Heather Storm, known from 'Garage Squad', shares her journey into the automotive world, discussing her passion for classic cars, particularly her 1965 Mustang. She emphasizes the importance of driving and experiencing small towns across America in her car. The episode also features Emily and Aaron Reeves from Flying Sparks Garage, who recount their journey from a teenage couple to successful YouTubers, highlighting their hands-on approach to car projects and the importance of family values in their work. The conversation touches on the challenges and joys of working together as a couple in the automotive space.
Stacey is out of the shop and on the road at the IOLA OLD CAR SHOW in Iola, Wisconsin!
First up - Stacey chats with HEATHER STORM. They talk about her work in television hosting the Discovery/Velocity series GARAGE SQUAD and turning her passion for food, wine, and travel into her multi-media lifestyle blog, ON THE ROAD.
After that - Stacey has an in-depth conversation with Emily & Aaron Reeves from FLYING SPARKS GARAGE. They cover everything from creating and building their highly successful YouTube channel, navigating the ever-changing media landscape, and how their faith and love of family has helped and guided them every step of the way.
"people who don't know about it, aren't familiar with the show. Yeah. It's a car rescue, not a restoration. And that's an important distinction."
Car rescue is when people take old or broken cars and fix them just enough to make them driveable again, instead of making them look brand new. It's a quicker and cheaper way to bring cars back to life.
Car rescue refers to the process of saving and reviving vehicles that are in poor condition, rather than fully restoring them to their original state. This often involves getting the car operational again with minimal investment.
"not a restoration. And that's an important distinction. Big difference."
Restoration means fixing up a car to make it look and work just like it did when it was new. This can take a lot of time and money because you might have to replace many parts.
Restoration in the automotive context refers to the process of restoring a vehicle to its original condition, often involving extensive repairs, refinishing, and sometimes a complete overhaul. This can be a costly and time-consuming process.
Term
$8,000 per build
"we're not building $100,000, $200,000 cars. We had $8,000 per build. That's it. That's enough."
$8,000 per build means that each time they fix up a car, they spend about $8,000. This money is used to buy parts and pay for any work needed to get the car running again.
The phrase '$8,000 per build' indicates the budget allocated for each car rescue project. This budget typically covers all necessary repairs, parts, and labor to make the vehicle operational again without extensive restoration.
"did you have a favorite car or two that you worked on that that you liked? There had to be one or two that kind of hung out. Everyone that I got to test drive became my favorite."
A test drive is when someone drives a car to see how it feels and works before deciding to buy it or after fixing it up. It's a way to check if everything is okay with the car.
A test drive is the process of driving a vehicle to assess its performance, handling, and overall condition before making a purchase or after repairs. It allows drivers to experience how the car operates firsthand.
"...he had an El Camino that I remember. He's an El Camino guy. No, not always, but I just remember this one specific El Camino that I hated..."
The Chevrolet El Camino is a type of vehicle that looks like a car in the front but has a truck bed in the back. It's used for carrying things like a truck but drives more like a car.
The Chevrolet El Camino is a unique vehicle that combines the features of a car and a pickup truck, often referred to as a 'car-truck'. It was produced by Chevrolet from 1959 to 1987 and is known for its versatility and distinctive styling.
"So you're known for a Mustang, correct? I have a 65 Mustang coupe. It's 289 engine and I love that car."
The Ford Mustang is a famous sports car that has been popular in America since the 1960s. The 1965 model is known for its powerful engine and stylish look.
The Ford Mustang is an iconic American muscle car first introduced in 1964. The 1965 model is particularly celebrated for its classic design and performance, featuring a range of engine options including the 289 cubic inch V8.
"Okay. Why a Mustang? Why not a Camaro? Why not a Firebird? What about the Mustang?"
The Pontiac Firebird is another sports car that was popular in the same era as the Mustang and Camaro. It has a unique look and is known for being powerful.
The Pontiac Firebird is a classic American muscle car that was produced from 1967 to 2002. It is known for its performance and distinctive styling, often associated with the 'Trans Am' variant.
"Okay. Why a Mustang? Why not a Camaro? Why not a Firebird? What about the Mustang?"
The Plymouth Road Runner is another classic American muscle car that was known for being fast and fun to drive.
The Plymouth Road Runner is a classic muscle car that was produced from 1968 to 1980. It is known for its performance and affordability, often featuring powerful V8 engines.
"...It's an automatic. It's an automatic, okay. But I can drive a manual. As long as you can drive one..."
A manual transmission is a type of car gear system where you have to change the gears yourself using a stick and a pedal. It can give you more control over how the car drives.
A manual transmission, also known as a stick shift, requires the driver to manually change gears using a clutch pedal and gear stick. This type of transmission offers more control over the vehicle's performance compared to automatic transmissions.
"...I think we, I forget what year of the bug we did, but then I got to test drive that. And that was actually the car that I learned to drive a stick on when I was kid..."
The Volkswagen Beetle is a well-known car with a unique shape. Many people learned to drive using this car because it's simple and fun to handle.
The Volkswagen Beetle, also known as the 'Bug', is a classic car that has been popular for decades. It's known for its distinctive rounded shape and rear-engine layout, making it a favorite for many drivers learning to drive stick shifts.
"...to me, cars are meant to be driven. Okay. You got to take care of them, but they're meant to be driven..."
The driving experience is about how fun and enjoyable it is to drive a car. Some people think cars should be used often, not just kept in a garage.
The driving experience refers to how enjoyable and engaging it is to operate a vehicle. Enthusiasts often believe that cars should be driven regularly to appreciate their performance and features, rather than being left unused.
"...It's Emily and Erin Reeves from Flying Spark Garage. Yes. And you guys have a huge following and stuff. So let's talk about how you got into cars."
Flying Spark Garage is a business that creates content about cars, especially classic ones. They are popular for sharing their car projects and connecting with other car lovers.
Flying Spark Garage is a company known for its automotive content, often focusing on classic cars and restoration projects. They have built a significant following through their engaging content and community involvement.
"...we actually just watched you on Saturday mornings at her parents' house. Oh, that's awesome. And so we now have a C10 and an early Bronco probably inspired by you. Really?"
The C10 is a classic Chevy truck that many people love for its strong design and usefulness. It was made for many years and is often restored or modified by car fans.
The Chevrolet C10 is a classic pickup truck that was produced from 1960 to 1987. It's known for its sturdy build and versatility, making it a popular choice among classic car enthusiasts.
"...my mom and her sisters drove MG Midgets in high school. So there was a little bit of car vibe in my family..."
The MG Midget is a small sports car that was made by a British company called MG. It's known for being fun to drive and was popular in the past, especially among young drivers.
The MG Midget is a small, affordable sports car produced by MG from the 1960s to the 1980s. It is known for its lightweight design and sporty handling, making it popular among car enthusiasts.
"...I'm looking at these valves and I know that the valves have springs there and I'm looking at all that stuff because I saw him build the heads."
Valves are parts in an engine that let air and fuel in and allow exhaust to escape. They open and close quickly to help the engine run smoothly.
Valves are critical components in an engine that control the flow of air and fuel into the combustion chamber and the exhaust gases out. They work in conjunction with valve springs to open and close at the right times during the engine's operation.
"I see the pistons. I see the spark plug makes the fire and then there's an explosion. And when we hit the key on that car..."
Pistons are parts inside an engine that move up and down. They help turn the fuel into power to make the car go.
Pistons are cylindrical components that move up and down within an engine's cylinders. They play a crucial role in converting the energy from fuel combustion into mechanical energy, which ultimately powers the vehicle.
"I see the pistons. I see the spark plug makes the fire and then there's an explosion. And when we hit the key on that car..."
A spark plug is a small part in the engine that creates a spark to ignite the fuel. This helps the engine run and power the car.
A spark plug is a device in an internal combustion engine that ignites the air-fuel mixture by creating a spark. This ignition is essential for the engine to run smoothly and efficiently.
"I started YouTube doing diesel swaps and jeeps. Okay. And I didn't stick with it, but I got enough success to know that it was going to be something."
Jeeps are a type of car that is very good for driving off-road. They are tough and can handle rough terrain, making them popular for outdoor activities.
Jeeps are a brand of vehicles known for their off-road capabilities and rugged design. They are popular for outdoor adventures and are often modified for enhanced performance.
"...his part of the business that I don't do is ordering parts and assembling the builds..."
Parts are the different pieces that come together to make a car work. This can be anything from the engine to the tires.
In automotive terms, 'parts' refer to the individual components that make up a vehicle, including everything from the engine and transmission to smaller items like bolts and gaskets.
"...we want to do this exhaust system. We want to do this unique element to the build..."
The exhaust system is what helps remove the gases that come out of the engine and makes sure your car isn't too loud. It also helps your car run cleaner.
An exhaust system is a series of components that directs exhaust gases away from the engine and reduces noise. It typically includes the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, muffler, and pipes.
"...I want to do a DeLorean. I'm going to do whatever's on Marketplace that I'm like, oh, yeah, that guy..."
The DeLorean is a unique car that became famous for its unusual design and its role in movies. It has doors that open upwards and a body made of stainless steel, making it look very different from most cars.
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car manufactured by the DeLorean Motor Company from 1981 to 1983. It is known for its distinctive stainless steel body and gullwing doors, and it gained iconic status due to its appearance in the 'Back to the Future' film series.
"...I started doing Jags and all these other things that are like, and people were like, I didn't know you could do that..."
Jaguar is a brand that makes luxury cars, known for being stylish and fast. They have a long history of producing high-quality vehicles.
Jaguar is a British luxury car manufacturer known for its high-performance vehicles and elegant designs. The brand has a rich history and is associated with both luxury and sportiness.
"...what car did you drive away from your wedding? We drove away in my first car, which is a late model GTO. Her name's Roxy, an O5 GTO. So I got that car when I was 18."
The Pontiac GTO is a well-known muscle car that was popular in the 1960s and was brought back in the early 2000s. The 2005 version has a strong engine and a stylish look, making it a favorite among car enthusiasts.
The Pontiac GTO is a classic American muscle car that was produced by Pontiac from 1964 to 1974 and then again in 2004-2006. The 2005 model is part of the modern revival of the GTO nameplate, featuring a powerful V8 engine and a sporty design.
"...e're working on, whether if it's a Peterbilt or a Miata or a Duramax swap yacht, like that's what we're d..."
The Mazda Miata is a small, fun car that seats two people and is designed for driving enjoyment. It's known for being easy to handle and is often loved by people who like to drive on winding roads or race tracks.
The Mazda Miata, also known as the MX-5, is a lightweight two-seater sports car that has gained a cult following since its debut in 1989. Renowned for its balance, handling, and affordability, the Miata is often discussed in automotive circles for its engaging driving experience and as a great entry point into sports car ownership.
"...whether if it's a Peterbilt or a Miata or a Duramax swap yacht, like that's what we're doing."
Duramax refers to a type of strong diesel engine made by General Motors. It's often used in big trucks to help them pull heavy loads.
Duramax is a brand of diesel engines produced by General Motors, primarily used in their heavy-duty trucks. Known for their power and torque, these engines are popular for towing and hauling.
"...whether if it's a Peterbilt or a Miata or a Duramax swap yacht, like that's what we're doing."
Peterbilt makes big trucks that are used for transporting goods. They're known for being strong and reliable, making them popular among truck drivers.
Peterbilt is a manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty trucks known for their durability and performance. They are often used in long-haul trucking and are recognized for their distinctive styling.
"...we're doing whatever we're into. And then on Instagram, it's I'm Emily Reeves and Pilot Reeves because we also love to fly. Yes. And Flying Sparks Garage on Instagram"
The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a small sports car that is fun to drive and easy to handle. Many people love it for its sporty feel and lightweight design.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a lightweight two-seat sports car known for its agile handling and fun driving experience. It's popular among car enthusiasts for its simplicity and engaging driving dynamics.
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Hey, Stacey David here with the Tales of the Gearhead podcast. Now, what is this? Well,
it's a podcast that covers everything automotive, everything mechanical, everything that's just
cool about the automotive lifestyle. And since that's just about everything,
you're going to love it. Today's podcast is brought to you by Cornwell Tools. Let's get rolling.
All right. We are up at the Iowa Car Show and we have run across somebody that you're going to want to
hear from. This is Heather Storm. Now, if you're wondering who she is, if you've seen the
show Garage Squad, you know who she is. If not, you're about to find out about her a little
bit and get to know her. So Heather, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much for having me.
Super happy to be here. It's been a great show so far. Yes, you've been busy. I have been. You
have as well. Oh yeah. It's been good. If you haven't been to the show guys, you've got to come up and
see it. It is one of the most amazing shows out there. Okay. Let's talk about Garage Squad. All
right. How long, how long are you on it? How would you get? I mean, four seasons, 45 episodes.
That's awesome. 48 cars. Okay. Yeah. So we did a lot and you know Garage Squad, for
people who don't know about it, aren't familiar with the show. Yeah. It's a car rescue,
not a restoration. And that's an important distinction. Big difference. Yeah. Because
we're not building $100,000, $200,000 cars. We had $8,000 per build. That's it. That's enough.
So it's basically getting them up and running and getting them out on the street again and driving.
Okay. In those four seasons, and I know you get this question all the time, did you have a
favorite car or two that you worked on that that you liked? There had to be one or two that
kind of hung out. Everyone that I got to test drive became my favorite. That one. And you
test of them all? No, because we had to switch. So it was Bruno, Joe and I, and we had to switch
off on who got to test drive and sometimes fight over the ones that we wanted to test drive.
And I would get mad at Joe because he wanted all the like trucks and everything. I'm like,
women can test drive the trucks too. Yeah, good. And I've known Bruno for years.
Oh, he was great to work with. He was a great guy. Yeah. Very knowledgeable. Very
knowledgeable. Yes. Okay. So everybody wonders, okay, you're a car girl, obviously. How did
you grow up? How did you become a car girl? Did you just decide one day? Or did your dad or
your mom or a boyfriend? How did you get into college? It's a great question. It wasn't on
purpose necessarily. It never is. No, it's just a part of growing up in the family I did.
My dad was very into vehicles. He always had different cars that he was working on.
And what was his favorite? What did he like? He had an El Camino that I remember. He's
an El Camino guy. No, not always, but I just remember this one specific El Camino
that I hated. He pulled up when I was in school. I think I was like,
it was elementary school maybe. I don't remember exactly my age, fourth grade or something.
And I forget what car we had before, but like a normal modern car, right? And then he pulled
up in this El Camino. And like, I didn't even notice that he was there to pick me up because
I wasn't looking for that vehicle. And he's beeping and I'm like, what is this car? He's
like, it's our new car. I'm like, no, it's not. So you hated it. Yeah. But you know,
I didn't like it at first, but then we got to drive right in the back a lot of that car.
I have to say that was pretty fun. Oh yeah. Because that's what you could.
Okay. So you're known for a Mustang, correct? I have a 65 Mustang coupe. It's 289 engine
and I love that car. Okay. Why a Mustang? Why not a Camaro? Why not a Firebird?
Why not a Roadrunner? What about the Mustang? Good question. For me, the Mustang speaks
all-americana. There's nothing more American to me. Oh no, and all the Camaro guys are like,
whoa! That's for me. Everybody's preference is different, right? So that's the great thing about
cars. There's something for everybody. And for me, it's just, it felt, I just was gravitated
towards it, right? So when I decided I'm like, I really want a Mustang and there's another
reason than just being gravitated and all-americana. It's because it's an actually fairly easy
car to work on and get parts for. So as far as having a car for myself that I was like,
okay, I can feel comfortable working on this. I can get parts easily. They're not going to cost
a fortune. They're easy to source. All those factors came in. And when I drove the Mustang,
I just, I drove a few before I actually purchased my exact one. Yeah. And they were fine, but
then when I got in the one that I bought, I just knew instantly that that was the car.
Okay. Stick or automatic? It's an automatic. It's an automatic, okay. But I can drive a
I hear it already. I can drive a manual. As long as you can drive one. I proved that on
garage spot. I think we, I forget what year of the bug we did, but then I got to test drive that.
And that was actually the car that I learned to drive a stick on when I was kid. So I was like,
I have to drive this one. Yeah. Yeah. So I think everybody learned on a bug.
If you did, you missed out. Okay. So now you do some things where you drive around the
nation, you do these things. Let's talk about that. Yeah. So you don't just
leave the car in a garage and drive it on the weekends. No. You do some trips.
Yeah. To me, cars are meant to be driven. Okay. You got to take care of them, but they're meant
to be driven. Yeah. And so the idea for me of the Mustang, when I was working on garage quad,
we were often shooting in these rural areas. Yeah. And I started just discovering different
things about small towns and saying, Oh, you know, this is a cool little place in
the small town. I would have never thought this. I would have never driven through here
if we want to hear. And so when I bought the Mustang, I thought, you know what I
really want to do is I want to drive to different small towns across America
and kind of get like a little slice and flavor of each town and kind of get that feeling.
Oh, yeah. That's awesome. Who are the people? What's going on here? And I just noticed that
when I have the classic car driving, it's so much through a small town, it's so much
different than when you have a modern car, right? Oh, yeah. People gravitate. Yeah.
And I feel happier too. I'm driving and getting this Mustang. Everybody's looking at you.
Yeah. They're like, this is so fun. And then they stop and they're like,
what year is that? It just creates this good feeling and community feeling. And it just,
it kind of brought me back to an era I never even lived in, right? But it just felt really good
for me. And so I ended up doing a YouTube series called Drive Yourself Local that I created,
which is basically me and my Mustang driving through small town America. And each episode is
a different small town. And now are you still doing that? Yeah, I'm still doing it,
but I'm trying to get more funding always when I'm listening. Oh, yes. That's great.
Are you thinking about writing books or anything? Are you taking photographs as well?
Yeah, taking photographs as well. The coffee table book. Yeah, you are on the right track.
Yeah, definitely. Absolutely. Yeah. The storm front with Heather and all that kind of thing.
I need a photographer with me to really take those. I'm sure you'll get a lot of people that
would. Oh, they'll volunteer. They'll volunteer. They won't be taking pictures. They'll volunteer
to be my co-pilot. Yes, the co-pilot. Yeah, that's awesome. You mentioned something.
We'll go back a little bit. Yeah. You said you like to experience the culture
in these small towns, the food, that kind of thing. I notice you're kind of a food and drink
connoisseur. I am. So let's talk about that because our guys love that stuff. Do you think?
Oh, yes. I call myself a connoisseur or a food snob at times. Yeah. I really gravitate towards
good fresh food. Okay. Okay. Fresh, healthy and also the same with cocktails. You've got to
clarify fresh, healthy food. What is that? Because a lot of people just thought you said
Taco Bell. Yeah. How does that translate? Yeah. So when you say healthy food, you're talking about
like natural vegetables, things like raw foods, live foods, that kind of thing. I'm a believer in
probiotics, all the stuff. Food fuels your body. Absolutely. We are exactly what we eat. Every
cell that makes up our body is made from the food we eat. And so I can feel the difference
when I eat food that fuels my body versus junk food and how crappy I feel. And that's all
it takes for me. I want to feel good. I want to spread good energy. I want to spread good vibes.
And the food I eat helps me do that. So for me, it's really important. It's an extension of myself.
Yes. That's very good. Our guys need to do that. And they need to think more about that.
Yeah. Because a lot of them are fallen dead. Yeah. Because of heart attacks because they're
eating Taco Bell all the time. I do see a really weak spot when it comes to our food.
And so for me, I just want to feel good. I want to spread good energy. So I like to eat
lots of vegetables, lots of healthy food. I'm not afraid. I don't eat fried food and things
like that. But I do choose my poison when it comes to some wine or things. So, you know,
I like that stuff that I don't imbibe in some of things. But yeah, I just, the food part,
that's, that's for me is healthy. But when it comes to wine, I really, I really like my wine.
Okay. So what kind of wines do you like? Well, I fell in love with Pinot Noirs when I was
in school in Oregon. And for people that maybe have watched sideways that maybe turned
them on to Pinot Noirs, because everyone was drinking more low before that. But for me, it's
also really about, again, sustainable organic wines and European wines. It's a craft, right?
It's a craft. And when people are really into it and passionate about it, it's just the same like
anything that you're passionate about. I'm drawn towards people who are passionate
about things in general. So wine for me, when you go to a vineyard, they're like,
oh, these are the grapes. We transplanted them from Europe and they're old vines.
I mean, it's just, it's, it's draws me in. So the big question is, are you sampling the wine as
you're driving the Mustang? Oh, no. Everybody wants to know that. Is she drinking that wine?
Not while I'm driving the Mustang, usually. Well, a lot of the places I did actually stop in one
of my episodes in moments, Illinois, and did some Illinois wine tasting. And this is the
fun thing about small town America. I didn't know they had wine in Illinois. Exactly,
you did even, and I didn't either. So when I stopped in here, she said, oh, we serve all Illinois wine.
So in that case, yes, I did drive my Mustang to moments. And then I sampled some tastings.
Just the tastings. And I got to try all the different Illinois wines. So it was just really
enlightening and educational and I really enjoy that. Okay, same question about the wines as
about the show. Is there one wine that you discovered in some small town that totally
blew your way that stands out to this day that you're like, you know, I'm gonna go back
and buy some of that. Not yet. Not yet. You're still looking. I'm still looking. I'm on the
mission. Anyone wants to volunteer their winery to me. If you have a vineyard or a classic car
thing, Heather is looking. That's awesome. How do people find you? So people can find me on
my website, heatherstorm.com. I'm on YouTube, Heather Storm, Facebook, Heather Storm TV,
Instagram, Heather Storm LA. All right. So you can follow me on any of those places. And
I'm sharing everything that I'm doing up to date. Lots of pictures from the Iowa car show
will be there. You and I have taken some pictures together. Yeah. So it'll be a lot of good stuff
on there. Sounds good. Thank you for being here. Thank you so much.
You know, I got a question for you out there. If you're working in your shop,
what kind of tools are you using? Now, you're probably going to go, well, you know,
whatever I got. Gee, man. Are you kidding? Well, and that's the problem,
because listen, we all grew up working with cheap tools. And my first set of tools,
my dad got them at Kmart, got them for Christmas. And I use those things until they just,
there was nothing left. But that's all we had at the time. But as soon as I could,
I started investing in good tools. And the reason it's not because you want to show
them off to people, even though that's okay, it's because they allow you to do quality
work. And there is nothing more frustrating. I have talked to gearheads all across the nation,
around the world actually. And one of the biggest frustrations they have is either not having the
right tool or breaking the tool they were using or having something strip or break or
something. And almost every time it's because they don't have the right tool, or they're
not using a quality tool. So if you are into this, like I hope you are, you need to get
some good tools. And that's where Cornwell Tools comes in. They're America's oldest tool manufacturer.
They're still American made. I think that if you are going to build some stuff, if you invest in a
good set of tools right off the top, you don't have to get everything. But just get yourself a
nice set of hand tools and work from there, you will never regret it. And you can pass them
down to your grandkids or whatever, if you want to. But most car guys want to hold on to their
tools as long as they can. Anyway, if you get a chance, check out Cornwell Tools. You will not
be disappointed. You know, one of the cool things about being in the automotive industry
is you meet the coolest people when you're out around, you drive around in a classic car
and you're going to meet some cool people. And I have run into a really cool couple here.
You guys know who they are. It's Emily and Erin Reeves from Flying Spark Garage. Yes. And you
guys have a huge following and stuff. So let's talk about how you got into cars. Erin, did you
start this Emily? What's one of your started? Absolutely started it. I don't think I meant
to. But Emily and I got together when I was 17 years old and I'll let her tell how much she was
if she wants to. Yeah, but we were just a few years ago. But funny thing is we actually just
watched you on Saturday mornings at her parents' house. Oh, that's awesome. And so we now have
a C10 and an early Bronco probably inspired by you. Really? Yeah. So we sit down and watch
that. And of course, we were reading the Hot Rod magazine and all that stuff. And she
learned pretty quickly on if she wouldn't spend time with me, it was going to be outworking on my
stuff. Okay. Because I was just eight up with it. You know, 17 years old, like a mechanic family.
Yeah. I mean, it's like an addiction. I couldn't get away from it. So she chose to join that
with me. And over the years, we have just had so much fun in this world. Okay. Now, did you
grow up with cars, Emily? Or what? So my grandfather was always into little sports cars.
And my mom and her sisters drove MG Midgets in high school. So there was a little bit of
car vibe in my family. Okay. Nobody that I grew up with or worked with worked on cars. Okay. So I
never got, I never had a wrench in my hand till I met Aaron. Okay. Being in the shop with him,
starting when I was a teenager, that's where I learned my passion for cars. Okay. So you enjoy
working on them. Oh my gosh. Yes. Okay. Yeah. 16 years old was the first time we built an
engine together. Yeah. For his 69 Camaroan. And he did one head and I did the other.
And I was hooked after we hit the key on that car and took it for a drive. So it was like,
I don't, I don't know any other girls that have helped build an engine like,
this is badass. Okay. So what is it about that, that hands-on thing that attracted you? I mean,
because a lot of girls are like, I don't get it. It's like, it's a guy thing,
kind of like guys with cooking is like, I don't care about that. So what was it that attracted
you about working with the mechanical stuff? You know, I think it's the sense of accomplishment
of working with all these parts. You look at all these parts like we're torquing the head bolts and
I'm like, this is crazy. I'm looking at these valves and I know that the valves have springs
there and I'm looking at all that stuff because I saw him build the heads. Yeah. And I'm like,
how does this even make a car move? Yeah. And just watching him build that engine and all
made sense to me. I see the pistons. I see the spark plug makes the fire and then there's
an explosion. And when we hit the key on that car and I was like, I helped put this
engine together like this is crazy. And it just, it sparked something in me where I was like,
this is so cool and I can't wait to do more of this. And now it's been 25 years that we've been
doing it and we started our channel in 2015. So it's already been 10 years since we've been
YouTubers and building stuff together. Okay. Whose idea was it to do the YouTube thing?
Well, oddly enough, Aaron had experience with YouTube before we had our channel together.
I started YouTube doing diesel swaps and jeeps. Okay. And I didn't stick with it, but I got enough
success to know that it was going to be something. Yeah. And so Emily's history is modeling and acting.
Okay. And my history is 18-wheelers. Okay. So I'm four generation engine. Wow. That's a
quite a thing. Yeah. So we reached a point with Emily's modeling as she started to age
and the market started to change that the next step was going to be getting more serious
about acting. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that takes place in California. Absolutely. And we just didn't have
an interest in that. Yeah. So we kind of looked around, took inventory of our assets, what we were
good at and what we weren't, and decided, you know, we can merge these two things,
try the YouTube thing out. Yeah. And if it goes well, we can have a pretty good life and make
a decent living. Yeah. And has it been going well? I mean, you've been doing it 10 years.
Yes, sir. Yeah. Yeah. We did it seven years, nights and weekends. Yeah. And then about
three, four-ish years ago, we went full-time. Okay. So this is all we do now. Okay. So now,
over the last three or four years, YouTube has changed a lot. Yes. Okay. So how do you stay on
top of it? How do you keep things? A lot of hours. Oh, yeah. Well, it's a wild west. Yeah. You know,
there's no, there's no straight way to do it. I mean, there's no rule book. So how do you
just keep checking and keep doing stuff? It is a lot of diligence. Yeah. Honestly, we think of
that as like three full-time jobs that we each work because there's the wrenching on
stuff, which is a whole job. And then filming ourselves. We don't have a camera guy. We pretty
much just use our tripods and tell each other. And then after hours, I'm editing. Yeah. So like,
that is a whole nother big job. Oh my gosh. Yeah. You know, it takes a ton. Yes, sir. Now,
do you do any of the editing? I don't do any editing. Okay. So you're working on cars.
Yeah. Now, did you guys actually, we'll get back to what you were saying right there.
Do you guys actually have a shop where you do customers' cars? We do not. Okay. You're
smart. Yeah. Because it's all for the YouTube channel. Right. So I spent 20 years building
engines for other people. Yeah. And it was very good to me. We made a good living and it was great,
but I'd ever want to do that again. Yeah. I don't want to be on their timeline and specifically
working on trucks. They're leaving my shop at midnight going to New York. Yeah. There's not
much sleep that happens. No. You're concerned about that person's stress because as good as
you may be, mistakes happen. Sometimes parts are bad. Oh yeah. And that kind of stress I just
don't want. Okay. So now back to what you were saying, do you get a chance to go out and work
with him in the shop? Or do you get stuck doing all of the financials and the editing
and this and that? Are you guys able to pass that off a little bit? So that's a great question
because we do all the wrenching together. Yeah. So it's a pretty much like nine to five.
We'll work in the shop together, wrenching on whatever project we're working on together.
On my hands are dirty, his hands are dirty. We're doing the same things. And then
his part of the business that I don't do is ordering parts and assembling the builds. Like
he'll get the build together and he'll be like, we want to do this exhaust system. We want to do
this unique element to the build. All of the things that require like research and the parts
finding because we do a lot of unique swaps where you got to get apart from this year model
and you know how it goes. Oh, absolutely. So he does all that that I don't do. And then what I do
that he doesn't do is the editing. Yeah. And then all of the brand deals we love working with companies
that we use their parts and components. So I'll take CRC for example, we break clean
for everything. Yeah. And so we've worked with CRC for like five years. So there are,
you know, when you work with big companies that are contracts and deliverables and all of
And do you do the contracts? Yes, sir. Because my wife Catherine does all of our
contracts, although I'm involved with them because they want to know what content they're
getting. So it's a two person thing. It is. And you know, we actually hired an assistant
to help me with deliverables because we have eight contracts this year for annual brand deals
with companies. So some of them want quarterly impression reports. Some of them want monthly.
So I have a friend, a close friend of mine that we hired and she is our full-time employee
and she helps me with contracts and deliverables and helps us manage our accounts. And so that's
helped a lot. Like all the adulting that we don't have to worry about because we're able to delegate
that. She's the boss and we call her and say, what are we doing today? Yeah, that's good. That's
good. Okay. So you started up your very grassroots, you know, very family oriented,
fun thing. You guys doing this great thing. And then all of a sudden here's a sponsor,
CRC and all of your followers are like, you sold out, right? You know, sure. How do you deal with
that? Because it is part of that. Listen, you take the sponsorships off the race cars. There are no
race cars. So people understand that. But for some reason on YouTube, people think that it's all
free and I should see no sponsors and no commercials. So how do you work that deal?
So we got that a lot early on. And I think we, over time, it feels like we've just educated our
audience into accepting that, hey, we can't do this without these guys. So not only watch their
commercial, please go buy their stuff because that's what's making this possible. And over time,
I mean, 10 years of it, our audience in the comment section is always thanking the sponsors.
Thank you so much for making this video. And so I think it's the energy that we carry into it
and the message that we give to our audience, they were suffocating that to us. But early on, yes,
it was. Well, that was one of the approaches. When I first started doing trucks and then on into
gears, we always did a how to show, not a reality show. We never, I hate reality touch
stuff. It's a how to show. We show people how to do it. And that involves showing the
proper products and the proper tools and what the aftermarket is because we support
the aftermarket. And so once people realize it's like, listen, I use this stuff, this will help you
do your project. Now they understand. And then you get that reputation like, well, if he uses it,
or if she uses it, it must be good because I don't put anything on the show that I don't use.
That's the key right there. And I have turned down a lot of people that have come in and said,
listen, we'll just take our business elsewhere. And I'm like, I'm sure they'll do a good job
for you. That's great. We just don't do that. Right. And but that's difficult. Is it not?
Yes, absolutely. Yeah, especially there's there's so many advertisers that want to advertise on
YouTube, you know, they're mattresses, they're fit, they're this and that. And we've really
struggled with that because this is what we do for our living. Yeah, we'd rather work with
companies where we can authentically integrate all of the things that we naturally use.
And those people have their marketing dollars that they have a choice of where they're
spending it. And that's what we try to sell. Tell the audiences support companies that support
creators that you love, because it's huge that like companies like peak auto and O'Reilly auto
parts and CRC, all these companies can spend money with real people. Yeah, doing real projects,
showing how they learn, showing their mistakes like they like CRC loves that we're real people
and we show our mistakes and we do things wrong and we're like, oh, we found out we
installed this bracket backwards or, you know, we crank this up and this was wrong or
they love that we're real. We don't have to be experts. We don't have to be perfect and refined.
And so that's just really special. And I feel like the audience appreciates that that we're
real. And so for them to see companies support us in our realness, our rawness,
it's special. And it ends up translating really well. And companies just report back like,
this is awesome. People are using the link, people are doing things and sending us emails
saying thank you. And it's just really special. The way marketing has changed is pretty remarkable.
Oh, and it changes continues to change. Yes. Yes. How do you choose the projects?
We choose the it's just what I like this. I want to do a DeLorean. I'm going to do
whatever's on Marketplace that I'm like, oh, yeah, that guy. Yeah, I get that question
all the time. And it's like, it's just the one thing that I've learned over the years
that if I don't like it, chances are the viewers aren't going to like it. And I've learned to
trust that. It's like, if I think it's cool, it's probably going to be cool. Most people
really can't please everybody. Right. But we do something that you think is funny.
And I step back and go, oh, that's dumb. It's dumb. Don't put it on the air. There's
too many people trying to be comedians who are not. Right. And it's like, oh,
it's like, as it makes you cringe, it will make them cringe. Don't do it.
Yeah. We've been very intentional to build our channel around what we like. Yeah. You know,
we have friends in the industry, YouTubers that have pigeonholed themselves to one specific
thing. Yes. And I don't want to live that way. There's not a amount of success that's going
to make me want to live that life. Yeah. So the really cool thing is if you look at our
channel like a year from now, we were painting an MG Midget. And the last few months we've
been building a Peterbilt, it's literally just like what serves a purpose in our life that we enjoy.
And then we put that out there. That is the best thing. It's the best advice I could give somebody
because I did trucks for seven years. And I'm still known as the truck guy. But the first thing
I did when I started doing gears is I did a 32 Roadster and I started doing Jags and all these
other things that are like, and people were like, I didn't know you could do that. You
can't do that. You're a trucks guy. It's like, oh, no, no, you don't know anything about
me. I tried to do that as much as possible doing trucks, but that's one of the reasons that
I stopped doing that show. Because it's like, I can't do another lift kit on a Jeep.
You get so tired of the same thing. I'm tired of it. And you don't want to burn out.
No. You want to do it with passion. You got to do that. Yeah. So let's talk about family.
Yeah, that's so funny that you say that because I wanted to tag on to what we were
just talking about via projects. Yeah. People say when they meet us, they say,
you know, I could care less what you're working on. I just watch for you guys.
And family and y'all's relationship and how you support each other. And he teaches me and I encourage
him and our niece that works with us. She's been on the video since she was three and now she's
13 and has her first project truck. Like it's really cool when you put your heart into it
and you communicate your values by lieu of just being yourself. Our audience says we
don't care what you're working on. We have nothing without those small town values that
we care. Anybody can work on cars. But we're here to show that you can be in a marriage
and you can like each other and you can have fun together. It's this groundbreaking thing.
That's great. I mean, there's so many guys that are like or girls, whichever you're looking at it,
that are like, this is my spot. She's not welcome. This is my secret spot. And there's
women that do that. And that is death, I think, to a marriage. You have to bring them in.
And they may not like it the same way, but they still like it. And usually the guys are like,
well, I got my motorcycle and she won't ride a motorcycle with me. It's like, well,
would you ride on the back of a motorcycle looking at the back of your head? Right.
Why don't you get her a motorcycle and let her ride one? Well, I never thought of that.
Probably she wants a bike of her own or maybe a car of her own or let her help
with the color. Or get a drop top coupe where you can feel the breeze and be next to each
other. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. Yeah. Yeah. We've always valued each other,
like relationship. I can see that. Yeah. And then everything from there will work out.
And that's been probably the most special thing for us, like being together as kids,
essentially, and growing up together and intentionally maturing together. Even though
we were individuals and supporting each other in our individuality, we always said like,
hey, I'm going to be with you forever. And you want to be with me forever. Let's do
fun stuff. Like let's have our life be really fun. Yeah. And it's just really been cool to
work, to exhibit that, to maybe even potentially inspire others. Yeah. And then to hear the
feedback from people that it does. Yeah. Like it's just, it's a huge, it's a huge deal.
But to us, it's very simple. It's like, be yourself. And yeah, really cool thing.
I love that. As far as owning a business together. Yeah. Like one person can do the work with one
person. Yeah. But my experience has been two people that are unified can do the work of five
people. If things just seem to go smoother and we just get a lot more done. Okay. I love that.
And I love the thing you're saying. And you guys are saying all kinds of biblical
references. Yeah. Okay. Without saying them. So let's just go there. Are you guys,
both spiritual people? Are you Christian people? What is your background?
That's a great question. And how important is that? Because everything you're saying,
working together, it's very two or stronger than one, all that stuff. Everybody knows. So let's,
let's talk about that. Right. So we actually met in church. Yeah. And we were going to youth
group together. And I was going to youth group at a church that was walking distance from my
house. Yeah. But my dad was actually a minister at a church across. Oh, you're a preacher's
kid. That's why she wanted to be an actor. Exactly. No, not so much. I was
never defiant ever. I was always a sweet kid. For us, our relationship with a higher power has
evolved immensely over the years of us being together. Like we grew up in church. We got married
in the church that my dad was a minister of. And when he retired like five, six years ago,
we actually stopped going to a building for church. But church is so much more than that to us.
It's a relationship with God that grows through your relationship with other people.
Like God with skin on them. They're all around us. We're all God's children. We're all
on our own journeys. And yeah, we've had a lot of opportunities to grow our relationship
with a higher power and to learn how important that is. And when you go through struggles,
you can either let it hinder you or you can let it make you stronger. Oh, absolutely.
And we've just learned. It doesn't kill you. It makes you stronger. Yeah. And it's been really,
really special. I'll let Aaron. How about you? He's like, I don't recognize that at all. I think
you've pretty well summed it up. It's a, this is an interesting business that I'm in because
I'm very introverted. Yeah. So I'm a mechanic from way back. Probably 10 lifetimes ago. Okay.
So I'm the guy in the corner. Don't bother me. I'm going to build something. Yeah,
concentrating. And my brain has to be there. So I'm coming to events like this and we're
meeting people all day long. Yeah. Signing autographs and loving the experience. But
I have to rely on my higher power. I've got to be praying through that process.
Otherwise I'll start getting agitated that people are bothering me. Yeah.
Instead of seeing like the, the beauty of like, what it's doing for them. It's inspiring them.
Yeah. And so, so I rely on that to let me see like how amazing it is that these people come
to see me and show up like that. It's a big deal. You know, one of the things that
we've talked about a lot. When I first started doing the shows and stuff for years, people would
come in and say, Hey, we watch a show. We love the show and all those kind of things.
And then about five to seven years ago, the comments started to change.
And people were starting to say, you're the only father I ever had.
Wow. You are an influence that I never had a father. And these are heavy things.
This is more than just a car. You know, this is like you're, you're that person. And it's like
you take that very seriously. As we were growing up, you know, I'm not sure what your age is.
I'm not going to ask, but most of us that grew up, we had a father or an uncle or that,
well, with a divorce rate now, that's over 50%. Most kids don't have a dad.
And they're not growing up with cars and young girls don't have that father figure.
So that is important for us to fill that gap because it's something filled.
And that's not what we set out to do. No, you thought you were just building cool cars.
But now people are looking at that and they're taking examples of what they're seeing in you guys
and going, I want to be like that. That's somebody really living out Christian life
other than what they're saying in church. This is somebody really doing.
And that's important. I'm glad to see you guys doing that. Your dad would be proud.
He is. He is very proud. Okay. So the question is, everybody's wanting to know this,
what car did you drive away from your wedding? We drove away in my first car,
which is a late model GTO. Her name's Roxy, an O5 GTO. So I got that car when I was 18.
And my parents had to co-sign for us, but we made every payment. We even refinanced it when
we bought our house later. Like that car will stay around forever. Okay. So you still have it?
Oh yes. We rarely get rid of cars. Oh yeah. Oh boy. That's a whole nother thing.
The number. You will eventually have to get rid of some of them.
Eventually. No, they'll just all go to her. The niece.
But yeah, we left our wedding in Roxy and then we took it on Hot Rod Power Tour for wedding
honeymoon. Yeah. And that was also quite an adventure. How did you talk her into that?
That's what everybody says. Listen to this. I told her I would like to go to Italy.
Yeah. Because she had modeled in Italy and lived there a couple times. Yeah.
But I was in the shop working. I never got to go. Yeah. So I was like,
if we're going to spend a bunch of money, let's go to Italy and enjoy that.
And she goes, no, I want to do power to her. Wow. I was like, oh darn. You're like, oh man.
Sure. Twist my arm. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah. So that's a special event for us.
And that was a memorable time. We met a lot of really important people to us in our lives
on that trip on our honeymoon. And then when we started the YouTube channel in 2015,
we did a 408 stoker build on my GTO for that event. So the premiere of that build was on the
event on power tour. And that was 2015. So it's been 10 years. And we continue to do
that event every few years. And it's a very special one. In May, we had our
18 year wedding anniversary. So we've already been married 18 years. Congratulations.
That's so awesome. So that's awesome. Yeah. What is the future for you guys? What do you see?
What would you like to do? Would you like to have your own shop go back to customers?
You're going to continue YouTube? You want to model again? Do you want to do? I mean,
what's your future? What do you think? We're liking the YouTube. And that's hard to
answer. Yeah. No, we're liking the YouTube thing. We just acquired a bigger shop. Yeah.
So we've got a big shop now that we can work on 18 wheelers. And we have a big boat. We'll
be working on that. And as long as we are still having fun and YouTube is still working,
we're going to go that direction. Yeah. We are going to branch off. See,
we're in this cool place where we've learned that basically all the cars we ever wanted,
we have. And it's been paid for by the YouTube channel. Yeah. And so we're looking at that
and we're going, you know, we could also remodel some houses and things like that
and start to build somewhat of a rental portfolio and have that second channel start paying for that
stuff. Yeah. So I think that that'll break up the car, you know, because the mechanic can get,
it can get nottness and kind of boring sometimes. Sure. So I think, and there's a lot of time
involved to build a car that people don't know about. There absolutely is. And it's,
it's hard to, that's why they do the house stuff. It's very easy to remodel a bathroom.
Exactly. It's like, it's like doing a door on a car. It's like, let me focus on a door.
That's boring. You know, so yeah, I think we're going to branch in that direction.
I mean, we'll keep doing the car stuff because that's, that's working and we're loving it. Yeah.
But I think we'll just branch out and kind of expand a little bit, a little bigger
portfolio. Nice. Now, how can they find you? Flying Sparks Garage on YouTube.
Flying Sparks Garage. Yes, sir. We do weekly uploads there of whatever we're working on,
whether if it's a Peterbilt or a Miata or a Duramax swap yacht, like that's what we're
doing. We're doing whatever we're into. And then on Instagram, it's I'm Emily Reeves
and Pilot Reeves because we also love to fly. Yes. And Flying Sparks Garage on Instagram
and same on Facebook. Thank you for being here. We're so thankful for the conversation. You were
just awesome. All right, that's our show for today, which means you need to get out there
and start working on something. Spend some time turning wrenches. You might be surprised
how much you like it. Make sure you check out our website, StaceyDavid.com, because we've got all
kinds of new products and some other great stuff that you're just going to love. Also,
make sure to check out our social media. That's Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube,
all at official Stacey David. Our social media is where you're going to find all of the bonus
content, the giveaways, the contests, the trivia. We even have extra viewer projects
that focus on what you are working on. Also, the new season of Gears will be on MAF TV
and YouTube will be the place that you can view all of your favorite Gears episodes,
as well as the full project builds that follow the project from beginning to end.
But the most important thing is get out there and turn some wrenches yourself. Get a project,
start working on it. And if you don't have tools, check out Cornwell. They can help you
out there. All right, that's all the announcements. We're all up to date. We'll see you next time.
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