T-Bird,
20:08there's plenty to be getting on with back at the house.
20:10Oh, well, glad that's done. We're here.
20:16Oh, hiya.
20:19What do you think?
20:20This is awesome.
20:22Good, aren't they?
20:23Seven hundred and sixty-five, I think.
20:29Seven hundred and sixty-five.
20:31What did he charge?
20:32And he's given them to us for free.
20:34Is he really giving them free?
20:35Yeah.
20:36He's a top dude, that Mr. Barrett.
20:38So who's going to unload this lot?
20:40You guys.
20:41I've got to go. I'm sorry, I can't stay.
20:46Good luck.
20:53The vinyl I bought back from the States is going to transform the T-Bird's Landau roof,
21:02but she's a rare beast on British soil and needs expert handling.
21:07So I've sent her down to Hampshire,
21:09where specialist car upholsterer Stuart James and his team will take the very best care of her.
21:16We very rarely work on big American cars.
21:19When the Thunderbird was dropped off, I thought, here comes a challenge.
21:23Any imperfections will be highlighted by the vinyl roofing,
21:27so the surface needs to be blemish-free.
21:32Next, the roof area needs to be measured carefully.
21:35This is the most important measurement of the job.
21:39Marking the central line of the roof with precision will make sure the vinyl goes on completely straight.
21:47Right, that's that there.
21:48So these are the lines that we've measured on the roof from seam to seam,
21:55which makes it a lot easier when we're sticking it on.
21:57Right, nice and flat. There she is.
22:07The best thing about this roof, they've welded the seams.
22:10It eliminates any damp getting into it at all.
22:14Let's get it over.
22:15Yep.
22:16The roof measurements need to be mirrored on the vinyl.
22:20Measurement there, great.
22:22This seam line will match the seam line on the car when we glued it and stretching it out.
22:27That way, you can get it as straight as possible.
22:32It's all in the prep work.
22:36Oh, I like that.
22:40Ready to go.
22:40A little bit towards me.
22:46That's it.
22:46The centre line's on there.
22:48Yeah.
22:51The vinyl roof on the 64 Landau was a signature design feature.
22:56It was all about the aesthetics, giving the car a luxury feel by mimicking the look of a convertible.
23:03Basically, the roof's on.
23:04Ready to glue it up.
23:05The adhesive sets quickly, so the roof needs to be carefully glued one section at a time.
23:17This is a piece of ash, and because it's chamfered, you can just gently rub it,
23:24and it'll take all the air bubbles out if you've got any.
23:30I'm just going to push this in along the gutter.
23:32So, all that's left to do now is trim around all the edges, all the apertures,
23:37and get the chrome trim back on.
23:41It's gone really well.
23:43The track's formed the car, so I'm ready to go back to Ant.
24:02What a difference.
24:08What a difference that makes.
24:10Looks great.
24:11Yeah, this car's edging closer.
24:14Oh, look at that.
24:15Check it out.
24:17Oh, you've got the vinyl roof kit fitted.
24:19I'm just going to leave you for a second to drink it in.
24:21It's beautiful.
24:22Oh, that is so good.
24:24It's what this car was all about.
24:26It's cool.
24:26It's growing on me.
24:27Oh, it's superb.
24:29Hey, you think this looks good?
24:30Check out the trunk.
24:33It's brand new.
24:34Do you know what?
24:35That's incredible.
24:36The biggest problem with a huge metal car is dealing with metal work.
24:40But a couple of patches here, a couple of layers of paint, it's transformed.
24:45Yeah, I mean, I'm speechless.
24:47This is as good as new.
24:48It is.
24:49And it's 60 years old.
24:50It's incredible.
24:51How old are you?
24:52Not as old as this.
24:53It looks better than both of us.
24:56It does.
24:57Do you want to look even better with the panels in?
24:59I haven't even unboxed them.
25:01Let's open them.
25:03They're so massive.
25:05Look at the size of it.
25:07It looks like the interior for a British four-seater.
25:11It's just a trunk.
25:14All right.
25:15The boot panels set me back 270 quid.
25:19They'll give the trunk a neat factory spec finish.
25:24If we can get them to fit, of course.
25:26And that goes behind that one.
25:29How's that going there?
25:30It's got to go in.
25:33This is basically a jigsaw puzzle for which the instructions aren't that good.
25:36What's that?
25:37That's it.
25:39Let's glue it in.
25:40Looks nice.
25:51It's getting there, isn't it?
25:53The front of the house is also starting to take shape.
26:04Something that hasn't escaped my mum's attention.
26:06Hi, Ant.
26:10Antony, I bought you and your helpers a cake.
26:13An army marches on cake.
26:15Hi, Mum.
26:15Lemon drizzled.
26:16What do you think?
26:17Doesn't it look great?
26:19It does.
26:19But it would be nice with a flower bed up either side.
26:23Do you know what I was actually thinking?
26:25Maybe like a trimmed privet?
26:28No, flowers.
26:29Or some flowers.
26:30Colour.
26:31The whole point of this project is to create a home for my mum and dad.
26:35So I want her to sign off how we relay the stone steps.
26:38Take your time.
26:43Because that front edge is going to be on display, we either put it back how it was with a smooth
26:48front edge or we flip it round and we have the rough front edge.
26:52Pull me over.
26:54Yeah, don't tread in the concrete.
26:56Smooth edge or rough edge?
26:58Rough edge.
26:59Got a bit of character to it, a bit of wear.
27:02Perfect.
27:03Ollie, let's do it on a bit of cake before you lift that, just like fuel.
27:06Yes, please.
27:07And Michael.
27:09Oh, that is lovely.
27:11He's only saying that because you're here, Mum.
27:13Oh, did you have breakfast this morning?
27:15No.
27:16Why not?
27:17Well, I was up really early.
27:18So that's why you're eating cake.
27:22There won't be anything for anybody else.
27:23Grab another one, man.
27:24That's good.
27:30Fortified with Mum's cake, Ollie and I just need to get the step into position.
27:35One, two, three.
27:36Oh, my God.
27:38Are you okay with that?
27:40Right, you're just going to watch your fingers, okay?
27:41I'm down.
27:47I'll take it off you.
27:47Yeah, I've got that.
27:51Yep.
27:53I just need to...
27:55Yeah, your mum definitely made the right decision.
27:57Yeah, she is.
27:58It's the natural look.
28:00Yeah, mums are always right.
28:05Step sorted.
28:07So I now need to tackle the T-Bird's next challenge.
28:12For a 60-year-old car, the Landau's interior is pretty impressive.
28:17But letting it down in a major way is the cracked and worn dashboard.
28:21Now, when you consider how well the rest of the car presents, like, we could never put it into
28:28auction with that.
28:29That'll stand out like a sore thumb.
28:30Right, you've got one half of that.
28:50Oh, right, okay.
28:54Careful.
28:58Oh, my God, that is instant transformation.
29:01I'll tell you what, it's a bit lumpy there, though.
29:03Yeah, I reckon if we do a crate around there.
29:05Yeah.
29:06And one here as well, right where those original splits are, then this should fit a lot better.
29:12Any lumps and bumps from the original dashboard underneath will spoil the new look.
29:16So this dash needs some drastic surgery.
29:19You only get one shot at this, you know that.
29:22All right, you tackle your side.
29:23Okay.
29:24I'll tackle this side.
29:26You know what, despite this as being scary, it's quite satisfying.
29:30I know, right?
29:33Yeah, I think that's good.
29:38The cap should now fit like a glove.
29:41Well, in theory, anyway.
29:43Push your side in.
29:46Yeah, it's pivoted.
29:49We're biting each other.
29:52Do you know what we're going to have to do?
29:53We're going to have to glue it in, shut the doors, wedge it.
29:57We're using a specialist silicon adhesive, which can withstand temperature changes and remain flexible,
30:03so the black dash cover won't crack in the sun.
30:06Yeah, this is now darkness.
30:08The sun is setting.
30:09So if you grab that.
30:13Oh, that's falling in there really nicely.
30:17Yeah, it feels pretty good.
30:18We should put some wedges in there.
30:19Yeah, that door being closed has nicely wedged it.
30:26I'm trapped.
30:27I think you're going to have to go full juice of hazard.
30:30Pick a window, you're leaving.
30:31Yeah, gracefully done.
30:43Well, let's leave that and have our fingers crossed for the morning.
30:46Yeah, let's hope it doesn't move.
30:48I mean, this is a one hit.
30:50This is either going to glue and stay or not.
30:54I'm just banking on that working.
31:04And this is the morning of truth.
31:07So this has had the night time to cure.
31:12It feels solid.
31:18It feels like it's attached.
31:23It worked.
31:24It worked.
31:25I'm actually loving sitting in this cockpit.
31:27And now that the dash is on there, it looks brand new.
31:30With the interior looking factory fresh, there's only one thing left to sort in here.
31:35And that's the gear selector.
31:37And at the moment, it's all sloppy.
31:40If I don't manually hold it in to park, the key won't turn.
31:43The ignition won't turn on.
31:46Now, I did a little bit of research and it's actually a known fault on this car.
31:50This is quite common.
31:53Now, underneath the gear selector, there's this little roll pin.
31:58I just need to disengage it from the selection linkage on the steering column.
32:04Yeah, this roll pin is moving.
32:08Now, in theory, it should just pop out.
32:12And sure enough, there's the problem.
32:21This is the hole that roll pin sits in.
32:23This is the pivot point.
32:25And there, where it's all worn away, that's the reason that our gear lever is so sloppy.
32:29So all I need to do is fill that with weld, grind it back flush, and it'll be as good as new.
32:42That really is it.
32:49That just goes back in.
33:02Right.
33:03Now, before it was all sloppy, but now it perfectly sits positively between all the gears.
33:10I mean, that's such a simple fix. It's transformed it.
33:25My cool 1964 Thunderbird is almost fully restored back to her former status as a beloved symbol of the Jet Age.
33:34We just have one more day in the barn to make sure she's ready for auction.
33:37Well, I hate to say it, it's really growing on me. It looks amazing.
33:41But with all the chrome on the car, and there is a lot of chrome, there is one bit that really lets it down.
33:48The T-Birds overriders are very visible, and one of them is super rusty.
33:53Yeah, I mean, that stands out like a sore thumb.
33:57Good job. I brought a couple of reclaimed ones back from the States.
33:59Much better.
34:03That's better. I just need a bit of a clean.
34:05Right, do you want to polish or unbolt?
34:08Polish.
34:08The 50s and 60s was the chrome era for stateside cars, giving them a glamorous, futuristic look.
34:19But as well as adding the wow factor, chrome overriders prevented expensive damage in low-speed parking collisions.
34:25It's the longest bolt in history.
34:33How's that polishing going? Is your back wet?
34:40I've already decided, let's only change one.
34:42Yeah, that is toast.
34:57Look at the state of it.
34:59I think I'll be recycling that.
35:05Hey, come check it out.
35:09That looks so much better.
35:10Oh, yes.
35:11Yeah, let's not change that one.
35:13No, I think that one's good, actually.
35:15When somebody looks at that, they're going to go, that's how it should be.
35:19How are you getting on with the chrome?
35:21Yeah, it's a bit monumental.
35:22It's never... You bought a car with all the chrome.
35:25So how about I jump on this side?
35:28Yep.
35:28And you run down that side.
35:30Okay.
35:40The handsome old T-Bird is finally ready for auction.
35:48With the job ticked off my list, I can check on the progress next door.
35:52My builder, Ollie, has been widening the path and laying reclaimed quarry tiles I picked up for the bargain price of 50 quid.
36:00And just like the T-Bird, the visual improvement is dramatic.
36:08Dude, that looks absolutely epic.
36:12Yeah, it's looking really nice now.
36:13What a difference.
36:14Yeah, massive difference.
36:15These steps are now straight.
36:17The tree roots sorted.
36:18These little dwarf walls look amazing.
36:20Yeah.
36:21I'm so glad with these quarry tiles.
36:22They look so nice, don't they?
36:24Everyone that's walked past has commented and said how good it's looking.
36:27I love that these tiles would have lived for a couple of hundred years in another location.
36:32Yeah.
36:33And now they're here.
36:34Yeah.
36:35Imagine when they were first laid.
36:36Someone would have stood looking at them, admiring how they went down and thought,
36:39wow, and now after all these years, they've been pulled up, cleaned, reclaimed and yeah.
36:44Oh my God, that's quite poetic.
36:54To keep the house improving daily, I need constant cash injection,
36:58which means keeping a close eye on those profit margins.
37:02Of course, our work on the car is free.
37:04It's a labour of love.
37:06But the parts, they ain't free.
37:09Dude, I have run the numbers.
37:11I don't know exactly how much we spent.
37:13Every penny, every dollar.
37:14Yeah, is it good?
37:15Now the good news is, because of my fortunate timing of my trip to California,
37:19we saved, I mean, hundreds of pounds on shipping.
37:22Yeah.
37:23But none of it means anything unless we make a profit.
37:26The vinyl roof kit was around 300 quid.
37:28The panel kit in the trunk, about 270.
