The Apex Interviews Episode 58: Hootie Rashidifard (Valve & Piston)

The Apex

Hootie Rashidifard launched the popular Instagram page @valveandpiston in 2016, growing it into a community of over 370,000 car enthusiasts. Known for curating some of the coolest automotive content on the internet, Hootie has forged strong connections with a global audience while also building an impressive personal car collection, including a heavily modified 1973 BMW 2002 Touring. Recently, he expanded his ventures by founding the 24 Hours of Montauk, a Long Island rally that brings together influential figures from different domains, all uniting over their love of cars. Past participants have included visionary artist Daniel Arsham, the Oilstainlab twins, and renowned US collector, Jas Dhillon. Thanks for tuning in! Chapters: (0:00) Intro (01:21) Hootie's Land Rover Recovery Vehicle (03:50) Inspiration behind BMW 2002 & Porsche 993 (09:06) Intention behind Valve & Piston (11:45) How quickly did the account grow? (14:45) Tapping into Nostalgia (17:21) Impact of social media on car culture (21:30) How would you set up Valve & piston today? (27:05) The Montauk Rally (32:53) Online vs Offline (34:22) Automotive trends (37:25) Quick Fire Q's (41:36) Outro @valveandpiston www.custodian.club @custodian.club https://bit.ly/custodiancarinsurance