- 12 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00More 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.
00:35We packed our bags and our spanners
00:38for another glow-troughing car-fixing adventure.
00:42Vamos!
00:43See a photo?
00:44Yay!
00:45Sorry!
00:48Man, man, man, man.
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 30,000 euro?
01:06No, impossible.
01:07That's not a way to do it.
01:08To 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.
01:23I absolutely love it!
01:31Right then, fella, this is the only way to travel.
01:35It'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.
01:42Watch the raindrops.
01:44Watch the raindrops.
01:45Well, we are heading north, and the further we go north,
01:47it's going to get worse.
01:49But I am looking forward to Scotland, mate.
01:51I mean, there is a lot that Scotland has going for it.
01:54Yes, 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.
02:03Yes, you beauty.
02:05But we haven't come here just for the snacks.
02:08No, we're travelling through Scotland
02:09on the trail of its most famous car, the Hill Minim.
02:12Designed by Engineering Trio, Tim Fry, Peter Ware, and F1 driver, Michael Parks.
02:22The Imp was Scotland's first and only mass-produced car.
02:29Built near Glasgow, it 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,
02:40early imps were plagued with reliability woes,
02:43not least overheated engines.
02:46It was enough to help taint the car's reputation
02:48and overshadow the genius of its design.
02:51But here in Scotland, the Imp is a national hero
02:55and we think it deserves to be celebrated.
03:00Have you had any bites on your search for a car?
03:03There's a few out there.
03:05They're interesting.
03:06Well, let's be careful
03:07and let's try and find one that doesn't need too much work.
03:11I've already asked my UK contacts
03:13to look out for a suitable car
03:14and I'm hoping a specialist Imp workshop here in Scotland
03:18may be able to help.
03:19So, that's where we're starting.
03:22Here we go.
03:23Nice.
03:23Good morning, Stirling.
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 sounds good.
03:40Condition?
03:42OK, super.
03:44Oh, no, I'm really interested.
03:45I mean, look, I've literally just arrived
03:47in Stirling, Scotland.
03:48No way.
03:51Where?
03:52Are you kidding me?
03:53OK, I'll talk to you in a bit.
03:54Cheers, bye.
03:55Mate, honestly, that was a call from the auction.
03:59You ain't going to believe this.
04:00I 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 an auction.
04:13Yeah, I know. That's your wheelhouse.
04:14My wheelhouse.
04:14I'm going to be in there.
04:15Get us a bargain.
04:17I'll be back.
04:17I know.
04:18I trust you.
04:20While Mike goes south,
04:22I'm heading to the outskirts of Stirling.
04:26I found these guys online
04:27who are massive imp enthusiasts.
04:29And apparently, they've got a workshop,
04:31they've got a spare ramp,
04:32and 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.
04:45John and Patrick own a garage
04:47dedicated to the restoration of Hillman imps.
04:51John, thanks so much for having us down.
04:53I gather I'm in the right place
04:54because there's imps everywhere.
04:56How would you guess?
04:57So, one or two clues.
04:59Is this all you do, imps?
05:00Pretty much.
05:01Pretty much imps.
05:02Pretty much.
05:02That's where the heart is.
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,
05:09have you got a kettle and maybe a cup of tea?
05:12John and Pat met at school
05:13and 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?
05:21It's been over 40 years now.
05:23Has it?
05:23Really? Wow.
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
05:32was driving through Casino Square in Monte Carlo
05:35and they all went like that with their cameras.
05:38Yeah.
05:38Because they haven't seen two imps before.
05:40That would have really upset the Lamborghini owners,
05:42wouldn't it?
05:42Yeah, certainly, yeah.
05:43Fantastic, isn't it?
05:55What a day.
05:56In Norfolk, I've arrived at Anglia car auctions near Kings Lynn.
06:00You're going to see sales like this
06:02almost every weekend up and down the country.
06:05The perfect place to come and buy that classic car.
06:10The imp I'm here to see
06:12has an estimate of just £3,000 to £4,000.
06:15There's loads of people, loads of people looking at the car,
06:18which shows there's a bit of interest in the hillman imp, doesn't it?
06:23If I was to walk over to it right now,
06:26start opening the doors, lifting the bonnet,
06:28people would go, Mike's interested in that.
06:30So they could be interested in it
06:32and the price starts to climb.
06:35Right, now's my opportunity to get in there
06:38and have a closer look.
06:40Tyres look good, interior's OK.
06:43With just over 230 road-going imps left in the UK,
06:47a good one is increasingly hard to find.
06:50This 1971 model has done just 68,000 miles
06:55and, on first glance, it presents pretty well.
06:58Let's look at this engine.
06:59This is an 875 engine.
07:02I'll be honest with you,
07:02the engine bay probably lets the car down.
07:06I think it'll really do with having all of this taken out
07:09because that looks a bit of a mess.
07:13That's broken, rusted through on this side.
07:18So that one they're repairing as well.
07:20As this is an auction, I can't drive the car,
07:25so 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. Brakes feel good?
07:34Yeah.
07:34Yeah, it's biting nicely.
07:36Yeah.
07:37OK, there's nothing nasty coming out the back.
07:40Looks sweet enough.
07:42Let's get in the auction.
07:42It's fine.
07:43With no test drive and with a shabby-looking engine,
07:48this 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.
07:56I'm going straight in at £4,000.
08:02Ah, not the start I was looking for.
08:06That's me.
08:07Five.
08:07The room's going mad for the car,
08:23but 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.
08:37That's it.
08:38Go on then.
08:45I even got a round of applause for that,
08:47but I did pay too much money for it.
08:59It'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.
09:14I'm very, very pleased with this purchase.
09:17There are a few little issues.
09:19Of course.
09:19OK, so first and foremost,
09:21you 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,
09:40if anyone's going to take an engine out, it'll be you,
09:42and then you can tidy all of this up.
09:43It needs it.
09:46As well as a tidy up,
09:48we'll have to do something about the inefficient cooling system,
09:51which 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 £4,000.
10:00Is that what that says?
10:01Really?
10:01Yeah, 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 of the car.
10:10Hmm.
10:11Something tells me you're holding this back for a reason.
10:13Keep 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.
10:34I 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.
10:57The 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.
11:06I was actually looking at a bunch of reviews earlier
11:09from 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,
11:16the ashtray fell out, water was coming in through the window,
11:19and of course it overheated.
11:21They had so many problems with production.
11:24It's like it was rushed out the door, you know?
11:26And they've just never recovered from that.
11:28You think about it, a small, lightweight, rear-engine,
11:32rear-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.
11:46So, £3,000 to £4,000 guide price.
11:50I cannot wait to hear what you accomplished on this.
11:53So, I was standing there, right, with my hand in the air,
11:57and 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.
12:09Hang 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.
12:20That's double the guide price.
12:22I got carried away.
12:23I overpaid for the car,
12:25which means we need to underpay for all the repairs.
12:29Oh, my goodness me.
12:31Calm down, calm down.
12:40I'm coming.
12:44Do you know what, mate?
12:45I...
12:45Well, I say I slept on it last night.
12:48I actually didn't sleep that much
12:49because I was having nightmares
12:50about what you've spent on this car.
12:51I can't believe you spent over £7,000 on a Hillman Imp.
12:55I mean, mate, it's a Hillman Imp.
12:56A 50-year-old Hillman Imp.
12:58Whoa, whoa, whoa.
12:59Show some respect for the Hillman Imp.
13:02When it's done, it's going to be great.
13:03How are we going to turn a profit?
13:06If we keep costs down,
13:07I'm still confident we'll come out of this the right side up.
13:14Blimey, you boys don't mess about, do you?
13:16Hello.
13:16Hello, chaps. How are you?
13:18This is Mike, everybody.
13:19Nice to meet you.
13:20Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat, John.
13:21Nice to meet you, mate.
13:22I don't know you.
13:23I'm Willie.
13:24Nice to meet you, mate.
13:24Nice to meet you, Pat, John and Willie.
13:26Yes, I'll hear you.
13:27Well, he's given us a little bit of help.
13:29More hands than merrier.
13:30That's amazing.
13:31I bought a good one, didn't I, boys?
13:32You've actually done pretty well, Mike, to be honest, for a car,
13:34because compared to some of the other ones we've got here,
13:36we sweep them up off the floor.
13:38Exactly.
13:38We're not looking for mechanical cars.
13:39We're sweeping them up and putting them in the bag.
13:41He's right.
13:41It would have been a lovely five grand car, that, wouldn't it?
13:45What have you found so far?
13:46Anything interesting?
13:48Fairly standard list.
13:49Rad couplings.
13:50Steering components.
13:52It's not running so great.
13:53Nice set of wheels wouldn't go a mess.
13:55Tell you what, why don't I start by getting that torn front seat off to the trimmer?
