To All The Cars I've Loved Before: Classic Car Restoration, JDM, and Automotive History – Details, episodes & analysis

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

What happens when you live by the philosophy that "you make money on the buy"? You end up with a $900 1970 Chevelle Malibu Convertible that funds your future Ferrari... and a fleet of 28 other cars that might just be owning you. 🤯🚗

In this episode, we sit down with Ivan Katz (aka Drivin' Ivan), a car reviewer, musician, and collector with over 1,400 car reviews on YouTube. Ivan takes us through his wild automotive history, growing up in his grandfather's car radio shop in Alexandria, VA, and building a collection that ranges from air-cooled Porsches to obscure Italian oddities.

We dive deep into the reality of maintaining 29 vehicles, his controversial take on why the C3 Corvette "should be ashamed" compared to the Porsche 928, and the time his Lancia caused a fire so bad the local fire department still remembers it.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• 💸 The $900 Chevelle: How buying a 1970 Chevelle Malibu Convertible for dirt cheap became the foundation of his "Ferrari fund."
• 🔥 The Lancia Inferno: The harrowing story of his first Lancia Zagato resulting in the worst car fire his local fire department had ever seen (and why he bought another one!).
• 🇩🇪 The German Corvette: Why Ivan believes the 1978 Porsche 928 is superior to the American C3 Corvette in every way.
• ⚾ The Audi TT: The details on his rare Audi TT Roadster with the "baseball glove" leather interior and its surprising mechanical link to the Bugatti Veyron.
• 📻 Radio Roots: Growing up at Morris Katz and Sons, where they installed radios in everything from Porsches to daily drivers before stereo systems were standard.

Ivan loved our episode with John Davis, the voice of MotorWeek for 45 years! Johntook us through the origins of MotorWeek and his early cars including a fantastic DeTomaso Pantera: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/18157530

Whether you are a hoarder of project cars, a lover of obscure European imports, or just want to know what it really costs to maintain a 29-car fleet, this episode is a reality check you won't want to miss.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• 🔗 Watch Ivan's 1400+ car reviews, concours events and museum visits here: https://youtube.com/@drivinivan
• Listen to our 60+ episodes on LinkTree 🔗🌲 https://linktr.ee/carsloved

📢 Join the Conversation: What is the most cars you have ever owned at one time? Let us know on Instagram @toallthecarsivelovedbefore

From air-cooled Porsches to obscure Italian sports cars to imports nobody in America recognizes, Ivan holds nothing back on what it really costs — in time, money, and sanity — to maintain a fleet this size.

*** BONUS - We've partnered with Drivin' Ivan for car reviews - watch his full YouTube Car Review of Doug's 1981 DeLorean DMC-12: https://youtu.be/Vyy-gqAXC20?si=7PL5iO-kPNpsw4Ei

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

Classic car restoration training and automotive education at McPherson College. Meet students restoring a 1928 Model A...

Would you daily drive a 95-year-old car to class? For Cash, a student at McPherson College, his 1928 Ford Model A Sport Coupe isn't just a showpiece—it's his ride, complete with a golden retriever in the rumble seat. 🐕🚙

In this episode, we go back to school with Cash and his instructor Chris to explore the only four-year automotive restoration degree program in the United States. Located in McPherson, Kansas, this unique college is preserving "heritage skills" like babbitting, upholstery, and metal fabrication that are disappearing from the modern world.

We dive deep into the culture of "The Sheds," where students wrench on their own projects late into the night, and the incredible story of Cash acquiring a rare 1917 Franklin Cloverleaf Coupe that arrived in 40 unlabeled boxes.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• 🏎️ The Daily Driver: Why Cash chose a 1928 Model A Ford as his primary vehicle right after high school and the reality of 500-mile road trips in a pre-war car.
• 🧩 The Puzzle Project: The daunting task of restoring a 1917 Franklin Cloverleaf Coupe (aluminum body, air-cooled, wooden frame) that Cash bought as a literal basket case of parts.
• 🎓 The McPherson Difference: Inside the curriculum that teaches students to be "mechanics, detectives, artists, and historians," leading to jobs at top museums and Pebble Beach wins.
• 🔧 Heritage Skills: Why Chris believes AI can never replace the feel of turning an engine by hand or the art of hand-sewing vintage upholstery.
• ☀️ Summer Institute: How hobbyists can get a taste of the program through the college's immersive summer workshops.

Want to hear more about how McPherson College's Automotive Restoration program helped launch a career? Listen to our full episode with McPherson alum, Mason Ball - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/17426714

Whether you're a prospective student, a classic car collector, or just love the idea of a college where homework involves restoring a multimillion-dollar Mercedes, this episode is a masterclass in automotive passion.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Check out the program: https://mcpherson.edu/autorestoration
• Listen to our 60+ episodes on LinkTree 🔗🌲 https://linktr.ee/carsloved

📢 Join the Conversation: What classic car would you choose as your college daily driver? Let us know on Instagram @toallthecarsivelovedbefore

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

Muscle car history and the restoration of a 1974 Ford Mustang II. Rebuilding one of America’s most hated Mustangs...

What happens when you give a 14-year-old a driver's license, a 1974 Mustang II found in a field, and a welder? 🤯🏎️

In this episode, we sit down with Jeremy, the creator of the Freedom Top Vault—a game-changing accessory for Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator owners. Jeremy takes us on a journey from his childhood in South Dakota (where he legally drove at 14!) to inventing a product that solves a problem every Jeep owner hates: where to put those Freedom Panels when the sun comes out.

We also dive into his history of "creative" automotive fixes, including a VW Rabbit Cabriolet held together by duct tape and an alternator bracket made of zip ties that lasted for 50,000 miles.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• 🐎 The Custom Mustang II: How Jeremy and his dad customized the front end of a '74 Mustang found in a grove of trees—long before he was old enough to vote.
• 👮 The Nitrous Incident: The story of his 1977 Monte Carlo, a stoplight race with a Ford LTD police car, and the hidden nitrous plate that got his car impounded.
• 🚙 The Jeep Problem: The 8-year journey from a rough iPad sketch to a patent-pending product that stores Jeep hardtop panels safely in the vehicle.
• 🛠️ "Who Not How": The business philosophy Jeremy used to navigate the complex world of patents, engineering, and manufacturing.
• 🗺️ The Ultimate Road Trip: Driving a duct-taped VW convertible from Arizona to South Dakota with no radio and a zip-tied engine.

Don't miss Jeremy's favorite episode with Rob Walko featuring a few more Mustangs:  https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/17645503-mustang-memories-sema-show-adventures-automotive-photographer-rob-s-first-cars-to-car-culture-journey

Whether you are a Jeep enthusiast, an aspiring inventor, or just love a good story about 70s muscle cars and bad decisions, this episode is for you.

🔗🌲 Visit our LinkTree for all of our content and 60+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

📢 Join the Conversation: What is the "sketchiest" roadside repair you've ever done to get a car home? Let us know on Instagram @toallthecarsivelovedbefore

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

A special thank you to renowned classic Ferrari restorer, Tom Yang, for sharing details of the original process that went into handcrafting the metal on these beautiful cars. We can't wait to share the entire episode with you!

https://youtube.com/shorts/cdHPhNo4Dpw

#carcast #carsloved #everycartellsastory #everycarhasaculture #ferrari #ferrari330 #tomyang #toallthecarsivelovedbefore

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

SpeedyCop tells us about his plans to finish his Eleanor Mustang built from the official body kit that is one of only 500 made.

#speedycop #carsloved #toallthecarsivelovedbefore #everycartellsastory #everycartellsastory #eleanormustang #gonein60seconds #Eleanor

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

Listen to the tale of SpeedyCop's (Jeff) first car - a 1967 Chevelle Wagon that was purchased by his grandmother new off the showroom floor. Several members of the family learned to drive on this straight-six, 3 on the tree wagon. Eventually it became Jeff's car and he did what he could to keep it alive despite the rust, but eventually it was sold for scrap. Ironically, Jeff tries to rely on scrap pruchases for his project builds.

#speedycop #podcast #carcast #everycartellsastory #everycarhasaculture #carsloved #chevelle #family #stationwagon

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

UPCOMING EPISODE ALERT - we were fortunate enough to catch up with Jeff Bloch aka SpeedyCop this week and wanted to share this clip where Jeff tells us about the excitement as a track full of Nascar fans go nuts as they watch his Pop-up Camper shell on an Suzuki X-90 chassis race on a Nascar track. You don't see this everyday or ever!

#speedycop #podcast #carcast #everycartellsastory #everycarhasaculture #carsloved #nascar #suzuki

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

What was car culture like behind the Iron Curtain? It involved waiting lists for plastic cars, 2-stroke engines, and heating fuel lines with an open flame just to get to school in the winter.

In this episode, we sit down with Chris Kalinsky, who grew up in East Germany before moving to the US. His automotive journey began with a Wartburg 353—a 3-cylinder, 2-stroke sedan gifted by his grandmother. While it was considered the "luxury" alternative to the Trabant, it still required some serious "MacGyver" skills (and a lighter) to keep running.

Chris shares the culture shock of moving from a 50hp Eastern Bloc classic to a Ford Probe GT and taking it to the limit on the Autobahn. We also discuss the unwritten rules of German high-speed driving, the terror of being passed by a Lamborghini Diablo like he was standing still, and how a failed attempt to buy a Porsche 911 led to a friendship with past guest James McCrea.

And Don't miss Chris' favorite episode with his good friend and ours, James McCrea: https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/15677751

In this episode, we cover:

• 🇩🇪 Iron Curtain Classics: Life with the Wartburg 353 (and why it was cooler than a Trabant).
• 🔥 Winter Survival: The terrifying reality of using open fire to heat frozen fuel lines.
• 🏎️ The Autobahn: Why German highways are curvy by design and the reality of 100mph+ commuting.
• 🔄 Restoration & Regret: Selling his first car for a Ford Probe, only to hunt down another Wartburg 30 years later.
• 🌲 Giving Back: How his current business supports rewilding and nature preservation in Finland.

Connect with us:

• Binge our 70+ episodes and more via our LinkTree 🔗🌲https://linktr.ee/carsloved
• Check out our Guest-inspired Road Trip Playlist on Spotify: 🎧🚗 https://carsloved.com/playlist
• Check us out on Instagram @toallthecarsivelovedbefore

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

Do you remember when the Isuzu Trooper II earned a reputation for rolling over? Tim from Season 3 tells us all about it and more.

#isuzutrooper #tippinghazard #danger #suvs #podcast #carsloved #everycartellsastory #everycarhasaculture #oops #1991

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

One of many great stories with Kat DeLorean from Season 1 when she tells us how her dad turned a plain V6 Mercedes and swapped in a V8 to make it a "GTO Mercedes" for her first car. 

Check out Kat's full episode to hear the heartwarming stories of growing up a DeLorean - https://pod.link/1733902541/episode/21bc2a128a77f6b4aebc3657124d0d80

#everycartellsastory #everycarhasaculture #delorean #mercedes #podcast #carsloved

          *** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us: 

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com 

🔗🌳 Visit our LinkTree for all 70+ episodes: https://linktr.ee/carsloved

Love the show? Please follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