Two Guys Garage Podcast

As the hustle and bustle of the holidays recede in the rearview mirror, the guys finally get some time to trade notes on the 2023 SEMA Show. And there is a lot to talk about, including some of their favorite hot rods and show cars, as well as what wasn’t there (spoiler alert: it’s the Big 3). Perhaps best of all, Willie shares his sit-down conversation with 7-time Supercross and Motocross Champion Jeremy McGrath. The legendary racer, tire developer, and Maxxis brand ambassador says he continues to “have a lot of fun using a lot of great tires,” while reflecting that, “I didn’t race to be the Jeremy McGrath that everybody knows of now, it just kind of all happened.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welder, educator, author, and consultant Mark Prosser joins the podcast again to pass on more of his welding skills, knowledge, and tips with listeners. Speaking on the issue of welding on older muscle cars, Willie notes that,” when you get into that old metal, it takes the weld so much differently from some of the new metal … what's so different about metal today that's different from metal from several decades ago?" "Metals change through the years” Mark notes speaking on metallurgy,” just like welding processes, just like everything else". On this podcast, Mark and the guys shine a light on some of those changes and offer some techniques that might just help you tackle some of those welding issues, especially those that occur when working with thin sheet metal.

“There’s many things in life we want to be just like Willie,” Kevin pronounces at the top of today’s episode, “and this is one of them.” He’s talking about where to build and house our cars, where to put our tools, what our shops and garages look like. And Willie has a set of garages guaranteed to turn any car guy green with envy. But how do you find a house with a great shop or garage? Returning guest Brian McNamara started Gearhead Homes after identifying such a necessity. “I wanted a big garage myself and I couldn’t find somebody to help me out with that,” so he’s created a way to “dig those up and find those based on software and some other things that we’ve got proprietary to us.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Once you start really putting some racing technology into streetable cars, it gets really fun.” So it goes for Full Blown Kustoms owner James Goldman, as he tells the guys in this podcast. “They have four wheels and a seat, but they’re not cars anymore, they’re spaceships.” One need look no further than his twin turbo ’69 Lincoln Continental build for proof – as witnessed by its 14 million online views. Understanding the importance of building a core team while praising the fluidity of metal as an art form, Goldman notes that “whether it’s being unique and different or just having a much tighter fit and finish on your car, that’s becoming more important.”

The guys just wrapped work on Kevin’s Pro Touring daily driver project – a 1970 Fastback with Coyote swap – with a solid assist from Tom Peters of Mustangs to Fear. Having first staked a claim to fame with its “Gone in 60 Seconds” Eleanor-style fiberglass panels, MTF now offers a complete list of original products and straight up car builds. “Let’s face it, building a car is hard, and we don’t want to make it any harder than we have to,” says Tom. “We don’t develop anything in just a vacuum, we develop the whole system front to back.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A plasma cutter is an indispensable machine for anyone doing a significant amount of fab work. “The things you can do with a CNC plasma table are almost mind-blowing,” extols Kevin. “The speed, the accuracy, the repeatability, all of that when you really want to pump out the work." Greg Combe and Joe Cook of Tracker CNC join Kevin and Willie today to talk about CNC plasma tables and the differences between theirs and the competition. With specialized Command and Cut software and long-lasting construction, Tracker CNC’s affordable, professional grade CNC plasma cutting tables have contributed to their 30-year reputation for quality and customer service within the industry.

In Part 2 of this ongoing series of podcasts, the guys do a deep dive on details of Kevin’s Mustang project, including the centerpiece Coyote swap he’s pegged to deliver 800-1000 hp. “It’s gonna be my track day car, for sure. It’s gonna be nasty but refined,” says Kevin, noting that a chunk of the build will be shot for an upcoming episode of the TV show. His plan is to build the car “like a ship in a bottle – can I get everything in and under and leave the outside of the bottle without cracking it? That’s the challenge.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the godfathers of the Coyote engine, Adam Christian, joins the podcast to talk shop with the guys and discuss the infamous Ford GT40. Kevin notes that Adam “has a lot of car builds under his belt, and one of those builds is a full restoration of one of the original GT40s” made famous as the Le Mans-winning car that broke Ferrari’s winning streak in the 1960s and was recently brought back into the spotlight in the 2019 film, “Ford v Ferrari”. They discuss some of the history of the Coyote engine as well as the history and different generations of the amazing American-made GT40.

Kevin’s on a mission to not just rebuild but to reconceive the iconic 1970 Mustang Fastback he missed out on in his youth. In this first installment of an ongoing series, Kevin reveals his ambitious gameplan for the project, including how he came up with it, what he’s doing with it, and the direction he’s taking it. “It’s gonna be a daily driver hot rod that rips,” he tells Willie, “I’m gonna just hammer the bank account and I’m gonna get ‘er done!”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyle Fischer from Hot Shot’s Secret returns for another visit with the guys, and this time he’s brought with him Kevin Adams, VP of Research and Development, to talk about not only metal-on-metal contact, varnish, and sludge, but their new entry into the gasoline engine world. They've just emerged from the testing lab, where they’ve been focused on fixing a major problem in the LS engine world – the notorious LS engine tick. This new product is still being developed, and they need you to help test it to make sure it works on all applications. Tune in and find out how!

By his own admission, the way Terry Fair does things is probably not the way your typical racer would. The owner of Vorshlag Motorsports “needs a car that handles pretty badly, cause the worse it is from the factory, the more we can improve upon it.” Terry’s unorthodox methodology has driven some remarkable results, netting track time improvements from milliseconds to multiple seconds. As he explains to Kevin and Willie, “Most cars are pretty terrible, and that’s great for the aftermarket, it gives us a lot of things to fix.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to custom made-to-order lightweight forged aluminum performance wheels, David Schardt and the team at Forgeline Motorsports “make some of the top wheels you’ll see on just about anything,” notes Kevin, “from full-on race cars and supercars, down to just cool street machines.” David rejoins the podcast to compare notes with the guys on some of their past wheel decisions, discuss wheel technology and manufacturing from the past to the present, and consider the impact of proper wheel choice on the entire look of your vehicle.

Custom tuning continues to evolve by leaps and bounds. From simple tinkering with a screwdriver on a carburetor; to the first generations of fuel injection where everybody freaked out; to computer systems that with just a few parameters can learn by themselves; to dialing in sophisticated software and still managing to keep things legal as the EPA cracks down on emissions. Jay Payson of SCT Bullydog joins the guys to explore the innumerable ways in which the world of tuning is quite literally at our fingertips more and more each day.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Modern diesel engines are unbelievably powerful machines, and Bert Bonilla of Alliant Power knows a lot about them and the huge selection of new and remanufactured diesel parts they offer.  “These guys really live in the diesel world, really cut their teeth in the diesel world,” Willie observes by way of introduction, “and that nowadays is big power, big performance and big issues.” The guys tap into Bert’s deep knowledge of the process of remanufacturing and fixing issues with used parts, common diesel engine problems, major failures that Alliant sees in their service shops, and what to do to maintain that engine for longer

Blake Fuller is an automotive racer, builder, inventor, and founder of Braille Battery and Electric Performance. So, it was a natural for Kevin and Willie to turn to him for prognostications on the future of EV performance. “Those same deficiencies of the original American muscle cars in the 1960s are the same deficiencies that are having to be overcome today,” he tells the guys, “and that’s the fun part.” Despite that, EV acceleration and performance capabilities have already achieved “mind-bending” status.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Wolfe from Willis Performance joins the guys on the podcast to discuss his work with the Godzilla engine. Known as a Godzilla engine guru, Brian helped guide the 7.3-liter Godzilla engine while at Ford and is now able to create this engine in a way that makes it affordable for anyone. Willie asks, “Is it really out there and affordable to the point where you could go get your hands on one?” Brian counters with the full formula, describing the parts and the process of how he’s making 627 hp and 647 lb-ft with an affordable Godzilla engine for under $4,000! You don’t want to miss this episode!

Jim Horne and his wife/co-driver Barb are off-road racing professionals based out of Moab, Utah. “Racing for me, it’s not something I wanna do,” Jim tells Kevin and Willie, “it’s something I have to do, it’s inside me.” Securely tucked inside their Jeep Mojave Gladiator, the couple has put an astounding 5,000 hard-driving miles on a single set of Hercules Tires TT1s riding King of the Hammers, the Mint 400, and Best in the Desert… with plans to start the next season on the same set of tires! “And we can’t say that with any other tire we’ve raced on this truck.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Two Guys Garage sister series Truck U now celebrating its milestone 20th season on the air, Kevin and Willie welcome longtime hosts and best buddies Bruno Massel and Matt Steele for a fun and insightful conversation featuring memorable moments, bloopers, and anecdotes from their two-decade history together. “We had all this stuff in common and we just both wanted to make the television product the best that it could possibly be,” Matt recalls about their initial meeting, “and as a result of that, the work relationship was just really good from the start.” It’s a fun-filled trip down memory lane as twin sets of automotive television’s longest-running duos look back at how far the industry has come and muse about what lies ahead.

There are three key components effecting engine oil performance: viscosity, cleanliness, and additives. As Kevin points out, “It’s crazy how much science is going on in all these fluids that are in our vehicles and what those fluids are doing,” like dramatically increasing intervals between oil changes. Frequent guest Kyle Fischer of Hot Shot’s Secret adds that technology’s evolved over time, allowing oil to last longer before it falls out of grade. But that’s not all. Enter the bypass filter, “a second oil filter added to the vehicle’s oil system allowing you to keep it clean as the day you poured it in until the day you change it,” says Kyle, “and that is just priceless for the longevity of an engine over the long haul.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A professional full vehicle paint job can be very expensive, so it can be tempting to save cash by doing it yourself. However, there are a ton of pitfalls to beware of, not to mention a learning curve that can be quite steep. But with time, patience, and a clean working environment, you can achieve a shiny result to be proud of. “There is no better feeling in the car world than spitting out a great paint job,” Kevin tells Willie as they cover some tips and things to look out for when attempting a DIY paint job. Mobile Environmental Solutions’ Tom Williams joins the conversation to offer his insights on the merits of mobile paint booths and advancements in the paintless dent repair (PDR) market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie describes his buddy Brendan Schaub as “a mountain of all things: size, character, and energy,” not to mention an MMA fighter, standup comedian, podcaster, and crazy car/truck guy. His daily driver is a RAM TRX Sandblast Edition that packs a 700 hp Hellcat engine and supercharger, one of only a thousand made in 2022 and among the last to be delivered before Dodge shuts it all down in 2024. Today he joins the guys to wax ecstatic about the truck as all three bemoan the end of the ICE era and ponder a gasoline-free future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REVan Evan Smith is back on the podcast to once again discuss all things horsepower with the guys. As a driver, builder, professional photographer, writer, and video host who covers everything automotive, "This guy is sheer chaos on wheels," muses Willie. Evan’s got a lot on his mind today, including his ‘68 Mercury Cyclone build with a Godzilla engine, Paul Svinicki's famous 2000 Mustang Cobra R that resurfaced, was rebuilt, and once again ran on the track, and plenty of thoughts on industry trends both past and present.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REVan Evan Smith is plugged into everything related to cool cars, cool projects, and wild builds. He’s constantly up to something new in the exciting world of motorsports, from testing prototypes and creating machines and equipment most of us only ever dream about, to snapping exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the industry’s latest and greatest. Kevin and Willie have a long history with Evan dating back 20+ years, and to this very day his MO remains unchanged: “I’m always just trying to have some fun and playing with cars!” Right now, that includes everything from a ’68 Cyclone with Godzilla engine, to the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with Gen 4 Coyote, and 2025 Mustang GTD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renowned race announcer, event correspondent, and car builder Tim Strange returns to the podcast to talk shop and catch the guys up on what’s new in his world. As a fixture in the automotive industry, Tim is known for building “in your face hotrods”, and in this episode he discusses all things automotive, from trends in the industry to what he’s currently working on in his shop.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pilot Transport performs a crucial behind-the-scenes function in the automotive world, moving 350,000 vehicles all around the country each year, with 110-120 trucks on the road at any given time, including 30-40 runs to Fairbanks, Alaska in the winter! Joe Parks is the GM overseeing this massive operation for a roster of major clients including the Detroit OEs, Hot Rod Power Tour, Roadkill Nights, and SEMA. “I bet this man has been responsible for more million-dollar rides than we’ve ever seen in our life!” exclaims Willie, uniquely positioning Joe as the man with the inside scoop on some of the biggest mistakes folks make when hauling their own vehicles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a recent visit to the 2024 ISN Tool Dealer Expo, Willie discovered a group of products from a company called GripEdge Tools that positively blew his mind. He could hardly wait to get back and tell Kevin about their new Rounding Preventative Technology – RPT – that’s quickly changing the stripped fastener game. With Kevin sufficiently intrigued, the guys welcome Dan Styer to share his tools with listeners… and test Kevin’s skepticism.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much like anything else, it is true that not all oils are created equal. And with engines and metallurgy changing, producing higher pressures and temperatures in smaller engine compartments, there is a growing need for so-called miracle oils. This mixing of metal and lubrication is known as tribology, and it’s something that Darren Lesinski, Technical Director at Total Energies, understands better than most. Driven largely by major advances in chemistry and processing, these oils are getting much thinner and can last much longer, with many more exciting developments now in the pipeline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been nearly 5 years since the inception of the podcast, and Kevin and Willie can hardly believe it. Yet, here they are, celebrating episode #300. “It’s been a fun little journey, but I don’t see it ending anytime soon,” observes Kevin, adding that “there’s so many things out there that are still evolving and still ready to dive deep into.” It’s the perfect launchpad for revisiting some of the major changes that have impacted the auto industry – and the guys’ personal lives during this period. “The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately,” says Willie. “What an epic time to be alive, to be able to drive, and just enjoy all the offerings that are on the table!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intellitronix is an employee-owned Ohio company best-known for its sleek and sexy LED gauges. The wide range of available colors and color selectable tech offers a state-of-the-art way to bring extra pop to many classic vehicles. And by using original bezels, Shawn Slenski and Mel Schneider can keep prices surprisingly affordable. “We’ve always been the bigger and brighter type guys; everything we build, it’s always more bold, more bright,” Shawn tells Willie and Kevin. “That’s kind of our niche down the digital dash lane.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Designer Murray Pfaff is renowned for his creative and wild projects, weird stuff you can trip out on that makes your jaw drop. Murray makes his third appearance on the podcast fresh off a pair of amazing back-to-back events: the 1,000-mile Hot Rod Power Tour – which saw him field both an Explorer ST with Petty’s Garage and a Meyers Manx SR kit car – followed a mere two days later by EyesOn Design, where unlike any other show in the country, one of the judging teams is legally blind, reviewing the cars purely by touch with white gloves on. It’s a fun and fascinating conversation you won’t want to miss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not to be outdone by Kevin’s Mustang project, Willie brought his 1978 Firebird onto the TV show. Distinct from its “Smokey and the Bandit” counterpart, this Trans Am is white with a silver bird, has no T-tops, and is incapable of replicating anything from the movie. And while it hasn’t been fired up in 25+ years, it’s about to get a ton of go-power and a whole lot of handling. We’re talking LS swap making 600-700 hp, major suspension upgrade, dry sump setup, belt drive, fuel injection, C5 brake package, and 18”-19” wheels. “For smiles per miles,” coos Willie, “that is the formula for a happy driver on a daily basis.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much like the host city of Las Vegas, the annual automotive aftermarket celebration known as the SEMA Show continues to get bigger and better every year, and this year promises to be no exception. From its first-ever live stream of all 31 hours of the show, to music acts and industry events, SEMA is THE place to be the first week of November. “This is where the future of automotive is being dictated,” Tom Gattuso, VP, Events, SEMA, tells the guys, themselves veterans of more SEMA Shows than they can count. “As a car guy, it is heaven,” Willie exclaims. “For four or five days, it is like nothing else!” Listen in and get the scoop on all that’s in store for this year’s event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Diesels are the bomb,” raves Kevin, “but there’s some things that go along with owning a diesel that you’ve got to be aware of, and some days you can get bit.” To illustrate this point, Kyle Fischer of Hot Shot’s Secret joins the guys to drop some science and offer some solutions for avoiding common pitfalls such as fuel gelling. “Diesel fuel in America sucks,” opines Fischer, adding that “we look at the problems that are caused by the fuel and how to protect these fuel systems.” Chief ingredients among these: lubricity additive, cetane booster, injector cleaner, water dispersant, rust and corrosion inhibitor, and fuel stabilizer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryan Fuller and Mark Prosser are back on the podcast discussing the science and art of welding and fabrication. Mark muses, "At the end of the day, every weld is the same thing, you're welding two pieces of metal together man”, the difference is “it's all in the prep”. From Inconel welding to an advanced metal shaping project in the works for 2025, today we're talking metallurgy. Listen in and learn, with this continued conversation with two legends of the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To say that not everyone enjoys wiring a vehicle is an epic understatement. Fortunately, Chris Squier of Hotwire Auto does, and he’s made it his mission to remove as much of the pain from the process as possible. Kevin and Willie chat with Chris about their recent experience using his simplified engine harness on Kevin’s 1970 Fastback project. “The end product Willie said looks factory, but I think it looks better than factory, the way you guys shroud the wires and protect everything” says Kevin. “It’s durable, it’s tough, it looks good, and it’s clean.” Adds Willie, “Talk about stealthy, it’s really amazing the job you guys have done to be able to hide it.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time since the 1960s, there’s a new automotive aftermarket industry trade show on the horizon. Under the auspices of the North Carolina Motorsports Association in consultation with former PRI President Dr. Jamie Meyer, preparations are deep underway for the High Performance Expo’s June 2025 debut in Charlotte. "There's still spots or pockets in the industry where there's opportunities for growth, and there's opportunities to bring people together," Jamie tells the guys, as they discuss the framework and aspirations for HPX in anticipation of next summer's inaugural event.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a professional Formula Drift driver, Matt Field rides on rails with controlled chaos underneath them. Essentially flying on pavement while going sideways at top speed, this occupation requires mad skills, intense concentration, and a warrior mentality. “These are full-blown race cars… it’s just a different form of race cars,” he tells the guys in a recent sit-down. “We want the stickiest tires with the lowest pressure with the grippiest suspension and we’re trying to go as fast as possible with our bumper on the wall.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Terry Fair of Vorshlag Motorsports returns to the podcast with an update on some of his current builds – most notably his “Trigger” Mustang – as well as the pros and cons that come with reengineering vehicles to racing levels. As a leading manufacturer and fabricator of high-end suspension and track components for track-oriented cars, "This man has got enough seat time in every racing aspect in every arena to probably give you some solid advice,” notes Willie. So, grab a pencil and get ready for some knowledge! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie take listeners behind the scenes of the TV show as they discuss their respective paths to “Two Guys Garage” coming from two different directions, landing in one spot, and bonding as partners in crime. Trained as an engineer, Kevin reveals how stints working with the legendary Carroll Shelby on “Rides” and Chip Foose on “Overhaulin’” led to his 14-season stint (and counting) on “Two Guys”. Willie details how his passion for cars and career in radio led to a spot on “PINKS”, and how he was “a little bit like a deer in the headlight” during his first season with Kevin. “I’m a little squarish in a round hole somedays but it works,” notes Kevin, “but together we’re gonna do it better!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diesel technology is having a moment, and Clint Cannon knows it. As President of ATS Diesel Performance, he can attest firsthand to why now is not the time for anyone in the industry to be resting on its laurels. ATS has been at the forefront of cutting-edge transmission and engine upgrades for diesel trucks for over 30 years. And with its new VNT Turbo and recently unveiled long-in-development offering for the (gasp!) gas engine market, Clint fully intends to remain so. About the latter he tells the guys, "It was kind of odd how this whole thing came together.” Listen and learn just how odd, indeed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to thermal management, you’ve got to protect everything under the hood (not to mention the driver and passengers!) from extreme heat. The guys at Heatshield Products have been designing innovative items that make vehicles perform better, last longer, be more durable, safer, and more comfortable since 1985. Bruce Heye and Chris Schwartz are a couple of car guys committed to creating highly affordable products anyone can use. “You have these crazy space age materials,” Kevin points out, “but you’ve put them in form factors that make it easy to install.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For some time now, Kevin’s been steadily transforming a ’69 Fastback Mustang from a former track car into a mean street-and-pro-touring beast. “The big question,” Willie asks, “is how do you get something that old to perform like something that’s new?” In this episode, Kevin provides an update on the current status of the project, including what parts, pieces, modifications, and new performance components he’s added to bring his modern vision for this classic closer to fruition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There is nothing like nitro methane power, the kind that makes 11,000 HP and flames coming out of the pipes,” NHRA Funny Car Driver Alexis DeJoria tells the guys in a candid pre-race sit-down. “We accelerate quicker than a fighter pilot does.” High adrenaline and outsized levels of risk run hand in glove, putting tremendous pressure on the crew chief, the DC Motorsports team, and herself. The ability to maintain laser focus while piloting a 300 mile per hour rocket can mean not just the difference between winning and losing, but between life and death. It’s a physical and emotional rollercoaster ride at maximum speed. “You have the highest highs with this kind of racing and the lowest lows.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Schafer got a 1975 Chevy K20 from his grandfather that was in need of an engine swap, so he picked up a used LS engine on Facebook Marketplace and started the rebuild… in his dorm room. His first Instagram post topped a million views, and within two months he had amassed over 500,000 followers waiting to see what was next. “The first time you build an engine is the craziest experience,” observes Willie, “let alone doing it in a setting that makes that experience ten times crazier!” Listen in as he and Kevin meet the social media sensation known as the “Dorm Room Mechanic”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Godzilla is Ford’s latest monster engine, their supersized response to the wildly successful LS platform. Kevin likens it to an LS on steroids with more cubic inches, while today’s guest Doug DeLong of Well Sorted offers it up as further proof of the adage, “there’s no replacement for displacement.” Recently relocated from Denver to Atlanta, Well Sorted is on the forefront of installations and different applications for this powerful beast, “the culmination of a lot of lessons learned” along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welding and fabrication legends Bryan Fuller and Mark Prosser join the podcast to catch everyone up on what’s going on in their worlds. Speaking on projects, Mark muses, “Everybody is into a cool project until there’s a bunch of work to be done. They love seeing the parts come in, the shiny chrome and the polished aluminum but now we gotta work guys…“. Enjoy this first of a two part podcast journey as they discuss past, present, and future projects and everything in-between. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finding a powerful powertrain for an old hot rod or truck is no longer the difficult challenge it once was. Nowadays it’s finding the right rear end that’s the real challenge. Have no fear though, Jon Henson of Currie Enterprises has a plan. “We want to take the voodoo out of a rear end and basically make it an easy purchase, an educated purchase, and something that now you can spec out based on your build and how you’re gonna use the vehicle,” he tells Willie and Kevin. “The ultimate goal is to make sure that at the end of the day when the customer gets in his car and he’s driving and he just wants that freedom, that he’s gonna get that feeling.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Factory Five Racing President and CEO Dave Smith has made an indelible mark in the component car, kit car, and hot rod industries. Once again leaping headfirst into automotive design, FFR’s latest is a remarkable prerunner truck kit that can double as your daily driver. As Dave explains it to the guys, “The idea was to use our chassis engineering and manufacturing skills in chassis and suspension, which we’re good at, and leverage it into a build-it-yourself Raptor on steroids with rabies.” And best of all, it comes at a very affordable price.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frank Vasquez, Chris Atkinson, and Joseph Torres of KW Suspensions check in with the guys for a Master Class in making old cars new again. “Nothing wakes a car up like putting new suspension components, parts, and pieces under it,” notes Willie at the outset, enabling them to drive like they were meant to be driven. “You would not believe the difference in the right spring and damper combination,” adds Kevin, “and the technology is through the roof.” Learn why friends don’t let friends cut springs or bump stocks; why shock speed is specific to how fast the shock is being either collapsed or extended; and why making too many changes at once can cause all manner of unforced errors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aerosol paints have evolved considerably since Ed Seymour first invented them 75 years ago, and the company that bears his name remains at the forefront of the aftermarket, turning DIYers into artists. To celebrate this milestone anniversary, the guys welcome Rodion Galperin for a conversation about all things aerosol, including the latest breakthroughs in the tech and some helpful tips for mastering your own technique.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frank Vasquez, Chris Atkinson, and Joseph Torres of KW Suspensions check in with the guys for a Master Class in making old cars new again. “Nothing wakes a car up like putting new suspension components, parts, and pieces under it,” notes Willie at the outset, enabling them to drive like they were meant to be driven. “You would not believe the difference in the right spring and damper combination,” adds Kevin, “and the technology is through the roof.” Learn why friends don’t let friends cut springs or bump stocks; why shock speed is specific to how fast the shock is being either collapsed or extended; and why making too many changes at once can cause all manner of unforced errors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a recent episode of the TV show, the guys were intending to rebuild a '66 Charger's 440 block as well as a 4-speed 833 overdrive transmission, but what they found was something neither had expected. “The first warning signs of an engine that is not a runner," notes Willie, "is when you see (paint) overspray on push-rods, internals, and on the valley pan." It became pretty obvious pretty quickly that the supposed drop-in runner of an engine was not at all what it was supposed to be. What happened next is the focus of today's podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in the day, steering columns offered only rudimentary functions like three-on-the-tree. Nowadays, you can retrofit just about any vehicle with state-of-the-art tech featuring spectacular upgrades. IDIDIT President/GM Trever Cornwell joins the guys for a discussion about the evolution and ergonomics of steering columns. “We tell people, ‘If you can dream it, we can build it,’” notes Trever, citing everything from aluminum to 24k gold-plated columns for very specific steering applications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The guys welcome Kyle Fischer of Hot Shot's Secret back to the podcast to talk not about diesel, but gasoline additives. Gasoline is a more highly refined product than diesel, so are additives really necessary, and are they effective? With so many available options on the market, Kevin asks, "Is that really a secret sauce or is it just a sauce? What is in there and what is it doing for me anyway, do I need it?" You may find the answers surprising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the eve of his retirement from Hot Shot’s Secret, Chris Gabrelcik joins the guys for one final conversation, touching on how best to prep and store the toys of summer, and busting some longstanding myths on the longevity of engine oil that’s been left sitting for months on end. “There’s no reason to not use a fuel additive always… not only do they clean out the system and lubricate it, they also make the storage much better because they have fuel stabilizers that keep it fresh for two years.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With summer upon us, Kevin and Willie share personal stories of overheating and give listeners tips, tricks, knowledge, and know-how to help stay cool! From OE cooling systems to your weekend hot rod’s system, the guys talk common mistakes and ways to maintain a proper cooling system. Kevin states, “What we end up doing as hot rodders, we obviously increase horsepower, but we build our own cooling systems, we chose a radiator,and we chose a fan, and you know what? There’s a lot of little details that sometimes we miss”.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having a lift in your shop or garage was once something people could only dream about. Today they are not only readily available but also quite affordable, and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations for a host of applications. Mark Israel of Atlas Automotive Equipment joins the guys for an in-depth tutorial on the features and benefits of 2-post, 4-post, scissor, and motorcycle lifts. “One of the biggest, baddest, coolest tools you could have is a lift,” raves Kevin, “and at a really attainable number.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The guys have learned a thing or two about blasting over the years, dating back to the days before PPE was commonplace and the effects of prolonged exposure to various media was of little concern. Now with dozens of “Blasting with Byrd” TV segments under his belt, Kevin has become something of an expert on the subject, and today he and Willie welcome Dustless Blasting Marketing Director Kaylyn Starr to the podcast. The company was first to market with a mobile blasting platform that provides environmentally friendly solutions for a plethora of applications and occupations, leading Kevin to attest, “It’s mind-blowing to compare it to anything else.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s paint jobs – both factory and aftermarket – are expensive. Exposure to the elements and improper care can wreak havoc and leave your ride looking sad. Adam Pitale has made it his life’s mission to perfect automotive protection with a fleet of easy-to-use products bearing his name. “So many people want an easier mousetrap,” the creator of Adam’s Polishes tells the guys. The secret is “a simpler process they can drive a clean car all the time and don’t have to spend all their free time cleaning it.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The guys discuss buying and selling at Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, and local automotive auctions with Rick Fragnoli the owner of Cleveland Power and Performance. They also trade stories as well as tips and tricks for getting what you want at swap meets. Kevin asks, “So what is your top piece of advice for scoring big at a swap meet?” Rick states, “Cash in hand, you gotta have cash”.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of the biggest impacts you can make on an older car or hot rod are upgrading to a modern transmission and installing air conditioning. While the former is a no-brainer, the latter may come as a bit of a surprise to anyone not already familiar with Vintage Air. Since 1976, the company has significantly impacted the world of hot rodding by bringing air conditioning systems to cars you would never expect to have them. Rick Love chats with Kevin and Willie about the advancements the company’s made and continues to make, most notably its SureFit systems suitable for vehicles that never had A/C, and which are designed specifically for the DIYer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From selling glitter out of a suitcase to traveling to European manufacturing and mining facilities chasing the perfect pigment, today the guys talk all the things that bling when it comes to paint with Manny Martinez the owner and founder of Tropical Glitz. Referring to customers and their desire to find the perfect paint, Manny states, “you guys have a vision, you have a dream so we’re here to give you a solution for that vision”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to state-of-the-art fuel pumps and regulators, Aeromotive is at the forefront of R&D in the field, pioneering innovative new options for easily modifying a gas tank for a drop-in, in-tank solution. In fact, their small brushless gear pumps can now deliver as much as five, seven, even 10 gallons per minute! As Technical Director Brett Clow explains to the guys, “It’s just amazing how things have changed. We’re at a point today where if somebody calls and says they’re not making 1000 hp at least, we’re like, ‘What’s wrong?!’” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie discuss the current evolution and transitioning of the Automotive Industry to electric vehicle technology. From hybrid to full autonomous electric vehicles, the guys discuss it all. Kevin states, “It just keeps getting better and better and we love it, and now we’re at this crossroad…” Do you like electric vehicles or are you a muscle car purist? “After enough beat downs on the track, you’re gonna change your mind!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Use of a manual transmission has become something of a dying art. But for those in the know, the manual remains a potent tool, especially TREMEC’s TKX 5-speed transmission. Just ask Bruce Couture of Modern Driveline. He’s been pointing and shooting and shifting for 25 years. “Whether it’s gas powered or electric, there’s just so many options, so many different platforms, we’re building all kinds of stuff… everything from the ‘30s to modern day muscle,” he tells the guys. “I don’t even flinch when people talk about 1200 and 1500 hp anymore.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world has somewhat transitioned from solvent based paints to water-based paints but that doesn’t always agree with the art form that is painting a vehicle, especially when you’re trying to get that perfect look! Willie agrees with Henry Ford stating, “A customer can have their car painted any color they want, as long as that color is black”, but Kevin feels that “a color of paint wants to be on certain cars”. Often the paint for your vehicle can cost more than the vehicle itself. So, what to choose?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer is upon us, and who better to help prep for the season than the Einstein of Additives himself, Chris Gabrelcik of Hot Shot’s Secret. With the price of a 3000-mile oil change skyrocketing to a whopping $300 or more, how would you like to never change the oil in your ride ever again? “You just have to do one or two oil analyses and it pretty much sets the record for you for the rest of your life.” Dirt in oil is like cholesterol in your blood – it needs to be diagnosed and treated. “It’s not crazy, wizardry stuff. It’s Dawn soap, it’s the same kind of concept.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie recently received an excited phone call from his twin brother exclaiming, “You’ll never guess what I found three miles from my house!” What he found is possibly the pinnacle small town elusive barn find - a 1970 Plymouth Superbird! It’s been stuffed in the back of a garage and the doors to the vehicle haven’t been opened since 1989. You can guess that this is one six-figure car that Willie really wants to get his hands on. The guys discuss the history of this classic, talk shop about many other classic and current rides that have always caught their eyes, and get emotional about some of the cars that got away... almost! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MuscleCars at the Strip is the biggest event of its kind in the world; a what’s hot, what’s not annual gathering of both modern and classic muscle. Phil Painter of JP Motorsports is the man behind the curtain, and today he joins the guys to talk about the latest trends and most iconic vehicles. “Taking modern technology and putting it into those older bodies and waking those cars up, I think that’s a real bonus to the whole muscle car enthusiast platform.” The trio also debates the top 5 muscle cars of all time, including a few that are guaranteed to raise an eyebrow or two. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During his 15-year career as a professional race car driver, Cooper MacNeil amassed an impressive array of endurance championship wins, including the 24 Hours of Daytona (2023 GT3 Class), Petit Le Mans (3-time winner), 24 Hours of Sebring (2-time winner), and 24 Hours of Le Mans (multiple podiums). Now retired, recently married, and with a baby on the way, he sat down with Kevin and Willie for a look back at his life in racing (“After 15 years of doing it, I was just mentally, physically, and emotionally, for that matter, done with the sport”) and his future in the family business, working on product development at WeatherTech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyle Tucker is widely acknowledged as a groundbreaker in the development of pro-touring, although he admits that he didn’t quite see it coming. “It was really just good timing and some luck,” he tells Kevin and Willie. “We were just out there being geeky engineers wanting to test our parts, but we were marketing at the same time, and it did a lot for the company in the early days.” The evolution of Detroit Speed from grassroots beginnings to industry juggernaut, on this episode of Two Guys Garage Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you consider the manual way we tuned cars for decades, it’s amazing how far tuning technology has come, and how intimidating tuning a modern vehicle can be. Having the right diagnostic tool that talks to the systems on these cars is critical, requiring something a little better than a code reader; something that gives you an indication where to go, what procedure to tackle next, and can pay for itself quickly. Haresh Gobin of Launch Tech USA joins the podcast to drop some wisdom on the guys about these innovative, yet affordable devices, whether you’re a DIYer or professional shop technician. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to Willie, there’s “not a better buddy to show up to your house on a weekend and say, ‘Hey, you wanna do some welding?!’” than the Wizard of Welding himself, Bob Bitzky. Trainer, teacher, professor, product developer; you name it, Bob’s done it. Today he joins the guys to lay down some serious knowledge about welding in general and TIG, chromoly, and aluminum in particular. “If you’re a steel welder and I’m gonna take you over to the aluminum side,” he notes, “I may have to remove your brain and turn it around inside your head.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyle Hyatali really knows how to build a hot rod and tee it up nicely. His purview at Vibrant Performance extends across the full life cycle of development, including everything from product design to tech support and marketing. Most recently, he’s been documenting a full customization of his personal ’87 Mazda RX-7 decked out with the full Vibrant catalogue. “We often consider ourselves similar to a Home Depot of car fabrication,” he tells the guys in this week’s podcast. “You could come to us, you could buy your stainless and your flanges and build what you want pretty much…. Bring your own turbo, but we got everything else.” He’s also got some great tips to avoid mistakes building your own exhaust, thermal management, and fuel systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having recently driven the new 2023 Roush Mustang, even diehard Mopar guy Willie B must (grudgingly) give Ford its due. This is music to the ears of both Kevin and today’s guest, Jim Kemp, 28-year veteran of Roush Performance and manager of its Crate Engine Program. As what was once unimaginable becomes possible and modern horsepower wars intensify, “Everybody’s trying to make the meanest, nastiest, just most unbelievable product out there,” notes Kemp. “And I get a front row seat to all of that.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From his early days at Chip Foose’s side on Overhaulin’, Kevin witnessed firsthand the art and skill of automotive drawing and designing on paper. Today, Kevin’s self-proclaimed “Favorite French Car Guy” and Design Manager at Ford Performance, Anthony Colard, joins the podcast to discuss the finer points of automotive design. “We don’t live long enough to drive boring cars,” says the man from TheModernRacer.com, citing his one-of-a-kind ’68 Barracuda Fastback build as a prime example. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acknowledging that “we’re always learning,” Kevin and Willie embark upon a fond trip down memory lane, citing some major lessons they’ve learned along the way. Like the importance of strapping down whatever it is you’re moving, and why not to use a fire extinguisher on an engine. Or the danger of running nitrous at the wrong temp, and the wisdom of making everything foolproof. “There’s so much strength in the struggle, and typically one of your best means to educate yourself is your last mistake,” notes Willie, “and isn’t that really what makes the story so great?” Adds Kevin, “There is no better way to learn and never forget than to just screw something up.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Millen of Livernois Motorsports is one of those guys that just eats, lives, and breathes motorsports performance, and over the years he’s figured out how to tap every ounce of power these machines can possibly produce. “We’re at the crescendo of high performance and what you can get out of cars; it’s only gonna last a couple of years longer,” notes Willie in his introduction, “and Dan has some real recipes and remedies to get that horsepower.” After all, as Dan freely acknowledges, “The more power [the OEs] give people, the more power people want.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Tetz has been a professional painter, teacher, and well-known TV host for decades. His wealth of knowledge and easygoing delivery style have made him THE go-to guy for novices and DIYers. As he tells Kevin and Willie in today’s episode, “The difference between a painter and a paint gun owner is your ability to get yourself out of trouble,” which is something everyone should both expect and embrace. Don’t be afraid to mess things up, he says, because “experience is the ultimate teacher… just get in there and do it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Tooley of BTR Racing has been fighting for power and harmonics and everything that goes on in that valve chain for decades, and nobody’s been as aggressive. “There’s lots of smart guys out there that are doing phenomenal work. We are a tiny bit ahead of most of our competitors,” he tells Kevin and Willie, “and have been shockingly successful.” In his fifth appearance on the podcast, Brian leads a revealing deep dive into hydraulic roller camshafts that’s not to be missed. “I can’t believe no one else has thought of this and figured this out,” he says, adding, “I hope none of my competitors are listening to this podcast, because they’re going to be redesigning their camshafts as soon as they get done listening to it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 22 of the Two Guys Garage TV show kicks off with Kevin and Willie executing an LS swap on a ‘94 Chevy Old Body Style pickup, complete with EFI from FiTech. VP Mike Wahl joins the guys for a deep dive on how surprisingly simple it is to upgrade to fuel injection, which for a long time was considered hugely intimidating. “We definitely pride ourselves on trying to make the simplicity side of the user end as easy as possible,” notes Mike, as well as affordable. And with 500 new parts numbers unveiled on April 1, that’s no joke! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a brave new world of cordless tools that come outfitted with high tech batteries and power cells, brushless motors, and a wide array of cool features for all types of applications. These new developments, new chemistries, and new form factors provide more energy for using tools longer, leading Kevin to observe that “our tools are better than our dad’s tools, by far!” Joey Gamber of DeWalt Tools joins the guys to discuss the evolution of tool and battery technology, and how the company builds-in features that give everyone “from the guy who’s a seasoned professional – all the way down to someone’s who’s just starting – the availability to tailor it.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A successful suspension upgrade does not have to break the bank and can be done on just about any ride over the course of a weekend. As Kevin points out, “Sometimes you just need to upgrade a couple of key components, add some stiffness, and wow, the fun factor goes flying!” Kyle Briese of BMR Suspension couldn’t agree more. “You can literally transform a car by just adding a couple simple bolt-on parts,” he tells the guys. “You can take it from boring to being way more exciting to drive just by simple stuff, and you can do it with just a handful of parts.” Stick around and find out how. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh from a chance encounter with Kevin at the recent Rolex 24 at Daytona, Nicole McElroy of Recaro Automotive joins the podcast for an in-depth discussion about butts in seats. Not just aftermarket and racing seats, but OEM seats, commercial vehicle seats, stadium and swivel seats, 8-way power performance seats, and even haptic seats. They all fall under the company’s four pillars: quality, comfort, safety, and innovation. As Nicole tells the guys, “We’re making breakthroughs in things that we thought were gonna make a difference, but you don’t know until somebody actually experiences it.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Visner’s life took a hard right turn when he altered his career path from pre-med to engine building, and in the process forever changed both his life and the future of racing. As Kevin says while introducing Dave in this episode, “When you want to win, you call this guy,” especially when it comes to the advantages of billet versus casting. As Dave tells the guys, “The more we learn, we realize how little we used to know.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin’s former Overhaulin’ pal-turned-politician Cherielynn Westrich joins the podcast direct from the Iowa State Senate Chamber for a frank conversation about her remarkable career trajectory. From a singer in The Rentals with Maya Rudolph (“If there was a band playing in ’96, we played with them”) to automotive TV (70 Overhaulin’ builds in 15 years) to politics (four years into her initial six-year Senate term) and automotive entrepreneur (manufacturing under-dash hydraulic swaps at MalWood USA), meet a bona fide renaissance woman with a true passion for building cars and grinding gears. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie set SEMA abuzz back in 2021 with his ’66 Charger build, a handcrafted labor of love he nicknamed “Sick Six Six” that he and his pal Mike Ruth displayed at the Heidts booth. Today the pair reunite to reflect on the project and its impact, while also delving into a host of related aftermarket topics. “It’s fun getting to design new stuff,” says Mike, but “the best part is getting to drive it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Things are getting serious in the EV performance, racing, and aftermarket spaces, and it’s only a matter of time until they morph in with the OEs. “There’s a large portion of us out there that is trying to fight this tsunami wave of electric power and performance, but I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” notes Willie, “you’re gonna lose!” Kirk Miller and Jake Hawksworth of Hypercraft USA join the podcast from King of the Hammers, where they’re pushing the boundaries of EV with their advance hybrid and all-electric powertrains. “Imagine being able to throw 100 hp or 200 hp virtually across the entire rpm range, and no impact on emissions,” says Jake. And that’s not including their 1967 Mustang all-electric, all-wheel drive Fastback, capable of delivering 1200 hp and a theoretical 0-60 mph in 1.2 seconds! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Kevin and Willie address how to get the best quality air for the job you’re doing, while saving some big bucks in the process. Mitch Halverson of RapidAir is on hand with key pointers about the right ways – and more importantly, the wrong ones – to plumb air. From home garage kits to large scale manufacturing facilities, find out what you need in terms of fittings, hoses, connectors, and a whole lot more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1995, “Speedvision was this new discovery,” Kevin says at the top of this week’s podcast. “It was like kind of discovering the Playboy magazine in your buddy’s dad’s closet and going, ‘What is this?’” As the first 24/7 national cable television network devoted solely to cars, bikes, boats, and planes, “It was home for so many of us for so many hours,” adds Willie. Flash forward to today, and the recent relaunch of the storied automotive brand for the streaming era. One of the original network founders and now CEO of the new FAST channel, Robert Scanlon, is in conversation with the guys about his extensive career in automotive television, the paradigm shift to free streaming, and the “universality of the appeal of the auto”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Copeland was a fixture at GM Performance for 25 years before striking out on his own and eventually purchasing Arrington Performance. As a diehard HEMI guy, he’s currently targeting 2500+ hp as the highly achievable future of hot rodding. Beyond that, he’s at the forefront of a movement to popularize an entirely green form of fuel consumption, telling the guys that “we’re on a path to emission-certify hydrogen as an alternative fuel as a zero-emission approach for virtually any gasoline or diesel burning engine.” And he’s got the results to prove it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Terry Fair of Vorshlag Motorsports is well known for swapping an LS engine into a 2015 S550 Mustang GT. “Trigger” can deliver 620 hp to the 200 treadwear-type rear tires on pump gas. A radical combination of engineer, builder, and driver, Terry “is on the forefront of just rippin’ and doing things that you would never believe is possible,” notes Willie, both for customers and himself. For his part, “I got a good crew, we’re making enough parts,” Terry tells the guys. “I’m living the dream, for sure.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The name “Godzilla” instantly conjures images of the mythological monster who’s wreaked havoc in the minds of moviegoers for multiple generations. Most recently it has also become the moniker of a massive mountain of machinery from the folks at Ford, perhaps the ultimate OE crate engine to date. Brian Wolfe of Willis Performance Enterprises, since retired from Ford, is the godfather of this creation and was critical in its development. Kevin and Willie are beyond excited to pick his brain about this powerful beast, capable of 900 hp right out of the box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s estimated that roughly 70% of car repairs performed after a warranty expires are done by independent shops. However, if the manufacturers have their way, all this work would be restricted to dealerships, with drivers forced to sacrifice the convenience and affordability their local mechanics now provide. The stakes are high, as is the momentum to prevent this from happening. Ted Hughes of the Auto Care Association joins the podcast to discuss The Repair Act, legislation introduced in Washington to avert such a development. “This issue is truly mission critical,” he tells the guys. “It really is something that’s absolutely vitally important for anybody that’s involved with the independent aftermarket.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clint Cannon of ATS Diesel is on a mission to save the world, one diesel truck at a time. Rather than consigning older trucks to the scrap heap, he’s an outspoken proponent of retrofitting them with newer, more efficient parts and pieces to keep them on the road and running better than ever. “He makes everything bulletproof,” says Willie. “He’s one of those guys where, if it’s Clint tested and approved, you know you’re getting a good product.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sterling Bakus is a scholar of 3D printing, having built his very own Lamborghini Aventador that “at least from five feet away, you wouldn’t be able to tell that it wasn’t real.” The internet took notice, as did Kevin and Willie. “For car guys and car enthusiasts and shop owners, this is something you should truly pay attention to,” says Willie. “This is great technology.” And best of all, it won’t bankrupt you. Far from it. For less than the cost of a decent welder, you can purchase a quality printer and scanner and be on your way. “I don’t have a large format printer,” notes Backus. “I print small sections on my printer and then glue them all together.” Sounds simple, right? Just wait until you hear what he’s working on now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to Travis Hill, SVTPerformance.com has been “the go-to place on the internet if you want to know anything about any Ford Performance vehicle,” and he would know: he’s had his finger on the pulse of the entire landscape of Ford Performance-type stuff for well over two decades. As Willie says, “There’s never been a better time to be a car enthusiast, just because of the capability of these platforms and what you’re able to do with them now,” to which Travis adds that this latest Bronco model “is basically the ultimate expression of the Raptor model lineup from Ford.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There’s many things in life we want to be just like Willie,” Kevin pronounces at the top of today’s episode, “and this is one of them.” He’s talking about where to build and house our cars, where to put our tools, what our shops and garages look like. And Willie has a set of garages guaranteed to turn any car guy green with envy. But how do you find a house with a great shop or garage? Returning guest Brian McNamara started Gearhead Homes after identifying such a necessity. “I wanted a big garage myself and I couldn’t find somebody to help me out with that,” so he’s created a way to “dig those up and find those based on software and some other things that we’ve got proprietary to us.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Tooley has enjoyed a storied professional and racing career defined by his relentless pursuit of power. Today “The King of Cams” returns to the podcast to reveal the latest technological breakthroughs at BTR, where “one of the things we’ve really doubled-down on is quality and durability.” To illustrate his point, he’s got a big announcement regarding a new cylinder head design that’s destined to become a gamechanger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2023 SEMA Show continues to loom large on the guys’ minds. “It is so massive, it’s hard to even wrap your brain around,” marvels Kevin, while Willie exclaims “it’s just filled to the gills with cool cars and wild things to see, watch, and witness.” It also provided occasion for Willie to reunite with his old “PINKS All Out” pal, 6-time World Champion NHRA Top Fuel Driver Clay Millican. Along with CRC Marketing Director Raquel Wenger, they discuss CRC ‘s “Build for the Future” scholarship program and the amazing story behind the 2006 bone stock GTO with only 1350 original miles on it they had at the booth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holbrook Racing Engines has built quite a name and reputation for itself, all founded on a family dynasty spanning three generations: Carl, his son Chris, and now his son Del. As Kevin notes, among them they’ve got “all the secrets, the recipes from the chassis side, the driving side, the engine side.” Chief among these: the Cobra Jet they’re currently campaigning that can make up to 2000 hp with a 5L Coyote spinning at over 11,000 rpm. Admits Del, “it’s just huge shoes to fill.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the hustle and bustle of the holidays recede in the rearview mirror, the guys finally get some time to trade notes on the 2023 SEMA Show. And there is a lot to talk about, including some of their favorite hot rods and show cars, as well as what wasn’t there (spoiler alert: it’s the Big 3). Perhaps best of all, Willie shares his sit-down conversation with 7-time Supercross and Motocross Champion Jeremy McGrath. The legendary racer, tire developer, and Maxxis brand ambassador says he continues to “have a lot of fun using a lot of great tires,” while reflecting that, “I didn’t race to be the Jeremy McGrath that everybody knows of now, it just kind of all happened.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fireball Brands’ Achilles Thomas drops by to chat with the guys about some shared passions, including transmissions, engines, brakes, diesel trucks, and the various e-commerce sites he’s created to serve the aftermarket. Beyond that, he’s actively developing Lead Foot City, “America’s First Automotive Theme Park” located on 80 acres of a former chicken farm outside Tampa. Replete with a burnout drift pad, 1/8-mile dragstrip, drift and autocross track, and amphitheater for mega concerts, he promises “it’s gonna be the most unique automotive enthusiast complex probably in the whole country, maybe the world.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin introduces this episode noting that “we have been looking for the last 50-60 years in automotive for somebody to give us the fuel system bits and parts and pieces that we need, and we keep asking for more; it’s a never-ending game.” Enter David Deatsch, whose namesake operation DeatschWerks has been in the game of going from mild to wild for 20 years. Starting from the grassroots level, “My mantra for the company was stay focused on fuel systems,” he tells the guys, “but let’s do everything within fuel systems,” including in-tank brushless pumps for generating 800-1500+ hp! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2019, “Ford v Ferrari” captured the hearts, minds, and imaginations of moviegoers around the world, (re)introducing Carroll Shelby and his iconic Cobra to multiple generations. A huge fan of the movie, Kevin notes that “there is a natural sex appeal around a Cobra whether you’re a car person or not.” Jeff Grice of Nostalgic Motoring Limited is an expert on all things Cobra and joins the guys for a passionate conversation about originals, replicas, history, lineage, you name it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Custom tuning continues to evolve by leaps and bounds. From simple tinkering with a screwdriver on a carburetor; to the first generations of fuel injection where everybody freaked out; to computer systems that with just a few parameters can learn by themselves; to dialing in sophisticated software and still managing to keep things legal as the EPA cracks down on emissions. Jay Payson of SCT Bullydog joins the guys to explore the innumerable ways in which the world of tuning is quite literally at our fingertips more and more each day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wrenching on cars for a very special cause is something super close to Willie’s heart. For 20 years, he’s been giving back to the Denver community in a truly meaningful and impactful way, donating as many as 70 cars each year to families in need. As you can imagine, it’s a massive undertaking, albeit one he finds incredibly rewarding. “The best is when you give these cars to these people, and you know they’ve got a righteous ride and their gonna last for years.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blake Fuller is an automotive racer, builder, inventor, and founder of Braille Battery and Electric Performance. So, it was a natural for Kevin and Willie to turn to him for prognostications on the future of EV performance. “Those same deficiencies of the original American muscle cars in the 1960s are the same deficiencies that are having to be overcome today,” he tells the guys, “and that’s the fun part.” Despite that, EV acceleration and performance capabilities have already achieved “mind-bending” status. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to winterizing your vehicle, the worst thing you can do is…nothing. We’ve all been there: a few days’ procrastination turns into weeks, turns into months, and before you know it, you’re in a world of hurt. Today the guys offer insights on the basic guidelines of seasonal prep and spend some time discussing critter control with MouseBlocker inventor Matt Swift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Horne and his wife/co-driver Barb are off-road racing professionals based out of Moab, Utah. “Racing for me, it’s not something I wanna do,” Jim tells Kevin and Willie, “it’s something I have to do, it’s inside me.” Securely tucked inside their Jeep Mojave Gladiator, the couple has put an astounding 5,000 hard-driving miles on a single set of Hercules Tires TT1s riding King of the Hammers, the Mint 400, and Best in the Desert… with plans to start the next season on the same set of tires! “And we can’t say that with any other tire we’ve raced on this truck.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The right combination of style and performance can elevate just about anything, not least of all wheels and tires. “It’s one thing to have a great-looking tire,” notes Kevin; “it’s another thing to have a great-looking tire that fits with the wheel, so you get that total package.” Josh Simpson of Hercules Tires and Myles Kovacs of TIS Wheels have embraced this concept to the fullest, collaborating on a line of rims and rubber compounds bound to turn heads. “Being partnered with Hercules, for me it’s like hitting the lottery,” say Myles; “we’re like a fashion brand.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are three key components effecting engine oil performance: viscosity, cleanliness, and additives. As Kevin points out, “It’s crazy how much science is going on in all these fluids that are in our vehicles and what those fluids are doing,” like dramatically increasing intervals between oil changes. Frequent guest Kyle Fischer of Hot Shot’s Secret adds that technology’s evolved over time, allowing oil to last longer before it falls out of grade. But that’s not all. Enter the bypass filter, “a second oil filter added to the vehicle’s oil system allowing you to keep it clean as the day you poured it in until the day you change it,” says Kyle, “and that is just priceless for the longevity of an engine over the long haul.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the occasion of their milestone 200th episode, Kevin and Willie reflect on some of their best guests, favorite topics, and most memorable moments behind the mic. From the personal to the professional, from rubbin’ elbows to rubbin’ paint, strap in for a high-octane journey down memory lane with two fun-loving, bench-racing buddies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie describes his buddy Brendan Schaub as “a mountain of all things: size, character, and energy,” not to mention an MMA fighter, standup comedian, podcaster, and crazy car/truck guy. His daily driver is a RAM TRX Sandblast Edition that packs a 700 hp Hellcat engine and supercharger, one of only a thousand made in 2022 and among the last to be delivered before Dodge shuts it all down in 2024. Today he joins the guys to wax ecstatic about the truck as all three bemoan the end of the ICE era and ponder a gasoline-free future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in the day, instrument clusters had some very cool designs and architecture, albeit limited functionality due to the available technology of the times. Today, getting the gauges just right for your resto mod project is the sole mission of Classic Instruments. As owner John McCleod puts it, “We really want that old school look and feel, but being able to run modern,” to which Willie replies with awe, “It really is a craft and a skill; it’s straight up art.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pilot Transport performs a crucial behind-the-scenes function in the automotive world, moving 350,000 vehicles all around the country each year, with 110-120 trucks on the road at any given time, including 30-40 runs to Fairbanks, Alaska in the winter! Joe Parks is the GM overseeing this massive operation for a roster of major clients including the Detroit OEs, Hot Rod Power Tour, Roadkill Nights, and SEMA. “I bet this man has been responsible for more million-dollar rides than we’ve ever seen in our life!” exclaims Willie, uniquely positioning Joe as the man with the inside scoop on some of the biggest mistakes folks make when hauling their own vehicles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The gauge cluster is more than just a functional panel; this precision instrument can also serve as fine jewelry for your ride. Classic Instruments COO John McLeod tours Kevin and Willie through the company’s ICU – Instrument Customization Unit – and answers the question, “How can we make it smarter and smaller?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REVan Evan Smith is plugged into everything related to cool cars, cool projects, and wild builds. He’s constantly up to something new in the exciting world of motorsports, from testing prototypes and creating machines and equipment most of us only ever dream about, to snapping exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the industry’s latest and greatest. Kevin and Willie have a long history with Evan dating back 20+ years, and to this very day his MO remains unchanged: “I’m always just trying to have some fun and playing with cars!” Right now, that includes everything from a ’68 Cyclone with Godzilla engine, to the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with Gen 4 Coyote, and 2025 Mustang GTD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Tooley of BTR Racing is like a master chef who brings together unlikely ingredients to create unique recipes for high horsepower systems. Willie and Kevin welcome “The King of Cams” back to the podcast for a professional grade discussion on boosted vs. nitrous in the HP wars, and whether nitrous and supercharging can work together. As Kevin observes, “The world is full of random facts, and this guy puts it together in some sort of map.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much like anything else, it is true that not all oils are created equal. And with engines and metallurgy changing, producing higher pressures and temperatures in smaller engine compartments, there is a growing need for so-called miracle oils. This mixing of metal and lubrication is known as tribology, and it’s something that Darren Lesinski, Technical Director at Total Energies, understands better than most. Driven largely by major advances in chemistry and processing, these oils are getting much thinner and can last much longer, with many more exciting developments now in the pipeline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Engine builder Jon Kaase is all about winning. The 1977 NHRA Pro Stock Championship. 12X Mountain Motor Pro Stock Champion. 9X Engine Masters Challenge Champion. You get the picture. Jon recently sat down with Kevin and Willie to discuss his many accomplishments, most notably the revered Boss Nine automotive engine, and his many big engine battles in the marine world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intellitronix is an employee-owned Ohio company best-known for its sleek and sexy LED gauges. The wide range of available colors and color selectable tech offers a state-of-the-art way to bring extra pop to many classic vehicles. And by using original bezels, Shawn Slenski and Mel Schneider can keep prices surprisingly affordable. “We’ve always been the bigger and brighter type guys; everything we build, it’s always more bold, more bright,” Shawn tells Willie and Kevin. “That’s kind of our niche down the digital dash lane.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to Chevy Blazers, Mark Sopko of Motor City K5 is THE go-to guy. “I did Broncos for almost 20 years; I knew Broncos like the back of my hand,” before deciding to change course and specialize exclusively in Blazers. “I was expert in the old world, I need to be expert in the Blazer world,” he tells Kevin and Willie, “so that’s what I did.” And in a big way, with his 4WD SUV walking off with First Place at 2020’s Detroit Autorama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not to be outdone by Kevin’s Mustang project, Willie brought his 1978 Firebird onto the TV show. Distinct from its “Smokey and the Bandit” counterpart, this Trans Am is white with a silver bird, has no T-tops, and is incapable of replicating anything from the movie. And while it hasn’t been fired up in 25+ years, it’s about to get a ton of go-power and a whole lot of handling. We’re talking LS swap making 600-700 hp, major suspension upgrade, dry sump setup, belt drive, fuel injection, C5 brake package, and 18”-19” wheels. “For smiles per miles,” coos Willie, “that is the formula for a happy driver on a daily basis.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Firebird is considered by many to be GM’s red-headed stepchild; “a cool car with a beak,” compared to the cooler Camaro. Having recently brought a ’68 Firebird back from the dead on the TV show, Kevin and Willie take listeners inside the episode, detailing the upgraded PROFORM radiator, Mantic twin disc clutch and Fragola fuel lines they installed on this neglected classic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The guys just wrapped work on Kevin’s Pro Touring daily driver project – a 1970 Fastback with Coyote swap – with a solid assist from Tom Peters of Mustangs to Fear. Having first staked a claim to fame with its “Gone in 60 Seconds” Eleanor-style fiberglass panels, MTF now offers a complete list of original products and straight up car builds. “Let’s face it, building a car is hard, and we don’t want to make it any harder than we have to,” says Tom. “We don’t develop anything in just a vacuum, we develop the whole system front to back.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cleveland Power & Performance is a one-of-a-kind hybrid: part salvage yard, part custom build shop, and all-around amazing. Kevin describes it as “a go-to place for nothing but the awesome stuff,” and second-generation owner Rick Fragnoli doesn’t disagree. In fact, his famed “Reverence” restomod – a ’69 Charger with a 6.2L supercharged Hellcat engine – recently sold for around $400K. “If it’s a $20 part or a $20,000 part,” Rick tells the guys, “we’ll work with whatever parameters people need.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Diesels are the bomb,” raves Kevin, “but there’s some things that go along with owning a diesel that you’ve got to be aware of, and some days you can get bit.” To illustrate this point, Kyle Fischer of Hot Shot’s Secret joins the guys to drop some science and offer some solutions for avoiding common pitfalls such as fuel gelling. “Diesel fuel in America sucks,” opines Fischer, adding that “we look at the problems that are caused by the fuel and how to protect these fuel systems.” Chief ingredients among these: lubricity additive, cetane booster, injector cleaner, water dispersant, rust and corrosion inhibitor, and fuel stabilizer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie love wheelin’ and everything that has to do with steering and/or suspension, so they’re pumped to get a master class in bumps and humps from Frank Vasquez of KW Suspensions. From entry level all the way up to professional racing, KW is the epitome of German precision engineering in the category. With over 16 different options for any particular car, Frank’s quick to point out that they’re “just scratching the surface with some of our truck stuff.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To say that not everyone enjoys wiring a vehicle is an epic understatement. Fortunately, Chris Squier of Hotwire Auto does, and he’s made it his mission to remove as much of the pain from the process as possible. Kevin and Willie chat with Chris about their recent experience using his simplified engine harness on Kevin’s 1970 Fastback project. “The end product Willie said looks factory, but I think it looks better than factory, the way you guys shroud the wires and protect everything” says Kevin. “It’s durable, it’s tough, it looks good, and it’s clean.” Adds Willie, “Talk about stealthy, it’s really amazing the job you guys have done to be able to hide it.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s podcast is all about making beautiful noise, and no one knows more about this than Magnaflow’s Rich Waitas. Kevin calls it “the magnificent choir that comes out of the back of exhaust pipes… it’s an art form,” albeit one whose days may well be numbered as EV appears ready to displace IC and the sound it generates. Yet, for all those like Willie who believe that “the right sound means everything,” there is still much to be adored and admired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a professional Formula Drift driver, Matt Field rides on rails with controlled chaos underneath them. Essentially flying on pavement while going sideways at top speed, this occupation requires mad skills, intense concentration, and a warrior mentality. “These are full-blown race cars… it’s just a different form of race cars,” he tells the guys in a recent sit-down. “We want the stickiest tires with the lowest pressure with the grippiest suspension and we’re trying to go as fast as possible with our bumper on the wall.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s podcast is all about rolling gears using the notorious third pedal. But make no mistake; it’s not all fun and games. “There’s so much going on with a clutch,” warns Kevin. “There’s a lot of pitfalls, you can go right down into a deep dark hole that you didn’t want to be in if you go down the wrong path.” Luckily, Geoff Gerko, owner of Mantic Clutch USA is on hand to guide the guys down the right path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie take listeners behind the scenes of the TV show as they discuss their respective paths to “Two Guys Garage” coming from two different directions, landing in one spot, and bonding as partners in crime. Trained as an engineer, Kevin reveals how stints working with the legendary Carroll Shelby on “Rides” and Chip Foose on “Overhaulin’” led to his 14-season stint (and counting) on “Two Guys”. Willie details how his passion for cars and career in radio led to a spot on “PINKS”, and how he was “a little bit like a deer in the headlight” during his first season with Kevin. “I’m a little squarish in a round hole somedays but it works,” notes Kevin, “but together we’re gonna do it better!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Kraman, the voice of Mecum Auctions drops in to chat with the guys about the exploding classic car auction scene. “We are on one heck of a roll, on pace to set another all-time record north of $600 million in the sale of collector vehicles as the world’s largest collector car auction company.” Learn firsthand about the ins and outs, what’s hot and what’s not, what to expect and what to avoid in this dynamic and thrilling market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to thermal management, you’ve got to protect everything under the hood (not to mention the driver and passengers!) from extreme heat. The guys at Heatshield Products have been designing innovative items that make vehicles perform better, last longer, be more durable, safer, and more comfortable since 1985. Bruce Heye and Chris Schwartz are a couple of car guys committed to creating highly affordable products anyone can use. “You have these crazy space age materials,” Kevin points out, “but you’ve put them in form factors that make it easy to install.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Foo Dog Motorcycles in Denver, CO is the brainchild of traveling-musician-turned-classic-restorer Carson Allen, a die-hard fan of vintage 1960s to early 80s Japanese bikes, with a special affinity for those in distress. Of course, parts for these lost legends can be pretty hard to come by, and that’s okay with him. “Preserving the past is really my focus,” he tells Willie and Kevin. “I know that these bikes we put enough love and care and attention to detail into them that they’re never gonna go back to the state they were before.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of this ongoing series of podcasts, the guys do a deep dive on details of Kevin’s Mustang project, including the centerpiece Coyote swap he’s pegged to deliver 800-1000 hp. “It’s gonna be my track day car, for sure. It’s gonna be nasty but refined,” says Kevin, noting that a chunk of the build will be shot for an upcoming episode of the TV show. His plan is to build the car “like a ship in a bottle – can I get everything in and under and leave the outside of the bottle without cracking it? That’s the challenge.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are all types of wheels for different applications from different processes at different price points. Casting, flow formed and forged; aluminum, steel, and composites; three-piece and monoblock. It can all seem overwhelming, especially since wheels have so much power to make or break everything about the driving experience. Joining the guys to demystify the confusion is Dave Schardt, President of Forgeline Wheels. “We say it all the time,” notes Kevin. “The right wheels and the right stance can take just any ride and take it up a couple of notches.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There is nothing like nitro methane power, the kind that makes 11,000 HP and flames coming out of the pipes,” NHRA Funny Car Driver Alexis DeJoria tells the guys in a candid pre-race sit-down. “We accelerate quicker than a fighter pilot does.” High adrenaline and outsized levels of risk run hand in glove, putting tremendous pressure on the crew chief, the DC Motorsports team, and herself. The ability to maintain laser focus while piloting a 300 mile per hour rocket can mean not just the difference between winning and losing, but between life and death. It’s a physical and emotional rollercoaster ride at maximum speed. “You have the highest highs with this kind of racing and the lowest lows.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s intro, Willie makes it abundantly clear that he absolutely hates wiring. That is, he did until he discovered American Autowire’s all-in-one kits that make what can seem like a daunting task as easy as possible. “Wiring (for) a lot of people is black magic, it scares them to death,” says Engineering Support Manager Don Bock, “and really, if you understand the concept of it, it’s really not hard.” Adds Kevin, “Don’t be afraid, just get in there and do it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Godzilla is Ford’s latest monster engine, their supersized response to the wildly successful LS platform. Kevin likens it to an LS on steroids with more cubic inches, while today’s guest Doug DeLong of Well Sorted offers it up as further proof of the adage, “there’s no replacement for displacement.” Recently relocated from Denver to Atlanta, Well Sorted is on the forefront of installations and different applications for this powerful beast, “the culmination of a lot of lessons learned” along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a well-acknowledged fact that Kevin and Willie’s longtime friend and living legend Ken Lingenfelter has a finger on all things fast. A true car guy born and bred, he caught the bug at the tender age of 10 when he first laid eyes on a ‘63 split-window Corvette coming off the assembly line, courtesy of his Detroit exec dad. In the decades since, he’s remained a dedicated fan, “absolutely enchanted with the new C8,” and with the new Z06 on the way, “probably more passionate about it today than I’ve ever been.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finding a powerful powertrain for an old hot rod or truck is no longer the difficult challenge it once was. Nowadays it’s finding the right rear end that’s the real challenge. Have no fear though, Jon Henson of Currie Enterprises has a plan. “We want to take the voodoo out of a rear end and basically make it an easy purchase, an educated purchase, and something that now you can spec out based on your build and how you’re gonna use the vehicle,” he tells Willie and Kevin. “The ultimate goal is to make sure that at the end of the day when the customer gets in his car and he’s driving and he just wants that freedom, that he’s gonna get that feeling.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cleveland Power and Performance is a salvage yard like no other – a wonderland of curated parts and pieces, drive trains and engines harvested from crashed Camaros, Mustangs and Hellcats – that also happens to build mind-blowing hot rods like the noted ’69 Dodge Charger “Reverence” and last year’s SEMA Show stunner NIKA ‘79 Bronco. Owner Rick Fragnoli makes his third visit to the podcast to discuss all the latest goings on in the aftermarket and what lies ahead as the EV era dawns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin’s on a mission to not just rebuild but to reconceive the iconic 1970 Mustang Fastback he missed out on in his youth. In this first installment of an ongoing series, Kevin reveals his ambitious gameplan for the project, including how he came up with it, what he’s doing with it, and the direction he’s taking it. “It’s gonna be a daily driver hot rod that rips,” he tells Willie, “I’m gonna just hammer the bank account and I’m gonna get ‘er done!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The average age of vehicles on the road has ticked up to an all-time high of 12 years. Keeping them running cleaner and longer is the mission of TotalEnergies, the massive French company doing big things on a global scale. Luis Cerqueira and Darren Lesinski join the podcast to discuss what technologies are coming down the pike in terms of oil, natural gas, electricity, hydrogen, wind, and solar power. As the company strives to become greener in several respects, they’re at the cutting edge of developing oils that let the OEs literally design the engine around the oil! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frank Vasquez, Chris Atkinson, and Joseph Torres of KW Suspensions check in with the guys for a Master Class in making old cars new again. “Nothing wakes a car up like putting new suspension components, parts, and pieces under it,” notes Willie at the outset, enabling them to drive like they were meant to be driven. “You would not believe the difference in the right spring and damper combination,” adds Kevin, “and the technology is through the roof.” Learn why friends don’t let friends cut springs or bump stocks; why shock speed is specific to how fast the shock is being either collapsed or extended; and why making too many changes at once can cause all manner of unforced errors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie and Kevin are big fans of grabbin’ gears and heel toeing the clutch, especially when a TREMEC tranny’s involved. “There are few things in a vehicle other than the transmission that can really change the whole dynamic of your driving,” notes Kevin, “and really bring the fun factor in.” Mike Kidd is a kindred spirit who also happens to be TREMEC’s Aftermarket Business Manager, and today he joins the guys for a lively update on all the latest goings on at the company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in the day, steering columns offered only rudimentary functions like three-on-the-tree. Nowadays, you can retrofit just about any vehicle with state-of-the-art tech featuring spectacular upgrades. IDIDIT President/GM Trever Cornwell joins the guys for a discussion about the evolution and ergonomics of steering columns. “We tell people, ‘If you can dream it, we can build it,’” notes Trever, citing everything from aluminum to 24k gold-plated columns for very specific steering applications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mel Roth launched PSCA Racing 22 years ago, nurturing its regional roots as the Pacific Street Car Association into the national platform now named Premier. Among the 6 to 16 different classes of racing depending on venue, the XDR Series spotlights 3000 hp door cars running radial tires on the 1/8-mile drag. “The nature of the beast is you wanna go fast,” Mel tells the guys. “You wanna win, but you really wanna go fast!” Or, as Kevin puts it, “It’s a real cool, relatable racing series with a whole lot of who-knows-what’s-gonna- happen!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having a lift in your shop or garage was once something people could only dream about. Today they are not only readily available but also quite affordable, and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations for a host of applications. Mark Israel of Atlas Automotive Equipment joins the guys for an in-depth tutorial on the features and benefits of 2-post, 4-post, scissor, and motorcycle lifts. “One of the biggest, baddest, coolest tools you could have is a lift,” raves Kevin, “and at a really attainable number.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie and Kevin firmly believe that races are won with quality braking, as they extol the virtues of old school ABS. To prove their point, they enlist the expertise of Terry Fair, owner of Vorshlag Motorsports and a pioneer in ABS swaps for older platforms. “The better OEM systems have gotten really good,” Terry explains, “and not only does it improve your braking performance 20-30%, it improves driver confidence immensely.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ross Berlanga of TMI Products joins the guys to discuss a real pain in the butt for drivers: uncomfortable seats. It may be a little-known fact that outside of paint, high quality upholstery is one of the bigger costs you can incur on a car, and as Willie notes, “Nothing changes the game like getting that seat when it’s fit right, that you feel secure in.” From the virtues of molded foam vs. cut foam, to demystifying low back seats and converting truck benches to buckets, get ready to learn everything you ever wanted to know – and then some – about seats! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spectra Premium has been producing high quality aftermarket products for over 30 years – everything from oil pans and fuel tanks to engine management, heavy duty segments and classic car parts – right here in North America. “At the end of the day, our customers are really looking for complete solutions to what they’re doing,” Director of Category Management Aaron Athey tells the guys. “We’ve kind of taken that premium mentality to everything we do.” Asked if he’s ever had a customer cry, Athey notes only when they’ve been disappointed elsewhere first, “and we’ve been able to turn some of those tears into smiles!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the eve of his retirement from Hot Shot’s Secret, Chris Gabrelcik joins the guys for one final conversation, touching on how best to prep and store the toys of summer, and busting some longstanding myths on the longevity of engine oil that’s been left sitting for months on end. “There’s no reason to not use a fuel additive always… not only do they clean out the system and lubricate it, they also make the storage much better because they have fuel stabilizers that keep it fresh for two years.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin’s former Two Guys Garage co-host and good buddy Bryan Fuller is renowned for his work creating custom motorcycles, hot rods, and old school classics. He’s most recently discovered a new itch for precision driving – a.k.a. racing – specifically open wheel, and he’s set his sights on rebuilding a rare, vintage Mirage M5 to run in Formula Ford. “My first race car, it’s kind of scary,” he confesses to the guys. “It’s exciting, it’s fun, it’s scary; I don’t know, lots of emotion.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s paint jobs – both factory and aftermarket – are expensive. Exposure to the elements and improper care can wreak havoc and leave your ride looking sad. Adam Pitale has made it his life’s mission to perfect automotive protection with a fleet of easy-to-use products bearing his name. “So many people want an easier mousetrap,” the creator of Adam’s Polishes tells the guys. The secret is “a simpler process they can drive a clean car all the time and don’t have to spend all their free time cleaning it.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie kick off Season 3 with a gripping conversation about one of the fastest-growing aftermarket categories flying under the radar – tire tech. Finding the right tire for your application is critical and may just be THE single biggest performance-related aspect of your vehicle. Ron Elliot of Hercules Tires is on hand to discuss the latest rip-roaring advances in all things rubber, from rock crawling to mudslinging, swamp to street. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of the biggest impacts you can make on an older car or hot rod are upgrading to a modern transmission and installing air conditioning. While the former is a no-brainer, the latter may come as a bit of a surprise to anyone not already familiar with Vintage Air. Since 1976, the company has significantly impacted the world of hot rodding by bringing air conditioning systems to cars you would never expect to have them. Rick Love chats with Kevin and Willie about the advancements the company’s made and continues to make, most notably its SureFit systems suitable for vehicles that never had A/C, and which are designed specifically for the DIYer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Photojournalist and die-hard magazine guy “REVan” Evan Smith’s had his finger on the pulse of performance and racing for as long as he or anyone else can remember. In this all-new chat with the guys, he talks about making the transition from print to video to digital, and the need to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and the distribution systems central to reaching car folks wherever they are. And for folks wondering how to get your car into your favorite publication he offers some great dos and don’ts you’ll definitely want to hear! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to state-of-the-art fuel pumps and regulators, Aeromotive is at the forefront of R&D in the field, pioneering innovative new options for easily modifying a gas tank for a drop-in, in-tank solution. In fact, their small brushless gear pumps can now deliver as much as five, seven, even 10 gallons per minute! As Technical Director Brett Clow explains to the guys, “It’s just amazing how things have changed. We’re at a point today where if somebody calls and says they’re not making 1000 hp at least, we’re like, ‘What’s wrong?!’” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SVTPerformance.com is THE go-to online forum for anything performance-related in the Ford world. Launched by Travis Hill in late 2000, today it numbers nearly 200,000 members and counting. “It is just a massive community of Ford enthusiasts who share a passion for just going fast,” Hill tells the guys, compelling even lifelong Mopar fan Willie B to take notice. “Make it, break it, build it better; get out there and have some fun!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Use of a manual transmission has become something of a dying art. But for those in the know, the manual remains a potent tool, especially TREMEC’s TKX 5-speed transmission. Just ask Bruce Couture of Modern Driveline. He’s been pointing and shooting and shifting for 25 years. “Whether it’s gas powered or electric, there’s just so many options, so many different platforms, we’re building all kinds of stuff… everything from the ‘30s to modern day muscle,” he tells the guys. “I don’t even flinch when people talk about 1200 and 1500 hp anymore.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in the day, you had maybe two options for hoses – rubber and steel braided. Today, with so many different combinations to choose from, it can be downright overwhelming. What, why, and how to run the right lines is the domain of Brint McLellan, Technical Analyst at Fragola Performance Systems. Brint joins the guys to discuss the big mistakes, pros and cons, dos and don’ts of selecting and plumbing a wide array of fluid lines, from fuel to power steering, cooling to brakes, nitrous to racing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer is upon us, and who better to help prep for the season than the Einstein of Additives himself, Chris Gabrelcik of Hot Shot’s Secret. With the price of a 3000-mile oil change skyrocketing to a whopping $300 or more, how would you like to never change the oil in your ride ever again? “You just have to do one or two oil analyses and it pretty much sets the record for you for the rest of your life.” Dirt in oil is like cholesterol in your blood – it needs to be diagnosed and treated. “It’s not crazy, wizardry stuff. It’s Dawn soap, it’s the same kind of concept.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin’s old college buddy Ernesto Roedenbeck joins the guys for a little throttle therapy on the ins and outs of dirt biking. Willie refers to it as “Dirt Church” and Kevin as “the best video game ever,” where the #1 objective is to stay safe and not get killed. Dirt, sand, wheels up, wheels down, it’s all a blast, so grab your gear, boots and all, and strap in for a wild offroad adventure! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MuscleCars at the Strip is the biggest event of its kind in the world; a what’s hot, what’s not annual gathering of both modern and classic muscle. Phil Painter of JP Motorsports is the man behind the curtain, and today he joins the guys to talk about the latest trends and most iconic vehicles. “Taking modern technology and putting it into those older bodies and waking those cars up, I think that’s a real bonus to the whole muscle car enthusiast platform.” The trio also debates the top 5 muscle cars of all time, including a few that are guaranteed to raise an eyebrow or two. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Livernois Motorsports & Engineering is the Detroit area’s one-stop shop for performance, service, and tuning. With all 22 lifts in the air and additional vehicles waiting underneath – driven largely by overwhelming demand for F-150 upgrades – the place is busting at the seams. Company president Dan Millen grabs a moment to catch his breath and talk with the guys about everything from supply chain related back orders, to crate engines, the EV evolution, and the future of ICE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyle Tucker is widely acknowledged as a groundbreaker in the development of pro-touring, although he admits that he didn’t quite see it coming. “It was really just good timing and some luck,” he tells Kevin and Willie. “We were just out there being geeky engineers wanting to test our parts, but we were marketing at the same time, and it did a lot for the company in the early days.” The evolution of Detroit Speed from grassroots beginnings to industry juggernaut, on this episode of Two Guys Garage Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RECARO Automotive is renowned for the ergonomics and design of its seats, highly engineered to ensure optimal safety and comfort. Global VP of Product Development & Brand, Nicole Longhini-McElroy, stops by to enlighten the guys about a whole lot more than just derrieres in chairs, especially the “importance of your body and fatigue in a vehicle, and how can you prevent that and give people the ultimate enjoyment of their vehicle.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to Willie, there’s “not a better buddy to show up to your house on a weekend and say, ‘Hey, you wanna do some welding?!’” than the Wizard of Welding himself, Bob Bitzky. Trainer, teacher, professor, product developer; you name it, Bob’s done it. Today he joins the guys to lay down some serious knowledge about welding in general and TIG, chromoly, and aluminum in particular. “If you’re a steel welder and I’m gonna take you over to the aluminum side,” he notes, “I may have to remove your brain and turn it around inside your head.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Willie’s view, it represents “everything outside the car that means more than the car.” It’s your own personal Garage Mahal, “the getaway spot where you go to find your soul,” says Kevin. “My garage is where I go to find myself.” Today the guys welcome Brian McNamara of Gearhead Homes to lead them through the ins and outs of searching for, identifying, and purchasing the perfect place. “I find people a garage with an attached house,” he tells them. “You need the bedrooms for the toys, too.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having recently driven the new 2023 Roush Mustang, even diehard Mopar guy Willie B must (grudgingly) give Ford its due. This is music to the ears of both Kevin and today’s guest, Jim Kemp, 28-year veteran of Roush Performance and manager of its Crate Engine Program. As what was once unimaginable becomes possible and modern horsepower wars intensify, “Everybody’s trying to make the meanest, nastiest, just most unbelievable product out there,” notes Kemp. “And I get a front row seat to all of that.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie welcome back Dave Smith, President/CEO at Factory Five Racing and one of their first guests from the podcast’s inception. A lot’s happened since then, but enthusiasm for FFR’s kit cars hasn’t waned a bit. “When you think about the satisfaction you get just from mowing your yard,” observes Kevin, “just magnify that by 10 bazillion!” From mistakes made and lessons learned to what’s new on the horizon, the guys have a lot of catching up to do! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acknowledging that “we’re always learning,” Kevin and Willie embark upon a fond trip down memory lane, citing some major lessons they’ve learned along the way. Like the importance of strapping down whatever it is you’re moving, and why not to use a fire extinguisher on an engine. Or the danger of running nitrous at the wrong temp, and the wisdom of making everything foolproof. “There’s so much strength in the struggle, and typically one of your best means to educate yourself is your last mistake,” notes Willie, “and isn’t that really what makes the story so great?” Adds Kevin, “There is no better way to learn and never forget than to just screw something up.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reggie Wynn returns to the podcast for the first time since our inaugural episode and suffice it to say, there’ve been some pretty big developments in turbo tech since then. Turbonetics and Precision Turbo are now making units capable of producing up to 3000 horsepower, and their parent company is the only aftermarket manufacturer offering class-specific turbochargers. “This is the Golden Age of four-digit horsepower,” Kevin excitedly notes. “We are drug addicted with this stuff!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Tetz has been a professional painter, teacher, and well-known TV host for decades. His wealth of knowledge and easygoing delivery style have made him THE go-to guy for novices and DIYers. As he tells Kevin and Willie in today’s episode, “The difference between a painter and a paint gun owner is your ability to get yourself out of trouble,” which is something everyone should both expect and embrace. Don’t be afraid to mess things up, he says, because “experience is the ultimate teacher… just get in there and do it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the top builders in the world, Levi Green of Hammer Fab is clearly on another level, crushing the stance on his unique creations with bad-ass attitude. The winner of the Ridler Award, Street Rod of the Year, Legend Cup and Barrett-Jackson Cup two times each(!) joins Kevin and Willie to discuss his work, his art, the state of 3D printing, the high cost of new technology, and his passion for training other professional builders how to reach their full potential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With winter in the rearview mirror, Kevin and Willie welcome spring and the reawakening of their own automotive dreams. “We’re cars all day long, every waking moment, we’ve got our shows, we’ve got our day jobs,” notes Kevin, “but it’s always about finding our time and what we want to do for ourselves.” Willie’s got his sights set on reviving several projects, including his “Anti-Bandit” Trans-Am, 1980 Blazer, and purple 1970 Charger 500 (1 of 9 Chargers!). Meanwhile, Kevin’s jazzed about his ’65 Mustang Fastback, projected to take him 5 years to complete. “I wanna dive into somewhere I’m not sure I can swim and keep my head above water,” he says about the A-Z build. “I’m gonna see if I can drown and somehow get out of it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie groove about the first five project vehicles they’ve completed on Season 21 of the TV show – upgrading a ’68 Camaro to EFI; repairing a ’12 Super Bee with serious piston damage; decking out a pair of ‘22 Broncos; and equipping a brand-new Jeep Gladiator for overlanding. Along the way they share some of the personal projects they’re working on and provide a few tips from lessons they’ve each learned over the years, sometimes the hard way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 22 of the Two Guys Garage TV show kicks off with Kevin and Willie executing an LS swap on a ‘94 Chevy Old Body Style pickup, complete with EFI from FiTech. VP Mike Wahl joins the guys for a deep dive on how surprisingly simple it is to upgrade to fuel injection, which for a long time was considered hugely intimidating. “We definitely pride ourselves on trying to make the simplicity side of the user end as easy as possible,” notes Mike, as well as affordable. And with 500 new parts numbers unveiled on April 1, that’s no joke! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the TV show, the guys did a serious upgrade on a super cool “Green Go” 2017 Dodge Challenger. On this week’s podcast, they detail how they took this V6(!) making 305 hp and 255 mph at the tires and suped it up with a RIPP Supercharger and Power Stop Z26 Street Warrior Brakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A successful suspension upgrade does not have to break the bank and can be done on just about any ride over the course of a weekend. As Kevin points out, “Sometimes you just need to upgrade a couple of key components, add some stiffness, and wow, the fun factor goes flying!” Kyle Briese of BMR Suspension couldn’t agree more. “You can literally transform a car by just adding a couple simple bolt-on parts,” he tells the guys. “You can take it from boring to being way more exciting to drive just by simple stuff, and you can do it with just a handful of parts.” Stick around and find out how. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having recently upgraded a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500, the guys wax rhapsodic about their love affair with trucks – all kinds of trucks – and some of the really cool tools they’ve been working with lately on the TV show and in their own garages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By his own admission, the way Terry Fair does things is probably not the way your typical racer would. The owner of Vorshlag Motorsports “needs a car that handles pretty badly, cause the worse it is from the factory, the more we can improve upon it.” Terry’s unorthodox methodology has driven some remarkable results, netting track time improvements from milliseconds to multiple seconds. As he explains to Kevin and Willie, “Most cars are pretty terrible, and that’s great for the aftermarket, it gives us a lot of things to fix.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Jim Chadick, life was a choice between being a rock star or a car guy. While the former didn’t quite work out, the CEO of Performance Online has no regrets. Jim and his Operations Manager Larry Ashley join the guys to reflect on how tastes have changed from the early 90s – when how you looked in a car or truck was all that mattered – through today, where owners want classics to handle like modern cars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clint Cannon of ATS Diesel is on a mission to save the world, one diesel truck at a time. Rather than consigning older trucks to the scrap heap, he’s an outspoken proponent of retrofitting them with newer, more efficient parts and pieces to keep them on the road and running better than ever. “He makes everything bulletproof,” says Willie. “He’s one of those guys where, if it’s Clint tested and approved, you know you’re getting a good product.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Confused about the virtues of a dry sump oil system vs. wet sump? The mystery will be revealed when John Schwarz, President of Aviaid, joins the guys to explain what it is, how it works, and why it may be your best bet for eliminating the need to constantly watch your oil pressure gauge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Visner’s life took a hard right turn when he altered his career path from pre-med to engine building, and in the process forever changed both his life and the future of racing. As Kevin says while introducing Dave in this episode, “When you want to win, you call this guy,” especially when it comes to the advantages of billet versus casting. As Dave tells the guys, “The more we learn, we realize how little we used to know.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bearing is arguably the most overlooked part of the engine. It looks very simple but it’s actually a very precisely designed and manufactured component that must be both strong and soft at the same time. Today Ron Sledge of King Engine Bearings joins the guys to break down what goes into them and discuss how to pick the right one for your application. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie set SEMA abuzz back in 2021 with his ’66 Charger build, a handcrafted labor of love he nicknamed “Sick Six Six” that he and his pal Mike Ruth displayed at the Heidts booth. Today the pair reunite to reflect on the project and its impact, while also delving into a host of related aftermarket topics. “It’s fun getting to design new stuff,” says Mike, but “the best part is getting to drive it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin’s buddy of 25 years, Doug DeLong, left the frozen tundra of Detroit for the great outdoors of Colorado, where he founded Well Sorted Automotive to celebrate the wide world of overlanding. As he tells the guys, “Most of what we’re doing is kind of that lifestyle of living the off-grid camp life,” largely by converting vintage trucks for off-roading, adventuring, and camping. Putting modern power in some of these old school platforms and bringing them back to life combines nostalgia with a cool factor that Willie and Kevin absolutely love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Kevin and Willie address how to get the best quality air for the job you’re doing, while saving some big bucks in the process. Mitch Halverson of RapidAir is on hand with key pointers about the right ways – and more importantly, the wrong ones – to plumb air. From home garage kits to large scale manufacturing facilities, find out what you need in terms of fittings, hoses, connectors, and a whole lot more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From science and engineering to technology and design, Bob Bitzky has seen and done everything there is to see and do in the mysterious world of welding. Over the course of his nearly half-century career as a professional welder – including 35+ of them at ESAB – he has become one of the foremost experts at torching molten steel. Kevin and Willie tap into his massive knowledge base for a lesson that will absolutely blow their minds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Copeland was a fixture at GM Performance for 25 years before striking out on his own and eventually purchasing Arrington Performance. As a diehard HEMI guy, he’s currently targeting 2500+ hp as the highly achievable future of hot rodding. Beyond that, he’s at the forefront of a movement to popularize an entirely green form of fuel consumption, telling the guys that “we’re on a path to emission-certify hydrogen as an alternative fuel as a zero-emission approach for virtually any gasoline or diesel burning engine.” And he’s got the results to prove it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wannabe builders Willie and Kevin welcome National Rod & Custom Car Hall of Famer Tim Strange for a personal tour through his storied career. From farm life to hot rod hero, from owner of Strange Motion to host of TV’s “Search & Restore”, Tim has amassed a prolific and wide-ranging body of work that is the envy of many… not least of all Willie, who recently debuted his first official SEMA build and eagerly awaits Tim’s appraisal of the finished project. But will it measure up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The name “Godzilla” instantly conjures images of the mythological monster who’s wreaked havoc in the minds of moviegoers for multiple generations. Most recently it has also become the moniker of a massive mountain of machinery from the folks at Ford, perhaps the ultimate OE crate engine to date. Brian Wolfe of Willis Performance Enterprises, since retired from Ford, is the godfather of this creation and was critical in its development. Kevin and Willie are beyond excited to pick his brain about this powerful beast, capable of 900 hp right out of the box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Johnson of Induction Solutions returns to the podcast to address the question, “Is nitrous the forgotten power adder?” (Spoiler alert: That’s a resounding, “No!”) As Willie is quick to point out, “Bang for buck, you can’t do it more affordably and safer than nitrous nowadays,” to which Kevin adds, “And it’s a heck of a lot of fun!” From the evolution of the I-S Holey Moley nitrous plate system that delivers 625+ hp, to direct port systems and progressive controllers, the guys reveal common hurdles and myths about nitrous and offer these sage words of advice: Beware the internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to Travis Hill, SVTPerformance.com has been “the go-to place on the internet if you want to know anything about any Ford Performance vehicle,” and he would know: he’s had his finger on the pulse of the entire landscape of Ford Performance-type stuff for well over two decades. As Willie says, “There’s never been a better time to be a car enthusiast, just because of the capability of these platforms and what you’re able to do with them now,” to which Travis adds that this latest Bronco model “is basically the ultimate expression of the Raptor model lineup from Ford.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For nearly 60 years Detroit Autorama has hosted one of the most coveted competitions in custom car building, the prestigious Ridler Award. Recently returned from this year’s edition, noted designer Murray Pfaff regales the guys with all there was to see and do, including his very own D Lot – a 7,000 square foot “3-ring circus, portfolio, showcase, and epicenter” featuring a curated display of 9 one-of-a-kind vehicles and a Make-a-Wish Michigan online auction that awarded $40,000 in amazing gearhead prizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Tooley has enjoyed a storied professional and racing career defined by his relentless pursuit of power. Today “The King of Cams” returns to the podcast to reveal the latest technological breakthroughs at BTR, where “one of the things we’ve really doubled-down on is quality and durability.” To illustrate his point, he’s got a big announcement regarding a new cylinder head design that’s destined to become a gamechanger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Horsepower is like a drug; you race somebody and beat ‘em, you can’t wait to race the next guy.” So says John Meaney, the man behind the powerhouse that is Big Stuff 3. A trained engineer and passionate hot rodder, he makes some of the biggest power you’ve ever seen. According to Kevin, “it’s like a whole vehicle management rocket ship computer,” something Willie knows all about firsthand from running the products on his own cars. So, strap in for this one, it’s going to be a very fast ride! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holbrook Racing Engines has built quite a name and reputation for itself, all founded on a family dynasty spanning three generations: Carl, his son Chris, and now his son Del. As Kevin notes, among them they’ve got “all the secrets, the recipes from the chassis side, the driving side, the engine side.” Chief among these: the Cobra Jet they’re currently campaigning that can make up to 2000 hp with a 5L Coyote spinning at over 11,000 rpm. Admits Del, “it’s just huge shoes to fill.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Livernois Motorsports and Engineering is making great modern horsepower come alive in your car, and they’re doing it in the easiest and simplest of ways. “Everything today starts with the tuner, it’s the cheapest mod you can do,” co-founder Dan Millen tells the guys. With 27 lifts and 45-50 cars in the shop at any given time, this self-described die-hard Ford guy turned die-hard everything guy is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible both on and off the track. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fireball Brands’ Achilles Thomas drops by to chat with the guys about some shared passions, including transmissions, engines, brakes, diesel trucks, and the various e-commerce sites he’s created to serve the aftermarket. Beyond that, he’s actively developing Lead Foot City, “America’s First Automotive Theme Park” located on 80 acres of a former chicken farm outside Tampa. Replete with a burnout drift pad, 1/8-mile dragstrip, drift and autocross track, and amphitheater for mega concerts, he promises “it’s gonna be the most unique automotive enthusiast complex probably in the whole country, maybe the world.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As president of Factory Five Racing, Dave Smith is the poster child for pride in ownership. The “Built, Not Bought®” kit car company has weathered its share of storms over the course of 27 years, with the last year-and-a-half being “both the most challenging and maybe a lot of fun, too, but not in the way I thought.” Consider this: There are 4500 parts in one kit, and with 10 kits sold in an average week, that’s 45,000 parts leaving the building in a single week. Add a global pandemic to the mix and, as Dave tells the guys, things get complicated real fast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2019, “Ford v Ferrari” captured the hearts, minds, and imaginations of moviegoers around the world, (re)introducing Carroll Shelby and his iconic Cobra to multiple generations. A huge fan of the movie, Kevin notes that “there is a natural sex appeal around a Cobra whether you’re a car person or not.” Jeff Grice of Nostalgic Motoring Limited is an expert on all things Cobra and joins the guys for a passionate conversation about originals, replicas, history, lineage, you name it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radford Racing School in Chandler, Arizona is the official High Performance Driving School of Dodge//SRT plus a whole lot more. “R-A-D defines the school,” raves Willie. “It’s a playground with four tires,” extols Kevin. With 85 Dodge vehicles on campus – everything from Demons to Hellcats to Vipers – plus Lotus Evora GT and Formula 4 cars – GM Mike Kessler has one of the best jobs in the business. He’s also got amazing stories to share, including the incredible tale of Hellcat Granny that you’ve got to hear to believe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Kraman, the voice of Mecum Auctions drops in to chat with the guys about the exploding classic car auction scene. “We are on one heck of a roll, on pace to set another all-time record north of $600 million in the sale of collector vehicles as the world’s largest collector car auction company.” Learn firsthand about the ins and outs, what’s hot and what’s not, what to expect and what to avoid in this dynamic and thrilling market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, there’s another Willie B in the world – his mirrored identical twin, Billy. They’re two chips off the old engine block, each having inherited the car bug gene from their dad. Despite Willie’s well-known affinity for Mopar and Billy’s for GM, the brothers are otherwise symbiotic best friends, competitors, and passionate car guys. Kevin is anything but the third wheel in today’s conversation, chatting with the brothers about all things automotive, including Billy’s new venture in the tuning and dyno business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s podcast is all about rolling gears using the notorious third pedal. But make no mistake; it’s not all fun and games. “There’s so much going on with a clutch,” warns Kevin. “There’s a lot of pitfalls, you can go right down into a deep dark hole that you didn’t want to be in if you go down the wrong path.” Luckily, Geoff Gerko, owner of Mantic Clutch USA is on hand to guide the guys down the right path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake Hawksworth and Jon Miller are at the forefront of what many expect to be an enormous explosion in the motorsports community: electric conversion kits. Electron and proton-produced power, performance and range are the order of the day at Hypercraft, causing die hard traditionalists Willie and Kevin fits wrapping their brains around the sea change now upon them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Einstein of Additives and his cool crew are back, and this time Chris Gabrelcik, Kevin Adams and Kyle Fischer bring Kevin and Willie into the Hot Shot’s Secret kitchen for some high-level mixing, blending, and baking. “We want to first of all protect the oil, protect the machinery, protect the fuel system,” says Chris, “but also tweak it to give you a little bit more of what you’re after.” So, grab your lab coat and goggles and get ready to learn everything you ever wanted to know about the science of additives! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From crankshafts to connecting rods, cams to engine blocks, Callies Performance Products is known for its trademark excellence, precision tolerances, high grade materials, demanding specs, and benchmark quality control standards. Direct from PRI, Heath Norton returns to the podcast for a chat with the guys on a wide range of topics, chief among them the challenges facing the performance industry from both the pandemic and the rising prominence of the EV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wrenching on cars for a very special cause is something super close to Willie’s heart. For 20 years, he’s been giving back to the Denver community in a truly meaningful and impactful way, donating as many as 70 cars each year to families in need. As you can imagine, it’s a massive undertaking, albeit one he finds incredibly rewarding. “The best is when you give these cars to these people, and you know they’ve got a righteous ride and their gonna last for years.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 6’5”, Cooper MacNeil is not your average race car driver. With numerous wins and championships to his credit – ALMS, Ferrari Challenge, Petit Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring – he’s run some of the world’s most iconic races, from Daytona to Le Mans. Noting that “you’re pretty much 100% every lap for 24 hours straight” has Willie and Kevin green with envy. “There’s nothing quite like doing 200 miles an hour – legally, that’s the key!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s podcast is all about making beautiful noise, and no one knows more about this than Magnaflow’s Rich Waitas. Kevin calls it “the magnificent choir that comes out of the back of exhaust pipes… it’s an art form,” albeit one whose days may well be numbered as EV appears ready to displace IC and the sound it generates. Yet, for all those like Willie who believe that “the right sound means everything,” there is still much to be adored and admired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corry and Jason Weller met racing ATV Motocross in 2001 and have been together ever since. She’s raced Pro 4, won a UTV championship for Yamaha, and now runs for Can-Am. Aside from operating their successful aftermarket parts business, he’s been competing in King of the Hammers since 2016; together they’ll be co-drivers in the ’22 event. The dynamic couple joins the guys to talk about play time, work time, and their favorite pastime vacationing at one of the world’s most lawless spots! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Foo Dog Motorcycles in Denver, CO is the brainchild of traveling-musician-turned-classic-restorer Carson Allen, a die-hard fan of vintage 1960s to early 80s Japanese bikes, with a special affinity for those in distress. Of course, parts for these lost legends can be pretty hard to come by, and that’s okay with him. “Preserving the past is really my focus,” he tells Willie and Kevin. “I know that these bikes we put enough love and care and attention to detail into them that they’re never gonna go back to the state they were before.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh from SEMA where his ’66 Charger made a huge splash, Willie B is pumped up about one of the most lauded builds of the show: Arrington Performance’s showpiece hydrogen-burning truck. We’re talking internal combustion engine here; no fuel cell and virtually no emissions. The mastermind behind the project, Mike Copeland, joins the guys to explain how it works, what it does, and what it means for the future of the automobile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to winterizing your vehicle, the worst thing you can do is…nothing. We’ve all been there: a few days’ procrastination turns into weeks, turns into months, and before you know it, you’re in a world of hurt. Today the guys offer insights on the basic guidelines of seasonal prep and spend some time discussing critter control with MouseBlocker inventor Matt Swift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For all those who aspire to have their ride inspire “the look-back,” this one’s for you. Willie and Kevin introduce a pair of prepping and painting pros armed with expert recommendations on how to make your Technicolor dreams come true. First up is Tom Williams of Mobile Environmental Solutions, purveyor of super clean, affordable, portable, pop-up paint booths, followed by Thin Red Line Paint Specialist’s Raymond Harrison, with advice on fillers, primers, and ratios, and a mantra to just “take your time and have fun with it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The right combination of style and performance can elevate just about anything, not least of all wheels and tires. “It’s one thing to have a great-looking tire,” notes Kevin; “it’s another thing to have a great-looking tire that fits with the wheel, so you get that total package.” Josh Simpson of Hercules Tires and Myles Kovacs of TIS Wheels have embraced this concept to the fullest, collaborating on a line of rims and rubber compounds bound to turn heads. “Being partnered with Hercules, for me it’s like hitting the lottery,” say Myles; “we’re like a fashion brand.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nothing affects your ride more than shocks and struts; they’re controlling the amount of bounce of the vehicle and the tire that’s gripping the road. Aaron Shaffer, KYB’s Director of Marketing and Product, is a former racer and go-to guy for any and all suspension-related questions. Today he joins Kevin and Willie with advice on controlling that bumpy road; how to know when it’s time for service or replacement; why it’s absolutely critical to increase damping when adding a bigger, heavier, larger wheel and tire; and assorted hacks to avoid unnecessary and costly DIY mistakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Einstein of Additives is back, and this time Chris Gabrelcik is joined by Lubrication Specialties Chemical Engineer Kevin Adams and Director of Branding Kyle Fischer for a lively discussion about the critical functions of fluids. “It’s like the blood that’s in your veins; you don’t even think about it,” notes Kevin. “And these guys are tapped in like no one else to the science behind it.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie B is deep in the throes of his first solo SEMA build on a rare 1966 Dodge Charger “slapper” car that is most definitely NOT a General Lee. With the clock ticking down, he’s sliced, diced, cut, chopped and wide-bodied it, learning firsthand that “most nightmares occur while you’re awake.” In this final installment of our five-part series, he begins to question whether all the lost sleep, high stress, and hurdle after hurdle will be worth it in the end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the occasion of their milestone 200th episode, Kevin and Willie reflect on some of their best guests, favorite topics, and most memorable moments behind the mic. From the personal to the professional, from rubbin’ elbows to rubbin’ paint, strap in for a high-octane journey down memory lane with two fun-loving, bench-racing buddies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Ida is a third-generation car builder and, in Kevin’s estimation, one of the most talented designer-builders on the planet. His penchant for Tuckers is renowned, and he also tackles an incredible array of projects from the most modern to most archaic and just about everything in between. In Part 4 of our five-part series, Rob chronicles the hurdles and headaches of restoring a rare 1962 Holman Moody Ford Falcon/Challenger 3 for SEMA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are all types of wheels for different applications from different processes at different price points. Casting, flow formed and forged; aluminum, steel, and composites; three-piece and monoblock. It can all seem overwhelming, especially since wheels have so much power to make or break everything about the driving experience. Joining the guys to demystify the confusion is Dave Schardt, President of Forgeline Wheels. “We say it all the time,” notes Kevin. “The right wheels and the right stance can take just any ride and take it up a couple of notches.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As owner of the successful Girl Gang Garage and co-host of MotorTrend’s long-running hit series All Girls Garage and Garage Squad, Bogi Lateiner has earned an enviable reputation in the automotive world. Now deep into her third all-female SEMA build – “I did not expect to be building a SEMA car, ever!”– she takes time out to chat with Kevin and Willie about the project in the third installment of our five-part series. “It’s the biggest undertaking that I’ve ever done; it is absolutely insane, it’s just an unreal project!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie and Kevin are big fans of grabbin’ gears and heel toeing the clutch, especially when a TREMEC tranny’s involved. “There are few things in a vehicle other than the transmission that can really change the whole dynamic of your driving,” notes Kevin, “and really bring the fun factor in.” Mike Kidd is a kindred spirit who also happens to be TREMEC’s Aftermarket Business Manager, and today he joins the guys for a lively update on all the latest goings on at the company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second podcast of this five-part series, Willie goes deep on his first gen ‘66 Dodge Charger build for this year’s SEMA Show. Not exactly renowned for its natural beauty, this labor of love (emphasis on labor) is inspired in part by Kevin’s own kick-ass 1990 LS-powered BMW M3 build several SEMAs back. “Ugly cars get really cool at SEMA,” notes Willie, “and sometimes really gorgeous cars get really ugly at SEMA!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s intro, Willie makes it abundantly clear that he absolutely hates wiring. That is, he did until he discovered American Autowire’s all-in-one kits that make what can seem like a daunting task as easy as possible. “Wiring (for) a lot of people is black magic, it scares them to death,” says Engineering Support Manager Don Bock, “and really, if you understand the concept of it, it’s really not hard.” Adds Kevin, “Don’t be afraid, just get in there and do it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If SEMA is the Super Bowl of car shows, the Ring Brothers are the Lebron and Michael of car builders. Yet even Jim and Mike are up against the wall trying to get parts for the three projects they’re bringing to this year’s highly anticipated event, the first since the onset of the pandemic. In the first of a five-part series leading up to SEMA, Kevin and Willie go two-on-two with the legendary siblings who modestly describe themselves as “just guys that like cars and [are] lucky enough that people like what we’re doing.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a well-acknowledged fact that Kevin and Willie’s longtime friend and living legend Ken Lingenfelter has a finger on all things fast. A true car guy born and bred, he caught the bug at the tender age of 10 when he first laid eyes on a ‘63 split-window Corvette coming off the assembly line, courtesy of his Detroit exec dad. In the decades since, he’s remained a dedicated fan, “absolutely enchanted with the new C8,” and with the new Z06 on the way, “probably more passionate about it today than I’ve ever been.