Eric- I did car audio for years and we had special upcharges for gross cars. There was one car that went down in history though: We were doing a remote start on it, no big deal, done thousands of them, and all of the sudden our lead installer came out of the garage, threw the keys on the counter and said he wasn't working on it. That was the only time he had ever refused to work on a car and you could tell he was serious. We tried to get him to talk to us about it and finally he was able to talk. The driver of the car apparently liked to pick his nose and wipe it on the front of his seat. There was a solid layer of boogers right where the installer's head had to be for an hour. My guess is he brushed up against it and got so freaked out that he didn't know what to do. When the customer came back, we gave him a full refund and apologized that we couldn't work on his car. He became irate, cussing and swearing. Again, no big deal. Then he said he was going to the news about it. My boss calmy said, "Sir, if you would like the news to report that you keep a very large booger collection on your front seat, feel free."
I bought my car like this sight unseen for $300. Ended up pulling the carpet out, pressure washing it, shampooing the seats, and wiping everything down with disinfectant. Smell is gone, I have $600 into it, and have been driving it for years now. Just gotta show em some love ;)
One of my old neighbors had this car in beige when they first came out. These were pretty cool vehicles. All it needs is a little TLC and some major detailing and it can be made roadworthy again. I say go ahead and bring it back to life again!
My father once told me that if a car runs and drives no matter the condition it's worth at least $1000 to some one. I say fix the power steering, hit it with a vacuum cleaner, throw in a couple of pine tree air fresheners and and make a small profit. But thats just me
Nice one. Love seeing any new car that comes around. I've recently bought 2 vans just to get a few parts for my own and then I get rid of them with my old parts after swapping over :)
This is why i try to keep my interior in as a good condition as possible :) it just makes for a nicer drive i don't really like when people have tons of stuff in the car for no reason
lol nice buy! Id just do a quick sloppy detail on it and maybe fix the PS if you could get a salvage R&P and sell it. Make a grand for some extra pocket $. Either that or take all the parts off it you want, then part out the rest! :) whatever you end up doing look forward to upcoming vids! thanks Eric! :)
Hey Eric, I owned a 1997 RL from 200k to 300k miles without one breakdown. That odometer problem is very common with these as mine shut off around 280k miles. Also only the telescoping worked when I purchased it, the tilt did not. Dealership price for a new power tilt/telescoping column? $2400!!!! Found an RL being parted out on Craigslist, $150 for the column which functioned property for maybe another 2 years. I wish you were closer to my residence Eric, I would give you $600 for it right now.
During the cleaning of my 68' Dodge project after getting it home, I had found a bag underneath the seat. The small gift bag ended up containing various adult novelties that were quickly disposed of once realizing what they infact were... Quite vulgar but equally hilarious!
Only problem is that it has no engine, it's been on fire at some point and has a stray cat living in it that attacks anyone who goes near it, but otherwise it's a bargain.
Had a 99, my grandmother bought it new, pretty high mileage, wish I never sold it though. Loved that car, and my grandmother says if she could ever have one car back it would be it. Black/tan intereor. Needed headgaskets and tires, and at that point For the shape it was in it wasn't really worth keeping around.
working shlub Crazy, but true. It was actually a Ford van, owned by an "Evangelical Church". I pulled up the shag carpet, and something moved. To be on the safe side I bug bombed it. It smelled worse than what Eric described, a combination of fast food, and Gerry curl.
I have had GREAT luck pulling carpet and hitting it with some hand cleaner and then pressure washing it. The Focus wagon I currently drive was dubbed the "Vomitron" when we bought it due to the inside looking and smelling like a hotel room after a 3-day frat party. Probably not worth it on this RL but yep - if you are willing to de-funkify them you can get a great deal
When is the Fairmont going to leave? I always took you as a Japanese, Honda/Acura car guru and subscribed because you always did all the neat DIYs that I so highly appreciate. As for this car, I think a gutting of the interior and maybe finding a decent, not slobbered on by a dog interior would make this thing a lot more loved and a good DIY youtube video. I don't think you've done a interior restore/refresh video yet so that could be your next greatest hit.
had a sentra with a recall that had to have the passenger seat removed to install a part. customer had fast food bags all over the place. front seat, back seat, everywhere. told the writer to have the customer come back with it clean or come clean it out.
Great video and valid points. For $200 its not bad for a donor car and knowing you and your skills and talents you will clean it up detail it and drive it and perhaps you can make it into a sleeper car like the fairmont.
As far as the smell, an enzyme based carpet cleaner should take care of that. A friend of mine projectile vomitted in my 1988 Honda Accord LXi. The enzyme cleaner took care of the smell (along with the disassembly of the interior in order to get the bits out of the cracks and crevices).
$200...if I had the space I would have bought it especially in running condition. I have a 2002 and my interior is the polar opposite of that one. Mine gets vacuumed and the leather gets treated. I commute roughly 120 miles daily with mine and absolutely love it.
Hey Eric, i think 2002 looks better than this one. Quick question for you. Do you know if these cars have any known issue with key immobilizer? My 2002 RL doesn't start sometimes and i notice green key flashes on dash. i have to take my key out completely and reinsert to make it start. Any clue whats wrong? Dealer can't find because it didn't do this at that time and it does it very often. Appreciate your videos. Thank you!
It also sucks bad when it's a work vehicle for your employer's fleet, and you get one with a trashed interior because your main is in the shop or they decided to rotate vehicles for whatever reason. Some people just suck, or think trying to cover with an air-freshener is adequate when the stench should be removed at the source. And if you do this kind of thing with gross cars a lot, probably worth getting a hot water extractor vac. The ones worth having aren't cheap though. Also shouldn't you be able to pull miles with a scan tool? I think that's one of the things covered by OBDII.
I bought a 2000 RL two days ago......last night it was totaled. I got rear ended at a red light. It’s too bad because it only had 107K miles and it was gold. Time to find another RL.....
The sniff test works both ways. Taking a skanky heap into a garage will get you the crazy quote, a) because no one wants to work on it and b) if you have so little pride in yourself and your car your a problem customer, wont pay up, will disagree with the work and be a general PITA. On the other hand, such a tragic car coming in as a trade in or badly presented at auction can be a real cash pile. If basically sound you can polish in a lot of profit. With such a dog, remove everything from the car, especially filthy carpets, take out the pollen filters, clean off the loose dirt and dust, soak them in cheap, household anti-bacterial spray and let it run for 10-15 minutes with the a/c full on and you'll be surprised at the difference.
Seriously, it's not terribly awful. Just parked and cleaned by hand for about a month. It only takes about 2 hours to take apart an interior. Chip away at cleaning it with bucket soap and a scrubby brush. Garden hose rinse. Another 2-3 hours to reassemble. This is a fantastic purchase. The rust and body work is another story. Probably 10-15 hours total. These cars really were nice at the time. Should look up the price back then.
Matt B honestly if it were me I would tear out the interior and order new carpeting. It's an older car I mean how much can it cost to just get new carpeting, the rest will be over time. if you were to make a project out of that car you could have it being a completely different car in about a couple of months, people are afraid of a little elbow grease now days.
Amesie's Automotive Corner # 6 for me is full tank in an SUV/pickup (30+gal)when you got to drop the tank & replace a fuel pump or sending unit especially since the fuel caddy I had only held about 15 gal. You should do one on your channel LOL
Haha our dealership if u give us your car with no gas we run it till it won't start then charge them 9.99 a gallon to put gas in the car. Not our fault u gave us a damn car that we can't even move....
Could be a Bulb or Bad Solder connections on the mileage connector. some times a lot of those connection get bad. Some Scan Tools will tell you the mileage as well
"Get a face full of that!... And work on this car!"... It's rare that I bust a gut out loud but that shit was funny. I agree whole heartedly on your distaste for unloved cars and the people who neglect them.
Eric!!! You need to flip this car and return it to it's former glory! There are people who look high and low for these cars, why do a part out? It seems to run nice, and if it drives good, why not? I'd obviously put it on the lift and do a basic inspection to see if it's actually worth doing, but I'm guessing it would be. Why not?!? I know your subs(me included) would go nuts over that!
Why not? Experience has taught me that what you can see on the surface is only the tip of the iceberg. If I get into this, I can pretty much guarantee it's going to cost way more than it's worth to fix.
^^ Exactly what I was thinking! It would be awesome to "restore" the car, but it would take a lot of money to do it right. The car would probably nickel and dime you every time you lay eyes on it. The amount of money to get the interior up to par would probably cost a ton.
Eric, you must have some kind of special love/sympathy for old big-body Acuras. This was definitely a charity case that you've rescued. I definitely understand, though. It's hard being addicted to cars. I think the people who rescue animals or play the role of foster parent would understand. This one is definitely an un-loved, beaten, foster child. Pull the seats out and rent a carpet cleaner, you'll probably suffer much less. Also, household disinfectants followed up with a good wipe-down of Murphy's oil soap with the car out in the sun will help remove the smell and re-hydrate the plastic and vinyl. Grubby interiors are the worst project deterrents.
Eric, i could smell that from here. I'm a used car tech at a dealership. Sometimes catch the cars before they go to the detailers, once in awhile get one like that. I agree that it is disgusting.
Trick for dog hair clean up. Mount a round spinner brush on a high speed buffer then spray the carpet down with degreaser and go to town. Next hit it with wet/dry vac and air-hose. Works like a charm.
that interior is just manky , I spent 1/2 hr on the inside of my car yesterday because a coffee cup spilled in the cup holder , there is no way that a dog would be let lose in my cars leather , I can imagine the smell .
+ETCG1 poor car .....part it out call a rollback....play taps....shed a tear and wave good bye to it as it slowly drives off into that sweet good night!
Hi Eric, We don't get the Acura brand here in Ireland but we do get the luxury high end Honda Accord and the Honda Legend, I think they are similar vehicles to the Acura brands
I used to buy up vehicles like that,fix them up and turn them over. Sometimes they came easy,sometimes they were bombs. I got a 1977 ford fairlane manual three speed that had a perfect body,the clutch slipped a little. I paid $200 and put in a lawn for it,that ammounted to a couple bags of grass seed and fertilizer. The neighbor wanted it gone. The car lasted longer than her grass because she didnt water it but oh well. I sold the car for $1,200 after fixing the clutch and buffing it out. It was pretty. Should have kept it.
this RL would be a PRIME Candidate for a series of videos on how to properly clean, disinfect, and deodorize vehicle interiors, and maybe a series of videos showing how to repair common issues with this generation of Acura RLs!
I have a neighbor that would clean that car for $50. I asked her if she thought she could clean a car once when she needed hers fixed, and she did a good enough job that I was able to sell the car for $1000 when I gave scrap price $200 for it over rotten brake lines. Ive saved a few cars from the crusher like that. Even after you kill that power steering wheel there will be someone out there who would love to have that car if it is reliable and you can fix the power steering and still sell it on cheap.
is the power steering pump not functioning/failure a common issue in those RL??, I am in the middle of buying a 2000 RL here in Saskatchewan,CANADA. thanks
If you want to turn a running car into a parts car, do you have to get a salvage title for it? Because what if you take it down to the frame and use every bit of the parts car up... Its basically no longer drive-able
I think because of the mileage, it will have limited use as a parts car. You wouldn't want to sell someone an engine or transaxle with over 220K on it, and the seats are beyond saving. Still, if you can make your money back from it and maybe even use some of the other parts for yourself, it was worth it.
I agree with you Eric the way some people treat their vehicles is like there personality they don't care and people that don't care to take care of there of themselves is the way vehicle becomes. Me I like to keep my car clean and neat I never keep trash in my car nor dump trash in it.
My car gets taken care of better than I do myself. Ironic as my room is a mess, my backpack is a mess, and I procrastinate like no other, but I'm quite obsessive about keeping my car clean, even the engine bay.
Just use it as a Guinea pig car/ test vehicle. She served her purpose. That carpet is easy to clean . Remove it and spray it liberally with soapy water and pressure wash it. Works great on carpet that far gone
Hey big bro quick question maybe u can help me. I have a 97 and when I open the door the interior lights don’t come on I changed out all the fuses clicked the switch in the roof n it still doesn’t come on . The lights on the door don’t come on at all maybe u can help me
I think everyone that had a question about what was meant by an "unloved" car now knows. That was one unloved car. That car is a bit of a testament to how well they are made though - likely well over 200k miles on it while there is not much chance regular maintenance was done on it.
I figured it out, Eric's master plan is to collect all Acuras. Then, he will build a robot Acura and conquer the world. Jokes aside, if you flash a powerful, directed light at the unlit light (even from the front) you'll be able to see if it's still working. I do that with my laptop sometimes when i'm too lazy to light the screen up (FN + f7 on Asus laptops kills the light).
Side note, one of the friends i help with their cars has this very same problem in mentality au regard dogs. And if i have to work on that car because i'm such a nice person, i get inside a sealed up suit and my full face mask. It's a PITD but i won't get anywhere near that infection without the cheaper cousin of the hazmat suit.
Eric has a good attitude! Not negative!! You have to frankly say things!!! Dumbass dog owners should be called out. 200k miles? Acura legend continues......
The FWD RLs depreciated like crazy because Honda was just hell bent on beating Nissan and Toyota on price for the Q45 and LS400 by keeping the RL 6 cylinder and not exactly in the same class as a large luxury sedan. They got into the hands of people running them on a budget way too quickly so few examples of loved/money is no object maintained examples survived. The AWD RLs are holding their value much better. I'm not a professional mechanic but have done repairs for people I know and found cars are dogged like this one. Trim parts are broken inside, coffee stains in the seats/carpet, trash on the floor, dirty glass on the inside, etc. It's what the Mighty Car Mods channel calls "human slime" on virtually all surfaces of the car. I'd say clean it up as best as you can and try to fix the steering for under $50 without putting more than a day into it. Then just sell it for $500-800 to a kid looking for his first car or just anyone looking for basic transportation. If it still runs and is relatively reliable then your trash is someone's treasure.
Eric-
I did car audio for years and we had special upcharges for gross cars. There was one car that went down in history though: We were doing a remote start on it, no big deal, done thousands of them, and all of the sudden our lead installer came out of the garage, threw the keys on the counter and said he wasn't working on it. That was the only time he had ever refused to work on a car and you could tell he was serious. We tried to get him to talk to us about it and finally he was able to talk. The driver of the car apparently liked to pick his nose and wipe it on the front of his seat. There was a solid layer of boogers right where the installer's head had to be for an hour. My guess is he brushed up against it and got so freaked out that he didn't know what to do.
When the customer came back, we gave him a full refund and apologized that we couldn't work on his car. He became irate, cussing and swearing. Again, no big deal. Then he said he was going to the news about it. My boss calmy said, "Sir, if you would like the news to report that you keep a very large booger collection on your front seat, feel free."
Yuck, but great story.
"Been around the block" Eric, it looks like it has run INTO the block
I bought my car like this sight unseen for $300. Ended up pulling the carpet out, pressure washing it, shampooing the seats, and wiping everything down with disinfectant. Smell is gone, I have $600 into it, and have been driving it for years now. Just gotta show em some love ;)
One of my old neighbors had this car in beige when they first came out. These were pretty cool vehicles. All it needs is a little TLC and some major detailing and it can be made roadworthy again. I say go ahead and bring it back to life again!
My father once told me that if a car runs and drives no matter the condition it's worth at least $1000 to some one. I say fix the power steering, hit it with a vacuum cleaner, throw in a couple of pine tree air fresheners and and make a small profit. But thats just me
Good point, but ATM, I have better things to do with my time.
Nice one. Love seeing any new car that comes around. I've recently bought 2 vans just to get a few parts for my own and then I get rid of them with my old parts after swapping over :)
This is why i try to keep my interior in as a good condition as possible :) it just makes for a nicer drive i don't really like when people have tons of stuff in the car for no reason
Thanks for the chuckle this morning! Your rant on the crap interior was good!
Eric the Acura guy!
lol nice buy! Id just do a quick sloppy detail on it and maybe fix the PS if you could get a salvage R&P and sell it. Make a grand for some extra pocket $. Either that or take all the parts off it you want, then part out the rest! :) whatever you end up doing look forward to upcoming vids! thanks Eric! :)
Hey Eric, I owned a 1997 RL from 200k to 300k miles without one breakdown. That odometer problem is very common with these as mine shut off around 280k miles. Also only the telescoping worked when I purchased it, the tilt did not. Dealership price for a new power tilt/telescoping column? $2400!!!! Found an RL being parted out on Craigslist, $150 for the column which functioned property for maybe another 2 years. I wish you were closer to my residence Eric, I would give you $600 for it right now.
saw an Acura Vigor the other day and you are the first person I thought of.
I completely agree with you Eric a car owner should have the responsibility to take care of the car more than anybody else
During the cleaning of my 68' Dodge project after getting it home, I had found a bag underneath the seat. The small gift bag ended up containing various adult novelties that were quickly disposed of once realizing what they infact were... Quite vulgar but equally hilarious!
Have fun with that project Eric. I'd like to see what happens to it because I like flipping cars and this video gives me an idea, thanks.
I see the Honda Element in the background, glad you are keeping that.
I love that vehicle. Always have.
How long until we see "ETCG gets an NSX"?
Only problem is that it has no engine, it's been on fire at some point and has a stray cat living in it that attacks anyone who goes near it, but otherwise it's a bargain.
I worked on one like that once.
Man... there are so many Acuras around this vintage in the NYC area with blown motors. Folks don't know how to drive them around here. :( Congrats, E!
man! you are brave! I have major gag reflex and I'm almost gagging looking at this over the internet.
Had a 99, my grandmother bought it new, pretty high mileage, wish I never sold it though. Loved that car, and my grandmother says if she could ever have one car back it would be it. Black/tan intereor. Needed headgaskets and tires, and at that point
For the shape it was in it wasn't really worth keeping around.
Eric! You're addicted to buying cars! 😉
50sKid It can become an addiction, especially when they're only 200 dollars.
Wow that's a bit of a chunk you got there Eric!
I haven't finished the video yet, but Happy Birthday has been ruled as public domain.
Agreed. I do a detailing job anytime prior to me bringing my car in for warranty work. If it's out of warranty I do the work myself.
Had to bug bomb a customer's car one time, nothing worse than see roaches scampering around a car.
really?? thats crazy
If I'm working on someone's computer and an actual bug comes out of it I put it in a trash bag and put it outside and tell them to come get it.
I've seen that too. Yuck.
working shlub
Crazy, but true. It was actually a Ford van, owned by an "Evangelical Church". I pulled up the shag carpet, and something moved. To be on the safe side I bug bombed it. It smelled worse than what Eric described, a combination of fast food, and Gerry curl.
I used one of those pet vacuum/carpet cleaners on my car when I purchased it and some degreaser. Made a hell of a difference.
I have had GREAT luck pulling carpet and hitting it with some hand cleaner and then pressure washing it. The Focus wagon I currently drive was dubbed the "Vomitron" when we bought it due to the inside looking and smelling like a hotel room after a 3-day frat party. Probably not worth it on this RL but yep - if you are willing to de-funkify them you can get a great deal
When is the Fairmont going to leave? I always took you as a Japanese, Honda/Acura car guru and subscribed because you always did all the neat DIYs that I so highly appreciate.
As for this car, I think a gutting of the interior and maybe finding a decent, not slobbered on by a dog interior would make this thing a lot more loved and a good DIY youtube video. I don't think you've done a interior restore/refresh video yet so that could be your next greatest hit.
I purchased this same EXACT vehicle brand new in 1998. Was the beat car I ever owned.
That's a Honda Legend here in the UK
had a sentra with a recall that had to have the passenger seat removed to install a part. customer had fast food bags all over the place. front seat, back seat, everywhere. told the writer to have the customer come back with it clean or come clean it out.
HEY TODAY IT'S MY BIRTHDAY THANK YOU ERIC!!!
Happy birthday!
thanks Eric i was waiting since i discover your channel almost year ago
I love getting into a car and feeling like I'm just sitting in a giant ashtray.
Great video and valid points. For $200 its not bad for a donor car and knowing you and your skills and talents you will clean it up detail it and drive it and perhaps you can make it into a sleeper car like the fairmont.
ratagris21 haha it isn't worth his time. He literally only bought it for the telescoping steering wheel. Beyond that...its a dumpster fire.
Reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where his car had an unpleasant odor and he couldn't get rid of it
Bring back the Legend
ROTL. I love you, man.
As far as the smell, an enzyme based carpet cleaner should take care of that. A friend of mine projectile vomitted in my 1988 Honda Accord LXi. The enzyme cleaner took care of the smell (along with the disassembly of the interior in order to get the bits out of the cracks and crevices).
You can get cans of air refresher that you put in the car and turn the air on and it fogs the car for like ten mins. Heard they work well
Looks like a great car to get dirty in!
$200...if I had the space I would have bought it especially in running condition. I have a 2002 and my interior is the polar opposite of that one. Mine gets vacuumed and the leather gets treated. I commute roughly 120 miles daily with mine and absolutely love it.
Hey Eric, i think 2002 looks better than this one. Quick question for you. Do you know if these cars have any known issue with key immobilizer? My 2002 RL doesn't start sometimes and i notice green key flashes on dash. i have to take my key out completely and reinsert to make it start. Any clue whats wrong? Dealer can't find because it didn't do this at that time and it does it very often. Appreciate your videos. Thank you!
It also sucks bad when it's a work vehicle for your employer's fleet, and you get one with a trashed interior because your main is in the shop or they decided to rotate vehicles for whatever reason. Some people just suck, or think trying to cover with an air-freshener is adequate when the stench should be removed at the source.
And if you do this kind of thing with gross cars a lot, probably worth getting a hot water extractor vac. The ones worth having aren't cheap though.
Also shouldn't you be able to pull miles with a scan tool? I think that's one of the things covered by OBDII.
I like it when he yells at all those high horse people.
I bought a 2000 RL two days ago......last night it was totaled. I got rear ended at a red light. It’s too bad because it only had 107K miles and it was gold. Time to find another RL.....
perfect winter beater..just do enough to pass inspection.
Eric, I would say to clean the interior, replace the carpet, fix the power steering, and sell it.
Abs lights can be on bcause of low or empty brakefluid
Take the engine and transmission out, set fire to the rest.
Not worth it. Too many miles on it.
Fair point, In that case just burn it.
The sniff test works both ways. Taking a skanky heap into a garage will get you the crazy quote, a) because no one wants to work on it and b) if you have so little pride in yourself and your car your a problem customer, wont pay up, will disagree with the work and be a general PITA.
On the other hand, such a tragic car coming in as a trade in or badly presented at auction can be a real cash pile. If basically sound you can polish in a lot of profit.
With such a dog, remove everything from the car, especially filthy carpets, take out the pollen filters, clean off the loose dirt and dust, soak them in cheap, household anti-bacterial spray and let it run for 10-15 minutes with the a/c full on and you'll be surprised at the difference.
Seriously, it's not terribly awful. Just parked and cleaned by hand for about a month. It only takes about 2 hours to take apart an interior. Chip away at cleaning it with bucket soap and a scrubby brush. Garden hose rinse. Another 2-3 hours to reassemble. This is a fantastic purchase.
The rust and body work is another story. Probably 10-15 hours total.
These cars really were nice at the time. Should look up the price back then.
Matt B honestly if it were me I would tear out the interior and order new carpeting. It's an older car I mean how much can it cost to just get new carpeting, the rest will be over time. if you were to make a project out of that car you could have it being a completely different car in about a couple of months, people are afraid of a little elbow grease now days.
Well, today is in fact my birthday. Thanks! ;)
Happy birthday!
That car is begging to be raced in the 24 Hours of Lemons! The advantage of going that route is that you could gut the interior. 😁
Lets see your top ten pet peeve video!
On mine trash car is #5, right in front of bringing a car in with no gas..
Amesie's Automotive Corner # 6 for me is full tank in an SUV/pickup (30+gal)when you got to drop the tank & replace a fuel pump or sending unit especially since the fuel caddy I had only held about 15 gal.
You should do one on your channel LOL
Not a bad idea. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hondo fourfivetwo I did one years ago.
Amesie's Automotive Corner yeah I forgot lol
Haha our dealership if u give us your car with no gas we run it till it won't start then charge them 9.99 a gallon to put gas in the car. Not our fault u gave us a damn car that we can't even move....
Could be a Bulb or Bad Solder connections on the mileage connector. some times a lot of those connection get bad. Some Scan Tools will tell you the mileage as well
I was going to check the bulbs, but that's as far as I plan to go with it.
Swap the motor out of this and put it in the Mustang shell you got.
And then put a Type R sticker on the shell.
Type RL sticker
Just write the L in sharpie next to the R.
do a Toms Turbo Garage style interior revamp!
A good detail would do wonders. I'm sure you could find that rear badge cheap as well
Yes! Thank you! Hahaha, I was a mechanic and swapped to being a car detailer, I have seen some cars that would make most people sick
"Get a face full of that!... And work on this car!"... It's rare that I bust a gut out loud but that shit was funny. I agree whole heartedly on your distaste for unloved cars and the people who neglect them.
Eric!!! You need to flip this car and return it to it's former glory! There are people who look high and low for these cars, why do a part out? It seems to run nice, and if it drives good, why not? I'd obviously put it on the lift and do a basic inspection to see if it's actually worth doing, but I'm guessing it would be. Why not?!? I know your subs(me included) would go nuts over that!
Why not? Experience has taught me that what you can see on the surface is only the tip of the iceberg. If I get into this, I can pretty much guarantee it's going to cost way more than it's worth to fix.
^^ Exactly what I was thinking! It would be awesome to "restore" the car, but it would take a lot of money to do it right. The car would probably nickel and dime you every time you lay eyes on it. The amount of money to get the interior up to par would probably cost a ton.
Eric, you must have some kind of special love/sympathy for old big-body Acuras. This was definitely a charity case that you've rescued. I definitely understand, though. It's hard being addicted to cars. I think the people who rescue animals or play the role of foster parent would understand. This one is definitely an un-loved, beaten, foster child. Pull the seats out and rent a carpet cleaner, you'll probably suffer much less. Also, household disinfectants followed up with a good wipe-down of Murphy's oil soap with the car out in the sun will help remove the smell and re-hydrate the plastic and vinyl. Grubby interiors are the worst project deterrents.
you should do an "unloved" video series :D
Eric do you have a video on replacing the rear differential on a 98 to 04 Acura 3.5 RL?
Did you ever fix the steering column? I have the same issue. RUclips does not have many videos on the Acura RL
Eric, i could smell that from here. I'm a used car tech at a dealership. Sometimes catch the cars before they go to the detailers, once in awhile get one like that. I agree that it is disgusting.
Trick for dog hair clean up. Mount a round spinner brush on a high speed buffer then spray the carpet down with degreaser and go to town. Next hit it with wet/dry vac and air-hose. Works like a charm.
I`m waiting for the new ETCG salvage yard to open
Come on Eric, admit it, you have a soft spot for these cars. That's why you keep buying them :-p
that interior is just manky , I spent 1/2 hr on the inside of my car yesterday because a coffee cup spilled in the cup holder , there is no way that a dog would be let lose in my cars leather , I can imagine the smell .
It's as if you crawled inside a dogs butt after he ate the wrong stuff.
ETCG1 the image u just put in my head I won't sleep tonight
+ETCG1 poor car .....part it out call a rollback....play taps....shed a tear and wave good bye to it as it slowly drives off into that sweet good night!
+ETCG1
So, like eating at Arby's then.
ETCG1 oh god , mental image , mental image .
The happy birthday song is officially public domain now.....I'm ready for you to sing now.
Hi Eric, We don't get the Acura brand here in Ireland but we do get the luxury high end Honda Accord and the Honda Legend, I think they are similar vehicles to the Acura brands
Next episode: "Eric the Car Guy buys an ozone machine".
That car has some potential...
I used to buy up vehicles like that,fix them up and turn them over. Sometimes they came easy,sometimes they were bombs. I got a 1977 ford fairlane manual three speed that had a perfect body,the clutch slipped a little. I paid $200 and put in a lawn for it,that ammounted to a couple bags of grass seed and fertilizer. The neighbor wanted it gone. The car lasted longer than her grass because she didnt water it but oh well. I sold the car for $1,200 after fixing the clutch and buffing it out. It was pretty. Should have kept it.
I thought there were going to be videos on it though?
Lots of air freshener trees. Lots and lots of trees, like from floor to the package shelf lots.
this RL would be a PRIME Candidate for a series of videos on how to properly clean, disinfect, and deodorize vehicle interiors, and maybe a series of videos showing how to repair common issues with this generation of Acura RLs!
I have a neighbor that would clean that car for $50. I asked her if she thought she could clean a car once when she needed hers fixed, and she did a good enough job that I was able to sell the car for $1000 when I gave scrap price $200 for it over rotten brake lines. Ive saved a few cars from the crusher like that. Even after you kill that power steering wheel there will be someone out there who would love to have that car if it is reliable and you can fix the power steering and still sell it on cheap.
is the power steering pump not functioning/failure a common issue in those RL??, I am in the middle of buying a 2000 RL here in Saskatchewan,CANADA. thanks
Keep it, can be saved for sure
My dads friend just bought a 2000 Acura RL but it needs a new rack and pinion Eric is this a tough job?
If you want to turn a running car into a parts car, do you have to get a salvage title for it? Because what if you take it down to the frame and use every bit of the parts car up... Its basically no longer drive-able
I think because of the mileage, it will have limited use as a parts car. You wouldn't want to sell someone an engine or transaxle with over 220K on it, and the seats are beyond saving. Still, if you can make your money back from it and maybe even use some of the other parts for yourself, it was worth it.
Is there any good videos on how to change the starter on these? Starter went out on my 04 acura rl
Here, get a face full of that ! Love it😂
I got a RAV4 at work, and I had to do a recall in the back seats and I couldn't open the doors because the back seat was filled with trash
I agree with you Eric the way some people treat their vehicles is like there personality they don't care and people that don't care to take care of there of themselves is the way vehicle becomes.
Me I like to keep my car clean and neat I never keep trash in my car nor dump trash in it.
My car gets taken care of better than I do myself.
Ironic as my room is a mess, my backpack is a mess, and I procrastinate like no other, but I'm quite obsessive about keeping my car clean, even the engine bay.
I have a JDM exclusive in silver, did you find out the Odometer issues?
Mine has
Just use it as a Guinea pig car/ test vehicle. She served her purpose. That carpet is easy to clean . Remove it and spray it liberally with soapy water and pressure wash it. Works great on carpet that far gone
I got the same car. Changed the ignition switch the starter. Still doesn't start. Help
Hey big bro quick question maybe u can help me. I have a 97 and when I open the door the interior lights don’t come on I changed out all the fuses clicked the switch in the roof n it still doesn’t come on . The lights on the door don’t come on at all maybe u can help me
I think everyone that had a question about what was meant by an "unloved" car now knows. That was one unloved car. That car is a bit of a testament to how well they are made though - likely well over 200k miles on it while there is not much chance regular maintenance was done on it.
YIKES. How people let their cars get like that is beyond me :-o I can't even imagine what their homes are like...
Nice work
I can smell that thing from here
I figured it out, Eric's master plan is to collect all Acuras. Then, he will build a robot Acura and conquer the world.
Jokes aside, if you flash a powerful, directed light at the unlit light (even from the front) you'll be able to see if it's still working. I do that with my laptop sometimes when i'm too lazy to light the screen up (FN + f7 on Asus laptops kills the light).
Side note, one of the friends i help with their cars has this very same problem in mentality au regard dogs. And if i have to work on that car because i'm such a nice person, i get inside a sealed up suit and my full face mask. It's a PITD but i won't get anywhere near that infection without the cheaper cousin of the hazmat suit.
Eric has a good attitude! Not negative!! You have to frankly say things!!! Dumbass dog owners should be called out. 200k miles? Acura legend continues......
I bought a RL for $732, What is your estimate on repairing the pinion seal, rack and pinion?
hello, what's the name of the intro song ?
The FWD RLs depreciated like crazy because Honda was just hell bent on beating Nissan and Toyota on price for the Q45 and LS400 by keeping the RL 6 cylinder and not exactly in the same class as a large luxury sedan. They got into the hands of people running them on a budget way too quickly so few examples of loved/money is no object maintained examples survived. The AWD RLs are holding their value much better. I'm not a professional mechanic but have done repairs for people I know and found cars are dogged like this one. Trim parts are broken inside, coffee stains in the seats/carpet, trash on the floor, dirty glass on the inside, etc. It's what the Mighty Car Mods channel calls "human slime" on virtually all surfaces of the car.
I'd say clean it up as best as you can and try to fix the steering for under $50 without putting more than a day into it. Then just sell it for $500-800 to a kid looking for his first car or just anyone looking for basic transportation. If it still runs and is relatively reliable then your trash is someone's treasure.
Donate it to Mighty Car Mods. They love gross stuff like that.
InsideOfMyOwnMind Do the moog test; lick your palm, rub it on the carpet, count the amount of pubes xD
Just don't do them in the wrong order.
InsideOfMyOwnMind I laughed my ass off at this