These days I find myself looking for a 10 minute fix of classic car often in varying circumstances that include holding the baby's bottle while she eats, waiting outside changing rooms at the mall, airport lines, sitting on the toilet during boring social functions, etc. I've discovered quite a few good online time killers and I thought I'd share the links and my opinions.
I'm going to post Youtube links and other forms of internet directions below in this blog. Chances are when you read this in two weeks some of these addresses will have changed. If you come across a link that's not working, just move on to the next one.
Remember when your dad used to whine that the department stores should put TVs outside women's dressing rooms? If your mom was inside the dressing room, I figure that was a normal request. If your dad was single, well, that was a little creepy. But, now your dad has his wish and it's called a smart phone! Instant TV outside Macy's yawning chasm of money vacuum (otherwise known as the dressing rooms)!
Step one, download the Youtube app. It's free and, although it probably downloads a bug that allows some hacker in Russia to collect your debit card PIN, it's indispensable for killing time. Even if you never use it at least you'll give the NSA peace of mind knowing that they can now track you.
So you've got the Youtube app, where to go?
Who do I give top billing? Well, how about Jay Leno's Garage? It's great stuff and props to Leno for providing it free of charge (for now). Jay Leno, the TV late-night star, has quite the affinity for classic cars and his Youtube Channel is constantly updated with new 10-25 minute videos where he tells you about a unique auto.
Link-
https://www.youtube.com/user/JayLenosGarage My only complaint about Jay's show is when he tests the cars for you apparently he thinks giving you a shot of the car in action is driving it like an old man down an L.A. street. Jay, if you read this, reminder, you've got uber money! Rent a track, a hill climb road, something exciting appropriate for the car you're demonstrating! Show us what these cars are like to REALLY drive.
Shell, back in the day made an exceptional series This History of Motor Racing. This is much watch stuff. You're appreciation for racing will increase hugely. Brave brave men here. There was a time when racing a car meant there was a good chance you'd die. Yet they still did it.
Cruising down the Youtube playlist next we land on Petrolicious. These are videos where the owners are the narrators and they describe their car, often narrating while their car meanders down a winding desert mountain pass. Pretty stuff and kind of artsy. I enjoy two of them before I'm bored. You start to get a little disgusted with how much people love their cars as they babble on about them. You can almost picture them late at night in their garages stroking the fenders lovingly. Get a girlfriend!
Link -
https://www.youtube.com/user/PetroliciousCo Now if you need to kill more time, or need background fill noise I'd recommend my next choices. I spent many a night working on my MGA while these videos droned on in the background.
First, the "A (MG/Cobra/etc) Is Born" series, with actor Mark Evans. In these videos he builds something and films the build from start to finish over many episodes. I really enjoyed the "An MG is Born" series as I worked on my MGA.
Link -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN8N3Gc17Q8&list=PLOWfHlESr5VK8OClH9dBFLbUXvA8FSw_8And if you don't mind bad teeth, cheesy jokes about tea time, haughty accents and etc, (ie, the British), then the show Wheeler Dealers is also fun to watch, especially the earlier episodes when they were normal blokes buying cars you and I could afford. In these episodes the guys find a car and fix it up to make a profit. A fun premise... in theory. In life it is my garage and it never works out.
Link -
http://www.discoveryuk.com/web/wheeler-dealers/Another great way to kill time is turn on a vintage race. You may know that Juan Manuel Fangio was possibly the greatest F1 driver of all time, but have you ever seen him race? An absolutely exceptional video is this Shell video from 1955 where Fangio and Sterling moss absolutely decimate the field in Belgium.
Don't forget to watch Ken Block for some amazing modern stuff. He owns a shoe company and uses his money to build and race awesome cars. His videos show what you can do with money and talent. How about shut down all of San Francisco and drive a car through it like a maniac? No problem.
Link -
https://www.youtube.com/user/DCshoesFILM/videos?shelf_id=0&view=0&sort=pThere's the Drive channel. There are some good videos but the announcer's voice grates on me for a reason I don't know. You may not have the same reaction. Maybe I just knew someone that sounded like him that was annoying.
Link -
https://www.youtube.com/user/driveNow I'll digress to other areas of the web. Do you have Netflix? Watch the British Top Gear show. It's often absolutely hilarious and they truly test cars to their limit. Very fun to watch! Also, the presenter is famously non-politically correct; a welcome break from the ridiculousness that is modern America. For example, if I were to crack jokes about muslims, gays or immigrants I'd probably have this blog taken down by google in two minutes. Top Gear British still does and it makes me laugh.
Link -
http://www.topgear.com/uk/Don't watch American Top Gear. A. They're boring and goofy. B. They are everything politically correct I despise. It's like they made a toned down version for us "fat Americans" as Top Gear UK calls us.
What if you're somewhere you can't stream video? For example, that annoying airport that doesn't give free wi-fi and tries to make you pay for it.
Cruise over to Hemmings Motor News classic car blog. Excellent stuff. I'm continually blown away by the quality of their blogs. I don't understand how these people can know these things about obscure old cars, and make them seem interesting!
Link -
http://blog.hemmings.com/I also often find great stuff over at Classic and Sports Car's website. They're a British magazine that does really great features on historic cars.
Link -
http://www.classicandsportscar.com/And there's always old blogs on my site but you'd probably need to be really bored. Professional writer I am not -
http://vintageandclassiccar.blogspot.com/For some other harder to find stuff just be inventive in your google searches. I found a site called the British Pathe has some great vintage British sports car videos.
Link -
http://www.britishpathe.com/Car videos -
http://www.britishpathe.com/search/query/car+racingWell, I hate to leave you with just text. The modern man would be bored out of his mind. Just reading?!! How dare you!! I NEED IMAGES!!! So I won't leave you hanging. Below you'll find a video on youtube that I loved. I may have even got misty eyed at the end. Stirling Moss teaching Patrick Stewart how to drive like him. An excellent film.
