Monday, December 23, 2019

Abandoned 1980s Subaru GL Wagon

abandoned 1980s subaru gl ketchikan alaska rotting in style
It has been a long, long time, but I have another abandoned car for you. A mid 1980s Subaru GL in Ketchikan, Alaska. Now, this was filmed in 2014 on my cell phone, so please bear with me. It has been a while since I have done one of these, because sometimes these posts do well, and sometimes they don’t.

Honestly, I’m trying to figure out what drives the most traffic here, and what you guys like the most. Regardless... Here she is! I don’t know the exact year, but definitely mid 80s due to the grill, bumper, and shifter. I’m also no expert, but this GL seems as if it has wheels from the DL.

This car has an automatic transmission which would lead me to believe that it is a 4-speed, and probably has the 1.8L four-cylinder. If that’s the case, it makes around 82 horse power, but has four wheel drive! That would be a huge help in the winters of Alaska, but I can’t imagine the 82 horse power is. However, that does get you around 33 miles per gallon. I don’t image that this car ever took advantage of that because road trips really aren’t a thing in Alaska.

This is one of the newer cars that I’ve featured, but it is abandoned for sure. It sits next to an abandoned 1974 Pontiac Ventura. You know it’s abandoned, because in Alaska, anything that sits still (and some things that move slowly) have moss on it. And I mean everything. Rust has taken over some parts as well.

The interior looks like it’s in decent shape. Just a bit dirty.

It looks like the last time this car was registered was in 2002, which was 12 years after I filmed this.

Sorry it’s been a while for those of you who like Rotting in Style. I’ll try to get more out as I still have quite a bit of footage, and I have a growing Google Maps spotting list of where I can find more. 

If you want to see more cars like this, then stay tuned and don’t forget to check us out on Twitter and Facebook for some exclusive content. 


 
abandoned 1980s subaru gl ketchikan alaska rotting in style

abandoned 1980s subaru gl ketchikan alaska rotting in style

abandoned 1980s subaru gl ketchikan alaska rotting in style

abandoned 1980s subaru gl ketchikan alaska rotting in style

abandoned 1980s subaru gl ketchikan alaska rotting in style

abandoned 1980s subaru gl ketchikan alaska rotting in style

Monday, July 8, 2019

How To Replace Your Battery Terminal Clamps

how to replace battery terminal clamps dylan benson random automotive


If the battery terminal clamps on your car are cracked, worn, or don’t tighten all the way anymore, it’s probably time to replace them. Don’t worry! It’s cheap and easy to do with only a few tools that are essential to have for many DIY projects, and about ten minutes of your time.

Tools you need:

  • Ratchet
  • Sockets (whatever size fits your old and new terminal clamps)
  • Snips or wire cutters
  • Wire strippers (or a knife)
  • Sand paper
  • Your new clamps 
how to replace battery terminal clamps dylan benson random automotive tin snips wire cutters wire strippers


I will say again that these tools are a must have for any DIYer.

First, disconnect your battery clamps form the battery. Loosen the bolt holding them on, or just pull them off if they are very loose. Be careful not to touch the positive and negative terminals of the battery at the same time, or you will become a conductor of electricity! 

Second, use your snips or wire cutters and cut off the clamp currently on your battery wire. If you have non factory clamps on there already, loosen any bolts that may be holding the wire instead of cutting the wire. Some batter cables may be thick with thick wire inside. It may take some force to get through. If you have any smaller wires coming out of your old clamps, cut them off too. Make sure you remember which wires were positive and which were negative. To avoid confusion, I would suggest doing one full wire at a time.

Third, you need to remove some of the insulation (the rubber around the wires inside) to expose some fresh wires to make a good connection in your new clamp. Place the cut wire in your clamp to see how much insulation you have to cut off. Once you made the correct measurement, either use a wire stripper or knife to remove the correct amount of insulation.

Be careful if you use a knife. Thicker battery cable has thicker wires inside, so you usually won’t damage them wire a knife. If you have a smaller auxiliary cable, I would suggest a stripper or being extremely careful with a knife as the wires inside are generally much thinner.

how to replace battery terminal clamps dylan benson random automotive wire insulation remington FAST

Fourth, take some sand paper and scuff up the exposed wire. Even though it was under the insulation, the outside of the wire may have tarnished. That will give you a poor connection.

Fifth: After the wire(s) is nice and shiny, place it in the new clamp and tighten the bolts firmly. If you have a smaller wire too, place it in there as well before tightening the bolts. Give the clamp and cable a good tug to make sure they don’t come apart easily.

how to replace battery terminal clamps dylan benson random automotive
how to replace battery terminal clamps dylan benson random automotive

Sixth: Take more sand paper and clean the battery terminals (on the actual battery). You want a good, clean connection for your new clamps.

how to replace battery terminal clamps dylan benson random automotive cleaning battery terminals

Finally, put your new clamps over the terminals and tighten them down! 

With these basic tools, you can get this done in about ten minutes. It’s simple, easy, and safe to do at home! Start up your car, and enjoy a good connection with your battery! 

how to replace battery terminal clamps dylan benson random automotive

If you want to learn more about car care, make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content! Thanks for stopping by. 



Saturday, June 1, 2019

How To Inspect Your Car

how to inspect your car fluid leaks tires levels and lights the random automotive dylan benson nissan ford torino


If you take care of your car, it will take care of you. But how do you know what to look for? YouTube viewer Goon Squad Skateboarding wanted to know just that. Here is a list of things that you should look for when you inspect your car.

Tires

The condition of your tires are directly related to the condition of your life. There are four important things to look at: tread depth, tread wear, pressure, and dry rot. Seriously... if your tires are not in good shape and they fail while you’re driving, you could die.

Tire tread is the pattern on outside of your tire. It is designed to give you traction by gripping on to the road, and pushing away water when the roads are wet. “Bald” tires (tires without or with low tread) will have little to no traction. It’s especially noticeable when driving in the rain. If you are in the US, take a penny and put Lincoln’s head in the tread. If you can see his whole head, you need new tires. A tire tread gauge is your best option.

Tread goes down over time, and it should do it evenly. If the outsides of your tires have less tread, or vise versa, you may have an alignment issue that needs to be addressed. It could also be under or over filled tires. Low pressure tires also kill your gas mileage. On the driver side door jamb, there should be a label that says what pressure (PSI) your tires should be at. Check them with a gauge, and if it’s under, go to your local gas station that has air and fill them up!

Dry rot is extremely dangerous. When rubber gets old, it cracks. Tires need to flex and bend, and if the rubber gets old and starts to crack, it could violently explode. If you see dry rotted tires, replace them right away.

how to inspect your car fluid leaks tires levels and lights the random automotive dylan benson nissan ford torino

how to inspect your car fluid leaks tires levels and lights the random automotive dylan benson nissan ford torino


Brakes

While we are talking about tires, let’s cover some stuff about brakes. You’ll want to inspect your brake pads and rotors, listen for squeaks when driving, and brake pedal strength. We’ll cover brake fluid in the fluid section.

Brake pads can partially be inspected visually, but you really need to know what to look for. One way to check is to listen for squeaking when you brake. That usually means your pads are starting to get low. If you hear scraping, your pads are done. This will make stopping harder, and it could damage your rotors.

Inspect your rotors for any uneven wear. If you see scratches or grooves around the outside or inside, you may have an issue. When you brake, does your pedal have to go all the way to the floor? That’s not supposed to happen.

Fluid Levels

In my Car Basics What’s Under the Hood post, I cover what all of the reservoirs under your hood are for. For level purposes, each one has a “MAX” and “MIN” level. Make sure your fluid is between those lines. Add more if needed, but read the labels carefully, because some things like coolant should only be added and checked when the car is cold. Check the ones you filled periodically. If they are low again, you have a leak.

how to inspect your car fluid leaks tires levels and lights the random automotive dylan benson nissan ford torino


Leaks

Leaks are not fun, but are part of owning a car. Leaks can be cheap or very expensive to fix. Look under your hood around your engine. Do you see or smell anything strange? Look under your car. Do you see anything besides water from your air conditioning? If you think you might have a leak, place a piece of cardboard under your car over night. If it’s wet, you have a leak. Here are some common fluids with their usual colors and smells.

how to inspect your car fluid leaks tires levels and lights the random automotive dylan benson nissan ford torino

Lights

Lights are extremely important to other drivers and need to be replaced the moment they are out! Check them! They are cheap are easy to replace. It is illegal and dangerous to drive with any lights being out. Here are your lights and how to test them. Note that in some cases your headlights and high beams might be one bulb. The same can happen with your tail lights and your blinkers and brake lights. This is known as a dual filament bulb.
  • Headlights: Turn them on and look at each one
  • High Beams: Turn them on and look at each one
  • Tail lights: Turn on your headlights, and check your tail lights
  • Blinkers and Hazard Lights: They are the same bulbs, so turn on your hazard lights and check all four (or more)
  • Side Markers: Turn on your headlight or parking lights and check them
  • Brake Lights: Have someone hold down your brake pedal, or put something on the pedal, and go check the lights. This includes your third brake light! 

Driveability

For the last few things, you need to be driving. Do you notice any squeaks, rattles, or other noises? Does your engine misfire or sputter? Do you need to have your steering wheel off to one side to make your car drive straight? Any vibrations over a certain speed, when you idle, or when you brake? These are all things that are not normal, and you should take your car to a mechanic before things get worse.

Conclusion

Depending on how much you drive your car, I recommended looking at all of this stuff at least every quarter. Some things may need to be checked more frequently if you are having an issues. Cars are fun and they are convenient, but you need to take care of them. Take care of them, and they will take care of you.

If you want to learn more about car care, make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content! Thanks for stopping by.



Sunday, May 19, 2019

My Transmission Broke, Again...




A while back, I had the dreaded Ford transmission issue where the transmission eats itself apart. The housing is aluminum, and while that makes the transmission much lighter, it also makes it much weaker. The housing wore out from the inside, and my Mustang started slipping out of gear.

I had it taken to a recommended shop to be rebuilt. Not only were the internals replaced, but there was a metal band added to the inside of the housing to stop the issue from happening again. That is the official fix for that problem.

The car ran fine, but almost right away I noticed a bit of a delay when I first put the car in drive. Sometimes it seemed like the car was in third or fourth. It would rev up when I pressed on the gas, and then eventually softly engage. It didn’t happen all the time. A little bit later, I started to notice a whine in first and second.

I took it back, as it was still under warranty from the first rebuild. I was told the planetary gears (which were new parts they put in) were worn out. They replaced them and the torque converter, since metal shavings got inside.

When I got the car back, she pulled hard! Shifted well, lots of power, no delayed engagement. All was well.

Two days later, I got in my car and started to drive out of my complex. All was fine, and the car never needed to get out of second. When reached the longer road out to enter the main road, I noticed that when the car should have shifted to third, the RPMs kept climbing and climbing. Eventually, it slipped out of gear and revved up pretty damn high.

Hoping it was a fluke, I pulled out onto the main road and the same thing happened. When I got to a red light, I put the car in park, then drive again. Now nothing at all! Reverse worked, but there were cars behind me. Finally drive worked, and I made a U-turn and took it back home.

Guess I’ll have to take it back again. Here is a video of when I got home that night testing it out. I had to borrow someone else’s car for the day. What kind of car problems are you having?

If you want to read more about how my vehicles are falling apart, make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content! Thanks for stopping by.




Thursday, May 2, 2019

Pull to the Right Syndrome | What PTR is and how to Cure it

pull to the right syndrome dylan benson the random automotive how to turn left


I drive a lot, and I've seen some stupid things that people do on the roads. Pull to the Right Syndrome (PTR Syndrome) is real, and it will cause accidents.

On roadways where there are two or more lanes that's turn left, bad things tend to happen.  All too frequently, people always seem to want to get into the far right lane after turning left, even if they are in the far left lane to start.

PTR Syndrome is when people expect others next to them to do this as well, or just don't pay attention and pull to the right.

I generally put myself in the farthest lane to the right before I turn, because I usually find myself needing to go the right. If I'm in the middle lane, I hold my place in that lane.  When I turn left, I stay in that lane.

There are countless times (especially when there are three turn lanes) when the person to the left will almost crash into me, because I hold my position in the center lane, which I am legally supposed to do.  They expect me to pull to the right.

pull to the right syndrome dylan benson the random automotive how to turn left

Frequently they do this without even signaling.  This is not only extremely dangerous, but an illegal lane change.  You must use your signal when changing lanes.  It is not optional.

If you have Pull to the Right Syndrome, there are things you can do.  One, pay attention.  Also, put down your damn phone and watch the road.  Stop making stupid assumptions.  Not everyone is going to be doing what you want or expect them to do.

There are rules and laws.  Driving is a privilege.  Respect it and pay attention.  The disease is curable, and it starts with you.

Want to know about new medical discoveries?  Make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel.  Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content!


Tuesday, April 30, 2019

The New Land Rover Defender is Built in Slovakia

New Land Rover Defender Dylan Benson Random Automotive
If you’ve followed us on social media, you know we work with Winter Park Paint and Collision and the Badass Body Shop on Safari HP’s custom Land Rover Defenders. That was a mouth-full, I know. Part of the prestige was the fact that Defenders were no longer made. After about 68 years of making the iconic boxy SUV that served military and civilians all over the world, Jaguar Land Rover stopped production of the Defender due to new emission standards set in place by the European Union (ironic now).
 
Well, the Defender is coming back, but its British blood is being transplanted to Slovakia. After two million had been made in the UK, the BBC reports “The new Defender will be built at the company's one billion pound (about $1.3 billion) plant in Nitra in Slovakia, which opened in October 2018.”
 
James Attwood of Autocar Magazine says that it is still very much a British design, and that the engines will still be made in the UK.

However, some members over on the Land Rover Defender Group on Facebook have voiced their opinion on the design saying that it looks like a simplified Discovery or a Ford Explorer. Others voiced their concern about its off-road capabilities. Surely those concerns have merit since most SUVs today seem to be designed for soccer moms to drive on freshly paved roads and maybe on some grass if the parking lot is full.

New Land Rover Defender Dylan Benson Random Automotive

However, Bloomberg reports that the new Defender prototypes are being tested in the Borana Conservancy located in Kenya. They appear to be doing some pretty heavy rock crawling, but are also testing heavy load towing and river crossing. Engineering Director Nick Rogers assures us that this new Defender will be “the toughest and most capable Land Rover ever made.” Which I guess is why they have #BEST4X4XFAR on the side of the prototypes.


What do you think? Will this new Land Rover defend its title? Let us know in the comments below! Like what you see? Make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content!

New Land Rover Defender Dylan Benson Random Automotive

New Land Rover Defender Dylan Benson Random Automotive
All images courtesy of Autoblog.
 

Share

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More