Recently bought a ‘97 and your videos have been so extremely helpful for the DIY projects I wouldn’t have been confident in starting on my own! I had been searching everywhere online for a video of someone replacing the inner door pull handle and I knew you’d have a video in here somewhere with an easy to follow method of removing the door parts :) thanks from California!

Great content and pro tips on concealing illicit contraband in the RAV unibody. 👍😳

Dude! You’re awesome ! Huge Respect for the amount of work you’re putting to make this rav4 better. My first car was also a 98 two door rav4 with a manual transmission in silver, exactly like yours. I’ve had few cars in my life but that rav4 was the best and truly unique.

Paul - Thank you for your patience, time and dedication when doing the videos, working on the car and still have a happy face. You have helped me tremendously, and have saved me lots of money. This education also helps us not get fooled by crooks or theft when we pay them for the work you clearly described as supposed to be done - proof. Part #'s and cost WOW. You are awesome!! Bless you!

you have tweaked everything on this beast lol.

As a car enthousiast, I've been watching a ton of car videos and especially the DIY. You sir, deserve a medal! Never seen a nicer, more complete DIY video. Keep up the good work my friend!

This is amazing, your videos have helped me so much! I've gone from thinking my 2000 Rav4 was beyond help and destined for the scrap yard to being able to take it on the highway with minimal concern. Your old man emu video was the game changer but I can't wait to try out what you did in this video next!

Хорошая работа, Пол! Спасибо за видео, посмотрел все эпизоды. Отдельное спасибо что указываешь номера деталей. Good job, Paul! Thanks for the video, watched all the episodes. Special thanks for indicating part numbers.

YOUR VIDEOS ARE MY SAVING GRACE. There’s hardly any videos on the 2 door rav, and I want to make mine as cool as possible 😎

Love your style, informative and to the point + the humor caught me off guard a couple of times 🤣. Wondering why this hasn't gathered more attention, definitely subbing.

I have no words for your devotion to your Rav4. You sir are a master at DIY and love watching your video's. I am a retired mechanic and own a 2004 Rav4. Have watched most of your video's (and not just the related to the Rav) and am implementing many of your idea's. Thank you.

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I try to include useful techniques in each video. I went to a car school then worked as a mechanic for less than a year at a couple shitty places like Midas. The long hours and horrible pay drove me away. Now I just work on cars as a hobby.

Dude, Paul thank you a thousand times for doing these! You're saving me so much time in research alone brother 🤘🍻

It’s 2:50 am and I woke up stressed about the unbearable road noise in my new to me 2019 RAV4 Hybrid. Unfortunately, your video did not put me to sleep, but your build of humor and your before and after have given me peace of mind that the issue can be helped. Thank you!

Just bought a 1997 Rav4 and today I found your channel. Thank you so much for such an informative and professional video. I can't wait to start this project! Thank you!

Paul, wanted to let you know we finally completed the project and it took us one week, I did it with my father in law, thanks a lot for such a great video tutorial!

Wow, if that's not above and beyond I don't know what is. Kudos to you, I watched the whole thing and I can't believe how much work it was - just watching, let alone doing it.

Insulating the roof helps so much while driving in the rain. Great video man

Awesome! I've got my Noico mats waiting to be installed in my 2door soft top; thanks for this video!

My guy got time man XD keep up the amazing work man. Never seen someone be this critical in their work. very impressed

You're killin' it Paul! Really enjoy your videos. My daughter has a '99 RAV4 4-DOOR AWD. She calls it her "tiny tank". Thanks for all the info you put out.

Your videos are great. I never worried about sound insulation before. Now going to install it as I work on other things. For instance replacing my rear speakers will now include sound deadening. Might as well do it while i have all the rear stuff out.

I died after you removed the seats and found the 24 Holes under The Rug.. youre My hero.. and Yes.. i took sound deadeding oFF my amazon cart too. 😅😅

Love the attention to detail !

Amazing job Paul!

This is incredible...an absolute labor of love. Edit: Even if adding insulation to the roof doesn't do anything...it revealed to me what I'll be up against when I add a sunroof to my RAV4.

You are very knowledgable, informative and entertaining. Keep it up! 👍

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! There's still a lot of stuff broken in my RAV4, so I guess I'll just have to keep going. :)

I just got a 1997 Rav 4 and looking forward to doing s😀ome stuff you featured in your channel... thank you!

The hood is a major noise bleeder. Id add the butyl mat and then find some kind of dense foam that sticks on to block noise. reduce the vibration then block the noise. Awesome work from the video to the content. It is so greatly appreciated. Good luck on future projects.

Excellent explanation and job with installation and video

NICE !!!! love these videos...

Another great video, thx Paul ... Greetings from Germany

I don't even own a rav 4 but I've seen ever one of these videos 😂 Im waiting for a solid axle swap next.

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! This RAV4 is too nice to cut it up and make it into a rock crawler with solid axles. Dirt Every Day turned an old RAV4 into a rock crawler. They had the video on youtube, but now it's here: www.motortrendondemand.com/detail/converting-a-two-wheel-drive-rav4-to-a-four-wheel-drive-rad4-for-rockcrawling/0_d9rt1fof/ They want money to watch it though. It's neat, but not worth paying to watch it.

@Mrdrivereight

4 жыл бұрын

@@LabCoatPaul I dont want to see that I was being a smart @ss. This rav4 is better than factory now.

@dreamcarsperformance

3 жыл бұрын

@@LabCoatPaul Paul please read my comment. I need ur help :)

You are such a boss man!!!! Awesome stuff as always. Keep up the hard work, you are gonna have the coolest rav4 around. Thing sounds like a limo inside now.

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

A really loud limo... It's quieter than before, but I think my 2017 Hyundai Tucson still makes less noise on the highway.

you put in a lot of work! your work hard. subscribed!

All your Rav4 videos just wants me to buy one!!

Oh hell yeah can't wait to watch

Ughhh this is so much more work than I want it to be. Having MS, I am very sensitive to noise. I have considered selling my rav to get a quieter car but I just can't bring my self to do it. So I am going to have to do this, especially since the cost is low. Good thing my partner loves me! I bet he is going to be really excited about this one haha. Thank you for the video!

Greetings from Canada,Quebec. Outstanding video like always thx you for your dedication paul!

@LabCoatPaul

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

amazing work bro

Oh man! You did the floors the hard way! Little trick to remove sound denting from the floor is to brake some dry ice and smear it all over it. Then tap it with a hammer and it’ll shatter off without leaving sticky residue.🤘

@LabCoatPaul

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tips!

excellent and informative video. thanks for sharing!

You sir are a wizard!!!! Keep up the amazing content. Cheers from Homer Alaska :)

You deserve more. Great video!

Nice vid!

Hey Paul! I did the Noico job on my RAV4 last April and totally goofed and didn't inspect for airbubbles. I'll be inspecting this spring. Hearing you mention rust is giving me mild anxiety haha

"...for my imaginary friend." ROFL 🤣 Nice work Paul. Thanks

Like always Paul, your awesome. The engine mounts liker you promise.

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Ok, I'll do them soon. :)

Well done!

Truly, I had no desire to take the time and effort to bring the road noise down in my '99. That is, until you pointed out the water and rust possibilities. And now, I've added this to the list of things I should do but will likely never get around to... ha! :)

@LabCoatPaul

Жыл бұрын

Don't feel bad if you don't do it. It does make the car a bit quieter, but it's still loud as hell compared to newer cars like my 2017 Hyundai Tucson.

@baseballfan7802

Жыл бұрын

@@LabCoatPaul that’s good to know! Maybe I should leave it loud so I can better appreciate when I’m riding in other cars 😂

Спасибо за отличное пособие по RAV-4!

Very nice project

good job

sometimes i come to watch your videos to remind myself that i'm not that good of a mechanic and i'd better leave my car maintenance to the pros, because i wouldn't be able to follow correct routine like you do, God bless you

Nice work ! I used a bed liner spray in all those hard to reach places too, and even some rubber spray on a couple squeaky offenders. But what a pain in the ass the whole job is! Its either a labour of love or neurotic itch you gotta scratch!

ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE STL FILE. YOURE A LIFE SAVER.

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! The plastic plugs are much better than original. They're a loose fit, to allow for size variations in these old cars.

@MrButtonMonkey

4 жыл бұрын

@@LabCoatPaul would you have any resources for disassembling the dash? I was thinking maybe I could address the engine noise by sound deadening the interior side firewall

Nice job

Man thank you so much!

Awesome bonus, now your super sweet system won’t make the body rattle as you’re bumping your sick tunes! 🤘🏼😎

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

I was thinking about adding a subwoofer into the back door. It would be really hard to do. That one is pretty low on my priority list. Although it would be pretty sweet...

@justinrogers1988

4 жыл бұрын

Paul Shpakov knowing you, sounds like a “challenge accepted!” is in the works!

@stephenwgreen78

4 жыл бұрын

Maybe it's the lab coat...but I'm picturing pet shop boys or kraftwerk blaring at 11😂.

Nice work and very well explained with humor while still being straight to the point! Nice job! Oh, as a side note, use some kind of sound meter next time, the camera mic isn't a good comparison.

Animal!!!!!! Thx for the video!

Am obsessed with a Rva4

You deserve 20 K like for this video ❤️❤️❤️

He Paul! Awesome vids really helpfull. I have one to so i know the drill. Mine has a snorkel though! But i would really like to see a video about how to adjust the valve clearance. I hope you could help me out. Thanks!

Your the real G

Holy sh*t! Too much work, but very nicely done! what a lucky RAV4!

Incredible Hard job. It is enough work. I would prefer to buy New one.

Great video, actually all your video are excellent, watched em all, only a 97 Rav4 AWD owner can truly appreciate, 110K daily driver. My greatest fear I get smashed in this crazy Denver traffic.

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I have the same fear on the I-15 here in Salt Lake City. 100% of the drivers are high on Xanax, have 15 kids in the car, and are texting. Also, look up the IIHS crash test ratings for the 97 RAV4. You WILL get seriously injured in a crash. I don't drive my RAV4 any more. I bought a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. Its much faster, quieter, handles better, and I won't get crippled in a crash. I'll keep fixing up the RAV4 though.

@davidahiable8396

4 жыл бұрын

@@LabCoatPaul I need a thousand dollars mate

That's real dedication/

Your videos are super high quality, concise and informative. You could make a job of teaching mechanics how to make videos.

@LabCoatPaul

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I've been thinking about making a video on how to make videos. :)

@mojumbiemusic

3 жыл бұрын

Do it! That would be the ultimate how to How to video!

U must have the best maintained rav in the world.

Always wanted to do this but I don't think I'll ever have the patience

I was about to do this, but once added: work hours+materials+result (around "only"30% noise reduction), i realised that I was better off selling my rav4, and, with just a few bucks on top, buying a better noise insulated old SUV (like nissan xtrail, honda crv 2nd gen) . To sum it up : great job (and awesome video) but not worth the hassle

@LabCoatPaul

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Ironically, I did a similar thing - I bought a 2017 Hyundai Tucson and it's much quieter than the RAV4 with sound deadening.

Awesome, thank you ! I wonder if the 3D printed floor plugs would fit the 5 door 1998 version?

Thanks! Too bad our Rav4 has 4 doors, and probably even more holes in the floor. Great video though!

The plastic liners I thought were to aid in sound travel via air travel. When I had my door window worked on they did not "reseal" the plastic and I could hear "air" road noise. I took door apart much later to have my suspicion validated. Plastic is sound deadening

Thank you for everything about this video! I've been really struggling personally being busy at work and trying to complete projects at home, it's nice to know I'm not alone! Do you have any idea how much weight this project added to the car? Also I'm guessing you didn't take actual dB measurements of the sound level before, but it would be cool to do a quantitative comparison with a job like this.

@LabCoatPaul

2 жыл бұрын

I didn't measure the sound, but Repair Geek did. Check out this video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pKJ8xKqDYaW3iKQ.html

Great work thank you for showing. What is it with that era Toyotas and noise! My 00 Prado is also quite noisy.

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

A lot of cars from the 1990's weren't very good. Manufacturers are putting a lot more effort into ride quality and noise in new cars these days.

Oh, wow! It's awesome video! It's so correct and detailed! We really like it!) May we ask for your permission to share this footage as an instructional video for our customers and tag you?

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, of course! Your sound deadening insulation is very good.

@noicosounddeadener4641

4 жыл бұрын

@@LabCoatPaul Thanks a lot for your permission!

another great video! Where I live there's lots of rain and humidity and since my RAV4 98' is parked outside it really suffers there. Last year I tried to fix the front lamps as there's constantly water inside after a few days of rain. I unsealed them and sealed them again very carefully... but I failed, same problem now :/ ... I also invested in sanding the whole chassis and painting with some anti-rust stuff, that helped definitely but who knows for how long. Maybe You should make a video on how to protect the RAV4 I against rust/water inside :-) Greetings from Poland!

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! The easy way to prevent rust is spraying a rust protecting oil like fluid film inside the frame, and on exposed metal parts. It's easier to do than painting, and does a good job.

Greetings from Brazil. Your content is amazing! Wondering if we could apply some kind of spray foam to insulate and reduce internal noise. Thank you!!!

I would add just one more thing to make this car even quieter- add sound deadening material under the hood to reduce engine noise!

All your videos have been incredibly helpful and given ideas about how to improve my 1996 2DR Automatic RAV4. I have a question for you about the Quater Windows. Specifically the weather stripping. On my RAV4 the weather stripping is leaving like a chalky residue after it rains. I was wondering if you are experiencing that as well and if so how did you remove that weather stripping?

Hello, i have my 1994 rava 4 but in de painel i see lite luke car yellow one when i start engine and still there until suturdow a car and another think it is when i started my car the moment when i accelereted its like go dower power ,so please help.

What kind of brush for removing the left overs from the old sound deadener removal? I assume not wire because it would scratch the paint?

Might be a lot of work...but you get to drive a sweet RAV4 👍...and talk to people 😂

Thinking about doin this to a 2008

Great work. One question. Why dont you put some Noico Red over the aluminium butil? It will be less noise and better isolated.

No doubt. First generation are NOISY.

This guy is the best explaining how to do things in ur rav4. I Have the same car but don't know if is it good car to keep. And how many years does it need to be an antique

@LabCoatPaul

3 жыл бұрын

According to Google: Vintage cars are from 1919 to 1930, Antiques are 1975 and older, and a Classic car is 1990 or older. So the RAV4 is almost a classic car. With the amount of repairs mine needs, I would definitely call it a classic car, or maybe just a clunker. Hagerty classic car insurance said they would insure my 1997 RAV4 last year. 2 years ago, they told me no.

I have a 1998 Rav4 4wd and im struggling to find the parts i need for cheap. Anyone have any good part websites or stores for old cars like these??

I want to learn more because Rva4 is my car

Amazing mechanic/scientist But you should’ve gone for Lexus LS400 style insulation

Does you rear little windows seal work well? Mines get foggy n hard to defrost in cold weather. Just wondering.

@LabCoatPaul

2 жыл бұрын

I haven't had that problem, but I also don't drive my RAV4. Every car has small exhaust vent flaps in the back of the car. You'll see some small slits in the rear panels by where the shocks mount. Make sure these are not plugged or covered.

great work! im using your videos to guide restoring my 1996 rav4. What would you recommend if the carpet is in really bad condition?

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

Steam clean it! I considered getting a replacement carpet, but it's way too expensive. After steam cleaning, my carpet looks almost like new. Also, take the carpet out of the car to clean it.

@eztofollow

4 жыл бұрын

@@LabCoatPaul thanks for the tip! It has some holes and such, so do you know some diy way of fixing/replacing it. like what type of carpet to search for?

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

@@eztofollow You can just use house carpet from your local hardware store. It won't fit as well, but it will look great! Cut it a little bit too big, then trim it once it's inside the car.

@Denali_Rebel

4 жыл бұрын

@@LabCoatPaul house carpet in a car would be so nice

Hello ..please make a video about fuel injector in rav4 3sfe..thanks❤

How many insulation did you used? Im planning to order online

I would have been so tempted to rhino-line the bare metal floor.

hey paul. i’ve spilt drinks so many times in my rav4. shoukd i look into taking out the carpet to see if there’s rust? i also have a weird leak when it rains. the front of the headliner by the rear view and sun shades gets soaking wet and i don’t know why.. i just got a new windshield and the problem still happens. i need advice!

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

The paint on the floor of the RAV4 is pretty good, so it's not likely that your drinks caused any rust. Taking the carpet out is pretty easy, so if you want your RAV4 to be super clean, you can remove the carpet and clean it outside the car. Last year I took the seats and carpet out and washed the floor with a hose and a brush. You can't get 20 years of dirt out of your car without taking it apart. It sounds like your windshield has a leak. Take it to the car wash and power wash around the windshield to see if that's your leak. I think your installer did a bad job and should re-do it.

@jacksitner3314

4 жыл бұрын

@@LabCoatPaul Thanks man! the bolts caused the backseat threading to strip out, but I'll see what I can do...

@LabCoatPaul

4 жыл бұрын

@@jacksitner3314 You might be able to drill out the seat bolt threads and use a nut on the back side. My driver's seat is mounted like that. The back seat bolts will be harder to reach.

❤

hey i m from tunisia and i have a rav4 and so happy for your video and hope you good luck bro and how i can get your contavt plz

@LabCoatPaul

Жыл бұрын

Hi! Thanks for watching! If you have RAV4 questions, just leave a comment on any of my videos and I'll try to help.