Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Today on Car SOS...

TIM: Yeah!

-(laughs) -Oh.

NARRATOR: Master mechanic Fuzz Townshend...

Hey!

Nothing stops us on Car SOS.

...and parts blagging petrolhead Tim Shaw...

This is the most amazing experience of my life!

...are on their undercover mission

to rescue classic cars for deserving owners.

FUZZ: Look at that! -What is it?

NARRATOR: This time, the boys take on a barn find boneshaker like no other.

That thing hasn't been touched since the 1930s, has it?

NARRATOR: A vintage car that's short of parts.

-Do we have a hood? -No.

-Do we have a hood frame? -No.

NARRATOR: It's a real eye opener for Tim.

And it's gonna be a race against time

to, hopefully, give one unsuspecting owner...

-This is magic. -...the surprise of their life.

-This is my car? -Can't be the car!

-This is your car! -Yes!

-(all cheering) -You've been Car SOS'd.

NARRATOR: Today, the boys are off to the far North East of England

and the remote Northumberland moors.

And it's been a long journey.

I spy with my little eye something beginning with "Ruh."

Welcome to Rothbury!

"Welcome to Rothbury" would have been "wuh-tu-ruh."

And what are we picking up?

We are picking up a 1934 Morgan F4.

Hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on.

-Yeah? -That was the one that was made

with one thing missing,

a wheel.

-Oh, no, no, no. -Yes, it's a three wheeler.

Yeah, okay.

What's wrong with a three wheeler though?

Well, why did that come out in the first place?

Three wheelers were classed as motorcycles,

lower tax bracket, and also,

you didn't need a full car license to drive them.

NARRATOR: Yes, the Morgan F4 was not only classed as a motorbike,

it was launched as one, too,

at the 1933 Olympia Motorcycle Show,

where it must have been something of a success,

as Morgan continued making them right through to 1953.

The one the boys are off to see, however,

is unfortunately showing its age,

having spent more than half its life sat in a dusty barn.

It belongs to businessman and charity fundraiser Tom Mason,

who was given the car 50 years ago by a much loved uncle.

Since then, however, in spite of numerous attempts

to get the car back on the road,

circumstances and ill health have got in the way.

Three wheeler! You're having a laugh.

(laughs)

NARRATOR: It was Tom's daughter Nicola and son Richard

who put out the SOS call.

They think their 73-year-old father

does more for the community than anyone they know,

and would love to repay the joy he brings

by getting his three wheeler back on the road.

-How's it going, Richard? -First things first. Where's ya dad?

Ah, we've sent him to Holy Island for a couple of days' bed and breakfast.

-He's trapped in by the tide, so he can't return. -Can't return.

FUZZ: Perfect. -So we can raise our voices and relax a little bit now.

-RICHARD: He's not here at all. -Good. Now, where's the car?

-I sense a garage. -Look at this.

FUZZ: This is the bit that I love.

TIM: Here we go. FUZZ: Here we go.

FUZZ: Look at that! TIM: What is it?

FUZZ: Now that's what I call a car.

TIM: It looks like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

NICOLA: It is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

TIM: Or even a motorcycle sidecar

that somebody said, "Let's stick an engine in it."

NARRATOR: Yes, it might not look it now, but 80 years ago,

this Morgan F4 would have been quite the fashionable runabout,

and one of the most successful lightweight cars of the early days of motoring.

The car's concept of combining a powerful engine with a light-weight body

served as the inspiration for a new type of vehicle known as the "cyclecar."

And, because it avoided British car tax,

the three wheeler opened up the new fashion for driving

for those of more modest means.

So you could quite reasonably claim that these old boneshakers

and their designer, Henry Morgan,

helped to introduce motoring to the masses in the UK.

That is amazing. I tell you what, I can't wait to get stuck in there.

-Shall we go have a look? -RICHARD: Yeah.

-Come on. -Right, let's go and talk about your dad

and why he bought one of those things in the first place.

Weird! Look at it!

I tell you what, let's get it out into the light

so we can see exactly what we've got.

No problem.

Fantastic. Look at that!

Well, when I say, "Look at that..."

We've got a way to go with this one, haven't we?

NARRATOR: So while Fuzz and Richard

have a quick rummage through what's left of the car,

Tim gets to find out more about its owner Tom.

Tell me about how he feels about that car.

He loves that car.

It's not just a car. It's part of his family history.

That was his Uncle Jack's car,

so it means an awful lot to Dad.

Right. So that is a part of the family for you?

It is, yes.

This, actually, is quite solid.

It's got good, solid floor.

The side rails of the chassis are great.

And even the body, though it looks really bad, it's kept its shape.

Of course, the screen's missing, a hood frame, a hood.

Those front wings don't look like they're original either.

It's the weirdest thing-- Well, one of the weirdest things I've ever seen.

-(laughs) -Well, it is pretty weird.

Dad was given that car, um, in the early '60s.

I think it was 1964-65.

His uncle had owned the car for a number of years,

and one very stormy winter, the whole garage roof collapsed on top of the car.

-On top of that thing? -On top of that thing, yes.

Right. I'm building up an impression here of a guy

who's gone, "You know what? I've got this car,

"it's my side of the family, I love it.

I'm gonna get around to it one day."

