The MuscleCar Place Nov 26, 2025

TMCP #629: SEMA 2025 Show Spectacular #3 – Scott & Perry with Heights Suspension Mopar Bolt-In IFS/IRS, Jason Bruce with Blueprint “Compatible” Crate Engines, Tab Chapman with Diamondback Classic Radials (Custom Sidewalls), Terry McGean with Hemmings Marketplace Media & Rally Adventures

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Part

independent suspension

Independent suspension means that each wheel can move up and down without affecting the other wheels. This helps the car handle better and makes for a smoother ride.

Brand

Mopar

Mopar is a brand that makes parts and accessories for certain car brands like Chrysler and Dodge. They focus on performance upgrades and customizations.

Concept

bolt-in suspension

Bolt-in suspension means you can easily attach or detach the suspension parts without needing to cut or change the car's structure. It's a convenient option for car enthusiasts.

Part

bolt-in front suspension system

A bolt-in front suspension system is a part that you can easily install in the front of a car to improve how it drives. It helps make the car handle better and ride smoother, especially in older cars like hot rods.

Car

Chevrolet Camaro

The Chevrolet Camaro is a fast and stylish car that many people love to modify and make even cooler. It's been around since the 1960s and is famous for being fun to drive and looking great.

Concept

hot rod

A hot rod is an old car that has been changed to make it faster and look cooler. People often add new engines and other parts to improve how it drives and how it looks.

Part

suspension systems

Suspension systems are the parts of a car that help it ride smoothly over bumps and keep the tires on the ground. They include springs and shocks that work together to make driving more comfortable.

Company

Blueprint Engine

Blueprint Engine makes engines that you can buy to replace or upgrade the engine in your car. They focus on performance and quality, making them popular among car enthusiasts.

Concept

SEMA

SEMA is a big car show in Las Vegas where companies show off new car parts and accessories. It's a place for car lovers to see the latest trends and products.

Term

OEM

OEM means the original company that made the parts for your car. They create the parts that are used when your car is built.

Part

ZF 8-speed transmission

The ZF 8-speed transmission is a type of automatic transmission that helps your car change gears smoothly. It's used in many high-end cars for better performance.

Company

ZF Friedrichshafen AG

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is a German company that makes parts for cars, especially transmissions. They are known for making reliable and advanced technology for vehicles.

Company

Hemmings

Hemmings is a popular website where people can buy and sell classic cars. It's been around for a long time and is trusted by car lovers.

Company

Heights suspension

Heights Suspension makes parts that help improve how a car rides and handles, especially for older models.

Car

Plymouth Road Runner

The Plymouth Road Runner is a famous muscle car from the 1970s. It's known for being fast and having a unique look, making it popular among car enthusiasts.

Car

Dodge Road Runner

The Dodge Road Runner is a fun and fast car from the past that many people remember for its cool sound and looks. It's a classic that collectors really like to find and restore.

Part

independent front suspension

Independent front suspension means that each front wheel can move up and down separately. This helps the car handle better and makes the ride smoother.

Part

independent rear suspension

Independent rear suspension means that each back wheel can move up and down separately. This helps the car ride better and stay stable when turning.

Concept

Bolton

Bolton means that you can add parts to a car without making permanent changes. This way, you can take them off later if you want to go back to how the car was originally.

Car

Hellcat

The Hellcat is a powerful version of the Dodge Challenger. It has a supercharged engine that makes it really fast and strong.

Term

E-Bodies

E-Bodies are a type of car made by Chrysler in the 1970s, including models like the Dodge Challenger. They're known for being sporty and powerful, making them favorites among car fans.

Term

B-Bodies

B-Bodies are a category of cars made by Chrysler that includes models like the Dodge Charger. They're known for their classic design and strong performance, appealing to car lovers.

Car

Dodge Challengers

The Dodge Challenger is a big, powerful car that looks tough and is really fun to drive. It's a newer version of a classic car that many people loved back in the day.

Term

horsepower

Horsepower tells you how powerful an engine is. The higher the horsepower, the faster and more powerful the car can be.

Brand

Chevy

Chevy is a popular car brand in the United States, known for making many different types of vehicles.

Car

Ford Mustang

The Mustang is a famous sports car made by Ford that many people love for its speed and style.

Car

Chevrolet Novas

The Chevrolet Nova is a smaller car that people loved back in the day for being easy to drive and fix up. It's still popular today, especially for those who like to restore old cars.

Car

Chevrolet C10S

The Chevrolet C10 is an old pickup truck that many people love because it's sturdy and has a cool look. It's often restored and made into something special by car enthusiasts.

Part

coilover shocks

Coilover shocks are special parts of a car's suspension that help control how the car rides and handles. They can be adjusted to change how high or low the car sits.

Term

LS

LS refers to a type of V8 engine made by General Motors that is popular for its power and can be used in many different cars.

Company

GM Motors

GM Motors, or General Motors, is a big car company that makes many different brands of vehicles.

Part

fuel injection

Fuel injection is a way to get fuel into a car's engine so it can run. It helps the engine work better and use fuel more efficiently than older systems like carburetors.

Car

BMW 327S

The BMW 327 is an old car from the 1930s that many people admire for its beautiful design. It's a piece of history and is loved by those who enjoy classic cars.

Car

Ford Broncos

The Ford Bronco is a tough SUV that can handle rough roads and off-roading adventures. It's been around for a long time and just came back with a new version that many people are excited about.

Car

Shelby GT500

The Shelby GT500 is a super-fast version of the Ford Mustang that many people love. It's known for being really powerful and looks awesome, making it a favorite among car fans.

Car

Ford Shelby Gt500

Car

Ford Model Ts

The Ford Model T is one of the very first cars that lots of people could afford. It was made a long time ago and is important because it changed how cars were built and sold.

Car

Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet Corvette is a super cool sports car that's really fast and looks amazing. It's been a favorite for many years because of how well it drives and its stylish design.

LIVE

The Muscle Car Plates, online podcast, episode number 629.

This week is our third of four feature interviews right from the SEMA 2025 show floor.

First up, we have Scott and Perry from Height's Suspension, then Jason Bruce from Blueprint

Engines.

Then we have Tab Chapman, CEO of Diamondback Classic Radials, and then Terry McGean with

Hemmings.

And Terry knows everything about him.

He even helped unload Finnegan's boat in that swimming pool at SEMA.

We're going back to Height's, where we're going to start.

They were the very first high-performance suspension company I ever met in this industry.

And they offer a lot more now than I thought.

You're going to hear that.

Lots of full chassis systems.

I didn't realize that.

And they have something pretty sweet once again.

Full independent, front and rear, bolt-in suspension systems, even for mopars.

Yeah.

So this is actually our all-new Mopar independent front suspension, independent rear suspension.

Great part with this suspension is actually bolt-in.

So somebody that if they ever want to go back to stock, they can actually do

that, keep the belly over the car.

I don't know why anybody would ever want to go back to stock after bolt-in this suspension

in, but we give that option.

This is the Muscle Car Place online podcast, brought to you by National Parts Depot.

