187. The Pile Up EP49: Motorcar V Horse
About this episode
The hosts kick off with a horseless-carriage comparison that turns into a discussion of “red flagging” laws and why some people treat older vehicles differently—especially in California. They also trade hands-on DIY stories, including a radiator leak solved with constant water top-offs during a long drive. Later, the conversation shifts to modern electric-car incentives and design choices, then lands on practical interior work like door-card/dash design. The episode closes with a quick mention of an Instagram fiberglass class and a Model T build update.
In this episode we explore the cluster fuck that was early automobiles on the road.
Road Rage in 1906 on the Flivver channel
Take a class at the Industrial Arts Tool Library
Recorded @iapdx
Recorded & mixed by Emdognightmare & Queen of the Vans
Editor: Emdognightmare
Production & research Queen of the Vans & Emdognightmare
Find us: Car Krush
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Hugs, thank you & high fives to Greg Meleney for the killer tunez!
horseless carriage
"Emily EP49: ...fixated on horseless carriages and the fact that cars to-- horseless carriage to car is a very fuzzy line, and there is, there's not a lot of... There is no hard line"
“Horseless carriage” was an old way of saying “early car.” Back then, people weren’t sure what counted as a real car yet, because the first motor vehicles still looked a lot like horse carts.
A “horseless carriage” is an early term for automobiles—basically a vehicle that replaced horse-drawn transport. In the late 1800s/early 1900s, the boundary between carriages and early motor vehicles was blurry because many designs still looked and operated like horse carts.
Dacia Duster
"...e. I think they actually, don't they call, uh, a duster a demon? There Rose EP49: I've seen a couple, but..."
The Dacia Duster is a small SUV meant for regular driving and light off-road capability. The podcast mentions it in a joking way about the name, but it’s still a practical vehicle. It’s typically discussed as an affordable SUV option.
The Dacia Duster is a compact SUV built with a focus on affordability and everyday capability. In the podcast, it’s brought up with a playful reference to “a Duster a demon,” which suggests the conversation is about the vehicle’s name and how it’s perceived. It’s a common choice for discussion when talking about budget-friendly SUVs and what you get for the money.
Model T came out
"Emily EP49: ...This is before 1908 when the Model T came out, when that, that changed the game quite a bit."
They’re talking about the Ford Model T, which helped cars become affordable for more people. That’s why cars went from being mostly for the wealthy to something regular people could actually buy.
The mention of the “Model T came out” points to the Ford Model T’s role in making cars far more affordable and common. That affordability helped shift automobiles from a rich-people novelty toward mainstream transportation, changing how often people encountered cars in everyday life.
red flagging
"Emily EP49: ...one of the laws that I thought was hilarious was the red flagging. Now, tell me, like, what did you think? Like, this one just tickled me."
“Red flagging” was an old rule where someone had to warn people ahead of an early car. The goal was to make it safer and less scary for pedestrians and horses when cars were new.
“Red flagging” refers to early laws requiring a person to walk ahead of an automobile with a red flag (or similar warning) to alert pedestrians and other traffic. It was a way to manage public fear and safety concerns as motor vehicles started sharing roads with horses and horse-drawn traffic.
outlaw bodies
"In California, they call them outlaw bodies. Just buy one older than '75 and nobody's ever gonna take a peek at it."
In California, “outlaw bodies” is slang for older cars that can sometimes avoid stricter inspections. The speaker is saying that if you buy a sufficiently old vehicle, it may not be checked as closely as newer cars.
“Outlaw bodies” is a California-specific slang reference to older vehicles that are treated as exempt from certain modern inspection or registration scrutiny. The idea is that if you buy an older car (the speaker says older than 1975), it may not get closely inspected, allowing it to stay on the road with minimal checks.
Model T
"Speaking of the Model T, okay Okay. It's on the cover, and there's no article about the car in it."
The Ford Model T was one of the first cars that many regular people could actually buy. Here it’s mentioned because early cars looked a lot like horse-drawn carriages, even in how they were designed and marketed.
The Ford Model T is an early mass-produced car from Ford that became a benchmark for how cars could be affordable and widespread. In this segment, it’s used as a reference point for “horseless carriage” styling and the way early vehicles were imagined and advertised.
bell housing pattern
"GM made one that mates with their transmissions. I mean, it was way too expensive, but they made one that would mate up with their bell housing pattern."
The bell housing is the part that connects the engine to the transmission. The “bell housing pattern” is basically the bolt-and-alignment layout, so it determines what transmissions or adapters can fit.
A bell housing pattern refers to the bolt pattern and interface geometry between an engine and its transmission bell housing. When someone says a part “mates with” a bell housing pattern, they mean it can physically bolt up and align correctly for the drivetrain to work.
Chevrolet Corvette
"...shaft or a torque tube or something, like the new Corvette has a torque tube. So I mean, that's it. You know..."
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car built for strong performance. The podcast mentions a “torque tube,” which is a part that helps transfer power from the engine to the wheels. That’s the kind of detail people talk about when explaining how the car is engineered.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a performance sports car known for its mid-engine layout and engineering-focused design. In the podcast, it comes up in the context of drivetrain layout—specifically the idea of a torque tube—because that kind of component affects how power is transmitted and how the car behaves. It’s a common topic when discussing what makes the newer Corvette’s engineering different from older approaches.
torque
"There might be a hump for a drive shaft or a torque tube or something, like the new Corvette has a torque tube."
Torque is the “twist” that makes the wheels turn. When people talk about a torque tube, they mean a part built to carry that twisting force to the rear wheels.
Torque is the twisting force an engine produces to rotate the drivetrain. In a torque tube context, the term matters because the tube is designed to transmit that twisting force from the transmission to the rear axle.
Honda Element
"... just, like, they took, like, dropped in an iPad element, and then the guy, like, s- stretched it and made..."
The Honda Element is a Honda vehicle with a very square, box-like shape. It’s designed to be practical, with an interior that’s easy to use for carrying things. The podcast is referring to its distinctive look and how it’s built around everyday usefulness.
The Honda Element is a compact, boxy crossover-style vehicle designed for practical everyday use and flexible interior space. The podcast’s “iPad element” and “stretched it” comments point to its distinctive, utilitarian design and how it’s recognizable at a glance. It’s often mentioned when people talk about unusual styling and the way the cabin is set up for real-world hauling and comfort.
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