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Tom Wolfe's first car was a 1967 Dodge Coronet 440. Today, he's the CEO of Ziebart International, the company famous for rust-proofing vehicles.

The connection between a '67 Mopar muscle car and a career protecting vehicles from corrosion isn't obvious at first. But when you understand what it means to own a classic car in rust belt territory, the dots connect. Every classic car owner knows the enemy: rust. Tom built a career fighting it.

This episode explores not just Tom's automotive journey, but how loving cars enough to want to protect them can become a global business philosophy.

In this episode, Tom reveals:
- What it was like owning a 1967 Dodge Coronet 440 as a first car
- Why the Coronet 440 sits in that sweet spot of Mopar muscle (not quite a Charger, but close)
- How his early car experiences led him to Ziebart
- The rust-belt reality that every classic car owner in cold climates faces
- What Ziebart actually does—and common misconceptions about rust-proofing
- The global expansion of vehicle protection services (Ziebart's international presence)
- How CEO thinking applies to personal car collecting and vice versa

But there's one decision Tom made about the Coronet that he still questions decades later. It involves rust, originality, and the choice between preservation and restoration. His answer might surprise you.

Related episodes:
https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/17733043-honda-civic-dreams-to-custom-paint-master-top-coat-garage-owner-s-car-journey-nsx-hunt-paint-secrets

https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/14867457-1962-dodge-lancer-first-car-david-s-dirt-mobile-college-stories-pt-cruiser-convertible

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