03x05 - BMW Isetta: Sparks Fly

[bunniefuu]

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]

I'm Ant Anstead.

Restoring cars has been my life.

Come on!

I'm fixing up and flipping...
You've 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.

Oh! [LAUGHS]

...back on board.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
[CAR HOOTER TOOTS]

And to make this
mission accomplished...

She's magnificent!
Incoming!

...I'll have to go...
Waah!

...full throttle.
Yeah!

[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]

That curve's gonna look amazing.

It's nice watching a master at work.

The demolition on the second bedroom
is finally completed, meaning Duncan
can get on with what he does best.

I'm doing this with the plaster.

Some people say, "You must be good
at icing cakes."

I'm good at eating cakes,
but I don't know about icing them.

So now I can turn my attention to
the dining room,

which was on hold
while the house was a dust bowl.

Oh, my God, it's instant.
It's changed the room already. Yeah.

It's a nice floor.
It's nice oak, this.

Can I have a go?
Yeah. You fancy a go?

[WHIRRING]

That's it. That's it!

And then drop it down and go back.

You can take a break.
[LAUGHS]

I'll watch you.

I should probably leave
this machine to the experts

because I've got another little
machine I want to get my hands on.

And I'm bringing Dad along
for the ride.

We're heading northbound,
to Wakefield, to find a BMW.

It's not your average BMW.

What do you think
when you think BMW?
I think of, um,

sporty, big, comfy, quality,

well-built German engineering.

Okay, forget those,
'cause it's none of that.

It's a tiny little microcar.

The car we're seeing
has three wheels, but they also
did a four-wheel version.

But this is a three-wheel version.
A bubble car, I would call it.

The Isetta was originally designed
by an Italian company in 1953

as a compact, affordable microcar

with a distinctive
front-opening door.

BMW took a gamble
on this revolutionary car

when they were facing
severe financial difficulties
in the mid-1950s.

They licensed the design
and launched their own version,
which was a huge hit.

It sold over 10,000 units
in the first year,

helping save BMW
from financial ruin.

So what sort of money
do these cars fetch?

Well, just because it's a microcar
doesn't mean it's a micro budget.
Oh, I see. Yeah.

So some microcars
can make big money.

I mean, the guy's got it advertised
at the moment: offers over 11 grand.

For a bubble car? Yeah.

Phew!

Yeah, there's a big cult following
for microcars.

Seller Wayne is getting rid
of his storage unit,

so I'm hoping
he's keen to make a quick sale.

Morning, Wayne.
Morning, Ant. Nice to meet ya.

Would you like to see the car? Yeah,
I'm assuming she's in here, right?

[STORAGE UNIT DOOR OPENING]

Wow.
There she is.

Oh, man, you can't help but smile.

I've had it three years
and loved it.

It's a great little car.
It's my toy car.

Did you paint it in here?
I did, yeah.

I mean, I don't know how
I could tell. [LAUGHS]

Do you mind if we wheel it out?
To get a better look, yeah.
In daylight, yeah.

I'll steer and you push,
if you wouldn't mind.

Oh, my God, I've had
heavier breakfasts.

[SPRIGHTLY MUSIC PLAYING]

Now, Wayne, now that
she's in the sunlight,

you can see the paint job.

Who painted it?

Myself in my Batcave here.
NIGEL: What, with a brush?

No, with boxing gloves on
and glasses. [LAUGHS]

Yeah, it's still an eye-catcher.

All right,
what's the known problems?

Known problems is
not starting at the moment.

It doesn't start at all?
Doesn't start. Well,

it turns over and you can hear
the compression and everything.

Brakes? Brakes work, yeah.

Steering? Steering, yeah.

Any other bits that don't work?
No.

It's just that it won't start.

It just doesn't drive.
Which is a bit difficult
for a car really, isn't it?

It's kind of the primary objective,
yeah. Yeah.

Would you mind if we get
sort of 15 minutes on our own,
have a little look around?

Yeah, any questions,
just give me a shout. Thank you.
Thanks, Wayne.

[LAUGHS]
She's awesome, right? It's pretty.

Have you seen how the door works?
That's a point. Where is the door?

Ooh! Watch the steering.

