The beginning of my journey! Just bought a 2007 Yaris LB

[bradbowl]

After fixing her up, and thoroughly enjoying it. We sold it to one of my colleagues who needed a reliable car for his son. Ended up making a few grand too. :) Money to be put toward the next Yaris. ;)

[WeeYari]

Looks exceptionally good. Enjoy.

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[NYC-SE]

Congratulations. The Yaris is a very simple, reliable car. You probably won't need to wrench on it often but because of its simplicity it makes a good learning platform for a first timer.

[WeeYari]

OP a member since August 2006. It's about bloody time! A mere 11 years to take the plunge.

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[kimona]

OP a member since August 2006. It's about bloody time! A mere 11 years to take the plunge.

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One post way back in August 2006 about waiting for a blazing blue Yaris HB... then, nothing until July 2017! What's up?

[bradbowl]

One post way back in August 2006 about waiting for a blazing blue Yaris HB... then, nothing until July 2017! What's up?

Haha! Yeah, I'm technically a senior member here. ;D

I did have a Yaris hatchback 10 years ago and absolutely loved it! But I ended up selling it when I took a job in Hawaii. I didn't have any ambition to work on the car back then and grad school consumed most of my time.

My love for that old Yaris never left me though, and when it came time for a "new" car, I convinced my wife that the Yaris was the way to go. :thumbsup: She thinks it's really cute so that's a bonus.

[bradbowl]

OP a member since August 2006. It's about bloody time! A mere 11 years to take the plunge.

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Haha! I may hold the record for oldest member with fewest posts. :eek:

[bradbowl]

Congratulations. The Yaris is a very simple, reliable car. You probably won't need to wrench on it often but because of its simplicity it makes a good learning platform for a first timer.

Yeah, I agree.

By "wrench" I actually meant more like learning how to change the oil, rotate tires, install stereo, etc. :smile:

First comes new shifter knob, then onto installing the supercharger right? :cool:

[kimona]

Mystery solved! Congrats on the new used car. It looks very clean. Keep posting... and more pics as you continue your journey.

[bradbowl]

Mystery solved! Congrats on the new used car. It looks very clean. Keep posting... and more pics as you continue your journey.

You bet! I just bought a new stereo to put in it. :biggrin:

Except the mid-30's me doesn't have as much desire to put in a huge box with 12" subs like my 16 yo high school self. I guess some things change in 20 years...

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Congrats on the purchase. Looks like a clean unit.

Does that side decal say "Daily driven?"

It's pretty easy to work on the Yaris. Let's start you off with changing the spark plugs ;)

Also, do you know if the water pump has been replaced or shows signs of needing replacement?

[bradbowl]

Congrats on the purchase. Looks like a clean unit.

Does that side decal say "Daily driven?"

It's pretty easy to work on the Yaris. Let's start you off with changing the spark plugs ;)

Also, do you know if the water pump has been replaced or shows signs of needing replacement?

Yeah, it has a few stickers on it that I need to figure out how to remove without destroying the paint. There is that "Daily Driven" sticker and also one that says "Barack On!" with a shaka sign on the bumper. I was thinking to either remove that one, or balance it out with a "Make America Great" sticker next to it. :wink:

I inquired about the water pump before I bought it, and the dealership said that it has not been replaced so I'll keep an eye out for trouble.

I had one of my buddies show me how to change spark plugs when he was doing it on his car early this year, so I think I can handle it. :smile: I just need to buy tools. First thing will be putting in a new stereo system. :headbang:

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Ah, keep an eye on the bottom side of the hood on the passenger side for any coolant spray/line.

Get a nice ratchet wrench set. Don't bother with the cheap stuff since they'll break on you quickly.

What are your requirements for the stereo system?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Also, a fresh razor blade will be able to remove the window decals. The ones on the paint may require a hair dryer or heat gun.

[nortonfb]

Hair dryer & bottle of windex, good way to remove stickers and decals.

[dogsridewith]

I used a 3M rotary eraser(a stack of latex rubber discs) to remove double full length side stripes (vinyl) on an 89 Toyota Tercel.

[ern-diz]

Nice find; looking forward to watching your progress.

[bradbowl]

Ah, keep an eye on the bottom side of the hood on the passenger side for any coolant spray/line.

Get a nice ratchet wrench set. Don't bother with the cheap stuff since they'll break on you quickly.

What are your requirements for the stereo system?

Thanks for the tips on sticker removal everyone!

Funny you mention the cheap tools, I was at Walmart the other day and almost bought a 100 piece car repair tool kit for around $20. :)

For the stereo, I really just want upgraded speakers from the stock ones and a nice head unit that has Apple car play/Android Auto. I like the Sony XAV-AX100 because of its simple and clean UI and volume knob. Your post showing that bazooka tube piqued my interest so I am researching that. Oh, and also installing a backup camera, which will be a stretch for me, but with enough YouTube and research I think it'll be doable.

[Yaris874]

Nice welcome back looking clean

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[Kaotic Lazagna]

Thanks for the tips on sticker removal everyone!

Funny you mention the cheap tools, I was at Walmart the other day and almost bought a 100 piece car repair tool kit for around $20. :)

For the stereo, I really just want upgraded speakers from the stock ones and a nice head unit that has Apple car play/Android Auto. I like the Sony XAV-AX100 because of its simple and clean UI and volume knob. Your post showing that bazooka tube piqued my interest so I am researching that. Oh, and also installing a backup camera, which will be a stretch for me, but with enough YouTube and research I think it'll be doable.

That's a good thing you didn't get it cuz it'll probably break on you on your first wrenching. haha.

I'll just say that my first HU on Dory was a Sony...it was so bad that I was offended (lol) and returned it a week later (would have returned it the next day if I didn't have work). BT was terrible. Radio signal was terrible. Didn't play the songs in my USB. I'm never going with Sony ever again.

Installing the backup cam shouldn't be too hard. You can feed the cable through where the license plate light assembly is at (provided it's a license plate frame style) and up through the paneling in the trunk. Then run it on either side of the car and up to the HU. I believe all you would have to do is tap the reverse light for the trigger wire, and ground the camera to the chassis somewhere (that's the hard part cuz I didn't really see any places in the trunk that had easy access to bolts. I grounded the Bazooka tube to the rear seat rail).

You should decide on if you're going to get a subwoofer (the Bazooka powered tubes, either 50w or 100w with the FAST harnesses would be fine unless you want super heavy, thumping bass) or not so that way you know what kind of speakers to get.

[WeeYari]

Funny you mention the cheap tools, I was at Walmart the other day and almost bought a 100 piece car repair tool kit for around $20.

Yeah, I've got plastic picnic utensils tougher than that stuff.


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[yarisugi]

I was eyeing that yaris on craigslist for a long time.
Glad to see it in good hands. :thumbup:

[bradbowl]

I was eyeing that yaris on craigslist for a long time.
Glad to see it in good hands. :thumbup:

Thanks! If you live around Pearl City you'll probably see me rolling by every now and then.

So where do all the Oahu Yaris enthusiasts meet up here? :). All two of us apparently. :laugh:

[bradbowl]

Thanks for the tips Kaotic! I will definitely do lots of research before I decide what to purchase. There's a couple good threads from people here who've installed backup cameras and consensus says a dry cleaner's coat hanger works well for getting the camera wire through the liftback but it can be challenging. I wonder if that's what the professionals like the Geek Squad use, or perhaps they have specialized tools that make it easier.

[Yaris874]

Who REALLY need a back up camara for the yaris H.B lol

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[bradbowl]

Who REALLY need a back up camara for the yaris H.B lol

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Yeah, it never even occurred to me to want one until I walked by the backup camera section of Bestbuy and saw how inexpensive they were (compared to head units around $400+). I've never had a backup camera in any of my cars so I think it would be neat to have. :) Plus, my OCD would get to me having a "camera" icon on the HU that would never work and couldn't be deleted. Haha! I'm probably just weird.

[ern-diz]

Yeah, it never even occurred to me to want one until I walked by the backup camera section of Bestbuy and saw how inexpensive they were (compared to head units around $400+). I've never had a backup camera in any of my cars so I think it would be neat to have. :) Plus, my OCD would get to me having a "camera" icon on the HU that would never work and couldn't be deleted. Haha! I'm probably just weird.

I can totally relate lol.

[WillYaris]

Good Luck with your Yaris. I have TWO 2007 yaris and I love them. Mainly because of reliability and low cost to drive. My one has 202,000 miles on it and up until a few months ago it was Extremely reliable! I drove it to Alaska and back on a vacation when it had 193k miles and drove with confidence. (Sad note: I had to replace transmission and have a new clutch installed shortly after). But I did replace those with confidence it will last another 100,000 miles easily. I let my friend borrow my other 2007 yaris and he loved it so much he bought a 2012 model.

[kevinj93]

... consensus says a dry cleaner's coat hanger works well for getting the camera wire through the liftback but it can be challenging...

That is for the third series Yaris, which has the licence plate on the hatch. There is a cutout with a plastic cover on that model that is the mounting point for the factory camera in some countries. On a 2007 model, you probably want to mount a reversing camera in the rear bumper.

I fitted a reversing camera because my wife wanted it. It's now standard equipment on the new Yarii here in Australia.

[bradbowl]

Good Luck with your Yaris. I have TWO 2007 yaris and I love them. Mainly because of reliability and low cost to drive. My one has 202,000 miles on it and up until a few months ago it was Extremely reliable! I drove it to Alaska and back on a vacation when it had 193k miles and drove with confidence. (Sad note: I had to replace transmission and have a new clutch installed shortly after). But I did replace those with confidence it will last another 100,000 miles easily. I let my friend borrow my other 2007 yaris and he loved it so much he bought a 2012 model.

Thanks! You must really love your Yaris to put a new transmission in it. I look forward to many years happy driving. I just ordered a bunch of car wash/wax products after researching what folks recommend here. I'll be sure to take some before and after pics.

Welcome to the forums!

[dogsridewith]

how did it fail?Good Luck with your Yaris. I have TWO 2007 yaris and I love them. Mainly because of reliability and low cost to drive. My one has 202,000 miles on it and up until a few months ago it was Extremely reliable! I drove it to Alaska and back on a vacation when it had 193k miles and drove with confidence. (Sad note: I had to replace transmission and have a new clutch installed shortly after). But I did replace those with confidence it will last another 100,000 miles easily. I let my friend borrow my other 2007 yaris and he loved it so much he bought a 2012 model.

[DiCaprio]

I wish you fun on your journey with the Yaris, but please what's the story behind the BMW M badge on the side? I'm not trying to offend anyone, but i think an M badge doesn't belong on a Yaris.

[bradbowl]

I wish you fun on your journey with the Yaris, but please what's the story behind the BMW M badge on the side? I'm not trying to offend anyone, but i think an M badge doesn't belong on a Yaris.

Yeah, I wondered about that M badge myself... I guess it goes along with that "Daily Driven" sticker weirdness. As soon as I get back from my trip to the mainland all those extraneous things are going to go.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Funny, I didn't notice that M badge before.

[dogsridewith]

Previous owner was un-turning Japanese-O? Stickers cover paint dings or cloudy clear coat spots or...? Couldn't find an "I'd rather be driving my Bimmer vanity plate?"

[bradbowl]

Previous owner was un-turning Japanese-O? Stickers cover paint dings or cloudy clear coat spots or...? Couldn't find an "I'd rather be driving my Bimmer vanity plate?"

Haha! :laugh:

On my 2000 Corolla, the previous owner put a large "Pittsburgh Steelers" bumper sticker over a dent/scratch on the trunk where his wife backed into a metal fence post. I don't especially love the steelers but I didn't want the dent to show so I left it on. When it faded after a few years, I put a Molokai bumper sticker over it which is still going strong after six years.

[bradbowl]

Here's the steering wheel cover I bought from eBay for $24/shipped. The leather is nice and I like the red stitching. Installation was a breeze.

I also bought a dashmat from eBay for $18/shipped. This one is from China so I wasn't sure of the quality but it got to me pretty quickly and I'm happy with it. The circular velcro bits that came with it aren't very sticky or strong, so I may buy some velcro strips to better keep the edges down. It's been settling in for a few days and keeps looking better.

[bradbowl]

I also washed the car and used a clay bar on it afterwards.

The paint is pretty rough and is in definite need of polish and wax. I've never used a clay bar before and I'm amazed at the difference in smoothness. It got too late to polish it this evening, so I'll get that done tomorrow and post some pics. :)

[ern-diz]

I dig the wheel cover.

Coincidentally, I just had my better half's Honda clay bar'd and like you, I was blown away at how smooth the paint was afterwards.

[bradbowl]

I found some rough spots I missed with the clay bar yesterday, so I remedied that also used the clay bar on the windows.

I was putting on Armor All tire shine gel that got really good reviews on Amazon and noticed how rusty the steel wheels and scratched up the hubcaps are. A quick search of the forum and YouTube shows me another project I can do. :)

And lastly the headlights were really yellow and oxidized, so I used Meguiar's Headlight Restoration Kit on them and I'm really love the results. They look great! Below is a picture where the left light is untouched and the right one is done. The difference is very dramatic in person which isn't shown very well in the photos.

[Kalispel]

I had 3M protective UV film put on my headlights shortly after purchase, while getting my windows tinted, to prevent the hazing/yellowing that occurs on plastic headlight housings - especially in areas with strong sun/UV penetration. Seems like you could do that after restoring the headlights to prevent it from hazing/yellowing up again in a few months (it happens fast after the base protective coating on the lense is gone, and then not protected by UV film or whatever). I didn't have the film on my old Accord, and it was a huge pain trying to keep those lenses clear and new looking.

[bradbowl]

I had 3M protective UV film put on my headlights shortly after purchase, while getting my windows tinted, to prevent the hazing/yellowing that occurs on plastic headlight housings - especially in areas with strong sun/UV penetration. Seems like you could do that after restoring the headlights to prevent it from hazing/yellowing up again in a few months (it happens fast after the base protective coating on the lense is gone, and then not protected by UV film or whatever). I didn't have the film on my old Accord, and it was a huge pain trying to keep those lenses clear and new looking.

Thanks for the idea! I'll definitely look into that. I wouldn't want to repeat the refinishing process multiple times a year since it's very sunny in Hawaii.