Stacey David discusses the future of his Catalog Camaro project, which he is passing on to Miller and Sons Collision, a restoration-focused shop in New York. Guests Jim and Jimmy Miller share their backgrounds in collision repair and restoration, emphasizing hands-on learning and passion for craftsmanship. They also talk about their unique custom projects, including a radical Infiniti G37 transformation showcased at SEMA. The conversation highlights the challenges of rust in northern climates, the importance of finding good donor cars, and the value of practical experience over formal training in automotive restoration and painting.
On this episode, Stacey discusses what happens to the projects that he doesn't have the time to finish. So, he invited Jim & Jimmy Miller of MILLER & SON COLLISION out of Lancaster, NY onto the podcast since they are now the new owners of the CATALOG CAMARO project and will oversee its completion.
Then, it's mailbag time! Stacey answers "should I get into 30s hot rods?", "How many miles is too many when buying a used car?", "What do I do with this project I inherited?" And "Have you ever regretted selling a project?"
"...that go out to shows like SEMA and stuff, like we just finished up the fall guide truck..."
SEMA is a big car show where people show off cool custom cars and new car parts. It's a place where car fans and businesses meet.
SEMA stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association, which hosts one of the largest automotive trade shows in the world, showcasing aftermarket parts, custom builds, and industry innovations.
"And one of them that we're going to talk about today is the catalog Camaro that I started a few years ago and hasn't been seen for a while."
The Chevrolet Camaro is a type of car that is fast and sporty. Many people like it because it looks cool and drives well.
The Chevrolet Camaro is a classic American muscle car known for its powerful performance and sporty design. It has been produced in various generations since 1966 and remains a popular choice for car enthusiasts.
"I'll tell you, when we started the business, it was 90% collision and 10% restoration. Now it's almost flopped."
Restoration means fixing up a car to make it like new again, especially older or classic cars, so they look and work like they did when they were first made.
Restoration is the process of returning a vehicle to its original condition, often involving extensive repairs and refurbishing to preserve or enhance its historical and aesthetic value.
""And I would think that up there in that part of the country, you're dealing with a lot of rust. You do.""
Rust happens when a car's metal parts get wet and start to break down, making holes and weak spots. Cars from places with lots of rain or snow often have more rust.
Rust is the corrosion of metal caused by exposure to moisture and oxygen, which can severely damage a car's body and structural integrity. It is a common issue in cars from regions with harsh winters or high humidity.
""That's why you try to find southern cars to start with. Yeah, you're going to like this car.""
Cars from southern areas usually don't get as rusty because the weather is warmer and drier, so they often last longer without damage.
Southern cars refer to vehicles originating from southern regions of the country, which typically have less exposure to road salt and moisture, resulting in less rust and corrosion.
""It's a California car, right? Oh yeah. I see you walking around.""
A California car is one that lived in California, where the weather is dry and cars usually don't get rusty. These cars often have good records and are well taken care of.
A California car is a vehicle that has spent most or all of its life in California, a state known for its dry climate and strict emissions regulations, often resulting in less rust and better maintenance records.
"So it's like you just got to buy a beautiful donor. Yeah."
A donor car is like a spare car you take parts from to fix another car. People use it when they want to replace broken or rusty parts on their car.
A donor car is a vehicle used to provide parts or body panels for repairing or restoring another car. It is often chosen for its condition and compatibility with the target vehicle.
A collision shop is a place where cars that got hurt in crashes are fixed. They make the car look and work like new again.
A collision shop is a specialized automotive repair facility that focuses on fixing vehicles damaged in accidents. They handle bodywork, frame straightening, painting, and restoring the vehicle's structural integrity.
"and he's wet sand in the car. It's final paint, right? So he's wet sand and I grab a piece of paper off the ground."
Wet sanding is when you use wet sandpaper to make the car's paint very smooth and shiny. It helps fix little bumps or scratches in the paint.
Wet sanding is a finishing process in automotive painting where sandpaper is used with water to smooth the surface of the paint. This technique helps achieve a glossy and even finish by removing imperfections.
""But even when we cut the front clip off with a Sawzall just to trim it off because we put a whole new fiberglass front clip on it,""
A Sawzall is a power tool like a saw that moves back and forth to cut things. People use it to cut parts of cars or other stuff when fixing or changing them.
A Sawzall is a brand name for a reciprocating saw, a handheld power tool used for cutting through various materials including metal and plastic, often used in automotive repair and demolition.
"He actually cut his sister's Barbie Jeep up to put a lift kit on it with 2x4s and it was an epic failure."
A lift kit is something you add to a car or truck to make it sit higher off the ground. This helps the vehicle go over rocks or bumps without getting stuck or damaged.
A lift kit is an aftermarket modification that raises a vehicle's suspension, increasing ground clearance and allowing for larger tires. It's commonly used on off-road vehicles to improve their ability to navigate rough terrain.
"And then the customer brought us a body kit, came out of Beirut."
A body kit is extra pieces added to the outside of a car to make it look cooler or different. These parts can change the shape of the car's front, sides, and back.
A body kit is a set of exterior modifications added to a car to change its appearance and sometimes improve aerodynamics. It typically includes parts like bumpers, side skirts, and spoilers.
"I believe out of like a 2022. Lexus LC500 headlights, tail lights, grafted all that stuff in and, you know,"
The Lexus LC500 is a fancy two-door car that looks cool and has a strong engine. The 2022 version has some new design parts and features.
The Lexus LC500 is a luxury grand tourer coupe known for its striking design and powerful V8 engine. The 2022 model features updated styling and modern technology.
""You can read a thousand times on how to tune an engine or how to weld in this. And you can't weld until you pick it up and figure it out.""
Tuning an engine means making changes so the car runs better or uses less fuel. It’s like adjusting settings to make the engine work just right.
Tuning an engine involves adjusting various parameters like fuel mixture, ignition timing, and air intake to optimize performance, efficiency, or emissions.
"like with this last, you know, Cima car that we brought, there were points in the build where I felt like I was running on a steam,"
The Nissan Cima is a fancy car made in Japan that people sometimes change or fix up to make it special. It's like a nice, comfortable car that can be customized.
The Nissan Cima is a luxury sedan primarily sold in Japan, known for its high-end features and comfort. It is often used as a base for custom builds and modifications due to its robust platform.
"...if you're working on an interior, that can be overwhelming. But if you focus on putting in your vintage air unit, and you get that installed, you can step back and go, victory!"
A vintage air unit is a special air conditioner made to work in old cars. It helps keep the car cool but looks like it belongs in the older car.
A vintage air unit is an aftermarket air conditioning system designed to fit classic cars, providing modern cooling performance while maintaining a period-correct look.
""Have you driven the TKX, the little five-speed? Not the TKX, no. It shifts like the T56 six-speed.""
The TKX is a type of manual gearbox with five gears that helps you change speeds smoothly in some cars.
The TKX is a five-speed manual transmission known for its smooth shifting and compact size, often used in performance cars as a lighter alternative to larger transmissions.
"...get her for college. He said, well, we got her a Subaru Crosstek and she loves it. And she loves playing with the..."
The Subaru Crosstrek is a small car that can drive well on all kinds of roads, including dirt or snowy ones. Many people like it because it's easy to drive and good for everyday use. It's a good car for students or anyone who wants something reliable and safe.
The Subaru Crosstrek is a compact crossover SUV known for its all-wheel drive capability, practicality, and reliability. It's a popular choice for younger drivers and those needing a versatile vehicle for both city and light off-road use. Its reputation for safety and ease of driving makes it a common recommendation for college students and first-time car buyers.
"My daughter had a Mini Cooper and had the paddle shifters on it, but she didn't know what they were. ... She starts tapping on the steering wheel and she's hitting that paddle shifter."
Paddle shifters are buttons behind the steering wheel that let you change gears yourself, like in a manual car, but without needing to press a clutch pedal.
Paddle shifters are controls located behind the steering wheel that allow the driver to manually shift gears in an automatic or semi-automatic transmission without using a clutch. They provide a sportier driving experience and more control over gear selection.
""He says, now what I'm looking for is a truck that's either a 4x4 or all wheel drive.""
All wheel drive means the car can send power to all four wheels when needed, helping it drive safely on slippery or uneven roads.
All wheel drive (AWD) is a drivetrain system that automatically distributes power to all four wheels of a vehicle to improve traction and stability, especially in adverse conditions like rain or snow.
""He says, now what I'm looking for is a truck that's either a 4x4 or all wheel drive.""
4x4 means the vehicle can send power to all four wheels at the same time, which helps it drive better on rough or slippery roads.
4x4 refers to a vehicle drivetrain that powers all four wheels simultaneously, typically used in trucks and off-road vehicles to improve traction and handling in difficult terrain.
""He says, we're looking at all options, including the Honda Ridgeline, Ford Maverick.""
The Honda Ridgeline is a type of pickup truck that drives more like a car and is good for everyday use and carrying stuff.
The Honda Ridgeline is a mid-size pickup truck known for its unibody construction, comfortable ride, and versatile features, blending car-like handling with truck utility.
""He says, we're looking at all options, including the Honda Ridgeline, Ford Maverick.""
The Ford Maverick is a small pickup truck that's good for city driving and everyday tasks, and it can save gas because it has a hybrid engine option.
The Ford Maverick is a compact pickup truck introduced recently, featuring a unibody design and available hybrid powertrain, aimed at urban and light-duty truck buyers.
"but can the 4.3 be built enough to do anything special or would an LS swap be better?"
An LS swap means putting a different, more powerful engine called an LS V8 into a car or truck to make it faster and stronger.
An LS swap refers to replacing a vehicle's original engine with a General Motors LS-series V8 engine. This is a popular modification due to the LS engine's high power potential, availability, and aftermarket support.
"getting ready to do this 240Z project. I used to buy 240Zs for $500, $300, you know, now forget it."
A project car is a car that someone buys to fix up or change. People do this for fun or to make the car better or more valuable.
A project car is a vehicle that someone buys with the intention of restoring, modifying, or repairing it over time. These cars are often purchased at lower prices and can be a hobby or investment.
"you know, getting ready to do this 240Z project. I used to buy 240Zs for $500, $300, you know, now forget it."
The 240Z is an old Japanese sports car that people really like. It's a cool car to fix up and drive because it looks nice and goes fast for its age.
The Datsun 240Z is a classic Japanese sports car produced in the early 1970s known for its sleek design and strong enthusiast following. It is often sought after for restoration and project car builds due to its iconic status and performance potential.
"he had an 86 Camaro Z28 that he sold, and now the price has gone up."
The Camaro Z28 is a fast and sporty car made by Chevrolet. The 1986 model is popular with car fans who like muscle cars from the 1980s.
The 1986 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 is a performance-oriented version of the Camaro from the third generation, known for its V8 engine and sporty handling. It has become a collectible muscle car with rising values in recent years.
"...Rot Camaro. Unfortunately, those and the Foxbody Mustangs of that era are pretty hot right now. So those a..."
The Ford Mustang is a popular sports car that many people like because it looks cool and goes fast. The older models from the 1980s and early 1990s are especially popular right now, so a lot of people want to buy them. Because of this, they can be more expensive and harder to find.
The Ford Mustang is an iconic American muscle car known for its powerful performance and sporty design. The Foxbody Mustangs, produced from 1979 to 1993, have become highly sought after by enthusiasts due to their lightweight chassis and tunability. This popularity has driven up prices, making them a hot commodity in the collector and tuner markets.
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Hey, Stacey David here with the Tales of the Gearhead podcast.
Now, this is a podcast about everything automotive, everything mechanical.
You're going to get advice.
You're going to get ideas.
You're going to hear guests.
You're going to hear people that are just like you.
Everything is going to be wrapped around the automotive lifestyle, so we know you're going
to love it.
Today's podcast is brought to you by Woodward Fabrication.
All right, let's get rolling.
Hey, everybody.
Welcome to Tales of the Gearhead podcast.
I've got a great subject that we're going to be talking about today.
We're going to be talking about projects.
And one question that we get a lot is what happens to the projects that I do on the show?
And obviously, the ones that you see that go out to shows like SEMA and stuff, like
that we just finished up the fall guide truck and these kind of things.
Obviously, you know where those go, but there's some that you never really hear about.
Some are full projects.
Some are things I just roll in for a little bit of time.
And obviously, with my time and work schedule, it's impossible for me to finish them all up
myself because it's just me here in the shop.
So the question is, what happens to some of these vehicles?
And one of them that we're going to talk about today is the catalog Camaro that I started
a few years ago and hasn't been seen for a while.
I'm actually selling this to some friends of mine.
They're going to finish it up and they're going to take it and put their thing on it.
And it's going to be awesome.
So I've got Jim and Jimmy Miller here.
And they're from Miller and Sons Collision up in Lancaster, New York,
which for those of you that are wondering, it's right close to Buffalo.
So guys, welcome to the podcast, man.
Thanks for having us.
So you're looking at this Camaro.
You're liking this thing.
Absolutely. Gorgeous.
We can see the vision.
Yeah, you've got a great car to start with.
And listen, keep in touch with me as you go through it.
We'll be doing some good stuff with you guys.
Let's talk about your background.
Now, it says collision.
So do you just do collision work?
Because obviously this is way different than collision.
I'll tell you, when we started the business, it was 90% collision and 10% restoration.
Now it's almost flopped.
I still am loyal to all our customers taking care of their collision needs.
I can't say no to them all.
But our business model has totally focused in the restorations to the point where
we're about three, four years out right now.
Oh yeah, most shops are.
You know, and if you are passionate about what you're doing,
you put your heart and soul in these cars.
They come out amazing and you get noticed.
And I would think that up there in that part of the country,
you're dealing with a lot of rust.
You do.
That's why you try to find southern cars to start with.
Yeah, you're going to like this car.
It's a California car, right?
Oh yeah.
I see you walking around.
It's like, there's no rust.
There's no rust.
There are so many cars that come in and it's just like you're really thinking about it.
And by the time you start taking all the bad off,
you realize it's just the roof skin left and that's kind of hammered too.
So it's like you just got to buy a beautiful donor.
Yeah.
Okay, so how long have you guys been in business?
How long have you been doing this?
It's going to be 10 years, April 1st.
10 years for your collision shop.
But how long have you been working on cars?
Oh, I've been doing it.
My dad was service director at the dealerships.
You know, I was 14 years old driving brand new Cadillac,
Bromes, detailing them up and I grew up around it my whole life.
I went to college for architecture and I ended up cutting cars in half.
That's cool.
That's a good part of architecture.
Yes.
You know how to measure.
Yeah.
So that's...
Jimmy, how about you?
How long have you been working on cars?
I've been working on cars since before I can remember.
So there's a picture floating around the shop.
My dad was doing, what was it, a satin silver?
62.
62.
Yeah.
Vette and he was doing that at home.
So I walk up and I find this piece of sandpaper on the ground
and he's wet sand in the car.
It's final paint, right?
So he's wet sand and I grab a piece of paper off the ground.
It's 80.
I'm helping him wet sand.
So I've definitely been corrected, you know, but I was three.
So...
But even when we cut the front clip off with a Sawzall just to trim it off
because we put a whole new fiberglass front clip on it,
he's out there with his Bob the Builder goggles and his Sawzall.
Plastic Sawzall and he's, you know, trying to cut it with us.
Yeah.
Yeah, he used to jack up his power wheels.
He actually cut his sister's Barbie Jeep up to put a lift kit on it
with 2x4s and it was an epic failure.
Yeah.
It was great.
But that's how you learned.
It flopped right away, for sure, yes.
That's how you learned.
So did you grow up watching the shows?
I totally did, yes.
So like growing up, you know, I was, you know, before school and stuff.
There'd be some reruns and then it was usually Saturday mornings.
I'm sitting down in the living room eating, you know, bowl of fruit loops.
Watching the shows, fantastic.
Oh, good.
Was there any special projects that you liked that I did or is it?
Honestly, I watched so many of them.
I can't, you know, remember the specific ones, but obviously,
you know, the Dodge is an amazing truck.
I always love seeing that, so yeah.
Well, that's good.
Now you guys had a vehicle out at Seaman this year, right?
Yes.
Yep, it was a...
Okay, tell me about it.
This is a little different than what most people think.
This was at 08 Infinity?
Yes.
So it started life as an 08 Infinity G37 coupe.
And then the customer brought us a body kit, came out of Beirut.
The body kit was absolutely horrible.
It needed really everything and it was not anywhere close to being refined.
So we chopped the whole thing apart, grafted it in Lexus.
I believe out of like a 2022.
Lexus LC500 headlights, tail lights, grafted all that stuff in and, you know,
made the body, except those.
The styling fit awesome.
You know, you just had to connect all the dots.
So that was kind of really cool, you know,
just building something that's one-off, full custom.
Yeah.
And the customer didn't even really fully have a vision of it.
He just knew he wanted something radical, you know.
That's dangerous, too.
Because...
Out of the box.
If they don't like it, it's like, oh, it's the way to hit it more.
Exactly.
So the kicker is he started it with his son as a father-son project.
Yeah.
Then it began a father-son project for me and him just to finish it for them,
which is kind of cool, a transition from one family to another, you know.
The car world is so cool in that kind of stuff,
and I love it when fathers and sons or fathers and daughters
and mothers and daughters can do things together.
It was in the sickens booth at SEMA, right?
It was, yep.
For paint.
So you guys know your way around a paint gun a little bit.
A little bit, yes, sir.
So what kind of gun are you using?
This is Jim.
So yes, I got a SADA 5500.
Nice.
I'm a big SADA guy.
Yeah, so he went right down the other side with a Tecna.
A Tecna.
No Dufil bus or anything like that, yeah.
It didn't matter, you know.
Hey, listen, a gun's a gun.
I'll throw the base on and he'll come in and clear it with it.
And I think that was my biggest thing is like,
all growing up, you know, I really wanted to do what my dad did,
and I love cars and all that stuff.
So, you know, I didn't go to school for any of this stuff.
So I just spent, you know, all my childhood years
like watching my dad do it in the garage and all that kind of stuff.
So like, as far as painting,
I've never been formally taught how to paint, you know,
but I did paint half that SEMA car.
Well, actually the last, well, all three SEMA cars that we took,
I painted, you know, right down the middle.
And I usually take the driver's side, so it has less runs than his side.
But I'm into here.
Here we go.
So, yeah, so like, you know, I just watched him, you know,
all growing up and that's kind of, you know,
the first car I painted with him, I told him, I'm like,
hey dad, I have no idea what I'm doing,
but I'm going to watch you on the other side.
I've watched you for years.
Yeah.
We'll just give it a shot.
Tell them about your car, laying out those stripes.
Oh yeah.
So I have a 84 Transam and I wanted this crazy tribal designed down the side,
black on the top, silver, tribal, orange on the bottom.
So he's getting tired and it's like 11 o'clock in the garage at home.
And I'm trying to lay this thing out with some fine line.
And he's just like, I'm kind of getting tired.
He ends up falling asleep on a stool.
So I'm like, okay.
So I just have this little picture on my iPod and I'm kind of taping the thing out
and then I wake him up at like 3.30 in the morning.
I'm like, dad, it's done.
I'm surprised you didn't stripe him.
Yeah, I should have.
I should have.
He's asleep.
Yeah.
So yeah.
So we got painting that thing and it's still painted that way.
I want to redo that.
But of course, now this comes first.
Oh yeah.
So yeah.
I tell you what, you hit on something really good there.
And I wish more people would understand this.
It's something that I've tried to push on the show all the years I've been doing it.
Is that not everybody learns the same way.
And most craftsmen do not learn well out of a book.
No.
You can read a thousand times on how to tune an engine or how to weld in this.
And you can't weld until you pick it up and figure it out.
And you have to build a craft.
Painting's the same way.
You can read a thousand books.
Metalwork is the same way as a fabricator.
Oh yeah.
It's just, you know, you can read all the books, but until you start knocking metal
and filling those dents move and things, the way the metal is going to work,
now you're starting to understand it.
And most people, you know, I try to tell them, you know, they go to the classes
and there's nothing wrong with the schools unless you're spending too much time there.
Music is the same way.
You know, you can learn all your scales and all the rules, but you still can't play
that where anybody wants to play with you.
There's no heart there.
There's no soul.
And that's what you're talking about developing, you know, as a welder, as a fabricator, as a painter.
Some of that you can't learn in a book.
No.
And it's also true.
Like if you don't have the passion to try to figure out how to be a better welder
and you're not trying to dial that machine into where it sounded real smooth.
Yeah.
And it's just going great.
And it's like, you gotta figure it out, but it's hands-on.
I'd rather hire somebody with zero experience and teach them from ground one.
Absolutely.
Because you can tell.
Then to un-teach them the bad mistakes.
You could see when they walk in, if they've got that sparkle in their eye,
if they do, that's just, you can polish that.
Oh my gosh.
You can fight to it.
And the worst ones are the ones that come in and go, I already know how to do this.
Yeah.
I'm going to tell you what to do.
They don't mess up.
No.
Oh my gosh.
Now, okay.
So when you're in the shop, what kind of music is playing?
When I work on the weekends, it's hair metal all the time.
It's a hair metal?
Okay.
And as soon as I get that aux, it's all Christian stuff.
So I'm just like, you know what?
I just can't listen to all those.
I know it's every day.
So when we drove this to Vegas in back, when he drove it was his music.
When I drove it was my music compromise, you know?
A lot of the Christian stuff now sounds like Edie's Rock.
It does.
It does.
Still?
Yeah.
Oh, for sure.
Except there's no Steve Perry's or anything.
No, no, no, no.
Oh, that's great, man.
Yeah.
Probably because of all what they went through, they had to turn to a Christian,
but it's just to turn their life around.
Yeah, absolutely.
Absolutely.
Well, speaking of that, how strong is faith to you guys?
You guys are both Christian guys.
For sure.
Totally 100%.
Yeah.
So I mean, my faith is everything honestly.
Yeah.
Even with this car, for example, this came along, fantastic deal, and I really wanted to get into it.
And I so wanted to just jump at it, but I called my wife and I told her about it.
And both of our first reaction was, it sounds great, but I need time to pray about it.
Yeah, absolutely.
I can naturally be so impulsive and just always want to jump for everything,
but if I don't take that time and seek the Lord and really try to figure out what his plan is for me,
of course, I'll think my way could be the way in which I should go.
And in reality, it's like, if you'd just taken the time and listened,
I could have spared you from so much of that, this is what I designed for you so much better.
See, and the Lord tells me all the time to buy all these cars,
and my wife keeps telling me that's not the Lord speaking to you.
I'm like, okay, honey, I get it.
Yeah, the devil on the other side.
Yeah, same voice.
Well, I'll tell you what, too.
It was important to me that this car went to the right people.
Thank you.
You know, because I want to see it get finished out,
and I want to see you guys put your own touch on it.
And like I said, we'll be keeping people involved in it and letting them see what you guys are up to.
You know, because it'll always be the catalog Camaro.
Oh, for sure.
And basically, you know, it's basically the Camaro I wanted, you know.
So it'll be a really cool thing.
You know what we got to have to do is bring it back up here
and let you do some donuts with it when we're done.
Oh, absolutely.
Oh, for sure.
I'd love that.
Yes.
That'd be nice.
That would be really cool.
So let me ask you this.
When you get into a project and you're getting ready to do something,
what is your approach?
In other words, do you usually have a goal?
Because people are always asking, you know,
how do I start a project?
So your advice to somebody.
So when they come to you with it, half finished, what is your advice to them?
You know, I tell people straight up from the beginning,
number one, I have to have a relationship, feel a bond with the customer.
Otherwise, I'm not even starting a project.
It's important.
Because if you don't have that connection from day one,
you're never going to succeed when stuff goes south down the line with parts or a vision.
Yes.
And the people don't realize that they become family.
Oh, they do?
They do.
Every one of our customers that are former customers who did the car for,
there's some of our best friends that had them all at my wedding.
Because I love those people.
A couple of them work for me now, because they're great car guys,
and they actually turned out to be great techs.
But when somebody comes in, you know,
luckily mine and his view on a lot of projects are pretty much on the same page.
We're really, we love the same kind of thing.
But we can switch gears from one thing to another,
as far as hot rod to a custom truck or whether it be a pro touring.
We've got the same kind of vision.
So it's easy for us to bounce.
And a lot of the customers see that spark when they come in of how excited we are,
more so than they are sometimes.
And they just let us run with it.
I think one of the big things though about like the cars is sometimes,
like with this last, you know, Cima car that we brought,
there were points in the build where I felt like I was running on a steam,
where it was hard to keep that project going.
And I was like, you know what, I need to somewhat switch a gear,
start working on a different part of the car,
so that it doesn't totally fall off.
But it keeps my passion for it going.
And then I'll come right back to what I was doing.
But I may just have a little hiccup in the road right now,
because I'm trying to brainstorm about it.
But I'll be sitting down at dinner,
and we're just eating, having a good conversation, and it clicks.
And the thing that was hanging me up for four days,
I now can envision how I'm going to execute it.
And I think that had I stopped there,
and just went to a totally different project,
not a different part of the same project,
I think it would just fall right off.
But just to keep moving is crucial.
It's really important to have those little victories.
I tell people all the time, for example,
if you're working on an interior, that can be overwhelming.
But if you focus on putting in your vintage air unit,
and you get that installed, you can step back and go, victory!
I have done something, I've completed something.
Yep, check.
That gives you that incentive.
It's like, gosh, it looks great!
Now you can turn over to do in your sound deadening,
or your dash, or whatever,
and you're slowly working your way through
to where you can finally step back and go,
the whole interior's done.
Or whatever.
I see guys, they get something,
and they completely disassemble it,
and they just overwhelm themselves.
Oh, yeah.
And, man, it's difficult.
And you just can't stop moving forward.
No, you got to keep doing it.
Keep going on something.
Yeah, yeah.
For sure.
So you guys excited about this car?
I cannot wait.
I am thrilled about this car.
You got some great stuff.
You got a KTEC engine, that thing rocks.
You got Speedway motor suspension,
vintage air stuff, TMI interior.
Tremac Tranny.
Oh, yeah.
You got the six-speed in there, man.
Oh, yeah.
You got it in my car,
and that thing is just effortless.
I love that thing.
Yeah.
Have you driven the TKX, the little five-speed?
Not the TKX, no.
It shifts like the T56 six-speed.
Okay.
It's just five, so you're a little smaller.
Is that the Super Magnum in this one?
Yeah, this is the Mag, yeah.
Okay, so yeah, mine too, yeah.
Yeah, this is a good one.
I feel like for my third gen bag at home,
that TKX is probably right.
Right in that sweet spot.
Honestly, that's a really good transmission
all the way around.
Most people don't ever use that sixth gear.
For me, to put a six-speed in something,
you want to be running fast to really get in there,
because that's a lot of gears.
Oh, yeah.
Five-speed's really what most people can use on a car.
I find like on the throughway,
I'm in sixth gear just sipping the gas,
and my car's getting crazy gas mileage.
Yeah, I think it's like 20 miles a gallon.
It's just ridiculous.
It's ridiculous.
814.
Oh, yeah.
We only got 814 more.
That motor's sitting there idling.
Yeah, I love it.
Yeah, I got 411s.
I mean, that thing's amazing on the throughway.
I love it.
But it was always the battle of gears versus rear-end,
and it's just like you always have one over the other.
But to have a world where you've got the blower up front
making all your power, you've got great rear-end gears,
and you can get into the sixth gear
and not be just screaming down the road.
But the 5-spline axles, the turn nine housing,
I mean, it's just built.
I feel like that just makes the car where you want to drive it.
Nice.
Yeah, because it's not just screaming down the throughway.
Well, guys, we got a car to load up.
Thanks for dropping by.
Thanks for being on the podcast.
Absolutely.
And we will keep everybody in touch with what's going on
with the Camaro.
Fantastic.
I love it.
Thanks again.
All right.
You know, if you've watched my shows very much over the years,
you know that I'm really into metal fabrication and metal work.
And people are always asking, hey, you know,
what's the best tools to use?
What do you use?
And obviously, I've got a lot of really nice tools.
But most of the stuff that you need to do really quality metal work
is not that sophisticated.
And it's not that expensive.
It's body hammers.
It's shrinkers and stretchers.
It's sheet metal brakes.
And these are all things that you can pick up at Woodward Fab.
It's the stuff that I use on the show.
And I'll tell you what, man, it'll get the job done.
And you don't have to spend a lot of money,
but you do have to spend time getting to know the tools
and understanding how to make metal work
and how to make metal move.
And that is what the Woodward Fab tools will do for you.
So if you're looking to get into doing some metal work,
man, check out some of their hammers, their dollies,
their shrinkers, the stretchers, the sheet metal brakes,
and get into it because I'll tell you why.
Once you start to make that metal move,
you will be hooked, man.
I'll tell you, and you'll love it.
And there's nothing like having the freedom
to take a panel and go, you know,
I think I'm going to change that panel because now I can.
So check out Woodward Fab.
Okay, this question comes from Keith.
And Keith says, hey, Stacy, I am new to the project world.
I'm only 25 and I want to build a hot rod body style
in the 30s, 40s vibe.
So he wants a traditional hot rod.
This is awesome, man.
I love to hear this.
He said, where would I find a good body at a good price
for like under 10 grand in decent shape?
Well, actually, Keith, you're in luck
because a lot of the 30s body styles are not popular
like they once were.
Everybody's kind of got onto muscle cars and trucks.
So a lot of those 30s cars are coming up for sale.
Cars that were built in the 80s and 90s and they're affordable.
They're under 10 grand.
Sometimes you can get one that's a runner and a driver
that's an old street rod, so they're out there.
Now, if you want to build something from the ground up,
you have some options there as well.
Obviously, there's still a lot of street rod companies
that sell fiberglass bodies.
And you can get into a fiberglass body way cheaper than that,
three or $4,000.
You can get a Roadster body or a 32 Ford body.
You know, some of those go up to $6,000, $7,000.
You just have to shop around.
But the street rod market is still out there.
Also, if you want one that's steel, I know Brookville Roadsters
makes like a 30, 31 body style in a Roadster.
They have the 29.
And I think those are around five grand for the body.
And they have that really cool pickup Roadster too,
which I think is around five or six grand for the body,
which is a great, and it's a steel body, good opening doors.
I mean, Brookville Roadsters does a really good body.
Now, if you start to get into the 32s and this and that,
of course, the price jumps up.
But just to get a Model A body or the pickup body,
you can do that.
I would recommend that.
Obviously, your fiberglass options are even going to be cheaper.
But at that point, you still got to get a chassis.
And there's plenty of chassis guys out there.
So you realistically can get into a body and a chassis for around 10 grand
at one of these street rod places.
I would suggest you check Brookville Roadsters
or any of these other guys that carry these fiberglass bodies.
They also have frames and chassis as you can do with it.
Now, as you start putting suspension on and rear ends
and transmissions and engines,
of course, the price is going to go up.
So your best bet, like I said at the beginning,
is to find yourself an old street rod that's been sitting in a garage for 20 years.
You know, it's got some outdated paint,
maybe that burlap interior from the 90s or whatever.
And you pick one of those things up for eight grand,
something like that.
I see them all the time on Facebook.
And that's a great beginning hot rod for somebody like you.
Then you can take it, update the engine that's in it.
You can change the stuff, put the wheels and tires on that you want.
But you got something you can start driving pretty quick.
And you're not looking at building something from the ground up.
Because, like you said, you are new to this.
You don't want to start with a ground up.
You don't even want to think about it.
You need to get some experience just enjoying the car,
tweaking on something, changing out a carburetor and an intake.
You know, some of those things where you kind of get into it and work up to the next level.
So good luck to you, Keith.
Welcome to the hot rod world.
All right.
I've got a question here from James.
James says, hey Stacy, I wrote to you earlier about my daughter
on what kind of car to get her for college.
He said, well, we got her a Subaru Crosstek and she loves it.
And she loves playing with the paddle shifters.
Oh, man.
I got a story to tell you.
My daughter had a Mini Cooper and had the paddle shifters on it,
but she didn't know what they were.
And so she comes into me.
She's like, dad, my car's not shifting right.
Sometimes it just won't shift.
Well, what was happening?
I rode with her.
She gets her radio on.
She starts tapping on the steering wheel and she's hitting that paddle shifter.
She didn't know she was shifting the car.
You know, so I had to go through how to use the paddle shifter.
So that's awesome.
And they're fun once you start messing with them.
He says, now what I'm looking for is a truck that's either a 4x4 or all wheel drive.
It's a crew cab.
He said, the question is, how many miles are too many miles on a foreign or domestic vehicle?
He says, we're looking at all options, including the Honda Ridgeline, Ford Maverick.
Your input is appreciated.
He said, also, can you give my brother-in-law Robert a shout out?
Hey, Robert, how you doing, man?
I hope you have a cool project.
All right.
James, back to your project.
How many miles is too much?
Well, that's a loaded question because, I mean, I usually never look at miles because
I'm going to rebuild the engines anyway or replace them.
But if it's something like for your daughter or something that you want to have some life to it,
there used to be 100,000 miles was the death knell of a vehicle.
That's long gone.
I mean, I see people getting 300,000 miles out of LS engines all the time,
and most of these other vehicles.
And it really depends.
Most of your Toyotas and stuff, if it has 150,000 miles, who cares?
So I wouldn't be afraid of anything.
If it's been taken care of and you know the person has changed the oil and taken care of it,
I wouldn't be afraid of anything up to 150,000 miles.
It really depends on the vehicle.
Keep in mind, replacement engines, rebuilt engines are not that expensive
in the grand scheme of things.
For example, if you can pick up, say like a late model Toyota Land Cruiser, those are expensive.
Let's say you get what's got 250,000 miles on it, and because of that high mileage,
you can pick it up cheap, a few thousand bucks.
I'd do that in a second and just put a new engine in it
because those things are so desirable.
So it really depends on the vehicle.
But with these, obviously you're looking at a Honda, they have a very good reputation.
The Ford Maverick truck, yeah, I don't know yet, they're fairly new.
So I would be less inclined to allow extra miles on that.
But you have to kind of just play the market and drive the vehicle.
But I wouldn't be afraid of anything over 100,000, depending on how it's been taken care of.
So good luck to you on that.
Okay, this question comes from Scott and he says,
I'm soon going to have my dad's 94 Chevy 1500 two-wheel drive with a 4.3 engine in it.
He said it was my grandfather's and when he retired from farming,
my dad got it after his death.
And he said it was used for 20 years as my dad's main vehicle for general contracting.
And he says, the question is, what do I do with it?
He says it has 160,000 miles, some typical rust, but it's in decent shape.
And he says, I'm considering like a street and strip setup,
but can the 4.3 be built enough to do anything special or would an LS swap be better?
Okay, really good question here.
First question for you, Scott.
Do you like the truck?
Yeah, I know your grandfather had it.
I know your dad had it, but do you really love this thing?
Or is it just convenient that it was left to you?
And I asked that because, listen, you don't want to put time and something that your heart
and soul is not into.
I mean, you might be more of a Camaro guy or a sports car guy or a Jeep guy or whatever.
And if that's the case, you just need to get rid of this thing and get something that you like.
Believe me, your grandfather and your dad would totally get that.
Now, if this truck is something you do really like and you want to do something with it,
you're looking at a street and strip kind of thing, you said it has typical rust.
That can mean completely different things depending on what part of the country you're in.
I don't see where you're at.
So if it has typical rust from like Ohio, yeah, you got a problem or Michigan.
If you have typical rust from Arizona, you really don't have any.
So if the body's rusty, it's rough, it's a big project.
There's a lot of things.
So that's why I ask if your heart's in it.
And now if it is, you're good to go.
If you want a street and strip thing, if you really want that thing to perform,
dump the 4.3, put an LS in it.
I know people after, oh, no, another LS is like, listen, man,
you can't argue with the price and the power that you can get out of an LS.
I mean, they're just a great swap and there's a huge aftermarket out there to support them.
So I would suggest doing something like that if you want to go fast and have some fun with it.
But if you're not really into it, I suggest you get rid of the truck,
get something that you are into, and then put an LS in it.
Or a coyote if you're a Ford guy or a Hemi if you're a Mopar.
Or better yet, swap it all up.
Anyway, good luck to you, man.
Okay, this question comes from Jonathan.
He says, hey, Stacey, love the podcast.
Well, thanks, Jonathan.
You are on it now.
He said, my question is, have you ever sold something in the past that you later regretted
because the value of it suddenly became really high?
Yeah, that's pretty much everything that I've gotten rid of.
If you only would have known, I used to buy,
you know, getting ready to do this 240Z project.
I used to buy 240Zs for $500, $300, you know, now forget it.
And he says, basically, he had an 86 Camaro Z28 that he sold,
and now the price has gone up.
He's trying to buy it back from the guy, and he's still working on it.
And he's hoping he can get it back.
Yeah, I tell you what, one thing to remember, Jonathan, on this industry is everything is
cyclical.
In other words, it goes in cycles.
So what is popular right now will not always be popular.
Case in point, there was a time, you know, 15 years ago that the hottest,
most valuable cars were 30s hot rods.
Muscle cars were not even close to approaching the price that you would get out of a 32 or 34 Ford.
Well, that's completely changed.
Now, most people don't want those 30s cars.
Those are cheap.
You can pick them up all the time.
What they do want is the muscle cars from the 60s and 70s.
Those have become the hot rods of this era.
That is rapidly changing.
Now, square body Chevy trucks have gotten huge, whereas you used to be able to get those for nothing.
And now they're sky high.
And now your 80s and 90s cars are starting to go up because that fast and furious generation
is starting to come of age, and they want the cars they remember.
So everything moves and flows around.
Do not make the mistake.
A lot of people do this.
Don't make the mistake of watching reruns of Meekum auctions or Barrett Jackson.
Because it's bad enough to watch those shows anyway,
because it doesn't give you an accurate idea of what's going on in the market.
But if you're watching reruns from a couple of years ago,
you're not even close to what that stuff is selling for now,
because that market fluctuates all the time.
So my suggestion to you with this guy in this car is to just keep on him.
There are several vehicles that I have bought.
Some of them I worked for 10 years with the owner to try to get them to sell the vehicle.
And sometimes their price was too high, and it took 10 years for the price to get normal.
And sometimes they just come around and want to sell it.
And just keep on him.
Like I said, it looks like the car you're after is an 88 iRot Camaro.
Unfortunately, those and the Foxbody Mustangs of that era are pretty hot right now.
So those are going to bring some money for a while.
So my suggestion is try to get it now before they go even higher.
Or wait 15 years until they drop back down.
I hope this helps, Jonathan.
Listen, there's always other ones out there.
Maybe you would need to get into like a 50s hot rod or a 30s hot rod
until that guy parts with that Camaro.
Good luck to you, man.
All right.
That's our show for today, which means you need to get out there and start working on something.
Spend some time turning wrenches.
You might be surprised how much you like it.
Now, make sure that you check out our website, stacydavid.com,
because we've got all kinds of new products
and some other great stuff that you're just going to love.
I've got a new children's book called Iggy and the Stick Man.
This is a story about a lowly stick that has dreams of greatness
only to be ridiculed by his friends.
But then through a series of events,
he learns that it is possible to get up off the ground
and change everything if you're willing to persevere.
You need to check it out.
Also, make sure you check out our social media.
That's Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, all at official Stacy David.
Our social media is where you're going to find all of our bonus content,
the giveaways, the contests, the trivia.
We even have extra viewer projects that focus on what you are working on.
Also, the new season of Gears will be on Racer Network
and YouTube will be the place where you can view all of your favorite Gears episodes,
as well as the full project builds that follow a project from beginning to end.
So that's really nice.
But remember, the most important thing
is you need to get out there and turn some wrenches yourself.
So get a project and start working on it.
Finally, if you need to work some metal, check out Woodward Fab.
These are the tools that I use in the shop
and they've been making quality metal products since 1966.
All right, that's all the announcements.
We're all up to date.
We'll see you next time.
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