03x04 - Mark 1 Cortina: A Scottish Survivor

[bunniefuu]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I'm Ant Anstead.

Restoring cars has been my life.

Come on!

I'm fixing up and flipping...

You got a deal.

...more pulse-racing,
must-have classic motors...

Now that's an '80s hot hatch.

...which I need to sell
for maximum profit...

That's it! Yes!

...'cause the house I bought
for my parents to retire in
is still a building site...

Oh, my goodness!

...and still haemorrhaging cash.

[CAR HOOTER TOOTS]

But to turn old motors
into big money...

Hello, sir.

...and finally get Mum and Dad
moved in...

It looks magnificent.

...I'll need my family...

Urgh! Straight into my mouth.

...and my petrolhead pal Duncan...

Whoa! [LAUGHS]

...back onboard.

Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa!

[CAR HOOTER TOOTS]
And to make this
mission accomplished...

She's magnificent!
Incoming!

...I'll have to go...

Whoa!
...full throttle.

Yeah!

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[HAMMERING]

What are you up to?

Oh, my...

[CHUCKLES WHEEZILY]
Look at that.

I really want to look in there.
What's behind there?

There actually might be a fireplace.

You know, an exposed fireplace
would look amazing in this bedroom.

I've got a little gadget
that will cut this out
and remove one brick.

And we can put a torch in there,
see if it's full up with rubble

or there's anything in there.
Let's do it.

Is there anything in there?
I don't know.

So this is just dust
that's gathered down the chimney.
Come down the chimney stack.

We have to open it.
We have to take this out.

If it's structurally sound,
let's just remove It.

This is gonna get dirty.

Well, that sounds like a job
for you, Dunc,

because I've had a tip-off
about an iconic British car

that's got a great backstory.

And it means
a 300-mile trip north.

So I'm bringing Dad along
for the ride.

Oh, man, look.
Scotland is beautiful.

This is a long way to go.

I'm guessing
the car is quite special.

It's a car that I know is desirable

and is likely to make a profit

because it's a 1964...
Right.

...Ford Cortina Consul.

Launched in 1962 and named after
the glamorous ski resort of Cortina,

this was a car that revolutionised
affordable family motoring
in Britain.

New models have streamed
onto the market which are safer,
smoother and easier to drive.

Powered by the mechanically simple
but incredibly robust
Ford Kent engine,

the Cortina was designed
to be cheap to build,

cheap to buy and cheap to maintain.

And thanks to a collaboration
with Colin Chapman at Lotus,
this family classic

also became a racing legend
in the form of the Lotus Cortina.

Loved by families
and even the police,

The mark was so popular
that at its peak,

one in every six cars
on British roads was a Cortina.

Mk1 Cortina.
I had one of those ages ago.

When did you have a Cortina?

This would be in the '70s sometime.
The problem was

I didn't know anything about cars,
which is pretty much like now.

It had a lot of rust on it
underneath.

You know, you lift up the carpet -
"Oh, dear. That's not good."
And you see the rust.

Well, it's when
you can see the road.
[CHUCKLES] That's true.

It lasted three or four months.
Failed its MOT and that was it.
Gone.

Here we are.

This might be our man. Alastair?
Good morning, Anthony. Welcome.
Alastair. Nigel.

So you're here to see this lovely
Mk1 Cortina. It's in the garage.
Let's have a look.

Oh, wow.

Yeah!

One Mk1 Cortina.

Looks good.

She's magnificent!

Beautiful, isn't it?

Oh, my gosh.

This looks really clean.
Mmm.

You've must have done
a bit of work on this.

Well, it was taken out the garage,
and it was just given a wash.

That's it. A wash and a shammy.
She's pretty.
Yeah.

What do you know about
the history of the car?

Well, Tom, the previous owner,
who sadly passed away 2021,

Tom was your ultimate Ford salesman.

Sold Fords through the week
and rallied him at the weekend.

And he loved his Mk1 Cortinas.

Tom sounds like a legend.
Oh, absolute legend.

When was it last serviced?

Probably be 2020.

So it's been five or six years
before it's had a good service.

So what's the history
of the physical car, then?

What's wrong with her, basically?
Cut to the chase.
Nothing wrong with the car.

Alastair, we know she's not perfect.
There is little bits on the car
that need improvement.

So there's some rust
on the wing here.

Can I have a peek
under the bonnet?
Yeah, have a look.

There's a few little oil leaks,
which to be expected
from an old car.

The oil leak likely to be engine,
gearbox? Not sure?

It's probably more likely to be
engine, I would think.

So this has had a repair.
That's had a repair, yes.

[CHUCKLES]
Welded by a... a pigeon.

Can we start it?
Absolutely.

[ENGINE STARTS]

How's that?
[REVVING]

Is there a little blow
on the exhaust?

Just a feature.

[LAUGHS]
Just a feature.

Do you mind if we get
maybe 15 minutes on our own,
have a good look round?

Absolutely. Help yourself.

Top man. Thanks, Alastair.
Thanks, Alastair.
Thanks.

This is a cool car.
It's good.
On the outside,

that's a really solid,
solid Cortina.

Now we do have a little bit
of surface rust here.

That wing is very rusty, though.

I'm a bit worried about this engine
and the fact that it hasn't
been touched for six years.

You know, these have
a reputation as well.

The camshaft wears down.

Well, it sounded good.

Yeah. Until you rev it and then
it kind of labours and lumbers.

It feels like there's a misfire.

And that could be because
we're hearing something
from the exhaust.

But I've worked on
these engines before.

I just know the camshaft
is probably a problem.

Mmm. Okay.

All right. So up here,
we're gonna have a engine service,

exhaust issue...
And those oil leaks.

Yeah. I mean, he says
there's an oil leak, but...

it could be anywhere.
Yeah.

You can see how it's
the perfect family car.

[GRUNTS]

It's quite comfy.

It has a charming '60s simplicity.
Yeah.

Simple stick, H-gate, three pedal.

There's not a lot
that needs doing in here.

Pleasing.

Excellent.

The interior might be spot-on
but those engine issues are a worry

and at 7,995,

I'm hoping Alastair
has some wiggle room.

Right, Alastair.

So we do want to buy the car
but we know that there's

a substantial amount of work
and this is a car

that's not been fully serviced
and driven properly in the last
five, six years.

So, can we come down a bit?
[SIGHS]

Hit me with a figure.
Make me feel happy.

Come a bit off, like six grand.
Six grand and we'll...
Oh!

No, no, no, that just doesn't work.

Give me a bit of movement
because, you know,
this is a tribute to Tom.
Yeah.

The car does need
to have a proper restoration,
but I'm gonna do it properly

and then somebody else is gonna
have this Cortina for a long time.

Taking by the sounds of it
you're gonna put the car
to a good home,

which myself and the family
would really like to see...

Let's go six and a half right now.
It's on the trailer in ten minutes.

Okay, then.
Yeah?
Thank you.

Done. Alastair, appreciate you.
No problem.

Lovely!

Oh, man. I am over the moon.
What a great car.

We did a really good haggle.

Six and a half grand
for a Mk1 Ford Cortina Consul.

And we've been to Scotland.
Yep.
And we've got a present for Mum.

Do you wanna open it?
No, it's for Mum.

Well, we can have one.
All right.

Look at that. There you go.
Marvellous.

Oh, that's good.
Mmm. Yeah.

Mum'll like these.

[CAR HOOTER TOOTS]

That's the horn of a Ford Cortina.

Good journey?
Yeah!

We went a long way for this car,

but I think the journey
was worth it.

Well, she looks barn fresh.
Yeah, well, you know

I get a little bit romantic about
classic cars that have a good story.

Firstly, it's a Ford Cortina.
Tick.

Now, what you're really gonna love
about this is the guy who owned this
was a racing driver.

Too ticks.
He's our people. Well, your people.

And you can see it. This has
obviously been looked after

by somebody who understands
classic cars.

You know, first glance
it looks really straight.

It's straight-ish.
I know you're probably
looking at that rusty wing.

I was trying not to, but...
Yeah, but other than that,

come on, give her a little,
give her a little tour.

Look. Painted dash. Manual.

Three pedals. No frills.

[DOOR CLOSES]
Doors close like a proper car.

But under here there is a concern.

I did notice when it came in, it did
sound a little bit knocky.
Yeah.

These engines, the cam,
the lobes wear down,

so the valves don't open as much.
I think it's the same.

And also the exhaust is toast,
so it doesn't sound very good.

I just noticed the numberplate.

It's quite famous. DAP.

Go-karts and engines.

What?
Hundred cc karting,

chap called Ayrton Senna
was sponsored by DAP.

Used to race a DAP kart
with a DAP engine.

Isn't that what teenagers do
nowadays?
No, that's nap.

[LAUGHS]

Now, where this has sat still
for a while,

it's done the obvious 1960s thing
and left a signature on the floor.
Yep.

But I don't yet know
where the oil leak's coming from.
Get your mum on this.

Clean this bit of brass up.
You can get Mum on that.

I'm not asking her
to clean a radiator.
I'll ask her nicely.

Good luck.
Yeah, good luck.

Right.

The job that I think
we should look at first
and does worry me is the engine.

I already know that
the engine has an oil leak.

It left a little puddle
on the floor in Scotland.

I just don't know
where it's coming from.

The second worry is,
when the engine was running
in Scotland,

there was a noise that I thought
at the time is probably camshaft,

because these have a reputation.
Yep.

But when we pulled into the yard,
that noise suddenly got
a little bit...

deeper, like a more of a grumble.

So whereas I thought
it was top end, could be bottom end.

The bottom end is the engine's legs,
giving it power,

while the top end
is more like its lungs,
letting it breathe.

Right. First up, I reckon
you lose the battery.

Yep.
I'll take the fan off.

Problems at the bottom end
are way more serious and pricey.

At worst,
it could mean a whole new engine
and risk wiping out all our profit.

Let's take the rocker cover off.

I want to look at that camshaft
'cause it's bugging me.

Oh, my gosh.

That looks terrible.

Yeah. No, that hasn't had
an oil change for a long time.

That is disgusting.
Can you imagine
what the filter looks like?

This dirty oil is a worry.

It could be doing all kinds
of damage as it circulates
throughout the engine.

Yeah, this doesn't feel
like it's maintained
like the rest of the car.

Next, I want to check
if the camshaft's doing its job

controlling the engine's valves.

What we want to see...

is the lobes on the camshaft

are good enough
to open and close each valve.

If these don't open and close,
the engine can't breathe properly.

Right, well, my four
open and close quite nicely.

Yeah, my front four,
they came up and down fine as well.

You know what that means, though.

That noise that we're hearing
is probably not camshaft,

which means it's bottom end.

The only way to know for sure
is to look at the internals
of the engine.

If it's bottom end, yeah,

this car might already be
running away from me.

Right, let's get the engine going.
Let's get it out.

Slowly, slowly.

That'll do ya.

She's ready.

There we go.

Once the engine's out,
the source of the leak
should be clear to see.

That's it. Right, drag her out.

It's pretty wet there. Look.

No!

I mean, the sump's leaking.

The main seal's obviously leaking.

It's basically a sieve.

All right, well, I've had
enough today, mate.

So I reckon in the morning
we'll clean it down,
see what the damage is.

Ok, fair enough.

Time for bed.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Right.

It's a new day.

Let's get this engine sorted.

Oh, my gosh.

It's wet itself.

Where's that coming from?
I don't know, but that's pouring.

That's a lot of oil overnight.

Okay. All right, let's get
the clutch and flywheel off
and stick it on our stand.

[WHIRRING]

Go on, jiggle her off.

We found one of
our leaking culprits.

Yeah, you can see the oil's tracing
its way through the rocker cover,
first one.

It's definitely coming
out of this rear seal for sure.

The rear main seal
should keep oil locked in,
but this one's totally failed.

Right, let's get it on the stand.
Yep.

And then first of all,
drain the oil, drop the sump.

Oil has also been leaking
from the sump,

the engine's reservoir.

But what's more worrying
is the state of the oil.

That's pretty grotty.
Yeah, that looks pretty black.

This sludge will have been
restricting oil from circulating
around the engine...

Grotsville.

...potentially wrecking
its internal workings
and causing the knocking sound.

But I need to find out exactly
where that noise is coming from.

You know what?
It's not the camshaft.

We already know the valves
are opening when we checked on top,

and now that you can see it,
the surfaces are nice.

That takes us to the next place,
which isn't a good place.

Yeah, but a crank? I mean,
that's borderline new engine.

The crankshaft turns the pistons'
up and down motion

into spinning power
that moves the car.

So I think we take this big end
bearing off furthest away
from the oil pump.

The crank is supported with bearings
that let it spin smoothly,

stopping it from grinding
against other metal parts.

So, what we want to see
is a nice white clean bearing.

If they go, the crank gets damaged,

potentially leading to
catastrophic engine failure.

Doing a little prayer.

Yeah, that's not bad.

I mean, it's a little bit burnt
at the edge, but feel that.

So that isn't our knocking.

But there's six more bearings
to be checked.

Yeah, let's undo this centre one.

This middle bearing's the one
that suffers the most pressure.

We need a bit of
fingers crossed here.

We're both holding our breaths.
[LAUGHS]
That one's out.

A healthy bearing should be white.

All right, that's it.
I think that's out.

Ooh.
[LAUGHS]

There's a word for that
that starts with N.

And it's not new. It's knackered.

That starts with a K.

Well, that's the trouble
with being dyslexic.

Yes, it's gone through
the white metal and it's down
to the base metal now.

Yeah. That little loss of material

means that the crank is now
whipping, giving us that noise.

Yeah, that is toast.

But they're supposed
to be sacrificial shells.

They get wrecked,
but it's saved the crank.

We might have got away with it.
Right.

To be sure, we need
to give all the bearings
a health check...

Number one. Number two.

...and any more worn ones replaced.

The shell bearings are dead,

but the crankshaft...

Yeah, she's good to go.
That's saved us tonnes of cash.

Got it?

I think we have absolutely
got away with it.

Do you want to give it a clean-up
while I go get the parts?
Yep.

How comes I always get the cleaning?

With the parts ordered,
there's still plenty to keep me busy
in the second bedroom.

Duncan's revealed
a lovely fireplace,
but there's another dirty job to do.

Right, the key is, here,
hold it there.

Then let's get a tight roll here,
'cause then it'll trap all the dust.

Is there gonna be spiders?
There might be spiders.
Nah, don't say that.

Luckily, I've got
some free child labour to help.

So, are you gonna keep this carpet?

I dunno.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Your job is to take it
outside and clean it.

It seems like a waste.
I'm not getting involved
in this conversation.

I'm all for recycling,
but there's only one place for this.

What's the plan?
We're gonna pick it up.

Really?
Yeah.

It's gonna be heavy, no?
Oh, my...

Oh, it's not too bad.

Are you mad?

Ooh!
Ow.

Do you want to try and fold it
in half?
No chance.
[LAUGHS]

Amelie, I know for a fact
you've got none of this.
Are you mad? [LAUGHS]

The floorboards look cool.
Yeah, I'll tell you
what the problem is though.

If you look, the floorboards
don't actually touch the wall.

So what does that mean?

I'm gonna have to individually
take up every single floorboard,

shove them over...
[GROANS]

...which means we're gonna have
a big gap at one side.

Drop a reclaimed floorboard in.

That's a big job.

Yeah, this room is getting there,
but it keeps biting me
with extra work.

But by doing It myself,

I'm saving cash
that I can use for car parts.

Right. What do you want
to do first? Big guys?

A hundred and thirty six quid
has bought me new bearings
and an oil seal.

Here. Get the shelves back in.

I love putting new parts in engines.

So look at the state of those.
Oh, my gosh.

This is night and day.

How long do you think before
that one went bang?

Right, there you go.

Oh, it's perfect!

It's perfect!

Let's drop a little bit of this in.

Right. That is going to seal

and hold the oil
inside the engine this time.

Right, ready for the big ends?

And while that's cash
I'd rather keep in my pocket,

it's a hell of a lot cheaper
than replacing the engine.

Right. Are you ready for the crank?
Yep.

You've gotta make engine noises
as you spin it.
Rumpty-tumpty-tumpty-tump.

[LAUGHS] Not a brass band.

You've gotta go... rurrrr!

What are you driving?

At the moment,
we're not driving a Cortina.

But if I put it in, you guide those.

Come up to there.

With the engine tightened up...

Right, there you go, sir.
That's lovely.

...and a new gasket on the sump...

This is definitely gonna
keep the oil in the engine.

...my Cortina should be
running good as new.

That is simply lovely.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Ooh!

I've got to take
all these floorboards up

because there's
that big gap around the edge.

And then sand them, stain them,
wax them,

then edge them over
to fill the gap.

And then place one of the reclaimed
ones from downstairs,

'cause they'll end up with a gap
in the middle.

This one's gonna break.

Now, luckily,
I've got six or seven boards

from the downstairs living room
that I've stored in the barn.

So I can replace ones like this
that crack.

Recycling is saving me money,
but removing all the floorboards

and sanding every single one
was never part of the plan.

But as I've come to realise,
old houses always have surprises.

Just like old cars.

I am over sanding.

If I never sand another
floorboard again, I'll be happy.

Hey, Dunc.

What you found?

You know, looking at this exhaust,

it's actually not that bad.

I mean, it's got
a bit of surface rust.

The issue is this
sil*ncer section here,
and someone's had a go.

They used a bit of tin can.

But if we can get away
with only replacing the box,
we're gonna save a load of cash.

[SPITS]

Cortina tastes funny.

What vintage?

Go on!

What?

Is it coming? I'll pull. Hang on.
That's it.

It's a fighter!
That's it.

Whoo!

Ooh! Argh! You pinched my fingers!

You're in the wars today, mate.

Aah!

Oh, my God, look at that.

Yeah, this back box is done.

Someone's made
a home repair on there.

What do you reckon that is?

Baked bean tin?

I'm going a cola can.

Do you know what? The pipe,

although it has surface rust,
this pipe's good to go.

Give that a little wire brush-up
and a paint.

This should be
just an off-the-shelf part.

It doesn't need to be
from a Cortina.

I mean, we might have to
chop and weld, or...

That might not be
as easy as you think.

I'm restoring a Mk1 Cortina,

which is in desperate need
of a new exhaust.

Hello.
Hey. Is this the option?

That's the nearest I could get.

But it's bigger.
The sil*ncer being longer
doesn't actually matter

'cause I think there's space
underneath the car.

And this pipe size, I mean, that's
quite significantly off, isn't it?

But when I said
we wanted a smaller pipe size,
the guys laughed at me.

Oh, yeah, no,
no modern car has a pipe like this.

This is the size of a flute.

To make this work,
I'm gonna need a little bit
of Heath Robinson-style fabrication.

Yeah, I can make that work.

So now I want to create a funnel,
reducing from the large tube

to the original smaller tube
in a series of step-down tube sizes.

Which is gonna be a little bit
of cutting and welding.

Right. First step down.

And to join this,
I'm actually gonna TIG weld it.

It's a much more precise way
of welding

and it guarantees
no gases escape the exhaust.

TIG welding builds the joint
one tiny drop of metal at a time.

Get it right and the join
is cleaner and stronger
than any other type of weld.

Something I really love
about welding with TIG is
you have to use a full coordination.

You've got right-hand torch,
left-hand rod,

right foot pedal whilst
using your eyes and feeling it.

Okay, that's my first step down

and now I need to do it
all over again.

But the real test
is seeing whether it fits.

Ah, look at that!
Yeah?

Tailor made. Right,

tell me it reaches that bracket
on the back.

Yeah.
Beautiful.

That's it.

Oh, no!

The bracket's snapped.

That bit of rubber.

It's frayed... and snapped.

So we're gonna have to
put a new bracket on there, mate.

Oh, man, we were so close.

It's probably better it happened now
than on our test drive.

Luckily, a new bracket comes cheap.

But while I wait for the part,
there's a potentially more expensive
problem I need to deal with.

How's it looking?

It looks like... I mean,
this is obviously a rusty area.

What are you thinking?
I mean, do they do patch repairs?

I'm pretty sure you can get
a lower wing panel for this car.

Do you want to have
a little peek online?
And I'll see how bad the rest is.

All right.
I'll go and have a little search.

[WHIRRING]

Ford Cortinas were notoriously prone
to severe body rot.

Made of lightweight steel and
with minimal factory rust proofing,
many have ended up on a scrap heap.

Ha! Now, this is good news.

You can clearly see
rust-free solid metal

just beyond that hole,
which means we are gonna
be able to save the wing.

And it's common, you know,
the fact that water sprays
up into the wheel arch,

runs down the wing, gathers here
and it corrodes the panel.

So I think the best thing to do
is to chop it out cautiously.

[WHIRRING]

I'm gonna hit it with a bit
of rust-neutralising spray.

That way, the inside of the cavity
is gonna be protected.

While the wheel arch dries,

there's a never-ending pile of
floorboards that need my attention.

Hi!

I thought you might
like a drink of water.

Hot work.
Oh, man. That's great timing.

Yeah, on the face of it,
I underestimated how much work
it would take to do the floorboards.

I thought, you know, pull them up,
take them down, sand them,
put them back.

Yeah, but long term,
it's worth doing.

Yeah, it's gonna look great,
but it's probably added
another three days.

It's worth it.
It really is worth it.

How do you feel about moving in?
Do you feel ready?

The realisation is hitting me now.
'Cause it's not long, is it?

Because I'm staying here
amid the renovation,

that I'm gonna be
living with you guys again.
You know, I'm looking forward to it.

I know. Dream come true, right?
[LAUGHS]

I think I must have moved out
early 20s, 21 maybe?

I think you're a bit tidier now.
Not a lot.

I was never untidy.
I've always been tidy.

Hmm.
I always made my bed.
[CHUCKLES]

Right, I better get
these floorboards done
so I have a room to sleep in.

Though sleep's in short supply
these days with the amount of work

to get through on the house
and the workshop.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Now, this panel is roughly
in the right place now.

What I'm gonna do is
I'm just gonna tack this rear end in
and let the clamp hold the front.

And that way, between that tack
and the clamp,

I now have perfect cut line...

where I'm gonna remove the old wing.

The new part cost just 50 quid,
saving me nearly a grand
on a full wing.

Right, that's cut. Now tack it in.

That is the rusty panel fixed.

A quick lick of paint and this panel
will be as good as new.

But there are more
bodywork issues to deal with.

Mate, what are you doing in there?

I'm just doing a little assessment
on the patch repair done
on these two upper strut mounts.

And I was really critical
when I first saw it in Scotland
because it looks terrible.

The strut mounts
carry the suspension load.

Well, the welds are terrible.
This metal looks distorted.

But the closer I look at it,

the more I realise that
actually, structurally,

it's doing a really good job.

That is a solid piece of steel
in the right place.

The bit I can't get my head around
is how ugly it is.

So what are you thinking?
Tickling this back?

Yeah, I think if I just spend
a bit of time dressing it down,

re-welding round there,
blending it in,

I don't think you'll ever know
the repair was done.

I decided that because of the black
down below on the bricks,

it would be nice to have this
a matching black.

I think it stands out very well.

It's amazing

when you think that it's been
two and a half years, this project.

But it looks like we're getting
much closer to completing

the original part of the house.

It's been a long time coming.

Oh, bother.

It's 'cause I've got it
all over my hands.

Right, that is actually...

That's dressed down really nicely.

Now just drop some weld in.

For this leading edge,

I want to go high temperature,
low wire

to melt and fill that tiny gap.

Well, that's the welding done.
Now I want to grind it back.

Yeah, this is gonna look fantastic.

And this filler
is just gonna get rid
of all those tiny little pinholes,

and when it's painted,
it's gonna look like
one complete structure.

At a total cost of zero,
this is my favourite type of fix.

[KNOCKING]
Hello!

Hey, stranger.
Hey, how are you?

That's a nice surprise.
What is this?

This is a 1964 Ford Cortina Consul.

She is so pretty.

So, while you're here,
what do you want to do?

I'm guessing I'm here to help.

Grab that workbench.
Okay.

Best way to sell a car for profit
is to make it present really well.

The top of that radiator
is actually made of brass.

So when somebody, a new buyer,
comes to examine the car,
opens the bonnet,

they're gonna see this beautifully
polished, shiny piece of brass.

It's gonna be... profit.

So I need you to rub some profit
into that.
Guessing that's my job.

Yeah. So take a little
bit of that toothpaste,

rub it into the brass,
and then use that whirly gum.

But put these on.
Stylish.

Yeah, that's it!

This is actually quite a fun job.

That looks great!

It's getting there.

Now, I think that...

looks pretty good.

Oh, my gosh, that looks great!

See? Look, this is gonna go here...

Right, they are definitely gonna
buy this car now because
of this radiator.

Good luck on the rest of... that.

You're bailing now, are you?
Love you!

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Mate, how you getting on?
Yo!

Well, I'm pretty much there.

Everything's been
lamb's wool insulated, lathed.

Yeah, there's some work
in between these beams, in't there?

I never realised how much work.

I mean, that first bedroom
is child's play in comparison.

I did warn ya.
You didn't warn me loud enough.

Well, I thought I'd let you
find out the hard way.

I think it'll be worth it, though.
Having all these beams
on display is lovely.

Yeah, the floor looks amazing
as well.

Yeah, that was another
labour of love.

But look, it now reaches
the edge of the room.

So, do you plaster
down to the floorboards?
Yeah, we'll come right down.

But that's what makes
these buildings proper.

Yeah, the bloomin' labour.
Yeah.

My labour comes free,
but the materials don't.

So I need to get
the Cortina finished sharpish
and get some cash back in the kitty.

First up, fitting the rear
portion of the exhaust.

Feel that.
Oh, that's gonna do the job, innit?

Yeah, that's way better.

Yeah.
It's gonna look the part, this is.

I do find these jobs
a little bit exhausting, though.

Your dad jokes are terrible.

They're terrible.
When will they end?

They'll never end
and never get any better.

They're definitely not gonna
get any better, that's for sure.

Right, that's the exhaust done.
No rattles?

And finally time
for the engine to go back in.

How's that looking?
Yeah, that's almost there.

Down a little bit.
Okay, go on then. Lower it there.

Wahey!
It's always a great moment
when a car gets its engine.

Check it out.

Hey! So your mum done it for me?

Well, my mum didn't do it,
but I did get a member
of the family to do it.

This is the bit I like.
The final bits.

With the engine secured...
I think we're ready.

Go on, then. Give her a twist.

...at last, we can find out
if our work has paid off

and that knocking sound is gone.

Okay, you're on the throttle, yeah?
Yep. Go on.

[ENGINE STARTS]
Oh!

Go on. That's it.
Go on, go on, go on, go on.

She's alive!

Our Cortina now drives.

Sounds sweet as well.

She sounds lovely. She sounds like
a Mk1 Cortina Consul.

It's not knocking.

I can't see any leaks.

Yes! This engine's done.

Right. We're on the home stretch.

One of the things that hasn't
sat well with me is how skinny
the original wheels are.

I've bought these wheels
for 400 quid.

If we put these wheels on, it'll be
the most extravagant, expensive part
we've done on the entire build.

It's gonna have that really cool,
more aggressive stance.

All right, let's get 'em on.

Wider tyres mean more grip,
sharper handling

and a drive that feels more race car
than road car.

I mean, it does look good.
It does look nice,
don't it, with them on?

Time for a good clean-up.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Do you reckon
I'd make a hairdresser?

The outside is gleaming.

Coming up pretty good,
isn't she?

Someone's gonna be getting
a really good car.

Good history.

She's solid.

So where are we
on money on this one?

Remember, we paid £6,500,
which I think is a bargain.
Yep.

Two hundred and six pounds
and twelve pence
was on mechanical.

Bodywork, 48 quid for that panel.

And then the big expense.

Four hundred quid wheels.

And I've allowed £100
for miscellaneous, cleaning stuff,

nuts, bolts, grease, oil, et cetera.

We've spent £854.12
restoring this Cortina.

That brings a grand total to £7,354.

Yeah, I think we're done.

I think we're ready.
We're ready to sell this car.
It's a lovely little car.

And to get top money, I need to
get her in front of as many
potential buyers as possible.

She photographs really well.
Look at that!

Does look a picture,
doesn't she, in that?
Yeah.

I'm gonna get these pictures
loaded up online.

Yeah. I mean, if your pictures
don't sell it...

We never will.
...we're in trouble.

We'll have to sell it
to your mum and dad.
[CHUCKLES]

Dad might not be our buyer,

but he is the perfect person
to take her for a spin with.

Here we go.

Now, surely this takes you back.

It's just like
going back 60 years.

It's incredible.
The smell, the way it drives,

even the odd rattle.

Yeah, it's almost like modern-day
cars have sterilised themselves

and what we really want
is cars to feel like this.
Oh, yeah.

The engine's holding oil.

It's been serviced.
It's performing really well.

If I press the fun pedal,
look at that.

It's pretty instant, right?
Great, yeah.

But listen to the noise coming out
of the back of that exhaust.
[REVVING]

She sounds awesome!

And on slightly wider rims,
it feels like a performance car.

This car is actually
handling brilliantly.

I feel like I'm in a rally.
I know, this is a rally car.
Go, go, go!

You've got to be a navigator.
Tight left.

Look how well they handle.

Whoo!
[CHUCKLES]

Thank you.

It's brilliant.
Okay, that's enough.

When you had a Cortina,
did you ever get tempted
to drive it a little bit spirited?

If I'd been in the car
with your mother,
she'd have been sick

and I would not have been
allowed to do it ever again.

What do you think
about selling the car?
What are the chances?

I think this car is gonna sell
quickly and easily.

This car will turn heads.

The Cortina's online ad
has had a brilliant response...

...but it's Stephen
who's first in line.

Stephen, Ant. Pleasure to meet you.
How do you do? Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too.

Who's your driver?
My son, Richard.

Nice to meet you.
Oh, it's a tag team affair.
I don't like It.

I'm gonna get ganged up
by two people.
Let me show you the Cortina.

Oh, wow! That looks nice.

Very good.
Really nice.

So what draws you
to the Cortina market?

They were part of my era
when I was younger.

I loved them, but of course,
couldn't afford one then.

So you've lusted after a Cortina
for decades.

I've got a Mk2 at home,
which I got two, three weeks ago.

And now, if I get this one,
it will complete my set.

Do you want to see how she fits?
Yes. Yes, I'd love to.

Come this way round.

Are you here as the voice of reason?
Absolutely, yeah.
Someone needs to control him.

Oh, yes.
Look, he's got the elbow
on the side already.

Yes, this is the '60s style
of motoring. [CHUCKLES]

Oh, my gosh!
It fits and suits you.

It's really nice.

Is your Mk2 a two-door
or a four-door?

Four-door.

The two of you can have
a little father-son race.

My boy-racer days are over.

Not now they're not!
When I drive this,

I shall remember

how it used to be,
and I will enjoy it.

It's lovely.

Can I have a look at the engine bay?

Of course.
I'd love to show you the engine bay.

Oh, yes. That's nice and clean.

You've done a lot of work in there.

Right. Well,
the only question left from me is,

are you buying
a Mk1 Cortina Consul today?

I want the car.
Richard, it sounds to me like
your dad's already bought it.

Yeah. We need to work on
our haggling technique here, Dad.
Yes, yes.

I've come here today

not to give you 8,950,

but I'll give you 8,500 cash, now.

And I think, from my point of view,
that's a good price.

I... Yeah. Um, do you know what?
I'm not even gonna haggle with you.

I think 8,500's a great price.

I'm so thrilled
it's going to a clear Cortina fan.
Thank you very much.

Clearing over 1100 quid profit
is a result.

But knowing the Cortina is going
to someone who will cherish it

just as much as its
previous owner, Tom, did,

feels like the perfect ending.

How we doing?
This is the new owner, Stephen,
of our Mk1 Ford Cortina.

No wheel-spinning
on the way out of here.
No, I won't.

All right, enjoy it.
Thank you very much.

Bye, everybody.