Riding solo through project-car season, the hosts revisit why builds spark better conversations than finished show cars. They compare old-school parts hunting with today’s online “addiction,” then shift into practical used-car and project-car buying advice: trust your inspection, question misleading photos and rust claims, and watch for red-flag wording like “TLC,” “ran when parked,” or “low miles for its age.” Budget for bodywork, use tools like a magnet, and don’t hesitate to walk away when sellers won’t answer.
"their spin off on the car market is completely different than the hot rodders, right, So you know, I tell everybody you can buckle into this conversation a bunch of different ways."
“Hot rodders” are people who like to modify cars—often older ones—to make them faster or look cooler. The host is saying younger car fans sometimes follow a different path than traditional hot rodding.
“Hot rodders” refers to a car culture focused on modifying older cars for more performance and a more aggressive look. In the segment, the host contrasts that style with a different “spin off” of the car market that younger enthusiasts gravitate toward.
"There's some guys who are just happy with driving. You know, a civic. Maybe is got some mismatch fenders on it, and they are steadily working on it here and there."
The Honda Civic is a common, affordable car. People like it because it’s easy to work on and you can upgrade it over time.
The Honda Civic is a compact car that’s especially popular in car culture because it’s affordable, parts are widely available, and it’s easy to modify. In this segment, it’s used as an example of a project car that someone is gradually improving.
"Maybe they live with mom, and mom and dad are helping them out and whatever. I'm good with that because they're just wrenching, right."
“Wrenching” just means working on a car yourself—like fixing it or upgrading it. The host likes that people are getting their hands dirty and learning.
“Wrenching” is car-culture slang for working on your own vehicle—doing repairs, upgrades, or maintenance yourself. Here, the host frames it as a positive part of building a car culture around learning and hands-on progress.
"some guys just like you know complete you know, show queen kind of cars and stuff, and I'm okay with those, But I tend to have better conversations sometimes with the guy that's still building."
A “show queen” is a car that’s mostly made to win attention at car shows. It may not be the kind of car someone drives a lot—more like it’s there to look perfect.
A “show queen” is a car that’s built mainly to look good at car shows rather than being driven hard. The host says they sometimes prefer conversations with people still building their cars instead of owners of fully finished show cars.
"magnet in my pocket, and if anybody knows that old trick.
A lot of the old timers listen to the show, and I wouldn't have say you have to be an old timer."
People sometimes use a magnet to see if a car’s body panel is mostly metal. If the magnet won’t stick, it can mean the panel has a lot of filler on it from previous damage.
The “magnet test” is a quick way to check whether a car panel is made of steel or if it has been covered with filler and bodywork. If a magnet doesn’t stick, it can indicate heavy mud/filler over rough areas, which often points to prior damage and expensive repairs.
"but maybe you don't want the car in knowing that body work is one of the most expensive things to do on a car. Painting body it just is."
Body work refers to repairing a car’s exterior after damage—things like dents, rust, and collision damage. It’s often expensive because it can involve metal repair, filler (“mud”), sanding, and then paint and blending to match the original finish.
"I put
the cost of what I thought that would cost me to make it what I wanted when I was making the purchase of the car, not after the fact. During
the purchase of the car, I was like, Okay, here's some things, and I did I wrote down."
They’re talking about planning for repair costs before you buy the car. That way, you don’t get surprised later—especially by expensive fixes like body damage and repainting.
The host describes estimating repair and modification costs before buying a car, then carrying those numbers into the purchase decision. This is a practical approach because bodywork and paint can be unpredictable and expensive once the car is already in your possession.
Term
hot rod motors
"I can
find motors all day long, you know, Like I said once again diving, I mean I just saw six or seven motors within the last week. There would be decent
hot rod motors for cars, and they ran."
“Hot rod motors” are engines that are set up to feel more powerful than the factory version. Here, the point is that engines are easier to find than expensive body/paint fixes.
“Hot rod motors” typically means engines that have been modified or selected for stronger performance than stock. In the context of buying parts, the host is contrasting finding engines easily with the harder-to-quantify cost of bodywork and paint.
"there is key little details and a lot of ads that raise those flags for me... ask AI what are the things I should look on that model car? If I'm looking for RUSS... Check these areas first before you check anything out"
A pre-purchase inspection is a thorough look at a car before you buy it, to find problems you might miss. Here, the host is basically saying to research and check the car carefully—especially for things like rust—before committing.
A pre-purchase inspection (PPI) is a careful check of a specific car before you buy it, often focusing on hidden issues that aren’t obvious in a quick look. This segment describes a DIY version of that process—using ads, model-specific research, and rust checks to spot warning signs early.
Concept
AI-assisted research for car buying
"go on. AI is a crazy thing, you guys know... just go ask AI what are the things I should look on that model car?... you can build it so you would look like before you purchase a car"
They’re talking about using AI to help you research a car before you buy it. For example, you can ask it what common problems to check for on that model, and it can help you think through what you want the car to look like after you modify it.
The host is describing using AI as a research tool during the car-buying process—asking it what issues to look for on a specific model and even generating visual concepts of what a “dream” version might look like. The practical value is narrowing down inspection priorities (like rust locations) before you spend money on the wrong car.
"If I'm looking for RUSS, we're the rust area problems. If you don't know, most likely you need to find it in a form. You can find it on Google, or you can ask AI..."
Rust is when metal gets eaten away by corrosion. It can be a big deal on a used car because fixing it can cost a lot, so you want to check the common rust spots for that specific model.
Rust is corrosion of the metal body or frame, and it’s one of the most expensive problems to deal with on older cars. In this segment, the host emphasizes using model-specific rust “hot spots” to check before buying, because rust patterns tend to repeat by design and location.
".... And that's where I found the seats to go in the Nova. I was like, well, I can buy new seats cheaper. T..."
The Chevrolet Nova is an older Chevrolet car that many people still work on today. Because it’s older, some owners replace worn parts like seats with new or used replacements. It’s often discussed when someone is fixing up a Nova they own.
The Chevrolet Nova is a classic American compact/midsize car that became popular for its simple, performance-friendly layout and wide aftermarket support. In a podcast context, it likely comes up because parts—like interior seats—are often sourced either used or as replacements, and owners may be working on older examples. That makes it a common topic for DIY repair and restoration discussions.
"I found seats I liked that looked I think better in the car. They're a little bit more low back the seat, but they compliment the car better."
A low back seat is a seat with a shorter backrest. It usually gives less support for your head and upper back, and it can change how the interior looks.
A low back seat has a shorter seatback height than a typical bucket or high-back racing seat. That changes how much head/upper-back support you get and can also affect visibility and how the seat “fits” visually in the cabin.
Term
new glue
"The one thing I hated about it is I hate the smell of that new glue when they do interior. If you guys know what I'm talking about,"
When they redo interior upholstery, they use adhesive to attach the new material. That adhesive can smell strongly at first, then the smell fades as it dries.
When upholstery is redone, shops often use contact adhesives to bond new foam and fabric/leather to the seat and interior panels. The “new glue” smell is typically volatile solvents off-gassing as the adhesive cures.
"But I got to clean vinegar, wiped everything down the clean vinegar, and the smell was gone. The next day, I did smell anything."
Vinegar is a common home remedy for odors. Here, the host wiped things down with vinegar to get rid of the smell from the new interior glue.
Vinegar is sometimes used as a household odor-removal trick because its acidity can help neutralize certain smells. In this context, the host used it to wipe down the interior after upholstery work to eliminate the adhesive odor.
"So keep that in mind. When people tell you that something you'll see in the ad all the time interior needs TLC. Ask that question, what's TLC?"
“TLC” is seller-speak for “it needs some attention.” In this context, it usually means the inside might be worn out and needs fixing or redoing.
In car listings, “TLC” is shorthand for “tender loving care,” meaning the vehicle’s interior or other areas need attention. It’s often used to imply cosmetic wear, missing/aged materials, or work like reupholstery rather than a mechanical failure.
"Funny came across the set of the seats like I just bought. They're probably maybe two years old that a guy had taken out heated like he wanted to go with the hireback seat."
Heated seats are seats with built-in warming elements. They can be a feature people look for when buying or upgrading interiors.
Heated seats use electric heating elements inside the seat cushions and backrests to warm the occupant. They’re a common factory or aftermarket comfort feature, and they can affect both the value and the complexity of seat swaps or recover jobs.
"It needs floorboards, it needs trunk metal, It probably needs rear quarters."
Floorboards are the metal floor inside the car. If they’re rusted, it can mean the car needs more than just cosmetic fixes.
Floorboards are the metal panels that form the floor of the cabin. Rust in floorboards can be a structural and safety issue and often signals deeper corrosion that may require significant repair work.
"It needs floorboards, it needs trunk metal, It probably needs rear quarters."
Rear quarters are the body panels around the back wheels. Rust there usually means more work than a quick patch.
Rear quarters are the curved body panels over the rear wheels and extending toward the back of the car. Rust in the rear quarters is often a sign of corrosion in areas that are harder to repair cleanly and may require panel replacement.
"It needs floorboards, it needs trunk metal, It probably needs rear quarters."
Trunk metal is the metal in the back cargo area. If it’s rusty, it can be more serious than it looks and may need bodywork.
“Trunk metal” refers to the sheet metal structure and panels in the rear cargo area. Rust here can affect how the trunk closes, how water drains, and whether the body structure is compromised.
"There's a good chance that as I'm driving it on a test drive down the road, I can see the highway."
A test drive is a short evaluation drive used to check how a car behaves under real-world conditions. The hosts’ point is that a drive won’t reveal hidden rust—what matters is what’s underneath the visible metal.
"Patina, that's another one that scares me. Now. I like cars with patina because I like rat rods."
Patina is the “old and worn” look a car gets over time. Some people like it, but it can also hide real rust problems underneath.
Patina is the worn, aged look of a car’s surfaces—often from weathering and light corrosion. The hosts note a split in attitudes: some people like patina for style (especially on rat rods), while others see it as a warning sign that rust may be more serious.
"Patina, that's another one that scares me. Now. I like cars with patina because I like rat rods."
Rat rods are hot rods that look intentionally rough and worn. If you’re building one, you might not mind rust the way you would for a show-ready car.
Rat rods are intentionally rough, unfinished-looking hot rods that embrace patina, mismatched parts, and a “built from whatever you had” aesthetic. In the context of rust, the hosts use rat rods to explain why some buyers tolerate visible corrosion.
"But if you're looking to take that car and make it a trailer queen, know what you're getting into. Know that if you see minor rust in the pictures, what are you gonna see when you get out there that."
A “trailer queen” is a car you keep nice for shows and events, not a car you drive every day. Rust that looks small in pictures can still ruin the “show car” goal.
A “trailer queen” is a car that’s kept in show-ready condition and typically transported to events rather than driven regularly. The hosts imply that rust you can see in photos can become a bigger problem if you’re trying to keep the car pristine.
"I don't think I could buy a car without somebody putting eyes on it. For me. This somebody told me it had some rust in it side unseen."
“Putting eyes on it” means checking the car yourself (or having someone check it) in person. Photos can miss hidden rust, so an on-site look matters.
“Putting eyes on it” means having a person physically inspect the car in person rather than relying on photos or the seller’s description. The hosts emphasize that rust claims like “minor” are risky without an in-person inspection, especially when buying from far away.
"you know another one that always gets me mechanic special Now. [3353.6s] I like mechanics specials, don't be me wrong. Bought tons
[3355.4s] of them, tons and tons of them."
A “mechanic special” is a car someone sells because it needs work. Usually the problem isn’t simple, so you’re buying it hoping you (or a shop) can figure it out and repair it.
A “mechanic special” is a used car that’s being sold because it’s not running right or has an obvious problem, and the seller expects a mechanic (or DIYer) to fix it. The catch is that the issue may be hard to diagnose, and sometimes the real problem is more than what the listing suggests.
"someones I've bought the mechanics specialism. Just it's beyond me. I've told you guys, I don't do Volkswagen. I don't do BMW. But unfortunately the boys have decided at one"
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is an electric van-style vehicle. Instead of using gasoline, it runs on electricity stored in a battery. Because it’s electric, it can require different knowledge and tools to repair than older gas cars.
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is an all-electric version of the Buzz, built as a people-moving van-style vehicle. It’s significant because it represents Volkswagen’s shift toward electric drivetrains, which can change how the car is serviced compared with traditional gas vehicles. In the podcast context, it’s mentioned in relation to technicians and service know-how, implying it can be more complex to work on.
"took it for a test drive, drove like a dream, got ready to turn in the driveway, and the car cut off and wentn't start. Not a clue. I checked everything, I
[3459.4s] scanned it, I checked everything, we put our hands on nothing."
Here, “scan” means plugging in a diagnostic computer to check for error codes. It helps find what’s wrong, but sometimes the problem is intermittent, so the scan may not show a clear answer.
In this context, “scanned” means using a diagnostic tool (like an OBD-II scanner) to read trouble codes from the car’s computer. Those codes can point to the system that caused the problem, but they don’t always capture intermittent faults—so a car can still stall or refuse to restart even if the scan doesn’t show anything obvious.
"I had a friend check it for me, who is more versed in Volkswagons than I am. Couldn't figure it out. We end up selling it to a Volkswagon technician, guy that is a master tech."
Volkswagon (Volkswagen) is a car brand. The point here is that the technician knows that brand really well, which can help when trying to figure out what’s wrong.
Volkswagon (Volkswagen) is the German automaker behind many popular models, and the speaker is describing a situation where a technician is especially familiar with Volkswagen cars. That kind of brand-specific expertise can matter when diagnosing faults that are common or have known patterns on a given make.
"...ling it to a Volkswagon technician, guy that is a master tech. And even he and my driveway, he goes, I don't ha..."
In the snippet you provided, “Master” seems to mean a very experienced mechanic, not a specific car. The point is that this top-level technician may understand how to repair certain vehicles better than most people. The conversation is about getting the right expertise for the job.
“Master” in this podcast context appears to refer to a vehicle or service role described as a “master tech,” meaning an expert-level technician rather than a specific car model. Because the transcript fragment doesn’t clearly name a make/model, the safest interpretation is that the discussion is about highly skilled repair work. That’s why it’s tied to the idea of knowing how to diagnose or fix a particular vehicle.
"If it's something that you want as a project car so you don't have to touch that. You can figure out how to put a motor in a car."
A project car is a car you’re planning to work on. Instead of fixing everything from scratch, you pick one where some big stuff is already done so you can focus on the parts you want to tackle.
A project car is a vehicle you plan to improve or repair over time rather than buy and drive immediately. In this segment, the host is suggesting you can choose a car that’s already been painted so you can focus on mechanical work like installing an engine.
Term
paint body
"Now. If you're a paint body guy, you are the different guy you're looking for all the cars and people have given up on a painting body."
“Paint body” is shorthand for the work of making a car look good on the outside—prep and painting. Some people are great at it, and others prefer not to do it themselves.
“Paint body” refers to the combined trade of painting and body finishing—getting the car’s surfaces prepped and then applying paint so the exterior looks correct. The host contrasts this with other kinds of work, implying some people specialize in paint/body while others focus on mechanical projects.
"like just needs a battery, Why didn't you put a battery in it? What are you hiding?"
The battery is what powers the car’s electronics and helps start the engine. The host is saying some sellers use “it just needs a battery” as an excuse to cover up other problems.
A car battery is the electrical power source that provides the initial current needed to start the engine and run the car’s electronics. The host is criticizing sellers who claim the car “just needs a battery,” implying it may be hiding bigger issues.
Talk Cars Radio is sponsored in party by NAPA Car Care Centers, BDG Auto Group, by Liberty Transmissions in Virginia Beach, and by Bob Barnum and the Perfect House Team. Here's
Davy p hang out with just myself today. That's right. So,
as I told you guys, we're getting into the busy season, and as we get busy, the boys are actually out on committed assignments and they start putting things together. But
I want to make sure you guyshit yourself a new show to listen to. So, hey, you guys got me
all by yourself. That's all right because we've got a
bunch of jump into. So if you guys remember, for
the last couple of weekends, we've been talking about project cars, and you know, I think what stirred up the conversation for us was when we went to the Roden Custom Show and I saw a lot of cool projects things are that being built Cars are already done. And you know, likewise,
we already have you know, two cars actually really three if you want to be technical, that we're still in the process of putting together that I know, we talk about it all the time. I hope that they get
done soon. I did make some leeway on the bad
Am this week, so that is looking promising. I'm maybe
where the bad Am hat just noticed I put it on ahead. So yeah, it's project cars for me are
a labor of love. I mean, I like working on
I enjoy it. But we'll come up with a conversation
this week, and it came from some listeners that were listening to last couple of episodes, and I think some of them people like from what I can tell and listening to some of the things that were sent to me is people already have the cars there. They purchased them,
or they bought them with little things to do, or people are looking to buy the new project, and I think they just kind of really wanted to toss around the Hawaii ideas of getting that next new project right and and the way to go about it. We laugh about
it as car guys, but I have a lot of people that you know, listen to the show that are not the typical car guy. They are people who find
the show entertaining for the fact that we joke about everything when it comes to cars or buying cars or whatever it is, and people listen to that and they're not hot rod guys. They don't own a bunch of
cars in their garage or even have one hot ride yet, but they're interested in possibly getting one, which is always exciting me because you know, if you guys pay attention to the end of the show, I always tell you, you know, you know, spend some time with your kids and stuff. And I think one of the best ways
to do that is buy a car and fix them up with it. I mean, it's there's a lot that
goes to it. And I think what stops a lot
of people from getting into the sport other than going to rather go to a racetrack and they just watch the cars race. So they go to a car show
and they just enjoy the cars for what they are.
But they don't own thee yet, but they think themselves they like to get one. Is a lot of them
don't know what they're looking for or what to look for.
Maybe is the easiest way to say it. You know
a lot of us that play around or at the car shows and stuff like that. You know, we probably
grew up in it. It's secondhand nature to a lot
of us, or we've taught ourselves over the years how to you know, work on the cars. I get a
lot of younger You know, when I say younger, I don't mean like totally young, but I get a lot of the younger crowd. I get a lot of cool
conversations with when I go to certain shows that tend to have that type of crowd, and their spin off on the car market is completely different than the hot rodders, right, So you know, I tell everybody you can buckle into this conversation a bunch of different ways. You can approach
it from a lot a lot of different approaches when it comes to cars and stuff. But there's some guys
who are just happy with driving. You know, a civic.
Maybe it's got some mismatch fenders on it, and they are steadily working on it here and there. As they
have money that provided to them, they come up with it.
Extra dollars rub together nickels. I have to pay a
rend whatever it is. Maybe they live with mom, and
mom and dad are helping them out and whatever. I'm
good with that because they're just wrenching, right. So I
like the fact that any car culture I tend to mesh pretty well with all of them because I'm not really looking at it for what it is or could be.
It's just the fact that they're out there and they're doing it. You know, that guy that's got the Civic
with two mismatch fenders and maybe a set of wheels on or something like that, that's his pride and joy.
He's enjoying building it. And I can get down with that.
And I've told you guys at many different times in the show how I really enjoy just those conversations with those guys that are building things. And it's kind of
funny because in the last couple of weeks in conversation, I think going to a lot of different car shows because it is that season. There's a lot of those
conversations that keep sparking up with people that I talk with and they're like, well, you know, I kind of like this and I like that, or you know, some guys just like you know complete you know, show queen kind of cars and stuff, and I'm okay with those, But I tend to have better conversations sometimes with the guy that's still building. There's not the guy that's completed.
And not that I don't appreciate what it is that they have, because I really do. But the guy that's
still in the phase of building it and has the dreams and the hopes and where he sees the car going to it tends to be a more interactive conversation would be not you know, I've sat and interviewed people.
You guys see a different kind of platforms. We've been
you know, with Siema, Barrett Jackson, you name it. We've
been everywhere. We've been very, very lucky to have this
show out at all those different events and talk with people about the cars, and they tell us about it and stuff, and it's a different conversation. For a complete car.
You can tell me everything that's been done with the car, and then the conversation tends to stop at that point.
For the guy who's still building his car, there's more conversation for me. Had it's like what he sees and
he's not convinced you had a what he's gonna do, whether it's a muscle car, you know, or it's you know, a euro build or it's you know, a Japanese but whatever it is, their visions go deeper into conversation with me, and you know, the guy's like, only thing, I'm gonna put a trouble on it. Maybe I'm not, you know,
And then you go down that road. I think where
a lot of the halts comes in with me on it is when I get into the guy who is out there doesn't have a car yet and he really is truly interested in what the next step is. And
that's where the conversation came in this week at was you know, you talk about your guys' builds and things you guys have built in the past and the future builds you guys you know, want to get into, you know, for somebody you know, And I'm paraphrasing here a little bit with you know, with somebody saying if it was I guess maybe third person on it, but if there was another person there, like, hey, if I was to get into it and I was going to start, you know, it's a little scary and where do I start at?
And I gotta agree with you. I've had some of
the strangest conversations myself just trying to negotiate a purchase on a car. You know, a lot of days, the
technology and the day and age and that we're in.
Everything is computer based. There's no more, uh for you
guys that they're younger. The Green sheet or you know,
we used to buy Auto Trader. I think Autotrader stool around,
but not like it was back in the day. I remember,
like that was a staple of a week for me.
Usually I picked up, you know, the car the green sheet and looked at the cars, and I picked up an Auto Trader and rather I was looking to buy anything right that second. That was you know, that was
the thing to do, and I wasn't. It's not like
I was the only one. Like all my friends did
the same thing. I can remember, you know, looking at
cars or starting to look for a project and stuff and having a conversation with a coworker or a friend or whatever it is, and they're like, oh, y man, I saw that same car in the green sheet. You know,
it's just it's the same thing nowadays. Maybe he brought it,
I don't. I don't. I had two times in the
last maybe two months where someone had seen the exact car I was talking about online. So I think that
it still happens, just not as much. I think I
just believe we're disconnected a lot when it comes to computers.
I know everybody's a computer technology guy. I don't have
a choice but to be. But I do miss the
search and for cars and car parks and stuff a little bit. I know it's more convenient, guys, I get it.
The computer is convenient. I'm not saying it isn't. But
I think I just felt like I was a little bit more connected with my passion when there was a little bit more search on. You know. I've told you
guys about you know, driving you know, four hundred miles one way to go pick up one part. And I
got that information through somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody, and I had to make a telephone call and get somebody on the phone and kind of find out, yep, that wrecking yard in the middle of nowhere has that one part that I need for the car. And then
we made a weekend trip out of it. And I'm
a weekend because you're driving fourhun miles and like you're driving four to miles there and four my almost back on the same day. It became a weekend trip, and
those were camping trips because I didn't have a whole lot of money. I wasn't stay in at the hotels.
Back then, we literally like would drive, we would camp and tent and come back just for that part. But
I ask some of the best stories that came out of that. So for the guy who is just trying
to get into it, and it's now in the computer age, it's a different world. And like I said, I've had
some of the strangest conversations with people trying to buy cars online. I'm not a fan of any of the platforms,
just so you guys know. And I think I've told
you guys now you've heard me talk about Yes, I have one hundred percent I deep dive in and I two o'clock in the morning looking on the internet for cars for sale and stuff like that. I am one
hundred percent guilty of it. It is now called the
car guy's addiction is what it is, and it is a toxic addiction to trying to find that project. Rather,
you're just scrolling like me and you're like, oh, that looks cool, and maybe you have no intent ever buy anything.
Or it's just something to do. Like I said, I
didn't exactly plan on buying cars back then when I was picking up the Green Sheet and the Auto Trainer or stuff like that, but I was looking at it.
It was cool to have the possibilities. The Internet just
is the same thing nowadays. It's just crazier when you
read some of the ads and some of the breakdowns that people have for their cars. And it's not easy
if you're not a car guy yet, or even if you are a car guy but you don't know everything.
I always tell you, bring somebody with you, for heaven's sakes, bring somebody with you that has maybe more knowledge than you do, because there's so much out there. I have
bought cars, guys, and I have missed things. I told you, guys.
I bought a car. It's many, many years ago. It's
got to at least be twenty years ago that I purchased.
And I was at auction and I was busy talking with somebody at the auction and stuff, and I purchased a car thinking it was great. I thought it was
a great car. No, it was just so dirty that
it looked great. It was actually like a bright white
car and I think I've told you guys that story before, and I just purposed it. It just had so much
crud and junk and all kinds of stuff on it.
Now I made it a nice car, don't be wrong.
But I had knowledge enough to feel comfortable to do that.
Imagine being the guy who's just trying to get into the into doing cars and he wants to build his first hot rod or whatever it is. I don't care what.
I always say hot rod, and everybody's like, why you always say hot rod because this first thing comes to mind.
It could be a Hana Civic, it could be a Toyota, it could be, you know, a Chevy. I don't I
don't care what it is, guys. I'm just saying for
that first guy that maybe's just looking to take on a project and a build a project and stuff like that, it could be very intimidating. The Internet is a very
scary place. I fall for it all the time. I'd
be the first one admit I see the ad. It
looks good. I'm like, ah, the price looks right. Sometimes
the price looks too right. It raises a red flag
for me one, but it's not because of the the way everything lays out. There's there's conviction in the way
people put ads. I believe that. I truly believe that.
And sometimes I think people are trying to be genuine and they just know not to say certain things. And
then you know, you take the time to go out and take a look at the car, and maybe it didn't present like it did online, and there's probably a really good chance it purposely didn't, just so you know, And I'm not trying to say that anybody's trying to not some people, not everybody out there is trying to one percent get over on you. But there are strategic
ways when people place ads for cars that I believe they do that on purpose. There's a lot of different
ways that that kind of goes in to things, and it is it is part of the deep dye process.
For me to break it down, it's gonna take me just a little bit of time, So let me take a quick commercial break. When I get back, maybe I
have some answers for you and maybe help you on your next purchase or maybe even help you want to get into it. So hold type I brought back.
Speaker 1: You're listening to Dave Plash on Let's Talk Cars Radio.
Dave will be right back. Nobody remembers the name JF.
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Speaker 2: Talk to you soon. Hey, Dave, What? Hey, Dave what?
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Speaker 1: Welcome back to Let's Talk Cars Radio. You're automotive specialist.
Now back to your host Dave Polach.
Speaker 2: Hey, guys, welcome back. So if you did not catch
the first segment, we were jumping into buying that first project car. Maybe it's your tenth project car, but you
just haven't had any success, right, And I tell you, guys, it's not for you know, the lack of trying. I
truly believe you guys all go into it like I do.
I go into it thinking that this looks like a good deal, the price is right, the car's right for me, it's what I'm looking for and stuff, and then it spirals a little out of control. So, like I said,
mine always starts with a late night dive into and that's usually late at night because I don't sleep. I
don't know why, I just can't sleep. Migrains do that
to you guys funny, and you guys know I've talked to you guys many times about me cuffling from bad migraines.
So it's very hard to get sleep, so to entertain myself sometimes I can't. I'm looking through every single car
that's out there. Now I am convinced, and so are
a lot of the people I was talking with this week as we talked about this topic, that bad pictures of cars are taken purposely, there's something to hide. Maybe
you're just really bad with the camera, because I know people are gonna say, oh, you know, I didn't mean to Okay, benefit of the doubt, But if you're trying to truly sell a car, don't you think it would be in the best interest to take the best pictures possible that represent that car to sell it. You see
pictures out there taken through chain link fences. I E.
Hides bad bodywork, didn't even bother to pull the car out of the garage. It's side angle, I E. Once again,
hide scratches, bad bodywork, and I you know, or the picture is just a little askew. You only see certain
things like it took the picture and this little portion of the car was missing in the picture's clip, you know, the way the camera was angled. Those pictures i'd really
much believe are taken. That's just my personal opinion. They're
taken on purpose like that because I'm gonna get you out to the car and then turn the fluff on and you're gonna fall in love with the car. Guys,
if you say you're not going to for the most part, I would say eighty percent of you guys are If you said that would be wrong. I can't count how
many times I have gone out to a car. I
have checked it. It is not what the picture has presented,
and yet for some reason, I still want to take it home because I believe I can fix it and I can save it. Every one of us have that
I can save it mentality. And if you don't think so,
there is a thing online that you can go to the it's a a website, it's on a Facebook or something.
I saw it and it's like destroy or save or one of those sayings or something like that. Look it up.
You'll find it and that page has a lot of hits on it and tons of people comedy. So if
you think that that isn't a thing where people it could be really bad. Often you don't convince yourself on
site that you can save it. You're nuts. It happens.
Like I said, I have one hundred percent fallen into that, and that's what that guy's hoping for. That's the reason
why I took the pictures he took. That's the reason
why there's not a good picture in the car, or the pictures are opting of sufting out. Another thing you
can't see is you can't see rust. Really you can
see it if it's on the you know, on the outside panel, but if the picture's taken correctly, you can hide rust from the car. I have been to more
cars than I can count on my hands and my toes that the picture looks great. I have zoomed on
the picture and I can't see it, and then I get out there and the car has rushed, and then somehow I'm still sometimes not all the time convincing myself that that's not as bad as it looks. It's not.
If you guys, you guys will have to. If you're
a car guy, you watch as many car shows as I watch, and you've seen what happens when they blast these cars I have seen so many shows, and I know a lot of the guys that have the shows that are on TV and have been in conversations with them about it's not what's on the surface, it's what's underneath that we never even knew is there until they decide that they're gonna blast it and change the car color and stuff, and it is just a complete you know, you know what show underneath it happens. It's not because
you picked a bad car. Sometimes it's just you didn't.
You can't see it. So if you see a little
trace of anything, right, know that there's more to be found.
You should be crawling all over that car. And if
it's out of state, which, oh my goodness, how many conversations I have people buying cars that are from out of state where they just purchased it, didn't look it over, set it on a truck, it gets to their house and they're like, oh my goodness, it happens, and once again you'll be like, oh, that won't happen to me. Yeah, well,
buy enough cars, trust me, buy enough cars. I've had
ones that I have climbed all over that I'm like, that doesn't seem like it's that bad and you get it home and you've missed something. It's worse than what
you thought. I tell you, guys, anything, even if you
were just buying the most simplest car. Let's say you're
buying a car for your kid and stuff. Always you
guys heard me say on the show many times, if it's a five thousand dollars car, it's a seventy five hundred dollars car because of all the stuff, little things you're going to fix on it. So imagine in the
world of restoration and hot rods and muscle cars and whatever it is you know or that you have any know you I don't know insert car here, guys, because every time I say, somebody sends me a text and says you forgot this type of car. I'm gonna stop
you myself from doing that. But pick whatever car it is.
You're going to miss some theme, if not a lot of different things. It's just gonna happen. So imagine buying
a car that you've only seen pictures of, and you're buying it offline. Your best bet is to try to
find something that can go and I've told you this before, they can go take a look at it for you.
If so, hopefully you got a relative or a friend or somebody that knows somebody in that state that you can give a couple of bucks and maybe buy them lunch or whatever and see if they can swing buy and take a look at the car for you and take some real pictures of it for you, and explain to them what pictures you want, what you're looking for.
And maybe you don't know if you don't know, asked somebody, because people are like, I don't I didn't know, I didn't know. Okay, Well, there's tons of us out there.
I mean, just jump online. You'll find you know less
than no less than a thousand people that will give you their unadulterated opinion on how to do this. It's
it's one of those situations where there's plenty of information out there. You can keep minded me. All the little
things that you read in the ad are clues clues on buying cars, I mean so many different things. The
guy that doesn't want to be bothered with answering questions should be a red flag for you. I mean, maybe
you're missing out on a great car, but why take that gamble, especially if you're spending bigger money you know, you get to the point where you're spending ten thousand dollars on a car and it's out of state and you can't put your hands on it. The guy that
doesn't want to answer a lot of questions is not your seller that you want to be dealing with. Its
just not. And even if he does answer questions, just
know he's trying to sell you a car. It's in
his interest to give you information or take additional pictures or whatever if there's complications within that. Like I said,
there's a good chance you don't want to be involved with that car. I don't care how much you think
you want the car. And if you do, then you
get what you get. You know what I mean. It's
just it is what it is. If it's for instance,
like I said, I dive all the time, people send me stuff like hey, check out this car. You know,
friends in listeners and stuff send me stuff a lot.
They're advertising for cars that are on all the different platforms and stuff. And I look at I'm like, oh,
that's kind of cool. And then I kind of dig
it around and then I send something back to them like ah, hey, thanks, you know you sent me that car, did you happen to notice, and they didn't. They didn't
notice it. And maybe I wouldn't have if I wasn't,
you know, really trying to take a look at it.
And that's just off a picture, like I said, imagine how much worse it may be in person. So, like
I said, pay a service to go out and take a look at the car. There's services that will do
for you. Or find somebody that knows somebody, a friend
like I said, relative or something that can go out there and take a look at that car and have him climb all over it. I used to carry a
magnet in my pocket, and if anybody knows that old trick.
A lot of the old timers listen to the show, and I wouldn't have say you have to be an old timer. But I learned it from somebody that was
senior to me by quite a few years when I was younger. And run it. It'll tell you if there's
bond a lot of bottle in the car, the pak is not gonna stick. And maybe sometimes like oh I
ran it and this stuck. Okay, maybe there was enough
metal in there. But for the most part, if you
run a magnet on certain parts where you know there's rough spots that are common in those cars. If it
isn't sticking, it's got a lot of mud in it, And maybe you don't. Maybe you do want that car,
but maybe you don't want the car in knowing that body work is one of the most expensive things to do on a car. Painting body it just is. And
everybody says, well, I got to spend tons of money in motor You can't. You can spend a lot of
money into an engine. I'm not saying that you can't.
I'm just saying there's a lot of cost factored into bodywork and paint. A lot of time you were unless
you were just buying the car and you plan a complete change of the color, which by the way, you guys know I've done a couple different times. We just
did that with white. Noise wasn't white when we got it.
But that was my vision for the car. I put
the cost of what I thought that would cost me to make it what I wanted when I was making the purchase of the car, not after the fact. During
the purchase of the car, I was like, Okay, here's some things, and I did I wrote down. I sat
and wrote down on a piece of paper things I thought I wanted to do that car before I purchased it, and then I put a dollar figure next to it, and we went through that shows ago, I think a couple of years ago. We kind of walked you through
the bill process on a car and I gave you guys associated cost on an easy scale. Some of them
are a little bit inflated just to be safe, but I gave you guys the breakdown of build in the car.
Go look for that episode if you kind of want that if you are looking to buy somebody your body thing.
But Peyton Body is usually the biggest one. I can
find motors all day long, you know, Like I said once again diving, I mean I just saw six or seven motors within the last week. There would be decent
hot rod motors for cars, and they ran. I saw
alm as low as you know, four thousand dollars all the way up to like seven thousand dollars. That's not
a bad cost for a running motor. And it was
things I'd be interested. They weren't junk motors. There were
things like, oh, that would be kind of cool motor put in it, and the price isn't bad on it, and everybody's like, oh I could build a cheaper Sure you probably can, But if you can't, they're out there and they're available. So keep in mind when people start
putting things like needs slight bodywork, usually needs slight bodywork really means you're probably getting ready to get into a little more than you're willing to get into. If you're
just trying to start off and get into something and drive it and enjoy it. Now, Like I said, for
somebody like me who's going to buy a car who's probably looking too strip it completely down and start from scratch, may not be a deal breaker for me. Maybe it is,
but maybe it's not when I've already associated that costs.
I tell you, guys, one of the things is always remember when you're buying your next project or your first project, whatever it is, buy right and you can fix it right.
If you're buying wrong, then you can't afford to fix it right because you're way over the exploded costs of the car, and then it's all pointless at the end, right, So you got to kind of keep some of that stuff in mind. And when you're reading the ads, like
I said, there is key little details and a lot of ads that raise those flags for me, and you can teach yourself how to raise them for you. Look up,
go on. AI is a crazy thing, you guys know.
I love hate relationship with a I. But just go
ask AI what are the things I should look on that model car? If I'm looking for RUSS, we're the
rust area problems. If you don't know, most likely you
need to find it in a form. You can find
it on Google, or you can ask AI and it'll go look at all those websites for you and give you a general answer. This model car tends to rust
in these areas. Check these areas first before you check
anything out, and it'll give you to it. If you
don't believe me, try it right now. I've done. I know,
I've tested the theory. I'm like. AI is getting to
be pretty crazy when it comes to building cars, right down to supplying you with the picture of what it would look like by your dream of you telling it what you want the car to look like. You can
build it so you would look like before you purchase a car, and then noe, do I really want that car or not? Because here's what I had in my
head what it should look like, is it going to look like that when I'm done? Try that out. Tell
me what you think. That's just one way. There's a
lot of things that go into you know, buying these cars guys, and making them right, and making sure you purchase right. All the different things go into it. There's
a lot to be said when it comes to that.
I got some more for you, guys. I got to
take another quick commercial break. When I come back, we're
gonna dive into some of the meetings just so you guys know what to look for. So hold tight. I'll
be right back.
Speaker 1: You're listening to Dave to on Let's Talk Cars Radio.
Dave will be right back.
Speaker 6: Ay days, Hey Dave, what I've got a secret?
Speaker 2: What are you?
Speaker 5: Twelve?
Speaker 6: No, I'm just excited to announce Liberty Transmission is headed to the future m by a Dolorian.
Speaker 2: Did you no?
Speaker 6: But we did get a brand new building. That's right, people,
Liberty Transmission is moving to thirty forty one Holland Road to better serve the community. Check out our website for
updates or give us a call at seven five seven two three three thirty one thirty one. That's right, two
three three thirty one thirty one and remember my name is on every transmission.
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That's seven five to seven four six four one zero zero three.
Speaker 2: I'll talk to you soon.
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nine nine one seven one four. JF. Wilow and Sons Incorporated.
Welcome back to Let's Talk Cars Radio. You're automotive specialist.
Now back to your host, Dave Palach.
Speaker 2: Hey, guys, welcome back. So before I went to commercial breakout,
was telling you about the meanings of when the cars for sale, and I said, there's a lot of hidden stuff withinside, uh the ads. First of all, I hate
when I try to when I'm interested, generally interested in a car. I don't like the process of having to
send the message and then waiting for somebody and then you know, one of the things that really annoys me lately is be left on read forever you read it and you didn't even respond to me. You're selling a
car if it's sold, tell me, hey, it's already sold.
I already have somebody pen to come get it, whatever it may be. But being knowing that you read my
message and you didn't answer it, it's not everybody's like, oh, it's because you tried to low bamb I ain't got that far yet, didn't talk about price yet. I just
you got a car for sale. I liked what you
had for sale. I sent you a message. I see
you read it, and you didn't reply back to me.
I will never get that. And maybe that's the reason
why I miss the green sheet with the telephone number that you call, because back in the day, you had to give a working telephone number. That's the only way
you get the add up, so you knew you were at least calling somebody that did exist now rather to answer the phone or not. Who knows. But maybe that's
the reason why I liked that. So that is one
of the biggest things. The second pet peeve of mine,
like I said, I think I allude to and in the beginning is me asking questions and you not wanting to give full answers or just just come look at it, just come look at it. I have maybe five questions
direct questions I asked before I'm ready to go take a look at it. It takes and people go, well,
you know, I got a hundred people. I got a
hundred people ask those questions. Okay, Well I can tell
you I've sold a lot of different cars and what happens for me even in computer age now, because back when I was selling cars, you know, in the green cheets and stuff, you couldn't really do it. But I've
sold quite a few different cars, you know, out of our fleet and things we've had. And once somebody keeps
on asking me the same questions over and over again, I go and add it to the ad and I answers, here's some basic questions I can answer for you if I hadn't already answered. I try to put I've tried
to be pretty transparent some things that I sell and put them in there if I'm getting rid of them, even right down to selling car parts, like you know, I'll pull a set of wheels off a car that you know that I don't want and to put, you know, and sell them and put a different set of wheels on them. And I'm I answer one of the questions
I think they're going to ask in that you know, I say, this is what's for sale, and here are some highlighted things about it, just to stop some of that from, you know, being stuck with having to, you know, answer a bunch of questions. So I get it, you know,
but if if you are the seller and you put it out there, and you the twentieth person ask you the same questions, just go edit it and put it in there and maybe people won't ask you. Now people,
I get it. I've already answered him. It's in the ad.
We're not talking about that. It just helps people like
me who are looking at what you're trying to sell them, and it answers a couple of my quick questions. Like
I said, I got like five. I asked the simple ones.
I ask about body, anything done to it that needs extent from what I can see in the pictures, anything I can't see in the pictures. Something like that is
one of my questions I usually ask. I think that's
a pretty simple question. I don't think that I'm overstepping
mechanical issues. Anything that mechanically that has been listed that
isn't listed in the ad is something I need to know interior wise, and interior is always a big question for me that I ask, and I'm like, you know, what's the interior, like any piece is missing, anything to be added, anything, you know, give me because if it's not in there, I want to know. You know. Interior
is another thing that can get to be expensive. We
just bought seats for white noise. Yeah, that's right, white noise.
Up to the biggest reason why is I took it to I wanted. I was the seats that came in
white noise are okay. I like them, they're not They're
not my first pick for a seat, if that makes sense, But they came with the car, and you know, and they're the right error for the vehicle. But I just
wasn't in love with the design of it. I don't
think I'm too much in love with I think these seats are out of like a seventy one. Of the
seventy one. They were one of the options from what
I can say, and artis is sixty nine. So they're
obviously not the seats that came with it. But like
I said, our car was set up at one point time it was gonna be a drag car, and we said it from that for me, you know, all cut you know up and tore up and stuff like that, and that's what was my interest in that car. So yeah,
I wasn't really a fan of the seats, but I was like, Okay, I could probably make the seats and like them more if things were done. One of the
things I didn't like about the seats is it has crushed diamond velvet in the center. You guys don't like
you know, I don't know if it's velvet, but it looks like velvet or I don't know. It's not swaying
on it. It reminds me of just I don't know,
Grammar's furniture. I didn't like it. So I was like,
if we could recover the seats and get rid of that, then I'll probably be happy with seats. And I like them.
They're a little bit of high back seat. I think
the car really needed in more of a low back seat, but they would have been fine. But it was like
eight hundred dollars a seat to re wrap the seats.
So I was like, me being a car guy, and this is for you guys out there buying cars that Like I said, do you guys want the answers? I'm
trying to give you guys all the scenarios, know about the interior. Know that if you don't like something in
tier or something's missing, you have to purchse something. Know
what's gonna cost. Once again, jump online. There's so many
different avenues out there that you go on to. You
can go Summit, you can go to speedway racing, you can go to all those different ones and sites that are out there. I have tons, I have classic Industry,
I have a magazine for everything. And I'm a magazine guy.
I know you guys can go everybody, So you know, you can go online. Just look at it. I don't
know if they send me that stuff and I sit there and flip through it. When I when I'm in
the garage and I'm sitting, you know, taking a break from working on something. I flipp through the catalogs and
look at see what as available. And that's where I
found the seats to go in the Nova. I was like, well,
I can buy new seats cheaper. Then I could recover
in these seats. By the way they're old and the
tracks rolling and stuff like that. I was able to
buy the seats and yes they came with tracks. Everybody's like, oh,
with the seats, then you gotta buy the tracks and ends would be more money. Now did my research and
I found seats I liked that looked I think better in the car. They're a little bit more low back
the seat, but they compliment the car better. And it
was cheaper for me to buy and ship to my house because everybody's like, well then you got shipping no everything all in, guys, the seats, the tracks are shipping everything to my door cheaper than it was for me to do the seats. Now. That has nothing to say
with bad about a postry places. They're a business. They
need to make money. I'd get it. If I want
their services, I'm willing to pay for the services which I have. I had the dash redone. I thought the
price that was done for the dask we recovered was a great price. I didn't go buy one. I could
have bought one online, but I had it done here locally.
Speaker 1: It was.
Speaker 2: It came out very nice. It was a very good
that was done. The one thing I hated about it
is I hate the smell of that new glue when they do interior. If you guys know what I'm talking about,
You know what I'm talking about. It takes a while
for to fade. So I did find I second time
I've had that, first time I've ever tried this trick.
Last time I had, I just put it in the garage and let it sit there for like two or three weeks, and the smell went away. This time, it
was in there for two or three weeks. The smell
did not go away. But I got to clean vinegar,
wiped everything down the clean vinegar, and the smell was gone.
The next day, I did smell anything. So if you
got the same problem, just so end up. Little trick
I learned. I didn't. I mean, I'm sure a lot
of you guys maybe already know that, but I didn't.
I mean, I've wiped it down with cleaners and stuff like that, and smell didn't go away. So I looked
it up online and they're like, hit it with some clean vinegar and the smell should dissipate. And it did.
But like I said, I paid somebody local do that did a great job. It's going to look great inside
the car. The seat's different. Thing. It just it was
it was money value and just kind of give you ideas.
Everybody's like, well, what was the savings? Roughly five hundred
dollars difference for me by brand new seats, brand new tracks versus let somebody recover the seats and I got a brand new seat. Its great. I think it's gonna
look got in the car. We don't have the Nova
back in the garage yet, but when it gets back in there, I'll tell you guys how it works out.
But so far it's kind of looking good. So keep
that in mind. When people tell you that something you'll
see in the ad all the time interior needs TLC.
Ask that question, what's TLC? Is it missing parts? Does
it need to be recovered? I except that's one of
my questions that I ask. I just I just do
because I know the cost of doing interior if I'd have did seats. By the way, we've got new door
panels too, but I told you guys about that before.
But seats, door panels, carpet dash, all that kind of stuff that is a big bill by time it's all said and done. Unless you can source it. You find
somebody that has ripped out good stuff out of their car.
They're just trying to sell it off because they decide to do something custom that happens. Funny came across the
set of the seats like I just bought. They're probably
maybe two years old that a guy had taken out heated like he wanted to go with the hireback seat. Now,
if mine were recovered, he probably had been interested in mine, and maybe we could have worked out of trade. But
like I said, mine needed to be recovered, and I already knew that. But he was looking to go for
the look I already had, and I was looking to go for the look that he had. But I purchased him,
and I said they had popped up a week later, you know what I mean. But here's the thing that
savings versus buying his were only a couple of years old.
It was only going about two hundred and fifty. Maybe
if I worked with him on the price, three hundred dollars difference for than me buying new than what he was selling him for. So still money was saved. But
like me, okay, so White Noise has a bunch of parts we've taken off of it that at some point in time I need to sell. I got hoods, I
got suspensions, I got all kinds of stuff that we have changed around on the car that are parts that you hope to sell off and recuperate some of the money for some of the other things you're doing. So
keep that mind when you're buying a car. If there's
certain things you know that you want to buy for the car and you want to change, are the parts you're going to take off it good enough to sell back out the market. Now you're gonna make tons of money,
but at least you could offset some of the costs some way. So keep that in mind. Like I said,
anything that has the title tl SEE rather it is interior, it is the body work, it is whatever, just inquire what that means because you know, for me, TLC could be totally lost cause I mean just could just letting you guys know. I mean one could mean that, maybe not,
but I mean you need to know and only asking questions.
Like I said, if you're buying a car online and you can't see it yourself, these are questions you should be asking and ask for pictures. If they don't want
to provide it, skip the car unless you have to have it. And I say that with so much conviction,
like you see, because I've had this conversation with people over and over again. They buy the car anyway, and
then they contact me after I've already had this conversation and tell me all the bad that has happened with purchasing that car. And I'm like, I told you asked
for more pictures and stuff. Well, you know, it looked
like it was all right, and the guy said it was fine. Right, he's trying to sell you the car.
He's going to tell you whatever it is you want to hear. Trust me, That's just the way it works.
So you know, keep keep it in mind. You know,
there's I wrote all kinds of notes and stuff like that because there were so many questions when I was having this conversation over the week that it was hard for me to keep it all all up here upstairs.
You know. Another one. The people are always like, oh, well,
you know, you know ran when it when it was parked, Okay, how long ago was it parked? And when it ran
when it parked didn't mean it rolled down a hill hit a tree and that's now where it stayed until you're buying it. Those that's why you're asking questions. Because
ran when it parked, how long and how just because it ran did it run good? Was it a lost cause?
And that's why it ran when it parked and you stopped working on it. These are things you want to
know with buying that car, and all you have to do is ask I said, once again, if you ask questions and you don't get any answers, and by the way, you don't even if the answers you're getting are real, if he's telling you the truth. But at least if
he's given you some answers, it gives you somewhere to go with it. You just have to you have to
keep that in mind. It's like I said, there's a
there's a lot that goes into it, but you can teach yourself how to buy the right purchase for you. Now,
once again, for the car guy who has a bunch of hot rods already and has built a bunch, maybe this information is just repetitive for you, I hope that you can take something out of it. Rather it's just
comedy and enjoyment out of it, or there's timid's information that you keep you from buying it. Like I said,
I bought a lot of cars, and I mean eate a lot. I don't think anybody my age personally should
have owned as many cars as I've had my time, but I'm a car guy and I love it. I
can't stop myself. As my wife reminds me all the time,
you already have some, why are you looking for more?
And it is it's an addiction to cars. I mean
there's worse addictions to have. I mean minor cars. I
like them, and maybe I have no intention of buying that particular one. I'm looking at it right this second,
but let me just go. Let me go down that road,
and if I end up buying it. When buying it,
we sho just end up with another car in the garage.
But I'm steadily trying to curtell myself and get done what we have right the second. But people keep reaching
out to me. They keep on sending me some really
cool stuff. But the guy that sent me the sixty
six Cadillac, you're killing me. Y'all know I have a love.
I don't know what it is with old Cadillacs. I
think I want one, maybe I believe I want one, but I have some things I gotta put together. Please
stop sending me cars. Guys. My wife is gonna kill
me if you all keep on sending me cars, because I'm gon end up buying them something and we're not done with these ones yet, so uh yeah, that's what I got. I got some more phrases for you guys
that you're gonna want to look at in ads that I'm gonna go over here. I gotta take quick commercial break.
The show is going quick, so hole time with me and I'll be right back.
Speaker 1: You're listening to Dave on Let's Talk Cars Radio. Dave
will be right back.
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Speaker 4: Hey, Michelle, thanks for coming in.
Speaker 3: No problem.
Speaker 2: What is that? Oh? Curtis dropped that off earlier this week.
He calls it the excitement button.
Speaker 4: Every time you see liberty, I'm supposed.
Speaker 2: To push this button. Liberty, Yeah, Liberty, ooh yeah, Liberty.
Liberty Transmissions for the working Men.
Speaker 3: I don't know about this, Dave.
Speaker 2: You gotta admit it's got a ring to it.
Speaker 1: Liberty Transmission two three three thirty one thirty one. That's
two three three thirty one thirty one. Better yet, visit
them today. Fifty one sixty Singleton Way in Virginia Beach
two three three three one three one. Liberty Transmission. Welcome
back to let's talk Cars Radio. You're automotive specialist. Now
back to your host, Dave Palach.
Speaker 2: Hey, guys, welcome back. So we're talking about buying cars
and you're trying to buy your first project car and you know the best way to do it and things look out for if you've never bought one, or maybe this is your twentieth one you're buying, and just maybe some of this information is things you've never thought of.
So this week, while we were discussing it, we were having a conversation about, you know, the hidden meetings that they have uh in these ads and stuff like that.
We all start joking and we were laughing about, you know, what we've seen and what the meetings really mean versus what is put inside the ad. So another one that
we had was when somebody says minor rust, Like I said before, the chances that it's minor if you can see it. It's what's underneath that you can't see is
what you should be worried about. My interpretation of minor rust.
When I hear it in an AD and I'm reading it in my head, I am expecting the worst. It
needs floorboards, it needs trunk metal, It probably needs rear quarters.
There's a good chance that as I'm driving it on a test drive down the road, I can see the highway.
I need a flintstone stop. Whatever it is. That's where
it is for me in my head when people put minor rust, because minor rust, like I said, is the only thing you can see. It's only the surface. When
somebody says surface rust, I don't believe it. Don't believe
in surface rust. Patina, that's another one that scares me. Now.
I like cars with patina because I like rat rods.
So sometimes holes and stuff like that do not scare me away from a purchase. I'll buy it anyway, because
that was my intent for the car. But if you're
looking to take that car and make it a trailer queen, know what you're getting into. Know that if you see
minor rust in the pictures, what are you gonna see when you get out there that. I don't think I
could buy a car without somebody putting eyes on it.
For me. This somebody told me it had some rust
in it side unseen. I just don't think I could
do it. It's on you. Do you ever decide to do?
Because here's the thing, the reality of it is a lot of us that are buying these cars. We are
buying from outside our area, sometimes far away. I mean,
the last one I just looked at that I liked is in Oklahoma. I been to Oklahoma in a while.
Give me a reason to go, I guess. But like
I said, I am trying to be a good boy.
I'm trying not to buy anything. But I had a
somewhat serious conversation about this particular car that was out there that I was interested in for a couple of different reasons. And I won't tell you guys what it
is because we've gone down my passions for cars. But
this particular car is an idea I told you guys on a couple of shows that the boys and I have on building. The reason why, I'm not gonna say
because I don't if we decide to do this, I don't want to ruin the surprise if we decide to purchase one and then you take away all the discovery.
So you know, if we decide, I'll announce to you guys, then I'm not going to particularly buy that one, just for some of the questions and things that I went through, just as a line up for us. But we haven't
an idea of something where we're trying to build. So
and yes, once again we're I'm well aware that I have ones already torn apart that we're in the process of putting together. But like I said, it's an addiction.
I don't know.
Speaker 1: So.
Speaker 2: Another one is if you see things like drives, great highway driver, the stop and the goes is probably what you might want to ask highway, Great highway driver, Okay, so how does it run the rest of the time?
You know, there's just I don't know. Maybe it's me.
Little key words that people use and stuff like that.
You know, I told you I wrote a ton of them down because there's just so many of them. I
lose track of all of them. But those sayings sometimes
I don't know. I just believe there's hidden me behind them.
I could be wrong. Another one that gets me is
low miles for its age. Low miles for its age
usually signals to me that the odometer stopped working a long time ago and you didn't fix it for resale value.
That's I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but the odometer stop working, you never fixed it. That means at some
point in your life to me, you thought about selling that car and you didn't bother you. Their owned domar
doesn't work spamer. Maybe the spanomer still work and the
odomra portion doesn't work, or maybe the spanamer doesn't work at all. You don't even care about that because it's
not clocking miles on it. It's a red flag for me.
I mean, is it gonna keep me from buying your car?
Maybe not, but that is something that makes me go, huh, maybe I need to take a deeper dive into this car, and you should too. If you're trying to buy something
like that, know that how long has that car been driven around? How many times has that car been partly restored?
And they never fixed that portion because they hadn't tent me being selling that car. Maybe maybe they didn't. Maybe
I should never bother them. But in my mind, you
planned at some point in time selling that car and you didn't want any more biles put on it. If
it's low miles and all of a sudden it this odomber does work and it's got low miles, I'm still got a red flag. I'm like, did somebody unhook it?
It's not hard to do and drove it and then hooked it back up when it's time to sell it.
Those are all the things and you don't know unless you have like a magic ball that can crystal ball that can tell you things. You just don't know those things.
So think about all those things when you're, you know, getting into purchasing these cars. To me, like I said,
little phrases like that are sometimes a red flag for me.
I'm not saying it always is, but a lot of the times it is. It just is. Like I said,
ninety percent complete. This is another one I said. I
had to write tons of them down because there's just so many of them that are that irk me. Ninety
cent complete means to me, or eighty percent, seventy percent, all the number or wherever you want, I don't care.
I've taken it as far as I'm going to take it, and now the expensive stuff starts. That's what that means
to me when I see it in an ad. Maybe
it doesn't to you, or maybe it doesn't scare you away.
I I can't speak for you. I can just tell
you that when I see something that's sixty percent complete, seventy percent complete, eighty ninety you know now it's time to spend money. That's what it says in my head.
Why didn't you complete it? If it's only ten percent,
we'll have to do Why didn't you do to ten percent and make it so much more money? Now, if
it's a death in the family, stuff like that. I
ran into those where somebody else was building it, the person passed away, and the person's just trying to get away from the car. Hey, probably a great deal for
you to buy it. I just don't see it that
way from the onset of looking at it in the beginning of a conversation. I have flags. I just do
you know another one that always gets me mechanic special Now.
I like mechanics specials, don't be me wrong. Bought tons
of them, tons and tons of them. But usually mechanic
special means to me, I've taken it as far as my mechanic ability is, and now I want to pass it on to somebody else because I couldn't fix it. Now.
I have had great success with buying mechanics specials over the years that I have bought, found the problem, fixed it, and boom the way the car goes. I've also have
someones I've bought the mechanics specialism. Just it's beyond me.
I've told you guys, I don't do Volkswagen. I don't
do BMW. But unfortunately the boys have decided at one
point in time in my life to each buy one of those that I refuse to work on. And both
times they were the exact nightmares that I knew that they were going to be. I don't it's not everybody's like, well,
it's just mechanics. It's just cars. A car is a
car to a certain degree. I know about certain cars
that I've worked on. I can usually tell you it's
most likely this problem, it's most likely that problem. I'm
not a Volkswagger to be MW guy, so I don't have enough knowledge without going online or playing a YouTube mechanic to find the problem, which I'm okay with doing that.
I've done it, you know. I told you guys, I'll
jump on it if I don't know, try to figure out the answer. But I don't have a warm fuzzy
when I don't have a general idea and I'm relying on some guy on the end to tell me how to fix that car. Because most of the time they
jump over all the importance parts because they're trying to shorten the video. So the stuff I really need to
know it's not there. So I'm just I'm letting the Volkswagon.
I told you guys came about that Volkswagon years ago.
I told him I don't like working on Volkswagons. I
end up working on it. We ended up getting it fixed.
I was all happy, car was running great, took it for a test drive, drove like a dream, got ready to turn in the driveway, and the car cut off and wentn't start. Not a clue. I checked everything, I
scanned it, I checked everything, we put our hands on nothing.
I had a friend check it for me, who is more versed in Volkswagons than I am. Couldn't figure it out.
We end up selling it to a Volkswagon technician, guy that is a master tech. And even he and my driveway,
he goes, I don't have a clue what's wrong with this.
I'm sure I can fix it. I just don't know
what's wrong with it. I was like, well, you're doing
better than I am, because not only can I not fix it, but I don't want it because I didn't want it from the get go. So just know that
when things say, mechanics special on him. There's a good
chance that he was maybe a mechanic and it went past his ability to fix it. And that's okay. I mean,
if you're willing to take it on, so be it.
Like I said, it's happened to me. I'm not perfect.
I don't know. Guys. If I ever get to the
point where I know everything about cars, I need to go do something else. There's no way possible to know
everything about cars. We're not always going to fix it.
We have to. I can't count how many times I
have picked up a phone and called somebody that knows more than I do, which there's a lot I don't know.
I like building cars. I don't know at all. There's
things that are just over my head. And I got
any tough co man, I should know this, but I don't. Well,
how do I do this? And my friends are like, oh,
I do this, this and that, and if you got a problem, give me a call, Ick, come over, give you a hand. Cool. That's what I love about the
car culture. That's the reason why I'm interested in it.
It works for me. I like that that connection with
people and be able to figure things out. So just no,
I can't special em maybe not yours was the ones.
Oh easy weekend project, Easy weekend projects, very simple guys.
If it's if it says that inside the title, just know that it is an easy weekend project for the next four years of your life. Most likely it means
it has already been a weekend project for them that never got finished, and now you're taking it on. You're
probably gonna dedicate your weekends to trying to make it run right too. So maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's something simple.
But if it's so easy of a weekend project, why didn't you finish it? That's what I see when I
read the ad. Just just letting you guys know. Another
one that I wrote down was AC just needs recharging.
Just needs recharging, guys. Okay, why didn't you charge it?
You could have got more money for the car when you're selling it. I mean, maybe it's laziness. Maybe I'm wrong,
but when I see things like that, those are those key phrases. It doesn't have to be AC. It could
be just needs this. Why didn't you just put it
on and sell the car? Form car is great, just
needse a couple of little things, Okay, put them on charge more for the car, your time and the part I don't know. Like I said, I canna be wrong,
but those are the red flags that stick up for me.
Injine making tickie noise, I see this all the time.
Jine just making a slight ticky noise but runs fine.
Injine making Ticki noise to me when I hear that inside my head is very very simple. It means the
piston is trying to find a new owner through the engine block. I gotta be wrong. Maybe it's a lifter,
same problem though. I mean, it's just if it's making
a ticking noise. Unless I plan on dropping a motor
in it, I don't want the car now. I have
bought cars with ticki noises. You guys heard me tell
the stories I have. But my full intention was to
drop another motor. And I already have a motor sitting
waiting that I'm gonna put inside that car and move on.
If that's the case, buy it. One thing I'm gonna
tell you guys and buying cars, if you plan on doing any work to the car and you're not a die hard car guy, find one that somebody just recently painted.
Did all the bodywork on to start with. If it's
something that you want as a project car so you don't have to touch that. You can figure out how
to put a motor in a car. You can figure
out how to hang in tear or back in a car.
Bodywork is a skill that I don't possess. I told you, guys,
I've done some. I'm not the best at it. I
just don't possess that skill. I have to pay somebody
to do it. I've done little things that I can
make look right. I've said it. I've done a couple
of paintings and it's great for what I do. But
if I'm trying to build something I want to take to shows and stuff like that, I'm not painting and I'm not doing bodywork. Guys, not my thing. Now. If
you're a paint body guy, you are the different guy you're looking for all the cars and people have given up on a painting body. That's your thing, so be it.
But most of the people that are looking for cars and stuff like that probably need to know that they want paint body to be done at least enough that you can live with it for a while so you can drive and enjoy it. Once you get all the
rest of stuff sorted out. So, like I said, keep
in mind, I got tons of them. Guys. You know
like just needs a battery, Why didn't you put a battery in it? What are you hiding? If it just
needs a battery, why didn't you just put a battery in it? And raise the price by the cost of
the battery. It takes ten minutes to put a battery
in What are you hiding? And you're hoping I don't
bring a battery with me. That's that's what I see
when I see it. If you guys know different ones
that I haven't thought of, send them to me, guys.
I hope this answered some of your guys' questions you guys sent me. Thanks for listening to the show, Thanks
for sending us ideas and questions and stuff like that.
Giuse us stuff to talk about. This has been an
interesting one for me. Like I said, I enjoyed talking
about this one this week with all the different car guys and stuff and getting their takes on it. We
share a lot of same opinions some of us don't.
But like I said, you got some more. Send them
more to us email and send them to camera and send them through the system whatever, and we'll put them together.
We'll put another show together, and I don't guys, I gotta go ahead and get out of here. That is it.
I can't believe show with that fast. Make sure you
guys get out to the car show. You guys know
we're at ten and a bunch of them pay attentions.
You'll see the ones posting up this weekend. We are
back here local and we were actually out at a car show at real life church that's out there. Go
out and check it out. I'm gonna try to make
stop in. There's a couple other ones. People request us
for it, so I'm gonna try it this week and get around to it. So hopefully I'll spot you guys
out if you're guys outside of the area. You listen
to show like a lot of you guys. Do some
of your guys car show pictures and stuff. I love
seeing them. So on that note, I'm out of here.
Enjoy your Saturday some day. He's right around the corner.
Make sure you unplug, spend some time with your kids, fire at the barbecue, hid their cell phones, build a car project, whatever you gotta do, but follow some of the advice we gave you, and we'll talk to you soon.
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