This is the weekly show dedicated to people worldwide who love American muscle cars.

If you're buying, selling, restoring, even racing them, this is the place for you.

Now here's your host, Rob Kibbe.

Yes, indeed I am Rob Kibbe and welcome to the Muscle Car Place podcast.

Well, here we are, show number three from SEMA 2025.

Just in time to fire up on your way to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving, or maybe you're at

Grandma's house, maybe you're hosting Thanksgiving, and you need something to keep you occupied

while you cook for all those loving faces on their way to see you, or maybe you

need something to listen to while you go to the gas station.

Thanksgiving morning.

And by the stuff they said they would bring, but they didn't.

And now you're going to pay $30 for a 12-pack for Uncle Ned to shut him up.

Who knows?

Well, we're here to help.

So let's kick off show number three like this.

So lots, I was going to say no filler again, just meat, but this is all meat probably

with your favorite gravy from here on out.

So first interview with Scott and Perry from Heights.

So I met Heights in either 2009 or 2010.

It was the first time I'd seen a bolt-in front suspension system for a Camaro.

Well, they made their name as a hot rod suspension company, and I still think of them that way,

but that is wrong on my part.

Hot rods, tri-fives, trucks, full chassis for numerous lineups, and we do discuss

all of that in here, some custom optional stuff for a system, even if you don't

have a car necessarily that any of their offerings fit.

What they were debuting here was bolt-in front and rear suspension systems for Mopars.

Steve Strop had a car there, and that's what they were featuring there, but it's remarkable.

I will say that.

And it offers you a whole lot for a year dollar.

It's a very interesting interview.

We're lucky to get this one scheduled in, and I got a lot more than I bargained

for.

It's really cool.

Then we're going to have Jason Bruce with Blueprint Engine.

So first featured them last year at SEMA.

And look, Blueprint is basically like the OEM of the aftermarket engines.

If they're an OEM in the aftermarket, it's them.

They think that way.

They make and improve upon every factory design.

They have their own castings.

That was a good example.

They sell you an engine with a ZF-8 speed transmission on it.

They had ZF come over, I think from Italy, isn't that where ZF is from?

Just to do factory tuning so that when you drop it in there, it's like a new

car from a drivability perspective, complete with warranties.

Then we have TAB Chapman with Diamondback Classic Radials.

They, it's almost impossible to describe.

You got to hear the interview, but you can order custom tires from them.

They custom build tires to your specs.

You order from them the tire that you want with the sidewall that you want,

and they will make you that.

It's about a two and a half week lead time process.

I've never even heard of such a thing until we did the interview,

but that is indeed what they do.

And then finally, we'll end with Terry McGean from Hemmings.

Terry has been at Hemmings for a long time, running their magazines,

website content.

He knows all the stuff about car sales.

He's involved with everything.

He listened to the Kibbe and Finnegan show back in the day.

Hemmings is a mainstay in the industry of selling cars.

Everybody and their brother picked up a Hemmings 40 years ago,

and they still go to Hemmings to buy and sell cars.

And Hemmings is, of course, in the space where you can buy a car online

in an auction setting they've come up with, in my opinion,

a better mousetrap to handle the transaction and the inspection

of the car and the transportation of the car.

It's very cool.

So all that's coming up here.

On Friday morning, we will release one more show from SEMA 2025.

And think of it as like this.

You go down Friday morning.

Everybody's still asleep.

You open the fridge.

And you know how yesterday at Thanksgiving,

everybody ate the pecan pie and you didn't even get one piece

even though it's your house.

You paid for everything.

Well, you open the fridge.

And then you find in the back of the fridge, hidden, your wife,

she took that pie.

She cut away half of it for you and hid it back there

just so you'd get some.

So put on a pot of coffee.

Enjoy.

Eat it before everybody wakes up, though,

so you don't have to share.

That's what this last episode from SEMA is going to be for you.

That'll be Friday morning with Holly McGuire's in Center Force.

So with that said, let's get to it.

Well, you know what?

I'd be doing you a disservice

if I didn't do one more thing for you.

This is coming out before Thanksgiving.

And on the Kibben Friends Show this week,

we will have our annual review of plane trains and automobiles.

It's a crowd favorite.

It's also a rebroadcast, a rerun, if you will.

But just in case you missed it, here you go,

just to hold you over.

Now,

why did you kiss my ear?

Why are you holding my hand?

Where's your other hand?

Between two pillows.

Those aren't pillows.

Ah!

Ow!

See that bears game last week?

Yeah, hell of a game.

Hell of a game.

Bears got a great team this year.

They're gonna go all the way.

Oh!

Yeah!

There you go.

Out of all the clips I can pull from that movie,

that seems to be the one you're supposed to do.

So from me to you, happy Thanksgiving.

Okay, let's go ahead and get to the interviews here.

Don't forget, once per month, we do have

Mr. Rick Schmidt from National Parts Depot

on to talk all things National Parts Depot,

but you can ask him anything you like.

Send in your questions to me,

Robert at themusclecarplace.com,

and of course, visit

nationalpartsdepot.com to peruse

for all your muscle car parts needs,

because they find the source,

they spec the best,

there is a difference and they've got the goods.

You can send in your questions

for our January 2026 show.

Alrighty, interviews are up.

We have Scott and Perry from Heights,

Jason Bruce with Blueprint,

Tab Chapman from Diamondback Classic Radials,

and Terry McGeen with Hemmings.

Enjoy.

The Muscle Car Place Weekly podcast interview

is brought to you by our good friends

at National Parts Depot.

See them through the link

at themusclecarplace.com.

Vegas!

Well, blast from the past.

I have not been to a Heights SEMA booth

for an interview in years.

Thanks for the invite.

We have Scott and Perry.

How you doing?

Thank you for having us.

Okay, well,

way back in the day,

a former employee,

I don't know that we need to mention his name,

but it was Mike Holly,

used to harass me upside down,

left and right.

And he was a good dude.

He was actually my introduction

to Heights suspension.

And I remember in 2010,

seeing a Heights Camaro running around

a good guy's autocross.

Yeah, or 71.

It was white, as I recall.

Yep, still is.

Still is, but it still is.

And he was killing it.

Randy Johnson at DNZ,

he did like one of the first

Heights IRS rear suspensions

that I remember on his Camaro.

Yeah, he didn't even repeal it.

The repealed Camaro.

Orange one, as I remember.

And now it's 2025 here,

and we're standing next to Steve Stroke's beautiful,

is it a road runner?

Yeah, Harakka.

Harakka.

It says 70.

70.

70 purple road runner built by Steve Stroke.

What's new under here from you?

Yeah, so this was actually

our all new Mopar

independent front suspension,

independent rear suspension.

A great part with this suspension is

actually Bolton.

So somebody that if they ever want to go back to stock,

they can actually do that,

keep the value of their car.

I don't know why anybody ever want to go back to stock

after bolting this suspension in,

but you know, we give that option.

So independent rear suspension is good

for up to 800 horsepower.

And our front suspension is good

for any kind of legacy Mopar motor,

even up like your Hellcats

and all the new blatant great stuff.

