Wheeler Dealers mistake once cost team £800 in ‘nightmare’ blunder

Wheeler Dealers presenter Edd China once accidentally lost £800 in seconds after damaging components during a classic car restoration. Edd was working on restoring a historic 1957 Messerschmidt KR200 microcar when an accidental slip cost the team hundreds of pounds.

Edd was trying to fit a new clear dome roof on the plucky Messerschmidt, opting to use an air saw to cut the piece to size. The TV host decided to use the old dome as a template, cutting away pieces of the new dome until it was molded into shape. However, Edd seemed to pre-empt fate, warning that the move was extremely risky despite his preparation.

Edd said: “I need to be very careful because if I split this, I have to go and buy another one and it’s about a grand.

“This isn't the kind of thing you can practice for, you’ve just got to go for it. It's slow going and demands a steady hand. I can’t rush it.”

Just seconds into cutting the dome, disaster struck as Edd accidentally slipped and scratched the new dome.

His accidental slip of the hand had left a visible mark on the side of the dome, with Edd looking frustrated at the piece.

After surveying the damage, Edd suggested the piece was unsalvageable and called on Mike Brewer to pay out for a new piece.

Edd added: “That is not good. As I suggested it is quite easy to crack this material and I have. So I guess Mike will be dipping rather further into his pockets than usual. That is a nightmare.”

Edd added that he was “distraught” over the simple accident which he described as a “horror show”.

The TV star even stressed that damaging the piece had been a “worst-case scenario”.

When the new piece had arrived, Edd decided to ditch the air saw and instead used a flap wheel tool.

Although set to take a lot longer, Edd stressed that it was among the only ways available to make sure the piece was cut correctly.

It eventually took six hours to complete the work, but the new dome roof eventually fit nicely into place on the roof.

The duo had spent £18,000 on the initial Messerschmidt chassis with total costs reaching £22,271 after all the work had been completed.

However, Mike and Edd did secure a profit with the model eventually selling for £25,000.