I like how bespoke post sent you everything you need to burn down your current garage while trying to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together... Also check out the channel robot cantina, he puts weird engines into cars. I bet that if you put together a steam engine of the right size you could team up with him to get it put into a car creating a sweet street steam car!
Suggestion for your car: Paint the hood before it starts to rust. The black coating that most replacement body parts come with is not weather proof. Even a couple of spray cans worth of Dupli-color would go a long way toward protecting it.
Yes, and being in the USA that original Toyota colour is available in a spray can. First dry thoroughly, then light sand, then degrease, then a light few coats of primer, then a 3 coat light spray cover to match, followed by a topcoat. With that you can also do the bumper as well, just use a can of plastic primer as the first 2 coats, before doing the rest. Use the 2k spray cans, where you have to break an internal seal to mix them, which will come out looking almost like factory finish, though if you do it right it will have a lot less orange peel than the original.
I love seeing you salvage what at first glance is a "giant pile of fire junk" and reuse the socket set. That would be a great candidate for saying why people should buy metal over plastic
I felt a mix of emotions seeing you pry your tools from that fused pile of rubble, it was definitely sad to be forced to do that but it also felt good because of the renewing process, it hit that itch I always feel to recycle and repair, waste always upsets me but to see your recovery after such a sucky event was/is inspiring. I love the How To Make Everything channel and wish you luck in recovering the work lost and new progression toward the original goal, keep up the good work and thank you.
I mean he’s able to turn his misfortune into content so he’s pretty lucky to not be stuck just worrying about fixing all this while working a regular 9-5
@@JohnDoe-dh8xc How To Make Everything's misfortune erased a huge amount of his life's work, work that many people helped him build, construction was over the course of years and required trips across the country that cannot be easily repeated, the result was one of a kind tools/products. He's using the experiences he learned from and working hard to rebuild everything he can and recoup from the major loss of things he poured hundreds of hours of his life into. Loss is much worse when it's something with an emotional connection. Someone with a different life might struggle more if the same event happened to them but that doesn't make the real loss experienced by a non-hypothetical person any less significant, saying "Oh but he would struggle more if he were a 9-5 worker" certainly doesn't help people working 9-5 and it doesn't help the actual victim in this situation How To Make Everything, do you think he doesn't deserve sympathy/empathy because he has a UA-cam channel and can record and share what happened? Just because their face is behind a camera doesn't mean they're any less human, everyone suffers when bad things happen to them, things beyond their control, recovery should always be encouraged and loss never be belittled.
I had a woman sideswipe my 2001 Corvette a few years back. The shops didn't want to touch it because of the fiberglass panels, so they just gave me a big estimate (around $6000) so I'd take the insurance payment and go away. I ended up finding a color matched used door on ebay for $250, and the scuffs on the fenders 95% buffed out. It took an afternoon to fix, and I used the profit to pay off my student loan balance.
Fiberglass can be a bit dangerous to work with/around, so I kinda understand why the shops didn't want to deal with it. I hope you had the proper PPE while removing the damaged panels. Fiberglass can scar your lungs if you inhale it and can irritate your skin if you accidentally scrub it into your pores. So basically, a face shield, long sleeves, gloves, and a filtered respirator are a must when handling damaged fiberglass. Glad that you were able to fix it and put the excess funds toward that loan, but please do be careful in the future. Research materials to understand the risks associated with handling them.
@@hauntedshadowslegacy2826 There was very little actual structural damage to the fiberglass. I think it was only actually broken in one small spot. Either way, it was years ago, and I'm not dead yet.
Okay, so this HTME episode isn't about recreating technology from the stone age onward. But it's so cool seeing you recover your tools and your car from the fire. I also love seeing the issues with getting the right parts shipped to you. Been there, done that, although with home-related products.
PAINT Clean that rust from the front of the car, use rust remover and then sand/wirebrush the surfaces clean, then Warm the surfaces and apply paint. Otherwise it will rust out and eventually become unsafe After that I would give lining up the bonnet and front bumper another go. You haven't removed the wings, so use them for an initial lineup, then get the headlights right, then the bumper, then chase it backwards to the bonnet again, lather rinse repeat infuriatingly for a few hours, and then accept that it was probably better before you started :D
Leaning into it like this is the right call and really admirable in my opinion. We'll all need to get a lot better about fixing things rather than just replacing them in the coming years.
For example, local scrap yard got my '09 Mazda3. It has 250,000 miles on it, but the motor was sound (oil analysis said it looked like a motor with less than half the miles), and it had new brakes, new struts up front, new shocks out back, new sway bar links, name brand tires with about 50% life, and some other newish parts (less than 10k miles). Who ever gets those parts will be quite happy. On the other hand, whoever gets the transmission, sorry, but not only is the clutch completely gone, so are the syncros on 2nd gear. The electric brake booster is total garbage too. And all the suspension parts need new bushings. And the axles are toast. And the battery is barely holding a charge. And the AC is on it's last leg..... Yeah.... There was a reason I sold it for scrap, haha.
