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!
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...

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:
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!
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:
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!
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:
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!
A Father’s Day Special: The Unbreakable Bond of a Racing Family
Happy Father’s Day! This week on To All The Cars I've Loved Before, we are celebrating the ultimate father-daughter racing duo. We’re sitting down with Sabré Cook—a mechanical engineer and professional driver for JDX Racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America—and her dad, Stacey Cook, a former professional motocross rider who was inducted into the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2023.
In this episode, we dive deep into the Cook family’s high-octane history. Stacey shares his incredible journey from racing a $800, 200,000-mile Datsun pickup across Colorado with dirt bikes in the back, to the terrifying realization of watching his own daughter speed past him in a formula car. Sabré discusses her disciplined path to the driver's seat (which required straight A's just to get a Chevy Equinox!), her ultimate goal to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and why she believes a $2 Million Porsche 911 DLS Singer is the ultimate dream car.

Don't miss Sabre' and Stacey's favorite episode featuring Monster Truck Jam driver, Nicole Johnson - https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/15924202
Whether you are looking to get into track days yourself or just want to hear a heartwarming story about a father who supported his daughter's drive to the top, this episode is packed with life lessons, laughs, and serious horsepower.
In this episode, we cover:
Stacey's wild early days: Street racing a 1965 Corvette and surviving cross-country trips in an orange Datsun.
Safety Evolution: The shocking differences between a 1970s Datsun and Sabré's modern safety cocoon.
How to start racing: Sabré's advice on using simulators (like iRacing and Assetto Corsa) and buying a Mazda Miata to build track skills on a budget.
The emotional toll of motorsports: Stacey opens up about the sacrifices Sabré makes to be a pro driver, working 24/7 with little social life.
Trivia: What common safety feature was invented out of necessity at the very first Indy 500 in 1911?.
Follow Sabré Cook: Check out her website and find the hidden Easter egg photo of her at 3 months old on her dad's vintage motorcycle: sabrecookracing.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...