Two Guys Garage Podcast

“The future creates the present.” So Google’s top-rated futurist speaker Thomas Frey tells the guys in this fascinating podcast. From predictions of the death of the internal combustion engine and the emergence of the 1000-mile range electric car, to the impact of autonomous vehicles on real estate values and how the Covid era will fundamentally change mankind, “We’re gonna try to stretch people’s thinking a little bit here, so let’s jump right in!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie ponder the science, the mystery, the voodoo behind the harmonic balancer that holds an engine together. They invite Fluidampr’s Ivan Snyder III to school them on the three types of vibration to be aware of – unbalanced, axial and torsional – starting with Lesson #1: You know you’ve gotta have a damper, but what the hell is it? The answer: It’s crucial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Willie go behind the scenes with longtime SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting as he prepares to roll out SEMA 360, the organization’s new online platform created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the annual Las Vegas trade show. With over 6,000 member companies, the Specialty Equipment Market Association is much more than its namesake event. The preeminent trade association of the automotive aftermarket is on the front line of defense, actively tackling the biggest challenges facing the $45 billion industry. “It’s a whack-a-mole gig” that keeps Chris extremely busy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rambler Ranch in Colorado is, in a word, unique. THE destination for all things AMC, Nash (and Kelvinator appliances) is home to, as Willie puts it, “one of the most amazing car collections on Earth.” Started in 1992 with 30 cars and now numbering upwards of 800, rarities include a 1955 Pinin Farina Speciale, 1948 Nash Tow Truck, AMC Marquesa prototype, and the only AMC Concord Touring Car in existence. “I have seen grown men cry,” says caretaker Ben Hamilton, “and I’m not joking.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Troy Ladd has a special love for old school hot rods, especially 30’s-era hot rods. Ever since he built his first car in high school – a ’66 Mustang – the visionary behind Hollywood Hot Rods has made his bones on new stuff that looks like old stuff and makes you feel like you’re back in 1936. From one-of-a-kind barnyard finds to the one that got away, Troy tells the guys, “I wish I had the ability to keep them all and never sell a car,” but unfortunately that’s no way to run a business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Christopher Titus is an automotive addict. “The disease bites you,” he admits to Kevin and Willie. “It’s terminal, I can’t get rid of it, and I’m glad I have it!” In a lively discussion, the trio of horsepower freaks share crash and burn stories, discuss the famous Titus-Foose “Once a Knight” ’56 Chevy, and agree that “cars are a great litmus test for any relationship you’re in”… well, that and IKEA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Engine builder Jon Kaase is all about winning. The 1977 NHRA Pro Stock Championship. 12X Mountain Motor Pro Stock Champion. 9X Engine Masters Challenge Champion. You get the picture. Jon recently sat down with Kevin and Willie to discuss his many accomplishments, most notably the revered Boss Nine automotive engine, and his many big engine battles in the marine world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a fairly simple equation: More Air + More Fuel = More Power. A supercharger can boost that power by as much as 50-85%. Now ProCharger has changed the game with its F3X capable of generating 3500 HP @ 70,000 RPM. Sergio Shifman joins the guys to explore the company’s lineup of full kits that can add hundreds of horses to late-model vehicles in a single weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Art, sophistication, elegance, performance and total badass-ery are the hallmarks of Rad Rides by Troy. As Bonneville, SEMA and Ridler Award-winning custom builder Troy Trepanier informs Willie and Kevin, “this ain’t no 40-hour job,” and that’s no joke. With a pledge to constantly raise the bar without sacrificing quality, he lives by his mantra: “We try to let the car tell us what it wants a little bit.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second of their two-part interview with Gale Banks, Willie and Kevin get deeper insights into the man who changed the history of the internal combustion engine. “I’m hopelessly addicted to horsepower,” exclaims the racing legend who cut his teeth on gas and is now largely known for diesel. On predicting what lies ahead, the born to run competitor anticipates “it has to have a higher energy density.” And that’s just the beginning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gale Banks is a force to be reckoned with – a legend with 11 patents and hundreds of copyrights, he has literally changed the world of hot rodding. In the first of a two-part conversation with Kevin and Willie, the self-described “full-blooded nerd” reflects on numerous milestones throughout his 50+ years in the business, concluding that “the underlying theme for my whole career is the turbo charger.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Tooley of BTR Racing is like a master chef who brings together unlikely ingredients to create unique recipes for high horsepower systems. Willie and Kevin welcome “The King of Cams” back to the podcast for a professional grade discussion on boosted vs. nitrous in the HP wars, and whether nitrous and supercharging can work together. As Kevin observes, “The world is full of random facts, and this guy puts it together in some sort of map.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Fragnoli’s dad was an electrician who knew nothing about cars, but when he lost a union election, he chucked it all and bought a junkyard. Since then, the family Pick-a-Part has morphed into Cleveland Power and Performance, a virtual gold mine for swapping modern power trains into old school metal. On this episode, Rick sits down with the guys to talk about the journey from the bone yard to “the Panacea of Power Plants,” and in particular his game changing ’69 Charger project called Reverence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CARtoons Magazine entertained and enthralled generations of car kids and adults from its birth in 1959 through its final issue in 1991. That is until 2015, when Mark Methout unexpectedly resurrected the legendary title. In this podcast, the CEO and Publisher regales Willie and Kevin with the colorful tale of his unlikely journey from recovering the abandoned trademark and reuniting some of the original artists, to reviving the beloved publication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bogi is not only co-host of MotorTrend’s hit series All Girls Garage; she’s a renowned ASE certified master technician and owner of Girl Gang Garage in Phoenix, Arizona. In a candid conversation with Kevin and Willie, Bogi discusses the challenges she faced coming up in a male-dominated industry; her passion for empowering women to take a more active role in car ownership and career opportunities in the automotive field; and how Two Guys Garage influenced her decision to branch out into television. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Evan Smith of REVan Media has a reputation as THE behind-the-scenes media mogul of the automotive world – a writer/photographer/test pilot with all the inside scoop on the OEs. And man, can this guy wheel! Kevin and Willie sit down with REVan Evan for a freewheeling discussion about all the baddest, newest and trendiest goings on, and what it’s like in the driver’s seat of the Ford GT 350 and 500, Corvette C8, Dodge 392 and ZL1 Camaro. Strap in and hang on for a fun ride! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following in his dad’s footsteps, Mark Bowler began scraping transmissions at age 9 and rebuilding Mom and Pop trannies by 13. His dad deterred him from performance stuff until he retired in 2001, and today Bowler Performance Transmissions works with all the top companies around the world. On this episode, Mark and the guys discuss the difference between rebuilt and reman; less gears, more gears and overdrive; and the pros and cons of paddle shift automatic transmissions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Hagan is ruthless on the racetrack, but as nice a guy as you’ll ever meet in person. As the two-time DSR Funny Car Champion playfully explains to Willie and Kevin, at 300 mph “it’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity!” The racer, farmer and entrepreneur also shares his recipe for success, reveals what scares him to death, and discusses running in the NHRA in the time of COVID. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Driveshafts take a relentless beating, constantly applying load with substantial torque. Repairs, upgrades and modifications are always top of mind for Lee Mejia of The Driveshaft Shop. Citing expensive custom builds that completely neglect driveshafts and axles, Lee regales Willie and Kevin with stories of destructive and real-world testing, like what happens when a heavy projectile made out of steel suddenly pole vaults or grenades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Einstein of Additives, Chris Gabrelcik of Hot Shot’s Secret, returns for another informative podcast in which he demystifies viscosity; discusses the endless learning curve involved in developing problem-specific solutions for friction; and amazes the guys with tales of the World’s Fastest 7.3, his 11 Diesel World Records, and the very real 100,000 mile oil change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They may not be all that sexy, but when it comes to pneumatics and air tools, a compressor is the first and most critical big tool you’re likely to buy. Today the guys learn from Jarrett Affolter of Ingersoll Rand all there is to know about air compressors – the different types, what the fail points are, how to make them last forever, and what size you need to do what you want to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jamie Meyer’s credentials are impressive to say the least: PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology; postdoctoral researcher in molecular genetics; former head of GM Performance; and now the newly minted President of the Performance Racing Industry. In a frank and wide-ranging conversation, the guys discuss everything from the LSX and COPO Camaro initiatives he led, to Dr. Meyer’s vision for PRI during COVID-19 and a post-pandemic world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Jim Chadick, life was a choice between being a rock star or a car guy. While the former didn’t quite work out, the CEO of Performance Online has no regrets. Jim and his Operations Manager Larry Ashley join the guys to reflect on how tastes have changed from the early 90s – when how you looked in a car or truck was all that mattered – through today, where owners want classics to handle like modern cars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lots of folks love a car or truck that looks old but drives like new. Crate motors, overdrive transmissions and big brakes have blown open the resto market, and that’s been good for business at Auto Metal Direct. GM Mike Gray gives the guys a primer on how AMD’s sheet metal is better than OE, why quality matters, and the reason muscle car guys love trucks. 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

Kevin and Willie welcome Mike Kidd and Matt Memmer of TREMEC to the podcast for a frank and wide-ranging conversation. As the premier supplier to OEs around the world for high-performance cars bordering on supercars, the guys acknowledge the slow fade of traditional manual transmissions and espouse the virtues of their new DCT performance components. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of guys in the racing word know about Holbrook Racing Engines; the name is synonymous with big power. Following in the tracks of his legendary father Carl – the original Captain Cobra Jet – Chris Holbrook has perpetuated the family pedigree with a slew of awards and a reputation as being the guy you don’t want to line up against on the drag strip! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode the guys go deep with Mark Stielow, Sr. Manager at GM in Advanced Vehicle Dynamics, described by Kevin as “one of the sharpest car cats – from designing, to building, to driving the damn tires off!” Mark knows all there is to know about Camaros, having built 17 of them during his career-long tenure at General Motors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the old pole barn in the woods to the custom multicar garage and the ultra-modern car condo, gearheads have been searching for the perfect Man Cave / Mechanic’s Dream since time immemorial. Brian McNamara of Gearhead Homes joins the guys today to answer the call as he reveal the tricks of the trade and hottest trends in auto-centric real estate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It may seem like voodoo magic, but formulating effective engine additives involves intense chemistry and physics. And no one is more knowledgeable about liquid protection than “the Einstein of Additives,” Chris Gabrelcik. On this episode, the man behind Hot Shot’s Secret shares some good ones with the guys, including how the product got its name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Firebird is considered by many to be GM’s red-headed stepchild; “a cool car with a beak,” compared to the cooler Camaro. Having recently brought a ’68 Firebird back from the dead on the TV show, Kevin and Willie take listeners inside the episode, detailing the upgraded PROFORM radiator, Mantic twin disc clutch and Fragola fuel lines they installed on this neglected classic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A superior detailing job can really deliver the WOW factor that takes your ride from merely “meh” to downright “DAMN!” On this podcast, Kevin Davis schools the guys on how Gtechniq’s harder, long-lasting ceramic coating process can make your car that car! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the TV show, the guys did a serious upgrade on a super cool “Green Go” 2017 Dodge Challenger. On this week’s podcast, they detail how they took this V6(!) making 305 hp and 255 mph at the tires and suped it up with a RIPP Supercharger and Power Stop Z26 Street Warrior Brakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cut-and-stick-on sound deadening materials are effective, but can be a slog to install. In this episode, Kevin and Willie detail how LizardSkin’s spray-on insulation eliminates the misery so often associated with thermal management and noise reduction DIY projects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having recently upgraded a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500, the guys wax rhapsodic about their love affair with trucks – all kinds of trucks – and some of the really cool tools they’ve been working with lately on the TV show and in their own garages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The gauge cluster is more than just a functional panel; this precision instrument can also serve as fine jewelry for your ride. Classic Instruments COO John McLeod tours Kevin and Willie through the company’s ICU – Instrument Customization Unit – and answers the question, “How can we make it smarter and smaller?” 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

Fabrication is essentially the Architecture of How – how to manipulate materials to maximize form and function. Deryck Griffith of Vibrant Performance refers to the process as using “LEGO pieces made out of metal,” as he explains to Kevin and Willie how the company “consolidates the needs of the artist” with high tech engineering. 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

Confused about the virtues of a dry sump oil system vs. wet sump? The mystery will be revealed when John Schwarz, President of Aviaid, joins the guys to explain what it is, how it works, and why it may be your best bet for eliminating the need to constantly watch your oil pressure gauge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Three Guys Garage when Kevin reunites with his former co-host, renowned fabricator Bryan Fuller. Get ready for a raucous conversation about cars, bikes, the creative process, Bryan’s new gig as co-host of Car Fix, and the upcoming 20th anniversary season of Two Guys Garage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tires smoking; engines thrashing. Sliding sideways; rubbing bumpers off cones and walls. Kevin and Willie strap in for an adrenaline-fueled conversation with “Fun-Haver” Vaughn Gittin Jr. about everything from 100 mph drifting, to 12.9-mile burnouts at the Nürburgring, and conquering the King of the Hammers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebuilding steering columns is a huge pain in the butt. Kevin and Willie have restored enough street cars, race cars and classics to appreciate the simplicity of updating old straights, tilts and column shifts with brand new quick release equipment and digital dash mounts. Today, ididit GM Trever Cornwell gives them the lowdown on how to steer clear of trouble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All shocks are not created equal. Engineering and manufacturing are critical to effectively tuning, running and racing them. On this episode of the podcast, Willie and Kevin get schooled by legendary suspension expert Jeff Ryan of JRi Shocks. “A shock can cure a lot of things,” he tells them, “but it can’t cure everything.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bearing is arguably the most overlooked part of the engine. It looks very simple but it’s actually a very precisely designed and manufactured component that must be both strong and soft at the same time. Today Ron Sledge of King Engine Bearings joins the guys to break down what goes into them and discuss how to pick the right one for your application. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Metalworking can be intimidating, and the learning curve can be steep. But thanks to Darren O’Brien and the good folks at Woodward Fab, it doesn’t have to be. On this episode, the guys discuss how the company’s versatile lineup of affordable tools removes the fear factor and will have you fabricating in no time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A near-death experience incorrectly strapping a car on a trailer taught Willie a hard lesson on the rights and wrongs of vehicle transport. On this episode of the podcast, Joe Parks of industry leader Pilot Transport shares his observations and experience moving everything from a Ford Escort to a Bugatti Veyron across 49 states and Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian Johnson is his own man, instantly recognizable for the signature hairstyle, easygoing personality, and unbelievable welding chops. Kevin and Willie recently caught up with the former high school shop teacher turned TV host, as he was about to begin production on Season 2 of his hit MotorTrend series, FourWheeler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Navigating a virtual rat’s nest of wires can drive just about any DIYer to the breaking point of gutting their electrical system and starting from scratch. Willie and Kevin know this drill all too well, and in this podcast they turn to American Autowire’s R&D Manager Don Bock for help with hassle-free wiring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strap in for a lively and candid conversation with Leah Pruett, currently third in points driving the Don Schumacher Racing Mopar Top Fuel Dragster in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. With the season on hiatus, Leah chats with the guys about livin’ the dream, working hard and playing harder; the thrill of racing and the reality of living 300 days on the road; and how much it means to be a role model for young girls and boys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices