Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics

The team get creative with a 1996 Fiat 126 and then run their own consumer test on a 2004 Bentley Continental GT.

The team seek out a sturdy, reliable 4x4 to tackle the rugged Yorkshire landscape, but get side-tracked into a slightly rusty Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000.

This week tells the tale of the two Mercs, but what will the moral of the story be? Plus, the team get stuck into a moddable favourite - a 2006 Ford Fiesta ST.

The team are drawn by the curves of a stunning 1999 Morgan with an incredible 4.6 V8 engine, but things aren't as good as they seem when they get to the garage.

The team buy a confusing 1984 French Matra Murena and send it to Citroen specialists. Next, they take on a Bond classic - no, not that one - a 1977 Arctic Wetbike!

The team take on one of Derek's favourites - an Austin A35 - but its age ensures some hefty bills. Their second project is a quick flip - a 1999 BMW Z3.

Derek points the team towards one of his favourite motors - a 1983 Daimler Double Six. And a Triumph 2000 is given a modern day makeover under the bonnet.

The team send their Paul Smith Mini in for a bit of designer tailoring by the team at Mini Sport.

A Peugeot 205 GTI brings back happy B-road memories for a mechanic who owned one.

The team head for restoration in their Bedford Rascal Campervan.

A low-mileage Renault Dauphine proves irresistible to the team, but its 1959 mechanics ensure some hefty bills.

The team, including Andy Joynson, buy the right kind of Land Rover, but it's got the wrong engine. Can they clean up its emissions with a modern motor?

The team shock Derek when they buy one of his favourite Austin commercials and convert it to electric, the green wheels keep turning as they snap up a super-rare 50's American beach bike. 

Can the team finally smell profit when they sniff out a bargain Porsche? A DIY job on a Fiat should also keep the accountant happy but will it go to plan? 

Rewind the clocks to 2021 where ‘Restoring Classics' first began! The team's first purchase, a 1972 VW Fastback, gives them a three-year-long lesson in what not to buy. The second project sees them pick up a 40-year-old police bike - guilty as charged for buying yet another non-starter. 

The team cannot believe their luck when a Volvo 144 rolls in with just 15,000 miles on the clock.

The team fall for a Subaru Pick-up, which has all the Mathewsons in agreement. But will it all come crashing down when picking up parts proves tricky?

A 1973 Ford Escort Mexico is the team's most expensive purchase to date. To save some cash Derek helps on their second buy - a 1968 Riley Kestrel.

The team are feeling a little ‘oo-la-la' when they splash out on a European design classic: the 1971 Citroen DS21; the curved edges, sofa-like seats and hydropneumatic suspension were too much to resist. Specialists Rad and Paul from Pallas Autos carefully restore it and try to stick to a strict budget -though finding a fire hazard in the wiring loom was not on their wish list. For the second project they stay a little closer to home when Paul Mathewson says ‘everyone should own one in their lifetime' - a little grey Ferguson tractor. It's taken just 5 miles up the road for local Rob to work his magic. But will they harvest a profit? 

Derek picks out a super low mileage MGC and the team pays perhaps a little too much to secure it. The ‘one owner from new-5000 miles on the clock-MGC Roadster' is this week's star buy. Derek tells the team to ‘keep it original'! It's taken down to the fanatics at the MG Owners' Club workshop to be loved back to life. The team's second restoration project sees them trying to tap into the modern classic markets - is a 2001 Fiat Seicento Sporting going to impress today's 20-somethings? The purchase is a sunshine yellow 2001 Fiat Seicento Sporting. Unfortunately, the car boasts several different shades of yellow but could an ebay search secure a bargain solution? 

This could be the cheapest pair of restorations the Restoring Classics team have done so far! A three-wheeler Reliant Robin is sent to father and son specialists Melvyn and Adam. And a second project takes them back to the world of steam when they pick up a Mamod Roller for only a couple of hundred pounds. What's the worst that can happen? Well, other than setting the worktop bench alight? 

The team come down with a dose of auction fever and end up coughing up way too much for a Harley Davidison 42WLA. Not knowing quite what they've bought, it's taken to Zenith Motorcycles in North London for Karen and her team to uncover oily serial numbers and a rich wartime history.They also go full throttle 90s with the ultimate rep mobile, a Vauxhall Cavalier Classic. The team at Classic Car Workshop describe it as the best car that's actually driven into their garage. But will a lick of paint and some light mechanics turn them a profit.

This week's instalment of Restoring Classics is a battle of the cuties. The first pick is a 1991 Nissan Figaro. Despite the 90s Japanese engineering, British rust means routine work ends in hours of labour …and about the same duration in swearing. To give the mechanics a breather, the team snap up something with no engine …an Austin J40 pedal car. But which restoration will turn a profit (lose the least) when they head to the hammer. 

The team take on one of their most ambitious projects to date - a 1963 Lotus Elan Series 1. Their second project - a 90's BMW 3 series.

The team fly the flag for King and country with one of their most luxurious purchases to date - a 1981 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit. A classy car deserves a classy restorer so it was cosseted down to Buckinghamshire and placed into the delicate hands of the Hiller Hill team.The team also opt for one of the cheapest modes of transportation, a Honda C70. This one comes with a rare registration plate – will it make them some extra cash when it comes to auction?

The team reckon they can smell profit by choosing one of the simplest cars ever built, the VW Beetle. A 1976 left hand drive convertible Karman in green proved irresistible. Everything was all going swimmingly… until mechanics looked underneath the car. The second project is a1932 Royal Enfield Cycar, which hadn't left the garage for circa 50 years. Does two wheels mean half the hassle but twice the profit? Of course not!

This week the team opt to buy one of the most affordable sports cars on the road - the Mazda MX-5. But when they arrive at the self proclaimed 'Mazdadudes' the excitement was quickly deflated as it seems they've bought the rustiest mark, in the wrong colour.The team's second project takes them over the North Sea to the National Military Museum in the Netherlands. A ex-military 1985 Moto Guzzi V50 is given a facelift by father and son team Adrian and Bob Dawson.

This week the team pay over the odds for a VW Campervan, but can they hope to break even when they turn out a lovely bus for auction. And a super low mileage Audi TT breaks them into the world of modern classics.

A1969 Morris Mini Cooper MkII is totally restored by mini specialists Mini Sport. They give it the full works, which means only one thing...any chance of profit heads towards an open window.The second project attempts to keen the books balanced as the team set out on a 2005 MGTF. Once passed their initial shock when we arrived in the car, the team at Mazdadudes set to work on making it a lovely example.

The Restoring Classics team set out on a Pre-War challenge with a 1939 three-wheeled Morgan F4. Problems arise when it comes to getting it onto a ramp... but aptly named Russ Storer from MG Mecca is still keen to take it on.To make things a little easier the second project has even fewer wheels and no engine - it's a Raleigh Super Grifter. Derek thinks they've had a tough time of late, so offers to do the restoration work himself. Surely not for free?

This week, a super rare Reliant Scimitar GTC undergoes an expert recommission, leaving no bolt unturned. And a Honda CBR superbike from the 80s is in need of repair. For more information, please email Dave.Barnsby@uktv.co.uk

This week the Restoring Classics team are on the hunt to restore one of the greatest names in motoring history – the Bugatti. But with a strict budget they settle for a replica - and enter it into a beach race prior to auction… what could possibly go wrong?Derek disapproves of a Corsair Pedal Plane. Will the budget take a nosedive when it lands at the restorers? Plus, a 30-tonne Volvo 'love truck' is part way through a total restoration.

The Restoring Classics team take on a modern day fast Ford to see if a 'quick flip' could make a few quid, fall in love with what was called 'the ugliest motorcycle ever made' and revisit a 3 year MG restoration project that's still not finished.

This week, a 90s Alfa with electrical issues lives up to its stereotype and the team revisit a road roller, four years on. They also tackle a French motoring icon – the 2CV6 Dolly.

The Restoring Classics team take Derek's advice when he sniffs out the rarest car they've ever taken on - the last remaining Hillman GT.

The team lift the shutters on their biggest restoration to date in the shape of a Series 1 Land Rover. But does that mean record profit or history making loss?

Derek Mathewson reckons it was a period of British car manufacturing that many would think best forgotten but the Restoring Classics team pays tribute to mid-80s-Midlands by breathing new life into what was once the fastest production MG ever made - the Montego Turbo.Attracted by the car's blistering 0-60 of just over 7 seconds, the team fail to pay enough attention to the blistering coachwork, ignore most of the advice and spend big.Meanwhile, the auction budget also lands some classic memorabilia in the form of a Shellmex globe that used to sit atop of petrol pumps. An artistic route is taken, but will Derek appreciate it? There's also catch up with a Cumbrian scout bus from the 1970s stirring up happy memories from the original Sixers who are now in their sixties.

The team break with tradition and actually follow Dave Mathewson's advice on what to restore - he points to a 1992 Vauxhall Nova Merit Plus!

The team restore a 1988 Golf GTI Convertible - an iconic hot hatch - along with a wooden launch boat and catch-up on a Mk1 Austin Mini.

A super-rare Renault Clio Williams 2 in F1 blue with contrasting gold alloys has turned Dave Mathewson an interesting shade of green.

The team snap up a slightly saggy 1970s Saab 96, but despite a stunning restoration, could it result in a record financial loss when it goes to auction?

One of the longest restoration projects to date finally goes under the hammer. A Series 1 Land Rover that Dave says, "looks like someone has shot it with a 12 bore. Repeatedly." It is well past its best-before date, but the _Restoring Classics team couldn't see it go to waste and spend tens of thousands making it perfect... well, almost. After a frank discussion with the accountant, the team also opt for a more budget-friendly purchase and take on two Moulton Deluxe bicycles which were an engineering revolution in the 60s. Plus there's a catch up with the 18-year-old who bought a 1960's MGBGT to see how his three-year-long restoration has been progressing.

A sun-bleached red Vauxhall Astra GTE gives the team a headache. They also buy a classic French moped and catch up the restoration of a barn find Mini Cooper S that looked like it was heading for the crusher.

The team gamble on restoring a Vanden Plas saloon from the 1970s. But will it cost them dearly? Also restored is a child's tricycle from the '60s and catch up on a sensational restoration of a rare Sunbeam Lotus.

Despite not knowing much about restoring bikes, Derek encourages the team to buy a Francis Barnett Plover at auction.Thankfully they hand it over to two blokes in a shed who do know what they're doing. Plus, the wheels come off the restoration of an MG Metro and the emotional restoration of an MGSA.

Derek thinks a 29,000-mile Ford Capri should be kept original. That proves easier said than done for the restoration team. Plus, a Hercules women's racing bike from the '50s and a Triumph TR7 is turned into a rally-winning supercar.

Derek picks out a solid-looking 1969 MGB for the team to look out for at auction. After winning it is sent to a father-and-son team to restore.

Dave draws the team's attention to a 1979 Lotus Esprit S3. It's an expensive buy and a serious risk, but it's also a thoroughbred classic in need of a proper recommission. Will it pay off when the car is reauctioned?