Five Minutes with Rob MacGregor of No Limit Engineering
If you’re a fan of classic trucks or have spent time in the pits of at the Goodguys AutoCross track, chances are you’ll recognize the name Rob MacGregor. If he’s not making laps in one of the fastest trucks on the circuit, then he might be helping a fellow racer, or could be manning the No Limit Engineering booth, the company he founded over 25 years ago.
Rob’s been playing with trucks since he was in high school and has made a career out of designing and manufacturing suspension systems, chassis, and other car and truck components to help fellow enthusiasts achieve their performance goals. Like most enthusiasts, he started with an idea of how to make his truck, a ’56 Chevy, stop and handle better, which eventually led him to start No Limit Engineering during college. We caught up with Rob between laps on the track to pick his brain about the truck scene, autocross racing, and his take on the hot rod world.
GG: No Limit has been focused on classic trucks since its inception. Did you anticipate the growth of the squarebodies, GM OBS, and later-model Fords?
Rob MacGregor:Yes and no. I always thought the ’67–’72 C10 would become the ‘first-gen Camaro’ of trucks, but honestly didn’t think the squares and OBS (I still laugh at the moniker) would come on so quick.
GG: What will be the next truck to see a popularity boost?
Rob MacGregor:I think the NBS, the GM ’99-and-up trucks, will be next. These are easy builds, plus they are factory LS swapped! The chassis leaves a lot to be desired, but we can fix that.
GG: How has your Electrical Engineering degree helped you in business and racing?
Rob MacGregor: A good understanding of engineering basics would benefit anyone. But honestly what I learned as an EE is outdated for today’s CAN systems and computers. What it did teach me was how to do research and find answers. That’s been a blessing.
GG: You worked with the Nissan IMSA race team back in the late-’80s. What was your responsibility on the team?
Rob MacGregor:Oh yes, from ’86-’89, the trouble years of the championship. To be honest, I was not very skilled. I cleaned a lot and helped where I could. I was part-time and did it for the experience. I had moved No Limit from my dad’s barn to a small shop in ’86, so I was working at my shop and at Electromotive, Nissan’s US race partner. I learned a lot about problem solving and creating systems.
GG: What drew you to autocross racing and do you have any pre-race rituals?
Rob MacGregor:I think the fun drew me in first. I would go out and autocross my ’46 convertible on the old Goodguys peanut courses. But my love of road racing had something to do with it. I have raced drag, oval, Bonneville, and autocross to me is the most fun and best people.
GG: No Limit offers both front and rear suspension kits, as well as complete chassis. How do you help a customer decide between one or the other?
Rob MacGregor: The first thing we ask is, ‘What do you want to do with it?’ Most guys want a great driver that handles really well, and they can accomplish that with a suspension swap. Then there’s the full builds and competitive guys who lean toward a full chassis. The money isn’t as far apart as it used to be, and if someone has to pay for install labor, they might as well start with a new chassis.
GG: It’s been over 20 years since you built the ’56 Ford F100 that won the 2004 Truck of the Year. Do you prefer designing and manufacturing parts or building a project vehicle?
Rob MacGregor: That sounds like a long time ago! When we moved to Tennessee in 2014, I made the decision to stop building vehicles. We built some very nice cars and trucks over the years, but honestly, I wasn’t too good at the ‘car building’ business. We were never really careful about counting the hours and small parts. The parts design and manufacturing are better fits for my skill set.
GG: Does racing help with the design of your street suspension and brake components?
Rob MacGregor:I think so. We test all the time, and it pushes us to try to make a better part. Our suspensions and chassis have evolved, and they just get better. If you build and sell the same thing you did in 2010, there’s no way you can win. You gotta evolve if you want to stay on top.
GG: What’s your 10-year outlook for the hot rod industry?
Rob MacGregor:I am very positive about it. The industry needs more supply-side support in terms of shops, builders, and service. The demand side, the 45-to-70-year-old American man, has more spendable money than any other group that has ever walked the planet. And they love cars. All we have to do is listen to what they want and get it to them.
GG: What would be your ultimate truck build?
Rob MacGregor:I’m not sure. Back in the ’80s, Lil’ John Buttera bult a shortened ’68 C10 on a Blazer chassis, he called it the ‘Pup.’ I loved it, it inspired the Hellboy C10 I built. I’m currently building a squarebody with a flatbed for a fun driver, and I have a ’69 C10 stepside on deck. I have drawings for a ’55 F100 as a Bonneville racer I’d like to do someday. Not long ago I would have thought a truck with 1,000 horsepower, sequential trans, IRS with full electronics would be the ultimate, but that’s no biggie today.
GG: What’s the best advice you got in the early days of No Limit?
Rob MacGregor: I got a few. I was fortunate to have some great mentors, even if I didn’t know it at the time: ‘Learn to think in 3D,’ Yosh, Electromotive; ‘Build a war chest,’ Bob Anderton, Anderton Hot Rods; ‘Just do what’s right, every time,’ my dad; ‘Have some fun today,’ Dave, Rodco.
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