Thread: News from Mark Evans - "WRECK RESCUE"

News from Mark Evans (from the "Is Born" Series)

The new show starts on Discovery UK / Europe soon - need to find a torrent!!!

HOT NEWS: "WRECK RESCUE" STARTS ON DISCOVERY REAL TIME ON THE 9th OCTOBER. YOU'D BETTER WATCH IT. IT'S NEARLY KILLED ME !

Hi there !

It's been ages - 8 months to be precise. And that's far too long.

I hope this newsletter finds you well and that you had a good Summer.

A lot's happened this end since February and you'll find below an update on my latest TV epic (Wreck Rescue), the latest on Pete Mate and news from my workshop.

WRECK RESCUE
I can't believe it's 18 months since we started filming Wreck Rescue for Discovery. It's been a long haul and a huge challenge following the ups and downs of five very different restoration projects spread around the UK. We've also filmed in Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Poland and France. I've made some good new friends and it's been a real privilege to hang out with a bunch of really dedicated enthusiasts and some very accomplished amateur engineers and restorers.

The series is very different to what I've done in the past for Discovery. As you probably know, the Channel has changed tack over the last year or so and has moved away from my kind of workshop shows. I finished my last TV workshop project - An MG Is Born - two years ago (can't believe how time has flown) and after that series, the bods at Discovery closed the door.

I still get loads of emails from viewers wanting more "Is Borns". A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to you all for your very kind words. Your feedback means a lot to me and everyone involved in those shows. I try to answer every email personally, so if you haven't had a reply, it's probably because your message has been nuked by my spam filter. Really sorry.

It's great to know that my workshop exploits struck a chord with so many vehicle enthusiasts all over the world. Sadly, I haven't been able to convince Discovery to re-think their decision and can only suggest that if you feel really strongly that the Channel isn't giving you what you want, let them know. Without you, they wouldn't be in business.

Anyway, back to Wreck Rescue. It starts on Discovery Real Time on the 9th October (evening) and I really hope you enjoy it. There are five restoration stories, each one told over two half hour programmes. I pop in to catch up on progress, but the rules say I'm not really allowed to pick up a spanner. Very frustrating. But, to be honest, I didn't need to. The people you'll meet over the series are amazing. All very different in their own way, but all as mad about the internal combustion engine as I am. Here's the Press blurb about the series - it'll give you a feel for what's coming up:

It's been over two years, but he's back. In a brand new observational documentary for Discovery Real Time, Mark Evans puts his own workshop projects on hold and sets off on a mission to help inspire and motivate other classic vehicle enthusiasts to achieve their restoration dreams. Restoring a rust heap is a much bigger challenge than most people anticipate. That's one of the reasons so few amateur restorers succeed and why so many potentially brilliant projects remain on axle stands and under tarpaulins to rust in peace. It doesn't have to be that way. Filmed over 12 months mainly in the UK, but also in Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Holland and France, Wreck Rescue features the highs and lows of five very different workshop projects including a very early Frog Eye Sprite, a 1959 Elva 100 single-seater race car and a post-war, 4x4 RAF truck. Real people. Real projects. Real deadlines. Real drama.

Story 1: 1959 Mk1 Frog Eye Sprite
20 year old Lizzie Bartlett breaks the golden rule of restoration and buys a wreck that's already in bits. It's a 1959 Mk1 Frog Eye Sprite - well, it used to be ! She's no workshop experience and no idea how to put her dream car back together again, let alone restore it. The car is in a terrible state and even Mark admits he wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole. But, Lizzie is nothing if not determined. With the help of her dad, Steve, she rolls up her sleeves and gets stuck in to a ten month project that will change her life.

Story 2: 1972 Mk1 Ford Capri
Ford fanatics, John Hill and 12 year old son Mike, attempt to restore and modify a knackered 1972 Mk1 Ford Capri to take part in a major off-road, classic motorsport event. Hardly the kind of thing Ford's sleek and low slung motorway machine was designed for. Experienced competitors think they're mad.

Story 3: 1959 Elva 100
Furniture company boss Steve Russell buys his dream car as a box of bits. With the help of good friends, Peter and Simon, he battles to build his newly acquired 1959 Elva 100 single-seater race car in time to compete the car at the celebrated Historic Grand Prix in Pau in the South of France - one of the oldest and most dangerous street circuits in the world. The problems start when they realise that not all of the bits in the box belong to the same car !

Story 4: AEC Matador RAF Truck
Military vehicle mania gets the better of enthusiasts Peter Read and son Steve as they literally drag the abandoned corpse of a huge, post-war AEC Matador RAF truck from its woodland grave in order to restore it to its former glory. They've already cut down and cured their own ash tree to rebuild the cab. One job down, several hundred to go. They need the truck restored, ready and roadworthy for a very special occasion. Will they get it, and Steve, to the Church on time !

Story 5: 1980s Toyota Land Cruiser
eBay-addicted, city stock-broker, Paul Graham-Clarke bids farewell to a big bundle of dosh when he's forced to pull in the professionals to keep his dream drive alive. His latest online purchase is a wrecked 1980s Toyota Land Cruiser - a really rare find in the UK. He's got just ten months to restore it ready for his ultimate overland adventure - the long road home from London to Cape Town.


The "Is Born" DVDs have been incredibly popular, but I haven't decided yet whether to produce a Wreck Rescue DVD and I would welcome your feedback.

We'll be putting up a feedback form on www.wreck-rescue.com over the next week or so.

PETE MATE
Pete Mate is on form. Or at least he was when I last saw him earlier in the Summer at his little house in France. I dragged him out to help direct our filming of the Historic Grand Prix in Pau (South of France) for Wreck Rescue - it's pretty close to where he lives. I hadn't seen him for ages and it was great to hang out with him for a long weekend. Sadly, the weather was terrible - you'll see for yourself on the series - but we managed to slosh back a few bottles of the red stuff.

MY NEW LANDIE
Les (the bloke from Stoke) and I have been restoring another Land Rover - it's addictive. It's a very early 90 (1983) and I bought it for parts when we built Hill Billy for "A 4x4 is Born". Well now, it's just a couple of weeks away from its MOT having had a ground up, nut and bolt restoration. The only thing we haven't rebuilt or replaced is the 200Tdi engine - a replacement for the original 2.25 Petrol. It's a second hand unit and done a fair few miles but looks in good nick. We made sure we heard it running before buying it and it sounded sweet, so I'm going to run it for a while and see how we get on.

My plan is to use it as an everyday runabout. It's going to look great - pretty conservative compared to Hill Billy, but great nonetheless. Everything is standard apart from an Old Man Emu suspension set up. I'll let you know more when I get it out on the road.

So that's about it for now. It's heading for midnight again and I'm completely bollocksed (is that how you spell it ?)

Really hope you enjoy Wreck Rescue and take care.

All the best

MARK

Torrents !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where are they people !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!