EricTheCarGuy blog 1

Well this is the first installment of EricTheCarGuy the blog, welcome. This blog is part of the launch of EricTheCarGuy that will take place at 12:00am January 31, 2009.

I suppose I should start by explaining what EricTheCarGuy is all about. From now on I will substitute ETCG for EricTheCarGuy, it's just easier that way.

For the past 2 years I have been making videos on YouTube under the pseudonym Ick69. I have had a lot of fun with the videos I made under this name but recently I've hit a wall. I began to notice something over the past couple of months, it had no consistency. I would do a video about driving a new car one day and one about some piece of art that I did years ago the next, it was all over the place. As a result the YouTube channel Ick69 will be taken off the air as of 12:00am February 1, 2009 (I have other reasons for deleting the account but that is for another blog). I'm doing this because I want to bring consistency to my work as a video maker and create an audience based on the new brand ETCG, I got the most views from videos I did concerning cars so I've gone in that direction. I've noticed that the most successful channels on YouTube carry a similar theme throughout their run. I think audiences have certain expectations when they subscribe to someones channel and that is to know that the person they are watching is going to give them what they came for, I suppose that isn't too much to ask. I'm hoping this can create a brand that people can identify with do-it-yourself auto repair. I'm also hoping to create a larger subscriber base and eventually become a YouTube partner so that I can begin to profit from my work as well as fulfill my artistic needs. A week before the demise of Ick69 I posted a video stating that I was going to delete the account, during that last week I gained 7 subscribers, the most I've ever done in one week, the biggest increase ever if I'm honest. This falls under my theory that the best way to sell someone something is to tell them they can't have it. I hope that some of those subscribers will move with me to ETCG, and this is why.

I decided to move in this direction because of my extensive background as an automotive technician and video producer. For the past 14 years or so I have been working as a technician for both dealer and privately owned garages, for the past 6 years I have run my own video production company The Collective We Productions. As an automotive technician I have dealt with many issues regarding peoples main form of transportation, their cars. From this experience I have learned that people wear their cars like their clothes, you would be surprised at how much what you drive and how you maintain it says about you (perhaps a future topic for the show). I have also noticed that most people hate dealing with auto repair issues, it is just another unexpected expense that usually comes about at the worst time. I understand this, in fact it's one of the main reasons that I became a mechanic in the first place, I just didn't have the money to fix my car and I needed to get to work. In fact this is one of the main reasons that I am doing this service. I myself have suffered a recent job loss that has set me and my family back to square one, I know I'm not alone in this and my heart goes out to anyone who has had to live through it or is living through it now. My solution is to offer the public at large the opportunity to save some money by watching my videos and possibly avoid a costly repair bill, thus keeping a small part of their hard earned money to use for other things like groceries.

Everyone that I have mentioned the idea to has taken to it thus far with enthusiasm. I did some research on the market for such videos and I can say that many of them are filled with great information concerning automotive systems and service however, they are kind of boring, even for me and I do this. Well that is about to change. A lot of my customers over the years have been very happy with the explanations that I have given them concerning their repairs as a result, I have a lot of very loyal customers. One of the comments that has come up more than once is "You should teach this stuff." Well I guess that is exactly what I am about to do.

My goal is simple, to provide information useful to the general public about auto repair and maintenance as well as entertaining them. I think I am uniquely equipped to do this very thing. What better person to do these instructional videos than someone with an extensive background in automotive technology and video production. It almost seems too easy. I know there will be challenges along the way but I'm ready for it. So, hold on and be prepared to be educated and entertained at the same time.

For starters I will make a video introducing myself and my credentials. The next few videos in the series will consist of simple informational content that the everyday person can use such as: "How to change your own oil", "How to change a flat tire with tools in your car", "How to buy a used car", "How to talk to a service writer", the list goes on. From there I will get more in depth: "How an engine works", "How an automatic transmission works", "How a manual transmission works", "Brakes", "Suspension","Electrical", and the list goes on. I also plan to field questions from the website and my YouTube channel. Some of these questions will be answered on my YouTube show and others will be stepping stones for the topics of other videos and DVD's.

In addition to the videos I'm going to take my notes from over the years (I have about 5 large notebooks) and compile them into a book. This book will be sold on the website as well as on Amazon and wherever else I can find a venue. The book will be a companion to the DVD's I plan to make. The idea is to create a "brand" of EricTheCarGuy so that perhaps I will be able to make a living from my passions of making video and auto repair as well as provide a valuable service to the public at large. Are you game?

Well, there you have it, the genesis of EricTheCarGuy. I hope you will stay tuned and keep watching the website, the YouTube channel, and this blog for regular updates. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail with your car questions, I may field them on the show.

The website

The YouTube channel

Thanks for reading and have a great day.

Eric