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MotorTranscript
00:00We've all got a dream car.
00:07For most, it remains out of reach.
00:12I'm hoping you can help.
00:14So, I'm taking on the ultimate trading challenge to make motoring dreams come true.
00:19The next time you see me, I promise I'm going to be in your dream car.
00:23Here's how. I meet car lovers who hand over their daily drive.
00:27And this is my starting point. That's brilliant.
00:30And whatever cash they can spare.
00:32But she's given us this car on a grand.
00:34Through a series of car trades.
00:36Got a deal. Well done, you.
00:38And money making deals.
00:40That's the car. Let's go in a bid.
00:42I'll trade up until I've got enough money to buy the car they've always wanted.
00:46You look happy. Oh, yes.
00:48I'll draw on years of experience and share my tricks of the trade.
00:52This car has already increased in value just by moving it geographically.
00:56Helping me in the workshop is my mate Elvis, an ex-Formula One mechanic.
01:02Such a good feeling.
01:04Working together, the pressure's on for us to deliver the dream car.
01:08Thank you so much.
01:10This might even change my life.
01:12This time, we're on a mission to trade up to a classic fast-forward for office manager Chris.
01:18My dad always had fast-forward growing up, so I grew up in the back of them, going sideways, and that stuck with me.
01:24I face some tough negotiations on my trading journey.
01:2718's my top limit. Take it or leave it, Mike.
01:30And I'm forced to take a gamble on a car with a real image problem.
01:34Oh, my God. What is that? And what's going on here?
01:38As we work towards an exciting reveal.
01:42Look, because we've got special permission, you can actually touch it.
01:46I'm heading off to the centre of England.
01:58Corby in Northamptonshire. Off to meet a guy called Chris.
02:01Now, Chris lives, works and dreams fast-forward.
02:04And one in particular, an Escort Mark II.
02:07What a car.
02:14I've always been a petrol head.
02:16Not only do I work with cars every day, in my spare time, I'm also either reading about cars, going to car shows.
02:22Yeah, I'm absolutely crazy about cars.
02:25Dad always had fast-forwards when I was growing up.
02:27I spent loads of time in the back of them.
02:29Family holidays, me, my brother, mum and dad.
02:31And that's where my love for him has come from.
02:33For me, the Mark II Escort is the most iconic 1970s car.
02:37I love everything about them.
02:38I love the styling.
02:39I love the performance.
02:40I love the motorsport heritage.
02:42And to own one would just be absolutely unbelievable.
02:50Developed jointly by Ford in the UK and Germany, the boxy design of the Mark II Escort was a real hit.
02:56Almost a million were made in Britain between 1975 and 1980.
03:03Building on their motorsport heritage, Ford built a rally version of the Mark II, the RS 1800, which won four consecutive British Rally Championships.
03:16I'm meeting Chris at Classic Ford Specialists, where he works as an office manager.
03:26I'm hoping he's got a great motor to trade up from.
03:29Hey, Chris.
03:30How are you?
03:31How are you, Mike?
03:32How are you doing?
03:33Nice to see you.
03:34Wow, what a place this is.
03:35So, we're a classic Ford Specialist.
03:37So, this is where all our parts are collated and dispatched.
03:40I do a little bit of everything.
03:41I mean, I'm dealing with customer inquiries, taking orders over the phone, dealing with sales.
03:46Also, being a small company, we have to do a bit of everything.
03:49So, I'm packing some orders today, clean the workshop if required.
03:53You know, whatever needs to be done, we do.
03:56I passed a couple of cars downstairs that I absolutely fell in love with as I walked in.
04:00Yeah.
04:01Any chance we can go and have a look at them?
04:02Absolutely, yeah.
04:03Yeah.
04:04Okay, this is more like it, being surrounded by the metal.
04:07Yeah, we've got a Mark II Escort estate here.
04:09Beautiful.
04:10Mark I Cortina there.
04:11I love it.
04:12And my personal favourite, and my dream car, that's a Mark II Escort.
04:16You can't be surrounded by them all day and not own one.
04:19You do realise how expensive a Mark II Ford Escort is these days, don't you?
04:23Yes, yeah.
04:24Unfortunately, I'm quite aware of how expensive they are.
04:27They are a really sought-after car, and they run into tens of thousands of pounds.
04:32Yeah.
04:33For me to get you a car like that, I'm going to need a really good starting point.
04:38So, what is it? Is it outside?
04:39Yeah.
04:40What have you got for me?
04:41Just over here.
04:45A Ford Focus?
04:46Yeah, Ford Focus.
04:47It's a ST170, full service history, about 97,000 miles.
04:52Pretty much standard, apart from the wheels that you can see there.
04:55It's going to be impossible to turn just that into a Mark II Escort.
05:01So, have you got any savings, any money you can throw in?
05:04I've managed to get £8,000 together.
05:06Eight grand.
05:07Eight grand in the Focus.
05:09Wow.
05:10That's a surprise.
05:11Don't get me wrong.
05:12It's still going to be tough.
05:13I might need four or five trays to get to an Escort Mark II.
05:17But with that money and the Focus in good nick, well, they give me a fighting chance.
05:21I can't wait to see you with a Ford Escort.
05:22Give us the keys.
05:23There you go.
05:24Lovely.
05:25Thank you very much.
05:27Look at that for the gearbox.
05:28Wow.
05:29Now, I remember these cars when they were launched back in 1998.
05:48They're great little motors.
05:49Good engines.
05:50They handle really well.
05:51In fact, they drew a lot of inspiration from the early 1970s classic Ford Escort that Chris
05:58wants.
05:59This car is more or less standard.
06:01Now, I know that out there at the moment, this market is strong for people that want original
06:06cars.
06:07The only thing in this car that's non-original are the wheels that it's sitting on.
06:12So, I think what I need to do is to find a set of original wheels.
06:16And the bonus of that is, I'll have a set of aftermarket wheels that I can sell on.
06:21A decent Ford Focus is worth around a grand and a half.
06:24But I'll need at least 14 grand for Chris's dream Escort.
06:31Elvis!
06:32Hello, mate.
06:33Hello, fella.
06:34How are you?
06:35Yeah, good.
06:36Like this.
06:37Proper.
06:38Love it.
06:39Fast forward.
06:40A lot.
06:41The only thing that isn't standard is those wheels, isn't it?
06:43They look a bit smaller than normal.
06:44But what we need to do is find an original set of 17-inch alloys that are silver.
06:49And I reckon we'd be able to sell the car a lot easier.
06:51Yeah, of course.
06:52Yeah, no, I totally agree with you on that one.
06:53We need to turn this car into a Mark II Escort.
06:56Oh, a Mark II Escort.
06:58Yeah.
06:59Well, I love the Mark II Escort, but they are not cheap.
07:02Yeah, well, here's a bit of a surprise for you.
07:04It seems like Chris has been screwing away his Mark II Escort fund.
07:09It's got eight grand.
07:11No way.
07:12That is a good starting point.
07:14Second-hand alloys with our big business, I reckon I could get at least 200 quid for
07:18the current wheels and rubber if the tyre's in good nick.
07:23So, while Elvis checks that, I'm going to be on the hunt for some original 17-inch silver
07:28alloys.
07:29I'm just using a tread depth gauge to measure the thickness of the tread on the tyre, and
07:36it's really good.
07:38Loads and loads of rubber left on that.
07:40The tyres have passed my inspection.
07:42I'm taking clear photos of the set and of each wheel from Mike's online ad to prove the rims
07:47are clean and haven't been curbed.
07:51I managed to track down a good set of original Focus ST170 alloys for just 200 quid.
07:57So, Elvis can get on with fitting them, and it'll be a much more attractive proposition
08:01for a fast-forward fan.
08:08Hopefully, it's a quick fix.
08:09We can get it listed, get it sold.
08:14This is a modern classic in the making, so I'm going to target those in the know through
08:18a fast-forward forum.
08:20£1500 might seem a lot of money for a 2004 hatchback, but I reckon in a few years' time
08:25it will seem like a very good investment.
08:33Next.
08:34Hello mate, what's up?
08:35Can the Focus find a new home?
08:37Yeah, I think I might have some news.
08:39Go on.
08:40And I meet my match as I try to seal a unique deal.
08:43I can hold out for the price, I'm not bothered.
08:45You're going to have to come down a bit.
08:55I've got a Ford Focus and £8,000 to help office manager Chris trade up to a 70s superstar,
09:01the Eskel Mark II.
09:03Of all the classic Fords that my dad had growing up, the Mark IIs are the ones that stood out
09:07the most for me.
09:08I've listed Chris's Focus with the new wheels for £1500.
09:15But while I wait to get a sale, I need to get trading with his cash.
09:20I want to make big money on a trade.
09:24And I know that sometimes the way to do that is to take a chance on something unusual and niche.
09:29So, I'm following up on a lead.
09:31I've had a call this morning from a lady called Jeanette.
09:34And she's selling her husband John's Clan Crusader.
09:38They're super rare and really interesting because they've got a little bit of motorsport heritage.
09:42They did well in rallying.
09:44So, I thought it's worth a trip out to near where they were made in the North East of England in the countryside
09:51to go and see if there's any profit in buying one.
09:53Aha!
09:54I'm looking for a hut in the middle of nowhere on a farmer's bit of land and a lady called Jeanette.
10:10That's me!
10:11Is this the car under here?
10:13This is the car, yes.
10:14Shall we get it off?
10:15Yeah, please.
10:16Let's have a look.
10:20Oh!
10:21It is bright yellow, isn't it?
10:23Blimey.
10:24Fantastic.
10:25Do you know I haven't seen one of these for many years.
10:28It's all right, isn't it?
10:29How long you had it?
10:30Oh, about five years.
10:32Which is very road-worthy, very drivable, lovely little car.
10:35But unfortunately, about a year after we got her, my husband had a small accident.
10:39It wasn't a large accident.
10:41But it meant that he couldn't get in and out of the car.
10:44And that's the problem with these.
10:45Let's have a quick look inside.
10:46Absolutely.
10:48Yeah, they've got that huge, wide seal that you have to climb over to get in.
10:53Very difficult to get in and out of and worse the older you get.
10:57Although the car's been unused for four years, the owner has always kept it MOT'd so it's road-ready.
11:04Any chance I can fire her up and take her for a quick spin round the block?
11:06Absolutely.
11:07If I could squeeze in.
11:08Good luck.
11:09Jeanette wants £4,000 for this oddball car.
11:14But before I could even think about an offer, I need to know that the running gear and engine are sound.
11:20Oh, that engine sounds really strong and peppy.
11:26The engineering under this car is based on a Hillman Imp.
11:30It's quite clever actually because the engine's back there, I'm sat up front and the balance is very neutral.
11:36That's why these make such smart little motorsport cars.
11:40But it's fair to say, it's rather cosy inside.
11:44It really is a completely unique experience.
11:48They built it between 71 and 74 up here about five miles from where we are in a place called Washington.
11:56And they made around 315 of these before the Clam factory shut its doors.
12:02And that means that this car instantly became rare, so therefore it sort of instantly becomes a classic.
12:08And it's got a very specific, tiny market.
12:12But that market is quite strong, it's got a little fan club.
12:16And when these pop up for sale, especially up here in the north where they were made,
12:20they usually attract a bit of attention.
12:25So it drives well, and I know there's a market for it.
12:28But what's it worth?
12:30Well, I'm going to rain on Jeanette's parade, going hard.
12:33That was exciting.
12:39It's very cosy, I think is the word to say.
12:43It's a really good description.
12:45But the market is so specifically small for it.
12:50You know, I'd like to make you an offer.
12:52And I think about 3,200.
12:57That wasn't what I was expecting.
12:59That is just, no.
13:00Really?
13:01Um, if she had little ears, I'd cover them.
13:04No way, seriously.
13:05I feel insulted for it.
13:06You think that's insulting?
13:07What would you say then?
13:08Um, I want 4,000.
13:124,000?
13:13Yeah, she's worth 4,000.
13:144,000?
13:15You know, I can hold out for the price, I'm not bothered.
13:18Um, you're going to have to...
13:21You're going to have to improve your offer.
13:24You're going to have to come down a bit.
13:26Um...
13:27Why don't we just meet in the middle.
13:313,600 pounds.
13:39Oh, go on.
13:42Thank you very much.
13:43Oh, God, you're tough.
13:44That was really tough.
13:46Jeanette drove a very hard bargain.
13:50Now it's my job to find somebody who's willing to give more than the 3,600 pound.
13:55I just paid for it.
14:00I'm a big fan of buying cars in one area and moving its marketplace to a completely different area.
14:06That's where I've made some good money in the past.
14:08But with this car, I reckon its best marketplace is right here, locally.
14:14So I've put out a few calls and I've had a local car dealer who said the car sounds interesting enough.
14:20Why don't I pop by and show him it?
14:22So that's what I'm doing.
14:26The dealer's called Phil and he's just 12 miles away.
14:29For a small commission, he says he might be able to help me sell this car.
14:36Wow, look at this place.
14:37You must be Phil.
14:38I am.
14:39Phil, Mike, very nice to meet you.
14:41Please meet you.
14:42This is incredible.
14:43And a real eclectic mix of cars.
14:45So what do you know about this clan crusader?
14:47Yeah, I remember them a little bit.
14:48Obviously got a little bit of local folklore about them.
14:50Haven't seen one for years.
14:52Do you want to see one now?
14:53Absolutely.
14:54Yeah, cool.
14:56There you go.
14:57Your local hero.
14:58Looks fantastic.
14:59It does, doesn't it?
15:00Inside, you've got that full black vinyl interior.
15:04It's very nice, isn't it?
15:06And then round the back, it's interesting.
15:08And that's due in part because of the running gear.
15:11This is all imp.
15:13The engine's slanted over, but it runs and drives.
15:15Absolutely lovely.
15:17Interesting set-up, definitely, Mike.
15:19So, would you be interested?
15:21I've done a little bit of homework and been a bit cheeky and made a telephone call.
15:25Yeah.
15:26I think we can find a home for this car at £5,250.
15:29Could you?
15:30Yeah.
15:31And what would you need out of that?
15:32We need about £250.
15:33So you could return me around £5,000?
15:35Yeah, we could do that.
15:36That would be fantastic.
15:37Obviously, you've got to run it through your prep shop because you want to get it to the level of your cars in there.
15:42Yeah, that's what we need to do.
15:43But yeah, if you could return me £5,000, brilliant.
15:45Phil's going to show the crusader for me in his amazing garage space.
15:48He's well connected in the local classic car scene.
15:51So I'm really hoping he can pull this one off for me.
15:54And today's just getting better.
15:57Elvis is on the phone with an update from the workshop.
16:00Hello, mate. What's up?
16:01Yeah, I think I might have some news on the Focus.
16:04Go on.
16:05I've had an offer.
16:07Have we?
16:08£1,400.
16:09What do you reckon?
16:10I think we should do the deal.
16:12Yeah, seal it.
16:13Seal that deal.
16:14It's done.
16:15Well done, Elvis.
16:16Top man.
16:19What a week.
16:20Elvis has sold the Focus.
16:22Then after, would you believe it, a bit of a bidding war on the clan, Phil has just bagged me a whopping £5,500 return.
16:29So I'm back at the workshop and this morning I spotted something rather interesting.
16:36It's a little motorbike in the garage next door.
16:38It's like one of those monkey bikes from the 1960s.
16:41You know, the ones with the tiny wheels.
16:43They're a bit of a cold tie to them.
16:44You know what?
16:45There could be some money to be made if I can buy one at the right price from my neighbour, Dickie.
16:50This is the one.
16:51This little monkey bike down here, look.
16:52Oh yeah, I like these.
16:53Hey Dickie.
16:54How you doing?
16:55Hi.
16:56I just thought I'd show Elvis your little bike collection.
16:58You've got quite a few bits, haven't you?
16:59Yeah, we have a bit.
17:00Hey there, Dickie.
17:01Mark, you alright?
17:02How you doing?
17:03I really like this little monkey bike.
17:04Yeah, nice little bike.
17:05I was going to restore it.
17:06Might still do that, yeah.
17:07Is it original?
17:08No, I don't think so.
17:09I don't think that engine's original.
17:11That's had an upgrade.
17:12Is it?
17:13A bit bigger.
17:14But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
17:15No, it's not a bad thing.
17:16No, it looks good, does it?
17:17Honda launched a monkey bike in the 1960s as an amusement park ride.
17:23And when they developed the road legal version, their popularity exploded.
17:27John Lennon's monkey bike sold for over £57,000 at an auction in 2018.
17:33I'm hoping this one is a lot cheaper.
17:35How much is this worth?
17:37I don't know.
17:38A grand?
17:39I'll take a grand for it.
17:40You want a Rio for this?
17:41I do.
17:42Come on, Dick.
17:44A grand!
17:46Can we take £700 for it?
17:48No.
17:49Make it £900.
17:50£900.
17:51It's yours.
17:52£900.
17:53Goodness me.
17:54Sorted.
17:55Well done.
17:56Lovely.
17:57So now we own a really cool retro bike.
17:59It needs a little bit of work rather than a straight up restoration.
18:02I now reckon we could do something more unusual to reflect its personality.
18:06Change the colour, add some unique touches.
18:09It's all right, isn't it?
18:11I mean, I do like it.
18:12I do?
18:13I think there's quite a bit we can do to it.
18:15There are chips and scratches all over this.
18:17So I think we could go for a re-spray on it.
18:19I agree.
18:20I mean, do you know what?
18:22I'd go a complete world away from where it is now and bring it more modern.
18:26Make it really stand out.
18:27Something like a deep red.
18:29Because you have to think of the person who would buy this.
18:31Somebody who's got a disposable income that just wants to have something they can have a bit of fun with.
18:35Well, whoever buys it is going to want to show it off to their mates.
18:37Of course they are.
18:38It's something that no one else is going to have.
18:39So let's make it unique.
18:40I mean, even the seat, you know.
18:42Let's get rid of that fairly boring, dull, standard seat and let's cover it in something.
18:46This is exciting.
18:47I don't often get total free reign to create something one-off and unique.
18:51Don't worry, though.
18:52I'm not going to cover it in animal print or anything like that.
18:54I am, though, going to come up with a unique idea.
18:57But I've got plenty to do when I ever think about it.
19:01So if we're going to repaint this whole thing, the whole lot needs to be stripped so we can get access to it.
19:06So that means the saddle's got to come off, the mudguards, handlebars, the whole lot.
19:17Instead of having a kind of steel tubular frame that most motorbikes have with a fairing then over the top,
19:22this is a pressed steel frame, so this blue part is actually the frame itself.
19:26That's what we're going to be stripping back and repainting.
19:28So it is a little bit unusual, I guess.
19:31These bikes got their nickname from the unusual riding position.
19:34Bent over with arms outstretched in front.
19:40I think that's about it.
19:44Well, the monkey bike is small.
19:45That means everything's hard to get to.
19:47But I've managed to strip it right down.
19:49And now the next thing is getting it painted.
19:53You need a well ventilated room for resprays and it's best to wear a high quality mask and all in one suit.
20:00I've hung the bike so I've got good access to those hard to reach places.
20:05Three coats of red colour and one of clear lacquer create the perfect finish.
20:09While the bike frame dries, I'm getting to grips with that black vinyl saddle.
20:19So I've been having a bit of a think about how we can make our monkey bike stand out from the crowd.
20:24So I've had this idea that I want to recover it into something a bit different.
20:28And I've been to a charity shop and found one of those rugged old wax jackets.
20:33And I thought about cutting that up and using it to recover the saddle.
20:36So I'm on my way now to see an upholsterer called Dave to see if he thinks he might be able to make it a reality.
20:41Dave?
20:42Hi.
20:43Hi mate, it's Elvis.
20:44Hi.
20:45How are you doing?
20:46I spoke on the phone.
20:47Yeah, I'm alright.
20:48This is the monkey bike saddle.
20:49I found this wax jacket in a charity shop and I would like to chop that up and use it to cover this.
21:10Is it possible?
21:11Yeah.
21:12I'd quite like to incorporate some of the features of it.
21:14A pocket, you know, something that makes it obviously a jacket and a bit different.
21:18So my first thought was, I like this double corded section.
21:21Yeah.
21:22We can add some more detail down the sides and around the walls.
21:25So you take other bits like pocket flaps and add them on top?
21:28Exactly, yeah.
21:29I love coming to meet people like Dave because I know I'm getting something absolutely unique.
21:34There's not going to be another monkey bike in the world with a funky saddle like this one.
21:38When do you reckon it might be ready?
21:40I would think it will be ready in the next day or so.
21:43Yeah.
21:44Tomorrow?
21:45Go on then.
21:46Why not?
21:47OK.
21:48Thanks mate.
21:49I can't wait to see it.
21:50OK.
21:51Next, our one-off fight begins to come together.
21:55I love it.
21:57It looks brilliant.
21:59As I try to get a really great price on the next deal.
22:04I think it's more like 7,500.
22:06I've been on a journey to trade up to a fast forward for office manager Chris.
22:21My dream car is a Mark 2 Escort.
22:23I love the performance.
22:24I love the styling.
22:25I just love everything about them.
22:27To make the Mark 2 a reality, I'm hoping Elvis can build some real profit into our monkey bike.
22:35And the custom saddle he commissioned has just arrived back from the upholsterers.
22:42I love it.
22:43That is amazing.
22:45It's brilliant.
22:46It's just got loads of little features.
22:48He's put little poppers off the jacket all over it.
22:51That's exactly what I was hoping for.
22:54So I better get it on it.
22:56A new saddle cover would cost around £100.
23:00We spent the same money but ended up with something totally bespoke.
23:04It looks brilliant.
23:09I love it.
23:12Mike gave me almost total free reign to do whatever I wanted with a monkey bike.
23:15To express myself.
23:16And that's exactly what I've done.
23:18It's a little bit different.
23:19A little bit unusual.
23:21No way.
23:22That's not the same little monkey bike, is it?
23:24I know.
23:25Isn't it amazing?
23:26What transformation?
23:27Do you like it?
23:28What?
23:29No, that's not.
23:30I promise you it's the same one.
23:31Look at that saddle.
23:32That saddle's fantastic.
23:33You like that?
23:34I love it.
23:35I chopped up an old wax jacket and made the seat cover out of it.
23:38I love it.
23:39You even left the pocket on it.
23:40What a nice little touch.
23:41I need a new coat but it looks great, doesn't it?
23:43It's lovely.
23:44I mean it's absolutely gorgeous.
23:45Oh well look, I'm going to a motor show and I'm going to pack that up and take it with
23:48me.
23:49I reckon I'll get it sold.
23:50Yeah, I reckon you will too.
23:56Classic car shows are hugely popular now, attracting traders selling anything from motor memorabilia
24:02to vintage clothes.
24:03It's the perfect shop window for our retro bike.
24:06I'm going to put it up for two grand.
24:09How you doing chaps?
24:10You alright?
24:11What's the story of this?
24:12This is my nice little Honda.
24:14It's like a retro Honda monkey bike.
24:17It's fully restored.
24:18Yeah, everything's running, driving beautifully.
24:20If you're interested, yeah, let me know.
24:22I might be, yeah.
24:23Thanks, bub.
24:24Cheers.
24:25So the little monkey bike has generated quite a bit of interest.
24:28I've had loads of people looking at it.
24:30Oh no, it's good.
24:31Sounds lovely.
24:32It's gone up in value a lot recently.
24:34But nobody's willing to do a deal just yet.
24:37It's really nice, isn't it?
24:38It's lovely.
24:39I met this chap earlier and he's back for a second look.
24:46Sure sign he's interested.
24:48I've been thinking about this one.
24:49Have you?
24:50Yeah.
24:51I mean, we've done a complete restoration on it.
24:53It's really nice.
24:54We've even done some modifications to the saddle.
24:57This used to be a wax coat.
24:58Oh, right.
24:59We've repurposed and we've turned it into the saddle.
25:01It's even got a pocket on it.
25:02Quite unique, isn't it?
25:03Yeah, it's lovely.
25:04Nice little touch.
25:05And there's been quite a bit of interest.
25:07Um, I could offer you 1,800.
25:11You do 19?
25:13No, I'm afraid 18's my top limit.
25:16Take it or leave it, Mike.
25:18So 1,800 pounds.
25:20But you'll take it today?
25:22I will, yes.
25:231,800 quid.
25:25Just got yourself a nice little bike.
25:26Lovely.
25:27Thank you very much.
25:28Well done.
25:29Brilliant.
25:30Well, the little Honda motorbike is now sold.
25:31And to be honest with you, sad to see it go.
25:33Sort of grew fond of that.
25:34But the money is in the bank and now we can move on.
25:37That's a big profit on our little bike.
25:39And it takes us close to mark 2 money.
25:42But I reckon I need one more trade to get us over the line.
25:46Well, I've had wind of a Mercedes SL, a nice modern classic.
25:51And this one happens to be Japanese import.
25:54And that to me means good news.
25:56They're notoriously well kept, low mileage and rust free.
26:00Now it's coming to stock at a dealer.
26:02He says it doesn't fit his stock profile.
26:04And he said that he's open to any offers on it.
26:07Downside is, it's a white convertible with an aftermarket body kit.
26:12Both things which could limit its appeal.
26:14So the price will be crucial here.
26:16If it's very cheap, I could be tempted to take a chance on a quick flip.
26:20Oh, you are kidding me.
26:24Nice to meet you.
26:25And yourself.
26:26Oh, James, look at this place.
26:28I could spend...
26:29Yeah, do you like it?
26:30I love it.
26:31I love it.
26:32I could spend a lifetime in here.
26:33I haven't come to see these nice shiny ones though.
26:35Come down to see this one.
26:37What can you tell me about it?
26:38I mean, we brought this in.
26:40We put two new replacement tires on it.
26:42We sailed straight through the MOT.
26:43No advisories.
26:44It's a bit of an oddball though.
26:46It's badge wrong, isn't it?
26:47It's not an original SL60.
26:49It's got the look, but a more reasonable budget.
26:52It's not bad.
26:54It's not bad.
26:55Ooh, I say it's not bad.
26:56It's all gone a bit...
26:57It's all gone a bit sour down at the front.
26:59This is not right, is it?
27:01This indicator lens, that's aftermarket, isn't it?
27:03And you can see being aftermarket, it doesn't even fit correctly.
27:06And look at that.
27:07A gold grill, I don't remember that, in the Mercedes-Benz options catalogue.
27:11Well, I noticed you liked a bit of gold, Mike.
27:13So that's all you're going to get.
27:15It's nasty, isn't it?
27:16Is there any chance I can take it out for a quick test drive?
27:19Yeah, no problem.
27:24The problem with this car isn't in here.
27:26It's when you're standing outside staring at it.
27:29It's rather blingy.
27:31It's got the AMG body kit from the 1990s.
27:34Clear indicator lenses.
27:36It sort of don't work.
27:37And it's going to take me some work to persuade somebody that this should be the car that they should be driving home with.
27:43And they've got to pay me good money for it.
27:45This one could be a bit of a gamble.
27:47If I'm to take a punt on this SL's looks, I need to check everything is perfect mechanically.
27:54It's absolutely loaded with kit.
27:56It's got every conceivable extra.
27:58And I'm just making sure everything works because if any of this stuff goes wrong, it can be rather expensive.
28:05So far, though, it's all looking good.
28:07It's a sunny day and the SL is fun to drive.
28:12But is there a quick profit in it for me?
28:14So what do I want to do?
28:16I reckon, truthfully, it's worth about seven and a half grand, eight grand a push.
28:21So it's going to be a little bit of bargaining when I get back to his garage.
28:26So then, Mike, how did you get on?
28:34Lovely.
28:35Yeah, it drives really well.
28:36Yeah, it's silky smooth, nice and powerful.
28:39How much is it again?
28:40So it's up for ten grand, you know, and I've priced that, taken into account, obviously, as you've said, it does need a few bits and pieces doing to it.
28:47Well, it needs more than just a few bits.
28:49I was thinking more like 7,500.
28:52Seven and a half grand.
28:55Seven and a half grand.
28:56Seven and a half grand.
28:57That's 25% off, isn't it?
28:58I like that, 25% off.
29:00I like 10% off maximum.
29:02So what's the best you can do for me?
29:05Well, take it away today.
29:08It's going to be eight grand.
29:10Got yourself a deal.
29:13Congratulations.
29:14Well done.
29:15Eight grand is great for a quality SL, and there's potential for a quick one or two grand profit,
29:21but a white Merc with a body kit isn't for everyone.
29:24So I need to sort out that front end, change the indicators, paint the front grille, and get it in the classifieds before the sun sets.
29:34I'm not sure about that, mate.
29:35Don't do that to me.
29:36It's a bit Miami Vice, isn't it?
29:37Come on, a bit tacky.
29:38I admit it's very much a car of its period.
29:39I mean, where it goes a little bit wrong is here at the front.
29:40Oh my God, what is that?
29:41Wait, don't you like the gold grille?
29:42Who put that bling on there?
29:43That's got to go.
29:44Just paint it black.
29:45Yeah.
29:46And what's going on here?
29:47The indicator's held in with silicone sealant.
29:48Yes.
29:49So it's got clear indicator lenses on it.
29:50They are not the right ones for the car because they just don't fit correctly.
29:53They're aftermarket cheapest.
29:54And that's what's wrong with the car.
29:55If you think about it, if you put a little bit of a car in the car, you can't see it.
29:57It's a little bit of a car.
29:58It's a little bit of a car.
29:59It's a little bit of a car.
30:00I'm going to admit it's very much a car of its period.
30:02I mean, where it goes a little bit wrong is here at the front.
30:03Oh my God, what is that?
30:04Don't you like the gold grille?
30:05Who put that bling on there?
30:06That's got to go.
30:07Just paint it black.
30:08The right ones for the car because they just don't fit correctly in the aftermarket cheapest.
30:12And that's what's wrong with the car.
30:13If you think about it, if you put the right indicators on it and they fit correctly, it's
30:18sort of going to pull the body kit back together and it's with the black grille.
30:23It will sort of transform the car.
30:25Yeah, because it does look like a little bit of a jigsaw of all sorts of bits that have
30:29been thrown together.
30:30Yeah.
30:31All right.
30:32Well, let's get to work.
30:33Well, the Merc's not really my cup of tea, if I'm honest.
30:34But that doesn't really matter.
30:35It's not about that.
30:36It's about making a profit out of it and finding someone who does love it.
30:43So I'm going to replace these indicator lenses because they're just not right.
30:47They're not standard.
30:48They look a little bit tacky and they don't fit.
30:51It's a spring clip on the back and out it pops.
31:00Mike's found some original 1990s orange lens indicators online for £60.
31:05It's better.
31:06To complete the facelift, I've got to get rid of this gold.
31:22I'm going black with this grill to complement the white bodywork.
31:26I want to take out the silver Mercedes badge.
31:33I'm just using an abrasive pad to lightly key up the surface because the next thing will
31:44be to cover it in primer and this will just allow that to stick nicely.
31:49Right.
31:50That's that done.
31:51I'm just putting a primer on now which gives it a nice smooth base for the finished colour
32:04of black.
32:06It's best to spray in short, smooth strokes.
32:09If you load on too much paint at once, it'll start to run.
32:13The front of all cars are high wear areas that take a battering from stones.
32:17Three coats will give it extra protection.
32:33It's so much better than the gold.
32:36The grill's now black.
32:38A good background for the silver three-pointed star.
32:44If I held out for a few months, I could maybe get around £12,000 for the SL.
32:48But I need a quick profit because I'm on the hunt for a Mark II S school and I've got
32:52a potential option in my sights.
32:54So I'm going to try and flip the car under market value at £10,000 just to get a quick
32:59sale.
33:00Next, I find Chris's dream escort.
33:04Oh yeah, there she is.
33:06But a deal seems just out of reach.
33:09I can't let it go for that, Mike, to be honest with you.
33:11Buying a big white Mercedes was a real gamble.
33:25This does look like a little bit of a jigsaw of all sorts of bits that have been thrown
33:29together.
33:30But I pitched the price low and listed it for £10,000.
33:36I've had some really good news.
33:37I've just had a call from a guy called Coolraj Bal who's already got two Mercedes in his
33:42garage.
33:43And he loves the 90s SLs.
33:45I've just secured a sale for the full £10,000 asking price.
33:49He's collected the car and for me, well, I couldn't be any happier.
33:53With Chris's dream car fun now at £14,000, we're bang on the money.
33:58Now it's all about finding the best car for our budget.
34:01Chris is surrounded by uprated Fords at work every day.
34:09So I've been looking for a modified car that I think he'll love.
34:12I've had all the fast Ford dealers on the lookout and I've had a tip off that sounds well worth a look.
34:17He says it's got a more modern engine upgrade which is good and he said it's got some period modifications.
34:26They'll give a nod to its rally heritage and I kind of like that.
34:30I need to find out exactly what mods have been made and how well they've been done.
34:36Poor decisions can destroy a classic car's value.
34:47Brian?
34:48Yes.
34:49How are you?
34:50Come round to see your escort.
34:51Oh, very good.
34:52It's just over here in the garage.
34:53Lovely.
34:54Nice to see a car that's kept in the garage.
34:59Ah, look at that.
35:011980 two-door Mark II Ford Escort in that beautiful blue.
35:06Is that the original colour?
35:07Midnight blue.
35:08I tried to keep the car as original as possible.
35:11The bodywork is immaculate, isn't it?
35:13Yes.
35:14It really is beautiful.
35:15You've done quite a few modifications to it, I've noticed.
35:17Yeah, it's had some subtle changes, Mike.
35:19Yeah, and you've got a roll cage in there.
35:20Is it a full roll cage?
35:22Just a half cage in the back there, yeah.
35:24Four-point safety harnesses, very nice.
35:26Yeah, through the bucket seats, we've got a detachable steering wheel, five-speed gearbox.
35:31And I love these wheels.
35:33You've got these deep dish wheels.
35:34The wheels were from a Mark I Mondeo.
35:37I've had the centres cut out and repositioned to make them a bit deeper because there's some big brakes.
35:42So this car's got proper stopping power.
35:44Yeah, yeah.
35:45Which means it must have something fruity under the bonnet.
35:49Let's have a look.
35:50Wow, OK, yeah, that's pretty impressive.
35:57It's the engine from a Ford Focus ST170.
36:01This actual engine had only done 11,000 miles when I bought it.
36:04So I've only done maybe 3,000 miles since I built the car.
36:07So it's very, very minimal use.
36:09I absolutely love it.
36:10He's done a lot of work himself over the past decade, and Brian's built the car to his own personal taste.
36:16The mods cost big money, but how will they handle on the road?
36:21Any chance I can take for a drive?
36:23Yeah, sure, not a problem.
36:29Brian's done some beautiful modifications to this car.
36:32I love the subtle styling on the outside.
36:34This car just feels lovely to be around.
36:37But it's not until you put your foot down, you realise that the secret...
36:42Oh!
36:43Listen to that!
36:45It's under the bonnet.
36:46This car's got the amazing ST170 engine, which is sublime!
36:52Oh!
37:02And when you get to a corner, and you push it tight into a bend, the suspension grips you in all the right places.
37:10Look at that!
37:11Absolutely brilliant!
37:14So the big question is, is this the right car for Chris?
37:17Well, he's a young guy, he's a fast Ford fan, and I've got a funny feeling he would really like the modifications that Brian's done to this car.
37:26Plus, there's a nice bit of karma with this motor, because we started off with a Focus ST170.
37:32And here we are, in the car of his dreams, a Mark II Ford Escort, and guess what?
37:38It's got the engine of an ST170.
37:41It's like a little 360.
37:43So I've made up my mind, I'm going to go back, and I'm going to make Brian an offer.
37:54How was that?
37:55Loved it.
37:56Absolutely loved it.
37:57Yeah, what a car.
37:58It drove absolutely fantastically.
38:00Yeah.
38:01It's fast as well.
38:02Yeah.
38:03I can see this has been a labour of love for you, and you've really done some amazing work on this.
38:08You wanted £15,000 for it.
38:10Yes.
38:11Would you take £13,500?
38:13I can't let it go for that, Mike, to be honest with you.
38:16I don't want to waste your time, so I'll just be straight, it's got to be £14,000 or it doesn't go.
38:21Yeah.
38:22You're an absolute gentleman.
38:24I'll have the car.
38:26Top man.
38:27Cheers.
38:28For trade, and over £6,000 in profit have helped me secure this awesome Mark II Escort for Chris.
38:36I think he'll love all the modifications, and with that ST170 engine adding a real power boost, this is one seriously fast-forward.
38:46Chris has been eyeing up cars like this his whole life, but he's never been able to own one.
38:51I can't wait to get back to the workshop and show Elvis.
39:03Wow, mate.
39:05Now that is what you call a dream car.
39:10Goodness me, someone spent a lot of time and effort on this.
39:13I think you're going to like what's under the bonnet of this car.
39:16Oh, yeah.
39:17Look at that.
39:22That's what we started this project with.
39:24Chris had a 170 ST, and we've brought him a car that's got the same engine in.
39:29It's fantastic.
39:30What a brilliant story.
39:31It's a great story, isn't it?
39:32I mean, this is so far up my street, it's unbelievable.
39:35Everything is polished, everything's had care and attention.
39:38It's not just been thrown in there.
39:39If I was going to do a car like this, I'd do it exactly like that.
39:42I love this kind of stuff.
39:44We've absolutely smashed this.
39:46Chris is going to love this car.
39:47Yeah.
39:48Love it.
39:53It's alive!
39:56Look at your face.
39:57Look at it.
39:58It's like you're 17 again.
40:00Oh, I wish.
40:01I'll tell you what, though, I'm really pleased I managed to prise the keys out of your rack and get behind the wheel.
40:06Because it just reminds me of those early race cars that I used to run around with as a kid, you know?
40:11It's raw, it's direct, it's really fast.
40:15We've arranged to meet Chris at the Ford Heritage Centre in Dagenham, their own museum.
40:20We've been given special permission to hire Chris's dream car amongst some real Ford Motorsport legends.
40:26Chris, how are you?
40:31Yeah, good, thank you.
40:32Nice to see you again.
40:33You found us then?
40:34Just about.
40:35Chris, I'm Elvis.
40:36Lovely to meet you finally.
40:37Nice to meet you, Elvis.
40:38How are you doing?
40:39Yeah, good, thank you.
40:40Good, good.
40:41So, do you know where you are?
40:42I'm an industrial estate by the looks of things, but...
40:43Yes, it is an industrial estate.
40:44Actually, this is the Ford Plants.
40:46You're actually on their Dagenham site and right behind there, they're keeping some of their heritage collection.
40:51And I know you're a fastball fan, so are you excited?
40:54Oh, yeah, absolutely.
40:55You are?
40:56Yeah, yeah.
40:57Good, we've also got something in there we'd like to show you.
40:59Right, okay.
41:04So, take a deep breath.
41:06Let's take it in.
41:09That really is Francois Delacour's...
41:12World Rally Car.
41:13World Rally Car, yes, right there.
41:14Wow.
41:15Yeah, so that's pretty special, isn't it?
41:16Check out over there, Johnny Herbert's old Stuart F1 car.
41:19That's right up my street, of course.
41:21No doubt you'll recognise that.
41:23Oh, Mark 1 Mexico.
41:24This one's rather special.
41:26That is very special.
41:27Look at that.
41:28Hannah Michela's original Mexico.
41:30That's the London to Mexico winning car.
41:32Exactly.
41:33The original.
41:34Don't touch it.
41:35You can actually touch...
41:36Don't touch it.
41:37Look, because we've got special permission, you can actually touch it.
41:40How nice is that?
41:42But there is just one car in here that is the most special of all.
41:45We do, isn't it?
41:46Okay.
41:47Hidden behind this race for transit happens to be...
41:52This, Chris, is your dream car.
42:03Wow.
42:04Honestly, it is one of the nicest examples I've ever seen and it's so far up your street.
42:10Yeah, it's midnight blue, two doors, so that's...
42:13Are they tears of joy, guys?
42:15Yeah, they are.
42:16They are tears of joy.
42:17Come give us a hug.
42:18You deserve it.
42:19Seriously, you're a hard-working man and you absolutely deserve it.
42:23You've got me going.
42:24They are tears of joy, don't you?
42:25Don't you?
42:29Thank you so much for that.
42:30That's amazing.
42:31That's absolutely ridiculous.
42:33I can't believe it.
42:34I can't believe you've done that.
42:35Pop the bonnet, Mike, because you are going to love this, Chris.
42:38Come and have a look around the front here.
42:43Look at that.
42:44Look how mint.
42:45ST170 Z-Tech engine.
42:47You can see how much this car meant to Chris.
42:52He had tears of joy.
42:54He even got me welling up.
42:55He really does deserve it.
42:57And me and Elvis, well, we couldn't be any happier.
43:00You really must have put a shift in to get this, so I can't thank you guys enough.
43:06Chris, this really is your dream car.
43:09Thank you so much.
43:10Get yourself inside.
43:11I'm going to put another smile on your face when you fire it up.
43:13OK.
43:26Awesome.
43:27It's unbelievable.
43:28Thank you so much.
43:29Thanks.
43:30Enjoy it.
43:34Yes.
43:37It's just for that moment, isn't it?
43:39Oh, honestly.
43:40Tears.
43:41We got tears, Mike.
43:42That was good.
43:43That was good.
43:44You guys are great.
43:48We've been wanting some people, and a lot of times have a day to come.
43:50And they're too late to have fun.
43:52Now, we can't do this.
43:53We're at 50% of the time.
43:54I'm so excited to get up the show.
43:55We're not going to be.
43:56We're not going to be in the news.
43:57We're just getting back from their way.
43:58We'll do it.
43:59We're on any other way.
44:00We're not going to find your way.
44:01No team are running.
44:02We're out.
44:03We're running out.
44:04We're all running out.
44:05We're running out.
44:06We're running out.
44:07We're running out.
44:08We're running out.
44:09We're running out.