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Car SOS - Season 14 - Episode 04: VW Golf GTI Mk1
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00:01This time on Car SOS, the king of the hot hatches.
00:07It needs some work, but it's all very doable.
00:11Has gone colder than a snowman's carrot.
00:14Now, a few of the items that need servicing are not currently present with the car,
00:18but I think you can get the vision.
00:21Tim takes the crew hostage in a toilet.
00:24Get in here, don't complain. Just get in.
00:26Fuzz discovers what we already know.
00:28Not normal. A sticker that ought to be on Tim Shaw's forehead.
00:31And the countdown begins to make another deserving owner's dream come true.
00:36My heart's racing.
01:00Right, well, here we are, Timmy. This is a lovely part of the world.
01:04Today, the reason we're here in your hometown in Birmingham is because this year we are celebrating the 50th birthday
01:11of the car that, in my mind, gave birth to hot hatches, man.
01:16Now, I know what you must be talking about now, because today we must be picking up the Volkswagen Golf
01:22GTI.
01:24Mark one. Mark one, baby.
01:26Now, here's the thing, Fuzz. I reckon that this car is single-handedly responsible not only for the whole hot
01:32hatch scene, but more importantly,
01:33it's given birth to tens of thousands of engineers around the world because it's said to everyone who had one,
01:39modify me.
01:42Yes, it's fitting, really, that the Golf GTI became every mod-mad petrolhead's dream car, because that's exactly how it
01:50started life.
01:51Back in the mid-1970s, a faction within the VW team felt the standard car was too tame.
01:58So, with some spare time and a warehouse full of parts on their hands, they set about spicing things up.
02:06They swapped the standard 1.1-litre engine with a 1.6 fuel-injected monster that had more than doubled
02:13the horsepower,
02:14sharpened the suspension, and improved the gearbox and clutch, creating a car that offered Porsche-like thrills,
02:21on a working-class budget. Which is why, by the time they hit the second-hand market in the late
02:2680s,
02:27every Boeing racer with a socket set wanted one. Because, thanks to their relatively simple mechanics,
02:33engines could be fettled on your driveway, suspension slammed, and, before long,
02:39the streets were filled with shiny wheels, loud exhausts, and body kits galore,
02:45making the GTI no longer just a car, it was a movement, a badge of belonging,
02:50something you built, modified, and made your own.
02:55So, whose golf are we picking up today?
02:57Right. The car is owned by Saj.
02:58OK.
02:59But Saj isn't going to be where we're going.
03:01Of course not, because otherwise we couldn't car rest, though I said.
03:03Yes, but the two guys who are there are his mates, who are Nav and Shan.
03:06OK.
03:07They're going to let us take the car away, tell us his story, and let's get on with it, man.
03:11Fantastic. Right. Let's get there. I cannot wait to get my hands on it.
03:20Have we come to the right? Are you expecting us?
03:22All right, please, boys. Welcome.
03:23How's it going, Max? Nice to meet you.
03:24Nice to meet you too, Tim.
03:26Yep. Great to see you, Tim.
03:29Can we see the car?
03:30Yeah, where you can get to.
03:33Where is it?
03:34Have a look, let's see what you can spot.
03:35Oh, there.
03:36OK.
03:38My question to you guys is this.
03:39Is this a car to be modified, or is it one of the very few cars that's going to go
03:44original the way fuzz it like?
03:46Complete full modifications for us, that's where we're going.
03:50Go and have a look around your car.
03:52Right.
03:52Go and get stuck in, get your hands mucky, we'll go and talk about those mods, shall we?
03:55Because they're going to be huge.
03:57Are we talking about...
03:58Take a list.
04:02Right.
04:02Well, the dog needs to see the rabbit, so I'm going to have to get all of this stuff out
04:06of the way.
04:07And then, and only then, can we take a look at the car.
04:11Gloves on.
04:13Let's get shifting.
04:20Oh, look, it's coming, it's coming.
04:22Bit by bit.
04:30There's our engine, but hold on, wait a minute.
04:35That does not look like a standard unit.
04:37Right.
04:40So, yeah, it's not normal.
04:42A sticker that ought to be on Tim Shaw's forehead.
04:45This is an engine out of an altogether different beast.
04:50I'm assuming that this is one of the first of the modified parts.
04:55Saj wants this engine in his GTI.
05:01So, tell me about Saj. What kind of guy is he, and why is he into that car?
05:05That car's been with him near on 30 years.
05:08Right.
05:08He originally built it up into a show car, and then he decided he wanted to take it to the
05:11next level, and took it off road, and it never come back out.
05:15Right.
05:16Does Saj know his cars?
05:17Does he know his VW?
05:18He's the guru.
05:20He's the Oracle.
05:21He's the go-to guy.
05:22He's everybody's friend.
05:24You take him to a show.
05:26Everybody's, you can't get around the show because everybody wants to sort of Saj.
05:28He's like the central force in all our car community.
05:31He's got connections to everyone.
05:33He's the magnet.
05:34He's the glue in the box.
05:35Everything revolves around him.
05:37As we come back here, well, new door.
05:40That's great.
05:42The news is not so great around this wheel arch, because I can see, well, I've got filler here.
05:48We've got rot.
05:49It's had modifications.
05:50I can see possibly a little bit of fiberglass in there, but it's not looking pretty.
05:56So crispy arch again, and then looking in here, I've got a box with wiring lube, although that does not
06:03look standard at all.
06:05If we can find some wheels, get it on, then hopefully we'll be able to roll this thing out of
06:10here.
06:13What happened in Saj's life to mean that, unfortunately, that has been left like that?
06:18Back about, I'd say it's probably about 30 years, he went off on holiday, swam out to sea.
06:25He was a really strong swimmer, and suddenly found himself that he couldn't swim back.
06:30Didn't think anything of it, must have been tired, come back home.
06:34A couple of things happened, he had a few falls, and then eventually went down to the doctors,
06:39and he got the worst news ever, and he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.
06:45Can he still walk?
06:46Does he still have movement in his arms and his hands, or...?
06:49It's just his fingers and hands, really, yeah.
06:51So let me ask you a question.
06:53His whole life has been about that car.
06:55Yeah.
06:55About Mark 1 GTIs.
06:56Yeah.
06:57What's the dream?
06:59Seat back on the road.
07:01Yeah, his vision.
07:02His vision.
07:02Mm.
07:03As a complete package.
07:05Is he going to want to take it to shows?
07:07Yeah.
07:08Definitely.
07:09Yeah.
07:10He's a show guy.
07:10It's all about the show, besides he loves it.
07:12Right.
07:13If we could get him in the driving seat, it would just be amazing,
07:15even if it's just for a short duration.
07:18Get to drive it himself, control it himself.
07:20Dude, look, I don't know, I'm not going to promise anything.
07:22Even a partial experience of driving the car,
07:25even if it's just the braking or the accelerator or the steering or something.
07:28But where there's a will, there's a way.
07:30You should go see how it's getting on.
07:31It's fantastic.
07:32Thanks.
07:35Right, there's the sunlight hitting the car.
07:36When was the last time this car saw sunlight?
07:38What?
07:3820 years ago.
07:3920 years.
07:41Yeah.
07:41Yeah.
07:41Oz, you and I need to talk modifications, mate.
07:43There are going to be lots of them.
07:50The engine's not in it.
07:51The interior's not in it.
07:52It's a shell and a load of bits.
07:54We don't even know if we've got a complete car.
07:57I think we're going to uncover a few nasty little bits here and there.
08:01Look, we know who can help us with this kind of thing.
08:07Rick Wood.
08:07Yeah.
08:08Yeah, exactly.
08:09It's a big mountain to climb.
08:10It's the biggest.
08:11Nothing else will be as big as this.
08:13Come on.
08:13Nothing.
08:13Let's go for it.
08:15Yes, if there's one person who can help Sherpa the boys up this mountain of modifications,
08:21then it's the Prince of Performance Motors, Rick Wood.
08:25Rick, we've got something for you I want to show you.
08:27Yeah.
08:27This is just a little, it's a minor restoration.
08:30It's not a restoration.
08:31It's more of a service.
08:32Oh, no, no.
08:32It's a service, really.
08:32Yeah.
08:33Oh, really?
08:35Really.
08:36I'm holding on to you so you can't get away.
08:41Now, a few of the items that need servicing are not currently present with the car,
08:46but I think you can get the vision.
08:49Come on, mate.
08:50It needs some work, but it's all very doable.
08:53What was that, Rick?
08:54Get it in.
09:01Keep going, keep going, keep going.
09:04Yes.
09:06Have a little look round it.
09:07Start from the back.
09:11Well, I can already see some welding that kind of needs to be probably...
09:18Cut out.
09:19Cut out, yeah.
09:20What do you reckon there, Rick?
09:21Those arches.
09:22Arches.
09:23And then when you come round to the sills...
09:25Oh, yeah, it's got a banana shape.
09:27It's a banana.
09:28Yeah.
09:28So that is scary.
09:30So that needs redoing.
09:32Shall we have a look under?
09:35There's nothing that is great about this.
09:38It's just been made to look pretty.
09:41On a scale of one to ten, where would you put it?
09:42Ten being great.
09:43Zero being...
09:44One being rubber.
09:45Generous two.
09:47Right.
09:47This is a guy who has dedicated his life to Volkswagen.
09:50So he can't turn up to a show with a car that's anything other than the show winner.
09:55You're talking about show cars.
09:57Yeah, yeah.
09:57It's not just MOT standard.
09:59We can't possibly leave it like that.
10:02Got to redo everything that's done.
10:07The boys are up to their necks in what should be the ultimate hot hatch, a Mark 1 Golf GTI.
10:15But, unfortunately, this one's gone colder than a Polar Bear's giblets.
10:20Guys, got something to show you here.
10:25This is the engine built by Saj himself.
10:29What can I tell you about it?
10:30It is from a Mark 2 Golf.
10:33What?
10:34Well, let's hope it's in better condition than that.
10:39All right, do you want the bombshell, then?
10:41I've just sat there with Shannon Nav.
10:43Yeah.
10:44And talked about a dream.
10:46That Saj is going to get to drive his car again.
10:49Just getting that car back on the road is going to be absolutely something.
10:54Now, that is where you should set your dreams.
10:58Yes, this one isn't your standard renovation.
11:02So, where do the boys start?
11:04First up, they need a car that runs and a solid body shell to build around it.
11:08That means Fuzz needs to work out if Saj's more powerful Mark 2 engine is salvageable and then get busy
11:16chopping, grinding and welding in some fresh sills.
11:20Next, they've got to modify it so Saj can drive it.
11:24So, not only do they need him to get into his dream car, Tim also needs to find a way
11:29for him to control it using just his thumb.
11:31Finally, they've got to modify it even further to turn it into a show car petrol head Saj has always
11:39wanted to drive.
11:40Which involves somehow getting to the bottom of his custom master plan and making it a reality.
11:48Which makes this less restoration, more full-blown reinvention.
11:53And with the clock already ticking, there's no time to waste.
11:57So, the team dives straight into stripping what's left of the car and removing those rotten sills.
12:04Leaving Fuzz to get on with making Saj's dream of having a more powerful Mark 2 engine in his Mark
12:111 car come true.
12:14At the moment, it's a complete unknown quantity.
12:18Lots of modders stick a Mark 2 engine in a Mark 1 car because it gives you 30 more horsepower.
12:24But these engines didn't come without their problems.
12:28So, what I'm going to do is strip all the ancillaries off it and then take the cylinder head off
12:34so that we can see in the bores.
12:36And also, flip it over, get the pistons out and then we can check out the crankshaft as well.
12:41It's really just seeing what we've got.
12:44The Mark 2's engine was considered pretty reliable.
12:48But, as with any other car, only as long as the cooling system was properly maintained.
12:53That doesn't strike me as recently changed or will.
12:56I think that this engine has probably done quite a few miles.
13:02So, with what appears to be years of DIY fixes under its belt, this engine could already be on borrowed
13:08time.
13:12Right, we have lift off.
13:19Right, so, looking at this cylinder head, the edges of our waterways are nice and crisp and sharp.
13:27And that means that at least this engine has been run with probably the correct coolant in it.
13:33Which means that these haven't corroded away.
13:36So, that's a good sign.
13:38But what are the bores like?
13:42Right, it's not looking like great news in here.
13:45We have scores in the bores.
13:49Now, that means that either the piston or the piston rings or something has got inside here and been dragged
13:58up and down the wall of the cylinder.
14:01And has made a little groove.
14:02Hmm.
14:03I don't even need to look at the bottom end now because the whole thing's got to come apart.
14:08We know we are now in for a total rebuild.
14:14If a visit to the scrapyard was the worst possible outcome, this is getting a silver medal.
14:20Because a rebuild is going to swallow up heaps of time that the team should be using to turn this
14:24into Saj's dream car.
14:27On the plus side, it gives Tim more of a chance at pulling off the seemingly impossible.
14:32Finding a way for Saj to control his car using nothing more than his thumb.
14:37I admit that we can't get Saj in the position that I'm in now to drive his golf.
14:43Unfortunately, with his condition, that's not possible.
14:45So, what about this?
14:47When you drive a car like I am now, I'm mainly steering and braking and accelerating, right?
14:52Now, which of those three is the most exhilarating?
14:55Which is the one that gives you...
14:57Well, the buzz is the accelerator pedal, isn't it?
14:59So, I'm just wondering if we could...
15:01And this is a big deal.
15:04Imagine if we could give Saj the control of the accelerator from the passenger seat.
15:10So, there's one bloke I know that could answer me the question whether or not it's possible.
15:14And that is a guy called Luke at a company called Haltech.
15:18And these guys...
15:19Well, listen, we're going there now.
15:21Buckle up.
15:23Haltech are one of the leaders in advanced vehicle control systems.
15:27But even for them, Tim's plan is a tall order.
15:31Oh, my word. What is that?
15:34Oh, my good God.
15:38Four-litre, twin-turbo, V8.
15:41V8.
15:42In the back of a Volkswagen Caddy.
15:44Right, dude, knock it off.
15:46Knock it off for a minute.
15:47Right.
15:47I've got a challenge for you.
15:48OK.
15:48This is a big one.
15:50Right, we're doing a car.
15:51So, Mark will golf GTI.
15:52OK.
15:53For a guy called Sarge.
15:54He has muscular dystrophy.
15:55So, he's a wheelchair user.
15:56And he basically controls the wheelchair with his thumb,
15:59which is still working.
16:00So, I want to give this guy,
16:01I'm pleased he's sitting down for this,
16:03the control of the throttle from the passenger seat.
16:08I'm not entirely sure it's been done before.
16:10No, but...
16:11Yeah, I know.
16:12That's fine.
16:12I'm sure it hasn't.
16:13But what I do know is that the car as it is,
16:16is cable controlled.
16:18Yes.
16:18I think we would need to revert away from mechanical throttle control.
16:24Yeah.
16:24So, no cables.
16:24No cables.
16:25Good.
16:26And go towards an electronic throttle control system.
16:29Shall we have a look?
16:29Let's have a look.
16:30OK.
16:30We'll see what we can do.
16:32Luke's put together a simple test rig to demonstrate how a modern car's accelerator pedal,
16:37ECU, and electronic throttle body control the flow of air into the engine.
16:42In theory, when I depress it...
16:45Oh, look at that.
16:46It opens.
16:47In this setup, pressing the pedal sends an electrical signal to the car's brain,
16:52the ECU, which then opens the electronic throttle body by just the right amount,
16:57depending on how hard you push.
16:59Now, thinking about it, you're right to have two pedals here,
17:02because we need the ability for Sarge to have the control taken off him, if required.
17:07Yeah, we can do that.
17:08Or, if the car is being driven on a normal road...
17:10Yep.
17:11...it's just a standard drive without any extra...
17:13Absolutely.
17:14...additional.
17:15We can do that.
17:15We can do that.
17:16But we need to modify one of those to be controllable, instead of it being, you know,
17:22the large movement of an accelerator pedal.
17:27We need to be operational by a thumb.
17:29Right, do you want to power it down while I open it up?
17:31Are you all right with me?
17:31No, go for it.
17:33Well, let's have a look at...
17:33Right, let's have a look at what's inside here.
17:35Right, so from what I'm looking at here, this is what, in my day,
17:37would be called a potentiometer or a variable resistor.
17:40Yeah.
17:40So, what a standard resistor is, it is just the narrowing of a pipe.
17:45Yeah.
17:45So, electricity, electrical current comes down a tube that's, say, this big.
17:49Yep.
17:49And if you restrict it, it loses some of the energy and heat.
17:53But this is a variable resistor, which means it can change the diameter of that hole.
17:57Mm-hmm.
17:58So, it can squeeze it down to nothing and turn it off like you're...
17:59Just like a tap.
18:00Yeah.
18:00Just like a tap.
18:02So, in theory, then, if I now slide my thumb up...
18:05Yep.
18:05...it'll slide up those contacts, bridging those four tracks.
18:08And hence the throttle body opens.
18:10And closes.
18:11And if you look, I'm doing it all with my thumb.
18:13Yep.
18:14And the movement is about the full range of motion that I have in my thumb,
18:18of about 20 millimetres, without using my wrist.
18:21Yep.
18:21So, that, actually, is what we need.
18:27Right, can you deal with the ECU side of things, this pedal side of things, all of that stuff?
18:32Yeah.
18:33And I will take this and this and the four screws and work on a joystick for Sarge himself.
18:39That sounds good to me.
18:40Yeah?
18:40Yep, that works.
18:41Should we get lunch?
18:41Yes, please.
18:42But don't start popping the champagne just yet, boys.
18:45Because grafting 21st century tech onto a four decade old golf that was built before cars were commonly fitted with
18:53ECUs,
18:54it's going to be like turning your toaster into the space station.
18:57And don't forget the rust-ridden body shell still crumbling away around Fuzzy's ears.
19:02So, it's time for him to try and repair those banana-shaped sills.
19:08Well, we're out with the old sill and in with a new one, but what I'm trying to do is
19:16get it to fit nicely in here.
19:18So, what I'm doing is I've drawn a line just along here.
19:24I'm going to take it up to a point around at this bit here and I'm going to try and
19:29tuck the new sill under the old ones.
19:36Because brand new panels rarely fit perfectly straight out of the box, Fuzzy's patiently trimming them down inch by inch.
19:44A little bit more material to lose.
19:47To achieve the perfect fit.
19:55Open it up again.
20:01Right.
20:04I need to make a little fold, basically drop this section back as well as this section so that it
20:12fits snugly unto here.
20:14And hopefully, we should start getting it into place from now.
20:19So, whilst Fuzz shapes the edge of the sill, he's got time to perfect his stand-up routine.
20:26Hammer time.
20:29If I didn't laugh at my own jokes, nobody would.
20:32Meanwhile, across the workshop, the mission to get Saj's engine back on the road is well underway.
20:37The block has been re-bored to remove the scoring, which turns out to be a blessing in disguise.
20:43Because it's allowed the team to fit it with larger pistons that will create more power.
20:49An upgrade petrol head Saj will undoubtedly be happy about.
20:52Right.
20:54Right.
20:54Now, will this go behind?
21:00There we are on there.
21:03Right.
21:04Well, it's not looking too bad.
21:11So, thanks to Fuzz's handiwork and Rick's team of experts, the engine and body are on the road to recovery.
21:18Giving them five minutes to think about the final part of the plan.
21:22Well, you see, I like the dark, the light green.
21:26Well, I quite like, yeah, I like the darker green.
21:29Deciding what Saj's show car should look like.
21:32Guys, stop a minute.
21:34What?
21:34What's going on in here?
21:35We're just...
21:36We're building a show car here.
21:37Yeah.
21:38That is a true reflection of somebody's personality.
21:40Now, the last time I checked, it wasn't your personality's.
21:43It was Saj's.
21:44Yeah.
21:44So what are you doing?
21:45Well, we can't ask Saj, can we?
21:47Look, I'm going to make a suggestion here.
21:49I am going to go...
21:50Because there's no other way of doing this.
21:53I'm going to go deep, deep, deep under cover, and I'm going to get it from Saj's mouth.
21:57Well, hold on.
21:58You can't do that.
21:58Look.
21:59What are you going to do?
22:00Go in disguise.
22:00Six foot six.
22:01Great big honking voice that anybody could recognize from a mile away.
22:05It's not going to happen.
22:06You're going to blow it.
22:10The boys are up to their eyeballs, trying to transform this heap of rust and broken parts
22:16back into a Mark 1 Golf GTI.
22:19And, as you can tell, there's still a long way to go.
22:23Because they still need to crack how to get its owner Saj from his wheelchair into the car.
22:29Build a controller for him to operate the throttle.
22:32Completely refit every single nut, bolt, screw and washer.
22:37And, tougher than all of that, figure out what Saj's dream golf actually looks like.
22:42Since right now that master plan is locked away between his ears.
22:46So, in a desperate quest for answers...
22:49Just get in here. Don't complain. Just get in.
22:51Or, out of sheer panic, Tim's locked himself and the crew in a portable toilet.
22:59Let me explain.
23:00First of all, it's rude to introduce you to Nav.
23:02Nav works on Car SOS.
23:03Also on cameras, we've got Ainslie here.
23:05That's Ainslie.
23:06Now, why are we here?
23:07And the truth is, we're missing information on this car, on how we want it.
23:14So, to get the answers they desperately need, Tim's arranged for Saj to bring Saj along to the official Mark
23:211 Golf owners show.
23:23But, little does he know, it's all a ruse to extract the plans for his dream car from him, without
23:29him becoming any the wiser.
23:32I can't just bowl up and ask him, because he'll know he's been Car SOS.
23:35But, Nav can. You've got headphones there, man.
23:37Yep.
23:37Put them on. Tell me if you can hear me.
23:40One, two... Can you hear me?
23:41Yeah.
23:41Loud and clear.
23:42Loud and clear.
23:42One, two, three.
23:43Right, let me just do the same.
23:44So, this is basically, you are my remote control, you're me, just with a different face.
23:54So, under the guise of filming the event for social media, Nav and Ainslie get into position, while Tim listens
24:01in from his throne.
24:03Who have we got here?
24:04We've got my pal Saj here. There's young Narayan there as well.
24:07Hi Narayan. Hiya Saj. How are ya? You all right?
24:11Are you all right to ask a few questions? Are you okay with that?
24:14It'll be quick. It's just about the Mark 1s.
24:16Okay, first question. Now, I've asked him why he fell in love with the Mark 1 Golf GTI.
24:20Why do you love Mark 1s? What is it about them?
24:23You know, I really wanted, like, a Ford Escort, because that's what all the, you know, all the cool kids
24:27used to drive.
24:28But, erm, I bought this 1.1 Golf, and I fell in love with it.
24:33And do you still own the Golf? Is it still around?
24:35Yeah, it's not around, but it's, er, it's in pieces, just like everything else.
24:40Talk to me about the wheels and the paint job.
24:43If you had the chance to get it back on the road, what kind of wheels would you put on
24:47it?
24:47What kind of engines? Is there any, any kind, any specifics?
24:50Er, yeah, I've got a particular engine that I've built back in the day.
24:54I'd like to put that back in there.
24:55This is great.
24:56And Porsche alloys, Porsche brakes.
24:59Yeah.
25:00That's it, and colour-wise?
25:01Dark green.
25:02Oh, dark green.
25:02Nice, perfect.
25:04Nav, you've nailed it, man.
25:05You've absolutely nailed it, right?
25:07I'm getting out.
25:07It's absolutely steaming in here.
25:09Sorry, guys, it was, er, it was a long one.
25:13So, armed with the key information, the body shell can finally go off for paint.
25:17And it's not a moment too soon, because the guys have decided to hand Saj's dream car back to him
25:23at another car show he's planning to attend in just over a week's time.
25:28So, while the paint dries, a freshly showered Tim needs to get a move on, designing the hand grip for
25:35the all-important throttle control.
25:37Are you all right, Tim?
25:38Hello, Carl.
25:39With Rick's master builder and custom part genius, Carl.
25:45This is all to me about one thing, which is ergonomics, the way that machinery interacts with the mechanics of
25:50a human being.
25:51So, getting it right for the right hand is crucial.
25:54So, basically, we've got to make sure that as we rest, you've got to imagine that you're putting it in
25:58your hand.
25:59Yeah.
25:59So, you'd want to rest it on the fingers, and then imagine how the hand would naturally grip the device.
26:07Yeah.
26:08The ultimate would be...
26:10Something that shapes around the hand, or that the hand can shape itself around.
26:17So, we're hoping that Saj has this movement, because there's more travel there and more control.
26:23More travel, more control.
26:24Yeah.
26:24Than the tip of the thumb.
26:25Yeah.
26:26Yeah.
26:26So, what will we need, then?
26:27So, we need something that's like a grip.
26:30Okay.
26:30Something that the hand can wrap itself around and can fit comfortably in.
26:34Something that you can hold for a very long period of time.
26:38What, like that?
26:39Like what?
26:40That.
26:41Look.
26:42Oh, right.
26:42That, that there, did the...
26:45Right, Andy, just take your hand off that a minute.
26:48Right, actually, can we have your camera...
26:49Just put your camera down here a minute.
26:51That's it.
26:52Right, so get your hand in there.
26:54Could you scan this?
26:55Could we make this work?
26:56So, this will have been designed by ergonomicists.
26:58So, it's perfect.
27:01So, hang on.
27:01Andy, when you use a camera like this, do you get...
27:04Does that get tiring?
27:05I've pulled that camera for hours.
27:07For hours.
27:08I'm pretty sure any camera brand will put a lot of money into developing something like this.
27:14Yeah.
27:14So, why should we...
27:16The answer was right there, attached to the camera.
27:18Why should we spend days trying to figure out something that's already been designed?
27:23Yeah.
27:23Why not be inspired by what other people have created?
27:25Should we nick the strap as well?
27:27I think we should.
27:28Right.
27:29Get scanning that.
27:30Andy, can you manage without that?
27:31Yeah, you're going to have to.
27:32I'm comfortable with that.
27:34No, you can't.
27:34It's gone.
27:35You do what you've got to do.
27:36Scan the hell out of that.
27:38Combine it with this stuff here.
27:39And let's make a complete one-off solution for Sarge.
27:42Absolutely.
27:44Apologies if Andy's camera work starts making you feel like you're on board a North Sea fishing
27:49trawler, but it's for the greater good.
27:52But not every part of this build is going so smoothly, because Rick and Fuzz have run
27:57into a problem, creating Sarge's dream Porsche rims.
28:01So, Rick, Sarge is really particular about the wheels on his car.
28:05I mean, and who can blame him?
28:07He's got a vision.
28:08His dream was to have a three-piece wheel, so it's a separate inner, two separate outer
28:14rims.
28:14But here's the snag.
28:16The Porsche wheels Sarge wants to use weren't designed for this job.
28:20Once Rick cut away the outer face to fit them to the new wider rims, he realised there
28:25wasn't enough metal left to safely join all of the pieces together.
28:28OK, so, what's the solution there?
28:32Well, we have to have a rethink.
28:34OK.
28:34So, the rethink was, these are famous for being on Golf Mark II's.
28:42OK, so those are known as P-slots.
28:44Yes.
28:44So, basically, it's a Pirelli kind of design.
28:47Yes.
28:49So, we thought, I tell you what, it'd be really nice to do a P-slot.
28:53So, we got some.
28:54Yeah.
28:55We've machined the edge off here.
28:57Yeah.
28:59We cut that off.
29:00And then, essentially, we will then bolt it all together.
29:04And those, I think, will look loads, loads better than the Porsche wheels.
29:10I think they'll look really cool.
29:11Yeah.
29:11Yeah.
29:12But, the question is, will Saj feel the same way?
29:16And, as they can't exactly ring him and ask, and, with the car show under a week away, it's
29:22a risk the boys are going to have to take.
29:24And, sticking with the risky theme...
29:27Whoa, whoa, hang on, you're far too inexperienced to be doing this without me here.
29:30Tim's arrived to help fit the engine.
29:32What could go wrong?
29:34Do you think so?
29:35Ha-ha!
29:36Right, hang on, can we just...
29:36Oh, wow!
29:37Mate, right, so, the shell is painted and looking stunning.
29:41What have we done to this engine, then?
29:43Many things.
29:44Right.
29:44So, it's two litre.
29:46OK.
29:48Forged pistons.
29:48Right.
29:49Steel rods.
29:50Ported head.
29:51Different camshafts.
29:52It's going to be a supercharger slapped on here.
29:54Yeah.
29:54And we've got to get this in there.
29:56When I've fitted these engines before, I've dropped them in from the bottom.
29:59Yeah.
30:00So, what are you doing with it flying in the air?
30:02The two-poster ramps not working yet, so...
30:05OK.
30:06Right.
30:06We've got to do it.
30:10And don't forget, this is a Mark II engine going into a Mark I bay.
30:15So, this is some serious square peg round hole stuff.
30:19There's nothing quite like putting an engine in a cub.
30:22All this paintwork here is beautiful and high gloss.
30:25And as soon as you're scratching, you're through to the primer, which is a different colour.
30:28And beyond that, it's metal, which is once again a different colour.
30:32It's just like surgery, isn't it?
30:34It is.
30:35And that makes putting the engine back in the equivalent of a heart transplant.
30:40And would you want Tim operating on you?
30:43Ooh.
30:44Yeah, so watch that.
30:45It's close.
30:46No.
30:46Nor me.
30:47I do want Rick to scratch it a bit, because he gets everything...
30:51Ah!
30:51Oh!
30:53Oh!
30:53Oh!
30:53Oh!
30:56Oh!
30:59Oh!
31:04Oh!
31:05You must have to get the bike safely where it belongs without any scratches.
31:08Allowing the boys to tick off one of their major jobs.
31:12And now, Faz can get on with fitting the new axle assemblies.
31:15Because, to add the bigger Porsche-inspired brakes Sag wants, the car's entire suspension and wheel hub setup needs to
31:22be upgraded.
31:23So far, I've got my side in, but the other side needs to be loosened off so that we can
31:29get it all up.
31:30We're not winning at the moment.
31:32Because with the ramp broken, the boys are having to work with the car just up on axle stands,
31:37which makes doing this job like brushing your teeth with your nose pressed against the mirror.
31:42Right, hold on, let me have a look and see what you're trying to do.
31:44It's just going to pivot forward, like that. Pivot?
31:46That's going to go.
31:47OK, hold on. If I push up here, who needs a gym?
31:54Clearly not Britain's sexiest mechanic, 1984.
31:58But with less than a week before the car needs to go back, there's no time to sit down on
32:02the job.
32:03Come to think of it, still nowhere for Saj to sit either.
32:07Luckily, Jamie from Mobility and Motion has arrived with a solution.
32:12So, let's discuss the seat. So what is this going to offer us?
32:15Well, this is an electric turning rotating seat.
32:18Well, rewind, what electric?
32:20Oh, it is, there's a motor on it.
32:22Yes, it's powered rotation, making life a lot easier.
32:24So this is going to get bolted down into here, and then press of a button comes out.
32:29Yes, rotates around 90 degrees, and then the seat can extend a little bit over the sill, making it a
32:34lot easier to transfer on.
32:35So it looks like a show car, so it still has the VW seats in it.
32:38That's what we're going for.
32:39Well, so hang on a minute, when Sarge realise he's been car SOSed, he'll see his show car, and he'll
32:44see something in his mind he can't get into.
32:46But then we open the door and say, would you like to get in?
32:48We have to make this fit, we have to make this work, because it offers so much to Sarge.
32:54But with time slipping away, the sheer scale of this build means nothing is going to plan.
33:00Just ask Faz.
33:03We've got three out of four positions in place, but we just need to pivot this little bracket over and
33:10onto the stud that's mounted onto the body frame.
33:13I can't quite get enough movement on it.
33:18Can't get enough leverage lying under here.
33:22And there's no other way that we can do it right now, because we're stuck to working on axle stands.
33:27So I'm going to get out of the way, and we'll get a jack underneath here, and that will help
33:32lift everything up.
33:38Just that nut and washer.
33:40We should be in place.
33:44OK, that's brilliant, we've got the front end in.
33:49Which means the bigger brakes Saj wanted can now be fitted, along with his new wheelchair accessible seat.
33:56And Luke from Haltech is back, and busy wiring in the ECU for the electronic throttle control.
34:02If you want an indication of how much work is involved in getting the hand grip for Saj to actually
34:07accelerate this car,
34:09we'll have a look in here, because this is all the stuff that basically needed to get pinned.
34:14That is the car's brains.
34:16It's the brains, it's the nervous system, it's the spinal cord, it's the lock.
34:20That goes in the bin and gets replaced with...
34:23Yeah, can I have a look at this?
34:25All right, dude.
34:26How are we doing?
34:26Budge up a bit.
34:27Right.
34:28That lot, that old wiring loom has gone and been replaced with...
34:32So that's our flagship engine management system.
34:35Yeah.
34:35That is effectively controlling about 80% of the car.
34:38OK.
34:38Everything forward of the driver's seat, the passenger seat, that you can see is being controlled by that device.
34:45All of that is going in to mean that this is now a digital, that we can have as many
34:49copies of that wherever we want.
34:51Yeah.
34:52Particularly over there in the form of a hand grip.
34:54Exactly.
34:55Which we're working on at the moment.
34:56And the high-tech upgrades don't end there.
35:00We've attempted to copy the factory instrument cluster.
35:03So you're going to get a digital version of this.
35:07Oh, look at that.
35:09That is amazing.
35:10And it's still got the same appearance.
35:11So all the needles will work, everything will work?
35:13Yep.
35:13Everything works.
35:14But new displays mean yet more electrical work and that means more time.
35:20Mate, you're amazing.
35:21I know you're up against it.
35:22We've got just over a day to complete this.
35:26I'm back on the workshop floor.
35:28That target's rapidly slipping out of sight because the scale of what jobs remain is immense.
35:34The engine is back in place but it still isn't connected up.
35:37There's hours of wiring left to finish and wheels, doors and an interior and glass left to fit.
35:45I just want to hit you with a little bit of a reality check for a minute.
35:48I'm now counting hours down.
35:50And for the first time ever I've heard, oh, a kind limb saying this,
35:54maybe we have to give this one back as a static reveal.
35:57What does that mean?
35:58That means a non-runner.
36:04The big day has finally arrived.
36:07It's time to hand Saj's dream show car back to him.
36:12Tim's arrived at the iconic caffeine and machines The Hill Cafe where the show is being held.
36:18The problem is Rick, Fuzz and the Golf are missing.
36:21There are car people everywhere and I cannot get hold of Fuzz.
36:26And it's going to be a non-runner.
36:27I'm going to ring him again.
36:29I'm absolutely devastated.
36:32Okay, it's ringing.
36:35Hi, really sorry that I can't take your call.
36:37But if you leave me a text, then I will probably get back to you.
36:42Thank you very much.
36:43I'm standing at the event waiting for you guys to turn up.
36:46Can you just do me the favour of letting me know what's going on with the car?
36:49Is it a non-runner?
36:51This is what I've feared since the beginning of Car SOS.
36:55Where's it all going to go wrong?
36:56Well, I'm telling you right now, it's here.
37:01Guys, can we get everybody together for a moment, please?
37:03Can everybody come round here?
37:05Everybody together.
37:05Come on, come over here.
37:07Thank you for coming down.
37:08The problem we have at the moment is we have no fuzz and we have no car.
37:13We have to proceed assuming this is going to happen.
37:15Saj is going to get here.
37:16He's going to pull up into a car space somewhere down here?
37:19Just down here, yeah.
37:20Okay.
37:20And I'm going to be hiding in the shop in there.
37:23As soon as he crosses the line, I'll run out and then we'll give him his car back.
37:26Literally behind, right where you guys are standing there is where it's going to happen.
37:29But that all depends on whether his car arrives in time.
37:33And to pile on the pressure, the man of the hour has pulled in early.
37:40Saj is here.
37:41That's him just pulled up in the Mark 5 Golf there.
37:44What are you saying, Saj I'll start?
37:45Everything cool?
37:46I'm really good, man.
37:47What's happening?
37:47You all right?
37:48Yeah, I think it's all right, man.
37:49What a nice turn up, man.
37:51So, in a final Hail Mary.
37:53Come on, fuzz, stop messing me about.
37:55Tim's giving it one last try.
38:00Look, we are on our way.
38:02We're just coming.
38:03We aren't on our way, honestly.
38:04What, with the car on the back or what?
38:06No, we're driving it.
38:08He's driving.
38:11Yes, fired off like a bolt of German lightning.
38:15The boys are hurtling straight from the workshop towards Saj.
38:19And it looks like they might actually get there in time.
38:24That engine, though, is incredible.
38:26I can't get over the transformation.
38:29It's brilliant.
38:30It's a little different.
38:31It is, yeah.
38:33Come on, we're nearly there now.
38:41Come on, here we go, Rick.
38:44Here we go.
38:46This is it.
38:57Here we go.
39:02Oh, my God.
39:03How are you doing, man?
39:04All right?
39:06Do you recognise that?
39:07Oh, my God.
39:08Oh, my God.
39:11Beat that, Vio.
39:14That is your car.
39:15Yeah, it is, yeah.
39:17Are you one of them?
39:19Oh, yeah, yeah.
39:20Now, your two mates wrote to us.
39:22Can you come over here and explain why you wrote to us?
39:25You're our brother through and through, you know.
39:27All the way.
39:28Love all the way, connection all the way.
39:30You're the catalyst.
39:31We don't meet up unless you're there.
39:32Yeah.
39:33I can't believe it.
39:35Oh, man.
39:36There are a few other people you might recognise.
39:38Your friends and family.
39:38Can we bring out Saj's friends and family, please?
39:41Guys, come on over.
39:42Give them a round of applause, guys.
39:43Come on.
39:46Dude, I know this is a lot.
39:47This is a lot to take on.
39:48You weren't expecting this at all, were you?
39:50No.
39:51My heart's racing.
39:52I bet.
39:56The last time Saj saw his beloved Golf, it was as far from the show car he'd dreamt of as
40:02it was possible to be.
40:05But, with a hefty dose of car SOS magic, the boys have transformed it into a bespoke Mark 1 masterpiece.
40:13Outside, every trace of rust has been banished.
40:16The body has been resprayed in Saj's RIVAGE green colour of choice and topped off with a gold stripe that
40:23screams custom cool.
40:25Under the bonnet, his more powerful 2-litre Golf Mark 2 engine has been rebuilt to perfection with new forged
40:32pistons, a ported head and new camshafts.
40:36Inside, there's an electronically operated seat to help him in and out, a new digital driver's display as well as
40:44that one-of-a-kind throttle control system.
40:47Finally, it might not be sitting on the Porsche wheels he dreamt of, but there's no denying the bespoke P
40:54-slot split rims definitely complete the look.
40:58Will Saj agree?
40:59I'm aware of the fact that you wanted Porsche wheels on this. The ones we had wouldn't have been strong
41:04enough for this.
41:04To actually make you a set of custom P-slot Pirelli split rims, which is what these are.
41:12Awesome.
41:13Are you happy with them?
41:13Yeah, yeah.
41:14Good, so we got it right?
41:15Yeah, man.
41:16Is it sinking in yet?
41:18It's sinking in now that I'm sitting in my car. I've not sat in it for years.
41:22How many years?
41:24Oh, since...
41:27Are we 2,000?
41:282,000?
41:29So, like, 25?
41:30Yeah, 25 years.
41:31I'm still thinking, is this a dream?
41:33Really?
41:33I'm thinking, you know, is this real?
41:36How does it feel to sit in your car, man?
41:37Does it feel being you right now?
41:39I feel like jelly.
41:40Honestly, I would not think that day would come.
41:42Obviously, I've had this car for, like, nearly 30 years now.
41:46Yeah, it's a long time, eh?
41:47It's a long time.
41:48You know, it's been with me through thick and thin.
41:51You know, from the highs and the lows and everything else.
41:53It's always been there in the back.
41:55I always say in my mind, you know, I want to get it done.
41:58Had you written this car off in your mind?
42:00Had you put it down as something that wasn't going to happen and that was that?
42:02In truthfully, yes.
42:05You're limited every day where you can do, what you can do, where you can go.
42:10You know, and obviously, you know, things do get hard.
42:13There is a little something else that's hidden in this car, which is probably unlike any other VW Golf GTI
42:21on the planet.
42:23So, let me explain.
42:24You take it with your right hand.
42:25Yeah.
42:26Tell me how that fits.
42:27Is that...
42:28Is that like that?
42:30Oh, okay, okay, yeah.
42:30Okay, right.
42:31So, can you hold that all right?
42:32Yeah.
42:32Yeah.
42:33So, this means that you take control of the throttle.
42:36Uh-huh.
42:37Yeah.
42:39So, it means that you can have you and Shan or Nab sitting beside you and you can be a
42:44co-driver.
42:44You can be part of the team of making this vehicle go.
42:47Wow.
42:47You're in charge of the go button.
42:49Oh, man.
42:50Oh, that'd be...
42:51That'd be fun.
42:52Yeah?
42:53Yeah.
42:53Mega.
42:54Oh, my...
42:54Yeah.
42:55Well, Saj, there is only one thing left to do.
42:57And if you know the show, you know what that is.
42:59Keys.
42:59Yeah.
43:00Okay.
43:01Mate, it's with great pleasure that I tell you, you have been Car SOS.
43:05And you totally deserve it.
43:06You're an inspirational man.
43:07Absolutely amazing.
43:08Okay.
43:08Wow.
43:17Is that all right for you, mate?
43:20I was dazed and full of shock earlier.
43:22Yeah.
43:22I'm quite awake.
43:24I can feel it.
43:24I don't be here.
43:25Oh, Saga, thank you very much.
43:27So unreal being back in this car.
43:30All good feelings out.
43:31Oh, yeah.
43:33More like an old friend.
43:35Oh, awesome.
43:37An old friend.
43:39But now he's on a private road, Saj can finally drive again.
43:43Can you get your hand in there?
43:45So, how does that throttle control feel?
43:493, 2, 1, go!
43:52Oh!
43:54Oh!
43:55Oh!
43:56Oh!
43:56The last!
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