To say that not everyone enjoys wiring a vehicle is an epic understatement. Fortunately, Chris Squier of Hotwire Auto does, and he’s made it his mission to remove as much of the pain from the process as possible. Kevin and Willie chat with Chris about their recent experience using his simplified engine harness on Kevin’s 1970 Fastback project. “The end product Willie said looks factory, but I think it looks better than factory, the way you guys shroud the wires and protect everything” says Kevin. “It’s durable, it’s tough, it looks good, and it’s clean.” Adds Willie, “Talk about stealthy, it’s really amazing the job you guys have done to be able to hide it.”
As a professional Formula Drift driver, Matt Field rides on rails with controlled chaos underneath them. Essentially flying on pavement while going sideways at top speed, this occupation requires mad skills, intense concentration, and a warrior mentality. “These are full-blown race cars… it’s just a different form of race cars,” he tells the guys in a recent sit-down. “We want the stickiest tires with the lowest pressure with the grippiest suspension and we’re trying to go as fast as possible with our bumper on the wall.”
Kevin and Willie take listeners behind the scenes of the TV show as they discuss their respective paths to “Two Guys Garage” coming from two different directions, landing in one spot, and bonding as partners in crime. Trained as an engineer, Kevin reveals how stints working with the legendary Carroll Shelby on “Rides” and Chip Foose on “Overhaulin’” led to his 14-season stint (and counting) on “Two Guys”. Willie details how his passion for cars and career in radio led to a spot on “PINKS”, and how he was “a little bit like a deer in the headlight” during his first season with Kevin. “I’m a little squarish in a round hole somedays but it works,” notes Kevin, “but together we’re gonna do it better!”
When it comes to thermal management, you’ve got to protect everything under the hood (not to mention the driver and passengers!) from extreme heat. The guys at Heatshield Products have been designing innovative items that make vehicles perform better, last longer, be more durable, safer, and more comfortable since 1985. Bruce Heye and Chris Schwartz are a couple of car guys committed to creating highly affordable products anyone can use. “You have these crazy space age materials,” Kevin points out, “but you’ve put them in form factors that make it easy to install.”
In Part 2 of this ongoing series of podcasts, the guys do a deep dive on details of Kevin’s Mustang project, including the centerpiece Coyote swap he’s pegged to deliver 800-1000 hp. “It’s gonna be my track day car, for sure. It’s gonna be nasty but refined,” says Kevin, noting that a chunk of the build will be shot for an upcoming episode of the TV show. His plan is to build the car “like a ship in a bottle – can I get everything in and under and leave the outside of the bottle without cracking it? That’s the challenge.”
“There is nothing like nitro methane power, the kind that makes 11,000 HP and flames coming out of the pipes,” NHRA Funny Car Driver Alexis DeJoria tells the guys in a candid pre-race sit-down. “We accelerate quicker than a fighter pilot does.” High adrenaline and outsized levels of risk run hand in glove, putting tremendous pressure on the crew chief, the DC Motorsports team, and herself. The ability to maintain laser focus while piloting a 300 mile per hour rocket can mean not just the difference between winning and losing, but between life and death. It’s a physical and emotional rollercoaster ride at maximum speed. “You have the highest highs with this kind of racing and the lowest lows.”
Godzilla is Ford’s latest monster engine, their supersized response to the wildly successful LS platform. Kevin likens it to an LS on steroids with more cubic inches, while today’s guest Doug DeLong of Well Sorted offers it up as further proof of the adage, “there’s no replacement for displacement.” Recently relocated from Denver to Atlanta, Well Sorted is on the forefront of installations and different applications for this powerful beast, “the culmination of a lot of lessons learned” along the way.
Finding a powerful powertrain for an old hot rod or truck is no longer the difficult challenge it once was. Nowadays it’s finding the right rear end that’s the real challenge. Have no fear though, Jon Henson of Currie Enterprises has a plan. “We want to take the voodoo out of a rear end and basically make it an easy purchase, an educated purchase, and something that now you can spec out based on your build and how you’re gonna use the vehicle,” he tells Willie and Kevin. “The ultimate goal is to make sure that at the end of the day when the customer gets in his car and he’s driving and he just wants that freedom, that he’s gonna get that feeling.”
Kevin’s on a mission to not just rebuild but to reconceive the iconic 1970 Mustang Fastback he missed out on in his youth. In this first installment of an ongoing series, Kevin reveals his ambitious gameplan for the project, including how he came up with it, what he’s doing with it, and the direction he’s taking it. “It’s gonna be a daily driver hot rod that rips,” he tells Willie, “I’m gonna just hammer the bank account and I’m gonna get ‘er done!”
Frank Vasquez, Chris Atkinson, and Joseph Torres of KW Suspensions check in with the guys for a Master Class in making old cars new again. “Nothing wakes a car up like putting new suspension components, parts, and pieces under it,” notes Willie at the outset, enabling them to drive like they were meant to be driven. “You would not believe the difference in the right spring and damper combination,” adds Kevin, “and the technology is through the roof.” Learn why friends don’t let friends cut springs or bump stocks; why shock speed is specific to how fast the shock is being either collapsed or extended; and why making too many changes at once can cause all manner of unforced errors.
Back in the day, steering columns offered only rudimentary functions like three-on-the-tree. Nowadays, you can retrofit just about any vehicle with state-of-the-art tech featuring spectacular upgrades. IDIDIT President/GM Trever Cornwell joins the guys for a discussion about the evolution and ergonomics of steering columns. “We tell people, ‘If you can dream it, we can build it,’” notes Trever, citing everything from aluminum to 24k gold-plated columns for very specific steering applications.
Having a lift in your shop or garage was once something people could only dream about. Today they are not only readily available but also quite affordable, and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations for a host of applications. Mark Israel of Atlas Automotive Equipment joins the guys for an in-depth tutorial on the features and benefits of 2-post, 4-post, scissor, and motorcycle lifts. “One of the biggest, baddest, coolest tools you could have is a lift,” raves Kevin, “and at a really attainable number.”
