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Ant Anstead Born Mechanic Season 2 Episode 4
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FunTranscript
00:00I'm an Anstead, and when it comes to cars, I can fix almost anything.
00:08Oh, there she goes!
00:11When it comes to houses, not so much.
00:17I'm supercharging my mission.
00:20Oh, my God!
00:22Fixing up and flipping eight more classic motors.
00:25You look like Lauren and Ardy, you two.
00:29Because the 500-year-old farmhouse I bought for my parents to retire in...
00:34...is a crumbling money pit.
00:37I would brace yourself, cos it ain't gonna be cheap.
00:40But I won't be defeated.
00:42Yeah! It's beautiful, isn't it?
00:44I want Mum and Dad moved in before summer ends.
00:47We'll call it glamping, shall we?
00:49Right, that's the spirit.
00:51And with the help of family...
00:54I did it!
00:55...and my petrolhead pal, Duncan.
00:58Yay!
00:59Come on then, let's go!
01:01I'm determined to turn cars into cash.
01:05Whoa!
01:06Even if it kills me.
01:08Whoa!
01:09Whoo!
01:10One wheelbarrow.
01:22Oh, wonderful.
01:23With just three months till the end of summer, it's all hands on deck to move the house along, inside and out.
01:30Go on!
01:31Go on, Sue!
01:32As you can see, Dad and I have cleared all of this.
01:40It doesn't look great.
01:41I know, we're a bit worried cos none of this will grow back at all.
01:45And as you can see, we can see through it now.
01:48Right, so what are the options?
01:50Take them out and replace them, but it's going to take years for them to regrow.
01:54Or we put other bushes in, or flowers.
01:58But then whatever we planted there is going to take time.
02:02Yeah.
02:03What about carrying the fence round?
02:05Four or five panels here, and it would absolutely screen off from that bay window.
02:11Yeah.
02:12I think that's a good idea.
02:13Plan decided.
02:14Awesome.
02:15More fencing isn't in the budget.
02:18So to raise some cash, I'm taking a trip down to Devon, where I was born.
02:24To check out a kit car classic that might just brighten my day, I saw an advert online for a 1972 VW Beetle based beach buggy.
02:34And the reason why it piqued my interest so quickly is because being a Devon boy, I've spent many rainy Devon days on beaches.
02:41Also, I've lived in California for quite a few years now, and that is exactly where the beach buggy scene started.
02:51In 1964, a guy called Bruce Myers took a VW Beetle chassis and stuck a lightweight fiberglass body on it, creating the first ever Myers-Manks buggy.
03:02It sparked a phenomenon, and he sold thousands of kits so others could create their own customized buggies too.
03:10Since then, more than a quarter of a million have hit the road and the beach.
03:16They're normally around 10 grand, and this is actually relatively cheap.
03:20It's six.
03:21I'm imagining it has problems.
03:23But on the good side, negotiating for a beach buggy while it's raining is probably a good thing.
03:32Hey, hopefully you're Boycey.
03:35Ant, how are you? Yes, that's me, Adam Boyce.
03:37I'm always nervous when I come to see used car salesmen, particularly ones called Boycey.
03:40You must get loads of stick from your friends.
03:42Of course I do.
03:43Alright, well I'm here for the beach buggy.
03:44She's in here. Come and have a look.
03:46Alright.
03:48Let's hope this Boycey's not flogging three-wheeled yellow vans.
03:51Buggies are one of those cars you just stand in front of and you just smile.
03:56Oh, man.
03:57Alright, so what is the history then?
03:59As you can see, I collect a few bits and bobs.
04:01On top of sales cars as well.
04:03I've had it a couple of years.
04:04All I've done.
04:05Take my little girl out.
04:06It's been brilliant.
04:07You've had just daddy-daughter fun in it.
04:09Yeah.
04:10I've done no maintenance.
04:11I haven't even checked the oil.
04:12Now I'm in front of it.
04:13Give me all the worst things about it.
04:14Got to pull away in second.
04:16The clutch's got a bit of a judder in first.
04:18However, you can master it.
04:19But if it jumps out of gear at traffic lights, it's fairly embarrassing.
04:22So it needs a new clutch, right?
04:24Yeah, yeah.
04:26What?
04:27I mean, who did this?
04:29This?
04:30That's like boat decking.
04:31Yeah, that was me.
04:32I liken it to one of those American classics, you know, with the wood on the side.
04:36That does not get the woody status in a million years.
04:39Hop in.
04:40Have a feel.
04:41Come on.
04:42What is that?
04:43That is usage.
04:45Oh, my God.
04:46Boise in real life.
04:47I should have grew me tatch a bit more, shouldn't I?
04:49All right, look.
04:50Give me maybe 10, 15 minutes.
04:51Let me have a crawl around it.
04:52Find out what else doesn't work.
04:53Of course.
04:54And then I'll come grab you.
04:57It is tatty.
04:58I mean, it's really tatty.
05:00Exhaust is rusty.
05:02The chrome's flaking off.
05:04There's no air filter.
05:06Everything just feels a bit high.
05:08This looks like it's high.
05:10The windscreen looks like it's high.
05:12Oh, it's a wrap.
05:13Oh, this body isn't painted.
05:15It's wrapped in a vinyl.
05:16Huh.
05:17They ultimately were conceived as a homemade kit car, which means that no two beach buggies
05:25are the same.
05:26And some people make some really choice decisions on the interior and the seats in this are terrible.
05:30But the good news is this is based on a VW Beetle and getting parts is relatively easy and affordable.
05:36Well, at least she starts.
05:49But most importantly, there's tons of potential in it.
05:54And there's margin in it.
05:55The only problem is I've got to go and negotiate with a used car salesman called Boise.
06:01I'm hoping to knock at least a grand off the asking price.
06:05So this is going to test my haggling skills.
06:08So how much did you advertise the car for?
06:11Five double nine five.
06:12Right.
06:13Let's go four grand.
06:15Absolutely not.
06:16The door is that way out.
06:17I mean, a little bit more than like four two fifty.
06:20Four and a quarter.
06:21I've got a mouse to feed.
06:22I'm a Devon boy as well.
06:23Oh, that counts.
06:24Yeah.
06:25I'm inheriting all the problems with this car.
06:27This is a clean hands for you.
06:29Four and a half grand.
06:30Four and a half grand.
06:31Gets it out the way, I suppose.
06:33Promise me you do something really cool with it.
06:35Four and a half.
06:36A darn done deal.
06:39Oh my gosh.
06:40My mind's already racing.
06:41I'm already thinking about what I can do to make a margin on this car.
06:45I'm definitely going to have to do something with a body.
06:47The blue is just a bit meh.
06:51It's a beach buggy.
06:53Why can't it scream a bit louder?
06:56Because the high profits exist when it's incredibly unique.
07:00You narrow how many people want it because it's wild.
07:03But the two that want it, yeah, they tend to pay a bit more.
07:08And buggies are even more fun when the sun's shining.
07:11So let's see if it can raise a smile from Duncan.
07:16Yeah?
07:17It's a beach buggy.
07:18Wow.
07:19What do you think?
07:20Looks a bit of fun.
07:21Who doesn't love a beach buggy?
07:22You see you're already smiling.
07:23I like it.
07:24But it looked like it was hopping a little bit.
07:25That hopping was because the clutch is done.
07:26And I took a punt because ultimately it's just a VW Beetle.
07:27So parts are cheap, affordable and accessible.
07:28Let's see what, jump in.
07:29Fits it like a glove.
07:30How good is that?
07:31Do you know what?
07:32It kind of suits you.
07:33The windscreen's got to come off.
07:34It's just hideous.
07:35It's just this.
07:36It's so big.
07:37It is so big.
07:38It is so big.
07:39I'm wondering whether we kind of cut four inches out of it.
07:40Yeah.
07:41But also, like, we've actually bought one that is a bit of a bump.
07:43It's a bit of a bump.
07:44It's a bit of a bump.
07:45But ultimately, it's just a VW Beetle.
07:47So parts are cheap, affordable and accessible.
07:49Let's see what, jump in.
07:50Fits it like a glove.
07:51How good is that?
07:52Do you know what?
07:53It kind of suits you.
07:55The windscreen's got to come off.
07:57It's just hideous.
07:58It's just this.
07:59It's so big.
08:00It is so big.
08:01I'm wondering whether we kind of cut four inches out of it.
08:03Yeah.
08:04But also, like, we've actually bought one that is a bit of a bump.
08:07It is a bit of a blank canvas.
08:09This is actually not paint.
08:10It's a wrap.
08:11Hopefully, it's not hiding any sinister bits.
08:14I think if we pull the wrap off and then ultimately do something crazy,
08:18something that says this is an individual beach buggy.
08:21We can get a bit wild with this.
08:23Right.
08:24That's the spirit.
08:29Are you holding on?
08:34Told you that clutch was gone.
08:37But before I get cracking, there's the small matter of the fence I promised my mum.
08:44So we get the posts in the right place.
08:46We want to just put a couple of mounting screws.
08:48Do you reckon you can get a drill behind that way?
08:50Through there.
08:51Go through there.
08:52Get in the hedge, Dad.
08:55Yep, that's perfect.
08:56Good.
08:57Another one in the middle.
08:58Once the fence is in position, I'll concrete the posts to make it solid.
09:04Okay, do you want to grab the screws?
09:09Dad?
09:10Where'd he go?
09:11The worst apprentice ever.
09:12Lucky my other wingman is right where I need him.
09:21Right, we want to get this beach buggy driving properly.
09:27To tackle the dodgy clutch, the engine's got to come out.
09:32It's going to be a fun car, right?
09:33Laughs per mile is going to be immense.
09:36It's secured with just four bolts.
09:39And I'm hoping any fixes will be just as simple.
09:42I love the fact that it's totally open.
09:51That's it.
09:52Go on, then.
09:53Go on, then.
09:55Another patient on the trolley.
09:59We need to strip off the clutch to get an idea of what's going on.
10:03We'll draw on this one.
10:05I want that one.
10:06Why?
10:07It's faster.
10:16I mean, the flywheel looks pretty decent.
10:19That flywheel's good.
10:21But you can see the clutch plate itself.
10:24Look at those uneven surfaces.
10:27Yeah, a bit of distortion.
10:29Any warping means the clutch plate can't sit flat on the flywheel.
10:33So instead of a smooth bite, you're kangaroo hopping all over the driveway.
10:38All right, well, I'll get a clutch kit.
10:43That's not good.
10:44Looks like I've got another problem.
10:46Oh, man.
10:48That can't be right.
10:50The feature of this engine is that that crankshaft.
10:53It's supposed to have a little bit of play there, but not that much.
10:57That's probably where our judderings on the clutch.
11:00This excessive front-to-back play is known as end float.
11:04And left unchecked, it'll wear down the engine,
11:07leaving us with an even bigger problem on our hands.
11:10Imagine you're depressing the clutch pedal and it engages.
11:12It has to move that much before it turns the clutch.
11:15You've got no control over that.
11:18So first job and the list is already piling up.
11:21Great.
11:34My beach buggy is in pieces and the costs are growing.
11:37Getting parts for Beetles is really easy, but it was more expensive than I thought.
11:42This clutch kit was 120 quid.
11:45At the same time, I got a new rear main seal and these shims.
11:51Each one of these pieces of metal is an individual and different size.
11:55Now this engine is designed to have a tiny bit of float.
11:58If you have too much, you can imagine all those rotating and moving parts
12:02banging left to right and ultimately the engine is going to fail.
12:04Now the good news is, is that we can tackle it with shims behind that flywheel.
12:09Now before I think about stripping this flywheel off,
12:12I want to measure exactly how much play there is.
12:14And that'll tell me how many shims I'm going to put in.
12:17And to do that measurement, I'm going to use this, a DTI gauge.
12:22It stands for Dial Test Indicator.
12:25It's super accurate.
12:27Inside, a tiny rack and pinion converts push on the arm to rotation of the dial.
12:32Carefully move the flywheel out.
12:37And that's 40 thou, which is a millimetre.
12:39Which doesn't seem like a lot because that's a minute measurement.
12:41But when you're dealing with an engine that's rotating at thousands of revs a minute,
12:46a millimetre is a lot.
12:48That's about five times too much.
12:50Right, this is normally jammed on there quite hard.
13:01Now this black piece of rubber, that's the rear main end seal.
13:04That keeps the oil inside the engine.
13:06So this surface here, this inner doughnut, that is the backside of the crankshaft.
13:12That goes against these inner four bolts here.
13:14That bolts tight to the crank.
13:15So when the crank's rotating, it's also rotating the flywheel.
13:19Then the shim sits between this smooth surface and that smooth surface, taking up the slack.
13:26Effectively, the shims hold it tight against the casing on the engine.
13:29Now we can't have it too tight.
13:31I can't put a millimetre's worth of shims in, because it'll have no flexibility.
13:35So what I want to do, is using a series of these wafer thin shims,
13:39get to about 0.8 millimetres, leaving 0.2 millimetres of space.
13:44I think these three together, yeah, 0.8.
13:49There's no crazy engineering with putting these shims in.
13:52It's just a spacer.
13:54Slots on like that.
13:55While I'm here, I'm swapping the rear main seal for good measure.
14:01Beautiful!
14:02And with the flywheel in place, it's time to triple check my measurements.
14:08Any chance to get nerdy?
14:10Yeah, that is 8 thou, 0.2 of a millimetre.
14:13Done.
14:20This is now correctly shimmed and oil-tight.
14:23Perfect!
14:25This is going to tighten the engine up loads.
14:28Finally, I can crack on with the clutch.
14:31Out with the old clutch, and in with the new one.
14:34It is going to transform the way our car drives.
14:37It's a precision job that requires a clutch alignment tool.
14:41Now this clutch plate has to be central.
14:43For the input shaft inside the gearbox, which has teeth on it, it's splined.
14:47It can only fit if it's in the middle.
14:49If this is off, it's simply not going to be able to bolt the engine to the gearbox.
14:53When we come to sell our beach buggy, we can say, correctly shimmed, new clutch, new oil seal.
15:00That's going to give the new owner real peace of mind.
15:02Now a good way to know if this is fitted centrally is the clutch alignment tool.
15:07It will just pop out.
15:10And that's it.
15:12I'm confident we've sorted the juddering.
15:14But I want to clean up the tatty engine and replace the missing air filter before I test it.
15:19First though, we've got to transform this ugly duckling.
15:22Yeah, we've definitely got to do something with this body.
15:24Yeah.
15:25It doesn't exactly say, come by me, does it?
15:28No!
15:29I think the best thing to do is take the vinyl off and see how good the fibreglass is.
15:33This faux wood bath mat stano, isn't it?
15:37No chance. That's the first thing to go.
15:42I'm now back on the glue, have I?
15:44Oh man, do you know why it already looks better?
15:53It's the first layer off.
15:55Back in the 1960s, fibreglass made perfect sense for a beach buggy body, as it was lightweight, strong and affordable.
16:03It's a workout.
16:05Quite satisfying.
16:06Like peeling skin off, you get sunburnt.
16:10Go on!
16:11It won't rust, even if you park it in the sea.
16:14And the gel coat colour meant all those home buggy builders didn't have to fork out for a paint job.
16:20Ah, you got too excited.
16:22But we won't know what state this body's in until we've stripped the entire wrap off.
16:27I've got a nerdy vinyl wrap fact for you.
16:30Why doesn't that surprise you?
16:32You know, little bits of wrapping's been around for quite a while, but the full body wrapping is owed to beige German taxis in the 90s.
16:40Basically all taxis, by law, had to be a specific colour.
16:43So the taxi companies would buy the cars, wrap them, and at the end of the taxi's life they'd take the wrap off and be able to sell the car.
16:49Because nobody wanted to buy a beige car.
16:51Nobody wanted to buy an old taxi either.
16:54Genius!
16:55Getting the wrap off will be one step closer to transforming the buggy.
17:01And the house has also gone through some huge transformation in the last nine months.
17:06After insulating the front bedroom last summer...
17:09It was ready for Jim the plasterer to get to work.
17:15Where is he in the bedroom?
17:18Yeah.
17:19And you know how much I like to get stuck in.
17:22This will be the first time I've ever plastered.
17:24Ever plastered.
17:25Huge grabber here.
17:26Yeah.
17:30That's it.
17:32Right.
17:34Tongue in, preferably...
17:35No, no, tongue's always going to be out, buddy.
17:37Look at that.
17:38It looks like an emoji.
17:40Emoji symbolising my plastering work.
17:45Right, Mikey, get involved, buddy.
17:47I'm trying to catch it.
17:54Sorry, Jim.
18:00Once this first coat is complete, my vision is a lighter lime plaster on the walls.
18:05Just like the outside of the house.
18:08Just while I've got you, and not that I'm saying I'm competitive with my brother, but...
18:12Looking at it, to be honest, Michael's is so much smoother.
18:16Look.
18:17What?
18:19Well done.
18:20Cheers, Jim.
18:22Perhaps plastering is one job I'll leave to the pros.
18:25But I do have some tricks for unwrapping cars.
18:28With the help of a heat gun and my daughter, Amelie,
18:31I'm finally winning against the buggy's ugly blue vinyl.
18:35Yeah, it's quite satisfying.
18:39Well, taking this wrap off, I'm really pleasantly surprised.
18:43It could have hidden a load of sins underneath.
18:45And actually, this is a really complete, solid fiberglass body shell.
18:55What's next, then?
18:56I want to make some really dramatic design changes.
19:00I'm thinking to chop the windscreen off.
19:02The whole thing?
19:03Maybe not the whole thing.
19:04It looked like jumping.
19:05This windscreen's been eating at me.
19:09And although it's a bold move, this could be the solution.
19:13About a third of the height.
19:15Yeah.
19:16And that'll be enough to make sure the wind doesn't go in my face.
19:18Yeah.
19:19All the dust and sand is going to fly over your head.
19:21But it's going to get rid of this awkward, bulky, horribly ugly screen and keep it low and slung.
19:29Why don't we just do it?
19:30Are you baiting me into it now?
19:31It will look cool.
19:33Cooler than this.
19:34Let's cut it.
19:35Let's just cut it.
19:36It's a unanimous decision.
19:37And I'm confident that a sleeker profile will make the buggy more attractive to potential buyers.
19:42Problem is, this is fiberglass.
19:43So, we're going to cut it.
19:45It's going to create some fiberglass dust and that's quite dangerous.
19:47So...
19:48You're going to cut it.
19:49No, no.
19:50You're cutting it.
19:52You're the one who's big and brave.
19:53I'm going to hold it.
19:54Right.
19:55So, hold it there.
19:56Start.
19:57And then slowly, don't go too fast.
19:59If you go too fast, it's going to hit me.
20:02You'll be okay.
20:03That's a lot of trust.
20:04Right.
20:05So...
20:07That?
20:08That's it.
20:09Pull the trigger.
20:16Oh!
20:17Gotta keep hold of it.
20:19You're okay.
20:24I did it!
20:25Yeah, that's only half the job.
20:27Get around the other side.
20:35That was pretty good.
20:38That has transformed the look of the car now.
20:41To the beach?
20:43I like it.
20:44I love it.
20:45Well done.
20:46So, now we need to make some creative decisions.
20:48I want it to be the coolest, most unique car at the beach.
20:51Like someone people stop and go, look at that.
20:53Yeah.
20:54I want to take a picture.
20:55I want that.
20:56Yeah, so ridiculous.
20:57They're like, no one would ever do that.
20:59But they did.
21:00The market or the demographic that we want to attract is the more affluent market.
21:03They're slightly older.
21:04Retro's in.
21:05They want to, you know, visualize themselves as a hippie.
21:08If you want to go down like more hippie kind of vibes.
21:11The classic flames or colors or maybe some like mythical creatures.
21:15Okay.
21:16Sound good?
21:17Yeah, I think that helps.
21:19I mean, I still have no idea, but I think that helps.
21:25The buggy's not the only thing getting spruced up.
21:28I didn't think we'd get to this stage at one point.
21:31Since we plastered the bedroom, it's gone through an incredible transformation.
21:35And today, the furniture's going in.
21:39Yes!
21:41The first piece.
21:44Let's put it bang in the middle.
21:46Oh my gosh, it already feels like a bedroom.
21:49What's the plaster?
21:50Yeah, mind the plaster.
21:52I can't believe how far this room's come.
21:54I can remember standing in here with no roof, nothing and just looking at the clouds.
21:59Right, list off what we've done.
22:02All new electrics.
22:03Radiator.
22:06Doorway.
22:07The plumbing.
22:08All right, so knowing that this room's basically taken us nine months,
22:13and I'm proposing that we do three rooms in like half the time.
22:17It should be simpler.
22:18Every step was a step learning.
22:20It was...
22:21Oh, it's a lesson.
22:22It's all a lesson.
22:23Rehearsal room for the other three.
22:25Let's get the rest of the bed in.
22:27No flat pack here.
22:28No flat pack here.
22:29It's all second-hand treasures.
22:33It's feeling like a bedroom.
22:35Furnishings with character, just like the house.
22:39There we go.
22:40And some extra special finishing touches.
22:43What did Dad love when we were kids?
22:45The trains.
22:47Dude.
22:48Oh, that's nice.
22:49This is like an original tin Hornby set.
22:53There's a little nod.
22:54Don't tell him though.
22:55I want to see if he notices it.
22:56Perfect.
22:57He's going to love that.
22:59Perfect.
23:00He's going to love that.
23:17Oh, who's stuck that on my bloody brain?
23:21Hey?
23:22Think you're bloody funny, don't he?
23:24We've stripped the beach buggy back to the fiberglass.
23:28And I want to re-inject some pride into its posture.
23:31The thing is about these beach buggies, in the scene,
23:34the beach buggy actually has this very specific stance.
23:37It actually rakes so the nose dives down and the back is lifted.
23:42And ours, ours is relatively level.
23:45Yeah, and because we've got a long wheelbase.
23:47It's accentuated.
23:48Yeah.
23:49Most beach buggies only have two seats.
23:51And the shorter chassis gives a more sporty angle than our longer four-seater.
23:56It had that rear section, didn't it?
23:58Are we putting the roll bar back in?
24:00What we might be able to do is get the rake in the cage.
24:04The rear a bit higher, the front a bit lower.
24:06So you think put the roll bar back in and weld on additional roll bar
24:10that's deliberately raked to give the illusion that the car is raked.
24:14That it's sitting higher than it actually is.
24:16Do you think that'll work?
24:18Only one way to find out.
24:20I love it when you have creative ideas.
24:23I like it even more when they work.
24:25They always work.
24:27Using an angled roll cage as an optical illusion to fake the rake
24:31might just do the trick.
24:32And some pipe insulation will test the theory.
24:35Yeah, right, take that there.
24:38Do you know what I like it?
24:40See, instead of a curve, what if we just flatten that?
24:43It does look cool.
24:44It makes it look more purposeful.
24:50Pretty good.
24:51Oh my God, it looks great.
24:53I mean, it'll take a bit of fabricating, but...
24:55The stance of the buggy has changed.
24:57It's giving us a rake look.
24:59I'll order the tube and then I've got a friend who's got a tube bender.
25:02See, I do come up with good ideas occasionally.
25:06Oh, you're claiming this one?
25:07Yeah.
25:08Yeah, well you should, it's yours.
25:10A good idea it might be, but it's yet another job on the ever-growing list.
25:15So I'm getting the roll cage prep work in early.
25:19Well, late more like.
25:20Mate, I see he was burning the midnight oil, so I brought you some chippies.
25:34Oh, you're a lifesaver.
25:37Come on.
25:39It's the only seat in the house.
25:41It's the best seat, isn't it?
25:43I'd be better if it was there.
25:45Driving this for a sand dune.
25:47Oh, beautiful.
25:48It looks more like a bath tub.
25:51I could fill it up with hot water and some bubbles.
25:53Oh, man.
25:55No, I would love a bath, but the problem is there is no bath in the house.
25:59Thanks for doing this.
26:00No, you're all right.
26:02I feel like the work and the progress we're doing on the house is really good.
26:07Getting there.
26:08The quality's there, the house is beautifully being restored, but...
26:14...meeting the deadline.
26:15They'll look better tomorrow.
26:19I think the quality, though, that's the important thing for the house.
26:22Don't rush it. Make it right.
26:24We have to kind of rush it, because I may have told my folks that they'll be moving in this year.
26:29Mm-hmm.
26:36I need to get our beach buggy-looking California cool, so we're fabricating a sloped roll cage to give the illusion of a sportier stance.
26:44And I've had some more supplies delivered to get the job done.
26:48Right, this is actual CDS, coal-drawn steel, so it's not welded down the edge.
26:53At 350 quid, it's not cheap, but no seam weld means a stronger pipe.
26:58I've set up a chop saw, and then I've borrowed...
27:02For you to go.
27:03I know, right? I'm in the zone.
27:05And I've borrowed my mate's tube bender.
27:07It's proper old school. It's probably as old as this car.
27:10And that leaves us to do the creative bit.
27:14What could possibly go wrong?
27:15About seven foot.
27:22Right, let's cut a piece.
27:29Perfect!
27:31The only thing we want to do is get that angle accurate.
27:35The pipe bender uses hydraulic power to smoothly and accurately shape the steel.
27:41That's it.
27:42Nice and smooth.
27:43Steady wins the race.
27:45Steady, steady.
27:46Sound like my dad.
27:47Oh, look at that!
27:52Yeah, that's nice.
27:54So we want to get enough rake so it dives down, but still enough to have some windscreen space, so...
27:59Yeah.
28:00I reckon.
28:01Are we just going to eyeball this?
28:03Go with it.
28:04I love it. I love it.
28:05Go on, stand back over there. I've got the tube.
28:08Higher, higher, higher.
28:09Higher, lower.
28:10There.
28:11There.
28:12With the height of the front decided, it's time to commit.
28:16Oh, this is a biggie.
28:18Close.
28:20Let's try that.
28:22It's been miles off.
28:23Get the angle wrong, and it's a 350 quid mistake.
28:28Always have to go one more.
28:38Right, that's it.
28:40I love it.
28:41Right, let's cut this down.
28:42We want to try and get this metal joint as tight as possible.
28:52This isn't just about the looks.
28:55A close fit means stronger and safer welds.
29:04Look at that!
29:05I'll tell you what, another 20 years, I reckon you get the hang of this.
29:08Come on, that's a great joint.
29:10That's magic, mate.
29:12Alright, well that's half.
29:13I could probably crack on with that side, solo.
29:23Using the left side of the roll cage as a template,
29:27it's now just a case of rinse and repeat.
29:33And now to weld it all together.
29:34What I want to do is put a tack in each corner,
29:38stabilise the structure before I do any substantial welding.
29:42Now I always like to hide my tacks.
29:44I need to keep my eye on the heat.
29:55Too much and I risk burning a hole in the metal.
29:58Too little and the weld won't be secure.
30:03It's beautiful.
30:05That's it.
30:07That is the cage done.
30:08And it's not just a safety issue.
30:09Actually, the cage is going to transform the way the car handles.
30:13Now bear in mind, it's on a VW floor pan.
30:15When you're driving the car, that floor pan does flex and twist.
30:19By adding the cage, it stiffens the whole chassis up.
30:22It's going to feel more like a performance car.
30:24But forget about the stiffness, forget about the safety for a second.
30:27There's a beach buggy.
30:29Yeah, that just looks really cool.
30:32The beach buggy is really starting to take shape.
30:36And after nine months of hard work...
30:39Right, after you.
30:41Top of the stairs. Hang a left.
30:42Can't wait to see this.
30:44Mum and Dad can finally get a glimpse of what the house might look like when it's done.
30:52Oh my goodness.
30:53Wow.
30:55Well, it's amazing.
30:58You're now standing in the first finished room.
31:02It's brilliant.
31:03I'm so pleased with it.
31:04The plastering just looks amazing.
31:06It's made it so much lighter.
31:09Bigger.
31:10The nods to the old original beams.
31:13It's fantastic.
31:15And the bed certainly fits in here, doesn't it?
31:18I got this bed online for 250 quid.
31:20And then the carpet's actually a seagrass.
31:22It's a period carpet.
31:23You can probably, if you feel it, it's quite firm.
31:25Oh, yeah.
31:26It's beautiful.
31:27It really is lovely.
31:28What you don't see is this room's been completely rewired.
31:31All the sockets are new.
31:32The lighting's new.
31:34And the finishing touch to win my dad over.
31:38Oh, and the door's done.
31:41Oh, wow.
31:42Oh, brilliant.
31:43That's fantastic.
31:44The cherry on the top.
31:45If the rest of the house is going to look like this, it's going to be unbelievable.
31:56Unbelievable.
