Category Archives: Tool Chest

Manufacturer news, Tool Chest, Uncategorized

Insta360 Ace Pro 2: Unrivaled 8K Image Quality & AI

October 23, 2024 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Insta360 outdid themselves with their latest action camera – Insta360 Ace Pro 2. This groundbreaking wide-angle action camera delivers unparalleled image quality, smarter, easier capture powered by AI, upgraded audio, and an improved rugged design made for action at its most extreme. It gets better when you learn it has a Leica SUMMARIT lens with a 157º field of view.

Insta360 Ace Pro 2

Creators will enjoy smoother videos with higher frame rates at 8K30fps and 4K60fps Active HDR, PureVideo for excellent low light performance, a bigger 2.5″ flip touchscreen and more.

The action camera utilizes Insta360’s advanced AI technology to offer a smarter experience from shooting to sharing. Innovative functions like the option to pause or cancel a recording, gesture and voice control, Auto Edit, and AI Highlights Assistant completely transform the experience for creators. This makes editing a video so much easier, when deadlines loom.

The waterproofing has increased to 39ft (12m), and it offers crystal-clear audio with an integrated Wind Guard and a removable Lens Guard to handle whatever you throw at it. This provides full flexibility for action and sports enthusiasts. Insta360

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Leica Lens

The Leica SUMMARIT lens offers state-of-the-art image quality with an upgraded 1/1.3″ 8K sensor offering an amazing 13.5 stops of dynamic range. Insta360 Ace Pro 2 delivers simply breathtaking visuals in situations other action cameras simply can’t handle. Exclusive Leica color profiles infuse footage with their signature aesthetic, adding a touch of elegance to every shot.

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Dual Chips

Further contributing to its image quality and performance is the industry-leading dual-chip design. Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is the first action camera with a dedicated Pro Imaging Chip that handles image processing and noise reduction, while a separate 5nm AI Chip handles further image processing and overall camera performance, providing a smooth, seamless user experience. The dual chip also enables more shooting modes and higher specifications, such as 8K30fps video, 4K60fps Active HDR (High Dynamic Range), and upgraded PureVideo.

In daytime, upgraded 4K60fps Active HDR brings out all the details in intense highlights and shadows for more vibrant footage. Meanwhile, a wider 157° lens FOV captures more of the surroundings. Insta360-Ace-Pro-2-Motorcycle

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Accessories

The new, removable Lens Guard provides greater all-around protection, meaning creators can feel confident to push the limits further and capture the impossible, knowing their action cam is up to the challenge.

An all-new Wind Guard keeps wind and noise at a minimum during those peak moments, ready to snap on and off as you need. With refreshed audio algorithms bringing professional-grade clarity to your content, you can immerse your viewers like never before. What’s more, the magnetic mounting system lets you seamlessly switch between accessories. Less time spent unscrewing and screwing your camera and mounts, more time in the moment.

Made for those who demand the highest standard of action capture, Insta360 Ace Pro 2 offers the perfect combination of durability and high-quality performance to capture life’s thrills with confidence.

AI Allows for Easier Capture & Editing

Insta360’s revolutionary AI features demonstrate a commitment to making shooting and editing as accessible as possible. Anyone, regardless of their skill level, will be amazed at what they can create. Creators can merge every thrilling moment into one incredible recap or choose the ones their favorites and delete any unwanted clips to save storage.

Acting as a full editing suite in your pocket, the Insta360 mobile app fully embraces the game-changing possibilities of AI with advanced Auto Editing, one-tap templates and creative Shot Lab effects. Instead of spending hours learning complex tools and editing workflows, AI does it all for you, bringing your clips to life with dynamic cuts and transitions. Creators can even achieve the infamous Invisible Selfie Stick effect with the AI Selfie Stick Eraser in the app for third-person views. Looking for a real twist? AI Warp uses preset or custom keywords to bring your wildest ideas to life.

Available Now

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is available to purchase today worldwide via Insta360.com and your favorite retailer. The list price is $399.99 and includes a Wind Guard, Battery, Standard Mount, Mic Cap, and USB-C Cable. The dual battery bundle includes the same accessories and two batteries for $419.99.

Check it out now.

Manufacturer news, Tool Chest, Uncategorized

CoverSeal Car Covers Stop Rodent Damage

August 28, 2024 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Rats, Rodents, Squirrels, and Vermin—no matter what you call them—can quickly wreak havoc on any car. Store a classic car for any length of time, and these critters might feast on the car’s wiring, upholstery, and other car parts. Fortunately, one car cover, CoverSeal, has a long-lasting, permanent solution.

Mother Nature’s little four-footed creatures love cars. Whether they wish to gnaw on the electrical insulation found on wiring harnesses, use empty crevices to store nuts for a rainy day, or just need a place to shelter, cars are a natural fit. These cars do not need to be in long-term storage. Cars parked overnight can also be subjected to gifts from the creatures of the night.

All sorts of “urban legends” are alleged to ward off the creatures. Leaving the hood up might work. Placing a bar of soap could be a clean option. Leaving some mothballs is a possible deterrent as well. You might still find creatures using your car regardless of your chosen option. But wait, it gets worse.

Car Covers and Rodents

Many conscientious owners will put a car cover over their precious classic car. A quality car cover can ward away sun and weather damage. But alas, it is also unseen when a car is under cover. So when the car cover is removed, you might discover too late that the creatures had a feast under wraps.

CoverSeal to the Rescue

CoverSeal offers a better car cover. The silver material reflects 90% of sunlight and is made with 300D Polyester. This helps ward off rain, too. The beauty of this cover is that the bottom is a continuous seal of weighted material. That creates a tight seal against the ground that rodents can’t get under.

CoverSeal comes in various sizes to fit most cars. It also features a premium offering with a higher 420D ripstop weave fabric. The weighted seal at the bottom also means that the car cover stays in place in windy conditions without additional straps or bungee cords.

The makers also design covers for trucks and tractors. They offer affordable options for barbecue covers and patio furniture for homeowners.

Real World Testing of CoverSeal

We like testing new products. Now, we tested the CoverSeal barbecue cover, and we were impressed. Our test site was 100 feet from coastal water, so rats and other creatures are quite common on the patio. The barbecue cover was the perfect fit, and the bottom-weighted seal kept rodents from burrowing under. If it works for a tempting BBQ, we figure a classic car will also benefit from a CoverSeal. They are so confident in their product that they offer a 12-month money-back guarantee.

Check out all the options on their website.

Tool Chest, Uncategorized

WD-40 EZ-Pods – Specialist Degreaser & Cleaner

April 14, 2023 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Those responsible for WD-40’s blue and yellow cans of superior cleaners and lubricants now offer their Specialist Degreaser and Cleaner in a pod, ready to dilute. The WD-40 EZ-Pods provides a convenient way to create an ample supply when needed. With an E-Z pod and warm water supply, users can have ready access to cleaner wherever and whenever.

WD-40 Specialist Degreaser and Cleaner

You should already be familiar with WD-40’s Specialist Degreaser and Cleaner, but just in case, here are some of the main benefits. The degreasing product is safe to use, even on sensitive surfaces or in food-processing areas. This powerful degreaser is non-corrosive, non-abrasive, and leaves no harmful residue behind. We are used to having the product in a blue and yellow spray can to direct a small amount where needed. Now the cleaner/degreaser can be produced in a larger scale with the EZ-Pods.

With a pod, you can add it to a quart (32 ounces) of warm water, and you have a larger quantity ready to spray, mop, or even use in a power washer to help tidy things up. The wizards at WD-40 suggest adding a second pod for the super heavy-duty grime removal. Being fiscally prudent, I suspect using one pod with half the usual amount of warm water, or one pint, would create the same solution.

WD-40 EZ-Pods

The pod is an excellent addition to the WD-40 arsenal. We can see leaving one in the work truck or on-site toolbox for quick last-minute needs. At home, it is a convenient and easy way to mix up a larger quantity when necessary. It takes up minimal space and will come in handy when needed.

Presently, the pods are available on Amazon as a 20 pack, but as the word gets out, we suspect the 2 and 5-packs of EZ-Pods will soon hit the shelves of your local shops, if they are not already in stock. (Note unlike some sites, we do not receive any cash for our reviews or links to seller’s websites. We like our independence, and you should too).

Try an EZ-Pod of WD-40 Specialist Degreaser and Cleaner soon, and let us know your thoughts.

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Detailing, Tool Chest, Uncategorized

Chip Repair for Cars and Trucks – the 2 P’s

March 8, 2021 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Paint chips take a real toll on a car. No matter how careful you are, your car is bound to get a chip from a wayward shopping cart, a door ding, or gravel flying low across the car. It seems that modern paint is not only expensive but more subject to chips, as many new car makers seem to skimp on the thickness of their paints. But chip repair is easy to do.

To get a quality DIY repair you need to focus on two P’s – Preparation and Paint. Without sufficient attention to these two prime areas, your chip repair will be less than successful.

Paint Chip Preparation

First, you should evaluate the paint chip or scratch and see what is involved. Did the scratch go all the way to bare metal or is the body piece even made with metal? If your fingernail can catch on the chip or scratch you have some prep work to do. Depending on the severity you need to take super fine sandpaper (1000-1500 grit wet) and sand those edges so they are smooth. This will make the paint easier to apply and blend in with the original paint.

A good quality car wash should be applied around the affected areas. That should remove any surface contaminants. Be sure and remove all existing waxes or sealants by using some isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to remove any car chemicals on the chip area.

Let the area dry and get it in good lighting so you can see what you are doing

Paint for Paint Chip Repair

You need to make sure that your new paint will match the existing paint. If your car has never been repainted and you bought it new, you should have the listing of what the color and the paint code (a string of letters and numbers) is. If not, look inside of your glove box and see if the information is printed there. As a last resort, your dealership should be able to help you out.

If the car has been re-painted hopefully the painter can tell you the paint code that he “used”. But even if armed with a code, there is no guarantee that he mixed it right. A different vendor or batch of paint can still have differences.

Now you have several choices where you can get your paint. A regular auto paint supply shop could mix up a quantity but they may have a large minimum amount for an order. Plus remember these guys are more apt to make paint up in large volumes, so when you ask for a small 2-ounce bottle of paint they may lack the precise dispensers for such a small quantity. One drop too much may make a huge difference in the final look.

I would suggest that you get your paint from AutomotiveTouchUp. They are a national company that specializes in the rapid shipment of consumer-friendly amounts. They also have advice on their website if you want to review the repair process. With the paint in hand, it is now time to do the touch-up.

Paint Chip Repair

Think small, very small. Rather than apply a large glob of paint your aim is to sneak up on the repair by applying small amounts and let it dry before applying a second level. The first attempt should get a good portion of the chip covered with each additional layer building up to the final effort.

Let the paint thoroughly dry. At this point, you would apply a clear coat if applicable. Let dry again and then use a small amount of rubbing compound to get that paint to shine. Let dry some more. Frankly, for a small job, the paint is not going to emit a lot of fumes (gassing) and you could apply a small amount of wax. If you spray can’d a large panel you will want to let the paint cure for at least one month before applying any wax or sealant. If you can smell “new” paint still, don’t wax.

With a little time and effort, you can get a great chip repair. Remember the two P’s and take your time. Use quality paint and tools and you will be surprised at the results.

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Detailing, Manufacturer news, Tool Chest

NAPA Deal 10-10-20 Only Save 25% Maybe Get $20 Back

October 10, 2020 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Today, Saturday 10-10-20 NAPA is having a 25% off sale on nearly everything, both in their stores or at NAPAonline.com Great chance to stock up on needed supplies

But wait there’s more NAPA savings

We’re big fans of the NAPA gold filters. So you could stock up with the 25% off NAPA sale. But buy the triple crown of NAPA filters aand you can get a $20 debit card as a rebate.

The “triple crown” of filters is buying an oil, air and cabin filter. Easy to change out and generally the air and cabin should be swapped out every two years.

Sorry for the short notice but at least the rebate on the three filters is good through the end of October!

Tool Chest, Uncategorized

WD-40 Specialist Goes Blue and Yellow

September 4, 2020 Route 66 Pub Co 1 Comment

We all probably have at least one WD-40 product sitting near the tool box. Hard to beat their “Multi-Use” “spray for penetrating some stubborn rust or silencing that obnoxious squeak. The company has actually documented over two thousand uses for that one product. The WD-40 cans for their consumer products sport the characteristic blue and yellow shades along with a red cap or top.

Charity cars from SEMA

That color scheme is also utilized when WD-40 has crafted one of their many display cars for SEMA and other venues. These vehicles are always so distinctive and end up being auctioned off for good charity causes. Hard to beat the look and colors.

WD-40 Specialist Products

But did you know that WD-40 also had a “specialist” or professional lineup. The specialist products offer superior, heavy duty performance with Specialist Gel Lube, Silicone, White Lithium Grease, WD-40 Specialist Penetrant with a Flexible Straw, Contact Cleaner and Dry Lube, among the twenty plus products in the lineup. I absolutely love their electrical contact cleaner and their no drip lubes.

But the professional lineup had a different black and yellow color scheme with a yellow cap. So folks seeking out the familiar WD-40 lineup often failed to spot the WD-40 on the seller’s shelf. Let’s admit it there are a ton of products that stores offer, but really can they beat the WD-40 brand for performance and reliability?

WD-40 Goes Blue and Yellow

So the folks at WD-40 decided to make it easier for consumers to find the WD-40 stuff. They are converting the packaging for the Specialist products to reflect the familiar yellow and blue colorings with a red top/cap/squeeze trigger. That way the WD-40 colors will always stick out. As your favorite store replaces their inventory the blue and yellow colors will show up.

Personally, we were surprised to learn that WD-40 offered so many products under their Specialist line. WD-40 is so convinced that the Specialist line is the best, they offer a money back guarantee. How can you beat that? But now it will be easier to locate the San Diego, California based brand at your favorite store. Plus it will be easier to find near your tool box, unless it is also blue and yellow!

What’s your favorite WD-40 product?

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Tool Chest, Uncategorized

Smart Straw from WD-40 Helps Habitat for Humanity

March 12, 2020 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Admit it. We’ve all done it. After using a can of WD-40 spray to loosen a rusty nut you misplaced the small red straw. Oh you thought you taped it back to the blue and yellow can. Or maybe you slid a rubber band on the can to hold it but somehow it disappeared. Heck I’ve even kept a few spares after the can is used up! WD40’s Smart Straw solved that issue.

Smart Straw

Well WD-40 solved that issue when they came out with the Smart Straw can. The straw is a permanent part of the can and just flips up when needed. So no more misplaced red straws. Another great solution from WD-40.

Habitat for Humanity Donation

But if you need another reason to try out this innovative product, Lowe’s and WD-40 have hammered a partnership to help out Habitat for Humanity International. Through April 30, 2020 when you buy a 12 ounce can of WD-40 with the Smart Straw at Lowe’s, the folks at San Diego, CA based WD-40 will donate 50 cents to Habitat for Humanity. That’s pretty generous of the people at the Blue and Yellow can and they maxed out their donation at $50,000.

The folks at Habitat for Humanity are out there in your neighborhoods helping to make a new home a reality for everybody. So now you can grab a can of WD-40 (you know you need an extra can right?) and help out a wonderful cause at the same time while shopping at Lowe’s.

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Tool Chest, Uncategorized

Pod Light from Mychanic Lights the Way

March 27, 2019 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

MYCHANIC’s Rechargeable Pod Light Hits the Spot

For us, a work light needs to fulfill three needs. The light needs to be a blazing, bright white to light up the intended area. As “some” of us age, those puny D cell flashlights with a simple filament bulb just don’t do the trick. Next, it has to easily direct the light to the intended target. Nothing is more frustrating while trying to loosen some stubborn bolts, than to have the light start to slip away like a Western sunset. Finally the battery needs to last while we are working on our project, which always seems to take longer than expected. Fortunately the Rechargeable Pod Light from MYCHANIC met all those needs and then some!

Rechargeable Pod Light

We previously checked out MYCHANIC’s Blade Light, so we were anxious to check out their latest offering. The Rechargeable Pod Light is a two piece light system; consisting of a spherical ball with a flat face housing the LED light. It mates to a magnetic rubberized base so the light can swivel and be directed to where you need the light. Of course it comes with a small AC charger when the time comes to recharge the lithium ion battery.

Two intense modes for Pod Light

The Rechargeable Pod Light has two light modes; full intensity and a battery conserving, low power mode. The light source is a state of the art, LED Chip on Board (COB). Instead of singular LED points of light that you might be familiar with, the COB enabled light creates a larger field of light and in this case a brighter white along the Kelvin scale. You literally cannot look directly into the light source. Despite the light strength, the Li-ion battery is rated at 4.5 hours at full intensity and over 9 hours at the dimmer setting. That’s enough time for most work days!

Pod Light Specs

Like all the MYCHANIC items, they splash some Kelly Green on the Rechargeable Pod Light so it is easy to see on a cluttered workspace. The rubberized base allows you to place the item on a vehicle without fear of scratching the paint. Plus the light sphere has a nice ruggedized feel to it and is made with ABS plastic, to help absorb the bumps and drops most work lights will suffer. The MYCHANIC light comes with a one year warranty. Although the packaging indicates the light puts out 300 lumens, recent testing came back showing it is rated for 400 lumens according to the company.

The magnetic field in the base is strong enough to securely hold the Rechargeable Pod Light. We were even able to attach it to just a fiberglass hood’s metal latch and it held on just fine. We appreciate the company including the cable and charger for the Rechargeable Pod Light, so no need to track down an obscure cable or charger to keep the Rechargeable Pod Light at full strength. Perhaps the best advantage to the Rechargeable Pod Light is the low profile. Measuring at four inches (including the base) the light easily can fit where you need it including under some low slung suspensions.

Mychanic Lineup of Great Tools Includes the Pod Light

Check out the entire lineup of awesome tools and lights at www.mychanic.com and you’ll find some great tools to make your workday go by faster and easier. The Rechargeable Pod Light offers a great work light in a small, compact package that will often come in handy. We also loved their mechanics stool.

Some photos courtesy of MYCHANIC.

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Mychanic Pod Light

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Detailing, Tool Chest, Uncategorized

MYCHANIC SK2 Stool 7 Wonderful Things We Love

September 28, 2018 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

The MYCHANIC SK2 stool is the perfect accompaniment for anyone working around cars or in a shop. This padded rolling seat will become a vital shop tool for one and all, showcasing a variety of perfectly designed ideas in a Kelly Green stool. Let’s count the top seven ways that this SK2 shop stool excels!

MYCHANIC SK2 Stool

First off the SK2 stool is adjustable in height from 17” to 20” with a total of three seat heights. For our 6’1” frame, the full up 20” seat height was perfect. Remove four nuts and bolts and find the perfect height that suits you.

Second, we love the 3” urethane casters that roll right over the deep expansion cracks in our concrete floor. No more getting caught and having the stool fall over!

Third, the stool has a green holster on the side to hold any gun like device. Great for holding a drill or impact gun. So nice to have a place to securely hold these bulky tools.

Fourth, the bottom drawer can securely hold the tools that you most often are using on your job. No more trying to find that wrench or socket scattered around the shop floor.

Fifth, the tool caddy which rests on the top of the tool drawer has subtle indentations to hold it securely in place but you can easily pull it out to retrieve the tools. And that comfy handle also has a slot to hold a tablet or phone. So not only can you easily answer phone calls while working away, it’s easy to review your favorite repair video or on line shop manual while plugging away late at night.

MYCHANIC SK2 Kelly Green

Sixth, did I mention the folks at MYCHANIC used their Kelly Green coloring here on the rolling shop stool? It makes it easy to stand out and be visible when hunting around for your gear.

Seventh, the two sides of this rolling masterpiece have pockets (or bins) to hold critical pieces you might want ready access to. Great place to hold the nuts and bolts as you assemble or disassemble items.

The rolling SK2 stool is rated for 350 pounds, so go ahead and squat away on this rolling tool box. It will hold all you behemoths! The metal is powder coated to help keep it clean and rust free, allowing for years of easy ownership. It comes with a sweet two year warranty, but seriously it is hard to imagine this thing wearing out

We were given the SK2 to check out and gave it a whirl in the shop. We’ve been impressed with the design behind all the MYCHANIC products, like their Blade Multi Light. Check out their full lineup and you will be too. But be warned once you try out their tools, you’ll be sold and want more!

**Editorial content is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the authors’ alone.

Detailing, Manufacturer news, Tool Chest, Uncategorized

Nonsense All Purpose Cleaner from Chemical Guys

August 22, 2018 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Car owners realize that keeping their car clean is important but sometimes life gets in the way. Before you know it, a car interior can get grungy. But it is amazing how simple it can be to bring a car’s interior back to prime looks. A useful all purpose cleaner is Nonsense from Chemical Guys.

Nonsense

I have been a huge fan and user of Nonsense ever since the main guy behind Chemical Guys recommended it to me. It comes full strength and I usually get great results diluted to a 10:1 ratio. Nonsense pulls up the grime, leaves no sticky residue and doesn’t engulf the air with perfume odors. We love that it just does the job and gets great results.

Nonsense to the Test

These seats on a 2007 Toyota Camry are a soft fabric, but the light gray coloring will attract dirt quickly. I was wondering if the dirt was ground in too much, so I did a test strip first. A simple spray of the cloth, followed by a brisk scrubbing with a hand held brush and the results showed up!

A few more minutes of scrubbing and the whole car seat came back to new. I especially like the fact that the cloth maintained the original feel and shape with no soapy residue left behind.

Nonsense from Chemical Guys

Nonsense is part of a complete set of boutique car detailing products offered by Chemical Guys. You can also get it at their franchised retail stores- Detail Garage. It works on a variety of stains and never lets me down. For a super tough stain you could amp up the dilution level but 10:1 seems to be the perfect stain removal solution for me. Try some and let us know what you think!

Insta360 Ace Pro 2

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Leica Lens

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Dual Chips

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Accessories

AI Allows for Easier Capture & Editing

Available Now

Car Covers and Rodents

CoverSeal to the Rescue

Real World Testing of CoverSeal

WD-40 Specialist Degreaser and Cleaner

WD-40 EZ-Pods

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Paint Chip Preparation

Paint for Paint Chip Repair

Paint Chip Repair

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But wait there’s more NAPA savings

Charity cars from SEMA

WD-40 Specialist Products

WD-40 Goes Blue and Yellow

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Smart Straw

Habitat for Humanity Donation

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MYCHANIC’s Rechargeable Pod Light Hits the Spot

Rechargeable Pod Light

Two intense modes for Pod Light

Pod Light Specs

Mychanic Lineup of Great Tools Includes the Pod Light

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Mychanic Pod Light

MYCHANIC SK2 Stool

MYCHANIC SK2 Kelly Green

Nonsense

Nonsense to the Test

Nonsense from Chemical Guys

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