Car S.O.S. Season 14 Episode 5
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"If you enjoyed this video and would like to support our team—helping us get that extra 'coffee energy' for our late-night work sessions—please consider making a donation via PayPal! ☕️
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📺 Full English subtitles available; fast updates on all titles
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FunTranscript
00:16This time on Car SOS, it's small, it's British, and it's falling to bits.
00:22These two ramp arms here are going to cut through this thing like a knife through hot
00:26butter. Ooh, that is bad. So, can the boys revive this old rust bucket? Walk over the crunchy
00:34autumn leaves. Or is it the end of the road for this British icon? Oh, God, we're in big trouble.
01:00We are in South Wales, Timmy. And let's talk about why we're here, because today we are
01:05picking up a very cool plastic mini. Yes. I'm going to be honest with you, I don't get the
01:11mini thing. What do you mean you don't get the mini? Everybody gets the mini. No, no, I
01:14don't. I've owned three of them, we grew up with them, but I just don't get the little
01:19minis. They're like toy cars, they're like my first car. No, but the mini is everything
01:23or anything to anyone. Launched in 1959. Yes. You could fit a family of four in it comfortably
01:30with all their luggage and go on holiday. And then, of course, in the 1960s, people thought,
01:35wait a minute, if we suit that up, that's going to be an absolute ripper of a rally car. And
01:40it was. And then pop stars and movie stars in the 1960s went, hey, if I got a little mini
01:46and painted it in psychedelic colours, hey, it's going to look super cool. And it was.
01:52Yes, few cars have left a mark on Britain's roads, racetracks and culture quite like the
01:58mini. Born out of the 1956 Suez oil crisis, its tiny 848cc engine could return over 40 miles
02:07to the gallon at a time when most family cars barely managed 30. It was also affordable.
02:13Could park in spaces regular drivers wouldn't even register, yet spacious enough for four.
02:18Its brilliance came from its space-saving separate front and rear subframes that carry
02:24the engine, gearbox and suspension independently of the body shell. Plus, a sideways mounted engine
02:31and gearbox, ultra-thin lightweight doors and tiny 10-inch wheels that are pushed out to the
02:36corners to free up cabin space. A move which inadvertently gave it the handling of an espresso-powered
02:43go-kart that, when empty, shifted quicker than a terrier after the posties' ankles. And while
02:49the one the boys are on their way to see is a later 1980s mini Mayfair, under the skin,
02:55it's still a national treasure and proof that size isn't everything.
03:00Come on, then. Whose car are we picking up today? We're picking up Donna's car today. We're
03:05meeting her best mate Tamina and her brother Bernie, all right? Okay.
03:12Hello. Hello, mate. How's it going? How's it going? How's it going? Where are we? What's
03:17this place? We're in Bernard's friend's garage in Caffilly. Right. And Donna is currently about
03:2230 minutes away in Cardiff. She's in work, so she's got absolutely no idea. She thinks the
03:27car has gone into storage. Okay, fantastic. Go on, then. Let's have a look. Go on, then.
03:40Ooh. That's a thing of beauty, look. What? Listen, let's me and you, just me and you,
03:45are going to talk about Donna's story. Come on to me, let's go.
03:50It's in a bit of a bad way, isn't it? The arches, they're coming off, aren't they?
03:54Everything about it is screaming out, total, total rebuild.
04:03How long's the car been around? So, the car's been around since about 2014. Right.
04:10Donna's dad sadly passed away and he always said he was going to buy her her dream car,
04:16which is the Mini. Right. So, when he did pass away, with the small amount of money that was
04:20left, um, and while she'd saved up, she ended up buying this Mini now. Okay. Would you say it's
04:27the single most important material item she owns? Yes. Without a doubt. I reckon more than her
04:32wedding ring. Really? Really? But that's nothing against her husband, though, right? No, it's not.
04:37So, she still loves her husband. Has he got an engine? Yeah. It's a 1275 GT. It's a 1275?
04:46Yeah, she always wanted a Cooper, she did. She wanted a Cooper, but this...
04:50Is a Mayfair. It's a Mayfair. Right, let's have a look around the back.
04:56Ooh! That is bad. I mean, where does she live? Does she live on a beach?
04:59Yeah. It's kind of sad to see a car that's sort of got into this state.
05:07So, what has happened in Donna's life for the car that she loves so much? I'm assuming
05:11it wasn't in that condition when she bought it. No. Donna's sister was diagnosed with cancer,
05:16um, and the car basically took a back seat. And in the meantime, she was experiencing her
05:22own problems. She'd noticed, um, some difference in... There was difference in the way she was
05:27acting and behaving. Um, there was issues with her memory, um, and eventually, she was diagnosed
05:34with encephalitis. At one point, uh, the doctors did say to her that her brain was shrinking.
05:42How bad has it got for her? So, she needs to write everything down. At one point, the situation
05:47was so bad that she forgot her own children's names. Hang on, there's more to it than the car.
05:54Yeah. This is about reminding her of memories as well, isn't it? Yes. Exactly, yeah. So,
05:58it's always going to be a reminder of this is what my father always wanted to give me. What
06:04do you know about how she wants that car to look? I do know she wants it blue. I know
06:08she's
06:08always loved a Mini Cooper. So, a Mini Cooper is the dream. Yes. Let's go and see how
06:14the fuzz is going on. Come on. Come on, then. Forwards we go. Okay, come on. Let's get this
06:30last one done, Bernie. Yeah. Right. Locked and loaded. Right. We'll look after it. Hungry much.
06:38For a small car, it's got a lot of big, big problems. It may be tiny, but the boy's task
06:45is anything but. Because not only do they need to build Donna her dream Cooper, they've
06:50got to do it in a way that hangs on to as much of her original car, and with it,
06:54the memories
06:55of her dad as they can.
07:00Ramp legs under. Right, hang on. Under what? I mean, under what? Swiss cheese? I mean, look
07:04at it. You've got the back end, the scuttle on the front, the wings, the bonnet, the bumpers,
07:08the doors, the sides, the B post, the C post, everything. The sills. There's no sills there.
07:12Probably no floor there as well. Everything. Everything needs replacing. Right. So, we're replacing
07:18a lot of this car anyway. Right. It would be better to start with a fully, newly manufactured
07:24shell. I agree, dude, but there is a line. I cannot emphasize the importance of keeping
07:31this identity to Donna. We need to have a look underneath to see if we can save other components
07:36like the subframes. Yeah. Things like that. All right. If we can save those, then replacing
07:42the body shell is on. Well, the assessment underneath this vehicle is going to be at running speed.
07:46I'm going to run from the back to the front before it drops on me, man. I'm telling
07:49you. This is, up there, is one of the worst ones we've taken on. It is. Have you seen
08:02the sills on this thing? Well, I mean, it's rusty, but it's not, I've seen worse. No, it was
08:07a question in that I'm asking, where are they? What? They don't exist. Have a look. Oh, God.
08:13Look at that. What about this hole here? I mean, watch this. Watch this. So the rear
08:21subframe is this section here, the section which would unbolt and drop down as a square
08:25as you can see, or as a rectangle as you can see here, right? That's correct, yeah.
08:29And that, what are you thinking? I think it's touch and go, really. Come on, let's go and
08:35look down the front. Walk over the crunchy autumn leaves. What do you mean? It's a lovely autumn's
08:40day. Walk through the park with me and get to the front of this car. Listen to it. Yeah,
08:44I see what you mean, actually, yeah. Right, now, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself
08:48here, but there may be some good news to be had because maybe the front subframe is going
08:56to be okay, probably because of the generous oil leak. Yeah. But that's... Thank God for
09:02oil leaks. Yeah, that's right, exactly. But everything else, I mean, brakes, all the steering
09:07components, we are grasping at straws with this. Yes, swapping out the body shell for
09:13a replacement might seem like the perfect shortcut to creating Donna's dream Cooper, but doing
09:19it without losing the identity of their cherished Mini is going to be anything but straightforward.
09:25So, first things first. The priority is to assess Donna's original Cooper engine to find out
09:31if it can be saved. If it can, it allows them to keep the core identity of her car. Then,
09:38and only then, can they give the go-ahead to replace the rust-ridden body shell. Finally,
09:44if they somehow pull all of that off, this mundane Mayfair has got to become the super cool sporty
09:50Cooper Donna has always dreamed of. And to make things even more difficult, we will also
09:56need the rotten subframes and suspension reconditioning, as well as a full gearbox rebuild.
10:03So, before the rust spreads any further, Fuzz is getting to work, carefully peeling away the rotten
10:10body shell, so he can get a better look at the condition of everything else underneath. So,
10:15I'm going to go in, detach everything that connects this area with the inside of the car. Things like
10:23the accelerator, clutch, gear linkages, etc. And then, we'll see if we can get the subframe bolts out
10:31and drop it all down. And then, and only then, will we know if we can save it.
10:42We weren't going to be using that again anyway. The thing about Minis is, they kind of look great,
10:49and when they came out, there was nothing like them. They're fun to drive, and of course,
10:56they were cheap to buy. And, easy to modify. Of course, take the grille off, put some slightly wider
11:04wheels on. Instantly, even though you're driving a base model, it looks and feels like a, like a rally
11:11spec. It's like a modifier's dream. And that, in a way, is why they are evergreen.
11:21I'm having fun. I'm in the zone.
11:25Yes, Fuzz is taking full advantage of the Mini's unibody construction. Those detachable front and
11:31rear subframes let him strip the whole thing down quickly and see just how much of Donna's little
11:37car he can actually save. Hopefully, now, we are free.
11:47Now, this is the subframe here. This holds the engine and the gearbox and the transmission and the
11:55steering. This is absolutely horrible around here. Everything has got to be restored.
12:04This is a massive, full-on job. Make no mistake.
12:10Tim and Fuzz have faced some whopper-sized renovations before. But, in a hilarious twist
12:16of fate, this 1987 Mini might just be the biggest yet.
12:20Well, it's time to take a look at this engine because we've got to save this. And what I'm hoping
12:26is that it's not so badly worn and so poorly maintained that it's almost beyond the brink.
12:40They share their lubricating oil with the gearbox. So, you've got those gears churning together and
12:48you've got the engine also operating. So, it's a kind of massive compromise. So, I'm just hoping that
12:56once I get the cylinder head off that we'll find that the engine doesn't look too badly worn internally.
13:04And hopefully, there's a little bit of room left for us to be able to remachine it, put some fresh
13:11pistons in there and bring this old power unit back to life. Looking at it though, it's really bad.
13:21Sharing the oil between the engine and gearbox was a brilliant space-saving engineering trick,
13:27but it's also a risky one. Because if anything nasty has found its way into it, it can take out
13:32both
13:33components in one fell swoop. I can't see any signs of mayonnaise or emulsified oil. We haven't got that,
13:44but still looks pretty grim in there. The oil smells like it's pretty old. So, it may have gone well
13:52past
13:52its service intervals. Still, on we go.
14:02Now, what I can see is rust around number three combustion chamber. To me, that would indicate that
14:12perhaps we have the start of a leaking head gasket. That's a relatively simple fix for a man of fuzz's
14:21talents. The real nightmare begins if the engine block is beyond saving. If they have to replace
14:27that, not only will they lose the heart of the car Donna's dad bought her, they'll have to find a
14:32way
14:32to refurbish her existing rust-ridden body shell. So, we've got score marks in number two here. Now,
14:39that means that either the engine has overheated, this piston has expanded, and it has rubbed
14:48against the cylinder wall. Or it could be that one of the piston rings that are around the piston
14:54and form the gas-tight seal. If one of those was broken, then it would cause scoring on the side
15:02of
15:02the ball like this. If it's too far worn on these two balls at the end here, we're in big
15:09trouble.
15:11So, while the team dive in to saving Donna's all-important original engine,
15:16Tim's headed out on a crucial research mission accompanied by a genuine slice of Mini Cooper
15:21royalty. And if this guy can't change his opinion of these British icons, nothing will.
15:27So, if you're wondering who this man is, you might recognise the surname because your grandfather was
15:31who? He was John Cooper. The guy that started the Mini Cooper, but before that won the Formula One
15:38World Championship twice. Yes, Tim's out for a drive with a Cooper in a Cooper. Because if this master
15:45plan to replace the body shell comes off, the boys are going to need a road map for how to
15:49turn a blank
15:50canvas into Donna's dream car. How did it happen? You've got Isagolus who designed this car. You've
15:56got your grandfather. How did the two meet? Well, they used to race together. And he told him about
16:02this little car he was designing that was in response to a fuel crisis, to an oil crisis that
16:08was supposed to be economical, family, city car. But an unintended consequence of kind of the layout
16:15was how it handled. It handled really well because the wheels are on each corner, so the balance was
16:20really good for a front-wheel drive car. And yeah, that's when Grandad had a go in one and thought,
16:26this is a good handling little car. Maybe it could be a race car.
16:34What is it that makes a Mini Cooper a Mini Cooper? I mean, it's the sportiness. It's the fun.
16:40It's that little extra bit of smiling it gives you when you drive it. I'm sorry if I'm annoyed because
16:44I've got a smile on my face. I can't shake off it. Well, that didn't take long. I mean, this
16:50one
16:50probably has 90 horsepower. Still feels like you're going a million miles an hour. It's just
16:56so responsive. It's like just an extension of yourself. I mean, it's a clichéd saying about
17:02Minis, but it's a little go-kart. Yeah. Front-wheel drive go-kart. Yeah, it really is, isn't it?
17:09Right, listen. So the reality of it is we are doing up Donna's little car. It's a Mayfair. It's not
17:13the
17:13Mini Cooper. So have you got a bit more horsepower in it? We've got the 1275. So we've got the
17:19Cooper engine. But what about, like, what about brakes? So yeah, upgraded brakes. One of the
17:23first things Grandad did from the Mini to the Mini Cooper was, was they got little disc brakes.
17:28Smallest disc brakes in the world. Right. Because it didn't stop very well on those old, old
17:32drum brakes. You need the Mini light wheels. Stripes. Got to have the stripes. Cooper stripes. What's the
17:37story? Where did the stripes come from? So back in the 50s, I think even in the 40s, all the
17:42race cars
17:43at the time, always British racing green. Yeah. And Grandad, given that there were so many British
17:48cars in the 50s, he just got a bit fed up. He was like, look around the corner of the
17:52pit straight,
17:52like, is that a Cooper? Is that my car? So he's put the two white stripes on. And that was
17:56the start of
17:56the two white stripes. My Grandad's philosophy was, it is what you want it to be. He broke the rules.
18:06He was about a rule breaker. So that said, what about if I was to present you with, from Donna's
18:13car,
18:14which is a Mayfair, the flap off the glove box, could you possibly sign that to Donna and make it
18:19the Charlie Cooper one of one? Yeah. Why not? To do that. Of course, yeah.
18:24Hey, pull over now before you change your mind. Let's do it. Let's do it. I've got a pen, I've
18:27got everything.
18:30Here we go. Charlie Cooper, one of one. There you go. That's it. There it is. Right. For the petrol
18:37heads out there, for the minifans out there. Who's jealous? Man, that is so cool.
18:45Let's just hope the new body shell plan pays off. Otherwise, Tim's got a lovely new Cooper part
18:52and nowhere to stick it. Meanwhile, with the team still battling to save Donna's engine, gearbox,
18:58original subframes and suspension components, Fars is paying a visit to Alan to pick up a refurbished
19:05carburetor for Donna's engine that will help reinstate that iconic Cooper punch. Now, what is
19:11the job of the carburetor? Carburetor is a fueling device. It is designed to mix air and fuel at exactly
19:20the right viscosity to make an engine perform correctly. The mini Mayfair's original 848cc engine
19:29was all about economy. But thanks to Charlie's grandad, the 1275 upgrade not only has a larger
19:35bore and stroke giving more power, it has bigger valves and a modified cylinder head that improves
19:41airflow. Which, when combined with this SU carb, give it more torque and top-end power.
19:48And if you're thinking, that's all well and good, but how do carburetors work? Tim's put together a
19:54demonstration for you that absolutely sucks. Now, I want you to imagine that this thing here,
19:59this wet and dry vacuum cleaner, Donna's engine, and there is the fuel that we need to get into
20:04Donna's mini to make it run. So how do we do that? Well, we do that with a carburetor. But
20:09how does a
20:09carburetor work? How does it work out how much fuel to put in to the wet and dry vacuum cleaner,
20:18so it's the right amount? One thing's for sure, it doesn't just pour it in, does it? There isn't a
20:23great big funnel in your car. The solution involves making use of a scientific principle discovered in
20:291797, known as the Venturi effect. Now, let's see.
20:42Now, look. Look at that. There it is. And that's it. There is your fluid going into the engine.
20:53So, how the hell does that work? Well, it's amazing because actually what's happening here is
20:59the air moving through this hole, because it's a smaller hole, is being forced to speed up.
21:04And as a result of that air speeding up, you get the crucial thing, which is a pressure drop. And
21:10as
21:11a result of that pressure drop, we've got a little bit of a vacuum being created inside this pipe.
21:15And guess what goes flying up that pipe to equalise that? That is your fuel. As you put your foot
21:22down
21:22on the accelerator, it draws in more air. And if you're going slower, it draws in less air. So it
21:28actually chooses the amount of fuel relative to the air going in, which is just this self-governing,
21:35incredible, mind-blowing system. And if Donna wants her Mayfair to feel like a proper Cooper,
21:41the carburetor is a critical component. So, Alan, what's our next step? We've got the
21:48throttle butterfly. We've got the choke mechanism on there. What do we do now?
21:53Right. Let's put the float valve in. Do you want to put that one in then?
21:56OK. Yes, please. Right. There we go.
22:01OK. There we are. And then in with the needle.
22:05The float valve and needle control the flow of fuel in and out of the carb. As fuel enters,
22:12the float rises, pushing the needle into its seat and shutting off the supply. That's right.
22:17Minis use this style of SU carb for decades because they're incredibly tunable. A tiny tweak of the
22:23needle and float can transform how lively the engine feels, which is why petrolheads love them.
22:29Right. So, is that our carburetor rebuilt? Yes. All done.
22:34When it's finely tuned, we'll be producing exactly the right amount of power. That's going to be utterly perfect.
22:41Yes. Let's just hope the team have been able to save Donna's original engine to go along with it.
22:48Tim and Fuzz are working their magic on this 1987 Mini Mayfair, a tiny car with a big list of
22:55problems.
22:56Their plan is to replace the entire body shell before it crumbles to dust, to transform it into the
23:02Mini Cooper Donna always dreamed of. But that can only happen if they save her original engine,
23:08the beating heart of the car her dad bought her.
23:13Now, here is an engine with a difference. It's Donna's car's same engine, but it's been rescued.
23:21And that is an amazing thing. I thought that it was going to need reboring, but actually it's just
23:27needed a good honing. Now, what is honing? Well, honing is like a set of three spinning stones that go
23:34down inside the bore and then open out as they're spinning centrifugally and just lightly dress,
23:42lightly clean up the bore. So it has standard size pistons still, new piston rings, new bearings.
