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Restoration Trends & Parking Lot Problems

Restoration Trends & Parking Lot Problems

Let's Talk Cars Radio May 26, 2026 60 min
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About this episode

Retro-mods and restomods are getting a lot of attention, with hosts pointing to car-show tech swaps, older Toyota value, and even how “Blue Book value” can miss what buyers will pay. The conversation then shifts to real-world ownership headaches—abandoned Porsches, complex Porsche aero/tech, and custom BMW builds—before turning into a long parking-lot safety debate involving long trucks, hitch receivers, and lowered cars. The episode also touches on warranty rules and connected-car driver monitoring, plus some strange accessory hypotheticals.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

restomots

"So if you had a guess what, just give me three or five of the top cars that people are gobbling up from the eighties, early eighties to late eighties that they are now trying to get a hold of and they want to do like restaurmots. They want to [145.7s] give it all new technology, but you know it still had that old look to it."

A restomod is an old car that gets restored, but with newer upgrades inside. The goal is to keep the classic style while making it drive and feel more modern.

Car

Toyota Celica

"I'd probably say, like this, I don't even know if this is an eighties car, but like the Selica is probably the seventies. Eighties, yeah, right of Selica would probably [170.3s] be my first choice. [171.8s] Speaker 3: I don't even know if the eighties car."

The Toyota Celica is a sporty Toyota from past decades. The hosts are saying people like it as a candidate for restoration projects that keep the old appearance but add newer upgrades.

Car

Toyota Tacoma

"Like I said, ta coma is what I would think. [194.2s] Speaker 2: But no, so here's funny thing here and I were just having a conversation about to coma. If you guys, if you're not a truck person, like or even a toyt a person, you would probably be shocked."

The Toyota Tacoma is a popular pickup truck. The hosts are saying that older Tacomas can still be worth a lot of money, which is why people want to buy them for restoration projects.

Term

blue Book value

"Speaker 2: It was only like close to six grand, but I got nine for it because it was something somebody wants. [253.4s] The people love these trucks, and I just haven't had one that they wanted. [256.7s] Speaker 4: I think like maybe an Integra, maybe an Integra or maybe like a make a Ford Mustang like the that would be the easy, easy one."

“Blue Book value” refers to a widely used market valuation guide that estimates what a vehicle is worth based on factors like condition, mileage, and local demand. The host is contrasting that guide’s estimate with the higher price they actually got.

Car

Acura Integra

"...hat they wanted. Speaker 4: I think like maybe an Integra, maybe an Integra or maybe like a make a Ford Mus..."

The Acura Integra is a compact car made by Acura. It’s known for being fun to drive compared with many regular cars. In the podcast, it’s brought up as one of the cars someone might choose instead of another option.

Car

Ford Mustang

"...gra, maybe an Integra or maybe like a make a Ford Mustang like the that would be the easy, easy one. Speake..."

The Ford Mustang is a sports car made by Ford. It’s known for being a fun car to drive and for having many different versions across the years. People often mention it because it’s a common, well-known choice for car buyers.

Car

Porsche 911

"Speaker 2: But I almost bought an old nine to eleven, I mean like old old, and I can't I want to say it was early seventies. [351.9s] can't remember the year. But I think I told this [354.2s] story once on the air before, and if I haven't, it would be your first time hearing it."

The Porsche 911 is Porsche’s famous sports car, known for being a classic, recognizable shape. Here, the speaker talks about an older 911 they found abandoned and tried to get.

Concept

abandoned

"Speaker 2: I had [358.1s] a friend that was a manager at an apartment complex and the car had been abandoned abasically. It was it was, [366.4s] you know, older nine to eleven had just sat there and sat there, and you know, I had to ask questions about it a couple of different times."

When a car is “abandoned,” it usually means nobody is using it and it’s just left sitting somewhere. That can create legal problems and may lead to towing or other actions.

Concept

tow truck

"Speaker 2: And so I went through all first, letting him talk with his bosses about me trying to acquire it off the property. They're okay with it, and so I started [396.8s] going through all the different like stages of trying to legally. [402.0s] I kind of just picked the car up a tow truck and just nobody would ever know it'd been there forever."

A tow truck is what you use to pull a car that can’t be driven or needs to be moved. In this story, the speaker is describing how they could have had the car taken away, but they weren’t sure it was legal.

Term

filed for title

"“...and then sat on it and filed for title, not knowing what I know now.”"

“Filing for title” means doing the paperwork that proves you own a car. Without the right title, a project car can be hard to legally keep or sell.

Term

hubs

"“...all the hubs and everything, everything was rust on from sitting…”"

The hubs are the parts that hold the wheel to the car. If they’re rusted, it can mean more than surface rust and could require major cleaning or replacement.

Term

rust

"“...it was just you know, all the hubs and everything, everything was rust on from sitting…”"

Rust is corrosion of metal, and on a parked car it can spread from exposed areas into structural points over time. The speaker specifically mentions rust on “hubs and everything,” which suggests the car may have significant metal corrosion that affects safety and restoration cost.

Term

flat

"“All the tires are flat on it. It was dusty and dirty from just sitting there.”"

A “flat” tire means it’s gone low on air. If a car sat for a long time, the tires can go flat and may need new tires or careful checking.

Term

ground effect

"561.4s I think is one that had the further ground effect. 563.0s Body kind of came on. It looked a lot more sporty,"

Ground effect is about how a car’s shape can use the air under it to help it stick to the road. It can also make the car look more aggressive because the bodywork is designed to sit and flow closer to the ground.

Car

BMW

"And if you I'm going on a BMW But that's just because I'm a BMW guy. But I'm probably pretty sure M three isn't on the list at all. ... BMW's all old BMW's and they're even even they're going back into the seventies."

BMW is a German car brand. In this conversation, they’re talking about older BMWs that people modify with newer parts to make them feel more modern.

Car

BMW 2 Bmws

"Speaker 3: Yeah, that's the number of those number two car port following. Speaker 2: BMW's all old BMW's and they're even even they're going back into the seventies. Speaker 3: Yeah, and they're grabbing them and they're putting all modern stuff into them. But like M three's and stuff."

The BMW 2 Series is a smaller luxury car from BMW. It’s meant to be more about driving feel than a large family sedan. The podcast mentions it in the context of BMW history and model generations.

Concept

putting all modern stuff into them

"Yeah, and they're grabbing them and they're putting all modern stuff into them. But like M three's and stuff. ... Like that, like all any anything that's old, BMW is new right now."

That phrase means someone takes an older car and upgrades it with newer technology. The goal is usually to make the old car easier to live with or more fun to drive.

Term

hood slip click forward and then folded up

"But there was a guy at one of the car shows I went to, and he had one of the older ones and it had the hood slip click forward and then folded up on it on the BMW, ... and I thought it was an older M three, but he had it what looked to be starting."

They’re describing a special way the hood opens—more like a folding/hinged action than just lifting straight up. They’re pointing to that detail as part of what made the car stand out.

Term

dash grafted

"Internals in it okay, nice, like it had the dash grafted and he wasn't done when he had fiberglass work he was doing. ... He was grafting the dash to fit into that car, and he'd already moved like he already had the seats."

“Dash grafted” means the dashboard was adapted or swapped so it fits the older car. It’s basically custom work to make the interior match and work properly.

Term

fiberglass work

"He wasn't done with the pride, but I respect it for what it was probably like two thousand and four, two thousand and five. Internals in it okay, nice, ... like it had the dash grafted and he wasn't done when he had fiberglass work he was doing."

Fiberglass work refers to shaping and reinforcing parts using fiberglass cloth and resin, often for body panels, interior pieces, or custom fitment. Here, the speaker says the builder was doing fiberglass work to finish the dash area and make it fit the older BMW.

Term

front end

"He basically cut the front end off of front twomly he tubed the. Whole front end."

“Front end” means the front part of the car, including the crash structure and suspension mounting areas. Cutting it off and rebuilding it is a big repair job after serious damage.

Term

tubed

"He basically cut the front end off of front twomly he tubed the. Whole front end."

“Tubed” sounds like they used metal tubing to rebuild or strengthen the car’s front structure. It’s a fabrication step to make the repaired area solid again.

Term

custom break calibers

"He did like custom break calibers, collotted roads like he like, and he went to all the machine shops and like custom built."

They’re talking about custom brake calipers. Those are the parts that clamp the brake pads onto the rotors to slow the car down.

Car

Corvettees

"So the last one that's in the top three, you nailed it. It is It is the Corvettees. They're going back and grabbing the old court which is."

They’re discussing a Corvette, which is a Chevrolet sports car. They’re talking about doing a retro-style Corvette—more like an older classic look and feel.

Topic

retro vet

"because six I told you guys we kind of want to do a retro vet. We've been talking about it."

They mean a “retro” Corvette project. Basically, they want a Corvette that feels like an older one in style and character.

Term

Mega garage

"uh huh, bad am. White Noise where they been at, Yeah, is back here in the Mega garage. Thank god it is there."

They’re calling their big workshop/storage area the “Mega garage.” It’s just where their project cars and parts are kept.

Term

tub work

"It's in the race shop having tub work done. I told you guys done and yeah we're patiently waiting ourselves."

“Tub work” usually refers to fabrication or repair work on the car’s tub/body structure (the main body shell). In restoration contexts, it can mean metalwork to restore the shape, strength, and mounting points after damage.

Concept

prices are going up

"keep your eye on the price is jumped crazy, and by the way, the price is really jumped on these cars. The prices are going up on them."

The hosts connect restoration/modding demand to market pricing, saying prices are “jumped crazy” and “going up” on these cars. That’s a common enthusiast-market dynamic: when more people want the same desirable models for retro builds, supply stays limited and prices rise.

Concept

building a retro stuff to it

"People want to buy and do retro stuff to it, which is alsfull I talked about I like to do too."

They’re describing the trend of modifying or restoring cars to a “retro” theme—aiming for a classic look or vibe while often using newer parts. In this segment, that demand is linked to rising prices for certain older cars.

Term

lowered

"The guy had a lowered car behind me, if ever correctly was a Cadillac. It was lowered, and I had the right and I drove and like he was a speed bump right on up onto his hood."

“Lowered” means the car sits lower than stock. That can look cool, but it also makes it easier to hit the ground or damage the car when you drive over bumps or ramps.

Term

deck lid

"Second time I drove onto the deck lid of a vehicle and never found the owner."

The deck lid is the hinged outer panel that covers the rear trunk area on many cars. In this segment, the speaker describes driving onto a vehicle’s deck lid, which can bend or crush it because it’s designed to be supported when closed, not as a ramp.

Term

suspension kind of giveaway

"So I wore my windows and I pull off and all I hear is and I hear a suspension kind of giveaway as I come off of it."

That phrase means the car’s suspension reacted hard, like it suddenly compressed. It usually happens when you hit something uneven or the car bottoms out.

Term

lifted

"[1686.2s] had two lifted Fords, and I think there's a difference between lifted though and then like super lifted. [1692.0s] Speaker 2: So might had money in them I had at that time."

“Lifted” means the truck sits higher off the ground than stock. The host is saying there’s a difference between a mild lift and a very extreme lift, and that the extreme setup can cause more problems.

Term

check engine

"[1747.2s] I had an issue last Saturday. I was driving check engine, [1750.0s] like came on. It's just indicated a missfire."

The “check engine” light is a warning that the car’s computer found a problem. In this case, the host says it seemed to be a misfire, which can happen when the engine isn’t burning fuel correctly.

Term

missfire

"[1750.0s] like came on. It's just indicated a missfire. Couldn't figure [1753.4s] out why because it had plugs and stuff put in it last year."

A misfire means part of the engine isn’t firing correctly, so it doesn’t burn fuel as it should. That can make the engine run rough and can turn on the check engine light.

Term

moisture

"[1753.4s] out why because it had plugs and stuff put in it last year. I don't know if it was just [1758.1s] the it was kind of misty in the morning, so like that I got a little moisture."

Moisture is just water in the air or on parts. The speaker is wondering if damp conditions that morning could have caused the engine to misfire.

Term

lift kit

"Yeah, but you don't know like lift kit like he did two inch eight inches. [1806.0s] Speaker 3: Uh no, that was a. [1808.0s] Speaker 2: Five and a half hid which basically like a six inch slift kit that was on that truck, So it sat up kind of high and stuff."

A lift kit is a set of parts that raises a truck or SUV higher off the ground. People do it for looks or clearance, but it can also change how the vehicle handles. In this story, the lift is part of why the truck is getting attention in parking lots.

Car

Ford Bronco

"...uck, So it sat up kind of high and stuff. Now, my Bronco that I had had a smaller lift kit and that was ju..."

The Ford Bronco is an SUV designed for off-road driving. It often sits higher than many regular cars, and some owners add lift kits to make it even taller. In the conversation, they’re talking about how that changes the look and off-road ability.

Term

seat belt

"Speaker 4: I don't want to take away your thunder, but my noise is just like that. But you know, like when [2622.7s] you don't do the seat belt and it makes like that ding ding ding."

Your seat belt is what keeps you from flying forward in a crash. Cars often beep or ding if you’re not buckled so you remember to fasten it.

Term

Engine light

"Speaker 4: But if it's a check. [2709.2s] Speaker 4: Engine light, it's a screaming catt you know, you pop a tire, It's like a cartoon explosion."

The engine light is a warning on your dashboard that something in the engine or emissions system needs attention. It doesn’t always mean the car is about to break, but you should get it checked.

Term

pop a tire

"Speaker 4: Engine light, it's a screaming catt you know, you pop a tire, It's like a cartoon explosion. [2720.0s] Speaker 3: That just keeps geting off."

“Pop a tire” means the tire suddenly fails and loses air fast. Your car may warn you with a dashboard message or sound if it detects the pressure problem.

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