18x01 - 2004 BMW M3

[bunniefuu]

This time, we're taking a trip back to
the 1970s in an underrated British classic.

That's the magic of a
drive Ptolemaic sprint.

To see if this super-fast saloon... The
engine was the main selling point of this

car. It's an absolute
bulletproof rocket machine.

...could ever be considered
superior to one of the icons of its era.

Is it better than a Mark 1 Mexico? That's
a big old bold claim, that, isn't it?

Can we bring this car back from the dead?

She's alive! Alive, I'm telling you!

And show the automotive world
that it really was a triumph of its era.

What do you reckon?

That car just can't take it all in.

It's like holding on to a wild beast.

I'm Mike Brewer, and I've been buying
and selling cars for nearly 40 years.

It's rattly, smelly, and
it's blooming brilliant.

Now I've set up shop in Britain's
Motoring Heritage heartland.

You can see the back of
the Volvo, and there it is.

Very nice.

Along with ex-Formula 1
mechanic, Mark Elvis Priestley.

So that engine management
light never put you off then?

Together, we're going to buy...
I think you're the right man for it.

Top man.

...and fix up...
A little bit more.

Are you actually pushing?

Of course I'm pushing.

...the most iconic and
exciting cars on the market.

This is going to be epic.

Bolt a supercharger to it, and
you end up with a car that does this.

With Elvis' engineering skill... It's like
trying to wake Sleeping Beauty, isn't it?

Apart from the beauty bit.

...and my car-dealing clout... He's
going to be over the moon, isn't he?

Elvis better get the posh tools ready.

...we should be able to
make ourselves a tidy profit.

Because this is my job,
and I blooming love it.

Mate, I've been thinking about
the next car for the workshop ramp.

Yeah, go on. What is it?

Well, what do you
remember from the mid-70s?

Well, you ain't going to
remember much, are you?

He was too young.

No, I was only born in 76.

I mean, if you're talking
cars, I don't know.

Back then, I mean, Ford had a
couple of good ones, didn't they?

They did. They had the Capri
Escort and the Mexico Escort.

Yeah, exactly.

BMW had that little
pocket rocket, the 2002.

They had the 2002.
That was a wicked little car.

Yeah, proper petrol-heads cars.

But there was also another petrol-head
car that got overlooked by everybody.

But I've been keeping an eye on the
prices, and they've started to go up,

because they're just about to
celebrate their 50th anniversary,

and people are starting
to talk about them again.

British car? I can't work out.
Go on, what is it?

Triumph Dolomite Spring.

Oh, wow. Good car.
Stonking engine in those things.

They handle brilliantly. Lots
of them have rusted away

to nothing, but there's a
few survivors out there.

Yeah, OK. I'd love to get my hands on one.
Yeah, do it.

Nice one. Cheers.

Nice one.

I think the Dolomite Spring is one of the
most overlooked British cars ever built.

They offered that perfect blend of sports
car-like performance and saloon comfort.

Loaded with cutting-edge technology,
they were capable of 120mph.

Not bad for 1973.

Unfortunately, they came
along at a time when the

world had fallen out
of love with British cars,

which is part of the reason
why only 23,000 were ever built.

On the plus side, that means
today they're a rare gem.

I've come to see specialist Chris.

He's been buying, selling
and doing up Dolomite

Sprints for as long as
anyone can remember.

So if anyone's going to have
the right car for sale, it's him.

Yes. I love a Dolomite Sprint.

And there's my man. It's Chris.

How you been?

Really good. Thank you, Mike.

Great to see you. Yeah, you too.

What's the world of Triumph
Dolomite Sprints like these days?

Absolutely booming, mate.

Everybody wants them.

The problem is the Mark 1 and the
Mark 2 Escorts went through the roof

and the people couldn't afford them,
so the Dolomite Sprint was the next one.

But it's a better car than a
Mark 1 or a Mark 2 Escort.

Controversial.

Ah, well...
Controversial, Chris.

I don't know. They are.
They drive better. They're just quicker.

As I pulled up, I see those three
blue ones you've got lined up outside.

Can we go and have a look at them?

Of course we can.
We can go and have a look at them.

Yeah, let's go and have a chat.

This is no good for me.
That's way too finished.

Beautiful car.

But come on, Chris, sell me this.

I can't, Mike. I can't sell you this one.

You can sell me this.

I can't.

It's perfect for me.

Sold to a customer, this one.

Is it?

It is, mate.

Chris, it's me.
Can't you unsell it to the customer?

No, man of my word.
Never go back on a deal.

There's this one over here.
You can have a look at this one.

That looks like it's
just about to be picked

up by a crane and
turned into soup cans.

No.

Have a look round it, Mike.

Tell me about it. What's good about it?

Everything's good about this.

Come on, Chris.
It's got a green bonnet, bumper, scrappy.

Body work's a bit scrappy.
Wrong colour doors on it.

Where's the vinyl roof?

Well, you'd have to sort that.

She looks rough, but she's solid, mate.

Let's have a look at this interior.

It's there, isn't it?

I've got a few interiors, Mike.
We could do a deal.

What's the engine like?

The engine's brilliant in this.

These are the first 16-valve
mass-produced engines.

Pre-dates the Golf GTI 16-valve.

It certainly does.

Oh, look at the boot lid.
That is fantastic.

It looks like the car's
having a poop, doesn't it?

Yeah, but it's solid, Mike.
Get yourself in it, go for a test drive.

You're kidding. Seriously?

Seriously, get in it and drive it.

Come on then, let me drive
it and I'll talk to you after.

Let's see what it feels like then.

Oh, no way.

Oh, yes!

Yes! And that's the magic
of a drive Ptolemaic sprint.

Wow!
I mean, this car looks like a bag of nails,

but it drives like an
absolute beast, this car.

That's caught me completely
by surprise because, let's face it,

on the outside, this vehicle
looks so tatty and embarrassing.

I wouldn't think anyone
would want to buy this car.

But under the right foot, it
feels like an absolute gem.

It handles beautifully.

Oh, the steering's precise and direct.

Don't get me wrong, there's
still room for improvement.

There's a little bit of fluffing
coming from the carburettors,

a little bit of a flat
spot, I can feel that.

Let's try the old overdrive in the gearbox.

Yeah, typically that doesn't work,

so that's going to have to be addressed.

I mean, my target price for
this car would be somewhere,

I can't believe I'm going to
say this, around six grand,

but I reckon he could probably
sell this car for like eight grand,

as it is, because they are
making massive money.

if they're fully restored.

And there's a line of people
queuing up to buy one.

I think the world is just cottoned on to
how good the triatholomite sprint really is.

But what a car!

What's the drive like?

It drove all right, you
weren't lying, was you?

No.

I'm kind of shocked.

It's a little bit fluffy on the
accelerator and on the carbs.

It could do with the
carbs rebuilding, Mike.

I can feel that, so the
carbs need rebuilding,

but handling-wise it's good,
engine's got good power,

clutch and gearbox feel all right.

Yeah, it's a good car, Mike.

How much do you reckon
you're going to get for this?

Eight grand.

Like this?

Like this.

Take six grand for it?

I can't do six, Mike.

Of course you can.

To me, what's the best you can do?

I'd do six and a half to you.

I'll give you £6,250
for it, what do you say?

Go on then, Mike.

Yes? Lovely.

I've just bought myself a
Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

Scrapper.

It's a project.

Project.

Over the years I've spent literally millions
of pounds on buying and selling cars,

but never have I been happier to spend
£6,250 on a car that looks so hideous.

But I need to convince Elvis that
underneath this tatty exterior, interior,

there is a car that's
dying to be treated by us.

It's desperate for some
Wheeler-dealer attention.

Mate, what on earth is that?

That's hideous.

Mate, you must be either on your way from
the Scrappy or on your way to the Scrappy.

Look at it.

You do know what that is, don't you?

I do know what it is.

It's a Dolomite Sprint.

I mean, they're amazing
cars, but that one isn't.

Mate, open your eyes.

You're going to love this.

Come follow me.

Obviously, the paint work is a big issue.

Yeah, just a bit.

It may look like a bit of a scrapper,

but it has got this.

Oh, yeah.

The engine was the main
selling point of this car.

It's an absolute bulletproof
rocket machine, that is.

I mean, it's a single overhead cam,
but it was one of the first engines

to have four valves per cylinder as
well, and massive performance out of that.

Yeah, first mass-produced
multi-valve engine.

It actually predates the
Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Nice, strong engine, pulls really well.

The carburetors need a tuner.

Okay, well, I mean, that's easy, isn't it?

We could even go as far as
bringing it into the modern day

and doing, like, an E10
conversion, couldn't we?

Yeah, nice.

E10 conversion.

Like that idea.

It's got a really good gearbox as well.

Feels nice and positive for the gears.

Nice.

It's a four-speed overdrive.

Sweet, yeah.

Yeah, the overdrive isn't working,
though, so that needs fixing.

Okay.

Yeah, so we need to sort that out.

And then the rest of it, what?

That's not right.

No, it should have a vinyl roof.

Yeah, where are we going to
get a vinyl roof in this day and age?

I don't know.

Last time I see somebody do a vinyl roof,

I was watching Starts
Getting Up on the television.

On the Internet.

Exactly, yeah.

That's where the vinyl roof's
going to come from, the Internet.

That is going to be a mission,
trying to find one of those.

Have you seen in here?

Leave the interior to me.

All the bits of trim that
are missing, I'll get those.

And then there's the big elephant in
the room, which is the hideous paintwork.

Oh, you don't want to leave it?

No, I don't want to leave it.

I think we should
celebrate this car by going

back to its original
colour, which is the blue.

Yeah, okay.

Look, I'll tell you what,
I'm a lot more enthusiastic

than I was when I
walked through that door a

minute ago, because if
what you're saying is right

and underneath here is a
proper solid platform to build from,

then I'm excited.

I didn't want to drive this car,

but by the time I snatched second gear,

I was willing to turn around, run back,

and give him every penny of £6,250 for it.

That sounds actually all right.

That's a decent price, isn't it?

And if he was to get behind the wheel,
you'd feel exactly the same as I did.

Well, here's a bold claim for you.

Chris, the expert on these cars,

he reckons that this car was so underrated,

but he thinks it's a much better car.

than an Escort Mexico.

Wow, I think that is a bold claim.

Well, I mean, he might be right, you know.

The technology in this was so good,
so far ahead of its time, like I say.

I mean, the performance was there.

They are great, great cars.

I just don't think they ever got
the credit that they deserved.

I mean, I'd love to prove
him right, you know.

Let's prove it.

Yeah.

Happy?

I'm excited.

Right.

Let's get to work.

The Mark 1 Mexico was the rally-inspired,

sporty special edition of
Ford's multimillion-selling Escort.

It featured a 1.6-litre engine and
race-inspired suspension and brakes,

making it lightning fast in corners.

It was loved by Brits who snapped
up more than 10,000 of them.

Keen to take a bite out
of the sporty saloon pie,

Triumph launched the
Dolomite Sprint in 1973.

It was more powerful and
technologically advanced than the Mexico,

but it was also more
expensive and less glamorous,

which meant it never came close to
taking a big chunk out of the market.

But could it ever be considered
the all-round better car?

Well, that's the million-dollar question.

The Sprint's credentials
really speak for themselves.

Almost 120 miles an hour,



For 1973, those are stats
that are well ahead of its time.

Is it better than a Mark 1 Mexico?

It's a big old bold claim, that, isn't it?

But only once I get this
car back to its brilliant,

gleaming best can we have
any hope of trying to find out.

We're on a mission to get our patchwork
quilt of a Dolomite Sprint restored

to see if this 1970s-overlooked
sporty saloon could ever be

considered a better car than the
mighty Mark 1 Ford Escort Mexico.

But before we can do that,
I need to get to the bottom

of what's going on with our
electronic overdrive system.

And to do that, I need a little help
from one of my mechanic mates.

So I've got Dan sat
inside the driver's seat,

and when he throws the
switch on the gear lever,

what I should hear is
this solenoid actuating.

Before manufacturers started fitting
five-speed gearboxes as standard,

many of them used an overdrive system,

which is a bit like having an extra
gear that you can turn on and off,

allowing you to cruise at higher speeds.

So, Dan, if you want to pop
the ignition on and then just

flick the switch on and off
a couple of times, please.

Nothing.

What it should be doing
is throwing a rod in and out.

on the end of the solenoid,

and that's what engages the overdrive gear.

That's not happening,

which means I have a further
investigation to do as to why.

A solenoid is a type of electromagnet.

that needs an electrical
current to turn it on and off.

What I need to find out is whether
the current is getting to it from the car

or if it's the solenoid
itself that's broken.

Okay, so I'm going to
use this multimeter here

to test the two connections
on the back of the solenoid.

If I get this on here,

would you turn the ignition on and
then throw the switch, please, mate?

Yeah, there you go.

All right, so that confirms, then, that
we are getting power to the solenoid.

That end of the system
is working as it should.

The problem, then, means
that it must be inside the

solenoid itself because
although we're energizing it,

it's not mechanically moving.

That means we're
going to have to get it off

and take it apart and have a look.

Well, before I do that,

I should probably let Dan out of the car.

So I've been tasked with trying to find an
interior for our Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

when I bought the car from Chris.

He said, if you need any interior,

let me know, he can help me.

So I thought, you know what?

I'm going to jump in the car,
I'm going to go down and see him.

The choice, though, is whether
I go for the original brown colour

or whether I change that
colour and go for something else.

Here he is, Chris.

How you doing, bud?

I'm all right, Mike, yeah.

Good to see you.

Yeah, and you.

If you remember, when I was
last here and you broke my arm

and I had to buy that car off you,
that ridiculous scrapper off you.

Project.

Scrapper.

Project.

You said as I left

that you could help me out of an interior

because the interior
of that car is hideous.

So I've been looking
around for an interior.

and it's led me back to you.

So why don't you just unbolt the interior.

at the special edition.

Can't do that.

Let me take that away.

Not this one, this is a rare one, mate.

Non-headrest, early car.

That's why I want it.

No, but I have got some
interiors you can look at.

Have you?

Come on then, show me what you've got.

Well, can I say,

you are displaying basically the
interior of that scrapper that you sold me.

Project, Mike.

Are these the colours that were
available back in the 70s then?

Certainly was, Mike, yeah.

I need to think about saleability,

selling our car.

Do I go for originality and
go for the brown interior.

or in your opinion, what colour sells best?

I would go for a black interior, Mike.

Would that not matter
though that it's non-original?

No, not really.

Everybody prefers a black.

Yeah, and it'll have a
black vinyl roof as well.

So it would suit it, won't it?

Oh, Mark.

Okay, well that's not the
black interior I want though.

That's horrible, isn't it?

It is, Mike, it is.

But we've got some that we can
clean up for you and get over to you.

Okay, how much is it going to cost?

Seats and door cards.

You're looking at 250, Mike.



Done.

Thank you very much, Chris.

Thank you.

See, eh?

I swing round and all I do
is put money in your pocket.

All this scrap you keep selling me.

Projects.

Whilst Mike's hopefully
sorting me out a new interior,

I'm sending the car off to
a specialist to be painted.

Next, I've got to take care
of that overdrive problem.

And having already removed the gearbox,

I'm hoping it's an easy fix.

I had hoped to be able
to repair the solenoid

on our overdrive system
here, but having just put 12 volts

directly from a battery onto
the terminals, there's no click.

There's nothing happening and it is dead.

However, I've also found
out that a new one only costs

just over 100 pounds and
so I'm going to replace it.

Whilst I've got the gearbox out,
it'll only take me a couple of hours

to give the main overdrive
components a bit of a service.

I'm going to inspect the gears

and check the filters that
keep the oil in the system clean.

As the gears inside the overdrive spin,

of course they wear over time
and those particles that wear away

can find their way through the system
and cause problems if left unchecked.

The system has two filters,

this one a coarser filter or primary filter

that picks up the big bits

and then behind that,
just underneath this cap,

is a secondary filter
that's really, really fine

to get those tiny little particles
that we still need to clear out.

Ugh, that's gross.

So that is seriously clogged up.

But that's the secondary filter,
so that's the really fine mesh.

So that would have built
up probably over many years.

It's fine particles of things like

fragments of clutch,

little bits of wear and
tear off the gears itself.

I'd be much more concerned.

if the primary filter had big chunks.

So both of these just
need a good clean out.

I'm really pleased though,

looking at that one, that we're doing it.

I'm using a fine brush
and a little squirt of brake

cleaning fluid to help
remove the decades of grime.

With everything clean and tidy,
I'm putting in a new end seal,

replacing the housing and
the freshly washed filters.

And finally,

adding our brand new solenoid.

Right, well that's the
solenoid all back in.

Just leaves me one
job and that's to test it.

Connect our wires back up.

What we should hear this time.

is a definite click.

as that solenoid kicks into action.

when we give it its 12 volts.

So here we go.

And there it is.

There we go.

Great, so we've now got a working solenoid.

We've checked for wear inside,

replaced the rear seal,
cleaned out the filters.

We now have a fully
operational overdrive system.

And that's one thing the Ford
Escort Mark 1 Mexico never ever had.

Feels like the competition's heating up.

And another way I can help
our Dolomite to maybe edge a win

is by sorting out the carburetor problem
that Mike noticed on the test drive.

And Mike said that there was a problem with
the carburetors on our Dolomite Sprint.

And so I've had them in the parts where I
should have given them a thorough clean.

because I want them to
be clean on the outside

but perhaps even more importantly

on the inside.
They're a complex bit of kit.

But while I give them a full overhaul
I also want to give them an upgrade

so they can work on E10 fuel as well.

In September 2021.

E10 fuel became the standard
grade of petrol in the UK.

The difference being
that it has 10% ethanol

content as opposed
to 5% in the old fuel.

It's hoped that this change will cut vehicle
CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes a year.

Which is the equivalent of
taking 350,000 cars off the road.

The reason conversion kits
like this one exist is because

the higher ethanol content in
the E10 fuel is far more degrading

to things like rubber
hoses, O-rings and seals.

than the E5 fuel was previously.

This kit has set us
back 300 pounds.

but a recent survey found
that 66% of classic car owners

were having trouble finding
the right type of fuel for their cars.

So having the ability to fill up
anywhere out on the road should add

a fair amount of value
to our Dolomite Sprint.

I'm going to change a number
of components to make them

compatible with E10 fuel but I'm also
going to change some of the older parts

as part of a general service.

Having stripped the
carbs down I'm starting

by replacing the spindle
and butterfly valve.

These are the parts that
open and close to allow

the right mix of air
and fuel into the engine.

So we need them working
perfectly to get the best performance.

With the spindle slotted into position

the throttle disc or butterfly valve

slots through the gap in the middle.

and then what we have to
do is just play around with it

moving it back and forth
until we get it perfectly seated.

inside its housing

and it's that sound there.

That sound tells me it's sitting perfectly

it's sealing when it's closed

and I can put the retaining screws in.

Next I'm replacing
the old nylon float

which is susceptible to degrading
if it comes into contact with E10 fuel

for a prolonged time with one that's
made from a more modern material.

Now with a new float it's
important that we set that float

at the right height because
as the chamber fills with fuel

and the float rises it's that
that shuts off the flow of fuel

into the chamber itself.
So if we set it at the wrong height.

you'll either get too much or too little
fuel in there. Now the manufacturers

specify a gap of 3mm
from here, the base of

the chamber, to the
bottom of the float itself.

So I'm using a 3mm drill bit as a Gauge

and all we need to do, because
at the moment it's too big.

is to give it a gentle tweak

and bend the metal.

that it sits on.

until we get it about right.

And with everything replaced I can
reassemble the car back together.

There we go.

That's one carburetor, now fully rebuilt

and E10 fuel compatible.

So I'm really pleased with that. Of course
I've got another one to do, plus some hoses

and ancillary parts that
need changing as well.

But when the car comes
back I can get these

installed, get them balanced
and set up and fine tuned

to give our car the very best chance
of performing at its highest level.

And with all this work

maybe, just maybe we
might just be able to prove

that actually it is in fact
better than a MK1 Mexico.

But of course it's not
just about performance

it's got to look the
part too and I'm hoping

that when Mike finally brings
it back from the paint shop

it's going to be a
complete transformation.

We've got our hands on a


and are trying to find out whether
this overlooked piece of British

automotive engineering could ever measure
up to the mighty MK1 Ford Escort Mexico.

Things are starting to get interesting

because look at what's just pulled up
with a new paint job and spanking interior.

Mate that's stunning.
You like it? Oh so good

I love the colour.
It's fantastic isn't it?

It's called pageant blue,
it's a proper Dolomite colour

and now it's all tied in with one
colour. What a difference from the

hatchwork quilt it was before,
remember green, brown, beige.

What a transformation, it looks so good.

What have you been up to?

Well I've been busy, I've had
the gearbox apart, serviced it

so that's good to go and do you
remember it wouldn't go into overdrive?

Well it was just a little solenoid and
so I've replaced that so that now works.

I've had the carbs apart, serviced them

and I hope you don't
mind but I've spent about


conversion kit for them.

I'm so pleased you've done that because

I'll tell you what, that's
a dilemma facing all

classic car owners at the moment.
I can now get

those bits of course now
back in the car and once

I've done that I need to think
about that vinyl roof don't I?

The only thing that's letting
the car down now are these

tatty old bumpers, shall I
take them away and get them

recromed?
Yeah that'd be great mate, that would

absolutely finish it off nicely.
Well it's starting to

make sense now what Chris said about these
cars right at the very beginning when he

reckoned this car is better than an Escort
Mexico. I know that's a big shout. It is.

But with it coming together and
starting to look like it's looking, he

might have a point you know. Yeah I thought
he was mad when he said that to be honest

but yeah you're right, it's
coming together, it looks the part

I mean only you've
driven it, you said it was

great I'm really keen
to get behind the wheel

and just see how it compares
to Mexico on the road.

Why don't we sort of try it?

Let's see if this car is
better than a Mexico.

Love to yeah, well we can't do that though

until it's finished so should
we get it off the train?

Yeah let me get that strap.

Our little Dolomite sprint looks
amazing after that paint job.

I just hope Mike's new interior
is going to match up with it.

Oh look at that.

Look at that, that is great isn't it? I
know it's not the original brown colour.

but I've got to say having now
seen it, I think Mike's made exactly

the right decision in changing these to
black. They look amazing. But the one

thing on the outside at least, stopping
it from being a proper Dolomite sprint.

is this. It should of course have this vinyl
roof on here and I know from experience

that is a tricky job and you only
get one shot at getting it right. So

I think I'm going to have a
phone around and try and

find an expert to come
and give me a hand with it.

I'm on my way to the Midlands to
see my mate Alan who's a specialist in

electro plating. So he's got all
the skills to make our bumpers look

as good as new. Here he is
Alan, how are you bud? Oh hi

Mike. Good to see you.
Nice to see you again.

I sent down my bumpers from
my Dolomite sprint so what did

you think of them? They were
actually in quite a bad state.

And it's not from

the front that has been the problem.

These have rotted
through on the inside.

It's the rust on the inside.

that's the problem.

But we can salvage them because
we can work minor miracles. Oh

Alan that's fantastic. Now this
isn't going to be a spit and Polish fix.

We're taking things right back

and electro plating them
from scratch. This process

uses electricity to coat the
damaged parts in layers of metal.

This will not only make them look like new

but stop corrosion in the future.

Alan's already prepped the
rear bumper centre section

by removing the old plating and
sanding off all the corrosion marks.

So after a quick rummage in the health
and safety dress up box we're ready to

get to work. If I remember
rightly this is the electro clean

isn't it? It is yeah. What's
going on inside here then?

There's various chemicals in
here that are great cleaners.

the best one being cyanide.

Oh right lovely.
So you can get the pleasure

of throwing the switch. Oh look at
this this is pretty dramatic. Ready?

She's alive!

Alive I'm telling you!

As the electricity flows through
the solution any oxidisation

that has occurred since the
bumper was polished is pulled away

and fizzes at the surface.

And now it's clean and we can
start plating. But we can't jump straight

into the chrome as we need to build
up the layers of protection on the steel.

Starting with two base layers of
copper. So this should be a nice sun

and pink colour. Yeah.

So there we go.

This one's all finished.

From here it's polished to a
mirror shine because any defects

will be highlighted when we apply
the chrome. Next we add a layer

of nickel plating which gives it
the protection from the elements.

Right so that's that's nickel now is it?
That is yeah. We're almost at the very

last stage. Now the only
problem with nickel is that

it tarnishes like steel
or brass. So the chrome.

it'll just go in the chrome for a
couple of minutes and that puts on

a layer that doesn't tarnish. Yeah.

So once that's put on there then
you don't have to Polish your bumpers

every week you just need to clean them.
Perfect.

A few minutes later it's time to
get our nickel plated bumper out

and into the final step of the
chroming process. And that's it now

in the chrome tank yeah? Let me
put the power on and we'll be chroming.

It's like working in some Dickensian
workshop. If you're wondering

why this tank looks like a kid's
ball pool well those plastic ba*ls

are called croffles and they're there
to stop the heat escaping from the tank.

Look at that off it goes.

The chrome layer is not
normally any thicker than

two hundred thousandths
of an inch thick. Wow.

There is very little on there at all.

Here we go.

Right so at the moment it's very orange.

but.

this is the bit of magic isn't it?

This bit. Yeah we're soon
going to rinse all that off.

Goes in there. Turns one colour

and then it goes in
here and I love this bit.

And as if by magic.

ha ha ha ha.

oh look at that that is

absolutely fantastic.

Wow. What a quality
finish. Well listen

you've just got the rest of
them to do now haven't you?

Yeah I think we'll get them done

and get them off to
you. Yeah if you can ship

them back to the workshop.
Thank you so much.

Thanks for giving us a hand up on the
plant today. I've loved every minute of it.

Whilst Mike's off re-chroming
our bumpers I've called in Lee

who's a vinyl roof fitting specialist
with over twenty years experience.

So if there's anyone
who can make sure I

don't end up in a
sticky situation it's him.

Right well Lee we've been prepping this
cleaning the top for quite a while now.

How's it looking on your side?

Looking pretty good.

I guess it's a super
important part of the process

this because you've got to get rid of
any specks of dust or dirt before we start

thinking about putting a vinyl roof down.
That's right

yeah you want the glue
to stick as well as possible.

Yeah alright.

The vinyl roof was originally
used back in the 1920s.

to make hard tops look like
more desirable convertibles.

from a distance of course.

And even back when
our car was built in the


as a desirable option.

So with the roof cleaned to a mirror finish

the next stage is to Mark up precisely
where our new vinyl needs to sit.

Oh I see you're picking up

off the two inserts for the mirror.

That's it yeah.
Because they would have been set

in that exact position
in a jig in the factory

so we know they're
central. That's right.

Yeah okay nice.
And then we line the little knot Chuck

with the Mark.
And then same at the other end?

Yes we need one at the back.

Alright so you haven't got quite as a
definitive Mark for the centre line here.

No so we'll use
this vent cut out.

and find the centre of
that. So we know the

vent is going to be
central across the car.

You've just got to find
the centre of the vent.

That's right yeah. Okay.

With everything marked up perfectly we can
start applying the glue. Lee's putting a

thin layer on the vinyl
itself and then more

on the roof of the car so we get
the very best adhesion possible.

Then because we're
only going to get one go at

this I've roped in Dan
again for some more help.

There you go I've found a friend.

You nearly done? Oh
excellent. Nearly there obviously.

Right here we go. One wrong move here
and we're going to be in a world of pain.

And then you see that
little white Mark on top?

We're going to line
that up with this leading

edge, this lip of
the front of the roof.

So I think we need to
come forward a little bit.

I mean Lee to me that's looking
really good are you happy? I am.

We've got no air bubbles, we've got
no... Yeah that's the hard part over here.

Good well done mate, nice one.

Next we're adding a
layer of glue to the gutter

rail sections on both sides
and sticking them down.

Before Lee gives them a quick blast
with a heat g*n so the fabric becomes more

malleable and it can get stuck nice
and tightly around all the fiddly bits.

Then there's just a
few trims to make before

we can crack on with
covering the C pillars.

I'll tell you what, what a
difference it's made. You know

a few hours work I mean
what a transformation to this car.

Oh that's amazing. It really is.

I've still got a bit of
work to do of course

I need to get that interior
in but once that's in.

I mean I can't wait to show
Mike because he hasn't

seen it in this state,
he's going to love it.

Our Dolomite sprint is
almost ready to be put

through its paces to
find out if it could in a way

be deemed better than the
iconic Mark 1 Escort Mexico.

But before that can happen I need Mike
to arrive with our freshly chromed bumpers.

Hello mate,

how you doing?

Oh you're going to love this.

Look at those, aren't they just
amazing? Chroming is a dying art but when

people do it they do an amazing
job don't they? They look brand new.

What do you reckon?

Is that our car?

Do you remember it when it first came back?

Do I remember it when it came back?
I just can't take it all

in. Look at this, a vinyl roof when was
the last time you see one of them? Did you

do that? I did do it I called in a bit
of help, a guy called Lee came down

to help me out because
it's a tricky job, it

is a dying art in itself
but how good does it.

look? I can't believe it's still our car.

Yes and I do remember what it looked like.

We had a green bonnet, a
brand boot lid, beige doors, a bit of

pageant blue was
there somewhere. That's

right, I just remember
the interior. It was a

cacophony of different
colours and materials but

I managed to source
that interior, tied it all

together hasn't it?
Yeah it really has mate, yeah

he's done a cracking job in there.
Listen mate it's great

and with these final bits
on I can't wait to get it

out on the road.
Right now you remember when I bought

this car, the guy Chris said that
he felt this car was well overlooked.

and it holds its own up
against the Mexico and I

said we should have some
kind of sort of challenge

to see if it meets.

the benchmark of the Mexico.

Well I've arranged
that, I've got one set up.

It'd be interesting to see him
next to each other wouldn't it?

What I want to find out is why do people

go for the Mexico and why do people overlook
this car? They shouldn't have done that.

Alright mate, well let's get it
buttoned up and get it on the road.

Lovely, right I'll do the bumper.

We've taken one of the most.

underrated British cars ever built.

Oh yes!

That's the magic.

of a drive tolumite sprint.

And transformed it from a
messy patchwork quilt. You must

be either on your way from
the scrappy or on your way to the

scrappy. Look at the state of that.

Into an everyman classic.

Mate that's stunning. You like it?

Oh so good, I love the colour.

That is now ready to prove its
worth against the competition.

We now have a fully
operational overdrive system and

that's one thing the Ford
Escort Mark 1 Mexico never ever.

had. But how much has this
remarkable renovation set us back?

I originally bought the
car from Chris at £6,250.

The overdrive fix
set us back £104.

The new interior was £250.

The E10 conversion kit was £288.

and that's banking vinyl roof.

£520.

The re-chrome
brightwork was £600.

and finally the new paint job

cost £1,800.

Giving us a grand total

of £9,812.

But does this sprint now
have the legs to live up

to its name? Well there's
only one way to find out.

Wow.

I mean wow, it's alright isn't it?

It's fantastic. But

this is no aimless cruise
through the countryside.

The reason I have driven you all the
way down to Wales is because I'm taking us

to a special little circuit that I've
arranged for the day. Not that we can

race each other but I thought me and
you we can see the differences between

this and a little west called
Mexico so we can get out on the

circuit and we can test these
cars and see which one we prefer.

Oh mate, you had me at circuit.

Wow. That looks great.

That is fantastic. Look at that for a car.

It's lovely. I absolutely love those.

What a great example of it as well.

It's beautiful isn't it? But look at the
difference between the two. You know

that has got a split front
bumper, two lights. This is a

solid bumper with four
lights. I feel like this looks like

a bit of a meaner front end.
Do you know what I mean?

A bit more aggressive. Yeah with that egg
crate grill it does look more purposeful.

It looks like it wants to go
quicker doesn't it? And look

at this down the side as
well. Our Dolomite sprint has.

magnesium alloy wheels
where the Escort has steel wheels

with hubcaps. Yeah that's a good point.

It's another win for the
Dolomite in terms of sportiness.

You're right. You think about this car.

It's not saying I'm a
family car. It's clearly not.

It's only a two door. Yes they did a
four door version of the Ford Escort

but it wasn't in the sporty version.

where the Dolomite at the factory
was a four door car. Therefore

I'm a family car. Plus once you
put a vinyl roof on something it ages

it. It makes it a middle aged person's
car. And the theme followed on

the inside it's got a wooden
dashboard where the Escort

has got nice chrome buttons
and a deep dish steering wheel.

It's saying I'm younger.

this is saying I'm older

and that could be the difference. Yeah

but listen that is only
half the story isn't it

because those things
are all about appearance

and that's only half the
tale of what makes the car

good or not.
The other thing is how it drives

and look we're at a race track mate.

Well let's try it. Your
helmet has been put

in the car for you.
Mine's been put in this.

See you out there.

Right this is it. Time to see
what these cars are all about.

I'm in the Mexico and that's about


Elvis has got 42 more horsepower than
me. And that all important overdrive gear.

Oh yes into that first bend.

Go on son get your slipper down.

Oh why have I got you I've got you
I've got you I've got you. Come on.

Here we go alright then if we're going
to race let me put my foot right down.

Yeah there we go that's
where it comes into its own.

Look at the speed of
that sprint that's amazing.

This is fantastic isn't it.
Look at us we look like

we're about to start a
touring car race in the.



But this Escal feels so
nimble and so light. From the

outside it looks like nimble.
What's that Dolomite like.

This is really nice it's running
so sweetly honestly and

actually now just stuck my
foot down it sounds great as

well. Definitely got a bit of poke because
I've got a bit more horsepower than you.



Well I've only got 85 in
this one unfortunately.

Even so this might
be quicker in a straight

line but I think given
the weight comparison

you're probably a bit more
nimble and quick through

the corners aren't you.
Yeah I mean this one

won't keep up with that I don't
think because 0-60 in this car is

approaching 11
seconds it's 10.7 seconds.

What does that get to


seconds. Yeah so you're
going to leave me at the traffic

light Grand Prix. You are
away and gone aren't you.

The difference being that when you
push it into a bend I can see you tip over

a bit more on the
suspension and I've got race

suspension and race
brakes where you don't.

Out of those corners and along a straight

like this if I stick my
foot really to the floor

you'll be left in my
rear view mirror. I've got

a funny feeling I will
be. Do you fancy going

for it. That's what we're
here for isn't it. Go on then

fella away you go. I'm going
to see if I can catch up with you.

Oh yes.

Look at the end of the day
everyone in the classic car world.

is would be screaming
to get in the seat with me

right now they want to be in this
car and they may overlook that

Dolomite sprint but
actually in terms of figures

and what we're
experiencing the Dolomite.

should stand up on its own shouldn't it.

It's very true mate. It's an unsung hero.

Looks fantastic you know that car.
Wow we have turned out a really really

lovely motor. It looks
amazing from behind.

Come and look this is
where I've got you again.

Out of the way.
Come and get out of the way.

You know I get why people loved the
Ford Escort but I do believe after this

experience that me and you have just had
with the Triumph Dolomite sprint that car

deserves its place in history and I think
it's time for that car to shine through.

And I'm really pleased me and you have had
this opportunity to shine a light on it.

Absolutely mate I couldn't be
proud of what we've turned out here.

Oh this is fantastic.

What two amazing cars.

I'll be honest with you
when I bought this Dolomite

sprint I never thought it
would look as good as this.

It looks epic and not only that.

we've proved that it drives really
well too putting it head to head against

that Escort Mexico. The
spotlight I think has now started

to shift across to the
Dolomite sprints. Now I

advertised it out there I
think for a very reasonable

$13,750 I priced it to sell and Ibi
here has beaten a path to my door

and he's come all the way from Leeds
to see if he wants to buy it. So then Ibi.

why a Triumph Dolomite sprint?
Well I had one when I was 17

and then I had to sell it to
buy my first house. Oh mate.

that must have hurt. What a cool car
to have in your 17. Oh it was a wicked

car yeah.
So you like the jobs that we've done

to this? Oh it's brilliant yeah.
You like it?

Yeah really like it. Colours
were colours spot on.

Lovely well we've done
a lot to it. Drives lovely

it looks amazing. Well
listen we've advertised

it out there I think
at a really reasonable

price. I know I'm going to sell it

immediately if not to you to somebody else.

I need $13,750

for it what do you say? Well as soon
as I saw it advertised I went for it so.

you got a deal? Yeah we've got a deal.

Lovely. Mate you just bought
yourself an epic car well done. Cheers.

Thank you.

This car had all the attributes
to be an icon but somehow.

it slipped through the net.

But for me and Elvis it has been

a bit of a triumph. If you
want to see more cars

like this being turned
around then join us again soon

on Wheel of Dealers. Salut.