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00:00Oh. My. Word.
00:02This time on Car SOS.
00:04Look at the state of that thing, Fuzzbot.
00:06It must be a quarter of a ton heavier just with all this vegetation growing on it.
00:11The boy's most important build yet.
00:14We have the opportunity with what we do with this car to save lives.
00:18As the Defender becomes the Defended.
00:22It's orange.
00:24So can Tim and Fuzz turn this rusty wreck from zero?
00:28I'm feeling a little deflated.
00:31Back into an off-roading hero.
00:34It has suddenly started to look like a search and rescue vehicle.
01:01Giant's Causeway coastal route, Fuzzbots.
01:03Yes.
01:04Yes.
01:04We're in Northern Ireland.
01:06We're in Northern Ireland.
01:07You didn't tell me I thought we went on the lake.
01:08No.
01:09That wasn't a lake.
01:10What's that then?
01:11That was the sea.
01:12Why are we in Northern Ireland, Fuzzbots?
01:14Because today we are picking up a Land Rover Defender.
01:19110.
01:20110, which is the 110-inch wheelbase vehicle.
01:24That's correct.
01:25Yes.
01:25Few vehicles on or off the road have a reputation quite like a Defender.
01:30A direct descendant of the Series 1, the first mass-produced British civilian 4x4 that
01:37was inspired by the wartime workhorse, the Willys Jeep.
01:40The Defender was built with the same ethos.
01:44Unstoppably tough, yet simple enough to fix by the side of the road should it go wrong.
01:49Constructed from a simple aluminium body with rugged ladder chassis underneath.
01:54Throw in a torque-heavy engine, an unstoppable four-wheel drive setup and you've got the definition
02:00of sheer automotive determination.
02:03So, whether it's farmers on the windswept hills of North Wales, rescue workers on any corner
02:09of the planet, or popping out to inspect one's estate, it's always been a popular choice
02:14for people who need reliability on and off the road, above all else.
02:24We're going to pick up Sean McCarrie's Defender, right?
02:28Now, Sean is an all-round good guy and he's been using his own Land Rover for the community
02:33rescue service.
02:35So, Sean and his lovely Land Rover have been nominated by Margaret and Hazel.
02:45Oh, my word.
02:50Look at the state of that thing.
02:52What even is that thing?
02:54It's its own ecosystem.
02:56It's a living, breathing organism.
02:58It's lovely to meet you.
02:59I've never seen so much algae on a vehicle.
03:01So, let's just get this straight.
03:03So, we're going to be rebuilding this car for Sean, for you guys, with a view to actually
03:09being used out in the wilderness to save lives.
03:12Yes.
03:13Right.
03:13I put this in position number one of the most important vehicle we've ever taken on,
03:20Fuzzball.
03:20Yeah, that's right.
03:21Because normally on Car SOS, we're doing a vehicle for one person.
03:26But in this case, we're doing this vehicle for perhaps hundreds of people.
03:30Yeah.
03:31Right.
03:31Great.
03:32You make friends with the vehicle.
03:33Have a look around it.
03:34And we'll go and have a chat about Sean, shall we?
03:36Shall we do that?
03:36Great.
03:37Come on.
03:37Let's go.
03:37Bye, my goodness.
03:38Okay.
03:39Bye.
03:43Look at this thing.
03:44It looks like it's been here for centuries, descending into the ground.
03:48Well, I'm just looking at Ross.
03:53Now, that is not our friend.
03:56Let's have a look under the bonnet.
03:57See what we've got.
03:59Anything.
04:04Okay.
04:04So, here we have the legendary TD5 diesel engine.
04:09Now, these are a great engine.
04:11They're good.
04:12They're reliable.
04:13I don't know how many miles this one's done.
04:16Everything about this vehicle has to be on the button.
04:21It's got to be ready to work at any time.
04:29So, Sean was working a regular life, doing a regular job.
04:33Yeah.
04:34And he decided to set up your community search and rescue service.
04:38Yeah.
04:38What's he like as a man?
04:40Probably amazing would be the right word.
04:44He gives his whole time for this.
04:46I don't think he sleeps.
04:48He's out on every single search.
04:51His whole being is to save somebody's life.
04:53To bring that person's home.
04:54To bring the person home, yeah.
04:56Give me an idea of the kind of call-outs that you get.
04:59The youngest we've searched for is two, and the oldest is 94.
05:04How many people are there in your organisation?
05:06About 200.
05:07200 people all working voluntarily?
05:09Yeah.
05:10And how many would you go on in an average year?
05:12How many missions?
05:14Um, last year was 400.
05:17400?
05:17Yeah, yeah.
05:19So, what sort of environment are we talking about?
05:21It can be absolutely anything.
05:22We are through the thorniest, roughest area.
05:26So, it could be freezing cold.
05:28Yeah.
05:28It could be hammering it down with rain.
05:29Oh, yeah.
05:30How many lives would you say have been saved
05:32by the existence of your organisation?
05:36Probably thousands.
