The hosts reflect on the passage of time and their changing moods since early podcast episodes, sparked by revisiting a locked episode about Middle Eastern endurance racing. They discuss the frustrations of automotive fastener variety, the ongoing US resistance to metrication, and the absurdity of imperial vs. metric systems. Personal anecdotes about height and life changes add a human touch, while the conversation meanders through humor, nostalgia, and a shared desire for simplicity in car maintenance and measurement standards.
We're catching up on current events, but it's still the Tiredpod you know and love, as we return to several classic topics. Rory's Rivian misfortunes! Peter's close eye on the U.S.'s dwindling capacity to wage actual war! Matty's latest Handsome Guy Watch! Plus some F1 chat and a digression about going metric.
Our episode about sportswashing: https://www.patreon.com/posts/123506128
You can support Alloy with a membership here: https://alloymag.com/sign-up/
Keep up with Peter's music here: https://peterpeterhughes.bandcamp.com
Your producer pal Matty, who writes these, has nothing to plug. support my wonderful co-hosts ty ty ty ˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖
""...with the um World Endurance Championship race uh had had been uh postponed Officially...""
The World Endurance Championship is a big car race where teams race for many hours, sometimes even a whole day. They use special cars built to last long races, and it's very famous among car fans.
The World Endurance Championship (WEC) is an international sports car racing series organized by the FIA and the ACO. It features endurance races including the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, with teams competing in various classes of prototype and GT cars.
""Because they had been doing winter testing and some tire testing and and stuff and so""
Teams test different types of tires to see which ones work best for their cars and the race track. This helps them go faster and stay safe.
Tire testing is the process of evaluating different tire compounds and constructions to find the best performance and durability for racing conditions. It is crucial because tires significantly affect grip, handling, and race strategy.
""Because they had been doing winter testing and some tire testing and and stuff and so""
Before the racing season starts, teams try out their cars in cold weather to see how they work and to get ready for races. This is called winter testing.
Winter testing refers to the pre-season testing period where racing teams test their cars in cold weather conditions to prepare for the upcoming racing season. This helps teams gather data on car performance and tire behavior in cooler temperatures.
""Can be uh transported to to uh to italy for the second round, which is now going to be the season opener""
The season opener is the very first race of the year in a racing series. It's important because it starts the competition.
The season opener is the first race of a racing series' calendar year. It sets the tone for the championship and is often highly anticipated by teams and fans.
""It's wack technicals with like Fire suits like the guys showing up to the battlefields and fire suits and racing helmets and uh, totally""
Technicals are regular trucks or pickups that people add weapons to so they can fight in wars or battles.
Technicals are improvised fighting vehicles, usually civilian trucks or pickups, armed with weapons or armor, often used in irregular warfare or conflicts.
""Yeah, maybe uh strap in some some rockets to to uh To a valkyrie or something. Um the people's car. Yeah, that could be fun. I would love that""
The Aston Martin Valkyrie is a very fast and special car that uses racing technology to go super fast on the road.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie is a limited-production hybrid hypercar developed in partnership with Red Bull Racing, featuring Formula 1 technology adapted for road use.
"After the race this weekend in australia, they they might be glad to cancel a few of those formula one races. I think um tough time"
Formula One is a type of car racing where the fastest and most advanced cars race on special tracks around the world. These races are called Grand Prix.
Formula One is the highest class of international single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the FIA. It features a series of races known as Grand Prix held worldwide on various circuits.
"Kind of what what's the new power unit one? Rule set this year. It's a new new power unit."
A power unit is the engine and electric parts that make a race car go. New rules about power units can change how the cars feel and perform.
In Formula 1, the power unit refers to the entire hybrid propulsion system including the internal combustion engine and electric components. Changes to power unit regulations can significantly impact car performance and drivability.
"It's really just become like a the whole race is just managing gear stops and batteries. So like
um, there's you know instances where like the cars are downshifting on straight"
Race drivers have to be careful about when they change gears and how they use their battery power to make sure their car runs well throughout the race.
In modern racing, drivers must carefully manage gear shifts and battery power to optimize performance and energy efficiency during the race.
"And it's across the board. It's everybody. Yeah. Yeah everybody. Yeah. I mean the the Mercedes is really fast and like I think like
um
The Mercedes is
Kind of like the class at the field by a long shot"
Mercedes is a famous car company from Germany that makes very fast and advanced cars, including race cars.
Mercedes-Benz is a German automotive brand known for its high-performance and technologically advanced vehicles, including those competing in top-tier motorsports.
"But there were instances this weekend where like, uh
There was a Ferrari that was like seven tenths of laps slower
And the Mercedes couldn't get around them because they didn't have available power"
Ferrari is a famous Italian car company that makes very fast and expensive sports cars, often seen in racing.
Ferrari is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer renowned for its racing heritage and high-performance vehicles, often competing at the highest levels of motorsport.
"Yeah, so it's the pinnacle man. It is the world's greatest form of motor sport
Like it's it's the best best drivers and the most"
This means the very best kind of car racing, with the fastest drivers and the most advanced cars.
The term refers to the highest level or most advanced form of motorsport, featuring the best drivers, cutting-edge technology, and intense competition.
"Over here and I saw a guy In a black second gen raptor Four door with a go fast campers, you know what ..."
The Ford F-150 is a big truck made by Ford. People use it to carry heavy things and for work because it is strong and can drive in many different ways.
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup truck and one of the best-selling vehicles in the United States, known for its versatility, strong towing capacity, and wide range of configurations. It is frequently discussed for its role as a workhorse and a popular choice among truck buyers.
The Ford Raptor is a special kind of truck made for driving fast and rough on dirt and trails. The second generation means it's the newer version made after the first one.
The Ford Raptor is a high-performance off-road pickup truck variant of the Ford F-150. The second generation Raptor, produced from 2017 to 2020, features upgraded suspension and a powerful engine designed for rugged terrain and high-speed off-road driving.
"a
Huge solar array in the yard that was like motorized
Um, and then it would back up to a huge set of like basically school locker sized batteries
Motorized in the sense that like the the panels would pivot to follow the sun."
A solar array is a group of solar panels that catch sunlight and turn it into electricity. Some can move to follow the sun so they get more power.
A solar array is a collection of multiple solar panels arranged to capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. Motorized solar arrays can pivot to follow the sun's movement, maximizing energy production throughout the day.
"Um, and then it would back up to a huge set of like basically school locker sized batteries
Motorized in the sense that like the the panels would pivot to follow the sun."
Batteries save the electricity made by solar panels so you can use it later, like when it's dark or the power goes out.
Batteries store electrical energy generated by solar panels for use when sunlight is not available. Large home battery systems can provide backup power during grid outages and help manage energy consumption.
"Yeah, the rivian would would probably be like I need a software update
I can't I can't drive
But you'd be yeah, it's all right."
Cars with computers sometimes need to get new software to work better or fix problems, kind of like updating apps on your phone.
A software update is a process where a vehicle's onboard computer system is upgraded to improve performance, fix bugs, or add new features. Electric vehicles like Rivian often require software updates to maintain optimal functionality.
"I would not do well in the f1 car would not go good for me
If you're in the car, it's different. You know what you're feeling everything"
Formula 1 is a type of very fast car race where drivers race special cars on tracks around the world. These cars are super fast and hard to drive.
Formula 1, often abbreviated as F1, is the highest class of international single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the FIA. F1 cars are highly specialized, extremely fast, and require significant physical and mental endurance from drivers.
"Somehow reverse engineer from the from this, you know, the the illicitly obtained Plans under the cover of night."
Reverse engineering means figuring out how something works by taking it apart or studying it closely, so you can make a copy or learn from it.
Reverse engineering is the process of analyzing a product to understand its design and functionality, often to recreate or improve it without access to original plans.
"Well, what it is as it turns out is um a 550 cc Uh flat four air-cooled two-stroke flat four-cell"
An air-cooled engine stays cool by blowing air over it instead of using water or other liquids.
An air-cooled engine uses airflow to remove heat from the engine instead of liquid coolant, which simplifies the design but can limit cooling efficiency.
"Well, what it is as it turns out is um a 550 cc Uh flat four air-cooled two-stroke flat four-cell"
A flat four engine has four cylinders that lie flat and face away from each other, making the engine balanced and smooth.
A flat four engine is a type of internal combustion engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two, opposite each other. This design lowers the center of gravity and is known for smooth operation.
"flat four air-cooled two-stroke flat four-cell Which just fucking cracked me up 50 horsepower"
A two-stroke engine is a simple type of engine that works faster but can use more fuel and make more smoke than regular engines.
A two-stroke engine completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston during only one crankshaft revolution, making it simpler and lighter but generally less fuel efficient and more polluting than four-stroke engines.
"Patriot and 12 That interceptors trying to take out these 20 000 dollar fucking D..."
The Jensen Interceptor is an old, stylish car made in Britain a long time ago. It has a big engine and was made to be fast and comfortable for long drives.
The Jensen Interceptor is a classic British grand tourer produced from the 1960s to the 1970s, known for its distinctive styling and powerful V8 engine sourced from Chrysler. It is often discussed for its rarity and unique blend of British design with American muscle.
"The russian grand prix in in 2022 Which was canceled after the uh, uh, russia invaded ukraine"
The Russian Grand Prix is a big car race that was stopped in 2022 because of problems between countries. Sometimes, politics can affect car races.
The Russian Grand Prix was a Formula 1 race held in Russia, which was canceled in 2022 due to geopolitical tensions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This event highlights how external political factors can impact international motorsport calendars.
"I also thought about um dakar because The parish dakar was moved to oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, South america pretty notably uh in the early 2000s That was like one of my first it was like They're running dakar in right yeah, it stopped being dakar. Yeah. Yeah Um, yeah, and then and since it's been been going in in saudi arabia since then"
The Dakar Rally is a very long and tough car race that used to happen in Africa but moved to South America and now takes place in Saudi Arabia. It tests drivers on rough roads and deserts.
The Dakar Rally is a famous annual off-road endurance race originally held in Africa but moved to South America in the early 2000s due to security concerns. Since then, the event has been held in Saudi Arabia, marking a significant change in its location and terrain.
"Bahrain, uh, grand prix was was initially postponed and subsequently canceled because of uh, kind of Uprising that was that was going on kind of arab spring era stuff um in Bahrain"
The Bahrain Grand Prix is a big car race in Bahrain that was stopped in 2011 because of protests and problems in the country. Sometimes, these events can make races stop.
The Bahrain Grand Prix is a Formula 1 race held in Bahrain. The 2011 race was initially postponed and then canceled due to political unrest during the Arab Spring, demonstrating how social and political events can affect motorsport events.
"...e car at all. It's sitting in the driveway on the charger. I've driven it Less than a mile in the last six..."
The Dodge Charger is a big car made by Dodge that looks sporty and can go fast. People use it for driving around and sometimes for racing because it has a strong engine.
The Dodge Charger is a full-size sedan known for its powerful engine options and muscle car heritage. It is often discussed for its blend of performance and practicality, making it a popular choice for enthusiasts who want a sporty yet usable daily driver.
""he was like, yeah, the the coolant is really low and I was like, yeah, you know Every time I turn the car on There's a message that says the coolant slow...""
Coolant is a special liquid in cars that helps keep the engine or battery from getting too hot. It moves around inside the car to keep things cool and working properly.
Coolant is a fluid used in vehicles to absorb and dissipate heat from the engine or battery systems to prevent overheating. It circulates through the cooling system to maintain optimal operating temperatures.
""Because it's like needs regular service, but this is like a warrantiable failure In like this is because the car, you know what I mean? Like I didn't Cause a leak and a coolant leak like the coolant leak happened Because the car was had a design flaw or manufacturing flaw or whatever like it's not like""
A warrantiable failure means something broke in your car that the company promises to fix for free because it's their fault, not yours.
A warrantiable failure is a defect or malfunction in a vehicle that is covered under the manufacturer's warranty, meaning the repair or replacement should be done at no cost to the owner.
"...ounds on the lift. I'm very confident putting the 911 up on the lift 2,200 pounds. Yeah, it's like, uh ..."
The Porsche 911 is a small, fast car made by Porsche. It is designed to be fun to drive and is known for its unique shape and strong engine at the back.
The Porsche 911 is a legendary sports car known for its distinctive design, rear-engine layout, and exceptional driving dynamics. It is often praised for its balance of everyday usability and high-performance capabilities, making it a benchmark in the sports car segment.
"Did you guys know there's a 66 year old man co-driving in wrc this year?"
A co-driver is like a helper in rally racing who tells the driver where to go and what to expect on the road so they can drive fast and safely.
In rally racing, a co-driver is the navigator who reads pace notes and gives directions to the driver during the race, helping them anticipate turns and hazards at high speeds.
"Did you guys know there's a 66 year old man co-driving in wrc this year?"
WRC is a famous car racing series where drivers race on different types of roads like dirt and snow, using special cars that are built for speed and control.
WRC stands for World Rally Championship, which is a top-level international rally racing series featuring modified production cars competing on various surfaces like gravel, tarmac, and snow.
"But it's like I've been like on this EV doomer thing for the last 10 years and it's like"
An EV doomer is a person who thinks electric cars won't work out or won't be popular in the future.
An 'EV doomer' is someone who is pessimistic about the future of electric vehicles, often doubting their viability or success. This term captures skepticism about the electric vehicle market.
"all those manufacturers that have just you know for the last year fucking shutting down their fucking EV programs"
EV programs are the projects car companies have to make electric cars. If they stop these programs, they stop making electric cars.
EV programs refer to the electric vehicle development and production efforts by automotive manufacturers. Shutting down EV programs indicates a company pausing or stopping their electric vehicle projects.
Select text to request an explanation
Well
Yeah
How's it going I
Don't know if we're in a posse self-talker way out of this one voice. Yeah
I just took a bike it in a little while ago
So woke up with another migraine the migraines are back
Which is always fun
You know, it's funny the other nights
When I woke up in the middle of the night
In pain because that's the thing that wakes me up in the middle of the night. That's what you do now. Yeah
um
And uh
And I was just like looking for something to listen to and and I and I thought
I mean with the um
Then new news that um
That the uh
caudar
18 18 12 kilometer
Uh
World Endurance Championship race uh had had been uh postponed
Officially
And I thought oh
we
We talked about that on an episode and um
And and I went back and I found that episode is from almost exactly a year ago
um
And where we where we talked about just kind of uh racing in
um
in the middle east
in in west asia and
and kind of the the the
History and some of the implications of that um
We didn't really talk about the um
Precarity of it so much, but the thing the thing. I mean, it's a good episode. I unlocked it. I don't know if you guys noticed
Oh, yeah, I got the email on
Okay, um
I got the email whatever yesterday and I was so confused because I was like
I did you know, it's like I don't know what episode we're on
Rory came unstuck in time
And I was like was I not on this one? Like was there
Was there somebody else? No, I just um, I just thought like
Yeah, we we got it. I mean I I went back and looked and it's like oh, that's a locked episode
We got to unlock that just so so anybody listening who is not a subscriber
um
That's that's one that you can go and listen to for free now. I think it's episode
What was it 45 or something like that maddie? I'll link it. I'll link it in the description. Yeah, so um
it's fun little
kind of deep dive into
That world of shit, but um and we're principled. We are principled materialists
We do not let the united states off the hook for being a horrible criminal empire that sucks shit in the episode. We're good
I promise
As you pointedly uh reminded us maddie
Uh, but the thing that that kind of struck me just like like like first stop before we even like got into the the substance of
of that episode
Was just how chipper we all sounded like from like out of the game
Kind of threw out like like we're just having a really good time just chatting. It was a different time, man
It's like wow
Like are just our whole like kind of overall tone just like we sound like three different people
It was just like what happened
my
My first thought when I woke up this morning and realized that I had been um
alarm clocked
was
that this podcast is a
um
It's a record of our descent to all of our
It's like more than I mean like timing-wise like this this uh began what september of 24
Uh, and I can pretty much just track my
Is that it's like since that first episode like every
Every week is like all right rory. Let's check in and see
What do you sound like?
We're parabola. It's it's just it's just it's just like
We're like it's it's the um
What was what was the name of the the submarine that got imploded?
I
The ocean whatever
Yes, right. It's like our descent in
Our voyage to the bottom
Why I can't wait to see the titanic gonna be so cool. Oh hell. Yeah, let's go
Uh, let's see it's kind of uncomfortable. Yeah, these these have been our our kind of transmissions to the surface. These are the voyages
Yeah, uh, actually when vicki, uh was on as our guest and stayed after a little longer with me to talk logistics for uploading the file and stuff
she was like
now
I can't believe you're 35. You have too much
schwa to weave to be in your 30s right now
I thought you must be much younger because you kept you like your will to live and I was like, yeah, I don't know
I don't I was like, I don't know. I'm like
I got I started writing bad fiction again
And I'm in school and I'm just kind of like regressing really hard and I think that's just doing it
You've had scuff going on matty. You're the you're like the
You're the busy one now. I jinxed us. I'm getting my life together again and the world's gonna explode
I did this to us. I did this
I'm back in school and I'm on track for an apprenticeship. It's gonna take two years
What's still gonna be here in two years? They're gonna turn me into an MRE like I got no shot not me and peter
I I think there will be a space for for people who are capable of um of repairing
mechanical devices
China, please I'll know what a what a what a 516 18 bolt is in like four more months of studying on site
I promise please please pick me up. Please please please please please they don't use the 516s over there
You're gonna have to learn the other ones. It's fine. I have a little car from stare it with the con with the conversions. I'm ready to rock
I saw that this is uh
one one thing that I've always
I asked david tracy about this years ago, but I this is like a persistent
Thing from when I started working on cars
whatever
20-something years ago
It's like why are there and I know like
I know the answer to this question, but it's like it seems like you could standardize a lot of stuff around like say a set of
150 fasteners
Like here are the bolts that exist. Here are the nuts that exist here are the
applications and materials that you can make them out of you know, there'd be variants for that stuff, but it seems like
I don't know. It's always weird to me that there's like this kind of infinite
Infinite
bespoke fasteners for every single thing like that just seems like
It seems like if you had it together
You should have to tap. No, you should have to tap it yourself
You should have to have a tap and I set and make it yourself if you need to fucked up weird bolt for sickos
I think that's what yeah, and you have to make the bolt yourself as well. No, exactly. Yeah, you got it
You got to buy your rod and you got you got to get your die handle on there and you got to twist it
And it's it's yeah revolutions of one back. You got to break up your little chips in there
Otherwise, you're gonna break off your fucking tap handle like my classmate did
More on what I'm saying, but yeah, it was like uh, I mean obviously like I said
I know I know why it's not like that, but it's like it does seem like it should be like that
Yeah, be like
It's like a machine
The thing is in in I mean a big part of the reason for that is is that you have
These two systems of measurement
True. Yeah, right. That's we could fix that off the bat that would solve half of it. Yeah
Stopped us from going metric. We were supposed to go one
One that that
The entire rest of the world
Yeah
Agrees upon and uses
Uh pretty much exclusively
um and one that
um
That one country
Yep continues to
To insist upon
Feed in the same way
Insist upon
In the face of of
Yeah, it's kind of like those un
Resolutions where it's like
You know everybody on earth votes
for one thing and um
And yeah, we vote for two countries two countries vote the other disagree
The United States and israel have once again been the only yes votes on the bill to strap puppies to car batteries and throw them in the ocean again
the uh
But even they're on the metric we are literally
I know
Yeah, I mean even I mean it is called the imperial system, right?
It's pretty funny and that was the british empire your british empire. Yeah, even they
I'm begging
They gave up their empire. I mean they they still they they will still talk about like miles per hour rather than kilometers
but but even they have have kind of like
um
The uh more or less just kind of gotten with the program if we were supposed to
Twelve of something in a measurement. We would have 12 digits on our hands. We have 10 get metric go with god
But the americans were like imperial now that sounds good. Tell me more about that
I think the imperial imperial system that sounds all right
And then I get the stupid digital calipers on something to measure it. What is it? It's one point something inches
I'm still using decimals
I just
I just pulled up the uh wikipedia entry for a metric metrication in the u.s
So like the other failed attempts to bring the metric systems to the u.s
And the illustration they have is a tape measure with an inch and centimeters on one side and they have a
uh label from
Perrithion zinc dandruff shampoo dry scalp care two and one shampoo plus dry scalp protection and conditioner
23.7 fluid ounces or 700 milliliters
Thank you head and shoulders for providing this comparative measurement and for your product
That's very good head and shoulders are you looking for a podcast?
To sponsor that has some interesting perspectives on the world
Yeah, we can we talk we talk about your product. Yeah more than we can say for a lot of other products
That's true. Um, I wonder if I could just personally switch over to the metric system
We should just start now and just just rebel. Yeah, I'm gonna stop using feet ninches politically
Like like like a political lesbian. I'm just going to commit to just only metric and throw out all my rulers and just resist
Political lesbian political for metric system. That's a that's a band name
They're real they're strong. They're my friends
Oh
It's great. It's like cognitive behavioral therapy
But for telling yourself you won't be attracted to men anymore because uh politically speaking, they're bad
And you just will go live on an island. It's all women you convince yourself, which is like I respect the hustle. Why not? Listen
I was gonna say I I haven't talked to a lot of women where that's like a would be a huge thing to convince yourself of right
It seems like kind of
That's that's not that's not an unpawn story. Never mind. It was funny though
I'll tell you that guy. I think well, you can always you can always cut it. You can always cut it
It's true. The world's my oyster. I had like a mid-summer night's dream situation at the gay bar last fall
190.5 centimeters that seems easy. Yeah
Your height
Yeah, just remember that
Uh
Peter you probably be about the same. I think you were about the same height, right? Um, I'm
I've always I've always been six foot exactly
Until uh until a couple years ago and they started demoting me to like five eleven and three quarters or whatever
Hello short king. I'll tell I mean this this is a thing that that awaits
um
Awaits you all uh younger people
Um, and and it is one of the most fucking demoralizing things that will happen to you
Is when they tell you that you're shorter than the less than the thing that you the number that you've had in your head
for your entire fucking adult life
Join me
I don't know. No, I'm fucking six foot. What are you talking about? It's like
Nope, you're you're being diminished here. Literally your your corporal corporal form
Yeah, it's being diminished before your eyes and it's not it's not like I ever you know, I don't I don't have any any particular
Uh, you know, I don't I don't invest any part of my self-worth in in in my height, you know
I mean to me. It's just it's just like average or whatever. I mean, maybe I'm slightly taller than than the mean or whatever, but
um
But it's yeah, it's never been like a point of uh
You know pride for me or something but still but just like
This is how this is what all people all tall people talk about this. I don't really care how tall I am. I don't
Yeah, I guess that yeah
Yeah, if you are if you're a five six, you'd be having a different attitude about your height probably uh and it's rolling yourself concept
They don't they don't tell you guys this but actually if you're under five three and you're a dude
They do give you a little ray gun and we do zap you guys and we are stealing a millimeter at a time every time we see you
We're just not supposed to tell you
I need I need them
That would actually make me feel better like that that would be like, okay. That's fair. That's totally reasonable and exactly
Yeah, I I like the idea of of like just
fully going metric and but like to the point of
of like
Going out to your car disassembling your car and replacing all of the uh imperial
Retapping all the right
I'm gonna retread all these bolts. I'm gonna retap all these all these little spots. I'm gonna put everybody in nice and neat
Like that that would be that would be a real
Commitment, you know like that it would be a demonstration of of of real commitment your commitment
We should do that that should be a shop is as you convert people's SAE cars to all metric fasteners
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