The MartiniWorks crew riffs on “Cars They Got WRONG From The Factory,” starting with Subaru WRX design choices like “plastic cladding,” then zooming into how expensive factory parts and optioning can miss the mark. They critique real-world drivability on the Nissan Z—“The z looks good on paper, but it just / It ain't hitting / In physical real life”—and get specific about rev hang and delayed shifts. Between project-car wrenching (coolant leaks, tail-light seals) and suspension talk, they also debate pricing, trims, and what brands should’ve done differently.
The Subaru WRX is a popular performance Subaru that’s built to handle well, especially in bad weather. Here, the host is criticizing a factory design detail (plastic cladding) and saying it could be fixed or improved.
00:49
Term
plastic cladding
Plastic cladding is the plastic protective trim you see on some cars, usually on the lower parts or around the wheel areas. It’s meant to help protect the paint, but some people don’t like the look or how it holds up over time.
01:33
Brand
olands
Olands is a brand that makes coilovers, which are suspension parts you can install to change how the car rides and handles. The host says they’re aimed at motorsport use and are priced to be more affordable.
01:38
Part
coilover
Coilovers are suspension parts that replace the factory shocks and springs with an adjustable setup. People use them to make the car sit how they want and to improve handling, especially for spirited driving or track use.
02:10
Term
coiler
A “coiler” usually means coilovers—upgraded suspension parts that let you adjust how high the car sits and how firm it feels. People use them to make the ride handle better.
02:24
Term
carbon fee break
I’m not sure what that phrase is supposed to mean here. It sounds like they’re talking about a discount or deal related to parts, but the exact wording is unclear.
02:51
Term
wheels and tires
“Wheels and tires” are the complete tire-and-rim package that affects grip, ride quality, and steering response. Bundling them is often used by retailers to reduce total cost and streamline installation.
02:56
Term
mounting and balancing
Mounting is putting the tire onto the wheel. Balancing is adding small weights so the wheel/tire spins smoothly without shaking.
03:01
Company
catapult
Catapult sounds like the checkout/rewards service they use. They’re saying you get a small percentage back when you pay through it.
04:00
Term
drifts
“Drifts” here refers to drifting—driving with intentional oversteer so the car’s rear slips while the driver keeps control and maintains the slide. Doing it on public roads is risky, and the host notes the tires were cold, which can make grip and breakaway behavior feel different than when fully warmed.
04:05
Topic
cars and coffee
“Cars and coffee” is a meet-up where car people get together, usually in the morning, to show their cars and hang out. Here it’s where the host takes the car to show it off.
04:20
Term
second gear
A car’s transmission has different gears. “Second gear” is one of the lower gears that usually keeps the engine revving more than higher gears, which is why it’s often used when accelerating.
The BMW 3 Series is a compact luxury car made by BMW. It’s known for being fun to drive and for having a sporty feel. People often talk about it because it’s popular and there are many versions over the years.
05:49
Term
wiring rats nest
That phrase means the car’s wiring looks messy and jumbled, usually because someone previously modified it. Messy wiring can lead to electrical issues and makes troubleshooting tougher later.
06:01
Part
new radio
A “new radio” refers to replacing the factory head unit with an aftermarket or different stereo system. The host implies the car needed it due to prior work, and that even a clean car can still have hidden issues from earlier installs.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the martini works podcast. Good morning. How are you? Dios mio? I love you
We're happy you're here with
Dakota
Gels hi. Yeah, they haven't had that this opposite. Yeah, I haven't missed that up in a while
I've been good, but we're happy that you're here. It is we're now jumping into June now. That's crazy
It's a crazy thing. We're gonna be talking about a couple two tree things today
One of the big ones that we want to talk about is cars that we think we could fix
I can fix it if we could just be given
In unlimited financial budget within a large conglomerate company. I could just sit in a corporate meeting
Yes at a design meeting
Of modern vehicles. I think I could bring a lot to the table
I could just go to the the Subaru headquarters and just ask the guys
Why the f*** did you put plastic cladding?
