The MuscleCar Place

This week, I have the outstanding privilege of of introducing a brand new podcast on The MuscleCar Place Network. It's called "Factorish" and is hosted by my great friends Kirk Hansen and Zip Simons. This new show is an all new concept for us, and one that Kirk has pioneered, with Zip providing the insight that only a hot rod shop owner can. It's a full talk show, built for YouTube and audio podcast release but featuring automotive reviews and drives as well. Think of it like The MuscleCar Place, combined with My Classic Car, combined with Entrepreneur magazine. You can plan to watch and listen to two new episodes of Factoryish each month. Be sure to visit their website often and bookmark ALL of the platforms below! Factoryish.com Watch Factoryish on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@factoryish9260 Listen to Factoryish on Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/factoryish/id1689680197?mt=2&ls=1 Listen Factoryish on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03pn8RQkhiPjxBa2R8fimT Listen to Factoryish on iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-factoryish-114913862/ Listen to Factoryish on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/FACTORYISH-Podcast/B0C4Z3CS9W?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

It is June and finally the start of summer is upon us (technically it's June 21st...but who's counting). The recent Mecum auction ended with some very interesting surprises and apparently some gossip and fallout after the bidding was all done. I Asked Rick what he thought about the prices and investment quality of the offerings this year as well as his take on some cars that I was considering until the prices went up!

This week our guest was Topher McGinnis, otherwise known as the "Headlight Motor man." He is the person in the vast world of "MOPAR hidden headlight restoration" and has found a unique way to service a very specific segment of the restoration industry. I didn't ask him specifically about non MOPAR applications, but I'm sure he'd be willing to help give advice one way or the other!

This week I had the extreme pleasure to once again talk to Vintage Air President Rick Love. Vintage Air has been a long time sponsor of this show, and chances are you have a Vintage Air system (or many Vintage Air parts) in your current ride. Their name is synonymous with hot rod air conditioning (and heating), much like Kleenex is to tissues! As always though the company is only a representation of the people behind it and in it. Rick Love has been there since 1998, but has an even deeper history than that with the company.

May is here and car shows are starting up across the nation. Also Cinco de Mayo and Memorial day are around the corner and the official start of summer is near. I hope you have your car out or your project almost done to a point where you can drive it and enjoy the warmer weather. This time I decided to once again Ask Rick about six cars from two different categories.  The first set of cars are of "pedigree"and have either a track record or history that makes them special. The other category is $10k starter cars that are ready to go out and make some summer memories. Ricks take on these is always clear and to the point.

TCMP #538: Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan: How To Create a Garage Studio and Upcoming Pro-Touring Events!

April is here and Easter is upon us! For some of us, Spring brings on the need to get out our cars and get them ready for driving. For others it is the time to look for a project car to work on since it is now warm enough to spend hours in the garage or driveway bringing it back to life. This time I decided to Ask Rick about not just three but SIX cars to get his take on; 3 were crusty (but promising) restoration projects, and 3 were terrific (and affordable) examples of 3rd generation Pontiac Firebirds/Trans Ams that might be good fits for my son to take on. However, we started by addressing some thought listener questions on business: promoting and dismissing employees.

This week we are joined by car building royalty, the world famous Ring Brothers! We typically interview the Rings each year at SEMA, but at SEMA 2022 they had a "surplus" of vehicles on display (4)....and they were so busy accepting accolades and competing in the Builder of the Year competition (which they won) that we were never able to connect onsite. This is the long overdue follow up! As with all things, it was worth the wait. For the first time we were able to have a discussion about not only what they had a SEMA 2022 but how the two brothers from Wisconsin went from working construction, to owning a small gas station (for 7 months), to where they are today.

TMCP #535: Dan Kahn of Kahn Media - The 2023 State of the Nation of the Automotive Aftermarket!

