The Car Guy's Eternal Quest For Space And Resources - This Is How you Play The Game To Win 

Like Uncle Tony, I too was born at a very early age.

I subbed back when you were at the storage spaces. Good subjects and relatable ever since. Thanks UT!

That was the best godamnedest story I’ve heard in a long time. After running a Harley speed and repair shop for 15 years a new building owner kicked me out of my space. I have my entire business in storage including inventory, tools, machine equipment, flow bench, and a dyno as i desperately look to reopen. I need but can not find reasonably priced space in my area. Your story has given me a renewed boost of enthusiasm to dig deep and make it work however I can. Thanks Tony!

Tony this video hit really close to home. I’ve ran auto shops in the past and 15 years ago I was fired at a Midas by the franchise owner. This month I completed building my 1800 sq ft shop in my back yard. It took a lot of saving and some good luck to make my dream a reality!

Tony is a massive Mopar guy AND once ran punk rock shows? That is so killer. Mopar cars and hardcore punk are two of my favorite things in life.

I've been doing automotive work of some sort for 20+ years. But more recently I started working at a collision repair/body shop. I noticed that there are a lot of usable and repairable parts that were being thrown away. I grew up poor, so I don't like to throw anything away that has a use. I asked the boss if I could take the parts that were gonna be thrown away. He said I could. Next thing I know I have a room full of slightly damaged parts. Then Covid hits. I work through the worst of it so I think I'm okay. Out of nowhere I get laid off. So I start my eBay store. Made enough money to survive until I found a new job. My current boss lets me take damaged parts home too. So I have a 40+ hour a week job, I have an eBay store, and I do work on the side for cash. Still struggling, but it definitely could be worse. I'm starting to get my eBay store figured out and I'm putting more time into it. So it's getting better. Hopefully soon I'll be able to afford a garage behind my house. Then I'll have even more ways to make money. And more space to build a project car. That's all I want. I just want to build at least one custom car. If I can do that, I'll be happy. That's my story. What about the rest of you?

I felt your pain especially when i remember having to get rid of a 66 barracuda,71 duster and 65 sport fury 383 4sp because I had stored them on my parents backyard lawn.

Excellent offering, Uncle Tony- as you always say, “you can’t make this up!” 😂 Indeed. Great to hear a condensed timeline of your colorful, adventurous lifetime. You’ve done well for yourself for sure- the king of rubbing two pennies together to make a nickel. 🤘🏾😉🤘🏾

3 years old , got chair snuck out of house 3 houses down to watch mechanic work on cars! Broke tail light with hammer trying to help. He never told my mom! Told me that story on his 90th birthday! Tore toys apart to see how they worked also old clocks. 45 years as mechanic/welder/ fabricator… God Bless

I've been making room for my projects by selling off boats and trucks and buying motorcycles... You can fit a dozen or more in a 2 car garage and still have room to work on at least some of them :)

I really enjoyed this episode of your life. You had some very interesting life experiences and have settled in nicely to your UTG career and digs nicely. You seem to be happy with where you are and we are glad to have watched you since you started on YT. You busted your ass and have earned your place, thanks for the history and look forward to your ongoing success.

Speaking of neighbours, when we were kids here in New Zealand we had a neighbour across the road that built a boat in his front yard. For a few years he worked nearly everyday on his steel hulled boat in between his job commitments. Anyway the noise was constant as was the TV interference, it was the late seventies. Nobody complained, everyone appreciated he was building his dream and you had to admire his determination. He eventually ended up living on the boat when he retired. People were definitely different then and more tolerant.

The military taught me "adapt, improvise, and overcome". What a great example this video was of that. In America there is still room for hard workers like Tony to achieve their dream.

I just bought a 68 BSA Spitfire 650 twin project bike off Marketplace and have NO IDEA where it's going. I have been riding around NYC with a 305 short block, GN bumpers, and GT80 Yamaha parts in my S10 pickup for two months for the same reason. 😂😂😂😂😂

Great story.

Great story Tony - always nice to learn more about the people we watch on here. You’ve got that killer entrepreneurial spirit and the guts to set off on a course into the unknown. Not everyone has that drive - pun intended! I remember using my step father’s rented house to sandblast a 66 Mustang I was restoring as a teen. I can’t believe the neighbours didn’t complain about the noise and dust and there’s probably still a pile of paint and bondo impregnated sand out behind the garage where I shovelled it those 30 years ago…

I think you said it at the beginning of the video. You're a workaholic. My gig was technology, but not a very different story. I have a HS diploma, self taught, but willing to work and never said no. 70, 80 hour weeks, etc. What is beautiful about this country, is that if you are willing to work, you can succeed. You are a testiment to that.

