02x01 - Ford Capri: Mystery Motor

[bunniefuu]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

'I'm Ant Anstead.

And when it comes to cars,
I can fix almost anything.'

Oh, there she goes!

'When it comes to houses...'

Whoo-hoo!

'...not so much.

I'm supercharging my mission...'

[HOOTER BLASTS]
Oh, my God!

'...fixing up and flipping
eight more classic motors...'

You look like Laurel and Hardy,
you two.

'...because
the 500-year-old farmhouse

I bought for my parents to retire in
is a crumbling money pit.'

I would brace yourself
'cause it ain't gonna be cheap.

'But I won't be defeated.'

It's beautiful, isn't it?

'I want Mum and Dad moved in
before summer ends.'

We'll call it glamping, shall we?
Right, that's the spirit.

'And with the help of family...'

[LAUGHS]
I did it!

'...and my petrolhead pal Duncan...'

Yay! Come on then, let's go!

'...I'm determined
to turn cars into cash...'

Oh, [BLEEP]! Aah!
'...even if it kills me.'

Whoa!
[TYRES SCREECH]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

'The back of my farmhouse
has been condemned.'

Chuck us the crowbar.

'But the front's okay,

so I'm focusing my energy
on the front two up, two down.

I'm turning this into
an exposed-beamed dining room.'

The beams look amazing
Oh! Right decision.

'And if I'm gonna get my folks
moved in

by the end of summer,
I need to hit the accelerator.'

There's 500 years of dust and muck.
Whoo-hoo!

Hell of a noise.

He's having another go
at destroying something.

Hello?

Oh, my goodness!
What are you doing?

It was a nice room.

This was the only decent room
in the house.

But now it's gonna be even better.
This is all part of
the grand master plan.

Because what I'm thinking is,
if we can quickly crash out
this room

and a couple of the others,
we can have you guys

moved in here permanently
by the end of the summer.

This year?
Yes, this year!

You were going to have us move in

three months after
you bought this place.
Christmas the year before last.

This is called progress.

I would really love
to be inside your brain.

I wouldn't spend any time there.

I hope you know what you're doing.
I have no idea what I'm doing.

Great.

'Okay, so the inside of the house
is still a big mess...

but at least the outside's
looking smarter.

Thanks to my mate Duncan,
nicknamed "the fastest plasterer."'

My nickname - nothing to do with
the speed of my plastering.

'You see,
Duncan leads a double life.

When he's not plastering,

Duncan builds
and drives race cars.

That's how I met him 25 years ago.'

I call it a passion,
the wife calls it an addiction.

When you go to bed,
your head hits the pillow,

and you think, oh, I've still got
a few more bits to do.
Get up early, work on the car.

'So Dunc's gonna be my wingman,

helping me fix up and flip
classic cars

as well as fixing up the house.'

Working with Ant
is like herding cats.

He's here one minute and then
you know, what's he up to?

Oh, my God. All the ceiling's down.

Take the hammer off him.

I get a bit done and I think
we're making progress.

All of a sudden,
you hear bang, cloud of dust
and another bit's coming down.

How's it going?
Yeah, good.

What are you wrecking in there now?
No, this is called progress.

I'm gonna go see a car.
Can you open up the workshop?

Maybe actually sort out some tools?
Car stuff.

'With Duncan on board,
I have a fighting chance

of getting Mum and Dad
moved in by the end of summer.

But with just four months to go,
there's no time to waste.

So I'm Cambridgeshire bound
to see a motor

I reckon could give us
a fuel injection of cash
for the house.'

I've got a tip-off on a car
that I absolutely have

to go and see quickly because
it is a 1972 Ford Capri.

Now, I was just about born
in the '70s

and the fact that it's a Capri,
boom! You had me at Capri.

It's one of those cool cars.
It's the car that everyone
should at least own once.

In fact, the marketing slogan
from Ford back in the day was

"the car that you'd always
promised yourself."

'Launched in 1969,

the Capri was Ford's UK answer
to the American Mustang.

Priced at just £890,

Ford sold it as
the affordable family sports car,

shifting 1.9 million

and creating a working-class
icon in the process.'

