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00:01This time on Car SOS.
00:03A stately British classic.
00:05It feels like I'm waiting for the Queen to get in the car.
00:07I'm here.
00:08That's teetering on the brink of extinction.
00:11Wow, a car that was designed by the dinosaurs first of all.
00:16So can the boys save this crumbling relic of a bygone era?
00:20This hole should not be there.
00:22Or are this rotten rovers' days of roving done for good?
00:26So this has suddenly gone from something which seemed like a great idea
00:29to something which is probably nigh on impossible now.
00:52Where are we, Phil Spott?
00:53We're in Shropshire and today we are here to pick up...
00:57A Rover P4!
00:59A car I know nothing about, Fuzzbott.
01:01OK, if you imagine a donut, OK?
01:05Yeah.
01:05A big solid donut, a bit in the middle of the stodgy bit,
01:08that's a Rover P4.
01:09Is it?
01:10Yeah.
01:10Right, so it's just a big lardy blob.
01:12It's kind of stodgy but reassuring as well.
01:16I love these cars.
01:17It's like a bank manager's office.
01:20It is England on wheels in the mid-20th century.
01:24Oh, you must have owned one.
01:25No, I haven't had one.
01:27I've had two.
01:28What?
01:29Yes, of course he has.
01:32Because to the classic car connoisseur like Fuzz, the Rover P4 isn't just a motor.
01:37It's a rolling slice of 1950s upper middle class Britain.
01:42It's a sort of car your solicitor or headmaster might have driven.
01:46A machine that delivers all the poise of a Rolls Royce without the eye-watering invoice.
01:53Nicknamed Aunty Rover for its sensible, well-mannered character,
01:57it cost thousands of pounds less than a roller,
01:59yet still offered many of the same luxurious creature comforts.
02:03Like a proper wood and leather cabin,
02:06doors that shut with the confidence of a bank vault,
02:08and an engine so smooth you could balance a coin on its edge while it idled.
02:14Of course, all that civility came at a price.
02:170-60 took somewhere in the region of 20 seconds,
02:21but what it lacked in pace, it more than made up for in grace.
02:25So, in a modern world obsessed with speed and technology,
02:29the P4 offers a portal to the past,
02:31an era of unhurried motoring and honest craftsmanship.
02:35A time when you didn't just arrive, you made an entrance.
02:41So, today we're going to be meeting Charlotte.
02:44Right.
02:44Who is the wife of the car's owner.
02:46Yep.
02:46Now, Charlotte is a vicar.
02:49She could absolve me of my sins.
02:50No, she hasn't got all day.
02:52Her husband is called Adam.
02:54Right.
02:55He's a vicar too.
02:56This guy is well known in the classic car world
02:59because he does a lot to sort of help out people
03:01who are having sort of tough times, you know,
03:03with mental illness and stuff like that.
03:05Yeah.
03:05And he uses classic cars as a conduit for conversation
03:09and all that kind of stuff.
03:10Wow.
03:10What a brilliant thing.
03:11Yeah.
03:12Come on, let's go and get it.
03:13It's going to be the Reverend's Rotten Rover.
03:20I'm going to knock.
03:22Come on, then.
03:22You knock.
03:23That's not a knock.
03:23Give it a proper knock knock.
03:25Hello?
03:26Oh.
03:27Oh, hello.
03:28You must be Charlotte.
03:29I am.
03:29You must be the vicar.
03:30I am.
03:32We need to go see Wilbur, don't we?
03:33Who's Wilbur?
03:34Wilbur's the car.
03:35Wilbur's the car?
03:36Can we call him Willie?
03:37No.
03:42Right.
03:43Come on, Wilbur.
03:44Yeah.
03:44Yeah.
03:44You ready for this?
03:45Right.
03:46Wilbur, present yourself.
03:47Oh, wow.
03:48It's huge.
03:49Wow, look at that.
03:50Look at that beautiful wrap-round window in three pieces.
03:53No, I know.
03:54Oh, I love these so much.
03:55The lines are lovely, Fuzzball.
03:57They really are, aren't they?
03:58Yeah, they are.
03:59Shall we go and have a chat about Adam?
04:00Yeah.
04:00And leave Fuzz to have a little look around.
04:01Yeah.
04:02Do you mind if I roll Wilbur out?
04:04Go for it.
04:05Okay, I'll give it a go.
04:08Go.
04:13Well, at least the brake's working.
04:16Here we go.
04:19And he's out.
04:22Oh, blimey.
04:24Stop.
04:26Right.
04:27What I can see is separation of the front wing from the front valance and I can see it
04:33through the wheel arch completely rotted apart.
04:37Let's open the bonnet and see what it's like underneath there.
04:40Look, there it goes again.
04:42Oh, and by the way, the interior's way past its first flush of youth.
04:52What did Adam do before he was a vicar?
04:55Well, he had a spell as the psychiatric nurse, but he was a car designer.
04:58Was he?
04:59So he started off with MG Rover.
05:01He's done the back end of a Porsche when he worked for a consultancy.
05:04Oh, that works.
05:05He designed a tractor, the sexiest tractor.
05:08So we're building a car for a guy that worked as a car designer for the company that make
05:13the car?
05:14Pretty much.
05:16He absolutely loves cars.
05:18Okay.
05:18He is the petrol head of petrol heads.
05:20And just spends his whole time drawing cars.
05:23How high up the list of classics are?
05:25Top.
05:25Absolutely top.
05:26Higher than me.
05:28He says, you know, the difference with an older car is that you feel everything when
05:32you're driving and he loves that so much.
05:35Talk to me about Adam's charity work.
05:37What does he do?
05:38It started off with just doing classic car shows at churches.
05:42And then he's got this idea that restoring a car really helped people's mental health.
05:48So he was given an old Land Rover and that has helped loads of people.
05:54Just going on a weekend, working on a car, talking about their mental health.
06:00And yeah, it's just helped loads of people.
06:04Now, these Rover 2600cc engines, it's a lovely piece of kit.
06:11They are quite old fashioned.
06:13It's heavy.
06:14It's a great big lump.
06:16And therefore, these cars were not known for their particularly great road holding.
06:22They would roll a lot.
06:24Have you ever seen a bank manager running?
06:26And I mean one in a three piece tweed suit.
06:29That's what this is.
06:34What does the car represent and mean to Adam?
06:39Escape, I think.
06:41Freedom.
06:42We bought Wilbur to help Adam in his ministry as a vicar.
06:47To be that kind of, you know, door into other people's lives.
06:52To help people to open up and talk about their mental health.
06:55Why is the car off the road?
06:58Money and motivation.
07:00Really?
07:00Yeah.
07:01He's always struggled with mental health.
07:03In what way would that manifest itself?
07:04So, he's uncommunicative or really agitated, screaming, crying, wanting to take his own life.
07:13I think I calculated that we've been married for nearly 30 years and I think at least 10 of those
07:20years he's been ill.
07:22And I do think that the state of Wilbur at the moment is the state of Adam.
07:26Really?
07:27Yeah.
07:28So, we help improve Wilbur and that might in turn.
07:31I think so.
07:32By proxy help.
07:33I really think so.
07:33Where does he think Wilbur's going?
07:35To a friend of his who said he's going to have a look and see if he can do some
07:39work on him.
07:40We're going to get this car right.
07:41I get what it is.
07:43It's a multifunctional space.
07:44It's a vehicle but it's also somewhere that helps people.
07:47That's what it is, isn't it?
07:49Yeah.
07:49Are you going to have some fun with this one?
07:50I hope so.
07:54Yes, fun might not be quite the word, Tim.
07:57Because turning a half-century old rusty rover into a reliable daily driver and mobile vicar's office will take more
08:05than faith alone.
08:06It's going to take a miracle.
08:07Right, ready?
08:08Right, come on, push.
08:11Right, okay, that'll about do.
08:19Wow, a car that was designed by the dinosaurs first motor.
08:24What do you mean?
08:25Well, look at the state of it.
08:26What I will say is it is a very primitive set up at the back here.
08:30I think it's probably a bit more of a wallowy ride than people would be used to nowadays.
08:37What's it like on your side?
08:39Look at that.
08:41Okay, but that's not good.
08:42But the good thing is that the rust is not on the chassis.
08:46The chassis hasn't corroded.
08:48That's because it shares the same chassis as the Challenger 2 tank.
08:59Right, we have a massively important unique opportunity here with this car.
09:04And one of the things Adam does which is so important in his community is go and talk to people
09:08who are struggling in life.
09:09Okay.
09:10This is where the car comes into it.
09:12So are you calling this like a calling card and it's like a way into conversation?
09:17Yes.
09:18There's a line between us here.
09:20Yeah.
09:20How's about on that side of the line is fixing the car?
09:23Yeah.
09:23That's your problem.
09:25Yeah.
09:25My problem on this side of the line is creating the perfect space to encourage people to open up.
09:31Okay.
09:31Right.
09:32Okay.
09:32That's cool.
09:33It's a heavenly plan.
09:35But getting there is going to require a little divine inspiration.
09:39First job on the hymn sheet, tackling the rotten bodywork which is currently a holy relic in more ways than
09:46one.
09:47Next, the Rover's suspension is closer to a Roman chariot than a modern car so it's due for a full
09:53overhaul if it's going to serve as Adam's daily driver.
09:57And finally, the big one. Tim's task is to turn the interior into a sanctuary on wheels where Adam can
10:05give others the opportunity to open up about their problems in comfort and privacy.
10:11But before any of that can happen, Fuzz has to see what's really going on under the bonnet.
10:17Because like Tim, although it runs, that doesn't necessarily mean it's healthy.
10:23Knowing these Rover P4s as I do, I know that these engines, once they're set up and in tune, they're
10:29pretty good.
10:30So I think I'm going to give it a little check over, give the engine a check over and see
10:35if I can ascertain whether we need to do a full rebuild on this.
10:39I'm going to have a look to see if we've got decent compression across all of the cylinders.
10:45If that's all okay, then all we really need to do is give it a service.
10:50A compression check measures how well each cylinder holds pressure, giving Fuzz an insight into the health of the pistons,
10:58rings and valves.
11:00Okay, let's see what we're like on the old oil.
11:05If he finds low or uneven compression, it's likely that one of those components will be worn or that the
11:12head gasket has blown.
11:13And if that's the case, this goes from a fairly major service to a complete rebuild.
11:18What I'm hoping for is a reading somewhere, well, hopefully between 150 and 180, but certainly not below 120.
11:27So let's see what we've got.
11:31As Fuzz turns the engine over, air is being forced into the cylinder.
11:35And he'll know if there's a leak if the gauge struggles to reach that magic figure of 120 psi.
11:42Okay, so that is about 144.
11:49Right, we release the pressure.
11:54On to number two.
11:59148.
12:03140.
12:06152.
12:09150.
12:13Okay, so my readings are pretty good.
12:18I think with that we can safely say we're in for a service rather than a complete rebuild.
12:25I'm pleased about that, because actually, there's a lot of other stuff to do on this car.
12:33Tim and Fuzz have taken on a delightful 1962 Rover P4, an ever so polite British classic.
12:43Unfortunately, the one they got their mitts on is anything but.
12:47It's riddled with rot and tired old parts from a bygone era.
12:52So, before the boys can get stuck into transforming this rust bucket,
12:56the team are stripping it down faster than a gang of toddlers demolishing a birthday cake.
13:02Leaving the boys time to escape the workshop.
13:08And with Fuzz behind the wheel, there's no better custodian of classic motoring
13:12to show Tim why these stately post-war machines still stir the soul.
13:18This is my first time in the back of a P4 Fuzzbot.
13:22Is that right?
13:23What's it like?
13:23Come on, give me your experience.
13:25Because I have driven these quite a lot.
13:28It feels like I'm waiting for the Queen to get in the car.
13:29I'm here.
13:32We are just bowling along in a beautiful, unhurried fashion.
13:37But its power is delivered in a measured manner.
13:42They go along quite nicely.
13:43They're not totally quick on corners though.
13:46It's a considerate bank manager or a caring doctor.
13:51It's a wonderful, luxurious, comfortable place that actually, for me,
13:56really does make me feel at one with nature and relaxed.
14:03I've had an epiphany in here, Fuzz.
14:05Yeah.
14:06And it's quite simply this, being eye to eye.
14:09Looking at somebody is going to be a massive advantage in this car.
14:12Imagine how much more open we'd be.
14:14Well, look, you're not going to be able to do that, I don't think.
14:18Two people sitting in the back there, it's going to be a little bit snug.
14:22You've got to come up with some way of making, I don't know,
14:25a seat swivel or something like that.
14:31Do you know what?
14:32I thought I had the tough job doing all of the rest of the car.
14:36But suddenly I realised, ha-ha, no.
14:41I think I've got the easy job.
14:44Come on, back to the workshop.
14:46I'll make Adam's P4 run beautifully.
14:50You, I think, possibly, have the tougher job of getting the interior right.
14:59Yes, and with the car stripped down and the scale of the challenge lead out before him,
15:05Tim might be in need of some help from on high.
15:09So this has suddenly gone from something which seemed like a great idea to something which is probably nigh on
15:14impossible now.
15:16I mean, think about the space that's inside the cars. I've laid it out here.
15:20So I don't, I don't really know where to start.
15:24I had a, a camper van once with a seat that turned round like that.
15:33Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
15:36Look at what's just happened.
15:38This stupid seat has just fallen over and created a solution in itself.
15:47Well, I need to go and see a man.
15:49Now, we know Adam's a vicar, so does that make what just happened the hand of God?
16:01Now, this is where this old Rover is really starting to show its age.
16:07I'm just trying to remove the rear axle.
16:09I think we're probably going to need new springs because these look very tired.
16:14And it's kind of sitting down a little bit at the back.
16:17The Rover's rear suspension uses leaf springs, a design so antiquated it was being used on horse and carriages as
16:25far back as the 17th century.
16:27The wheels are tied together and the axle suspended on long stacked strips of steel that flex as the car
16:34moves over bumps.
16:35Right. Any assistance, please?
16:40While this setup was tough and reliable, after covering thousands of miles, if these springs are the originals,
16:46it's going to be the reason Fuzz has got a saggy rear end.
16:50Have we got freedom?
16:51Yeah, we have freedom.
16:53OK, yeah, start lowering it.
16:56Car going up.
17:05And...
17:06Down and out.
17:10This is a great big old piece of iron that's been sitting underneath this car.
17:15Probably for as long as the car has existed.
17:19And these springs, well, I reckon they are probably the originals as well.
17:23Now, I think we should take our springs to an expert and see whether they can be made to be
17:29serviceable again,
17:31or whether we need to get some new ones manufactured.
17:38Yes, and the Fuzzbot isn't the only one with a new-found spring in his step, because Tim's on his
17:44way to meet a man who he's hoping can solve his seat conundrum.
17:48Now, let me tell you about Hadrian. If you're into engineering like I am, you will be, as I am,
17:54jealous.
17:55Because not only his ability to solve problems is just like that, but his work, oh, his workshop.
18:01Well, when you're the engineering genius behind some of TV's most unique one-off engineering projects, you'll need a few
18:09special toys to get the job done.
18:12There he is. A man who likes a challenge. Dude, how you doing, man?
18:17Yeah, what little challenge have you got there?
18:19Right. Rover P4 seat.
18:21Yeah.
18:21And I basically want to have the passenger seat in the front turn around.
18:25Hmm.
18:26The solution that I've come up with, which I think is probably the only way to go, is to have
18:32the seat fold down like that.
18:34So the seat back becomes the base, and the seat base that you'd sit in the front now becomes the
18:40seat back.
18:40Right. I understand that. I think it needs to be something that's a track that's on the actual seat itself.
18:47So it's the action of folding the seat back while shifting it forwards into the footwell.
18:53Yeah. What we'll do now is we'll go upstairs.
18:56Yeah.
18:57To come up with a CAD drawing of that, and then he'll model that.
19:01Can you simulate it?
19:02Yeah, he can simulate that.
19:04Back at Car SOS HQ.
19:06With the suspension being inspected at the specialist, Fuzz is on to his next big job.
19:12Here we have the scourge of the Rover P4.
19:16They rot in these little extreme places.
19:20This hole should not be there.
19:22And then beyond there, just inside, we've got more rot.
19:28The lower panels have paid the price for years of bad British weather.
19:33But fortunately for Fuzz, it's a lot easier to replace a few bits of bodywork than the car's entire chassis.
19:39Yes.
19:40There we go.
19:42Right.
19:44Well, there's our old panel.
19:52And here is our new one.
19:55When all the rest of it's done, we'll fit up in there.
20:02But we've got a long way to go.
20:07So while Fuzz nibbles away at the rotten metal beneath where that new body panel needs to sit,
20:13it's time to find out if Hadrian's ingenious design folds without hitting the seat behind it.
20:19Or is it quite literally back to the drawing board?
20:22This is seat, base, and a bracket.
20:26So you can see, clearly see, we're going up, going down.
20:32Oh no, look at that clearance on the floor.
20:36That's about 20mm there.
20:37Then it's about 20mm on the back.
20:3920mm clearance to the back seat.
20:41Yeah.
20:41Clearance is clearance.
20:42Clearance is clearance, exactly.
20:44Alright?
20:45You like that?
20:45I don't like it.
20:47I love it.
20:48Perfect.
20:49That is me.
20:50You two legends.
20:52So this is on computer.
20:53What's next?
20:54We send a file to the machine in the workshop.
20:57Yeah.
20:58And she gets lasered out.
21:00Just like that?
21:03And he's not wrong.
21:04Within minutes, a sheet of plain old steel is computer cut with finer than millimetre precision into the pieces of
21:12Adam's new seat.
21:15Here we go.
21:16One of them on there.
21:18Yeah.
21:19Right, one on the other side.
21:20This is it.
21:21This is Maiden Voyage.
21:22We're ready.
21:23We're ready.
21:24Okay.
21:26Do you mind if I have this moment?
21:28Take the glory.
21:29Right, so let's go into seat position.
21:33So that is now the position.
21:35Yeah.
21:35In the car.
21:36The driver's there.
21:37The passenger's sitting in here.
21:38Yeah.
21:39Adam meets somebody.
21:40He wants to talk to him eye to eye.
21:42So he thinks I need to flip the seat.
21:44So he will take this seat.
21:46It's smooth.
21:48It's smooth, eh?
21:49It's smooth, isn't it?
21:51No way.
21:52Pushing it back.
21:53The leg room, it drops down under it.
21:55No, that's dropped in.
21:56Good, eh?
21:57It's not just good.
21:59It is.
21:59And I think you'd agree with this.
22:00Brilliant.
22:03There's no denying it's something special.
22:05And with Charlotte dropping by the workshop, hopefully she can help steer the boys towards
22:10the perfect colour scheme to trim it in.
22:13Don't peek.
22:13Just look at the back of my jacket.
22:15Focus on the back of my jacket.
22:17Until...
22:18Now.
22:19Come on.
22:19Come here.
22:20Hi, Charlotte.
22:24Oh my word.
22:27Poor Wilbur.
22:28He's a right mess.
22:30What are you thinking though when you look at it?
22:31How do you feel?
22:34I'm quite upset.
22:36Because, you know, we talked about, you know, restoring the car and restoring the man.
22:42Yeah.
22:42So it just makes me think about that.
22:45Granted, it may not look it, but this is on the road to recovery.
22:50Fuzz and I have actually split the jobs of this car.
22:53Okay.
22:53Yeah.
22:54So I'm dealing with the interior.
22:55Oh, okay.
22:56And do something pretty special.
22:57Yeah.
22:57Fuzz is dealing with the exterior.
22:59So I know you've bought me some interior parts here.
23:01Okay.
23:02Let's have a look.
23:03It's a cake.
23:04I knew it.
23:05It's an interior cake.
23:07Yeah.
23:07Yeah, exactly.
23:08It's from my interior.
23:09Total rotter.
23:11So I found this is Adam's ideas of what he wants Wilbur to look like.
23:16Are you ready?
23:17Okay, I am.
23:17Yeah.
23:20Oh, hell yeah.
23:22And you've got the interior colour palette as well.
23:25Yeah.
23:25This car's going to go home soon, isn't it?
23:27Yeah.
23:27Now how do we make that happen?
23:28How do we get this car back to Adam?
23:31So he's been doing some artwork with Morgan motor cars lately.
23:36Okay.
23:37Over in Malvern?
23:37Yeah.
23:38Yeah.
23:38Okay.
23:38And I think that they would love to be involved.
23:41And I think they could just give him a call.
23:43Say, we need you to come and sketch this special car.
23:45Something like that.
23:46Okay.
23:47Fantastic.
23:47You know, that's brilliant.
23:48I like that.
23:49I like that idea a lot.
23:50Any last additions?
23:52Tea station.
23:54Oh.
23:54What are you on about?
23:55A tea station?
23:56Yeah.
23:57On board?
23:59Oh, good idea.
24:00Shut your face.
24:01I mean, what does that look like?
24:02A kettle?
24:02On a wire?
24:03Well, you've got to remember that Adam used to work in the bespoke department of Rolls-Royce.
24:08Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:09So his standards are pretty...
24:09It's got to be a bit more than that.
24:10Yeah.
24:11There we go.
24:12So, it's a vicar's office on wheels with full catering facilities.
24:17Looks like Tim might need to stew on that one for a minute.
24:22Tim and Fuzz are attempting to save this 1962 Rover P4.
24:28But this is a restoration that's really testing their faith.
24:32Because with over half of their build time gone, they still need to exorcise the blasphemous bodywork and tame the
24:40sinful suspension.
24:42Before they fit the new seats and turn this into the ultimate vicar's office on wheels.
24:50Right, work has progressed on the Rover.
24:53We've got new metal let in here where this tail end of this arch had rotted away.
24:58We've also got a new panel in the corner of the boot floor there.
25:04The original panel that we removed had a great big hole in it.
25:07It was rotten.
25:08Now, we've got a replacement panel.
25:09Now, I'm just offering it up and I can see that the curvature follows the car as far as the
25:18petrol flap.
25:19But at that point, it kind of kicks out a little bit.
25:23It needs a little tweak to make it fit just a little bit better.
25:28As no two classic motors like this are ever the same, replacement panels rarely fit straight out of the box.
25:35So, to make it fall in line, Fuzz needs to do some tweaking.
25:39Well, we're going to use two methods.
25:41One is using a shrinker machine here.
25:44Now, we can also use an older method which is a hammer and hammering the edge of the metal.
25:53Now, I'm going to demonstrate how that works.
25:55So, I've got a piece of steel reasonably straight here.
25:58We'll draw a line around it just to show how much it's going to move.
26:02And then we'll tap it to show it thickening.
26:06With each blow he makes, Fuzz is compressing the metal by a minute amount, forcing it to move to the
26:13edge.
26:14It's a centuries-old technique that requires a huge amount of skill and patience.
26:19So, it's great Tim isn't around.
26:21Now, the idea is to try and avoid bending it one way or the other.
26:26It's just to thicken it a little bit like a railway track, like the top of a railway track.
26:33It's got a thick bit on the top.
26:39There we go.
26:41Slowly but surely.
26:44Our top end here is now at that point there.
26:48So, we've got movement.
26:56However, on this panel, it's probably better to use the quicker method, which is using the shrinker.
27:06Let's start just at this little edge here.
27:10I'm going to see if I can get a little nip on there.
27:13And going a bit further here.
27:15Just easing it forward as I go.
27:18The shrinking machine does exactly the same job as the hammer.
27:22Compressing the metal.
27:24Forcing it to bunch up and thicken.
27:26Just with a lot more control and a lot less physical exertion.
27:30Right.
27:31Let's see where we're at.
27:34Now, that's looking...
27:37That's looking very close now.
27:39So, I'm pleased with that.
27:41But also, just at the end here, where it just kicks out a slight little bit.
27:45I forgot that there's this little closing panel that goes in.
27:50Around about there.
27:52So, actually, when it comes down to it, the bit that matters is alright.
28:01So, while Fuzz finishes fitting up, the rest of the body panels are being filled and sanded in preparation for
28:06primer and paint.
28:11Meanwhile, Tim's roped in Will, one of the workshop's resident metalwork magicians, to help him brew up an answer to
28:17Charlotte's mobile tea station challenge.
28:21What I'm thinking is, I mean, this is very much just a work in progress here.
28:26So, you fold down the armrest.
28:28Yeah.
28:29This then slides out on the runners that are mounted along here somewhere.
28:34Yeah.
28:34And somehow.
28:35Yeah.
28:36From the boot space, which is directly behind.
28:38That's right.
28:40Magically...
28:40Yeah.
28:40...into the area for tea and cakes fun.
28:43That's precisely as I see it.
28:45Okay.
28:46So, the kettle goes in here.
28:47Yes.
28:48The two cups sit at the front.
28:50Yeah.
28:50And in the most important place...
28:52Cake.
28:53Cake.
28:53The reality is, it has to impress.
28:55It can't be something like, ooh, damp squib.
28:58This has got to be a person who gets in the car with Adam and goes, mate, that's cool.
29:02Has a slice of cake, gets chatting, gets opening up, and we change lives.
29:06Yeah.
29:07With plans for tea and cake rising nicely, Fuzz is heating things up in a very different way.
29:16As he pays a visit to the experts at Jones Springs to see if they can squeeze a little
29:21more life out of the Rover's tired rear suspension.
29:27Carl.
29:28Hi, Chris.
29:28How are you doing?
29:29Yeah, good, thank you.
29:30You okay?
29:30Excellent.
29:30Yeah, yeah.
29:31Good, thanks.
29:31Now, what have you found?
29:33We've had a look at them.
29:34They are serviceable, but there's a couple of leaves in there that we do need to replace.
29:39So, we've cut those off, new steel, ready to go into your springs.
29:42Fantastic.
29:43Right, what's first?
29:44What do we do first?
29:45So, really, we need to get these over to the furnaces for the heat treatment process.
29:49Okay.
29:49Fabulous, because those are not spring shaped yet.
29:52They're not.
29:54To turn the replacement pieces of steel into new leaves, starts with heating them to 920
30:02degrees for 20 minutes, which makes them malleable enough for Duncan to shape.
30:07So, he hammers it to roughly a shape.
30:10The spring is obviously at the temperature it needs to be bent.
30:14What he does then is he bends by hammer and by hand and by eye into shape and then uses
30:21the
30:21main leaf as a template and brings that all together so it actually bends into the shape
30:26of the spring.
30:26So, now it's gone into, that's oil isn't it?
30:29It's a special oil that we use and it will need to go back in the furnace and be tempered
30:33off.
30:34Right.
30:34And then only at that stage it becomes a leaf spring.
30:37Tempering the springs in the furnace at a lower 640 degrees changes the metal's internal
30:43structure at a microscopic level, toughening it but also giving it flexibility to soak up
30:49any bumps.
30:53Finally, Duncan uses a press to make small adjustments to the camber of each steel leaf, bringing them
31:00to the perfect measurements.
31:04Well that's cool, right.
31:05So, will you give me a ring when they're done?
31:08Yeah, we'll make sure once both of them are done we're happy with them, they're all to
31:11the correct camber, we'll give you a shout.
31:13And while that's happening elsewhere, Adam's mate Harry, a professional trimmer, is pitching
31:18in to help by reinforcing the back of the rotating seat cushion and re-upholstering everything
31:24in Adam's dream colour scheme.
31:29To match, the body's being treated to a coat of deep burgundy paint, ensuring the interior
31:34is just as he imagined.
31:37But now, with only a few days left before the car has to be handed back to Adam, it's fair
31:43to say this lot are going to need more than a small miracle if they're going to get it finished
31:47in time.
31:49Look, I know you're thinking, oh this is the bit where you say how much work there is to
31:53do in so little time, I mean just do me a favour, okay, you make your own decision on
31:57this.
31:57Have a look at the car, have a look where it's at.
32:00There's the engine, there's fuzz.
32:02But actually the best way to show you how much work there is to do, and this is the most
32:05terrifying thing ever, come with me a minute.
32:07So once we've taken the carter pieces, all the bits come in here for refurbishing, and
32:12just have a hunt around here for a moment.
32:14Look, rover, rover, rover, rover, rover, rover.
32:18Everything you look at in here is for the rover.
32:21There's actually more rover in here than there is out there.
32:25We've got less than three days.
32:28And nothing more than an empty shell out on the workshop floor.
32:33So with the clock ticking louder than ever before, at least there's one bit of Adam's
32:38rover that might be finished in time.
32:41Oh.
32:41Oh.
32:42Haven't you done well?
32:44Oh yes, look at those.
32:45Hang on a minute, you've just turned, show me the drawing.
32:49That is a work of art.
32:50You've actually just created a three-dimensional, in reality version of a 2D sketch.
32:57That's the chassis.
32:59Okay.
32:59So that's the groundworks.
33:01Ah, right.
33:02This is the interior.
33:05Yes.
33:06The actual working components.
33:08So hang on, right, so kettle recess.
33:11Uh-huh.
33:11Cake.
33:13Recess.
33:14Yes.
33:15Oh, dude.
33:17Mate, look at that.
33:18Look at that.
33:19That is just absolutely awesome.
33:21So two cups get recessed into there, handle on the front.
33:24Mate, you've absolutely nailed this.
33:26Look at that.
33:272D, 3D.
33:30Yes, all it needs to finish it off is the rest of the car.
33:35And with less than three days left on the clock, Adam's Rover isn't going to be doing
33:39much roving.
33:41At least not until Fuzz gets his engine finished.
33:43We had a stroke a lot with the Rover 100 engine.
33:45We did a compression test earlier and the readings were good.
33:49I've also checked the bearings and both mains and big ends are very, very good.
33:55So we don't have to do a full engine rebuild.
33:59So really, all we need to do is a service.
34:05Thankfully, that's going to save them some time they desperately need.
34:09But Fuzz does still need to fit the new oil filter, fresh spark plugs, new HT leads, rotor
34:15arm and distributor cap.
34:16But it then can't go back into the car until the rebuilt leaf springs and rear axle are fitted
34:21back up.
34:22So that's the next job.
34:25Come on.
34:26Blimey.
34:28That's heavy.
34:28Yeah.
34:30Let's do the dance.
34:32Okay.
34:33Cool.
34:34Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
34:36Laurel and Hardy more like.
34:47I'm just going to use this little screwdriver just to wiggle it about and hopefully get
34:51the front pin through.
34:58There we go.
34:59That's all the way through.
35:02And with that, it's Red Rover, Red Rover, send the whole team over.
35:07A new headliner's being fitted.
35:09The interior lighting is being wired up.
35:13And Tim's freshly trimmed rotating seat is in.
35:17But with less than 24 hours left before it needs to be handed back to Adam, time is beyond
35:22time.
35:28We've got to put the engine in.
35:29We've got to put the gearbox in.
35:30We've got to put the prop shaft in.
35:32We've got the rear axle in.
35:33So that's good.
35:33But we haven't put the rear dampers on.
35:35We've got the front axle to assemble and put in there.
35:39It's a long, long way to go.
35:42We are in deep trouble.
35:46So as the sun sets over the workshop, it's going to be a long night for the teams.
35:50They try to pull off the immaculate reconstruction in time to hand it back to Adam.
36:01After a night that would test anyone's faith, the team have performed a minor miracle.
36:07And this Red Rover is ready to go roving once more.
36:12Now look at that.
36:13You have nailed it, son.
36:15Thank you very, very much.
36:17Adam's vision is this car.
36:20Yep.
36:21And what better place to reunite this petrol head priest with his pride and joy than at
36:26the historic Morgan Motor Company, a cathedral of classic British engineering.
36:32Come here.
36:33Come round here.
36:34What?
36:34I just want to show you something.
36:36Come on, let's open these barn doors.
36:38Open the doors.
36:38Watch this.
36:42Absolutely brilliant.
36:43That is engineering genius.
36:45And look, a tea station.
36:47It is absolutely brilliant.
36:49What's the plan?
36:50The plan is simple.
36:52Adam, as you know, is a car designer.
36:54Called him down here to draw a car.
36:55But it's not just any old car.
36:57Hello, Wilbur.
36:58Ah, there we go.
37:00That's brilliant.
37:00That's a brilliant plan.
37:01And at the right moment, a random motorcycle courier.
37:04Hello.
37:05Walks through the door with a parcel that lets him know he has been car SOSed.
37:10Fantastic.
37:11Right, I'm going to get my bike gear on.
37:12Okay.
37:12Get it in position.
37:15So, while Fuzz and the team carefully get the rover wrapped, Adam's arrived for what
37:21he believes is going to be a quiet morning of therapeutic car sketching.
37:25Something he's done a hundred times before.
37:28Hello there.
37:30Hiya.
37:30Hi.
37:31Little does he know it's going to be anything but.
37:34We're waiting for Adam to come up now.
37:36So, any minute now.
37:38Are you nervous?
37:40Don't be too nervous.
37:41It'll be fine.
37:43That is Adam there.
37:45The plan is I'm going to grab that cake as soon as he gets into that room there.
37:48Run out of these doors here.
37:51He's right there.
37:53And then the rest will be history.
37:55I am nervous.
37:56I've got to be honest.
37:56I'm well nervous.
38:00Yes, to momentarily distract Adam so Fuzz can whip the cover off Wilbur,
38:05Tim's going to be delivering a very tasty surprise.
38:08And with him in position and completely unaware he's just metres away from his dream car,
38:14it's time to put the plan into action.
38:17Welcome to the right place.
38:19Excuse me.
38:20I've got delivered for Morgan.
38:23Is it Adam?
38:25No, God knows what it is.
38:26Oh, my life.
38:27What is this?
