0:00 / 0:00
Driven Radio Show #343: Tim McCarthy of HushMat and ZyCoat

Driven Radio Show #343: Tim McCarthy of HushMat and ZyCoat

Driven Radio Show Mar 07, 2026 75 min
0:00
0:00

About this episode

The show features a lively conversation with Tim McCarthy, founder of HushMat and ZyCoat, covering a range of automotive topics from restoring rare cars like the T-bird and Studebakers to the challenges of sourcing vintage parts. The hosts share personal stories about classic car ownership, the appeal of restomods, and the balance between originality and modern upgrades. Tim also discusses his passion for preserving old vehicles with practical solutions and the idea of creating an honest, approachable repair shop. The episode blends technical insights with nostalgic reflections and practical advice for enthusiasts.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Part

carburetor

"T-bird update. What are you doing with carburetors? Okay, carburetor. I think we updated last week carburetor attached."

A carburetor is a part in some cars that mixes the air and gas so the engine can run. It helps the car work properly, especially in older cars.

Concept

gaskets

"The stuff that it needs right now is stuff that can be found mostly gaskets. The problem is getting that part to put the gaskets on."

Gaskets are like seals or rings that stop oil or water from leaking inside the engine. They keep everything working right.

Term

head gasket

"you can make your own head gasket. It's just a matter of breaking out an exacto knife and, you know, yeah, you kind of thumbing and eyeballing it. Got to start with one big enough to accommodate a V12 thing."

The head gasket is like a seal inside the engine that keeps the parts from leaking and helps the engine work right. If it breaks, the engine can have big problems.

Term

beater

"absolutely beat to death work van I used to have. Oh, yeah. Well, that just makes it look good. Or you know, that the free puppy sign."

A beater is an old or rough car that someone uses just to get around, not because it looks nice or is very fast.

Term

rust

"drove that thing up against a giant rock in a neighborhood and put a rather a lengthy gouge in the side. And then once that started to rust and made a big hole, man, I tell you what, I have used the hell out of that expanding foam crack filler and white Rust-Oleum."

Rust is when metal on a car gets wet and starts to break down and turn orange or brown. It can make holes and damage the car.

Car

Chevrolet Express

"...s on it. Dan's Horley truck is back from Hot Rod Express. It is 100% gorgeous and looks 100% brand new. I ..."

The Chevrolet Express is a big van that can carry lots of people or things. Many businesses use it because it’s strong and roomy. People talk about it because it can be changed to fit different needs.

Concept

barn find

"and nobody had and it's it's got the barn shield and Boston and it came in a Harley container"

A barn find is when someone discovers an old car or motorcycle that was left unused and hidden away for a long time, often in a barn. These vehicles can be special because they are mostly original and sometimes worth a lot.

Part

leather saddle bag locks

"and they are individual leather saddle bag locks. So what happens is you slide your the saddle bag strap through the buckle then you slide one of these locks on and it has a little lock cylinder that goes through the hole in the leather."

Leather saddle bag locks are special locks that keep the bags on a motorcycle closed and safe. They use keys that are hard to pick so no one can open the bags without permission.

Term

barrel keys

"then the bag can't be opened and it it locks with one of those barrel keys. So it's not like you could just pick the darn thing open"

Barrel keys are round keys that fit into special round locks. They are harder to open without the right key, making them good for locking things like motorcycle bags.

Concept

classic cars

"you take like gateway classic cars and take out a couple of teeth and that's where I want to be I love the idea"

Classic cars are old cars that people like because they look nice and have a special history. People often fix them up and take care of them.

Concept

aftermarket

"part one of the segments of the aftermarket world that I love is the guys who are taking uh now I don't want them to artificially patina the car"

Aftermarket means parts or changes made to a car that are not from the company that originally made the car. People use these to make their cars better or different.

Term

patina

"is the guys who are taking uh now I don't want them to artificially patina the car but they're taking cars that show a lot of patina and maybe putting modern drivetrain"

Patina is the old, worn look on a car that shows it has been around for a long time. Some people like to keep this look because it shows the car's history.

Term

drivetrain

"taking cars that show a lot of patina and maybe putting modern drivetrain and um yeah and you know just clear code it"

The drivetrain is the parts in a car that help move it by sending power from the engine to the wheels so the car can drive.

Part

discs

"I like those I would love to put you know discs all the way around yeah make sure the drivetrain's working good mark need to stop and go safely"

Discs are parts of the brakes that help stop the car better and safer than older brake types. They make sure the car can slow down quickly.

Concept

restomod

"this is how restomods got started and they just kind of snowballed now the restomods the thing"

A restomod is when someone fixes up an old car but also adds new parts to make it work better and be safer, while still keeping it looking like an old car.

Car

Chevrolet Corvette

"you're flying down the highway in one of the old Corvettes and you feel like you're racing in Le Mans then some gal passes you in a new SUV"

The Corvette is a fast and sporty car made by Chevrolet. It's famous for looking cool and going really fast.

Concept

Le Mans

"you're flying down the highway in one of the old Corvettes and you feel like you're racing in Le Mans then some gal passes you in a new SUV"

Le Mans is a famous car race that lasts 24 hours. Cars race for a whole day to see which is the fastest and most durable.

Car

Corvette Stingray

"...t a meiko what was it uh it was a girl shy 71 71 Corvette Stingray Stingray yeah just I thought you were looking for..."

The Chevrolet Corvette is a famous fast car made in America that many people love because it looks great and goes very fast. The 1971 model is special because it had strong engines and a cool design. People talk about it a lot because it’s an important sports car.

Car

Geo Prism

"...eah but it's you're shooting it through the wrong prism yeah well even my wife's talked about those old ..."

The Geo Prism is a small, simple car that was sold a long time ago and is very good on gas. It’s basically the same as a Toyota Corolla, which is a popular reliable car. People talk about it because it’s an easy and cheap car to own.

Car

Ford Mustang

"... looks at those Corvettes now she does love a 67 Mustang period and a story that's but those old Corvette ..."

The Ford Mustang is a famous car that many people love because it looks cool and can go fast. The 1967 model is especially popular because it has a classic style that lots of people find attractive. It's a car that lots of fans like to talk about and collect.

Term

car show

"I drove that down to McPherson for the car show weekend and then cooking at Luke's and man you get out of that and you think that was fun not a mile farther"

A car show is like a big meeting where people bring their cars to show them off and look at other cars.

Company

SEMA

"in 2018 Tim was asked to join the SEMA hot rod industry alliance select committee in 2021 he was nominated as chair-elect and in July of 2023 Tim became chair the alliance focuses on delivering more value to hot fraud manufacturers builders and media and expanding the membership of the hot rod community to HRIA and SEMA in 2021 Tim was appointed treasurer of SEMA and member of the SEMA executive committee to the board of directors"

SEMA is a big group that helps companies and people who make and work on special car parts and cool cars. They organize events and support the car community.

Concept

hot rod community

"the alliance focuses on delivering more value to hot fraud manufacturers builders and media and expanding the membership of the hot rod community to HRIA and SEMA"

Hot rod people like to make old cars faster and cooler by changing parts and painting them in special ways.

Concept

ceramic coatings

"relative to ceramic coatings the word ceramic was kind of the big buzzword right"

Ceramic coatings are special clear layers put on cars to protect the paint and keep them shiny for a long time.

Concept

internal combustion engine

"of ceramic technology in the in the internal combustion engine okay so direct contact extremely temperatures our product thrives okay so where is it used primarily what do you put it on mostly"

An internal combustion engine is the part of a car that makes it go by burning fuel inside it. This burning creates power that moves the car.

Part

headers

"you can apply this directly on the hot side of turbo housings down pipes headers exhaust manifolds full exhaust systems and that's in any internal combustion engine... let's just talk about headers for a minute okay you put it on a set of stainless steel headers what's the first thing that happens to stainless steel when you fire up the block they turn blue blues oranges yellows browns would"

Headers are special pipes that take exhaust gases from the engine and send them out of the car, helping the engine run better.

Part

turbo housing

"you can apply this directly on the hot side of turbo housings down pipes headers exhaust manifolds full exhaust systems and that's in any internal combustion engine"

The turbo housing is the metal shell around the turbo that helps push air into the engine to make it go faster.

Term

stainless steel

"let's just talk about headers for a minute okay you put it on a set of stainless steel headers what's the first thing that happens to stainless steel when you fire up the block they turn blue blues oranges yellows browns would"

Stainless steel is a type of metal that doesn't rust easily and is used to make parts like exhaust pipes.

Term

micron

"it's a 10 micron thick coating so if people don't understand microns you know normal coatings like ceramic coatings let's say they're put on at two mils okay that's 50 microns all right"

A micron is a tiny measurement used to say how thick a layer of paint or coating is on a car.

Concept

insulation technology

"okay well i'm tracking and and ceramic is not a heat dissipation it's it's an insulation technology okay so let's talk about that just for a second and really the thing that sets our technology apart think about a header tube and it's a round tube that has excessively high heat inside what happens with an insulating product if you coat the outside of that and it's true with wraps as well you're trapping that heat inside the tube so what happens is that tube becomes a heat sink and it radiates around the entire internal radius of that tube so now you've restricted the area for the hot gas to flow"

Insulation technology means keeping heat inside a car part instead of letting it escape.

Car

Chevrolet Camaro

"... you know uh let's let's go back to like a gen 1 camaro yeah how many the original gen ones have not been..."

The Chevrolet Camaro is a popular fast car that came out in the 1960s to compete with other cool cars like the Mustang. The first models are special because they look tough and can be really powerful. People like to talk about them because they are fun to drive and collect.

Car

Ford Bronco

"...hbors would have bought one of these kits for the bronco you remember the stereo guys in that bronco yeah..."

The Ford Bronco is a tough, box-shaped car made for driving off-road and in rough places. People like to change and add things to the older Broncos to make them even cooler. It's a popular car for people who like adventure and old vehicles.

Car

Ford F150S

"to hear the superchargers but i but i'd love to be able to hear a lot of a lot less of everything else you know we've torn apart f-150s we've taken apart broncos we've we've pulled out the interior of these vehicles sure there's absolutely nothing in the vehicle for sound or for heat no so they"

The Ford F-150 is a very popular truck that many people use for work or everyday driving. It's known for being strong and able to carry heavy things. People talk about it a lot because it has many different engine choices and nice inside features.

Car

Chevrolet C10

"...southern missouri 1970 i think it was was it the c10s back then yeah walk k10s yeah yeah these trucks t..."

The Chevrolet C10 is an old pickup truck that many people like because it’s strong and easy to fix. It was made a long time ago and is popular with people who like to work on trucks. People talk about it because it’s a classic and reliable truck.

Car

Chevrolet Suburban

"...eather and i've had two cars like that i had that suburban and i had that white work van and i had the same..."

The Chevrolet Suburban is a big car that can carry lots of people and stuff. Many families and workers use it because it’s very roomy and strong. People talk about it because it’s been made for a very long time and is very reliable.

Car

Porsche Cayenne

"... i've got a a Porsche that i just okay which one cayenne okay so that's what i drive that's my daily drive..."

The Porsche Cayenne is a fancy SUV that can drive fast like a sports car but also carry people and things like a big car. It’s a popular choice for people who want a nice car that’s good for everyday use. People talk about it because it’s both comfortable and sporty.

Car

Ford Thunderbird

"...pot here let's see 1958 ford fairlane's got oh no thunderbird t-bird i don't know 58 t-bird i don't know that ..."

The Ford Thunderbird is a nice, comfortable car made a long time ago that looks stylish and was meant for people who wanted something fancy but not too big. The 1958 model looks a bit boxy compared to earlier ones. People like to talk about it because it was a popular luxury car.

Car

Ford Fairlane

"click look look yeah scrolling i'm already there it is your there it is okay let me just i'm gonna okay so i'm gonna put you on the spot here let's see 1958 ford fairlane's got oh no thunderbird t-bird i don't know 58 t-bird i don't know that we have that i'm gonna be a really i see how it is"

The Ford Fairlane is an old car that was made to look nice and sometimes go fast. The 1958 model had a special look that people liked back then. People talk about it because it’s a classic car with a cool history.

Car

Volkswagen Beetle

"... you've ever done in a car oh boy um vokes wagon beetles do float if teddy kennedy would have had that on..."

The Volkswagen Beetle is a small, round car that lots of people know because it looks very different from other cars. It was made to be cheap and easy to fix. People like to talk about it because it’s a famous and fun car.

Car

Toyota Supra

"...mine's dad launched a sailboat using a 78 silica supra dear god wow and he had the parking brake set and..."

The Toyota Supra is a fast sports car from Japan that many people love because it can be made even faster with special parts. It became very popular in racing and movies. People talk about it because it’s a cool and powerful car.

14 cars featured

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars