Chris Smith



Re: Top Gear Filming
As you know I don't often make comments on the forum but I think that the facts as I see them need to be aired. I was there at the top gear studio all day and saw everything outside the studio first hand. Because of my personal view of the programme I refused the offer of participating inside the studio.I was informed after the recording of what was said and shown by my friends from Noble Motorsport who were also there on the day.
We know that Nico volunteered his car at very short notice to the people at Top Gear who has asked for an Alitalia. Nico made it abundantly clear in his many emails to them that the car had been standing and had been rallied over the last few years and was a little 'distressed'. They arranged transportation for the car to be collected from Edinburgh and delivered to the studios where it was filmed with sticking brakes and showing the Stig getting out of the car after it had broken down. But they omitted to report that they had blown the engine. The Stig then leant on the side window and it crashed down, then the wiper blade dropped off. The Stig walked away. Then they transported the car back to Nico in Edinburgh declaring only trouble with the brakes and still not admitting to an engine problem and a broken door where they had pushed it so far back it had broken the check strap and cracked the fibre glass edge!
This is the point where I came in. I was asked by Nico if I could collect the car from him and put a new engine in which the BBC would pay for (after liaising with the BBC they agreed to pay for a new engine and my transportation from Edinburgh to Dunsfold via my workshop). Due to the short timeframe in which I had to work on the car I had to drop everything to collect the car from Edinburgh. I collected and fitted the engine and gearbox kindly donated by Ken from his Rothmans car. In addition Nico also wanted ugrades to the gearbox by fitting a 2 litre diff and an Alfa LSD - I duly obliged. Nico then arranged with Talon to put extra spotlights on the front and fill the empty lamp pod with working spotlights and all associated wiring and respray of stonechips. A new set of wheels was supplied by them with slick racing tyres in an effort to give the car a quick time. On investigating the problem with the brakes - I identified this as a sticky slider and not wanting to risk any further problems, new callipers and pads (the old pads were glazed and overheated to such an extent that they were breaking up) were put on the front and a new master cylinder fitted. I had problems bleeding the brakes and could't understand why I wasn't getting a pedal.Again, time was running out and I had to take the car to Talon for them to fit the front end and wire in the new spotlights. While I was there we all three tried to sort out the prblems with the brake - to no avail. The next day after a sleepless night I took out the pedal assembly and discovered that it was bent out of line and not giving any stroke on the pedal. After re-jigging everything the pedal was restored and we had good working brakes. A late night that night!!
Early start next morning to load the car and all tools for a shake down test at Bruntingthorpe. After a couple of slow bedding-in laps, checking temps and levels, etc (this was the first time that the car had run). The speed was gradually built up and everything seemed OK. My biggest concern was that Nico was unable to keep the car on the track for very long resulting in some spectacular spins across the grass and once into the tyres, narrowly avoiding damage. Owing to Nico's time constraints no adjustments were made to the suspension in any way - setting of shocks, tyre pressures, tracking etc. My concerns had already been raised regarding the fitting of the secondhand shocks from his green car. Later I put this issue in writing but time was spent on getting the car to look spectacular - which it did!
Back at the workshop more work was carried out as instructed to further enhance the appearance of the car by painting in the stonechips and polishing etc. I must admit the car did look brand new.
On Wednesday, the day of filming, I had to be at the studios by 8am which meant leaving home at 4.30am.
After off loading the car on its slick tyres I went through the start procedue with them and handed over the keys. I then went to park up my truck and trailer away from the studio but with a good vantage point of the test track. At 9am the editor came to ask me if I wouldn't mind fitting the 2nd set of wet weather tyres as it was pouring with rain and he said that they wouldn't get far on the slicks - I duly obliged. Then this week's Stig driver came round(Andy something, I think) and got in the car, started the engine revving it's nuts off making it bounce off the rev limiter. To which he remarked "I thought I was pressing the brake" - I explained to him that the brake is the next one along and the clutch the next one after that. Off he shot.
The car flashed down the track and to me it sounded as though it was firing on 5 cylinders but it was going so fast and it was raining so hard it was difficult to tell.
For the next hour and a half I watched through binoculars as they filmed the supposed one power lap. In fact he drives two or three laps and then the camera team move to the next corner and he does two or three more laps and so on. In all he must have done 30+ laps. Then he did the supposed spinning out of control on the power lap. I must admit though, he is a very good driver in the way that he provoked and recovered the spins - or maybe they were just his practice ones. From this you can see how contrived it all was.
My view is that from the outset this was the direction that the programme was going to take. Even if the car had performed spectacularly they would have still slated it.
Nico went in to the studio filming and immediately expressed his anger and concern over the way everything had been handled and portrayed. Including Clarksons comments - a great looking car but a crap build (or words to that effect).
My emails and telephone conversations with the BBC were met with 'media talk' and I was told hat they were going to show the footage and nothing was going to change. Legal action by Gerry and Nico to remove all footage of the car and all references to it have just been sidestepped by the BBC.
What have we come away with? Nico has come away with hurt pride. Gerry has had his most excellent product criticized and future worldwide sales jeopordised and I, although not mentioned by name, everyone knows that I built the car originally and they will associate it's failings with me. However, I have to carry out work as per my customers' instructions over and above my personal preferences.
The script for the show was written even before they had the car and the issue is with the people who design the programme and not the three stooges who front it. It just goes to show that these are no different to any other treacherous bastards in the media. Both Gerry and I are absolutely devastated about the programme and fear the negative knock on effect on our businesses. I am personally well known throughout the industry - as is Gerry.
I have a meeting with one of my prized customers on Wednesday and I have 14 of his cars in my workshops. I am dreading what his thoughts will be about me and my capabilities after he sees the programme as he knows that I built the car.
I believe that in future if a car is offered to any influential media for road testing etc it is only fair that it should first be vetted and approved by the manufacturer before it 'goes out'.
If this does have a negative effect I am sure that there will be 3 suicides in the motor industry very soon.
In my view it is no good whinging about the media if you are going to sit and watch this type of programme every week or indeed go out and buy their books etc - you are just encouraging them. Take my advice and turn the twats off and go and read someone else's quality publication instead.
Chris


Rest of topic

http://www.stratossupersite.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7683

[Edited on 3-12-09 by mangogrooveworkshop]


[Edited on 3-12-09 by mangogrooveworkshop]

catch up at the back

thats hard work reading that

hmmmm.... then why offer for TG to use the car if it was not in best condition?

any intelligent person who is lookingto build a kit car would see through the TG bu**it surely?

Really, what did they expect? More the fool to them for being so naive!

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Originally posted by 02GF74
hmmmm.... then why offer for TG to use the car if it was not in best condition?

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I do feel a bit sorry for them, but then on the other hand I wouldn't trust the TG team with anything of mine!

Let's be honest, TG is a comedy show, not a car show. Clarkson's views on kit cars are on the record in his books so there wasn't much doubt how this one would turn out.

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Originally posted by andyharding
Really, what did they expect? More the fool to them for being so naive!

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Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop

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Originally posted by andyharding
Really, what did they expect? More the fool to them for being so naive!

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Andy you have hit the nail right on the head!!!!!

read this
http://www.stratossupersite.com/forum/showthread.php?p=46858#post46858





Address any complaints to the BBC Gavin.Whitehead@bbc.co.uk

[Edited on 3-12-09 by mangogrooveworkshop]

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That's entertainment... Don't take it to heart, just a shame that people get caught up in it!

Dan

Didn't they end up in court a couple of years ago over damage to a D type Jag they borrowed for the show and knacked up by thrashing it?

yup, vanity has a nasty habit of rearing up and kicking you in the nuts though doesn't it!...... what the heck did they expect though ...... I do sympathise but some of the comments on the first page of that link to the Hawk forum were ironically prophetic BUT I could see it happening to people on here as well if Top Gear had decided to do a feature on Locost kit cars......

Lend any car of mine ever to Top Gear? ha ha ha ha....NO!

There is much I don't like about the BBC, but the thing I hate the most is the obscene amounts of our money that they pay to people in front of, and behind, the cameras.

Jonathon Ross would be a prime example, he's OK at what he does, I guess (I don't actually watch his shows, the Radio 2 programme was alright til I got bored with it) but he isn't that good. Why don't they give someone else a chance? Same with the Top Gear presenters, they are OK, but that's it. And Clarkson's style got boring a very long time ago. I'm surprised anyone still watches that programme.

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Originally posted by mr henderson
And Clarkson's style got boring a very long time ago. I'm surprised anyone still watches that programme.

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Difficult this as the Media, which I work in and have done for all my working life, have a ver short attention span and only work to the moment, once there point of view is aired, its gone, finished, means nothing, they move on, the disgruntaled parties then try to follow on after the event to make good the negative publicity.
TOO LATE, the damage has been done and unless you have your own TV company ( bigger than the Top Gear distribution) you can't win.
You have seen the slating TG give really expensive super cars that we would sell our children for, why are we not surprised.

I saw the way Stig sidewased the car for effect any keen driver could see that,but thats not the point, Ultima will never get an official timed lap round the track shown on top gear because it would end the show.... The fasted car we have evr tested is..... a car you can build at home

Lessoned learned,don't set yourself up for a fall.
TG sort of like Caterham, cause there sort of legit ( oh and they cast a lot of money) but we know there are similar home builds that are just as quick and loads cheaper.

DON'T GIVE CARS TO TOP GEAR.

Don't sweat it, we don't take the balding buffoon and his minions seriously and neither should you. If anyone did we would all be driving round in Porsches and Lamborghinis and there wouldn't be a 4 cylinder car on the road. The best thing to do would be to buy a Japanese motorbike, stick a loud can on it and go to Chipping Norton. That's my plan for next year anyway

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Originally posted by snapper

TG sort of like Caterham, cause there sort of legit .

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Well, I saw the Hawk cars at Detling, and they look great! I am sure the Alitalia one looks great too in person, and drives great too.

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Originally posted by adithorp
Didn't they end up in court a couple of years ago over damage to a D type Jag they borrowed for the show and knacked up by thrashing it?

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Originally posted by Peteff
Don't sweat it, we don't take the balding buffoon and his minions seriously and neither should you. If anyone did we would all be driving round in Porsches and Lamborghinis and there wouldn't be a 4 cylinder car on the road. The best thing to do would be to buy a Japanese motorbike, stick a loud can on it and go to Chipping Norton. That's my plan for next year anyway

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i loved the stratos replica...i used to own a prisma 1600 gt when i was 17 and it was great.....untill mot time (the days before ebay and bits where tricky to get)...

any serious kitcar builder will not worry about TG'S opinions....they did the same with offroading and green laning, they just give a half facted statement which i find amusing.....

now lets see an ultima gtr (built by a bloke in a shed) against a bugatti veryon????

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Originally posted by Peteff
Don't sweat it, we don't take the balding buffoon and his minions seriously and neither should you. If anyone did we would all be driving round in Porsches and Lamborghinis and there wouldn't be a 4 cylinder car on the road. The best thing to do would be to buy a Japanese motorbike, stick a loud can on it and go to Chipping Norton. That's my plan for next year anyway

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