Let's see if we can save my clapped out 2007 Toyota Rav4. Send us a postcard: Watch Wes Work P.O. Box 106 Fulton, IL 61252 Send us an email: mail@watchweswork.com
Well there is no trade in value on a car that old but it will help sell it to someone were one can start the car with out the emergency starting system.
Yep... rust... every time. As a fellow rust-belter, I sometimes imagine what it would be like to replace a vehicle because you wanted to, not had to...
Same. Every Fall, I pull the plugs from my rocker panels and spray a can of fluid film or berkebile Protection first class, in hopes I can preserve the structural integrity of the rocker panels and avoid what Wes’ car experienced…not sure how effective that is…those and brake lines…. I hate replacing rusty brake lines. ‘10 civic smells like sheep every Fall, but hopefully will hold up from rusting.
Yea, next truck is gonna be one of the aluminum body fords. I just found a nice hole in the bottom of my truck cab… I thought it was just the paint flaking off…. Nope it’s the body falling off.
I live in the Salt Belt, and couldn't agree more! I often question myself as to why I live where owning a car is pretty much TEMPORARY. I dream of moving south and owning a vehicle long enough to actually WEAR IT OUT. I ALSO HATE LIFTING CARS BY THE PINCH WELDS FOR THIS EXACT REASON.. I ALWAYS choose structural suspension points, to lift by.
@@HouseCallAutoRepair i wonder if those would have been still structural enough. But I also ever so often wondered, why in the world they put the lift points onto a part that looks like it might fold over any time.
Small drilled hole in firewall,some left over washer fluid hose and a loose parts tool box drawer junk screw, duct tape hose to shifter. Your golden. (Yeah, too bad beer can crash test failed)
Totally understand that you don’t want to do a crap ton of work on your own vehicle. None of the rest of us want to bring our work home with us either!!!!!
Hi, I came for a lesson in engine repair/maintenance and I walked away with a reinforcement of why the term 'body maintenance' is more than mere marketing jargon. Up here in Ontario, my 2005 is coming through its 18th winter rust-free because it gets an annual treatment of a credible rustproofing product. To be fair, I learned the rustproofing lesson the painful and expensive way. 😳Preventative rustproofing is cheap while body repair or replacement of mechanically solid vehicles is very, very expensive. Good luck with your search for a replacement. 😁
My first experience in trickle down economics was six months after we married. My bride borrowed my Mustang because it was humid and hot. Her car was a metal oil drum on wheels with no air. Then a 4 door when we had children, then minivan wash and repeat.
This amazes me, seeing some of the vehicles on the road in the USA rust wise...here in New Zealand that Rav of Wes's would have been ordered off the road 10 years ago..any rust here and you vehicle often has to be professionally welded and certified to pass it's safety inspection. So glad Wes instantly thought of the safety side of it!
I've fixed a lot of these rocker issues. It takes only a couples of hours to make it structually like brand new. I'm sure you have the skill and talent to do it. Rust can be always replaced with good metal with a welder and prep
I predict that Wes will find and buy a low mileage used vehicle with a transmission issue, tow it in, fix it up just fine and get several great videos out of it to boot. Go Wes 👍.
My 2003 Matrix has over 300K miles… just drove it from Southern California to Oregon and back. Since it has been in the south west all it’s life no rust issues.
It is OK Wes. At least your wife can get around in the Golf!!! Salt and rust is a never ending battle. Around my neighborhood, the brine solution they spread on the roads is just the worst. Eats everything!
Try some mag-chloride. Slippery as snot on the roads at its limits. It does rinse off, and it eats chrome and aluminum worse than sodium 🧂 chloride. Calcium chloride....well.
Had a 91 Chrysler sedan. One day I noticed that my left foot wanted to travel a little closer to the tire than it should have. Called the wrecking yard, told them I had a scrap car that wasn't safe for the road; they took it and called the local volunteer FD to do practice with it.
The perfect 10 minute video: humor, triumph, sadness, and a moral at the end about throwing good money after bad (and that even a wise man can make a bad call)!
I used to have a 1996 5 speed manual Saturn wagon with over 300,000 miles on it that made yours look mint. When you opened the rear doors, you could see clear down to the pavement because the rockers were quite literally gone. Around turns, the body would flex like a fishing rod, but it still took all those clutch drops surprisingly well somehow. I miss that old thing... most fun I ever had for $200.
The most important trait to have in driving older/high mileage vehicles is knowing when to throw in the towel due to cost or safety. Good job Wes, a lot of folks with your wrenching skills would have missed this.
I know a fellow who was beating around in a 1993 Ford Ranger truck and he showed up in the parking lot of the health club in a new Ford sport truck. He told me that he finally broke down and bought a new one and the grandkids like riding around in "Pop Pops" new truck. Well just like your own family I told him it was a lot safer for his grandkids riding in that new truck than the old one. You have the same issue with the safety and integrity of buying a new "ipod" on wheels.
Wes you make working on Cars and Trucks fun! Thanks for everything Wes. P.S. Your wife is the one with the newest vehicle. Mine has a newer sport utility vehicles every 3 years. I drive a 2004 Sebring with 285,705 miles. It's totally unsafe with rust everywhere. It won't DIE! Last couple of years I decided not to change oil again. It's junk but it still runs!😊👍
Gotta put wifey and kiddos in the best ya can. One, hate to hear complaints, two, if something ever happened because of safety...well, if ya know, ya know. 🙏🏻
You hit the issue dead on when buying a new machine of any kind these days. The old ones would would be graciously retired if we could find replacements as good, but we can't. All that is available is, as you say, iPods on wheels. The scary part is that the crappy car we buy today will, in ten years, be the cherished relic of tomorrow because those future cars will be even worse than the ones today.
I have a degree in Economics, and I wholeheartedly endorse your description of "trickle-down economics"! I also have a 2005 Toyota Tundra with just 110,000 miles. The stock "stainless steel" exhaust system rusted out, so it was replaced with a new "stainless steel" exhaust. Same thing happened to the brake calipers - so the brake system was replaced. A valet blew up a spider gear in the front differential, so it has a rebuilt front differential. I pull a towhauler with it, so it has airbags in the rear suspension. It works well, a new replacement would be around $80k, so I simply can't bear (afford?) to part with it.
And i thought you would get some sheets of mild steel and with your army of welders create panels to fit. Perhaps your other half can show you how to do it :)
This is not a criticism. Not a passive aggressive comment. Most definitely NOT a "this is what I would have done" comment. I live in the southern Utah high desert, and we simply do not see these rust issues. I have always wondered if there was a way to repair that rot. Can one cut away the rust and junk and weld in new support structure? Would such a repair, if even possible, be worth it? I hope no one takes this the wrong way, it's an honest question from someone who is completely ignorant of these kind of rust issues, not in any way a dig at Wes or anyone else in the rust belt. Pure curiosity. Thanks!
@@MacGyverKilla it's his wife's car. I suppose him let his spouse purchase vehicles because he probably would punch dealer in the face for modern crap he sells 😂.
Seeing your gas gauge at full reminded me of a man I grew up with. He wouldn't fill his tank up past 1/4 in case it broke down then it would be sitting with all that fuel in the tank.
I agree on not wanting an I-Pod car. That is why I am keeping my 300k mile 86 Dodge pickup on the road as long as I can. I do have one advantage, I dont live in the rust belt though. - Jamie
Not the ending I expected but ultimately the right call when they are that far gone. The BIG question is what will replace it, that's what I'll be waiting for!
My Wife Loves the System as Well, I try not to think about it too much😄😄. Great Explanation of the Emergency Starting Procedures and the Reasonings behind the Method Wes
I have an '04 RAV with almost as many miles as yours. Transmission leak, worn out suspension, windshield leaks, block heater doesn't work, and it's starting to rust and burn some oil. But the darn thing still starts at -40 (it lives outside in Alberta) and just won't die. It recently celebrated 400,000 km (about 250,000 miles) by turning the check engine light on for the first time.
Wes you seem to entertain me on all your videos. Even the mundane ones like this. LOL - "Time to go Ipod shopping". Yes Sir. Seeing that rust fall onto your shop floor gets me in the feels, I just got rid of a 2004 Buick LeSabre with the same problem. Had it for 8 years. You just can't know the day you realize it ahead of time. It's a melancholy feeling at best. Thanks for taking us along. even if it's a bittersweet story
Please take us shopping with you, especially if you buy a second hand one. It would be good to see what you look for in a second hand car, and what you are willing to fix yourself given the price point you are looking at. Otherwise, just show us what you bought if new, and if second hand, take us for the ride with whatever service you do to it. I always do oils, all filters including the cabin filter, and if there are any zrks, grease them. I also check the brake (& clutch fluid on a manual), if they are discoloured, I replace them, If there is no service history I replace them regardless. I check the brakes & rotors, if the pads need replacing or they are cheap & nasty ones, I replace them & do the brake fluid regardless of whether it looks good or not, or was recently changed. My labour is free, and I really do like brakes.
Sorry Wes, But I’m glad you made the call! Not only is the safety of “kiddo” a factor, you are kind of important to the family. At least to keep the trickle down system in tact….haha. (that was funny).
Just do a little cutting and fit a length of 2X4 1/4" wall rectangular tubing in place on each side... problem solved and they would double as rock sliders if you ever went off-road!
Its so common in your area and those that use so much salt that rust out before their normal wear and tear takes place. The rust really accelerates the demise of so many vehicles in the high use salt areas. Well, good luck Wes on getting a new ride. Really enjoy your video's!!! Happy Easter!!!
My car had the same problem but it was harder to diagnose because it used 2 temperature sensors, 1 for the dash gauge and other one specifically for the fuel system. The car was injecting so much fuel during cold starts that flooded the cilinders, but after starting it ran completely fine( no codes of course). after connecting a scan tool i found that the sensor was reading coolant temperatures below zero lol
Wes, if I lived in your environment I would be painting the underside of my car every year with wax oil, great video as usual, I always learn something from you, thank you.
Makes absolutely no sense why all these people refuse to use fluid film on their cars from the start. If you did that yearly from when the car was new it would last indefinitely.
@James of all things yeahh, I got a recall frame on my tacoma 7 years or so ago and ever since then I've coated it, it still looks great, a few minor spots. It's impossible to stop rust, but can slow it down a lot.
I remember learning the fuel injection temperature sensor lesson as a young man I had a Cherokee I bought that someone replaced the factory gauge with a mechanical gauge in there attempt to fix the overheating it ran fine till winter then it wouldn't run right took me about 2 months to figure out it was the temp sensor
Wes, you deserve a new safe truck with a back seat for the baby. Just have the vehicle hot dipped in zinc a couple of times. Thanks for the extra vid. 👍 Happy Easter.
My condolences to you Wes, it’s hard to part with old, faithful friends. Edit: If you were down here in Texas and that was a Texas vehicle, you’d be changing that oil and enjoying many more miles.
As he said - NO side impact protection left in that thing - AND in the US they have intersections which people legally and happily will blow through doing 64 You don't want to be tboned by someone doing 65 while you are in a car which is in great shape - while a rust coffin like that in that situation will explode in tiny pieces...
@@TheStefanskoglund1 What does that have to do with my comment? As I said, if it were a Texas vehicle, he would be changing the oil in it and driving for many more miles. He wouldn’t be scrapping it because it wouldn’t be rusty and rotten.
@@ralfie8801 ??? Texans is more than mad..... considering how risky that is. or do you mean that salt isn't used in Texas and so the cars will be in better shape and still be 16 years old (as long as the owner didn't drove in salt water with it) ?
@@TheStefanskoglund1 The only place in Texas where the cars are rotten like the one in the video is down on the coast where they might be driven on the beach - a lot, or maybe in the panhandle along I-40. Otherwise there are still vehicles on the road that are 30 - 50 years old that aren’t eaten away like cars from up north. My 2006 Duramax Silverado has over 400K on it and there is no rust on it. Edit: I bought it new, it’s been in the north central part of the state ever since. And clarified my last comment.
Just remember where Wes lives, it's not as bad as the PRNY (people's republic of NY). Ask Eric O, they consider it good if it lasts even a decade before it's off to the scrap heap, especially if the salt solution/brine is used all year 'round like where he lives. Seems much of what Wes works on is older, and equally as rusty at times. I'm fortunate I don't have to worry about that where I live. I drive a nearly rust free vehicle from the early 2000's.
Wes, you might get lucky and find another rust free unit with a mechanical issue for cheap. you have a great part donor to pick from. Maybe someone might reach out to you from the interweb or youtube. Good luck with your hunt anyway and keep the great content coming. Cheers from Edmonton, Alberta up here in the great white north. :)
As a toyota dealer tech, to verify a suspect ect sensor. We unplug them. Once unplugged the ecm will read -40 degrees and should start everytime. Right from our factory training.
It's weird seeing so many warning lights on a car that's allowed to drive, here in Sweden having ANY of the warning lights on even if its just a check engine light will automatically fail your vehicle inspection lol, hope you find a less rotted out car to keep alive and nice work as always Wes :P
Tpms doesn't affect to mot, engine light mayby because not deleted code from temp densor. Your "bil tractor or raggabil" culture ain't so mot approved either... Greetings from Fin 😉
@@dot7107 I'm afraid it does Dot .."TPMS checks were added to the MOT test checklist in January 2015 and it can now be an instant MOT fail if the TPMS dashboard light stays on to indicate a fault or problem with the TPMS valves. Many motorists don’t realise this, which has led to thousands of new MOT failures that could have been easily avoided."
Happy new car day, I guess! Sad to see a perfectly good running car to the scrapheap, but at least now you have a valid argument to test how good your tickle-down economics work out for you! 😂 On second thought: you also have recently acquired some nice welders. So, why not put them to good use and get yourself some DOM-tubing and build a nice, sturdy tube frame for this thing? Makes up for great strength and probably cheaper than a new car. I mean, what can a few feet of tube cost? And also you can do it after work in your own shop. For food... I guess... 🤑 But I better stop here, wouldn't want to give your wife too many good ideas...
You made the right call, Wes. I do understand your hesitation though. Most cars available for purchase these days just have a tablet for a center console, and it's the worst design decision I've ever heard of. And that's not to mention the rest of the issues with the car. It just seems like it's not worth the money.
I've owned so many rusty vehicles now that I don't care how new it is. My jack is going straight to the frame, subframe, or axle. I trust pinchwelds about as far as I can throw Texas
For me it was the coil packs, and its a good thing I kept the old coil packs! After changing out the new coil packs with the old, it starts right up! Mind you the new coil packs had 10k miles.
