Griot's Garage - Car Care for the Perfectionist!

Our feed has moved!

Tue, 26 May 2009 08:45:13 -0700

Please update your RSS reader and follow In My Garage at:
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In My Garage is the new Griot's Garage blog.

It's a place for car guys and gals who love everything automotive! We hope you'll enjoy reading about car culture as much as we enjoy writing about it.

We will scour the car universe for interesting videos and stories, give you car care tech tips that you won’t find anywhere else, review exciting products, and talk to the interesting people who make the automotive world turn.

If you’re passionate about cars, if your garage is your "happy place", if you've got motor oil running through your veins... you'll find lots to enjoy!

Please update your RSS reader and follow In My Garage at:
http://www.inmygarage.com/wordpress/rssfeed.xml

Handbook 287 Cover Car

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:41:18 -0800

1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix
A beautiful, red Mopar courtesy of America's Car Museum!

In 1960, Dodge revamped its entire product line, restyling and giving new names to existing models. It also added a new, smaller series to its lineup, the Dart. 1960 was also the first year that Chrysler fully-welded the chassis to the inner body structure, a construction that the company called unibody. Darts fared very well against the competition, with the more subdued fin and chrome treatment perhaps signaling future trends in American car design.

Unlike the compact 1970's models to which the series would evolve, the 1961 Dart was still quite large, but priced to compete with entry-level Plymouths, Fords, and Chevrolets. The line-leading Dart Phoenix was built on a 118" wheelbase, slightly shorter than full size Dodges of the time.

This beautiful, red Phoenix comes to us from our friends at the LeMay Museum. We encourage you to support "America's Car Museum" by becoming a member today!

See more photos of Cover Car 287

Have fun in your garage!®

Show off your garage and WIN!

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:37:29 -0800

Want to show your garage to the world and win a great Griot's Garage prize in the process? Here's your chance! Snap a few (5-10) photos and tell us why your garage is the best room in the house. What are the features? What makes it unique? What were the challenges in building it? Are your neighbors jealous?

If we select your submission, we'll feature your garage on our website, PLUS send you a FREE Garage Care Kit, including our brand new Surface Cleaner, Finest Sprayer, and Tim's Micro Fiber Towel (a $19.97 value)!

Bonus points for showing Griot's Garage products in your photos :)

Submission Details Here

Be creative and...
Have fun in your garage!®

What's that lurking in the garage?

Tue, 3 Feb 2009 08:22:05 -0800

This is a look-alike cousin to a very famous 1958 Plymouth. Can you "name that car"?
Click the photo to turn on the lights!

Have fun in your garage!®

Bellissimo! About Our Cover Car...

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:13:41 -0800

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring
Our customer wins Best of Show at Pebble Beach with this stunning Alfa!

We are fortunate to be able to share with you this amazing 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B, and pleased to announce that the car won the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours Best of Show Award using Griot's Garage Car Care products!

A prestigious grand touring car in the 1930's, this Alfa is as distinctive as it is elegant. Unique and functional coach features, like cooling slots in the rear fenders and hood louvers that extend into the cowl, are finished in deep, dark blue. A supercharged straight-8 is the same mill that powered Alfa Romeo Grand Prix race cars of the period. Only 33 were completed for road use, with this vehicle being one of six privately commissioned Berlinettas. It carries a competitive pedigree, having won the first race held at Watkins Glen, in 1948.

Dennison International meticulously restored the vehicle, and then used our Machine Polishes and Carnauba Wax to perfect its surface. Bravo to our customer for this incredible achievement.

See more photos of Cover Car 285

Have fun in your garage!®

Customer Michael Has Seen the Light

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:37:45 -0800

I use my Griot's Garage LED Work Light all the time. It seems custom made for the many small, tight work spaces found in both my vintage Porsches. No more tangled electrical cords, broken bulbs, burned forearms or being blinded by the light! Virtually everyone who's seen it in action in my garage has the same response: "I want one!"

Thanks for another great product!
Michael H.

Read More Testimonials

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Unlock all those tricky fasteners!

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:39:26 -0800

113 Piece Tamper Proof Bit Set
All the tamper-resistant fastener bits you'll ever need in a huge 113 piece set!

Manufacturers are using more and more unique fasteners to keep us out of their stuff. That way, they think you'll have to pay them to fix or replace it! Even if I can't fix the part, at least I can poke around and identify the problem so some technician doesn't pull the wool over my eyes. Now you can have full access to those frustrating tamper-resistant fasteners. This set includes all the tamper and regular bits you'll ever need (Spline, Clutch, Torq Set Screws, Tri-Wing, Square Recess, Spanner, Pozidriv®, Metric and Inch Hex, TORX®, TX tamper-proof, Wing Nut Driver, 4-13mm sockets, 5/32-1/2" sockets) You get the picture. Other accessories include a magnetic bit holder and handle, hex extensions, all in a well organized case. When you buy this set, don't throw away the ingenious plastic cover insert; it holds everything in place so the set of bits stay organized and when you open up the box. Outstanding quality. Imported. THE most complete set of bits I've ever seen.

113 Piece Tamper Proof Bit Set $19.99

Have fun in your garage!®

Inside Griot's Garage - Cover Stories

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:51:39 -0800

Just a handful of the 200+ Handbook covers greeting visitors to our Car Care School

Have fun in your garage!®

Here's a gift you can hang your hat on!

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:58:39 -0800

Race Car Wing Coat Hook
Ever hung your hat on a race car's nose? I thought not!

A big smile crossed my face when I saw this piece. Styled after the front nose wing of a Formula One race car complete with air intakes and graphics. Mount it on a wall and use it as a decoration but there's more! In addition to looking really cool it works as a coat or hat rack. Put a few up in your kids room and they'll stop throwing their jacket on the floor. Well, maybe. Hang a couple in your garage and hang your favorite cap on an endplate. Finished in bright red. Made from heavy duty die cast metal the piece measures 6 1/4" across the wing's endplates and stands 4 3/4" out from the wall. Mounting hardware is included, of course.

Race Car Wing Coat Hook $29.99

Have fun in your garage!®

Our cool, combustible cover car...

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 10:37:19 -0800

Griot's Garage Cover Car
Handbook 282: 1946 Mercury Woody

The owner of this wonderful car found it in the Laguna Beach, California classified ads shortly after it had endured a flash flood. There was a water line at the middle of the doors and he spent days cleaning the mud out of the floors and from inside the doors. The car had a scant 51,000 miles when purchased.

Hot Rod Enterprises in Auburn, Washington restored the car leaving no detail untouched. When restoration began, the body was separated from the original frame, engine, drive train, and a donor frame of the same year and model was found. Then the fun began! The "Fleetwoody" painted graphic on the spare tire is a nod to the powerplant, a monster 500 cubic inch Cadillac with 430 hp. Inside and out, the maple and mahogany wood was book-matched and finished to perfection. The original gold color was changed to an arresting bright yellow, and the 6-volt electrical system was modernized to 12-volt.

Thanks to our customer for sharing this cool car with us. He's had it for over 10 years and drives it whenever he wants to have a little fun. Speaking of fun, the license plate on this combustible cruiser reads "Kinling"!

See Photos and Read About Other Cover Cars

Have fun in your garage!®

Our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 12:09:35 -0800

At Griot's Garage, we want you as a customer for life. Everything you purchase from us comes with a lifetime guarantee against defect. Enjoy our quality products for 180 days and have fun! If you don't like a product for any reason during this time, return it for a full refund or credit. After that, you're covered with our lifetime guarantee against defect, in which we will either repair it, replace it, or credit your purchase price if we are able to do neither. Our products and customer service are unmatched... we strive for perfection in everything and stand behind what we sell.

Customers for life. That's our guarantee.

Have fun in your garage!®

Protect Your Investment - Battery

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:33:14 -0700

Preparing to store a vehicle for the winter?
Our microchip-controlled Battery Manager III is an essential tool!

Whether you have a modern car with sophisticated electronics that constantly drains the battery, or you are storing any type of vehicle for extended periods of time, you're going to need our Battery Manager III. Leave your vehicle unattended for 2-4 weeks? Keep that up and you'll be replacing a very expensive battery in no time. I went overboard in redesigning the Battery Manager III. It's really trick. So sophisticated is the micro-chip technology, you don't have to worry about a thing. It even has a "desulphation mode" that sends an electrical pulse to help revive sulphated batteries that were dying! Performs its magic on any 12-volt lead-acid battery, even gel-cell batteries used in motorcycles and boats! The water resistant housing allows the Battery Manager III to be used indoors or outdoors. (Notice I didn't say underwater, though we tested it that way!) The magnetic base allows you to mount it inside the engine compartment if desired. Even if you didn't know the red lead is supposed to be hooked up to the positive terminal, a built in electrical detector would prevent sparking and the warning light glows if the polarity is crossed. There are two choices for hooking the unit up to your battery: simple alligator clips, or permanent rings with a quick disconnect plug. I like the "quick disconnect" option so when I'm done with my occasional Sunday drive, I simply plug the leads up and go! This is not your typical "trickle charger" you've seen elsewhere. This device is designed to keep batteries at full charge without overcharging or boiling out battery fluids. Additional 29 1/2" long quick disconnect accessory cables are available.

Battery Manager III $79.99

Have fun in your garage!®

Protect Your Investment - Paint

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:02:18 -0700

Ready to store a car or prepare your daily driver for winter?
Protecting your paint's finish is as easy as 1,2,3!

1. Wash: Mount a proper assault on dirt and grime with our Wash Nozzle Set. Includes our Ultimate Red Wash Bucket, two Micro Fiber Wash Mitts, our Multi Pattern Hose Nozzle and 16 ounces of the finest Car Wash available. Now you're ready to do battle, and have a little fun as well.

Wash Nozzle Set w/Bucket $64.99 Save $9.97

2. Clay: Everyone who tries our Paint Cleaning Clay is always surprised at what comes off their supposedly clean vehicle. It's simply amazing. Here I've combined all you need for a fun paint clay therapy session. An 8 ounce bar of Paint Cleaning Clay, 35 ounces of Speed Shine® and a Finest Sprayer, 5 pairs of aloe Vinyl Gloves and 3 Speed Shine® Cloths for a final wipe down.

Paint Clay and Speed Shine Kit $45.99 Save $4.87

3. Seal: Polish out swirl marks and scratches and protect your paint from the elements with our One-Step Sealant Kit. The kit includes 16 ounces of One-Step Sealant, 3 Micro Fiber Polish Removal Cloths and our Orange Polishing Pad with Holder. Now, you'll have more time to spend with your garage queen!

One-Step Sealant Kit $39.99 Save $9.97

Have fun in your garage!®

Richard's Tips: Safe Drying

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:13:52 -0700

How to dry your car? Sounds silly. Uh, well, uh, you drag the towel across the paint until dry, right? Yeah, that's right. For those of you who care about your paint's finish, read further.

There are a few no-no's in drying your paint's surface. Never bear down hard with your towel, and certainly don't use your towel for cleaning areas you missed when washing. This will put scratches in the paint. Beware of cheapo polyester towels. Their fibers are coarse and contribute to swirl marks. Use our Micro Fiber towels instead... they are top-quality and will give years of use with proper care.

Many people will use a squeegee or blower to remove most of the water before toweling. With this technique, you'll certainly go through fewer towels. Just make sure you use quality products to avoid damaging your car!

Micro Fiber Drying Towel $26.99
Ultimate Paint Squeegee $14.99
Four-Peak HP Blower $229.00

Have fun in your garage!®