- 2 days ago
Wheeler Dealers World Tour - Season 2 Episode 2 -
Brazil: VW SP2
Brazil: VW SP2
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00:00We need you know like sprays
00:14It's not a game of charades I know I'm trying it's like a film is a book
00:19For them no not for another up on the shelf I can see it. There we go
00:26Obrigado, thank you
00:30I don't need much. I just need my knowledge and that's all up here
00:34We packed our bags and our spanners for another globetrotting car fixing adventure
00:43There you go, that's a nice one
00:49We're hunting down some of the world's most iconic cars
00:52Does it get much better than this?
00:56Oh, I can't believe we're standing here in front of an sp2
00:59Leaning on local wheeler dealers because he really wants it. Would you take the 30,000 euro?
01:04No, he busted it
01:05Hey!
01:06To rescue these national treasures on a wheel and a prayer
01:10Please let me find a set of wheels. That's all I'm asking for
01:14And make a few euros, pesos
01:16I think we'll have a deal
01:17I think we'll have a deal
01:18Yes!
01:19And real as we go
01:20I absolutely love it!
01:22I was just working it out
01:24I think this is my 15th visit to Sao Paulo
01:26You're a bit of a local
01:27Well, I came here every year doing Formula One and it is a place that I kind of love
01:32It's, I do feel like a little bit of a local
01:43One thing I don't miss is the road, the amount of traffic on them
01:47Well, that's because it's like 20 million people
01:50It's one of the top 10 megacities on the planet
01:53Yeah
01:54I've actually genuinely got butterflies in my tummy about this car
02:00This is me coming to meet my hero
02:03Now, mate, it's a special, special car
02:06I'm so excited
02:07I am actually, I think a little bit of weed just popped out
02:10I'm that excited
02:11That's just your age, mate
02:12That's been happening a lot recently
02:13Yeah, it has
02:17The Volkswagen SP2 is, in my opinion, the finest car to ever come from Brazil
02:23Created for the Brazilian people, its designers took the underpinnings from a humble Type 3
02:28And clothed them in a simply sensational coupe body
02:33But, because the SP2 was only ever sold in Brazil, hardly anyone got to see it
02:38From 1972 to 76, just 10,000 SP2s were built
02:43And today, they're in high demand
02:46Especially if you're me
02:49It wasn't the perfect car, was it?
02:51Because this car was famous for being slow
02:53No!
02:54Looking fast, but going slow
02:56That's what you're here for
02:57You're right, that is the sort of challenge that I love
03:00Well, listen, it's one of the rarest cars, I mean, on the planet, right?
03:04Yep
03:05So you'd think the price tag has to match
03:07So, I mean, how much are they talking?
03:09So, it's 180,000 rial
03:11That does sound expensive, you're right
03:13It sounds awful, doesn't it?
03:14180,000 rial
03:16Today is around 24 grand
03:18It just seems so cheap to me
03:21The SP2 is being sold by a dealer that specialises in high-end classic cars
03:29What beauty!
03:30Look at this, a white Tesla wrestler
03:33I could spend hours in here
03:35Hi!
03:36Hey, how are you?
03:37Alexandra?
03:38Yes
03:39Alexandra, I'm Mike
03:40Glad to meet you
03:41Yes, this is Elvis
03:42How are you?
03:43So, we spoke on the phone about the VW SP2
03:45Yes
03:46Have you got the keys? Fantastic
03:47Where's the car?
03:48Over there
03:49Thank you
03:50Let's go have a look
03:51Alexander has only just taken delivery of this SP2
03:55So it's not been prepped for sale yet
03:59Look at that
04:00Look at that
04:01Yeah, yeah, yeah
04:02I can't believe it
04:04Oh my God
04:05It's covered in dirt and dust
04:07I know it's filthy dirty, but I love it
04:10Oh, I can't believe we're standing here in front of an SP2
04:13It's in a right old state
04:15I just don't care
04:16I'm gobsmacked Elvis
04:17I'm so happy
04:18I can't see how happy I am
04:19It's just incredible
04:20You've never seen one before
04:21I love it
04:22I absolutely love it
04:27I'm in
04:28Yeah, that's it
04:31That opened
04:32Oh, ho, ho
04:33Look how dusty it is
04:34Oh, wow
04:35It's covered in dust, but look at that dash
04:37Look at that dash
04:38It's actually feels kind of almost race inspired
04:41Everything's geared towards the driver
04:43Other than the fact this console has got some cracks in it
04:46It all looks alright, doesn't it?
04:47Yeah, I mean, it's cool, isn't it?
04:48If you look behind you, there's a knob that'll open up the engine hatch
04:52Right, here we go
04:54Let's have a look
04:55I mean, first glance doesn't look like it's bad condition at all, does it?
04:59Everything's clean and tidy
05:00But see how it drives
05:02I feel like I should be asking for a few quid at the traffic lights
05:07That's way better
05:08I've waited, literally waited decades for this
05:14Let's see if it starts, first of all
05:16It's going to start
05:17It's a Volkswagen
05:18There you go
05:19It doesn't sound great, do you hear that?
05:20No
05:21There is dust everywhere
05:23I just got a reflection in that shop window of how damn cool we look in this car
05:43It's unbelievable
05:44You've been usurped, look at that, somebody cut you right up there
05:47Well, that's because I've got no power
05:48But I do look good, but I'm doing it
05:52It sounds awful
05:53You can feel it juddering
05:55There's something wrong there
05:56That's da-da-da-da-da-da
05:58It's not vroom, is it?
06:00Yeah
06:01It's da-da-da-da-da
06:02I mean, if I bury my foot to the floor when I do get the opportunity
06:06Nothing much happens
06:07I know what it looks like from the outside
06:10It doesn't feel like the performance matches the looks
06:13But maybe that was one of the reasons it never made it to North America
06:16And it's a shame because a car as stunning looking as this
06:20This car should have been celebrating on the global stage
06:23But do you know what? I think that's what we're going to do
06:26But with work to do, I'd like to get the price down
06:29Trouble is, because SP2s are so rare, we're not the ones in the driving seat
06:34How was it, Mike?
06:35Right, well, from the passenger seat, I could see that there are, you know, there's problems
06:41How much money did you want for it?
06:44108
06:45108?
06:46Yes
06:47That's the price?
06:48Yeah, that's the price, that's the minimum
06:51The engine is tuning
06:54Definitely underpowered
06:56It's a very hard car
07:00It's a very difficult one to find one
07:03I know it's rare, that's the reason we've come all the way to Sao Paulo
07:07Because of the rarity
07:08Yes
07:09Um, listen, there's no denying we really do love the car
07:15Well, you got a deal, thank you very much
07:17Thank you very much
07:18Congratulations
07:19Ah, lovely
07:20Thank you very much
07:21Thank you very much
07:22Nice
07:23With good SP2s selling for over 200,000 reals, I reckon we've done okay
07:29Maybe, but with the engine running rough, I'll reserve judgement until we're in a workshop
07:34Well, as we can't do that until tomorrow, we've got an evening free
07:39And I've been tipped off about a local car meet for Brazilian petrol heads
07:44Hey everyone, how are you?
07:45This is nice
07:46Look at this
07:47What's your, do you have a car here?
07:49Yeah, it's a Renault 12 with Brazilian design, Mustang inspiration, much, much more beautiful
07:55Do you know what's amazing? Brazil has its own car culture that's different to everywhere else in the world
08:01Ah, the Avenger, yeah
08:03Yeah, it's a Brazilian version
08:04Yes
08:05Made by Dodge
08:06Dodge
08:07Yes
08:08We're doing the SP2
08:09Really?
08:10Yeah, yeah, yeah
08:11Amazing
08:12Yeah
08:13You bought an SP2?
08:14Yeah
08:15Come on
08:16Yeah, yeah, yeah
08:17It's so good
08:18It's so good, I love it
08:19This is nice, isn't it?
08:20It is good
08:21It is good
08:22Cheers
08:23Cheers
08:24Yeah
08:25Yeah
08:26Yeah
08:27Yeah
08:28Yeah
08:29Oi
08:30Oi
08:31What?
08:32That's how they say hello here in Brazil
08:33What, you're being rude?
08:35No, that's how they say hello
08:37Oi
08:38We've had the SP2 delivered to a workshop in the forests east of Sao Paulo
08:44There are some nasty creatures around here
08:46Oi
08:47Stop it
08:48Oh, I see you saying hello again
08:49No, I'm not actually telling you to stop it
08:52Nestled amongst the trees lies the Car Day Car Museum which has its own dedicated workshop and classic car restoration school
09:01Look what's here, a beautiful workshop
09:04Mauro is their master mechanic
09:06Look at that, the car's made it
09:08Hello
09:09How are you?
09:10Hi Mike
09:11How are you?
09:12Nice to meet you
09:13Nice to meet you
09:14Karina
09:15Karina
09:16These are students for our school here
09:17Ah
09:18She's learning how to fix cars and restore cars
09:21What a great place
09:22Can we say, we're slightly embarrassed because we've arrived with not a very clean car
09:28Yes, yes, yes, it's a little bit dirty but this is our iconic car
09:33This is a great deal for Brazil, it's an amazing project for us, it's like a diamond
09:40Well, we better make it shine like one
09:43Okay, yeah that do, just there, thank you
09:46Here we go
09:49That's a good few months of Sao Paulo dirt right there, let me tell you
09:53I hate dirty cars
09:54Oh, I hate dirty cars too
09:56I love this blue underneath all that dirt
10:00Oi
10:01Sorry buddy
10:02There's no way he should be in charge of a hose
10:05Okay Mike, the car looks great, we can work on the car
10:13The car might look good, but my main concern is that rough running motor
10:17I've just seen an oil leak, which I wasn't hoping to find, let's see where that's coming from
10:26There's oil everywhere
10:27Problem is with these cars, because it's all open, it's exposed, it's air-cooled
10:31The oil gets blown around all over the place, it's often quite difficult to see where it's coming from
10:36So that's one thing, the other thing is that this exhaust is not in good shape either
10:42It's heavily corroded, I can actually see that it's been repaired a couple of times, it's been welded
10:48I can't fix that, it's been repaired so many times, I think that's going to be an expense, we're going to end up buying a new one
10:55Carina, can you help us a little bit to lift the car, please?
11:07Of course
11:08The elevator there
11:09Thank you
11:11Having discovered some potentially costly problems with our SP2 engine, Mauro and Carina are helping me to remove it
11:18The SP2 featured a 1.7 litre version of VW's tried and tested flat-four engine
11:32Right, let's bring you back over here, carefully
11:36But it's low down position under the boot floor means access is limited
11:40So there's no chance of finding the oil leak with it still in the car
11:45Oh
11:46While Elvis gets friendly with the engine, there's a job I want to tackle
11:50Right, I did notice one thing in this centre console, it's got a few cracks in it
11:55I reckon I can get this across to somebody to fix it
11:59Thankfully, the restoration school doesn't deal with just the oily bits
12:03Hola!
12:04Hola!
12:05How are you?
12:07Senior Mike?
12:08My name is Bretta
12:09Bretta, Bretta
12:11Okay, well they sent me up here because apparently you're good at repairing things
12:16This is a console from SP2
12:19Yes
12:20This is where it's damaged
12:21No problem
12:22And this is a pad
12:24Yes
12:25Yes
12:26Yes
12:27Comfortable
12:28Can you do the same?
12:29Yes
12:30You can?
12:31Okay
12:32So it's a tiny modification to the car that's going to improve it and make it more comfortable
12:36Pretta
12:39I've got this
12:40I've got this
12:41Wow
12:42Okay
12:43I've got this
12:44Wow
12:45Exactly
12:46I know exactly
12:47I know you're so impressed
12:49Pretta is right now going, he's a brilliant worker, he's amazing
12:54You know the one thing about this place and the reason we've got our SP2 here is because they inspire
13:03Young adults to come and learn craft, come and learn engineering, come and learn all about design
13:08Gets them inspired into doing something that's not just sat behind a computer desk
13:13It's a hands-on craft, it's wonderful to see
13:18It's actually going to look like a brand new item again, isn't it? It's going to look fantastic
13:21Now there is definitely an oil leak coming from here at the end of these tubes here
13:35These are the pushrod tubes that operate the valves on the outside end of the cylinder heads
13:41The little rubber seals inside here fail over time and these leaks are not unusual at all
13:47The problem with changing these tubes is that the only real way to do that is to remove the cylinder head
13:52Now that's such a big job
13:54There's a company that has developed this
13:56It's a two-piece pushrod tube with a spring in the middle
13:59Which means you can shorten and lengthen it like that
14:03So that you don't need to take the cylinder head off to fit that into this gap
14:07It's absolutely genius and it's going to save me a load of time
14:11First part of the process is to remove the rocker cover which on these engines is held on with this giant spring clip
14:23Rocker cover off you can now see the rockers themselves together with the pushrods that run down each of these individual tubes
14:31To be able to remove the tube, I'm going to take the pushrod out first
14:38Right, these are the pushrods that I'm talking about
14:41To make sure that they go back into the engine in the same order, the same position they came out
14:46I've labelled up a bit of cardboard here
14:48I'm just going to make sure that I know which one is which
14:52Over time each pushrod and rocker have worn in unison
14:57If the pushrods were paired with the wrong rockers
15:00The components wouldn't be properly bedded in with each other which could lead to vibrations
15:04What I'm about to do looks like complete butchery
15:08But it's not
15:09It's actually a nice simple and clever way to get rid of the existing pushrod tubes
15:13I'm going to use these pliers to squash them flat
15:16Put a little twist in them
15:18Allowing me to get rid of it, then I can put my new extendable ones in
15:27That is all the old bits off now
15:29I've got my new stuff ready to start going on
15:31But I don't ever like to put bits back onto an engine in this state
15:35It's got oil all over it
15:37The whole thing needs a good clean up
15:39And it is knocking on and losing light rapidly
15:42But it's got to be done
15:44It could be a late one
15:48Morning, Mauro
15:57Hello, Elvis
15:58How are you?
15:59Yeah, I'm good, I'm good
16:00While I'm back at the workshop carrying on with the oil leak
16:03Now that, that looks amazing
16:06In the suburbs of Sao Paulo, I'm hitching the lift with Jao from the SP2 Club
16:12So let's go
16:14Go, yeah
16:15Great
16:16Oh, this is amazing
16:18It's a stunning car
16:20I love the colour
16:21The silver with the red down the side
16:24The tan interior
16:25I think it's the iconic look
16:27Yes
16:28For one of these
16:29To make sure we do justice to our SP2
16:32Jao has arranged for me to meet its designer
16:35Known simply as Jotta
16:37I've had this obsession with this car for two decades
16:43The thought that I can actually meet the guy that designed the car
16:48I'm kind of nervous, I'll be honest with you
16:50It's a bit like meeting your heroes
16:52Yes, I'm also a fan of him
16:56I will have the great pleasure to present it to you
17:02Mario, do you want to start on the other side?
17:04Yes, yes, for sure
17:05Nice one
17:06Okay
17:07These are our new collapsible pushrod tubes
17:09It's a good clever little simple system this, isn't it?
17:11Yes
17:12It's great
17:13Saves us taking the heads off
17:15It's great because we don't need to disassemble all the engine to change the tubes
17:19Exactly
17:20I'm just putting some clean fresh oil around the seals
17:24Make sure they get seated correctly
17:26Give us a nice tight seal
17:28The only trouble is they become very slippery when they're covered in oil
17:31Yes, yes, we've got the oil
17:37Not only do they work, it's nice shiny clean bits back on the engine
17:41Makes it look good
17:42Yes, looks like a new engine, brand new parts
17:44Which I like
17:45I like it
17:46Having spent around 650 rails on parts
17:49The engine should now be leak free
17:54Maro, I'd quite like to paint this black
17:57I want to make it look like new
17:58Do you think the students might be able to do that for me?
18:00Yes
18:01What would be the word in Portuguese for spray paint?
18:04Chinta spray preta
18:06Chinta spray preta
18:07Chinta spray preta
18:08Chinta spray preta
18:09Correct
18:10Chinta spray preta
18:11Okay
18:12Karina
18:13Hi
18:14Bear with me
18:15I need this painted
18:17Chinta spray preto
18:20Okay
18:21Yes
18:22Chinta spray preto
18:23Okay
18:24Thank you
18:25For the price of a can of spray paint, this 50-year-old engine cover will look as good as new
18:32And while the paint dries, Maro tells me it's time for lunch
18:37Smells incredible
18:39The size of it
18:40They do meet very, very well here
18:43Can you maybe ask Karina for me? Why she came here? What is it about, you know, this school? And why did she want to be part of the project?
18:51Her uncle had a little workshop to fix cars
18:55She tried to help him all the time and he told her this is not a job for girls
19:02Oh really? Wow
19:03Yeah
19:04And now she had this opportunity to learn this job here in the foundation in our school
19:10Yeah, very good
19:11Bueno?
19:12Bueno?
19:13Ótimo
19:14Ótimo
19:16Arriving at Giota's house, it seems he's laid on quite a welcome party
19:20Wow
19:21This is fantastic, look at the colour
19:24This lot love an SP2 almost as much as I do
19:28Bom dia
19:30Bom dia, gentlemen
19:31Wow, look at that, red with a tan lever interior, that's nice
19:35What makes the SP such a special car here in Brazil?
19:39The design is completely different from anything that we had in Brazil back then
19:44Even back in the 70s, they were not common going around
19:47And they were very expensive, so people didn't have this going around very much
19:52When you drive your SP down the road, the people wave or salute
19:56Wave, laugh
19:57Laugh
19:58Laugh, give your heart
19:59Yeah, heart signs
20:00Kids love it
20:01Kids love them as well
20:02Yes, people love it
20:03My heart is racing
20:04I'm finally getting to meet the man who designed this Brazilian masterpiece
20:08This is a beautiful house, it's stunning
20:10Yeah
20:11Let me present your Jota
20:12Ah, there he is
20:14Jota, just so happy to meet you
20:17Hola
20:18I'm happy
20:19Thank you very much
20:20Good to see you
20:21What an incredible house, we've got SP2s everywhere all over the wall
20:26I can see very clearly there's elements in all these cars that are similar in a way to the SP
20:33They're very low slung coupe with a large back
20:37This is the original one
20:39Ah, that's the original SP
20:41Yes, of the SP2
20:42Wow
20:43Look at that, that's the original drawing
20:46And look at the wheels, it's got magnesium wheels on it
20:49These are the mag alloy wheels
20:52That makes the car look so much different, doesn't it?
20:56That's what we need to do
20:58Very nice
20:59How nice is this, Mr. Jota?
21:01We've just got a few questions
21:02Yeah
21:03A few questions to Mr. Jota
21:05No, mister
21:06Jota
21:07You designed the most amazing car
21:11People love this car
21:13What was your inspirations back then?
21:15I feel proud of the Jaguar XK 120
21:20And the Miura
21:22It was a Grandini car
21:25I didn't know it
21:26But it was the Lamborghini Miura
21:29What I did was a mere pretentious copy of what was done at the time
21:36You're being very, very modest
21:38We think it's a very special car
21:40So, at the time when the car was released
21:43Some people said that the power and the performance didn't match the looks
21:49That was a product of Volkswagen
21:54We didn't have the opportunity to develop a car with a power and a stronger capacity
22:04It was a Fusca with a different appearance
22:10Who wanted a motor, bought a Lamborghini
22:14It's the perfect dancer
22:17It's the perfect dancer
22:18It's the perfect dancer
22:19I think it's absolutely amazing, as it is
22:22But do you have any regrets?
22:24De rodas maiores
22:26Rodas mais poderosas
22:29E mais largas
22:31Só que nunca tivemos essa oportunidade
22:34Porque a gente tinha uma mecânica definida
22:37All right
22:38Well, I've learnt a lot
22:40Thank you, obrigado
22:41For giving us this time
22:42It's absolutely amazing
22:47Well, that was a real treat, wasn't it?
22:48Meeting Jota
22:49And I could get it from him
22:51That he would love to have improved the car
22:53If he had another chance
22:54He would have put a bigger power plant and some alloy wheels
22:57He would definitely have done that
22:58Now, we can't change the engine
23:00And we can't do all of that stuff
23:01But we can definitely make improvements to ours
23:04And maybe turn it into the car it should have always been
23:16Right, let's go
23:17Another day in paradise
23:27Well, you know that saying
23:28Never meet your heroes
23:29You know, a bit like that first time you met me
23:31You know that saying
23:33They shatter your illusions
23:35Just like when I met you
23:36Well, I think I met a hero yesterday
23:40He was so humble and so gracious
23:42It was amazing
23:43So Jota
23:44Every single picture of ESP
23:46They've got an amazing set of alloy wheels
23:49Oh yeah?
23:50Amazing
23:51Yeah, it changes the whole dynamic of the car
23:53Every car that I've seen has steel wheels
23:56I sort of just nodded to a few people and said
23:58You know, why don't you have the alloy wheels?
24:00And they went there
24:01They're really hard to find
24:02But I think that's going to be my mission
24:04Yeah
24:05And I'm going to find us a set of those alloy wheels
24:07These magnesium alloy wheels were fitted to the original SP prototype
24:11When it was unveiled in 1971
24:15But by the time the car went into production
24:17The accountants had insisted on cheaper steel rims
24:21Fitting the original alloys would be a huge selling point for our car
24:26Although they won't come cheap
24:27Even if you can find them
24:29Wow
24:30Look at that
24:31Look at that
24:32That is fantastic
24:33I might need this man's help
24:34You just need to keep the faith, Elvis
24:38Please let me find a set of wheels
24:42That's all I'm asking for
24:43What is he doing?
24:45Tell you what Mike
24:47I'll leave you two to him
24:48I've still got plenty to do on that engine
24:50When I drove this car
24:53It was clearly down on power
24:55It didn't have the performance that it feels like it deserves
24:57But also it wasn't running well
24:59Now I could take apart these twin carburettors here
25:03Service them
25:04Probably improve all of that
25:05But actually we could upgrade them to slightly larger carburettors
25:08And that will also improve the performance
25:11New carbs will be a 3,400 real bite out of our budget
25:15But should give a significant boost in power
25:19I've unbolted the manifold
25:20Because I'm actually going to take the manifold
25:22And the carburettor off at the same time
25:24Now I've just got to disconnect the fuel hoses
25:26And then we're going to get rid of the whole lot
25:28Hi, Alvis
25:30Look
25:31It's here
25:32Look, everything is brand new
25:33Absolutely love it, mate
25:34Yeah, look the difference
25:35You can compare the two, can't you?
25:37This new one
25:38The Jets are bigger
25:39The Venturi's bigger
25:40So you're going to get more fuel and air mixture into the engine
25:42Which gives us a bigger bang for our buck
25:44And a little bit more performance
25:45Yeah
25:46I like it
25:47Now you've done a few of these before, right?
25:48So...
25:49Yes, yes
25:50I think it's a good idea
25:51The car looks a sportive car
25:52I think we put the new carburettors
25:54We can take more force
25:56To ride more faster with the car
25:57Let's get these on
25:58OK
25:59In theory this uprated system could boost performance by 10-15%
26:04So that's the manifold now with its little insulator plate on there
26:10And that means the carburettor can now slot on top
26:12I really need a set of the alloy wheels
26:17How difficult?
26:19Magnesium alloy wheels
26:25No?
26:26Really impossible?
26:28Seriously?
26:29I mean...
26:30I'm exhausting every option here
26:34OK, so I've got both new carburettors on
26:40And this connects them both together
26:42When you push down the accelerator pedal
26:44It operates both carburettors at the same time
26:48The final thing to do is to set them up
26:51Both carburettors should reach full throttle at exactly the same moment
26:55So that one's hard against a stop
26:57This one still has a little bit of movement in it
27:01But luckily there's a bit of adjustment I can do to make that happen
27:03Lovely
27:06On top of these nice shiny new carburettors
27:11Two nice shiny new air filters
27:13High performance of course
27:15Not only should they help our engine run smoothly
27:18They're going to up its performance
27:20And also, they look great
27:22Tell you what though
27:24I've worked up a thirst
27:25Two caipirinhas
27:27OK, thank you
27:28Cheers
27:32And enjoy your caipirinha
27:34Is it healthy?
27:35Oh, it's got a piece of cucumber
27:36Oh yes, of course
27:37It's one by five a day
27:38How did you get on today?
27:39Wheels?
27:40I didn't find any
27:41That was your mission, surely, today?
27:44Can't find them
27:45I jump on the phones, I've talked to people
27:48I've literally become best friends with every person in the SP2 Owners Club
27:54It's not about your social life, mate
27:56Did you find any wheels?
27:57It looks great
27:58But those wheels are going to make it better
27:59Well, thank you for putting even more pressure on me
28:01There you go
28:02I haven't got a clue where I'm going to find them
28:12Right
28:13Let's take the old distributor out
28:18While Mike continues the search for those elusive wheels
28:20I've devised another performance upgrade for our SP2
28:23I've got one last little trick up my sleeve before I finally put the engine back into the car
28:32And it might look like a standard distributor, but it's not
28:35Unlike a traditional mechanical distributor, this one features a computer module that enables us to adjust the engine's ignition timing to increase power at certain RPMs
28:45Right, there we go
28:47Right, there we go
28:48That is our new distributor in
28:50And I'm actually quite excited by this, you know
28:52This is a new bit of kit that I've never even seen before
28:55And if it works the way it should, it's going to be brilliant
28:58I can't test out the new distributor or carburetor until the engine's back where it belongs
29:05Re-seating the motor in the SP2's tiny engine bay is far from simple
29:10Over that little step
29:12We need to be careful
29:14The last thing I want to do is damage the car, the engine, or both
29:17Down you come
29:19Yeah
29:20Yeah, a little touch more of it
29:24Okay, well
29:26In busy Sao Paulo, I'm refusing to give up the hunt for the SP2 alloys
29:33I managed to track somebody down who has a set of wheels
29:37He's got a set, which is good news
29:39But he won't sell them, which is bad news
29:42But I've got a plan to help twist his arm
29:46Oh
29:47Hola
29:48Hola
29:49How are you?
29:50I'm asked by a gift scotch whisky
29:53Scotch whisky?
29:54Yeah
29:55Aha
29:56What a gift
29:57So if I was to give this to a Brazilian
30:01Brazilian, they would be happy?
30:03They would?
30:04They would?
30:05Yes, okay, I love that
30:07It's wonderful
30:08Thank you
30:09Alright, let's hope this works
30:11At the workshop, another new parts arrived and it's the most expensive so far
30:17Hello, Al
30:18Ha ha
30:19Here
30:20There it is
30:21A twin pipe exhaust system costing 4,000 reals
30:26Here we go
30:28Another nice shiny bit for the back of our car
30:33More than that, it gives us a little bit of extra performance
30:37The bore of a pipe is all a little bit larger than before
30:41So whilst with those bigger carburettors we're getting more air fuel mixture into the engine
30:45This high performance stage one exhaust is going to help us to get all of that out as well
30:49And the whole thing should boost our performance
30:53This is the final piece of the performance puzzle
30:57That's it, which means I'm ready to fire it up and listen to how this thing sounds
31:02We're about to find out if the new carburettors, distributor and exhaust work together in harmony
31:09Here goes
31:10Sounds great
31:18Yeah right, sounds really good at the exhaust but I've also got a nice intake sound from those massive carburettors too
31:25Hello
31:31I'm looking for Victor
31:33Yes
31:34Alright, thank you
31:35Obrigado
31:36Victor is a VW restorer, collector and the current guardian of a set of ridiculously rare magnesium wheels
31:44Wow, wow, wow
31:46Oh, Mike
31:48Victor
31:49Nice to see you
31:50Mike
31:51Welcome
31:52Very nice to see you
31:53Very nice to see you
31:54I feel like I've stepped into some kind of Volkswagen dream
31:57This is incredible
31:58Yeah
31:59You have one of every flavour of Type 2
32:02And you have this as well
32:03This is the...
32:05My baby
32:06SP1?
32:07The SP1
32:08The dream of each collector
32:11One of ten
32:12One of ten in existence
32:14The SP1 was an early production version of the SP2
32:18And only 88 were ever made
32:21I'm just cause I can say I touched it
32:23Yes
32:24You can touch
32:25Just a little
32:26Just a little
32:27That's incredible
32:28So, you have a set of alloy wheels for an SP2
32:34Yes
32:35That you don't want to sell
32:36I don't want to sell
32:38I was kind of wondering
32:39I can show you
32:40Can I see him?
32:41Yes, let's go upstairs
32:42Yeah, lovely
32:43One, two, three
32:45Hey
32:46Hey
32:47Hey
32:48Hey
32:49Hey
32:50Oh, there's parts everywhere
32:51Ooh
32:52I feel like these are the crown jewels
32:53They're actually really nice, aren't they?
32:55I know they're not for sale
32:57You keep saying they're not for sale
32:59If I said 5,000 rial
33:01Oh, no way, Mike
33:02They cannot sell to you
33:036,000?
33:046,000 rial?
33:05A little more
33:07Well, you would sell them then, see?
33:08There is a price
33:0911,000
33:1111,000
33:12You want 11?
