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Car S.O.S. Season 14 Episode 3
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FunTranscript
00:20Fuzz, don't we need the trailer?
00:22Not today, Timmy boy.
00:24Where are we?
00:24We're on a big bridge, we're going across a lot of water.
00:27Right.
00:27So we're heading for South Wales.
00:29Make a note of where we are first, because what I'm about to say is going to go down in
00:33history.
00:34I'm going to make the biggest statement of my life.
00:36The vehicle we are picking up today is without a doubt, in my mind, the coolest vehicle we
00:43have ever, ever, since our creation, picked up.
00:47And that vehicle is not a car.
00:51It is a...
00:52Motorbike!
00:53You said it!
00:54You said it!
00:55I did!
00:56It is a...
00:57Triumph Bonneville!
00:58Oh, yes!
00:59We are finally, finally, after thousands of complaints, we are finally conceding and doing a motorbike.
01:07And man, I have proved myself as a petrolhead.
01:09I've had more four-wheel vehicles and I'm addicted to them, but I live in a world where it feels
01:14good to get it off my chest.
01:15I've said it!
01:16Bikes are cooler than cars!
01:19They are cool.
01:20And the Triumph Bonneville is a very, very cool machine.
01:23If there's a bit of you that just thinks, I'm a car guy, I'm a car girl, just try and
01:28reframe, just pause that for a moment and just come on this journey with us to rebuild a Triumph Bonneville
01:34and get to the end of it and tell me if you haven't fallen in love with bikes.
01:37Yes, in a nightmarish scenario for the Car SOS marketing team, for the first time ever, the boys are ditching
01:45four-wheels for two.
01:47And what better way to pop their crotch rocket cherry than with the British motorcycle that symbolised 60s rebellious cool.
01:55Because not only was it the bike of choice for Britain's rockers, it was adorned by some of the coolest
02:01people on the planet.
02:02Even the king himself had one. No, not that one.
02:07Named after the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats where Triumph bikes had shattered speed records throughout the 50s, the Bonny proudly
02:15kept up the family tradition.
02:19650cc parallel twin engine, and not a lot else.
02:23It could push 110 miles an hour, making it one of the fastest production bikes on the market.
02:30So, for those who've ever ridden one, the Bonny is more than two wheels and an engine.
02:36They're freedom, rebellion, and downright petrol-powered cool.
02:46Can you ride a motorcycle?
02:48My first vehicle was a CM125.
02:51Oh!
02:51I was the only person in South Yorkshire to fall off my motorcycle on my actual test.
02:57He fell off and failed.
02:59Now, do you know who we're meeting today?
03:01Yes, so we're going to meet Jill.
03:02Yep.
03:03That's Ian's sister.
03:04Yep.
03:04And we're going to meet Stephen, who's Ian's cousin.
03:06Absolutely.
03:10Hello.
03:11Hello.
03:11Hello.
03:11Hello, you.
03:12I'm hoping you're Jill.
03:14I am Jill.
03:15That's me and Steve.
03:16Hi, I am.
03:16How are you?
03:16We've come to the right place.
03:17Yep.
03:17Right.
03:18Now, Ian is nowhere to be seen, right?
03:20No, Ian's not here.
03:21When we see our first motorcycle ever since the beginning of Car SOS, we can let out a
03:27little squeak of excitement.
03:28We can.
03:28Is that right?
03:29Absolutely, yeah.
03:29Okay.
03:29Brilliant.
03:30Where is she?
03:31She's up here, by the garage.
03:32In the garage.
03:33Come on, then.
03:35Right, left or right, fellas?
03:36Which garage?
03:36You're going for the right?
03:37You're going for the right, Steve?
03:38Tell us which one is it in.
03:40It's here.
03:43Is it trying Bonneville under that?
03:45Here it is.
03:46Well, it's in bits.
03:48Let me show you.
03:51You're not messing.
03:53Look at the state of it.
03:56Dude!
03:57Look at that.
03:58Seriously.
04:00Let me ask you a question a minute.
04:01Have you ever rebuilt a bike from scratch?
04:03I've total built, total, total built.
04:04Ever?
04:05No.
04:06That's why it's called Car SOS.
04:08Yes.
04:09I wasn't quite expecting this.
04:13Right, let's go and talk about Ian, and we'll leave you to make friends with what's left
04:17of something that's just been hooned out of a ten-hour.
04:24I'm going to come unstuck here a little bit, because I have to admit that this will be the first
04:29time that I've rebuilt a complete motorbike.
04:33I've repaired them, and I've not built a whole one up from a kit of parts.
04:37I don't even know if we've got everything here.
04:41I might need a little bit of assistance.
04:45Look, here we go.
04:46We've got the tank here.
04:49I'd put a bet on it being a little bit like a sieve.
04:53Put petrol in, and it'll just leak out.
04:57And down here, here's our engine and gearbox.
05:01Let's just have a look.
05:04Okay.
05:05Well, not much action there.
05:08As I suspected, it is completely seized.
05:12This is going to need a total rebuild.
05:17This is, for me, a nightmarish scenario.
05:21How is it supposed to go back together?
05:26Let's talk about why the Bonneville is in Ian's life.
05:29When did it all start?
05:30He bought it back in 1979.
05:33Ian bought it when he was first starting to earn his own money.
05:38Right.
05:38My parents didn't approve of him buying it.
05:41But that's a reason to buy it, though, isn't it?
05:43He really loves the bike, yeah.
05:44He's never going to go in those.
05:45Yeah, yeah.
05:46He's always going to keep it.
05:47So is it fair to assume that there's something wrong with it,
05:50and that's why he was taking the pieces?
05:51No, no, not at all.
05:52No idea, no.
05:54It could be perfectly good working order,
05:55and he would still take it apart, just because he could.
05:58So is he an engineer?
06:00No, not really.
06:01No, but he tinkered about with things.
06:06Boxing.
06:08These are our friends.
06:10Let's see what's in this little lot.
06:14Oh, here we go.
06:18Now, I do like a beer, but I also like a beer mug with original batches.
06:26Everything on this bike has seen better days.
06:29How much of it is actually salvageable is yet to be seen.
06:33But we've got to save the frame.
06:36We've got to try and save the engine and gearbox.
06:39We want this to be Ian's bike.
06:41If we just replace everything,
06:43we're taking everything away that he has salvaged.
06:47Right, sling it in the back of the car.
06:51What has happened in Ian's life to mean that, you know,
06:55the mechanical love of his life has been left in pieces?
06:57What's happened?
06:59Well, Ian was a sub-postmaster.
07:01Right.
07:02And subsequently became a victim of the Horizon post office scandal.
07:08He lost his post office, he lost his job,
07:11and he was prosecuted and found guilty of false accounting.
07:15So the post office scandal is where a piece of software called Horizon...
07:20Absolutely.
07:20..was adding up and crunching the numbers incorrectly, ultimately, wasn't it?
07:23Absolutely, yeah.
07:24What happens next?
07:25The sad thing was they were literally just getting back on their feet.
07:29Yeah.
07:29So Ian had got back into employment,
07:32and in early 2011, Helen was diagnosed with breast cancer.
07:37So while Helen was battling breast cancer,
07:41Ian had quite a severe stroke.
07:44He's been left with a lot of speech and communication issues,
07:49some mobility issues.
07:50He's independently mobile, but sometimes a bit precarious.
07:53What do you think Ian would like to see happen with that bike?
07:56I think him just seeing it whole again would be enough.
07:59Yes.
08:00I mean, that'll probably mean the world to him, just seeing that.
08:05Well, it is going to happen.
08:09And here he is.
08:11Right.
08:12It's in.
08:13It's time for me to get that rotten old thing away from here.
08:16Ian's bike's in the car as well.
08:27It might only have two wheels, but this challenge is anything but half a job.
08:33Because judging by the state of it,
08:35the road to getting Ian back on his bike is going to be a bumpy one.
08:39Why are you looking so relaxed?
08:42Have you seen what we've just picked up?
08:44Have you seen it?
08:45It's in bits.
08:46Now look, it's all very well.
08:48Get on the bike.
08:49What?
08:5120 seconds of your life.
08:52Listen.
08:52I've made a phone call to a mate of mine
08:55who happens to work at a company
08:57that are 20 minutes away from our workshop
08:59in a place called Hinkley.
09:02Triumph.
09:03They are going to help us.
09:04We're going to the horse's mouth.
09:05We are going to try to build it with the people who created it
09:09or the fathers of the fathers of the fathers
09:11who created it in the first place.
09:13Yes, Fuzz can finally unclench his bottom
09:15because the boys are off to what many consider
09:17to be the home of British motorbikes.
09:20Triumph's Hinkley factory.
09:23The team there have kindly agreed
09:24to take our two-seasoned apprentices under their wing.
09:28And to make sure that we all stay firmly on this restoration,
09:31Triumph guru Nick Wilson will be on hand at every corner
09:35to keep things rolling smoothly.
09:38This is the last of it then, Nick.
09:41This is it.
09:43Thanks very much.
09:44There is one other delivery.
09:45It's a verbal delivery
09:46and it's a massive apology from me and Fuzz for you
09:49for delivering this turkey to you.
09:51Yeah, I mean, is it worse than you thought?
09:54Yes.
09:55Right, OK.
09:56How much worse?
09:59Significantly.
10:00So have you rebuilt a worse bike?
10:02No.
10:05No, you don't even have to think about it.
10:11In a car SOS first.
10:14No, that's wrong.
10:17In a motorbike SOS first,
10:19the boys have ditched four wheels for two.
10:22What we have is a bike that got put away
10:25with all good intention.
10:27Yeah.
10:28And it's unfortunately got very corroded.
10:29Yeah.
10:30And taken on the monumental task
10:32of turning this Meccano set for sadists
10:35back into a 1973 Triumph Bonneville.
10:38This is Ian's beauty.
10:40This is his pride and joy.
10:41So we need to salvage what we can
10:43and from what we're looking at here,
10:44what looks good, what looks bad?
10:46There's a lot of corrosion on nearly everything.
10:48The fuel tank's particularly bad.
10:50Yeah, it looks like it's been in a very damp area,
10:53doesn't it?
10:53Yeah, yeah.
10:55What about our engine here?
10:57Pistons are seized in the bore.
10:58Yeah.
10:59It's going to be quite a job.
11:01So there's our head.
11:02So what are your thoughts there?
11:04I mean, that looks pretty bad.