Yeah, now this one's running

like an old school 440, right?

Yeah, 440.

So why Mopar?

Why not Mopar is probably a good answer,

but why Mopar now?

We toyed with the idea of Mopar for many years.

A couple of years ago we finally decided

just to dive into it.

So we started off with the E-Bodies

and you know, you figure E-Body, B-Body

is going to be our most popular product line.

So challengers, chargers, kudos,

things along those lines.

There's a lot of cars out there.

People enjoy driving their cars.

Everyone enjoys having high horsepower,

but you need a suspension

that can handle all that extra power.

Sure.

And this is what we were able to provide.

There wasn't a great solution in the market already

that it really offered what we can do,

being Bolton and giving you not only

the ride improvement,

but also the handling improvement.

We dove in kind of head first

and we learned a lot.

We're always known as a Chevrolet

and a Ford reseller,

but Mopar has actually been incredibly hot for us.

Well, when I think of heights,

I think of hot rods suspension

and maybe I shouldn't.

You know, that's probably a little dated, isn't it?

It is.

It's a dated way of thinking.

For sure.

Yeah, I mean, hot rods and street rods

are still a big part of us.

Classic trucks are huge for us,

but muscle cars,

about 10 years ago

is when we really made the change around

and muscle cars is our core business now.

Okay.

Yeah.

Perry, why Bolton versus...

I think Scott said earlier,

it's reversible.

A lot of these cars are valuable.

You always have the option to weld it in.

Our kits, like a rear IRS,

come with cradles

and you drill some holes,

bolt them in

and you bolt up your complete IRS up into that.

If you wish to weld it in,

you could weld it in.

But the things we found

when talking to a lot of Mopar people

is the reversibility.

These cars are rare.

A lot of Mopar guys go,

it's a one-of-one or one-of-ten

or whatnot.

They break it down granular

and they wanted to be able to reverse

and go back if they wanted to.

Like Scott said,

I don't know why they would want to,

but they have the option to.

Okay.

My kid's into racing now,

so everything that I was sort of hearing

from people that were out doing pro-touring work,

I'm now hearing all the time

like Roll Center

and adjustable caster in the feel.

How adjustable are these

for people who are hardcore track people

versus I just want a good cruiser?

Adjust all the parameters.

You've got camber, caster adjustment,

your roll centers are set.

You've got adjustable sway bars

and same with the rear with the IRS.

You could set toe, you could set camber.

There really isn't any caster

adjustability in the rear,

but you've got your toe and your camber

and your roll centers are all adjustable

and your sway bars are adjustable

and your shocks, your spring rates, everything.

Okay.

Is this all in-house design stuff?

It is, yeah.

In-house design,

we actually welded it all up

in-house in Chicago, Illinois,

so still proudly making

our product here in America.

I know we just talked about Mopar.

Is Chevy or Ford still the biggest seller?

It is, yeah.

We're still going to be a very high seller

with the Mustang parts

that is our bread and butter there.

Follow it up by your Camaro's.

Nova's still very hot sellers for us.

We still do a lot with TriFibs also.

We're actually doing even full frames now too.

Really?

We went away from that for a little while,

but we're definitely getting back into it.

We are a full shop.

Like I said,

people always just put heights

with a hot rod, street rod market,

but in most of the cars

is where it's at with us at this point.

What full chassis do you offer?

Full chassis.

We do classic trucks.

We do TriFibs.

Yeah, 47 to 54 Chevy trucks,

55 to 59 Chevy's.

There's a lot of street rod

and hot rod chassis are in there.

We are also doing C10s.

You know, like all the way up to 87.

Yeah, I guess that is old.

It's a great market though right now.

The C10 market's hot.

What's universal super red?

Universal super reds are awesome.

So I mean, obviously we've been

working with the universal Mustang too,

as it could go into your random

make some models a lot of your dodges

and some of your older,

where it just doesn't make sense

to have a dedicated suspension.

Super ride's nice

because it actually gives you

more adjustability in the control arms.

Come standard with adjustable coil over shocks.

You're going to get a power rack with that.

You're just going to get something

that's nicer riding, better handling.

So we actually released

our independent Super Ride 2 front suspensions

late last year,

along with our universal four-link kits.

Heavy-duty four-link kits

can actually handle all the power now.

So if you're a custom car builder

or you're trying to make something

that's a little off-menu,

is this where you would start?

This is exactly where we would start.

This is why we came out with these

and produced these.

They're really, really good front-ends

to start with,

especially if you got something

really off the wall.

Like Dodge Truck, like he mentioned,

we had some people in here yesterday

asking for a design of front-end

for a Dodge Truck.

Well, we've got one that'll work for you.

So universal components,

probably a package for all of the

popular muscle cars,

independent and bolt-in.

Yes.

And a bolt-in also to go back

to what we were talking about,

it makes it easier.

Not everybody's got a well there.

Yeah.

So it makes it easy for anybody

to install it.

You can do this kit

in your own home garage

without having to be like a fabricator.

I see how they cradle

and they wrap up around the subframe

and everything like that.

They're meant to just tuck up in there.

It does.

It's very easy to install.

I mean, the front-end,

you're generally looking at

around 10 to 15 hours,

because IRS is around 15 to 20 hours.

Mm-hmm.

These are like real world times

that a normal person can do.

It doesn't have to be done at a shop.

Yeah.

Are the Mopar ones,

I see outboard brakes on that.

I remember the Camaro stuff

had inboard brakes.

Yeah, so we actually started

with the outboard brakes

with our third and fourth-gen Camaros,

and now we've actually done that

with all the Mopars,

and we're actually even going

backwards and doing that

with our first and second-gen Camaros

and Mustangs too.

So the outboard brakes,

actually, it's a better suspension

overall with the IRS.

Nicer riding, better handling,

more adjustability.

So we do still offer

some of the inboard brake systems,

because they're cool-looking.

Yeah, they're a nice legacy.

They're super cool-looking.

They're awesome at car shows,

and they do handle well,

and they ride really nice,

but the outboard kits are just,

it's the evolvement.

I mean, it's just an improvement

over what our original.

Yeah, technology's changed,

and we've got to adapt with that technology

to make a better suspension.

Brake kits are getting bigger.

Engines are getting bigger.

Drivers are driving their cars harder,

so we've got to adjust and adapt

with that, and you design a better product.

So you have to keep updating

your legacy product line

just to handle more motor

and tires probably...

Because we've even updated

our Pro-G Front Clip

first-gen Camaro,

you're able to fit a 315 Front Tire.

Really?

Yes.

What can you fit

on the front of a B-body?

Mopar.

Oh, that's up to the car size.

Well, first-gen Camaro

is a good measuring stick.

So if you put a 315 on the front,

that's quite good.

Yeah.

That's usually where they need

all the bite.

Everybody's got a plenty of rear bite.

Everybody's got the rear bite.

Yeah, so it's actually been

a hot seller, too,

but it came out.

I mean, we just listen

to what our customers ask for.

I mean, every year we do

a nice meeting,

and we plan for the following year,

and it's, you know,

we're just keeping our notes

of what customers want.

How about rear tire

on the front?

First-gen Camaro?

335.

Yeah, whatever you can fit.

You're limited by the car

at this point.

Yeah.

You know, your Minitub

or your Stocktub.

You're just limited by that,

but our suspension will take

anything you can fit in

the back of the car.

Cool.

Fellows, thank you.

Appreciate being back.

Thank you.

Sure.

Anytime.

All right.

Here for a return visit

to Blueprint

with a person I don't know,

Jason.

I don't even know

your last name, Jason Bruce.

Jason, what do you do

with Blueprint?

So, I'm the sales and marketing

manager for the Blueprint

engines product line.

Okay.

We did our first formal sit-down

one year ago

right here at this show

with Norris,

and I live in Iowa,

but I mean growing up

in the hot rod industry,

I knew the name Blueprint.

Friends with Dan Kahn.

Yeah.

Knew the whole story

inside and out,

so I thought.

Yeah.

And then sat down with Norris

and I knew nothing.

Yeah.

That's how it works

with Norris.

And what a wise man.

There's more up there

that reveals it seems to be,

but.

For sure.

The end result was

he was in the engine rebuild

business and then realized

he could be in the,

oh, what we used to call

the crate motor business.

Yep.

And today,

it's a full product line

of what we call

compatible engines.

Yes.

Can you highlight

why we use the word

compatible when we say

Ford or GM

or Chrysler

or something like that?

Right, so the philosophy

behind it is

General Motors,

Ford and Dodge,

they're the ones

who make their LS

as an example.

GM Motors and LS.

Mm-hmm.

What we're building

is our version

of the LS.

Mm-hmm.

So we refer to

use the compatible word.

So we'll say it's an

LS compatible engine.

Dimensionally on the

outside,

our LS blocks

are identical,

say, to an LS3.

But internally,

we've done the

hot rod or thing

and done some

improvements to that

design.

For example,

we use primary

main oiling,

which the

GM LS does not.

We extend the

piston skirts

to five and three

quarter inches,

which keeps the stroke clean.

Mm-hmm.

Really helps with

boost and helps

with nitrous

and those type of uses.

So we do a lot of those

type of things

that hot rodders

would have done back in

the day,

back on a small

block Chevy type motor.

We've done that

throughout our entire

line.

We vertically integrate

and what that means

is every engine

we do is new.

We don't use

a reman

or a seasoned block.

We're not using

a hodge podge

of various internal

components.

Everything is designed

for that engine.

The block,

the cranks,

the rods,

the pistons,

the rings,

intake manifold,

cylinder heads,

all the components

are designed around

the engine.

So what we have

is something that

dimensionally matches

an LS3,

but it's not.

It's not a GM motor.

It's a blueprint motor.

So it's an LS

compatible engine.

I'm trying to

call it,

did North say that

the castings are done

in the same place, though,

that the OEMs did anyway?

No.

Okay.

Our blocks are,

the foundry is actually

in Germany.

I remember the

Germany block.

There are some vendors

that we use that are

OEManufacturers,

depending upon the part,

but I was referring

primarily to the blocks,

which is kind of

the framework of which

the engine kind of

aligns.

Yeah.

Those are cast in Germany.

They're shipped over

to Kearney, Nebraska,

and they're all fully

machined in Kearney,

Nebraska

by the staff at

Blueprint.

Okay.

Kearney, Nebraska.

I know where

Kearney, Nebraska is,

it's like halfway,

right?

Yes.

Dead center.

I recall there's a big bridge

that goes over there.

Yeah.

There it was.

The big arch.

Yeah, the big arch

in Kearney, yes.

You have this monster

company sitting right

there in little Kearney,

and you're not from

Nebraska.

No, I'm not.

How do you work

at Blueprint?

I've been in the

industry 38 years.

This is my

actually 30th

SEMA show.

I cut my teeth

on performance brands

like Holley Performance

Hooker headers,

that type of thing,

sales and marketing

for those companies.

And a few years back

I got connected,

Blueprint was a customer

of Holley,

which is where I was

working at the time.

How about that?

Holley provided

the fuel injection

and the carburetors

and things for

Blueprint engines.

And so when I left

Holley and got connected

with Blueprint,

you know,

just fell in love

with the company.

It's a throwback

to when I started

in the industry

in the mid 90s.

It's a privately owned

company,

Norris Marshall,

our president,

CEO and founder

of the People of Nebraska

are some of the nicest

people I've ever seen

in my entire life.

They even call it

Nebraska Nice.

It is just a place

where everybody

cares about everybody

and that care goes

all the way to the

consumer so that

our customer service

is at a level

that I have

rarely ever seen

in this industry

or in any other

industry.

Just good

salt to the earth,

Midwest people.

Business is not

that difficult.

You build something

with very good quality

and give that

consumer a good value

and if they've got

a problem,

you treat them right

and make it right.

Period.

If you do that,

you will be successful.

What all is the

product line here?

I mean, I see everything.

Small block,

Ford and Chevy,

the old school kind.

Yeah.

I definitely see

all the modern platforms.

Are there small

block old cell

Chrysler's here too?

Yeah, for sure.

So our product line,

you know,

we primarily focus

in currently on

kind of the

legacy muscle car

hot rod street rod

platforms.

So you would see

small block Chevy

compatible.

And within that

small block Chevy

compatible line,

you would see

your 350s,

your 327s,

383s and 400s.

On the Chrysler side,

we do a 408

small block Chrysler

compatible

and we do a Gen 3

Hemi compatible.

So we cover the

later model

Gen 3 Hemi 427

Gen 3 Hems

and then we have

a 408

small block as well.

Yeah.

And then you've got

your small block

Ford compatibles,

which are 302,

347,

Stroker and your

427 versions.

454 all the way to 632.

Is there anything you

don't offer that

people constantly

request?

Well,

I'm sure there is.

There is.

Yeah.

I mean, and we

constantly are

figuring things out.

We are in the

process of

in developing the

engine line is

primarily kind of

street driven type

power.

We are now working

more upstream

into motorsport side

of things.

So we're getting into

the blueprint

motorsport side.

So we're taking

our LS

power being a little

more aggressive on the

cam being a little

more aggressive on the

internal construction

to make race motors

for the grass root

level racer.

Circle track guys.

Yeah.

Circle track drag

racing drifting off

road.

That's all relatively

new.

Those came from

consumer recommendations.

We actually

have collaboration

that we did with

ZF transmission

product line,

which ZF

transmissions are

a high level

eight speed

automatic transmission

company based out of

Italy.

And supercars,

European supercars,

the higher level

challengers

and chargers,

that type of thing.

So we worked with

as a collaboration

to take our LS

compatible product,

LS compatible engines,

connect them to a

ZF eight speed

automatic transmission.

And so that's

straight from you

with a warranty.

Straight from us with a

warranty all bolted

together, fully wiring

harnessed and just

connect and go.

I definitely see,

I mean, sitting here

looking the 427 Ford,

I assume that's a

Tremac that's on the

back of that one.

You know, I'm supposed to

be in the media

interview business,

but Norse

sold me.

he's the

he's the preeminent sales

person.

You just kind of

trust him.

Yeah.

So my brother in law

needed a

replacement.

He had a 67

Cheval with a

blown big block.

And he said,

I think I just

need another motor.

And I really want

junkyard LS.

He said,

I don't think you do.

Yeah, no.

For a little money

and a lot of

peace of mind,

so he ended up

buying a 383

from you.

Yeah, awesome.

Awesome.

It's kind of funny

because the small block Chevy

compatible line,

people think that all the

LS's are this whole

thing and there's nobody's

buying small block Chevy's

anymore.

Last year we set

our own personal record

for the number of small

block Chevy's we sold.

Is that right?

It was crazy.

So the demise

of the small block Chevy's

been greatly exaggerated.

We sell tons of

383s.

That is such

a great product line.

Makes a lot of

horsepower,

really good street car,

engine.

Someone's doing a

small block Chevy

or in the market

for a small block Chevy

type motor.

The 383's

almost always the way to go.

Is there any future

for old school

big block Chrysler's

or anything like that?

I think there could be

part of what happens

is we're listening

to customers

and kind of where

the recommendations

come from.

The Mopar guys

tend to be a little

more of the

build their own motor.

Mopar guys tend to

be really interesting

because they have

their combinations

and they're kind of

stuck with their

expectations so we'll

see a lot of that.

But we are seeing

more of our

small block

Chrysler Compatibles

increasing in sales

so it could definitely be

we just listen to

our customers

and what's requested

and build it from there

and if the volume is right

because one thing

for us is we're

actually a factory.

We're on

211,000 square feet

facility in Carney.

We have around

300 employees

working

tirelessly to build

engines.

We're not going to

build ones or two's.

So where a

local engine builder

can rock out a big block

piecemeal, all the parts

together.

We do production runs

in 10s and 20s

and things of that nature

so we need to make sure

whatever we're doing

has some volume

so that we can

actually support the

customer demand

appropriately.

But just buying one

is super easy.

Literally just

go to the website,

click, click, click

and you just

pick what level

of power you want

and then it shows

up at your house

in a day.

Absolutely.

Yeah, for sure.

And then those folks

who are not comfortable

we have five to six

folks that are on

operations.

Technical support

and sales support,

after care,

all those type of things.

And then we're also

sold through all the

major distributors

and retailers in the

industry.

Summit, Jags,

Speedway Motors,

they're fully supportive

of our product line

so you can't really

throw a rock in the

industry and not hit

somebody who is selling

or supporting blueprint

engines.

For the modern engines

that require

computers and wiring

and things like that

do they come wired?

So ready to go

or do you assemble

that

installing?

In some cases no.

Right.

So with our blueprint

fuel injection

the wiring harnesses

are installed.

We have some engines

that utilize the

Terminator X Max

EFI system

and those throttle

bodies and all that

are installed

but not the wiring

harnesses.

But they're all

really easy to use

from a self-learn

capability

and so they're

pretty simple to install

which is wonderful.

Okay.

Final one

and Norse started

walking me through

this last year

the low volume

production package.

Coyote.

Is that

happening?

So it's running

it's very, very close.

So the SPMV

the small

production motor vehicle

motor that we've

using

is a Ford

truck Coyote motor.

Uh huh.

So this will be used

for any

car builder

that would be using

Broncos

some of the Roadster

shop folks

like the Superformance

Factory 5

could use this as well.

That has taken

a long collaboration

over many years

probably three years.

A lot of tuning

a lot of calibration

work that's been done.

That engine

is running

and running well.

It's doing a

really great job.

We are currently

in the final phase

which is the Carbio phase.

So once we get

our Carbio number

then we can

commercialize.

That's the emission side.

So the Carbio number

is the Carb Executive Order.

So we've got the engine

running.

Now we have to go

through the testing process

emissions testing

and once it passes

that and you

go through the paperwork

for Carb

they give you what they

call an executive order

which basically means

that your engine is

small legal.

And so at that point

the SPMV manufacturers

can utilize that engine

to create their

small legal version

of that

of their brand new car

whatever their brand

new car is.

And they don't have to say

we used a donor car

because they didn't

correct.

Now it's a brand new

license legal

title car

under their name

and that emissions

compliant drivetrain

was basically the

requirement

but also the missing piece.

That's correct.

Is this the first one

that exists?

I believe

this particular marketplace

we would be first.

Wow.

My understanding is

there was a

I think a BMW motor

something that was done

maybe first

but for this

particular marketplace

the SEMA performance

market we would be

the first one.

Okay.

I don't see Norris

here he's probably

running SEMA now

that's my understanding.

Yeah he's

doing lots of work

Norris is an animal

he is all over the

place he comes in

and out of the booth

and does SEMA work

he is the

new chair-elect

of the SEMA

board of directors

things in Kearney

with his family

and here at the SEMA show

so he's

invested in the industry

and we have

multiple staff members

at the company

that dedicate their time

and donate time on

SEMA councils

and things as well.

Jason's been a pleasure

Nice to meet you

I'm sure we'll

cross paths again

hopefully not

a whole year from now

but it's really fun.

Awesome.

Thanks a lot of time

appreciate it.

SEMA

First interview

of SEMA

Everybody say five

with Tab Chapman

CEO of Diamondback

Radials

Diamondback classic

radials yes

in a nutshell

what does Diamondback

or make?

So, we take a

new tire

and we can modify

the sidewall

into just about anything

it's similar technology

this retreading

but we transferred

all that

technology to the

sidewall

we are able to put

a white wall

just about any tire

redline, goldline

whatever it is

red, white and blue

we can do stuff

like that.

Probably back in 1935 with my grandfather got into retreading and then back then prized

more passenger.

Obviously the war hit and they had rationing couldn't get a new tire here in the States.

So retreading became a necessity.

So he took what was you know local little shop and built it into an actual factory

doing a lot of retreading.

My dad came into the business in the 60s and grew up more.

So we were at one point we were running 600 tires a day in a retread plant.

And into the 80s it was really good 90s hit new tires from overseas got so cheap the

retreading had no margins anymore.

So him and my brother started looking at working on the sidewall doing vintage white

walls is a challenge because he was in old cars and he's like you know let's try it.

So they modified some of their equipment to be able to work on the sidewall so the

tread and they kept working at it and let's say we're close to 40 years later

this is where we are.

You manufacture all these tires in South Carolina?

No we don't.

So we modify all these tires in South Carolina.

A lot of the tires you see here are manufactured overseas but we use other name brands as well.

We still have them on site.

Okay.

Yeah.

So I see Auburn here.

Yeah Auburn.

And then I see premium line.

What's the difference?

So you got the Auburn Deluxe over here.

It's a straight up bias looking radial tire.

Okay.

So this is going to be a little bit pre-muscle car era.

A lot of these guys these old cars like 32 Roadsters you have cars 40s, 50s.

They want that original look but want to drive the car and enjoy it.

You want a radial.

This is riding so much better.

So what we did is we took the bias design that people wanted and married it to a radial

construction which is also what people wanted.

So you get the best of both worlds.

Do people send you tires to modify or do you provide all in house?

We stock all these tires.

We have a 25,000 square foot warehouse just for tire storage.

Okay.

And you're out of South Carolina?

South Carolina.

Yes sir.

Near the beach.

Our audience is muscle cars.

Yes of course.

But every version of the sun so 14's, 15's, 17's, 18's and everybody's taste and wants

are different.

Yep.

So what would they call you for specific?

Most of our cells in muscle car realm are red lines and we have those from 14 inch,

really 13 but there's really no muscle cars with 13.

It's starting 14, a lot of 15 inch, 16's kind of skip but 17's, 18's, 19's and

20's.

We do a lot of muscle car tires and all those diameters like specifically red lines.

We got some gold stuff.

Or red, white and blue.

That's what we got right here.

I mean it all depends on the amount of saw while you got.

Some limitations of course but that's really with the muscle car area that's what we're

looking at.

Kind of like this is a great example, I don't know if you can see it.

True street radial?

Everything you see here is kind of a, I call a canvas for some of the stuff

we can do.

This blue line right here, we can put it on the 17 inch tire.

We have certain lines or brands we use like 17, 18, 20 and all those sizes we can cover

just about any stagger fitment that you desire.

So really it's a custom tire company.

Yes, we customize the tire but we also have our house brands that we manufacture for us.

We own these molds right here and we have this tire manufactured for us exclusive.

So nobody else can buy this tire except for us.

So I know you come from a family business but why are you in this business?

Because this is a hard business.

It seems very unique.

Let me say it that way.

Well, I came into the business after college and I don't know why, I can't really tell

you.

But I told my dad, I was joking with him on the phone one day, I said something about

coming to work in a family business and he was like, I really, really wish you would.

I thought about it and I was in Charleston, South Carolina at the time and I worked

as a surveyor.

It was a fun job but I didn't see any growth there.

So it was the one of the times in life where you just kind of make the move

and I said, yeah, I'll come work in a family business and they had the ups and downs but

the creation part is really what I did and there's a lot of creativity in this business.

What is the typical customer coming to?

So do they typically have a look in mind that they want?

They know the size they want?

More often than not, people know the size they want or they're translating from

a original bias size to a radial which that's easy to do.

Sometimes they need help with larger diameters and stagger fitments.

They need a little bit of help trying to dial in the size and we're well trained in helping

people to get just that right fitment.

I'm not sure on this one but if somebody says, I want Eagle GT and it has to say Eagle

GT for my car, you can't do that, right?

No, we don't do any custom raise white letter style.

Technically I would know how to do it with the right tooling and the right investment

but then you get into the trademarking.

I can't put Eagle GT on a tire even if it is an Eagle GT, I don't know the rules there.

I know how it can be done, I just haven't pursued it yet.

You can only pick a few battles at a time and I've got more ideas than I could possibly

ever follow at any given time.

So you pick the ones you think are the most valuable and then you kind of go for those.

What's the big white walls down there?

Again, these are the Auburn Deluxe.

We got range of sizes, 15's, these are all 16's, that's a 17 right there.

This is the big 18 they're leaning on.

Geez, look at that.

Perfect street ride tire.

People love these tires.

There's people claiming that they have the world's first bias looking radial and we've

had these for over 10 years and it just cracks me up that people actually make a

ludicrous claim that there's the first and it's this year.

I didn't have gray hair when they came out of ours but here we are.

I got one for you.

Yeah.

So one of our network shows is called the Kibbe and Friends Show, it's all pop

culture.

Okay.

I don't know how old you are but I'm guessing we're sort of in the same ballpark.

I'm 48, so.

50.

There we are.

Did you grow up watching TV shows like Knight Rider and Dukes of Hazzard?

Of course, yeah.

Of course.

Okay.

All of that pop culture seeped into our brains and bodies and we can't let it go even

now that we're old and we should know better.

Yes, true, true.

So we have a whole network show dedicated to pop culture cars, nerdy people like

us like to put bias ply looking tires on general ease because they look super

sweet that way.

Yeah, of course.

So if I wanted to do that, I have one, if I wanted to throw 14s on it, what would you

recommend for me?

That's a tough one because to have a original bias look and a certain size

tire, you really have to design it from ground up whereas you got to get the

molds designed and you have to have molds made then obviously the tires

produced.

There's some time and investment in that.

So if you needed like a, what would be a 215-7014 equivalent, well I think it

would be an F7014.

If you needed a radial equivalent but you wanted to look like a bias tire, I would

have to go develop that tire.

And then I'd have to look at the quantity, how many of these am I going to sell a

year?

Am I going to sell 100?

It's not worth it.

Am I going to sell a thousand?

It's probably worth it.

Because you've got to have the money and the molds probably, I'm going to

say 20, 25 grand and that.

And then minimum run of tires and then the marketing.

There's a lot to it.

Now we do have, we use other brands that are more of a modern radial look

but we can still put a red line on it.

That they generally didn't have.

No, but like in the end, generally had any tire they threw on is what truly had

on it.

But 14's and 15's that look bias plie, that's a thing now.

Yes.

You know, people want that.

Well, there's different areas of bias.

If you look at like tread signatures and shoulder signatures, the 40's and

then the 50's is going to be a little different than like late 50's and 60's.

The podcast or earlier era of bias, and then you got like more of your

teardrop and then really into the muscle car area, they didn't have much of a

shoulder at all.

It was kind of smooth all the way up near where it transitioned into the tread.

So there was slight shoulder and I always wanted to actually make a tire that

had dual shoulders.

You had like a teardrop on one side and a really short one on the other.

So you could essentially make two skews out of one tire where, you know,

if you were looking for this look, you could put that side facing out.

And if you want this look, you could put that side facing out.

The same tire.

It's kind of radical and I don't know if it worked, but I thought about this

long ago.

If you go look at bias tires throughout the ages, throughout the eras, you'll

see what I'm talking about.

You're kind of a creative genius.

Ah, I've always been creative.

I think of weird stuff.

Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's terrible.

Well even stuff like teaching me the eras of bias plie, now that you

say it all out, yeah, that's absolutely right.

Like firestone or polygons or something, but like pie crust and

things like, yeah, that does look like old timey stuff.

What's the best way people can find you, figure out your product line

or just call you because they need help?

dbtires.com is our main website.

We're about to launch a brand new website or an updated website.

There's going to be a lot more user friendly, not the hardest

it now, but we're always trying to improve what we have.

It's going to be the same website, dbtires.com.

Cool.

My name's Tab.

You can talk to Tab, hi, Johnny, Cliff, Mike, Richie,

all of us will help you out.

Family business.

We have the best vintage tires in the market.

I can guarantee you that one, had them forever 30 years,

and we're going to keep on doing it.

Plus Southern Charm, I'm sold.

I like it.

A little bit.

Thanks, Tab.

Yeah, man, appreciate it.

Here we are, sitting, thank you, Terry, with Terry McGinn

at the Hemmings booth.

So here's my cheat.

We use Hemmings online all the time to do carpeg segments

because it's good content and people love it.

And there's a Orange67 Shelby GT500 that was frankly fantastic.

What have you noticed?

Being with Hemmings.

I don't know how long you've been with Hemmings.

Almost 20 years now.

What have you noticed are the biggest changes

with how people consume content?

Because what people used to think of Hemmings is the book.

Sure.

I'll admit I haven't picked up a book in years,

but I use the website probably every day.

Well, yeah, you've kind of hit that on the head.

I mean a lot of us who are crazy for cars

grew up reading magazines.

And a lot of us still love magazines.

And Hemmings still prints what we call the big book,

the original Hemmings Motor News, every month.

And it still has a magazine section in the front.

But we have evolved over the past number of years.

Of course, we've had a website for a long, long time.

We have content on that website.

We do a daily newsletter that goes out.

We've done that for many years.

And of course, we do social media.

But probably the newest facet of our content is video.

We've got guys on the West Coast who do some stuff.

But in Bennington, Vermont, where Hemmings is based,

we have a really pretty cool shop.

It was a museum.

We turned part of it into a functional shop.

And now we've been using that to create content,

the tech content working on cars.

And we're also starting to do some buyer's guide

content, just something we did in print for years.

The same kind of content, but now in a video presentation.

Little history on a particular kind of car.

Point out some of the good features.

Point out things you should look for if you're

looking to buy one of those.

So that's probably the latest evolution

in how we've been creating content.

Would you say Hemmings is a place people go to buy cars

or where people go to get media?

I think it's always been known as a place people

go to buy cars and to sell cars.

And I think hardcore enthusiasts years ago identified that

as sort of ground zero.

So Hemmings has been around since 1954.

And it started as a newsletter for people

who were interested in Model A's and Model T's, Ford's.

And it was only about vintage Ford stuff.

And it was started by Ernie Hemmings

who worked for his family's auto parts business.

And the mid 50s is kind of when auto restoration really

started to become a thing in our country.

And it grew faster than he anticipated.

And in the 60s he realized I can't do this anymore.

It's taken on a life of his own.

He sold it to another guy named Terry Eric.

He's the one who brought it to Bennington, Vermont.

And he's the one who turned it into what most people know

as Hemmings Motor News.

So that has always been there and continues to this day

where still I believe the world's largest

collector car marketplace.

Content for Hemmings began in the 70s

where they started a magazine called

Special Interest Autos.

Did that for years.

And then that evolved into our classic car magazine

in the early 2000s.

They started Muscle Machines as another monthly magazine.

We did for a time a magazine called Sports and Exotic

which was import classics.

And for again over 20 years there's been a glossy magazine

section in that original Hemmings Motor News publication.

So media has been a part of Hemmings

for quite a long time.

And we're kind of maintaining that balance.

And it's kind of a symbiotic relationship.

Again it's always been known as a place

to buy and sell cars and parts.

And the media just sort of supports that enthusiast world.

We keep doing that.

And again it kind of a symbiosis.

We have the business side of buying and selling

and then the enthusiast side of the media.

Yeah.

What have you seen from a car buying and selling

perspective as it influences your media?

So the reason I asked that, I was talking to Brandon

earlier and he said like the number one car

you guys sell online is Corvette.

Number two is a Mustang.

So in our wheelhouse certainly

do you make more content for people

that like Corvettes and Mustangs?

Or do you just do what you dig?

That's an interesting question because

for most of our existence I would say

we make the content that we think the audience wants.

And that's kind of what we've done.

And that would include things like Corvettes and Mustangs

but then also much more than that.

But more recently we just did a project

on a Corvette this past year.

We took a 72 Stingray and bought it

from one of our dealers, did a five episode series of videos

kind of getting the car in shape,

refurbishing it mechanically

and then it ran on the Great Race event

which Hemings is the title sponsor of.

We did that project in partnership with Coker Tire.

They also in their group own a bunch of Corvette parts

suppliers and they are the owners of the Great Race.

And so when the idea came up,

they were like well we'd like to build a car with you.

We'd like it to be Corvette

because we're Corvette parts specialists.

And we would like you to take it on the Great Race.

That means it needs to be 74 or older.

And when we thought about this we were like

well Corvette is the center of Hemings wheelhouse

in terms of the marketplace.

So that's kind of a perfect fit.

So in that case, yes the pieces of the puzzle

came together and it did make sense for us

to aim right at the center of the target

of our own audience and make that content.

We did a Fox Mustang project about two years ago.

We still have that car, we'll do more with that.

So I guess I've given you the long answer.

The short answer is yeah, certainly I think

we would like to provide content

for the people we already have

and keep that symbiosis going that I mentioned earlier.

But I think we will always continue to do

a much broader scope of stuff too

because the Hemings audience is very broad.

If you go on the marketplace in Hemings

while we have a ton of Corvettes

we got everything you can think of on there.

Some really obscure stuff.

And it's always been that way.

And so I think we still want to play to that.

We have a space for anybody who wants to sell anything

on wheels that gives us the freedom to kind of do

really any kind of motorized content.

The interesting thing about this day and age is

you used to see an ad in Hemings

and then you'd call somebody

and then you try to figure out a way to go look at it.

That may not even happen anymore.

As I recall, I think John I would mention last year

I don't remember the name of the service

but you can have an inspector go look at a car for you.

He can give you the thumbs up.

You can make the transaction happen.

You can get it shipped door to door

and you see it when it shows up at your house as your car.

It's true.

The digital age that we're living in

has created this situation

where you don't have to buy a car locally anymore.

And of course people who were buying on a Hemings

were always buying stuff from very far away

but it was a lot harder to do

and there was a lot more trust required.

That trust part is the scary part.

Exactly.

Most people like us do not have

an unlimited amount of disposable income

so you do want to kick the tires a little bit

and take a peek.

And back in the day,

you were probably dealing with another hardcore enthusiast

if you were doing that kind of long distance transaction

40 years ago.

The collector car market is a lot bigger

and unfortunately there's a lot of people in it

who are just trying to make a buck

so you do need to be a little more careful.

So we've tried to create those other facets

of the process to strip off as much of the unknown,

reduce the risk so that a guy sitting in New York

who's trying to buy a car to California

really has a pretty good idea

of what he's getting by the time it shows up.

So modern photography helps, video clips help,

various forms of communication.

So we have our make offer product

and you can just immediately start messaging

with the person offering the car.

That direct line of communication helps.

And then the services,

we have our pay and title service even.

So now even exchanging the funds

and the title of the car has a measure of security to it.

It gets rid of that, okay,

well am I sending you a cashier's check

or am I getting on a plane with a suitcase full of money?

All those things that people have done for years

that are maybe not the greatest idea.

Yeah and it is the most nerve-wracking thing

in the world where you're waiting for a FedEx

to show up with the title and then like,

I hope I didn't just screw myself here.

So that's off the pay and title services

intended directly for people like you

who used to have to sweat.

It's sort of like a digital escrow service.

So every party is kind of putting their piece in

and then the other party knows that that piece is in

and again the trust doesn't necessarily have to be there

because the system enables each person to know

that the other person did what they were supposed to do

and in that way the sweat factor is hopefully reduced.

I will say Hemings takes a unique and diverse approach.

So we're sitting in here,

where Chip Fousa just did some signing.

I may still be here.

I think Mike Finnegan's got a boat

that's gonna float in a pool tonight surrounded by beer.

It's not just legend, it's true.

Also with Hemings.

Yeah, tonight is the Hemings SEMA party

which we've been doing for several years.

We do it with Christian Sosa at his Sosa Metalworks shop

which is a really cool place.

And it's evolved rapidly into a really cool thing

and one of our guys, Dan Stoner,

he's one of our marketing guys,

Dan always kind of comes up with the theme of the party

and puts the whole thing together

and he wants the party to have a theme every year

and this year it's drag boats.

Old school, huge V8, flat bottom drag boats.

And so of course Mike Finnegan

has kind of gotten to be known for drag boats

because it's pretty serious pursuit for him

apart from four wheeled ventures.

So our guy wanted the game over boat

that Finnegan used to own

but of course Mike doesn't have that boat anymore

but he does have this other boat he just finished.

Dan came up with this crazy idea

that he was gonna get a big pool

and fill it with water and put Mike's boat in it

so it will be floating at the party.

Mike Finnegan to his credit did not know Dan Stoner

prior to Dan reaching out to him to do this.

And Dan described it, said what he wanted to do

and Mike said that sounds like a terrible idea,

let's do it.

And I can tell you from firsthand accounts

that that boat is currently floating in that pool.

It's at the party site right now, so.

We just had a hot dog with Mike.

He said I don't have a lawyer.

And then that's all that's where it ended.

Yeah, the funny observation last night

because we were there and I was one of the people

that helped lift the boat up

so they could pull the trailer out from under it

while we were standing in the pool

before it was filled with water.

The person least concerned seemingly

about what we were doing was the guy who owned the boat,

Mike Finnegan.

The thing has a fantastic paint job on it.

It's brand new, no worries.

Did you wait in there while they filled the pool?

So what we did was it's an inflatable pool

but custom built so it's really big.

They deflated the pool.

They had it laid out in the shop,

flattened out the one side of it.

We took that caddy trailer that Mike has

which he put inside his box trailer to get to Vegas.

We rolled the caddy trailer by hand

into the pool with no water

and then lined the boat with about 12 people

around the whole thing.

All around it.

Mike says this whole boat weighs about 1,200 pounds

so there's no reason we shouldn't all be able to lift it up.

One, two, three, we picked it up off the trailer

and we're standing there holding the boat in the air.

And his guy Joe and another guy pull the trailer out

and they put motorcycle tires down on the pool floor

and we very gently set the boat down

on those motorcycle tires.

Everybody cheered and we stepped out of the pool.

They turned on the air pump

to begin inflating the pool again.

Pool inflated and then, okay next step

is to fill this thing with water

and so they started filling it with water

and eventually we had lift off

and the boat was floating in the pool

and when the water level got to about

where it should have been, we turned it off,

pulled the motorcycle tires, fished them out

and Mike's boat is floating in that pool.

Floating in a pool.

Not your grandfather's Hemmings,

I guess would be the title of that one.

And that's kind of what the message we were trying

to convey when we started the party

because while we do everything Hemmings used to do

we do a lot of other things

and we aren't necessarily your grandfather's Hemmings

and a lot of us are enthusiasts

and that idea to do that boat in that pool

came right out of the minds of one of our veteran staffers.

Yeah, I think Finnegan put it well.

That's a terrible idea.

Let's give this a try.

Yep, we enjoy having fun

and we like doing stuff with our industry

but also with these cars

and getting out in the world and experiencing them.

That's kind of one of our pushes these days

is collector cars are for collecting

but I think a lot of people understand

that they're for enjoying

so we should be going out in the world

and driving these things

and we just started a rally series in fact

that one of our other guys, Mike Musto

who you probably know, Mike Musto.

Mike's kind of heading up that venture.

What is that?

Well, they'll come up with a route

and they've done two of them in California

and they're gonna do more next year

all around the country

and they'll come up with like a great driving route

and then they'll put it out there

and say, hey, this is the package.

We're gonna meet here on this date.

We're gonna do this trip on these cool roads

over this number of days.

We're gonna stay in these places,

and we have space for X number of people.

Come join us.

We're gonna go drive our cars and have some fun.

It's a new thing for us

but right out of the gate,

it took off pretty hard

and they just did one like two weeks ago

and they had a lot of fun with it.

So they're looking at 26 to do a bunch more of them.

That is awesome.

And Musto's behaving?

You know, you know, Mike,

he stays at a jail but he has a good time.

He does, he does.

Nice talking to you.

It's great talking to you.

Thank you for letting us come crash again another year.

If Finnegan survives his boat party,

I will be the first to cheer as well.

Yeah, there might be another story

to go with the boat from tonight.

He's fairly confident.

It's not going to,

it's gonna leave that pool

one way or the other tonight.

One way or another.

Hopefully in the same shape it arrived.

Hemings.com?

Hemings.com.

We're always there.

Thank you, gang.

Great.

Okay.

That's it.

That was show number three from SEMA.

Now, don't forget.

We will be back Friday morning with one more for you.

But before we exit,

I do have one more clip for you.

And I love all the Charlie Brown holiday specials.

The Christmas one is of course my favorite.

I would say that of the three holiday specials,

well, and not including the Easter Beagle or something,

but of Halloween, thanks to the Christmas specials

or something,

but of Halloween Thanksgiving and Christmas Thanksgiving,

their episode probably gets the least amount of love

and press here.

It's the least classic of the three for some reason.

Here's a little clip from it.

If you can't find a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

anywhere else that's on Apple TV.

In the year 1621,

the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast.

They invited the great Indian chief,

Masa Syte,

who brought 90 of his brave Indians

and a great abundance of food.

Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Dandish

were honored guests.

Elder William Brewster, who was a minister,

said a prayer that went something like this.

We thank God for our homes and our food

and our safety in a new land.

We thank God for the opportunity

to create a new world for freedom and justice.

Amen.

I usually get a lot of my history lessons

from Charlie Brown.

Another good one there.

Okay, we'll be back Friday morning between now

and then hit me up on Facebook or Instagram

anytime.

Be sure to sign up for our weekly email newsletter.

You can do all that on the homepage

of themusselcarplace.com website.

And as always,

don't forget to keep chasing your dreams

like you've let me chase mine.

Thanks for listening, everybody.

Happy Thanksgiving.

See you Friday.

Bye-bye.

It's your last conversation

from the more action amazing.

Thanks for parking at the Mussel Car Place

online podcast.

TMCP #629: SEMA 2025 Show Spectacular #3 – Scott & Perry with Heights Suspension Mopar Bolt-In IFS/IRS, Jason Bruce with Blueprint “Compatible” Crate Engines, Tab Chapman with Diamondback Classic Radials (Custom Sidewalls), Terry McGean with Hemmings Marketplace Media & Rally Adventures

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