Checking in!
I got another email today saying, “I’m glad to see you’re back in action,” which is not terribly uncommon - I get an email asking if I’m still in business or saying someone is glad I’m back every few weeks. The thing is… I’m not sure why.
Although I quit my “real” job two years ago, I’ve been running Redpants non-stop since I first started it six years ago. I’ve had to overhaul my company a few times to handle growth, adapting to changes in supply and distribution, and to remedy problems with… um… unreliable arrangements, but Redpants has been and is continuing to carry on and I do my best to make sure any changes behind the scenes have a minimal effect on my customers.
I do personally despise social media so maybe it’s because I almost never post on it, including for business reasons? And I hate spam so I keep my newsletters to an absolute minimum, so maybe that’s part of it? I also spend the vast majority of my time chasing down inventory shipments, checking on pending customer orders, and trying to answer the dozens of emails I get daily, so it leaves me little time or energy to even think about social media or newsletters (or this blog, now that I think about it), so that’s part of it, I guess. I don’t upload videos to my YouTube channel very often because, despite a few petty accusations, I’m not actually a YouTuber. I only make those videos to help out my customers and the Aston Martin community at large. I don’t even like being on camera - that’s why I’m usually drinking in my videos.
But anyway… yeah… I’m still here, never left. But thank you to those of you that have said you’re glad I’m still around.
Website Updates
Speaking of YouTube, I did upload a video recently. It’s another video from my visit with ECPS in Poland back in September. Yes, I’m still working on videos from a trip I took four months ago. Again… Not a YouTuber lol. It’s about the ski slope (or “waterfall”) dashboard panel, and I’ll be making a page for Redpants that goes into further detail about it.
I created a DIY Guide for replacing the battery in the Volvo key fob used by the early Gaydon-era cars. It also includes instructions for swapping over to the Spinstate key fob if you want to replace the Volvo fob with something much nicer.
Some of the product listings in my Online Store have broken links in them that were carried over from the old platform that I used to use, or that linked to pages on the original version of Redpants that either no longer exist or have a different URL on the new (current) version. I’ve found a few and fixed them, but I know there are still more. So, please excuse any broken links.
I let my Redpants Unzipped website expire a few months ago so it hasn’t been active since then. I wasn’t really happy with the design or structure of it and, given how absurdly busy I’ve been with Redpants, that side project was a very low priority for me. I’ve got a new version of it started and I’ll keep working on it, stress and anxiety allowing, and I’ll make it public again once it’s to a point where I’m happy with it.
New Product Listings
Exhaust Manifold Gaskets from VelocityAP, which they started producing after the OEM ones from Aston Martin tripled in price.
Oil Change Kits for the 4.0L twin-turbo V8 and 5.2L twin-turbo V12 engines currently being used by Aston Martin.
I split the Gear Oil Change Package listing for the 7-speed Sportshift (ASM2) transmission from 6-speed manual and Sportshift (ASM1) transmissions as the ASM2 doesn’t have the transmission filter used by the 6-speed gearboxes, so the O-ring isn’t needed.
My lightweight lug nuts are now available individually in case a spare or replacement is needed.
Not really a listing, per se, but I do have a 10% discount when buying a set of BC Forged wheels and BC Racing coilovers together. The discount is applied automatically during checkout so you don’t have to do anything to get it.