The best deal I ever got was for my old Ford. I lost the Power steering tension pulley while driving over a pass. When I got him the only places that sold it was for the whole mounting unit and pulley, and because how it bolted in I needed that exact pulley. They wanted $600 for the unit and either had to pay a mechanic to install it, or take apart nearly half my engine to get to the bolt that held in on myself. (the new units the pulley didn't come off) Well I managed to find a junkyard with my year and model car, $5 later I had a newish pulley and bolt. Was a lucky find for a kid in college.
Some time (alot now a days with newer cars) ording parts can be much cheaper. Alot of Junkyards know the cost of scrap or the part you are taking and maybe get a ok deal on it but when you factor in your own time, gas to get there to find it (most the time you need to remove it)
@@scottmcfarlane7524 well i needed a dash for a 1994 chevy suburban... cheapest I found available online was like $700... so I checked the junkyard. Got one for $70, all I had to do was paint it to match my interior. The color is slightly brighter than the original blue, but since everything else is the darker blue it actually looks really good. And I saved ALOT
Man big respect for actually going for it and repairing your burned shit. I've been in this situation and there really is no way to express how disgusting a house fire is. Beyond the physical appearance of your burned out life, you also have the burned out stench. It's impossible to portray over video just how upsetting and difficult this situation can be. Wishing you all the best my friend.
Using tools reclaimed from the fire to repair damage made by the fire. It's things like this that always make your content so great! Glad to see you're making the best of what you have!
I think what drew me (and probably others) to your channel from the start was your willingness to dive into the unknown and figure it out. Seeing that materialize in this video by fixing your car yourself was as inspiring as it was satisfying! Well done!
FIxing up cars isn't what this channel is about, but being scrappy and inventive, getting your hands dirty, and learning new things IS what this channel is about. Glad to see you (literally!) picking up the pieces.
Sometimes it's really nice to be able to fix your own car. Other times it's just best to hand it over to a mechanic. But simple things are very satisfying to fix on your own.
Had to learn this kind of thing when I started delivering pizzas in my car. I never learned how to work on cars growing up like some kids but I put thousands of mile of wear and tear on that thing and couldn't afford a mechanic when stuff broke. Turns out, its shockingly easy to fix a car with a little googling and some basic tools. Most car parts are modular and meant to be swapped and replaced and the knowledge of how to do it is freely shared online. Definitely one of the more worthwhile skills I've picked up over the years.
Do it, even if it's just small things like changing tires. In my area they chare 5-10 € per wheel. By doing it myself I safe up to 80€ a year and thats just the tip of the iceberg.
With time, patience, and some tutorials, car repairs are not impossible. Glad to see you fix it yourself and save an otherwise good car from being junked! Keep up the good work and showing people learning new skills is not hard but also rewarding 😎.
I've been avoiding your videos about the fire as it unfortunately triggers some of my own past trauma, but then this autoplayed... And I'm glad it did. This was nothing short of beautiful; to reclaim, heal, and restore even a small part of what had been twisted and lost. It brought me to tears. Absolutely amazing. I hope the rest of your projects go just as well. That ultrasonic cleaner and vinegar sure does wonders!
Awesome video! It definitely shows off how valuable it can be to perform certain kinds of repairs yourself. I really loved the restoration of the socket set too! It's a great reminder that often the things many people would see as trash have a lot of life left in them!
You are amazing! You were given abilaties that out shine 95 % or more than anyone else ever born. You have a lot of blessings you haven't touched yet. I just wish I were your neighbor so I could have helped in whatever small way I could, being 74 and combining back from back surgery. After watching your speeded up video of your car repair, I feel like I can do more myself. Thank hut
Should definitely have gotten ALL parts from the junk yard. You can usually find the parts with the original color that matches yours. Please carry a fire extinguisher just in case some wires got brittle and starts a fire. Lastly, at minimum, rotate the front tires to the rear. If the tires were damaged, you want the best tires in the front so you don’t loose control in case of a blowout. Sorry to sound extreme, but those issues can be very serious. Coming from a mechanic…..
Solid advice all round. Though a parts vehicle off Craigslist is also good. I got in an accident and totaled the bed on my truck (the one in my pfp), and we were able to find a truck with a good bed on Craigslist for $500. Another $400 for a shop to swap the beds and fix some overspray and I was good to go. A lot better than the $8000 they wanted to fix it with replacement panels.
Ive always loved the idea of repairing everything rather than landfill and replacement but you repair and create a lot of things I hadnt even considered possible or 'reasonably achievable', things like repairing your socket set, very cool stuff!
I feel happy watching this video, this shows that even when bad luck brings you down, you can still get back and learn tons of stuff on the way up. You did a great job Andy 👏
Do you really think people underestimate it? Maybe some of them are jealous of those who can. I so admire it. It's great! So is being handy with tools. I think Andy underestimated how capable he is of learning such "handy" skills like car repair. He's does so much on his channel and the skill for learning such things translates. He also understood how the parts of the car go together and how a car 'works" as well.
My favorite channels, How To Make Everything, I Like to Make Stuff, and Diresta. All of you guys are working on vehicles and you make it look so easy. Getting the urge to do some automotive repair myself now.
I love that you are turning lemons into lemonade with the fire. With disease, fire was one of the biggest dangers to the lives of developed people throughout history. I would love to see more on this thread of you examining the "recovering from the fire process" that included commentary on how people used to do that!
Destruction of possessions and structures by fire is a huge advancement in the history of human technology! Great job Andy keep on chugging through history
Although this seems very off brand for you i actually think this is the soul of most of your projects (and the reason why i love your ideas): looking deeply at objects and their history, not taking things for granted, doing it yourself, being self reliant. In the video in which you told us about the fire everything looked pretty much gone to me. I think you should thank yourself for salvaging so much stuff. Good luck!
even though it's a kinda stop to the reset series, it's really nice to see you actually putting in the time and effort the create a new kind of 'reset' series. keep it up!
Seeing you restore the car is a real tangible sign of progress. When I saw you salvage the tools at first I was like "Just buy new". Then I remembered which channel I'm watching. Surprised you didn't try and make a new set of sockets yourself. Glad to see you're getting the channel up and running again. Hopefully you can build some momentum!
Seeing the title of the video, I thought "Oh cool he is going to fix his car" then at the beginning when you got your socket set and refurbished that from the wreckage, I was like "this is why I like this channel" Kudos to you all!
You should get a bench top grinder with a wire wire wheel and a wire wheel for an angle grinder. I’m a blacksmith and it’s one of the most useful tools to restore and refinish old parts. It also leaves some of the story of the parts life.
When I first saw your car I was surprised that the insurance company totalled it. Almost like they didn't even look at it before they made up their mind. Good job fixing it up.
Hey really great job on this. While maybe not the prettiest repair (and as others said, you should protect the unfinished bits to prevent rusting), you turned something that most people would just scrap into something functional. If I were in a similar situation I think I would be to despondent to even attempt something like this.
I would suggest getting the proper spring-type hose clamps for the coolant hoses soon. The worm gear style Jose clamps from the hardware store don't allow for thermal expansion and will more often than not lead to leaks if the part they are clamping the hose to cracks or breaks. It's usually cheaper to get the proper hose clamps than replace the part. Nice job overall!
I’m happy for you it’s a great feeling accomplishment. I wish I could post a picture of my wife’s car I repaired after it went into the ditch. I’m no mechanic myself
Nice to see it. My newest car recently kicked the bucket, but I've had a garage kept vw for about 8 years now that I just always refused to get rid of. She just needed a new(used) motor and I just hadn't had the time. But here I am about $1200 bucks in I have a near pristine 2008 car with only 28k on the replacement motor. Which as you mentioned, getting a running driving car today for that cost is next to impossible. And I FULLY understand the pain of losing your only/primary vehicle. That sent me on a full downward "OMG WHAT AM I GONNA DO" thing for about a week, then I rolled up my sleeves. Hats off to your strength and willingness to press on and learn some amazing skills while you're at it.
I don't know how to say this but, I'm really proud of you! The car came out way better that I would have been able to do! Really Nice!!! That's life! 2 steps forward, 1 back and 2 forward again!
11:23 "When I was able to do it myself, I was able to get ahead a fair amount" Found that out with my first car. You're never to old to learn a new skill.
Why the random obscurification boxes? I get hiding registration plates/addresses, but there seems to be a lot of stuff hidden that wouldn't reveal any info.
thats awesome. i would have liked a quick break down on the socket set tbh, i think you from your unfortunate situation you have a real interesting opportunity
As for ideas maybe see about forging or casting a new badge for the front, then hang the slightly melted one up on a plaque as a bit of a trophy/memory. Seeing you learn to paint the car would be fun but not cheap unfortunately and probably not a great cold-weather project. Congrats on bringing it back to life!
Add a battery pack to the car that charges with solar panels on the roof. Then you could use the car to charge all your equipment, and run some tools. You could also hard mount some lights on the bumper and use those to help light wherever you're working.
Haynes manuals are a great resource for maintaining / repairing cars on this side of The Pond. I assume they (or their equivalent) are available there. Then you can (hopefully) salvage the right parts from a breaker at your local scrap yard., and you're good to go
This must have been satisfying to know that something as expensive as a car is in your capacity to fix and save huge amounts on when faced with the cost of recovering all that the fire took
Ok so I have a Prius C as well. I gave it a lift kit, larger tires, roof rack, tow hitch, and a dimmable light bar....so there's some ideas! Oh, project I do want to to is to install an inverter so I can use it as a small generator. You'll have to pull off the auxiliary battery which limits you to 80A @ 12v
I've done all that but the roof rack and light bar so far on my C as well! Even replaced the AGM auxiliary battery with a LiFePO4 unit so the inverter can run for longer.
I don't know about your state, but after a total loss you typically need to get a brake & light inspection plus an emissions test and often a highway patrol inspection of the VIN with a review the parts receipts (especially if you use used parts). Lastly the registration to revive, essentially like a transfer. I usually add $750 for those expenses.
I know this is a few weeks late, but since the car probably would be difficult to sell now, and you can as you pointed out do anything to it without concern, maybe try making your own automotive paint and car wash wash set. Car wax, soap, the sponge, bucket. Fresh coat of homemade outdoor paint. And maybe see about building modifications, like a roof rack. Really get that after the end feel to your car.
Glad you were able to get the car back on the road. As a lifelong mechanic for my own vehicles, the getting of wrong parts from the auto stores seems to be a reoccurring event. Real annoying to say the least.
When I saw Andy hold up the melted socket set case, I though he was going to go, "Whelp, we're going to buy a new one." But no! He digs out each tool from the melted plastic. Wow. I'm early in the episode, and I'm fully expecting him to grab a rock. Way to go!
This makes me a lot more confident in starting to turn wrenches on my Ranger and F-350. I've always been one to just pay someone else to do it, so I don't have to deal with screwing it up.
I've been trying to fix more things myself rather than throwing them away or paying a ton of money to fix something that may not be worth it. This may be a bit of a departure from your regular content, but I'm excited to see more!
I don't have a car, but as an artist, something I definitely want to do once I have one is paint a landscape on it - I don't know if that's something you'd be interested in but it would be a cool project to do with your car
I think this is potentially an interesting option to try and restore some tools using tech you've already gotten. Ancient peoples would have also had to deal with fire damage, and would have also tried to salvage and recover what they could. eg: diy vinegar bath setup instead of the ultrasonic cleaner with of course allowance for using new tools if the previous ones are still damaged, like the sponsor ax
I really really liked this video. I just wish you could have shared more details. By that I mean slowed the time lapse down and made a much longer video. I would love to have seen any struggles you had or any "Yes, got it the first time!" moments. Plus, I wanted to hear the horn.
My grandfathers house was completely burned down during the 2019-2020 black summer fires, and the fire got so hot it melted the aluminium/ lower melting point metals in his bike, including parts of the engine. We were very surprised to find a cooled puddle of metal in his shed.
I'd love to see a video where you make your own paint using the char from your shop in the ingredients. Maybe you can use it to paint your car and new shop?
Did you check gaskets and rubber/plastics parts (hoses, window seals etc) ? The heat may have damaged parts that are not visible and may lead to leaks in the future. Cheers mate and stay safe!
I've always grappled with what I should repair myself and what I should get someone to do. Because I have to take time off work to do anything big it almost always makes more sense to hire someone because a professional can do it much quicker than I can...
All I could think about as you were recovering your socket set was that here you were doing archeology on your own personal ancient civilization. Not exactly but glad you are doing this and sharing it with us.
Not sure if it's possible, but I think you could fit a crank handle starter to your car. Like you see on old cars, but if your starter motor ever failed, or maybe just the battery ran down, you could just get the crank handle out and still get going.
Get 20% off your first monthly box when you sign up at bespokepost.com/htme20 and use promo code HTME at checkout!
"Gentlemen we can rebuild her we have the technology..."
the cool thing about car repair, you can learn as you go, and you can ask questions at your local parts shop
Awesome job Andy, you’re an inspiration. Enjoying following your journey of recovering from that awful fire.
"Get back up always get back up"
--- Luke Skywalker
I like how bespoke post sent you everything you need to burn down your current garage while trying to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together...
Also check out the channel robot cantina, he puts weird engines into cars. I bet that if you put together a steam engine of the right size you could team up with him to get it put into a car creating a sweet street steam car!
Suggestion for your car: Paint the hood before it starts to rust. The black coating that most replacement body parts come with is not weather proof. Even a couple of spray cans worth of Dupli-color would go a long way toward protecting it.
paint it pink ;)
Yes, and being in the USA that original Toyota colour is available in a spray can. First dry thoroughly, then light sand, then degrease, then a light few coats of primer, then a 3 coat light spray cover to match, followed by a topcoat. With that you can also do the bumper as well, just use a can of plastic primer as the first 2 coats, before doing the rest. Use the 2k spray cans, where you have to break an internal seal to mix them, which will come out looking almost like factory finish, though if you do it right it will have a lot less orange peel than the original.
If you look at the end there is already some rust, appears to be a used hood and not new. (look at 11:13)
Yeah that black coating is basically just a primer, isn't it?
Maybe paint the HTME logo on the hood?
I love seeing you salvage what at first glance is a "giant pile of fire junk" and reuse the socket set. That would be a great candidate for saying why people should buy metal over plastic
I felt a mix of emotions seeing you pry your tools from that fused pile of rubble, it was definitely sad to be forced to do that but it also felt good because of the renewing process, it hit that itch I always feel to recycle and repair, waste always upsets me but to see your recovery after such a sucky event was/is inspiring. I love the How To Make Everything channel and wish you luck in recovering the work lost and new progression toward the original goal, keep up the good work and thank you.
I mean he’s able to turn his misfortune into content so he’s pretty lucky to not be stuck just worrying about fixing all this while working a regular 9-5
@@JohnDoe-dh8xc How To Make Everything's misfortune erased a huge amount of his life's work, work that many people helped him build, construction was over the course of years and required trips across the country that cannot be easily repeated, the result was one of a kind tools/products. He's using the experiences he learned from and working hard to rebuild everything he can and recoup from the major loss of things he poured hundreds of hours of his life into. Loss is much worse when it's something with an emotional connection. Someone with a different life might struggle more if the same event happened to them but that doesn't make the real loss experienced by a non-hypothetical person any less significant, saying "Oh but he would struggle more if he were a 9-5 worker" certainly doesn't help people working 9-5 and it doesn't help the actual victim in this situation How To Make Everything, do you think he doesn't deserve sympathy/empathy because he has a UA-cam channel and can record and share what happened? Just because their face is behind a camera doesn't mean they're any less human, everyone suffers when bad things happen to them, things beyond their control, recovery should always be encouraged and loss never be belittled.
