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Wheeler Dealers World Tour Season 2 Episode 1
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FunTranscript
00:00Hats, bags, fridge magnets.
00:09I do generally want to buy a cowboy hat.
00:13I just want to blend in.
00:14You need one of those.
00:15That is you.
00:16How much is this hat?
00:17One dollar.
00:18What?
00:19They're only ten dollars up there.
00:20We've got to do some bartering.
00:21We've got to wrap it.
00:22This is what you do.
00:23Twelve dollars.
00:24Make it eighteen for you.
00:25Fifteen dollars.
00:26Fifteen dollars.
00:27There you go, that's how you wheel a dealer.
00:28Super.
00:29Senor.
00:30How much are they?
00:31Forty dollars.
00:32How much?
00:33Is it made of gold?
00:34Right on.
00:35Yeah, oh yeah.
00:36It's good.
00:37That'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.
00:46I just want to blend in.
00:50I just want to blend in.
00:55I want you wearing this all week.
00:57Oh, this is my new outfit.
00:58I am super dealer.
01:00Mate, you didn't pack much did you?
01:03Mate, I don't need much.
01:04I just need my knowledge and that's all up here.
01:07We packed our bags.
01:08And our spanners.
01:10For another globetrotting car fixing adventure.
01:13Vamos!
01:14You see a photo?
01:15There you go, that's a nice one.
01:17We're hunting down some of the world's most iconic cars.
01:23Does it get much better than this?
01:24Oh, I can't believe we're standing here in front of an SP2.
01:26Leaning on local wheeler dealers.
01:27Because he really wants it.
01:28Would you take 30,000 euro?
01:29No, impossible.
01:30Hey!
01:31To rescue these national treasures on a wheel and a prayer.
01:32Please let me find a set of wheels.
01:33That's all I'm asking for.
01:34And make a few euros, pesos...
01:35I think we have a deal.
01:36Yessss.
01:37Amreal as we go.
01:38I absolutely love it!
02:00I bet you're enjoying this, aren't you? Mexico, because of the culinary delights that you're
02:08going to get down here. Fish. I hate it. Tequila. I love it. Tacos. I hate them. Particularly
02:15fish tacos. Really double hate. We're heading towards the town of Ensenada, 70 miles south
02:22of the US border. Mate, it's great. This place is amazing. We've both been here before, but
02:27this time we're here for a reason that I'm so excited about. This is a dream project for
02:32me. So yeah, I brought you down to Baja, California in Mexico, because this is the home of the
02:37Baja Bug. The Baja Bug's an iconic off-road racer based on the humble Volkswagen Beetle, or
02:45Vocho, as they call him round here. The 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
03:00length of the Baja Peninsula. Its transformation from Beetle to Baja Bug sees its body modified
03:08to accommodate chunky off-road tyres and high suspension travel to soak up the unrelenting
03:13Mexican terrain. Usually, in Europe, when we get a VW, we lower it down, surfboard on the roof,
03:23and go for the cow look. That'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
03:34pages. These great big off-road machines that were so rough and ready, and they used to bounce them
03:40around the sand dunes, and I absolutely loved it. The car we're going to go and see is actually just
03:44a standard Volkswagen Beetle. It belongs to a guy called Ramon. He's had it for years. He wants to
03:50offload it. How much are they asking for this Beetle, anyway? $4,000. That's US dollars. So that seems
03:57cheap. Right now, I'm looking to save every penny, Elvis. Converting a Beetle into a dune-busting
04:04buggy sounds expensive, especially when you're used to F1 budgets. Hey, you must be Ramon. How
04:12are you? I'm Ramon. Senior Mike? Mike. Senior Elvis. Hi, Ramon. This looks amazing. I didn't
04:18realize you actually have Baja Bugs here. Yeah, yeah. That's part of our family racing. That's
04:24your business? Yeah, yeah. That's fantastic. And what about this one down here? Yeah, it's
04:28available. Nice. Okay. It's okay that we take a good look around the vehicle, yeah? Yeah, here's
04:32the keys. Ah, thank you very much, Ramon. We'll talk to you in a bit. Okay, okay. Thank you. Well,
04:37that looks all right, doesn't it? I mean, first and foremost, the paintwork actually looks quite
04:42good. Is it open? Yep. Oh, look. It used to be yellow, mate, your favourite colour. So wasn't your
04:48first Beetle a yellow one? It was, yeah. Well, do you know what? I'm really pleased they painted it,
04:52because that is a horrible colour, isn't it? But it looks all right. No signs of any rust whatsoever.
04:58All looks original. I like this. This is good.
05:02Wait. Wait. We do need that to close. That is one thing I will be adamant on. Wait. Wait.
05:11Ah. Just leave it shut. Done. Well done. Have a look inside, then. Oh. So it's seen better days inside.
05:22It's seen better days. To 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.
05:33Right. So this is a 1.6, so it's got quite a decent-sized engine.
05:37Well, yeah. Even out of the factory, that was probably something like 65, 70-dawatt power.
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,
05:51because 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 you 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.
06:05That 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.
06:23Oh, my goodness.
06:25There you go.
06:26She moves.
06:27She's done. Oh, actually.
06:29All right?
06:29Well, good.
06:30I'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,
06:40because 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,
06:46but it's not suitable for what we want it to be, a Baja Bug.
06:50Hmm.
06:51What? You're not convinced?
06:53No, not yet.
06:56Mate, I reckon we get this all wrong.
06:58This is quite a decent little vehicle.
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,
07:07which is slam it to the deck,
07:09set a fooche wheels on it,
07:10knock the bumpers off,
07:11give it the cowl 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 around the world,
07:16we're not going to take the easy option.
07:18We're going to push ourselves,
07:19and we're going to end up with an amazing car,
07:21something I've wanted to do forever,
07:23and I promise you,
07:24I'll put a smile on your face by the end of it
07:26when we're crashing down the sand dunes
07:28in Baja, California, in Mexico.
07:31Sounds lovely,
07:32but 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,
07:38and I'm going to be honest with you,
07:40the brakes are literally in another county.
07:43They're non-existent.
07:44Well, take it steady,
07:45but just make sure we do stop,
07:47because at the bottom of this,
07:48there are sharks in that water.
07:49You know that, right?
07:49It's true.
07:52OK, so it starts and goes,
07:54but doesn't stop.
07:55That's two out of three.
07:56But this Beetle is just a blank canvas
07:59for me to build a racing masterpiece.
08:03Steady on, Rembrandt.
08:04I've done my research,
08:05and Goodbye Hard Bugs only fetch $8,000 or $9,000.
08:09Your plans sound pricey,
08:11so if we're going to turn a profit,
08:13I'm going to have to drive a bargain.
08:14How was it 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.
08:26There's clearly lots of work needs doing to it.
08:28Yes, it's a good project.
08:30We don't mind taking on the project,
08:32but, yeah, there's a lot of work to do to it.
08:33The brakes, brakes are terrible.
08:35So we were thinking,
08:36you said you wanted $4,000.
08:39I pay a little bit more,
08:39but I put a $4,000.
08:41What about $3,000,
08:42and we'll take it away now?
08:44We'll take the risk.
08:45I'll take $3,500.
08:48$3,500.
08:49Yeah.
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.
08:57Could 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,
09:06for three and a half grand,
09:07it's good.
09:08The one worry is,
09:10and this is the one worry,
09:12don't get carried away.
09:13Right?
09:14Because it's three and a half grand,
09:15you've got to buy suspension parts,
09:18we've got to get wheels,
09:18we've got to get tyres,
09:19all of those things,
09:20it's going to cost money.
09:22Don't worry about it, mate.
09:23Most of it is taking stuff away.
09:25I know there's a bit of adding,
09:26but 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.
09:36Fear not, Michael,
09:37I've lined up a secret weapon.
09:40Baja Thousand champion
09:41and the best Baja bug builder
09:43in the business,
09:44Oliver Flamante.
09:46Oliver!
09:46Do you recognise that man anywhere?
09:49How are you, buddy?
09:49Hey, how are you, Elvis?
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.
09:56Elvis told me all about you.
09:57Four-time champion of the Baja.
09:59And look, in these things,
10:00look at them all.
10:01I mean, this is a monster, isn't it?
10:03This didn't start life
10:04as a Volkswagen Beetle, though, did it?
10:06No, no.
10:07Slightly bigger version,
10:08but we are definitely
10:09in the right place.
10:12Oliver's one of Desert Racing's
10:14most consistent champions.
10:17Along with his four
10:18Baja 1000 victories,
10:20he's brought home the silverware
10:22in nine other
10:23World Desert Championship events.
10:27Oliver, we've brought a car.
10:29Yes.
10:29It is going to become
10:30a 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.
10:37On hand to assist
10:39in making my Baja dreams come true
10:41are Oliver's race crew
10:42and master mechanics,
10:43Patricio,
10:44Antonio
10:45and Chalan.
10:47Come on, Elvis.
10:48You got it.
10:49Come on.
10:51Yeah, Mum.
10:52There you go.
10:55OK, it's looking good.
10:56So, first up then, boys,
10:58what do you think?
11:00Oh, it's looked perfect.
11:01It's going to be
11:02a real nice project
11:03for Baja.
11:04We can leave the car,
11:05we can put lights,
11:06race lights,
11:07wherever you need.
11:08For me,
11:09we start stripping
11:10everything off it.
11:11The whole interior
11:12has got to come out.
11:13Get rid of the wheels,
11:14get rid of the bumpers.
11:15Engines got to come out
11:16as well.
11:17Yeah.
11:17And then we can start
11:18working out
11:19what we want to put back
11:19together on it afterwards.
11:21There you go.
11:21Sure.
11:22We're also on a bit
11:22of a tight time frame.
11:23We've only got about five days
11:25to get this whole thing
11:26turned around.
11:26So, if you fancy
11:27give us a hand,
11:28we 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
11:33I want in the workplace, Elvis.
11:35Yeah.
11:35Right, let's grab some tools.
11:38I was looking for those
11:44when we were in the car.
11:46They should be
11:46on the front of the screen.
11:50How many Volkswagen Beetles
11:52have you taken apart, Patricio?
11:54I build, like,
11:56ten race cars in a year.
11:59Well...
11:59There are two ways
12:01to make a car go faster.
12:03Add power
12:03and remove weight.
12:05Well, we've already
12:06lost loads of weight,
12:07so that leaves muscle
12:09and I know
12:10just the man to speak to.
12:13We need loads more power, right?
12:14This is bog-standard 1600.
12:16It's probably got, what,
12:17I don't know,
12:1740, 50 horsepower?
12:1840, 40, 40.
12:19Yeah, that's not enough.
12:20We could do twin carbs.
12:22We could, you know,
12:23up the bore,
12:24put new pistons in it.
12:25No, guys, if you want
12:27to build a real
12:28Baja Bug,
12:30let's do it the right way.
12:31I have another
12:32complete Baja race engine.
12:34I can send you,
12:35give you a deal for that.
12:36You can put a real
12:37racing Baja Bug.
12:38Yes!
12:39Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
12:40Yes, that's what I'm talking about.
12:42It's day two of our
12:53Mexican Baja Bug build.
12:55And before we get to the workshop,
12:57we need to have a little
12:58tete-a-tete.
12:58Elvis, in future,
13:02just have a discussion with me
13:04before you hold out your hand
13:05to somebody and say,
13:07yeah, we'll have a race engine.
13:08Do you know how much
13:09that could cost?
13:09It could cost thousands.
13:11I know.
13:11I can tell you're
13:12a little bit upset,
13:13but, like, you know
13:14we need this,
13:14and there's always
13:15a deal to be done.
13:16Yeah, but when he said
13:17race engine,
13:19I just see numbers
13:20whizzing past my eyes,
13:22and I'm thinking,
13:23that ain't gonna be cheap.
13:24Mate, I'm seeing numbers,
13:25two horsepower numbers,
13:26and they're gonna go up
13:26massively.
13:27And it's also gonna save
13:29me a whole bunch of time,
13:30which is important, mate,
13:31because we are up
13:31against the clock here.
13:34We may be tight on time,
13:35but we can't work
13:36on an empty stomach.
13:39Oliver and Petruccio
13:40from the garage
13:41have told me this place
13:42makes the best tamale
13:43in Baja.
13:45I do like a little bit
13:46of spice in my food.
13:47I mean, not this time
13:47of the morning, admittedly.
13:49There's no toilet stop
13:50on the way between
13:51here and the workshop.
13:51You know that, right?
13:52Ready?
13:57Ay-yay-yay-yay-yay.
13:59Oh, my lips have gone numb.
14:01It's patty?
14:02Yeah, that's not food, is it?
14:04I've never had so much pain
14:06trying to eat some breakfast.
14:10That was very, very good.
14:14First job for me today
14:15is to start jacking up
14:17that suspension,
14:18which, thanks to the Beatles'
14:19ingenious design,
14:20costs peanuts to do.
14:22First, we unbolt
14:25and remove the front beam.
14:29That's out.
14:31I mean, he came in
14:33with, like, Thor's hammer
14:34and now it's on the floor.
14:36That's one way to do it.
14:40Now, I've done this
14:40many, many times
14:41on my own Beatles,
14:42but always in the opposite direction.
14:44The cowl look,
14:45which was the style of beetle
14:46I had when I was a kid,
14:47was all about lowering it,
14:48slamming it down to the floor.
14:50But it's effectively
14:51the 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
14:58of the front beam,
14:59its clever design
15:00is clear to see.
15:02What I've got here
15:03are the leaves
15:04or the springs
15:05out of our torsion beam setup.
15:08These are what we took
15:09out of the middle of the beam.
15:10I've clamped them
15:11in the middle of this vice
15:12because that's exactly
15:13what happens
15:13in the centre of the beam.
15:15And as you can see,
15:16because I've taken the spring away,
15:17if you still imagine
15:18this is the body of the car,
15:19it's being supported
15:20by nothing other
15:22than the rotational force
15:24or the torsional resistance
15:25of these springs.
15:27Simple setup,
15:28very basic,
15:29but it stood the test of time.
15:30And crucially,
15:31with just a few small modifications,
15:33we can change the way
15:34this setup works,
15:35giving us that enormous ride height
15:37that we need
15:38at a bar hard bug.
15:39I love it.
15:41To increase the ride height
15:42of our Beetle,
15:43we're going to change
15:43the angle of the torsion bar
15:45within the beam.
15:47There's a square boss
15:48in the centre of here.
15:49What we want to do
15:50is cut out the section
15:51that houses that central boss
15:54and rotate it
15:55by a set amount.
15:56That's going to change
15:57the position of the torsion bars
15:58and in turn,
16:00change the sort of resting position
16:01of the car suspension
16:02and in doing so,
16:03jack the ride height up.
16:05Even the smallest of changes
16:07to this angle
16:07can make a big difference
16:09to overall ride height.
16:12So, we're ready to cut, right?
16:16A steady hand is vital here.
16:19Mess up this cut
16:20and I'll be adding
16:21a brand new torsion beam
16:22to Mike's shopping list.
16:26Right, so we've now got
16:28an air gap
16:29and effectively,
16:30we're going to turn that round,
16:31weld it back in.
16:32place.
16:33Weld it back in place.
16:35I'm putting all my faith
16:36in Oliver's experience.
16:38Too much
16:39or too little
16:40torsion bar rotation
16:41could ruin our Baja Bugs
16:43off-road handling.
16:55Now, I just have to repeat
16:56everything on the lower beam.
17:01Like a hot knife
17:02through butter.
17:10That's the main adjustments
17:11to the front axle
17:12almost complete
17:13and all it's cost me
17:15is the price
17:16of some welding wire.
17:17Hmm, perhaps that'll help
17:19pay you for the race engine.
17:21Oliver, this is where
17:22you're riding.
17:23Yes, this is my race engine.
17:25They have a 95 horsepower.
17:27With this engine,
17:28I want one of the Baja 1000.
17:30Well, I mean,
17:31it just all depends
17:32because race-winning engines
17:34usually cost a lot of money.
17:35I can trade
17:36with your old engine.
17:37I can sell here
17:38for a good price
17:39and I can give you
17:40this engine
17:40for a couple of grand.
17:42Don't worry about it.
17:42$2,000 plus a rolled engine.
17:44Yes.
17:45Well, that's half the price
17:46that I paid for the car.
17:48But you're saying
17:49this is 90 horsepower?
17:5195 horsepower.
17:52And the one we've got
17:53is 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.
18:01Needs a clean, though.
18:01Yeah, it's clean.
18:03We're going to put the headers,
18:04the race headers
18:04and that's going to be ready.
18:05Oh, hold on, hold on.
18:07It needs what?
18:08Race headers?
18:08Yeah, I need the race headers.
18:10So it hasn't got race headers?
18:11I have a friend.
18:12He probably 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
18:22the standard exhaust manifold,
18:24increasing performance
18:25and reducing weight.
18:27But as with anything built for racing,
18:29it's another way to reduce
18:31the weight of our wallets.
18:33The new engine will increase
18:34our pulling power,
18:36so I need to take a look
18:37at our stopping power.
18:39When Mike first drove the car,
18:41it was very clear
18:42there 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
18:49all of the brake material
18:51around all four corners of the car.
18:53I've got the drum off
18:54and there is a leak
18:57from the brake cylinder here.
18:59You can see that
18:59because there's fluid on the outside.
19:02What was happening
19:02when Mike drove the car
19:04was he was pushing on the pedal.
19:06The fluid was actually leaking out
19:07past the seals here,
19:08meaning the pedal continued to go
19:10all 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,
19:21I'm going to take the shoes off.
19:23This is the friction material.
19:25It's been contaminated
19:26with 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
19:33a bit of a cleaner.
19:38There we go.
19:40Right.
19:41So this is the brand new brake cylinder.
19:45As you can see,
19:45it's shiny and new.
19:46Importantly,
19:48the seal should work.
19:49Right.
19:49So now it's going to get through there
19:51like that.
19:53Next come the new brake shoes.
19:56Right.
19:57So that's on.
19:58Handbrake cable's connected.
19:59Springs are all in place.
20:01Now it's a case
20:02of hooking this back into
20:03the pistons.
20:05This is where there's a high potential.
20:07The whole thing hanging off.
20:08Springs going everywhere.
20:09And you get a face fork.
20:13There you go.
20:15So that is the whole assembly.
20:16Now back together
20:17and 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
20:26where it makes contact
20:27so we get maximum efficiency
20:29with our braking.
20:32Yep.
20:33That is about perfect.
20:35And just about feel the friction
20:37between the shoe
20:39and the brake drum itself.
20:41Of course I'm going to go and
20:42bleed 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
20:48I'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.
21:09At least in a scrapyard
21:11they should be cheap.
21:13Hola.
21:13Hola, hola.
21:14Sing your mic.
21:15Hi.
21:16My name is Cruz.
21:16Ah, Cruz you speak English.
21:18Yeah, a little bit.
21:18Not too much.
21:19Fantastic.
21:20Unlike British scrapyards
21:21which have become
21:22a bit like car parts supermarkets
21:24this place is still
21:25very much hands on.
21:28I love all of this stuff.
21:29Yeah.
21:29This is great.
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 is it?
21:45Yeah.
21:45Is it okay?
21:46Yeah.
21:47You sure?
21:47Yeah, 100%.
21:49What would something like this be?
21:51100.
21:51100 bucks?
21:52Yeah.
21:52Yeah.
21:53Okay, great.
21:54Yeah.
21:55Next up, wheels.
21:56Elvis insists that the Beetle's
21:58stock steel wheels are too heavy
21:59and 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.
22:09You've got four?
22:09Yeah.
22:10How much would these be?
22:11200 bucks for a piece, yeah.
22:14200 bucks each?
22:15Yeah.
22:15Not for four?
22:16No.
22:17800 for four.
22:19Would you have tyres to go on these wheels?
22:22I think crew 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.
22:33Okay, brilliant.
22:34Next on Elvis's list is a light bar.
22:37Is it working, do you reckon?
22:39Yeah, it works.
22:39How 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, the price might come down.
22:50Okay, okay.
22:50Yep.
22:50100 bucks?
22:51Yep.
22:52Yeah, I'll take it.
22:52And finally, we need safety nets to stop the rocks flying in through 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.
23:07So, that means we are $1,000 for the wheels and the tires, $100 for the exhaust, that's
23:14$1,100, $1,200, $1,300.
23:17Yep.
23:18So, is that what I've got to pay you, $1,300?
23:20Uh, $1,200.
23:21I know $1,200 is a really good price, but $1,000 is a much better price.
23:25So, if you have some problems with things, uh...
23:29I can't come back.
23:29Yeah.
23:30Yeah.
23:31So, nothing's got a warranty.
23:32So, if this doesn't work, tough.
23:34Yeah.
23:35Yeah, okay.
23:36Okay.
23:36I'll take that out.
23:37Okay.
23:37Okay.
23:37Lovely.
23:38Okay.
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, see what Elvis thinks.
23:54Our Mexican Baja bug build is taking shape, and Elvis is ready to fit the $2,000 race engine.
24:02Bump it.
24:03Bump it.
24:04Unfortunately, the uprated exhaust system is too beefy for our bug's body.
24:09Is the exhaust catching?
24:10Yeah, it looks like this is a problem.
24:12Um...
24:13We have two options.
24:14We have two options.
24:15I could carefully fabricate a new section of exhaust to allow it to squeeze beneath the
24:21body, or we could sort it Baja style.
24:24Let's just cut this.
24:25Let's just cut this.
24:25Let's just cut this.
24:25Let's just cut this.
24:26Let's just cut this.
24:27Let's just cut this.
24:33This is a perfect example of why form follows function when it comes to Baja racing.
24:40Well, it's a good thing.
24:41Well, it's a good thing.
24:42Job done.
24:43As the sun sets on day two of our Baja build, Elvis and I have come up with another way to
24:52lighten our wallet.
24:53Well, it sounds lively tonight, doesn't it?
24:56Oh, still it.
24:57This is the oldest bar in Antonida, 1892.
25:00They used to come in, the cowboys, tie their horses up here, come in for a drink.
25:07So, how are we getting on there?
25:09Please give me some good news.
25:10I 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?
25:15I don't know yet, because I haven't got a moose back on it.
25:18It's still up in the air.
25:19It's on the axle stands.
25:20But how much was the suspension?
25:21New dampers, $200.
25:23So far, we've spent $2,000 on that engine.
25:27We still need seats.
25:28We still need belts.
25:29So, yeah, the costs are adding up.
25:32Much as I'd love to talk budgets, this 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.
25:42And it's about to get a whole lot noisier.
25:53Look 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.
26:07A sniff of tequila and Mike's budget worries have completely disappeared.
26:11It doesn't make much of an excuse.
26:21We're halfway through our Baja bug build and Mike's still worried that we're spending too much on our desert racer.
26:27But I know the perfect way to get him on board with an 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.
26:42It's going to change your life.
26:43I would imagine I'm going to come away from today covered in dust.
26:47Yeah, me too.
26:49The event's called Vochos Roll and the organizer, Lino, is meeting us at the ranch entrance to make sure we don't get lost in the Mexican outback.
26:57What's the whole Baja thing mean to people of this region?
27:02Well, here in Mexico, bugs is part of the culture of Mexican guy, you know?
27:07Yeah.
27:09Even ladies have a lot of Bajas or a lot of bugs.
27:13This looks like it's going to be amazing.
27:21Mate, this is incredible. I've never seen so many in one place.
27:26Hola, gentlemen. How are you, chaps?
27:28We're looking for inspiration, the things we should do, the things we shouldn't do.
27:31So 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.
27:38Money.
27:40I would say money and an understanding wife.
27:45With so many machines in one place, it's a wonderful opportunity to look, learn and of course, listen.
27:57Yeah, that's noisy.
27:58Skid plate, I 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. The front to the back.
28:12Really? Yeah.
28:13Because it takes so much punishment as you're driving.
28:15Yeah.
28:17Is this your one?
28:18A little bit of protection around the wing mirror.
28:19Yeah, just in case the wing mirror gets damaged.
28:22You compete?
28:24Hace mucho en otro carro.
28:25Long time ago.
28:27Ah, yeah.
28:28See?
28:29So now just for fun?
28:30Yeah.
28:31She has 25 years with the car.
28:3325 years?
28:34Yeah.
28:35My primer carro.
28:36Nice.
28:37Where's the guy who owns this?
28:38I bet there's not tools in here.
28:40I don't know where it is.
28:41It's beer?
28:42Yeah.
28:43Of course it is.
28:44Yeah, of course it is.
28:45There's beer in there.
28:46Drivers!
28:47Drivers!
28:48Start your engine!
28:52I've always wanted that.
28:53That's brilliant.
28:54Here we go.
28:55Whoa!
29:00I didn't expect that!
29:01There's a few that I haven't made.
29:02They've only got from here to there.
29:03And they've come down.
29:04We do need a set of seats.
29:05We do need a skid pan.
29:06And they could be coming our way.
29:07Ha!
29:08Ha!
29:09This is incredible.
29:10It's so good watching.
29:11But I've done enough watching.
29:12I'm going to have a go.
29:13Go on, you go for it.
29:14Come on.
29:15I'm sorry.
29:16Have a go.
29:17Can you see?
29:18A go.
29:19Yeah.
29:20Yeah.
29:21Yeah.
29:22Yeah.
29:23Yeah.
29:24Yeah.
29:25Yeah.
29:26Yeah.
29:27Yeah.
29:28Yeah.
29:29Yeah.
29:30Yeah.
29:31Yeah.
29:32Yeah.
29:33Yeah.
29:34Yeah.
29:35Yeah.
29:36go on you go for it enjoy yourself be safe i've managed to swing a ride in a class 10 racing
29:43buggy this is a focused machine built to cover vast distances across the baja sand dunes fast
29:50this is unlike any race car i've ever experienced it's insanely quick it's ridiculously uncomfortable
30:13i absolutely love it
30:20oh my god man that's incredible this is um an unbelievable machine now
30:29it's unbelievable the braking is so good it just has like it defies physics man now that
30:37looked like a whole barrel of fun mate that is one of the best things i've ever ever done right you can
30:43stop having fun now right you've got a car to build i've got to get some seats and some other bits
30:48but nice one fella good driving oh yeah thank you very much appreciate it is it too late to swap the
30:54bug out and build one of these instead far too late unfortunately
31:00now that my adrenaline levels and stomach have returned back to earth i'm going to set about
31:05adding some of the features that we saw in the desert races to our baja bug starting with a skid plate
31:10all right here we go got myself a nice big plate of five mil thick aluminium that's going to bolt to
31:19the underside of the frame that patricio is currently measuring up on the car i just need to cut it to
31:23size with an angle grinder the skid plate will act as a protective barrier against rocks when we take the
31:31car off road we're going to mount the plate to the beetle chassis using two pieces of heavy weight steel tubing
31:45adding a curve with this pipe bender will allow the tubes to fit snug to the chassis underside pull up
31:51and it's done it's a nice bit of kit
32:01oh patricio's done a brilliant job under here all the metal work is now done so our frame
32:07is in place welded up too which means i can now get my skid plate in position
32:11i'm not sure he's quite drilled the holes in the right place but we'll make it work
32:26honestly there's so much rubbish all over this floor i can't even roll my creeper board around
32:33i do like a clean workshop
32:34and there's flies that every 10 seconds or so keep landing on your face
32:49there you go done it's good plate attached and that is going to protect the front of our car
32:55as we're crashing over those dunes
32:56of course the car isn't the only thing that will need protecting let's get this in so we've got
33:04kind of a half roll cage in here which is kind of all we need here the uprights are all in
33:09i'm just getting this final cross member in up a little bit a little bit more yeah happy day
33:17the roll cage will protect the driver in the event of a big shunt but it also stiffens up the chassis
33:23minimizing flex allowing the suspension to work more effectively it's actually starting to look
33:29really good i mean almost looking like a baha dare i say i just hope that mike has found a couple of
33:34good racing seats to go in here bear with me elvis this store claims to be the one-stop shop for
33:41wannabe baja racers do you speak any english no i need some race harnesses for my baja bugger
33:51estoy buscando algunas piezas para mi baja y necesito algunos arneses de carreras
33:56yeah okay that's good isn't it technology comes to the rescue
34:01aha okay okay okay yeah these are good they're nice red as well it's quite nice color i see you've got
34:11seats here are these for sale these are good aren't they they look brand new and you've got a pair
34:17that's exactly what we need okay um and then one other thing i need a steering wheel
34:25ah smart code that's a good one oh yes that'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
34:43500 us dollars that's a bargain thank you very much much
34:49muchas gracias okay that is fantastic
34:54as we saw in the desert baja bugs come in every color in the rainbow and sometimes all of them i've
35:00got the money all the time quite frankly to do a full paint job so what decided just repaint the wings
35:07and actually because we're up against it in terms of time only about 24 hours left on this project
35:12i'm going to do it with a rattle can i've chosen though one of my favorite colors one of mike's least
35:18favorite but i've actually matched it to the original color of the car citrus yellow
35:22painting a car yourself might not give the same finish as a professional respray but with careful prep
35:30you can still get great results
35:35i love it that actually looks really good doesn't it i know it's yellow but i even think michael like that
35:40next fitting mike's lightweight alloys complete with those rugged desert ready tires
35:54this is going to really totally change the look of the car isn't it
35:58we put like a three to four inches or or hey the grand clearance or the car
36:03it's going to be like a race car i think we need to get it on the floor and see how it actually sits
36:09when it's off the axle stands yeah
36:13this is a big moment it's the first time we'll see our bug riding on its new
36:18jacked up suspension oh yes look at the ground clearance we've got that is exactly what a baja
36:26bug needs to be able to ride the rough terrain ride over rocks and all sorts of lumps and bumps and
36:31look we got it real nice look definitely great job from you and the final flourish for our
36:38baja's bodywork a set of custom vinyls what's the craziest design you've ever been asked to put on
36:46a i think this one this one yeah hopefully it's going to look good be fast and entice somebody to
36:53part with a whole bunch of cash to buy it off us oh wow i can't tell you oh wow look at that what
37:03transformation ain't you absolute legend that is absolutely fantastic well i've been shopping i've
37:10managed to get us the seats uh steering wheel and the full race harnesses nice mate now let's get these
37:17last bits bolted on oliver's lined up a potential buyer and they're desperate to view the car let me
37:22guess they want it ready by tomorrow elvis you read my mind oh yeah baby look at that it's gonna look great
37:39i wasn't convinced that transforming a mexican beetle into a baja bug was the greatest of ideas
37:45but the past four days have proven me wrong i knew you'd come around in the end now do you get it i
37:52get it being here with a baja bug in baja california i completely get it it is absolutely perfect it looks
38:00incredible doesn't it the wheels and tires the fact that it's jacked up the car looks rugged
38:04and it's in this rugged terrain right my scrap yard alloys and chunky go anywhere tires really look the
38:13part and 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
38:25were all fabricated by yours truly for next to nothing which more than covers that pricey engine
38:31a master class in make do and mend elvis oliver who's been amazing helping us with this build
38:38he has got somebody who's interested in buying it they want to do a bit of rallying themselves
38:43yeah there is a potential profit at the moment with the stickers and everything we've done
38:47it's about seven four fifty i've got somebody on the hook at around nine grand but of course we can't
38:53sell a car without testing it and there's an off-road course a few miles up the road where we can
38:57properly put it through its paces for the unthemed time elvis don't get carried away i was thinking
39:05that maybe when you put it together you could have put a silencer on the exhaust well it's part
39:11of the baha experience mate it's can't sound this way what the engine sounds like a proper race
39:17engine and it sounds mega strong but driving it through the baha bush is the only way to really
39:30test its performance all right are you ready i am ready keep me in one piece please
39:46woohoo oh listen to that engine that roars the engine whoa oh keep me straight keep me straight
39:55whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa oh that is fantastic elvis oh this is brilliant i absolutely love it
40:04the car handles it beautiful doesn't it just ride over everything with that
40:09great suspension that you've done is absolutely awesome whoa whoa sideways
40:21you're driving it like you stole it
40:25remember we've still got to sell it elvis
40:28and i need to know it works it works
40:30the car's driving better than i could have ever imagined but before we sell her there's something i
40:41can't resist
40:44you don't have to go all four wheels off just oh i think we do just a wheelie
40:48hey it's the baha way here we go ready what are you doing
41:05you lunatic well look the the skid pad's done its work i can feel that the suspension's incredible
41:15the wheels and tyres they're mega i feel safe in the car all strapped in i reckon this baha is now
41:22ready for sale i don't really want to let it go but you're right it is we've built a good car and we've
41:28done it on a reasonably limited budget and on a definitely limited time frame i'm really proud of
41:34what we've turned out here sorry mate but playtime's over we're getting on a plane in a couple of hours
41:43so we need this car sold sarah the potential buyer has arrived with her family thank you very much for
41:51coming down we really do appreciate it uh we understand uh through oliver that you had some
41:56interested in buying a vw bug here it is it's very nice well we've had this car uh in the workshop
42:04and we spent the whole week transforming it if you would have seen it a few days ago
42:08it looked like a little volkswagen beetle like herbie can i get in yes of course you can are you
42:13interested in going racing yeah i want to race and i think it would be really iconic to do it in a
42:18botch this is based on a sort of class 11 botchel so you've got your roll cage in there motorsport
42:24steering wheel you've got a little race the engine in the back and motorsport seats as well
42:29jacked up suspension i hope we've done a lovely job i hope you like it it's very nice i loved it
42:33i really loved it you like the color combination yeah sure yeah we know what we've got invested in
42:39the car uh we was hoping to get 9 000 us dollars for it i mean i was hoping like a thousand eight and
42:47half but i'll take it i mean it's really nice really yeah so nine thousand dollars yeah thank
42:52you so much that's brilliant i can tell you nine thousand dollars puts a massive smile on your face
42:57i can vouch for that today and i can tell you it puts a smile on my face one of relief so enjoy it
43:03the car really enjoy it it's an amazing little car well done another happy customer another great country
43:12another fantastic deal we come away with a little profit it's been absolutely amazing i mean i don't
43:16know where we go from here next to the airport we head 6 000 miles south and we go to a nice little
43:22city because there's a car down there i've always wanted to do called sao paulo
43:52you
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