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138. The Pile Up EP24: Extermination of the Clunker

138. The Pile Up EP24: Extermination of the Clunker

Car Krush Dec 17, 2025 53 min
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About this episode

A lively discussion unfolds around the impact of the Cash for Clunkers program, which aimed to stimulate the economy during the 2008 financial crisis by incentivizing the trade-in of older, less fuel-efficient vehicles. The hosts share personal anecdotes about clunkers and breakdowns, while lamenting the loss of iconic cars like the Pontiac Trans Am and GMC Typhoon that were crushed under the program. They explore the irony of destroying functional vehicles and the environmental implications, all while maintaining a humorous and nostalgic tone.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Chevrolet Astro

"...in this Astro actually I had to do the floor I used to be able to see the ground that kind of shocks me it's so new I know you don't have to do the floor in an 88 very often..."

The Chevrolet Astro is a type of van that was made by Chevrolet. It was popular for families and businesses because it has a lot of space inside.

Term

Hemi

"...it was like this guy he had all these 50s Hemi cars and then he just had..."

Hemi is a special kind of engine shape that helps cars run better and faster. It's often found in certain Chrysler and Dodge cars.

Term

five-speed

"but it was a factory five-speed whoa and that was why I was going because I was starting to acquire the parts to convert my automatic astro at a 91"

A five-speed is a type of gear system in cars that lets you change speeds manually. It has five different settings to help the car go faster or slower as needed.

Term

automatic transmission

"to convert my automatic astro at a 91 and my boss's dad was like hey I saw this astro in a in the auction that I'm going to"

An automatic transmission is a system in a car that changes gears by itself, so the driver doesn't have to do it manually. This makes driving easier, especially in traffic.

Part

wiper motor

"...the last thing I want to do is build up a bunch of friction and burn up my wiper motor..."

The wiper motor makes the windshield wipers move so you can see clearly when it's raining. If it wears out, the wipers won't work properly.

Term

flat tire

"...it was a flat tire almost it was weird it was yeah what it was like..."

A flat tire means the tire has lost air and can't hold the car up properly. It can happen if something sharp pokes it or if there's a hole.

Part

bearing

"...I feel like I heard the bearing and I just could not believe I just did that bearing..."

A bearing helps parts of a car move smoothly. It's like a little helper that lets wheels turn without getting stuck.

Concept

9-inch Ford

"...and of course a 9-inch Ford will do the job..."

The 9-inch Ford is a strong type of rear axle that many car enthusiasts use for racing or heavy-duty applications because it can handle a lot of power.

Car

Citroen Axel

"...uld just walk everywhere we were walking with the axel we're at this hotel they had a gravel part of th..."
Part

oil pan

"...the time at Joe at Chucks I dropped the oil pan and re-torque the mains and the rods..."

The oil pan is where the engine oil is stored. When someone 'drops the oil pan,' they are removing it to clean or fix something inside the engine.

Part

headers

"...used a torch to weld a crack in the headers whoa so that was pretty involved..."

Headers help carry exhaust gases away from the engine. If they get cracked, it can cause problems with how the car runs, and they might need to be welded to fix them.

Car

Chevrolet Camaro

"...shield smashed and then there's like a there's a Camaro with no front bumper no driver's window no sail w..."
Concept

cash for clunkers

"...speaking of junkers I've been reading about cash for clunkers before we get deep into this I..."

Cash for Clunkers was a program where people could get money for trading in their old cars for new, more efficient ones. It was designed to help the environment and the car industry.

Company

Chrysler

"...in April 30th of 2009 Chrysler filed for bankruptcy GM Chrysler well yeah a month later GM followed suit..."

Chrysler is a car company in the U.S. that makes vehicles. In 2009, it faced serious financial problems and had to file for bankruptcy to stay in business.

Company

General Motors

"...a month later GM followed suit and they also filed for bankruptcy..."

General Motors, or GM, is a big car company that makes many popular brands. In 2009, it had financial troubles and had to file for bankruptcy to reorganize.

Brand

Saturn

"ouch Saturn didn't make it... the government gave them an 80 billion dollar bail out Saturn yes just Saturn just Saturn"

Saturn was a car brand in the U.S. that made cars popular in the 1990s. They were known for being different from other car companies and had a loyal following.

Car

Mercury Marauder

"...se gas guzzlers well and here were the 79 mercury marauder which one I think that's the car from uncle buck..."
Term

gas guzzler

"...even though if it was the biggest gas guzzling car in the us it had to be drivable and had to get 18 miles per gallon or less..."

A 'gas guzzler' is a car that uses a lot of gas and doesn't go very far on a gallon of fuel. These cars are usually older and not very efficient.

Term

miles per gallon (MPG)

"...it had to be drivable and had to get 18 miles per gallon or less and then if you bought a 22 mile per gallon car..."

Miles per gallon (MPG) tells you how many miles a car can drive using just one gallon of gas. The higher the number, the better the car is at saving fuel.

Term

new car

"...but and it had to be a new car how do you take an 84 Buick gas guzzler that's a member of your family and sell it..."

A 'new car' is one that has never been owned before. It's bought straight from the dealership and usually comes with a warranty.

Car

Ford F150

"we're gonna follow one Ford f-150 through the process it's a loaded four door Ford f-150"

The Ford F-150 is a popular pickup truck that can be used for work or personal use. It's known for being strong and reliable.

Part

5.4 liter V8

"loaded four door Ford f-150 XLT with a 5.4 liter v8"

The 5.4 liter V8 is a type of engine that has eight cylinders and is 5.4 liters in size. It's known for being powerful and is used in some Ford trucks.

Term

sodium silicate

"...they use a solution of 40 sodium silicate and 60 water oh my god replace the oil with that make it stop they start the engine..."

Sodium silicate is a chemical that can be used in different ways, like sealing things or even in construction. Here, it's mixed with water and used instead of oil in an engine for a specific purpose.

Term

engine

"body it's not good for your engine and it gets hot inside your rings the cylinders also can't be"

An engine is what makes a car go. It's like the heart of the car that turns fuel into energy to move the vehicle.

Term

V8

"...about the v8s and about like oh you're not gonna you can't find the parts for these anymore..."

A V8 engine has eight cylinders arranged in a V shape, which helps it produce a lot of power. It's commonly found in larger cars and trucks.

Car

Ford Expeditions

"...is smoking right yeah there's people driving like expeditions that are smoking as bad as the astro was like i'..."
Car

Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser

"...think about how many like oldsmobile custom cruisers and like delta 88s and LTDs and malibus we lost..."

The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser is a large family car that looks like a wagon. It's designed to carry lots of people and their stuff, and it was made by the Oldsmobile brand, which is no longer in business.

Car

Ford LTD

"...think about how many like oldsmobile custom cruisers and like delta 88s and LTDs and malibus we lost..."

The Ford LTD is a large car that was made for many years. It was popular for being comfortable and was often used by police or as a taxi because it was reliable.

Car

Oldsmobile Delta 88

"...think about how many like oldsmobile custom cruisers and like delta 88s and LTDs and malibus we lost..."

The Oldsmobile Delta 88 is a big car that was made for many years. It's known for being comfortable and having a lot of space inside for passengers and luggage.

Car

Chevrolet Malibus

"... custom cruisers and like delta 88s and LTDs and malibus we lost yeah and like big caprices like 70s capri..."
Car

GMC Typhoon

"car number one a 1992 gmc typhoon taint never heard of it no that's a sick ass truck... they made less than 5000"

The GMC Typhoon is a powerful SUV from 1992 that has a turbocharged engine, which means it gets extra power from a device that forces more air into the engine. Only a few were made, so it's pretty rare and special.

Term

turbocharged

"this truck had a turbocharged 4.3 liter v6 i think"

Turbocharging is a way to make an engine more powerful by forcing more air into it. This helps the engine burn more fuel and go faster.

Car

Chevrolet Blazer

"...r v6 i think it looks like a blacked out lowered blazer what did i say i said it was a turbocharged s15 ..."
Car

GMC Syclone

"oh it's the cyclone syclo any yeah well this is a typhoon okay sorry my my bad storm my yeah exactly exactly"

The GMC Syclone is a fast pickup truck from the early '90s. It has a powerful engine and can drive all four wheels, which helps it go really fast.

Car

Chevrolet S10 Blazer

"...t's why i like the truck because it looks like a s10 blazer to me yeah yeah it's cool and the typhoon is real..."
Car

Kia Tasman

"...ues it does this one is a real weird one 1980 tbr tasman 280i convertible it looks as if a Ferrari and a ..."
Car

Pontiac Fiero

"... 280i convertible it looks as if a Ferrari and a fiero made love is that a good thing sounds like a pant..."
Car

Ford Cortina

"...ds like a pantera steering and gearbox from Ford Cortina is it mid-engine and i don't know okay i'm not su..."
Car

Ford Capri

"...makes sense to me i had rear lamp clusters from a capri and a 2.8 liter cologne v6 engine oh and the rea..."
Car

Jaguar Xjs

"...st it had a rear differential and brakes from the Jaguar XJS interesting yeah so there was that car okay and ..."
Car

BMW 850I

"... there was that car okay and then we got a 92 BMW 850i gone at this point right now would be worth a hu..."
Car

Pontiac Transam

"...is one is really bad it's a 1989 20th anniversary Pontiac Transam it was the pace car omg for the indy 500 i belie..."
Car

Buick Grand Nationals

"...k turbo 3.8 liter oh v6 which is what was in the grand nationals oh my goodness it would go zero to 60 in under fi..."
Car

Audi Quattro

"...e other notable cars that were crushed 1985 audi quattro and this is this is a sick little hatchback rally..."
Car

Toyota Supras

"...but there was 2000 don't even worry about it 327 supras that's pretty sad that's also pretty i know i was..."
Car

Pontiac Firebird

"...ah yeah they're kind of cool and then 569 in the firebird transam oh my oh that's too many 1500 crown vicks..."
Car

Porsche 944S

"...00 bmw's yeah fuck them some Porsche 928s s4 and 944s and then some amc eagles no i don't know how many..."
Car

Porsche 928S

"... mercedes 4000 bmw's yeah fuck them some Porsche 928s s4 and 944s and then some amc eagles no i don't k..."
Car

Jeep Grand

"...eel drive ford f150 two-wheel drive was second uh jeep grand cherokee four-wheel drive third ford explorer tw..."
Car

Ford Explorer

"...r to scrap it yeah okay so number one was a ford explorer four-wheel drive ford f150 two-wheel drive was se..."
Car

Jeep Cherokee

"...rd f150 two-wheel drive was second uh jeep grand cherokee four-wheel drive third ford explorer two-wheel dr..."
Car

Toyota Corolla

"... hear what was the most bought number one twitter corolla number two honda civic number three twitter camr..."
Car

Honda Civic

"...ought number one twitter corolla number two honda civic number three twitter camry number four finally f..."
Car

Toyota Camry

"...olla number two honda civic number three twitter camry number four finally ford focus number five hondae..."
Car

Honda Accord

"...rsa number seven twitter prius number eight honda accord number nine honda fit and ten ford escape two-wh..."
Car

Toyota Prius

"...dra number six nissan versa number seven twitter prius number eight honda accord number nine honda fit ..."
Car

Honda Fit

"...itter prius number eight honda accord number nine honda fit and ten ford escape two-wheel drive i think it w..."
Car

Ford Escape

"... honda accord number nine honda fit and ten ford escape two-wheel drive i think it was i think it was int..."
37 cars featured

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