The latest episode dives into a variety of automotive topics, including the impact of new California laws on vehicle modifications and the aftermarket industry. The hosts discuss the challenges posed by Chinese manufacturers undercutting American companies, particularly in the wheel sector. They also touch on the revival of the Honda Prelude and its disappointing sales figures. Additionally, the episode features lively debates about recent auction prices for classic cars and the implications of AI in traffic law enforcement. With humor and insight, the hosts navigate the complexities of the automotive landscape.
The NHRA is a big organization that runs drag racing events, where cars race each other in a straight line. It's important for the sport and helps keep things organized.
The NHRA, or National Hot Rod Association, is the largest drag racing organization in the world, known for organizing events and competitions that feature high-performance vehicles racing in a straight line over a short distance. It plays a significant role in promoting and regulating drag racing as a sport.
"Do we bet whether the NHRA and the IHRA go to blows with the IHRA coming on strong?"
The IHRA is similar to the NHRA and also runs drag racing events. They have their own rules and competitions, and they sometimes compete with the NHRA for racers and fans.
The IHRA, or International Hot Rod Association, is another major drag racing organization that competes with the NHRA. It also organizes events and competitions for drag racing enthusiasts and has its own set of rules and regulations.
"...I can buy that manifold or that wheel or that carburetor, whatever it is, excuse me, for such a savings. But just remember the entire aftermarket grew..."
A manifold helps get air or fuel into the engine. Upgrading it can make your car run better and faster.
A manifold is a component that distributes air or fuel to the engine's cylinders. In performance applications, aftermarket manifolds can enhance airflow and improve engine efficiency.
"...that manifold or that wheel or that carburetor, whatever it is, excuse me, for such a savings. But just remember the entire aftermarket grew..."
A carburetor mixes air and fuel so your engine can run. Some older or performance cars still use them instead of modern fuel injection systems.
A carburetor is a device that mixes air with fuel for internal combustion engines. While less common in modern cars, they are still used in some performance and classic vehicles.
"...the entire aftermarket grew because of the culture here and because of the whole bedrock here of performance. And if we don't support it, it's not going to survive."
The aftermarket is where you can buy parts and accessories for your car that are not made by the car's original manufacturer. This can include upgrades to make your car faster or look better.
The aftermarket refers to the secondary market of parts and accessories for vehicles that are not sourced from the original manufacturer. It includes performance upgrades and replacement parts.
"...So it's, maybe I'm a prognosticator. Hey, back to manufacturers and stuff. Did you guys, you know, we talked about the prelude. Everybody was excited about it coming back."
The Honda Prelude is a two-door car that Honda made for many years. It's known for being fun to drive and has a loyal fan base because of its sporty look and feel.
The Honda Prelude is a sports coupe that was produced by Honda from 1978 to 2001. It was known for its sporty design and performance, appealing to enthusiasts and casual drivers alike.
"But when you look at it, it's a $60,000 car, first of all, which puts it on the high end."
MSRP is the price that car makers suggest dealers sell their cars for. It's like a guideline for how much a new car should cost.
MSRP stands for Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, which is the price that the manufacturer recommends that the dealer sell the vehicle for. It's a starting point for negotiations when buying a car.
"..., so performance wise, it fits in between a Honda Civic hybrid and the Honda Civic Type R. So price wise..."
The Honda Civic is a small car that people like because it's dependable and saves on gas. Some versions are also fun to drive, making it popular among those who want a mix of practicality and excitement.
The Honda Civic is a compact car known for its reliability, fuel efficiency, and sporty performance, especially in its higher trims like the Civic Type R. It has a long-standing reputation in the automotive world and is often discussed for its balance between everyday usability and driving enjoyment.
"It's not the performance of the Civic Type R, right? And it's, it's more of a subtle version."
The Honda Civic Type R is a fast and sporty version of the regular Civic car. It's designed for people who want a thrilling driving experience.
The Honda Civic Type R is a high-performance variant of the Civic, known for its sporty design and powerful turbocharged engine. It's popular among car enthusiasts for its handling and performance capabilities.
"I'm going to go all, you know, full mods on this thing and turbos and just modifying like Honda preludes were modified."
A turbo is a part that helps the engine get more air, which makes the car go faster. It's a popular upgrade for cars that want to be more powerful.
A turbo, or turbocharger, is a device that forces more air into the engine's combustion chamber, allowing it to burn more fuel and produce more power. This technology is commonly used in performance cars to enhance engine performance.
"Much more complicated now because, you know, I think it's just from the drive and it's hybrid technology."
Hybrid technology is used in cars that have both a gas engine and an electric motor. This helps the car use less fuel and produce fewer emissions than cars that only run on gasoline.
Hybrid technology refers to vehicles that use two or more types of power sources, typically combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. This technology aims to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions compared to traditional gasoline-only vehicles.
"If it was just sort of like, if they went sort of like Toyota GR86 or whatever it's called now."
The Toyota GR86 is a fun sports car that drives well and has a rear-wheel drive setup. It's popular among car lovers for its manual transmission option and sporty feel.
The Toyota GR86 is a lightweight sports car known for its rear-wheel drive layout and engaging driving dynamics. It features a naturally aspirated flat-four engine and is designed for enthusiasts who appreciate manual transmission options.
"...let's do gas engine, rear wheel drive, manual transmission. We're good to go."
A manual transmission is a way to change gears in a car by using a stick and a pedal. It gives you more control over how the car drives compared to automatic transmissions, which do it for you.
A manual transmission is a type of vehicle transmission that requires the driver to manually shift gears using a clutch pedal and gear stick. It offers more control over the vehicle's power and performance compared to automatic transmissions.
"... And, but when I see it, I'm like, well, it has a Prius kind of rear end, which is actually pretty decent..."
The Toyota Prius is a car that uses both gas and electricity to help you save on fuel and be kinder to the environment. It's known for its unusual shape and is one of the first cars to really focus on being eco-friendly.
The Toyota Prius is a pioneering hybrid vehicle that combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. It is significant for popularizing hybrid technology and is often discussed for its unique design and eco-friendly attributes.
"...hat you mean. Would the equivalent in Acura be a TSX on this or what would that be on an Acura? Becau..."
The Acura TSX is a fancy small car that feels nice to drive and has lots of features. It's made by Honda's luxury brand, so it has a bit more style and comfort than regular cars.
The Acura TSX is a compact executive car that was produced by Honda's luxury division, known for its sporty handling and upscale features. It is often compared to other luxury sedans for its value and performance.
"...fast car. You know, even like the, you know, the Subaru BRZ and the, you know, now the GR86, there's like sup..."
The Subaru BRZ is a small sports car that is designed to be fun to drive. It's not super powerful, but it handles really well, which makes it enjoyable for people who like to drive fast around corners.
The Subaru BRZ is a lightweight sports coupe that emphasizes driving pleasure and handling over raw power. It is often discussed for its balanced performance and affordability, making it a popular choice among driving enthusiasts.
"Like take, for instance, a, like a 62 Ferrari 250 GTO. Yeah. You know, like that, that one, it's not even Ferrari red."
The Ferrari 250 GTO is a famous car from the early 1960s that is highly sought after by collectors. It's known for being fast and beautiful, and only a few were ever made.
The Ferrari 250 GTO is one of the most iconic and valuable sports cars ever made, known for its racing pedigree and stunning design. Only 39 units were produced between 1962 and 1964, making it extremely rare.
"It's in original condition. It's fully, you know, not fully restored."
Original condition means the car is just as it was when it was first made, without any changes or repairs. This is important for collectors who want cars that are true to their history.
Original condition refers to a vehicle that has not been modified or restored from its factory specifications. This is often highly valued in classic cars, as it reflects the car's history and authenticity.
"...stored. And I mean, we haven't seen a single 250 GTO go for under 50 million. Well, when they bought ..."
The Pontiac GTO is an old-school American car known for being very fast and powerful. It was one of the first cars that made people really excited about muscle cars, and now it's a favorite among collectors.
The Pontiac GTO is a classic American muscle car that was first introduced in the 1960s and is often credited with starting the muscle car trend. Its significance lies in its powerful performance and iconic status, making it a highly sought-after collector's item today.
"Like a Luso was like, was like, was like 50 K or something, you know, like, like pounds, you know, I mean, like really crazy prices."
The Ferrari 812 Superfast is a fast and luxurious sports car made by Ferrari. It has a big engine and is designed for high performance, which is why it can be very expensive.
The Ferrari 812 Superfast is a high-performance grand tourer that features a powerful V12 engine and advanced aerodynamics. It is known for its speed and luxury, making it a desirable model among collectors and enthusiasts.
"But it has, it has significant racing history. So, you know what I'm saying?"
Racing history is about a car's past in races and competitions. Cars that have done well in races or have been part of famous events are often more valuable because of their unique stories.
Racing history refers to the competitive background and achievements of a car in motorsport events. Cars with significant racing history often have higher value due to their performance pedigree and the stories associated with them.
"Like you go to the Mecom site and, you know, they're like, hey, this car is nice."
Mecom is a company that helps people buy and sell special cars, especially older or rare ones. They show how nice the cars are and give information about them.
Mecom is a well-known auction house that specializes in classic and collectible cars. They provide a platform for buying and selling high-value vehicles, often with detailed histories and appraisals.
"It was a class win and second overall at the Nürburgring in 62. So that's not Lamal win, but it's something."
The Nürburgring is a well-known race track in Germany where many car manufacturers test their vehicles. It's famous for being very difficult and is used for both professional racing and testing cars.
The Nürburgring is a famous motorsport complex in Germany, known for its challenging track layout and as a venue for various racing events, including endurance races. It is often used for testing and tuning performance cars.
"You bring it to, you know, Kenapa or somebody and go, Hey, this needs to win Pebble Beach. Who knows where you're going to pay that guy to make it happen."
Pebble Beach is a famous car show in California where really nice old cars are displayed and judged. Winning there is a big deal for car owners.
Pebble Beach is a prestigious automotive concours d'elegance held annually in California, where classic and vintage cars are showcased and judged. Winning at Pebble Beach is considered one of the highest honors in the automotive world.
"you have to make them or find them and you're not going to find them or salvage it from the original piece."
Salvage means taking parts from old or damaged cars that can still be used. It's a way to find pieces you might need for fixing up another car.
Salvage refers to the process of recovering usable parts from damaged or abandoned vehicles. This can be a cost-effective way to find rare or hard-to-get components for restoration projects.
"When they sold that Mercedes, it was like the most expensive auction car ever."
Mercedes is a brand that makes luxury cars. They are known for their quality and sometimes their cars can sell for very high prices at auctions.
Mercedes-Benz is a well-known luxury automotive brand, famous for its high-quality vehicles and innovations in technology. The mention of an expensive auction car indicates the brand's prestige in the automotive market.
"A 71, coming up maybe 10 cars before it is a 71 Plymouth Hemicuda convertible. A real one. I mean, you know, there's a. There was like 14 of those made."
The Plymouth Hemicuda is a rare and powerful muscle car from 1971. It's famous for having a strong engine and is highly valued by collectors because not many were made.
The Plymouth Hemicuda is a high-performance variant of the Plymouth Barracuda, known for its powerful Hemi V8 engine. The 1971 model is particularly sought after due to its rarity and performance capabilities, making it a classic muscle car.
"One fifty five is a 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari, a Prerta."
The Ferrari LaFerrari is a very fast and powerful sports car that uses both gasoline and electricity to go even faster. It's one of the most advanced cars Ferrari has ever made.
The Ferrari LaFerrari is a hybrid supercar that combines a V12 engine with an electric motor for enhanced performance. It represents Ferrari's pinnacle of technology and design, with limited production numbers.
"They have that same afternoon, 69 Yanco Camaro 69 Camaro prototype, a 69 Chevrolet Yanco."
The Chevrolet Yenko Camaro is a special version of the Camaro that was made to be faster and more powerful. It's a classic car from 1969 that many people love to collect.
The Chevrolet Yenko Camaro is a high-performance version of the Camaro modified by Yenko Chevrolet, known for its powerful engines and racing pedigree. The 1969 model is particularly sought after by collectors.
The Porsche 962 is a famous race car that was very successful in competitions. It's known for being very fast and having a unique shape that helps it cut through the air.
The Porsche 962 is a legendary sports car that dominated endurance racing in the 1980s and early 1990s. It is known for its aerodynamic design and powerful performance.
"Yeah. 63 Ford Galaxy 427 4 and a quarter horse. Ferrari SF 90."
The Ford Galaxy is a big family car that has lots of room for people and their stuff. It's great for families because it can fit everyone comfortably and is easy to get in and out of.
The Ford Galaxy is a full-size MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) that was popular in the UK and Europe, known for its spacious interior and family-friendly features. It is often discussed for its practicality and versatility as a family vehicle.
"...he money in the world. You're like, Oh my God, a Cuda for $400,000. Like this is insane."
The Plymouth Cuda is a classic American car that is known for being very powerful and having a cool look. It's become really valuable over the years, and people love to collect them.
The Plymouth Cuda, or Barracuda, is a classic muscle car that gained fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s for its powerful engines and distinctive styling. It is highly collectible today, with certain models fetching high prices at auctions.
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Every team, every topic, everywhere. This is Belize.
Wow. Episode 551, it's a new year, and we're all here.
You see how that rhymes? It just works.
Welcome to the party, pals.
This is Shifton Steer, and, man, I am so excited to be here today.
You know why?
Because you had an energy drink.
Yeah, you were drinking rock stars.
No. I only had one this morning.
You know, they should sponsor me. Rock stars should sponsor me.
Yeah, they should.
We know enough people that are sponsored by rock stars.
There's just someone, I'm sure someone can give you an address.
You would think so, you know? We could give them a plug every week.
I mean, it would tame down on the number of plugs I give BonspeedStreetWare.com, you know?
I mean, you would think as much as I say BonspeedStreetWare.com on here
for the greatest apparel that was born in a garage but worn on the street
is, you know, that we would actually be selling more, you know?
But come on, people.
I mean, it's like, why don't you go out, drink a bunch of bravago,
and then get on the tube and buy some stuff.
Get that credit card moving.
So, hey, you know, guys, I know we got a lot to talk about today,
but I wanted to talk a little bit out of the realm, you know?
Some sports. I've been watching these playoff games,
and I don't know, did you guys watch any of the playoff games last week?
I watched the LA game.
I watched the San Francisco 49ers.
I watched the LA Chargers.
And, you know, two of them were great games.
I saw the Packers crap the bed at the end of their game
and miss a kick and lose.
Come on. You've got to give it to the Bears.
I mean, those guys, they kicked ass at the end.
They had six minutes to go.
And I'm like, well, these guys lost this game,
and they came around and brought it back from like an 18-point deficit.
I mean, it was amazing.
And then I watched the end of the 49ers game.
So a player on that team, Eric Kendricks.
He's a great guy. He's a car guy.
He's been a guest on CarCast.
We've gone to some car events and stuff together.
And he was, I guess, he was a free agent for a while.
He was on the Rams.
Then he was on the Cowboys.
And then he wasn't playing.
And the 49ers just picked him up like in the middle of the season,
toward the end of the season.
He's only been on the team for like a month.
And the game-winning play was a block.
Somebody, you know, the opposing team threw it and blocked it.
And it was Eric Kendricks.
So it was all over social media.
It's like Eric Kendricks has, you know,
got the game-winning play for that day.
So, you know, he did the press conferences and stuff.
So, yes.
Now he's got a very high bar to meet.
Yes, he does.
He does.
So it was fun to see that.
Yeah, it was fun to see that.
Well, I mean,
two of our California teams are still in these divisional playoffs
that are coming up this weekend.
And it's, according to our friends over at FanDuel.com,
the L.A. is favored over the Bears with a three-and-a-half point spread.
Now that should be a pretty good game,
because if the Bears play like they did the last time,
they're going to give L.A. a run for their money.
The L.A. Rams a run for their money.
I've got to be careful now that we have L.A. Rams and L.A. Chargers.
You can't just say L.A., right?
So, and then the San Francisco 49ers versus Seattle Seahawks.
Well, FanDuel's given the Seahawks a seven-point spread.
So, you know.
Yeah, but they don't have to be our Kendrax.
Yeah, exactly.
So we do have to watch this.
We'll have to watch these games, see where they're at.
And then next week we'll talk about what are we going to do
when the NFL games are over and the Super Bowl is over.
We're going to have to be looking at like baseball or basketball
or something like that.
We can bet on NHRA.
Yeah.
There you go.
I hope they have that.
Do we bet whether the NHRA and the IHRA go to blows
with the IHRA coming on strong?
I think it's all good for motorsports.
I'm down.
I think I'm going to go watch some windows.
I'll be back when you guys have done this conversation.
Have you guys watched any of what's been going on here
with the IHRA buying up all these tracks?
I mean, they bought up some NHRA tracks.
Hey, you mentioned that last time.
Is there more action going on?
Yeah, they've bought some more tracks
and they've announced their schedule.
And now they announced that they're going to,
you know how the NHRA announced they were going to do
this streetcar shootout challenge?
Well, now IHRA announced they're doing one.
And they're going head to head with these guys.
Hey, competition is good.
No, it is.
It is.
It feeds interest.
It feeds excitement.
You know, hopefully that gets everything back on route
because it was kind of not dying on the vine,
but I know we've had so many conversations about, you know,
it kind of losing some momentum.
So I think this is a good thing.
Well, it's, I mean, hopefully they'll get some more teams
going, some more cars going because they've had some problems
filling, you know, coming close to not making a field
in a couple of the pro categories.
Where does IHRA get their money from?
Was there like a recent deal?
Was there like a new owner?
That took it over.
A new owner that's got lots of money.
I saw, I see them popping them.
The news like they're hiring people and they brought
Woody over, right?
Right.
They got Woody over.
He's got Woodruff.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, as long as, as long as it gives Dave Merrick plenty
of work now that he's retired and he can design everybody's
new cars and trucks.
As long as I can get him to start charging for it.
That's yeah.
There you go.
Dory teams, but Dave is no longer pro bono, you know.
To all drag racing teams out there, Dave Merrick Design
is now available at higher.
Yes.
Yes.
And he's calling in all those favors from all those people
for all those years.
If you were one of the fortunate ones to get his services
gratis over the years.
Now is your time to return that favor and start to hang up for
those.
Alpha brother out.
Yeah.
He's a starving young man.
He can't do this on his own.
He's a starving artist.
Yes.
He's driving an old Honda.
Yeah.
He's driving an old Honda.
We have to get him into the Euro market.
Hey, you know, last week, right towards the end of the show,
I mentioned that we were going to talk about the China syndrome.
And this is something that really does concern me not just
for the wheel segment, but the entire aftermarket and way
beyond that.
Because I see if this works, they're going to use it for
everything if they're not already because they might
already be using it for everything.
And we're just not in a certain segment.
And but, you know, what I'm seeing is aftermarket companies
that have been manufacturing in China could suffer or even
fail if if consumers don't take heed of this, what they're
doing just to summarize it, what we've been seeing them doing,
I'll use wheels as an example because I own a wheel company.
Now, I don't have to worry about it because my wheels are 100%
made in America with 100% American aluminum and rims and
and everything like that.
But some of these companies that have been building their
products offshore and bringing them in, warehousing them and
selling them are starting to face.
What we're seeing is China has put not just an effort but money
behind.
They're creating websites.
They're creating brands that are going head to head with the
people they've been manufacturing for.
And what they're doing is they're also hiring some influencers
to come in and say, hey, here's how you do it and take you on a
step by step of how to buy.
Now, what I'm saying is that in the past, if you wanted to bring
in wheels, usually it used to be a long time ago.
It used to be like four containers was the minimum.
Then it dropped down during the pandemic to about two containers.
Then it dropped down to one container.
But now they're selling single sets of wheels.
And what they're doing is they are actively marketing that we
manufacture the XYZ brand.
I'm not going to mention the brands, but very well known brands
that you know.
And they're saying we manufacture them at our factory.
So now you can buy a single set from us and our brand and they
show it like side by side.
They show the brand that you're used to buying and they show their
wheel right next to it, the same wheel, but with a different cap.
And they're saying buy it.
They handle the tariffs.
They handle the freight and they're selling them close to what
these brands buy them for.
So how are these brands going to...
What you have to remember about this, people automatically think,
well, if it's made at the same factory and it's that much cheaper,
why wouldn't I do it?
Well, here's some reasons why I think you shouldn't do it.
They're competitors of mine, but I don't want to see anything happen to
them because it's not good for the industry or good for any of us
because here's how China works.
They're going to get a lot of people doing this, buying direct.
Then as companies start to suffer, who's going to do that R&D?
Because those fitments that you're working with didn't come from China.
They came from the companies over here that figured out what customers
needed for their hot rod, their truck, their race car.
And if you don't have that R&D, now you're going to suffer.
Next, if these companies suffer financially, they could fail.
They could just say, well, this isn't worth it.
We're going to do something else.
Or what if it's your manifolds?
Or what if it's your distributor that you bought?
Or any other performance part that's made overseas?
If you don't support those people, you're not going to get any new R&D.
You're not going to get any new parts.
You're not going to get any innovation.
And what's going to happen is if companies start to close down,
I will guarantee you that as soon as that starts to happen,
the Chinese companies will start raising their prices.
Now you're going to be stuck with an offshore manufacturer only
that doesn't support the product from the beginning.
And what happens when you need warranty?
What happens if you get a leaker wheel?
What happens if you get the wrong wheel sent to you?
Do you think you're going to be able to go back?
And they're just going to go, yep, you're on your own.
And you have to remember all those things.
You got to support the American companies.
Yes, it hurts in the pocketbook.
But I look at the short term savings as a long term harm to the industry,
to the hobby, to the racing community, everything.
You've really got to look that this Team U and Alibaba is not good for the long term.
And if you don't care, well, then I guess you're going to be one of the guys
to buy anyway, but you really need support.
And I'll tell you this much.
If somebody calls us at bond speed and says, hey, I bought these wheels.
I want to pay to have them rehooped.
I want to pay to have them repaired.
I'm going to say you're on your own, buddy, because we're not going to support it.
And I hope all the other manufacturers will do the same thing
because when people realize, yeah, they paid a little less,
but those wheels are worthless if anything goes wrong.
Or if they ever want to change them out or do something like that, it's not any good.
Imagine the whole customer service and everything would be different, would be changed.
We try to shop American, but you can't always shop American because everything's made overseas.
But at least quote unquote shop local.
Go to your local auto parts store.
Go to your local.
I went to the race track and bought a bunch of element fire extinguishers instead of buying them on Amazon.
Same price.
They gave me a little bit of a discount at the race shop, but it's right here.
It's on my way and I'm shopping local.
And I talked to the guy and we catch up and it's part of that relationship.
That's our car culture.
It's the relationships.
It's what it's built from.
I don't mind having certain parts manufactured in China or other parts overseas.
But if the company's here, like you said, the R&D is here.
The quality assurance requirements come from the company here.
The customer service is here.
That makes sense.
What I don't like is what you're saying, Brad, is having some Chinese company just steal someone's intellectual property.
We make so and so wheel out here and because we make it, we're just going to change the logo on any part.
We're just going to change the logo and sell it to you.
To me, that's a big scam.
Matt, that's the most valid point that we both didn't really touch on and you nailed it.
They didn't design it probably.
They just manufactured it and like you said, now they're stealing someone else's design and trying to shortcut them.
R&D includes designs.
The designs that we like and we've grown to love or the new innovation.
Here's where the problem is that you do it now, it feels good now, but then later on when that favorite show you went to no longer is around
because they didn't get sponsors because there's no extra money to sponsor and all of those things that go with it.
Or if China, this so-called manufacturer in China gets enough business to where they tell the company over here,
hey, bug off guys, we don't need your work anymore knowing that if they don't have a manufacturer, they're out of business.
They no longer have a competitor.
We knew a lot of this was happening, but it was always sort of like, I don't want to say like black market.
It just wasn't like your point, Brad, it wasn't advertised and promoted and brought to influencers and stuff.
I don't know if some rule has changed or law has changed in China where before they were like, oh, your IP only goes so far in China.
Your trademarks, your intellectual property, it only means so much to them.
Getting a trademark here in our country doesn't mean anything to them out there.
So there are oftentimes contracts and exclusivity and things like that.
But maybe, I don't know, with tariffs happening and rule changes and negotiations between the governments, China was just like,
we're no longer honoring anybody's intellectual property.
If the IP isn't China sourced, then we don't care.
And maybe that's what's causing, allowing all of these companies to go, hey, if we're not going to get blamed for it and no one's going to come after us,
then we're just going to do it.
We're just going to sell somebody else's part with our name on it.
I mean, having done a lot of manufacturing in China with my Bond Speed Watch company where we did caseins and bracelet parts and buckles
and having visited the factories and then having consulted for Tommy Bahama years ago when I helped them with their watch line,
I can tell you intellectual property in China goes as far as the dollar does.
So when the dollars, if you're a big customer of theirs, they will kind of, and I won't even say 100% because they still,
it's a rule of thumb over there, 10% goes out the back door and it winds up in like the Stanley market and things like that.
So, but once you stop, that's when you got to worry if you stop using a manufacturer, they're going to use your stuff.
And the IP over there is not enforced like it is over here and the country of China will not enforce it.
And it's really, I mean, that's why you can go over there and buy luxury handbags and things like that.
They got the labels in them, they come in the right shopping bag and everything, you know, it's crazy.
But it's something that I just want to bring it up because a lot of times our listeners might go,
wow, I can buy that manifold or that wheel or that carburetor, whatever it is, excuse me, for such a savings.
But just remember the entire aftermarket grew because of the culture here and because of the whole bedrock here of performance.
And if we don't support it, it's not going to survive.
So you just have to remember that.
And actually, SEMA needs to address this as well because they are our, you know, that's what we have SEMA for,
not just a trade show, but where we use them for governmental, you know, regulations and going against certain things that are going to mess up.
This is where they've got to look at that too.
Because once they started selling individual items, you know, where you can buy a set of wheels or a single manifold, they're a direct competitor.
They're no longer a manufacturer. They're a direct competitor.
Yeah, absolutely. SEMA's fighting on a lot of fronts.
It's a good cautionary tale.
I mean, obviously you can buy whatever you want, but I agree with you.
I mean, I rather work with the companies that I know, the people that I know and buy from them.
Sometimes it's worth paying a couple bucks more and getting that support.
And when you call back, you know, you're going to, you know, be supported and you're going to, you know, be able to, you know, keep going back.
And, you know, I'll go back to the luxury watch industry.
I used to, when I saw the consolidation going on there, I told people that, you know, we use some common, you know, things like people that made the special, you know, glass for the watches and things like that, the crystals and stuff.
And I warned some of my competitors.
I said, you know, I'm seeing a shift here and they go, what?
And I go, well, this consolidation, I said, they're going to buy up so much that we're not going to have people to utilize.
And then I said, and I said, I guarantee you, you're going to see some of these companies having their own stores.
And I was telling jewelers this and they were like, oh, never happened, never happened.
Now you walk out South Coast Plaza and every major brand has their own store out there.
It's not, what happened to the jewelry stores that were out there that sold watches?
They're gone.
And it's, you know, I saw that coming.
So it's, maybe I'm a prognosticator.
Hey, back to manufacturers and stuff.
Did you guys, you know, we talked about the prelude.
Everybody was excited about it coming back.
And the Honda prelude was, you know, people went, man, I always had one or I wanted one or whatever.
And so they brought it back.
And then the first 30 days, Matt, did you see how many they sold?
Yeah, I don't have the exact number, but it was 174.
174.
Oh my gosh.
I mean, that's, that's like globally.
I mean, come on.
That's, that didn't pay for the tooling for one part.
You know, I mean, it's, but that's crazy.
But the question is, everybody's questioning why, you know, because there was so much enthusiasm about it.
But when you look at it, it's a $60,000 car, first of all, which puts it on the high end.
No, no, no, no.
It's not, it's not a 60,000 hour car.
The new Honda prelude is like $42,000.
It's specifically, so performance wise, it fits in between a Honda Civic hybrid and the Honda Civic Type R.
So price wise, it had a fit right in the middle.
So it's like $42,995.
And there's basically no options on it.
So that is the price.
It's $43,000, give or take.
I don't have the number for it.
But it's like $43,000.
It just, here's the thing.
It's like where it's a cool car and it looks good, but it's, it's not a high performance car.
It's not the performance of the Civic Type R, right?
And it's, it's more of a subtle version.
You know, it's the more adult version.
If the Civic Type R is a little too boy racer-ish for you, then maybe the prelude.
But because it's a hybrid as well, the idea of going, oh, I'm going to get a prelude.
And, you know, I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm going to go all, you know,
full mods on this thing and turbos and, and just modifying like Honda preludes were modified.
Much more complicated now because, you know, I think it's just from the drive and it's hybrid technology.
If it was just sort of like, if they went sort of like Toyota GR86 or whatever it's called now.
And said, all right, let's just, let's do gas engine, rear wheel drive, manual transmission.
We're good to go.
And let's make that a prelude.
Then I think they would have found an interesting niche, but I just think they missed the mark here.
And yeah, it's 170 something.
So something like 205 have been sold total since they announced it.
Wow.
And I did misspeak.
What I was trying to say is that it's, it's creeping into competitors that are in the $60,000 range.
But, but it's, but it's over kind of what its competitors would be on the lower range.
You know, it used to, as you said, it used to be like a Mazda MX-5, a Acura Integra A-spec,
you know, the Toyota GR8 and the Subaru BRZ, all those used to be competitors back in the day.
But it's in this like no man's land, right?
It's, it's kind of a weird little anomaly car.
And maybe that's why we're just wondering why it's not selling.
If you look it up online, there's so many.
If we could make this cooler, there's so many like people doing great graphics and R types.
And, but when I see it, I'm like, well, it has a Prius kind of rear end, which is actually pretty decent looking.
But other than that, it's really vanilla and the interior is really vanilla too.
I'd love to see them make a Type R version or, or do something.
But I see what you mean.
Would the equivalent in Acura be a TSX on this or what would that be on an Acura?
Because they sometimes do a very good job with filing.
Is it, I don't even think they have a TSX.
I guess Integra.
Oh, okay.
Exactly Integra.
Because we have a Civic Type R, we have like the Integra Type S or something like that.
Got it.
Look, I think aesthetically, it can get modified.
Maybe you show up at SEMA and you see them slam to the ground and crazy wide bodies and big like riveted on fender flares and stuff.
But I just don't know what you're going to do much of the way of performance.
I mean, you can do a little bit of lowers and things like that, but you're just not going to make it a really fast car.
You know, even like the, you know, the Subaru BRZ and the, you know, now the GR86, there's like super charging kits and things like that are available.
You can up the power.
You know, I just don't know that you're going to see that much with this car, especially with low sales.
It'd be tough for aftermarket companies to invest in performance products for something that they sold 174 units.
There's the problem.
205.
Come on.
Yeah.
Everywhere.
Yeah.
Well, now we're getting into the territory of maybe, but it's one of those things where everybody was talking about it so much.
And then for it to kind of want, want, want, you know, yeah, totally.
You know, it's, you know, it's strange.
You kind of wonder what's going on.
Especially when some old car like from the sixties can sell for, you know, and the, and they only made a handful of them, but you can still get a lot of money for them.
Do you know what I mean?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like, like take, for instance, a, like a 62 Ferrari 250 GTO.
Yeah.
You know, like that, that one, it's not even Ferrari red.
It's white and it's going to sell this weekend at the meekum auction of all places down in Kissimmee, Florida.
I mean, the only white one to ever leave the factory, this thing's got all kinds of, you know, Graham Ray, Graham, excuse me, Graham Hill.
You know, among others drove this car in competition.
It's in original condition.
It's fully, you know, not fully restored.
It's fully drivable and in great condition, but it's never been restored.
And I mean, we haven't seen a single 250 GTO go for under 50 million.
Well, when they bought it new, maybe it was the price of the preload.
There you go.
There you go.
43 grand and 60.
Which was like, oh my God, you paid how much?
Yeah.
No, right?
So this thing's going to roll across stage the 17th and which I believe is Saturday, right?
And what do you guys think it'll go for?
What do you got any guesses?
A lot more than anything.
It seems like a, you know, a car for up in the.
Yeah, I don't know.
There's no estimate on it.
No, Meekum doesn't do estimates.
Meekum should.
I didn't see one.
They should do estimates, right?
They should, but they don't.
Are they really going for 50 million?
I looked at that.
Jeez.
Well, yeah, depending on the history.
Yeah.
More than that.
Unless it's based on a Dotson.
Yeah.
Unless it's based on.
Yeah.
They're still going in the fifties though.
I know where there's one for 59,000.
You know, that, that, that silly tribute card.
We're talking about this Dotson tribute car, Beverly Hills car club.
It's not bad looking like it really isn't.
No, it, it really.
Until you go inside and then you're like, really, they totally fear of this.
Like they left the interior, like not, not.
That's the hardest part to change.
You know, it's like a body and just go over it, but.
Yeah.
Well, you could think that there'd just be overlays of everything, you know.
And the exhaust notes probably wrong too.
Yeah.
But the gauges, it's like, they took the glass off.
They took the bezel off and just left a bare gauge.
And it's like, what?
And then you open the hood and there's like all the original body lines and frame underneath
this giant.
And you're like, what?
It says 50,000 was invested into the vehicle back in 1989.
Yeah.
That's, that's body work.
Yeah.
You know what's amazing?
Back in 89, you think what you could have bought a real 250 GTO for.
Okay.
So, so I was trying to find a spot for this.
So Rada Rosa, you know, my, my, my new buddy Scott, he just posted these old newspaper
and magazine ads for cars like this.
And it wasn't that long ago.
I think they're from the 80s and 90s.
Like 9,000 bucks or something.
Dude, you would believe the prices on some of these cars.
Like a Luso was like, was like, was like 50 K or something, you know, like, like pounds,
you know, I mean, like really crazy prices.
Yeah.
It's like when you see the old race cars in the back of magazines, back way back then.
Yeah.
We'll not take under $9,000.
Yeah.
Includes spare motors, you know, and you're like, yeah, you know, it's like, were you
able to find anything, Matt?
I mean, you're looking at the history of the car compared to some of the ones that sold
for, you know, the RM one, so 51,705,000.
And then the one previously that was like 38 million or something.
And they guessed the highest priced one was like 80, right?
But it was a private sale.
Yeah.
But it has, it has significant racing history.
So, you know what I'm saying?
Like you go to the Mecom site and, you know, they're like, hey, this car is nice.
It's all original.
It was a color change and put back to the original white, right?
But it left the factory white.
Right.
But the headline doesn't say Le Mans winning 250 GTO, right?
That would make all the, there's a hundred million dollar car now.
Right, right.
It's not that.
So, without digging into the history of this car, this could be all over the place.
They can go anywhere from like 38 million to 70 million, right?
Because they don't trade hands a lot.
And if you've got the money and you've been looking for one, this may be your only opportunity.
So, are you willing to pay?
Yes.
Or they're going to have their brokers or somebody out there, right?
They're going to have the Wayne Carini out there.
But listen, honestly, if you were going to write a check for 38, 50, 70 million, you'd
be on your PJ and you'd fly there yourself, right?
I mean, I don't know if they'd be wearing their PJs, but yeah, they'd be fine.
It seems like that's a pretty big check to write if you're not going to be there to
inspect it in your person.
And by the way, for a car of this magnitude, I'm sure Meekam has already offered inspections
by appointment ahead of time.
They have actually, yes.
You can probably send people out to authenticate stuff, crawl underneath it, ask questions,
really, really get into it.
Take it for a little test drive.
Potentially, yes.
Honestly, for a qualified buyer and the right person, then maybe, yeah.
No, wait a minute.
Are you saying a qualified buyer?
Because I called and they said, get lost, buddy.
You don't sell enough t-shirts at Bond Speed Street, right?
But if you're a qualified buyer and you're hiring somebody like Peter Clute from Legendary
Motor Cars or something to go on an authentic for you, like you're already paying the guy
probably thousands of dollars to go prove that it's the right car and come back with
a reasonable number, then yes, you want to make the cars available as possible.
So this is going to be a tough one to predict.
I think if you go online and look at the influencer tire kickers, they'll say it could go as high
as $70 million.
Wow.
That's also going to be like $75 million.
I'm going to make a guesstimate right now.
$62 million, what's it going to sell for?
I'm at $68 million.
I think, I don't know if it has a reserve on it, so that's one of the issues.
This is a tough one to predict.
I'll guarantee you it has a reserve on it.
Well, then I have a feeling it's not going to meet the reserve.
That's what I think.
I'm going to stick with $62 million and then it sells.
That gives Meekam a cool $6.2 million unless they've discounted their fees for it.
Yeah, I don't.
I would only have to sell one car a year if I could get that kind of fee.
Yeah.
Well, good luck.
I hope you get it, Brad.
Nobody's coming to me to sell their 250 GTO, but I'd definitely help them if they would like to.
So here, give you some perspective.
Please.
RM sold one for $57,705,000.
It was the only GTO that was raced by Scuderia Ferrari.
It was the factory car.
It was a class win and second overall at the Nürburgring in 62.
So that's not Lamal win, but it's something.
And then it was second in its class at Pebble Beach.
So, and it was best in show at Amelia Island Concorde.
So is the white one just, is it worth $51 million or is it going to demand the money?
Because again, it's tough to get like when, when, when you're going to get another 250 GTO.
When you mentioned it, Brad, this number popped into my head and I know it's ridiculous,
but I'm at $38 million.
You know what?
Wow.
I was at 38 when you were talking, but then I started thinking about we got to, we forget
this is global.
You know, there's going to be people because like as you said, they don't come up very often.
And now it could also be one of those where it's a no sale and then it sells afterwards
and we never find out how much for, for sure.
But for the sake of stalling out or no sale or whatever, I don't know why I've got 38
million in my head, but I've got 38 million in my head.
Okay.
Well, I think, I think if you took this car because it's in good condition, it's not fully
restored.
You bring it to, you know, Kenapa or somebody and go, Hey, this needs to win Pebble Beach.
Who knows where you're going to pay that guy to make it happen.
You know, that's, you know, that could be another $2 million.
You know, it's not because of, you know, his hourly rate, it's just, well, the parts,
you can't just, you can't get a part.
You can't, you have to make them or find them and you're not going to find them or salvage
it from the original piece.
Like, you know, like, what do you, you know, so I don't know.
I just, I don't want to, I don't want to shit on this car.
I hope it gets all the money in the world.
I think it's gorgeous.
I love it in white.
It's such a cool car.
The Ferrari 250 GTO.
It's got some history, but I don't think it's got the history of the $51 million car.
So I'm at 38.
All right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Valid, completely valid.
Well, guys, I lied.
It sold last night and the selling price was 62 million.
I was right.
Wait, before or after fees.
Yeah.
Exactly.
So now it'll be interesting to see it's all.
I'm going by hammer price.
Like by, listen, I say 38 million because if there's a reserve, it probably doesn't
meet it, but 38 million would be hammer price.
I'm not going with the fees and everything on this one.
I just kind of think it is.
It's always amazing to watch those cars though.
What I want to know, here's what I want to know just as much as how much the car goes
for.
I want to know the bookends, what goes before it and what goes after it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You got to look up the docket.
You got to look at the docket.
It is one of those things that you just go, wow, you know, how would you like to be after
that and everybody's still reeling and talking to there, but oh my God.
Do you believe that it didn't sell or it did sell or it went for this one?
Yeah.
The next three cars you don't even know exist.
And are they going to stick to Ferrari?
Are they going to have a Lusso or a Pontoon Testerosa or something, you know, another
250 of some kind.
I'm looking at the docket right now.
The next cars, the next three cars are 2026 Preludes.
That would be funny.
There's a couple of other factors.
Yeah.
But they're charity cars.
Yeah.
They are charity.
Yeah.
When they sold that Mercedes, it was like the most expensive auction car ever.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
They didn't show up at Meekum and show and roll this thing out in the grandstands at
8 p.m.
They held an auction entirely for this one car.
Right.
It was like invitation only people from all around the world flew into this thing.
And they only needed like 12 bidders in the room.
And potentially a car like this, you know, if they thought it was $38 million, I think
you bring it on the auction block.
If you thought it was $70 million and that's what you were going for, I kind of think you
do your own event for this car.
That's a good point.
Boy, Matt, you're so, you're so valid today.
I mean, maybe you could bring in a couple of other heavy hitter cars and you have like
a five Ferrari only auction, you know, and you fly some people in.
I just don't know that just January and Kissimmee on a Saturday night at Meekum.
And nothing against Meekum.
Like we've purchased cars from Meekum.
What do you got against Meekum?
Geez.
It would be interesting.
They know how to sell cars.
I mean, I get it.
Well, I'm looking at their docket right now.
I logged into my account and I'm looking at their docket right now.
And some of their other Saturday cars were pretty damn stout.
There is.
Oh, I'm sure because you've got to get the right people in the room now, right?
Right.
Well, I mean, and it's across the board.
A 71, coming up maybe 10 cars before it is a 71 Plymouth Hemicuda convertible.
Yeah.
A real one.
I mean, you know, there's a.
There was like 14 of those made.
I don't know about the convertibles.
It's one of five with an automatic one of five with an automatic.
But I think there was like 14 made.
Yeah.
And and then they have, let's see, a lot.
One fifty five is a 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari, a Prerta.
Prerta.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And this guy has a collection of like 10 Ferraris all color matched from the factory.
Wow.
They have that same afternoon, 69 Yanco Camaro 69 Camaro prototype, a 69 Chevrolet Yanco
Wow.
Then they got a factory lightweight car.
I mean, they got some stout stuff here.
Oh man, they're selling the the rare Morrison pro stock.
That.
Yeah.
I've always loved that car.
The Camaro.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They got a Porsche 962.
I was just going to say 962 Porsche.
I mean, they've got some serious stuff here, you know, so they got a Bentley Vanden
plaza.
And that's not a new one.
It's a 1928.
It's an old racing car.
Yeah.
They've got.
I mean, listen, they got a good docket.
They've got their game boys.
They've they've got a good docket for sure and like me come as you'd expect the good
mixed of of the best muscle cars with, you know, some of the European and exotic.
Yeah.
Yeah.
63 Ford Galaxy 427 4 and a quarter horse.
Ferrari SF 90.
I mean, they got some some stout cars here, but you know what?
Oh, McLaren, Elva Roadster in.
Oh, those are cool.
In a Gulf livery.
Yeah.
Until you got to drive it, you realize there's no windshield.
Yeah, exactly.
It's still fun.
Looks cool to sit there, but I had a good I had a good day that day.
Yeah, that's right.
You drove a bunch of Ferraris.
Yeah, it's got it's cool stuff.
Yeah, I got cool stuff.
I hope it does well because everybody that has a 250 and believe me, everybody has a
Ferrari 250.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
I got one more.
I got to mention one more.
They have a 1931 Garwood.
I'm not even familiar with that.
It's a Miss America 8 30 foot wooden boat.
Oh, Garwood boat.
Yeah.
Yeah, with twin V 16s.
Wow.
That's crazy, man.
Yeah.
That's like awesomeness.
Wow.
That's great.
That's cool.
Yeah.
You think that twin V 16s would rip that.
I know.
All apart.
Yeah, but the pistons are probably four inches in diameter.
Their estimate is 1.8 to 2.2 million on that.
Wow.
Really?
Yes.
I mean, that's, that's pretty, pretty stout.
Let's see.
Now that you mentioned it, let's look here.
That's kind of interesting.
Yeah, they're not giving an estimate on that Ferrari.
Now.
When you go to the docket where they do on other cars.
Yeah.
The Elvo, by the way, is 1.9 to 2 million, 2 million 50, basically.
The Hemicudic convertible is 2.75 to 3.25.
Wow.
Yeah.
I think I was at an auction.
Maybe it was a Barrichax and they rolled one of these out.
They're like, you know, it's, it's, you know, it's the real car.
There's only 14 and like it's sold for like 450,000 or something.
And it was like all the money in the world.
You're like, Oh my God, a Cuda for $400,000.
Like this is insane.
Where are we?
The whole planet's out of control.
It had to be Barrett Jackson because Craig has a convertible and a hard top.
Yeah.
Well, he probably, he's probably bought it at the time.
He probably did buy it.
So anyways, good stuff.
This is going to be an exciting auction weekend to watch and then coming up next week.
Well, starting this week is Barrett Jackson also, but it's all the pre stuff.
The auction starts on Tuesday, I believe.
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
Cause I didn't know about our show because I figured you guys were on your way.
So it's the pre stuff this weekend.
Okay.
Got it.
Got it.
Yeah.
I'm not going to, I'm not going to make it out to Barrett Jackson.
I thought it was going to.
If you've got anything you want me to bid on, just let me know guys.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay.
But if you're not leaving until Thursday, maybe we'll get another show in the can
before.
Yeah.
I'm going to leave on Thursday morning.
So we'll probably get a pre-show in and then, hey, I wanted to ask you guys, have you seen
the ads online for these tire screws to repair holes in your tires?
I have a set, cause I was curious.
So I have a set in the Jeep in case of emergencies, you know, if you're out in the middle of
nowhere, it's like try everything that might work until you can get home.
So I actually have a set.
I have two different kinds of those screw type.
I have yet to try them, but yes, I have some.
What's interesting is they say they also work in sidewalls, which is really interesting,
you know?
I mean, I wouldn't go to the track with that thing in my sidewall, but you're right.
Like in a pinch, if you're out there and you're, you know, you've got, you know, you've got
the flat and it's the tires not torn apart and, you know, a sidewall puncture or tread puncture.
I'll tell you what the, you know, I got to be honest.
I've had a couple of tires over the years that had a sidewall nail and take it to the
tire store and they go, no, they won't do it.
I go home and I've got some of the old style, you know, where you, you push the rubber in,
you trim it off and, and I've done that in the sidewall.
I had one tire that lasted till I had to get new tires.
The other one lasted almost as long.
I mean,
What they just won't do it for liability.
Right.
They don't want to do it for liability.
Yeah.
But yeah, totally, totally fixable.
But I've yet to have, go, go around a curve and had it spit that thing out.
Yeah.
I got a chip in my brand new windshield and it's a mystery because Misha was said, there
was no one coming the other way.
There was no one in front of her.
It just appeared out of nowhere and she doesn't know what it was, but it hit hard.
It was a, it was a bug with a helmet on.
Exactly.
A bonsai bug.
Well, Aaron, if you, if you use these tire screws, let us know, give us a report cause
I'm really interested.
They look so much easier than the rubber ones that you got to push in, pull out, trim off.
Yeah, exactly.
And they're basically just a real, a real, um, they're like not super pointy that they're
semi blunt.
I think mine are like a rubbery plastic or something.
That's what they said.
Yeah.
I don't think they're metal.
I have to look at them.
I've had them for years.
Can you put it in by hand with a screwdriver?
Do you have to use a drill?
Yeah.
I would imagine if you had a larger screwdriver and you could really put some torque on it.
But I don't know, uh, Brad, I put one of those plugs in the Jeep and I ended up having
to use a powered drill.
And I mean, it's like, I could not push that thing in with my, with my bare hands.
Cause, but the Jeep has really thick tires and it was in a, it wasn't in a block.
Are you saying the traditional rubber kind?
Yeah.
Yeah.
The regular plugs.
Sometimes they can be real difficult.
Yeah.
And mine wasn't, it wasn't in one of the blocks.
It was in between.
So it was thinner, but it was still, and man, that, that thing was hard and, and it's still
there.
I mean, I haven't, it's still there.
Yeah.
I always keep that around my shop because you never know, you know, you know, sometimes
it's the hardest part is finding the leak.
You know, you just got a slow leak and you can't find the nail because the nail wore
off or something.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You take a little magnet, you take some, some, some, you just put a little bit of a spin
or a little bit of anything hand cleaner and a little, and some water, you know, shake
it up.
What's that?
And shake it up and well, if you're, if, if you're just out on the trails like Aaron
is, you could just pee on the tire.
Yeah.
Totally.
Yeah.
Somebody's got to pee, honey.
Somebody's got to pee.
I mean, he says that in case of emergency.
If they run out of water, man.
Who's got to pee?
No.
You know what?
I'm this nerdy.
I actually put in the very back of the Jeep.
I've got all my stuff.
I put a little bit of soap in, in, in, in like a half full water bottle and I take a knife
and I put a couple of holes in the water bottle and I just spray it on the tire and see bubbles
because you put a couple of holes in there and you can, you can spray it up.
You know, I'm, I'm, I'm that guy.
I always use pee.
Even when I don't need to.
I just, I just pee.
He just likes to whip it out whenever he can.
I just like to pee on things and if I could solve problems with it, a buddy of mine, we
were in Arizona as kids and we were taking this crappy little Nissan truck out.
Hey, wait a minute.
That sounds like a good story.
Sorry.
Before you do that, let's get an ad in.
Okay, we're back.
We were on the edge of our toilet seats.
We are just drove out and then the, the, in the middle of the desert and at night and
then the thing just started like overheating and it was just low on, on coolant.
So, you know, what do you do?
We just opened the hood.
He thought coolant screen.
Stood on the front bumper, peed in the radiator and then, I don't know, like eight years later,
he sold that truck and he's like, I sold it with the pee in it, by the way.
We never changed it out.
What I want to know is when he turned the heater on, did it smell?
Oh, I never got in that truck.
They're going to be trying to diagnose that for the rest of their career.
You don't really use the heater where we live, but yeah.
Oh my gosh.
There's a little twang scent.
I don't know.
It's a little musky.
It's a little weird.
Why'd you pee in that radiator or something?
Speaking of oddities, so Misha and I were driving her little defender, which is like
I said now it's, it's road worthy and road legal.
And yeah, I heard this little weird little whining, this little pulsing whining noise.
And so I cleared my ears and I, and it went away and I'm like, Oh, okay, good.
And then I look in the rear of your mirror and there's smoke billowing from behind it.
And I'm like, I knew it was something.
I heard it.
I even for a minute, I heard it.
And we pulled over and I'm like, yeah, transmission line blew again.
So, so my, my thought was in the coincidence of having plugged up ears.
I heard, I heard that that driveline gets saturated and were a little bit, you know,
I thought you could say there was a squirrel in the wheel housing or something.
I got a turbo squirrel in there.
But so I had to pull over and went in the gas.
I had a gas station, thankfully, and, and asked the lady for some, you know,
for some litter so I can clean up my mess a little bit.
Tow truck came in like 10 minutes because it was right near Santa Rosa.
My wife got an Uber to the, to the vet.
So Pesto made his appointment.
And then my sister picked her up as I had it towed back to the hangar,
which was only about 20 minutes away.
And, and, and my sister's like, oh my God, I'm literally two blocks over from where you were,
literally two blocks over.
And I'm like, I love it down here.
It's like everything was just right there, you know,
and there wasn't any snow on the ground, right?
And there was no snow on the ground, you know, and nobody was mad at me.
Nobody was honking as I was just billowing smoke behind the car.
And yeah, it was good.
Good.
But now, now I have to clean the car again.
Yeah.
And you have to fix it.
Yeah.
I don't mind fixing the problem.
I've already got a new little radiator.
I ordered all the same company parts, the radiator, the fittings,
the hoses, everything, all the same company.
And I'm just going to go over it again.
But yeah, I don't want to do that again.
Cleaning, cleaning all that oil, transmission oil from the underside
of that car is not fun.
Yeah.
Doesn't sound like it.
Hey, this brings us up to, with every new year, there's always new laws.
Oh, man.
The great state of California.
They give us a bunch of them.
And one of them is if you, if your car,
leaks like you just talked about,
they said in 2026, it's, it's a EPA law.
More than a quart of oil, transmission fluid, any kind of fluid out of the car
leak onto the ground.
It's a hazmat situation and you will be fined $5,000.
And the hazmat crew will come out.
You think I'm kidding?
Brad, if I didn't know any better, I would believe you.
Give them time.
Give them time.
No, there are a bunch of new laws.
One of them.
And they're just as ridiculous.
School zones used to be 25 miles an hour.
Now they are 20 miles an hour.
So put that in your pocket.
If you're going through a school zone, you should be going slow and being
careful.
I don't mind going 20 miles through a school zone.
But I'm curious about, was there an issue?
Why did we change it?
Was 25 like all of a sudden too fast?
And it was, people were getting hurt.
So it made sense to like spend all this money and rewrite the law and vote on
it and do all this stuff and, you know, $3 million later.
Senator Richter did a study.
It costs $5 million.
And they found out that the reaction when people are looking at their phone
while they're driving, that at 20 miles an hour, they can react faster than
at 25 miles an hour.
I mean, you're probably making that up.
But I guess three could be like, it might be partially true.
Yeah, it could be a reaction time thing.
I don't know.
But it's just, yeah.
But school zones, buses, things like that.
What I'm saying is, is we haven't been sitting around doing this podcast for the
last 10 years going, we really need to crack down on school limit, you know,
speed limits.
Like it's been in the news all over the place.
Come on.
What do you mean?
I mean, all this stuff.
I mean, yeah, we want to be safe in school zones.
But as far as we know, everything was fine.
Why'd you have to mess with it?
And like you said, why'd you have to spend money doing studies?
Because Senator Richter's son has a contract with the company that makes all the
signs, the school zone signs.
Oh, there you go.
He's got a surplus of zeros.
He needs to really move.
It takes more ink to make a zero than a five.
So yeah.
And you know what, Brad?
Half of these laws are probably because of shit like that.
Like, like, like that's, that's the agenda.
I wouldn't be surprised.
It's gotten so ridiculous.
Now there is a new law that if you know, in the state of California, if there's a
high patrol, a policeman, a fire engine, a truck, you know, a repair truck for
the roads, Caltrans, they call it out here.
If they're alongside the road and they're stopped, you are supposed to get
over a lane.
If you can't get over a lane, you're supposed to slow way down as you go
past them.
Well, they've revised that law and it is now for all vehicles.
So if you're going along and there's a car broke down, disabled, stopped, or
even if it's slowed way down because it's having problems, the same law applies
to you or they could give you a ticket.
Now, Brad, I was actually thinking about that the other day as I passed a car that
had no one in it and it was off the side of the road.
It was parked and had a tag on it.
Right.
Like, like where, where does this law cut off?
If a car is sitting there unattended.
It doesn't matter if it's unattended.
You may not.
You're supposed to get over.
So yeah, you wouldn't even know that.
Somebody could be sleeping in the back seat because they're.
Well, exactly.
So I don't know.
I just kind of feel like I always move over when I can anyway.
So yeah.
Yeah.
That's just a courtesy.
Well, I think it's the most dangerous law ever because whenever I'm driving
to Arizona and I see, you know, there's a cop alongside of the road or something.
And I think how dangerous it is, dangerous it is for me to move over to the passenger
side of the seat just while I go past that.
Now, what is that all about?
Yeah.
You might have.
The law wrong, but.
So if you got pulled over for that, you're like, you were on the side of the road five
miles back.
So I moved over like the law said.
Yeah.
Stretching my leg over to the gas pedal.
There's one that that I got to admit I didn't even know wasn't a law already.
They said they made traffic cameras now legal statewide.
Yeah.
What?
And sensors and sensors so they can give you the traffic tickets.
But you know what's crazy about this?
How many times have they made traffic cameras illegal?
Then they make them legal.
Then they come back to clarify.
We mean speed cameras.
Like if you're the traffic cameras really like you're running the red light or not coming
to a complete stop by turning right, you know, like those things, those we have kind of all
over it's speed cameras.
But the other part of that law that is kind of when you when you read more into it is
it's also going to be it's all authorized to be AI based.
So yes, you will get a, a, you know, they said you will get an automatic.
Speeding ticket for 11 miles over the limit.
So if you're 61 and a 50, but it doesn't have to go through a person and get mailed out.
Like the system just mails it to you and you get it in the mail.
So now something like this.
All right, you can debate, you know, it's a safety factor or whatever.
But the reality is, is this is a money grab speed.
It's almost entirely parking tickets.
It's just a money grab.
And in this instance, they're going, how many people can we eliminate from the process
and just mail these things out?
Now, in your head, you're going, oh, this is wildly efficient.
We can mail out tickets and create a bunch of revenue.
But who knows what they paid for this stupid AI system because it's a government contract.
Like the whole thing is, yeah, the whole thing is, is weird.
They're working on a deal right now where you won't even get the citation.
AI will just debit your checking account or charge your charge card.
Well, now you guys haven't mentioned the fact that these are income based now.
So, so you can get the same, you can, you can have the same speeding ticket that another guy has,
but based on your tax returns and income, they will adjust that fine accordingly.
And you'll, are they doing that?
If you make more, that was one of the rulings, I believe.
And the other thing too is that, is that the AI reads your driving habits.
So if you drive the same route every day to work and you happen to take off from a start or stop abruptly
or follow too closely through this intersection or through a series of intersections,
it'll track your behavior and you can lose or have your license suspended from an AI, basically accounting of that.
What was Big Brother's name?
Yeah, no doubt Al.
That part I didn't know.
So, so I should go to Orange County once or twice a week and borrow Brad's truck is what you're saying.
It wouldn't matter because I don't make any money.
My LLC makes money.
I don't make any money.
Well, no, no, this guy means nothing.
Whoever the car is registered to.
Yeah, exactly.
It goes to the registered owner.
Brad's going to get all my speeding tickets and they're going to get my, my driving habits.
I'm going to start registering my cars to a different LLC.
What's your license plate number again, Brad?
Yeah.
I'm just going to play some of my car.
I'm just going to print one out.
Mine just say F-U-A-I.
Well, that's the thing is so.
So what's the workaround for that?
Do you start a corporation?
Do I put all my cars?
I just told you you have an LLC.
Well, the workaround is no income level.
The workaround is go nine miles over the speed limit, not 11 miles over the speed.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Did not get photographed, I guess, or, or whatever.
But you're right.
The amount of data it's getting because it has to watch everything.
It can't just start taking pictures when, when you're over the speed limit.
That's when it gives you the ticket.
So it's watching everything.
So now it's like having Siri that listens to everything you say, you know, on your phone.
Like we'll talk about stuff on the podcast.
Then I'll start getting ads on my phone on Instagram for the shit we just talked about
because my phone listens to everything we say.
That's the data.
The real value is going to be in the data of them going, oh, we, we've crunched the numbers
on getting, you know, 24 hours a day, thousands of cars, you know, if not hundreds of thousands
of cars on camera every day of the year.
What is that?
What does that data work?
Then they're going to extract the data and say Jeep owners, they do this and, you know,
prelude owners do this.
Yeah.
There's no data on prelude owners because they can't find any.
They don't have enough to extrapolate.
Yeah.
Hey, no joke, you guys.
Not even two minutes after Brad said, you know, like I used to make for Tommy Bahama.
My phone went bing and I got an email from Tommy Bahama coincidence or not.
I'm telling you, this is what's happening.
This is what the way you remember that movie minority report where different people walk
past.
Hey, how are you doing?
Yeah.
Hey, Joe.
Okay.
Now one of the new ones that are probably the most to our, to our, there it is.
1132.
It is now a $1,000 fine to manufacture, distribute or possess.
Any episodes from the shift and stare pod?
No.
God, Brad.
A license plate frame that alters or restricts view.
Yeah.
So any of those ones that flash it back or, you know, the tinted ones or anything.
Yeah.
Well, how far does this go?
Cause I have ones that kind of cut off the corner of your tags.
So, you know, like it ends on who wants to get that fine.
If it kind of comes down in the middle and it covers like this state that you're from.
Yeah.
I've been pulled over in Arizona for that.
And the guy's like, I pulled you over like, what did I do?
He goes, I can't see what state license plate is.
And I, and I said, I've got a, I've got a screwdriver in the truck while I just take
the thing off.
And he's like, okay, it's fine.
And then he just let me go.
But he pulled me over because he couldn't see what state it's from.
He said, I can't tell what state you are.
California guys always come in here and think that you can do whatever you go.
I thought you can tell what state it was from.
Yeah.
I do know.
My current state is irritated.
But it does make you wonder how many guys, how are they going to, how much will they
enforce that?
Because I see them all the time.
Those reflective ones that.
Well, you know what it is, is, is the meter maids that when they give you the ticket,
you know, like here in California, you get the parking ticket because your meter is
expired.
And then they give you like the no front license plate ticket because you didn't have
that.
And then, and then, then now they'll just go to the back and go, oh, you got the covered,
you know, tag or whatever.
I'll give you that.
But didn't we approve, didn't California approve the digital license plate?
So yeah.
Yeah.
And they're covered.
And then I don't get like, I got to pay a subscription to have a license plate now.
I just don't.
I know.
I know.
Yeah.
But it's got automatically.
It's like features like it's got like tracking and GPS.
Like I don't care.
I don't want to pay.
Why do I want all that?
I don't want a monthly fee for my license plate.
It's ridiculous.
Yeah.
I know.
I know.
It's such a mess.
It's just everything's just such a mess.
Well, I'm curious to see how this pans out.
I'm curious to see how much money the state of California,
who says we're broke spends on all this technology to monitor all this stuff
and get some of that money back.
I mean, how they're paying billions or millions to some company to do it.
That's why they never have any money.
So it's, it's, it's nuts.
It's just.
I mean, not to get started getting into the politics of it all,
but the issue of course, especially in California and in LA is because now
everybody's getting like all the government departments are getting
audited because they've all spent this money and nobody has anything to show
for it.
But the mansion tax was something that was implemented about three years ago.
And for houses, like over a million dollars, there's a tax.
There's always been like a city tax, right?
Of like 0.42% but can go up to 5% or more on houses over 10 million.
And there was a report that came out today that in the three years it's been
implemented, LA has made just over $1 billion on, on the mansion tax so far.
That's all paid by the sellers.
So, you know, if you have a $10 million home, you're paying $500, $550,000 in,
in a tax just to sell that home.
But what was weird about that law was they even did a deal where like,
if you sold just to get away from it, you still had to pay it.
And it was like, wait, wait a minute.
I'm going to move out of the state because I don't want to pay this billionaire's
tax.
And oh, well, you got to, you got to find for doing that.
Yeah.
And also, like you said, billionaires say that's another new tax where California
wants to find, they want to charge 5% billionaires.
And you're right.
All the billionaires are going, but we're all going to just move to Florida and
Texas and Tennessee and whatever.
But California's already doing the going, no, no, no, it's too late.
Yeah.
It's too late.
You can't move.
Now that we said we're going to charge you.
Yeah.
Now that we said we're going to charge you, we're going to retroactively charge you.
Right.
Because if anybody, if everyone's going to move, right, we still want that money.
Anyway, welcome to California for all of you that aren't in California.
Crazy.
That's, that's our rent for the day.
That's our, that's our second rent for the day.
China and California.
I believe that was number three.
It might have been.
Might have been.
Don't make it number four.
You guys got anything else for today?
Sure, but no.
Sure, but no.
Sure, but no.
Sure.
Sure, but no.
Matt, how about you?
Anything else for recalling it a day?
Calling it a day.
I feel like it was a long show.
It was.
It was a real long show.
It was about an hour and 10 minutes.
Oh my gosh.
So, you know, but if you watch some of these podcasts that are three hours for,
I did one the other night.
I was a guest on one and Tim Strange, the hot rod builder had me on and it just kept going and going.
And I, and he said, you got to the end.
He goes, this is the longest podcast we've ever had.
And I'm like, yeah, it's like three hours.
I'm like, I go, are you going to break this up into, he goes, no, whenever we do that, nobody listens to part two.
He goes, so we're going to just let it flow, man.
I'm like, okay.
That's funny.
The strange motion way.
I think he calls it.
Cool.
All right.
We'll be back next week.
We're going to try and squeeze one in before I head over to Scottsdale for Barrett Jackson.
And, you know, we'll be there.
Matt, where can they buy Bravago?
Well, you could go to some Total Wine locations in SoCal or you can buy it online at drinkpravago.com.
Just make sure you don't go over 11 miles an hour on your way and that you've removed your license plate frame before you go.
Aaron, where can they buy your new hair gel that you have out?
CBS or most grocery stores.
Isn't it called HaGrew?
No.
No, no, no.
All good.
Matt, you can find me everywhere on social media and anywhere else.
I have nothing to sell and not much to say these days.
And I don't think I said it before, but you know, go check out bondspeedstreetwear.com, you know, born in a garage to wear on the street.
Apparel.
Come on, go buy one stinking t-shirt, you guys.
Hey, we'll be back next week.
That's a promise, not a threat.
Thanks for listening to Shift and Stir.
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