03x12 - Fiat X1/9: A Project in Pieces

[bunniefuu]

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]

I'm Ant Anstead.

I've spent my life
bringing iconic cars
back from the brink.

Yeah!

But now, every flip...

Hi!
What the hell you got there?

...needs to make maximum profit...

No way I'm paying you
eight grand for this.
There is a number here.

...because after three years,

I've finally got Mum and Dad
moved in.

Cheers.
[MUGS CLINK]

That wall is wobbly.

Is that safe?
Define safe.

But there's still a tonne of work
to be done.

There will be a point
the roof will just give up.

But to turn these bangers
into big bucks...

We in the scrap business now?
Don't be like that!

...and keep this renovation
on the road...Look out, Arch!

Doesn't it look great?
It looks amazing.

...I need my family,

and my mate Duncan on the tools.
That's sweet, that is.

Because failure...
[GEARS GRINDING]

The wheels don't fit.
We have a problem.

...isn't an option.
There we go!

Oh, yeah!

Whoo-hoo!

What a day!

[GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING]

Oh, my goodness. Typical Anthony.
Doesn't tidy up after himself.

Mum, Dad and I are getting used to
living together

for the first time
since I was a teenager.

And to make up for the fact I've
moved them into a building site,

I'm building a greenhouse
at the back of the garden

as the perfect peaceful retreat.

Wow. Look at that.

Right, careful.

Go on, then.

Ooh! Don't drop it.
I thought you had it.

What could possibly go wrong?
Yeah.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The greenhouse
is going to be beautiful,

but I need a new project
to bring in some cash

to help fund it.

So I've hit the road with Dad

as a mate has tipped me off
about a potential deal.

Right, northbound, please.
We're heading to Grantham.

Okay.
I don't think I've ever been
to Grantham before.

It's in Lincolnshire, up the A1.
I have got my eye on

a very, very wonderful car.

A car I remember
from my childhood.

It is an Italian sports car.

Italian? Well, that narrows it down.

Is it a Ferrari?

We are not buying a Ferrari.

We're going to see a Fiat X19.

You don't know what that is,
do you?No, except it's a Fiat.

I think you'll remember it, 'cause
one of my early childhood memories

was when you worked at
Haileybury School in the kitchen,

and one of the cooks,
he had a gold Fiat X19.

And he took me for a spin
down Hailey Lane.

And you know Hailey Lane
is a narrow, windy lane.

And he went too fast.

I mean, it was a spirited drive,
but it stuck with me.

Ever since then, I've been
fascinated with these cars.

And then later,
when I was old enough,
I ended up owning two X19s.

Launched in 1972, the X19
was quickly dubbed a baby Ferrari.

It had the wedge shape,
engine behind the seats,

and at barely 900 kilos,

it didn't need huge power
to be great fun to drive.

Around 15,000 were sold in Britain,

but the infamous Fiat rust curse
has taken a heavy toll.

Today fewer than 300
are licenced for the road,

so finding a really good one
is becoming increasingly difficult.

How old is this car?

The one that we're going to see
is 1987.

Isn't it gonna be a rust bucket?

Er, the chances are there is gonna
be some rust in this car, yes.

If bits are missing,
we're gonna have a pain point.
We might have to leave.

But despite the rust risk,
the chance to own one
of my favourite ever cars

for the first time in two decades
is too good to pass up.

We're meeting Phil,
who's had the car for two years.

Hello. Good morning.
Phil?Phil, it is.

I'm Ant. My dad, Nigel.Hi, Nigel.
Good to meet you, Phil.
Nice to meet you, too.

This is probably a good sign.
A Porsche on the drive.
But I'm here for a Fiat.

I guess you want to have
a look at it? Yes, please.Right.

I'm pleased
the Fiat makes the garage
and the Porsche is on the drive.

Oh. Okay.

I expect you're wondering
why it's on its side.
And in pieces.

[CHUCKLES]

Well, you can see I have
a bit of a storage problem

in terms of the bikes and the car,
so this was a storage solution.

This is actually
a positive thing for me.

I wish all cars were on their sides.
I can have a look underneath.

Before I have a peek around,
give me the history.

So I was on the sofa.
I'd had a glass of wine or two,
and I started looking online

at various kind of classic cars,
and so one thing led to another.

And all of a sudden,
you're the proud owner

of a hangover and an X19.

And then a couple of days after
that, I got some new shiny wheels
which are behind you,

and I put those on,
I took it out for a spin,
and then it started to misbehave.

It just about made it
onto the drive.

And I think what has happened
is that the head gasket has gone.

But you got as far
as taking the engine out.

Did you take the engine out?
I did.

But you've only taken it out
and not investigated any further.

I've only investigated it
in as much as it turns over.

So how long ago was that?
That was just over two years ago.

Buying a car with the engine out
means this will be no quick flip.

But I've noticed
some interesting upgrades
strewn across the floor.

Because I'd taken the engine out,
I decided that I was gonna
possibly do a few upgrades.

I got a water-cooled manifold,
which is a good thing,

and a tubular exhaust manifold.

Toys. You got toys.Yeah.

I think that's the most rust-free
Fiat X19 I've ever seen.

Do you mind if we put the wheels on
and maybe get it on the wheels
so I can have a look inside?

Yeah, absolutely.
Are you up for that?

Yeah, well, yeah.

I mean, it'll be a bit
of messing around,
but there are three of us.

Right, Dad, are you 100% clear?
Yeah, I'm good.

Just remember, get in that corner.
All right, you got it?

[GRUNTS]
Yay!

Oh, my gosh. Whoo!

Imagine if that was a heavy car.

Well, I tell you what,

would you mind if we get, say,


I'll leave it with you.

Look at the engine bay.
I mean, there's no rust at all.

That's where the engine goes?
Where it should be, in the middle.

This is a removable roof.
In fact, this... this turns our Fiat
into a convertible.

Ooh.

And then this should fit
under the front.

Something like that.

You see, that's a proper car.
Two seats, convertible.

If I was 50 years younger.
No, you could drive this now.

I couldn't get in it with my knees.
You know I can't.
It's beautiful though.

All right. So we are gonna be
dealing with an engine issue.

Phil says head gasket.

But until we get into it,
it could be anything.

Worst-case scenario?

Worst-case scenario is a new engine.

And then you've got the problems
with a car that hasn't run
for so long.

Any consumables,
rubbers, bushes, bearings,

fluids, bumpers need to go on.
They might not fit.

And hopefully the gearbox works.

Is it financially worth it?

I mean, he wants 5,750.

And with all the bits, the upgrades,
the quality of the car, I...

...I'd be happy at 5,750.

But we should negotiate a little bit

because we are taking a punt
on the engine.

But that is a risk.

Solid, isn't it?

Well, no, she doesn't drive.
[LAUGHS]

That's my pre-haggle conversation,
because as wonderful as she is,

there are still a few concerns.

I don't need to tell you what
they are because you told me.

You say head gasket,
but we really don't know.
I don't know for sure.

It's not a sophisticated engine,

so pretty much whatever it is,
it's not gonna be
that difficult to fix.

This is his sales patter.
Simples.

Yeah, yeah, super simple.

All right, you've got her up
for 5,750, right?Yep.

All right. Well, if you throw
in the wheels, all the extra bits,

we'll just knock a grand off,


Nice and easy.Nice and easy
for you. But it needs to be
a bit more than that.

Five grand. That's £5,000.

I'll scoop it all up now,
take it away,
you've got your garage back.

Okay, you've got a deal.
Yeah?Yep. Done.

Good man. Shake the man's hand.
Thanks, Phil. You're welcome.

[WHIRRING]
Hey, Dunc. Dunc. Dunc!

[WHIRRING STOPS]
You don't need to give me a hand.
This one's really light.

Look at that!
I can see why you're pushing it.

But are you having a laugh?
What?

We've got no engine.

No, I have the engine.
It's just not in the car.

Is it in the boot?
No, it's in my car.

This is a 1987 Fiat Bertone X19.

Classic '80s Italian sports car.

Wedge shape, cool colours.

Engine's in the right place.

Mate, the engine's not
in the right place.

It's not even behind the driver.
It's not even in the car.

It's in the back of your van.

When the engine's in there,
it's in the right place.

He done a right job on you,
didn't he?

What are you talking about?
The salesman.

I've owned two X19s.
No, in fact, this is the third.

I've owned three X19s in my life.
Well, some people you can't help.

That's an epic car.
Have you ever driven one?No.

You've never driven an X19?
No, but I have heard they are
supposed to handle quite well.

Do you know what?
Speak to an X-19 owner.

They never go back.
Mmm.

Well, this one did.

Apart from this one,
they never go back.

I didn't buy this car
because of the engine.
I bought it because of its history,

because it's an X19
that doesn't have a lot of rust.

This is a solid,
beautiful version of an X19.

I must have some cars
I can sell you. I must.

In fact, if I open the bonnet
as an example,

have a little look in here.

I will give it to you.
That is clean.

It looks like it rolled
out of a factory in Italy in 1987.

Genius piece of packaging.

Isn't that beautiful?

Yeah, I like it.

It's got low miles, low ownership

and has spent the majority
of its life off the road.

Because these are Fiats,
these have a reputation for rusting.

The rust issue on this car
is almost negligible.

I think with my rose-tinted
glasses on, I could see that.

You don't need rose-tinted glasses!
Look at you.

You've slunk into that driver's seat
like it fits you.

I mean, how he sold it
without an engine.

You don't know what I paid for it.
I don't want to know.

I'm bracing myself on here.
You don't need to brace yourself.

I paid five grand.Five?

Five grand.

Okay, that sounds more doable.

I'm gonna go get the engine
and all the other bits
that came with the car,

if you could push her in.
And she's so light,
you could use your pinky.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Right.
The engine is the elephant
in the room for this build.

This is the red flag.

Based on what the seller told me,
he said he was driving
the car, enjoying it,

and then, all of a sudden,
it started to misfire.

Mate, it could be a number of
things. It could be fuel, ignition.
Yeah, yeah.

But he then said
it started to make a noise.

Plus, this engine
has a reputation for...

Head gaskets. Head gasket.

So what I think we should do.
While it's out,

we should just bite the b*llet,
take it apart and examine
the head gasket.

A blown head gasket would explain
the engine's poor compression.

So that's the first fault
we need to rule in or out.

That is top dead centre.

Right. Slowly, slowly.

Before we release the cam belt,
it's important to mark
the timing positions.

Just put a little one on there.

Me eyes aren't as good
as they used to be.

I know.
I've seen your wonky plastering.

Put it back even a tooth out,

and the valves will open
at the wrong point
in the engine's cycle,

making it run terribly and
potentially causing serious damage.

Right, let's whip
this cover plate off.

It looks pretty shiny.

I can't see
any internal damage in there.

In fact, it all looks really clean.
It's not full of swath or anything.

That's a good sign.

On this engine,
the camshaft sits in a housing
above the cylinder head

with thin removable shims
determining the precise
valve clearance.

'Cause these... these
are the shims on the top.

So you change these...
Yeah, let's have a look.

...in increments of like
a thousandth of an inch.

It's quite important...
not to muck 'em up.

Mix the shims up
and you can risk overheating
and valve damage,

ultimately leading to
a loss of compression
and an engine that won't fire.

There you go. Last one.
Right, head bolts.

What do you reckon's inside?

A pot of gold?

As long as there's no cracks.

I see our problem.

There's the issue.

The gasket's completely broke
between cylinder three and four.

And when you consider
the firing sequence on this engine

is actually
one, three, four, two,

three and four fire
next to each other.

So while three fires,
it's actually seeping through
this gap, conflicting with four.

No wonder the car drove terribly.

Yeah, this head gasket is toast.

Overheating can warp
the aluminium head,

so before fitting a new gasket,
we need to check it's totally flat.

I mean, there's marginal
amounts of light.Yeah.

How about in the middle there?

The risk we have is if the gasket
doesn't take up any imperfections,

we're gonna be back at square one,
which means we'd have

put it in the car and we'd have
gone for another head gasket.

If we buy a new head gasket,
compress it.

It's a one and done.
We can't use that head gasket again.

Put it in the car
and ultimately have another problem.

It'd be a false economy
not to just get it skimmed.

It's a no-brainer.

We've got to do it.

The cylinder head for our Fiat X19
is off being skimmed flat.

While that's being done,
I'm back on greenhouse duty.

Oh, my gosh. If you're sweeping,
that must mean the end of it.

It does. And I've saved your...
last bit for you.

The crowning glory.

That little bit there?
That little bit there.

I get to put that on?
If you want to.

The coolest part of any restoration
is when you finish the car

and get to put the bonnet badge on.
Yep, it's more or less the same.

[WHIRRING]

It's not what I was expecting.No?
It's like a thousand times better.

It's weird. I'm now living
with my parents, so I might as well
move into that.

You could do, yep.
Bed at one end. It'd be perfect.

[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]

The cylinder head has returned
from the skimmers,

giving the new gasket a clean,
flat surface to seal against.

Oh, look at that.
Cor, it's shiny, innit?

You can see your face in it.
Yeah, that reflection's
bloody marvellous.

[CHUCKLES]

Right, that's how it should look.

No hole there
between three and four.

Right, these are the head bolts.

Yeah, they've all been
soaked in oil already.

We want to start in the middle

and then do them up,
spreading it out.

That soft aluminium head,
we want to make sure it spreads
and compresses evenly.

Fiat specify the exact amount
of torque each bolt
should be tightened to.

If we get it wrong,

that's a new £60 head gasket
down the drain.

Right, we're gonna have to do
four passes of every single bolt,

one at a time. And the first pass
is 14.9 foot pounds.

Who come up with 14.9?
Why not 15?

The Italians.

[BEEP]

Right, that is the first pass,
and then we up it to 30 foot pounds.

That's more like it.
That's nice and even, right?

Right, back in the middle.

[BEEP]

And then it's twice to 90 degrees.

With the cylinder head
back in place,

the next job is to reattach
the cam carrier.

That's it.

What's the torque setting on these?

Yeah, it's quite light actually.
It's only 14 foot pounds.

Not 14.9?
[CHUCKLES]

Now, the camshaft in this car
is a direct overhead cam.

It sits perfectly directly
over the valves.

It has less moving parts,
so when you hit the thumb pedal,

it's more responsive, more revvy.

Right, that is the engine done.

Well, we hope that was a misfire.

We won't really know
until it goes back in the car.

And this ain't going back
in the car like that.

I knew you'd want to paint it.

Whilst Michelangelo
smartens up the engine,

I'm taking the chance to reveal
the finished greenhouse to my mum.

Oh, my goodness. That is beautiful.

I've got so much space now.

It's pretty wonderful, right?
It is beautiful.

Do you want to check it out?
Yes, please.

I love the wood it's made of.
What is it?

This is made of cedar.

It's gonna age
and patina really nicely.

You don't need to paint it
or treat it. It's just ready to go
as is.

And the floor really works
well, doesn't it? Yeah.

The herringbone
was the right call.

It would be nice
to grow the vine up.

Well, it's yours. I mean,
the construction bit is my job.

My job, I'm done.

So whatever you choose
to do in here is up to you.

Right. I'll have to have a serious
sit down and think about that.

Well, it'll certainly
bring the tomatoes on.

And the good thing is,
it'll keep the pigeons off the peas.

Right, I'm gonna let you, er,
soak it in.

I've got a car to finish.

The Fiat's previous owner
had big plans for the X19,

and he left us with boxes
of loose parts and upgrades.

Before anything goes
back in the car,

I need to do a proper inventory.

So, what I think we should do
is pull out the bits
that finishes our engine,

and decide what we're gonna keep
and what we're going to sell.

Mmm-hmm. I like this.
I know. It's nice, right?

You could probably play that.
I could get a tune out.

[BLOWS]

Right, go put it over there.

Twin Webers.
Cam cover.

Yeah. Alternator.

Lovely.

Starter motor.

Is there a clutch in there?
No clutch.

Right,
we now have a decision to make.

We either continue the path
the seller took

and put the performance items on,
or we stick to the original.

This is a hard one for me.

I know it is. What is gonna
yield the biggest value?

Standard.

There was not a single second
of hesitation there.No.

Survivor car.
Low miles. Stick standard.

Profit over power.

I don't think anybody's
made money tuning cars.

I think there's been a couple.

This engine's starting to look nice.

Nice paint job.Yeah.

I think it deserved it.

You definitely want
to go single carburettor?

Well, we've got to go standard.
Got to.

[LAUGHING] I can feel the pain.

I can feel you fighting it.

Go on, then.
Get that on. Just get it on
before you change your mind.

That is how it left the factory.
This is how it's supposed to be.

Boy racer Duncan
might love a fast upgrade,
but if we want to get top dollar

for a rare survivor car like this,
we need to keep it
as original as possible.

Perhaps I'm coming to my senses
after all these years.

But that doesn't mean all of those
shiny upgrades can't still add
some profit to the project.

You know what? Now that we've
committed to the original spec,
I reckon we can sell these upgrades.

Yeah. Somebody's gonna want to make
their Fiat X19 go faster.

I'll go find us a clutch.

And then we probably
want to clean the gearbox
so it looks as good as the engine.

Sounds like a plan.

That was me saying
do you want to clean the gearbox?
I will clean the gearbox.

Good lad. I'll go get a clutch.

The Fiat might be heading
in the right direction, but the back
of the farmhouse definitely isn't.

Cracks upstairs are getting wider,

and with Mum and Dad
now living here,

I can't ignore them any longer.

I've called in structural engineer
Ben to find out just how worried
I should be.

Okay, yeah. So, obviously,
we've got these cracks here.

The paper's splitting apart.

So the roof, generally speaking,
is going this way and the weight
of these dormers pushing down,

you can see the roof bowing there
under the weight of the dormers,

which is pushing down and out.

So we've got a spread
at the bottom of the roof.

There will be a tipping point
at which the roof will just give up

and it will eventually,
as everything does,
eventually fall apart.

What can I do
to stabilise it temporarily?

What we're seeing
is a lateral spread of the roof.

So if we can shore the roof
from the outside,

or shore the eaves from the outside,

we can prop it and push it back
so that it can't spread any further.

This upper floor
has this quite hefty
eight-inch beam around it.

But what if I was to punch a hole
above and below that beam,
throw a strap round it...Okay.

...and ratchet strap it
to the other side?

With another loop around
the beam on the other side.
Like a belt.Like a belt.

[CHUCKLES]
That would...

No, that's a good...
it's a good solution.

It would have to be done
very carefully.

If we ratchet strap it
and tighten up a ratchet strap
and keep on going,

what you'll do is pull
that eight-inch beam off the wall.

And then that would be
a real problem.

So just put it in there
and put it so it can't move

as a brace, as a belt,
as you describe it, that could work.

When I bought our X19,
the engine and gearbox hadn't been
inside the car for years.

Now, after a bit of attention
from Duncan's jet wash,

we're finally ready
to put them back where they belong.

Complete with a new clutch

straight off the shelf
at just 104 quid.

Right. Want to get this gearbox on?
Let's do it.

Remember to bend at the knees.
[CHUCKLES]

I'll be doing well to bend anywhere.

We need a third pair of hands
to try and turn the crank.Yeah.

Where's Dad when you need him?

Dad!

What's up, guys?

Just stand at the front
of the engine for me.
Grab that big tool right there,

that one, stick it on the crank,

which is the big nut
on the front of that wheel there,

and slowly lean into it
and just turn the engine.

Push down?
Yeah, turn it.A little bit more.

Keep going.

Keep going.

Keep going. Yep. Hold there.
Okay.

Go on. That's it.You in?
Yeah, we're in.

Right, you got it?Yeah.
I'll just get this bolt in.

Right, you can let go now.

All good? Do you need me anymore?

No, no, we're done. Thanks, Dad.

Ooh!

Good catch.

You know what? That is roughly
where it needs to be.

Do you want to jump on the button?

Unlike a conventional engine
install, this engine goes in
from the underside.

Right. Just tiny bits at a time.

Right. Are you ready?

A tiny bit, a couple of inches.

Whoa!

That's not that subtle, is it?
No, that's as...

That's as small
as we've got on this.
Okay, give me one more of those.

That's it! Stop there.

Do you know what?
Can you grab that lever bar?Yep.

I need you to pull
the whole engine towards me.

Just a quarter of an inch...
Whoa! Nearly.

Okay, hold there.Got it?

That is in.

She is in.

This Italian
has its heart once more.

Right. Got to plumb
all her veins up now.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Our Fiat engine's back in the car
for the first time
in over two years.

All that's left to do
is turn the key

and see if it actually works.

Right. Quick sanity check.

Engine secured.

Oil is in there. Fuel lines are in.

Coolant system's in.
Exhaust is on.

Confident?
Yeah.

That wasn't a very confident
"yeah.".

Well, I mean,
we're as good as we can be.

Turn the key, then.

Right.

Well, we've got all the...
all the lights are on.

[ENGINE SPUTTERING]

Whoa, whoa, whoa!
She nearly went.

No, that's not firing at all.

The distributor.
What did you time it to? Number one?
Number one.

Try it again.

Yeah, if you listen...
[ENGINE SPUTTERING]

Yeah, when it... Whoa!

Okay, stop, stop, stop!
[ENGINE STOPS]

It's firing. There's flames
coming out of the carburettor,

but for flames to come out,
the inlet valves must be open.

And we want the engine to fire
when the valves are closed,

keeping the spark inside
the compression chamber.

Well, it's definitely...
Rotary arm's definitely
on number one. Top dead centre.

So you timed the distributor
to number one...Yeah.

...which means it's firing...

When number one comes up.
Right.

It's not gonna be
a 9.5 thing again, is it?

The distributor decides
which sparkplug fires and when.

We've matched it to cylinder one,

but the backfire tells me the spark
is arriving at the wrong point
in the engine's cycle.

Right, wait a minute.

It says on here, when the timing
marks are at top dead centre,

you set the timing,
the distributor, to number four.

Which means it's 180 degrees out.

So that'd make sense.

The valves are open
when the ignition happens.

So we're absolutely sure,
let's manually move the engine

to top dead centre, then rotate
the distributor so it fires on four.

Fair?

Reckon so.

Right, pop that back on.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

Tighten that up.

That's thunder.

This will sound like thunder
when she starts.

You ready?

[ENGINE STARTS AND RUNS]

Right, that's it!

[REVVING]

Yeah! There we go!

Go on, give her a little rev.

[REVVING]

Tell you what,
how smooth does that sound?

Sounds really good.

Our Fiat is alive once more.

We're one step closer
to getting our survivor X19
back on the road.

But the roof at the back
of the house is still spreading.

With the structural engineer's
blessing,

we're using ratchet straps
as a temporary brace.

Luckily, Duncan's done this before,

but it's a three-man job,
so I've drafted in Archie.

So this beam here,
and there's another one that side
of the flank wall, are structural.

We're gonna put
a ratchet strap round it.

And hold it together,
'cause in theory,
it's gonna act like a belt.

So we just need to put it under
a slight piece of tension
so it holds it

and prevents these two flank walls
from moving out anymore.

So this is safe?

Ish. Ish.Ish.

If it makes you feel safer,
there are some hard hats
as well, Arch.

Go get the ladder,
pass me the ratchet strap.
I'll open up a hole in here.

[THUD]
Oh!

Crunch. Crunch.

It's also really low,
so mind your head.
Probably need a hard hat.

[HAMMERING]

Yeah, you're all right.
That'll do. That'll do.

Is that right on the bottom
of the beam? Oh, yeah. Flush.

Right, where's that strap, Arch?

I'm in the middle of bracing
the farmhouse with ratchet straps
to stop the roof from caving in.

Put that over there.

I'll meet you round the other side.

For this to work,
the straps need to run
as straight and level as possible

from one beam to the other,

which sounds easy
until there's a house in the way.

Can you hear me, Ant?
Yeah, I can hear you, buddy.

I found the beam.

Perfect.

I've got ya.
Oh, is that it?Yeah.

Oh, hello!
Hello! [CHUCKLES]

Keep going.
I don't think my bolster's
big enough.

I've heard that before.

Oh, my gosh, it's working.

The temptation with a ratchet strap
is to always to keep tightening it.

Here, that could be disastrous.

[LAUGHING]
I reckon one more.

You realise that Ben said
if we go too much we pull it in?
Yeah.

But these are gonna
give a little bit.

Perfect.

Let's have a listen now.
[TWANG]

It's a C sharp.

That's what we're looking for.

One strap down, one to go.

Look out, Arch!

God.

Found ya.
Yeah, didn't you just.

Don't go any further 'cause
I can feel this window creaking.

So the status at the moment is safe.
It's not gonna suddenly collapse.

It's better.

Whatever happens,
it ultimately ends with this
portion of the house coming down.

And these straps
will probably prevent that
for a few months longer.

It's stable now. Probably.

It's stable ish.

With one imminent disaster dealt
with, I can get back to the Fiat.

Although the engine
is now alive and kicking,

X19s have a bit of a reputation
for electrical gremlins.

Right, then. One at a time.

Look, the door lights work.
Tick.

Okay, ignition on.
I'll do the brake light first.

Tick.

I'll turn the lights on.
Tick.

Hazards?
Yeah.

Ok, try reverse light.

Yep.
Right. Wipers.

Do you think those wipers are slow?
A little bit.

Can you hear that noise, though?

Oi! Fool.
[CHUCKLING]

Just remember,
a plasterer never forgets.

Right, we'll check the fronts.

Lights.
Ah, we've got dip and dazzle.

Oh, man.

Well, the lights are on,
but it ain't come up on the motor.

Aah! Okay, let's have a look
at that headlight.

Both lights come on.

But the motor that
pops up the left one
seems to have given up the ghost.

You know what?
Can you pass me a volt meter?

I think the best thing to do
is take this one step at a time.

So let's make sure that these wires

are passing current
from the battery to the motor.

Right, I'll put the lights on.

Yeah, we're getting 11-ish volts.
That's enough.

So the battery is providing
enough voltage via the wire.

If we use them wires,
put them on the plus

and the minus on the battery
and go directly onto the motor.

It will operate...
If it's gonna work.

If the motor works, yeah. Right.

Connect it directly to the battery.

Right. You got contact?

I'm there.

The motor's fine.

It's got to be this junction, then.
It has to be this junction box.

You know what we could try?

The inside of the junction.
Yeah.

I've got some
electrical spray cleaner.

Let's give that a go.

Years of dirt and corrosion
can stop the contacts
making a decent connection.

The spray flushes the muck out,

evaporates away and hopefully leaves
a nice clean route for the current.

Ready? Yeah.

[CHUCKLING]

Full beam?
It works! Go on, then, go back down.

And up.

And again.
Phew.

It's one of the luckiest builds
so far.

Under the bonnet,
we've committed to returning
the Fiat to its original spec.

But when it comes to the bodywork,
the right way forward
isn't quite so clear.

We've got
the original bumpers here,

but also it came
with these quarter bumpers.

Yeah, I mean, I should think
this front bumper on its own

weighs as much
as all four of them quarters.

Yeah, well, there's a reason
it was really chunky and robust,
and that was because in the mid-70s,

crash and impact
legislation changed,

so manufacturers ended up
having to put bigger bumpers on,

particularly for the American market
because Fiat,

like every other manufacturer,
wanted to sell cars in the States,
so they had to modify their cars.

All the sexy little
tiny bumpers disappeared,
and big crash-resistant ones came.

Yeah, look at that.
That looks cool, right?

It does. I do like 'em.

It's kind of lighter,
more classic, more streamlined.

Whereas if you put that one on...

It's not the prettiest of things,
is it? It looks like a truck.

We've got two options.
One is just fit
the original bumpers.

Or option two is
we fit the quarters.

The thing is with this,
we want to maximise our money.

What does your gut say?

I like the quarter bumpers,
but there's such a thing
with cars now

about having the original bits,
whether it was a good or bad thing.

'Cause it's a survivor car,
and it is in such good nick,

I think there's more value
in putting it back to original.

You're right.

Right, let's put the quarters
in the "for sale" box.Yes.

Let's fit the original bumpers.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

How about that?

When you see it
all in one piece outside,

you realise that this is
exactly how it left the factory.

It's a great job.
Really good. Yeah.

I really do think
leaving it standard...

...was the right choice.
How do you think we should sell it?

I don't know. I reckon
this one would work in an auction.

There can't be many
that look like this now.
Not in this condition.

As long as you find
the highest bidder.

Yeah, I suppose depending
what we spent on it
is where we sell it.

I know exactly
how much we've spent on it.

Come on, spill the beans.

Just as a refresher, do you remember
what we paid for this car?
Six? Seven?

We paid five grand.

Really? Yes.
It's getting better by the minute.

Well, 5,000...Five grand?

And five grand,
considering all the extra parts
that came with this car,

is a bargain.
So we purchased it for five grand.

The most expensive bit
was the head skim.

That was £120.

The second most expensive
was a new clutch at 104.

Gasket set was 60 quid.

Then all the service items.

So, timing belt, air filter,
oil filter, et cetera.

Around 100.

And then I put 60 quid in
for miscellaneous, things like paint
and cleaning products.

Brings a grand total £444.

Is that all?
That's all we spent on this car.

But it gets a little bit sweeter
'cause I've gone through the bits

that we haven't used,
which I reckon
if we bundle all together

and advertise for, say, £700...

But the truth is,
if we took £444
for all those bits...

We haven't spent anything.
We haven't spent a penny.
The car owes us five grand.

That's incredible.
It's got to be worth more than that.
Come on.

I've been burnt at auction before,

but I reckon this X19
could turn my luck around.

First though, there's something
I've been itching to do.

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

Oh, man.
It's exactly how I remembered it.

Oh, I love these cars.

This is such a slice
of my childhood.

Duncan, I'm 21 again.

No, you're not.
I am.No, you're not.

Don't fight it.

I love everything about it.
Watch the way this car corners.

Hold on.

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! [LAUGHING]

I tell you what, I ain't
half impressed how these handle.

Oh, man. This is everything you want
from a little Italian sports car.

Engine's in the right place
behind us.

It's got that sharp,
peppy steering input.

I mean, I was a bit sceptical,
but when I looked under the body

and the paintwork on this one,
there is not a piece of rust.

Oh, my God, it goes through
the gears so nicely.

Look at this little gear change.
Double clutch, down a gear.
Double clutch, down a gear. Oh!

It feels like a race car,
but in an accessible road car.

So now that she's all together,

do you think keeping the original
spec was the right decision?
Yeah. Hundred per cent.

This having the original bumpers on,
although they're big and clunky,

there won't be many
that have got that on,
so that makes this rare.

Driving it now, I am so pleased
I bought this car.

This is... this is a perfect X19.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

At a track where Ferrari have won
more F1 races than any other team,

it feels fitting that
our X19, the baby Ferrari,
is at Silverstone to be auctioned.

We've had our ups and downs
going under the hammer this year,

but if there's one car
that should make a profit,
it's this one.

Morning.Good morning.

There you go. Have a lovely day.
Good luck with your car.
Thank you.

Doesn't it look good
under the lights?

I know, black changes
in the inside of a building.

And look,
they've taken the roof off,

so any potential bidder
can now lean in and see
how glorious the interior is.

Yeah. I mean, that is beautiful,
innit, in there?

Right, well, they have guided it...

Wow, they've guided it at 8-10.

Even if it makes the bottom
end of that, I'll be happy.

And look, we're in the main hall.
The podium is there.

And we're gonna go
any minute now. All right,

a touch of luck.Yeah.

You know what, the Fiat deserves
to do well.

I need £5,000 to break even.

Now it's down to the bidders.

It's like before a race, this is.

What, you've got butterflies
as well?Yeah.

I might have to go
for a nervous wee.

Well, ladies and gentlemen,
a very, very warm welcome
to you all.

Lot number 501 is this
rather wonderful 1987 Fiat X19.

What do you reckon?

I think the fact that we're
only into it for five grand,
I feel pretty confident.

Start the meeting here then
at 4,000. Four two, four five.

I can say straightaway at 4,500.
Let's just get to five quick.

Only then at 4800.
Can't believe it.
Four thousand, eight.

Five thousand.
Okay, we've cleared the bank.

Five thousand ahead of you online.

It's here with me.
Lifted, not yours.

My commission at five.

Take another online.
Here at five.

We're currently breaking even.

Come on, that car deserves
to do better.

Five five.
You're in now. Five five.

Dude, we're into the profit.
Don't wait too long.

It is being offered without reserve.
We will sell.

Come on.
Just another couple of hundred.

If we're all done and sure then
at 55.

Fifty eight hundred.
Pfft. [LAUGHING]

At five eight.
We'll sell then at 5800.

Dude.

Eight hundred quid profit.

That's more like it.
The Fiat made us some money.

Any car that makes a profit
is a win.

Congratulations.

Give me a little cheers.

Our little Fiat has yielded some
cash, and that cash is gonna be
diverted into the farmhouse.

Yeah, I mean, the farmhouse
is coming along well now.

The house is looking amazing.

And the cars have been
a roller coaster, but that's
the realities of classic cars.

Some you win
and some you lose.

It's not just about profit.

It's about getting them
back out there.

You know, I think car renovation
is like doing houses.

But once you're in it,
you've got to do it.

You've absolutely got to do it.
And then remember,
what was the point at the beginning?

Getting Mum and Dad in.
And we have successfully,
cheers to that, done that bit.

Think about the summer we've had.
[LAUGHING]

I got to mess around
and fix cars in a dusty old barn,

which is possibly
my most favourite thing to do.

And your mate.
I mean, there's that bit, as well.

Oh! [LAUGHING]

You know what we need now?
Go on.

Well, we're currently sat
in a big empty space.

Another car, then.

How did I know that was coming?