07x03 - VW T2 Panel Van

[bunniefuu]

Welcome to Wheeler Dealers,
the show that's crazy about classics.

We take cars that are past Air
Prime, do them up and sell them on.

Mike buys the cars, then I
get busy with the spanners.

This time I'm on the hunt for a
car. Well, I'd say it's a car. It's more

like a Van. Or a minibus. No,
it's like a camper. I'll wait and see.

The VW Type 2. When it
was launched way back in


as an early people carrier.

Load lugging builder's truck
and something in between.

If the VW Beetle was the car of the
people, then the Type 2 was their Van.

Unique styling and simple mechanics
have made it an icon for generations.

For our five grand budget,
we'll be looking at buying a

bay-winder Type 2 with the
big panoramic front screen.

Hopefully a nice camper Van.

But these classic 1970s
models are now costing big bucks.

So I'm really going to have to pull it out
of the bag to find one that we can afford.

Well, I've searched
all kinds of sites and so

far nothing. I've even
fired off a few emails.

There's some contacts of
mine and nothing's coming back.

I need some of the fans
out there for under five grand.

These campers, I'll tell you,
they're pretty ropey. One needs

a new interior. There's one
here that needs a complete floor.

There's one that needs
an engine. There's one that

should be crushed into a
cube, as far as I'm concerned.

No, to find one front
of five grand is a bit of a

mission. It's going to
be harder than I thought.

Five grand campers are a real no-no.
They just don't make sense to do up.

But something else has
caught my eye. A Type 2

panel Van. It has solid
sides without windows.

It's all the looks, but for less money.

You know, this panel
Van is really interesting.

The key parts are that it
doesn't need any welding.

Plus, it's got an MOT and tax.
So the decision is, do I buy a

really ropey camper Van at Drive
Ed Mad for around five grand?

Or do I buy a straight panel
Van for around three grand?

Hmm, I think this one
needs further investigation.

Now these panel vans don't
hang around for long, so I'm on the

blower straight away, hitting the
cellotron with some hard questions.

What's it like to drive?

It sounds pretty straight.
This Van is worth a look.

Okay then, mate. Yep, super.
And you. Bye then.

Cracking. That's just what I'm looking for.

At the moment, this VW Van is the
only one I've got penned in for a visit.

And as usual, if it's not up to my usual high
standards, then I'm afraid I'm just going

to turn around and walk away, because vans
like this can end up being real money pits.

I love getting out the big
smoke into the countryside.

Nice house. Nice wagon.
And this must be Tom.

Mike, how are you? Nice to see you.

I'm very well, Tom. Lovely to meet you.
You've got nice warm hands.

Yeah, absolutely. It's a bit cold today.

Now, this, Tom, is the one, is it?

This is it? This is the car? Yeah.

It's got a bit of character,
this car, isn't it, already?

I think they call it, Mike, isn't it?

Yeah, and it's tattooed.

That's the one. Tribal.

Tribal.

Bit of hot rod pin striping.

It's falling apart as well.
What's going on here?

It's not falling apart.
It needs a bit of work, don't you think?

A bit of work. It needs a new door.

Mike, it's 30 years old. Come on, there's
only a few bits and pieces in 18, too.

And these wheels, they're
a bit weird, aren't they?

What, these are off a Granada, aren't they?

They are, yeah, 1970s,
Ford, Renault, it's very good.

Right, so it's got white
wheels, it's a white Van.

Let's hope it's not all white inside, eh?

It's not quite, no.

Look at it, it is!
It's a kaleidoscope of colours.

Red, brown, black.

Yeah, bit of a funny story.

The red and the brown, I'm
colour blind, unfortunately.

Oh, yeah.

It's the same colour as the seats.

Obviously, red and brown's
the same colour to me.

They are rotten anyway.

They definitely need doing.

The best course of action probably
to replace the old seats, to be honest.

Unless you've got a good trimmer.

Okay, and it's pretty
basic in here, isn't it?

Steering wheel and
two seats, that's about it.

That's pretty much it, I'm afraid, yeah.

It's okay, though, it's all there.
Just needs work.

Just needs work, yeah.

But it's all good, isn't it?

Yeah, all pretty solid, yeah.

Yeah, that's okay.
Round here and round here.

This is all a bit rusty,
though, round here.

Yeah, a little bit.
There's a little bit of blistering out.

Probably need a new skin
on that rear door, as well.

I'm more interested, though, in
what it's like in the engine department,

because this is where you
could really spend some money.

That looks alright. It's nice and dry.