It's a Mk1 1600 1972 GXL.

It's like the cool,
sweet spot for Capris.

There's market for it right now.
Capris are selling.

So for this sort of car,
I'm looking at mid-teens.

Now, he's advertised it at 12 grand.

I might be able to negotiate
a little bit off that

and make a 10-20% margin.

Ah, that must be our dude there.

Mr Capri.

Morning.Morning.Good to meet you.
I'm Ant. Pleasure to meet you.

Want to take a look?
Yeah, please.

'Mark's selling the car
on behalf of his stepson, Ollie.

First flash of bright yellow
and I'm in trouble.'

My poker face is terrible.

This is already happy Capri face.

Oh, my God.

Ollie bought the car
about nine months ago, I think.

So he's only had this nine months
and he's already moving it on.

That's a bit of a red flag.
It was a spare-time project,

and he just doesn't have
the spare time.
But it does start?

It does start.
I'd love to take it out
and look at it in the sunlight.

Be my guest.

[ENGINE SPUTTERS]

[ENGINE TURNED OFF]

[ENGINE STARTS]

Stay alive.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Yes!

Oh, man, I already love it!

[ENGINE CUTS OUT]
Oh. Died.

[ENGINE SPUTTERS]

You realise every time I turn
the key knocks money off the price.

Just don't turn the key.

'Not that I'd let Mark know,
but this doesn't really worry me.'

A bit more choke.

'It's most likely an issue
with a manual choke.
It's a simple job.'

She's temperamental, which I like.
She has personality.

[ENGINE STARTS]
Stay alive. Stay alive!

All right.

I already love her.
I already love her.

Do you mind if I get
five, 10 minutes on my own?
No, no, sure.

Somebody's definitely done
some restoration work in here.
Radiator's new. Battery's new.

That's not a standard manifold.

That is a four branch
tubular manifold.

Twin choke carb.

Yeah, someone's spent some money
on this.

I do worry about the chrome
because getting hold of Capri
bumpers could be tricky.

So if these can be saved,
that's money saved.

Yeah, that looks suspicious.

The tricky thing about rust is
it's hidden under the paint.

So that's either gonna be
a patch fix or a new wing.

And I don't even know how much
a wing is.

Someone's put GT badges on it,
though.

The GT, short for Grand Turismo,
was the Mk1 sporty option

and a GT would be worth
a few grand more

than the GXL this is advertised as.

People put fancy-pants badges on
thinking it'll make the car
look better.

There's obviously some steering
issues. That feels really sloppy.

Clutch feels firm.

Hang on, this car has the extra
gauge, twin choke carb,

four branch manifold.

This might be a GT.

'The extra performance features made
the GT top of the range,

and it's rarer.'

It can't be. The guy
would advertise it as a GT.
A GT's worth more.

'Proving it's a GT could push
the Capri's value

closer to 20 grand.
Meaning big profit,

if I can get Mark to lower
the 12 grand price tag.'

Do you know your stepson
advertised this as a really
specific car, a 1600 GXL?

Yeah, I'm sure he did.
But actually,
the evidence of this car

means that these badges
might be right.

This might be a GT, and the reason
I'm sharing that is because

there is a significant
value difference.

But I can't confirm today whether
it is a GXL or a GT, I don't know.

So let's say hypothetically
it's a GXL,

as advertised,
it's a seven, eight grand car, tops.

And what if it's not?

But we don't know if it's not.

Meet me somewhere.
Eleven.Nine.

Nine and a half.

Why don't I say ten, five?
Ten, five.

It's a '72 bright yellow Ford Capri.
Ten, five. Lovely.Great!

'Ten and a half grand
for a Mk1 Capri that could be
a valuable GT model.

It's a gamble worth taking.

And let's not forget,

it's bright yellow!'

She looks so good.

'I just know Duncan and my dad
are gonna love her.'

Oh, my God.
Drink it in, boys.

Mk1.Drink it in.
This is my Mk1 Ford Capri smug face.

Mega.
Noisy.

It's a bright yellow car.
It's supposed to be noisy.

Did you have a Capri?
It's the only one I didn't have.

I mean, back then you'd slam it,
put some springs on it,
stiffen it up a bit.

Duncan's always trying
to make cars faster.
Alloys.

It'll attract the bees.
It will attract the bees, yeah.

Hopefully, it attracts the money.

Look, Duncan's already loving it.

The bodywork looks okay.

The body works... okay.

What have we got here?
The steering issue
may escalate a bit.

We're not gonna sit here
and criticise her just yet.
She looks smart.

Sixteen GT.

And I know you know what that means.
More desirable.

But what did you pay for it?
Come on, how much?

Ten and a half grand.
There's nothing on this car
that screams tons of costs.

And if we can
categorically identify this

as a Mk1 GT,
it's gonna be worth more money.

So we're gonna have to do
some delving.

Someone's gonna have to do
a little bit of investigation work.

You notice the way
I used the word someone?
You're not that one.

I think the guy that looks
like an on-screen detective
in a ridiculous hat should do it.

Bergerac.
Dad's now gonna be called Bergerac.

Do you wanna drive it in?

I've never driven a Capri,
and I don't want to ruin it.

If anybody's gonna knock
the barn down, it should be you.

All right, I'll put it in the barn.
Duncan, be busy on the house.

'While Duncan gets back to
his day job,

I'm gonna tackle
the sloppy steering.

I haven't actually looked
underneath yet.

If any of the main components
are damaged,

it could get expensive.'

Well, the good news is

the dampers themselves,

the lower arms, the anti-roll bar,

the metal work looks really solid.
There's no signs of damage.

The rack arms are straight.

'This suggests
it's the joints and clamps

that connect the main parts
that are causing the problem.

A key steering element is the rack,
so I need Duncan back...'

Fixed it?
Well, I'm on my way to doing it.

'...to help me test
how it's performing

with the wheels on the ground.'

Right, just turn it left and right.

It's definitely like a boat.

Oh, yeah, you can see it now.

Now that the weight of the car
is sitting on the wheels, it's
forcing the rack left and right.

Which means it needs
a new pair of rack clamps.

'The rack is crucial
to converting turns

of the steering wheel
to the movement on the road.

If the clamps that secure it fail,
the results would be catastrophic.'

And we have a bit of up and down
as well.

'Another problem.'

Oh, yeah.

'The column that connects
the steering wheel to the rack
is also loose.

Until I fix these
potentially lethal issues,

my Mk1 Capri is unsellable.'

ANT: 'Sorting the dangerous
steering system

on my 1972 Mk1 Capri

means replacing the rack clamps,

fixing the steering column

and checking all
the suspension joints and bushes.'

Oh, my God, this Capri!

Is it going?
No, it's just spinning.

'But I'm stumped at the first nut.'

As the sun sets
on the Capri restoration.

Oh, my God, you piece of poop.

'The thread is tight, causing
the lower arm's ball joint to spin.

Getting the nut to engage
will take some extreme pressure.'

Mechanic's pressure,
not plasterer's pressure. [LAUGHS]

Yeah, hold that there.

Ah!

I know, right?
In fact, you should take that.

That's going on the shelf.
No, stuff it and mount it
on the wall like a trophy.

That's outrageous.

'I just pray
not every nut's like that.'

Okay. That's it.

Hoo-hoo! All right,
next side's all yours, yeah?

'If the left side's
a piece of cake, I'll be livid.'

'Typical.'
Am I now like
some sort of apprentice?

You got the hang of it.

Don't know what you was playing at.

'Next, we need to detach
the anti-roll bar.

A vital bit of kit on a Capri.'
Yeah!

'A lightweight back end
meant the Capri's handling

was always a bit of a joke.
But swinging it around
was also tons of fun.'

So to control some of that
steering input, this anti-roll bar

joins the right-hand side
to the left-hand side.

So when you dive into
the road's corners,

it lifts and picks up the car,
stabilising it.

Thank you.

That's terrible. How's your side?
Seen better days.

We'll be better off
just getting a new lower arm.

Yeah.The anti-roll bar itself
is pretty good.

Give it a little clean-up,
a bit of paint.

You want to paint it?
I think so.That's the spirit.

While we're doing it,
we might as well make it pretty.

I knew we were meant to be together.

[THEY CHUCKLE]

All right, let's take the rack off.

'Now we can examine
that loose steering rack.'

That's not right.

That's supposed to have
a metal cap over it.

They normally have
a little bit of rubber and a...

a metal clamp around there.

That might be the problem.

'Without the metal bracket,
the rack could come off

at any moment. At speed,
that could be fatal.'

What, is that side the same?
Let's have a look.

Yeah.

No wonder it drives like a boat.

We need the metal bit.
We do.

'The second issue
is the rattling steering column.'

Yeah, you can feel the play in it.
It's that rubber coupling there.

No wonder it's sliding up and down.

We can change it from this old
rubber. You see it's riveted in?

'While some of the metalwork
can be restored,

there's some small but vital
new parts needed

to make sure my Capri's
not an unsellable deathtrap.

So I've got an urgent task for Dad
to add to his GT detective work.'

I've got to the bottom of
the steering problem on the Capri.
Hold that.

So this is what I'm gonna need.

A pair of lower control arms,

the steering column coupling,
and then a pair of steering

rack clamps with the metal part.

These are a flexible polycarbonate,
supposed to have
a metal bracket over it.

And where's the metal bracket?

I don't know.
Well, is that dangerous?

Oh, my gosh, if that goes,
you'll be in the wall.

Yeah, this is a...
this is a cowboy bodge

that could have
potentially k*lled someone.

Oh, my goodness. You want me
to go and get the right bits?Yes.

From a 1972 Ford Capri GT.
Possibly a GT.

You've got this.

'A stunningly restored Mk1 Capri
could mean big profit at auction.

Cash that'll help me
ramp up the renovations

and get Mum and Dad moved in
before summer's end

in just four months.

But I also need manpower.'

Right, get that on. Open that up.
How you doing, man? Good to see you.

Love you, buddy.
Love you, too.

'So I've roped in my son Archie...'
Urgh!

'...to help me smash the ceiling
and expose the beams
in the dining room.'

Attaboy!
That went everywhere.

Yeah, let's go.

Oh, my God!

This is disgusting.
[LAUGHS]

There's like dead animals up here.

This is so bad.
Yeah!

It's, like, all down my pants.

[CHUCKLES]
There you go.

Never again.
Come on, that's got to be good fun.

I've got dust in places
I never thought I could get it.

When are Nanna and Grandpa
moving in?
It doesn't seem ready yet.

It's not ready yet, but I've got
this really ambitious plan

to just focus on these
two downstairs rooms
and those two upstairs rooms

that they could move in
at the end of the summer.Brilliant.

Right, get your gloves on.
Round Two.

'While Archie finishes
the demolition,

and Dad's out buying
Capri steering parts,

I want to fix the issue of
why it takes multiple attempts

to start up my Capri.'

And that's super common
with cars from the '70s.

And to overcome it, manufacturers
fitted what's called a manual choke.

This lever here
that's within reach of the driver.

It operates the cable,

and it's supposed to move that lever
on the carburettor.

'Pulling the lever
reduces the flow of air,

allowing more fuel to be sucked in,
helping the car to start from cold.'

I can already see
the cable is frayed.

It's probably stretched,
which is really common.

'First,
I need to pull out the old cable.

I'm saving time by keeping the outer
sleeve that's already in the car

and just swapping out
the inner cable.

And it only cost me eight quid.'

And all I need to do is thread...

the new one through.

Now, if I thread the new cable

through that pinch bolt, make sure
the cable grabs it, moves the lever.

Now, that should...

Yeah!

It engages that lever really
nicely and locks it in place.

'If she starts first time,
that's a big problem dealt with,

and for less than a tenner.'

[ENGINE STARTS]

[REVVING]

There we have it.
Cold start problem fixed.

ANT: 'Solving my Capri's
temperamental startup was easy,

the dangerously wonky steering
less so.

But Dad's back
with replacement parts.'

Oh, my God. How much was it?

Under 150 quid.
This is gonna transform the car.

Best 150 quid spent.
Absolutely.

'The rubber coupling in the steering
column's badly deteriorated,

so I've upgraded it to a new one

that'll give
a better steering response.'

Check that out.
Look at you!

That is an upgraded
polyurethane steering column.

Let me have it. Let me have it.
You took it out.
Actually, you can put it back in.

'While the steering wheel
rattled up and down,

the steering rack
was also dangerously loose.

So I'm fitting it
with the metal brackets.'

These metal clamps will guarantee
that that steering rack

is clamped firmly to the chassis.

'Next, it's the repainted
anti-roll bar

and brand-new lower arms
that connect it to the wheels.'

See that? That is in.
Right, that's all tightened.

That's all tightened.Tell you what,
it's looking smart now.

Moment of truth.

Right, give it
the backwards and forwards.

Tight, right?
Hundred percent better.

Lovely! Left and right?

How's that feel?
We've got ourselves a sports car.

Yes.

Nuffield.
Oh, you're going round a bend
at a racetrack.

Course I am.
Course you are.

That is done.
Steering - finished.

'My Capri now steers
like a sports car.

And if my dad can crack the case
and formally ID her

as a rare performance trim GT,
it could add thousands to the value.

So I've given him a tip-off.
Contact The Capri Club.'

[ON PHONE] MAN: Hello,
John speaking.Good morning.

I'm ringing to try and find out
a bit of information about
a Ford Capri.

JOHN: Yeah. What do you...
What do you need to know?

We think it's a GT,
but we're not entirely sure.

We really need someone
like yourself, an expert,

to have a look at the information
and the detail

and maybe, hopefully confirm
whether it is or not.

Would be lovely for me to come up
and meet you.
'That'd be super.'

If I bring some photos
would that help?

Yeah, of course, yeah.
Basically, the engine compartment,

the dashboard layout
and the trim specification.

All right, John. Thanks very much.
Nice talking to you. Take care.
Bye. Bye.

'Upping the price tag on my Capri
would be very handy

as I'm about to splash some cash.

With the dining room's
original beams now exposed,

I need specialist help from Imran
and his team of ice blasters

to restore them
back to their former glory.'

How long have these beams been here?

Well, this house is
probably 500 years old.

There's an argument
it might be older.

You don't want them
completely clean?
You want to keep that look?

Yeah. I don't want them to be
over new.

That patina heritage Look
is what we're after.

It has to have that kind of rustic
farmhouse feel.Definitely.

'Firing compressed CO2 pellets at
the beams causes mini explosions...

turning the pellets from solid
to gas without becoming a liquid.

This dislodges the dirt but doesn't
affect the heritage wood.

It's this respectful level
of restoration I want
for my MK1 Capri's exterior,

keeping as many
original parts as possible.'

Take this spanner. You get started
on the other side.

'So while Dad goes off to play
detective at The Capri Club,

I also need him to drop the bumpers
off at the chromers.'

All right, this is one of those jobs
that we both have to kind of
finish at the same time.

Really?
Yeah, 'cause it'll swing down
and hit you in the shins.

Okay, that is it.

So if you can stick this in the car,
I'll start taking the front off

and get that to my mate
to make it look brand new.

'With the dining room's
exposed beam's well on the way
to a new lease of life,

I'm hoping Imran can squeeze in
one extra special ice-blasting job.

For my birthday,
my girlfriend, Renee,
pulled off quite a surprise

after I thought I'd been pipped
at the post bidding

on vintage gates
at an online auction.'

So I was furious because...

it was a stroke of luck finding
the perfect gate for the first time.

What would be the chance
of doing it a second time?
So basically, I came here,

my dad was here,

he shows me into the workshop
and on the floor of the workshop

with a little balloon
saying, "Happy birthday"

were the gates
that I thought I'd lost.

What, did your dad buy 'em?
No, my missus. Reneee
bought them for my birthday.

[INCREDULOUSLY] What?

That's Ren, isn't it?

Sneaky.
That's not sneaky.

That's how you know if you know.
Or is that love?It might be love.

'My Capri also needs some love

to restore her stunning
yellow paintwork.'

Do you think this has had repaint?
Definitely had paint,

but I don't think
they've changed the colour.
I think it was always orange.

This is a yellow car, Duncan.
This is a yellow car.

You think this is orange?
This, to me, looks more orange.

Is everything okay?
You this is orange?I think this...

Let me get my...I want to check
your temperature more than anything.

Let me get my yellow bucket
and I'll show you something.

Now, to me, this is more of
the colour of the Capri I remember.

Here ends the case
for the prosecution.

'Before I ship my yellow Capri
off to the spray booth,

I need to check one of the panels.

Bubbling paint could just be
a sign of surface rust.

Or worse, it could be corrosion
that's penetrated deeper.'

What do you think
a new wing is gonna cost?

Genuine Mk1 Capri front wing?
Yeah.

Five hundred?
Nine hundred.Nine hundred.

Let's hope that's not rotten.

'I'm starting at the area
that looks the worst,

carefully sanding
the paint down to bare metal.'

There's good metal here
and good metal here.

There's something going on there.

'I'm gonna get more aggressive
with a grinder.'

What we got going on there?
Feels like a patch.

Do you think that's an aerial hole?

I was just thinking the same thing
'cause we've got the aerial up here.

All right, let me attack
the rest of the wing.

'There's also evidence
of a rushed paint job.

Which suggests the Capri's
had a new wing fitted.'

When they sealed it with paint,

moisture was trapped
underneath the paint.

So over the years it's oxidised
and it's pushed the paint up.

But the good news is,
the structure of the wing
is actually really solid.

This is the only bad bit, but we are
gonna be able to repair this.

You are looking rather orange,
though.

It's yellow, man.
I look like a Minion.

More like an Oompa Loompa.

What someone's done
is stuck a little square patch

over what was probably
an aerial hole.

Moisture's gonna get behind there,

corrode this area
and push the paint up.

'A proper fix will mean welding a
piece of metal seamlessly in place.'

That's not a bad first cut.
'Also known as Frenching.'

So my new little fillet
needs a little bit of shape,
just a tiny bit.

The key to Frenching, though,
is it has to fit perfectly.

These little magnets
help hold it flush.

I'm gonna let that cool down
for a second

before knocking it back
with a grinder.

Man, this is the moment that a
restorer breathes a sigh of relief.

We've saved loads of money.

'Sanding it ourselves
will save cash.

But a paint job and those re-chromed
bumpers will set me back
over a grand.

Clawing it back relies on
Detective Dad proving
once and for all she's a GT.

ANT: 'If I can get my Capri
looking the business,

I reckon there's a big profit
to be made.

Her body shell's getting a respray,

which means I now know
the official colour -

Signal... Orange.

Yeah, don't tell Duncan.

And her bumpers have been given
a new lease of life at the chromers.

After being chemically
stripped back to bare steel,

the bumpers are polished
to a mirror finish.'

What I'm trying to do
is get all the pit holes out
as much as possible,

so there's no lines.

So when you plate it,
it'll come out nice and bright.

'Next, they pass through
more chemical vats - 18 in total,

which etch on nickel
using an electric current

before neutralising,
so they're safe to touch.

At 600 quid,

re-chroming the bumpers
hasn't come cheap,

and they're not the only things

getting the premium
restoration treatment.

Imran's finished ice-blasting
the dining-room ceiling beams.'

And you're even sweeping up.
You've got to clean up.

Man, these look amazing.

Was it really caked on?
Was it hard to do?

Certain bits where you had
a lot of filler in this

so that sort of just explodes
as soon as we hit that.
I was walking past

the window a few times, and it
looked like a Hollywood movie.
expl*si*n.expl*si*n.

It's lifted the whole room.
It looks brilliant.

Legend, I mean,
obviously keep sweeping up.
Okay.[LAUGHS]

'The ice blasting
is costing me 450 quid.

So it would be really helpful
if Dad could don his detective hat

and prove the Capri
is a valuable GT model.'

I'm John.
Nigel.
Come on in, Nigel.

'John Hill is the chairman and owner
of the Capri Club International

with the world's
most extensive archive

of Capri information
at his fingertips.'

So, the car we've got is
a Ford Capri advertised as a GXL.

So, have a look at these.
Super, yup.

We've got that number...Mmm.
...but we don't have the big plate

with all the numbers on.
Well, that's it.

The big plate,
with all the numbers on, would have
told you the trim package

which would have defined it as a GT.

We think it's been lost...
Yeah....over the years.

So what is that number, then?
That's the chassis number.

B means it was built
in Britain and another B,

that means it's Halewood.

E stands for Capri.
C stands for coupe.

The next two letters

are really important. M would be '72

and the B would stand for January.
Not a GXL, then,

'cause the GXL
didn't come out in '72.

It would have had twin headlights.
Has it got twin headlights?No.

It's not a GXL.

I think the owner
was probably confused.

Okay, well, Ant now thinks
there's a possibility

it's a GT,
which I think is more valuable?

Oh, definitely.
That was the top of the range.

I mean, we're talking a 100mph car.
Wow!Yeah.

It would have
a performance engine,

which is quite difficult
to ascertain

without virtually taking
the cylinder head off.

But it has got the correct
exhaust manifold.

And it's got
the twin Weber carburettor.

As soon as you step inside the car,
you'd be looking at the dashboard.

Six-pod dashboard.

Okay, John, two big dials...
Yeah, the rev counter
and the speedo.

...and four small ones.
Oil pressure and fuel and...

Okay, so that's the six, then.

'So the evidence points
to it being a GT,

but the plot thickens.

Could it also be
the even higher spec GT XLR,

short for extra luxury refinement?'

So this package would involve
a number of extras -
reclining seats...

Yeah, got that.
...and the back bench seats

would have a centre console armrest.
Yup.

You would have a centre console
in the car itself

with a leather-covered gear knob,
a time clock.

So you can pretty much tell us,
from looking at these photographs,

that we've got a Ford Capri GT XLR.

Definitely. With the whole package.
Everything.

That's what everybody aspires to.
Brilliant.

There's no more extras to add to it,
really.

You've got the right colour
as well.Brilliant.

Ant's gonna be pleased.
Thank you so much.

'My Capri is back from its respray,
ready for the final fit-out.'

Check it out!
Looks brand new.

It looks like it rolled out
the Ford factory door.

Definitely looking orange.
It's... [LAUGHS]

Actually, do you know what?
The official colour...Go on.

...is yellow.
Yellow.

It's yellow, yeah.
Officially Ford called this yellow.

What, like Signal Orange yellow?
[LAUGHS WHEEZILY]

You looked it up, didn't you?
Ha-ha!

All right, it's Signal Orange.

'Well, to me,
she'll always be yellow.

And back from the chromers,
it's our original bumpers.'

Do you know what,
this car's really come alive.

[CHUCKLES]
Right, front one.

Don't you scratch it.

There's not a person on the planet
who would drive this
and not look cool.

'And I'm swapping out
the factory-fitted

steel Rockstar wheels...

for a stylish upgrade.'

Wow. RS alloys.See,
I knew you'd like the shiny bit.

Like a magpie,
a Dagenham magpie.Definitely.

'These alloys cost over 350 quid,

but were still cheaper
than having the old ones rechromed.'

How are you getting on?

We're there.
We are crushing the Capri game.

This car's done.
I love those wheels and tyres.

They add a bit of bling,
a bit of muscle.

We want to have
that fast Ford feel.Beautiful.

And... just the car's perfect.

So, I've got some news.
I went to see John, the Capri guy.

Spill it out.
There's no way this is a GXL.

It was miss-advertised.
Wrong year, no double headlight.

So this is a genuine GT?
XLR.

This is the jackpot.

There is such a bigger marketplace
for a GT.

It's probably worth 10, 20% more.
So do you want the privilege

of putting the badge on?
Do I need a mallet
or a hammer, or...?

If you go anywhere near this
with a mallet, you'll be in trouble.

Gently push it on
and do not scratch the paint.

'Now to tot up what I've spent

on top of the 10.5 grand
I bought her for.'

Right, mechanical parts: £232.51.

Paint: my mate did us a solid,


Bumpers: £600. Expensive, but look
how they transform the car.
Beautiful.

The wheels: £352.

I've added a bit for miscellaneous,
giving us a grand total of
restoration costs of

£1,684.51.

Which means right now,

this 1972 Mk1 Ford Capri GT XLR

owes us £12,184.51.

'But before I sell her,

there's two '70s boy racers
whose Capri fix is long overdue.'

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

Oh, my gosh!
It actually handles beautifully.

Goes all right, doesn't she?
Oh, man, this is epic!

I'm just gonna throw
my little elbow out.

I'm already there.
I could sense it.
I could sense full '70s legend.

I'm back in the day.

Oh, yeah!
Tight left.

This is absolutely flying.

It sounds great. Handles great.

Doing the steering's
made all the difference.Yeah.

I mean, it rides beautiful,
doesn't it?

It's absolutely effortless.

Someone is gonna be getting
a really beautiful Capri.

Whoo! Turns in beautifully.

I'm feeling quite queasy now.

What a great car!

Oh, man. How cool is that?
That was pretty epic.

I need to sit down after that.
My driving wasn't that bad.It was.

This car handles really well.
You see, the steering is now
completely buttoned up.

The rack is solid mounted.
The column is solid fixed.

And when you go around those country
lanes, man, it was worth it.

It makes me shudder
thinking if someone hadn't have

caught that steering issue,
you're in the hedge or worse.

And then you've got the mystery.

We have just discovered
an unrealised GT XLR.

This is an important car
in the Ford story,

but an important car
in the U.K. car story.

And that means another one's
on the road.

Our work here is done.
We are ready.

This car is gonna go
and find a new owner.

'The moment has arrived.

It's the auction at Silverstone
Festival in Northamptonshire.

About to go under the hammer

alongside 342 other classics,
from Minis to Ferraris,

is my 1972 Mk1 Ford Capri
GT XLR.

Lot number 654.'

'Cause of the colour, it stands out
amongst all these other cars.

Yeah, the orange really pops.
Yeah, all right, it's orange.

I've sold a lot of cars at auction.
And some you win, some you lose.
And that's the gamble you take.

But if this car doesn't make money,
I'll be absolutely gutted.

I feel nervous.

Do you wanna go in?
Yeah. Come on.Yeah?

Let's, er, see what awaits.

AUCTIONEER: Onto Lot 622...
Takes us onto Lot 654,

the 1972 Ford Capri Mk1


Right, it owes us 12,100.

£6,00, £6,500.
£6,500. £7,000.

Seven. Come on,
get through the bids.

£8,500. Up we go. Nine.

Bids at £10,000.

Bids at £10,000.
Why has it gone quiet?

Bids at £10,000.
Online's hovering. Bids at £10,000.

Come on.
£10,500.

£11,000. Four phones on it.

Oh, my God.
£11,500.

Come on, get us into profit.

£13,000.
Yes.

Is that the limit, then?
Are we done at £13,000?

Are there any more?

Go on, one more bid.
One more bid.

We're all clear, are we, at 13,000?

We sell the car...
No, at 13-half back in London.

They're still keen.
Oh, it's exceptional.

£14,000.
[INCREDULOUSLY] What?

No, no, it's 14.
£15,000.

[LAUGHS]
Last chance, London,

at £15,000. Gathers up.
Selling at 15,000.

[LAUGHS]

[GAVEL BANGS]
£15,000. Well done.

[APPLAUSE]

That car deserved to be mid-teens.
Oh, my God, 15 grand.

We just made 2,800 profit.

[SIGHS]
Mate, that... Good job.

Good job, mate.
I feel like we need to go get a...

A drink.'cause we've made some
profit. We can go spend some of it.

We've still got to pay
for the house.

I know. But a glass of champagne
wouldn't hurt anyone. Come on.