Don't want to brave the subfreezing cold to clean off your car? No problem! If you have a spare crankshaft and electric motor lying around, you can make your own snow shaker to clear your vehicle in less than a minute!
Fresh off their mobile car wash invention, that's just what the crew at Garage 54 did. Inspired by YouTube videos showing subwoofers clearing snow off cars, Garage 54 proclaimed, "That's not how we roll." Then they proceeded to MacGyver a contraption for an old Lada.
They started by grinding chunks off a crankshaft's counterweights to unbalance it. After shaving more than 3.5 kilos or 7.7 pounds of iron off, the crew mounted it to a frame and hooked it up to an electric motor. A quick test showed the crankshaft jiggled like a violent Shake Weight. Two grown men could barely hold the frame down and decided the only option was to weld the snow shaker to the Lada's roof. Now nothing would stop them from clearing piles of snow.
Nothing except a few technical difficulties with the Lada. Convinced the problem was due to the size of the snow shaker's motor, they decided to go big or go home, sourcing a bigger motor, reinforcing the frame welds, and adding extra bracing.
The end result works surprisingly well. The snow shaker clears snow off the entire car faster than a brush. In fact, it may be better than a brush because it won't scratch the paint. Never mind that the frame welded to the roof is larger than a police lightbar.
Once refined, the snow shaker could have a lot of practical applications, just like other Garage 54 inventions, including the half gas, half diesel engine. Need to remove dirt or rust from the underside of your car? Want to loosen up that sore back with a massage while you sit in traffic? The incredible Snow Shake-O-Matic does it all! It won't slice or dice, but it is this year's must-have car accessory!