05:37Yeah.
05:40Oh, well.
05:42Here we go.
05:43Look.
05:45The rear cross member is completely dissolving into nothing.
05:50Let's take a look inside.
05:54Well, the picture doesn't look quite so bad.
05:57But if this is going to be out in all weathers,
06:00out in the cold, in the depths of winter, up mountains and hills...
06:04..we need to make this interior an altogether
06:07more comfortable environment to be working from.
06:10Or rescued too.
06:13I can see what it could be like.
06:15But there's a long, long way to go.
06:22What's the significance of that vehicle outside?
06:25That is the first vehicle he got and he bought with his own money
06:28and put it into using it to save people's lives.
06:32So, that was his own car?
06:33Yes.
06:34And he sacrificed it and covered it in all the stickers
06:36and made it a search and rescue vehicle.
06:38Yeah.
06:38So, saving thousands of lives all actually starts with him
06:41by himself in that car.
06:43Yeah.
06:43And it's grown exponentially from there.
06:45Yeah.
06:46And then he's always wanted to get it back up and running again
06:48and use it again, because it is his baby, you know.
06:52And where does he think the vehicle's going?
06:54His son has a friend who actually fixes up Land Rover's
06:57way down outside Dublin.
06:58Yeah.
06:59So, he has told him the next time he's up, he's just an empty trailer
07:03going down, he's going to lift it and take it away.
07:05So, what would it mean to him to see that vehicle fully restored,
07:09taken care of?
07:09What would it mean?
07:10I think it could bring him to tears.
07:14Right.
07:15I've got my team of volunteers.
07:17Sam, Barry.
07:18That's correct.
07:19Excellent.
07:19First thing, see if it starts.
07:22You've got the keys, Barry.
07:23Yep.
07:24In you get.
07:24Let's see if it will start up.
07:27Fingers crossed.
07:28Give it a go.
07:32Yes.
07:33Come on.
07:34Come on.
07:34Yes.
07:36Yes.
07:36Yes.
07:37Yes.
07:38Right.
07:38Just let the clutch out gently.
07:41Yes.
07:42Okay.
07:44Boards.
07:44Keep going.
07:45Keep going.
07:46That's it.
07:46That's great.
07:48Keep going.
07:49That's it.
07:49Keep coming.
07:51A little bit more.
07:52A little bit more.
07:54Keep coming.
07:54We've got less than an inch.
07:57Keep going.
07:58A little bit.
07:59A little bit.
08:00We are.
08:02Yes.
08:03We're in.
08:04Fantastic.
08:05Handbrake on.
08:07With that, this restoration is a go.
08:10And there's no time to hang about.
08:12Because every day this old defender spends on the workshop floor is a day it's not out saving lives.
08:20So, to get things moving, the boys have called in a favour from the team at Britpart.
08:25Because as possibly the world's biggest Land Rover parts supplier, and the bona fide experts on these four-wheeled workhorses,
08:34with their skill, this rusty Rover can be turned around and back out where it belongs.
08:40I think this project is in two parts.
08:45The first part is the basic Land Rover itself, making it dependable.
08:49And what are we going to add into the mix that's going to make it more usable?
08:55It's got to be reliable, dependable, and capable.
08:59But full of modern technology that benefits search and rescue teams these days.
09:03Well, that's the other side of it, isn't it?
09:05I'm good at tech.
09:06Yeah.
09:07You're good with vehicles.
09:08Yeah.
09:09I deal with the Land Rover side of things.
09:11You deal with everything else that needs to be put into this to make it the best it can possibly
09:18be.
09:18Come on, let's get it up and see what we've got.
09:29Well, look, already I can see that a lot of the chassis at the very back there, the rear crossmember,
09:35that has rotted away.
09:37It's got very little protection on it.
09:39And these axles, you know, it all needs to be renewed as well.
09:42Look, we've got a leaky diff here, we've got a leaky input seal, but we've got an opportunity here where
09:49we can make this much more capable than it already is.
09:53What I need to do, Fuzz, is to find out what the best tech that would actually benefit these guys,
09:59that they would use, is out there.
10:01Yeah, absolutely. That's bang on.
10:04Yes, if this thing's going to become a reliable workhorse that's more capable than it was when it left the
10:09factory a quarter of a century ago, the boys are going to have to completely rebuild it from scratch.
10:18So, first up, they need a solid foundation, which means tackling the defenders' rotten chassis.
10:24The big question is, can those rusty crossmembers be repaired or are they too far gone to be saved?
10:30From there, it's the differential. To make this vehicle more capable than ever before off-road, it's going to need
10:38a seamless upgrade.
10:40Away from the oily bits, Tim needs to track down the specialist search and rescue gear that's going to transform
10:46this from a bog-standard off-roader into the ultimate life-saving machine.
10:53But, before any of that can happen...
10:55Right, here goes.
10:57..it's going to need a thorough wash-down so Fuzz can see what he's working with.
11:03It's orange.
11:05Before everyone gets stuck into stripping the tired old running gear, aluminium tub and body panels away, giving Fuzz his
11:13first proper look at the state of the rotten chassis beneath.
11:16From the rear here, we've got a highly corroded rear end.
11:22Underneath these mountings here, it's just starting to push apart, delaminate, which means that the rot is coming from within.
11:32Then, as we work our way forward, well, we've got holes.
11:37Could it be repaired?
11:39Yes.
11:41But should it be repaired?
11:46Tim and Fuzz are up to their eyeballs trying to turn this year 2000 Defender into the ultimate search and
11:53rescue vehicle.
11:54Because after 15 punishing years on the job, it isn't just tired, it's in need of a rescue itself.
12:01Fuzz has discovered the original chassis is in even worse condition than first thought.
12:06The question is, should it be saved or not?
12:10I don't think so, especially when this has to go out and rescue lives.
12:15So, we're going to get rid of the chassis.
12:19So, it's right back to the foundations to rebuild this old workhorse back up stronger than before.
12:26Here is its new original equipment 110 chassis.
12:32Now, this is an original type chassis that has been galvanised.
12:36The original chassis rotted away after years of exposure to mud, water and grime.
12:42So, rather than risk history repeating itself, Fuzz has opted for a galvanised one.
12:47Whereas zinc coating protects the metal from the water and oxygen that cause rust, giving it maximum protection.
12:54Even in the harsh conditions this vehicle is going to encounter every day.
12:58I reckon this will give it at least another good 20 years of service.
13:04And that could mean a lot of lives.
13:09And Fuzz isn't stopping there.
13:11To ensure it lasts longer than its predecessor, he's adding an additional coat of spray-on underseal,
13:17which can be quickly patched up when it inevitably gets scraped away by the wilderness.
13:23Next, to cement in those new foundations.
13:26Right, time for the front axle. So, let's get this one in place now.
13:30It's pretty, pretty heavy, but it might roll into situ.
13:35So, in we go.
13:38Creaking and groaning.
13:40And so is the axle.
13:41As it's responsible for how this Defender steers, grips and survives off-road,
13:47Fuzz is fitting a replacement front axle.
13:50Because after fitting a shiny new chassis, putting the tired old one back on would be like wearing new shoes
13:56with holes in the socks.
13:58What we're doing is getting another ratchet strap on the front axle to pull it in to the chassis.
14:06We're nearly there.
14:07Hold on. I've just got it started.
14:09What we need is a spanner or a socket, and then we'll be in the pound seats.
14:14There we go. Oh, look at that.
14:16Right. Now that's in, we can get on with that front diff.
14:21Yes, with the mechanical foundations of this Defender laid, Tim's on a mission to discover what life-saving technology he
14:28needs to pack it with.
14:30So, into a Defender almost the same as Sean's.
14:35So, to better understand the realities of what Sean and the team do, he's joined the pros at Merseyside Lowlands
14:42Search and Rescue,
14:43as they head off to a remote countryside location on a training mission.
14:49How capable is this Defender, Phil?
14:51Is this as good as it gets for what we're doing now?
14:54This is a very capable vehicle.
14:56There's not much. It won't go up or down.
14:59And with what we do, it's about getting the right people with the right kits to the right location at
15:04the right time.
15:09So, this is interesting, because already we're having issues with lighting, as in external lighting.
15:14How important is a floodlighting from this vehicle?
15:17Yeah, really good. Really?
15:19Quite often we'll be searching down hedgerows and things like this from the vehicle.
15:22So we might find them on a track or something like that.
15:24Right, so a window down, big torch out a window. Would that be good?
15:27Yeah, it'd be great.
15:30This is our search area.
15:32OK, so Tim, we're going to get out now. Yeah.
15:36You can see wholeheartedly why they use these old trusty things as search and rescue vehicles.
15:41They are capable.
15:43Today, Tim and the team will be looking for a missing person who's being played by a volunteer.
15:49And although this is only a training exercise, it's designed to be as real as possible.
15:55I feel like I can see about eight feet with these things.
15:58And demonstrates just how difficult night searches can be.
16:02So, quick question. Head torches.
16:05Now, the reason we don't use head torches here for searching is, by now, you would have blinded the person
16:11to your right or left.
16:12OK.
16:12You're looking at me now and all my night vision is gone.
16:16Right. This is way more complicated than I first thought.
16:19With over three quarters of the team's searches taking place at night, overcoming the darkness is a top priority.
16:27Karen, can you see the side of this tree here?
16:30Yeah, and it's all clear? Thank you.
16:32Anything there?
16:32No, good.
16:33OK.
16:33So, we're heading off to that big tree there as well now.
16:37Let's go and have a look on the left.
16:38Let's go and have a look on the left-hand side here.
16:40So, make sure you cover the base of that tree and all the trees are around you.
16:44I found something. Eugene?
16:46Guys, I found...
16:47What have you got?
16:47I found somebody here. Say again?
16:50Medic in.
16:51Right, Tim, you're going to work with a medic, so the medic's going to tell you what to do.
16:53So, can you get in there?
16:55Yeah, this is Irene.
16:56My name's Karen.
16:57This is my colleague, Tim.
16:59And how you doing?
16:59I'm here from Lowland Rescue.
17:01I'll tell you something.
17:03Instantly, you forget that this is just a training session, you know.
17:07Can we get a blanket? Thank you.
17:10This is what Sean does.
17:12I've already identified so many things that we can help him with just from coming out on this.
17:18We're just going to put a blanket on you there, Irene.
17:20Tim's just covering me with his blanket.
17:24Today, Irene is dressed for the conditions, but that's rarely the case in real searches,
17:29with many casualties already suffering from hypothermia by the time they're found.
17:35Okay, we've got a stretch on the way as well.
17:37We'll have soup with you before you know it.
17:41So, in terms of things that we want to do for Sean with his vehicle,
17:45we want to focus heavily on lighting.
17:47Head torches are out because it would be great to have both your hands, but they're blind people.
17:51So, they're no good.
17:52What else could we put on?
17:53Well, you know, we could put things like a compressor.
17:56So, when we're in our flood rescue modes and things, we can inflate rafts.
17:59Right.
17:59And the other thing we could have is maybe some heat in there, so that, you know, when we get
18:03Irene back to that.
18:04If we had an auxiliary heater, which is already pre-walled the compartment, you know, and it stays warm when
18:08the engine's off and things, that'd be great.
18:11Okay, is everybody ready?
18:14Yeah.
18:14Brace, lift.
18:19Everybody okay on a stretcher?
18:21Yeah.
18:21Hold on.
18:23Push your eyes out.
18:26This feels like massive disadvantage now, not having both hands free.
18:30And also, surely something would be an improvement on just carrying Irene out of here.
18:35We're going back, Harry.
18:37We're going back, Harry.
18:37We're going back, Harry.
18:39We're going back, Harry.
18:40We're going back, Harry.
18:41We're going back, Harry.
18:41We're going back, Harry.
18:42All right, let me tell you a few things I've learned from today.
18:47That is really hard work.
18:49Seriously.
18:50Once you find the casualty and you've got the motor up, like, moving them, it was only 20 metres there,
18:56but it was really hard.
18:57So, we need to improve on this system, for sure.
19:00This has been the most enlightening thing ever.
19:02I really appreciate it.
19:06Back in the light and warmth of the Brit Park workshop.
19:13I love the smell of axle oil.
19:16Fuzz is zeroing in on the Defender's first major mechanical upgrade.
19:20Is that a weird thing?
19:21I really do, though.
19:23It's like a primeval swamp.
19:25And speaking of swamps, Faza's planning on adding a bit of kit to the Defender's differential that'll help it cross
19:32one without breaking a sweat.
19:34Now, this is our standard final drive, often called a diff or a differential.
19:42Now, it's called that because it has differential gears in, which allow one wheel to turn more quickly than the
19:50other when the vehicle is cornering.
19:52And to demonstrate that principle in practice and the issues it can cause when you take a car with a
19:58standard diff off-road, it's over to a warmed-up Tim.
20:02Right, question for you.
20:05What's unfair about this little race that's unfolding in front of your eyes?
20:08Four guys here, all pelting down this track.
20:11Start line here, finish line there.
20:13Does anything leap out at you?
20:14Well, if it doesn't, let me explain and then I'll demonstrate it with two pieces of string.
20:21Look at this guy on the outside here.
20:22How far is he running?
20:24So, he's running basically that far.
20:27So, the guy on the inside, he's running basically that far.
20:32Now, let's compare the two.
20:35Straight down there.
20:36Oh.
20:38Well, that seems a bit unfair, doesn't it?
20:40The one on the inside is going far less of a distance to the one on the outside.
20:45So, when it comes to races, that is the reason why they stagger the races by precisely that amount.
20:53Now, how does that apply to cars?
20:55Well, let me show you.
20:56Let's have a couple of wheels.
20:59So, let's roll these down here.
21:01All good so far.
21:02And then we get to the corner.
21:03And all of a sudden, this wheel here has basically got to do a longer journey by about that much
21:09than the one on the inside.
21:10But they're connected.
21:11So, what would happen is that one on the inside, you can see it would be spinning.
21:14So, to get round this problem, people invented something called the differential.
21:18And what it basically does is, well, it basically does that.
21:24So, it splits the two wheels to work sort of independently.
21:28Sending power to both of them, it allows for a bit of compensation.
21:31So, it allows the one on the outside to do a longer journey and therefore turn at a slightly faster
21:37rate than the one on the inside.
21:40But, there's a major issue with that when it comes to going off-road.
21:46There's your mud.
21:48So, you're on the road here, but this wheel is in the mud.
21:51Often, all the power gets delivered to this wheel here and just spins.
21:55But, on a vehicle that's supposed to be an off-road vehicle, the idea of getting stuck is an absolute
22:01nightmare.
22:01So, we cannot allow something like that to happen.
22:04So, you have to have the ability to basically get rid of that split differential.
22:11And that is where something called a diff lock comes into play.
22:14And what that does is, it reconnects them so they work as one.
22:19So, if one wheel gets stuck in the mud, it doesn't matter.
22:21The other wheel's going, I'm fine. I'll pull you out of that, which is literally what it does.
22:25And it will roll its way out of trouble.
22:27Yes, and to ensure there's even less chance of Sean ending up bogged down,
22:31Fuzz is going a step further by fitting locking diffs on the front and rear axle.
22:36Letting all four wheels pull together as one moving unit.
22:43Everybody loves a bit of unboxing.
22:46Oh.
22:48And here we have our new locking differential.
22:57There is one bit of this that we're going to use though.
22:59We're going to take the crown wheel off and that will pop onto there.
23:03What we do need to do is make sure that the crown wheel is correctly meshed with the pinion.
23:10The crown wheel and pinion is the set of gears inside the differential that turns the drive from the prop
23:15shaft through 90 degrees and transfers it to the wheels.
23:19If it's too far out, then it will only drive on the outer edge and wear will set up very
23:25quickly into both of them.
23:26If it's too far in, then the wear will be deep set and it will grind away in there.
23:32So it needs to be at exactly the right distance so that it drives on the maximum amount of tooth.
23:41And in order to do that, we need to shim this up.
23:45Shims are metal spacers, a little bit like washers.
23:49Adding them allows Fuzz to close the gap between the gear teeth by minute amounts.
23:55And once he's happiest where it needs to be, the upgraded locking diff can go back into the axle.
24:01If you're wondering what this is, by the way, this is a stretcher.
24:06So this is stretching open the casing just a little bit just to get this sitting in nicely.
24:12So now what we need to do is check the backlash.
24:17On this occasion, backlash isn't what Fuzz gets from Tim.
24:21It's the critical measurement of the gap between the gears on the crown wheel and pinion teeth
24:26that will let him know if the thickness of shims he's used is spot on or not.
24:31So what we should have is between 0.15 and 0.27 mils of backlash.
24:38So hopefully we check with our dial test indicator.
24:44Okay.
24:46So I'm on zero now against the back of the teeth.
24:50So I'm going to give it a try.
24:53Ah, yes.
24:54Perfect.
24:560.18.
24:57Brilliant.
24:58That's within tolerance.
24:59So we've got our backlash correct.
25:00We can box the rest of the axle back together and get it onto the chassis.
25:08Tim and Fuzz are in the midst of one of their toughest and most important builds yet
25:12as they attempt to restore this very rotten former search and rescue Land Rover Defender.
25:18If that wasn't enough, upgrade it to make it more capable than ever before.
25:23To do that, they've made the bold decision to rebuild it from the ground up
25:28by totally replacing the original rotten chassis and front axle
25:32which now houses an upgraded locking diff.
25:35But with over half their build time gone, there's barely half a car to show for it
25:40and no new kit.
25:42So the pressure is on to get things rolling in more ways than one.
25:47So, here's our newly rebuilt rear axle for the Land Rover 110.
25:52Already, literally, to roll into place.
25:56As it was in better condition than its worn out sibling at the front,
26:00the team have been able to refurbish the rear axle by giving it a fresh coat of protective paint
26:05and added that upgraded locking diff.
26:17Our top links in place, just need to put our trailing link nuts and washers on.
26:26Once we've done that, put the springs in,
26:30and this Land Rover can come off the ramp and be wheeled away,
26:35awaiting the next stage.
26:37Bug head, engine, gearbox, body.
26:42It's coming together nicely.
26:45Yes, with the chassis finally complete, the engine can be lowered back into place.
26:49It's been fully checked over and serviced, and to ensure it can be relied on day and night,
26:55the team have fitted a new turbo, set of injectors and starter motor.
27:00Just a little bit more, Steve.
27:03I'll give that a try, I can lift over.
27:10Right, so, there we are.
27:14All the way down now.
27:17The eagle has landed.
27:19We are officially a Land Rover again.
27:25So, with the lower half of the Defender finally complete,
27:28the team can turn their attention to painting up the body panels that will sit on top.
27:33When they strip them off, they found over 90% were too rusty or damaged to reuse,
27:39meaning only the original roof and rear tub will be refitted,
27:43alongside a raft of brand new ones.
27:47So, while the paint dries, Tim's applying his newfound search-and-rescue know-how
27:52to the tricky business of working in the dark.
27:57Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the world's biggest torch.
28:02I do think it might be a little bit on the big side for the search-and-rescue,
28:07but there it is.
28:09You never expected to see that on car SOS.
28:12Yes, as Sean and the team are in need of something a whole lot more powerful
28:15than your run-of-the-mill flashlight,
28:17Tim's travelled all the way to Solingen in Germany,
28:20the home of Led Lenzer,
28:22to find out if the manufacturers of the world's biggest torch
28:25can shine a light on search-and-rescue's biggest challenge.
28:29Hi, how's it doing? Hi, how's it, Tim?
28:31Richard? How are you?
28:32You're English? I am English.
28:33Don't tell me I'm English. No way, seriously.
28:35German company, but I'm English. I'm here to meet you. Make it easy.
28:38Where are we going?
28:39Through here, mate.
28:40I wanted a German guy.
28:44Oh, mate. I'm in heaven.
28:50So what do you need, Tim?
28:51Right, so here's the issue.
28:53I've been out on a search-and-rescue with these guys,
28:55and we realised that lighting is as important as the vehicle.
28:59So what we notice is they'll be driving along in a vehicle,
29:01and they're leaning out the windows, holding these torches, scanning around.
29:04So there's a lot of light bleed all over the place.
29:06The torches aren't powerful enough.
29:08And we wondered if there was a way whereby you could physically
29:11mount a torch to the vehicle so it becomes one.
29:15This product is the XP30R,
29:17and I think it's perfect for the application that you're talking about.
29:19So this is basically a searchlight created to project the light over the best distance,
29:24which I think is what you need.
29:25So inside that head, that lens...
29:27Is this the torch blown up?
29:28This is a broken amp, so you can see it.
29:30So basically what you've got in this head and this housing
29:32is 30 car automotive LED lights in there, OK?
29:36Hang on, what?
29:38Yeah, you've got 30 car automotive LED lights in there.
29:40So you're telling me that in there is the same amount of light
29:44that if you had 30 cars lined up in the car park,
29:46all pointing at the same place, that's the same as that?
29:49It is, but it's even better purely because we've got two lenses over them.
29:53So in order to create the light and travel over the greatest distance,
29:56you put two lenses over there.
29:58The first lens will focus it in this tight,
30:00and then the second lens that goes over the top of it
30:02will focus it in even tighter still.
30:04So narrowing the beam, more focus.
30:06Exactly. And what it does, it will project a cinema screen bank of light
30:10over two kilometres. So that's basically what you can get from...
30:13A two-kilometre beam.
30:15Absolutely, yeah. You can detach that and have it as hand-held
30:17as well as mounting it onto the vehicle.
30:19When you think that your phone torch lights up only a few metres in front of you,
30:24two kilometres will be like mounting a star onto the Defender
30:28and a total game-changer for the team out on a rescue.
30:32Next challenge, then. These guys don't use head torches
30:35because you get so much glare.
30:37So they're chatting to each other and they light the other one's face up
30:40and then you're like, I can't see, you're blinded for ages.
30:42OK. So what kind of hand-held torches have you got with a decent throw?
30:46We've got plenty of torches and plenty of hand-held ones.
30:49I will say that we've already overcome that solution
30:52in terms of the problem that you've got with glare on the head torches.
30:56I'll explain what it looks like.
30:59What we've got on this version is we've got a sensor.
31:02Now that sensor will basically dim the light.
31:05It will automatically provide the right light, whatever they're doing.
31:07So if they look at each other and they're both wearing that head torch,
31:10it's going to dim down to nothing.
31:12They're working in darkness, it's going to be full power
31:14and they're going to just have a nice long-range beam.
31:17The sensor that's behind it is powerful enough to run Windows 95,
31:21so it's a really high-processing chip
31:22and it will make 400 calculations a second.
31:25Which, by the looks of it, is about 399 more than Tim's brain can currently manage.
31:30Seriously? Yeah, seriously.
31:32Well, that was a very illuminating visit
31:34that's going to revolutionise the Defender's night-time capabilities.
31:41Back at Brit Park, Sean's Defender is starting to turn a corner
31:46as the team frantically fit body panels, wings and the rear tub back on.
31:52The problem is, though, the car is only half the story.
31:55What we now need to do is kit the Defender out as a complete search and rescue vehicle.
32:01Yes, thanks to Tim's newfound know-how,
32:04the team have lined up a plethora of cutting-edge upgrades
32:07to turn this empty shell into a proper life-saving machine.
32:10Now, this is an auxiliary power source to power the extra lighting that's going to go on here.
32:16But also, not only does it power the extra lighting, it powers the compressor.
32:24Which is going to be essential for water rescues.
32:27And if the team needs to let air out of the tyres to cross rough terrain,
32:31they can reinflate them quickly once they're back on the road.
32:38I want to get a few tips from Tim on this,
32:41cos, er, he normally always fits the seat, but...
32:46What did you say?
32:48What's the best way to FuzzBot? I've got something to show you.
32:50Ah, back from Germany.
32:51And, have you got any goodies?
32:53Yes! Now, what is that?
32:56The daddy. The beast. The monster.
32:58What is it? The range of two kilometres.
33:01Wow, that's fantastic.
33:03Well, check this out. Right, hang on.
33:05Don't even look at that door card there.
33:07That's hot.
33:08Is it? Yeah.
33:10Is it actually? Yeah, it is.
33:12That's so weird.
33:13That light is so bright, so powerful,
33:16that it's heated up the door card.
33:17So, what I'm thinking is, it's got a hot shoe mount on the bottom.
33:20Yeah. So, I'm thinking of mounting it probably off the door handle section here,
33:23cos that's kind of structural. All right.
33:25Could take the weight.
33:26OK, so maybe, maybe some sort of metal bracket.
33:29Yeah, yeah, yeah.
33:32And Tim's monster torch isn't the only upgrade that's heating things up.
33:35Now, what we have here is a diesel-fuelled heater.
33:40It doesn't rely on the engine being running all night,
33:44so you don't have that additional noise.
33:46You just have the calm and collected interior
33:50with a gentle hum of the diesel heater.
33:53Even in temperatures above freezing, without the right clothing,
33:57hypothermia can set in within just half an hour.
34:01So, having a space that can gently raise body temperature
34:04while the casualty's on the way to further medical care
34:07is gonna be a game-changer.
34:10So, with the rear interior starting to take shape,
34:13Fuzz is lighting the way to the finish with some new LED lamps,
34:18light bar for the roof,
34:20as well as the all-important...
34:25Yeah. Made you jump, eh?
34:27It made me jump, too.
34:32Don't worry, Fuzz.
34:33Tim's got the perfect bit of kit to make you feel better.
34:36Let's just hope, for your sake, you don't need the kiss of life.
34:40Hiya.
34:41Yeah?
34:42You all right?
34:43Now, that is an amazing piece of kit.
34:47Look at that!
34:47Come on, jump in.
34:49Get in here.
34:50Jump in.
34:50Come on, get in.
34:51All you need to do is reverse onto it now.
34:53Yeah, Steve, give us a hand.
34:58Come on.
34:58Now, don't you drop me.
35:00After seeing how tough it was to move a casualty,
35:03Tim sourced an off-road stretcher.
35:05With a built-in wheel,
35:07it makes it easier to get people back to the warmth of the defender
35:10faster than ever.
35:12That is a great piece of kit.
35:14I can see exactly how this is gonna be of immense worth.
35:19That's a position you're not used to adopting, not yet, so let's get you down.
35:22Get you back on your feet.
35:24Let's get some work done.
35:25Can you get me a bit closer?
35:28That's brilliant.
35:29Yes, there's no time for lying down on the job, Fuzz, because it's the final race to the finish,
35:34and they still need to fit the functional storage unit, those new torches and banana-coloured bonnet.
35:41They certainly won't lose this thing in the wilderness in a hurry.
35:44There are very few components you can add to a car which will have such an impact.
35:48Get me to a bank.
35:52It's in.
35:54It has suddenly started to look like a search and rescue vehicle.
36:00Tim, come and have a look at this.
36:05Now, you'll like this. Look.
36:09That is brilliant.
36:10And, of course, it will take some weight.
36:12Well, exactly. So, all the kit will be strapped onto this.
36:14You can bring it out, get it out of waist height, get it at the right height, in the right
36:17position to lift it out.
36:18That's right, yeah. And, not only that.
36:22But underneath.
36:24All your other stuff comes out as well.
36:26So, everything that you need to get to is there.
36:29Think about how this is going to change, Sean, and the whole team's world, Fuzz.
36:34This is a big deal.
36:35It is. It just needs to do one job where it saves one person's life.
36:41Yeah.
36:42And everything is completely worthwhile.
36:45It's done its work.
36:46But I carry a guilt.
36:48What is that?
36:48For every second that we stand here talking, it's a second longer we've got to wait to get this car
36:53back to Sean.
36:54That's true.
36:55Come on.
36:55Let's shut it up and get it out of here.
37:00It's taken over 600 hours of hard work, but finally the boys are back in Northern Ireland, ready to return
37:08Sean's restored, rebuilt and upgraded Defender.
37:14Look at that.
37:15It's two things for me, Fuzz.
37:17Not only is it one of the biggest and best looking transformations ever since our beginning, but it's also what
37:22it represents, what it can achieve.
37:25That there is going to save lives.
37:27That's right.
37:28What's bigger than that?
37:28I don't think on Car SOS that we have had a vehicle that is quite so important as this particular
37:36car.
37:37Right.
37:38This is the challenge today, Fuzz, Bob.
37:40This is the Titanic experience here in Belfast, and this happens to be where Sean is coming down to today
37:45because he believes a local company are making a documentary about his incredible achievements.
37:49Okay.
37:49So I've got him standing here, I think, with a green screen about that big behind him.
37:53But he's so popular.
37:55Yeah.
37:5660 people, friends and family are going, we are being a part of that. He's too important to us.
38:0260?
38:02I've got to get 60 people up behind him quietly, and a car.
38:05Do you know how loud 60 people walking quietly are?
38:08They're quite loud.
38:11Yes, if they've got knees and hips, anything like these two, Sean will hear them a mile off.
38:16But let's give it a whirl.
38:17So, while Fuzz gets the car into position, Sean's arrived for what he thinks is a TV documentary shoot about
38:26his search and rescue work.
38:28Some nice hero stuff.
38:30Turn your shoulders slightly.
38:31That one, do you?
38:32Hold on, let me go.
38:33You want...
38:34You want the...
38:35Sorry.
38:36You want the right pose?
38:40It's literally for him to go...
38:42Meanwhile, at a bar just metres away, Tim's busy wrangling the herd of nearest and dearest.
38:48So, this is one of those moments that we can't ever recreate again. It's now or never.
38:52And when I mean silent, I mean utterly silent.
38:56So, with Sean well and truly in character...
38:59I feel a bit like Leonardo DiCaprio or something like that.
39:02...and paying no attention to what's going on around him...
39:05Oh, my God. How many people?
39:07It's time for the big moment.
39:10He's right there. Look. Look.
39:12He's right behind that.
39:13Look at him. They're looking down the lens.
39:16Nice.
39:18Here we go.
39:20This is the moment.
39:22We are go.
39:40All right, turn around, face the museum.
39:43Hold.
39:54Hello, mate.
39:56Nice to meet you.
39:57How are you doing?
39:59Uh...
39:59Turn around here.
40:01What are you doing?
40:02Right.
40:02Well, let me... let me explain.
40:04I know who you are.
40:04You don't know why.
40:06That means I'm in trouble.
40:07Sir, there's a reason you are here.
40:09And if the crowd pass, it's something you might recognize.
40:14Yeah, I think I own that thing.
40:15I mean, I think you do own it.
40:17But hold on, it's not that color when I have it.
40:20No, it wasn't.
40:20And it was in a far worse condition.
40:22Yeah.
40:22This is a moment to celebrate you.
40:24This is a moment to thank you for what you've done for everybody.
40:27Many of those who will be watching this around the world,
40:30whose life you've saved.
40:31You're an incredible chap.
40:33OK.
40:34Can we have a round of applause, by the way?
40:36Thank you so much.
40:37That was very nice.
40:42When the boys collected Sean's trusty old workhorse,
40:45it had been off the road for four years,
40:47rotting away, unable to fulfill its purpose of saving lives.
40:53But thanks to some serious hard graft,
40:56what began as a recovery job has ended in a machine
40:59ready to answer the call when it matters most.
41:02Beneath the exterior sits a brand new galvanized chassis
41:07that's tougher, stronger, and built to last.
41:10There's new diff locks on both axles,
41:13which means this Defender can now rescue people in places
41:16it could never reach before.
41:18Inside it's packed to the rafters with state-of-the-art essential kit.
41:23There's a new stretcher system, torches, lights, diesel heater,
41:28and to top it off...
41:31..that siren.
41:33A rescue vehicle that once needed saving itself
41:36now stands ready to save others.
41:41What does this vehicle mean to you? What does it represent?
41:44It's really difficult to give any words about how personal this is,
41:48this vehicle, because it actually represents
41:51all of those who were there to start,
41:53and also those who are still on the journey with us,
41:56where we go about helping and saving lives.
41:58Would you say that this is the most important vehicle in your life?
42:02It most certainly is now.
42:04This vehicle will be delivering hope,
42:07which is the most important thing, I can assure you,
42:11to anyone who's in crisis.
42:13You've just put about another 100,000 miles running time in this,
42:17but you've also put 100,000 miles running time in me.
42:19And at my stage in life, that's really important.
42:21You've just inspired me completely.
42:23To think that people would do this for me,
42:26not just for the organism, but for me,
42:28and then for me to be able to use this to do it for other people
42:30is exactly what the world's about, what my life's about,
42:33and that's what I want to do.
42:34So when will this be out on the road, then?
42:35When do you think this will start being used?
42:37Just as soon as you turn your back.
42:39Really?
42:40As soon as we can't, it'll be straight out.
42:42This is really important,
42:44and we're going to have to take really good care of it,
42:45but equally we're going to use it.
42:46Yeah.
42:47We've got a meet of searches and taskings that we get,
42:50but I wouldn't be surprised it'll be used later today.
42:53Really?
42:53Saving lives today.
42:54Saving lives today.
42:55Wow.
42:56Well, I have a feeling that shaking your hand
42:58is shaking the hand of the most important man I've ever met.
43:00This is something to give to you and tell you you've been KSOS.
43:03Absolutely.
43:04Thank you so much.
43:05Get it out there and get saving lives.
43:07Absolutely.
43:15Are you impressed with what you got?
43:17Oh, with that sex, that's what I mean.
43:19It's better than impressed.
43:21There's no word that could really explain the way this is.
43:24This is excellent.
43:26It looks absolutely fantastic.
43:29Sometimes you think you never get attached to a vehicle,
43:31but actually you do become very attached to a vehicle,
43:35and I'm most definitely attached to the hip with this one now.
43:41And true to his word, later that very day,
43:45Sean and the team were able to put the restored Defender
43:48and new equipment through their paces,
43:51bringing their first casualty home safe and sound.
43:55So, let's go.
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