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Tag: The Muscle Car Place Podcast

TMCP #635: ASK RICK! – FIFTY YEARS of National Parts Depot! The REAL Story of Surviving and Thriving in Restoration Parts

National Parts Depot is celebrating an incredible milestone — 50 years in business — and we’re sitting down with Rick Schmidt for a special Ask Rick episode to talk about the journey that built one of the most respected names in classic car restoration. From its humble beginnings in a family basement to becoming a global leader in restoration parts, Rick shares the story of how his father Jim Schmidt built NPD through hard work, vision, and a relentless commitment to serving enthusiasts. We also dive into Rick’s leadership philosophy, the evolution of the restoration market, and what the next fifty years may hold.

It’s also auction season, and Rick is ready to help us make some money. We break down what it takes to buy right, sell smart, and turn a profit with a quick flip. With a goal of keeping the upfront cost under $30K, Rick walks us through which cars make sense to chase at the January auctions — and which ones to leave on the block. If you’re looking to sharpen your auction strategy, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

TMCP #634: The Ultimate Reunion // How 6 People Who Never Met Built a $400K Chevelle for SEMA on Friendship, Grit, and Faith!

This week we’re doing something a little different, and honestly — something really special. For the first time ever, the original team behind my Chevelle build all sat down together to revisit the journey from 2011–2013. This wasn’t a “sponsored” build or a corporate project. It was a leap of faith between friends who believed we could pull off something big long before we knew how. We started in basements and small shops, fought rust, deadlines, wiring headaches, and fatigue — and somehow ended up rolling into SEMA together.

In this episode you’ll hear Jeff Allison, Danny Giustino, Zip Simons, Kirk Hansen, and producer Bernie all share their side of the story — the wins, the failures, the sleepless nights, the road trips, and the moments we’ll never forget. If you’ve ever dreamed of doing something way beyond your comfort zone, this one is for you. It’s a reminder that passion + good people can move mountains…and cars.

TMCP #632: The Full Business of “Give Away Sweepstakes” with Hodson Motors — Riley Hodson on Building, Giving Away, and Growing the World of Classic 4×4’s Sweepstakes

Just outside the chaos of SEMA, we sat down at Hodson Motors—Riley Hodson’s backyard-born, fast-growing sweepstakes operation that’s taking over the classic 4×4 world. What started as a humble father-and-son hobby turned into a full business when Riley realized people weren’t just following his truck builds…they trusted him. From diesel-swapped Suburbans to bone-stock Toyotas, Riley breaks down the real math, the real risks, and the real heart behind giving away fully built vintage trucks to everyday enthusiasts. No hype, no gimmicks—just honesty, hustle, and a shop full of lifted classics ready for their next home.

Riley walks us through how he chooses the trucks, why some sweepstakes boom while others flop, and why every winner needs to know they’re not just getting a truck—they’re inheriting a hobby. It’s a rare, transparent look behind a world most people only see through ads and hashtags, and it proves why Hodson Motors has become the trusted name in classic 4×4 giveaways. And let’s be honest…nothing makes your muscle car look better than a perfectly built vintage truck parked next to it. After hearing this episode, you’re going to want to check out HodsonMotors.com and throw your name in the hat for the next one.

TMCP #630: SEMA 2025 Show Spectacular Finale – Centerforce Clutch Tech, Holley’s LT-Swapped 4th Gen Camaro, and Meguiar’s Pro-Level Detailing for Real-World Builders

This episode delivers a packed finale to our SEMA 2025 coverage, featuring three can’t-miss conversations straight from the show floor. We kick things off with Trent McGee from Centerforce, breaking down real-world clutch selection for street, strip, and track — covering everything from classic muscle car setups to high-horsepower, twin-disc race applications. Then Mark Gearhart from Holley joins us to walk through their LT-swapped 4th-gen Camaro and the bigger picture of modern engine swaps, showing how builders can bring modern power and drivability into older platforms. We close out with Mike Pennington from Meguiar’s, who dives into their new pro-consumer detailing line, sharing practical tips on paint care, polishing, interior cleaning, and headlight restoration that everyday enthusiasts can actually use.
We wrap this episode proud — because this was, without a doubt, our best SEMA show and coverage to date. The depth of the interviews, the quality of the guests, and the real-world value packed into these conversations made this series something truly special. If you’re building, restoring, maintaining, or dreaming, this finale ties it all together and sends SEMA 2025 out the right way.

TMCP #622: Ask Rick — Can American Manufacturing Return for Restoration Parts? Rick’s Take: Bob Lutz Says EVs Will End the Internal Combustion Engine!

Kick off October with a fresh Ask Rick as Rick Schmidt weighs in on the value of car-show trophies, parts sourcing, and where the market’s really headed. Are small-show awards worth chasing—or are they just eating into charity budgets? Rick also unpacks the hot question in restoration parts: will manufacturing return to the U.S., or will Taiwan’s increasingly high-quality tooling keep leading the charge for low-volume classics?

Then it’s “Rick’s Take – Car Deals: The Bob Lutz Edition.” Rick sizes up a supercharged ’99 Viper GTS ACR, a ’09 Solstice GXP, and a ’00 Prowler for long-term ROI in a world edging toward electrification—followed by an “Investment Hedge” round featuring a ’87 Trans Am, ’06 Ford GT, and ’87 Buick GNX. Which has already peaked, and which still has runway? Tune in to hear how Rick reads the market—and which cars he’d flip first.

TMCP #578: Fifteen Years Of The Muscle Car Place With Jeff Allison – How To Build Cars And Gain A Family

This week marks the fifteenth anniversary of The Musclecar Place podcast and all of the adventures that have ensued since then. Fifteen years ago I had a dream to start a radio show where I could talk about fast classic cars and meet people that build, race or buy and sell those vehicles. The one “guest” that has been on the show more than any of them, and has had a bigger impact than all of them, is Jeff Allison. Jeff is the one that stepped up and took a huge chance and changed both of our lives forever. In this interview we take a trip down memory lane and recollect how we met and built a race car that went to SEMA and made a family out of a podcast.

TMCP #518: Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan: UMI King of the Mountain, Good Guys Fall Events, and a New Garage Studio: Moparty Sneek Peek – Vanishing Point Challenger and Hemi Gen III ’65 Coronet

This episode has everything! First up, a Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan complete with a recap fro UMI King of the Mountain, a look at upcoming Good Guys Fall Events, and a New Garage Studio for Larry! Also included, a Moparty Sneek Peek – Vanishing Point Challenger and Hemi Gen III ’65 Coronet.

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?