We are three days into April and we started our 2nd anniversary by making a promise: If 200 people become members or upgrade their membership we’ll not only buy an Aztek and make David drive it, but David will live in it for a week. It’s pretty great. I badly want to see this happen.
Some of you asked for regular updates so here’s your update. At the end of 24 hours, we were at 52 new members/upgrades (mostly new members), we’re now another 24 hours in and we’re at 88 new members/upgrades, which means we’re just 112 away with 26 days still to go. That’s great! Honestly, we’re probably going to have to add some new goals just to keep this going (who wants to see Thomas in a Murano CrossCabriolet?).
If you haven’t done so yet, click this link and you can get an annual membership at an 20% discount. Also, hey, if you want to sign up for a month of Cloth at $7 that’ll also count towards the goal. Just saying.
Honestly, I don’t understand the draw here. The cars are a joke, putting hollywood Dave into it for a week, doesn’t hit the same to me as Detroit David with his jeeps. Dave isn’t about that life anymore, and the content forcing him into it feels weird and click baity.
Also, huge waste of money. What is the end game? Who really wants an Aztek after this? How is it relevant to anything in motoring these days? What is being added here? Is the plan to make money on videos and instagram stories of this?
I dunno, I am not trying to be negative, but I just don’t think its that interesting or worth the money you guys will spend.
Put him in the desert for a week in his BMW and see how he manages off a solar charge package or something. Or give him a car kit, some tools, and a week to put a car together and drive himself home..or else!
I had a membership for a year, and took a break. Seeing you guys spend the money you get from memberships on stuff like this.. I don’t really get the thought process. That said, I know absolutely nothing about being an influencer or making money being in the media, so maybe this is a great idea and I am just too lame to get it!
These guys have been living in vehicles before subscriptions were a thing, relax. https://jalopnik.com/we-lived-in-the-vw-california-camper-van-for-24-hours-a-1840399998
That made sense, they tested out a camper van. One that has nostalgia and interest from a lot of people. Good idea to really see how one of those actually pans out to use, as a lot of people have romantic ideas about them, but never will have a chance.
I think this is completely different. I can admit though, its not a big deal and my opinion is probably in the minority.
Your comment right below this, about Adrian living there. That would be a lot more interesting to me. He’s a bit more posh and it would be more of a struggle for him at this point in his life. I think we would get some great rants and life thoughts out of him.
But then would they have to edit the whole thing because he might have hurt someones feelings? Doing that, really didn’t sit well with me.
Maybe there is an Aztek sitting in Beau’s used car inventory they can use.
Maybe an Autopian with one of these will let them borrow it for the honor of having David sleep in it.
Maybe they’ll stick it on Beau’s car lot and sell it for even money or a profit afterwards.
Maybe they’ll do a raffle to Autopian members when they are done. They can place a plaque on the dashboard like a 50th anniversrary Mustang. “David Tracy slept here. 1 of 1”.
Maybe Mercedes will take it on a Gambler 500 run; more content.
all great thoughts.
Maybe he’ll bring a cat.
Honestly, an Aztek is the perfect Gambler 500 car. I get to prove they’re decent (or not) off-road, I don’t have to sleep in a miserable tent on the ground, and my center console would be a cooler. Plus, nobody is going to care if it gets a little beat up in the sticks. Sign me up!
Yeah, similarly I don’t like seeing them continuing to buy vehicles that don’t result in much content and then get tossed aside. The xB “test car” was a perfectly good reliable shitbox that got neglected just because the authors were too lazy to clean it out after spilling food everywhere. At least they gave it away so someone else could use it. David’s and Mercedes’ hoards bother me a little less, because at least they are neglecting cars that most people don’t actually want.
Eh, the xB was left for yikes in the middle of David’s move, wasn’t it? As someone who’s had to move a lot in her life and found it to be a royally complicated PITA every time *without* a fleet of project cars in the mix, I can’t blame the staff for having an xB that was already breaking down enough to move on from slip through the cracks. (TBH, the story of it ping-ponging around various locations in Detroit was pretty funny to me, not gonna lie. Especially the ex-Jalopnik editor’s house.)
The whole point of that eating experiment (which is how you get ants!!, to be clear) was to retire a car after it’d lived a long useful life, IIRC. By that point, it had hit a deer, gotten moldy, and needed a bunch of work at a time when this place (read: the moneymaking thing that pays for food and rent and stuff, not just cars) was really starting to fire up and grow. I’m glad it landed with an Oppo who’s having fun with it now, though.
Ray Wert would have killed me if I left it in his driveway like Matt told me to. lol
Oh, that xB was a pile of junk. I don’t know what it was like before the food thing, but it wasn’t healthy when I drove it. The car had a constant misfire, a bad throwout bearing, and more illuminated warning lights than a VW. It also may or may not have had a title. There’s a reason it’s a rally car now and not something driven on the road.
Single misfire (either a coil or a plug, and probably a coil) or random misfire (either a vacuum leak or a bad PCV valve, probably the PCV valve)? Either way it’s an easy fix, and troubleshooting that would have given you excellent content.
David and Torch doing a clutch job would have been a great how-to explainer. I’ve bench pressed the transmission in a RWD car but have never tried a FWD clutch job.
I guess I just need more SWG content. He fixes the cars and gets more use out of them.
All true, but that wouldn’t have fixed the title and registration problem. I don’t recall the full details, but something was screwy with the title and not even Vermont (which was still a thing back then) could have fixed it.
So, they would have fixed the misfire and clutch for a car that was no longer road legal.
I like the “putting money where his mouth is” aspect, TBH. From the original piece where he threw out the idea of this stunt, this sounds like something David blurted out and then went “wait a second, why not?”
If anything, the membership drive feels like an excuse for him to do something he actually wants to do anyway. So, heck, I wanna see that.
While I don’t have space for one myself, I know a few folks who’d totally have an Aztek. One of my best friends legitimately misses his. I think they’re more interesting cars than the weird looks and throwaway reputation make them out to be. I actually want to see how a guy known for sleeping in cars gets along in it.
Yeah, David is just trying to get back to his roots. He realizes Hollywood has turned him into a normal person and it’s bumming him out.
You have some good points. I do not know how the internet works either,but this seems to be going in a somewhat clickbaity direction that I am not sure I appreciate. Maybe I am a ignorant sour-puss as well.
To be clear, David would not be spending company money on the Aztek. Or, I suppose he would be since his paycheck comes from the company, but you get what I’m saying. Your memberships help keep the lights on. Our dumb car purchases come from our own pockets. 🙂
I do appreciate you clarifying that, it makes it more appealing to my cheap ass!
How many subscriptions for Adrian to live in the Aztek?
Nah, man. How many to put him in an E-type Jag? THAT would be worth seeing.
We’re gonna need a 2+2, heh.
You’re a bad person. You can sit by me! I’ll even share me genuine Wisconsin cheese curds!
tastes like winning
Oh man. Time to hand out a few one month of Cloth subs
what does the NOSYNDICATION tag mean?
With my employer that tag is for articles that aren’t allowed to be republished on another site.
It doesn’t get sent out on Google News, but I also have to click a button which I did not.
Thank you and woah, You guys are on Google news! I don’t know what’s with Google they should recommend me the Autopian knowing I go here. I just get CNN, AP, NYT etc..
Hmm, any disgruntled former employers want to throw $7 at this one? ????
Yeah, how do we get in touch with his former neighbors in Detroit?
Hmm
Hypothetically, how much does the upgrade from vinyl to la-de-da, full-boat rich Corinthian Leather cost?
Haha, because it’s 20% off I guess… $700?
I feel like an upgrade to Rich Corinthian Leather should be worth more than a single upgrade. Same with a new membership for the higher tiers. But I don’t make the rules.
Fair, if anyone upgrades to RCL we’ll count that as 5x members.
Nice! Now I just need to find someone with the swag of Ricardo Montalban to sign up or upgrade.
Can the 200th member get an invite to spend a night in Casa Azteka?
You know I like David an awful lot, but I do NOT want to spend a night in an Aztek with him and his trench foot.
As long as you show up with a couple jars of Prego and an outdoor shower kit, I’m sure you’d be invited.
LOLOLOLOL!!!!!
Just another reason to join Autopian. Your money will be used for calculators and proofreaders.
hahah, never
So, your text says 80% discount and the link is a 20% discount. Still a discount! Just not the right math.
lol