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Shed & Buried Classic Cars Season 3 Episode 3
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00:00I'm shocked at the amount of white sole trainers around, namely the crew. Look at them. What is
00:12up with these guys? Yeah, and I've also noticed two of them can't afford socks. No, I would think
00:18you'll probably find that they have those socks that don't have tops. What's the point in that?
00:23Well, it's to give you that whole vibe of lovely ankles. Yeah, in the 1920s, a glimpse of stocking
00:29was looked on as something shocking, and that's the way people think about short socks now.
00:37We're back. Oh, I'm loving this. Scouring Britain's sheds for classic cars. A thing of beauty. Proper
00:44special. Quintessential Brits. That's nice. A Lee Francis. American icons. Look at the amount
00:51of chrome on the front there. And Continental Curios. That is a Lancia Aprilia. We're going
00:58to buy them. Thank you so much. Fantastic, Ludo. Sort them. It's the sunroof. No, please,
01:04I'm getting out now. Drive them. And sell them for a tidy profit. Are we in the money? This
01:11is shed and buried classic cars. We're off to an airfield near Maidenhead in search of a
01:22classic car. We are going to go and see a man called Ludo. Do you think he's game? Game?
01:33Yeah. Yeah. I actually don't think we've ever visited a Ludo before.
01:39No. It's a cool name. What? Shall I tell you why it's quite cool? Go on then. Because he
01:45is supposedly French. So I can parlay avec him the fluent. Right. Okay. Je m'appelle Henri et aussi
01:57mon ami est Jellybean. Is that right? Yeah. A great bit of bridging the divide between France and the
02:09UK. Okay. With some exceptional franglais. Ah, Trebien au Jourdouin. Now, shall I tell you what
02:16else is Trebien? Yes. Yeah. Ludo is into customs, hot roddy type stuff. Okay, very cool. So that could
02:25be, there could be almost anything there. French, Italian, American, anything. Whether we come
02:34back with a custom classic, a kid's board game or a slap in the face from Ludo for my terrible
02:41French. Who knows? But Maidenhead, allons-nous vite vite. Ludo, before we start, there's a lot of
02:49commotion in the sky. Well, I might have to ask you to speak up a bit, mate. Okay. Can I just ask you,
02:55just an initial glance here, right? You're French. Yes, I'm French. Right. How come you got into all
03:00this? It just, like, happened when I was a kid, yeah. I just grew up with my dad and had American
03:05car and... Okay. And then, yeah, it's a bit strange, yeah. That was it. I'm French. Love American car,
03:10living in the UK, but... So why did you come over here? Did you just... Because I think the scene over
03:14here of, like, car and American car is much bigger in the UK. So you've got loads and loads of great
03:21cars, all kinds of stuff around here. Yeah. Are you sort of willing to part with absolutely everything,
03:27or...? We've got a few of them for sale. Okay. Right. Okay. So, I'll maybe persuade you to do a little
03:32bit more. Yeah. Yeah. You never know. See what goes. You never know. Ludo, look, what we'll do if it's
03:37all right. We'll have a little wander around. Okay. Then all right. And then we'll call you in if we need
03:40any advice. And then, hopefully, at the end, we'll have a haggle. Okay. Yeah. You never know, do you?
03:45I'm going to worry. You'll behave. I will. Well, just about. Yeah, I will. But, Ludo, très bien. Merci.
03:51Bonne chance. Yeah. Let's go and allay over there and start a Avec le Mach 1. Okay. Yeah? Great stuff.
03:59Cheers, Ludo. We'll see you in a bit. Cheers, Ludo. All right, mate. Come on, then.
04:05And here it is, the Ford Mustang Mach 1. It's not quite fast enough to break the sound barrier,
04:11but the styling is. I love the colour. Recently, I was in the presence of a lovely, lovely red one,
04:19but I think I prefer the lime green. I like it, mate. This is what, early 70s? Yeah.
04:25This shape. Early to mid 70s. Because it was a radical departure.
04:32The first versions of the Ford Mustang were relatively lean and mean,
04:37but by the early 1970s, they had muscled up with bigger engines and looks to match.
04:42It was the last stage before fuel crisis hit. Yeah. And, of course, you know, then the freeways
04:52and everything back down to sort of 55 or 65 miles per hour and stuff like that. Downhill from there.
04:57And, of course, then emissions creeped in. And then you end up with a Tesla. Anyway.
05:02All these things are still around. Yeah. Do you want to go green? Yeah.
05:05This is the car. As well as muscle cars, Ludo clearly has a penchant for classic pickups,
05:14like this 1957 Ford. And most striking of all, this late 50s Ranchero.
05:24I mean, this is taking bare metal to another level.
05:27Yeah. The Ranchero was a general purpose utility vehicle, but Ludo has transformed this one
05:36into a work of automotive art. The white bed. We've got the rug over the seat. And again,
05:45like you say, we've got the bare metal finish. And I think Ludo's been at work as well. Louvre at the
05:52bonnet. That is something proper special, in my view. I could just see myself going down Highway 1.
06:00Well, I think so. Or the North Circular, actually. Don't bother me. Yeah. Yeah.
06:05You know, that's what it's all about, I think. Everything about this just exudes coolness, really.
06:13Whether we'd ever be able to afford this is another issue. But Ludo's also got some rougher looking items.
06:20There's a Ford Edsel saloon, mid-resto. Try getting this into a multi-story.
06:30And a Chevy van with cartoon connotations.
06:35All I can say is, Ro-Rain, Renry. What, Scooby Doo? Yeah. Ro-Rain, Renry.
06:43And most intriguing of all, there's a container at the back of the yard with a recent acquisition.
06:48I wonder what could be inside there. A big, well. Probably an American car.
06:53Yeah, I should imagine. Might have a trailer or something. Hold on.
06:57Oh, my word. Oh, hoo. There's big and there's this. Look at that.
07:02The heck is that? It's an Imperial Chrysler. A Chrysler Imperial. Late 1950s, perhaps. But look at it.
07:11Look at the amount of chrome on the front there.
07:15This is Imperial by Chrysler Corporation. A car of impressive size. Generous passenger space. Great dignity.
07:24The Imperial was Chrysler's attempt to compete with Cadillac. A luxury saloon with high spec and a high price.
07:35Extracting all 18 foot of it is easier said than done.
07:39Well, you have to, like, wiggle on the side. Hang on. There are issues. I am getting trapped.
07:46This thing is a monster. It takes plenty of ooh-la-la. Oh, my God. And I want to go home.
07:54But eventually, our combined efforts get it out.
07:58This is a monumental, huge motor car. I love it. Look at it. I love it.
08:06The fins on the back, they're kind of toned down a bit with those rocket ship tail lights.
08:11I love them. Looking like flames coming out the back. I love them.
08:14And the front is still in the 1950s as well. But if you look at the saloon area,
08:19that is pointing towards the 1960s. Does it go in that? Yeah.
08:24You start it. Does it? Okay. Yeah. And this one's available, is it? Yeah.
08:28Blimey. Blimey O'Reilly. I think I'm going to have to lie down.
08:33If you thought nothing could upstage the Imperial, look at this Ford pickup.
08:39It's a holiday on wheels. Yes. An American holiday. It is, yes.
08:45Okay, so it's a pickup with a caravan kind of drop-on. But this ain't any old caravan.
08:52Oh, yes. Here we are. Welcome home. Oh, mate, that is really mint.
08:59It is. Isn't it? Yeah. Come on.
09:04I was thinking I was going to get into some kind of sort of moth-eating camper van.
09:08Yeah. But actually, it's utterly lovely. I mean, what's not to like?
09:12Well, probably the price. Yeah. Well, we could ask. Well, we could ask.
09:17Well, we could ask.
09:19So what an automotive smorgasbord, a pimped up Ford Mustang, a stripped down ranchero,
09:26a glammed up camper van, and a great white whale of a Chrysler. But will we be able to afford any of them?
09:34Mm. Come on, then. Let's go see him. All right.
09:38Come on, then, Ludu. Au revoir. Je suis Henri avec orange. That's French, you know.
09:48Ludu, to say we've had an amazing time is an understatement. If we just go through a few things
09:53to see if there is anything you want to get rid of. All right. I'm going to start with the green
09:57Mustang inside. Yeah, green. So, is that for sale? That's for sale, yeah. Okay. This one is for sale.
10:03I think 17,000 on the one. Okay. 17. All right. Now, ranchero. This one? Yeah. Oh, no.
10:13This one is not for sale. No. This one is my baby. Okay. So now I'm going to speak French.
10:18Uh, et aussi, uh, Ludo, nous avons, uh, um, Chrysler, uh, Grand Blanc whale. Yeah. How much is that?
10:29That is at eight, um, eight and a half. And then finally, you've got what is a lovely F1.
10:36A camper van. Yeah. Yeah. A camper van. What a lovely thing that is. This is for sale as well, yeah.
10:40Okay. This is for sale for 16. 16. 16. So, yeah. Okay. How about seven for the white whale?
10:46Hmm. Oh, that's going to be tricky. Seven and a half. Seven, seven, fifty.
10:53Mm-mm.
10:56We're down in Maidenhead with Ludo and his unexpected collection of American classics.
11:16He wants eight and a half grand for a Chrysler Imperial. But will he sell it for this?
11:21Yes.
11:23Does it have to start with an eight? Yeah. Don't say that. Where are you going to go from seven,
11:28seven, fifty? Seven, seven, sixty. Yeah. Yeah, I'm seeing the price, yeah. Yeah,
11:32it's very bien. Good for you. Yeah, great. All right, Ludo, thank you so much. Fantastic,
11:37Ludo. That's great. Eight grand. That is fantastic. That is wheat grand. Yes, that's right. Yeah,
11:42it is. Yeah, yeah. I think you say wheat meal. Ludo, thank you so much. What a lovely day, man.