No signs of any oil leaks.

No, it's been very good to me, actually.
It's been very easy.

I've done very little
to it since I've had it.

Regular oil change, change to plugs,
condenser, distributor cap and HT leads.

Other than that, hasn't really
been that much to do at all.

Solid engine.

Yeah, been great for me. Perfect.

Super. That's what I like to hear.

Right. Nice, solid, strong panels.

What's it like underneath?

Yeah, really good underneath, actually.
Very clean.

You can see it's been
under sealed at some stage

in the past, which has
really helped. No rust.

No, no, no. It's very clean, actually.

Yeah.

And it works. The door.

The door works.

That's a miracle. Wow.
You could live in here, couldn't you?

Yeah, you certainly could, do you?

I tried it for a while, but it's a little
on the chilly side at night sometimes, so.

Listen, I really like
it. I just want to take

it with a test drive,
if that's all right.

Yeah, no problem.

Okay, it won't be long.

Foot down, and this thing
takes an eight to get up to speed.

We've only just got
to 30, and listen to it.

I reckon 60 will come
sometime next Tuesday.

Behind me is a little 1.6 litre
engine, pushing this Van along.

Not fast, but it does work.

Well, as for handling, it's never going
to be on rails as it being an old VW Van,

but it's all right. You
know, you push it into a

corner, and it's sort of
point and hope, really.

And as for the brakes, as
soon as you stamp on the pedal,

it brings the thing to a halt, eventually.

It's okay.
For one of these, it's all right.

I'm more concerned about the bodywork.

It's white, flat, dull, and lifeless.

And whatever we do with this Van, I know
that we're going to have to repaint it.

Well, I've got some good news
and some bad news for Tom.

The good news is he's
found himself a buyer.

Me, the bad news is I'm a Wheeler
dealer, and I never give the asking price.

He was 3,250 quid. He's joking, isn't he?

This thing needs a repaint and some other
work, so I'm going to go back and bid him.

Well, it ain't fast.

I'll give you that.

It's a slow old girl, isn't it?

But actually quite good fun to be in.

It's good fun to drive, yeah, definitely.

It just needs all that work doing to it.

You want it 3,250? I did, yeah.

I'm going to bid you for it. I like it.

I'll give you 2,250 quid for it. Cash.

It's not enough, I'm afraid.

It's, you know, I think it's a nice Van.

It needs all that work, mate.
It needs a load of money spending.

It does. It needs the work doing to it.

But I'm not asking
the top price for it, so...

Right, I bought cash with
me, so I will drive it away today.

Okay.

I don't believe I'm going to do this,

but I'll give you two and
a half grand for it now.

Two and a half today?

Yeah, and that's it.
I'm going to walk away otherwise.

Cash today? Yeah.

Come on, Tom, do it.
It's going to go to a good home.

You're going to look after it.

I'll promise you I'll look after it.

I need the space. Promise? Promise. Deal.

Top work. I've got a Van.

A Type 2 for two and a half grand?

That's much less than I expected to pay.

I'm well chuffed.

But make no mistake, turning this panel
Van around is going to be a big old job.

Join me again soon to
see if Ed, the VDUP expert,

thinks I bought a good one.

I've just bought this old 70s VW
panel Van and I really did bag a bargain.

Two and a half grand for this old Van.

It's a steal.
Somebody ought to phone the law.

I tell you, I feel like I've robbed him.

With a new paint job, warmed
over engine and shiny alloys,

this could be worth 10 grand
or more to the right buyer.

But first, I'm on my way back to the garage
to meet Ed so he can give it a once over.

Now, when I set out on this mission to buy
a camper Van, I didn't think truthfully.

that I'd end up with a panel Van.

But I'm really pleased I have.

Number one, I'm enjoying this drive.
It's fantastic.

Number two, we've got a blank canvas.

I mean, it's awesome.
There's things we can do to it.

I can't wait to see Ed's face
because he loves all this air cooling,

V-dub stuff. I just hope he's
as enthusiastic as me when

he sees the amount of
work I've got lined up for him.

Is there another gear?

Is that it?

All the way home, like this.

Hello, I recognise that sound
you've got as a Volkswagen.

Fantastic, a type two Van.

How cool is that?

I know you love these because you
worked on these all your life, haven't you?

Unfortunately though,
this one's a little bit sore

round the edges. Somebody's trying
to give it a personality, haven't they?

Look, they've put a moustache on the front.

A little eyebrows.

And the issues don't stop there, Ed.

There's a little bit of rust
appearing at the bottom of the door.

No, that's actually not a problem
because we can get a replacement.

Can you also get a replacement c*ck then
because this one is looking very tired?

Well, they normally
look this kind of simple

and people kind of
like the honesty of that

but I think maybe
we'll sort the seats out.

Are you going to let me
get crazy with this Van?

As crazy as your brain will take you.

I'm thinking we do some
pretty special paint on these.

Oh, lovely big wacky paint job.

That would be wicked.

And if we're going to go with that,

we are going to have to
sort out those horrible wheels.

So if we, something a
bit bling on there maybe.

Yep, nice big chrome fat
wheels with fat tyres on it.

I'm liking this.

It's going to be good.

Right, now, down the back.

What do you reckon, Ed?

Well, first of all, we're
going to sort out this tailgate.

We're going to sort out the engine.

It was really sweet, didn't it?

It was really lovely.

You know where to dig
around inside these, didn't you?



Is it all right?

I tell you what, it sounds good.

Problem is, it's just not powerful enough.

They are a little sluggish, aren't they?

Feast your eyes on that.

It's a little underwhelming.

It's very dull, isn't it?

Yeah, it's kind of a bad
effort at a kind of a day Van.

Yeah, I don't like the beddy thing
and I don't like the sideboard over there.

You can spend the real
money on the brilliant

paint job on the outside
and a wicked engine.

So have we got a plan?

We've got a brilliant plan.

Fantastic.

We've got big plans for our VW panel Van,

but like any long journey,
we've got to start with one step.

I've been trying to
work out what to do first.

I've decided to drop the engine.

I need the engine out so I can
get decent access for the respray.

Now I could swap
this unit for something

like a powerful
water-cooled Golf GTI engine,

something Type 2 fans do,

but it would be a lot of
work and it would be a

shame because this engine
has been well cared for.

It's a strong unit and if I bolt
on some go-faster goodies,

I'm sure we can really boost
the brake horsepower figure

and make this Van fit
for 21st century traffic.

The next thing is the engine bolts.

I've got four engine bolts,

two at the bottom, two at the top,

and of course I've got to pull
through the throttle cable as well.

But then we're actually pretty much there.

It's such a simple system,
such a simple design.

That is the last of the bolts.

So now I've done everything. I've
undone the throttle cable, the fuel line,

all of the bolts and I've
just connected all the wiring

and just after half an
hour, the engine is now able

to be removed from
the Van, which is brilliant.

I'm going to drop the engine
onto this rolling tool cabinet.

Then I'm going to pull it off the
first motion shaft of the gearbox.

So this is it.
All I should need now is a good firm tug

and I can pull it off
the first motion shaft.

So here we go.

Even easier than I thought.

So now I just pop the Van up
in the air and the engine is free.

It's so great how easy this is.

It's even easier than taking
the engine out of a bug actually.

Look at that. Job done.

I'm going great g*ns,
but I wonder how Mike's

getting on finding me
my new engine goodies.

Rob?

Mike, how you doing mate?

Yeah, good. Right, I wanted to speak
to you about these engine modifications.

Okay, no problem. Best thing to
do, let's go have a look at the engine.

Now I've got something
just like this actually.

An old 1600cc unit cranky old thing
with single port. What can I do to it?

Okay, with its single port, first
thing to do, change its twin port.

Give you more bang
and more fuel air mixture.

Bolt on a set of twin carbs
on top, give you even more.

Rocker assemblies, we
can change the angle of the

rockers, give you more
valve lift, more power.

And lastly, barrels and
pistons, change the pot

sizes to 1641, give you
more cc's, more power.

Brilliant. Now what's my old engine
producing in terms of power at the minute?

As new, it would have
produced about 40 brake

horsepower with these
modifications between 70 and 80.

Double the horsepower?

Yep. Fantastic. It sounds
awesome all this stuff,

but where is it? Where's
all this shiny stuff?

If we go over here, I'll show you.

Right, you've got it all in the
beetle, have you? Oh, look at that!

Now that looks rapid,
doesn't it? Just sitting

here. Wow. So what
have we got here then?

Okay, well what you're going to
do, you get your twin carburetors, one

either side, with this linkage bar that
controls both carbs at the same time.

We'll give you a new set of tinware,
because your old stuff won't fit properly.

New distributor, and then some of the
other bits you'll use off your old engine.

Fantastic.
Do we need to change the exhaust?

Yeah, if we put a 4 into 1
exhaust system on there, it'll be a

little bit more grunted, give you
a few more brake horsepower.

Will it sound the same?

It'll be a little bit more
grunted, more beefy,

but generally like an
air cooled engine would.

Sounds fantastic. But it also sounds like
it might be expensive for all this stuff.

Not too bad. The whole thing, including
the exhaust, probably about £1600.

Oh, 1600 quid, but
for that I get double the

horsepower, and it gives
the engine a new lease of life.

It'll go on for many
years, no doubt. All things

considered, I think it's a bit
of a bargain. Shall we do it?

Yep. Lovely.

Without a doubt, the bodywork
is the biggest job on this old Van.

At first glance, it does look
pretty straight, but the reality is, I'm

going to be spending a lot of time
rubbing down, prepping and mending.

The good news, however, is I
won't be doing any welding on

the underside of the vehicle,
because that is 100% solid.

Let's crack on.

What's great about a
vehicle this old is that

you can strip it down
with a very basic toolkit.

Most of this will come apart with the
aid of a flat and crosshead screwdriver.

The strip down is going
very well. I've now got to try

and turn my attention
to this bit of vinyl sticker.

I could soften up with a hairdryer,
but actually I think it's going

to be okay just by using this
special razor blade and a holder.

Take it very gently. There we go.
Look at that. It comes off nice and easy.

It's now time to remove
the rear bumper. It's attached

with four bolts, two on each
side. They're 17mm heads.

I'm going to treat you a
little bit and use a windy g*n.

This rear window seal is
perished, so I'm cutting it out.

The window I will, of
course, reuse. Sadly,

I think the tailgate
will have to be junked.

As is plain to see, this
tailgate is in a pretty

sorry state. There's rust
and corrosion all over it.

I've decided to swap it for a brand
new one. Of course, before I can do

that, I need to remove this from
the Van, but there are a few issues.

To undo these hex
screws here, I'm going to be

using one of these,
which is an impact driver.

You can see you've
got a little Allen head on

one end, and that's
where I hit it with a hammer.

If you look closely, you can see
there's a left and a right symbol there.

This can be turned to
undo or do up, depending

on which way your
bolt is designed to work.

What happens is,
basically, I put it in here,

hit it really, really
hard with a hammer.

Each time there's a jolt,
it'll try and pull slightly

to the left or to the right,
depending on my setting.

In this case, obviously, I want it
to go to the left, so there we go.

It's just like putting a screwdriver in,
putting it under tension and then hitting

it with a hammer, but it's much more
accurate and you can use a lot more force.

Here it goes. Of course, a bit of eye
protection, because it could get a bit messy.

One tailgate.

There are so many things I love
about air-cooled V double E's, but

the best thing has got to be the
way they come apart so easily.

This sliding door, for
example, just slide it

along. There's a little
break in the runner there.

Just lift it up and then pull the
door away. It's as simple as that.

Then Paul's just going to give
us a hand lifting the bottom.

Again, we just roll it to
the very, very back of the

runner and there's a
little slot, and out it comes.

Just as simple as that.

At some point, we're going to need
to take the screen out of the Van.

Normally, I'd wait until all the
sanding has been done, because

otherwise I'm going to end
up filling the interior with dust.

But actually, on this
occasion, I do need to prep the

dashboard, because that's
looking pretty sorry for itself.

Also, we're going to be painting
the interior, so it's kind of academic.

Now, you might better
see that the rubber here

going around the screen
is actually pretty perished,

so I'm going to have to buy a new one
when we put it all back together again.

Rather than risk damaging the screen on its
removal, I'm actually going to cut it out.

Ed is really getting
through the jobs on our Van.

The engine's out, the
bodywork is being stripped,

and I've got a great
feeling about this panel Van.

So far, Ed's still got
a smile on his face,

but there's a whole heap
of work to get through

if we're ever going to end up with a top
drawer Type 2 capable of turning a profit.

This is our lovely V-Dub Type 2 panel Van.

With a wicked paint job,
it'll be a real head Turner.

And we've also got some big plans
for that slow little engine at the back.

Is there another gear? Is that it?
All the way home, like this?

Ed's already pulled
out the V-Dub lump, and

I'm hoping the new
parts like the twin carbs

and bigger pistons will
almost double the horsepower.

He's well on the way to
stripping down the bodywork.

Now it's time for him to crack on
with the inside of our panel Van.

Oh dear, this interior is
in a pretty nasty state, and

I will get around to sorting
that out a bit later on,

but obviously we're going to
be painting the metal inside here,

so we're going to need
to strip everything out as

part of this prep process
ready for the paint shop.

The great thing about these vans is
that once you've stripped them out,

you're left with something
you can spray up

for that really cool
exposed paintwork look.

Bad thing is, it means a lot more
rubbing down to do, eventually.

Our new tailgate has arrived.
It's looking very tidy,

but there is a slight difference because
it comes from a much later model Van.

You can see there's a recess here for the
badge, but I think I can live with that.

But I have to say, it's
a lot lighter than the

original tailgate I
removed from the vehicle,

and that's perhaps one of the disadvantages
of having to buy aftermarket products.

Sometimes they're not made to quite
the same quality as the good old days.

If you imagine the weight of our
replacement driver's side door,

it is properly heavy,
just like the one I took off,

and that's because it's made
out of good quality German steel.

You can see it's in really good Nick
even though it's the same age as the Van,

and I reckon that's because
somebody's imported it from

sunnier climbs where they
don't have those rust issues.

Once again, the simplicity
of this vehicle is so charming.

Lifting the tailgate into place, I'm just
securing it with four countersunk screws.

An easy job for the home mechanic.

The critical thing, first of
all, is that the swage lines

here line up, which they
do beautifully, which is great.

And then, if you imagine
holding the door out slightly,

because there will be a door
rubber in there holding it all flush,

and I want to make sure that
then that's flush and so is that.

There are plenty of independent VW parts
suppliers around, so many prices stay keen.

Our tailgate costs £120.

It's essential I check that they do fit.

because the shut lines are
perfect before they go to paint.

Well, it definitely fits.

It's a little bit low at the moment,
but I'm not too bothered about that

because the paint shop
will be removing all of

the doors when they
paint all the door shuts.

Once it's painted, then we can
put all the door furniture back on.

We're some way from that at the moment.

We've done all of the easy stuff,
so now the really hard graft starts.

We've got so much work ahead
of us, it doesn't really matter what

order we do it in, so I'm going
to start with a bit of sanding

and then deal with any problem
areas as I come across them.

I don't even know what colour
we're going to do this Van yet,

but obviously I've got a lot
of thinking time ahead of me.

The respray means every panel will
have to be rubbed down and prepped.

By getting this Van in the right condition,

I think we'll save at least £1000 on
preparation labour from the body shop.

Inside and out, this is a huge undertaking.

It's twice the size of some cars.

Wow! Look at this!
Look at the work you've done!

Well, thank you,
yeah, it's got a bit to go,

but actually we've been working so hard
it's now nearly ready for the paint shop.

Paint, I'm getting excited.

I've got some great ideas, I reckon.

Matte black, baby blue, big yellow colour.

You did say this is a blank
canvas for me to surprise

you with, and that's
exactly what I'm going to do.

That was then, and this is
now, so what are we going to do?

Alright, I'm thinking bright
colour, something really trick.

But that's it, that's what
I'm going to give you.

Right, what about the engine then?

Yeah, how did you get on with that?

Well, I went over to that place that you
recommended, and I've got some good news.

We've got some stuff coming to the workshop
that's really going to impress you.

Pistons, barrels, new
carburetors, new exhaust system,

it's going to double the horsepower
up to the grand old heady heights of 80!

That is really good
because it's going to

make such a fantastic
difference to the Van.

It will make a difference, I'm just a
little bit worried about a couple of things.

All that work's still in the engine, and
that's got to be off to the paint shop.

Have we got enough time to do it all?

I've got a huge amount
of work ahead of me,

so thank you for that,
you're going to owe me.

I'll owe you big style.

Next day, a box full of
engine parts arrived from Mike.

Christmas and birthday rolled into
one for our little V-Dub air-cooled lump.

What a lovely selection of shiny new parts.

Now, it might look a little
bit daunting at this stage,

but believe me, Volkswagen
engines are nice and simple to work on.

Everything unbolts or bolts back on again.

Now, I do think that
Mike is a little bit optimistic

in thinking we're
going to get double the

horsepower out of our
engine and all these new bits.

All I've got to do is unbolt all
the stuff off our original engine

and then bolt on the
new barrels and pistons,

new heads, new rockers,
new rocker covers.

I've got an oil cooler
there, alternator, fan

shroud, carburetors,
air filter, exhaust system.

I've got tons to be getting on with.

I'm just undoing the sump cover here.

I've got a slightly tricky nut, but once
that's undone, this plate will come off

and then all of the oil in the sump is
going to then drain out of the engine.

To rebuild our engine, I've first
got to strip off all the ancillaries.

The fan belt, exhaust system, fan
housing, carburetor and the heads.

Half an hour later and
the engine is stripped.

Now, I'm into the guts of it.

We're going to boost the power of our unit
and one of the best ways to do this is to

increase the bore size
of the barrels and pistons.

So, I'm carefully removing the barrels
and pistons from our 1584cc engine

and I'm going to add new
ones with a 1641cc capacity.

That's about as much as this
engine block can safely take.

Any more and you'd
need to modify the engine

crank case, which
can get very expensive.

Now the barrels and pistons
are removed, you can see the con

rods and the crankshaft
spinning around inside the engine.

So, the next job is to put the
new barrels and pistons back on,

but of course, I think maybe
a bit of cleaning wouldn't hurt.

Engine degreaser costs around a
fiver a litre, cheap and useful stuff.

To ensure decent combustion
in the engine, it's essential

that the piston rings sit
correctly around the pistons.

Top tip, I'm using a ring
compressor to compress the rings,

then I gradually slip the
pistons into the barrels,

then the rings are released and
they expand and form a seal inside.

With the pistons in place,
it's time to slip all four

barrels of our flat-four
engine onto the original block.

The barrels and the pistons
are now attached to the block,

so the next obvious thing to
attach is our new twin-port head,

and this is slightly better
than our single-port head,

because more fuel and air can get into the
engine, giving us again a hint more power.

I'm slipping the twin-port
cylinder head where the

valves are housed into
place and torquing it down.

Too little torque and you won't get
the necessary seal with the barrel,

then over-torque and you'll potentially
damage the cylinder head studs.

So I'm using a special torque
wrench to guarantee I get it right.

This air-cooled engine still
needs its oil cooled, of course,

so I'm bolting on a new
aluminium oil cooler.

The aluminium helps dissipate
heat, but it looks trick too.

Our engine was originally
fitted with a dynamo,

and this is a little bit
old-fashioned these days.

It produces a lot more
voltage the faster it spins,

but it's not so great
at producing loads of

current, which is actually
what we really want.

So we're going to
fit a nice shiny new

alternator, which is
much better at doing that.

I'm going to pop it into
our brand new fan housing.

The engine is really flying together.

Cosmetically, the black
tinware makes a big impression,

but what I'm really after is something shiny
to draw the eye and up the performance.

And here it is.

Mike has got us these twin
carburetors, one for each side,

and then of course they're going to
be sitting on these manifolds here,

and these are twin port manifolds
because we've now got our twin port heads,

and that means you can get more
fuel and air mixture into the engine,

which means a bigger expl*si*n,
which means more power.

To finish these chaps
off, we've got these

lovely shiny air filters
that go here and here.

Loads more soft to put on them.

This engine rebuild has taken me hours,

but it should be all
worthwhile when I turn the key.

Our Van will have a new engine note though,

because this four into one
exhaust has been specially designed

to draw the exhaust gasses
out faster than a standard unit.

Well, the engine's now
finished, just doing the last job,

which of course is making
sure I've got enough oil,

which I have, and I think overall this
engine is looking really rather good.

I reckon if this engine
goes as good as it looks,

mission is accomplished.

I am hugely excited, I'm
here at a very busy body shop

to see the colour go onto
the body of our panel Van.

But what colour have I chosen?
Well, let's go see.

Don't worry, it's not
grey, that's just the primer.

No, I've got something
much more funky in mind.

Let's go.

Yep, I've gone for metallic orange.

And doesn't it look great?

As the layers build up, you can
see the depth of colour come through.

It's always a gamble going
for a new colour on a car,

but there is method in my madness.

It's a very modern,
bronzy, burnt orange colour,

and the reason I went
for orange in the first place

is because it's very much
a Volkswagen colour.

In the 70s, loads of
vehicles came off their

production line in that very
famous, brilliant orange.

I know there are lots
of Volkswagens out

there that have been
painted in similar tones,

but I'm yet to see some
in exactly this colour.

I think that's going to give us the edge
when it comes to finding potential buyers.

When the colour's gone
on, Chris will lacquer it too,

and we should end up
with one very shiny VW.

I've seen what I need to see,

and I'm really looking forward
to when the Van's finished,

but for now, better get
back to the workshop.

A few days later, Paul collected the Van,

and here it is.

Oh yes, now that is gorgeous.

It's even better than I ever imagined,

and this is the first time
I've seen it in the sunlight.

What do you reckon, Paul?
I like it, it's really eye-catching.

Oh yes, this is one kick-a*s colour.

It's modern, but with a nod to the past.

A one-off without being too custom.

I'm so excited to see it
back in the workshop.

This fantastic colour,
with the extra little bit

of Pearl I got them to
put into the lacquer mix,

really gives us a stunning
transformation that I was looking for.

When you're trying to paint
a vehicle of this size, shape,

and with this much paint
on so to get the colour right,

but I'm definitely happy
with what I've chosen,

let's just hope Mike is.

The total bill for this
respray was three grand,

and I reckon we'll make every
penny back when we sell on,

because this baby is unique.

After all of the excitement
of our Van coming back,

I now need to get back on with some work.

This little chap, our
engine, needs to go back into

our VW, and it did take
an absolute age to rebuild,

but thankfully the refit
should take less than an hour.

Paul is helping me drop
the body over the engine.

It's a snug fit, but it goes
straight in and bolts back together.

Just these last few bits to connect
up and we'll soon be ready to turn over.

Even though I must have
rebuilt hundreds of these engines,

that first key turn always
fills me with trepidation.

Fingers crossed, because
we're almost there.

So here we go, this is the very
moment of truth I've been waiting for.

Fuel in the carburettors,
we should have a spark now.

Go on Paul, give it a go.

Oh, nearly, one more.

I'm very happy with
that, that is fantastic.

A Volkswagen lives to fight another day.

Okay, the engine's running,
the body is looking sweet,

we're so close to
completing our classic Type 2,

but there's still the interior
to go in and the seats to sort.

Only then will we have a
drop-dead gorgeous VW.

Welcome back to Wheeler Dealers,

the show where I buy
the cars and Ed fixes them

up and hopefully we
sell them on for a profit.

So far our trusty Type 2 panel Van has had
the engine rebuilt and the body resprayed.

Together those jobs cost a mighty £4,600.

The exterior is now looking mint,

but the interior is in a sad state.

There's only one man who's up to this job.

Over to the nation's
favourite mechanic, Ed.

Now with the mirrors
on, the exterior is finished.

I'm thinking it's looking rather smart,

this chrome really sets
off our lovely paint job,

but of course that means that the interior
is rather low, letting the side down.

To keep it simple, because
orange is quite tricky to work with,

I'm going to go with some
black vinyl panels on the inside,

a bit of nice carpet and I've
got a great idea for the seats.

Now these panels are going to
make all the difference to our interior.

They come already cut
but not actually covered.

So we've got a friend of ours to
this lovely tuck and roll design,

a little bit of piping, a
little bit of leatherette.

It's going to look so smart.

Here's our new carpet.

Strictly it isn't necessary, but it will
give the back of our Van an air of luxury.

It's a giant deep shack pile carpet,

but it only costs £30,
so it is a bit of a bargain,

and because I got it from a carpet
shop rather than a specialist VW store,

I will have to cut it to fit.

Double sided tape keeps the
carpet by the door looking neat.

Look at these tired old plastic seats,
they really do need to be replaced.

And if you're a fan of Wheeler
dealers, you may remember

the Sierra Cosworth we did
where I swapped out the interior.

Well, this is one of those leather
Recaros that actually came from that car.

I could recycle these.

So what I've done is I've
got an upholsterer friend

to actually replace some of
the damaged foam in this bolster

and also put in a nice new panel of
leather, and I think they look pretty cool.

£150, bit of a bargain.

And to make sure that
they actually fit into our

Van, I've also added
this modified seat adjuster

and a bit of extra bracketry.

They're going to look fantastic.

The replacement leather
for the front seat bolster

actually came from the rear
bench seat of our old Cosy interior.

Bob the Builder was so right.

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

That's the way to go.

Okay, that's all done.

These are looking very smart indeed,

much better than the ones that VW fitted
back in the 70s, and with this headrest,

they're even safer too.

I'm so close to the finishing line.

Next up, or should I say off,

are these tatty alloys.

Check these out.

They're a classic aftermarket
wheel, a real crowd pleaser

that should at least please
most of the potential buyers.

Now, I've gone for a 15 inch
MP5 spoke and that should

give our Van a really
fantastic hot rod kind of rake

and make the whole thing look really cool.

Big alloys, fat tyres will help fill
the arches and give that hot rod look.

Well, it's finally all done and dusted.

That dull old Van that Mike dropped off has
been transformed into this cool cruiser.

In fact, it's completely unrecognisable.

Modern paint job,

it's a 20th century classic
with a 21st century future.

I love it.

Check it out.

Our 70s Type 2 has gone
from an anonymous white

Van to a stunning one
of a kind street cruiser.

It's taken a load of new parts
and a monumental amount of work,

but just look at the results.

I think this Van is going
to make us big money.

When I first showed Ed the Van,

he was enthusiastic and
realised there was a lot to do.

But bless his heart out,
he got right down to it,

pulling out the old engine.

I bought a rebuild kit.

Ed got to work and the results looked fab,

sound superb and a
really boosted performance.

The bodywork needed a lot of expert care.

Stripping down, replacing doors
and rubbing down took ages,

but when the Van came
back from the spray booth,

it was clear it had all paid off.

A new black vinyl interior,

salvaged front seats and some retro
chic alloys and our panel Van was reborn.

How much did we spend?

Well, we bought cheap,
but then we spent a lot.

Engine parts, a big respray,

interior panels, upholstery, alloys.

The cost kept coming.

In the end, we got through £8,465.

Big money, but this is
one pristine VDUB Van.

Ed, how you doing?

Wow, look at the Van.

It's really merry, that colour.

Looks like some football player's
wife who's been on the sunbed too long.

No, trust me, orange is very
much a nail colour on the VW scene.

This is what all those
air-cooled fans want.

It's very eye-popping.

I will take your word for it.

What about the interior?

Well, I got a bit creative in there too.

Do you like those recycled seats?

Wicked. I love it. What a transformation.

Who would have thought it was the same
white old knackered Van I delivered to you?

Because it looks brilliant.

It looks like you've really
had your work cut out for you.

It has been very hard work, yeah.

I suppose you want a
nice day out on the coast?

Are you going to drive?

It will be my pleasure, Edward.
My pleasure.

We decided to head off to one
of my favourite seaside places,

the Isle of Wight, for some sun,
sand, and a very special test drive.

Oh yes, Ed. You've done it again, son.

Fantastic.

What can I say, Ed?

Last time I drove this old
Van, it was really pedestrian.

I could have got out a warm
faster, but now it feels really nipping.

Listen to that engine, though.

Ed, it's wicked.

I mean, it's never going
to win any naught to sixties,

but no longer do I feel like people
are going to hoot at me for going slowly.

I can pull out into fast traffic.

It feels like a modern motor.

Well done, my son. Well done.

Well, thank you, sir. Yeah, it's nice.

I think even sitting here in shotgun,

I think it feels like a proper motor.

This is one seriously cool air-cooled VW.

And the way that we've
left it a bit open-ended

at the back where it can be
transformed into a camper Van,

it can stay as a Van, or even
as a part-time people carrier,

we'll let the people decide.

And I reckon we've got a
real proper winner on our end.

Absolutely. I think we've got
the spec exactly right for the sale.

I think the new buyer is going
to decide what to do with it.

Well done, mate. Well done.

I've had a cracking day, you know, Ed.

Test-driving this Van.
It's really been enjoyable,

and what a way to end it.

Down here at the seaside
with the Van looking the part.

Well done, son. Well done.

Well, thank you very much.
It has been a great test

drive, but we now need
to talk about hard cash.

We have spent a whole
load of money on this Van.

Well, I've seen good ones
going for about eight grand,

but this is exceptional.

And I reckon I can push it up to ten grand.

Okay, it might be just a little bit
strong, but I kind of see your point,

because if somebody was
to fall in love with this Van,

it would be really hard
for them to walk away.

It is very distinctive.

It's going to come
down to whether you can

persuade somebody to
part with that kind of money.

Watch and learn, Edward.
Watch and learn, my son.

I've advertised our VW Van,
and I've had quite a bit of interest.

And why wouldn't I? Just look at it.

Sitting here, gleaming in
the sun, it looks magnificent.

Only problem is, I've only had
one serious offer of 8,000 pounds,

and frankly, that just isn't good enough
for a vehicle that looks as good as this.

However, something surprising has happened.

Through word of mouth, an
army major has been in touch,

and he tells me he's
very keen on the vehicle.

So I sent him some pictures,

told him about all the details we've done

on the mechanical side of
things, and he's hot to trot.

The only problem is, he's
currently serving on the

front line, but he did tell
me when he gets back,

he'd like to offer me 9,450 quid.

I consider that a result.

So we ended up with 985 pounds profit.

Good stuff.

And I'm very proud to have sold the Van
to a member of our brave armed forces.

What a fantastic end to our Type 2 tail.

If you see this unique
Van driving down the road,

make sure you give it a big old wave.

And if you want to see more classic vehicles
getting the Wheeler dealer treatment,

then make sure you join me
and the tool man again soon.

Salah!