Since the invention of cars, they have been more far more than modes of transportation. Cars are often status symbols, full of features and aesthetic enhancements that have no impact on how efficient they are at doing their jobs. Cars like Mercedes, Porsches, and BMWs are aspirational to many because they’re often seen as a physical manifestation of success. One UK man named Paul Renshaw took his ride to the next level by building himself a leveled-up version of his favorite childhood car. That’s right – Paul built himself an adult-sized motorized Little Tikes Cozy Coupe.

 

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A post shared by Paul Redshaw (@redshawpaul) on Jul 26, 2020 at 7:57am PDT

It took two months and a little under $200, but Paul’s project is complete. His new set of wheels can fit most full-sized adults (as long as you’re relatively flexible and not claustrophobic), and can hit speeds of 25mph. The car (we’re using the term loosely) has an engine, headlights, an accelerator, and most importantly, functional brakes. Marine engineer and father of two told LAD bible how this unique vehicle came to be. He explained, “A few years ago my daughter sent me a photo of a tot rod based on a Tikes car and asked me if I could build one. I immediately said yes, but I was thinking that I wanted to be able to drive it, not just push it along.”

 

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Steering test on the #littletikes #cozycoupe #crazycoupe #totrod #hotrod

A post shared by Paul Redshaw (@redshawpaul) on Oct 9, 2017 at 1:36pm PDT

Paul began collecting parts to build his (not so) Little Tikes knockoff including scrap metal, an engine from a floor sweeper, and other pieces given to him by friends. The body was challenging because he was too large to fit in the actual Cozy Coupe. Using fiberglass, rivets, and two Cozy Coupes mushed together, Paul got the job done.

 

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A post shared by Paul Redshaw (@redshawpaul) on Nov 3, 2017 at 12:52pm PDT

The project was undoubtedly time-consuming, and likely took a lot of trial and error to get the final product. To Paul and anyone who encounters his ridiculous ride, the effort was well worth it. The reactions to the Big Tikes (patent pending) Cozy Coupe have been predictably positive. “It brings a smile to everyone and the kids love it,” Paul said. “A lot of kids have Cozy Coupes at the back of their garden so when they see a bigger one with an engine they all want to drive it – same goes with all the adults, it reminds them of their childhood.”

Being out in nature is one of the most freeing, exhilarating experiences imaginable. That is unless you have one kid who has to pee, another who’s hungry (he ate 4 granola bars in the car?), and a sunburn so bad you may as well just get new skin. Or, in Cambry’s case, if most paths out in nature are inaccessible because of your wheelchair.

Fortunately for Cambry, she happens to be married to YouTuber Zack Nelson, who calls his channel “Jerry Rig Everything”. This guy is all about technology – he builds things, takes things apart, and tests the durability of different tech products. Very few people have the resources or the ability to do what Zack did when he decided to give his then-girlfriend the gift of a lifetime. He wanted to help Cambry access parts of the world that she had, until this point, only been able to dream of seeing in person.

Zack did exactly what any tech-savvy guy with two spare electric bikes would do – he fused them together and stuck a seat in the middle (I assume there was a lot more to it than that, but that’s the gist). This innovative wheelchair-like contraption allowed Cambry to experience things she had only ever dreamed of experiencing. It operates as an electric wheelchair, but it’s far more capable of handling off-road terrain than nearly any wheelchair on the market. The wheelchair operates so quietly that the sound doesn’t at all detract from the peacefulness of being out in nature.

Now, Cambry and Zack have started selling their off-road “Not-A-Wheelchair” AKA “The Rig” to allow others to experience the same level of freedom. The Not-A-Wheelchair costs $4,750, which is more affordable than any other wheelchair branded for “off-road” terrain. It is also faster, quieter, and can last from 10-20 miles on a single battery.

The Not-A-Wheelchair website explains, “Shopping for an off road wheelchair can be frustrating. There are a few different options out there, but they can cost as much as a car or are super slow. Cambry and I decided to put our heads together, and build our own off road wheelchair. Something that’s quick and light with a super long range. And we finally have it! We’d like to introduce ‘Not-a-Wheelchair’ a fully electric, super quiet, accessible bike that can go 12mph with a range of about 10-20 miles. Our whole goal is to provide something that is capable and affordable. We hope you enjoy! Be safe! Wear a helmet.”

Thanks, Zack and Cambry, we’d love to roll with you any day.

Any lawnmower owner will tell you, with great horsepower comes great responsibility. The first rule of lawnmownership (the act of owning a lawnmower) is befriend your lawnmower – nobody wants to be up against what is basically a knife windmill on wheels when the robots take over. The second rule of lawnmownership is know your limits. You may think you can handle a cool 130 miles per hour on your sweet riding mower, but please take another look at rule one (see “knife windmill on wheels”) to remember what you’re actually dealing with here. The third rule of lawnmownership is use your lawnmower for good, not evil. That’s exactly what Tom Nardone did, and it ended up saving his city.

In 2010, Tom Nardone realized Detroit was in trouble. Financial hardship meant that the city had to pick and choose between basic maintenance projects, and the city’s inhabitants were left to live with overgrown parks and crumbling playgrounds. Instead of allowing his beloved city to be buried in buckthorn and dandelions, Nardone started a gang. A mower-riding, groundskeeping, donut-eating crew called The Detroit Mower Gang.

The Detroit Mower Gang has been in operation for a decade. Their Facebook page explains, “Every Other Wednesday The Mower Gang gets together to mow the abandoned playgrounds of Detroit. We are a crafty crew that refuses to let small budgets and bureaucracy stand in the way of a great playground.” The group is entirely volunteer-based and open to anyone interested in keeping Detroit looking its best.

Once a year, the Mower Gang kicks things up a notch. For 12 straight hours, grass will be cut. Parks will be revamped. Dreams will be crushed. That’s right gentleman, start your engines. The annual Detroit Mow-a-Thon is about to begin. There can only be one ‘Motown Mowdown’ Grand Champion, the mower who cuts the most grass within the 12-hour period.

Congratulations to this year’s winner, Gage, who rolled right over his competitors.

Though the group hosts other events such as the stinky fish challenge, ice cream night, and donut tasting (hey, the lawnmowers aren’t the only things that need to refuel after a long day’s work), the group’s main goal is to preserve parks so they can continue to be used by the community. Who would have thought that 40 years ago, when Nardone was running around those very same parks yelling “YOUR ASS IS GRASS” at his rowdy friends, he would return all these years later to say “and I’m the lawnmower”, ensuring that the next generation can do the same.

As our country’s workforce has been halved into the essentials and the nons, it’s clear there’s a much greater appreciation for the essentials. Jobs and workers that were taken for granted before are certainly feeling the love and appreciation now. And none more than our nation’s healthcare workers.

The word ‘heroes’ gets thrown around a lot, but actions speak louder than words, and thankfully there’s been no shortage of actions. From celebrity caterers providing free meals, to even broader gestures like New Yorkers cheering at every shift change, people are finding ways to thank those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Florida, one of the states struggling most with the spread of the virus, one police department wanted to make absolutely sure its community healthcare workers knew exactly how they felt. The Fort Myers Police Department took 14 cruisers to Lee Memorial Hospital and parked them in the shape of a heart. To make sure they really drove the point home several officers stood in the middle of the design holding signs that spelled “FMPD Thanks You.”

The officer who came up with the idea said they wanted to show their support for their local healthcare workers and that everyone involved volunteered for the special mission. She said some of the nurses ending their shift had tears in their eyes and came over to get pictures.

“This was a personal experience that was a simple way to show our appreciation,” she said. “It’s tough times and we all have to stick together.”

Recounting abuse in a courtroom can be a traumatic experience for anyone, let alone a child. Additionally, facing an abuser in person can be an extremely emotional experience. And there are some people going the distance to help make sure children in those situations feel safe.

Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) is a nonprofit organization that does exactly what its letters say. Bikers, from around the world come together to create an additional support system for a kid that needs someone else in his corner. They’ll even take shifts if the child is afraid of the abuser coming back to their home.

There are chapters in nearly every state, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand (among others). After being contacted by the family, bikers will ride out to the child’s home to present him with an honorary vest and patch, and continue to provide additional support as needed. They also give the kid a cool nickname.

Just check out their mission statement to see how badass they truly are. Mission statements are usually very boring. Not this one. It starts with “We exist as a body of bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live.”

And concludes “We do not condone the use of violence or physical force in any manner, however, if circumstances arise such that we are the only obstacle preventing a child from further abuse, we stand ready to be that obstacle.”

If you were watching Monday night’s Daytona 500, you probably saw the fiery crash that ended Ryan Newman’s day just as he was about to win the race.

The trophy suddenly became the last thing in Newman and his family’s mind. Instead, Newman was rushed to the hospital, where it was reported that he was in serious, but non-life-threatening condition.

That was great news for Newman’s wife Krissie and his two daughters, Brooklyn and Ashlyn, whom he clearly adored, as evidenced by his doting social media posts.

NASCAR officials have been updating the public on their driver’s condition, sharing some good news on his progress.

Wednesday they released this statement: “Ryan Newman continues to show great improvement after Monday night’s last-lap accident at Daytona International Speedway. The veteran driver is fully alert and walking around Halifax Medical Center. True to his jovial nature, he has also been joking around with staff, friends, and family while spending time playing with his two daughters.”

And then, a few hours later, Newman posted this image on his Instagram, just two days removed from his harrowing wreck.

 

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#Repost @roushfenway ・・・ Ryan Newman has been treated and released from Halifax Medical Center

A post shared by Ryan Newman (@ryannewman1977) on Feb 19, 2020 at 10:57am PST

That’s Newman, exiting the hospital with his two girls. That’s Newman walking out under his own power, a mere three days after the crash that had many viewers fearing the worst.

The caption reads: “Ryan Newman has been treated and released from Halifax Medical Center.”

NASCAR fans knew the man was fast, but this is remarkable. Even better that his girls were there to walk out with him.

Happy news all around!

It can be easy to forget that famous people are still human. That actors and athletes and celebrities, despite seemingly glamourous lifestyles, are actually working professionals, with lives and families. And for some of them, particularly the athletes, their jobs involve a lot of risk.

Especially when that job involves racing a car at speeds over 200 mph.

Ryan Newman is one such professional, a NASCAR driver who participated in the Daytona 500 over the weekend. Ryan has a wife and two daughters, and Sunday afternoon could not have been easy for them. Newman was closing in on a victory at the fabled race when he was involved in a fiery crash and failed to immediately emerge from his car, which had viewers fearing the worst. Among those viewers was his wife.

After witnessing the crash, Newman’s wife, Krissie, with whom he’d just announced a separation after 16 years of marriage, tweeted her reaction. Hopefully, their two daughters weren’t also watching.

Omg

— Krissie Newman (@NewmanKrissie) February 18, 2020

Krissie wasn’t the only one worried about her husband, as fans gathered outside the hospital awaiting word on his condition.

Fans have gathered outside Halifax to wait for news about Newman and pray for him and his family. The man I just spoke with was sitting directly in front of the crash. He was emotional discussing his worries about Newman’s condition. #Daytona pic.twitter.com/tFImFZgmIU

— Deanna Allbrittin (@deannaTVnews) February 18, 2020

Thankfully, NASCAR announced that while Newman is in serious condition after the crash, his injuries are not life-threatening.

pic.twitter.com/euuHYxPHxj

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 18, 2020

That’s promising news, especially for the two little girls Newman dotes on, as evidenced by his social media feeds, on which he shares images of hanging out with his kids and teaching them about the outdoors.

Happy National Hunting and Fishing Day from #TeamOutdoors! Self-imposed taxes from hunters and anglers raise billions of dollars for wildlife conservation. #takeakidfishing #takeakidhunting pic.twitter.com/XlEzn6DVqI

— Ryan Newman (@RyanJNewman) September 28, 2019

Clearly Newman relishes being a dad.

Our thoughts are with Ryan and his family and we’re rooting for him to make a full recovery.

There’s something deeply therapeutic about pulverizing a golf ball and watching it fade seamlessly into the middle distance. John Imrie and his buddy Kurt acknowledge this, which is why they set out to create the world’s first mobile driving range.

The ingenious idea came about while the two men were road tripping across Europe. “We had turned the car into a boy racer,” John explained. “We made it look utterly repulsive and took it around 12 countries in 11 days to film videos for our YouTube channel.”

The two buddies decked out the roof of the automobile with synthetic turf, transforming a once boring set of wheels into the nomadic golfer’s dream car.

“We have hit a few wild balls in the countryside,” John added. “But we’d like to put this car to good use and may be contacting some golf courses, driving ranges and companies to see how we can use this car to encourage more people to pick up some golf clubs and have a bash!”

John and Kurt plan to take their ingenious, admittedly hideous creation to the North Coast 500, a 516-mile scenic route along the top of Scotland. Safe travels, gentlemen. Also double check the conversion rates in Europe, as they may yell a number other than “four.” 

Peep the video below to see how they pulled off this impressive feat of ingenuity.

Looks like it’s deja vu all over again.

It’s been 27 years since weatherman Phil Connors was stuck in the same day for the classic film Groundhog Day.

Fast forward to 2020 and he’s right back at that Punxsutawney bed and breakfast being jolted awake by Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” on the clock radio.

“Oh no,” he says. And it’s not long before he’s haunted by familiar faces from the past.

Only this time the tides quickly turn when he discovers a new ride and he embraces life on repeat with his furry little friend.

Everyone is a little older. And sadly, the movie’s beloved director Harold Ramis is no longer with us. But it’s obvious the makers of this commercial went through a lot of trouble to get all the details from the original film right.

Check it out below:

Jeep had released a few teasers leading up to the big reveal:

Phil and Phil have a heart-to-heart.

We missed you Ned:

Enjoy the big game!

Getting your first car is a rite of passage, and having your parents gift you a car is even better. For a parent, being able to do something like that for your child, on the occasion of a major milestone like their 16th birthday, is pretty special too. Little did one dad know how special his purchase would turn out to be.

Kevin Duke couldn’t wait to give his daughter her first car when she turned 16. He purchased a used Ford Fusion and did due diligence, expecting every inch and giving it multiple test drives to make sure it was safe before he dared let his little girl get behind the wheel.

After he bought it, he stumbled upon something he had somehow missed.

“Well, yesterday I’m in it tinkering around and I open this storage compartment on top of the dash (which I’ve opened a half dozen times already),” he said. “This time I notice a rubber mat in the bottom of it and for whatever reason, I pull it out.”

What he found was an envelope addressed to the “new car owner” which said, “important info inside.” When he read the letter, he was stunned. It was from the previous owner’s child.

“This car holds a lot of special memories for me,” it said. “My home and everything in it is gone, this car is all that I had left to touch…To the person that gets this car, I just wanted to let you know what a special vehicle you’ve bought. This car belonged to my mom. She passed away.”

It turns out that the person who wrote the letter was Sabrina Archey, and she had suffered a tragedy when she lost her mom, her aunt, and her 6-year-old daughter Jensyn in a house fire in February 2015. Her community rallied around her, holding events in her family’s memory and helping raise awareness of the need for smoke detectors. But the cost of three funerals forced Sabrina to sell her mom’s Ford Fusion, and now it belonged to Kevin Duke and his daughter.

“I know it’s just a car to you, but to me it’s so much more,” Sabrina’s letter read. “So now that it’s yours, please remember it isn’t just a car. It’s a memory. This car with all its quirks is the last piece of my family. Be nice to it.”

She wrote that the car was named “Sylvia” after a favorite song that was connected with it, and she wished the new owner luck with the car. But she also hoped she might one day get it back. “I just paid for 3 funerals, I can’t afford to buy it right now, but hopefully, I’ll be in a better financial situation if you decide later that she’s just not right for you anymore.”

Kevin knew what he had to do, and when he told Jada, she agreed. Eventually, they were able to located Sabrina via social media and work out a deal to return her car, complete with a fundraiser and help from an Australian TV show!

“I feel really blessed,” she said.

It’s always a good idea to share with your kids about what you do and why you’re passionate about it. Not only does it set an example for doing good work, but it might just pique their interest as well.

Londyn Bennett-Dotson, for example, has always loved watching her father Devante Bennett-Dotson work on cars as a mechanic, so when he invited her to grab her own tools and coveralls, she couldn’t have been more excited.

Two-year-old Londyn and 26-year-old Devante’s birthdays are only a day apart so they decided to celebrate with a daddy-daughter photoshoot, courtesy of Londyn’s mother, Ashleigh Sheppard.

“She was enjoying it as much as we was. I believe once the car was lifted up, she got up under it looking at it first,” Devante told PEOPLE. “Then I handed her a wrench and, before you knew, I had to keep passing her wrenches like it was really that many bolts under there!”

Devante says Sheppard came up with the idea after watching her daughter imitate her father.

“In my free time I’m a mechanic and Londyn watches and tries helping with everything I do,” Devante says. “I was all for it and [the experience] made my day, especially seeing my little girl actually doing it and [being] into something that she watches me do.”

To the family’s surprise, their adorable photoshoot went viral on Facebook, being shared over 34,000 times.

“We was just posting the pics for our birthdays, not thinking much of it — and boom,” Devante recalls. “The liking and shares on all social media just kept climbing, climbing, and, to be honest, we still in shock that it did.”

Sheppard told Good Morning America about setting up the shoot, going as far as designing a monogrammed jumpsuit for her little gearhead of a daughter.

She commented that Londyn “loves doing everything daddy does.”

“If he’s outside, she’s outside. If he’s under a car, she wants to be under a car,” she told GMA.

A love for cars is clearly something that runs in the family, too, as Devante started working on cars with his grandfather when he was 2-years-old as well.

“I do believe Londyn actually might want to be a mechanic later on in life,” Devante told Inside Edition. “I turn my back one minute she’s trying to take tires off her bicycle or messing with my motorcycle or her [toy] car.”

This is so stinking adorable, we’re even willing to dismiss the fact that she chose an import as her first car.

The term “midlife crisis” gets thrown around a lot these days, perhaps too much. Especially since no one can really seem to agree when “midlife” even is anymore.

We live a lot longer these days, and while 40 used to seem like middle-age, that doesn’t seem so accurate anymore. Maybe that’s just because I’m 40+ now and I don’t even feel like an adult, let alone a middle-aged one. Or maybe it’s because the last I heard, 40 was the new 20!

So while there’s some debate over when middle age descends upon a person, it’s often fairly clear when a crisis hits. The old stereotype of the midlife crisis usually involves someone attaining something splashy and youthful, so as to deny their own aging. In many cases, for men, that’s a younger wife, or, perhaps more typically, a sports car.

One Scottish dad seemingly embraced that idea, going out and buying himself a new sports car. This gentleman may or may not be middle-aged (I don’t judge!), but based on footage of his attempt to extricate himself from said sports car, he’s definitely having a crisis.

My man is caught on video proudly seated in his new car, clearly excited to be showing off, not yet realizing what he’s in for when he opens the door to get out. The next 44 seconds features him trying to exit his fancy new car and having a comically hard time doing so.

The car’s tight quarters force my dude to twist his body to free his legs and then essentially crawl out of the car, putting his hands on the pavement and pulling his legs free, much to the delight of the person capturing the footage.

It’s hard to do it justice, so you’ll just have to watch:

To add insult to injury, the person filming – presumably, and hopefully, the guy’s son – enjoyed the experience so much that not only can he can clearly be heard laughing throughout.

Again, I have no idea how old this dad is, so the term “midlife” not apply, but it’s pretty safe to say that “crisis” totally does.

In 2004, a Texas man named Wesley Ryan decided to sell his beloved 1993 Ford Mustang GT to help pay for his wife’s medical bills. His wife beat ovarian cancer, and the two went on to continue raising two pretty awesome kids (you’ll see why). Their kids never forgot their dad’s sacrifice, and over the years began trying to track down the car and started saving money to buy it back. They finally found it on Craigslist, matching the VIN number, and surprised their dad with the car (see, told you, awesome).

And then Ford helped kick things up a notch. An executive heard about the story after it went viral and wanted to do something for the man. The car, while back in the hands of its rightful owner, was in pretty rough shape. So the executive decided to surprise him by having the car fully restored, throwing in a new engine, transmission, brakes, and bodywork.

The entire family was invited to Ford’s world headquarters when Henry Ford III unveiled the restored car.

“We heard about your story and we heard about what a passionate and tight-knit family you guys are and we kind of feel the same way around here at Ford,” Ford III, told the man. “I know you made a pretty big sacrifice to take care of your family. … So, this is your car. … We’re so happy to be a part of it and to be able to return it to you with, I think, some improvements that you’ll like.”

Wesley Ryan sold his white 1993 Mustang GT 17 years ago to pay for his wife’s cancer treatment. On Thursday, with wife, Laura in the passenger seat, he started up the engine of that very car in front of Ford World Headquarters and started to cry. https://t.co/kEjjUNEAE8

— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) August 8, 2019