11:52Two days later, back at the shed, we make some space for our Chrysler. Alan's away on holes,
11:58but Jelly has already given it the paw of approval.
12:02Hold on. Has Guy shrunk? Or is it just the size of the car? It's just the size of the car. What a beast.
12:10I have to tell you, I think the only way to describe this is a cruise ship. It is. It is, really. I do
12:17think it's fantastic. I love it. I love things like, look at this wing mirror. It's all that rocket from
12:23the 60s. Of course it is. To the moon and all that kind of paper. Of course it is. That's right, yeah.
12:27I love the shape of this screen. Same here. It looks like it's like, is this paint or is this oil?
12:33It's wax, I think. Yeah, I reckon Fuzzer, don't you? I think that it has been preserved with this wax.
12:41Yeah. Yeah. And I think that wax goes on the chrome as well. Right. So are we going to get that off
12:47or leave it on for a patina? No, I think the rust is the patina. Yeah.
12:52If we can get this off, let's get it off. Yeah. Let's de-grease it or something.
12:58Yeah, I don't know. Well, we'll try with different stuff, mate. We can do that tomorrow.
13:02I think you pair have got your work cut out here because look at the size of it. There's a lot of
13:07cleaning off to do. There's an acreage. Yeah. Yeah. And skid, don't let him walk off.
13:15So that's tomorrow sorted. But today's other task is to check how this runs. Here we go. There's a lever here.
13:23There we go. Oh, it's heavy. There we go. Come on. I'll hold it. A wide V. 6,750 cc of V8 engine.
13:33Oh, mate. I just music to my ears. Yeah. Now, I'm going to start it and we'll have a look. And then
13:40we're going to take it down the drive, the three of us and Jellybean. Yeah.
13:43Yeah. Okay. Let's see if it actually goes.
13:48There you are. That's all right. Okay. Yeah, it's cool.
13:50It's quite smooth. That sounds nice. Yeah, it does. Hey, Bean. Does it sound good to you?
13:57Has it got good oil pressure? Have you got an oil pressure gauge?
14:00Yeah. Seems all right. That sounds lovely. Yeah, that's super smooth. I reckon that's
14:06running on all eight. Pile in. Let's go. So let the good times roll, albeit in a stately, smooth,
14:16imperial kind of a way.
14:18Oh, I like this. I do as well. I mean, there's plenty of room. I mean, you know,
14:31three grown blokes in the front. And a dog. And a dog, yeah. Me, I could stretch out in the back
14:36when he's back. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Off holiday eating crisps. Yeah.
14:41I think this is a great vehicle, mate. Yeah, man. For a change, I think you boys have done well. Yeah.
14:48Yeah.
14:50Admittedly, there are a few squeaks and rattles, but the automatic transmission
14:55is as smooth as Dean Martin. The interior is as big as a Greyhound bus. And once we've cleaned
15:01her up, I've got a plan. What are we going to do with it? We're going to go to a custom show,
15:08and we're going to give it the absolute massive. There's something about this car that is very
15:14appealing. I think you're right.
15:18Can you see if anything works while we just park something?
15:21Okay. Good idea.
15:22Wipers.
15:23Yes! And the car's going backwards.
15:26Hang on, we're going backwards. Hang on, we're going backwards.
15:28So when you turn the wipers on, it selects reverse.
15:31There we are.
15:32So there's a slight issue. I don't know where the headlights are working. Someone's going to have to get out.
15:37Okay, so that's the headlights. Side lights. Try the main beam. Yes.
15:47Next morning, we start on the clean up.
16:00I've found that in the ship. It says abrasive compound for cutting, finishing or both.
16:08Mate, this is going to take a while.
16:12We're still not quite sure what this coating is, but the combined impact of the cutting compound
16:18and the polishing mop has a pretty instant effect.
16:21I can tell you like this vehicle because you're very enthusiastic for you.
16:26Normally, at this stage, you've walked away.
16:27No, no, I am now.
16:28I can tell you're into this.
16:29Officially, I am out of breath.
16:31Our Imperial is 18ft long, 6ft wide and 5ft tall, so it's got more bodywork than the Statue of Liberty.
16:42It's the perfect moment for young Sam to turn up for some work experience.
16:48The key to it is pressing hard, yeah? So just all it is is that and then there you are.
16:55You can see the black stuff we're trying to get rid of, yeah?
16:57Yeah.
16:57Just give it a whiz. Give it a whiz. Have some fun.
17:00That's fantastic, isn't it? I mean, that's what work experience fellas are for, isn't it?
17:04Quality.
17:05Did you ever do work experience?
17:07Did I, Hank?
17:08I'll tell you from distance.
17:09It's looking good.
17:10Yeah, no, it is.
17:16In the afternoon, we let Sam off the hook, while Skid gets on with the chrome work.
17:22Well, as ever, when there's a bit of elbow grease to do, he's disappeared.
17:27They'll claim that he's been doing something of great importance, but he's not.
