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Matt Graves from American Powertrain

Matt Graves from American Powertrain

Tales of a Gearhead Sep 05, 2025 35 min
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About this episode

Matt Graves from American Powertrain joins the podcast to share insights on the automotive industry and the importance of passion in car culture. The conversation covers everything from the evolution of manual transmissions to the challenges of modern engine swaps. Matt discusses his personal journey in the automotive world, including his first experiences with cars and the significance of hands-on learning. The episode also touches on the future of hot rodding and the growing trend of modifying SUVs and trucks. Listeners will appreciate the blend of technical knowledge and personal anecdotes.

Topics: manual transmissions engine swaps passion for cars hot rodding modern automotive trends American Powertrain products personal automotive journeys SUV modifications car culture mechanical knowledge
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Ford Falcon
GTHO (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Car

Ford Falcon

"...ho was kind of like, he working on the Millennium Falcon. He had to kick it around."
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Volkswagen Beetle
Palauenc05 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Volkswagen Beetle

"No. Everybody had a Volkswagen Beetle in the family. You had some family member that ha..."
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Challenger Hellcat
Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Challenger Hellcat

"Sure. But now you're having Hellcat swaps across platforms."
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Car

Dodge Road Runner

"...entry you need. Okay, you're putting a Coty and a road runner. That's not happening yet that I know of"
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Chevrolet Corvette
Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)
Car

Chevrolet Corvette

"Yeah. Corvette guys and especially motor people. Don't want to m..."
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Dodge Challenger
Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Dodge Challenger

"I'll never, 2005 or six, I'll never forget that challenger that sold like a million bucks or something like ..."
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Dacia Duster
Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)
Car

Dacia Duster

"I remember it. So everybody that had a Plymouth Duster thought they had a million dollar model."
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Chevrolet Chevelle
Mr.choppers (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Car

Chevrolet Chevelle

"...s just really be very specific to fit these cars, Chevelles, things like that. But now it's a little more, I ..."
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Chevrolet Camaro
Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Chevrolet Camaro

"Yeah. It's the guy taking out a 69 Camaro, four-speed and just putting in a five-speed."
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Ford Mustang
Hans-Jürgen Neubert (CC BY 4.0)
Car

Ford Mustang

"Yeah. So like a Camaro and a Mustang, I can get a six-speed in any of those cars"
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Ford Edge
Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Edge

"Yeah, it was a truck. I wanna edge it out just slightly to the six-speed. Okay."
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Ford F150
UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford F150

"bought a 2023 or 2022 Ford STX. Short bed, F-150, Coyote motor. Like 400 horse."
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Chevrolet C10
GPS 56 from New Zealand (CC BY 2.0)
Car

Chevrolet C10

"Yeah, there's a few. My C-10 and the Jeeps that I've had, RX-7, I miss that. So what was the first car that you went over 100 miles"
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Mazda Rx7
TTTNIS (CC0)
Car

Mazda Rx7

"Yeah, there's a few. My C-10 and the Jeeps that I've had, RX-7, I miss that. So what was the first car that you went over 100 miles"
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Ford Mustang GTD
Calreyn88 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Mustang GTD

"And I was going to college and I bought a Foxbody Mustang GT. I thought-"
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14 cars featured

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