- 1 week ago
Shed & Buried: Classic Cars - Season 3 Episode 2 -
Triumph TR3a
Triumph TR3a
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00:00If I had a swimming pool, it would be just awful.
00:06I would have to have shoes on. I can't walk around the swimming pool barefoot.
00:09Exactly! So we'd have all that, and then I'd go into the pool house, and it's all wet and horrible,
00:14and there's dirty towels everywhere, probably a pair of his Speedos hanging up to dry.
00:19Did you know that in France, if you go to a public swimming pool, you have to wear Speedos.
00:24It's the rule.
00:25That's why I don't want to go on holiday anymore.
00:27No, I agree with you.
00:28Why would you want to go on holiday where you could be in a shed nowhere near a swimming pool?
00:35We're back!
00:36Oh, I'm loving this.
00:37Scouring Britain's sheds for classic cars.
00:40A thing of beauty.
00:41Proper special.
00:42Quintessential Brits.
00:44That's nice.
00:45A Lee Francis.
00:46American icons.
00:47Look at the amount of chrome on the front there.
00:50And Continental Curios.
00:52That is a Lancia Aprilia.
00:55We're going to buy them.
00:56Thank you so much.
00:57Fantastic, Ludo.
00:58Sort them.
00:59It's the sunroof.
01:00No, please, I'm getting out now.
01:02Drive them.
01:03And sell them for a tidy profit.
01:06Are we really the money?
01:08This is Shed and Buried Classic Cars.
01:16Today we're staying local.
01:18Heading for a small village near Newbury.
01:20We're just going down the road to Cheveley to see Mark, who's got a shed full of classics.
01:28Yeah.
01:29I think he does buy and sell a bit.
01:31Well, every shed dweller does.
01:32Yeah, of course.
01:33But he's got kind of mid-range cars, I think.
01:36I like a mid-range car.
01:38So do I.
01:39Because, you know, they are a thing of joy.
01:42They're things that you can use.
01:44That's what it's all about, mate.
01:45You know, I've had the real posh cars, yeah?
01:47Yeah.
01:48But the trouble is, you drive them somewhere, you're terribly worried about a stone flicking
01:52up to wreck the paint.
01:53That's right.
01:54And then when you park it up somewhere, you're just popping out all the time to make sure
01:58no one's dinged it.
01:59Well, that's very true.
02:00Or broken into it.
02:01Anyway, look, hopefully Mark will do us proud.
02:04We're only a mile away.
02:05Yeah.
02:06Right?
02:07He's on, I think, an industrial estate.
02:09Every good collector needs space.
02:14Whether we come back with a mid-range car or end up going posh, who knows?
02:19But Cheevely, here we come.
02:24Mark, now look, tell me, OK?
02:26I can see a few of your motors here.
02:28It's quite an eclectic collection, isn't it?
02:31What rose your boat?
02:32It's very much a mixture of usable cars, drivable cars.
02:38Yes.
02:39And affordable cars.
02:41They're none of the half-million-pound investment.
02:44There you go.
02:45That's all you wanted to hear.
02:46So you like driving cars?
02:47Yes.
02:48So how long have you been collecting and delving into it on?
02:51Probably about 20 years.
02:52Hey, so look, what we're going to do, OK, if it's all right with you, Mark, we'll have
02:55a rummage around.
02:56I think we'll start with these.
02:57Yeah.
02:58And I know you've got a shed just there.
02:59Yeah.
03:00And then, you know, call you in if we need to get some advice on stuff.
03:03And then, hopefully, at the end of it, we'll have a haggle.
03:06Yeah.
03:07All right, mate.
03:08Sounds good.
03:09Great, Mark.
03:10Fantastic.
03:11Thank you very much, Mark.
03:12No sugar would be great.
03:13Lovely.
03:14Well, we'll start here.
03:15Let's start right here.
03:16We'll see you in a while.
03:17All right.
03:18OK, Mark.
03:19See you later.
03:20So here we go.
03:21A whole line of mid-range classics.
03:25But which one is for us?
03:27He's got a 1961 Humber Hawk.
03:31These cars are perhaps one of the only cars that I think suit white wall tyres.
03:37A 1962 Jaguar 3.8.
03:42Iconically made famous by Withnail and I, the movie.
03:47This is if you want to do a little bit of showing off, a little bit of spirited driving.
03:50The 3.8 is a great car.
03:53And moving forward a couple of decades to your modern day classics.
03:58A BMW 3 Series Targa from 1991.
04:02Are these up and coming, Fuzzer?
04:04Yeah, yeah.
04:05Well, they've upped and come.
04:09Introduced in 1975, the BMW 3 Series was an immediate international hit and has now reached
04:17its seventh generation.
04:18The Targa version is today particularly prized.
04:23So a lot of people like this period of BMW.
04:27So the 1980s, all that big hair, great big high heels, you know, the stilettos that you were
04:34wearing back then.
04:35I was there.
04:36I was wearing stilettos.
04:37What?
04:38So that era of car, people are collecting now because people who were kids or teenagers
04:45at that time and who saw these cars and coveted them are now of the age where they can hopefully
04:52afford one.
04:53They can afford one.
04:54Yeah.
04:55There's a 3 Series.
04:56Nice.
04:57Not my thing.
05:03Inside, it stays eclectic with classic Brits from all eras and several Italian delicacies
05:10starting with a Lancia beater.
05:13Two litre transverse engine, front wheel drive.
05:17Beautiful little cars, very quick in the day and very agile.
