I was happily invited to yet another podcast interview, this time to have some fun with the guys at the Drive Radio Show. It’s hosted by Brett Hatfield, auto journalist, Auction Analyst for Sports Car Market, and editor of readthedriven.com, plus Corey Pratt of Craving Cars from YouTube, and Mark “Catfish” Groves, radio veteran and owner of Magnificent Cowlick Media.
They wanted to talk to me about buying a restoration shop in your mid-50s, what to look for in a restoration shop, and what I won’t work on. But it quickly turned into stories of how I got started in racing, some of the fun I’ve had, and eventually devolved into the biggest mistake I ever made (in a car.)
The best part? If you listen closely at the end of the show, I get a “That guy is hilarious” comment after I signed off. Works for me.
Enjoy
-John
Read More of My Blog Posts
Accelerating into The Amelia Concours d’Elegance
While I’ve been attending the Amelia Island Concours as a spectator for some time, the last two years have been unique as I have been able to show cars with the Maine Classic Car Museum where my friend Andy Reid is the collection manager. My small role has been to...
The Car Restoration Equation: Love, Value, and Cost
We probably turn away more than 40% of the inquiries about restoration we get at Sport and Specialty. Not every car should be restored, regardless of what the owner may believe. The “back of the napkin” way to calculate this is pretty straightforward. The first...
WMS Slotcar Club Visit – Great Fun!
We had a group of Middle Schoolers come out with my friend Ana Alarcon Ben Holzem today. New trainees. A ton of fun with these guys. Super enthusiastic about everything!!! We need to hook them early. Nice kids!!! Read More of My Blog Posts
With a Little Help From My Friends
Ten years used to feel like a lifetime, these days it seems like the blink of an eye. (except for April 2020, it felt like a lifetime—but I digress.) My ten-year ownership of Sport and Specialty has been equal parts fun, aggravation, gratification, and...
Sport and Specialty featured on the SEMA Car Builders Series hosted by Sabra Johnson
Early in 2022 I received a call from the marketing chief at Moss Motors asking me if I'd like to work with SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) helping them produce a video showing an example of a British restoration business to their members....
2022 Open House & Car Show – July 23rd!
Put Saturday July 23rd on your calendar for the 2022 Sport and Specialty Open House and Car Show. Bring any marque, model, or year of car, but get there. Daily drivers welcome! Bring a friend, take a drive, and see what we’re working on and finishing up. We expect...
Buy, Sell, Hold: Spotlight #7 – The state of classic, collector, and even electric conversion cars
As many of my friends will tell you (and others too), if you ask me a question I will give you the most heartfelt answer I can. Sometimes they're even amusing...... Thanks to Darin Roberge of Motorwerks Marketing and Sports Car Market Magazine for the time on...
The Proper Color for the Car
There was a story I read some years ago that Ford had a computer program that wouldn’t allow them to order and build a car with odd looking interior and exterior color combinations. In the restoration business we are those computers. When customers bring their cars to...
The Amelia, auction bought car quality, AZ vs. Amelia, and other topics on another Driven Radio appearance
I was happily re-invited to yet another podcast interview, with the guys at the Drive Radio Show. It’s hosted by Brett Hatfield, auto journalist, Auction Analyst for Sports Car Market, and editor of readthedriven.com, plus Corey Pratt of Craving Cars from YouTube, and...
The 1939 Alfa 6C at The Amelia
Some years ago my friend Andy Reid invited me to bunk in with him at The Hilton Head Concours. We had a great time and have mostly roomed together when our schedules allow. For Amelia we have been doing VRBO places with our friends Peter Singhof and Dirk De Jager,...
Catching up with the Sport and Specialty crew
For 9 years now I’ve managed the website for Sport and Specialty and one of my favorite parts of the job is that I spend time with the guys catching up on their work, their goings-on, and drooling over the cars under their care. This year was no different, but the...
What is the Digital Path Forward?
There’s a genuine satisfaction in being asked your opinion on a professional topic. It usually means that your opinion carries some weight as an expert. When the request is from Keith Martin’s Sports Car Market, it’s particularly satisfying. I was asked to join a...