What is Speed Ambassadors Shop?

Speed Ambassadors Shop is a vision. I’ve had the name Speed Ambassadors Shop in my head for a long time. Below is the sign my brother drew up sometime while I was in middle school I believe and that hung on my bedroom door throughout my childhood.

In my head it started as a hot rod shop. I read Hot Rod, Car Craft, Popular Hot Rodding and other magazines growing up and really wanted to own and build all those cars. Since then I’ve went to college and became a mechanical engineer. I have learned that it is actually possible for me to buy or build cars like the ones I see in the magazines. As it became apparent that I could do that I decided I needed to start a shop, if in name only. At the same time, I became interested in teaching people. I have tried to position myself as a person who knows stuff about cars and mechanics. I know a lot but I am by no means a full time mechanic. I know enough to be dangerous and I’m good with Google, Youtube and knowing full time mechanics to ask what they think might be wrong with any vehicle I look at. I have had many friends ask “Can you help me diagnose X” or “What should X cost to fix.” or “Is X a good car to buy?” I’ve also become interested in empowering people. I’d like to tell people “You can do it!” Many people don’t know how their car works and are afraid to ask about something so complex. I want people to discover and understand the magic that is design and engineering. “Everything ever done was done by a human being. You’re a human being. You can do it!” That’s what I’m trying to let people know.

To this end in 2016 I started supporting Engineering Explained. He is a fellow engineer who makes very good videos explaining the details about how many car related systems work.  It’s the kind of videos I wish I had the time and drive to make, but as I like to think, if you aren’t doing it yourself but someone is, you should support them if you can. Watch a video or two and learn something.

Below is a picture of my Speed Ambassadors Shop t-shirt. You can contact me directly at hooglandaxel@gmail.com if you’d like to purchase one. They are $20 to cover costs and shipping.

Wherever you wear the SAS shirt you will be participating in the idea to improve the world through doing the good that you can. (And even if you aren’t wearing the shirt you can still have that attitude.)