TMCP #630: SEMA 2025 Show Spectacular Finale – Centerforce Clutch Tech, Holley’s LT-Swapped 4th Gen Camaro, and Meguiar’s Pro-Level Detailing for Real-World Builders
The MuscleCar Place
TMCP #630: SEMA 2025 Show Spectacular Finale – Centerforce Clutch Tech, Holley’s LT-Swapped 4th Gen Camaro, and Meguiar’s Pro-Level Detailing for Real-World Builders
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Company
Center Force
Center Force makes parts that help cars shift gears more smoothly and efficiently, especially for high-performance vehicles like muscle cars.
Company
Holley
Holley makes parts that help improve car performance, especially for those who want to modify their vehicles for better speed and efficiency.
Term
LT swap kit
An LT swap kit helps you put a new, more powerful engine into a car that had a different engine before, making it faster and more fun to drive.
Car
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is a sporty car that looks really cool and goes fast. It's popular among car enthusiasts who like to customize it and take it to car shows.
Car
Mazda Miata
The Mazda Miata is a small, two-door convertible car that's really fun to drive. People love it because it's light and zippy, making it great for enjoying the open road.
Term
segmented clutches
Segmented clutches are special types of clutches used in cars. They have parts that are solid and parts that are divided into segments, which helps them work better when driving fast or on a track.
Car
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that many people dream of owning. It gets better with each new version, making it a favorite among car lovers.
Term
F bodies
F bodies are a type of car platform that includes the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. They were popular sports cars made by General Motors.
Concept
fourth generation
The fourth generation of the Corvette includes models made between 1984 and 1996. These cars are known for their better performance and are often nostalgic for people who grew up in that era.
Company
McGuire's
McGuire's is a popular brand that makes products to help you clean and take care of your car, like wax and polish.
Car
Porsche 944
The Porsche 944 is a type of sports car made by Porsche, popular for its good handling and performance. It was made in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Term
stock replacement clutch
A stock replacement clutch is a regular part that you can buy to replace a broken clutch in your car. It works just like the one that came with the car originally.
Concept
classic muscle cars
Classic muscle cars are fast cars from the 1960s and 70s that people love for their powerful engines and cool looks. They are often seen as symbols of American car culture.
Term
holding capacity
Holding capacity is how much power a clutch can take without slipping. If a car has a lot of horsepower, it needs a stronger clutch to keep everything working well.
Term
pedal effort
Pedal effort is how hard you have to push the clutch pedal to change gears. Some clutches are easier to push than others, especially in sports cars.
Term
396 engine
The 396 engine is a powerful V8 engine made by Chevrolet. It's known for giving cars a lot of speed and power, especially in classic muscle cars.
Term
horsepower
Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful an engine is. The higher the horsepower number, the faster and stronger the car can be.
Part
dual friction clutch
A dual friction clutch helps cars shift gears more smoothly and can handle more power. It has two types of materials that work together to make driving easier and more efficient.
Part
single disc clutch
A single disc clutch is a part of a car that helps connect and disconnect the engine from the wheels. It uses one flat disc to do this, making it simple and effective for most cars.
Concept
Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational
The Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational is a car competition where drivers show off their high-performance cars. The cars must be able to drive on regular roads and compete in different challenges.
Term
foot pounds of torque
Foot pounds of torque measures how much force an engine can apply to turn something, like a wheel. The higher the number, the more power the engine has to move the car.
Part
twin disc clutch
A twin disc clutch has two parts that help connect the engine to the transmission. This makes it stronger and able to handle more power, which is useful in fast cars.
Company
Dyad
Dyad makes special clutches for cars that help them perform better, especially in racing.
Term
XDS
XDS is a system that helps your car handle better when turning by braking one wheel slightly. This can make the car feel more stable and easier to control.
Term
big block
A big block engine is a larger type of car engine that usually produces more power than smaller engines. It's often found in powerful cars designed for speed and performance.
Term
small block
A small block engine is a smaller type of car engine that is usually more fuel-efficient. It's commonly used in many cars, including sports and everyday vehicles.
Term
foot-pound torque
Foot-pound torque measures how much twisting force an engine has. More torque usually means the car can start moving faster and pull heavier loads.
Term
DFX
DFX is a type of clutch that is made for high-performance cars. It helps the car shift gears quickly and smoothly, especially when going fast.
Car
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
The ZL1 1LE is a special version of the Chevrolet Camaro designed for racing and performance, featuring a powerful engine and improved handling.
Car
Ford Mustangs
The Ford Mustang is a classic American car that's known for being fast and looking great. It's a favorite among people who love cars and often shows up in movies and car events.
Car
Chevrolet C10S
The Chevrolet C10 is an old pickup truck that many people love because it's sturdy and has a cool vintage look. It's getting harder to find at a good price because more people want them now.
Car
Volkswagen Bus
The Volkswagen Bus is a big, boxy van that people loved in the 60s for road trips and camping. It's a favorite among collectors because it has a lot of character and history.
Car
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is a big car that can go really fast and has a tough look. It's popular with families who want a lot of space but also like the thrill of driving a powerful car.
Term
performance hybrid
A performance hybrid is a car that uses both a gas engine and an electric motor to make it faster and more efficient. It helps the car go quicker while also saving on fuel.
Term
naturally aspirated
A naturally aspirated engine gets air from the atmosphere without any extra help from devices like turbochargers. This can make the engine feel different when you drive it.
Car
Jaguar Mark I
The Jaguar Mark I is a fancy old car from the 1950s that looks really nice and drives smoothly. It's a classic that many car lovers appreciate for its beauty and history.
LIVE
The Muscle Car Place, online podcast, episode number 630.
This week it's our fourth and final show right from the SEMA show floor.
Trent McGee with Center Force will kick us off with the latest and greatest street strip
and track clutches for muscle cars and more.
Then Mark Gerhardt with Holley will be on, and Holley makes everything you need to swap
anything into anything.
And Mark brought a 4th Gen F body with an LT swap kit, and so helped me, he made
it cool.
I'm Mike Pennington on from McGuire's, and McGuire's is here to release their, what I'm
going to call their pro-sumer line, it's pro-grade products made for the consumer that wants
the best.
Now back when it comes to Mark at Holley, they really do make about everything under
the sun.
I mean, wheels, brakes, EFI systems, and they brought that 4th Gen Cat Eye Camaro
to SEMA and so helped me, it was cool.
They may have to go into the body kit business when this is all done, because this
thing was awesome and they brought it for a reason.
People will find something new to modify, but I still go back that people are going to
go buy the cars that they always thought were cool when they were in high school that they
were couldn't afford it.
Now they're going to go back and buy that car and build it how they want now because
they're going to afford to do it.
Yes, indeed I am Rob Gibby and welcome to the Muscle Car Place podcast.
Well here we are, the 4th and final show from SEMA 2025.
And now the Thanksgiving is officially over.
It is Friday morning.
It is Black Friday.
That means that Christmas season is upon us.
So here you go.
That's right.
I'm going to watch Elf 5,000 times.
We got more of that came from.
And right now, if this works to timing, I'm in Kansas City.
We bought tickets to go to, I think it's the Kansas City Symphony.
They're showing Elf on the big screen with the symphony playing the soundtrack.
And I've never been to anything like this before, but I'm excited to do it.
And it's how me and my family are kicking off the Christmas season here.
So I hope you're kicking off your Christmas season some way fun.
So help me though.
If you are out in the mess known as Black Friday sales, or even worse, standing
in line at like 4 a.m. for a cheap deal on a TV or something.
I hope this show helps you pass the time and gives you some education here.
Maybe it'll help you figure out what you want to stick in your Christmas list.
So three interviews to round things out.
We have Trent McGee on with Center Force and I know Trent.
I like Trent.
This is probably one of the more technical interviews and it's awesome.
It's a lot of meat and potatoes.
It has to do with all sorts of disc types, single, dual, triple.
What works for Ultimate Streetcar?
What you need for track day?
What you need to live with?
What you can't even got stuff from the whole Miata market.
It's really good.
He gives a great description on how segmented clutches work, like when they
have a solid side and a segmented side on the other and why you do that.
It's really cool.
And we have Mark Gearhart with Holly on Holly is the sponsor of the
Kibbe and Friends show has been for years and they brought a fourth
gen F body to the show like a cat eye one.
And I'm telling you that car was really cool.
Out of all the Camaros ever made, it's my least favorite body style.
But that one was awesome.
And it turns out if you just readdress the chin spoiler and the tail
on that car and put the right wheels on it, it can have the right look.
It appeared to be lower to me.
It had a full LT swap kit in it.
It was a very simple car, but it had a lot of punch there.
While the fourth gen F bodies aren't my favorite to look at,
they are a great platform.
Every new platform of a Corvette is better than the last one.
Same goes with F bodies.
That's true.
This thing was cool and Mark gave a great really testament to the
the powerhouse of the aftermarket industry in general, but they were
intentional and they brought that fourth gen on purpose.
Fourth gens are now at the age where somebody who's in their mid 40s,
that was the car sitting there in the high school lot that maybe
they find after.
So now it's time to build those cars.
And then we'll close with a recurring guess.
We usually have McGuire's on every SEMA and Mike Pennington came on.
Mike does a great job walking through with details on how to use their
prosumer line.
So if you are a hands on person who details your car specifically,
there's a lot of tools of the trade you might want to have in your arsenal.
And McGuire's has a lot and he gives application notes in here.
Really fun, really interesting.
I have a lot of McGuire's products in my garage.
Just did my kids nine forty four with McGuire's products as well.
So you will hear that.
Fun show.
I don't know what to tell you.
I hope that this gets you through Black Friday.
It wasn't my intent that this be the Black Friday show,
but it might be appropriate that it is.
Go buy yourself something from one of these guys.
It's probably what you want.
Anyway, something else I'd like you to buy and I'm asking you to buy this.
Would you please buy a T-shirt from us?
So if you go to www.themosocarplace.com, we have for the
first time ever released a very high quality shopping page.
We currently have four T-shirts for sale.
They're all in the Dukes of Hazard theme.
They're kind of more on the lines of our Kibbe and Friends show theme.
But between now and December 5th, we're trying to finish out our Toys for Tots campaign.
We're trying to raise three thousand dollars by December 5th to give to Toys for Tots.
All profits that go from those sales were go there.
Where we really do well is if you join us on Patreon, Patreon.com.
Slice KF show, we have a very supportive Patreon audience.
And that is where we raise money.
So the Patreon audience is how we raise money for Toys for Tots.
But just to supplement that, we are selling shirts as well to the general public.
If you're not able to join us on Patreon, we get it.
Go buy yourself a shirt.
You can wrap that up and give it as a gift.
All profits from shirt sales will also go to the Toys for Tots campaign.
But Patreon.com Slice KF shows where we'd love for you to go as well
in addition to buying yourself a shirt.
Again, if you can just sign up for one month, we'll take it.
Hopefully sign up to stay.
But if you can only sign up for one month, this is the month to do it.
We're given our proceeds to Toys for Tots.
We need your money by December 5th.
We've raised even more money than this in the past.
We're setting a reasonable number this year with a very early date.
That December 5th date is on purpose.
We want to give it to Toys for Tots where they still have the time to use it
for this year and they can.
So get yourself a shirt or visit us on Patreon.
We would love for you to do both.
Alrighty, with that said, let's go ahead and get to our feature interviews.
Don't forget, though, once per month, we do have Mr.
Rich from National Parts Depot on to talk all things National Parts Depot.
You can ask him anything you like.
Send any questions to me, Robert, at themusclecarplace.com.
And of course, visit nationalpartsdepot.com to proves for all your
muscle car parts needs because they find the source.
They expect the best.
There is a difference than they've got the goods you can send in your questions
to me for that January show.
That's right, January.
The December one's already done and in the can.
All right, here's the interviews.
Tremigay with Center Force, Mark Gehrhardt with Holly and then Mike
Pennington with McGuire's.
This will round out our SEMA coverage from 2025.
Enjoy.
Back again.
It's been a few years with Tremigay at Center Force.
Yeah, how's life?
Not bad.
Not bad.
Just, you know, another day, another SEMA show.
So here we are.
Still have cool hair.
Hopefully, it's not terrible.
It has been a while.
It has.
A couple, three years.
And I think between us, we couldn't even remember exactly when.
What has happened in the last three or four years since we last
talked for Center Force?
Yeah.
This is 43 years for us.
That we've been around as a company.
We specialize in clutches.
Everything from mild to wild.
Basically, step up from a stock replacement clutch that you could
get at your local parts store all the way up to full-blown race stuff.
So we try and cover all the bases.
Our segment is classic muscle cars, 60s and 70s.
Actually 80s now.
That's all part of the same mix.
Sure.
What do most people need?
Well, it's an interesting question.
And that is just inevitably going to lead to, you know,
that is just inevitably going to lead to more questions.
What do you want to do?
Yeah.
What do you want to do?
Because clutches are a balancing act.
So a lot of times you need to sacrifice something in order to
gain something somewhere else.
So in the case of a lot of holding capacity, let's say,
you know, so you're north of 500, 600 horsepower or whatever.
That's when you might need more holding capacity,
but that might come at the sacrifice of a little bit of either
pedal effort or how smooth or aggressive the clutch is.
And that's based on a bunch of different factors,
not only the design of the disc, also the friction materials.
And then if we get into like single versus twin discs,
that's a whole separate conversation.
OK.
Let me just throw a few scenarios at you then.
OK.
So 69 Camaro with a 396, just 325 horse.
Very nice restored vehicle.
It might drag race for funsies.
Sure.
It doesn't autocross.
Sure.
Somebody built this, restored it, what would they want?
So I would say in that specific scenario,
what I'd probably go with is one of our dual friction.
So a dual friction clutch is a single disc clutch,
very simple, straightforward, but it's a full face,
organic friction material on one side.
And then there's segmented friction material on the other side.
Both of those, of course, are organic.
I don't know if I mentioned that or not.
Basically, the full face allows for very gradual,
smooth engagement.
The segmented side is where you bump up the holding capacity.
And it's kind of a difficult concept
to wrap your head around.
And the best way I've ever had to explain to me
is when you're looking at like a full face disc
versus a segmented one, imagine the difference
between somebody standing on your chest
in sneakers versus high heels.
With sneakers, the weight is distributed
along a greater area, whereas in high heels,
all that pressure is on just one tiny little point.
And so the same principles apply.
By segmenting the material, you're ramping up the PSI
in a much smaller, more concentrated area.
And so that's where you get the increased holding capacity.
That is still a single disc clutch in the application,
but it's a little different on either side.
Correct, yeah.
So it's kind of the best of both worlds.
So you've got the smooth engagement of the full facing
on one side, but you have the upper end holding capacity
of a segmented or paddled style clutch.
OK, let's try another one.
This is going to be fun.
Optima Invitational cars are outside.
Yes.
Let's say pick a car, but it's 800 horse.
Violent application.
Sure.
But it is the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational.
Yes.
It's a car that has to be driven on the street.
It's got to survive a road rally
in addition to all those segments.
What would you do there?
So interesting that you bring up that scenario
because we actually have several competitors
in the Optima series that are running our clutches.
An 800 horse application.
So at that level, I guess I should say,
once you get north of about 650 foot pounds of torque,
you're really in twin territory.
OK, so you're just beyond what a traditional single disc can handle.
So say an 800 horse level, especially let's just say
spirited driving application that those guys use,
I would probably go straight to our dyad.
That is our high end twin disc.
Lots of high quality components in there.
Super strong.
Good for 1300 foot pounds of holding capacity,
depending on the application.
But still organic friction material because by using a twin,
you've doubled the amount of friction surface that's available.
So we've doubled the theoretical holding capacity of said clutch.
By using organic, you still have some street ability to it.
So you do have the ability to pull away from a stoplight
during the road portion of said competition.
It's not like an on off switch, right?
And so most of those competitors are running our dyad DS,
which is, again, twin disc, all high end components,
but it uses organic friction material.
There are a couple of the guys that are less concerned
about the street ability and really are more focused
on the track portions of that series.
And so those guys will go to our XDS.
The only difference between the two
is the type of friction material that we use.
So with the XDS, that's serometallic material.
It's a much more aggressive material,
much higher holding capacity,
and that friction material specifically,
the hotter it gets, the harder it grabs.
But the trade-off is it's very aggressive,
so it's very on off switch.
You really got to kind of finesse it away from a light.
It's not something you're going to want to use
on a daily driver, certainly.
But even something, yeah, you're not going to be super
want to jump in it and go for ice cream on a Sunday
and stuff like that.
Real-world examples are so helpful,
I think, for a lot of listeners.
So let's do one more.
Let's do a drag racer.
Somebody that, by their choice,
loves to row gears.
They're sticking with a factory four speed,
but they might have built a traditional big block
or small block.
So it might be a 500-horse, 500-foot-pound torque.
I don't really know.
Where would you mix that?
I don't know what they want for drivability.
I know they want to launch hard.
Sure. In that scenario,
at the 500 level,
you would be probably still in a single disc,
dual friction.
If you're on the upper end,
now we're getting 600,
I'd probably lean more towards a DFX.
So a DFX, and I actually haven't talked about that,
DFX is a single disc clutch,
but it's a true paddle style.
We've all seen those racing clutches
that are just, it's like six paddles
and there's just a puck of friction material on it.
That's what our DFXs look like.
But the critical difference, once again,
is the dual friction has organic friction material.
That DFX is that serometallic material
that I was talking about a minute ago
that's going to be very aggressive.
Obviously, if any street use is in the mix
with this theoretical drag racer we're talking about,
probably go with dual friction with the idea.
You might, I mean, brakes, let's face it,
clutches are like brakes.
It's a wear item.
So you might be replacing it a little bit more often
with a DFX.
Yeah, you'll have that holding capacity
and probably get plenty of longevity out of it as well.
They can handle the violence of, like,
those super hard launches and things like that.
But the sacrifice is, once again,
very aggressive, not something that you'd really
want to have a lot of fun with on the street,
on a 100 mile drive, let's say.
Okay.
And I mean, these are all fun applications,
just while we do have a muscle car audience.
Sure.
While we were goofing over here,
you were showing me like Miata clutches
and stuff like that.
Yeah.
So for the everybody else crowd who maybe
doesn't, shocking, drive their 60s muscle car
on a daily basis.
Heresy.
Yeah, it happens.
People like heated seats.
Sure.
I get it.
What do you have more for the everyday driver?
Well, let's talk Miata's.
Okay.
Miata's.
Why would you focus on an older platform
like a Miata?
Well, believe it or not, they're still extremely popular.
I mean, now, I mean, they've been around
since the late 80s in some cases.
So now they're on their sixth or seventh owner.
They're cheap budget racers.
And so by the time they've gotten to that level,
they're toys.
And so there's something you can go,
hit an autocross on the weekends or,
you know, go to Button Willow or something like that
on an open course day or something like that.
And so they're still very, very popular.
And so we offer everything from,
once again, just a step or two above
a stock replacement clutch that you could buy
at a parts store to that DFX that I was talking about,
that's a very, very popular platform.
Cerro Metallic, very aggressive,
dedicated track car.
The thing doesn't even have plates on it.
It's not even registered.
Yeah.
You know, that kind of thing.
For a two liter Miata.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And so we have, but we've gone back
and we've relaunched our line for the 1.6 and 1.8.
Those are the older and let's say medium generation.
And then we're working on the two liter.
So we'll probably have the two liter,
which is going to be 2005 and up.
We'll have that out probably in the next 60 days or so.
All right.
So the base is covered.
I mean, they're fun little cars.
They're very popular cars.
And you know, bang for the buck.
I don't know that you could get a whole lot better.
Do you have one?
I don't.
What do you have?
I am actually an off-road guy.
Are you really?
Yeah.
I have a bunch of jeeps and rock buggies
and I have a scout that's on 38s.
That's awesome.
And a rock buggy that's on 38s
and stuff like that.
So I just added two cylinders to the rock buggy.
I put a 5.3 LS in it.
It had an inline four liter in it.
Completely changed that car.
I've never had an off-road vehicle
that actually has some power.
And I am addicted now.
Are off-road use clutches super different
from high performance clutches for the street?
So not really.
So the dual friction that I was talking about earlier,
that's what's in my buggy.
It's a manual.
It's an AX15.
But it's just a dual friction clutch.
And the motor's not crazy.
It's a cammed 5.3.
So it maybe makes 330 horse, something like that.
It's a great clutch.
And it works well in that application.
It works well on a guy that, you know,
your weekend driver or whatever,
that goes to the occasional drag race,
wants to, you know, go to do an open track night
or something like that.
They're very versatile in that.
I think that's why they're so popular.
It's a super versatile clutch
because it has that holding capacity you need.
It can handle the abuse that you occasionally give it.
But it's still pretty streetable.
You know, you can still run around town.
So if people just need help making a decision
and this amazing interview hasn't solved that for them yet.
What do you want them to do?
Just go to centerforce.com.
Give us a call.
Like I said, it always have in mind,
you know, we're always asking all of our tech guys
the question, you know, what clutch do I need?
What are you doing with the car?
You know, what kind of power levels?
That's the kind of information that we need
because really the answers to those questions
are really going to lead to the best clutch
for your specific.
TaylorMade.
Exactly.
There's a ton of product knowledge available on our website,
which is centerforce.com.
We also have a YouTube channel.
You can check that out.
It's got some informational videos on there as well.
Like I said, just give us a call.
Appreciate it.
See you next year.
Mark, thank you for the seat at Holley.
Absolutely.
It's nice to sit every once in a while.
Thank you for taking the time to do an interview.
You've probably been interviewed out.
And we come from the age of media
where it was our idea to do things online.
Yes.
This will be the new fad.
Yeah.
We are Gen 1 digital man.
Yes.
Men of the aftermarket.
Now there's no such thing as the other version.
Barely.
Yeah.
So it's our own fault that this is nothing
but interviews door to door with people
with high grade consumer equipment.
That's right.
But here we are.
So we've crossed paths for a long time,
you know, here and there,
and it's a small role.
It all comes around.
I thought you were originally brought into Holley
to do marketing.
I'm not sure if that's what you do now at all.
What do you do at Holley?
I'm essentially like a business unit director.
So like I'm responsible for a whole wide range
of product lines.
So like I was in marketing for the first four years
at Holley and then I went
and I ran the EFI Ignition Business Unit
for about six, seven, eight months.
And I'm like, hey, now what did you do over here?
So then I went to what we call
internally engines fob solutions.
But it's the easiest way to explain
everything that bolts to an engine
that is not an electronic or a carburetor.
Okay.
So fuel injectors, throttle body,
intake manifold, swimming stretcher drives,
oil pans, all the swap systems,
all the swap related exhaust systems.
Yeah.
Restoration, plumbing,
about every kind of fuel system.
No demand.
Yeah, everything.
Just focusing on swaps.
A swap is a nose to tail application
and it needs to be thought of that way
and that's why you have developed
all these swap kits.
Most of our audience is 60s, 70s,
now 80s muscle.
But I didn't know if this was your
fourth gen Camaro or not.
It's not, but you brain-childed this
fourth gen Camaro.
I think what's an LT swap?
The Holley-owned Camaro built in-house
from our fine engineers
back in Bowling, Green, Kentucky
in a risk-full 34 days.
34 days.
Yeah.
We're like, hey, we should have a C-Macar.
You're like, yeah, guys, it's September.
We had a nice to-have version
and we wanted a once-to-have version of this car
and then we had a nice to-have version of this car.
So we landed on this.
The need to have version.
Yeah, the need to have.
We kind of were in the middle.
The original premise of this car
was like make it very trans-am vibes,
like cut the fenders up, many tub it,
put some like 18 by 13s on it,
make it look like a trans-am,
mid-90s era trans-am street car.
Yeah.
So we had to kind of back off that
due to the amount of fabrication,
obviously, that would require.
I'm pretty happy with how it turned out,
all things considered.
I think it looks great and I will openly admit,
I've never loved the fourth gen platform.
It just was never for me.
Yeah.
This car is fantastic looking and it's not that modded.
It doesn't look that way.
The funny thing is, literally, like everybody at the office
says the same thing.
They look at it and they go,
I hate these cars, but I also really like it.
I don't know if it's the DuckTales boiler or what,
but like something about it,
it instantly is, it looks a lot more classic,
for some reason.
Maybe that's what it is.
Style can inspire a different mindset.
I mean, it's not that no one hated it,
but they're like, oh, where's the cat eye?
Why didn't he get a cat eye?
And I'm like, ah, come on.
Let's start with an enemic LT1 and not an LS
and take the LS out to put in an LT, right?
So that's why we started with the 95.
But kind of the premise of the vehicle is like,
if you like a fifth or sixth gen ZL1 1LE
and a fortune-comer ahead of baby,
this would be its child.
Right.
So it's got the heart of a ZL1 1LE with LT4 in it.
It's got modern suspension in it
from our friends from QA1 and DSC.
Factory front-cave member, but FN988,
we're in center section.
Well, have you ever heard of the FN988HS?
Which is, those things are amazing.
Like nine-inch housing, eight-eight gear set.
So it's nice and quiet.
You know, it's got R engine mount or trans mount.
It's got QA1 prototype torque arm in it.
Cool.
Literally bolts into the car.
They're like, oh, did you have to cut the tunnel?
It's got 6L80 and they're like, oh, you had to cut the tunnel?
6L80 cleared nice in there.
Great.
We've got some prototype headers that we have on it.
And we try to develop some parts along the way.
We were in a time constraint, obviously, with 34 days.
We're like, OK, what can we do?
Kind of some quick things.
And we'll come back to it later.
So we're going to develop a fortune-specific harness link.
So in ECU mount, just to make it easier for people,
like, hey, mount it here.
The harness will literally run right to it.
We're going to tell you how to connect it to the factory gate cluster
if you want to.
We did this with the Fox body.
People love that kit.
And they're like, it's easy.
That ECU mounts underneath the seat.
It's got something on the little bracket.
If I want to wire over to the gauge cluster or the fuel pump
or whatever, Holly tells me how to do it.
Yeah, and for the more modern flair on the inside,
it's pretty much stock-looking inside it.
It has our new Simpson seats in it,
but then it has our 12.3 Pro Dash.
But what's really cool, I'll send you a photo of it,
is we replicated exactly what a 4th gen F-body gauge
cluster looks like on the 12.3 Pro Dash.
Oh, really?
That's pretty neat.
I'll show you one around the corner we did on the Fox body, too.
So we're starting to do that.
So it's kind of like...
It's kind of like new Mustangs when you get it.
Yeah, yeah.
They can flip through the gauges.
There you go.
I'm glad you get it.
So it's kind of like the end of the story
is what people expect their daily drivers to be,
like their trucks.
This thing had 280 horsepower, 285 horsepower, right?
Which was 75, 80 more horsepower than a Fox body.
But there's nothing that comes with that little horsepower.
Your 7,000-pound truck doesn't come with that little horsepower.
So we're trying to say,
we're going to make your car that you've always wanted to build
more fun, has more horsepower,
has some of the minis that you would expect
your daily driver to be with the digital gauge cluster
and nice, smooth shifting 6L80 in it.
I think if you can kind of draw that parallel closer
between the expectations of a daily driver and the fun car,
then people will have more fun in the fun car.
I think so too.
And I mean, it's interesting that this is now,
it's an old car, you know.
It's a 90s-era old car because we got old.
Yeah.
But is this a sign of things to come?
I mean, fifth-gen Camarillos,
I mean, they were awesome out of the factory, brand new.
But I'm sure they'll be the next thing.
But it was always, what was that car
when you were a broke high school kid, right?
So like peak spending years for people,
45 to 55 years old.
I'm 44 years old, right?
So like I graduated in 99.
So I'm like maybe on the higher end of that,
but like that's why like third-gen's are popular
because you're getting the 45 to 55s in that third-gen.
Fox bodies are super popular.
We're going to get into these.
Like we're kind of, not earlier adopters,
but like earlier adopters, right?
Like you see like Roaster shops got a Bolton chassis
for third-gen's and a Bolton chassis for a Fox body
on display here at the SEMA show.
Super awesome.
So like clearly we're not the only ones
that are crazy.
Everyone else is like seeing it now
when you see Fox bodies for sale for $30,000.
You're like what, like used to buy this for four grand
like 15 years ago, you know?
Yeah, those days are over.
Yeah, completely over.
But like anything, right?
Like imagine like how C10s were 10 years ago.
Now like they're too expensive.
So people are now going to OBS trucks
and eventually they'll get too expensive.
And then the people go to like mid 90s,
you know, S10s and the Dakotas
and stuff like that.
And like people will find something new
to modify, but I still go back
that people are going to go buy the cars
that they always thought were cool
when they were in high school
that they were couldn't afford.
Now they're going to go back and buy
that car and build how they want now
because they can afford to do it.
For Holley in general, I mean,
it's a dynamic company with a lot of brands in it.
That's a blessing and a curse
because you got so much to offer at times,
I'm sure, but from a pure EFI
Bolton perspective, I assume
that's a lot of bread and butter
of the Holley traditional name brand.
You know, it's carburetors and EFI.
Is that how you feel about it?
Yeah.
Okay.
You know, that's definitely a thing,
you know, that like a front accessory drives
are killing it.
You know, that's like, those are awesome
because it's on the LS, we have like a,
you know, a high mount and a mid mount,
a low mount version depending on your frame rail
set up and it like that.
So it makes it easy.
But then we came out with a small buck Chevy
for a front accessory drive,
a big block Chevy, small block Ford.
The small block Ford I really like
because it's not deck height dependent.
Like literally the front cover is the backbone
and as a matter of, if you had an A2 deck
or a 92 deck or an I5 deck, doesn't matter.
It all is all located off the front cover
and there's no brackets.
It's bracket, let's put your alternator in
and put a bolt in to go.
So people love it because it's a very
simple and OE appearing.
I think there was a point in time
and there still is where people like
the billet look and billet brackets
and stuff like that.
But I think people like that more
and moderation more than like,
let's have everything being billet.
The whole engine bay is billet.
It's like, I want a billet intake manifold
but I want that to be the kind
of centerpiece of it or maybe
valve cover or so whatever.
I don't let people want the whole engine
made to be.
I don't feel like it.
At least as I walk around here,
I'm not seeing the billet like,
you know, we all used to see it back
like the 90s and early 2000s as much.
Less is more anymore.
The older you get, the more you like
function with nice form.
It needs to look good but
everything here, soup to nuts,
like nose to tail like we were talking about
is part of a swap system
all the way back to the fuel tank.
I have one of the tanks in my charger.
Awesome.
Yeah.
But it does take a system.
So most of your swap kits
include what?
Regardless of make model
of what you're swapping.
We are introducing
what we're going to be calling
our swap essentials package next year.
So we have a very comprehensive
selection of engine and trans mounts
for like version Camaro's
and your Mustangs
and your C10s
and Gen3 Hemi
and the Dakota Swaps
say Gen3 Hemi and the D100 Swaps
which people love those things
and Ford LS swap kits
and blah blah blah.
But they're all kind of pieces.
Now we're developing these into a package.
So it's like we're starting with the GM
because it's where the most breath
product selection is.
And so it's like a swap one essentials kit.
There'll be an automatic kit,
the manual kit.
Whatever automatic manuals we support
all the adapter brackets are in that box.
Okay.
And then if you want the level two
in some instances
an oil pan is required.
Oil pan is optional.
Level three is headers
or exhaust manifolds
depending on the application.
Full cab back to level four.
Level five is foreign accessory drive
that's designed for that engine bay.
So if someone just like
I want to stick in the LS
into my 67 Camaro
we can give you like a single part number
that is full exhaust,
your oil pan,
your foreign accessory drive,
engines in the car.
All right.
And then now from there you go
what do you want to do
for fuel system or induction?
That's where there's a little bit more
choice, right?
Like you just kind of have to
matter of faculty
get an engine in an engine bay.
Like you're like, oh, it's got long tubes.
They're stainless.
I don't care, right?
And there's some subjectivity
on what the exhaust sounds like,
which is why we put that
like as a stage four package
because like, yeah,
maybe you like our exhaust
but if you want dumps
or some other muffler or whatever
you can kind of stop at level three
and then adapt,
you know, your cab back from there.
We're going to have top-end kits
that will kind of be separate from that
but they'll be,
we'll kind of link the experiences together
but not try to like
super complicated
or like get you really into a niche
requirement.
Like we want people to feel like they want to
buy what they know what they want
but that's going to help
guide them towards something,
a package that makes sense for them
and we really learn that honestly
with the sniper kits.
Like we have the
Hyperspar bundles
and a small block,
big block Chevrolet
and a small block Ford kits
and those things are awesome.
So one click buy,
it's got all your ignition you need,
everything you need,
fuel systems and everything
to put, like do a
carb to EFI conversion
and those people love it.
Are you thinking the next big thing
is an EV?
No.
I have owned EVs.
I'm an equal opportunity enthusiast.
Well, so it's sort of an unfair
loaded question but
Holley is a dynamic company
which serves a lot of brands.
You help people with EVs.
We're always here to support
whatever kind of enthusiast you are.
Yeah.
The EV market is hard
because it's like,
there's no one trend.
Someone's like,
I'm going to put a
Tesla motor into a Volkswagen
bus and then there's got like,
I want to put Tesla motor in a Ferrari
and you're just like,
how do you react to that?
Like you can't go build
like a SKU for something to sell
like one of a year.
One of one, yeah.
So like, you know,
AMSIL exists as kind of more
of a universal platform
for the control support, right?
Primarily servicing like
the traditional P85
big drive units
and I think that
in some of the small drive units,
they actually have the ability to control
the lightning motor
because they just sell
Ford sells that as a crate motor
not a crate engine.
Crate motor.
You can buy it?
Really?
They're like a standalone
for an electric motor
and then you're like,
okay, well, then, you know,
sky's the limit on battery packs, right?
That's where really like
where you're really going to
invest heavily.
And obviously you can have
everything from
12 or 15 kilowatt battery pack
that gets you at
20 miles range to
80 or 90 kilowatt battery pack
that will get you
a couple hundred miles range.
Yeah.
I think we all know like
the normal enthusiast
is less comfortable
with wiring
and that's all that is.
It's all.
Everyone's like,
I can bolt an intake manifold on
I can put an exhaust on
because it's a bolt.
But like when you got to get into
wiring and like you get into
like a little bit more
like uncertainty,
especially with high voltage
and things that can kill you
pretty easily.
That's where I think
it gets a little more niche.
Well, I'm just kind of curious
to see the day
when you have a swap kit
for a 2026 Dodge Charger.
That's hilarious.
But the other thing that
I think would be even more awesome
and I like was jokingly serious
about it.
I'm like,
what if we built like a C5
e-ray
or a C6 e-ray
where it still has
to go backwards to generate.
Okay.
Yeah.
That would be kind of cool.
Performance enhancing
electric drive,
not an EV conversion.
Yeah.
So like e-rays,
right?
It's an all wheel drive
Corvette.
It still has its ice motor.
It gets all of its
regeneration from breaking
and the engine breaking
and stuff like that.
But it's a performance hybrid.
So it's got a small
battery pack
and it adds 150 horsepower.
So you got 495,
you know,
560 whatever.
So you got to combine 650 horsepower
or they get your LT2
and then you go,
but imagine if you had like
a C6 Z06
with a 160 horsepower
electric drive motor.
Yeah.
You can have
650,
660 horsepower
naturally aspirated
Z06.
This guy's the limit.
Yeah.
And it'd be like,
you're crazy.
Yeah.
You're going to cut up a Z06.
I don't know.
Honestly,
it's a place
if anyone wants to go
build a full EV cool.
It's our job to inspire, right?
Yeah.
But we have to inspire
like realistically,
which is why it's probably good
that this isn't like a
Trans Am Vibe car
because it's much more
obtainable.
Yeah.
But I think every once in a while
you got to do something
like, wow, like get people's
wheels turning and go,
okay, I get the whole
restless car,
but then you did that
and you're like,
okay, that's interesting.
Santa Claus just walked by
by the way.
Did he?
Yeah.
I should have asked him
for a C6 Z06
but he hears you.
Mark, I appreciate it.
Thank you for your continued
support of our show and
network.
We ask the listeners
to tell you all the time,
thank you in person
because it's the best way
to do it.
So in person for me
to you.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I just let everyone know
we're a bunch of car
enthusiasts hanging out in
Bowling Green
trying to dream up cool
things.
So we're approachable.
Come buy and buy
and be really cool
if you do this
and you never know
it might show up one day.
Yep.
Back again.
I don't think
I did this one last year.
I think Scott did this one.
Mike Pennington is here
with McGuire's.
Hello, Mike.
Great to see you this year.
Yes.
We have a lot of people
going a lot of places
this year but I'm
glad to get back.
We'll go through some
new McGuire's products.
We're going to have
some stuff that kind of
brings pro products
to the amateur level.
Perfect way to say it.
Something that's not
here, something that
I use on my kids' car
though and I did tell you
it.
One of the cool
teenagers is
they have a very
How long we can talk
because that's a whole
long show right there.
A very, very short
attention span
and like, look dude
you got to wax this car
for prom.
I said, alright
I will do it.
But the problem
is you need to
polish the car first
it's dirty.
He goes, I'm not
going to do it.
So I
That's true.
I just went to
the auto parts store
and I bought a
McGuire's cleaning wax.
Perfect.
That honestly worked
great and it's an
old Porsche with
a kid.
My dad made me
use compound and wax.
That's how you did it.
I assume that's
not the case anymore.
For the average Joe?
Average Joe you're
spot on.
That's all where
we'll ask people in
their head.
There's that group
of people that will
do whatever it takes
and some if you're
trying to restore
an old classic
it may need that
but there's also
a large percentage
and we're seeing
keep it simple
keep it easy.
One step is
all I want to do.
The cleaner wax
is probably in a
new model.
Was it?
That was our first DIY
product when we launched
it in the consumer market
called cleaner wax
and we still make it.
It's got a couple
formulation changes
but that's a great
product for exactly
what you described.
Quick, easy and gives
pretty darn good results
for what it is.
Oh and it did
and I mean so for
anybody that drives
something older
even fuel injected
you'll typically have
a lot of exhaust soak
and stuff like that.
On the rear
100%
And you can't
just put
schmutz over the top
of that.
That's a great one
step if you don't want
to spend the time
to do multiple steps.
I mean every person
is different,
every car
is it a daily driver
that you want to spend
less time
or is it a weekend toy
or hobby car
you're getting ready
to take to a show
you might want to
pull a bit more time
and that's up to you.
McGuire says
consumer stuff.
I mean that's
how I know it
but was it
prior a pro only?
It was
and that's a great
question so prior
to 73 in fact
January of this year
January 2026
anniversary
we started in 1901
believe it or not
Isn't that crazy?
It was furniture polish
and then we jumped in
to the automotive
body shop
professional painters
and really grew up with
in Southern California
moved to Pasadena in 1913
and really grew up
with the hobby
so those body shop
those painters
all those formulations
that we deem as pro
that's really
made us who we are today
and again it wasn't
until 73
that we simplified
made it easier to use
the consumer line
but to your initial question
we still make those pro items
for shops
professionals today
well let's talk about the
we'll call them prosumer
stuff here
That's a great word
2026 new products
I assume that's what
our top shelf is
are these all
polishes and compounds
that you would use
with a DA?
That is exactly
what we do
we took kind of our
top 8 sellers
because we kept
getting calls
by those prosumers
and asking us
hey
I can buy it in a gallon
that's a lot of money
and I will never go through a gallon
in my little
I have one car in my garage
I want to take care of
I do my neighbor's car
so we said
let's take our top
8 items in our pro
put them in a 16 ounce bottle
so they're single use
maybe 2 time use
so you get
the exact same formulas
and you can use them
on your personal car
as an enthusiast
as a DIY enthusiast
so whether that's
our pro speed compound
we grab 2 compounds
and 2 polishes
that can be used by hand
it can be used by DA
polisher
whether you're with
an 8 millimeter
a 15 or 21
all fantastic
and then some of our top
concentrates
like the wash
all purpose cleaner
super degreaser
hyper dressing
our top sellers
that the pros love
make them ready
for you to use
as a prosumer
I guess you could say
great term by the way
I don't think
I invented it
but I've definitely
heard it like
where you're right
that's exactly
we could drive away detailers
there's all kinds of fun words
for it
and those will work on
whether that's your daily
or if you're working on
your other car
you have great
have at it
scenarios are helpful
so for listeners
with a single stage
original paint car
this is not a daily driver
needs to look good
at a show
what would you use
from the prosumer
line of product
we would grab
either a pro speed polish
or a ultra pro speed polish
that has
just a little bit
of an abrasive in it
not a lot
so it looks good
already your vehicle
but you want to take it
to that next level
of gloss
and reflection
and slight
towel scratch
removal
so that could be used
in combination
if you don't drive
the vehicle a lot
there's no wax in those
because they're really
designed for the pros
so you either want
to top it with
some type of protection
or leave it as is
if it sits in the garage
you're going to
trailer it
set it out
and put it back in the garage
technically you don't
need protection at that point
but if you're going to
be enjoying going on
a rally
going on a cruise
going to a multi-state
event
for several weeks
we're going to say
top that with your favorite
wax protection
and you'll be just fine
okay and then
in between you
use the wash
in between you
use the washes
on a regular wash
or a waterless
wash comes into play
but those are going to
be determined
probably when you get back
or you have enough
road debris
grime
that you're going to
need to rinse
and literally use a hose
and begin to remove
some of that debris
that might have accumulated
or
again back to a waterless
or something like that
so in your arsenal
of tools
that's going to be the
wash
detailer
waterless
pick what that vehicle
needs at any specific time
what are the pads
there's new pads
sure
and Mike when I go
I'm not a detailer
actually we have a kid
that listens to our show
that's 15
he's called the detail kid
he's like
world famous
he understands all these
but I do not
I buy them at the store
based on what I think
is about
the right one
there you go
I never know
well it's actually pretty easy
so think of the pad
as another tool
that's helping you
get the job done
so you've got your liquid
compounds
polishes
waxes
and with pads
that's just another tool
that's going to adjust
how aggressive
you need to get on that
paint
for example a compounding
pad
is going to be aggressive
to use with the compound
to remove
defects
and debris
a polishing pad
is going to be used
with polishes
to bring up
luster
and gloss
so it's going to be a little
bit softer
and less aggressive
and then
finishing pads
are going to be the softest
because you're really just
doing that
final finish
just to make it
glisten if you will
think of pads
as just another tool
that's mixed with
compounds
polishes
waxes
to get the job done
quicker and faster
there used to be
a fear burning through paint
oh that still should be
a fear
so what do you do
to address that right now
so back to our
single stage paint guy
he genuinely
does not want to do that
yeah
that's where the machine
technology has come
so far these days
back in the old days
they were rotary buffers
they weighed a lot
they spun
in one direction
like a grinder
they generate
a lot of heat
and with pads
and combos
in a split second
you can burn through
that single stage
because there's not a
lot of material there
of course
five to ten years
there's been a proliferation
of what's called
dual action polishers
that really oscillate
and orbit
and rotate at the same time
great brands have
many different kinds
it's virtually impossible
to burn through
because of the way
they work
can you do it
yes
but anybody that
doesn't have experience
can grab a
eight millimeter
a fifteen millimeter
put on a soft pad
and get
pretty significant results
with next to zero
chance of burning the paint
to be honest with you
so for those
that are still using
the stuff like
from their dad's garage
from thirty years ago
you do need to pay
attention to what you're using
100%
100%
they're safer
you actually get better results
no swirls with DA's
rotaries would give you
swirl marks
and you really have to
start chasing that
so DA's
have really
changed the game
across the board
for all brands
whatever you're using
liquid-wise
they're amazing
absolutely amazing
what do we have
funsy stuff on the interior
what is the total
total interior cleanser
it looks like milk
that's a new one
you can buy that by itself
or with a kit
and the concept behind that
is through the years
most people will grab
whether that's an OE carpet
in your
muscle car
maybe your brand new daily
that's got a
carpet stain from your kids
you grab an all-purpose cleaner
scrub it down
dry it
and move on
well the challenge
with a lot of all-purpose cleaners
is their higher pH
so you really are supposed to
come back with those
and use damp water
wipe it down
clean off some of that
all-purpose cleaner
so you don't get those
let's call them carpet crunchies
where that carpet gets hard
when it dries
this is a whole different
direction
one it's a pH neutral product
which means
it's safe on
all kinds of
leather
cloth
carpet
just about anything
and it's really designed
to go after
makeup
sunscreen
has been a big challenge
for most people to remove
and it's such a different, unique
formula that the R&D team
we have at Irvine created
it's pretty amazing to watch that
you can do it by hand
soft brush
or if you have a drill attachment
like we put together
our quick solutions
carpet and cloth cleaning kit
that's available
if you need a whole kit
with a brush in it
so there's a couple of ways
that can be used
but safe
crazy-coolly effective
on all those surfaces
so the crunchies
are not there
because it's a pH
balancing
that's correct
that's exactly right
it's not a high pH product
so you don't ever have to rinse it
don't have to come back
and remove that
or vacuum it
or that's correct
that's exactly right
normally let's think
you think some of those
prosumers
high pH product
clean it
they'll come back with
sometimes an extractor
and just rinse
with plain water
and pull all that out
the reason they're doing that
is to clean up that APC
that's how you're supposed
to do it
so we still sell those
we still make them
and they're great
people use them
that's why this is kind of revolutionary
from a concept of pH
and what it actually works on
sunscreen's a big one especially
it is amazing
to see what it does
most people including myself
when the laps are talking about it
it's like ok let's see what you got
and boom here we are at SEMA
with Go-Class Total
Interior Cleanser
and that's why we called it
a cleanser
not an all-purpose cleaner
how hard is it
in this day and age
in your California company
to continue to innovate new stuff
that is different
that is eco-compliant
sure
I was going to say friendly
but we all got to play by the rules
that were given
it's hard to sometimes make products
that don't have a lot of chemical bite to them
do the things that it used to take
a chemical bite to do
and the good news is
you're spot on
you hit something interesting
for many years
we've always wanted to take that a road of
we don't want to use harsh chemicals
to get the job done
we're all VOC compliant
so whether you're in California, AQMD
or anywhere else
these products are all going to fall compliant
and that was our choice
before the laws even ever started to come in
bottling moved away from PVC
all that kind of fun stuff
so is it easy?
no
are there some companies that deliver products
more power to them
that to your point become
like super degreaser
and engine degreaser
and wheel cleaners are a great example
there are ways to make them much hotter
and much stronger
but we choose to not do that
so we'll come in and say
two fold one that's probably not safe
to use
or rush down the drain
and or it's probably not going to be safe on your
wheel
so we'll preach
safer liquid
use the proper wheel brush
use a pressure washer
and you're going to get the wheel clean
without damaging it
causing any effect to the
you know yourself
you don't need gloves, goggles, etc
there's some ways around that for sure
but there's some things we just can't do
and we're okay with that
I think that's a good thing for people in our stand
we've all done it
where you choose to save a little time
and you spray the stuff on there
and then like
oh crap
I ate the clear coat off that
we get those calls
not as frequent as
you know not every day
but we do get those calls
and it just knowledges all of this
people for example
they walk to their neighbor
who's a car guy
hey what's your favorite product
and you got to use this wheel cleaner
well they'll buy that wheel cleaner
go to their wheel
and it's a different material
they don't know any better
and it actually ends up damaging it
it torches it
you know polished aluminum
I thought it was chrome
torched it
so then they'll reach out to us
and we got to walk them through that process
here's what happened
here's why it happened
here's what can be fixed
here's what can be fixed
let's get you back on track
and before you do it again
on any other service
just call us
we're here
email us, live chat us
call us
let's not make that mistake
in the future
let's end with this
the world's most painful problem
my kids' cars have these issues
glossed over headlights
and used to be like
everybody had something
they'd work for like an hour
then everybody used toothpaste
for a while
this'll do it
is there a true fix
I know you guys have a product
it's quite good
yes thank you
I think that true fix
is to touch on that
is the key word
it's very similar to paint
you got to remove all that layer of
oxidized brown material
then you can do that by sanding
that's what most pros do
but that's confusing
mean some confidence
so it's part of our quick solutions kit this year
we created a heavy duty headlight kit
it's a specialized adapter
that goes on to a drill
and it has a specialized brush on it
or pad I should say
that takes the place of sanding
you combine that
with a solution we've had
for cleaning plastics for many years
that combination
safe effective
you don't have to sand
that removes the layer
the most important part about
when you do headlights
you remove all the protection
so you need to put protection back on
so this coating here
our past one was 12 months
we bumped it up
gave it a quick tune
turned up the boost
whatever you want to call it
and you'll get 18 months out of this one
so between
not having to worry about sanding
nabbing the paint
scratching your grill
you can do it with this great little pad
cleaning solution
and put on your 18 month
just wash it as normal when you're done
let it sit for a week
but it'll be good
do you have to re-clean it
and buff it at 18 months?
yes, that's correct
you want to take it all back off
with that same process
and then reapply
pretty simple
you can do both headlights
real easy
and with confidence
because you don't have to worry about
a lot of people just concern
about sanding
which one do I use
what if I happen to hit
the corner of the paint
and they're still going to do that
and that's great
but we want to take that little
ease of use
and confidence builder
and build the quick solutions
heavy duty headlight kit
cool
awesome, yeah
I think we've covered all the fun stuff here
I did
great, I appreciate you guys coming
stopping by
always good to talk shop
what is the best part about SEMA
for you every year?
oh, no, no
forget that, forget that
what's the worst part
about SEMA for you every year?
just the traffic getting home
I will say that
you're on the show all day
there's great shoes out there
so you used to be walking with bad shoes
that's gone
getting in Uber
pretty easy
but then you're stuck in traffic
so then you're like
oh, let's catch the shuttle bus
but they're in the same traffic you're in
so I think it's just that traffic
to get back to the hotel
when you're done
because the last thing you want to do
is sit for 30, 45
you just want to get home
you want to eat
you want to relax
try to shower
whatever you want to do
so I'm going to vote for
just the traffic
I'm going to vote hotel
this is the first year we gave up
on a hotel
we just got a VRBO
that's the way to go man
that is smart
it's our hotel
I will add
we go to a hotel
that has no casino in it
by design
oh yeah
makes it a little
right over there by chance
it's right over there by
yeah
it's actually that direction
but it kind of makes it nice
because that's also
walking through the casino
etc etc
we just want to go
so that softens a little bit
but VRBO is a good way to go I think
turns out the older you get
you really just want some coffee
in the morning
and you don't want to smell like
something like that
I will second that
we're stoked to where we stay
Maguire's.com
Maguire's.com
back of every bottle
has our phone number
and we are turning
125 years old
in January
so uh
happy anniversary to everybody
thanks for your support
see you around at some show
well there you go
that is the fourth
and final from SEMA 2025
for what it's worth
this was our best time at SEMA
in years
really enjoyed it
had a good time
I think we gained a lot
if you gain something from these interviews
we would love to know it
please let me know which one
worked for you best
if you called the company
if they helped you out
I would love to know that
we make these shows for you
we pick the guests on that
we think are the best for you
we avoid the ones that
we don't think are for you
without naming names
we are picky
because
you know what
we trust you
and we know that you trust us
so
trying to meet each other halfway here
alrighty
that is it
we'll be back next week
for our first show for December
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 home page
themusclecarplace.com website
and as always
don't forget to keep chasing
your dreams
like you have let me chase my
what's that
is that Santa Claus right here
I thought so
thanks for listening everybody
bye-bye
our sponsors often
they make it all possible
see you soon
at the muscle car place
About this episode
The final SEMA 2025 episode features insights from key industry players. Trent McGee from Centerforce discusses advanced clutch technologies for muscle cars, including options for street and track applications. Mark Gerhardt from Holley showcases a unique LT-swapped 4th Gen Camaro, emphasizing its retro appeal and modern performance upgrades. Mike Pennington from Meguiar's introduces their new pro-level detailing products aimed at enthusiasts, highlighting easy-to-use solutions for car care. This episode captures the excitement of SEMA and the latest trends in the automotive aftermarket.
Original notes
This episode delivers a packed finale to our SEMA 2025 coverage, featuring three can’t-miss conversations straight from the show floor. We kick things off with Trent McGee from Centerforce, breaking down real-world clutch selection for street, strip, and track — covering everything from classic muscle car setups to high-horsepower, twin-disc race applications. Then Mark Gearhart from Holley joins us to walk through their LT-swapped 4th-gen Camaro and the bigger picture of modern engine swaps, showing how builders can bring modern power and drivability into older platforms. We close out with Mike Pennington from Meguiar’s, who dives into their new pro-consumer detailing line, sharing practical tips on paint care, polishing, interior cleaning, and headlight restoration that everyday enthusiasts can actually use.
We wrap this episode proud — because this was, without a doubt, our best SEMA show and coverage to date. The depth of the interviews, the quality of the guests, and the real-world value packed into these conversations made this series something truly special. If you’re building, restoring, maintaining, or dreaming, this finale ties it all together and sends SEMA 2025 out the right way.
The post TMCP #630: SEMA 2025 Show Spectacular Finale – Centerforce Clutch Tech, Holley’s LT-Swapped 4th Gen Camaro, and Meguiar’s Pro-Level Detailing for Real-World Builders first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.
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