The Gearhead Project

**Ever notice how easy it can be to talk to some gearheads?** You meet someone new and, after the usual chit-chat around common ground, discover they come from a completely different background from you.

Most of us would agree (the cool kids, anyway) that, while the machines bring us together, it’s the people who keep us coming back. I met Wade Stoddart through our mutual friend, Phil “Mr. Powerfist” Hansford. Phil drove his Pajero Evolution down to Mitsubishi Owner Day in California last year and Wade came with him, driving his Delica Spacegear.

Having spent a couple hours talking cars, life, and such, with Wade around a battery-operated campfire after MOD, I knew I wanted to get him on the podcast. But all I really knew about the guy was that he has a Delica and brought his son with him on an epic, international road trip that ultimately ended with a bunch of gearheads drinking beer in the mountains.

Wade’s teased a few other bit from his history with me, but I thought it would be fun to use this conversation to get to know him live. You know, just like anyone one of us would getting to know a new gearhead buddy in person.

Beyond the Delica/MOD story, all I know about Wade is he lives in Canada, the Delica isn’t his first Mitsubishi, and he’s done some writing for Canada 4WD. Oh yeah, and he likes hot rods, too. In this episode, we talk about...

- How he used storytelling to build Big Bird.

- How concerned he was, seeing his Delica for the first time.

- A couple old school trucks, one of which had a rare PTO option.

Welcome to The Gearhead Project.

**Acura’s 500,000-mile legend talks about making the miles count.**

I met Tyson at a Phoenix Automotive Press Association (PAPA) meeting back in April. It was the first of hopefully many engagement with the local motoring press.

Sitting down next to Tyson in the small conference room, after getting my name, he asked the only question a true gearhead would ask of a new connection—”So what did you drive here today?” Looking out the windows behind him, I said, “That crusty old Montero out there, though I have to admit I kinda wish I was driving that NSX.”

Turned out to be his NSX. I’ve now seen it in person twice and it’s cherry. Tyson’s also got a couple Legends, a couple Integras, and a Vigor, in addition to the NSX. They’re all stock and as close to mint as he can get them. But it was that his Mom’s Acura Legend that set everything in motion.

He bought it shortly after college and has owned it ever since. A few years later, he rolled 500,000 miles in it—driving onto the red carpet at Acura’s corporate HQ in southern California. Maybe you remember hearing about the guy with the half-million-mile Acura Legend?

**Like most of us, Tyson’s a gearhead with a day job—but he’s also an active, supporting member of the local press. In this episode, we talk about...**

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How Tyson found himself an early 90s Acura collector

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How his automotive experiences lead him to journalism

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The most valuable lessons he’s learned along the way

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And a little bit about a Mitsubishi 3000GT

**Tune in to The Gearhead Project.**

**Based out of Oklahoma, Darren and the DTR family have been showing up to events around the country for over a decade.**

[When I first interviewed Darren, way back in 2009](https://www.gearboxmagazine.com/darren-thomass-eclipse-gsx/), he was a full-time heavy diesel mechanic with an 8-second, automatic 1G DSM and a couple Import Face Off national titles under his belt. [When I caught up with him again three years later in 2012](https://www.gearboxmagazine.com/full-auto-820-or-bust/), he was deep into the eights and racing all over the country.

**What you’re about to hear is our first actual conversation.**

This guy has always impressed me. He really has out-worked most of his friends. This is the guy who leaves for work before dawn, and then spends his nights out in the shop after dinner—often working until nearly dawn.

**You might say he’s got that rare, genetic super power that allows him to thrive on little sleep, but you could also say he’s just been hustling so hard for so long, it’s only natural. And it’s paid off.**

You might not know who Darren Thomas is—but I’ll bet you 9 out of 10 of the fastest DSMers in the country do. His work values and work ethic shine through the unassuming white DSM you see here today.

This is a 7-second car. With a filled block, alternator, and headlights, that’s been known to spend a significant amount of time driving around town with the competition right before they race. He just doesn’t have a slip to prove it yet.

**This is Darren Thomas Racing’s year.**

**Welcome to The Gearhead Project.**

**I struggled with writing this intro. What should I say about Chazz Layne?**

This guy has inspired me since 2012. When we first met, he was an editor at Overland Journal and Expedition Portal. He also had his own web and graphic design business, The Layne Studio.

I’ve been carrying a Fisher Space Pen Bullet, Streamlight Nano, and Ken Onion Leek pocket knife for nearly six years now because of this guy’s recommendations. His EDC is more or less MY EDC.

To date, Chazz is the ONLY person to ever get me to shut down Gearbox Magazine. It wasn’t his intention, but we’ve generally seen eye-to-eye on things when it comes to content, publishing, success, and work-life parallel, so when he shared what he wanted Adventurist Life to become, I was immediately sold and stepped away from GBXM for a bit.

In this episode of The Gearhead Project, you’ll hear a seasoned adventurist and gearhead like us talk about how he got started, how he’s gotten closer to work-life parallel than most (even me), and why it just makes more sense to make work actually work with—instead of against—life.

The pen is mightier than the sword (but it’s good to carry a sword, too).

**Welcome to The Gearhead Project.**

**This one is special.**

When I joined my first car forum as a know-nothing no0b—back in 2001—Jeff Lichtfuss was already a moderator. Everyone on 2GNT remembers his red, first gen Talon. And how he was often spotted incahoots with Matt Prim, who had a silver one.

About the time I was meeting my eventual wife, about 12 years ago or so, Jeff packed up and moved to LA. I ran into him, randomly, in Las Vegas casino, when my wife and I were celebrating our first wedding anniversary.

We’ve crossed paths here and there over the years. He launched a professional studio and did cool stuff like music videos for Linkin Park and Kanye West. You might say he was living the dream.

**What you’re about to hear is a story of ambition, persistence, and family beyond blood.**

And it all starts with a gearhead like us arriving in Los Angeles with everything he owns loaded up in a car—only to discover his family forgot he was coming and he has no place to stay.

Jeff didn’t go home.

**Welcome to The Gearhead Project.**

Recorded live, on location, at Humming Aero world headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, while the kids were asleep, this is the Gearhead Project.

Why do some gearheads like us start side hustling? How do those side hustles evolve over time? And what has your documented body of gearhead work done for you lately? These are some of the things we’re talking about tonight on episode 9 of the The Gearhead Project.

My guest tonight is Robert Fuge. He’s a mechanical engineer by day, and an automotive performance engineer by night. Where some of us might reach for the duct tape and bailing wire, Rob fires up SolidWorks and designs lasting solutions (that often look dope).

When we were introduced, he had a Miata. Now he’s got a Trooper. Humming Aero, his side hustle, has changed a bit over the years, too. Tonight we’re going to explore why and how.

Are you ready for the next level? Let’s do this.

**Welcome to The Gearhead Project.**

**What if I told you one of the most helpful people in the North American Montero/Pajero community for the last decade doesn’t know as much as you think he does?**

What if he was just so consistently good at helping others find what they need you just assumed he knew everything and didn’t realize it?

**This is the story—the JDM Journeys, if you will—of Phil Hansford.**

He's imported SEVEN RHD JDM vehicles, including an Evo, a Strada, and several Pajeros (including a Pajero Evolution). In this episode, we take a look back at why and how they've impacted his life.

**Why is there time and money to do it over, but not to do it right the first time?**

In this episode, I sit down with Michael Rodarte, who the old school DSM and GVR4 owners in the audience might know as “boostedinaz”. Michael’s always been meticulous in the ways he’s modified his vehicles, but he’s followed a similar path in the ways he’s modified his life over the years.

**We talk about craftsmanship and finding work that really matters—and we discover a couple very simple, very affordable business opportunities for the next level gearheads looking to evolve beyond the mod list.**

Do what you should do—not just what you can do.

This one’s basically a campfire conversation—without the campfire.

If you missed it, here’s a link to our original conversation back in 2016: [Adventurist Life](https://americanadventurist.com/life-with-an-old-troopy/) (American Adventurist)

Today we explore adventure itself; getting away from it all—think: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What’s the call of the wild all about? What possesses some of us to seek out relaxation in roughing it?

This was the first time I’ve ever actually spoken with Carter at length in realtime. I can’t believe we waited this long. If this cat tells me he’s going to Overland Expo up in Flagstaff this year, I’ll be there.

Are you ready for the next level?

Welcome to The Gearhead Project.

How do you describe one of the most exciting conversations you’ve ever had?

I drove up to Flagstaff, Arizona, to sit across a giant break room table from Arron “Tatanka” Stump, founder of 316 Motorworks and talk about how he got started. Oh, he told me, alright. Wow.

If you want to know what the next level looks like, this is it, my friend.

The Gearhead Project was born out of a desire to help gearheads who have evolved beyond the mod list reach the next level. If you’ve evolved beyond the mod list, if you feel an urge to do something more, something that really matters with your gearhead skills and connections, do not skip this episode.

Easily one of the three most significant automotive conversations I’ve ever had.

Welcome to The Gearhead Project.