Car Transformation Aka Rebuilt Cars (1958)

Epping, Essex.



Exterior. M/S of an ancient and dilapidated Austin 7 on a used car lot. According to the narrator this car dates from 1931. Its price - eleven pounds - is painted roughly on the windscreen. Two young men, one of which is designer Laurie Falcon, push the car off the lot.



Interior. M/S of the Austin being pushed into a space in an empty garage. The two men walk around the car examining it. They then proceed to pull off the old doors and bonnet. The young men are "transforming a tiny old Austin 7 into a sleek and powerful sports car in easy stages". C/U of the removal of the front radiator grill. Various shots of the body of the care being torn apart as the seats, mud guards and other accessories are discarded. A quick fade to black symbolises the passing of time.



C/U of the wheel. Tilt up to reveal the completely stripped Austin - "the old chassis was cleaned and modifications carried out including lowered suspension, front and rear, raked steering column with wedge or universal joint and wheels two inches lower". The two men are standing over it holding the blueprints for their new car. They point and talk enthusiastically. C/U of one of the men's face, possibly Falcon. Tilt down to C/U of the blueprints for the modifications. C/U of the chassis. C/U of the new lower wheels. M/S of the car's frame transformed into a gleaming mass of silver and black paint. The two men exit and return with the new single part bright red body -"made from resin bonded glass fibre" - and lift it onto revamped car. The narrator extols the virtues of fibreglass - "many times tougher than steel, does not rust or deteriorate and, of course, does not have to be sprayed". Various shots of the fibreglass body as the two men admire it and add accessories and seating to it. One of the men gets into the car and sits behind the steering wheel while the other takes measurements for the windscreen. The total cost of the revamped car was less than one hundred and fifty pounds - "for this motorists can thank designer Laurie Falcon who started this do-it-yourself idea".



Exterior. A stretch of country road on a drizzly Autumn day. Panning shot follows the sporty red car as it whizzes past. M/S of the car driving past a pub and off into the distance. The narrator ends by making a joke about the cheapness of this recycled car - "it means that in future you needn't be scared to let even your wife borrow your car - if she smashes it up, well, she can build you a new one".
FILM ID:71.18

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