-Yes. -But then, along come five kids.

And he's gone, "Actually, I hate to say it,

"but these five kids are more important."

Yes. The most selfless man you'll ever meet.

-Really? -Very well known in the community.

What little time that he does have,

he spends doing voluntary work and odd jobs for people.

He's always off helping other people.

-Just one of those guys. -One of those guys.

Do anything for everybody, anybody.

NARRATOR: Well, we wanted to find out more about this local hero,

who amongst his many good deeds,

helps maintain the nearby schools and hospital.

So, posing as a regional news team,

we caught up with him at a local country fair,

where he is also one of the sponsors.

Within the community, I've helped quite a bit

with this show for many years.

And I sponsor one of the weights in the wrestling.

With another local show,

me and my daughter generally run the childrens' sports there

and I donate the prizes, which doesn't amount to very much.

Sixty quid or something like that.

But it's a great little show.

NARRATOR: And it wasn't long before the conversation got around to his beloved car.

I've got an old Morgan car.

I've had it since 1964,

and I actually had it on the road then.

It's partially been restored,

but by friends I haven't had time to do it.

I don't think I've got the skill either, to be quite honest.

Well, it's clear Tom still cares about his old car,

but, recently, ill health became a further obstacle to restoration,

and put him high on the list for the Car SOS treatment.

When he had his stroke in March, it rocked the whole community.

The amount of telephone calls, letters, emails to the whole family

for weeks afterwards was quite remarkable.

Dad puts on a very brave face,

and he's now back working full-time,

even though he's meant to be taking things easy.

Right. So who told him to take things easy?

He was advised by the doctors.

What is it like watching your dad,

despite medical warning to slow it down,

continue in his stubborn route to help everyone else?

It's been quite hard. Um...

He won't-- He still won't admit to himself, I don't think, um...

He tries to bottle it out and put on a brave face.

He's still doing everything.

That's not good for a man who's had a stroke.

We would like him to take things slower and calm down a bit.

So this is the Ford side valve engine,

and, of course, it's been left with the spark plug out.

It's probably...

Yeah, it seems a bit seized. A total re-build, I think.

Right.

But I'm still excited about it.

Look, fuel tank at the front here.

So if you have a crash, it's over quick.

(both laugh)

So what do you think it would mean to your dad

to have the car put back on the road?

Um, he'd be absolutely astounded.

It would just mean the world to him.

We'll do the car up

if you persuade him to listen

to the medics a little bit more,

-and tell him to relax his work a little bit. -Yeah.

'Cause he's a guy, by the sounds of things,

that everybody needs on the planet for as long as possible.

Yes.

-Right, Fuzz. -Yeah.

It is a member of the family so be very careful with it, all right?

It's a member of the family that's had a shed roof fall on it actually.

-The clock is ticking. -Yeah. Quick.

NARRATOR: Yes, it might be 80 years old,

but it doesn't take much to get the old fellow loaded up.

Right. We are ready.

-Thank you very much, Tim. TIM: All right.

Thanks, guys.

NARRATOR: And off on its first adventure for many a decade.

Although Tim is already voicing a few worries.

-Well, I like the car. -Yeah.

Very excited, and what a lovely family.

But I have this concern, Fuzz, which is, 1934, quite a long time ago.

Hello, parts.

Well, yeah, okay, so parts might be a bit of a problem.

-However-- -Sorry, no, I haven't. No, I haven't got any, no.

Morgan? No. No chance, you're having a laugh.

Well, honestly, Tim, I'm sure this is gonna be all right.

NARRATOR: Well, Fuzz might be in his element,

and indeed, once back at the workshop, straight away there's good news.

Rust is not going to be a problem as the car is mostly made of wood.

Right. So, Fuzz, where do we get started on this thing?

Well, okay. So the ply around the back looks pretty solid,

and also, the floorboards are good. And they are floorboards,

'cause it looks like it's come out of a country cottage.

-Do we have a hood? -No.

-Do we have a hood frame? -No.

We don't know anything about the shape of the hood,

or the hood frame, or anything.

Do you know, sometimes in life when things are so bad,

they are so bad that they become funny?

That's how we both feel about this.

FUZZ: Yeah, we've got a long way to go.

NARRATOR: So apart from the odd bit missing and maybe a touch of spit and polish,

it doesn't look too bad, then.

This feels like the kind of car that if you said to us, "Right, guys,

"from the stuff you already own in your life,

"just junk in your workshop, build a car."

-(laughs) -Floorboards from the house,

some angle iron there from the garage.

Steal next door's pram.

-Yes! Yeah. -(both laugh)

Where the hell? Parts, talk to me, baby.

(winces) Cross your fingers.

NARRATOR: With just three weeks to get this pile of parts back on the road,

at least the boys are keeping a sense of humor.

Tim and Fuzz have taken on Tom's 1934 Morgan F4,

a three-wheel boneshaker and proverbial barn find.

Fuzz, that's not right, mate. The wood is short at the back of here.

NARRATOR: The car has been in the same family for donkey's years

and is in desperate need of restoration.

In particular, the engine is jammed solid

and will need to be stripped down and rebuilt.

and the 80-year-old radiator will need replacing.

Right, the roof.

NARRATOR: Of course, of the many parts that are missing from the car,

the biggest by far is the fabric roof,

which will need to be made from scratch.

And in order to do that, very precise measurements will need to be taken,

unless, of course, you don't have a tape measure at hand, in which case, improvise.

-Right, window. NARRATOR: Every single Morgan that's come out of the factory

has been built by hand. They are of an incredibly simple design,

which, when it comes to the hood frame is probably just as well.

-I can't carry all this.

NARRATOR: So while Tim carefully makes his way to a car roof specialist

-to deal with a part that isn't there... -Excuse me.

...Fuzz gets on with a part that most definitely is, the car's rusted old engine.

This engine is totally seized solid.

It won't turn whatsoever.

It may well be that it's just a little bit of a seal

that needs to be broken, and it'll go again.

So I'm going to take the dynamo off, get a look inside.

If they're really rusted solid,

we're going to end up completely rebuilding this engine,

or even completely replacing it.

NARRATOR: Morgan didn't and still don't manufacture engines for their cars.

And the "F" in the F4's name stood for Ford,

because that is where this car's 933 cc side valve engine came from.

It could generate all of eight brake horsepower.

So whilst it was unlikely to set your world on fire,

they were incredibly reliable and very simple to maintain.

Now, for the moment of truth.

Ta-da!

Oh. (laughs) A load of rust.

But, inside here, you can see fresh, unused pistons.

I think that perhaps only one of these is properly seized.

So with a bit of luck we might get away with just cleaning this block up.

NARRATOR: Well, while Fuzz tries to unseize that sticky piston,

Tim has at last arrived at the trimmers to meet his old mate Cliff

and get that new soft top underway.

Aldridge Trimming has been in business for well over half a century,

but never in all that time have they had to create a car roof measured by leg.

-Hiya, Tim -Hello, mate. How you doing?

-Oh, I'm not so bad. -Good to see you.

Just wanted to show you something.

-What, you broke your gate? -No, it's off a car.

That's off a car? Well, it's not the exhaust.

That is actually off a Morgan F4.

And that is everything you need for us to make a roof.

You are joking. (laughs)

Am I? Right, that is the car.

Yeah, Morgan three wheeler.

If you've got measurements we can possibly knock up a good frame.

NARRATOR: Has Tim got measurements? Why, of course he has!

You are joking.

That's from the windscreen to the seat post.

It's precise to a hundredth of an inch.

-Well, that's 31 inches. Hold on. -Right.

Windscreen, 36. Now that makes more sense.

-Yeah, it does. -It does.

CLIFF: We can make a frame and you can take it, try it on the car...

TIM: Yeah. -...and bring it back and we can finish it off.

'Cause if it's metal, we need to shift it in and out.

-Yes. You can bend-- -Cool. I really appreciate that.

NARRATOR: Yes. Luckily for Tim,

Cliff has worked on so many Morgan three wheelers before,

that he is, in fact, something of an expert.

So knocking up a rough hood frame isn't a problem.

TIM: So what we're gonna do is make a two-piece frame,

I'll take it back to the car, check the measurements,

if we need to make any changes--

At least we've got the basic shape of the car--

Yeah. And then you can skin it.

That's right, adjust the height and everything.

NARRATOR: And while Tim gets on with creating a temporary soft top frame,

back at the workshop, Fuzz has got a bit of good news.

Big spanner,

onto the front crankshaft pulley nut,

give it a little bit of...

A-ha!

We have some movement. No longer do we have a seized engine,

but it's all pretty tight.

I still think we'll have to clean this engine up a lot,

even if we don't have to re-build it totally.

NARRATOR: So it's out with the engine

and off to the workbench for a strip down and polish.

At the trimmers, and it's time to choose the fabric for the roof.

Now was it Mickey Mouse? Oh, no. It was double duck!

-This is double duck. -Right.

That what they would have used in the '30s.

Why did they use that stuff then?

What's so special about double duck?

Well, it's a waterproof canvas sort of thing. It's three layers.

Yeah, look, you can see, it's sort of stuck together. Right.

CLIFF: Yeah. Waterproof membrane. -Is that what they still use?

No, they use mohair now, 'cause double duck fades. It goes gray.

Okay. Right.

This is the modern day stuff they use on Jaguars, Mercs, BMWs, Audis.

-Right. -This stuff just doesn't discolor.

Right. So, mohair's the new stuff. That is the right stuff.

That's the period stuff, double duck.

Well, let's go for that one, then. Sorted.

NARRATOR: Back at the workshop, and Fuzz can concentrate

on one of the few remaining moving parts left on the car,

the wheel hubs, where the brakes should sit.

Right, I'm gonna take the wheel off

and I'm gonna just inspect the brakes and also the--

-(clanging) -Whoa. That doesn't sound very good in there.

I think the brakes on this car are cable operated.

So I think we'll have to take that to pieces though.

This fella here is called a hub puller.

I've got to be careful,

because this is only made of cast aluminum.

If I pull too hard on it,

it's going to crack and break.

NARRATOR: Compared to modern car brakes,

the Morgan three wheeler's brakes

were incredibly weak.

They were operated with thin steel cables

that were prone to stretching,

so stopping the car could be a bit hairy.

Let's take a look inside. And what have we?

Well, for a start, no brake components whatsoever.

But we do have the speedo drive.

You can see the gear inside there,

that operates this little gear here.

Better look for some parts.

NARRATOR: Still out on the blag,

Tim has found repairers who might just be able

to help with the 80-year-old radiator.

Finding a new replacement would be an impossibility

so it's all down to fixing the old one.

-Hello, mate. How you doing? -Hello, mate.

All good, thank you. You?

Right. Radiator that is actually off a Morgan F4, 1934.

Now there is a slight problem with it.

It's only a slight problem.

The coring has come off the top here.

Yeah, something like this is handmade.

Right.

And you're looking two to three week turnaround.

I need the turnaround to be like that. Done.

Modern core, we can turn it around in two days for ya.

-You can see the difference between a modern core. -Yeah.

CRAIG: Twice as many tubes,

obviously machine made instead of handmade.

Okay. So what is it? Is this copper?

That's copper. That's a copper construction with steel tanks.

So the idea is that the water flows through here,

and gets cooled down by the cold air rushing through the veins here.

That's it basically.

-This is the bit that needs replacing. -Yes.

So, do we keep the cap on the bottom?

We keep--We keep the original ports,

we keep the original tanks.

Okay.

Totally strip it down, clean them up, basically, so they're new.

-Yeah. -And then start from scratch and re-build.

Do you want me to show ya?

-Yeah, why not? -Yeah, certainly.

NARRATOR: By fitting the Morgan's old top and bottom

tanks to a modern core,

the repaired radiator will look

exactly like a handmade original,

but will be finished within Tim's timescale.

It's skilled work, as Craig is about to demonstrate.

CRAIG: Can you see it's starting to change color now? TIM: Yeah.

CRAIG: Once that's done, we'll run it right down into the tube plate

to get your seal.

TIM: Oh, I've gotta try that.

Where are we up to?

Just up to here.

Okay, yeah.

CRAIG: That's it. See, it's started to run?

Yeah. How am I doing?

Not too bad at all. First attempt?

-Yeah. -Do you want a job?

Have I got one?

I'll be in charge of discounts.

Not bad. Not bad for a first attempt.

-Not bad, eh? -Not bad at all for a first attempt.

NARRATOR: So with work on Tom's Morgan carrying on at a pace,

it's time to find out what the appeal was of these three wheel oddities.

They certainly proved popular in the 1930s,

and it seems they're having a bit of a resurgence.

Because in 2011, nearly 60 years after they last made one,

Morgan announced the three wheelers were going back into production,

and they've become a surprising hit.

This time, with a two liter V-twin petrol engine and a five-speed gearbox.

For two petrolheads, it's a must for a test drive.

Oh, yeah! Look at this.

Fantastic. Look at that.

You know, sometimes when you look at something and it looks like something else?

Yeah, that looks like a pre-war plane cockpit.

-Yeah, it does. All right, then. -Okay, right.

Mate, I'm not gonna get in there with you.

I'm waiting, get in.

Get your elbows in, then.

-Can I get in first? -No.

NARRATOR: Yes, first impressions are it's a bit of a squeeze.

Get that out!

NARRATOR: But once you're in, it turns out to be quite a pleasant surprise.

TIM: Oh, yeah. Handbrake off.

NARRATOR: The new Morgan three wheeler

is very much a toy for the wealthy,

as it's hardly a functional family car.

But it's built with performance in mind,

pulling naught to 60 in six seconds,

and with a top speed of 115 mph.

It also has a hefty price tag, starting at £31,000.

I'll tell you what, I absolutely love this. What's it like to drive?

It's like driving a posh man's go kart.

It's very easy to forget the fact you're being driven

by one puny little tire on the back there.

FUZZ: True. Very true.

-It is like a motorbike. -It is.

It feels a bit naughty driving this thing without a helmet on, doesn't it?

But I like it. It doesn't need four wheels.

This car is for the motorcyclists who can't balance.

(both laugh)

-This car is built for fun. -Yeah.

NARRATOR: So now, the boys have got the feel of a fully modern three wheeler,

they should have worked up the courage for the next step,

to try out a 1930s original.

Not a drive for the faint hearted.

Fantastic! Look at that! Brilliant.

Now this is a work of pure art.

TIM: Come on then. FUZZ: Ignition on.

TIM: Yep.

-Pull the starter? -Yep.

-(engine starts) -Here we go.

(mouthing)

NARRATOR: The first ever Morgan three wheeler was

handbuilt by Henry Morgan himself in 1909.

Fabricated out of whatever he could get his hands on,

including an old motorcycle engine.

Within a few years of forming the company,

Morgan established quite a reputation,

believe it or not, on the racetrack,

securing 10 British and world records for various classes of cyclecars.

Speed and endurance was obviously not a problem in the early years.

Stopping, however, it seems is a different matter.

The brakes are really not-- Not kind of modern world at all.

-Uh, can I get out? -No.

FUZZ: This is a real driver's car, you know.

You mean, it's a car you've gotta really, really drive?

Yeah.

It's like wrestling a small, but perfectly formed and muscular alligator.

NARRATOR: By the time the 1930s came around,

the three wheelers were a common sight on the streets of Great Britain,

costing £120, or £6,500 in today's money.

They helped bring motoring to the masses

and made Morgan a familiar name

as a British car manufacturer.

-Oh, there's a hill. -Oh, no.

I tell you what, you have to plan for the hills in here don't, you?

Yeah, you do.

Like getting out early and getting a taxi down. (laughing)

I said about the other car, I can see why they designed such a beautiful little thing

in these gorgeous hills out there, this one,

the guy must have been a regular drinker.

-He must have been hammered when he designed this thing. -(laughs)

NARRATOR: Well, the boys might be finding this car a bit scary,

but the real hair-raiser is back at the workshop,

where Tom's three wheeler is still an empty shell with many parts still missing,

and an engine that is spread out over the workbench.

And the deadline is creeping ever closer.

When Tim and Fuzz found Tom's 1934 Morgan three wheeler,

it was little more than a heap of cobweb covered parts.

-(laughter) -What is it?

NARRATOR: It's been in the family for generations, not as a car,

but as a playground for children and grandchildren alike.

Getting it back on the road was a long-term project

that charity fundraiser and local hero Tom could never get around to,

more so since recently suffering a serious stroke.

Since stealing it away, the boys have found this wooden framed car

bereft of many of its 80-year-old parts.

And those that are still there are well past their sell-by date,

including the steering column, which seems to be mystifying both Tim and Fuzz.

It's weird, though, this, isn't it?

I don't quite understand how it all works inside here.

TIM: Well, let's have a look. -Come on, then.

-One, two-- -One more.

Last one there. I should try and pull that off.

-Okay, right. -No way!

So this is the steering column.

-Yeah. -And I thought at first

this was just going to be a solid straight through bar

-that goes through there. -Absolutely.

-But what you've got is this little gear. TIM: It's a gear, isn't it?

Let's count the teeth on that.

Let's see how many teeth it's got.

-One, two, three, four five, six... -Twenty.

Twenty teeth. How many you got?

-Ten. -Right. So that's two to one.

-Two to one. Yeah. -So for every turn you get up there,

-we get half as many down here. -Half a turn there.

It's an epicyclic gear basically.

-Yeah, that's exactly what it is. -Right.

-Hold onto that a minute, I've got a plan. -All right.

NARRATOR: Yes, and if you don't know what an epicyclic gear is,

Tim has a great idea how to demonstrate.

All you need is some string, a flapjack and a Car SOS mug.

Yes, and it's not the one with the tea in it.

The two to one gearing in the steering column

makes the steering lighter.

That's a law of physics, and the boys are about to prove it.

(laughing) -You little--

TIM: It's your flapjack.

Right. So look, steering wheel, steering column.

Right, watch this.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

FUZZ: How many turns of the steering wheel will it take

to lower the flapjack onto--

TIM: Your bit of bum roll?

Eight?

Eight. Right, Fuzz, how many do you think it'll take?

And whoever gets it right gets the flapjack.

You happy with that?

FUZZ: That's a good idea, yeah.

Okay, right. Okay, here we go.

I think, Tim, it's going to be 16.

I think it's gonna be twice that amount.

TIM: You reckon 16? -Yeah, twice that.

-The pressure's on. FUZZ: Right, then.

-One-- -One, two--

FUZZ: Three, four,

five, six, seven, eight.

-Oh! -(laughs)

It's not there.

It's not there. Anyway, keep going. Let's see how many more.

Aw! Unlucky Phil.

Well, let's see what the answer is in fact,

just purely for the sake of it.

FUZZ: Let's try it again, okay?

Nine, ten, eleven,

12, 13,

14, 15, 16!

Yes! We have a winner!

FUZZ: I won a flapjack.

I've been conned by a pair of crooks.

-Cheers, Phil! -All right.

-It's nice. -It's brilliant.

NARRATOR: Ingenious.

Now, one of the quirks of the Morgan is its wooden frame,

which means a rudimentary knowledge of carpentry comes in very handy.

So we've replaced this here, with a piece of ash.

Now, ash is the stuff they use in the handles of hammers, because it's very flexible,

it absorbs the shock,

but it's also light and strong.

So now, thanks to a good old piece of tree,

we have strength back in the shell.

NARRATOR: Work on the Morgan is coming along slowly but surely.

However, at the halfway stage, none of the boxes can be ticked off.

The engine has been removed, but not put back.

The radiator is yet to return from the restorers.

And the soft top is still being created over at the trimmers.

But at least the bulkhead and chassis have now been painted and the reassembly can begin,

starting with the wheels, all three of them.

Express delivery for Mr. Fuzzbot.

They look amazing. Careful, watch that paint. Watch the paint.

FUZZ: Right, let's get a couple-- -Righty tighty.

Righty tighty. I haven't forgotten. Righty tighty.

-Go and get another one. -Another one? All right, then.

FUZZ: We've gotta get this thing rolling. That's all we need.

-You know what, Fuzz? -What's that?

TIM: I don't know if that's where they go.

-I reckon-- -What, you reckon the wheels go there?

It's gotta be, yeah.

I don't know. It's confusing, 'cause this car is--

NARRATOR: One on each corner? Not with this car.

Now, while Tim has been applying filler to the back of the car,

Fuzz has been doing a bit of historical research.