33:13Yes
33:1411 is too much
33:15Hold on
33:16Ooh
33:17I thought I'd present you with a gift
33:20Ooh, very nice
33:22If I was to give you a gift
33:24And
33:2510,000 rial
33:28Can we have a deal?
33:2910,000 rial
33:31Okay, you are very kind, man
33:33Yes
33:34And I'm your fan
33:36That's a good hug
33:39That is a really good hug
33:4110,000 rials is about 1,400 quid
33:45So they certainly weren't cheap
33:47But the sense of achievement is priceless
33:50This has been a fantastic day so far
33:52And it's not over
33:53You know why?
33:54Because I can smell a barbecue
33:56They're doing lunch
33:57Oh, this is lovely
33:59I never expected this today
34:01Oh, my pleasure, Mike
34:03Oh, thank you
34:04I've got a nice set of wheels
34:05And an amazing lunch
34:06With a beautiful family, so
34:08It's very nice
34:10And here we have a RPM
34:13Voltage, temperature
34:15At the workshop
34:17Electrics whiz Manan
34:18Is a dab hand at setting up distributors
34:21Like ours
34:22This distributor
34:23This clever piece of kit
34:25It's Bluetooth, right?
34:26Yeah
34:27Here in the cell phone
34:28You can change the points of the engine
34:30So this is RPM
34:32The engine speed along the bottom
34:33This is the degrees of timing
34:35Exactly
34:36So what you're saying with this
34:37You can change the timing of the engine
34:40At different points in the engine's rev range
34:43Exactly
34:44You must have already designed a map for this engine, right?
34:46Yes, I have
34:47I sent you
34:48Perfect
34:49Modern cars allow you to remap the ignition timing by plugging in a laptop
34:54The new distributor allows me to do a similar thing on a 50-year-old VW
34:58And this box of tricks has one more clever feature
35:02We have our other option for immobilise your engine too
35:07So nobody can start it?
35:08Exactly
35:09Now, turn on
35:14I love it, I love it
35:17Elvis, how you doing buddy?
35:19This is going to feel like all your Christmases have come at once
35:23You found them?
35:24How did I find them?
35:25Or what?
35:26Mate, they look awesome
35:27They are fantastic
35:28And they look how nice they are
35:31So I tracked down somebody
35:33And he didn't want to sell them
35:34I managed to throw a number at him that he was happy with
35:37And I bought the wheels
35:38So that means it must have been a big number to change his mind
35:41It's got the word thousands in it
35:43How many thousands?
35:44Come on
35:4510,000 real
35:46I mean I reckon I'm up to maybe 12,000 max
35:51Let's just hope they pay for themselves when we come to sell
35:55So I've put it out there in amongst the community
35:58And I have a father and son team that are on the hook at around 220,000 real
36:04Good
36:05I've said to them, look, we think it's going to outperform a standard SP
36:09So I've arranged to have an SP2 delivered to a racetrack
36:13We have to beat a standard SP2
36:15So let's hope it doesn't fail
36:16All we've got to do is bolt the wheels on and finish it up
36:19Let's get there and shove it
36:20Right, I'll get the wheels
36:34Just give me a second
36:36Just to savour the fact that I'm in Sao Paulo, Brazil
36:41In an SP2
36:43I just can't tell you just this moment
36:46I've got goosebumps
36:47Look at my hair
36:48Look genuinely
36:49Look at my hair
36:50It's all standing up on ends
36:52This car is just to die for
37:00We're on our way to a local drag trip to meet potential buyers
37:04Right now though, selling is the last thing I want to do
37:11It fits beautifully
37:13The way that you sit in this car
37:15You're in this slinky driving position
37:17Yeah
37:18Plenty of space inside the cockpit
37:20Yeah
37:22This is a great day, isn't it?
37:24It's quite possibly my favourite ever
37:27Wiener deal a day
37:28This is easily
37:29Go on, give it some
37:31What the sound!
37:33The sound is fantastic!
37:35I've got those giant twin carbs on it now
37:38Which you can actually hear the induction noise
37:40You can hear it sucking in all that extra air
37:43And then that high performance exhaust as well
37:45Sounds really crisp
37:47It's bloody brilliant
37:48I absolutely love it
37:50We get to do some cool stuff
37:52We do!
37:53This is just the best ever day
37:58Has a car ever looked this good
38:01In the sunshine
38:02On a track
38:03Ever?
38:04It's a beautiful car
38:05In a beautiful colour
38:06Now looking even better
38:08I've got to say
38:09These wheels
38:10They really do set it off nicely
38:11Don't they?
38:12They are
38:13The shop window dressing for this car
38:14And the impossible find
38:17They look stunning
38:18But so was the price tag
38:19I just hope the buyers like them
38:21As much as we do
38:24They should love the way the car's running
38:26The Bluetooth distributor
38:27Has got it purring like a kitten
38:30Those uprated Webber carburetors
38:32Will have beefed up the horsepower
38:35And this rorty twin pipe exhaust system
38:37Seals the deal
38:39Inside
38:40Preta did a lovely job
38:41Repairing the centre console
38:44So including the $180,000
38:46We spent to buy a SP2
38:48The car owes us just over
38:50$200,000
38:53That's about $27,500
38:58The competition has arrived
39:00Mate, you seen that?
39:01That looks amazing
39:02It looks great
39:04This pristine Volkswagen
39:05Is the pride and joy
39:06Of Carlos
39:07From the SP2 Owners Club
39:10Hey Carlos
39:11Carlos, how are you?
39:12Nice car
39:13Our aim is to prove that our car
39:15Complete with its engine upgrades
39:16And lightweight rims
39:17Is significantly faster
39:19Than Carlos' standard SP2
39:22And the people we need to prove it to
39:24Have just arrived
39:25Vinicius
39:27Nice to meet you
39:28Nice to meet you
39:29Nice to meet you
39:30Nice to meet you
39:31Nice to meet you
39:32I'm going to check everything
39:33See the engine
39:34Go ahead
39:35So let's check the car
39:36Thank you
39:37You're in trouble
39:38Why?
39:39Dad's turned up with the VW top on
39:40They look like they're absolute experts over these
39:43I've got Vinicius and Gilberto on the hook
39:45At $220,000
39:47A shade over £30,000
39:50You like what you see, don't you?
39:53AP carbs
39:54Exactly
39:55It's got high performance exhaust
39:56Yes
39:57Very beautiful
39:58Fits the car perfectly
39:59There you go
40:00Part one done
40:01Tick
40:02Box ticks
40:03The wheels
40:04The wheels
40:05That was difficult
40:06That was almost like
40:07I was trying to break into a Brazilian bank
40:09To try and find them
40:10So are you happy with what you've seen?
40:12It's fantastic
40:13Yes
40:14Color, wheels
40:15Exhaust
40:16The carbs
40:17So if this car can beat that car
40:20Over that finishing line down there
40:22Does it look like we might have a deal?
40:24Errr
40:25You think?
40:26Okay
40:27It's okay mate
40:28Yeah okay, lovely
40:29All right
40:30Thank you very much
40:31I'll have the keys, thank you very much
40:32Nice, right then Elvis
40:33Get ready to lose
40:36So here's the plan
40:37I'm going to be driving Carlos' totally standard car
40:41While I'll be launching a performance tuned SP2
40:45To ensure our car's running at max power
40:48I'm going to remotely tweak the new distributor
40:50I'm now connected to Mike's car via my app
40:54I can put the performance ignition timing map in
40:57You're good to go
40:58So I'm going to be in turbo mode now
41:00Do it
41:01Here we go
41:02Hold on mate
41:04There's a problem
41:08It's dead
41:09This car ain't going anywhere
41:10Of course I can immobilise his car from here, can't I?
41:13Try it now
41:18Right, okay
41:19I'm such a schoolboy
41:20Well done mate
41:21Well done, you fixed it
41:23Right
41:24It's showtime
41:27This is a race I don't want to win
41:29But I'm still going to try
41:31I've got a quarter of a mile to show Vinicius and Gilberto
41:34The RSP2 has the power to match its looks
41:41I've got this
41:42Let's do this
41:43Let's do this
41:44Oh, come on you lovely little bit
41:56Ahaha
42:06He's got me
42:08He's got me
42:09Got me!
42:10Got him!
42:11I've got him!
42:16I've left him in my way!
42:20And the winner!
42:23I've never been happier!
42:27What a way to go and get £220,000.
42:32One of the best days ever.
42:34Get in!
42:35Yay!
42:40Mate, congratulations!
42:42How good was that?
42:43That was absolutely fantastic!
42:45That looks so good!
42:46Even from behind, I can tell you, it looks great!
42:48It's a little rocket ship, this car!
42:49Did you see that?
42:50Did you see that?
42:51Was you impressed?
42:52The sound, the speed is perfect.
42:54It is perfect.
42:55We said if this car beats that car in a straight race across that finishing line, we got a deal with £220,000.
43:03You still happy with that?
43:05I think we have a deal.
43:06Yes!
43:07Oh, fantastic!
43:08Thank you very much!
43:09Well done!
43:10Congratulations!
43:11Thank you!
43:12And you son!
43:13That is awesome!
43:14Well done!
43:15Great work!
43:16Well listen guys, we just want to say on behalf of both of us, obrigado and thank you so much!
43:19It's been amazing!
43:20Thank you!
43:21Thank you to come to Brazil!
43:22Right, shall we hit the airport?
43:24Absolutely!
43:25I need a drink and I've got some ideas where we can go next!
43:27I'll get you a caipirinha!
43:28Nice!
43:29Thanks!
43:30Thank you!
43:31Thanks!
43:32Thank you so much!
43:33I'll see you next week.
43:34Thank you!
43:35Bye!
43:37Please!
43:38Bye!
43:39Bye!
43:41Bye!
43:42Bye!
43:44Bye!
43:45Bye!
43:46Bye!
43:47Bye!
43:48Bye!
43:50Bye!
43:51Bye!
43:52What's the next week?
43:54Bye!
43:56Bye!
43:57Bye!
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