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Buddy Hale & Crew of Type One Restorations

Buddy Hale & Crew of Type One Restorations

Oil and Whiskey with Roadster Shop Mar 30, 2026 157 min
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About this episode

Buddy Hale of Type 1 Restorations and his crew walk through how a garage-born VW restoration shop became a show-winning fabrication team. The conversation spotlights their obsession-driven builds—especially the “Turmoil” Volkswagen that was torn down, rebuilt, and pushed into Salon-style competition—plus the later “Carmichael” project and the obsession with details like custom fasteners and even brake bleeder caps. They also cover paint/finish process, machinist culture, show politics, and the team’s move into the hot-rod world, ending with a wild Fiero future pitch and shop-party stories.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Company

Type 1 Restorations

"This week we have Buddy Hale of Type 1 Restorations and crew. I'm going to say and crew because I'm going to be honest with you."

Type 1 Restorations is the restoration shop being discussed in the episode. For listeners, this matters because restoration shops often specialize in particular makes/models and have specific approaches to sourcing parts, authenticity, and workmanship.

Car

Buick Grand National

"...u, just your shop with the green split window at Grand National two years ago, three. 2022."

The Buick Grand National is a performance car made by Buick. The podcast mentions a specific one with a “split window” look, which is a distinctive design feature. It’s brought up because it was shown or discussed at a shop event.

Brand

VW

"[353.4s] Doing VW restoration and builds? [355.4s] Yeah, just painting cars. [356.2s] That's how I started."

“VW” means Volkswagen. The episode is talking about restoring and building Volkswagen cars, which are popular with hobbyists and restorers.

Concept

fit and finish

"[610.3s] Well, the body work in fit and finish is second to none."

“Fit and finish” means how well the body panels line up and how nicely the work looks and feels. Great fit and finish is what separates a quick repair from a high-quality restoration.

Concept

chassis

"Tore the chassis back down. I mean, there's no body mods on that car. And so once we did that, you know, we already had the color and the chassis was pretty much kind of done, but we changed the color on the chassis."

The chassis is the main frame of the car. It’s the part that holds everything together, so when people take it apart and rebuild it, it’s usually to fix issues and make it solid again.

Concept

machinist

"I hooked up with our machinist and, you know, this was his first... Basically go at it. I mean, he got this machine and he learned how to decode it and figure it out."

A machinist is a skilled tradesperson who makes or modifies parts using precision tools like lathes, mills, and CNC equipment. In a Type One restoration shop, partnering with a machinist is often how custom or hard-to-find components get fabricated to exact tolerances.

Company

Haas

"we stepped up and got the Haas... he literally got that Haas, had that thing up and running in a day and often running machine in parts."

Haas makes CNC machines—computer-controlled tools that cut and shape metal accurately. Getting a Haas usually makes it easier to make parts quickly and consistently.

Concept

COVID

"Luckily that was COVID. Okay. So... You got an extra window."

They mention COVID because it changed the schedule. It gave them extra time to work on the car when events got canceled or delayed.

Concept

all hands on deck

"[1937.4s] it was all hands on deck. [1939.1s] I mean, we were working 120 hour weeks."

It means everyone on the team was working together. Big car builds often need that kind of push when the car is close to finishing.

Concept

billable hours

"[2087.4s] Dude, I fucking did that. [2090.0s] That's what Jesus goes. [2091.7s] He's like, these are billable hours, dude. [2093.4s] We need to start billing this guy."

“Billable hours” means the time the shop spent working that they charge you for. The more detailed or time-consuming the work, the more hours can add up.

Concept

body style

"[2336.7s] Nothing against the way it was built. [2337.8s] I just don't like the car, that body style, but the, the execution was cool. [2343.5s] Shit on it. [2343.8s] Really, really good."

“Body style” just means the car’s outer shape—what it looks like from the outside. Different years/generations of the same model can look very different, even if the mechanical parts are similar.

Concept

silhouette

"[2366.3s] It's in the end, if you can, like I'll sort of look past all the details for the silhouette [2371.5s] and the overall finished product when it's good."

Silhouette just means the car’s overall shape—how it looks as a whole. In shows, people judge whether the car’s proportions and stance look “correct” even before you notice the small details.

Concept

detail standpoint

"[2395.9s] I honestly had it between you guys in the Chevelle and you guys detail wise. [2404.5s] I mean, it was definitely stood out from a detail standpoint, no question about it."

“Detail standpoint” means how carefully the car was finished—like how clean and well-done everything looks. In car shows, that kind of detail can make a car stand out even if the overall car is similar.

Term

brake bleeders

"I'm not going to machine the brake bleeders, blah, blah. If you don't like this car, but if it doesn't win, you know, it's like, well, what about all the other hard work I've done?"

Brake bleeders are little valves on the brake system. Mechanics use them to push out air so the brakes work smoothly and consistently.

Term

machine the bolt

"Because where do you like, how do you establish the time just looking at these bolts on the screen right behind you? I mean, to sit down there and figure out what it costs to machine the bolt, machine the washer, paint the washer, then remachine the washer, then plate everything."

Machining a bolt means making it more precise or customizing it instead of using a standard one. People do this on high-end builds when they want everything to fit perfectly and look right.

Term

machine the washer

"I mean, to sit down there and figure out what it costs to machine the bolt, machine the washer, paint the washer, then remachine the washer, then plate everything."

Machining the washer means making the washer to a specific shape or finish instead of using a generic one. It’s the kind of detail you see when the goal is top-tier presentation and precision.

Term

plate everything

"...then remachine the washer, then plate everything. The bolts and the washers are all, it's all one piece."

Plating means coating parts with another metal. It helps protect against rust and can make the hardware look cleaner and more uniform.

Term

sheet metal

"How much was done sheet metal wise is the car. Yeah, we highly modified."

Sheet metal is the outer body panels on a car. When someone says they did sheet metal work, they mean they reshaped or replaced those panels to change how the car looks or fits.

Term

fenders

"we blew out the fenders a little bit. And the rear fender rolls for the rear."

Fenders are the panels above the wheels. People modify them to make room for wheels/tires or to change the car’s shape and appearance.

Company

PPG

"I think this one was 100% PPG. Right? Yeah, it was 100% PPG. Everything. 2021 clear."

PPG is a company that makes car paint and clear coats. Using “100% PPG” usually means the painter used matching products from the same paint system so they work well together.

Term

400 grit

"...he's going to cut this thing with 400 dry. ...Takes a giant, you know, a fucking four foot long block with a sheet of 400 grit..."

Grit is the sandpaper “roughness.” 400 grit is relatively medium-fine, used to smooth out scratches and prepare the surface for the next step.

Term

Buffed

"Two days start to finish. Buffed. Wow."

Buffing is the polishing step that makes the paint shine after sanding. It helps remove the dull look and makes the surface look smooth.

Concept

black paint job

"Yeah. And how to get like what you do at the black paint job. And like we had dudes that are talking about like mixing clear with single stage."

Black paint is notoriously unforgiving because it strongly reflects surface imperfections, making orange peel, waviness, and sanding marks more obvious. That’s why the discussion emphasizes coat strategy, leveling (“knocking it down”), and careful cutting/buffing.

Term

blasted

"A lot of times we get them blasted twice. We'll get it blasted when the car first comes in. Once we're done with it, handprints everywhere, oils in there."

“Blasting” is when they use an abrasive to clean the metal. It helps remove old paint and rust so the next coating can stick better.

Concept

cash purse

"[4015.3s] $100,000. [4019.1s] and then like $10,000 to the next seven places? [4022.0s] Yeah, really. [4031.9s] $100,000 in total cash purse."

A cash purse is the total prize money for the event. Then it gets divided up so the winner and the top finishers each get a share.

Concept

American Museum of Speed

"[4049.5s] May 21st through 23rd. [4051.9s] American Museum of Speed. [4053.6s] Museum of American Speed."

The American Museum of Speed is a car museum venue. Saying it’s happening there helps you picture the event as tied to automotive history and culture.

Brand

Volkswagen

"I don't think we'll ever do a Volkswagen to this level again... How does this do at Volkswagen shows?... We don't take them there."

Volkswagen is a car brand with its own big fan scene. The hosts are basically saying their kind of build doesn’t fit the vibe of Volkswagen-focused events.

Concept

V8 swapping

"[5819.7s] He's been serious the whole time. [5820.9s] You've got like V8 swapping on them. [5822.3s] Uh, oh, fuck man."

A “V8 swap” is when someone takes out the original engine and puts in a bigger V8 engine instead. It usually makes the car feel much stronger, but it also takes a lot of work to make everything fit and run correctly.

Brand

Ring Brothers

"[6346.1s] And I want people to say, when they see this car, they're like, what the fuck, did the ring brothers build this car? [6351.3s] I want it to be like to that caliber."

Ring Brothers is a shop known for building and restoring cars to a very high standard. If they’re mentioned as a comparison, it usually means the builder wants it to look and perform like a top-quality custom project.

Term

drive a stick

"[6579.3s] Chicks did not drive the Fero. [6580.2s] You didn't know how to drive a stick. [6581.3s] They sat passenger."

“Drive a stick” means operating a manual transmission (using a clutch and gear lever). The comment is used to argue that some people didn’t actually know how to drive these cars, even if they were associated with them.

Brand

General Motors

"[6940.8s] Did it ever exist independently [6942.7s] outside of General Motors? [6944.5s] No. [6944.7s] It was always a subset of that."

General Motors is the big company that owned Pontiac. The point is that Pontiac wasn’t really independent—it was part of GM.

Brand

Pontiac

"“There's some good Pontiac cars… Pontiac.”"

Pontiac was a well-known American car brand (part of GM). People remember it especially for its performance cars.

Term

cassette

"[7725.0s] Oh, shit. [7725.7s] And that's a cassette, right? [7727.1s] Oh, shit. [7727.6s] That's a cassette, dude."

A cassette is an old-school way of playing music using a tape. They’re mentioning that the car’s stereo was a cassette deck.

Concept

low rider

"It was a low rider. [7804.5s] Okay. [7805.3s] What year did you graduate? ... [7822.0s] And it was a low rider truck."

A low-rider is a vehicle that’s customized to look and ride very low. It often includes suspension changes and flashy styling, and sometimes it can even raise and lower.

Term

OBD2

"I had an OBD2. I told you at the beginning. I had an OBD2 C10."

OBD2 is the car’s built-in computer that watches for problems. A mechanic can plug in a scanner to see what’s wrong and why the check-engine light might be on.

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