38:32What the?
38:38Not you.
38:39Hello, mate.
38:40How are you doing?
38:41You all right?
38:42You all right?
38:43Yeah.
38:44Any idea what's going on?
38:45Um, I'm getting there.
38:47It's all right.
38:50What does it sound like?
38:51Yeah.
38:51You've been car rest away.
38:52Yes.
39:01Oh, my life.
39:03I'm holding you.
39:04I'm holding you.
39:04Just keep on your feet, man.
39:07Fuck you.
39:09Come on.
39:09Let's move.
39:09Come on.
39:10I think we need to have a word.
39:11Don't worry.
39:12Come here.
39:12Come and stand this side, Charlotte.
39:13Here you go.
39:15Okay.
39:15You got him?
39:16No.
39:17No.
39:21Charlotte, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to explain to your lovely husband here what he
39:26means to...
39:27The absolute world, mate.
39:30Everything.
39:31Everything, you know?
39:32And you just deserve to be happy in whatever way works for you.
39:37And we all know what works for you.
39:39That works.
39:41That certainly works.
39:43That's incredible.
39:46I know you know the show.
39:47Yeah.
39:48I know you.
39:49Totally.
39:49Yeah, you do.
39:50And I know you know the show pretty well.
39:52Yeah.
39:52So I don't think I need to say, bring out the...
39:55Family and friends.
39:56Come on out, guys.
39:57Come on out.
40:06Come on through.
40:09So we know that you have dedicated so much of your life to selflessly helping other people, and Charlotte here
40:15just wanted a moment just to let you know how much you mean, not just to her, to the kids,
40:20but to everyone here, how loved you are.
40:23Yeah.
40:24Can we have a round of applause for Adam and Wilbur?
40:32The last time Adam saw his beloved Wilbur, he was a shadow of his former self. Trapped in the garage,
40:40rust set in with no sign of resurrection.
40:44But thanks to the boys, he's been granted a second coming.
40:48The corroded bodywork has been cut away and replaced with new panels, and the whole thing finished in Adam's dream
40:55shade of burgundy.
40:56The tired old leaf suspension has been revitalized.
41:01The engine has had a full service, and they both stand ready to tackle the miles ahead.
41:07Inside, it's been totally transformed.
41:10The seats re-trimmed in Adam's chosen colors.
41:13There's an ingenious rotating solution for face-to-face conversation, and a bespoke tea station for any parched parishioners.
41:22Once the sort of car a bank manager or solicitor might have driven, this one has become a vicar's sanctuary
41:28on wheels.
41:29A place for calm, conversation, and the occasional slice of cake.
41:37How does it feel to be sitting this way around in your car?
41:41This is amazing, this is just, I mean it, yeah.
41:45It's brilliant, it just works.
41:47It is just, it's so comfortable.
41:49It's exactly what you want when you have a conversation with somebody.
41:53You see them face-to-face.
41:54We've got tea, we've got cake.
41:56All the ingredients for those important, life-changing conversations.
42:01Those things, they might seem basic, but they're so, so important.
42:06And they make somebody feel at ease.
42:10And when they feel at ease, that's when they'll start to talk about the stuff that really matters to them.
42:17When it was in the garage, in a bit of a state, needing a lot of work, did that weigh
42:22heavily on you?
42:22Yeah.
42:23It became almost like I would open that garage door and there'd be that huge weight on my shoulders and
42:31I'd look at Wilbur,
42:32and it would feel like I was looking at me.
42:36Really?
42:36Yeah.
42:37So a reflection of yourself in a sort of four-wheeled metaphor?
42:41Yeah.
42:42He's a rolling metaphor for me.
42:45So when you open the garage door tomorrow morning?
42:48Yes.
42:49And Wilbur's in there looking like this?
42:51I'll feel good.
42:53I'll feel right.
42:54Every time that you look at him?
42:55Yeah.
42:57You don't have to answer this question, but do you think this car will save lives?
43:01It already has.
43:05It already has.
43:07It saved mine.
43:10There's only one thing left to do.
43:11Adam?
43:12Yes?
43:12It's with great pleasure that I thank you for choosing to buy Wilbur way back when.
43:18And I tell you, you have been Car SOS.
43:21Thank you very, very much.
43:27I can't believe we're back in Wilbur.
43:29I know.
43:30Doesn't it feel weird?
43:32Amazing.
43:33Amazing.
43:34Feel happy.
43:35Feels very, very special.
43:37Very special.
43:41The amount of work they've done, the colour is gorgeous.
43:46And the interior, it is like having a new car.
43:49Such a different drive, isn't it, to a modern car?
43:52No, you can't beat it really.
43:53No, you're driving something very special.
43:56Absolutely incredible.
43:57So بال and 농�도.
43:57What you might have found in this car and by the lollywood street label см I will try to
43:57go out and show up i tennheoke, i will try all three other vehicles.
43:58All right.
44:00Not really.
44:00Now on the site to be a venison.
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