YouTube Discovery: La Deux (Automotive Channels)

 Times have come and gone again. YouTube tastes have changed (and stayed the same). There is a lot of junk on YouTube, both good and bad. Here is an updated list of my subscriptions on YouTube. Some are still the same, but this time I will at least try and categorize them. I will share all the channels I subscribe to, short of some that will be of no interest to anyone but me, such as the town channel for Sparta, NC.

I follow 94 channels, so for the sake of you, me, and the possibility of me continuing on with my blog, I am only going to post my channel subscription one category at a time. Seeing as how 22 of them are Automotive related, I will post that category first. All links to channels should work, but a quick YouTube search should put you in the right direction.

Format will be as follows:
Channel Name - Sub Category - Information - Family Friendly Rating

Automotive

84hatchi - Toyota/Car/Gadget - This channel is run by a gentlemen who drives an "86" Toyota Corolla. I was originally attracted to the channel because of this. He kept the stock carb'd engine, and built it up and added modern tech to it. He does not post regularly, but I enjoy his posts when he does. 

Rating - G, Nothing that can't be watched by all.

ChrisFix - General Auto Repair - Chris shows you how to repair car things, pretty much in your driveway. Great general automotive knowledge, that sometimes steers to race/performance. 

Rating - G, No worries here.

DODGEVANRACING - Japan Culture/Racing - In Japan, US Military bases left/leave/surplus Dodge B Series/Ram Vans. Motorcycle racers use them to haul around their bikes and parts. One day they decided to race them. Now they build them and once a year they race them. Not updated in awhile. They call them "Daijibans" which is broken English for "Dodge Van". 

Rating - G, its racing, and a Japanese channel. 

Donut Media - Automotive News/Builds/Etc. - I came by this channel because they did/do an "Up To Speed" on cars. Basically giving you the history of certain vehicles. They also do "High/Low" builds, where they build two of the same vehicles, but buy expensive part for one, and are trendy/cheap for the other. A lot of other content as well. 

Rating - PG/Soft PG-13. They are a group of late 20-40 year olds, with that type of humor expected for that age group. Language is low, but if they say anything harsh it is bleeped.

Goodwood Road & Racing - I watch for the Festival of Speed, but they have many other clips of races. Generally races involving historical/antique race cars. The "FoS" is a yearly hill climb at Goodwood, where they race one at a time to try and get the fastest times. All vehicles are raced: Trucks, Nascar, Rally, F1, Experimental, Antique, Pre-War, etc. 

Rating - G, Just car stuff.

Hagerty - Car/Engine builds. Various car content - A channel that host many different car shows and builds. I mainly watch the "Redline Rebuilds", hosted by Davin Reckow. If you have ever seen the time lapse videos of engines being broken down and rebuilt, this is where it came from. He rebuilds mainly odd engines and shares the steps involved. These engines have included old inline 8s, odd Buick V8s, and things like flathead Fords. The have other hosts that review and compare cars (think Top Gear), as well as share in car news and culture.
Rating - G - Of what I've watched, there is nothing to be concerned with. A corporate ran channel that appeals to all ages.

Jafromobile - Car/Engine builds - Specific to DSM cars, this channel is ran by one man, and all he does is build on 4G63s. He does this in his shed in his backyard, and is a true "Old School" builder (at least by 90's standards.) He post irregular, but they are long and detailed posts. His care and attention to detail is something to learn from. 
Rating - G/ Cautionary PG - I don't really remember him every having any real content issues/foul language, but this is his own channel, and there may be some "over the top" humor.

Matt's Off Road Recovery - Offroading/Car Builds - Matt and his crew run a towing/recovery service in Utah, and specialize in off road/trail recovery. Some of the recoveries are wild. He also educates on proper winch and recovery techniques. Additionally, he does all his own fabrication and truck builds. He runs XJ's for standard recovery, and has built track crawlers, a giant CorVair truck called the "MoreVair", and is currently building an even bigger extreme off road tow vehicle.
Rating - Cautionary Hard G. He is mindful of his content, but it is real life. There may be an occasional joke or word said by others. Nothing close to terrible.

Mighty Car Mods - Car builds/Auto Adventures - A channel made by two Australian friends, that I have been with since the beginning (2008/09?). They focus mainly on JDM/Import cars with the occasional dabble into the VW world. They have recently branched out into small JDM Trucks, and have done some light off roading. Their content is mostly builds and upgrades, ranging from DIY to "Advanced DIY". They also make a special or two every year, with their traditional Christmas movie/episode. A favorite channel of mine.
Rating - PG/PG-13. Some crude, tongue in cheek jokes at times. Language has become more "open" as they have gotten older. Noting super crude. Sometimes it's bleeped, sometimes it's not.

MCM TV2 - Car News and Culture - Mighty Car Mods second channel. More of a behind the scenes channel with B content. They host "Unicorn Circuit" here, where they provide commentary on automotive news and upcoming content.
Rating - See Above.

Noriyaro - Japanese Car Culture - Alex lives in Japan, and shares his automotive adventures. He races/drifts various cars, and shares the street auto culture and shops/garages in and around Japan.
Rating - PG. Nothing horrible. Just the content and subject matter that comes with automotive/street life.

POWERNATION - Builds/Tech/Etc. - Reminds me of the Power Block that used to be on TV on Saturdays. The do dyno engine builds, total car builds, and other car related things. Multiple hosts. Has a much more corporate feel, as in they still break for commercials (it might be that they also air on TV as well, I don't know.)
Rating - G. I feel that this channel also airs their content on TV, so language and humor is acceptable to all.

Puddin's Fab Shop - Fabrication, truck builds - Once a week, hour long videos centered around old, rusty, patina'd vehicles. He loves the old mini trucks, especially those old U-Haul trucks. He also works on other vehicles, like old cars and International Trucks (not the Semis). He takes vehicles that have been sitting for decades and gets them running. He also does a lot of suspension fab work.
Rating - Hard PG - Content wise, it's all safe. He is hilarious and I enjoy listening to him with his heavy hillbilly draw (My wife does not). Language wise, he bleeps nothing and occasionally says sh**, but you'll for sure hear a "damn" every once in awhile. About what you'd expect to hear/see from you grandpa while he was working on a car.

Puddin's Fab Shop 2 - Behind the Scenes - Just about the same content as his first channel, but the videos are shorter. I view it more of a "come along with me" channel. The videos are less edited, and a little more personal. Shows you some more in depth work of his projects, and shares info about upcoming projects.
Rating - See Above

Rich Rebuilds - Electric Car Builds/Random Car Stuff - Rich mostly focuses on repairing Teslas that Tesla itself either wont repair, or charge waaaaay to much for. He and his team also made the first V8(LS) Swapped Tesla, and is currently putting a diesel in a Tesla. He also has other car projects and automotive oddities and weird adventures. He and his crew do some pretty amazing general fab work as well.
Rating - Hard PG-13/TV-14. He bleeps any strong language, which I dont think is frequent, but there is frequent "suggestive" comments and crude jokes. He has an "assistant" who models outside of the channel, and her "features" are often commented on and shown when she is present. Not in a blatant, disrespectful, humiliating way, she is in on the humor, but it's still there.

Robot Cantina - Car Projects/Tinkering - This channel does a lot of homebrew/oddball car projects. The original project car was a Honda Insight with a Harbor Freight engine running it. He currently has a few Saturns that he is working on. One is getting a two cylinder diesel engine, the other is being modded for max fuel economy. Heavy on techy data. If you like tinkering and electronic tomfoolery, he is all about it.
Rating - G/Soft PG - Quirky, generally harmless humor. It's just him running the channel. 

Sarah -n- Tuned - Car Projects/Culture/Reviews - Sarah takes on various car projects, and completes them with amazing detail. Some new, some old. Her attention to detail is second to none, and I am constantly amazed at the clean builds she finishes. She also reviews new vehicles, but that has become less frequent, as she has made a new channel for that. For the most part, she does all the work by herself, but has recurring guests at times. She also works in a shared shop space. Some episode are personal/blog style.
Rating - PG/Soft PG-13 - Mild language, that is mostly bleeped. Frequently uses the, "That's what she/he said." jokes. She is (proudly) awkward, and that can lead to awkward jokes/comments. Some might think she occasionally dresses... for lack of a better word... "inappropriately", but nothing you wouldn't see at the mall. On second thought, in today's day and age, it would be more appropriate.

Sloppy Mechanics - Car Builds - If you are into LS SWAP THE WORLD, this channel is for you. Matt takes junkyard LS engines, throws simple parts/tech at them and makes 600 to 1000 WHP cars and trucks. If you have ever seen the 600+HP White Chevy Colorado on the internet, this is the guy. He graciously shares his knowledge and experience for free. He also builds other LS swapped vehicles, and shares other projects that come into his dyno. If you are into LS Swapping, this is the man. Find his website as well.
Rating - PG-13 - Generally just him in his videos. Content is nothing to be concerned about. Language can be strong at times. Think general "shop talk" language. 

Tom's Turbo Garage - Car Builds - Tom is another person that performs amazing, super clean, detailed car builds. He hasn't posted in a year, but he has plenty of content. He is a DSM guy as well, but has made some other amazing vehicles. A heavily modded LS3 Swapped 2nd gen Miata, a turbo LS swapped 1st gen Tacoma, and more. All his builds are meticulous and detailed, no corners cut. 
Rating - G - Tom's content is as squeaky clean as his shop is. No language concern. Family man.

Toyota Maintenance - Toyota Specific Maintenance - Peter runs an independent Toyota repair shop and shares his work on the vehicles that come in. A "by the book" mechanic, that believes in proper maintenance and shop procedures. A helpful channel if you own a Toyota, specifically a Prius or Tacoma.
Rating - G - Just an above average mechanic working on cars. His cheerful personality and accent are great.

Uncle Tony's Garage - Car builds/Tech tips - A true old school mechanic. Works mainly on Mopars, but dables in other things as well. This is a man that has years of old school tuning and hot rod building experience. Contains knowledge that has since been forgotten. Knowledge that comes from years of turning wrenches and trial and error. Tony is the kind of guy that can just make it happen with a few tools and some time. Low buck tech and power mods.
Rating - G/Soft PG - Content is always clean and car related. I cannot recall any red flags on language, but I would think of him as you would any shade tree mechanic. He generally has a cigarette in one hand at all times.

Vice Grip Garage -  Car builds and Automotive tomfoolery - Derek is a joy to watch. Through his heavy midwest accent, and hilarious name of auto parts (sparkalators = spark plugs), he builds and restores various older vehicles. He is known for finding a car or truck hundreds of miles away, flying there, getting it road worthy (or close) then driving it all the way home, sharing all the mishaps along the way. Many tips and tricks are shared as well.
Rating - G/Soft PG - Content is clean, may be some tongue in cheek comments/humor.



Ok. I think that's it. Well...
Let's see if I continue with this.

KBye.

New Found Glory... 😉

 About two months ago I had a pretty good heart to heart conversation with God. Now some people would call that prayer, but I set aside time during the day to pray, and am in pretty much constant conversation with God throughout the rest of day. Anyways, I had spoke with a coworker about prayer/personal conversations with God, and he let me in on a personal detail of his involving prayer. I won't go into details because it was a personal conversation, and I hold that conversation in deep respect. However it all based itself around being specific in what you pray and talk to God about. 

What I mean is, we all want good health and we all want a safe day and we all want our children and/or our family to be well, etc. There's nothing wrong with praying for those things, obviously. What we spoke about was being specific in your prayers about specific challenges. I took that to heart. On the way home I asked God to remove the anxiety I had developed over the course of a few years involving one of my neighbors. I don't want to paint this neighbor in a bad light because he's actually an alright gentleman, but for some reason he caused me the greatest deal of anxiety I have ever felt in my life. To the point where I could not step outside if I knew he was outside as well. This anxiety had caused me a great deal of trouble in and around the house. Sometimes I wasn't able to go outside to do basic yard work, or play with my children. I pretty much kept myself inside. It even got to the point where I would only turn left out of my driveway to avoid driving in front of this man's house. Pretty crazy, I know. It's even humorous now, looking back on it.

 Well anyways, after bearing my heart to God and asking him to remove this anxiety I'm moseyed on home ,but stopped by Publix first. I did a little shopping for the weekend, and proceeded to move through the checkout line. After bagging up my groceries I headed out and went to walk through the automatic doors of Publix. Then as the doors slid open to the parking lot, there bigger than life, was my neighbor, and there was absolutely no way for me to avoid him, short of me turning around and running. Which, let's face it would have been ridiculous.

At that instance, my knees went weak and I had no clue what to do. But as quick as the anxiety rose, the thought of my conversation with God entered my mind. We looked at each other dead in the eye and he said, "Hey neighbor, how are you?". At that moment I felt an overwhelming peace that I can only describe as the Holy Spirit. We struck up a small conversation, really about nothing, as even after 13 years of living next to him we have never really spoke much. We talked about yard work and me cleaning up the fence line between our properties. Then we both went on our ways and just like that my anxieties were gone. 

 After that freeing moment graciously given to me by the Lord, I have spent almost every waking hour of my weekends outside doing yard work, playing with my kids, and honestly just being a normal neighbor. About a week after this happened I was outside and another neighbor from across the street came out and struck up a conversation with me. I had no reservations with this man, but I also really never spoke to him either. We stood in the middle of the road and talked for a good hour about the history of the neighborhood and the absurdities of today, like insurance companies and roofs. I spoke to that man more at that moment then I had in the 13 years of living at my house.

So I know this post is a little unlike my previous post, but I just felt the need to share. The thought of bringing specific thoughts and concerns to God, while not exactly a foreign thought to me, was not something I practiced. I was raised in a Godly family and surrounded by Godly men and women my whole life. I am extremely thankful for my upbringings and what I have learned from my parents, grandparents, and my great-grandparents. I'm also thankful for my friends, especially the ones that I could have those deep candid conversations with. 

Now I want to be clear, I do not believe in any type of prosperity gospel. I don't want to get super theological right now so I won't but, God isn't a genie, and you can't force your will to be his will.  Many years ago I stopped praying to God for me to have a "good day". I pivoted from asking for a good day to, "God let me have the acceptance and ability to handle the day that you are going to give me." Just that simple change in my prayers has dramatically changed the way I handle and view any problems that pop up in my day-to-day life. 

 Well I guess I should wrap up. I have yard work to do and it's a beautiful day.