TMCP #640: Ask Rick — Green Cars, Tariffs on Taiwan, Chinese EV Rumors, and the Best Trucks to Buy Now
This month on Ask Rick, Rick Schmidt from National Parts Depot joins us for a St. Patrick’s Day edition covering everything from green cars and Guinness to real-world business questions. We discuss whether presidential addresses truly move the needle for business decisions, what the current tariff situation looks like on Taiwanese restoration sheetmetal, and how NPD is handling pricing in real time. We also dive into the growing conversation around Chinese electric vehicles entering the U.S. market — and whether joint ventures with American automakers make that inevitable.
Plus, Rick tackles a thoughtful listener question about selling a company to employees with no family successor, and we close with a truck-heavy investment showdown: custom builds under $75K and which ones make the smartest five-year bet. Insightful, practical, and always honest — it’s classic Ask Rick from start to finish.
TMCP #598: Ask Rick – A New Year, New Goals, and New Cars for 2025!
Ask Rick – A New Year, New Goals, and New Cars for 2025!
TMCP #569: ASK RICK: Best ROI on Auction Cars and How A Presidential Election Affects Restoration Parts Sales
Rick’s Take on the Presidential Election 2024:
Every four years we experience a Leap year and another round of picking a new president. With this event comes another round of presidential ads, throwing of mud, and an substantial amount of finger pointing. I have heard many times in the past from suppliers regarding their outlook on the future around an election cycle and many will stop any unnecessary spending based on the uncertainly of the outcome of an election. Some will even cut out expensive trade shows (SEMA included) that they would normally attend in an attempt to save up for the rainy day they believe is headed their way.
I decided to ask Rick what his experiences were regarding this phenomenon. NPD is run very conservatively and keeps higher than normal reserves for low times and fluctuations in the market so Ricks response was very interesting. He said that he does indeed notice a flattening in sales in relation to a Presidential election. That said, it’s not just at election time, but over the whole election year. It seems like everyone gets nervous and holds back on spending. Once the whole thing is over and the parties have been decided, Rick says that people generally go back to buying for their hobbies and it is back to business as usual.