Skip to playerSkip to main content
AutoMot10
  • 5 hours ago
Transcript
00:01This time on Car SOS.
00:04Oh man, I didn't expect it to be so easy to drive.
00:08The happiest looking British sports car on the planet.
00:11And everybody says this, they put smiles on the faces of everyone who sees them.
00:15Is making Fuzz very, very sad.
00:18So we've got much more rot, much more corrosion than we ever thought was going to be the case on
00:24this car.
00:24And Tim lose the plot.
00:27I can hear you question, what is he doing?
00:29So, can the boys save this precious family heirloom?
00:33He's so emotional.
00:34It's going to take some help from Fuzz's first celebrity crush.
00:38You promised that you were going to get Joanna Lumley.
00:41Do you know what effect a woman like that can have on a teenage boy?
00:44To make its owner's automotive dream come true.
00:48How did that feel?
00:49Absolutely fabulous.
01:10Where's this Fuzzball?
01:11This is Hampton.
01:14Is it?
01:14What, South Hampton?
01:15No.
01:16North Hampton?
01:16No.
01:17Is it the original Hampton?
01:19Yeah, this is it.
01:20Today we are picking up a splendid little sports car.
01:25Yes.
01:25Because today we are picking up an Austin Healey frog-eyed sprite!
01:32Yes, it may wear the expression of someone who's just caught sight of Fuzz stepping out of the shower, but
01:38behind that wide-eyed grin lies one of the most driver-focused British sports cars ever built.
01:45Barely bigger than a Mini and about as basic as a car gets before it becomes a lawnmower.
01:51There's no boot, little more than a cocktail umbrella's worth of weather protection, and a stripped back dashboard with only
01:57the essential dials.
01:59Not even a clock, radio or heater came as standard.
02:02Which is why, back in the late 50s, one would set you back just £669, around £14,000 in today's
02:11money, making it the Mazda MX-5 of its day.
02:15Under the bonnet there's a tiny 948cc four-cylinder engine, making a modest 43 horsepower.
02:22But power isn't everything.
02:24Thanks to its innovative unibody design, there's no separate chassis, just a lightweight single solid shell, meaning it corners like
02:33a terrier on roller skates.
02:35And those iconic headlights.
02:37They were originally designed to pop up, but when the budget ran dry, they simply bolted them on top.
02:43They might be small, they might be impractical, but get behind the wheel and you'll discover a personality as big
02:49as that grin.
02:53We're gonna meet the daughters of John. John is the car's owner.
02:57Now here's the thing for us, the reason I'm mega-excited about this is because it's a complete first for
03:02us.
03:02We've never managed to get our hands on a car that has sat in a garage for north, untouched, of
03:0850 years.
03:10No way.
03:11We need to treat this like an archaeological dig, Fuzzball.
03:13Oh, wait a minute. You mean a car-chaeological dig?
03:16Oh yeah, baby!
03:17Hey!
03:21Come on then. I can't wait to get in there!
03:26Hi.
03:26Hi, hello. How are you doing? How are you doing?
03:28How are you doing? How are you doing?
03:28Hello. Nice to meet you.
03:29How's it going? First and foremost, where's your dad?
03:33He's in Bournemouth. He's coming back later on this afternoon.
03:36So the car is here?
03:38Yes. It hasn't moved and it's got a lot of stuff on it and it's been slightly decaying.
03:43Where is it?
03:45It's round, it's in the garage.
03:46Yeah. Can we see it?
03:47Where it's been for 50 years.
03:48Okay. Okay.
03:49Can we have a look?
03:52Here we go.
03:57Now that is absolutely beautiful.
04:03When you look at that, that's a part of your dad.
04:06That's a massive part of my dad.
04:08Is it emotional?
04:09Yeah, really emotional.
04:11Let's go and have a chat.
04:12You're going to need these, right?
04:13Yeah, there's lots of emotion.
04:14Come on, let's go and have a chat.
04:15Come on.
04:18It's like finding treasure this moment.
04:22So let's see what we've got.
04:30This box contains the front lights of the frog-eyed sprite.
04:34Do not throw away.
04:36I think we're about to discover something here.
04:42There we go.
04:43We've got a huge dent here.
04:47I think we'd better get this out into the daylight.
04:50For the first time in a very long time.
04:57When did your dad first get that lovely little peach of a car?
05:00So it would be about 1962, 63, around his 21st birthday.
05:06Do you know why he wanted that particular car?
05:08He liked sports cars.
05:10Obviously the number plate was AHB 21.
05:13Hang on, Austin Healey, birthday 21.
05:17Did this car have any involvement in how he met your mum?
05:20Yes.
05:20He went to a party and they met at this party.
05:23He asked her if she wanted a ride in his car and...
05:27Oh, yeah.
05:28She said yes.
05:29Yeah, the old classic.
05:30So the car actually kind of played a pivotal part.
05:34In us being here.
05:35You could argue that.
05:39Oh, look at these things.
05:41Look.
05:41I love these Dymo stickers here.
05:44All the switches have been notated.
05:46So we've got Spotlight.
05:48Then we've got indicators.
05:50And do you know what this switch does?
05:54Well, it says it here.
05:57Nothing.
05:57It's great.
05:58It's a really wonderful little time capsule.
06:03But let's have a look and see what's underneath this little froggy face.
06:07Right.
06:08Up we go.
06:10Looking from the oily, oozy exterior of this engine, I would say it's probably close to the end of its
06:17working life.
06:19So I need to get in there.
06:21Whatever happens, this engine and the gearbox and all the running units are going to have to come out of
06:25this car so that we can really work on it properly.
06:32What happened in your dad's life to mean the car got put into the garage and hasn't come out for
06:36such a long time?
06:37So, up to the age of when I was four, I was in the back of the car.
06:41And then when I was four, my sister came along.
06:44So there was two children and there was no more room for two children in the back.
06:48The thought that Penny was in the side or the back or wherever you can fit cots, that might have
06:53worked in the early 60s.
06:55But once you've got two ands as time progresses, they're not going to allow that kind of thing to happen.
06:59No seat belts.
07:00Yeah, exactly.
07:00It's the way it was back then.
07:01It wasn't going to happen.
07:02So he drove it into the garage and it's stayed there ever since.
07:05That's it.
07:06That's it.
07:06No space.
07:07You know, weekends for family or for him to look after the kids and that's what he wanted to do.
07:12You've been lucky girls by the sounds of things.
07:14Oh, we've been really lucky.
07:14He sounds like he's been a wonderful dad.
07:16Yeah.
07:16He's been very lucky.
07:18He's great fun.
07:18He is great fun.
07:20And there was lots of times when my mum would say, you know, maybe we ought to get rid of
07:24it.
07:24We're not going to be able to use it again.
07:25And that's the one thing he wanted to keep.
07:27He wanted, no, I'm going to do it one day, I'm going to do it one day.
07:30And how old is he now?
07:3282.
07:3382.
07:34So for 61 years, 61 years, that cat's been in his life.
07:41Yeah.
07:42He won't believe it.
07:43No, I can't.
07:44I can't imagine.
07:45Shall we have a look?
07:46Yeah.
07:46Definitely.
07:47Okay.
07:47Follow me through here.
07:51Oh, here we go.
07:53Oh, my God.
07:54There it is.
07:56Wow.
07:59Oh, my God.
08:01I can't help it.
08:02Sorry.
08:03That's cool.
08:04Is this the first time you've seen this car on the drive?
08:06Yeah.
08:07It's everything.
08:08Honestly, my whole life has been around this car.
08:13It's so emotional.
08:14So, before we load it up, there's a big empty space in that garage now.
08:19So, is your dad going to go in there and just go, my car has gone?
08:25We've got a plan.
08:26We've got a plan.
08:26The plan is to lose the key.
08:28Yeah.
08:28The old classic.
08:29The reality of this is, Fuzz, we've been here before.
08:32The clock is ticking.
08:33Right.
08:33We've just got to get this done.
08:34Okay.
08:36Yes.
08:36Keeping their dad out of his garage is going to be a challenge.
08:40Go.
08:40Go on.
08:41Good run up.
08:45But that's nothing compared to what Tim and Fuzz are up against.
08:50Saving a crumbling heirloom that holds more sentimental value than the family dog.
08:55And somehow doing it without stripping away its originality.
08:59There she is.
09:01The eye of the frog.
09:02There we go.
09:05So, look at the interior.
09:07What I found interesting about this is you've got rust in areas you'd never normally get.
09:10Look at the rust on the dashboard.
09:12Right round here.
09:13Yeah.
09:13Where the clocks have been put in.
09:14Shall I take the interior on this car?
09:17I think you should, yeah.
09:19Look at the rear end here.
09:20We've got a massive elephant-sized jet in the rear here.
09:23That's a big butt, isn't it?
09:24Well, yeah.
09:25Everything in here is at least 50-something years old.
09:28Yes.
09:29Everything.
09:29That's right.
09:30Yeah, absolutely.
09:31Harsh to say, but scrap the lot and go again.
09:34Replace it.
09:34No, no.
09:35We can't do that because that's part of the character of this car.
09:38Okay.
09:38So, we've got to repair, restore, refurbish wherever we can.
09:42Shall we get it up?
09:43Come on, let's get it up in the air.
09:45Right.
09:45Going up.
09:52on the extremities of the car, there's a lot of grot.
09:56I mean, look at it.
09:58Yeah.
09:59All the way.
09:59We've got the outer sills, we've got the inners, we've got the floors, everything.
10:05We've got to go all the way in here to find out what's going on.
10:08I wonder how much oil has leaked out of that gearbox, because it's still dripping.
10:13This car is in big trouble.
10:15I mean, who would have guessed that putting a car in a nice garage to look after it,
10:19you'd end up with something like this.
10:24Tim and Fuzz are up to their elbows in the ultimate barn find.
10:29A 1958 Austin Healey Sprite.
10:33I found some carburettors, if anyone wants any. Surprisingly, rusty.
10:39That incredibly hasn't moved from the garage in over half a century.
10:44Right, I'm going to take my shopping basket and my interiors and go get you some parts, dude.
10:49It's safe to say we're going to need a bigger basket.
10:53Because if the boys stand any chance at rejuvenating John's car
10:57into something that makes him feel 21 again,
11:00they're going to need to pull off the impossible.
11:03Top of the list, the bodywork.
11:05There's the elephant's bottom-sized imprint in the rear
11:08and a seemingly endless mountain of rust,
11:11which isn't just surface, it's structural.
11:13Which means every inch the team failed to save brings the entire thing a step closer to the scrap heap.
11:20Next is the super-rare rotten interior.
11:23Will they be able to save the original seats, dash and rusting dials
11:27on top of sorting a steering wheel with more cracks in it than a builder's trouser convention?
11:34Finally, there's the ominous oil leak coming from the gearbox.
11:38As it's old enough to draw its state pension
11:40and has spent the last half a century sat statue still,
11:44it's going to need a thorough investigation before files will know if it can be saved.
11:48On top of that, it'll need a full respray in period-correct red paint.
11:55And don't forget, John could get back into his garage at any second
11:58and blow the surprise wide open.
12:01So, with the clock ticking, the team is tearing down what's left of the car
12:05so Fuzz can get to the bottom of what condition the gearbox is in.
12:11OK, so we'll take the cover off here and see if we can see anything inside.
12:20Now for the moments of truth.
12:23Or disaster.
12:25The Sprite's gearbox is a no-frills four-speeder
12:29that was light, tough and primitive enough to keep costs rock bottom.
12:33But as John's hasn't been touched in half a century, can it be saved?
12:38I can't see any obvious signs of massive damage inside here.
12:43So, it could be that we're being a little over-cautious.
12:47But I think what we really ought to do is take this gearbox apart.
12:52Because we're going to rebuild this engine anyway.
12:55So, let's do the same with the gearbox and make sure that it's in tip-top condition for John.
13:01So, as Fuzz is already facing a ticking clock and a mountain of bodywork,
13:05the engine is off to MJA Automotive Engineering, the Sprite Gurus,
13:11where it will be stripped to its last bolt and made to feel young again.
13:16And for now, the gearbox will have to wait because before the shell can be sent to be blasted,
13:22Fuzz needs to deal with the elephant-sized problem in the room.
13:26So, what I want to do is have a go at knocking it out.
13:30Then we use less filler to actually achieve a nice smooth finish on the rear of the tub here.
13:38Now, where are we? Somewhere around here.
13:46OK, that has gone a bit. Let's just get this bit now.
13:52So, while Fuzz keeps up the hammering, Tim's proving once and for all
13:57that he still has no idea how to make a decent cup of tea.
14:01I can hear you question, what is he doing?
14:04Well, this has all got to do with whether or not it was the right thing to do,
14:08to leave the car in the garage because he loved it so much,
14:10or to use it and park it in the garage.
14:13And I'm going to prove the point here with this.
14:17Yes, Fuzz's cuppa will have to wait because Tim's out to prove that
14:22while John may have had nothing but good intentions
14:24by locking his pride and joy away for the past half-century,
14:28it turns out he may have actually sped up its demise by doing so.
14:32Last final bits.
14:35And we have no more water left in the pan.
14:40But where's it gone?
14:42And has it, in fact, gone?
14:44Well, the truth is, no.
14:46It's still in here with us.
14:47All that pan of water, we're in a sealed room here,
14:50it's still in here.
14:51And that's the amazing thing about air.
14:53So what's that water doing in its gas form at the moment?
14:58Well, it's on a mission.
14:59It's currently hunting out for the coldest objects in here
15:03so it can get out of the air and turn back into a liquid.
15:07In fact, I can show you something here.
15:11A cold car sitting in the garage in the morning.
15:16And let's see what happens to that car of fuzzies right there.
15:20You can see it already.
15:22Look at it.
15:23It's actually happening right in front of your eyes.
15:26Look, if I rub my finger over the car, look at that.
15:29Can you see that water?
15:29And for anyone who's forgotten their GCSE science,
15:34when this combination of moisture and oxygen interacts with bare metal,
15:38it kicks off a process that forms iron oxide, better known as rust.
15:44So why does using a car make any difference?
15:46Well, it doesn't stop this.
15:48Your car's still going to get wet in your garage, assuming air can get in and out.
15:52But driving it through the air is no different to drying wet washing on a fairly cold day.
15:59It still comes in dry, doesn't it?
16:01Because the wind takes the water away.
16:03The continual passage of air over something eventually takes the water away.
16:07And it's exactly the same with a classic car.
16:11Good to know, Tim.
16:12Shame it's about 50 years too late.
16:24Fabulous.
16:24So we have now achieved convexity from a point of concavity.
16:30So, like a pack of hungry locusts,
16:33the team devours what's left of John's sprite
16:36before the shell heads off to be blasted back to bare metal.
16:41And if it does make it back as more than a bag of dust,
16:44it's going to need some new seats.
16:47So, Tim's not resting on his backside.
16:49He's off to meet Sarah at the Head for Heelys,
16:52one of the country's biggest sprite restoration experts,
16:55to find out if anything original can be saved.
16:58So what's the plan with these, then?
17:00Because as far as I'm concerned,
17:01if I was to go original and just repair whatever we can,
17:04as far as I'm concerned, we're against the clock.
17:06I don't think I'm going to be repairing it.
17:07It'll take a lot to repair.
17:09Right, come on, then.
17:09Where do we start, then?
17:11We've got the new metals.
17:13Oh, yes.
17:14What else have we got?
17:15So these are the backs as well.
17:16So new base, new backs.
17:18OK.
17:18So we need the foams.
17:20Right.
17:21And we need to make covers.
17:22Yes, on this occasion, Tim's right.
17:24With the clock ticking,
17:26there's just not enough time to try and save John's original ones.
17:29But the good news is, Sarah's a seat savant.
17:33And once she's finished building two fresh ones from scratch,
17:36they'll look every bit as good as the real thing.
17:39Right, so this is the bad boy we're going to be using?
17:42It is, yes.
17:42This polyvinyl chloride is a very bright...
17:46I mean, would it have been the same?
17:47It would have been this bright.
17:48Seriously?
17:48Yes.
17:49I mean, the 60s was all about bright colours.
17:50Bright colours.
17:50Making a statement, wasn't it?
17:51Yes, it was.
17:51It's just faded over the years, so wow.
17:53To get the shape of the seat's cushions, Sarah starts by cutting around a pre-made template specific to the
18:01year of John's Sprite.
18:03Next, she folds the material to create the seat's iconic ribbed design.
18:08Then, identical width ribs are made in the foam material that's going to sit inside the new covers.
18:16Right.
18:16So we need to stitch that old now.
18:18So we're going to join the back to the front with a sandwich of foam in between.
18:24Yep.
18:25And this is where the magic happens, and it's not as straightforward as you might think.
18:31Right, so hang on, let me have a look at this, because I think most people would assume that to
18:35get the lines,
18:36you just sew straight down the white line, making sure you sandwich the foam between the red and the white
18:42on the back, right?
18:43Yep.
18:43But you're not. You're actually folding the red back on itself, so you're going to create a seam of two
18:50layers of the red,
18:51one layer of foam, and then the backing, which is just a...
18:54Calico.
18:54Calico. Right, that's interesting. So, why do you do that?
18:58Because it hides all the stitches. You don't see any of them, then.
19:02Of course, because if you just sewed straight down the line, you'd see all the stitch.
19:05You're going to see them all. Yep.
19:06But you're hiding the stitch on the inside of a fold.
19:08Yes.
19:11Yeah, Sarah certainly knows her stuff, because when it comes to the final product, the results speak for themselves.
19:18They're a snug-fitting thing, aren't they? They've got to be absolutely precise.
19:21Nice. Let me just hold this in place just to see what that's going to look like.
19:26That's wonderful, isn't it?
19:27Yeah, they're nice, of course.
19:27Shall we build another one?
19:29Yeah.
19:30Yes, they look like they could have just rolled off the production line in 1958, which means John will be
19:37none the wiser.
19:40But the body shell, that's another matter entirely, because it's doing everything it can to stop this restoration in its
19:48tracks.
19:52Underneath here, I can see, well, it looks like a projection in a nightclub.
19:58It's absolutely rotten as a pear.
20:03So we've got much more rot, much more corrosion than we ever thought was going to be the case on
20:08this car.
20:09So I'm going to, first of all, take a look at the rear quarter over on the passenger side, because
20:16I don't like the look of that job.
20:19But in the meantime, well, just wish me luck, because this has turned out to be a mighty, mighty task.
20:31Most of the meat's coming off, because there may still be a lot more corrosion waiting for us.
20:53Here comes the exciting bit.
20:58There we go.
21:01So now we can really see where we need to get to.
21:05And also, we've exposed some more areas in here that are going to need repairs.
21:17Tim and Fuzz have their hands full restoring this 1958 Austin Healey Sprite,
21:24that's been slowly rusting away in the garage for more than half a century.
21:31It was bought by a 21-year-old man about town, John, way back in 1963.
21:37But after the arrival of his second daughter, he no longer had time to care for his beloved little sports
21:43car.
21:43So it was pushed into the garage for something more practical, with every intention of one day getting back behind
21:50the wheel of this much-loved member of the family.
21:55But 54 years and two more children later, that dream's never come true.
22:01Dad had to sacrifice the car eventually, I think.
22:03For me, it had to be done, because it's not conducive to bringing up a family.
22:09And it's hard to make those sacrifices sometimes as a parent.
22:12It sounds like he's been a wonderful dad.
22:14Yeah, he's been very lucky.
22:15He is great at fun.
22:19Since taking it on, the boys have been at full throttle, scrambling to rescue every piece of this cherished member
22:26of the family
22:27before John can get into his garage and blow the surprise.
22:31So far, it's been an epic battle, because this little Sprite's condition is far worse than anyone dared imagine.
22:39John's original engine, the beating heart of his car, has been hauled off to the specialist,
22:45while working day and night to try and save it.
22:48The body shell is totally rust-ridden, and as fragile as Yan'an's best china.
22:53Every panel that's cut away only reveals more corrosion hiding beneath.
23:01So, while the team continues to cut, grind and sand their way through what remains of the shell,
23:08the boys are heading the road.
23:10To find out what's possessed John to hold on to this basic, tiny and, frankly, strange-looking little car for
23:17over 60 years.
23:19Oh, man.
23:21I didn't expect it to be so easy to drive.
23:25You've got that raspy exhaust as well.
23:27Yeah.
23:27Which says, yeah, I'm a sports car.
23:33Do you know what?
23:34To compare the experience of driving this car to driving a modern car, a modern car is like taking the
23:41escalator,
23:42whereas this is like taking the stairs.
23:44It's far more involved.
23:45You have to do more.
23:46But there's a sense of achievement and reward.
23:48And like, ah, you all took the escalator, you're lazy.
23:51Yeah, I know what you mean.
23:52Yeah.
23:53Pair everything down.
23:54Yeah.
23:54This is the essence of a motor car.
23:57Absolutely.
23:58And now we're rocking along.
24:00It feels like we're really motoring around, but we're doing 40 miles per hour.
24:05When I'm driving a modern car, I'm so distracted by all the technologies and screens.
24:10With this thing, there's none of that.
24:12You've just got the steering wheel, three pedals, a gear stick, and the indicator.
24:18You've just got like six things and that's it.
24:20I'm still looking down there.
24:22How did you get those legs?
24:24I've no idea.
24:31The thing that I love about these is that, and everybody says this,
24:34they put smiles on the faces of everyone who sees them.
24:38And that's priceless.
24:39Like, feeling good about yourself and having a good day.
24:41It's what life's about, and this car delivers that.
24:44That's it.
24:47Honestly, I'm telling you, it's a Dodgem that has broken out the fairground.
24:51That's what this car is.
24:53Just ignore that.
24:54Ignore that.
24:54It's Penny.
24:55Look.
24:56It's Penny.
24:57Pull over.
24:57It's Penny.
24:58Is it?
24:58Yeah.
24:59Hang on.
25:00I'll pull in here.
25:04Hi, Penny.
25:05How are you doing?
25:06Hi, I'm good.
25:06How are you boys doing?
25:07Yeah, it's good.
25:08Guess what we're driving?
25:09Oh, yes.
25:11Recognise those headlights.
25:13Anyway, what's up?
25:14What's going on?
25:14Um, just a heads up, my dad's getting a little bit stressed
25:18with this excuse of losing the garage key.
25:21Right.
25:22And he's talking about locksmiths.
25:23How long can you hold him off for?
25:26I'm not sure.
25:27The car's got to get done sooner.
25:28Yeah.
25:29So, the next question is then,
25:30the plan that I had for giving the car back to your dad.
25:33Who's your dad into?
25:34Name somebody for me.
25:35Go on.
25:36David Attenborough.
25:37David Attenborough?
25:38David Attenborough.
25:39He's a bit old.
25:40Anyone else?
25:40Yeah.
25:41OK, OK.
25:42He likes Joanna Lumley.
25:44It's not going to happen.
25:45Joanna Lumley.
25:46Dame Joanna.
25:46Joanna, hold on.
25:47Wait a minute.
25:47I'm sure she'd do it.
25:49No, it's not going to happen.
25:50She's a...
25:50She's got a better chance than David Attenborough.
25:52She's royalty, mate.
25:53I know, I know.
25:54Leave the car to me.
25:55You get on with getting a celebrity.
25:58It's not going to be possible.
25:59Right, we're going to have to go.
26:00OK, thank you.
26:01See you later.
26:02Bye.
26:02Bye.
26:03Right, OK.
26:04There's the switch.
26:06Starter.
26:07Ready?
26:08Go.
26:09Right.
26:18Yes, things were already at boiling point, and John's just cranked up the heat with the
26:24threat of a locksmith.
26:25So, the boys have set themselves the ambitious deadline of finishing the car in just three
26:31days, but it's going to be a brutal challenge.
26:34Thankfully, the team have already been working day and night to repair the Sprite's body shell.
26:39And finally, there's a chink of light at the end of this very rusty tunnel.
26:44We've got the original bonnet, but we're matching it up with new filler strip and a new outer wing
26:50here.
26:51We've done repairs to the bulkhead here.
26:55So, that is all done now.
26:57And then, we've got that rear quarter that I cut off.
27:00Here we have the new quarter in place.
27:03This shows just how important it was to cut the whole thing out, because now we've got the whole
27:10shape of the panel.
27:11Come around.
27:12We've got new floor panels.
27:14We've got new chassis rails, these internal chassis rails, new sills.
27:18So, there's a lot of new metal gone into this car, but the basis of the car is still that
27:26same one, manufactured in 1958.
27:29This is a lucky survivor.
27:32What a beautiful little motor.
27:36And that's not the only good news.
27:39John's original engine has been re-bought, had new end bearings, pistons and rings fitted,
27:44so it should run exactly like it did over half a century ago.
27:48But this restoration is far from over, and it'll all be for nothing if the experts at
27:53Hardy Engineering can't help Fuzz resurrect the gearbox to go along with it.
