- 15 hours ago
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00The car's just up here.
00:07What, up here?
00:08Yeah, up here on the right-hand side.
00:11What are you moaning at, anyway?
00:13Well, I'm dragging the case for the tools.
00:15Look at you, you've got just your Speedos in there.
00:17We also picked the bumpiest hill in Lisbon.
00:20There she is!
00:22Look at that!
00:23We came all the way across Lisbon and up possibly the world's biggest hill to find this.
00:28We could have picked anything up from the airport.
00:29Yeah, but where's the fun in that?
00:31We're going to be driving around in a metal worker's machine union.
00:34It's an oom.
00:36That doesn't make any sense.
00:37Why?
00:38Well, because the first one's an M.
00:39Yeah, but it's a moo.
00:40Well, nobody wants to drive around in a moo, so they switch it around.
00:44It's an oom.
00:45Right.
00:46What have you got in here?
00:49How long did you travel for?
00:58Mate, you didn't pack much, did you?
00:59No, mate, I don't need much, I just need my knowledge and that's all up here.
01:03We packed our bags and our spanners for another glow-trotting car-fixing adventure.
01:10Vamos!
01:11See a photo?
01:12There you go, that's a nice one.
01:18We're hunting down some of the world's most iconic cars.
01:21Does it get much better than this?
01:23Oh, I can't believe we're standing here in front of an SP2.
01:28Leaning on local wheeler dealers.
01:30Because he really wants it.
01:32Would you take 30,000 euro?
01:33No, impossible.
01:35Hey!
01:36To rescue these national treasures on a wheel and a prayer.
01:40Please let me find a set of wheels.
01:42That's all I'm asking for.
01:43And make a few euros, pesos.
01:46I think we'll have a deal.
01:47Yes!
01:48And real as we go.
01:50I absolutely love it!
01:52I do love Portugal.
02:01It's been really good to me over the years.
02:03Me too.
02:04I mean, I've been here on holiday.
02:05I came here racing in Formula One.
02:07It's bloody lovely.
02:08I just love it when the sun's out, you've got the top off.
02:11It's like the weather and the climate tends to look after cars a little bit better than back home, doesn't it?
02:15Yeah, they don't throw salt on the roads like we do back in Northern Europe, you know, where it gets snowy and slippery.
02:22This is great, this Irma.
02:24I really like bowling around in this.
02:26It's not the catchiest name I've ever heard, but I actually quite like the car.
02:29It's kind of rugged.
02:30It's like a mini Hummer.
02:32This is one of the only vehicles ever built in Portugal.
02:36They didn't have a big car manufacturing base.
02:38They've used these as firefighters' vehicles, police vehicles, forestry vehicles.
02:44They use them for all that kind of stuff.
02:45But the Portuguese are famous for another car that's very, very true to my heart, and it is the incredible Mini Moak.
02:56Wow, meet BMC Mini Moak.
02:59Just look at that.
03:00Based on the iconic Mini, the BMC Moak was designed for the military and featured a simple steel body with open sides.
03:10Trouble is, a low ground clearance and small wheels made it a military misfire.
03:15The incredible Moak goes everywhere.
03:19Well, just about.
03:20Fortunately, somebody at BMC had the bright idea of marketing it as a beach car instead.
03:26From 1980 to 1993, over 10,000 Moaks were built here in Portugal.
03:34And to this day, locals can't get enough of them.
03:41They love it down here.
03:42They absolutely love the Mini Moak.
03:44The market for them is so strong down here.
03:46They've got like a cult following.
03:48I love a little link between me and a Mini Moak.
03:50It's quite a good one.
03:51My wedding car was a Mini Moak.
03:54Was it really?
03:55Yeah, it was a little Mini Moak.
03:56What's this one up for then?
03:57Right, so this one is a bit rough around the edges.
04:01It's going to need a lot of our work.
04:03It's 18,000 Euro.
04:05So that's about the same price as a really good Mint one in the UK.
04:08The guy who's selling it is called Numo.
04:10If we could buy this one at the right price, do some really nice work to it.
04:14I reckon, in the market down here, I reckon we should be able to push well over 30 grand for it.
04:20You said it's not Mint.
04:21How not Mint is it?
04:22Waiting till you see it.
04:23Is it in pieces?
04:24It's just waiting till you see it.
04:29You've kept me in a bush.
04:31I'm supposed to get out of here.
04:33Come on, don't worry about it.
04:34There's no snakes in there.
04:36Stop banging.
04:37You can make it.
04:38Go on.
04:40You know you're at the right place when there's a little mini park there.
04:43You must be Nuno.
04:46Yes.
04:47Nuno on mic.
04:48Hello, Mike.
04:49Very nice to meet you.
04:50This is Elvis.
04:51Nice to meet you.
04:51Nice to meet you.
04:52I don't know if you've spotted.
04:54Yes.
04:54But what's the least favourite colour of a car ever for you?
04:58It's going to be yellow, yeah.
04:59Hello?
05:00Yes, but I actually got married in the identical car to this.
05:04In a yellow one?
05:05In a yellow Mini Moke.
05:06When I married the love of my life, Michelle, in Cyprus, we drove off in a yellow Mini Moke.
05:13I ignored the colour then, and I can do the same now.
05:19It looks used.
05:20Yes, very used.
05:21But what can you tell me about it?
05:23I broke this car around two years ago.
05:26I found this car practically abandoned in the south of Portugal, in Algarve, and completely full of water.
05:35The floors have utter...
05:37Full of water?
05:38Yes, like a swimming pool.
05:39Water to the middle of the floors.
05:42That's an immediate red flag.
05:44If the floor pan's riddle were rust, then the whole car could be compromised.
05:51Whoa!
05:55Blimey.
05:56That is corroded.
05:57It's brown.
05:58I think that engine used to be yellow to match the car, but it's brown.
06:01Generally a dry climate here in Portugal, but that has had moisture in here.
06:06Well, the back of the car looks all right, doesn't it, eh?
06:08It's nice and straight.
06:09Let's have a look inside this boot.
06:10Ah, yeah.
06:11Just have a bit of surface rust, but nothing serious.
06:16I mean, it is solid.
06:16Just a little bit of rust down there, but nothing we couldn't repair.
06:19Right, let's have a look in here.
06:21I mean, this interior is horrible, isn't it?
06:23It's very, very grubby.
06:24I mean, it actually gives me chills to think about this, just sat full of water.
06:28You can tell it's got some horrible signs of corrosion.
06:32Crucial thing is going to be how much integrity has this floor still got, because that would
06:35be major work.
06:37If the car needs major structural repairs, the bill could run into the thousands.
06:43And then there's a cost of paint on top of that.
06:44But we won't know for sure until we get it apart.
06:50Actually, I don't think it's too bad at all.
06:53I can see the potential here.
06:55At least one of us is optimistic.
06:59Mate, I tell you what, eh?
07:00It's looking good, isn't it?
07:01I can see it's not been smashed around anywhere.
07:04The back is really nice and tidy.
07:06Inside the boot, it's solid.
07:07It just needs a bit of a tidy up, really.
07:08I do love your positive outlook, because there's a lot of things wrong with it.
07:12This used to be a swimming pool, as you told us, and you can see the same thing.
07:14You can see the signs.
07:15The engine's got to come out.
07:17What?
07:17Well, the engine's got to come out.
07:18It's disgusting in there.
07:19It's corroded everywhere.
07:20It's awful.
07:21It might need a respray.
07:22But isn't that what we do?
07:24We come, we buy old cars, we fix them up, and we make a profit out of them.
07:28Yes.
07:28Don't worry.
07:29But 18 grand, still a profit?
07:31I'm telling you, in this Portuguese market, it may sound like a lot of money.
07:34It's actually quite a bargain, this car.
07:35It's a strong market for these.
07:38All right, well, look, how about we do take it for a drive?
07:40Let me ask Nuno.
07:41Nuno?
07:41Go!
07:44Right then, Elvis, set a course for memory lane.
07:47I feel like my wedding day.
07:50I'm looking across at Michelle right now.
07:52That makes me feel a little bit uncomfortable.
07:56Woo-hoo!
07:57It immediately pulls to the left, like massively so.
08:03Look at it.
08:04Yeah, it's got a flat tyre.
08:06I gather there is something wrong with the steering and steering rack.
08:09Oh, I can feel that.
08:11There's something just falling off.
08:12Right on my foot, here.
08:13Oh, my goodness, that suspension's so perfect.
08:17It's the old mini running gear, basically, isn't it?
08:18It's those rubber cones suspensions on.
08:20It is.
08:20It is.
08:21It doesn't give you a lot in a way of comfort.
08:26You've got a fan of gear.
08:28Go on, you can find it.
08:29It's in there somewhere.
08:30We're going to come to the stop before you find a gear.
08:32Back in a second.
08:34It's also got very little power.
08:36And with only a tiny little engine, it doesn't weigh very much,
08:39but it doesn't feel like it's got much of...
08:41It does feel remarkably underpowered.
08:43Right, this is so slow.
08:44It's so slow going up hills.
08:46Come on, we can do it.
08:50I'm glad we're about to go down a hill, because going up it...
08:53Look at the queue of cars behind us.
08:54Oh, yeah. We are causing quite a bit of traffic chaos, aren't we?
08:59Yay!
09:00Sorry!
09:01Oh!
09:0118,000 euros for this?
09:05Really?
09:07All right, point taken.
09:09Let's see what we can get him down to.
09:12Nuno!
09:13What an experience!
09:16Nice experience, or...
09:17Well, enough.
09:19You know what, Nuno?
09:21Clearly this car...
09:21Hard life.
09:22This car has had a hard life.
09:24It's pretty hairy, getting it down the road,
09:26but it's exciting at the same time.
09:28But look, we know that it's a popular market for these here in Portugal.
09:31We do want to buy the car.
09:33We are just worried about the amount of work ahead of us.
09:36You want 18,000 euros for it, don't you?
09:38Yes, yes.
09:39I think you're being a bit cheeky.
09:40I think you're being very brave for the price.
09:42Okay, yeah.
09:42Okay.
09:43All right, so with that in mind, we'd like to offer 15,000 euros.
09:4715,000.
09:48I can't go so long.
09:50Okay.
09:51Maybe 17?
09:55I think I was really at 15, but 17 is not too bad, is it?
10:00It's not too bad, if it's okay.
10:02You know, it's the gamble, isn't it?
10:03Because we don't know.
10:05I mean, I think that's still a bit much.
10:10Nuno, we are quite happy not to buy it,
10:13but our final offer will be 16,000 euros.
10:17It's up to you.
10:18Yes, we split the difference.
10:22Nice.
10:22It will be an honour to put this car in your hands.
10:25Thank you very much.
10:27Wow.
10:27We bought a yellow Mini-Moke.
10:30Why am I so happy?
10:31I don't know.
10:32Giddy with excitement.
10:35I never thought I'd see you happy to have bought a yellow car.