I'm sure you know the struggles of Long Island .. Regulations, ridiculous property taxes, extreme land prices with limited availability. I need to get out of here!!

My brother was a nuke in the navy then when he got out he rented the upper half of a house and sold rearend and trans parts while he was going to school earning his degree in mechanical engineering. I remember he had boxes lined up all through his apt. Ready to ship to customers on ebay. I went with him a couple times to the junk yard. I couldn't keep up. Dude literally ran around each yard with a wagon of tools scouting rears, pulling them, checking them and selling them.

I appreciate you Tony this was very inspiring, thank you

Great story Tony.. We need your kind of spirit

I know this is years ago but a 1969 charger for 20 bucks?!? one can only dream of that now. For a rolling chassis like that is now 20k+. I feel lucky to have the 2dr 1969 dart for 3k in respectable condition (still a rolling chassis though). I'm worried for the future generations if they have any interest in the 1960's American classics.

I used a Budweiser label for an inspection sticker all through high school.

Wow great story Tony I always assumed you were retired between the magazines and your RU-vid channel. I’m also a black sheep of the family. Countless times people have said my father must have been a hell of a mechanic or engineer and when I tell him I never seen him pick up a tool, they look at me like I’m pulling there leg. If I wanted something done I did it myself. The knowledge and understanding I gained from that you literally can’t get in a tech school.

If I didn't get anything out of this ..... at least I enjoyed listening to Tony, and his stories....and that is why I subscribed years ago. I have owned 5 businesses and been involved with 2 partnerships. I find, like Tony said, that many times the difference between the person who owns the business and the person who is employed there... is that the owner had the drive (guts, balls,whatever) to start the business. My second business was started when I quit working for my fathers company and started my own. I had no choice but to succeed, because I had 8 children and a wife to support and I needed a payday in 2 weeks after my last paycheck from my dad. Oh, incase you wondered, I was a mechanic and worked on heavy equipment.

Wow, that’s a hell of a back story Tony. I’ve always been trying to juggle 3 balls, like you said, the eternal quest for space, the other two are time and money. There always seems to be one missing, except for an all too brief period where everything was working for me. Now, I discover there is a fourth ball I hadn’t anticipated, and that’s ability. All those physical jobs you can do now, there was a time in your life where they would have been impossible, and there is a time in your future, where they once again will be impossible, but you still want to at least try.

If you truly wanna do something just go for it work around all the obstacles and don’t give up it will pretty much always work out.

I was very fortunate to be born into a family of gear heads and speed junkies. I grew up playing in grease and oil dry. It gave me a pretty good head start on my automotive career

Space is a must

Amazing story. I as well was a born gearhead. My family was very un mechanical as well. This video really resonated with me. Cheers to you Tony!

I have slowly over the last 10 years switched from building old cars to restoring old toy lionel and american flyer trains....cheaper, smaller, loads of history to learn, tinkering with mechanical and electrical issues, searching for used parts, searching for deals at swap meets, sandblasting, painting, plenty of reproduction replacement parts....as a bonus the people in the antique toy train hobby are just as weird as car guys......😉👍

Great videos lately but I'm missing the ones where you actually work on stuff.

Great story man, it's awesome to get to know you guys history, thank you for sharing some of your background.

It's the oldest question in the world,, If someone was to write a book about your life, would anyone read it?, please never stop writing your life story Uncle Tony!🇺🇸🇺🇸👍👍

"Life is an Adventure, or nothing at all" Helen Keller -- Tony Living the adventure !

Enjoyed the story. Admire and envy your drive. I chose a line of work which I certainly would not do if I wasn’t paid to do it. What I found is that my sole motivation to drag my arse to work every day was a large amount of Catholic guilt. It worked, but it’s not optimal. Finding satisfaction in one’s work is a better motivator.

Wonderful!

Interesting. I'd have bought the book. Thanks.

The lesson you teach is far reaching and about much more than space. You show that if you go after what you want and do not place limits on yourself you can achieve great things !

WELL DONE, Tony. Thx for sharing. Always good to know someone story and drive.

