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00:00I'm going to have to state the obvious here, and that is that it's very wrong.
00:08Tim and Fuzz take on the world's best selling sports car.
00:12I'm instantly friends with this car.
00:15It's exquisite.
00:16But this particular rusty roadster is turning heads for all the wrong reasons.
00:22That has got to go straight in the bin, look at it.
00:25So can the boys put the ZoomZoom back into this road-going go-kart.
00:30Since I've started the old car sausage, I have not seen in front of my eyes such a transformation.
00:35And turn its owner's dreams into reality.
00:38No, stop hiding behind me, I'm losing the camera.
00:55Right, Fuzzbottom, we are in Hampshire, and we are currently on route to go and pick up
01:06a car which was labelled back in the 90s as the ultimate hairdresser's car.
01:12I happen to think that's a bit of an unfair name for those cars.
01:15Why's that?
01:16Because they're brilliant, and I've owned a couple, because they are the Mazda MX-5.
01:24When it was launched back in 1989, the MX-5 might have been the motor of choice for Sergio
01:30at the salon.
01:31But let's not split hairs.
01:33Today, this Japanese pocket rocket has well and truly cemented its place in the hearts
01:38of even the most devout petrolhead.
01:42And what's not to love?
01:43The MX-5 is all about grin-giving performance on a budget.
01:48Where else can you get zero to 60 in under 10 seconds?
01:52Feet of your pants, rear-wheel drive handling that's all wrapped up in a package that weighs
01:57roughly half a ton less, but costs about the same as a family hatchback.
02:04And although they've fine-tuned the design, cranked up the comfort and added more punch
02:09under the bonnet, whether it's an original Mk1 or Mk2, like the boys are on their way
02:13to see, or a brand spanking new one, at its core, it's still the same classic roadster
02:20recipe that's made it the best-selling two-seater sports car in history.
02:28So the MX-5 is owned by Katie, and her mum Vanessa wrote in, so Katie knows nothing about
02:33this at all, but it's sitting on the drive languishing, rotting.
02:36So what we've got to do is go and have a look at it, check it out and work out whether we
02:39can do it, or whether we should just wash and go.
02:42Get on!
02:43I don't know what to look at, look at that, look at that, what's more shocking, that or
03:00that?
03:01Right, come on, let's not say it, there are lots of four-letter words, let's not say any
03:07of them.
03:08Keep them in your head, please, son.
03:10Right, stand here and smile, stop there, and I'm going to knock.
03:15Don't do that!
03:16What?
03:17Look, we've got time to just walk away.
03:18No!
03:19Have you seen the seater?
03:20That's the worst MX-5 I've ever seen.
03:21It's Vanessa, okay?
03:22Vanessa, hi.
03:23How are you doing?
03:24Tim Fosbott.
03:25Hi.
03:26Pleased to meet you, Vanessa.
03:27You said to me on the phone, Katie works near here.
03:33A mile up the road.
03:34Right, and you joked and said she could come back on a horse.
03:38No, definitely.
03:39It's a joke, right?
03:40What?
03:41It's a joke.
03:42It doesn't look like a joke.
03:43So you were serious?
03:44Yes!
03:45Oh, yes!
03:46You're having two minutes with that car, you and I are having two minutes to talk about
03:48Katie.
03:49Okay.
03:50You're going to get that done and then get hidden as soon as you can.
03:51Yes, yes.
03:52Right, let's go.
03:53Go, go, go.
03:54And stop me being so nervous, okay?
03:55Okay, come on, let's go, let's go.
03:56I'm going to have to state the obvious here, and that is that it's very rough.
04:05This is the worst back end I've known since my terrible food poisoning incident of 2010.
04:14Just behind here, there's a little drain hole, but if it gets blocked, that allows the water
04:21to basically sit everywhere.
04:23So it can sit up the top here.
04:25It can slosh around in these cavities here, in the sills, and I think that that's what's
04:31done here.
04:32And it doesn't get much prettier underneath here.
04:35Considering this car's only about 20 years old, I've got to say, it's got the body of
04:41an 80-year-old.
04:45So Katie's MX-5.
04:46Yes.
04:47Do you remember the day she got it?
04:48I do.
04:49I do.
04:50Was she excited?
04:51Oh, really excited.
04:52She gave it a name.
04:53Oh, really?
04:54He's known as Clarence.
04:57He's been Clarence always.
04:59Why Clarence?
05:00I've no idea.
05:02I was going to ask you why it's been left to get in that condition, why it's left to,
05:06you know, be covered in moss and what have you.
05:09Well, it went off the road and we never got to the bottom of what the issues were, so
05:13I don't know.
05:14It would cost too much to restore it, and she won't let it go.
05:19And she has an idea that one day she'll have enough money to do it.
05:24It's a bit of a sort of dream world.
05:26OK, it is very dreamlike.
05:30Why is that car so important to Katie?
05:33Because she bought it with the money that her sister gave to her because her sister
05:39knew she was dying.
05:44So she gave some money to Katie to buy a car that would mean the two of them could just
05:50go off and have sort of a final hurrah.
05:52Yes.
05:53Yeah.
05:54And did they do that?
05:56For a very brief time, yes, but then Fay got very sick.
06:01When you think about how close they were, what were they like, two peas in a pod?
06:06Oh, yes.
06:07Really?
06:08Yes.
06:09Very much so.
06:10They were born on the same day, 13 years apart.
06:13That must have had a major effect on celebrating birthdays.
06:16Oh, it's horrible.
06:17How would you say that Katie's changed as a person since losing her sister?
06:22I think she threw herself into work even more, and she puts barriers up to relationships.
06:30What does Katie do?
06:31What's her line of work?
06:32She rides horses for a living, for a stud farm.
06:34So she works with horses for wealthy people?
06:37She rides their horses for them.
06:38Right.
06:39Yes.
06:40Am I right in thinking that she had an accident?
06:43Yes.
06:44The horse slipped on the road, landed on top of her and damaged her shoulder, broke it.
06:48So things, major things happen, like she loses her sister, she smashes the shoulders to pieces,
06:52which could be career terminating.
06:54Does she bottle stuff up?
06:56Yeah.
06:57Yes.
06:58I would say.
07:05This has not been touched for a long time.
07:08I don't reckon it's been running for quite a while.
07:12We've got an unknown engine, probably completely worn out.
07:16The body is totally rotten.
07:19The hood's rotten.
07:20You want a positive from this?
07:24Quite like the colour.
07:26Where does she think the car is going?
07:31She thinks it's going to a very dear friend who restores cars to see whether it's worth
07:37salvaging.
07:38Were you serious when you said that Katie could come back at any moment?
07:41Absolutely.
07:42So I'm literally rudely going to stand up and just give you a kiss on the cheek and
07:45go because I'm going to get him and get him in the car, load it up and get out of here.
07:48OK.
07:49OK?
07:50Yep.
07:51Thank you for writing in.
07:52Well, thank you.
07:53No time, no time, no time.
07:54Thank you so much.
07:58With the possibility that Katie could arrive home at any second, there's not a moment to
08:03spare.
08:04Let's get this car out of here.
08:05Yeah, well, we might have trouble getting it out of here, but it's not going to move.
08:09So after spending the past few years stagnating on the drive...
08:13You're right.
08:14That's solid.
08:15Absolutely solid.
08:16We need some manpower.
08:17Everybody, cameras down.
08:18Sound gear down the lot.
08:19Get on board.
08:20We've got to get this out of here quick.
08:21It's going to take the strength of the entire crew to get it rolling again.
08:24Come on, we want to be out of here in, like, 90 seconds tops.
08:28Push, push, push like you've never pushed before.
08:31Yes, curvy swabs.
08:36Right, we're back.
08:37That was close.
08:38Yeah, that was a proper close one.
08:40I think that must be about the closest one yet.
08:43Nearly caught in the act.
08:44Right, let's get the old girl back to the workshop and don't spare the horses.
08:48Get it?
08:49Yeah, I see what you did there.
08:50Yeah, yeah.
08:51Yeah, it's very clever.
08:52But he won't be making jokes once he realises he's got to turn this rusty old three-legged
08:57rocking horse into a prize-winning pony without erasing its cherished memories.
09:07Right, that'll do us for now.
09:09Look at this hood as well.
09:11That has got to go straight in the bin.
09:13Look at it.
09:14That feels like a challenge to me, Fuzzbot.
09:15You're kidding.
09:16You never say put it in the bin.
09:18You never say put it in the bin.
09:20I'm saying it on this particular occasion, get it in the bin.
09:28I mean, this car looks absolutely horrible underneath here.
09:32Look, I mean, oi, hold on, straight through.
09:35Yeah.
09:36Yeah, we've got a lot of rot in the sill area and these cars are known for that.
09:41Everywhere you look is coated in mud and rust.
09:45It's a proper country car, isn't it?
09:50I've got to tell you, this car came off the road thanks to a mechanical issue, a big one.
09:55Any idea what it was?
09:56Long time ago.
09:57Don't know.
09:58Right.
09:59I've got a good idea for you, though, Tim.
10:02A really good idea.
10:03You can get these in great condition with low mileage for very little money.
10:08We could just get another one.
10:10We could paint it this colour.
10:11Let me stop you there for a moment because what you're clearly not aware of is the importance
10:15of this specific car and the fact that Katie went out with her late sister Faye in this
10:20car for their sort of like final journey together and had the best time ever.
10:25So this car is all that matters.
10:28Understood.
10:35Tim and Fuzz have got their paws on possibly the worst example of the world's best-selling roadster.
10:42Do you know why I'm laughing?
10:43Do you do that thing when it's such a big job it becomes funny?
10:46Yes.
10:47It's almost unfathomable.
10:48It's just...
10:49I'm there.
10:51Yes, it's a classic case of little car, big problems.
10:54The simple solution might be to buy a replacement MX-5 and paint it the same colour.
10:59But that would only cost a fraction of what it's going to take in blood, sweat, paint
11:04and parts for the boys to fix this particular one.
11:09But as you simply can't put a price on the sentimental value Katie's car holds, it's
11:14got to be renovation, not replacement.
11:19Which starts with diagnosing the mysterious mechanical fault that took it off the road
11:23in the first place.
11:27Then there's the rusty rear quarters and sills that currently have more holes in them than
11:31one of Fuzzy's string vests.
11:34Finally, will Tim be able to save the existing roof or has the mould taken control?
11:41And if that wasn't enough, a full body restoration and paint job is certainly on the cards.
11:48The MX-5 to me amazes me more than pretty much any car that's ever existed because it's
11:53gone from the stigma sub-zero.
11:56You know, how people thought of it when it landed in this country to now being one of
12:00the most revered, celebrated heroes of all time.
12:03No other car I can think of has done from that to that.
12:08I don't know.
12:09Why don't you go and find out while you order all of those parts that we're going to need.
12:15Yes, it's certainly going to take more than some polish and a new air freshener to turn
12:19this one around.
12:21So it's straight on to the spanners for Fuzz to grapple with the task of preserving as
12:25much of Katie's original car as possible.
12:30Starting with seeing if he can rectify the mysterious fault that took it off the road
12:34in the first place.
12:36There's something about these MX-5s that I have to share with you.
12:40And that is that they can look as terrible as you like, yet they will still start up
12:47when demanded.
12:50So I think that we should give this a little try just to see if it will start up.
12:56Japanese manufacturers may have long been renowned for their mechanical reliability
13:01of their engines, but surely this is pushing it.
13:04One of the main concerns that we could have, given that we've been told about this engine
13:08failure, is that perhaps the head gasket has gone.
13:12Now, a couple of ways to check that.
13:14One is to remove the pressure cap from the radiator.
13:18We've got clean coolant and no signs of oil mixing in the water there.
13:25And then, if we check to see if we've got any kind of emulsified oil.
13:33Now, if you had a creamy deposit around here, then that could mean that water has got in
13:40with the oil and has mixed with it to make a mayonnaise-like substance.
13:45I don't think we've got a head gasket failure here or anything like that.
13:49So now I'm going to turn the engine over one revolution, and by doing that, that means
13:54that I can determine that there's nothing stopping that engine rotating freely.
14:01Okay, it's moving, it's turning.
14:05That's good news.
14:07I think we should connect up a battery and see if we can get a tune out of this.
14:13Lights on on the dash.
14:16Let's try it.
14:23Well, would you believe it?
14:26Ah, okay.
14:28The charge light has just come back on.
14:31So that would indicate that we've perhaps got a problem with the alternator.
14:35It's not charging.
14:38So that would indicate that we've perhaps got a problem with the alternator.
14:42It's not charging.
14:44So I reckon that that is where the problem lies.
14:48The alternator's definitely something to fix.
14:51But is it what's kept Katie's car off the road?
14:54So, while Fuzz continues to root around in the car's innards, diagnosing the faults he needs to fix,
15:00Tim's swanned off to Germany.
15:03But this is no romantic weekend break.
15:06He's visiting Mazda's top-secret R&D headquarters
15:10to find out exactly what it is about the rest of this little roadster's design
15:15that's made it the biggest-selling sports car in history.
15:19This is my first time, and probably yours, into a design facility for a car manufacturer.
15:25The whole point of these places is to leave your mind empty of distraction,
15:30empty of thoughts other than precisely what you're focusing on.
15:36And who better to reveal the secret recipe behind the MX-5's success
15:41than the automotive legend responsible for its design for the past three decades,
15:46Joosten Hoot.
15:48Jo. Tim.
15:50Hello, mate. How are you doing?
15:52I feel like I'm in a library.
15:54It's quiet because everybody's concentrating and dreaming, sketching,
15:59making stuff out of clay,
16:02hoping that they will have the next MX-5 on the road.
16:06So where does it start for you? What have we got here?
16:09These are actually old sketches that were made here
16:13when they were developing the second series.
16:15Here's the second series, right?
16:17And that is the second series there.
16:19In the United Kingdom, the MX-5, when it first came out, had a stereotype.
16:24It was branded a certain... Do you know what I'm referring to?
16:27Yes. What's that?
16:28The stuff I don't have.
16:30OK, the hairdresser's car.
16:32That's kind of what it was unfairly regarded as.
16:36There's never been a car, in my opinion,
16:38that's had such a colossal journey to being globally loved as being...
16:42And it is known as the biggest, best-selling two-seater sports car of all time.
16:45Yeah, the most raced car in the world.
16:47Right. So how? How have you done that and your team done that?
16:51By concentrating on the basics of the car.
16:54The car is all about the driving experience.
