TMCP #635: ASK RICK! – FIFTY YEARS of National Parts Depot! The REAL Story of Surviving and Thriving in Restoration Parts
The MuscleCar Place
Robert Kibbe
4.5 • 702 Ratings
🗓️ 9 January 2026
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
National Parts Depot is celebrating an incredible milestone — 50 years in business — and we’re sitting down with Rick Schmidt for a special Ask Rick episode to talk about the journey that built one of the most respected names in classic car restoration. From its humble beginnings in a family basement to becoming a global leader in restoration parts, Rick shares the story of how his father Jim Schmidt built NPD through hard work, vision, and a relentless commitment to serving enthusiasts. We also dive into Rick’s leadership philosophy, the evolution of the restoration market, and what the next fifty years may hold.
It’s also auction season, and Rick is ready to help us make some money. We break down what it takes to buy right, sell smart, and turn a profit with a quick flip. With a goal of keeping the upfront cost under $30K, Rick walks us through which cars make sense to chase at the January auctions — and which ones to leave on the block. If you’re looking to sharpen your auction strategy, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
The post TMCP #635: ASK RICK! – FIFTY YEARS of National Parts Depot! The REAL Story of Surviving and Thriving in Restoration Parts first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Muscle Car Place Online Podcast episode number 635. |
| 0:04.9 | This week, it's the first show of 2026, and it's a new beginning. |
| 0:08.5 | We have new dreams, new goals, and new achievements to be done, and also new milestones. |
| 0:13.4 | Rick Schmidt is here to kick off the new year with the celebration of 50 years of National Parks Depot. |
| 0:19.6 | Now, any business, a family business or otherwise, that can |
| 0:22.3 | survive 50 years, is a remarkable thing. But it didn't always go as well as it is now. They started |
| 0:28.4 | out with nut and bolt kits, then they did high-end restorations. That didn't turn a profit. And then |
| 0:33.6 | finally, the big leap into the future Ford Mustang parts. A family business is a 24-7, 365 kind of life, and for Rick growing up in it wasn't something |
| 0:43.1 | he necessarily wanted to take over, but he sure he's glad he did. |
| 0:46.6 | Our Mustang Parts line is really the core of the sun for National Parts depot. |
| 0:53.0 | To this day, it's the largest market there is in the classic parts realm, and it's not |
| 0:58.6 | because Mustangs are better than other cars. |
| 1:01.2 | It's because they've, for decades, not been just popular, plentiful. |
| 1:06.7 | And plentiful means you have to sell a lot of parts. |
| 1:13.0 | This is the Muscle Car Place Online Podcast, brought you by National Parks Depot. |
| 1:19.8 | This is the weekly show dedicated to people worldwide who love American muscle cars. |
| 1:26.1 | If you're buying, selling, restoring, even racing them, this is the place for you. |
| 1:32.4 | Now here's your host, Rob Kibby. |
| 1:36.0 | Yes, indeed, I am Rob Kibby, and welcome to the Muscle Car Place podcast. |
| 1:39.1 | Well, here we are, everybody, the first show of the new year. |
| 1:41.8 | And Rick is going to start us off with a tale that'll be inspiring, |
| 1:45.2 | if anything else, and it will inspire you to do the right thing for the long run. |
... |
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