All language subtitles for Car.SOS.S03E01.720p.DSNP.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-SPiRiT_track4_[eng]

NARRATOR: Today
on Car SOS...

Come on!

NARRATOR: Master mechanic
Fuzz Townshend...

High-performance engine,
short life.

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

You look like you've been done.

I have been done.

NARRATOR: ...are on a special
mission to rescue a unique

classic racing car

and reunite it
with a legendary driver.

My Name is Sir Stirling Moss.

NARRATOR: Driven by a 1960s

dream team of playboys...

This was Steve McQueen's house!

NARRATOR: ...Tim and Fuzz
want to relive the glory days.

We're off. Oh, wow!

NARRATOR:
They journey to the ends

of the earth for an engine.

This is just like
Raiders of the Lost Ark.

NARRATOR: But will the result
be a dog's dinner...

(howling)

NARRATOR: ...or a car
for fans to cherish

and a master to drive?

(engine revving)

-Fuzz.
-Yep.

I want to show you
something, mate.

-Right, check this out.
-All right.

Right--"Dear Tim and Fuzz,
so I have a very historic

racing car I think
you'd be interested in."

-Yeah.
-All right.

"It is a 1962
Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite."

-Blimey, rare as you like.
-Absolutely.

"That was raced
in a team that included..."

Surname Moss,
first name Stirling.

(chuckles)
Brilliant! Stirling Moss.

The greatest
racing driver ever.

FUZZ: Yeah, absolutely.

Well, one thing, though.

TIM: What?

FUZZ: "I have a very historic
racing car."

Yeah, I know.
"I," it's kind of like--

FUZZ: Yeah, exactly.

TIM: This, I think,
is an exception.

"It's now the only one left
and I think,

"it would be fantastic
for motor racing fans

"if Car SOS could get it
back on the road

and Sir Stirling Moss
behind the wheel."

I tell you what,
that would be

absolutely stonking,
wouldn't it?

If he agrees to it,
get it on display in a museum.

-That's what I'm saying.
-Then everyone can enjoy it.

Yeah. So this is something
we'd never normally do.

-Right, a Car SOS special.
-Absolutely.

NARRATOR: The car
the boys are off to see

in today's special episode
is just a few miles

from the workshop.

It's a short pickup trip
for a car

that's been on
quite a journey.

Today is probably,
in my mind, Fuzz,

the greatest day ever
for Car SOS.

Well, I tell you what,
it is one of the greats

because the car
is the special thing this time.

-Absolutely, yeah.
-Yeah.

(upbeat music)

NARRATOR:
This Austin-Healey Sprite

is one of four that raced
at Sebring in the USA in 1962.

What makes it really special

is the dream team of drivers
that drove them,

including action movie
superstar

and race crazy petrolhead
Steve McQueen.

You would not now get an actor
at the top of their game,

joining racing drivers
at the top of their game,

and taking part
in an important motor race.

NARRATOR: McQueen loved racing
just as much as acting

and was an avid fan
of the other legend

in the Healey team,

motor racing god
Stirling Moss.

The greatest racing driver
that's ever existed, ever.

Yep, the absolute
greatest racing driver

that's ever existed.

Going past everyone. Bye.

NARRATOR:
The star-touched Sprite

the boys are going to see
was parked up

in a garage in 1968,

just six years
after the Sebring race.

Since then,
it's barely turned a wheel.

♪ ♪

So this was
Steve McQueen's house?

Of course it's not.

You know, he might've seen it,

been in it, smelt it,
touched it.

-Whatever.
-Flown over it, perhaps.

Well, yeah, whatever.

(dog barking)

-Hello, Jonathan.
-Hiya, Fuzz.

NARRATOR: It was Jonathan,
the car's owner,

who contacted Tim and Fuzz,
knowing they'd be hooked.

Right, no time for the chat,

we've gotta see it, like, ASAP.

-It's around the back.
-Right, let's go.

NARRATOR: If this car
is what the boys think it is,

it'll be as hard for them
to resist taking it on

as it is for Tim to contain
his inner McQueen.

I was brought up in a world

where there was only one film

to watch by my dad,
The Great Escape.

-Great Escape.
-Hilts.

AKA... me.

-He has a vivid imagination.
-The ultimate dude.

-Can we see it, please?
-Of course you can.

Thank you very much.
This is it.

-Are you excited?
-There you go.

Ooh. Look at that.

Right. No.
Can I do the sheet?

-Help yourself.
-This is emotional.

FUZZ: Look at that.
(chuckles) Bravo.

No words, that is just
absolutely stunning.

FUZZ: That is, actually,
an amazing car.

-Can I--can I?
-Yeah, help yourself. Carry on.

Look at that in there.

It's even got a racing filler.
Fantastic!

It's like stepping back
in time, isn't it?

It really is, all these dents,
all these dings

have been done by these--
these racing greats.

NARRATOR: This Sprite may look
like its road-going siblings

but had
quite a different purpose.

Back In 1962,
Austin-Healey were

a super successful
British carmaker.

Their production line
was churning out

the new budget
Sprite sports car,

and racing was an effective
and fun way

to publicize their products
and boost sales.

These rarely-seen home movies

were shot
by an American Healey mechanic

and a racing fan
in the early '60s.

♪ ♪

Back then,
Sebring was one of the most

important endurance races
on the calendar.

The Sebring 12 Hours
was the daddy,

with the shorter
three-hour race,

a warm-up event
just for cars under 1,000cc.

Healey had just launched
the Sprite,

and so, for 1962,

booked four
headline-grabbing drivers,

with Formula One ace
Innes Ireland

and rising star
Pedro Rodriguez,

joining Moss and McQueen
on the team.

So this is 9251WD, right?

Yours is 9...

-253.
-WD, right.

There is a possibility,
a strong possibility,

that 9253 was used
as a practice car

in '62 by all four drivers.

MAN: Right.
-That makes that...

the most special one
in my eyes.

You're loving it.
You are loving that.

That's pretty special.

Pretty special, isn't it?
(laughs)

This is amazing.
Look at this.

That's an Austin A30
rear windscreen.

Made to fit into the back
of this hardtop.

I reckon these hard tops
were actually unique

to these cars,
although I might be wrong.

NARRATOR: Of the four Sprites
that took part,

this one has survived,
and of the four drivers,

only Sir Stirling Moss
remains to tell their tale.

It may be over 50 years
since he last raced in anger,

but Stirling Moss still causes
a stir wherever he goes.

Hello, Sir Stirling.
Can we have a photo?

NARRATOR: His is a name
forever linked

into a glamorous
and often brutal era

where racers could be crowd
pleasing playboys one day

and dead the next.

Moss' 14-year-long
racing career

included an incredible
212 wins,

and he drove 84 different
makes of car in all.

At Sebring in 1962,
he would drive a Ferrari 250

in the 12 Hour race,

but warmed up
by racing a Sprite

in the three-hour opener.

MOSS: Sebring was fun
because of what it was.

It was a pro race
on an amateur sort of circuit.

My teammates were all,
you know, nice people.

We just enjoyed ourselves.

NARRATOR: Despite having
a lot less power

than their big brothers,

the little Sprites still had

a lot to offer a pro driver.

(engine revving)

Aluminum panels,

as opposed to steel ones
on the standard car.

No external door handles,
but...

looking in through there--

and wow, it's so Spartan
in there.

Everything is lightweight.

MOSS: The Sprite was
a very forgiving car.

It's a great car,
I think, for people

who are learning to race
because it under-steered.

It was basically
a very stable car,

and therefore it was really
quite nice and easy to drive.

I mean, one could--you could
really throw it around

in wet and bad conditions
and enjoy yourself.

(upbeat music)

NARRATOR: At Sebring,
the Sprites were up against

the high-performance
Fiat Abarth racing cars,

but the weather gods
gave them a hand.

And the biggest problem
really, of course,

is there was a tremendous
amount of rain.

The rain was pouring down,
and you couldn't really see

where you meant to go,

but it suited--
it suited the Sprites.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
In typical daredevil fashion,

Moss held the lead
until two laps from the end,

when he was forced
to pit for fuel.

♪ ♪

MOSS: I can't understand
why we didn't have enough fuel

on board, quite frankly--
maybe I had a small leak.

NARRATOR: Despite this hiccup,

Moss brought his Sprite
home in third,

with the others claiming
sixth, seventh, and ninth.

Just a month later,
in England,

Moss had a disastrous crash,
which almost took his life.

Though he recovered well,
sadly, the crash did force him

to retire
from topflight racing.

After Sebring,
the Sprite fared

a little better
than Sir Stirling...

Oh, yeah. Here we go.

NARRATOR: ...surviving
four more hard years

of amateur club racing
before being mothballed.

Right, I think this looks
like a later engine.

Originally, these were fitted
with a unique set

of 995cc A-Series engines.

So that's not the right
engine for the car?

Not for 1962.

I've heard that there is
one surviving engine

from the race...
(laughs)

Right, okay. Right. Great.
Where is it? America?

Ah, it's reported
to be in Ireland.

I want to reunite that car,
maybe with its engine,

with Stirling Moss,

and we're doing this
for the world of motoring.

-That would be fantastic, Tim.
-Right.

You know, cars are great,
but a car

with that provenance
is just mind-blowing.

NARRATOR: So the deal is done.

Let's get it on the trailer.

NARRATOR: The boys agree
to get the car

back on the road
as close to its 1962

Sebring spec as possible,

as long as it can be shared
with motor racing fans

and reunited
with Sir Stirling Moss.

Fuzz, I can feel that car.

Usually, we do Car SOS
for one person.

FUZZ: Yeah.

This is for every single person
on the planet

who's a fan of motor racing
and motor cars.

Yep, for anyone who wants
to go and see this car--

-Let's get it in the museum.
-Yeah, that'd be cool.

With Sir Stirling Moss!

(upbeat music)

NARRATOR: With
the 53-year-old Austin-Healey

safely back
at Car SOS base camp,

Tim and Fuzz need to agree
on their approach to working

on this blast
from the racing past.

Let me inspect your hands.

-Clean gloves?
-Yeah.

-You may proceed.
-Thank you.

This isn't a restoration job
where I'm ringing up

and getting new rubbers
and new bits and bobs

and new wheels and stuff.

This is taking this car
back to as it was--

FUZZ: Yeah.
TIM: To 1962.

When let's say Steve McQueen,
Stirling Moss,

whatever, has just pulled in
off the track,

turned it off,
and walked away.

And the state
that car was in then

is how we have to
make this thing now.

Yeah, it's like
a forensic restoration.

-Just lean down here.
-It's gotta be light blue.

Yeah, that's right.
Isn't that great?

NARRATOR: At least
for this special episode,

the boys don't have the worry
of working

on someone's car
without them knowing.

My mind is painting
this picture,

running to your car,

getting straight in
with the boys.

NARRATOR: But they do
have to get on

with the even tougher
challenge

of honoring motor racing
history itself.

I just want five seconds
to enjoy this moment.

NARRATOR: That's if Tim
ever wakes up

from his dream team dream.

Turn the key,
pull the start, we're off.

(engines roaring)

NARRATOR: A special car
is going up on the ramp

in this special edition
of Car SOS.

(upbeat music)

This is amazing.
Let's get under here.

Yeah, emotional disconnection
from now.

Let's go.

NARRATOR: Steve McQueen
and Stirling Moss

were in the Healey Sprite team
at Sebring in 1962.

So wherever possible,
Tim and Fuzz

want to turn the clock back
to that race in Florida,

but at the same time,
they mustn't destroy

any of its delicate history.

It is so brilliantly preserved
under here.

You can see where they
cut out the steel floor

and replaced it
with lightweight aluminum.

Yeah.

-All riveted, all done by hand.
-Yeah, amazing.

♪ ♪

(chuckles)
It's an old toothbrush.

What?

-Yeah, it's an old toothbrush.
-Yeah.

-Whose old toothbrush?
-I don't know.

That is Stirling Moss'
and Steve McQueen's toothbrush.

(laughs) I think--I think
this car's gone to your head.

No, seriously,
they were more concerned

about having clean teeth...

-...than their lives.
-How cool.

-Right.
FUZZ: (laughing)

That is staying... with me.

I don't know about you,

but this is gonna
be a tough one.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: So far, the boys
have decided to go back

to the original light blue
paintwork.

But most importantly,
Tim wants to track down

one of the original
995cc racing engines

and reunite it with the car.

♪ ♪

One thing that definitely
cannot be saved

is the rust-riddled exhaust.

But while the workshop
team crack on...

♪ ♪

Tim's on a mission to research
the story of the Sprite

and the men who raced them
at Sebring in 1962.

Right, now, I've been
racking my brains

to find out more
about this car,

and it suddenly struck me,
of the four playboy racers

that were on the planet
racing at Sebring in 1962,

there is only one left,

and he just happens
to be British,

and he just happens to be

probably the greatest
racing driver of all time.

And you know what?
Well, this is where he lives.

(door opens)

-Come in. Take a seat.
-(mouths words)

-Lovely, thank you, sir.
-All right, yeah.

So how come
you were racing at Sebring

with Austin-Healey in '62?

I mean, Donald Healey
was quite a character.

Was it one of these,
"If he asked you to do it,

you couldn't say no"?

Well, yes, but he was
also pretty good

at finding good crumpet,
you see.

-Okay.
-(laughs)

Everyone would keep in
with him.

Right, okay.
So, he was surrounded by women.

Yeah, fairly well, fairly well.

What was the split
for you back then

between the importance
of racing

and the importance
of, you know,

the playboy lifestyle
and women?

Ah, well, no,
they had to go together.

Fifty-fifty, right?

I couldn't do one
without the other.

That's the right answer.
Many people say that.

NARRATOR:
While Tim and Stirling

bond over crumpet...

Come on, PJ.

NARRATOR: ...Fuzz
is checking exactly

what engine
the Sprite currently has.

Wow, that's beautiful.

This, I would hazard a guess,

is the 1,071cc engine

that was used
in the 1963 season.

It's got an XPS engine number,

so it's certainly
a special engine.

FUZZ: But what would
be great would be,

if we could get an original

995cc engine
back into this car.

It would be like
putting the soul

and the heart back together.

Yes!

That particular race,

there were a maximum
of 1,000ccs.

-So that was the limit?
-Yeah.

So there's no chance
that number 22

could possibly have had
the engine that is in it now?

No, no.

Because we've got
this interesting scenario

where we're trying
to find the engine

that should be in that car,

and I've come across a guy
in Northern Ireland

who we believe,
if the numbers match,

that we've got
the right engine.

Now, he doesn't want
to get rid of it,

but it should be
reunited with its car.

Yes, yeah.

NARRATOR: In the early '60s,

many of Healey's
factory racing cars

were finished in light blue,

the exact same color
that's hiding

under that patchwork
of later navy blue.

With his carcheologist's
hat firmly on,

Fuzz is at pains to keep
everything from '62 intact.

♪ ♪

This is such an
historically important car.

I think, if we can keep
the original blue paint,

I think that's the way
I'd like to go.

This dark blue cellulose paint,
known as "celly" in the trade,

can be stripped back
with thinners.

And we're getting back
to the original,

the Healey ice blue underneath.

♪ ♪

I haven't spoken to Tim
about this,

but I'm gonna go ahead
and do it anyway.

We're trying to take it back
to as it was.

So, I mean,
was the paintwork perfect,

were there dents on the car,
was it, you know--

No, it was pale blue,
um, no--no damage on the car.

Right, so they were--
they were pristine?

-Yeah, they're pristine.
-Right.

There's something else
I want to show you.

Yeah?

Which might be
very, very precious to you.

Really?

And you might have dropped it
on the track.

It was stuck
to the underside of our Sprite.

Oh, you're kidding.
(chuckles)

You're kidding.

(laughing)

Wrong color.

The other thing as well was,
I was wondering

if you might
possibly come along

and be at what we call
the reveal,

when we give the car back.

Yeah.
Yeah, that's all right.

Do you want me
to get some crumpet?

Yes.

No, I'm happily married now.

(both laugh)

♪ ♪

TIM: I cannot believe I just
hung out with Stirling Moss,

just chilling.

How many people can say
they've done that?

And also, it was mega useful.

He also mentioned
that the car was

sort of a pristine light blue.

So I'm just thinking,
well, paint, now, let's go!

NARRATOR: At the workshop,

the car continues
to be prepped the Fuzz way,

with the paint and dirt
being cleaned off

inch by painstaking inch.

♪ ♪

But has Fuzz taken this

whole preservation thing
too far?

Right, it's game time.

Guess what it is balancing
on your weird head?

Can you feel the fluid?

The weight of the world
is on my shoulder, but--

-Yes, it is, but it's fluid.
-Okay, yeah, you got the paint.

It's blue. Yes, it is.
It's the car paint, Fuzz.

-Sorted.
-Yeah, but you know what?

It's like,
I'm looking in here

and I can see all of this
original blue paint,

and it seems such a shame
to lose it all, you know?

Are you off your rocker?

It's kind of...
like a ruined medieval castle.

You wouldn't rebuild that,
would you?

TIM: Yeah.

This is one of those moments

where your head's
malfunctioning,

and something's gone wrong.

I'll get you a glass of water.
All right?

You can sit
in a quiet, padded room.

But just know, I'll get you
a tissue as well, all right?

(melancholy music)

Just seems a shame.

Cover up all of this.

NARRATOR: Tim's top priority
now is getting the all-clear

to head over to Ireland on
an engine buying expedition.

-(line ringing)
-(man speaks indistinctly)

-Hello. Hi, is that Ron?
RON: Yes.

Ron, hi, my name is Tim Shaw.
I'm calling from England.

Now, um, we're doing
a documentary

on the Austin-Healey
Sebring Sprites,

and I have information

that you are actually
in possession of a 995 engine?

RON: I think it's still
where it should be.

Well, is there any chance
that I could pop over

and have a look at it,
just to document it,

take some photos,
something like that?

RON: I'll get it out,
make sure it's complete.

Okay. All right, thanks, mate.
Cheers, bye.

Okay, what was that?

-I found a guy in Ireland--
-Yeah?

Who apparently has got
one of the four lumps.

FUZZ: Okay, really?

And he's gonna let you have it?

TIM: I haven't asked him
that yet.

I'm gonna do that
when I get there

because apparently
he doesn't want to sell it,

but he hasn't seen
my moves yet.

Seriously.
(mimics whipping)

NARRATOR: Faster than
you can say

"hand luggage only,"

Tim is on his way to Belfast.

♪ ♪

In the workshop,
the team are cracking on,

pulling the engine
and gearbox from its mooring.

Normally, Fuzz would be here,
elbow deep in oil,

but he's been tempted away
by the chance to drive another

very special Austin-Healey
Sebring race car.

Now, this is an original 1961
Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite.

This is based on
the Mark 1 Frogeye,

or the Bug Eye Sprite.

This was driven in competition

at Sebring
by Sir Stirling Moss.

What an amazing piece of kit.

(gearstick clicks)

Now, listen to that
straight cut gearbox,

raucous, noisy.

That is screaming
for competition.

"Drive me fast!"

And until I put it
into fourth gear,

it's incredibly noisy.

Every little ounce of power
that this engine can supply

is shifted through to the back.

A little jumping bean
of a machine.

Come on!

This is what driving's
all about.

(engine revving)

NARRATOR: In Northern Ireland,
Tim has reached

Ron's workshop.

This is it.

Wish me luck.

NARRATOR: It turns out
Ron is very camera shy.

RON: This place is very untidy.

NARRATOR: So this
is a delicate situation.

I'll bet it's tidier than--

We don't usually have visitors.

Oh, wow, this is your workshop?

-This is my workshop.
-No way.

That's the engine in there.
I got it from Healey's.

-Really?
-Mm-hmm.

-What, back in the '60s?
-Back in the '60s, yeah.

No way.

You've got the four different
serial numbers of the cars.

9253 WD, 9254.

That is the engine from 9251.

That is the engine for our car.

This is like something
from Indiana Jones.

This is like
Raiders of the Lost Ark.

"Driven by Innes, Ireland.
Registration, XSP 1862."

XSP 1862.

I'm--I'm--
I have goose bumps right now.

NARRATOR: The engine Tim's
hopefully about to buy...

shares a lot of DNA
with the one

in the 1961 Sebring Sprite.

Now, listen to that,
that is a lovely, revvy,

little 995cc A-Series engine.

It's a competition
piece of kit.

This is what it would
have had originally.

It's what it should have now.

Tim cannot fail.

He's gotta bring
one of these home.

NARRATOR: Remember,
Ron has turned down

many an offer
for his famous engine.

You would honestly make
so many people's lives

who love that particular car
who can come and see it.

I'm standing beside somebody
here who's a huge car fanatic,

in particular
the Austin-Healeys.

NARRATOR: So,
having buttered him up,

Tim doesn't mess about,
and starts to beg.

Would you consider selling it?
Please?

Please, please, please,
please, please?

If there's one thing ever
I could ask of anyone...

-I don't know.
-Please?

Please, please,
please, please, please?

NARRATOR: With Ron giving him
the silent treatment,

Tim unleashes his ace.

MOSS: Hello, Ron.
My name is Sir Stirling Moss.

In 1962, I raced at Sebring
in Florida

for the Healey Works team.

It would mean so much
to the motoring world,

and to me personally,

if we could reunite
the only surviving car

with the only
surviving engine.

If you could please help us
with this task,

I'd be eternally grateful.

Thank you.

What do you think about it?

I have no intention
of parting with it.

Sorry?

I have no intention
of parting with it.

TIM: I cannot believe
this is happening.

Sir Stirling Moss basically
pleading with him, as I am,

to let me buy
the engine and no,

he's not shifting at all.

I'm absolutely gobsmacked.

NARRATOR: As if to put Tim
out of his misery,

Ron drops another bombshell,

producing a piece
of 50-year-old paperwork

that changes everything.

Ron has just shown me
this letter here,

which is a piece of motoring
history in itself.

Now, we know it was
supposed to be a 995

according to
the serial numbers,

but it says it's a 1,098.

So it was rebuilt
by these guys,

following being raced
at Sebring 'cause the numbers

are right for what we've
matched with that engine.

NARRATOR: The receipt
clearly states

the engine is a 1,098cc.

Signed by Geoff Healey.

NARRATOR:
And with Geoff Healey's

own signature at the bottom,

this document can only mean
one thing--

it's not the engine
from the 1962 race.

It's been a big journey
for so little reward.

NARRATOR: In this
special edition of Car SOS,

Tim and Fuzz are hoping
to get a historic

Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite,

that raced in a team
with Stirling Moss

and Steve McQueen in 1962,
back to its best.

-Blown away by its history...
FUZZ: Look at that!

NARRATOR: ...and untarnished
condition...

Amazing.

NARRATOR: ...the boys have
done a deal to get the Sprite

back to its racing glory days
so that motor racing fans

can enjoy the car too...

and get the most famous
racing driver of his era

back behind the wheel.

The big effort so far
has been to get the body shell

sensitively repaired
and restored.

But a shiny coat
of that light blue paint

might be a little too
factory fresh,

and the spirit of Sebring
in '62 could be lost.

Nathan!

Here he is.
Here's our paint guy.

Right, here's
your challenge, right?

Paint when it comes out
of your booth looks mint,

looks like it's just come
out of the showroom.

-Yeah.
-That's not what we want.

-That's terrible.
-We want it to look--

-Sixty years old.
-Sixty years old?

Right, go.
What have you got?

I'll just use some
matting agents, I think.

-Just to drop the gloss level.
-That's what I said.

He was saying no to that.

The same aging process
as you used on Tim?

That'll do, yeah.

Can we get some matting
agent in, please?

Thank you! All right.

NARRATOR: So the body shell's
getting a lovely new coat

of not too glossy
light blue paint.

As it seems unlikely there
are any original 995 engines

from 1962 still in existence,

it's about time Fuzz
checked out the 1,071 engine

the Sprite came with.

It's a little bit of a shame
that we couldn't get

that original 995 engine,
but you know what?

This is a proper
race-tuned engine.

It's a short throw crank
with big pistons,

lots of revvy power there.

The pistons are in
pretty good shape,

but that gap there
should not be there at all.

If you look at the other caps,
there's no gap.

One of these pins
has come undone,

and this has been allowed
to open up.

This flapping about in there

has broken off
the bottom of the casting

far enough down for it

not to affect the running
of this engine.

High-performance engine,
short life.

It's just about on the edge
of being serviceable.

I think it'd be foolish
to chuck it away.

We'll use it again.

NARRATOR: With the engine
needing a rebuild,

Tim is sourcing original
stock seals and gaskets

to help keep the Sprite

as close to factory spec
as possible.

And where better
to hop along to

than Britain's biggest
Healey parts dealer.

TIM: Hello, mate.

-Hello there.
-How you doing?

Right, I've got
a very special request.

We're doing this car up for
a very, very, very special man.

MAN: Right, who is it?

Well--I mean, I know
what's gonna happen

if I tell you who it is,

and when you realize
I'm so close to him,

you'll just be
different with me.

-And it'll just be weird.
-Okay.

-You sure you can't tell me?
-Okay, then.

Well, because
you've been so persuasive...

Sir Stirling Moss.

All right, okay, yeah.
And you're friends with him?

-Yeah.
-Impressive.

-It's pretty cool, isn't it?
-Yeah.

You should get me some
discount on these parts.

I'll get you a photo.

Right, follow me.

NARRATOR: Spares companies
like this are the heartbeat

of Britain's
classic car industry.

With over 6,000 parts
available here,

it's almost possible
to build yourself

a brand-new Austin-Healey
from scratch.

So Tim's little list
is small potatoes...

not that he can't make
a meal of it, of course.

MAN: So, yeah, do you see him
often, then?

-What, Sir Stirling?
-Yeah.

Yeah, I mean,
I probably see him,

like, two or three times a day.

MAN: All right.

I look after
all his social diary.

He's actually looking for--

Are we near--
where are we now?

We're in Southam,
in Warwickshire.

Well, he's looking for
some friends around Southam.

He said to me
on the way up here,

"Oh, I haven't got
any friends in Southam."

-Yeah, right, it could be me.
-He has now.

-(John laughs)
-Sweet.

I gotta say, so you could
ring him now, then?

Yeah. Anytime.
Day or night, whatever.

I've got him on,
like, 24-hour note,

anytime I want to.

-Go on, then.
-What?

-Go on, then.
-What, ring him now?

Yeah.

-He's not in.
-He's not in?

-No, he isn't.
-That's convenient.

He's not in today,
he's gone out.

Are you sure
you're not pulling my leg?

No, he said
don't disturb him.

NARRATOR:
With his blagging methods

becoming
increasingly strange...

MAN: Is he not married, then?

No, I live with him,
but you know,

we don't tell anyone.

NARRATOR: And with
that trolley

brimming over
with Sprite spares,

it only remains
for Tim to reap

the rewards
of his sterling effort.

Right, okay, so we got
everything we need.

-Now, what do you need?
-Uh, money.

We have got a deal
going on, right?

Well, I suppose
we have got a deal.

(mimics camera clicking)

Yeah, so, with
the signed photograph.

Hang on.

Is this not supposed
to be with the man?

Well, it is with the man.

-The man?
-The man.

There's your money shot!

You look like you've been done.

-I have been done.
-Cheers, John!

NARRATOR: Even more impressive

than Tim's chutzpah
are those big Healeys.

Bigger, faster
and much more expensive

than the modest Sprites,

these beasts were one of
the dream cars of the 1960s.

And even if it's a cold,
dull day,

there's nothing like
roaring through the lanes

in a Big Healey.

There aren't many times
in life where I would say

you suit wearing that hat.

In fact, I've never seen one.

But today, driving this car,
that hat actually suits it.

♪ ♪

FUZZ: Ah, listen to that, Tim.
That's a proper car.

That is a real car.

TIM: You can tell
it's a straight six

as soon as you get in this car.

The sound of it
is like nothing.

The exhaust note is absolutely
joyous, isn't it?

TIM: So many of these
beautiful cars,

not just classic cars,
any car of today,

you don't actually see
much of the car

when you're driving it.

You just see the cockpit,
the interior and that's it.

But with this car,
what you see is this big,

huge sweeping bump
in front of you.

It really lets you know
that there's something

under there
that's worth having.

Yeah, yeah.

TIM: Be honest with me, mate,
do I look cool in this?

-Yeah. Yeah, you look cool.
-Yeah?

-You look cool in it. Yeah.
-Yeah!

But you can make me look cooler
'cause I've bought this scarf

especially so it does
the whole wind thing.

Should have got a black one
so it stands out more.

I didn't know
it was a cream car.

I just want
to see some people.

I want some people
to see me,

and then I might stop

and ask somebody
how cool I look.

NARRATOR: Whether looking cool
or just very cold,

these boys now need to focus
on the last few tricky jobs

their Sebring Sprite needs
before its big day

in the spotlight
with Sir Stirling Moss.

NARRATOR: Tim's hot-footed it
to a metal works

in Staffordshire to get
a small but important job done

that will add some dash
to the Sprite's image.

The Sebring Sprite
was built for racing,

so every luxury was sacrificed

in the name of keeping
weight down and speed up.

But the car's dash
did have a precut plate,

making it easy to add a radio,

which a previous owner
clearly did,

leaving a great gaping hole

that certainly wasn't there
in '62.

Seen Nick anywhere?

NARRATOR: Tim's
old pal, Nick,

has the specialist skills
needed

to repair the Sprite's dash.

-Aluminum Nick!
-How you doing, mate?

The world's best
aluminum welder.

-How you doing?
-I don't know about that.

I've got something
to show you here.

-Yeah?
-That.

Here's the problem.

What happened
with this dashboard was,

they cut out this section here.

So we've carefully made
a little plate in there,

and we want to get it back
to as it was.

-You want to weld it back in?
-Yeah.

NICK: Yeah, okay.

NARRATOR: Before Nick
gets down to business,

Tim can't resist the chance
to get a few tips off

a master welder of 23 years.

What you gotta do,
you've got to get the heat

into the aluminum first
and then start welding.

So you're gonna
have a go, yeah?

This is where you start
getting worried

about your employment here.

You might get
a job here, then.

'Cause there's a young
hot shot on your tail.

I'm going in.

Put a bit more heat
in the bottom.

That's it.

So it's like a balancing act.

What you've gotta do is use
a bit of this aluminum here,

and melt that one a bit
more than these two.

When you strike up,
warm the material first--

-A little more?
-Yeah, a little more, yeah.

(upbeat music)

Now move the torch from here.

Terrible, that is.

(laughter)

-Terry Bell, who's that?
-Terrible.

Is there a Terry here?
Terry Bell?

-Terrible.
-Oh, come on.

All right.
Well, fair enough.

You gotta give it to me
for trying it, though.

I have, yeah.

And we hand over
to the master.

I'm coming underwater with you.

♪ ♪

No pressure, but it's one
of only one left.

NARRATOR: While Nick stays
calm and carries on...

♪ ♪

At the workshop, Fuzz's
curiosity has now got him

taking the lid
off the gearbox.

Now, I'm just hoping that this
has got what's known

as a straight-cut
gearbox on this.

Most car gearboxes
will have helical gears,

and they tend to push
each other apart,

and they're really quite silent
in their operation.

Aha! Straight-cut gears.

You see how the teeth
are all in a line?

That means that this gearbox
is going to transmit

all of that precious power

from the engine
through to the rear axle,

but also it's going to howl
like nothing else on earth.

(howling)

NARRATOR: With the gearbox
getting a howl of approval,

what's Tim's verdict
on Nick's repair

to the delicate
Sprite dashboard?

You know what, this is one
of those privileged things.

It's like sitting in
on an open heart surgery

or something like that.

This is a serious master
craftsman at work.

That is spot-on.

♪ ♪

Nice job!

See, once the heat's in it,

I have to turn the power
down obviously.

-Otherwise, you'll melt it.
-Yeah, it'll just keep melting.

360 degrees right around
the little racetrack there.

Even the corners,
you've taken them perfectly.

That is why you remain,
in my books, Mr. Aluminum.

Look at that.

Yes!

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
It's all go at the workshop

as the lads put
the rebuilt 1,071 engine

back into a car that still
needs a lot of work,

and now
they're short of time.

Okay, let's just leave it
there for now.

FUZZ: That is in position.

NARRATOR: In just
a couple of days,

this car needs to be finished
and installed

at the Heritage Motor Center

for its appointment
with racing history.

Here, Britain's
favorite knight

of the road,
Sir Stirling Moss,

is booked in to recreate
that Sebring sensation

by getting back behind
the wheel of the Sprite.

At least the dash
Aluminum Nick welded for Tim

has been painted
the original deep blue

and is ready for its close-up.

Right, if ever
you wanted to see

some good craftsmanship--
look at this.

That is the panel
we actually aluminum welded in.

You can kind of see it
from the back here,

where it's been linished,

but look at that
from the front.

It's absolutely stunning.

Who would have ever known
there was a gaping hole there?

And I'll tell you what
it is time to do now.

It's actually time to--

should we chuck
the fuel gauge in, yeah?

I love it how all these things
are just done up by hand.

You could take that gauge out
without even a pair of pliers.

But for the first time,
in a matter of hours,

in four and a half decades,
that will be reading fuel.

How cool is that?

Right, I'm gonna put
the other clocks in.

NARRATOR: The to-do jobs list
is long and tricky.

What is a metric nylon nut
doing around here?

NARRATOR: But despite
being up against it,

Fuzz is sticking
strictly to his rule

of authentic parts
only on the Sprite.

It may look
as if it's nearly together,

but it's painstakingly slow

because we're having
to make sure

that everything goes back
as it came off.

It's all gotta be done
methodically, that means slow.

NARRATOR: There's a huge pile
of plumbing

and electrical work to do,
but as ever,

Tim is making light work
of it.

Indicator bulb.

Fitting it despite the fact

that this car will not pass
an MOT over here.

If you look at it, that's why.

Red tail light.
Where's the orange indicator?

Well, there isn't one,

'cause this is
a North American car,

obviously from Sebring.

That is now on.

♪ ♪

I can't believe
that we are now hours away

from Stirling Moss
driving this vehicle.

-Fuzz.
-Yup?

Talk to me about
what you're thinking,

because if you're thinking
the same as me, I'm stressing.

I'm highly stressed,
and I tell you what,

this car, I can't imagine it

even being ready
at this moment.

Now, what I'm thinking
is coffee.

NARRATOR:
Concerned with progress,

Tim drafts Workshop Phil
into a dubious scheme

that should put some fire
in the team's belly.

They'll never trust me again.

To the Sebring Sprite
and you boys.

All right, then.

NARRATOR:
How could anyone spurn

such generosity of spirit...

and industrial amounts
of instant coffee?

TIM: It'll take years off you.
-Ah!

Right. Now, get working.

For the first time
in a long time, Phil,

we're not the mugs.

-Not now. This is true.
-Absolutely. Yeah.

NARRATOR: Taking their time
may be out,

but the team
go through the gears,

racing on into the night,

readying the Austin-Healey
Sebring Sprite

for its historic lap of honor.

NARRATOR: The time has come.

The day where it all
comes together is here,

and Tim is taking it
all very seriously.

People always ask me,
"Tim, when are you guys

gonna get some of the cars
together that you've done up

on Car SOS
so we can actually see them?"

Well, do you know what?
Happy Christmas.

I stand in the middle
of all the cars

we've done up here on Car SOS.

This one here is the Rover BRM.

You might remember this
from series one.

This thing is valued
at over a million pounds.

Actually, Fuzz.
Come here, dude.

Can you--
I'm just talking people

through the cars
that we've revealed.

-Yeah.
-Can you just go over the TVR?

Thanks, mate. Cheers.

We haven't rebuilt
any of these cars.

Don't listen to him.

Don't listen to anything
he ever says.

NARRATOR: It's an outstanding
gathering of pristine cars,

all right,
but this, of course,

is the Heritage Motor Center.

A fantastic collection
of the biggest, the bravest

and sometimes most baffling
four-wheeled creations

ever to emerge
from the British car industry

in all its glory.

And it's where the boys
will be handing the car

back to Sir Stirling Moss.

-Fuzz?
-Yup.

Pre-match nerves, mate.

I'm getting nervous
about giving this car back.

Stirling Moss and all that.

Yeah, you shouldn't
worry too much.

I mean, it's not like
he's omnipresent.

It's not like he's everywhere
that you are, is it?

I suppose not.

At least there aren't
any pictures of him anywhere.

NARRATOR: Sir Stirling
is indeed not here, yet,

but his place
in the history of driving fast

is clear to see,

not least with
this 1.5 liter MG

that he drove in 1957.

FUZZ: Another one of his cars.

Just casually nipped out

and broke
the land speed record.

245.64 miles per hour.

NARRATOR: Outside, a special

and rather crucial guest
has arrived.

It was another all-nighter
in the workshop,

but once again, the boys
have pulled it out of the bag,

and the 1962 Sebring Sprite

is ready to pull in
the crowds.

FUZZ: I tell you what,
you are going to love this.

Look at that, eh?
Keep it shut.

Let's get that car in.

TIM: That is perfection.

Put a bit more lock on that.

-Doesn't it look amazing?
-That is just gorgeous.

Come down here.

Imagine it's the 23rd
of March, 1962.

We're on the starting line.

You've got Steve McQueen
and you can see his hand

on top of the steering wheel.

Stirling Moss,
Pedro and Innes over there.

-Yeah.
-Can you feel it?

I can, I can.

Question is, would they get out

and say,
"Love your show, guys"?

-(Fuzz laughs)
-Or would they run us over?

You and me,
we're just skid marks, mate.

(laughs)

NARRATOR: The Car SOS
workshop gang are here,

almost as spruced up
as the Sprite,

ready to enjoy seeing
their hard work appreciated

by a select gathering
of car fans and journalists.

So can we please
put our hands together.

A huge round of applause
for Sir Stirling Moss, please.

Thank you very much.

NARRATOR: It's a special
moment in racing history,

as the last remaining Healey
Sprite driver from Sebring

and this unique Austin-Healey
are reunited.

It's the 23rd of March, 1962,

and we're all in Florida
at Sebring,

it's a racetrack over there.

Stirling, do you
remember that race?

Oh, very well.

I mean, the people
I was with--I mean,

Steve McQueen was pretty cool.

TIM: You won't be surprised
to hear that Sir Stirling led.

I really didn't think
we had a hope in hell

of beating the Abarths
'cause they were so fast.

How do you remember the car

we're about to
show you looking?

I'll remember
when I take the cover off it.

-(laughs)
-Touché.

All right, so would you guys
like to see the car?

ALL: Yes!

All right, for the first time
in 50 years, Sir Stirling.

-You ready?
-Okay, let's go do it.

TIM: Come on, let's get it out.
Here it is.

Wow! Amazing!

-Remember that?
-Yeah, yeah!

Do you remember running to it,
diving in, and setting off?

Yeah.

Yes, I remember it so well.
Absolutely perfect.

Just down there.

Then I can drive it out
and I can keep it?

Absolutely.

Oh, boy.

Feels exactly as it was.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: Having spent
46 years in mothballs,

this special Sebring Sprite

has a great future ahead
as a star attraction,

on display for the public,

thanks to a sensitive
conservation-restoration.

Where a crusty patchwork
of flaking paint

spoiled any memories

of that star-studded
Sebring race,

now a not-too-new coat
of light blue paint

brings those heady days
roaring back.

The original dashboard
had been spoiled by a hole,

where a radio was once fitted,

but is now returned
to its purposeful,

Spartan specification.

Every detail and dent
that could be preserved

has been kept intact.

The 1,071 race engine
and gearbox

has been reconditioned

and is ready to be
sparked into life

and put through its paces.

And who better to give this
53-year-old her first run

for 46 years
than the man himself.

(engine revving)

The only debate now,
of course,

is who gets
the ride of his life.

-Tails.
-Heads!

-Ah!
-(laughs)

Go on, son, enjoy yourself.
Gutted.

(engine revving)

FUZZ: So how does it feel
to be reunited

with the Sebring Sprite
after all this time?

I think this is showing its age
as much as I am actually.

(Fuzz laughs)

FUZZ: Well, it's not
at all, then.

Come on.

Come on, girl.

♪ ♪

This is really my era.

And to get into a car

where the pedals
are in the right place,

and the gearbox,
it's just a fun car.

♪ ♪

I love the sound

of the straight-cut
gears as well.

MOSS: Yes.
FUZZ: Nothing like it, really.

Great little tool, really.

TIM: How do you see the
importance of this vehicle?

MOSS: Well, I think
it's tremendous.

I mean, to give the car back
as it is like this,

I think it's fantastic.

I mean, we need cars like this

so people can come back
and sort of say,

"Christ, you mean you raced
a thing like that," you know?

It's great for those people

who were there
in the life of the day.

It's great for youngsters,

you know, they're amazed
at how bare it is if you like.

I kind of say
when I see something of 1898,

I think,
"God, fancy driving that."

(engine revving)

FUZZ: That's amazing.

I'm getting to have a drive
with Sir Stirling Moss!

Pretty good.

If you don't mind,
I only live down the road.

You can give me a lift.

MOSS: Okay.
FUZZ: (laughs)

Captioned by Captionmax