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00:00Oh yeah. I don't think I've ever been anywhere more Scottish. It is a very Scottish of shops,
00:07isn't it? Might as well embrace the culture. Look at this. It feels lovely as well, nice and soft.
00:13Mate, what are you doing? What do you mean, what am I doing? I'm just getting my Scottish on. I mean,
00:19you look incredibly Scottish, I'll give you that. I'm gonna have some haggis later, I'm gonna have
00:24some whiskey. Whatever you do, just don't buy a kilt. That's a great idea. No, seriously,
00:30a kilt, because you know with a kilt, you don't wear anything underneath. Mate, you didn't pack much,
00:36did you? No, mate, I don't need much, I just need my knowledge and that's all up here. We've packed
00:41our bags and our spanners for another globetrotting car-fixing adventure. Vamos!
00:49We're hunting down some of the world's most iconic cars. Does it get much better than this?
01:02Oh, I can't believe we're standing here in front of an SP2. Leaning on local wheeler dealers. Because
01:08he really wants it, would you take the 30,000 euro? No, impossible. That's my way to do it. To
01:13rescue these national treasures on a wheel and a prayer. Please let me find a set of wheels,
01:19that's all I'm asking for. And make a few euros, pesos. I think we have a deal. Yes! And real as we go.
01:28I absolutely love it!
01:36Right then fella, this is the only way to travel.
01:38It's not that bad, is it? Told you, it's lovely. You can just sit back, you can relax,
01:45watch the countryside whip past the window. Watch the raindrops walking down the window. Watch the
01:49raindrops where we are heading north and the further we go north, it's going to get worse.
01:54But I am looking forward to Scotland, mate. I mean, there is a lot that Scotland has going for it. Yes,
02:00Scotland does have some stuff going for it. It is going to be... Yes, please. Yes. Nothing
02:05scares Scotland like a tea cake. Like a tea cake. Yes, you beauty. But we haven't come here just for
02:11the snacks. No, we're travelling through Scotland on the trail of its most famous car, the Hillman Imp.
02:21Designed by engineering trio Tim Fry, Peter Ware and F1 driver Michael Parks,
02:28the Imp was Scotland's first and only mass-produced car.
02:34Built near Glasgow, it was full of brilliant innovations, including an all aluminium Coventry
02:39Climax engine that was originally designed as a fire pump. But having been rushed into production,
02:45early imps were plagued with reliability woes, not least overheated engines. It was enough to help
02:52taint the car's reputation and overshadow the genius of its design. But here in Scotland,
02:58the Imp is a national hero and we think it deserves to be celebrated.
03:06Have you had any bites on your search for a car? There's a few out there.
03:10Very interesting. Well, let's be careful and let's try and find one that doesn't need too much work.
03:16I've already asked my UK contacts to look out for a suitable car,
03:20and I'm hoping a specialist in workshop here in Scotland may be able to help. So that's where we're
03:25starting. Here we go. Nice. Good morning, Sterling. Fantastic. Cold and wet. Cold and wet. It has taken
03:33a mile to get here, isn't it? Mate, we could have literally got to Mexico quicker than it took us to get here.
03:37We could have done. Just one second, one second, one second. Hello? Yeah, that sounds good. Condition?
03:46OK, super. No, I'm really interested. I mean, look, I've literally just arrived in Stirling, Scotland.
03:54No way. Where? Are you kidding me? OK, I'll talk to you in a bit. Cheers. Bye.
04:00Mate, honestly, that was a call from the auction. You're not going to believe this. I've found a car.
04:06Yeah. And I've got to go back and... Back where? Back. Where is it?
04:10Norfolk. Like hundreds and hundreds of miles away.
04:16Auction? Come on. I've got an auction. My wheelhouse. I'm going to be in there. Get us a bargain. I'll be back.
04:22I know. I trust you.
04:25While Mike goes south, I'm heading to the outskirts of Stirling.
04:28I found these guys online who are massive imp enthusiasts and apparently they've got a workshop,
04:36they've got a spare ramp and all the gear we might need if Mike actually does end up buying us a car.
04:44I mean, this is definitely it. I can see imps everywhere.
04:46John and Patrick own a garage dedicated to the restoration of Hillman Imps.
04:56John, thanks so much for having us down. I gather I'm in the right place because there's imps everywhere.
05:01How would you guess?
05:02So one or two clues. Is this all you do, imps?
05:05Pretty much. Pretty much imps.
05:07Pretty much. That's for the hunters.
05:09Mike's trying to buy us our own imp. I've got no idea when he's going to turn up.
05:13So in the meantime, have you got a kettle or maybe a cup of tea?
05:16Yeah.
05:17John and Pat met at school and bonded over their shared love of this little motor.
05:23How about the love affair with imps? How long has that been going on?
05:25That's been over 40 years now. Has it? Yeah.
05:28Really? Wow. That's a long love affair.
05:30When we went down to Monte Carlo and back... What?
05:34One of the most special feelings in the world was driving through Casino Square in Monte Carlo
05:40and they all went like that with their cameras.
05:42Yeah.
05:43Because they haven't seen two amps before.
05:45That would have really upset the Lamborghini owners, wouldn't it?
05:47Yeah. Certainly, yeah.
05:48Yeah.
05:59Fantastic, isn't it? What a day.
06:00In Norfolk, I've arrived at Anglia car auctions near Kings Lynn.
06:06You're going to see sales like this almost every weekend up and down the country.
06:10The perfect place to come and buy that classic car.
06:14The imp I'm here to see has an estimate of just £3,000 to £4,000.
06:20There's loads of people looking at the car, which shows there's a bit of interest in the Hillman imp,
06:27doesn't it? If I was to walk over to it right now, start opening the doors, lifting the bonnet,
06:33people would go, Mike's interested in that. So they could be interested in it and the price starts to climb.
06:38Right. Now's my opportunity to get in there and have a closer look.
06:45Tyres look good. Interior's okay.
06:48With just over 230 road-going imps left in the UK, a good one is increasingly hard to find.
06:55This 1971 model has done just 68,000 miles and, on first glance, it presents pretty well.
07:03Let's look at this engine. This is an 875 engine. I'll be honest with you, the engine bay
07:10probably lets the car down. I think it would really do with having all of this taken out,
07:14because that looks a bit of a mess.
07:18That's broken. Rusted through on this side. So that one need repairing as well.
07:24As this is an auction, I can't drive the car, so as it's been moved round to the rostrum,
07:32I'm going to try and get some intel on the mechanical condition.
07:36So clutch feels good? Yeah. Yeah. Brakes feel good? Yeah.
07:39Yeah. It's biting nicely. Okay. There's nothing nasty coming out the back.
07:45Looks sweet enough. Let's get in the auction.
07:47With no test drive and with a shabby-looking engine, this is a real risk. But we've restored
07:56him selling for around £8,000 to £9,000. I'm hoping I might be able to snatch a bargain.
08:07Ah, not the start I was looking for. That's me. Bye.
08:12The room's going mad for the car, but if I spend much more, we'll struggle to make a profit.
08:33One more.
08:34That's too much money now. It's too much money.
08:44Go on then.
08:49Thank you. I even got a round of applause for that, but I did pay too much money for it.
09:04You bought a yellow one. It's very mustard, isn't it?
09:14This is called Sundance Yellow. It actually looks really good on the outside.
09:18It's really good, yeah. Great, Nick.
09:19I'm very, very pleased with this purchase. There are a few little issues.
09:23Of course.
09:24Okay, so first and foremost, you can see some of the rubbers around the window have degraded.
09:29The seat's got a little rip in it. It's another job for you, that is.
09:33Yeah, that's easy. So far, I'm impressed.
09:38Ta-da. Oh, mate, that is so disappointing. The outside's so nice.
09:42What's going on in here? I thought, well, if anyone's going to take an engine out, it'd be you,
09:47and then you can tidy all of this up. It needs it.
09:49As well as a tidy up, we'll have to do something about the inefficient cooling system,
09:56which was the main cause of the imp's overheating problems. I hope you got the car cheap.
10:00Oh, look. Guide price, 3,000 to 4 grand.
10:04Is that what that says?
10:05So... Really?
10:06Yeah, go and watch me.
10:07Well, let's get it out on the road first.
10:10You wouldn't have paid the full whack, would you?
10:13I'll talk to you about the price in the car.
10:14Hmm. Something tells me you're holding this back for a reason.
10:22Keep coming. Keep coming. Yeah, nice.
10:26Yes, baby.
10:28Oh, mate, this little car looks absolutely fantastic. Let's go.
10:37Right then, son, put your slipper down.
10:39I hate to break it to you, but my foot is down.
10:42Well, it's only a little Coventry Climax engine.
10:44I mean, it's 800 and something cc.
10:47The imp's lightweight aluminium motor was way ahead of its time.
10:52Unfortunately, the cooling system wasn't.
10:55We're actually running at quite a bit of temperature at the moment.
10:58They all overheated. It was one of their biggest single issues.
11:01They all overheated.
11:02The engine feels like it's fluffy.
11:05I think there's dirt in the carburetor or something.
11:08Yeah, it feels like a car from the 1970s.
11:10It certainly does.
11:11So I was actually looking at a bunch of reviews earlier.
11:14Yeah.
11:14From when they were brand new.
11:16There's a guy that did a road test.
11:17During his road test, he said the passenger seat came loose.
11:20The ashtray fell out.
11:22Water was coming in through the window.
11:24And of course, it overheated.
11:25They had so many problems with production.
11:28It's like it was rushed out the door, you know, and they just never recovered from that.
11:33You think about it, a small, lightweight, rear engine, rear wheel drive, slanted engine,
11:40low centre of gravity, you know, all of the ingredients could have made this an amazing car.
11:46I reckon that's what we should do.
11:47I reckon we should make it the car that it should have been.
11:52So, £3,000 to £4,000 guide price.
11:55Yeah.
11:56I cannot wait to hear what you accomplished on this.
11:58So, I was standing there, right, with my hand in the air, and I was still bidding well into the
12:04£5,000.
12:06What?
12:06You went into the £5,000?
12:08No, I went well into the £6,000.