14:03And I'll try to figure out why the engine wasn't running smoothly on our first little test drive.
14:07I mean, 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.
14:14It was a bit fluffy.
14:15It just didn't give us that clean acceleration.
14:17There's probably a really good chance, Elvis, that the fuel pump is actually blocked, if there's been debris coming up from the tank, because these tanks actually drain down to the absolute last drop.
14:28The design of the Imps fuel tank means that when it starts to corrode, particles of rust can easily be sucked into the fuel pump and ultimately the carburettor.
14:37Oh, there you go.
14:41That's what you're talking about.
14:42Look at that.
14:43Some nasties.
14:44That is nasty.
14:46That's an awful lot.
14:47Or are you saying that is quite common in these?
14:49That's quite common.
14:49Is it?
14:50I've actually seen them almost full.
14:51If that's full of that much rubbish, that probably means the tank is also full of that much rubbish, and that might need some attention.
14:59To see if our theory's right, we need to open up the top of the tank.
15:06Oh, dear.
15:08It's so rusted and corroded.
15:10Can you see in there?
15:12Oh, wow.
15:12And that point, right at the lowest point, is the pick-up, where all the fuel goes, and, 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.
15:23Yeah.
15:24I 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.
15:31Well, I mean, we could remove the tank, we could clean it out and then put a tank-sealing solution on it.
15:36I 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.
15:48Right, you've done the one underneath, yeah?
15:50OK.
15:52I'll let you take that.
15:54We've drained the fuel out of it, so you should be all right.
15:56OK.
15:57Perfect.
15:59Before 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.
16:12I'm going to put that into the hole, put some water in, seed it up, and go outside and give it a real aggressive shake.
16:21The nuts, bolts and gravel, combined with the water, help to dislodge the worst of the corrosion from the surface of the tank interior.
16:28It's got to be enough, isn't it?
16:33Oh, look at the colour of that!
16:38And whilst the tank dries, we're going to take the engine out so we can give it a proper clean.
16:45Go on, William, you get...
16:47There we go.
16:48I bet you must have taken hundreds of these things out over your time.
16:51One or two.
16:51I wish all engines was as easy as this to come out.
16:54That's us off.
17:01Hopefully, fixing that imp's front seat will be just as simple.
17:05So I found a lady.
17:06She's the interior trimmer in this area.
17:09So I've got the seats in the back.
17:10I'm going to whip over there.
17:11Hopefully, she can just sew up the tear for us.
17:14Quick job, in and out, and it won't cost too much money.
17:19Lionheart Custom Interiors is one of Scotland's premier upholsterers.
17:23Let's just hope it's one of the cheapest as well.
17:27Hello, are you Sharon?
17:28Yes, hello.
17:28Sharon, how are you?
17:29I'm Mike.
17:30Hiya.
17:30Nice to meet you.
17:31Nice to meet you as well.
17:32Right.
17:33This is one of my seats.
17:37This one's got a rip in it, so we've got to do something with it.
17:40I'm hoping if we can replace just a small section of the material, we'll be able to keep cost down.
17:45You can get the material, but you can't get it with an embossed pack.
17:51Right.
17:51This is unobtainium.
17:53We can't get it.
17:53That's correct.
17:54That's such a shame, isn't it?
17:55So how do we get this texture then?
17:57How do we get those lines?
17:58I can stitch that in.
18:00You can?
18:00Yep.
18:01OK, that'd be good.
18:03So much for an easy fix.
18:05Stitching in the lines will be painstaking work, and it turns out that that's not the only problem.
18:11This seat, I've noticed, it's got to be supply board.
18:15So it's needing some strapping on it.
18:19Why do I have a feeling this job's going to get me into trouble with Elvis?
18:23Look at this old seat, isn't it?
18:25Look at it.
18:25Sharon, it's not meant to be like this.
18:33It's really not meant to be like this.
18:36Don't say I don't graph for our projects, Elvis.
18:41Do you know what?
18:42It's amazing how clean the inside of this tank actually is now.
18:47As well as a good wash, I've rinsed the tank with a solution of sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid
18:53to remove any remaining contaminants.
18:55It's all now completely dry as well, which means I can move on to the next stage, which is this.
19:02I've sealed up all the holes once more.
19:04I'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.
19:16This 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.
19:28At the tremors, my hope of a nice quick seat fix has now turned into a four-scale strip-down.
19:43Short.
19:44Somebody had a deep-fried bars bar.
19:52With our seat base beyond repair, Sharon first needs to fit new webbing, followed by new foam for the seat cushion.
20:00This stuff here?
20:01Yep.
20:01Yeah, that's better, isn't it?
20:03I mean, you can already feel that's going to be much better.
20:07With both seats needing this level of work, I'm dreading the next conversation.
20:11So, 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?
20:22In fact, don't tell me out loud, whisper it.
20:29OK.
20:31Right, OK, well, I might need to take Elvis for a little...
20:36Dram.
20:36A 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.
20:47So, I've decided to warm him up with a nice little idea I've had.
20:52It had such a bad rap, this car, didn't it?
20:54Because it just wasn't built very well.
20:56So, what if we're doing what we're doing, like rebuilding the car?
21:00What if we got a journalist to come and re-review the car?
21:05To come and drive it and correct that review?
21:08So, yeah, that's not a nice idea.
21:10It's a quiet idea.
21:11So, you could review it now.
21:12Having added the upgrades, that's a good idea, mate.
21:15We've come up with a plan.
21:16Good idea.
21:18Some of the bottles in here look like they cost a fortune.
21:22Importantly, at the moment, I haven't spent any money.
21:26So, I think even though we've overspent on the car, it's looking like we're going to probably get away with it.
21:32Right, now for the bad news.
21:34I have spent some money.
21:36I did, I've spent some money.
21:37You know the driver's seat was ripped?
21:39Yeah.
21:39So, I took the driver's seat off to a lovely lady called Sharon.
21:42It's only a tiny little rip.
21:44You can see where this is going.
21:45So, Sharon has got the same material, but she has to sew in that pattern, and it's quite complicated to sew in.
21:51And you can't do one seat without doing the other seat.
21:55We are going to put new web in, new padding.
21:57So, essentially, we're getting two new seats.
21:59Just hit me with it.
22:00How much was it?
22:01Have another drink.
22:02No, come on.
22:02That's enough.
22:03Just have one more drink.
22:04All you've got to do is have one more drink.
22:05I'll literally be drunk.
22:06Just tell me.
22:07780 pounds.
22:08What?
22:09On repairing two front seats?
22:10Are you kidding me?
22:19I still can't believe you spent, what was it, 780 quid on those seats?
22:24Yeah, it was expensive.
22:25How are we going to turn any sort of profit?
22:27If we make a tenner out of this, I'll be amazed.
22:28Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
22:29Just stop here.
22:30Stop here.
22:30Right, just on the corner here.
22:32I just want to run in this little shop.
22:34Two sets.
22:35Hurry up.
22:35Two sets.
22:38Well, in Scotland, you've got to have the Scottish drink.
22:44I'm not so keen, to be honest, this time of the morning, but, you know, if you insist.
22:48This is made with girders.
22:51Don't open it in here.
22:52I wait till we get to the world shop.
22:53This is a traditional drink.
22:54They love this stuff.
22:55No, no.
22:56No, mate.
22:57Oh, my God.
22:58What are you doing?
23:00Mate, it's gone everywhere.
23:03Look at the state of you.
23:04That really has gone everywhere.
23:05And the car.
23:06That really has gone everywhere.
23:08I'll clean the car, I promise.
23:13Yeah, well, you can do that later, because right now, I need you to go and pick up some
23:16spare parts.
23:17I love Mike's idea of a journalist reviewing our imp, but the car will need to be nothing
23:27short of perfect.
23:29Can you see where it's leaking from under there?
23:31Yeah, it's really about the gators, but it's kind of, they're all perished.
23:35They're all torn, perished.
23:36But we've discovered a new problem.
23:38When I came in this morning, the boys had already had a look underneath and found a couple of
23:43leaks from the steering rack.
23:44I've been hoping to tackle the imps overheating problem this morning.
23:51Instead, Willie and I must now get the steering rack off to see if it can be salvaged.
23:53These bowl joints are dead.
23:54Very warm and tight as well.
23:55Yeah, yeah, okay.
23:56Alright, well, again, they're not expensive, so we can replace those.
24:00Well, that's one of the nice things about these cars, isn't it?
24:07They were very serviceable.
24:08Yes.
24:09It's pretty easy to work, wouldn't it?
24:14It's had a leak, and you can clearly see where that was coming from.
24:19It's got splits all over this rubber gator.
24:23At around £170, a new steering rack is something we can ill afford.
24:28So I'm hoping we can get away with a cheap fix.
24:31I think I'm just going to text Mike with a little list of consumable bits that I can
24:35replace on this.
