99StockGT

With everything going on right now small businesses are under even more stress than ever before, with that said PLEASE give this video a watch, thumbs up, and comment. Getting ourselves and our content in front of as many people as possible is what will keep business coming in... which keeps our doors open and our lights on!

Wrapped up the 451 Mopar build FINALLY! Now time to get this damn thing in the car!

I purchased a copy of Adobe Premiere Elements and it's done pretty well for what we are doing, definitely doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the big editing suites but it's helped improve the production and speed of our videos pretty well I think. The last 6 months or so have all been with upgraded camera and software, hopefully the production quality is something people notice and appreciate. Honestly as odd as it may sound we really don't want to make it look TOO polished and professional or it loses some of the small town shop feel and turns more into a "show". At least, in my opinion. BTW, anyone who hasn't noticed or looked lately we are turning out content at least a video or two a week. Feel free to take a peek

Good luck out there on the track today guys, have fun and stay safe!

Final video of the 2500 Mile $2500 Road Trip just went live, if anyone cares

For the giggle factor, I can totally agree with you there having a "Matchbox Car" is a blast and all the kids point when you drive by Well, at least the ones who look up from their phones to wonder what's making so much noise #getoffmylawn

Not a HUGE fan of the blowers you can't see over but.... that's sexy AF

Would love to try to get the IS300 down a track that's not dog shit to see what it can actually do ... unfortunately it's only been at Trails and ALWAYS spins out of the hole badly

Pot Still is getting rather difficult to get your hands on for a "non rare" bottle they aren't distributing much. As a drinker and collector this all gets challenging, I don't want to open a bottle until I have a backup bottle ready!

Well technically currently its FWD

Sounds like you're having some reasonably inexpensive fun, might I suggest you and I throw down in a Daily Volvo Beaters drag race sometime soon?

Anymore a lot of the more specialty bottles are extremely hard to find without a Kentucky road trip. Also TIMING is everything. Find out when their allocation comes in and goes for sale, for most Liquor Barns they come in Friday and go on sale first thing Saturday morning. If you are there more than an hour after open most places will be sold out of the "good stuff" Managed to snag 2 bottles of Eagle Rare this weekend while I was doing a quick down and back to the lake but they were the last 2 in the store and I got them by pure luck. My bar at home is... disgustingly well stocked especially for someone who seldom drinks at home. But hey, the collecting and huntin is part of the fun!

Feedback from you guys on these road trip videos, something worth doing more of or no? I realize they are considerably longer format and this was the first attempt at it but is it something people would watch? Need to get more film from the others as well so there's not so much Austin and more of the whole group but aside from that...?

Hey some of us still race! Between running down the track and supporting cars we have built/support I'm still active! And Buck, I'll challenge that Pontiac with my old black stealth for your spot!

Hmmm not sure how much I want to weigh on in this but some high level conversation about this... Charge a fair price for your skill set, tool/equipment set, and customer base and make sure to clear your Labor costs and Rent/Equipment costs. If you are set up and skilled to do basic maintenance and repairs, great be that and be fair with pricing. If you are set up and skilled to do more intensive or specialty work, great be that and be fair with pricing. As many have mentioned also, the $80 rate is definitely cheap for the Columbus market IF you are churning out quality work. Your average shop rate in the area is $105-$125 per hour so you may be selling yourselves short. As in retail, when cutting prices to get people in the door you often times find yourself serving a customer base that's only looking for cheap deals and scab fixes. It's like running $10 oil change coupons... you'll do a whole lot of oil changes and NOTHING else, and few if any of those people will become customers looking for more services. As Cordell points out... there are a LOT of steps to making a shop successful from the guy answering the phones and talking to customer, to the guys getting greasy if there isn't communication and honesty you're in a slow boiling shit stew. We pride ourselves on being on of the best Independent shops in the region and work hard for that reputation, but even WE screw up on communication on a somewhat regular basis. Be honest with your customers, try to keep an open line of communication, and do your best to be fair in pricing while not slitting your own throat to "get the job".

Welcome to the Modded Volvo life Good purchase, honestly can't lose money on it. You've got a few more complicated issues with that one that my older Mid 90s beast but still a great car to play with. And, vroooom wuuusssh

Is this a conversation starter for how far CR has fallen that Clay is downloading a random app to find "Car People" to hang out with?

*crickets*

I will 100% agree with you Rymer the fact that we are consider a major city yet have terrible access to motorsports anywhere near the city limits is extremely sad. Especially considering how much production and R&D is around us that's automotive related. Unfortunately if talk to track owners with the rare exception of the "True Street" stuff we see growing from some grass roots dragracing there just aren't people in the stands anywhere and tracks can't exist on entrance fees from racers alone. If there aren't asses in the stands, there won't be any stands. Clay you are totally correct, giving people coming up in impoverished neighborhoods a creative productive outlet is a HUGE boost and could be something the community really appreciates. Some of us do volunteer work with area youth to start teaching them employable trade skills that will give them a better shot at a living wage and out of the situation they are born into but unfortunately those opportunites are few and far between. A racetrack that had money making events then maybe even some sort of local sponsored race series would be quite welcome. The amount of money wasted on youth that go down the wrong path is incredible compared with might be possible with a little invested in the right place.

Bars we don't need and won't get, no one in the community wants to see more of that. There are several of the "MicroBrew" type places nearby and that's just fine as its more in the arts district but as far as in the actual "Bottoms" itself.. not happening. Retail establishment wise... what business caters to those that have a household income of less than $30k per year? These aren't people who swing out to Easton for a new outfit before going out, or over to Saks for some slacks, these are people who are barely getting by on what they have/make and are largely stuck in a cycle that's nearly impossible to break out of. No way on this Greenish Blue planet a TopGolf or high end theatre would build down here in such a challenged neighborhood, their demographic is pretty easily defined and definitely not diverse or economically disabled.

Aldi definitely isn't a bad choice, since moving down here we have probably gotten 60% of our grocery needs from there. However if you are looking for another quality food source, or even a decent restaurant that's NOT something fast food you are lacking for choice. The "Bottoms" is definitely a neighborhood in need, but what we DON'T need are kitschy cool craft shops in containers that few if anyone in the area is interested in or capable of buying.

We actually have no less than 3 urban farming plots with in a Par 4 (for you white people that don't live down here) of my house. It's becoming more and more of a thing. With the Mount Carmel West buildings being torn down there may be more "Green space" going in there as well. Hell even another decent grocery option would be nice instead of people only having access to Quicky Marts and Aldi for foods. Unhealthy living doesn't always start with a needle, often times it comes from a bag or a can.

Honestly some sort of publicly accessible entertainment would be awesome or an open athletics sports area. Our community is all over the place in terms of income and property values, those of us who have the means can go wherever to entertain ourselves but those who don't... well they don't have any close to home easy options. EDIT: Some sort of outdoor theatre would be nice also, if you have seen the kinds of crowds the COSI facility pulls for their nights it's something the community highly enjoys.

As one of probably the only CR members who actually LIVE in this community it would certainly be nice to see something done with the location but "space for shopping" isn't exactly something the community is clamouring for. As easily one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city with some very legitimate social concerns it would be nice to see something constructive done instead of ... well ... this.

Can't help but imagining the poor young man shivering in bed with night terrors of Geeto