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Tag: Ask Rick

TMCP #429: The Real Scoop with NPD’s Rick Schmidt: How Will The Covid-19 Shutdown Affect The Automotive Restoration Business Economy?

Happy May 2020! With some of the country starting to re-open I thought that this episode would be appropriate for a special edition all “Ask Rick” show with Rick Schmidt from NPD. Rick’s monthly segment has been highly popular with so many of you due to his straightforward approach to all questions asked, and I specifically wanted to hear how COVID-19 is affecting the automotive aftermarket and restoration economy. The short answer is…things aren’t exactly as you think they might be!

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TMCP #417: Oscar Pereda, Godfather of the BFG Pro-Touring Tire? Michelin’s Track Connect Tire Sensor Apps for Better Lap Times – Ask Rick, NPD looks to the New Year, The Bullitt Mustang goes to Mecum

This week I cornered Oscar Pereda from Michelin in a (slightly) “off the books” interview at the SEMA Show. While the initial discussion was to be centered around the all new Michelin Track Connect system….I found out that he is the guy behind the coolest and most trend-setting genre changing tire sizes in pro-touring! He literally is the person who decided to have BFG develop a 335-wide 18″ tire…because he thought that is what would look “coolest” on the tail of a ’69 Camaro. Front tire sizes followed suit and today we have an enduser suspension, brake, chassis, and speed industry built around it! 

TMCP #386: Mike Fadel of Streetside Classics; Consigning Cars and Beating the Auctions – Ask Rick; Is There Value of Having Your Car Judged?

In this episode I spoke once again to friend of the show Mike Fadel, Director of Sales and Consignments at Streetside Classics. Streetside has made a major impact for both buyers and sellers of collector cars, muscle cars and otherwise by going strictly consignment and by utilizing massive amounts of data to fine tune where cars cab be bought and sold. And….it’s working! In just the last few years they’ve been growing at a rapid rate and I wanted to see if he could give me the hottest look at what 2019 holds.

Ask Rick: On this edition of Ask Rick Rick shared the final results from the recent AACA show in Ocala and regarding the judging of his 1955 Pontiac Star Chief  specifically. He told me it passed with no issues! He went on to say that prior to AACA judging he did correct quite a few things with the car and he would be proud to enter it even into a Pontiac specific show. The vehicle specific shows are a bit different than AACA since the people that judge are specialists in those cars specifically where an AACA judge has a breadth of knowledge regarding all makes and models. The AACA shows do a great job of judging overall quality of a vehicle as a collector car and is something to look for when purchasing a car.

TMCP #383: Auction Insights! Bret Voelkel from Ride Tech at Barrett Jackson, and NPD’s Ask Rick Segment on the Growth of Mecum

This episode marks a fun trip to the January auctions! Our intrepid show producer Bernie McPartland was our man on the scene at Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale Arizona and while there caught up with Bret Voelkel of RideTech. To follow up with that, we had Rick Schmidt on to get his opinion on the auction world as a whole, both from a marketing perspective for NPD and as a buyer and seller of cars. I also really wanted his opinion on the higher-than-normal sales prices of “Resto-mod” Corvettes at the Barrett Jackson auction (which he does watch annually) vs their fully restored counterparts. 

TMCP #380: Mike Gehri, Racing Cars as a Hobby To Develop Racing Games As a Profession, NPD’s Ask Rick: His Approach to Marketing, Goals, and Restoration Projects

Happy 2019! This episode marks the very first of another new year, so this month we’ll talk about goals for the year as well as to take an inspiring look at people enjoying the hobby or business of the world of muscle cars in new and unique ways. This particular installment featured Mike Gehri who is enjoying both the business and hobby side of our world, but not in a way we’ve seen before. Mike is the graphic artist and game developer behind the software company Beer Money Games, the business behind the wildly successful game Demolition Derby 2.!

TMCP 377: SEMA 2018 Show #3 – Dave Kass; Revalvable ON THE CAR Shocks from QA1 , Duston Nixon & Damron Atkins; Realistic Stadium Trucks and RC Machines from TRAXXAS – Ask Rick; The Hidden Gems (or Dumpster Fires) of Farm Auction Cars!

This weeks installment is the second of multiple LIVE from the show floor episodes from SEMA 2018. This time I check in with old friends and find out the latest in innovation and design. In this third installment I spoke with Dave Kass from QA1, as well as with Duston Nixon and Damron Atkins at the Traxxas display.

TMCP #374: The Green Hornet Turns 100 (MPH)-Jacob Davis Does the Cannonball Run; Ask Rick – Trends in Unrestored Driver Cars

This weeks interview is with friend of the show Jacob Davis. You should remember him from previous episodes #311 and #334 where he detailed his journey to obtaining his dream job at Hot Rod Magazine! Since that time Jacob has quickly made a name for himself and is enjoying the rewards of his efforts. As a result of this he now runs into many people in his travels, some of whom offer him interesting and unique propositions. The story that follows is the result of one of these conversations. Please note the word “allegedly” is used (a lot) in this show.

TMCP #371: Rob Dumovic, Chasing Upside Down Speed Dreams – Ask Rick, The Inside Scoop on AACA Judging

Today’s show is with Rob Dumovic, instructor from Executive Flyers Aviation. He is also the host of a podcast about aviation Plane Talk Podcast. I wanted him on the show to discuss his big goals in life and how he is chasing them.

Rob told me his big goals are to be a world class aerobatic pilot, a top level air show performer, and to the join Red Bull Air race. These goals in aviation are saying you are going to drive at top level Nascar or be a famous movie star. He is aiming for the very top levels of the sport.

TMCP #368: Jon Chase from Hoonigan; The Secret of Talks Hooning (and ’55 Chevy Gassers) – Ask Rick, Finding NOS Parts and The Real ROI on Developing Restoration Parts

Today’s guest is Jon Chase, Brand Manager and Art Director at Hoonigan since 2014. Back in 2012 I met Jon at SEMA and we had him on TMCP #159. At that time he was with Maisto designing amazing car models. From there he went on to run his own clothing brand company called DSTROYR. That process led to an introduction to Hoonigan where he decided to head full time, which allowed him to do all of the fun stuff he enjoyed with DSTROYR, with more time for family, fun, and to pardon the pun, Hooning. In this episode we got to the bottom if what Hoonigan actually is ( a brand lifestyle, media creation, an apparel company) and detailed all of the ins and outs that go with it.