Presenter Tim Shaw, (above left familiar from Fifth Gear) teams up with mechanic/musician Fuzz Townshend, (above right, The Wonder Stuff, The Beat and Pop Will Eat Itself, Practical Classics). Together they retrieve, renovate and re-unite charismatic cars with their owners in an entertaining and emotional new TV show.
The formula is to find a cherished car that has seen better days, add an owner in need a of a helping hand, then secretly whisk the wheels away to a well-equipped workshop, work on it for 3 weeks, then return to the surprise and delight of the unsuspecting owner.
The Fiat Fiasco: Thursday 7 February at 8.00pm
When his wife’s tragic death was followed by a near-fatal car accident, which broke his back, former mechanic Jeremy, from Dunstable, was left in great emotional and physical pain – and unable to restore his rare sky-blue FIAT 850 Spider (above). Nominated by his girlfriend Debs, Fuzz and Tim are called in to end Jeremy’s run of bad luck and give his pride and joy the makeover it deserves. It should be fairly straightforward but spares are rare and hard to find.
Phoenix Jeep on Thursday 14 February at 8.00pm
After surviving active service in the Second World War, 84-year-old Dick Masters’ beloved Ford MB Army Jeep has been on permanent sick leave since it was all but destroyed in an arson attack six years ago. Dick loved his Jeep so much that during the fire he tried to save his Jeep instead of his house and had to be physically restrained by firemen. Claiming they need it for a film prop, Fuzz and Tim retrieve the Jeep from under Dick’s nose and embark on a rapid-fire renovation.
I wish I could see this show. Maybe it’s because I’m a sap, or maybe it’s because I’m familiar with the attachment to an old reliable car that I can only hope to bring back to its golden days, but I really want to see what those owners’ faces look like when the restored vehicle is finally revealed.
ReplyDeleteStelle Courney