Two Guys Garage Podcast

One of the top builders in the world, Levi Green of Hammer Fab is clearly on another level, crushing the stance on his unique creations with bad-ass attitude. The winner of the Ridler Award, Street Rod of the Year, Legend Cup and Barrett-Jackson Cup two times each(!) joins Kevin and Willie to discuss his work, his art, the state of 3D printing, the high cost of new technology, and his passion for training other professional builders how to reach their full potential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie are about to geek out over history, old stuff, and cool things they learn from Matt Anderson, Curator of Transportation at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. “We’re really about the impact of the car on American culture and how it’s changed everything,” Matt tells the guys. “Before the Model T you could get a good car, you could get a cheap car, but you couldn’t get a good, cheap car; the Model T hit that sweet spot, and that changed everything.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie groove about the first five project vehicles they’ve completed on Season 21 of the TV show – upgrading a ’68 Camaro to EFI; repairing a ’12 Super Bee with serious piston damage; decking out a pair of ‘22 Broncos; and equipping a brand-new Jeep Gladiator for overlanding. Along the way they share some of the personal projects they’re working on and provide a few tips from lessons they’ve each learned over the years, sometimes the hard way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gilmore Car Museum bills itself as North America’s largest auto museum, and for good reason. Located on 90 acres in southwestern Michigan, the sprawling campus features 7 partner museums; 190,000 square feet of exhibit space; 435 unique vehicles; 3 miles of pavement; and 100 rustic camping spaces. As summer approaches and the pandemic eases, Kevin and Willie welcome Executive Director Josh Russell to talk about pent-up visitor demand and the exciting attractions awaiting guests eager to experience everything from the latest Corvette exhibit to the popular chauffeured Ride the Classics program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wannabe builders Willie and Kevin welcome National Rod & Custom Car Hall of Famer Tim Strange for a personal tour through his storied career. From farm life to hot rod hero, from owner of Strange Motion to host of TV’s “Search & Restore”, Tim has amassed a prolific and wide-ranging body of work that is the envy of many… not least of all Willie, who recently debuted his first official SEMA build and eagerly awaits Tim’s appraisal of the finished project. But will it measure up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Gabrelcik, CEO of Lubrication Specialties, maker of Hot Shot’s Secret, returns to the podcast to update the guys on the latest developments in additives, and he’s got a lot to talk about. From the promise of new nanoparticle technology to predictions of fill-for-life oil and forever-running engines within 10 years; next evolution solutions for RVs, ATVs, marine and more; additives to make generators last 2-3X longer and ways to increase fuel economy and lower greenhouse gases at a much higher level. Says Kevin, “I feel smarter, but melted inside a little bit!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Johnson of Induction Solutions returns to the podcast to address the question, “Is nitrous the forgotten power adder?” (Spoiler alert: That’s a resounding, “No!”) As Willie is quick to point out, “Bang for buck, you can’t do it more affordably and safer than nitrous nowadays,” to which Kevin adds, “And it’s a heck of a lot of fun!” From the evolution of the I-S Holey Moley nitrous plate system that delivers 625+ hp, to direct port systems and progressive controllers, the guys reveal common hurdles and myths about nitrous and offer these sage words of advice: Beware the internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, there was a time when “a record player in the car was the ultimate in fidelity and entertainment,” notes Ted Cardenas, VP of Marketing at Pioneer Electronics. From record players to 8-tracks, cassettes to digital, satellite radio to car Wi-Fi and beyond, the 25-year company veteran excitedly tells the guys the best is yet to come. “The stuff we’ll have 5 years, 10 years, 15 years from now will eclipse everything that we have today, which is the coolest thing!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For nearly 60 years Detroit Autorama has hosted one of the most coveted competitions in custom car building, the prestigious Ridler Award. Recently returned from this year’s edition, noted designer Murray Pfaff regales the guys with all there was to see and do, including his very own D Lot – a 7,000 square foot “3-ring circus, portfolio, showcase, and epicenter” featuring a curated display of 9 one-of-a-kind vehicles and a Make-a-Wish Michigan online auction that awarded $40,000 in amazing gearhead prizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoff Hacker and Guy Dirkin have dedicated themselves to preserving the legacy of cars that most people have probably never even heard or dreamed of… including Willie and Kevin! “I don’t chase cars; I chase stories,” says Hacker. Over the last 15 years he’s invested more than 15,000 hours of work into Undiscovered Classics and curated a huge library of archival materials on rare handcrafted American sportscars. “We’re revising the stories that no one’s heard in 60 years; that’s what makes it fun.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From science and engineering to technology and design, Bob Bitzky has seen and done everything there is to see and do in the mysterious world of welding. Over the course of his nearly half-century career as a professional welder – including 35+ of them at ESAB – he has become one of the foremost experts at torching molten steel. Kevin and Willie tap into his massive knowledge base for a lesson that will absolutely blow their minds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the Car Guy’s Ultimate Dream Staycation. Located right off world-famous Woodward Ave outside the Motor City, sitting on 87 pristine acres housing 250 private garage condos ranging in size from 560 to 3000 sq ft, M1 Concourse is also home to a 1.5-mile, 11-turn high performance driving track and several world class events. As Willie exclaims to newly minted CEO Tim McGrane, “This is a place where your fun side gets to shine!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radford Racing School in Chandler, Arizona is the official High Performance Driving School of Dodge//SRT plus a whole lot more. “R-A-D defines the school,” raves Willie. “It’s a playground with four tires,” extols Kevin. With 85 Dodge vehicles on campus – everything from Demons to Hellcats to Vipers – plus Lotus Evora GT and Formula 4 cars – GM Mike Kessler has one of the best jobs in the business. He’s also got amazing stories to share, including the incredible tale of Hellcat Granny that you’ve got to hear to believe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Skrape is up for anything and everything. The former co-founder of Tapout is known to pick up normal family-style cars on the cheap and transform them into horsepower heroes. His quirky fascination with wagons is well-known…as is his company. Black Widow Exhaust offers a unique line of mufflers with names like Venom, Widowmaker, Neighborhater and Angry Housewife. “It’s all a marketing thing,” he explains to Willie and Kevin, “but you have to have a good product to back it up, which we do.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SVTPerformance.com is THE go-to online forum for anything performance-related in the Ford world. Launched by Travis Hill in late 2000, today it numbers nearly 200,000 members and counting. “It is just a massive community of Ford enthusiasts who share a passion for just going fast,” Hill tells the guys, compelling even lifelong Mopar fan Willie B to take notice. “Make it, break it, build it better; get out there and have some fun!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Of the legendary Ken Lingenfelter, Willie says, “I bet more hours of his life have been dedicated to speeding up our rides and our cars and our events than probably anything else in his world.” And a most remarkable world it is! Noting that “there’s so much passion and enthusiasm with this whole car enthusiast side of things,” Ken engages the guys in a lively discussion touching on some of the top VIP moments over the course of his illustrious career, as well as the best, worst and most underrated Corvettes of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reggie Wynn returns to the podcast for the first time since our inaugural episode and suffice it to say, there’ve been some pretty big developments in turbo tech since then. Turbonetics and Precision Turbo are now making units capable of producing up to 3000 horsepower, and their parent company is the only aftermarket manufacturer offering class-specific turbochargers. “This is the Golden Age of four-digit horsepower,” Kevin excitedly notes. “We are drug addicted with this stuff!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Diesel’s here to stay, there’s no question about it now that diesel’s gotten so clean,” says Clint Cannon, and he would know. Willie and Kevin welcome the President of ATS Diesel Performance to the podcast to dissect the popular misconception that EPA-mandated emissions technology is somehow killing performance, instead making the case that OE trucks delivering 500+ hp and 1000+ lb-ft of torque is a clear indication that one is not at the expense of the other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, there’s another Willie B in the world – his mirrored identical twin, Billy. They’re two chips off the old engine block, each having inherited the car bug gene from their dad. Despite Willie’s well-known affinity for Mopar and Billy’s for GM, the brothers are otherwise symbiotic best friends, competitors, and passionate car guys. Kevin is anything but the third wheel in today’s conversation, chatting with the brothers about all things automotive, including Billy’s new venture in the tuning and dyno business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Kevin and Willie set out to shed some light on the inherent mystery of, and awesome tools available for, tuning your vehicle. Noting that 1000 hp is the new 350, they enlist Jay Payson of HP Tuners to address both the ease and complexity of a successful tune. “We make the tools to tune with and our customers are doing the tuning,” says Jay. “And it’s absolutely remarkable what these guys are able to accomplish.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin’s buddy of 25 years, Doug DeLong, left the frozen tundra of Detroit for the great outdoors of Colorado, where he founded Well Sorted Automotive to celebrate the wide world of overlanding. As he tells the guys, “Most of what we’re doing is kind of that lifestyle of living the off-grid camp life,” largely by converting vintage trucks for off-roading, adventuring, and camping. Putting modern power in some of these old school platforms and bringing them back to life combines nostalgia with a cool factor that Willie and Kevin absolutely love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RaceQuip has been producing fire protection and safety gear for the racing community since 1975. Patrick “The Badger” Utt bought the company out of bankruptcy in 2006 and nurtured it back to life. The root of his success? “It’s all about building quality gear and coming in at that price point that that grassroots racer is looking for and being competitive at that.” And while this life saving equipment isn’t always top of mind with his customers, as he bluntly explains to Kevin and Willie, “Safety gear is less expensive than skin grafts.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Horsepower is like a drug; you race somebody and beat ‘em, you can’t wait to race the next guy.” So says John Meaney, the man behind the powerhouse that is Big Stuff 3. A trained engineer and passionate hot rodder, he makes some of the biggest power you’ve ever seen. According to Kevin, “it’s like a whole vehicle management rocket ship computer,” something Willie knows all about firsthand from running the products on his own cars. So, strap in for this one, it’s going to be a very fast ride! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The design work of Motofab’s Ernie Miyamoto spans a wide spectrum of creativity that can truly be defined as art. His one-of-a-kind ’72 VW Super Beetle hot rod is a triumph of fabrication and style, not to mention “the funnest car you’ll ever, ever be in in your life!” Building a car with the exhaust in mind, Ernie works freehand without the benefit of renderings. He’s learned a lot of lessons over the years, and as he tells Kevin and Willie in this podcast, “the hard part is visualizing it and making sure it fits; the other part is just fabricating.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake Hawksworth and Jon Miller are at the forefront of what many expect to be an enormous explosion in the motorsports community: electric conversion kits. Electron and proton-produced power, performance and range are the order of the day at Hypercraft, causing die hard traditionalists Willie and Kevin fits wrapping their brains around the sea change now upon them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Willie and Kevin are going vintage, beyond old school, to a time when Ford’s phenomenal flathead engine with its iconic V8 brought affordable parts to the masses – and gave birth to the original hot-rodding era in the process. Joining them on their journey is Bill Jagenow of Brothers Custom Automotive, who has an unbelievable eye for details and knows these engines inside and out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 6’5”, Cooper MacNeil is not your average race car driver. With numerous wins and championships to his credit – ALMS, Ferrari Challenge, Petit Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring – he’s run some of the world’s most iconic races, from Daytona to Le Mans. Noting that “you’re pretty much 100% every lap for 24 hours straight” has Willie and Kevin green with envy. “There’s nothing quite like doing 200 miles an hour – legally, that’s the key!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Godzilla is no longer just King of the Monsters – it’s also the latest engine from the Ford Motor Company, a 7.3L 446 V8 monster available on E-Series vans, Super Duty pickups and as a standalone crate engine. Brian Wolfe, retired Director of Global Engine Engineering at Ford, joins the guys for a revealing conversation on how this gamechanger came to be and what it means for the future of racing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From crankshafts to connecting rods, cams to engine blocks, Callies Performance Products is known for its trademark excellence, precision tolerances, high grade materials, demanding specs, and benchmark quality control standards. Direct from PRI, Heath Norton returns to the podcast for a chat with the guys on a wide range of topics, chief among them the challenges facing the performance industry from both the pandemic and the rising prominence of the EV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tommy Boileau is a consummate Throttle Jockey: racing go karts at age 7, Spec Miata at 14 and SCCA World Challenge at 16; eventually testing in Indycar and NASCAR before moving up to V8 Supercross, Rallycross and the Pikes Peak Hillclimb, an event he describes as “the biggest adrenaline rush I’ve ever had or probably ever will have.” In this podcast, Kevin and Willie tap Tommy’s professional expertise to get tips for Weekend Warriors, from setting tire pressure to adjusting sway bars and tuning shocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corry and Jason Weller met racing ATV Motocross in 2001 and have been together ever since. She’s raced Pro 4, won a UTV championship for Yamaha, and now runs for Can-Am. Aside from operating their successful aftermarket parts business, he’s been competing in King of the Hammers since 2016; together they’ll be co-drivers in the ’22 event. The dynamic couple joins the guys to talk about play time, work time, and their favorite pastime vacationing at one of the world’s most lawless spots! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 gets off to a white-hot start as Kevin and Willie host welder extraordinaire Chris Razor for a not-to-be-missed master class featuring invaluable DIY tips and tricks. With clients including SpaceX and NASA, Chris is THE go-to guy who can burn just about anything – aluminum, steel, copper, titanium; you name it. From MIG to TIG, spacesuits to sunglasses, this dude’s got skills! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh from SEMA where his ’66 Charger made a huge splash, Willie B is pumped up about one of the most lauded builds of the show: Arrington Performance’s showpiece hydrogen-burning truck. We’re talking internal combustion engine here; no fuel cell and virtually no emissions. The mastermind behind the project, Mike Copeland, joins the guys to explain how it works, what it does, and what it means for the future of the automobile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the racetrack, the dealership, and in the aftermarket, Roush Performance and Ford are attached at the hip. “And aftermarket is truly not even a good term in my opinion,” says Director of Aftermarket Products Josh Hipp, “because every single thing that we do is engineered to Ford’s level or above.” Case in point: the hugely successful Roush F-150 Nitemare, billed as “the quickest production truck ever made.” As Josh explains to the guys, it’s this spirt for constantly pushing the envelope that keeps the company at the top of its game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie kick off Season 3 with a gripping conversation about one of the fastest-growing aftermarket categories flying under the radar – tire tech. Finding the right tire for your application is critical and may just be THE single biggest performance-related aspect of your vehicle. Ron Elliot of Hercules Tires is on hand to discuss the latest rip-roaring advances in all things rubber, from rock crawling to mudslinging, swamp to street. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might refer to the 2JZ as The Little Engine That Does. “It’s probably the engine that really pushed the envelope for the imports,” says Victor Alvarez, the Oz behind the curtain at Induction Performance. As he tells Kevin and Willie, “It’s 2021 and we’re talking about an engine that was released in 1994 and it’s still extremely relevant.” Find out why, plus a whole lot more, including Victor’s picks for the 5 most crazy-fast street cars on the road these days, a couple of which might really surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nothing affects your ride more than shocks and struts; they’re controlling the amount of bounce of the vehicle and the tire that’s gripping the road. Aaron Shaffer, KYB’s Director of Marketing and Product, is a former racer and go-to guy for any and all suspension-related questions. Today he joins Kevin and Willie with advice on controlling that bumpy road; how to know when it’s time for service or replacement; why it’s absolutely critical to increase damping when adding a bigger, heavier, larger wheel and tire; and assorted hacks to avoid unnecessary and costly DIY mistakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raised as a pit kid at the family-owned Brainerd International Raceway, daughter of a 27-time SCCA Champion, Courtney Hansen is without doubt one of the best-known automotive personalities on television. Perhaps not quite as well-known: she and Kevin Byrd came up together in the business on one of the most iconic automotive shows of all time. “We were kids on Overhaulin’ and all these years later we have kids of our own!” exclaims Courtney on this nostalgic and heartfelt trip down Memory Lane and into her multi-faceted present. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who among us hasn’t scraped a curb and damaged a rim or tire? This can be a real nuisance, and a potentially pricey fix. Patrick Fletch joins the guys to explain how AlloyGator’s seamless system applies an engineering mindset to provide personalized protection, visual pop, and a colorful styling solution. Along the way, Willie introduces a phenomenon he’s dubbed “rolling mustard and mayonnaise” that swings the conversation in an unexpected direction! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heath Norton, VP of Callies Performance Products and its sister company, Energy Manufacturing Ltd., returns to the podcast to update the guys on some new product releases and the surprising impact the pandemic has had on the aftermarket. “We’re in the Second Golden Age of Muscle Cars,” he exclaims. “The streetcar market has gone bonkers!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie welcome the “Father of the Ford GT” Chris Theodore for a special extended conversation chronicling his remarkable career in the automotive industry. The “engineer’s engineer,” Theodore has been a driving force behind some of the greatest vehicles of the 20th Century and beyond. His historic collaborations with the late Carroll Shelby culminated in the 2004 Ford Shelby Cobra Concept car that gives his book – and this podcast – its subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nothing gets car guys fired up quite like the throaty growl of an exhaust system – the balance of loudness and quality, the flavors of the exhaust notes. As systems are getting more and more complicated, the guys wonder what’s coming down the pipeline, literally. “We’re in a world today where you have total system continuity,” answers the man from Magnaflow, Richard Waitas. “From the bumper to the motor to the exhaust to the interior, everything’s connected.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Gabrelcik of Hot Shot’s Secret returns to the podcast for another deep dive into the complex chemistry of lubricants, oils, and fluids. With his VP of Research and Development Kevin Adams in tow, the Guru of Goo leads Kevin and Willie through some of the key principles of Tribology, the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. The conversation is anything but dry; stick around! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christmas comes early this year in the form of the all-new TREMEC TKX, their slimmer, rounder, lighter next generation 5-speed transmission that delivers an astounding 8000 RPM. “This is the first time we’ve actually developed a transmission specifically for the aftermarket,” says TREMEC’s Mike Kidd, while Kevin and Willie pick their dropped jaws off the floor. With multiple shifter locations capable of handling those 8000 RPMs, it’s the sweet spot that weekend warriors and hot rod builders have been needing for a really long time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s cars and trucks are increasingly more complex machines running on ever more powerful computers, spitting out codes and diagnostic information that can be difficult for a DIYer to decipher. The new OTOFIX scanning tool is poised to change all that, offering dealer quality, access, and capability at an affordable price. Maurice Miller and Daniel Bemiss join Kevin and Willie to discuss the super powerful, easy to use, and highly connected device that Kevin hails as the “solution that I’ve been looking for!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A safety fuel cell is a legit piece of racing hardware; an indispensable replacement for a fuel tank with a whole lot of advantages for hotrodders. Aero Tec Laboratories has been producing and perfecting these since 1970. Ron Ross attributes ATL’s success to constant R&D and one fundamental principle: “We can’t sit still and not move forward.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As co-host of the long-running MotorTrend series Truck U from Day 1, Matt Steele has seen a virtual truckload of trends come and go. Over the course of 17 seasons to date, his passion for all things trucks burns as brightly as ever. As he tells Kevin and Willie, “I’ve always been a truck guy,” and nowhere is this more evident than in his day job as owner of the mud bogging off-road event series, Trucks Gone Wild. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few things are a bigger bummer than overheating. But keeping a white-hot engine running cool is no easy task. Willie and Kevin know that not all fans are created equal, and in this podcast, Fred Garza of Maradyne High Performance Fans provides some fresh insights about staying cool under extreme heat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the release of its TKX next generation transmission in late 2020, TREMEC’s totally redesigned model quickly proved itself a gamechanger for both cars and trucks. While the timing may have initially seemed potentially disastrous, Modern DriveLine’s Bruce Couture reports that sales are up 70 percent over the prior year. “This pandemic has been great for business,” he ecstatically tells the guys, with no end in sight anytime soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Classic hot rods are as much about cruising as they are about digging deep and going fast. But they don’t offer much beyond three original gears. Adding a Gear Vendors overdrive system is a simple and versatile way to correct that and still maintain the value and integrity of the vehicle. In this episode, the guys get the skinny from company CEO Rick Johnson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices