- 5 days ago
Wheeler Dealers World Tour - Season 2 Episode 1 -
Mexico: Baja Bug
Mexico: Baja Bug
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FunTranscript
00:00Hats, bags, fridge magnets.
00:10I do generally want to buy a cowboy hat.
00:13I just want to blend in.
00:14You need one of those.
00:16That is you.
00:16How much is this hat?
00:18One dollar.
00:18What?
00:19There are only ten dollars up there.
00:20We've got to do some bartering.
00:22This is what you do.
00:23Twelve dollars.
00:24Make it eighteen for you.
00:25Fifteen dollars.
00:27Fifteen.
00:27Big, hey?
00:27That's how you wheel a dealer.
00:29Super.
00:29Senor, how much are they?
00:31Forty dollars.
00:31How much?
00:32Is it made of gold?
00:33Right on?
00:34Yeah.
00:34Oh, yeah.
00:36It's good.
00:37Hats, it's a real Mexican.
00:39Yeah.
00:40He looks like a real something.
00:41Twenty-five.
00:42Done.
00:43The nice thing about you, mate, is you're understated.
00:45Yes.
00:48I just want to blend in.
00:53I just want to blend in.
00:55I want you wearing this all week.
00:57Oh, this is my new outfit.
00:59I am super dealer.
01:02Mate, you didn't pack much, did you?
01:04Mate, I don't need much.
01:05I just need my knowledge, and that's all up here.
01:08We packed our bags and our spanners for another glow-trotting car-fixing adventure.
01:14We're hunting down some of the world's most iconic cars.
01:25Does it get much better than this?
01:27Oh, I can't believe we're standing here in front of an SP2.
01:33Leaning on local wheeler dealers.
01:35Because he really wants it.
01:36Would you take the 30,000 euro?
01:38No, impossible.
01:39Hey!
01:41To rescue these national treasures on a wheel and a prayer.
01:44Please let me find a set of wheels.
01:46That's all I'm asking for.
01:48And make a few euros, pesos.
01:50I think we have a deal.
01:51Yes!
01:52And real as we go.
01:55I absolutely love it!
01:57I bet you're enjoying this, aren't you?
02:06Mexico, because of the culinary delights that you're going to get down here.
02:09Yeah.
02:10Fish.
02:10I hate it.
02:11Tequila.
02:12I love it.
02:13Tacos.
02:14I hate them.
02:15Particularly fish tacos.
02:16Really double hate.
02:18We're heading towards the town of Ensenada, 70 miles south of the US border.
02:24Mate, it's great.
02:24This place is amazing.
02:26We've both been here before, but this time we're here for a reason that I'm so excited about.
02:31This is a dream project for me.
02:32So, yeah, I brought you down to Baja, California, in Mexico, because this is the home of the Baja Bug.
02:39The Baja Bug's an iconic off-road racer based on the humble Volkswagen Beetle, or Vocho, as they call them around here.
02:48The original was created in 1968 by off-road racer Gary Emery.
02:54To compete in the Baja 1000, a gruelling annual off-road event that runs the full 1,000-mile length of the Baja Peninsula.
03:02It's transformation from Beetle to Baja Bug sees its body modified to accommodate chunky off-road tyres and high suspension travel to soak up the unrelenting Mexican terrain.
03:14Usually, in Europe, when we get a VW, we lower it down, surfboard on the roof, and go for the cow look.
03:25That's exactly what I did to my first ever car when I was back at 17.
03:29But the thing I remember when I used to get the VW magazines, they'd always turn to the Baja Bug pages.
03:35These great big off-road machines that were so rough and ready, and they used to bounce them around the sand dunes, and I absolutely loved it.
03:42The car we're going to go and see, it's actually just a standard Volkswagen Beetle.
03:46Yeah.
03:46It belongs to a guy called Ramon. He's had it for years. He wants to offload it.
03:51How much are they asking for this Beetle, anyway?
03:53$4,000. That's US dollars.
03:56So that seems cheap.
03:58Right now, I'm looking to save every penny, Elvis.
04:02Converting a Beetle into a dune-busting buggy sounds expensive, especially when you're used to F1 budgets.
04:10Hey, you must be with Ramon. How are you?
04:13I'm Ramon.
04:13Senior Mike.
04:14Mike.
04:15Senior Elvis.
04:16Hey, Ramon.
04:17This looks amazing. I didn't realise you actually have Baja Bugs here.
04:21Yeah, yeah. That's part of our family, racing Baja.
04:24That's your business?
04:25Yeah, yeah.
04:25That's fantastic.
04:26And what about this one down here?
04:28Yeah, it's available.
04:29Nice.
04:29Okay.
04:29Is it okay that we take a good look around the vehicle, yeah?
04:32Yeah, here's the key.
04:33Ah, thank you very much, Ramon. We'll talk to you in a bit.
04:35Okay, okay.
04:37Well, that looks all right, doesn't it?
04:39I mean, first and foremost, the paintwork actually looks quite good.
04:43Is it open?
04:43Yep.
04:44Oh, look. It used to be yellow, mate, your favourite colour.
04:47So wasn't your first Beetle a yellow one?
04:50It was, yeah.
04:50Well, do you know what? I'm really pleased they painted it, because that is a horrible colour, isn't it?
04:54But it looks all right.
04:55No signs of any rust whatsoever.
04:58Oh, it looks original.
04:59I like this.
05:00This is good.
05:03Wait.
05:04We do need that to close. That is one thing I will be adamant on.
05:08Wait.
05:08Just leave it shut. Well done.
05:16Have a look inside, then.
05:18Oh.
05:20So it's seen better days inside.
05:22It's seen better days.
05:23To be honest, I've seen more inviting dustbins, but I don't care.
05:27The only thing I'm interested in is whether it starts, stops and goes.
05:31Right, so this is a 1.6, so it's got quite a decent-sized engine.
05:37Well, yeah.
05:38Even out of the factory, that was probably something like 65, 70 horsepower.
05:42I think it's that hit.
05:43And, you know, what is this, 50 years old, so it's probably lost a few of those.
05:47That's got to come out, and we've either got to replace it or definitely do some work to it, because this needs power.
05:52He hasn't even turned the key, and Elvis has already gunned him for an engine rebuild.
05:57Do you want to see if we can fire it up?
05:59Yeah.
06:00I don't know if I should stand here. I don't know what's going to happen.
06:02Ready?
06:02Yeah.
06:04There she goes.
06:06That sounds fantastic.
06:08Yeah.
06:09And it died.
06:10No, mate, it actually does sound quite sweet. Give it another go.
06:16Sounds good.
06:20That's actually all right, isn't it?
06:21Shall we give it a spin?
06:22Yeah.
06:25There you go.
06:26She moves.
06:27She's got...
06:27Oh, actually.
06:29All right?
06:29Well, good.
06:31I'll tell you what, the suspension feels okay.
06:35I kind of like the suspension.
06:37Yeah, but it's definitely going to need some attention, because it's obviously going to get jacked right up in the air,
06:42so it can get some big, knobbly tyres on.
06:44It's fine on roads like this, but it's not suitable for what we want it to be, a Baja Bug.
06:50Mm-hmm.
06:51What?
06:52You're not convinced?
06:53No, not yet.
06:54Mate, I reckon we're getting this all wrong.
06:58This is quite a decent little bit.
07:00It only needs a bit of titivation.
07:02I reckon we should do something you've done a load of times before.
07:05You know you can do it quickly, which is slam it to the deck, set a fooche wheels on it, knock the bumpers off, give it the cow look.
07:12We could do that in a couple of days.
07:13Yeah, I know, but where's the fun in that?
07:15When we come halfway round the world, we're not going to take the easy option.
07:18We're going to push ourselves, and we're going to end up with an amazing car, something I've wanted to do forever,
07:23and I promise you I'll put a smile on your face by the end of it when we're crashing down the sand dunes in Baja California in Mexico.
07:30Sounds lovely, but crashing isn't a word I want to hear right now.
07:35Mate, this is a bit of a risk.
07:37We're going down a hill, and I'm going to be honest with you, the brakes are literally in another county.
07:43They're non-existent.
07:44Well, take it steady, but just make sure we do stop, because at the bottom of this, there are sharks in that wall.
07:49Do you know that, right?
07:49It's true.
07:52Okay, so it starts and goes, but doesn't stop.
07:55That's two out of three.
07:56But this Beetle is just a blank canvas for me to build a racing masterpiece.
08:03Steady on, Rembrandt.
08:04I've done my research, and Goodbye Hard Bugs only fetch $8,000 or $9,000.
08:09Your plans sound pricey, so if we're going to turn a profit, I'm going to have to drive a bargain.
08:17That wasn't right.
08:18That was an experience.
08:19Blimey.
08:20So, yeah, we like the car.
08:22I think it's a nice, solid car.
08:24Feels good.
08:24Engine feels nice and strong.
08:25There's clearly lots of work needs doing to it.
08:29Yeah, so it's a good project.
08:30We don't mind taking on the project, but, yeah, there's a lot of work to do, too.
08:33The brakes.
08:34Brakes are terrible.
08:35So, we was thinking, you said you wanted $4,000.
08:39I pay a little bit more, but I put a $4,000.
08:41What about $3,000, and we'll take it away now?
08:44We'll take the risk.
08:45I'll take $3,500.
08:48$3,500.
08:50Yeah.
08:51Yeah.
08:52It's a deal.
08:52Super.
08:52Yeah, it's a deal.
08:53Well done, Ramon.
08:54Thank you, mate.
08:54Well done.
08:55Thank you very much.
08:56Well done.
08:57Could you just repair the brakes for us?
08:59Cheers.
08:59Yeah, no problem.
08:59And give it a clean.
09:00Yeah, wash it.
09:01That'd be great.
09:02Cheers.
09:05I'll tell you what, for $3,500, it's good.
09:08Yeah.
09:09The one worry is, and this is the one worry, don't get carried away, right?
09:14Because it's $3,500, you've got to buy suspension parts, we've got to get wheels, got to get tyres.
09:20All of those things, it's going to cost money.
09:22Don't worry about it, mate.
09:23Most of it is taking stuff away.
09:25And there's a bit of adding, but we're taking stuff off this car.
09:27That's free.
09:28That is very true.
09:29That is very true.
09:30But let's enjoy it.
09:32Yeah, absolutely.
09:33And not spend too much money.
09:34Fear not, Michael, I've lined up a secret weapon.
09:40Baja Thousand Champion and the best Baja Bug Builder in the business, Oliver Flamante.
09:46Oliver!
09:47Recognise that man anywhere?
09:49How are you, buddy?
09:49Hey, how are you all these?
09:51It's been a while, mate.
09:52Oliver, I'm Mike.
09:53I'm Mike, nice to meet you.
09:54Nice to meet you, yes.
09:56Oliver's told me all about you.
09:57Four-time champion of the Baja.
09:59And look, in these things, look at them all.
10:01I mean, this is a monster, isn't it?
10:03This didn't start life as a Volkswagen Beetle, though, did it?
10:06No, no.
10:07Slightly bigger version, but we are definitely in the right place.
10:12Oliver's one of Desert Racing's most consistent champions.
10:18Along with his four Baja 1000 victories, he's brought home the silverware in nine other World Desert Championship events.
10:27Oliver, we've brought a car.
10:29It is going to become a Baja Bug.
10:31But right now, it's that.
10:32Oh, this looks great.
10:34Yeah.
10:35We can convert.
10:36We can do everything you want.
10:38On hand to assist in making my Baja dreams come true are Oliver's race crew and master mechanics, Patricio, Antonio and Chalant.
10:47Come on, Elvis.
10:48You got it.
10:49Come on.
10:51Yeah, Mum.
10:52There you go.
10:52Okay, it's looking good.
10:56So, first up then, boys, what do you think?
11:00Oh, it's looked perfect.
11:01It's going to be a real nice project for Baja.
11:04We can leave the car.
11:05We can put lights, race lights, wherever you need.
11:08For me, we start stripping everything off it.
11:11The whole interior has got to come out.
11:13We'll get rid of the wheels, get rid of the bumpers.
11:15Engines got to come out as well.
11:17Yeah.
11:17And then we can start working out what we want to put back together on it afterwards, right?
11:21There you go.
11:21Sure.
11:22We're also on a bit of a tight time frame.
11:23We've only got about five days to get this whole thing turned around.
11:26So, if you fancy, give us a hand, we can get it stripped out.
11:29For sure.
11:29What do you think?
11:30We can do that.
11:31Do it.
11:32I like it here.
11:33This is the attitude I want in the workplace, Elvis.
11:35Yeah.
11:35Right, let's grab some tools.
11:43I was looking for those when we were in the car.
11:46They should be on the front of the screen.
11:50How many Volkswagen Beetles have you taken apart, Patricio?
11:53We will, I build like 10 race cars in a year.
11:59Well.
12:00There are two ways to make a car go faster.
12:03Add power and remove weight.
12:05Well, we've already lost loads of weight.
12:08So, that leaves muscle.
12:10And I know just the man to speak to.
12:13We need loads more power, right?
12:14This is bog standard 1600.
12:16It's probably got, what, I don't know, 40, 50 horsepower?
12:1840, 40, 40.
12:19Yeah, that's not enough.
12:20We could do twin carbs.
12:22We could, you know, up the bore, put new pistons in it.
12:25No, guys, guys, guys, if you want to build a real Baja buck, let's do it the right way.
12:31I have another complete Baja race engine.
12:34I can send you, give you a deal for that.
12:36You can put a real racing Baja buck.
12:38Yes.
12:39Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
12:40Yes, that's what I'm talking about.
12:42Stop spending money.
12:43What are you talking about?
12:44It's day two of our Mexican Baja bug build.
12:55And before we get to the workshop, we need to have a little tete-a-tete.
12:58Elvis, in future, just have a discussion with me before you hold out your hand to somebody
13:06and say, yeah, we'll have a race engine.
13:08Do you know how much that could cost?
13:09It could cost thousands.
13:11I know.
13:11I can tell you're a little bit upset.
13:13But, look, you know we need this.
13:15And there's always a deal to be done.
13:16Yeah, but when he said race engine, I just see numbers whizzing past my eyes.
13:22And I'm thinking, that ain't going to be cheap.
13:24Mate, I'm seeing numbers, two horsepower numbers.
13:26And they're going to go up massively.
13:27And it's also going to save me a whole bunch of time, which is important, mate,
13:31because we are up against the clock here.
13:34We may be tight on time, but we can't work on an empty stomach.
13:39Oliver and Petruccio from the garage have told me this place makes the best tamale in Baja.
13:45I do like a little bit of spice on my food.
13:47I mean, not this time of the morning, admittedly.
13:49There's no toilet stop on the way between here and the workshop.
13:51We know that, right?
13:52Ready?
13:57Oh, my lips have gone numb.
14:01It's spicy?
14:02Yeah, that's not food, is it?
14:04I've never had so much pain trying to eat some breakfast.
14:10That was very, very good.
14:14First job for me today is to start jacking up that suspension,
14:17which, thanks to the Beatles' ingenious design,
14:20costs peanuts to do.
14:24First, we unbolt and remove the front beam.
14:29That's out.
14:29I mean, he came in with, like, Thor's hammer, and now it's on the floor.
14:36That's one way to do it.
14:40Now, I've done this many, many times on my own Beatles,
14:42but always in the opposite direction.
14:44The cowl look, which was the style of beetle I had when I was a kid,
14:47was all about lowering it, slamming it down to the floor.
14:50But it's effectively the same process in reverse.
14:53This is the torsion bar.
14:56There we go.
14:57There it is.
14:58And now that it's out of the front beam, its clever design is clear to see.
15:01What I've got here are the leaves, or the springs, out of our torsion beam setup.
15:08These are what we took out of the middle of the beam.
15:10I've clamped them in the middle of this vice,
15:12because that's exactly what happens in the centre of the beam.
15:15And as you can see, because I've taken the spring away,
15:17if you still imagine this is the body of the car,
15:19it's being supported by nothing other than the rotational force
15:24or the torsional resistance of these springs.
15:27Simple setup, very basic, but it stood the test of time.
15:30And crucially, with just a few small modifications,
15:33we can change the way this setup works,
15:35giving us that enormous ride height that we need at a bar hard bug.
15:39I love it.
15:41To increase the ride height of our beetle,
15:43we're going to change the angle of the torsion bar within the beam.
15:47There's a square boss in the centre of here.
15:49What we want to do is cut out the section that houses that central boss,
15:54and rotate it by a set amount,
15:56that's going to change the position of the torsion bars,
15:59and in turn, change the sort of resting position of the car's suspension,
16:03and in doing so, jack the ride height up.
16:05Even the smallest of changes to this angle
16:07can make a big difference to overall ride height.
16:11So, we're ready to cut, right?
16:16A steady hand is vital here.
16:19Mess up this cut,
16:20and I'll be adding a brand new torsion beam to Mike's shopping list.
16:24All right, so, we've now got an air gap,
16:29and effectively, we're going to turn that round,
16:31weld it back in place.
16:33Weld it back in place.
16:35I'm putting all my faith in Oliver's experience.
16:38Too much or too little torsion bar rotation
16:41could ruin our bar hard bug's off-road handling.
16:44Now, I just have to repeat everything on the lower beam.
17:01Like a hot knife through butter.
17:02That's the main adjustments to the front axle, almost complete,
17:14and all it's cost me is the price of some welding wire.
17:18Hmm, perhaps that'll help pay for the race engine.
17:21Oliver, this is where you're riding.
17:23Yes, this is my race engine.
17:25They have a 95 horsepower.
17:27With this engine, I want one of the Baja 1000.
17:30Well, I mean, it just all depends,
17:32because race-winning engines usually cost a lot of money.
17:35I can trade with your old engine.
17:37I can sell here for a good price,
17:39and I can give you this engine for a couple of grand.
17:42Don't worry about it.
17:42So, $2,000 plus a rolled engine?
17:44Yes.
17:45Well, that's half the price that I paid for the car.
17:48But you're saying this is 90 horsepower?
17:5195 horsepower.
17:52And the one we've got is like 40, 45, yes.
17:55So, it's double the power.
17:56Yeah.
17:56Yeah, we've got a deal.
17:57Thank you very much.
17:59Thank you, too.
17:59That's brilliant.
18:00Absolutely brilliant.
18:01It needs a clean, though.
18:01Yeah, it's clean.
18:03We're going to put the headers, the race headers,
18:04and that's going to be ready for this time.
18:06Oh, hold on, hold on.
18:07It needs what?
18:08Race headers?
18:08Yeah, it needs the race headers.
18:10So, it hasn't got race headers?
18:11I have a friend, probably he has a junkyard.
18:14We can go to try to find one,
18:16and let's see if we've got luck,
18:18we can have a really cheap one.
18:21Race headers replace the standard exhaust manifold,
18:24increasing performance and reducing weight.
18:27But, as with anything built for racing,
18:29it's another way to reduce the weight of our wallets.
18:33The new engine will increase our pulling power,
18:36so I need to take a look at our stopping power.
18:38Now, when Mike first drove the car,
18:41it was very clear there was an issue with the brakes.
18:44He had a huge amount of pedal travel,
18:46and the car didn't stop very well,
18:48so I've decided to change all of the brake material
18:51around all four corners of the car.
18:52Now, I've got the drum off,
18:55and there is a leak from the brake cylinder here.
18:59You can see that because there's fluid on the outside.
19:02What was happening when Mike drove the car was,
19:04he was pushing on the pedal,
19:06the fluid was actually leaking out past the seals here,
19:08meaning the pedal continued to go all the way nearly to the floor,
19:12and the car barely stops.
19:13So, the whole thing needs to be changed.
19:15It's fairly straightforward,
19:16but to begin with,
19:18a whole lot's got to come apart.
19:21First of all, I'm going to take the shoes off.
19:23This is the friction material.
19:25It's been contaminated with brake fluid from that leak.
19:28That's what needs to be changed,
19:29but before I do that,
19:30I'm going to get the brake cylinder off
19:32and then give the whole thing a bit of a cleaner.
19:34There we go.
19:40Right.
19:42So, this is the brand-new brake cylinder.
19:45As you can see, it's shiny and new.
19:46Importantly, the seal should work.
19:49Right, so now it's going to get through there like that.
19:53Next come the new brake shoes.
19:56Right, so that's on.
19:58Handbrake cable's connected.
19:59Springs are all in place.
20:00Now, it's a case of hooking this back into the pistons.
20:05This is where there's a high potential,
20:07the whole thing hanging off.
20:08Springs going everywhere.
20:10You get a face fall.
20:13There you go.
20:15So, that is the whole assembly now,
20:17back together and in position.
20:19There's an adjuster here
20:20where you can wind these pistons in
20:22to close up the shoes
20:23so I can then get the drum back on
20:25and then wind them out
20:26just to the point where it makes contact
20:27so we get maximum efficiency with our braking.
20:30Yep, that is about perfect.
20:35I can just about feel the friction
20:37between the shoe and the brake drum itself.
20:41Of course, I'm going to go and bleed up the brakes,
20:43make sure there's no air in the system,
20:45get everything back operational
20:46and I'll check it again.
20:48For now, I'm happy that this car
20:50is not only going to go quickly,
20:51it's also going to stop quickly too.
20:53I'm heading to Oliver's mate's scrapyard
21:01on the outskirts of Ensenada
21:03in search of race headers.
21:05And whilst I'm here,
21:06Elvis has given me a whole list
21:08of other parts he needs.
21:10At least in a scrapyard,
21:11they should be cheap.
21:12Hola.
21:13Hola, hola.
21:14Senior Mike.
21:15Hi, my name is Cruz.
21:16Ah, Cruz, you speak English.
21:18Yeah, a little bit.
21:18Not too much.
21:20Unlike British scrapyards,
21:21which have become
21:22a bit like car parts supermarkets,
21:24this place is still very much hands-on.
21:28I love all of this stuff.
21:29Yeah, I saw.
21:30I mean, you've got everything,
21:31so you can get every kind of,
21:32like, Volkswagen badge.
21:34Yeah.
21:34The hubcaps,
21:35if somebody's doing a restoration,
21:36even the clocks and the dials.
21:38Yeah.
21:39You've got a lot of stuff here.
21:41Yeah.
21:41There's everything.
21:42I've got some.
21:43So this is all the exhaust,
21:44is it?
21:45Yeah.
21:46Is it OK?
21:46Yeah.
21:47You sure?
21:47Yeah, 100%.
21:49What would something like this be?
21:51100.
21:51100 bucks?
21:52Yeah.
21:52Yeah.
21:53OK, great, yeah.
21:55Next up, wheels.
21:56Elvis insists that the Beetle's
21:58stock steel wheels are too heavy,
22:00and we need a special set
22:01of super lightweight off-road alloys.
22:04I have these ones.
22:06That's lovely.
22:07Yep.
22:07Oh.
22:08You've got four?
22:09Yeah.
22:10How much would these be?
22:11200 bucks for this, yeah.
22:14200 bucks each?
22:15Yeah.
22:15Not for four?
22:16No.
22:17800 for four.
22:19Would you have tyres
22:20to go on these wheels?
22:22I think Cruz saw me coming.
22:26How much are these?
22:27200.
22:28What, for the pair of them?
22:29Yeah.
22:29Maybe 150 for you.
22:31Yeah?
22:31Yeah.
22:31You have another two?
22:32Yeah.
22:33OK, brilliant.
22:34Next on Elvis's list
22:36is a light bar.
22:37Is it working, do you reckon?
22:39Yeah, it works.
22:41How much is something like this?
22:42Uh, 100.
22:44Everything's like 100 bucks with you, isn't it?
22:45Yeah.
22:45It either starts off 100, 200.
22:47When we become amigos,
22:48OK, OK.
22:49The price might come down.
22:50Yeah.
22:50100 bucks?
22:51Yeah.
22:52Yeah, I'll take it.
22:52And finally, we need safety nets
22:55to stop the rocks flying in
22:56through the open windows.
22:58Please tell me they're not expensive.
23:00They look like...
23:01Uh, not a lot.
23:02It's 100 bucks for a pair.
23:04100 bucks for a pair?
23:05It's more expensive if you buy a new.
23:07That means we are...
23:09Uh, $1,000 for the wheels and the tires.
23:12Yep.
23:12Yep.
23:12$100 for the exhaust.
23:14That's $1,100.
23:15Yep.
23:15$1,200, $1,300.
23:17Yep.
23:18So is that what I've got to pay you?
23:19$1,300?
23:20Uh, $1,200.
23:21I know $1,200 is a really good price,
23:23but $1,000 is a much better price.
23:25So, if you have some problems with things,
23:28uh...
23:29I can't come back.
23:30Yeah.
23:30Yeah.
23:31So nothing's got a warranty.
23:32So if this doesn't work, tough.
23:34Yeah.
23:35Yeah.
23:35Okay.
23:36Uh, I'll take that.
23:37Okay.
23:37Lovely.
23:39Bit of face-to-face negotiation.
23:41Got myself a bit of a deal as well.
23:42Let's get it back to the workshop.
23:43See what Elvis thinks.
23:54Our Mexican Baja bug build is taking shape
23:57and Elvis is ready to fit the $2,000 race engine.
24:02Bump it.
24:03Bump it.
24:04Unfortunately, the uprated exhaust system
24:07is too beefy for our bug's body.
24:09Is the exhaust catching?
24:10Yeah, it looks hard.
24:11This isn't a problem.
24:12Um...
24:13We have two options.
24:16I could carefully fabricate a new section of exhaust
24:19to allow it to squeeze beneath the body,
24:21or we could sort it Baja style.
24:24Let's just cut this.
24:25This is a perfect example of why form follows function
24:38when it comes to Baja racing.
24:42Job done.
24:43As the sun sets on day two of our Baja build,
24:50Elvis and I have come up with another way
24:52to lighten our wallet.
24:54Well, it sounds lively tonight, doesn't it?
24:56Yes, doesn't it?
24:57Uh, this is the oldest bar in Ensonida, 1892.
25:00They used to come in, the cowboys,
25:03tie their horses up there and come in for a drink.
25:05So, how are we getting on there?
25:09Please give me some good news.
25:11I mean, I've already jacked up the suspension.
25:12So, it's up?
25:13It's up.
25:14What's it look like on the wheels?
25:16I don't know yet,
25:17because I haven't got the wheels back on it.
25:18It's still up in the air, it's on the axle stand.
25:20But how much was the suspension?
25:21New dampers, $200.
25:24So far, we've spent $2,000 on that engine.
25:27We still need seats, still need belts.
25:30So, yeah, the costs are added up.
25:32Much as I'd love to talk budgets,
25:34this place won't let us.
25:37I don't know how anyone hears themselves speak to each other.
25:40That's so noisy.
25:41I can't let myself think.
25:44It's about to get a whole lot noisier.
25:52Look at the most Mexican scene ever.
25:55I'm now immersed in this culture.
25:57Oh, yeah!
25:58Oh, yeah!
25:59I love it!
26:02Cheers.
26:04A sniff of tequila,
26:09and Mike's budget worries have completely disappeared.
26:11Who does it make much of an excuse?
26:13Woo-hoo!
26:21We're halfway through our Baja bug build,
26:23and Mike's still worried that we're spending too much on our desert racer.
26:28But I know the perfect way to get him on board.
26:31An off-road meet in the Baja hills.
26:35You're going to come away from today absolutely fully involved and invested in the whole Baja situation.
26:43It's going to change your life.
26:43I would imagine I would imagine I'm going to come away from today covered in dust.
26:46Yeah, that's true.
26:48The event's called Vochos Roll,
26:51and the organizer, Lino, is meeting us at the ranch entrance
26:54to make sure we don't get lost in the Mexican outback.
26:59What's the whole Baja thing mean to people of this region?
27:02Well, here in Mexico, Baja is part of the culture of Mexican guy, you know?
27:08Yeah.
27:09Even ladies have a lot of Baja, or a lot of Baja.
27:12This looks like it's going to be amazing.
27:21Mate, this is incredible.
27:22I've never seen so many in one place.
27:26Hola, gentlemen.
27:27How are you, chaps?
27:28We're looking for inspiration, the things we should do,
27:31the things we shouldn't do.
27:32So, any advice?
27:33I'm sure the number one thing you're all going to say is power.
27:36You just need a big engine, you need a strong engine.
27:38No, money.
27:38Money!
27:39I would say money and an understanding wife.
27:45With so many machines in one place,
27:48it's a wonderful opportunity to look, learn, and, of course, listen.
27:57Yeah, that's noisy.
27:59Skid plate.
28:00Skid plate, yeah.
28:00I was thinking, I wonder if we need one of those, you know,
28:03because they're going to be launching over.
28:05You don't want to dig into the ground.
28:06There's so much to take in here, isn't there?
28:08Is the roll cage an absolute must?
28:10Yeah.
28:10The front or to the back.
28:12Really?
28:13Yeah.
28:13Because it takes so much punishment as you're driving.
28:15Yeah.
28:16Is this your one?
28:17Yes.
28:17A little bit of protection around the wing mirror.
28:19Yeah, just in case the wing mirror gets damaged.
28:21You compete?
28:26A long time ago, yeah.
28:27Ah, yeah, see?
28:29So now just for fun?
28:30Yeah.
28:31She has 25 years with the car.
28:3325 years?
28:34Yeah.
28:34My first car.
28:35Nice.
28:36Where's the guy who owns this?
28:37I bet there's not tools in here.
28:39I don't know where it is.
28:40It's beer.
28:41Yeah.
28:41Of course it is.
28:42Yeah, of course it is.
28:43It's beer in there.
28:44There's a few that haven't made, they've only got from here to there and they've come down.
29:13We do need a set of seats.
29:15We do need a skid pan and they could be coming our way.
29:30This is incredible.
29:32It's so good watching, but I've done enough watching.
29:35I'm going to go and have a go.
29:36Go on, you go for it.
29:37Enjoy yourself.
29:38Be safe.
29:39I've managed to swing a ride in a class 10 racing buggy.
29:44This is a focused machine, built to cover vast distances across the Baja sand dunes fast.
29:50I know he's excited, but it looks like he goes, ah, what have I done?
30:04This is unlike any race car I've ever experienced.
30:07It's insanely quick.
30:09It's ridiculously uncomfortable.
30:10And I absolutely love it.
30:21Woo-hoo!
30:24Oh my God, man, that's incredible.
30:27This is an unbelievable machine, man.
30:30It's unbelievable.
30:30It's crazy, huh?
30:31The braking is so good.
30:33It just has, like, it's a wise physics, man.
30:36Now that looked like a whole barrel of fun.
30:40Mate, that is one of the best things I've ever, ever done.
30:43Right, you can stop having fun now.
30:45Right, you've got a car to build.
30:46I've got to get some seats and some other bits.
30:48But nice one, fella.
30:50Good driving.
30:51Oh, yeah, thank you very much.
30:52Appreciate it.
30:53Is it too late to swap the bug out and build one of these instead?
30:55Far too late, unfortunately.
31:00Now that my adrenaline levels and stomach have returned back to Earth,
31:04I'm going to set about adding some of the features that we saw in the desert races to our Baja bug,
31:09starting with a skid plate.
31:12All right, here we go.
31:14I've got myself a nice big plate of five mil thick aluminium
31:17that's going to bolt to the underside of the frame that Patricio is currently measuring up on the car.
31:22I just need to cut it to size with an angle grinder.
31:27The skid plate will act as a protective barrier against rocks when we take the car off-road.
31:35I'm going to mount the plate to the Beetle chassis using two pieces of heavy weight steel tubing.
31:40Adding a curve with this pipe bender will allow the tubes to fit snug to the chassis underside.
31:50Pull up.
31:52It is done.
31:54It's a nice bit of kit.
31:55Oh, Patricio's done a brilliant job under here.
32:04All the metal work is now done,
32:05so our frame is in place, welded up too,
32:08which means I can now get my skid plate in position.
32:18I'm not sure he's quite drilled the holes in the right place,
32:20but we'll make it work.
32:22Honestly, there's so much rubbish all over this floor,
32:29I can't even roll my creeper board around.
32:32I do like a clean workshop.
32:36And there's flies that every ten seconds or so keep landing on your face.
32:41There you go.
32:50Done.
32:51It's a good plate attached.
32:52And that is going to protect the front of our car
32:54as we're crashing over those dunes.
32:59Of course, the car isn't the only thing that will need protecting.
33:03Let's get this in.
33:04So we've got kind of a half roll cage in here,
33:06which is kind of all we need here.
33:07The uprights are all in.
33:09I'm just getting this final cross member in.
33:12Up a little bit.
33:12Up a little bit more.
33:13Yeah, happy day.
33:14The roll cage will protect the driver in the event of a big shunt.
33:21But it also stiffens up the chassis,
33:23minimising flex, allowing the suspension to work more effectively.
33:28It's actually starting to look really good.
33:30I mean, almost looking like a Baja, dare I say.
33:32I just hope that Mike has found a couple of good racing seats to go in here.
33:36Fair with me, Elvis.
33:39This door claims to be the one-stop shop for wannabe Baja racers.
33:44Do you speak any English?
33:46No.
33:47I need some race harnesses for my Baja bugger.
33:51Estoy buscando algunas piezas para mi Baja y necesito algunos arneses de carreras.
33:56Sí, sí, tengo.
33:58OK, that's good, isn't it?
33:59Technology comes to the rescue.
34:01Ah, OK.
34:02OK.
34:05Yeah, he's good.
34:06They're nice red as well.
34:09It's quite a nice colour.
34:10I see you've got seats here.
34:13Are these for sale?
34:14Sí.
34:14These are good, aren't they?
34:15They look brand new.
34:16And you've got a pair.
34:17That's exactly what we need.
34:19OK.
34:21And then one other thing.
34:22I need a steering wheel.
34:24Este.
34:25Ah, spot code.
34:26That's a good one.
34:28Oh, yes.
34:29That's nice.
34:31My trip to the Scrappy resulted in a serious assault on our wallet.
34:35So I'm preparing myself for the worst.
34:38El total serían quinientos dólares.
34:42500 US dollars?
34:44Sí.
34:45Muy buen precio.
34:46That's a bargain.
34:48Thank you very much.
34:49OK.
34:49Muchos gracias.
34:50That is fantastic.
34:52As we saw in the desert, Baja Bugs come in every colour in the rainbow, and sometimes all of them.
35:00I haven't got the money all the time, quite frankly, to do a full paint job.
35:04So what I've decided, just repaint the wings, and actually, because we're up against it in terms of time, only about 24 hours left on this project, I'm going to do it with a rattle can.
35:13I've chosen, though, one of my favourite colours, one of Mike's least favourite, but I've actually matched it to the original colour of the car, citrus yellow.
35:25Painting a car yourself might not give the same finish as a professional respray, but with careful prep, you can still get great results.
35:32I love it.
35:36That actually looks really good, doesn't it?
35:38I know it's yellow, but I even think Michael liked that.
35:47Next, fitting Mike's lightweight alloys, complete with those rugged, desert-ready tyres.
35:54This is going to really totally change the look of the car, isn't it?
35:57We put, like, three to four inches, or, hey, the ground clearance of the car, it's going to be like a race car.
36:06I think we need to get it on the floor and see how it actually sits when it's off the axle stands, yeah?
36:13This is a big moment.
36:15It's the first time we'll see our bug riding on its new, jacked-up suspension.
36:21Oh, yes!
36:22Look at the ground clearance we've got.
36:24That is exactly what a Baja bug needs, to be able to ride the rough terrain, ride over rocks and all sorts of lumps and bumps, and look, we've got it.
36:32Real nice look, definitely.
36:34Great job, Mio.
36:37And the final flourish for our Baja's bodywork, a set of custom vinyls.
36:43What's the craziest design you've ever been asked to put on a Baja racer?
36:47I think this one.
36:47This one?
36:48Yeah.
36:48Hopefully it's going to look good, be fast, and entice somebody to part with a whole bunch of cash to buy it off us.
36:56Oh, wow.
36:58Oh, yeah, you haven't seen it.
36:59I can't tell you.
37:01Oh, wow.
37:02Look at that.
37:03What transformation, eh?
37:04You absolute legend.
37:06That is absolutely fantastic.
37:08Well, I've been shopping, I've managed to get us the seats, a steering wheel, and the full race harnesses.
37:14Nice, mate.
37:16Now, let's get these last bits bolted on.
37:18Oliver's lined up a potential buyer, and they're desperate to view the car.
37:22Let me guess, they want it ready by tomorrow?
37:25Elvis, you read my mind.
37:28Oh, yeah, baby.
37:30Look at that.
37:30It's going to look great.
37:31I wasn't convinced that transforming a Mexican beetle into a Baja bug was the greatest of ideas, but the past four days have proven me wrong.
37:48I knew you'd come around in the end.
37:51Now do you get it?
37:52I get it.
37:53Being here with a Baja bug in Baja, California, I completely get it.
37:58It is absolutely perfect.
37:59It looks incredible, doesn't it?
38:01The wheels and tyres, the fact that it's jacked up.
38:03The car looks rugged, and it's in this rugged terrain, right?
38:09My scrapyard, alloys and chunky go-anywhere tyres really look the part.
38:14And the performance-tuned engine will provide the power we'll need to soar across the Mexican dunes.
38:21But don't forget that the entire suspension lift, skid plate and roll bars were all fabricated by yours truly for next to nothing,
38:28which more than covers that pricey engine.
38:31A masterclass in make-do-amend, Elvis.
38:34Oliver, who's been amazing helping us with this build, he has got somebody who's interested in buying it.
38:40They want to do a bit of rallying themselves.
38:43Yeah.
38:43There is a potential profit at the moment with the stickers and everything we've done.
38:47It's about $7,450.
38:48I've got somebody on the hook at around $9,000.
38:50But, of course, we can't sell a car without testing it.
38:54And there's an off-road course a few miles up the road where we can properly put it through its paces.
39:00Pretty unthink time, Elvis.
39:02Don't get carried away.
39:04I was thinking that maybe when you put it together, you could have put a silencer on the exhaust.
39:10Well, it's part of the Baja experience, mate.
39:13It's going to sound this way.
39:14What?
39:14The engine sounds like a proper race engine, and it sounds mega-strong.
39:22Sounds accurate, huh?
39:26But driving it through the Baja bush is the only way to really test its performance.
39:35Right, are you ready?
39:36I am ready.
39:37Keep me in one piece, please.
39:44Oh, listen to that engine.
39:49That roars, that engine.
39:51Whoa!
39:52Oh, keep it straight, keep it straight.
39:55Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
39:57Oh, that is fantastic, Elvis.
39:59Oh, this is brilliant.
40:01I absolutely love it.
40:05The car handles it beautiful, doesn't it?
40:07Doesn't it just ride over everything with that race suspension that you've done?
40:11It's absolutely awesome.
40:14Whoa, sideways.
40:21You're driving it like you stole it.
40:25Remember, we've still got to sell it, Elvis.
40:28Well, I need to know it works.
40:30It works.
40:35The car's driving better than I could have ever imagined.
40:39But before we sell her, there's something I can't resist.
40:42You don't have to go all four wheels off.
40:47No, I think we do.
40:48Just a wheelie.
40:50Mate, it's a bar hard way.
40:54Here we go.
40:54Ready?
40:55What are you doing?
40:55Oh, wow, wow, wow.
41:08Oh, you lunatic.
41:11Well, look, the skid pad's done its work.
41:13I can feel that.
41:14The suspension's incredible.
41:16The wheels and tyres, they're mega.
41:18I feel safe in the car, all strapped in.
41:21I reckon this bar hard is now ready for sale.
41:23Don't really want to let it go, but you're right, it is.
41:26We've built a good car, and we've done it on a reasonably limited budget,
41:31and on a definitely limited time frame.
41:33I'm really proud of what we've turned out here, man.
41:37Sorry, mate, but playtime's over.
41:41We're getting on a plane in a couple of hours, so we need this car sold.
41:46Sarah, the potential buyer, has arrived with her family.
41:49Thank you very much for coming down.
41:52We really do appreciate it.
41:54We understand, through Oliver, that you had some interest in buying a VW Bug.
41:59Here it is.
42:00It's very nice.
42:01Well, we've had this car in the workshop,
42:04and we spent the whole week transforming it.
42:06If you would have seen it a few days ago,
42:08it looked like a little Volkswagen Beetle, like Herbie.
42:11Can I get in?
42:11Yes, of course you can.
42:13Are you interested in going racing?
42:15Yeah, I want to race.
42:16And I think it would be really iconic to do it in a boat.
42:19This is based on a sort of Class 11 Vochel.
42:22So you've got your roll cage in there,
42:24motorsport steering wheel,
42:25you've got a little race, the engine in the back,
42:27and motorsport seats as well, jacked up the suspension.
42:30I hope we've done a lovely job.
42:31I hope you like it.
42:32It's very nice.
42:33I loved it.
42:33I really loved it.
42:34You like the colour combination?
42:36Yeah, sure.
42:36Yeah?
42:37We know what we've got invested in the car.
42:40We was hoping to get 9,000 US dollars for it.
42:43I mean, I was hoping like 8,000, 8 and a half,
42:48but I'll take it.
42:49I mean, it's really nice.
42:50Really?
42:50Yeah.
42:51So $9,000?
42:52Yeah, $9,000.
42:52Oh, thank you so much.
42:53That's brilliant.
42:54I can tell you $9,000 puts a massive smile on your face.
42:58I can vouch for that today.
42:59And I can tell you it puts a smile on my face,
43:01one of relief.
43:02So enjoy the car.
43:04Really enjoy it.
43:05It's an amazing little car.
43:06Well done.
43:08Another happy customer,
43:10another great country,
43:12another fantastic deal.
43:13We come away with a little profit.
43:14It's been absolutely amazing, mate.
43:16I mean, I don't know where we go from here next.
43:18To the airport.
43:18We head 6,000 miles south,
43:21and we go to a nice little city,
43:23because there's a car down there
43:24I've always wanted to do
43:25called Sao Paulo.
43:26Welcome to Maقول.
43:29It's been a fun save.
43:29It's been a long time.
43:30It's been a long time.
43:30It's been a long time.
43:31But we'll be right back.
43:32Next time,
43:44let's go toessee.
43:52Thanks for your輝,
43:53we'll be right back.
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