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00:05Mathewson's auctioned more than 700 classic cars, bikes and trucks every month.
00:10If you can't find something in here, you don't want one, do you?
00:13Lovely, isn't you?
00:14At their garages in Yorkshire, our television crews have been trying to understand their business.
00:21You'll get the hang of it soon. You've only been around us for five years.
00:24I'm going to have to educate them a little bit.
00:26But that hasn't stopped us taking a risk on classics close to our hearts.
00:35It hasn't gone a plan, but it's gone exactly how it always does.
00:38She's about knackered. Technical Yorkshire term, is that?
00:43That's how the cookie crumbles.
00:45So far, the experts have done us proud.
00:48It's the best I've ever seen, to be honest.
00:50Encouraging stuff.
00:50I love it. I absolutely love it.
00:52You have to start somewhere.
00:54Absolutely brilliant.
00:55But buying and selling these iconic cars isn't getting any easier.
01:00I'm feeling really sick.
01:02I'll stop after this.
01:03I think we can make money.
01:05The worst thing you can do is think that you're going to make any money out of it.
01:08You're saving another vehicle.
01:09You're performing a public service.
01:10It's the only way you can look at it.
01:11You've actually kept a bit of originality there.
01:14Well done.
01:14Well, we're at five pounds.
01:16This is going to be painful.
01:26This week, two cars that couldn't be more different.
01:30The first...
01:31I like the 126.
01:33126!
01:34A benchmark for basic.
01:36Get in, Will.
01:38Very little space.
01:40And in a class of its own when it comes to ride quality.
01:44Oh, jeez!
01:46We're going to make it look faster than it'll ever be.
01:50Whereas the second...
01:52Oh, my God.
01:53A 200-mile-an-hour footballer's favourite.
01:57In its day, costing well over 100 grand.
02:00Every now and then you're getting something and you just feel happy, innit?
02:03These Bentleys are that for me.
02:05But only one causes an upset at the auction.
02:09It's a catastrophe.
02:15At more than 3,000 square miles, North Yorkshire is England's largest county.
02:21And the Mathewson's garages are situated next to one of its most expansive areas of open countryside.
02:27The North York Moors.
02:29In the showrooms, an enormous choice of classics waiting to be auctioned.
02:34And for some, you'd need a sizeable garage.
02:38But what about the other end of the spectrum?
02:41Do good things really come in small packages, too?
02:46Well, no.
02:48Obviously, snake-like figure and six foot and a little bit.
02:52I built for a Mini, aren't I?
02:54Probably the smallest car that I really enjoyed has been a Frogeye Sprite that I owned for a couple of
02:58weeks before I sold it.
02:59But in general, small cars, I've never had a great deal of time for them, really.
03:04But we think there might be fun and beauty in a tiny classic, which is why we've become very interested
03:10in this extremely compact unit.
03:13A Fiat 126.
03:20The story starts with a car that could not be more Italian, the Fiat 500.
03:26Launched in 1957, it had a 480cc two-cylinder air-cooled engine in the back and was the first true
03:34city car.
03:35They sold four million of them.
03:37But in 1972, Fiat launched the 126 as its successor.
03:43It was still cute, had a bigger engine, and it sold well.
03:47But that was mainly thanks to Poland, where most of the 4.6 million were made.
03:53Over 30 years, the car became part of Polish folklore, with locals nicknaming it Malux, or the Little One.
04:04We're eyeing up this 1991 water-cooled 700cc Beast model, which means Encore in Italian.
04:12Little washing machine.
04:14Oh, inside's nice.
04:16The headlining's dropped, look.
04:17What's gluing back up?
04:19They're great, aren't they?
04:20The quirky little thing.
04:21A little bit of rot down this side, look, where it traps water.
04:24You're a little bit on that screen there, look.
04:27You've got to paint it.
04:28On the upside, you only need three quarters of a litre, don't you?
04:31You know?
04:32Tiny, isn't it?
04:34I think it's a great little car.
04:35Don't get giddy and overbuy it, though.
04:37Because it wants to be, like, mid to late teens, does it?
04:40Something like that.
04:43Just to clarify, that's Paul saying hundreds, not thousands.
04:46Or at least we hope it is.
04:49The little 126 Biz.
04:50There you go, you've got your name all over that.
04:52£1,000, we've got £1,100, £1,200 bid.
04:55At £1,200, we've got.
04:57At £1,200, then at £1,200, £1,300 a pound.
05:00I love a £1,300 quid car.
05:02£1,400 in Shropshire.
05:04£1,400, £1,500 a pound.
05:06I knew you were saying you love a £1,300 car.
05:08At £1,500 a pound.
05:10£1,600.
05:11Fresh bid.
05:12£1,600 a pound.
05:13£1,700.
05:14At £1,700, £1,800.
05:16And £1,900 a pound with Moreland.
05:18There you are.
05:18Hey, what?
05:19I just looked at him.
05:21How does that work?
05:22Never wink at the auction here at £1,900.
05:25I blinked.
05:26£2,000 in Nottingham.
05:27£2,001.
05:29£2,200 in Nottingham.
05:30At £2,200.
05:32£2,300.
05:33£2,300, says Mr Jay.
05:34Oh, hang on.
05:35He's been overruled by the big white chief.
05:38How about that?
05:40He's back in at £2,400.
05:42£2,400.
05:42Andy's waving £2,500.
05:44£2,500.
05:45At £2,500, I'm going to sell it today.
05:48Is that odd?
05:48£2,500.
05:49Yeah?
05:49Well, either us or Andy.
05:51Hammer's gown.
05:53£2,500.
05:56That's certainly one way for Dave to sell his cars,
05:59but we're happy to own it anyway.
06:02We've decided to send this one to our friend Kel Muir's
06:05in Croft, near Darlington.
06:08Because he and his mechanics, Woody, Don and Will,
06:11have had such a nightmare with our other projects...
06:14If this was a horse, you'd be calling a vet
06:16to put it out of its misery.
06:18We wanted to reward them
06:19with this week's mystery vehicle.
06:22Spurs.
06:24That's a 126.
06:26126?
06:27Oh, my God, he really hit.
06:29With a flat tire.
06:34Hey, I like it.
06:36Just to polish the surface
06:37and send you it back then, eh?
06:39We can't see any rust.
06:42That's different, isn't it?
06:44Is it a J-redge?
06:45I don't know, there's no number play out in the front.
06:47Did I mention there's half a tonne of wires
06:49hanging out the dashboard?
06:50And it stinks.
06:53Will has some suggestions to make it more desirable.
06:57Wide arches, slam it, more bike engine.
06:59Would you have been by slam it?
07:00Drop it on the floor.
07:01Pin it white,
07:02debumper it
07:03and put the Fiat Rally stickers on it.
07:06Downs isn't looking, mate.
07:08Small.
07:10Do you know one of the things we can't do
07:11in a car like this?
07:12We can't even see what it drives like.
07:15There's not enough space in there for two people.
07:18Now there's a challenge.
07:20I'll go in the back.
07:21Well, I'll have to be in the back.
07:22Oh, I can't get my feet.
07:26It's out of.
07:27Oh, Christ.
07:29Get in, Will.
07:33Yay, we're in.
07:35Starts, Will.
07:37Go.
07:38Me.
07:42Oh, shit.
07:43Jesus.
07:50Just like a Formula One driver
07:52feeding back information to their team,
07:54Don has detected a problem with the handling.
07:56It steers from the back.
07:59It's not supposed to do that.
08:05That was very plosophobic.
08:08Yeah, it was all right.
08:09We fit well in there, didn't we?
08:13Our microscopic Fiat is best known for cheapness
08:16and its ability to rust.
08:19Other features include a curious decision
08:22to have shock absorbs as the rear suspension,
08:25but old-school leaf springs on the front.
08:28Comfort wasn't really a priority,
08:31but things still don't seem quite right.
08:37The shocks are shot.
08:38They're there, but they're not doing anything.
08:41Is that a petrol tank?
08:42Yeah, that's a petrol tank.
08:43Very small.
08:45Oh, you're not going to get far with that, are you?
08:47It's not like it drinks much.
08:49I think there's scooters that use more fuel than this thing.
08:52I found the first hole.
08:54Oh, yeah, that's the hole.
08:55That's the carpet there.
08:57That's all that's just for a little bit.
08:59Wouldn't be right if we didn't have some welding to do.
09:02The exhaust isn't great.
09:05Not meant to have exit holes in the side of it.
09:09I mean, with the rest of it,
09:11it's just a little bit of flaky under-sale.
09:14Better than I expected.
09:16Yeah.
09:17So that's good.
09:18It is, because less welding means more time finding ways
09:22to add value to this basic vehicle.
09:41Kel and Woody are weighing up what to do with our 1991 Fiat 126.
09:48If it was me, I'd be keeping it all standard, repainted,
09:52same colour, keep it right.
09:54But everybody said, no, let's change the colour to something funky,
09:58take the bumpers off, big exhaust, make it look special.
10:03White one with a tricolor down the side.
10:06Sounds good, but it would be a bit more work.
10:09And, of course, cost.
10:11If we keep it the same colour,
10:12we're still going to take everything off it,
10:14but we wouldn't have had to paint inside it.
10:17Where if we're changing the colour,
10:19you're better off doing the inside as well.
10:21To be decided.
10:24For now, though, some simple diagnostics.
10:29You all right?
10:32What are you saying that far?
10:33You need to sit down.
10:34Why, because I've done too much already today.
10:39In the steering side of it, the track rod ends, solid.
10:45But the wheel bearing, you can feel it clicking,
10:49slightly knocking.
10:52The track rod ends connect the steering rack
10:55to a knuckle on each front wheel.
10:58When this joint gets worn,
11:00you get wandering steering
11:01from the unwanted side-to-side movement.
11:04The bearing, on the other hand,
11:06is part of the wheel's hub
11:07and is a set of steel balls
11:09held in a metal ring called a race.
11:12They reduce friction when the wheel spins.
11:16When they wear,
11:17wobbling occurs in an up-and-down direction,
11:20which is the knocking that Kel found.
11:25And another, more unusual problem
11:28has come to light.
11:30I don't know which one's the wiper.
11:32That one.
11:33Right, so you put the wipers on.
11:35Don't work.
11:37And then the minute you press your finger
11:39on the key,
11:40the wipers work.
11:41Everyone tells me about Italian wiring
11:43and how bad it is.
11:45Yeah, this has sort of proven it.
11:48But, because we now like the idea
11:50of painting the whole car in white,
11:51everything, including the wiring,
11:54will need to be stripped out anyway.
11:56Oh, look at that.
11:57It's just fell off.
11:58Mechanic George is back
12:00after a week in his flip-flops,
12:02full of the joys of spring
12:03about the Fiat.
12:05It's not my cup of tea,
12:06but whatever.
12:09Things are expected to improve
12:10once his hands get oily again.
12:14What we're going to try and do
12:15is get the engine out today.
12:17Hey, look at that.
12:19Do I think I need to label them at all?
12:20Headlight?
12:21Do you think they'll know what it is?
12:23Is that all okay?
12:24Rear bumper.
12:28Looks like this back panel here
12:30comes off, I think.
12:34That's it.
12:35Are you writing bonnet on there?
12:37I was going to put front seats
12:38just to confuse them a bit.
12:41Everything's got to come off
12:42because I hate seeing, like,
12:44where people have masked off
12:45the rubbers and stuff like that.
12:47We're going to fix any corroded areas
12:50and then only bare metal
12:52on the exterior bodywork
12:53before paint.
12:54It should be straightforward.
12:57It's got that and a bit in the floor.
12:59The rest of it's just a little bit
13:00of surface rust steel in there.
13:02It's the most solid one
13:03you've ever brought was.
13:05That's not saying much,
13:06but it's still surprising
13:08for a 126.
13:10I don't think this has ever
13:11been out of here before.
13:15The engine has left the building.
13:21Look at that.
13:29Our little Fiat
13:30isn't the rock box
13:31it could have been.
13:32So now, feeling flush,
13:34we're in the market
13:34for something flash.
13:36And this time,
13:38we're also thinking big.
13:41No more passengers
13:42sat in the fetal position
13:44and luggage space
13:45larger than a shoebox.
13:47So with that in mind,
13:48it would be difficult
13:50not to notice this.
13:51Standing at 16 feet long,
13:54the Bentley Continental GT.
13:57Look at that.
13:58They're just lovely, aren't they?
14:04From the 1930s,
14:05three and a half litre
14:06all the way to the
14:07150,000 pound Arnage,
14:10Bentley,
14:11under the ownership
14:11of Rolls-Royce,
14:12were known for hand-building
14:14elegant limos
14:15your chauffeur would
14:16thank you for.
14:18But when Volkswagen
14:19took over in 1998,
14:21they had to embrace
14:22the unseemly practice
14:23of mass production.
14:26The flagship for this
14:27brave new world
14:28was the Continental GT.
14:32Still super luxurious
14:33with an enormous engine.
14:35At £110,000,
14:37it was marketed
14:38as affordable.
14:40But it turned out
14:41that for many,
14:42the high price tag
14:43wasn't a problem.
14:45In fact,
14:46demand was initially
14:46so high,
14:47the factory at Crew
14:48could barely keep up.
14:52This one is a 2004
14:54with only 51,000 miles.
14:57Every now and then
14:58you're getting something
14:58and you just feel happy
15:00in it
15:00and it fits you.
15:01I know that sounds
15:02really stupid,
15:03it's like your favourite
15:03pair of slippers.
15:04These Bentleys
15:05are that for me.
15:07At 550 horsepower,
15:09it's 20 times
15:10more powerful
15:11than our Fiat.
15:12I mean,
15:13look at that.
15:15You've got a massive
15:16motor in there,
15:17haven't you?
15:18Six litres,
15:1912 cylinders,
15:21turbo each side.
15:22I mean,
15:23what's not to like?
15:25Apart from the
15:25potential repair,
15:26but if there's
15:27anything scary,
15:28but it looks in good,
15:29Nick,
15:29so we're happy
15:30to take a punt.
15:31We've got number 744,
15:33one of the nicest
15:34Bentleys
15:35that we've had,
15:36I think,
15:36come through
15:37and we have lots
15:38of these,
15:38don't we?
15:39Anyhow,
15:39more importantly,
15:40here we go.
15:40Right,
15:41so we've got
15:41£15,000 bid,
15:43£16,000,
15:44£17,000,
15:46£18,000,
15:47£19,000 with Andrew,
15:49£19,500,
15:50£19,600,
15:51£19,700,
15:52you're out Andy,
15:53£19,800,
15:54you're back in.
15:55Southampton,
15:56you're out,
15:56Hammer's going
15:56to drop down then.
15:58So,
15:59£19,000,
16:00thank you.
16:01We've got a Bentley.
16:02Yes!
16:03It's like we've
16:04joined an exclusive
16:05club,
16:06albeit on the
16:07bottom rung.
16:08But as befits
16:09our new status,
16:10we've decided
16:11to take it
16:11to our friend
16:12Ray Hillier
16:13and his mechanic
16:14Chris Leith
16:15in Buckinghamshire.
16:16Go on,
16:17go on,
16:17you're right.
16:18Go on,
16:18keep going.
16:19They work on
16:19some of the best
16:20Rolls-Royces
16:21and Bentleys
16:21in the country.
16:23We just hope
16:24they're as excited
16:25as we are.
16:28An element
16:29of trepidation.
16:30Oh, is there why?
16:31Because I'm wondering
16:32what you're going to bring us,
16:33basically.
16:34Suspicion it might
16:35be a GT.
16:36I hope it's not.
16:39A GT.
16:42Ray definitely
16:43prefers pre-2003
16:45Bentleys.
16:46We were used
16:47to an era
16:48where we could
16:49get parts
16:49for a Mark 6
16:50and R-Type,
16:51but there's
16:52a lot of parts
16:53now for these
16:54cars that are
16:55just not available.
16:57So it's actually
16:57easier to work
16:59on an older car.
17:00It is, yeah.
17:01I mean,
17:01you could have
17:02a gem on your hands.
17:03If we look underneath
17:03and it's all
17:04in really good nick,
17:05then you've
17:05swung the channel.
17:07I mean,
17:07let's face it,
17:09it's a Volkswagen
17:09and an Audi.
17:10It's a W12
17:11from the Volkswagens.
17:12Good,
17:13dependable engines.
17:14We've got one
17:14on nearly
17:16200,000 miles now.
17:17Yes, very true.
17:18Travels backwards
17:18and forwards to Germany.
17:20It's never had
17:20head gaskets,
17:21never had a gearbox.
17:22In the eyes
17:23of some people,
17:25these represent
17:26incredible value
17:27for money.
17:27Yeah, well,
17:28you could get
17:29an absolute bargain
17:30but get an absolute
17:31money pit.
17:33Here's hoping
17:34it's the first one.
17:42Back with our
17:43well-preserved
17:43Fiat 126,
17:45we're nearly ready
17:46for some costly,
17:47time-consuming welding.
17:48So it's lucky
17:49there's hardly any to do.
17:51Just the bottom bit
17:52coming out now.
17:53There we go,
17:54see?
17:55Oh,
17:56oh, look at that.
17:57Underneath the rubber,
17:58a bit of ground
17:59and grizzle.
18:00Get in.
18:01More money.
18:03The dollar signs
18:05are going up.
18:06But it hasn't
18:07stopped us
18:07in our quest
18:08to pimp this thing up
18:09with some
18:10well-chosen mods.
18:12We're going to make
18:13it look faster
18:13than it'll ever be.
18:17The new bad boy
18:19exhaust.
18:20Look at that.
18:22That is a definite
18:2326 horsepower now.
18:25And there aren't many
18:26lawnmowers
18:27that could beat that.
18:31Do you know,
18:31I'll sit here,
18:32I'm thinking,
18:33I'm going to get
18:34my feet on this wind
18:35and try and see
18:35if I can pop it out
18:37without breaking it.
18:41Kel has never let
18:42George forget
18:43what happened
18:43with our Golf GTI
18:45a few years ago.
18:47I'll just push it.
18:49You can try it.
18:52You know,
18:54heavy,
18:55heavy-handed.
18:56I hardly touched it.
18:58Put it somewhere safe.
19:01Today,
19:02it's Kel's turn
19:02to show us
19:03how it's done.
19:08Oh.
19:09Hi.
19:10Yeah!
19:15That wasn't me.
19:17That was him.
19:17That was nothing
19:18to do with me.
19:21At least Woody
19:22can get on
19:22with the bodywork now.
19:25Over the next few days,
19:26he skillfully fabricates
19:28separate pieces of steel
19:29for each corroded section.
19:32What I can do
19:33is work on
19:34more than one area
19:34at a time,
19:35so while one area
19:36is cooling down,
19:37I can be working
19:37on a separate area
19:39on the car.
19:40The offending bit
19:41is cut out
19:43and the new metal
19:44is welded into place.
19:48The little Fiat
19:49will soon be back
19:50to full strength.
20:08near Darlington,
20:09George is preparing
20:10to give our Fiat's
20:11two-cylinder engine
20:11an overhaul.
20:15The beating heart.
20:16It is a bit cleaner.
20:18It's got Lancie
20:19written on there, look.
20:20And then it's got
20:20Made in Poland on there.
20:22A bit of all sorts
20:23engine, this.
20:24What we're going to do,
20:25we're just going to
20:25strip a load of the bits off,
20:27give them a clean,
20:28give it a good service,
20:29put it all back together.
20:32So, that should
20:33just lift off now.
20:35That's the alternator,
20:36that bit.
20:36That's what makes
20:37the electric for the car.
20:39There we go,
20:39we'll take the fan belt
20:40off as well.
20:41So what we're going to do
20:42is take these
20:43six bolts out in here
20:44because this is
20:45the oil pump behind here.
20:47And part of this unit
20:48cleans the engine oil,
20:49but it's an unusual design.
20:52It must be a cheaper
20:53way of doing it.
20:54See, most little engines
20:54would have a screw-on
20:55oil filter.
20:57Screw it on and screw it off
20:58and throw it away.
20:59But this one
21:00has got a centrifugal
21:02oil filter.
21:02When this spins around
21:03with the engine,
21:05all the little bits of
21:06debris and muck
21:07and whatever else
21:07fly to the outside
21:08and stick to the outside.
21:11See all this mud there?
21:14Collecting little compartments.
21:18It's cleaned and reassembled.
21:22Take the carburetor off
21:26and this little inlet manifold
21:29should wiggle off now,
21:30hopefully.
21:31This will have to come off
21:32to get the cylinder head off.
21:35So I think that's a waterway,
21:38that in there, look.
21:39It's the water going
21:40around the engine
21:41to keep it cool.
21:42It's all blocked up
21:43with all gunge.
21:45It's the old water
21:46and antifreeze mix,
21:47isn't it?
21:47So she'll overheat all the time.
21:52We'll get the exhaust manifolds off now.
21:59So that comes off like that, look.
22:02So that's another bit off.
22:06The engine wasn't big on power
22:08even when it was new,
22:09but age has, shall we say,
22:12significantly reduced
22:13the number of horses
22:14in the stable.
22:16They run away,
22:17go on holiday, don't they?
22:20George is like a mechanical cowboy.
22:22If it is only 26 brake horsepower,
22:25it'll be nice to get them
22:26all back again.
22:28There we go.
22:30This is a 700cc flat twin,
22:32which means the pistons
22:34move horizontally.
22:35It saves space
22:37so you can cram it in the boot.
22:40George doesn't really mind
22:41what type it is, though.
22:43Yeah.
22:43I love mucking about with engines.
22:45I love them.
22:46I've mucked about with them
22:47all my life.
22:48When I was a kid,
22:49I had an escort
22:50and you used to break it
22:51and then you had to fix it
22:52before I could go out in it.
22:54So it was a case of ham-to
22:56when you were younger.
22:59It doesn't always go as planned, though.
23:01Removing the bolts
23:02on the cylinder head
23:03can be tricky.
23:06I'm not going to want
23:07to come out of there, that.
23:09Feels very tight, that.
23:12If they break,
23:13they'll have to be drilled out
23:14and the threads re-tapped.
23:16It's a time-consuming process.
23:24That's tight, that.
23:26I'll get it three quarters of the way out
23:27and then it'll snap on it.
23:30I bet if you got Kel to come and help,
23:32then it would.
23:35So, step away from the bolt.
23:38So, you said,
23:39I'll come over and try and undo it.
23:41If it snaps, it's my fault.
23:43I've already placed a windscreen
23:44because it was my fault.
23:49See ya.
23:53George has just given himself
23:55a bit more work.
24:03back in Buckinghamshire.
24:04Good nick on the exhaust.
24:06Pipes are good.
24:08Ray and Chris have been giving our Bentley
24:10a more detailed once-over.
24:12So, just checking the brake bed depth.
24:16Yeah, loads of material.
24:19So far,
24:20the only concern is the tyres.
24:232005.
24:242005?
24:25Tyres are 20 years old.
24:28I mean, we would recommend replacing them.
24:30Yeah, this car will do 200 miles an hour.
24:33The last thing you want is a blowout.
24:36The Continental GT
24:37has always been firmly
24:39in the prestige bracket.
24:40But just like run-of-the-mill cars,
24:42it has its own particular weak spots.
24:45A suspension.
24:46Because they're an airstruck,
24:47they'll give up.
24:48We do get a lot of cars
24:50that suffer from vacuum leaks
24:51on the engine.
24:53With most recently,
24:54power steering lines
24:54have started to fail now.
24:56The trouble with these cars
24:56is they're quite labour-intensive.
24:58You've got an awful lot
24:59crammed into a small space.
25:01With a silver shadow
25:02or a silver cloud
25:03or something like that,
25:04you can see what you're looking at
25:05and you can work on it.
25:06These, you have to dismantle
25:07a lot of stuff
25:08before you can actually get
25:09to the bit you want to inspect,
25:11let alone change.
25:13But underneath,
25:13I have to say,
25:15as a president
25:17of the British League of Cynics,
25:19this actually looks like
25:21an okay car.
25:23To be certain,
25:25Ray needs to drive this beast.
25:26But first,
25:27a quick test
25:28for hidden problems,
25:29which on a relatively new car like this
25:31means hooking it up to a computer.
25:34Michael is the resident expert here.
25:37So I'm going to interrogate
25:39every control module within the car.
25:41It should come up with a list of fault codes.
25:43At the moment,
25:44it's looking really good.
25:46There's no fault codes
25:47in the engine management
25:48and transmission at the moment.
25:50So just the basic setting
25:51on the driver's seat.
25:53There is an anomaly, though,
25:56showing that diagnostics
25:57aren't perfect.
25:58A warning light on the dash
25:59relating to the rear spoiler
26:01that flips up
26:02when over 70 miles an hour.
26:04So this part is a spoiler,
26:06but I've got no fault codes for that.
26:09But the light's on on the dash?
26:10But the light's on the dashboard.
26:12We'll be sticking to speed limits,
26:13so for now,
26:14it's not an issue.
26:17So apart from Ray
26:18not being able to move the seat properly,
26:20there's nothing to stop this car
26:21going out on the road for instance?
26:22No, no, no.
26:23The seat will work.
26:24It's just the seat memories
26:25may not work.
26:28This,
26:28and a few other bits
26:29like the sound system,
26:30just need a reset.
26:31It's a surprisingly good result.
26:34I'd normally get
26:35three pages of fault codes.
26:38Cleared for take-off.
26:43Ray hops in
26:44for his quick test drive.
26:47See if it performs correctly.
26:49Any noises,
26:50any suspension
26:51or rattles, knocks.
26:54This GT
26:55should be capable
26:56of reaching 60 miles an hour
26:57in less than five seconds.
27:06It goes then, Ray?
27:08Yeah, they do go.
27:09You know, I mean,
27:10they've got plenty of poke.
27:12I have to say,
27:14it feels like a very decent
27:16GT.
27:18It is quite a nice car.
27:21And it'll be an even better one
27:22when we've fixed the odd glitch
27:24and given it the full Bentley service.
27:35Back with our 35-year-old Fiat,
27:38Woody has now carefully replaced
27:39most of the old corroded metal.
27:42But there is one section
27:43that needs a specific machine
27:45to fabricate it.
27:47The triangular trim in the door
27:49that the quarterlight windows sit in
27:51is a strange shape
27:52and you can't buy them anywhere.
27:56So we've asked new man Jason
27:57to work his magic
27:59with a specialist press break.
28:02Such a brilliant tool.
28:03Like, it saves a lot of time.
28:06The alternative would be
28:07to cut it and weld it,
28:08you know,
28:08slice it in loads
28:09of different segments.
28:12Jason worked on the Fast and Furious films.
28:14We had to build
28:15the stunt Range Rovers.
28:17And with McLaren F1
28:19with the help of
28:20computer-aided design.
28:22I was a race fabricator
28:24so I looked after
28:25the carbon bodywork.
28:26The approach for our Fiat
28:28is a bit more low-tech.
28:31That's a template I've got for it
28:32so that's the angle
28:35it needs to be at.
28:36And that's just made out
28:37of your average
28:38cornflake packet.
28:40Yeah, cardboard-aided design
28:41we call it.
28:42Cap?
28:42Yeah, that's our card in here, yeah.
28:46That's just about right.
28:51On the other side of the garage
28:52George has something
28:53interesting on his trolley.
28:55So over the last few days
28:57I've stripped this engine
28:58to pieces.
28:59We've had the cylinder heads off.
29:00I've reseated the valves back in.
29:03We've cleaned all the engine out.
29:05All the oil ways.
29:07All the water ways.
29:08New spark plugs in.
29:10So I'm hoping
29:11I'm going to be able
29:12to start it now.
29:13I know it's not in the car
29:14but I've wired it up
29:15so hopefully it'll start now.
29:18So I've just got a can of petrol
29:21and this is like
29:22turning the ignition on
29:23on your car.
29:24So that's live now.
29:26And then I'm going to use
29:27that wire there
29:28as the starter button.
29:29Fingers crossed
29:30it should start.
29:31So touch that on there
29:33and hopefully it'll start.
29:47So it runs.
29:49It shakes like mad.
29:54George has probably got it back
29:56to full power.
29:58Not exactly a purring V8
30:00but what it lacks in finesse
30:02it makes up for in character.
30:06And after a few days
30:07of filling and sanding
30:08the painting gets underway.
30:11It won't be long
30:12before everything
30:12gets bolted back
30:13into place.
30:30In Buckinghamshire
30:32our Bentley
30:32had the potential
30:33to ruin us financially.
30:35But mercifully
30:36we're now on the home straight.
30:38The plan for today
30:39is we're going to be
30:40doing a major service.
30:43Much of this
30:44like changing the oil
30:45is routine.
30:47They're sort of
30:47around 12 litres in total.
30:49That is actually
30:50relatively clean.
30:51I mean if it had done
30:52any higher mileage
30:53it would be a lot
30:53blacker.
30:55But a service
30:56on a car like this
30:58needs a trained eye
30:59like Chris's
31:00to detect any problems.
31:02Check all the wiring
31:03for the pad sensors
31:04make sure nothing's
31:05ripped off
31:06or damaged
31:07in any way.
31:09I mean yes
31:10they are
31:11Volkswagen
31:12Audi technology
31:13but you need
31:14to know what you're
31:15doing
31:15because it's
31:16an expensive car
31:17and if you get
31:17something wrong
31:19you're going to get
31:19more expense
31:20in the future.
31:22They do like
31:23to put up a fight.
31:26They also make it
31:27known when they're
31:27not happy.
31:29They call them
31:29Christmas trees
31:30because they've
31:31always got a warning
31:32light on the dashboard
31:33somewhere.
31:34and ours is
31:35currently to do
31:36with the active
31:37spoiler
31:37and it's ECU
31:39or electronic
31:40control unit.
31:42So under here
31:43we have
31:44the active
31:45rear aerofoil
31:46motor
31:47and the control
31:48module with the ECU
31:49inside
31:49and when the gear
31:50turns
31:51it actually pushes
31:53these two drive cables
31:54inside this tube
31:56it'll push them
31:57downwards
31:58lifting the
31:59aerofoil up.
32:01Michael needs to
32:02check that the ECU
32:03is getting power.
32:05So I'm just going to
32:06connect this to the
32:07negative terminal
32:08of the battery.
32:09So I just need to
32:10check power up to
32:11this plug.
32:12What I expect to be
32:14there is voltage
32:15the 12 volt
32:15but I'm not
32:16receiving that.
32:18the reason
32:19becomes pretty
32:20obvious.
32:21Oh
32:22voila.
32:23The wire
32:24has broken
32:25inside the loom.
32:26The opening
32:27and the closing
32:28of the boot
32:28these wires
32:30will just flex
32:31and then they'll
32:31get fatigued.
32:33So after a bit
32:35of new wire
32:35and some soldering
32:36our Bentley
32:37was ready
32:38for the auto barn.
32:39Fairly straightforward
32:40the car's behaved
32:41clearly been very
32:43well looked after
32:44by previous owners
32:45so you've
32:46lucked in really
32:47on getting
32:48something that
32:49doesn't really need
32:50a lot doing to it
32:51so you've done well.
32:54But can the same
32:55be said
32:56for the finances?
32:57Including tax
32:58and commission
32:59it was a slightly
33:00up market
33:0021,589
33:02to buy.
33:04Labour came in
33:05at 1,584
33:07and parts
33:09cost 1,768
33:11bringing the total
33:12to a moderately
33:14regal
33:14£24,934.
33:20Given that
33:20this Bentley
33:21is still a lot
33:22of luxury
33:23for the price
33:23of a new Mini
33:25we were curious
33:26about what it's
33:27like to live with.
33:28I've never
33:29driven it before.
33:30So our production
33:31team and their
33:32families
33:34did their own
33:35consumer test.
33:36Right,
33:36here you go,
33:38Phoebe.
33:40Right,
33:40then this is the key.
33:41Crikey.
33:42Oh, Phoebe,
33:43what do you smell?
33:43Lots of old,
33:44rich men.
33:45Yes.
33:46This is a car
33:47with a distinctive
33:48image.
33:49All these people
33:50are waving
33:51or making
33:52root signs
33:53at me.
33:54In the van,
33:55they wouldn't let you
33:56go because
33:56you're in a Bentley.
33:58How do you think
33:59we look as a pair
34:01of people?
34:01I think born
34:02into old money.
34:04Oh, my God.
34:06It's got quite a lot
34:07of power.
34:09Oh, it's
34:09going to pass.
34:11Well, it picks up
34:12all right.
34:14What?
34:14Jesus.
34:21Get it on the door,
34:22handles.
34:23State-of-the-art
34:24tech.
34:25So many buttons
34:26there.
34:27Or at least it was
34:2820 years ago.
34:29Daddy, what does
34:30this button do?
34:32What do they do?
34:34Don't press it.
34:35Might be an
34:36ejector seat.
34:36You know, the roof
34:37will open and you'll
34:38fly out.
34:38These sorts of cars,
34:39that's what they have.
34:40You can change
34:41your shock absorbers
34:42from sporty.
34:44Why would I want
34:44to do that?
34:46It's not too extreme.
34:48That wasn't around
34:49in the early 2000s.
34:51That's a car phone.
34:52Yeah, a car phone.
34:53It's like a Nokia.
34:54Size and visibility
34:56seem to be an issue.
34:57Has it got a camera?
34:59I don't know.
35:00Not.
35:02Oh, my God.
35:03It seems like you're
35:04very close to that.
35:05I know, I'm close to
35:06the thing.
35:06Yeah, you really can't
35:08tell when you're going
35:08to hit something,
35:09I don't think.
35:10In conclusion,
35:12this bit is great.
35:15But this...
35:1623 miles per gallon.
35:186.5 miles per gallon.
35:20Not so much.
35:21Have we got any
35:22petrol left?
35:24Er...
35:25Ding!
35:26V5.
35:27V5.
35:27Supreme.
35:28Supreme.
35:33Back at the garage,
35:34there's not a lot
35:35Paul can say.
35:36Because apart from
35:37some new tyres,
35:38the car looks the same.
35:40But he does want
35:41to educate us
35:41on driving economically.
35:45Yeah, I ran one for a while.
35:47We also, at the same time,
35:49had a Discovery 4.
35:50We were up and down
35:51the country a bit.
35:52Anyway, Discovery went wrong.
35:54Again, come on,
35:55let's just go into Bentley.
35:56It's fine.
35:57It's going to cost an extra
35:5820 or 30 quid in it.
36:00Er...
36:01It was £10 less.
36:02Point taken.
36:04Now,
36:05we need to get back
36:06almost £25,000.
36:08Lot number 264.
36:11Bentley Continental GT
36:13Automatic.
36:14There we are then.
36:15£15,500.
36:18£16,000 bid.
36:20£16,500,
36:21I should think so.
36:22£16,600.
36:23I thought it was
36:24going to do 20 plus.
36:26I thought it was
36:26going to do 22
36:27and I've had a £5 bet
36:29with him that it's
36:29going to do 22.
36:30Oh no,
36:31you're going to lose
36:31a fiver because
36:32you had a bet on it.
36:33Oh no.
36:34That's £16,600 then.
36:38It's a catastrophe.
36:41It is for you.
36:46Hello,
36:47fiver.
36:53In Croft,
36:54it's now two months
36:55since George started
36:56work on our Fiat 126.
36:59With the respray done,
37:00we can now finish
37:01with some light pimping.
37:04We're taking
37:05the standard suspension
37:06out,
37:07these standard springs,
37:08and we've bought
37:09a lowering kit
37:09for the car.
37:10If I just push that
37:11down now,
37:13I should be able
37:13to get that out.
37:15So if we stand
37:16them side by side,
37:18there's supposed to be
37:18about 25mm difference
37:20in them.
37:21So we're hoping
37:22it's going to sit
37:22in the arch a bit,
37:23but the idea
37:28is that a more
37:29contemporary image
37:30will add value.
37:32Well,
37:33we'll see when
37:33it's finished.
37:34Let's hope
37:35it's going to look good.
37:38Next up,
37:39putting the mighty
37:40two-cylinder engine
37:41back in,
37:42now fuller restored
37:44with its 26 horses
37:45chomping at the bit.
37:48Well,
37:48hopefully it should
37:49be fairly straightforward.
37:50About six or eight
37:51bolts,
37:51that's about it.
37:55Kel's arrived to help
37:56by pushing a button
37:57on the lift.
37:58Got far more
38:00important things to do.
38:01Right on.
38:03Down a bit.
38:05Touch mark.
38:09Yeah.
38:10Is that the recommended
38:11method for getting
38:12an engine in one?
38:13I don't know.
38:14Give it a wiggle.
38:18Whatever it is,
38:19it seems to have worked.
38:21So the engine's in the hole,
38:23just ready to put all the wires
38:24and the pipes
38:25and everything else
38:26back up now.
38:29Most of the original parts
38:31have been saved.
38:32The radiator
38:33has had a new core fitted.
38:35And the dashboard,
38:37not made of walnut
38:38in this case,
38:39just needed Woody
38:40to give it a quick clean.
38:42It's unusual to have a dash
38:44that's basically a cover.
38:46Maybe it's a
38:491980s airbag.
38:52It's definitely a basic car,
38:54but this rebuild stage
38:56can still be a challenge.
38:58Just trying to remember
38:59what the head goes where.
39:04Spending most of your time
39:06backwards in small areas.
39:11That's it.
39:15Our colour-coded wheels
39:17get new rubber.
39:19They do look better in white,
39:20don't they?
39:20Yeah, yeah, definitely.
39:23Sexy or what?
39:25It was always clear
39:26what we wanted
39:27our 126 to be.
39:28A bit spicy.
39:30We found this picture
39:31on the internet
39:31and we thought,
39:32oh, wouldn't that be good
39:33if we sort of try
39:34and replicate that one?
39:36But Kel now realises
39:38things weren't quite
39:39as they seemed.
39:40Someone had sat
39:41and played with it
39:42on AI
39:42and we'd been copying off that.
39:44So we're basing our car
39:46on a fabricated picture.
39:47Made up, fabricated picture.
39:49But I think we're getting
39:50pretty close to it.
39:51I think we've done
39:52absolutely bang on
39:53with this one.
40:01A few days later,
40:03our little fiat
40:03was all back in one piece
40:05and looking very good indeed.
40:07But how big was the bill?
40:09Well, including tax
40:11and commission,
40:12it was a pocket-sized
40:13£2,725 to buy.
40:16Parts were £3,356.
40:19But labour cost £21,419,
40:24bringing the total
40:25to a distinctly extra-large
40:28£27,500.
40:37Back at the garage,
40:38we haven't told Derek
40:39how much we've spent,
40:40but he sort of knows.
40:42You've obviously given it
40:43a full house, as we say,
40:45so the chances of a profit
40:46is minuscule.
40:48But it really is beautiful.
40:52Everywhere you look,
40:53I've got a list of what they've done
40:54and it's got here
40:56engine stripped down.
40:57Well, it probably didn't need
40:58engine work,
40:59but if you're going
41:01to this length
41:02on a restoration,
41:03then I suppose
41:04it's a good thing
41:05to check it.
41:06New window frames,
41:07fabricated,
41:08plus new rubbers.
41:10By that,
41:10it's done a very good job there
41:11by the looks of it.
41:12I love these faded stripes.
41:14Looking at this sheet,
41:15at what you've done,
41:16I can't actually say
41:18you've wasted money.
41:19And I never thought
41:20I'd hear myself say that
41:21about a Fiat 126.
41:23We're particularly nervous
41:25about this one
41:26because good examples
41:27rarely go above
41:28£5,000.
41:56Do they know what it is?
41:59in Selby.
42:00I'm going to drop
42:00the hammer down,
42:01missing no one,
42:02then £11,000
42:03for the third,
42:05second,
42:05third and final time.
42:0811, well done.
42:09Some good bidders there.
42:11That is an amazing price
42:12for one of those.
42:13But worth every penny
42:15to new owner
42:16Alan Symes
42:17from Selby.
42:18When you tell people
42:19what you paid,
42:20you think how much,
42:20but then when they see it,
42:21they can see the quality
42:23of the job that's been done.
42:24Everybody absolutely loves it.
42:26It's probably as good
42:27as it came out of the factory,
42:28probably better.
42:28It's a paint job, certainly.
42:32There's something nice
42:33about an engine
42:33in the rear as well.
42:35Similar to a Porsche,
42:36I suppose.
42:37There we go.
42:38In all its glory.
42:41Alan already has
42:42a number of cars
42:43in his collection
42:43and there's a theme to it.
42:46The cars that I've got,
42:48a lot of them are quirky
42:48by the very nature
42:49that they were quite unloved
42:50when they were new.
42:52But not now.
42:54And the Fiat in particular
42:55more than delivers
42:57when it comes to character.
43:01It feels like
43:02quite an old car to drive.
43:03Tiny little engine,
43:05so you've got to
43:05rev them quite hard.
43:08It's very noisy.
43:10Steering is actually
43:12disconcertingly light
43:13because there's no weight
43:13over the front wheels.
43:15So it feels like
43:16it's got power steam
43:17but it hasn't.
43:19I mean, it's basic
43:20but it just makes me smile.
43:23It's got a charm
43:24and a personality
43:24that resonates with me.
43:26It's a happy car, is this?
43:49It's a happy car, is this?
44:03It's a happy car.
44:05You
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