Wow. Genius, right?
[LAUGHS]

Right. That's incredible.

Now, how do you shut it?
You've got to reach out to...
Oh, no, you can...

Oh, really? Yeah, jump in.

You're joking. Jump in!

Are you sure about this?
Yeah, get in. Um...

Hang on a minute.

Hmm.

Ooh-ah! Mind your head.

Oh!

This is so, um... I'm here some...

So ridiculous. [LAUGHS]

It's pretty snug, isn't it?
Brilliant.

But actually surprisingly big,
'cause we're not small.

No, and my long legs are in.
We're in. Yep.

Oh, that worries me.

Does it matter?

Well, yeah, because
it's in the field of view.

And we don't really want to buy
a new windscreen if we can avoid it.

Yeah, we don't want
to spend too much money.

I'm not sure how this is gonna work.
This is probably the best way.

Ooh. Aah.

You okay? Um, yes.

Why are you sat on the floor?
[CHUCKLES]

Give me a push.

Oy! Good man.
Thank you very much.

Would you mind turning the key
while I listen by the engine?
You ready? Yep.

[WHIRRING AND SPUTTERING]

Okay, wait there.
God, you can really smell the fuel.

I think the reality is, though,
we're not gonna resolve
whatever the engine issue is...

We need to get it back
in the workshop.

Yeah. All right,
let's look at the positives.

Solid car. Great year.
Three- wheeler. It's rare.

It's a 1961 BMW Isetta.

There's always gonna be
a market for this.

Right, Wayne.

So, in the main,
I think she's really charming.

But it's a big risk,
a car I can't drive.

Even if you had to
swap out the engine, it's...

You can still get them.
I think it's about £950.

So worst-case scenario is we're,
we're doing a grand on an engine.

And you want offers over 11.

So, let's say we pay nine...

...and unfortunately we have to
swallow the bad engine issue.

So we're already in for 10...
Ten. ..without painting it.

All right, what about
ten and a half?

Just come down a tiny bit more.

There's too much risk in the car.
So let's not mess around.

Nine and a half,
we'll leave with her now.

Nine and a half, agreed.
Yeah? Yeah.

It's so small, I can reach over
and shake your hand.

Thank you, Ant.
Top Man. Nigel. Thank you.
Thank you, Wayne. Thank you.

Oh, my God.
What's Duncan gonna think?

Oh, he's gonna, love it.
He's gonna love it.

He won't be expecting
such a small car.

But we do not want to drop
a grand on an engine. No.

But I have the faith.

Those little motors
are really, really basic.

My faith is in you, my boy.
It's gonna be something stupid.

Hello. Good morning.

Check it out. What have you got?
You got me a toy!

I know. We could have put it
in our pocket. We didn't need
a trailer. Where's the controller?

Come on.
Does that not make you smile?

Oh, my word.

This is... Isetta, is it?
It is an Isetta, yeah.

Isetta was the company
that manufactured it.

And actually, BMW took over.

This is probably credited
for saving BMW,

'cause at the time,
BMW were in big trouble.

What engines were they?
Were they SAC engines,
or something like that?

Basically a rubber band,
hairdryer...

I reckon this is gonna be
absolutely terrifying to drive. No!

These are great fun to drive.
In fact, shall we get it off?

Is that wheel all right?
Yeah, we're good. Yeah.

Perfect.

Now just let go of it.

Mind your toes.

Whee!

[LAUGHS]
It's like curling.

[LAUGHS] Yeah.

So go on, tell me
what's up with it.

Yeah, it doesn't run.

Seized? Run?

The seller said
he did have it running,
but the way I look at it,

it is a little motorbike engine,

so it can only be
a number of issues.

And what's the worst-case scenario?

We have to buy a new engine.
Another engine.

Then if you actually do really start
to scrutinise the paint...

Yeah, I did notice
it's a little bit...

It definitely needs a paint job.
And the way I see it,

it's a small car,
so the paint's gonna be cheaper
than a normal size.

Could just buy a tester pot.

What do you know about
the microcar market? Nothing.

Excellent. This is gonna be easy.
[LAUGHTER]

Because the microcar market
is really strong right now.

You know, this is a genre of car

that's captured a really cool
group of people.

So we're not gonna have a problem
selling this car, right? Well,

it depends
how much you paid for it.

We didn't stray into five figures,
which I think is a good thing.

That means we're a pound under.

No, we didn't pay nine nine nine,

but we did pay nine five.

[CHUCKLES WHEEZILY]
All right.

Nine five's all right.
Yeah, yeah.

For an original, solid little car.

It will be a great buy
if we don't have to drop
a grand on an engine.

So that's where I'm starting.

Get her in the air, buddy.
Right. Ready? We're ready to go.

That's perfect.
Right, I'm feeling lucky.

Crank the key.

Look at this!
Right, let's have some ignition.

Ready? Yeah.

[IGNITION SWITCH CLICKS]

[SPUTTERING AND CLICKING]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Stop there! Stop there!

I mean, it looked like fire.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Stop there! Stop there!

The engine on my 1961 BMW Isetta
is posing a real fire hazard.

This is like a fireworks display.

There's a lot of sparks
going on inside there,

and it's obviously getting fuel
because the glass bowl is full.

Yeah, there's a problem.

There's definitely something
going on in there.

Just like a Catherine wheel.

Yeah. Basically, yeah,
it's like a Catherine wheel.

Let's start taking it apart.

This tiny, 298cc four-stroke engine

is actually adapted
from a BMW motorbike.

She's fiddly.

Weighing around 30 kilos,

it uses some clever
motorcycle engineering.

One of the genius things
about this engine is its
what's called a Dynastart.

Effectively, it's doing two jobs
in there - the job of a starter
motor, job of a dynamo.

This combined starter
and generator is more common
on a lawnmower or a motorbike.

Turn the key, 12 volts
goes down that yellow wire

into those two brushes.

Release the key,

then these two brushes take over,
powering the dynamo,

putting 12 volts back via this
red wire, topping up the battery.
Genius.

I mean, it's absolutely brilliant.

So I bet you all those fireworks
are coming from the brushes.

The brushes should only produce
tiny, self-contained sparks

when they conduct electricity,

not a fireworks display
that can lead to flames.

So if we flick it over again
and you have a look.
Just mind your eyebrows.

[LAUGHS]
Yeah, I'll stand back a bit.

Whoa, whoa! Stop, stop, stop!

Yep, definitely.
It's this bottom right brush here.
So if them brushes are really worn,

they're not contacting hard enough.

It's that poor contact
that's creating the sparks.

But it's also preventing the engine
from starting.

These brushes are toast,
but I'm gonna clean them,

see if I can coax
some life into them.

Cleaned-up brushes
might get it going,
but I also need to check

for the spark
that every combustion engine
needs to get fired up.

We want to see if there's a spark
at the spark plug.

Right, what I think,
just put the ignition on. Yeah.

So we're putting power
to the points.

Then I'm just gonna open
and close the points
and see if it sparks.

When the points open,

they should send a high-voltage
spark to the spark plug,
completing the ignition process.

There you go.
On? On. Sparkles.

Nothing, look.

Dead as a dodo.

Nothing.

So it sparks at the brushes,
but not at the points.

All right.
I think before we go down
a rabbit hole...

let's just clean the points
while they're on the car.

See if we can get
a better contact,
cause look at them, they are filthy.

Over time,
grime can build up on the points,

stopping the metal-to-metal contact

and preventing electrical current
from flowing.

It's like old-school, this is.
I know, it's proper.

If cleaning them doesn't work,

we could end up having to pull
the whole engine apart.

Go on, then. Hit the ignition.

Right. On? On.

Oh, hello!

Yeah!

We've got a spark!

Right, let's put the carb on.

'Cause if we add fuel
to that spark,

hopefully a bang inside
the combustion chamber
and the engine runs.

That or you lose your eyebrows.
One of the two.

I will sacrifice one eyebrow

to get this car running
for no money.

Give her a little bit of gas.
Wait, wait, wait. That's it!

Oh, I thought that was it!
Go on, do it again.

She's gonna start.

Ready? Yes!

Bit of accelerator. Yes.
[ENGINE RUNS]

That's it! Yes!

Oh, my God. Listen!

Oh, man!

I'll tell you what,
she sounds sweet.

Dude, that has just saved us
a tonne of cash.

Think about it.
We definitely want to replace
these four brushes.

I don't know how much
they'll cost, but cheaper
than a new engine.

That means
we're already into the profit.

Know what that means.
What does it mean?

I reckon we should go for a drive.

Right. [GRUNTS]

[ENGINE RUNNING]
[LAUGHS]

Where do you think reverse is?

No, that's forward.

[LAUGHS] That's forward.

[THUD]
BOTH: Oh!

That sounded like something.

No. [LAUGHS]

Oh, there it is.

Yeah, we're moving!

[LAUGHS]

Oh, there's no brakes.
Right, handbrake.
Where's the handbrake?

Okay, the brakes don't work.

But she runs. Right.

Job list: brakes.
Brakes.

Park it back in.
We'll use the ramp for brakes.

Incoming!

She smells like she's on fire.
She's not on fire, is she?

Well, we've got a bit of smoke.

It's not on fire, is it?
No, no, we're not on fire.

I reckon what it was, was
we haven't got the fan
and that on it, have we?

And the wet ground's
kicking onto the fins.
Just onto the fins. I think.

My test drive might have been
a bit premature,

but at least
this smoke isn't terminal.

But I've got a brake problem
to add to the list

and a 500-quid bill to pay
for the sanding in the dining room.

Oh, my God, what a difference.

It's come up nice, hasn't it?

Yeah, it's definitely lighter.
It matches the ceiling as well.

Have you made your mind up
if you want it filled yet or not?
What do you mean?

Look closely,
there's gaps between the blocks.

It's where the floor's
moved over time,
it's expanded and contracted.

We can fill it to modernise it,
or we can leave those gaps.

Normally I would
always lean into patina,
but I feel like it's the one chance,

with the walls painted,
to have a really nice floor.

Okay, we'll fill it then.

Using a mix of sawdust and resin
will give the perfect finish,

but sadly, the same
can't be said about the Isetta.

Before tackling the brakes,

I want to deal with
this terrible paint job.

Are we agreed if we want to get
top money for the Isetta,

we cannot leave the paint like this?
No.

I mean, if it was orange,
it would be an orange.

It actually would be.
The texture of it.

I think we go to the extra effort
of removing the body.

That way, the body can go off
the body shop... Yep.

...leaving us to do
the mechanicals on the chassis.

Sounds like a plan.

Look, they're just loose cushions.
There you go.

[LAUGHS]

That is the quickest interior strip
I think of any car I've ever done.

You know there's a bit
of an urban myth,

that because Isetta
we're a company that made fridges...
Yeah.

...people think that
this is a door from a fridge,
but it wasn't a door from a fridge.

It wasn't?
No, it's just an urban myth.

Bit like your wallet.

Go on!

Oh, my gosh.

You got that. Got it.
You look a picture.

Hi.
[CHUCKLES WHEEZILY]

Now, if we're gonna get that body
off, we're gonna have to detach that
steering box and pedal assembly.

I've just worked out
why that steering
and pedal assembly is so robust.

Because inside there,
there's obviously,
like, a screw gear.

So when you rotate
the steering wheel, look,

that whole unit moves up and down.
But when the unit is bolted
to the car,

that up and down movement
moves that arm.

That's genius.
They packaged the whole
steering system inside that casting.

I think that's it.

Put your back into it!
Actually, you don't need to.

Is it... Is it off? Yeah.

[STRAINING]
Oh, my life!

Go, go! Put it on the palette.

The body weighs around 70-100 kilos,

which, ironically, is the same
as your average fridge-freezer.

[EXHALES] Oh!

That's it.

Oh, my God, look at the chassis.

[LAUGHS] I can't believe that is it.

It doesn't look as big as a go-kart.

It's basically
a supermarket trolley.

Minus one wheel.

Well, they did do some with four
wheels, actually, 'cause initially,

the three-wheeler
was prone to rolling over,

so they added a second wheel
on the back. Quite tight together.

It still had a problem.
So they put the engine on one side,

which counteracted
the balance with the driver,
so it distributed way better.

Yeah, it's bonkers, innit?

Dad's taken the body off
to the paint shop,

so with the engine fully accessible,

I can get on with replacing
the faulty brushes
on the Dynastart.

Twenty-two quid is a bargain
to stop my Isetta
going up in flames.

Now, the brush itself is held in
by this tiny little spring there.

The tension on that spring forces...

that brush to lean
against that copper contact.

But you compare
the length of the old one

to the length of the new one,
you can clearly see

that brush has worn down
over years and years of use.

This is gonna make
all the difference.

Now if I hold that spring back
out the way, this new brush...

simply slides in,

and then the spring,
it's forcing it to make contact.

That's gonna work well. I mean,
the nature of two hard surfaces

touching each other
while it's rotating, it's
ultimately designed to wear down.

It's a really quick fix,
and it's gonna stop
all those sparks.

Next up, new points.

And the points
as they open and close,
make or break the circuit

that sends a signal to the coil.

The coil creates a spark,
sending it down to the spark plug

igniting inside the chamber,
forcing the piston down.

So none of that works
without points working.

Now, we did get kind of lucky
with these old points.

Putting a bit of abrasive between
the contact there actually

somehow got them firing and sparking
and made our vehicle drive.

But to get rid of that uncertainty,

just over £15
seems like a pretty good price
to pay for that reliability.

Now, they mount...

...on this little bracket.

Now, that little job is gonna
get rid of all the drama,

all the sparks and the fire hazard,
plus make our car more reliable.

But just when I think I've
turned the corner with the car...

Ant? Yes?

...there's a problem
with the back end of the house.

I noticed the water pressure
was low when I used the hose.
Right. And we've got a problem.

It's wet under there.
Parched and dry here, wet there.

So where's it coming from?

That is wet.

And this area is green,
and the rest of the grass
is dry and parched.

Now look in the dairy.

Yeah, we have a leak.

That's a lot of water.

In fact, look,
it's damp under here.

I think we've got something major,

but how is it getting through
to the dairy?

It'll soak through,
and being such an old house,
the foundations are quite low

and it's now just rising
into the dairy floor.
Must be saturated.

Yeah, that's a big leak.

Now, I remember we ran a hose
from the mains in the road

under the ground in the front garden
to about here to a T-joint.

One went off to the garden
and one fed the main house.

There's a leak underground
here. Under there somewhere.

Yeah, we've got to dig a hole.

This is the last thing I need
right now.

With everything else going on.

But the leak's gonna have to wait

because I need to get
the Isetta chassis sorted

so it's ready
for the freshly-painted body.

So I reckon what we do is
give it a degrease, clean-down,

get a wire brush out,
get the chassis back to black,
and then put a load of focus

into making the engine
bright and shiny. All right.

Bagsy the engine.
All right, I'll do the chassis.

Structurally, the Isetta is a mashup
of motorbike and scooter engineering
disguised as a car.

It's gonna look nice.
Shiny.

This hybrid DNA can be seen
in its tiny wheelbase,

motorcycle engine mounts,
lightweight rear drive line
and simplified suspension.

I'd like to know the person

that thought taking a wheel
off a car was a good idea.

Well, they didn't take it off a car,
they added it to a moped.
Well, you can look at it both ways.

[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]

Right. This is done.

It looks fantastic. Looks brand new.

Yeah, nearly. Just got
a little bit more to do on this.

Another half hour and I'll be done.

I'm not even gonna argue with you.

With Duncan putting in
overtime on the chassis

and my mate Gav prepping the body,

there's just one big decision
to make.

Gav, how you doing?

I'm all right.
I can see in the background -
is that the Isetta in primer?

Yeah, it's in primer, so ready
for a choice on the colour.

So we either do it like
a really bright colour

so we attract a
certain type of buyer,

somebody that's likely to pay,
you know, really top end for it.

Or we have to stick with originality
because originally the car was grey.

The thing is that if you start
going down the wild colours,
you're gonna limit your market.

So the things that always work
with a classic car like this

is the blues, it is the old
English whites, it is the greys.

Could you show me
a walk around of the car?
It's in grey primer right now,

so we can get at least
a sense of it. Yeah, sure.

You know, it's not gonna be
far off of what it is.

Oh, great. So we've finished.
That's half the price, right?
[CHUCKLES]

Well, we have actually got
a RAL 7047

'cause we painted a commercial
vehicle not so long ago,

so there is enough there.