12:11And then there's the auction fees on top of that.
12:14Hang on.
12:15What have we paid for this car?
12:17This car owes us £7,125.
12:21What?
12:23So, I over...
12:24Double.
12:24That's double.
12:25That's double the guide price.
12:27I got carried away.
12:28I overpaid for the car, which means we need to underpay for all the repairs.
12:34Oh, my goodness me.
12:38Calm down, calm down.
12:45I'm coming.
12:49Do you know what, mate?
12:50Well, I say I slept on it last night.
12:52I actually didn't sleep that much because I was having nightmares about what you've spent on this car.
12:56I can't believe you spent over £7,000 on a Hillman Imp.
12:59I mean, mate, it's a Hillman Imp.
13:01A 50-year-old Hillman Imp.
13:03Whoa, whoa, whoa.
13:04Show some respect for the Hillman Imp.
13:07When it's done, it's going to be great.
13:08How are we going to turn a profit?
13:11If we keep costs down, I'm still confident we'll come out of this the right side up.
13:18Blimey, you boys don't mess about, do you?
13:21Hello.
13:21Hello, chaps. How are you?
13:23This is Mike, everybody.
13:24Nice to meet you.
13:24Pat, Pat, Pat, John.
13:26Nice to meet you, mate.
13:27I don't know you, mate.
13:28I'm Willie.
13:28I'm Willie.
13:29Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
13:30Pat, John and Willie.
13:31Yes.
13:31How are you, mate?
13:32Yes, well, he's given us a little bit of help.
13:34More hands the merrier.
13:35That's amazing.
13:35I bought a good one, didn't I, boys?
13:37You've actually done pretty well, mate, to be honest, for a car.
13:39Because compared to some of the other ones we've got here, we sweep them up off the floor.
13:42Exactly.
13:43They're not looking for a mechanical force for sweeping them up and putting them in the bank.
13:46He's right. It would have been a lovely five grand car, that, wouldn't it?
13:50What have you found so far? Anything interesting?
13:52A fairly standard list. Rad, couplings, steering components.
13:57It's not running so great.
13:58A nice set of wheels wouldn't go amass.
14:02Tell you what, why don't I start by getting that torn front seat off to the trimmer?
14:08And I'll try to figure out why the engine wasn't running smoothly on our first little test drive.
14:13I mean, one of the things I definitely noticed when I drove it was that it was,
14:16you know, it felt like, to me, it felt like the car was blocked.
14:19It was a bit fluffy. It just didn't give us that clean acceleration.
14:22There's probably a really good chance, Elvis, that the fuel pump is actually blocked
14:27if there's been debris coming up for the tank that,
14:30because these tanks actually drain down to the absolute last drop.
14:34The design of the Imps fuel tank means that when it starts to corrode,
14:37particles of rust can easily be sucked into the fuel pump and ultimately the carburettor.
14:42Oh, there you go. That's what you're talking about. Look at that.
14:47Some nasties.
14:49That is nasty. That's an awful lot. Or are you saying that is quite common in these?
14:53That's quite common. I've actually seen them almost full.
14:56If that's full of that much rubbish, that probably means the tank is also full of that much rubbish,
15:02and that might need some attention. To see if our theory's right, we need to open up the top of the tank.
15:07Oh, dear.
15:12It's so rusted and corroded. Can you see in there?
15:16Oh, wow. And that point, right at the lowest point, is the pickup where all the fuel goes.
15:22And of course, you can clearly see it's just going to drag all that stuff, get stuck in the pump,
15:26which is absolutely caked in the stuff. I mean, either we're going to have to find a way to
15:31try and clean that out through a very small access hole or replace the tank,
15:34but we haven't really got a budget for that.
15:35I mean, we could remove the tank, we could clean it out and then put a tank ceiling solution on it.
15:40But I mean, yeah, let's look into that, mate, because we need to save as much money as we can.
15:46For a fraction of the price of a new tank,
15:48a chemical ceiling kit is the type of fix we need to save the pennies.
15:52Right. You've done the one underneath? Yeah.
15:57I'll let you take that.
15:59We've drained the fuel out of it, so you should be all right.
16:02Perfect.
16:04Before we can repair the inside of our tank, we first need to remove any remaining pieces of rust.
16:09And I've got a brilliantly old school method for doing just that.
16:14I'm going to use some nuts and bolts and some gravel.
16:17I'm going to put that into the hole, put some water in,
16:19seed it up and go outside and give it a real aggressive shake.
16:26The nuts, bolts and gravel combined with the water
16:29help to dislodge the worst of the corrosion from the surface of the tank interior.
16:36It's got to be enough, isn't it?
16:37Oh, look at the colour of that!
16:44And whilst the tank dries, we're going to take the engine out so we can give it a proper clean.
16:50Go on, Willie, in you get.
16:51In we go.
16:52I bet you must have taken hundreds of these things out over your time.
16:56One or two.
16:56I wish all engines was as easy as this to come out.
17:03That's us off.
17:06Hopefully, fixing that imp's front seat will be just as simple.
17:09So I've found a lady.
17:11She's the interior trimmer in this area.
17:14So I've got the seats in the back.
17:15I'm going to whip over there.
17:16Hopefully, she can just sew up the tear for us.
17:19Quick job in and out and it won't cost too much money.
17:24Lionheart Custom Interiors is one of Scotland's premier upholsterers.
17:28Let's just hope it's one of the cheapest as well.
17:32Hello, are you Sharon?
17:33Yes, hello.
17:33Sharon, how are you?
17:34I'm Mike.
17:35Hiya.
17:35Nice to meet you.
17:36Nice to meet you as well.
17:37Right.
17:38This is one of my seats.
17:41This one's got a rip in it, so we've got to do something with it.
17:44I'm hoping if we can replace just a small section of the material,
17:48we'll be able to keep costs down.
17:50You can get the material, but you can't get it with an embossed pack.
17:56Right.
17:56This is unobtaining.
17:57We can't get it.
17:58That's correct.
17:59That's such a shame, isn't it?
18:00So how do we get this texture then?
18:02How do we get those lines?
18:03I can stitch that in.
18:04You can?
18:05Yep.
18:06OK, that'd be good.
18:08So much for an easy fix.
18:10Stitching in the lines will be painstaking work,
18:13and it turns out that that's not the only problem.
18:16This seat, I've noticed.
18:18Yep.
18:19It's got a piece of plywood.
18:20So it's needing some strapping on it.
18:24Why do I have a feeling this job's going to get me into trouble with Elvis?
18:28Knackered, this old seat, isn't it?
18:30Look at it.
18:30Yes, it is.
18:36Sharon, it's not meant to be like this.
18:38It's really not meant to be like this.
18:41Don't say I don't graft for our projects, Elvis.
18:46Do you know what?
18:46It's amazing how clean the inside of this tank actually is now.
18:52As well as a good wash, I've rinsed the tank with a solution of sodium hydroxide
18:57and hydrochloric acid to remove any remaining contaminants.
19:00It's all now completely dry as well, which means I can move on to the next stage, which is this.
19:07I've sealed up all the holes once more.
19:09I'm going to pour this in.
19:10And then rotate the tank in as many directions as I can, giving us that nice good seal that we're after.
19:21This sealant is a compound of moisture curing polyurethane that will leave a solid,
19:28plastic-like coating on the inside of the tank once it's been hung up, drained and dried out.
19:33At the tremors, my hope of a nice quick seat fix has now turned into a four-scale strip-down.
19:47It's short.
19:50Somebody had a deep-fried Mars bar.
19:53With our seat base beyond repair, Sharon first needs to fit new webbing,
20:02followed by new foam for the seat cushion.
20:05This stuff here? Yep.
20:06Yeah, that's better, isn't it? I mean, you can already feel that's going to be much better.
20:12With both seats needing this level of work, I'm dreading the next conversation.
20:16So, if I was to leave you with the two front seats, new cushions, new webbing,
20:24all the rest of it tidied up, how much would it come to?
20:27In fact, don't tell me out loud. Whisper it.
20:34OK. Right, OK.
20:37Well, I might need to take Elvis for a little...
20:41Dram. A little dram. Yes, that's a good idea.
20:46I have a feeling that the price of the seat repairs isn't going to go down well with Elvis.
20:52So, I've decided to warm him up with a nice little idea I've had.
20:57It had such a bad rap, this car, didn't it? Because it just wasn't built very well.
21:01So, what if we're doing what we're doing, like rebuilding the car?
21:05What if we got a journalist to come and re-review the car?
21:10To come and drive it and correct that review?
21:13So, yeah, that's not a nice idea.
21:15It's a quite idea. So, you could review it now.
21:17Having added the upgrades, that's a good idea, mate.
21:19We've come up with a plan. Good idea.
21:23Some of the bottles in here look like they cost a fortune.
21:26Importantly, at the moment, I haven't spent any money.
21:31So, I think even though we've overspent on the car,
21:34it's looking like we're going to probably get away with it.
21:36Right, now for the bad news.
21:39I have spent some money. I did, I've spent some money.
21:42You know the driver's seat was ripped? Yeah.
21:44So, I took the driver's seat off to a lovely lady called Sharon.
21:47It's only a tiny little rip. You can see where this is going.
21:50So, Sharon has got the same material, but she has to sew in that pattern.
21:54And it's quite complicated to sew in.
21:56And you can't do one seat without doing the other seat.
21:59We are going to put new web in, new pad in.
22:02So, essentially, we're getting two new seats.
22:04Just hit me with it. How much was it?
22:06Have another drink. No, come on, that's enough.
22:08Just have one more drink. All you've got to do is have one more drink.
22:10I'll literally be drunk. Just tell me.
22:12£780. What?
22:14On repairing two front seats? Are you kidding me?
22:24I still can't believe you spent, what was it?
22:27£780 on those seats?
22:28Yeah, it was expensive.
22:30How are we going to turn any sort of profit?
22:32If we make a tenner out of this, I'll be amazed.
22:33Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Just stop here. Stop here.
22:35Right, just on the corner here.
22:36I just want to run in this little shop.
22:39Two sets. Hurry up. Two sets.
22:46We're in Scotland. You've got to have the Scottish drink.
22:49I'm not so keen, to be honest, this time of the morning.
22:52But, you know, if you insist.
22:53This is made with girders.
22:56Don't open it in here.
22:57I'll wait till we get to the world shop.
22:58This is a traditional drink. They love this stuff.
22:59No, no.
23:01No, mate.
23:02Yes, they do.
23:02Oh my God, what are you doing?
23:05Mate, it's gone everywhere.
23:08Look at the state of you.
23:09That really has gone everywhere.
23:10And the car.
23:11That really has gone everywhere.
23:12I'll clean the car, I promise.
23:17Yeah, well, you can do that later, because right now I need you to go and pick up some spare parts.
23:22I love Mike's idea of a journalist reviewing our imp, but the car will need to be nothing short of perfect.
23:34Can you see where it's leaking from under there?
23:36Yeah, it's run over the gears, but it's kind of, they're all perished.
23:40They're all torn, perished.
23:42But we've discovered a new problem.
23:44When I came in this morning, the boys had already had a look underneath and found a couple of leaks from the steering rack.
23:50I've been hoping to tackle the imp's overheating problem this morning.
23:55Instead, Willie and I must now get the steering rack off to see if it can be salvaged.
24:00These ball joints are dead, very worn and tight as well.
24:04Yeah, yeah, okay.
24:05All right, well, again, they're not expensive, so we can replace those.
24:09Well, that's one of the nice things about these cars, isn't it?
24:12They were very serviceable.
24:14Yes, it's pretty easy to work on.
24:20It's had a leak, and look, you can clearly see where that was coming from.
24:25It's got splits all over this rubber gator.
24:29At around £170, a new steering rack is something we can ill afford,
24:34so I'm hoping we can get away with a cheap fix.
24:36I think I'm just going to text Mike with a little list of consumable bits that I can replace on this.
24:44And that's not all we need to add to Mike's shopping list.
24:47How are you getting on, mate?
24:48Yeah, I'm just taking these rotor flex bushes off.
24:50Yeah, they have definitely seen better days, haven't they?
24:54These rubber couplings, known as doughnuts, connect the gearbox to the driveshaft to reduce vibration.
25:00I'll add it to the list of things that Mike can get for us.
25:07Armed with my shopping list, the guys in the workshop have sent me to a rather special farm,
25:1240 minutes from Stirling.
25:14I mean, I've been to plenty of car spares and parts stores in my life,
25:20but I don't think I've ever seen one quite like this.
25:25This rural Aladdin's cave belongs to a man named Chick.
25:28As well as selling new spares, he also salvages second-hand parts wherever he can.
25:33He is one of the people that keep our classic cars on the road.
25:38All this stuff is going to get used again.
25:41Absolutely incredible.
25:43Sir.
25:44Hello, Mike.
25:45You must be Chick.
25:46I am indeed.
25:47Chick, it's an honour to meet you.
25:50It really is.
25:51You're like an environmentalist, aren't you?
25:53Because you're taking old cars and you're recycling them, aren't you?
25:56It's cheaper to repair an old car than it is to make a new car.
25:59Exactly.
26:00That's exactly what I keep saying.
26:02So, we are the ultimate eco-warriors.
26:04Chick!
26:05Ball!
26:07Hello.
26:09Oh, blimey.
26:10Hello, young lady.
26:11What's your name?
26:12Kate.
26:12Hello, Kate.
26:13You all right?
26:14Nice to meet you.
26:15That was a good surprise, wasn't it?
26:17Is that how you respond to him wherever he is?
26:20I can never find him.
26:21All right, so you just...
26:22I need to...
26:22Scream.
26:23Yeah, my neighbours can hear it.
26:24I'm sure they can.
26:28Right, so listen.
26:29I've got this list of parts for a little helmet in.
26:32I need 71.
26:33If I just start at the top, we work our way through them.
26:35We've got radiator hosing, rear window hatch struts.
26:38Okay.
26:39Can we start there?
26:40Yeah.
26:40Just follow me.
26:43Oh, yes, baby.
26:45This place is just incredible.
26:48Stuff like this.
26:48Look, steering...
26:49Racks and racks of steering wheels, rubbers.
26:53This is going to be great.
26:55Donuts?
26:56Donuts, then, that's great, yeah.
26:57That's exactly what I'm looking for.
26:59Two of your finest.
27:00Yeah, lovely.
27:01Okay, donuts.
27:02How would you know where everything is in this building?
27:05I'm pretty good at remembering where everything's put
27:07as long as nobody else moves it.
27:09Right, so brake shoes.
27:12Where am I going to find those?
27:14That's a set of imp brake shoes there.
27:17Okay, hoses?
27:18A set of hoses next to it.
27:19What, all of those?
27:20Take all of them?
27:21That's a car set.
27:22The other sundry items, I mean, obviously, I've still got to get an oil filter,
27:26an air filter, gaskets.
27:29Gaskets I could do there, yep.
27:31The oil filters are downstairs.
27:32Mm-hm.
27:33Well, that's a few things ticked off.
27:37But with a long list from Elvis, I may be here for some time.
27:42At the workshop, I'm finally ready to tackle a job that for the imp is literally make or break.
27:46One of the Hillman imp's inherent problems was the fact that it overheated a lot.
27:54I mean, every single review that I've read about this car,
27:56in every one of the test drives that any journalist was doing, the car did overheat.
28:04John told me this.
28:05Almost every car that's still in existence today has had an engine swap because the first one overheated
28:09and probably blew up at some point. Partly it was because the cooling system just wasn't up to scratch.
28:16Upgrading the system will cost money that we don't really have,
28:19but it's the only way to ensure the car can keep its cool.
28:22I've got a radiator here, which if I hold it up and compare it to the old one,
28:28the same sort of shape and size as in it fits in the same mounting points on the car.
28:32But importantly, the core is thicker. This old original one about 38 millimeters thick,
28:39the new one 45 millimeters thick. Means that we've got more cores to flow water through.
28:43We've also got more surface area in which we can pass over the cooling fan driven air,
28:49giving us a greater cooling efficiency or cooling effect.
28:52For added protection, I've also fitted a secondary electric fan, which will kick in if temperature
28:59starts to rise. The new kit has cost a hefty 300 pounds, but it fits neatly into the existing cowlings.
29:09When I quite frankly still find it amazing that any car in Scotland overheats.
29:14But what we do now know is this one won't.
29:17Overheating may have been the imp's main Achilles heel, but it wasn't the only one.
29:28When the car rolled out the Linwood factory back in the sixties,
29:31it had a dynamo to charge the battery on the move.
29:34It wasn't particularly efficient, but on top of that, it wasn't even that reliable.
29:39But the biggest issue was the concept of the dynamo itself.
29:42And it's something I can easily demonstrate.
29:44I'm not just out here getting my daily exercise regime in.
29:49I've got a dynamo hooked up to the rear wheel. Remember those?
29:52And it's charging all this headlight on the front of the bike.
29:55And with me pedaling relatively quickly, you can see the lights operating perfectly well.
29:59It's shining brightly.
30:01Now, what happens if I slow things down and take a break?
30:06You can see the light gets a lot dimmer.
30:08It's no longer producing the same level of current,
30:11because the back wheel on the bike is going slower.
30:14And that's because the way the dynamo works is using direct current,
30:18it's only producing a limited amount of voltage when the rear wheel is going slowly.
30:22And the same happens on the car.
30:24The dynamo is linked to engine speed.
30:26So as the engine speed drops, the amount of voltage produced by the dynamo also drops.
30:31In modern cars, dynamos have been replaced by alternators,
30:40which are more efficient and produce a much stronger output lower engine revs.
30:46This is a classic car.
30:47We want it to stay looking like a classic car.
30:50And so someone has come up with this, a wonderful little idea.
30:53It's called a dynamator.
30:54And as the name suggests, it's got the components of a modern day alternator on the inside
31:00in the casing of a 1960s dynamo.
31:03It's a lovely little solution.
31:05And with the looming prospect of our car being reviewed by a modern day reporter in a classic
31:10car magazine, well, this might edge us a little bit closer to getting a positive result.
31:15So all I've got to do now is bolt this onto our engine.
31:17With some of the imp's biggest issues addressed, the car is starting to come together.
31:27Down a little bit more then, please.
31:30But with plenty more to do, we won't be going home any time soon.
31:34Don't worry, Elvis. I've got the perfect little energy boost for you all.
31:40So what I'm after, I hear up here in Scotland,
31:43a delicacy is deep fried Mars bar. Is that a real thing?
31:47Yes.
31:48Okay, so that is a real thing. Can you deep fry anything else?
31:55What? What else can you deep fry? Can you do a sausage?
31:58Pizza. Pizza and batter.
32:00Stop it. Stop it.
32:01Yes.
32:02That must be sacrilege. You're an Italian.
32:04You take a pizza, you wrap it and batter and deep fry it.
32:06Of course.
32:08I'm having one of those.
32:09So Jeff, make me some nice, healthy food.
32:11Oh, and a little side salad for me.
32:13Right, that's supper sorted. Let's just hope the boys are hungry.
32:19All right, fellas. I've got everyone some food. I've got you some food as well.
32:23Hello, fellas. How are you?
32:24How are you?
32:25Deep fried pizza up here.
32:27Yeah, of course.
32:28This is a standard dinner after a hard day's work.
32:30Right, here we go, boys. Here we go.
32:32Now you're prepared.
32:33This is strictly dessert.
32:36Oh, look at that.
32:37That's a deep fried Mars bar.
32:39I'm going straight in.
32:40Go straight in.
32:41That's good.
32:42That's very good, isn't it?
32:43It is surprisingly good.
32:46There's no way that should work.
32:47No.
32:47But it's amazing.
32:49It is like feeding time at the zoo.
32:53With the crew fuelled up, we better crack on.
32:57We're tantalisingly close to finishing our imp, but we still have several key jobs to complete.
33:04With a strainer fitted to filter out any debris, the renovated fuel tank is ready to go back in.
33:12There we go.
33:13Right, that's now back in place.
33:14I've just got to get it all plumbed in, of course, but then we should have a fully
33:19working and operational fuel system that won't cause us any problems anymore.
33:25After a successful parcel at Chick's Farm, I've got us a new set of brackets for the rear screen,
33:30which was another cause of the imp's poor reviews.
33:33One of the journalists said that he was driving along and the rear window popped open as he was driving
33:38along. So hopefully these new brackets do the job.
33:45Let's just see if it closes now, Mike.
33:50Lovely.
33:51That is absolutely perfect, isn't it?
33:53It's almost a fact of a recommended way of closing it.
33:56That won't be popping open.
33:59Mike's also managed to get new gaiters for our steering rack.
34:02So for around a tenner in parts, it's now as good as new.
34:06It's only really the seats that have cost any serious money and they're worth every penny.
34:11I'll tell you what, isn't this job absolutely astonishing?
34:16Sharon has stitched this pattern in to the seats and it just matches the rear seats perfectly.
34:24Look at these, like them.
34:27Yeah, that is pucker, that is.
34:29Yeah.
34:29No, mate, we're on the right track.
34:31Nice one.
34:33But we'll also need to do something about the car's weedy looking wheels.
34:37So I've had a spare set of mine shipped up from home.
34:41John!
34:43Ta-da!
34:46I dug these out of my container and I thought it saved money on the build.
34:50Love it. Love the money, like.
34:52Only problem is, Mike, it's two inches too short.
34:55So I've got the wrong size wheel. So what size wheel do I actually need then?
34:5912 or 13 inch. Pretty much like these ones here, Mike.
35:03All right, so I need to find a set like this.
35:07Is there any possibility that I can swap my four wheels for your four wheels?
35:28I'll tell you what, that looks absolutely perfect now. It's all complete.
35:32What do you look like?
35:33Well, I'm in Scotland. We're at Stirling Castle. This shows respect.
35:39Didn't know it was dressing up day, but mate, you've pulled it off.
35:41Mate, you're dressing up and dressing down, because like all true Scotsmen.
35:46Oh my God, you haven't.
35:47Oh yeah.
35:48No, get them off though.
35:50Anyway, what do you think?
35:52Because the car looks amazing. On a grey day like today, here in Scotland, this car just sings.
35:57When I bought our little Hillman Input auction, it was a far cry from the Scottish pinup that stole the country's heart.
36:06But with help from every corner of this proud nation, it's been transformed into a car any Scot would be proud of.
36:14But most importantly, we've addressed some of the mechanical issues that blighted this otherwise brilliant car.
36:30That sounds like our cue to get it out on the road.
36:35It's a good little bit of road, isn't it?
36:46Oh yeah, this is a wicked little car.
36:50The way it handles, that is fantastic.
36:55Even though the engine's all down the back, they handle really well.
36:58It's fan-blooming-tastic, this car.
37:01It really is. I think the point is, every single thing that we've both done to this car
37:06has just made it a little bit better.
37:08That fuel tank's been cleaned out.
37:09If you remember when I drove it, it was a bit stuttery,
37:12and there was so much rubbish being dredged up from the fuel tank.
37:16And it doesn't feel like this car's going to overheat at all.
37:18I know it's a little bit colder up here in Scotland, but you can feel that the car actually has got a lot more pep.
37:24Steering's lovely as well.
37:26You can see the way it's turning in.
37:27Do you know what? With the work we've done in tidying everything else up,
37:31it looks amazing.
37:32Now I've seen the seats, Sharon's craftsmanship is second to none.
37:36It's quite incredible, and you have to pay for that, don't you?
37:42Oh yes, the thorny issue of money,
37:44which has been a challenge on this one thanks to your auction antics.
37:48Will I ever be allowed to forget it?
37:51It's a rough ballpark idea of how much we think we're up to in terms of spend.
37:55Yeah, I reckon we're approaching eight and a half grand, just under.
37:59Just under?
38:00Yeah, around there.
38:01OK, all right, good.
38:05Right now though, making money's the least of our worries.
38:07Because we've got a respected motoring journalist coming up to drive our car,
38:12and we're hoping the Imp finally gets the great review it deserves.
38:18So I reckon we've addressed every problem,
38:21but it still doesn't make me feel any less nervous than the fact that David Simister,
38:28editor of Classic Car Weekly, is on his way,
38:31and he's coming to drive this car and give it a proper review,
38:34like it was back in the 70s.
38:36And it will be a proper review, he won't mess about.
38:38He's not going to fudge the numbers,
38:40he's going to give us an honest review of what this car feels like.
38:43It's making me feel more nervous now.
38:45Well, fortune favours the brave.
38:50Time then, to bite the bullet.
38:55David.
38:56David, how are you?
38:57How are you doing?
38:58I'm good to see you.
38:59Good to see you, how are you doing?
39:00So David, thank you for giving up time.
39:02I know you're a very busy man.
39:04First impressions?
39:05I think it's looking really straight.
39:06It's a really nice example.
39:07Thank you very much.
39:08I mean, the proof's in the driving,
39:09but I think visually it's really, really working.
39:11With this lots of little touches,
39:13all the sort of things that were inherent problems
39:15when this car rolled out of the factory,
39:17we hope we've fixed.
39:19Exactly that.
39:19So we're going to set you off on a test drive.
39:23We want you to just review it.
39:24Yep.
39:25And just come back and tell us what you think.
39:27There you go then, David.
39:28Your chariot awaits.
39:31Oh, it sounds sweet.
39:34Looks good for me, doesn't it?
39:37Well then, here we go.
39:38We're in the lap of the gods now.
39:40Let's just hope that little imp behaves itself.
39:43All right then, Hillman, let's see what you've got.
39:52We are stuck in a set of lights.
39:53This is a good chance to test the Hillman imp's famous cooling issues.
39:58I hope he's getting on all right.
39:59The pressure we put ourselves under here is immense
40:02because he's driving the car and he's going to review it
40:05as if it's like a new car.
40:06I know, and that is going to account for a lot, right?
40:09Steering is nicely weighted.
40:10There's no bumps or clunks from anything underneath.
40:17While David's out in the car, I need to let Mike into a little secret.
40:22Oh, you're kidding me.
40:23Dan, how are you, buddy?
40:25Yeah, nice to meet you.
40:25Great to see you.
40:26Good to see you, mate.
40:28Now, you kept that one from me.
40:29How did that happen?
40:30I did.
40:30Well, listen, I know he's a fan of classic cars.
40:33Classic car nut Dan bought our Paddy Hopkirk Tribute Mini last year
40:38and I've lined him up for another potential sale.
40:42You want to add a Hillman imp to the collection?
40:43To the family, yeah.
40:44So why a Hillman imp?
40:46Rear engine.
40:47It was always a rival for the Mini.
40:49Yeah, why not?
40:50Why not?
40:51I love that.
40:51Just try it.
40:52Why not?
40:52Yeah, why not?
40:54Oh, there's just one more thing I haven't told you.
40:56We've already kind of agreed a price, so the money...
41:01Have you?
41:01Hold on.
41:02Hold on.
41:02This is my job.
41:04Yeah, yeah.
41:04What's going on?
41:05You don't see me going in the workshop and pulling an engine out.
41:08So if we've got David Simister coming back and rolling in and saying,
41:12what a great car, lads.
41:13I mean, it's going to be deal done, isn't it, Dan?
41:15Yeah, yeah.
41:15Especially that kilt, yeah.
41:19Oh, hang on.
41:20I forgot to ask what price you agreed.
41:22Oh, how the tables have turned.
41:24I guess you'll just have to wait and see.
41:27He's back.
41:27He's back.
41:28He's back.
41:28Okay, so here we go.
41:30A moment of truth.
41:30Come on, don't see the car.
41:34So, David, what do you think?
41:36I think you've done Scotland proud.
41:37Oh, yes.
41:38Get in, eh?
41:39I knew it was a good little car.
41:40You know, it is a really well-sorted, sweet little example of an Impa.
41:44I think you've clearly done a lot of work to it.
41:46It feels cherished.
41:47It feels sorted.
41:48Probably one of the best examples of an Impa driver.
41:49Oh, David, you have just turned yourself into the smartest salesman.
41:53You just heard from the horse's mouth there.
41:55How good the car is.
41:56It's pretty good, yeah.
41:57First impressions.
41:58I love it.
41:58I like the colour.
41:59I didn't think I would, but I do like the colour.
42:01Yeah, it's really good.
42:02It really does stand out here.
42:03We teed this up on the phone.
42:04Yeah.
42:05Mate, you can-
42:06I feel like a spare party.
42:09You two have done this deal without me knowing.
42:12I don't know if you've seen how this works before, but Dan, are you happy to-
42:15No, wait!
42:16Hold up, Ryan.
42:17You've cut yourself a deal.
42:18That was my part.
42:19You just sold it.
42:21Dan, congratulations.
42:23Thank you, David.
42:23Always a pleasure.
42:24Thank you, David.
42:25Absolutely awesome.
42:26Mate, where's that?
42:27Well done.
42:29It's a brilliant result and a great way to round off our global adventure.
42:33Cheers, buddy.
42:38Cheers, mate.
42:39Sounds amazing, Elvis.
42:42Me and you, we can fix anything.
42:45I am super dealer.
42:46That's basic.
42:48Yeah.
42:49That's not food, is it?
42:54Well, I've got to say, this world tour has been one of the best things that's ever happened in my lifetime.
42:59It's been incredible.
43:00Unbelievable.
43:01And there have been some amazing places, including right here in Scotland.
43:04Met some great people and the cars we've done have been spectacular.
43:08But come on, Elvis.
43:09Put me at my misery.
43:10Did we make a profit on the Imp?
43:12So, let me remind you again.
43:14The car owed us £8,492, which is great news because it does show us the profit.
43:23That profit is in my pocket.
43:25Hold on.
43:26£8,500 was the sale price and £8 profit.
43:31Which means, I don't know, a couple of deep fried glass bottles.
43:34Right, listen.
43:35When we do the next world tour, you stick to the tools.
43:38Let me do the deals.
43:39I want to make aøre $4,500, and that's what I've got right to work with.
43:40New York?
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