17:32This is not going to be a five-minute job, which also means he's going to get bored.
17:37I think they've put a kind of lacquer on it very thinly. They've painted it on the paintwork.
17:43This polish does get it off, but it takes a while.
17:49All right, mate.
17:49Nice of you to turn up.
17:52Don't be like that.
17:53The problem here is the sheer scale of it. Normally, I can do a front bumper in, what, 20 minutes?
17:59Yeah, no, look, I know you've been doing a couple of hours.
18:00But this is gargantuan.
18:01I know, it is bad, isn't it? But at the same time, mate, no pain, no gain.
18:06Yeah, you've got plenty of time.
18:07Well, so you've had no gain then?
18:08I know.
18:09Absolutely no gain whatsoever.
18:11I don't need it because I'm perfect.
18:18By the end of the day, with the glass cleaned and the chrome all polished, our imperial really is fit for an emperor.
18:26Mate, it looks fantastic, doesn't it?
18:28It looks beautiful, mate.
18:29Honestly, I tell you, that is a transformation.
18:31It's a subtle one, but it is a massive transformation.
18:35Getting rid of that, whatever it is that was on it, has been a hard job.
18:38But at the same time, have we added value?
18:45Next on the list, the interior.
18:47But when Skid turns up on the following morning, I've got a surprise for him.
18:54I had a visitation last night.
18:56Yes.
18:57From my mate, Oxford Don.
18:59And I couldn't resist it, 45 quid.
19:03It's a classic American bicycle.
19:06A Schwinn Stingray, the perfect accessory for the Chrysler.
19:13We can put that in the boot of the Imperial and take it to a show and ride about.
19:18And you never know, someone might buy it.
19:20It'll be a great thing to bobble about on.
19:22Yeah, great.
19:22Well, so we could bobble around at the Henley American car show this weekend.
19:28But before that, there's several things I want to change.
19:35The modern headlamp's got to go.
19:37The seat needs to tidy up.
19:40And most of all, the frame needs to respray.
19:44Or should we discombobulate?
19:45Yeah, let's quickly rip it apart.
19:47Without more ado, we banish the interloper.
19:55Strip and prep the frame.
19:59Ow!
19:59What have you done?
20:00Oh, I've hurt my thumb.
20:02And once it's all masked off, puff on two coats of rattle can black.
20:08This bike will look fantastic when we've done it.
20:12Yeah, it does look nice.
20:13All that prep is paying off, I think, isn't it?
20:1920 minutes later, the first coat is virtually done.
20:24I thought you said, Rude, let's go and walk away.
20:26Well, you know what it's like.
20:27I know.
20:27You're walking away and then you see a little nuance that...
20:30I know, I know.
20:31I am.
20:31I'm walking away now.
20:32Yeah, yeah, okay, good.
20:33Any runs in it are going to be flatted off with a very fine wet and dry.
20:37What do you think, son?
20:38It's beautiful.
20:38With the red accents, that'll be nice.
20:44So what a great day.
20:45We've given the bike a new look and smartened up the Chrysler's paint job big time.
20:51It'll be a tall order getting the interior sorted for the weekend's car show.
20:55But when you've got a space-age Chrysler in the yard, the sky's the limit.
21:07We've got a job on, prepping our vast Chrysler Imperial for a car show this weekend and finishing
21:21off a Schwinn Stingray that's going to sit in the boot.
21:25The good news is Fuzzy's back in town.
21:28The bad news, he spotted a gremlin.
21:32I was just standing with it ticking over and I heard a groaning sound and I thought it might be you.
21:38That's nice guy.
21:39It was the radiator cap just letting off a bit of pressure and then there was a bit of a gush down
21:45on the floor and I thought that might have been you as well, but it wasn't.
21:48I think that we've got a bit of overheating going on.
21:53Let's put some water in the rack, start it up and see what goes on.
21:57Go on then.
22:00Right, come on, I'm going to see if this will start up.
22:02Okay, go on then.
22:03Oh, hello, Bean.
22:04Okay.
22:10Well, it starts first time.
22:12Yeah.
22:12That's like Jurassic Park, isn't it?
22:15I can see it.
22:15Are those bubbles or is that just...
22:17If a head gasket had gone or if we had a crack in the block or something,
22:21I would be expecting more bubbling than that.
22:24Right, okay.
22:25Would it need a new thermostat?
22:28Possibly so, yeah.
22:29Shall we go and have tea then or what?
22:32Well, if you put the kettle on, we'll have the tea that you make.
22:38He won't be back, you know.
22:40He has the attention span of a gnat.
22:46Five minutes later, I'm back.
22:48No refreshments, but something much more exciting.
22:53Can I just say, I haven't brought tea.
22:55I brought something else that didn't need to go out.
22:56Hey.
22:57Oh, look at that.
22:58Eh?
22:58What do you reckon?
22:59Beautiful, absolutely stunning.
23:01Oh, she's lovely.
23:03Look, she's very docile, isn't she?
23:04So, you've been distracted by Jelly Tot.
23:06The Jelly Tot, yeah.
23:07Mine's cold, by the way.
23:08Sorry, I will do the tea, but it's just that Tot needed priority.
23:12Yes, of course.
23:12That's fair enough then.
23:13I'll suffer in silence.
23:14So, have you found out that the thermostat's knackered?
23:17We're suspicious of it.
23:18Yeah.
23:19Yeah.
23:19I'm going to get it out and then drop it in boiling water and see if it opens.
23:22Oh, great, okay.
23:22The thermostat's a vital component which regulates the engine temperature.
23:29Generally, they last about 10 years, but this car's a lot older than that.
23:33And here is our thermostat.
23:37Look, it's closed.
23:39So, it hasn't opened at whatever temperature this is at.
23:43So, do we need to put it in boiling water now to see if it opens?
23:47Yes.
23:47As we're going to test that, I'll go and boil the kettle.
23:49Okay.
23:52Right, here we go.
23:54That's in there.
23:55So, get it on there.
23:59What's happening?
24:00We've just dropped some boiling water over the thermostat,
24:03and we're waiting to see if the thermostat will open.
24:08I still haven't made the tea.
24:09Well, there's no kettle there.
24:11I've used the kettle.
24:12Oh, see, that was the reason why I didn't, because I knew you're going to need it.
24:15And I noticed the kettle was stone cold, and there were no tea bags in cups.
24:19Right, come on then.
24:20Okay, shall we see?
24:21Yeah, come on.
24:22Okay.
24:22It should be open by now, shouldn't it?
24:23It should be, yeah.
24:24Nah.
24:26Okay, well, yeah, it had opened very, very slightly.
24:32Right, so we need a new one of those.
24:33Yep.
24:34Can you get on the internet?
24:36Yeah.
24:36Okay.
24:40Skids are itching to get back to the bike,
24:43but the interior also leaves plenty to be desired.
24:47The missing front panel, the door card, is lurking in the boot.
24:52It looks like a burst sofa.
24:54In fact, every single door card in there looks like a burst sofa, doesn't it?
24:58Yes, yeah.
24:58So, join the club.
25:02Fuzz is undaunted.
25:05He fits the panel.
25:06It looks in much better condition on than when it was in your hand at the boot.
25:13And then unleashes his secret weapon, a can of contact adhesive.
25:21That's cheating.
25:21I wasn't expecting that.
25:23Okay, well, there you go.
25:25When you asked me for a brush, I thought you were going to just do the edge.
25:30For good measure, a little bit along here, he adds the extra layer of glue to the edge.
25:36And with Skid's help, crimps it all into position.
25:43Yeah, it's coming together.
25:45There we are.
25:45Look at that.
25:46Just put my hand on there.
25:47Yeah, well, when your elbow's on there, you won't see that, will you?
25:50Yeah, good as new.
25:51Yeah.
25:51Ish.
25:54Another bit of good news is that I've sourced a replacement thermostat.
25:58It won't be here till tomorrow.
26:00So Fuzz heads home, leaving Skid to get back to the bike.
26:05Now look, initial impressions of this.
26:07Look, it's not perfect, but it's way better than it was.
26:11So the first thing I'm going to do is take all the bags and masking tape off
26:15and actually see completely what we're left with.
26:20Skid removes all the masking.
26:23That's looking really nice.
26:26Refits the wheels.
26:29The cables.
26:31There we go.
26:33And the seat.
26:35And then, once the brakes are all sorted, I arrive just in time to be too late.
26:43Oh, you've done it.
26:44That's the beauty of a pedal bike, mate.
26:46They're so simple.
26:47Well, so it's taking you about an hour.
26:49How fantastic does that look?
26:52I think you actually got on quicker without me, didn't you?
26:55But I have to tell you, mate, that is rather lovely.
26:59And it's all ready for us to, well, is it ready for us to do a test ride?
27:03Absolutely.
27:04It'd go really nicely with my chopper bicycle, wouldn't it?
27:07Oh, it would, yes.
27:08Oh, right.
27:08It's the Americana versus the English.
27:10Oh, well, let's get down our drive.
27:12Yeah.
27:12Do you know what, Skiddy?
27:21I'll tell you what.
27:22There's something about these two bicycles that, like, embodies what I loved at an early age about two-wheeled transportation.
27:31Youth culture.
27:33Mate, yeah.
27:34That's where my joy of two-wheeled started.
27:36Absolutely.
27:37Messing around with bicycles from a really young age.
27:40Now, I want you to watch my starting technique.
27:42Okay.
27:42Because there's a really cool thing with these.
27:44Oh, okay.
27:45Okay.
27:45All right.
27:46Do you want to watch me?
27:46Yeah, I'm going to watch me.
27:47I'll stop and wait for you so we go off together.
27:49All right, yeah.
27:49Okay.
27:50Now, what you do with these, this is uber cool.
27:52Right, ready?
27:53Just push off.
27:54Go, pedal.
27:55There we go.
27:55That's it, Skidder.
27:57There we go, son.
27:58Oh, I'll catch up.
27:59Oh, wait.
27:59Wait for me.
28:02So, chocks away.
28:07After spending most of the day working on a huge car, these lightweight bikes are such
28:12a joy.
28:20I'll tell you what is lovely about that is that it complements the Imperial beautifully,
28:25doesn't it?
28:26Absolutely.
28:27It's part of American culture and psyche.
28:30Yes, yeah.
28:31You start on that and you end up cruising Main Street in an Imperial.
28:37There won't be any cruising down Main Street unless that thermostat arrives.
28:46Fortunately, next day, it does.
28:52I'm just going to pop the new thermostat in place.
28:55There we go.
28:59Everybody's left me.
29:00And look, you're supposed to know what you're doing, mate.
29:05And I've bought you a big jug of water to fill it up with when you're finished.
29:09Oh, he's just kicked over the water.
29:12I've kicked the bucket.
29:13It's kicked over the water.
29:14It's kicked over the water.
29:16In goes the H2O.
29:19And we're ready for a test.
29:20Okay, let's start it up.
29:32We've got to wait for the thermostat to open to top this up, haven't we?
29:36Yeah, well, yeah, I guess so.
29:37But I think we've probably got enough in because it's dropped down a little bit.
29:44So let's just wait and see what happens.
29:48What are those pipes like now, the heater pipes?
29:51I mean, they're warmer than they were.
29:52But by this time, last time, they'd have been red hot.
29:56That's it.
29:57Well, I think now we've got proper circulation.
30:01I'm going to stick my neck out and say, I reckon we've solved it.
30:05Right, great.
30:06Yeah.
30:07This is definitely warming up.
30:09This was stone cold before.
30:10Yes, that's right.
30:11Yeah, I think we've solved it, so.
30:13Well done, boys.
30:15I think we might be able to go out for a little drivey-wivey.
30:19I think we should have a spin, shouldn't we?
30:25So we're back on the road again.
30:28With a car this wide, I hope I don't meet anyone in the lane.
30:32Yeah, and I hope you don't put it in a ditch.
30:36Oh, ye of little faith.
30:39Firstly, there are no ditches big enough.
30:42And secondly, it drives great.
30:46Tell you what, so far, so good, I think.
30:49No?
30:49Yeah, what are the gauges, shall we?
30:51All gauges are right in the middle.
30:53Right, OK.
30:54Battery, temperature, gasoline, which will be down in a minute.
30:59Our Imperial comes from a time when no-one cared about fuel economy.
31:04It does, eight miles per gallon on the highway, less in the city.
31:08This literally takes up most of the footprint of a route master bus.
31:16I think it takes up most of the carbon footprint of the UK.
31:20On a more positive note, there's no sign of overheating or radiator problems.
31:25Shall I try and smoke it and see what happens with the gears?
31:29No, no, no.
31:30You see, there we go.
31:32There's the mechanical sympathies.
31:34Oh, here we go.
31:36Just go gently.
31:37Yeah.
31:38Before I destroy the gearbox, we'll head back home.
31:43Fuzz has got a scoot, so me and Guy are going to do a bit of re-up holstery.
31:50This is what you call in the trade, mate, blanket coverage.
31:54Look, these are lovely.
31:56Look, feel how nice they are.
31:57They are soft.
31:58They're all just soft and warm and fuzzy.
32:01Now then, I think these are going to look rather nice in there.
32:05Shall we do the back one first, only because that's the most horrible?
32:09Yes.
32:13Whether they're rolled up on the front forks of a Harley
32:16or adorning the back of a custom car,
32:19the Mexican roll mat has become a restorer staple.
32:25I think we should leave the front seats as they are.
32:29That red goes with that red vinyl.
32:31Yeah, it's great.
32:32Mate, rock on.
32:33I would now be willing to actually sit on that seat.
32:36Yeah, exactly.
32:36I'll tell you what's lovely about that with that furry inside of that blanket.
32:40If we get sort of stranded.
32:42Yeah.
32:42Nice snooze material.
32:43Yeah, or you can take it out and sit on the riverbank with it.
32:46Exactly.
32:47Or have a picnic.
32:48It's beautiful, man.
32:49Beautiful.
32:49Good old Mexican mats.
32:53Tomorrow, we're heading for a classic American car show
32:56at Stoner Park near Henley.
32:58Admittedly, our Chrysler is still more rolling restoration than concourse queen,
33:04but it's a perfect candidate for the rally of the giants.
33:08Just two weeks ago, we rolled out a Chrysler Imperial from a container in Maidenhead.
33:29We cleaned it, repaired it, and showed it the love.
33:49A little bit along here.
33:50Now we're taking it to a classic car show at Stoner Park near Henley.
33:59Have you filled up with petrol?
34:01Because this likes a drink.
34:03Well, yes is the answer.
34:05With a can or from a pump?
34:07Can.
34:08So it's not that much, is it?
34:09No.
34:10So it was just one can, wasn't it?
34:11We're going to get about 10 miles.
34:13Yeah, can we stop at the first petrol station, please?
34:16No, it was a couple of cans.
34:17All right, but we will stop.
34:19We will stop and guzzle up.
34:24In spite of its thirsty petrol tank,
34:26advertisements for the Imperial declared that it was such a comfortable ride,
34:31owners would never want to leave the wheel.
34:33Even on a British road where it dwarfs the other cars, it's incredibly smooth.
34:38Oh man, this is rolling.
34:42I really do feel like we're going to the Rally of the Giants.
34:45Hey?
34:46I think it has a feeling already it will make it.
34:49Yeah, I think it will make it.
34:50I think it's great.
34:51I love this car.
34:55Five gallons later, we reach Henley.
35:08Hey, I tell you what, it's not bad, is it?
35:16Oh, we've arrived, boys.
35:17Fantastic.
35:18How fantastic is that?
35:19We're right in the middle of the action as well.
35:23The Rally of the Giants is the UK's largest classic American car show.
35:28Living proof, if it were needed, that when it comes to American cars, size matters.
35:34Alan Murphy is the boss.
35:38Hey, so look, tell us then, mate, about the show and how long has it been going for?
35:43Every year since 1966, bar for the COVID year.
35:49There are 271 entries from all eras of American iron.
35:56Man, they're just beautiful.
35:58And also, they're all so different.
35:59You look at the eclectic mix here, you know, I'm sorry.
36:03In the 40s and 50s, you didn't get that kind of sort of variation within British.
36:07No.
36:08More black and more orange.
36:09That's right, yeah, with a brown interior.
36:11Yeah, yeah.
36:12And no heater.
36:13Yeah, no heater.
36:15Though I was hoping to use the show to find a buyer for the Chrysler, it's impossible not to go
36:21walk about when there's so much to see.
36:25There are all the famous brands, from Chevrolet, to Plymouth, to Buick.
36:34Oh gosh, look at the dashboard, lads.
36:38And rare models like this Cadillac Eldorado, which almost out fins are imperial.
36:47I bought it as a wreck and I thought, because I didn't have to pay a lot for it, I thought
36:51I'd do a bit of an Elvis tribute because he had a purple 56.
36:55Did he?
36:56So I've done everything the same except for he had a white stripe on the back fin there.
37:00So it's an Elvis homage.
37:03It's quite a rare old car.
37:04I mean, I think they made about, you know, 1200 back in 56.
37:10And going back even further, one of the first ever Cadillacs from 1903.
37:17Tell me about the snake there, that's well cool.
37:19It's a period extra, it's a boa constrictor horn and the car was 200 pounds new.
37:28Yeah.
37:28That horn was 12 pounds, so well over 10% of the value of the car.
37:33That's amazing.
37:34Even more surprising is how you get this Caddy going.
37:39There's a bit of a procedure to it, but if you're happy to do it.
37:41Yeah, go on then.
37:42Go on Fuzz.
37:42Yeah, I'll do it.
37:43Come on then.
37:44Remove the seat.
37:46Okay.
37:47Okay.
37:47Right.
37:48If you lift up the hatch.
37:49Okay.
37:50Can you see there's a tap on the side of the hatch there?
37:52I can, yes.
37:53Turn that to 90 degrees.
37:55Turn to 90 degrees.
37:56These Oilers need to be in the upright position.
37:59Okay.
37:59Three of them on both Oilers.
38:01Two and three.
38:02Correct.
38:03Okay.
38:03This is the important bit.
38:05Can you see the little notch on there?
38:07Here.
38:07Yep.
38:08You need to have that lined up with that line there.
38:11Okay.
38:12If you want to now prime it, I've shown you where the primer lever is.
38:15Righto.
38:16If you now count to five.
38:17One, two, three, four, five.
38:21Yep.
38:22So you've now primed the carburettor.
38:24Fantastic.
38:25I'm ready.
38:25We have to put the throttle onto full.
38:28So it's anti-clockwise.
38:30You'll feel it get very stiff.
38:32Go over that.
38:33That's the compression.
38:34Keep going round.
38:35You've got to get it onto the third compression.
38:39There.
38:39Okay.
38:39Right.
38:40Slide that button.
38:42Yeah.
38:42To either the left or the right.
38:44That's ignition.
38:45Two hands now.
38:46Right.
38:46And give it all you've got.
38:51There you go.
38:54It's running, Puzz.
38:55Congratulations, Puzz.
38:56Well done, mate.
38:57Well done, Puzz.
39:00You can take it for granted.
39:02This Cadillac was never used as a getaway car.
39:05But there are others that might have been.
39:08I have to tell you, I mean, we're both real bikers, really.
39:11Yeah.
39:12But I don't know what it is, but I just feel like
39:14I've come home.
39:15Yeah.
39:16When you look at something like that, that whole kind of sort of Bonnie and Clyde sort of vibe.
39:21Yeah.
39:21It's everything that I grew up with.
39:23Great Gatsby and all this kind of stuff, you know?
39:25It's 1930.
39:27Yeah.
39:28They made 128 of them.
39:31And at the moment, we only know of two others worldwide on the road.
39:36Wow.
39:36They're still going.
39:37Yeah.
39:39Most of the cars are beautifully restored production models,
39:42but there are some fabulous hot rods like this Model B Roadster.
39:47It was bright yellow when I got it, but I wanted to split it up.
39:50So my mate let me borrow his barn and I painted the back a bit black.
39:54You've done a good job on it.
39:55You did that.
39:55Yeah.
39:56I'll tell you what, I'm quite partial with a rattle can.
39:58I know, I've seen Wheaton.
39:59We've seen it.
40:00All right, all right.
40:01Can I just say, it's not that quality, mate.
40:05Don't let him near it.
40:06Eight litres.
40:08That is absolutely monstrous.
40:10You've got to be quite light on the throttle.
40:13And Anne-Marie, I love your outfit to go with it.
40:15You've just got the look.
40:16Yeah.
40:17You on the other hand, Mark.
40:18I mean, he could do better, couldn't he?
40:19He's just a driver.
40:20Everybody says that.
40:22But when it comes to engines, very few things can out-wow this vintage Buick.
40:29This is a 1918 car.
40:31Is it?
40:32Yeah, so it's almost as old as you.
40:35But it is superbly presented.
40:38Perfect patination.
40:41Oh, yeah, man.
40:42Look at that.
40:43Oh, that is amazing.
40:45That is your cathedral of mechanical music, isn't it?
40:47Isn't it?
40:48It's like an organ.
40:51It's good for 50 miles an hour.
40:53Fantastic.
40:53Rear wheel brakes only, so it's a little bit dangerous.
40:57Yeah.
40:57But at the same time, that's the fun.
41:00So if you want fins, chrome and unlimited fun, get yourself some American iron and roll
41:12on down to the Rally of the Giants.
41:14They might look like a million dollars, but these days American classics are surprisingly
41:19affordable, which brings us back to our Chrysler Imperial.
41:23What an amazing day, lads.
41:27Now look, we were supposed to bring this out and sell it.
41:29Well, we've had too much fun walking around, haven't we?
41:32We haven't exactly been here to sell it.
41:35Yeah, but do you know, this scene is so fantastic.
41:39It'd be worth keeping hold of it, really, wouldn't it?
41:41Oh, don't say that, mate.
41:42Look, the other thing is, is that we got the Stingray out of boot.
41:45Yeah.
41:46But again, no takers for that, mainly because we haven't been here to entertain them.
41:50No.
41:51Hey, what a great shame.
41:52But all we can do now, really, is find out how much it's worth from Chopper Roy.
41:57Yeah.
41:58But I reckon it's nine grand all day long.
42:03Next day, I find out if my hunch is correct when we stage our own exclusive car show back at the ranch.
42:12What do you reckon?
42:13I love it.
42:14Oh, do you?
42:14Yeah, right up my street.
42:15Yeah.
42:16I know.
42:16Well, I knew it'd be up your street, Chopsicle.
42:18Yeah, I've had loads of these.
42:19Have you?
42:20Yeah.
42:21Well, obviously, it's a rolling restoration.
42:23Yeah, it's what it is.
42:24But, what do you reckon?
42:27It's got to be a massive hole in ten, but if it was around the nine, I'd probably have it myself.
42:32Oh, well done.
42:33Thank you very much.
42:34There we are.
42:34Yeah, I know, that's a good deal.
42:35Yeah, that's good.
42:36That's great.
42:36Happy with that.
42:38We've made a grand on that.
42:39We have.
42:39All right.
42:40No, we've done a lot.
42:41Eight and a half.
42:41No, no.
42:42I'm just telling you.
42:43I think that'd suit you.
42:45I think so.
42:45In fact, you two should go out together in it with your two shirts on.
42:48Look at the two of you.
42:51As for our other bit of Americana.
42:55It rides nicely.
42:56I've ridden it.
42:57Yeah, yeah, they're well built.
42:59400 quid.
43:01Steady on.
43:02Is that good or bad?
43:03No, that's, I mean, we are on a serious owner there.
43:07They're 300 quid for a rough one, so.
43:09We bought it for 45 quid.
43:11Hard bargain.
43:12Uh, Chopsicle, that's amazing.
43:14You've earned me a thousand pounds.
43:15Yeah.
43:16Uh, and, um, potentially.
43:17I've earned you a little tickle there.
43:19Thank you very much.
43:20Let's just say it's 300.
43:21Yes.
43:22Uh, so you've earned me 255 on this.
43:25Bargain.
43:26That's 1255 quid.
43:28Well done.
43:29Oh, you're very welcome, sir.
43:31Yeah.
43:31Thank you very much.
43:32Yeah, that's made our day, hasn't it?
43:34We're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the, ahem, I've got my coat.
43:41Grab mine.
43:46We're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money, we're in the money.
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