(moody jazz music)
(upbeat electronica music)
- Welcome back to our episode!
Driving Driver!
We're in a weird spot.
This is the first one on the road.
I don't know if you guys have seen this place before,
but we have a couple of very special guests today.
Today, looks like we're here
with Randy and Thomas from Illuminate,
from Illumination.
Illiminate.
Why don't you guys come in and take a seat?
How you doing?
- We're doing amazing, man.
You?
- I'm doing just dandy.
It's California.
I'm hot, I'm sweaty.
I'm fat.
And it's a little different than Wisconsin,
but same. (men laughing)
That's why we brought you out here.
You're me best friend.
All right, cool.
Are you ready to get into this ring?
I got some good questions for you.
- All right, I'm ready.
- All right.
But first thing's first, Randy.
Wheels,
tires,
and suspension.
(metal clanging) - Oh!
(man laughing) - Fitmenindustries.com
All right, now that way you got the plugs outta the way,
Illiminate's a big name in the car community right now.
It's pretty huge.
You guys just hit 1 million subscribers.
Congratulations.
That's fucking massive. (group applauding)
- Thank you, thank you, thank you.
- We have, (man laughing)
the audience?
(man laughing) That's awesome.
But how did it all start?
- Thomas, you actually wanna tell them?
- It started in the vape shop you used to work at.
- So at my very first job, I worked on a vape shop.
- Okay. - And he used to come in
and kick it with us.
- Yeah, yeah. - In these little,
baby sandwich. (man giggling)
And I was just like,
I've been watching YouTube for a long time.
I was like, I feel like we should make videos
'cause we're so dumb already.
- [Stone] Yeah, yeah. - So we're like,
just start filming
'cause I feel like if we don't do it now,
we're gonna lose our chance.
- I took that seriously.
He's like, you know, we do dumb stuff every single day.
Why don't we start recording?
- [Stone] Just record it.
- Yeah. - [Stone] And upload it.
- I literally took that into consideration
(fly buzzing) and I started my.
(man laughing) - Ah!
(men laughing)
- Was that a bug? - Yeah.
Yeah. - [Stone] I thought
it was kind of cool.
(man laughing) - I'm sitting.
- I don't know.
We kind of just took that into consideration.
- [Stone] Yeah. - We started
Illiminate the clothing brand before that,
and every single day I was just thinking,
you know how do we sell merchandise?
- Oh yeah. - Maybe we gotta
tap into YouTube.
Maybe we gotta tap into a different audience.
And we have fun every single day already,
so. - [Stone] Right, right.
- We just decided to turn the camera on,
and here we are today.
- That's beautiful. (clapping)
That's a beautiful story.
I didn't know the clothing brand started first.
- Yeah. - Then the YouTube developed.
- Yeah, so Illiminate came out before I even met him, so.
- Yeah.
I started to Illiminate right before I met all of the homies
and everything. - [Stone] Oh,
no shit. - And everything
just fell into place. - That's so sick.
All right.
You've had a lot of cars obviously.
Is there any of 'em that you absolutely hated or disliked?
- Actually,
I love all of 'em.
(upbeat playful music)
- I'm getting a little hot.
I'm kind of fucking sweating over here.
(man laughing)
All right. - What the?
- So you're big into skateboarding, right?
- Yeah. - Adam LZ was big into biking.
Do you think the next huge automotive YouTuber
is a roller blader?
- What?
Bro, what are you talking about, man?
- [Stone] Thoughts on roller blading?
- That's, what do you think?
- Maybe heelyers? - Heelyers?
(men laughing)
Are those still around?
Or I thought that was an old thing?
- People are getting really aggressive.
- It's coming back?
It's like vinyl records.
Like, they went away
but now they're super hype and cool again.
Heelies, so.
- There's the brand. (man laughing)
I honestly thought it was on the backside.
I was waiting for it. - It's getting hot in here!
I took off my hat. - I was waiting for it
to show up, bro.
- I took off my hat.
I didn't expect to come here and get disrespected.
(man laughing) We'll start to hear
from our extremely loyal and cool YouTube community!
So these aren't my questions anymore.
These are from the people.
- [Randy] Oh, okay. - [Stone] So,
you can't get offended.
Like, if I say it, you can't get mad at me.
These are just random people.
- [Randy] Right. - Okay.
All right, so Joey Klopack wants to know,
"What was the most agonizing part
of K swapping the skyline?"
- Most agonizing part?
- Pushing it down the street?
- Yeah, so that's, eh!
Actually, I would have to say so,
but just waiting on parts during COVID.
- [Stone] Yeah, dude.
- You know, like literally?
(punches smacking) So YouTube's,
YouTuber's business, right?
Like car guys,
you're just waiting on parts,
and during COVID everything's shut down.
- Yeah. - You can't make videos.
You're stuck in between four walls.
- [Stone] Yeah. - And that played a huge part
to why we stop uploading,
and us trying to get creative.
- Yeah, yeah. - And making up videos.
- It was a rough time that's for sure.
- It definitely was. - I feel that,
so damn.
That got deep.
All right.
Bavarian Hero says,
"Do it for Illiminate!"
Rocket ship, rock sign, four leaf clover emoji.
Will you sign my booty shorts?
(man laughing) - Yes, I.
- Stop!
"LOL JK.
I gave them to my sister."
- Oh! (man laughing)
What? - So you would?
- I would sign them.
- You will sign booty shorts?
- Yeah. - Didn't make these
into booty shorts. - I don't think
anybody knows this,
but I sign, you know,
I obviously sign butt cheeks at meet ups.
I actually signed my friend's nut sack.
- No.
- No, I'm not even kidding.
He pulled his nuts out and I signed it.
- Did you hesitate
or did you go in? - I didn't.
I didn't.
I was drunk, (man laughing)
and I did it.
- He had to pull out the skin to make it straight.
- Oh! (man laughing)
Was it done in Sharpie?
- I did.
- Oh!
I was just thinking like if it was a pen that would.
- And then I went to sign other people's faces
and foreheads. - No!
- [Randy] Yeah. - No!
No, you didn't!
- [Randy] It was bad.
- Randall asked, "What got Randy into cars?"
- Honestly,
kind of a weird one.
No one in my family into motor sports.
We, like, it's just school.
- Yep. - You either become a doctor,
a pharmacist,
a nurse whatever it is.
And I just,
growing up I didn't really have like, you know, clothes.
- [Stone] Yeah. - That's why
the clothing brand started.
- [Stone] For sure. - I figured why,
you know, buy clothes if I can just make my own.
So that's how Illiminate started.
And I went to school for nursing.
Absolutely hated it.
- Damn. - Yeah.
And I just,
I figured am I gonna do this for the next 10 years?
Fuck no. - Holy shit.
- I dropped outta school
and I started planning, and planning,
and every single day it's,
how do I take this to the next level?
And I've been doing that for like seven,
eight, nine years.
I don't even know how many years it's been.
- [Stone] Damn, that's wild, bro.
- Yeah. - That's a crazy story.
I respect that a ton.
I'm getting fucking hot.
- [Randy] Yeah, it's hot today, huh?
- Jesus Christ. - Let me turn the fan on.
- Here you go.
You look kind of cold.
(man chuckling) All right.
That's enough outta the YouTube community.
They're getting a little,
getting a little;
they started asking,
anyways.
All right,
you know, do you like anything besides JDM cars?
I know you've had the E 30 and stuff for a bit there,
but holy shit, man.
What about USDM or any more euros that you like?
- At this point right now?
There are other cars that I do like,
but I'm also thinking about it
as if YouTube dies tomorrow and I have no more money,
I need to acquire all of the JDM legends
that I loved growing up.
- Yeah.
- So there are like, let's say the M3.
I love the beyond big.
The E46 M3.
- [Stone] Ooh, E46 M3? - I am.
I am a big fan of those at least, but.
- Need for speed?
- But that M3.
- [Stone] Yeah. - Or,
you know, another JDM legend,
and I just have to go to the JDM legend.
- Just go to the Japanese side every time.
Is there any USDM cars that you fuck with?
Even a little bit?
(moody instrumental music)
- No. (man laughing)
Let's just say no.
I have to sit here and think about it,
so the answer would be no.
- Okay. - Well actually no!
The Corvette.
- [Stone] Oh? - Is great.
I love the Corvette.
Seeing Gabes. - Gabes?
The newest one, or? - C6.
- Oh, C6 Corvettes.
Okay, okay.
- The sevens, the eighth too though.
They're all great.
- The old Mustang's are cool.
'65. - There you go.
- Yeah!
- Those are cool,
can't afford it.
(men laughing)
- I can see you rolling around in one of those.
- Yeah, I can too.
- [Cameraman] Especially with that jacket on.
- Yes, with the jacket.
Hey, gimme that fucking jacket back.
- I'm asking the questions.
(man laughing)
- All right, all right.
Okay.
Randy, this is a big one.
Can I ride in one of your cars?
- Whatever car you want.
- [Stone] No shit? - You might not fit
in the super though, bro.
- Hey, what the fuck does that mean?
I have a super!
- No. - That's what I drive, Randy!
That's my car!
- No, the cage.
- Oh. - You gotta be
five, five and under.
- Five, five and under?
- [Randy] I swear to god! - What the fuck
kind cage is that? - Your knees
will hit your chin and the dash at the same time.
(static buzzing)
Welcome to this spaceship.
- I've never been in one of theses.
- Really?
- Yeah. - First time?
- My first time.
Pop my cherry, Randy.
- Oh my gosh. (loud explosions)
(car engine roaring)
(man giggling) (man laughing)
- Let's go!
Oh my god!
- Your laugh was like the turbo.
(men laughing)
- [Stone] You're not rolling.
- If you see a cop, let me know.
All right?
I gotta flip the. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I was thinking of calling the cops.
(men laughing)
Watch out for this bump.
Watch out for this bump - Oh shit!
- Not too bad.
Not too bad. - That's good.
All right, you said this is your sexiest car,
but is it your favorite car to drive,
or you like one more?
- I'm more of like a,
like if I drive the super for a week
and I'm like, okay I need to hop in the shitty S chassis.
(man laughing) I need some problems.
Like, I'm not even kidding.
And then I hop in the S chassis for one day.
- Yeah. - I'm going back
in the super or another car.
(man laughing)
- You just get your taste of it,
and you're like, all right, I'm good.
- [Randy] Yeah.
So every car gives me a different like type of feel.
- [Stone] Yeah, yeah. - [Randy] Type of emotion,
you know? - [Stone] Absolutely.
- And that's why I still keep these cars.
- [Stone] Got a car for every day of the week.
- Yeah, right?
Pretty much.
- It sounds so good.
- I'm trying to get a car for every day of the month.
- Let's go! - I'm kidding.
That's too many problems.
- That's too many problems.
- Yeah. (car engine roaring)
- [Stone] Woo hoo!
The super sounds good too.
- [Randy] Yeah, I love that car a lot.
- God damn.
So what's all done to this car, Randy?
You got T 37s,
coil overs?
- Coil overs.
They're blown.
- [Stone] Oh. - [Randy] They came
with the car, but. - Very nice.
- We swapped to a Grandy intake manifold.
We got the disco potato,
just swapped the turbo, and just the tune.
That's it.
- Oh. - Oh,
and R35 coil packs and a Link ECU.
- Oh, hell yeah.
- The other ECU we had like,
what is that ECU called?
It's one of those (man sighing)
Piggyback. - [Stone] Oh, Piggybacks ECU?
- [Randy] Yeah, and it was malfunctioning.
- [Stone] Oh, really?
That's not good.
- Yeah, but I'm sponsored by Link, so.
- Is it weird switching between right hand drive
and left hand drive?
- Not anymore.
I've gotten so used to it.
I've gotten so used to it,
but sometimes I'll hop in my super on the passenger side.
- Yeah.
Oh, that's embarrassing as hell.
- Yeah.
(men laughing) Or I'll hop in this side,
on this passenger side.
- Yeah, yeah. (static buzzing)
- [Randy] Go left, go left!
- [Stone] Oh! (men laughing)
Wa!
(men laughing)
(car engine revving)
(man laughing) - [Randy] Back to rollers.
Back to rollers.
- This thing rips.
- Yeah, it's just got like a nice,
you know, daily able tune.
- Yeah, yeah.
- [Randy] And that's it.
- [Stone] Runs nice and smooth.
- That's all I wanted to do with this car.
Just enjoy it.
Just having and S15, you know?
- Yes.
- [Randy] Then I brake like that.
- [Stone] You don't see that here.
- You'll see them right now.
- [Man On Radio] Okay, they're gonna turn front.
Hopefully they're like, go green first.
- Yeah, they're light will turn green first,
so we gotta, you know?
- [Man On Radio] Do you wanna save your engine?
- Nah.
Yeah, you have to drive behind me,
but turn off sport mode.
- [Man On Radio] Yeah, it's off.
- Okay, perfect.
You can keep that in the video.
(man laughing)
You know, it's California here, bro.
They'll be pulling you over for anything.
- For real. - Gotta make sure.
- If they hear one of them pops,
they're gonna have your ass.
- Hell ya.
State ref.
Oh my god, let's see if they look at me.
Let's see if they look at me.
Ready, ready?
- Act cool.
Look proper.
I don't think she gave a.
- Yeah, she didn't care.
(man laughing) She was looking
kind bad though.
Uh!
- It's so crazy.
Like, you guys can do these U-turns.
And that's illegal in fucking Wisconsin.
- Really?
- They don't let us do U-turns.
- Really? - Yeah.
I thought this was America.
(man laughing) - I know, bro.
- [Randy] Sport mode, sport mode!
(man laughing) (car engine revving)
- There it is, there it is.
(car engine revving) (man laughing)
I love this, bro.
(car engine revving)
- After shifting. (men laughing)
- We're keeping that. (men laughing)
(car engine revving)
Oh shit!
Ah! (men laughing)
That wasn't bad.
Give us some thumbs up.
- [Randy] Give us the! - He said, go ahead.
Go, go, go, go, go!
(car engine revving) Woo hoo!
Oh!
Woo! (group clapping)
Let's go!
- That was fun.
- All right, now that we're back.
I got something a little different for you, Randy.
What?
(man laughing)
I challenge you to a game of skate.
- Oh, that's crazy.
You can skate?
- Yeah, I can skate.
You see me?
- That's crazy. - Yeah.
- I'm down. - You're down?
All right. - I'm down.
Okay, good to hear.
Glad you agreed.
I was nervous you were gonna say no
'cause you were gonna be scared.
- [Randy] Oh, hell no!
- What do you mean?
- [Randy] I'm terrible.
Oh.
- Oh we have the real one right there.
- No, this one's good.
This one's right here.
All right. (glass clinking)
- Oh! - [Stone] All right.
- All right.
Andy, stay right here.
Okay? - This is the only way
I could beat Randy at skate.
Oh.
Yo, what the hell?
What are you doing with that?
That rail's huge!
- I'm kidding. - Ah, do it!
- I'm gonna hurt myself.
No, no, no, no, no. - All right, all right.
All right, come on.
You got this.
Whoa!
(man laughing) - Let's go.
- Okay, all right.
(static buzzing) She's a good girl.
- Yeah.
No, don't be fooled.
- What's the dog doing?
You say you had to depress the anal glands, right?
At some point. - I do.
- [Stone] Yeah. - She's literally
scraping her butthole on the floor walking around.
- I've done that before.
(men laughing)
It's so much better with carpet than concrete, right?
All right, Randy.
We're coming to an end here.
You have any advice for anyone
that's getting into cars and wants to a channel,
or a car club,
or a clothing brand,
or anything like that?
What advice do you have?
(mellow guitar music) - Honestly,
so I've had a few people that want to do it for money.
I, and you know, they tried it
and it ended miserably.
Have a passion for it.
And also at the same time,
understanding an audience
'cause obviously you don't have an audience yet, right?
- [Stone] Yeah. - Understanding
and trying to figure out what your audience would like
would also be one thing,
but the most important thing is have fun.
Do something completely different,
because YouTube is so saturated at this point.
- Yeah.
Oh yeah. - Everybody
wants to do an SR install.
Everybody's installing coil;
all cars have the same components now.
- [Stone] Yeah. - Honestly Illiminate blew up
'cause we have fun.
You know?
- You gotta case swap a GTR or Skyline.
- Sometimes, right?
But just have fun with it.
Do something completely different,
because at this point in time,
if you're bored, all you gotta do is go up to the search bar
type in something else,
and you'll find the video that you're looking for.
- Yeah, yeah.
That's big facts.
Well, thanks for Illuminati having me over
and talking about cars and stuff!
Don't forget fitmenindustries.com,
and make sure to subscribe to Randy and Thomas
at Illiminate!
These guys are pretty cool.
They're not too bad.
- Wait before we end it.
- [Stone] Dude. - It's not Illiminate
if I don't do a shotgun, right?
- Oh? - Oh!
- Come on, guys.
You think I put this Truly here?
- You're gonna shotgun that shit?
- Yeah, I got you guys.
- I didn't know you guys in California got down like that.
I'm from Wisconsin.
Like, I wake up and do that shit.
(can popping) Oh!
- Oh, we do.
- Okay.
- Here you go, Thomas.
- Oh, hell no. (men laughing)
- Hey, thank you guys for coming out.
We're gonna spend the rest of the day
doing some cool stuff. - Yeah,
we're gonna do some hood rat shit.
Well, that's gold.
Dude! (man laughing)
This is my new favorite episode.
(men cheering) (men applauding)
We did it.