Chris shares his experience of letting his 16-year-old son drive a 2005 Ford Mustang for the first time, discussing the excitement and challenges of teaching a new driver. The episode features a conversation with YouTuber Courage, who adds humor and personal anecdotes about road trips and spontaneous adventures. They also touch on the significance of connecting with human experiences in a tech-driven world, making this episode a blend of parenting, car culture, and relatable life stories.
In this episode of Cool Cars With Chris, I share a huge parenting and car-guy milestone — letting my 16-year-old drive a Mustang for the very first time.
Yes, it was controlled. Yes, it was legal. And yes… it was nerve-wracking.
I break down exactly why I chose a 2005 Ford Mustang as his first car, what it’s like driving a 20-year-old Mustang today, and how older cars still have a personality that modern cars just don’t replicate. From torque feel and steering response to the little quirks that come with age, this car feels like a time capsule — and that’s part of the magic.
We also get into the real process of teaching a teen to drive in California — permits, rules, safe practice environments, and why private parking lots are the best place to build confidence before hitting public roads. I walk through the actual driving lessons we practiced: braking, throttle control, steering correction, parking, speed bumps, and situational awareness — the stuff every new driver has to learn the hard way.
To bring the Mustang into the modern era, I also talk about adding Apple CarPlay to an older car, including a surprisingly affordable setup that adds navigation, music, phone calls, and hands-free driving without tearing apart the factory interior. If you’ve ever wondered how to modernize a classic or older vehicle, this is a must-listen.
Later in the episode, a surprise project enters the conversation — something that wasn’t planned, wasn’t purchased, and might turn into a full hands-on build. We talk project vehicles, learning by doing, and why building something — especially with your kids — matters more than perfection.
We also zoom out and talk about something bigger: what it means to stay human in a world full of AI, algorithms, and automation. Why real conversations, real stories, and shared experiences still matter — especially in car culture.
🔗 Links & Connect
Cool Cars With Chris Website 👉 Visit the official site for episodes, updates, and more:
Follow Me on Instagram 👉 Behind-the-scenes clips, cars, and real-life moments:
Watch Courage on YouTube 👉 Car content, projects, and builds from Courage:
00:00 🎙️ Welcome to Cool Cars With Chris 01:05 🗓️ Mondays, Fridays & Life Rhythm 03:00 🎲 Spur-of-the-Moment Road Trips 06:40 🐎 Why the Mustang Matters 08:40 🚗 Driving a 20-Year-Old Mustang 12:00 📝 Teen Permits & Driving Rules 15:00 🅿️ First Practice: Private Lot 18:40 🧠 Braking, Steering & Control 21:00 🅿️ Parking Wins & Mistakes 23:40 📱 Apple CarPlay Upgrade 28:40 💸 $50 Tech That Works 31:10 🗺️ Why We Always Drive With Maps 37:30 🎁 A Surprise Project Appears 41:30 🛠️ Mini Bike Build Ideas 46:10 👨👦 Projects With Kids 49:50 ⚖️ Where Can You Ride It? 52:30 🤖 Staying Human in an AI World
This episode of Cool Cars With Chris is a car podcast focused on first-time driving experiences, teen drivers, and classic American cars, featuring a 2005 Ford Mustang as a first car for a 16-year-old new driver. Chris talks about teaching a teenager how to drive safely, learning to drive in a private parking lot, California teen driving rules, first driving lessons, braking control, steering control, parking practice, and real-world driving experience for new drivers. The episode also covers Ford Mustang ownership, driving an older Mustang, classic car ownership, modern technology upgrades like Apple CarPlay in older cars, affordable car tech upgrades, car navigation, and hands-free driving. This automotive podcast blends car culture, parenting, first cars, project vehicles, DIY car projects, and real human conversations, making it ideal for car enthusiasts, parents of teen drivers, Mustang fans, and listeners interested in automotive podcasts, car stories, and learning to drive experiences.
"...that Mustang I picked up that 2005 Ford Mustang for my son who just turned 16. Well, he doesn't have his license yet..."
The 2005 Ford Mustang is a popular sports car known for its classic design and powerful engine options. It's a great car for someone learning to drive, especially with its sporty feel.
The 2005 Ford Mustang is part of the fifth generation of the Mustang, which is known for its retro styling and performance. It features a range of engines, including V6 and V8 options, appealing to both casual drivers and performance enthusiasts.
"He's got on a screensaver on his phone. It's like car type stuff. So his phone cover for his iPhone is like a car or like a JDM car. I think it's a GTR like R 32, I think or something like that. Anyways, yeah. So he's always been in that kind of stuff. And so when you think of like cool like"
The Nissan Skyline is a type of car made by Nissan, and one of its versions, the GT-R, is really popular for being fast and cool. The R32 model, which came out in the late 1980s, is especially loved by car fans because it was great for racing and has a unique style. People often talk about it because it's a classic and has a strong following among car lovers.
The Nissan Skyline is a line of cars produced by Nissan, with the GT-R variant being particularly famous for its performance and motorsport heritage. The R32 GT-R, introduced in the late 1980s, is celebrated for its advanced technology and capabilities, making it a favorite among car enthusiasts and collectors. Its significance in the automotive world is further amplified by its success in racing and its iconic status in popular culture, especially in the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) community.
"...his phone cover for his iPhone is like a car or like a JDM car. I think it's a GTR like R 32, I think or something like that. Anyways, yeah. So he's always been in that kind of stuff..."
The Nissan GT-R R32 is a high-performance sports car that became famous for its speed and handling. It's a favorite among car fans and is often seen in racing and car culture.
The Nissan GT-R R32 is a legendary sports car known for its advanced technology and performance capabilities. It gained fame in the 1990s and is often celebrated for its dominance in motorsports.
"...there's vibrations. There's this, like you put the air conditioning on and it does kind of like vibrate more..."
Vibrations are shaking movements you can feel in the car while driving. In older cars, they can happen for different reasons, like engine problems or worn-out parts.
Vibrations in a car can indicate various issues, especially in older vehicles. They may arise from engine problems, worn-out components, or imbalances in the drivetrain.
"...you put the air conditioning on and it does kind of like vibrate more..."
Air conditioning is what cools the air inside the car to keep you comfortable. In older cars, it can sometimes make the engine work harder, which might cause vibrations.
Air conditioning in a car is a system that cools and dehumidifies the air inside the vehicle for passenger comfort. It can put additional load on the engine, especially in older cars.
"...it's got lots of like, let's say low in torque, but really if you, if you put into, okay, the shift shifting on the car,..."
Torque is how strong the engine is at turning the wheels. More torque means the car can start moving faster and handle hills better.
Torque is a measure of rotational force, which is crucial for a car's acceleration and overall performance. High torque at low RPMs allows for better power delivery when starting from a stop or climbing hills.
"...it does not have paddle shifters. It does not have any kind of sport shift mode..."
Paddle shifters are buttons or levers behind the steering wheel that let you change gears easily while driving, making it feel more like a race car.
Paddle shifters are levers located behind the steering wheel that allow the driver to manually shift gears without taking their hands off the wheel. This feature enhances control and engagement during driving.
"...you know, so it looks fantastic. That's one thing. This paint job looks great."
A paint job is when a car is painted to make it look nice or to cover up scratches. A good paint job can make a car look brand new and can help it sell for more money.
A paint job refers to the process of applying paint to a vehicle's exterior, which can enhance its appearance and protect the underlying material. A high-quality paint job can significantly affect a car's resale value and curb appeal.
"...get a feel for the car, get a feel for what it can do, get a feel for the accelerator,..."
The accelerator is the gas pedal in a car. When you press it, the car goes faster, and when you let go, it slows down.
The accelerator is the pedal in a vehicle that controls the engine's power output, allowing the driver to increase speed. Pressing down on the accelerator increases fuel flow to the engine, making the car go faster.
"...get a feel for the accelerator, get a feel for the brake pedal,..."
The brake pedal is the pedal you press to make the car slow down or stop. Pressing it pushes the brakes, which help the car slow down safely.
The brake pedal is the pedal that a driver presses to slow down or stop the vehicle. It activates the braking system, which reduces the vehicle's speed by applying friction to the wheels.
"...what the engine response feels like, the turning radius, what it feels like going over speed bumps,..."
Turning radius is how tight a car can turn. A smaller turning radius means the car can make sharper turns, which is useful in small areas.
The turning radius is the smallest circular turn that a vehicle can make. It is an important factor in maneuverability, especially in tight spaces like parking lots.
"...The bumper just went right over the, it was a small micro curb and kind of went..."
The bumper is the part of the car that helps protect it in case of a crash. It's located at the front and back of the vehicle and can help prevent damage.
The bumper is a protective component located at the front and rear of a vehicle, designed to absorb impact during collisions and protect the car's body and structural components.
"...that's one thing now, like with the, good with the lip on my car. Oh yeah, for sure. That I like, I've like, I've had situations where..."
A lip is a part of the car that sticks out a bit, usually on the bumper. It can make the car look cooler but can also get damaged easily if you hit something.
In automotive terms, a 'lip' often refers to an extension or protrusion at the edge of a bumper or body kit that enhances aerodynamics and aesthetics, but can also make the vehicle more susceptible to scraping on curbs or uneven surfaces.
"...this car has the shaker 500 sound system. It sounds great. Sounds great. Right. Like 500 Watts or whatever they do."
The Shaker 500 sound system is a high-quality audio system in some Ford cars, like the Mustang. It makes music sound really good, with more power and better speakers than standard systems.
The Shaker 500 sound system is a premium audio system offered in certain Ford vehicles, particularly the Mustang. It typically features enhanced audio components, providing better sound quality and a more immersive listening experience.
"...I think it's got cruise control buttons, but that's pretty much it. No volume knob or nothing..."
Cruise control is a feature in cars that helps you drive at a steady speed without having to press the gas pedal all the time. It's great for long trips on the highway.
Cruise control is a system that automatically controls the speed of a vehicle. It allows the driver to maintain a steady speed without having to keep their foot on the accelerator, which is especially useful for long highway drives.
"...both like the FX 45 I had and the M 35 have, they have iPod adapters that like were in there as stock..."
The Infiniti FX45 is a luxury SUV that looks sporty and drives well. It offers more space than a regular car, making it a good choice for families or those needing extra room.
The Infiniti FX45 is a luxury crossover SUV known for its sporty performance and distinctive styling. It combines the attributes of a sports car with the practicality of an SUV.
"...like both my, both like the FX 45 I had and the M 35 have, they have iPod adapters that like were in there as stock..."
The Infiniti M35 is a luxury car that provides a comfortable ride and many high-tech features. It's designed for people who want a nice car with good performance.
The Infiniti M35 is a luxury sedan that was part of Infiniti's M series, offering a blend of performance and comfort. It features advanced technology and a refined interior.
"...it also has a backup camera. Now the backup camera run, you run all the way to the back of your car. And so on Saturday, we're trying to tear the car apart..."
A backup camera is a small camera on the back of a car that shows what’s behind you when you’re trying to park or back up. It helps you see things that might be in your way.
A backup camera is a safety feature that provides a view of the area behind a vehicle when reversing. It helps drivers avoid obstacles and improve safety while backing up.
"...it's Apple CarPlay. It's an actual Apple light. It's not banged by Apple, but it's like an, it's a screen and your phone connects to it. Like it does in your car normally, like your regular car, it connects like your car does..."
Apple CarPlay is a feature that lets you connect your iPhone to your car so you can use apps like music and maps on the car's screen. It makes it easier to use your phone safely while driving.
Apple CarPlay is a smart interface that allows iPhone users to connect their devices to their car's infotainment system. It provides access to apps like Spotify, Apple Music, and navigation through a user-friendly interface on the car's display.
"...we could rip out the, um, like the stock head unit and put it and put it in a whole new..."
The head unit is like the main stereo in your car. It controls the music and other features, and in newer cars, it can do a lot more than just play songs.
A head unit is the control center of a car's audio system, typically including the radio, CD player, and connectivity options for smartphones. Modern head units often integrate with the car's systems, providing features like navigation and vehicle diagnostics.
"...the frame itself is solid. Like it's, you know, no rest on the frame. So you're thinking maybe one LS swap or what?"
An LS swap is when you take out the old engine of a car and put in a new engine from a different car, specifically a GM engine known for being powerful and dependable.
An LS swap refers to the process of replacing a vehicle's original engine with a General Motors LS series engine. This is popular among car enthusiasts for its power and reliability.
"...you know, got my LS, you know, motor in it, got the exhaust. And I'm just rolling down the street on this little mini bike..."
An LS motor is a type of engine made by General Motors. It's popular because it's powerful and can be used in many different cars, especially when people want to upgrade their vehicle's performance.
An LS motor refers to a family of V8 engines produced by General Motors, known for their performance and versatility in various applications, including swaps into different vehicles.
"...I actually really want to project car at some point. Like I, you know, but now's not the time..."
A project car is a car that someone buys to fix up or make better. People often enjoy working on them as a hobby.
A project car is a vehicle that an enthusiast buys with the intention of restoring, modifying, or otherwise improving it. This can involve significant work and investment, often making it a labor of love.
"...my Z back when I had it, the 300 ZX, I've done like large projects on that car. But I think there's a difference in when you buy a car that you're planning to drive..."
The Nissan 300 ZX is a fast sports car made by Nissan. It was popular in the 1980s and 1990s and is known for being fun to drive.
The Nissan 300 ZX is a sports car that was produced by Nissan from 1983 to 2000. It is known for its performance, sleek design, and advanced technology for its time.
"the Viper, the Viper one? I feel what it's called. There's a motorcycle."
The Dodge Viper is a fast sports car made by Dodge. It's famous for its strong engine and unique look, making it popular among car fans.
The Dodge Viper is a high-performance sports car known for its powerful V10 engine and distinctive styling. It has a cult following among car enthusiasts and is celebrated for its raw driving experience.
"...how do you figure the transmission? Like, how does that even work?"
The transmission is a part of the car that helps it change speeds. It connects the engine to the wheels and makes it easier to drive.
The transmission is a system that transmits power from the engine to the wheels, allowing the vehicle to change speeds and torque. It can be automatic or manual, affecting how the car drives.
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Hey, what's happening? Thank you so much for being here. I am Chris and you clicked on
the right show at the right time of the right place, baby. This is cool cars with Chris
and on today's episode, you know, that Mustang I picked up that 2005 Ford Mustang for my
son who just turned 16. Well, he doesn't have his license yet, but he's going through that.
We're going to talk about that. And yes, I even let him drive the car. Yeah. In a controlled
environment. Yes. Very carefully. Yes. You'll find out how he did. Oh, and courage himself
was gifted a new little project. He's going to start working on. I don't know how it's
going to go. We'll find out. We'll tell you what that is on this episode and topping it
off, you know, in the world of AI, everything. We're discussing what it's like to actually
be human and to connect with human content like this show right here. If you're ready,
here we go. Brought to you by us too humans. Let's go.
Okay. Welcome back everybody. Thank you so much for being here. I got the legend.
YouTuber himself courage. Yes, he's got courage in his name is courage on the line.
Hey, Junity buddy. I'm doing good. Trying to have all the courage going into the week.
Glad to be here as usual, Chris. Hey, Monday is tomorrow is record this man. How are you a
Monday guy? Are you kind of like dread Mondays? I'm on kind of a mission to enjoy Mondays,
but you, but Mondays do come with a level of responsibility where you know, just a lot of
things or you might have been in a certain flow move during the weekend and, and you know,
that you kind of have to change gears when you go into a Monday. So I'm, I'm a Tuesday guy to be
totally honest. Like Monday is like, you're still sort of getting your, getting your sea legs,
getting things situated Tuesday. A lot of times I'm like, okay, like I feel like I'm kicking
it in the gear. I can get through the week kind of thing. So if I, if I can make a shirt, I'm like,
I'm a Tuesday guy. I would probably do that. But how's your Friday man? You're like Friday. Yeah.
Yeah. Fridays. Yeah. I mean, I try as, as you get older, I think, you know, you, you start to,
you know, maybe I don't want to say lower your expectations, but you realize that like,
you know, every weekend is not going to be this big grandiose thing. Like, you know, when you're,
when you're in college and everything, like the weekend comes and you just lose your minds kind
of thing. And so, you know, I think going into Fridays, you do have this kind of a little bit
of pep in your staff and you, you know, you probably got some plans kind of here and there,
but I try to keep it kind of at a level, like expectation level where it's like, you know,
unless I know for sure that I'm doing something crazy, exciting, it's like, just go into it,
enjoy the day. Like, you know, I am probably putting on a little bit more of the, the coastal music
or like the reggae music around that time. There you go, man. Nice. Yeah. How about you?
Oh, I used to be like spur of the moment kind of guy. Like, hey, if you've walked over on, say,
Friday afternoon or even Saturday morning, is there anyone in Vegas today? I say, yes, let's go.
Let's do it. Who's driving? Let's go right now. I'm going to ruin. Let's do it right now. Or,
you know, one thing I've always wanted to do, but I've never had an opportunity to do this. And
as the older I get, I don't think it's ever happened for me was that I heard stories where
people will be like, literally a Friday night after work, like say you got off work five o'clock,
six o'clock, whatever. And then what do you guys do this weekend? What are we doing tonight?
Want to go to Vegas? And they would do a literal, like Vegas turnaround, like drive out to Vegas,
hang out and then come back in the next morning and like do it all with like no sleep, not staying
anywhere and just go and come back. I've never done that. I would need my sleep. I don't think I
pull that off, but I've heard people. So they would go on the Friday and come back on the, on the
Saturday morning. Wow, that, that's pretty crazy. Whatever it is. Yeah. That's intense. Yeah. Like,
I've never, I've always wanted to do that. I was kind of curious, like how can the body
like stay awake for that long because you've been up for like early morning, Friday morning,
going to work or whatever it is. And then you try to just like go all through. I have been to
Vegas like after working a Friday night, a Friday, Friday afternoon, getting off work and
and driving up to Vegas. I've done that. Lots of traffic, lots of traffic. I tell you that
much. If you go hit like five o'clock hour or whatever it is, but, but I've done many, many
road trips to Vegas and it's always a good time. So, but I haven't done any Vegas plans. I think
about it, but the last, the last Vegas trip I did was a spur of the moment. Oh, no, it wasn't the
last Vegas trip I did. I take that back, but one Vegas trip I did was awesome because it was to see
the chargers versus the Raiders in the Vegas stadium. Yes. And we made the decision to go
literally like Saturday morning and they played Sunday. So we're like, okay, well, we want to go
gateway to get rooms, looked up flights, flights are expensive. Couldn't do that. So we just drove
as a kids pack your bags, we're going to Vegas right now. We're leaving in one hour. Get what
you need. Let's go. So literally that's what it was. And we came back after the game drove
directly from the stadium back here to San Diego. I had to work the next day. It was Monday,
but it's whatever, you know? So that was epic. I love that. Sometimes having, you know, those spur
of the moment, I, I do situations I think are, are just kind of what life's about. Like, you know,
it's, it's kind of cool to, you know, I guess when you go into something, you got a full on plan,
like this is what we're doing X, Y, Z, but there's something special about like having a spur of
a moment deal and like executing it, like actually doing that. So that's, that's pretty cool for
sure. Yeah. That's what I used to do a lot of, but I think it's probably how I kind of roll. So my
problem is when it comes to the weekends is that I think if I want to do anything really big like
that, you kind of have to have a little more planning at least, at least the hours on the clock.
Because if you're trying to plan something, say tonight, it's Sunday night, you want to do something
tonight. Well, tomorrow's Monday and it's like late already on a Sunday. I mean, what are you
going to do? You know? So I think maybe Friday and that's my thing. I guess Friday comes around
and I'm thinking, Oh, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. And then I'm trying to juggle
kids and trying to juggle different things. And I got this practice to be at and I got this other
thing I have to be at and, you know, pick up this, move this, do that. So lately my weekends have
been kind of like just doing stuff and I'm trying to get back to doing more fun stuff, like taking
the, well, I guess new to us forward Mustang out and drive around. Yeah. No, I've been seeing some
of your pictures and some of, some of what's been going on. You got to, you got to tell the folks
how that's been, you know, with you and your son and you get just getting behind the wheel of the
Mustang a little bit more as a late. You know what? I actually wanted to buy one of those
Mustangs when they first came out. I remember that first design came out. I think we talked about
in the last episode is that I really wanted one of those and my son has always loved Mustangs.
He's always been a car person or car kid. He's got, you know, his t-shirts or car themed stuff.
He's got on a screensaver on his phone. It's like car type stuff. So his phone cover for his iPhone
is like a car or like a JDM car. I think it's a GTR like R 32, I think or something like that.
Anyways, yeah. So he's always been in that kind of stuff. And so when you think of like cool like
cars, Mustang has got to be in that list somewhere. They have not one of the top cars because you
think it goes way back like to the mid sixties and it was cool back then. It's recognizable.
It's been in like 5,000 movies. You know, it's a super cool car. Everybody knows that it's world
famous. And so the fact that he has one and it looks like fairly, you know, great condition.
And it was not like a beater either. You know, like, I mean, you think about it, 2005 Mustang,
you know, especially like a V six, it's probably not like a GT or a Shelby or whatever.
Maybe they did and like later half of that. Yeah. So, so something like that might have been
well, well kept up. We're talking like just a V six Mustang. Yeah, it's a premium package. And yeah,
you know, but it's in a really, really good condition. And so when I went to pick the car up
on Saturday and brought it back over here and, and we just drove the thing around,
been driving the thing around all weekend, taken it everywhere. And it feels great. I mean,
listen, it is an older car. There's vibrations. There's this, like you put the air conditioning
on and it does kind of like vibrate more. It's like the engine struggling. I don't know if it's
what the deals with that. It's a 20 year old car, other than that.
But little, yeah, I think you little things that you would expect for age, but
still a solid car nonetheless. Right. Right. And it's got lots of like,
let's say low in torque, but really if you, if you put into, okay, the shift shifting on the car,
it does not have paddle shifters. It does not have any kind of sport shift mode. It's literally like
throwback from the past, man. It works like reverse neutral drive. And it's got like one,
two, three. But it does have that big old, like, like, like you're pulling like a,
like a bolt action, like trigger type, like, uh, like gear shift, right? Right. Like it was from
like the 1965 Mustang, the original Mustang. It looked like the original Mustang, which is super
cool. It's almost like the, like in Star Wars, where you had those like, those little, like,
those little jet pack thing or those, um, not jet, but like scooter things where you would like,
had this whole handle that like, you know, the one-sided handle. Yes.
Talking about, uh, you're sure the Jedi, when they're flying around those motorcycle,
those motorcycle things. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Kind of like that. Yeah.
So you have to take the move, which gets, it's used to it because it's not, it's not
ergonomic. I can't think of the word now. The ergonomic. Yes. Yeah. I can. Yes. Yes. So you
can't put your hand around easily. Like you can, like a modern car automatic would have.
Yeah. Um, so anyways, I'm using that thing and we're driving around and it feels great.
And I'm just toying with it. I put it in, in first gear.
It, you know, it really feels like you feel the torque and the power probably first is probably
more design. If you want to like tow something or haul something or whatever, get it moving or
whatever. Most people just put cars and drive and forget about it, which is fine. You can do that too.
But first feels very smooth. Feels great. So we're driving the car around. We got it washed,
you know, so it looks fantastic. That's one thing. This paint job looks great.
It, I mean, listen, there are some scratches on the paint. I'm not going to lie. 20 year old car,
you know, it's not perfect, you know, but you sent me some pictures though. And I'm in that,
like that gloss red really pops. It does. Doesn't it? It does. It's really cool to see that again,
somebody took such great care of it that it's, you know, it's not like faded because you see
like some faded red color. We saw one today. We saw a Mustang probably around the same era,
probably 2005, 2007. It was a blue one, right? With this faded like hood and roof. It was like
that. It was blue at one point. It's like faded to like nothing kind of look, you know, sun, sun
beat and sun faded, you know? And we saw that like, man, we're like parked next to it. Like, damn,
look at that thing. You know, same year car practically, you know? So this car literally
feels like a time capsule, but like I said, it's not perfect. It's not perfect, but it is my son's
first car, which I think it's super, super cool to have a Mustang like that or any Mustang really
as your first car. That's super cool, man. Like I would die to have something like that.
And the piece of crap I drove when I was 16. But so I was thinking like maybe we should take him out
and get some practice in his car. Now he does not have his permit yet or his driver's license yet.
He is studying right now to do his actual like exam because right now in California,
you got to take some online course before you even can go to the DMV and do your actual like
permit test. Take the course first, pass the course, get a certificate from the course company,
take the certificate to the DMV and do your permit. That's the way I understand it right now.
And once you get your permit, you still got to wait a full six months
before you can actually take your license test. And don't you still have to get like a date? They
want you to get a certain amount of hours, but you also have to like have, you know, an adult,
obviously like a certain age like with you driving during that like six months.
Yeah, I'm not too sure. We haven't quite crossed over that line of permit, but you got to go from
where now we're on the first stage of like getting to the permit. But once you get to the permit
and go from permit to actual like driving test, that's the part you're thinking of where you have
to like get an adult to have a training course and pay for like a driver's training at, you know,
company or whatever. You've ever been in that, not to interrupt, but have you ever been in those
like those training course cars where they have like the two steering wheels? Like the
no, but I had the one I did when I was in school, it had the brake pedal on the, on the
passenger side. So they can stop an emergency. I didn't have a steering wheel though.
Yeah. Back in the day when I did mines, like I was, because I did two, I did a course and it was
like two different instructors and they both had different cars, but they both had like a full on
like, you know, steering wheel brake gas on the passenger side. That's going to be trippy though.
It reminds me of those like garbage trucks or the garbage, they have, I think they have those,
the garbage trucks have the ones where it's like steering wheel on the both sides or whatever kind
of thing. Something if you like that, I think it's garbage trucks. Maybe it's like mailman,
I'm thinking of, I don't know, some truck like that, they've got them on both sides. I've seen
that, but no, I don't know if they do that today. I don't know if the, how it works today. All I
know is that you're required to do like a 30 hour course before you can get your permit.
And I had to look up a few companies and there was one company I looked up.
They seemed local. They were online. They had, you know, all the reviews and all this stuff.
They seem priced right. So I, that's the one I purchased for him to do. So he logs in with
his own account and I can monitor it on my account and see like his progress, like how many like,
you know, lessons he's done and like things like that. So it's almost about halfway through the
lessons, but there's probably a bunch of tests they have to take at the end, but go with like the
course part. So we will see. I said, do whatever the instructions tell you to do. Just follow it step
by step, complete each course step by step. But I know he's excited to drive. I'm excited from
the drive. We're all excited from the drive. So today I say, let's go do some practice running
around, but it has to be in a public parking lot. It cannot be a, you know, I mean, I mean,
sorry, private parking lot cannot be a public road or public parking lot. It's going to be a
private parking lot because when it's a private parking lot, although the company that owns a
lot probably does not want you to do that, but a private parking lot, there are no laws. There's
no city laws or street laws or regulation laws at all. But the moment you leave the parking
lot, you know, public roads, it's fair game. Did you know that even in like a mall parking
lot that has like stop signs and that kind of stuff that legally you can just run those and
no cop can give you a ticket? I did not know that actually because it's not public road. It's a
private place. It'd be like putting a stop sign in your driveway and I ran through your stop
setting your driveway. A cop can't give me a ticket for that. Now if it was on the street,
different story. I learned this in school years and years ago and I remember, you know,
the teacher was talking about that. I was like, really, I can run a little stop signs no way.
I mean, it's good practice to stop because you want cars hitting you and things like that.
Yeah, but yeah, you don't really want the consequences of if like everybody just,
you know, didn't obey what was going on there, but, but yeah, legally standing.
Like you can't get a cop can't give you a ticket. I mean, now there might be some cops out there
that are probably going to say, yeah, I'm going to give you a ticket for riding a stop sign
on a mall in a mall, whatever, you know, legally you can fight that in court because they can say,
what street was this on? It wasn't on a street judge. It was actually in a mall parking lot.
Oh, yeah, put this out. So, but anyway, so that's probably like a telltale sign of like,
yeah, like if the, if the street, if the road you're on doesn't have like a street sign, like,
you know, you couldn't say like, this is on this street, but then, then yeah, you, you could
probably fight that. That's interesting. That's some good consumer advice right there.
Right, right. Although we, although we did, like you said, it's probably better if we just,
you know, adhere to those rules. It's better. A cop can't even try to, they can't give you a
physical ticket because it wasn't on a physical public road. If you do things on a public road,
different story. So when it comes to actually driving without a permit or a license,
yeah, it's best to do it in areas that they, they can't give you a ticket and for doing that. So
that's why I chose not going to say the place, but I chose a business that today's Sunday. I mean,
they're not open obviously, and they're big. They got a big parking lot area. And so that is
where we chose. We pulled up in there. I did a few laps around the place, kind of scouted out,
you know, kind of like we did for cool cars with Chris when I did like our video shoots,
kind of scouted out a little bit, you know, make sure it's like not being used or whatever.
And so I went in there and I pulled over and gave him the keys. I mean, I gave him the keys. I
said, here drive. And he was so excited. So I can tell you he was nervous because as he pulled
into the place, we started circling around, kind of looping around, kind of scouting the area.
His palms were sweaty because he kept like rubbing his palms on his pants. Like I tell
him like he's, you know, in your palms, you're nervous or kind of his palms are sweaty. And
he kind of, he did that thing. We kind of, you know, rub them on his pants and kind of get the
sweat off him. And I was like, okay, don't relax. You'll be fine. You'll be fine. And so,
you know, he gets behind the wheel, make sure he buckles up and does that kind of stuff. And I
just, at first I made sure that just have him like not use the accelerator. Just put it in D and
just make sure your foot is over the brake, you know, get a feel for how the brakes work.
Yeah. Like gentle don't slam too much, but I think you're, you're getting figuring it out. So I
think he was pressing a little too quickly and a little too harsh at first. And it was like jabbing
the brakes and like slamming on him a little bit. Okay. We'll take it easier, you know. And so
we built up to him using a little bit of the accelerator because I want him to get familiar
with like going from gas to brake, gas to brake, because with the emergency, you're going to know
how to, you're going to need to learn to find that brake pedal really fast. And it's, it may not
be easy to, you know, if you're thinking like which, which a pedal to hit at the wrong time,
a wrong time. And I've heard stories where people like have hit the accelerator when they meant to
hit the brake and they went through a building or something like that. It happens. And so we're
doing a few laps around the parking lot and you know, going from like a little bit of acceleration,
slow down for the turn and then turn and turn the wheel. And one thing I knew that he was doing it
first when we're doing these turns is that he was over correcting the turn and over correcting
back the other way. So you make the turn to the right, for example, and then, and then instead
of like straightening it out, he would keep it turned still. Now he has to correct the wheel the
other way to get it back to straight. Oh yeah. So, you know, not really kind of filling out because
like, you know, naturally like the car is sort of like straight just all out. Yeah. So he's like
just kind of holding it at that position until like, Oh, well, now I gotta go back the other way.
Because now the car is going too far to the right instead of going straight.
So we're kind of ironing those things out. And I got in the car and I kind of showed him,
listen, the wheel, if you turn around, the wheel will kind of like straighten itself out,
but kind of keep it, you know, don't like, don't, you know, keep your hands just let go or whatever,
and kind of get a feel for the car, get a feel for what it can do, get a feel for the accelerator,
get a feel for the brake pedal, get a feel for how you press it down, what it feels like,
what the engine response feels like, the turning radius, what it feels like going over speed bumps,
because you're in a parking lot like that. There's speed bumps and don't hit it hard,
make sure you come up to it, slow down before you hit it. Because he did hit it kind of hard in
the first one over one. He's like, check out those facts. Like slow and dattle up before
we hit the speed bump, like get this people to slow down before you go to speed bump and then go
over nice and easy. Now we also did parking too. Let's go to parking too. So we did parking. So
there was like a whole bunch of spots, just like facing the grass straight in front of you,
like pick your choice. You'd have to like back up, you have to do an angle or anything, just
find one. So he did that, but he was so far away from the curb, you know, I think a little further,
I think it's a thing too, trying to learn like distance. This is parallel parking,
no, no, no, just straight into a parking space, like straight into, like imagine parking spaces
that are right in front of you, you're in a parking lot and there's no one around you,
just go straight into a spot. Just drive in, but he's like, you're trying to, he doesn't quite,
you didn't quite know like the distance of like the front of the car to get you. Right,
I helped him out on the second time he did. I got out of the car and helped him do it,
but he got, thank God his Mustang isn't slammed to the ground because he would hit the curb.
The bumper just went right over the, it was a small micro curb and kind of went,
the bumper went over the overhang by about a foot. I see, look, we went over, but thank God,
your car is hard. Dude, I gotta tell you that that's one thing now, like with the,
good with the lip on my car. Oh yeah, for sure. That I like, I've like, I've had situations where
I'm way too far out because I just did not want to take the ride because it's like, if it just
touches it, it's just probably going to take the whole thing off. So I bumped,
I think I bumped it with my car a few times on a few different occasions because it had the same
deal. It didn't have a lip like yours does, but it had the, the bumper was very low. The car was
very low in the front. And so yeah, I know exactly what that is. So he, he did keep it away, but then
we were practicing a few different things and we even practiced him backing into a spot.
Like, like, okay, you always parking spots, just back into this one here. And he kind of did it,
but I think backing up, I don't think he's quite there yet because he's letting it go,
but like not really looking like, I don't know what he's looking. He's like looking at the windshield
or something like that. I'm like, does that have a reverse camera? We bought one. We tried
installing it over the weekend, but it's above my pay grade figuring how to install that thing
because we tried installing it and it's sock like it doesn't know this is before,
think of this car before Bluetooth. Okay. It's not even for like, for just general like,
because I know like my like some, some cars like early 2000s, they have it just for phone like
for calls, but you can use it for music. You know what? Okay. This car has the shaker 500
sound system. It sounds great. Sounds great. Right. Like 500 Watts or whatever they do.
Mustang, they put these sound systems in the Mustang. Great. Yeah. If you have a little
ox button on there, right too, right? But the ox port, which is kind of weird,
that button for the ox, but no actual like plug anything in. I think it's another adapter you
have to buy. I don't know. And on the steering wheel, I think it's got cruise control buttons,
but that's pretty much it. No volume knob or nothing. And so there's no phone call button
or any of that kind of stuff. This is before, except before Bluetooth was like a normal thing,
I think 2005. Think about the phone you had back in 2005.
Well, I didn't have one, but, but, but what the kind of phone that people were walking around with,
that was before the iPhone too, I feel like. Yeah, iPhone came back in 2007. Yeah. So, I mean,
I'm not talking smart phone. I'm talking like everyday person phones, probably the Motorola
Razer flip phone or something like that. I think it's what I had back in 2005. And so I think that
had Bluetooth on it and everybody had that stupid little like headset thing you put in your ear
and you walk around and call the Bluetooth headset thing and everybody had those.
Yeah. And I don't think cars really put them in, at least not for like the Ford Mustang,
maybe for like a Lexus or infinity, maybe something like that. But for the Mustang,
no, this one did not have that. So it was kind of like a pick and choose thing because like
weirdly enough, like both my, both like the FX 45 I had and the M 35 have, they have iPod adapters
that like were in there as stock. Like they had, they had auxiliary adapter. I'm thinking of this.
Yeah. But, but it was specific to like the iPod pin. So like it was the big like rectangular
like slot in for like, you know, just like an iPod touch or iPod, you know, I forget the nano or
whatever. Yeah. Yeah. That was, that was my first iPod was iPod nano. Yeah. I might have to hand
me down. But, but yeah. And then I got the iPhone. I just went, you know, Apple all day, but
no, the radio doesn't have any kind of stuff in it. So I did get him a aftermarket, thank you, Amazon,
Apple CarPlay head unit that works on the actual radio itself. And you can take phone calls because
I have an iPhone, I use Apple CarPlay and I'm used to it. Every car I rent, I make sure it's got
Apple CarPlay on the rental. If it doesn't, I'll send it back. In fact, we did that in Hawaii.
The Hawaii, they tried giving us a mini fan. It had old fashioned, whatever. I said, no, no.
I need the Apple CarPlay cause I need the maps and all that kind of stuff. So,
but anyways, yeah. So he doesn't have that stuff. So I said, we'll be looking at Amazon,
find someone. The one I bought for him had the most reviews, had a ton of reviews on this thing.
So let's get this one. It wasn't very much. So I ordered it, you know, it's pretty much plug and
play and you connect your phone to that. And the way it connects to the radio, because there is no
actual like, like plug to plug it to the radio. It does the FM transmission to the radio. And so
we got it plugged in like that, but it also has a backup camera. Now the backup camera run, you
run all the way to the back of your car. And so on Saturday, we're trying to tear the car apart,
the bumper and the lights trying to figure how to install this backup camera. But like,
you have to somehow like drill hole, I don't know drilling holes in the car, but you have to drill
hole in the car to get the wire plugged in, to run through the bumper, run through the,
to run through the bumper to run up through the, you know, trunk and then into the front.
And plus you got to take the whole light assembly apart, which you took a light assembly apart,
just trying to figure out how to like splice in the power signal into the backup light.
Because that triggers the actual camera to turn on is when the backup light turns on,
it triggers the camera to turn on the camera. Yeah. And so you got to splice that into that.
And I'm like, that's when I was like, um, yeah, this is about my pay grade. I'm calling it. Yeah.
So I'm like, I'm like telling, telling Shana, I told his mom about that. We're working on it.
And she says, well, maybe it doesn't need to really do the backup camera. It'll be kind of fun
to do. It'll be easy to do. I mean, once it, if it's working and we get it working and set up,
it'd be super convenient, you know, but, um, let that someone else work on that because, um,
I mean, I'm trying to figure it out. Another way we could do it was really tacky,
would be to like have the wire hang over the bumper from the tip, from like when you close
the trunk down. Oh, though. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, like that's the other ones.
Oh, I think other than that, like I don't know how to get the wire inside to the, I'm sure it's
going to work. I'm trying to mess with the thing and trying to figure it out.
And we spent forever looking, trying to figure it out. I'm like, you know what?
Well, we'll figure it out later, but it does, it does come with a camera set. Dude,
I paid 50 bucks for that head unit. That's with all that function out with the camera and everything.
Yup. That's, yeah, that's what it sounds like. It works like Apple CarPlay. It's got all the
features and you can, I mean, it's like a seven inch screen and you mount the, it's mounted on
the windshield. I think I see it in the video. It's mounted on, I have it mounted on the windshield
kind of brought down right by the dash. So it's almost, yeah. So it's almost like a, uh, like
if it was like a phone mount per se, but it's, but it's, it's its own dedicated screen for that.
It's Apple CarPlay. It's an actual Apple light. It's not banged by Apple, but it's like an,
it's a screen and your phone connects to it. Like it does in your car normally, like your
regular car, it connects like your car does. Yeah. And you do all the stuff like the Spotify,
the Apple music, the phone calls, the messages, the maps. It's all right there. It's all right.
No, that it, that is interesting. Cause I was, I was sort of, I had something sort of different
in my mind when you described it initially, but, but to have, yeah, basically to have like the
Apple CarPlay set up with like a screen dedicated to it as well. Like this, but it's a separate unit
is, is a pretty cool concept. Yeah. I mean, we could rip out the, um,
like the stock head unit and put it and put it in a whole new, that's probably the proper way
to do it. If you're going to do it or whatever, but that's a lot of, you know, that was the point
where I feel like head units really started to become like part of the car. Like, you know,
where like taking out the stock one back in the day, like I feel like where you had like the 90s
cars and things like the radio itself was, was still like kind of its own entity. Like, you know,
it wasn't, it wasn't really like giving you any alerts or like, you know, anything of that sort.
Oh, right now. Yeah. Yeah. Where it's like, yeah. If you try to take like a modern car,
it's like you ever touched the head unit of that and you're, you know, you're just, you know,
having to rewrite the whole car at that point. Right. Yeah. Cause it does everything you say.
Yeah. But the nice thing is this one here, I also noticed too, is that of course there's
lots of different like features and the thing, you know, like have like equalizer sound with
things, sound and different things and all that and different display colors and things,
graphics and stuff like that. But you can also vertically flip it like a Tesla car. So like
in Tesla has like the vertical screen from top to bottom, you can flip this one around too and
flip it in the settings. So it'll be vertical too. If you want them out to that way, you can do it
that way too. I figured I was playing with that too. Cause that's kind of a neat little thing.
But, but yeah, it works great for the most part. You know, I mean,
it makes it feel like you're driving like a regular, you know, normal, modern car.
Yeah. And I think for someone who's 16, getting a license, I know they're probably going to have
the music and everything playing, but I think it's also great for like phone calls, messages,
maps, you know, directions, turn by turn directions, how to get home somewhere.
Like that's like essential. I mean, the biggest, I was weird because I was looking at this recently
where like it's, it's funny because I relate to this well because, you know, in the video game
era of like playing games like, you know, Grand Theft Auto and, you know, some of like the open
world, like driving games and things like that. It was a post somebody put up about, you know,
why do you, why do you drive with your maps like open even when you're not navigating anywhere?
Because I do this and I'd never really realized that like it's a habit of mine to either have
like the in car map or have like my Google, you know, my Google map open on car play. And it's
because like when you were growing up like playing video games like that, the map was your main
like source of like, where are you when like, how do you navigate to like the next thing? And,
you know, where like, where were your missions and all those things. And so now like driving a car
around, it's been like, it's been basically the way that I've learned how to navigate really well
is to know like when the, when the maps up, I can, you know, I see where the main road is and I know
where the highways are. And once you really get used to a city, like, you know, you know, what
roads go in what direction and different things like that. And, and I've like gotten so much in
the habit of like, you know, even if I'm not using it to navigate to a specific, like, if I know
where I'm going, I still like to have like a map up in front of me, just so I can see like the road
layouts and, you know, sometimes I can even like decide to make like an alternate route because
I know like to these two roads intersect at a certain point. But yeah, I think like, I think
nowadays, like, I mean, back in the day, you would just have like a full out print out map or
something. Yeah, you know, you just, you pull over the hopefully you pull over to the side of the
road. If you need to navigate, you'd you figure out where you are. But I mean, in the age of having
a map on your, you know, on the screen right in front of you, I think it's a really great way,
especially for a new driver to like, learn to lay the land where they where they are and kind of
understand, you know, road directions and different things like that and be able to reference it kind
of like on hand, almost like as if again, like you were in a video game, but, you know, real life,
you know, just kind of know, you know, where roads are and things. So yeah, I think getting them set
up with that is definitely kind of a good thing to kind of clue them in and get them just one of
those folks that are just on the road and know where they're going type things and not just one
of those. It's like, I just followed GPS wherever it goes, even if it drives me off a cliff.
Oh, right. Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure that's happened too. You know, so it does happen from time to time,
you know, but I think that like, for me, well, I've used it more when I'm in an area that I'm
not familiar with how to get back to the freeway from here. Like how do I get back? Like once you
get back to the freeway or back to whatever I need to be, I'm fine. It's just like, Hey,
how do I get from where I'm at now back to the freeway? Is it this street or that street or
is it this turn or that turn? Is it that, you know, and I'm a thing. So I think that I just hit
home button and that usually works out for me. I get, get going from there and it's pretty easy
to do. So anyways, we got that head unit installed. It works great. It, you know, it's 50 bucks,
whatever, you know, it does a job. And so I mean, it did come with the camera, but we didn't install
it yet. So, and we did plug it in though. It does look great on, you know, on the screen. It looks
like, you know, your typical backup camera, you know? Yeah. And so no complaints there. 50 bucks.
So my goodness, what a deal for a full Apple car play thing. I mean, that's cheaper than like,
I mean, I don't know. I mean, it's probably, it's probably the same price. I mean, it would
cost me like, it would cost me 50 more, 50 or more. Like cause I, I don't have wire,
wire list car play in my, in like the end, if you have to plug it into, you know, to the USB
with my truck too. They have to plug it in line too. Yeah. Mine's plug, mine's plug in. I know
the newer ones. But with this Apple car play, the one in the, in the Mustang, it's just, it's
all, you set up on your phone through Bluetooth or whatever. I think it's an Apple car play app on
your phone. You got to connect with that, but. Well, you connect it, but then it's like, you don't
have to plug it into something else, which, you know, again, like the adapter that I was looking at
to make my car have wireless car play was more than $50. Oh wow. Yeah. Yeah. To get like a whole
setup with like review camera and like wireless functionality for 50 bucks.
And also, I think this one's got mirror play too. I haven't messed with it yet,
but it's got like mirrored, like basically anything on your phone, like even a YouTube video,
you can mirror it to the, to the device and play it. I don't say if that was driving, but,
but I think you can do that too with it or whatever. I haven't messed with it too much,
but I hope it doesn't do that. I hope it doesn't figure out how to do that.
It was driving, watching YouTube boys drive. I have seen that. I've seen
many of people on devices like that on their dash watching movies or YouTube or something
while they're driving. You know, like, come on now, while you're driving at night, when you
clearly can see you're watching a movie, you know, because at night you can see,
you can see everything. You can see everything.
Like nobody, no, there shouldn't be anything on a regular driving scenario. There shouldn't be
that much going on. And like, you can see all like the lighting changes and everything. Like,
that's definitely not your map or like anything. I'm actually seeing a movie. I'm actually seeing
video. I'm actually seeing like a full on like, he's, that person's physically watching something
on their, on their device. It's on their dash and they're watching a movie or something that
while they're, while they're driving, I've seen truckers do this. That's one type of notice is
like some over the road driver. He was, I was driving in San Diego, like driving down the
five or 15. I figured which one I was on at night, of course. And I'm, I'm at the same height as he
is. I look over and I see the guy full on watching like a Netflix show, like watching like full on
like television on the device, right on his dash, like right in front of him. And I'm like, damn,
that's not be safe. I don't want to be anywhere near this guy. Right. Right. Right. Right. He's
just watching TV and I'm thinking like, is this how over the road drivers watch TV shows?
They just like watch it while they're driving. It's just how they do it. You know, it can't be
safe. So, you know, I see them talking their phones too and stuff. So I mean, whatever you're
going to do is whatever you're going to do, just don't hit anybody. You'll hit me or anything like
that. So, but you encourage, you're teasing me something before we got on the air here that
you're had something you want to share or talk about what you got, man. Oh yeah. So no,
nonetheless, I, I, this will probably come out after I do like a reveal on the YouTube channel.
But so I'm not that afraid to just talk about what's going on, but I have a somewhat project
that sort of fell into my lap over the last week or so. And obviously on the channel, you know,
I'm going to probably frame it as I got a project and I want folks to watch the video so that they,
you know, see what the project is. But I'll just go ahead and share it now is that I had a neighbor
of mine. He sees me and the kids a lot and he sees me out like doing things with the car,
working on the car, cleaning the car and things like that. And I'd never talked to him before,
but I seen him out with his little one and he came up and he was like, oh, you know,
introduce yourself. I got to, got to know him a little bit. He said, you know, I noticed that
you do a lot, you know, kind of with your car. And, you know, it seems like your kids are really
into it. And he's like, you know, I have this like old mini bike in my garage that my, you know,
a friend of mine gave me had been sitting outside for like a year or something like that.
And now it's been in my garage and I told my, you know, I told my wife I was going to do something
with it, haven't done anything with it. And he's like, man, like, you know, I thought I'd ask if
you'd be interested in, you know, kind of taking it off my hands, maybe doing something with it,
build, you know, rebuilding it or something. And I have never like, you know, even ridden a mini
bike. Like, I, you know, I've got like a small electric, you know, one of those little jets and
bikes and, you know, that I ride around here and there. But, you know, I have never been on like,
you know, a motorized bike ever, you know, no motorcycles, no mini bikes, anything like that.
But he, he showed me it and he's like, yeah, like, you know, the frame and everything's good.
It definitely 100% basically needs everything else rebuilt. Like it was sitting outside,
like the motors, the chains all rested, the motor, you know, I'd have no idea if you would
ever even be able to get it to re crank over. But the frame itself is solid. Like it's, you know,
no rest on the frame. So you're thinking maybe one LS swap or what?
Yeah, yeah. Do a, yeah, LS swap. You know, even the, wasn't a RB, RB swap in there or something.
Yeah. Why not? If you can sit on it, why not ride, ride it.
Yeah. Yeah. As long as, as long as you can get on it, like, you know, you can make it work.
It's funny you say, I had one, my dad had one of those. And I took it riding around the desert
as a video. Me, actually my most popular video, my other YouTube channel was me riding around in
the mini bike. It's like a 10 second clip or whatever back when videos were 10 second clips
of YouTube back in the day, you know, when YouTube first came out. And so, but I remember
it was like a desert one. Is this a desert one? Like a street one, street one.
It's more of a street one, but yeah, I've been, I've been doing a little bit of research and,
and it's pretty easy to kind of, at least from the front suspension perspective of like getting some,
like beefier front suspension and kind of getting some beefier rear, rear tires. So you can kind
of off-road it a little bit more. But this one definitely, you know, in its current state is
a little bit more of like a street mini bike. Now, if I remember correctly, when my dad had,
he had to like pull crank it to get it to start. It's a, it's like a lawnmower starter kind of
thing. He pulled crank like a little fashion lawnmowers. And then it sound like, it basically
sound like a lawnmower engine. It basically looks like a lawnmower engine. I think it is.
A lot of people like, yeah, that's usually like their starter is like, yeah, a lawnmower motor.
And, you know, they'll, you can upgrade it, which was definitely my like first mind mindset of like,
you know, can you like, what can you really do with these things? And that just sent me down this,
you know, huge rabbit trail of like dude's upgrade in there, like mini bikes and, you know, the,
there's no gear shifts. I remember it just one speed. It's one speed. Yeah. And you cruise
around. I think, I think you can change the, you can change the gearing though. You can actually,
yeah. So it is only one gear, but you can, you know, gear it so that it'll ring itself out so
that you can get kind of a higher top speed. I think I was going like 20. I don't remember. We
was less than that, probably a lot less than that or whatever, but ride the thing around the
desert and stuff in the sand and some straighter areas. And I was probably going maybe 10, 20
miles an hour. I don't even know, but on like something that small, like you do, you do,
even if you're going like 10, 15 miles an hour, like you still feel like you're doing something.
Like, you know, I mean, you got to see the video. I mean, I got some video. I got,
I'll show you some pictures I have of me riding the thing. I was super cool, you know,
have a shades on cruise around the mini bike in the desert. That's super cool. You know,
man, that's going to be me. Like I'm just picturing it now, just having the thing all,
like freshly painted, you know, got my LS, you know, motor in it, got the exhaust.
And I'm just rolling down the street on this little mini bike with my glasses on and everything.
But, uh, well, that's pretty cool. So you took it from the guy or what? He just gave it to you?
Yeah. Like I, I told him, I, I did tell him, because right at that time where he asked me,
I was like, I have, my garage was just completely in shambles, um, because I had to move stuff around
to get to our, um, our like HVAC system because we had to check something. And like, and then he
asked me like, Oh, do you, you know, do you want to, you know, take it and, you know, kind of do
something with it? And I'm like thinking in my head, like, I have nowhere to put this right now
because I'm like, my garage is a mess and I like to have it at least so I can park like one of the
cars in the garage. And I couldn't even do that for like a good week because I just didn't have
time to clean it up. Um, but he held it for me for a couple of days and I, you know, he walked it
on over, he lives right down the street from me. And, um, and yeah, no, he, he just was like, yeah,
go ahead, you know, knock yourself out. Like I wasn't doing anything with it. I, you know,
he's got another little one on the way. And so he just knows he's not going to get to it. And,
you know, my biggest thing around it where, you know, I, you know, people probably call it to be
totally honest when I put it up on my channel as a little bit of click bait to be totally honest.
But I think that, you know, I've talked about it before that I actually really
want to project car at some point. Like I, you know, but now's not the time, but I definitely
want to have something that is like a dedicated project car. Like I've, I know how to do certain
things on my car. And I've, you know, even my Z back when I had it, the 300 ZX, I've done like
large projects on that car. But I think there's a difference in when you buy a car that you're
planning to drive, but you, you know, you do projects on it versus buying a physical project
car. Like I think that there's like a different, you know, kind of mindset you have to go into
that with. And so I think it's pretty cool in my mind to have something like this, like a little
mini bike that again, there's going to full, it's going to be a project. Like I had to rebuild
the whole thing pretty much and, you know, get a new motor and remounted and all that.
I don't even know. I don't really find an engine for that though. You know,
I don't even know where I wouldn't even know. So it's, it's, there's some pretty popular,
you know, kind of go to engines for these. Okay. They, you know, there's a 12, a two,
12 CC, they call it the predator engine. Ooh, fancy pants. Yeah. That sounds dangerous.
It does. It does. It's a wheelie motor. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's like, it's a pretty beefy
motor. And like you can, you know, you can upgrade like the intakes. You can actually get
like a, you know, runner exhaust that kind of goes out the back. But the base, you know,
motor, the two 12 CC, like, you know, it'll probably base get you like with stock gearing
would get you, you know, up to like, you know, 20, 25 miles an hour. But like I said,
you can easily change out the gearing and then upgrade, you know, small, like little,
you know, external and internal. You call it like, kind of, I guess you can call it bolt on,
you know, things to the motor and dues are getting these things up to like 40, 45, 50
miles an hour with these things. And, you know, I think that my, when I was raising my ATV quads,
they were doing top speeds of like 55 miles an hour on average, maybe 60. I'm like, I'm really
good. And you got four beefy wheels to keep you safe. Yeah. But you're flying. You literally,
when I was hitting top speed on those things, it is crazy fast. You're going fast and
yeah, it's nuts. So I only imagine on something like this. Yeah, some tiny, like the, yeah,
like it's, you know, that would probably be like a one and done. Like I would do this once just to
like get to have the experience under my belt. I guess the big question I have, man, is what are
you going to do with it once it's up and running? Yeah. No, that's a good question. I, I mean,
really it's the experience of it is going to be the big part. Like, you know, as, as you know,
like I have two little ones. My, my youngest is actually more of like the car kid. Like he is
really into it. He'll, he'll wake me up on, you know, Saturday mornings, like asking him,
you know, what cars and coffee we're going to or where we're going to go see cars. And so
that's great, man. He's really like, I'm going to sleep in man. Let me alone. Yeah. My oldest is
like that, which, you know, again, at six years old, I'm like, you know, this, this, this sleep in
phase and this sort of teenager mentality started a little early to be, you know, but, but my youngest,
like I said, I really think it again, when we're, when I was thinking about a project car, I was
like, Oh yeah, it'd be cool to really kind of start, you know, showing him how to dive into a
project and different things like that. And he's already kind of seen me do that with the end and
some of the other stuff I've done with some of the other cars, but to have something small,
that, you know, tangible that he can kind of be around and, you know, maybe even like help out a
little bit, hand me the tools here. And, you know, I think it's like the experience part of it's going
to be valuable, but at the end of the day, like I, I mean, I definitely plan to kind of have it be
a little bit of like the, the little fun driven dad mobile kind of thing. Like I, I would love to
like paint it like, you know, red, like, you know, my logo that I have for the channel. It's like,
you know, red and even get like a little like sticker or something on the front, like on the
front fender and does it have like a fake gas tank? Cause mine had ours had a fake gas tank on it.
Not, not like the, so you can do that because the frame is sort of, once I take everything off,
like including taking the motor out and like all the other, you know, little accessories,
the frame has room where you can sort of mount like different things in different places.
But right now the fuel tank is below the frame.
It's like a little small, like a lot more fuel. Yeah. But you could do something that sits over
the top where the handlebars are, like kind of like a motorcycle has had the like mock fake,
like I first saw the thing. Oh, it's a big gas tank here. And it's like, oh wait, this is totally
fake. It's like, it's just hovering around the frame. It's just, you know, just to give it a
space there, make it look like it's a big fuel tank, like a Harley or something fuel tank,
but it's not. It's just, it's just nothing. It just looks like a tank.
That's interesting though. Cause I have seen those as like accessories to like purchase.
And I never thought, I didn't thought the fact that it's like not real. Like it's just,
it's just a visual thing. But, but yeah, no, I mean, it probably makes it look a little bit,
a little bit cooler than, you know, maybe it's a little bigger. Like it's an actual like full
motorcycle. When I first saw the thing, my dad bought the thing and I was like, this thing looks
like a motorcycle, but cause it looks fairly like a decent size. I mean, just physically,
it looks like a decent size. It's not like, I mean, obviously it's not the size of like a real
motorcycle or the cap. It's, it's probably the size of like a kid's bicycle with big tires and
like an injury. Yeah, it basically is. Like it's like my, my son, like it's, it's a bit bigger
than my like oldest son's bike, but like a, you know, kind of, you know, regular kids bike. It
probably is about that size with just like some beefier, you know, kind of treaded tires and
things like that. It's weird to be just how comfortable. Like I see some, like, I see some
pretty big dudes on some YouTube videos, right? No way. Well, I've seen some of those, um,
if you modified like bicycles, they've got like really long frames and big cushy seats
and things like that. And they've got the, the boom box playing out the back of it and things
like that. Yeah. There's some really well done like beach crews or bicycles that are like really,
really well talking like, you know, like really well done. And I can imagine where some of these
mini bikes, people probably have done very similar things. Like I, I don't know how this works. I
think I don't understand is like, where can you physically, legally like drive the thing?
No, this is a good question. I, I've been sort of, you know, coming to the realization. I haven't
done a lot of research on it, but I've been coming to the realization that I probably won't be able
to just, you know, just be riding this thing around just willy nilly without getting myself
in trouble at some point. Um, but I, I, we do have a lot up here, particularly in the Inland
Empire. We, we have a couple of, you know, like dirt, you know, they're dirt bike courses and
like dirt bike facilities, but, um, you know, we have a couple of like little off-roading areas,
like, you know, and like, you know, the Paula, Paula area that you can, you know,
you can take it out and you can ride it around. Um, I suspect that like, you know, if you're
being reasonable, like, you know, some of our like little bike lane areas, like you can,
cause e-bikes, like, you know, you see e-bikes all the time.
Yeah, I was kind of wondering about that. I have heard like motorized bicycles before where
they're like a bicycle, but like a, you hear the engine little engine on the thing.
Yeah. Like you see those around. Like I, I definitely see those around.
I don't know that works though. Cause my dad got his registered as like with the DMV and
she got tags for it and everything. And so I'm not sure how that works.
And I suspect it's not maybe as big of a problem if you like already have a driver's license and
you get things like registered, but I imagine like, you know, I grew up back, you know, back in the
Bay Area and I remember like kids would have these like, and they're like 16 or something.
And well, well, I, okay. I know that when you go to the desert, if you have a motorcycle,
you have to get it registered as an off-road vehicle. It's a whole thing. The DMV has to
register, you get a whole like sticker and I don't forget a plate or maybe you do get a plate.
It's, yeah, do get a small miniature plate, like a motorcycle plate for it.
Would that be cool if I could get a customized like little van?
Oh, there you go. There you're thinking big now. But, um, but yeah, you can totally do that.
And I think that, uh, I would have to like start doing some research on the laws because
we're talking like a mini bike versus like a regular motorcycle. Yeah.
Like I don't know when you get below a certain like size engine size, if it doesn't even count,
if it counts as a scooter versus an actual motorcycle, maybe it counts as like a motorized
scooter. But hey, if I dropped the LS in it, I just totally go all of those things out.
It'll fit, right? It'll fit. I don't know how that'll fit.
Oh, those remind me of the, have you ever seen the, um, the, uh, no, who made the motorcycle,
the Viper, the Viper one? I feel what it's called. There's a motorcycle.
Oh yeah. I just read my kids, we got this book that we've been reading. It's,
it's actually called cool car. So that's like the,
Oh, there you go. I wrote the book, by the way.
Yeah. You're, you're, yeah. It's like, thanks for, thanks for letting us like sit in our fucking
library. But there's, there's a motorcycle that has a,
It's like the Tomahawk.
That's what it's called. Yes. You're right. The Tomahawk. Yes. I couldn't think of it. Yes.
And it's got like this weird funky, like dual tire in the front.
Like it's one single thing that I didn't know. I always thought that it was just one big,
you know, fat tire in the front and the back, but it's got these weird like dual tires in the
front. Yeah. But it's got a Viper engine on a freaking motorcycle. Yeah. Like if I first heard
about that, like, how is that physically even possible? Like how does it physically even work?
And so the way it works against the engine, you kind of like lay around the end,
you like lay over the engine when you, when you ride. You do. Yeah. And, but like far as like
figuring out the drive shaft, I guess the drive shaft would just push it, push it to the back
wheel somehow. Like I don't know how to do like the flywheel. How do you figure that part out?
You know, like how do you figure the transmission? Like, how does that even work?
And just imagine if you ever tip over on that thing.
Oh, let's say it's currently dangerous. Like I imagine with the long, yeah,
with the long wheel, like the big wide wheels, maybe, I mean, it'd probably be pretty hard to,
but you know, just, it's the bad. Just falling over to figure out like getting it up off you
kind of thing. Even regular motorcycles heavy, like a big Harley is very heavy too.
Cause that thing falls on you. You can hurt. And so, but I've seen some abominations where
people have put like, you know, VH or whatever, you know, motorcycle kind of things and things
like that. So it is possible, not about a mini bike, but it's possible. And so I think anything's
possible. So have fun with your mini bike, man. I want to see you running around. I want to see
lots of YouTube videos of you cruise around this thing, bring it up, doing the whole thing.
You got to bring it out to cars and coffee. You got to bring out the cars and coffee.
I got to have a truck at that point. Oh, what about, don't you, I thought you had the SUV,
don't you have the SUV? Not anymore. I used to, but, but even trying to lift it up into that,
like, I mean, you could, it'd be a two person deal, but I probably could have got it back in
the back of the, the FX when I had it. But, but yeah, like that's, that's something I thought
about too. I was going to mention when you were saying like having a little beach cruiser or
something, you know, if I lived closer to the beach, like that would just be such a cool little
thing to just have, just to like cruise down the boardwalk. Well, I don't know about the laws
with motorists on the sidewalk. I don't think that's allowed. So, you know, let's say with drones,
I was going to get a drone, but then all these laws came out, but you can't fly here, can't
fly there. But where the hell are you going to fly the thing? And so I'm like, well, do I even
need a drone now at this point? You know, what you said about sizes and things is actually pretty,
you know, it's, it's a pretty comparable thing with drones is like drones under like 200 grams
are, you know, you don't need, and that's why I like fly my little mini like that Neil Neo.
Like I take that thing around all the time because I can just literally take that thing out. Most
people don't even notice because it's so small. It is loud. So, you know, I think all drones are
pretty, has that same sound. The newer ones, like the newer DJI, like, you know, they're like
top tier ones. Actually, they've, they've really found a way to, to, to mute that like usual drone
noise that you hear. And the motors themselves just don't really work as hard unless like,
you know, with the really big ones, like, or the, you know, the Mavic's and some of those,
like they've really, they found a way to make sure the motors aren't really like at full,
full tilt unless you're like, you're really like, you know, using it that way versus the
Neo, like the little tiny one, the, that one is so small that like, you know, even if you get a
light gust, like you hear like the, the motors are like at full churn. And so, you know, it literally
does, you know, the whole like joke about drones just smell, you know, sounding like a, you know,
buzzing bee, you know, like a whole bunch of angry bees. That's exactly what that drone sounds like.
Do you think drones put the helicopter film footage out of business?
That's a good, yeah. I mean, because to be honest, when I way back, when I first got into drones,
I was trying to get into like doing some, you know, some cinematic type, you know, just,
just kind of submitting that to like, you know, what they call them the, the stock footage websites
and things like that. But the thing about it is that to really get some of like the top tier,
like movie quality, you know, aerial shots, you, you really need a large camera to do it.
Talk about like 4k cinema, like 4k cinema, like those red, you know,
those red cameras and, and a typical drone can't carry that much of a payload.
Like the cameras getting better. I mean, GoPro is always getting better with their stuff on
the side. It is true. Yeah. Like, you know, I'll say for anything that's not just like a,
you know, a, you know, production level movie or something of that sort.
Drones really do sort of, you know, take a large, you know, market share of like what
you would normally want to get a helicopter or something like that to do.
Because you remember all those movies from like the 80s and 90s that had like any kind of sweeping
like helicopter style shot? Yeah. Like a lot of movies did that back in the day.
And they were all done by helicopter, but today you can totally do all of that drone.
You don't need to, yeah, you do not need a helicopter to do so. Like some of those like
sweeping through like, you know, those, you know, those scenic kills and things like that,
you know, you can throw a drone up with, you know, really like any of the, the, you know,
top DJI, not even the top ones, like, you know, the, the, the Mavic's, you know, all of those,
like maybe for like some of those, um, like say you did like a dog fighting, like low ground,
flying around, you know, airplanes, you know, dog fighting kind of stuff.
You could use drones for the actual footage of flying around and stuff and have like the
actual like mock up of the cockpit kind of a thing and like a studio or something like that.
And you can totally do that, you know, I mean, something to do in their garage and make like
top gun in their garage or whatever, you know, if they wanted to or something like that. I've seen,
I've seen some YouTubers get really creative and trying to replicating like some Hollywood scenes
or trailers and they try to do the whole thing like, you know, out of their garage or whatever
kind of stuff, you know, they do very well. A good job. And some of them with even CGI stuff,
they can do on their computer. I mean, computers today, like a CGI stuff you need today, even with
the AI now, I mean, you can do pretty much, pretty much anything, which kind of kind of makes you
think to like, even though we all, we all can do this stuff now, we all have access to drones,
we have access to cameras and AI and all this stuff. But, um, I mean, even still though, it's,
it's like, it's so, so much now. I just wondered like you do YouTube stuff. I just wonder because
it's so much like everywhere. I had to try to stand apart and, and try to create something that
is interesting to people, but doesn't just blend into everybody else's stuff, you know.
It's a, I don't remember if it was, if it was you that I was talking about, about this with
there's somebody else, but in the age of, and you bring up a super valid point because that's,
you know, it, it's so easy now to like, you know, just, you know, write something well for
for AI and just get it to produce a scene with, you know, all like all, you know, just different
actors and, and all kinds of things. Like you can just do a whole little production on your
own, just with AI. But, um, somebody I, you know, talked with was saying like how in an age where,
you know, we get so confused whether something's reality versus AI, we're starting to get to a
point where people are, are kind of looking for like content that they know is like true, true
to life. Like it is like, you know, somebody that they can relate to and like, you know, they,
they know their story and like, they know for sure that this is an AI. And I, I sort of have
leaned into that to say that, you know, if you can create some relatability to your content,
that sort of now helps you stand out to the content that gets clumped into either it's
obviously AI or it could be, could be AI. Well, even some of the AI content is trying to replicate
like human behavior. It is, it's true. It's the um, the, let me think about that for a second. The,
you know, like the stumbling over stuff, the, even the funky laughs and things like that,
some of the good AI will try to replicate that stuff to make it appear that this is
an AI show, but yet it sounds pretty human, you know, for the most part, it's getting some of
the quirks that we all kind of do. So that's something to be aware of, but when you get all
the, when you get all the stuff, like the drones and all that kind of stuff, it just seems like
there's just so much like, I think it's like early technology. If you get into something early enough,
you're kind of like, you know, on the ground floor, figuring it out and stuff like that.
But if you get into it so late, it's like, what do you do? You know, I mean, everything's
been done and everything's kind of being done. Like, how do you stand apart? Everyone's trying
to figure it out. I'm trying to figure it out. We're all trying to figure out. But I think if you
are more human than the robots are, and I think, I think sharing stories, that's another thing too,
is like, you have personal stories that robots do not have. I'm making, probably make something up or
whatever, you know, like a time with the Mars, you know, I mean, you know, with the Mars and I
drove my mini bike, you know, with the LS swap engine and the thing, you know, drove it around.
And then I ran into an alien and he said, Hey, what motor you got in there? I said,
LS dude, he said, what's an LS? You know, so something like that. I mean, that could be a
total AI story. It's been up just now, you know, patent it is yours. I guess.
And they'll do the whole production and, and yeah, somebody over there is going to be like,
I think I believe this. I think this, I think this is actually real.
Yeah. Well, I mean, you know, what they think, you know, I always tell everybody, you can believe
what you want to believe, you know, like I said, I told you the story the way I told you the story.
But Hey, you can believe whatever you want to believe, you know, kind of a thing. So it's
really up to you, man. But Hey, courage, man. This has been so fantastic. The real authentic you
come into the show, not the AI version of courage, but the real version of courage.
Thank you so much for being here, man. I haven't gotten, I haven't worked that out yet,
where I could just AI myself out to other things yet. So the technology is already here. If you
want to use it, a lot of companies didn't do that already. There's this one, I kid you not,
there was this one, I looked into it. I didn't, I did like the free test demo,
but that's with a lot of these tools. You do the phrase test demo and then get bored with it
over really quickly. A cat's stupid. And I just forget about it. There was this one, I figure
what's called, but something Jen, Hey Jen, maybe it's called, or you can do the literally cloning
of yourself, a video cloning yourself. You've got to set it up and pay for it or whatever,
but you get it all dialed in and then you can just like feed it scripts and stuff and let it
do the whole talking head thing. You don't have to be here. I am just, I am not ready.
I'm not ready for some of this stuff, man. Yeah. I mean, you don't have to be here. I mean,
obviously now you can do audio versions. You can clone your voice and do a full on like podcast,
just you talking. We do not even be here. Just type it in. In fact, you have AI,
write the script and do it all and whatever and stuff too. And then you wake up the next morning
like, what did I say? Like if you, you go viral or like, I can't believe you said that or whatever.
It's like, what, what did I say? Like, well, people do that now.
I mean, times you do a show now, you're like, I forgot what I said, man. Last
So, but man, this has been great, man. Thank you once again for stopping by and thank you
so much for listening back at home. I appreciate you. We both appreciate you.
And cool cars with Chris has taken the world by a storm, man. We are going around the world
and coming up soon. We're working on this, working on a new level, a new excitement
for cool cars with Chris. We're working on it right now, working on the, you know,
cross the T's, dot in the eyes, getting legal involved and figuring out all the permits and
all the stuff we need to do, but we'll be doing that real soon. And we will see you on the very next episode.
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