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Tag: TMCP

TMCP #639: Jason Noel – Fat Fender Garage, The 20-Year Overnight Success

Jason Noel, founder of Fat Fender Garage in Gilbert, Arizona, joins us this week with a story that’s less about horsepower at the beginning — and more about perseverance. Jason didn’t grow up chasing race cars. He was a finish carpenter by trade, building doors and crown molding before the 2008 housing collapse wiped out his business and forced a complete reset. What came next wasn’t a hobby gone wild — it was a deliberate rebuild. One old truck led to another, then to customer builds, then to something much bigger than he ever planned.

Today, Fat Fender Garage is a full-scale restoration shop specializing in classic Ford and Chevy trucks, known especially for early Ford F-100s and modern Coyote swaps. Along the way, Jason learned that if he wanted the quality and timelines his customers expected, he’d have to take control of the process. That meant bringing paint, upholstery, parts manufacturing, and now even chassis production in-house. What started as flipping a few trucks for fun has grown into a 75-person operation building high-end custom vehicles and engineered components designed to compete at the top of the industry.

In this episode, Jason shares the hard lessons from early customer builds, the philosophy behind vertical integration, why he chose to compete directly with established chassis manufacturers, and how telling the real story — wins and failures alike — became the backbone of Fat Fender’s marketing success. If you’re into classic trucks, modern restomods, or the realities of scaling a business in the automotive aftermarket, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

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 #418: Clay Millican – Becoming an NHRA Top Fuel Drag Racer by the Definition of “The Want To!”

This week is a very special show is with NHRA Top Fuel superstar Clay Millican! I caught up with him at SEMA 2019 and had a chance for a good long chat. His story of humble beginning to the top of Top Fuel is truly amazing, and you’ll learn a phrase I hope you’ll remember forever: “The Want To!” He is even a listener of The Muscle Car Place and Kibbe and Friends shows and his comments proved he has an insiders knowledge of the show!

TMCP #388: 5 Years And Counting of Building Hot Rods at Street Metal Concepts – March Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan

In this episode I talked once again to my dear friend Zip Simons, co-owner of Street Metal Concepts in Orlando Florida. Zip and Don Endonino put the paint and finishing touches on my Chevelle in 2016. It is hard to believe that it has been that long since they have been on the show even though I talk to them often since then.

Street Metal Concepts Humdinger on Diesel Power Magazine cover
Zip and Don have been working on cars for a very long time now and I wanted to get some behind the scenes info. He said that one of SMC’s biggest features is it’s record keeping. Every “valuable” hour is documented with what work was done and what decisions were made. This information is then provided back to the customer so they are comfortable with what is being done to their treasured vehicle. Zip says a lot of time is spent on project planning and documentation but in the long run it is all worth it. They also provide photo documentation on an ongoing basis and many customers look forward to the pictures of how the process is going. It keeps them involved and interested instead of becoming a drop it off and forget it relationship. Zip wants them to understand what is going on and what is involved.

Butch Poes ’63 Chevy II by Street Metal Concepts
Creating a custom vehicle is an emotional roller coaster and the guys want the customers to know this right up front. Quite often they get unfinished projects from other shops and this is usually due to the lack of a relationship. These vehicles are not a necessity and emotionally driven and the emotions run out before the project gets finished. Zip and Don want the customer to be comfortable and know the ball is in their court.

TMCP eBay{1980 Chevrolet Corvette

One day each week we’ll list a cool project car or a nice driver for sale here from eBay Motors.  We’ll try to keep the price to a max of $20,000 for full driver cars.  For project cars, no more than $5,000. 1980 Chevrolet Corvette Visit us every day, or just click the flame to […]

TMCP Podcast #153 – The Jim Klovas “Bomb Shelter” Mopar Collection!

The Twins, Old and New Challengers

In this episode our guest was Jim Klovas, a Mopar collector, restorer, and all around great guy. Jim discussed his collection of desirable Chrysler classics and talked about how he came to acquire and restore them. Of course, the elephant in the conversation (Mopar pun intended) is the fact that Jim stores his Mopars in a Government built Bomb Shelter, so we talked quite a bit about that as well!