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Wheeler Dealers World Tour Season 2 Episode 10
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FunTranscript
00:00They're more Scottish.
00:00It is a very Scottish of shops, isn't it?
00:03Might as well embrace the culture.
00:05Look at this.
00:06It feels lovely as well, nice and soft.
00:09Mate, what are you doing?
00:10What do you mean, what am I doing?
00:11I'm just getting my Scottish on.
00:14I mean, you look incredibly Scottish.
00:15I'll give you that.
00:16I do, see.
00:16I'm going to have some haggis later.
00:18I'm going to have some whiskey.
00:20Whatever you do, just don't buy a kilt.
00:23That's a great idea.
00:24No, seriously, a kilt.
00:26Because you know with a kilt, you don't wear anything underneath.
00:30Mate, you didn't pack much, did you?
00:32No, mate, I don't need much.
00:33I just need my knowledge and that's all up here.
00:36We packed our bags and our spanners
00:38for another globetrotting car-fixing adventure.
00:42Vamos!
00:43You see a photo?
00:44Yay!
00:45Sorry!
00:50We're hunting down some of the world's most iconic cars.
00:53Does it get much better than this?
00:55Oh, I can't believe we're standing here in front of an SP2.
01:01Leaning on local wheeler dealers.
01:03Because he really wants it.
01:04Would you take the 30,000 euro?
01:06No, he's busting it.
01:07That's my way to do it.
01:09To rescue these national treasures on a wheel and a prayer.
01:12Please let me find a set of wheels.
01:14That's all I'm asking for.
01:16And make a few euros, pesos.
01:18I think we have a deal.
01:19Yes!
01:20And real as we go.
01:22I absolutely love it!
01:31Right then, fella.
01:32This is the only way to travel.
01:36It's not that bad, is it?
01:37Told you, it's lovely.
01:38You can just sit back.
01:39You can relax.
01:40Watch the countryside.
01:41And whip past the window.
01:43Watch the raindrops.
01:44Watch the raindrops.
01:45Well, we are heading north.
01:46And the further we go north, it's going to get worse.
01:50But I am looking forward to Scotland, mate.
01:51I mean, there is a lot that Scotland has going for it.
01:55Yes, Scotland does have some stuff going for it.
01:57It is going to be...
01:58Yes, please.
01:59Yes.
01:59Nothing scares Scotland like a tea cake.
02:02Like a tea cake.
02:03Oh, yes, your beauty.
02:05But we haven't come here just for the snacks.
02:08No, we're travelling through Scotland on the trail of its most famous car, the Hill Minim.
02:13Designed by engineering trio, Tim Fry, Peter Ware, and F1 driver, Michael Parks.
02:23The Imp was Scotland's first and only mass-produced car.
02:29Built near Glasgow, it was full of brilliant innovations, including an all-aluminum Coventry
02:35Climax engine that was originally designed as a fire pump.
02:38But, having been rushed into production, early imps were plagued with reliability woes, not
02:43least overheated engines.
02:46It was enough to help taint the car's reputation and overshadow the genius of its design.
02:52But here in Scotland, the Imp is a national hero, and we think it deserves to be celebrated.
02:58Have you had any bites on your search for a car?
03:03There's a few out there.
03:04Yeah.
03:05They're interesting.
03:06Well, let's be careful and let's try and find one that doesn't need too much work.
03:11I've already asked my UK contacts to look out for a suitable car, and I'm hoping a specialist
03:16in workshop here in Scotland may be able to help.
03:20So, that's where we're starting.
03:22Here we go.
03:23Nice.
03:23Good morning, Sterling.
03:25Fantastic.
03:26Cold and wet.
03:27Cold and wet.
03:28It has taken a mile to get her, isn't it?
03:29Mate, we could have literally got to Mexico quicker than it took to get her.
03:32We could have done.
03:33Just one second, one second, one second.
03:36Hello?
03:38Yeah, that, oh, that sounds good.
03:41Condition?
03:42Okay, super.
03:44Oh, no, I'm really interested.
03:45I mean, look, I've literally just arrived in Sterling, Scotland.
03:49What?
03:50No way.
03:51Where?
03:52Are you kidding me?
03:53Okay, I'll talk to you in a bit.
03:54Cheers, bye.
03:55Mate, honestly, that was a call from the auction.
03:59They're going to believe this.
04:00I've found a car.
04:01Yeah.
04:02And I've got to go back and...
04:03Back where?
04:04Back.
04:04Where is it?
04:06Norfolk.
04:07Like, hundreds and hundreds of miles away.
04:11Auction?
04:12Come on.
04:12I've got an auction.
04:13That's your wheelhouse.
04:14My wheelhouse.
04:14I'm going to be in there.
04:16Get us a bargain.
04:17I'll be back.
04:17I know.
04:18I trust you.
04:20While Mike goes south, I'm heading to the outskirts of Sterling.
04:24I've found these guys online who are massive imp enthusiasts.
04:30And apparently, they've got a workshop, they've got a spare ramp, and all the gear we might
04:34need if Mike actually does end up buying us a car.
04:39This is definitely it.
04:40I can see imps everywhere.
04:41John and Patrick own a garage dedicated to the restoration of Hillman imps.
04:51John, thanks so much for having us down here.
04:53I gather I'm in the right place, because there's imps everywhere.
04:56How would you guess?
04:58It's one or two clues.
04:59Is this all you do, imps?
05:00Pretty much.
05:01Pretty much, imps.
05:02Pretty much.
05:03That's for the hunters.
05:04Mike's trying to buy us our own imp.
05:06I've got no idea when he's going to turn up.
05:08So in the meantime, have you got a kettle or maybe a cup of tea?
05:12John and Pat met at school and bonded over their shared love of this little motor.
05:18How about the love affair with imps?
05:19How long has that been going on?
05:21That's been over 40 years now.
05:23Has it?
05:23Yeah.
05:23Really?
05:24Wow.
05:24That's a long love affair.
05:25When we went down to Monte Carlo and back there.
05:29What?
05:30One of the most special feelings in the world was driving through Casino Square in Monte Carlo,
05:35and they all went like that with their cameras.
05:38Yeah.
05:38Because they hadn't seen two imps before.
05:40It really upset the Lamborghini owners, didn't it?
05:42Yeah.
05:43Yeah.
05:43Certainly, yeah.
05:55Fantastic, isn't it?
05:55What a day.
05:56In Norfolk, I've arrived at Anglia car auctions near Kings Lynn.
06:01You're going to see sales like this almost every weekend up and down the country.
06:06The perfect place to come and buy that classic car.
06:09The imp I'm here to see has an estimate of just £3,000 to £4,000.
06:16There's loads of people, loads of people looking at the car, which shows there's a bit of interest
06:22in the hillman imp, doesn't it?
06:23If I was to walk over to it right now, start opening the doors, lifting the bonnet, people
06:29are going, Mike's interested in that, so they could be interested in it, and the price starts
06:33to climb.
06:33Right, now's my opportunity to get in there and have a closer look.
06:40Tyres look good, interior's OK.
06:44With just over 230 road-going imps left in the UK, a good one is increasingly hard to
06:50find.
06:51This 1971 model has done just 68,000 miles, and on first glance, it presents pretty well.
06:59Let's look at this engine.
07:00This is an 875 engine.
07:02I'll be honest with you, the engine bay probably lets the car down.
07:06I think it'll really do with having all of this taken out, because that looks a bit of
07:11a mess.
07:13That's broken, rusted through on this side, so that one they're repairing as well.
07:22As this is an auction, I can't drive the car, so as it's been moved round to the rostrum,
07:27I'm going to try and get some intel on the mechanical condition.
07:31So, clutch feels good?
07:32Yeah.
07:32Yeah.
07:33Brakes feel good?
07:34Yeah.
07:34Yeah, it's buying in nicely.
07:37OK, there's nothing nasty coming out the back.
07:40Looks sweet enough.
07:42Let's get in the auction.
07:46With no test drive, and with a shabby-looking engine, this is a real risk.
07:50But we've restored him selling for around £8,000 to £9,000.
07:54I'm hoping I might be able to snatch a bargain.
07:57I'm going straight in.
08:02Ah, not the start I was looking for.
08:06That's me.
08:07Five.
08:07Five.
08:17The room's going mad for the car, but if I spend much more, we'll struggle to make a profit.
08:27That's it.
08:27That's it.
08:27That's it's great.
08:28One more.
08:29Top six, five, on the end.
08:31That's it's fine.
08:32Come in.
08:33Top six, six.
08:34That's too much money now.
08:36It's too much money.
08:38That's it.
08:38Go on, then.
08:40I let you know.
08:41Thanks for all the guys.
08:45I even got a round of applause for that.
08:47Well, I did pay too much money for it.
08:48You bought a yellow one.
09:07It's very mustard, isn't it?
09:09This is called Sundance Yellow.
09:12It actually looks really good on the outside.
09:13It's really good.
09:14Yeah, I'm very, very pleased with this purchase.
09:17There are a few little issues.
09:19Of course.
09:19Okay, so first and foremost, you can see some of the rubbers around the window have degraded.
09:26Seat's got a little rip in it.
09:27It's another job for you, that is.
09:28Yeah, that's easy.
09:30So far, I'm impressed.
09:33Ta-da.
09:34Oh, mate, that is so disappointing.
09:36The outside's so nice.
09:38What's going on in here?
09:39I thought, well, if anyone's going to take an engine out, it'd be you, and then you can
09:43tidy all of this up.
09:44It needs it.
09:46As well as a tidy up, we'll have to do something about the inefficient cooling system, which
09:51was the main cause of the imp's overheating problems.
09:54I hope you got the car cheap.
09:56Oh, look, guide price, 3,000 to 4 grand.
10:00Is that what that says?
10:01Really?
10:02Yeah, go and watch me.
10:03Well, let's get it out on the road first.
10:05You wouldn't have paid the full whack, would you?
10:08I'll talk to you about the price in the car.
10:10Hmm.
10:11Something tells me you're holding this back for a reason.
10:17Keep coming.
10:18Keep coming.
10:19Yeah, nice.
10:21Yes, baby.
10:22Oh, mate, this little car looks absolutely fantastic.
10:27Let's go.
10:32Right then, son, put your slipper down.
10:35I hate to break it to you, but my foot is down.
10:37Well, it's only a little Coventry Climax engine.
10:39I mean, it's 800 and something cc.
10:41The imp's lightweight aluminium motor was way ahead of its time.
10:47Unfortunately, the cooling system wasn't.
10:50We're actually running at quite a bit of temperature at the moment.
10:53They all overheated.
10:54It was one of their biggest single issues.
10:56They all overheated.
10:58The engine feels like it's fluffy.
11:00I think there's dirt in the carburettor or something.
11:03Yeah, it feels like a car from the 1970s.
11:05It certainly does.
11:06So I was actually looking at a bunch of reviews earlier from when they were brand new.
11:11There's a guy that did a road test.
11:13During his road test, he said the passenger seat came loose, the ashtray fell out,
11:17water was coming in through the window, and of course it overheated.
11:21They had so many problems with production.
11:24It's like it was rushed out the door, you know, and they just never recovered from that.
11:28You think about it, a small, lightweight, rear engine, rear wheel drive, slanted engine, low centre of gravity.
11:37You know, all of the ingredients could have made this an amazing car.
11:41I reckon that's what we should do.
11:43I reckon we should make it the car that it should have been.
11:45So, £3,000 to £4,000 guide price.
11:50Yeah.
11:51I cannot wait to hear what you accomplished on this.
11:53So, I was standing there, right, with my hand in the air, and I was still bidding well into the £5,000.
12:01What?
12:02You went into the £5,000?
12:04No, I went well into the £6,000.
12:06And then there's the auction fees on top of that.
12:08Hang on, what have we paid for this car?
12:12This car owes us £7,125.
12:17What?
12:19So, I over...
12:19Double, that's double.
12:21That's double the guide price.
12:22So, I got carried away.
12:23I overpaid for the car, which means we need to underpay for all the repairs.
12:29Oh, my goodness me.
12:31Calm down, calm down.
12:39I'm coming.
12:43Do you know what, mate?
12:44I...
12:44Well, I say I slept on it last night.
12:46I actually didn't sleep that much, because I was having nightmares about what you've spent on this car.
12:50I can't believe you spent over £7,000 on a Hillman Imp.
12:53I mean, mate, it's a Hillman Imp.
12:55A 50-year-old Hillman Imp.
12:57Whoa, whoa, whoa.
12:58Show some respect to the Hillman Imp.
13:00When it's done, it's going to be great.
13:02How are we going to turn a profit?
13:04If we kick costs down, I'm still confident we'll come out of this the right side up.
13:12Blimey, you boys don't mess about, do you?
13:14Hello.
13:15Hello, chaps.
13:16How are you?
13:16This is Mike, everybody.
13:17Nice to meet you.
13:18Pat, Pat, Pat, John.
13:20Nice to meet you, mate.
13:20I don't know you.
13:21I'm Willie.
13:22Nice to meet you, mate.
13:23Nice to meet you.
13:23Pat, John and Willie.
13:25Yes.
13:25Willie's given us a lot of help.
13:27More hands, the merrier.
13:28That's amazing.
13:29I bought a good one, didn't I, boys?
13:30You've actually done pretty well, Mike, to be honest, for a car, because compared to
13:33some of the other ones we've got here, we sweep them up off the floor.
13:36Exactly.
13:36We're not looking for mechanical motors.
13:38We're sweeping them up and putting them in the bank.
13:40He's right.
13:40It would have been a lovely five grand car, that, wouldn't it?
13:44What have you found so far?
13:45Anything interesting?
13:46Fairly standard list.
13:48Rad, couplings, steering components.
13:50It's not running so great.
13:52Nice set of wheels wouldn't go a mess.
13:53Tell you what, why don't I start by getting that torn front seat off to the trimmer?
14:01And I'll try to figure out why the engine wasn't running smoothly on our first little test drive.
14:06And one of the things I definitely noticed when I drove it was that it was, you know, it felt like, to me, it felt like the car was blocked.
14:12It was a bit fluffy.
14:13It just didn't give us that clean acceleration.
14:15There's probably a really good chance, Elvis, that the fuel pump is actually blocked.
14:21If there's been debris coming up for the tank, that, because these tanks actually drain down to the absolute last drop.
14:27The design of the Imps fuel tank means that when it starts to corrode,
14:31particles of rust can easily be sucked into the fuel pump and ultimately the carburetor.
14:37Oh, there you go.
14:39That's what you're talking about.
14:40Look at that.
14:42Some nasties.
14:43That is nasty.
14:44That's an awful lot.
14:45Or are you saying that's quite common in these?
14:47That's quite common.
14:48Is it?
14:48I've actually seen them almost full.
14:49As if that's full of that much rubbish, that probably means the tank is also full of that much rubbish.
14:56And that might need some attention.
14:57To see if our theory's right, we need to open up the top of the tank.
15:04Oh, dear.
15:07It's so rusted and corroded.
15:09Can you see in there?
15:10Oh, wow.
15:11And that point, right at the lowest point, is the pickup where all the fuel goes.
15:15And, of course, you can clearly see it's just going to drag all that stuff, get stuck in the pump, which is absolutely caked in the stuff.
15:21Yeah.
15:22I mean, either we're going to have to find a way to try and clean that out through a very small access hole or replace the tank, but we haven't really got a budget for that.
15:29Well, I mean, we could remove the tank, we could clean it out and then put a tank sealant solution on it.
15:34But, I mean, yeah, let's look into that, mate, because we need to save as much money as we can.
15:40For a fraction of the price of a new tank, a chemical sealing kit is the type of fix we need to save the pennies.
15:46Right.
15:47You've done the one underneath, yeah?
15:50I'll let you take that.
15:52We've drained the fuel out of it, so you should be all right.
15:55Good.
15:55Perfect.
15:56Before we can repair the inside of our tank, we first need to remove any remaining pieces of rust, and I've got a brilliantly old-school method for doing just that.
16:07I'm going to use some nuts and bolts and some gravel.
16:10I'm going to put that into the hole, put some water in, seal it up, and go outside and give it a real aggressive shake.
16:16The nuts, bolts and gravel, combined with the water, help to dislodge the worst of the corrosion from the surface of the tank interior.
16:29It's got to be enough, hasn't it?
16:32Oh, look at the colour of that!
16:37And whilst the tank dries, we're going to take the engine out so we can give it a proper clean.
16:44Go on, Willie, in you get.
16:45In we go.
16:46I bet you must have taken hundreds of these things out over your tank.
16:49One or two.
16:50I wish all engines was as easy as this to come out.
16:57Nassers off.
17:00Hopefully, fixing that imp's front seat will be just as simple.
17:03So I found a lady.
17:04She's the interior trimmer in this area.
17:07So I've got the seats in the back.
17:09I'm going to whip over there.
17:10Hopefully, she can just sew up the tear for us.
17:13Quick job, in and out, and it won't cost too much money.
17:15Lionheart Custom Interiors is one of Scotland's premier upholsterers.
17:21Let's just hope it's one of the cheapest as well.
17:24Hello, are you Sharon?
17:26Yes, hello.
17:27Sharon, how are you?
17:28I'm Mike.
17:28Hiya.
17:29Nice to meet you.
17:30Nice to meet you as well.
17:31Right.
17:32This is one of my seats.
17:35This one's got a rip in it, so we've got to do something with it.
17:38I'm hoping if we can replace just a small section of the material, we'll be able to keep cost down.
17:43You can get the material, but you can't get it with an embossed pattern.
17:49Right.
17:50This is unobtainium.
17:51We can't get it.
17:52That's correct.
17:53That's such a shame, isn't it?
17:54So how do we get this texture then?
17:55How do we get those lines?
17:57I can stitch that in.
17:58You can?
17:59Yep.
17:59OK, that'd be good.
18:02So much for an easy fix.
18:04Stitching in the lines will be painstaking work, and it turns out that that's not the only problem.
18:09This seat, I've noticed, it's got a piece of ply board.
18:14So it's needing some strapping on it.
18:18Why do I have a feeling this job's going to get me into trouble with Elvis?
18:22Look at this old seat, isn't it?
18:23Look at it.
18:24Yeah, it is.
18:29Well, Sharon, it's not meant to be like this.
18:32It's really not meant to be like this.
18:35Don't say I don't graph for our projects, Elvis.
18:39Do you know what?
18:40It's amazing how clean the inside of this tank actually is now.
18:46As well as a good wash, I've rinsed the tank with a solution of sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid to remove any remaining contaminants.
18:53It's all now completely dry as well, which means I can move on to the next stage, which is this.
19:01I've sealed up all the holes once more.
19:03I'm going to pour this in.
19:06And then rotate the tank in as many directions as I can, giving us that nice good seal that we're after.
19:14This sealant is a compound of moisture-curing polyurethane that will leave a solid plastic-like coating on the inside of the tank once it's been hung up, drained and dried out.
19:35At the tremors, my hope of a nice quick seat fix has now turned into a four-scale strip-down.
19:42Shot.
19:42Somebody had a deep-fried bars bar.
19:50With our seat base beyond repair, Sharon first needs to fit new webbing, followed by new foam for the seat cushion.
19:59This stuff here?
20:00Yep.
20:00Yeah, that's better, isn't it?
20:01I mean, you can already feel that's going to be much better.
20:05With both seats needing this level of work, I'm dreading the next conversation.
20:12So, if I was to leave you with the two front seats, new cushions, new webbing, all the rest of it tidied up, how much would it come to?
20:21In fact, don't tell me out loud, whisper it.
20:22OK, um, right, OK, well, I might need to, uh, I might need to take Elvis for a little...
20:34Dram.
20:35A little dram, yes, that's a good idea.
20:37I have a feeling that the price of the seat repairs isn't going to go down well with Elvis, so I've decided to warm him up with a nice little idea I've had.
20:49It had such a bad rap, this car, didn't it, because it just wasn't built very well, so what if we're doing what we're doing, like rebuilding the car, what if we got a journalist to come and re-review the car, to come and drive it and correct that review?
21:06So, yeah, that's not a nice idea, so you could review it now, having added the upgrades, that's a good idea, mate, you know.
21:13So, we've come up with a plan.
21:14Good idea.
21:15Some of the bottles in here look like they cost a fortune.
21:20Importantly, at the moment, I haven't spent any money.
21:25So, I think, even though we've overspent on the car, it's looking like we're going to probably get away with it.
21:31Right, now for the bad news.
21:33I have spent some money.
21:34I did, I've spent some money.
21:36You know the driver's seat was ripped?
21:37Yeah.
21:38So, I took the driver's seat off to a lovely lady called Sharon.
21:41It was only a tiny little rip.
21:42You can see where this is going.
21:43So, Sharon has got the same material, but she has to sew in that pattern, and it's quite complicated to sew in.
21:50And you can't do one seat without doing the other seat.
21:53We are going to put new web in, new pad in, so essentially we're getting two new seats.
21:57Just hit me with it.
21:58How much was it?
21:59Have another drink.
22:00No, come on, that's enough.
22:01Just have one more drink.
22:02All you've got to do is have one more drink.
22:03I'll literally be drunk.
22:04Just tell me.
22:05£780.
22:06What?
22:07I'm repairing two front seats.
22:09Are you kidding me?
22:13I still can't believe you spent, what was it, £780 on those seats?
22:20Yeah, it was expensive.
22:22How are we going to turn any sort of profit?
22:24If we make a tenner out of this, I'll be amazed.
22:25Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
22:26Just stop here.
22:27Stop here.
22:27Right, just on the corner here.
22:28I just want to run in this little shop.
22:31Two sets.
22:32Hurry up.
22:32Two sets.
22:38Well in Scotland, you've got to have the Scottish drink.
22:41I'm not so keen to be honest this time of the morning, but you know, if you insist.
22:45This is made with girders.
22:47Don't open it in here.
22:49I'll wait till we get to the world shop.
22:50It's a traditional drink.
22:50They love this stuff.
22:51No, no.
22:52No, mate.
22:54Oh my God, what are you doing?
22:57Mate, it's gone everywhere.
23:00Look at the state of you.
23:01That really has gone everywhere.
23:02And the car.
23:03That really has gone everywhere.
23:07I'll clean the car, I promise.
23:09Yeah, well you can do that later, because right now I need you to go and pick up some spare parts.
23:19I love Mike's idea of a journalist reviewing our imp, but the car will need to be nothing short of perfect.
23:26You see where it's leaking from under there?
23:28Yeah, it's ruined with the gators, but it's going to, they're all perished.
23:32They're all torn, perished.
23:34But we've discovered a new problem.
23:36When I came in this morning, the boys had already had a look underneath and found a couple of leaks from the steering rack.
23:42I've been hoping to tackle the imp's overheating problem this morning.
23:47Instead, Willie and I must now get the steering rack off to see if it can be salvaged.
23:51These bowl joints are dead, very worn and tight as well.
23:56Yeah, yeah, okay.
23:57All right, well again, they're not expensive, so we can replace those.
24:01Well that's one of the nice things about these cars, isn't it?
24:04They were very serviceable.
24:05Yes, that's pretty easy to work on.
24:12It's had a leak, and look, you can clearly see where that was coming from.
24:17It's got splits all over this rubber gator.
24:21At around £170, a new steering rack is something we can ill afford, so I'm hoping we can get away with a cheap fix.
24:28I think I'm just going to text Mike with a little list of consumable bits that I can replace on this.
24:35And that's not all we need to add to Mike's shopping list.
24:39How are you getting on, mate?
24:40Yeah, I'm just taking these Rotorflakes brushes off.
24:42Yeah, they have definitely seen better days, haven't they?
24:46These rubber couplings, known as doughnuts, connect the gearbox to the driveshaft to reduce vibration.
24:52I'll add it to the list of things that Mike can get for us.
24:58Armed with my shopping list, the guys in the workshop have sent me to a rather special farm, 40 minutes from Stirling.
25:07I mean, I've been to plenty of car spares and parts stores in my life, but I don't think I've ever seen one quite like this.
25:17This rural Aladdin's cave belongs to a man named Chick.
25:20As well as selling new spares, he also salvages second-hand parts wherever he can.
25:25He is one of the people that keep our classic cars on the road.
25:30All this stuff is going to get used again.
25:33Absolutely incredible.
25:35Sir!
25:36Hello, Mike.
25:37You must be Chick.
25:38I am indeed.
25:39Chick, it's an honour to meet you.
25:42It really is.
25:43You're like an environmentalist, aren't you?
25:45Because you're taking old cars and you're recycling them, aren't you?
25:48Yeah.
25:48Fantastic.
25:48It's cheaper to repair an old car than it is to make a new car.
25:52Exactly.
25:52That's exactly what I keep saying.
25:54So we are the ultimate eco-warriors.
25:57Chick!
25:57Stop!
25:59Hello.
26:01Oh, blimey.
26:02Hello, young lady.
26:03What's your name?
26:04Kate.
26:04Hello, Kate.
26:05You're all right?
26:06Nice to meet you.
26:07That was a good surprise, wasn't it?
26:09Is that how you respond to him wherever he is?
26:12I can never find him.
26:13All right.
26:13So you just...
26:14Screw.
26:15Yeah, my neighbours can hear it.
26:16I'm sure they can.
26:20Right, so, listen.
26:21I've got this list of parts for a little hillman in 1971.
26:25If I just start at the top, we work our way through them.
26:27We've got radiator hosing, rear window hatch struts.
26:30Okay.
26:31Can we start there?
26:32Yeah.
26:33Just follow me.
26:36Oh, yes, baby.
26:37This place is just incredible.
26:39Stuff like this.
26:40Look, steering...
26:41Racks and racks of steering wheels.
26:43Rubbers.
26:44This is going to be great.
26:46Donuts.
26:48Donuts, then.
26:48That's great, yeah.
26:49That's exactly what I'm looking for.
26:51Two of your finest.
26:52Yeah, lovely.
26:53Okay, donuts.
26:54How would you know where everything is in this building?
26:57I'm pretty good at remembering where everything's put as long as nobody else moves it.
27:01Right, so, uh, brake shoes.
27:04Where am I going to find those?
27:05Eh, that's a set of imp brake shoes there.
27:08Okay.
27:09Hoses?
27:10If I set a hoses next to it.
27:11What, all of those?
27:12Take all of them?
27:13That's a car set.
27:14The other sundry items, I mean, obviously, I've still got to get an oil filter, an air filter.
27:20Gaskets?
27:20Gaskets I could do there, yep.
27:23Oil filters are downstairs.
27:25Mm-hmm.
27:25Well, that's a few things ticked off, but with a long list from Elvis, I may be here for some time.
27:33At the workshop, I'm finally ready to tackle a job that, for the imp, is literally make or break.
27:41One of the Hillman imp's inherent problems was the fact that it overheated a lot.
27:46I mean, every single review that I've read about this car, in every one of the test drives that any journalist was doing, the car did overheat.
27:52John told me this.
27:56Almost every car that's still in existence today has had an engine swap because the first one overheated and probably blew up at some point.
28:03Partly, it was because the cooling system just wasn't up to scratch.
28:08Upgrading the system will cost money that we don't really have, but it's the only way to ensure the car can keep its cool.
28:14I've got a radiator here, which, if I hold it up and compare it to the old one, the same sort of shape and size as in it fits in the same mounting points on the car, but, importantly, the core is thicker.
28:27This old original one, about 38 millimetres thick, the new one, 45 millimetres thick, means that we've got more cores to flow water through.
28:35We've also got more surface area in which we can pass over the cooling fan-driven air, giving us a greater cooling efficiency or cooling effect.
28:44For added protection, I've also fitted a secondary electric fan, which will kick in if temperature starts to rise.
28:52The new kit has cost a hefty £300, but it fits neatly into the existing cowlinks.
28:58I mean, I, quite frankly, still find it amazing that any car in Scotland overheats.
29:06But what we do now know is this one won't.
29:11Overheating may have been the imp's main Achilles heel, but it wasn't the only one.
29:20When the car rolled out the Linwood factory back in the 60s, it had a dynamo to charge the battery on the move.
29:26It wasn't particularly efficient, but on top of that, it wasn't even that reliable.
29:31But the biggest issue was the concept of the dynamo itself, and it's something I can easily demonstrate.
29:38I'm not just out here getting my daily exercise regime in.
29:41I've got a dynamo hooked up to the rear wheel, remember those?
29:44And it's charging all this headlight on the front of the bike.
29:47And with me pedalling relatively quickly, you can see the light's operating perfectly well.
29:51It's shining brightly.
29:53Now, what happens if I slow things down?
29:56And take a break.
29:57You can see the light gets a lot dimmer.
30:00It's no longer producing the same level of current because the back wheel on the bike is going slower.
30:05And that's because the way the dynamo works is, using direct current, it's only producing a limited amount of voltage when the rear wheel is going slowly.
30:14And the same happens on the car.
30:16The dynamo is linked to engine speed.
30:18So as the engine speed drops, the amount of voltage produced by the dynamo also drops.
30:23In modern cars, dynamos have been replaced by alternators, which are more efficient and produce a much stronger output, lower engine revs.
30:36This is a classic car.
30:39We want it to stay looking like a classic car.
30:41And so someone has come up with this, a wonderful little idea.
30:45It's called a dynamator.
30:47And as the name suggests, it's got the components of a modern day alternator on the inside in the casing of a 1960s dynamo.
30:55It's a lovely little solution.
30:57And with the looming prospect of our car being reviewed by a modern day reporter in a classic car magazine, well, this might edge us a little bit closer to getting a positive result.
31:07So all I've got to do now is bolt this onto our engine.
31:13With some of the imps' biggest issues addressed, the car is starting to come together.
31:19Down a little bit more then, please.
31:21But with plenty more to do, we won't be going home any time soon.
31:26Don't worry, Elvis.
31:27I've got a perfect little energy boost for you all.
31:32So what I'm after, I hear up here in Scotland, a delicacy is deep fried Mars bar.
31:38Is that a real thing?
31:39Yes.
31:40Okay, so that is a real thing.
31:42Can you deep fry anything else?
31:44Argis, spicy argis, jumbo argis.
31:47What?
31:48What else can you deep fry?
31:49Can you do a sausage?
31:51Stop it, stop it.
31:53Yes.
31:53That must be sacrilege, you're an Italian.
31:56You take a pizza, you wrap it in batter and deep fry it.
31:58Of course.
31:59I'm having one of those.
32:01So Jeff, make me some nice healthy food.
32:03Oh, and a little side salad for me.
32:06Right, that's supper sorted.
32:08Let's just hope the boys are hungry.
32:11You're right, fellas.
32:12I've got everyone some food.
32:14I've got you some food as well.
32:15Hello, fellas.
32:16How are you?
32:17How are you?
32:17Deep fried pizza up here.
32:19Yeah, of course.
32:20This is a standard dinner after a half day's work.
32:22Right, here we go, boys.
32:23Here we go.
32:24How are you prepared?
32:25This is strictly dessert.
32:27Oh, look at that.
32:29That's a deep fried Mars bar.
32:31I'm going straight in.
32:32Go straight in.
32:33That's good.
32:34That's very good, isn't it?
32:35It is surprisingly good.
32:37There's no way that should work.
32:39No.
32:39But it's amazing.
32:41It's like feeding time at the zoo.
32:45With the crew filled up, we better crack on.
32:49We're tantalisingly close to finishing our imp, but we still have several key jobs to complete.
32:55With a strainer fitted to filter out any debris, the renovated fuel tank is ready to go back in.
33:04There we go.
33:05Right, that's now back in place.
33:06I've just got to get it all plumbed in, of course.
33:09But then we should have a fully working and operational fuel system that won't cause us any problems anymore.
33:16After a successful parcel at Chick's Farm, I've got us a new set of brackets for the rear screen,
33:22which was another cause of the imp's poor reviews.
33:25One of the journalists said that he was driving along and the rear window popped open as he was driving along.
33:31So hopefully these new brackets do the job.
33:37Let's just see if it causes no, mate.
33:39Oh!
33:41Oh!
33:42Lovely.
33:43That is absolutely perfect, isn't it?
33:45Almost fact of the recommended way of closing it.
33:48That is...
33:48That won't be popping open.
33:51Mike's also managed to get new gaiters for our steering rack.
33:54So for around a tenner in parts, it's now as good as new.
33:57It's only really the seats that have cost any serious money, and they're worth every penny.
34:03I'll tell you what, isn't this job absolutely astonishing?
34:08Sharon has stitched this pattern in to the seats and it just matches the rear seats perfectly.
34:13Look at these, like them.
34:18Aw, yeah, that is pucker, that is.
34:20Yeah.
34:21No, mate, we're on the right track.
34:23Nice one.
34:23But we'll also need to do something about the car's weedy-looking wheels.
34:29So I've had a spare set of mine shipped up from home.
34:33John!
34:35Ta-da!
34:36I dug these out of my container, and I thought it would save money on the build.
34:42Love it.
34:43Love my money, like.
34:44Only problem is, Mike, it's two inches too short.
34:47So I've got the wrong size wheel.
34:49So what size wheel do I actually need, then?
34:51Twelve.
34:51Twelve or thirteen-inch.
34:53Pretty much like these ones here, Mike.
34:55All right, so I need to find a set like this.
34:59Is there any possibility that I can swap my four wheels for your four wheels?
35:06I'll tell you what, that looks absolutely perfect now.
35:22It's all complete.
35:23What do you look like?
35:24Well, I'm in Scotland.
35:26We're at Stirling Castle.
35:28This shows respect.
35:29Didn't know it was dressing up day, but, mate, you've pulled it off.
35:31Mate, you're dressing up and dressing down,
35:34because, like all true Scotsmen...
35:36Oh, my God, you haven't.
35:38Oh, yeah.
35:38No, get them off, though.
35:40Anyway, what do you think?
35:42Well, the car looks amazing.
35:43On a grey day like today, here in Scotland, this car just sings.
35:47When I bought our little Hillman Input Auction,
35:53it was a far cry from the Scottish pin-up that stole the country's heart.
35:57But with help from every corner of this proud nation,
36:01it's been transformed into a car any Scot would be proud of.
36:05Sharon's seats have transformed the interior,
36:08and the new wheels complete the look.
36:11But most importantly, we've addressed some of the mechanical issues
36:16that blighted this otherwise brilliant car.
36:22That sounds like our cue to get it out on the road.
36:25It's a good little bit of road, isn't it?
36:36Oh, yeah, this is a wicked little car.
36:39This is...
36:39Oh, the way it handles, that is fantastic.
36:44It's really good, isn't it?
36:45Even though the engine's all down the back,
36:47they handle really well.
36:49It's fan-blooming-tastic, this car.
36:51It really is.
36:52I think the point is, every single thing that we've both done to this car
36:56has just made it a little bit better.
36:58That fuel tank's been cleaned out.
36:59If you remember when I drove it, it was a bit stuttery,
37:03and there was so much rubbish being dredged up from the fuel tank.
37:06And it doesn't feel like this car's going to overheat at all.
37:08I know it's a little bit colder up here in Scotland,
37:10but you can feel that the car actually has got a lot more pep.
37:14Steering's lovely.
37:15As well, you can see the way it's turning in.
37:18Do you know what?
37:18With the work we've done in tidying everything else up,
37:21it looks amazing.
37:22Now I've seen the seats,
37:24Sharon's craftsmanship is second to none.
37:26It's quite incredible.
37:28And you have to pay for that, don't you?
37:32Oh, yes, the thorny issue of money,
37:34which has been a challenge on this one,
37:36thanks to your auction antics.
37:38Will I ever be allowed to forget it?
37:41It's a rough ballpark idea
37:43of how much we think we're up to in terms of spend.
37:45Yeah, I reckon we're approaching eight and a half grand,
37:49just under.
37:50Just under?
37:50Yeah, around there.
37:51OK, all right, good.
37:55Right now, though, making money's the least of our worries.
37:58Because we've got a respected motoring journalist
38:00coming up to drive our car,
38:02and we're hoping the Imp finally gets the great review it deserves.
38:08So I reckon we've addressed every problem.
38:11Yeah.
38:12But it still doesn't make me feel any less nervous
38:16than the fact that David Simister,
38:18editor of Classic Car Weekly,
38:20is on his way,
38:21and he's coming to drive this car
38:23and give it a proper review,
38:25like it was back in the 70s.
38:26And it will be a proper review.
38:28He won't mess about.
38:28He's not going to fudge the numbers.
38:30He's going to give us an honest review
38:32of what this car feels like.
38:34You're making me feel more nervous now.
38:37Well, fortune favours the brave.
38:40Time, then, to bite the bullet.
38:45David!
38:46David, how are you?
38:47How are you doing?
38:48I'm all right, buddy?
38:49Good to see you.
38:50How are you doing?
38:50So, David, thank you for giving up time.
38:52I know you're a very busy man.
38:54First impressions?
38:55I think it's looking really straight.
38:56It's a really nice example.
38:58Thank you very much.
38:58I mean, the proof's in the driving,
38:59but I think, visually,
39:00it's really, really working.
39:02Well, with this lots of little touches,
39:03all the sort of things
39:04that were inherent problems
39:06when this car rolled out of the factory,
39:08we hope we've fixed.
39:09Exactly that.
39:10So, we're going to set you off on a test drive.
39:13We want you to just review it.
39:15Yep.
39:15And just come back and tell us what you think.
39:17There you go, then, David.
39:19Your chariot awaits.
39:21Oh, it sounds sweet.
39:23Yes.
39:24Looks good for me, doesn't it?
39:27Well, then, here we go.
39:28We're in the lap of the gods now.
39:30Let's just hope that little imp behaves itself.
39:35By the way, let's see what you've got.
39:42We are stuck in a satellite.
39:43This is a good chance to test
39:45the Hillman imp's famous cooling issues.
39:48I hope he's getting on all right.
39:49The pressure we put ourselves under here
39:52is immense because he's driving the car
39:53and he's going to review it
39:54as if it's like a new car.
39:56I know.
39:57And that is going to account for a lot, right?
39:59Steering is nicely wasted.
40:02There's no bumps or plonks
40:04from anything underneath.
40:05While David's out in the car,
40:09I need to let Mike into a little secret.
40:12Oh, you're kidding me.
40:14Dan, how are you, buddy?
40:15Yeah, nice to meet you.
40:16Great to see you.
40:17Good to see you, mate.
40:18Now, you kept that one from me.
40:20How did that happen?
40:20I did.
40:21Well, listen, I know.
40:22He's a fan of classic cars,
40:23so give him a ring.
40:24Classic car nut Dan
40:26bought our Paddy Hopkirk tribute Mini last year
40:28and I've lined him up for another potential sale.
40:32You want to add a Hillman imp to the collection?
40:33To the family, yeah.
40:34So why a Hillman imp?
40:36Rear engine.
40:37It was a rival for the Mini.
40:39Yeah, why not?
40:40Why not?
40:41I love that.
40:41Just try it.
40:42Why not?
40:42Yeah, why not?
40:44Oh, there's just one more thing
40:45I haven't told you.
40:48We've already kind of agreed a price,
40:50so the money...
40:51Hold on.
40:52Hold on.
40:53This is my job.
40:54Yeah, yeah.
40:54What's going on?
40:55You don't see me going in the workshop
40:57and pulling an engine out.
40:58So if we've got David Simister coming back
41:01and rolling in and saying,
41:02what a great car, lads,
41:03I mean, it's going to be deal done, isn't it, Dan?
41:05Yeah, yeah.
41:06Really?
41:06Especially that kill.
41:07Yeah.
41:09Oh, hang on.
41:10I forgot to ask what price you agreed.
41:13Oh, how the tables have turned.
41:15I guess you'll just have to wait and see.
41:17In fact, he's very healthy.
41:18OK, so here we go.
41:20A moment of truth.
41:21Come on.
41:21Fingers crossed.
41:21Don't see the car.
41:25So, David, what do you think?
41:26I think you've done Scotland proud.
41:28Oh, yes.
41:29Get in, eh?
41:30I knew it was a good little car.
41:31You know, it is a really well-sorted,
41:33sweet little example of an Impa.
41:34I think you've clearly done a lot of work.
41:36It feels cherished.
41:37It feels sorted.
41:38Probably one of the best examples of an Impa.
41:40Oh, David,
41:41you have just turned yourself into the smartest salesman.
41:44You just heard from the horse's mouth there
41:45how good the car is.
41:46It's good, yeah.
41:47First impressions.
41:48I love it.
41:48I like the colour.
41:49I didn't think I would, but I do like the colour.
41:51Yeah, it's really good.
41:52It really does stand out here.
41:53We teed this up on the phone.
41:55Yeah.
41:55Mate, you can...
41:56I feel like a spare party.
42:00You two have done this deal without me knowing.
42:03I don't know if you've seen how this works before,
42:04but, Dan, are you happy to...
42:06No way!
42:06Hold on, Brian.
42:07You've cut yourself a deal.
42:08That was my part.
42:10You just sold it.
42:11Dan, congratulations.
42:13Thank you, David.
42:14Always a pleasure.
42:15Absolutely, David.
42:15Thank you, mate.
42:16Absolutely awesome.
42:17Mate, where's that?
42:17Well done.
42:19It's a brilliant result
42:21and a great way to round off our global adventure.
42:24Cheers, buddy.
42:29Cheers, mate.
42:30Sounds amazing, Elvis.
42:32Me and you, we should fix anything.
42:35I am super dealer.
42:38That's basic.
42:39Yeah, that's not food, is it?
42:44Well, I've got to say,
42:45this world tour has been one of the best things
42:48that's ever happened in my lifetime.
42:49It's been incredible.
42:51Unbelievable.
42:51There have been some amazing places,
42:53including right here in Scotland.
42:54Met some great people
42:55and the cars we've done have been spectacular.
42:58But come on, Elvis, put me out my misery.
43:00Did we make a profit on the imp?
43:02So let me remind you again,
43:04the car owed us £8,492,
43:10which is great news
43:12because it does show us the profit.
43:14That profit is in my pocket.
43:15Hold on.
43:15Hold on.
43:15Hold on.
43:15Hold on.
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