- 18 hours ago
Shed & Buried: Classic Cars - Season 3 Episode 3 -
Chrysler Imperial Crown
Chrysler Imperial Crown
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FunTranscript
00:00I'm shocked at the amount of white sole trainers around, namely the crew. Look at them. What is
00:12up with these guys? Yeah, and I've also noticed two of them can't afford socks. No, I would think
00:18you'll probably find that they have those socks that don't have tops. What's the point in that?
00:23Well, it's to give you that whole vibe of lovely ankles. Yeah, in the 1920s, a glimpse of stocking
00:29was looked on as something shocking, and that's the way people think about short socks now.
00:37We're back. Oh, I'm loving this. Scouring Britain's sheds for classic cars. A thing of beauty. Proper
00:44special. Quintessential Brits. That's nice. A Lee Francis. American icons. Look at the amount
00:51of chrome on the front there. And Continental Curios. That is a Lancia Aprilia. We're going
00:58to buy them. Thank you so much. Fantastic, Ludo. Sort them. It's the sunroof. No, please,
01:04I'm getting out now. Drive them. And sell them for a tidy profit. Are we really the money?
01:11This is shed and buried. Classic cars. We're off to an airfield near Maidenhead in search
01:22of a classic car. We are going to go and see a man called Ludo. Do you think he's game?
01:32Game? Yeah. Yeah. I actually don't think we've ever visited a Ludo before. No, it's a cool
01:40name. What, should I tell you why it's quite cool? Go on then. Because he is supposedly French,
01:47so I can parlay avec him le fluent. Right. Okay. Je m'appelle Henri et aussi mon ami est
02:00Jellybean. Is that right? Yeah. A great bit of bridging the divide between France and the
02:09country. Okay. Okay. With some exceptional frong legs. Ah, Trebien au Jourdouin. Now,
02:15shall I tell you what else is Trebien? Yes. Yeah? Ludo is into customs, hot roddy type stuff. Okay,
02:23very cool. So that could mean, there could be almost anything there. French, Italian, American,
02:31anything. Whether we come back with a custom classic, a kid's board game, or a slap in the
02:39face from Ludo for my terrible French, who knows? But Maidenhead, allons-nous, vite, vite.
02:48Ludo, before we start, there's a lot of commotion in the sky. Well, I might have to ask you to speak
02:53up a bit, mate. Okay. Can I just ask you, just an initial glance here, right? You're French. Yes,
02:58I'm French, yeah. Right. How come you got into all this? Just like, yeah, when I was a kid,
03:03yeah, I just grew up with my dad and had an American car and... Okay. And then, yeah,
03:07it's a bit strange, yeah. That was it. I'm French. Love American car, living in the UK, but... So why did
03:12you come over here? Did you just... Because I think the scene over here, like, car and American
03:16car is much bigger in the UK. So you've got loads and loads of great cars, all kinds of stuff
03:22around here. Yeah. Are you sort of willing to part with absolutely everything, or...? We've got a few of
03:28them for sale. Okay, right, okay. So, I'll maybe persuade you to do a little bit more. Yeah, yeah.
03:33Yeah, see what goes. You never know. Ludo, look, what we'll do, if it's all right, we'll have a
03:37little wander around. Okay, then all right. And then we'll call you in if we need any advice. Mm-hmm.
03:41And then, hopefully, at the end, we'll have a haggle. Okay. Yeah, you never know, do you? I'll go and worry.
03:45You'll behave. I will, well, just about. Yeah, I will. But, Ludo, tres bien, merci. No, my second.
03:51No, my second. Ha, ha, bon chance. Yeah. Let's go and allay over there and start a
03:56Avec le Mach 1. Okay. Yeah? Great stuff. Cheers, Ludo. We'll see you in a bit. Cheers, Ludo.
04:00All right, mate. Come on, then. And here it is, the Ford Mustang Mach 1. It's not quite fast
04:09enough to break the sound barrier, but the styling is. I love the colour. Recently, I was in the presence
04:17of a lovely, lovely red one, but I think I prefer the lime green. I like it, mate. This
04:23is, what, early 70s? Yeah. Yeah. This shape. Early to mid 70s. Because it was a radical departure.
04:32The first versions of the Ford Mustang were relatively lean and mean, but by the early 1970s,
04:38they had muscled up with bigger engines and looks to match. It was the last stage before
04:46fuel crisis hit. And, of course, you know, then the freeways and everything back down
04:53to sort of 55 or 65 miles per hour and stuff like that. Downhill from that. And, of course,
04:58then emissions creeped in. And then you end up with a Tesla. Anyway. Thank God these things
05:02are still around. Yeah. Do you want to go green? Yeah. This is the car. As well as muscle cars,
05:10Ludo clearly has a penchant for classic pickups like this 1957 Ford. And most striking of all,
05:20this late 50s Ranchero. I mean, this is taking bare metal to another level. The Ranchero was a general
05:31purpose utility vehicle. But Ludo has transformed this one into a work of automotive art.
05:40The white bed. We've got the rug over the seat. And again, like you say, we've got the bare
05:46metal finish. And I think Ludo's been at work as well. Louvre at the bonnet.
05:52That is something proper special, in my view. I could just see myself going down Highway 1.
05:59Well, I think so. Or the North Circular, actually. Don't bother me. Yeah. Yeah. You know, that's what
06:05it's all about, I think. Everything about this just exudes coolness, really.
06:13Whether we'd ever be able to afford this is another issue. But Ludo's also got some rougher looking items.
06:19There's a Ford Edsel saloon, mid-resto. Try getting this into a multi-storey.
06:29And a Chevy van, with cartoon connotations.
06:34Well, all I can say is, Ro-Rain, Renry. What, Scooby-Doo? Yeah. Ro-Rain, Renry.
06:41And most intriguing of all, there's a container at the back of the yard, with a recent acquisition.
06:49I wonder what could be inside there. I think, well...
06:51Probably an American car. Yeah, I should imagine.
06:54Might have a trailer or something. Let's have a look. Hold on.
06:56Oh, my word. There's big and there's this. Look at that. What the heck is that?
07:03It's an Imperial Chrysler. A Chrysler Imperial. Late 1950s, perhaps. But look at it. Look at the amount of chrome on the front there.
07:13This is Imperial by Chrysler Corporation. A car of impressive size. Generous passenger space. Great dignity.
07:24The Imperial was Chrysler's attempt to compete with Cadillac, a luxury saloon with high spec and a high price.
07:35Extracting all 18 foot of it is easier said than done.
07:38Well, you have to, like, wiggle on the side, isn't it? Hang on. There are issues. I am getting trapped.
07:45This thing is a monster.
07:48It takes plenty of ooh-la-la. Oh, my God. And I want to go home. But eventually, our combined efforts get it out.
07:58This is a monumental, huge motor car. Look at it. I love it.
08:04Look at it. I love it. The fins on the back, they're kind of toned down a bit with those rocket ship tail lights.
08:11I love them. Looking like flames coming out the back. I love them.
08:14And the front is still in the 1950s as well. But if you look at the saloon area, that is pointing towards the 1960s.
08:21Does it go, Nat? Yeah, it's starting. Does it? OK. Yeah. And this one's available, is it? Yeah.
08:28Blimey. Blimey, O'Reilly. I think I might have to lie down.
08:32If you thought nothing could upstage the Imperial, look at this Ford pickup.
08:37It's a holiday on wheels. Yes. An American holiday. It is, yes. OK. So, oh, it's a pickup with a caravan kind of drop-on.
08:50But this ain't any old caravan. Oh, yes. Here we are. Welcome home.
08:56Mate, that is really mint, isn't it? It is, isn't it? Yeah. Come on.
09:04I was thinking I was going to get into some kind of sort of moth-eating camper van. Yeah.
09:08But actually, it's utterly lovely. I mean, what's not to like?
09:12Probably the price. Yeah. Well, we could ask. Well, we could ask.
09:16So, what an automotive smorgasbord. A pimped-up Ford Mustang. A stripped-down Ranchero. A glammed-up Cambervan. And a great white whale of a Chrysler. But will we be able to afford any of them?
09:35Come on, then. Let's go see him. Come on, then, Ludo. Au revoir. Je suis Henri avec Orange. That's French, you know.
09:48Ludo, to say we've had an amazing time is an understatement. If we just go through a few things to see if there is anything you want to get rid of. All right.
09:56I'm going to start with the green Mustang. So, is that for sale? That's for sale, yeah. OK.
10:02This one is for sale. I think 17,000 on the one. OK. 17. All right.
10:08Now, Ranchero. This one? Yeah. Oh, no. This one is not for sale. No. This one is my baby.
10:16OK. So, now I'm going to speak French.
10:19Aussi, Ludo, nous avons un Chrysler Grand Blanc whale.
10:26Yeah. How much is that? That is at eight and a half.
10:32And then, finally, you've got what is a lovely F1.
10:36The Camper, yeah. Yeah, Camper Val. What a lovely thing that is. This is for sale as well, yeah.
10:40Oh, OK. This is for sale for 16. 16. So, yeah. OK. How about seven for the white whale?
10:45Mmm. Oh, that's going to be tricky. Seven and a half. Seven, seven fifty.
10:54Mm-mm.
10:55We're down in Maidenhead with Ludo and his unexpected collection of American classics. He wants eight and a half grand for a Chrysler Imperial, but will he sell it for this?
11:20Does it have to start with an eight? Yeah. Don't say that.
11:26Where are you going to go from seven, seven, fifty? Seven, seven, sixty. Yeah.
11:30Yeah, that's a good price, yeah. Yeah, it's very bien.
11:33Good for it. Oh, did you do it? Yeah, great. All right, Ludo, thank you so much. Fantastic, Ludo.
11:37That's great. Eight grand. That is fantastic. That is wheat grand.
11:41Yes, that's right. Yeah, it is, yeah. I think you say wheat mill.
11:45Ludo, thank you so much. What a lovely day, man.
11:48Two days later, back at the shed, we make some space for our Chrysler.
11:56Alan's away on holes, but Jelly has already given it the paw of approval.
12:03Hold on. This guy shrunk, or is it just the size of the car? It's just the size of the car.
12:08What a beast. I have to tell you, I think the only way to describe this is a cruise ship.
12:16It is. It is, really. I do think it's fantastic. I love it. I love things like, look at this wing mirror.
12:21It's all that rocket from the 60s, man goes to the moon and all that kind of caper.
12:25Of course it is, that's right, yeah. I love the shape of this screen.
12:28Same here.
12:29It looks like it's like, is this paint or is this oil?
12:32Okay.
12:33It's wax, I think.
12:34Yeah, I reckon Fuzzer, don't you?
12:36Yeah.
12:37I think that it has been preserved with this wax.
12:40Yeah.
12:41Yeah.
12:42And I think that wax goes on the chrome as well.
12:45Right.
12:46So are we going to get that off or leave it on for a patina?
12:48No.
12:49I think the rust is the patina.
12:51Yeah.
12:52If we can get this off, let's get it off.
12:55Yeah.
12:56Let's degrease it or something.
12:57Yeah, I don't know.
12:58Well, we'll try with different stuff, mate.
12:59We can do that tomorrow.
13:01I think you pair have got your work cut out here, because look at the size of it.
13:05There's a lot of cleaning off to do.
13:08There's an acreage.
13:09Yeah.
13:10Yeah.
13:11And skid, don't let him walk off.
13:14So that's tomorrow sorted.
13:16But today's other task is to check how this runs.
13:20Here we go.
13:21There's a lever here.
13:22There we go.
13:23Oh, it's heavy.
13:24There we go.
13:25Come on.
13:26I'll hold it.
13:27A wide V.
13:286,750 cc's of V8 engine there.
13:32Oh, mate.
13:33I just music to my ears.
13:35Yeah.
13:36Now, I'm going to start it and we'll have a look.
13:39And then we're going to take it down the drive, the three of us and Jellybean.
13:43Yeah.
13:44Okay.
13:45Let's see if it actually goes.
13:47There you are.
13:48That's all right.
13:49Okay.
13:50Yeah.
13:51It's cool.
13:52It's quite smooth.
13:53That sounds nice.
13:54Yeah, it does.
13:55Hey, Bean.
13:56Does it sound good to you?
13:57Has it got good oil pressure?
13:58Have you got an oil pressure gauge?
14:00Yeah.
14:01Seems all right.
14:02That sounds lovely.
14:03Yeah, that's super smooth.
14:05I reckon that's running on all eight.
14:07Piling.
14:08Let's go.
14:09So let the good times roll, albeit in a stately, smooth, imperial kind of a way.
14:18Yeah.
14:19Oh, I like this.
14:20I do as well.
14:21I mean, there's plenty of room.
14:22I mean, you know, three grown blokes in the front.
14:23And a dog.
14:24And a dog, yeah.
14:25A few yards can stretch out in the back when he's back.
14:26Yeah, yeah.
14:27Yeah, yeah.
14:28Off all a day eating crisps.
14:29Yeah.
14:30Very nice.
14:31I think this is a great vehicle, mate.
14:32Yeah, man.
14:33For a change, I think you boys have done well.
14:35Yeah.
14:36Admittedly, there are a few squeaks and rattles, but the automatic transmission is as smooth
14:55as Dean Martin.
14:57The interior is as big as a Greyhound bus.
15:00And once we've cleaned her up, I've got a plan.
15:05What are we going to do with it?
15:06We're going to go to a custom show and we're going to give it the absolute massive.
15:10There's something about this car that is very appealing.
15:14I think you're right.
15:18Can you see if anything works while we just park something?
15:21Okay.
15:22Good idea.
15:23Brightness.
15:24Yes!
15:25The car's going backwards.
15:26Hang on, we're going backwards.
15:27Hang on, we're going backwards.
15:28Hang on, we're going backwards.
15:29So when you turn the wipers on, it selects reverse.
15:31Here we are.
15:32So there's a slight issue.
15:34I don't know whether the headlights are working.
15:36Someone's going to have to get out.
15:39Okay, so that's the headlights.
15:42Side lights.
15:43Try the main beam.
15:46Yes.
15:49Next morning, we start on the clean-up.
15:55I've found that in the ship.
15:56It says abrasive compound for cutting, finishing or both.
16:08Mate, this is going to take a while.
16:10We're still not quite sure what this coating is, but the combined impact of the cutting compound and the polishing mop has a pretty instant effect.
16:22I can tell you like this vehicle because you're very enthusiastic for you.
16:25Normally, at this stage, you've walked away.
16:27No, no.
16:28I am now.
16:29I can tell you're into this.
16:30Officially, I am out of breath.
16:32Our Imperial is 18ft long, 6ft wide and 5ft tall.
16:38So it's got more bodywork than the Statue of Liberty.
16:42It's the perfect moment for young Sam to turn up for some work experience.
16:46The key to it is pressing hard, yeah?
16:51So just all it is is that, and then there you are.
16:54You can see the black stuff we're trying to get rid of, yeah?
16:56Yeah.
16:57Just give it a whiz.
16:58Give it a whiz.
16:59Have some fun.
17:00That's fantastic, innit?
17:01I mean, that's what work experience fellas are for, innit?
17:04Quality.
17:05Did you ever do work experience?
17:07Did I, heck?
17:08I'll tell you from distance.
17:09It's looking good.
17:10Yeah, no, it is.
17:11In the afternoon, we let Sam off the hook,
17:18while Skid gets on with the chrome work.
17:21Well, as ever, when there's a bit of elbow grease to do,
17:24he's disappeared.
17:26They'll claim that he's been doing something of great importance,
17:30but he's not.
17:31This is not going to be a five-minute job,
17:34which also means he's going to get bored.
17:37I think they've put a kind of lacquer on it, very thinly.
17:40They've painted it on the paintwork.
17:43This polish does get it off, but it takes a while.
17:48All right, mate.
17:50Nice of you to turn up.
17:51Don't be like that.
17:52The problem here is the sheer scale of it.
17:55Normally, I could do a front bumper in, what, 20 minutes?
17:58Yeah, no, look, I know you've been doing a couple of hours.
17:59But this is gargantuan.
18:00I know, it is bad, isn't it?
18:02But at the same time, mate, no pain, no gain.
18:05Yeah?
18:06You've got plenty of time.
18:07Well, you've had no gain, then.
18:08I know, mate.
18:09Absolutely no gain whatsoever.
18:10I don't need it, because I'm perfect.
18:12I'm a fuff.
18:17By the end of the day, with the glass cleaned and the chrome all polished,
18:21our imperial really is fit for an emperor.
18:24Mate, it looks fantastic, doesn't it?
18:27It looks beautiful, mate.
18:28Honestly, I tell you, that is a transformation.
18:31It's a subtle one, but it is a massive transformation.
18:34Getting rid of that, whatever it is that was on it, has been a hard job,
18:38but at the same time, have we added value?
18:41Yes.
18:42Next on the list, the interior.
18:47But when Skid turns up on the following morning, I've got a surprise for him.
18:54I had a visitation last night.
18:56Yes.
18:57From my mate, Oxford Don.
18:59And I couldn't resist it, 45 quid.
19:02It's a classic American bicycle.
19:05A Schwinn Stingray, the perfect accessory for the Chrysler.
19:12We can put that in the boot of the Imperial and take it to a show and ride about.
19:17And you never know, someone might buy it.
19:19It'll be a great thing to bobble about on.
19:21Yeah, great.
19:22So we could bobble around at the Henley American Car Show this weekend.
19:27But before that, there's several things I want to change.
19:34The modern headlamp's got to go.
19:37The seat needs to tidy up.
19:39And most of all, the frame needs to respray.
19:44Or shall we discombobulate?
19:45Yeah, let's quickly rip it apart.
19:49Without more ado, we banish the interloper.
19:52Srip and prep the frame.
19:58Ow!
19:59What have you done?
20:00Oh, that hurt my thumb.
20:02And once it's all masked off.
20:05Puff on two coats of Rattle Can Black.
20:09This bike will look fantastic when we've done it.
20:11Yeah, it does look nice.
20:13All that prep is paying off, I think, isn't it?
20:1620 minutes later, the first coat is virtually done.
20:23I thought you said we were going to walk away.
20:26Well, you know what it's like?
20:27You're walking away and then you see a little nuance that...
20:29I know, I know.
20:30I am.
20:31I'm walking away now.
20:32Any runs in it are going to be flatted off with a very fine wet and dry.
20:36What do you think, son?
20:37It's beautiful.
20:38With the red accents, that'll be nice.
20:40So what a great day.
20:44We've given the bike a new look and smartened up the Chrysler's paint job big time.
20:50It'll be a tall order getting the interior sorted for the weekend's car show.
20:55But when you've got a space-age Chrysler in the yard, the sky's the limit.
20:59We've got a job on.
21:15Prepping our vast Chrysler Imperial for a car show this weekend.
21:20And finishing off a Schwinn Stingray that's going to sit in the boot.
21:24The good news is Fuzzy's back in town.
21:27The bad news?
21:29He's spotted a gremlin.
21:31I was just standing with it ticking over and I heard a groaning sound.
21:36And I thought it might be you.
21:37Nice guy.
21:38It was.
21:39The radiator cap just letting off a bit of pressure.
21:43And then there was a bit of a gush down on the floor.
21:45And I thought that might have been you as well.
21:46But it wasn't.
21:47I think that we've got a bit of overheating going on.
21:50Let's put some water in the rag.
21:54Okay, go on then.
21:55Start it up and see what goes on.
21:56Go on then.
21:59Right, come on.
22:00I'm going to see if this will start up.
22:01Okay, go on then.
22:02Oh, hello, Bean.
22:06Okay.
22:09Well, it starts first time.
22:11Yeah.
22:12That's like Jurassic Park, isn't it?
22:14I can see it.
22:15Are those bubbles?
22:16Yeah.
22:17If a head gasket had gone or if we had a crack in the block or something, I would be expecting more bubbling than that.
22:24Right, okay.
22:25Would it need a new thermostat?
22:27Possibly so, yeah.
22:29Shall we go and have tea then or what?
22:31Well, if you put the kettle on, we'll have the tea that you make.
22:38He won't be back, you know.
22:39He has the attention span of a gnat.
22:42Five minutes later, I'm back.
22:47No refreshments, but something much more exciting.
22:51Can I just say, I haven't brought tea, I've brought something else that didn't need to go out.
22:56Hey!
22:57Oh, look at that.
22:58Eh?
22:59What do you reckon?
23:00Beautiful.
23:01Absolutely stunning.
23:02Oh, she's lovely.
23:03Look, she's very docile.
23:04Isn't she?
23:05So, you've been distracted by Jelly Tot.
23:06The Jelly Tot, yeah.
23:07Mine's cold, by the way.
23:08Well, Jelly, sorry, I will do the tea, but it's just that Tot needed priority.
23:11Yes, of course.
23:12Yeah, well, that's fair enough then.
23:13I'll suffer in silence.
23:14So, have you found out that the thermostat's knackered?
23:17We're suspicious of it.
23:18Yeah, yeah.
23:19We're going to get it out and then drop it in boiling water and see if it opens.
23:21Oh, great.
23:22Okay.
23:23The thermostat's a vital component which regulates the engine temperature.
23:29Generally, they last about 10 years, but this car's a lot older than that.
23:35And here is our thermostat.
23:37Look, it's closed.
23:39So, it hasn't opened at whatever temperature this is at.
23:43So, do we need to put it in boiling water now?
23:45Yeah.
23:46See if it opens.
23:47Otherwise, we're going to test that.
23:48I'll go and boil the kettle.
23:49Okay.
23:50Right, here we go.
23:53That's in there.
23:55So, get it on there.
23:58What's happening?
24:00We've just dropped some boiling water over the thermostat and we're waiting to see if
24:05the thermostat will open.
24:07I still haven't made the tea.
24:09Well, there's no kettle there.
24:10I've used the kettle.
24:11Oh, see, that was the reason why I didn't because I knew you were going to need it.
24:15I noticed the kettle was stone cold and there were no tea bags in cups.
24:18Right, come on then.
24:19Okay, shall we see?
24:20Yeah, come on.
24:21Okay.
24:22It should be open by now, shouldn't it?
24:23It should be, yeah.
24:24Nah.
24:25Okay, well, yeah, it had opened very, very slightly.
24:30Right, so we need a new one of those.
24:33Yep.
24:34Can you get on the internet?
24:35Yeah.
24:36Okay.
24:37The skid's itching to get back to the bike, but the interior also leaves plenty to be desired.
24:46The missing front panel, the door card, is lurking in the boot.
24:51It looks like a burst sofa.
24:54In fact, every single door card in there looks like a burst sofa, doesn't it?
24:57Yes, yeah.
24:58So, join the club.
25:01Fuzz is undaunted.
25:04He fits the panel.
25:08It looks in much better condition on than when it was in your hand at the boot.
25:14And then unleashes his secret weapon, a can of contact adhesive.
25:20That's cheating.
25:21I wasn't expecting that.
25:22Okay, well, there we go.
25:24When you asked me for a brush, I thought you were going to just do the edge.
25:29For good measure.
25:31A little bit along here.
25:33He adds the extra layer of glue to the edge.
25:37And with Skid's help, crimps it all into position.
25:42Yeah, it's coming together.
25:44There we are.
25:45Look at that.
25:46Just put my hand on there.
25:47Yeah, well, when your elbow's on there, you won't see that, will you?
25:50Yeah, good as new.
25:51Yeah.
25:52Ish.
25:53Another bit of good news is that I've sourced a replacement thermostat.
25:58It won't be here till tomorrow.
26:00So Fuzz heads home, leaving Skid to get back to the bike.
26:04Now look, initial impressions of this.
26:07Look, it's not perfect, but it's way better than it was.
26:10So the first thing I'm going to do is take all the bags and masking tape off and actually see completely what we're left with.
26:17Skid removes all the masking.
26:22That's looking really nice.
26:25Refits the wheels.
26:28The cables.
26:30There we go.
26:32And the seat.
26:34And then once the brakes are all sorted, I arrive just in time to be too late.
26:42Oh, you've done it.
26:43That's the beauty of a pedal bike, mate.
26:45They're so simple.
26:46Well, so you've taken you about an hour.
26:48How fantastic does that look?
26:50I think you actually got on quicker without me, didn't you?
26:54But I have to tell you, mate, that is rather lovely.
26:58And it's all ready for us to, well, is it ready for us to do a test ride?
27:03Absolutely.
27:04It'd go really nicely with my chopper bicycle, wouldn't it?
27:07Oh, it would, yes.
27:08It's the Americana versus the English.
27:10Oh, well, let's get down our drive.
27:11Yeah.
27:12Do you know what, Skiddy?
27:13I'll tell you what.
27:14There's something about these two bicycles that, like, embodies what I loved at an early
27:29age about two-wheel transportation.
27:31Youth culture.
27:32Mate, yeah.
27:33That's where my joy of two wheels started.
27:36Absolutely.
27:37Messing around with bicycles from a really young age.
27:39Now, I want you to watch my starting technique.
27:41OK.
27:42Because there's a really cool thing with these.
27:44Oh, OK.
27:45OK.
27:46All right.
27:47Do you want to watch me?
27:48Yeah, I've got to watch me.
27:49I'll stop and wait for you, so we go off together.
27:50OK, all right.
27:51OK.
27:52Now, what you do with these, this is uber cool.
27:53Right, ready?
27:54Just push off.
27:55Go, pedal!
27:56There we go.
27:57That's it, Skidder!
27:58There we go, son.
27:59Oh, I'll catch up.
28:00Oh, wait!
28:01Wait for me!
28:02So, choc's away.
28:07After spending most of the day working on a huge car,
28:10these lightweight bikes are such a joy.
28:20I'll tell you what is lovely about that,
28:22is that it complements the Imperial beautifully, doesn't it?
28:25Absolutely.
28:26It's part of American culture and psyche.
28:29Yes.
28:30Yeah?
28:31Yeah.
28:32You start on that and you end up cruising Main Street in an Imperial.
28:37There won't be any cruising down Main Street unless that thermostat arrives.
28:46Fortunately, next day, it does.
28:50I'm just going to pop the new thermostat in place.
28:54There we go.
28:55Everybody's left me.
28:59Look, you're supposed to know what you're doing, mate.
29:04And I've bought you a big jug of water to fill it up with when you're finished.
29:08Oh, he's just kicked over the water.
29:11I've kicked the bucket.
29:12In goes the H2O.
29:17And we're ready for a test.
29:19OK, let's start it up.
29:23We've got to wait for the thermostat to open to top this up, haven't we?
29:35Yeah, well, yeah, I guess so.
29:38But I think we've probably got enough in because it's dropped down a little bit.
29:43So let's just wait and see what happens.
29:46What are those pipes like now, the heater pipes?
29:49I mean, they're warmer than they were.
29:51But by this time, last time, they'd have been red hot.
29:55That's it.
29:56Well, I think now we've got proper circulation.
30:00I'm going to stick my neck out and say, I reckon we've solved it.
30:04Right, great.
30:05Yeah.
30:06This is definitely warming up.
30:08This was stone cold before.
30:09Yes, that's right.
30:10Yeah, I think we've solved it.
30:12Well done, boss.
30:13I think we might be able to go out for a little drivey-wivey.
30:18Oh, I think we should have a spin, shouldn't we?
30:20So we're back on the road again.
30:25With a car this wide, I hope I don't meet anyone in the lane.
30:31Yeah, and I hope you don't put it in a ditch.
30:34Oh, ye of little faith.
30:38Firstly, there are no ditches big enough.
30:41And secondly, it drives great.
30:43Tell you what, so far so good, I think.
30:48No?
30:49Yeah.
30:50What are the gauges, shall we?
30:51All gauges are right in the middle.
30:52Right, OK.
30:53Battery, temperature, gasoline, which will be down in a minute.
30:57Our Imperial comes from a time when no-one cared about fuel economy.
31:03It does.
31:04Eight miles per gallon on the highway, less in the city.
31:08This literally takes up most of the footprint of a RouteMaster bus.
31:15I think it takes up most of the carbon footprint of the UK.
31:19On a more positive note, there's no sign of overheating or radiator problems.
31:27Shall I try and smoke it and see what happens with the gears?
31:29No.
31:30No, no.
31:31No, you see, there we go.
31:32There's the mechanical sympathies.
31:34Oh!
31:35Oh, here we go.
31:36Just go gently.
31:37Yeah.
31:40Before I destroy the gearbox, we'll head back home.
31:43Fuzz has got a scoot, so me and Guy are going to do a bit of re-upholstery.
31:49This is what you call in the trade, mate, blanket coverage.
31:54Look, these are lovely.
31:55Look, feel how nice they are.
31:57They are soft.
31:58They're all just soft and warm and fuzzy.
32:01Now then, I think these are going to look rather nice in there.
32:05Shall we do the back one first, only because that's the most horrible?
32:08Yes.
32:13Whether they're rolled up on the front forks of a Harley
32:16or adorning the back of a custom car,
32:18the Mexican roll mat has become a restorer staple.
32:22I think we should leave the front seats as they are.
32:28That red goes with that red vinyl.
32:30Yeah, it's great.
32:31Mate, rock on.
32:32I would now be willing to actually sit on that seat now.
32:35Yeah, exactly.
32:36I'll tell you what's lovely about that with that furry inside of that blanket.
32:39If we get sort of stranded.
32:41Yeah.
32:42Nice snooze material.
32:43Yeah, or you can take it out and sit on the riverbank with it.
32:46Exactly.
32:47Or have a picnic.
32:48It's beautiful, man.
32:49Beautiful.
32:50Matt.
32:51Tomorrow, we're heading for a classic American car show at Stoner Park near Henley.
32:58Admittedly, our Chrysler is still more rolling restoration than Concourse Queen,
33:04but it's a perfect candidate for the rally of the giants.
33:20Just two weeks ago, we rolled out a Chrysler Imperial from a container in Maidenhead.
33:29Très bien.
33:30Good for it.
33:31Très bien.
33:32Yeah, great.
33:33All right, Ludo, thank you so much.
33:35Fantastic, Ludo.
33:36We cleaned it.
33:39Repaired it.
33:41We've got proper circulation.
33:43I reckon we've sold it.
33:45And showed it the love.
33:48A little bit along here.
33:51Now we're taking it to a classic car show at Stoner Park near Henley.
33:58Have you filled up with petrol?
34:00Because this likes a drink.
34:02Well, yes is the answer.
34:04With a can or from a pump?
34:06Can.
34:07So it's not that much, is it?
34:09No.
34:10So it was just one can, wasn't it?
34:11We're going to get about ten miles.
34:13Yeah, can we stop at the first petrol station, please?
34:16There's a couple of cans.
34:17All right.
34:18We will stop.
34:19We will stop and guzzle up.
34:23In spite of its thirsty petrol tank, advertisements for the Imperial declared that it was such a
34:29comfortable ride, owners would never want to leave the wheel.
34:33Even on a British road where it dwarfs the other cars, it's incredibly smooth.
34:38Oh man, this is rolling.
34:41I really do feel like we're going to the rally of the giants.
34:45I think it has a feeling already.
34:47It will make it.
34:48Yeah, I think it will make it.
34:49I think it's great.
34:50I love this car.
34:51Five gallons later, we reach Henley.
34:58Hey, I tell you what, it's not bad, is it?
35:12Oh, we've arrived, boys.
35:13Fantastic.
35:14How fantastic is that?
35:15We're right in the middle of the action as well.
35:16Yeah.
35:17The rally of the giants is the UK's largest classic American car show.
35:27Living proof, if it were needed, that when it comes to American cars, size matters.
35:33Alan Murphy is the boss.
35:36Hey, so look, tell us then, mate, about the show and how long has it been going for?
35:42Every year since 1966, bar for the Covid year.
35:47There are 271 entries from all eras of American iron.
35:54Man, they're just beautiful.
35:57And also, they're all so different.
35:59You look at the eclectic mix here.
36:01You know, I'm sorry, in the 40s and 50s, you didn't get that kind of sort of variation
36:06within British.
36:07No.
36:08More black and blue onions.
36:09That's right.
36:10Yeah, with a brown interior.
36:11Yeah.
36:12And no heater.
36:13Yeah, no heater.
36:14Though I was hoping to use the show to find a buyer for the Chrysler, it's impossible
36:20not to go walk about when there's so much to see.
36:24There are all the famous brands, from Chevrolet, to Plymouth, to Buick.
36:34Oh, gosh.
36:35Look at the dashboard, lads.
36:39And rare models like this Cadillac Eldorado, which almost out fins our imperial.
36:45I bought it as a wreck, and I thought, because I didn't have to pay a lot for it, I thought
36:52I'd do a bit of an Elvis tribute, because he had a purple 56.
36:54Did he?
36:55Did he?
36:56So I'd done everything the same, except for he had a white stripe on the back fin there.
37:00So it's an Elvis homage.
37:02It's quite a rare old car.
37:03I mean, I think they made about, you know, 1,200 back in 56.
37:09And going back even further, one of the first ever Cadillacs from 1903.
37:17Tell me about the snake there, that's well cool.
37:19It's a period extra, it's a boa constrictor horn, and the car was 200 pounds new.
37:27Yeah.
37:28That horn was 12 pounds, so well over 10% of the value of the car.
37:32Wow.
37:33That's amazing.
37:34Even more surprising is how you get this Caddy going.
37:37Yeah.
37:38There's a bit of a procedure to it, but if you're happy to do it.
37:40Yeah, go on then.
37:41Go on, Fuzz.
37:42Yeah, I'll do it.
37:43Come on then.
37:44Remove the seat.
37:45Okay.
37:46Okay.
37:47Right.
37:48You lift up the hatch.
37:49Okay.
37:50Can you see there's a tap on the side of the hatch there?
37:52I can, yes.
37:53Turn that to 90 degrees.
37:54Turn to 90 degrees.
37:55Right.
37:56These oilers need to be in the upright position.
37:58Okay.
37:59There's three of them on both oilers.
38:00Two and three.
38:01Correct.
38:02Okay.
38:03This is the important bit.
38:04Can you see the little notch on there?
38:06Here?
38:07Yep.
38:08You need to have that lined up with that line there.
38:11Okay.
38:12If you want to now prime it, I've shown you where the primer lever is.
38:15Righto.
38:16If you now count to five.
38:17One, two, three, four, five.
38:21Yep.
38:22We've now primed the carburetor.
38:23Fantastic.
38:24I'm ready.
38:25We have to put the throttle onto full.
38:27So it's anti-clockwise.
38:29You'll feel it get very stiff.
38:32Go over that.
38:33That's the compression.
38:34Keep going round.
38:35You've got to get it onto the third compression.
38:37There.
38:38Okay.
38:39Right.
38:40Slide that button.
38:41Yeah.
38:42To either the left or the right.
38:44That's ignition.
38:45Two hands now.
38:46Right.
38:47There you go.
38:48Oh, yeah.
38:49It's running, Puzz.
38:50Congratulations, Puzz.
38:51Well done, mate.
38:52Well done, Puzz.
38:53You can take it for granted.
38:54This Cadillac was never used as a getaway car, but there are others that might have been.
39:07I have to tell you, I mean, we're both real bikers, really.
39:10Yeah.
39:11But I don't know what it is, but I just feel like I've come home.
39:15Yeah.
39:16When you look at something like that, with that whole kind of sort of Bonnie and Clyde
39:19sort of vibe.
39:20Yeah.
39:21It's everything that I grew up with.
39:23Great Gatsby and all this kind of stuff, you know?
39:25It's 1930.
39:26Yeah.
39:27They made 128 of them.
39:30And at the moment, we only know of two others worldwide on the road.
39:35Wow.
39:36Now they're still going.
39:37Yeah.
39:38Most of the cars are beautifully restored production models, but there are some fabulous hot rods
39:44like this Model B Roadster.
39:47It was bright yellow when I got it, but I wanted to split it up.
39:50So my mate let me borrow his barn and I painted the back black.
39:54You've done a good job on it.
39:55You did that.
39:56Yeah.
39:57You've got to be partial with the rattle can.
39:58I know.
39:59I've seen that.
40:00We've seen it.
40:01All right.
40:02All right.
40:03Can I just say, it's not that quality mate.
40:04Don't let him near it.
40:06Eight litres.
40:07Yeah.
40:08That is absolutely monstrous.
40:09Proper quick.
40:10You've got to be quite light on the throttle.
40:12And Anne-Marie, I love your outfit to go with it.
40:15You've just got the look.
40:16Yeah.
40:17You on the other hand, Mark.
40:18I mean, he could do better, couldn't he?
40:19Well, yeah.
40:20He's just a craver.
40:21Everybody says that.
40:22But when it comes to engines, very few things can out-wow this vintage Buick.
40:29This is a 1918 car.
40:31Is it?
40:32Yeah.
40:33Almost as old as you.
40:34But it is superbly presented.
40:38Perfect patination.
40:41Oh, yeah, man.
40:42Look at that.
40:43Oh, that is amazing.
40:44That is your cathedral of mechanical music, isn't it?
40:47Isn't it?
40:48It's like an organ.
40:50It's good for 50 miles an hour.
40:52Fantastic.
40:53Rear wheel brakes only.
40:54Is it?
40:55Yeah.
40:56A little bit dangerous.
40:57Yeah.
40:58But at the same time, that's the fun.
41:00Yeah.
41:03So if you want fins, chrome, and unlimited fun, get yourself some American Iron and roll
41:12on down to the Rally of the Giants.
41:14They might look like a million dollars, but these days American classics are surprisingly
41:19affordable, which brings us back to our Chrysler Imperial.
41:25What an amazing day, lads.
41:26Now, look, we were supposed to bring this out and sell it.
41:29We've had too much fun walking around, haven't we?
41:31Yeah.
41:32We haven't exactly been here to sell it.
41:34Yeah.
41:35But do you know, this scene is so fantastic.
41:37It is.
41:38It would be worth keeping hold of it, really, wouldn't it?
41:40Oh, don't say that, mate.
41:41Yeah.
41:42Look, the other thing is, is that we got the Stingray out of boot.
41:44Yeah.
41:45Yeah.
41:46But again, no takers for that, mainly because we haven't been here to entertain them.
41:49We haven't been here to sell it.
41:50No.
41:51Hey, what a great shame.
41:52But all we can do now, really, is find out how much it's worth from Chopper Roy.
41:57Yeah.
41:58But I reckon it's nine grand all day long.
42:02Next day, I find out if my hunch is correct when we stage our own exclusive car show back at the ranch.
42:09I mean, it is a boat.
42:10Yeah.
42:11What do you reckon?
42:12I love it.
42:13Oh, do you?
42:14Yeah, right up my street.
42:15Yeah.
42:16I knew it would be up your street, Chopsicle.
42:18Yeah, I've had loads of these.
42:19Have you?
42:20Yeah.
42:21It's a rolling restoration.
42:22Yeah, it's what it is.
42:23But, what do you reckon?
42:24It's got to be a massive all in ten, but if it was around the nine, I'd probably have
42:30it myself.
42:31Oh.
42:32Well done.
42:33Thank you very much.
42:34There you are.
42:35Yeah, I know.
42:36That's a good deal.
42:37That's great.
42:38We've made a grand on that.
42:39We have.
42:40No, we've done a lot.
42:41Eight and a half.
42:42No, no.
42:43I'm just telling you, I think that would suit you.
42:44I think so.
42:45In fact, you two should go out together in it with your two shirts on.
42:48Look at you, the two of you.
42:51Yep.
42:52As for our other bit of Americana.
42:55It rides nicely, I've ridden it.
42:57Yeah, yeah, they're well built.
42:58400 quid.
43:00Steady on.
43:01Is that good or bad?
43:03No, that's...
43:04I mean, we are on a serious owner there.
43:07They're 300 quid for a rough one, so...
43:09We bought it for 45 quid.
43:11Oh, bargain.
43:12Chopsicle, that's amazing.
43:13You've earned me a thousand pounds.
43:15Yeah.
43:16And potentially...
43:17I've earned you a little tickle there, for sure.
43:19Thank you very much.
43:20Let's just say it's 300.
43:21Yes.
43:22So you've earned me 255 on this.
43:24Bargain.
43:25That's 1,255 quid.
43:27Well done.
43:28Oh.
43:29You're very welcome, sir.
43:30Yeah.
43:32Thank you very much.
43:33It's been a long day, hasn't it?
43:34Yeah.
43:35We're in the money.
43:36We're in the money.
43:37We're in the...
43:38I've got my coat.
43:40Grab mine.
43:41We're blowing.
43:42Ha-ha-ha.
43:50I'll see you next week.
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