23:49The only thing Donna will need to do is make sure that it gets oil changes on a very, very
23:55regular
23:56basis. Not like a modern car, but like perhaps every 3000 miles. And that will keep this in tip top
24:02condition. It looks superb. So time to put the cylinder head on. It's been checked. It's all nice
24:11and flat. Just a little bit of dressing here and there. This is great. We are in the business of
24:22restoration. So now our cylinder head is in place. Now we can start doing our valve clearances. That
24:31is the distance between the rocker arm and this stem of the valve right here. Now we have to set
24:40those
24:40with a little bit of clearance because as the engine warms up, all of the metal items expand
24:47and the valve stems get longer. So if we had these tight down, then what would happen is
24:56there wouldn't be any room for expansion, which would mean that the valves would be left ever so
25:01slightly open, which would reduce the compression within the cylinders, which then means that we
25:08will get much less power. We need to get this to a set amount of clearance, a set distance. So
25:17what we use
25:19these feeler gauges, all of these are different thicknesses, tiny, tiny thicknesses, tiny increments,
25:29but they all count. So I just put it in between the rocker arm and the valve stem. And then
25:41get my screwdriver and I wind down the adjuster screw until I've just got a bit of resistance
25:50so that I can just drag the feeler gauge back and forth. It's not much longer now until this
25:57engine is completely built. And then we'll marry it up to the gearbox, which fits underneath,
26:02at which point we're getting close to fitting it back in the subframe. It's going to be mega.
26:09So with Donna's engine saved, it's go, go, go on replacing the body shell.
26:14If you've ever wondered what the motoring industry in this country was like back in the 50s and 60s,
26:19it was like this. So Tim has come to the experts at British Motor Heritage, one of the largest makers
26:28of classic car body shells and panels anywhere on the planet. It's the smell, the noise, the place is
26:35frenetic. It's just full of energy. In this vast aircraft hangar size workshop, the team have churned out
26:42over 7,000 body shells and panels for now defunct marks by Austin, Triumph and BMC, mostly crafted on
26:50machinery rescued from the very factories where these cars were first built. Damon. Hello.
26:58Hello. Question for you. That spot welder there, was that from back in the day, making Minidor?
27:04Yes, it was. That is so cool. This place is incredible. A working museum. A working museum.
27:09That's the way I like to put it. So we've literally gone back in time. Right, man,
27:12I need to talk to you about a body shell. Yes. I need to get a full body shell for
27:16a classic mini,
27:16and I'm here to basically help you make it. Can we start with the door? Start with the door, yeah.
27:22So if I set it up, we've got the bottom tapping plate. Yeah. Top tapping plate. First off,
27:29Tim needs to spot well together the components that make up the inner frame of the door. We want to
27:35put a couple of spots on here. Original mini doors were designed to be extremely thin compared to
27:42other cars of the era. That's it. Yep, bring it on to the next one. This not only saved weight,
27:48but also freed up precious elbow room between the driver and passenger. One of the mini's mini tricks
27:54for making it feel bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. Now,
27:58we have our sub components for a door. So now we'll go over to the original multi welder over
28:05there. Okay. Place components in. Yeah. And we'll spot welding together. Come on, let's do it.
28:14What the hell is that? What is that thing? It's a multi welder to produce doors for a mini
28:20part three onwards. So it's a jig that is going to accept what some of what we've just done. Yes,
28:26correct. Spot welding is where you've got two electrodes, high current being forced through
28:31the material. Its natural resistance creates heat and therefore creates a fused nugget. That's what
28:38they call it. Yeah. Did you know that? No. That's what they call it, a nugget. But that is a
28:43weld,
28:43ultimately. Can I have a go? So is this going to go on there? This goes on there, yeah.
28:49Right. Now what? Hit the two black buttons. And what'll happen? And that'll weld it together. Just
28:56like that? Hopefully, yeah. And get ready to cut. No way. And there you have a door. That was amazing.
29:09Next, Damon adds a few more spot welds to give the door additional strength.
29:16Then the outer door skin is glued onto the frame.
29:21I've done a lot of corking, believe it or not. It doesn't show.
29:27Then it's back under the spot welder to lock everything in place.
29:31Before the edges of the skin are hammered under the frame for a new finish.
29:36So this is the way that every single mini door would have been done back in the day?
29:40Yeah, it would have been. I hope Donna appreciates how much
29:43hard work goes into the making of a replacement shell for her.
29:47There's a lot of work.
29:48Yes, but after all that hard graft comes a reward.
29:51Swanning in and acting like you built it entirely on your own.
29:57First part, I've got a little tiny something I'd like to show you.
30:01Have a look.
30:04Made from the original mini pressings from way back when.
30:08I give you a brand new shell for Donna's car.
30:12It looks very lovely.
30:15I can't hear you over the crowd roaring, Fuzzbots.
30:18Yeah, it's great.
30:19Wow.
30:20That's brilliant.
30:21That's fantastic.
30:22Bigger than that.
30:22Okay.
30:23The parts-plagging petrol head has delivered.
30:27Before Tim's head gets any bigger and they can't get it out of the door,
30:31the shell is straight off to be prepped and sprayed Donna's dream colour, Tahiti Blue.
30:37While her bonnet gets a set of those all-important iconic Cooper white stripes.
30:43Do you want to see something absolutely amazing?
30:47Come in here.
30:51Now look.
30:53Look at this.
30:54Wow.
30:56And the shiny new components that are going to transform this blank canvas into a Cooper don't end there.
31:03So here's the rear subframe assembly, all completed, put back together.
31:08Now, I'll admit that we have had to change the subframe itself.
31:13We've managed to save the front subframe because, of course, lots of oil splashing around the front,
31:18lots of oil leaks, lots of corrosion protection.
31:21We have kept most of the suspension components and hub components, so we've got a lot of originality here.
31:28But what I wanted to point out was the genius of the Mini.
31:32And that is, in the original design, we had rubber suspension.
31:38When the car goes over a bump in the road, this arm moves up and that levers against this rod
31:43here.
31:44And as it squashes that rubber cone, that cone gets progressively harder, tougher to squeeze.
31:50So you have progressive suspension.
31:52It's an idea of genius, and it's what made the Mini possible.
31:58Just fitting everything into these tight little spaces allowed the maximum space for passengers.
32:04That's why the Mini stayed in production for over 40 years.
32:09That is a thing of utter, utter genius.
32:13So, while Fuzz gets busy fitting them to the car, Tim is off sorting four little details
32:19that are going to help transform Donna's mundane Mayfair into a corking Cooper.
32:25Hang on a minute.
32:26Is that actually Donna's wheel?
32:27Those are her original wheels.
32:29They look brand new.
32:31Yes, to become the real deal, it's going to need the right wheels.
32:34Luckily, Donna already had this set of upgraded Cooper Mini lights fitted.
32:38And these puppies aren't just about looks.
32:41They're another ingenious upgrade made by John Cooper.
32:45Cast from magnesium, they're lighter than the standard steel rims that improves handling and grip.
32:51And that open-spoke design, that channels more air onto the brakes for cooling when things get spicy.
32:58Adam has already given them a full refurb.
33:01So, now it's time to add the finishing touch.
33:03Diamond cutting the rims back to their shine.
33:07Oh mate, that's a lovely thing.
33:08Question for you.
33:09With a diamond cut wheel, how many times can you diamond cut a wheel before you go,
33:14yeah, not enough metal left?
33:15Rule of thumbs, three or four times, maybe.
33:20All done.
33:21It's done?
33:22It's done.
33:23Let's have a little shuffly there.
33:24Let's have a little peek.
33:29Mate, that is beautiful.
33:32If you thought that was beautiful, Tim, have a look at this.
33:36No, not that.
33:38Donna's original engine, the true beating heart of her car, has been saved.
33:43Paired with her rebuilt original gearbox, suspension and front subframe, the team have
33:49kept the memories intact and they're on the road to giving her the Mini Cooper styling she's always
33:53dreamed of.
33:54So, here we have the engine assembled together with the gearbox.
33:58So, the engine part is this bit, the red bit.
34:00And then we have our drop gears and clutch over this end.
34:04And then here in the sump is the gearbox.
34:08Once this goes into the car, we are really bringing together Donna's dream.
34:22Keep going.
34:24Keep going.
34:26Right, we're okay at the front here.
34:29The engine's almost in.
34:31We're just being very delicate with it because we don't want to scratch the newly painted bodywork.
34:37But, do you know, I think that that looks a treat in there.
34:44See, my head tells me that you're thinking I need a grill.
34:46Yeah, that's right.
34:47Although, actually, I do quite like the open mouth look.
34:51No, you don't.
34:51Not on you, on the Mini.
34:52Right, shall I get your screws?
34:54I've got the screws here already.
34:55Yeah, okay.
34:56Right, I'm going to slap a seat in.
34:57Yes, with the engine now back in and sporting a reconditioned carb, things can really start
35:03to motor.
35:04Donna's original interior has gone and in its place goes an upgraded Cooper one with sportier seats.
35:11Seats are in.
35:12And, on the advice of the man himself, the team have fitted an
35:16upgrade set of disc brakes to keep those freshly diamond cut mini light wheels under control.
35:22And, to complete the look, Vaz is adding the iconic Cooper rally style spotlights.
35:32Unbreathe.
35:33Right, Vazbot, the badge is on, mate.
35:36What's that about badges?
35:37Don't panic, Vaz, there's no badges about.
35:39But, there is a very important glove box flap being reunited with its natural habitat.
35:45It's just a special thing that I want Donna to discover.
35:49Oh, my word.
35:50It's an honorary Charlie Mini Cooper.
35:54Done.
35:55Right.
35:56Shh.
35:56Mum's a word.
35:59With the chrome work, with all the Cooper gear on it, the Cooper Strikes, the white roof,
36:03the lot, the Mini Cooper badges, everything about this car is absolutely singing and dancing.
36:08This has been an emotional journey for me in the sense that, like, when we started this, Fuzz,
36:11gotta admit, I wasn't a Mini fan.
36:13No.
36:13But, the thing about it is, as you said, it is a blank canvas.
36:16You can make it how you want it.
36:17But, do you think we've got it right?
36:19Do you think that this is Donna's dream?
36:22I'm going to say yes.
36:23Yeah?
36:24We haven't met Donna.
36:25No.
36:25But, I'm going to say you'd really struggle to find somebody who wouldn't just instantly
36:29say, that is cool, that car.
36:31Yeah.
36:32I think it's great.
36:33I think it is.
36:34But, we have to wait until tomorrow to know that we've got it right.
36:39It's taken almost 700 hours of hard work, but the day has finally come to hand Donna's
36:45Mini back to her.
36:47Fuzz and the car have returned to South Wales.
36:50It looks like Tim's running late.
36:53Ah, come on, Tim.
36:54Where is he?
36:56Good morning.
36:57Oh, no!
36:58It's me!
36:59Look at you!
37:00This is all part of the plan.
37:01Anyway, stop for a minute, Fuzz, and let's just appreciate pure beauty.
37:06That's right, and we are talking about the car.
37:08Absolutely.
37:08Right.
37:09Mate, what a transformation, and what a stunning car.
37:12Yeah, it is.
37:13And, hopefully, exactly what Donna wanted.
37:16Right, do you want to know what's happening?
37:17Yeah, go on, Ev.
37:18Right, Donna, today, is sitting at home, just chilling with Tamina.
37:22Right.
37:22Life is normal, the birds are tweeting, everything's just going by.
37:26Nothing special's happening today.
37:28Okay.
37:28But it is, because what's going to happen at a certain point is there'll be a knock on the door.
37:32Because when she opens the door, there's going to be a parcel on the drive.
37:35Right.
37:36Lots of regular dimensions, of huge dimensions.
37:39You mean this size?
37:40Yes, with you inside it, in the car.
37:43Okay, I don't like the dark.
37:44She's going to be like, what have I ordered?
37:47Yeah.
37:47Tamina's going to be like, what have you done?
37:49What have you clicked buy on?
37:50At a certain point, a runner is going to go past the house.
37:54Who's going to spot this massive box and go, yeah, what have you bought there?
37:57Yeah.
37:57Get into conversation.
37:58Yes.
37:59And when the time is right, out comes you in the car.
38:01And the rest, as they say, is car SOS.
38:04Fantastic.
38:05Special delivery.
38:08So, with the plan in place, it's time for the fun to begin.
38:12Donna's house has been secretly rigged with hidden cameras.
38:16Her best friend Tamina has arranged a pot round to see her, which is actually all a roost to help
38:21keep Donna in the kitchen and away from her front door.
38:26Hello.
38:27Oh, my God.
38:27It's been ages.
38:28I know.
38:29Jesus.
38:29You all right?
38:30Yeah.
38:31Right, the kettle's on.
38:32Good.
38:33I need a coffee.
38:36Because just on the other side of it, the boys are getting the world's largest cardboard box
38:40and fuzz and the car into position.
38:47It's gone quiet.
38:49It's now a waiting game.
38:52We're on the drive.
38:52We're in place.
38:54My blood pressure is through the roof, so it's time to play knock a door run.
38:58It's like you are here with us right now.
39:00This is going down for real.
39:10I'm going to be here.
39:10Someone knocking the door.
39:19Shut up.
39:21What is it?
39:22I don't know what it is.
39:24Are you taking pictures?
39:25Yeah, because...
39:25It's coming round the...
39:26Don't touch it.
39:27You don't even know what's in there.
39:31Maybe...
39:32My God, what comes in a box that size?
39:34That's right, I'm trying to find out, but...
39:35What is it, sorry? What have you ordered?
39:38I reckon that's a sofa suite.
39:40Is it got a name on it? Maybe...
39:42It's got my name on it, but I don't know...
39:42It's got your name on it.
39:45Shall I open it?
39:46Do you want me to...?
39:48Don't mind, I'm going to open it.
39:50Let's see what's in it.
39:54What? Oh, my God!
39:57Stop it! Stop it!
39:59Hello, mate.
39:59Stop it.
40:02Recognise that?
40:03No.
40:04Well, your one was yellow.
40:05Yeah, yeah, yeah.
40:06It's now the colour that you wanted.
40:08It was a car that your dad always wanted to say.
40:11An E993-WWG.
40:13That's my car.
40:13That is your car.
40:14That is your car.
40:15That's my Mini.
40:16That's your Mini.
40:17That's my Mini.
40:17And I'm Tim.
40:18And this is Foz, and we do a TV show...
40:20We do a...
40:21Yeah, Foz, come out, man.
40:23We do a TV show called Car Estimates.
40:25We've secretly restored your car for you.
40:27And that...
40:28Donna...
40:29Hi!
40:29Hi!
40:31That is your car.
40:33And, well, if you don't believe us,
40:34there are a few people that might prove it to you
40:36if you look right.
40:37Guys, come on over.
40:38Come on.
40:38Come out.
40:40Tamina, come here.
40:42Talk to Donna.
40:43Talk to your best mate about why you wrote to Car Estimates.
40:45You're shaking. You all right?
40:46I am shaking.
40:47I'll hold you. I've got you.
40:48Because, despite everything you've been through,
40:50you're always there for everyone else.
40:52And I just wanted this as a surprise for you to say thank you
40:56and that we all appreciate you, and this is what you deserve.
40:59And we have a very well-deserved...
41:02A round of applause for Donna and her Mini, please.
41:05Come on.
41:06Come on!
41:09When Donna last saw her beloved Mini, it was rusty, tired
41:13and barely holding itself together.
41:16But now, thanks to some first-class restoration work,
41:20the boys have delivered her a winner.
41:23They might have replaced her original shell with a brand new one,
41:26but underneath it's still Donna's beloved car.
41:28Her 1275cc Cooper engine has been honed and rebuilt,
41:33and alongside it, the original suspension and gearbox
41:36have been fully reconditioned.
41:38Her original alloy wheels have been refurbed, repainted
41:42and diamond-cut to perfection.
41:45It's now sporting the paint job she always dreamt of having.
41:49A Cooper-style grille, headlamps and those all-important badges.
41:53From scrapyard to showstopper,
41:56Donna's Mini might be small, but it's back and it's mighty.
42:02Is it sinking in yet?
42:03Not yet. I can't. I don't think it will for a while.
42:05Did we get the car right?
42:07You got it perfect.
42:08This is more than perfect.
42:10I love the colour.
42:12What's special about the colour is that this colour,
42:15and it's probably this colour blue as well,
42:17it's my father's favourite colour.
42:18Knowing that your dad loved Minis,
42:20did the car to you represent your father?
42:22Yeah, absolutely.
42:23And every time I'd come out and I'd just smile.
42:25I mean, even though the state that she was in...
42:26It doesn't matter.
42:27It doesn't matter.
42:27Yeah.
42:28It was my dad's car.
42:29So what would he say if he was here now?
42:32Do you feel like he is here now?
42:33He is here now. I can hear his laugh.
42:35He'd be laughing.
42:39He's there, is he?
42:40Yeah, he'd just be like, Donna.
42:43Big smile.
42:44Yeah.
42:44You'll see his smile.
42:45It's just, I don't know.
42:46It's...
42:48I wish he was here to see this.
42:50It's a tough one to answer.
42:51What does this car mean to you?
42:53Memories.
42:54Memories.
42:55Love.
42:55Life.
42:57My father.
42:57Family.
42:58When you say memories,
43:01how much weight is there on that?
43:03Is that the biggest thing to you?
43:05Yeah.
43:06Remembering the old times is ingrained,
43:08but making new memories is difficult.
43:10And this is something that can help me definitely
43:13make new memories and ones I won't forget.
43:18So, Donna, it's been an absolute honour
43:21to tell you that you have been Car SOSed.
43:24Thank you so much.
43:25There you go.
43:26Thank you so, so much.
43:27No worries.
43:29Shall I put it in?
43:29There you go, put it in.
43:30Absolutely.
43:31Get it in you, just start it up.
43:33All right.
43:34Go on.
43:34You ready?
43:35Yeah.
43:37Wow.
43:43Oh, oh!
43:44Hey!
43:45Let's go!
43:46Let's go!
43:48Oh, this is a dream come true.
43:50Thank you so much, guys.
43:51This is unreal.
43:52This is unreal.
43:54I can't even remember the gears.
43:57Gosh!
43:58What do you think on the inside?
44:00It's stunning.
44:01It's a dream.
44:02It's a dream.
44:02Look, I'm getting into it now.
44:04I'm getting into it now.
44:05Warming up.
44:05Yeah, she's warming up.
44:07I can't stop smiling.
44:09I literally, every time I'm going to be driving it,
44:11you can just see this big, deep smile.
44:12It's a dream.
44:13You're the real world.
44:16It's a dream of having the world's ive to find this dream.
44:17And now that you're going to be all you're looking for.
44:22As I know it's a dream, you'll be on the dream.
44:23It's a dream.
44:23I've got to take the dream.
44:23All right.
44:26Look, that's some fun.
44:26Look, that's my dream.
44:26You're the dream.
44:26We're this dream.
44:27Now I'm going back to a dream.
44:28You're going to leave a dream.
44:29I'm going for the dream.
44:30You're the dream.
44:34You're going to make the dream!
44:34For more information, visit www.fema.org
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