Borescope videos, misc. questions (Page 1/2)
dizzie JUL 06, 04:41 PM
Can anyone tell anything from these crummy phone videos of the screen of this cheap bore scope I bought (that can't record its own videos)? I'm really bad at using it. I was sticking it up the rear wheel wells where the springs are to try and view the rear upper frame rails. I couldn't seem to get any good view from the engine bay with the scope. My overall impression was that there was some level of expected surface rust, but that the structural integrity hadn't been compromised. The bottom of the car looked pretty darn good. The car has spent most all its life south of the Mason-Dixon, some of it in Florida.

I was also wondering if it's normal that it felt a bit flimsy when I pressed on the lower inside part of the trunk that faces the engine bay.

The car does have a branded title because a repair shop recorded the odometer reading writing by 1,000 miles. Hoping my auto insurer will still cover it for collision as well as liability if I buy it.

Thanks for taking a look! I understand if there's not much you can tell. I will say that when I had the scope under the car, something that looked like a long rusted out crevice was just some dirt film on the piece of metal I was looking at (that was easily wiped off) so the videos might be deceiving to some degree.

Oh, it's a GT fastback.

[This message has been edited by dizzie (edited 07-06-2024).]

Patrick JUL 06, 05:07 PM

quote
Originally posted by dizzie:

Can anyone tell anything from these crummy phone videos...



No.

I have no idea where you're actually pointing the scope. Here's a couple of images (from Here) that show where upper frame rail rust can appear. This is on the passenger side.

Looking rearwards of the strut.




Looking frontwards of the strut.




An image of mine from Here, also on the passenger side, looking rearwards of the strut.




To give an orientation, both the 1st and the 3rd images show the harness ground to the frame... although in the 1st image, it's just hanging there... as where it had originally been plugged into has completely rotted away!

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 07-06-2024).]

theogre JUL 06, 08:21 PM
Yea can't really tell what is seen even viewed on PC w/ browser w/ video on full screen

"Southern" car often means little. Many live near Ocean & rot the same or even worse vs car in Upstate NY that get huge problems w/ road salt.
That's ignoring Flood cars getting drown by storms etc.

Surface rust is just that, light rust on a surface but otherwise doesn't affect the part must if any.

Many insurance co's won't like odo reading wrong. if you sell, you get little interest or people want to pay nothing.
Collision etc as in "full coverage" won't pay much on 40 year old car. Even get hit by others, the other I-co often will want to "total" it & pay little.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

IMSA GT JUL 06, 08:33 PM
This one concerns me a bit. You can clearly see the rust has eaten away at some part of the car:

[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 07-06-2024).]

Patrick JUL 06, 08:46 PM

quote
Originally posted by IMSA GT:

You can clearly see the rust has eaten away at some part of the car:



Good eye. Yeah, that looks like toast.
theogre JUL 06, 09:33 PM

quote
Originally posted by IMSA GT:
This one concerns me a bit. You can clearly see the rust has eaten away at some part of the car:
CLICK FOR FULL SIZE

I saw that... Maybe Or could the bore scope &/or phone had problems taking that view.
A lot of bore scopes sold @ retail, & include many High $ units not only "cheap" ones, have issues for dept of focus, dealing w/ high contrast, etc. Brightness of LED @ a given time can affect issue w/ the camera.

One video seem left side as seem to show P-brake cable but scope & phone cameras moves too must to look w/o viewing every frame even then many frame are blurry.

Why I got USB borescopes so can store video or stills @ higher resolution on phone, tablet or laptop, but they same or different issues like if not careful can wreck the USB port on the viewing device.

The branded title "because a repair shop recorded the odometer reading writing by 1,000 miles" (unlikely is only reason) is enough reason to walk. Unless maybe is way cheap & can use for parts. Many don't have storage space to keep a parts car to avoid HOA/City problems.
dizzie JUL 06, 09:59 PM

quote
Originally posted by IMSA GT:

This one concerns me a bit. You can clearly see the rust has eaten away at some part of the car:





Ok sorry - that is the photo I took when the scope was under the car. I wiped the area off that showed as black in the photo easily - it was just some dirt or road grime. Good points all around - I'll take a closer look at the branded title.

[This message has been edited by dizzie (edited 07-06-2024).]

Patrick JUL 06, 10:38 PM

Just goes to prove that nothing beats seeing something with your own eyes!
jelly2m8 JUL 07, 01:42 AM
Two simple and fast checks is to pull the trunk carpet back, look at the upper section, any signs of bubbling rust there is not good. Use your hand, above the wheel at the top of the wheel arc, palm up reach it past the plastic wheel arch liner, find the frame rail, it's obvious, feel back and forth. If it's pretty much smooth and solid, most likely the frame rails are good etc. Always worth the 10 minutes max to pull the wheel and wheel well liner and have a perfect eyeball inspection.

[This message has been edited by jelly2m8 (edited 07-07-2024).]

dizzie JUL 08, 11:15 AM

quote
Originally posted by theogre:

The branded title "because a repair shop recorded the odometer reading writing by 1,000 miles" (unlikely is only reason) is enough reason to walk. Unless maybe is way cheap & can use for parts. Many don't have storage space to keep a parts car to avoid HOA/City problems.



It is a bit concerning to have a branded title. The seller said they didn't know why it was branded. I'm just going by the Carfax - it shows that a small shop recorded the odo reading and then when it was titled in a new state a few months later the reading was a bit lower. I'm thinking that the service station or the DMV made a slight error, but who knows. And you're right - I'm not able to keep a parts car!



quote
Originally posted by Patrick:


Just goes to prove that nothing beats seeing something with your own eyes!



Very true.


quote
Originally posted by jelly2m8:

Two simple and fast checks is to pull the trunk carpet back, look at the upper section, any signs of bubbling rust there is not good. Use your hand, above the wheel at the top of the wheel arc, palm up reach it past the plastic wheel arch liner, find the frame rail, it's obvious, feel back and forth. If it's pretty much smooth and solid, most likely the frame rails are good etc. Always worth the 10 minutes max to pull the wheel and wheel well liner and have a perfect eyeball inspection.




Good points. I did pull the carpet back and found no rust. I did feel around and didn't get my fingers poked by sharp/ jagged areas or feel little holes. I've been hesitant to ask about pulling the wheel well liners down since it doesn't look that easy to my eyes. Do you remove a dozen or so screws to do it? I'll see if I can have that done and/or have the wheels removed.

Also - I'd love for someone to go and press on the lower inside part of the trunk that faces the engine bay to see if it feels a bit flimsy when pressed on:



Thanks again for the thoughts and advice!