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S 2 : Ep 01

The Next Big Thing with Magnus Walker S 2 : Ep 01

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Magnus Walker is back! In this second season of The Next Big Thing, Magnus continues to explore possible future classics, ranging from the quirky and underrated to the forgotten and unappreciated. In this premiere episode, he focuses on a 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC AMG.

It was the power car of the 80s, a time when stockbrokers were all business during the day and all party (and more business) during the night. But like many 80s icons, the 500SEC AMG seems to have lost its shine. Magnus takes one for a spin through the streets of NYC to see if yesterday’s status symbol can still be a presence today.

Mercedes-Benz 500SEC Hagerty Valuation Tools

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Auto scribe Zack Klapman returns for season 2 of Hagerty’s RATED, joined by champion drifter and road racer, Dai Yoshihara. So, yes, expect everything to be drifted around a race track at least once. Well, almost everything…

We kick off the new season with a first-drive review of the highly anticipated, overly hyped, and very delayed all-new 2021 Ford Bronco. (The big one. Not the itty bitty cutesy Sport.) And in this first episode, Zack welcomes a special guest host: rally driver and off-roader extraordinaire Dave Carapetyan.

Zack and Dave are among the first to test the new Bronco. There isn’t any drifting but there are plenty of answers to the question: Was it worth the wait?

Ford Bronco Reveal
Ford Bronco Generations

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Hagerty’s Editor-at-Large Sam Smith takes a look at the Fox-body Ford Mustang and offers a general overview of the highly affordable but highly variable third-generation pony car. With an easy-to-modify structure, Sam not only covers the pluses and minuses of the Mustang’s massive aftermarket but also the nuances of owning, buying, and maintaining this iconic classic.

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“Supra” may be a famous name but not all generations receive the same amount of recognition or respect. Hagerty’s Editor-at-Large Sam Smith presents a deep dive into the third-generation (A70) Supra, and details what you need to know about buying, owning, and maintaining this classic Japanese sports car.

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Of all the wear items on your motorcycle, the tires are the most important. They’re the only connection between you and the road, and neglecting them is putting yourself on a fast track to the ICU. Why put yourself at such a risk when it is so easy to change tires on your own? Kyle Smith has a few tips to make it even easier in this week’s Hagerty DIY video.

The first step is to remove the wheels and tires from your bike. Be sure to hang any brake calipers in a way that does not stress the brake likes, and support the bike in a safe and sturdy manner. Often times getting the wheels off the bike is the tough part, especially once you know the process for removing and replacing the tires.

The tools you’ll need are simple: tire levers, baby powder (if you have a tube-type tire), and tire lubricant. These items are affordable, easy to store, and really don’t wear out with use unless you are a professional shop. Longer tire levers can be useful for pesky tight-fitting tires, but the tradeoff is that they can be unwieldy and tough to store. For tire lubricant, buy the proper stuff. Kyle has tried all kinds of different stuff that you might find elsewhere in the garage, but some chemicals can damage the rubber on your tires and others fail to measure up to the real deal. It’s best to just buy the purpose-engineered goop once and not take any risks.

Start the removal of your old tires by taking out the valve cores. This allows all the air in the tube to come out and make it easier to compress the tire when breaking the bead—which is step number two. If you have an off-road rim and tire setup, be sure to check for a rim lock and loosen it before breaking the bead. Older or loose-fitting tires can sometimes be broken down by hand, but if you need more leverage, use a long pry bar and a small scrap of wood.

Once the bead of the tire is in the deepest part of the rim, you can use the tire levers to pry the bead over the outside of the rim. Take you time here to minimize scratching or damage to the rims. If you have delicate rims, there are protectors that can be purchased or made from things around the garage that will help keep them safe from damage. Work one bead off the rim and then remove the tube before flipping the wheel over and repeating the process with the second bead. Take the time now to carefully inspect the rim. Use a wire brush to remove any corrosion or built-up grease and grime.

Once your tire-free rim is clean, it’s time to start reassembly. A new rim strip for spoke wheels is cheap insurance to keep the nipples from putting holes in your new tube. Be sure to align the valve stem hole now before putting the tire on.

Now lube up the bead of the tire and get a portion of it settled into the rim and lever the rest on little-by-little with your tire levers. Levering on a small chunk of the bed at a time not only makes it easier to handle, it also reduces the risk of damaging the bead of the tire. Once one bead is on completely, use baby powder to lubricate the tube and slip it into place, carefully pushing the valve stem through the rim strip and ensuring there are no twist or kinks to the tube. Tuck it in as far as you can, as this prevents it from getting pinched between the tire lever and rim while fitting the second bead. Lube up that second bead and begin carefully levering it into place. Take you time here, or you will be doing it again because you damaged the tube.

Inflate the tire and make sure the bead is completely and evenly set. Set the air pressure to the correct amount and reinstall on your bike. It is really that easy, so stop making excuses for those worn out treads on your motorcycle and get to swapping them out.

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Hagerty’s Editor-at-Large Sam Smith explores what makes the Alfa Romeo GTV a collector’s classic, but also why shopping for one requires extra time and research. Sam will detail what you need to know about buying, owning, and maintaining this simple but satisfying icon.

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Even the diehard DIYer rarely has access to their own machine shop where they can fully dress and deck an engine block. If you are undertaking an engine rebuild, you will mostly likely be outsourcing these tasks. To make both yours and your machinist’s lives easier, Davin is here with a few tips in this week’s DIY episode.

Tearing down an engine happens faster than most expect, and you may be left staring at a bare engine block and wondering, “Now what?” The answer comes in a few parts.

Clean

Even if cleaning the block is on the machine shop’s to-do list, spend some of your own elbow grease to remove as much grease and debris as possible before dropping it off. This helps in two ways: It gives you an opportunity for visual inspection and keeps you on the good side of your machinist.

Remove casting flash

Davin admits this step is a bit overkill, but using a die grinder to remove the rough edges in places like the lifter valley or oil drain-back holes is a nice touch. This step smooths the oil flow path from the top of the engine back to the oil pan, and that is never a bad thing. It also keeps those flashing pieces from breaking free and causing havoc inside the engine. Removing larger chunks on the outside of the block is a purely aesthetic choice, but who doesn’t appreciate a tidied-up engine?

Know your overbore

Measure the bore of your engine, and research the stock bore as well. This information allows you to find the next proper size overbore to get the correct pistons and rings on order. At minimum, you’ll be prepared for that discussion with your machine shop. As Davin points out, all this preparation is designed to equip you with the right information so that you can understand the recommendations or suggestions that the shop might give.

Lay out your plan

Your machinist will have more than a couple questions when you drop off the parts, and if you don’t know what your goals are for the finished engine, you’ll have a hard time answering them. Put a lot of thought into what you want the engine to be and how the powerplant fits into the grand scheme of your project. With that information, you and the machinist can prepare the block to satisfy your power and reliability goals.

Prepare for the worst

That said, even the best-laid plans can fall apart. Things break, goals change, measurements reveal new and not always happy information. Keep this in the back of your mind, and you will be better prepared for when—not if—reality diverges from expectation.

There is much more to the process of machining an engine block, but these starter tips will be useful to just about anyone who is about to undertake the process. Of course, Davin has more tips on the way for all kinds of projects, so be sure to subscribe to Hagerty’s YouTube channel to never miss a new DIY video.

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Hagerty’s Editor-at-Large Sam Smith explores what makes the Volvo 200 Series a beloved icon. Although not a collector car by any means, the 200 Series is vintage Volvo — it’s safe, durable, usable, and quirky enough to get under your skin. Sam will detail what you need to know about buying, owning, and maintaining this lovable classic.

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Hagerty’s Editor-at-Large Sam Smith explores what makes the MG MGA such a beloved classic, and how it balances a race car’s prowess with a romantic’s eye for beauty. He’ll also detail what you need to know about buying, owning, and maintaining this iconic roadster.

Enjoy Season 2 stories, opinion, and features from across the car world - Hagerty Media

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Clean

Remove casting flash

Know your overbore

Lay out your plan

Prepare for the worst

Next episodes

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Popular videos

Enjoy Season 2 stories, opinion, and features from across the car world - Hagerty Media

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Enjoy Season 2 stories, opinion, and features from across the car world - Hagerty Media

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