05:21And of course, this is lovely, sort of Targa top.
05:24Yeah.
05:25And, well, have a feel of this.
05:28Go on.
05:29Come here.
05:30Come here.
05:31It's not your usual.
05:33What is that?
05:34Velour.
05:35It is velour, isn't it?
05:36It's cloth.
05:37That is an unusual specification for this.
05:40Possibly South African specification or something like that.
05:43So South Africa specced it in a different way.
05:46Well, I think it might be.
05:48It can't have lived its life here.
05:50No.
05:51Because otherwise it would have composted.
05:56And for a very different Lancia, you couldn't get much better than this.
06:00Wow.
06:01Now that is lovely.
06:02What is that fuzzer?
06:03Right.
06:04That, I believe, is a Lancia Aprilia.
06:08And that registration number would put it at the end of the 1930s.
06:14Lancia is one of Italy's oldest car brands, starting life in Turin in 1906.
06:23The Aprilia was introduced in 1937 and was celebrated for its aerodynamic styling and advanced
06:31engineering.
06:33Underneath the bonnet is beautiful to behold.
06:36Hang on.
06:37Mark.
06:38Yeah.
06:39Mark.
06:40Tell me about, something for me doesn't quite stack up here.
06:44It's got battery cut off and all that kind of stuff.
06:47Has someone had a go in this?
06:48The story is that it was set up for classic rallying.
06:52Oh, okay.
06:53And then never rallied.
06:54Okay.
06:55At one stage it had a roll bar, but that's been since removed.
06:58Good.
06:59It's got those rather nasty modern front seats, but the originals are behind you.
07:03It drives like a 50s car, not like a 30s car.
07:06Does it really?
07:07Lovely.
07:08I love the splitty rear window, rather like the early Volkswagens.
07:11I'll ask you a bit later about price, because I don't think we can get close to that.
07:15It's quite an expensive car.
07:16Yeah, all right.
07:17Off you go, Mark.
07:18Thank you very much.
07:20Yeah.
07:21That's not what you wanted to hear, was it?
07:23No, I wanted to say, oh, she's doing a very good deal on it now.
07:26Yeah.
07:27Yeah, that's what I wanted to hear, but we didn't.
07:30Yeah.
07:31So, not quite a mid-range classic, but a few feet away, next to a Paul Knows Morris.
07:37Yeah.
07:38Would a saloon like this, a hard top, obviously be less valuable than the soft tops?
07:43Yes.
07:44I've noticed something rather interesting.
07:48Can we move on and talk about some TR3s?
07:51Yes.
07:52Which are right behind us.
07:53Okay.
07:54Come on.
07:55The TR3 is a classic roadster, produced between 1955 and 1962.
08:06Like most British sports cars of its era, it was principally aimed at the US market, with
08:12only 10% selling in the UK.
08:15These two are slightly later TR3As, with the wide-mouthed front grille.
08:21These are really a great and very throwaboutable sports car.
08:29This has got a reasonably powerful engine, with the older styling, the older looks.
08:34And I quite like these.
08:36So look, we've got one that's mint.
08:38Yeah.
08:39And we've got one that obviously needs a bit of work, yeah?
08:41Yeah.
08:42Or is what we could call a rolling resto.
08:44If you look at this, this is probably in the sort of condition that, you know, a kind
08:49of cool student would have had it in the early 1970s, when it was, you know, just a bit
08:54of an old ride kind of thing.
08:56But I think, because of that, it's very lovely.
09:00Just a little bit tatty.
09:02But at the same time, we could sort of enhance the tattiness.
09:05Yes.
09:06To be hip and cool.
09:07Yeah.
09:08Is it tatty, or is it charming?
09:10Oh, definitely charming.
09:12Yeah.
09:13Yeah.
09:14But when we're doing a deal with Mark, it'll be tatty.
09:16That's it.
09:17Come on in.
09:23Mark, I have to tell you, the choice here is endless, isn't it?
09:27Yeah.
09:28You've got a really great selection of cars.
09:30Good.
09:31Great collection, mate.
09:32Great collection.
09:33Tell me about the Beta.
09:34South African import, so it's only come in...
09:36That's the one.
09:37...21, 22.
09:38Oh, okay.
09:39So it's a very recent South African import.
09:40Yeah.
09:41What do you reckon on that?
09:42Sort of an 11-ish.
09:44Now, what interests me as well is the two TRs, TR3s.
09:48Yes.
09:49One's obviously pretty mint, and the other one, good from far?
09:52Yeah.
09:53Far from...
09:54Far from good.
09:55Yeah.
09:56The mint one is probably out of your range.
09:58That is 16,000, 17,000.
10:00Oh, he knows you.
10:01You're right.
10:02He does know mint.
10:03The scruffy one, I've got plenty of room to manoeuvre around about nine.
10:06Okay.
10:07It actually drives better than the tidy one.
10:10And finally, that Lancia's beautiful, mate.
10:12I know it's out of our league, but...
10:13I think so.
10:14I mean, it's going to be mid-twenties.
10:15Is it?
10:16And they all are.
10:17They're mid-twenties.
10:18Well, it should be, it should be.
10:19Yeah, that's right.
10:20It could be.
10:21They're drop-deck gorgeous cars.
10:22Beautiful thing.
10:23Can we go back to the rough?
10:25Rough is the wrong word to describe it, but it's the first word that came into mind.
10:30The TR3A.
10:31Yeah.
10:32The lesser of the two.
10:33Yes.
10:34Yeah.
10:35What did you say it was?
10:36How much?
10:37I think I said seven-ish.
10:38It's got to be seven-ish.
10:39We're down in Cheveley with Mark, scoping out his exquisite collection of classic cars.
11:01We found a beautiful Triumph TR3A.
11:04He wants seven grand, but will he take less?
11:08Six and a half?
11:10I'm sure we could do something like that.
11:13Six and a half.
11:14Okay.
11:15TR3A.
11:16Yeah, TR3A.
11:17Yeah.
11:18Lovely.
11:19Thank you, Mark.
11:21How divine.
11:22Top job.
11:23Great.
11:24Two days later, it arrives at the shed.
11:27Now, lads, come on, Bean.
11:29Now, I think Fuzz and I have got a nice little deal here.
11:34I don't know what you reckon, but here's a TR3A.
11:37Really quaint British sports car.
11:39Isn't it?
11:40I think it's lovely, yeah.
11:42I do like a red two-seater.
11:43Yeah, I know you do, because you've got your MX-5.
11:46Yes.
11:47Hey, that's what we should do.
11:48A comparison.
11:49A comparison trial.
11:50Why not?
11:51Yeah.
11:52A comparison trial.
11:53Yes.
11:54Okay.
11:55Can I just mention something?
11:56What?
11:57Catching my eye when I walked out.
11:59What's that?
12:00There's a petrol pump appeared.
12:02In matching colours.
12:03Yeah, matching colours.
12:04It's matching the car.
12:05I think you've done well to pick them together.
12:06Look, a matching pair.
12:07Oh, hold on, Skid.
12:08Oh.
12:09I can assure you that that was not there when we picked that up.
12:13Spending again?
12:14It wouldn't have been.
12:15I had a visitation from one of my dearest friends.
12:18Yes.
12:19Shopper Roy.
12:20What did you guess?
12:21He turned up this morning.
12:23He said, do you fancy a belly pump?
12:25300 quid to you, H.
12:27I went, all right, mate.
12:28Yeah, that'd go nicely with the car.
12:30Hard to tune down.
12:31Look, red, black, red, black.
12:32Yeah.
12:33I reckon we just give it a light resto.
12:34I've got a globe for it.
12:35Done up.
12:36Lovely.
12:37Happy days.
12:38Just basically cleaned up with a globe on it.
12:39Original globe.
12:40Grand.
12:41Yeah.
12:42I think.
12:43Anyway, let's talk about our lovely TR3A.
12:45Let's have a closer look.
12:46Come on, boys.
12:47I like the luggage rack.
12:49What size engines in this?
12:51It is.
12:522138 cc's.
12:542.138 litres.
12:56It's quick, isn't it?
12:57Yeah.
12:58It's 100 brake horsepower.
12:59That's a lot.
13:00Yeah, it is.
13:01It's roughly the same as my little red jalopy.
13:03There you go.
13:04This was a capable car in its time.
13:06Do you know what?
13:07That is actually a really interesting thing to do.
13:09We go out with this, once we've got it sorted.
13:12Yeah.
13:13They're both red.
13:14We'll take the MX-5.
13:15Yeah.
13:16And we'll just do a kind of sort of trial, like drive somewhere.
13:19Yeah.
13:20And see what comes out in the sense that there is, what, 70 years between them?
13:24Mine is an 06.
13:25It's not brand new, so it's not 70 years.
13:27Well, this isn't brand new either, Scott.
13:29No.
13:30It certainly isn't.
13:31But the bottom line is, is that we can judge them on character.
13:35Yeah?
13:36Yeah.
13:37Performance.
13:38Reliability.
13:39And just, you know, pride of ownership.
13:41I would take it to somewhere where people can appreciate it and see who appreciates them the most.
13:46Very definitely.
13:47Yes, if it's static.
13:48Yeah.
13:50Okay, all right.
13:51Me and Fuzz are in here.
13:52You and Alan are in the MX-5 and we are going to show that old is bold.
14:06Next day, we're ready to start the resto.
14:09But there's a problem.
14:10A mystery stain on the bonnet.
14:12Can I just say...
14:14Yeah.
14:15Right, I put a tarpaulin over it.
14:17Yes.
14:18Look what's happened.
14:19Yeah, I'm really not a fan of covers and tarps actually touching...
14:24Paintwork.
14:25...car bodywork and paintwork.
14:26Well, I had no option.
14:27It was raining.
14:28I had to move quick.
14:29I think you did the right thing.
14:30Well-meaning.
14:31But it's...
14:32When covers touch, you get things like this.
14:36You get this sort of bloom.
14:37You also get...
14:38A chemical reaction between the water and the different plastics.
14:41Yeah.
14:42Yes, all that kind of stuff.
14:43You can actually do quite a lot of damage by trying to do the right thing.
14:46Well, it seems so I have.
14:47So how do we get rid of that?
14:48Can we get rid of it?
14:49Well, I think...
14:50Cutting compound.
14:51Yeah, try a bit of cutting compound and see if we can...
14:54I think that'll be all right.
14:55I'm not too concerned about that.
14:56Okay.
14:57Come on then.
14:58That's got to go.
14:59Let's get it started.
15:00What are you going to do?
15:01Get in and turn the key?
15:02Well, and see whether it's...
15:03Let's see what happens.
15:04We need a budget key.
15:05Like several sports cars of this era, you need a square budget key to release the bonnet.
15:11There we are.
15:12There we go.
15:13It doesn't look bad.
15:14It looks better than I thought it would.
15:16Shall I just turn the key then?
15:18First of all, what I want to do is...
15:19Right.
15:20...just switch the ignition on.
15:21Right.
15:22And then we have a very handy little button.
15:26Oh, there we go.
15:27Oh, yes.
15:28Not on four.
15:29That's not on four.
15:30No.
15:31So it runs first time, but only on three of its four cylinders.
15:39To find out if it's a spark plug issue...
15:41Not that one, Al.
15:43Alan takes the plugs out one by one.
15:45It's that one.
15:46Okay, so number one.
15:47It's a spark plug.
15:48Yep.
15:49Okay, so hang on.
15:50All right, so basically, if you want to know what pot is not working, just get it running
16:01and pull each spark plug out one at a time.
16:04Only on old cars, not on new cars.
16:06If you do it on a new one, they're mega high voltage and it's very dangerous.
16:09You mustn't do that.
16:10We wouldn't be doing that.
16:11Where's the laptop?
16:12On vintage cars, it's an easy way of determining which spark plug is not working.
16:15And you know the knackered one, by when you pull it off, it makes no difference.
16:18Yeah, yeah.
16:19If it's working and you pull it off, the revs go down.
16:21I got it.
16:22I mean, there is an interesting parallel here, Skid.
16:24Three of them are working, one isn't.
16:26Funny you should say that.
16:28Is that my phone?
16:29Yeah.
16:30Left to their own devices, the three jokers in the pack remove the dud plug.
16:36I have seen something in the glove box.
16:38Rummage around in the glove compartment and then fit a spare, just in time, for me to
16:43return for a second engine test.
16:45Right, okay, let's give it a go.
16:47You ready?
16:48Oh, there we go.
16:50That's a much better.
16:54That sounds good.
16:55Yeah, that's good.
16:56That's it, it's not bouncing around now, look.
16:58Brilliant.
16:59I told you it's just a plug, didn't I say?
17:03Yes, you did.
17:04Yeah.
17:06Sounds good.
17:07Yeah, see if we've got good oil pressure, shall we?
17:09Yeah, it's not bad at all, 50.
17:11Shall we just take it down the drive?
17:13Yeah, I'll give it a drive, yeah.
17:14All right.
17:15You two sit on the back here.
17:16I thought that was...
17:17I thought that was...
17:18You two sit on the back here.
17:20Yeah.
17:21Yeah.
17:22Yeah.
17:24So off we go.
17:25Road test number one.
17:28No ruckles whatsoever.
17:3164 years after it was registered, our TR3A is still up and running.
17:38The engine's sweet, but the steering's not quite right.
17:42Is it pulling to the right a little?
17:44It's wandering a bit.
17:45Is it?
17:46I think I'm just...
17:47I'm having to pull it over to the right a little bit.
17:50How are you?
17:51Going to the left.
17:53I still think we've got ourselves a bargain, but before our TR3 goes head-to-head with Guy's
17:59Mazda, we've got to sort the steering and get it looking at its best.
18:08First task, attack the white stain on the bonnet.
18:12This is like an abrasive polish.
18:14Very, very fine abrasive, and it'll take the top layer off and polish it.
18:17Hopefully it'll work.
18:18And when the top layer comes off, the white bit, it'll leave it red underneath.
18:23I do think this is going to work.
18:25Do you?
18:26I do, yeah.
18:27How does a tarpaulin do that?
18:29Well, I think it must have had some kind of polish on it or something that's just gone milky when it's got wet.
18:35Oh, okay.
18:36So hopefully...
18:38Oh dear, steady.
18:39Well you just behave.
18:40So that is basically taking the top layer of paint off.
18:43That's what this does, yeah.
18:44There's something very satisfying about doing this kind of stuff, isn't there?
18:47Yeah, well it's fairly easy and anyone can do this and it will improve it massively.
18:52Well you say that but you won't let me have a go.
18:55Well, you can have a go if you want.
18:57For good measure, Skid takes a polishing mop to it before giving it a final shine.
19:03This is just wax polish now.
19:05This is not an abrasive.
19:06And then, what do you think of that?
19:08Well mate, I think it's great.
19:09It's gone.
19:10There was a big white mark there.
19:11Yeah, yeah, it's lovely.
19:12Oh look.
19:13So if I do this bit now, I think we're home and dry mate.
19:15Yeah.
19:16Do you know what I love about that is I really haven't had to do a lot.
19:18Well, no change there then.
19:20Next, it's Fuzzy's turn to sort out the steering bias.
19:25His remedy requires a large ball of string, a hot load of bricks and a vintage Dunlop tracking gauge.
19:32What are you doing man?
19:33I was looking from the front of the car and I thought that the front wheels were towing in a little bit,
19:39which means that ahead of the axle, they're kind of in.
19:42Like that?
19:43A bit like that.
19:44Pigeon-toed.
19:45So would that scrub the inside or the outside of the tyres?
19:48Well, that would scrub the outside of the tyres.
19:50There's not too much sign of that, but I just wanted to check.
19:53I've used a piece of string and I've got the bricks there, tied the string around the very end
19:59and then just touched it against the tyre.
20:03So that string is now exactly in line with the rear wheel.
20:07The rears on this are not adjustable.
20:10And then we just check to see if we've got any toe-in or toe-out on the front wheel.
20:16So if it's in alignment, it should touch back and front of that front wheel.
20:20Yes, that's right.
20:21And does it?
20:22No.
20:23So I've got another piece of string here to align the front one.
20:27So I've aligned that to see whether any difference occurs in the line.
20:33And it does.
20:34You can see that we've got this little division here.
20:38It opens up towards the brick.
20:40That's right, yes.
20:41So it opens up towards the rear.
20:43What we need is the rear of it to be brought in or the front of it to be brought out.
20:47And then I can align this wheel to the other side using these old tracking gauges.
20:54Yes.
20:55All right.
20:56To correct the misalignment, Fuzz reaches under the car and adjusts the tie rods.
21:01The fittings that connect the wheels to the steering rack.
21:04Each time he tweaks a tie rod, he checks the two pieces of string until they're virtually on top of each other.
21:11And there we are.
21:12Bang on.
21:13We are just about in line there.
21:18For stage two, Fuzz moves to the other side of the car and uses the tracking gauge to make sure the driver's side wheel is at exactly the same angle.
21:28What I have to do is make sure the gauges are firmly against the wheel rim.
21:33Then just look down the eyepiece and then just bring a pointer into line.
21:41There we go.
21:43So that is showing that I am 20 seconds, that's 20 seconds of a degree towing in.
21:58So I am just going to make a small adjustment and get these to tow out a little bit.
22:05Oh, gone a little too far the other way.
22:11Adjust it again and then hopefully we should be just about bob on parallel.
22:17Right, let's just check now.
22:20So, just a tiny fraction of towing.
22:25Which, for me, that's fine.
22:27I like a little bit of towing, that'll be fine.
22:30So the wheels are aligned, the bullet's looking fine and the engine's firing on all four.
22:36But will we be able to get our pump looking as good?
22:40And is our TR3 quite ready for the Mazda challenge?
22:47Our TR3 is coming on, but before we take it out with the Mazda, Fuzz wants to look at the carbs.
23:03And Skid is itching to start on the pump.
23:06So with lots of hard work in store, I've wisely decided to jump in the landy for a little trip.
23:12I'm heading over to Longworth, right, to meet up with a load of TR owners.
23:22The TR series is one of the legendary names in British car history.
23:27The first version, the TR2, appeared in 1953.
23:31After that, there were seven further variants, finishing with the TR8 in 1979.
23:38There's about 9,000 TRs still on the road.
23:42And today, we've brought seven of them together, along with their proud restorers from the TR owners club.
23:48They range from Tom's pristine TR6.
23:52Straight six, fuel injected, and it goes wonderfully.
23:57To Jim's ultra-rare right-hand drive TR8.
24:01I bought it at auction after it had been recovered after 41 years in storage.
24:06It's had a nut and bolt restoration.
24:08Well, I can see it's utterly immaculate.
24:10But unsurprisingly, first, I make a beeline for Chris and Neil's TR3.
24:17Why Triumph for you guys?
24:20Well, for me, it was the car of my aspirations when I was a teenager.
24:25Oh, OK.
24:26And we just relive our youth, don't we?
24:29But it's a quintessential 1950s sports car, in my view.
24:32Isn't it just?
24:33And, you know, you've got the cutaway doors, you can put your elbow out.
24:36They're a nice little car.
24:38Can you imagine walking into a showroom, right, in the 50, what was it, 59?
24:43This is 59, yeah.
24:4459, and seeing that?
24:45Yeah.
24:46I mean, come on, man.
24:47And everybody else was driving around in Austin 7s and Morris 8s and stuff like that.
24:50Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly.
24:51And you were cruising it in this?
24:53Yeah, you were.
24:54Oh, God, how lovely.
24:56All these cars look great, but like all labours of love,
24:59they've needed a lot of love and a lot of labour, like Alan's TR4.
25:04There was no interior because it had been in a scrapyard in Texas for 30 years.
25:08They had four different wheels on.
25:10I think they just put a wheel on each corner to make it.
25:12Just to get it in the container?
25:13Absolutely.
25:14Yeah, absolutely, they do that.
25:15The engine was seized, gearbox was seized.
25:17So how long did it take you to restore this?
25:19It took me the best part of three years, I suppose.
25:22Dick took even longer to restore his delectable TR4A.
25:26Great.
25:27It was a complete rebuild.
25:28Two floor pans, three inner wings, lots of welding, lots of sheet metal work.
25:34Chassis, totally renovated.
25:36It's a ground up.
25:37So it's a ground up restaurant?
25:38It's a ground up job, yeah.
25:39And did you do that?
25:40Yeah.
25:41Mate, how long did that take?
25:42About 10 years.
25:43Sometimes you get up in the morning, you've got to force yourself to still be enthusiastic.
25:46Yeah.
25:47Did you find that or not?
25:48No, no, no, never that problem.
25:49You were always up for it?
25:50Yeah, yeah, yeah.
25:51Yeah, it was getting the time really.
25:53Once you've done the craft, all these cars are surprisingly easy to live with.
25:58Simon's owned his TR7 for over 40 years.
26:02It runs very well on the motorway.
26:05You can keep up with the traffic with one of these cars.
26:07Yeah, I'm sure you can.
26:08Would you ever sell it?
26:10Not particularly, no.
26:11Really?
26:12Would you be buried in it?
26:13No.
26:14The children want it.
26:15Oh, do they?
26:16Yvonne and Robert have modified their TR5 to make it a little more user-friendly.
26:21It's great fun and the hair goes back.
26:25Yeah, I could have made it.
26:27When you've still got some, of course.
26:28Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah.
26:29It's more for her than you, really, Robert.
26:31Do you drive it loads?
26:32Do you take it sort of abroad and things?
26:34This has been modernised, if you like.
26:36Right.
26:37Okay, it's got MX5 seats in.
26:38Because they're comfortable, we've done things with the electrics and the lights to make it a good daily driver now.
26:43And yes, we use it a lot.
26:44And that's what it's all about.
26:46Not just restoring a car to win a rosette at a classic car show, but actually keeping it on the road and enjoying it with your mates.
26:55I like putting these cars back so they work.
26:58It's the history and it's about the community.
27:01Of course it is.
27:02It's about the community and it's about sharing it with kindred spirits, right?
27:06It really is inspirational, meeting these guys and hearing their stories.
27:11But talking of kindred spirits, my own little gang is back at the shed.
27:15And if I don't return soon, I'll never hear the end of it.
27:19Skid was the first to get underway, sorting the belly pump.
27:23His tools, a sponge and a bucket of water.
27:26The hoses on these things can be worth as much as the pump.
27:30And this one, they get really gungy and oily.
27:34But this one isn't.
27:36The so-called belly pump with its fat middle is the precursor of the modern petrol pump.
27:45Back in the day, they retailed for a few hundred pounds.
27:48Today, fully restored, they go for thousands.
27:51The thing is with this pump, he's bought it very basic.
27:54It has got a lovely hose.
27:55It has got a lovely brass nozzle.
27:57It's got the numbers in the dial, which is good.
27:59It's got the lovely wooden handle.
28:01And I think that's why all we're going to do to this is clean it.
28:04We are not going to rattle can it.
28:05It's got a lovely patina.
28:07When this is clean, and we'll probably put a sticker on it,
28:10and it's got the top mount and the globe and all the polished bits,
28:13it will look lovely.
28:14It will massively increase the value.
28:16Once it's all been cleaned, Skid gives it a quick sluice down with a garden hose.
28:22Right, let that dry off.
28:24I'll then chamois it down.
28:26Meanwhile, I can get on with something else.
28:29It's a myth that crows and magpies are attracted to shiny things,
28:33but collectors certainly are,
28:35so it's always worth taking the brass bits to the polishing mop.
28:39You don't want to go too far, though.
28:41The patina on that is lovely.
28:43You don't want to over-polish it because the pump isn't perfect.
28:45But I think that's kind of about the finish I want.
28:49I've split it all down into its various components.
28:52This will look lovely when it's done.
28:54There are a few things that just won't come off the pump,
28:58but are ripe for polishing.
28:59So Skid goes at them first with his wire wool and cleaning paste,
29:03and then with his power drill mop.
29:06I don't know if this is going to work or not, but I'll give it a go.
29:18Polishing that brass has made quite a difference.
29:20I think it's perfectly in keeping with the rest of it.
29:23Happy days.
29:24Fuzz, meanwhile, has started working on the TR3's carburettors.
29:31The car's not quite running as it should do.
29:33It's a little bit rich.
29:34And I'm going to take the opportunity to get the carburettors off
29:37and give them a bit of a service.
29:40The TR3 has twin carburettors for added performance.
29:44They look clean enough, but what are they like inside?
29:48Once I get both of the carburettors off together,
29:51we can do the rest of the strip on the bench.
29:57While Fuzz gets on with it, I've returned from the owner's club
30:00and have wisely opted to join Skid as he fits a new branding plate to the pump.
30:06Surprisingly, mate, even the holes line up.
30:09We're not even going to have to file that.
30:11You're joking.
30:12No, look.
30:13No, mate.
30:14While Skid screws on the plate, Fuzz gets busy disassembling the carbs.
30:19It could be running rich for a number of reasons.
30:22What I suspect is the case is that perhaps what we have are worn needles and jets.
30:31If the needles on these variable jet carburettors start to wear,
30:35then they let through more fuel, richening the mixture
30:39and you get black smoke out of the back.
30:41Sounds complicated, but thankfully the pump isn't.
30:45That just adds value straight away.
30:48Oh, step away.
30:49We're finished.
30:50That's it.
30:51Believe it.
30:52Walk away.
30:53That's fantastic.
30:54Now let's move on to the top and where you really excel on the rewire.
31:02Back in the workshop, Fuzz has stripped the carbs and exposed the needle.
31:07If the needle rubs against the edge of the jet, it wears it a little bit oval,
31:12which means even at low revs, more fuel is getting past the jet and the needle.
31:20So therefore you get richer running, which means you can get black smoke.
31:24So what we want to do is put a new jet and a new needle in,
31:28and therefore we can get back to factory settings.
31:32Outside, it's also got more complicated as Skid moves on to the electrics.
31:37Right, here's the light fitting we've got.
31:39Obviously it's too long, so I'm just going to work out how long I need that to be,
31:46which is about, I would say, there.
31:49By mid-afternoon, the whole farm is a symphony of cutting.
31:56Tweaking.
32:01And spannering.
32:06Until finally both restorations reach a climax.
32:10Don't be nervous.
32:12It should just drop on.
32:16Oh, yes.
32:17There we have our needle and valve assembly all back together.
32:23All I need to do now is replace the float valve here, a little needle valve,
32:28and then everything else is back together.
32:31Three, two, one.
32:35Oh, yeah.
32:36You can just see it in the sunshine.
32:38Yeah, but in a workshop, that would be lovely.
32:39You don't want it too bright.
32:41In the workshop, it would look amazing.
32:42Yeah, that would be a nice gentle glow in the corner.
32:45Won't it just? Rather like you, Guy.
32:46The colour of the red on the GT and the black is a really good match with the red that's on it.
32:52That's a couple of grand all day long, mate.
32:54Yeah, happy days.
32:55So what a great afternoon's work.
32:57The pump's looking pucker.
32:59And with fuzz just refitting the carbs, we're all set.
33:04Tomorrow, the TR3 is going head-to-head with Guy's Mazda MX-5 in an automotive beauty contest.
33:11But which one will come out on top?
33:27Six and a half.
33:28Okay.
33:29TR3A.
33:30TR3A.
33:31Yeah.
33:32Yeah.
33:33Yeah.
33:34Four weeks ago, we found a TR3A in a garage near Newbury.
33:37We tested it.
33:39No rattles whatsoever.
33:41We fettled it.
33:42Aligned the wheels.
33:44We should be just about bob on parallel.
33:47And polished it.
33:49Now our vintage British sports car is going to take part in a very special challenge with a modern-day classic, Guy's Mazda MX-5.
33:59Our plan is to have the most lovely, and the weather's very much beholden to us.
34:04It's perfect.
34:05The weather is perfect.
34:06We are going to have a little ride through the Cotswolds, stopping at some of our favourite places.
34:11Great.
34:12And we're going to end up at Boughton-on-the-Water, at my favourite little classic car museum, which I must have a little look round.
34:18Yeah, fabulous.
34:19But we're going to rack the cars up there and ask people's opinion of what they would rather have.
34:27Which one would you prefer to be seen in?
34:29Let's just go out there and, well, this is what they call in the trade a fact-finding mission.
34:35It is, and it will be thoroughly enjoyable as well.
34:37I do hope so, dear boy.
34:38Yeah.
34:39OK.
34:40Well, all aboard the Magical Mystery Tour.
34:42Fantastic.
34:49First test, start up.
34:51How easy is it?
34:52Oh, OK.
34:56It's not gone well, has it?
34:57Have you started?
34:58Yes, we're running.
35:00Hold on.
35:01Let's push that back in.
35:03Don't laugh!
35:06Oh!
35:07Sounds nice.
35:08Sounds good.
35:09Sounds good.
35:10Yeah, lovely.
35:11That was lucky, Fuzz, because I'll tell you what, the test drive was going to last about 30 seconds.
35:16After that shaky start, our TR3 warms up as we hit the open road.
35:31It's dying to go, sir.
35:32Yeah, I'll tell you what.
35:33You can tell, can't you, by that raspy exhaust note.
35:36I was going to say, the exhaust note is absolutely lovely.
35:39Yeah.
35:43By modern standards, the TR3's 100 horsepower engine ain't huge.
35:48But even if the Mazda is faster...
35:51This pulls very well, doesn't it?
35:52Oh, mate, this is properly quick, this car.
35:55It doesn't have the TR3's throaty roar or vintage ambience.
36:03The other thing that you don't get in an MX-5, right?
36:05What's that?
36:06Is the spell.
36:07No, that's true.
36:08Old British sports car.
36:11Do you think there'd be a market for old British sports cars?
36:14No.
36:15Men's cologne.
36:16Yeah.
36:17I think there could be.
36:18Got that nice little musky leather smell as well.
36:20Yes, that's right, yeah.
36:21Sort of pipe smoke.
36:23Pipe slippers, leather.
36:24Hot oil.
36:25And hot oil, yeah.
36:30However, just when it all seems to be going perfectly in time-honored fashion,
36:35the TR6 starts to overheat, prompting an unscheduled stop.
36:41What are we going to do? Are we going to have a look under the bonnet?
36:43We might have a little look under the bonnet.
36:45We might give it a little drinky, top it up a little bit.
36:47All right.
36:48I think really all that the problem is is that we haven't been able to allow it.
36:53It's full legs.
36:54We've been sort of sitting there in third gear.
36:56Cruising?
36:57Yes, I'll accept that.
36:58That is a fair comment.
36:59And it's just got a little bit warm.
37:00And today is indeed one of the hottest days of the year.
37:08Fuzz tops up the radiator and fingers firmly crossed we get back on the road.
37:15What the tribe has just proven to us is that you get the benefit with an old British car of tinkering by the road.
37:30And you can't do that with your more modern cars, can you?
37:33No.
37:34You just have to get a laptop at the side of the road.
37:36That's right.
37:37Yeah.
37:38Four miles later, we make a scheduled stop at Abe's Burger Bar.
37:43How do we think the MX-5's going, Alan?
37:46Really smooth, comfortable, nice to drive.
37:49And powerful, and it handles well.
37:52But honestly, would you just put your hands up to the fact that there is more character there?
37:59This is probably more characterful.
38:01Yes.
38:02And you are going to meet a lot of people broken down.
38:04So those are the two advantages.
38:06Oh, come on, you lot.
38:08It's a clear and easy win, isn't it?
38:11It is.
38:12The TR3 is the one that you would rather be seen in.
38:15Whereas the MX-5, if you like a dull drive, dull, reliable, dependable drive, the MX-5's for you.
38:23Okay, so look, we haven't really changed opinions, but now you guys are going to drive the TR to Borton on the water.
38:32Right.
38:33Is it going to make it?
38:34Well, with a little bit of fettling.
38:35Makes coffee a little splattery.
38:37And I have never driven one of those, so I'm going to drive that.
38:44As we head off, I have to admit the MX-5, the world's best-selling small sports car, is an incredibly smooth drive.
38:52This does feel taut.
38:54It does feel nice.
38:55Yeah.
38:56It does feel reliable.
38:57It does feel modern.
38:59But it's not long before I start missing the TR3.
39:04It would be much better going through Burford.
39:06In the TR?
39:07Yeah.
39:08Yeah.
39:09Now, we're in an MX-5.
39:11Hello.
39:12No one seems to be looking at us.
39:13We're anonymous.
39:14We're anonymous.
39:15No one seems to be looking at us.
39:16No.
39:17No.
39:18Looking at the TR though.
39:19That's right, yeah.
39:20The tourists seem to be taking photos, even.
39:25And talking of photos, the final stop on our road trip is Borton-on-the-Water, one of Gloucestershire's
39:31most picturesque towns and the home of the Cotswold Motor Museum.
39:44It has a great collection of cars, bikes and specialist displays.
39:49There's one or two exhibits that are a bit rough, aren't there?
39:53But what does manager Isabel think of our two cars?
39:57What would you rather take home?
39:59The Triumph TR3 or the MX-5?
40:03Triumph TR3, every time.
40:05Is there anything that you like about the Mazda MX-5?
40:08It's a nice colour.
40:10That's enough said, really.
40:13Yeah.
40:14OK, great.
40:15Hello, Warren.
40:16Hello, Carol.
40:17Hello, Carol.
40:18Now, Warren, Carol, I saw you eyeing up the two motors.
40:20Which one would you rather have in your garage?
40:23Definitely the Triumph, every time.
40:25Really?
40:26OK.
40:27Now, look, is that a sort of male thing?
40:29Do you know what I mean?
40:30I don't know.
40:31Is it sort of like I can tinker with that and all that kind of stuff?
40:33Would you be tinkering under the bonnet?
40:34I would, actually.
40:35Yeah, I bet you would.
40:36Yeah, I would.
40:37Great.
40:38OK.
40:39I'm a Land Rover girl, you see.
40:40Are you?
40:41I had an engine for my 18th birthday.
40:43Did you?
40:44Land Rover engine.
40:45So you could have either or would you like to stick your neck out?
40:47Absolutely.
40:48Yeah, I'd have a Sunday car, maybe, and a weekday car.
40:51OK, so you're basically saying both.
40:53Both, I do.
40:54I think they look amazing, both of them.
40:56Jack, hello, mate.
40:57I'm Henry.
40:58I mean, you're a young hipster.
40:59What would you rather be seen driving in?
41:02Probably an MX-5.
41:03Not really much into Triumphs.
41:05Oh, really?
41:06No, not really.
41:07And finally, Stephen and his son, Loxley.
41:09You have before you a Triumph TR3, as you know, right?
41:14And you have an MX-5.
41:15Yeah.
41:16Which one would you rather have?
41:19Triumph, every day.
41:20The Mazda.
41:21OK, well, I think that sums it up, doesn't it?
41:23There you go.
41:24Age-wise.
41:25So a very quick straw poll, I'll admit.
41:28But the public is split.
41:30The mature charm of the TR3 versus the youthful fizz of the Mazda.
41:35Because it's in every day, that's why I bought that.
41:38But I do get why people want those.
41:40Yeah, yeah.
41:41So it's horses for courses.
41:43I think basically at the end of the day, you need both.
41:46You could do, yes.
41:48Very good idea.
41:49Because you could actually walk away with two for around 12 grand.
41:54Yeah.
41:55Yeah.
41:56It'll be interesting to see what Chopper Roy values that at.
41:58Yeah.
41:59But if, let's say, it's sort of seven or eight grand, that at five, you're talking 12, 13 grand for a pair of sports cars for every occasion.
42:06Absolutely.
42:07That's right.
42:08And what's better than a sports car?
42:10Two.
42:11Two sports cars.
42:16But talk about our local classic car dealer, Chopper Roy.
42:20Next day, he arrives at the farm to take a gander.
42:25Just to warm the cockles.
42:28Now look, we haven't done much to the bodywork because we've all agreed that we quite like the pahina.
42:35That's right, yeah.
42:36What do you reckon, Fuzzer?
42:37I think it's wearing its age with pride.
42:39A bit like all of us.
42:41It's a great survivor, isn't it?
42:43It's your take it to the shops tomorrow because you won't be worried where you park it type car.
42:47That's it.
42:48Which means it'll get used.
42:49So, Matt, I mean, I don't know.
42:50What do you reckon?
42:51Eight-ish?
42:52We paid six and a half for that, so that's 1,500 quid.
42:55You wouldn't buy one for less than eight, would you?
42:57And also, step this way to your pump.
43:00Here, come on.
43:02Do you recognise it?
43:03Is that the same one?
43:04Yeah.
43:05Really?
43:06Look, I'll tell you what we've done.
43:07Yeah, you should have done.
43:08Yeah, the brass has been polished.
43:10We've put the shroud on the top, the globe, and what's really added the value is my wiring.
43:17Of course.
43:18Yeah.
43:19Yeah.
43:20For once.
43:21That's actually worse.
43:22No.
43:23That is an original globe, so there's probably only a couple of hundred quid profit in it, really.
43:29Yeah?
43:30Yeah.
43:31But nice, though, mate.
43:32Yeah.
43:33Look, a couple of hundred on that.
43:34Fifteen hundred on that.
43:35Exactly.
43:36That's 1,700.
43:37Not a bad day.
43:38No.
43:39Hey?
43:40Small profit.
43:41Yeah.
43:42No.
43:43Sp.
43:44No.
43:45No.
43:47No.
43:49No.
43:51No.
43:53No.
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