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Car SOS - Season 14 - Episode 08: Land Rover Defender
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00:00Oh my word.
00:02This time on Car SOS.
00:04Look at the state of that thing, Fuzzbop.
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, Fuzzbop.
01:03Yes, exactly.
01:04Yes, we're in Northern Ireland.
01:06We're in Northern Ireland.
01:06Yes.
01:07You didn't tell me I thought we went on the lake.
01:09No, that wasn't a lake.
01:10What's that then?
01:11That was the sea.
01:12Why are we in Northern Ireland, Fuzzbop?
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, few 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 was inspired by the wartime
01:38workhorse, 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 of sheer automotive
02:02determination.
02:02So, whether it's farmers on the windswept hills of North Wales, rescue workers on any corner of the planet, or
02:10popping out to inspect one's estate,
02:13it's always been a popular choice for people who need reliability on and off the road, above all else.
02:24We're going to pick up Sean McCary's Defender, right?
02:28Now, Sean is an all-round good guy, and he's been using his own Land Rover for the community rescue
02:34service.
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? It's its own ecosystem.
02:56It's a living, breathing organism.
02:58Lovely 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 being used
03:10out in the wilderness to save lives.
03:12Yes.
03:13Right.
03:14I put this in position number one of the most important vehicle we've ever taken on, Boswell.
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.
03:31Yeah.
03:31Right.
03:32You make friends with the vehicle, have 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, let's go.
03:38OK.
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...
03:52Ross.
03:53Now, that is not our friend.
03:56Let's have a look under the bonnet, see what we've got.
03:59Anything.
04:04OK, so here we have the legendary TD5 diesel engine.
04:09Now, these are a great engine.
04:11They're good.
04:12They're reliable.
04:13But I 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.
04:30So, Sean was working a regular life, doing a regular job.
04:34Yeah.
04:34And he decided to set up your community search and rescue service.
04:38Yeah.
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.
04:47I 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 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 eldest 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?
05:18Yeah, yeah.
05:19So, what sort of environment are we talking about?
05:21It can be absolutely anything.
05:23We 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 by the existence of your organisation?
05:36Probably thousands, yeah.
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, out in the cold, in the depths of winter,
06:02up mountains and hills,
06:04we need to make this interior an altogether more comfortable environment to be working from, or rescued too.
06:12I 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 and put it into using it
06:31to save people's lives.
06:32So that was his own car?
06:34Yes.
06:34And he sacrificed it and covered it in all the stickers and made it a search and rescue vehicle?
06:38Yeah.
06:39So saving thousands of lives all actually starts with him, by himself, in that car.
06:43Yeah.
06:44And it's grown exponentially from there.
06:45Yeah.
06:46And then he's always wanted to get it back up and running again and use it again, because it is
06:51his 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 way down outside Dublin.
06:58Yeah.
06:59So he has told him the next time he's up, he's just an empty trailer going down, he's going to
07:03lift it and take it away.
07:05So what would it mean to him to see that vehicle fully restored, taken 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 right.
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'll start up.
07:27Fingers crossed.
07:28Give it a go.
07:32Yes.
07:33Come on.
07:34Come on.
07:35Yes.
07:36Yes.
07:37Right.
07:38Just let the clutch out gently.
07:41Yes.
07:42OK.
07:44Boards.
07:44Keep going.
07:45Keep going.
07:46That's it.
07:46That's great.
07:48Keep coming.
07:49That's it.
07:49Keep coming.
07:51A little bit more.
07:53A little bit more.
07:54Keep coming.
07:54We've got.
07:55We've got less than an inch.
07:57Keep going.
07:59A little bit.
07:59A little bit.
08:00We are.
08:02Yes.
08:03We're in.
08:04Fantastic.
08:05Handbrake on.
08:07No.
08:08With that.
08:08This 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 favor from the team at Britpart.
08:26Because as possibly the world's biggest Land Rover parts supplier.
08:30And 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.
08:41I think this project is in two parts.
08:46The first part is the basic Land Rover itself.
08:48Making it dependable.
08:50And 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.
09:03Yeah.
09:03Well that's the other side to it isn't it.
09:06I'm good at tech.
09:07Yeah.
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.
09:15To make it the best it can possibly be.
09:19Come on.
09:19Let's get it up and see what we got.
09:29Well look.
09:30Already I can see that a lot of the chassis at the very back there.
09:34The rear cross member.
09:35That has rotted away.
09:36It's got very little protection on it.
09:39And these axles.
09:40You know.
09:40It all needs to be renewed as well.
09:42Look.
09:43We've got a leaky diff here.
09:44We've got a leaky input seal.
09:46But.
09:47We've got an opportunity here.
09:49Where we can make this much more capable.
09:52Right.
09:52Than it already is.
09:53What I need to do for us.
09:55Is to find out what the best tech that would actually benefit these guys.
09:59That they would use is out there.
10:01Yeah.
10:01Absolutely.
10:02That's bang on.
10:04Yes.
10:05If this thing's going to become a reliable workhorse.
10:07That's more capable than it was when it left the factory here a quarter of a century ago.
10:12The boys are going to have to completely rebuild it from scratch.
10:17So first up they need a solid foundation which means tackling the defenders rotten chassis.
10:24The big question is can those rusty cross members be repaired or are they too far gone to be saved.
10:30From there it's the differential.
10:33To make this vehicle more capable than ever before off road.
10:37It's going to need a seamless upgrade.
10:40Away from the oily bits.
10:42Tim needs to track down the specialist search and rescue gear.
10:45That's going to transform this from a bog standard off roader into the ultimate life saving machine.
10:53But before any of that can happen.
10:56Right here goes.
10:57It'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.
11:12Giving Fuzz his first proper look at the state of the rotten chassis beneath.
11:17From the rear here we've got a highly corroded rear end.
11:22Underneath these mountings here it's just starting to push apart.
11:27Delaminate.
11:28Which 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.
12:12Especially when this has to go out and rescue lives.
12:15So, we're going to get rid of the chassis.
12:20So 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 galvanized.
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 galvanized 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,
13:18which can be quickly patched up when it inevitably gets scraped away by the wilderness.
13:23Next, to cement in those new foundations.
13:25Right, 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.
13:42As it's responsible for how this Defender steers, grips and survives off-road, Fuzz 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
13:57with 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.
14:15Oh, look at that.
14:16Right, now that's in.
14:18We 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 as they head off to a remote countryside location on a training mission.
14:49How capable is this Defender built?
14:51Is this as good as it gets for what we're doing now?
14:54Uh, it's a very capable vehicle.
14:56There's not much.
14:57It won't go up or down.
14:59Yeah.
14:59And with what we do, it's about getting the right people with the right kit 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 flood lighting from this vehicle?
15:17Yeah, really good.
15:18Really?
15:19Quite often we'll be searching down hedgerows and things like this from the vehicle.
15:22Yeah.
15:22So, we might find them on a track or something like that.
15:24Right.
15:25So, a window down, big torch out a window.
15:27Would that be good?
15:28Yeah.
15:28It'd be great.
15:30This is our search area.
15:33Okay.
15:33So, Tim, we're going to get out now.
15:34Yeah.
15:36You can see wholeheartedly why they use these old trusty things of 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.
16:02Okay.
16:03So, quick question.
16:03Head torches.
16:05Now, the reason we don't use head torches here for searching is by now you would have
16:10blinded the person to your right or left.
16:12Okay.
16:13You're looking at me now and all my night vision has gone.
16:17Right.
16:17This is way more complicated than I first thought.
16:20With over three quarters of the team's searches taking place at night, overcoming the
16:25darkness is a top priority.
16:28Karen, can you see the side of this tree here?
16:30Yeah, and it's all clear.
16:31Anything there?
16:32No good.
16:33Okay.
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 not all the trees are around you.
16:44I found something.
16:45Eugene.
16:46Guys, I found, I found, I found somebody here.
16:49Say again.
16:50Medic in.
16:51Right, Tim, you're going to work with a medic.
16:52So, the medic's going to tell you what to do.
16:54So, if you get in there.
16:55Yeah, this is Irene.
16:56My name's Karen.
16:57This is my colleague, Tim.
16:59And how are you doing?
17:00I'm here from Lowland Rescue.
17:01I'll tell you something.
17:03Instantly, you forget that this is just a training session, you know.
17:08Can we get a blanket?
17:10This is what Sean does.
17:13I've already identified so many things that we can help him with just from coming out
17:17on this.
17:18We're just going to put a blanket on you there, Irene.
17:20Okay.
17:21Tim's just covering the blanket.
17:22There you go.
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 stretcher on the way as well.
17:37Okay.
17:37We'll have soup with you before you know it.
17:41Yeah.
17:41So in terms of things that we want to do for Sean with his vehicle, we want to focus heavily
17:46on lighting.
17:47Yeah.
17:48Head torches are out because it would be great to have both your hands, but they're blind
17:51people.
17:51Yeah.
17:52So they're no good.
17:53What else could we put on?
17:54Well, you know, we could put things like a compressor, so when we're in our flood rescue
17:57modes 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
18:03get ironing back to that, if we had an auxiliary heater, which is already pre-walled
18:06to the compartment, you know, and it stays warm when the engine's off and things, then
18:10it'll be great.
18:12Okay.
18:12Is everybody ready?
18:14Yep.
18:14Brace.
18:15Lift.
18:17All right.
18:19Yep.
18:20Yep.
18:20Yep.
18:20Yep.
18:20Yep.
18:22Yep.
18:23Yep.
18:24Yep.
18:36Yep.
18:41freaks.
18:42Let 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, by moving them, it was only 20 metres
18:56there, but it's really hard.
18:57So, we need to improve on this system, for sure.
19:00And this has been the most enlightening thing ever.
19:02I appreciate it.
19:06Back in the light and warmth of the Brick 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? I really do, though. It's like a primeval swamp.
19:25And speaking of swamps, Fuzz is planning on adding a bit of kit to the Defender's differential
19:30that'll help it cross one without breaking a sweat.
19:34Now, this is our standard final drive, often called a diff or a differential.
19:43Now, it's called that because it has differential gears in,
19:46which allow one wheel to turn more quickly than the other when the vehicle is cornering.
19:53And to demonstrate that principle in practice and the issues it can cause
19:57when you take a car with a standard diff off-road,
20:00it's over to a warmed-up Tim.
20:03Right, 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?
20:15Well, if it doesn't, let me explain it.
20:17And 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.
20:28So the guy on the inside, he's running basically that far.
20:33Now, let's compare the two.
20:35Straight down there.
20:37Oh.
20:38That 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.
21:04And 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 around this problem, people invented something called a 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.
21:32So it allows the one on the outside to do a longer journey and therefore turn at a slightly faster
21:38rate 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.
22:15And what that does is it reconnects them.
22:17So 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.
22:22I'll pull you out of that, which is literally what it does.
22:25And it'll roll its way out of trouble.
22:27Yes, and to ensure there's even less chance of Sean ending up bogged down,
22:31Faz 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.
22:42Everybody 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.
23:04What 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
23:14that turns the drive from the prop shaft 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,
23:24and wear will set up very quickly 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.
23:33So 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 Faz to close the gap between the gear teeth by minute amounts.
23:55And once he's happy as where it needs to be,
23:57the upgraded locking diff can go back into the axle.
24:02If 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 Faz gets from Tim.
24:20It'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.
24:55Perfect.
24:560.18.
24:57Brilliant.
24:58That's with intolerance.
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 Faz 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.
25:19If that wasn't enough, upgrade it to make it more capable than ever before.
25:24To 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,
25:38there's barely half a car to show for it and 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
26:02by giving it a fresh coat of protective paint
26:05and added that upgraded locking diff.
26:17Our top link's in place.
26:18Just 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,
26:34awaiting the next stage.
26:37Bog head, engine, gearbox, body.
26:42It's coming together nicely.
