Billy Williams joins host Cliff McFadden on The DownShifting Podcast.

Billy grew up in Dallas and found his way into cars at an early age, building hot rods long before he ever had a driver’s license. In this conversation, he shares what it was like learning the craft before the internet—when knowledge came from experience, mistakes, mentors, scavenged parts, and simply figuring things out the hard way.

We talk about backyard builds, early street cars, shop life, and the years spent turning wrenches while chasing something bigger. Billy also reflects on work ethic, growing up with very little, and what he calls the “virtues of poverty”—the lessons, expectations, and mentors that helped shape both the cars he built and the life he created.

The conversation also explores the balance between work, family, and passion, and how stepping away from the grind eventually gave Billy the opportunity to reconnect with what he truly loved: building cars, helping others, and staying connected to the people who had been there from the beginning.

This episode is about much more than cars. It’s about friendship, mentorship, hard work, and a kind of automotive culture that was built in garages, backyards, and shops long before social media existed.

On a personal level, Billy played an important role in Cliff’s own automotive journey, and much of what he knows today can be traced back to time spent around Billy in the shop.

We also discuss Billy’s adopted son and the work being done at JZS Customs. Follow their builds here:
https://www.instagram.com/jzs.customs/

If you're into hot rods, classic cars, old-school builds, shop stories, and the real stories behind the machines, you're in the right place.

Bringing great stewards of the automotive community together to share dreams.