Can You Build A Killer Ride On A Tight Budget?
In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show
Can You Build A Killer Ride On A Tight Budget?
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31:53
Concept
pull apart or junkyard
A pull-apart or junkyard is a place where you can get used car parts from older or wrecked cars. It’s a common way to save money when you’re fixing up a project car.
Part
intake
The intake is the part that helps get air into the engine. If you’re building cheaply, you might grab one from a junkyard instead of buying new.
Part
rear axle
The rear axle is the big assembly that helps drive the rear wheels. It can be expensive to replace, so finding one used from a junkyard is a common budget strategy.
Part
shocks
Shocks are what help the car stay stable over bumps. Getting used shocks from a junkyard can save money on a project build.
Company
Waymo
Waymo is a company that runs self-driving ride services (robotaxis). Here, they’re dealing with a software problem and talking about what happened during an incident.
Term
robotaxi
A robotaxi is a self-driving car that you can summon like a rideshare. Instead of a human driver, the car’s computer is supposed to drive you.
Term
autonomous vehicles
Autonomous vehicles are cars that can drive on their own using sensors and computer software. The idea is that the computer handles the driving instead of a person.
Term
flooded roads
Flooded roads are hard for self-driving cars because water can hide road lines and make the surface slippery. The car has to decide if it’s safe to keep going.
Term
automated driving system
An automated driving system is the car’s self-driving “brain.” It uses sensors and software to decide what to do while driving.
Company
NITS
NITS is mentioned as the place that posted documents about the incident. The hosts are using those documents as the basis for what happened.
Term
untraversable
“Untraversable” basically means “you can’t safely drive through it.” For a self-driving car, that’s a critical judgment call when roads are blocked or flooded.
Term
reduced speed
Reduced speed means the vehicle drives slower than normal. That can help it stay in control and react better when conditions are risky.
Term
cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a dead-end street. If something blocks the road there, it can be harder for a vehicle to turn around or find another way out.
Company
Tesla
Tesla is mentioned as another big company working in self-driving technology. The point is that Waymo isn’t the only one trying to build robotaxis.
LIVE
Welcome.
FromtheDualCityStudiosinTexas,USA,it'stheaward-winningin-wheeltimecartalkshow.
Justahead,JenniferJordanonthehotrodbuild-off.
Allright.
Jeffwillhavethecruiseinaneventscalendar.
Mr.
MarsisgoingtogettohishikinginHoustondrivingdestinationssegment.
AndI'llbringyoustoriesmakingautomotivenewsthisweek.
Howdy,alongwithMikeOutofThisWorldMars,wealwaysneedmoreJeffZeke,masterstudio,andtransmitterengineerDavidAinsley.
I'mDonArmstrong.
SogladthatyoucouldjoinusonthisSaturday.
Ifyou'relisteningonapodcast,thankyouverymuch.
Weappreciatethataswell.
Allright,let'sgettoourfirstguest,andthatisJenniferJordan,partnerintheMotherCluckersstoreinVictoria,andtroublemakerwiththeHellionsCarClub.
Jennifer,Imean,thelistgoesonandon.
You'reyou'vegotyourfingersinthepieandlotsofstuffhere.
It'sabadgirl.
That'sright,that'sright.
Well,it'sit'sgreattohaveyouuhwithusthismorning.
Anduhsolet'stalkaboutyourbackgroundanduhcarclub,uhHellion'shotrodriotandandthethishotrodbuild-offthatyou'vegotgoingon.
Uhlet'stalkaboutthat.
That'scomingupinNovember,butumIunderstandthatJune1stiswhenthebuild-offstarts.
AmIcorrect?
Yes,youarecorrect.
Yes.
Okay,andandandwhoandwhoisthatwhoisthathairymansittingnexttoyou?
Victoria.
Mr.
Mars,we'rewe'relosing.
Yeah,butwehaveaproblemreceivingyoursignaloffofyourcellphone,soyouguysaregonnaneedtogooutsideorsomething.
So,Mr.
Mars,we'llletyouhandlethatuhwhileuhuhwhileweuhuhmoveonwiththisandandactuallyuhtellyoualittlebitaboutJennifer.
She'samotheroffour,uhtwogirls,twoboys,alsoagrandmothertofourwonderfulkiddos,uhoriginallyfromVictoria,Texas.
TreyanduhsheuhownJordanSpeedShop,wheretheysaythatthey'lldoanythingfromminorrepairstoframeoffrestorations.
That'salwaysascarythingthatthey'lldoanything.
Yeah,Ilikeit.
Frameoff.
UhBestieuhuhanduhherbestieownsaretailstoreindowntownVictoriathatshe'suhclonedasmothercluckersdowntown.
Ilikethename.
Souhverybusywoman.
Umshe'salsotheVictoriachapterpresidentoftheHellions,whichisacarclub.
Um,anduhI'mnotexactlysure.
Andwhenwegetherbackonlinehere,we'lltalktoheraboutthis.
JimmyandhiswifeMarcelownaffordabletowingoutofVictoria,Texas.
They'rehugesupportersofthelocalcarclubscenedownthere.
Souhinterestinguhtohaveherontherewithus.
Umsoalittlebitaboutthisbuild-offthatthey'vegotuhinthe2026riotuhshowthatthey'regonnahave.
It'suhfivemonthstobuildthisthingwitha$4,000limit.
Yep.
Ican'tevenimaginethat.
Umdoyouhavewhatittakes?
Thinkyoucanbuildthebaddestrideonabudget?
Uhnow'syourchancetoproveitaccordingtotheflyerthattheysentushere.
Anduhsofivemonthstobuild,fourthousanddollartotalbudget,noexcuses,noshortcuts,uhjustrawcreativity.
AndumtheallIcanthinkofisthere'saguythat'sontheuhhotrodtour,uh,whichweweren'ttherethisyear.
Thispastyear,right?
Yeah,butuhthesmokingyeah,they'reuhtheirdieselclub.
Dieselcluboutontherollingsmokeorrollingcoalorsomething,blackblacksmokebabies,somethinglikethat.
Yeah,anduhsotheytookanoldpickuptruckuhwithanoldbody,putitonadecentframethatcouldhandleallthetorqueofadieselengine,andthentheyjustkeptworkingonitandworkingmassagingit,yeah,andallthatsortofstuff.
Anditlookslikehell.
ButIdon'tknowhowelsetoputit.
Youknow,butthat'spartofthelook.
Fivemonthstodoit.
Now,fivethat'sagoodtime.
That'sagoodtimeframe.
Fourgrandhoursisthatfourthousanddollarsthatyou'reputtingintoanexistingvehicle?
That'syourlimit,orthat'sthetotalwiththecarandthebuild.
We'llfindout.
They'rebackon.
Herewego.
Allright,Mr.
Mars.
Uhlet'squestions.
Yeah,wewehopehopefullygotyougotbettersignalednow.
Sothereyougo.
Wewe'vereadthroughtheentireflyerthatyousentus,andweappreciatethat.
Andwegaveeverybodyarundownaboutwhoyouare,Jennifer.
Soumyou'reintroublenow.
Okay.
Stillhavingproblemswiththat.
Umanyway,socontinueonwithwhatyouweresaying.
Well,yeah,becauseifit'sjustthemoneythatyou'reallowedtoputintoit,soyougotanexistingcar.
There'saCorvetteinthegaragebackhere.
Corvetteinthatthing.
No,putadieselinthat,tubitout.
Yeah,no.
Yeah.
ButI'mthinking,youknow,someuhweakneedoldCorvettethattheengine'sbeenblownup.
There'soneinthegarage.
There'sthat.
Yeah,there'sthataswell.
SoumIIdon'tknow.
IIjustthinkthatuhit'dbealotoffun,especiallyifyougotacarclubofyourownandhaveacarclubactualjobtodo.
Thiswouldbethejob.
Andsomebody'sgonnahavetogiveupthegarageuhfourorfivemonths,anduhtheguyscomeoverontheweekend,youknow,workuheighthoursonaSaturdayandmaybeacouplehoursonSunday,andwheneveryoucangettoit.
That'swhereyouneedtoknowsomebodywithlikeapullapartorajunkyardareathatyoucansalvageanintakeormaybegetasetofshocksorauhrearaxleorsomethinglikethat.
Yes.
Thatthatwouldbethebuddyupsystemthere.
Yeah,yeah,yeah.
Ituhmakeyourfourgrandgoalongway.
Okay.
Well,we'lljustletthemuhtheretheyare.
Theretheyare.
WelostMike,butwegotthem.
That'sthat'sagoodtrade.
Okay,Jennifer.
Sowe'regonnatrythisonemoretime.
Thirdtime,andyou'reoutnowifyoudidifthisdoesn'twork.
Hello.
No,nothing.
Great.
Okay.
Well,atanyrate,um,we'regonnahavetobypassthat,uh,unfortunately.