Gangster St Patty's Day Mercs, Patenting Restoration Parts, and The Unintended Consequences of AI in Cars

  FEATURE INTERVIEW: JD Rudisill: Finale Speed Does It Again! Quite often, I like to check in with a former guest to see what they have been up to but that is usually after a couple years. Todays guest has managed to get back on my radar within months and has some very exciting news. I had JD Rudisill on the show in SEMA Special episode 524 talking about the Carbon Fiber 1969 Dodge Charger that was revealed at Dodge Speed Week in August 2022. This car or it's parts are now available through any Direct Connection dealer. The bare carbon Charger body was one of the highlight cars in the Dodge booth at SEMA 2022 and when I talked to JD there I asked him if anything else was coming up and he did not give me an answer, he just gave me a knowing stare. Now, Finale Speed, just seven months later has revealed at Barrett Jackson, a 1969 Carbon Fiber Camaro that people can order and have built specially for them. During the SEMA 2022 show JD did hint that other things were coming from them in the future....but I had no idea it was already in motion!  White the car is amazing, the story of Finale Speed itself is just as impressive. In the grand scheme of things, does anyone really need a carbon fiber car? Probably not.....but that's all the more reason to do it! For their shop, like many stories this one started at a young age with a fascination of all things wheeled and a friend that helped fuel the fire. When JD was only 15 he started working at the family used car business working on vehicles to be sold. Later on, after college, he went to work with his best friend Jason Engel. JD went off on his own and started Finale Speed to pursue his own creations. He grew this new business while building up a great team of highly skilled automotive craftsmen making the best vehicles in the category. As they built these high end cars, they started working with carbon fiber more and developed a great working relationship with Brothers Composites in Sheboygan Falls Wisconsin to also produce some of the greatest carbon fiber work seen in the custom car world.    JD admits that his and Jason's early automotive work was fueled by both of their fathers insistence that they do things the right way. Early on they decided to test their skills and build a couple of cars to take to an auction and find out the results. Jason built a Mustang and JD built a Corvette to take to a Barrett Jackson auction. Jason's car did much better and he saw a chance to make some money doing what he loved. JD helped him with the Mustangs for years and attributes much of his knowledge to this time with his friend encouraging each other to higher levels of workmanship.  The 1969 Camaro was already started when they were at SEMA 2022 and talking to me about the Charger. The release of the Charger put Finale Speed on the map and very visible on the automotive scene. The build started in earnest as soon as they came home from the big show and six months later they were at Barrett Jackson showing off the end result. JD said it was amazing to talk to the people you have seen on TV and know from high up in the industry and hear them talk in high regard about your creation. He said it was very fun to have the guys that put the effort into the car, there at the shows (Speed Week/SEMA/Barrett Jackson) to hear these comments straight from the experts mouths. It is encouraging to the guys to know their efforts are not unnoticed. The Camaros are built around an existing 1968/69 vehicle and completely reskinned in carbon fiber. The result is a 1000 lbs. weight savings in totally finished form! The doors are still a steel door for structural reasons but were also reskinned in carbon where it would not affect safety. The windshield and back glass are now flush mounted for aero reasons and the window frame itself was resized to use the OEM glass but has the benefits of a newer design.

TMCP #532: Ask Rick! Playing the Value Game of Buying and Selling at Auctions (and Online) in 2023

TMCP #531: Holy Warner Brothers License, Batman! Mark Racop's Amazing Career of Building Original Batmobile Replicas!

TMCP #530: The Business of Getting Into Racing with Brian Bohlander - Understanding Sponsorship, Buying A Ride, and Going Big!

Happy New Year and welcome to 2023! It is once again time to talk with Rick about the burning questions of New Year's goals, blue chip muscle cars, and the best the restoration market will continue to grow (likely trucks). Unfortunately, as most of you have likely already heard, the death of Ken Block is where the initial focus of this episode is dedicated. Ken left a legacy in our work akin to Dale Earnhardt in some way, and he defined the pursuit of passion. He had two entirely different careers in founding DC Shoes and Hoonigan, and he is one person who will always leave an impression on all of us who are following in his footsteps. In the end though, he was a man who had a wife and three children, all of whom are now without him. Our sincere condolences and prayers go out to all of them.