TheSamba.com :: View topic - Vice Grip Garage finally tries on a VW Beetle!

Mon May 12, 2025 7:42 pm

The episodes with a road trip are more fun. But, I enjoy them all. It just so happens that he featured our beloved beetle and we can critique everything step of his process.

Wed May 21, 2025 6:45 am

The Beetle video was the first of his that came into my feed. I enjoyed them both. He is super entertaining.

Watched almost two hours of him driving a DeLorean across the country last night. It's really impressive how no amount of breaking down can seem to stop him.

Sun May 25, 2025 9:19 am

I love Derek’s love of his family. He is the only car show guy that my wife will watch with me. He loves his family dearly and seems to be a sincere and caring guy.
I’m okay that he doesn’t get VW’s. That makes those of us that do a unique and hopefully supportive community. We need to keep the younger generations interested in our weird little cars that we all love.

Sun May 25, 2025 11:31 am

The next episode will be driving the bug and gifting it to a friend.
I did enjoy the wipe on clear coat demonstration.

Mon May 26, 2025 5:37 pm

The give away was pretty neat. I like that he's bringing "regular" cars to Meccum. I understand that there are people who can afford "classic" cars but a bunch of us can't.
I like how he includes he family as well. If you have Discover+ you can watch the MotorTrend show Roadworthy Rescues. It's not near as good as his YouTube show. But I liked it because he got to meet some other personalities. There are lots of very talented fabricators out there.

Mon May 26, 2025 7:37 pm

I just saw this for the first time. Almost shot my drink out my nose when he called a Ghia a "carmel ga-haya".

Tue May 27, 2025 10:51 am

You can tell the budget was a little higher on the TV show. He customized many of the rescue’s, with efi, headers, rims….

Wed May 28, 2025 10:02 am

Been watching him since the beginning... and it's the first time he seemed to be genuinely NOT enjoying working on a car. Maybe he'll finally catch the "bug" I sent a message that he needs to try his hand at a bus... :lol:

Wed May 28, 2025 12:00 pm

“Oil change gasket…oil change gasket…oil change gasket…”

:lol:

Thu May 29, 2025 5:47 am

MuzzcoVW wrote: Been watching him since the beginning... and it's the first time he seemed to be genuinely NOT enjoying working on a car. Maybe he'll finally catch the "bug" I sent a message that he needs to try his hand at a bus... :lol:

VGG needs to stay away from vw's. He doesn't like them, or the folks that do.

Thu May 29, 2025 6:39 am

Schepp wrote:
He’s kinda lost some of his charm now that he’s mainstream. He’s got a big fancy shop now. It was more relatable when he was working out of a two car garage.
I still watch him from time to time.

This is the same issue I ended up having with literally ANY of the mainstream car TV shows. When you get a production company involved, which he now obviously has, it's more about (what they consider) entertainment, which is trash to me, and you either have to play along, or (as in the case with Edd China and what Velocity tried to turn Wheeler Dealers into) you quit to save face. Wheeler Dealers was such as great show until Velocity got a hold of it and turned into straight up garbage.
Same thing has happened here. It's simply that now instead of these TV shows being on cable TV, they've been transplanted over to YouTube. Sad thing is some folks actually fall for the fake cluelessness or "what if I try this" nonsense. It's fake drama trash and lends absolutely NOTHING of entertainment value whatsoever.

Thu May 29, 2025 7:46 am

APPLEGREENVW wrote: NJ John wrote: Just watched part 2. I watch pretty much all his videos. I hope he takes the beetle further and doesn’t sell it. Maybe he’ll catch the “bug” like so many of us.

He did the vw Beetle videos ,for the money. Looking clueless in the videos helped too. You didn't see the short video, he did about vw's folks. The video has been deleted already. VGG doesn't like vw's. I'm done watching VGG.
:lol: He took that down? I saw the short but I did not watch the Bug videos though I did watch VGG early on and enjoyed his style. In his defense, VW people can be pretty abrasive. I like Annie's VW and she had some difficulty getting used to the nasty comments from the some of the VW know-it-alls but she is keeping the content coming and I enjoy her stuff. She only does Beetle stuff so far but she does a good job of explaining what she is doing without acting like the be-all end-all of VW knowledge.

Thu May 29, 2025 12:58 pm

sb001 wrote: Schepp wrote:
He’s kinda lost some of his charm now that he’s mainstream. He’s got a big fancy shop now. It was more relatable when he was working out of a two car garage.
I still watch him from time to time.

....When you get a production company involved, which he now obviously has, it's more about (what they consider) entertainment, which is trash to me, and you either have to play along, or (as in the case with Edd China and what Velocity tried to turn Wheeler Dealers into) you quit to save face.

Actually his YouTube channel was way before his Motor Trend show. He's been doing the car thing all his life. Seems like. He moved to his "fancy new shop" mainly because he was looking for a piece of ground big enough to house his family and a new shop. Since being there he's built another 'barn' for housing vehicles. I like his attitude. He's more into the regular guy. I think the whole "VW thing" was meant to stir up people who are a bit fanatical. He's much more down to earth.
I'm not trying to get people to like him or watch him - he is definitely different. I like he includes his wife and kids. I like the wide variety of vehicles he works on. I'm sure he got the same "noise" from the Model A folks as well.

It's a (sort of) free country - watch what you want.

Just realize that not everyone is going to share your opinion. I'm not a spokesperson, I don't sell his products, I haven't won a give away. I'm just a frustrated guy wanting to do something with cars.
There are many other interesting YT guys out there. Several from the Motor Trend fallout (if you don't know - Motor Trend TV is over - as are most, if not soon, all the magazines, aka Hot Rod). Hot Rod is just a shadow of what it used to be. Trying to fill the Rodders Journal spot I think.

And looking on here I've found some interesting VW guys on YT. I'm slowly checking them out.

Thu May 29, 2025 2:33 pm

Velocity/ Motor Trend DESERVES to be gone. Screw every show and everyone ever associated with that channel save Edd China after they bought out Wheeler Dealers, who had the self-respect to see where it was heading and straight up walked.

People like that have decided to forego whatever mechanic skills they have in favor of $$$$. That's their choice but there's a word for that- sellouts. They were never meant to be entertainers so their "entertainment" value sucks. They are straight up obnoxious and I don't want to watch their histrionics. I want to watch actual mechanics, who are doing this for a living and just happen to be gaining a little extra income filming it and posting it on YT. Folks like Eric at South Main Auto, or Ivan at Pine Hollow Diagnostics. They get straight to it, take you along for the ride showing you exactly how they are diagnosing/ repairing a problem without wasting my time with any hoopla, because they are running a BUSINESS. I watch them and a couple of car reviewers that do bring some entertainment value into it but not at the expense of a well thought out review platform. Sarah N Tuned does both reviews and mods, but there's no BS production company involved. I watch her channel fairly regularly simply because there's no bloat.

Give me a lineup of Eric O, Ivan, Sarah, and MotorWeek car reviews now on YT (both nostalgic and new) and I'm good.

Thu May 29, 2025 4:09 pm

Here’s a guy also associated with Motor Trend and is pro VW. Brand new channel.
https://youtu.be/dTapult9m-Y?si=p8nGwrF-jaC1AmLS

Thu May 29, 2025 5:25 pm

NJ John wrote: Here’s a guy also associated with Motor Trend and is pro VW. Brand new channel.
https://youtu.be/dTapult9m-Y?si=p8nGwrF-jaC1AmLS

Thanks. If I'm not mistaken he was in the production staff for MT. I think I saw him on another channel, Stay Tuned with Tony Angelo, https://www.youtube.com/@StayTunedTA
As I remember the guy's name is Chris and I believe that's how Tony scored one of the Hot Rod Garage show's cars.

I hope it's OK to talk about these shows. If not sorry.
I will say Hot Rod magazine was how I learned about cars. And about hopping up VW's. Granted I'm prehistoric and that was the 70's. LOL

Sat May 31, 2025 2:50 pm

I watched all 3 videos and was equally entertained and and frustrated.

Surprised he didn't point out that the car had 2 "drinker side" front seats. When he Used pullers to rip the drums off without backing of the brake shoes, I was almost trying to shout at the screen.

I was also laughing at him (with him) driving the car for the 1st time in his field with the doors swinging open.

Thu Jun 05, 2025 12:54 pm

He gave "Wendle" to his friend Chad in the latest episode with the stipulation that he "never see it again".