Mini | Full Episode | S1E05 | Classic Car Rescue

[Music] this time on classic car rescue Bernie and Mario go in search of the best-selling British car of all time Besh's hmm there's heavy lifting slightly fix and disasters as the restoration struggles to hit it steady this isn't the 1950s we cannot do it this week in just seven days an independent appraiser will reveal if they've made money or lost thousands [Music] [Music] Burnie Fineman is a cockney car fanatic and master mechanic I thought I want the engines like we can't start it up I'm taking a chance he's passionate about classic cars then look of them the lines smell of the interior and the way they drive you can't compare that with a modern-day car Marielle passione is a Canadian car dealer with an eye for a bargain I've never ever trade with someone asked for card I have to get a discount he's made a name buying and selling historic cars I don't know whether I want to drive it or sit down have a coffee and look at it for hours today they're heading into the English Kent countryside on the hunt for another classic to restore this is swamp scum swans comb now not code swans come up I don't know your english names and the car they're going to see is the best-selling British car of all time and one of Bernie's personal favorites of always loveliness they remind me a little bit of my youth and let's be honest anyone who was a geezer at a mini when it was launched in 1959 the mini was nothing short of revolutionary changing how most cars on the planet are designed many critics have called it the car of the century the price of a restored Mini varies depending on model and condition but you can pick up a half-decent one for as little as two and a half grand Bernie and Mariel think it will cost about $2,200 to complete their restoration so they budgeted 1,000 pounds around 1,500 dollars to buy a rack they're hoping this car could be just the one they're looking for whoa it's a piece of junk gone up look at the Colin are gobbling the Bell morning I'm Bernie I've come some look at your car what's the story on the car I bought it to restore it fortunately I haven't got time to restore it now commitments and children but everything that's on the car is completely original oh is that your own toupee this is really really rusted this car hasn't just got rust it's got fungus on its rust I mean if I busted on that I'd go through that mike is a completely original Mini is a rare beast if the engines in good condition they might be able to overlook the state of the bodywork look the wiper motors guy in the caps gone the red stuff missing under the bonnet does it run it doesn't run unfortunately engine seized come on Mikaela it's a 1971 car it's older than me but still Emmy really mm-hmm would you be open to an offer I did really want to pay for it come on we'll give you 500 pounds for the carry definitely not I think that's women don't know about cars but there are women out there that do you won't get a decent boot lid you won't get all the lights the bumpers I am one of them 750 no I own written the capitate no I can't go any lower than 1500 John Deere Michaela sorry this is too rough she knows what she wants he does she wouldn't budge next time we come back one a cup of tea no way no ways it works your money in the late fifties rocketing gas costs fueled a new demand for smaller cars not only was the mini perfectly place to meet that demand at just under seven hundred and fifty dollars it now put car ownership within reach of the working population but it wasn't just a car for the masses its stripped-down simplicity made it classless from royalty like Princess Margaret to global stars like John Lennon the mini was the cool car to be seen in over 40 years the mini sold an amazing 5.4 million cars but can Bernie and Mary will find just one that's perfect for their restoration Bernie's got a lead on another mini so he's on his way out of London with high hopes all right now it's a good day in West Midlands where they met a cup of day young guy and what he said is he bought this one as a project and we sort of run out of time morning morning I'm Bernie ad Bernie I've come down to Dudley to come and see your mini let's pull the cover up very much indeed there she is mm Morris mini thousand 1975 yep standard we didn't work its original Morris blue yes well always bring my little friend with me mr. magnet sticks to everything if it's tips there's good metal underneath if it doesn't the car is full of filler or the metals rusted through it's a rock box it's rotten first time look under the bonnet burnish worked on minis all his professional life and he can't resist getting his geek on 998 cc mini tap it gap 10 Inlet 12 exhaust and cold plugs on these in 9 y 25 foul and it's got points you sound like yeah you know your minis you've got the headlights for the car yeah they're all in the passenger side have you got any other spares for it at all the rear bumper that's grow you're gonna need a bit more elbow grease for this Oh what even though half the mini seems to be inside the car there's a full complement of trim well this one's really nice although the condition of some of the spares leaves a little to be desired does he start off yes stop really yeah you wanna start - no yeah yeah this is the right should have for working cylinders three sitting the mini time passing this cars one