Science
At this point in the series, none of the teams are completely sure what challenges lie ahead. Of course, they have a few ideas. There's going to be some water involved and they'll need some speed, but basically all they know is that they have to build a cracking yet basic all-terrain vehicle. It should also be adaptable and able to cope with whatever challenges the Scrapheap team feel like throwing at them.
 The Barley Pickers think big
The Boat Buoys go snorkelling
The Megalomaniac three-wheel bikers
Chaos Crew's twin-engine madness
Green fuel for the Goddesses
The Barley Pickers think big
What better for a bunch of farmers than one of the most versatile vehicles in the world: a massive tractor. By using a seven tonne Bedford truck as a chassis, they know they have got a solid base to work from. Bedfords have been used by the army for years and have proved themselves on all sorts of terrains. By removing the cab and positioning a new one in the centre of the chassis, they have given the vehicle enough room to carry the huge Rolls Royce 16-cylinder diesel engine. Though the team are unsure of the origin of this monstrous power plant, it was probably designed for a marine application and could easily provide over 500 horsepower to their oversized wheels. Add to this a split-ratio gearing system and they have a 10-speed ogre on their hands. The large wheels, huge power and low-ratio gears should give the boys a big advantage for any off-roading but has anybody told them this thing may need to float?
The Boat Buoys go snorkelling
Their ambulance provides a good heavy-duty chassis for the base of their build. After burning out the clutch of his Range Rover, Toby decided to donate the powerful engine to the project. This was a huge bonus. The Range Rover diesel engine has a great reliable reputation, especially in wet conditions. It can pull a Range Rover to 97mph, so who knows what it can do to an old ambulance. Naturally, the nautical chaps thought about boats when considering their bodywork but though the car looks like a boat, it won't float in its current configuration. The snorkel will save the day if they have to ford any water. This system makes sure the engine is supplied with fresh air and allows the exhaust gases to be vented even when the engine is submerged.
The Megalomaniac three-wheel bikers
The Megalomaniacs aren't doing anything by halves and used a V8 Range Rover as the front end of their tricycle. This big grunt of a petrol engine can produce up to 180bhp and at only 15 miles per gallon can spin a heavy Range Rover to over 110mph. Pulling a lightweight tricycle frame, this beast is going to be agile and wickedly fast. The main problems could come from instability caused by trying to harness so much torque in such a lightweight chassis. The petrol engine could also let them down if the going gets wet. However, the design is small and highly adaptable.
Chaos Crew's twin-engine madness
The Chaos Crew have done what they like best – chopped cars in half. The big thing about their design is that it's essentially two London taxi fronts welded together to make a double-fronted car. The handling should be as tight as a normal London taxi which can turn on a sixpence but the boys also have the chance to install a second engine and create a real four-wheel drive machine. The problem of running two engines together revolves around synchronising the output and timing of the two motors. If there's any major fluctuation the gearbox could go into orbit or they could rip the car apart. Their low ground clearance could give them trouble later on.
Green fuel for the Goddesses
The Green Goddesses up-gunned their robust VW Beatle with a modern 1.9-litre turbo diesel engine. This should give them plenty of power and also be reliable in wet conditions. The great environmental bonus is that they are going to be running on vegetable oil. This phenomenon has recently been marketed as a cheap and friendly fuel but it isn't a new discovery. Frenchman Rudolf Diesel (who invented his engine in the late 1800s) ran his prototype compression ignition engine on peanut oil. The conversion of waste oils and fats to run motors has many environmental advantages and it's cheap. The new fuel is cleaner than mineral diesel and you get roughly the same mileage and performance. You can also fill up at your local supermarket shelf for around 45p a litre.
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