photos by: Sportmachines
A Quick Sitdown with Tom Mandrov of Sportmachines
If you’re the owner of a GMC Syclone, Typhoon, or a Sonoma GT, then you’re probably very familiar with Sportmachines; a small business focused entirely on the S-series sport trucks built between 1991-1993. The currently sell new, used, and reproduction parts, as well as aftermarket performance upgrades. You can also have your truck repaired, upgraded, and tuned by them as well — including LS swaps.
Having always supported these trucks, and the people that own them, we wanted to dig a little deeper with the leading business that directly supports them. That meant, taking five minutes with Sportmachines’ owner and founder, Tom Mandrov.
GMEFI: What made you start Sportmachines; was it more about the need to fill the niche, or was it a pure passion project?
Tom Mandrov with a former Sportmachines project Typhoon.
TM: Short answer, all of the above. It started with passion for vehicles and after buying my first Typhoon, the passion for these trucks grew immensely. Learning all about them, maintaining, improving upon them, and meeting other owners. Then, helping other owners. Selling some parts, then fixing trucks and seeing where a lot of gaps existed for the needs of the owners and the parts for the trucks. So it became filling a niche and eventually going legit under the name, Sportmachines. Twenty-four years after buying my first one, and 15-years after forming Sportmachines, its still all of the above. It’s passion for a very niche vehicle.
GMEFI: These trucks have shot up in value over the last few years. How has the current collector car market effected the customer base?
TM: It has changed it quite a bit. People have to spend quite a bit more just to get into one, at any level. Guys that have been sitting on them because it wasn’t worth the spend to fix it, now have some financial foundation for putting the time and money into a project, and getting more value back. I think the increased values has gotten a lot more people to notice them and take them more seriously from a collector and value perspective.
GMEFI: I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve developed bespoke products for these trucks, such as the wheels. What else have you developed, and what is in the pipeline?
TM: We have developed a lot of products over the years. From small components to make common modifications easier. Kits to remedy known issues and maintenance. To replacing and improving on stuff that is NLA from GM, or was SyTy-specific.
From boost gauge fittings, silicone vacuum line kits, correct length and fit spark plug wires, intercooler caps, upgraded intercoolers, downpipe and exhaust systems, rear glass hinges with replaceable strikes, Super Stock wheels, Big Brake upgrade brackets and kits, shifter cables, HD propshafts, solid motor mounts, replacement cladding brackets. We always have more on deck as we see what many trucks are missing, or is not available any more and as the trucks age will be needed in order to keep them on the road, safe, enjoyable and brings value.
GMEFI: What has been the biggest challenge for you and your business?
TM: Focusing on such a small market. Everything is low volume and low production. So often times things have to be hand made, or there is a lot of upfront cost and development for things, with a very long window for ROI. Also the special conditions of how the Syclone and Typhoon were developed with a third party, PAS.
The special parts never made it to the dealer network and were not made for GM, so whatever parts were made between 1990-1993, that was it. So we have had to replicate, save, and collect all that we can to keep the trucks on the road and correct. The same goes for the history and data around the trucks.
We have had to gather all the information, find sources, and document things so we could put the story together and make sense of the how and why. (Sportmachines and the International SyTy Registry are both great sources of information – Ed.)
GMEFI: Looking ahead, where do you see the Sy/Ty hobby going in the future? Do you think enthusiasts will persist with the turbo V6, or do you think we’ll see more engine swaps?
TM: I hope that it continues to grow with folks coming into the age of remembering them when they were young, or always wanting one, like the generations before us did with [the classic] muscle cars. From the start, the popular opinion was “you can never have a business just doing these trucks,” so that’s a thought and consideration.
Then on the other hand, going through the thoughts of answering these questions, I have been into SyTys for 24 years and in business for over 15 years. We have years more worth of work currently schedule and more calls and emails coming in every week. I think the increased popularity, values, and their rarity will help continue the story and keep them relevant and sought after.
We see a lot of our customers and enthusiasts embracing what made the trucks so special; the turbo V6. And more people seem to be going toward the stock, stock plus; “make it simple and reliable” direction. Motor swaps have always been a thing, and will for sure continue to happen.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
