Car videos on YouTube — with a few exceptions — are generally bad. They fall into two camps: Someone filming on a cell phone with minimal (if any) editing, talking for half an hour before they do a single simple mod, or the most in-your-face high-energy presenting you’ve ever seen. There’s a third genre, though, that’s far too infrequently seen: Unspeaking point-of-view repairs.
This Mercedes repair video, from Flexiny, is that uncommon third group. No intro, no pieces to camera, just picking up an old, dilapidated Mercedes and getting it running. The simplicity, the presentation, is appreciated.
The video title claims the Mercedes had been sitting for eight years, and the car certainly looks the part. It’s filthy, it’s rusted, the interior looks like OSHA would require a respirator for entry, but it’s all in one piece. With a diesel Mercedes, that’s what’s important. Everything else can be fixed in post.
The unseen protagonist addresses some wiring issues, freshens the fluids, and clears the airbox of debris. With that, the Mercedes clatters to life, happily trotting along under its own power once again. Those few repairs are enough to get the Mercedes off-roading, and with a quick pressure wash it’s set for beauty shots.
Narration and narrative can be nice in a car video, but sometimes you just want the car and the tools. No distractions, no production, just a car to wrench on. It’s a bit like the experience of actually spending time in your own garage, working on your own projects. crack open a nice Genny Cream, let all 28 minutes of this video roll on, and wrench your way into the weekend.
