Ant Anstead Born Mechanic S01E05 Alfasud A Rare Revival

[@paulwatts1704]

My first car was a 73 Vauxhall Viva - lasted 2 yrs until I wrote it off ... I replaced it with a 100k mile 1979 Alfasud 1.3 4 door - in orange with rust - it was a total revelation in terms of ride / handling / steering and smooth raspy engine - It lasted a year or so until the oil fell out of the rack and the steering rack and seized whilst being blasted around the Lake District.. Replaced that with a lime green Alfasud Sprint 1.5 - amazingly 100% rust free but needed a new gearbox salvaged from a scrap Sud (lots of those around at the time). Sold it after 6 months as fuel costs well beyond my student grant. Interestingly at the time (1980s) the insurance cost was no different to the Viva. The Sprint was then replaced by a 1980 1.5 Sud - looks were a bit spoiled by plastic trim but still a great car. You needed to work around the fact that an engine oil leak contaminated the inboard front discs but that didn't seem a major issue back then.. Alas, a corporate job forced me in to the whole set of Vaxhauls of the 90's and 00's - from Astra through to Omega's. Horrid all of them. Only my Alpine 110 of today is the closest to the delicacy and sophistication of the Sud and may one day try to find an early Sud Ti if I can..

[@davidpitt4320]

I absolutely love this programme. Great mix of interest in different restorations.

[@tonysangwine-gould4733]

I had a 1.5 Ti Sud back in the 80's and it was the first of many Alfas over the years. I loved the Sud with that lovely engine.

[@trickyfocus]

You make the Bangers & Cash team look good

[@dolf1010]

In Germany we've got half timbered houses too. Many owners had painted and covered the outside , that was a big mistake. The plaster was in medeval times out of clay . The clay have to breath .

[@paulscott1105]

I owned a red 1.3 alfasud in 1987 every time I drove it it put a smile on my face, the handling was great, my mate Ian had an older model alfasud with from memory a 1.2 ? his was an off yellow , sadly mine ended up at the scrapyard due to horrendous rot around the suspension strut tops

[@r2drone227]

Belts, oil, filter? Before turning over for the first time on the starter motor. Surely?

[@JohnClark-e2q]

There’s a company in the UK that can remanufacture just about any needed windscreen! Saw them on a Wheeler Dealer episode 😀

[@roymcgavigan5018]

Take a leaf out of Mike Brewer's book.Don't take the cars to an auction (too risky esp.with no reserve) but advertise them on-line.

[@leonardosimm3536]

...like his programmes reflect the reality of car restoration and trading...it's all staged just for entertainment.

[@taurota1554]

Thanks for sharing and taking us along.

[@toeboe106]

My Mum had a Alfasud and you would not believe the roadhandling. It stuck to the road like, as Robin Williams would say, "shit on velcro!" Great exhaust note too.

[@SpacedOdyssey]

Like shit to a blanket

[@Rabx_4]

Great vid. I had a 1980 Alfasud 1.5 Ti in the same colour, but with the double round headlights. Awesome car to drive, fun handling, solid gearbox and a tasty exhaust sound. Sadly bits started falling off - it rusted away under the windscreen (I remember a wiper jet just falling off when driving on the motorway), so I ended up selling it for what I could get it as repairs were too costly. Then again it only cost me 750 quid in the first place.

[@guypolaster5100]

Ant this is better than weeler dealers you are the best

[@taxus750]

I've driven two Alfasuds: the first was an old (at that time) 1977 1.2Ti (rust included). There were three of us on board plus luggage, I did a 6 hour stint in it at night with all four headlamps on full beam (still couldn't see the road very well) and still liked driving it. In daylight, I bloody loved it. The second was a later secondhand 1.5Ti Cloverleaf I took for a test drive or two: I loved it but as my missus and me lived in a flat on the coast with no garage... Wonderful things, Alfasuds.

[@robblack7560]

LOVING the series Ant, don't worry about he profit, you've saved another car.

[@themaskedarchivist6221]

My mother had one of these. It was the Green Cloverleaf edition, reg XAP63S. Lovely little car

[@madmike6942]

that house is a black hole for money even after he fixes it...the car on the other hand...gorgeous masterpiece on 4 wheels

[@meanredspider]

Great cars. I had the 4-door too in 1.5. The engine was so smooth at idle, most people thought it had stopped running. Got written off when some idiot shot a red light and hit me right by the front wheel. A rear shame as it was a really nice car.

[@TheRobinj13]

Love the workshop with no roof!! 😳

[@rhiantaylor3446]

I had some fun replacing bent valves on a 1979 Sud, managing to re-start it with one bank's cam set 180 degrees out - didn't run well but soon enough fixed.

[@danmurphy5889]

Thanks for uploading

[@stephenparrott3377]

I had a rebuilt Ti 1498cc 1978 reg AJA 172 T apparently it is still alive. Red. a wonderful drive. Wonder where it is now. swapped it for a VW polo hatchback. It was rebuilt by George Page of Carcoon fame, the man is a perfectionist.

[@ChRiS00107]

Ant lost lots of money on every single auction in the last episodes so the logical thing to do is to keep selling them at a loss in auctions... good job mate!

[@julianlord2697]

Good point. Also it shows if you hang around at an auction you can buy an Ant for a lot less than doing it yourself.

[@dcallan812]

The TV fee will be paying for the house, Ant faffing about with the cars is a means to an end. . But still worth watching.

[@robmoore9501]

Remember he’s not factoring in the auctioneers fee either 😢poor ant

[@petersmith7126]

And folk talk about Mike Brewer being clueless....

[@scottstacey1408]

The blokes an idiot, he had a really tidy series 3 land rover and rubbed half the paint off to give it a 'patina' then put it in the auction, could have got twice the price if he'd left it as it was.

[@ianalderton6683]

same as my first car- I hope you have more success than I did . . . . after watching the film- you are miles better off already : ))

[@mohamedshahabdeen6091]

Ant, Love your programme well presented

[@burleigh604]

Taking it back to the barn it probally rusted through on the Journey lolol🤣

[@hendrikkluever4108]

That Alfasud should have fetched way way more. a Real absolute disappointment for a car so rare.

[@george-1961]

Jeez 😮 I would of bought that 😢

[@fransjanssen2198]

That back wheel arch on the left was rotted out and suddenly it isn't. How strange is that?

[@basstor1]

At 5:53? Must be some kind of divine intervention

[@petravanijzendoorn7431]

Love dis program

[@williamfreret6859]

After seing 5 episodes the best part of this show is by far the restoration of the farm...

[@elvispresley3340]

What a shame it only went for 5.0K. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA

[@bobscu]

Terrific car...

[@taxus750]

Ant: it's a 70s car, not an 80s car

[@tomazroses6022]

Why is he still going on auctions. He is losing about 20k over 5 cars. Cmoon man. WTF 🤦‍♂️

[@GerBourke]

Young man in 100 years nobody will care we're not even guarantee that the planet be here in 100 years🤣🤣

[@DaveJudd]

He paid all its money but well done Ant for saving it.

[@dirkklinkenberg8912]

One Alfa Sud in very very good state saved, despite the fact that they had the reputation of already rusting in the brochure.....

[@julianlord2697]

The Lucas coil showed the issue, failed before. A Magneti Marelli was needed.

[@katywalker8322]

Couldn't see the dizzy clearly enough, but a Bosch alternator. So possibly a Bosch ignition system (none of the 'suds or 33s we have had used the Magneti Marelli ignition)

[@iHelpSolveIt]

😂😂nope a Bosch.

[@70monkey]

Auction again, come on

[@iHelpSolveIt]

Im surprised you didn't replace that 40 year old cambelt. If it lasts any longer ill be very surprised as that rubber is likely shredding due to age already.

[@brianobrien9413]

The Alfasud had two cambelts one for each bank of the boxer engine ,the very early models did not even have a cover on the cambelts and the tensioners had a habit of seizing due to road salt as they were low to the front of the engine resulting in belt failure . l

[@realLsf]

Wow, an Alfasud with hardly any rust. They’re rarer than hens teeth. I’m surprised it only made 5k. When you look at the price of mk1 golfs & Ford escorts???

[@99gibby99]

41 mark or so.. what is the light blue car in shot behind the sud?

[@GerBourke]

So Duncan is going to do the work for just coffee I don't think so,🤣🤣🤣🤣 and the whole lot of money

[@BestKiteboardingOfficial]

With sellers fees at 15-20% he took a bath on that

[@petravanijzendoorn7431]

Alfa rost always

[@Jim-nm1en]

I always knew these as "Awful Sods" back in the 1980's . Didn't have one myself but a friend did and he always complained that it spent more time in the garage than it did on the road.

[@maxed001]

I owned two of them (TI) and never had a problem. But nice that you have heard from a friend the opposite.

[@willmac4242]

My first car 1988 Red 1977 model exterior was in great shape, engine not so!! Cost me 500 quid and lasted 3 months sold it to a scrapyard for 30 quid and bought a pair of jeans with it, insurance was 700 quid 3rd party fire and theft only! How prices have changed, Loved it for 3 months though

[@mullermuller857]

Why didn't you change the Ant timing belts? If they break, the damage will be huge.

[@anivarhain]

This is one beautiful car how the heck can It be rust free in Sweden this car would bring easy over 15000£ easy maby even more

[@mickywalters7439]

Probably wouldn't have made less if entered as an untouched barn find.

[@petitmignon9165]

Why didn’t you import a windshield from Italy?

[@waynec8894]

This is where I would stop doing any work as some one all ready did it got away with it now I been here years a go on a job when they come along tell you what you can do what you can not do me I let it full down

[@julianlord2697]

Alfasud was great in the day, they could be had for 50 quid near end of life. That is what Inpaid for one with a broken handbrake cable, lasted 6 months.

[@garywoodcock8020]

Use MEK to wash the old petrol/ gum out .

[@Greg-k4j]

Not sure about this programme, a bit of this, a bit of that, been hunting for a project alfasud here in oz for a few years now....

[@phillipbaker2237]

Cracked windscreen MOT failure...if you guys can't get one who can. No profit at all with the auction fees

[@garychilds1130]

Get it running and sale it

[@hectormajorana7105]

Elle est magnifique❤

[@Metal05]

Takes the lotus in a different episode to Millbrook for filming and trys to tell everyone, “I’ll text you my location and you can pick me up after the breakdown happened”. Just tell us you went to Millbrook, it doesn’t matter. Then sells the car for a near £9k loss, and doesn’t put a reserve on the auction, sounds like you’ve been around Mike Brewer too often. But at least it’s gone to a good home, but what about the guys wages who helped you?

[@BJHolloway1]

30+ years tyres? Or were they renewed?

[@bobstacey9311]

They looked new in the old garage, 30+ year old tyres would not be properly inflated with no side wall rot, good tv, but very staged

[@85active]

Flipping Bangers has the same thing. Always lucky to find an old wreck with a brand new looking set of tyres. Still think Ant is good though. He’s just playing the TV game. You couldn’t make a living restoring these cars if you paid yourself a wage. They a TV presenters, that’s their job and he’s good at it!

[@bobstacey9311]

@@85active Thirty year old fuel will have gunked up all the jets in the carb, yet a blow over the outside with dry ice & started up with a just glug of fresh petrol down the barrels, another stroke of luck, real life would have needed full sripdown & an hour or two in an ultrasonic bath

[@katywalker8322]

@@bobstacey9311 , you would be surprised, depending on how it has been stored. I know of a 1968 Mini Cooper restored 40 years ago and fitted with new tyres then - and the tyres still look fine from the outside with no rot and holding air. I wouldn't want to drive on them though!

[@nickw7041]

This show could be so much better. Seriously, he did no mechanical work at all. Did he not even change the fluids? Or shocks? Or filters? Or flush the fuel tank? Or fog the cylinders before turning over? Take a leaf out of M539 Restorations on KZbin if you want to see how to recommission a car that’s been stored (and make it riveting for car enthusiasts). This was just frustrating if you’re there for the car content.

[@iHelpSolveIt]

Agreed. No oil change, filter? Fuel tank needed to be drained, cleaned and sprayed. That rust is going to romp all over that body now its on salted roads😅 And a waste of money using dry ice, a £5 cannof carb cleaner and another £3 can or two of brake cleaner would have been just fine. 😂😂😂

[@lezbarker2673]

I think as he pulled off the front and back suspension they did an oil change and all the servicing and as that’s seen on every car channel we know how to service a car. Well I can as my car is 60 years old next year my daily driver is a 1965 Chrysler Valiant AP6 made in Australia 🇦🇺 like me. You can’t touch new cars one they are under warranty and 2 there’s so much plastic and useless crap it’s a nightmare

[@ingmarlangerak8973]

You pick the wrong cars mate!

[@jjmac3561]

Even picking a hens tooth Alfa with no rust it's not the cars so much as the lack of critical thinking and a limited skill set.

[@rwest1818]

reality tv comes to the UK Oh dear, it could be so much better

[@leotorre310]

Hola existe la posibilidad de traducir los episodios a español???? Saludos desde argentina

[@petitmignon9165]

Hola. Sí, es posible en los subtítulos de KZbin

[@jaypotter32]

Stop selling at auctions Ant you can do so much better than that ! Love the show I had a alfasud as my first car and would have bought that !!

[@Bet.13]

Hows mike brewer🤑, ant you are the best peorson to know about EVER SINGLE CAR ON THE PLANET YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERY CAR, BUT ALSO YOU ABOUT GUNS IN AMERICA ,LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR BOOK 🤑

[@TERRYB0688]

It’s seems nowadays all these programs have to inject extra tension into every situation

[@Caitlinsculpts]

They really need to go to a different car auction...that one is awful

[@DavidDatura]

Ant’s back in the UK? I thought he emigrated to the States during his run on Wheeler Dealers. I knew he divorced his blonde bombshell TV presenter ex-wife. Still, I assumed he remained in Cali (and started dating Renée Zellweger apparently, lucky bloke) Maybe he’s only back in the UK for this series or his Hollywood life is over? This is basically Wheeler Dealers without Mike and a house restoration put into the mix. Not sure it works to be honest. I’ll have to watch a couple more episodes to make up my mind 🤷‍♂️

[@yachty1949]

I had an Alfa sud Ti car lovely to drive until the body rusted out and the back window blew out driving down Telegraph Hill in Devon with a sheep on the back seat, all true. No rude comments please.

[@christophe8549]

C’est le mécano de Mike Brauer ?

[@petitmignon9165]

yes

[@hanshoogendyk2203]

The problem with English car auctions is that they are populated by cheap skates car flippers , no real interest from genuine enthusiasts , but like they say you can lead a horse to water , etc etc ,but am disappointed that Antz keep ignoring good advice

[@Adam-ox6zy]

An auction house is only as good as the potential buyers it can get in, and if they are lazy and have not given the right buyers the heads up then they are not much better than a used car yard, maybe not even that good. They should be curating their buyers all the time, like making sure this got in front of Alpha collectors. They obviously didn’t. That was a minter!! The work they do at the auction should just be the finishing touch, all the work should be done before the sale day, otherwise the fee is for what??

[@samsteele1786]

Loveing the show, but for christ sake Ant stop selling the cars at auction. You've made the most money doing a private sale. Its not worth the risk of losing your arse at an auction.

[@Ламздорф]

Кристина, сын Лондон.

[@Snafu-mk1ey]

I did my apprenticeship on alfas brilliant cars. Bad body work

[@georges9402]

I have owned one great car when running they have a habit of turning on you I have seen many owners of these cars obviously young looking but sporting white hair

[@paulcollins8635]

I wouldn't try starting an enginge with a 3o year old cam belt!!!!! I thought he was a master mechanic???

[@stuartc6811]

Not going to well Ant

[@andrewbaker7548]

Should never have gone to auction

[@razzo8525]

Ant why did,nt the auctioneer speel it up a bit like a rare site low miles amazing condition etc: i don,t think , people new what they where missing out on , like Senna owning one, rust free , I rate maybe £7,000 was doable as it looked a very busy venue, what a waste, oh, what a waste, love the fact you get paid three times , No 1 doing what you love ,passionately ,lol have fun m8., Razzo

[@jjefferyworboys8138]

Don't give up your day job.

[@anivarhain]

Damn his luck whit cars are not good

[@terryjacob8169]

This series is a disaster. I don't think I've seen Ant make a profit yet.

[@alexanderstefanov6474]

Breaking even at an auction means getting what you've got into the car plus auction fees. So you lost money 3 times. What kind of ridiculous business model is that? Of course we know the show would pay for three of those houses.

[@SpacedOdyssey]

£5,000 at auction is rubbish, I would have paid you or for it. And it 2025 it would deffo make more

[@george-1961]

I can’t believe with Ant s knowledge of cars is losing money on cars. Obviously Auctions are not the ideal place and why no reserves on the cars.

[@golfr604]

Should have stopped in california

[@Tootler]

Dude maybe this is not the right game for you 😂

[@robinkwarnmark3787]

I really wanted to like this but I can't even watch past the part where he starts the car. This is an insult to car people.

[@Coordinator61]

You do not pay 4500 pounds for a Alfasud. These things do not have any value.

[@jjmac3561]

"I'll be honest I have no idea what's going on." says it all. Should have got a surveyer on that old house before buying it. After watching 2 episodes I'm cringing already at how much you are losing trying to work on cars.

[@patrickrooney5130]

You are having a lot of bad luck mate. Would you be better of going private.

[@shazadbukhari7291]

What a clown, why go auction? List it privately

[@russpayne6808]

I'm giving up on this channel - sloppy editing. The car was original but scabby, with patches of corrosion and rough bodywork. Miraculously, all that gets tidied up between scenes and there's no way that car was restored for under a grand. I prefer the house project......ciao.

[@sotkajarvi]

It was the cheap Russian steel that was the main cause for the corrosion.

[@taxus750]

It wasn't (you're thinking of the story about various Fiats). The factory just didn't finish the cars properly, let alone give a thought about rust-proofing.

[@sotkajarvi]

@taxus750 Alfa used the cheap Russian steel which was a part of a deal between Italy and Russia, so no, I'm not thinking about the story about various Fiat's. Obviously there were issues with rust proofing etc but it all started off with the cheap Russian steel.

[@taxus750]

@@sotkajarvi No they didn't. Do some research.

[@sotkajarvi]

@taxus750 Follow your own advice.

[@hvskd57]

gotta be honest.... dont like how that car looks. alfas are cool this one not working for me personally

[@Evo009]

i watched only because of the house not the cars. Wheeler dealers have done them all a long time ago

[@johnwilliams-ih3pv]

It looks like an allegro

[@rubendebruijne5170]

Hiring a dry ice cleaning crew to get a car to start. This show is a joke.

[@johntheoldmod]

I had to stop watching Ant Bighead, his brothers seem quite normal but he's turned into a ham actor drama queen. he is a clever bloke but lacks the humility of Edd China.