Yes, one of the most divisive car YouTubers now has a Ferrari F8 Tributo. From destroying dangerously-modified squatted trucks to dropping a Mercedes-AMG G63 through a house, WhistlinDiesel has found a way to push everyone’s buttons. While the first video on his new Ferrari is almost what you’d expect, the final part of it is a really solid testimonial for a fancy car bubble like the ones you see rich people storing their toys in.
First, the bit you’d expect. It wouldn’t be a WhistlinDiesel video without a bit of thrashing, from forcing open a fence to a proper gravel blast that will make you think that the Duke boys hit the Powerball. It’s less mindless destruction than WhistlinDiesel’s typical content and more TaxTheRich100, mixed with a bevy of Ferrari lawsuit jokes.
However, the really impressive part of the video comes in the last two minutes, when WhistlinDiesel puts the F8 Tributo into a car bubble. I’ve seen these things advertised in magazines and although putting fun cars away for winter is deeply ingrained in Canadian car culture, I’ve still wondered if these car bouncy castles provide enough protection for the sort of person who’s obsessive enough to want one. Judging by WhistlinDiesel’s typically abusive treatment of the bubble, it actually seems like an effective product.
The wild stuff starts with a variety of ladders thrown at the bubble, most of which simply bounce off. I must admit, a ladder falling on a car sounds like a plausible incident when storing a car in a home garage, so this is a pretty good real-world test. After proving that the bubble can resist small-to-medium-sized ladders falling onto it, things get seriously impressive when all sorts of random crap gets hurled at the car bubble.
I’d have expected some of the smaller items to puncture the bubble, but no. That cushion of air deflects hammers, wrenches, buckets, a tire, what have you. It seems like an impressive bit of kit if you store your car in a common area over winter and want to protect it from dings.
Of course, there are a few downsides to car bubbles, the biggest of which is mold. If you don’t live in a dry climate or store your bubble-fied car in a dehumidified area, humidity in the air can get trapped in the bubble, promoting the growth of mold. While there are a few ways to mitigate this like using a desiccant dehumidifier that actually works when temperatures dip low, car bubbles aren’t a solution for everyone.
Another downside is cost. Good car bubbles can go for north of $500, which means that depending on how safe your storage area is and what your car is made of, it might be cheaper to keep $500 on hand for paintless dent repair should the unlikely event of a ding happen. If your car is made of aluminum or carbon fiber, the tale is a bit different, but good old-fashioned steel features shape memory, so it shouldn’t be an absolute bastard of a job for a paintless dent repair professional to fix a few light dents.
If your fun car shares a garage with a daily driver and you want to avoid door dings, these car bubbles could work nicely. Likewise, if you’re trying to put ten pounds of crap into a five-pound garage or aren’t entirely confident with interior components of an ancient garage, I could see one of these inflatable devices bringing peace of mind. I won’t buy one because nothing I’ve ever owned is nice enough to justify the expense, but they no longer seem that silly. While we’re on the subject of storage, can it please be spring already? I want to drive my bloody 3-Series.
(Photo credits: WhistlinDiesel, Amazon)
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I gotta admit that I fully count myself to the folks that heavily resent WD. I’m not watching the videos (partly because I really can’t bear to watch and it makes me deeply sad and sick) and I find what he does almost insulting. It had to be said… It’s okay to be mad at him, but It’d probably be wise not to show it too openly. In a better world, everyone would stop watching this terrible person in order for him to stop exercising car cruelty.
I got one of these to keep mice out of my car when I started parking it in an infested pole barn. It does a good job of keeping stuff away from the car over the winter. Three issues with it:
* The condensation. Even though theoretically the air is being turned over regularly by the fan, I still ended up with puddles on the floor of it by spring.
* Setting it up is risky for your paint. These are not especially light and you have to find a way to get them over the car. I put a basic car cover on mine first and tried to carefully roll the bubble over top of it, but I’m pretty sure it still didn’t do my paint any favors.
* Storing the thing in the summer is a pain. It’s bulky and awkward and the mice love a rolled up car bubble. Mine has probably-permanent mouse piss stains on it from spending the first year on the floor. Now I keep it in one of those plastic garden shed things that the mice can’t get into, but that’s something you need to plan for if you get one of these.
They do work, but they’re a hassle. Since I finally found the hole where the mice were getting into my glove box, I didn’t even bother setting up the bubble this winter. Maybe I’ll regret that, but so far so good.
Can anyone who watches the channel comment on the enormous wall of Mil-Spec flight cases? I’m pretty sure just what’s visible in the screenshot (I counted 51) almost matches the cost of the car.. Or might exceed it.
How is it against condensation in my part of the world we get some crazy temperature swings and high relative humidity?
Not good! Not good at all. One of the customers at the car storage place I work part-time at brought us his car after it started molding in the bubble. We’re in Austin, but IIRC, this car was originally kept bubbled up closer to the Gulf coast.
(FWIW, we don’t use plastic mold terrarium bubbles. Also, if you’re outside of Actual Winter Places, the best thing short of a climate-controlled garage staffed by helpful pedants is to like, routinely drive your damn car. Keep it moving, maintained and clean.)
I’d definitely toss a few desiccant buckets in there around it as well. Assuming it seals well, that should keep the moisture down enough.
Meh, just cover your car with bags of Superballs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0_PjJBC8gU
A car in a bubble? Does the poor thing have an auto immune disease?
Bubble, bubble, boil of trouble
Should I be glad I don’t know why Whistlin’ Diesel is divisive? I watch a pretty narrow range of YouTube, so some of these guys who are apparently very popular, I have to go “who?”
Be very glad. “Dumb things WD has said and/or done” is a rabbit hole that made my brain hurt.
WhistlinDiesel is divisive because his formula is baiscally buy car/truck, have fun thrashing said car/truck, and eventually destroy send car/truck out with some form of dramatic destruction. Everything on his channel is doomed and he gets a kick out of how mad it makes some people to see desirable vehicles destroyed. The formula works, he gets plenty of clicks, at least half of which I imagine are just people hate-watching his content. I had to stop watching it because the wastefulness of it all disturbs me and it’s just depressing.
He drove that Ferrari exactly like I drive mine in Forza Horizon. WhistlinDiesel is youtubes greatest troll! His videos are hilarious, like the last 30 seconds of this video when everything but the kitchen sink is thrown at the bubble.
Sorry Leo this is very entertaining. Objects thrown above not at. Though later at i enjoyed very much. But you forgot about the Matrix. As long as it is centered it is surprisingly safe. But a bigger car closer to edge of the bubble? Damage with your kid honestly saying Didnt Touch This! (Yeah MC) Also around here we have axe throwing bars.
How does it do against a bullet-sized chunk of hail falling at terminal velocity?
A 1/2″ chunk of hail falls at around 30MPH. Based on the smaller stuff shown, like tools, I’d think it would be pretty resistant to hail. Size plays a huge part, though. Might puncture, but I doubt it.
Really? They made you change the article title? Too “edgy”?
What was it originally?
My error. I saw the article posted on Reddit with a title having to do with “car condoms” and thought it was here.
“Car condom” is like, spot on and hella on theme for this place, though.
This is more of a car jockstrap, though…
Pretty cool. Just imagine if they made one from the same material as the black box on a plane…
Anyone that expends the energy to be angered at a youtuber for doing youtube things should be banned from the platform for a year. Doesn’t matter if it’s cars or anything else. Nobody should be important enough on a video sharing site fir a journalist to call them “divisive” with a straight face.
The internet as a whole is driven by angry reactions. It’s why so much is posted with grammatical errors and misspellings. The posters know you wouldn’t give their nonsense a second thought, but you will stop to complain if they make obvious “mistakes”.
If you reward things with interaction rather than ignoring it, you’re the problem.
I mean, you complaining about people getting upset about the content of a youtube video is just people getting upset about the content of a youtube video once removed.
You’re literally saying that your position is the cousin of getting upset because of youtube.
So, you should be banned from the Autopian for a year? Or maybe people can get upset about whatever they want?
Hell, conspicuous consumerism is something to be upset about. Its filling our landfills, spreading pollution, and destroying lives of those in sweatshops all over the world. Why shouldn’t someone be upset about it when they combine it with wanton destruction?
I am employed Trevor’s Axiom. Your contribution is appreciated.
Well played.
Thanks for identifying yourself as a troll, I guess.
But… They are divisive, like the definition of the term. Their actions get very different reactions depending on the person. And the article itself isn’t about angry reactions, but about the actual interesting information gleaned from their bullshit.