Weathering a rainy or lazy day, learning something new, recalling something old; there are a bunch of reasons to sit back and binge watch YouTube. And if you’re like me where you’re inundated with DIY wrenching channels day-in, day-out, there’s never any shortage of watching someone turn a wrench anywhere on Earth, and on any wheeled vehicle you can think of.
There are so many YouTube channels that cover this kind of stuff, that the Almighty Algorithm might not think to present some of the underrated gold. You may be missing out on something really cool.
Lately, I’ve happened upon a lot of great DIY wrenching YouTube channels in my regular browsing, so without further adieu, here are five of the best. Most of them currently have sub-50,000 subscribers at the moment, too; they deserve a lot more.
Flexiny
If you’re like me where it’s therapeutic to have lengthy, narration-less videos playing in the background while doing anything else, like whipping up blogs, this channel’s for you. The folks behind the Flexiny are based in Estonia and mostly get their hands on European vehicles, but a good amount of American and Japanese stuff, too. There’s also some cool Eastern Bloc, previously-behind-the-Iron-Curtain stuff, too, which is all totally in my blinders.
I like that there isn’t any narration and the production is quite basic—the opposite makes for good content, too, but it depends on the mood I’m in or what I’m doing at the moment. Like I said, great background music, and even a chance to use it as a jump-off point for deeper automotive research. Or, some lengthy Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace perusal, like what happened while watching this B3 Passat diesel video.
If you want your interest piqued by stuff you never thought would pique it, check out Flexiny.
Hunter Direction
Again, narration and more detailed production are great, too, with a shining example being HunterDirection. This dude’s wheelhouse is German cars—particularly a B5 Audi S4, Audi TT, and E30 BMW 3 Series—and he goes in-depth about the fixes and modifications he performs on all three.
I especially like the cut of his jib as he too busies himself with a moody old Audi. It’s not only nice to commiserate, but to also bolster my pride in sticking with my own 2002 S4; endless boost leaks, misfires, and all. It looks like he’s based somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, and his production is quite good for being a one-man operation, both in shooting videos and post-production. Great voiceover, too—you can tell he puts a lot of time and effort into his channel.
Support folks who ought to have a lot more subscribers than they currently have, tune in to HunterDirection.
WheelemVerb
This next one’s great because who doesn’t love early ‘00s Volvos? WheelemVerb has only been around a year or so, but this guy’s done a lot of cool stuff with a handful of sleek Scandinavian hits, like the S60R and his current main project, the V70R. By the way, his most recent videos cover manual-swapping the latter: Yes please.
Production quality is good, and he’s pretty darn thorough about the steps he takes. I haven’t been watching this channel very long, but like Flexiny above, it always makes me head over to Craigslist and FBM to see what the skinny is on used Volvo prices. Sidenote: My buddy/dear former coworker and Autopian contributor Kevin Williams recently picked up a clean S80 for a song, and I’m quite jealous. Between a V70—R or otherwise—and big, cozy, V8-powered S80, I could quite easily commit to the oldish Volvo life. I need more parking space.
Rambling aside: Get bit by the Volvo bug, too, and check out WheelemVerb.
The G Automotive And More
YouTube channels that work on a wide variety of cars are great, too. Like Flexiny above, The G Automotive And More cover a bunch of different hardware, though recently, has dedicated a lot of coverage to their 1965 Ford Mustang project.
I only very recently started watching this one, but I like what I see: Short and long videos, with many comprising individual issues and fixes that might make someone’s day who’s in a research frenzy mid-wrench sesh. This professional mechanic goes into good detail, too, and has a massive catalog—like the two above, more people ought to subscribe.
Learn something new about a big variety of platforms, and check out his playlists.
Day Off DIY
Rounding out this list is Day Off DIY. Like HunterDirection, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for this one as I too enjoy dealing with BMW oil leaks with my own 2011 128i. Enjoy, or experience Stockholm Syndrome from, one or the other.
In fact, most of his coverage is based around the Bavarian brand, from four-cylinder E30 to a recent E90 3 Series sedan that he gave away to a subscriber. This former BMW technician goes into great detail, and shares a lot of tips and tricks that would be handy to anyone attempting fixes on their own rides, Bimmer or not. He’s also got a knack for explaining things, and does a great job covering all the steps associated with getting any job done.
Gain some knowledge and motivation for your own wrenching, and watch Day Off DIY’s channel today.
No Robot Cantina? Blasphemy!
Have to put in a plug for ColdWarMotors not only for the outstanding work done but for the overall feel. Those of us who miss the days of hanging out in the garage with friends can live vicariously with Scott and the Agents.
If Pre War is your thing then Strong’s Garage is one to visit.
Second on both ColdWarMotors and Strong’s garage. What a lovely cast of characters who love all different aspects of cars. Scott’s a humble genius, a rare sorta guy.
Gotta respect a man with a Poodle
I really like Nodarperformance. He specializes in offbeat stuff like Alfas and Saabs, and his stable is actually driven hard. I’ve learned a whole lot about transaxle Alfa repairs, especially brakes, over the years, and his whole approach is friendly and knowledgeable, but absolutely no BS.
I didn’t see it mentioned, maybe because he has 282K subscribers, but I feel like the Watch Wes Work channel is somewhat underrated. This guy does it all, CAD, machining, heavy equipment repair, tractors, cars, forklifts, even experimental logging robots. He comes from an engineering background, so he’s good at explaining things to the layman. Definitely worth a watch. His earlier stuff is more automotive related if that’s what you prefer.
I also watch I Do Cars, which is chock full of information and dad jokes. Diesel Creek is a channel I started watching when he bought a $200 XJ Cherokee with a blown engine and did the swap in his tiny, cluttered garage. The channel has grown a lot since then, but it’s interesting to see him work on heavy equipment, tractors, lawn equipment, etc…he even saved an old CJ that was in a barn he was demolishing.
Oh, also The Motor Oil Geek, which only has about 50K subs. This is a good one if you’re a lubrication enthusiast, know what BITOG is, and that tribology isn’t a consensual act between two adults.
Lake Speed Jr. is a character and his videos are not only informative but pretty amusing to watch.
Did I just meet my doppelganger?
I look forward to I Do Cars’ new videos every week.
And if one wants to fall off of cars into heavy machinery, C&C Equipment and Scrappy Industries…
Hey, cool! My familiarity with Scrappy Industries, of course, is by way of Diesel Creek. 😉
LR Time (Land Rover) is pretty good. It is a German couple that love LRs/RRs. The wrenching is pretty indepth too including some machine shop fabrication.
Currently they’re on either their 2nd or 3rd body off for mechanical fixes to an LR3 in a home shop w/a lift that is outside with a single car garage directly ahead with a pit
To avoid buying and wrenching on a Ferrari:
https://youtube.com/@Ratarossa?si=vg5XflXnHPAAWbVm
Electric conversion of classic cars but he is a pro
https://youtube.com/@ElectricClassicCars?si=1jf2BzGzU2wEMnTX
lol Ratarossa actually makes me believe you can get away with buying a Ferrari..
> without further adieu
Come on y’all. It’s “without further ado.”
Adieu means goodbye.
Waldo’s World is good one with lot of technical explanations and procedures during the repairs. He focuses mostly on the diesel engines and vehicles.
Its too bad his video’s have gotten very infrequent. I really like his channel.
As a euro guy, LegitStreetCars is a MUST! 11 years of mb master tech experience and is currently trying to 100% a CL65 with its ABC System, and he also has a supercharged, 15 psg Chevy Xpress, and also a whippled W211 E55 Wagon and a whippled W204 C63 507 too!
I was tired of him peddling the hair products in between.
No longer sponsored with it
Check out Joe Simpson if any of you guys love EFI Tuning. He’s got a dyno shop in Maryland, his videos are sarcastic and extremely informative if you want to learn about tuning Holley EFI.
I personally love speedkar99 with all the mechanical reviews of pretty everyday cars and in depth engine tear downs with occasional big mechanical failures to see. Lots of upbeat humor and he has a good amount of knowledge
My current favorite automotive youtuber is Low Buck Garage. The channel’s motto is “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong,” and largely operates on a philosophy of “that’s good enough.”
But the projects he works on are fascinating, the problem solving is brilliant, and his sense of humor is the cherry on top. He works on all sorts of old beat-up trucks and industrial vehicles for fun, everything from buses, Jeeps, excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks, snow plows, military trucks and half tracks converted into other types of vehicles, dune buggies… anything old, cheap, and mechanically interesting with potential for fun to be had. So there’s a ton of mechanical diversity in the stuff he works on, and you often find yourself learning a thing or two about engineering, wrenching, or fabrication along the way.
Humble Mechanic and the Deutch Auto Parts guy saved me thousands of dollars by killing my desire to ever own a sporty VW. Great channels though
Given that Charles at the Humble Mechanic helped out Jason and his Tiguan, I’m surprised the channel didn’t make the cut.
The problem is they never cover the car and repair you need. Can I get any Isuzu Vehicross repair anywhere. So for the most part funand educational but never specifically useful.
Daily Driven Death Traps is fun as is Fritzee’s Fabrication.
Real sleeper pick is Budget Gears
https://youtube.com/@BudgetGears?si=Opn3ItCOsDWypMwg
Not exactly car specific, but I like the videos on Project Farm. He gives reviews of random things that he uses on his property that are fun to watch and he really does try to be a scientific/measured as he can given what he’s got.
I love the videos were he compares oils, oil additives, etc.. and runs brand new lawn mower engines until they blow. For instance he did an analysis of Amazon branded oils compared to M1, Valvoline, etc..
I think my only complaint with his channel is that when he cuts his clips together, the pitch of and cadence of his voice are high and fast, so that he sounds like he’s on speed. It’s full of good information but I feel exhausted at the end of one video.
Yeah I can see that, I do a lot of skipping to certain sections in his videos due to what you are talking about.
My favorite small car YouTuber right now is Blackthumb. He’s primarily a Subaru channel, but he does… unusual stuff with them. Like swapping a Honda K-series motor into an Impreza (while keeping the AWD system intact, mind you, we aren’t heathens here). He’s also put one of their H6 engines with VVL (AKA VTEC but the Subaru version) into a Legacy sedan, then hand built an intake manifold to supercharge it. There’s also an LS-swapped RX8 to round out the garage. All the while he uses this incredible Explosions and Fire-inspired presentation that is VERY entertaining to watch.
My favorite thing about him, though, is that he’s a computer guy by trade, so he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty wiring, programming, and tuning his swaps. I’ve learned a TON about automotive wiring and computerized engine management by watching his videos. Highly recommend checking his stuff out.
I Do Cars is also well worth the time. Primarily engine teardowns (which are interesting in their own right, and Eric does a great job of making it entertaining yet informative) but also a few repairs and such.
A bit larger than the other channels here at 300k subs, but well worth the watch. Great way to learn all the crazy ways different manufacturers handle timing.
I love speedkar99 for teardowns, he keeps the pace up with humor and insight.
I like the ratchets and wrenches channel. Just a single mechanic dude that takes on a variety of different projects. He posts useful how-to videos for do-it-yourselfers on a budget.
For learning about diagnosing, Eric on South Main Auto and Ivan on Pine Hollow are incredible.
For your everyday repairs, Rainman Ray is great.
Wrenching with Kenny is growing on me as well.
Eric on South Main Auto helped me a lot when I was trying to diagnose fuel pump module issues with my old van. He is a very good technician, not just a “throw parts at it” person.
SMA is an absolute fascination for me. His knowledge level and ability to engage the audience is top tier. I get lost in a YouTube hole on his channel.
Just started my channel.. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuqpk7DwO_4L8V9pr21byw haven’t done anything major.. but who knows that could change at anytime..
Built on purpose is a hidden gem for those who want to make some engine tuning:
https://www.youtube.com/@BuiltOnPurpose/videos
Of course I got there because of my Datsun fetish, but anyone looking to get more ponies out of their mill should check out his content.
I’ve consulted Fordtechmakuloco several times for the dark innards of my F150. He’s got a shop but tries to stick with reasonable tools. I also like I Do Cars occasional forays into repair rather than teardown.
Shout out for Vehicular DIY. He does BMW repairs and upgrades on multiple chassis and engines. GREAT narration of what is going on, well lit videos (HATE dark videos), has in-depth explanation of a lot of the reasoning, and uses mostly typical tool set stuff the average garage has or can purchase easily.
https://www.youtube.com/@edredas
Almost everything that it turns out that you needed to know to keep your 944 moving. Quite a bit of it done under the shade of a tree and without the fancy shop that an awful lot of us will never have.
I’ll plus one edredas and add two more 944 lifesavers to the list:
https://youtube.com/@NC944er
This is a more recent channel, but the videos are well shot and perfectly narrated.
https://youtube.com/@irina25661
Old school German mechanic who really knows these cars and spends time making funny English subtitles for his videos.
Thank you, I didn’t have the German one!