24:38And that's not all we need to add to Mike's shopping list.
24:41How are you getting on, mate?
24:43Yeah, I'm just taking these rotor flex bushes off.
24:45Yeah, they have definitely seen better days, haven't they?
24:48These rubber couplings, known as doughnuts, connect the gearbox to the drive shaft to
24:53reduce vibration.
24:54I'll add it to the list of things that Mike can get for us.
24:57Armed with my shopping list, the guys in the workshop have sent me to a rather special
25:04farm, 40 minutes from Stirling.
25:08I mean, I've been to plenty of car spares and parts stores in my life, but I don't think
25:15I've ever seen one quite like this.
25:18This rural Aladdin's cave belongs to a man named Chick. As well as selling new spares, he
25:25also salvages second-hand parts wherever he can.
25:28He is one of the people that keep our classic cars on the road. All this stuff is going to
25:34get used again. Absolutely incredible.
25:37Sir.
25:38Hello, Mike.
25:39You must be Chick.
25:40I am indeed.
25:41Chick, it's an honour to meet you. It really is. You're like an environmentalist, aren't
25:47you? Because you're taking old cars and you're recycling them, aren't you?
25:50Fantastic.
25:51It's cheaper to repair an old car than it is to make a new car.
25:54Exactly. That's exactly what I keep saying. So we are the ultimate eco-warriors.
25:59Chick! Ball!
26:02Hello. Oh, blimey. Hello, young lady. What's your name?
26:06Kate.
26:07Hello, Kate. You all right? Nice to meet you. That was a good surprise, wasn't it?
26:12Where are you, is that you respond to him wherever he is? I can never find him.
26:15All right, so you just...
26:16I need to...
26:17Ah!
26:18Yeah, my neighbours can hear it.
26:19I'm sure they can.
26:23Right, so listen, I've got this list of parts for a little hillman in 1971.
26:27If I just start at the top and we work our way through them, we've got radiator hosing,
26:31rear window hatch struts.
26:33OK.
26:34Can we start there?
26:35Yeah.
26:36Just follow me.
26:38Oh, yes, baby. This place is just incredible.
26:41Stuff like this. Look, steering...
26:43Racks and racks of steering wheels.
26:46Rubbers.
26:47Ah, this is going to be great.
26:50Donuts?
26:51Donuts then, that's right, yeah.
26:52That's exactly what I'm looking for.
26:53Two of your finest.
26:54Yeah, lovely. OK, donuts.
26:56How would you know where everything is in this building?
26:59I'm pretty good at remembering where everything's put as long as nobody else moves it.
27:04Right, so brake shoes, where am I going to find those?
27:08Eh, that's a set of imp brake shoes there.
27:10OK.
27:11Hoses?
27:12If I set a set of hoses next to it.
27:14What, all of those?
27:15Take all of them?
27:16That's a car set.
27:17The other sundry items, I mean, obviously, I've still got to get an oil filter, an air filter.
27:22Gaskets?
27:23Gaskets I could do there, yep.
27:25Oil filters are downstairs.
27:27Mm-hm.
27:30Well, that's a few things ticked off, but with a long list from Elvis, I may be here for some time.
27:36At 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.
27:48I 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.
27:55John 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.
28:05Partly, it was because the cooling system just wasn't up to scratch.
28:09Upgrading 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.
28:16I'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.
28:26But, importantly, the core is thicker.
28:30This old original one, about 38 millimetres thick.
28:33The new one, 45 millimetres thick.
28:35It means that we've got more cores to flow water through.
28:38We'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.
28:49For added protection, I've also fitted a secondary electric fan, which will kick in if temperature starts to rise.
28:55The new kit has cost a hefty £300, but it fits neatly into the existing cowlings.
29:00When I, quite frankly, still find it amazing that any car in Scotland overheats.
29:07But 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.
29:17When the car rolled out the Lynwood factory back in the 60s, it had a dynamo to charge the battery on the move.
29:28It wasn't particularly efficient, but on top of that, it wasn't even that reliable.
29:32But 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.
29:43I've got a dynamo hooked up to the rear wheel, remember those?
29:46And it's charging all this headlight on the front of the bike.
29:49And with me pedaling relatively quickly, you can see the lights operating perfectly well.
29:53It's shining brightly.
29:54Now what happens if I slow things down and take a break?
29:59You can see the light gets a lot dimmer.
30:03It's no longer producing the same level of current because the back wheel on the bike is going slower.
30:08And 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.
30:17And the same happens on the car.
30:19The dynamo is linked to engine speed, so as the engine speed drops, the amount of voltage produced by the dynamo also drops.
30:29In modern cars, dynamos have been replaced by alternators, which are more efficient and produce a much stronger output lower engine revs.
30:41This is a classic car.
30:42We want it to stay looking like a classic car.
30:44And so someone has come up with this.
30:46A wonderful little idea.
30:47It's called a dynamator.
30:49And as the name suggests, it's got the components of a modern day alternator on the inside in the casing of a 1960s dynamo.
30:58It's a lovely little solution.
31:00And 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.
31:09So all I've got to do now is bolt this onto our engine.
31:12With some of the imp's biggest issues addressed, the car is starting to come together.
31:24Down a little bit more then, please.
31:25But with plenty more to do, we won't be going home any time soon.
31:28Don't worry, Elvis.
31:29I've got the perfect little energy boost for you all.
31:33So what I'm after, I hear up here in Scotland, a delicacy is deep fried Mars bar.
31:40Is that a real thing?
31:41Yes.
31:42Of course.
31:43Okay.
31:44So that is a real thing.
31:45Can you deep fry anything else?
31:46Argis, spicy argis, jumbo argis.
31:49What?
31:50What else can you deep fry?
31:51Can you do a sausage?
31:52Pizza.
31:53Pizza and batter.
31:54Stop it.
31:55Stop it.
31:56Yes.
31:57That must be sacrilege.
31:58You're an Italian.
31:59You take a pizza, you wrap it in batter and deep fry it.
32:01Of course.
32:02I'm having one of those.
32:03So, Jeff, make me some nice healthy food.
32:06Oh, and a little side salad for me.
32:09Right.
32:10That's supper sorted.
32:11Let's just hope the boys are hungry.
32:13All right, fellas.
32:15I've got everyone some food.
32:16I've got you some food as well.
32:17Hello.
32:18Hello, fellas.
32:19How are you?
32:20How are you?
32:21Deep fried pizza up here.
32:22Yeah, of course.
32:23This is a standard dinner after a half day's work.
32:25Right.
32:26Here we go, boys.
32:27Here we go.
32:28This is strictly dessert.
32:30Oh, look at that.
32:32That's a deep fried Mars bar.
32:34I'm going straight in.
32:35Go straight in.
32:36That's good.
32:37It's very good, isn't it?
32:38It is surprisingly good.
32:40There's no way that should work.
32:42No.
32:43But it's amazing.
32:44It is like feeding time at the zoo.
32:48With the crew fueled up, we better crack on.
32:52We're tantalizingly close to finishing our imp, but we still have several key jobs to complete.
32:58With a strainer fitted to filter out any debris, the renovated fuel tank is ready to go back in.
33:04There we go.
33:05Right.
33:06That's now back in place.
33:07I've just got to get it all plumbed in, of course.
33:11But then we should have a fully working and operational fuel system that won't cause us any problems anymore.
33:17After a successful parcel at Chick's Farm, I've got us a new set of brackets for the rear screen, which was another cause of the imp's poor reviews.
33:27One of the journalists said that he was driving along and the rear window popped open as he was driving along.
33:33So hopefully these new brackets do the job.
33:36Let's just see if it closes now, Mike.
33:42Oh!
33:43Oh!
33:44Lovely.
33:45That is absolutely perfect, isn't it?
33:48Almost fact of the recommended rear and closing it.
33:50That is...
33:51That won't be popping open.
33:53Mike's also managed to get new gaiters for our steering rack.
33:57So for around a tenner in parts, it's now as good as new.
34:00It's only really the seats that have cost any serious money and they're worth every penny.
34:06I'll tell you what, isn't this job absolutely astonishing?
34:11Sharon has stitched this pattern in to the seats and it just matches the rear seats perfectly.
34:16Look at these, like them.
34:20Aw, yeah, that is pucker, that is.
34:23Yeah.
34:24No, mate, we're on the right track.
34:25Nice one.
34:27But we'll also need to do something about the car's weedy-looking wheels.
34:31So I've had a spare set of mine shipped up from home.
34:35John!
34:38Ta-da!
34:40I dug these out of my container and I thought it saved money on the build.
34:44Love it.
34:45Love my money, like.
34:46Only problem is, Mike, it's two inches too short.
34:49So I've got the wrong size wheel.
34:51So what size wheel do I actually need then?
34:5312, 12 or 13 inch.
34:55Pretty much like these ones here, Mike.
34:57Alright, so I need to find a set like this.
35:01Is there any possibility that I can swap my four wheels for your four wheels?
35:07I'll tell you what, that looks absolutely perfect now. It's all complete.
35:26What do you look like?
35:28Well, I'm in Scotland.
35:30We're at Stirling Castle.
35:32This shows respect.
35:33Didn't know it was dressing up day but, mate, you've pulled it off.
35:36Mate, you're dressing up and dressing down because, like all true Scotsmen...
35:40Oh, my God, you haven't.
35:42Oh, yeah.
35:43No, get them off now.
35:44Anyway, what do you think?
35:46Because the car looks amazing.
35:47On a grey day like today, here in Scotland, this car just sings.
35:54When I bought our little Hillman Input auction, it was a far cry from the Scottish pin-up that stole the country's heart.
36:01But with help from every corner of this proud nation, it's been transformed into a car any Scot would be proud of.
36:08Sharon's seats have transformed the interior and the new wheels complete the look.
36:17But most importantly, we've addressed some of the mechanical issues that blighted this otherwise brilliant car.
36:26That sounds like our cue to get it out on the road.
36:31It's a good little bit of road, isn't it?
36:40Oh, yeah.
36:41This is a wicked little car.
36:43This is...
36:44The way it handles, that is fantastic.
36:48It's really good, isn't it?
36:49Even though the engine's all down the back, they handle really well.
36:53It's fan-bloomin-tastic, this car.
36:55It really is.
36:56I think the point is every single thing that we've both done to this car
37:00has just made it a little bit better.
37:02That fuel tank's been cleaned out.
37:03If you remember when I drove it, it was a bit stuttery, and there was so much rubbish being dredged up from the fuel tank.
37:10And it doesn't feel like this car's going to overheat at all.
37:12I 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.
37:18Steering's lovely as well.
37:20You can see the way it's turning in.
37:22Do you know what?
37:23With the work we've done in tidying everything else up, it looks amazing.
37:26Now I've seen the seats, Sharon's craftsmanship is second to none.
37:30Yeah.
37:31It's quite incredible.
37:32Yeah.
37:33And you have to pay for that, don't you?
37:35Oh, yes, the thorny issue of money, which has been a challenge on this one thanks to your auction antics.
37:42Will I ever be allowed to forget it?
37:45Is this a rough ballpark idea of how much we think we're up to in terms of spend?
37:49Yeah, I reckon we're approaching eight and a half grand, just under.
37:54Just under?
37:55Yeah, around there.
37:56Okay.
37:57All right, good.
37:59Right now, though, making money's the least of our worries.
38:02Because we've got a respected motoring journalist coming up to drive our car, and we're hoping the Imp finally gets the great review it deserves.
38:11So I reckon we've addressed every problem.
38:15Yeah.
38:16But it still doesn't make me feel any less nervous than the fact that David Simister, editor of Classic Car Weekly, is on his way, and he's coming to drive this car and give it a proper review, like it was back in the 70s.
38:30And it will be a proper review, he won't mess about, he's not going to fudge the numbers, he's going to give us an honest review of what this car feels like.
38:37It's making me feel more nervous now.
38:42Well, fortune favours the brave.
38:45Time then, to bite the bullet.
38:50David.
38:51David, how are you?
38:52How are you doing?
38:53Good to see you.
38:54Good to see you, how are you doing?
38:55So David, thank you for giving up time, I know you're a very busy man.
38:58First impression?
38:59I think it's looking really straight, it's a really nice example.
39:02Thank you very much.
39:03I mean the proof's in the driving, but I think visually it's really, really working.
39:06Well, with this lots of little touches, all the sort of things that were inherent problems when this car rolled out of the factory, we hope we've fixed.
39:13Exactly that.
39:14So, we're going to set you off on a test drive.
39:17We want you to just review it.
39:19Yep.
39:20And just come back and tell us what you think.
39:22There you go then, David.
39:23Your chariot awaits.
39:25Oh, it sounds sweet.
39:28Yes.
39:29Looks good for me, doesn't it?
39:31Well then, here we go.
39:33We're in the lap of the gods now.
39:34Let's just hope that little imp behaves itself.
39:40Right then, Hillman, let's see what you've got.
39:42We are stuck in a set of lights, this is a good chance to test the Hillman Imp's famous cooling issues.
39:52I hope he's getting on all right.
