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Car SOS - Season 14 - Episode 07: Alfa Romeo Spider
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00:00This time on Car SOS.
00:04What? What's up with you? I haven't got the budget to send us to Italy.
00:09It's fast, it's beautiful.
00:11This is one heck of a driver's car.
00:14And over a quarter of a century late.
00:16I promised Jane this car to be completed for a 40th.
00:20She's now 65 and I still...
00:2225 years.
00:23So will the boys get this long overdue birthday present wrapped in time?
00:27I don't know if you've spotted it yet, but I think this car has a slight problem with rust.
00:31Or will they miss the party altogether?
00:34This has completely let go. It's utterly rotten.
01:01Well, here we are, Timmy, in lovely Lancashire.
01:05Beautiful up here, matey.
01:06Today, we're picking up a very special car.
01:09Yeah.
01:10We are picking up a car that probably wouldn't do too well in winter up here because we are picking
01:16up...
01:16An Alfa Romeo Spider!
01:20Now, let's get it out of the way, shall we?
01:21Go on.
01:22There are terrible rotters.
01:24Not many of those cars were actually sold into the UK.
01:28No.
01:28So, consideration of British roads and the conditions over here...
01:32Yeah.
01:32...were not high on the list.
01:34But I think it's at this point that Alfa Romeo got it absolutely...
01:40Bob on.
01:40Styling.
01:41Yeah.
01:41The styling is just so great.
01:45Yes, when it launched in 1966, this incy-wincy spider didn't just turn heads.
01:51It set a new standard for cool.
01:54A four-wheeled embodiment of freedom, romance and a life lived with the top down.
02:01Immortalised on the silver screen by Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate.
02:04It was created by automotive legend Pininfarina, who sculpted every line and curve into a work of art.
02:12Even the 1.75 litre engine under the bonnet is a masterpiece to behold.
02:17Rear-wheel drive, lightweight and full of Italian charm, it's not a car for lap times or supermarket trips.
02:25This was built to cruise the sun-soaked Italian Riviera with the top down and the wind in your hair.
02:32Transporting whoever's behind the wheel from the humdrum of their everyday life.
02:36And, for a moment, making them feel like a movie star.
02:40But like any screen idol six decades on, time takes its toll.
02:46Beneath the glamorous exterior, you'll find a wallowy ride, bare-bones interior...
02:51...and mechanicals that need more than just a light dusting of make-up.
02:55Add in the fact the British climate won't have done them any favours.
02:59Making spare parts ultra-rare and any renovation a real blockbuster.
03:06So, it's Jane's car.
03:07Yeah.
03:07She's not, obviously, going to be where we're sneaking off to now.
03:10We're meeting Andy and Steve.
03:11Steve is Jane's husband, Andy's best mate.
03:13We're going to meet the boys, take the car away and get cracking.
03:19Are you expecting two strange men from the Midlands?
03:22Yes, we are.
03:23Hi, first.
03:24Andy, please see you, Andy.
03:25Right, where are we?
03:26We're on a farm where the car is stored.
03:29Can we see the car?
03:30We can indeed.
03:31Let's go and have a look.
03:32Right, do we need to steady ourselves?
03:35Yes.
03:36OK.
03:37All righty.
03:38Here we go.
03:40No, thanks.
03:40All right, then.
03:41That was lovely, wasn't it?
03:44Lovely meeting you.
03:44What's for lunch, then?
03:45What are we having for lunch?
03:47Right, hang on, look.
03:48Just stop for a minute.
03:49The beauty of it.
03:50Forget the fact it's all rusty.
03:52It's in trouble.
03:52It's an Italian two-seater stunning little...
03:55There it is, cruising down the Amalfi Coast.
03:58Visualise it.
04:00OK, we'll leave you guys in there.
04:02OK, go on, you pile in there as well, Andy.
04:03Enjoy yourselves.
04:04OK, we'll go...
04:05No, shut your face.
04:05Just get stuck in.
04:06Come on, let's go and have a chat about Jane.
04:08Yeah.
04:08I don't quite know what Tim's looking at.
04:11But what I can see is really quite terrible.
04:17This is probably the worst sort of rust.
04:21It's gone down into the surface of the metal,
04:24which means it's at an almost molecular level.
04:28Anything over the top of it, the rust is going to burst through.
04:30So instantly, that is big job number one.
04:38How come your wife Jane chose an Alfa Romeo Spider?
04:41What is it about that car?
04:43Well, I think...
04:43I remember we watched The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman.
04:48OK.
04:48That'll do it.
04:49She saw it and thought, ooh, wow, that looks nice.
04:52I thought, you know, let's see if we can find one.
04:57And I managed to find this one in Stockport.
04:59Was it a runner?
05:01Well, it wasn't quite a runner at the time.
05:03She came back with me to collect the car and sat in it and...
05:09Was she excited?
05:10She was.
05:11She was.
05:11This is my car.
05:12This is, yeah.
05:13This is really what I'd like to drive.
05:19Dare we have a look underneath here?
05:20Well, hopefully there's an engine.
05:22Well, I'm hoping there is.
05:24OK.
05:25Well, that's good.
05:26Yeah.
05:27It's there.
05:28It should be shiny.
05:29It should be another moment of delight.
05:32But look, of course, it's very jaded.
05:34But because this car needs to be stripped,
05:37everything here has got to come out of it
05:39so that this surface rust can be dealt with.
05:43And that is a massive job.
05:46This is the start of a very long journey.
05:52So here she is.
05:53She's got this lovely little car.
05:55Is she using it?
05:56Is it out on the roads?
05:57Is it like everything's hurt?
05:58We got the engine running, but the car was in need of some basic repair work.
06:06Right.
06:07I promised Jane this car to be completed for her 40th, and then for her 50th.
06:13She's now 65, and I still...
06:1525 years?
06:1625 years.
06:1625 years.
06:17It's just crazy.
06:19What happened?
06:19The scam.
06:20In 2016, we had this terrible experience of losing all our savings.
06:29We received a call on a Saturday afternoon, and they said that they were from NatWest's fraud.
06:35They believed that our accounts had been compromised, and they needed to sort of set up new accounts to transfer
06:42the monies from these accounts to safeguard any potential fraud.
06:47Right.
06:48So that was the tack they took, the scammers, to get us to move the money, basically.
06:54Of all your life savings?
06:55All our, yeah, savings.
06:57We lost just over £60,000.
07:01What does that feel like?
07:03End of life, really.
07:05What's going on?
07:07How are we going to survive?
07:08How are we going to pay the mortgage?
07:11What are we going to live on?
07:12You know, we were just an ordinary couple with children to look after, and here we were being sort of
07:20taken apart.
07:21So you've been left with nothing, and a car that was a little bit of a way through a restoration.
07:27Yes.
07:27It's bare metal, hence why it's rusty to hell, and that's where you're at now.
07:31That's it.
07:32Yeah, yeah.
07:33I think this car symbolises winning for you guys, and I think you need a bit of winning, again, because
07:39you've been absolutely destroyed by this, haven't you?
07:43Yeah, but you try and put a brave face on, but underneath it's churning away.
07:49So, right, here's a question for you.
07:52Will you get the car ready for a birthday?
07:53That would be good, wouldn't it?
07:55It would.
07:56Can we make it for the 66th?
07:57I hope so, yeah.
07:59Let's see if we can make that happen.
08:01Yeah, thank you.
08:01Come on, then.
08:05This is going to be a big job.
08:07A big job.
08:08Jane wants to use this car regularly, so this needs to be a car that will keep up with modern
08:13traffic.
08:14And won't rot.
08:15And most importantly, won't rot.
08:17Won't rot while it's sitting in modern traffic.
08:18Absolutely, yeah.
08:19I mean, really, that is a big ask.
08:23So, if the boys are going to give Jane a Hollywood ending to her story, it's a full nut-and
08:27-bolt, rust-banishing rebuild.
08:30And if that wasn't enough, it also has to work as a daily driver that can cope with the great
08:35British weather.
08:36Something these sun-loving Italian classics were never designed for in the first place.
08:41Oh, and it needs to be finished in a couple of months for her birthday.
08:44No pressure then, chaps.
08:46Come on, a bit further, a bit further, a bit further.
08:48Come on.
08:50How's that?
08:50That'll probably do.
08:51Right, first of all, I don't know if you've spotted it yet, but I think this car has a slight
08:54problem with rust.
08:58Look at it.
08:59So, are you going to strip it for dipping?
09:01Yeah, that's what we'll have to do first.
09:03At least then we'll know how much we're going to get back.
09:06Right.
09:06And we'll know how big the task is.
09:08Where do I start?
09:10OK.
09:10You need to find out the modifications we can make.
09:13Modifications?
09:13Turn it into a daily driver.
09:15OK, good call.
09:15To make it more usable.
09:17OK.
09:17Any special stuff that can be done to these.
09:19Make them handle better, drive better, start better, run better.
09:23Up we go.
09:24Right.
09:28Don't look up.
09:29Don't look up.
09:30I don't want to look up.
09:31I don't want to look up.
09:32Hold on, do a bit.
09:33I mean, this looks like it's just been sitting in a salty canal for a very long time.
09:39Look around here.
09:40There are holes in the sills.
09:42Yeah.
09:42The engines are not the strongest either.
09:45Known for leaks, known for wearing very, very rapidly.
09:49And also things like valve stem oil seals, you know, you get smoky running.
09:53They look absolutely beautiful on the outside.
09:57But on the inside, wherever they can attack you, they will.
10:01This car is a horror movie for us.
10:03Yeah.
10:03Of the highest order.
10:04It really is an absolute horror movie.
10:06And I don't like horror movies.
10:08Yes, be afraid.
10:10Be very afraid.
10:11Because turning this rust bucket into a daily driver that can cope with the British climate,
10:16well, it doesn't sound easy, does it?
10:18So the first job is an obvious one.
10:21The body.
