From simple tricks to leave the tires like new for less than a euro and even tips to know how much time our car's clutch has left, the young 22-year-old mechanic, Alex Amiliibia, uses his voice on social networks to make life from other drivers a little easier. With more than 400 thousand followers on Instagram and TikTok, he shares all kinds of solutions related to mechanics, tuning or vehicle customization; and he even opens the doors to debate on controversial topics, such as “what is more expensive, gasoline or diesel?”
“I'm full of gasoline,” says the young Cantabrian when talking about his Toyota Celica. In his garage, he has two units of this model, one of them personalized with Pokemon stickers, and a BMW. “All for less than 1,000 euros,” he clarifies. “People are very wrong about second-hand cars because they think they are broken and they are not. There are those who take very good care of them and change them every so often because they get bored. You just have to be patient".
In this way, we spoke with Alex Amiliibia about its content, the purchase of second-hand cars, the mistakes we make the most and even the paradigm of electric or hydrogen vehicles.
How did your journey in the world of motors begin?
First I did an intermediate degree in electromechanics and then a higher degree in automotive. From there, I started working in a workshop near where I live. As for the videos, I had already started uploading basic mechanics kits while I was studying middle school. At that moment, the idea of making content to help people a little arose.
How many hours a day do you spend surrounded by cars?
Eight or ten hours minimum, between internet and cars.
Your Toyota Celica is a star on your social profiles, how did you achieve it?
I bought it second-hand and, since it had a pretty bad hit, it turned out to be very cheap. I decided to remodel it entirely. The truth is that I had a lot of things to do in it.
You can find real hidden gems in second-hand cars.
Yes, you just have to be patient. When an ad appears for a second-hand car in perfect condition, it usually flies.
I bought a Seat León for €1,500/€2,000 when I was 19 because I stayed up late and saw an ad at 6 in the morning. The car was fabulous. I bought it, did three or four things to it, enjoyed it for a year or so, and sold it for the Celica. I made a change for the worse.
To worst?
Today, it is clear that no, it was very positive; But the truth is that I sold a car that was perfect for a damaged one. At first, it was a difficult change, but it was worth it because it was what I liked and it is what I have grown up with in the networks.
There are many buyers who opt for second-hand cars, what advice would you give them?
First of all, be very careful with the kilometers. With the age of cars today and how complicated it is to service them, sellers always try to lower them. If you think a car has 100,000 km and then it turns out it has 400,000, you are being scammed.
After that, they should look at any knocks the car may have suffered. Especially if they are structural, such as if the ends of the chassis have been touched. In that case, the value would be greatly reduced. Otherwise, everything is repairable.
How can we ensure the number of kilometers on the car?
If we have some knowledge of mechanics, with an OBD (a km reader), there are several tricks. What I recommend are two things: on the one hand, Carfax reports. It is a page that gives you a lot of information about cars and is great for this. You just have to enter the license plate and, with that information, it reads all the km it has done during a year or if it has had any accidents that the insurance has taken. I have sometimes avoided a fairly long trip because of this report, since on WhatsApp or by phone they always tell you that the car is perfect.
On the other hand, if you do not have mechanical knowledge, and even with knowledge they can sneak it in, workshops, generally for €40 or €50, can do a complete inspection of the car and tell you if it is worth it. Of course, it's not something that sellers usually find funny.
What are the mistakes that new buyers make the most?
Buy the first car you see or think that the faults can be fixed, whatever it is. If you see something wrong at first, over the months you will see more things. There are those who travel and buy the car so as not to return empty-handed. It is a very common mistake and it is preferable to make the trip in vain than to waste money and have to pay triple to repair it.
I am the clear example of things not to do because I buy cars, even knowing that they are bad. But my content is based on that: making videos of cars that are bad.
Something very positive about your content is that you work around fairly economical solutions. In this sense, you buy some pieces on AliExpress or other platforms of this style. What type of pieces do you recommend buying there?
I recommend buying aesthetic pieces. They are very similar to the high quality ones, it is true that they can break more easily, but it compensates. In my car there are some lipsticks that would cost €300 or €400 and that I bought for €15. They must have broken four times in two years. Additionally, I also buy stickers or spoilers.
Something that people get wrong is that, when they buy on large Spanish websites, they are buying a product that they have previously purchased on AliExpress or Temu. I have seen people who have paid €150 for the same lip.
What would you say is cheaper at the end of the month? Gasoline, diesel, electric…?
That depends a little. I have had diesel and gasoline. Not electric because for me it is absolute death. You will never see me in an electric car.
What is it that doesn't convince you?
Well, both the infrastructure and the sensations, the waiting times for the battery to recharge or how dangerous they are. There are garages that have burned because the batteries were not well insulated.
I believe that the future is not there. The future is in hydrogen, but we will see over time. They want to change the diesel style, but it will be difficult because more old cars are bought every day than new ones.
And are they revaluating?
Yes. Before you could get the Seat León for €1,000. Now it is at €5,000.
Finally, what are your sources of inspiration for generating content?
Well, look, I usually focus on what my teachers, my workshop bosses have taught me or things that I have learned by failing and fixing. I can look at a video of something I didn't know, but generally they tend to be tricks from older people. I learn a lot from them.
As for the humor, that comes out fluidly.