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s cars and trucks are increasingly more complex machines running on ever more powerful computers, spitting out codes and diagnostic information that can be difficult for a DIYer to decipher. The new OTOFIX scanning tool is poised to change all that, offering dealer quality, access, and capability at an affordable price. Maurice Miller and Daniel Bemiss join Kevin and Willie to discuss the super powerful, easy to use, and highly connected device that Kevin hails as the “solution that I’ve been looking for!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Gabrelcik, CEO of Lubrication Specialties, Inc., is a man of science held in high regard by Kevin and Willie, who fondly refer to him by a variety of nicknames, including the recently added moniker of “The Fine Chef of Everything Lubrication-wise”. On this episode he engages the guys in a discussion about how to make your engine last longer, get the best mileage out of it, and get more bang for the buck per gallon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who among us hasn’t scraped a curb and damaged a rim or tire? This can be a real nuisance, and a potentially pricey fix. Patrick Fletch joins the guys to explain how AlloyGator’s seamless system applies an engineering mindset to provide personalized protection, visual pop, and a colorful styling solution. Along the way, Willie introduces a phenomenon he’s dubbed “rolling mustard and mayonnaise” that swings the conversation in an unexpected direction! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mel Roth launched PSCA Racing 22 years ago, nurturing its regional roots as the Pacific Street Car Association into the national platform now named Premier. Among the 6 to 16 different classes of racing depending on venue, the XDR Series spotlights 3000 hp door cars running radial tires on the 1/8-mile drag. “The nature of the beast is you wanna go fast,” Mel tells the guys. “You wanna win, but you really wanna go fast!” Or, as Kevin puts it, “It’s a real cool, relatable racing series with a whole lot of who-knows-what’s-gonna- happen!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s certainly no shortage of aftermarket waxes and polishes. Let the buyer beware – when it comes to “flossy and glossy,” not all products are created equal. Consider this alternative: ceramic coatings that create show-quality finishes that can last 9+ years. Kevin Davis from Gtechniq educates the guys on what it is and what sets it apart, schooling them on chemical bonding, physical curing, and the difference between hydrophobic and hydrophilic lubricity. Who knew? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Indianapolis is the place to be each December when PRI, the biggest industry show for performance and racing, rolls into town. Willie describes it as “40-50,000 square feet of heaven!” while Kevin notes, “I hardly ever miss a PRI; if I do I cry for like a month!” Today the guys welcome Dr. Jamie Meyer, President of PRI, back to the podcast for updates on the myriad initiatives and programs the organization has in play. “We are building tools to raise the entire industry. It is a great time to be into cars.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about metal – shaping, smashing, cutting, making it do what you want it to do, which isn’t always easy. “I’ve definitely filled up a few scrap bins in my day,” Bruce Van Sant, Owner/President of Trick-Tools, confesses to the guys. From his auto body background growing up on a farm, to becoming a self-described tool junky, Bruce now offers all kinds of tools, even tools for tools! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not all engine oils are created equal. Viscosity, heat range, performance, and protection can each vary widely. Carmine Colarusso knows this better than most. The CEO of Ultra1Plus has been blending oils for 25 years, many engineered to the specific needs of individual customers. As he sees it, “When you do an oil analysis, it’s like you’re doing a blood test,” he tells Kevin and Willie. “We have the biggest and widest product range that a manufacturer has for their customers…. Any product, we can make it.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the release of its TKX next generation transmission in late 2020, TREMEC’s totally redesigned model quickly proved itself a gamechanger for both cars and trucks. While the timing may have initially seemed potentially disastrous, Modern DriveLine’s Bruce Couture reports that sales are up 70 percent over the prior year. “This pandemic has been great for business,” he ecstatically tells the guys, with no end in sight anytime soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie love wheelin’ and everything that has to do with steering and/or suspension, so they’re pumped to get a master class in bumps and humps from Frank Vasquez of KW Suspensions. From entry level all the way up to professional racing, KW is the epitome of German precision engineering in the category. With over 16 different options for any particular car, Frank’s quick to point out that they’re “just scratching the surface with some of our truck stuff.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off a nine-day, 1600-mile cross country bike ride, Kevin’s a little raw but raring to go swapping stories with noted custom bike builder Kevin Dunworth. Add Willie to the mix and you’ve got a trio of diehard motorcycle fans shooting the breeze on everything two-wheeling past, present and future. “We are in the last of the gasoline era in cars and bikes,” observes Dunworth, before adding, “I might get beat up at the bar for saying this, but I think electric’s cool!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin’s former Two Guys Garage co-host and good buddy Bryan Fuller is renowned for his work creating custom motorcycles, hot rods, and old school classics. He’s most recently discovered a new itch for precision driving – a.k.a. racing – specifically open wheel, and he’s set his sights on rebuilding a rare, vintage Mirage M5 to run in Formula Ford. “My first race car, it’s kind of scary,” he confesses to the guys. “It’s exciting, it’s fun, it’s scary; I don’t know, lots of emotion.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie welcome the “Father of the Ford GT” Chris Theodore for a special extended conversation chronicling his remarkable career in the automotive industry. The “engineer’s engineer,” Theodore has been a driving force behind some of the greatest vehicles of the 20th Century and beyond. His historic collaborations with the late Carroll Shelby culminated in the 2004 Ford Shelby Cobra Concept car that gives his book – and this podcast – its subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The average age of vehicles on the road has ticked up to an all-time high of 12 years. Keeping them running cleaner and longer is the mission of TotalEnergies, the massive French company doing big things on a global scale. Luis Cerqueira and Darren Lesinski join the podcast to discuss what technologies are coming down the pike in terms of oil, natural gas, electricity, hydrogen, wind, and solar power. As the company strives to become greener in several respects, they’re at the cutting edge of developing oils that let the OEs literally design the engine around the oil! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As co-host of the long-running MotorTrend series Truck U from Day 1, Matt Steele has seen a virtual truckload of trends come and go. Over the course of 17 seasons to date, his passion for all things trucks burns as brightly as ever. As he tells Kevin and Willie, “I’ve always been a truck guy,” and nowhere is this more evident than in his day job as owner of the mud bogging off-road event series, Trucks Gone Wild.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cleveland Power and Performance is a salvage yard like no other – a wonderland of curated parts and pieces, drive trains and engines harvested from crashed Camaros, Mustangs and Hellcats – that also happens to build mind-blowing hot rods like the noted ’69 Dodge Charger “Reverence” and last year’s SEMA Show stunner NIKA ‘79 Bronco. Owner Rick Fragnoli makes his third visit to the podcast to discuss all the latest goings on in the aftermarket and what lies ahead as the EV era dawns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Improvements in suspension geometry. More modern alignment settings. Reducing body roll. Evolutionary leaps in shock technology. What is the secret of Ridetech’s success? “It all starts with the people that work there,” Product Manager Darren Schilling explains to Kevin and Willie. “A lot of these products we developed we didn’t even know that we needed them or wanted them, and all of it was born usually in building a car.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin’s old college buddy Ernesto Roedenbeck joins the guys for a little throttle therapy on the ins and outs of dirt biking. Willie refers to it as “Dirt Church” and Kevin as “the best video game ever,” where the #1 objective is to stay safe and not get killed. Dirt, sand, wheels up, wheels down, it’s all a blast, so grab your gear, boots and all, and strap in for a wild offroad adventure! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Art, sophistication, elegance, performance and total badass-ery are the hallmarks of Rad Rides by Troy. As Bonneville, SEMA and Ridler Award-winning custom builder Troy Trepanier informs Willie and Kevin, “this ain’t no 40-hour job,” and that’s no joke. With a pledge to constantly raise the bar without sacrificing quality, he lives by his mantra: “We try to let the car tell us what it wants a little bit.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spectra Premium has been producing high quality aftermarket products for over 30 years – everything from oil pans and fuel tanks to engine management, heavy duty segments and classic car parts – right here in North America. “At the end of the day, our customers are really looking for complete solutions to what they’re doing,” Director of Category Management Aaron Athey tells the guys. “We’ve kind of taken that premium mentality to everything we do.” Asked if he’s ever had a customer cry, Athey notes only when they’ve been disappointed elsewhere first, “and we’ve been able to turn some of those tears into smiles!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former co-host Bryan Fuller joins Kevin and Willie to celebrate Two Guys Garage’s 20th Anniversary and chat about the trio’s recent reunion with original hosts Dave Bowman and Sam Memmolo on the milestone season finale. They also go deep on one of Bryan’s latest and most unexpected projects, outfitting a ’69 Cougar convertible with Tesla underpinnings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in the day, you had maybe two options for hoses – rubber and steel braided. Today, with so many different combinations to choose from, it can be downright overwhelming. What, why, and how to run the right lines is the domain of Brint McLellan, Technical Analyst at Fragola Performance Systems. Brint joins the guys to discuss the big mistakes, pros and cons, dos and don’ts of selecting and plumbing a wide array of fluid lines, from fuel to power steering, cooling to brakes, nitrous to racing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Generations have been trusting Dupli-Color and its sister product VHT for everything from oops-type fixes to full-on paint jobs since 1938. From prep and cleaner to undercoating, wheel coating, engine coating and truck bed coatings, Product Manager Brian A. Suter certainly has a lot on his color palette. Kevin and Willie caught up with him on a recent break to talk about the latest trends in the industry, his top tips for DIYers and how formulation is key to the continuing success of the brands.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Photojournalist and die-hard magazine guy “REVan” Evan Smith’s had his finger on the pulse of performance and racing for as long as he or anyone else can remember. In this all-new chat with the guys, he talks about making the transition from print to video to digital, and the need to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and the distribution systems central to reaching car folks wherever they are. And for folks wondering how to get your car into your favorite publication he offers some great dos and don’ts you’ll definitely want to hear! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second of a two-part project for the TV show, the guys really upped the ’69 Camaro’s game, converting it from fully carbureted to fully fuel injected, and doubling the original two-speed Powerglide to a four-speed. In this podcast, they explain how they did it and why this is a true DIY project almost anyone can do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Gabrelcik, aka the Additive Alchemist and Guru of Goo, returns with more insights about “the cholesterol of your engine,” stiction. As CEO of Lubrication Specialties, Inc., a custom lubricant company breaking World Records in NHRDA racing, he’s proud to note that “the same thing we’re selling to our racing car guys is the same thing a diesel truck owner can buy for his truck.” It’s also a cost-effective product for keeping vehicles on the road longer, especially amid soaring inflation. “You’re reducing the friction and the wear, which is one thing, but you’re also doing the cleaning,” explains Kevin, “so it’s really the combination of those two things that’s kind of magical.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie kick off Season 19 of the Two Guys Garage TV show by reconfiguring a 1969 Camaro from a strip car to a born-again daily driver, and in this companion podcast they detail the setup change and performance upgrades that propel the Gen 1 classic from fight to fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie welcome back Dave Smith, President/CEO at Factory Five Racing and one of their first guests from the podcast’s inception. A lot’s happened since then, but enthusiasm for FFR’s kit cars hasn’t waned a bit. “When you think about the satisfaction you get just from mowing your yard,” observes Kevin, “just magnify that by 10 bazillion!” From mistakes made and lessons learned to what’s new on the horizon, the guys have a lot of catching up to do! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Chris Small of AkzoNobel leads the guys on a deep dive exploration of different types of automotive paint and how to successfully apply them. Noting that “cleanliness is pretty much everything,” Small makes the case for waterborne over solvent based paints. “Less experienced painters can have better results blending and things like that right out of the gate.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Willie’s view, it represents “everything outside the car that means more than the car.” It’s your own personal Garage Mahal, “the getaway spot where you go to find your soul,” says Kevin. “My garage is where I go to find myself.” Today the guys welcome Brian McNamara of Gearhead Homes to lead them through the ins and outs of searching for, identifying, and purchasing the perfect place. “I find people a garage with an attached house,” he tells them. “You need the bedrooms for the toys, too.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode the guys get a step-by-step crash course in powder coating from Lee Goldenstein of Pristine Powder Coating outside Denver. “I’m self-taught and self-trained,” says Lee, “and it’s just incredible what you can do now.” Header coatings in particular have become very popular, he notes; in addition to their killer looks available in hundreds of colors, they’re very strong and extremely durable, supplying a major reduction of radiant heat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to acceleration, Brian Tooley is the man that knows it all. He’s the King of Cams who’s figured out how to make 2+2=5. As Kevin points out, “You can pick a big cam, but what you match it with can really dramatically change your end results,” and Brian is on hand to explain the how and why of it. From the latest R&D at BTR Racing to the future and limitations of EV and hydrogen fuel cells, there’s a lot to learn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s podcast Kevin observes that once you truly understand the way it moves, “the amount of things that you can go make with metal is incredible!” Much of the credit for this can be attributed to the good folks at Woodward Fab, purveyors of fine industrial grade sheet metal equipment at affordable prices. “The tools are very old and technology, they’re very, very simple,” says Manager Darren O’Brien, “but the right tool can make the difference in speed and quality of your project.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie and Kevin firmly believe that races are won with quality braking, as they extol the virtues of old school ABS. To prove their point, they enlist the expertise of Terry Fair, owner of Vorshlag Motorsports and a pioneer in ABS swaps for older platforms. “The better OEM systems have gotten really good,” Terry explains, “and not only does it improve your braking performance 20-30%, it improves driver confidence immensely.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Established in 1967, Kinsler Fuel Injection is all about stacks and individual throttle bodies. From vintage to state of the art, restoration to the latest and greatest, their specialty is and has always been classic stuff in modern interpretations. “My job is to burn up as much fuel as I can,” GM Greg Murchison tells Kevin and Willie, “because fuel is power.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie each have a serious case of Spring Fever – especially after two years of Covid – and can hardly wait to break out their toys and get back out there: Willie in his ’69 Charger and Kevin in his fully stripped-down Miata. Car shows, race days, road trips, marathon drives, autocross; you name it, they’re all revved up and almost ready to roll. A little maintenance and boom, it’s off to the races! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

zMAX Micro-lubricant is well known for its ability to soak into metal on a molecular level, dispersing nasty engine carbon build-up. Because the movement of metal is a constant engineering challenge, all types of companies have found uses for the product, from locomotives to small aircraft and large diesel engines. “Cars and speed are in our DNA,” notes VP and GM Dan Chittock, as epitomized by the company’s state-of-the-art 4-wide dragways in Charlotte and Las Vegas, a topic Willie and Kevin are all fired up to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RECARO Automotive is renowned for the ergonomics and design of its seats, highly engineered to ensure optimal safety and comfort. Global VP of Product Development & Brand, Nicole Longhini-McElroy, stops by to enlighten the guys about a whole lot more than just derrieres in chairs, especially the “importance of your body and fatigue in a vehicle, and how can you prevent that and give people the ultimate enjoyment of their vehicle.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone’s heard the old adage, “There’s no replacement for displacement,” right? Well, Henry Bueno and Carsten Wagner of Wagner Tuning have gone to considerable lengths to thoroughly debunk this myth. Their intercoolers are a must-have for boosted applications, offering the largest application list of plug and play units in the aftermarket. With the company’s roots in Germany having recently expanded to a sprawling 60,000 square foot facility in Texas, Willie and Kevin are fired up to hear all about the art and science of cooling down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Livernois Motorsports & Engineering is the Detroit area’s one-stop shop for performance, service, and tuning. With all 22 lifts in the air and additional vehicles waiting underneath – driven largely by overwhelming demand for F-150 upgrades – the place is busting at the seams. Company president Dan Millen grabs a moment to catch his breath and talk with the guys about everything from supply chain related back orders, to crate engines, the EV evolution, and the future of ICE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does the future of car audio look like? To answer this question, Kevin and Willie welcome John Myers of Kicker back to the podcast. Noting that the OEMs “do stuff to that audio signal that would just make an audiophile cringe,” Myers explains, “you’re really not buying car audio; you’re buying emotion.” Understanding the nuances and complexities of sound dynamics is the key. “You don’t know what you’re missing until you hear what you’re missing and then you gotta have it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the top builders in the world, Levi Green of Hammer Fab is clearly on another level, crushing the stance on his unique creations with bad-ass attitude. The winner of the Ridler Award, Street Rod of the Year, Legend Cup and Barrett-Jackson Cup two times each(!) joins Kevin and Willie to discuss his work, his art, the state of 3D printing, the high cost of new technology, and his passion for training other professional builders how to reach their full potential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie are about to geek out over history, old stuff, and cool things they learn from Matt Anderson, Curator of Transportation at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. “We’re really about the impact of the car on American culture and how it’s changed everything,” Matt tells the guys. “Before the Model T you could get a good car, you could get a cheap car, but you couldn’t get a good, cheap car; the Model T hit that sweet spot, and that changed everything.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie groove about the first five project vehicles they’ve completed on Season 21 of the TV show – upgrading a ’68 Camaro to EFI; repairing a ’12 Super Bee with serious piston damage; decking out a pair of ‘22 Broncos; and equipping a brand-new Jeep Gladiator for overlanding. Along the way they share some of the personal projects they’re working on and provide a few tips from lessons they’ve each learned over the years, sometimes the hard way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gilmore Car Museum bills itself as North America’s largest auto museum, and for good reason. Located on 90 acres in southwestern Michigan, the sprawling campus features 7 partner museums; 190,000 square feet of exhibit space; 435 unique vehicles; 3 miles of pavement; and 100 rustic camping spaces. As summer approaches and the pandemic eases, Kevin and Willie welcome Executive Director Josh Russell to talk about pent-up visitor demand and the exciting attractions awaiting guests eager to experience everything from the latest Corvette exhibit to the popular chauffeured Ride the Classics program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wannabe builders Willie and Kevin welcome National Rod & Custom Car Hall of Famer Tim Strange for a personal tour through his storied career. From farm life to hot rod hero, from owner of Strange Motion to host of TV’s “Search & Restore”, Tim has amassed a prolific and wide-ranging body of work that is the envy of many… not least of all Willie, who recently debuted his first official SEMA build and eagerly awaits Tim’s appraisal of the finished project. But will it measure up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Gabrelcik, CEO of Lubrication Specialties, maker of Hot Shot’s Secret, returns to the podcast to update the guys on the latest developments in additives, and he’s got a lot to talk about. From the promise of new nanoparticle technology to predictions of fill-for-life oil and forever-running engines within 10 years; next evolution solutions for RVs, ATVs, marine and more; additives to make generators last 2-3X longer and ways to increase fuel economy and lower greenhouse gases at a much higher level. Says Kevin, “I feel smarter, but melted inside a little bit!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Johnson of Induction Solutions returns to the podcast to address the question, “Is nitrous the forgotten power adder?” (Spoiler alert: That’s a resounding, “No!”) As Willie is quick to point out, “Bang for buck, you can’t do it more affordably and safer than nitrous nowadays,” to which Kevin adds, “And it’s a heck of a lot of fun!” From the evolution of the I-S Holey Moley nitrous plate system that delivers 625+ hp, to direct port systems and progressive controllers, the guys reveal common hurdles and myths about nitrous and offer these sage words of advice: Beware the internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, there was a time when “a record player in the car was the ultimate in fidelity and entertainment,” notes Ted Cardenas, VP of Marketing at Pioneer Electronics. From record players to 8-tracks, cassettes to digital, satellite radio to car Wi-Fi and beyond, the 25-year company veteran excitedly tells the guys the best is yet to come. “The stuff we’ll have 5 years, 10 years, 15 years from now will eclipse everything that we have today, which is the coolest thing!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For nearly 60 years Detroit Autorama has hosted one of the most coveted competitions in custom car building, the prestigious Ridler Award. Recently returned from this year’s edition, noted designer Murray Pfaff regales the guys with all there was to see and do, including his very own D Lot – a 7,000 square foot “3-ring circus, portfolio, showcase, and epicenter” featuring a curated display of 9 one-of-a-kind vehicles and a Make-a-Wish Michigan online auction that awarded $40,000 in amazing gearhead prizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoff Hacker and Guy Dirkin have dedicated themselves to preserving the legacy of cars that most people have probably never even heard or dreamed of… including Willie and Kevin! “I don’t chase cars; I chase stories,” says Hacker. Over the last 15 years he’s invested more than 15,000 hours of work into Undiscovered Classics and curated a huge library of archival materials on rare handcrafted American sportscars. “We’re revising the stories that no one’s heard in 60 years; that’s what makes it fun.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From science and engineering to technology and design, Bob Bitzky has seen and done everything there is to see and do in the mysterious world of welding. Over the course of his nearly half-century career as a professional welder – including 35+ of them at ESAB – he has become one of the foremost experts at torching molten steel. Kevin and Willie tap into his massive knowledge base for a lesson that will absolutely blow their minds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the Car Guy’s Ultimate Dream Staycation. Located right off world-famous Woodward Ave outside the Motor City, sitting on 87 pristine acres housing 250 private garage condos ranging in size from 560 to 3000 sq ft, M1 Concourse is also home to a 1.5-mile, 11-turn high performance driving track and several world class events. As Willie exclaims to newly minted CEO Tim McGrane, “This is a place where your fun side gets to shine!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radford Racing School in Chandler, Arizona is the official High Performance Driving School of Dodge//SRT plus a whole lot more. “R-A-D defines the school,” raves Willie. “It’s a playground with four tires,” extols Kevin. With 85 Dodge vehicles on campus – everything from Demons to Hellcats to Vipers – plus Lotus Evora GT and Formula 4 cars – GM Mike Kessler has one of the best jobs in the business. He’s also got amazing stories to share, including the incredible tale of Hellcat Granny that you’ve got to hear to believe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Skrape is up for anything and everything. The former co-founder of Tapout is known to pick up normal family-style cars on the cheap and transform them into horsepower heroes. His quirky fascination with wagons is well-known…as is his company. Black Widow Exhaust offers a unique line of mufflers with names like Venom, Widowmaker, Neighborhater and Angry Housewife. “It’s all a marketing thing,” he explains to Willie and Kevin, “but you have to have a good product to back it up, which we do.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SVTPerformance.com is THE go-to online forum for anything performance-related in the Ford world. Launched by Travis Hill in late 2000, today it numbers nearly 200,000 members and counting. “It is just a massive community of Ford enthusiasts who share a passion for just going fast,” Hill tells the guys, compelling even lifelong Mopar fan Willie B to take notice. “Make it, break it, build it better; get out there and have some fun!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Of the legendary Ken Lingenfelter, Willie says, “I bet more hours of his life have been dedicated to speeding up our rides and our cars and our events than probably anything else in his world.” And a most remarkable world it is! Noting that “there’s so much passion and enthusiasm with this whole car enthusiast side of things,” Ken engages the guys in a lively discussion touching on some of the top VIP moments over the course of his illustrious career, as well as the best, worst and most underrated Corvettes of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reggie Wynn returns to the podcast for the first time since our inaugural episode and suffice it to say, there’ve been some pretty big developments in turbo tech since then. Turbonetics and Precision Turbo are now making units capable of producing up to 3000 horsepower, and their parent company is the only aftermarket manufacturer offering class-specific turbochargers. “This is the Golden Age of four-digit horsepower,” Kevin excitedly notes. “We are drug addicted with this stuff!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Diesel’s here to stay, there’s no question about it now that diesel’s gotten so clean,” says Clint Cannon, and he would know. Willie and Kevin welcome the President of ATS Diesel Performance to the podcast to dissect the popular misconception that EPA-mandated emissions technology is somehow killing performance, instead making the case that OE trucks delivering 500+ hp and 1000+ lb-ft of torque is a clear indication that one is not at the expense of the other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, there’s another Willie B in the world – his mirrored identical twin, Billy. They’re two chips off the old engine block, each having inherited the car bug gene from their dad. Despite Willie’s well-known affinity for Mopar and Billy’s for GM, the brothers are otherwise symbiotic best friends, competitors, and passionate car guys. Kevin is anything but the third wheel in today’s conversation, chatting with the brothers about all things automotive, including Billy’s new venture in the tuning and dyno business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Kevin and Willie set out to shed some light on the inherent mystery of, and awesome tools available for, tuning your vehicle. Noting that 1000 hp is the new 350, they enlist Jay Payson of HP Tuners to address both the ease and complexity of a successful tune. “We make the tools to tune with and our customers are doing the tuning,” says Jay. “And it’s absolutely remarkable what these guys are able to accomplish.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin’s buddy of 25 years, Doug DeLong, left the frozen tundra of Detroit for the great outdoors of Colorado, where he founded Well Sorted Automotive to celebrate the wide world of overlanding. As he tells the guys, “Most of what we’re doing is kind of that lifestyle of living the off-grid camp life,” largely by converting vintage trucks for off-roading, adventuring, and camping. Putting modern power in some of these old school platforms and bringing them back to life combines nostalgia with a cool factor that Willie and Kevin absolutely love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RaceQuip has been producing fire protection and safety gear for the racing community since 1975. Patrick “The Badger” Utt bought the company out of bankruptcy in 2006 and nurtured it back to life. The root of his success? “It’s all about building quality gear and coming in at that price point that that grassroots racer is looking for and being competitive at that.” And while this life saving equipment isn’t always top of mind with his customers, as he bluntly explains to Kevin and Willie, “Safety gear is less expensive than skin grafts.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Horsepower is like a drug; you race somebody and beat ‘em, you can’t wait to race the next guy.” So says John Meaney, the man behind the powerhouse that is Big Stuff 3. A trained engineer and passionate hot rodder, he makes some of the biggest power you’ve ever seen. According to Kevin, “it’s like a whole vehicle management rocket ship computer,” something Willie knows all about firsthand from running the products on his own cars. So, strap in for this one, it’s going to be a very fast ride! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The design work of Motofab’s Ernie Miyamoto spans a wide spectrum of creativity that can truly be defined as art. His one-of-a-kind ’72 VW Super Beetle hot rod is a triumph of fabrication and style, not to mention “the funnest car you’ll ever, ever be in in your life!” Building a car with the exhaust in mind, Ernie works freehand without the benefit of renderings. He’s learned a lot of lessons over the years, and as he tells Kevin and Willie in this podcast, “the hard part is visualizing it and making sure it fits; the other part is just fabricating.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake Hawksworth and Jon Miller are at the forefront of what many expect to be an enormous explosion in the motorsports community: electric conversion kits. Electron and proton-produced power, performance and range are the order of the day at Hypercraft, causing die hard traditionalists Willie and Kevin fits wrapping their brains around the sea change now upon them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Willie and Kevin are going vintage, beyond old school, to a time when Ford’s phenomenal flathead engine with its iconic V8 brought affordable parts to the masses – and gave birth to the original hot-rodding era in the process. Joining them on their journey is Bill Jagenow of Brothers Custom Automotive, who has an unbelievable eye for details and knows these engines inside and out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 6’5”, Cooper MacNeil is not your average race car driver. With numerous wins and championships to his credit – ALMS, Ferrari Challenge, Petit Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring – he’s run some of the world’s most iconic races, from Daytona to Le Mans. Noting that “you’re pretty much 100% every lap for 24 hours straight” has Willie and Kevin green with envy. “There’s nothing quite like doing 200 miles an hour – legally, that’s the key!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Godzilla is no longer just King of the Monsters – it’s also the latest engine from the Ford Motor Company, a 7.3L 446 V8 monster available on E-Series vans, Super Duty pickups and as a standalone crate engine. Brian Wolfe, retired Director of Global Engine Engineering at Ford, joins the guys for a revealing conversation on how this gamechanger came to be and what it means for the future of racing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From crankshafts to connecting rods, cams to engine blocks, Callies Performance Products is known for its trademark excellence, precision tolerances, high grade materials, demanding specs, and benchmark quality control standards. Direct from PRI, Heath Norton returns to the podcast for a chat with the guys on a wide range of topics, chief among them the challenges facing the performance industry from both the pandemic and the rising prominence of the EV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tommy Boileau is a consummate Throttle Jockey: racing go karts at age 7, Spec Miata at 14 and SCCA World Challenge at 16; eventually testing in Indycar and NASCAR before moving up to V8 Supercross, Rallycross and the Pikes Peak Hillclimb, an event he describes as “the biggest adrenaline rush I’ve ever had or probably ever will have.” In this podcast, Kevin and Willie tap Tommy’s professional expertise to get tips for Weekend Warriors, from setting tire pressure to adjusting sway bars and tuning shocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corry and Jason Weller met racing ATV Motocross in 2001 and have been together ever since. She’s raced Pro 4, won a UTV championship for Yamaha, and now runs for Can-Am. Aside from operating their successful aftermarket parts business, he’s been competing in King of the Hammers since 2016; together they’ll be co-drivers in the ’22 event. The dynamic couple joins the guys to talk about play time, work time, and their favorite pastime vacationing at one of the world’s most lawless spots! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 gets off to a white-hot start as Kevin and Willie host welder extraordinaire Chris Razor for a not-to-be-missed master class featuring invaluable DIY tips and tricks. With clients including SpaceX and NASA, Chris is THE go-to guy who can burn just about anything – aluminum, steel, copper, titanium; you name it. From MIG to TIG, spacesuits to sunglasses, this dude’s got skills! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh from SEMA where his ’66 Charger made a huge splash, Willie B is pumped up about one of the most lauded builds of the show: Arrington Performance’s showpiece hydrogen-burning truck. We’re talking internal combustion engine here; no fuel cell and virtually no emissions. The mastermind behind the project, Mike Copeland, joins the guys to explain how it works, what it does, and what it means for the future of the automobile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the racetrack, the dealership, and in the aftermarket, Roush Performance and Ford are attached at the hip. “And aftermarket is truly not even a good term in my opinion,” says Director of Aftermarket Products Josh Hipp, “because every single thing that we do is engineered to Ford’s level or above.” Case in point: the hugely successful Roush F-150 Nitemare, billed as “the quickest production truck ever made.” As Josh explains to the guys, it’s this spirt for constantly pushing the envelope that keeps the company at the top of its game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie kick off Season 3 with a gripping conversation about one of the fastest-growing aftermarket categories flying under the radar – tire tech. Finding the right tire for your application is critical and may just be THE single biggest performance-related aspect of your vehicle. Ron Elliot of Hercules Tires is on hand to discuss the latest rip-roaring advances in all things rubber, from rock crawling to mudslinging, swamp to street. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might refer to the 2JZ as The Little Engine That Does. “It’s probably the engine that really pushed the envelope for the imports,” says Victor Alvarez, the Oz behind the curtain at Induction Performance. As he tells Kevin and Willie, “It’s 2021 and we’re talking about an engine that was released in 1994 and it’s still extremely relevant.” Find out why, plus a whole lot more, including Victor’s picks for the 5 most crazy-fast street cars on the road these days, a couple of which might really surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nothing affects your ride more than shocks and struts; they’re controlling the amount of bounce of the vehicle and the tire that’s gripping the road. Aaron Shaffer, KYB’s Director of Marketing and Product, is a former racer and go-to guy for any and all suspension-related questions. Today he joins Kevin and Willie with advice on controlling that bumpy road; how to know when it’s time for service or replacement; why it’s absolutely critical to increase damping when adding a bigger, heavier, larger wheel and tire; and assorted hacks to avoid unnecessary and costly DIY mistakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raised as a pit kid at the family-owned Brainerd International Raceway, daughter of a 27-time SCCA Champion, Courtney Hansen is without doubt one of the best-known automotive personalities on television. Perhaps not quite as well-known: she and Kevin Byrd came up together in the business on one of the most iconic automotive shows of all time. “We were kids on Overhaulin’ and all these years later we have kids of our own!” exclaims Courtney on this nostalgic and heartfelt trip down Memory Lane and into her multi-faceted present. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who among us hasn’t scraped a curb and damaged a rim or tire? This can be a real nuisance, and a potentially pricey fix. Patrick Fletch joins the guys to explain how AlloyGator’s seamless system applies an engineering mindset to provide personalized protection, visual pop, and a colorful styling solution. Along the way, Willie introduces a phenomenon he’s dubbed “rolling mustard and mayonnaise” that swings the conversation in an unexpected direction! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heath Norton, VP of Callies Performance Products and its sister company, Energy Manufacturing Ltd., returns to the podcast to update the guys on some new product releases and the surprising impact the pandemic has had on the aftermarket. “We’re in the Second Golden Age of Muscle Cars,” he exclaims. “The streetcar market has gone bonkers!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie welcome the “Father of the Ford GT” Chris Theodore for a special extended conversation chronicling his remarkable career in the automotive industry. The “engineer’s engineer,” Theodore has been a driving force behind some of the greatest vehicles of the 20th Century and beyond. His historic collaborations with the late Carroll Shelby culminated in the 2004 Ford Shelby Cobra Concept car that gives his book – and this podcast – its subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nothing gets car guys fired up quite like the throaty growl of an exhaust system – the balance of loudness and quality, the flavors of the exhaust notes. As systems are getting more and more complicated, the guys wonder what’s coming down the pipeline, literally. “We’re in a world today where you have total system continuity,” answers the man from Magnaflow, Richard Waitas. “From the bumper to the motor to the exhaust to the interior, everything’s connected.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Gabrelcik of Hot Shot’s Secret returns to the podcast for another deep dive into the complex chemistry of lubricants, oils, and fluids. With his VP of Research and Development Kevin Adams in tow, the Guru of Goo leads Kevin and Willie through some of the key principles of Tribology, the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. The conversation is anything but dry; stick around! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christmas comes early this year in the form of the all-new TREMEC TKX, their slimmer, rounder, lighter next generation 5-speed transmission that delivers an astounding 8000 RPM. “This is the first time we’ve actually developed a transmission specifically for the aftermarket,” says TREMEC’s Mike Kidd, while Kevin and Willie pick their dropped jaws off the floor. With multiple shifter locations capable of handling those 8000 RPMs, it’s the sweet spot that weekend warriors and hot rod builders have been needing for a really long time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s cars and trucks are increasingly more complex machines running on ever more powerful computers, spitting out codes and diagnostic information that can be difficult for a DIYer to decipher. The new OTOFIX scanning tool is poised to change all that, offering dealer quality, access, and capability at an affordable price. Maurice Miller and Daniel Bemiss join Kevin and Willie to discuss the super powerful, easy to use, and highly connected device that Kevin hails as the “solution that I’ve been looking for!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A safety fuel cell is a legit piece of racing hardware; an indispensable replacement for a fuel tank with a whole lot of advantages for hotrodders. Aero Tec Laboratories has been producing and perfecting these since 1970. Ron Ross attributes ATL’s success to constant R&D and one fundamental principle: “We can’t sit still and not move forward.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As co-host of the long-running MotorTrend series Truck U from Day 1, Matt Steele has seen a virtual truckload of trends come and go. Over the course of 17 seasons to date, his passion for all things trucks burns as brightly as ever. As he tells Kevin and Willie, “I’ve always been a truck guy,” and nowhere is this more evident than in his day job as owner of the mud bogging off-road event series, Trucks Gone Wild.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few things are a bigger bummer than overheating. But keeping a white-hot engine running cool is no easy task. Willie and Kevin know that not all fans are created equal, and in this podcast, Fred Garza of Maradyne High Performance Fans provides some fresh insights about staying cool under extreme heat.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the release of its TKX next generation transmission in late 2020, TREMEC’s totally redesigned model quickly proved itself a gamechanger for both cars and trucks. While the timing may have initially seemed potentially disastrous, Modern DriveLine’s Bruce Couture reports that sales are up 70 percent over the prior year. “This pandemic has been great for business,” he ecstatically tells the guys, with no end in sight anytime soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Classic hot rods are as much about cruising as they are about digging deep and going fast. But they don’t offer much beyond three original gears. Adding a Gear Vendors overdrive system is a simple and versatile way to correct that and still maintain the value and integrity of the vehicle. In this episode, the guys get the skinny from company CEO Rick Johnson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Dover, Director of Category Management, Undercar at CarParts.com joins the guys to discuss one of the two most essential aspects of driving – stopping. While not everyone sees the fun factor of brakes, those who do can really appreciate how great stopping power enhances vehicle performance and driving pleasure. Selecting the right kit can be daunting, posing this challenge for Will: “How do we make it as simple as possible for the customer to find the right product for their car so that we can get them back on the road as quickly as possible?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Navigating a virtual rat’s nest of wires can drive just about any DIYer to the breaking point of gutting their electrical system and starting from scratch. Willie and Kevin know this drill all too well, and in this podcast they turn to American Autowire’s R&D Manager Don Bock for help with hassle-free wiring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former co-host Bryan Fuller joins Kevin and Willie to celebrate Two Guys Garage’s 20th Anniversary and chat about the trio’s recent reunion with original hosts Dave Bowman and Sam Memmolo on the milestone season finale. They also go deep on one of Bryan’s latest and most unexpected projects, outfitting a ’69 Cougar convertible with Tesla underpinnings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie B is deep in the throes of his first solo SEMA build on a rare 1966 Dodge Charger “slapper” car that is most definitely NOT a General Lee. With the clock ticking down, he’s sliced, diced, cut, chopped and wide-bodied it, learning firsthand that “most nightmares occur while you’re awake.” In this final installment of our five-part series, he begins to question whether all the lost sleep, high stress, and hurdle after hurdle will be worth it in the end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As president of Factory Five Racing, Dave Smith is the poster child for pride in ownership. The “Built, Not Bought®” kit car company has weathered its share of storms over the course of 27 years, with the last year-and-a-half being “both the most challenging and maybe a lot of fun, too, but not in the way I thought.” Consider this: There are 4500 parts in one kit, and with 10 kits sold in an average week, that’s 45,000 parts leaving the building in a single week. Add a global pandemic to the mix and, as Dave tells the guys, things get complicated real fast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Ida is a third-generation car builder and, in Kevin’s estimation, one of the most talented designer-builders on the planet. His penchant for Tuckers is renowned, and he also tackles an incredible array of projects from the most modern to most archaic and just about everything in between. In Part 4 of our five-part series, Rob chronicles the hurdles and headaches of restoring a rare 1962 Holman Moody Ford Falcon/Challenger 3 for SEMA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once upon a time, old school hot rodders had to sacrifice cabin comfort for horsepower. Today, there are zero reasons for any cool car not to have AC. Much of the credit for this can be attributed to the folks at Vintage Air and its Chief Innovation Officer, Ryan Zwicker. The company’s SureFit and Front Runner systems have revolutionized the industry, leading Willie to dub them “the panacea of pulleys,” and Ryan to note that the “best way to judge a fan’s capacity to do work is how much motor it has on it.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As owner of the successful Girl Gang Garage and co-host of MotorTrend’s long-running hit series All Girls Garage and Garage Squad, Bogi Lateiner has earned an enviable reputation in the automotive world. Now deep into her third all-female SEMA build – “I did not expect to be building a SEMA car, ever!”– she takes time out to chat with Kevin and Willie about the project in the third installment of our five-part series. “It’s the biggest undertaking that I’ve ever done; it is absolutely insane, it’s just an unreal project!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoff Hacker and Guy Dirkin have dedicated themselves to preserving the legacy of cars that most people have probably never even heard or dreamed of… including Willie and Kevin! “I don’t chase cars; I chase stories,” says Hacker. Over the last 15 years he’s invested more than 15,000 hours of work into Undiscovered Classics and curated a huge library of archival materials on rare handcrafted American sportscars. “We’re revising the stories that no one’s heard in 60 years; that’s what makes it fun.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second podcast of this five-part series, Willie goes deep on his first gen ‘66 Dodge Charger build for this year’s SEMA Show. Not exactly renowned for its natural beauty, this labor of love (emphasis on labor) is inspired in part by Kevin’s own kick-ass 1990 LS-powered BMW M3 build several SEMAs back. “Ugly cars get really cool at SEMA,” notes Willie, “and sometimes really gorgeous cars get really ugly at SEMA!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cleveland Power & Performance is a one-of-a-kind hybrid: part salvage yard, part custom build shop, and all-around amazing. Kevin describes it as “a go-to place for nothing but the awesome stuff,” and second-generation owner Rick Fragnoli doesn’t disagree. In fact, his famed “Reverence” restomod – a ’69 Charger with a 6.2L supercharged Hellcat engine – recently sold for around $400K. “If it’s a $20 part or a $20,000 part,” Rick tells the guys, “we’ll work with whatever parameters people need.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If SEMA is the Super Bowl of car shows, the Ring Brothers are the Lebron and Michael of car builders. Yet even Jim and Mike are up against the wall trying to get parts for the three projects they’re bringing to this year’s highly anticipated event, the first since the onset of the pandemic. In the first of a five-part series leading up to SEMA, Kevin and Willie go two-on-two with the legendary siblings who modestly describe themselves as “just guys that like cars and [are] lucky enough that people like what we’re doing.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s podcast Kevin observes that once you truly understand the way it moves, “the amount of things that you can go make with metal is incredible!” Much of the credit for this can be attributed to the good folks at Woodward Fab, purveyors of fine industrial grade sheet metal equipment at affordable prices. “The tools are very old and technology, they’re very, very simple,” says Manager Darren O’Brien, “but the right tool can make the difference in speed and quality of your project.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second of their two-part interview with Gale Banks, Willie and Kevin get deeper insights into the man who changed the history of the internal combustion engine. “I’m hopelessly addicted to horsepower,” exclaims the racing legend who cut his teeth on gas and is now largely known for diesel. On predicting what lies ahead, the born to run competitor anticipates “it has to have a higher energy density.” And that’s just the beginning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Established in 1967, Kinsler Fuel Injection is all about stacks and individual throttle bodies. From vintage to state of the art, restoration to the latest and greatest, their specialty is and has always been classic stuff in modern interpretations. “My job is to burn up as much fuel as I can,” GM Greg Murchison tells Kevin and Willie, “because fuel is power.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gale Banks is a force to be reckoned with – a legend with 11 patents and hundreds of copyrights, he has literally changed the world of hot rodding. In the first of a two-part conversation with Kevin and Willie, the self-described “full-blooded nerd” reflects on numerous milestones throughout his 50+ years in the business, concluding that “the underlying theme for my whole career is the turbo charger.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to Chevy Blazers, Mark Sopko of Motor City K5 is THE go-to guy. “I did Broncos for almost 20 years; I knew Broncos like the back of my hand,” before deciding to change course and specialize exclusively in Blazers. “I was expert in the old world, I need to be expert in the Blazer world,” he tells Kevin and Willie, “so that’s what I did.” And in a big way, with his 4WD SUV walking off with First Place at 2020’s Detroit Autorama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie ponder the science, the mystery, the voodoo behind the harmonic balancer that holds an engine together. They invite Fluidampr’s Ivan Snyder III to school them on the three types of vibration to be aware of – unbalanced, axial and torsional – starting with Lesson #1: You know you’ve gotta have a damper, but what the hell is it? The answer: It’s crucial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie are about to geek out over history, old stuff, and cool things they learn from Matt Anderson, Curator of Transportation at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. “We’re really about the impact of the car on American culture and how it’s changed everything,” Matt tells the guys. “Before the Model T you could get a good car, you could get a cheap car, but you couldn’t get a good, cheap car; the Model T hit that sweet spot, and that changed everything.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Driveshafts take a relentless beating, constantly applying load with substantial torque. Repairs, upgrades and modifications are always top of mind for Lee Mejia of The Driveshaft Shop. Citing expensive custom builds that completely neglect driveshafts and axles, Lee regales Willie and Kevin with stories of destructive and real-world testing, like what happens when a heavy projectile made out of steel suddenly pole vaults or grenades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, there was a time when “a record player in the car was the ultimate in fidelity and entertainment,” notes Ted Cardenas, VP of Marketing at Pioneer Electronics. From record players to 8-tracks, cassettes to digital, satellite radio to car Wi-Fi and beyond, the 25-year company veteran excitedly tells the guys the best is yet to come. “The stuff we’ll have 5 years, 10 years, 15 years from now will eclipse everything that we have today, which is the coolest thing!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They may not be all that sexy, but when it comes to pneumatics and air tools, a compressor is the first and most critical big tool you’re likely to buy. Today the guys learn from Jarrett Affolter of Ingersoll Rand all there is to know about air compressors – the different types, what the fail points are, how to make them last forever, and what size you need to do what you want to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Livernois Motorsports and Engineering is making great modern horsepower come alive in your car, and they’re doing it in the easiest and simplest of ways. “Everything today starts with the tuner, it’s the cheapest mod you can do,” co-founder Dan Millen tells the guys. With 27 lifts and 45-50 cars in the shop at any given time, this self-described die-hard Ford guy turned die-hard everything guy is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible both on and off the track. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cut-and-stick-on sound deadening materials are effective, but can be a slog to install. In this episode, Kevin and Willie detail how LizardSkin’s spray-on insulation eliminates the misery so often associated with thermal management and noise reduction DIY projects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the Car Guy’s Ultimate Dream Staycation. Located right off world-famous Woodward Ave outside the Motor City, sitting on 87 pristine acres housing 250 private garage condos ranging in size from 560 to 3000 sq ft, M1 Concourse is also home to a 1.5-mile, 11-turn high performance driving track and several world class events. As Willie exclaims to newly minted CEO Tim McGrane, “This is a place where your fun side gets to shine!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Advances in technology are breathing new life into old hot rods and muscle cars, in many cases allowing them to do things they were never intended to do. Consider the massive performance capabilities in bolt-on suspension packages now leading an explosion in the restomod and truck categories. In this episode, the guys discuss developments with diehard car guy Mike Ruth, Chief Application Engineer leading the charge at Heidts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vorshlag Motorsports owner Terry Fair knows the ins and outs of every type of go-fast car. Autocross, open track events, time trials, wheel to wheel road racing, drag racing; you name it, he’s done it at a high level. As if that’s not impressive enough, Kevin has dubbed him “the Christopher Columbus of LS swaps,” having been at the forefront of a movement that has gone from laughed at to lauded. Strap in for some fascinating conversation as Terry shares his wealth of knowledge with the guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A near-death experience incorrectly strapping a car on a trailer taught Willie a hard lesson on the rights and wrongs of vehicle transport. On this episode of the podcast, Joe Parks of industry leader Pilot Transport shares his observations and experience moving everything from a Ford Escort to a Bugatti Veyron across 49 states and Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off a nine-day, 1600-mile cross country bike ride, Kevin’s a little raw but raring to go swapping stories with noted custom bike builder Kevin Dunworth. Add Willie to the mix and you’ve got a trio of diehard motorcycle fans shooting the breeze on everything two-wheeling past, present and future. “We are in the last of the gasoline era in cars and bikes,” observes Dunworth, before adding, “I might get beat up at the bar for saying this, but I think electric’s cool!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For pure sub-9 second, factory direct, mega horsepower drag racing, nothing beats COPO Camaro. Just ask Rich Rinke, multi award-winning driver and owner of COPO Parts Direct. Kevin and Willie do just that as they get the inside scoop on the latest and greatest. From battles royale in the staging lanes, to the next evolution of the Central Office Production Order, one thing remains constant, says Rich: “We’re a bunch of overgrown Hot Wheels lovers!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in the day, instrument clusters had some very cool designs and architecture, albeit limited functionality due to the available technology of the times. Today, getting the gauges just right for your resto mod project is the sole mission of Classic Instruments. As owner John McCleod puts it, “We really want that old school look and feel, but being able to run modern,” to which Willie replies with awe, “It really is a craft and a skill; it’s straight up art.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a fairly simple equation: More Air + More Fuel = More Power. A supercharger can boost that power by as much as 50-85%. Now ProCharger has changed the game with its F3X capable of generating 3500 HP @ 70,000 RPM. Sergio Shifman joins the guys to explore the company’s lineup of full kits that can add hundreds of horses to late-model vehicles in a single weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Of the legendary Ken Lingenfelter, Willie says, “I bet more hours of his life have been dedicated to speeding up our rides and our cars and our events than probably anything else in his world.” And a most remarkable world it is! Noting that “there’s so much passion and enthusiasm with this whole car enthusiast side of things,” Ken engages the guys in a lively discussion touching on some of the top VIP moments over the course of his illustrious career, as well as the best, worst and most underrated Corvettes of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lots of folks love a car or truck that looks old but drives like new. Crate motors, overdrive transmissions and big brakes have blown open the resto market, and that’s been good for business at Auto Metal Direct. GM Mike Gray gives the guys a primer on how AMD’s sheet metal is better than OE, why quality matters, and the reason muscle car guys love trucks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Kevin and Willie set out to shed some light on the inherent mystery of, and awesome tools available for, tuning your vehicle. Noting that 1000 hp is the new 350, they enlist Jay Payson of HP Tuners to address both the ease and complexity of a successful tune. “We make the tools to tune with and our customers are doing the tuning,” says Jay. “And it’s absolutely remarkable what these guys are able to accomplish.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The future creates the present.” So Google’s top-rated futurist speaker Thomas Frey tells the guys in this fascinating podcast. From predictions of the death of the internal combustion engine and the emergence of the 1000-mile range electric car, to the impact of autonomous vehicles on real estate values and how the Covid era will fundamentally change mankind, “We’re gonna try to stretch people’s thinking a little bit here, so let’s jump right in!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The aftermarket is a $300 billion industry powered by 270,000 independent shops driving massive amounts of inventory. When COVID swept in, it required an immediate need to pivot. As Chief Merchandising Officer, Dave Morris was at the forefront of navigating those rough seas for CarParts.com. In an insightful and candid conversation, the 30-year industry veteran takes Kevin and Willie behind the scenes of how the company not only survived but thrived throughout this unprecedented crisis. “We’re a very analytical company,” he explains. “We sell jobs, not parts.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rambler Ranch in Colorado is, in a word, unique. THE destination for all things AMC, Nash (and Kelvinator appliances) is home to, as Willie puts it, “one of the most amazing car collections on Earth.” Started in 1992 with 30 cars and now numbering upwards of 800, rarities include a 1955 Pinin Farina Speciale, 1948 Nash Tow Truck, AMC Marquesa prototype, and the only AMC Concord Touring Car in existence. “I have seen grown men cry,” says caretaker Ben Hamilton, “and I’m not joking.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Gabrelcik, CEO of Lubrication Specialties, maker of Hot Shot’s Secret, returns to the podcast to update the guys on the latest developments in additives, and he’s got a lot to talk about. From the promise of new nanoparticle technology to predictions of fill-for-life oil and forever-running engines within 10 years; next evolution solutions for RVs, ATVs, marine and more; additives to make generators last 2-3X longer and ways to increase fuel economy and lower greenhouse gases at a much higher level. Says Kevin, “I feel smarter, but melted inside a little bit!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Troy Ladd has a special love for old school hot rods, especially 30’s-era hot rods. Ever since he built his first car in high school – a ’66 Mustang – the visionary behind Hollywood Hot Rods has made his bones on new stuff that looks like old stuff and makes you feel like you’re back in 1936. From one-of-a-kind barnyard finds to the one that got away, Troy tells the guys, “I wish I had the ability to keep them all and never sell a car,” but unfortunately that’s no way to run a business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Generations have been trusting Dupli-Color and its sister product VHT for everything from oops-type fixes to full-on paint jobs since 1938. From prep and cleaner to undercoating, wheel coating, engine coating and truck bed coatings, Product Manager Brian A. Suter certainly has a lot on his color palette. Kevin and Willie caught up with him on a recent break to talk about the latest trends in the industry, his top tips for DIYers and how formulation is key to the continuing success of the brands.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fabrication is essentially the Architecture of How – how to manipulate materials to maximize form and function. Deryck Griffith of Vibrant Performance refers to the process as using “LEGO pieces made out of metal,” as he explains to Kevin and Willie how the company “consolidates the needs of the artist” with high tech engineering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

zMAX Micro-lubricant is well known for its ability to soak into metal on a molecular level, dispersing nasty engine carbon build-up. Because the movement of metal is a constant engineering challenge, all types of companies have found uses for the product, from locomotives to small aircraft and large diesel engines. “Cars and speed are in our DNA,” notes VP and GM Dan Chittock, as epitomized by the company’s state-of-the-art 4-wide dragways in Charlotte and Las Vegas, a topic Willie and Kevin are all fired up to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the old pole barn in the woods to the custom multicar garage and the ultra-modern car condo, gearheads have been searching for the perfect Man Cave / Mechanic’s Dream since time immemorial. Brian McNamara of Gearhead Homes joins the guys today to answer the call as he reveal the tricks of the trade and hottest trends in auto-centric real estate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Skrape is up for anything and everything. The former co-founder of Tapout is known to pick up normal family-style cars on the cheap and transform them into horsepower heroes. His quirky fascination with wagons is well-known…as is his company. Black Widow Exhaust offers a unique line of mufflers with names like Venom, Widowmaker, Neighborhater and Angry Housewife. “It’s all a marketing thing,” he explains to Willie and Kevin, “but you have to have a good product to back it up, which we do.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Kevin and Willie, driving is all about the fun factor, and that means throwing gears – we’re talking huge left thigh, major heel-toe clutch action. More discs = more torque, and that means twin, triple and now even quad disc clutches. On this episode, Geoff Gerko of Mantic Clutch exposes surprising ways clutches are wrecked, and reveals best practices for preserving them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gilmore Car Museum bills itself as North America’s largest auto museum, and for good reason. Located on 90 acres in southwestern Michigan, the sprawling campus features 7 partner museums; 190,000 square feet of exhibit space; 435 unique vehicles; 3 miles of pavement; and 100 rustic camping spaces. As summer approaches and the pandemic eases, Kevin and Willie welcome Executive Director Josh Russell to talk about pent-up visitor demand and the exciting attractions awaiting guests eager to experience everything from the latest Corvette exhibit to the popular chauffeured Ride the Classics program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wonder what it’s like to spend your working hours conjuring visions of cool custom cars and then seeing them actually brought to life? Designer Murray Pfaff has been doing exactly that for years, and in this episode he regales the guys with tales of dreams made real that are absolutely to die for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Diesel’s here to stay, there’s no question about it now that diesel’s gotten so clean,” says Clint Cannon, and he would know. Willie and Kevin welcome the President of ATS Diesel Performance to the podcast to dissect the popular misconception that EPA-mandated emissions technology is somehow killing performance, instead making the case that OE trucks delivering 500+ hp and 1000+ lb-ft of torque is a clear indication that one is not at the expense of the other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many in the hot rodding world, the sport is much more than a hobby, it’s an obsession; the passion is in the blood. Case in point: Dan Millen and the gang at Livernois Motorsports and Engineering. As Willie and Kevin discover in this podcast, these guys buy and drive only what they can modify… which is just about anything and everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raised as a pit kid at the family-owned Brainerd International Raceway, daughter of a 27-time SCCA Champion, Courtney Hansen is without doubt one of the best-known automotive personalities on television. Perhaps not quite as well-known: she and Kevin Byrd came up together in the business on one of the most iconic automotive shows of all time. “We were kids on Overhaulin’ and all these years later we have kids of our own!” exclaims Courtney on this nostalgic and heartfelt trip down Memory Lane and into her multi-faceted present. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Metalworking can be intimidating, and the learning curve can be steep. But thanks to Darren O’Brien and the good folks at Woodward Fab, it doesn’t have to be. On this episode, the guys discuss how the company’s versatile lineup of affordable tools removes the fear factor and will have you fabricating in no time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Godzilla is no longer just King of the Monsters – it’s also the latest engine from the Ford Motor Company, a 7.3L 446 V8 monster available on E-Series vans, Super Duty pickups and as a standalone crate engine. Brian Wolfe, retired Director of Global Engine Engineering at Ford, joins the guys for a revealing conversation on how this gamechanger came to be and what it means for the future of racing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Evan Smith of REVan Media has a reputation as THE behind-the-scenes media mogul of the automotive world – a writer/photographer/test pilot with all the inside scoop on the OEs. And man, can this guy wheel! Kevin and Willie sit down with REVan Evan for a freewheeling discussion about all the baddest, newest and trendiest goings on, and what it’s like in the driver’s seat of the Ford GT 350 and 500, Corvette C8, Dodge 392 and ZL1 Camaro. Strap in and hang on for a fun ride! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Chris Small of AkzoNobel leads the guys on a deep dive exploration of different types of automotive paint and how to successfully apply them. Noting that “cleanliness is pretty much everything,” Small makes the case for waterborne over solvent based paints. “Less experienced painters can have better results blending and things like that right out of the gate.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Christopher Titus is an automotive addict. “The disease bites you,” he admits to Kevin and Willie. “It’s terminal, I can’t get rid of it, and I’m glad I have it!” In a lively discussion, the trio of horsepower freaks share crash and burn stories, discuss the famous Titus-Foose “Once a Knight” ’56 Chevy, and agree that “cars are a great litmus test for any relationship you’re in”… well, that and IKEA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the racetrack, the dealership, and in the aftermarket, Roush Performance and Ford are attached at the hip. “And aftermarket is truly not even a good term in my opinion,” says Director of Aftermarket Products Josh Hipp, “because every single thing that we do is engineered to Ford’s level or above.” Case in point: the hugely successful Roush F-150 Nitemare, billed as “the quickest production truck ever made.” As Josh explains to the guys, it’s this spirt for constantly pushing the envelope that keeps the company at the top of its game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie go behind the scenes with longtime SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting as he prepares to roll out SEMA 360, the organization’s new online platform created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the annual Las Vegas trade show. With over 6,000 member companies, the Specialty Equipment Market Association is much more than its namesake event. The preeminent trade association of the automotive aftermarket is on the front line of defense, actively tackling the biggest challenges facing the $45 billion industry. “It’s a whack-a-mole gig” that keeps Chris extremely busy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RaceQuip has been producing fire protection and safety gear for the racing community since 1975. Patrick “The Badger” Utt bought the company out of bankruptcy in 2006 and nurtured it back to life. The root of his success? “It’s all about building quality gear and coming in at that price point that that grassroots racer is looking for and being competitive at that.” And while this life saving equipment isn’t always top of mind with his customers, as he bluntly explains to Kevin and Willie, “Safety gear is less expensive than skin grafts.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebuilding steering columns is a huge pain in the butt. Kevin and Willie have restored enough street cars, race cars and classics to appreciate the simplicity of updating old straights, tilts and column shifts with brand new quick release equipment and digital dash mounts. Today, ididit GM Trever Cornwell gives them the lowdown on how to steer clear of trouble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does the future of car audio look like? To answer this question, Kevin and Willie welcome John Myers of Kicker back to the podcast. Noting that the OEMs “do stuff to that audio signal that would just make an audiophile cringe,” Myers explains, “you’re really not buying car audio; you’re buying emotion.” Understanding the nuances and complexities of sound dynamics is the key. “You don’t know what you’re missing until you hear what you’re missing and then you gotta have it!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fans of the long-running series Overhaulin’ may recall that our very own Kevin Byrd appeared in some early episodes alongside Adrienne Janic, aka “AJ”. On this episode, AJ joins Kevin and Willie for a lively discussion about automotive television past and present, ranging from her initial trial by fire as a novice working alongside Chip Foose, to some of her most memorable and outrageous experiences on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s podcast, Kevin muses how brakes are “one of the coolest things you can put on a car, and who would’ve ever thought?” Well, Brembo North America President and CEO Dan Sandberg for one, and Performance Director Mike Messina for another. Not a company known to rest on its laurels, Brembo has just introduced its new UPGRADE program, a direct replacement for OE parts. “Don’t underestimate the brakes,” Dan tells the guys. “Stuff happens.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CARtoons Magazine entertained and enthralled generations of car kids and adults from its birth in 1959 through its final issue in 1991. That is until 2015, when Mark Methout unexpectedly resurrected the legendary title. In this podcast, the CEO and Publisher regales Willie and Kevin with the colorful tale of his unlikely journey from recovering the abandoned trademark and reuniting some of the original artists, to reviving the beloved publication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might refer to the 2JZ as The Little Engine That Does. “It’s probably the engine that really pushed the envelope for the imports,” says Victor Alvarez, the Oz behind the curtain at Induction Performance. As he tells Kevin and Willie, “It’s 2021 and we’re talking about an engine that was released in 1994 and it’s still extremely relevant.” Find out why, plus a whole lot more, including Victor’s picks for the 5 most crazy-fast street cars on the road these days, a couple of which might really surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jamie Meyer’s credentials are impressive to say the least: PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology; postdoctoral researcher in molecular genetics; former head of GM Performance; and now the newly minted President of the Performance Racing Industry. In a frank and wide-ranging conversation, the guys discuss everything from the LSX and COPO Camaro initiatives he led, to Dr. Meyer’s vision for PRI during COVID-19 and a post-pandemic world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone’s heard the old adage, “There’s no replacement for displacement,” right? Well, Henry Bueno and Carsten Wagner of Wagner Tuning have gone to considerable lengths to thoroughly debunk this myth. Their intercoolers are a must-have for boosted applications, offering the largest application list of plug and play units in the aftermarket. With the company’s roots in Germany having recently expanded to a sprawling 60,000 square foot facility in Texas, Willie and Kevin are fired up to hear all about the art and science of cooling down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All shocks are not created equal. Engineering and manufacturing are critical to effectively tuning, running and racing them. On this episode of the podcast, Willie and Kevin get schooled by legendary suspension expert Jeff Ryan of JRi Shocks. “A shock can cure a lot of things,” he tells them, “but it can’t cure everything.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Willie and Kevin are going vintage, beyond old school, to a time when Ford’s phenomenal flathead engine with its iconic V8 brought affordable parts to the masses – and gave birth to the original hot-rodding era in the process. Joining them on their journey is Bill Jagenow of Brothers Custom Automotive, who has an unbelievable eye for details and knows these engines inside and out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode the guys go deep with Mark Stielow, Sr. Manager at GM in Advanced Vehicle Dynamics, described by Kevin as “one of the sharpest car cats – from designing, to building, to driving the damn tires off!” Mark knows all there is to know about Camaros, having built 17 of them during his career-long tenure at General Motors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s certainly no shortage of aftermarket waxes and polishes. Let the buyer beware – when it comes to “flossy and glossy,” not all products are created equal. Consider this alternative: ceramic coatings that create show-quality finishes that can last 9+ years. Kevin Davis from Gtechniq educates the guys on what it is and what sets it apart, schooling them on chemical bonding, physical curing, and the difference between hydrophobic and hydrophilic lubricity. Who knew? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode the guys get a step-by-step crash course in powder coating from Lee Goldenstein of Pristine Powder Coating outside Denver. “I’m self-taught and self-trained,” says Lee, “and it’s just incredible what you can do now.” Header coatings in particular have become very popular, he notes; in addition to their killer looks available in hundreds of colors, they’re very strong and extremely durable, supplying a major reduction of radiant heat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heath Norton, VP of Callies Performance Products and its sister company, Energy Manufacturing Ltd., returns to the podcast to update the guys on some new product releases and the surprising impact the pandemic has had on the aftermarket. “We’re in the Second Golden Age of Muscle Cars,” he exclaims. “The streetcar market has gone bonkers!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices