As I recall, his poor car got fairly badly damaged a few times, even being shot at. But in a way it was the perfect vehicle for his business enterprise.
I bought my Aztek with 100,000 mi on it, 10 years later it's got 240,000 mi on it, it's a perfect mountain bike hauling / adventure vehicle because it's taller and wider in the back than new little SUVs, I drove mine to Seattle and back to Phoenix a few weeks ago, hauled my mountain bike, slept in the back, and got 26 mi to the gallon.
@@alisosa9836 calling an Aztek ugly.. how very original. Not. I don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of vehicles now look very similar to an Aztek. It was just ahead of its time.
Its always satisfying to just fix everything required on a neglected car. I did a GMC Acadia last year for my sister. Put a used trans in it and literally fixed everything that was remotely marginal at the same time. A little under $1800 just in parts on that one. Prob would have been a $6-7k bill at a shop
Agreed. Everyone one I see on the street is some beige color or some tan. But that blue REALLY pops! It really takes your mind off the first thought of how ugly it is to begin with , to wow it’s pretty lol I’m being serious too! I’m sure a nice metallic dark red wine color would be the same. But such a pretty blue. Seeing that they just rode her hard and put her away wet every time they drove it , ( everything failing, parts queen/cannon, ( but NEEDED parts cannon car lol), take note folks, this is what happens when u neglect a car and I get it, your probably like I can’t afford these repairs right now but what JR said while he was driving . IT DOESNT TAKE MUCH!! Like $50 a month or so just make a list and start line after line one thing every month or so as your able and it would be in tip Top shape in no time!
How you pump out so much content that’s quality boggles my mind. You young man deserve all the success in the world that you are having. Great to see a young guy hustle like you are. A lot of people your age just don’t have that drive. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU!!!!!
I have had three Aztec's as work trucks in the scrap yard I work at, I honestly loved all of them, they are comfortable to me and have tons of space (I have a picture of my current one loaded with well over 20 tires). So here is a Thankyou for fixing this one, if I wasn't already rocking a trailblazer I'd want your Aztec.
One of the homeless campers that take over open parking areas around here had a really nice looking red one he found somewhere to go with his zombie motor home. It stayed nice for a while but slowly started getting broken windows and missing parts. They might be crap vehicles but they certainly were a cool idea with a lot of options. Glad you're saving it just because they are so wierd and unique. The all wheel drive version must have been really interesting and probably a nightmare to work on.
Considering how it looked when you got it, the Aztek looks great. It might just be that wonderful blue color hiding all the scratches, but it looks good.
In a throw away society, it's refreshing to watch folks save vehicles and other items from the scrapyard. Most folks let their vehicles and other items (such as lawnmowers and snowblowers), die from neglect and a lack of service. My snowblower is 18 years old and my lawn tractor is 23 years old. A little maintenance goes a long way.
I think you need to do more than restore this Aztek to make it last. Unless you keep it for yourself, nobody is really going to care to give it the upkeep that it will need through the years. But if it's extra special then I think it can survive. I would like to see it remain stock as much as possible except for performance parts like suspension, bolt-on engine upgrades, roof rack, minimal stereo upgrade, etc. Have you ever seen a lifted Aztek? Not ridiculous, just like 2-3 inches for 2 inch taller tires. I also like the camping trip idea. Giving this thing a story helps keep it alive. Maybe you can pass it on to another TH-camr when you're done with it. Car Trek? IDK
I'm an airline pilot and live in south Florida. That Aztec would make a good "airport car" to keep in the employee lot in Memphis where I work. Memphis is a dangerous town; This would be the last car anyone would jack or break into...
I had one of these, and won’t lie, the easiest car to live with . Best interior layout, so quiet on the road , good pickup and great in the snow . Too bad the trans pooped the bed at 40k . I didn’t care about the looks , I was in the inside looking out. The sad thing is GM couldn’t implement any of its interior features across other platforms . I’m kind of glad it’s getting a bit of a cult following , minus the trans , it deserves it .
I don't know why either, and I'm a GM guy 😅 I remember when the Aztek came out, ugliest thing on the road at the time, the Gen2's weren't quite as ugly but I still wouldn't be caught dead in one. Yet here I am, watching you fix stuff because I enjoy your content and hoping you get this thing finished. Hopefully the next owner appreciates your efforts and you can make some money on it, assuming you go back and figure out how much you've got into it!
Agreed, my 02 Ford F-150 4 door SuperCrew I inherited several years ago after my step dad died is still going down the road with over 220K because all it's basic maintenance was kept up, and a lot of those were hard miles pulling a camper, boat, trailers, hauling stuff in the bed, etc.. with a full passenger load, and the only major thing it's ever had done again besides normal maintenance was a new tranny last year for $2,500, which is far far cheaper than a new truck, and hopefully will get me many more miles from it before I retire her.
My boss has a 2003 Silverado he bought new 6.0V8 3/4 ton truck I was there last week it has 421k miles all original no rust at all. His wife's 02 Tahoe has a 5.3 with 394k. My truck is a 03 supercrew with 298k miles 4.6
From the team that designed the current Corvette . . . atrociously . . . I think you should give this one away to somebody needy and deserving. We loved watching you help out the single mom with some car work last year. Then deduct it on your taxes as either advertising or charitable donation. Watch all your stuff with my wife and grandkid and teach him mechanics by second guessing your work. Keep it up John Ross!
I freakin knew that transmission was gonna shift perfect, and it will will put you in a dirt nap if you fire up the AC before vacuuming all the dirt out of that blue thunder metallic blue. Great video, Josh and Gabe always make the video's more interesting when they help out, my favorite visitor's.
Those engines run much smoother after: cleaning throttle body, EGR valve AND passages, MAF,. Replacing air filter & checking air box is sealed as clips fail. Spark plugs-wires usually are not changed as difficult to reach also. New PCV valve. Smoke test for vacuum leaks. ABS or traction control issues usually from wires to hubs or box under driver's seat.
I used to be a mobile mechanic in Chicago.. you should’ve seen the lack of maintenance I dealt with! I’ve honestly came across more than 1 person using the parking brake to stop.
Go glad to see it come back. We did the same with our 2001 Aztek GT. It sat in a lady's yard for 8 years and we picked it up for $200 4 years ago today. It's been fairly reliable though it did decide to get a little warm on a trip out of town the other day, need to see what is going on there, it's not the gaskets, thinking it might be the fans not turning fast enough.
Was this a rural mail or newspaper car? That's the only reason I can think of that would have beat this car up this badly. Check the A/C first, then clean the interior. That thing is probably gonna blow a sand storm out of the vents the first time you turn it on.
We have a absolute shit load of dirt roads in Kansas. I imagine the owner lived pretty far out on dirt roads. I see cars this filled with dusty dirt all the time. You'll see cars quite often with dust coming through the door cards and around the window seals.
@@OhPhuckYou I live in Iowa. We're kinda like Kansas, but with more pigs than people(8 to 1 ratio). Same situation with the dirt roads. All laid out in a grid pattern and really only useful as shortcuts for the farmers going between fields. I was a rural mail carrier on those roads. That's why I wondered about this car's past use.
You can upgrade brakes from an AWD Aztek, which greatly improve the stopping as they are a larger rotor. Have to buy replacement calipers and brackets, but worth the upgrade.
I love how much you enjoy the vehicles after you fixed them. Like this when you’re going to go and take camping! It just makes his channel much more fun to watch.
I think I have said this before but I have a coworker that has one with a bazillion miles on it. He loves it. Its had a new engine at 350k and he plans on restoring it when he retires in a year. I probably wouldn't but but he loves it so what do I know. He's already sourced a bunch of new parts for it.
I sold cars at a GMC dealership across from the Astrodome when the Aztex was new and they would sit on the lot so long the tires would dry rot..we would replace them on the rare occasion one sold..they would give you 1k plus spifs if you could manage to sell one..i never did but another salesperson sold one to his in-laws..lmao
This one is probably one of the best looking Aztecs I’ve seen! Not that any of them were very good looking cars but they were very practical for the everyday things and a great camping car. If you didn’t mind being seen in one you could get them dirt cheap! I get the reason why you are fixing this one up but good luck getting much money back out of it.
You hit the nail on the head talking about spending $50 a month towards maintenance. I see so many cars that shouldn’t be on the road. Zero maintenance put in. I had a guy bragging he never had to change the oil on his car.
Wow, this car is so sweet, we had the Buick version and loved it. Was great for camping and with the captains chairs in middle row was a dream on long trips. Great series!
Ugly but underrated, and lets be honest if it was not for the show Breaking Bad the values for most of these would still be in the gutter, and they would be more underrated, and overlooked.
I'm on my second Aztek with over 200,000 miles. My almost 15 year old son doesn't understand why they say It's the car that killed Pontiac, he says it's a all around good car.
Pontiac had best line up in my opinion before they got cut... the gto, g8, gxp line, solstice... they should have let Buick go and keep Pontiac brand going ... when was the last memorable Buick model since they did that? ... yeah, nothing comes to mind...
Why? Nothing says Y2K IMMEDIATELY like one of these, and its appearance in an admired television series makes it a whole lot more of a future classic than a Dodge Stratus.
Not a fan of the Aztek, but truly enjoy your videos. Most of them out there are heavy on talk and low on actual wrenching. You guys are doing it right. BTW I bet Joshs' machine shop could use a lathe, milling machine. etc etc etc. Maybe if he's a good boy Santa will fill his stocking. Keep up the great work.
They fit easily, it's been done multiple times, there's a guy on the Aztek fan club page on Facebook who's doing one right now. People have shoved LS engines into them.
"Nobody knows why..." Said the guy who had a dodge rampage and a ford exp, among others.... YOU, JR have a soft spot or an affinity for the oddballs, the unique one. YOU are the guy on the highway who says "Oh, look! a Pontiac aztek!! I had one of those!" As you pull up alongside and give the head nod of "much respect" to the other aztek driver. Part of you wants to ask them what their maintenance was like, you want to know.. Is the tent back there? Did THEIR brake system go to hell in a handbasket? How is the tranny?. You get that with people who own odd cars. Drive a ford Taurus, and you dont get it..... As always, thanks for sharing!
There's absolutely nothing wrong with these models... they get a bad rep cuz of looks but once you sit in it, and go through it, you'll understand how well thought out and practical it is...
Honestly a lot of people do not like the Pontiac as Tech. Deck. The benefit of the Pontiac Aztec is that it holds plenty of stuff parts are cheap and they actually get good gas mileage.
Had too change both wheel bearing on my 2006 pontaic torrent. Took 2 hours on each wheel try to bang off but got it done. Looks like they changed it before. Its missing the brake rotor rear dust cover.
I'd run two treatments of Koolit Evaporator cleaner on that thing before trying the AC... It'll probably have pure mud coming out of the condensate drain
Pontiac and buick used aluminum spindles and steel hubs so they putt a protective plastic lining on the ring of the hub that contacts the spindel so no corrosion happened and that is y it was so ez to remove
@@WatchJRGo honestly most the things on the rendezvous and Aztec are well engineered and very ez to work on 260 k on my buick and its still going strong I lobe it
Did the interior lights ever turn off (it looked like they didn't in the outro)? Might be contributing to the dead battery. The GM products from this era were supposed to have some sort of battery saver to prevent this, but who knows whether it's still working.
I watched a documentary on a chemistry high school teacher and he drove an Aztec. He started a business and really changed lives.
Yes this high school Chemistry teacher changed so so many lives including his own!
Yeah I think I saw that too! Not sure I'd follow in his footsteps, but it made me want an Aztek.
As I recall, his poor car got fairly badly damaged a few times, even being shot at. But in a way it was the perfect vehicle for his business enterprise.
I saw that too. It was more of a how to than a documentary.
He was all successfully ey!
I bought my Aztek with 100,000 mi on it, 10 years later it's got 240,000 mi on it, it's a perfect mountain bike hauling / adventure vehicle because it's taller and wider in the back than new little SUVs, I drove mine to Seattle and back to Phoenix a few weeks ago, hauled my mountain bike, slept in the back, and got 26 mi to the gallon.
@@alisosa9836 calling an Aztek ugly.. how very original. Not.
I don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of vehicles now look very similar to an Aztek. It was just ahead of its time.
@@alisosa9836 yeah, I'm old. One thing about getting old is that your lose patience for morons.
@@jeffrogers2180 Now I know where Subaru got the inspiration for the hex shaped wheel flares on the new WRX !
Nice just got one today randomly... 112k hope to get a little time from it
Its always satisfying to just fix everything required on a neglected car. I did a GMC Acadia last year for my sister. Put a used trans in it and literally fixed everything that was remotely marginal at the same time. A little under $1800 just in parts on that one. Prob would have been a $6-7k bill at a shop
"NOBODY Knows WHY" - if they have to ask, they'll never understand. That blue is probably the best an Aztek can look
The best a Aztek can look still isn't saying much 🤣🤣 but it is a "rare" vehicle because no one liked them even new
Agreed. Everyone one I see on the street is some beige color or some tan. But that blue REALLY pops! It really takes your mind off the first thought of how ugly it is to begin with , to wow it’s pretty lol I’m being serious too!
I’m sure a nice metallic dark red wine color would be the same. But such a pretty blue. Seeing that they just rode her hard and put her away wet every time they drove it , ( everything failing, parts queen/cannon, ( but NEEDED parts cannon car lol), take note folks, this is what happens when u neglect a car and I get it, your probably like I can’t afford these repairs right now but what JR said while he was driving . IT DOESNT TAKE MUCH!! Like $50 a month or so just make a list and start line after line one thing every month or so as your able and it would be in tip
Top shape in no time!
No, the best an Aztec can look is with black paint....so you can’t see it at night.
The orange or yellow looks good oh and the olive green
@@Julian-do7bv Oh yes, yellow!!
Legend has it Josh is restoring his Bronco II using just his good looks.
Bronco IIs are trash.
How you pump out so much content that’s quality boggles my mind. You young man deserve all the success in the world that you are having. Great to see a young guy hustle like you are. A lot of people your age just don’t have that drive. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU!!!!!
Well said 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Plus his is hot AF!
@@randyhutchinson5253 ewww dude
Quit.
I have had three Aztec's as work trucks in the scrap yard I work at, I honestly loved all of them, they are comfortable to me and have tons of space (I have a picture of my current one loaded with well over 20 tires). So here is a Thankyou for fixing this one, if I wasn't already rocking a trailblazer I'd want your Aztec.
I had an Aztek. Gave it to my nephew. Been looking for another one ever since.
You are at your best when you save vehicles like this.
One of the homeless campers that take over open parking areas around here had a really nice looking red one he found somewhere to go with his zombie motor home. It stayed nice for a while but slowly started getting broken windows and missing parts. They might be crap vehicles but they certainly were a cool idea with a lot of options.
Glad you're saving it just because they are so wierd and unique. The all wheel drive version must have been really interesting and probably a nightmare to work on.
Considering how it looked when you got it, the Aztek looks great. It might just be that wonderful blue color hiding all the scratches, but it looks good.
Just a suggestion, sit on the car for like 25 years and then maybe people will see it at the Mecum Auto Auctions. You sunk enough cash into it :)
Yes. It does look really nice on the outside.
In a throw away society, it's refreshing to watch folks save vehicles and other items from the scrapyard. Most folks let their vehicles and other items (such as lawnmowers and snowblowers), die from neglect and a lack of service. My snowblower is 18 years old and my lawn tractor is 23 years old. A little maintenance goes a long way.
Don't throw out the rotors, start a metal bin and sell it when you feel you have enough.
Just... yes.
Wish I had a sweet Aztek project going. Maybe one day
I think you need to do more than restore this Aztek to make it last. Unless you keep it for yourself, nobody is really going to care to give it the upkeep that it will need through the years. But if it's extra special then I think it can survive. I would like to see it remain stock as much as possible except for performance parts like suspension, bolt-on engine upgrades, roof rack, minimal stereo upgrade, etc.
Have you ever seen a lifted Aztek? Not ridiculous, just like 2-3 inches for 2 inch taller tires.
I also like the camping trip idea. Giving this thing a story helps keep it alive. Maybe you can pass it on to another TH-camr when you're done with it. Car Trek? IDK
The rotor that had a flat spot on it; Diagnosis: wheel fell off and rotor slid on ground locked up until the car rolled to a stop.
For a vehicle that was neglected so much by the previous owner, it looks surprisingly good on the outside for it's age. Great video JR !
He's done a lot of work on the outside of it in previous videos. If you saw it when he got it, it was bad.
This is why I love your channel, JR, because you don’t just “cheap” fix your vehicles. If you find something that needs replaced, you replace it. 👍
I've always dug the Aztek. I REALLY wish it was closer to the concept but for what it is, thumbs up.
Now this thing will drive as well as it looks! Interpret that how you wish
😂😂😂 could go either way!
Like shit!
@watchjrgo
If you can hang onto it for a few years, it will be a great investment.
I miss my Aztek. Great, competent ride. Mine was also an 04, awd model.
I have always had an inexplicable fascination with Atzeks nice to see you getting one back on the road
When are you going to bring out the Aztek specific OEM tent?
I'm an airline pilot and live in south Florida. That Aztec would make a good "airport car" to keep in the employee lot in Memphis where I work.
Memphis is a dangerous town; This would be the last car anyone would jack or break into...
I had one of these, and won’t lie, the easiest car to live with . Best interior layout, so quiet on the road , good pickup and great in the snow . Too bad the trans pooped the bed at 40k . I didn’t care about the looks , I was in the inside looking out. The sad thing is GM couldn’t implement any of its interior features across other platforms . I’m kind of glad it’s getting a bit of a cult following , minus the trans , it deserves it .
I don't know why either, and I'm a GM guy 😅 I remember when the Aztek came out, ugliest thing on the road at the time, the Gen2's weren't quite as ugly but I still wouldn't be caught dead in one. Yet here I am, watching you fix stuff because I enjoy your content and hoping you get this thing finished. Hopefully the next owner appreciates your efforts and you can make some money on it, assuming you go back and figure out how much you've got into it!
That Aztec has come a long way from what it originally looked like when you bought it. I'm glad to see it fixed up and given a second chance.
You were SO CLOSE to pulling that motor for a 3.8 SC! 😄
I think Jake could have found one...
Maintenance is the key to long life and saving you money in the long run. My GMC Yukon had 388k!
Agreed, my 02 Ford F-150 4 door SuperCrew I inherited several years ago after my step dad died is still going down the road with over 220K because all it's basic maintenance was kept up, and a lot of those were hard miles pulling a camper, boat, trailers, hauling stuff in the bed, etc.. with a full passenger load, and the only major thing it's ever had done again besides normal maintenance was a new tranny last year for $2,500, which is far far cheaper than a new truck, and hopefully will get me many more miles from it before I retire her.
My boss has a 2003 Silverado he bought new 6.0V8 3/4 ton truck I was there last week it has 421k miles all original no rust at all. His wife's 02 Tahoe has a 5.3 with 394k. My truck is a 03 supercrew with 298k miles 4.6
The Monster Truck should be on the Off Road channel! Also I'd like to see some more Ruin'd World! Love the channel!
We do need to do more Urbexing! 💯
Aztek awesomeness, camping trip inbound, much outdoor fun ahead and thank you JR for the save, I like the car a lot!
I love that Aztek, I want one just like it for my small business I just started.
I love the paint! It is like a blue mirror
From the team that designed the current Corvette . . . atrociously . . .
I think you should give this one away to somebody needy and deserving. We loved watching you help out the single mom with some car work last year. Then deduct it on your taxes as either advertising or charitable donation. Watch all your stuff with my wife and grandkid and teach him mechanics by second guessing your work. Keep it up John Ross!
I freakin knew that transmission was gonna shift perfect, and it will will put you in a dirt nap if you fire up the AC before vacuuming all the dirt out of that blue thunder metallic blue. Great video, Josh and Gabe always make the video's more interesting when they help out, my favorite visitor's.
They sometimes come up with the best comments while taking apart the vehicles!
Those engines run much smoother after: cleaning throttle body, EGR valve AND passages, MAF,. Replacing air filter & checking air box is sealed as clips fail. Spark plugs-wires usually are not changed as difficult to reach also. New PCV valve. Smoke test for vacuum leaks.
ABS or traction control issues usually from wires to hubs or box under driver's seat.
I used to be a mobile mechanic in Chicago.. you should’ve seen the lack of maintenance I dealt with! I’ve honestly came across more than 1 person using the parking brake to stop.
When you first look at the Aztek, you only see a few scratches. But when you look deeper you see the scars. Cheers JR.
Go glad to see it come back. We did the same with our 2001 Aztek GT. It sat in a lady's yard for 8 years and we picked it up for $200 4 years ago today. It's been fairly reliable though it did decide to get a little warm on a trip out of town the other day, need to see what is going on there, it's not the gaskets, thinking it might be the fans not turning fast enough.
That Aztec is amazing.
The Avalon coating of that thing got me to buy from them for my ceramic coating. 😎
Was this a rural mail or newspaper car? That's the only reason I can think of that would have beat this car up this badly. Check the A/C first, then clean the interior. That thing is probably gonna blow a sand storm out of the vents the first time you turn it on.
We have a absolute shit load of dirt roads in Kansas. I imagine the owner lived pretty far out on dirt roads. I see cars this filled with dusty dirt all the time. You'll see cars quite often with dust coming through the door cards and around the window seals.
@@OhPhuckYou I live in Iowa. We're kinda like Kansas, but with more pigs than people(8 to 1 ratio). Same situation with the dirt roads. All laid out in a grid pattern and really only useful as shortcuts for the farmers going between fields. I was a rural mail carrier on those roads. That's why I wondered about this car's past use.
@@JRandallEllis What's really fun is when the dirt roads get twisty, and you so happen to be in a RWD truck. Tail whip those turns. Haha
WHEN YOU GET IT FINISHED I MOST LIKELY WILL BE INTERESTED IN IT FOR A GROCERY GETTER...
You can upgrade brakes from an AWD Aztek, which greatly improve the stopping as they are a larger rotor. Have to buy replacement calipers and brackets, but worth the upgrade.
Yep. I love the Barney lard from Permatex for the caliper pins.
Usually when the turn signal flasher blinks at double speed it means a bulb is out. Did you check the front and rear turn signals?
You tackle a lot that most car channels don't. Great content JR. Love the channel. How many cars and trucks do you currently have?
I’ve never wanted an Aztek until THIS one! JR... how much? I’ll document the drive home to Idaho!
Looking good! Put some company logos on the Aztec and you have the perfect WatchJRGo parts car for running to O'Reilly's!
I love how much you enjoy the vehicles after you fixed them. Like this when you’re going to go and take camping! It just makes his channel much more fun to watch.
I think I have said this before but I have a coworker that has one with a bazillion miles on it. He loves it. Its had a new engine at 350k and he plans on restoring it when he retires in a year. I probably wouldn't but but he loves it so what do I know. He's already sourced a bunch of new parts for it.
Same here. When my engine and tranny fail I'm going to put new ones in, I'll have a brand new 20 plus year old car. :-)
I sold cars at a GMC dealership across from the Astrodome when the Aztex was new and they would sit on the lot so long the tires would dry rot..we would replace them on the rare occasion one sold..they would give you 1k plus spifs if you could manage to sell one..i never did but another salesperson sold one to his in-laws..lmao
This one is probably one of the best looking Aztecs I’ve seen! Not that any of them were very good looking cars but they were very practical for the everyday things and a great camping car. If you didn’t mind being seen in one you could get them dirt cheap! I get the reason why you are fixing this one up but good luck getting much money back out of it.
You hit the nail on the head talking about spending $50 a month towards maintenance. I see so many cars that shouldn’t be on the road. Zero maintenance put in. I had a guy bragging he never had to change the oil on his car.
The frequency you release the vids... Awesome!
Good job I love seeing 2000s GM vehicles
How dose this channel not have 1 million subs. Definitely the best one out there
Wow, this car is so sweet, we had the Buick version and loved it. Was great for camping and with the captains chairs in middle row was a dream on long trips. Great series!
If there is a way to get a series 3 3800 in there, go for it, next time. They are super underrated, and look so much better than Ronniedevious.
The buick styling was the best version of this rebadge imo. Plus trishield is way underrated so brownie points.
Yes
These cheap flip vids are absolutely my favorite, keep up the great content!
If anyone was wondering about the song it's Mega woman IV by ELFL
That rapid flashing of the turn indicator, sometimes means the bulb is out.
It's a great Aztek, good work there. Cult car for sure!
Aztek is a under rated car
Ugly but underrated, and lets be honest if it was not for the show Breaking Bad the values for most of these would still be in the gutter, and they would be more underrated, and overlooked.
I had a Buick Rendezvous and loved it so much that I bought my daughter one for college. She loves it . 👍
How did they take that sub frame out without the motor falling out? Does it have an upper motor mount??
When you try the A/C, put some clear bags over the vents.
I'm on my second Aztek with over 200,000 miles. My almost 15 year old son doesn't understand why they say It's the car that killed Pontiac, he says it's a all around good car.
Pontiac had best line up in my opinion before they got cut...
the gto, g8, gxp line, solstice...
they should have let Buick go and keep Pontiac brand going
... when was the last memorable Buick model since they did that?
... yeah, nothing comes to mind...
buy this one when it's done.
It’s an awesome car with a flakey trans , I loved mine and would still have it if, but I couldn’t trust it anymore .
@@kmatax9237 so true .
@@kmatax9237 I totally agree! If it wasn’t for Buick being such a monster in China things might have turned out differently.
Fast and incredibly accurate work, men!
More episodes of this car to come .... keep Chipping away ,,,, Cheers !
I love watching Jr go and be as productive as I want to be
Why? Nothing says Y2K IMMEDIATELY like one of these, and its appearance in an admired television series makes it a whole lot more of a future classic than a Dodge Stratus.
I drove one that was new. Super smooth, comfortable. I liked it.
I did this with a $500 saturn wagon. Thing has 240K on it but the cruise control, AC and heat all work. No CEL either!
You saved it! Probably be the best Aztek that no one will want.
Not a fan of the Aztek, but truly enjoy your videos. Most of them out there are heavy on talk and low on actual wrenching. You guys are doing it right. BTW I bet Joshs' machine shop could use a lathe, milling machine. etc etc etc. Maybe if he's a good boy Santa will fill his stocking. Keep up the great work.
In the intro, the smirk you have as you say pontiac aztek says it all 😀
Be kinda cool to see if a 3800 SC (Supercharged) would physically fit .
They fit easily, it's been done multiple times, there's a guy on the Aztek fan club page on Facebook who's doing one right now.
People have shoved LS engines into them.
Like most of my flips, once you start digging into the problems, more seem to appear. Great job yet again.
Love the focus, keep fixing until it is right
"Nobody knows why..." Said the guy who had a dodge rampage and a ford exp, among others.... YOU, JR have a soft spot or an affinity for the oddballs, the unique one. YOU are the guy on the highway who says "Oh, look! a Pontiac aztek!! I had one of those!" As you pull up alongside and give the head nod of "much respect" to the other aztek driver. Part of you wants to ask them what their maintenance was like, you want to know.. Is the tent back there? Did THEIR brake system go to hell in a handbasket? How is the tranny?.
You get that with people who own odd cars. Drive a ford Taurus, and you dont get it.....
As always, thanks for sharing!
Good Luck with Camping, I bought my tent a year before I bought my first Aztek. There are tents out there for you too.
Bringing cars back from the brink are always my favourite video's. Very satisfying. (How many replacement windscreens did Walter Whites Aztec have ?)
There's absolutely nothing wrong with these models...
they get a bad rep cuz of looks
but once you sit in it, and go through it, you'll understand how well thought out and practical it is...
they were far ahead of their practicality, as many new SUVs now offer the options and styling they had.
Yeah but only 1 problem…most folks buy with their emotions and the only emotion the Aztec generates is disgust.
It’s fucking ugly.
@@gekolizzard most of cars nowadays are...
That's what's wrong with them then. And if it looks like a turd it isn't going to sell.
Honestly a lot of people do not like the Pontiac as Tech. Deck. The benefit of the Pontiac Aztec is that it holds plenty of stuff parts are cheap and they actually get good gas mileage.
Aztek would be a hit if GM released it now. Offroader crossovers are popular now
You should check the blinker fluid while you're at it.
JR, be careful of upper intake manifold gasket issues with that 3.4L motor. It's one of the know issues with that GM motor.
That is one sweet Aztec…………words rarely spoken 😉
With a camper package their pushing 6 grand. Pontiac is getting to be a collector item. Couldn't be worse then a trailblazer
Had too change both wheel bearing on my 2006 pontaic torrent. Took 2 hours on each wheel try to bang off but got it done. Looks like they changed it before. Its missing the brake rotor rear dust cover.
I like this Aztek. Much nicer than Walter White’s
I'd run two treatments of Koolit Evaporator cleaner on that thing before trying the AC... It'll probably have pure mud coming out of the condensate drain
The blue is similar to the Crystal Meth from Breaking Bad
What a great video from JR.
Pontiac and buick used aluminum spindles and steel hubs so they putt a protective plastic lining on the ring of the hub that contacts the spindel so no corrosion happened and that is y it was so ez to remove
Yeah that was amazing to work on 💯
@@WatchJRGo honestly most the things on the rendezvous and Aztec are well engineered and very ez to work on 260 k on my buick and its still going strong I lobe it
Gosh, these cars are awesome.
Hope that you check out those rear breaks they sound terrible!
I wanna buy this Aztec for my daily...good job guys..
Did the interior lights ever turn off (it looked like they didn't in the outro)? Might be contributing to the dead battery. The GM products from this era were supposed to have some sort of battery saver to prevent this, but who knows whether it's still working.
That’s Eric O’s famous purple brake goo. :)