14x01 - 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth

[bunniefuu]

The 95 Ford Escort
RS Cosworth was the

obsession of would-be
rally racers everywhere.

I am so proud to be behind the wheel.

The rarity here in America has
made them massively desirable.

It is a unicorn of a car.

We've hit the jackpot finding
one in our own backyard.

I don't want to shake your
hand, I want to hug you.

I just want to hug the car.

But almost every part of its
legendary engine needs work.

The fizz is flat.

If Anton and I aren't careful
with this one, this is a problem.

A dream car could turn into a nightmare.

All you've got to do is fix it.

I'm in Hollywood.

I'm on my way to go and
see the holy grail of fast Fords.

A Ford Escort RS Cosworth.

In North America, the Escort was
considered just a cheap people mover.

But in Europe and the
rest of the world, the car

was so good that the Mark


was turned into a rally car and it went
on to win the World Rally Championship.

This is one of 25 that got
imported into the USA as

a grey import by a company
called Sun International.

Only 12 of them are registered for driving
on the road and it's one of those cars.

At the moment, it's at $35,000.

That's around £26,000, £27,000.

But being that it's very rare, it's
probably worth that kind of money.

The world of fast forward is going crazy.

Just recently, at auction, an RS
Cosworth Sierra just got sold for £120,000.

That was including the buyers premium.

That's around $150,000.

Hopefully, I can find a
little thing wrong with it.

And that means I can drive the price
down and get me Wheeler dealer boots on.

You must be Emil.

Hi, how are you? Nice to meet you.

Emil, great to meet you too.

I'm quite excited, to be honest with you.

Because when I got this
phone call from you and

you're saying you've got a
Ford Escort RS Cosworth

right here in California, I
was, well, I didn't believe you.

So please tell me it's true.

It is absolutely true.

Can we see the car?

Oh, Emil, that is fantastic.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, that is every boy's dream.

Let's start under the bonnet.

Oh, yeah, look at that.

You can see pretty much the entire
engine is stock and it's in great shape.

It looks like it's rust free as well,
being it's a Californian imported car.

I can't see any evidence of it.

Usually it's at the top of the suspension
turrets, but that looks really good.

Let's get down into that
chassis and it's very straight.

We've got an oil leak on the transmission,
but I just don't have access to the parts

and the people that are willing to do it.

It's funny because I know
somebody that can do it

and I have a country that's
got an abundance of parts.

Emil, I'm very happy with
what I've seen under there.

Can we have a good look inside now?

Sure, jump in the driver's seat.

Oh, it's made for me, this car.
I can feel it.

It's got the RS gauges up on the top
with a boost valve and the bar pressure.

The dashboard looks in pristine condition.

Let's have a look in the back.

That is fantastic.
Look how original that is.

Do you know what? One
of the most sought after

parts probably on this
car is this parcel shelf.

So many of them got cut up to put stupid
speakers in and they become quite rare.

This car is totally original.
I absolutely love it.

And as for this great big
WOW towel spoiler at the rear,

this is sort of the bovver boy
look that gave it a bad reputation

in the mid-90s, but actually
it's there to serve a purpose.

It's to keep this car routed to the tarmac.

It is actually a functioning real spoiler.

Talking of tarmac, that's the
only thing left for me to do really

is to get it out there on the
road and see what it drives like.

Absolutely, you can take it out.

I'll bring it back in one piece, I promise.

Here I am in Los Angeles, but
right now I've never felt more Essex,

because this is a proper Essex boys car
and I am so proud to be behind the wheel.

So, what does it feel like?

Well, it feels...

I have genuinely forgotten
how good these cars are.

They've got that 2.0-litre
fuel-injected engine under the bonnet.

When you come into a bend,
this car grabs on all four corners.

That's because it's four-wheel drive

and that four-wheel drive
is running through this

five-speed gearbox
and it's delivering power.

Although I can feel that immense
power coming from this car,

I do believe there's a little bit more.

I think we can unleash a bit more power.

When I put my foot on the brake of this
car, I can feel it wandering to the left,

so I gather we're going to have
to do a little bit of brake work.

There's this awful
smell inside the c*ck.

The smell is of bad ex...
I think I know what it is.

It's going to be the catalytic converter.

I think that's going to need changing.

It does mean that I can go back to Emil

and tell him that he's
Cosworth, has got a few

problems and maybe there's
some room to manoeuvre,

because there's no way this car is not
coming back to the workshop with me.

If it's $35,000, so be it, I'm having it.

If I can get it a little bit less,

I think I'll be a very, very happy man.

Well, what do you think, Mike?

What do I think? Do you know what?

It's like a boyhood dream.

I don't think I've smiled
as hard as I have done

in the last hour than I
have done around this car.

There are faults, though.

One of them we can
smell almost immediately.

It's got that bad egg smell.

It's the catalyst converter on this
car and it's going to need changing.

It won't be cheap.

Also, the oil leaks,
so I'm always thinking,

just one offer, $30,000,

I'll take the car off your
hands straightaway.

It's a little bit lower than
I was looking for, Mike.

Can you do any more?

$30,000 cash, I'll take it away right now.

And you can do it right.

Emil, look at my face.

You know I'm going to love this car.

You've got a deal.

Yes, top man.

Emil, that's fantastic.

Oh, I'm so happy.

I've just bought myself.

I can't believe I'm saying this.

An Escal RS Cosworth.

Well done.

You can cry like a baby now.

It's mine.

Call the police, somebody.

I think a robbery just took place.

This car is a steal for
the originality it's got.

And I know that we can
eke out a profit in this car.

All we need to do is get the details right,

fix the faults,

maybe enhance the look and
the appearance on the outside.

There's something about the American
market that they like an enhanced car.

They like it changed.

And I know some people
won't want to change the wheels,

won't want to change the
headlamps or the rear light lenses,

but this car needs to have
that bit of transformation

to give it that new piece of life.

And this car, being a 90s model,

is firmly in the generation of my
new mechanic, Mr Ant Anstead.

And I know Ant will love to get
his hands on an RS Cosworth.

He'll be thrilled to be
working on such an icon.

Where in America did you
find a Ford Escort Cosworth?

I don't want to shake your
hand, I want to hug you.

I want to hug the car.

That's exactly what I did.

Oh my God.

Did I nail it or did I nail it?

Look at that.

What year is it?

It's a 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth.

It is a unicorn of a car
and I've found it locally.

It belonged to a guy called Emil.

There is no way Emil
willingly let this car go.

He didn't let it go willingly.

Because it's so rare, he can't
find a single person to work on it.

I'll work on it.
I'll definitely work on it.

But I've got you.

It drove in here. It looks absolutely...

What's the catch?

Why does there have to be a catch?

Of course there's a catch.

Just drink in that interior.

Oh yes, this is 90s rally.

Recaro seats hugs your body.

Ford five-speed.

Even the steering
wheel's on the right side.

Or left side.

Rally side.

Correct, yes.

You like it?

No, there's a problem somewhere.

I reckon it's under the bonnet.

Why does there have to be an issue?

Because it doesn't add up.

Something doesn't add up.

There's got to be a catch.

There is a catch, yeah.

Just under there. Lift it up.

There you go.

There it is.

That's the Cosworth part of our car.

That's the 2.0-litre Y engine.

Plus it's got the later T25 turbo.

Correct.

So what's the problem?

It has got an oil leak.

It's coming between the
engine and the gearbox.

I'm going to take the engine out.

Diagnose the problem.

Replace it. Repair it.

Put it back in.

You want to take the engine out to do that?

Yes, Cosworth.

Don't put the bonnet down
yet because I'm quite finished.

Here we go.

Here we go.

You know the first time
you get in a Cosworth,

it gives you a... A little
tingle in the pants area.

It's a fizz.

I call it a fizz.

The fizz is flat.

All right, so it's down on power.

It is.

I wonder if it's a turbo problem.

Well, it could be a turbo problem.

So why have you got the engine out?

Well, fine. We'll take the engine out.

I'll rebuild the turbo.

And while it's out,

we'll give the whole engine a going over.

New gaskets, new oil, new filters.

We'll stick a new clutch
in because it's worth doing.

Perfect.

Do you like the car?

Basically, if you want a Cosworth,

this is the one.

You've got me a Cosworth.

Look at that.

It's such a great car, isn't it?

And the presence this
car has from the rear.

Yeah, and it's all about this whale tail.

That is just beautiful.

It is fantastic.

It's the signature item on this car.

I love it.

And I know Frank, one of
the men who designed it.

What, Frank Steffensen?

Yeah.

So you're happy there, aren't you?

I'm on the verge of speechless.

All you've got to do is fix it.

But the good news is this car is so rare.

It's rarer in North America
than a Bugatti Veyron.

This will sell easy.

We are going to sell this car.

This will sell like hotcakes.

Right, go to work.

Good luck.

Absolutely over the moon.

When I was 17 years old and
old enough to get a driving licence,

there was only a handful of
cars that I truly, truly lusted after.

And one of them was this,
the Ford Escort RS Cosworth.

And look at it.

Bulging arches, four-wheel
drive with that turbo,

plus the whale tail on the back.

This is what the cool kids
of my generation drove.

The mic tells me this car's got
problems and it's down on power.

But what worries me
the most is there's an

oil leak between the
engine and the gearbox.

And that means I've got
to take the engine out.

That's a big job.

I've always wanted to work
on a Ford Escort Cosworth.

This is bucket list stuff.

First, I'm going to take the bumper off.

It's covered in stone chips,

so I'm going to get it off to the
paint shop and out of my way.

And then remove the turbo shield,

disconnect the hoses and the vacuum line,

then drain the coolant to
prepare the engine for removal.

After that, I'll see if I can uncover
the secret behind our mystery oil leak.

We found ourselves a rare


I've never felt more Essex.

It's got a few issues
that need a lot of work.

While Mike researches the
brakes and the other parts we need,

I've got to get to the
bottom of this oil leak.

Yeah, Mike was right.

There's definitely an oil leak coming
from between the engine and the gearbox.

And this is a problem.

The bell housing is a dry area.

It houses the flywheel and the clutch.

Now, we know the engine's a wet area.

That's full of oil.

And the same with the gearbox.

That's also a wet area.

The problem is, I don't know
which one it's coming from.

And that means both have to come out.

You might think it's strange that
I'm working on the suspension

to take an engine out of a car.

And if this was an early rear-wheel-drive
Mark 1 Escort, you'd be right.

I'd take it out the conventional
way via the bonnet.

But because this is the
later four-wheel-drive system,

the drive shafts run out
the bottom of the oil pan,

it's actually easier for
me to take the whole

unit, the engine, the
gearbox and the suspension,

and drop it all to the
floor and lift the car off it.

To get to the engine and the gearbox,

I've got to take off the
exhaust and the prop shaft.

Dropping the engine and
running gear out in one piece

was designed with rally racing in mind,

so that teams could quickly swap
out the engine and the gearbox.

Yeah, this car's ready.

Now I'm supporting the engine,
gearbox and suspension units

on three really strong
and solid axle stands.

The idea being that when I use the lift,

I'm going to take the body off
the engine, leaving it all in situ.

Now it's really important to check,
double-check and triple-check,

take your time, get this right.

Now I can finish unbolting everything
else, holding the engine to the body.

There's the bucket list checked.

I've deliberately put the
engine and gearbox on the floor

because it's quite a
big, bulky, heavy unit,

and down here is the safest place to
take the gearbox away from the engine.

Considering the age
of this engine and the

type of car it is, it's
actually not that bad.

From the outside it looks alright,

but it's what's on the
inside that really worries me.

First I'm removing the starter motor
before tackling the bell housing bolts.

The gearbox looks good, so the leak
might be behind the clutch and flywheel.

Now my advice is simple, we've
come this far, always change the clutch.

It's a consumable item and you
wouldn't want to have to do this again.

I love the smell of clutch.
Someone should bottle that.

Yeah, there's your oil leak.

The good news is it doesn't look like the
seal that goes around the main crankshaft.

That's a nightmare job, I'd
have to strip the engine down.

It looks like it's just a sump gasket.
Much easier.

The sump, or the oil pan, sits
on the bottom of the engine,

so to get to it I've attached the
engine to a rotating stand. Much easier.

I'm using a magnetic tray to
make sure I keep the sump

bolts in the exact same
order they need to be returned.

Now it's off, you can see the problem.

There's literally no gasket, metal's
touching metal, no wonder it's leaking.

Also it's pretty dirty in here.

This whole thing needs a good clean.

It looks so much better now it's cleaned.

It's really important that these
surfaces here, the top of the sump,

and where it joins the
engine are absolutely spotless.

Even a tiny bit of dirt in that
area when it brings it together.

is going to leave a gap
and it will create a leak.

Now normally that gap's
taken up by a gasket set.

Now we've got two little rubber
seals, one that goes on the front here,

that takes care of that bit.

One that goes on the back, that
will sort out our original oil leak.

And then traditionally there's two gaskets,

one that runs down here,
and one that runs down here.

But for this particular car it
doesn't use a conventional gasket.

A two-wheel drive car does,
but this is a four-wheel drive car.

You can see this shaft
that runs through the

belly of the sump helps
drive the front wheels.

And actually that shaft needs to be
held in a fixed and strong position.

If we fitted a traditional
gasket, bring the sump up

to the engine, it will
allow a degree of flexibility.

That won't help because we
want that shaft to be really strong.

So instead of using a normal gasket,

this particular car
uses this special paste.

Now it does the same as a gasket, it just
allows me to create a really strong seal.

between the engine and the sump.

Put a tiny bit on the
little rubber gaskets.

This is where the original leak was.

I just want to make sure, 100% seal it.

This stuff goes off pretty quickly.

So you want to get it on there.

Oh, look at that.

Sometimes you can just tell
when it feels good and when it fits.

Ramming up some bolts.

Now all I have to do
is bolt it back together.

And then I need to
break down that tired old

turbo and see if we can
get some power back.

I can hear it.

It's got a bit of play in it already.

We bought a 95 Ford Escort Cosworth
that was leaking oil and losing power.

The fizz is flat.

And solved the leak.

But he's still got his work
cut out for him fixing that turbo.

Mike tells me this car's down on power.

Also the turbo Gauge doesn't work.

Now I've checked the vacuum
hose and it all seems in order.

So I reckon that this turbo
is going to need a rebuild.

And rebuilding is actually
quite straightforward.

I've bought a rebuild kit.

But before I start using it,

it's really important to work
out exactly how a turbo works.

And it's actually quite simple.

We all know an engine, when
running, releases exhaust gases.

And normally those gases are wasted.

They escape out the back of the car.

But what a turbo does
is it makes clever use

of those gases and
turns them into power.

The principles behind a
turbo are actually quite simple.

It's a pair of hollow chambers here
and here that inside house a pair of fans.

A red one here on the
exhaust side because it's hot.

A blue one that also has a fan in.

Both those fans are connected
together by a centre shaft.

That means that they
now spin at the same time.

Now the first shaft spins because
it's powered by the exhaust gases.

So the first fan is now
spinning the second fan.

But what that second fan's doing is it's
drawing in cold fresh air from the outside.

That fan is spinning so fast that it
actually compresses that oxygen.

It jams loads of O2 molecules together,
getting more into that tiny space.

The by-product of that means
that it actually also gets hot.

So when it leaves the second fan,

it needs to go via an intercooler.

That intercooler now cools
that newly compressed air.

The air, now cold and compressed,
is pumped back into the engine.

And the great thing about cold
compressed air is that it's full of oxygen.

And of course, engine relies
on fuel and oxygen to go bang.

So really, turbos are
actually quite simple.

No wires, no computers.

In fact, all cars should have them.

To rebuild this one, first I've
got to move all the outer bits,

like the actuator and the
water-based cooling system.

That's all the loose
bits off, and a little tip.

Make sure you Mark
the orientation of the turbo

housing so it goes back
together the same way.

So I just put a little scratch in here.

And there it is.
That is the heart of our turbo.

You can see both fans.

In fact, if I use the drawing,

perfectly to scale, the
exhaust turns this fan,

spins the cold side.

It's amazing to think something
so small can create so much power.

But this wheel here is spinning so fast,
it can go up to 120,000 turns a minute.

And the problem is, is if
there's a little bit of play,

the tolerance inside
this shroud is so minute

that if it hits, you're going
to have big problems.

And I can hear it.
It's got a bit of play in it already.

To remove the shaft, I've got
to undo this little nut on the end.

But what's important is that
this is a left-handed thread.

The reason it's left-handed is
because of centrifugal forces.

If it was right-handed, it
would run the risk of undoing.

The shaft doesn't look too bad.

It's that that joins the two fans together,
makes them turn at the same time.

The reason this is wobbly
is because inside here,

there's two little collars.

I bet you it's them that's worn.

With the retaining clip removed,

the small bronze collar
pops right out of its housing.

And inside here is a
tiny little thrust bearing.

Second bearing.

It's amazing that all these tiny parts
have such a big impact on our car.

And I reckon I know what the problem is.

The bearing that supports the
shaft has a little bit of play in it.

That means the shaft
ever so slightly moves,

lets a little bit of oil into the exhaust,

but also it would mean it would
clog the catalytic converter,

reducing the extra power.

That would account for what
Mike smells at the exhaust.

But I think by the time
we overhaul this turbo,

it's going to be as good as new and
put all that power back into our car.

First, I need to clean
it up, starting with this.

All nice and cleaned.

I used to do that in my mum's
dishwasher when I was a kid.

Right, now we get to open
the goody box, the new parts.

I've double checked
that all the bits I'm

going to replace, I've
now got new bits for.

Now I just need to put it back together.

Starting with this little puppy.

First start by putting the new bearing in.

And when we put it back together, we
have to use a load of assembly grease.

Nice and liberal.

Next, the thrust bearing.

Now I'm going to screw that in
with new screws that come in the kit,

and really handy, see
that orange band on there?

That's glue.

Making sure that the
threads on this stay in.

It's really important
that that's mega tight.

It's responsible
for controlling the

sideways, the lateral
movement of the shaft.

If it's loose, or if it comes
loose, the shaft moves out.

The fan then hits the side of the housing

and basically goes bang.

Heat shield on.

New left-handed nut.

And that unit's done.

After getting the unit
balanced, which is essential,

I'm putting the rest of
the turbo back together

using the marks I
scratched earlier as a guide.

That's the turbo rebuild done.

There's no real way of
testing it other than strapping

it to the engine and hitting
the pedal on the right.

Ant, how are you doing?

Hey, really good.

How are we getting on? Look at that.

The engine's out. It's looking good.

Fixed the oil leak and
put a new clutch in it.

Turbo had a bit of
an issue, but rebuilt it.

I reckon we'll be all right.

Oh, yeah. Nice one. Nice one.

Okay, well, listen, I've
been out there on the

Internet and I've found
everything that we need.

So I've got brakes.

Oh, nice. I need brakes.

Got brake pads.

Lovely.

Even found a water reservoir.

For a cozy.

There are parts out there.

It's just that sometimes they're
not always easy to track down.

You found everything?

Every part.

What about that little rubber
gasket that goes under the tail?

Oh, the little rubber gasket that's
impossible to get and nobody can find it.

That one.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, well.

No way.

Yes way.

How good is that?

And that's not all.

I've got something else for you.

Put that down in the boot of the car.

You're going to like this.

Now, come and have a look at this, right?

So I went and found all
those parts that we need,

but whilst I was out
there searching around,

I also discovered these.

Let the electronics do their work.

Ta-da!

Look at that.

Not for our car.

I get it.

And I'm with you.

I love the originality of our car,

but it needs to have kerbside
appeal to make it easier to sell.

And this is the way we're going to do it.

Plus, there is nothing
in the rule book that

says a car can't come
with two sets of wheels.

Yeah, I'm not completely convinced.

Right, let's get them in.

Before I removed the engine, I drained the
oil and I noticed it was dirty and black.

I bet it hasn't been changed in ages.

So what I've done is I've run the car
with new, fresh oil and a new oil filter.

Replacing all that dirty oil with clean
oil will make this engine last longer.

If we're going to clear a profit on
this Cosy, every tiny detail counts.

So my next job is replacing that
hard-to-find gasket on the boot.

The problem is that if a buyer sees that,
it's going to compromise the whole build.

I want to build a car that
both me and Mike are proud of.

Working on this car is a
bucket list item for me and Mike,

and I want it to be as
perfect as it possibly can be.

To make sure I haven't missed anything,
I've asked someone to come and take a look.

And I can only describe
it as automotive royalty.

You see, what does the
following list have in common?

The BMW Mini and the X5, the
Ferrari F430 and the 612 Scagletti,

the Maserati MC12, which is a great car,
plus the Quattroporte and the Gran Turismo,

plus every McLaren since 2008.

And of course, this car,
our Ford Escort Cosworth.

One man had a hand
in designing all of them.

My good friend, Frank Steffensen.

Hey, good to see you.

Good, good.

Thanks for coming.

Oh, wonderful, thanks, man.

I told you we got a Cosworth.

This is unbelievable.

First things first, Ant,
can I do one thing?

Yeah, go for it.

I've got to say hello.

This is the very first car I worked on when
I got out of college and started working.

I went straight to Ford and got thrown
in on the Escort Cosworth program.

Couldn't have a better start in a design
career than working on something like this.

I have to ask you about this, though.

Yes, the most critical part of the car.

I had grandiose dreams of
what the back end should look like

because it could have been
so much better than this.

Oh, better than this?

I've always loved airplanes.

Back in the day, they had the Fokker
DR1, which was the Red Baron's plane.

So I thought if I can take those wings
and put them on the back of this Cosi here,

we're going to be onto
something pretty iconic.

So originally this was three.

This one, the one, and none.

Yeah, we had three wings
on the back of the car.

The middle one here
was the most special one

because that's the one
that really tilted the car,

was different than what
you would normally see.

So why didn't that ever happen?

Beam counters, looking for
ways to cut the price on the car.

So the fact it didn't have a third wing
was basically ruined by an accountant.

It really felt like a loss to
me when that happened.

Wow.

I was so sorry to see that go

because for me it was the whole
character of the back end of the car.

It looked stunning.

It made the car memorable and everything.

So, Frank, the million dollar question,
are you happy with what we've done?

Perhaps.

If I had my druthers, I'd put
third wing on it, as intended.

And if you'd like, I can come over
and show you what we're talking about.

Yes, please.

See that?

So I know that the classic Ford
sector are fanatical about their cars.

If we were to put a third wing
on it, what are they going to say?

They'll look at it and recognize it
as being the good point of design,

the talking point design
feature that got away from them.

It was one of the features that really
would have endeared it that much more.

So there's the third wing.

So if I'm looking at the
picture of the third wing

and the little model you made, it kind
of makes me want to make a third wing.

Great. That's what I wanted to hear.

Really? Because look at the car.

Yeah.

It's got the space for it.
It's crying out for something in the gap.

Absolutely.
I think that would complete the design.

It's going to make our car totally unique.

Yeah, it's done properly.

I think you could turn it into
something extremely desirable.

It completes the car.

I'm going to make a third wing.

We paid a pretty penny for this
unicorn of a rally-inspired Ford,

a 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth.

We've got the car of our dreams.

Mechanically, it's ready to go, but to
make this rare car even more unique,

we've decided to build
a one-off special edition.

I'm going to build a prototype
wing using a standard

Cosworth wing, which I
managed to get off the Internet.

Now, it's going to be
a really messy process

because I'm using
fiberglass and that's toxic.

Plus, I'm going to make lots of
dust so I can't do it at my place.

I need a specialist facility,
and that's why I've come here.

Right, head scratch time.

How do I fit this into that?

I've got to change my
original wing three ways.

Firstly, I need it to go
in by about 10 inches.

I need it to be open and
go out by about 5 inches.

And also, I need to change this
angle here so that it lifts the wing up.

Mark it up.

The first step is cutting the wing in half

so I can size it to fit,

as well as creating a gap in the
middle where it will attach to the car.

Always use a mask and eye
protection when cutting fiberglass.

Now it becomes just one
massive Jigsaw puzzle.

I've got the main section of my wing here.

That's going to sit about there.

This section here is going to
fit somewhere around there.

And then I'm going to use this
to make up the bit in the middle.

It will become kind of a Frankenwing.

Of course, most Jigsaw puzzles come
with the pieces already cut out for you.

That's not the case here.

I've got to cut and recut the
pieces until they all fit together.

I'll hold the two sections
together with a piece of wood.

I can adjust the wing until it's
just right and then lock it in place.

I'll make sure the new
pieces are the proper distance

from the top and the bottom wings
using masking tape to hold it in place.

Lift this side about two millimeters.

It all has to line up so it touches there.

It should spread in the middle.

This gap gets a bit bigger, stays bigger.

Then it should close and touch about here.

Spot on.

Next, it's time to shape the side
supports and connect them to the wing.

I'm using a piece of
wooden dowel to give

the fiberglass extra
support from the inside.

I'm using a fiberglass body filler.

This is used for body
repairs, but big ones.

It's got loads of little chopped
straw strands of fiberglass within it.

All those fibers will bond
all this together, make it rigid.

Good stuff.

The fiberglass dries in just a
few minutes and it's holding nicely.

I'll add more resin to the spots I couldn't
reach when the wing was on the car.

This will smooth everything out.

Once the new layers are dry, I can
begin sanding and smoothing them.

This middle support here
gets in the way of our third wing,

but I'm going to use this actual
shape here to create a mold.

By tracing the shape and using it to
build up fiberglass layers on the wing,

I'll create a custom fit.

This middle gap's really big, so I've
built up underneath with some Bridger

and now I'm going to use this.
It's called CSM, chopped straw mat.

It's basically tiny strands of fiberglass.

Right now when it's
dry it's really fragile,

but when you mix it
with resin and catalyst,

it goes really hard and it's really strong.

This is the moment of truth.

Now it should support
itself, no tape required.

Oh my god, it looks so
much better than I'd imagined.

All right, it needs a little bit of
finishing, some filler across here.

But as a concept, as a
model, I'm speechless.

I can't wait to get it back to the
workshop and see it on the car.

Mike is going to love this.

Ant's not loving these rally wheels,

so I'm getting them powder-coated white
as a nod to this car's rally heritage.

This will make them really
pop to our potential buyer.

Well, there's a man who
always looks like he's busy.

Kelly, how are you, bud?

Good, how are you doing, mate?

Yeah, not bad at all, thank you.

Did you get my wheels?

We got them back from the chemical
stripper and they're ready to sandblast.

We get to work on them right now.

Let's get out there and put you to work.

Lovely.

Sandblasting will lightly
roughen the wheel's

surface to give the powder
something to bond to.

After this process, the wheels
get pre-cooked in an industrial oven.

If you pre-cook the wheels
before you put the powder coat on,

it sort of gets rid of all the
chemicals, years of wheel cleaning,

all that kind of stuff, gets burned out
before you put the final powder coat on.

The wheels are pre-cooked at around


Oh, you can feel the heat,
Kelly, coming off these wheels,

but do we have to wait for them to
cool down or can we just go for it now?

We've got to let it cool down to at
least where we can touch it with our hand.

Otherwise, spray the
powder on there and it's

just going to end up running all
over there just like liquid paint would.

Okay, so wait for them
to cool down and then

we can get them with
the old powder coat.

It's going well.

The wheel's getting
wiped down, then Kelly

dusts them off with a
blast of compressed air.

There you go, lovely.

Powder coating is a finish that
is essentially pulverised plastic.

After curing, the
electrically charged powder

forms a hard skin on
the surface of the wheel.

It looks great and is
more durable than paint.

After the powder is applied, the
wheels have to reach 390 degrees.

They need to go back in the oven for about


Kelly, they look incredible.

They look great.

These wheels are going to
transform the look of that car.

I can't thank you enough and I can't
wait to get them back or give them to Anne.

I think it's going to be over the moon.
Thanks, buddy.

Anytime.

I can see what's going on there.

Forget about that for a second.
These look great.

You like them?

Yeah, who did them?

I did them.

You did them?

Yeah, I can do stuff, you know.

And they look incredible, don't they?

Against the blue of this car,
they're really going to set it off.

And it's a nod to this
car's rally heritage.

I'm very excited about seeing that done.

But I'm more excited about this.

You think the wheels are good?

Check this out.

Oh, look at that.

Seriously, I mean, come on.

That looks fantastic.

Oh, it's great, isn't it?

Did you actually make this?

Yeah, I made it from scratch.

And that's the point, is that's how
the car was designed in the first place.

Do you know what this means?

This means, come sale time,
we're going to make some money.

It's not all about the money, you know.

This is about breaking new ground.

This is about building a world first.

This is about the car.

Yeah, so what does that mean?

Yeah, more money.

It means that we're going
to make more money.

Of course it is.

I can't wait to see it all painted up.

The question is, though, it looks
great, but will it actually work?

What do you mean, scientifically?

Will it create more downforce?

Yeah, well, we've got
three wings on the car.

Will it create, say, a
third more downforce,

or will it actually just
slow the car down?

Well, Frank says it'll work,
but truth is, I don't know.

You know what we need?

A wind tunnel.

We've come all the way
to Utah because Frank has

helped us get into the
only wind tunnel west

of Detroit big enough
to take a full-sized car.

We're using this wind
tunnel to test whether the

third wing will truly improve
the Cosworth's handling.

Air blows over the car at 100
miles an hour, and instruments

measure how much drag
and lift the vehicle generates.

We'll first test the Cosworth without
the wing to establish a baseline.

What we're looking for is a negative
number here, negative lift, or a downforce.

Hopefully, when we
put our third wing on,

that number needs to
be negative, but bigger.

Right, this is it.
This is what it all boils down to.

Lane. Give me some science.

The faster a car drives,
the more lift it creates, which

leads to the vehicle becoming
unstable at high speed.

A spoiler creates downforce, reversing
the effect and stabilizing the car.

More downforce means more grip.
More grip means faster cornering.

Right, so what is the number then?

So we've got an average of 69 pounds of
downforce on the rear at 100 miles an hour.

Right, so let's test one.
At 100 miles an hour,

the vehicle is generating


So, if we go and put
our middle wing on, our

third wing, if it's minus


That's good.

Cool this door.

Right, we're just going to stick it on.

We start placing our prototype
third wing using double-sided tape.

Okay, now push that side down.

Yep.

We're still in the testing
phase, so we don't want to screw

the wing onto the car until
we know it's a positive addition.

Okay, there.
Yeah, that's not going anywhere.

Now, the moment of truth.

We're about to find out if
this model third wing is just

for aesthetics or if it actually
increases performance.

The wings hold in.
At least our tape works hold in.

So we've got another


Alright, calm down. Calm down.
Let's get the facts and figures.

At 100 miles an hour, we are
generating 94 pounds of downforce.

Right, so we've now got 25 pounds
worth more downforce on the rear.

So it not only means that the wing actually
looks better, but it also performs better.

It actually works. It works.

When Frank Steffensen
had the idea of the third

wing all those years ago,
it was the correct idea.

It should have been followed through.

Right, could you get
one painted up, stick it on

there properly, make it
look nice, please? Fantastic.

And let's get this car sold.

The Ford Escort RS Cosworth was the dream
car of every 90s bother boy in the UK.

But it's as rare as hen's
teeth here in America.

Zero to 60 in under six seconds,
with a top speed of 140 miles an hour.

Because he had independent
suspension, rally-bred four-wheel

drive and a snarling turbo
two-litre under the bonnet.

But who can look at
anything but that third wing?

At £23,000 or $30,000, this car was
pricey, plus it needed a tonne of work.

It has got an oil leak. The fizz is flat.

Ant dropped the motor to fix the oil leak.

There's the bucket list checked.

Replaced the clutch and
rebuilt the exhausted turbo.

Ta-da! Look at that!

I sourced a set of proper
rally wheels and powder-coated

them white to boost the
Cos's curbside appeal.

Hey, good to see you.

Ant consulted with one of the
vehicle's designers, Frank Steffensen,

and built the Cos's third wing,
the way it was originally imagined.

The wing actually looks
better, but it also performs better.

It wasn't easy and it
certainly wasn't cheap, but

working on a Cosy was a
dream come true for Ant and me.

The question now is, can
we get our money back?

We paid around £23,000
or $30,000 for the car.

Repairing the oil leak set us back $200.

New clutch, cat, brakes and other
replacement parts added up to $540.

Rebuilding and balancing the turbo, $275.

The rare four-lug rally wheels,
tyres and powder coating was $1,650.

The third wing went
from prototype to finished

product and it cost
a whopping $5,000.

That adds up to a total
of $37,665 or £28,500.

Plus, 53 man-hours? Not bad.

Somewhere out there is
a nostalgic boy racer who's

going to be as thrilled
with this car as we are.

But before we sell it on,
we need to take it out on the

road to see what this
one-of-a-kind Cosy can really do.

Say something.

Come on, say something.

Just lift my jaw off the floor.

The real triumph has to be this third wing.

How was that never
there in the first place?

I think Frank was right.

He was more than right.
Just look at it. It's epic.

Take that bit out and it just
leaves this massive hole.

I just love it, Ant. I just love it.

I mean, this is the most unique
special RS I've ever seen in my life.

It's just so glorious to look at.

You think it looks good?
Wait till you drive it.

Come on, Ant. What does it feel like?

This car is just
unbelievable, Ant. It's just

snatching through the
gears into the bends.

You know the Fizz?
The Fizz that I said was missing?

It's back.

The Fizz is so back, Ant.

What have you done to this
car to make you drive like this?

I sorted the engine problem out.
Oil leak fixed. It's now oil tight.

New gaskets gave the engine a once over.
While it was out, rebuilt the turbo.

You can really feel it
because when you put your

foot down there, it just
gulps in oodles of air.

You can feel this car.
You see the bar pressure going up?

I'm only at 5,000 rpm.
There's still another 2,000 to go.

So come on, how much
is it going to be worth?

Well, I can tell you, I
think the sky's the limit.

The market for this car is strong.

Fast forwards are going
up in price all the time,

and I reckon that I could
push this to $50,000.

That's over 40,000 pounds. Seems
like a lot of money for an Escort Cosworth.

But I reckon in 10 years time, this car's
going to be worth 100 grand. I really do.

Who's our buyer?

Listen, you've done
your job. Now let me do

my job. Watch and learn,
son. Watch and learn.

When you've got a one-off, unique
car, it's kind of easy to sell. You just

advertise it out there online and
wait for the phone to start ringing.

But in this case, I didn't
need to advertise the

car. I could have made
one of two phone calls.

One would have been to Frank Steffensen,
one of the originators of this car.

I know he would love to put
this Cosworth in his collection.

But the real obvious phone
call was to this guy behind me.

He may recognize him. It's the
guy I bought the car off. It's Emile.

I know he regretted selling this
car the moment it left these hands.

I just hope he likes what we've done to it.

So Emile, come on in. Put me out
of my misery. What do you think of it?

It is amazing. It looks beautiful.
The rear wing is unbelievable.

It's so good you said that.
It's meant to be there.

That third wing adds 35% more
downforce to the rear of the car.

Wow.

And because it's there,
it also adds another


to the front of the car.

So this car now performs really
well on the road. It's really grippy.

And it just happens to look amazing too.
Do you like the wheels?

The wheels are absolutely beautiful.
I love the fact that they're in white.

It's a nod to this car's rally heritage.
They look absolutely incredible on the car.

But we do realize a lot of
people might not like the

fact that we've taken
away some of the originality.

The good news is I've
kept the original wheels.

So this car does come
with two sets of wheels.

And we've also tackled every problem
that you had with the car originally.

The car used to drip oil. It will no
longer do that. We've rebuilt the turbo.

And we even put a new
catalytic converter in the car.

So no longer does it smell like you've
left an egg sandwich in the glove box.

I'm amazed. You've created a brand new car.

Well, that's all we can hope to achieve.

So now it comes down to sale price.
This is an easy car for me to sell.

I can probably demand a
price, well, name my price,

really, because it's so
unique. It's a one-off.

And I know the future
of this car and where it's

going. This car is on the
ascent in terms of its value.

But we're not about that.
We really want to be fair.

So I think this car is worth
one price, one shot deal,

and it's worth $50,000.
Do you want to buy it back?

I appreciate the phone call and
absolutely I'll take it. You've got a deal.

Emil, well done.
I'm really excited to say this.

The only third wing Escort
RS Cosworth that looks

like this in the whole
world. Congratulations.

Thank you so much.

I don't think I've ever
wanted to own a car more

desperately than I want this
Escort Cosworth right now.

Come on. Just look at it. It's incredible.

Both me and Anne have loved
having this car through the workshop.

And it was the right decision
to do to sell it back to Emil

because I know he's going to
enjoy this car forever and a day.

If you want to see more iconic
cars like this being turned around

in our workshop, then join me
and Anne soon on Wheeler Dealers.

Ta-la.