I can't stand scotty's voice. He kind of reminds me of donze52, but they sound nothing alike. I love listening to donze's stories, but Scotty is just so grating I haven't watched a single one of his vids all the way through, no matter how badly I wanted the information in the video.
Because a mechanic isn’t getting paid to work on his (or her) own car. The more time they have to spend repairing their own car, the more they deprive themselves of an income. And which mechanic likes to spend their downtime working on another car, instead of enjoying their weekend time off work?
My dad was a mechanic, had his own shop. We always had the worst cars, and he would laugh and talk about how great they were. And I would still make myself small in the seat as he dropped me off at the high school. Watching this video, I am reminded of my dad, who passed in 2005, at 81. He worked on equipment his entire life, born into a farm family, he was more enamored with the equipment side, repaired planes in WWII and Korean Conflict, cars for 50 years.
My dad was also a mechanic, and retired a few years ago. "Starts, runs, goes, stops" were the sole qualifications for most cars we've ever owned and I always had a reliable but ugly beater available as a cheap hand-me-down or a loaner.
My dad wasn't a mechanic, but he was in the Army and would get a nice car or van for my mom and drive something more practical and fully depreciated for himself. One time he bought an old, brown 2 door Chrysler Cordoba for $500. My sister made him drop her off down the street from the high school. He sold that boat/bomber for $500 3 years later and never had to put a dime into it besides oil and filter changes. Those huge side doors were something though. You had to slightly lift them to get them shut and the passenger door would randomly fly open on left turns. LOL.
As a good friend of mine (Ford mechanic) once told me: "After you work on everyone else's junk all day, the last thing you want to do is go home and work on your own junk."
True it took me 2 weeks to fix my water pump leak on my own truck. I'd come home and pull a couple bolts and say F this and went back inside. It only takes a couple hours to do just no motivation after doing it all day
@@theconsigliere8463 Mechanics make enough money to send it to someone else to work on. Nobody wants to work on their days off or even after work. Especially doing the same shit you do at work unless you're a porn star. 😂
@@ebogar42 what mechanic is making enough to throw it away paying someone else to work on their car? It would make more sense for me to take a day of work to fix my car rather than work 4 days to earn the money to pay for one days labor somewhere else.
@@steinbauge4591 car was a daily driver for 20 years in upstate new york, they all rust out up there eventually, it was repaired and patched many times over the years, the frame cracking at the rear control arm mounts finally did it in.
@@BigBing1987 They don't last forever but lanoline (FluidFilm in the US) is quite unbelievable. it saved my Ford Escort 1977 from major welding - just stopped the rust cold. Can be used on surface rust, goes into the pores of the steel - saves a ton of work as all the rust does not need to be removed.
But maybe a bit too happy and energetic when changing Hoovie's AMG transmission fluid with the Wizard... He's being very methodical now with the "Porsche" Spyder !
I understand this philosophy perfectly. I have worked in IT for 18 years now and I apply the same thought process to my technology at home. I have mostly older, reliable tech and things I've built myself. I don't want to spend the weekend fixing broken shit!
And after a hard 12 hour day....you get into your armchair-on-wheels and waft home 😊 I wish those were any use in the UK, but our narrow roads and ridiculous fuel prices make them unusable
But that doesn't explain why The Wizard has owned more cars than toothbrushes. Dozens. And not for very good reasons. Buying and selling depreciating assets is never smart.
@@BSGSV That is true but its different for a mechanic. They buy cheap because something is broke, fix it and sell for a profit. Whole different scenario vs the common person. For the average person, cars are a terrible investment, actually not an investment at all. There are rare occasions that you make money and not know it. Like my Father, we have a 1960 bug in our Family. Been in the family since 1963 my Grandfather paid $600 for it. It was just appraised by Hagerty for $30k. So there are exemptions to the rule, but its not a "common" rule. Mechanics can flip cars by use of their trade.
@@James-oo1yq You can still do the same here...Ford Focus, VW Golf/B5 Passat, Skoda Superb etc that aren't that old aren't worth much and are very comfortable. I know our fuel prices are much more, but I've got a MK4 Golf diesel and in 35k miles all I've had go wrong is a seized brake caliper which can happen on anything. It's comfortable, friends that use it say it's really comfortable (although it does really need 4 new shock absorbers)..the seats are much softer than most of the new cars that I've sat in. As I say, 35k miles aside from servicing it's also had its timing belt change, the caliper I've mentioned...Oh and a brake switch failed (by the brake pedal inside the car, that put on a check engine light and I had no working brake lights...Cost £13 new from VW and took me 20 mins after I found a RU-vid vid). You can do it, people here in the UK tend to get rid of cars after 10-15yrs, so if you're careful, not fussy, don't mind driving a manual etc you can get a good car for under £1K and run for 3-4yrs without any major problems. If you want cheap look at a 10-15yr old Ford Fiesta (even Peugeot 206/207) with the 1.4HDi diesel.. great on fuel, cheap to buy, cheap to insure, £30 tax. Okay no comfortable barge but its still cheap motoring. Don't like that look at what I've mentioned before, look at Skoda and Seat. Want to go old luxury..Lexus. LS400? but then bad MPG, tax and I'd imagine more expensive insurance. There's loads of 10-15yr old luxury cars for sale here because nobody wants them as they're complicated and expensive as they age.
I would say that was an indicator of success. Not a sign of incompetence. Is there anything shameful of owning a new vehicle? Does he not have a job to obtain a comfortable standard of life for himself?
Through high school I drove a '92 Buick Roadmaster, but it was a wagon version with the fake wood siding. It was an absolute beast. The V8 roared like a wild animal, it could drift around corners or long sweeping turns with ease, and if anything went wrong with it my dad and I would spend a Saturday afternoon fixing it with just a google search for the manual and a trip to the local auto shop to buy the readily available parts. I miss that car more and more as I get older.
I just talked about it with my mechanic from BMW workshop. He drives an old toyota camry V6. I asked him why he doesn't drive a BMW since he has a BMW workshop. He said: "I repair BMW cars 12 hours a day, so I'd rather go somewhere after work than repair my own BMW" ;)
Cause he’s dumb and doesn’t buy the right bmw. I’m a bmw mechanic and drive an e39 530. Car has 200k and doesn’t skip a beat. No lights. Passes inspection every year. Never quits.
@@michaelric3540 yes until it doesn’t. Sure there’s some examples of bmw’s lasting to 300k but do you not remember the million mile Tacoma? Even Toyota wanted to know wtf they did so right there. They over engineer basically every car they put out you just can’t say they don’t run forever when you take care of them.
@@keithbroh5730 bmw did a test and it found that with regular service intervals their engines would last 1,000,000 miles plus with no major engine wear, intact cylinder hones, and virtually no camshaft wear. It’s all about maintenance.
@@kennethclifford1863 Same reason I left the IT field. The hardware and software were both interesting, like I always had a puzzle to put together or a mystery to solve. The people, however, were almost always rude and most often were the cause of device/software failures and blamed everything (including me) but themselves. Many trades would be much more pleasant if the direct dealing of customers was eliminated.
Said someone who understands the mind of mechanics everywhere. And the newer cars get, the more "un-fun" doing this kind of work becomes. I've gotten to where most days I honestly hate it. But, I can't imagine being tied down to a desk all day either...
@@AdamIsUrqed I bring my MX5 to a small specialist shop run by a father and his son. They only do MX5/Miata and they enjoy their customers. I and many others drive two or three hours to their shop which is half way across the Netherlands.
@Black Dragon Nothing is wrong, but for us europeans its too big and definitly not economical in my country, we pay 1,30 USD for litre of gasoline... you lucky americans pay 0,675 and thats why we have smaller engines or lpg conversions :(
I'm a marine mechanic by trade and I bought my grandmothers '95 Buick LeSabre exactly for these reasons. It had 112,000 grocery getting miles with shopping cart dents that looked like it was in a sideways hail storm covered by scratches down the sides from backing out of the garage. But, the ticket was it blew ice cold AC and the leather seats were just Lazy Boy recliners. And at the end of a hot day after being on your feet...a cold Lazy Boy is what you want
@@davidp8627 Watch out for the plastic intake manifold, you will see a coolant leak in the driveway if you're lucky or it will explode under the hood while you're driving it. The 100,000 mark is around when they go bad. I avoid the years from 1996 to 2001, that's when they used the composite manifold. Otherwise they are great cars, have been driving the panther platform, Mercury Grand Marquis's and Lincoln town Cars for the past 35 years.
I've been wrenching on cars for over 45 years. Just replaced my Land Rover that I bought on auction for $3,200 (plus my maintenance and $1500 in tires, shocks, oils) and I drove it on/off road for 240k miles. Simple to fix and a few tricks that I learned, but who gets a quarter million miles off a $5k car? Granny Car Buys!
I used to own a ‘87 Pontiac and had a front crash with another car which was built in the mid 2000s at about 30mph. My car had a small bend on its front bumper easily fixed. The other car looked like crushed paper, instantly totaled. Good thing nobody was injured. It shows how strong old cars were built.
@@WorldlyBudget modern cars are designed to crumple for a reason. Its very easy to understand when you realise that force has to exerted through the car, and that either you’re going to take that force, or your car takes that force and dissipates it through crumple zones. You only need to look at crash tests from the 80s till today and see which is the better option. You can always pay for another car, or fix damage. You can’t get a new spinal chord or replace your crushed skull.
@@elizabethjansen2684 Not true at all. Safety ratings are far more rigorous than they used to be. These old vehicles wouldn't even score 2 stars by modern standards. Crumple zones are just that, ZONES. They do not crumple into you and if you are in a wreck so bad that they somehow do, that would have been a wreck you never would have survived in an older vehicle.
I bought a 92 Roadmaster after seeing this video and now I'm getting a 94! Excellent car I love the Roadmasters!! Thanks for the advice CAR WIZARD! I PLAN ON HAVING AN ENTIRE FLEET OF THESE THEYRE SO GREAT
Dad had a 79 Pontiac Catalina. He worked at the steel mill, so he wanted a cheap beater that he didn't mind getting dirty, etc. That car lasted a long, long time.
My old man is a mechanic, he’s always refused to work on my or my little brothers cars because he hates working on cars. Literally haven’t even spent 20 mins in a garage with him ever lol.
I used to work on cars in my spare time. I still do from time to time. Just bought myself a Lexus after trading in my Corolla I put 95k trouble free miles in 4 years time. It rides like a land yacht but looks better, is totally reliable and not too bad on gas either.
I have 2 mechanics: One drives a Lexus and the other one a big Chevy pickup. Anytime I’ve asked, the recommendation for years has been the same: Lexus/Toyota.
They’re called Grandma Cars because Grandmas can and do work on them! And because each one can fit five grandmas, as they drive to bingo, pot-lucks, and gang meetings.
I love that era Buick Roadmaster land yacht. I'm 6'-3", and was impressed when I first saw how roomy the interior is especially in the back! It's like sitting in a rolling opera theatre. They're also gorgeous cars.
@@everythinggrowsyaheard I got one for $800. Maybe put in $7-800 in parts, more than it needed. Changed the whole steering linkage to grease fittings. Driving it for years, put about 80K miles. It is a 98.
well a police crown vic has a LOT of hours on the engine, a lot more than the miles on it might suggest. They idle their squad cars for long periods and are likely more worn than civilian-owned crown vics. I think Wizard touched on this point before
Police Vics are not bad though, the ride is fine, not pillow soft, but definitely average. They have substantially more power (30hp) more than the civilian models, and the transmission is upgraded as well. The best part is that the parts are interchangeable, so you can put town car seats in a police car. Yes, they tend to be well worn, but Gov't vehicles tend to be maintained well.
I remember him saying in the video when he bought the Grand Marquis he would never sell it because he couldn’t stand to see anything happen to a car that nice and his wife laughed at him
I almost spat out my drink with the opening view of the Roadmaster and Grand Marquis! Back in the day I used to scrounge the back lot (before the Cash for Clunkers days) where the real bargains were. I first found a 1983 Grand Marquis - 27k miles (it was 1993) and the Lincoln dealer didn't want it on their lot. I bought it for ~$2500 and it was a dynamite car. The Roadmaster was a 1992 that came in with a blown motor, but was under factory warranty. The original owner was fed up and the dealer bought it back, but I bought it as the dealership was already in the process of replacing with a brand new engine. I paid a little more for this, but it was worth it and many great miles of cruising.
Oh yeah I owned a 95 9C1 police Caprice with all of that good stuff. I went to a u-pick junkyard and took the seats out of a Buick roadmaster and they bolted right in, secret luxury cars.
Love to know where these low mileage "grandma" cars are. My 1990 Volvo 240 was bought new by my mom when she was 60. By the time she gave up driving at 85, Arthur was up just past the 200,000 mile mark. He is at 400,000 now and running like new.
I drive a Lincoln continental mark III daily as a dealership mechanic. Old luxury cars are dirt cheap, supremely comfortable, and big block v8 engine torque still makes them fun to drive.👍
I found this channel a couple of weeks ago and now I’m totally addicted- he’s just so balanced and interesting and his videos are just so soothing and really intriguing.
"this is an engine you can work on for 1 or 2 hours without getting mad and throwing your wrenches through your garage" - why does the Jaguar XJ12 spring to mind when he says that? ;-)
Thanks, Wizard. Not only are American luxury cars comfortable, the people who buy them new drive them gently and take care of them. I have an '85 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. It was previously owned by a little old lady who drove it little, and kept it in a garage. It had only 47,000 miles when I bought it. It's beautiful and comfortable. Other than routine maintenance, it's been trouble-free for the last fifteen years. I plan to keep it forever. Keep up the good work.
@@Kenster1025 Shitferbrains decided to turn left in front of me in his Explorer. I had the right of way. 50 mph combined headon. I have knee injuries but actually walked away from that wreck. Sucks 'cause that '01 LTC was perfect at that point and I intended many more road trips in it.
I‘m the German Process Engineer out of the team who were flown over for a year to make the 3rd Generation 03-12 Panther platform happening at the Rouge River Frame stamping plant in Detroit. The hydroforming process alone took me more than a year to develop, for this monster of a frame and another year to commission the whole production line to rid out all flaws. It was a major effort from Ford and a real thorough endeavor, where they even had a bunch of retired engineers called in as well, to raise the quality. Stiffness was raised to such a level, that I feel sorry for any opponent in a crash with a Crown Vic to this day😄 A tank has nothing on these cars. Wall thickness of the frame tubes is 3.5mm and we hydroformed it with 1700 bar/24.656,42psi from round into a square, boxy shape. Magnificent stuff.
honestly, I was never into sporty cars my whole life. I'm 49, I've owned nearly 50 different cars at one point or another, and not one Camaro or Mustang in the bunch. My dad gave me his Shelby Charger as my first car, I immediately traded it to my sister for her Granada.
When I was little I always loved our Lincoln Town cars, and Mercury's to ride around in. Everyone said I was crazy and those are grandpa cars. So lets review: Comfortable, big trunk, safe, cornering headlights, power everything, looks nice too. Sports car: Rides like garbage but you can take a turn at 90. (Sure I do that all the time.) No golf clubs will fit but it will be in the shop quite a bit anyway so buy a golf cart. Depreciation factor: Do not ask. Want to see 100k turn into 20K just buy one and wait two years or less. I choose the open road and comfort and that you drive daily and safely.
This or an Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. The dealership I worked at had two in alternating rotations (one was a rebuilt wreck). Both sweet rides. The only problem that they had was that big ass dashboard pad catching the sunlight and blinding you. If I could find either the Buick or Oldsmobile full size wagons that haven't been ragged out at a decent price I would buy it without hesitation.
As a Brit I love how Americans describe 3 litre engines as small, over here you can frequently hear people describe tiny little 1.6s and under as large, our insurance costs are insane
Well it is small when you compare it to a 7.5 v8 460 big block or a dodge 8.0 v10 for example. Anything under say. 4.0 straight 6 would be considered small to a extent.
@@Fattony6666 facts we shouldn't have to give a duck about the environment when china is pumping strait coal smog into the atmosphere 😆 go beef with china and leave my v8 alone
Some of the german car mechanics channes I watch here on RU-vid have also complained about poor parts quality lately! So it's definitely not just an american problem!
Yeah, the Mercedes specialist who runs the Motoren Zimmer channel is always moaning about parts quality and recurring issues over multiple generations of the same car/engine that remain unfixed by Mercedes. Even small stuff like the rubber hoses hardening because Mercedes cut corners on quality hoses. You'd think Mercedes would just pay him off to shut him up! 😅
I’m not a mechanic by trade but I bought my 2004 Lincoln Town Car for those very same reasons. With a 100 mile round trip every day, I wanted to be comfortable.
I absolutely loved my Roadmaster. Never had a thing wrong with it. 49k miles and purred like a kitten. Left it at my parents for awhile for storage while I did some moving and changing jobs and my mom called one of those hotlines where you can donate cars to "homeless" people and got rid of it cause she thought I didn't want it anymore. I cried. I tracked it down to an auction halfway across the country. Auction proceeds went to a private individual who amazingly turned out to be not so homeless and probably making over 100k a year. Never been so pissed in my life.
My mom got rid of about $1000 in home stereo equipment I had. It was the best equalizer I ever had and two huge 15 inch subs in a box. New they were probably $2000 or more. She threw them out and claimed to not even know what it was. I called bullshit because I don't see her lifting or moving the subs herself and had to know what it was. Then after pressing her she was just like, "I was tired of looking at them". They were in my old room she's never even in. If she wanted them moved she could have gave me a heads up.
My EX sister-in-law sold my brothers Corvair one day while he was at work. 😡 for $500. 🤬 Years later he SAW it, waited till the own returned and asked him if was willing to sell it, he was the husband of the now EX that sold it blah, blah. Naaaah that dude wanted $22k for it. Poor bubba!
I have a soft spot for those late 80s early 90s "grandma cars". My grandpa had his moms (my great grandmother) 91 (or 93?) Plymouth Aclaim. Had the V6, 3spd auto trans (with lockup but no OD). That thing was awesome. Was a pretty reliable car.
I want to take a minute and compliment your camera...’man’ or ‘woman’. His/her hands are steady and they know how to anticipate what you’ll speak to next. Bravo!
yes indeedy, i have a 2004 daihatsu mira as a daily, cost me £200 with under 30k miles, plus tyres all round and 2 cv joints as it had been sitting ten years. it sips petrol from a tiny cup, and obvs i bought it through my trade contacts. My weekend car, which I drive about 10 times a year, is an Mr2. Non turbo, but jdm. Mira Sailed through 2 Mots so far, but then again........trade, and it's my daily, not a car I will sell.
@@urbantuckerman yep! Good idea. For me my cheap is a Toyota Corolla 94. My weekend is 2017 C63 AMG S. Got a stupid good deal on both. I could normally not justify spending the usual cost in the c63 but got it about 19 K under market due to owner ASSUMING it had a major engine issue. When all it needed was 1400$ in electric work. Nothing compared to my savings. Other wise the car was PERFECT. Looked brand new. Smelled new. still does.
A colleague bought and used a Caterham 21 as his daily driver! The first person to put 100000 miles on one. However, he also had a Citroen Saxo to use when the Caterham was off the road; 15 months when the chassis rusted through and he had to get Caterham to make him a new one.
This is why I love American cars. When I was a kid my mate's dad had a Ford Fairline (1960s classic).Big V8. It could really shift and seated my mate, me, another friend, AND our girlfriends with acres to spare. Then when I was older I got a Pontiac Firebird which I used to fix (water pump etc replaced) easily, despite knowing little about cars, could practically get into that engine bay, and everything was so straightforward. And they look awesome. Jeremy Clarkson can go jump.
1. Nobody steals them. 2.Park it anywhere unlocked. 3. reliability. reliability RELIABILITY 4. Parts available from nearly anywhere. (Says the guy who drives a 20 year old mercedes SLK,, lol .) (We used to call them Buick Toadsmashers)
My all time favorite car I owned was a Crown Vic police car. That car was comfortable, handled like a cat, and would go through snow like a 4 wheel drive.
One of my friends that's sadly no longer with us, adored the buicks. The way they felt like big luxary boats with these huge seats and so much space. It was a joy to ride around in. He had like 3 or 4 of them when we were teens and young adults. Cause he'd always buy cheap and used and drive them to death. But man were they comfy.
The real question is why do grandmas and grandpas buy these cars in the first place? They didn't come up in a consumer culture where everything is disposable. They wanted value, not cheap, but value, easy and inexpensive to maintain, long lasting, and comfortable on their old bones.
I remember going to Auto Shows in my youth: Mercury's Grand Marquis was marketed as the archetypical "Old Folk's" ride...even in the brochures, senior citizen models were shilling this car.
Yet police officers and undercover detectives ride them and still are. I mean, panther platform is very dependent on the trim and color you choose. You can make that 4.6l v8 a baddie if you wanted to, add some borla exhaust. Nice wheels, nice matte paint job. Nice sound system and you've got a completely different set up of a grandma car.
Your voice is so calm and even toned that you should do audio books for relaxation. Or an hour long+ video of you talking about cars would also probably work.
I love watching your presentation skills improving and your comfort in front of the camera increasing with every video. You never as bad as Hoovie when he started out, though.
V6 and RWD are a great combination. I like that better than a V6 and FWD combination. I have both, one a GM Holden and the other an 01 Camry touring. Holden seats are great and give me better visibility and comfort. Both are 22 years old. The loins share of repairs on both have been on the front suspensions.
Caprice, Roadmaster and Fleetwood, all were great cars. Comfortable, durable and relatively efficient, especially when you consider cost of ownership (repairs). 1993 and earlier had conventional 350s, and 1994-96 were LT1 equipped.
When I was an up and coming carpenter, I worked out of an Oldsmobile wagon. During the ice storm it was unstoppable with posi rear and weight balance. Dry tools in the back.
@@larrynorsworthy8582 I worked as a painter out of my Caprice wagon, and later on I got a Pontiac Safari with the woodgrain sides. I took it camping upstate, too, I can't even remember why I got rid of it.
I worked as a commercial construction electrician and had an 8 year old 1980 Cadillac Coupe de Ville I bought from a wealthy suburban wife. Car was garage kept with 51,000 miles and looked near showroom new. She sold it to me for $1500. Drove it 10 years and put another 200k miles on it. I wish I kept it.
I'm a mechanic for 30 yrs working on electric generation plants. I drive a 1987 420SEL gas burner V 8 and love it ! Do most all repairs and maintenance myself. Very easy to work on and parts are not expensive. Drives and rides excellent !
You hit the nail on the head. I drove grandma cars a long time. Cheap and easy to maintain. Then 10 years of driving them, my wife refused to drive them so I bought a Honda. It's been good to me but the power and comfort is not there.
I own a 97 grand marquis. 4.6 double exhaust, high ratio differential, blue interior / blue exterior 👑. 100k miles. Bought it used at 50k. I love that thing, ride is smooth and that v8 rumble gorgeously at high rpm, delivering high quality torque with those fine 225 Yokohama tires I put on it 🙂
There are few things more annoying than going to all the trouble to replace a part and then find out it's faulty. B&B Auto Parts was guilty of this many times for me, circa 35 years ago. Once I had to return a starter three times before I had one that worked. At that point, I'd had enough and never went back and forever named that business (Bring It Back Auto Parts Store). I guess this problem is rampant these days and makes me glad I'm not an auto mechanic. Thanks for a superb video. I'll be back. Cheers
This guy knows his stuff. I was a mechanic for 30+ years and pretty much everything he says rings true. I also like his laidback demeanor. That idiot scotty is annoying as hell. I have a 2006 tundra and a 2000 sienna van. I always tell people buy a toyota or honda. They make the most reliable cars out there. Thx car wizard! You da man!
I love "grandma" cars! 91-92 Caprice and 93-96 Fleetwood have been my dream cars since high school. I'd actually rather have that Roadmaster than Porsches or other sports/muscle cars you mentioned.
I’m surprised that roadmaster isn’t blushing with all the recognition it’s being given. I love the road masters, LT1 aside, the interiors are beautiful. BIG EDIT: SHOUT OUT TO MAGIC MIKE FOR GETTING THIS BEAUTIFUL MACHINE.
For years I used to pride myself on repairing the family cars,saving myself costly repair bills,not anymore.Nowadays you have to have technical training to do anything on your vehicle,the backyard mechanic days are over,Thank you automotive egineers.
I call the paint colour of this type of car "AARP Gold." It's the Official Paint Job of the car that exists to fill a parking spot at the retirement community, moving out of its spot at most five times in the year: Spring holiday (Easter, Passover, other as appropriate), taking the grandkids shopping one day during summer holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and one of a wedding/funeral/family reunion.
Had a '94 in burgundy. Without exception, the most comfortable ride I've experienced. Also, for tall dudes, the head room getting in and out is great in a Buick- got a 2000 Park Ave now with 103k on it.