10:39Although, I'm slightly worried about how much fixing this one up
10:42is going to set us back.
10:45Don't worry, it'll be fine.
10:46And I've lined up the perfect workshop just outside Lisbon.
10:52Rusty Soul specialises in restoring classic British motors
10:55like the Mini and the Mini-Moke.
11:00Wow.
11:01Look at this place.
11:03This is incredible.
11:04Aha.
11:05You must be Jal.
11:07Yeah, nice to meet you, Mike.
11:07Jal, Mike.
11:08Nice to meet you.
11:09Really nice to meet you.
11:10Nice to meet you.
11:10This is Elvis.
11:11Nice to meet you.
11:12Nice to meet you.
11:13What a great place.
11:14This is awesome, Jal.
11:15So, what do you do here?
11:16Classic Minis, more resourcing and Mini-Mokes.
11:19So, you know what you're doing when it comes to restoring a Mini or a Mini-Moke?
11:23You know what you're doing?
11:24Yeah, we know all the corners of the cars, how the process should be.
11:28So, go on then, Jal.
11:29First impressions, what do you think?
11:31It's yellow.
11:32It's good.
11:32Yeah, it's a little bit rusty.
11:36It's bad.
11:37When we spoke on the phone, I said that I could do with using a ramp and some space, but particularly
11:43some expertise, you and some of your guys, are you still up for that?
11:47Yeah, yeah.
11:47We are able to help you.
11:48You can use the shop as your shop, as your house.
11:52Lovely.
11:52Let's take it in there.
11:53Pin, let's get on with it.
11:55Oh, it sounds bad already.
11:58Straight, straight, yeah.
12:00Job one is to get the car stripped down so I can work out if we're going to be spending
12:06hundreds on the bodywork or thousands.
12:10Hold on.
12:10You're Joel and he's Jal.
12:13Good job.
12:14We've got Jal's mechanics, Joel and Gonzalo, on hand to help.
12:18Gonzalo, I hear you're the engine specialist, right?
12:21Yeah.
12:21Yeah?
12:22You've done a lot of them?
12:24Yeah.
12:24Good, because I need your help.
12:26The moat was designed to be worked on in a battle zone.
12:30So stripping it down in this workshop is a doddle.
12:33Flying through it.
12:35And a quick look at the front end reveals the dangerous source of the moat's noisy ride.
12:42Recognise this sound?
12:43I do, yeah.
12:43That was right under my foot when we were driving down the road.
12:46Steering rack.
12:46It's a steering rack.
12:47What, it's just come loose?
12:48No, just massive play in it.
12:50We were driving it like that.
12:52Combined with a bent suspension tie rod, it's no wonder the car was pulling to the left.
13:00Hooray!
13:07Look at the exhaust.
13:09That's hilarious.
13:10Eh?
13:11That's amazing.
13:11You could use it like a wheelbarrow.
13:12With the engine and exhaust out of the way, we can finally assess the moat's lightweight body shell.
13:21Just look how solid that is underneath.
13:24That is brilliant.
13:25Yeah.
13:26All right.
13:26I'll give you that.
13:27It's not too bad.
13:28Thankfully, there are no structural issues, but there is surface corrosion right across the bodywork.
13:33Every part that's come off this car so far has revealed more paint work than needs attention.
13:40If you looked around this place, the standard of car in here is pretty high.
13:43There's no way we can just touch this up and make it look the way it needs to look.
13:47It needs a full respray, doesn't it?
13:49You said the word again, respray, which means respraying it back the way it is.
13:54We have this golden opportunity if we've gone this far, although I could be sort of on my way to getting a divorce if I say this,
14:03which means the wedding car colour has got to change because I don't like the yellow.
14:08And we'll choose a nice strong colour that's going to sell really easy and really well.
14:12Any colour but yellow.
14:22LAUGHTER
14:22Where's the sea now?
14:25Where's the sea gone?
14:28Ah, we can only go right here.
14:30I think I need to go that way.
14:31But we can only go right.
14:33The lads in the workshop are going to be wondering where the hell I am.
14:39This is why I use a sat-nav.
14:40It's got to be that way.
14:43It's that way, isn't it?
14:44What?
14:45No, it's not.
14:46It's not.
14:47It's this way.
14:47The ocean's on my left.
14:48Spin it round.
14:49What?
14:50You've gone wrong.
14:50Oh, you are kidding me.
14:52Literally gone wrong.
14:52I admire your comfort.
14:55LAUGHTER
14:56Sorry!
14:58It's day two in Portugal,
15:02and I'm dropping Elvis off at the workshop in Lisbon
15:05because I'm heading up the coast on a mission
15:07to restore our mini-moke's ageing interior.
15:10Here you go, then, fella.
15:13Hey.
15:14See you later.
15:16Don't get lost.
15:17LAUGHTER
15:17Sorry I'm a little bit late.
15:24Yeah, I know, I know, I know, it's Mike's fault.
15:29My first job for today is to sort the car's bone-shaking suspension,
15:33which, like regular minis, is mounted on front and rear subframes.
15:37The suspension design on the old mini and mini-moke was unusual.
15:43It was unusual because it replaced the traditional steel springs
15:47with these unusual but super straightforward cone-shaped rubber devices
15:52that sit up here in the top of the suspension towers.
15:55The rubber cones, which compress and expand as the car drives,
15:59are mounted horizontally on the rear subframe
16:01and vertically on this front one.
16:06But the unique suspension system is not without its drawbacks.