16:58But the focus is lightweight, affordable fun.
17:01Right.
17:05Feels like the one word that sums what you guys do here is
17:09you've created the perfectly balanced vehicle.
17:12I think you'll find that's actually six words, Tim.
17:16So let's talk about the interior.
17:18And this is the MB, the same car or the same model that you're restoring?
17:23Yep, for Katie, yeah.
17:25And let me explain how important position of everything is.
17:28To start with the seat, fairly backwards in the car and, of course, low.
17:32It's a sports car.
17:33OK, so we're not far away from the back wheels here.
17:37Is that important?
17:38It's important for the sensation of the driving.
17:41You can compare it to sitting in an aeroplane in the rear seat.
17:45Then you see the aeroplane moving
17:48and it gives a stronger sensation of the movement of the plane.
17:52And then, it might sound ridiculous, but the pedals in perfect aligned position.
17:57And they actually had engineers making the sound of the shifting also.
18:03Not loud, but you can actually, you have the experience of hearing the shifter.
18:09Really?
18:10So that you have even more experience, more...
18:12Feedback.
18:13Connecting to the car and feedback.
18:16You guys wanted a lightweight, fun, affordable car.
18:19And that was the brief and every single member of the design team has stuck to that.
18:23And it's been the same for four generations.
18:26And that's why it's become the number one selling little sports car convertible-y thing on the planet.
18:31People that love driving have an MX-5.
18:33Even the hairdressers?
18:35Some of them, yeah.
18:38Yes, they may be universally loved by most of the planet,
18:42but back in Blighty, there's a man in a workshop in the Midlands
18:46who might be about to change his opinion.
18:49I've left the engine running for a little while.
18:51I've just come around the front.
18:53And I can see that the engine's vibrating a little.
18:56Now, it shouldn't really be doing that.
18:58I'd expect it to be just ticking over and idling smoothly.
19:02I think we've got a little bit of a problem within the engine here.
19:07Perhaps we've got one of the balls more worn than the other.
19:10Perhaps maybe a broken piston ring.
19:12It's like it's got a slight misfire.
19:14An unevenness that should not be there.
19:18We're going to have to investigate this.
19:22Misfires and vibrations are often symptoms of other problems
19:26that stop an engine working properly.
19:29Time to get the car on the ramp and engine onto the bench for an inspection.
19:34So what we need to do is get the cylinder head off.
19:38And that will allow us to know
19:40what we're going to have to do with this engine.
19:42Is it going to be major surgery
19:44or is it just going to be a little bit of a cleaning tickle?
19:49Yes, time to put your best bedside manner to work, Fuzz,
19:53and see if you can't charm the issues out of that engine.
19:57As for the rest of the team, they're scrubbed in
19:59and ready to make their incisions
20:01as they start the near impossible task
20:03of inch by inch removing the rust-ridden bodywork.
20:07Let's just hope something remains of it when they're done.
20:13Right, fabulous.
20:16Off it comes.
20:19What we have here is a composite head gasket.
20:22It's made from layers of different materials.
20:25And its job is to get rid of any of the imperfections
20:30between the two main surfaces.
20:32So the block top and also the cylinder head.
20:36Without this, then gases would just escape,
20:39water would escape, and also so would the oil.
20:43But here I cannot see, as yet,
20:46any particular signs that anything is going wrong here.
20:52We don't have any unusual deep scoring in the cylinder walls.
20:57So I think that our pistons and rings and bores
21:01are probably in good shape.
21:04But what I have seen is...
21:07Where's my torch?
21:09I've had a couple of the valves open at the moment.
21:12And if I just look in there,
21:14I can see quite a lot of pitting on the exhaust valve.
21:21Then that will allow gases to escape past the valve seat
21:25and out through the exhaust, which gives us lower compression.
21:29So the valves need to be recut, the seats need to be recut,
21:33that way we get a good gas-tight seal.
21:36And I think that there is our problem solved.
21:41So it's a full engine rebuild
21:43to solve the compression issues and vibration,
21:46as well as a new alternator to keep it running.
21:48Let's just hope the bodywork repairs are more straightforward.
21:56Tim and Faz are getting to grips with a 20-year-old Mk2 Mazda MX-5.
22:02A sporty little roadster known for its good looks.
22:06However, this particular example isn't going to win any prizes at the beauty contest.
22:11This old MX-5 is not looking great.
22:14In fact, it's looking very nasty.
22:19It belongs to 39-year-old Katie,
22:22who bought it with money gifted by her late sister,
22:25allowing the pair to share a few final adventures together.
22:29This means everything.
22:32Absolutely everything.
22:34Since the boys got their hands on it,
22:36they've been on a quest to retain the car's sentimental value
22:40by restoring as much of the original as they can.
22:43It's a much tougher challenge than replacing everything with new parts.
22:47And when it comes to the disintegrating bodywork,
22:50will it even be possible to salvage any of the original?
22:53We've had it blasted a little bit around the bottom edges,
22:56and it is decidedly frilly.
23:00Probably much worse than we initially thought.
23:04So what we've got to do is remove this quarter here,
23:09this rear quarter on the near side.
23:11Rather than just brutally go in with a chisel and chisel everything out,
23:16we're drilling out the spot welds one by one individually,
23:21tracing them, finding them wherever we can,
23:24so that will then allow us to prise away this rear wing
23:29without doing too much damage to the structure behind.
23:33We're going to use this fella here, which is a spot weld drill.
23:37Now, rather than your ordinary drill,
23:40which has an angled profile,
23:43what we have here is a drill that drills almost flat,
23:47apart from a little peak in the middle.
23:50A little cookie cut of a kind of hole.
23:53And that way we can drill out the fused material
23:56without damaging anything else around it,
23:58and without damaging the next layer underneath.
24:02It's a clever little device.
24:09Happy with that?
24:11Excellent.
24:20And there we have our quarter off.
24:24It's not very good, actually.
24:27What we've got is the outer edge of the wheel arch
24:31has completely rotted away.
24:34I've never seen an MX-5 this bad.
24:39It's just absolutely perforated, like a doily at the edge.
24:43So we've got to get all of that away and let new metal in,
24:47and then weld it all back together.
24:50This is turning out to be an absolutely ginormous job.
24:55What a rotter.
25:01So, as the team continues to delicately chisel, grind and snip their way
25:06through the remains of Katie's pride and joy,
25:09it's the perfect opportunity for Tim and Fuzz
25:12to find out how a car that was the butt of jokes in the 90s
25:17transformed into the world's best-selling roadster.
25:21Come on then, tell me, what is it like to drive?
25:24The thing for me, Fuzz, is like, it's not a major event driving this car.
25:29You don't have to be a through-and-through, out-and-out petrolhead.
25:32You can just be somebody who likes putting the hood down,
25:35jumping in a car, not having to worry about anything,
25:39and just enjoy yourself.
25:41These cars are perfect.
25:43Other than the whole stereotype, the unfair stereotype,
25:46which just feels like some low-blow attempt at just having a go at perfection.
25:51It's just wrong. Absolutely wrong.
25:53Jealousy.
25:57I think, as close to a perfect little sports car as you can possibly get.
26:05What my mate in Germany taught me is, always think about what the brief is.
26:09And the brief with this car, the reason they got it so right
26:12is because they just went, it is simple, affordable, lightweight fun.
26:17And they did not deviate from that.
26:21Do you know what this car is like to me, Fuzz?
26:23A Sunday roast.
26:25But it's going to be a good, solid meal that you're going to enjoy.
26:28It's fun for all the family, it's lightweight in terms of the cost,
26:31and it's a dependable crowd-pleaser.
26:34What I would like to know from your analogy is,
26:36where are the little sausages wrapped in bacon?
26:38Well, this car has some pigs in blankets.
26:41You see, that's the souped-up Sunday roast.
26:44That's the bigger plate, that's the special one,
26:46because this thing is supercharged.
26:48OK, now that is totally...
26:51It's a supercharged Sunday roast.
26:53That's right. OK, now that is cool.
26:55So what does it feel like?
26:56So with this one, instead of just having 150 horsepower, as they do as standard,
26:59this one is 250 horses.
27:01All MX-5s are great, but this one's just been made extra great.
27:06So, question for you.
27:08Yeah?
27:09To supercharge or not supercharge?
27:11Katie's.
27:12Well, I think, yes, we should go for a supercharger.
27:16Done.
27:17Yeah, OK.
27:18Done.
27:19Come on, then, let's get back to the workshop.
27:21Supercharger?
27:22Buy the Sunday roast, yeah?
27:23That's right, OK.
27:24Fantastic.
27:25I'm hungry now.
27:31Back at work.
27:33Back on the workshop floor,
27:35the team has managed to remove the last bits of rust-ridden bodywork,
27:39and what remains is enough to make anyone feel ill.
27:43Let's hope Katie's mum Vanessa had a light lunch.
27:46Come round here and have a look at it from the front.
27:49Oh, look!
27:50Look at this.
27:51Oh! There's nothing of it.
27:53I can't believe you could bring that back to life.
27:56We're working our way through the car, a little bit at a time,
28:01and, therefore, it will all get done.
28:04But we're getting towards the time when we need to think
28:08about giving the car back to Katie.
28:10Yes.
28:11Yeah, so, do you have any ideas, or do you just want to leave it to us?
28:15Does she know the show? Does she know Car SOS?
28:18I don't think so.
28:19Oh, yes.
28:20Yeah, that makes it easy.
28:21We'll come up with something.
28:22Yeah.
28:23OK.
28:24OK.
28:25As Tim once again conveniently disappears,
28:27just as it's time to get his hands dirty,
28:29the workshop floor is suddenly transformed
28:32into a scene straight out of Flashdance,
28:35minus the leg warmers, of course.
28:37The team have worked long and hard
28:39to preserve as much of the original car as possible,
28:42and although more than 80% still remains.
28:45Unfortunately, the original sills, wheel arches and rear quarters
28:49were just too far gone to be saved.
28:52So, replacements have to be made.
28:55After some filling and flatting, the team add an undercoat,
28:59ready for the final coat of paint
29:01that will make it more like the car
29:03Katie's sister bought all those years ago.
29:06Et voila! Take a look here.
29:08This MX-5 is looking beautifully smooth again.
29:12It's as it looked when it was new.
29:15It's got to be fast.
29:17It's got to be fast.
29:19It's got to be fast.
29:21It's got to be fast.
29:24It's got to be fantastic.
29:26And there's more good news.
29:28Katie's original engine has been saved,
29:31having had new piston rings, bottom and top end gaskets,
29:34bearings and the cam belt fitted.
29:36It's now as good as new,
29:38but, importantly, still packed with memories.
29:42Which leaves just one major element still missing,
29:45Katie's original folding roof.
29:48So, can car SOS's resident detailer Skidmark save the day?
29:53Or has the mould taken control?
29:56What's that?
29:58Right, listen, let me just...
30:00What?
30:01Come out, come out, just come here.
30:03Let me just talk my way through this, right.
30:05So, MX-5 roof...
30:06Yeah?
30:07...needs sorting.
30:08Mm-hm.
30:09I've promised Fuzz that it's doable.
30:11Come on! Come on!
30:13LAUGHTER
30:17If Tim and Skidmark are able to refurbish the very rotten roof,
30:22that's going to be the originality icing
30:24on top of the cake that's Katie's car.
30:27But in its current condition, that's a big if.
30:31Right, first impressions, and I know this is ridiculous,
30:34but do you think this is salvageable?
30:36Yeah, I think we can have a good go with it.
30:39I think the bonus is it's never been jet washed,
30:42so that's a real no-no.
30:44Is it? So we don't jet wash this today?
30:46Yeah, we do not jet wash it.
30:48Worst enemy is a jet wash to a cabriolet roof,
30:51because what it'll do is it'll penetrate it
30:53and then it starts to break it down.
30:55So are you saying that we reckon we can get this thing back to black?
30:58Yeah, easy.
31:03So what is this stuff? What are we doing here?
31:05So this is a cleaning agent.
31:07It's got a pH of about 2.5.
31:09So it's pretty aggressive. So what will that do?
31:11Is that a mould killer or something?
31:13Yeah.
31:14So for anyone who hasn't got that fancy stuff,
31:16is there another way of doing it?
31:18Of course there is.
31:19Ah, right, OK.
31:20Mixed up with what? Water?
31:22Yeah.
31:23I mean, it's clearly doing something
31:25because the water's gone green, right?
31:27This is Katie's car.
31:29She drove it with her sister.
31:31Her sister's no longer with her,
31:33but every single part of this car holds a memory for her.
31:36Me keeping it original for her,
31:38keeping it the hood that she went out with her sister in,
31:41her sister Faye, I just think that's lovely.
31:43Do you know what, dude?
31:44Since I've started the old car sausage,
31:46I have not seen in front of my eyes such a transformation.
31:50Well, look at the before and look at the after.
32:02After weeks of hard graft
32:04and a coat of original strato blue paint,
32:07Katie's MX-5 is slowly starting to inch towards its originality.
32:12But not everything is staying as it once was.
32:15Fuzz is adding an engine upgrade
32:18designed to inject one of her biggest passions
32:21into her pride and joy, more horses.
32:24Having driven a supercharged MX-5, it's a done deal.
32:27We have to do the same to Katie's MX-5.
32:31So we're going to fit this supercharger here.
32:34Now, air is taken in, comes in,
32:36and it's squeezed by these rotors.
32:39And as it's squeezed, it's compressed.
32:42That's packing a lot more air into the combustion chamber.
32:47So with more air, we get the potential to make more power
32:51because we've got more oxygen in there.
32:54In standard trim, this engine would make 146 brake horsepower.
32:59But with the supercharger fitted,
33:01we'll be looking at over 200 brake horsepower.
33:05That is over a third more power.
33:08Imagine waking up every morning with a third more go.
33:13So, without further ado, I think we should get all this together.
33:21Unlike a turbocharger, which is powered by exhaust gases,
33:25the supercharger is driven via a belt
33:28attached to the engine's crankshaft.
33:32Right, get our supercharger and lift into place.
33:38Which means it provides a near instant boost of speed
33:42and a boost of stomach-twisting power
33:44with no lag when you hit the gas.
33:47Tell you what, when Katie gets into this car,
33:50she's not going to know what's happened to it.
33:53It's going to be an utter screamer.
33:59But if she's to put that claim to the test,
34:02the team needs to go all out to get her car complete.
34:06The roof that once resembled a rabbit's breakfast
34:09is being carefully refitted.
34:13The seemingly endless spaghetti of wiring loom
34:16is being reinstated.
34:19And the all-important original doors are bolted back on.
34:24Guys, can I stop you all for a minute?
34:26I just want 30 seconds of your life.
34:28I have a confession to make.
34:30When this car, when the MX-5 first came through the door,
34:33I had a preconceived idea.
34:35This car has been, whatever, it was known as a hairdresser's car.
34:39Go on, hands in the air.
34:41But who here, be honest, put your hands down
34:43if you've got a newfound respect
34:45and you realise that you cannot judge a book by its cover?
34:49Seriously, it is that good a piece of engineering.
34:52So I think it's fair to say, in apology to an MX-5,
34:55can we have a round of applause for Katie's MX-5?
34:58Come on, guys.
35:00Hooray to the MX-5!
35:02Right, let's get it done and get it back to Katie.
35:05So, with the horde of newly converted MX-5 devotees
35:09eagerly beavering away through the night,
35:11the stage is almost set for the big reveal.
35:18The time has come to return Katie's beloved little MX-5 to her.
35:23She surely missed hitting the open road with the top down,
35:27wind in her hair,
35:29and the rain endlessly pouring in.
35:32Yes, someone clearly forgot to order the sunshine.
35:37It's absolutely chucking it down today.
35:39There's nothing like a convertible in the British summertime.
35:44And it's not just the transformation on the outside,
35:47it's under the bonnet as well.
35:49It's got the performance, it's got the looks.
35:51Look at that colour.
35:52Stop. I'll buy it.
35:54Do you want to know what's going down today?
35:56Yeah, come on in.
35:58For the first time, and I'm kind of nervous about this,
36:02Katie's at the place already where we're going to do the stings.
36:06How's that going to work? What are you going to do?
36:09Her boss is Finn Guinness, his great grandad Guinness.
36:14She works for him and he's into his horsies,
36:17she looks after his horsies.
36:18Right, got you.
36:19He's in on it, so he's having one of his lovely horses
36:22have photos taken of it today.
36:24Okay.
36:25By a new photographer.
36:26Right, who's that then?
36:27Well, it's shame-wa.
36:28You?
36:29It's me.
36:30You don't look like a photographer.
36:31Don't worry about that, I've sorted that.
36:32I've got an outfit.
36:33So I'm going to come out, take some photos of the horsey,
36:36car's in the back of the trailer, out comes the car,
36:38she goes, that's my car, the rest is history.
36:40This is a dangerous one, you know.
36:42Big style.
36:43Yeah.
36:44Come on, good luck.
36:48So, that's the plan.
36:50The boys are on their way to Katie's workplace,
36:53the world-famous Bidderston Stud.
36:57Home to some of the world's finest horses
36:59and for one day only, a very unusual photoshoot
37:03directed by a man dressed like he should be taking bets
37:06at the Grand National.
37:08We're going to have to roll with the punches on this one.
37:10We're going to have to make some changes as it happens
37:12because we did not plan for the rain.
37:15With monsoon season hitting and Katie already on her way
37:19to pick up the horse she thinks a famous photographer is photographing,
37:24Tim is going to have to fly by the seat of his pants
37:26and make this one up as he goes along.
37:31So, I guess the plan is this.
37:34Get Katie, bring her down here with the horse.
37:36We're taking photos of the horse,
37:38I don't want to bring out my expensive lights,
37:40my expensive cameras from the back of the car,
37:42from the back of the trailer.
37:43So, I'm being a sod, I'm refusing to bring out half a million pounds
37:46worth of gear in this weather.
37:49Finn, do what you need to do, Fuzz get hidden,
37:51she might recognise you.
37:52Yeah, OK.
37:53The trap is set.
37:55Tim has transformed himself into Alan,
37:57the temperamental photographer,
37:59too good to be working with horses.
38:01I'm not Al, I'm Alan.
38:03So, you guys, my wife calls me Al, but nobody else does.
38:06And as far as I know, you're not my wife.
38:09Alongside him are his long-suffering crew,
38:11who are working under the guise of making a documentary about his life.
38:17And Katie is on her way.
38:20Unless it stops raining, there's no point proceeding.
38:24I've told you, you shouldn't be wasting your time.
38:26Hello.
38:27Hi.
38:28What's your name?
38:29Katie.
38:30Hello.
38:31Hi, Alan, nice to meet you.
38:32Sorry, do you want me to lose...
38:33I can lose the umbrella, but I'll let you know I'm not happy about it.
38:35These guys are making a documentary about my life,
38:37but horses aren't really my things.
38:39The problem is that these guys here,
38:41I've known about the weather for two days now.
38:43I have some very expensive lighting in the back of my trailer
38:45that I'm reserved to bring out,
38:47because it's half a million pounds worth of gear.
38:49So, that's the position we're in.
38:51So, what's the plan?
38:52We need the lights on it.
38:53Yeah, I appreciate that.
38:54So, if you guys cover the insurance, if you cover the premium on it,
38:57then I'll bring out a light, fine.
38:59It's covered.
39:00Now, let's get the lights out.
39:01OK, bring the lights out, fine, bring the lights out.
39:21LAUGHTER
39:27Hello.
39:28Hello.
39:29How are you doing?
39:30Yeah, good.
39:31You all right?
39:32Yeah, good.
39:33Do you recognise the light?
39:34I do.
39:35Do you?
39:36That's amazing.
39:37That is your car, isn't it?
39:38Yeah, it is my car.
39:40Any idea what's going on?
39:41No, not a clue.
39:42I'm not interrupting anything.
39:43Let me explain.
39:44Your mum, Vanessa, wrote to us.
39:47You all right?
39:48Yeah, I'm fine.
39:49No, stop hiding behind me.
39:50I'm losing the caption.
39:51I know, it's disgusting.
39:52Shut up, listen.
39:53Your mum wrote to us.
39:54OK.
39:55She told me about the car.
39:56Yeah.
39:57We know about your sister, Faye, and we know what the car means to you.
40:01Yeah, that's amazing.
40:02So, we thought we'd do it up for you.
40:06And there are also a few people here to celebrate you and your sis
40:10and all that it means, cos I know you haven't been...
40:12You all right?
40:13Yeah.
40:14Can we bring out Katie's family, please?
40:17Come on, guys, come on out.
40:22Katie, I have never, ever, ever managed to shock you
40:26or surprise you in your life since you were three years old.
40:30Ever, ever.
40:32And I don't know how I've done it, but I've done it.
40:35Are you really...?
40:36Yeah, I can't believe it.
40:38Talk to Katie.
40:39Talk to her about why you wrote to us.
40:41Cos I knew what it meant to you.
40:43Cos I knew what it meant to you.
40:45And all to do with Faye.
40:47And you would never, ever, ever let it go.
40:49You would never let it go.
40:51And it would have just rotted there forever and ever.
40:54Can we have a round of applause for the lovely Katie and her MX-5, please?
40:59There still isn't some in you, has there?
41:01No, there haven't.
41:02Not at all.
41:04When Katie last saw her precious MX-5,
41:08it was a dilapidated, mould-ridden wreck.
41:13But after some serious graft from the boys,
41:15it's been rejuvenated without removing the precious memories.
41:21The rust-eaten body and faded paintwork
41:24now look factory fresh.
41:27Under the bonnet, the mechanical mystery's been solved
41:30with a new alternator.
41:32The engine has been rebuilt and restored to its former glory.
41:37And with the added supercharger,
41:39it's going to shift faster than a Grand National winner.
41:43Inside, the tired interior has been restored, pimped and polished.
41:48And the crowning glory, the original roof.
41:54Oh, wow.
41:56I'm absolutely shocked at what it looks like.
41:59It's amazing.
42:00It's a dream come true for her.
42:05The car was left, you know, on your drive.
42:09Yeah.
42:10How did you feel when you walked past it?
42:12Oh, I hated it, and I felt very, very guilty about it.
42:15It was...
42:16Yeah, every single day I saw it, I must do something about it.
42:19And I am so amazed, shocked, every single emotion,
42:24and thrilled that he's come back to life.
42:27Everything feels as it should.
42:29It's all the same, which is unbelievable, really.
42:32Yeah, I feel very at home.
42:34Do you?
42:35Yeah.
42:36What is it about this car?
42:37I think the sentimental attachment to my sister, massively.
42:41I just couldn't bear to part with it.
42:43She hated my driving of it.
42:45I'm need for speed, and she definitely wasn't.
42:48I think your sister will always be looking down on you,
42:50going, fair play, girl, go for it, enjoy yourself.
42:53Because that's the point of this, isn't it?
42:55You have been car SRS.
42:56Thank you very much.
42:57You're happy, aren't you?
42:58I'm very, very happy, thank you.
43:00Right.
43:01How does it feel?
43:02It feels amazing.
43:03You want to get out of it?
43:04Yeah, I do.
43:06Drive off in your MX-5.
43:07Come on, then, get out of it.
43:11Be careful with that supercharger.
43:14Katie, stop, stop, stop, stop.
43:16I'm not going that fast, Vanessa.
43:18Wow.
43:19You want one of those, don't you?
43:20I'm going to get one.
43:21I'm just going to call the hairdresser first.
43:24What does it feel like?
43:25It feels absolutely amazing.
43:26I can't stop grinning.
43:28I cannot believe you managed to surprise me like this.
43:32I'm confused about Clarence.
43:34Where did the name come from?
43:35The girl I bought him from thought he was a slightly fancy hairdresser's car,
43:40and she thought the name of a slightly fancy hairdresser would be Clarence.
43:44So that's where the name came from.
43:48I don't think anyone's going to believe it, that Clarence has been revived.
43:53Phoenix rising from the ashes.
43:55Yeah, I don't think anyone will believe it.