Update: Riley Schlick, Now in College, Hasn’t Kicked Her Carburetor Habit
When we last left Riley Schlick—back in August of 2022, to be precise—the 17-year-old was basking in the florescent-lit garage of her family’s home in a Tampa suburb, rebuilding carburetors. Lots of carburetors. So many that she enlisted her four best friends to work on them for her booming business, Riley’s Rebuilds.
Plenty has happened since then, including her graduation from high school and college enrollment in Connecticut. Those life changes have effectively put an end to her daily habit of surfing before classes, along with another notable lifestyle change: “I have never driven in snow before.” She had to leave her beloved Jurassic Park-themed Jeep YJ at home for now, so she’s making do with her grandmother’s minivan.
Pretty soon, Riley will have something more interesting to drive: A 1966 Ford Fairlane, in which she and her dad are preparing to install a 500-horspower, 390-cubic-inch V-8 with, of course, an Edelbrock carburetor. By now, Riley says she knows that carb “like the back of my hand.” While home for Thanksgiving, she spent as much time as she could wrenching on the engine. Hopefully it will be ready for a dyno run during Christmas break.
Riley’s carburetor-rebuilding business is still flourishing, for the moment handled mostly by her brother and a friend of his, though Riley still rebuilds the occasional carb in her dorm room. Her quartet of carb-building buddies back home—Dagny, Katie, Amelia, and Elaine—also left for college, necessitating the changes, but Riley says she hopes to have access to a shop in Connecticut soon.
She’s already paid visits to nearby Moroso, the performance parts business based in Connecticut, and to TV personality (Chasing Classic Cars) and Hagerty columnist Wayne Carini, whose F40 Motorsports shop is close to campus.
Right now, Riley’s concentration is on coursework—“Finals are coming up soon”—and soccer. She’s a goalkeeper for Connecticut College.
Even amid her recent break from daily carburetor business, Riley’s profile in the automotive aftermarket has grown considerably in the 15 months since Hagerty profiled her. Perhaps the most notable achievement her scholarship award, presented by the Jessi Combs Foundation; Combs was the 39-year-old racer, mechanic, and TV personality (Overhaulin’) who died in 2019 when the jet car she was driving at over 500 mph crashed in Oregon. “Riley Schlick has been a force to be reckoned with juggling college, her small business, and teaching others that you can do it, too,” said the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network, which presented the award.
Combs “has been an idol of mine for so long,” Riley says. “I was so honored to win.”
She’s been all around the country, this week showing up in Indianapolis for the three-day Performance Racing Industry show, and before that, she was in Las Vegas for the Specialty Equipment Market Association gathering, better known as the SEMA Show, where she was asked to put on a seminar on rebuilding carburetors. SEMA also hosted her first autograph signing.
She’s also appeared on the TV shows All Girls Garage and Gearz, went drifting with Tanner Foust, and was heard on Sirius/XM’s Road Dog Trucking channel. She’s been profiled in Popular Science and Scholastic Science World magazines, and she’ll be appearing on an upcoming episode of the Caffeine and Octane TV series.
Riley says she’ll never abandon carburetors, but she does want to take full advantage of the experience of being a college freshman. The vast majority of her fellow students have no idea what she does in her spare time: “I’ve been living a very Hannah Montana life,” she says, referring to the Disney sitcom that had Miley Cyrus playing a pop star by night, average teen by day.
“But I’m loving it.”
You can keep up with Riley on her Facebook page.
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Riley impressed many of us when we read the previous article outlining her carb-rebuild business. It’s obvious that she is continuing to do things that we on this site can relate to and that are equally impressive. Thanks for the update, Steven. Remarkable young lady!
Riley is a remarkable young lady from what we can read. I love seeing the enthusiasm and commitment she has and is making. I look forward to seeing her business grow into whatever she decides to do and I don’t have a carbureted car! I like these profiles and updates on young people getting into this hobby. It always needs encouraging.
What an exemplary young lady, and a testament to good parenting as well, it’s likely safe to say.
I’m thinking Wayne should clear off a bench and let Riley work there.
Good luck young lady.
I think it’s safe for me to say “We all wish you the best!”
My Gaia, Great Spirit, God, Zeus, Minerva, Carter, Rochester, Holley, Stromberg, Zenith, Skinners Union, Tillotson bless and look after this young woman.
Great Spirit???? Gaia??? Very odd post.
I hope she continues to thrive in her business and life.
Perhaps, I missed it, but I am surprised one of the major auto manufacturers hasn’t signed Riley on already.
Then she would be doing what they want her to do, not what she wants to do. I like her direction.
Sure, but Holley and Edelbrock ought to be in there swinging. She’d be appreciated there.
So happy for Riley’s success! Congratulations and best wishes for a great college experience!
Since carburetor service is a dying art, and Riley is so young, she has a secure future if she decides to pursue this specialty after graduation. Imagine the skyrocketing demand for her services if she adds, say, Webers to her rebuild list. She’d be set for life!
And after adding Webers, maybe take on SUs as well. Hopefully her college courses will include small business management and associated fields, the key to being able to run your own business profitably.
I am glad to hear her business is doing well. I was hoping to read her majors are business and metallurgy.
“Stoichiometry.”
What a nice lady. I hope we have hundreds of thousands like her, and they’re just not famous yet.
That is so awesome good luck on your final and can’t wait to see the Fairlane in action one of my favorite cars. I’ve owned mine since 1974
Will be interested to read more about the how this young lady’s education may help her and others in keeping the carburetor technology working and improving it. There are still cars agriculture and industrial equipment that use it.
That’s a 1966 Fairlane 2 door coupe. I have one as well, still putting it together. Really cool car. I wish her the best of luck, keep up the great work!
Okay…late to the party, but that sure looks like TWO 4V’s on that FE – that Fairlane’s gonna rip!!!
As a girl-dad, reading this damn near had me tearing up. I love hearing stories about women and girls breaking barriers traditionally held by men and most importantly seeing their counterparts embracing and encouraging them along the way. My daughter, currently a small business owner designing and building custom furniture owns and maintains a collector vehicle and two antique motorcycles. She recently sent me a photo of her 1960 Honda Cub carburetor spread in pieces across the kitchen table followed by a video of it reinstalled purring like new. Sure tugs at a crusty old guys heart.
Eau de Berryman’s B-12? That’s something new on a gal!
PS? Why does this forum reply always say “Slow down you’re posting comments too quickly” when mine is the one one today from me, and I haven’t posted anything for two days now? Broken? AI problems? Slow synchromesh?! Wick
happens a lot – glitchy site apparently. liked it when the comment section let you know when someone replied to your comment. Nobody is going to bother coming back and searching through them (this comment is for everyone else who reads both after the fact)
I have looked into this and the tech folks say this happens when someone accidentally hits the “post comment” button twice instead of just once. Hope that helps.
I called Riley a couple of years ago and I was impressed on her knowledge, communication skills, and her mental attitude of doing what she loves to do. Her enthusiasm on the phone was incredibly a delight to see and hear. What a special young lady. You go Riley. I have three girls and the best wife I could ever imagine. I am for you Riley. Pams hot rod is a 68 corvette convertible and mine is a 57 chevy I bought in 1965. May the FORCE be you.