Vanishing motoring YouTube channels

[grogee]

18 minutes ago, Bren said:

Very modest. Eric at South main auto is the same.

Eric O is one of the few (car) YT channels I can stomach. Genuinely nice guy, modest but hugely skilled. I think he does himself a disservice by signing off: "Remember viewers, if I can do it, you can do it" after he's diagnosed some weird running fault on a rusty Honda. 

Our resident spanners @RoverFolkUsand @twosmoke300 would probably agree there is no substitute for experience in this business. How hard to pull on a rusty nut, how to do a tricky suspension repair without replacing the crumbly surrounding parts. Unfortunately in my case the knowledge comes from breaking (sometimes expensive) bits through ham-fistedness. 

[Jerzy Woking]

A current one I forgot to mention is "My Mate Vince" who repairs electrical items from Playstations to coffee machines to airfryers.

BUT his series of fixing up the cheap  Rolls Royce he purchased is excellent. He has no mechanical knowledge, but had a great go at getting it fixed, including all leather, wood and paint work.

[warren t claim]

On 27/05/2024 at 08:09, egg said:

I think the best thing about Steph's channel is it's very accessible to people who aren't already old car geeks - I think she may well bring new people into the 'scene'. I also think her car reviews are a decent length - typically about 15 mins, so it's not a big commitment to watch.

The thing with @Idriveaclassic is that although I subscribe, I check the notification to see what car she's reviewing. I'll watch the video if I'm interested in the car but skip past if it's a vehicle that doesn't interest me. I'm sure I'm not alone in doing that with all car related channels.

[egg]

6 minutes ago, warren t claim said:

The thing with @Idriveaclassic is that although I subscribe, I check the notification to see what car she's reviewing. I'll watch the video if I'm interested in the car but skip past if it's a vehicle that doesn't interest me. I'm sure I'm not alone in doing that with all car related channels.

Same, I mainly watch the older cars on her channel - because it hasn't been done to death by everyone else on YT - e.g. recent one on Ford Model A.  Her first ever review was a MK1 Mondeo, but sadly looks like she has taken that vid down now

[warren t claim]

Check out this pretentious wankstain.

Where the fuck does he get his money from? Surely it can't be via YouTube?

He's the sort of person who when at school I used to beat up and push their heads into the toilet. Come to think of it, if I met him tomorrow I still would.

[lesapandre]

The Ferrari of Austin - surely that's the Maestro.

In Rosso Longbridge Lacquerpeel - au naturellement.

 

"Driverzone" - he means the dashboard.

Seems a complete fantasist. Seems to know very little really.

He doesn't most times get anywhere near the cars or even open a door or sit in one.

 😂

[warren t claim]

12 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

The Ferrari of Austin - surely that's the Maestro.

In Rosso Longbridge Lacquerpeel - au naturellement.

 

"Driverzone" - he means the dashboard.

I need to point him towards the great deals on offer at McLaren Of North Sentinel Island.

[egg]

Preaching to the converted, but the fetish level perving over super car brands (particularly the spec details) is a bit odd.

I know we're exactly the same debating about whether the 1978 Escort Ghia had headrests as standard or not or something, but this obsessing about whether to spend £10k on this kind of brake calliper or another, it feels a bit sick in a world were some people can't afford to eat.

Everyone is like the Sultan of Brunei now when it comes to this kind of thing.

Anyway...about Shmee

https://shmee150.com/about-shmee150/

Quote

Tim left school at 18 after completing A-levels and immediately set about growing an online electronics retail business that developed into a London high-street shop. The business quickly changed hands and he traveled abroad training to become a ski instructor (Tim doing tricks on skis) before teaching the sport in New Zealand. Following the effects of a major injury Tim returned to the UK and set to work with a permanent position in the technology team of an Investment Consultancy in the City of London. This proved to be hugely decisive while working in a successful and rapidly developing company in terms of the experience and drive to succeed going forward.

Alongside his retail business, being an instructor and his daily work in the City, Tim has always pursued the challenges of a life as an entrepreneur running smaller businesses and ventures. He never did one thing at a time, and when opportunities proved to be profitable he challenged them and made sure they were expanded or acquired by other interested parties

etc etc

[warren t claim]

5 minutes ago, egg said:

Preaching to the converted, but the fetish level perving over super car brands (particularly the spec details) is a bit odd.

I know we're exactly the same debating about whether the 1978 Escort Ghia had headrests as standard or not or something, but this obsessing about whether to spend £10k on this kind of brake calliper or another, it feels a bit sick in a world were some people can't afford to eat.

Everyone is like the Sultan of Brunei now when it comes to this kind of thing.

Anyway...about Shmee

https://shmee150.com/about-shmee150/

etc etc

Regardless, if he takes his bird to any boozer I'm drinking in I'll spend the evening looking at her to see if he's got the bollocks to do something about it. 

[danthecapriman]

30 minutes ago, egg said:

Preaching to the converted, but the fetish level perving over super car brands (particularly the spec details) is a bit odd.

I know we're exactly the same debating about whether the 1978 Escort Ghia had headrests as standard or not or something, but this obsessing about whether to spend £10k on this kind of brake calliper or another, it feels a bit sick in a world were some people can't afford to eat.

Everyone is like the Sultan of Brunei now when it comes to this kind of thing.

Anyway...about Shmee

https://shmee150.com/about-shmee150/

etc etc

Tim might be loaded but he sounds like a right wanker to me! Fucking tool.

Full. Of. Shit.

[BorniteIdentity]

The trend, and the appetite, is for snackable content - short, bite sized, instant gratification videos. Look at IG, TikTok etc. It doesn’t lend itself at all to car content (especially long form) and - as DW said - it’s notoriously difficult to monetise. 

YT is the great democratiser of broadcasting and story telling - it took audiences from traditional, linear services. It’s now up to the content creators to adapt their act or die, and many seem to be winding up atm. 

Personally, when I see the time, effort and heartbreak that goes into a YT video that turns a £100 profit, I’m not surprised people are giving it up. It feels like community radio to me: do it because you love it, for the enjoyment of the audience, but under no illusions of even breaking even. 

[Wibble]

3 hours ago, egg said:

Same, I mainly watch the older cars on her channel - because it hasn't been done to death by everyone else on YT - e.g. recent one on Ford Model A.  Her first ever review was a MK1 Mondeo, but sadly looks like she has taken that vid down now

I seem to remember the Mondeo review was so full of mistakes that it put me off her for a long time. I do watch some of her stuff now though.

 

[warren t claim]

16 minutes ago, Wibble said:

I seem to remember the Mondeo review was so full of mistakes that it put me off her for a long time. I do watch some of her stuff now though.

 

A YouTube audience is difficult to blag as you go along.

[Pieman]

Shmee is a CUNT.  I briefly met him when he was at the Autosport International Show in the live arena a few years ago as some friends were working there, and they all shared the opinion that they have never met anyone so far up his own arsehole in their lives.  And after meeting him for just a few seconds I instantly shared that opinion.

Another friend of mine once spotted him and a friend/colleague/fuckbuddy heading back from some event at Donington in a pair of Ford GTs, racing each other on the road and almost driving like they were in a stock car race.  So he drives like a cunt too.

[greengartside]

On 27/05/2024 at 15:44, Dan302 said:

Yeah I used to watch him, I wonder what happened

Same here. He was my ‘local’ YouTuber, living in Norwich. Saw him about in one of his cars a couple of times.

A couple of good ones I like watching from Australia:

Bruce in AUS - very knowledgeable chap with a passion for getting old machinery up and running

Marty T - if there was an apocalypse, I would want this guy around. There’s nothing he can’t fix.

America:

What The Rust? - A couple fixing cars together, some nice American cars on the channel.

This N That Garage - Chad fixing up and reviving old cars, building a garage. Great content.

Surprised we haven’t had Mustie1 or Revstoration mentioned either.

If you want someone easy on the eye….😍

 I also watch Lawrie’s Mechanical Marvels which is more train-orientated and he’s a Suffolk lad so nice seeing familiar landmarks in his videos!

And also Alex’s Assets. She’s got a few classic cars and is very enthusiastic about them. 

 

[egg]

When people like Shmee get criticised one might get told 'you're just jealous' which fails to understand if a million quid had gone in my bank account overnight I'd still drive my Mondeo, it would just live in a heated garage instead.

[danthecapriman]

2 hours ago, egg said:

When people like Shmee get criticised one might get told 'you're just jealous' which fails to understand if a million quid had gone in my bank account overnight I'd still drive my Mondeo, it would just live in a heated garage instead.

Being rich and privileged is no excuse for being a stuck up prick though. That’s his personal choice… which makes it even worse!😄

If I had his money, I’d still be me and still have the things I’ve got now (but be able to store them better!) but I wouldn’t act and talk like that absolute tool. 
Tbh, with money like that I’d forget about expensive toys and buy a big old Cadillac or something and use that as a daily driver because I can now afford to fuel it!

[cort16]

I think Ski Instructor is code for my parents are fucking loaded. It means they did loads of sking with expensive tuition as a kid and their parents are packing them off to teach skiing to get some "life experience".

I reminds me of the Billy Connolly joke about him sitting at some posh dinner and he asked the guy next to him what he did and he said "toboggan".  He says hat's the difference between us and them when someone asks them what you do if you're posh enough you can say you're a tobogganist and that perfectly acceptable. if you said to your dad you wanted to be a tobogganist he'd tell you fuck off go and get a proper job.

I find there's quite a few people who'd previously have been tobogganists that are now youtubers/influencers/podcasters/photographers as it makes them look like they have real jobs.  I used to listen to a podcast and it just comes up in conversation in one episode the guy presenting it (who's on his early 30's) happens to have a Ferrari F40.  A definite tobogganist.

On Shmee in particular I think it was Matt Farah said he'd seen him on some car launch and he watched him spens 5 minutes just doing various youtube faces into the camera. 

 

One thing I'll say about shmee is he's one of the few youtubers who has the stones to go on the pistonheads youtube thread and respond to questions/put up a decent defense to getting slagged off. 

[dozeydustman]

9 hours ago, greengartside said:

Lawrie’s Mechanical Marvels

Until he got train heavy I watched his channel with regularity. I’m not adverse to the occasional train, model railway or similar video, I miss his regular vehicular tinkering with his group of mates all dicking around with cars in a rented shed. No idea if they parted ways or life just got in the way for them.

[DeeJay]

Nobody mentioned Itchy boots yet?

Girl on a motorbike travelling the world. 

Just had cut her latest adventure short as she broke her collarbone. 

[loserone]

Yeah I've been watching her.

 

That border guard who wanted her number was somewhere between entertainment and terrifying.

[vulgalour]

3 hours ago, dozeydustman said:

Until he got train heavy I watched his channel with regularity. I’m not adverse to the occasional train, model railway or similar video, I miss his regular vehicular tinkering with his group of mates all dicking around with cars in a rented shed. No idea if they parted ways or life just got in the way for them.

There was a vid a little while ago, the crew basically got better paid jobs than the shed stuff and had to prioritise their own stuff.  Doesn't seem like there's any bad feelings, just that Lawrie is the one keeping stuff going since it's his thing.  Same as you, I miss the bunch-of-mates stuff and while the train content is interesting, it's not what keeps me going back.

 

Since we seem to be recommending channels as much as we are wondering where some have gone, I'll put Sarah-n-Tuned in.  She really knows her stuff, and is entertaining to watch, even doing wiring work and painting trucks beige.  Here she is doing some OEM+ audio work on her Celica project.  Best of all, she seems to genuinely love what she's doing and that's always great to see.

 

[Sid3300]

Tried watching AutoAlex recently, can't stand the fact that he calls any car that's old a "shitbox" no matter how nice it is. 🤣 
At the moment I watch a lot of UPNDOWN, Jon Coupland (His dad is a legend), and sometimes Hubnut if he's doing something I'm interested in. 

Used to watch a lot of American Youtubers a few years ago like Hoovies Garage and Doug Demuro, can't stand them now. 

[Rust Collector]

On 25/05/2024 at 02:34, Dan302 said:

Mickhanic Garage is a good channel, he has a K-series Skoda Estelle and fixes up other bits and pieces, seems a really down to earth bloke too.........well apart from having a mental Skoda!

Mick is one of my best mates, we both got in to Eastern Bloc motors by egging each other on to get even better* cars back when we both happened to have Favorits.

I keep telling him to join up here, as he would fit right in. He’s a really decent chap and very mechanically capable.

[junkyarddog]

Don't think this lot have been mentioned yet.

Crap Car Collective.

I occasionally watch an episode here and there.

[dozeydustman]

1 hour ago, vulgalour said:

the crew basically got better paid jobs than the shed stuff

I knew Matt left because of his work, but must have missed the one where the others went their own way.

[jakebullet]

Have we had Jennings motor sports yet? Does the will it start game, but turned up to 11.

Be nice to have more episodes on this:

 

[morrisoxide]

8 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

Don't think this lot have been mentioned yet.

Crap Car Collective.

I occasionally watch an episode here and there.

I know a few of those chaps but didn't know they had a channel how odd? Maybe because they don't film car meets or shows.

This thread has also pointed out some channels that I have subscribed to but for some reason I'm not subscribed to any more?

[dollywobbler]

13 hours ago, morrisoxide said:

22 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

Don't think this lot have been mentioned yet.

Crap Car Collective.

I occasionally watch an episode here and there.

Expand  

I know a few of those chaps but didn't know they had a channel how odd? Maybe because they don't film car meets or shows.

This thread has also pointed out some channels that I have subscribed to but for some reason I'm not subscribed to any more?

That does seem to be a thing sadly - random unsubs. Always worth checking. 

Good call on Sarah N Tuned and Itchy Boots. Essential viewing here. We're also addicted to airport livestreams...

[SiC]

I really enjoy this channel:

https://youtube.com/@oldclassiccaruk?si=p8idezCFY2LArJGL

His focus is older cars and some pre-war. Current fleet is an old dodge truck that was converted to a race transporter in the 60s, Pilot V8, smaller dodge truck and some 50s Renault that I've forgotten the name of. 

Previously had Ford Pops and similar.

 

 

He creates content for the enjoyment rather than views. However he does seem to have gained a decently large subscriber base organically. 

Sometimes a bit slow but I find it an enjoyable watch when winding down in an evening before going to bed. 

It's made me want to get something older and potentially pre-war as my next classic.