TMCP #426: Kevin Brown from Junkyard Digs on Rescuing Abandoned Rusty Filthy Terrifying Cars! ; Ask Rick - The Dying Art of a Manual Transmission and Evaluating '69 Camaro's for Investment (2024)

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This week our guest was Kevin Brown from the YouTube channel “Junkyard Digs.” Kevin is currently a college student as well as an Armed Serviced Veteran. Together with his friends Luke and “Mook” they are growing an automotive adventure show centering on seeking out old abandoned (and usually gross and rusty) cars, getting then running, and documenting the mis-adventure of it all! It’s somewhat like “Roadkill, The Next Generation.”

They had filmed videos prior to his military deployment, and when he returned home a year later found the videos had hundreds of thousands of views! As such….the decided to make more. One of their most popular rescues was an abandoned 1970 Plymouth sinking back into the earth. After a few days it was back to life again! Believe it or not, but the entire gang lives right here in the same small town as I do – Ames, Iowa.

Their current project is a 1968 Pontiac LeMans that is intended to complete in the “Gambler 500.” This is an event that is intended to take $500 cars and drive them 500 miles offroad in Oregon in order to pick up the trash left by campers, the wind, or anything else. It may just be the zaniest environmental mission you’ve ever heard of and is almost like a Lemons event combined with Bigfoot seekers. The LeMans was rescued from a few floods, has been lifted, equipped with off-road wheels and tires, a Buick engine, and will soon do battle in the Northwest!

Check out at YouTube Junkyard Digs or for some great behind the scenes images, Instagram.com/junkyard_digs.

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This interview sponsored by our pals at National Parts Depot –
your premier source for muscle car restoration parts!

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In this month’s Ask Rick we discussed a number of items on his Facebook page ranging from a love of Gary Larson’s “Far Side” cartoons to teaching his daughters how to drive vehicles equipped with a manual transmission . There are (in the United States at least) now more electric and hybrid vehicles sold new than anything with a manual transmission, but they are STILL available if you look. The NPD collection is also ripe with fun vehicles to try and we discussed the methods and selections he’s used with his daughters.

Also in this interview, an in depth review of three ’69 Camaro’s on eBay from the perspective of enjoyment and/or investment. Listen in to hear Rick’s methods of eyeball evaluation. Thanks Rick, thanks for another great interview!

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