- 2 days ago
Wheeler Dealers World Tour - Season 2 Episode 10 -
Scotland: Hillman Imp
Scotland: Hillman Imp
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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'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 glow-trotting 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
00:59in 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, impossible.
01:07That's my way to do it.
01:09To rescue these national treasures
01:10on 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, this 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, you can relax,
01:40watch the countryside 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,
01:47it'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, you beauty.
02:05But we haven't come here just for the snacks.
02:08No, we're travelling through Scotland
02:10on the trail of its most famous car,
02:12the Hill Minim.
02:13Designed by engineering trio,
02:19Tim Fry, Peter Ware,
02:21and F1 driver, Michael Parks,
02:23the Imp was Scotland's first
02:25and only mass-produced car.
02:29Built near Glasgow,
02:31it was full of brilliant innovations,
02:33including an all-aluminum Coventry Climax engine
02:35that was originally designed as a fire pump.
02:38But, having been rushed into production,
02:41early imps were plagued with reliability woes,
02:43not least overheated engines.
02:46It was enough to help taint the car's reputation
02:49and overshadow the genius of its design.
02:52But here in Scotland,
02:54the Imp is a national hero
02:55and 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
03:07and let's try and find one
03:08that doesn't need too much work.
03:11I've already asked my UK contacts
03:13to look out for a suitable car
03:15and I'm hoping a specialist in workshop here in Scotland
03:18may 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 here, isn't it?
03:29Mate, we could have literally got to Mexico
03:31quicker than it took us to get here.
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,
03:46I'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,
03:56that was a call
03:58from the auction.
03:59You ain't 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.
04:08Like, hundreds and hundreds of miles away?
04:11Auction?
04:12Come on.
04:12I've got it at auction.
04:13That's your wheelhouse.
04:14My wheelhouse.
04:15I'm going to be in there.
04:16Get us a bargain.
04:17I'll be back.
04:17I know, I trust you.
04:18While Mike goes south,
04:22I'm heading to the outskirts of Sterling.
04:26I found these guys online
04:27who are massive imp enthusiasts.
04:30And apparently,
04:30they've got a workshop,
04:31they've got a spare ramp,
04:33and all the gear we might need
04:34if Mike actually does end up buying us a car.
04:39I mean, this is definitely it.
04:40I can see imps everywhere.
04:41John and Patrick own a garage
04:47dedicated to the restoration of Hillman imps.
04:51John, thanks so much for having us down there.
04:53I gather I'm in the right place
04:54because there's imps everywhere.
04:56How would you guess?
04:58So one or two clues.
04:59Is this all you do, imps?
05:00Pretty much.
05:01Pretty much.
05:02Pretty much.
05:03That's where the heart is.
05:04Mike's trying to buy us our own imp.
05:06I mean, I've got no idea
05:07when he's going to turn up.
05:08So in the meantime,
05:09have you got a kettle?
05:10Cup of tea.
05:10Cup of tea.
05:12John and Pat met at school
05:14and bonded over their shared love
05:15of 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, wow.
05:24That's a long love affair.
05:25When we went down to Monte Carlo and back...
05:29What?
05:30One of the most special feelings in the world
05:32was 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.
05:40That would have really upset the Lamborghini.
05:41Yes.
05:42Isn't it?
05:42Yeah.
05:43Yeah, certainly.
05:43Yeah.
05:43Yeah.
05:44Yeah.
05:54Fantastic, 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.
06:15There's loads of people, loads of people looking at the car, which shows there's a bit of interest
06:22in the helmet in the helmet in the helmet in the helmet in the helmet, doesn't it?
06:24If I was to walk over to it right now, start opening the doors, lifting the bonnet, people
06:29will go, 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.
06:42Interior's OK.
06:43With 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.
06:58Let's look at this engine.
07:00This is an 875 engine.
07:01I'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 need 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,
07:28I'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 biting nicely.
07:37OK, there's nothing nasty coming out the back.
07:40Looks sweet enough.
07:42Let's get in the auction.
07:43Fine.
07:46With no test drive and with a shabby-looking engine, this is a real risk.
07:50But we've restored him to sell him for around £8,000 to £9,000.
07:54I'm hoping I might be able to snatch a bargain.
07:59I'm going straight in.
08:00Yeah.
08:014,000.
08:02Ah.
08:03Not the start I was looking for.
08:06That's me.
08:07Bye.
08:07The room's going mad for the car, but if I spend much more, we'll struggle to make a profit.
08:28One more.
08:29That's too much money now.
08:36It's too much money.
08:38That's it.
08:38Go on then.
08:40I'll let you know.
08:41Thanks for all.
08:45I even got a round of applause for that.
08:47I did pay too much money for it.
08:48You bought a yellow one.
09:08It'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.
09:14Great, Nick.
09:15I'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.
09:33Oh, 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 tidy all of this up.
09:44It needs it.
09:44As well as a tidy up, we'll have to do something about the inefficient cooling system, which was the main cause of the imp's overheating problems.
09:54I hope you got the car cheap.
09:56Oh, look.
09:57Guide 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?
10:07I'll talk to you about the price of 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.
10:23Oh, mate, this little car looks absolutely fantastic.
10:27Let's go.
10:27Right 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 front of 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've just never recovered from that.
11:28You think about it, small, lightweight, rear engine, rear wheel drive, slanted engine,
11:35low centre of gravity, you 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.
11:47So, £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
11:59into 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.
12:09Hang on, what have we paid for this car?
12:11Well, this car owes us £7,125.
12:17What?
12:18So, 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.
12:37Calm down, calm down.
12:39I'm coming.
12:41Do 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
12:49on 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 for 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 keep costs down, I'm still confident we'll come out of this the right side up.
13:11Blimey, you boys don't mess about, do you?
13:14Hello.
13:15Hello.
13:15Chaps, how 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.
13:25How are you?
13:25Swilly's given us a little bit 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 force.
13:38We're sweeping them up and putting them in the bank.
13:39He'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
14:05test drive.
14:07One of the things I definitely noticed when I drove it was that it was, you know, it
14:10felt 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
14:25down to the absolute last drop.
14:27The design of the Imps fuel tank means that when it starts to corrode, particles of rust
14:32can easily be sucked into the fuel pump and ultimately the carburettor.
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
14:55much rubbish, and 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.
15:16And, of course, you can clearly see it's just going to drag all that stuff, get stuck in
15:19the 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
15:26very 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
15:33solution on it.
15:34But, I mean, yeah, let's look into that, mate, because we need to save as much money as
15:38we can.
15:40For a fraction of the price of a new tank, a chemical sealing kit is the type of fix we
15:44need to save the pennies.
15:46Right.
15:47You've done the one underneath, yeah?
15:48OK.
15:50I'll let you take that.
15:52We've drained the fuel out of it, so you should be all right.
15:55OK.
15:55Perfect.
15:57Before we can repair the inside of our tank, we first need to remove any remaining pieces
16:01of 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
16:14it a real aggressive shake.
16:19The nuts, bolts and gravel, combined with the water, help to dislodge the worst of the
16:24corrosion from the surface of the tank interior.
16:29It's got to be enough, isn't it?
16:31Oh, well, 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
16:41clean.
16:44Go on, William, you get...
16:45There we go.
16:46I bet you must have taken hundreds of these things out over your time.
16:49One or two.
16:50I wish all engines was as easy as this to come out.
16:57That's us off.
16:58Hopefully, 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.
17:17Lionheart Custom Interiors is one of Scotland's premier upholsterers.
17:21Let's just hope it's one of the cheapest as well.
17:25Hello, 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.
17:44You can get the material, but you can't get it with an embossed pack.
17:49Right.
17:50This is unobtaining.
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.
18:00So 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 to be supply born.
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.
18:24It is.
18:24Sharon, 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
18:52to remove any remaining contaminants.
18:54It'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,
19:13giving 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.
19:27At the tremors, my hope of a nice quick seat fix has now turned into a full-scale strip-down.
19:42Shot.
19:42With our seat base beyond repair, Sharon first needs to fit new webbing.
19:56Followed 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.
20:04With both seats needing this level of work, I'm dreading the next conversation.
20:13So, 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.
20:41I have a feeling that the price of the seat repairs isn't going to go down well with Elvis.
20:45So, I've decided to warm him up with a nice little idea I've had.
20:49It had such a bad wrap, this car, didn't it, because it just wasn't built very well.
20:54So, 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?
21:03To come and drive it and correct that review?
21:07So, yeah, that's not a nice idea.
21:08It's a quiet idea.
21:09So, you could review it now, having had the upgrades.
21:12That's a good idea, mate, you know.
21:13Yeah, 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 in 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.
21:41There's 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.
22:06780 pounds.
22:06What?
22:07On repairing two front seats?
22:09Are you kidding me?
22:16I still can't believe you spent, what was it, 780 quid 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'd be amazed.
22:25Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
22:26Just stop here.
22:27Stop here.
22:27Right, just on the corner here.
22:29I just want to run in this little shop.
22:31Two secs.
22:32Hurry up.
22:32Two secs.
22:36Well, 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.
22:48Don't open it in here.
22:49It's a traditional drink.
22:50They love this stuff.
22:52No, mate.
22:54Oh, my God.
22:55What are you doing?
22:57Mate, it's gone everywhere.
22:58I'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.
23:14I love Mike's idea of a journalist reviewing our imp, but the car will need to be nothing short of perfect.
23:26Can you see where it's leaking from under there?
23:28Yeah, it's running out of the gators, but it's kind of, they're all perished.
23:32They're all torn and 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.
23:52These ball joints are dead.
23:54Very worn and tight as well.
23:56Yeah, yeah, OK.
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.
24:06Yes, it's pretty easy to work on.
24:12It's had a leak, and 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.
24:33And 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 RotorFlex 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.
24:51I'll add it to the list of things that Mike can get for us.
24:59Armed 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.
25:15This 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.
25:26He 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, mate.
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?
25:48Yep.
25:48Fantastic.
25:49It'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!
25:57Ball!
25:59Hello.
26:01Oh, blimey.
26:02Hello, young lady.
26:03What's your name?
26:04Kate.
26:04Hello, Kate.
26:05You 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, so you're just...
26:14I need to get...
26:14Yeah, 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 hyaluronic.
26:24I need 71.
26:25If I just start at the top, we work our way through.
26:27We've got radiator hosing, rear window hatch struts.
26:31Okay.
26:31Can we start there?
26:32Yeah.
26:33Just follow me.
26:33Oh, yes, baby.
26:37This place is just incredible.
26:39Stuff like this.
26:40Look, steering...
26:41Racks and racks of steering wheels.
26:44Rubbers.
26:44Oh, this is going to be great.
26:47Donuts.
26:48Donuts, then.
26:48That's great.
26:49Yeah.
26:49That's exactly what I'm looking for.
26:51Two if you're finished.
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?
27:10A set of 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?
27:21Gaskets I could do there, yep.
27:22The oil's filters are downstairs.
27:25Mm-hmm.
27:27Well, 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,
27:51the car did overheat.
27:52John told me this, almost 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.
28:07Upgrading 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,
28:24but, importantly, the core is thicker.
28:28This old original one, about 38 millimetres thick, the new one, 45 millimetres thick.
28:33It means that we've got more cores to flow water through.
28:36We'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.
29:01When 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.
29:09Overheating 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.
29:36I'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 pedaling 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 and 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.
30:06And 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.
30:15And the same happens on the car.
30:16The dynamo is linked to engine speed, so 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 at lower engine revs.
30:36This is a classic car. We want it to stay looking like a classic car.
30:42And so someone has come up with this.
30:44A 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 imp's biggest issues addressed, the car is starting to come together.
31:19Down a little bit more then, please.
31:22But with plenty more to do, we won't be going home any time soon.
31:26Don't worry, Elvis. I'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. Is that a real thing?
31:39Yes.
31:40Okay, so that is a real thing. Can you deep fry anything else?
31:44Argis, spicy argis, jumbo argis.
31:47What?
31:48What else can you deep fry? Can you do a sausage?
31:50Pizza. Pizza and butter.
31:52Stop 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.
31:58Oh, of 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.
32:11All 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?
32:17How are you?
32:17Deep fried pizza up here.
32:19Yeah, of course.
32:20This is a standard dinner after I have these wotkis.
32:22Right, here we go, boys.
32:23Here we go.
32:24Now you're prepared.
32:25This is strictly dessert.
32:28Oh, 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 is 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,
32:52but we still have several key jobs to complete.
32:56With a strainer fitted to filter out any debris,
32:58the 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
33:11and operational fuel system
33:13that won't cause us any problems anymore.
33:16After a successful parcel at Chick's Farm,
33:19I'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
33:27and 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 closes now, mate.
33:39Oh!
33:41Oh!
33:42Lovely.
33:43That is absolutely perfect, isn't it?
33:46Almost a factory recommended vehicle, isn't 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
34:01and 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
34:11and it just matches the rear seats perfectly.
34:13Look at these, like them.
34:18Aw, yeah, that is pucker, that is.
34:21Yeah.
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
34:39and 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?
34:5112.
34:5112 or 13-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
35:01that I can swap my four wheels for your four wheels?
35:06I'll tell you what,
35:20that 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,
35:30but, 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 now.
35:41Anyway, what do you think?
35:42Well, the car looks amazing.
35:43On a grey day like today, here in Scotland,
35:46this car just sings.
35:47When I bought our little Hillman Input Auction,
35:53it was a far cry from the Scottish pin-up
35:55that 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,
36:15we'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.
36:34It's a good little bit of road, isn't it?
36:36Oh, yeah, this is a wicked little car.
36:39This is... Whoa, whoa, whoa!
36:41The 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-bloomin-tastic, this car.
36:51It really is.
36:52I think the point is,
36:53every 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,
37:01it was a bit stuttery
37:02and there was so much rubbish being dredged up
37:05from the fuel tank.
37:06And it doesn't feel like this car's got overheat at all.
37:08I know it's a little bit colder up here in Scotland,
37:10but you can feel that the car
37:12actually has got a lot more pep.
37:14Steering's lovely.
37:16Yeah.
37:16As 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.
37:23Now I've seen the seats,
37:24Sharon's craftsmanship is second to none.
37:26Yeah.
37:27It's quite incredible.
37:28Yeah.
37:28And you have to pay for that, don't you?
37:29Oh, yes.
37:33The 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
37:47eight and a half grand, just under.
37:50Just under?
37:50Yeah, around there.
37:51OK.
37:52All right, good.
37:55Right now, though,
37:56making 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.
38:11But it still doesn't make me feel any less nervous
38:16than the fact that David Simister, editor 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.
38:29He'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.
38:38Well, fortune favours the brave.
38:40Time, then, to bite the bullet.
38:46David!
38:46David, how are you?
38:47How are you doing?
38:48Good to see you.
38:49Good to see you. How are you doing?
38:51So, 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, it's really, really working.
39:02Well, with this lots of little touches,
39:03all the sort of things that 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.
39:18There you go, then, David.
39:19Your chariot awaits.
39:20Oh, it sounds sweet.
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.
39:35Right then, Hillman, let's see what you've got.
39:37We are stuck in a set of lights.
39:44This is a good chance to test the Hillman imp's famous cooling issues.
39:48I hope he's getting on all right.
39:50The pressure we put ourselves under here is immense
39:52because he's driving a car and he's going to review it
39:55as if it's like a new car.
39:57I know, and that is going to account for a lot, right?
39:59Steering is nicely weighted.
40:02There's no bumps or clonks from 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, buddy.
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 he's a fan of classic cars,
40:23so give him a ring.
40:24Classic car nut Dan bought 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 always a rival for the mini.
40:40Yeah, why not?
40:41Why not?
40:41I love that.
40:42Just try it.
40:42Why not?
40:42Yeah, why not?
40:44Oh, there's just one more thing I haven't told you.
40:48We've already kind of agreed a price, so 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 and pulling an engine out.
40:58So if we've got David Simister coming back and rolling in and saying,
41:02what a great car, lads, I mean, it's going to be dildone, 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.
41:17He's back.
41:18He's back.
41:18He's back.
41:18Okay, so here we go.
41:20A moment of truth.
41:21Come on.
41:21Fingers crossed.
41:21Come and see the car.
41:25So, David, what do you think?
41:26I think you've done Scotland proud.
41:27Oh, yes.
41:29Get in.
41:30I knew it was a good little car.
41:31You know, it is a really well-sorted, sweet little example of an imp.
41:34I think you've clearly done a lot of work to it.
41:36It feels cherished.
41:37It feels sorted.
41:38Probably one of the best examples of an imp.
41:40Oh, David, you have just turned yourself.
41:42into the smartest salesman.
41:44You just heard from the horse's mouth there how good the car is.
41:47It's pretty good, yeah.
41:47First impressions?
41:48I love it.
41:49I 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, but Dan, are you happy to...
42:06Wait.
42:06Hold up, run.
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.
42:15Thank you, David.
42:15Thank you, man.
42:16Absolutely awesome.
42:17Mate, where is it?
42:18Well done.
42:19It's a brilliant result and a great way to round off our global adventure.
42:26Woo-hoo!
42:28Cheers, buddy.
42:29Cheers, mate.
42:30Sounds amazing, Elvis.
42:32Seeing you, we should fix anything.
42:33I am super dealer.
42:38That's basically...
42:39Yeah, that's not food, is it?
42:44Well, I've got to say, this world tour has been one of the best things that's ever happened
42:48in my lifetime.
42:49It's been incredible.
42:51Unbelievable.
42:51And there have been some amazing places, including right here in Scotland.
42:54Met some great people and the cars we've done have been spectacular.
42:57But come on, Elvis, put me at my misery.
43:00Did we make a profit on the Imp?
43:02So let me remind you again, the car owed us £8,492.
43:10Which is great news, because it does show us the profit.
43:14That profit is in my pocket.
43:15Hold on.
43:17£8,500 was the sale price.
43:19And £8 profit, which means, I don't know, a couple of deep-fried glass vials.
43:24Right, listen, when we do the next world tour, you stick to the tools, let me do the deals.
43:29Thank you, Elvis.
43:31Bye.
43:33Bye.
43:37Bye.
43:51Bye.
43:52Bye.
43:57Bye.
43:58Bye.
43:58Bye.
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