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Aaron Wants an Old Mercedes, Matt Wants a Maurader, Brad Drops Ep1 of Saving the Chevelle - Shift & Steer Episode 562

Aaron Wants an Old Mercedes, Matt Wants a Maurader, Brad Drops Ep1 of Saving the Chevelle - Shift & Steer Episode 562

Shift and Steer Apr 03, 2026 54 min
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About this episode

The guys kick off with April Fools banter, YouTube/algorithm talk, and a quick sponsor plug, then dive into real enthusiast updates. Brad unveils “Saving the Chevelle” Episode 1 (chase/hunt and garage digging) and discusses how promotion and engagement work online. The conversation shifts to shopping for a practical “people hauler” and debating old-car conversions—especially Aaron’s growing Mercedes/LS-swap rabbit hole, plus Matt’s interest in Volvos and even a Marauder detour. Later, Aaron celebrates getting a rare NAS Defender D90 back on the road and explores 3D-printed fixes, while they also swap stories about insurance costs, storage mold, and a quick drive in Brad’s dusty Lightning. They end with Hyundai’s new Boulder on-frame 4x4 concept and what it might become.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Chevrolet Chevelle

"...ing up YouTube. Episode number one of Saving the Chevelle, which we're going to talk about in a minute, ju..."

The Chevrolet Chevelle is a classic muscle car from Chevrolet. People often restore them or modify them because they’re popular with car enthusiasts. In the podcast, it’s being mentioned as the focus of a project or episode.

Concept

April Fool's

"And he went, oh, April Fool's. [107.4s] And he goes, she was not happy."

April Fool’s is when people play harmless pranks on each other. Here, the “boss coming over” was actually a joke.

Concept

hot rod

"Andy Leach was like, our car, you know, a hot rod was stolen. It was thrashed."

A “hot rod” is a modified car—typically older—built for a more aggressive look and performance than stock. In this context, it’s referenced as the type of car that was stolen and “thrashed,” implying it had been customized and driven hard.

Part

disc

"They're now putting the brake on the disc and the calipers are steel. And then they've got one out."

The disc is the metal rotor that spins with your wheel. When you brake, pads squeeze it to slow the car down.

Part

calipers

"They're now putting the brake on the disc and the calipers are steel. And then they've got one out."

The caliper is the clamp that squeezes the brake pads onto the spinning disc. Better calipers can help the brakes feel stronger and stay consistent.

Concept

car insurance

"I got an email and they're renewing my car insurance and then I looked at the price. Right? And I was like, oh, this must be an April Fool's joke because it's in the four figures for six months of insurance."

They’re talking about how much car insurance costs and why it can go up or down. Your price depends on things like how risky the area is and how often claims happen.

Term

auto insurance

"Health insurance is cheap in Tahoe and expensive down here, [402.6s] and it was, oh, that's right. [403.9s] Health insurance is cheap in Tahoe and expensive down here, [406.5s] but auto insurance is cheaper down here and more expensive in Tahoe."

Car insurance costs can change depending on where you live. If your area has more crashes—like from snow and ice—insurance usually costs more.

Part

rear end

"...digging it out of the dusty garage, getting going through some of the boxes, loading it up and getting the rear end and some of the parts loaded up in the truck."

“Rear end” usually means the drivetrain hardware at the back of the car—basically what sends power to the rear wheels. If they’re loading it up, they may be taking it out to work on it or swap it.

Car

Genesis G 90

"What we talked about was the trip to Vegas and we, we took a Genesis G 90, the sedan. It's like, it's like the Genesis version of an S class. And the, the back has the chauffeur mode."

The Genesis G90 is a high-end luxury sedan from Genesis. It has features that make the back seat more comfortable, like a mode meant for when a driver is taking you around.

Concept

paper plates

"Didn't even have plates. It still had paper plates on it. That's how new it was."

Paper plates are temporary plates you get when a car is brand new. It usually means the car was just bought or recently registered.

Part

clear starts going away

"[1144.8s] the clear starts going away on all of the high edges. [1147.8s] It was rusty and gross down in the quarter panels."

Cars have a clear protective layer on top of the paint. If that layer starts peeling or wearing off on the edges, the paint underneath gets damaged faster and the car can start rusting.

Part

quarter panels

"[1147.8s] It was rusty and gross down in the quarter panels. [1151.7s] And I mean, this thing, they did a great job because you had to look at it two or three"

Quarter panels are the metal panels near the wheels. They’re a common rust spot because they get hit by dirt and water from the road.

Term

AC

"...I'd rather do that as long as it has AC cause you know, I'm taking passengers as long as it has AC..."

AC is air conditioning. They want the car to be comfortable enough to drive with passengers, not just a show car.

Concept

LS conversion

"One has an LS of course, that's more expensive and it, and it's like early seventies. So it had AC..."

An LS conversion means putting a GM LS V8 into a different car. People like it because the engine is modern, parts are common, and the swap is well-documented.

Part

roll cage

"...full harnesses and a roll cage in it and the guys skirting around a Sonoma raceway..."

A roll cage is a strong metal frame inside the car that helps protect you if the car flips or crashes hard. It’s common on cars that see track use.

Concept

leaking oil

"If it's not burning oil and it's not leaking oil, there's a, there's an older couple in my parking garage. If it's not burning oil or leaking oil, is it running?"

Leaking oil means oil is coming out of the engine area, usually from worn seals or gaskets. It can be small, but if it’s significant you can lose oil and damage the engine.

Concept

burning oil

"If it's not burning oil and it's not leaking oil, there's a, there's an older couple in my parking garage."

Burning oil means the engine is using oil as it runs, so you have to add more oil more often. If it gets bad, it can hurt the engine.

Term

diesel

"The 300D had a. That's a diesel. That thing's a pig."

Diesel engines work differently than gas engines. They usually make strong pulling power, but they can feel slower when you want quick acceleration.

Company

Bring a Trailer

"...I texted you about this was a bring a trailer listing from years ago, but somebody took a perfectly nice like stock looking Mercedes 91 Mercedes put a 5.3 liter little LS engine in it and sold it..."

Bring a Trailer is a website where car enthusiasts buy and sell cars through auctions. The speaker is using a past BaT listing to show what an LS-swapped Mercedes might be worth.

Concept

body roll

"Like it's well, some of the Mercedes aren't rough. They're they're so soft that they just body roll through corners. Well, that's better."

Body roll is when the car tilts or leans in a corner. Softer suspension setups usually make it lean more.

Term

door panels

"[2046.8s] Because on that truck, I was replacing the windows, [2051.8s] the side mirrors, and so the door panels aren't in it. [2055.2s] So there's no like felt or anything"

Door panels are the inside trim on the door. If they’re off, you can see and clean the hidden areas where water can get trapped.

Term

mold

"[2058.8s] I just realized it's dark down there, [2061.0s] which is a breeding ground for mold. [2063.0s] And it was all kind of monstrous."

Mold is a fungus that grows when things stay wet. In a car, it can start in damp spots and can be hard to get rid of if you don’t dry and clean the area well.

Term

shop vac

"[2065.5s] Yeah, I mean, I just grabbed the shop vac, [2069.2s] you know, just the wet drive back again,"

A shop vac is a stronger vacuum than a regular one. It can handle wet messes too, so it’s useful for cleaning up moisture and grime.

Term

Most of them were sticks

"but they came as an automatic with air conditioning, which was pretty unique for those defenders. Most of them were sticks."

“Sticks” is slang for manual transmissions. The speaker is contrasting the limited edition’s automatic setup against the more common manual Defenders of that time.

Concept

salvage title

"It does have a salvage title. I couldn't fight that."

A salvage title means the car was once considered a total loss by an insurance company. Even after repairs, it usually makes the car harder to sell for top money.

Term

3D printed

"Did the drip rail 3D printed little things come in? Does it work?"

3D printing in automotive restoration is often used to recreate discontinued trim clips, small brackets, or missing interior/exterior pieces. The key considerations are material choice, fitment, UV/heat resistance, and whether the part is structural or purely cosmetic.

Term

fitment

"But they fit? Did they fit well at work? They fit flawlessly. I have to say, there was no trimming."

Fitment just means “does it fit right?” They’re checking if the parts line up properly on the car and don’t require a lot of extra work to make them match.

Term

3D printing

"try some 3D printing stuff. And, you know, obviously his focus a little more on the automotive side,"

3D printing is a way to make a real object from a computer design. You can use it to create custom parts or test ideas without waiting on a machine shop.

Term

CAD

"for me, I just can't wrap my head around CAD and some of these other 3D modeling programs."

CAD is computer software for drawing a part accurately before you make it. If you want to 3D print something, CAD is usually the starting step.

Part

sun visor

"you know, the little clips that hold the sun visor down are gone and you can't get them anymore."

A sun visor is the panel above you that you flip down to block glare. This part is about the little clips and covers that keep it attached and looking clean.

Concept

plastic degradation from petroleum-based products

"[2963.9s] Yeah, well, especially things like oil [2966.1s] or petroleum based products can really break those down [2969.8s] or if people use silicone sprays and things later, [2974.4s] those can break them down."

Some plastics don’t like certain car fluids. If oil or similar petroleum-based products touch the wrong plastic, it can break down and turn into something weak or sticky, causing parts to fail.

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