WOW... I'm from Queens NY. Grew up on Franny Lew blvd. I had to fight from age 16 for space for my tools and cars. Actually had a family war with an aunt who thought it was her business on how we used the garage and driveway. Every day was a fight for parking either on the street or in the driveway. There would be days I would be blocked in by multiple cars and nobody would bother moving their cars, they would throw me the keys and make me move 4 cars by myself. I even had family report my parked cars every week to NYPD for being parked for more than 7 days. We just got out of that situation, I can't wait for better weather now to get back to my project cars.

As an old farm kid from Ohio... #1, I honestly couldn't live in a major city like New York. But, to each their own. #2, I was EXPECTED to work on machinery...tractors, combines, implements, farm trucks etc. However, that stuff is all that we had space for inside. I rolled around in dirt, mud, snow or whatever else to work on my own stuff. I actually still have my first toolbox too. It's a little red steel box that's all beat up but, it sits in a place of honor in the shop that I have now. These days, my wife and I own 30+/- acres. She has her horse stables and I have a 60x84 pole barn. The difference is that our buildings are mostly just hobby shops. She does board a few horses for others and I sometimes take on auto repairs but, we don't make a lot of money doing so. We consider ourselves very blessed to have what we have.

Very interesting stuff! I have had struggles with "not enough space" over the years and one thing I learned is you can never build too big of a garage. So my first garage I built onto an older house was 32 X 36. I had to use some of that space for an entry way and bathroom, but the remainder (24 X 36) worked out great for having space to work on cars and also keeping them inside. Now I have a new house, and this time we built a 32 X 40 garage and it's ALL garage space.

In an alternate universe, everyone is watching Uncle Tony's Accounting videos.

I know I am almost 60 and I worked a lot of different jobs. I liked changing jobs, I did mechanic work, I went into the Army twice. Now I did lose everything a couple of times, I never went thru bankruptcy, but close. I don't do much mechanic work these days, I live in an apartment with a parking spot in Wyoming. You can't do much outside of Summer. You can but it is brutal. I stand corrected you are a couple of years older than me. I knew you were a New Yorker from your accent. Ha Ha. Hey when you have lived as long as we have, you can't tell our life stories in a short story. Red Green : If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

Best of luck in the new digs, was hoping it was back here in NYC

I know the struggle. I usually have to work out of a 10×12 utility building in my driveway. I currently have my work bench and brake lathe on my back porch

Its crazy how life works out. I went through a strange 8 year spell of nothing working out. It seemed like the universe was determined to make me fail. Went through some serious trials during that time. I just kept grinding through and figuring out a detour around the obstacles. I ended up in a completely different avenue of success from what I originally fought so hard to do. It's hard to stay focused and not give up when everything gets in your way and you arent getting any breaks. All you can do is have a family and keep moving forward. Having a family and structure was a huge key for me because outside of them, no one wants to hear your problems or help with solutions.

Great insight into how to make it happen through changing times. Thanks for sharing the story’s.

Best damn video I have seen in a while man. Thanks!😎👍

My first engine i built my family was like, I didn't know you had enough sense to build an engine, is that thing ever gonna run. It took me about 6 months buying whatever i could afford every week till it was completed now every time I turn around they're wanting me to build them one of calling and asking if I know what's wrong with there vehicle and I'm like i don't know anything about a 2018 jeep building a sbc and putting it in a gbody doesn't make me a mechanic

Great video Brother! Starting to look for space now. My wife is not amused about me and my channel.

Tone, we never knew that you were such a wheeler dealer. Rock on

Hey Uncle Tony! Loved the video, I sent an email about 5 days ago, it's the one with the photo of the purple challenger, if you get a chance to respond that would be great! GO UTG!!!

A 2 bay shop in my area costs around 2k a month. I've gotten tickets for changing my own oil on the street or in a parking lot. It's a war on diy

I had to fight space most of my life. I still do. My mom dosen't care for cars and my step dad has already done it and dosen't want any part of it anymore. I first had a trailer that didn't have any parking. It was consumed by two vehicles and the third was either the street or on the grass in front of parking spot, which you couldn't use in the winter because of snow. The second was a house apartment and we did get more space, but we also had a upstairs apartment and they took up some of that space. I then had an apartment and I only got one parking spot and it had crime around there. A duplex that had little to no parking. I had to put one vehicle in storage because there wasn't enough parking. Then I stayed in my grandfather's house, but I couldn't really make a mess there because it was on the market to sell and I was just looking over it at that time. I went into the army and I got alot of parking. The problem was the MP's would give you a hard time and like to say the vehicle was abandoned. The next issue the environment and -40 wasn't fun to work in(Alaska). The next issue is we would get so much snow and ice that the vehicle would get buried in it. Then another house with little to no parking. Finally now we have a car port and it has been a battle to get things to work right. My mom wanted her car in the car port and I wanted to use it as a garage. First I could get half, then a year later I got the rest, but the fwd area is more of a patio. Got some land behind the house as well, but not allowed to go crazy because it's only a rental. It's been a mess. Where I sit now is I will never live in a city again. It's just way too stupid. I want to have my projects and peace of mind. I can't get that with the world working again me. Not to mention I could make money off cars or things, but I fet nagged whenever I try currently. I don't care if I have to live in a van or trailer. As long as I have land to build my future, then I will do alright. So the country life is for me.

I grew up in Brooklyn in the 60s and always loved cars Older guys would drag race by bush terminal at night and wreck Everything Tony said was true because that's what happens when you live on top of one another

Anthony, GoOD Role Model. Nice Name. Strength! GODspeed!

That was my FAVORITE UTG video! I've been watching your channel since the blue storage area where sledgehammers frame was parked.. I love listening to interesting life stories.That was so cool and fascinating

8:45 "have Anthony do it" is the most real, hit me in the heart, down to earth ive ever hear you say. And i love it! That should probably be a merch shirt... "Have Anthony Do It"... Id buy one for the wife and me and even a x-small for the eldest cat!

Well, that kinda did inspire me. Thanks uncle Tony

This is the main conundrum in my life right now with 3 cars and no space :) so yes I did get something out of it! Always do with your vids

1:34 "I was born at a very early age" Classic Tony right there.

Great video, thanks!!!

I feel like I'm listening to my own stories here...especially about the work ethic. But also grew up in NY (Long Island) and have the same first name at UT. Really enjoyed this video.

Highly enterteining, as always. No matter what the subject is, you learn something in Uncle Tonys videos. I think I finally subscribe now.😄

Absolutely, I got something out of that. Just don’t give up, keep your options open and watch how the universe delivers….in perfect time. Never give up! Bravo Uncle Tony. Btw, great video.

great video Tony

Loved you story I had MANY similar events I did have some support from my dad ( often he would let me work on the car in the garage garage) and he helped me build a strong beam to put a chain hoist to pull engine Anyway love your testimony Your a brother from a different mother 🤠

Super cool you had punk rock clubs I saw a lot of punk bands back in the day of course I recorded everything I went to unless I was ejected had a lot of fun some of my favorite bands Circle Jerks cro mags life sentence MDC judge

There was a booming business of renting car repair booths years ago. I think fires and injuries and liability shut it down.

It's Uncle Tony's Great Space Odyssey! lol love it Tony!

That was a very enlightening and entertaining video. One of your best.

Good old Staten Island! Lived there for 3 years .. Sandy ended that. Hunter Ave 3 blocks off beach 8 ft of water. Lost so so much.. Bye bye NY..

I had no idea you were invited in your local music scene. I'm a few years younger than you and I'm an aging punk rocker. I know first hand how important those venues are to young people. So thank you. I watch your channel for the car stuff and the knowledge you share. I learned something new about you today and it's another thing I admire you for. Keep it up and Thank you Brother

Longtime Subscriber here! Loved this video! More of this stuff man! Thanks Tony!

Tony I'm hoarding 84 Hurst Oldsmobile custom everything car is soo happy to have me as it's owner lol see yah tonight

Its crazy how you made this vid and put it out today Tony. I just spent hours talking to somebody about space as i fight to keep my own as i write this. p.s. - property tax Sux! Edit : Tony, in my small smooth brained mind you made it when you got to the point to write an article with your own self on the toilet lapping valves with a smoke hanging between your lips. Of course im kidding...but am i? Of course i am...your articles back then were down home finger likkin' good but i knew then you were older than your years even back then

Man oh man you are singing my song. I grew up in Brooklyn and Queens no house, no driveway no nothing. Many years later I am in Texas and bought a house. Finally a garage and a driveway. Not long after I had 2 cars in the garage, four in the driveway, and four parked on the side street. The HOA started a jihad against me and my cars. What could I do I rented storage space to end what turned into an expensive legal battle. One day I got lucky and found a 6000 sq ft warehouse for $1k/month. Happy days! I went crazy and did my very best to fill that warehouse. Every square inch. The happiness ended seven years later when the landlord needed more space for his expanding business. Moved the rest of the cars and assorted junk to storage units. As of today I have one storage unit, and I park four cars in an open storage lot.

