June 2015 Newsletter

The year is almost half over and it seems like so much has happened, and there’s still so much more to do. A good place to be honestly.

Now, onto the news of the month. My monthly newsletters have been updated so all you need to do is click on the topics or pictures that interest you, or you can click here to see the full newsletter on the website. Choices are good.

The Fairmont Gets A Donor Car

On May 1st, I drove down to Frankfort, KY to check out a 1982 Mustang that had many of the parts I was looking to use in my Fairmont project. I’ve spent the past 3 months hawking Craig’s List looking for potential candidates and this was one of them. For what I was looking for the average price seemed to be in the $3-6000 range. The conditions ranged from rollers to full on race cars. This one seemed to be right near the middle of the spectrum. I paid $2900 in the end. The asking price was $3900. I feel pretty good about the purchase, the ‘bones’ are good, but I know there’s quite a bit of work, and a bit more money to make it right.

My plan for the immediate future is to drive it for a while to shake down the issues. I’ve found a few so far. The cooling fan is inadequate for starters. It gets a bit hot while sitting in traffic. I have an old fan taken from an Acura that still has the fan shroud attached which I plan to install. I think it will be a big improvement over the shroudless fan that’s on there now. Fan shrouds are quite important. A fan without a shroud cannot move air efficiently. I feel that’s evident with the fan that’s on there now.

I’ve also redone the radiator overflow tank into something other than a duct taped bottle to the lower radiator hose. It’s now a zip tied windshield washer bottle. Trust me, it’s an improvement.

I’ve also tweaked the carburetor a bit, and tightened the connection to the exhaust headers where it was leaking. The suspension is still wrecked.

Truth is, I don’t drive it much. Brian and I often take it to lunch and that’s about it. Honestly, it’s not that safe to drive on the road, especially in the rain because it doesn’t have windshield wipers. There’s no safety inspection or emissions testing where I live. I’m grateful for this because it allows me to drive the car, but since I know the cars condition, I don’t want to push my luck. No matter, whenever I’m feeling a little down, all I need to do is start that thing up, and the smile just grows on my face. I don’t even need to drive it, the sound and the smell alone are enough for me. I’m sure you gear-heads out there know exactly what I’m talking about.

Before I dive into swapping things over, I want to finish up the frame connectors on the Fairmont. I can still drive the Fairmont in it’s current state until I’m ready to fully jump in with the upgrades. I’d just like to get a coat of paint on those frame connectors before taking it out on the road again. Before I do that I want to lengthen them and get the welds right.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m really into this project. I had to sell my last project, a 1972 Galaxie 500, before I was able to finish it.

That was my last ‘project’ car. I miss that car, but the Fairmont is a nice replacement, and in the end, will probably be a better car. For starters, the Fairmont is in waaaaay better shape than my Galaxie ever was. Still, I’ll miss that 429 and the noise it would make.

Fixing it Forward

Barbara’s 1998 Chrysler Town & Country is still coming along. It seems whenever I fix one thing, I find something else that needs attention.

Early this month I installed a remanufactured transmission from ETE Remanufacturing into the van. It works great! I no longer have to push the van when I need to move backwards (it didn’t have any reverse gear). Of course Brian and I shot video of the process. Included in that video is also the radiator replacement. radiator.com hooked us up with a new one of those. It was nice installing a radiator at the same time as the transmission. This way, I didn’t have to worry about flushing the transmission cooler. I also repaired those leaking transmission cooler lines that caused the transmission failure to begin with. The Chrysler now has a solid transmission that functions perfectly and doesn’t leak.

For those of you that didn’t think I did enough diagnosis on the transmission, I think when you see what was inside the transmission pan, you’ll agree that I was spot on with my assessment. I hope to have the video out in the next few weeks. It’s a long edit as the rough cut was 6+ hours long. This means it will likely be released in multiple parts on YouTube. Often with videos of this type, I post the full version of the video for the Premium Members of my website the day Part 1 comes out on YouTube. More information on that further down this newsletter under the Premium Member News section.

Outside of the radiator and transmission, I’ve also replaced the front struts for the sponsored video series from Monroe. That video will be out in the next few weeks along with one on QuickStruts. I plan to release both on the same day since they’re related.

I also have new front brakes on the way from BuyBrakes.com, and a noise in the rear suspension I plan to take care of as well. Videos forthcoming on those issues as well.

Lastly, I’m going to address the AC which turned out to be a bad compressor. You may have seen the latest video where I diagnosed a bad compressor clutch and restored the headlights with a 3M kit. While shooting the second part of that video, I discovered the compressor was bad. I’ve got a new AC compressor coming from CarPartKings.com. It should show up in the next week or so.

Kind of kicking myself for not finding the bad compressor right off since it’s a rookie mistake not to check to see if the compressor can turn on it’s own before condemning the clutch. Now I’ll need to evacuate the system and flush it before installing the new compressor. Once again, you get to learn from my mistakes. Someday I’m going to be good at this mechanic thing, hopefully you’re there to see it when it happens.

That said, once the AC and brakes are fixed, we’re pretty much ready to return the van to Barbara. I still haven’t had any issues with stalling or the dash acting up, so I’m leaving that for another day. I’d really like to wrap this project up and move onto the next one. After all, the Fixing it Forward project is not just for Barbara’s van, but for many others like her.

ScannerDanner Coming to the 2015 ‘Meet Up’!

Yep, you read that right, ScannerDanner is coming to the ‘Meet Up’ this year. He’s been meaning to come for a couple of years now but his family vacations seem to fall on or about the same time. This year that’s not the case and Paul will be joining us at this summers event. I’m very excited about this as Paul is a good friend, and a great instructor. I’ve learned quite a bit from him and I’m sure you have as well. He’ll also be giving out copies of his book as door prizes. So if you didn’t have reason enough to come to this years ‘Meet Up’, you have one now. The ‘Meet Up’ will be July 18, 2015 at my shop. Details and sign up can be found by clicking here.

ETCG Speaking at SEMA 2015

Last year was my first year attending SEMA in Las Vegas NV. It was also my first trip to Las Vegas. I had an AMAZING time there and couldn’t wait to go back. Well, this year not only am I going back, but I’m also proud to say that I’ll be speaking during the education sessions during the event. My time slot is 11am-12pm PST on November 4. I don’t know the room I’ll be in yet, but the day and time are nailed down. I’ll be talking about my experiences with my YouTube channel and how to market your business using video and social media. Hope to see you there if you’re planning on attending SEMA this year.

Website News

By the time you read this, there should be a new and improved EricTheCarGuy.com. My developer and I, Wyatt Talley, have been working hard for the past several months to bring you this new, updated version of the site. It’s the best version of the site yet. For starters, it has an updated search function to make finding the things you’re looking for much easier. The forum has also been updated. The site also has a new look and feel that scales well for mobile devices. Don’t take my word for it, go check it out for yourself!

ETCG App

In addition to the new website, there’s also the ETCG app. Both are connected and work hand in hand. It’s the quickest, easiest way to find repair information, or a specific video from my library. Beachfront Media helped me put it together and it’s available on iOS, Android, and Amazon.

Upcoming Projects

As stated in last months newsletter, I was going to shoot a video of the engine replacement in a 2004 Acura TL. That video was shot in May and should be available later in the month, or early July. This is a long video and will likely be released in multiple parts same as the transmission replacement video for the Chrysler.

I’ve also shot video on the front suspension rebuild and axle replacement on my 1993 Acura Vigor. Many of you saw the state of the suspension on my Vigor in the Monroe Suspension Inspection video. I agreed it was time to address those issues and finally did. I also got to use my new spring compressor from Branick, which you’re also going to get a review on in the next week or so.

Lastly, Cameraman Brian and I did something different last week. Instead of shooting a step by step repair video, Brian followed me around the shop for a day while I worked on several vehicles. He plans on putting together a ‘Day in the Life’ type of video. Not sure when and where that video will air, but look for it in the coming months. Keep an eye on my social networks for that release.

EricTheCarGuy Teaming Up With curious.com

I’m also going to be shooting a series of videos for curious.com this month. curious.com is a website that showcases ‘lessons’ from video instructors. These lessons run the gambit from cooking and crafting to computer programming. I’ll be creating a series of 10 lessons for the site in the coming month. These videos will cover many of the ‘basics’ of auto repair geared toward the novice. I’ll post a YouTube introductory video when they become available. Here’s a link to my page on Curious.

Premium Member News

Last month Premium Members got 2 exclusive videos. The first was a sneak peak at my new shop just after the lift was installed. The second was a sneak peak at my new Mustang before I put out the public video. I’ve shot a few more of these exclusive videos that will be airing in the next couple of months alongside the full versions of the Chrysler Town & Country transmission replacement as well as the 2014 Acura TL engine replacement. Premium Members have a lot to look forward to in the coming months.

I believe at this point we’ve sorted out the playback issues with Premium Member videos. If you have any issues with video playback, please contact support@ericthecarguy.com and we’ll work to address any problems you might be having.

Premium Members get at least 2 exclusive videos per month in addition to early releases of all ETCG and ETCG1 videos. They also get discounts on VManuals. Memberships are $1.99 per month and $9.99 per year. To get more info and sign up, click here.

Go See Mad Max Fury Road!

Last month Cameraman Brian and I went to see Mad Max Fury Road. I don’t often go to the cinema anymore, so I really have to be motivated to buy a movie ticket these days. When I saw that George Miller was going to be bringing back his seminal franchise, I signed up almost immediately. After seeing the movie, I was NOT disappointed. George Miller hasn’t lost his touch. In fact, he’s turned it up to 11 with a flame shooting guitar guy, literally. Now, if you’re looking for a well choreographed plot that ties everything together in a realistic way that makes sense, go see something else. On the other hand, if you’re in the mood for something loud, violent, full of fire, explosions, and outrageous over the top machines driving fast in the desert, go see Fury Road, in 3D if you can. ETCG and Cameraman Brian give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Meet Cameraman Brian

Earlier this month I posted a video with Cameraman Brian on ETCG1. Many of you were curious about the new guy behind the camera, and I’ve had requests for this video for some time now. In fact, one request the day before the video was released.

Brian agreed to shoot the video and we sat down to have a conversation about what it’s been like working together over the past year. Brian is an accomplished videographer and I’m happy to be working with him. I think the videos have improved a great deal since he came on board. Check out the video and see for yourself.

In Closing

The past month has seen more new videos shot than any in recent memory. I feel like I’ve really dialed in the process between Cameraman Brian’s contribution, the new lift, and a plethora of new tools. All of those things have made working at the shop so much easier and have allowed me to do so much more. That’s a good thing because I have a LOT of work lined up. Between Fixing it Forward and the Fairmont project, I have plenty on my plate, not to mention the other work that pops in from time to time, and the other work I hope to do this year.

In summary, things are great and getting better every day at EricTheCarGuy. I know I often say that I owe you the fans so much, but it’s 100% true. Thanks to you I have the best job ever and a thriving business. I intend to continue to bring you the best repair videos I can along with other entertaining automotive content and information. All of this comes together at EricTheCarGuy.com which is brand new and ready for you to visit. It’s been a long road getting here, but I feel like I’m really coming into my stride. So stick around and see what’s in store for the future of EricTheCarGuy, and thanks for reading!

Be safe

Have fun

Stay Dirty

ETCG

Related Videos: