Our monthly pick of the best YouTube videos
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ChrisFix
How to Replace a Hybrid Battery in a Prius
Hardly a day goes by without someone starting an argument about electric cars and their battery packs, and how much the latter will cost to replace once it 'goes bad'. But you rarely hear the same argument about hybrid cars, which is odd because they have smaller batteries that you might imagine would have a shorter lifespan.
Can you replace a hybrid car’s battery pack yourself? If it's a Toyota Prius the answer’s a definite "maybe", thanks to this step-by-step video by ChrisFix. The main deciding factor is the availability and cost of a new pack, of course, and even if we could get our hands on a replacement, we’d want it to be backed up by a lengthy warranty.
Soup Classic Motoring
Rescued From The Junkyard
If someone asks you to name a classic European car that was built like a tank, chances are you’ll say "the Mercedes-Benz W123". It's famed for its build quality and ability to shrug off the harshest of conditions. But the last one rolled off the production line in 1986, so even the youngest examples will have required some fairly major work to keep them in running order.
Cue George’s beautifully filmed video. It shows the restoration of his family's 230 E in Ireland. He says: “This family car was destined for the junkyard. Scary structural rust problems and no budget for the level of repairs needed meant a little boy would have to say goodbye. But his uncle decided to try to save it. This is the story of what happened next.”
Much of George’s video uses stop-motion animation to tell the story, which is awesome when you think how much extra time that must have taken to do on top of the restoration work. Appropriately enough, the video is 1 hour 23 minutes long.
Isle of Man TT Races
TT On-Board Like You’ve Never Seen Before!
Yes, it’s nearly that time again. The Isle of Man TT motorbike races run from May 27 to June 8 in 2024, with a week of qualifying before the racing gets under way on 1 June, with Supersports, Superbikes, Supertwins and Sidecars taking to the island course.
This video will do a good job of getting you in the mood. It shows TT Rider Liaison Officer and race winner, Richard 'Milky' Quayle, on a Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, complete with a camera offering a bird's-eye view.