Mike Spagnola from SEMA discusses the future of performance racing and the grassroots racing community at the PRI show. He emphasizes the importance of entry-level enthusiasts and the evolving automotive industry, including the rise of simulators and American-made products. The episode also features Kevin from Lost Angels, who shares an inspiring story about at-risk youth restoring a 1968 Camaro as part of a vocational program, showcasing their skills in automotive design and engineering. Together, they highlight the industry's growth and the next generation of car enthusiasts.
Recorded live at the PRI Show in Indianapolis, this episode of The Collector Car Podcast features an in-depth conversation with Mike Spagnola, President & CEO of SEMA, on why PRI remains vital to the performance and racing world, how advocacy protects enthusiast culture, and what the future holds for the next generation of car people.
In the second part of the episode, I'm joined by Kevin Darwish of Lost Angels Career Center to discuss the incredible Camaro drift car on display at PRI—designed and built by students. It's a powerful example of how education, mentorship, and hands-on experience are shaping the future of the automotive industry.
A special thank you to our new sponsor, Discover Once, curators of one-of-a-kind automotive adventures you'll never experience twice. Learn more at discoveronce.com/muscle.
And as always, huge thanks to RM Sotheby's for their continual support and for making so many of these automotive dreams possible.
Listen to the "Octane FM: Shift, Rev, Repeat" album on Spotify!
Stay connected with The Collector Car Podcast—find us on our Website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or reach out to Greg directly via email.
Join RM Sotheby's Car Specialist Greg Stanley as he brings over 25 years of experience and keen market analysis to the world of collector cars. Each week, Greg dives into market trends, interviews industry experts, and shares insights—with a little fun along the way. New episodes drop every Thursday and are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Learn more at www.TheCollectorCarPodcast.com or email Greg at [email protected]. Interested in consigning a car at an RM Sotheby's or Sotheby's Motorsport auctions? Contact Greg directly at [email protected] or [email protected]
"Tell us, tell everyone here a little bit what is PRRI and then the connection with SEMA."
PRRI is a group that helps people who build and race cars connect with each other. It’s like a club for racing enthusiasts and professionals.
PRRI stands for Performance Racing Industry, an organization that focuses on the racing sector of automotive manufacturing and track ownership. It serves as a networking hub for racers, engineers, and suppliers involved in motorsports.
"And it really just specialized on that where SEMA is a lot more, it's got racing, but it's got all sorts of other things."
SEMA is a big trade show where companies sell parts and accessories for cars and trucks. Think of it as a marketplace for car upgrades.
SEMA is the Specialty Equipment Market Association, a trade organization that represents aftermarket automotive parts and accessories. It hosts an annual show where manufacturers showcase new products for cars, trucks, and SUVs.
"I think a lot of folks realize the perception is as racing is so expensive, the engines are so expensive. But as I walk around, I see a lot of grassroots stuff."
Grassroots racing is when people race cars in local, inexpensive events. It’s all about having fun and learning rather than winning big prizes.
Grassroots racing refers to low-cost, community-based motorsport activities that emphasize participation over professional competition. It often includes local dirt tracks, club events, and amateur drivers.
"I see some small stuff, I see some dirt track stuff, I see some go carts, I see all sorts of stuff."
Go carts are tiny cars that people race on small tracks. They’re a fun way to get into racing without needing a full-size car.
Go carts are small, motorized vehicles used for racing or recreation on tracks. They typically have four wheels and a low seat, offering an entry-level experience into motorsports.
"And then on the low end, it's really cool to see all these simulators now where they're going. And it may sound expensive for a $10,000 simulator."
A racing simulator is like a video game that feels very real. You sit in a seat, use a steering wheel and pedals, and the computer shows you how a car would drive on a track.
Simulators are computer-based racing setups that replicate the feel of driving a real car, including steering, braking, and throttle response. They allow drivers to practice without the cost or risk of a physical vehicle.
"I saw an article where some of the Formula One drivers were saying, don't waste your time now. I'm carting just great to sim because it's so real and it gets you into some sort of thing."
Formula One is the fastest and most famous car racing series in the world, with super-fast cars that race on tracks around the globe.
Formula One is the highest class of single-seat, open-wheel racing sanctioned by the FIA. It features cutting-edge technology and attracts top drivers worldwide.
"I haven't still like carts in my kitchen, but my kids and I still do some amateur racing. And we practice on a sim."
Carting is like racing in a tiny car called a go-kart. People use it to learn how to drive fast before they try bigger cars.
Carting refers to driving go-karts, small off-road or on-track vehicles used for racing practice and entertainment. It is often a stepping stone to higher levels of motorsport.
"And I imagine that's very similar here, whether you're talking about, you know, roller cams or exhausts or headers, whatever, because I know there's so much innovation in this industry, right?"
Roller cams are a part of an engine that helps open and close the valves. They use small rollers to make the motion smoother, which can help the engine run better.
Roller camshafts are a type of camshaft that use rollers to reduce friction and wear on the valve lifters, improving engine efficiency and longevity.
"And I imagine that's very similar here, whether you're talking about, you know, roller cams or exhausts or headers, whatever, because I know there's so much innovation in this industry, right?"
Headers are the part of the exhaust that takes gases from each cylinder and combines them into one pipe. They help the engine get rid of waste gas more efficiently.
Headers are the first section of an engine's exhaust system that collect gases from each cylinder and merge them into a single pipe, improving flow and performance.
"We work with them on CAD data, we work with them on dyno testing and emissions testing and safety rigs and all those sorts of things, depending on what the product is."
CAD data is a digital file that shows exactly how a part should look and fit. Engineers use it to design and test parts before they are made.
CAD data refers to computer-aided design files that provide detailed 3D models and specifications for parts or assemblies used in manufacturing.
"We work with them on CAD data, we work on dyno testing and emissions testing and safety rigs and all those sorts of things..."
Dyno testing is when a car or engine sits on a special machine that measures how much power it makes. This helps engineers see if the car is performing as expected.
Dyno testing involves running a vehicle or engine on a dynamometer to measure power output, torque, and performance characteristics under controlled conditions.
"We work with them on CAD data, we work on dyno testing and emissions testing and safety rigs and all those sorts of things..."
Safety rigs are machines that mimic crashes or other dangerous situations to see how well a car protects its passengers. They help engineers improve safety designs.
Safety rigs are specialized test setups that simulate crash scenarios or other safety-critical events to evaluate vehicle structural integrity and occupant protection.
"you know, exterior oil cooler fan, whatever, but he was talking about how quickly it ramps up in speed and how quiet it is and how much air force, you know."
This fan sits on the outside of a car’s engine and pulls air through a small radiator‑like unit to keep the engine oil from getting too hot. It’s especially useful when a car is working hard, like in racing.
An exterior oil cooler fan is a component mounted on the outside of a vehicle’s engine bay that pulls air through an oil cooler to help dissipate heat from the engine oil. It improves cooling efficiency, especially during high-performance or racing conditions.
"We have Formula SAE which is more college student age where they build a small Formula car or a Baja car."
Formula SAE is a college contest where students make small race cars that look like big racing cars, but are cheaper and safer to drive.
Formula SAE is a collegiate engineering competition where students design, build, and race lightweight, high‑performance cars that resemble Formula One vehicles but are scaled down for safety and cost.
"We have Formula SAE which is more college student age where they build a small Formula car or a Baja car."
A Baja car is a rugged off‑road vehicle made to race in desert competitions, with strong suspension and high clearance.
A Baja car is an off‑road vehicle built for the Baja 1000 desert race, featuring a lightweight chassis, high ground clearance, and durable suspension.
"You said you're not a muscle car guy and then you hinted at JDM. Tell us what is in your garage or what's your passion when it comes to classic car, collector cars."
JDM means cars that were made for Japan only. People sometimes bring them to other countries because they look cool or have special parts.
JDM stands for "Japanese Domestic Market" and refers to cars, parts, or modifications that were originally sold only in Japan. Enthusiasts often import these models for their unique styling, performance characteristics, or rarity.
"But seem of the share, we had a full aluminum body 240Z. Series 1, 240Z."
The Porsche 240Z is a famous sports car from the early 1970s. It’s known for being fast, lightweight, and fun to drive.
The Porsche 240Z is a classic sports car produced by Porsche from 1969 to 1973. It’s part of the Z series, known for its lightweight design and rear‑engine layout.
"So we didn't get to install it. But the angle on these old muscle cars is not sufficient for drifting."
Muscle cars are big, powerful American cars from the 60s and 70s. They’re famous for their strong engines and bold looks.
‘Muscle cars’ are high‑performance American muscle vehicles from the 1960s and 1970s, known for large V8 engines and aggressive styling. The term ‘old muscle cars’ refers to these classic models that are now vintage.
"But with the motor and the blower that we're running, it's talking with the tuner."
A blower is a device that squeezes more air into the engine to make it produce more power.
A blower is a type of supercharger that compresses air before it enters the engine, increasing power output. It’s commonly used in high‑performance muscle cars.
"Because there's a lot of air going in with those dual throttle bodies."
Dual throttle bodies mean the car has two separate air controls that let more air into the engine for better performance.
Dual throttle bodies are two separate air intake valves that allow each cylinder bank of a V‑engine to receive its own airflow, improving throttle response and power.
"[1603.96s] Carbon fiber panels.
[1605.0s] So AMD supplied us with all the replacement body panels."
Carbon fiber panels are made from a very strong, light material that helps the car weigh less and perform better. They’re often used in racing or high-performance cars.
Carbon fiber panels are lightweight, high-strength composite components used in vehicle bodies to reduce weight and improve structural rigidity. They provide a strong yet light alternative to traditional steel or aluminum panels.
"But maybe something inspired by the Hunicorn with our flare as we did on the Camaro."
The Camaro is a sporty car from Chevrolet that looks fast and can go really quick. It’s been made for many years and people like it because of its strong engine and cool design.
The Chevrolet Camaro is a classic American muscle car known for its aggressive styling and powerful performance. It has been produced in various generations since 1967, often featuring V6 or V8 engines and a rear-wheel-drive layout.
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Welcome to the collector car podcast. Hope everyone's doing well out there. Wanted to give you heads up for this podcast episode. Actually have two interviews. The first is with Mike from SEMA. So we'll get to that pretty quickly here. And then after that, we have Kevin from Lost Angels out in California, which is a really interesting place to help people get back on their feet. And one way to do that is through restoring really cool old cars and incredibly high success rates.
So it's in this podcast so that you don't jump out too early. And then as always, thank you for watching me. Listen to me every week and following my travels if you're on my newsletter blast. Now you probably saw if you are on my newsletter that I did have a big announcement on Friday. I have a new book coming out called the Athusias Guide to Collector Cars. And I will talk more about that and have the official podcast launch version coming out next week, which I believe actually falls on Christmas Day.
So I'm hoping to record that here shortly. I am coming over a cold. So I apologize for that. But for your Christmas travels, you can learn about my new book that's coming out. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it out in time for Christmas, but it will definitely be out in time for next Christmas. So I enjoyed the interviews.
Imagine a journey so rare. It only happened once. That's the spirit behind once exclusive one time only adventures that will never be repeated. Our next experience, American Muscle Legends takes you track side with the most iconic cars in history, complemented by luxury accommodations and behind the scenes access. You simply can't buy spots are limited. When it's gone, it's gone. You can learn more at DiscoverOnce.com forward slash muscle.
Alright, well, welcome to the Collector Car Podcast. I'm excited because I'm at PRRI and Indianapolis right now. And I've got the guy with SEMA, Mike Spagnola. How you doing, buddy?
I'm good, man. How are you now? Little bird told me your nickname is spags. It is bags. That's an awesome nickname. I absolutely love that. I don't have a nickname. People, you know, Greg, you know, I need a better nickname.
I've been called worse things, but yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, I love these guys. So I've never been here before. I've been coming to Indianapolis for years for a little background. I'm from the food industry.
So I've been in this building for massive trade shows with massive booths, massive events. And it's amazing how similar they are because you have your vendors. You have always the folks representing things.
Tell us, tell everyone here a little bit what is PRRI and then the connection with SEMA.
Yeah, so the PRI started off by some of the guys. Steve Lewis was the founder of it and it's a performance racing industry. And it really focused on just the racing industry, but not so much at the NASCAR Indie Car Formula 1 level.
More at the weekend warrior grassroots. And even some of the sort of even though the upper echelon, I guess, could be said in sprint car racing and those sorts of things.
But it was really meant for the hardcore racer that really just enjoyed the sport and everything from manufacturing to the track owners to those who drove the cars just the whole industry.
And it really just specialized on that where SEMA is a lot more, it's got racing, but it's got all sorts of other things. It's got street trucks and custom cars and all that sort of thing.
So this show really focuses on the hardcore racer. Yeah, I have been to SEMA before and that's where I don't know what the stats are, but if you walk around for one day or to see all of it is like 15 miles or something crazy, right?
It's actually 32 miles. I'm sorry, 32. I'm not lazy, I guess. But yeah, so that is just absolutely outstanding. So I was excited to come to this and check this out. And I really love what you said about grassroots.
I think a lot of folks realize the perception is as racing is so expensive, the engines are so expensive. But as I walk around, I see a lot of grassroots stuff. I see some small stuff, I see some dirt track stuff, I see some go carts, I see all sorts of stuff.
So are you still seeing an entry level enthusiast having a place in the industry?
Yeah, for sure. I mean, obviously, and even if you, whether you want to work on the cars, drive the cars, be the team owner, the marketing, obviously social media, what I love about our industry, people kind of think, well, if I want to be in the automotive industry, I love cars, but I don't, I don't want to get my hands dirty.
I don't want to be a mechanic. I don't want to, whatever. That's sort of being a manufacturer that if you can think of any business principle in any sort of business, the automotive industry is the same.
So my vice president of finance is a car guy, but he happens to be a bean counter. He has to be the finance guy, right? Or the HR person or any of those sorts of disciplines, obviously social media is big now and, and the ability to be able to take shots and put them on social media.
So a lot of interest in that area of marketing. And so, so again, any sort of discipline that you can think of right within the any sort of business you can do in the automotive industry.
I love to see that because there's plenty of people that want to have something what want to be some part of the fabric of this industry, but aren't necessarily talented drivers or have the money for racing or those sorts of things.
And then on the low end, it's really cool to see all these simulators now where they're going. And it may sound expensive for a $10,000 simulator.
But you can, you don't break any parts, you don't have to put new tires on them, you don't have to replace the brakes, you don't crash into somebody, you have to replace the body.
They are so lifelike now. I just did one earlier today. And they're so lifelike now when they had the opportunity to do a bit of, you know, amateur racing myself. And it's incredible where those have come.
And, and where they're going. I saw an article where some of the Formula One drivers were saying, don't waste your time now. I'm carting just great to sim because it's so real and it gets you into some sort of thing.
I haven't still like carts in my kitchen, but my kids and I still do some amateur racing. And we practice on a sim. And it's amazing how well it does.
That's really a great point because I know I think it was grand tourism. One of those movies talked about a real life example. And, you know, it's, it's so true because you think $10,000 that's expensive. But, you know, that's probably three months of carting. You know, if you know better than me, that might be two weeks of carting for all I know.
If the kids don't crash, break an axle or something. That's the entry point. You know, and there's so many places that are popping up with their own sims that you can actually enjoy, you know, car clubs, social clubs, that kind of stuff.
But yeah, it's been really amazing walking around here because, you know, from the, from my food world, it'd be cool because I see some competitors and I see what they're working on. And I know one of our big goals back in those days is like, oh, where this competitor coming out with a new product.
And I imagine that's very similar here, whether you're talking about, you know, roller cams or exhausts or headers, whatever, because I know there's so much innovation in this industry, right?
And so much of it, I would think eventually shows up in the everyday cars, you know, depending on the manufacturer, obviously.
You know, one of the things I love about what we do is I came from private business and in the automotive field, but so grow your business, you've got to have more things to sell and more people to sell them to.
And so Seema has a garage, a product development center where we help manufacturers develop products and take them to market.
We work with them on CAD data, we work with them on dyno testing and emissions testing and safety rigs and all those sorts of things, depending on what the product is.
And then the shows have you find more people to sell it to. So we really do incubate a lot more business. I mean, that's one of the goals of the Seema BRI is to bring buyers and sellers together to help incubate, grow the industry, grow the business.
It's fun because everybody's looking for that golden ticket. It doesn't matter what the industry is. By that, I mean product, you know, so it's going to be something innovative, something nobody's ever seen, maybe new materials, maybe a new process, maybe new technology.
And I've seen that in my past, and I know that's probably amped up to 11 in this industry, right?
Yeah, it is. And even sometimes just as a hobbyist, you might go to put a part on your car and you think, gee, it doesn't really fit right. And how can I make it better?
I wish they would have thought of this when they were doing that. And so, you know, we hear a lot of those stories where they hadn't planned on being in their industry, but they were car enthusiasts and they did install product they weren't happy with and found a better way to make that widget.
It's really fascinating because if you think about racing, you know, what allows me to switch out a part faster, you know, what shaves off a hundredth or a thousandths of a second.
You know, what might, I was walking by one of the vendors today and he had a fan, you know, exterior oil cooler fan, whatever, but he was talking about how quickly it ramps up in speed and how quiet it is and how much air force, you know.
So if you're just 5% better than the competition, and that's going to keep your car 5% cooler than the company, you know, like I love that aspect of it.
Yeah, you're dealing in, you know, in millimeters of a second now, right? If you look at some of the racing. So, you know, that's going on. And then there's plenty of opportunities just to work for our company.
Just to be part of a, you know, we've got seamless shows 2400 manufacturers. I think there's over a thousand here. And so there's, you know, manufacturers that are, these guys are always looking for people and they're always looking for jobs. And, you know, for me, I started off in a car dealership, literally sweeping the floors and being the delivery driver.
Yeah, so, you know, you can, you can work your way up from those sorts of things.
The one thing else I notice, which I'm sure is true, is obviously we all know that over the last 40 years, a lot of manufacturing has gone overseas, cheaper supply and stuff.
But if I had to make a bet of all the industries, this industry here today has probably the most American made stuff I've seen in a long time.
Yeah, for sure here at PRI, yeah, a lot of widget makers, a lot of American made products, a lot of innovative machine products.
I would almost say like any chassis, any, you know, any custom exhaust, anything that's welded, any metal shaping, so much of that, I would imagine probably within six hours of here.
And for that even reason, the PRI show was not affected by the tariffs very much. And where the seamless show was. So, seamless show has a blend of American made products.
And some of the high volume stuff was being made overseas. Now with tariffs and all those sorts of things, those manufacturers are starting to bring stuff back to America.
I hear that story all day long of the products coming back to America and people trying to find found foundries and casting places and machine shops that could do work for them.
And it's going to take a little bit of time, but let's say in the next two years you're going to see, we're already hearing about new factories being set up and all that sort of thing.
You're going to see a lot more products back in here in America. What's funny is the first four vendors I talked to were all based in either Minnesota or Wisconsin.
Literally, the first four. I'm like, well, that's interesting, you know, so.
So, anything that kind of sounds surround Detroit.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And the gracious and all that sort of stuff, you know, has been up in that area for years and all that manufacturing, you know, if you think about anything to do a stamping or those sorts of products or even injection molding.
Yeah, you know, a lot of those sort of products tend to be here from Indiana up to that area.
I tell you one thing I miss from the food industry to hear, no free samples.
No.
I don't get my half a hot dog or my quarter piece of pizza walking around.
Well, and a lot of stickers though.
A lot of nice stickers.
Yes, yes, yes. In autographs, you get some autographs.
Yeah, a lot of autographs.
posters and those sorts of things.
But, yeah, you know, you're talking about guys that are making, especially in the racing industry, you know, you can make a part that will shave off a quarter of a second, but it'll cost you $5,000.
Yeah.
So, a lot of expensive products here.
Absolutely, yeah.
Yeah.
Roads of gamut.
Well, one thing I do want to touch face on, you know, before we end this interview is the next generation of enthusiasts.
So, I just recently launched a book called the, the Enthusiast Guide to Collector Cars.
And the whole goal is to give like a guide book for that next generation who might say, hey, that's a cool looking thing.
Oh, it's a Ferrari, what's cool.
Well, how about, you know, a brass air car or what about, you know, and one thing I loved about PRI, as soon as I walked in, you had what was it called hot rot, young hot rotters of America.
Hot rotters of tomorrow.
Hot rotters of tomorrow.
We ended up tomorrow where they're, they're tearing down engines and rebuilding them for as a contest, right?
Right, right.
Tell me about that.
Yeah, so we support hot rotters of tomorrow.
We also support Formula SAE which is more of the college level.
This is more of the high school level where they teach auto shop and they teach how to tear down an engine.
But they also teach you how to put it back together.
And they have a contest of how quickly you can put an engine back together.
And it's got to be able to work.
Yeah.
Yeah, I could tear any engine apart.
Yeah, there's no problem with that.
It's really cool to teach them all that and what it looks like and how that looks.
We spend a lot of money with all the next generation.
We have scholarship programs through SEMA.
We have this hot rotters of tomorrow.
We have Formula SAE which is more college student age where they build a small Formula car or a Baja car.
And they actually go out and race it and compete right across America.
And then we'll do job fairs with all of them to talk about opportunities.
I love talking to engineers especially that are coming out of the senior year in college.
And you can talk about going to work for, I mean obviously if they're coming to our show we're being part of us.
They're a car enthusiast.
Sure.
But you know you can go to work for Boeing or some place and work on a hinge for two years.
Or you can come to work for SEMA or PRI or one of our companies.
And you can be building a supercharger.
Yeah.
The next new supercharger.
So you know we love bringing students in.
I got kind of a break through that through a scholarship program in the automotive field.
And we're very passionate about bringing the next generations of enthusiast up and fitting them somewhere within the industry.
And talking about all the different types of jobs in the industry that you can take.
Yeah, that's really really cool.
Because as I walked around I saw like Ivy Tech was there and they had their booth set up.
And my god I got their cards you know.
And as I walked around I saw this amazing.
I don't remember the color.
It was some sort of Porsche blue.
I should know this because I like Porsche.
But it was a Camaro that this local college put together.
Well not local, but out in California.
And you had the crazy rear end suspension, had the front end.
It had carbon fiber pieces that the students made.
And I'm going to do as soon as we leave here I'm going to do an interview with them.
The share you know the guy that was in charge of it all.
Just to share the fact that you have 15, 16 year old kids building carbon fiber parts for a 67 Camaro.
I just thought that was the coolest thing in the world.
And if you can't tell based on what I'm wearing I like blue.
So the fact it was also blue I'm like man I stopped because I'm like what do I need to do to put that in my garage.
Because I had a gorgeous white interior just really really well done.
And I was excited to see it.
Yeah, you know today you can scan anything.
We have 3D scanners.
We have them in both our SEMA Gragas, West Coast and East Coast.
Where if you're I can see it you can scan it.
So I could scan anything and put it into CAD model it.
Look at it from every single angle.
And then change the height a bit or change the you know anything on it all in the computer all in CAD.
So you know for example if you wanted to change the front suspension on a new Mustang.
All you do is scan that suspension.
You get it into modeling into CAD.
You change it to whatever lower the spindle to make the car lower or whatever you might want to do.
And then push it up to the 3D printer and 3D printed.
That's amazing.
Tested on the vehicle.
And when you're scanning it's good to down to thousands of it.
I mean a hair on your head.
That's how accurate it is.
And you can create products that way.
And we can actually test 3D printed products.
Yeah.
There are all sorts of things.
That's where it's come.
It's become, but it's allowed a lot more creativity.
It's allowed products to get a lot better.
The tolerances are getting better.
And just there's so many crazy builds and crazy vehicles out there.
Every year at the SEMA show we have this battle of the builders.
Yeah I love that.
Every year when I think it just can't get better.
Yeah.
Somebody comes up with something that's like it's just unbelievable help.
The tension, the detail, the things going on.
The creativity that happens.
It can be a little bit of an amateur mechanic.
But these guys are just off the hook.
I'm whining for someone to roll out with like a brass era battle of the builders.
Just get away from the hierarchy for a second.
Just do something nobody's done yet.
So I have two more questions for you.
First, for looking into 2000, we're at the end of 2025.
What makes you the most excited for SEMA or for PRI?
Either one about 2026.
I think the markets continue to grow.
We did an economic impact report with $337 billion in industry.
1.1 million American jobs.
But watching the trends and watching how they change, right?
I mean, my dad aspired to have a 32 model layer or a packer
or something like that.
Absolutely.
And then my generation was muscle car.
Yeah, I was on a muscle car guy, but my generation was, you know,
then it became matching numbers, muscle car, then it became breastomod.
Yeah.
So watching those trends, watching the truck market come around on the off road market
and all that creativity that goes on there and over landing and all that.
And now the whole JDM thing.
Yeah.
Japanese cars and JDM.
And, you know, and that next generation and drift and all those sorts of things.
So it's just watching all that continue expand and grow.
And you've got to expand and grow and go with that.
We do.
You know, absolutely.
We have to understand that some pieces of the show floor are shrinking.
Yeah.
And some of the pieces of the show floor are just expanding.
And how do we fuel that?
How do we fertilize that and put water on it and watch it grow
and help the next generation of builders come in and create tubitors of creativity guys
that want to manufacture parts and all that.
I just see it continue to grow.
And I, you know, there's stories out there about there's no youth coming into this industry
and nobody wants to take auto shop anymore.
It's not true.
I mean, there's plenty of great auto shops across America.
There's plenty of young students that just want men and women that want to be in this industry
and are passionate about it and, you know, liken it back to where I was 50 years ago.
So you teamed me up for my last question.
You said you're not a muscle car guy and then you hinted at JDM.
Tell us what is in your garage or what's your passion when it comes to classic car, collector cars.
Yeah.
So my very first job was working at a Dotsin dealership,
literally sweeping the floors and as a parts delivery driver.
And then I raised Dotsins in the 70s.
So a Dotsin has an LS engine, which a Dotsin 510 has an LS engine.
What's your response?
Yeah, it's not for me.
Okay.
Yeah.
I do it.
You maybe had an LS-16 and put it in the LS-20 in it.
All right.
Side draft webbers or sole access or those sorts of things.
I'm probably a little more vintage.
You're more vintage.
More vintage look.
Yeah.
And so, yeah.
So I tend to collect Japanese cars.
I do have a 55 Chevy truck.
I do.
Look, if it's got wheels of any kind, I love it.
Right.
But I do kind of harken back to the Japanese era.
You know, I have a brand new Nissan Prodo Z.
But I've also got a 7240 Z.
I've got a couple of them.
And 510s and Dotsin roadsters.
I've got a 67 Solux model, two liter roadster that I'm restoring right now,
doing a frame off on it.
When I get time to work on it, I haven't had much lately.
But it's almost ready to put back together.
And so I tend to like those sorts of cars.
And they're starting to become collectible.
They are.
For sure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know, the first series Zs now are really starting to take off.
But I tend to have them original.
But seem of the share, we had a full aluminum body 240Z.
Series 1, 240Z.
And we had a full carbon fiber body 240Z.
Pause engine.
They were just showing the bodies.
Oh, OK.
I might have a modernized 240Z, you know, like a rest of my 240Z.
Tastelessly done.
Yeah.
Did you see the rat rod 240Z?
I did.
I did with the big turbo on it.
Oh my gosh.
I think it was nuts.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So yeah, I would probably, if I were going to build another 240Z,
you would probably put a still kind of purist 280Z, you know, long lock
and 240Z head and triple webbers or something.
Any skylines in the collection?
No skylines.
But I wouldn't mind having one.
I just got a fine room in time.
Got a fine room in time.
Well, thank you so much for your time on the Cushion Car Pack.
Great thing.
Yeah.
The Cushion Car Pack guys, I really appreciate your time, Mike.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Yeah.
Great talking.
All right.
So I have Kevin, Darwish here.
How you doing, Kevin?
Very good.
Thank you.
How about you?
Good, good.
So I just interviewed the CEO of SEMA and I actually brought this car up
during the interview because, you know, it's all about engaging the next generation of kids.
Yeah.
Well, tell me, what are we looking at first from a car perspective and then how are kids involved?
So this is a 1968 Camaro.
It is a carbon fiber, wide-body drift car.
So yes, you heard it.
68 Camaro drift car.
And it's got a blueprint engine.
It's got a blower from Magnus.
And as you can see, we're in the Magnus and Booth.
We have a Detroit speed front subframe.
We have QA1.
I took this up for the rear coil overs with the cantilever system.
And as you mentioned, students.
So this car was built by students in Los Angeles
at the Los Angeles Career Center in Lancaster, California.
It's a nonprofit vocational program that caters to at-risk youth, foster care, you know,
all that.
Those people, there's a lot in California, unfortunately.
And we teach them all the automotive traits.
So auto body paint, mechanics.
They learn how to weld.
They learn how to do CAD design.
They work 3D printers, the plasma table.
We're getting a laser table now.
They learn how to do molds.
They're making carbon fiber composites.
So they're really learning everything.
They're paid to do it.
They're paid $18 now to be there.
97% are graduating.
And 95% are graduating with jobs in aerospace.
So it's a really awesome program.
And they got to build a car.
Not only did they get to build a car that went to SEMA.
We built three cars that went to SEMA.
And they actually got to go to SEMA and see people's reaction seeing these cars.
So like, who gets to do that?
Like, I started going to SEMA.
I was 17 years old.
And I'm finally brought a car that I helped build 21 years later.
Well, this is amazing.
I've got chills up my spine.
Just hearing this story is unbelievable.
Now, as is post, we're at the end of 2026.
But there's still the chance.
25, we're at the end of 25.
Oh, sorry.
And the 25.
But there's still a chance for December giving into your giving.
So if you would like to give to this wonderful organization,
the link is in the podcast description.
Please click it.
Please support it.
You heard the results.
97 percent.
Go over the results again.
So 97 percent are graduating.
And 95 percent are graduating with jobs all over, especially in aerospace.
But we got some that have gone to PPG.
We have, there's a Porsche builder, very-known Porsche builder in...
Rod Emory.
Rod Emory.
So he hired three students from one of the previous semesters, relocated them to L.A.
And he's super happy and he's like saying such good things about the program.
We're actually working with Willow Springs.
Willow Springs has a new ownership.
And they were fully renovated.
We take care of all their merch.
We made all the t-shirts and everything.
And we're going to be doing a lot more collaboration.
This thing is going to be drifting at Willow Springs pretty shortly, hopefully.
So after this event, we're just going to tow it right back to L.A.
And get it on the track.
Well, that's amazing.
So if you want your dollars, donation dollars to go to a worthy car related,
young enthusiasts related organization, this is where to go.
So, all right, well, tell us a little bit more about the car.
Is it an LS engine?
So yes, it is a Blueprint LS3 based engine.
And we have the Magnusin 2650.
It has a Magnum T56 by Tick Performance.
So front subframe, as I mentioned, is Detroit Speed.
Though we do have an angle kit from just engineering that's going to be added to this vehicle.
We actually got it just a couple of days before we had to ship the car here.
So we didn't get to install it.
But the angle on these old muscle cars is not sufficient for drifting.
So what kind of horsepower is it pushing?
So it's not tuned yet.
But with the motor and the blower that we're running,
it's talking with the tuner.
He was actually here yesterday fine-tuning the idle.
Because there's a lot of air going in with those dual throttle bodies.
We're hoping for roughly 800 at the wheels.
So probably close to 1,000 at the crank.
Now please educate me for drifting.
Do you have to change the camber on some of the wheels depending on what direction?
So with the past years, like the advancements and everything,
we have angle kits in the front.
We have grip kits in the rear.
A lot of people think drifting, you want it loose, you want it to spin.
And it is totally not the mentality.
We actually want grip.
We always want to be at that fine line of the tires are spinning, but they're sticking.
Because that's what will give us speed when we're drifting.
But in the angle kit is to make it turn sharper than it would have turned from the fact.
Correct.
So you know the fact that we have like, I don't know, like 40 degrees.
I'm not sure the amount would it is.
But we'll go get like 70, 75 degrees of angle.
And I'll just give you more angle as you're drifting.
Get more sideways, more of like a wow factor, more of the show.
But as you mentioned, camber, we do run a decent amount of camber.
Because on a regular vehicle, when you're driving in a straight line, your wheels are straight.
But if you crank your wheels all the way to one side,
you'll actually have camber, positive camber.
So what we do is we add negative camber.
So when we are at full crank, we actually have a flat contact patch with the tires.
Okay.
So that's why we have camber in the front.
So I remember when I was here earlier, walk me through what the car looked like before.
Obviously we see what it is now.
But you know, you mentioned how the students actually made the fiberglass panels.
So let's review that a little bit.
Carbon fiber panels.
So AMD supplied us with all the replacement body panels.
So hood, fenders, doors, trunk, and everything.
So the front fenders and the rear fenders are widened.
I think four inches on each side.
And then what they did is for the front fenders, once they extended them out of steel,
they made molds in the composite slab.
They made molds out of fiberglass to then make replacement pieces in carbon fiber.
Now I know they're painted because that's how the look we wanted to go.
But if I could pop the hood, yeah.
And you could see on the inside that we left some exposed carbon so you could actually see.
And I get this, oh, there you go.
You could see on the inside, it's a bit dark here.
I could maybe turn on a flashlight.
So it's the raw carbon.
Yeah, you see the carbon on the fenders.
And I got to say these stock fenders are really heavy.
And these carbon fiber fenders probably weigh like six pounds, seven pounds.
Wow.
So same thing for the hood.
Once we modified the hood to clear the Magnuson blower, we made a mold of it, made it out of carbon fiber.
And then everything that's like the front splitter, the spats, the side skirts,
you can't really see now, but it has a huge, beautiful rear diffuser.
Okay, yeah.
We designed that in, well, the students designed it in CAD.
They 3D printed them.
They body worked them smooth.
And then they made molds out of the 3D printed pieces to then remake them in carbon fiber.
And as crazy as it sounds, to make all these pieces on the car, there was 93 molds.
Well, I don't know.
There's a lot.
I'm like, all right, there's one, there's one, there's one.
Well, a lot of the pieces is actually two pieces because they'll make the top and the bottom and they have to fuse them together.
Then you got the right and the left.
Yeah, right.
Just the front fender had multiple pieces to the mold.
I think it's like five or six pieces just for the front fender.
So who picked this car?
Was it a donation?
Hopefully a six-cylinder donation car?
So it's actually funny story.
So I met the founder and CEO of the Los Angeles Career Center.
His name is Aaron Valencia.
And I met him last year, not long after, the last round of formal adrift in Irwindale Speedway,
which by the way, shut down, unfortunately.
But I went to meet them down there and we really clicked.
We vibrally well together.
And I told him he should come out to SEMA and I could introduce them to brands and hopefully get some partners or sponsorships for the school.
And when we got to SEMA, he's like, hey, he's like,
68 Camaro, it's just sitting in the back.
It's pretty rough.
For a California car, I'm not sure if it was, it came from California, but it had some rust.
It had some rust here and there.
Now me coming from Montreal, Canada, I found the car was perfect.
Sure.
We're coming above the rust belt.
I'm coming from above the rust belt.
But yeah, so it was a rough car.
It had a blueprint, 383 stoker.
I've been given it to us a previous year is by a blueprint.
And he pitched it to me.
He's like, what if we could build like a carbon wide body drift car?
So you could drift it and we have a cool project to show off at SEMA.
I'm like, you had me at Let's Build a Car.
Yeah.
Whatever.
That's great.
So it was actually already in the program.
I was already at the school.
So I think it was fitting and oddly enough, my father has a 67 Camaro that we've been restoring for a decent amount of years.
So it hit close to home.
Now walk me through the suspension set up in back.
Yeah.
So the interior, like, was this all chosen by the students?
Or was this by you?
Yes.
No, so that was chosen by the students.
They actually were doing a police truck with the Lancaster PD.
And they did a cantilever suspension.
Okay.
We cut everything on the plasma table that they had.
They designed everything in CAD.
And they decided, hey, let's carry this on to the Camaro.
It looks awesome.
Also gives clearance for these huge 19 by 12 motegi wheels.
335.
325.
325.
Okay.
Yeah.
So doing the cantilever suspension inside gives us more clearance for the wider wheels.
So that was a big plus plus.
It looks so cool.
And yeah.
And the fact that the GTT has that.
Yes.
Everyone has it.
Exactly.
We were actually inspired for this car by Vongett and Junior from RTR.
He built at least 10 years ago his, I forget we're here if it's a 71 Mustang.
I think it's he calls it the RTR X.
And he has a very similar setup.
And I was actually with him a couple of weeks ago.
And I was showing him images of the cantilever.
And he's like, oh my god.
And thank you for showing me that.
That's so cool.
So yeah.
One important question here is, who chose the color combo?
Because I love it.
So Aaron, the CEO was driving an LA.
And he saw a Porsche in this color.
A new one.
And then by doing some research, we also found out that it's a color from the 50s.
Okay.
So he chose the color.
What's the color?
What's the name?
Mason Blue, M-E-I-S-S-E-N Blue.
A classic 356 color.
Yeah.
So from the 1950s.
Exactly.
When he showed me the color, to be honest, I was like.
I think it's Myson.
Myson, Myson, Myson.
Yeah.
Two of those.
I wasn't too sure about the color scene and the rendering.
I'm like, I'm not sure, but okay.
And once I saw it in person, I'm like, I'm so happy.
I want this color.
And I think everybody at SEMA, that's all we were hearing, oh my god, this color is amazing.
Oh my god, this color suits it.
I think that the color really ties well with the carbon fiber and makes it pop.
Well, it does, and it's different and it's tasteful.
Yeah.
And I'm sure the kids love it.
Yeah.
And the seats are NRG, Prisma.
They helped the school out a lot.
They've donated so many seats.
So we've been building a lot of drift cars to go, fool around at the track with the students.
And so we hooked this up.
We found these seats oddly enough.
We painted the cage and we got the seats afterwards.
Oh wow.
So we had to pick up the seats.
And we saw the seats and we were like, oh my god, it looks very similar to the color of the cage.
It ends up being almost identical.
That's perfect.
And the same thing for the belts.
We had these.
And we were like, we took some black belts, we took some blue belts.
And we're like, you know what?
These belts look almost identical to the color.
So it was just fitting.
We had to put it.
That stems out a lot.
Now where would this car be seen next?
So we're taking it back to LA.
Probably at Willow Springs I was mentioning.
It's probably going to be the first place we're going to test it on the track.
And I get this thing sideways.
We do have to tune it first.
So our download motor sports Dustin Hodges is going to be tuning this thing.
Hopefully, hopefully we'll make that 800-wheel horsepower as I was saying.
Do you have a project for the students for next year lined up?
We have Multistotoyo with so in love with this project.
They love the work.
They're like, we want you guys back with the build next year.
Same thing for boot barn.
We built a square-body truck for boot barn and hogs.
So boot barn?
So boot barn has another brand called Hawks.
Hawks' workwear.
So they make all like, work clothes, mechanic clothes and everything.
So they're two like, push their brand a bit more.
We did a build with the Lost Angels.
And it was a huge success.
They actually went out to Utah with some of the students.
And they were ripping the truck in the desert, having some trophy trucks jump over it.
It's a really cool project.
So they were super ecstatic about the project.
And they're like, us two, let's do something different.
I think they want to get into motor sports, maybe drifting.
So we're in the, that's why we're here this week.
And we're going to try and decide on some projects.
We're going to see what we have a couple of cars at the shop.
Well, we have to decide quickly.
I heard a rumor.
One of the cars is a 65 Mustang.
We do have that sitting in the yard.
That's one option.
Is it a fast back convertible?
It's a coupe.
It's a coupe.
So I sort of like it.
It makes me think a little bit of the Hunicorn that can block built years ago.
And I love that car.
So it could be something, not something the same.
But maybe something inspired by the Hunicorn with our flare as we did on the Camaro.
So hopefully, hopefully we'll know very shortly.
Because as we found out this year, SEMA comes in a flash.
Like this car was mainly done.
And like we started in January.
But like the main bulk of it was done in the last three months, three, four months.
So here's my request for colors.
And you're going to laugh at me.
But it goes really well with this car.
OK.
Factory springtime yellow.
Light yellow.
Canary yellow?
Like not that bright.
OK.
Very, very subtle.
OK.
So it would look so cool.
I don't know.
The planes are for this car.
Or maybe another cool Porsche color.
Who knows?
Yeah.
But yeah.
This one, hopefully, you'll be seeing it sideways on the track very shortly.
Well, thank you so much for your time today.
Thank you very much.
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