The MuscleCar Place

This week, at long last, I caught up with a very busy guy Scott Bowers. Scott is the president of Ron Francis wiring and I wanted to get his story about how they are coping with the Covid-19 pandemic. They are a manufacturer and located on the East Coast, two components of the equation that I was curious about. I was amazed at his candor regarding the situation but not too surprised at the answers.

Subscribe in iTunes Listen in Stitcher Listen on Google Play ====================================================== FEATURE INTERVIEWS: Rick Love - Vintage Air   Vintage Air equipped Coyote Mustang Rick Love of Vintage Air This week I once again had the privilege of talking to Rick Love, Vice President of Vintage Air. Vintage Air is as synonymous with "hot rod Air-conditioning" as Kleenex is with facial tissue. They've become the go-to for all things A/C and heat related in the most popular muscle cars, hot rods, and trucks imaginable - but Rick shared the details and requirements to make it work well and effectively in any vehicle. (Here's a hint - sealing and insulation your interior space is a good thing!) Every year around this time many classic car owners start thinking about staying cool while cruising around. Vintage Air has packages for popular vintage vehicles and even some newer cars. They provide the systems for the new Ford GT's, limited production OEM vehicles, and even the Roxor off road vehicle from Mahindra. They are adding new systems and products many times each year. Rick said they have even worked with Electric GT to provide an electric A/C system for the conversion packages they provide. Vintage Air will have a system that will fit right out of the box or they have the parts to make one fit in almost any vehicle. You can find out more information at VintageAir.com or on Facebook . Thanks for the interview and the support of the show Rick! -Rob Kibbe  ====================================================== This interview sponsored by our pals at National Parts Depot – your premier source for muscle car restoration parts! ====================================================== This episode also includes the return of the  Vintage Air Summer Special!  Vintage Air are the inventors of high performance air conditioning, and provide systems for Street Rods, Muscle Cars, and Classic Vehicles. More info is available on the website as well! ====================================================== Presented with Holley! Holley TerminatorStealth EFI – 550-445 on #KibbeLee! Photo by Erick Barrandey - @rolledingold on Instagram Holley is the official EFI source for Kibbe and Friends and is the PROUD sponsor of this episode! Their Terminator Stealth system on my General Lee is killing it. There's a BRAND NEW MOPAR EVENT listed on their website that you need to save the date for as well: Sept 18-20 in Bowling Green, KY. Hint - there's a General Lee jump! https://www.moparty.com

This week I once again had the privilege of talking to Rick Love, Vice President of Vintage Air. Vintage Air is as synonymous with "hot rod Air-conditioning" as Kleenex is with facial tissue. They've become the go-to for all things A/C and heat related in the most popular muscle cars, hot rods, and trucks imaginable - but Rick shared the details and requirements to make it work well and effectively in any vehicle. (Here's a hint - sealing and insulation your interior space is a good thing!)

This week I spoke to Frank Mecum of Mecum Auctions. In most of my interviews the story starts "at a young age with a love of cars". This story does have that theme, but begins with two generations of Mecums (including Dana Mecum and his father) working in and owning new car dealerships for years. Early on they came across a large collection of collectible cars that allowed the set up the first Mecum auction ever. The event took place at the Rockford airport in Illinois and after the cars were sold a tornado came through and destroyed nearly everything - including the cars. Frank said that his grandfather owed so many people money after that auction that he had to do it again the next year. The start was humble, but it led to the Mecum auction enterprise we know today.

This week I spoke to Frank Mecum of Mecum Auctions. In most of my interviews the story starts "at a young age with a love of cars". This story does have that theme, but begins with two generations of Mecums (including Dana Mecum and his father) working in and owning new car dealerships for years. Early on they came across a large collection of collectible cars that allowed the set up the first Mecum auction ever. The event took place at the Rockford airport in Illinois and after the cars were sold a tornado came through and destroyed nearly everything - including the cars. Frank said that his grandfather owed so many people money after that auction that he had to do it again the next year. The start was humble, but it led to the Mecum auction enterprise we know today.

This week I spoke to Kevin Marti of Marti Auto Works, home of the world famous "Marti Report". For the Ford faithful, this famous report allows one to know the actual manufacturer data for any Ford built 1967 or newer, including options, colors, build dates, rarity, and otherwise! It's the actual proof to know if your rare Ford or Mercury is the Real McCoy. But....as all good stories go, Kevin's intent wasn't to create a report company at all. It was born out of a search to solve a problem he had! Holley is the official EFI source for Kibbe and Friends and is the PROUD sponsor of this episode! Their Terminator Stealth system on my General Lee is killing it. There's a BRAND NEW MOPAR EVENT listed on their website that you need to save the date for as well: Sept 18-20 in Bowling Green, KY. Hint - there's a General Lee jump! https://www.moparty.com The Pro-Touring Update - Presented by Ron Francis Wiring - STARRING LARRY CALLAHAN - is back! 2020 Pro-touring Events: With the COVID-19 virus shutting down all large gatherings, the question remains of what events will still be allowed to operate. Even a small GoodGuys event would draw large enough crowds to violate even the most generous relaxing of the rules. Stay tuned and we will provide updates on these events as they come available. As of the release of this episode, GoodGuys events all will restart after July 1, 2020. Visit Pro-Touring.com for details and updates! =

This week I spoke to Kevin Marti of Marti Auto Works, home of the world famous "Marti Report". For the Ford faithful, this famous report allows one to know the actual manufacturer data for any Ford built 1967 or newer, including options, colors, build dates, rarity, and otherwise! It's the actual proof to know if your rare Ford or Mercury is the Real McCoy. But....as all good stories go, Kevin's intent wasn't to create a report company at all. It was born out of a search to solve a problem he had! Holley is the official EFI source for Kibbe and Friends and is the PROUD sponsor of this episode! Their Terminator Stealth system on my General Lee is killing it. There's a BRAND NEW MOPAR EVENT listed on their website that you need to save the date for as well: Sept 18-20 in Bowling Green, KY. Hint - there's a General Lee jump! https://www.moparty.com The Pro-Touring Update - Presented by Ron Francis Wiring - STARRING LARRY CALLAHAN - is back! 2020 Pro-touring Events: With the COVID-19 virus shutting down all large gatherings, the question remains of what events will still be allowed to operate. Even a small GoodGuys event would draw large enough crowds to violate even the most generous relaxing of the rules. Stay tuned and we will provide updates on these events as they come available. As of the release of this episode, GoodGuys events all will restart after July 1, 2020. Visit Pro-Touring.com for details and updates! =

The MuscleCar Place is Proudly Presented by National Parts Depot! Visit www.nationalpartsdepot.com to purchase all of your muscle car restoration parts today. This week marks the return of my longtime pal Mike Finnegan, live from his home garage! Mike is the co-host of Finnegan's Garage on YouTube along with his pal Dave Newbern, and stars on multiple shows on the Motor Trend including as Roadkill and Faster with Finnegan. He was also the co-host of the wildly popular and entertaining Kibbe and Finnegan podcast from 2016-2018. His mere presence and sunny disposition is a good thing of course, but he came on with an announcement you'll want to hear - tonight (May 8) he is giving away some great stuff live on Youtube!  Yes, Holley is the official EFI source for TMCP and is a PROUD sponsor of this episode! And with that said....they're also the EXHAUST source for the Kibbe and Friends Show. For you hip kids who are already on the LT swap game, have no fear. Hooker BlackHeart is pleased to announce their new LT Swap Exhaust Manifolds. These Hooker BlackHeart cast iron exhaust manifolds for the popular GM LT motor feature 2.5-inch outlets and are designed to hug close to the engine block so they fit into a wide variety of replacement and engine-swap applications. Visit Holley.com for details!

The MuscleCar Place is Proudly Presented by National Parts Depot! Visit www.nationalpartsdepot.com to purchase all of your muscle car restoration parts today. This week marks the return of my longtime pal Mike Finnegan, live from his home garage! Mike is the co-host of Finnegan's Garage on YouTube along with his pal Dave Newbern, and stars on multiple shows on the Motor Trend including as Roadkill and Faster with Finnegan. He was also the co-host of the wildly popular and entertaining Kibbe and Finnegan podcast from 2016-2018. His mere presence and sunny disposition is a good thing of course, but he came on with an announcement you'll want to hear - tonight (May 8) he is giving away some great stuff live on Youtube!  Yes, Holley is the official EFI source for TMCP and is a PROUD sponsor of this episode! And with that said....they're also the EXHAUST source for the Kibbe and Friends Show. For you hip kids who are already on the LT swap game, have no fear. Hooker BlackHeart is pleased to announce their new LT Swap Exhaust Manifolds. These Hooker BlackHeart cast iron exhaust manifolds for the popular GM LT motor feature 2.5-inch outlets and are designed to hug close to the engine block so they fit into a wide variety of replacement and engine-swap applications. Visit Holley.com for details!

Happy May 2020! With some of the country starting to re-open I thought that this episode would be appropriate for a special edition all "Ask Rick" show with Rick Schmidt from NPD. Rick's monthly segment has been highly popular with so many of you due to his straightforward approach to all questions asked, and I specifically wanted to hear how COVID-19 is affecting the automotive aftermarket and restoration economy. The short answer is...things aren't exactly as you think they might be! Holley, with the help of Prestige Motorsports, Dart, and TorqStorm, have concocted a 427 cubic inch, twin-supercharged combo that is capable of sending absurd levels of good old-fashioned V8 horsepower to the pavement! The retail value of all of the components totals up to $23,364.44 and all you have to do to get a shot at winning is to SIGN UP HERE! Here is the direct link to use: https://bit.ly/KAFS-Holley-LS-Sweepstakes

Happy May 2020! With some of the country starting to re-open I thought that this episode would be appropriate for a special edition all "Ask Rick" show with Rick Schmidt from NPD. Rick's monthly segment has been highly popular with so many of you due to his straightforward approach to all questions asked, and I specifically wanted to hear how COVID-19 is affecting the automotive aftermarket and restoration economy. The short answer is...things aren't exactly as you think they might be! Holley, with the help of Prestige Motorsports, Dart, and TorqStorm, have concocted a 427 cubic inch, twin-supercharged combo that is capable of sending absurd levels of good old-fashioned V8 horsepower to the pavement! The retail value of all of the components totals up to $23,364.44 and all you have to do to get a shot at winning is to SIGN UP HERE! Here is the direct link to use: https://bit.ly/KAFS-Holley-LS-Sweepstakes

This week our guest was Blake Foster, President of SpeedTech Performance USA. Speedtech is known for many things, but as of late I've noticed a LOT of their product in the field, at SEMA, and at the track. The common denominator: BIG front tires are included in the suspension packaging, even on cars where there is often no practical way to do so (such as an A-Body GM car like a Chevelle or GTO). Blake's mottos is, "why make great suspension just to run a 245 tire?" With that said...I needed to know more! Yes, Holley is the official EFI source for The MuscleCar Place Network! If that's not enough, they have just announced that with the help of Prestige Motorsports, Dart, and TorqStorm, they've concocted a 427 cubic inch, twin-supercharged combo that is capable of sending absurd levels of good old-fashioned V8 horsepower to the pavement! The retail value of all of the components totals up to $23,364.44 and all you have to do to get a shot at winning is to SIGN UP HERE! Here is the direct link to use: https://bit.ly/KAFS-Holley-LS-Sweepstakes

This week our guest was Blake Foster, President of SpeedTech Performance USA. Speedtech is known for many things, but as of late I've noticed a LOT of their product in the field, at SEMA, and at the track. The common denominator: BIG front tires are included in the suspension packaging, even on cars where there is often no practical way to do so (such as an A-Body GM car like a Chevelle or GTO). Blake's mottos is, "why make great suspension just to run a 245 tire?" With that said...I needed to know more! Yes, Holley is the official EFI source for The MuscleCar Place Network! If that's not enough, they have just announced that with the help of Prestige Motorsports, Dart, and TorqStorm, they've concocted a 427 cubic inch, twin-supercharged combo that is capable of sending absurd levels of good old-fashioned V8 horsepower to the pavement! The retail value of all of the components totals up to $23,364.44 and all you have to do to get a shot at winning is to SIGN UP HERE! Here is the direct link to use: https://bit.ly/KAFS-Holley-LS-Sweepstakes

This week our guest was Shag Arrington from the hit Motor Trend automotive show "Iron Resurrection." They just wrapped their forth successful season and he came on to discuss the life and times (and realities) of what it takes to create dream cars that may take a year to create...in just an hour of screen time! Just a reminder - Holley is not only the official EFI source for Kibbe and Friends and is the PROUD sponsor of this episode, but they are also giving away a crazy twin supercharged LS engine stuffed with every aftermarket part you can think of! The parts alone are over $20K - and all you need to do to have a shot at it is to enter the contest! Here's the link. Go get it! https://bit.ly/KAFS-Holley-LS-Sweepstakes.

This week our guest was Shag Arrington from the hit Motor Trend automotive show "Iron Resurrection." They just wrapped their forth successful season and he came on to discuss the life and times (and realities) of what it takes to create dream cars that may take a year to create...in just an hour of screen time! Just a reminder - Holley is not only the official EFI source for Kibbe and Friends and is the PROUD sponsor of this episode, but they are also giving away a crazy twin supercharged LS engine stuffed with every aftermarket part you can think of! The parts alone are over $20K - and all you need to do to have a shot at it is to enter the contest! Here's the link. Go get it! https://bit.ly/KAFS-Holley-LS-Sweepstakes.