When my father was in his 60's, 70's, 80's he was a man full of knowledge, too. He was amazing to me as a young person then.

Tony, great to hear the backstory on the UTG channel. The value I get from what you say is to work hard, always be looking for a way to follow your passion and make it happen. That's the American dream!

eBay is such an epic disappointment for sellers this day in age

You won the war, I retreated from the battle 🤣

Great video, Tony! Some of what you said reminded me of myself as a teenager...you've been able to do what you enjoy; you've had a blessed life! :-)

Commenting for support! #StarTrek

I first drove a car (in a field) aged 11. I had a car (shared with a friend) on his parents private estate aged 14. At 15 I got my first UK road legal-ish motorcycle which I rebuilt in my parents garage (no other vehicles in the household) in time for my 16th birthday, when I could legally ride it. I rode that and another larger bike, a BSA A10R 650, till a few weeks before my 17th birthday when I totalled it and nearly myself in the process. In the meantime i'd started a mechanic's apprenticeship, but in the UK, space is at a premium, there was no way I could keep anything at work. At this point, with the death of the Rocket, my mum made the only truly helpful gesture, she said "better get a car this time, you may not survive the next bike crash" Like you, my family had no interest in vehicles. My old man left my mum when was 9 years old, so me, my mum and sister lived with my grandparents. My Grandad could drive and had had company cars, but never owned one. His oft repeated motto was "you'll never have money if you own a car!" (Guess what, he was right!) Now I will concede that New York's a hostile environment for a car guy, but it's no worse than London. Like you, I left the big city environment for more rural surroundings at age 32. This also allowed me to buy a bigger property with more space, for less money than I got for my London suburb house. I'm now pushing 70 and am theoretically retired. I owned my own local shop and yard from soon after I moved here but gave it up when I stopped working professionally just before Covid struck in 2020. At home I have a double garage, a large shed and off street parking for 10 more cars. But the quest for space is never ending and yes, i'm still more or less broke!

I really started watching you when you were in the Storage units( 4 together) but i was under the impression you RU-vidd in NY and NJ( for some reason i thought you lived in NJ for a while.....my mistake) Sooo i have been watching from the begining almost. I always thought we were the same age and now i know i am older than you! Retired from the automotive career!! 30 years in dealers and my own evening shop too!! Like you i couldnt get enough!! Hahaha 👌 I have retired to Virginia but still keep my hand in to stir the pot!! Hahaha 😅 Work on a few neighbors cars.....help where i can. Kinda like working on tractors!! I was also a huge Mopar fan since high school. Had many cars over the years but now just an old Dodge pickup. Chevy sedan and a few motorcycles. You brought back a lot of great memories for this guy!! Thanks Uncle Tony!! Cheers Y'all Rick😂

When I was 19 my car hobby had gotten so large that my neurotic un-supportive parents kicked all my automotive stuff out of the house (Said it smelled like a junkyard). Had to rent a 5x10 a storage locker for it. The inconvenience kinda forced me to move out and buy my own place two hours away with a garage by 21. ✌

Now for the 64k question, what happened to the 20 dollar Charger? Where is it now?

“Conceive. Believe. Achieve.” Thank you!

This in my opinion is the American dream/success! Being happy doing what you want not sticking at one thing your whole life because you are told thats (the way)

Nice story . Would be nice to be a kid again with just a little more wisdom to go along with the limitless energy of youth.

Thanks for sharing your story. I went through a similar experience but on a smaller scale. Your ending comment of ‘don’t worry’ if you don’t have enough space rings true! I’ve worked on cars in some pretty strange places, even a car wash in the middle of the night on occasion;)

Your a true inspiration man!

Thanks for the encouragement. best video in a while.

Inspirational. Real.

I'm from NYC as well, and before any idiots say anything, LI meter maids were called "brownies" because their uniforms were brown.

"Son...if you work as a mechanic you will have a sore back and a empty wallet...". Lol

Great video. We share the same passions: cars and entrepreneurialship.

I couldn’t imagine growing up in or even visiting New York City, it seems like where every asshole in the country decided to live, except Tony he made it out 🤣