11:07I think we need to get it soda blasted,
11:09get it clean and have a proper look.
11:11Right, OK.
11:12And see what we need to do from there.
11:13Yeah.
11:14It might not be much more than an engine and two wheels,
11:17but somehow the task ahead feels every bit as monumental as usual.
11:22For starters, there's the engine block.
11:25Unsurprisingly, two decades left out of the elements
11:28hasn't done much for its complexion.
11:30But what really matters is what condition it's in
11:33once the boys open it up.
11:35Next up, the cylinder head.
11:37Once again, all that weathering hasn't done it any favours.
11:40So once it's been cleaned up, can it be saved?
11:45Finally, the fuel tank.
11:46It's looking leakier than a second-hand tea bag.
11:50So can Tim recondition it?
11:52Or will this big lump of originality be lost forever?
11:56Then, after those battles are won,
11:58the Bonnie will still need new brakes and suspension,
12:01as well as a full respray in period-correct original paint
12:05before it can truly live up to its name.
12:09But before the teardown begins,
12:11it's time for the nation's oldest apprentice
12:14to ride pillion and soak up the master's knowledge.
12:17Because if he's going to help restore Ian's Bonnie,
12:20he'd better learn from the best.
12:23Can we go through some of the terminology here,
12:26what some of these components are called?
12:27So we have our front fork assembly here.
12:30And that comprises of?
12:31Stanchions.
12:32Stanchions.
12:33So that's the bit at the top.
12:34Bottom parts are called the sliders.
12:36So the wheel goes up and down on these.
12:38Yep.
12:39This is the lower yoke.
12:40The lower yoke, OK.
12:41And then we've got our handlebars,
12:43but our handlebars go through these items here.
12:46What are those called?
12:46They're called risers.
12:47Those are risers, OK.
12:48Now, can we move along the frame?
12:50The engine and gearbox combined sits in the frame there.
12:54Finally, the seat sits on here.
12:56Yeah.
12:56And beneath the seat is all the electrics.
13:00Let's pull it apart.
13:03Now that Fuzz is a small step closer
13:05to becoming a certified motorbike expert,
13:09the Bonneville's frame can be stripped down
13:11and sent to the blasters
13:12to remove two decades' worth of rust and grime,
13:16leaving Fuzz to give the remaining smaller parts
13:19the once-over to see what's salvageable.
13:22Here's a brake rod, absolutely bent out of shape.
13:27One of the most appealing things about a motorcycle
13:29is that they are perhaps the most visceral road-going machine
13:35that you can experience,
13:36because there's not a lot to them.
13:38There's a frame, a couple of wheels,
13:40an engine, a gearbox,
13:41and then it's all the rider.
13:44Once things wear out, they need to be replaced.
13:47So if we want Ian's bike to look, as it should do,
13:51as it did, or as close to it as it did in 1973,
13:55we need to do some serious shopping.
13:57So, while Fuzz compiles a list,
14:01Tim is trying to keep Ian's original fuel tank off of it,
14:04with some help from Triumph's in-house clergy.
14:07Excuse me.
14:08I'm looking for a guy who's referred to as Father Fuel Tank.
14:12That'd be me.
14:14Is that you?
14:17Yeah.
14:17What's your name, mate?
14:18It's Gary.
14:19Gary, nice to one, Father Fuel Tank.
14:20Lovely to meet you.
14:21Yes, he might not be an actual man of the cloth,
14:24but Gary has devoted his life to one thing,
14:26and that's Triumph Fuel Tanks.
14:29So if anyone knows if Ian's is going to see the open road again,
14:33it's him.
14:34Right, what are we thinking?
14:35What's it off?
14:36It's off an old Bonneville.
14:38Yeah, early 70s.
14:39Early 70s, yeah.
14:40And what I'm really hoping is that you're going to assess this
14:42and go, we can keep that, we can mint it.
14:44Yeah, big ask.
14:45Let's have a look.
14:53Unfortunately, I think it's too far gone.
14:56If we get all the rust off, the metal would be so thin,
14:59and we need to make sure this tank is going to be safe to put fuel in.
15:04And unfortunately, the state of this, I don't think it is.
15:13Next question, then.
15:14If we're going to replace it,
15:16it makes me think we've got to get the colour absolutely bang on.
15:19What colour would it have been when it came out of the factory?
15:21It would be a gold,
15:22but what particular gold, I don't know.
15:24But I know a guy called Dick Shepherd.
15:26Right.
15:27He knows everything there is to know about Triumph Motorcycles.
15:30Right, so go and see a guy called Dick.
15:31Dick Shepherd, yeah.
15:32Right.
15:32So if Gary's father fuel tank,
15:36that must make Dick the Archbishop.
15:38So while Tim tracks his holiness down,
15:42the apprentice has entered the masters in a sanctum.
15:45All right, might just be Nick's shed,
15:47but there's not a lawnmower in sight.
15:49He's brought Ian's engine home with him
15:52so he can keep working on it day and night.
15:55And it's already paid off
15:56because somehow he's miraculously unseized the pistons.
16:01How did you get them off?
16:02Quite a bit of heat.
16:04Yeah.
16:04A good bit of WD-40 and a bit of diesel.
16:07Yeah.
16:08Mixed in, left it soaking for a couple of days.
16:10Yeah.
16:10Worked it backwards and forwards.
16:11And eventually became free.
16:13So what's the situation now, then?
16:15Now that we've unseized the pistons,
16:17I can see in the lower half of the crankcase
16:19there's not any water in there.
16:20Well, that's good news.
16:21But we don't know what other damage is done elsewhere.
16:23OK, so what's the first step now?
16:25What should we do?
16:25I think we should get the pistons out of the way.
16:27They are scrapped.
16:29So we'll remove those
16:29and then we'll get on with the primary side.
16:31OK, fantastic.
16:37I guess it's important to point out
16:39the differences between the bike and the car
16:41because here we've got a 650cc two-cylinder engine
16:44from the 1970s.
16:46This would have powered the bike up to what sort of speed?
16:49110 miles an hour.
16:50When you compare it to the performance of a car of the time,
16:54to get a car to go 110 miles an hour easily
16:57would have taken something like a three,
17:00three and a half litre V6 or V8 engine.
17:04But at less than half the weight of a classic Mini,
17:07back in the day, even the mighty Porsche 911
17:10would have struggled to keep up off the lights.
17:13Right, OK, so off it comes.
17:18So, here...
17:19This is the alternator.
17:20Yep.
17:20And then here we've got clutch.
17:23Yep.
17:23And then the gearbox is further in there.
17:25It's thrown here.
17:27Since the boys have no idea
17:29when Ian's engine last saw a spanner,
17:31both it and the gearbox
17:33are in for a full internal rebuild.
17:36But if the blocks corroded beyond saving,
17:39the heart of this bonnie could be lost forever.
17:44We can see that water,
17:46which is the enemy of any mechanical item,
17:50certainly like this,
17:51has actually made its way in,
17:53but it's not been able to do...
17:54No, it's not done the damage we feared.
17:56So, with a full internal rebuild,
17:59Ian's engine is going to ride again.
18:01The problem is,
18:03it's not going to get far without a fuel tank.
18:05But to replace it,
18:06Tim still needs to track down Dick
18:08to find out what colour it needs to be sprayed.
18:11Which, in a factory this size,
18:13is easier said than done.
18:14Oh, my word.
18:16Look up at these.
18:18Right?
18:19So, every one of these,
18:20inside those pink wrappers,
18:22is a motorcycle.
18:24He might not have found the oracle Dick Shepherd just yet,
18:27but he has managed to sneak into a corner of the factory
18:30most Triumph fans would give their right handlebar to see.
18:34Apparently, the scale of this whole establishment
18:37is about the size of eight football pitches.
18:40Look at that thing.
18:41That is a sexy-ass Triumph up there.
18:43And it's owned by somebody called Mr David Beckham.
18:48No idea.
18:50Never heard of him.
18:51And, if you thought that was cool,
18:53hold on to your helmets.
18:55That is a special thing to see.
18:57It topped out at around
18:58something like 274 miles an hour.
19:02And it just happens to be sitting there,
19:03chilling in a crate.
19:05And it was piloted by,
19:07look down the side of the window there,
19:09Mr G Martin.
19:10Mr Guy Martin himself.
19:12What a treat.
19:13And the motorcycle eye candy doesn't end there.
19:16Because inside Triumph's museum are bikes from every era of their history
19:21that have been made famous on the road,
19:23racetrack and silver screen.
19:26And they're not the only icons hiding out down here.
19:29Dick.
19:30Oh, hello, Tim.
19:31Hello, mate.
19:32It's an honour to meet you.
19:33Mr Triumph himself,
19:34the man that knows more about Triumphs than anyone on the planet.
19:38Tim's not wrong.
19:39Dick's been on two wheels since the age of nine.
19:41In the half century since,
19:44he's owned, ridden and restored
19:46some of the most important Triumphs ever built.
19:49How many bikes have you got?
19:50I think last count nearly 500.
19:53What?
19:54What?
19:54Are you serious?
19:55500 bikes?
19:57So, if anyone knows what shade of gold
19:59Ian's replacement fuel tank needs to be,
20:02he's the man.
20:03I'm desperate to find the precise right colour
20:06for the painted components,
20:07as in the tank and the, you know,
20:08the two mudguards on the bike.
20:101972.
20:11Is yours in English, Bec?
20:13Yes, yeah.
20:13Well, that's Tiger Gold.
20:15Well, we've got all the paint chip cars,
20:16so we can match it.
20:17No problem at all.
20:18Can you hook me up?
20:19No problem at all.
20:19Right.
20:20What is in here,
20:21amongst all these bikes here,
20:23what is the most special bike?
20:26I think it's got to be the Great Escape bike.
20:29Yes, this is the actual Triumph TR6,
20:32ridden by Hollywood legend Steve McQueen
20:35in the 1963 movie The Great Escape.
20:39So, how Bonneville is this?
20:41Virtually exactly the same as a Bonneville,
20:43except for a few performance parts.
20:46Whilst Ian's bike was built as a road racer,
20:49the TR6 was designed to be its off-road scrambler cousin.
20:52I mean, it's just the coolest thing ever to exist.
20:55Would you like to sit on it
20:56and have your picture taken?
20:58Yes, please.
20:59Is that all right?
21:00Away you go.
21:06For me personally,
21:07this is a really emotional moment.
21:10Every single year,
21:11it's become a tradition
21:12to sit down,
21:13me and my brothers,
21:15sit down and watch
21:17The Great Escape with my dad.
21:19So, to be sitting on the bike,
21:22it's just a surreal moment.
21:27Yes, whilst Tim's living out his schoolboy fantasy,
21:30it turns out it's actually Fuzz
21:32who's in need of a Great Escape.
21:34A bit of bad news.
21:36We've decided against using the cylinder head
21:39off Ian's bike.
21:41A number of reasons.
21:42One is the valve seats are very, very badly corroded
21:46and dipped and pitted.
21:48So, that would take a lot more machining.
21:51And whether we get a really great finish at the end of it,
21:55well, it could be debatable.
21:56So, all in all,
21:58we've decided on a slightly better option.
22:01So, this is actually a cylinder head
22:03produced at the time,
22:04but it's never been used.
22:07Yes, an original replacement
22:09is the golden goose of the parts bin.
22:11But it does mean Fuzz will need to put in some hard graft.
22:15Because when Triumph built these heads back in the 60s,
22:18they left the factory as a blank
22:20so that dealers and race teams
22:21could tweak them for performance.
22:24What we need to do with this unused cylinder head
22:26is machine the valve seats.
22:29Now, what we've done is already completed three,
22:32but there's one more to do.
22:33And we actually do that by hand.
22:36Valve seats have hardened surfaces on the cylinder head
22:39where the intake and exhaust valves close,
22:42forming a gas-tight seal for combustion.
22:45And cutting them by hand allows Fuzz to operate with millimetre precision.
22:50So, in goes our mandrel.
22:52That makes a nice, solid post that we can work with.
22:57Here we go.
22:57We've got our cutting tool here.
23:00And then, this tool here operates on this nut.
23:04So, we're just going 360 degrees, pushing down as we do it,
23:12and cutting away at the face of the valve seat.
23:18Next, Fuzz applies some grinding paste.
23:22This compound contains tiny abrasive particles
23:25which help wear in the seat and valve,
23:28improving the seal between the two surfaces.
23:33You hear the cutting paste.
23:38Let's see how we're doing.
23:40So, all the way around the valve,
23:43we now have a lovely matte finish,
23:47which means we have achieved a gas-tight seal.
23:56So, with the build well underway,
23:58the receding hairline bikers
24:00are taking the opportunity to hit the road.
24:02Born to be free!
24:04To demonstrate what the fuss over two wheels is really all about.
24:17When you're on a bike, you are part of the machine.
24:20It's a connection thing, isn't it?
24:21Yeah.
24:22They're a mechanical horse, in many ways.
24:25Describe the feeling of riding that beautiful old bonnie, son.
24:30So, this is a 1977 Silver Jubilee Edition Triumph Bonneville 750cc.
24:37By today's standards, it doesn't put out that much power.
24:40But it's enough.
24:42It's enough to make you grip onto those bars
24:45when you're accelerating away.
24:48It's just a really great feeling.
24:51You can feel the vibration, the throb of the engine.
24:54Just absolutely amazing.
24:58Open it up.
25:00And off we go.
25:14So, this is the Triumph Bonneville Scrambler.
25:17So, based on basically what Fuzz was riding there,
25:21but this is the X.
25:22So, this is a 1200 twin-cylinder.
25:25So, it's got some serious go to it.
25:26My mum and dad had a Mini Metro, and that was, like, under one litre.
25:30So, this thing is a phenomenally big engine for a little bike.
25:34But it is, ultimately, the great-grandchild of the Bonneville that we are doing for Ian.
25:43If you think about what it is you've got here, you've got an engine.
25:47And how many other spare bits other than an engine?
25:49Well, a couple of wheels and a few other bits with a car.
25:51You've got a load of other nonsense, a load of other tech you don't really need with a bike.
25:54It is just human being meets machine, isn't it?
25:57Yeah.
26:02So, right, so, how does it work?
26:04Riding a bike, then, so, your right hand does two things.
26:06It does the accelerator by twisting,
26:09and it does your front brake by squeezing the lever,
26:12just the same as a pushbike.
26:13Your right foot is your rear brake,
26:16and your left foot is your gears,
26:17and the gear is just one lever.
26:19Push down when you're in neutral to get to first,
26:21and then go up to two, up to three, up to four, up to five.
26:24So, that is why you see bikers click, click, click, click, click when they're at traffic lights,
26:28because they've pulled up in fifth gear, they've posted it up in fifth,
26:30and then they put the clutch in at fine neutral, fine first again for pulling off.
26:35This bike is nearly 50 years old,
26:37but it feels great whether you choose an old bike or a new bike.
26:41It's a superb way to have fun, to get about,
26:45and also to meet some great mates.
26:48You'll never be alone when you're a biker, that's for sure.
26:59In a first for Car SOS,
27:01the boys have taken on this 1973 Triumph Bonneville.
27:06But, despite being half a car, it hasn't been half the work.
27:10After blasting 20 years of rust back to bare metal,
27:14the frame has now been powder-coated.
27:17Tim's managed to track down a replacement fuel tank,
27:20which has been sprayed in a period-correct Tiger Gold colour scheme,
27:24but it's still missing an iconic detail.
27:28The new cylinder head still needs to be mated to the engine,
27:32and then, who knows if it'll actually run.
27:35There's wheels and brakes to fit,
27:37electronics to wire in,
27:39and, to spice things up,
27:41Steve's just arrived to check in on progress,
27:43because why make life easy?
27:45First spot?
27:46Yes.
27:46Steve-O is here.
27:48Come on, come on, get closer.
27:51Wow.
27:51How new, Steve?
27:52Wow.
27:53Look at that, it's like new.
27:54It is, isn't it?
27:55We're keeping the heart and soul of it,
27:56so the frame, we've got the engine, the gearbox,
27:59so really, all the major units,
28:02all the major parts of the bike are going to relive again.
28:05Question for you, then, Steve.
28:07The reveal has to be, in my mind,
28:10and I'm sure you'll agree, and Fuzz will agree,
28:11we want to create an event for him
28:13that will put a smile on his face.
28:15If you could choose anybody on the planet
28:18who could be at that event, who would that be?
28:20Well, I think the obvious one is Sir Alan Bates.
28:24The post office scandal, he brought it to light.
28:27He's a guy who is not only very, very hard to get hold of,
28:31but beyond that, he's suddenly been thrown into the spotlight.
28:35Yeah, yeah.
28:36And he just wants to disappear into obscurity.
28:39OK.
28:39Yes, but in order to make it that moment for Ian,
28:44it's an absolute must.
28:48How hard can it be?
28:50So, before Tim attempts to deliver
28:52the nation's most famous former postmaster,
28:56he's got to meet Triumph's most famous clergyman
28:58to baptise this mechanical baby.
29:02Right, so this tank has been painted in the right colour,
29:05the Tiger Gold.
29:06Yeah, Tiger Gold.
29:07OK.
29:07The green tape represents where the infill will go,
29:10so it'll be black across the front here,
29:12and black along the bottom.
29:14There's also going to be a line between the two.
29:17Yeah, in white paint, crisp white line.
29:19OK.
29:19How many tanks have you worked on since you started?
29:23Thousands.
29:24Absolute thousands of them.
29:26I started working for Triumph back in 1976.
29:29The bikes that have come through this factory,
29:31how many of them have you done?
29:33All of them.
29:34I pinstipe every single tank that comes through this factory.
29:38All of them?
29:38All of them, every single one.
29:40Assuming Gary's taken the odd holiday over the past half century,
29:44he will have painted somewhere in the region of 400,000 tanks,
29:48which equates to roughly a whopping 100 miles of pinstripe.
29:52And remember, Gary's not the only old pro on the job either.
29:57Nick's been taking his work home again.
30:00He's mated the rebuilt cylinder head with the engine,
30:03and is well underway on a few other vital bits too.
30:06So, Nick, things are finally coming along now,
30:10and it's like the bike is taking on its form, its life.
30:15Forks in the front?
30:16Yep.
30:16Refurbished?
30:17Yep.
30:17Wiring harness in.
30:19And I thought that we were going to go with the old clocks at the front now.
30:22They are the old clocks.
30:24Oh, right, OK.
30:25I've just overhauled them, put lenses, bezels, all the bits in,
30:29and cleaned them all up.
30:29Fantastic.
30:30Well, they look great at the front now.
30:32So, are we going to fit the engine?
30:34I think we will.
30:35Well, that is going to bring it way forward.
30:39It will.
30:39OK, let's have a go.
30:41Ian's original engine has had its barrels honed.
30:44There's new pistons, a full clutch replacement,
30:47and a replacement cylinder head.
30:49OK, right.
30:51Now, I think what we'll do is we'll pick it up, OK,
30:55and we'll swing the engine round.
30:57Right, OK.
30:57Well, you be Fred Astaire, and I'll be Ginger Rogers.
31:00Go.
31:00There we go.
31:02Where do we want to go?
31:03We're in the other side.
31:05OK, right.
31:05I'll just hold here.
31:09Motorcycles might be a lot lighter than cars,
31:12but they're still pretty heavy.
31:16There we are.
31:17Look at that.
31:20That's the engine in place,
31:21and all of a sudden,
31:22Ian's bike is on its return to the road.
31:26I could almost get on it and ride it,
31:29but we're not quite there yet.
31:31Yes, it's not going anywhere
31:33until Father Fuel Tank delivers his final blessing.
31:37I'm fascinated already by what's going on here.
31:40What are these things?
31:41They're called dagger liners or pinstriping bushes.
31:44So the bottom of the bush has short hairs.
31:48The top of it longer.
31:49So they've got a little piece of wood on the left-hand side.
31:52That's the way you hold them.
31:54The shorter bristles have to be on the bottom.
31:58Do you enjoy it?
31:59Love it.
31:59Absolutely.
32:00I never get bored with doing this job.
32:04Nothing I've done in my life,
32:05nothing I've experienced comes close to the pressure.
32:08Drawing just one line.
32:10That's your only job.
32:11One line, dead straight, same thickness.
32:14That's all you've got to do.
32:36I cannot believe what I've just witnessed.
32:40That's just comedy level of skill.
32:44Would you like to have a go on that?
32:46No, absolutely no.
32:49But after some gentle cajoling from the crew...
32:53I've changed my mind because I've got peer pressure
32:55from everyone here at Triumph and the camera people as well.
32:58He's seen the light,
32:59but there's no way he's getting near Ian's tank.
33:02You know what?
33:05I think I'm going to try it like this.
33:10Oh, I can't deal with the stress of it.
33:26I started all right.
33:28Needs work, but...
33:30So from the start to here,
33:34I felt that was all right.
33:36I mean, it would never make it onto a tank in this place,
33:38I know, in comparison to yours.
33:40But from this bit here, that was one breath.
33:43And then, by the time I took a breath here,
33:46I was knackered.
33:47So I was out of breath.
33:49I was...
33:50Let's call it art, Tim.
33:51Not a mistake.
33:54And breathe.
33:56The wait is over.
33:58The panic is over.
33:59You can relax now.
34:01Wow.
34:01Beauty.
34:02The eagle has landed.
34:03Now, that looks great.
34:05Looks lovely.
34:05Yeah.
34:06There you go.
34:06We'll put it over here for now.
34:07OK.
34:09Wow.
34:10I know.
34:10It looks brilliant, doesn't it?
34:12We're getting there.
34:13How can we hear it run?
34:14No, because...
34:16We need a fuel tank on it.
34:17Right.
34:17Wheel.
34:18I'll do the wheel.
34:19You can touch the tank.
34:20It's beautiful.
34:21Unbelievable.
34:22Yep.
34:23While Nick and Fuzz bolt the new tank into place...
34:26Can you hold the handlebars straight?
34:28Please.
34:28OK, roll two.
34:31There we go.
34:33Ian's original wheels have returned from being refurbished and are on the road to perfection.
34:37Anyway, let's get this thing built up.
34:40We've got new spokes on it, a new rim and a new tyre.
34:43As well as a new set of period-correct drum brakes.
34:49Time to put it on the bike.
34:51The boys have also saved his original handlebars, badges and swinging arm, which will now be riding
34:58alongside new indicators, exhaust and mudguards.
35:01I'm going to go up the back end.
35:04Yeah.
35:05Your turn, please, Fuzz.
35:06Ah.
35:07Yes.
35:08Right.
35:10This feels like a moment, regardless of whether or not it runs, to stand back and admire the
35:14work that's been achieved here.
35:16Because for the first time, it now looks like...
35:18A motorbike.
35:19A motorbike.
35:22For the first time in over 30 years, it's going on to its wheels, isn't it?
35:26Yeah.
35:26Big moment.
35:27Big moment.
35:30Go on then, Nick.
35:31Right, here we go.
35:32There he goes.
35:34Oh, what the fuck?
35:35Brilliant.
35:37Mate.
35:37Fantastic.
35:39There is nothing sexier sounding as well, is there, than a twin 650.
35:44That is such a lovely...
35:45Can I?
35:45Yeah.
35:48Go on.
35:49Come on.
35:50You're a rider.
35:51It sounds like a Triumph Shug.
35:55Fabulous.
35:57Right.
35:57We've got a little bit of finishing off to do.
35:59Yeah.
35:59A little bit of prep, a little bit of testing, but hopefully, tomorrow, we will see you down
36:07in South Wales.
36:09So, while the boys add the finishing touches to Ian's first-class Bonneville, has Tim been
36:15able to deliver Britain's most famous postmaster to go along with it?
36:23After more than 700 hours of hard graft, the boys have done it.
36:27Their first ever motorbike restoration is a Triumph.
36:32They've made their way to the Park Le Breos Hotel in Swansea for the big reveal.
36:38The only question now, has Tim lined up a first-class guest to hand Ian's bike back to him?
36:46Oh!
36:46Hold on a minute.
36:47The two together first!
36:49Excuse me, please.
36:50No, no, no.
36:51Excuse me, please.
36:52What do you think you're doing?
36:53Touching the...
36:54Touch that.
36:54Please meet Sir Alan Bates.
36:56This is Fuzz Townsend.
36:57Hello.
36:57Hello.
36:58I'm so sorry about his behaviour.
36:59Honestly, he doesn't get out very often.
37:01Anyway, lovely to meet you, Sir Alan.
37:03Thank you so much for coming down today.
37:04May I explain?
37:06May I dig you out of a hole here, Fuzzbox?
37:07Please do, yeah.
37:08Today is all about giving Ian his bike back.
37:10Yes, of course.
37:11And can I just say, wow.
37:13It does look amazing, doesn't it?
37:15It's very nice, isn't it?
37:17Super.
37:17Super bike.
37:19Now, here's the plan.
37:20So he's coming down here under the pretense he's coming to meet Sir Alan Bates,
37:26who's making a fictitious documentary.
37:28He doesn't know it's fictitious, which is all about basically talking to the victims of the Horizon scandal.
37:33Understood.
37:34At which point, sort of a couple of minutes into the interview, you're going to turn up on the bike.
37:39I'll come around the corner, join the interview, and we give Ian his bike back.
37:43Right, shall we put you in position for the documentary?
37:45Sure, yeah.
37:45Do you want to get the bike out of here?
37:46Okay, me too.
37:47All right, let's get this show on the road.
37:48Okay.
37:48Come on, then.
37:49Up for you.
37:50So, while Fuzzy Knievel gets himself and the bike hidden...
37:59Ian has just arrived with his family.
38:03Hi.
38:04Hi.
38:05Okay.
38:05It's really good of you to do this.
38:07Well, here we are.
38:08Blissfully unaware, he's about to get far more than just an interview with Sir Alan.
38:12Have a seat.
38:13Do have a seat over there.
38:15Um, move along.
38:17So, with Ian in position and mic'd up, the stage is set.
38:22Okay.
38:23Is everyone happy?
38:24James, you're going to be on a single of Sir Alan.
38:26Three.
38:26And action.
38:29So, your office was where, Ian, exactly?
38:33I remember South Wales.
38:34Well, West Cross.
38:35West Cross, that was it, wasn't it?
38:37Yeah.
38:37Yeah.
38:38I mean, it was a devastating time for so many people.
38:41It really did change their lives.
38:44And the trouble is, you just don't get those years back, do you, unfortunately?
38:47And a lot happens in the interim.
38:49Hold on, guys.
38:50Can we go for two seconds?
38:50There's a bike.
38:52I'm missing a little bit of a noise in the background there.
38:54Okay.
38:56That's the cue.
38:57Fuzz is on his way.
38:59It's time for Tim to move in.
39:04Well, you know, it was a nice one, yeah.
39:09Cool.
39:09Hey, up.
39:10How you doing?
39:11Lovely to meet you.
39:12Do you recognize my face at all?
39:13Oh, yes.
39:14Where from?
39:15What else have you been doing here?
39:16Well, I'm from a television show called Car SOS, and we decided we might make an exception,
39:22despite the fact it's called Car SOS, and consider rebuilding a motorcycle.
39:27No!
39:28And we thought we might do a beautiful early 70s Bonneville.
39:32It's mine.
39:33It is your bike.
39:35Oh, look.
39:39Come on.
39:41Come and have a look.
39:46I know this is a bit much to take on.
39:49God!
39:50So all of this with Sir Alan to get your bike back on the road for you.
39:55So that is your Bonneville.
39:58Oh, so what?
40:02Come up here with me for a moment.
40:07There are a few other people that we know quite well as well here.
40:10Can we bring out Ian's family, please?
40:16Right, come on.
40:17Come and say hello.
40:18Come on, darling.
40:19Everyone.
40:22Right, Steve.
40:23Can you explain to Ian why you wrote to us and why you deserve the Car SOS treatment?
40:27Ian, everything that's ever happened to you, all the hurdles you've jumped over over the last,
40:32sort of 20 years, some of the trials and tribulations, mate.
40:36We wanted to try and do something for you.
40:38Can we have a huge round of applause for Ian and his beautiful Bonneville, please?
40:43Woo!
40:50The last time Ian saw his beloved Bonnie, the nickname didn't quite match the machine.
40:55In bits boxed up and stored under a tarpaulin for two decades, it was slowly turning to dust.
41:03But thanks to some first-class restoration work, they've turned this disaster into a triumph.
41:10The engine has been stripped, cleaned and rebuilt with new pistons, valves, cylinder head and clutch.
41:17The wheels have been refurbished, re-spoked and fitted with new brakes.
41:22The replacement fuel tank has been sprayed in period-correct Tiger Gold colour scheme,
41:28complete with the iconic white pinstripe applied by Father Fuel Tank himself.
41:34Ian's original dials and clocks have been lovingly refurbished.
41:38His old seat has been cleaned up and refitted, and those badges are back where they belong.
41:44Signed, sealed and delivered, this Bonnie's ready to turn back the clock.
41:52With Ian unable to speak fully after his stroke,
41:55his three daughters are helping him express just how important this bike truly is.
42:01In terms of a good day today, out of ten, what number are we at?
42:05Oh, a thousand.
42:08Am I right in thinking the bike was in bits in the back of a post office once upon a
42:13time?
42:13Oh, yeah, it actually was.
42:14Was it really?
42:14Was it really?
42:16This is the first time Katie and I have actually seen the bike in one piece,
42:19like, all of our lives, it's been, the bike is in pieces.
42:22And have you been aware of the importance of the bike?
42:24I mean, is it something in your mind that's just, like, top of the list in terms of stuff?
42:27Oh, yeah, Dad talks about the top bike all the time. He loves his bike.
42:31When you look at the bike, Ian, how does it make you feel?
42:34Yeah, it's spinning.
42:37Amazing.
42:38So what do you want for the future for your dad with the bike?
42:41What, what, in your mind, what is the perfect image for you girls?
42:46Dad on the back of the bike.
42:47Yeah, yeah.
42:48Yes.
42:49On the back of the bike, being ridden down front of Mumbles to go for a nice ice cream.
42:55Yeah.
42:56OK.
42:57Does that make a good idea, Ian?
42:58Oh, yes, it would be definitely good.
43:01Ian, you know the show, don't you?
43:03Yes.
43:04So do you know what happens next?
43:05Uh, yes.
43:06I mean, it's confusing for me because it says Car SOS on it, so I'll say, you have been Car
43:12SOS'd with a bike.
43:13There we are.
43:14There you go.
43:14Wow, there we go.
43:15Oh, look at that, see?
43:16Amazing.
43:26What a beautiful bike. Can you feel it?
43:28Oh.
43:28Oh, you know, it's so good. It's marvellous.
43:35First bike, eh?
43:37Not the last, son.
43:38Not the last.
43:39Yes.
43:41Oh.
43:44Beautiful.
43:46It's got to be the coolest bike out.
43:49Yeah.
43:54We'll be back.
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