ButIthinkthatIgaveyouthethethewholeideabehindthisthing.
UmI'mnotexactlysureofthewebsitebecausetheydon'tsowegotthisonFacebook.
UhFacebook.com
slashSouthTexasPerformance,Ithinkwillgetyouuhintowhereyouneedtogoifyou'reinterestedinsomethinglikethat.
Seemoreonthatpage.
Yeah,absolutely.
Yeah,soumanyway,judgedbythepublicatthehotrodriot.
UhthehotrodriotisgoingtobeNovember6thand7thatRiversideParkinVictoria,Texas.
I'msuretheygotfoodandallkindsofthings.
I'llbetyouwho'sgonnabethere.
Mr.
Sparkmaninhisentourage.
Hisentourage,yeah.
Yeah.
HekindofheadsupallofthehotrodstuffdownthereatVictoria.
WorldleaderofVictoria.
He'sMr.
Victoria.
Mr.
Mr.
Vic,Mr.
V.
We'llcallhimMr.
V.
Mr.
VSparksman.
Exactly.
Sparkman.
Soanyway,um,thatthatlookslikeafuntime.
Sorrywecouldn'tgetthemontheair.
Don'tknowwhattheproblemwas,butwemayhaveseenthematoneofthetours,too.
They'reinvolvedinthat.
I'msurethattheyarefromVictoria.
SoyouknowthefunnythingaboutVictoriais,andI'vementionedthisbefore,it'snotthatfarfromHouston.
Ohno.
That'saneatlittledrive.
Theconstructionsucks,butthat'sgonnabeoverwithinanother20years.
Well,Idon'tknowwhichwayyouwent,butIdidn'trunintotoomuchconstruction.
Yeah.
Justyeah,justuhuhskippingthesectionsthatwerethinkthatitwasahalfhourandtwentyminutesorsomething.
Yeah,somethinglikethat.
Well,ifyoustopatBucky's,thenyou'relookingatanhourtwohours,becauseyougottastopatBucky's.
Yeah.
Soyouhaveto.
That'syoucan'ttraveltoTexaswithoutstoppingatBuckey's.
Infact,IpostedsomethingonmypersonalFacebookpage.
Oh,yeah,Isawthat.
Yeah.
UmanduhifyouwhopassesbyaBucky'snobody.
UheverybodystopsatBucky's,whetheryouneedgasornot.
Gasisjustanexcusebecauseuhthat'sawholeshoppingspreeinitself.
Exactly.
UmwehavesomeIhaveuhmycousinsthatliveinWisconsin.
Theydon'thaveaBucky'supinthewholeoutfitfromshoestoyouryourfoundationoryourdelegates,andthenyoucanbuyyouknowanicebuckyshirt.
Yeah.
Belt,buckybelt.
Yeah.
Hey,umIuhhadauhepiphany.
Uhyou'regonnasayseizure.
WellthatgoeswithoutsayingumthereisastorythatIreallywantedtouhbringtoyourattention.
AndthatisumaIgottaIgottadigthroughhere.
OhIthinkIfoundit.
WegotMikeback.
Yeah,helloMike.
Michael,arewegood?
Thereheis.
Okay.
Heandhehasithasnomicrophoneeither,apparently.
Sohecan'tspeak.
Hejustuhforgottounmutehismute.
Okay.
UhoneofAmerica'smostpopularcarsisgoingelectric.
No.
Uhsparkingpreschoolers'imaginationsfromthehorrorofa$5agallongasoline.
LittleTykes.
Yeah.
RememberLittleTykes?
Yeah.
LittleTykeshasintroducedthecozye-chargingstation,a$33accessorythatconvertsitstimelesscozycoupetoytorunontheoreticalbatterypower.
NowyouknowwhatI'mtalkingabout,thatlittleplasticthingthatyouboughtallthegrandkids.
Iknowthatitwasredwithayellowtoponit.
That'sit'sthesameone.
Yeah.
Thechargerhaslightsandsounds,anditplugsseamlesslyuhintothecar'sexistingfueldoor.
NowIdidnotrealizethatthethinghadafueldoor,butmaybethey'veuhnewermodels.
Newermodelshavethefueldoor.
Noadapterorre-engineeringrequired,thoughitdoesneedthreeAAAbatteries,whicharen'tincluded.
UmaccordingtotheLittleTykeswebsite,whetherthey'rerunningerrandsaroundtheplayroomorcruisingthroughthebackyard,thischargingstationmakeseverytripmorememorable.
Children,ages18monthstofiveyears.
Inpractice,ofcourse,theplastic-bodiedsingle-seatercontinuestorunsolelyonthepowerofitsdriver'sownfeet,FredFlintstonestyle.
UhLittleTykeshaslongofferedacozypumperformake-believetripstothegasstation.
CozyCoophasbeenrulingtoy-strewndrivewaysandsuburbansidewalksfornearlyhalfacenturynow.
Loggingsalesofupto500,000ofthemayearinthe1990s.
Its$65suggestedretailpriceeasilymakesitthecheapestEVaround,thoughill-suitedfortripsoutsidetheneighborhood.
Ithinkweboughtbothbothofourgirls.
Oh,yeah,Ithinkeverybodyhadone.
Allofusboughtitforourkids.
LittleTyquesisownedbyacompany,AllPlay,andIactuallyamtheaccountrepforAllPlayforshirts.
Seriously.
Yep.
Well,youknowwhat?
Weoughttogetthemtosendusuhuhthetoy,uhthelittlethelittleelectricchargingstationalongwiththething.
Andwhatwe'lldo,whatwe'lldoiswe'lldonateittotheToysforTotswhenitcomestimeuhinatChristmas.
Ithinktheyaretailpipesandtalkingtoysfortotswrappedup.
ButI'llfindout.
Butyeah,Idotheshirtsforhim.
Yeah.
We'lldoJohnCole.
JohnColeistheAllright,John.
Ifyou'relisteningtotheshow.
Hedoesalotoftraveling.
Thatguy'shardtogetaholdof,butwe'llfindout.
Icanseeitnow.
Inainatinytyke.
Electricone.
Electricone.
Yeah,Icanseeitnow,20yearsfromnow.
Alltheselittlekidsthathavegrownupandthey'regoingtobegoingtothetherapistandthey'regonnabesaying,What'stheearliestmemoryyouhave?
Oh,IhadalittletinytykeandIwasonthedrivewayandhitapuddle.
AndIgotelectrocutoruhwiththosebatteriesthatarenotincludedintheset.
That'sthreeAAA's.
Well,there'ssomethingforyou,sothereyougo.
I'msureyoucanorderthethingonline.
Andifyou'vealreadygotoneandyouneedanelectricchargingstationoragasstationaswell,apparentlybatterystation.
Yeah,youyoucanorderitanduhgetonedeliveredtoyourfrontdoorwithinmoments.
Um,there'sabignewsstorythisweek.
Ithinkit'sbignews.
They'reallbignews.
Big,bigToyota,NorthAmerica,maybuildatwobilliondollarassemblyplantadjacenttoitscurrentTexastruckplantwithconstructconstructionstartingasearlyasthisyear,accordingtodocumentsfiledwiththeTexasComptrollerofPublicAccounts.
Um,iftheprojectisapproved,itwouldbecometheautomaker'ssixthU.S.
assemblyplantwhenoutputbeginsin2030.
Wow.
Nowtheyhaven'tsaidwhatthey'regonnabuildthere,butknowingToyota,it'snotgoingtobeasingularplace,asingularoutputassemblyplan.
Butwhat'sinthefirstparagraph?
Firstline.
Yeah,oneofthestoriesIreadisthatitwasgonnabetheTacoma.
Well,theTacomaiscurrentlyrunningoffthetundraplan.
Well,thewhateverline.
Yeah,butitsaysmaybehigh-endtundra.
Well,Iknowitsaysmaybebecausenobody'swillingtoshowtheirhands.
Commit,yeah.
ButIcantellyouthatthisisgonnahappenwithconfidence.
Butdon'taskmewhyIgottheconfidence,butwhatelsecanturnon?
Listen,theywouldn'ttheywouldn'tbetoutingthisnews.
Yeah,it'scalledProjectOrca.
Ohumsubmarines,theycouldbebuildingsubmarines.
Yeah,inSanAntonio,yeah.
Perfect.
AndlaunchthemintheRiverwalk.
Idoubtthat.
Andwhentheyhadthatbigrain,youwejusthadthebigraincomingthroughthere,evidently.
WasityoutellingmethatallthoserestaurantsgotfloodedontheRiverwalkormostofthem?
Yeah.
Amazing.
Yeah.
Umwiththebigrainthatwentthroughthere.
Texasweatherisweird,especiallyinthespring.
Weyouknowyouneverknow.
Inthefall,it'susuallyhurricanes,butuhinthespring,it'sthesemonstrousweathersystemsthatrollthroughandstaystagnantovertheareaanddumpfeetofrain.
Yeah.
We'refamiliarwiththathere.
Iwanttotellyouthatthisthisseasontheyougetalittlebitofrain,yougetalittlebitofheatoffyouknoweveryfewdays,whichisperfect.
Mymyyard,theflowers,theveggies,everythingisawesome.
Sokeepthatcyclegoing.
Yeah.
Okay.
Ifyou'reouttherelistening.
UmIdon'tknowwhetheryousawthenews,butIsawitactuallythismorning,uh,thestory.
AndI'veseenitonlineaswell.
Waymorecallingthousandsofrobotaxistofixasoftwareissuethatcouldcausetheautonomousvehiclestodriveonfloodedroads,speakingofflooding.
Therecalleffects,thirtysevenhundredandninety-onevehiclesequippedwiththecompany'sfifthandsixthgenerationautomateddrivingsystem,likewewouldknowwhatthatis.
That'saccordingtodocumentspostedonNITS'swebsite.
Therobotaxibusinessisworkingonafinalremedytoaddresstheproblem,accordingtotheagency.
ThedecisionstemsfromanApril20thincidentinSanAntonio,whereanoccupiedWaymorobotaxiencounteredanuntraversable.
Ididn'tevenknowthatthatwasaword,anuntersablefloodedsectionofaroadway,accordingtothedocuments.
Ratherthanavoidthepotentiallydangerousstreet,thevehicleproceededintothefloodwateratareducedspeed.
Waymotemporarilysuspendedrobotaxioperationsinthecityaftertheincident.
Thecompanysaidithasresumedautonomousoperationsthere,buthasnotyetrestartedridesforcustomers.
ThestorythatIsawwasthatapparentlythereweremanyWaymo'sroamingthisparticularoneneighborhood.
Caldesac.
Inthecul-de-sac,Ithink.
Theyallgotcaughtupinthere.
Anyway,didthatsayithadapassengerinittryingtonotuntraverseitornottraverse?
IIdidn'tsay.
Althoughnoonewasinjuredandtherecallisrelativelysmall,theincidenthighlightsthechallengesfordriverlessvehiclestoadapttounpredictableweatherandotherunexpectedroadwayconditionswithoutahumandriver'sjudgment.
Waymo'sbeenrollingoutitsrobotaxiserviceincitiesacrosstheU.S.
inagrowingcompetitionwiththelikesofTesla.
NHSAhastwoseparateinvestigationsintoWaymoself-drivingvehicles.
OneisprobinganincidentinwhicharobotaxistruckachildnearaschoolinSantaMonica,CaliforniainJanuary,whiletheotherwasopenedafterthecompany'scarsrepeatedlyfailedtofullysloworstopforschoolbuseslastyear.
Sosothetaxiknewenoughtoslowdownbeforetryingtotraversetheuntraversablewater.
Apparentlyso.
Butitdidn'tknowenoughtostopanddon'tgothrough.
Yeah,exactly.
Exactly.
Sothey'reworkingonthat.
We'veheardthosestoriesbeforethat.
Well,butoutthereinSanAntonio,whenwelivedoutthere,youcouldhaveaflashfloodintwohoursandandyou'dhavemorefloodedstreetsandtherewouldbesignsup,there'dbebarricadesup,allkindsofthings.
Butifthecarcan'treadthedangsign,thenitain'tgoingtostop.
Well,thosearetheConestogadaysbackthen.
That'sright,Mars.
TheConestogadays.
Ithinkyouwereputtingcellphoneswithlongcordsincarsbackthen,weren'tyou?
Yeah,wethat'swhenwedevelopedthethethecordedthecircularone,thespringactionsoitcouldstretchalittlebit.
Thereyougo.
Youwereprobablyatthebeginningofthat.
Hey,weneedtogethissegmentin.
Weneedtogethisstuffdone.
Well,uh,youknow,let'slet'sdoitcomingup,shallwe?
Allright.
Uhwe'regonnahavethecrewsinandeventscalendarsanddrivingdestinationswithMr.
Mars.
Staywithus.
Thein-wheeltimecartalkshowcontinuesafterthis.
TheTexMaxdiningexperienceisdefinedbyLoopyTortilla,yourdestinationforTexas'sbestbeeffajitasandfrozenmargaritas.
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There'saTexaslocationnearyou.
Therecipesareauthenticandtime-tested.
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Loopytortillaisprettygood.
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Wecontinuetobuildandgrowourfanbase,andit'sallbecauseofyouandyourautoenthusiastfriends.
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It'salwaysgreattoseeyouinourremotebroadcast,too,andwehopeyou'llcontinuetostopbyandsayhello.
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Liveshoweveryweek,InWheelTime.
Thanksforjoiningustoday.
Youshouldn'tmissit.
Let'sdotheuhdrivingdestinationswithMr.
Mars,shallwe?
Yes,sir.
Ithinkweshould.
Sowe'rewhereisit?
It'stwodown.
Goahead.
Goaheadandgoout.
Oneofthethingsthatyouknow,ififyouwanttogoouthiking,ifyou'reanoutdoorsperson,sometimesyouwanttogoouthikingjusttogetoutintonature.
AlotofpeoplegototheGrandCanyonthings,butifyoucan'tgothatfarandyouwanttolookforaplacearoundHouston,youcouldgototheusualBuffaloBayouorMemorialParkLoopthatyouallmentionedearlier.
Butthereareotherplacesthatmightbeofmoreinterest.
Forexample,TerryHersheyPark.
Now,thisiswhenyougothere,you'regonnaseethemainpavedhikeandbiketrailsalongBuffaloBio.
Butwhatyouwanttodoisgetawayfromthatandgetintotheinformaldirtspursthatkindofgoalongthewaterline,especiallywestofBeltway8.
Now,thesidepathskindofdipdownintonarrowtreetunnels.
There'sroot-coveredbanksthatyou'vegottobealittlecarefulonwhenyou'rewalkingonthem.
There'salotofbendsthatslowdowntothealmostswamp-likepoolsthatyou'regonnaseethatyouwon'tseefromtheregularuhBuffaloBiletracksandtrailsthatyou'regoingon.
Now,youcanalso,afteritrainsthough,yougottawatchoutbecausepartsofit'sgonnafeelmorelikeEastTexasthanHouston.
Andinthemornings,ifyougointheearlymornings,you'regonnaseesomeheronsandturtles.
Youmightevenseesomedeertracksalongsomeofthemuddyedgesthatactuallytrackup.
Again,yougottabecareful.
Don'twanttoslipandfalloutinthemiddleofnowhere.
Now,thesecondplaceyoumightlookatistheEdithL.
MooreNatureSanctuary.
Now,thisiskindofhiddeninthecityofWest.
It'samorrowonthewestsideofHouston.
It'snotrealbig,butit'sgotalotoftreesthatmakeitfeelmuchlargerwhenyou'rewalkingonfoot.
It'sgotboardwalksectionsthatkindofgothroughtheshadedcreekcorridors.
Yougetalittlebitofsunlightcomingthrough,itkindofgivesyouarealremotefeelingtoit.
It'sveryquiet.
ForHoustoninparticular,youdon'thearthetraffic.
Youcanhearthebirds,andyoucanactuallyhearthewindsthroughthepineandoaktrees.
Theloopiskindofshort,soit'snotsomethingthat'sgoingtotakeyouallday,butyoucanbeanice,takeyouaniceslow.
Wanderonahikeanduhgothroughit,particularlyalightrain,you'regonnagetsomegroundsmellsthatactuallywillmakeyouthinkyou'reinaforestsomeplacebesidesinHouston.
Groundsmells,groundsmells.
It'sbetterthanyourcatsmellsoutofyourcheckbox.
Anyway,sothethirdplaceyoumightwanttolookatistheWillowWaterholeGreenSpace.
Now,thisisalargerplace.
It'sinuhsouthwestHouston,andit'sreallygotitsown,it'sbigenoughtohaveitsownecosystem.
Andit'sgoonthetrails,theywindthroughtheretentionponds.
There'sseveralofthem.
Yougotalotoftallgrasses,openwateredgesthatreflecttheskyatthesunset.
Youcangetsomereallynicecolorsinthere.
Butunlikemostmanicuredparks,it'sintentionallynotmanicured.
It'sveryunfussy.
It'sgotcurvedpathsandbrancheswithoutanysortoffeeling.
You'rekindofmorewanderingthrough,literally.
Gotalotofbirdactivity,andonwindydays,thetallgrasses,youcanactuallyseeitwavelikeyouseeuhlikeintheMidwest,outinthemiddleofnowhere.
NumberfourwouldbeSpringCreekGreenway.
Now,thisisHouston'suhalmostwildernesscorridorthatyoumightcallit.
It'stheclosestthingtoacontinuousnaturewalkingcorridorinHoustonproper.
NowthatstretchesformilesalongSpringCreek.
You'vegotsomenicesandysoilunderfoot,thickhardwoodforest,andyougotlongstretchesthatwhereyou'renotinterruptedwithanysortofbuildingsoranything.
It'snotlikeacitypark,becausethisonehasrealdistance.
Youcanactuallygetafewhoursdeep.
AndI'mtalkinghourswalkingwithoutloopingbackquickly.
Theforestchangesasyoumovethroughitfromthisdenseoakstopinepockets.
Youalsohavesomelowwetlandsectionsthatyoucanfind,andyougettowhereyouwanttogotoascaleofnaturethatreallyfeelsreallyoutthere.
Youcanseesomegreatfocks,andandtobehonest,thisthingislistedsupposedlyasthelongesttrailinguhhikingareainthenation.
It's40milesactuallylongthatyoucanwalkoutthroughthisthing.
Soifyougetlostoutthere,don'tdoit.
UhthefifthonethatIwouldbringupisBuffaloBayou,ofcourse,lostlostbanksandsidecuttrails.
Now,thisisanunderratedloopiterwalk,astheycallit.
Now,mostpeoplesticktotheBuffaloBiotrailsneardowntown,butyougetoutawayfromthattothesidebanksandthefeederpathsbetweendowntownandShepherd.
Therearesomeconnectionsthatdropyouclosertothewater.
Yougetunderneaththebridges.
Youcanalsogetintosomesun-shadedconcreteandforestcorridorswherethecityfeelslayeredontopofitself.
Youknowyou'reinthecity,butyou'renotfeelinglikeyou'reinthecity.
Theygotdrainagechannels,ofcourse,there'safewgraffitiwalls.
There'safewplacesyoucanactuallygofishinganduhfindsomeopeningsintheskylinethatletthesunshineintowhereyoudoagainfeellikeyou'reoutinnature.
Soit'smoreofapurenaturehike,butit'sreallynotoutoftownthatfar.
Sothat'sjustafewofthehuge,fewhiddenplacesinHoustonthatIwasnotawareof.
Ifyou'reahiker,thatyoucangohiking.
Uh,acoupleofthemarearoundtown,you'regonnahavetodrivetogettothem,butthey'rethere.
Uhverynice.
Ilikethat.
Yeah,thatwasaveryinformative.
IIdidn'tknowaboutallofthat.
Yeah,thesecondonethatyouhadwhenyouwiththehadtheuhthebridgewiththetreesaroundit.
DoyouhearanylikeIdon'tknowwhereit'sat,butI'mjustimaginingthere'sprobablytraffic,cartraffic,maybehighwaytrafficaroundthatthatyoucouldprobablysee.
ThesecondonewastheEdithL.
Moorenaturething.
Andsupposedlytheysay,whichIhaven'tbeenthere,buttheysaythatyou'refarenoughoutthatyoudonothearallthattraffic.
Okay,that'ssortofmyconcernwas.
Okay,cool.
Thankyouverymuch,sir.
NowontheInWheelTimeCarTalkShow,it'stimeforcruiseinandeventscalendars.
Alrighty,herewego.
SothisisnextSaturday,May23rd.
It'stheMasonicLodgeDistrict78carshow.
Excuseme,itsaid210AvengerFieldRoadinSweetwater,Texas.
ItisattheWaspMuseum.
WaspMuseum.
WaspMuseum.
WaspMuseum?
TheWaspMuseum.
It'stheWaspMuseuminSweetwater.
Igotonethereoutthereinthebackpatio.
They'reswarmingaroundthatthingrightnow.
Bigoldthorax.
Uhwe'llbegiventhebestinshow,bestinterior,bestpaint,bestengineinthetop25.
Andthenwe'vegot,again,onthe23rd,Don'sgonnalikethis.
Mycarishotterthanyours,carshow.
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Mycarisredhot.
Yourcarain'tdoodlysquat.
It'satthecactusinninMcLean,Texas,101NorthPineStreet.
Ifyoudon'tknowwhereMcLean,Texasis,it'seastofAmarillo.
Soit'sait'saboogiedriveoutthere.
That'saway.
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Yeah,that'sacruise.
That'sacruise.
It'sanhourand54minutesbyairplane.
Yeah,but15hourstotheAmarillo.
Yeah,yeah.
It'sintheit'sintheCactusInnindowntownMcLean.
Thistwo-dayeventwillfeaturelivemusic,food,vendors,spectatorentryisfree.
Well,ifyouwanttoenteryourcar,it'sa$10donationforthat.
Andthenwe'vegotuhthe24th,whichistheSunday.
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Participantscan'tcompeteinhydrauliccompetitionfeaturingmultiplecategories.
Theeventincludesa$5,000inpayouts,over100awardswillbedistributed.
Sogocheckthatout.
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AndthenuhSunday,nextSunday,it'sattheAutismCarAwarenessShow.
Ituhgoesfrom3p.m.
goesstartsat3p.m.
Itisat2509HendrickStreetinGladewater,Texas,whichisinEastTexas,Mike.
Youknowthatarea.
Yes,sir.
Alrighty.
Uh$25.
Youhavetosaythatwithalittleaccent.
That'sORandEastTexas.
That'soverthereinEastTexasanymore.
Overthere.
Martha?
Uhbeginsat3p.m.
andincludesa$25registrationfeethatcoversafreemeal.
Okay.
Youcangetthoseinprisontoo.
Uhattendeescan'tparticipateina50-50drawing.
People'schoiceawardsvotingwillcloseat5p.m.
YougotlivemusicprovidedbyDJScolo,DTV.
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Bethere,checkitout.
Ohmygod.
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Wait,thisisthe16th,sothisisdaytwo.
ThePierce's10,000squarefoothomeinBloomfieldHills,Michigan.
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Pierce,whoretiredfromGMin2001,diedinOctoberattheageofeighty-three,perhapsbestrememberedforexposingtheNBC'sdatelineprogram,falselyriggedpickups,towarnoftheirfiresafetyrisk,ifyourememberthatstory.
Hisblockbustertwo-hourrebukeonliveTVpromptedNBCtoissueanextraordinaryon-airapologyandtopayallthecostsGMhadincurredinprobingthefalsebroadcast.
ItearnedPierce,thenGM'sgeneralcounsel,apromotiontovicechairmanin1996.
2025,anestatesaleforanotherformerDetroit3executive,DonaldPeterson,whoranFordMotorCompanyfrom85to90,drewsomanypeoplethatitsfinaldaywaspostponedbecausetrafficoverwhelmedtheneighborhood.
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Yes.
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Thatguy.
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That'sitforthispodcastepisodeoftheInWheelTimeCarShow.
I'mDonArmstrong,invitingyoutojoinusforourliveshoweverySaturdaymorningonFacebook,YouTube,Twitch,andourInWheeltime.com
website.
PodcastsareavailableonApplePodcasts,Spotify,Stitcher,iHeartPodcast,PodcastAddict,TuneIn,Pandora,andAmazonMusic.
Keeplistening,andwe'llseeyousoon.
About this episode
A tight-budget build gets the spotlight: the hosts talk about planning a $4,000 project with a five-month timeline for the 2026 Hellions hot rod build-off, and they share a practical strategy—hunt salvage-yard parts like intakes, shocks, and rear axles. Event details pop up too, including the hot-rod riot dates and location. The conversation then pivots to tech and safety news around Waymo robotaxis in flood conditions, plus a couple of sponsor and local segments.
Original notes
A $4,000 budget. Five months to build. And a crowd ready to judge what you created. We kick things off with the Hot Rod Build-Off connected to the Hot Rod Riot in Victoria, Texas, and it instantly turns into the question every builder wrestles with: what do you do when time and money are the constraints, not your imagination? We talk through what that kind of challenge demands, from smart planning to stretching every dollar with salvage-yard parts and help from friends who know where the good stuff is buried.
Then we shift into automotive news that swings from hilarious to high-stakes. The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe gets a tongue-in-cheek “EV charging station,” which is funny until you realize how fast electric vehicle culture is rewriting everything around cars. From there we dig into Toyota’s reported plans for a major Texas assembly expansion and what that could mean for future truck production and US auto manufacturing.
We also get serious about autonomous vehicles with the Waymo robotaxi recall tied to a software issue involving flooded roads. It’s a perfect real-world example of why self-driving technology still struggles with weather, barricades, and the kind of judgment calls human drivers make without thinking. To round out the show, we share underrated Houston hiking spots that feel surprisingly wild for a big city, plus a fresh cruise-in and events calendar to help you plan your next weekend drive.
If you like hot rods, budget builds, Texas car shows, EVs, self-driving cars, and real-world places to go, subscribe and share the show, then leave us a review so more enthusiasts can find it. What would you build with $4,000 and five months?
Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!
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In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show
In Wheel Time Podcast | Automotive talk with Don Armstrong, Michael Marrs, and Jeff Dziekan
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