Atomic Autoworks

Atomic Autoworks Atomic Autoworks Garage – your hands-on source for DIY car builds, restorations, tools, and shop knowledge. Built by industry pros who live the trade.

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08/27/2026

How Are These Restoration Shops Growing So Fast?

Have you ever looked at another company’s growth and wondered, “How are they doing this?”

Ed asks Marc from Z2 Motorsports if he has seen Fat Fender Garage and explains how its growth is almost painful to watch—not because of jealousy or criticism, but because it demonstrates what is possible.

While many experienced restoration shops cannot find one dependable employee, other companies are expanding into enormous facilities, purchasing major equipment and building teams of productive technicians.

Ed also brings up Velocity Restorations in Florida and its apparent transformation from a much smaller operation into a restoration company operating at an incredible scale.

This is an honest conversation about growth, employees and the questions smaller automotive businesses face while trying to survive the skilled-labor shortage.

Watch the complete episode of In The Shop with Atomic Autoworks Garage on YouTube.

Shop owners: What do you think allows certain restoration companies to scale so quickly?

08/26/2026

TV Makes Car Restoration Look Easy—Here’s the Reality

Television has given many people an unrealistic impression of how quickly and inexpensively a car can be restored or customized.

Ed remembers Dan telling him, “Don’t tell people we’re knocking this out.” Although the comment was meant to describe working efficiently, it could make customers believe the job was easy, fast and therefore inexpensive.

What television rarely shows are the decades of hard work, training, failures and hands-on experience required to make complicated work look easy. Customers aren’t only paying for the hours spent on their vehicle—they’re paying for the knowledge required to do the job correctly.

This honest conversation comes from In The Shop with Atomic Autoworks Garage, featuring Marc from Z2 Motorsports. Watch the complete podcast on the Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube channel.

Do automotive television shows create unrealistic expectations for customers?

08/25/2026

One Bad Job Can Damage Everything You Built

What is a shop owner’s greatest fear?

For Marc of Z2 Motorsports, it’s hearing someone say, “Don’t go to Z2.” That fear drives him to protect the quality of his work and the reputation he has spent years building.

Ed understands that fear firsthand. As an automotive business grows, the owner eventually reaches a point where it becomes impossible to personally redo or inspect every employee’s job. Unfortunately, it may only take one bad project reaching a customer to damage a reputation that took decades to earn.

This honest conversation comes from Season 3, Episode 1 of In The Shop with Atomic Autoworks Garage. Watch the full-length podcast on the Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube channel.

Shop owners: How do you maintain quality control as your business grows?

08/24/2026

Running a Shop Isn’t What It Was 30 Years Ago

Thirty years ago, an automotive shop owner could work inside the shop, speak with customers and still keep the business running.

Today, owners are buried under paperwork, marketing, scheduling and administrative responsibilities—often requiring dedicated office staff before another technician can even be hired. Then come the rapidly rising costs of wages, health insurance and workers’ compensation.

Marc from Z2 Motorsports and Ed discuss the expensive and time-consuming side of running a professional automotive business that most customers never see.

Watch the complete Season 3, Episode 1 podcast on the Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube channel.

Business owners: What has become the most difficult or expensive part of operating your company?

08/23/2026

TITLE:

The Part of Owning a Restoration Shop Nobody Sees

Building cars and running a business are two completely different jobs.

Marc explains that if he had started Z2 Motorsports at 24, his limited business experience might have held him back. Today, he understands that side of the company—but being pulled in so many directions means he is rarely able to spend time doing what he loves inside the shop.

Ed adds that most people never see how difficult and time-consuming it is to operate an automotive business behind the scenes.

Watch the complete Season 3, Episode 1 podcast on the Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube channel.

Shop owners: How much of your week is actually spent doing the work you originally opened your business to do?

08/22/2026

He Opened a Shop—Then the Business Took Over

When Marc moved Z2 Motorsports from his house into a commercial shop, he pictured employees working on customer vehicles while he finally had time to build his own cars.

That plan didn’t last long.

The business grew much faster than he expected, customer projects took over and running the shop began consuming nearly all his time. It’s an honest look at what happens when your passion becomes a rapidly growing business.

Watch the complete Season 3, Episode 1 podcast on the Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube channel.

Business owners: Have you ever become so busy working for customers that you stopped having time for your own projects?

08/21/2026

How Marc Turned His Love of Cars Into a Restoration Career

Marc from Z2 Motorsports has loved cars for as long as he can remember—but turning that passion into a career required education, experience and years of hands-on work.

In this podcast clip, Marc discusses attending automotive trade school, entering the industry and beginning his journey in car restoration.

Watch the full-length Season 3, Episode 1 podcast on the Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube channel.

Did trade school, a mentor or hands-on experience help you enter the automotive industry? Tell us your story below.

08/19/2026

He Bought the Part From His Competitor—Everyone Was Shocked

What would you do if a customer needed something you didn’t have—but your competitor did?

Jay Abbey shares a story from his younger days working at his father’s hardware store. When a customer was in a jam, Jay went to a competing store and purchased the part they needed.

People were shocked—but that decision opened a door. The businesses became friendly, built mutual respect and eventually began helping each other.

Competition is healthy, but competitors don’t have to be enemies. Customers and entire industries benefit when businesses respect one another and work together.

Watch the complete Season 3, Episode 2 podcast on the Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube channel.

Would you purchase something from a competitor to help your customer?

08/18/2026

Moving the Shop Is Hard—Finding Help May Be Even Harder

The possibility of losing your shop is difficult enough. Then comes the thought of having to move everything without enough people available to help.

Jay Abbey discusses what it would mean to relocate his muscle car restoration shop. Ed explains that this was the part he felt worst about—especially during a skilled-labor shortage when finding young people willing to learn, work and enter the automotive trades has become incredibly difficult.

Experienced shop owners are carrying more of the burden themselves, and situations like this show why the labor shortage affects much more than production schedules.

Watch the complete Season 3, Episode 2 podcast on the Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube channel.

Could your shop find enough skilled or trainable help if you had to move today?

08/17/2026

His Competitors Could Have Looked Away—Instead, They Stepped Up

When Jay Abbey thought he might lose his muscle car restoration shop, he wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

Friends and even competing shops stepped forward and offered to help. Jay was amazed by the number of people who were willing to support him during such an uncertain time.

Competition can push shops to become better—but moments like this remind us that we are still part of the same automotive community. When someone is struggling, friends step up and the industry becomes stronger when we work together.

Watch the complete Season 3, Episode 2 podcast on the Atomic Autoworks Garage YouTube channel.

Would you step up to help a competitor during a difficult time?

Address

Middletown, CT

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18608073913

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