Tales of a Gearhead

When it comes to our projects' interior, we all love it when it's finished and looks great but hate the road we have to travel to get there. Well, to make that journey a bit easier, Stacey is joined by Jonas & Eric from AUTO KUSTOMS out of Harrodsburg, KY. They discuss how they got started, what made them get into interior work, their least favorite vehicles to work on, AND bounce around few ideas for what they & Stacey might do with APACHE project.

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?"

Stacey has the legendary PETER BROCK in the shop. They dig deep into Peter's history working with Carroll Shelby designing the Shelby Daytona coupe, his BRE racing days, working with Nissan perfecting the original Z-Car engine, and his early pioneering work in hang glider designs. Yes, you read that right, hang gliding! Peter describes how he took those early bamboo, duct tape, and plastic "kites" people were using in the late 1960's and turned them into state-of-the art hang gliders which led the industry in safety improvements.

What time is it? It's ZCON time! You might be asking, "What is ZCON?" Well, it's the premier annual international gathering for Nissan/Datsun Z-car enthusiasts featuring motorsports, car shows, group drives, and social events celebrating the iconic Z-car legacy. And this year it stopped in Nashville. So, naturally, Stacey went down to check it out and brought back a few friends to the shop to discuss what makes this convention so special.

Stacey has a couple guests in the shop for this episode. First up are L.J. and MUNCH from LIFT KING. They discuss how they design & develop all their products and what they love about the automotive lifestyle, from their favorite rides to MUNCH's passion for painting. After that, Al Allen from CALIFORNIA DATSUN is in to talk about all things Z-CAR and especially Stacey's newest project, an original 1970 240Z that he recently found in Georgia.

Stacey is out of the shop and on the road at the IOLA OLD CAR SHOW in Iola, Wisconsin! First up - Stacey chats with HEATHER STORM. They talk about her work in television hosting the Discovery/Velocity series GARAGE SQUAD and turning her passion for food, wine, and travel into her multi-media lifestyle blog, ON THE ROAD. After that - Stacey has an in-depth conversation with Emily & Aaron Reeves from FLYING SPARKS GARAGE. They cover everything from creating and building their highly successful YouTube channel, navigating the ever-changing media landscape, and how their faith and love of family has helped and guided them every step of the way.

Garrett Niss and Kyle Fischer are in the shop to talk about Garrett's one of a kind custom turbo diesel '06 Dodge Ram and a very cool new product that Hot Shot's Secret has coming out for LS engines. After that, Kai Smith from Mid-Tenn Media Blasting talks with Stacey about his mobile media blasting company and having the grit to decide to leave his desk job at age 30 - with a wife & newborn baby - to start his own business from the ground up.

Ben Smithson from SMITHSON SPEED & ENGINEERING is in the shop today. He and Stacey dive deep into the ins & outs, do's & don'ts, and everything in between about opening and running your own premier hot rod and custom car shop.

The STUNT DOUBLE is on the road. Of course, no GEARZ project is truly completed without an accompanying guitar. So, Stacey has Anthony Sims from LUCKY DOG GUITARS in the shop to discuss the custom built six string. Anthony talks about how his love for music and playing live led to him and a group of buddies opening up a dance hall at 18 years old, how that led to building his first custom guitar and opening his small three-man shop in East Tennessee, and of course his two current automotive projects - a '68 Charger and an original DeLorean that he inherited from his grandfather who purchased TWO of them just before John Delorean's arrest.

TOM GATTUSO, vice president of events for SEMA phones into to the shop to talk with Stacey about – you guessed it – the upcoming SEMA show this fall in Las Vegas! They dive into the history of the event, how it has changed throughout the years, what is new for this year's event, and SEMA Fest which will feature live performances from QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, THE BLACK CROWES, and NEON TREES.

On this episode, Max McCroskey from RESURRECTED CLASSICS is in the shop to discuss his love of the Z-Car. After that, Stacey shakes open the mailbag to offer some advice on torque converter stall, converting a '79 C-20 to a 4x4, and tow-strap safety.

Matt Graves from AMERICAN POWERTRAIN is back in the shop to discuss all things related to "saving the stick" and beyond.

Stacey continues his conversation with automotive journalist/author Jefferson Bryant. They discuss his love of music (especially classic funk) and playing the bass, his newest book (LS ENGINE PARTS INTERCHANGE: 1997-2020), and their love/hate relationship working on classic Jaguar XK-Es. Stacey also answers a listener question - "Can I get my '41 FORD COE hot rod - with a fresh 406 small block Chevy - to run off of a 350 throttle body?"

Automotive journalist / author Jefferson Bryant is in the shop. In this first part of a two-part interview, Stacey and Jefferson talk about his early days growing up in Oklahoma storm chasing with his dad, his love of Buicks - especially his '71 Buick GS, which at one point was the world's loudest true convertible (154.7db), and the various paths that led him into journalism and becoming an author.

Jeff Kelderman from KELDERMAN MANUFACTURING is in the shop, but he is not alone. He brought with him his two favorite birds. No, these aren't pet parakeets or parrots. One is the actual hero car used in the David Spade cult classic JOE DIRT. The other is a Superbird that Jeff had cloned into a replica of the Joe Dirt Daytona with way more power and creature comforts that he plans to use as a daily driver. Stacey and Jeff dig into Jeff's love of the film, how it led to him going after it at Barrett-Jackson, and the insane amount of work that went to turning that Superbird into everyone's favorite heap from the movie.

Stacey continues his conversation with singer/songwriter Chris Hennessee. They dive in on a lot of firsts. First guitar. First lick learned on the guitar. First song learned on the guitar. Then they discuss the bands and players that influenced them, the state of the music industry, how judging art as a contest is never a good thing, and finally Chris' new podcast FULLY ARMED.

In this episode, musician/songwriter Chris Hennessee is in the shop to swap some tales with Stacey. In part one of this two-part interview, Chris talks about his early days playing the honkytonks on Nashville's Lower Broadway, how back then Lower Broadway was MUCH different than it is today, and meeting/jamming with a young Jamey Johnson. Stacey and Chris also discuss how their approach to songwriting is very similar to their approach to automotive projects, including Chris' current '95 white Ford BRONCO project.

Stacey has YouTuber DYLAN MCCOOL in the shop! They discuss Dylan's childhood growing up in a MOPAR household, earning $600 at the age of 10 to get his first project car - a '74 DART SPORT, how his love of teaching applies to his YouTube channel, and why he wouldn't be where he is today without his faith and family.

Josh Dillon AKA "SLEEPERDUDE" is in the shop. Stacey and Josh talk about how he got into cars, starting a YouTube channel, leaving his auto body day job to do YouTube full time, his upcoming projects, and the important roles family and faith play in his life.

Charley Strickland from STRICKLAND MOTOR RACING INC is back in the shop. He and Stacey discuss his long planned next project - THE SURFACE ORBITER 2. "What's that?" you're thinking? Well, it's Charley's take on the Dobbertin Surface Orbiter, which was an amphibious vehicle designed and built by Rick Dobbertin in the 1990s. The DSO started out from a 1959 Heil milk tank trailer and was modified by Dobbertin over the course of 4 1/2 years. On February 23, 1995, the DSO became the first car to transit the Panama Canal. Then Stacey answers some listener questions about wanting to add a winch system to a vehicle with plastic bumpers, installing an Edison Diesel Electric Kit, and when to paint, powder-coat, or get a liner. *Image from Dobbertin Performance

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  A new year means a new season of GEARZ, and of course, TALES OF A GEARHEAD. Stacey teases what you can look forward to in the upcoming 2025 season. Then he sits down with his daughter Talon. They talk about what it was like growing up in a house full of wrenches, guitars & amps, her now living in London, and her dual careers as an audiobook narrator & singer/songwriter. After that, Stacey dives into the mailbag with advice on what to do with all those old drill bits, how measuring for a driveshaft must include proper ride height/weight and how a HEMI swap might just be the best thing for an older DURANGO project.

Dave Gossett from DAVIKKI Ltd is back in the shop. Stacey and Dave have an in-depth discussion about the evolution of the kit car from cheap backyard projects of the '70s/'80s to the high end component cars of today, the early builds that got Dave in trouble with Ferrari, the vast improvements of fiberglass through the years, and how all that went into the new RETROFORMANCE M6GT project. Then Stacey answers a listener question about when your project is about to go from a level 1 to a level 2.

Charley Strickland from STRICKLAND RACING INC made the trip all the way up from Fort Worth, TX to chat with Stacey in the GEARZ shop. They discuss his early days building go-karts and junior dragsters in his backyard, street racing to put himself through college, and his time with Fastlane Engineering/circle track racing which led him to his current work – designing top of the line all-aluminum monocoque chassis for Lamborghini Countach, Manta Mirage, and McLaren M6GT replicas.

LaVon Miller from Firepunk Diesel and Kyle Fischer from Hot Shot's Secret are in the shop with Stacey today. They discuss LaVon's 90-POUND weight loss journey on the carnivore diet, Firepunk's decision this year to switch from a diesel S-10 to a diesel Mopar Duster, and how Hot Shot's Secret has been there every step of the way on this record-breaking season. After that, Stacey chats with Dave Gossett from DAVVIKI LTD. Only they're not discussing his work with RETROFORMANCE providing them with the first prototype body for their M6GT replica. Instead, Stacey and Dave get into tales of their past as professional musicians, favorite guitars and players, and how Dave ended up replacing a certain singer who would go on to become world famous for his smooth beard filtered vocals.

Dennis Overholser, the visionary co-founder and inventor of Painless Performance Products, is in the shop today. Stacey and Dennis dive into how Dennis' early days in the military and his frustration with rewiring projects at the time led him to create Painless Performance Products. It's a company that to this day prides itself on innovation, quality, and the pursuit of excellence in automotive electrical systems. After that, it's a quick dive into the mailbag where Stacey answers a listener question about a '78 Z-28 front & rearend conversion.

Heavy equipment YouTuber Andrew Camarata stopped by the studio and discussed everything from growing up watching Stacey on Trucks! to creating a 1 MILLION subscriber YouTube channel from a property management business and building a castle out of shipping containers!

Stacey chats with Lonnie McCurry and Malerie Pike from SKYJACKER. They discuss the company's beginnings, its growth from a small two bay garage to their current 80,000 sq/ft facility, the importance of SKYJACKER's constant research & development, and how faith & family have made the company everything it is today.

Ben and Dick Strenkowski from RETROFORMANCE are in the shop today. Stacey and the father/son duo dig into RETROFORMANCE's humble beginnings as a machine/service shop started by Dick's father, and how that has led to their hot new M6GT project. It's a redesigned and modernized version of the iconic M6GT that was created by Bruce McLaren to be the fastest road car in the world in 1969. Then it's off to the mail room, where Stacey answers a listener question about why he doesn't like to include individual parts prices on projects built on the show.

Stacey sits down with Scooter Williams to talk about his creation: the South's biggest, baddest hot rod, custom car, rat rod show, AND swap meet – THE REDNECK RUMBLE. This year's show takes place on Sept. 20 -21, 2024 in Lebanon TN.

"Oh, I think you need all that bass." - ancient Buck's Super Stereo World saying. John Myers from KICKER Audio is in the shop to talk all things car audio. From amps to speaker placement, to DSR technology and beyond. So, dust off that TK-421 modification and get ready to have this episode get an extra three or four quads per channel, but that's just technical talk. Turn it up!

In this second part of Stacey's interview with the guys from LOKAR Performance Products, Skip Walls hops on the mic with Stacey, and they discuss Skip's early days in California, building up LOKAR, moving the company to East Tennessee, the current state of the industry & where they see it going, and what Skip thinks makes up a hot rod. Then it's into the mailbag, where Stacey offers some advice to a listener wondering how to get younger people into cars and trucks.

In this first part of Stacey's two-part interview with Skip Walls and Brian Downard from LOKAR Performance Products. Stacey sits down with his longtime friend and raconteur, Brian. Where all manner of gearhead tales get told. Including Brian's legendary Christmas ham incident. Might not be for the faint of heart, but it is definitely hilarious and one you won't soon forget.

Stacey continues his conversation with Abe Wine, owner of SHOPRAT METAL WORKS and co-host of History Channel's TRUCK NIGHT IN AMERICA. They discuss Abe returning to home help out with the family shop, the dire need for quality mechanics, the importance of learning mechanical skills (especially welding), Abe's ongoing 1954 FORD F-500 Y-Block project, and finally discipline & the art of apple butter.

Stacey sits down with ABE WINE, owner of SHOPRAT METAL WORKS and co-host of History Channel's TRUCK NIGHT IN AMERICA. Abe talks about growing up in rural Virginia, the important influence of his uncle & granddad had on his childhood, and the strange & winding road that led him to being on television.

Part two of Stacey's interview with Derek Bieri from Vice Grip Garage. Stacey and Derek dig into their other great passions - guitar playing and music. They discuss the role music plays in car culture, their favorite guitars & guitar players, Stacey's time as a session musician in Nashville, A.I.'s effect on the industry, and the importance of family and being true to who you are.

This episode begins with part one of Stacey's interview Derek Bieri from Vice Grip Garage. They discuss Derek's youth growing up on a farm in Minnesota & Wisconsin and how that led to his automotive passion, the early days of his shop and the creation of his wildly popular YouTube Channel. Then it's into the mailbag where Stacey answers some listener questions about removing oil from your vehicle, cleaning and maintaining leather, and the differences between protectants and cleaners.

Jeremy Stoermer from Holley Performance Products is in the shop today. He and Stacey talk about what Holley has going on for the year, upcoming shows & events, plus some good ole fashioned Mopar chat.

Andrew Collins, executive editor of THEDRIVE.COM calls in to talk with Stacey about what THE DRIVE is all about, his early days getting into all things automotive - including his time as an off-road guide in Australia, his thoughts on the new Ford Ranger Raptor, renewable energy and dream projects.

Stacey ZOOMs into the magic of the internet to chat with Tony Muckleroy from JEEPTALKSHOW.com to deep dive about all things JEEP and more!

Stacey talks with Trevor Cornwell from IDIDIT to discuss one of the most underrated BUT also one of the most important parts of any build: the steering column. They also dive into the history of IDIDIT, where they see the future of the aftermarket steering column industry heading and Trevor's current projects, dream projects, and what makes a hot rod.

Ace photographer Curt Lerner, from GET LIT CREATIVE IMAGING, swings by the shop to chat with Stacey about his lifelong love of automobiles and photography, an upcoming project involving SGT ROCK, and everything that goes into his specialized highly detailed automotive photography. Then it's a quick grab out of the mail bag. Stacey offers some suggestions on how to get more power out of a '02 S-10, with a V6 that has over 100K miles.

Like Glenn Frey once sang "The heat is on…" and with the summer months fast approaching. Stacey has in depth conversation with Chris Schwartz from Heatshield Products about all things heat related to a one's project.

Favorite intriguing vehicles? Stacey has a few. He also has some answers to listeners trying to find a tilt steering column for a '70 CJ-5, what synthetic oil would be best for a '64 GTO, and is there a build sheet for Stacey's old Wicked Willys project.

It's a new year and Stacey hits the ground running with another listener question lightning round. Touching on everything from '80s Chevy speedometers, project regrets, the best engine for a '40s/'50s Model A, how to hold onto a project, high mileage vehicles and of course… guitars!

The chimneys are getting swept, the house fuses popping from one too many plugs in the living room outlet, and that special lamp is displayed for the whole street to see. Stacey celebrates the podcast's 100th episode and shares some of his favorite gearhead Christmas memories. Then he looks ahead to all the great projects he has in store for 2024.

Stacey sits down with Chris Picconi from Classic4x4.com and the host of the "Classic 4x4 Podcast". They dig into Chris' background in finance and how that led him to follow his passion of classic 4x4s, as well as the current trends in the auction world and how to properly navigate getting your vehicle ready to go up on the block!

Part 2 of Stacey's interview with STRANGE MOTION ROD & CUSTOM's Tim Strange. Stacey and Tim continue their talk about the state of custom auto business, share war stories about doing work on trade, the importance of shop safety, and how a freak accident nearly cost Tim his life.

In the first of a two part interview, custom builder Tim Strange from Strange Motion Rod & Custom sits down with Stacey to talk about his early days growing up on a farm, getting his love of all things automotive working on Harleys with his Dad, his first builds, BMX racing, to his time on television, having his own shop with his wife and the eternal question "what makes a hotrod?"

Don Russell returns to the shop to discuss Cornwell's new line of ARCA tool boxes. Then, it's into the mailbag where Stacey offers advice on shop towels, the desirability of 4-doors & long beds, and an engine combo suggestion for a 90's 4x4 project.

Kyle Fischer from Hot Shot's Secret and Johnny Gilbert from Stainless Diesel are in the shop to talk about Johnny's '63 Corvette Cummins Diesel dragster, guitars, rock & roll, and hot rods. Then, Stacey helps out a listener with a header issue and shares another listener's story about his father's P-40 Flying Tiger.