Subaru wrx. I don't know if that actually recorded. Oh, no
We found that our our little recording thing for the the audio
Has pre-recorded sounds with buttons that are different colors. Yep. Now, obviously as a guy might
do
Is press them just to see what would happen and one of them is the
Button
We really
We really like that button
So with that being said, thank you for coming to the martini works podcast
If you're looking to modify your car magic car with your friends at martini works dot com
We've got some new product on the website. We have olands, which is a fantastic
Uh coilover brand out there specializes in motorsport oriented, uh applications really high and really affordable
Not affordable. Oh, it's expensive
Out of all the things olands is affordability is usually not tied to that. I think it might be the most expensive thing
We've added to the website outside of maybe some of like the crazy exhaust. Yeah, once we get penski on there
It's really gonna be a oh my god a battle be fair
They asked for it because we did that whole suspension video and they're like white white might where the hell is penski?
Yeah, where's where's penski? It's like brother
That's a 5000 dollar coiler. It's like when I had the motons like four of them
It's like when I had the motons on the 996. It was like these are incredible. I'm glad I did not pay for them
Yeah, uh, because those were eight grand 1300 dollars. Anyway, we also added
Saibon, yeah to the website. That's a big one carbon fee break. Yeah, so if you're looking for some more exterior
Uh parts on your car, you know, we've been adding more stuff outside of wheels and tires
So Saibon's a big one for us and so is uh olands as well
And we're going to be adding more throughout the month
We've got new apex wheels that went on the website new vatour tires that went on the website
Um, and we're working on some european brands that we're really really excited for so it'll take a little bit of time to get
Those on the website, but we don't want to say thank you and remember if you package wheels and tires together martiniworks.com
You can actually save like 200 dollars on the tires and wheels when you package them together
Plus you don't have to pay for mounting and balancing plus you get two percent back with catapult when you check out with them
It's like a win-win win. It's like a really good deal
And now i'm done. Okay
Great power comes great responsibility. That's right with the bleep button. The bleep button is is really op
Like how like it's like such a classic sensor noise. Yeah, there's they they really made that sound
And they're like we do not need to evolve this noise any further
Speaking of which let's talk about what we've been up to lately. I'll start
I'll I drove the pfm on the road this weekend naughty. I'm calling the cops. Oh, did you bring into cars and coffee?
I did. Oh, that's it drove it into cars and coffee. I was out of town this weekend. How many times did you stall it?
Never really. Yeah, unlike lars. I know how to control my
I can't even defend himself and he might listen to he's gonna get really angry or he will never hear this and in which case
I'm talking hella shit. Yeah, it's all at once. Um, to be fair. It was like what?
200 feet down the road into the right
I did a little drifts. He's good drift skis with it going on on the public road because the tires are really cold
A lot easier than you think. Yeah, um, but yeah, so hopped in it. You know, I was like, let's just take this to cars and coffee
How bad could it be?
Um, it was it was fun. It was it's very fast
It's on public streets. It is it is quick
Um, second gear. It was like I looked down on 63 miles an hour or something like that. I mean closed course professional drivers streets
It's something something something so anyway, I took it there
That was really fun and then when I got into the parking lot
I was like I'm just waiting for my reverse to show up and like the guy giggled but didn't really know what I meant
And then Lars pulled up and jumped out of his car because he has his e46 and pushed me back
Oh, he wasn't everybody thought that was really funny. Um, and then when I I
Brought it back, you know equally loud equally incredible. Um
As I left after we parked it, uh, sheriff drove by. Oh, no way
Not that I did that in real life. It would have been really cool to get pulled over though
I just want to hear the conversation. Yeah, we're like, what the fuck?
Yeah, what are you doing? What is this? I was uh, I did I put a bunch of cameras on it was really fun
Um, there's an angle on the back of that car with the gopro where you get like the wing and like everything's really symmetrical
It looks really cool. So I'm really I kind of want to do a little video on it
But yeah, that's what I did on saturday you show me that because that looks that sounds really awesome
And I had martinis on saturday night and that was lovely. Oh, yeah. Yeah. What about you dakota?
Oh, and I tried to work on cars. What did you do dakota?
Uh, I went camping up in door county. It was a really nice little getaway
But uh, that didn't stop me from also working on the cars because when I got back
Uh, there was stuff to be done. So I've been tinkering with the the golf harlequin pretty much
Anytime I get a chance. There's always little stuff to do on there. It's harlequin not harlequin
Unless it's a polo
Learn that the hard way. Oh, um, but uh, so today actually I took it because there's a wiring rats nest from the previous owner
vw kid stuff
New radio new radio. No matter how clean it is can't escape. Yeah new radio getting put in
And then too there's a little cubby that holds the license plate and that
Fucker is known to be just a mess the the tabs break on it that hold it in and then you have to figure out and
To get a new one or one replace is not happening. So uh, I used some 3m some rtv
Any adhesive I really could reach from where I was standing and I shoved that in there and it seems pretty solid now
And then also, uh, the plastic clamshell behind the steering wheel
Did you did you make that a problem for the next owner or just future you? No, I truly think it's better
I think if you knew what it was and what I was talking about you'd be you'd be proud. Okay. I do
Just double checking. Uh, double checking
You'd be really proud because I even took the time to alcohol wipe down everything so that adhesive would actually stick proudly
Yeah, there's been times where I've I've finished a project on a car and I've told myself
Let us both hope that I never have to go back into that location
I thought what I did to it. I don't want to undo. Yeah. Yeah been there many times
Yeah, and I'm trying not to do that with this car. I keep reminding myself that like
I have no intentions of ever getting rid of this car. So whatever I do
I am dealing with and it is now my problem for eternity. So I am trying to do everything, right?
But yeah, I had the the clamshell behind the steering wheel. I only had the top half of it
So the bottom of the steering wheel where all the wires and stuff are was exposed
Again, another piece that is very well known for breaking tabs and stuff like that
But I found a guy in marketplace or it was in one of the groups the mark three groups
Shout out to him. It's super fair price got shipped out and it is in immaculate conditions
Now I have that all buttoned up and then probably the funnest thing I did
Was uh, my hella green tail lights from Germany that I picked up
I installed those and put those on the car nice and uh, what's really nice, too
Is it was actually a fix for my car that I didn't realize
Oh, um
The the tail lights that were in it the the one on the passenger side didn't have the seal any longer in it
And I took it through the car wash one time and then lo and behold, I have a little pool of water in my trunk
I'm I'm like 90 sure because the seal wasn't there. It's just plastic on metal
Water drained in through the tail light housing into my trunk. So now I have to get in water in the trunk
Yeah, my judo sport we can do that too, but now they're all sealed up because I those suckers were brand new never mounted
I I ruined 30 years of someone keeping them nice to put them in my car. They were meant for you. Yep. Oh, and
I also installed a gosh
Dude, I was I was crazy. You're going hard on it. I did a black forest industries one of 100
Specifically made harlequin shift knob that they released. I think it was like five years ago or something. I might be wrong
It was a while ago
But they made a limited run of them and I found a guy that kept one new in the box
And he was like, I don't even have a harlequin. I just thought it was cool
And I keep it as like a little display piece and he said the only way I'd tell is to an actual harlequin owner
So if you want it, it's yours and he didn't mark it up nothing. He sold it for a super fair price
I was super thankful and then I had a custom made
Shift boot from black forest industries with harlequin stitching
So just the stitching on the corners is harlequin colors and I hit a cross stitch. So I installed new shift boot
And new shift knob
And then I installed a holster mount in my forerunner. That's what I did. Damn
God dang american over here. He's going not so you guys know a holster is
for a weapon
Yep, sure
Could be for many things. It could be technically a holster and be for whoever you want
but
Dakota strapped is what I'm hearing but this is America and I want it for my forerunner like you
I have a safe in my forerunner
The combination safe. I do have a holster in the ferrari to be fair. See you got a Glock in my rari
You're not the first to do it. I just want you to know that is that was the first month. I was 100% the reason I did
I bought a Glock and a holster and I took my concealed carry permit literally for a rap song
And the fact that I owned a ferrari this is back in like 2020
I did it first. Yeah amount of times. I've been in the car. I've never even noticed that the Glock sucks by the way
What I don't like it
That's uh, the 365 excel is way better. I don't know why I just like it more. I have a Glock 19
I love it. I like well, okay. I do I do but I don't I just it's a long story
I zack edland had a Glock
I remember and I shot his and it was terrible
Then I bought a Glock even though he told me not to and I didn't really like it because it felt kind of shitty in my hands
And then I got a 365 excel really love that one and then I needed a home defense weapon
And so I wanted an 810
And they're like, okay, sure. What type would you like? And I said, I don't know which everyone you can get faster because this was back during
Uh confinement era, which everything was impossible to get a hold of yeah, especially ammo and then like five months later
I got a call from shields that my 810 was ready to get picked up
And it was a pistol grip 810 shock wave police pump action shotgun
Not a normal shoulder, but anything nope wrap it around grasp it like this
Just a and you shoot it from the hip. You don't shoot it up on the shoulder shoot it from the hip
The hell are you doing with that? I'm not doing anything. I'm just saying that if becca needed to defend herself in our home
She is ready to go. She's going six feet back and whoever she's shooting at is going 12 feet back. That's all I got
Anyway, this is not a weapon conversation. Whatever you feel about that. I got some nerf guns at home
Yeah, that's that's fair
I used to have those blow darts though when I was a kid. What the hell what's a glow dart blow dart gun
Oh blow dart. Yeah, I had one of those everybody had a blow dart gun
I'd never had a blow dart gun your mom didn't trust you with the blow dart gun. She barely trusted me
Yeah, she barely trusted me with airsoft. I had to put I know mama gels together to get an airsoft gun
I know that if mama gels and I were sitting down right now
I did shoot her with it. Yeah, she would tell me why you weren't allowed to have a weapon. Okay
It was fine. I thought I took all the hunter safety. So I was I was fine
Then you shot her. Well, it was after a while. It was many years down the road
I I didn't know I would hit her from that far away
I didn't think I would hit her so like I would shoot like we had our back porch or whatever
And I was kind of like elevated and I would shoot cans at the fire pit down there and I had this it was a
It was a really cool airsoft gun. It was CO2 powered and it was a revolver and you those hurt
You'd load BBs into the shell. Yep. I remember seeing that. Yes. I remember seeing that online
I bought that and I was like, dang, this thing's really cool. And my mom walked out
She was bringing something to the camper, which was all the way across the yard and I was like
I'm like, I'm just like scared a little bit or something
You know, and I freaking smoked her right in the bag and she was not happy about it. How old were you?
I had been probably like 15. I think you were at the age where you understood the
Dad thought it was funny
Anyway, uh, in terms of vehicle builds, we're making
Progress we have an engine hoist now. We have an engine. That thing is a unit
So in case you guys and gals don't know the s2000 is is going to get worked and I will be clear
I have help. Um, I asked my said help if I could get the engine into the car
If that would be an acceptable step without him being involved and he politely told me no
Because there is a
Uh, essentially a strut brace not strut brace, but like a chassis brace that we're fabricating right now
Okay, um for the front bumper
And we don't want to put the engine in and then put that in because we need to check clearances of it
So he's not going to have that ready until the middle of this week
Okay, so instead I'm going to go through and I'm going to take everything out of the s2000 label everything
There is a lot of stuff in there get ready to rock and roll, but then starting this upcoming weekend
I'll start breaking into it and our goal is that by the end of this month will be
finished with it the z is going to
Uh, a friend named paul klug. He owns a shop in ampleton. Yeah. Yeah, we have a coolant leak in the lower piping
It's all hard piped. Yeah, it's like almost like v-band. Yeah, and it has a v-band and
Fabrication is not
Not my skill
So I I'm having him take it to pressure test the coolant system to see where and how it's leaking and then get that sorted
Do a little bolt down check on some of the bits and pieces around the turbo because there's a little oil leak there
So power steering was kind of acting up to yeah, so I don't know you guys might know this if you're listening in
I'm driving the dots and it's got an aftermarket power power steering column. It's electronic. It's electronic. Yep
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FIRST EMBED PARTNER
To All The Cars I've Loved Before
"B-roll for audio"
— Doug Kay, Host
Every episode is someone's relationship with a car they've owned. Doug and his co-hosts have covered hundreds of cars across decades of automotive culture.
A twisting force that causes rotation. More torque = quicker acceleration.
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Rev limiter
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