@@BenCDawson I’m not reading all of that lol
@@JohnDoe-dh8xc I didn't think you would
I agree with you that was kind of saddening to watch
I had a woman sideswipe my 2001 Corvette a few years back. The shops didn't want to touch it because of the fiberglass panels, so they just gave me a big estimate (around $6000) so I'd take the insurance payment and go away. I ended up finding a color matched used door on ebay for $250, and the scuffs on the fenders 95% buffed out. It took an afternoon to fix, and I used the profit to pay off my student loan balance.
Fiberglass can be a bit dangerous to work with/around, so I kinda understand why the shops didn't want to deal with it. I hope you had the proper PPE while removing the damaged panels. Fiberglass can scar your lungs if you inhale it and can irritate your skin if you accidentally scrub it into your pores. So basically, a face shield, long sleeves, gloves, and a filtered respirator are a must when handling damaged fiberglass. Glad that you were able to fix it and put the excess funds toward that loan, but please do be careful in the future. Research materials to understand the risks associated with handling them.
@@hauntedshadowslegacy2826 There was very little actual structural damage to the fiberglass. I think it was only actually broken in one small spot. Either way, it was years ago, and I'm not dead yet.
@@jasepoag8930 Yeah, it's great that you didn't get harmed from it. At least your exposure was minimal. Glad to know it's so far in the past, too.
Okay, so this HTME episode isn't about recreating technology from the stone age onward. But it's so cool seeing you recover your tools and your car from the fire. I also love seeing the issues with getting the right parts shipped to you. Been there, done that, although with home-related products.
PAINT
Clean that rust from the front of the car, use rust remover and then sand/wirebrush the surfaces clean, then Warm the surfaces and apply paint. Otherwise it will rust out and eventually become unsafe
After that I would give lining up the bonnet and front bumper another go. You haven't removed the wings, so use them for an initial lineup, then get the headlights right, then the bumper, then chase it backwards to the bonnet again, lather rinse repeat infuriatingly for a few hours, and then accept that it was probably better before you started :D
Prying your tools from melted rubble.
It's the ultimate show of commitment to your craft, waste nothing, build everything.
Awe inspiring.
I've always thought of this channel as a theoretical "How do we recover post apocalypse?" concept, and this video really gives that an emphasis.
Might not be the apocalypse, but having your car wrecked is certainly a disaster one can be proud of recovering from.
Leaning into it like this is the right call and really admirable in my opinion. We'll all need to get a lot better about fixing things rather than just replacing them in the coming years.
Consulting your local junkyard can save you money and time (don’t have to wait for shipping). Wrecked cars have useable parts.
For example, local scrap yard got my '09 Mazda3. It has 250,000 miles on it, but the motor was sound (oil analysis said it looked like a motor with less than half the miles), and it had new brakes, new struts up front, new shocks out back, new sway bar links, name brand tires with about 50% life, and some other newish parts (less than 10k miles). Who ever gets those parts will be quite happy.
On the other hand, whoever gets the transmission, sorry, but not only is the clutch completely gone, so are the syncros on 2nd gear. The electric brake booster is total garbage too. And all the suspension parts need new bushings. And the axles are toast. And the battery is barely holding a charge. And the AC is on it's last leg..... Yeah.... There was a reason I sold it for scrap, haha.
The best deal I ever got was for my old Ford. I lost the Power steering tension pulley while driving over a pass. When I got him the only places that sold it was for the whole mounting unit and pulley, and because how it bolted in I needed that exact pulley. They wanted $600 for the unit and either had to pay a mechanic to install it, or take apart nearly half my engine to get to the bolt that held in on myself. (the new units the pulley didn't come off)
Well I managed to find a junkyard with my year and model car, $5 later I had a newish pulley and bolt. Was a lucky find for a kid in college.
Some time (alot now a days with newer cars) ording parts can be much cheaper. Alot of Junkyards know the cost of scrap or the part you are taking and maybe get a ok deal on it but when you factor in your own time, gas to get there to find it (most the time you need to remove it)
@@scottmcfarlane7524 Yeah, really depends on the part. Best to do some searing on eBay, Rock Auto, Amazon, etc before hitting the junk yard.
@@scottmcfarlane7524 well i needed a dash for a 1994 chevy suburban... cheapest I found available online was like $700... so I checked the junkyard. Got one for $70, all I had to do was paint it to match my interior. The color is slightly brighter than the original blue, but since everything else is the darker blue it actually looks really good. And I saved ALOT
Man big respect for actually going for it and repairing your burned shit. I've been in this situation and there really is no way to express how disgusting a house fire is. Beyond the physical appearance of your burned out life, you also have the burned out stench. It's impossible to portray over video just how upsetting and difficult this situation can be. Wishing you all the best my friend.
Using tools reclaimed from the fire to repair damage made by the fire. It's things like this that always make your content so great! Glad to see you're making the best of what you have!
7:09 the music had a stroke lmao
Good luck restoring what you lost!
I think what drew me (and probably others) to your channel from the start was your willingness to dive into the unknown and figure it out.
Seeing that materialize in this video by fixing your car yourself was as inspiring as it was satisfying! Well done!
FIxing up cars isn't what this channel is about, but being scrappy and inventive, getting your hands dirty, and learning new things IS what this channel is about. Glad to see you (literally!) picking up the pieces.
Im so happy that was a profit. Maybe i should learn how to fix my own car too so i can save money
You are the chosen one, you can do it
Sometimes it's really nice to be able to fix your own car. Other times it's just best to hand it over to a mechanic. But simple things are very satisfying to fix on your own.
Had to learn this kind of thing when I started delivering pizzas in my car. I never learned how to work on cars growing up like some kids but I put thousands of mile of wear and tear on that thing and couldn't afford a mechanic when stuff broke. Turns out, its shockingly easy to fix a car with a little googling and some basic tools. Most car parts are modular and meant to be swapped and replaced and the knowledge of how to do it is freely shared online. Definitely one of the more worthwhile skills I've picked up over the years.
yep its great repairing your own car. I do my own cars, I like to buy a car cheap and repair to drive or sell. i love not ever having a car payment.
Do it, even if it's just small things like changing tires. In my area they chare 5-10 € per wheel. By doing it myself I safe up to 80€ a year and thats just the tip of the iceberg.
With time, patience, and some tutorials, car repairs are not impossible. Glad to see you fix it yourself and save an otherwise good car from being junked! Keep up the good work and showing people learning new skills is not hard but also rewarding 😎.
I've been avoiding your videos about the fire as it unfortunately triggers some of my own past trauma, but then this autoplayed... And I'm glad it did.
This was nothing short of beautiful; to reclaim, heal, and restore even a small part of what had been twisted and lost. It brought me to tears. Absolutely amazing.
I hope the rest of your projects go just as well. That ultrasonic cleaner and vinegar sure does wonders!
Being a blacksmith helped my great grandfather save money. Because he could make his own tools and restore any broken or ruined metal object.
"Need a tool, make a tool" is the blacksmiths maxim
Yes! More repair videos please! It's such a wholesome experience to watch you put it all back together, keep it up!
Awesome video! It definitely shows off how valuable it can be to perform certain kinds of repairs yourself. I really loved the restoration of the socket set too! It's a great reminder that often the things many people would see as trash have a lot of life left in them!
You are amazing! You were given abilaties that out shine 95 % or more than anyone else ever born. You have a lot of blessings you haven't touched yet. I just wish I were your neighbor so I could have helped in whatever small way I could, being 74 and combining back from back surgery. After watching your speeded up video of your car repair, I feel like I can do more myself. Thank hut
Take that "W" where you can, glad the repair went so well for you, Andy.
Don't feel bad about getting the wrong parts; happens constantly to me as a professional all the time. Pretty good job putting it back together!
Amen to you getting back up on the horse and keep on keeping on! Glad that NOT all the news is terrible...Hang in there we are pulling for you!
Should definitely have gotten ALL parts from the junk yard. You can usually find the parts with the original color that matches yours. Please carry a fire extinguisher just in case some wires got brittle and starts a fire. Lastly, at minimum, rotate the front tires to the rear. If the tires were damaged, you want the best tires in the front so you don’t loose control in case of a blowout. Sorry to sound extreme, but those issues can be very serious. Coming from a mechanic…..
Solid advice all round. Though a parts vehicle off Craigslist is also good. I got in an accident and totaled the bed on my truck (the one in my pfp), and we were able to find a truck with a good bed on Craigslist for $500. Another $400 for a shop to swap the beds and fix some overspray and I was good to go. A lot better than the $8000 they wanted to fix it with replacement panels.
@@MiniMoto0098 exactly. That’s the way to do it.
Ive always loved the idea of repairing everything rather than landfill and replacement but you repair and create a lot of things I hadnt even considered possible or 'reasonably achievable', things like repairing your socket set, very cool stuff!
I feel happy watching this video, this shows that even when bad luck brings you down, you can still get back and learn tons of stuff on the way up. You did a great job Andy 👏
Whoo! I love that the socket set has an awesome story now!
People underestimate how good it is to know basic auto repair. Thanks for showcasing this!
Do you really think people underestimate it? Maybe some of them are jealous of those who can. I so admire it. It's great! So is being handy with tools. I think Andy underestimated how capable he is of learning such "handy" skills like car repair. He's does so much on his channel and the skill for learning such things translates. He also understood how the parts of the car go together and how a car 'works" as well.
Been watching since the beginning and love seeing your progression and confidence working with tools and projects in general.
I think this is the first project in history of HTME that is a profit on the costs to make. Congratulations!!!!
My favorite channels, How To Make Everything, I Like to Make Stuff, and Diresta. All of you guys are working on vehicles and you make it look so easy. Getting the urge to do some automotive repair myself now.
Might want to add ChrisFix to the rotation then!
I love that you are turning lemons into lemonade with the fire. With disease, fire was one of the biggest dangers to the lives of developed people throughout history. I would love to see more on this thread of you examining the "recovering from the fire process" that included commentary on how people used to do that!
Destruction of possessions and structures by fire is a huge advancement in the history of human technology! Great job Andy keep on chugging through history
I highly appreciate you refurbishing the tools and car.
The wheels look great, sending love and we're all here for you guys
Repair is an excellent form of creation. It would multiply your content and it’s just as rewarding as creation
Although this seems very off brand for you i actually think this is the soul of most of your projects (and the reason why i love your ideas): looking deeply at objects and their history, not taking things for granted, doing it yourself, being self reliant.
In the video in which you told us about the fire everything looked pretty much gone to me. I think you should thank yourself for salvaging so much stuff. Good luck!
even though it's a kinda stop to the reset series, it's really nice to see you actually putting in the time and effort the create a new kind of 'reset' series. keep it up!
Seeing you restore the car is a real tangible sign of progress. When I saw you salvage the tools at first I was like "Just buy new". Then I remembered which channel I'm watching. Surprised you didn't try and make a new set of sockets yourself. Glad to see you're getting the channel up and running again. Hopefully you can build some momentum!
Seeing the title of the video, I thought "Oh cool he is going to fix his car" then at the beginning when you got your socket set and refurbished that from the wreckage, I was like "this is why I like this channel" Kudos to you all!
You should get a bench top grinder with a wire wire wheel and a wire wheel for an angle grinder. I’m a blacksmith and it’s one of the most useful tools to restore and refinish old parts. It also leaves some of the story of the parts life.
Happy to see your car up and moving. Wishing you continued luck for your future restorations.
Keep the vids coming, the true spirit of the channel! :)
When I first saw your car I was surprised that the insurance company totalled it. Almost like they didn't even look at it before they made up their mind. Good job fixing it up.
Man, it was great to see this come back together.
Car Suggestion: That hood needs a coat of paint .... So, hotrod flame paint job?🤔
Most people would have just tossed that fused mess. Good on you, picking out the pieces. Great work.
Hey really great job on this. While maybe not the prettiest repair (and as others said, you should protect the unfinished bits to prevent rusting), you turned something that most people would just scrap into something functional. If I were in a similar situation I think I would be to despondent to even attempt something like this.
I'm really happy you kept the old burnt Toyota logo. Makes it unique but also its like displaying a scar with pride.
Incredible job! I’m impressed with your DIY skills, as always, and I love this super practical project.
I would suggest getting the proper spring-type hose clamps for the coolant hoses soon. The worm gear style Jose clamps from the hardware store don't allow for thermal expansion and will more often than not lead to leaks if the part they are clamping the hose to cracks or breaks. It's usually cheaper to get the proper hose clamps than replace the part. Nice job overall!
I'm disappointed we didn't get to hear the new horn... other than that this was a really good video and I am eager to see what else you accomplish
Andy. The important things are you repaired the car and you're awesome. 🙂👍
Kudos to you for restoring your socket set!
I’m happy for you it’s a great feeling accomplishment. I wish I could post a picture of my wife’s car I repaired after it went into the ditch. I’m no mechanic myself
Really gotta respect recovering and fixing your own stuff
Nice to see it. My newest car recently kicked the bucket, but I've had a garage kept vw for about 8 years now that I just always refused to get rid of. She just needed a new(used) motor and I just hadn't had the time. But here I am about $1200 bucks in I have a near pristine 2008 car with only 28k on the replacement motor. Which as you mentioned, getting a running driving car today for that cost is next to impossible. And I FULLY understand the pain of losing your only/primary vehicle. That sent me on a full downward "OMG WHAT AM I GONNA DO" thing for about a week, then I rolled up my sleeves.
Hats off to your strength and willingness to press on and learn some amazing skills while you're at it.
Dude this is great news I'm glad your getting back to where you were
I'm so glad folks were encouraging you to try fixing the car. Nice job!!)
I don't know how to say this but, I'm really proud of you! The car came out way better that I would have been able to do! Really Nice!!! That's life! 2 steps forward, 1 back and 2 forward again!
11:23
"When I was able to do it myself, I was able to get ahead a fair amount"
Found that out with my first car. You're never to old to learn a new skill.
It is very heart warming to see how you are getting back on track with everything. Love your channel. Keep it up!
I love this!
Though it's very different from what was being done before on this channel, I feel it's still in the spirit of HTME.
Easy, cool things to do for the car. Replace the badge with the HTME logo! You definitely earned it. Thanks for an inspiring video.
Well done! You should give it a spray paint flame job, I think it would be fitting!
So glad you got your car running again. Hopefully things keep moving along like this and you bounce back stronger than ever.
So happy to see another video!
Yes! Awesome video! I think the salvage stuff works for the channel... in a bit of a dystopian sci-fi kind of way!
Why the random obscurification boxes? I get hiding registration plates/addresses, but there seems to be a lot of stuff hidden that wouldn't reveal any info.
thats awesome. i would have liked a quick break down on the socket set tbh, i think you from your unfortunate situation you have a real interesting opportunity
As for ideas maybe see about forging or casting a new badge for the front, then hang the slightly melted one up on a plaque as a bit of a trophy/memory. Seeing you learn to paint the car would be fun but not cheap unfortunately and probably not a great cold-weather project. Congrats on bringing it back to life!
Add a battery pack to the car that charges with solar panels on the roof. Then you could use the car to charge all your equipment, and run some tools. You could also hard mount some lights on the bumper and use those to help light wherever you're working.
Haynes manuals are a great resource for maintaining / repairing cars on this side of The Pond. I assume they (or their equivalent) are available there. Then you can (hopefully) salvage the right parts from a breaker at your local scrap yard., and you're good to go
This must have been satisfying to know that something as expensive as a car is in your capacity to fix and save huge amounts on when faced with the cost of recovering all that the fire took
Ok so I have a Prius C as well. I gave it a lift kit, larger tires, roof rack, tow hitch, and a dimmable light bar....so there's some ideas! Oh, project I do want to to is to install an inverter so I can use it as a small generator. You'll have to pull off the auxiliary battery which limits you to 80A @ 12v
I've done all that but the roof rack and light bar so far on my C as well! Even replaced the AGM auxiliary battery with a LiFePO4 unit so the inverter can run for longer.
Glad to see things getting repaired. Glad you can say that you own the car.
You did great work i have enjoyed watching it. I have done the same with 3 wrecked cars. Its a headache but worth it in the end
I don't know about your state, but after a total loss you typically need to get a brake & light inspection plus an emissions test and often a highway patrol inspection of the VIN with a review the parts receipts (especially if you use used parts). Lastly the registration to revive, essentially like a transfer. I usually add $750 for those expenses.
I know this is a few weeks late, but since the car probably would be difficult to sell now, and you can as you pointed out do anything to it without concern, maybe try making your own automotive paint and car wash wash set. Car wax, soap, the sponge, bucket. Fresh coat of homemade outdoor paint. And maybe see about building modifications, like a roof rack. Really get that after the end feel to your car.
Glad you were able to get the car back on the road. As a lifelong mechanic for my own vehicles, the getting of wrong parts from the auto stores seems to be a reoccurring event. Real annoying to say the least.
When I saw Andy hold up the melted socket set case, I though he was going to go, "Whelp, we're going to buy a new one." But no! He digs out each tool from the melted plastic. Wow. I'm early in the episode, and I'm fully expecting him to grab a rock. Way to go!
Glad to see the Prius C lives to see another day!
Something fun to do would be a lift! PriusOffroad makes a 1.5" kit for it. ;)
Glad to see things turning out positively again, good luck with the next restorations!
This makes me a lot more confident in starting to turn wrenches on my Ranger and F-350. I've always been one to just pay someone else to do it, so I don't have to deal with screwing it up.
I'm impressed you could salvage that socket set
Nice job. Surprised so much was removable, expected more to be welded up front.
I've been trying to fix more things myself rather than throwing them away or paying a ton of money to fix something that may not be worth it. This may be a bit of a departure from your regular content, but I'm excited to see more!
I don't have a car, but as an artist, something I definitely want to do once I have one is paint a landscape on it - I don't know if that's something you'd be interested in but it would be a cool project to do with your car
I think this is potentially an interesting option to try and restore some tools using tech you've already gotten. Ancient peoples would have also had to deal with fire damage, and would have also tried to salvage and recover what they could.
eg: diy vinegar bath setup instead of the ultrasonic cleaner
with of course allowance for using new tools if the previous ones are still damaged, like the sponsor ax
I really really liked this video. I just wish you could have shared more details. By that I mean slowed the time lapse down and made a much longer video. I would love to have seen any struggles you had or any "Yes, got it the first time!" moments. Plus, I wanted to hear the horn.
me: can't find the half inch socket in my tool drawer.
him: scrapes out every last piece of his socket set from melted plastic and fixes a car
My grandfathers house was completely burned down during the 2019-2020 black summer fires, and the fire got so hot it melted the aluminium/ lower melting point metals in his bike, including parts of the engine. We were very surprised to find a cooled puddle of metal in his shed.
I'd love to see a video where you make your own paint using the char from your shop in the ingredients. Maybe you can use it to paint your car and new shop?
Did you check gaskets and rubber/plastics parts (hoses, window seals etc) ? The heat may have damaged parts that are not visible and may lead to leaks in the future. Cheers mate and stay safe!
I've always grappled with what I should repair myself and what I should get someone to do. Because I have to take time off work to do anything big it almost always makes more sense to hire someone because a professional can do it much quicker than I can...
Good effort Andy! Keep the car for a while as a reminder of your persistence and also that you got one back on those shyster insurance companies!
All I could think about as you were recovering your socket set was that here you were doing archeology on your own personal ancient civilization. Not exactly but glad you are doing this and sharing it with us.
Not sure if it's possible, but I think you could fit a crank handle starter to your car. Like you see on old cars, but if your starter motor ever failed, or maybe just the battery ran down, you could just get the crank handle out and still get going.