27:58So, what have you brought us today?
28:00Right, it's a gearbox out of a very early Austin Healey Froggy Sprite, so 1958.
28:06When was this last on the road?
28:08Quite recently.
28:09It was 1971.
28:13OK.
28:13Well, and you had a look in here already, have you?
28:16It looked OK.
28:17It was all turning and everything.
28:18Shall we start by just taking that off again?
28:21OK.
28:22The Sprite's four-speed gearbox is so rudimentary that it features a relic of a bike.
28:27On era, most modern drivers will never know the pain of having to deal with.
28:32So, we've got something that we can see here before we check the wear, and this is a synchromesh,
28:37apart from on the first gear, it's a synchromesh gearbox, isn't it?
28:41Today, if you drive a manual, it almost certainly uses a synchromesh box,
28:45which works by matching the speed of the gear you're in with the one you're shifting to.
28:50So, that starts to move at the same speed as the input,
28:53and that then allows this hub to slip over these teeth here,
29:00because both this speed and this speed have been synchronised.
29:05But, to save cost and size, the Sprite didn't get synchromesh on its first gear,
29:10which means downshifting into it whilst on the move requires the lost art of double-declutching.
29:16The driver would have to do the job of the synchro rings by flicking into neutral
29:20to match the engine and gearbox speeds before delicately slotting the gear home.
29:26Getting it even slightly wrong, and you risk the chorus of grinding teeth.
29:30There we go, the internals of a gearbox.
29:32Right.
29:34What's good and what's bad?
29:38But, to me, to my eye, this looks like this has got damp.
29:43Yeah.
29:44OK, so could that happen because the car has sat around for over 50 years?
29:50The condensation's gone into it.
29:52Yeah, and just eaten away at the steel there.
29:54Yeah, so that means we won't use it again, even if the case hardening was good on it,
29:59even if you polished that up, it's still compromised.
30:01OK, so that goes to show that a car that's not doing anything can still get damaged.
30:09Yes.
30:09So, are there any of these internals that are going to be used again?
30:13I'm afraid not, so we're going to take a whole set of components from something later
30:19and we'll make them fit that original case.
30:22Yes.
30:23So, from the outside, it'll look no different to anything you've had before.
30:26OK.
30:27Ratios will be the same, and it'll just be a sweeter gearbox.
30:31Yes, after Bill works his magic, the gearbox will be snappier than a teenage crocodile
30:36that's been on the energy drinks.
30:38And those more modern internals mean double declatching will be a thing of the past.
30:44And back at the car SOS nerve centre, Tim's uncovered another old part from the past that's crying out for
30:51salvation.
30:52Would you like to see my crack?
30:54You would.
30:55OK.
30:56Eyes down.
30:56There it is.
30:58Look at that.
30:59That is one of many cracks around the perimeter of this actually very rare steering wheel for a frog-eyed
31:05sprite.
31:06Right, anyone who has a frog-eyed sprite will be like,
31:07no way, that's the holy grail, you've got to repair that.
31:10And that's precisely what we're doing here.
31:11Today, original Mark 1 Sprite steering wheels are hard to come by.
31:16So, where do we start?
31:18We start with cleaning.
31:19Decades of open-top motoring, damp garages and upgrades by owners for something sportier
31:25have left very few surviving to tell the tale.
31:28So, to save this family heirloom, it's starting off with a shower in the vapour blaster.
31:38Which uses fine glass beads and high-pressure water to gently strip away the decades of grime
31:44without damaging the metal underneath.
31:51Right, the big reveal.
31:53The grand reveal.
31:55I need to wash this thing off, actually.
31:57You can actually, you can see it's still got the glass beads on it.
32:00So, let me just give that a quick clean in the toilet.
32:03Hang on a second.
32:05Oi!
32:06Oh, God, sorry.
32:09Well, that's awkward.
32:11And here was Tim thinking he'd already reached his daily crack limit.
32:18Right, so those holes have stopped the cracks growing,
32:21but there's still the problem of the crack.
32:23And if you think about the way a crack's going to look,
32:25if you had a look at a cross-section of that,
32:26it would be, like, like that.
32:30Super stiff.
32:31Basically, two pliffs meeting each other.
32:33So, I'm going to actually taper them off
32:35by removing all this material here with a blade.
32:39And whilst these might look like surface cracks,
32:42if the car ends up back in John's garage for a long period of time,
32:45it could develop into something much worse.
32:48Right, where's the epoxy?
32:51Now, I'm happy with that because it's proud of the right profile
32:54so that can get sanded back and it'll look right.
32:56But there is a staggering amount of work to do here.
33:00So, while Tim cracks on,
33:02the big reveal is approaching faster than a jet-powered Lewis Hamilton.
33:07Thankfully, after more than 700 painstaking hours of work,
33:10the body shell is stripped, repaired and ready to bounce into action
33:14like a 21-year-old John at a house party.
33:17The rust and rot's been cut away
33:20and new metal let in only where completely necessary.
33:24Now it's in the final stages of filling, sanding and flattening
33:28before it's into the spray booth for a coat of original red paint.
33:34And that's not the only bit of originality Fuzz is desperate to recreate.
33:38When we first picked up the frogeye,
33:41I really wanted to save this dash
33:45because I thought it's really charming.
33:47All these little bits of tape on here.
33:51And unfortunately, it does have this rip across here.
33:54So, what we're going to do is use a new dash.
33:59But we've kept as many of the clocks and dials as we can from this dash.
34:03So, those are in the new one.
34:05So, we've got some originality there.
34:07But also, I have just been getting these original little bits
34:13of printed tape off this dash.
34:17And it's my intention to stick them on the new one.
34:20But before that can happen,
34:22the team is in a race to refit the original engine and gearbox
34:25back into place.
34:29There's still a long way to go.
34:30I'm dealing with the wiring at the moment.
34:33But it's taken a long time.
34:34And that's something the boys could do with more of.
34:38Because with just 24 hours before they need to hand John's car back,
34:42things aren't running smoothly.
34:45Nothing quite fits where it's supposed to.
34:47And I don't know where half the parts are.
34:49Tim has gone off to sort out the reveal and get a celebrity,
34:54leaving the job in hand.
34:56And this is the important bit, really.
34:59And with the sun going down on our froggy friend still far from finished,
35:04will Fuzz and the team be able to return its wide-eyed grin in time?
35:13When the boys first got hold of John Sprite,
35:16there was nothing sprightly about it.
35:19Over half a century in the garage had reduced it
35:22to little more than a rusty bag of bolts.
35:25But after working through the night
35:27and clocking up more than 1,500 hours
35:29of replacing, repairing and renovating,
35:34the grin has finally returned.
35:38Wow!
35:39Exactly.
35:40That is absolute perfection.
35:45But the question is,
35:46has Tim managed to bag an absolutely fabulous star to go with it?
35:51It is stunning.
35:52And I've got to say, this location, Denbigh's Wine Estate...
35:56Yes.
35:57...utterly amazing.
35:58The car looks wonderful.
35:59The background is fantastic.
36:01We've both delivered, then.
36:03Right, so the plan today...
36:04Wait, wait a minute.
36:05What?
36:05Wait.
36:06We've delivered.
36:06You've partially delivered.
36:08There's one person missing from this picture.
36:10Who?
36:11Joanna Lumley.
36:12You said you would try your best to get Joanna Lumley.
36:15I was a child of the 60s and 70s,
36:17so Joanna Lumley meant an awful lot to a boy like me.
36:20I had her picture on my wall.
36:23I had posters of her on my wall.
36:25You don't understand.
36:26She was my first...
36:27No!
36:27Buzz!
36:28No!
36:29Hi, Buzz.
36:31I was your first...
36:32Hi.
36:33Crush!
36:33You were my first...
36:34Crush, crush.
36:34Yes, you were my first crush.
36:36Crush.
36:36Yes, you were my...
36:37Talk to me about it all the time.
36:38First crush.
36:39Joanna Lumley.
36:39Post it on the wall.
36:41Have you been there for very long?
36:42Yes, just long enough to look at this car.
36:44Isn't she divine?
36:45Oh, yeah.
36:45Beautiful.
36:46Quick change of subject.
36:47Thank you very much.
36:49Right, would you like to know the plan here?
36:51Oh, we'd love to know the plan.
36:52Shall I do some talking?
36:53You can't at the moment.
36:54Okay.
36:55Here's the plan.
36:56John is coming here today.
36:58You are here filming a make-believe made-up TV show about the vineyards of England, so he'll
37:03be just observing.
37:04I'm the director.
37:05Yeah.
37:05Bring it down the hill.
37:06You both come down in this?
37:07In this.
37:08That's all he's going to look at.
37:10It's just going to see this heavenly girl drifting back into his life again.
37:13Absolutely.
37:13And the car as well.
37:15Yeah, and the car as well.
37:16I thought that was me.
37:17Absolutely.
37:19It's going to be good, isn't it?
37:20Yeah.
37:20It's exciting, actually, isn't it?
37:22Yeah.
37:24So, while the real film crew pretend to get set up for the opening shot of Joanna's imaginary
37:29new series.
37:31So, here are the dates.
37:32So, these vines were planted in 1990.
37:35Yeah.
37:35Danby's was established in 1986.
37:37Yeah.
37:38John's been brought to the estate for what he thinks is just a nice day out with his
37:42family.
37:43Little does he know, he's about to get the shock of his life.
37:47And they're almost, they're a week away from harvest now.
37:49Well, okay.
37:50Yeah.
37:51Time for the crew to move in and get him into the perfect position.
37:55We're about to go into our first shot, if you want to come over and, if you want to
37:58come and have a look at what we're doing.
37:59Come on, man.
38:01So far, so good.
38:03He's taken the bait.
38:04We're making a television show.
38:06This is Dame John Alumni.
38:07I'm Joanna.
38:11What's your name?
38:12John.
38:13Hi, John.
38:14This man looks like he's just fallen in love.
38:16Sorry.
38:18Sorry.
38:18What a pleasure.
38:19How nice to see you.
38:20Oh, bless it.
38:22Well, we're just hoping, fingers crossed, about the weather, because we're just doing this
38:25bit about vineyards and wines and stuff like that.
38:29This is why I'm loving to do this.
38:30Sorry.
38:30I'm so sorry.
38:31Sorry to interrupt here.
38:32Okay.
38:33Do you want to watch this opening?
38:34Yeah.
38:35Oh, come and see it.
38:36Come and sit over here.
38:36Come and sit behind the screen over here.
38:38I'm going to be coming down here in a car, getting out and going across and looking at
38:43this.
38:44So the first, this is through opening shots, going to the vineyard, you know, to the vines
38:48and looking at them.
38:49Right.
38:50The stage is set.
38:52Okay, guys, enjoy your time.
38:53Bring the car down.
38:55John is in position and still none the wiser.
38:59We are in running.
39:01Joanna and Fuzz have retreated to the top of the hill and are ready behind the wheel.
39:06This is the moment.
39:07I know.
39:08This is thrilling.
39:09Look, here's John.
39:10Okay, fine.
39:11Okay.
39:11This is it.
39:12This is our moment.
39:19Well, I never did.
39:21What?
39:22Joellen and the lovely sat in my Sprite.
39:26John, is there any idea what's going on here?
39:28No.
39:30Right, come up here.
39:31Come with, come on, come up here a little bit.
39:33There's a little bit more.
39:33Come around this way here.
39:34Come around that.
39:35Do you recognise her?
39:37I do.
39:38But, well, it's not my car.
39:42Okay, right.
39:43John, I've got some explaining to do.
39:45We do a television show called Car SOS where we secretly restore deserving people's
39:49classic cars.
39:50Get away.
39:53And the reality of what you're looking at here is that is your car.
39:57When was the last time you sat on her, John?
40:0040 years ago.
40:02No, stop.
40:04Well, I can't believe this.
40:06John, there are also a few people here that you might recognise.
40:09Can we bring out John's family, please?
40:11Come on out, guys.
40:13Oh, hello.
40:15Come all round the back.
40:16That's it.
40:18Can you explain to us why you wrote to Car SOS?
40:21I've always known it's very special for my dad and it's very special for us as a family.
40:26And I knew he wouldn't get round to doing it because he's always so busy doing stuff for
40:30the family.
40:31This is part of the family.
40:33It is part of the family.
40:35Definitely.
40:36I'm thinking this is one of the most astonishing days of my life.
40:40Give him a round of applause, guys.
40:43Yes, it's no wonder John barely recognised this long-lost relative because the last time
40:49he saw it, it was a dented, rusty collection of parts that hadn't left the garage in more
40:55than half a century.
40:56But now, it's been reborn.
41:00Under the bonnet, the engine and gearbox have been fully rebuilt and fitted out with brand
41:05new components, ready to power on for the next 50 years.
41:09The body shell has been stripped to bare metal, lovingly repaired and reshaped back into the
41:16unmistakable frog eye silhouette.
41:18Inside, there's fresh seats in period-correct red fabric.
41:22A new dashboard, importantly fitted with John's refurbished clocks and gauges.
41:27And those all-important Dymo labels have been restored.
41:31The finishing touch, a paint job so clean and sharp, it's got more sparkle than a glass of champagne.
41:40John, how does it feel to finally be sitting in your car?
41:44It makes me feel young again.
41:46I would like to think that this car and I have a symbiotic relationship, so we're both
41:58grateful for your guys' restoration to re-establish an old friendship.
42:05Did you think this day would ever happen in your heart of hearts?
42:09I did dream of restoration and what it looked like originally, but to have it presented in
42:19this glorious way, no, I didn't think it would be like this.
42:25As you sit in it now, how does it feel?
42:28Well, it feels like a home, really.
42:31Well, John, there's only one thing left to do now, and that is to give you the keys to
42:35the car and tell you that you have officially been Car SOS'd.
42:39Thank you very much.
42:41You're probably itching to start it up, aren't you?
42:48How did that feel?
42:50Absolutely fabulous.
42:53Now, John, you've got a choice here.
42:55Would you rather drive the car with Fuzz beside you, Penny beside you, or...?
43:04I really, much as I like Joanna loving me,
43:09I really think I ought to go with the family, or what am I?
43:12I'm sure you'll forgive me.
43:13I do forgive you.
43:16That's completely understandable.
43:18Right, shall we make that happen, then?
43:19One more round of applause for John and his frog eyes.
43:21Great!
43:21Oh, Dad, this is awesome!
43:33It's totally mad.
43:34I feel like I'm in a dream.
43:36Do you feel like you're in a dream?
43:38Yeah.
43:38I've done for the last four hours.
43:40Four hours, you thought you were in a dream.
43:42You're so close to the road.
43:48That was fantastic.
43:49Well done.
43:50It was wonderful.
43:51Yeah, there was only one thing that was really wrong about it.
43:54And that was like...
43:55There we go.
43:57That's better.
43:57There we go.
43:59There we go.
44:00There we go.
44:00There we go.
44:00There we go.
44:00There we go.
Comments