short today you can say I basically like the car it needs an awful awful lot of work what will you take for the car as it is I'll take 1,100 paying for it 250 - no come on that's insulting me now I've not I apologize if I'm insulting you got holes in the floor bigger than the bloody national debt 450 I can't do 450 now oh come on 500 quid I can't do 500 no way you drive a hard bargain you know so we say 900 pound if you could say what's your bloody life we ain't gonna get it with stalemate on the negotiation the owners got something up his sleeve that he thinks might tempt Bernie into raising his offer morris mini-minor owner's manual handbook this is worth a lot to somebody who really likes minis this would be hard to find at mini show there I'll agree with so yeah good selling point so I'll throw that in and we'll say 720 take it or leave it okay you got a deal he's got the car but until he gets it back to the garage he won't know if it's a beach or a total lemon Bernie's pleased with his purchase but his partner Mario hasn't seen it yet hey Mario well we've got a little mini it's in our garage I told you I'd get one it looks just as bad in person isn't it on tape it's not even running right it's not running right it's only running on face settings I can fix that now y'all can fix it okay oh come on I hate pennies that does nothing for me they don't seem to run good anyway no come on get up bolts sitting the call come on feel it feel the love man is this this hole here was like don't worry about that these never had air-conditioning anyway yeah that's a lot of work it's just junk your emotions are taking over your mind relax calm down okay we're in business to buy and sell not to relive our youth Oh Toby wicked it's a wonderful call Bernie's enthusiasm for the car knows no bounds but Mario's not convinced it's just you know does nothing for me come have a look around the call nothing oh I can't even get out of this thing just imagine it Mario dark blue white stripe wider arches bigger wheels a center exhaust a nice dashboard finally Bernie's got Mario on board that's become again let's grab a beer reluctantly so what will it take to make a car like this look a little more like this to restore their mini properly the guys will have to cut out the corroded floor panels and weld in new ones take the paint back to bare metal and respray the car fix the misfiring engine and upgrade the interior and trim the less they spend the more money they'll make they estimate their costs at 2,400 pounds around $3,700 since their biggest outlay is Labor they've decided to do it in record time a perfect restoration can take months instead Burnie and Mario are going to make this one happen in just seven days before they can get cracking nearly everything removable 'he's got to be stripped over the windscreen the hood the headlamps the seats even the gas tank the car is now significantly lighter I've got an idea I hope we should do this the old-fashioned way rather than do it on the ramp lay on its side the way we should doing that way we're gonna have access to the floor boys lawyers anything let's do it Bernie's in a rush to get started so he's using an old-school technique one second it's hard in position okay yeah that'd be nice let's get a bit of wood stabilize it all right lovely excellent I mean look at these cars these minis were fantastic look at the holes look at this it's rotten climb through that you think it's worse than what we thought it is a lot worse you know that whole section there's that come out talking a break it's all gonna step on the old is getting bigger and bigger and bigger well we need to stop talking to stop why come on let's get the oxy over start kyani up they'll need to cut out all the old corroded metal the hall will have to be enlarged until they hit solid steel to provide a firm base for new welds I Wayne I reckon if we start cutting it round there I'd down there just see what it's like inside would you reckon yeah Hill this flat down but not kind of right off it okay Oh aye mate okay all right no worries [Music] [Music] why put it out put it out quick [Music] what the hell is going on we mean what's going oh we've had a smoke fire okay what is it even doing here this is ridiculous it's the quickest way it's the quickest way Mary oh come on this isn't the 1950s we cannot do it this way in Bernie's rush to get working on the car they didn't follow normal procedure check that all the flammable old carpet had been removed and put the car up on the hoist we burn this building down we're out of business and everybody I mean everybody's out of a job me you them everyone's gonna be out of work never again can we do this we got a lift here that cost us thousands put it up in a LIF and do the proper way you know okay how about not for this already enough this is ridiculous let's clean it up let's air it out and let's make sure there's an anything left on fire so go check into the site let's just make sure we're super safe just checking in Todd's we've got it probably washed in a little bit too quick we got it from the best one in the world who we move the petrol tank we drain the cobwebs up the only person I've got a blame from that is made the car may not look like much now but in its heyday the minis engineering was state-of-the-art the challenge was to produce a family car that was only ten feet long designer Alec Issigonis is groundbreaking plan for the mini changed car designed forever to minimize the car's front end instead of mounting the engine lengthwise as normal he turned it 90 degrees and mounted it sideways or transversely instead of putting the gearbox under the passenger area it was placed in the oil pan under the engine he gave it tiny ten inch wheels at each corner of the car and they even put the weld seams on the outside all to maximize interior space the combined effect of all these innovations was to produce a tiny car that could still carry four adults small on the outside big on the inside the many was the first of its kind there are only two days into the restoration and the fire has already put them behind schedule right but against his better judgment Muriel's going to have to trust Bernie in the crew to get on with it while he deals with business back in Canada what can possibly go wrong back in the garage Wayne's doing at Mario's way and gets the car up on the hoist to strip it down and take apart the mini suspension this is what we call it down up this is what we call a trumpet it's had it you know I would like put back on some people do even in that condition and worse I've seen them that's one part that will definitely have to be replaced underneath the suspension frame there's worse to come you ready we've tightened a cell frame out because there was lots of rust around where they suffering bulbs in just you can't do anything with it unless you take it out and weld it up with the subframe hoe Wayne can get clear access to the rusted floor panels there's various ways you can cut the floor out grinders the oxy-acetylene cutting tool which the plasma cutter just is a nicer cut and it's a cleaner job I'm just going to cart me out there get that ready for the new floor pen [Music] [Music] after a few minutes investigation he uncovers some worrying evidence these are just plates people have tacked over to rust and I just filled it with body filler but will replace all of that all this section here with fresh metal now that the corrosion has been cut out the new floor pans are fitted for size and welded in then it's back up on the hoist where the corroded cells are chopped oh to replace them he cuts new steel to size makes holes for rivets and clamps them into place for the final well [Music] there's only four days to go on the restoration Wayne's making good progress but to stay on track they've got to keep him supplied with the parts he needs so Bernie comes to the specialist parts garage in London all it does is minis [Music] luckily Bernie's a friend of the owner Kevin meow mock me all night but that won't stop I'm trying to get what he wants as cheap as possible what your unscratched full I mean still okay I've run out of money we're doing a project there's quite a few mini bits I need I need a rear trumpets and the door perimeter rubbers probably some windscreen wiper an arm steer more on the bits like well there's plenty of cars out if you have a rummage around all the crap and bits and pieces use of that and I'll come out and see what them do for us I'll give you four minute song another one which we ain't their finest keepers four minutes right job done cheers pal [Music] that would have been really nice blast I too far gone oh right bound yes after a few minutes searching Bernie's found a badge next on the shopping list wipers as it got burner you found what you're looking for and not bad I found a nice couple of pair of a chrome wiper blades oh you can't put them or a car you're restoring look at the state of them I'll find you a couple of decent new ones yeah they're gonna cost a bloody fortune our salt your deal is let's go and find you some proper bits in there I'll be late Kevin never throws any mini parts out and lets Bernie into his secret staff there you go Bernie well it's for letting skies Latino okay Dubai lease all 4,000 cars lost nothing Trump loudly asked me once on there's the other one Sudan loudly that's just what I need my steering wheel really the capable ones like absolutely mainsail you don't see many of these but I've got that one about I want all that I stopped Cooper that's beautiful you put that on the pile my son wiper blades bring you in the packet all right 80 pounds the lot what how about for we camel man's going about you jog on 60 quid tell you what 45 in you a now make you a nice cup of tea just like their 50 quid you might see and get the doughnuts 45 50 quid by gimme some petrol money they get bad City will I buy the donuts you might say 50 quid the lot tell me what 45 quid you buy the doughnuts and I'll make the tea yeah dawnie sealed god bless you thanks keV no problem Bernie's managed to pick up all this for less than $75 Kevin doesn't only repair maybe some eighth notes is all he's taught we can wait around the corner while he gets one of his special kami you're having a love bite this is a proper girl come on let's go me stomach here it's AMA turn the steering wheel like this there's a new gesture coming out how couldn't drop it if you pay me make it come on slim jizz off over cool no in the easel [Music] you should never underestimate a car like this never underestimate anything small well 1382 see see really between inch and a half s use you know I am the bottle on the back here seventy-five horsepower so there we go we've got a pop pocket supercar a pocket yeah there you go Bernie what do you think of that yeah uh-huh yeah uptown really enjoyed that trip I'll tell ya Wayne's trying to pick up the pace and get the restoration back on track he's ground down the welt scenes and the floor is rock solid now that Bernie supplied him with replacement parts Wayne can start reassembling the minis unique suspension system into a brand new subframe traditional suspensions like leaf springs were heavy and cumbersome the mini system was tiny and based on something as simple as rubber rubber cones known as doughnuts are attached to trumpet-like levers as the car hits bumps in the road the trumpet compresses the rubber which absorbs the shocks before bouncing back rubber is one of the few substances that stiffens as the load increases the harder the suspension in the mini has to work the stiffer it gets [Music] this all-round independent suspension was a groundbreaking new system another first for a small car with all the parts in place the subframe can be reattached let's go come on my son oh you are gonna love for me but it's got to be strong it's 75 kilos or a British steel I thought this side is lining up properly yeah it's nowhere near it you can see why even looking it from here it's at least about four or five min out it's not company's response that's the only way it's going to go George you saw this thing to be all right yes oh thank god first give us a make what's up what you want it pushed over we can't be black and fight me we need a bar sign don't find a bar fight exact through Bob's rough which one that over there on George's side so I'm just try to push it over a little tiny bit look I mean I still ain't lined up yeah pump them I am older we are a little bit more Ross an extra push from big man Ross and the frames fitting in because yes that's my story okay all right let me to do 20 minutes our sweat and grunting later and the subframes finally in place thank you all for this bike [Music] because it was hard to get the subframe to fit Bernie's concerned that the cars frame could be warped he'll have to arrange for it to be checked out off-site to save money he's booked a tow truck firm he hasn't used before but being slightly tight with you I am oh well yeah I used to be Kimber try Accardi beep it's a recovery company Marie wants to make sure they take the best possible care of his baby yeah be careful with the old go so it's just a winch cable vein cold llama give me a pleat now attack there I still how's your power Mike oh I'll pay you when you bring the car back how do I know you're gonna give me the job mainly about in the trade 50-odd you know what I might the guys want cash now but for me it's a point of principle I promise you I'll pay them any bring the car I don't want to tell it that way I want money now that's them I'm sorry it's the only way I work these starts to get real bloody surety I've to pay me now or well unload it let me Papa company this one company yeah get people what the people unload them so I come on in man keys and my mini is gone for me today it might look irreparable but minis have a desert reputation for being tough little cars something that was spotted by one of the great figures in the minis history in the early 60s rally cars were often heavy sedans with large engines powering the rear wheels they were quickly but hard to handle and prone to body roll the minis potential to compete with big cars like these wasn't immediately obvious but in 1961 the racing car designer and builder John Cooper saw the possibilities of the Mini as a new kind of racing car cooper realized that the minis unique combination of front-wheel drive and a wheel at each corner could give it superb rally handling the Mini Cooper and the even quicker 1963 Cooper s were souped up versions of the standard mini platform with larger inlet valves and race tuning the small engine could now get the car from zero to 60 in just over 10 seconds it was an instant and unlikely success with legendary sixties drivers like Timo mäkinen and Patti Hopkirk at the wheel at won the Monte Carlo Rally three times it was clear that the mini was easily tough enough to mix it up with the big boys [Music] to get this mini shipshape again first Wayne has to cut the old roof on it was crushed on both a pillars so to make the car safe again Wayne's replaced it with a secondhand roof including the pillars but it's cost them 135 dollars once it's welded on the seams are ground flat when the big repairs are done they send their mini off to confirm is straight and when it's fast it's another day of hard work as they fill and sand and be ready for the paint flip tomorrow the minis looking at Sol itself once more but getting it rights cost them precious time out of their schedule with only two and a half days until the deadline there's still a serious amount of work to be done in the paint shop first comes the primer coat similar to the undercoat you'd use on your walls at home this paint it's designed to adhere to the bare metal and resist corrosion from beneath the new paint will be fundamentally different from the finish applied when the car was built in the 70s not only where the colors flatter and less vibrant than today the paint often contained a poisonous cyanide derivative modern paints like this are water-based safer and much much brighter the car is meticulously masked up to ensure that