West Of Tulsa Show

Why Every Pickup Truck Enthusiast Needs to Visit the Truck Rodeo - West Of Tulsa Show #0010

This week on  @WestOfTulsa  ... Truck Rodeo, the ultimate marketplace for classic pickup trucks! Join us as we explore the best vintage and custom trucks, meet the passionate people behind them, and experience the excitement of this one-of-a-kind auction site. From rare collectibles to fully restored classics, Truck Rodeo has something for every classic truck enthusiast. Don't miss out on the action-packed event of the year!
One of our guests this week on West of Tulsa flew from Orlando, Florida to Ventura to join us in studio. We are humbled and honored! Kyle Wortham with Truck Rodeo had two flights cancelled and he didn't sleep but he made it to West of Tulsa to talk about his new business venture.
Truck Rodeo is the first branded marketplace for classic pickup trucks. Wortham describes Truck Rodeo as Bring a Trailer but with a cowboy accent. He teamed up a year ago with Joe Kennelty who is a super talented photographer, videographer, artist and he's pretty good at reassembling old Honda motorcycles too.
Wortham and Kennelty talk about how they met and how they are getting really creative to promote Truck Rodeo. Wortham is from the Midwest and has a background in marketing which includes stints with Pabst Brewing, Schlitz, Lone Star, Blue Moon, Primo Beer and White Claw. So, he's into beer and trucks. A perfect country connection!
Wortham reveals where the name Truck Rodeo came from and its connection to Burt Reynolds and the movie Smokey and the Bandit. Kennelty talks about some of the craziest photo shoots they've worked on together to promote Truck Rodeo. And how to shoot a C10 pickup just like you would a $10,000,000 Ferrari. The West of Tulsa team peppered Wortham about the Yellowstone effect, Country music and auction fatigue when talking about the resurgence of old trucks. And how it's gaining in popularity among women who love to drive these old pickups.
Finally, Wortham talks about one of his prized possessions, a pair of cowboy boots he wore to the interview that are autographed by country music legend Willie Nelson.
Sit back, crack open a beer and enjoy this next episode of West of Tulsa.
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Empowering Women in the Car Scene: Interview with Christina Jimenez - West Of Tulsa Show #0009

Join us for an inspiring interview with the trailblazing Christine Jimenez as she shares her journey in empowering women in the car scene. From breaking stereotypes to creating a supportive community, Christine's insights and experiences will leave you feeling motivated and empowered to make your mark in the automotive world. Don't miss out on this powerful conversation!
Follow  @MsMotorheadPodcast  on YouTube And check out www.msmotorhead.com to learn more!
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Capturing the Action: Inside the Vehicles of News Videographers - West Of Tulsa Show #0008

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There are few professions that require the driving skills of a demolition derby driver, the nerves of a paramedic and the troubleshooting skills of MacGuyver. News videographers can easily spend more hours during their day driving, than covering news. So, what they drive is extremely important. A news or ENG vehicle isn't just transportation, it's also their office and depending on what circumstances they end up in, that vehicle could be their best friend. The West of Tulsa team thought it would be interesting to invite three veteran news videographers to Studio 3 to talk about their profession and what they drive. As you'll find out, we were right, it was very interesting. We discuss why many videographers in Southern California call Herb Tuyay, Yoda. He's trained many of the top news videographers in SoCal, especially in the Los Angeles TV area. Sean Browning talks about why some news vehicles are unmarked and the evolution of news live trucks and satellite trucks. The trio give their best examples of 'cat in a tree' type stories. They provide details about the stresses of the job and how they decompress at the end of the day. Mike Tauber for example, jumps in his beautiful 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV and just drives. The guys talk us through old photos of them and their assigned news vehicles over the years. Everything from the Izuzu Trooper, Nissan Pathfinder, Dodge Ram Charger, K10 Chevy Blazer, Mitsubishi Montero, Pontiac Vibe, Triton V10 Ford Econoline van and Mercedes Metris. They also tell us which one is the best workhorse of all the news vehicles they've used over the years. It's unanimous by the way! They also take us behind the scenes. They offer up great stories about two videographers who were fired for drag racing their live vans, one story about driving back from a spot in downtown LA after someone had wiped feces all over the windows of their news vehicle, another story about coming face to face with a suspect in the middle of a high speed police pursuit, surviving a roll over accident in a news live truck and why many news vehicles always smell like In 'n Out Burger. We have a little bit of everything in this episode. Some stories will make you hungry and others may cause you to toss your cookies. Sit back and enjoy and thank you for supporting West of Tulsa.

OJCM & The Hotwheels Showdown - West Of Tulsa Show #0007 - Frank, Dorian & Sebastian De Jesus

Our guests this week on the West of Tulsa Show are Frank DeJesus and his two sons, Sebastian and Dorian. Frank founded the Old Japanese Car Meet or OJCM in Los Angeles. Sebastian and Dorian are taking their passion for Hot Wheels and building a successful business. Frank explains how a bad experience at a muscle car gathering in Burbank many years ago inspired him to start his own car meet. The muscle car guys told Frank he couldn’t join them because his Japanese car didn’t have enough chrome. So, he said screw that and started OJCM. Frank also talks about the difference between a classic, vintage and antique car. He also tells the story about meeting Helm for the first time. Helm showed up at Frank’s Old Japanese Car Meet in a Mercedes Benz! Now they’re friends. Frank breaks down what kinds of Japanese cars show up at the meet including Datsuns, Subarus and Hondas. One member, Natasha Adams, even modified a Lexus LS400 into a Prerunner offroad luxury sedan. Sebastian and Dorian explain how they first started their Hot Wheels Racing Series. They’re invited to set up their impressive six lane quarter-mile track (that’s to scale of course) at events all over Southern California. Their races attract large crowds and it’s very competitive. They’ve even been invited to set up their track and hold races at Mattel’s Headquarters and at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The competitors really get into it because they’re racing for trophies and prize money. Even the adults start acting like kids. We’ll show you videos of the races and the guys talk about how they announce the race and they can even tell which car will probably win. We also bring in an automotive historian to answer two trivia questions. Can C.J. stump the gang? Will you know the answers? Enjoy the show.

Rally 4 Kids: Making a Difference for Boys & Girls Club - West Of Tulsa Show #0006

Visit www.Rally4kids.org This week’s guests on the West of Tulsa Show are Monte Wilson, Co-Founder of the Rally4Kids event and Scott Rouleau, a rally volunteer. The Rally 4 Kids is an annual fundraiser for the United Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County. It features 60 beautiful and exotic classic cars driving about 150 miles in the back roads of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. The event includes a drivers party the night before the rally where the drivers and their navigators learn about the rules and enjoy great food. Everyone wakes up early the next morning and gathers at the rally starting line. This is where the teams find out for the first time the route they’ll be driving and which challenges they will have to complete at each predetermined checkpoint along the route. The event wraps up with a gala and dinner party where all of the drivers and navigators park the vehicle they drove in the rally on the lawn. The teams are encouraged to keep the bugs and dirt from the drive on the car. Wilson and Rouleau talk about the challenges of putting on the event, especially during the Covid years, and how the rally has been a lifeline for the kids at the different clubs throughout Santa Barbara County. The West of Tulsa team digs deeper into the event by discussing topics such as, range anxiety, getting lost, how to deal with the cops if you are stopped during the rally, pestering Monte for clues to find out more about this year’s secret route, what is the navigator really responsible for during the drive, tricks to winning the challenges, Dodgeball, which cars are at highest risk of not finishing the rally and why and finally, all the things that can go wrong. It’s a lot but we cover all of it. Wilson also talks in more detail about an accident involving Michael Hammer and one of his favorite cars during a rally a few years ago. Hammer drove his grandfather’s Rolls Royce one year and Wilson explains how the windshield was scratched from the inside and the story behind it. He also tells a heartbreaking story about a mom and her son spotted sitting in a car outside one of the Boys and Girls Clubs. Wilson and Rouleau reveal more about this year’s 9th Annual Rally 4 Kids held on April 12th and 13th. They say it will be full of surprises including a new format and a new driving route that even stunned Wilson. We talk about Jeff Clark who designed this year’s beautiful rally poster and why the “creepy” walking plants will not be invited back this year! All of the money raised benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs in Lompoc, Solvang, Buellton, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and Camp Whittier. Even if you can’t drive in the rally, you can support the cause. If you see us during the rally in April, please wave and honk. Enjoy the show!

Youth in the Fast Lane: Learning Auto Industry Skills with CHRP - West Of Tulsa Show #0005

Our guest this week on the West of Tulsa Show is Kevin Haeberle, founder of the Community Hot Rod Project (CHRP), a 501c3 non-profit based in Santa Barbara, California. CHRP’s mission is to teach youth and the young at heart vocational trades related to the automobile industry and beyond.
 
Haeberle says the idea for CHRP started three years ago in his living room with 5 friends. It’s grown to more than 120 members and volunteers with the mission to team up youth with trade professionals and pass along their knowledge to the next generation. He got emotional as he talked about how far the CHRP team has come in such a short time. 
 
He gets fired up when describing how the kids get to learn about everything from rebuilding an engine to body work and fabrication. It keeps them off the streets and out of trouble. Hopefully, most of them discover they have a talent that could someday turn into a career.
 
Haeberle talks about the loss of Auto Shop classes at many high schools around the country. He and his team are trying to fill the void and teach the youth about more than just automobiles. Their expertise includes design techniques, computer assisted creativity and aerospace. CHRP is actively looking for a new home and is trying to set up shop at an old armory or an old airport hanger that has deep roots in racing history.
 
Haeberle pitched his idea to the Santa Barbara School Board and Airport officials hoping to land one of their locations. The airport hanger location would be perfect because the hanger still shows evidence of Santa Barbara’s historic races at the airport where actor James Dean raced his Porsche 356 in the 1950’s. Haeberle talks about the connection to that history. He also talks about the importance of having mentors, his nightmare story about working on Carroll Shelby’s Super Snake Cobra, the pressure of preparing cars for the big SEMA Show, the challenges of putting on a big car show, prototyping, the future of EV’s and his surprise relationship with the late Boyd Coddington.
 
Haeberle and his team have pulled off impressive car shows under intense deadlines. He started the Santa Barbara Auto Expo which featured more than 400 vehicles a few years ago. They had to change the venue at the last second and many of his team got sick with Covid at the last second. But, they didn’t panic and pulled off a great show. He and his team are now working on a multi-day car event for this summer in the Santa Barbara area.
 
Bottom line, CHRP is hoping to inspire everyone, especially the kids, to get off their phones, use their hands and get dirty doing something. Working on classic cars and customizing is a great way to do that and have fun at the same time. We’ll stay in touch with Haeberle and give you updates along the way on his search for a new CHRP garage and how you can help with their mission. The entire West of Tulsa Team hopes you enjoy the show!

Wagon Enthusiasts Unite: The WAGON WEDNESDAY Show - West Of Tulsa #0004

The West of Tulsa Team celebrates all things, wagon, this week. It doesn’t matter what era you grew up in, chances are you have at least one memory of a station wagon. They fall into a bunch of categories from family nostalgia to utilitarian to hot rod. Their popularity and value in the collector car world have surged in recent years.
On this week’s show we dive deep into the meaning of ‘station wagon.’ Where did the name come from? We have a general idea about the history of the name, but as you will see and hear, we don’t know everything and we are hoping our more knowledgeable followers will fill in the blanks of history for us.
We also discuss the different names that circulate in ‘wagon world’, everything from longroof to station hacks. Helm gives us a quick breakdown of the vernacular and what the heck they mean.
We also put out a call on our socials asking folks to send us photos of their favorite station wagons and a little history about it. We were blown away by the response and we thank everyone who took the time to send us their submissions. During the show we will go through each one and talk about it. The submissions include a rare 1973 Chevelle SS wagon, Dodge Monaco wagon also known as ‘Bessie’, 1972 Ford Country Squire wagon with the faux wood siding, Mercury Bobcat wagon, Nova wagons, 1968 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon, 1988 Nissan Pulsar NX wagon Sportback also referred by some as the ‘Smurf Hearse’, 1954 Buick Century wagon, 2001 Audi RS4 wagon, 2003 BMW 325xi wagon, 2004 Subaru WRX, Datsun 520 wagon, and a bunch of Mercedes Benz wagons from the 80’s and 90’s. One wagon toured Europe, another was imported from Japan, one was purchased new by the former mayor of Ferndale, California and finally Grandma’s Dragon or Draggin’ Wagon that remains a dream for one of our hosts. You’ll have to watch to find out who it is.
Finally, we want all of you to vote for your favorite wagon using our socials. Everyone gets a vote, including each member of the West of Tulsa Team. We’ll tally everything up and pick a winner who will be announced on an upcoming show. The winner will get a West of Tulsa Tee. These t-shirts are very comfortable, they look great and they are really rare and desirable. At least we think so!

Inside the Garage of the 331st Porsche Ever Made - West Of Tulsa Show #0003 - Craig Lichtenstein

The West of Tulsa Team welcomes Craig Lichtenstein to Studio 3 this week. He’s a classic car aficionado whose collection includes four Jaguars, four Porsches, two Aston Martins, two Morgan 3-Wheelers and a 1987 Toyota Celica similar to the car he drove in high school. The best part about Lichtenstein’s collection is, he drives everyone of them. In this episode, Lichtenstein reveals the most challenging car to drive in his collection is Porsche #331. He explains how he ended up with the car and what makes this Porsche special, from the 901 stamps all over the car to the curious color it’s wrapped in. Oh, and throw in the fact that it’s only the 331st 911 Porsche ever built.
Lichtenstein honors the car by driving it to local Cars & Coffee gatherings and other events. 331 always attracts a crowd and especially from knowledgeable Porschephiles who know how special it is. The West of Tulsa Team also peppered Lichtenstein with questions about his collection including, how many vehicles does a person have to own before they can call it a ‘collection’, which car does he enjoy driving the most? We also discuss which car Lichtenstein does not own that he would like to add to his collection and what is more fun, the search or the find? He also gives a detailed description about the personality traits between Jaguar owners, Porsche owners, Aston Martin owners, Toyota Celica owners and which car gets the most smiles from people. The Team also discusses the differences between Italian, German and Japanese leathers, which ones have the best feel, how each one has a different smell and why? Why don’t Jaguars get more love and will auto manufacturers start building more manual transmissions? Finally, the one thing Lichenstein wants to investigate more than anything else, is who is the beautiful woman in one of the old 331 photos? She’s standing next to the car just before it’s loaded on the Queen Elizabeth 2 headed for the U-S.

Inside the Garage: Steve Faist's Hot Rod Collection - West of Tulsa Show #0002

Joining the West of Tulsa Team this week is Steve Faist, Ventura County, CA Hot Rodder and classic car collector. He talks about earning your way as a young hot rod enthusiast, his grandfather's extensive collection and the internal struggle between being a hot rod guy and a collector. Beth dares broach the sensitive topic of having a steering wheel fetish and the team talks about Porn vs Car Porn. Steve also talks in detail about first right of refusal for car guys, customizing vs keeping a vehicle original, finding and buying his father's old race car - a red '66 SS 396 - and his infamous 'One of None' 300 Hemi Hurst Convertible. Is it a real Hemi Hurst or just a glorified clone and what is it worth?

Discover the Untold Stories West of Tulsa | 2024 Show Trailer

In our brand new 2024 trailer, meet the team behind West of Tulsa, a weekly show and podcast that dives deep into the chronicles of man and machine. Hosted by Emmy Award winning journalist and car fanatic CJ Ward, each episode uncovers compelling and often never before heard tales behind some of the world’s most desirable and unique vintage, collectible and modern cars with scintillating conversation with those who preserve, create, own and drive them.
Recorded at the the Museum of the 20th Century in Ventura, California, West of Tulsa  is an homage to heritage, authenticity and craftsmanship, with exciting stories, mysteries, investigations and conclusions, told through animated conversations that cover the entire car spectrum.