Part mechanic, part cinematographer, Simon Fordman on YouTube has found the unique balance between calming ASMR and visual storytelling. His long-form restoration videos are simple yet intriguing enough to keep you curious about what happens next. And you’ll be especially invested in whether his latest rust bucket gets him home.
Fordman’s YouTube videos have no voiceovers or audio commentary. Instead, he writes thorough video descriptions as well as time-stamped chapters to detail and explain the work he’s performing on a vehicle. He also utilizes on-screen captions to expand the narrative further, but such explainers almost feel like nice-to-haves because of the already high-production value of the video.
This isn’t to say that Fordman’s films are big-budget shows. Not quite, but they appear to be produced with care and attention to detail—just like how he fixes up his latest classic jalopy.
(Editor’s Note: My favorites are when he tinkers with his old 300 I6-powered Ford pickup. Maybe I’m biased. -CJ)
Based in Minnesota, Fordman created his YouTube page in late 2022 but apparently didn’t upload his first video until March 2023. His early works were roughly 30 minutes long but almost always two-parters. Now, his videos have a running time of an hour-plus.
But the pacing is such that the videos feel neither rushed nor languid. The only thing slow and lazy in relation to Fordman’s videos might be the weekend afternoon you decide to sit down and enjoy them as a moment of gearhead zen. Even better if you’re a cat person.
If the clink and clank of wrenches on an engine block weren’t soothing enough, this year, Fordman added a quirky signature to his “Thanks for watching” outro: a cat being pampered. Hanging out with a pet after a long day at work is a decompression tactic many of us can relate to. Cat, dog, hamster, anything friend-shaped.
Note that Fordman also doesn’t make these home movies for mechanics because he has a business to promote or parts to sell. As his YouTube “About” section states: “Howdy. I like fixing stuff and making videos. I hope you enjoy.” With currently more than 11.5 million views and nearly 76,000 subscribers, it’s safe to say the consensus is that his videos aren’t considered a wasted hour or a few.