Classic cars restored with a twist
Kindred Motoworks CEO Rob Howard enters The Fox Garage to talk about how his company converts classic cars and trucks into EVs and why Robert Downey Jr. invested.
Old cars and trucks are getting a new life with a little help from Iron Man.
California-based Kindred Motorworks has revealed a lineup of "restomod" classic cars and trucks, which blend original bodies with modern powertrains and technology.
The company recently closed a $20 million funding round that included an investment from Robert Downey Jr.'s Footprint Coalition Ventures, which is focused on backing environmentally friendly endeavors.
That is because Kindred's vehicles offer buyers a choice between gas and electric powertrains, but company CEO Rob Howard said the long-term focus is on battery power.
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The Kindred Motorworks Camaro LT has a 700 hp V8. (Kindred Motorworks)
"The electric piece of the equation is still evolving, right, so as we kind of put that together and improve how that all fits together, we want to make sure we're still serving the market," Howard told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview on The Fox Garage.
"We still love the smell of gasoline and the performance of those things, but the future really lies on the EV side, and we're increasingly focused on that."
Kindred modifies the original Ford Bronco and VW Bus. (Kindred Motorworks)
Kindred is launching with the original Ford Bronco and 1969 Chevrolet Camaro along with a Volkswagen Microbus that will only be available as an EV. All use the same electric powertrain, which Howard said will provide 200 miles of range and between 300 hp and 400 hp in the Camaro. The first deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2024 at prices ranging from $149,000 to $199,000, which is in line with the market for these types of builds.
The Bronco is also available with a 460 hp Ford 5.0-liter Coyote V8, while the Camaro can be ordered with either of two GM crate motors: a 495 hp 6.2-liter V8 or a 700 hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8.
The Kindred Camaro is available with a choice of V8 and electric powertrains. (Kindred Motorworks)
"An EV is just the newest kind of crate motor that's available. The torque is better, the maintenance is better, it's more sustainable, it's kind of a no-brainer," Howard said.
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What sets Kindred apart from other restoration companies, according to Howard, is that it has developed a step-by-step repeatable process for the conversions, so they can be completed in less time and any improvements or issues that come up can be addressed across all the vehicles.
"We can control the restoration experience like it's never been done before," he said.
The Kindred Ford Bronco is powered by a 5.0-liter V8. (Kindred Motorworks)
Kindred buys all the donor cars itself and only sells the complete product, rather than offering customization services for people who already own the models.
The electric Bronco requires 1,900 separate steps, with instructional videos and detailed specifications available to train technicians on how to do it. It's a much more involved process than a typical internal combustion engine restomlod, which can utilize many of the car's existing driveline and accessory components, including the belt-driven air conditioning system.
Kindred updates the original interiors with a modern touchscreen infotainment system. (Kindred Motorworks)
The suspension and braking systems are re-engineered to accommodate the electric powertrain and the interiors refreshed and equipped with a touchscreen infotainment system.
Howard said the company plans to add new models to the mix and is scaling up to build hundreds of vehicles. The growth plan was a large part of why investors found the company attractive, but Howard said it held another appeal for Downey, who is producing a show for Discovery+ called "Downey's Dream Cars" that features him having classic cars converted to electric power.
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"He's an authentically interested person in old cars, he loves old cars, but he's also kind of said ‘I don’t want to drive gasoline cars anymore.'"
"Discovering Kindred was the serendipity of life imitating art," Footprint Coalition Ventures managing partner Jonathan Schulhof told Fox News Digital.
"Alongside our partners at TeamDowney (Robert and his wife Susan's production company) we're making a TV series featuring eco-restorations to classic cars. That gave us firsthand experience with two things: EV conversions are hard to do correctly, and there's enormous demand for these eco-converted classic cars. And so, when we met Rob, and learned about the Kindred team's methodical, technology operations driven approach to this, we were convinced we were backing a winning solution."
This story has been updated with comment from the Footprint Coalition Ventures