What, you've got the paint
already, left over?
Yeah, we have.

If you're happy with the colour,
we'll put it on the car.

Trust me, it will look the part
when you see it.

It really is a nice grey.

Right, I trust you.

[SNAPS FINGERS]

Anything to save a few quid.

[LAUGHS] Deal done, then.
Cheers, dude.

My God, it goes on so quickly.

I wish cars were this quick
to paint.

As long as you're not
being slapdash.

There's something really
therapeutic about painting.

You don't need to think
about it very much

while you're doing it.
It's idiot-proof.

Mmm, not quite.

Well, as you know, Ant,
every time we've moved,

I'm the one
that's done the redecoration.

I know. Please notice
that I've not asked Dad
to come and help. [LAUGHS]

[OWL HOOTS]

[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]

Hey, Dunc.

Well, that looks good.
Done a lovely job on that,
haven't they?

Yeah, it looks sensational.

Right.

[CHUCKLES] It looks so good.

Well, before we put anything
nice on the car, I suggest
we do the grubby jobs first.

Yep. So let's tackle the brakes.

[WHIRRING]

What have we got?

You're off?

Yeah, that's not bad.

Yeah, that drum, that'll go again.

Shoe's got loads of life in it.
Yep.

Oh, look.

There's the leak.

No wonder it wasn't braking.

When the brake cylinder leaks,
it loses pressure

and can't push the brake shoes
hard enough to stop the wheel.

So I think in here
we can keep the drum,

keep the shoes.

Let's just get a new cylinder.

All right, well,
I'll tackle this bit.

Are you gonna make that look pretty?
Yeah.

And you sort that bit out.
Okay.

Even though this was a German car,
they borrowed the brakes

off British brands
'cause these are
a standard Girling part.

So I can get them off the shelf
because they fit other cars
like Reliant, Nash,

even a Ford Anglia.

Oh, yeah. I mean, this is grubby.

It's leaking.

Yeah, this sl*ve cylinder is toast.

To make sure
the Isetta's safe for the road,

I'm gonna change
all the brake cylinders.

But while I'm waiting
for the new parts,

I need to do something
about the leak in the garden.

It's definitely damp. Oh, man.

Well, I found the pipe.

So I know, 'cause I remember it
going down,

the main water pipe comes in
and tees off somewhere around here.

But look, the earth here is dry,

but it's getting progressively
wetter the closer to the house.

Right.

You know what that means.
There's a leak.

Yeah, we've got to dig a hole
closer to the house.

Found it?
Er, yeah, I found it.

Look at that.
Look, there is a joint.

Yeah, look at that. It's soaking.

Reckon you've found our problem.

Right, so I reckon just
a little tighten up on that.

Why is there a joint there?

Plumbers. Who knows?

I mean, it's definitely leaking.

Right, if you clean up around there,
I'll go and get some grips
and get it tightened up. Okay.

There you go.

All right. Give that a...
Get in there. [CHUCKLES]

You do know this could go two ways.

We could go to tighten it...
[CHUCKLES WHEEZILY]

...and it could open up even more.

Right, get that on there.

Then you go this one up
and that one down.

That's it.

Right.

Do you think that's worked?
Well, only one way to tell.

Leave it for a day
and see what happens.

Man, I hope that's fixed
the leak.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

What do you reckon?

Well, I mean...
Fifty-fifty?

If it hasn't fixed it, I don't know
what the other plan is, other than
digging the whole pipe up.

I mean, it's definitely dry here.

Oh, yeah.
Yeah, that joint is bone dry.

You know what that makes us?
Plumbers.

Plumbers.
Right, it's fixed.

Shall we backfill it?

Man, that is a load off my mind.

Don't think you're
getting away scot-free.

Half and half.

Fair.

With one disaster averted,

I can turn my attention back
to the failed brakes on the Isetta.

Now, someone's put bathroom sealer
behind it as well.

That's always helpful on brakes.

Yeah, yeah, really helpful.

A bit of brake cleaner
and some elbow grease

should get rid of the bodged
bathroom sealer.

Hey, Dunc, do you want to clean
this little brake pipe up as well?

Be rude not to,
while we're in there.

Make it all look pretty.

This level of extra detail
will definitely make
our car more sellable.

[WHISTLES] Hey-hey!

Ooh, lovely.

Here you go.
And look what else turned up.

Have they just arrived? Yeah.

[RATTLING]

Smashing!

I'll get this side fitted up.

Shiny parts, my favourite.

And they even come
with a little gasket.

No bathroom sealer needed
on this one.

This set of four brake cylinders
cost around 40 quid.

And the reason it's really easy
to get hold of these parts
is they are consumable.

They will perish over time
and they're built to be replaced.

Now, modern cars require braking
to be predominantly
on the front axle.

You want the bias to brake
mostly on the front because it
brings the car to a controlled stop.

Now, this car automatically
has a front axle bias,

because it's got twice the wheels

and, in other words,
twice the brakes on the front.

Once the new cylinders are in place,
the brake pipes need reconnecting.

And with the brake shoes and drum
refitted, this little car
should stop as well as she starts.

That is it. Brakes are done.
Yeah.

But before I can get this bubble car
back on the road,

there's a critical element
that needs addressing.

And because it was adapted
from a motorcycle engine,

it's very particular to the Isetta.

Now, this Isetta Is driven by
the rear wheel only.

It takes power from the engine

and inside this casing
converts that power via a chain.

It's very similar
to motorbike technology.

The problem with chains is,
over time they can stretch
and get slack,

which is exactly
what has happened with our Isetta.

That play there is because the chain
is loose with inside that housing.

Now, behind here
should be enough of a window...

...to see the chain.

The chain has got
tonnes of slack in it.

And that is really gonna diminish
the driving experience.

If too loose, the chain would snap,
wrap around the sprocket,

lock the wheel
and force the car off the road.

Now, the good news is
I set a plan ahead for this
with this bracket here.

Now, this bracket
is actually eccentric.

That means the pivot point
is slightly off-centre.

So by undoing the retaining bolt,
moving the bracket up,

it moves the top cog
that holds the chain away,
increasing the distance

between the chain's two cogs
and actually taking up that slack.

So by moving the bracket up a notch,
the chain is tightening.

Oh, almost there.

Yeah, that feels pretty perfect.

Right, I'm gonna lock that in place.

Right, that is gonna change
the driving experience.

The engine power is gonna engage
that rear wheel straightaway.

Hiya, Ant.

Hey! Check it out.

Oh, they're lovely.
Oh, I like this as well.

Yeah, a matching brass,
it's called a gallery rail.

So you can put knickknacks and bits
up there and they won't fall off.
I can put my treasures up there.

Panels look great.

Are you pleased with them?
Really pleased with them.
The room looks amazing.

The green really lifts it.
But I did notice,

can you see this bit here?
Oh, dear.

Is that actually...

That's one of the casualties
of Mum's painting.
No, that will come off.

But if that's the only splash,
I think we've done well.
Yeah, it's a miracle.

I want to get the Isetta
up for sale sharpish

to help cover
the latest house bills.

But there's a problem
to solve first.

The car's looking fantastic,
but what is gonna let it down
is that scratch on the windscreen.

Mmm. The problem is,

I did a bit of research
on a new windscreen.

How much
do you think they cost?

Two, three hundred?

It was 700 euros,
and there's a major delay.

Yeah, we ain't got 700 in this.
Yeah, we do not want to spend 700.

Plus, we don't really wanna commit
to a new one without at least
trying to polish out the old one.

I may be saving £600
doing this myself,

but one slip with my buffering tool,
and I could be back to square one.

See, we don't want to go in the
same area for too long because if it
gets too hot, it will just explode.

Because it's a curved screen
so if we was to polish

a little bevel into it,
the light will refract differently,

and you'll end up with this kind of
weird zone of wonky glass.

All of a sudden, the road looks...
wonky.

Do you know what,
it has softened it a bit.

This has to be the best part
of a restoration.

Putting it back together
with some nice shiny bits.

Oh, look at that!

She looks so pretty!

You done there? Yeah.
This should close.

Finally, the piece de resistance.

Or as the Germans
at the Bavarian Motor Works
would say, the glanzstuck.

The finishing touch.

Our work here... is done.

I'll tell you what, she's cosy.

As always, I have prepared
the finances for this car. Yep.

Refresher for our 1961 Isetta.

We paid nine and a half grand,

which I think's solid
in today's market.

Mechanically, we spent £224.88.

Nice shiny bits
towards the back of the car,



The biggest expense was on paint.

But my mate already had the paint,
so he did us a favour,
charged us 500 quid.

Then I put in 100 quid
for everything else.

So that brings us to
a grand total spent of £914.88.

So, little spend for a little car.

Well, I wish it was that way.
But a big profit.

Well, hopefully,
because the total spent,
including the car, was £10,414.88.

Basically, it owes us
ten and a half grand.

But we have to take it for a drive.
We've got to take it for a drive.

We have to.
We have to take it for a drive.

[LAUGHS] Where are the keys?
You have got the keys.

They're on the bench.

How are we getting out?

Woo-hoo!

She's back on the road!

[LAUGHS]

It's hot, it's sweaty.

I love it!

Oh, my life! This is brilliant.

This is brilliant.

I'll tell you what,
it's definitely an adventure.

The steering input
is so strange because...

...it doesn't move,
and then all of a sudden it turns.

Well, let's see how it corners.
I'd rather you didn't.

Whoa, terribly.

It corners terribly.

I don't know whether
this is more terrifying than
a motorbike and sidecar.

Well, it basically is a motorbike.

Oh, you're not doing the main road!
We have to go on the main road.

Really? Yes.
It's one way to fully test this car.

Oh, my God.

We're in fourth gear.

We're doing 30,
and it feels like 130.

I mean, it's not gonna get anywhere
in a hurry, is it? [LAUGHS]

We're not gonna get
a speeding ticket.

When you consider that this car
hasn't driven for years

and the first time we start it up,
it basically catches fire,

we've come a long way.

The reason we've set off
with plenty of time

is there is a car show...
at a nearby village.

Is it this week?
[LAUGHS]

No, we'll get there.

And I've been advertising this car,

so I've had a couple of
little nibbles. Yeah?

And I've got one fella
who looks very, very interested

who is gonna meet us
at the car show.

Well... Well, we made it. Phew!

It's busy, innit?
Well, it's busy, yeah,

because it's a hot summer's day
and people love classic cars.

It's the perfect backdrop
for us to sell our Isetta.

Anything over ten and a half grand
will cover the costs.

Any more will be a welcome
cash injection for the house.

So I'm asking Ant and Jo
for twelve and a half grand.

So, what do you think?
First impressions?

It's lovely. It's in
really nice condition.

What would put a couple
in the market for an Isetta?

Well, I mean,
we actually need a, a car

to, er, to actually
promote our business.

Oh, you want it as
a promotional vehicle?

Yeah. I think it's
very eye-catching

and I think it's
just what we could use.

So the plan is to have
a promotional vehicle.

You're gonna put signwriting
down it, drive it around town
and promote your business?

Just gets people to look,
basically.

Take it to shows,
start conversations with people.

What have you done with the car?
It's had a full body of restoration.

There were starting problems,
we got it starting.

Braking issues,
it's now braking really well.

It's lively to drive.
It's loads of fun to drive.

We drove it here. To this car show.

The question is, am I walking home
from this car show today

and you're driving the Isetta home?
Does she interest you?

I mean, I do think it... it will do
what... what we're looking for.

I've advertised it, as you know,
for 12,500.

I would love somebody
to leave with her today.

I'd love it to be you guys.

There are a few things
I'd like to do to it,

I'd feel more comfortable
driving it with wing mirrors.

So I'm thinking 11,000.

Oh, come on. You can't buy
wing mirrors for £1500.

Twelve. I'll knock 500 off.

How about meet you in the middle?

What, 11,500?

All right. Guys, 11,500, it's yours.
Thank you. I hope you're not
giving our car away.

Um, we've done a deal.
We are not driving this car home.

Good job it's not far to walk.

They might be able
to give us a lift.

Right, we're gonna go
and enjoy the rest of the car show.
There might be another car for sale.

Well done.
Congratulations, guys.

Thank you. Drive safe.

That means we can have
a couple of beers.

We can have three beers.

We've just made
over a grand's profit.