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.”

Ross Berlanga of TMI Products joins the guys to discuss a real pain in the butt for drivers: uncomfortable seats. It may be a little-known fact that outside of paint, high quality upholstery is one of the bigger costs you can incur on a car, and as Willie notes, “Nothing changes the game like getting that seat when it’s fit right, that you feel secure in.” From the virtues of molded foam vs. cut foam, to demystifying low back seats and converting truck benches to buckets, get ready to learn everything you ever wanted to know – and then some – about seats!

On the eve of his retirement from Hot Shot’s Secret, Chris Gabrelcik joins the guys for one final conversation, touching on how best to prep and store the toys of summer, and busting some longstanding myths on the longevity of engine oil that’s been left sitting for months on end. “There’s no reason to not use a fuel additive always… not only do they clean out the system and lubricate it, they also make the storage much better because they have fuel stabilizers that keep it fresh for two years.”