The Ring Brothers & Enyo: Driven To Win The Battle Of The Builders At SEMA 2022

Ride along with Jason OldeCarrGuy Carr & John CustomCarNerd Meyer as they talk with the Ring Brothers, winners of the Battle Of The Builders at SEMA 2022.

The Ring Brothers took home top honors at SEMA 2022 with their out of the box build, Enyo, a 1948 Chevrolet Loadmaster. Find out what it takes to build an award winning vehicle and dominate the SEMA Battle Of The Builders. 

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Transcript

You're listening to the Get out and Drive podcast with John custom car Nerd, Meyer and Jason old car guy Carr. We'll be bringing You gearheads everything you never wanted to know about cars and why they should be on the road and not in your garage. Are you ready to get out and drive? 

Let's welcome back to another great Episode of the Get OneDrive podcast. My name is Jason. Old car guy car. 

And I am John custom car nerd, Meyer. 

John, I'm pretty excited. This week to. Have some very special guests. Kind of they stole the SEMA show. I believe this year with one of the builds we've got, Jim and Mike Ring here from the Ring Brothers, guys, Welcome to the podcast. 

Thank you, thanks. For having us. 

So one of the things that we love to do to kind of shake things off a little bit have a little bit of fun and I kind of get the podcast rolling is we've got a little program called done in 60 seconds. Jim has volunteered. To be our. Questionnaire I guess the guy who's going to answer all these questions so we've got 10 questions 60 seconds and we hope that we're going to have a little fun. Shake things up Jim Are you ready? 

Let's do it. 

OK, first question, what is your favorite movie? What Car did you take your drivers test in? 

77 Malibu classic. 

Was that your first car? 

It was my mom's first car. 

What is what is your current car today? 

I have a 2020 Chevy pickup. 

What's the worst car you've ever owned? 

Uh, the one I sold to my brothers. 

Facebook marketplace racing junk or eBay? 

I'm always on Facebook marketplace. 

What's your favorite music genre? 

Bob Seger 

Who's your favorite actor? 

I don't think I have one. Mic most of the time. 

LS, coyote or hemmie. 

Definitely have to be an LS for me. 

And the last question #10 back to the future one. Two or three. 

I'd definitely one. 

Absolutely, that was great. Thank you for playing along with done in 60 seconds. Now it's time to get into the podcast and start asking some really hard questions. 

Alright, let's do it. 

I know you guys had fun, you had too because this thing so wacky the that that Ennio build the 48 Chevy truck. It obviously started out. I saw the pictures of it as a grain truck. The cab which was just about what's left 'cause I know that's the same general size. And everything is a as a standard. Half ton truck. Doesn't matter if you put on a one ton chassis same size. That thing is is just is wacky. Kind of explain the thought process behind that. If you guys came up with that or if a customer came to you and said hey, would you build this 'cause it is super out of your norm. 

The owner actually came to us with these crazy boat motors that were like 2500 horse twin supercharged motors that he had in a boat at Lake of the Ozarks and. He wanted to build what he called a rat rod out of out of one of these motors. So we brought this motor up and Gary Ragle actually did some blind drawings on something that looked like fun, and it was really close to what that truck was, except for the the motor was never going to work on it. I think the motor was like 45 inches long. 

8 Yep, oil. 

We're 48 inches tall from the oil pan to the IT was a dry sump to the top of the motor and the truck is like 52 tall, so it definitely wasn't going to work and. 

Right? 

You know, basically telling him that if he can't cool this singing awake, he shares any kind of cool it with the radiator and he kind of got all frustrated and said you know what? We're not doing it and he kind of threw it in the garbage. Supposedly the guy was coming back from the Barrett-jackson auction on the airplane, looked at a good friend of his, and said, you know what? Maybe want to revisit that truck and and build that truck, he said I I really want a rat rod and he said I think we should build it so they came back he dropped this Goodwin. Motor off and said let's do it with this, so that's really how it got started. 

Wow, so you referred to that thing as a rat rod and John and. 

Ha ha. 

I before before. You guys came on. We were trying to to. Decipher, but what do I call this? Well, like what genre of build is it? So you classified it as a rat rod? Or is there something? Else that we want to call it. 

No, I I think it. It's an interpretation of a. I don't know what you call it. You know it's funny. Because people always. Ask is what do you call that their? How do you explain it? I said, you know. I don't know, it's just fun. Makes it the rendering made us smile and go back to uh, rendering most of the time. Renderings look a lot cooler than you can build because of wheels and tires like well when they do a rendering you could never turn the car right. They got the tires pushed all the way out. And so to do an open wheel like this, this is. Probably the only time that rendering. Didn't look as good as the real thing because you could build how it looks because of having it open wheel and. I I don't know. What you call it it was. Just fun, it was just to to let somebody. Have us build something that we just thought man would that be cool? 

Well, I think. 

I read somewhere the sorry to interrupt there Jim, but I I think I read somewhere where it was classified as Anti Street Rod. I think somebody must have used that term somewhere along the way. 

