To All The Cars I've Loved Before: Classic Car Restoration, JDM, and Automotive History

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!
How does a professional NASCAR driver go from pushing limits at 200 miles per hour to teaching the next generation how to parallel park?
In this episode of To All The Cars I've Loved Before, host Doug sits down with Brad Coleman, a former NASCAR driver and the current owner and CEO of SafeWay Driving. Brad shares his incredible full-circle journey, starting with his teenage years when he was simultaneously racing Formula Renault 1600 cars while getting humbled in a SafeWay Driver's Ed parking lot lesson. He breaks down the exact moment he received a life-changing call from Joe Gibbs Racing to skip college and drive the #18 car in the Busch Series, and how testing driving simulators with high schoolers sparked his passion for teaching street safety.
Beyond the track, Brad takes us through his wild personal car history. We discuss falling in love with a neighbor's 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi at 14 years old, surviving 4 hours stranded inside a flooded Audi S4 during the Houston Memorial Day flood, and fearing for his life in a Ford Taurus rental car with Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell! We also dive into his recent switch to EVs, comparing the ride quality of BMW M cars to his Tesla Model Y Performance.
Connect with Us: Got a great car story? Email us at stories@carsloved.com. Find all our content and social links here: linktr.ee/carsloved.
Podcast News:
Our co-host, Doug was a guest on the Driven Radio Show Podcast to share the origin story of our podcast and connecting with his late father through his DeLorean project.
Check out the amazing article about the podcast by Elevate Society and Tal Gur, author of "The Art of Fully Living"
Feedspot selected To All The Cars I've Loved Before in their list of Top 100 Car Podcasts and 31 Best Road Trip Podcasts For Your Drive
Our co-host, Doug was featured in this magazine article along with his DeLore...

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!
In this episode, Doug and Dave are getting a little grease under their nails with Matthew Valbuena, a Project Manager for Mazda's North American Operations R&D division. Matthew oversees the development of Mazda's in-vehicle technologies and human interfaces, balancing the demand for cutting-edge connectivity with Mazda’s core "driving first" philosophy.
Matthew takes us on an incredible automotive journey, starting with his first vehicle: a lowered 1994 Toyota Pickup complete with a $163 monthly payment and a Nintendo 64 in the glovebox. We dive into the heavy-bass nostalgia of 90s car audio, carrying around $1,500 worth of CDs in Case Logic wallets[cite: 1], and the era of Fast & Furious tuner culture.
But the most fascinating part of Matthew's story is how his upbringing shapes the cars we drive today. Growing up with deaf parents, his first language was American Sign Language (ASL). He shares how this visual-first perspective perfectly suited him for a career in UI/UX design. You will learn why gesture controls are a nightmare for the deaf community, why every dashboard beep must have a visual cue, and how he used to install 1500-watt subwoofers in his dad’s Benz so he could physically feel the music.
Don't miss Matthew's favorite episode with Jon from Mazda USA: https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/16805989

Plus, stick around for our Mazda trivia question: What surprisingly unrelated product did Mazda manufacture when it was founded in 1920?
Learn more about Mazda:
Explore their latest tech at www.mazdausa.com
Follow @MazdaUSA on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and YouTube

Connect with Us: Got a great car story? Email us at stories@carsloved.com. Find all our content and social links here: linktr.ee/carsloved.
Podcast News:
Our co-host, Doug was a guest on the Driven Radio Show Podcast to share the origin story of our podcast and connecting with his late father through his DeLorean project.
Check out the amazing article about the podcast by Elevate Society and Tal Gur, author of "The Art of Fully Living"
Feedspot selected To All The Cars I've Loved Before in their list of Top 100 Car Podcasts and 31 Best Road Trip Podcasts For Your Drive
Our co-host, Doug was featured in this magazine article along with his DeLore...

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!
How do you go from driving a homemade go-kart built out of lawnmower parts to piloting a 1996 Lola IndyCar originally driven by Eddie Lawson and Davy Jones?
In this episode of To All The Cars I've Loved Before, Doug sits down with IndyCar driver and speaker Mianna Wick.Mianna shares her unique journey into motorsports, starting at age 10 on a custom backyard dirt track paved by her dad, and moving up through the ranks of Formula Ford and Formula Mazda.

Don't miss Mianna's favorite episode with Ethan, Network Engineer extraordinaire https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/19011189
We dive deep into the world of open-wheel racing as Mianna breaks down the differences between F1 and IndyCar, explains why her vintage '96 Lola actually has a higher power-to-weight ratio than modern IndyCars, and discusses the challenges of racing a naturally aspirated beast with no telemetry or driver aids. Mianna also shares the deeply personal story of her temporary retirement from the sport, how her faith guided her unexpected return, and the single greatest lesson her legendary crew chief taught her about championship team culture.

🔗 Follow Mianna Wick:
Website: https://www.miannawickracing.com
Connect with Us: Got a great car story? Email us at stories@carsloved.com. Find all our content and social links here: linktr.ee/carsloved.
Podcast News:
Our co-host, Doug was a guest on the Driven Radio Show Podcast to share the origin story of our podcast and connecting with his late father through his DeLorean project.
Check out the amazing article about the podcast by Elevate Society and Tal Gur, author of "The Art of Fully Living"
Feedspot selected To All The Cars I've Loved Before in their list of Top 100 Car Podcasts and 31 Best Road Trip Podcasts For Your Drive
Our co-host, Doug was featured in this magazine article along with his DeLore...

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!
How do you go from buying a broken-down $3,000 Porsche 944 to owning hundreds of air-cooled 911s and flipping some of the rarest vehicles in the world?
This week, Doug goes solo to sit down with Bill Patel, an automotive broker and Porsche collector who has been living the gearhead dream for nearly 25 years. From spotting Alois Ruf's personal 1984 RUF Turbo at a random Chicago dealership to preserving a 1-of-20 IMSA homologation 1992 Porsche 964 Turbo S2, Bill’s deep archives of car knowledge have led to some of the most incredible vehicle discoveries we’ve ever heard on the show.
In this episode, we cover:
The 1-of-20 Unicorn: The history of the 1992 Porsche 964 Turbo S2 and how ANDIAL modified 20 street-legal versions for IMSA racing.
The Ultimate Flip: How an old AutoWeek magazine helped Bill identify and buy Alois Ruf's personal RUF Turbo for $65,000 and flip it weeks later for $145,000.
The Widowmaker: Why the 930 Turbo remains Bill's all-time favorite car, and his quest to own every single model year.
Porsche Market Secrets: Why manual 981 Boxster GTSs and 997.2s are the ultimate modern classics, and why the 996 is the best budget buy right now.
Dangerous Rides: Surviving the unpredictable Dodge Viper GTS and the heartbreak of wrecking a 930 just 15 minutes after buying it.
Don't miss Bill's favorite episode with Brad Phillips on The Great Race, Ferraris, and Vintage Porsches: https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/19238276

Plus, Bill shares his humble beginnings learning to drive stick in a Chevy S10 Blazer and surviving a wrecked Toyota pickup, as well as his family's incredible dedication to supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
If you love air-cooled lore, the thrill of the automotive hunt, and the unfiltered reality of car flipping, this episode is an absolute must-listen!
Connect with Us: Got a great car story? Email us at stories@carsloved.com. Find all our content and social links here: linktr.ee/carsloved.
Podcast News:
Our co-host, Doug was a guest on the Driven Radio Show Podcast to share the origin story of our podcast and connecting with his late father through his DeLorean project.
Check out the amazing article about the podcast by Elevate Society and Tal Gur, author of "The Art of Fully Living"
Feedspot selected To All The Cars I've Loved Before in their list of Top 100 Car Podcasts and 31 Best Road Trip Podcasts For Your Drive
Our co-host, Doug was featured in this magazine article along with his DeLore...

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!
From surviving a scary collision in a massive Toyota Land Cruiser as a teenager to swapping out suspension springs on a 7,500-lb INEOS Grenadier in her driveway, Anastasia Kim Carpenter proves that taking the path less traveled is always the best route!
In this episode of To All The Cars I've Loved Before, Doug sits down with Anastasia—founder of the Women's INEOS Grenadier Club—to talk about the rapidly growing world of overlanding, off-roading, and female empowerment in the automotive space. Anastasia shares incredible stories from her youth balancing Vaganova ballet with driving rugged 4x4s, explains the fascinating origins of the INEOS Grenadier, and breaks down the real challenges (and massive rewards!) of being an early adopter of a brand-new, highly capable off-road vehicle.
Don't miss Anastasia's favorite episode with superstar father-daughter duo, Dane and Riley from Riley's Rebuilds - https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/18447947

If you love tales from the trail, hands-on wrenching, and the magic of sitting around a campfire after a long day of wheeling, this episode is for you!
In this episode, we cover:
🚙 The Land Cruiser Days: Anastasia’s teenage years behind the wheel of big, burly Toyota Land Cruisers—including a white 5th-gen, a blue one that saved her in a scary collision, and a River Rock Green Mica 6th-gen! 
🩰 Ballet Meets 4x4s: The hilarious contrast of driving a massive 4x4 to a Nutcracker rehearsal as a ballerina. 
🔧 The INEOS Grenadier: Why she fell in love with the utilitarian, ladder-frame INEOS Grenadier (Trial Master edition) and how she tackles complex DIY mods like installing Eibach springs. 
💪 Women in Motorsport: The inspiring story behind founding the Women's INEOS Grenadier Club to empower female off-roaders to take control in the garage and on the trail. 
🍻 Trivia Time: Find out exactly where INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe first sketched the concept for the Grenadier! 
Connect with Us: Got a great car story? Email us at stories@carsloved.com. Find all our content and social links here: linktr.ee/carsloved.
Podcast News:
Our co-host, Doug was a guest on the Driven Radio Show Podcast to share the origin story of our podcast and connecting with his late father through his DeLorean project.
Check out the amazing article about the podcast by Elevate Society and Tal Gur, author of "The Art of Fully Living"
Feedspot selected To All The Cars I've Loved Before in their list of Top 100 Car Podcasts and 31 Best Road Trip Podcasts For Your Drive
Our co-host, Doug was featured in this magazine article along with his DeLore...