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Private Notes
The cheapest Astons in the UK are around £16,000 but Mike decides he wants to spend less. By calling around some dealers, he finds a tired trade-in at a large main dealer. The car has interior water leaks and external oil leaks, it drives in a sloppy way, the engine is blowing, and it feels unloved. The dealer is willing to sell for £13,500 but Mike tries to get him down further. By taking a faded masterpiece, turning back the clock and finishing everything to a very high standards Mike hopes to get absolute top dollar when he sells it on.
The Ford Escort Mk1 might not be red and Italian but it’s a performance car icon. Generations of drivers wanted this car, and for many it was their first taste of a quick motor. Mike finds the search for an Escort is hard going – prices for rust-free original cars are high. The car he finds is a great as a base, and Mike wants to gently customise the Mk 1, to give it a compassionate retro refit, improving the handing and breaking but to also spruce up the face of a much love 70’s classic.
Mike buys a clapped out old Land Rover Mk3 for the bargain price of £5k. But Why has Mike chosen such an ugly duckling? It’s been painted matt black with an electric blue bonnet and blue trim on the wheels and interior. But he’s got a plan: re-spray it white, pass it on to Edd to fix-up, then sell it on and double his money.
The Boxster is the car that saved Porsche from going out of business when recession hit in the 90s. It may have been called the poor man’s Porsche, but this was unfair - it was 80% Porsche 911, for half the price. Although that ‘half price’ was still more than most could afford, until Mike tracks down an example with a bargain basement price tag.
The Morris Minor is like a little piece of England on four wheels. It’s robust, charming and a very useable classic car. In traveller guise, it is also made partly of wood. The car was designed by Alec Issogonis (who also penned the Mini) and was intended as a medium/large family car. It was a massive success and sold more than 1,000,000 units – amazing for a British car. Now the 60s cars are fetching high prices but many are rusty and in poor repair, so finding a good one can be tough. Mike manages to pick one up but then the work begins as Edd strips the car back to nothing but an engine on a bench before restoring a rebuilding it piece by piece.
Mike tracks down a TVR Cerbera for just £8,000. However, these classic sports cars are susceptible to rust.
Mike heads out to Poland to bag one of the most exciting and exclusive cars we've ever done - the Lamborghini Uracco. Prices are rising thanks to the company's 50th anniversary and dwindling supply of these 70s supercars. Mike finds a car that's been kept in a collection for years - without turning a wheel. It doesn't start, it can't drive. But it's in great condition in every other way.
Mike's father used to own a custom favourite, the Ford Pop, and Mike has spent long hours during his childhood wishing that he had one. That day has come but Pops are notoriously variable in their quality, often expensive, and usually rare. Mike finds a car with dangerously set-up steering and decided to take a punt on it. For once they forget the idea of profit, and Mike asks Edd to 'go mad' and to make the Pop 'amazing'.
This car is one of America's first sportscars and it's amazingly good to drive. This is why the C2 Stingray is one of the world's sports icons. Mike heads to the USA to hunt for a car that's rust free and happens upon an example that's been partly restored...and at a great price. But the C2 is far from being finished and it needs Edd's experienced hands to get it on the road to recovery.
Mike heads to Poland to sample the FSO Syrena - one of the rarest motors we've tackled and one of the most quirky. The Syrena looks and feels like a 50s car although it was built decades later.
The Lotus Elise is a drivers' dream. It's good looking, quick, and handles like a racing car. Mike wants to buy one but soon realises that he can't add value to a car that's already excellent. But then he hits on the idea of making an Elise that can perform not only on the road, but the track too.
Mike's desire to own a classic Cadillac with fins leads him to an early 60s car that is on sale at the equivalent of only £3000. It's a one owner, matching numbers vehicle, with minimal rust and loads of lovely chrome. The bad news is that the wrecked interior, huge dents and mottled green/grey paint make this car look like it belongs in a horror film.