none runs into the interior once that's done the paint will be applied through an air sprayer after two coats and several hours of labor the car is baked at 80 degrees centigrade for an hour the finish is smooth glossy and tough looked after properly this paint job should last for another 37 years with the mini painted Wayne can finally get to work on the detailing this time with no distractions from the bosses oh no what Bernie apiece and if you looking over my shoulder now screaming and swearing like he does get on with a car just don't bother cleaning it get it back on they would clean it when we wash it this is why I like doing stuff like this for Bernie isn't it he thinks he knows everything but the way I see it is you never stop learning nice bit about tying a car part yourself you know wherever if it goes you know where it's come from you know what bag it's in it's like these these these are glass and now when you're born they're plastic you know you give it a clean and it comes up you know perfect most if it is plastic and it got all do they've got brittle the color would if I you did it's perfect this is the 20th Minnie Wayne's brought back to life for him it's a real labor of love how nice is that [Music] Wayne's pulled an all-nighter to finish the trim and the roof when Bernie and Mario arrived in the morning it's the first time they've seen the minis new paint job that fast while cold Oh Minnie that's beautiful I really like this that looks really good then whose idea was to paint the roof man scope class I knew was his idea soon as I said because he would do it you wouldn't do it where we are in the time schedule I'm putting this together so for five days in in Syria what oh come on Wayne we aren't got that don't don't give me that wall can I remind you what the roof was like yeah point there with the appraiser coming in just 48 hours that would gain the guys missed their deadline we got it all speed this up there's only one of me we're gonna have to set for something Oh what what something's gotta give but the thing you don't see yeah and we could sacrifice which I don't like doing it is detailing the engine no no no no wait we've got it we'll do it ourselves to make up time Bernie and Mario are going to take responsibility for cleaning the engine bay oh cool that is life feel free let me get you two WTF F&E cleaning up with WD make it look spoken on the top of my eight don't good but I get a call faeces never look as nice to the body no well it is an old car it can't look perfect they've decided to cut a corner on cleaning the engine ah what we chip it out it'd wait but one place they're going to spend some time and money is giving the car some classic Cooper styling one of the instantly recognizable features of a cooper edition is the two white racing stripes down the hood Bernie and Mario's mini is now resplendent with freshly painted stripes of its own with a nod to the cars rallying heritage they've also added distinctive extra headlights to the chrome grille and they've decided to upgrade the exhaust with a new sports model as well as improving performance choosing to mount the new chrome tailpipe down the center of the car will give it a desirable sporty look and increased sail ability a sexy exhaust customizing a mini is something the manufacturer and owners have been doing since the car was launched over its 50-year life the mini would have a huge variety of different models there was a wood frame station wagon a pick up the restyled Clubman an upscale version called a riley and even a jeep called the Mini Moke originally conceived as a vehicle for the army instead it was the ideal car for sixties hipsters who wanted to be as visible as possible and those were just the factory versions the minis brilliantly simple engineering made it right for customization by enthusiasts [Music] there are many buses many stretch limos many monster trucks some people have even decided to make their mini as many as possible when Bernie bought the car it was firing on only three cylinders [Music] now it's working on all four but it could definitely be running more smoothly the best way to keep an old engine humming is some essential maintenance Wayne removes the spark plugs and cleans the electrodes these are built to withstand 650 degrees centigrade and 60,000 volts over time they pick up deposits that can reduce the spark and hamper ignition next he checks the carburetor inside is a piston that regulates the amount of fuel going into the cylinders if it isn't kept lubricated with light oil it could jammed causing misfires this sort of work could be done by any owner to keep their beloved car on the road but it's not just the ease of maintenance that attracts people to owning a classic mini it could be the fact that there are so many like-minded people out there this damp early morning in May is the start of the annual London to Brighton mini rally owners from all over the country come to drive from the capital to the coast to celebrate all things mini an amazing 2100 of them for some it's an annual pilgrimage and a chance to dress up running yeah we thought we'd like a bit of an effort this this year with the another theme yeah seaside we live in the sea salt are we going to the seaside but others are many virgens making the trip for the first time Hawaii just bites game very inside with 2,000 cars all taking the same route queue-jumping is definitely not allowed these paint both would be for you you know [Applause] even though the distance is only 53 miles not all the cars will make it plus the exhaust but I believe it Sundays Karla but a quick bit of roadside maintenance and most of them get there eventually just a couple of hours later and Brighton seafront is end to end with minis and many lovers with just one day until the appraiser arrives Burnie and Mario's mini should be almost finished but the delays have added up and it's far from complete what are you doing the coil that's about a 30 second joke why now we doing right don't get on my case I'm sorry man I'm on your case I've got 24 hours get this guy out that's one pair of hands you've got no boot we've got no lights no petrol chain Wayne's doing the interior got no seats though - we're still playing around with lacrosse we've got no cleaning - you in it so come on you lazy suits let's get it bloody done coming up Bernie and Mario discover how much the rust bucket they bought is now worth here are my thoughts Burnie Fineman and Muriel passione search out and restore iconic classic cars is no rust the Chrome's grave is sold intact just one week ago Bernie found in 1975 mini 1000 in dire need of some TLC Bernie could see the cars potential just imagine it now I don't flew white stripe but Mario hated it at first sight I hate minis and does nothing for me dummy wick is a wonderful call since then they've had fires of The pieman out oh well I loved it and follow we burn this building down we're out of business and everybody I mean everybody's out of jobs all of which have threatened to ruin the restoration it's now only one hour until the appraiser arrives they've decided to give the car some classic Cooper styling including the instantly recognizable logo even though the engines the standard version it'll still add value especially now it's had a tuna clanking sounds I'm Frank does that say terrible to say sorry finally Bernie and Mario give the car one last polish just one week ago this mini was rusting away near Birmingham now it looks like this it's been totally restored both outside and [Music] it's been seven days of strenuous labor the minis been stripped down to the bare bones the rotten floor pans have been cut out and new panels have been expertly welded into place the suspension and subframe have been totally renovated the whole body's been ground back to bare metal filled and hand sanded to a glass smooth finish then given a pristine new coat of paint and the interiors been totally refitted all this has cost them four thousand dollars in parts and labor Bernie picked up the car at a bargain $1,000 so to break even they need to reach a value of at least $5,000 the man who's going to make that judgment is independent car appraiser Dylan miles he works with car collectors all over the world sourcing classics for film stars aristocracy and Wall Street brokers his professional assessment of the car's value will decide if Bernie and Mario's restoration is a success or not hi buddy how you doing I'm Warren yourself yeah good thanks hey nice to see this is the baby right okay so it's 1975 car correct and it started life as a 1 liter mini is that correct it still is a 1 liter Mini 990 a CC [Music] that's a sports exhaust you go on there as well isn't it completely exhaust system front or back okay do you mind if I fire it up help yourself we're gonna come to the yeah that phone earlier on Bernie and Mario decided to take responsibility for the presentation of the engine playing honest I think the detailing on the engine let's sit down sounds healthy he's got good old pressure bail you know you could have gone a little bit further with that in my opinion we didn't have time to detail the engine compartment we did everything else in the cart you can tell and it's on our list to do we'll probably get it done by the end of the day but look at the side of the car it's beautiful straight as an arrow the body works great that sits perfect that got that brand-new grill Bernie put on with those headlights well I would have probably put slightly bigger fog lights in and kind of make it look a bit like than Italian Job Mini you know I think people like that here are my thoughts I hope they're at what you're expecting I hope so nice thank you very much on you gently to see me good see you later we get buckets five grand a valuation of five thousand pounds means they've made a profit of two and a half thousand dollars pretty good considering they've turned it around in just seven days tell you what that's gonna burn some rubber yeah that's pretty good I like it there are ways like maybe it's not told you at work now it was it in record time even 500 gentle gentle either that or a Fiat spider 124 convertible [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Automotive Channel

Views: 33,217

Rating: 4.6413794 out of 5

Keywords: wrecks, to, riches, watch, free, online, full, episodes, cars, hot, rods, dvd, series, mechanics, rebuilding, Barry, White, muscle, new, latest, MGB GT Restoration, Classic Car Rescue, Jaguar E-Type, Morris Mini, Ford Mustang, Porsche 911, MGB GT and the Cadillac Coupe De Ville, Bernie Fineman, Canada, UK, #MiniRepairs, #MiniRestoration, #ClassicCarRescue, TVF International

Id: LfdjZOV8-K0

Length: 43min 57sec (2637 seconds)

Published: Sat May 09 2020