31:59And over in the barn, I've given the buggy some TLC too.
32:04Now, the design of the beach buggy means that the engine is completely on display and ours looked a little bit tired and tatty.
32:09So I've given everything a clean up, polished the shiny bits, some high temperature paint on the exhausts and the missing air filter is the only thing I've had to buy.
32:19And it cost eight quid.
32:22Minimum spend, maximum return.
32:25Anybody who looks at the back of our beach buggy is going to see a really beautifully presented and purposeful engine.
32:31But with a beach buggy, it's all about the look.
32:35I could just wrap it again in a different colour, but I want to do something that really makes it stand out.
32:41Hi.
32:42Hey, what's up?
32:44Luckily, my artist friend Claudia is on board to give it a unique show-stopping paint job for just the cost of materials.
32:51So what I'm thinking is, you know that kind of 70s, 80s retro period, that browns, golds, orange, beige cream?
32:59Yes.
33:00That's a hark back to the era the beach buggy was created.
33:03Yeah.
33:04And then my daughter threw in the curveball of like dragons, spirituality, something mystical.
33:11It's actually the year of the snake.
33:13You mean the Chinese New Year?
33:14Yeah.
33:15And snakes represent wisdom and transformation.
33:18And because we're transforming this, maybe we can do like a nice ferocious snake over here.
33:24I love it.
33:25It's kind of meant to be.
33:26Yeah.
33:30Right.
33:31Perfect.
33:32You get yourself set up.
33:39Whatever I paint has to be a statement, so no pressure.
33:48If we put some smoke coming out of the front and it goes around the car, it's going to look like the car is going vroom, vroom.
34:04The lines are done and now moment of truth.
34:06Let's see if I did a good job of masking.
34:08I love it.
34:09I'm going to do a dusting of this copper.
34:18You have to spray very gently on the nozzle.
34:23Now comes the most tedious part, which is painting the snake.
34:29I don't know if it's going to work.
34:30I have to be honest.
34:31I'm a little anxious.
34:32I hope ants likes it.
34:36I'm always afraid.
34:37I'm going to go in with gold, give her a little bit more depth, you know, make it more 3D.
34:48It's fair to say the old beach buggy needed a serious glow up.
34:53And my friend Claudie is nearly done working her magic.
35:06It's coming alive now.
35:07It looks pretty strong and ferocious and perfect for this car.
35:12It might bite me.
35:14Ferocious and perfect for this car might bite me
35:20I can't wait to show and to the car. He's probably not even gonna recognize it
35:31Oh
35:33My gosh
35:35That is amazing
35:38That's so much better than I thought it'd be and I knew it was gonna be good. Thank you
35:42I mean, it's everything that I asked for its mythical. It's got the serpent. It's retro
35:47I love the little speckle on it because it looks like it's going through sand dunes. Yes, exactly
35:53It feels like a different car now. This is exactly
35:56What we wanted it makes our beach buggy completely unique you smashed it. Yeah
36:02He owe me a very expensive bottle of wine
36:06Make it too if the buggy earn some cash because although I love this radical look
36:12I have to find a buyer who's gonna think the same
36:15Duncan! What's happening?
36:18Dude look you've got it painted. Yeah, what do you think?
36:22It's quite retro, isn't it? I think it's great. It's gonna be a love it or hate it car
36:27Come on, let's get the engine now. I've got real skip in my step now. Come on
36:30If you take hold of the trolley. Yep, ready
36:37Keep going, keep going
36:42Right, that's in right there. Perfect. Beautiful
36:46Right
36:46To complete the look some seriously smart compact seats
36:53Wow
36:54Look at that. Detail with the eyelets. Proper retro. It looks like the GT40 Le Mansi. I was just thinking that
37:00And for the old rear bench a matching re-upholstery job
37:04Stick some weight on it. Make yourself comfortable
37:07All that remains is to screw it in position from underneath
37:11Right, you've made sure them screws aren't too long
37:16You'll know if they are
37:19That one was a bit close for comfort
37:22And up front a slimline screen to give that old-school beach vibe
37:27The way the light's hitting that it almost looks like it's illuminated
37:30I know it adds to that retro feel
37:34And my own nifty little three-in-one bracket to cap the frame cuts secure the screen and mount the mirrors
37:41Yeah, this is a nice idea if I might say to myself
37:45Tell you what mate, beautiful
37:48Dude, I think we're there
37:50I feel a trip to the pub coming on
37:53I'm not driving
37:55A head turner she may be but this buggy needs to make us some profit
38:00All right, the total for everything on top of the four and a half grand we paid
38:05862 pounds 14 which means this buggy owes us
38:095,362 pounds and 14 pence
38:14So what what's your thoughts on it?
38:17I think we privately sell it
38:18There is a dedicated buggy following out there
38:21Why would we risk sticking it in an auction?
38:23We're better off putting it under the noses of people that we know want to buy a buggy
38:27Sounds like a blank
38:29So if we're going to privately sell it
38:31How much?
38:33Seven
38:34I mean that's a great percentage profit if we got seven
38:38I mean that'd be good
38:39I think if we got six and a half seven I'd be over the moon
38:42That's decent profit straight to the house
38:44Yeah
38:44But before we sell it
38:47You know what I want to do
38:48Well we've got to drive it
38:49Obviously
38:50I'll tell you what this car is quick
39:05Actually rides really well
39:06Well I reckon this has stiffened it up loads as well
39:09It's a cage
39:10Actually yeah considering it's on a BW Beetle floor pan
39:15Look the responsiveness is absolutely on the bug
39:18I feel safer in it
39:22Well I don't know about that
39:24Well not for me at the wheel
39:26Well there is that
39:28Go on let's have fun here
39:30I have to take a little selfie
39:33This is great
39:34This is great
39:35We're going to sell this car easy
39:36Ready?
39:37Stupid hair
39:38Oh my life
39:50Well that is a really really fun car
39:52I can't believe it
39:52I mean
39:55I'm blown away
39:56Yeah that trip down to Devon from Boise the car sales
39:59When it's come a million miles
40:01And mechanically we replaced the clutch
40:03And that's made it way more drivable
40:05And the body changed
40:06You know we've got a VW Beach Buggy
40:09That's unlike any other Beach Buggy out there
40:11This crazy look on paper
40:13Will isolate a number of buyers
40:15I don't care
40:16I don't care
40:17This isn't the car for everybody
40:19But for somebody
40:20For one person
40:21It's the ultimate car
40:23Are you ready to go again?
40:24You want to go again?
40:25Oh you don't have to ask me twice
40:26You're really spicy?
40:27Hey!
40:36Go go, go go go!
40:43She's a proper firecracker
40:45And where better to draw attention than at Silverstone Festival?
40:49Yeah, definitely unique.
40:51And she certainly seems to have caught someone's eye.
40:55Hey, how you doing?
40:56Hi.
40:56I see you're admiring my beach buggy.
40:59Is yours?
40:59It is, yeah.
41:00Absolutely fantastic, that's for sure.
41:03And totally unique.
41:04I saw it from a distance and I thought,
41:06have to go and have a look.
41:08You're obviously interested?
41:09Very.
41:09OK, tell me about your car history.
41:12I actually run a car club called Auto Anonymous.
41:15And we do a lot of fundraising.
41:17OK.
41:17So I'm always looking for unique, interesting cars
41:20to attract the audience.
41:22Dude, this is where we go together perfectly.
41:23100%.
41:24Could you get more unique than a hand-painted VW beach buggy?
41:28You see, I've turned into a car salesman now.
41:30Slink yourself into that very comfortable bucket seat.
41:34Do you know what?
41:35I've noticed that the seats match your hat.
41:37Thank you very much.
41:38Colour-coordinated.
41:38It's meant to be.
41:40So how's that feel?
41:42Loving it.
41:43So were you specifically looking for a buggy?
41:45No, I wasn't.
41:45I was just looking for something unique.
41:47I mean, I've got friends with buggies,
41:48but nothing as extravagant as this, that's for sure.
41:51Do you think it's too extravagant?
41:53No, no such thing as too extravagant.
41:55So it feels to me like this might be the perfect car to join the collection.
41:59Yeah, yeah, depending on the price, obviously.
42:03I knew you were going to mention that.
42:05I knew we were going to get that.
42:06All right, well, I've advertised the car for seven and a half grand, which is incredibly reasonable.
42:12I do appreciate that.
42:13That is very reasonable for me.
42:14Great.
42:15So seven and a half?
42:16No, six.
42:18Oh.
42:18Six is what I've got in mind, is for a good cause.
42:22It's not something that I'm going to be buying to sell to make a profit.
42:26It is going to be used for fundraising purposes.
42:31You look like a charitable man.
42:32Um, well, if you look in a house I'm building, you would absolutely know I am.
42:37Um, yeah, six is too low.
42:41Seven.
42:42We're getting there, but not there.
42:45Six, eight.
42:47Six, four.
42:50Six, six.
42:52We're going to end in the middle, aren't we?
42:53Six and a half.
42:54We're going to end in the middle at six and a half.
42:55It's going to a charity.
42:56It is.
42:57That's going to get people driving.
42:59You are going to have a bunch of smiling people.
43:02In this VW beach buggy.
43:03Congratulations.
43:04Thank you very much.
43:06You know, I've got to say, I'm absolutely over the moon.
43:08Paid four and a half grand for it.
43:10Spent £862 and we've made some profit.
43:14You know, I always knew that going unique and radical with the design was ultimately going to be a risk.
43:19You know, having such a unique standout car makes the market smaller.
43:22It appeals to fewer people.
43:24But if we get the right person, you do tend to get a premium.
43:28And the right person then walked in and bought the car.
43:30Sounds like a VW beach buggy.
43:34I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have to say, I'm going to have
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