YouTuber rebuilds Australian car, ignores the serious damage, but later finds out how bad it really is

This YouTuber ignored the damage in an Australian car he was rebuilding, but it came back to haunt him.

Tavarish wanted to rebuild a 2008 Holden SS Ute for his YouTube channel, and used his second channel to take a closer look at the project.

Viewers quickly noted that the engine looked in bad shape.

Heeding their warnings, Tavarish decided to take a closer look.

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The Australian car that was hiding a lot of damage

Getting the Holden into the US wasn’t an easy feat, particularly as it’s a high power car with a right-hand-drive.

This eye catching purple beauty is a rarity, available only in Australia.

But once it made it Stateside, you’d think the hardest part would be out of the way, right?

Not quite.

While driving the car, Tavarish noticed that a strange smell had made its way into the cabin.

He then wrinkled his nose and commented: “That’s…that’s a smell.

“It’s almost like a moldy smell.”

His cameraman likened the stench to burnt oranges, so it could always be worse.

Tavarish was certain that whatever caused the smell wasn’t alive, so that would rule out mice like in the case of this Honda Acura NSX.

So, what was really going on under the hood?

What lies beneath…the engine hood of this 2008 Holden SS

To find out, Tavarish ran a compression test on the engine to diagnose the problem and discovered low compressions in one of the cylinders.

The engine also had a damaged valve, which may indicate that metal debris had found its way into the cylinder.

Seeing the inside of the valve on camera drew big reactions from Tavarish, his mechanic, and his cameraman.

“That is not good,” Tavarish said.

“That is a mangled valve.

“It needs a new engine, it’s very tired. It’ll do 100 miles for 14 hours, but the engine is very tired.”

This isn’t good news for Tavarish, as LS engines – the one used in the Holden SS Ute – have been shooting up in price in recent years.

He went on: “You used to get them for $500, can’t do that anymore!

“These engines cost $5,000 now.”

Tavarish then put out a plea to his audience asking for any heads ups about ‘almost new’ LS engines.

Once they finish the rebuild – if they can find an engine – the Ute will be given away at an event called Outback in the Midwest.

And anyone who attends the car festival will eligible to win the car via a raffle.

All funds raised from the car will go towards Tyler Balridge, a 17-year-old living with Coffin-Lowry Syndrome.

It’s a condition that affects one in 50,000 people and impacts mental development and lifespan, but few people have heard of it.

To see Tavarish’s video about this obscure Australian car in full, head over to his YouTube channel.