Oil and Whiskey with Roadster Shop

This week on Oil & Whiskey, we’re joined once again by our friend Shawn Davis and this time with Kyle Simon from Autotopia LA.It’s been a few years since Shawn first sat down with the guys, and a lot has changed since then. The Autotopia LA channel has kept growing, the team has evolved, the podcast has launched, and the guys are now closing in on that next big YouTube milestone.We get into what makes an Autotopia video work, why the car and the owner always come first, and how their approach feels more like a modern video magazine than traditional influencer content. Shawn and Kyle talk about finding the right cars, the right characters, the right builders, and why the best videos usually come from people who actually use the cars they built.The guys also dig into sketchy ride-alongs, bench-seat burnouts, 2,500 horsepower street cars, naturally aspirated vs. boosted power, the Ruffian Fox Body, Ringbrothers, Roadster Shop chassis, ergonomics, car sounds, and the difference between a car that looks good and one that actually feels right from behind the wheel.They also talk about YouTube comments, AI, social media’s effect on the car world, the Autotopia LA podcast, the Roadster Shop SEMA booth and party, and why giving builders more visibility matters.

This week on Oil & Whiskey, we’re joined by Josh Wallace of Reviving Relics.Josh made the trip from Lebanon, Tennessee to talk about how he went from diesel trucks, Peterbilt quality control, and working on Matt Hagan’s NHRA crew to starting Reviving Relics and figuring out what it actually takes to run a hot rod shop that can survive.We get into the early days of taking on service work, learning how to quote jobs, tracking time, finding the right customers, building relationships with vendors, and why making a business profitable in this industry is a lot harder than just working harder.Of course, we also dig into Terry’s ’59 truck, the SEMA push, the Roadster Shop booth, the custom tailgate, the big-window conversion, the thrash to get it done, and why that build became Reviving Relics’ first real business card.Josh also talks about building for repeat customers, the importance of the experience, current shop projects like the ’70 Challenger, the LT4/T-56 Camaro, the Viper-powered Power Wagon, and what’s next for the shop.Add in a ’72 F100 first car story, Eagles Greatest Hits, Wild Turkey, work ethic debates, Lebanon pronunciation lessons, and the normal amount of Oil & Whiskey nonsense.

This week on Oil & Whiskey, we’re joined by the crew from Revamped Rides.Dalton, Scott, and `'Diet' Dalton sit down with the guys to talk about how Revamped Rides came together, how the shop has grown in just a few short years, and what it takes to build cars at a high level while still figuring things out the hard way.We get into the Thunderbird that put Revamped Rides on a lot of people’s radar, the metalwork, fabrication, bodywork, paint, customer expectations, and the reality of building the kind of cars that don’t need to be over-explained when they roll into a show.The guys also talk about shop culture, learning through mistakes, taking criticism, building a body of work, SEMA, Roadster Shop chassis talk, car show etiquette, and why sometimes the best thing you can do is let the car speak for itself.

This week on Oil & Whiskey, we’re joined by Spencer and Jean of Arizona Rod Shop.Spencer and Jean made the trip from Arizona to talk about the shop’s path from paint and collision work into full custom hot rod builds, how their friendship started through a C10 part, and how Arizona Rod Shop has grown into the shop it is today.We get into Spencer’s deep C10 and squarebody obsession, the Arizona Rod Shop truck “farm,” the little factory details most people miss, and how that knowledge carries into the builds they take on now.The guys also talk about blending old-school craftsmanship with new-school technology, from Pullmax machines, English wheels, and metal shaping to 3D scanning, reverse engineering, 3D printing, Roadster Shop chassis, and high-end drivetrains.We also cover customer expectations, building the right vendor relationships, why not every project is worth taking on, OBS trucks, Pro Street making a comeback, the future of automotive content after Discovery Channel, and plenty more.