- 18 hours ago
Ant Anstead: Born Mechanic - Season 2 Episode 4 -
Beach Buggy
Beach Buggy
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00I'm Ant 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 do!
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!
01:02I'm determined to turn cars into cash.
01:05Whoa!
01:06Even...
01:07Ah!
01:08...if it kills me.
01:09Whoa!
01:10Whoo!
01:21One 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.
01:31Go on!
01:32Go on, Sue!
01:37As you can see, Dad and I have cleared all of this.
01:41It doesn't look great.
01:42I 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.
01:53Or we put other bushes in, or flowers, but 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, I think that's a good idea.
02:13Plan decided.
02:14Awesome.
02:16More fencing isn't in the budget, so 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.
02:42Also, 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.
03:33Hey, 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.
03:43All right, well, I'm here for the beach buggy.
03:45She's in here. Come and have a look.
03:47All right.
03:48Let's hope this Boycey's not flogging three-wheeled yellow vans.
03:53So, buggies are one of those cars you just stand in front of and you just smile.
03:57Oh, man. All right. So, what is the history then?
03:59As you can see, I collect a few bits and bobs on top of sales cars as well.
04:03I've had it a couple of years. All I've done.
04:05Take my little girl out. It's been brilliant.
04:07You've had just daddy-daughter fun in it.
04:09Yeah. I've done no maintenance. I haven't even checked the oil.
04:12Now I'm in front of it, give me all the worst things about it.
04:15Got to pull away in second.
04:16The clutch's got a bit of a judder in first.
04:18However, you can master it, but if it jumps out of gear at traffic lights,
04:21it's fairly embarrassing.
04:22So, it needs a new clutch, right?
04:24Yeah, yeah.
04:26Well, I 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. Have a feel. Come on.
04:42What is that? That is usage.
04:45Oh my God, Boise in real life.
04:47I should have grew me tatch a bit more, shouldn't I?
04:49All right, look, give me maybe 10, 15 minutes.
04:51Let me have a crawl around it, find 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.
05:09The windscreen looks like it's high.
05:11Oh, it's a wrap.
05:13Oh, this body isn't painted.
05:14It's wrapped in a vinyl.
05:16Huh.
05:17They ultimately were conceived as a homemade kit car.
05:22Which means that no two beach buggies are the same.
05:25And some people make some really choice decisions on the interior and the seats in this are terrible.
05:30But, you know, 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 and 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.
06:21A 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.
06:34Four and a half.
06:35Four and a half?
06:36Yeah.
06:37Done.
06:38Done 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.
06:44I'm definitely going to have to do something with the body.
06:47The blue is just a bit meh.
06:50It's a beach buggy.
06:52Like why can't it scream a bit louder?
06:55Because the high profits exist when it's incredibly unique.
06:59You narrow how many people want it because it's wild.
07:02But the two that want it.
07:04Yeah, they tend to pay a bit more.
07:07And 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.
07:20It's a beach buggy.
07:22Wow.
07:23What do you think?
07:24Looks a bit of fun.
07:26Who doesn't love a beach buggy?
07:28You see you're already smiling.
07:29I like it.
07:30But it looked like it was hopping a little bit.
07:33That hopping was because the clutch is done.
07:36And I took a punt because ultimately it's just a VW Beetle.
07:40So parts are cheap, affordable and accessible.
07:43Let's see what, jump in.
07:45Fits it like a glove.
07:47How good is that?
07:52Do you know what?
07:54It 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 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,
08:39there'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.
08:49Do you reckon you can get a drill behind that way?
08:50Through there.
08:51Yeah, through there.
08:52Get in the hedge, Dad.
08:55Yeah, that's perfect.
08:56Good.
08:57Another one in the middle.
08:59Once the fence is in position,
09:01I'll concrete the posts to make it solid.
09:04Okay.
09:05Do you want to grab the screws?
09:09Dad?
09:13Where'd he go?
09:14Is that the worst apprentice ever?
09:18Lucky my other wingman is right where I need him.
09:24Right, we want to get this beach buggy driving properly.
09:28To 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.
09:44That'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.
