Wheeler Dealers World Tour (2024) Season 2 Episode 1

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Wheeler Dealers World Tour  Wheeler Dealers World Tour (2024)S02E01 Wheeler Dealers World Tour (2024) Season 2 Episode 1

Transcript

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 Euro's, pesos.

01:35I think we have a deal.

01:36Yes!

01:37And real as we go.

01:49I absolutely love it!

01:54I absolutely love it!

02:04I bet you're enjoying this, aren't you?

02:06Mexico, because of the culinary delights that you're going to get down here.

02:09Fish.

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.

02:23Mate, it's great.

02:24This place is amazing.

02:25We've both been here before, but this time we're here for a reason that I'm so excited about.

02:30This 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 round here.

02:46The original was created in 1968 by off-road racer Gary Emery to compete in the Baja Thousand, a grueling annual off-road event that runs the full 1,000 mile length of the Baja Peninsula.

03:01Its 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.

03:24That's exactly what I did to my first ever car when I was back at 17.

03:28But the thing I remember when I used to get the VW magazines, they'd always turn to the Baja Bug pages.

03:34These 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.

03:41The car we're going to go and see is actually just a standard VW Beetle.

03:45It belongs to a guy called Ramon. He's had it for years. He wants to offload it.

03:50How much are they asking for this Beetle, anyway?

03:52$4,000. That's US dollars.

03:55So that seems cheap.

03:57Right now, I'm looking to save every penny, Elvis.

04:00Converting a Beetle into a dune-busting buggy sounds expensive, especially when you're used to F1 budgets.

04:09Hey, you must be Ramon. How are you?

04:12I'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, raising Baja.

04:24That's your business?

04:25Yeah, yeah.

04:26That's fantastic. And what about this one down here?

04:27Yeah, it's available.

04:28Nice.

04:29OK.

04:30Is it OK that we take a good look round the vehicle, yeah?

04:32Yeah, here's the keys.

04:33Ah, thank you very much, Ramon. We'll talk to you in a bit.

04:35OK, OK.

04:37Well, that looks alright, doesn't it? I mean, first and foremost, the paintwork actually looks quite good.

04:42Is 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?

04:49It was, yeah.

04:50Well, do you know what? I'm really pleased they painted it.

04:52Because that is a horrible colour, isn't it?

04:54But it looks alright.

04:55No signs of any rust whatsoever. All looks original.

04:58I like this.

04:59This is good.

05:00Wait.

05:01We do need that to close. That is one thing I will be adamant on.

05:06Wait.

05:07Wait.

05:08Just leave it shut.

05:09Done.

05:10Well done.

05:11Have a look inside, then.

05:12Oh.

05:13So it's seen better days inside.

05:14It's seen better days.

05:15To be honest, I've seen more inviting dustbins, but I don't care. The only thing I'm interested

05:28in 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. Even out of the factory, that was probably something like 65, 70 horsepower.

05:42It's that hit.

05:43And, you know, what is this, 50 years old?

05:44Yeah.

05:45So it's probably lost a few of those.

05:46That's got to come out, and we've either got to replace it or definitely do some work

05:50to it, because this needs power.

05:52He hasn't even turned the key, and Elvis is already gunning for an engine rebuild.

05:56Do you want to see if you can fire it up?

05:58Yep.

05:59I don't know if I should stand here. I don't know what's going to happen.

06:02Ready?

06:03Yep.

06:04There she goes.

06:05That sounds fantastic.

06:07Yep.

06:08We did.

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.

06:27Oh, actually.

06:28All right?

06:29Well, good.

06:31I'll tell you what, the suspension feels okay.

06:34I kind of like the suspension.

06:36Yeah, but it's definitely going to need some attention, because it's obviously going to

06:40get jacked right up in the air so it can get some big knobbly tyres on.

06:43It's fine on roads like this, but it's not suitable for what we want it to be, a Baja Bug.

06:49What?

06:50What?

06:51You're not convinced?

06:52No, not yet.

06:54Mate, I reckon we're getting this all wrong.

06:57This is quite a decent little vehicle.

06:59It only needs a bit of titivation.

07:01I reckon we should do something you've done a load of times before.

07:04A load of times before, you know you can do it quickly, which is slam it to the deck, set

07:08a fooche wheels on it, knock the bumpers off, give it the cow look.

07:11We 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, we're not going to take the easy option.

07:17We're going to push ourselves and we're going to end up with an amazing car, something I've

07:21wanted to do forever and I promise you I'll put a smile on your face by the end of it when

07:26we're crashing down the sand dunes in Baja California in Mexico.

07:31Sounds lovely, but crashing isn't a word I want to hear right now.

07:35Mate, this is a bit of a risk.

07:36We're going down a hill and I'm going to be honest with you, the brakes are literally

07:42in another county, they're non-existent.

07:44Well, take it steady, but just make sure we do stop because at the bottom of this, there

07:47are sharks in that water, 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.

07:57But 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 Good Baja Bugs only fetch eight or nine thousand dollars.

08:09Your plans sound pricey, so if we're going to turn a profit, I'm going to have to drive a

08:14bargain.

08:17I wasn't right.

08:18That was an experience.

08:19Blimey.

08:20So, yeah, we like the car.

08:21I think it's a nice, solid car.

08:23Feels good.

08:24Engine feels nice and strong.

08:25There'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, but yeah, there's a lot of work to do to it.

08:33Yeah.

08:34The brakes, brakes are terrible.

08:35So we was thinking, you said you wanted $4,000.

08:38I'd pay a little bit more, but I'd put a $4,000.

08:40What about $3,000?

08:41And we'll take it away now.

08:43We'll take the risk.

08:44I'll take $3,500.

08:47$3,500.

08:48Yeah.

08:49Yeah.

08:50It's a deal.

08:51Yeah, it's a deal.

08:52Well done, Rembrandt.

08:54Well done.

08:55Thank you very much.

08:56Could you just repair the brakes for us?

08:58Cheers.

08:59Yeah, no problem.

09:00And give it a clean.

09:01Yeah, wash it.

09:02That'd be great.

09:03Cheers.

09:05I'll tell you what, for three and a half grand, it's good.

09:08Yeah.

09:09The one worry is, and this is the one worry, don't get carried away.

09:13Right?

09:14Because it's three and a half grand, you've got to buy suspension parts, we've got to get

09:18wheels, got to get tyres, all of those things is going to cost money.

09:21Don't worry about it, mate.

09:22Most of it is taking stuff away.

09:24I know 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.

09:31Yeah, absolutely.

09:32And not spend too much money.

09:36Fear not, Michael.

09:37I've lined up a secret weapon.

09:39Baja Thousand Champion, and the best Baja Bug builder in the business, Oliver Flamante.

09:45Oliver, recognise that man anywhere.

09:48How are you, buddy?

09:49Yeah, how are you all these?

09:50It's been a while, mate.

09:51Yeah.

09:52Oliver, I'm Mike.

09:53Nice to meet you.

09:54Nice to meet you.

09:55Yes, Elvis told me all about you.

09:56Oliver, four-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.

10:10Oliver is one of desert racing's most consistent champions.

10:17Along with his four Baja 1000 victories, he's brought home the silverware in nine other World

10:23Desert Championship events.

10:27Oliver, we've brought a car.

10:28Yes.

10:29It is going to become a Baja Bug.

10:30Mm-hmm.

10:31But right now it's that.

10:32Oh, this looks great.

10:33Yeah.

10:34We can convert.

10:35We can do everything you want.

10:37On hand to assist in making my Baja dreams come true are Oliver's race crew and master mechanics,

10:43Patricio, Antonio and Chalan.

10:46Come on, Elvis.

10:47You got it.

10:48Come on.

10:49Yeah, Mum.

10:50There you go.

10:52Okay, it's looking good.

10:56So, first up then, boys, what do you think?

10:59Oh, it looks perfect.

11:01It's going to be a real nice project for Baja.

11:03We can leave the car, we can put lights, race lights, whatever you need.

11:08Yeah.

11:09For me, we start stripping everything off it.

11:11The whole interior's got to come out.

11:12Yes.

11:13Get rid of the wheels, get rid of the bumpers.

11:14Yeah.

11:15Engines got to come out as well.

11:16Yeah.

11:17And then we can start working out what we want to put back together on it afterwards,

11:20right?

11:21There you go.

11:22We've got a bit of a tight timeframe.

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, what 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.

11:36Right, let's grab some tools.

11:43I was looking for those when we were in the car.

11:45They should be on the front of the screen.

11:47Yeah.

11:48How many Volkswagen Beetles have you taken apart, Patricio?

11:54Uh, we build, I build like, uh, ten race cars in a year.

11:58Well.

11:59There are two ways to make a car go faster.

12:02Add power and remove weight.

12:05Well, we've already lost loads of weight.

12:07So that leaves muscle.

12:09And I know just the man to speak to.

12:12We need loads more power, right?

12:14This is bog standard 1600.

12:15Yes.

12:16It's probably got, what, I don't know, 40, 50 horsepower?

12:1840, 40, 40.

12:19Yeah.

12:20That's not enough.

12:21We could do twin carbs.

12:22We could, you know, up the bore, put new pistons in it.

12:25No.

12:26Guys, guys, guys.

12:27If you want to build a real Baja Bug, 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 Bug.

12:38Yes.

12:39Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

12:40Yes.

12:41That's what I'm talking about.

12:42Stop spending money.

12:43That's what I'm talking about.

12:44What?

12:45It'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.

13:00Elvis, 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.

13:10I know.

13:11I can tell you're a little bit upset.

13:13But, look, you know we need this, and there's always a deal to be done.

13:16Yeah, but when he said race engine, I just see numbers whizzing past my eyes, and I'm

13:22thinking, that ain't going to be cheap.

13:23Mate, I'm seeing numbers, two horsepower numbers, and 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, because

13:31we are up against the clock here.

13:33We may be tight on time, but we can't work on an empty stomach.

13:38Oliver and Petruccio from the garage have told me this place makes the best tamale in Baja.

13:44I do like a little bit of spice in my food. I mean, not this time of the morning, admittedly.

13:48There's no toilet stop on the way between here and the workshop, you know them, right?

13:51Ready?

13:52Oh, 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 trying to eat some breakfast.

14:07That was very, very good.

14:13First job for me today is to start jacking up that suspension, which, thanks to the Beetle's

14:19ingenious design, costs peanuts to do.

14:24First, we unbolt and remove the front beam.

14:28That's out.

14:30I mean, he came in with, like, Thor's hammer, and now it's on the floor.

14:36That's one way to do it.

14:38Now, I've done this many, many times on my own Beetles, but always in the opposite direction.

14:43The cowl look, which was the style of Beetle I had when I was a kid, was all about lowering

14:48it, slamming it down to the floor, but it's effectively the same process in reverse.

14:52This is the torsion bar.

14:55There we go.

14:56There it is.

14:57And 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.

15:07These are what we took out of the middle of the beam.

15:09I've clamped them in the middle of this vice, because that's exactly what happens in the

15:13centre of the beam.

15:14And as you can see, because I've taken the spring away, if you still imagine this is the

15:18body of the car, it's being supported by nothing other than the rotational force or

15:23the torsional resistance of these springs.

15:26Simple setup, very basic, but it stood the test of time.

15:30And crucially, with just a few small modifications, we can change the way this setup works, giving

15:35us that enormous ride height that we needed a bar hard bug.

15:39I love it.

15:41To increase the ride height of our Beetle, we're going to change the angle of the torsion bar

15:45within the beam.

15:46There'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 and rotate it

15:55by a set amount.

15:56That's going to change the position of the torsion bars and in turn change the sort of resting

16:01position of the car suspension, and in doing so, jack the ride height up.

16:05Even the smallest of changes to this angle can 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, and I'll be adding a brand new torsion beam to Mike's shopping list.

16:26Right, so we've now got an air gap, and effectively we're going to turn that round, weld it back

16:32in place.

16:33I'm putting all my faith in Oliver's experience.

16:38Too much or too little torsion bar rotation could ruin our bar hard bug's off-road handling.

16:55Now I just have to repeat everything on the lower beam.

16:58Like a hot knife through butter.

17:10That's the main adjustments to the front axle almost complete, and all it's cost me is the price of some welding wire.

17:17Hmm, perhaps that'll help pay for the race engine.

17:20Oliver, this is where you're riding.

17:22Yes, this is my race engine.

17:24They have a 95 horsepower.

17:26With this engine, I want one of the Baja 1000.

17:29Well, I'm in.

17:30It just all depends because race-winning engines usually cost a lot of money.

17:34I can trade with your old engine.

17:36I can sell here for a good price, and I can give you this engine for a couple of grand.

17:41Don't worry about it.

17:42$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?

17:5095 horsepower.

17:51Oh, and the one we've got is like 40, 45.

17:54Yes.

17:55So it's double the power.

17:56Yeah.

17:57Yeah, we've got a deal.

17:58Thank you very much.

17:59Thank you, too.

18:00That's brilliant.

18:01Absolutely brilliant.

18:02Needs a clean, though.

18:03The headers, the race header, and that's going to be ready.

18:05Oh, hold on.

18:06Hold on.

18:07It needs what?

18:08Race headers?

18:09Yeah, I need the race headers.

18:10So it hasn't got race headers.

18:11I have a friend.

18:12He probably, he have a junkyard.

18:14We can go to try to find one, and let's see if we've got luck.

18:18We can have a really cheap one.

18:20Race headers replace the standard exhaust manifold, increasing performance and reducing weight.

18:26But as with anything built for racing, it's another way to reduce the weight of our wallet.

18:32The new engine will increase our pulling power, so I need to take a look at our stopping power.

18:39When Mike first drove the car, it was very clear there was an issue with the brakes.

18:44He had a huge amount of pedal travel, and the car didn't stop very well, so I've decided

18:48to change all of the brake material around all four corners of the car.

18:53I've got the drum off, and there is a leak from the brake cylinder here.

18:58You can see that because there's fluid on the outside.

19:01What was happening when Mike drove the car was he was pushing on the pedal.

19:05The fluid was actually leaking out past the seals here, meaning the pedal continued to go all the way nearly to the floor,

19:11and the car barely stops.

19:13So the whole thing needs to be changed. It's fairly straightforward.

19:16But to begin with, a whole lot's got to come apart.

19:18First of all, I'm going to take the shoes off. This is the friction material. It's been contaminated with brake fluid from that leak.

19:27That's what needs to be changed. But before I do that, I'm going to get the brake cylinder off, and then give the whole thing a bit of a cleaner.

19:33There we go. Right. So this is the brand new brake cylinder. As you can see, it's shiny and new. Importantly, the seal should work.

19:48Right, so now it's going to get it through there like that.

19:52Next come the new brake shoes.

19:55Right, so that's on. Handbrake cable's connected. Springs are all in place.

20:00Now it's a case of hooking this back into the pistons. This is where there's a high potential, the whole thing hanging off.

20:08Springs going everywhere, and you get a face fork.

20:12There you go.

20:15So that is the whole assembly now back together and in position.

20:18There's an adjuster here where you can wind these pistons in to close up the shoes,

20:23so I can then get the drum back on and then wind them out, just to the point where it makes contact,

20:27so we get maximum efficiency with our braking.

20:31Yep, that is about perfect.

20:34And just about feel the friction between the shoe and the brake drum itself.

20:41Of course I'm going to go and bleed up the brakes, make sure there's no air in the system,

20:44get everything back operational and I'll check it again.

20:47For now, I'm happy that this car is not only going to go quickly, it's also going to stop quickly too.

20:57I'm heading to Oliver's mate's scrapyard on the outskirts of Ensenada in search of race headers.

21:04And whilst I'm here, Elvis has given me a whole list of other parts he needs.

21:09At least in a scrapyard, they should be cheap.

21:12Hola. Hola, hola.

21:14Seeing your mic. Hi. My name is Cruz.

21:16Ah, Cruz, you speak English. Yeah, a little bit. Not too much.

21:18Oh, Cruz, that's fantastic.

21:19Unlike British scrapyards, which have become a bit like car parts supermarkets, this place is still very much hands-on.

21:27I love all of this stuff. Yeah.

21:29This is great. I mean, you've got everything. So you can get every kind of, like, Volkswagen badge.

21:33Yeah.

21:34The hubcaps if somebody's doing a restoration, even the clocks and the dials.

21:37Yeah.

21:38You've got a lot of stuff here. Yeah.

21:40There's everything. I've got some.

21:41I've got some.

21:42So this is all the exhaust, is it? Yeah.

21:44Is it OK? Yeah.

21:46You sure? Yeah, 100%.

21:48What would something like this be?

21:50100.

21:51100 bucks? Yeah.

21:52Yeah.

21:53OK, great, yeah.

21:54Next up, wheels. Elvis insists that the Beetle's stock steel wheels are too heavy,

21:59and we need a special set of super lightweight off-road alloys.

22:03I have these ones.

22:05That's lovely.

22:06Yep.

22:07Oh.

22:08You've got four?

22:09Yeah.

22:10How much would these be?

22:11200 bucks for a piece, yeah.

22:13200 bucks each?

22:14Yeah.

22:15Not for four?

22:16No.

22:17800 for four.

22:19Would you have tyres to go on these wheels?

22:21I think crew saw me coming.

22:26How much are these?

22:27200.

22:28What, for the pair of them?

22:29Yeah.

22:30Maybe 150 for you.

22:31Yeah?

22:32Yeah.

22:33You have another two?

22:34Yep.

22:35OK, brilliant.

22:36Next on Elvis's list is a light bar.

22:37Is it working, do you reckon?

22:38Yeah, it works.

22:40How much is something like this?

22:42100.

22:43Everything's like 100 bucks with you, innit?

22:45Yeah.

22:46It either starts off 100, 200.

22:47When we become amigos, the price might come down.

22:49OK, OK.

22:50Yep.

22:51100 bucks?

22:52Yep.

22:53Yeah, I'll take it.

22:54And finally, we need safety nets to stop the rocks flying in through the open windows.

22:57Please tell me they're not expensive.

23:00They look like...

23:01Not a lot.

23:02It's 100 bucks for a pair.

23:03100 bucks for a pair?

23:04It's more expensive if you buy a new.

23:06That means we are $1,000 for the wheels and the tyres.

23:11Yep.

23:12$100 for the exhaust, that's $1,100.

23:14Yep.

23:15$1,200, $1,300.

23:16Yep.

23:17Yep.

23:18So is that what I've got to pay you, $1,300?

23:20$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...

23:28I 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.

23:35OK.

23:36OK.

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, see what Elvis thinks.

23:54Our Mexican Baja bug build is taking shape and Elvis is ready to fit the $2,000 race engine.

24:01Bump 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.

24:11This is a problem.

24:12Erm...

24:14We have two options.

24:16I could carefully fabricate a new section of exhaust to allow it to squeeze beneath the body.

24:22Or we could sort it Baja style.

24:24Let's just cut this.

24:25This is a perfect example of why form follows function when it comes to Baja racing.

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 lighten our wallet.

24:54But it sounds lively tonight, doesn't it?

24:56Oh, silly.

24:57This is the oldest bar in Entenida, 1892.

25:00They used to come in, the cowboys, tie their horses up there and come in for a drink.

25:04So, how are we getting on there? Please 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 the wheels back on it. It's still up in the air. It's on the axle stands.

25:19But 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. We still need belts. So 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. I can't let myself think.

25:44And it's about to get a whole lot noisier.

25:46The 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 need much of an excuse.

26:13We're halfway through our Baja bug build and 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.

26:42It'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.

26:52And the organiser, Lino, is meeting us at the ranch entrance to 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, bugs is part of the culture of Mexican guy, you know?

27:08Yeah.

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.

27:25Hello, gentlemen. How are you, chaps?

27:28We're looking for inspiration, the things we should do, the 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.

27:37No, money.

27:39Money!

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.

27:59Oh, yes, skid paint.

28:00I was thinking, I wonder if we need one of those, you know, because 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?

28:07Is the roll cage an absolute must?

28:10Yeah. The front or to the back?

28:12Really? Yeah.

28:13Because it takes so much punishment as you're driving.

28:15Is this your one?

28:17A little bit of protection around the wing mirror.

28:19Yeah, just in case the wing mirror gets damaged.

28:21You, uh, compete?

28:27Ah, yeah, see?

28:29So now just for fun?

28:31Yeah, she has 25 years with the car.

28:3325 years?

28:34Nice.

28:36Where's the guy who owns this?

28:37I bet there's not tools in here.

28:39I don't know what it is.

28:40It's beer.

28:41Of course it is.

28:42Yeah, of course it is.

28:43There's beer in there.

28:45Drivers!

28:47Drivers!

28:49Start your engine!

28:51I've always wanted that.

28:53That's brilliant.

28:54Here we go.

28:55Whoa!

29:00I didn't expect that!

29:08There's a few that I haven't made, and they've only got from here to there.

29:12And they've copped out.

29:14We do need a set of seats, we do need a skid pan, and they could be coming our way.

29:17Ha, ha, ha, ha!

29:30This is incredible.

29:32It's so good watching, but I've done enough watching.

29:35I'm gonna go and have a go.

29:37Go on, you go for it.

29:38Enjoy yourself, be safe!

29:40I've managed to swing a ride in a Class 10 racing buggy.

29:44This is a focused machine.

29:46Built to cover vast distances across the Baja sand dunes.

29:50Fast.

29:58I know he's excited, but it looks like he goes, ahhh!

30:01What have I done?

30:04This is unlike any race car I've ever experienced.

30:07It's insanely quick, it's ridiculously uncomfortable.

30:13And I absolutely love it!

30:24Oh my God, man, that's incredible!

30:27This is an unbelievable machine, man.

30:30It's crazy, huh?

30:32The braking is so good!

30:33It just has, like, it defies physics, man!

30:36Now that looked like a whole barrel of fun!

30:39Ha, ha, ha!

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, I've got to get some seats and some other bits.

30:49But nice one, fella. Good driving!

30:51Oh yeah, thank you very much, appreciate it!

30:52Is it too late to swap the bug out and build one of these instead?

30:56Far too late, unfortunately!

30:57Now that my adrenaline levels and stomach have returned back to Earth, I'm going to set about adding some of the features that we saw on the desert races to our Baja Bug, starting with a skid plate.

31:10Alright, here we go.

31:13Got myself a nice big plate of 5mm thick aluminium that'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.

31:31We're going to mount the plate to the Beetle chassis using two pieces of heavy weight steel tubing.

31:44Adding a curve with this pipe bender will allow the tubes to fit snug to the chassis underside.

31:50Pull up.

31:52Then it's done.

31:54It'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 is in place, welded up too, which means I can now get my skid plate in position.

32:18Not sure he's quite adjured the holes in the right place, but we'll make it work.

32:22Honestly, there's so much rubbish all over this floor, I can't even roll my creeper board around.

32:32I do like a clean workshop.

32:35And there's flies that every 10 seconds or so keep landing on your face.

32:41There you go. Done.

32:51It's a good plate attached.

32:53And that is going to protect the front of our car as 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. So we've got kind of a half roll cage in here, which is kind of all we need here.

33:07The uprights are all in. I'm just getting this final cross member in.

33:12Go up a little bit more.

33:13Yeah, happy day.

33:17The roll cage will protect the driver in the event of a big shunt.

33:21But it also stiffens up the chassis, minimising flex, allowing the suspension to work more effectively.

33:28It's actually starting to look really good. I mean, almost looking like a bar hard, dare I say.

33:32I just hope that Mike has found a couple of good racing seats to go in here.

33:37Fair with me, Elvis. This door claims to be the one-stop shop for wannabe Baja racers.

33:44Do you speak any English?

33:46No.

33:48I need some race harnesses for my Baja bugger.

33:51Estoy buscando algunas piezas para mi Baja y necesito algunos arneses de carreras.

33:56Yeah? Sí, sí, sí.

33:58OK, that's good, isn't it? Technology comes to the rescue.

34:01Ah, OK.

34:02OK.

34:03Yeah, these are good.

34:08They're nice red as well. It's quite a nice colour.

34:10I see you've got seats here.

34:12Are these for sale?

34:14Sí.

34:15These are good, aren't they? They look brand new.

34:16And you've got a pair.

34:17That's exactly what we need.

34:19OK.

34:20And then one other thing. I need a steering wheel.

34:25Ah, smart coat. That's a good one.

34:28Oh, 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.

34:39El total serían quinientos dólares.

34:43500 US dollars?

34:44Sí. Muy buen precio.

34:46That's a bargain.

34:48OK, trato hecho.

34:49Muchos gracias.

34:50OK, ya está.

34:51That is fantastic.

34:52As we saw in the desert, Baja Bugs come in every colour in the rainbow.

34:58And 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 is just repaint the wings.

35:07And actually, because we're up against it in terms of time,

35:10only 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.

35:17One of Mike's least favourite.

35:18But I've actually matched it to the original colour of the car.

35:21Citrus yellow.

35:25Painting a car yourself might not give the same finish as a professional respray,

35:29but with careful prep, you can still get great results.

35:34I love it.

35:36That actually looks really good, doesn't it?

35:38I know it's yellow, but I even think Michael like that.

35:43Next, fitting Mike's lightweight alloys, complete with those rugged, desert-ready tyres.

35:52This is going to really totally change the look of the car, isn't it?

35:57We put, like, three to four inches or height, the grand clearance of the car.

36:03It'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 stand, yeah?

36:10Yes.

36:13This is a big moment.

36:14It's the first time we'll see our Bug riding on its new, jacked-up suspension.

36:20Oh, yes!

36:22Look at the ground clearance we've got.

36:25That is exactly what a Baja Bug needs, to be able to ride the rough terrain,

36:29ride over rocks and all sorts of lumps and bumps, and look, we've got it.

36:31Real nice look, definitely. Great job from you.

36:35And the final flourish for our Baja's bodywork, a set of custom vinyls.

36:42What's the craziest design you've ever been asked to put on a Baja razor?

36:45I think this one.

36:46This one?

36:47Yeah.

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.

37:09I'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.

37:23They want it ready by tomorrow?

37:25Elvis, you read my mind.

37:28Oh, yeah, baby.

37:29Look at that.

37:30It's going to look great.

37:38I 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. It is absolutely perfect.

37:59It looks incredible, doesn't it? The wheels and tyres, the fact that it's jacked up. The car looks rugged and it's in this rugged terrain, right?

38:08My 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.

38:42Yeah.

38:43There is a potential profit at the moment with the stickers and everything we've done.

38:46It's about £7,450. I've got somebody on the hook at around £9,000.

38:50But, of course, we can't sell a car without testing it. And there's an off-road course a few miles up the road where we can properly put it through its paces.

38:58For the unthemed time, Elvis, don'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, that's part of the Baja experience, mate. It's going to sound this way.

39:13What?

39:15The engine sounds like a proper race engine and it sounds mega-strong.

39:19But driving it through the Baja bush is the only way to really test its performance.

39:35Right, are you ready?

39:36I am ready. Keep me in one piece, please.

39:38Oh, listen to that engine. That roars, that engine.

39:51Whoa!

39:52Oh, keep me straight, keep me straight.

39:54Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

39:56Oh, that is fantastic, Elvis.

39:58Oh, this is brilliant. I absolutely love it.

40:04The car handles it beautiful, wouldn't it?

40:06Doesn't it just ride over everything with that raised suspension that you've done is absolutely awesome.

40:15Whoa, 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.

40:29It works!

40:31The car's driving better than I could have ever imagined.

40:38But before we sell her, there's something I can't resist.

40:44You don't have to go all four wheels off, just...

40:46Oh, I think we do.

40:47Just a wheelie.

40:49Mate, it's the Baja way.

40:51Oh, wait.

40:53Here we go. Are you ready?

40:54What are you doing?

41:03Oh, wow, wow!

41:08Oh, you lunatic!

41:09Well, look, the skid pad's done its work.

41:12I can feel that.

41:13The suspension's incredible.

41:15The wheels and tyres, they're mega.

41:17I feel safe in the car, all strapped in.

41:20I reckon this Baja is now ready to sell.

41:23Don't really want to let it go, but you're right, it is.

41:26We've built a good car.

41:27And we've done it on a reasonably limited budget

41:30and on a definitely limited timeframe.

41:33I'm really proud of what we've turned out here, man.

41:36Sorry, mate, but playtime's over.

41:41We're getting on a plane in a couple of hours,

41:43so we need this car sold.

41:45Sarah, the potential buyer, has arrived with her family.

41:48Thank you very much for coming down.

41:51We really do appreciate it.

41:53We understand, through Oliver,

41:55that you had some interest in buying a VW Bug.

41:58Here it is.

42:00It's very nice.

42:01Well, we've had this car in the workshop

42:03and we spent the whole week transforming it.

42:05If you would have seen it a few days ago,

42:07it looked like a little Volkswagen Beetle, like Herbie.

42:10Can I get in?

42:11Yes, of course you can.

42:12Are 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 VW Bug.

42:18This is based on a sort of class 11 VW Bug.

42:21So you've got your roll cage in there,

42:23motorsport steering wheel.

42:25You've got a little race, the engine in the back

42:26and motorsport seats as well.

42:28Jacked up suspension.

42:29I hope we've done a lovely job.

42:30I hope you like it.

42:31It's very nice.

42:32I loved it.

42:33I really loved it.

42:34You like the colour combination?

42:35Yeah, sure.

42:36We know what we've got invested in the car.

42:39We were hoping to get US$9,000 for it.

42:42I mean, I was hoping like a thousand, eight and a half,

42:47but I'll take it.

42:48I mean, it's really nice.

42:49Really?

42:50Yeah.

42:51So $9,000?

42:52Yeah, $9,000.

42:53Oh, thank you so much.

42:54That's brilliant.

42:55I can tell you $9,000 puts a massive smile on your face.

42:57I can vouch for that today.

42:58And I can tell you it puts a smile on my face, one of relief.

43:01So enjoy the car, really enjoy it.

43:04It's an amazing little car.

43:05Well done.

43:06Another happy customer, another great country, another fantastic deal.

43:12We come away with a little profit.

43:14It's been absolutely amazing, mate.

43:15I mean, I don't know where we go from here next.

43:17To the airport.

43:18We head 6,000 miles south and we go to a nice little city

43:22because there's a car down there I've always wanted to do called Sao Paulo.

43:26Ms.bridge, this is getting better.

43:32When is the worst place where we are?

43:35We're gonna get a sushi strip.

43:36It's back, these are what it's called.

43:38We're gonna make a sushi strip.

43:39We'll go back to aریennis Arabia.

43:41We'll consider that sushi strip and uhh-roll 쓸.

43:43Whether you look at it somewhere calling the sushi strip at over the sea,

43:45description, I will remember where you get.

43:47Let's get some really sweet Britain,

43:48some flogiesaret, what it looks like.

43:50The left is the Elvis miteinander.

43:51Coming back then.

43:52Here we come back then.

43:53That looks like the sushi strip.

43:54neatly even on drum�t.

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