16:10What happens is, and as Mike and I have found,
16:12as we bounce down the road in our old car,
16:15over time, the rubber solidifies.
16:17It loses a lot of its elasticity
16:19and the springy effect that you're after.
16:21So on a car like the mini-moke,
16:23designed to bounce along bumpy beach roads,
16:26it's just not good enough.
16:28And that means these need to be replaced.
16:31There it is, the offending article.
16:39That is the little rubber cone.
16:41And look, I've got a brand new one here
16:44that the guy's had sitting around.
16:46And look at the difference between the two.
16:48Not only has this one sagged dramatically,
16:51they just don't last very long.
16:52They always end up squashed and deformed.
16:55But instead of replacing the old rubber cones with new ones,
16:59I've got an upgrade in mind.
17:01First, though, I need to get the sub-frames fully stripped down
17:04so they can be cleaned and painted.
17:05I'm making my way 200 miles up the coast to the outskirts of Porto
17:15as I've arranged to visit one of Portugal's premier interior trim companies.
17:21Me and Elvis have decided we're going to change the colour of the moke.
17:25We don't know what colour that's going to be,
17:26so let's change the interior at the same time.
17:30And I'm just going to go there with an open mind
17:32and hopefully get inspired.
17:33If they can show me some good colours for the interior,
17:37it might dictate what we do on the exterior.
17:39Oh, this is the kind of place I like.
17:47I'm looking for Felipe.
17:49Hello, Mike.
17:50Is that you?
17:50I'm Felipe. Nice to meet you.
17:51Very nice to meet you.
17:52Finally, too.
17:54Wow.
17:54I didn't expect this.
17:56This is amazing.
17:58So what do you do here?
17:59You do all kinds of interiors?
18:00Yeah, from old cars to full reservations,
18:04brand-new cars also.
18:06The finest materials available.
18:08Now, the problem we've got
18:09is trying to find the colour of the interior
18:12when I haven't even chosen the colour of the outside.
18:14Okay.
18:15I am seeing there's green everywhere in here.
18:17Yeah, it's the official colour of this company.
18:19Of the business.
18:19So you never know.
18:21Green might be a colour that features.
18:24The company has a workforce of 28 skilled craftspeople
18:28and one skilled robot.
18:30It's a mixture of old technology
18:32and new technology together.
18:35They produce bespoke luxury interiors
18:37for cars old and new.
18:40Beautiful.
18:41And their clients include movie stars,
18:43top-flight soccer players,
18:45and now me.
18:47Hey!
18:48With a green colour,
18:50you can have this one.
18:51See that?
18:52Look at that.
18:53Do you mind if I just use your...
18:54Yeah, of course.
18:55Oh, look at that.
18:56That really does work, doesn't it?
18:58Tan and green.
18:59That works, Felipe.
19:01That's a good combination.
19:02That is a really good colour combination.
19:04I like that.
19:05If you want to be braver,
19:06you can go another brighter.
19:08Okay, but that's just yellow.
19:10Yeah.
19:10Right?
19:11But...
19:11A bright yellow, yeah.
19:12What, on a green car?
19:13Yeah.
19:14Oh, why have you done this to me?
19:16That's an amazing colour combination.
19:17Yes, it is.
19:18It's a bold one.
19:19I'm going to say this.
19:20I think...
19:21Can I say this?
19:22Can I actually decide right now?
19:25I think we're going to paint the car green.
19:27And I think we're going to go for a yellow interior.
19:30I wonder what Elvis would say,
19:31because I'm trying to get rid of the yellow on the car.
19:33Okay.
19:33Philippe's team are going to make us a complete new set of interior leather and a hood.
19:44You've deconstructed my old seat, my old frame.
19:47How long does a job like this take?
19:49Around one hour to a couple of hours at the most.
19:51Really?
19:51Yeah.
19:52Pedro starts by marking out the various sections for each seat using a template,
19:58before cutting them out by hand.
20:00It's then over to the sewing machine to join the pieces together.
20:12So this is a piece of foam.
20:13This is one of the seat cushions.
20:14Yeah.
20:14Yeah.
20:16That's a great job.
20:17Look at that.
20:18I think that's going to look fantastic.
20:20The heat gun smooths out any wrinkles.
20:24Oh, go on.
20:25You got it.
20:26Now it's just a matter of repeating the process for the rear seats.
20:30Let's get this back to the workshop.
20:32Bring it all together with the ideas that I've got for the paintwork.
20:36I think it's going to look absolutely incredible.
20:41At the workshop, the most rear subframe's been powder-coated in black.
20:46There you go.
20:47Looks amazing, doesn't it?
20:49Looks like new.
20:49Yeah, it is.
20:50I need to mount the new suspension arms.
20:52It's a fiddly job, so I've enlisted the help of Joel.
20:56He's the workshop's go-to guy for all things suspension.
21:00So we need to get these brackets on so that we can mount the arms, right?
21:03Yeah.
21:03So they're going to go on here.
21:05Because it's been powder-coated, we could do with cleaning those out.
21:08Have you got a tap?
21:09Because it's been powder-coated.
21:11Do you have a tap?
21:12I don't have one, but Gonzalo does.
21:13What, five-sixteenths imperial?
21:16What would it be called in Portuguese, in case he asks?
21:19Machu.
21:19Machu.
21:20Machu.
21:20Machu.
21:21Are you sure?
21:22You're not stitching me up.
21:23No, I'm not.
21:24Okay.
21:26Do you have a machu?
21:29Or machu?
21:30Machu.
21:31Machu.
21:32Machu.