37:31The dash top, which looks amazing, 320 quid.
37:35The overriders, 45, and then I've allowed a couple of hundred quid for miscellaneous,
37:40just to capture other small bits.
37:42Yeah.
37:43£1,950.67.
37:47That's not bad.
37:48Well, if you add the purchase price, we paid seven and a half grand.
37:51But all in,
37:51£1,950, nine and a half grand.
37:54Do you know what?
37:55That's a heck of a car for that money.
37:57Do you know, I've still never driven a Thunderbird.
38:00Well, now's your chance.
38:13This is great.
38:15This is great.
38:19And the driving experience, it's like no other.
38:22This thing floats about like a barge.
38:24It's a car that you just want to stick some shades on and drive ever so slowly
38:30to incredibly cool American rock music.
38:41Steering is absolutely effortless.
38:46You don't get this driving experience with European cars.
38:49You just don't.
38:50It's just a big chunk of metal on four wheels.
38:54And it's glorious.
39:02And that little repair on the gear stick,
39:05that's made all the difference.
39:06It now positively shifts into gears.
39:13So I have a newfound respect for the Ford Thunderbird.
39:19That was really beautiful to drive.
39:30You know, Darren bought a car that was mechanically sound.
39:33We had an aesthetic restoration to tackle.
39:36And I think we've done that perfectly.
39:37We spent barely any money on sorting out the chrome.
39:41The vinyl roof has absolutely transformed the car.
39:44Somebody opens that trunk.
39:46I mean, she looks as good as new, which is good.
39:48Because it's going to auction.
39:58Welcome here to the classic car auction sale.
40:03More than 150 classic cars are going under the hammer today
40:07at the NAEC Stonely in Warwickshire.
40:10With our Wimbledon White T-Bird Landell at lot number 766.
40:14It looks so good.
40:21You know, it stands out as such a different car in a huge haul of,
40:27I mean, European cars.
40:28There's two American cars in here.
40:30But is the market big enough to buy two American cars at the same auction?
40:35It's so hard to tell because half of me is looking around for a guy in a Stetson.
40:39It's so hard to buy two American cars at the same auction.
40:42It's so hard to buy two cars.
40:43We've done all we can, but I can't help feeling tense.
40:4723,000.
40:48With you, Rich, 23,000.
40:51Are you nervous?
40:5224,000.
40:53What's your number?
40:54Yeah, I'd be, er...
40:55It's that little breathy to it before answering.
40:57I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.
41:0029,000.
41:01Your car, Rich, 29,000.
41:03All right.
41:08And on to lot number 766, then, the rather splendid 1964 Ford Thunderbird.
41:15It's the hardtop Lando. It's the Series 4 for you now.
41:21Right, hoses nine and a half grand.
41:23What should we say for this, then?
41:24Straight in, then.
41:25Austria, your bid.
41:268,500, the opening bid.
41:288,500.
41:29You're still in the negative.
41:308,500 for the Lando and 8,500.
41:33Go nine anywhere else now.
41:38What a lot of car for the money at 8,500.
41:418,800.
41:42OK.
41:43We're creeping closer.
41:458,800.
41:458,800 against you, Austria.
41:47Basically owes us nine and a half.
41:48So right now, we're making 700 quid loss.
41:51Are we all done and sure, then?
41:53Any more bids now?
41:55At 8,800.
41:57Sell the car, then.
41:58All done.
41:598,800, then.
42:01Your car, 8,800.
42:038,800, then.
42:048,800, then, then.
42:07Some of you win, some of you lose.
42:09Yeah, I've got to say that is the coolest car we've done so far.
42:13It's here at my right.
42:14we have just sold the car at a loss and you're still standing beside it i still stand by the
42:18thunderbird they just they haven't got it the people in this room just didn't get that car
42:23that's the crazy thing is i did do a little research that car in america is probably worth
42:31more than double what we just sold it do you know what i'm i'm not mad about it it's been
42:37no it's been a great experience the thunderbird looks amazing the new owner's getting a really
42:42solid car oh gosh yeah and maybe england needs more american cars on the road because they're cool
42:48they're cool exactly the key is though i don't want to be the one paying for it
42:56american cars are unpredictable in this market and you know looking at the auction room now is
43:01not that busy it's full of european cars and that's the point you know auctions are unpredictable
43:07it turns out houses are unpredictable as well and there is no secret recipe
43:16sometimes you just have to believe in something and roll the dice and sometimes the dice don't fall
43:20in your favor
43:33you
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