When you consider the manual way we tuned cars for decades, it’s amazing how far tuning technology has come, and how intimidating tuning a modern vehicle can be. Having the right diagnostic tool that talks to the systems on these cars is critical, requiring something a little better than a code reader; something that gives you an indication where to go, what procedure to tackle next, and can pay for itself quickly. Haresh Gobin of Launch Tech USA joins the podcast to drop some wisdom on the guys about these innovative, yet affordable devices, whether you’re a DIYer or professional shop technician.
Kyle Hyatali really knows how to build a hot rod and tee it up nicely. His purview at Vibrant Performance extends across the full life cycle of development, including everything from product design to tech support and marketing. Most recently, he’s been documenting a full customization of his personal ’87 Mazda RX-7 decked out with the full Vibrant catalogue. “We often consider ourselves similar to a Home Depot of car fabrication,” he tells the guys in this week’s podcast. “You could come to us, you could buy your stainless and your flanges and build what you want pretty much…. Bring your own turbo, but we got everything else.” He’s also got some great tips to avoid mistakes building your own exhaust, thermal management, and fuel systems.
Dan Millen of Livernois Motorsports is one of those guys that just eats, lives, and breathes motorsports performance, and over the years he’s figured out how to tap every ounce of power these machines can possibly produce. “We’re at the crescendo of high performance and what you can get out of cars; it’s only gonna last a couple of years longer,” notes Willie in his introduction, “and Dan has some real recipes and remedies to get that horsepower.” After all, as Dan freely acknowledges, “The more power [the OEs] give people, the more power people want.”
From his early days at Chip Foose’s side on Overhaulin’, Kevin witnessed firsthand the art and skill of automotive drawing and designing on paper. Today, Kevin’s self-proclaimed “Favorite French Car Guy” and Design Manager at Ford Performance, Anthony Colard, joins the podcast to discuss the finer points of automotive design. “We don’t live long enough to drive boring cars,” says the man from TheModernRacer.com, citing his one-of-a-kind ’68 Barracuda Fastback build as a prime example.
Brian Tooley of BTR Racing has been fighting for power and harmonics and everything that goes on in that valve chain for decades, and nobody’s been as aggressive. “There’s lots of smart guys out there that are doing phenomenal work. We are a tiny bit ahead of most of our competitors,” he tells Kevin and Willie, “and have been shockingly successful.” In his fifth appearance on the podcast, Brian leads a revealing deep dive into hydraulic roller camshafts that’s not to be missed. “I can’t believe no one else has thought of this and figured this out,” he says, adding, “I hope none of my competitors are listening to this podcast, because they’re going to be redesigning their camshafts as soon as they get done listening to it!”
There’s a brave new world of cordless tools outfitted with high tech batteries and power cells, brushless motors, and a wide array of cool features for all types of applications. These new developments, new chemistries, and new form factors provide more energy for using tools longer, leading Kevin to observe that “our tools are better than our dad’s tools, by far!” Joey Gamber of DeWalt Tools joins the guys to discuss the evolution of tool and battery technology, and how the company builds-in features that give everyone “from the guy who’s a seasoned professional – all the way down to someone’s who’s just starting – the availability to tailor it.”
Fresh from a chance encounter with Kevin at the recent Rolex 24 at Daytona, Nicole McElroy of Recaro Automotive joins the podcast for an in-depth discussion about butts in seats. Not just aftermarket and racing seats, but OEM seats, commercial vehicle seats, stadium and swivel seats, 8-way power performance seats, and even haptic seats. They all fall under the company’s four pillars: quality, comfort, safety, and innovation. As Nicole tells the guys, “We’re making breakthroughs in things that we thought were gonna make a difference, but you don’t know until somebody actually experiences it.”
Kevin’s former Overhaulin’ pal-turned-politician Cherielynn Westrich joins the podcast direct from the Iowa State Senate Chamber for a frank conversation about her remarkable career trajectory. From a singer in The Rentals with Maya Rudolph (“If there was a band playing in ’96, we played with them”) to automotive TV (70 Overhaulin’ builds in 15 years) to politics (four years into her initial six-year Senate term) and automotive entrepreneur (manufacturing under-dash hydraulic swaps at MalWood USA), meet a bona fide renaissance woman with a true passion for building cars and grinding gears.
Things are getting serious in the EV performance, racing, and aftermarket spaces, and it’s only a matter of time until they morph in with the OEs. “There’s a large portion of us out there that is trying to fight this tsunami wave of electric power and performance, but I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” notes Willie, “you’re gonna lose!” Kirk Miller and Jake Hawksworth of Hypercraft USA join the podcast from King of the Hammers, where they’re pushing the boundaries of EV with their advance hybrid and all-electric powertrains. “Imagine being able to throw 100 hp or 200 hp virtually across the entire rpm range, and no impact on emissions,” says Jake. And that’s not including their 1967 Mustang all-electric, all-wheel drive Fastback, capable of delivering 1200 hp and a theoretical 0-60 mph in 1.2 seconds!
In 1995, “Speedvision was this new discovery,” Kevin says at the top of this week’s podcast. “It was like kind of discovering the Playboy magazine in your buddy’s dad’s closet and going, ‘What is this?’” As the first 24/7 national cable television network devoted solely to cars, bikes, boats, and planes, “It was home for so many of us for so many hours,” adds Willie. Flash forward to today, and the recent relaunch of the storied automotive brand for the streaming era. One of the original network founders and now CEO of the new FAST channel, Robert Scanlon, is in conversation with the guys about his extensive career in automotive television, the paradigm shift to free streaming, and the “universality of the appeal of the auto”.
Terry Fair of Vorshlag Motorsports is well known for swapping an LS engine into a 2015 S550 Mustang GT. “Trigger” can deliver 620 hp to the 200 treadwear-type rear tires on pump gas. A radical combination of engineer, builder, and driver, Terry “is on the forefront of just rippin’ and doing things that you would never believe is possible,” notes Willie, both for customers and himself. For his part, “I got a good crew, we’re making enough parts,” Terry tells the guys. “I’m living the dream, for sure.”
It’s estimated that roughly 70% of car repairs performed after a warranty expires are done by independent shops. However, if the manufacturers have their way, all this work would be restricted to dealerships, with drivers forced to sacrifice the convenience and affordability their local mechanics now provide. The stakes are high, as is the momentum to prevent this from happening. Ted Hughes of the Auto Care Association joins the podcast to discuss The Repair Act, legislation introduced in Washington to avert such a development. “This issue is truly mission critical,” he tells the guys. “It really is something that’s absolutely vitally important for anybody that’s involved with the independent aftermarket.”