I've never heard that term, and I do want to clarify. He does call it as a rat rod. That's that's what. Uh, that's that's what he want. He wanted something to to wake up the neighbors per say, and. Yeah, he just his friend has one more of a rat rod than this one, but he he just always wanted something like that. And and this is what he got. 

Wow and and does it have just a style of an open wheel? Look as an F1 car or does it actually have F1 parts on it? Or how is the suspension made-up? 

Actually was all designed, obviously with the help of the Roadster shafted the chassis Anna, but the actual suspension was designed by a gentleman that actually this is named Scott Allman but he actually designed the 2005 2006 Ford GT chassis for 4th. 

OK. 

And he's, he's he's a very anale guy when it comes to geometry and everything working properly, he actually got old and involved with the shocks which are obviously not cheap. The spindles we began with the we bought some used Porsche pin drive stuff. Just to actually use it as mock up and then ended up buying new stuff, but we machined all the uprights, the spindles. All of that stuff was stuff. We did in house and. It's actually pretty cool to see, I don't. Know if you guys. Seen it in person or not, but pictures. 

I I did, I did. 

I don't think pictures do the thing justice. It's it's a. 

There's just. 

So much going on and it's hard. To wrap your head around what it actually is. 

So not yeah, the suspension was fun. 'cause it's like cantilevered, you know we we wanted to expose everything we were going to twin turbo with but it was just no room to keep it kind of clean the way it is when you open the hood and and get everything up. Plumbed 'cause there's a lot of plumbing, you know running the radiator in the rear and yet keep it relatively clean and we tried to to do it with the turbos up by the lights and it just got too goofy looking and and the motor makes 1000 horsepower anyway on race gas so it's not like we needed more power but. The chassis was fun, but you know, like he said, we scanned Porsche stuff and then used trupin drive so it's a true pin drive. You know, not an adaptive hub. It's true pin drive wheels. There's there's nothing fake about this thing, it's it's mean to the bone. I mean, it was built to. Really run and and run hard, so we've yet to do that. I mean, the snow just caught us, but you drove it a little bit. With the street version tires and he's a little nervous with it. 

It's it's a handful. It's like being in a go Kart with too much power. You know, I. We did go karts at Bob Bondurant with 125CC motorcycle motors on it and this is like having one with a A750CC. Motorcycle motor in. It it's just, it's just a. Little go Kart and it's a rocket. 

But when I first saw it. 

And it is it. It is rear wheel drive. I'm sorry Jason. 

Yes it is. 

Yeah, it's really true. 

We will drive. It runs a C6. Torque 2 Bible Corvette back to a A4. 80 transmission into the transaxle, so the weight balance on the truck is is just spot on. I mean all the weights. Right where you? Want it? It's it just feels good. 

And that was gonna be my question was about the weight. Now this thing doesn't look like it weighs a lot. And when you say this, things got over 1000 horsepower. Like power to weight, I can't imagine get missing on the open road and seeing just exactly what it will do. So like what is the weight of this truck? 

It is heavier than you think because of the chassis being all steel we were going to do an aluminum and it just came out and you know the carbon that we used was not to just be race carbon. It's really dense autoclaved. Think it's meant to to abuse so the car it weighs 3500 so it's heavier than you think, but. 

Steel Cab steel chassis, you know? 

But it's 50. 4 rear, 46 front and that's where he he dreamed it would be because of the tire. People always think 5050, but a lot of it from what we're told is the tire size and the diameter. So it's like 56. It's like 56. Believe it or not, the the rear tire. Patch is 56 compared to the front tire patch of 45. If you compare the two tires so it's right where he he wanted it to be. So and it's got a big fuel tank and that's. Wet and it's a. I think there's a 20 gallon plus tank in it, so we we never really looked at it as being race. It just landed there that it's it's pretty stout. 

The package of that truck just to package what we did to that truck. I mean, the thing's got air conditioning in it. It's all the electronics. Around the driver's floorboard, there's a. Bring floor pan in that truck so there's, uh, then call it the drivers. Floor mat is a removable aluminum panel that comes out the computer all the electronics. Everything under there. Packaging that thing was was a feat in itself. There's no room in them trucks anywhere, and if you pay attention to it with the hood open. I I don't think you can find the. Wire if you. Wanted to so there's there's a lot going on there that that nobody sees. That was a big challenge to to do that. 

Yeah, you talk about package and even the. I don't know if you noticed the we got. Down to like. How are we going to latch this hood? We have no room for a latch, so we end up using Electro magnets in in the corners you you know. This that actually when you when you turn the key to on it sucks the hood in place so as soon as you let soon as the power leaves the hood you could open it so it was a packaging. You know that's probably one of the biggest things is packaging this and the guys 6 foot tall. So it's a good thing we lent. 

He's big guy. 

Lengthened the cab, 2 inches, 'cause there's just no room. 

The the electromagnet and I know it has to be super strong. You guys have driven the truck with that with that hood and the electromagnet. 

Yes, yeah, you and I, you and I and Jason couldn't pull that hood open with them. Two magnets pulling it down, one on each side it's. 

It's impossible. Key with that is you gotta have a big chunk of steel on the other end. It isn't the magnet. As much as. 

It what it's pulling on. 

Is this what it's? Yeah, what it's pulling out, so we learn. 

I see. 

We learn through that too, yeah. 

That's a pretty neat piece of technology I've I've been into hot rods for. All my life, as long as I can remember, you know, right from the time I was playing with Hot Wheels. The dirt till now I have never in my life heard of using electromagnet to hold a latch or to hold a hood or like that like that's was that just something you thought. Well, this is what we've got to do. Or was it a result of not having? The room I've used it for. 

I, I think we've never used it. Never heard of anybody using it and, uh. 

It was something that I don't think you'd ever want to. I mean, I wouldn't want to take this chance of doing it on a forward facing hood. But seeing as how this was a a rear facing hood with no place to go and always having downforce on it, we thought you know we'll give it a shot. It it actually worked out. I mean if you're. If you hit the wall and you're spinning backwards and the battery flies out of the thing, it's probably going to come open when you're going backwards down the track. 

That's probably the least of your. Worries though at that point. 

Yeah yeah, yeah. 

Of all and I'm, and I've certainly been following you for a really super long time and and. Of all the vehicles that you've built is this. The one you've had the most freedom on, it seems to me from an outside perspective that it maybe is that true you. Think it's true? 

Freedom in in the design, but uhm. We definitely didn't wander from the original rendering, but yes to be able to build something in the freedom of of this. Yeah it was. It was the most fun. I mean, we're I don't know how you can't look at the rendering and be excited like there's no way somebody gonna let you build that and then to be able to build it. It's pretty fun, right? Most people have to see somebody else do something first before they'll let you build it right. It's gotta be something they've seen and can understand. And even with color right people are funny about that. Or they come to you with the colour 'cause they saw a car and they love that color and they think everything will look good in that. They think that's the whole design is color, so yeah, in in that respect it was, but we didn't deviate from from the design once we started it. 

Well, there's got to be a. Whole lot of faith in. And the the buyer, the owner. The the guy who's who's basically paying the bill to look back and see all of the previous builds that you've done, and one of the consistencies that I see in a lot of the ringbrothers bills is you can sit there and you can look at every corner of those builds and see the subtle touches here and there. And I made a note to I wanted to make sure that I actually. Said this right, that the subtle touches that make a not so subtle statement, and I believe that's kind of where the ringbrothers kind of their Forte is. Let's make it different, but not so different. People don't know what to look in that. And then you come and you bring this 48 Chevy into the. Into the spotlight and say this is kind of different than anything that we've done. How do we get the trust out of the owner to for us to fulfill his dream? How much conversation did you have with the owner to the point where yes, we're confident and and making this dream come true and the faith that. He had to have and you obviously to do something a little bit outside of what you normally do. 

I think he had a guy. 

He had a he had a gentleman that kind. 

You know? 

Of handled this build for him. His name was Stan Nielsen. Great guy hot rodder old. School hot rodder guy. Kind of overlooked the whole. Thing the owner literally. Come up, I think twice maybe. To look at what's. Going on on. Right? He he didn't get involved. Hardly at all, I mean. He just just. 

At the end, you know, I I was pretty adamant about they did want to go a different way with the interior originally and I just. 

More of a Recaro comfortable seat and and you know, Mike so. Or to finish it with the. Carbon seed and and not. I think it was the right call when you really get to look at it. 

He was dead. 

I mean, if you were to look at that truck, the whole thing all what's going on and then look inside and see a couple Recaro seats that were recovered. I just don't think it would be as cool. As is building all the carbon seats and all of the inserts, you know the even the foam in them seats were. All machined pieces of foam, which. Quite honestly, I didn't even know you could do how you hold on the phone, but. Yeah it was. It was pretty wild the the only thing that owner wanted in that vehicle was a was a cell phone charger and he still doesn't have that. 

Oh no. 

He'll get it. 

Well, you you certainly captured the even with the seats in the in. How do you chose that and how do you explain that? You've chosen a very industrial look for. Truck and and I think that's what you were going after and I see your bull shaking your heads, yes. And and I think you've nailed it. Did it get a warm reception at SEMA? Or are there people on the fence that are 5050? This is not cool, and other people saying this is the best thing I've ever seen. 

I I think I think it's all the way around. I mean I, it's definitely something that not everybody is. Going to like. I mean it or or understand. It's it's not like. Having a super cool 69 Camaro there that guys love Camaros and they're going to think. It's cool, this is. This is. Like out of the ordinary. Crazy fun stuff that we did and either like. It or you don't. You ain't you know you're not going to. Change people mind than that. 

Although I I never heard at SEMA, a bad word online, you'll see haters 'cause you have them every day. You know it's a PT cruiser. It's this, it's that, but anybody that's actually seen it. And really looked at it. 'cause pictures, as you know, don't. Do it justice right? They're just blown away at. How much detail and? Thought was in something like this so. Ah, I'm OK with people that haven't seen it, but honestly, the people that were there were all like Oh my God, you know, what do you guys take? What are you on? You know it was that. 

I I could admit I was on the fence. I especially when Khan talked to us about which vehicle we were going to look at it. We were going to look at captive or bully or whatever. We're going to look at I I was on the fence, I said well. I this truck looks kind of cool. And I saw the. Pictures and I thought that's kind of neat, but when I that need, you're right when I saw it in person it. Did draw me in and there's a lot more details and I probably spent half an hour or 45 minutes walking around and and looking at it so my big butts. Probably in everyone pictures too. I'm the guy that took too long to look. At the truck. And get get carried away. But it is super ****** and it is oddball and every every fantastic adjective I could possibly throw at it. So that's awesome, thank you. 

Well cool yeah thanks. Yeah, it's nice when you go into it being up and then you really do see the work that went into it and the thought process and especially for a guy that knows what they're looking at, you know what I mean and that's what you really want to impress is people that know what they're looking at. Because you can't put it into words, what it what it is, it's just you have to see it. 

So we we've talked a lot about this this truck in this build and I guess, kind of what's weighing on my mind is when you decided that you wanted to build this truck at what point? Uhm, do you decide that I'm going to enter this into a battle of the builds at SEMA along with I mean not that you're not capable. You certainly are, but at what point in this build did you say you know? Was it right from the beginning we're going to put this in the battle to build. We're gonna have it ready for SEMA. Or was it at some point you're like? You know, we could have this. Done in time. Our quality is there. We're going to do it. Like when did. That take place. When did that conversation happen? That says we're going to SEMA and we're going to win. 

Well, I don't know. You can never go. To SEMA and win and say that to yourself, that's just impossible though. But we've had, you know, we've had. We haven't been to SEMA since 2019. We did have some time. We always tend to enroll anything we take to SEMA in the battle of the builders. Just not. Excuse me, not even necessarily for us, we do it for the owners to get them excited. Although two of the owners for two of the cars we had there, the Camaro and the Mustang, we had never met before. Sema ever we. Talked him on the phone but never met him. I had no idea what this guy. Looked like either one of them. So that was that was nerve wracking and the. Fact that he had four vehicles there. From Wisconsin was nerve wracking. But no, I don't think you ever. 

Come on. 

At least, I certainly never go to see him, I think, and you're. Gonna win 'cause that's that's just. Not right now. 

I mean you don't know how many people have stuff like this, they're gonna drag there, right? I mean, you may think you got something cool and you go there and go man, I don't know what this guy. 

Yeah, yeah. 

Is on but. It's really cool, so we definitely been. 

There done that. 

Yeah, so we're just lucky that people took it in. I think the the benefit we've said it before for us is that we don't build cars for typical car shows. We build them to take the SEMA and get a Big Bang out of that, and I think for people that. They have better cars or whatever that I've showed him earlier. It takes a little bit away from from them. 

I mean, takes a little gas out of the tank. I think once they've been seen, it's just there's just something about it. No matter, no matter how nice they are like, I don't think if we took this truck anywhere else in the United States. We could probably win another trophy. Uh, with it, just because it's been seen, but. 

That kind of goes on my question of what's next for that truck? Is it going? Going to go to good guys. Is it going to make that circuit what's what's? Plans for it. 

If we want to, I mean the owner is super cool and he's willing to let us. Take it anywhere. But it depends on our schedule where we're done. You know. Again, it's not about winning trophies, or you know it's not like they write you a check for 50. Grand yeah and the. Way it is the whole things today were. We don't know honestly. We were going to do a Jay Leno episode with it, but now with Jay and the situation, we don't know if that'll ever 'cause we were going right to California with it, but I end up getting COVID and. 

Oh yeah. 

Yeah, so it came home and. But no, we don't. We don't really have a plan with it. The owner says we can take it anywhere we want, but it would be our dime so. That gets expensive, so we'll see. 

Oh yeah. 

I don't know how many stories and how many pictures were taken of that vehicle. It's everywhere. Yeah, why we take it anywhere else. To get more pictures of it is beyond me. 

But I mean we've had interest from a couple people want to, you know, make diecast. So that's. Cool, we've never had. That before so that would be cool. That's a big one for us, you know. 

Yeah, that was the first thing as as a Hot Wheels collector. I I I that's the first thing I thought of was Mattel has to be chasing you guys and and and I know you probably can't talk about that stuff yet but 

Right, but we have had a couple interest by a few people, so it's amazing how quick that gets out there and we're excited about that. Plus our video games. So yeah, that's pretty cool. Can't deny. 

Well, it's funny how things kind of come out of the woodwork. You know you guys are car builders, you know and and then all of a sudden you know you're you're in the spotlight, you know battle of the builders at SEMA. And I'm thinking that there's probably not much of a level above that that you can aspire to reach. And we spend a lot of time talking about this truck. It's it's definitely worthy talking about that 48 Chevy because it is. It's there, it's that the pinnacle. It's at the top. You guys. You know one battle of the builders with that, but I I do want to talk for a brief second about the other entries. You had a 69 Camaro. You had a 72K5 and the 69 Mustang that I actually had a good opportunity to look at over at the centerforce booth. At SEMA, let's briefly talk a little bit about each of those. Let's start. With the Camaro. So this is another. Immaculate build that again you can sit there and you can walk around it for like John you know for 45 minutes and getting everybody wave their pictures and still pick something subtle out every time you look at something different. Where did the inspiration come from? The 69 Camaro? 

That car is there. Believe it or not, the only thing that you could put from a stock 69 Camaro and that is the side glass. Other than that it's 5 inches wider in the rear 3 inches wider in the. Front, we pulled the wheelbase ahead an inch and a half. The car length is the same, but we moved the wheelbase ahead. The roof sunk, it's all carbon. It's just it's. It's an animal and there that car is no slouch. I mean, that's a. That is a nice nice car. 

We had a pool I was driving it and tuning that Camaro and I had the tuner in the car and allowing it to be 100% with all. Of the boost. The guy would have killed himself in it, so I I told Gary the Turner. I said we gotta pull this thing back so it's it's only running at 70% of what it? Has in it. 

With the with the big pool with the. 

With that large void, you know to slow down the boost, but it's still way more than you want. You know, being carbon, all of the weights in the bottom of that car, it drives like 1,000,000 bucks. I mean it. Just it just feels right with the way. At your feet instead of, you know. Above you can. Tell there's something weird about that car when. You drive it, but. It's so much fun to drive. I can't wait to get it back to the owner. He's from California and and have him enjoy it but. That number of fun cars like it's it's just a blast to drive. 

Talk to us a little bit about the bully blazer that I thought that was really slick I I like. Like the the over the top rollbar look and all that type of stuff. It's incorporated into it and it doesn't look like an add on piece. It looks more forward thinking and the GM styling of now. 

Yeah, that that you know that roofline has four removable roof panels, that that you can take in it out, almost like AT top concept. Uhm, it's got a pretty wild suspension in it. It's got a foot of travel in it, so it's got a lot of suspension in it. The thing was making 1200 horse again same thing happened we it had we had a four liter Whipple line and we had to take it down to the 2.9 because it was just making way too. Much power for that vehicle. So it was. It's probably down closer to 750 right now. You see the badges on the side did say 1200. It was 1200. At one point the the interior of that vehicle was kind of cool. You know, the whole thought of that was to be able to leave the tops out, let it rain right through the seats and go through the gridwork 

Right? 

That was in the floor. All the flooring, if you noticed, had really grids in it, and then there's belly pans below that that would catch the water. Or you could just pull the plug and. Drain it from the bottom so. It was the concept was just to drive the drive it and leave it outside and and let it rain and wash your boots off inside of it. Obviously the guy will never do that, but that was the whole concept. Them seats. I think the only thing we missed on the interior was a campfire because it looks like them seats and it should be. Around an old campfire from 1970. 

Well, and that's what I was thinking when I saw those seats. I'm thinking you know what. When I was a kid, I used to burn my legs in the back of. Those old camp. Chairs that fold it out with that webbing in it. I don't think it man and and those and that looks like something that would be so comfortable to sit in even though it's only half a chair really. 

Yeah, they're actually really comfortable. You know, the problem is when you when you drive that blazer with your shirt off for a nice sunny day you look like you've got a checkerboard on your back. Or maybe. 

I bet. 

You get a nice cool waffle tan. 

Yeah, you get a waffle. And yeah, that's a. It was a lot of fun, and even in the engine Bay there's so much you talk about detail. There's so much on that thing. I mean from how you fill it, you know the five gallon tank in the back is actually how you fill the vehicle through there and all the gun barrel rifling. That was on the exhaust. Like for I don't know if you noticed any. Of that, but. There is a lot all the dash, even though it looks stock. They were all separate pods, made it feel like you're floating. The back seats were all hung off the roll cage. They weren't. There's no legs on. So the whole idea was to float basically and it was. There's a lot a lot. Of little things on that blazer. 

And then there's the 69 Mustang. So like this thing. This thing itself looks like an animal that I love. The blue it's got the was it 5 two 600 horse something like that I can just. 

Yeah, yeah. 

And everything, just it just matches the interior, the engine Bay, and the color of the Car Talk us through a little bit about. The build on this one. 

I think that car really got overlooked. I think. I think it was sitting. You know, if that had been sitting in the mother's booth out front and center with good lighting on it. It had been a whole different car. It was a little dark back. There there's a lot going on in that car. I mean, then, quarters have been wide and all the the air actually runs through the the side scoops and the quarter panels and out through the tail lights. Kind of like the new Ford GT. There's just so much going. On in that car, I can't even really think. About all this stuff, but it personally for me, I don't think it showed well right where it was sitting 'cause I think it was dark. It was kind. Of along the wall it was but. That that vehicle is a it's a. Really cool car when you get to. Stand back and look at it. A lot of detail in that car. 

Yeah, it doesn't look wider. It looks it looks kind of like a stock 69 that's it's low, but man, there's I really like the back end of the car. The way that printed the tail lights and. 

There all the. 

Tail lights are different, but yet they all that you when you hit the brake lights all them inside, you know by printing the lights we have grooves inside the lights and they all line up. It's it's you know, the way the air comes through and around those tail. It's I don't know the machine, the front or the rear bumper is machined. All the diffusers underneath that people didn't get to see and the interior, you know retain the 69. Look with the two humps. But yet if you notice, you could see through from the front so they didn't go all the way down to the dash pad. And it was like. See through, there's a lot of neat ideas. That I hadn't really seen before, but yet still maintained a very much 69 car without. Bastardizing it in in any way by using the grill and like the front the lower fascia. The lower facial on that balance on that we pulled it out and when we did pull it out we actually instead of tucking the front bumper we pulled the bumper out 'cause it looked like it was hitting him. Mouth if you pull the bottom balance out in the hoods already out on those cars, it's one thing when it all goes back in an angle. But when we pulled that chin out, you really needed to accentuate the bumper by bringing it out too, so there's a lot going on that people I'm sure didn't pick up on. And you would. 

You would just walk by that car where it was sitting and think it was just a. A stack 69 Mustang with some cool wheels on it until you looked at it. 

Well, that's that has to be as a body man myself, I've been doing it for quite a long time, about 30 some years. 

I'm sorry. 

Right? I I have since retired so. 

Yeah, we are true. That's why I said I'm sorry. 

Right? I I did, I looked at that Mustang and I saw what it was, but I always pushed. The biggest thing that I see on a lot of your builds on almost all of them is the tiny details that get missed because people don't realize what they're looking at, something that's been changed, not for the sake of change. But change to make it more aerodynamic to increase the drag or to do something in every one of your builds. That's the biggest thing that I see is change for styling change for improving performance and and that's what I applaud your shop for doing is. Making modifications that most people won't see. 

Yeah, you're right. 

Sounds stupid but I love it. I absolutely love it and those are. The best modifications? 

Yeah, yeah, that's a tightrope that Jim always says. You walk in that a lot of builders if they're going to go through the work they want everybody to know what they did. If they're going to build a spoiler if they're going to build a flare, if they're going to chop something, they're. Going to make sure everybody knows what they did and. It's it's a lot more fun when you forget what you even did, you know and people ask us. We were like, oh, and they're like, well, I noticed you did that we're like Oh yeah, I forgot we did that because it's just subtle and you. You can't even remember you did it, but you know it looks different, so I thank you for that because it's something we really try to do is. Uhm, not let people really know you were doing it. Even though you have as much or more time doing something that people can see as they can't. 

You know the rear quarters in that car were pulled out over an inch and nobody caught it. I mean the if. You notice them 69 data stack when they're. Pretty narrow, but. On that car. They're you know they. 

Will they go back to the stock location in the back end entity? 

Or an hourglass cut where we pull them out but nobody notices. That stuff, but you. 

Right, unless it's sitting next to a stock one, you don't realize how much it's coke bottle. 

Right? 

Correct, correct? Even the. 

Right? 

Front fenders you don't know. We did that too. But and the. Way we did it. I'd have to explain and you know, show you because it's too hard to even explain. Where we kept that. Say that three quarter inch. Uh, as defender comes down, it kind of is like a concave 3 quarter inch roll or whatever that rolls through that. A lot of guys when they do pull out the front that gets wider up the front where we kept that the same with. It's just a lot of thought in when we cut it to let people know it's. Why are where did they cut it? I can't see where they did it. But they got a massive 295 up front and how the hell did they do that? 

That's that's a big footprint. 

Yeah so. 

Well, that's good because you've got somebody out there right now with a stock Mustang that has a 285 and they can't fit it. In their car, you've got a big puzzle. 

Right on the rears on the rear. 

On the rear yeah. 

And we've got it on the front, yeah? 

Right, they're trying to put it. They're trying to put it anywhere on their car and they can't. That's a big footprint. 

Yeah, actually that's big and that Camaro's got a 295 on it too so. They're big up front, so yeah. 

So what is in store? Can you give us any anything? What's coming up or what are you guys working on or any super secret projects? I promise never to tell anyone. 

No, we're not. We're not that way as far as, but we don't really show what we do till after it's over. 

Wake up. 

'cause yeah, somebody could take an idea that we think is unique and. 

We have a. 

Get it done. 

We have a 70 CUDA. Uh, that we're doing right now a 69 charger. Uh, beaugrand national. A 61 Rolls Royce. Pretty wild car 71 Austin. Martin Aston Aston asked. 

Are these guys mark car guys? 

Ask Austin Healey yes yes. 

So the the Aston Martin should be fun 'cause it was one where the owner asked us what we would like to do. So that was really. 

Cool said anything besides a Mustang? 

So it's kind of a European Mustang. Honestly, as wide as they are and short, but it should be pretty fun. Honestly, we're excited about that one. 

Yeah, it does have that long nose ponycar look. 

Well, very much. It's wider. Believe it or not, by two inches and a 69 Mustang, but it's shorter by 5 inches and a 69 so it's really wide and stubby. Uhm, so we're gonna do our James Bond. Theme to it and uh. We're excited about that and will not run an Aston Martin, Austin Martin, whatever he wants to say drivetrain. 

And its sound. 

He's just getting. A head start on naming the vehicles, that's. 

There you go. 

All he was doing. 

Yeah, maybe we'll have to rename that one. 

Guys your your brothers, you work together how closely how how close side by side do you work? Are you hands on together or do each of you do separate things? I know it's you know being a family business, I work with my dad every day. And people always. Say you know how you guys get along. Do you fight and all this? My dad and I we don't because we know when to walk away. The idea that you guys are working together, how does that family dynamic work for you too? 

Oh we fight. But a lot of times it's on, you know, the hardest part is it's 5050 and. Guys will play you like they do their parents or you know like Mom will let me do it. So talk to Dad and they definitely play us and then that. Can in and. We get on each other because he's like, well, I said not to do it and I said, well, I didn't know you said it. They came to me and asked me 'cause they want a certain outcome so they play us and that. In turn, we get on each other for that, but also if I feel one way and he feels. If somebody goes on vacation is when we do what we really feel we want to do. But not in the most part. It's been close to 30 years now so. I'm not saying it's all easy, but we've seemed to make it work, so it's good. Our hobbies are different after work though, you know he's he always says if he hits the lottery, he's going to go right there. To Caterpillar and me, I'm going to. Go to the golf. Store so we we we. We definitely have different hobbies other than work. But we do not work together as much like I do different things in gym and being the way this place is, we have four buildings so. So we seem to be in different locations during the day. 

But Ringbrothers isn't just about the brothers though, either is it? There's a little bit more of a family dynamic there too. As far as your wives are apart of this. 

Correct, but not my wife. 

I've seen some, not your wife she. 

She well she stops by every now and. 

Then she works in the she works. Yeah, in the shipping department and with sales. Yeah, my wife does more the accounting controller. But, uh, yeah, it's. It's it's good, but it's a you know we we want to show some longevity to our employees, so hopefully I can get my son to stick around for a little bit too. 'cause Jim and I I'm 60 gems 58 and. We plan on being here a while 'cause we really like what we do, yet you know, people say when you want. To retire and for me. It's like this is what I'd do if I was retired. Right, I mean so. 

Well, I I definitely like hearing that you're trying to get your son involved. We're always talking about what drives youth. And are you as a company or separately? Are you guys doing anything to support the next generation? Are you doing anything to gather local talent or place people and employees? And things from colleges. 

Continually have young people from the high. School which is. A few blocks away from our buildings over here, people that show interest in the automotive side of things and and so the answer is yes. I mean we do. We do a lot of tech college tours. You know every year. Would they show up with van loads full of kids that are interested in this in this? Train, but it's getting fewer and far between. I mean, it's it's definitely. I don't know what they're going to do on another 20-30 years from now. I don't know, I don't know. What's going to? Happen, but life is changing for sure. 

But the kids that are here are pretty excited, like we put them to work and you know they start in the summer and they go on and they school lets them out because their interests are aligned with what we do here and it. It's it's. It's pretty nice but yeah, we we try to do as much as we can with the youth and. We're not our machining side of the business is all younger people 30 and under? You know what I mean? So they're the smart ones. If they can grasp how they can take what their knowledge is, and take it to another level, it's. This this hobby is going to get really strong, I think because of the young and once they figure out a little grit they're gonna. They're going to be just fine. 

The grade point average went up at our high. School when Mike. And I left, by the way. 

It's that curve. I understand that now now wanting to teach the next generation and you guys have been doing. This for 30 years. Who were your mentors? Who did you look up to? What are other builders and people that you? You you saw. 

It wasn't really builders 'cause we didn't really know a lot about this hobby. We it was just mechanics or people down in Kramer's where the big construction Berman, whether they painted dump trucks or whatever it was. It was people like that. It was people that my dad owned a small gas station. And I used to wash cars on Saturday morning when I was 12 and seeing a guy like smiley legal with his javelin and. I think of that a lot who touched. Us over the years. And it's just. Random people that they didn't even realize they were doing it to you. Whether they let you sit in their car or drive their car. Uhm, didn't even have to be. 

A car. It was snowmobiles. It was, it was all of the above that anything you. Could put gas in. 

And that's what drove us. I think too. Just it, it's funny 'cause we think of that a lot. Whether it's your teacher, a little bit of him too. You know, just somebody letting you drive one of their vehicles right? As a young age, you're just it's. 

Cloud 9 I don't know. 

How you put that back? I think because we. We're in the moment a lot more. Back then we didn't have fairytale phones where we actually could actually touch feel for real and the excitement of acceleration to breaking too. Out of control. Uhm, those senses that they don't get with the phone is something. That drove us. To want to go faster, corner harder. Get the girls by having a nicer car than your buddy drag to. 

A bigger town in the town of 600 people you were living in, you know. 

Right? 

Thank you. 

Well, either one of you do and for both of you guys. Do you remember your spark? Do you remember this day, this magazine? I was looking at when did you decide this is what you wanted to do and and then from that moment forward it. It just made a left turn in your life. 

Can't remember that. 

I can't remember the, it was just. It was just all those. Little things that put the bug in our ear, right? And I I went to Navy. Jim was a crane operator for years and then we kind of came back and did construction management. For a while and then. Jim bought a car down in Chicago and tore it apart and. Told his wife this is what he wants to do and I bought in about five years after that and. The rest is history. We didn't. We started out changing oil, tires, brakes. It was never to build hot rods. I mean, we just we just knew we wanted to be in this. 

I know mate. 

We were too dumb to know that we shouldn't. 

You know, I mean, you just in. 

A way that's it's better to be stupid and just say I can do this. But today, with everybody needing a business plan, ****, if we had to write a business plan there. Was no chance. We just knew we could do it. I mean, you just knew you. Could make a living doing something. You you were passionate about and pretty good at and. 

Our mother told us life is what happens when you're making other plans and she. Was definitely right. 

So you you talked about, you know the the change in the oil, the tires, and you know you never really set out for to be. You know, building cars and whatnot. So aside from the building of cars and these fantastic. Award-winning hot rods that you do. You know, if I didn't? Know who the. Ring brothers were and they just stumbled upon your website. They had no. I had no idea really at on that first home. Page that you. Guys were award-winning car builders. You guys sell custom parts, hinges, wheels, handles accessories. How did? How did doing what you were doing lead into those custom parts that you now build and like and CNC machining that you guys do is like you. Go to your staff page and it introduces your staff. It's like half the staff or CNC operators. So how did you get to that point of the parts business? 

Well, because we're trying to be unique and build parts that you weren't ordering out of the jegs catalog like everybody else was. You didn't want to show up at a akarsh or an event with the same things everybody else had, so we decided to start making our own handles and mirrors and and all of the stuff we make at this point to be different. And then all of a sudden, like we said, we're not smart. But a light bulb? Did go off and say hell we might be selling this. Stuff because people are. People are people want it, so that's really how that started. It started because we wanted something different than we could buy. 

I remember the first piece. We did a Mustang A-65 bass back in. Wanted this it we was in our model back window and if you're. Familiar with that, it's open. And we wanted to close it up so we come up with this idea of this Billy piece. In the back. And I think we bought a farm. From the guy in his house. Just we were going to flip it and. Make some money. But the thing was, is that he had to build that billet piece. To fill that opening. And we, that's how desperate we were we. 

Basically, you're going to build this this part we want 'cause it's really cool 'cause we didn't know anything about CNC equipment. We'll do that. We'll buy your your house and your farm and your property. But you gotta build, you gotta build this park for us. 1st through working with a. 

Big glass company? How about you? He forgot about. That, but it's like that's how. Desperate, you were to be different. And I think if you're that driven to. 

And by the way, that sounds kind of weird that we were going to buy his house environment. We just it was he was moved. He was leaving. It was a fire. Sale and we were in the right place at the right time, but. We held him hostage, yeah? 

But it just turned into that guy who ended up building it. Ended up working for us and it just all took off so. You never know how it. You know life, you just don't know it's gonna be around the corner. And uh, either take advantage of it or you don't. You don't even know it's in at the time what it's big. Deal or not, you just. Trust in your gut, your gut's pretty good typically yeah. 

There's a lot of corners when you're getting. Out driving I can tell you that. 

No, no straight lines. Everybody thinks success is in a straight line. It's this great Kirby thing. Well, definitely cool. Well, thank you for hanging out with us for a. Little bit. Tonight, so Jim. 

Mike from the ring. Brothers, why don't you tell everybody who's listening today? How they can get ahold of? You guys or where they can find the ring brothers. 

You can find Ring brothers on Facebook. And you can also. Find us on www.ringbrothers.com and check our website out with a lot of cool cars and a lot of cool parts. You can also find us on Instagram. 

We'll be sure to leave all their socials in the comment section down below so you guys can find them. 

Man, I look forward to seeing all the crazy things you guys are going to have your hands in. I know you described some of the vehicles that are in your shop right now. Hopefully we'll see. You again next year at SEMA . 

Yeah, look forward to it. 

Thanks for having us guys. 

Thanks for being on the show. 

Who's on over to our website? Getoutanddrive.com for all the info you never wanted to know about our podcast. Hit us up on our listener hotline. Be the first to know what's happening. Get industry news and grab your get out and drive merch. Connect with us on social media. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Tik. T.O.K follow us on Twitter at get out and drive pod. 

I am Mike Ring and what drives you?