Chadwick and Frank dive into the often-overlooked nuances of car maintenance, focusing on the critical importance of timing belts and the misconceptions surrounding them. They explore how many car owners neglect this vital component due to a lack of understanding, leading to costly repairs down the line. The hosts also touch on the significance of tire date codes and the common pitfalls that even seasoned car enthusiasts might overlook. Their humorous banter and relatable anecdotes make this discussion both informative and entertaining.
Once a profoundly uncool door count having automobile, the sedan has had it's time in the spotlight with some really cool offerings (not currently...because all we want is crossovers). Join the fellas as we highlight some truly awesome sedans.
"Modding and Eclipse GST is the way to go. It's a fucking cool game, man."
The Mitsubishi Eclipse GST is a sporty car that many people like to modify to make it faster and look cooler. It became popular in car culture during the late '90s and early 2000s.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse GST is a sport compact car known for its turbocharged engine and popularity in the tuning community. It gained fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s, especially among enthusiasts who modified their vehicles for performance.
Need for Speed Underground is a video game where you can race cars and make them look and perform better. It was very popular and showed a lot about car culture.
Need for Speed Underground is a popular racing video game that focuses on street racing and car customization. It allows players to modify their vehicles and compete in various racing events, reflecting the tuner culture of the early 2000s.
"...But most most people and their their common care of their vehicle will take take an oil change. Timing belts. Timing belts."
A timing belt is a rubber belt in your car's engine that helps keep everything moving in sync. If it breaks, it can cause serious engine damage, so it's important to replace it at regular intervals.
A timing belt is a critical component in an internal combustion engine that synchronizes the rotation of the crankshaft and camshaft. It ensures that the engine's valves open and close at the proper times during each cylinder's intake and exhaust strokes.
"But an interference engine, you're talking like, oh, at least the valve train is getting fixed. Right? I at least bent a valve."
An interference engine is one where the parts can hit each other if something goes wrong. If the timing belt breaks, it can cause serious damage to the engine.
An interference engine is a type of engine design where the pistons and valves occupy the same space in the cylinder. If the timing belt or chain fails, the pistons can collide with the valves, causing significant engine damage.
"I at least bent a valve. I at least have piston valve intercourse that's inappropriate for TV."
A bent valve happens when a part of the engine gets damaged, usually because the piston hits it. This can cause problems with how the engine runs.
A bent valve occurs when the valve is deformed, usually due to a collision with the piston in an interference engine. This can lead to engine performance issues and often requires significant repair work.
"You're going to go, oh, my alternator died. Nope. It's going to crank. Nothing's going to happen."
The alternator is like a generator in your car that keeps the battery charged and powers the lights and radio. If it breaks, your car might not start or the battery could die.
An alternator is a crucial component in a vehicle's electrical system that generates electricity to charge the battery and power the electrical systems while the engine is running. If it fails, the battery may not recharge, leading to electrical issues or a dead battery.
Compression is the pressure that builds up in the engine when the pistons move. If there's no pressure, the engine can't start or work right.
Compression in an engine refers to the pressure created in the combustion chamber when the piston moves up. Proper compression is essential for the engine to ignite the fuel-air mixture and produce power. If there's no compression, the engine won't start or run properly.
"With that, we do your water pump and we do a full service. So we're going to do plugs."
The water pump helps keep the engine cool by moving coolant around. If it stops working, the engine can overheat, which is bad for the car.
The water pump is a vital component of the cooling system in an engine, responsible for circulating coolant to maintain optimal operating temperatures. If it fails, it can lead to overheating and engine damage.
"...you went to go get an oil change or your annual tune up because you're doing your due diligence as a good car owner..."
An oil change is when you replace the old oil in your car's engine with new oil. It's important to do this regularly to keep the engine running well and to avoid damage.
An oil change is a routine maintenance procedure where the old engine oil is replaced with new oil to ensure the engine runs smoothly and efficiently. Regular oil changes help prevent engine wear and prolong the vehicle's lifespan.
"...you went to go get an oil change or your annual tune up because you're doing your due diligence..."
A tune-up is a service for your car where mechanics check and replace parts like spark plugs and filters to keep the engine running smoothly. It's like a check-up for your car.
A tune-up is a maintenance service that typically involves checking and replacing components like spark plugs, filters, and fluids to ensure the vehicle runs efficiently. It helps maintain performance and can prevent future issues.
"Oh, you know what it was? It was that Pathfinder. Okay."
The Pathfinder is a type of SUV made by Nissan. It's designed to carry families and can handle rough roads.
The Nissan Pathfinder is a mid-size SUV known for its spacious interior and off-road capabilities. It has been popular among families and outdoor enthusiasts since its introduction in the early 1980s.
An interference motor is a type of engine where the parts can hit each other if something goes wrong, like if the timing belt breaks. This can lead to serious damage to the engine.
An interference motor is an engine design where the pistons and valves occupy the same space in the cylinder at different times. If the timing belt or chain fails, the pistons can collide with the valves, causing significant engine damage.
"...but the same thing with tires where it's like, there's like, oh no, it's got, they've got tons of tread on it. The tires are great."
Tires are the round rubber parts of a car that touch the road. They need to be in good shape to keep the car safe and help it drive well.
Tires are the rubber components that make contact with the road, providing traction and support for the vehicle. Their condition is crucial for safety, and tread depth is a key factor in determining when they need to be replaced.
"...it's called the mystery of tire date codes. I have that on mine because it's like some riddle, then like even severe car people, I have shocked them by saying, what's the date code on the tire?"
Tire date codes tell you when a tire was made. They help you know if a tire is old and might not work as well anymore.
Tire date codes are a series of numbers printed on the sidewall of a tire that indicate when the tire was manufactured. This information is crucial for determining the age of the tire, which can affect its performance and safety.
"...do you see a DOT followed by like a four digit code?"
The DOT code is a special code on tires that shows who made the tire and when. It's important for safety and recalls.
The DOT code is a series of letters and numbers assigned by the Department of Transportation that indicates the manufacturer and the date of manufacture of a tire. It is essential for identifying recalls and ensuring tire safety.
"So dude, the fact that we don't, we're in a, we're in a state here in California that doesn't have safety inspections. As long as your car is smog perfect, who cares if your, your brake lines are rusted, your tires are racing slicks and you're all over the highway."
Safety inspections are tests that make sure cars are safe to drive. They check things like brakes and tires to help prevent accidents.
Safety inspections are checks performed on vehicles to ensure they meet safety standards. These inspections can include evaluating brakes, tires, lights, and other critical components to ensure the vehicle is safe to operate on public roads.
"As long as your car is smog perfect, who cares if your brake lines are rusted, your tires are racing slicks and you're all over the highway."
Brake lines are pipes that carry fluid to your car's brakes. They help make sure your car can stop when you press the brake pedal.
Brake lines are tubes that carry brake fluid from the master cylinder to the brake calipers. They are crucial for the braking system to function properly, as they transmit the force needed to stop the vehicle.
"Am I approaching the wear bars? Am I starting to see some dry rot between, between the treads?"
Wear bars are little markers on tires that tell you when the tire is too worn out and needs to be changed. When you can see these bars, it's a sign that the tire is getting too thin.
Wear bars are indicators built into the tread of a tire that show when the tire has worn down to a level where it needs to be replaced. They are typically small raised sections of rubber that become visible when the tread wears down to a certain point.
"Am I starting to see some dry rot between, between the treads? Yep."
Dry rot is when rubber parts, like tires, start to crack and break down because they've been around for a long time or have been in the sun too much. It can make the tires unsafe to use.
Dry rot refers to the deterioration of rubber due to age, exposure to sunlight, and environmental conditions, leading to cracks and a loss of elasticity. This can compromise the integrity of tires and other rubber components.
"Yeah. Oil type viscosity, like brand, how they change."
Oil viscosity is how thick or thin the engine oil is. It affects how well the oil can flow and protect the engine parts, and different engines need different thicknesses of oil.
Oil viscosity refers to the thickness or resistance to flow of engine oil. It is crucial for ensuring proper lubrication and protection of engine components, with different viscosities suited for various operating conditions.
"And just based upon like the faux leather grain pattern in it, they can be like, oh, that's a, that's an 88 to 91 GM product."
Faux leather is a man-made material that looks like real leather but isn't made from animal skin. It's often used in car interiors to give a stylish look while being more affordable and ethical.
Faux leather, also known as synthetic leather or vegan leather, is a material designed to look and feel like real leather but is made from synthetic materials. It's commonly used in automotive interiors for seats and trim to provide a leather-like appearance without the use of animal products.
"It's, it's an analog, too, is like the, the Fram oil filter."
Fram is a brand that makes oil filters for cars. These filters help keep the engine oil clean, which is important for the engine to run smoothly and last longer.
Fram is a well-known brand that manufactures oil filters and other automotive filtration products. Their filters are widely used in various vehicles for maintaining engine performance and longevity by keeping the oil clean from contaminants.
"Put that win, put that, you know, the Wix dog, a Wix XP, um, right."
Wix makes oil filters that help keep your car's engine running smoothly. Many car enthusiasts prefer Wix filters for their quality.
Wix is another reputable brand that produces high-quality oil filters and other automotive filters. Wix filters are often praised for their performance and durability.
Purolator makes oil filters that clean the oil in your car's engine. They are another option people consider when changing filters.
Purolator is a brand that manufactures oil filters and other filtration products for vehicles. They are known for their reliable filters that help maintain engine health.
"You put a Fram on there. You might as well just not run a filter son. Yeah."
An oil filter is a part of a car's engine that cleans the oil. It helps keep the oil free from dirt and other things that can harm the engine.
An oil filter is a crucial component in an engine that removes contaminants from engine oil, ensuring that the oil remains clean and effective in lubricating engine parts. A good quality oil filter can help prolong engine life.
"Well, it's kind of maintenance is automotive fluids. Now, if you're not doing your own fluid changes, you might not know this, but if you're a car person and you've ever done like rear diff fluid on a vehicle that has original diff fluid in it from like 200,000 miles ago, that is a smell you will never forget."
Automotive fluids are the liquids that keep your car running smoothly. They help with things like lubrication, cooling, and braking, and it's important to change them regularly to avoid problems.
Automotive fluids include various liquids used in vehicles for different functions, such as engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and differential fluid. Regularly changing these fluids is crucial for maintaining vehicle performance and longevity.
"...if you're a car person and you've ever done like rear diff fluid on a vehicle that has original diff fluid in it from like 200,000 miles ago, that is a smell you will never forget."
Rear diff fluid is the oil that helps the back part of your car work properly. If it gets old or dirty, it can cause problems, so it's good to change it every so often.
Rear differential fluid is a lubricant used in the rear differential of a vehicle, which helps transfer power from the engine to the rear wheels. Over time, this fluid can break down and become contaminated, leading to potential issues if not changed regularly.
"I think diff old diff or gear oil is like gotta be the nastiest smell. It's pretty bad."
Gear oil is a special type of oil used in cars to keep the gears running smoothly. When it gets old, it can smell really bad.
Gear oil is a lubricant specifically designed for the gears in a vehicle's transmission and differential. It has a distinct smell, especially when old, which can be quite unpleasant.
"If you've ever had an ATF leak like directly under exhaust, it's got like this weird kind of sweet. Yeah."
An ATF leak is when the fluid that helps your car's automatic transmission work properly leaks out. If this happens, it can cause serious problems with how the car drives.
An ATF leak refers to a leak of Automatic Transmission Fluid, which is crucial for the operation of automatic transmissions. It can lead to transmission failure if not addressed promptly.
"I think power steering and diff is that for me. I mean, it's gotta be diff."
Differential fluid helps the parts of your car that allow the wheels to turn at different speeds work smoothly. If it leaks, it can cause big problems with how your car drives.
Differential fluid is a lubricant used in the differential, which allows the wheels to rotate at different speeds while turning. A leak can lead to serious drivetrain issues.
"I think power steering and diff is that for me. I mean, it's gotta be diff."
Power steering fluid helps make it easier to turn the steering wheel in your car. If it leaks, it can make steering harder and less responsive.
Power steering fluid is a hydraulic fluid used in vehicles to assist in steering. It helps reduce the effort needed to turn the steering wheel and can leak, causing steering issues.
"...and outside of your, your Kia soul. Um, that is not what the 2011, it was a sportage."
The Kia Soul is a small car that has a distinctive shape and is designed to be practical and fun to drive. It's popular for its roomy inside and unique look.
The Kia Soul is a compact car known for its unique boxy design and practicality. It offers a spacious interior and is often marketed as a fun and versatile vehicle.
"Right. Um, that is not what the 2011, it was a sportage. But, um, it does like, I think a lot of people ..."
The Kia Sportage is a small SUV that many people like because it's roomy and looks good. The 2011 version is known for being a good choice for families and offers a lot for the price.
The Kia Sportage is a compact SUV that has gained popularity for its stylish design, spacious interior, and value for money. The 2011 model year is part of a generation that improved on previous versions with better features and performance.
"...h, I just want and got the entry level Volkswagen Tiguan. Because like, I liked the touchscreen and it's ..."
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a small SUV that is popular because it's comfortable and has a lot of modern features. It's a great choice for people who want a car that can handle different needs, like family trips or daily commutes.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact SUV that combines practicality with a fun driving experience, featuring a comfortable interior and advanced technology. It is popular among families and individuals looking for a versatile vehicle.
"... to see how expensive I can like make the Mark IV Supra or whatever and like click all the, like just di..."
The Toyota Supra is a fast and sporty car that many people love for its speed and style. The Mark IV version, made in the 1990s, is especially famous and is often talked about because it can be modified to go even faster.
The Toyota Supra is a legendary sports car known for its performance and tuning potential, especially the Mark IV generation produced from 1993 to 2002. It has gained a cult following due to its powerful inline-six engine and its role in popular culture, particularly in racing and car enthusiast communities.
"...nk for a 90 or I'm sorry, like a 2015 turn in the Camry, it's probably pretty fucking spot on what the m..."
The Toyota Camry is a popular family car that is known for being dependable and easy to drive. The 2015 version is well-liked because it has a nice design and good features that make driving comfortable.
The Toyota Camry is a midsize sedan that has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States for decades, known for its reliability, comfort, and fuel efficiency. The 2015 model year features a refined design and advanced technology, making it a popular choice for families and commuters alike.
"...you know, well, you know, the, you know, the, the Fiero was actually supposed to be the replacement for ..."
The Pontiac Fiero is a small sports car that was made in the 1980s and is remembered for its different design and fun driving experience. Even though it didn't last long, many people still love it.
The Pontiac Fiero was a mid-engine sports car produced by General Motors from 1984 to 1988, known for its unique design and innovative engineering. Although it had a short production run, it remains a nostalgic favorite among car enthusiasts.
"... actually supposed to be the replacement for the Corvette. It was going to be their original super car and..."
The Chevrolet Corvette is a famous sports car that many people recognize because of its sleek look and fast speed. It's known for being a powerful car that represents American car culture.
The Chevrolet Corvette is an iconic American sports car known for its high performance and distinctive design. It has a long history dating back to 1953 and is often considered a symbol of American automotive engineering, with various generations showcasing advancements in speed and technology.
"...ry to think of my Salicas. This is a 1997 Toyota Celica. And if it has the 16 valve, it's a GT because t..."
The Toyota Celica is a sporty little car that was made for many years and is loved for its fun driving experience. The 1997 version is especially liked because it has a powerful engine and looks cool.
The Toyota Celica is a sporty compact car that was produced from 1970 to 2006, known for its performance and stylish design. The 1997 model, particularly the GT version, is appreciated by enthusiasts for its sporty handling and tuning potential.
"...E, which was like a stroked version of the little Corolla motor. Yeah."
The Toyota Corolla is a small car that is very popular because it's reliable and doesn't cost too much to drive. It's a great option for people looking for a simple and efficient vehicle.
The Toyota Corolla is one of the best-selling cars in the world, known for its reliability, affordability, and fuel efficiency. It has been a staple in the compact car segment since its introduction in 1966, making it a practical choice for many drivers.
"...lts on like very like Subaru Boxer engines, Ford Taurus shows, Mitsubishi turbos, like all kinds of weir..."
The Ford Taurus is a big car that many families used to drive because it has a lot of space and is comfortable. Even though it's not made anymore, people still talk about it because it was so popular for a long time.
The Ford Taurus is a full-size sedan that was a mainstay in the American automotive market for several decades, known for its spacious interior and comfortable ride. While it has been discontinued, it remains a topic of discussion due to its impact on family cars in the 1990s and 2000s.
Select text to request an explanation
In a world with entirely too many shows about cars, this is another Pointless Automotive
Podcast.
Recording in progress, beep, bop, boop.
You have connected to the Internet.
Enjoy your stay.
Hey guys, welcome back to another Pointless Automotive Podcast with your ever-vigilant
and ever-pointless host, Chadwick and Frank.
Frank, how does the evening find you, my friend?
It finds me okay.
Decidedly mid.
No.
Bare to middling.
Yeah.
No.
I'm here.
I gear, get used to it, I guess.
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Things are looking up.
How about you, my friend?
I like your sweater.
Looks like it's thin.
It's a little hoodie.
It's a little hoodie.
Chevrolet.
Yeah.
A little thin hoodie.
Pull over.
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Things are good, man.
Before we jump into this masterpiece of an episode, I do want to give a shout out to
my background video retro car-related video game.
What do we got today?
Tell me this one doesn't hit home.
The original Need for Speed Underground for the PS2.
God.
What an era of, like, car dumb.
Talk about so abrading the tuner scene right fast and the furious and full swing.
Modding and Eclipse GST is the way to go.
It's a fucking cool game, man.
And like I said, I'm going through this renaissance of playing vintage video games,
especially, and I love, I've always loved like car games, really my kind of gateway
into the car scene.
It's a classic.
It's a good game, dude.
Need for Speed Underground.
You got little John and the East Side Boys at the title menu.
I mean, what else do you want, dude?
What else can I offer you?
That's all you need.
Yeah.
So good.
Fantastic.
So good.
Great game.
But yeah, today, what are we talking about?
Well, I think it's funny that we take a lot of stuff for granted, Frank.
When we talk.
I always do.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I make a point, too.
Especially human emotions for me.
Yeah.
What are those?
Yeah.
I'm a robot.
I don't know what empathy is.
So from the episode I want to talk about is because we do mention stuff and I think
as car people and I definitely are listeners, this extends to you, I'm sure you can relate.
What are you talking about car stuff and a non car individual, maybe not someone is deep
in the weeds and cars as you are listens in.
You can see that glazed over look.
The what the fuck?
I don't understand 10% of I understand maybe 10% uptake of what you just said.
I want to do an episode called only car folks will know and it's going to be those little
things, those little nuggets of wisdom that you have if you're a car person and this will
be a fun one.
If you're listening along to leave some comments like what did we miss?
What are some things that you think car folks know and the normies?
Can we call them normies?
Can we do?
Is that a protected group?
I don't think it is.
I think we could.
I don't think we should attack the normies.
Well, they deserved it.
Yeah, we'll leave that up to the listeners discussion.
You know, let's let's go.
Let's take a look at it.
Frank, I want to fire the first shot here because this is this is one that really rattles
my cage, if you will.
What I see in your bonnet.
Yeah, because there's there's maintenance, right?
Like car maintenance.
Everybody knows they should get oil changes.
Do they?
Not always.
Right?
Definitely not the interval they should, right?
But most most people and their their common care of their vehicle will take take an oil
change.
Get it done.
Sure.
Timing belts.
Timing belts.
Holy shit, dude.
How important is it?
How do I?
How do I say this?
How important a timing belt is?
It's probably the number one most important maintenance item on a car.
I think I can safely say that with the exception of non-interference engines, but at the same
time, if you're timing belt snaps on your non-interference engine, you're you're a brick.
You're not moving.
Right?
It's a big deal.
But an interference engine, you're talking like, oh, at least the valve train is getting
fixed.
Right?
I at least bent a valve.
I at least have piston valve intercourse that's inappropriate for TV.
Definitely smashing.
Yeah.
You're breaking.
You're spending some money, right?
And you're also still a brick on the side of the road and you think your car just shut
off or whatever reason.
You're going to go, oh, my alternator died.
Nope.
It's going to crank.
Nothing's going to happen.
There's no compression.
It just spins.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Been there.
So the importance of a timing belt, and the other thing is the cost and time associated
to most timing belt jobs is you'll get someone that said, hey, timing belts do, but hey,
I already bought you the $60 Gates timing belt.
You can just, there you go.
Just slap it on there.
I heard it takes 15 minutes.
Well, what's tough is so hard to agree to all of this and what's tricky is you go to
a shop, right?
Let's say you go to your typical independent, median level of competency shop and they go
to you, hey, your shipbox has 105,000 miles on it.
Your timing belts do.
With that, we do your water pump and we do a full service.
So we're going to do plugs.
Right?
We're going to do plugs.
Why not?
We're going to have a bunch of stuff off there.
So we're going to do your drive belts because that's a good time to do that and on these
cars a lot of times too, your cam seals are probably due, we'll probably do your cam seals
while we're there and all of a sudden, you went to go get an oil change or your annual
tune up because you're doing your due diligence as a good car, not car person, but a good
car owner and they're like, okay, yeah, that's going to be, that extra service is going to
be like $1,800 or $2,100 and you're like, excuse me, huh?
Right.
This is a whatever.
This is my 11 year old car with 105,100 miles on it and I can't do that and then the shop
goes, yeah, no, I get it.
You know what?
Maybe just do it next time, but you're really kind of right up against it and now that's
in the back of this person's head and guess what?
They never do it or they kick the can down the road, they kick the can down the road,
they kick the can down the road.
Maybe they sell the car and they get to 124,000 miles and they sell it and then it just never
gets done and maybe the timing belt's fine, but the water pump fails because now it's
15 years old and so or those cam seals are gone and now they're blowing their collective
loads onto the timing set that is aging at the same time.
So it's frustrating because it's expensive, it's not required up that you don't do this
on your new car, you do this on your decidedly used car and that's just for the first one,
let alone when the second belt's got to come around.
And now you're at 200,000 miles or 180 or whatever the interval is, now you're sure
I'm good, I'm good, but average car owner person doesn't.
And so it gets tricky, it's really tough, I get why people don't do it or don't want
to do it or kick the can down the road, but don't do it.
Yeah, it's the labor that gets people, they don't understand what has to, just to access
the timing belt a lot of times, you're usually pulling like a radiator, a clutch fan, fan
out of there, all the drive belts come out, all your accessories got to get pushed aside,
timing cover, it can be a real pain in the butt.
And if it's a, you know, transverse engine, yeah, motor mount, and then you're doing
shit in the wheel well, it's the labor's what gets you on these jobs.
And then on top of that, the pain, and if you haven't done this, you haven't done enough
time about water pump jobs to get on there and notice the water pump O-ring is the wrong size
or something like that, you get it all buttoned up, which is all the labor, the hardest part.
And then you start your car and it's pissing out of the new water pump, right?
Like it's like, God, like it's a job.
And I think a lot of people don't understand the importance, like what is a timing belt,
even do, what's the function of that belt?
Isn't it just the same as your AC belt?
You'll lose AC.
I'm like, you'll lose something if your belt goes because it does.
Yeah, it keeps your head and block in time.
That's like the whole point of a timing belt.
So I think for me, that's a big like distinction.
Once a person understands that, and there's still people that swear they have no cars
and they still talk nonchalantly about an aging timing belt.
There's shops that will.
I've talked to shops that go, God, I remember what car it was.
Some car I was helping and just trying to figure, oh, you know what it was?
It was that pathfinder.
Okay.
Yeah, 95, 96 pathfinder.
Last year, the first gen pathfinder.
And I couldn't determine if the timing belt had ever been done on it.
Because it had 70, whatever it was, 78,000 miles on the truck.
But for time.
But, you know, a 30 year old truck.
And so I call, I talked to the shop that last worked on it and I'm like, oh, you know,
just let's check in.
They're like, well, you know, only had 78,000 miles on it.
So yeah, we don't have record of, we haven't done the belt.
I was like, oh yeah, no, it's definitely okay by miles, but it's like way over on mileage
or on years.
Yep.
And you're like, oh, well, I mean, we just, we don't recommend by age.
We only recommend by miles.
I'm like, okay.
Cool.
Have a nice day.
Gotta go.
I just like, this shop is just like interference motor.
Just like, yeah, that's fine.
It's, it's, it hasn't done the mileage.
It's a 30 year old piece of rubber with metal embedded in it.
Yep.
And I'm comfortable with letting that ride.
Same with the water pump.
Same with the tensioner and the spring that's on there.
And, and it's just, I, it's not even just not car people.
Like there are shops that like shocking.
We don't care about that.
We only care about this.
It's like, okay.
All those components you just mentioned, water pump, timing belt, tensioner,
any one of those fails, you're bricked and you're in a lot of money.
Like you said, interference engine.
Oh boy.
Yeah.
You're not bricked up though.
You're just.
No, unless you're into that, if you're into that kind of pain and suffering angle of it.
Hey, whatever floats your boat, man.
No kink shaming on the podcast.
That's what I got to say.
I think, I think a lot of people assume a timing belt is no different than like I
is, you know, serpentine belt for an accessory belt.
But God did what, what a big impact that job is.
You know what's completely right on there and not to make this be the maintenance hour,
but the same thing with tires where it's like, there's like, oh no, it's got,
they've got tons of tread on it.
The tires are great.
And you look and you're like 24 years old.
A petless, predate date codes.
A petless elegance has never left me stranded.
Yeah, it hasn't.
Well, those are fresh.
Those are, those are from like 2023 on the sprint turbo behind me.
But no, the, and I don't even care.
I would much rather have three year old land spiders or, or mucho machos.
The great vintage.
Then, you know, 24 year old, you know, pilot sport twos.
Of course.
Of course.
But yeah, like, but what you said is like, people don't give a shit.
Like, hey, they got tires.
They don't know about, they have so much tread on them.
So one of mine, and I won't say it, it's called the mystery of tire date codes.
I have that on mine because it's like some riddle, then like even severe car people,
I have shocked them by saying, what's the date code on the tire?
And they're like, I don't, I don't see a printed date.
And I'm like, do you see a DOT followed by like a four digit code?
And they're like, yeah, yeah.
I'm like, well, the first two or the week of the year, like what number week it is.
And then the last two of the year.
And they're like, holy crap, that just blew my mind because yeah,
because there's plenty of new tires sold and I'm not trying to rip on you for your focus.
But like sometimes people sell tires that are brand new, but have been sitting on a shelf
for like four or five years, right?
So date codes are kind of important.
Like you said, the tires, but also tires in general.
I am a big quality tire guy because it's the only part of the car you should touch the ground.
Right? It does all your braking, all your steering, all your acceleration is your tires
at the end of the day.
So dude, the fact that we don't, we're in a, we're in a state here in California that
doesn't have safety inspections.
As long as your car is smog perfect, who cares if your, your brake lines are rusted,
your tires are racing slicks and you're all over the highway.
We don't care about that safety.
We can't monetize that.
But tires, dude, you nailed it, dude, the, how the importance.
Right. Yeah. And, and yes, I, I, I'm, I'm a stickler for tires.
You know, if the tires are, if tires are five years old, I start to, I don't reflexively
replace them, but I keep an eye on them, right?
Right.
Like are they wearing weird?
Are they overdue to be rotated?
Let me rotate them and see if I can get another season out of them.
Am I approaching the wear bars?
Am I starting to see some dry rot between, between the treads?
Yep.
Some of that early, early stuff.
And then I just replace them.
I don't.
It's, it's so easy.
And that's the thing.
Like I think back to when I was significantly younger, say 25, I mean, I knew about tires.
I knew like brands, like, oh, I want these tires and like nerd shit.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Looking through the sport compact car or whatever, right?
You can see if it's like you have 100s or whatever.
Yeah.
But as far as age, like dry rot, like feathering, cupping, like I don't find any of that.
No idea.
And so is, ooh, quick, quick sidebar.
Is tire nerddom the most nerdy nerddom within a hard nerddom, so to speak?
There's one, one nerddom that will definitely challenge it.
Yeah.
Oil.
I was thinking oil.
Oil type viscosity, like brand, how they change.
Let me tell you about mobile ones, rich history of product quality.
Does it have the Euro specification?
That they're right there.
I would say neck and neck, those two, those two circles of fucking pain.
And there are people that probably have never changed their own oil.
But it's like, you go to Bob, is the oil guy?
Yeah.
I've seen people executed on that forum over what they say about oil viscosity, right?
Yeah, they like 30 single weight board them instead of water board them.
Oh, God, too soon.
They fortune and they track them down and find out where they,
look at this motherfucker running 0W20 on a 5W30 car.
But yeah, I say, yeah, tire people are right there.
Yeah, oil people, tire people.
Yeah.
Yeah.
God bless them.
I just, there's gotta be some weird, even deeper level of car
nerdery that we just aren't exposed to for whatever reason.
We haven't gone that far down the rabbit hole of people that can like,
they can like view a piece of like stamped plastic from an interior.
And just based upon like the faux leather grain pattern in it,
they can be like, oh, that's a, that's an 88 to 91 GM product.
And that came from like the Smyrna, Tennessee plant.
And so therefore, yeah, like some really like,
like, I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know what I don't know.
But there's definitely something that's even way crazier.
It's, it's an analog, too, is like the, the Fram oil filter.
You put a Fram oil filter on your car.
Do you just hate life?
Do you want your car to fucking combust because you're a piece of shit car out there?
It's like, remember the hate you would get?
And then you like, whatever, man.
It's a fucking, it's a filter, bro.
Oh yeah.
Put that win, put that, you know, the Wix dog, a Wix XP, um, right.
But, uh, you buy pure later.
Is that pure later work for you?
Big dog, pure oil out, pure later.
No, it's just hilarious.
Right.
You put a Fram on there.
You might as well just not run a filter son.
Yeah.
And it's free.
It's funny because at the same time, like, I'm not going to buy a Fram filter.
No, but like, it's like one of the most used oil filters in the entire world.
Anybody that takes their place to a quick loop will be lucky if they get a Fram filter.
They're going to get an even lower grade filter, but that's right there with it, man.
So I did have something that's kind of fun.
That's not maintenance.
Well, it's kind of maintenance is automotive fluids.
Now, if you're not doing your own fluid changes, you might not know this, but if you're a car
person and you've ever done like rear diff fluid on a vehicle that has original diff fluid in it
from like 200,000 miles ago, that is a smell you will never forget.
It's just for some reason, it's just it's hard to place.
It's just not good.
It's trauma inducing.
Yeah, it's got that.
It's like sharp and metallic and burnt and yeah, definitely a grid.
It's just it's a weird smell.
And I think if I was going to pick like out of all the all the fluids on the table here,
I think diff old diff or gear oil is like gotta be the nastiest smell.
It's pretty bad.
Yeah.
If we're only talking fluids, so like burning brake or clutch doesn't count.
Old power steering fluid, very similar to pretty nasty burning ATF.
Doesn't smell great.
If you've ever had an ATF leak like directly under exhaust, it's got like this weird kind of sweet.
Yeah.
Any transmission or lines tend to do that.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's pretty bad.
Yeah, in the world of like Bucarque, like what is like the worst in the automotive fluid dump?
I think power steering and diff is that for me.
I mean, it's gotta be diff.
I mean, gear oil just stink oil is so bad.
So bad.
I will say I hate the smell like unexpected coolant smell.
Oh, it's one of the worst things to smell when you're driving.
You're like, oh, what the hell is that?
Oh, God.
And you're like, it's on the floorboard.
Okay.
No, not in here.
Okay.
Am I seeing anything stop at this light?
Am I seeing it?
Like it's red alert, right?
You're looking at your temp gauge immediately.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's an unmistakable.
And then like if you even catch a faint whiff of anything sweet, you're like, God damn, it's back.
It's back.
Yeah.
I didn't like, wait, maybe I'm just, maybe I'm just still burning it off.
Because let me slow play and just like, you're just like staring at your temp gauge.
Like it's so distinct, dude.
Yeah, go up.
Did it move by a hair?
I don't know.
Um, fuel is, fuel is also concerning when it's not, just when you're filling up at the pump.
If you're driving and you smell fuel, like that's another one that kind of gets me a little,
little, uh, little on edge.
Yeah.
It's like, it's stuttering and you smell fuel to go, God, and off.
Right.
Yeah.
Just want to bring up a stinky fluids.
I think that's stinky.
It's a good call.
Fluids.
Yeah.
It's always good and appropriate to discuss stinky fluids.
Um, not maintenance related really at all.
Um, back to normies.
I think people, and I think they think they know, but non-car people, I don't think really,
here's the thing though, car people fall for this too.
And that is the trap that is paying interest on a depreciating asset.
So that is, you know, buying the new whatever.
Yeah.
Right.
Cyber truck.
Just use that as an example.
Because there's no, there's, it's, it's a completely innocent, defendable product that is
both good and not depreciating.
Um, but no.
So say cyber truck, right?
Um, you take out a loan to buy the electric trapezoidal pickup truck,
which will never depreciate.
No.
Well, let's say it depreciates like it does, which is, uh,
catastrophic.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But then also paying whatever, and I don't know what an interest rate on a new car is
right now on a, just a regular car, not like Toyota or anything.
It's not, it's not good.
Well, let's say 4.9.
I don't know.
Maybe call it that.
Right.
Just for, for conversation.
Your job is you're a 9% annually on something that's losing.
Yeah.
What's, what's the cyber truck losing the first year?
20% at least at least in a single calendar year.
And it's like, good night.
Like I, I don't, I, I, I don't understand.
I will never understand.
I've bought one new car once my entire life and that was not for me.
That was for my wife because she wanted a new car and it was a $25,000 Kia in 2011.
So like at, and I think I got 0.9% APR.
So like, I, I just, I, it, it really genuinely hurts my brain for someone who is not a car person
and therefore not bought into the, this is the hottest newest.
And maybe they are bought into the hottest newest.
This is true.
But more for, for reasons that are not actually car related.
I don't, I, I, I'm having a hard time putting into this into words is how,
like how confusing this is to me that's just like, oh, I will casually
just ignite $20,000 in a single calendar year and have to pay interest for the privilege to do so.
Um, I, it really is kind of, it hurts my soul and outside of your, your Kia soul.
Right.
Um, that is not what the 2011, it was a sportage.
But, um, it does like, I think a lot of people do it because it's like, oh,
you buy a new car because it's going to be reliable and therefore won't cost me as much money.
And it's going to have a warranty.
Therefore it won't cost me as much money.
But then if you just look at just the depreciation and interest part of it, even if that bears out,
right?
Even if you have a 10 year warranty and it's perfectly reliable and it gets you to work on time every single day.
Right.
And it's great.
Like just the amount just in the interest and depreciation over a decade or whatever the average
lifetime that somebody keeps a car like that.
It's absolutely soul crushing.
Like just buy, buy something that's five years old and at roughly the same interest rate.
I don't know, I don't know.
Or just don't even take a loan out because now it's, it's one, it's 40% of what the new one costs.
I don't know.
Yeah, there would be no debt if we all lived within our means, right?
But like, like you said, I think it's folks like equating new to like reliable.
I won't be taking into the shop.
Go check any, any dealership right now and check out how old those cars are getting some pretty
serious maintenance items taken care of that they shouldn't be doing already.
But on top of that, I think it's the clout chasers.
It's the keeping up with the Joneses.
I got to have, I got to have the latest version of Apple CarPlay.
I don't care what the medium is that delivers that service to me.
You know, it's that, it's that kind of stuff, man.
I think, I think that's what it is to have the latest and greatest.
Especially if there's a redesign, you got, if you bought the last year of the outgoing model,
you are fucked.
You're totally fucked, bro.
But I'm with you.
Like I like to think that it is, it's like, oh, like it is like people that are like,
they want the newest and flexing and stuff.
But I know, I know there's a huge percentage of people that are like,
oh, I just want and got the entry level Volkswagen Tiguan.
Because like, I liked the touchscreen and it's got a warranty.
And you're just supposed to buy a new car.
This is how it's done.
Because buying a used car is scary.
And I don't like CarMax and I don't like buy here, pay here guys.
Sure.
And so, and also when I went to the, looked at the used car,
at the cars at the Chevy dealership, they actually, yeah, $10 extra thousand,
but they got me two better points if I use GM financial.
And so, you know, yeah, it's an 84 month loan instead of a 60 month loan,
but my payments are only $80 more a month.
So I'm going to do it.
Yeah.
And it's so costly in the end that it's just really frustrating
to just watch.
You'd be like, oh, you bought the new Forester, it's got stuff, and it's how much?
Yeah.
Like, I don't know.
It's so, yeah.
It's, I don't know, it's bad, it's not good.
Okay, you're nailing it.
And then, you know, buying and selling cars, we do a lot of it.
I think it's fair to say outside of dealers, we buy and sell more cars than the average population.
Yeah.
And I mean, they're shipboxes.
Right.
And it's more of a curse, right?
Every once in a while, we'll get something decent, decently nuggety.
But one of my favorite things is, and I don't ever, and I know you don't,
we don't ever consult KBB for the valuation of what we're selling or what we're buying,
because especially enthusiast vehicles, that is out the window, right?
Like absolutely, the zero value has no, it does not pertain to what we're doing.
But tell me you don't get this.
I've had people, especially when I do, especially marketplace, Facebook marketplace,
when I'm selling a vehicle on there, which is always an interesting scenario.
I get the, well, screen grab, here's what KBB says your vehicle's worth.
And I'm like, well, holy shit, I've been living a lie my entire life, right?
Like it just, it's the fact that everyone outside of like car nerds knows that KBB is not
applicable for the kind of cars we traffic in.
Have you ever had that, that kind of like questioning when you're in a car and like
someone straight comes at you with a screen grab?
Well, why is yours?
Like, well, first off, you gave me like the like fair condition trade in value.
Of course you did.
Secondly, you know, that's for a whatever, a 3000 GT base, this is a VR4 or whatever.
Yeah.
And or it's just like it doesn't, just does not compute.
And I just, I'll just like reply law and then block and then all block gone.
But yeah, that's definitely, or I mean, when I used to do the insurance stuff, that's,
that's what it was like, oh, you know, the car, the total loss.
It's like, well, high KBB private party or whatever is, is this and it's like, okay, like,
but yours has no paint on it.
Sure.
And that was a higher trim.
That's the GTS.
Yours is a, an ST.
I don't know.
Yep.
There's a lot that kind of goes,
like honestly though, does anyone use KBB at all for anything anymore?
Is it even like generally a thing?
I think like shitty use car dealers probably just because they're doing volume.
Look at that.
Just like if it's something they don't knock up their head.
I know, I know when I, when I bought, when I go to look at a car and in the ad, one of the photos
is the KBB screen grab.
I love that because the car is in excellent condition and it's like, you look and I'm like,
that's not your car or like right, the year's wrong.
Like you say they always put in the right trim, like the special, most expensive double the price
of the base bottle trim.
You said it has a sunroof and a moonroof.
Yeah.
It's like, this is the all-wheel drive, but also rear-wheel drive version.
Sure, buddy.
Automatic manual, you can change it on the fly.
Was I the only degenerate who as a kid in like the late 90s would like go on like kbb.com and be
like, I'm going to see how expensive I can like make the Mark IV Supra or whatever and like click
all the, like just dig around on the, on the valuation tool.
Yeah.
But yeah, but it's just, no one fits it right.
It's, it's just exactly that.
It's a valuation tool, but like people like that live and die by it.
Just, it makes me laugh, dude.
It's like, yeah, doesn't, not around these parts, partner.
Yeah.
All of that said, um, KBB, if you would like to, um, if you would like to sponsor this
year podcast, um, actually just join our Patreon, Mr. Um, I think it's actually like
Mr. KBB.
It's like Robert's, well, no, not, not Robert Kelly.
That's, that's our Kelly.
No, it's not our Kelly.
Um, but whatever, maybe, um, uh, maybe this is our Kelly.
Also follow, follow us here, Mr. Kelly.
Yeah.
Um, no, but you know what though, to be fair, and we'll, we'll say something nice about KBB
is like, I think for a 90 or I'm sorry, like a 2015 turn in the Camry, it's probably pretty
fucking spot on what the market value is for that car, right?
It's probably a good baseline.
Yeah.
So we'll say that and then we'll slowly walk away, uh, walk away.
Um, can I, I want to throw one more out there as far as, you know, only real car guys and gals
or non-binary superheroes will know.
Float it out there, my friend.
That is, you ever go, you ever go to like a, like a party or a family gathering or something?
Don't believe in social events.
Yeah.
Next question.
But you go to one of these things and then it's like, you're known as like the car guy
of the family or whatever.
And then, you know, like the, the, the cousin or the uncle or whatever wants to then talk
cars with you.
Yeah.
And it's like, you're like, I'd rather not like, but you can't say that because they're
going to, like they're going to be like, you're so deep into the car world nerddom.
Yeah.
That like whatever they're going to bring to the table is like potentially wrong.
Sure.
Always wrong.
And like, and, and, or just like so baseline like elementary into the world of car worlds
stuff where it's like, it's like draining to have those conversations.
And you also don't want to call them out when they are wrong about whatever you can't
societal norms.
Yeah.
It's like, you know, well, you know, the, you know, the, the Fiero was actually supposed
to be the replacement for the Corvette.
It was going to be their original super car and, but then, you know, whatever.
It's not, it's like that shit, right?
Like they come at you and they go, well, did you know that it's actually better to get the
naturally aspirated?
They won't say naturally aspirated.
They say without a supercharger because superchargers rob horsepower.
And I was the automatic.
Yeah.
I went with the automatic because it's less time to shift.
This is a superior vehicle.
And you're like, okay.
Yep.
I definitely want the not supercharged automatic.
You're right.
Good call.
I'm going to change my, I'm going to change my opinion right now.
It's, it's like you said, it's the unqualified, uh, expert opinion.
Or like just like perpetuating like just like bad myths or yeah, like, you know, I, I, you
know, when I was in high school, I got one of those like tornado, uh, intake, uh, spiralizer
or whatever.
And I put her down and I got, I got like, I swear to God, I got like 40 miles of gallon
out of my, uh, whatever, my, my great damn.
Um, and it's just like, it just, oh, wow.
Oh, twisted the frame, twisted the frame.
Every time I launched at a green light.
Yeah.
You know, I always get the mid-grade because, you know, the, it's really actually the same
as the premium gas.
But they just, uh, if, you know, it's just like, if you're in the know, you get that one.
They can't legally sell premium here in California, but they want to take your money.
So it's really the mid-grade and they just mark it up.
And, uh, and then, yeah.
Yeah.
Your spot, your spot on, dude.
Yeah.
Just having, like having car conversations with people that just aren't on your,
not on your level, but like not even like, like cast, like Indian cast system levels
below you.
You know what I mean?
Well, there's unofficial cast levels here in the state.
Socio, socioeconomically, right?
Let's be honest.
And let's be honest, they're official.
They're not unofficial.
Yeah.
They're, I'm sorry.
They're unofficially recognized.
Sure.
Cast levels, right?
Yeah.
With you on that one, dude.
But yeah, but you might gotta be nice because we're good people.
So you're like, yeah, no, that's a, that's a great point about, I don't.
Oh, I've dreamed about that.
Yeah.
It's a scam when they're talking about tread depth.
I could take a knife and deepen the tread.
So fuck big tire energy around these parts.
Yeah.
I only drive Linglongs.
They're, they're, they're the same compound and everything is Michelin.
I've driven so many Linglongs.
Yeah.
I do have one last one I want to throw out there and it's, it's kind of like a,
it's kind of like a serious personal thing.
Collecting project cars is the easy part, guys.
This might look like a fantasy.
This might look like a fantasy lifestyle, but taking home broken cars is so easy.
It's so, they just want to give you the car at certain points and you take it home and
you're like your dreams, your aspirations.
Yeah.
You envision this car you're driving around.
It's been restored.
It's been awesome.
It's like this miraculous grave to reality.
The car's back in its prime.
No, dude.
What you're, what you're missing up with is like the, there's a couple of things.
Finding time as an adult to wrench on your cars.
Number one, number two, physical infrastructure to store these project cars.
Another big challenge.
Third thing, the cost and actually being able to get rid of that car.
Cause you can't really unload that car unless you fix what's wrong with it.
And you have time and you have space working against that.
And when you actually get it done, which a true project car is never finished.
We all know that.
Yeah.
So the collecting part, easy.
Like that's it.
That's the easy part.
You know what the absolute easiest part though?
Giving up.
No, is what you and I, yeah.
Just like sinking into the madness.
Yes.
That is the easiest part.
When Yoda like it turns over and he just fucking his robe flattens and he's like
becomes ass vapor.
That's the easy part.
I wish I could do that sometimes mid project car.
Yeah.
But no crushing feelings I have.
Existential dread.
The sweet release of death I feel.
Mortal coil has been shed.
Thus I shuffle off of.
Okay.
I saw this joke that Yoda's is like he ate something really good and he can't
wait to fucking tell you about it.
That's that's how you do it.
This long John Silvers gives me a few days.
It does.
Sorry.
The hush puppies.
Hush puppies.
But no, I'm going to not, not.
Not actually just like giving in to the sweet release of death.
Yeah.
But giving like what we do a lot, which is just like send each other links.
Just still like be like drowning in ship boxes and then finding more and be like,
bro, this is a good deal.
Not me, but you should buy this.
This is you, bro.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Damn, it's in your favorite color and everything or whatever.
Yeah.
It's remotely close to you, but not really.
And we have, we have those cars that are like no matter what, you know,
it's like the, it's like the Noah Jovovich docks at my front door.
I have that clause and, you know, any relationship, right?
Like I have to leave.
I have to go now.
And it's, we have that car list, right?
Like that car shows up.
We're buying it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yours is Mila Jojovich might as I don't know the rock.
No, I don't know.
Obviously you can smell what the rock is cooking, my friend.
Exactly.
Your ass.
It just reminded me.
I don't remember, I don't remember what like online publication,
but somebody wrote an article that would, to the effect of every straight man would
sleep with the rock if given the opportunity.
Really?
Yeah.
And I don't know.
I don't know, man.
I don't know.
I don't, I don't know.
This was an older article.
Perhaps the rock was more inviting and gentle in his, in his youth.
But yeah, no, there are still some certain cars out there that like,
if they're close enough and rare enough and cheap enough and they're on the,
the Mila Jojovich list, then, then yeah, then, then perhaps we got to buy them.
God bless.
But yeah, that's, that's that.
I do want to move us right along to the quiz game show, but definitely this is a cool topic.
I think this is fun.
And I know our listeners are probably like naming a bunch of things we forgot.
So if you guys want to leave some comments down below or reach out to us,
I thought of one, another level of nerddom.
Like spark plug nerddom, we're talking about like heat ranges and colder,
running colder or hotter plugs.
How you set your gap, dude.
Like how you set your gap, you bang it on the concrete.
What kind of savage, I totally do that by the way to close cap.
Just so you know, and I got it down to a science, right?
Like I use my gap to a little too far.
That's just the right amount.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But it's basically a snap on torque wrench the way I do it.
Yes.
But yeah, no, as you were saying until I ruined your point.
Yeah.
If you've got other thoughts on other stuff, just let us know.
Yeah, it's a cool topic.
Hit us up in the comments or on Instagram or Grinder or whatever.
Let us know.
And we're here to find out to the, find out what y'alls have in mind that we left off the table
because I promise we left some like real like, only car guys know.
Right.
Right.
Yeah.
Let us know for sure.
So now it's time for our little aptly named automotive print ad quiz game show.
Today, Frank will be the victim, I believe.
Or no, I'm the victim.
No, I'm not ready.
I'm not ready.
I'm pulling this up.
I'm studying for this interview.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
He's going to dig up some kind of bullshit car that they only made five of in Canada
and he's going to pretend like we still did here,
but we'll let that slide that one time.
Frank, you know who you are.
So he's going to read a print ad from the 80s, 90s, mid 2000s.
He's going to omit or try to omit anything that clearly gives the vehicle away.
And if you know anything about these print ads and publications at this time,
it's all bullshit.
So it's like, that's the fun of the challenge, right?
Like to parse through the factual information and then the complete bullshitery.
It's super fun.
I'll have 10 minutes, three guesses every time I fail.
I can ask for help.
Frank is notoriously very frugal with doling out extra information.
So I'm going to struggle a bit.
A lot of ums, a lot of ahs, a lot of you guys will be yelling.
You guys will be Don Stratus.
This is 1998 Mitsubishi motor.
So he's going to obviously stop me on this one,
but you guys will be yelling at your windscreens or your TV screens or yourself screens.
Or we're going to listen.
Into a paper bag.
Into a, please do that.
Perhaps the void.
So we roll that beautiful bean footage.
Oh, okay.
So this is a one page ad.
The top, that's true.
The top, I don't know, call it two thirds is the vehicle in question.
We're looking at the passenger side, front quarter shot.
The headlights are on.
It's like kind of in motion, but not really in motion.
It's like vaguely in motion.
And then above it, it says, forget about slipping by unnoticed.
Vivacious curves, a shimmering body and flowing metallic lines with such,
with such striking good looks, the blank has turned quite a lot of heads recently.
Of course, you'd expect people to pay close attention to this car,
but with a 2.2 liter, 130 horsepower, twin cam, 16 valve engine,
they had better look fast because they won't have long to stare.
Take the aggressive aerodynamic shape of a lift back or a coupe with an available rear spoiler
and optional power moonroof.
Or you can even get it in a sleek convertible model.
Either way, this is one car that's definitely going to get you noticed.
Call 1,100 blank or visit our website, www.blank.com for a brochure or full line CD
ROM plus the location of your nearest dealer.
Buckle up, do it for those who you love.
There is an asterisk on the 16 valve engine.
And I'll tell you that it gets a submodel.
It's on a submodel only.
I'll tell you that as a hint later if you need it.
Okay.
That's it.
That's yeah.
Okay.
So 2.2 liter jumps out immediately to me.
Did it?
What was the horsepower again that I quoted?
130.
So I hear 2.2.
I go GM and then you set a three digit number and I said not GM.
Decidedly so.
Interesting.
Also lift back or convertible only.
It said lift back, coupe or a convertible is also, but okay, hold on.
Let me let me go back.
It says specifically aerodynamic shape of a lift back or coupe.
Okay.
Okay.
With an available rear spoiler optional, you can even get it in a sleek convertible model.
So yeah, three.
This is kind of a sporty car.
There's no sedan mention, no wagon mention.
I kind of feel like I know because I know this motor and if it's a 2.2 and you said
dual overhead cams only on a certain model.
So it's a car with a lesser motor.
It said 2.2, 130 horsepower, twin cam, 16 valve engine.
So specifically 16 valve engine has the asterisks.
Got it.
The 16 valve.
Yep.
I'm going to shoot my shot because I know this one.
I think I do.
Okay.
I think I know this one and the 2.2 is what gives it away.
I'll be honest, there's not a lot of 2.2s out there.
This is, let's see if I get the year.
This is a 90, try to think of my Salicas.
This is a 1997 Toyota Celica.
And if it has the 16 valve, it's a GT because they didn't have a GTS at this time.
Final answer.
Yeah, that's basically what it is.
It's technically, it's a 96, but same car, same generation.
Basically, it's a carryover from 96 to 97.
And yes, let me send you a link so you can, you can Google this bad boy.
Love these.
We never got the GTS, which is the weirdest thing, right?
Yeah.
I don't know if they did a GTS in this generation globally.
Yeah, I know they had like the SS2, which was the 3L, the 3SGE.
Good for I think 100 and maybe 200 horsepower, 190 or 200 twin cam.
That would have been killer.
That would have been so much fun.
Yeah.
So we got the GT and then the ST had the not 16 valve motor, correct?
There was only GT or ST on that, on this generation.
ST was a 1.8.
It was the 7AFE, which was like a stroked version of the little Corolla motor.
Yeah.
And I guess it was 8 valve.
Let me get you a better link because the one I tried to paste had a character limit issue.
I think the real shame is, of course, we did not get a GT4 of this,
which we all love the ST205.
I love how these look, man.
I agree.
Like, you know, there's often a time I do find a nice clean manual.
They all have 200,000 plus miles.
But I would love, I still think I would love to get a nice clean manual,
unmodified example.
I think I would really enjoy that car.
Yeah, no, they're cool.
I've driven a few, it's funny, all the decently low mileage ones I've driven
have all been convertibles.
I've driven some like, hurt, clapped 250,000 mile ones.
But yeah, no, they're, no, it's good.
It's good.
It's a good looking car, dude.
It's a very good car.
I think they've aged really well.
And reliable is all hell.
If you want that area, like, oh, that generation Camry, it's the most reliable car ever.
Same motor, same transmission, just like a sportier body.
Yeah, if you can't visualize this one, this is the one with the four distinct headlights in the front, guys.
It's just really good.
I do not hate the prior model that came with the ST185.
Yeah, those are really good too.
Pop-up headlights was kind of a plus, but I always thought this car looked,
the way they did the body proportions just looked so much bigger
than the previous generation Celica, but it wasn't a big car.
And I think they've aged really well.
I think they look great.
Let me see what add.
Is it in exciting color at least?
Yeah, it's in like that, like, purpley, purpley blue color.
Oh, damn, you cannot find that.
Sharp looking car.
They're all silver, by the way.
See, if back to last week, when I said if I had base OC and levels of money,
I would have just like a hot one of these, just front wheel drive.
Yeah, three SGE beams motor in there.
Could you throw like a 2ZZ in there too?
Would be kind of fun.
You could.
I mean, that three SGE beams motor is very, very good.
I was speaking more of like a mild real life affordable build.
I think it's probably more, honestly, it might be more affordable
because you just get, you just get like a front cut from a Japanese car
shipped over and you just transmission subframe everything.
I just think the 2ZZ would be kind of fun because then it would be like the follow
following generation of Celica, right?
You could probably do that.
That is a high-revvy little power plant.
Yeah, slap a supercharger on it.
Yeah, I love these, man.
I would totally get a GT, probably not a Vert.
The Verts look a little interesting to me.
Okay, but they're like cow shaky and it's a 90s convertible.
So I want to get a 90s convertible.
I would not get a Celica.
I would get one other or something else.
What made it so easy for me was the displacement.
Can you name any other 2.2s that are even worth a shit?
Because I went to GM's like Cavalier Corsica line,
which was 92 horsepower in nothing to write home.
It was an iron block.
H22.
Good.
Yep, that's a good one.
H22.
That's probably going to be at the...
Yeah.
Oh, 2.2 turbo dodge.
That's the other one.
Yeah.
Right?
That's probably it.
Yeah.
We weren't there for sure with this set.
We weren't there.
So, you know, the 130 horsepower to the 5SFE.
Good ad, dude.
Can't believe we haven't done that.
Good ad.
Yeah.
No, we had not done that generation yet.
So, that was...
And honestly, the biggest, I almost bleeped it out,
but just the term lift back is a Toyota specific,
you know, primarily with the Celica, but other stuff too.
The Celica Supra.
Yeah, Celica Supra's...
Even the...
You can get a first gen Camry as a lift back
where it's a four door with a hatch, but it's like,
it's not super hatchy.
So, they called it a lift back instead of a hatchback
because it required lift, presumably.
Normally, we do PCP.
I have absolutely nothing to bring to the table this week
as far as doing PCP.
I don't know if you do.
I do have something.
It's not exciting, and I've started the process,
is the GeoTracker.
So, we're all buttoned up, did the EGR stuff.
I still have this weird vibration at idle,
and it feels like it's off power, which is really weird.
So, I'm thinking non-interference motor.
I'm thinking the timing belt might have slipped a half tooth
when I put it back together, because if you ever have an engine
that's off by a little bit, like...
And this is...
Obviously, I'm not talking about interference engines.
I'm talking like old school kind of non-interference,
simple engines.
It will never idle right.
Like the engine will shake a lot because it's out of time, barely.
Barely out of time, right?
I'm going to go through the whole OCD thing
of tearing off the front of that motor again,
just to make sure...
I'm going to crank it off by hand and see.
Because I'm going to do a...
First, I'll check ignition timing to make sure like idle
and everything's good.
But then, just to rule it out, I got to look.
Because if I start doing all the whole sensor thing
and all this tracking bullshit diagnostics,
I need to look and make sure all my marks are still good.
Because they're like notorious
for being tricky to time these motors.
Interesting.
So, I just want to make sure I'm good.
It runs well, but it does have a very weird shake
that isn't motor mount.
It isn't like misfire.
It's like...
Technically, it's kind of a small misfire,
which is causing the time...
I think the timing's off with the engine.
So, I started pulling out the radiator
and all that stuff to get to it.
I just need time.
It's just a big job, these things.
Time for timing.
I just want to peek at it.
I want to line it up top dead center on cylinder four,
which is what you do when you time these tracker
and side kick motors.
And just make sure I'm good.
Because that's the only thing I haven't found yet.
And I've already done some diagnostic around the truck.
Just to confirm,
you know how you got to put that thought out of your head sometimes?
You know, it's good.
It's better than throwing a shitload of parts at it
to find out that like, oh, that...
Think of like speaking of carb guy things
that non-car guys do and bad mechanics.
Bad mechanics will throw sensors at it.
The ECU's bad, the PCM's bad or whatever.
And then you're like, oh, no, the timing was just a tooth off, man.
I just fixed it in five minutes.
Not the five minutes to uncover it,
but five minutes to do the actual job.
Oh, yep, there we go.
Yeah, let me reset the timing.
Yeah.
So like for me, that's another big thing.
I think that's a big step up being like a mechanic,
especially is like doing the right diagnostics.
You know?
Yeah.
And just taking a break and being like,
okay, what was just done on this car?
And just being like,
I mean, there are coincidences in the world
of like working on cars, but they're pretty rare, right?
And so being able to be like, okay, like this happened
and then this happened, and I fixed those things, I think.
Right.
And now I have another symptom, like, okay,
they're going to be somehow tied to one of those initial things,
whether it's the repair or whatever.
Like you have to go back to that point.
Okay, like let me double back over my steps,
but a lot of people don't do that.
And you know what, dude?
I've done dozens of timing belts on like very like Subaru Boxer
engines, Ford Taurus shows, Mitsubishi turbos,
like all kinds of weird stuff.
You could still like something can happen.
Like my Escort GT is a perfect example.
I did the timing on water pump job
and a piece of the rubber trim that goes around the timing cover
went between the crank and the belt
and caused it to jump half a tooth after I did the job.
And I didn't notice till I started it.
And I was like, whoa, because it did the vibration thing again.
And it wasn't running right.
And I'm like, I know I timed it and I looked
and it was off by a whole tooth
because that piece of rubber was still wedged.
It doesn't take much, but like, I just want to rule it out, man.
I just want to, and it's unfortunate,
a lot of time to rule it out.
But once I do rule it out and the marks are all good again,
out of my head, I got to figure out what's wrong.
So I still have that issue with the truck,
which is a damn shame, but you know,
you're messing around with these pre-OBD two vehicles.
These are the kind of things you got to just,
you got to figure it out, man.
It's OBDU.
And I'm an ODB.
That's right. Yeah.
Yeah. Don't OD, though.
Don't do it.
Don't do it.
No.
And thank you today for OD'ing on us.
Five minutes.
And listening along.
We absolutely appreciate it.
And I'm going to, I will speak for Chadwick here.
Thank you for tuning in.
Do it again next week.
You can stalk us on our poorly managed Instagram account.
You can also even support, consider supporting us
if you like what we've been up to,
or if you want to just hate, hatefully become our pay pig.
You can do that.
Head to patreon.com slash apapod
and check out the offerings there.
You can, you can send us some messages.
You can leave us some notes.
You can join our Patreon,
which will get you away once a month.
APAPod after dark.
Late night confidential episodes,
which are terrible and they're honestly,
they're really negatively impacting mine and Chadwick's life.
Like we were just discussing,
we got to record another one here soon.
And we drink terrible adult beverages
while we record them and it's actually not good.
So that's it.
If you want to stalk me, just me,
do so here.
But if you want to do that outside of that,
I'm the photographer's garage at places.
I take pictures of cars.
How about you Chadwick?
Yeah, no, auto obscure garage, mostly on YouTube,
rescues, restorations, or reviews of interesting cars.
Well, I think they're interesting anyway.
Just check me out there.
But again, thanks for checking us out.
We love having you guys here.
And we'll see you in like a week.
Maybe give or take.
Give or take.
All of us might be,
might perish between now and then.
I can't guarantee that we won't all meteor strike
or Godzilla versus Mothra.
I don't know.
I don't know what's going on.
How fortunate we would be.
Back to your death.
Okay, get out of here.
Jake, I love you.
I will.
Take care guys.
Request an explanation for:
12 cars
Scroll for more
12 cars featured
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark.
Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.
