The ethos here at Car Autance is accessibility and affordability. We might do the occasional piece about supercars and halo cars, but we’re primarily focused on the mechanically inclined homebrew-type people who are too thrifty to let a dealership’s service department service their rides. As shown in my Flippin’ Out series, my goal has always been to show that you don’t need oodles of cash to purchase and recondition a rare sports car, while still having fun and making a little money on the side. Oklahoma-based Youtuber Weird Beard definitely gets that. He’s just like me, except way more mechanically inclined because he does all his own work (ain’t no shame in having a trusted local mechanic to help with some tasks).
I first discovered Weird Beard about six months ago, a little after I sold my Tiburon, but before I let go of my Fiat 500L. Bored and maybe a little frustrated with my then-broken 500L ignition, I stumbled upon a video of an ashy gray Chevy Aveo. The Aveo looked like hell, in part because someone had primed the car for new paint and then didn’t paint the damn car. Weird Beard, in his ingenuity, sanded the old primer off, reprimed the vehicle, prepped, sanded again, then resprayed the whole car with a near-OEM quality paint job.
Weird Beard’s videos are slow-paced, but refreshingly so. He really holds your hand and shows you each step. He explains how and why and takes you through all of his thought processes. Even if he doesn’t know how to fix a problem, he’ll take you with him on his journey to figure it the heck out.
His saga troubleshooting a Chevy Cobalt that wouldn’t engage overdrive is the most recent example. Weird Beard painstakingly took apart the transmission and half the front end, twice.
On Weird Beard’s channel, like the Flippin’ Out series, profits are modest. The work is hard, and the cars are generally basket cases when we get them. Yet, a bit of time, love, and elbow grease can turn a clapped-out junker into solid basic transportation for folks on a budget.
Go on and give Weird Beard a follow, y’all. He’s just like us.