26:44Yes, with the chassis finally complete,
26:47the engine can be lowered back into place.
26:49It's been fully checked over and serviced,
26:52and 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 think give that a try, I can lift over.
27:11Right, so...
27:12There 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,
27:29the team can turn their attention to painting up the body panels
27:32that will sit on top.
27:34When they stripped them off,
27:35they found over 90% were too rusty or damaged to reuse,
27:38meaning only the original roof and rear tub will be refitted,
27:43alongside a raft of brand new ones.
27:47So, while the paint dries,
27:49Tim's applying his newfound search-and-rescue know-how...
27:53to 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
28:06for the search-and-rescue, but 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 Sollingen in Germany,
28:21the home of Ledlenzer,
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.
28:31Richard, how are you?
28:32You're English?
28:33I am English.
28:33Don't tell me I've come from a mate. No way, seriously.
28:36German company, but I'm English. I'm here to meet you. Make it easy.
28:38Where are we going?
28:39Over 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 noticed is they'll be driving along in a vehicle,
29:02and they're leaning out the windows, holding these torches, scanning around.
29:05Yes.
29:05So, 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.
29:20So, this is basically a searchlight created to project the light
29:23over the best distance, which I think is what you need.
29:25So, inside that head, that lens...
29:28Is this the torch blown up?
29:28This is a broken amp, so you can see it.
29:30Yeah.
29:30So, basically, what you've got in this head and this housing
29:33is 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,
29:51purely 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.
30:07And what it does, it will project a cinema screen bank of light
30:10over two kilometres.
30:11So, that's basically what you can get from...
30:13A two-kilometre beam.
30:15Absolutely, yeah.
30:15You 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
30:22only 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.
30:34These guys don't use head torches because you get so much glare.
30:37So, they're chatting to each other,
30:39and they light the other one's face up,
30:40and then you're like, I can't see you blinded for ages.
30:42OK.
30:42So, 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,
31:09and 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,
31:15and 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,
31:23and it will make 400 calculations a second.
31:25Which, by the looks of it,
31:26is about 399 more than Tim's brain can currently manage.
31:30Seriously?
31:31Yeah, seriously.
31:32Well, that was a very illuminating visit
31:35that's going to revolutionise the Defender's nighttime capabilities.
31:41Back at Brit Park,
31:43Sean's Defender is starting to turn a corner
31:46as the team frantically fit body panels, wings,
31:49and 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
31:58as 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.
32:11Now, this is an auxiliary power source
32:13to power the extra lighting that's going to go on here.
32:16But also, not only does it power the extra lighting,
32:19it powers...
32:22..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
32:30to cross rough terrain,
32:31they can reinflate them quickly once they're back on the road.
32:39I want to get a few tips from Tim on this,
32:41cos, er, he normally always fits the seat, but...
32:44Er, in Schöldingung, Bitter,
32:45have you come here come best in some Fuzzboard, Bitter?
32:47What did you say?
32:48What's the best way to Fuzzboard? I've got something to show you.
32:49Ah, back from Germany.
32:51And, have you got any goodies?
32:53Yes!
32:54Now...
32:55What is that?
32:56The daddy.
32:56Go on, then.
32:57The beast.
32:58Show us.
32:58The monster.
32:59What is it?
32:59The range of two kilometres.
33:02Wow, that's fantastic.
33:03Well, check this out.
33:04Right, hang on.
33:05But, I mean, don't even look at what it's...
33:06That door card there.
33:07It's...
33:08That's hot.
33:09Is it?
33:09Take it away, yeah.
33:10Is it actually?
33:11Yeah, 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,
33:18it's got a hot shoe mount on the bottom.
33:20Yeah.
33:20So, I'm thinking of mounting it
33:21probably off the door handle section here,
33:23cos that's kind of structural.
33:25All right.
33:25Could take the weight.
33:26OK, so maybe...
33:27Maybe some sort of metal bracket...
33:29Yeah, yeah, yeah.
33:29...metal handle on there.
33:31And Tim's monster torch
33:33isn't the only upgrade that's heating things up.
33:36Now, what we have here
33:37is a diesel-fuelled heater.
33:41It 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,
33:56without 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 casualties are on the way to further medical care
34:07is going to be a game-changer.
34:10So, with the rear interior starting to take shape,
34:13Fuzz is lighting the way to the finish
34:15with some new LED lamps,
34:18light bar for the roof,
34:20as well as the all-important...
34:25BIRDS CHIRPING
34:26Yeah.
34:27Made you jump, eh?
34:28It made me jump, too.
34:30BIRDS CHIRPING
34:32Don't worry, Fuzz.
34:33Tim's got the perfect bit of kit to make you feel better.
34:37Let's just hope, for your sake,
34:38you 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.
34:51Come on, get in.
34:51All you need to do is reverse onto it now.
34:53Yeah, Steve, give us a hand.
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
35:09to the warmth of the Defender faster than ever.
35:13That is a great piece of kit.
35:14I can see exactly how this is going to be of immense worth.
35:19That's a position you're not used to adopting,
35:21not yet, so let's get you down.
35:22All right, cut on.
35:23Get you back on your feet.
35:24Hold on, can you get me a bit closer?
35:28That's brilliant.
35:29Yes, there's no time for lying down on the job, Fuzz,
35:32because it's the final race to the finish,
35:34and they still need to fit the functional storage unit,
35:38those new torches, and banana-colored bonnet.
35:41They certainly won't lose this thing in the wilderness in a hurry.
35:44There are very few components you're going to add to a car
35:46which will have such an impact.
35:48Get me to a bank.
35:53It'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.
36:06Look.
36:09That is brilliant.
36:10Yeah.
36:11And, of course, it will take some weight.
36:13Well, exactly.
36:13So all the kit will be strapped onto this.
36:14You can bring it out, get it out of waist-high,
36:16get it at the right height and the right position to lift it out.
36:18That's right, yeah.
36:19And not only that...
36:23But 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,
36:32and the whole team's world, Fuzz.
36:34This is a big deal.
36:35It is.
36:36It just needs to do one job
36:39where it saves one person's life...
36:41Yeah.
36:42..and everything is completely worthwhile.
36:45It's done its work.
36:46But I carry a guilt.
36:48What's that?
36:49For every second that we stand here talking...
36:51Yeah.
36:51..it's a second longer we've got to wait to get this car back to Sean.
36:54That's true.
36:55Come on.
36:55Let's shut it up and get it out of here.
37:01It's taken over 600 hours of hard work,
37:04but finally the boys are back in Northern Ireland.
37:07Ready to return, Sean's restored, rebuilt, and upgraded Defender.
37:14Look at that.
37:16It's two things for me, Fuzz.
37:17Not only is it one of the biggest and best-looking transformations ever,
37:20since I was beginning, but it's also what it represents,
37:23what it can achieve.
37:24That there is going to save lives.
37:27That's right.
37:28What's bigger than that?
37:29I don't think on Car SOS that we have had a vehicle
37:33that is quite so important as this particular car.
37:37Right.
37:38This is the challenge today, Fuzzbot.
37:40This is the Titanic experience here in Belfast,
37:43and this happens to be where Sean is coming down to today,
37:45because he believes a local company are making a documentary
37:47about his incredible achievements.
37:49OK.
37:50So I've got him standing here, I think,
37:51with a green screen about that big behind him.
37:54But he's so popular.
37:55Yeah.
37:5660 people, friends and family, are going,
37:59we are being a part of that.
38:00He's too important to us.
38:01I'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,
38:14Sean will hear them a mile off.
38:16But let's give it a whirl.
38:18So, while Fuzz gets the car into position,
38:23Sean's arrived for what he thinks is a TV documentary shoot
38:26about his search and rescue work.
38:28Some nice hero stuff.
38:30Turn your shoulders slightly.
38:31That one, do you?
38:32Hold on, let me get...
38:33You want the...
38:34You want the...
38:35Sorry.
38:37You want the right pose?
38:40It's literally for him to go...
38:42Meanwhile, at a bar just metres away,
38:45Tim's busy wrangling the herd of nearest and dearest.
38:48So, this is one of those moments
38:50that we can't ever recreate again.
38:52It's now or never.
38:53And when I mean silent, I mean utterly silent.
38:57So, with Sean well and truly in character...
39:00I 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?
39:07...it's time for the big moment.
39:10He's right there, look.
39:11Look.
39:12He's right behind that.
39:13He's looking down the lens.
39:16Nice.
39:18Here we go.
39:20This is the moment.
39:23We are go.
39:31Thank you for screening me.
39:34We're done with that.
39:40Right, turn around face to face the museum.
39:43Hold.
39:54Hello, mate.
39:56Nice to meet you.
39:57How are you doing?
39:59Turn around here.
40:01What are you doing?
40:02Right.
40:02Well, let me explain.
40:04I know who you are.
40:04You don't know who I am.
40:06This means I'm in trouble.
40:07There's a reason you are here.
40:09And if the crowd parts...
40:11Wow.
40:11...it's something you might recognise.
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 colour when I own 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'll be watching this around the world,
40:30whose life you've saved.
40:31You're an incredible chap.
40:34Okay?
40:34It's really...
40:35Can we have a round for us?
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,
40:48rotting away,
40:49unable to fulfil its purpose of saving lives.
40:53But thanks to some serious hard graft,
40:56what began as a recovery job
40:58has ended in a machine
41:00ready to answer the call when it matters most.
41:03Beneath the exterior
41:04It's a brand-new galvanised chassis that'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 it could never reach before.
41:19Inside, it's packed to the rafters with state-of-the-art essential kit.
41:22There's a new stretcher system, torches, lights, diesel heater, and to top it off...
41:31That siren, a rescue vehicle that once needed saving itself, now stands ready to save others.
41:41What does this vehicle mean to you? What does this vehicle mean to you? What does it represent?
41:44It's really difficult in many words about how personal this is, this vehicle,
41:49because it actually represents all of those who were there at the start,
41:53and also those who are still on the journey with us,
41:56where we go about helping and saving lives.
41:59Would you say that this is the most important vehicle in your life?
42:02It most certainly is now. This vehicle will be delivering hope,
42:08which is the most important thing, I can assure you, to anyone who's in crisis.
42:13You've just put about another 100,000 miles running time on this,
42:17but you've also put 100,000 miles running time on me.
42:19And at my stage in life, that's really important. You've just inspired me completely.
42:23To think that people would do this for me, not just for the organisation, for me,
42:28and then for me to be able to use this to do it for other people is exactly what the
42:31world's about,
42:32what my life's about, and that's what I want to do.
42:34So when will this be out on the road, then? When 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 of it.
42:42This is really important, and we're going to have to take really good care of it,
42:45but equally, we're going to use it.
42:46Yeah. We've got a meet of searches and taskings that we get.
42:51I wouldn't be surprised it'll be used later today.
42:53Really? Saving lives today? Saving lives today.
42:55Wow. Well, I have a feeling that's shaking your head.
42:58Your hand is shaking the hand of the most important man I've ever met.
43:01This is something to give to you and tell you you've been Car SOS.
43:03Absolutely. You absolutely deserve it.
43:04Thank you so much.
43:05Now, get it out there. You get to save your lives.
43:07Absolutely.
43:15Are you impressed with what you got?
43:17Oh, that's excellent. I mean, it's better than impressed.
43:21There's no word that could really explain the way this is.
43:24This is excellent.
43:26She looks absolutely fantastic.
43:29Sometimes you think you never get attached to a vehicle, but actually,
43:33you do become very attached to a vehicle.
43:35And I'm most definitely attached to the vehicle with this one, though.
43:42And true to his word, later that very day, Sean and the team were able to put the restored
43:48Defender and new equipment through their paces, bringing their first casualty home safe and sound.
43:55And true to his word, the car is the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's
43:57the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one
43:57that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the
43:58one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's
43:59the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one
43:59that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the
43:59one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's
44:00the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one that's the one
44:00that's the one that's the one that's
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