21:32Do you know what that is?
21:33Yeah.
21:34Did I say it right?
21:35Yeah, you said it right.
21:36It's a tap, right?
21:37Yeah.
21:37Okay, good.
21:38I thought he was going to send me to ask for something silly.
21:40No, no.
21:41It's the right word.
21:41Okay.
21:44Okay, so how did that go?
21:46Well, he laughed.
21:48But I think that was my accent, not your word.
21:50Okay.
21:51Right.
21:52The threading tap means I can clean out any remnants of the powder coating without damaging the screw threads.
22:01And with that done, we can attach the bracket and fit the new suspension arm.
22:07Feels nice.
22:08That is the lower arm on.
22:10Now I've got one last trick up my sleeve to help transform the moat's handling.
22:16Right.
22:16So, instead of just replacing the rubber cone with a new one, which I know we can do, I've decided to go for these.
22:24Obviously, a bit more of a modern solution, a bit more modern engineering.
22:27These will last a lot longer before we ever have to replace them again.
22:31I think it's a good idea.
22:32Excellent.
22:33Up we go.
22:34Lift that up.
22:35As well as lasting longer, the spring should bring an improvement in ride comfort.
22:41There you go.
22:41Look.
22:42You can see how the spring takes up the compression.
22:44Beautiful.
22:52After a half day's work, I think we've earned ourselves dinner.
22:55We're going to go for a present or occasion.
22:58Does that mean you're paying?
22:59Thank you very much.
23:00Obrigado.
23:01Obrigado.
23:02So, as long as you promise not to choke on your prosciutto when I'll tell you about my day.
23:08So, as I was walking around, one thing that kept striking me was the whole business and their uniforms were a certain shade of green.
23:19Oh, okay.
23:20I mean, I like green.
23:21What sort of shade?
23:22The easiest way to describe it is like a sage green.
23:24That could be lovely.
23:26I mean, that's also maybe like a little nod back to the military history of the vehicle, right?
23:29Yep.
23:30Yeah, I mean, that sounds nice, man.
23:31So, all right, what about the interior, then?
23:33What colour do you think I went for?
23:35Cream.
23:36No.
23:37Another shade of green.
23:39No.
23:40Tan.
23:40You ready?
23:41Yellow.
23:42That's what you've decided to go for?
23:44A bright yellow.
23:45What?
23:45But it will look amazing, I promise you.
23:54We're in Portugal, enjoying the delights this incredible country has to offer.
24:00This is the famous Portuguese tart.
24:03It's one of my favourite things about Portugal, you know.
24:05These are amazing.
24:06They are lovely, aren't they?
24:08You've got a onesie.
24:09Mm.
24:12Very nice.
24:13This is lovely round here, isn't it?
24:15Yeah.
24:16Love the sunshine, love the cars, love the tarts.
24:20When we're not devouring pastel de natas...
24:22Oh, very good.
24:23...we're also carrying out an ambitious, full restoration on one of the few cars ever produced
24:28here, the Mini Moak.
24:30Our Moak's body work is currently being sanded down and prepped for paint.
24:37See how easy this comes off.
24:39Meanwhile, Gonzalo and I want to do something about that underperforming engine.
24:44Doesn't immediately look too bad.
24:46I mean, it's an old engine.
24:48Yeah, it's just too warm and just need an overall.
24:53OK, well, look, let's give it a full clean-up, first of all.
24:56I'll leave you to do that.
24:57I'm going to go and clean the cylinder head.
24:58OK.
25:00OK, I've got our cylinder head here.
25:02I'm going to go through a process called porting and polishing.
25:06Effectively, what that means is we're going to take away material from the cylinder head,
25:09opening out the inlet and exhaust ports to allow the gases in and out of the cylinder head
25:14in a more efficient manner.
25:15Making these ports bigger means more fuel and air, and more fuel and air means more power.
25:34It's actually taking quite a lot of material off.
25:37If I tip it up, in fact, we might be able to get some out.
25:40Oh, my goodness.
25:41That is quite a lot.
25:43Now, that is a lot of metal.
25:44And actually, that's exactly what we're trying to do, of course,
25:47because we are removing quite a lot to give us that free-flowing of gases
25:50through the cylinder head, which is going to up our performance.
25:55Next, I'm shot-blasting the cylinder head to remove any paint, rust or debris.
26:08And now, Gonzalo is going to help to enact stage two of my engine upgrade,
26:12skimming the cylinder head.
26:16Now, effectively, what that means is we take a small amount of material off the bottom surface here.
26:22Now, that, first of all, means it's going to be perfectly flat, giving us a nice, good seal.
26:26But also, it's going to reduce the volume of the combustion chamber.
26:29That means that when we put the air and fuel mixture in there,
26:32the piston's going to compress it into a smaller space,
26:35giving us an even bigger bang for our buck with a raised compression ratio.
26:38So, in other words, more power.
26:42There you go, Gonzalo.
26:43Nice, clean cylinder head.
26:47First, Gonzalo uses a tool that can detect any microscopic imperfections on the flat plate.
26:54These could have come from the original casting or wear and tear over time.
26:57We're talking about tiny, tiny little high and low spots across the surface of this head,
27:05and that's what this skim is going to get rid of.
27:09Now, it's going to be flat, yes.
27:10The grinding tool, that's actually a stone, spinning at around about 1,400 RPM.
27:24It's that grinding surface that's taking the material off the top of the cylinder head.
27:31On the first pass, Gonzalo skims just 0.04 millimetres off the head.
27:37About the width of a human hair.
27:39Can you see, between the two and three cylinder, a very low spot.
27:51Number four is very low.
27:53So, the spinning grinding stone just skimmed over, that didn't touch it.
27:57So, we need to go a little bit deeper to make sure that we get everything off the top,
28:01give us a completely flat surface and a good basis to work from.
28:04Round two and another 0.04 millimetres is going to come off.
28:12The cooling fluid is super important.
28:14Without it, temperatures could really spike,
28:17and that could introduce a risk of distorting the cylinder head if it gets too hot.
28:20But also, the stone itself could get so hot that it might disintegrate.
28:24Yeah, there you go.
28:28There you go.
28:29That's done it.
28:30It's now perfect effect.
28:32Top work, mate.
28:33Almost half of our spend on this car is on the bodywork and paint.
28:41And as the last bits of prep work are completed,
28:44it's time for me to choose the right shade of green.
28:47No pressure.
28:51Yes, baby.
28:52Oh, yeah.
28:53Green.
28:53See, green works, doesn't it?
28:55That is brilliant.
28:56We have an arco one.
28:57I'm just going to say no straight away.
28:59It's too dark.
29:00Yeah, it doesn't do anything.
29:02I like that.
29:03That's going to sell, isn't it?
29:04Yeah.
29:04That is going to sell in this market.
29:06Okay, so.
29:07Right.
29:07Decision made.
29:08Citrus interior.
29:09Love it.
29:10Absolutely love it.
29:10Well done.
29:11Nice one.
29:12But before I pull the trigger on the colour change,
29:15I better check with the boss.
29:18Hi, Michelle.
29:20Hiya.
29:21All right.
29:21What's up?
29:21Did you get the pictures, I think?
29:22You had a little yellow mini boat.
29:24Like the one we got married in years ago.
29:26Exactly.
29:27It's just like our little wedding car.
29:28The thing is, the reason I've rung you is,
29:30would it upset you if I was to change the colour?
29:36Well, I think you looks amazing.
29:38Oh, dear.
29:39I just don't think, I think the yellow's too bright.
29:43It's too garish.
29:44That's what you're going to do.
29:46Well, listen, it'd be nice.
29:47I promise you it'd be nice.
29:49And we're still married after 36 years.
29:51I love you.
29:52Yeah, I can't believe it.
29:54Bye.
29:54Bye, bye-bye, bye-bye.
29:58I might have just got away with that.
30:00Not too sure.
30:02I have a sneaky suspicion you'll be paying for that one later, mate.
30:06Anyway, moving on.
30:07When I drove the car, I really struggled to select some of the gears, and it wasn't just my bad driving.
30:14I've taken the selector mechanism off the car and fully expected at the bottom of the gear lever here to find loads of play.
30:20There's a ball joint at the bottom of here.
30:22It's quite a common failure on these things.
30:24But actually, this one's fine.
30:25There's nothing that I need to be too concerned about.
30:28However, if you follow the system along, along the selector rod, this is the problem.
30:32This piece on the end has so much play in all directions.
30:37That is exactly the reason I was really struggling to select a gear.
30:39And the reason is, over time, somebody has replaced what should be a nice roll pin fitted to the two holes with this, a nut and bolt.
30:49The problem is that, first of all, that nut and bolt is probably too small, introducing a little bit of play.
30:54But also, instead of it being a solid surface, it's threaded.
30:57So it wears away way quicker than a roll pin would, meaning the play just gets worse and worse and worse.
31:02Now, what I need to do is take this apart, and hopefully, Zhao has the correct roll pin to go in its place.
31:08Do you know what?
31:10It's so heavily sort of deformed or bent, I think I might have to take it in and use a vice, try and tap it out with a hammer.
31:18Hello, mate.
31:20Two problems.
31:22First of all, I'm sure you've seen it before.
31:24Someone's put a nut and bolt through here.
31:26Yeah.
31:27The second problem is I can't get it out, so I wonder if you've got a hammer and punch that we can tap it through.
31:32Okay.
31:36Yes, there we go.
31:38There you go, look at that.
31:39That's why it wouldn't come out very easily.
31:42Okay, so the next question is, do you have the correct roll pin?
31:46Yeah, I have.
31:47Yeah?
31:47Amazing.
31:54Yeah, look at that.
31:58So there's a tiny bit of play, but that's fine.
32:00It needs to have some of that, but it's way, way better than it was, and most importantly, it's now correct.
32:05Thanks, mate.
32:06It's a new day, and with our car getting a lick of paint, there's nothing Elvis can do in the workshop.
32:17It's nice down here, isn't it?
32:20Love it.
32:20Notably warmer as well.
32:22Yes, love it.
32:25Mike and I have travelled 155 miles south to the Algarve to do some market research at a mini-moke meet.
32:31People love putting their personal touches on these cars.
32:36There's going to be all sorts going on.
32:38We're still from areas of our car since we've finished.
32:41Yep.
32:41I'm looking for inspiration.
32:45Oh, mate, look at this.
32:47Wonderful.
32:49Walking around the multitude of mini-mokes, one thing stands out.
32:52Lots of the cars are Restomods.
32:56I love these cars.
32:57And this is a beach car.
32:58This is a car for the summers.
33:00Restomodding means keeping classic car looks, but adding some modern technology and convenience.
33:06Which one's yours?
33:08The red one.
33:08Oh, the red one.
33:08That's nice.
33:09I recognise those wheels.
33:11They're off of Renault Turbo.
33:12Yes.
33:13It completely changes the look of the car, doesn't it?
33:14It certainly does.
33:16Look at that over there.
33:17That is a proper-looking mini-moke.
33:22Hello.
33:22My name's Mike.
33:23Hello.
33:24This is Elvis.
33:24Hi, Elvis.
33:25Nice to see you.
33:27This is amazing.
33:28This is a Restomod car.
33:29It's really, really popular at the moment.
33:31The main purpose on the Restomod is having a car more modernised and more comfortable.
33:35A bit more sporty as well.
33:37Nice.
33:37As we walked up to this, you've noticed some of the tricky bits.
33:39Like, it's got these flash sort of LED lights on the front, indicators.
33:44Slightly lower suspension.
33:46Yes.
33:46Bigger wheels and tyres.
33:47It's incredible.
33:49Yes.
33:52Restomodding classic cars might be pricey, but it can have a massive impact on resale prices.
33:59Restomod like this, if you do a full paint job on it, and modernise, 30 and above.
34:03What?
34:04Over that, yes.
34:0430,000 euros and upwards.
34:06And upwards.
34:06What?
34:07Yes.
34:07Seriously?
34:08Yes.
34:08This is spectacular.
34:09And I love it, and I really can't wait to bring ours to something similar.
34:13I feel like I've had a little lottery win.
34:15Gerald, thank you so much.
34:16Nice to meet you.
34:17Really, really nice to meet you.
34:18Nice to meet you as well.
34:19Top stuff.
34:20That was interesting, wasn't it?
34:21Oh, God.
34:22That was fantastic.
34:23With the suspension and engine upgrades we've made so far, plus the new interior, we're
34:28definitely on the right path with our Moak.
34:31But I reckon we need to look at a few Restomod additions to pile on the profit.
34:36Now you're talking, Elvis.
34:38Time to do some shopping.
34:44At the workshop, our Moak has emerged from the paint booth.
34:48Look at that colour.
34:50It's amazing, isn't it?
34:51Hey, mate.
34:52Hey.
34:52What do you think?
34:53What do you think of the colour?
34:54I like it a lot.
34:55I just think it pops next to that yellow.
34:57I mean, the whole car is now really looking good coming back together, but there's still
35:00quite a lot to do, so should we crack on?
35:02Let's go.
35:03Nice one.
35:04The value of some Restomod upgrades is clear, so I've decided to fit a set of upgraded adjustable
35:09dampers.
35:11These all complement our new springs and provide a smoother ride.
35:19That is the nut on top, nut on the bottom.
35:22I've also got to tighten everything up.
35:23That's a nice shiny new damper to match a nice shiny new springs, nice shiny new subframe,
35:28and a nice shiny new Mini Moak.
35:30Looking good, isn't it?
35:32But of course, that's not all, because I've also replaced the steering rack to eliminate
35:39the massive amount of play I felt on the test drive.
35:41The other problem was this.
35:45If you remember this piece, which sits down here, controls the track position of the front
35:50wheels.
35:51And if you remember, the car was sort of pulling to one side, difficult to keep in a straight
35:54line.
35:55And look at that little close-up inspection shows you just how bananed, how bent that
35:59is.
35:59And because it's so thin, this is actually a common problem, particularly around the bumpy
36:03roads here in Portugal.
36:05So the lads here, well, they've got another upgrade.
36:08This is way thicker, much more sturdy, much more up to the job, but also it's adjustable
36:13like many of the other components on here too.
36:15So when we fit it, which I'm about to do, we have an element of control over just how
36:19well this car behaves and drives.
36:21That end slots through that hole in the chassis.
36:24I'm just going to pop the rubber slots over there.
36:28Might need a little tap.
36:30Even small mechanical upgrades like this are in keeping with the resto mod approach.
36:35There we go.
36:37It should transform the way the car drives.
36:39Elvis, oh, hello mate, you all right?
36:42This colour, mate, look at it.
36:44I absolutely love it.
36:45I've thrown a few new bits at it, as you can see.
36:47I can see that.
36:48I've actually spent a bit of cash.
36:50Well, you know we learned at the show that, you know, the top money comes from having a
36:53car in the top spec.
36:54Yes.
36:55Well, this is now the top spec.
36:56Well, I can see that.
36:57It's all new.
36:57I've also been out shopping.
36:59I've got these fancy LED headlamps.
37:02They are fancy.
37:03Yeah, I've got some other lights in there as well.
37:04I mean, they're going to look incredible on the car.
37:06They've got beauty rings.
37:08The indicator works in the beauty rings as well.
37:11They're LED, so they're going to be really bright for the road.
37:13I love them.
37:14I mean, it's going to look, I think, magnificent.
37:17Right.
37:17Now, Zhao, he's obviously known in this world.
37:24Obviously, people know that we've got this car in build.
37:27So, he said that he's got a customer who's really, really deadly, seriously keen at the
37:32kind of money I'm hoping for that he'd like to see the car.
37:35Can we just sort of jump on?
37:37And it looks like we've only got to put lights and a grill on, throw some wheels on it.
37:40It doesn't quite work that way.
37:42But let's have a go, mate.
37:43Yeah.
37:43Right.
37:43This is quite possibly, and I'm going to say it loudly, quite possibly one of the best
38:02wheeler-dealer builds in history.
38:04Yeah, mate.
38:05It's got to be up there, because I just can't find anything wrong with it.
38:09The Moak may be mini, but this build has been epic.
38:15It's been anything but straightforward, but cruising in this iconic car through the stunning
38:20Portuguese countryside makes it all worthwhile.
38:22Can I?
38:29What about that, eh?
38:30That is just epic.
38:32I mean, it's just unbelievable.
38:34Mate, the colour choice is inspired.
38:36Even that yellow interior, it looks so good, doesn't it?
38:39It is just fantastic.
38:41I knew it would work when I held that colour lever up against that guy's uniform.
38:45It actually fits the scenery perfectly, doesn't it?
38:49I mean, that is incredible in itself, but it does fit perfectly there.
38:51And I have never gone to this level of detail on one of our cars before.
38:55It is unbelievably good, no matter where you look.
38:59When we bought this little car for 16,000 euros, there were signs of rust everywhere we looked.
39:06But after some extensive repairs and a fresh coat of paint, along with a new interior and
39:11some resto mod upgrades, the car now looks incredible.
39:15And a full engine service combined with a whole new suspension system means it now drives incredibly
39:22well, too.
39:22All in all, we've spent around 11,000 euros, which means we need to achieve 27,000 just to break even.
39:31I've actually got this guy called Ricardo, and I've got him on the hook at around 34,000 euros for it.
39:42Yeah, worth every penny, mate.
39:43I mean, you know, it's high spec you'll find, isn't it?
39:45And I did say that I'd meet him at the beach, because this car, it deserves to be on the beach.
39:49So, yeah, let's get it down there.
39:51This might be our only chance to take it for a spin.
39:55Oh, the seat cushions are nice.
39:58They're lovely, aren't they?
39:59It is good.
40:00So, I want to make the most of it.
40:07It is gobsmacking what you've done with this.
40:10It really is incredible, isn't it?
40:11The transformation is like it's a different car, isn't it?
40:15It does ride over the ruts and bumps really, really smoothly.
40:19Oh, look at this nice little left-hand.
40:22I mean, especially with that nice little wooden steering wheel, it just feels better, doesn't it?
40:26Well, it looks better, but I can see it feels better as well.
40:29There's no play.
40:30It's transformed the whole experience.
40:32It's well worth it.
40:40Sounds amazing.
40:41Sounds great, doesn't it?
40:43It does.
40:43It's so nice, Elvis, that we come together as a team of all the boys at Rusty Soul to get this finish,
40:53and we can put it in front of Ricciardo today.
40:57There is not one thing it could pull apart on this car, not one.
41:01It's absolutely perfect.
41:03It's better than showroom condition.
41:05So, let's put it in front of him, and let's see if we can get it sold.
41:08Great.
41:13Look at that.
41:14That looks amazing, doesn't it?
41:15I can see the sea.
41:16Yes.
41:17Ha ha, look at you.
41:19So, this is where we're going to meet Ricciardo.
41:21Let's hope these pockets are bulging with cash.
41:26It's the guy there.
41:26That's Ricciardo, yeah.
41:28So, position the car nicely.
41:30Let's turn it round here, look.
41:31Nice.
41:34You must be Ricciardo?
41:35Yes.
41:36Ricciardo on mic.
41:37Pleased to meet you, Mike.
41:37So nice to meet you.
41:38This is Elvis.
41:39Hey, Ricciardo.
41:40Nice to meet you.
41:40Nice to see you.
41:40So, Ricciardo, what do you think?
41:43Lovely.
41:44I think the car looks amazing.
41:46I love the colour combination.
41:48We've really gone to town with it.
41:49Not only has it got a leather interior, it's got a leather roof.
41:52The suspension's all been reworked.
41:53Let me show you inside the bonnet.
41:55Yeah, the engine is absolutely fantastic.
41:58It's all been ported, polished, skimmed.
42:01The engine block's been painted.
42:03You can see it's almost like brand new, isn't it?
42:04Yeah, it's new.
42:05Yeah, it's new.
42:06It's got LED lights all over it.
42:08It drives absolutely superb.
42:10We're hoping to get 34,000 euros for it, which I think, in this marketplace, the way it looks,
42:16that's a great price.
42:17I'm not saying it's not fair, but I honestly would like to go a little lower, if possible.
42:26Like what?
42:2730.
42:2830,000 euros.
42:30Ricciardo, we've spent way too much money on this car.
42:33We are quite happy to get in and drive it, market it and try and sell it.
42:37I understand.
42:38There is one price, it's the last price, we can't go any more than this, and that would
42:42be 32,000 euros.
42:45That's it.
42:45What did you say?
42:48I say it's fair.
42:49Yes?
42:50Hey, well done.
42:51Congratulations.
42:53Well done, you, mate.
42:54Yeah, nice one.
42:55So, 32,000 euros, you got yourself a dream little car, so congratulations.
42:59Yeah, it's true.
43:00Thank you so much.
43:04Well, mate, I'll tell you what, we bought the right car at the right price.
43:08I think it's fair to say we've done the right jobs.
43:11100 percent.
43:11You know, we properly went to town on this car.
43:13Yeah, we've turned a lovely profit.
43:16We have really enjoyed this trip.
43:18Yet again, Portugal comes through.
43:20It's been really good to us, hasn't it?
43:21It never fails to deliver this place, does it?
43:23It never fails to deliver this place.
43:25It doesn't like you so much.
43:26It never fails to deliver this place, does it?
43:27Yeah.
43:30Yeah.
43:31Yeah.
43:43Yeah.
43:45You
Recommended
36:49
|
Up next
47:49
46:39
46:27
59:59
57:49
43:46
43:53
1:33
43:54
43:53
55:25
27:59
27:59
1:10:48
59:16
58:08
53:51
50:17
46:36
46:16
42:40
Be the first to comment