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

What is the difference between engineering vehicles at a 100-year-old legacy automaker versus a high-speed EV startup?

In this episode of To All The Cars I've Loved Before, host Doug sits down with former Ford and Rivian engineering manager turned real estate founder, John Gravelyn. From fixing his own beaters out of pure pragmatism as a teenager to working in top-secret prototype shops, John shares an incredible insider look at how modern vehicles get built—and the hilarious personal car stories along the way.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• First Car & Pure Freedom: The 300+ horsepower 1997 Cadillac STS gift from his grandfather, keeping it waxed, and the terrifying moment he tested its top speed at 115 MPH only to discover aerodynamic lift!
• The Practical Ranger: How a basic 1998 Ford Ranger 5-speed manual launched his teenage lawn care business and taught him hands-on repair skills.
• Worst Car & Commute Nightmare: Losing his clutch in a Mercury Milan on I-94 during a 1.5-hour Detroit rush-hour commute, stalling 20 times, and trading it in for $300.
• Inside Ford's Prototype Shop: Working on top-secret builds like the Bronco in a historic 1950s Lincoln shop, plus testing Mustang Mach-E range in the emissions lab during COVID.
• The Rivian EV Shift: The stark culture contrast between Ford's established systems and Rivian’s fast-paced, "bootstrapped" prototype environment where custom parts were needed instantly.
• The Future of Auto Techs & AI: Invaluable advice for the next generation of technicians on using problem-solving frameworks and AI tools to diagnose complex modern vehicles.
• Dream Cars & First Principles: Why John’s ultimate dream car is a mid-70s Lincoln Continental Mark IV, and how he now uses an engineering mindset to help analytical professionals with real estate at First Principles Partners.

Connect with Our Guest:

• First Principles Partners: thefppartners.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:

• 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 the Top 100 Car Podcasts and Top 40 Road Trip Podcasts
• Download our brand new app on the official App Store for the latest podcast updates and instant access to your favorite episodes. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/every-car-tells-a-story/id6775357313 Every Car Tells A Story

Remember, every car tells a story. What’s yours?

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

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

Welcome back to To All The Cars I've Loved Before! This week, Doug is going solo in the garage to sit down with 18-year-old racing phenom Kaeden Ballos. As a fourth-generation racer, Kaeden is currently making waves in the NASCAR weekly series behind the wheel of the number 19 late model.

In this episode, Kaeden shares the incredible story of his racing origins, starting at just six years old. We hear about the wild moment he barrel-rolled a dirt champ kart down the back straightaway—and how that crash actually removed his fear of racing. Kaeden also dives into his experiences driving a clutchless Bandolero at the Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway, stepping up to the highly competitive Cars Tour, and his recent test runs in F3 and F4 cars where he almost set a track record.

Don't miss Kaeden's favorite episode with Porsche Carrera Cup North America driver, Sabre' Cook and her amazing motocross legend father, Stacey Cook https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/19386773

Whether you are a devoted NASCAR fan or love the adrenaline of open-wheel testing, this episode takes you directly into the driver's seat.

In this episode, we cover:

• A Racing Bloodline: How Kaeden's grandfather, a former NASCAR race director, and his parents shaped his passion for the track.
• Meeting a Legend: Kaeden shares a memorable story of meeting his childhood favorite driver, Kyle Busch.
• The First Big Crash: The wild story of barrel-rolling a dirt champ kart at Capital City Speedway and how it changed his driving mindset.
• Driving a "Brick on Wheels": What it is actually like to race Bandolero cars in a "war zone" of competition.
• Open-Wheel Testing: Kaeden's recent experience testing F4 and F3 cars, getting within a second of the track record at the Autobahn South course.
• Podcast Trivia: The surprising historical reason why American oval tracks run counterclockwise!

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:

• 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 the Top 100 Car Podcasts and Top 40 Road Trip Podcasts
• Download our brand new app on the official App Store for the latest podcast updates and instant access to your favorite episodes. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/every-car-tells-a-story/id6775357313 Every Car Tells A Story

Remember, every car tells a story. What’s yours?

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

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

Welcome back to To All The Cars I've Loved Before! This week, Doug is sitting down with his friend and ultimate gearhead, Tony Funk. Over the years, Tony has owned over 35 different vehicles, and he brings some of the most unbelievable automotive stories we've ever heard into the garage.

In this episode, Tony shares the miraculous story of his rare 1983 Ford Mustang GT Turbo. After a hurricane brought a massive tree down on it, a frustrated Tony simply gave the crushed car away. In a wild twist of fate, the owner offered it back to him six years later. The craziest part? The title was still in Tony's name with his signature on it!

We also dive deep into Tony's latest headache: a 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger tribute car. Originally a base-model slant-six , this 360-swapped project turned into an 8-week legal nightmare with the North Carolina DMV over mismatched hidden body stamps and some generic Home Depot rivets.

Don't miss Tony's favorite episode with Ethan's amazing WRX - https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/19011189

Whether you are hunting for your dream 1968 Charger RT or wondering how to navigate classic Mopar restorations, this episode is packed with hard-earned wrenches and wisdom.

In this episode, we cover:

• First Car Heartbreak: The short-lived glory of a brown 1980 Dodge Mirada that was rear-ended and totaled at a red light.
• The Escort Era: Surviving the Pennsylvania summer heat in an un-air-conditioned 1983 Ford Escort painted in infamous "porno red".
• The Foxbody Miracle: Giving away a crushed '83 Mustang GT Turbo and getting it back six years later.
• Mopar Title Nightmares: The extreme stress of titling a 1970 Dodge Dart tribute car and why you must always check for pentastar rivets.
• ZZ Top Trivia: The history and the rival engine hiding under the hood of Billy Gibbons' famous 1933 Ford Coupe, the "Eliminator".

Sponsor Shoutout: Want to learn more about the cars we discussed today? This episode is sponsored by Car Curious! Their free audio player syncs annotations directly to our transcript, explaining every car, part, and term. Test drive it right now at carslove.com/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:

• 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 the Top 100 Car Podcasts and Top 40 Road Trip Podcasts
• Download our brand new app on the official App Store for the latest podcast updates and instant access to your favorite episodes. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/every-car-tells-a-story/id6775357313 Every Car Tells A Story

Remember, every car tells a story. What’s yours?

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