10:22It's going to need to be stripped and sent away for acid dipping.
10:26Only then will Fuzz know the true horror of what lurks beneath.
10:30The question is, will he be able to save it?
10:33Or is it destined for the scrappy?
10:35Next, Jane's dream alpha needs to become a car that she can actually rely on.
10:40Not one that burns through oil faster than a chip shop.
10:44So, that means a full engine stripped down to check for any potential leaks.
10:49Finally, the boys must make sure this classic isn't just beautiful,
10:53but a joy to drive through the sunshine in Sardinia, or in the snow in Scumthorpe.
11:00That means carefully adding modern technology to its 60s charm to create a totally unique daily driver.
11:07So, with Jane's birthday bearing down on them and the rust seemingly spreading minute by minute,
11:12there's no time to waste.
11:15Wheel's off.
11:17It's always a good start.
11:20The team needs to strip every nut, bolt and washer.
11:24There we are.
11:25A little persuasion.
11:27As it came.
11:28As well as remove any bits of treasure.
11:31Oh!
11:32Ho, ho, ho!
11:33What have we here?
11:35Not a matching set of sombreros for some people with tiny heads,
11:40but these are the wheel centres.
11:44So, the shell can go off for a nice relaxing bath in sulphuric acid.
11:49A soap that will nibble away decades of rust and reveal the true horror of what's lurking beneath.
12:00Looking from the top, it doesn't look overly bad.
12:04But then, I can see light poking through, through little perforations here and there.
12:09And I know, from looking underneath, that below the waistline, this is completely let go.
12:15It's utterly rotten.
12:20The boys have taken on this Italian classic.
12:24A 1968 Alfa Romeo Spider that's less La Dolce Vita and more La Dirty Rust Bucket.
12:32At least it was before its acid bath.
12:35The question now, can what remains be saved?
12:40It's going to need to be braced.
12:42Now, when I say bracing, what I mean is fitting tubular steel, welding it to the body, to sound parts
12:49of the body,
12:50to attempt to keep flexing from happening because of the amount of metal we're going to have to cut out
12:57of here.
12:58And then, doing one side at a time, one area at a time, gradually replacing the old rotten metal with
13:09fresh new steel,
13:10we will build back in the strength that this car had when it was new.
13:15This job has gone from a big build into a very major restoration project.
13:24With only a handful of right-hand drive models left in the UK, Fuzz can't exactly pop down the breakers
13:30and pick up a spare shell.
13:32So, he's got to try and resurrect it.
13:35Watch your eyes, don't look at this.
13:37But, in its current state, the shell is far too weak to start welding in new metal.
13:43Any attempt to do so could twist or flex the body, locking in weakness that would be almost impossible to
13:49undo.
13:50So, the braces are added just to hold the car's shape while the new panels are fitted,
13:55which means a lot more time and effort than anyone anticipated.
14:02So, that is our bar in place across here.
14:09So, now, what we can do is start making more of a frame in here.
14:14And once we've done that, and only when we've done that, we can restore this car to as close to
14:22a factory-build look as we possibly can.
14:27So, while Fuzz attempts to restore strength to the equivalent of a wet paper bag,
14:33Tim's getting to work on transforming the rest of Jane's car into something she can actually use as a daily
14:39driver.
14:41We've come down to Bristol because there's a company down here that makes super-uprated parts for Alfa Romeos,
14:46and we want to make Jane's a daily driver.
14:49It's got to be a comfortable, usable car, and these guys are as good as it gets.
14:54Jane's Alfa was built for touring Tuscany, not town centres.
14:58So, to make sure it's up to the task of navigating the modern world, Tim's come to the experts at
15:04Alphaholics,
15:05because with decades of experience restoring, upgrading, and racing classic Alphas under their belts,
15:11they certainly know a trick or two.
15:13Right, let me tell you what I know about what you guys do.
15:15You take a standard, beautiful car like this little GT here, and you do that to it.
15:20Now, to the naked eye, some people might think,
15:22that is not a lot of difference, but you're going to tell me it is, aren't you?
15:26There's a huge difference. Drive chain, engine, suspension, brakes, differential, interior.
15:32Pretty much everything. Yeah, yeah.
15:34Have you got some of that stuff for a little spider?
15:36Yeah. Where's that? Yeah, yeah. Next door.
15:38Got it.
15:39It's more than half a century since Jane's car left the factory, and technology has come a long way.
15:46So, here at Alphaholics, they're using modern materials and upgraded components
15:50to completely transform how these classics handle.
15:54Is this all Alphaholics?
15:56Yeah, yeah, it's all for the 105 series.
15:58This whole place is just full of gear that would fit our car, then.
16:02Right, well, I'll take ten of everything, please. The lot. I'll take the lot.
16:06Okay, so before you get carried away, what's the car, and how is it going to be driven?
16:10Right, the car is a Spider, 1968.
16:12Yeah.
16:12It's for a girl called Jane.
16:14She's never driven it before, but it's going to be, here's the thing, the daily driver.
16:19No problem. That's good. Stage one kit.
16:21Yeah. Stage one kit?
16:22Yeah.
16:22Okay, what does that mean?
16:23It's perfect for that. Okay, so it replenishes everything within the suspension system.
16:27Right.
16:28New springs, new dampers.
16:30Yeah.
16:30Slightly stiffer anti-roll bars to stop the body roll.
16:33They're known for body roll, these cars.
16:35Yeah.
16:35Well, it's just like a big Savaloi roll down the road, aren't they?
16:37Yeah, so this will firm that out.
16:38Okay.
16:39So, by adding some modern upgrades, this 1960s Sunday afternoon cruiser will soon become something she can drive every day.
16:51To prove just how much of a difference a stiffer anti-roll bar can make to a car's handling, Tim
16:56set up a little demo.
16:58Thankfully, with no sausages involved.
17:00Now, imagine a car like yours is pegging it down her own.
17:04All of a sudden, you're like, I need to make a sharp left.
17:06So, now, something called inertia dictates that things like to keep going in a straight line, basically.
17:11So, you're forcing it left.
17:13It's going, no, no, no, I want to go in a straight line.
17:14So, it takes a dip into the right here, meaning this suspension has gone right up, look.
17:20It's gone right up there.
17:21So, actually, there's a load of lean.
17:22There's a load of body roll.
17:24It's only a step away from whatever.
17:28So, what they worked out, these clever engineers who designed these things, the best thing to do is to minimise
17:34that roll.
17:35To minimise the lean of the car by basically, look, I'll just pop this shock off so you can see
17:40it, creating a system so that as soon as this wheel goes up, what's the other one?
17:44Whoa, look, it's copying.
17:45So, what it does is it brings the body down, the centre of gravity down and prevents too much roll.
17:52And because he's an overgrown child and because this demo wouldn't be nearly as much fun if he didn't, Tim's
17:57removing the anti-roll bar from his remote-controlled car to prove just how important it is.
18:04To exaggerate the roll, I'm going to bolt that onto there.
18:09We'll do a few corners.
18:12OK.
18:15Look at that!
18:19The one wheel is dipping, the body is rolling, and it's a hard right, it's a hard left.
18:27Oh!
18:29It's rolled.
18:30And that is precisely why we have anti-roll bars on our cars, for that reason.
18:37Yes, that's not what you want from your daily driver, is it?
18:41So, by fitting a slightly stiffer anti-roll bar into Jane's car, it's going to sharpen the handling by removing
18:47some of that body roll, making it a whole lot easier to thread through modern traffic.
18:53But on its own, it's not going to be much of a birthday present.
18:56So, the boys are going all out on bracing the body, chopping out the rust, and letting in new panels.
19:04And, while they get on with that, the boys are off doing some very damp, cutting-edge research.
19:10What?
19:11What's up with you?
19:12I haven't got the budget to send us to Italy.
19:15We're in Wales.
19:16It's a wonderful part of the world.
19:17Yes, it's raining, but it's always raining in the UK.
19:20Yes, to experience the worst of what Jane's Alpha will have to endure, the boys have brought it to South
19:26Wales, one of the wettest places in the entire UK.
19:30Stop your moulding, pal.
19:32To get a feel for what needs to be done to make it usable in even the worst great British
19:37weather.
19:38I'm going to deal with the negatives.
19:41Right, the windscreen wipers are kind of battling against the rain a little bit.
19:46This car shouldn't really have windscreen wipers.
19:48It shouldn't be out in the range.
19:50The pedal spacing is very tight.
19:53They're very close together, so it makes it slightly unnerving when it comes to sort of putting the brakes on.
20:01Right.
20:01However, the rest of this car is absolutely magnificent.
20:11The whole thing is light.
20:12This is one heck of a driver's car.
20:16This is absolutely brilliant.
20:22No wonder people raved about these cars.
20:25I can't imagine why they didn't sell millions of them.
20:29And I think it outguns the competition such as MGBs and the like by a country mile.
20:36I thought it was going to be like a little tiny pencil and feel like it was going to tip
20:41over on every corner.
20:43But no, it feels great.
20:45It could possibly be a little bit stiffer on the suspension.
20:49Right.
20:50Just for that more modern feel.
20:52What rolls a little bit.
20:53Just a tiny little bit, yeah.
20:54But other than that, it's an absolute 10 out of 10.
20:59Really?
20:59Really, it is.
21:03You know, sometimes you see somebody with a convertible with the roof down on a rainy day and you think,
21:08what are you doing?
21:09Actually, this car is a reminder of precisely what they're doing and that is enjoying life.
21:17I can imagine driving all the way from grey old Great Britain all the way down through France, gradually getting
21:26into better and better weather.
21:27Yes.
21:28Just having a fantastic time around the Mediterranean coast.
21:33Yes.
21:34It's a game changer for me.
21:37Wincy Wincy Spider drove around the track.
21:40Fuzzy drove it out there and he's never coming back.
21:44Come on, let's go on holiday.
21:53Tim and Fuzz have taken on this Italian classic, a 1968 Alfa Romeo Spider.
22:00A car designed for top-down pleasure cruises, though this particular example has seen more rust than Riviera.
22:10And that extreme corrosion has caused all manner of headaches because this car is so rare that the boys have
22:16been forced to save the original body shell, which has eaten up over half their build time.
22:22And with Jane's birthday now just under a month away, time is running out and there's still a lot of
22:28car left to fix.
22:31Right, today I'm going to do something that is almost bound to end in failure.
22:39Today I'm going to try and do some soft metal filling.
22:44Yes, with the body structurally sound and all the new metal let in, the next job is smoothing out the
22:50joins using this artisanal technique.
22:53Now, traditionally, that has been called lead loading, but nowadays, well, we've got this slightly more modern alloy.
23:01This is part of a tradition, a great tradition of panel beating and coach building.
23:07So let's try and keep a few of these traditions alive.
23:10I'm going to have a go, but I can tell you for sure that it's not easy.
23:16Lead loading has been around since the very earliest days of mass car production.
23:20It allowed panel beaters to smooth joins between sheets of steel and sculpted perfect contours.
23:27Today, Fuzz would normally use a modern filler to do this type of work, which delivers the same results without
23:33the risk of ending up covered in molten metal.
23:36So, first of all, let's get our flux.
23:40Now, this contains a bit of soft metal.
23:43So, applying this is like using a little bit of egg on your pastry, just to get everything sticking together
23:52nicely.
23:54And we're just going to heat this up until this changes colour.
24:06Now, I'm going to take some lead, and I'm going to start melting this, so I'm heating up the two
24:13surfaces together.
24:16Applying a bit of lead.
24:18Get a bit down in the valley here.
24:20Rather than using old-school lead, Fuzz has opted for a modern metal alloy with the same characteristics.
24:27Easy to melt, simple to shape, and once cooled, it can be filed back to a perfectly smooth finish.
24:34Now, what I need to do is get it to run smoothly.
24:37I'm going to use a paddle and this stuff, which is tallow.
24:43Now, tallow is beef fat, or animal fat.
24:48The tallow acts like a lubricant, allowing Fuzz to smooth out and shape the lead without it sticking to the
24:55paddle.
25:04So, I'm just going to give it a little bit of a clean-up.
25:10But I'm really pleased with that.
25:13But it's quite hard to work it down to get everything nice and smooth.
25:17There's a lot of work to be done.
25:19And we haven't even started the engine yet.
25:22When I mean start the engine, I don't mean turn the key.
25:25What I mean is rebuilding it.
25:27A long way to go.
25:29Yes, he's not wrong.
25:31So, to stand any chance of making Jane's birthday,
25:34the body's getting sent out of house for paint.
25:38Freeing a Fuzz to finally get handsy with the engine.
25:41In the 1960s, these engines were absolutely the epitome of cool.
25:48Now, it's lightweight because instead of cast iron,
25:53this block here, the main part of the engine, is made from aluminium,
25:58which was a major advance from the engines of the 1940s and 50s.
26:03However, the aluminium, as it heated up, would have a tendency to expand a lot more quickly,
26:10which meant that gaps could appear, which meant that oil could seep out.
26:15So, there's a good chance oil and probably gases are going to be leaking from somewhere.
26:19And that's going to cause misfires,
26:21make the engine harder to start and ultimately less efficient.
26:26Definitely not what you want from a daily driver.
26:30And this is where we get to see what sort of state this engine's in.
26:34Here we go.
26:35There.
26:35Here we are off.
26:40Now, there's a little bit of play from side to side.
26:45So, I think we're going to replace the valve guides and probably the valves as well.
26:49Let's get the cylinder head out of the way.
26:51We've seen all we need to see there.
26:56Now, what I can see here is pitting on the cylinder walls.
27:02Just a little tiny bit.
27:03So, worn valve guides will allow oil to seep down and into the combustion chamber.
27:09The same thing can happen with this pitting, these bores.
27:12With that, it's going to allow oil in and that can be burned.
27:16And I think that we've now got to a point where we know
27:19that at least the sleeves are going to either need re-machining or replacing.
27:24Which means we'll be looking at probably new pistons, new piston rings.
27:29Realistically speaking, this engine is in for a total rebuild.
27:33With Jane's birthday now just three weeks away,
27:36it's an iceberg the boys could have done without hitting.
27:42To help the boys make up some lost time,
27:45the shell's been prepped
27:47and is now getting its first of three coats of primer
27:50to ensure the rust can never return.
27:53Which gives Fuzz time to charge on with the engine rebuild
27:57and Tim to think about Jane's bottom.
28:00That is an electric element for a heated seat in a car.
28:05Fuzz and I, when we took our one out,
28:07it was freezing.
28:08It was icy cold.
28:08So this is going to keep Jane's bum hot.
28:11So they're very simple.
28:12So power goes in, basically the electricity all stacks up here
28:16and works its way through those very thin wires there.
28:18They're too thin for the amount of electricity
28:19trying to force their way through those very skinny wires.
28:21So what do they do?
28:22They get agitated, they get hot, and they heat up your bottom.
28:26Yes, after a few freezing cold, soaking wet laps
28:29around that racetrack,
28:31Tim's decided a hot bot is the perfect upgrade for Jane
28:34to make her little sports car usable all year round.
28:38OK, so the trim can go over that,
28:42which will sit nicely over that.
28:45And you'll not know, and you won't feel
28:46there's a heated seat element in that.
28:48So I can do the same thing over and again,
28:51or you can go and see what Fuzz is doing.
28:54Time to start building up the engine.
28:57But before I do that, there's a few things to show and tell.
29:01Yes, after working day and night,
29:03he's somehow managed to complete the first stage
29:05of the engine rebuild,
29:07so it's time to start sticking it all back together.
29:09Now, we thought we might have worn valve guides,
29:13and indeed, there's quite a lot of play there.
29:17What would have resulted there would be oil passing down
29:20between the valve guide and the valve stem
29:23into the combustion chamber,
29:25so oil would have been being burned as well as fuel and air.
29:29So, these valve guides have been replaced in the cylinder head
29:33and new valves as well.
29:36And it's out with the old liners and out with the old pistons.
29:43So now we can start the process of building the engine up.
29:48Alongside the new valves and cylinder liners,
29:51Fuzz is fitting a replacement set of bearings
29:54because, as the engine was clearly leaking oil faster than a battered cod,
29:59there's a good chance it wasn't reaching the originals,
30:02meaning they could have become worn.
30:05There are our end bearings in place.
30:08They also had the camshaft machined down
30:11by about half the thickness of a human hair.
30:14If it also suffered from an oil leak,
30:17it could have become scored.
30:19So, restoring its surface is crucial
30:21if it's going to live happily with all the new components.
30:34So, that is the first part of the build.
30:37What will happen now
30:39is we'll go for fitting the liners,
30:42which need to be pressed in,
30:43and gradually this will be built up.
30:46And we are officially on our way back home.
30:51Yes, but will they get there in time for Jane's birthday?
30:55With just ten days to go,
30:57everyone is working flat out to make it happen.
31:01Over at Ibox, the primer's dry,
31:03so it's straight on with a coat of original matching blue paint.
31:08But there's no time to stop and admire it.
31:11It's straight back to the workshop,
31:12so Fuzz can crack on with the monumental task
31:15of taking Jane's dream car from an empty shell
31:18to a fully cooked Italian classic.
31:20I've started building up the upgraded suspension on the Alfa.
31:24Tim's package from the experts at Alphaholics
31:28have firmer upgraded bushes, fresh springs,
31:30and that stiffer anti-roll bar.
31:33Get the nut and tighten it up.
31:40There we go.
31:41Right, there we have it.
31:43Upgraded suspension installed.
31:46Which will give it the handling of a modern car
31:49wrapped in a classic shell.
31:51And speaking of wrapped,
31:53with that in place,
31:54this quarter-of-a-century overdue birthday present
31:57needs to hurry up and get ready for the party.
32:01Replacement wiring looms are threaded,
32:04switches connected,
32:05the battery fitted,
32:07and lights tested.
32:09Under the bonnet, the engine's back in.
32:11But before it's fired up for the first time
32:14in more than 25 years,
32:16Fuzz is adding another upgrade
32:18designed to help turn Jane's Alfa from Weekend Toy
32:20into a genuine daily driver.
32:24The car is pretty much mechanically complete.
32:27So, we're ready to try and fire it up.
32:31But we've done one little extra modification
32:34to bring this car slightly further forward,
32:37maybe almost into the 21st century.
32:40An upgraded distributor.
32:43Now, here's the old distributor.
32:46And the distributor distributes
32:48the powerful electrical current
32:50out through each of the spark plug leads in turn.
32:53The difference that will be made
32:55by the new electronic distributor
32:57versus the old electromechanical one
32:59is that the old one
33:01would need constant adjustment
33:03every few thousand miles.
33:04So, it means visits to the garage
33:07or tinkering around with the engine
33:09on the driveway.
33:09Some people love that sort of thing.
33:11Other people just want to get in their car
33:14and drive.
33:15The fitting of this is simple.
33:17It's just the same as the old distributor.
33:19It just slots in
33:20and we have a slightly offset drive peg here
33:23and that can only go in one position.
33:26So, once it's in, it's in.
33:29I fit the distributor cap.
33:33Now, hopefully,
33:35if I connect up the temporary fuel pump,
33:39we should get a tune out of this.
33:43We're going for an engine start.
33:45Engine start.
33:45This is it.
33:46Come on, everybody line up.
33:47Here we go.
33:48Here we go.
33:49Do you want to give it a go?
33:50Come on, Em.
33:55OK.
33:56Yes!
33:57Yay!
33:58Come on, Tim.
33:59Give a round of applause.
34:00And for the first time in over 25 years,
34:04Jane's long overdue birthday present runs.
34:07Come on, everybody.
34:07Back on your heads.
34:08Let's get this car finished.
34:09Let's get it done.
34:11But what has Tim got planned for the party?
34:15Oi, Tim.
34:16What?
34:18Here a minute, please.
34:20What do you need me to hold?
34:21I'm not holding that.
34:22I don't know.
34:23You don't have to hold anything.
34:24I just need to know what's happening tomorrow
34:26because you've not explained anything to me.
34:28In fact, you do need to know what's happening tomorrow.
34:30OK, yeah.
34:31Because you are playing a key role
34:33in giving this car back to Jane.
34:34Oh, yeah.
34:35Now, what's happening is Stephen's taking Jane away
34:37for a night in a hotel.
34:38Yeah.
34:38There's a bit of a twist going on there
34:40that's going to involve you in a big way.
34:43Yeah.
34:43You're playing the leading role.
34:45The leading role.
34:46So I'm not just driving the car?
34:47No, no, no, no.
34:48In this performance, you're playing a key role.
34:50You are at the nebulous.
34:51You are the centre of the atom.
34:52Without you, tomorrow doesn't happen.
34:54OK.
34:55Yeah.
34:55I won't let you down.
34:56Sweet.
34:57I won't.
34:57But it also doesn't happen without a finished car,
35:01which means a very long night ahead
35:03as the team try to get this birthday present wrapped in time.
35:11It's been over 25 years
35:14since Jane first dreamt of getting behind the wheel
35:17of her little Alfa Romeo spider.
35:20And today, her quarter of a century overdue birthday present
35:24can finally be unwrapped.
35:26Look at that!
35:28What an amazing transformation.
35:31Hello, baby!
35:32I think it's probably one of the best rags to riches
35:36I think you're right.
35:37that we've ever done.
35:38Talking of rags to riches.
35:39Yeah.
35:40Yeah, yes.
35:41Actually, why are you wearing my wardrobe?
35:44Listen, I'm the lord of this manor here, Storrshorn.
35:46Let me explain why.
35:47Come with me.
35:48Follow me, sir.
35:49Right, OK.
35:49Come along.
35:54Come along.
35:55BuzzBot, I give you a real-life crime scene.
35:59Welcome behind the lines, behind the police tape.
36:02Yeah.
36:03Because this is where Jane and Stephen like to come on a weekend,
36:05a murder mystery weekend.
36:07Fantastic.
36:07And that's what's happening.
36:09Yeah, brilliant.
36:10Where's the body?
36:11Where's the body?
36:12Yeah.
36:12It's over there, look.
36:16Give me that!
36:17No.
36:18You're the...
36:19I'm not...
36:20You're the body!
36:21What do you mean, I'm the body?
36:22You're the body!
36:22Get down!
36:23This is where you've got to go!
36:24You're the murder victim, and they've got to work out.
36:27Who done it?
36:28I'm going to bring them out here, car's going to be there,
36:30they're not going to bother about you.
36:31I'll give you a little nudge, you jump up, we give them a car back.
36:33You just wanted to do that, didn't you?
36:36Yes, Tim's dead happy with his plan, and so he should be.
36:39It's the perfect crime.
36:41He's cast a troop of actors to play the chief inspector and forensics team.
36:46Jane's fellow detectives are her friends and family,
36:49and she's been told the whole thing is being filmed for the hotel's social media.
36:54And thanks to Jane making the frankly unpardonable mistake
36:58of not being a devoted car SOS viewer,
37:00only one of these two has to hide.
37:03Get yourself down.
37:04So, with Fars in position...
37:06Yeah, that's perfect. Right, now I'm going to cover you up.
37:09It's time for a killer surprise.
37:16I hear a car coming up the drive.
37:20Hello there.
37:20Hi.
37:21Hi, welcome.
37:22Welcome to Storrs Hall.
37:23Are you here for the murder mystery event?
37:25We are.
37:26You are, right, OK, brilliant.
37:28So, with Jane blissfully unaware as to what's really going on...
37:39...the car can be moved into position, and the fun can begin.
37:46Hello, ladies and gentlemen.
37:48Hi.
37:49Welcome to Storrs Hall, detectives.
38:20Right, so far so good.
38:21Instantly.
38:22These morons are the detectives, are they?
38:24Oh, oh, oh.
38:26We are trying to give them the best detective skills to get out there.
38:29They're a likely bunch.
38:29Well, I want this solving straight away, so look sharpish, please.
38:32OK, ladies and gentlemen, you heard the man, the lord of the manor.
38:35It's outrageous.
38:36Jane is the lead detective.
38:38If you want to take the lead, please.
38:41So far, so good.
38:43It looks like Detective Jane hasn't got a clue, in more ways than one.
38:48Come on, then.
38:49Come along.
38:50It's there.
38:51What's that there?
38:52A body.
38:53That is a body.
38:53It needs to be dealt with, doesn't it?
38:55Yes.
38:56Well, let's have a look around at the crime scene, shall we?
38:58Is there anything else that looks slightly suspicious here?
39:00Anything else you recognise?
39:01Oh.
39:03But whose is that?
39:05Mine.
39:06Well, clearly not yours.
39:08Why, do you have anything like that?
39:11I wish I did.
39:12Really?
39:13Well, we're here for one reason, to solve the crime.
39:15Yeah.
39:15So, yeah, I'd rather...
39:16I'd appreciate it if you looked at the body as opposed to the car.
39:18Why do you keep staring at the car?
39:19It's gorgeous.
39:20Is it?
39:21What even is...
39:21What is it?
39:22I don't even know what it is.
39:22I'm not into my cars.
39:24It's an office by the Romeo.
39:26Oh.
39:27Is it really?
39:28Your detective work is very poor, but I have some explaining to do.
39:31Actually, everything that's happening here today isn't quite as it may seem.
39:35I'm a presenter, one of the two presenters of a television show called Car SOS.
39:39Where's Stephen?
39:40I'm here.
39:41Come here, Stephen.
39:41Come on.
39:42Come on.
39:42Stand alongside your wife here.
39:45Can you believe it?
39:46That's not my car.
39:47No, no, no.
39:48Let me look at you for a minute.
39:48No, it's not my car.
39:49That is your car.
39:50No.
39:51That is your car.
39:52We've had a team of people working with you, Stephen.
39:55I know this is a lot to take on.
39:58It's beautiful.
40:00Absolutely stunning.
40:00I'm holding on to you.
40:02It's good.
40:03Just don't faint.
40:04It's all right.
40:05It's good.
40:05It's all good.
40:05It's beautiful.
40:06Yes, it is.
40:07And if you don't believe it, there are a few people here you might recognise.
40:11Can we bring out Jane's family, please?
40:13What?
40:13Can you hear who we've got here?
40:18Hello.
40:19Come on out, guys.
40:20Come on.
40:21Keep coming.
40:24Could you explain to your wife, forget the fact there's anybody here, why you contacted us?
40:30Was it my intention to have the car restored for at least your 40th birthday and then your 50th and
40:3960th?
40:41You're now 66.
40:44And I'm so pleased for you.
40:46I'm pleased for you, too.
40:48Can we have a round of applause for Jane and her alpha?
40:53It's done.
40:54It's actually done.
40:55I seriously can't believe it.
40:56It's absolutely gorgeous.
40:59As far as Jane was aware, her dream car was still in a barn, slowly rusting away like it had
41:06been for the past 25 years.
41:08But thanks to the boys, this Italian classic is now ready to say bonjourno to the British roads.
41:17The body has been stripped back to bare metal.
41:21Every trace of rust removed, new metal let in, and fresh coats of modern primer and paint applied,
41:27to ensure it can withstand whatever the weather sends its way.
41:32The beautifully sculpted aluminium engine has been completely rebuilt,
41:37with new pistons, bearings, timing chain, and exhaust manifold.
41:41Plus, to keep maintenance to a minimum, there's a modern distributor.
41:44Finally, to turn it into a car Jane can use for cruising to Capri or picking up cabbages in the
41:52Cotswolds,
41:53it now has heated seats, a stiffer anti-roll bar, and upgraded suspension.
41:58Meaning Jane gets modern comfort wrapped in classic Italian looks.
42:08How does it feel?
42:09I'm in a dream.
42:11Really?
42:11I'm totally in a dream.
42:13I mean, never in a million years.
42:15I'd sort of said to Stephen, we're never going to be able to do it.
42:18Why?
42:19Well, we're not going to have the money, because we went through a terrible scam.
42:23How devastating is it for something like this?
42:27Because you hear scams all the time.
42:28They're just numbers in newspapers.
42:30But what does it feel like as a human being?
42:31It changes your life.
42:33He'd just retired.
42:34He got the money from his retirement.
42:36We were looking forward to our son getting married.
42:39We were looking forward to maybe doing this up.
42:41So we were actually going to make some memories and have some nice time,
42:44and that was all taken away from us.
42:47Do you think, had you guys as a family written this off?
42:49Yes, absolutely.
42:50We'd lost faith and impetus in doing it,
42:53and I just said, we just need to cut our losses and sell it.
42:56So what's the plan?
42:57Well, we live up near the Lake District,
42:59so we're going to travel around the Lake District.
43:00Hopefully on days like today.
43:03Hood down, scarf on, looking like my 1960s self.
43:08Jane, it's with great pleasure that I give you your car.
43:12Hearings and tell you, you have been car SOS.
43:14Thank you so much.
43:18It's unbelievable.
43:20It's so nice to drive a proper gear stick, you know?
43:24And this steering wheel is beautiful.
43:26It's just, it's just a dream.
43:28It's just a dream come true.
43:32Do you ever think it's going to happen?
43:34No, never.
43:35Never in a million years.
43:36But it's absolutely wonderful.
43:37This is the best birthday present ever.
43:41Thank you so much.
43:46It's gone awfully quiet.
43:49Where's everybody else for luck?
43:53Where's everyone gone?
43:56Have they just left?
43:57Yes.
43:59You
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