Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

FEATURE INTERVIEWS:

Rick Schmidt – Ask Rick:

It is now October so be on the lookout for ghosts and ghouls at Halloween. This is time for costume parties, trick or treating, and another riveting Ask Rick segment were I ask him the tough questions that not everyone wants to hear! As always Rick delivers sage advice and wisdom founded in years of buying and selling classic vehicles. In this episode we waded into the topics spanning from “how do I store my classic vehicle” all the way to “how do we fix our broken governmental system.” As always the answers are entertaining, polarizing, and sometimes surprising.

Rick’s Take on Halloween:

Halloween at the Schmidt house has been interesting in the past. Ricks wife loves costumes and has a selection of previous years ghoulish outfits that she brings out when the season is upon us. Rick admits that he has put a costume or two but it has to be for an event and not just for answering the door to give free candy to kids.

Rick’s Take on SEMA:

The question of “should I go to the SEMA show” is one that many listeners have every year. For NPD, even though the SEMA organization is part of their industry, it is not a show that they have a need to display at. While they do have a few hundred in-house products that they manufacture and sell, the bulk of their business is that of a wholesaler. For them, the SEMA show is something to attend – as a buyer of the companies displaying – every few years to touch base with old faces and new. For this very reason Rick may actually attend this year, in fact!

In Rick’s opinion, those that get the most benefit from attending are those who are also buiyers, or shop owners, or those looking to make connections to be seen. New manufactures would also benefit from displaying/connecting at SEMA and he sees the value for that to them well.

Ron Francis Booth SEMA 2018

Rick’s Take on Long Term Car Storage:

A listener sent in a question about extreme long term car storage and what is needed to make a car last without moving or running for years. There are many nuggets of wisdom Rick has bestowed from his vast collection of stored vehicles in the past and the main tips are store it in a dry place with proper air flow around the car. Make sure the fuel system is filled from stem to stern with a good high quality fuel that has zero alcohol content. Rick even mentioned buying a race fuel such as Sunoco Optima which is blended with excellent storage characteristics and would greatly extend the life of the fuel system. In the case of extreme long term storage Rick said he would additionally fog the fuel tank to add another layer of protection or possibly run the fuel system completely dry and then fog it so you are not simply creating a full tank of garbage fuel over ten years. Other systems on a vehicle will not have a great life even in the best of conditions if it is not driven. The brake system in particular will definitely take a hit and require maintenance before returning to service.

Rick’s Take on UAW Strike:

The UAW (United Auto Workers union) is currently striking certain production plants with multiple back and forth arguments that both seem right – and wrong – all at the same time. One misnomer that Rick addressed is the one stating that the “Big Three automakers pay their executives millions of dollars instead of directing that to those who actually produce the vehicles.” Rick said it is all just posturing like in the government where someone states a radical point of view to change the perception of where the actual line in the sand should be. In this case the argument that the money the executives make should be redistributed to those less fortunate is baseless from a financial point of view. If you took all of the millions and left the executives destitute, this would still be a tiny drop in the bucket compared to how much the union is asking for in increased wages. It is just demonizing the opposing side to make it look bad and garner a favorable option.

The underlying issue is the wages and the standard of living the workers are experiencing and where they would like to be at. The problem is that neither side is focusing on is the high cost of living has been brought on by government intervention and unregulated over spending that’s put us in this situation to begin with. If the unbridled spending is not curtailed then the resulting inflation will quickly exceed whatever concessions are made in this current round of negotiations between the UAW and the corporations.

You can find out more about NPD at the website National Parts Depot, or on social media via Facebook.com/ NationalPartsDepot or on Instagram.com/npd_nationalpartsdepot.

Thanks Rick!

-Rob Kibbe

This interview sponsored by our pals at National Parts Depot – your premier source for muscle car restoration parts!

This episode also includes the return of the  Vintage Air Summer Special!  Vintage Air are the inventors of high performance air conditioning, and provide systems for Street Rods, Muscle Cars, and Classic Vehicles.

More info is available on the website as well!

======================================================