TMCP #504: Rick Love from Vintage Air; Re-inventing Class Car A/C, Electric Compressor Evaluations, and Killer Hot Rod!
Every spring, when the weather starts to get warm, I like to talk to Rick Love, President of Vintage Air about new cold air products and technical details of the add on systems. Rick is an amazing resource and a leader, not only in air conditioning but in the automotive aftermarket as a whole. At the 2021 SEMA show he was inducted into the SEMA hall of fame for his lifetime of work in the industry!
TMCP #502: Jeff Allison Returns – His Journey of Automotive Adventures: Building Cars, Shops, and YouTube Channels!
Every fifty episodes or so I check in with my great friend and automotive brother Jeff Allison. Over ten years ago Jeff offered to build my family Chevelle into something spectacular. Since then his shop (Allison Customs) ha grown and he’s become a famous YouTube star to boot. Believe it or not, but he can even cook! This interview is a catch-up on my favorite renaissance man.
TMCP #497: Ask Rick – Which Modern EV Company will Stand the Test of Time? Plus, a History of the Batmobile!
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! With the launch of a new month it’s time to bring Rick Schmidt back on for another session of Ask Rick. As you may have noticed, in the premier marketing event of the year (i.e. the Super Bowl) all of the car companies focused solely on advertising their new electric offerings. Chevy went quite far on their new EV Silverado with some – admittedly – really engaging advertisements (we are suckers for Austin Powers).
As this trend seems inevitable, and with the proliferation of new electric car brands popping up all over, and I wanted to get Rick’s opinion on whether we were about to see a new round of automobile manufacturers join the market as they did when electric cars existed with various companies in the early 20th Century. History does tend to repeat itself, right? Should we make a speculative bet on buying and holding any of these new cars for future collector value?
TMCP #489: SEMA Show 2021 Special #5: Martin Beckenbach – Creating Legendary Auto Interiors, James Thomas – SEMA Young Gun, Talbert & Mike Goldman Customs – ’65 Chevelle and ’55 Chevy Apache Truck, Vibrant Exhaust, Make it Your Way, Coverlay Plastic Dash Covers
Martin Beckenbach – Creating Legendary Auto Interiors, James Thomas – SEMA Young Gun, Talbert & Mike Goldman Customs – ’65 Chevelle and ’55 Chevy Apache Truck, Vibrant Exhaust, Make it Your Way, Coverlay Plastic Dash Covers
TMCP #480: Ask Rick – To SEMA or NOT To SEMA? That is the Question!
It is October and time for the spooky boys and girls to get their costumes ready for some trick or treating fun! It is also time for another impactful and insightful Ask Rick segment with our friend Rick Schmidt. In this episode we broach the exciting topic of what exactly is Rick’s favorite candy bar? Other topics include the upcoming SEMA show attendance and why the 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra R model is so sought after.
TMCP #477: Ask Rick; Electric Won’t Kill Us (Yet)……The Bright Shining Future of Gas Powered Classic Cars
It is September and time for another “edge of your seat interview” with Rick Schmidt! This is the episode where we finally discuss the topic of whether electric cars will completely kill the classic car hobby. Short answer: they won’t……and least not for a long time.
TMCP #474: Ask Rick – The True Price of FREE Shipping of Restoration Parts!
It is August, time for football to resume, and time for another no holds barred Ask Rick interview with Rick Schmidt! This time (in addition to another fun nitpick through eBay car listings) we delved into the topic of “free shipping.” Even further, the actual costs of shipping and receiving of large orders, small orders, freight orders, damage returns, and the like. You may be shocked to hear it….but the “free shipping” on those parts you bought online didn’t actually have a free ANYTHING!
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TMCP #471: ASK RICK – Are All Restoration Parts REALLY Made in Three Factories in Taiwan?
Happy 4th of July and welcome to another great edition of “Ask Rick”. Rick Schmidt is never one to shy away from the hard hitting questions and this month was no exception. After last months bombshell about pricing and how COVID-19 is affecting the costs of everything, there were a lot of listener questions about the parts themselves……and where they really come from. He may need to have all listeners sign a non disclosure agreement after this interview, but he definitely let the cards fall where they may.
Here was the big discussion (and myth debunk): Aren’t all aftermarket parts made in just three plants in Taiwan, and they’re really all the same no matter the brand? Rick laid out the reality of this eight ways from Sunday. The answer is complicated to say least. Are there really 3 factories in Taiwan stamping out all of our favorite parts? No, of course not. The amount of tooling required to do all of that would take up the state of Rhode Island. Do the many multiple factories – who are competing with each other – actually have to competitively work together? Actually, they do. Shipping of parts is a key reason however.
TMCP #466: Scott Lambert on the 2021 Twin Cities Auto Show, New Cars and Future Classics Up Close and Personal!
This week, I spoke to Scott Lambert, President of Minnesota Auto Dealer’s Association, and wanted to find out more about the 2021 Twin Cites Auto Show. Scott’s history is quite different than most of our guests but he is still a car guy at heart. His background is in politics and was actually an automobile industry lobbyist talking about new cars and dealerships at the highest levels of government. It makes sense that he now uses his power of influence to fill this huge automotive event with all kinds of new car excitement.
TMCP #428: Blake Foster, SpeedTech Performance USA; “Big Front Tire” Pro-Touring Suspension from the Ground Up!
This week our guest was Blake Foster, President of SpeedTech Performance USA. Speedtech is known for many things, but as of late I’ve noticed a LOT of their product in the field, at SEMA, and at the track. The common denominator: BIG front tires are included in the suspension packaging, even on cars where there is often no practical way to do so (such as an A-Body GM car like a Chevelle or GTO). Blake’s mottos is, “why make great suspension just to run a 245 tire?” With that said…I needed to know more!
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