It's All About the Build with I.B.F.HotRods

Mike Wagner of Cornfield Customs in Milford, Ohio sat down with me at his fabrication shop for a conversation that went way deeper than I expected. Over twenty years of metal shaping, sheet metal fabrication, custom hot rod builds, and race car fabrication with zero formal training. No trade school. No apprenticeship. Everything he knows about shaping metal he taught himself.

This episode starts from the very beginning. From struggl...

Kevin and Monica Nichols spent eighteen years building a 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air named Marilyn. In this episode of It's All About the Build, we sit down with two people who are about as far from professional car builders as you can get. Their day jobs have nothing to do with hot rods, they don't own a shop, and yet what they built together might be one of the cleanest 1954 Chevy Bel Airs you'll ever see.

You'll hear how Kevin bought ...

Dan and Hilary Fournier of Motor City Metalcraft sat down with Melanie and I at their shop in Mount Clemens, Michigan for one of the most honest conversations we've ever had on this podcast. We get into what it actually looks like to run a full custom and restoration shop the right way, without the shortcuts most of this industry takes.

Dan opens up about growing up under his father, one of the most respected metal fabricators to e...

In this episode of It’s All About the Build, Elliot and Melanie sit down with VooDoo Larry for an in-depth, no-filter conversation about a life shaped by kustom culture.

From early influences and the pull toward building, to the music, art, and attitude that defined an entire timeline in automotive history, Larry breaks down what it really means to build with intention and stay true to your vision. Almost born in the wrong era...

Custom car builder Travis Sylvester shares how he went from working a full-time job at night builds to running Sylvester’s Customs full time through YouTube, paint, and education.

In this episode of It’s All About the Build, I sit down with Travis Sylvester, owner of Sylvester’s Customs in California and host of the Sylvester’s Customs YouTube channel.

Travis shares what it was really like working a full-time ...

In this episode, we travel Indiana’s backroads to meet Mikey Brown, a visionary builder with a dream of becoming a Hot Wheels Legends Tour Champion. From his home shop, Mikey shares his incredible journey, fueled by passion, creativity, and determination.

This episode explores Mikey’s early inspirations, from playing with Hot Wheels and building model cars as a child to drawing motivation from his grandfather. We also di...

Kevin Tetz shares his journey from rockstar to automotive painting legend, lessons from decades painting classics, and a behind-the-scenes look at Paintucation University — the ultimate resource for aspiring painters.

In this episode of It’s All About the Build, we head south of Nashville to Columbia, Tennessee, home of the infamous Motor Alley, to sit down with Kevin Tetz — one of the most knowledgeable and respec...

Justin Nichols of Nichols Paint & Fab shares the story behind his shop, his hit TV show Wrench’d, and the lessons learned building a custom car empire from the ground up.

In this episode of It’s All About the Build, we hit the garage with Justin Nichols of Nichols Paint and Fab, joined by Maegan and Mitch, to uncover the raw, unfiltered story of their shop and custom car empire.

From humble beginnings to starring in t...

Bryan Devrous and I go back. We worked together, learned together, and now we're both running our own shops. In this episode Bryan tells the real story of how Cane Creek Custom went from nothing to one of Nashville's go to shops for paint and full builds, and he did it fast. We talk about what it takes to build a reputation when nobody knows your name yet, how our friendship pushed both of us to be better builders, and what happens...

The 2024 Ridler Award winner is in. Following up on our Great 8 breakdown, Randy and I go through who took it, why they took it, and what we saw behind the scenes that most people didn't. There's some drama involved because there always is when the biggest award in the custom car world is on the line. If you listened to our Great 8 episode, this is the payoff.

Join the conversation: "It's All About the Build" Facebook Community Grou...

The 2024 Detroit Autorama Great 8 finalists. Eight cars competing for the Ridler Award, the biggest prize in custom car building. Randy and I break down every single one. What the judges are looking at, what most people walk right past, and what separates a car that makes the Great 8 from a car that wins the whole thing. If you want to understand what Ridler level craftsmanship actually looks like, this is the episode.

Join the conv...

Melanie makes her debut on the show, and she brought Pete. Between the two of them they've got over 35 years of assembly line car manufacturing experience. In this episode we put factory production and custom car building side by side. The precision of the assembly line vs. the handcrafted approach of building one off classics. How the skills translate, where the worlds overlap, and where they couldn't be more different. If you've ...

What happened to good car shows? Randy and I share our honest thoughts on what's missing in today's classic car and custom car television. We talk about Bitchin' Rides, Texas Metal, Top Gear, Fantom Works, Wheeler Dealers, and yes, we get into Richard Rawlings, Fast N Loud, and the infamous Bad Chad. This is a builder's perspective on how reality TV portrays this industry, what they get right, what they get wrong, and what we'd act...

Is it worth upgrading your classic into the 21st century? Randy and I go through it all. Engine upgrades, throttle body EFI systems, suspension options, air rides vs. coil overs, brake upgrades, full rewiring, modern radios, and everything in between. We lay out what's worth the money, what's not, and what we'd actually put in our own builds. Fair warning, this one goes off the rails a few times with some hilarious detours, but the...

Everybody's got an opinion on what a classic car is worth and most of them are wrong. In this episode Randy and I dig into the research behind how people price their vehicles, what actually drives the number up or down, and why there's such a gap between what sellers think their car is worth and what the market says. We actually went out and asked people why they priced their cars where they did. Some of them laughed. Some of them ...

A 1968 Chevrolet C10 came into the shop described as "90% done." It had paint, interior, and an engine. Sounds close, right? Not even. In this episode Randy and I break down what it actually took to get this truck across the finish line. The processes, the details, and all the "simple things" that aren't simple at all. Just because a vehicle looks complete doesn't mean the job is over. We also tell the story of delivering the truck...

Big shop or small shop? It matters more than most people think. In this episode Randy and I compare the pros and cons of large shops vs. small shops, both from the customer's perspective and from the builder's. If you're looking for a shop to build your car, there are things nobody tells you about how each environment operates and how it affects your bill. And if you're trying to break into this industry as a builder, the shop you ...

Most people have no idea how to properly look at a custom car or restoration. They see the paint and think it's done right. In this episode Randy and I teach you how to actually examine a build. How to see the flaws, how to pick out the fakes from the real deal, and what separates a car that wins awards from one that just looks good from ten feet away. We go into detail on paint, customization, engineering, and what we personally l...

"Why do these cars cost so much?" It's the most asked question in this industry and the most misunderstood. In this episode Randy and I answer it from the builder's side. We talk about all the details people never see, all the time that gets overlooked, and why six figure price tags on custom builds aren't as crazy as they sound once you understand what actually goes into them. If you've ever looked at a build price and thought "th...