0:00 / 0:00
166. Good times are coming!

166. Good times are coming!

The People's Car Apr 08, 2026 75 min
0:00
0:00

About this episode

Ryan and Danny kick off with a rough sickness update, then dive into real-world wrenching stories: Danny’s Mark 4 swap wagon had a power steering pump explode near Seb’s shop, followed by a later power steering line leak and more mounting/oil-pan drama—yet it’s gradually getting sorted. They tour Seb’s parts-heavy, old-school jack-stand setup, talk rare VW/Audi swap culture, and swap stories about sourcing hard-to-find parts (including 15-inch Zender wheels via a Canada trip). The conversation also covers daily-driver “fun” psychology, the market for rare Callaway GTI/Mark II cars, and EPA engine-swap legality debates, plus upcoming VW events.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Part

headers

"he's like you know headers like do you want them set up and stuff and I was like dude if you have me he's like yeah they're barely touched"

Headers are exhaust manifolds (often aftermarket) that route exhaust gases through a tuned set of pipes. They can improve exhaust flow compared to restrictive factory manifolds and are commonly paired with a downpipe and full exhaust for a cohesive setup.

Part

power steering pump

"...he was nice enough to uh throw a power steering pump on for me while we're in the midst of like bring your car down there um"

This pump helps your steering feel easier by pushing fluid through the steering system. If it’s not working, the steering can get hard and you may also see leaks.

Part

power steering line

"...I wind up like just exploding the power steering line had a huge hole just pissing off fluid everywhere and so I had to limp it home..."

This is the hose that carries the power-steering fluid. If it bursts, the fluid leaks out fast and your steering loses power assist.

Part

jack stands

"he doesn't even have a lift he does everything with jacks jack stands on the ground old school"

A jack stand is a sturdy support that holds the car up safely. It’s what you put under the car so you can work without the car sitting only on a jack.

Term

TDI swap

"he's getting a a tdi like swap inside a an old like vanagon style uh double cab"

TDI is a type of Volkswagen diesel engine. Swapping in a TDI usually aims for strong low-end power and better mileage.

Term

wheels

"[821.3s] and he was like why and I'm like I'm going to get 35 year old wheels you know what I mean 40 year [829.6s] old wheels for my mark two"

They’re talking about wheels—basically the rims on the car. Changing wheels is often done for looks, but it can also affect how the car feels on the road.

Car

Honda Pilot

"...hammering away my my shitty daily car has been a 2012 fucking Honda ... Pilot and the things got like 300,000 miles..."

A Honda Pilot is a family SUV. Here it’s just the boring, practical car the speaker drives every day—especially once it gets high mileage.

Concept

daily driver

"...hammering away my my shitty daily car has been a 2012 fucking Honda Pilot..."

A “daily driver” is the car you use for everyday commuting and errands. The discussion contrasts the boredom of a high-mileage daily driver with the excitement of having a fun car to drive when the weather cooperates.

Term

Bluetooth

"[1222.0s] you know older cars obviously that's like getting my little Bluetooth to setup adapter to [1227.1s] put into like my monsoon stereo this was like the most amazing thing the little things yeah [1232.4s] because I have like this quote-unquote modern technology in this car that's old"

Bluetooth lets your phone connect to the car without wires. The speaker is saying their old car can still get Bluetooth features using an adapter.

Term

cassette adapter

"...where I'm putting this cassette adapter in my b5 and a half assort and it's just as good as having it like on the radio the sound quality is amazing on it..."

It’s a little gadget that lets you plug in your phone and play music through a car that still has a cassette player. The audio quality can be surprisingly good with the right adapter.

Concept

project car

"...this mark four wagon has been fighting like I said there's a few things I do want to do to it to try to get it ready for more summer season..."

They’re treating the car like a project they’re going to improve. Instead of leaving it alone, they’re planning upgrades and prep for the next season.

Term

stance

"because it depends on stance as well true like those look good on a slammed car absolutely but like"

Stance is basically how the car sits—how low it is and how the wheels line up. It affects the look, and sometimes the daily-driver practicality too.

Brand

Toyo

"there's like brand new Toyos that are on tire rack they're they're sitting out the garage really they're brand new 195 40 15's Toyos no shit"

Toyo is a tire brand. They found brand-new Toyo tires in the exact size they needed, which was surprising because that size is usually hard to get.

Company

Tire Rack

"[1915.9s] and they were on tire rack I'm just letting you know that's cool I actually been looking for tires [1920.3s] for my um the truck 16 inch wheels for the pickup truck"

Tire Rack is a website/store people use to buy tires. It’s useful because it helps you figure out what tire sizes fit your car.

Term

195 40 16

"[1920.3s] for my um the truck 16 inch wheels for the pickup truck the the split sea brings that I have for it [1927.3s] what size do you want to run 195 40 16 okay so yeah"

That number/letter string is the tire’s measurements. It tells you how wide the tire is, how tall the sidewall is, and what size wheel it fits. If you pick the wrong size, it may not fit or may rub.

Term

spark plug wires

"[2020.9s] available because it's an eight valve but just things that like you kind of take for granted [2026.3s] it's like oh I'm just gonna get a spark set of spark plug wires from you know nice set of red [2029.9s] spark plug wires"

Spark plug wires deliver high-voltage current from the ignition system to the spark plugs. For older or specific engine setups, the correct wire set (length, terminal style, and routing) can be hard to source, which is why the speaker is emphasizing availability.

Term

automatic

"[2457.9s] yeah and that's a like it's a nice looking daily sucks it's all excuse me sucks it's automatic but [2463.7s] right it would be and it sucks it's only front wheel drive"

Automatic means the car changes gears by itself. Some people don’t like it as much because it can feel less fun or less connected than a manual.

Term

4 motion

"[2491.7s] have four motion everything yeah it's like you literally make this in chattanooga with the atlas [2496.1s] yeah but not this car but you can put the four motion drive chain right into this car"

4Motion is Volkswagen’s name for all-wheel drive. It means power can go to more than just the front wheels, which can help traction and confidence.

Car

Ford F-150

"[2549.4s] I would think so too but who the fuck knows um I was reading a little further and now we've talked [2549.4s] about this for years too but um this was uh I forget what site it was but it was the pickup [2556.9s] truck segment is particularly particularly lucrative one that in the United States the [2563.3s] Ford f-150 the Chevy Silverado are seemingly locked in as first and second place in a list"

The Ford F-150 is a super-popular U.S. pickup truck. They’re mentioning it because it’s one of the biggest sellers, which shows why other brands want a piece of the truck market.

Term

fuel lines

"and he just went through the motor they had a new car but like in the trunk in everything else pretty much stuck on on the motor he cleaned up the gas tank ran some fuel lines and like it's fucking fire right up"

Fuel lines are the hoses/pipes that carry gasoline from the tank to the engine. After long storage, old fuel lines can clog or leak, so replacing or cleaning them is often part of getting a car running again.

Term

big block

"because the car was originally a 318 car it wasn't like a big block car anything from the factory"

“Big block” means a bigger, more powerful V8 engine. The speaker is saying this car didn’t originally have the biggest engine option.

Term

coil over

"or um uh coil over or something like man you can really go down to wrap a whole hundred percent and it's like it's not cheap"

Coilovers are suspension parts that combine the spring and shock together. They let you adjust how high the car sits and how firm it feels.

Company

Summit Racing

"you can go like the fucking summit racing and order anything you want for any vintage mot par for hundred percent"

Summit Racing is a major U.S. retailer for performance and restoration parts, especially for older American cars. The mention highlights how owners can source hard-to-find components online.

Term

small block chevy

"because now like before those motors were like the tits like they were top motor top like horsepower for like a small block chevy"

A small-block Chevy is a popular Chevy V8 engine family. Because it’s so common, there are lots of parts and build options, which makes it easier to build cheaply.

Term

floor mats

"kevin brenner right he goes down he picks up these floor mats everybody that has those floor mats wants five hundred dollars oh right it's insane where before it's like this fucking floor mats like you can you can go to whatever summit and and get fucking eight dollar floor mats for obs"

Floor mats are the rubber or fabric pieces that protect your car’s carpet from mud and spills. The discussion is basically about how some people charge a lot of money for them just because they’re branded.

Concept

undercarriage

"...because like you can look under the undercarriage of the car when it was for sale online and it's it's not i'm not saying it's tired but it definitely could be refreshed..."

Looking under the car helps you spot problems like rust or leaks that you can’t see easily from the outside. It’s one of the best ways to judge how well the car was cared for.

Car

C7 Corvette

"...he wants to vet a vet in a worse way i know a c7 vet yeah right and and he knows about the name Callaway..."

The C7 Corvette is a specific generation of the Chevrolet Corvette. It’s the kind of car people often associate with performance tuning companies.

Concept

market is what someone's gonna pay for it

"it's interesting because you see stuff come out and the market is what someone's gonna pay for it yeah you know would i pay 20 grand for mark four"

They’re saying the real price is whatever someone is willing to pay. Even if a seller lists a high number, the market decides what it’s worth.

Concept

low miles

"would i pay 20 grand for mark four if i was looking for a car i was done and that was you know ready to go with low miles like that's like a quote unquote show car"

Low miles generally means the car hasn’t been driven much, so it may have less wear. That often makes buyers more willing to pay more.

Concept

engine swaps

"...it’s talking about engine swaps and what epa is fighting or what they’re gonna allow you to do or not do... now it’s basically deemed that any engine swaps that don’t have their original emissions on them are quote unquote illegal now..."

An engine swap means putting a different engine into a car. The big question is whether the emissions equipment still matches what the law requires, especially if your area checks emissions.

Concept

emissions-control systems

"...any vehicle that has an engine swap that doesn't have the emissions setup on it factory emissions setups on it are basically illegal now... this car doesn't have emissions control systems on it..."

Emissions-control systems are the parts that help a car pollute less. If you swap an engine and don’t keep the right emissions parts, the car may not meet legal requirements.

Concept

carb certified

"...two five swap in a mark one um is this kind of like almost like that carb certified"

“CARB certified” means the California emissions agency has approved something as meeting emissions rules. The speaker is comparing engine swaps to whether they have an official approval path.

Term

octane

"[4152.6s] they don't matter because you still have cows shitting well yeah sure you still have cows shitting but [4159.7s] i was talking to the guy at um the look at chair ridge airport that we have over here about fuel [4165.8s] and i was like you know what octane you guys run what do you have because i want to see if they have"

Octane is how resistant fuel is to “knocking,” which can happen when an engine ignites too early. Higher-octane fuel is often used to help engines run more aggressively without knock.

Term

EPA

"the epa he said years ago try to crack down it said try to make fuel or the planes and jets go to unleaded"

The EPA is a U.S. government agency that sets rules to reduce pollution. Here, the speaker is talking about how EPA rules affect fuel and emissions.

Concept

charity car event

"since 2012 they have for charity raised $315,000 that's awesome so it's even if uh you're going for experience but you're you're going to benefit charity as well"

They’re describing a car event where people drive or show up, and the money goes to charity. So you get the car experience, but you’re also helping a good cause.

Concept

show car

"legends class applications so these are like your your really high-end show cars that are you know your top dog so to speak cars"

A show car is a car that’s cleaned up and prepared to look its best at events. People bring them to be admired and sometimes judged.

3 cars featured

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars