The Avants Podcast

R.J. De Vera Continues to Make the Cars You Drive Cool

A lot of people have made a name for themselves in a part of the automotive industry, but R.J. De Vera helped make an entire division of it. If you're not working in the industry, you would probably know R.J. as the kid playing Gran Turismo in the first Fast & The Furious, but he was one of the main people responsible for bringing the cars to the movie itself. From his days working in print, to Hollywood consultant, to creating his own wheel brand, to a long career at Meguiars, and now the VP of Marketing for S.E.M.A, he is one of the main people keeping the automotive modding community going.

Victoria Vander Hoek - Not a Car Girl, A...

If you're in the PNW, you might know Victoria. From working The Shop to playing at the track to rebuilding her various car projects, she keeps herself pretty busy in the car community in spite of also being a full time student. Victoria got into cars on her own, just like any of you can do, and should. On this episode we talk about the unfortunate learning curve of necessity and have a few tips on keeping your car out of the hands of thieves. She also has a few UW parking tips if you're a fast runner. 

Monterey Recap and the Engine Building Rabbit Hole

Nick is back from his annual trek of working Monterey Car week! Things are changing down there for sure, so if you haven't been to car week you definitely need to get it on your bucket list sooner than later. While Nick was way, Dan was busy installing a new gym and researching the in-and-outs of doubling or even tripling the horsepower on the Honda Monkeys. Are you a motorcycle tech? Have you gone down the engine building rabbit hole and had it go horribly wrong? Give us a call at 425-298-7873! 

Hey, Watch This! More Shop Talk With Megan!

On this episode of Shop Talk we discuss the YouTube videos that keep us learning, laughing, and entertained like the true group of ADHD adults we all are. From mowing lawns to testing ratchets, we've got some good stuff for you to check out. Megan also officially buys Dan's Monkey and Dan shares his unrelenting desire for a sentry gun. 
Dan's Picks:https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectFarmhttps://www.youtube.com/@FortNinehttps://www.youtube.com/@mymechanicshttps://www.youtube.com/@SBMowinghttps://www.youtube.com/@TorqueTestChannelhttps://www.youtube.com/@TheStoryTillNowhttps://www.youtube.com/@VortexRadarNick's Picks:https://www.youtube.com/@ColionNoir https://www.youtube.com/@throtlhttps://www.youtube.com/@mightycarmodshttps://www.youtube.com/@CrossTimbersBisonhttps://www.youtube.com/@kallmekrishttps://www.youtube.com/@ARB4x4Accessories https://www.youtube.com/@SarahnTunedhttps://www.youtube.com/@GriotsGaragehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheStradmanhttps://www.youtube.com/@channel199officialhttps://www.youtube.com/@ItchyBoots https://www.youtube.com/@Formula1https://www.youtube.com/@LiteBritehttps://www.youtube.com/@ObsessedGarageMegan's Picks:https://www.youtube.com/@Donuthttps://www.youtube.com/@hubermanlabhttps://www.youtube.com/@chrisfixhttps://www.youtube.com/@CartNarcshttps://www.youtube.com/@TheSmokingTirehttps://www.youtube.com/@TigerBellyHonorable Mentions:https://www.youtube.com/@Fluidridehttps://www.youtube.com/@Winefollyhttps://www.youtube.com/@ThrottleGrottohttps://www.youtube.com/@essentialcraftsmanGroup Favorites: https://www.youtube.com/@EngineeringExplainedhttps://www.youtube.com/@TheProjectGarage

So, You Want to go to Canada, Eh?

Dan took a big road trip up through Canada to Sun Peaks, Emerald Lake, Lake Louise, Banff, and Jasper National Parks and we think you should too. Outside of the Alps, this is probably the most beautiful mountain terrain on the planet, and it’s not even that far of a drive. Where do you think we should go next? Give us a call and let us know! 425-298-7873!

Pushing 200 for 300

This is our official 300th podcast episode! Rather than the usual walk down memory lane, we started discussing the desire of hitting the 200 MPH club. What’s the cheapest car we could do it in? What’s the fastest we’ve gone? Where would you do it? We would love to know if you have hit 200 MPH, so give us a call and leave us a voicemail! 425-298-7873!
A special thanks to all of you who helped get us here. It’s a long list, but we couldn’t have ever done it without the support of Avants and our friends and families who are the reason we started this show. Thank you to all our sponsors, past and present, who we have had the luxury of truly believing in versus having to take what we were given like many syndicated shows. We are humbled by your support over the years.

The Monkeys Finally Invade McCall

After 2 years of planning and multiple hiccups, we finally took our capable Honda Monkeys to McCall to ride parts of the IDBDR and beyond. Friend and previous Backcountry Monkey participant Brian Elich joined us on our latest and longest adventure and joined us on this episode to give us his point of view on why McCall is still magic.

Have a Seat and Join Toby and Nicole from Scheel-Mann Seats

This is another episode where we interview some people and instantly wish they were closer so we could all hang out and be friends. We talked to Toby and Nicole Pond, the official importers of some of the finest seats on the market, Scheel-Mann. As we always say, spend your money where you spend your time, so if you love to drive like we do you owe yourself a pair of these top quality seats. More than that, Toby and Nicole have some really fun car stories and own some of the most incredible cars you know and love. Listen to their story of how they took a chance and made Scheel-Mann a name you know and respect here in the US.