Welcome to the Scrapheap Challenge semifinal.
Today, rival teams of techie tyros will try to turn this total tip
into mouth-wateringly magnificent machines.
But be warned - things could get hot, very, very hot.
This week our semifinalists face a trial by fire.
They will save our homely hamlet from a virago of fiery misfortunes
with a fully functioning fire-engine, complete... with bells.
First up, one of the most unlikely teams ever on the scrapheap -
straight out of Surrey, it's estate agents Hot Property.
Craig, Scott and Captain Ross.
ROBERT: And looking to rock'n'roll their way into the final
are three tough Teds from Sheffield - Phil, Trev and Captain Geoff.
Rockin' Rabble.
LISA: The temperature will rise
as the slick wheeler-dealers take on the tough-talking Teds.
But who can build a fantastic fire-engine capable of extinguishing the opposition?
Oh-ho! Hot Property, are you hot to trot? (ALL CHEER)
Rockin' Rabble, are you ready to rock?! ALL: Yes!
I hope so, because this week we want you to quell great balls of fire.
Because we want you to build thundering great big fire-engines.
Yes, now, your rough-and-ready fire tenders
not only have to drive like the blazes to douse a series of terrifying infernos,
they have to reach for the skies
to save the unhappy Scrapheap moggy marooned on a high roof.
Oh, my God, it's a cat.
OK, teams, you know the drill -
when the big ball goes bosh, you have just 10 hours
to build a fire-engine fine enough
to make a green goddess go emerald with envy.
Wait for it! Wait for it!
BOTH: Go!
LISA: To help bridge the north-south divide,
Hot Property have snapped up Kevin Sedgwick,
a likely looking Yorkshireman from Batley
with 13 years experience of building fire trucks.
ROBERT: To help rock the Rabble into the final,
we've made a 999 call to Mike Madsen,
who works for one of Britain's top fire-engine manufacturers.
Our teams must keep their cool -
they're firefighting it out for a place in the Scrapheap final.
OK, Kev, we've got to build a fire-engine.
A fire-engine? OTHERS: Yeah.
We're gonna need a big van and plenty of water.
Yep. And a hose.
LISA: The estate agents don't seem to know much about fighting flames,
but they're sure up to speed when it comes to burning rubber.
On their last outing, the stockbroker belt scavengers were so clueless,
Robert had to step in
to point out the essential fixtures and fittings of the Scrapheap.
I've worked around here for years. There's this bit in here - look.
If you need any box section, you see up on the top there.
Gotta help 'em out, you know.
LISA: But don't underestimate these Scrapheap dark horses.
In the last round, they kept their cool
and slithered through to victory on an ice racer.
And this week they're looking to burn the opposition.
What ideas have you got? Tank, pump.
ROSS: Ladder. KEVIN: Ladder.
ROSS: And a hose. An engine. KEVIN: Pumps.
Nozzle. ROSS: A big hose on the top.
Big nozzle on the top, lots of water out of that one,
and another one out the back - small line.
One for small fires, one for big fires.
LISA: Hot Property want a nippy van.
They'll put a water tank on the back,
connected to a pump powered by a small motor.
The pump will blow water through a hose running up to a rooftop water cannon.
Water is extremely heavy,
and Hot Property are going for a small-capacity tank,
meaning they should get to the fire in double-quick time.
But it's a risky strategy.
If they can't douse a blaze in one go,
they may find themselves needing to refill their tank
while their building burns down.
(SCREAMING)
Well, first thoughts from me is we're gonna need water.
Water's good. That's a good thing to put fires out with.
Hose. GEOFF: Hoses.
ROBERT: Steely Sheffield Teds Rockin' Rabble seem to have quickly got
their slicked-back bonces around the basics of building a fire-engine.
The Rabble don't just love classic motors,
they also know what goes on under the bonnet.
These matey mechanics aren't afraid to get their hands dirty,
and in their last round, they literally sunk the opposition.
Watch out, estate agents, the Rockers are coming.
Expert Mike has got a plan that's got their toes tapping.
Seeing it's nice and warm, can't we have a convertible?
(LAUGHTER)
And a large tank.
And behind the tank, we need to fit a pump.
The pump really can be anything that's out there - something agricultural,
something marine off a boat, anything like that.
ROBERT: It's a basic plan but comes with a twist of class.
MIKE: A system that a lot of the fire brigades in the UK are starting to use
is called compressed air foam.
What it'll do is allow the water to stick to the fire, if you like.
LISA: The northern boppers want to go big and bold.
They're after a heavy-duty van.
They'll cut the roof off and plonk a massive water tank on the back.
They also need a pump, engine and hoses.
But they have added one touch of finesse.
They're planning to add foam,
which should make their massive supply of water go even further.
When they get a 999 call,
the Rockers' machine should be able to tackle the biggest of blazes,
but carrying all that water could really slow them down
and the fire might be out before they even reach it.
Let's get a van. Need a tank.
The pump. A pump housing.
The engine. And a ladder.
Let's go for it. Come on.
(LAUGHS)
LISA: Hot Property's Captain Ross has some experience in doing up old cars,
but the heaviest things Scott and Craig are used to handling
is a cup of cafe latte.
Hang on - Craig's honed in on a bit of scrap.
Surely they'll need a bigger ladder than that to fight fires.
ROBERT: Rockin' Rabble are heading for something with a bit more bulk -
a likely looking water tank.
Right, guys, how you going on?
(PANTS) We've got a water carrier and we've got a Sherpa van.
We're just trying to get it started. Give us five minutes.
ROBERT: The Sherpa is big and strong,
ideal for the Teds' plan to carry huge amounts of water.
But it seems the van doesn't wanna shift.
Try that, Phil. (ENGINE WHEEZES)
Well, if you can't get it started,
I think that four-wheel bike might be able to pull it in if we take the brakes off.
ROBERT: The combined efforts of the quad bike, me and four Rockers
just can't get that van to budge.
If it was a rotovator, we'd do really well.
LISA: While the Rabble are left rockin', Hot Property are on a roll.
Craig and Scott are not messing around this week.
They know this ambulance will double up as a perfect fire-engine.
It's strong, highly manoeuvrable and fast -
perfect for getting to a blaze in double-quick time.
Captain Ross has set to work making some sort of ladder out of Craig's find.
As Scott brings the ambulance in for a Hot Property facelift,
the estate agents are motoring ahead,
There's no stopping Craig and Scott.
Now they've nabbed a motorbike -
they're hoping its engine will power a water pump,
which will be next on their shopping list.
Phwoar. That'll do.
So, Hot Property, how's it going?
Very well. Well. We've got a good little find already.
Excellent. What are you gonna use this for?
This will be our engine for the pump. OK.
So that should hopefully pump quite a bit of water out rather quickly.
You're up against Rockin' Rabble. What are your first impressions of them?
CRAIG: They're totally mad. SCOTT: They are a bit, aren't they?
They'll be gutted when they lose.
They're saying that they're not but they will be.
LISA: Really? Yeah.
They think "Estate agents - phwer." Rubbish.
Yeah. But they are gonna be quite gutted when they lose to us.
That's gotta be... Really, that's gotta be airtight.
ROBERT: The Rockin' Rabble's expert, Mike, and Captain Geoff,
are checking out that water tank.
It's nothing like the size they had in mind.
They were hoping to find one big tank,
but if they find another one the same size, they could connect them together.
GEOFF: Have we got enough capacity?
MIKE: That... (SIGHS)... depends on what else they can find out there.
(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
ROBERT: Like Hot Property, Rockin' Rabble are also planning
to power a water pump with a bike engine,
Oh, nice.
Two things about this bike - one, I sort of vaguely recognise it,
and, two, it's quite a small fire-engine.
We're old friends. It won us last week. It's gonna make us win this time.
What we thought was we'll whip the engine out
because it's a good engine, didn't fail last time we were here.
I thought we'd use this to pump.
Right. So that'll drive the pump? That'll drive the pump, yeah.
Then the big van that we can't actually move yet?
TREVOR: We'll try plan B for that. (LAUGHS)
We'll ring 999, us. That's our plan. (LAUGHS) "Can we have a fire-engine?"
Because you've never done
fire-enginey-type things before, have you?
No, but I was quite interested in that because the pump is really...
I used to be a farmer. That's a slurry spreader.
It's a good pump on that. Yeah.
LISA: Trev's right - it is a good pump.
It's part of a sewage tank, or bowser,
but he's not the only one who's spotted that heavy-duty pump.
I saw an orange bowser out there,
so if you go and have a look at that, there's a pump there somewhere.
What's a bowser? It's a big orange thing.
LISA: The race is on for the pump on the big orange thing,
and Ross pushes Craig to seal this deal.
(ROSS ON RADIO) Very sharpish. If you wanna start running.
LISA: It's behind you!
Yes! That's it!
Craig's made it -
he's managed to gazump a very grumpy-looking Yorkshireman.
I've found the pump. I'm gonna try and get it off and bring it back to you now.
ROBERT: Craig's nifty footwork
has left the Teds empty-handed and open-mouthed.
(PANTS)
Just find a pump now. We ain't got a pump.
Have you not?
Have you? Yeah, we got a pump.
Off that... Cause I was looking at that. Yeah.
You're sneaky, sneaky! (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS)
See you in a bit. See you now, mate.
Think you can get the end plate off?
LISA: These super-slick southern scavengers
have nabbed the most crucial item they'll need to make an effective fire-engine -
a heavy-duty pump.
It's come off a sewage tank,
and it's an extremely strong and powerful dual-action pump
used to suck waste into the tanker, and then blow it out.
So, Hot Property boys, how you doing? Very well. Very well.
We found our pump. Excellent.
So you're confident it works, then? Hopefully.
We're gonna strip it down, look inside,
make sure the fins are all moving properly.
But it should be OK. Excellent.
A little birdie told me
that you nabbed this from underneath the noses of the Rockin' Rabble.
Is that right? Apparently, yeah.
Craig was out there, robbed it just in time.
Because last time - I'm not being funny or anything, right...
They were rubbish, weren't they?
Craig especially, not a good scavenger. ROSS: No.
You give him a talking to as captain? Yeah, absolutely.
Before we came, we had a little bit of practice.
I sent them into the supermarket, and stuff like that,
to pick some stuff, see what he could get.
And he got arrested twice as well, which is a problem.
ROBERT: Today's judge is Maurice Newbolt.
Maurice has more than 30 years experience
of designing firefighting vehicles.
So the two teams have got, it seems like,
quite different approaches to it.
The Rockin' Rabbles, I think, have got a fairly ambitious program.
They've got more work to do than Hot Property.
But if they get there, they'll have a better chance.
Hot Property have got the problem at the moment
that when they pump the water up to their roof,
they've got to go through a lot of tube,
and so they need a good pump to lift it,
and it may very well affect their outcome.
LISA: Hot Property have bagged a strong pump
but they've decided the motorbike engine is too weedy to power it.
Craig and Scott have been sent out for something with a bit more oomph.
Do you think this is gonna be any good, then, Sedgwick?
I think it's gonna be alright.
A vein pump contains fins, or veins, which sit in slots connected to a rotor.
When it spins, the veins trap liquid and push it around,
creating a strong, powerful flow.
Hot Property are gonna connect the pump to the crankshaft of a car engine.
When they put the engine in gear,
the pump will blow water through the hose and onto the fire.
But when they want to refill the tank,
they can put the engine into reverse gear,
and the vein pump will then suck water into their tank.
Teams, you have eight hours remaining.
Eight full hours construction time remaining, teams. Thank you.
We've got the van going. You're a hero.
Come on, mate!
Straight back!
ROBERT: Although Rockin' Rabble's van has finally hit the road,
the Teds are trailing the thrusting estate agents,
who have a full house of engine, pump and van.
Both teams are getting on with ripping out the insides out of their vehicles,
ready for tanks, pumps and engines to be installed.
It's an impressive burst of activity,
but neither vehicle looks anything like a fire-engine at the moment.
Rocker Phil is looking down on the dump.
He's after a water pump, and has decided to take a chance on this.
It's certainly a pump, but nobody seems sure what sort.
And it's beginning to look like Phil's mystery find
may not be the pump of their dreams.
So has it got the fuel bars in there, or what?
(LAID-BACK '50s-STYLE MUSIC)
Oh, here we go - the bike. Yeah.
The trusty old bike that you know and love.
This is the one, yeah.
Your plan, I presume, is engine on back of cut-down bus,
which pumps water from a tank and squirts it at a fire.
Yes.
So you've got engine, bus, tank. Yes. This tank.
So the only missing bit is the old pumpy bit.
Is that... I don't recognise that as a... What is that?
It's a sort of tin can with a big heavy bit on the bottom.
So what sort of pump is that? It's a heavy one.
Is it? Yes.
Well, it's used water before because it's all gunked up.
Lord knows what it was for.
It's not a pump that we use on fire appliances, certainly.
What about next door? What do you think of the estate agents?
I was quite surprised that they've only got three heads between them.
That's very odd.
They've tried to sell me various bits of property.
They always give you their card, every time I pass them.
Thank you very much. (LAUGHTER)
KEVIN: Pour that water in here, Craig. Yeah.
LISA: For Hot Property, it's their big moment.
Will their pump do the business, or will their efforts have been in vain?
ROSS: Yeah, look.
Yes!
LISA: And it works! (LAUGHS) Alrighty.
Pumped up with success,
the estate agents are going from strength to strength,
aside from the odd mishap.
Thanks, mate. (LAUGHS) What?
You just smashed me in the head. Sorry.
They're reinforcing the ambulance for their rooftop perch,
preparing to install their tank and supporting frame,
and working on the water cannon that will be their main firefighting weapon.
(MAKES WHOOSHING NOISES)
You get your weld as good as that. Then you'll buy me a beer.
Oh, look at that. Isn't that nice?
Oh, this is very bijou, isn't it? This is a beautiful residence.
It's a character conversion. It's a character conversion!
I'm thinking you've got the speed advantage,
just because I'm thinking an ambulance
is built to go a bit faster than your average van.
But, I don't know, is this one...
Yeah, no, this one's got turbo on it and everything,
so it should be going alright.
And it's got go-faster stripes as well.
Are you leaving them on? Yeah, yeah.
It's got working flashing lights as well. Flashing lights? You've gotta keep them.
Yep. Exactly.
The other thing is once you've got a big tank full of water like that,
and you're driving along and steering and stuff.
That's why we've tried to put it in the middle there.
It's quite low, isn't it? You've got a tonne of sloshiness.
Yeah. We should be alright.
Maybe easy on the steering. Yeah.
ROBERT: It's time for the Sheffield Teds to show some cutting edge.
It's a slick move by the 4-man combo -
they're turning their van into a convertible.
(GRUNTS) We'll leave it on.
Go on. 'Bye.
(PANTING)
GEOFF: We could have made a bowl. (LAUGHTER)
Have you changed your opinion about who you think's working...
No, I'm still in favour of the Rockin' Rabble, yep.
I'm just a little bit concerned. I think they've wasted time.
Inordinate amount of time wasted to cut the roof off.
They should have done that...
Make convertibles - chh - in two seconds.
Yeah - fww fww - four cuts, it's gone. (LAUGHTER)
The Hot Property team have got a pump, I've seen,
an actual pump sort of near a big water tank that's actually in their vehicle.
They seem to have done very well.
They've moved quite well in this last hour.
Yeah, they've done very well.
They're hoping that pump will pick up the water as well as pump it out.
I think so too, yeah.
They've got an oddly mounted ladder at sort of a rather rakish angle
They're hoping the vehicle's gonna be parked on a hill.
(LAUGHS) That's what they were saying.
That's about done it, I think.
ROBERT: The Rockers are getting desperate.
They'll be rolled over without a decent pump.
But be-bop-a-lu-la, they seem to be onto something.
TREV: I can get up there.
But could this be their baby?
Jet ski. He's found a jet ski.
It's sent their quiffs all of a-quiver.
Jet ski impeller. That would deal with it.
It's the biggest break they've had all day.
Jet skis are powered by a pump that packs a mighty punch.
We might win this yet. (LAUGHS)
(ENGINE ROARS)
LISA: Jet skis travel at high speed
because they're propelled by
an extremely powerful pump called an impeller.
The impeller spins rapidly inside a water-filled tube, the pump housing.
As it spins, it sucks in water up the housing
and spurts it out with tremendous speed,
driving the jet ski forward.
Rockin' Rabble will power their impeller with the motorbike engine.
They need to place the pump in a sealed, water-filled housing.
Making that housing completely airtight could be a headache.
But if they get it right, the Rabble will be rockin' around the clock.
Rockin' Rabble, how's it all going?
GEOFF: Oh, not too bad now that we've found this little baby.
And are you happy this is up to the job? Is this good news, this impeller?
Yes, it's the best news that we've had today.
Really? Yes. Yes.
What's so good about it?
They kick out water at a marvellous rate. That's why they go so fast in the water.
And so that's just what we need.
If our marvellous pump works properly,
we have two large tanks holding roughly about 1,000 litres each,
so we'll have 2,000 litres of water.
They'll be stationed just behind the driver.
Then we'll have a foam tank just at the side of those.
A foam tank? A foam tank.
Then we will mix the foam with the water. Hopefully.
So for more effective fire putting-outing? Yes.
Foam is a crucial part of the modern-day firefighter's armoury.
Unlike water, which hits the blaze and then drains away,
foam creates a sticky blanket-like cover,
which starves the blaze of the oxygen it needs to spread.
If the Teds can get their foam system up and running,
they could be jiving their way into the final.
(EVIL LAUGHTER)
ROBERT: Now they've nabbed that precious impeller pump,
Rockin' Rabble are up and running.
With this essential piece of kit, they can finally get to work making a fire-engine.
From the very earliest shout,
the pump has been the beating heart of every fire-engine.
Fire brigades were ever keen to update them,
swiftly moving from hand-cranked to steam pumps
to mechanically driven models.
LISA: And this is the latest model. It's neither green nor red, but white.
Research has shown they're much more visible than the traditional red ones.
But there's more to this model than a paint job - it's a multipurpose unit,
combining a huge water tender, multiple hoses
and a swivelling hydraulic platform.
Do you know what - I've always wanted to drive a big, fat fire-engine,
and this is my chance.
Whoo-hoo!
(SIREN BLARES)
Piece of cake.
ROBERT: That's a long way from our teams' fire-engines
but then they are making them out of a load of old junk.
OK, you can go down there, then.
LISA: Captain Ross is working out
how Hot Property can weld their engine and pump to a supporting frame.
Need a piece of metal to go in between there and there.
Just get it straight, and I'll have to bodge it.
LISA: Canny Craig has now been promoted from scavenging...
Anything else? Yeah.
LISA: But seems a little overwhelmed.
The Hot Property boys have been on a management course. I asked them.
If you think last time they were here, this time of day, they had nothing -
they hadn't found anything, they hadn't done anything,
they didn't know what they were doing.
This time they've got the tank in, they've got the pump,
the engine's about to be mounted,
they've got the stand to go on the roof.
They're a transformed team.
Oh, no, the Rockin' Rabble, I do love them. They're hilarious.
They seemed most perturbed about the possibility of losing,
A - to southerners, and B - to lose to southern estate agents.
The shame and ignominy they'd have to go through.
Geoff said he'd have to move to the Isle of Wight.
Teams, you have five hours remaining.
What about overtime?
ROBERT: Having started the day as the mechanical hot shots
in our semifinal,
the Rabble have seen their challenge reduced to rubble.
But they're hoping to overcome their pump inaction with a jet ski.
The Teds are gonna have to jump and jive
to overhaul surprise frontrunners Hot Property,
a team on fire.
So if you can get the joint and 2-inch flexible hose, go for that.
You get the van going and see if the electrics work.
Yep. Yep?
Brilliant. Let's go.
LISA: Our teams are battling it out to build firefighting vehicles
capable of preventing the Scrapheap village from becoming a pile of old ash.
ROBERT: Rockin' Rabble have found a powerful pump from a jet ski,
but it'll only work if it's submerged in water.
They need to encase it in a watertight housing, and Trevor has a plan.
The plan is - that's to go in there like that, yeah?
Mm-hm, yep.
But it needs to be airtight, so I'm thinking of slitting it all the way round,
taking the inner tube out of this,
wrapping the inner tube around that, putting it in
and then put the clamp on, clamp it tight, should be airtight and watertight.
Sounds good to me.
Teams, you have four hours remaining. Four hours remaining, teams.
(LAUGHS) Oh, gosh.
ROBERT: But fire-engine egghead Mike
seems determined to pour cold water on Trevor's housing scheme.
I'm a little bit worried about this housing here.
But I think... that will have to contain a large-bore steel pipe instead of this.
Right. And just cut the end off.
Might be a better housing for it.
ROBERT: It's a fiery face-off between the expert in tender technology
and our steely Cadillac converter.
And Yorkshireman Trevor has decided to stick to his plan.
We know that the engine runs anticlockwise.
LISA: Things are a bit more orderly with their neighbours,
and Hot Property are ready to mount their pump on a frame
and hook it up to the engine.
Having earnt his spurs at scavenging,
Scott has been set
the seemingly straightforward task of screwing two ladders together.
He could probably use a few tips on firefighting too.
Oh, dear, I'm hopeless at this barbecue lark.
Something always goes wrong. Oops!
What am I thinking of?
Blowing on a raging oil fire only adds oxygen and fuels the flames.
How about water? No, no, that's even worse!
When water hits burning oil,
it immediately turns to steam and spreads the flames.
In the worst case, it could even cause the oil and water mixture to explode!
That's the ticket.
Baking powder is the very thing for extinguishing oil-based fires.
Carbon dioxide is released when the baking soda is heated,
and smothers the fire.
Many commercial fire extinguishers contain baking soda.
Clever old Lisa.
Not sitting on enough, is it?
LISA: Scott's having double trouble with ladders.
And he must be desperate - he's called in Craig.
All it does is puts a little hole.
LISA: This could take some time.
Try and do the other side. That's alright.
Can I make a suggestion?
The other option is that we use the pillar drill.
Yeah.
Teams, you have two hours remaining! Two hours remaining, teams.
ROBERT: Time to get rocking, you rabble.
Cat rescuing - we need ladders, don't we?
SCOTT: We do. We've got a ladder.
We're just making a nice, strong ladder here.
And where's that going to attach?
It's gonna attach on the back here
so we can basically, wherever the building is,
we can lean it against the house, and up we go, get our cat down.
Or tree or whatever. Or tree.
Now... Ross, come with me.
(SNIGGERS)
Why do you think they've written, "As made by Ross,"
with arrows pointing to your ladder?
I think they're just jealous of me.
Really? No, it works.
We've been up and down on there today.
Did you look over and see what the other team are up to?
No, we haven't done that at all.
Have you not? No.
(LAUGHS) No.
Have you not had a peek? Yes.
Go on, what did you think?
They didn't look very happy when we looked over.
Didn't even smile or wave at me.
How would you describe next-door's effort?
Not one of our properties.
Did you think it was compact and bijou? Er, no, it was big and ugly.
ROBERT: It's been no Teddy boys picnic for the Rockers.
They haven't sorted their pump or foam system,
and they're desperately playing catch-up.
GEOFF: Materials for that. TREVOR: Extend the ladder.
ROBERT: It's a fire-engine at last. GEOFF: Yeah.
It's got the tanks, it's got the ladder. Nobody knows its length.
(LAUGHTER)
But there's not a great evidence of pumpage or engines in here.
All we need's the pump, pipe work, motor.
ROBERT: It's a very, very short list. GEOFF: Yeah.
You're gonna be carrying a hell of a lot of water.
What is that gonna weigh when they're both full?
MIKE: 2 tonne. 2 tonnes?
A tonne each. We might only fill one.
2 tonnes of water.
It's a twin axle, so... ROBERT: Yeah, it'll carry it, won't it?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
If it was full of people, how much do people weigh? They weigh quite a lot.
Don't weigh 2 tonne. (LAUGHTER)
Depends who they are, don't it? (LAUGHTER)
Try and push it in.
LISA: The Teds may be laughing
but it's the estate agents who have the key to the door.
They're ready to put their mounted engine and pump into the ambulance.
As part of their semifinal build-up,
the property vendors have taken a few welding classes,
and Craig is keen to show off his new skills...
See, my handlebars are brilliant.
LISA: And gets to work finishing off their water cannon.
(ALL GRUNT WITH EXERTION)
ROBERT: The now ragged Rabble
are mounting their bike engine on the back of the van.
Next job - connect the impeller pump sealed in Trev's watery housing
straight onto the bike's crankshaft.
LISA: Once the motorbike is on their van,
Rockin' Rabble plan to connect the impeller pump,
encased in its water-filled housing,
to the bike's drive shaft.
When the bike is kicked over, the pump will suck water from the tank
and blast it through their hose.
If they need to refill their water tank,
they just need to flick a valve in their pipe system,
which will enable them to suck water into the tank through the hose.
So we've got one team that will definitely be finished,
and the other team that... will have started something.
Maybe. Yeah.
I mean, the Rockin' Rabble have got to really pull out the stops
and work like mad now to even get remotely close.
It's funny, because I always thought of Hot Property
as the "do nothing and then catch up" team,
and they're going great guns.
They've got their attachment on the roof they can put their ladder on.
They can swivel around.
They've reinforced the roof with radiators
because they know they have to be on there.
Got their pump, attached their engine. Right.
It all looked like they were quite happy and full steam ahead, really.
Oh-ah.
ROBERT: Trev's taking on expert Mike again.
He's worried they'll never finish their fire-engine.
Mike wanted two tanks to give the Rockin' Rabble a bigger splash
but Trev thinks one tank will just have to do.
Are we definitely using both tanks? That was the idea.
I just thought, is it quicker to just use one?
I... Just a thought.
If we get bogged down or ought like that near water,
I'm thinking one is plenty, and it's easy to connect up.
Alright. OK.
TREV: One straight pipe down there, job's done.
Unsure, that.
ROBERT: Giving up the second tank means halving their water capacity,
and thereby halving their firefighting capability.
Teams, you have one hour remaining. One hour remaining, teams. Thank you.
(ENGINE WHINES)
LISA: It's a big moment for Hot Property. They're giving their pump a dry run.
Will it be able to draw water into their system?
(ENGINE RUMBLES) Sucking. It's definitely sucking.
LISA: They'll buy that. It's a total suck-cess.
Hot Property, they've had their engine running.
They have indeed, so they're in pump mode.
But they haven't actually pumped any water with it yet.
They've had the pump spinning, so we know it works, yeah.
Rockin' Rabble, it's quite sort of slapdash,
but at least they've got an engine and a pump and...
Yeah. They did nothing for a couple of hours today.
It didn't seem like there was any thought.
As well, they just lost out all energy and fizzled away.
They were doing the wrong things, weren't they?
Not worked as a team. No, it doesn't seem, today, no.
They're just getting it together again now.
But it does look very... It's not what you'd call a slick job, is it?
No, no, it's a bit... sort of Heath Robinson.
Have you changed your mind at all... I'm afraid to say I have.
I've had a misplaced loyalty for a long time.
So you're now going with Hot Property?
I'm now gonna put my money on Hot Property.
LISA: It's almost time for the estate agents to complete.
Their tank is sitting on its supporting frame,
the pump is attached to the engine
and the water cannon is ready for action.
Thread it through properly.
All that remains is for them to test their system with water.
They've been the frontrunners all day,
but will they be able to produce a powerful jet of water,
or will it be a damp squib?
(ENGINE SPLUTTERS, THEN ROARS) Oh! Yeah, it's working.
(LAUGHS) It's definitely working. I can vouch for that.
(ENGINE CLATTERS)
Oh! (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS)
LISA: Oh, Rockin' Rabble, why is there only a hose going to the one tank?
GEOFF: We thought there'd be too much weight if we used both tanks,
so we're only using the one on the left.
Is it not gonna really unbalance the whole machine
if you've got one tank full of water and the other one not?
We'll all stand at this side, the driver sits at this side, and the rest this side.
It'll be like being on a yacht. You'll hang off the side, struggling to weigh it down.
We're all gonna have a big breakfast.
Mike, how are you feeling after a day on the heap?
Fine, fine.
I think we've been a bit overambitious, so we've simplified things a little bit.
You are, I have to say, looking slightly shell-shocked.
(LAUGHTER)
(ENGINE WHINES, THEN RUMBLES)
LISA: As if to pile on the Teds' agony,
Hot Property are ready to fire their water cannon
all over the Rabble's carefully coiffured quiffs.
It's amazing. You said you'd be finished before the time's up, and you have.
You've tidied the work area. It's all very presentable. It's looking very nice.
We've got a cup of tea waiting over there.
A cup of tea waiting.
Feet up. That is fantastic.
ROBERT: But there's no rest for the rundown Rabble.
The Teds have to go to the wire on this one.
Their massive 2-tank capacity is down to one.
They've not had a chance to test their pump,
and seem to have forgotten all about the foam.
On top of all this, their ladder appears to be
yet another step in the wrong direction.
Five! ROBERT: Four!
Three! Two!
LISA: One!
ROBERT: OK, Rockin' Rabble, Hot Property,
it's time to pack away your pumps and hang up your hoses!
And don't forget to pack your fire-retardant Y-fronts!
Well done, teams. LISA: Well done, teams. Well done.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
To find out if our teams are fighting fit,
we brought them and their untested tenders to our Scrapheap hamlet.
Our wannabe firefighters must respond to three separate 999 calls
from the village bakery and the baker's home.
For their first shout, the teams have to negotiate a tricky slalom course.
And rescue a marooned moggy.
Then they have to extinguish a raging barbecue fire in the baker's garden.
And finally they have to go head-to-head
in a race to save the unfortunate baker's home and business
from going up in smoke.
Hot Property's tinkering is a comparatively leisurely affair
after their extremely profitable build day.
All they need to do is give their bijou fire-engine a facelift and a lick of paint.
ROSS: The pressure is for the gas?
ROBERT: For Rockin' Rabble, however, the nightmare continues.
They've attempted to resurrect the foam plan,
and squirted in some washing-up liquid,
but it's clogged up the pump, and now they're having to drain the whole system.
We've got a few technical problems like the pump not working
but apart from that...
OK, hang on, we're talking about the impeller here, aren't we?
What's the matter with it?
TREVOR: We've tried it with a bit of foam. It didn't seem to work at all.
GEOFF: The idea was to use it with foam.
The trouble is that as the water is coming through the impeller,
the impeller is actually making more foam,
and so it's getting aerated,
and there's got to be no air in there for it to actually work.
So what we're gonna have to do now is actually flush the system.
So it's foam-free, and then just go for pure water?
Then we just go for pure water, and we will be fine.
And that will kick out more water than they've ever seen.
Scott has been told to lose his ladder.
Not surprisingly, it's failed our health and safety check.
Look at this, guys. Look at this, look at this. Look at that beautiful thing.
That's yours to keep. That's very nice.
What's happened? A health and safety thing.
Yours were so rubbish, they said we'd better give you a brand-new one.
I wouldn't feel safe. It's a bit straight for us.
If we saw it off and make it go like that?
That'll be about right? Much better.
LISA: Round 1 is a time trial - the teams have to speed through a slalom,
rush around the village pond,
and then use their ladders to rescue the Scrapheap kitties.
And first up are Hot Property.
Craig, where are you gonna be?
I'm doing passenger and the bottom of the ladder.
Scott? I'm driving and on the monitor.
Ross? I'm in the back, running the engine.
I'll also be on top of the ladder. Fantastic.
Your moggy's waiting to be rescued. Very best of luck, Hot Property.
I'll see you on the other side. Thank you.
OK, Hot Property, it's time to get that cat off that hot tin roof!
(HOOTER BLARES)
LISA: That cat just needs to hang on. This could be over very quickly.
Our team's fire-engines are not weighed down with water,
so they can really put their foot down.
Oh! Ooh! Oh, there's some nice sounds coming out of it.
LISA: Boy racer Scott's really getting some revs out of their vehicle.
That resurrected ambulance is once again doing what it was built to do.
Back, back, back!
Look at that. Luvly-jubly.
A platform on the first floor, gone up sideways.
ROBERT: They could almost jump up there.
They barely need the ladder, do they, when they're so high up already?
BOTH: The cat is saved.
LISA: But it's not over yet.
The clock stops only when the cat is safely in my grasp.
I've got the cat! Stop the clock! MAN: Yay!
(HOOTER BLARES)
Rockin' Rabble, most cats have nine lives. Yours is only gonna get one!
You'd better get on! (HOOTER BLARES)
LISA: Go on, Rockin' Rabble!
ROBERT: The Rockers are off with some great bell action from Trevor.
But their tender is definitely the slower of the two vehicles,
even without any water on board.
(BELL RINGS CONSTANTLY)
I'm not sure how they put their ladder up.
MAURICE: I'm not sure.
It doesn't go up from there. Looks like they're gonna have to reverse.
ROBERT: Geoff's reversing in double-quick time,
but he can't see where he's going - those water tanks are blocking his view.
(CRUNCH!) (LAUGHS)
"Sorry, missus. We might get your cat. We've knocked your house down."
ROBERT: Phil's up there in a flash. Go, greased lightning!
This could be a very fast time!
PHIL: Go on!
They could win. They're doing really well, aren't they? They're probably in the lead.
ROBERT: It's a Ted-tastic turn.
(GEOFF YELLS) Yes! LISA: Jump off and give me the cat!
I've got the cat! Stop the clock! (HOOTER BLARES)
Robert to Lisa. Over.
I just thought I'd quickly tell you the team times for the cat rescue.
It was 2 minutes, 16 seconds for Hot Property.
Rockin' Rabble did very well indeed, and their time was 1 minute, 38 seconds.
ALL: Yes!
We've got a very happy Rockin' Rabble here. Over and out!
That's not bad for the oldies, is it? (LAUGHTER)
LISA: So it's 1-0 to the Rockin' Rabble, but now that baker's causing more chaos.
His barbecue's out of control!
OK, you Rockin' Rabble, it's time to shake, rattle and roll
and go and save those little red roosters!
(HOOTER BLARES)
ROBERT: This is a real test of the stability of Rockin' Rabble's fire-engine.
They've now got half a tank of water on board,
and that's half a tonne sloshing about.
MAURICE: They're much more cautious now.
ROBERT: Oh, yeah.
He's having trouble getting around the corner.
Oh, it's creaking and groaning.
ROBERT: If Geoff doesn't take it easy, their vehicle could even topple over.
They've slowly and surely made their way to the barbie blaze,
and it's now all hands to the pump.
But how will that mighty impeller pump perform under pressure?
(ENGINE REVS)
Those sausages are ready to pop!
(ENGINE REVS) Ooh, that's not what you'd call a gush.
There's not a great deal of force coming out of the hose.
The water's coming out but it's not squirting out, is it?
Well, it certainly did the job with the fire. (HOOTER BLARES)
Fireman said it's out.
(SNIGGERING) GEOFF: Wonderful.
How was that for you guys? Disappointing.
Disappointing. Didn't work as well as what we anticipated.
Like, at all? (ALL LAUGH)
The only water we had were what was left lining the pipe.
Really? ALL: Yeah.
We're a bit worried for the next round. Aye.
OK, Hot Property, this is an SOS call! Save our sausages!
(HOOTER BLARES) (BELL RINGS)
LISA: The pressure's on Hot Property.
They're trailing behind and must win this round.
They're carrying a full load of water,
but Scott has got them around the village pond in a jiffy.
Oh, what a turn there! Hanging on for dear life in the back.
LISA: They're already at the barbie,
and the estate agents are ready to pump.
ROSS: Valve. Valve. (MOTOR WHINES)
They're getting some powerful pressure from that old sewage pump.
They're blitzing that blaze.
Alright!
It's out! That's got to be a very fast time.
ROBERT: Fiery form indeed from Hot Property
who blasted out their barbecue blaze in just 39.5 seconds,
much quicker than Rockin' Rabble's 1 minute, 10 seconds.
LISA: It's the big one - burning buildings. It's 1-1 and there's all to play for.
The first team to extinguish their fire
blazes through to the Scrapheap Challenge final.
Right, chaps, it's all to play for. It's the last round.
You know what you've gotta do -
get up there and put those fires out as quickly as you possibly can.
Rockin' Rabble, Hot Property, do your worst. Good luck!
Off you go. (ALL CHEER)
OK, teams, this is your final shout! (HOOTER BLARES)
LISA: Go! Go, go, go, go, go! (BELLS RING)
Oh, no! Hot Property's fire-engine has sprung a leak.
This may cost them big time.
They've wasted a lot of water doing that, haven't they?
LISA: But undeterred, they're straight into action stations.
Their small hose is looking good,
and the rooftop water cannon is going great guns.
But how much water have they got left?
(YELLS UNINTELLIGIBLY)
ROBERT: The Teds have worked on that dodgy pump, but this is the acid test.
Will they have the power to staunch this fire?
That'll be the day.
That puny impeller is still playing up and the water is just dribbling out.
(ENGINE RUMBLES)
LISA: The estate agents are also feeling the heat.
Their hoses have run dry.
All they can do is leave the blaze
and rush to the village pond to take on water.
(BELL RINGS)
CRAIG: Now, round that side. Come on.
LISA: Hot Property had better get their skates on.
The bakery could be toast before they get back.
ROSS: Right, wait.
LISA: This could take some time.
ROBERT: Here come the Rockers, rather worryingly armed with buckets.
ROBERT: Lisa, do you know what's happening
with the Rockin' Rabble's machine?
Have you asked them why it's not really squirting very much?
What's the matter with your pump, boys?
GEOFF: It died.
The pump died, apparently.
That's the most I can get out of them for the moment.
(BELL RINGS)
LISA: Blue lights flashing, bells ringing, and with a fresh tank of water,
the estate agents are back.
CRAIG: Bit further back, that's it. Go!
SCOTT: Is it coming out of there?
But it looks like the fire has got the better of them - they're resorting to plan B.
B for buckets!
(LISA LAUGHS) Hot Property have gone with the buckets too!
It's turned into 'lt's A Knockout'! (BOTH LAUGH)
He missed! He ran all that way with that water, and he missed!
ROBERT: Hot Property are finally getting on top of their fire,
but the Rabble are getting roasted.
It looks like both their pump and a disgusted Phil
have decided to call it a day.
The estate agents have licked the fire.
Even they might find it difficult to shift this property.
But they've done it again! Hot Property are through to the finals!
Boys, because you weren't able to keep it under control,
I'm afraid it's commiserations.
You didn't manage to win this time.
Which means this week's winners are, of course, Hot Property!
Well done, boys. (CHEERING)