17x04 - Bedford CA Dormobile

[bunniefuu]

this is the staircase to heaven
that struggles to keep up with holiday

traffic this is its cruising speed I've
already got a rather embarrassing line

of traffic behind me and despite
incredible period features it's dated

engineering is forcing us in a new
direction I think we should change it

for a more modern more powerful engine
and gearbox but can we manage a mammoth

makeover do not need this this time
of day in time to win a summer sale I'm

Mike Brewer and I've been buying
and selling cars for nearly 40 years it's

rattling noisy is utterly wonderful
now I'm set up shop in Britain's motor

inheritance heartland near Oxford smiling
along with ex-formula one mechanic Mark

Elvis Priestley together we're going
to buy and fix up the most iconic and

exciting cars on the market why is it
on a trailer doesn't run for 30 years 30

years with Elvis's engineering skills oh
my goodness what a mess and my car

dealing clout couldn't you be in a bit
cheeky with your price we should be

able to make ourselves a tiny profit
what do you think of campervans I love

them especially the VWs I mean
I'm well into that scene yeah you can

forget those VW cam fans are selling
for 20 30 even 40 grand unless if you

can find one staycations I want to
rage at the moment everyone wants to

holiday in Britain so I've been looking
around on the Internet and I've come

across this advertised locally for
four and a half grand that's no bed for

delivery Van well it would have started
life as a delivery fan and then it was

converted by dorm bill into a camper
it's something that me and you we can

work on we can make it a much more
relevant camper for today's market well

yeah I mean it just needs a bit of an
update doesn't it a bit of a revamp we

could sprinkle our magic on that and
make it amazing it's the best time to

sell one in the summertime so
you're up for it then well at four and a

half grandma I think she can see
it and we can do it right now I know

this Bedford CA dorm a bill will bring
back a lot of happy memories for me

because as a kid we used to go on
holiday down on the coast my friends I

used to make on the campsite lots
of their parents had Bedford CA dorm

appeals and I remember playing
inside one thinking that magical places I

can't wait to see this one in 1954
the dorm a bill camper Van was

produced by the Martin water
coach building factory in Kent just as

camping holidays started to take off
it was a hit and the company's soon.

changed its business and rebranded
as dorm a bill and for the next three

decades was the UK's leading
motorhome producer converting more than

10,000 CA's a year a lot of beds
on wheels in the last couple of years

there's been a huge rise in the
amount of people wanting to get a

motorhome that is a really healthy
market for me to get into the only

problem I've got is we're already
over the hump of summer on the

downturn now towards those Autumn
months if I want to capture those last

bits of summer if I can because
that's where the markets going to be

strongest and that means whatever
work needs to be done to it it's got

to be done really quickly I'm just
hoping it doesn't need too much doing

to it the current dormer owner
absolutely loves it but he simply can't

do the work that it needs
himself forcing him to sell and he's.

devastated he can't even face show
me around so he's left the camper in a.

private car park with the keys I'd like
to know why somebody could get so

emotionally attached to a vehicle
because you know this guy really didn't

want to let it go now I can
see why look at that hello.

I'm Mike so nice to meet you oh I
can't stop smiling even though I've just

noticed it's actually been
hand-painted a little bit of rust at

the bottom of the door this looks
like it's had a patch repair here kind

of typical of a vehicle at its age look
at that dorm appeal limited folks and

little chassis plate and it's got all
the trim pieces all the way across the

front really important on a vehicle
like this it's all a bit so difficult

to get this believe it or not is the
engine hatch it's tiny that's a real

surprise for a vehicle from the
1960s there's no signs of oil leaks

somebody's just dirty it is the most
simple and basic of vehicles stop

smiling every time I look at it I've
got to stop right let's have a look inside.

period correct dashboard three on
the tree or four on the tree steering

column so the seat moves across
this one moves across and then you fold

the seats down they meet these two
seats in the rear and that's your bed

absolutely brilliant oh let's go and
get in the back oh just look at that

entrance way to greet
you all of this stuff is

original comes down
and then raise the roof.

oh yes look at it the space inside
how does that work it's look at that.

honestly I feel like an estate
agent I'll be out selling for a fortune it

just smells really bad I think it's
this plastic I mean the plastics gone

all rotten now this big surprise
what is it it's a full-size toilet and

bathroom no it's not
really it's just a nice little

wardrobe please please please
let's make sure it dries well.

yeah baby it feels like it's alive
it feels like it's got a character a

personality it's proper it has to
have a name it's it's Colin that's what

it's Colin Colin the camper yes and
it suits it absolutely perfectly because

Colin seems like a very happy camper
but of course when you're going on

holiday you need cruise
mode so let's make sure.

that.

that's just going back into
seconds and then that's third.

right he said that he changed gearbox
what he's done he put the free speed

in it instead of a four-speed because
it was two different flavors of the

Bedford CA the four-speed being
a Dormaville is a vehicle that's got

long legs you could cruise on
the motorway but they also did a

three-speed version which were just
bombing around cities but this this is

hopeless I'm only doing just 40 miles
an hour and this is it's cruising speed

I've already got a rather embarrassing
line of traffic behind me but this is

as fast as I can go sorry sorry but
if I can put that to one side just for

a minute because I'm a big guy
and I've got plenty of room in here it's

nice and comfortable and it feels
good to being Colin the camper I utterly

love it and for the money that he's
asking for it four and a half thousand

pounds I just think where are you
gonna find something as charming as

this admittedly there's a lot to do the
paintwork needs addressing we need

to tidy up this interior it could
do with a new canopy that one is

absolutely smelly and rotten but
it's stuff that I really want to do to it

it needs saving right
gotcha so you did put the free

speed box in well that makes sense
I'd like to give you the full asking price

four thousand five hundred
thanks mate bye-bye.

do you know what that was tough
for him to let this go but he knows is.

gonna go to a good home so I've
just gonna bought myself a Bedford CA

dormer bill get in right so there we
have it four and a half thousand pounds

buys me a luxury hotel on wheels
well it's kind of faded luxury it's like an

old beaten up B&B it's a bit weird
because Colin is a camper that simply

can't go on holiday with
a free-speed gearbox

fundamentally hopeless this
is literally a floor-to-ceiling.

restoration.

look at that brother isn't that cool
that is cool what a charming little

vehicle welcome to our 1963 Bedford
CA proper dormer bill and I called it

Colin Colin the camper was it drive
like awful what's wrong the engines no

good it's just underpowered but also
it's got a problem with a gearbox what's

the problem right so at some point
during this car's history it's blown

the four-speed box the previous
owner couldn't find one so he slotted in

much more popular free-speed box
which means little Colin here can only do

40 miles an hour and can't travel
on holiday stop calling it Colin so we

gotta find a four-speed box for
this you could say that but that's not

gonna be good enough because even if
we put a four-speed box from a Bedford CA

in it which are impossible to find it's
still gonna have this little puny engine

I think we should change it for more
modern more powerful power plant engine

and gearbox I mean that does make
sense but I mean there's not a lot of

space look at it it's tiny I reckon
Mazda mx-5 oh yeah it's something like

that isn't it Pinto listen that's a
huge job though mate because it's not

meant to go in this space we've got cut
and shut things to make it work and the

gearbox as well and also I suppose
if we're doing a gearbox you want this

to go on the long runs of a motorway
maybe auto box as well see look at

you hey how you change in a heartbeat
look you're all of a sudden you smile

and that's what Colin does Colin just
makes you smile every time you see it

okay so engine change bodywork clearly
needs some effort as well and dare I

say although it's a color of its
period it's not very summery I kind of

fancy a summer color so you're gonna
love it round the back right this is the

top of the range model so we got to
the Louvre glass but look how much work

that entire interior is old and tired
and basically is ripping out I can

rebuild new units for it I reckon I
could do that you're gonna take that on

yes easy I know there's a lot of
work and we are on a time deadline as

well we're always on a time
deadline when do you want it ready for I

think we've got to get Colin the
camper ready for summer stop calling it

Colin look it is summer right now you're
talking about next summer right no I'm

talking about this summer this
little dormer bill needs to capture that

summer market just think about the
job list we've just created for ourselves

engine and gearbox could be
an enormous task in itself and I've

thought about all of that that's why
I think we are gonna have to lean

upon some other people to try and
get this over the finishing line quickly I

mean I've got a mate of mine actually
you I used to know from the racing

days he was actually into this kind
of stuff he doesn't live far for me he

might be well up for this it's right
up his street I think go and visit him

make him a nice cup of tea take him
round some chocolate but listen you

think about it the interior cabin
tree the fit and finish the soft

furnishings yeah it's my department
isn't it so yeah you throw the

cushions in I'll do the other bits
we might as well get Colin yes I knew

you'd say Colin let's get
Colin into the workshop

come on Oh welcome
home Colin come on Colin.

our biggest problem is that we
haven't got time on our side if it's one of

our first priorities well starts
right here with this interior okay if.

we're gonna make this camper
livable and cozy again the first

thing is to get this interior
stripped out Mike is gonna refit the.

whole thing but before I let him
loose I want to give him a blank

canvas to work with these seats
are really lovely elegant and simple

design they are very tatty and they
are gonna need recovering and for that.

you're gonna have to come out I
mean this is it our camper is pretty much

back to the way that it was when it
left the factory all those years ago a.

Van with windows but there's still a
whole load of work to do we've still

gonna fit a new engine and gearbox
and give Colin that full respray.

Mike's gone all nostalgic buying Colin
the 58 year old camper that can't handle

holidays there's a battle ahead with a
massive list of work to complete and a

fixed time to sell before summer ends
so I'm hoping my mate Derek can lend

a hand Derek's got that racing
mentality where anything's possible and.

that is exactly what I'm gonna
need thus he's got a spray booth.

oh as you can see and as I said on the
phone there's a huge amount of work to

get Colin here back on the road
and camping again and also the clock's

ticking as it always is wow it's a
lot of work it is but it's what you.

do in it well I live for it yeah
let's get it in let's get it in.

that's good keep you like that before
we can even consider putting a donor

engine into Colin we need to know
how big the current engine is that's in

there and to do that I
need to strip the entire

front end down yeah
that's good hold it there.

first job is to remove the front
bumper the grill and the radiator

panel and finally I can see the space
we have to house the new power plants

and it's not very big 70 centimetres
deep and this bit up the top here is.

not very wide that I can already see
being a challenge 45 centimetres fitting

something bigger and more powerful
that wasn't originally destined to go

into this vehicle got some major work
to do we need a really simple engine

to fit into this it's going to have no
fuel injection no engine management

don't want to get into that level of
complexity and of course it's got to

be compact to fit into that little
space and I think I know just the thing.

Elvis my man how are you so I've had
a measure up of the engine bay of the.

camper there's one engine that I
think we can make work go on Ford.

Pinto you know are they are to
find and to still fit in the gap that I've

got here to work with I think that's
our best bet available they get used

all the time debate in race cars rally
cars in people's kit cars I just don't

think there's anything else that's
gonna give us as good a shot as that of.

course remember we also talked
about what in an auto box with it all right

leave it with me see you later cheers
buddy now I know a few people out

there that are into building classic
race cars they like their cars going

faster and they use Pinto engines so
I think my best bet is to go through my

contact book jump on the phone
and see what I can rustle up.

to access the current engine and
gearbox we need to remove a whole host

of things prop shaft exhaust gear
shifter and clutch linkage plus a few

engine mounting bolts and then with
a little luck and a good wiggle we can

extract that old engine the engine is
small it's a lot smaller than the Pinto

engine I've asked Mike to buy to
go in here but I think what strikes me

more than that is the shape of the
hole that the engine's got to go into but

given the struggle we've
had getting this engine

out that's definitely a
problem for another day.

Elvis mate give us that always got
mine of its own it's going that way

grab it you found one mate nice and
an auto box auto box is pretty mint as

well I will tell you hello sir Derek
nice to meet you my Derek good to see

you yeah great from a dealer he's
taking it out of a hot rod what do you

reckon my first thought is it's big
not gonna go in it that's not gonna fit.

don't say that Derek it was always
gonna be tight but it's definitely

bigger than what came out of it they
made that for nothing okay how'd you

fancy giving sound to get it in
well actually got to do the fabrics I've

got to do cabinetry so I've got
a lot of stuff to do plus I don't

really want to be around when you
say Mike it doesn't fit so good luck

nice one oh mate that is gonna be
this is a cross flow engine so it's got the

exhaust on one side and the inlet on
the other side whereas that one over

there well it doesn't it's all on one
side so it definitely seems wider I.

mean I've no idea if or even
how this is going to fit in here but

somehow it has to and the only way
I think we're going to find that out is

by lifting it up offering into position
and see what we need to cut away to

make it work okay bring her in and
then we'll have to come down a little bit.

there we go I'm just gonna have to
go around the other side tell you what

from this angle it looks even tighter
it's just sitting on the sump and the.

there is no way this is gonna go through
here we need to take off that fuel pump

because that's gonna start interfering
with this chassis well I think the

inlet manifolds probably got a go
there's no way that's gonna fit I'll

move the crane to the front of the
engine we'll try and come in at a.

steeper angle yeah okay sounds
plan everything I can off this side of the

engine so it doesn't go in now
well we're in all sorts of trouble first

we need to Jack up the front of the
auto gearbox and start angling it in.

it's an incredibly tricky job as the
gap in the chassis just so tight thank

goodness for Derek this is no
way I could do this by myself it takes

delicate maneuvering to fit the
gearbox through the chassis cross

member and into place I see what it
looks like we've got enough room on

the right-hand side here so that's
definitely helped how's that Elvis is

it's in yes seriously fantastic well all
right we haven't got a manifold on or a

fuel pump but oh that's such a relief
it actually fits in the hole of course.

this engine was never designed to fit
in here and because of that the engine

mounts on the side of the pinto's
block don't match the engine mounts

in the car itself I mean of course
they don't well that is where I'm

gonna have to fall back on my f1
experience because it's kind of the

same thing you can't go and buy
parts for an f1 car off the shelf if you

have a problem you have to go back to
the drawing board you design something.

that's what I absolutely love about
motor racing so I'm kind of looking forward

to this having taken some measurements
and now need to manufacture two engine

mounts and one gearbox mount
I'm going to use this 6 mil mild steel

it's a great material because it's
easy to work with but crucially it's strong

enough to support that weight of
that pinto engine first I measure up the

correct lengths for our engine mounts
using the plasma cutter I cut the steel

to the correct size strips then using
a disc cutter I work three quarters of

the way through so I can bend
the strips by hand into the required u

shape I finish by welding the bends
up to strengthen them and by drilling the

mounting holes right these are our
engine mounts I'm really pleased with

them but I've still got a couple more
material around to get the engine and.

gearbox situated properly so before I
can even think about welding these in

place I'm afraid that
engine's got to come

back out again oh come
on I do not need this

at this time of day just come out.

I can't see what it's attached to
come on it's got to come out Alvis.

over at Derek's we're far from
happy campers as our classic dorm

mobile is refusing to play ball it's
taken some creative thinking and hard

work to fit our new engine and gearbox
but now it's in it needs to come out.

shoehorned it in you can't get it
back out I'm just exhausted mate I'm

exhausted hold on I see what it is
it's a speedo cables just snagged on a

bracket on the chassis really that's
all it is we need to drop the engine

down a little bit push it over to
the left and it will fall out mate

okay coming down yeah it's gonna
leave it over Derek yeah okay wait you win

yeah give that a go I think that
might be it okay going up yeah that's it.

three I started to fall out with Colin
it's all hands on deck and we're gonna

get Colin the camper ready for me
to sell in the summer so I thought I'd

have a go at doing the internal
cabinetry this is my sheet of

plywood look at this I've gone
funky bright red all I have to do is copy

what they've done basically and it
should be relatively simple so I've

measured the original cabinets
and insured I've got the right sizing

before marking it out on the new
plywood here's a little tip simple and

effective before cutting it's always
worth double-checking your markings

measure twice cut once after cutting
the wood to size I connect the pieces

with metal trims make him a basic
structure right start screwing it all

together I'm really pleased with the
way these cabinets are coming together

I think was the right choice to go
with red that said it looks like I'm

gonna be here for the long haul
I've still got a top to put on it and I've.

got a door front to go on it and
I've still got the other cabinets to

build as well I just owe Elvis and
Derek and making better progress than I.

am right excuse me speaking my
mouthful but there's just no time for lunch

right now after the huge effort that
it took to get that Ford Pinto engine

into this tiny little Bedford engine
bay I'm pleased to say that Derek and I

have been really busy getting all
the other jobs up to speed we've had a.

prop shaft remade to suit this Ford
rear axle that Mike found online it's

perfect width it's the right final
drive ratio we've got some wheels to

suit the stud pattern and with only a
few minor modifications to things like

the mounts and bracketry we're able
to use the original leaf Springs onto

it I found an old Ford Cortina handbrake
cable that just about kind of works

with a minor modification I had to
remake her linkage rod up here but

actually although it was a massive
effort it's come together really nicely

although it's still a lot to do so
whilst Derek prepares the car's body

work for a respray I'm turning my
attention to another challenge that's

arisen with the modifications that we've
made when I replaced the engine I also

upgraded to an automatic box too
which should make it a much more

relaxing drive when Colin finally
gets himself back on our day. So the

automatic gearbox sits down here
behind the engine and underneath this

floor pan so it might seem obvious
to put the automatic shifter in this

space too but I can't the
handbrake's in the way and that means

adapting this manual three-speed gear
lever mounted up on the column into an

automatic shifter mechanism by moving
the gear lever inside you can see what

happens here it's connected via this
rod and that movement there that's the

forward and back motion between
say first and second gear now if we move

it in a different plane that way that's
the sideways movement going across the

gate our automatic gearbox doesn't
have a gate so we don't want that motion

now I think I can weld these two pieces
together physically locking them in place

and preventing that movement from
happening just leaving us then with

that the forward and rear motion
between park neutral and drive on our

auto box and all I've got to do is
connect the two up because I'm gonna

weld this and it will then be fixed
forever I want to make sure that the

gear lever on the inside is
in the right location so that it's

comfortable when you turn the wheel
we don't bash your knuckles on it just

find the right distance from the wheel
there mate and good yeah yeah perfect

in that case I'll get it welded
up nice do it just give it a bit of

movement okay how's that perfect
excellent that's good so all I got to

do now is connect that up to the
gearbox the last part of this job is

to connect up this linkage which
eventually runs all the way up to the

lever in the c*ck to the selector
on the side of that auto box we've been

incredibly lucky because that
is the original rod that came

with the car and it is exactly
the right length look at that

Derek yo still up there you still
awake yeah just give it a go on the

gear lever mate see if it will select
it's all hooked up it works it's all

clear it's not interfering with
anything it's a lot of luck and I'll

make it mechanically the campers
nearly there but Colin it's still some

way off being ready for his holiday
snaps and so Derek and I put a lot of

time into preparing the bodywork
getting this thing ready to go into the

paint shop to do that properly we
need to get rid of this moldy old roof.

it's gonna be a great day because
I've come to visit a very famous name

dormer bill a company that's still
going decades later and they still make

the canopies in the original way
that they did back in the day hello hey

Mike and how you doing good to see
and you make you so much for coming

down you know what it was one of
those days where it's like I'm gonna go

to dorm the bill you know I was born
into a period when he referred to a

campervan as a dorm a bit that's right
nobody said campervan nobody said

motorhome they didn't use those terms
no they would use the term dorm a bill

exactly and you could go to any
campsite in the 60s late 50s and you

would see dorm a bill everywhere
loud proud in your face fantastic and here

we are so this caught my eye
behind me an original dorm a bill it's an

original dorm a bill it's for transit
custom Mark one 1969 and it's a beaut I

love the color by the way you say my
Bedford CA is hand-painted dark green

over a sort of lighter creamy color
oh okay yes a little bit sore but this

reminds me of the seaside and
holidays so this is the color it should

be I yeah so tonight now push can
yeah you say you're gonna love this

it's a sense of theater when you
open these up it's lovely because the.

step comes out to greet you it's all
about design and innovation of its time

the 50s and 60s the doormatic seat a
seat that folds down yes bad was Wow

good I think he's some pictures
along of my vehicle did you discover

anything it looks fantastic first
off but I noticed a build plate for

example it's an a real dorm a
bill builds plate what I can tell you

about that is in 1959 the factory in
Luton had a dedicated train line that

went from Luton to Folkstone to
the Martin Walter factory so you would

have had thousands of Bedford
CA's coming out of Luton straight into.

Folkstone into the factory conversion
registered build plate done so mine's

not a Van that somebody bought
and converted after this is off the

production line brand new straight
into the factory turned into a brand

a dormer bill hundred percent we've got
an original brochure these are the good

bits aren't they if you look at some
of these old images yeah they're great

the family will crammed in the
back so this is actually the first time

that we see the dormer bill name
being used that's the headline perhaps.

545 quid complete pounds I know
I'll take two please that's how much

they were and so my vehicle is so
this is it here so I've kind of got a good

one haven't I you've got a good one
if we go that color I want this red and

white red and white candy stripe
canopy which is that's dormer bill

essentially and you supply that here
absolutely can I see the workshop this

is the place to see that yeah let's
go this is my kind of place I love

it look at this workshop so honestly
at the moment is so varied we've got all

sorts going on I know right so this is a
split-screen it actually had a different.

pop-top on it and we've cut a bigger
hole and we're bringing it into the

dormer bill family just love it right
okay well let's hand over your canopy.

wonderful look at this lot I know so
look you're gonna need that that's the

instructions what it doesn't come pretty
real no no those are the ties as well

to fit to the hoops we're here
to support you you give us a call

anytime okay that's brilliant so this is
yours essentially it's the same as that

just wrap the other way around which
is gonna look the same as that isn't it

correct that's it it's gonna look
superb red and white candy stripe

canopy on your Bedford perfect
lovely well listen thank you so much for

today pleasure a real inspiration
I've definitely got some great ideas and

it's great to see dormer bill
flourishing still it really is good

thanks so much for coming I've got
another dormer bill put on the road

there you go thanks and you later that
was a success not only have I come away

with a new canopy but I've also got
the color scheme for Colin best call Elvis

and let him know we're nearly ready
for the one thing that actually brought

Colin and I down to Derek's in
the first place getting it painted you

nearly done Derek yeah yeah I know
how you feel should we get it out into

the paint booth yes good in preparation
Colin has been sanded down to smooth

out any imperfections creating a nice
even surface ready for the new paint

work oh mate well I'm knackered
this is your bit so whilst you go and get

on with that I'm gonna kind of sit
down on your bike you got a master's

life yeah well that's me told as I'm
masking up the trims Derek cracks on

with putting on a primer paint to
provide a uniformed surface for our

colored paint to stick to covering
Colin in primer paint and lacquer is a

massively time-consuming job and I
just hope it doesn't take us too many

days to get our door my picture
perfect for that all-important summer at.

Mike so nice to meet you oh it's
been a race against time I think we've

got to get Colin the camper ready
for summer are you talking about next

summer right no to rescue and revive
Colin the camper we've still got fit a

new engine and gearbox and give
Colin that full respray as we tackle that

trickiest ever engine oh that's
such a relief it actually fits in the hole

and interior upgrade measured
twice cut once after a few final days at

Derek's finishing the
paintwork it's time to get back

to Mike for the last
job of fitting the interior.

no get out of it seriously is that and
Colin's amazing that is fantastic what

a transformation I said to you give
me the taste of summer but you've

actually bottled summer and you
put it inside the vehicle that's incredible

that color is so strong well your
trip down to Dormer beer was the full

inspiration for this and I think it's
just worked out perfectly honestly

it's amazing and so what about
the engine that pinto I got you you're

gonna love this mate cuz it's in
there look at that I mean it took a

load of shoehorning it in a bit of
mods to the chassis into the bodywork.

but it's in there and of course the
auto gearbox and you're like this

I've kept hold of the original
column shifter Colin shifter it's

fantastic I love it I've never been
the happier to see a vehicle Colin is

looking unbelievable mate well done
and I say what this is my handiwork but I

also know you've been busy so do you
want to show me what you've been up to

I've done nothing no come on I can
see you come and show me come on you

ready yourself my own level woodwork
came back and I just remembered how to

do things and I've built quite a bit
of furniture in the past and you know

what I'm gonna say I really enjoyed
it it was really pleasurable they're

amazing that looks so good yeah
seats as well and curtains I'd like to take

the credit for those but actually I
didn't know I'll farm that workout to

somebody else and I think they've
done an amazing job and what with the

color combination with the seats the
curtains and the cupboards and what

you've done with Colin it's gonna
look amazing isn't it I mean so

different to when you drop that
Van off all we got to do is fit it.

straight in well hang on there's
one new bit of Colin that you haven't

seen fidget what we doing put that
down there hold on I'm so pleased with

the way that's turned out it's good
it does right we're gonna have to get

all this stuff loaded in as quickly as
we can because I need to get pictures

of it and get it up there online
we wanted to reinvigorate our

Colin but is there enough life left in
our Bedford for it to holiday once more.

we paid just four and a half grand for
Colin engine and automatic gearbox

a thousand pounds rear axle and
prop shaft 220 three upholstery of the

seats a grand interior fixtures and
fittings 1067 canopy and roof upgrades

395 paintwork 2,000
pounds that's a transformative

total of ten thousand one
hundred and eighty two pounds.

well I'm gonna tell you it smells
absolutely delicious in it it really

does us from out here so one
sausage or two definitely two I got a funny

feeling we've nailed this what would
the retro style in but we've sort of.

updated it at the same time yeah
yeah you've done a cracking job honestly

you've smashed it inside there and
this cabinetry as well amazing and you've

tied in the color scheme the flooring
the roof there even the kettle look

at that color code it's all about
those details isn't it should we get

outside and enjoy the great outdoors
definitely nice job there me thank you

very much a little bit of a chef I
can do that especially in the back of

Colin oh I'm looking forward to
this I feel like I've spent a lot of nights

with Colin but what a great spot to
spend that last night it's wonderful

in it and this is all the rage isn't it
people do want to go out and enjoy

the great outdoors and if the previous
owner could see me and you doing this I

think he'd be really really proud of us
right now what I've loved most about it

is that it wasn't just about
following instruction manual it wasn't

just going down the shops and
buying a part and bolting it on we had to

make it up as went along it was
about getting a bit creative a bit

inventive and I've loved how
it's turned out well it's one of the

biggest projects we've ever done
on Wheeler dealers it really is yeah it's

kind of sad that we've got to say
goodbye in it it's the last night with

Colin tomorrow he has to
get sold mate there's only

one thing to say thank you
and cheers Colin to Colin.

I can't believe it the engine is running
out of steam anywhere like 40 miles an

hour but this with his automatic
gearbox he's just cruising along very

very happily this is wicked
I think we've got the fastest

automobile in the country slide it
into drive and just cruise along quite

happily this is mega and of course
that is the entire point of a vehicle like

this that you can just let that stress
bounce away after a busy week

jump in it have a great weekend
down in the countryside somewhere.

not only did it have a facelift Colin
had a heart lung transplant and now

it's got a whole new lease of life
Colin's gonna live on for many many

years to come and I've had people
already beaten apart to my door

desperate to buy Colin and we're meeting
a guy today called Martin who actually

wants to buy a vehicle so he can travel
around England heartbreaking no it is to

see Colin go is what you think we
should be asking for it I've seen one.

of these sell recently at auction for
ten and a half grand but it didn't have

a pinto engine automatic gearbox
and it didn't look as sharp as this one

does I was gonna ask just a
modest eleven and a half grand I think

that's fair enough you're never gonna
claw back the hours that we've all put

into this and there's no way you
shouldn't bother trying to do that and it

wasn't really about that was it this
was a labor of love as much as anything

else I'm glad you said that let's
go show it to Martin beautiful.

paintwork yeah it looks really
lovely isn't it Martin you like the

color combination I absolutely love it
Mike yeah it really works although summer

is coming to a close yeah we have
got it haven't we just about made it.

didn't we did you show Martin the
engine no because as well as what

we've done on the outside it's
transformed under here as well

because it had a very different engine
when we got the vehicle and I have I

mean quite literally shoehorned in
a Ford pinto engine in there it's got

auto box as well so it's it's smooth
and seamless and you know I think it's.

really transformed the vehicle really
excellent I hope you're really gonna

like what we've done with the inside
cuz we're delighted with it I absolutely

love it it's beautiful and we love
that color combination it really does

really works well Martin why a
dormer bill well I love camping but I'm

getting too old and now I want to
spend some quality time with my

children and my future granddaughter
and taking them around the country oh

lovely what a great thing to do
perfect vehicle for it we're not gonna

be greedy we're gonna be really
realistic here we are asking a very very.

firm eleven thousand five hundred
pounds what you say I think you got a deal

yeah congratulations Martin you just bought
Colin at the camera I'm gonna miss Colin.

Colin a wonderful dormer bill
came into our lives just at the right

moment just when everybody in Britain
decided to have a staycation there's not

a surface of this vehicle that hasn't
been touched by me Elvis or Derek and

we need to thank him Colin our camper
has had a complete transformation and

Martin is absolutely delighted with it
and I know he's grabbed many miles of

enjoyment traveling around Britain's
roads and this camper is rather

distinctive so if you see it give him
a friendly wave if you want to see

more iconic vehicles like
this being turned around by

me and Elvis then join us
again soon on Wheeler dealers.