The Avants Podcast

We got the chance to sit down at the pub with the Bryce and Jordan Allen, the brothers from Racer On Rails, and go a little off the rails! We discuss racing (of course), boats, McLaren rotor costs, and everything Racer on Rails offers to their clients. Listen in for another fun, Mt Si Pub fueled episode! Learn more about the guys at RacerOnRails.com !

For 2021 we welcome Griot’s Garage as the exclusive car care provider of Rain City Supercars! We know 2020 was a pretty rough year for a lot of people, but we are extremely thankful to say it was our biggest year ever! We made several changes that yielded a lot of growth as we went beyond Rain City Supercars to RCS in an effort to be more inclusive of everyone that makes up the car community, well...

Like a lot of car people, we like anything with wheels, including bicycles. Thanks to a great listener suggestion, we tracked down Linnea Rooke, Chief Operating Officer at Fluidride Mountain Bike School in Fall City. She’s not only the COO, she’s also a pro-racer and stars in the instructional series. Fluidride offers global tours, in-person clinics, online classes, and so much more. As we keep pr...

On part 2 of our episode with David Wheaton we talk all about epic trips to Baja you find out you booked when you wake up, Raptors, suspension, and laugh all the way through. We had a lot of laughs creating this episode, but it is marked explicit due to some language and an explanation about why penguines like vanilla ice cream. Some stories are just better told unfiltered and we felt this one fit...

When Karl first told us about David we knew we were in for a great episode full of great stories. David Wheaton did not disappoint! From his time in Monterey working around Sonoma and Laguna Seca to owning the Mt Si Tavern in North Bend, David is a guy you'll want to know. Not only does he have the best "dive" bar around, he's a friendly guy you just want to keep talking to. Enjoy part 1 of gettin...

In this shorter episode we discuss our latest little adventure and a few highlights from the week. We have a lot of new and interesting guests coming up in the next few episodes we know you’re really going to enjoy. For now, enjoy this short take!

We get asked all the time, so we made it a highly controversial episode so you can yell at us while listening in your car! Here is all the off-road gear we are carrying all the time and links for most of where you can get it. A lot of this was purchased pre-Avants, on a budget, or in a hurry, and those are marked with an * as we do believe there are in fact better options out there, but this is ex...

Covid may have locked us all down again, but there’s no restrictions off-road! We went up to Stampede Pass last weekend for some snow-wheeling and of course came back with more stories. This episode is all about driving in the thick stuff and settling that AT vs MT tire debate! Also, check out this awesome product for airing up and airing down! We consider this a must have for off-roading and they...

We got an early opportunity to test drive the new Aston Martin DBX! We didn’t get to race a RSQ8 up a mountain like Top Gear, but we definitely got to have some fun! Our friends at Park Place Aston Martin gave us a call and said “Hey, want to drive an SUV you can’t afford?” We of course said yes and we think you’ll get a kick out of our review. Luckily for us, we’ve actually spent a lot of time in...

When it comes to picking the right off-road vehicle, what you want may not be the right tool for the job. Raptor? Terrible for trails. 4Runner? Not exactly built for Baja. Jeep? Not exactly built for… asphalt. That said, all are recognized as some of the best in their class. Then there’s Subaru, which keeps defying the odds with just a little bit of work.

In this weeks fun conversation we talk to Coley Tipton, president of the International Race Drivers Club or IRDC. Coley has some great stories of growing up at the track, getting into racing thanks to Paul Newman himself, crashing into tire walls, and other fun things. We hope you have as many laughs as we did!

If you’re into tuning Porsches, you’re probably familiar with Evolution Motorsports or EVOMS as they’re often known to the rest of the world. Sam Stone is the co-owner of Evolution and is here to tell his story and the future of Evolution, opening up very soon in Kirkland!

Long before we knew who Ben Smrecansky was or that HID Kit Pros was a local company, we knew they were the go-to company for lights. In fact, if you search for LED replacement lights, you’ll probably come across their page as the top result. Beyond lights, HKP Customs can now do everything from lifts, to radars, to stereos, and everything between (except gearing). Ben tells us his entrepreneurial...

It’s official, the Porsche 911 Turbo S has been sold! That means a road trip, a raptor, and a new build! In addition to that, we added another “vehicle” to our fleet, and Metroboard-X Electric Skateboard! This isn’t your average kids toy; hence the X for X-TREME! We really hate that name, but it’s an impressive piece of tech and a ton of fun. If you’ve been on the fence about something like this,...

We welcome the new CEO of America’s Automotive Trust, Jennifer Maher! America’s Automotive Trust includes LeMay - America’s Car Museum, TechForce, and The RPM Foundation. In this episode we talk all about jobs in the automotive industry, the future of America’s Automotive Trust, and so much more all about her! More than that, we welcome Automotive Trust as an In-Kind Sponsor! We both want to see t...

Alright, we admit trying to run a road rally during the apocalypse may not have been our best decision, but we did it anyway. This year was different to say the least. 2020 in general isn’t exactly a great year for anyone, but when you add constantly changing wildfires, rapidly moving wildlife, and rapidly moving police cars things get a little more problematic. Listen in to the 2020 Rally Recap;...

I love it when we have a conversation with someone who is clearly an expert in their field. Jason Harris of Northwest European is clearly one of those guys. NW European specializes in consignment and selling of very special cars and Jason gives us his story and shows it’s truly a labor of love for him, which makes the stories all the better. Check out more on Jason and Northwest European at NWEuro...

In this short episode we talk about CAGS, the RCS Rally, and the new Avants Magazine! This is a shorter episode, but stay tuned, we are heading out on our 2020 Rally and the stories will be coming!

Nathan Muntz is everyone’s favoite kind of car guy. He has a delightfully ecletic car collection and the know how to keep cars that were never reliable on the road and going strong. We go through his fun list and get the stories behind them, because when you have a list like this, you have stories: 2008 Aston Martin DB9 1997 Land Rover NAS D90 1989 Land Rover 110 truck 1983 JZR cycle car. This is...

In this really fun (and explicit) episode, we talk to Griff and The Wookie from Combat Flip Flops. The start of Combat Flip Flops is like nothing you have ever heard before, guaranteed. More importantly, these passionate guys are genuinely trying to make the world a better place in spite of going through hell to get it done. Check out combatflipflops.com and order up a pair! If you want to hear th...

On this week’s episode, we talk about the emerging RCS rebrand with our newish graphic designer, Jeremy Salvo. We go down the rabbit hole on a number of topics including design’s role in great music, 80s nostalgia, and the curiously legendary Alfa Romeo logo. To learn more about the RCS rebrand and check out more of Jeremy's work, head over to www.salvo.design .

One of our favorite guests comes back to catch up with more fun stories. Between being busy making the new Halo TV series and the upcoming Halo video game, Kiki found a little time to come back in and catch us up on her amazing life. Beyond Halo she’s a racecar driver, motorcycle rider, and world traveler and always she brings great stories.

We are currently on vacation and Adam Robertson is now in Texas, but we had a really fun and real conversation about Adam and his departure from Bellevue. Please note this episode was recorded in advance - breaks and intro were recorded in post.

We have a conversation with Gooding and Company Automotive Specialist (actual title) Hans Wurl! Hans gives us the details on what you can expect by taking your car to auction with Gooding and Company and gives us a few tips as well. Hans is much more than just a great guy to talk to about Gooding auctions, he’s also an accomplished technician with a wealth of knowledge. You can find Hans on Avants...

In this especially interesting episode we talk to Dr Greg Birch, the grandson of Alex Birch, one of the lead engineers on the coolest vehicles of it’s kind, GMC Motorhome! Greg is also an accomplished driver, mechanic, and Mini collector who is exceptionally knowledgeable in all things he’s interested. Tune in to this really interesting episode full of fun information! Also, be sure to check out t...