-How's it going there? -Shh.

Yeah.

Sealed. The back end is now officially done.

Give it squeeze, Fuzz. Replacement wood all over the place.

-Absolutely rock solid. Job done, son. -That's pretty good.

That's fantastic.

Moving onto the front of the car, what have you been on with?

Hold on, hold on, before we do so,

-I've been reading up about these. -Yeah?

The year that this car was made, they didn't make any red ones.

And look, this car was originally a blue one.

It's got that kind of bluey green paint.

So you're telling me, yet again, we got to choose what color we want it

and second guess what Tom wants?

You can't have a red car in 1934.

Why, yes, you can, 'cause it's not 1934.

-Okay. -So as much as you'd like it to be Mr. Purest Blue,

it's not your car. Need I remind you of this again?

So what I suggest is that we get Richard and Nicola here.

It's not your decision, it's theirs.

-But-- -All right. Nice one. All right-y then.

But that one we drove was blue. It was great.

NARRATOR: So not for the first time on Car SOS,

color has become the source of an argument.

Although, this one is easily settled

when Tom's daughter Nicola and son Richard

turn up to inspect the work so far.

But before they decide on the color,

what do they think of the rest of the car?

TIM AND FUZZ: In three, two, one--turn around.

(laughing)

Right.

NICOLA: It's a different car.

It's the same car. There's even less of it now than there was when--

There was! Goodness me!

This is what the underneath bit should actually be in,

so everything that's hidden away is done in black.

It's been repaired around the back.

It's had a massive amount of work done to it, and it's now solid as a rock.

It doesn't look like the same car.

-It doesn't, no. -It doesn't.

It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

Crikey, the original dash?

Yep.

-So what do you reckon? -I'm impressed.

TIM: You like it so far? -RICHARD: Yeah.

RICHARD: Seeing what the lads have done so far,

you can see how much hard work they've put into it.

And it's really, really looking good.

I'm over the moon with it.

Now, the color was originally this weird greeny-blue.

It was that color. But when it came to us, it was red.

So the question is, crunch time,

which color do you think your dad--

Or which color do you guys want it to be?

FUZZ: Blue, blue. Obviously blue.

-Red. FUZZ: Really?

Definitely red.

-It's always been red since Dad had it. -Okay, okay.

I just hope that when I tell your Dad that it should have been blue,

I just hope that he's okay with that.

Couple of liters of red paint, please.

Thanks very much. Lovely.

NARRATOR: The plan to surprise Tom in just seven days' time

is now in place.

He's booked in to do an interview

about local history with a bogus documentary team.

He will not be expecting a shiny red Morgan to turn up,

assuming, of course, it will be completed on time.

The car might be going into paint, but there are still

a lot of missing bits to be sourced.

Even part finder maestro Tim is struggling,

and Fuzz isn't helping.

A 1934.

As many as I possibly can, to be honest.

You're not really talking to anybody on there, are you?

-Is that all you do all day? -Sorry, sorry. No.

Yes, a 1934 Morgan F4. What are you doing?

-What are you doing? -Are you actually talking to someone?

Shut your face! No, sorry.

Nice one.

(laughs) Look, I could get parts for that Morgan easy.

-Right, okay, here's the plan. -Right.

Your bum, this seat doing my job.

Okay. How hard can that be?

For a change. 'Cause it's nice and easy, isn't it?

You can start by ringing him and saying sorry,

'cause you told him to shut his face.

I've got a better idea. You leave it to me.

-See ya. -See ya.

NARRATOR: So, a role reversal challenge.

But this time, it's Fuzz who has the cunning plan.

FUZZ: I'm here at the Beaulieu International Autojumble.

If I can't find myself some parts for a pre-war Morgan here,

I need a good kicking.

NARRATOR: Yes, with over 2,000 stands,

packed with all kinds of vintage and classic motoring ephemera,

the annual Autojumble at Beaulieu is the biggest event of its kind in Europe.

And for Fuzz, it's like a dream come true.

It's just amazing. This is like Christmas land.

It's beautiful.

NARRATOR: Let's just hope he doesn't get distracted.

Oh, too late.

Now look at this, an Austin 12/4 taxi.

This could be my daily driver.

-Is it up for sale? -Yeah.

FUZZ: Go on then, what are you looking for?

Um, 45,000.

-45,000? -Yeah.

(both laugh)

NARRATOR: Um, what about those Morgan parts?

Now this is an example of a car in absolutely perfect condition.

It's wearing its age as it should do.

And look, beneath here there's a dickie seat.

The kids used to sit in the back there, in the breeze,

out of the way of mum and dad, who are in the front.

NARRATOR: Oh, dear.

At least, back at the workshop,

one of the boys has the Morgan on his mind.

Check this out. Look at that. Isn't that stunning?

Right. So what's that made of?

Doesn't that actually look like polished, well-brushed aluminum?

And, no, it's not, it's actually paint.

That is phenomenal. Right. Let's slap it on.

I'll tell you something, right, Fuzz has got it easy doing this mechanical stuff.

He's in the heat, taking it easy,

hanging around these gorgeous cars.

I just wanna see what it's gonna look like.

Just for a bit of inspiration.

I mean, look at that thing. That is just stunning.

Right, job done, radiator fitted.

That gives me 40 minutes for a nice cup of tea and a donut. Just chillin'.

NARRATOR: Well, donuts aren't going to get the car finished,

especially, as back at the Autojumble, Fuzz is struggling.

You haven't got any Morgan parts, have you?

Cheers.

Have you got any parts for a pre-war Morgan F4?

-No. -Sorry.

NARRATOR: There you go, Fuzz, it's not as easy as you thought.

FUZZ: I've been here for nearly six hours now,

and I still haven't found anything that I need for the Morgan.

I've gotta go home with something.

You don't have any pre-war Morgan parts, do you?

-MAN: No, sorry. -Okay, thank you.

Hi, there. I don't know if you can help--

NARRATOR: Finally, Fuzz has found a stall holder who can help.

Has he at last found all those missing bits and pieces?

Ideal. Thank you very much. It's a sale.

So, at least I've come away with something that I needed for the Morgan.

That's brilliant.

A real genuine six volt, pre-war 1930s wiper motor.

NARRATOR: Well, hardly a truckload of parts, but every little helps.

Got the sack truck for all the bits.

I can get the boys to come out and help as well if there's too many bits.

-Yeah, brilliant. Great timing. -Do you want to start loading up?

Yeah. There you go.

Filled your boots. See you in a bit.

-What's that? -It's a wiper motor.

Back to the regular jobs, then?

Yeah, all right.

NARRATOR: Yes, that's probably a good idea.

As with the clock ticking, it's now all hands on deck.

So Tim is back on the road sourcing those last few parts,

and the rest of the team start putting the fully re-sprayed car back together.

And as for the major jobs?

Well, the radiator has been restored and re-fitted.

The soft top has come back from the trimmers.

And what about that cleaned up engine?

-Right. Now, Fuzz. -Yep.

Don't go to the engine bay, get in the car.

Trust me. I wanna try-- No, no, no, trust me.

I wanna try and start the car from inside here.

Right then, Fuzzbot. Will it start, won't it start?

Where you taking me if it does?

Uh... Oh, I don't know. The Lake District, Cockermouth.

-What? -Cockermouth.

No, stop faffing. We're going to Keswick, all right?

-Okay, Keswick will do. -Here we go. Is it gonna start?

Right. Ignition on.

In five, four, three, two, one.

-Pull the starter. -(engine sputtering)

-Come on! -Come on, I wanna go to the Lake District.

I wanna hit the Lake--

-(engine starts) -Yes!

-(engine dies) -Oh.

Oh, keep it going. Start again, start again.

FUZZ: Okay.

-(engine rumbles) -Oh, yes!

-Right, let's go. -Can you feel the wind in your hair?

-Right, turn it off. -Okay.

-Come on. -You look amazing.

Thanks very much.

Right, let's get this car looking amazing,

'cause there's still quite a lot left to do.

-All right. -Come on.

NARRATOR: So with the engine now running and stable,

it's time for the team to gird their loins

and make that final push to get the car finished.

The electrics go back and they're tested.

The final bits of bodywork are addressed.

And of course, it's time to try out that brand-new soft top.

How does that look?

Ooh!

Yes, please!

Well, Fuzz?

I think that is one of

the most stunning cars we've ever done.

Think of the transformation.

Do you know what the best bit about that car is?

-What's that? -The hood.

-The hood is good. -It's pretty sweet, isn't it?

But I think the whole car--

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Leg measurements were all right.

-Yeah, yeah. -I think the whole car looks absolutely amazing.

Right. Let's give it back, then, shall we?

Well, how you gonna do that, then?

Leave that to Professor Shaw, son.

-Professor Shaw? -It'll all make sense in a bit.

NARRATOR: As the sun rises over the Northumberland moors,

there is an air of expectation in the town of Rothbury,

as one of its most hard-working and much loved sons

is about to get the surprise of his life.

For daughter Nicola, it's been a nervous wait.

Oh, yeah!

Check it out.

Wow! Oh, my goodness!

What do you reckon, then?

-Hi, Nicola, how you doing? -Wow!

How you doing? All right?

Nice to see you.

-What do you reckon? -NICOLA: Absolutely fab.

Absolutely brilliant, guys.

TIM: What a transformation, eh?

Totally. It's a completely different car.

-Do you think she likes it? -No.

-She doesn't like it, does she? -No, she hates it.

-It's beautiful. TIM: Take it back, yeah?

Is it the wrong color?

It must be something about the color.

TIM: Yeah.

NICOLA: It is absolutely fab.

So the question is, how we gonna give it back to your dad?

FUZZ: Yeah, that is a big question.

Well, he's about to star in my new TV show called Heritage Heroes.

And I'm the host. Hello.

-He's a pillar of the community? -Yes, he is.

Right. So what's going to happen is,

I'm going to interview him about that.

I'm gonna dress up like Fuzz.

In fact, I've borrowed some of your stuff. Check this out. I've got it in the back of here.

-Here, catch that. -Oh, god.

What? Brand-new wellies?

Yeah. We'll have to rub some muck on them.

Give us that then. Check this out.

-Hello. -Yeah, I'll tell you what,

it actually does look better like that.

So the plan is, I chat to him for a while,

whilst you guys creep up behind with that.

Okay, you realize how noisy that thing is?

That's why I've got a pipe band standing by

-to mask the noise of that thing. -Great.

-But of course. -Right, I'm gonna go and get into costume.

You've gotta look after the family and friends, keep them all hidden. Shh.

-All right. Okay, we'll do that. -Good luck.

Snakes in the grass. Give me my boot. Thank you.

-Great. NARRATOR: So that's the plan.

By posing as a professor,

Tim is going to pretend to interview Tom about local history.

Hello. Professor Shaw reporting for duty.

Heritage Heroes, here we go.

NARRATOR: What Tom doesn't know is that halfway through the chat,

his fully restored Morgan three wheeler is going to make an appearance.

And as a testament to the man's popularity in the area,

not only have his friends and family turned up,

but half the town are here to witness the surprise.

Oh, I think Dad's going to be overwhelmed. I think he'll probably be quite emotional.

Particularly, seeing the car done and seeing all the people here.

-Yeah. -He'll be blown away.

I think it's fantastic. It's so good that it's got done for him.

He's gonna love it.

NARRATOR: And it doesn't stop there.

The Rothbury Highland Pipe Band

who have been supported by Tom for many years

are here to show their appreciation.

It seems just about everyone in Rothbury is aware that Car SOS is in town,

apart from, of course, one person.

Unaware of the crowds,

Tom thinks he's being interviewed for a bogus TV series.

Where are we going, up here?

-Yeah. -Okay.

TIM: This is fantastic. Wow!

NARRATOR: And has completely bought into Tim in his role

as a professor of history and heritage hero.

And up first on the agenda it's the stone circle that Tom has built in his garden.

This is an example of how you have injected

a lot of your time into the community. Right? And selflessly given,

in a sense, the community something to come and see and visit.

Can people just come here and enjoy it?

They can. We don't put any limits on it.

-We've had a lot visitors to it. -Yeah, yeah.

A lot of people get a lot of pleasure from it.

NARRATOR: Now, whilst Tom is naturally modest talking

about his contribution to the community,

when it comes around to his beloved three wheeler, it's a different matter.

TOM: The Morgan car is in a garage just down there.

TIM: And that's the, uh--

-Three wheeler. -Three wheeler. Okay.

-Can we have a go in it? -No.

RICHARD: If you push.

TIM: What's wrong with it?

Well, it's suffered nearly 50 years of being bumped around.

So the car's a wreck?

The car's a wreck.

(laughs) Well, let's not talk about that then. Let's talk about your--

You know, I'm sure that it's resurrectable.

NARRATOR: Resurrectable? Well, it's funny Tom should say that.

(indistinct chatter)

(bagpipes playing)

-So you've gathered all these stones together? -We've gathered them all.

Right. And just built this thing

just for the local community to come and enjoy.

TOM: What's with the daftness?

TIM: What on earth is that?

(bagpipes continue)

Somebody's been pulling my leg.

Hell's teeth!

TIM: What's all this, then?

(crowd cheering)

I cannot believe that.

TIM: Do you know whose car that is? -It cannot be.

We are actually a television show called Car SOS,

and the whole community...

The whole community has done this for you,

because they are so grateful for everything that you've done for them.

-Here's your daughter Nicola. -I'm so--

Richard, come here.

Can we have a round of applause for Tom? Bigger, please, guys.

(all cheer)

I don't believe that.

TIM: Have a look around.

NICOLA: Look at all the people. They're still coming, Dad.

FUZZ: Go on, take a look in.

There we go. How does that feel after all this time?

This is something else.

Clear the way.

(laughter)

Hell on wheels.

NARRATOR: The last time Tom saw his old family friend,

it was nothing more than a pile of scrap metal and rotting timber.

Now the wrecked heap of parts has been transformed.

It's dull and dusty paintwork is a gleaming shade of red.

The broken and rusted engine has been refurbished and is running smoothly.

The missing soft top replaced, leaving the Morgan

looking as smart as the day it left the factory in 1934.

And for the first time in 50 years, Tom can

once again take to the wheel of the car he drove in his youth.

(all cheer)

How are you finding it, Tom?

Strange.

-Never thought you'd see the day? -Mmm.

Nicola and Richard wrote to us,

and we did a little bit of research on you in the community,

and we've never had a case where so many people

were so keen to get something done for you,

because you've selflessly given up your entire life, pretty much,

for doing things to other people.

So it's about time that somebody else did something for you, and this is it.

Well, thank you. Thank you very much.

That's all right. You totally deserve it.

Thank you, everybody!

(crowd cheering)

And especially you. Thanks to you.

Well, and Fuzz as well. The two of us here have worked.

Pleasure.

Tom, you have officially been Car SOS'd.

Thank you very much.

(all cheering)

I tell you what, Tim, that's one happy guy.

I wish I had as many friends as Tom.

Come on, let's go mingle.

But you know what? I'm mingling

as Professor Shaw.

-I tell you what, that's a good look. -Come on.

You've got it, son.

I was very touched by the amount of people that turned up today.

-Are you thumbing a lift? -Lift?

Such a lot of people I wanted to speak to, and a lot that I haven't.

And the pipe band was just fantastic.

Very touched.

See you soon!

Captioned by Captionmax