39:54The pressure we put ourselves under here is immense because he's driving a car and he's going to review it as if it's like a new car.
40:01I know, and that is going to count for a lot, right?
40:03The steering is nicely weighted.
40:07There's no bumps or clunks from anything underneath.
40:12While David's out in the car, I need to let Mike into a little secret.
40:16Oh, you're kidding me!
40:18Dan, how are you, buddy?
40:19Yeah, not your bad, mate.
40:20Great to see you.
40:21Good to see you, mate.
40:22Now, you kept that one from me.
40:24How did that happen?
40:25I did.
40:26Well, listen, I know.
40:27Classic car, so give him a ring.
40:29Classic car nut Dan bought our Paddy Hopkirk Tribute Mini last year and I've lined him up for another potential sale.
40:36You want to add a Hillman Imp to the collection?
40:38To the family, yeah.
40:39So why a Hillman Imp?
40:41Rear engine.
40:42It was always a rival for the Mini.
40:44Yeah, why not?
40:45Why not? I love that.
40:46Just try, why not?
40:47Yeah, why not?
40:48Oh, there's just one more thing I haven't told you.
40:52We've already kind of agreed a price, so the money...
40:55Have you? Hold on.
40:56Hold on.
40:57Hold on. This is my job.
40:58Yeah, yeah.
40:59What's going on?
41:00You don't see me going in the workshop and pulling an engine out.
41:03So if we've got David Simister coming back and rolling in and saying, what a great car, lads.
41:08I mean, it's going to be deal done, isn't it?
41:09Dan?
41:10Yeah, yeah.
41:11Really?
41:12Yeah.
41:13Oh, hang on.
41:14I forgot to ask what price you agreed.
41:17Oh, how the tables have turned.
41:19I guess you'll just have to wait and see.
41:21He's back.
41:22He's back.
41:23Okay, so here we go.
41:24A moment of truth.
41:25Come and see the car.
41:26Fingers crossed.
41:29So, David, what do you think?
41:30I think you've done Scotland proud.
41:32Oh, yes.
41:33Get in, eh?
41:34I knew it was a good little car.
41:35You know, it is a really well-sorted, sweet little example of an Impa.
41:38I think you've clearly done a lot of work to it.
41:40It feels cherished.
41:41It feels sorted.
41:42Probably one of the best examples of an Impa driver.
41:44Oh, David, you have just turned yourself into the smartest salesman.
41:48You just heard from the horse's mouth there.
41:49I did.
41:50How good the car is.
41:51It's pretty good, yeah.
41:52First impressions.
41:53I love it.
41:54I like the colour.
41:55I didn't think I would, but I do like the colour.
41:56Yeah, it's really good.
41:57It really does stand out here.
41:58We teed this up on the phone.
41:59Yeah.
42:00Mate, you can-
42:01I feel like a spare, I feel like a spare party.
42:04You two have done this deal without me knowing.
42:07I don't know if you've seen how this works before, but Dan, are you happy to-
42:10No way!
42:11Oh, don't run.
42:12You've cut yourself a deal.
42:13That was my part.
42:14You just sold it.
42:15Dan, congratulations.
42:17Thank you, David.
42:18Always a pleasure.
42:19Absolutely, David.
42:20Thank you, mate.
42:21Absolutely awesome.
42:22Well done.
42:24It's a brilliant result and a great way to round off our global adventure.
42:32Cheers, buddy.
42:33Cheers, mate.
42:34Sounds amazing, Elvis.
42:36Me and you, we can fix anything.
42:39I am super dealer.
42:42That's basic?
42:43Yeah.
42:44That's not food, is it?
42:48Well, I've got to say, this world tour has been one of the best things that's ever happened in my lifetime.
42:53It's been incredible.
42:54Unbelievable.
42:55And there have been some amazing places, including right here in Scotland.
42:58Met some great people and the cars we've done have been spectacular.
43:02But come on, Elvis.
43:03Put me at my misery.
43:04Did we make a profit on the Imp?
43:06So, let me remind you again.
43:08The car owed us £8,492.
43:14Which is great news, because it does show us the profit.
43:18That profit is in my pocket.
43:19Hold on.
43:21£8,500 was the sale price.
43:23An £8 profit, which means, I don't know, a couple of deep fried glass bottles.
43:28Right, listen.
43:29When we do the next world tour, you stick to the tools.
43:32Let me do the deals.
43:33Let me do the deals.
43:34Let me do the deals.
Be the first to comment