My favorite genre of car video is the revival, or more specifically, Vice Grip Garage. There’s something about watching a guy bring something back to life that’s just so relaxing. Derek Bieri has even inspired me to try my hand at my own revivals. Just wait until 40 years from now, when today’s cars are the abandoned ones; those poor car YouTubers are going to have so much fun.
I wrote about how GM is joining some other automakers in eliminating oil dipsticks from some engines. Nick Fortes:
How will future YouTube creators make content when they try to revive “this 2027 Chevy Silverado that’s been sitting in this field for 30 years and drive it 700 miles home!” They will have no dipstick to humorously check and taste the oil to see how good it is.
Ranwhenparked:
Well, I’m sure all the screens and sensors will fire up perfectly with a new battery after 30 or 40 years in a sun-baked field.
I like to imagine these YouTube creators loading up on laptops and diagnostic scanners rather than a cheap Harbor Freight tool kit. Also, here’s some obligatory Vice Grip Garage:
Clear Prop:
I’m on team dipstick, but given the height of the hoods of these trucks, how many people are actually setting up the scaffolding to check the oil?
Canopysaurus was harsh, but funny:
GM is eliminating dipsticks from those vehicles due to a shortage. They used up all of their dipstick stock while appointing their Board of Directors, management team, and various other advisory boards.
Professor Chorls describes a neat way to check oil:
Funny enough, my Mitsu van has an “electronic dipstick” (it was advertised as such) as well, from 1989. Since the oil is inconvenient to check, being a cab-over and all and having to flip up the driver’s seat, there is a toilet bowl float looking thing on the side of the oil pan that just illuminates a light if the average level is too low for a while. At that point, the oil is about 1 to 1.5 quarts short, out of 5, as shown on the physical dipstick.
When it’s borderline, it’ll trigger if I park at a slight list away from the sensor. Usually my indicator to check and add is “Oil level light comes on from cold and level overnight parking”. Since it’s a 270,000 mile engine hastily “rebuilt” at 190,000 by myself, it needs the check and add.
Jason wrote about King Of The Hill racing. ClkWrk:
Cling A Trailer.
Thomas wrote about the McLaren SUV. Angrycat Meowmeow:
Well McLaren just lost my business. I was about to buy another supercar, too.
I Pete in the woods:
I, too, had a “thermal incident” last night after Punjabi food.
Jason wrote about cynical Porsche-branded things. Cheap Bastard:
If Porsche wants to put their name on appliances, they should have partnered with Toyota.
Finally, Jason wrote about the Renault Fuego. Editor Peter Vieira gets an honorary nomination:
Never saying “beltline” again, it’s carquator forever.
Have a great day, everyone!
“ YouTubers Are Going To Have A Weird Time 40 Years From Now:”
Yes. The Quantum Link and Compuserve users would barely recognize the place now, although they did successfully take over Time Warner and nearly kill it.
And who are you calling a potato?
My YouTube channel list is 90% revival channels. There’s something special about giving hopeless cars a second shot at life. From the top of my head, the ones I can remember, in no particular order:
* Simon Fordman
* Tasty Classics
* Skyrocket automotive
* Pole Barn Garage
* Atomic Era Motors
* Questionable garage (they are true to the name!)
* Budget Buildz
* Carter Auto restyling
* Baked Beans Garage
* Hudson Auto Films
* Low buck garage (another that is very aptly named)
* Mark’s Jensen Restoration (dude’s restoring iron ore at this point)
* Cash machine cars
* Not economically viable
Funny thing is that I started this rabbit hole with Tavarish and Mat Armstrong, but those two nowadays just take super cars and throw the parts cannon. Nothing against them, but not my vibe anymore.
Mentioning car revival YouTubers means I must recommend Simon Fordman: https://www.youtube.com/@SimonFordman
His USP is he doesn’t talk (or very, very rarely anyway) and his cinematography is absolutely top notch
I got hooked on the video with a BURNED car. Good lord, the cinematography of just fetching the car was insane!
I see alot of vehicles, trucks to be specific getting a carburetor and some sort of distributor conversion in future revivals.
I can see it going the other way, with people just plugging in a RaspberryPi 7 or whatever as a replacement ECU, and bypassing all of the factory electronics
I second Peter’s motion to change beltline to carquator.
A feller might have to learn some bleep bloops just to make the lightning staffs give off sparkles. Also hard to pour fire maker down the yap with the dijical fuel-make-it-happeners.
I’m a fan of Junkyard Digs for my extra long fix some junk youtube. As a midwestern kid I always wondered about the cars and trucks in the tree line or under the barn eves driving around as a kid. Glad someone make a go of them. I also like the Farming episodes in the spring and fall.
“Revival” channels are my preferred YouTube rabbit hole as well – my wife calls them my “rusty junk” shows.
I’ve also gotten interested in channels like WD Detailing, which are similar, except “first detail in 30 years”-type videos. My wife came through the living room when I was watching an episode a little while ago, and she said, “Whatcha watching? Rusty junk?” “No, this is actually a barn find detailing channel, so I suppose it actually qualifies instead as ‘dusty junk’. But probably rusty too.” LOL
Idk, the roadkill guys were way more entertaining to watch half ass something into making a long drive than Vice Grip garage, for the most part he’s just too dull to be entertaining to me.
OG Roadkill was amazing. I miss them, but thankfully automotive youtube still has plenty of gems. I’ve been really into RichieRebuilds lately.
Watching Bikes and Beards trying to revive a 4 year old Harley Livewire was scary enough. Can’t imagine what our tablets on wheels will be like in 40 years. Sigh
Invest in a good multimeter.
Whenever I’m out wrenching in the workshop the TV is usually on Vice Grip Garage just playing as relaxing background noise. Derek is the Bob Ross of garage art.
Cling a Trailer is brilliant. Top work, everyone!