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.