10:02Here we go.
10:03We'll draw on this one.
10:05I want that one.
10:06Why?
10:07It's faster.
10:17I mean, the flywheel looks pretty decent.
10:20That flywheel's good.
10:22But you can see the clutch plate itself.
10:25Look at those uneven surfaces.
10:28Yeah, a bit of distortion.
10:29Any warping means the clutch plate can't sit flat on the flywheel.
10:34So 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.
10:45Looks like I've got another problem.
10:47Oh, man.
10:49That can't be right.
10:51The feature of this engine is that that crankshaft.
10:54It's supposed to have a little bit of play there, but not that much.
10:56That'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.
11:13It has to move that much before it turns the clutch.
11:15You've got no control over that.
11:18It's the first job and the list is already piling up.
11:21Great.
11:22My beach buggy is in pieces and the costs are growing.
11:38Getting parts for Beetles is really easy, but it was more expensive than I thought.
11:41This 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's 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's 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.
12:55Right, this is normally jammed on there quite hard.
12:57Now this black piece of rubber, that's the rear main end seal.
13:04That keeps the oil inside the engine.
13:07So 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, so when the crank's rotating, it's also rotating the flywheel.
13:18Then 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.
13:30Now 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.
13:34So what I want to do is, using a series of these wafer-thin shims, get 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.
13:56While I'm here, I'm swapping the rear main seal for good measure.
14:00Beautiful!
14:02And with the flywheel in place, it's time to triple check my measurements.
14:07Any chance to get nerdy?
14:10Yeah, that is 8 thou, 0.2 of a millimetre.
14:13Done.
14:19This is now correctly shimmed and oil-tight.
14:24Perfect!
14:25This is going to tighten the engine up loads.
14:27Finally, I can crack on with the clutch.
14:30Out 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.
14:43The input shaft inside the gearbox, which has teeth on it, it's splined,
14:47can 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.
14:52When 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.
15:03Now a good way to know if this is fitted centrally, is the clutch alignment tool.
15:06And we'll 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.
15:23Yeah, we've definitely got to do something with this body.
15:24Yeah.
15:25Doesn'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 steno in there?
15:37No chance, that's the first thing to go.
15:42I'm now back on the glue.
15:43Oh 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.
16:00As it was lightweight, strong and affordable.
16:03It's a workout.
16:05Quite satisfying.
16:07Peeling skin off, you get sunburnt.
16:10Go on!
16:11It won't rust, even if you park it in the sea.
16:15And 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.
16:28I've got a nerdy vinyl wrap fact for you.
16:31Why doesn't that surprise you?
16:33Little bits of wrapping has been around for quite a while, but the full body wrapping is owed to beige German taxis.
16:38In the 90s, basically 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, because nobody wanted to buy a beige car.
16:50Nobody wanted to buy an old taxi either.
16:54Genius!
16:56Getting 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.
17:05After insulating the front bedroom last summer, it was ready for Jim the plasterer to get to work.
17:16Where 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?
17:25Use grabber here, yeah?
17:26That's it.
17:31Right.
17:33Tongue in, preferably in.
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.
17:59Once this first coat is complete, my vision is a lighter lime plaster on the walls, just 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 looking at it, to be honest,
18:14Michael's is so much smoother, look.
18:18What?
18:20Well done.
18:21Cheers, Jim.
18:23Perhaps plastering is one job I'll leave to the pros, but I do have some tricks for unwrapping cars.
18:29With the help of a heat gun and my daughter, Amelie, I'm finally winning against the buggy's ugly blue vinyl.
18:35Yeah, it's quite satisfying.
18:39Now, taking this wrap off, I'm really pleasantly surprised.
18:42It could have hidden a load of sins underneath.
18:46And 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.
19:05Looked like jumping.
19:07This windscreen's been eating at me.
19:10And although it's a bold move, this could be the solution.
19:14About a third of the height.
19:16Yeah.
19:17And that'll be enough to make sure the wind doesn't go in my face.
19:19Yeah, all the dust and sand is going to fly over your head.
19:22But 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?
19:32It 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.
19:44So we're going to cut it.
19:45It's going to create some fiberglass dust and that's quite dangerous.
19:48So...
19:49You're going to cut it.
19:50No, no, you'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.
19:57Start.
19:58And then slowly, don't go too fast.
20:00If you go too fast, it's going to hit me.
20:02You'll be okay.
20:04That's a lot of trust.
20:06Right.
20:07So...
20:09That?
20:10Hold the trigger.
20:17Oh!
20:18Gotta keep hold of it.
20:20You're okay.
20:24I did it!
20:26Yeah, that's only half the job.
20:27Get around the other side.
20:36That was pretty good.
20:37That has transformed the look of the car now.
20:41To the beach.
20:43I like it.
20:44I love it.
20:45Well done.
20:47So now we need to make some creative decisions.
20:49I want it to be the coolest, most unique car at the beach.
20:52Like someone people stop and go, look at that.
20:54Yeah.
20:55I want to take a picture.
20:56It's so ridiculous, they're like, no one would ever do that, but they did.
21:00The market or the demographic that we want to attract is the more affluent market.
21:03They're slightly older, retro's in.
21:06They want to, you know, visualize themselves as a hippie.
21:09If you want to go down like more hippie kind of vibes, the classic flames or colors or maybe some like mythical creatures.
21:14Okay.
21:16Sound good?
21:18Yeah, I think that helps.
21:20I mean, I still have no idea, but I think that helps.
21:23The buggy's not the only thing getting spruced up.
21:29I don't think we'd get to this stage at one point.
21:31Since we plastered the bedroom, it's gone through an incredible transformation.
21:36And today, the furniture's going in.
21:39Yes!
21:41The first piece!
21:43Let'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.
21:53I 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.
22:00Like, list off what we've done.
22:02All new electrics.
22:04Radiator.
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.
22:29It'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.
22:53It has a little nod.
22:55Don't tell him, though.
22:56I want to see if he notices it.
23:00Perfect.
23:01He's gonna love that.
23:17Oh, who's stuck that on my bloody brain?
23:21Eh?
23:23Think you're bloody funny, don't he?
23:25We've stripped the beach buggy back to the fibreglass.
23:29And I want to re-inject some pride into its posture.
23:32The thing is about these beach buggies.
23:33In the scene, the 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...
24:08Yeah.
24:09...and weld on additional roll bar that's deliberately raked
24:12to 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 might just do the trick.
24:32And some pipe insulation will test the theory.
24:35Yeah, right, take that there.
24:38Do I like it?
24:40So 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 our rake looked.
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.
25:29Mate, I see he was burning the midnight oil, so I brought you some chippies.
25:34Oh, you're a lifesaver.
25:37Come on.
25:38It'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.
25:49It looks more like a bathtub.
25:51I could fill it up with hot water and some bubbles.
25:54Oh, man.
25:55No, I would love a bath, but the problem is there is no bath in the house.
25:59Thanks for doing this.
26:01All 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...
26:14Meeting the deadline.
26:17It'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've...
26:27I may have told my folks that they'll be moving in this year.
26:29Mmm.
26:36I need to get our beach buggy-looking California cool.
26:40So we're fabricating a sloped roll cage to give the illusion of a sportier stance.
26:45And I've had some more supplies delivered to get the job done.
26:48Well, 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.
27:02Here you 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.
27:08It'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.
27:21Right, let's cut a piece.
27:28Perfect!
27:30The only thing we want to do is get that angle accurate.
27:34The 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?
27:46Sound like my dad.
27:48Oh, look at that!
27:50Yeah, that's nice.
27:54So we want to get enough rake so it dives down, but still enough to have some windscreen space.
27:59Yeah.
28:00I reckon.
28:01Are we just going to eyeball this?
28:03Go with it.
28:04I love it.
28:05I love it.
28:06Go on, stand back over there.
28:07I've got the tube.
28:09Higher, higher, higher.
28:10Higher, lower.
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 good miles off.
28:24Get the angle wrong, and it's a 350 quid mistake.
28:28Always have to go one more.
28:38Right, that's it.
28:39That's it.
28:40I love it.
28:41Right, let's cut this down.
28:43We 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!
29:06I'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.
29:11Alright, well that's half, and I could probably crack on with that side solo.
29:23Using the left side of the roll cage as a template, it's now just a case of rinse and repeat.
29:30And now to weld it all together.
29:35What I want to do is put a tack in each corner, stabilise the structure before I do any substantial welding.
29:41Now, I always like to hide my tacks.
29:53I 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.
30:00It's beautiful.
30:02That's it.
30:03That is the cage done.
30:04And it's not just a safety issue.
30:05Actually, the cage is going to transform the way the car handles.
30:09Now, bear in mind, it's on a VW floor pan.
30:10When you're driving the car, that floor pan does flex and twist, but adding the cage, it stiffens the whole chassis up.
30:21It'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.
30:31The beach buggy's 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. Can'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.
30:57You'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 nod to the old original beams.
31:13It's fantastic.
31:15And the bed certainly fits in here, doesn't it?
31:17I 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.
31:42Oh, wow.
31:45Oh, brilliant.
31:47That's fantastic.
31:49The cherry on the top.
31:50If the rest of the house is going to look like this, it's going to be unbelievable.
31:59And over in the barn, I've given the buggy some TLC2.
32:03Now, the design of the beach buggy means that the engine is completely on display.
32:07And 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 exhaust.
32:15And the missing air filter is the only thing I've had to buy.
32:19And it cost eight quid.
32:21Minimum spend.
32:23Maximum return.
32:24Anybody 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.
32:43Hey, 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.
32:52So what I'm thinking is, you know that kind of 70s, 80s retro period?
32:55Yeah.
32:56The 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 ear of the snake.
33:13You mean the Chinese New Year?
33:14Yeah.
33:15And snakes represent wisdom and transformation.
33:19And because we're transforming this, maybe we can do like a nice, ferocious snake over here.
33:25I love it. It's kind of meant to be.
33:26Yeah.
33:30Right.
33:32Perfect.
33:33You get yourself set up.
33:36Okay.
33:37You get yourself set up.
33:38Whatever I paint, has to be a statement.
33:39So no pressure.
33:43If 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, Vrum Vrum Vrums.
33:57the lines are done and now moment of truth so let's see if i did a good job on masking
34:11i love it i'm going to do a dusting of this copper you have to spray very gently on the nussel
34:22now comes the most tedious part which is painting the snake i don't know if it's gonna work
34:33i have to be honest i'm a little anxious i hope aunt likes it
34:48ah i'm always afraid i'm gonna go in with gold give her a little bit more depth you know
35:00make it more 3d it's fair to say the old beach buggy needed a serious glow up and my friend
35:06cloudy is nearly done working her magic it's coming alive now it looks pretty strong and
35:13ferocious and perfect for this car it might bite me i can't wait to show aunt the car
35:24he's probably not even going to recognize it
35:33oh my gosh that is amazing that's so much better than i thought it would be and i knew it was going
35:40to be good thank you i mean it's everything that i asked for it's mythical it's got the serpent it's
35:47retro i 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 what we wanted it makes our beach buggy completely
36:00unique you smashed it yeah he owed me a very expensive bottle of wine
36:05make it too if the buggy earns some cash because although i love this radical look i have to find
36:13a buyer who's going to think the same don't good what's happening dude look you've got it painted
36:21yeah what do you think it's quite retro in it i think it's great it's going to be a love it or hate
36:26it come on let's get the engine i've got real skip in my step now come on if you take hold of the
36:31trolley ready keep going keep going right that's in right there perfect beautiful right
36:48to complete the look some seriously smart compact seats wow look at that detail with the ilex proper
36:57retro it looks like the gt40 lamancy i was just thinking that and for the old rear bench a matching
37:03re-upholstery job stick some weight on it make yourself comfortable all that remains is to screw
37:09it in position from underneath right you've made sure them screws aren't too long you'll know if they are
37:19that one was a bit close for comfort and up front a slimline screen to give that old school beach vibe
37:27the way the light's hitting now it almost looks like it's illuminated i 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
37:40mirrors yeah this is a nice idea if i might say to myself tell you what mate hey beautiful dude i think
37:48we're there i feel a trip to the pub coming on i'm not driving a head turner she may be but this buggy
37:58needs to make us some profit all right the total for everything on top of the four and a half grand
38:04we paid 862 pounds 14 which means this buggy owes us 5 362 pounds and 14 pence so what what's your
38:15thoughts on it i think we privately sell it there is a dedicated buggy following out there why would
38:22we risk sticking in an auction we're better off putting it under the noses of people that we know
38:26want to buy a buggy sounds like a blank so if we're going to privately sell it how much seven i mean
38:34that's a great percentage profit if we got seven i mean that'd be good i think if we got six and a
38:40half seven i'll be over the moon that's decent profit straight to the house yeah but before we sell
38:46it you know what i want to do i've got to drive it obviously
39:01i'll tell you what this car is quick
39:05actually rides really well i reckon this has stiffened it up loads as well the cage actually
39:11yeah considering it's on a vw beetle floor plan look the responsiveness is absolutely on the bug
39:21i feel safer in it well i don't know about that well not for me at the wheel well
39:29go on let's have four gear i have to take a little selfie this is great this is great we're
39:35going to sell this car easy ready stupid hair oh my life okay well that is a really really fun car
39:52i can't believe it i mean i'm blown away yeah that trip down to devon from boise the car sales when
40:00it's come a million miles and mechanically we replaced the clutch and that's made it way more drivable
40:05the body change you know we've got a vw beach buggy that's unlike any other beach buggy out there
40:11this crazy look on paper will isolate a number of buyers i don't care i don't care this isn't the
40:18car for everybody but for somebody for one person it's the ultimate car are you ready to go again you
40:24want to go again well you don't have to ask me twice
40:35go go go go go she's a proper firecracker and where better to draw attention than at silverstone
40:48festival yeah definitely unique and she certainly seems to have caught someone's eye
40:55hey how you doing hi see you're admiring uh my beach buggy it's yours it is yeah absolutely fantastic
41:01that's for sure and totally unique i saw it from a distance and i thought have to go and have a
41:07look you're obviously interested very okay tell me about your car history um i actually run a car
41:13club called auto anonymous and we do a lot of fundraising okay so i'm always looking for unique
41:19interesting cars to attract the audience dude this is where we go together perfectly could you get more
41:24unique than a hand painted vw beach buggy see i've turned into a car salesman slink yourself into that
41:31very comfortable bucket seat do you know what i've noticed that the seats match your hat thank you
41:37very much color coordinated it's meant to be so how's that feel loving it so were you specifically
41:44looking for a buggy no i wasn't i was just looking for something unique i mean i've got friends with
41:48buggies but nothing is extravagant as this that's for sure do you think it's too extravagant no no
41:53no such thing as too extravagant so it feels to me like this might be the perfect car to join the
41:59collection yeah yeah depending on the price obviously i knew you were going to mention that i knew we were
42:05going to get all right well i've advertised the car for seven and a half grand which is incredibly
42:11reasonable i do appreciate that is very reasonable for great so seven and a half no six
42:17six six is what i've got in mind is for a good cause it's not something that i'm going to be
42:24buying to sell to make a profit it is going to be used for uh fundraising purposes you look like a
42:31charitable man um well if you look at the house i'm building you would absolutely know i am um yeah six is
42:39too low seven we're getting there but not there six eight six four
42:51six six we're going to win in the middle aren't we six and a half we're going to end in the middle
42:55at six and a half it's going to a charity it is that's going to get people driving you are going
42:59to have a bunch of smiling people thank you in this vw beach buggy congratulations thank you very much
43:05you know i've got to say i'm absolutely over the moon paid four and a half grand for it spent 862
43:11pounds and we've made some profit you know i always knew that going unique and radical with the design
43:17was ultimately going to be a risk having such a unique standout car makes the market smaller it appeals
43:23to fewer people but if we get the right person you do tend to get a premium and the right person then
43:29walked in and bought the car sounds like a vw beach buggy
43:59so
44:02so
44:04so
44:06so
44:08so
44:10so
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