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| The Barley Pickers weld the oil tanks together |
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| The Green Goddesses strip the bug ready for the pipes |
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| The Boat Buoys finally fire up their outboard motors |
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| The Meg's laugh their way round the course |
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| Green Goddesses sail ashore |
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| The engine cuts out, but the Barley's seven-tonne tractor stays afloat on the loch |
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| Boat Buoys float like a brick! |
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| Chaos Crew cruise home in their cab |
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| Chaos Crew pop the winning cork! |
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The final drive
The final stretch for our five wheelie wonders is the 300 miles from Yorkshire to a Loch Lomond scrapyard. The Boat Buoys, who completely ruined their gearbox during the off-road challenge, are the last to leave the land of stotty cake for the Borders.
Toby admits to a dodgy gear selection (somewhere in the dark realms between first and reverse) as being the cause of their mechanical nightmare on show three, just as they looked like winning the challenge. With a characteristic sporting laugh, the Boat Buoys managed to fit a new gearbox in time to join the rest of the teams near the water's edge at the beautiful Loch Lomond.
On the way, everyone dropped into a weighing station to find out how heavy their technical wonders actually were – a crucial factor in working out how much 'stuff' was necessary to make them float. All of the teams were over a tonne. The Boat Buoys were over three tonnes and the Barley Pickers weighed in at an incredible seven tonnes. The inhabitants of Loch Lomond needed to prepare for a rise in the water table.
Buoyancy, barrels, pipes and an ambulance
For this challenge, the key for all the teams was buoyancy. If they didn't float, they wouldn't finish. The challenge also involved driving into and out of the water, so the vehicles needed to retain their ability to drive on land.
Top scrounge from the heap was the oil drum. Welded together and fixed alongside the respective vehicles by way of a steel frame, these air-filled containers were unsinkable. Both the Chaos Crew and the Megalomaniacs went barrel crazy. The Barley Pickers went one up and seized a selection of domestic oil tanks. After welding all the holes up and stitching them together, the Barleys got through miles of mig welding wire and created an agricultural Titanic.
The environmentally-friendly Green Goddesses opted for drainage pipes instead of oil drums. Filling the ends of the pipes with expanding foam made them airtight and ready to fix to the sides of the bug.
Finally, the Boat Buoys got their hands on an old ambulance and cut the roof off. The roof from another similar-sized van also tested the angle grinder and before midday, the boys had a pair of 'hulls' to strap onto their mean machine.
Feel the pow-wah
Even if our tenacious teams could drive into the water and manage to float, they still needed to find oodles of power and channel it into to the drink to get them moving. The Boat Buoys were already laughing here because they had incorporated two outboard motors (with a combined power of 350bhp) into their original design. Ooofff.
The Barley's planned to mount a propeller onto the front of their tractor and drive it from their 4x4 transfer box, the Green Goddesses attached steamboat-style paddles to their wheels and the Megalomaniacs followed suit by adapting their steel teeth from the 4x4 challenge. Nosher and the boys also built in an impeller for extra power. Very posh.
The prize for 'most inventive gruntworthy power infusing madness' has to go to the Chaos Crew who built a special jig which incorporated a diesel engine, propeller and steering mechanism in one. This scrap-built ogre of an outboard really was exquisite.
Sparks flew as the grinders got to work. Everyone was losing weight from their rigs. Roll cages, wheel arches, doors and the odd roof all ended up on the scrapheap. Which of these stripped down monsters of the loch would win the day?
Total chaos
First up, the Megalomaniacs and Green Goddesses charged into the water as Robert punched the claxon. Phew, they both stayed afloat. The Megs impeller fired up with gusto and produced about the same sorry power output as a bath time clockwork frog. They also suffered from poor steering and slowly went around in circles. Finally their engine cut out. The effect on the seafaring bikers was hoots of laughter.
This was an outstanding performance from a team that clearly enjoyed themselves. Meanwhile, the Green Goddesses trundled along quite merrily, helped by a bit of rowing. They spliced the main brace, hauled up a sail for the finish and safely drove ashore.
The Barley's got to go on their own because they were so big they could cause an accident. Amazingly, their gargantuan tractor actually floated. Halfway out, the engine cut but with a little bit of wiring they were back on course again. A big push from farmer Robin got them back ashore and they could hardly hide their pride in doing a 'proper job'.
Finally, the Boat Buoys' wickedly fast-looking water baby met the aqua-cab of the Chaos Crew. Both teams charged into the water and the Boat Buoys' rig split itself apart! Ooops. The Chaos Crew fired up their engine and cruised round like a swan at the Monaco Boat Show. Finally, they rolled up out of the water as the fastest team and proudly claimed the title of Scrappy Races champions.
Final table
| Chaos Crew |
21 points |
| Green Goddesses |
11 points |
| Barley Pickers |
8 points |
| Megalomaniacs |
7 points |
| Boat Buoys |
2 points |
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