The HEMI Hideout: John Hovis Shares His Collecting Journey
In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show
The HEMI Hideout: John Hovis Shares His Collecting Journey
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Car
Dodge Hemi
The Dodge Hemi is a type of engine known for its unique shape that helps it run more efficiently and powerfully. It's popular in many Dodge cars and trucks.
Term
440 cubic inch V8
The 440 cubic inch V8 is a powerful engine size that many classic cars use. It's known for being strong and fast, which is why it's popular with car lovers.
Term
340 cubic inch V8
The 340 cubic inch V8 is another type of engine that is powerful and used in some classic cars. It's known for being able to go fast and perform well.
Car
Dacia Duster
The Dacia Duster is a budget-friendly SUV that is designed to be practical and tough. It's a great option for people who want a reliable car that can handle different types of roads without spending too much money.
Car
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that many people love. It has been around for a long time and is famous for being powerful and fun to drive, which is why car fans often talk about it.
Term
clutch
A clutch helps the car change gears. If it breaks, it can cost a lot to fix, especially in sports cars like the Corvette.
Term
gasoline powertrain
A gasoline powertrain is the part of a car that uses gasoline to make it run. It includes the engine and other parts that help turn the fuel into movement.
Term
hybrid
A hybrid is a type of car that uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor. This helps it use less fuel and produce fewer emissions than regular cars.
Term
battery electric
Battery electric cars run only on electricity and have no gasoline engine. They need to be charged at electric charging stations instead of filling up with gas.
Term
hydrogen
Hydrogen cars use hydrogen gas to make electricity that powers the car. They only produce water as waste, but finding places to fill them up can be hard.
Term
electric car
An electric car runs on electricity instead of gasoline. You charge it at home or at charging stations, and it doesn't produce exhaust fumes like regular cars do.
Term
110 circuit
A 110 circuit is a regular electrical outlet you find in homes. It's what you use to plug in things like lamps or phone chargers, and you can also use it to charge electric cars, but it might take a long time.
Car
Chevrolet Blazer
The Chevrolet Blazer is a type of SUV made by Chevrolet. It's popular for its spacious interior and ability to drive on different types of terrain.
Term
110 volt outlet
A 110 volt outlet is a common type of electrical socket found in homes. It's used to plug in things like lamps and chargers, and can also be used to charge electric cars, but it takes longer than stronger outlets.
Term
level two charger
A level two charger is a faster way to charge electric cars than a regular outlet. It needs a special installation, like what you might have for a dryer, and can charge your car overnight quickly.
Term
single charge
A 'single charge' means how far an electric car can go before it needs to be plugged in to recharge its battery. It's important for planning trips.
Term
stuck in traffic
Being 'stuck in traffic' means you can't move because there are too many cars on the road. This can be a problem for electric car drivers because it uses up battery power.
Concept
electric vehicles
Electric vehicles are cars that run on electricity instead of gasoline. They don't produce exhaust fumes, which is better for the environment.
Term
federal EV subsidies
Federal EV subsidies are discounts or tax breaks from the government that help people buy electric cars. They make electric vehicles cheaper to encourage more people to use them.
Term
ceramic coating
A ceramic coating is a special liquid that is put on a car's paint to protect it from dirt and scratches. It helps the car look shiny and makes cleaning easier.
Term
nano ceramic window tint
Nano ceramic window tint is a special film for car windows that helps keep the inside cool and blocks harmful rays from the sun. It’s stronger and lasts longer than regular window tints.
Term
paint protection film
Paint protection film is a clear layer that is put on a car's paint to keep it safe from scratches and chips. It helps the car stay looking new for longer.
Term
ExoShield
ExoShield is a special film that is put on car windshields to help protect them from getting damaged. It makes the glass stronger and helps keep it clear.
Company
Gulf Coast Auto Shield
Gulf Coast Auto Shield is a company in Houston that helps keep cars looking new. They offer services like special coatings and films to protect the paint and windows of your car.
LIVE
Welcome to another in-wheel-time podcast, a 30-minute mini version of the in-wheel-time car show that airs live every Saturday morning until 11 a.m. Central. Just ahead, the guy who lost his mind and let us use the himmie hideout for the past couple of weeks, John Hovis, is here alive and in-person. Plus, just going to have the cruise in and events calendars and I'll bring you the stories making automotive news headlines this week.
How do you along with Mike out of this world, Mars? We always need more Jeff Zekin, Chief Engineer David Ainsling. I'm Don Armstrong. I'm glad you could join us today. And look who's joined us on the day us. Ladies and gentlemen, here he is, Mr. John Hovis. Glad to be here, buddy. Well, it's good to see you. Just to see you guys too. You know, none of us are getting any younger. No, we're not, especially you. Well, there is that.
Hey, first of all, thanks so much for letting us borrow your, your joint here. Our pleasure. Always welcome anytime. Well, we appreciate, you know, it's, it's funny. You got this cousin that you like to see every once in a while, but you just don't have the room for it. But okay, we'll get us sleeping back. You come on in. That's how kind of, you know, that's, this is kind of turned out to be, but, you know, we were in a pinch. We've got to be out by four o'clock. We've got to be out by four. Three. I know. We've got to be out by four. Three.
Yeah. But you know, it's funny. We, we come out here quite frequently and do our show from here. And we were in a kind of a transition period where I moved residences where we used to do it in the sugar shack studios. And that is no longer. We've made accommodations in the new sugar shack for lack of a better term. We haven't named it yet. And so we needed a couple of weeks to be able to get our bearings. Mr. Mars has been working.
He's been working desperately on finding a new way to do this without him having to physically be with us. Because what does it take you two hours to get over here?
Takes two hours to get over here, but with the traffic, it's three to get back. Yeah. And so that's a quite a haul. And, you know, he takes care of his mom. She's 96. She's 96 years old. And so Mars has come up with a new way for us to do the show that's going to take only a.
Pretty little tiny footprint of equipment in the new place. And we've tested it a couple of times. David has been involved in all of this. And so all of this is probably going to go away. And we're going to be down to one camera and a couple of headsets. And hopefully we'll be on our own. Jeff is going to be a man. He doesn't know it completely yet. But we're going to find out a little bit later today.
Because she had a contract. But back to John and Shelley for allowing us to shoehorn our way in the back room back here. And this is a perfect place for us. I'm thinking that this is perfect. Yeah. I'm thinking, you know, we could probably come back and squeeze our way in here more often.
Any time you're ready. Absolutely. David's measured for a jacuzzi over there. Yeah. Exactly. So what's new here at the hideout?
Well, things you can't see from where we're sitting quite a bit. We put in here. And there's so many things in here now. You can't even tell when we do it. So there's since you guys. Well, yeah, since you were guys were here last week, 17 major items have been put in major major stuff.
That little gender tractors that knew. No, that's been this one. The little tiny one. That's been there for eight years. Well, I didn't notice some new things coming in the back door. I didn't notice a couple of these are signs. These are hanging signs. But we put 17 major pieces in here. And most people can't even tell it. Even our friends that help host the the events and tours here.
So the day we were out here, bringing this gear out here. He was in here. There was a guy up on a lift, a manly and they were inching up between signs to hang another sign in between. He's got the. You don't look at it. You see him, but he sees holes where he needs to put something to do. Yeah. You know, this is, this has become a full time job for you. It is. Thank God. I've got something to do. I'd go out of my mind, sitting at the house and everybody else. You put them out of their mind. Yes. I've done that too. Yeah. No doubt.
So, you know, the hemmy hideout. How many cars are in the rotation in the in the hideout? Well, I guess rotation 24, 22, 24 or something like that. I can't recall exactly. But we're kind of done with rotating and now it's a sign thing. It's a sign. I know. I know. I know. But, you know, it wouldn't be the hemmy hideout without a bunch of himmies in it. That's true. And that's where that was what was built for. That's what was built for. Now all the 24.
They're all hemmies. Half of them are hemmy powered. Half of them are 446 backs. There's one 340. So half of them are rusty.
Is your body in the duster? It is. Do you have any urges to your car? Do you have any urges to sell or buy more?
I don't think I'm going to buy more cars because it's hard to keep all the stuff running. And I always say, I'll drive them next week, next week, next week. And then I'm busy doing other stuff, getting over, priorities changing, and that sort of thing.
Well, we're just right on the road. If you need somebody to give you a call. Oh, yeah, we can do that. We can answer that.
You're out. You don't count. Now, it's, remember, it's two hours to get over here. We'll take up the slack.
There is that. One of the things that I thought of this morning before I'm away here, actually, you know, it's getting to be that time where it's going to get really busy for you till the end of the year.
Because you host and have hosted for a number of years, a lot of company Christmas parties. That's a big deal here.
It is. It's a happy place. It creates a party atmosphere. People walk in the door. They've got a smaller face. If you haven't been here before, it's kind of like a blue away.
What in the world is this? You know, they have that look on their face. They love it, but they're not sure what this is.
So today we're having a financial company is having all their clients here today for a dinner.
And then we have a fundraiser for a Katie Community Katie Christian ministry. Excuse me in a couple of weeks.
And then the Christmas parties will start and that sort of thing. But we do tours Monday through Friday in the morning afternoon. We stay busy.
Well, you do. Yeah. Yeah. It's quite an operation. Did you envision it turning into this when you built it?
I feel like the absolute luckiest guy on a planet and know a little bit of stupid luck happened in here.
Well, no. I think that it all really evolves around you because you had the vision of having a man cave, an ultimate man cave.
But you know, I was thinking also the fact that at an odd men for Bill's sites, I would have probably never run into each other.
That's true. Because you weren't on the show car circuit or the cruise in circuit. No.
You're aggracing. Yeah. Yeah. None of that. And but I met Bill through the Corvette Club back in 77.
And so we've maintained our friendship. And now we're living closer together than we ever have.
Yeah. I appreciate he tell you that. Good luck on that one.
No. And I know he's probably thought, well, that idiot moved out here two weeks ago.
I haven't heard a word. No. Because I still have a full-time job and trying to don't ever move.
I will tell you right now because the older that you get, the harder it is to hang pictures on the wall.
Where did I put that? I can't find anything. And I have thrown out a ton of stuff. And I got a ton more to go.
Yes. And I'm at that point in my life now where you get rid of it.
I've been hanging on to it for stupid reasons. Yeah.
Yeah. Anyway, it's been an event. But I will tell you that as car guys, I don't know.
It's something about our relationship, our friendship, that has kind of drawn us together over the years.
And I'm very happy about that. You've become a huge part of all of our lives.
I appreciate it as well. And it is. The car circle is a wonderful group.
We all have some kind of a connection. And it's just we're good old red-blooded American guys that love cars.
It's been stupid money on them. Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
Absolutely. I don't know about that. Well, it's stupid money. Trust me.
Yeah. You know, in the Corvette, I mean, I've never thought in a million years I'd ever have to buy a clutch for a car.
I spent $2,000 to buy a clutch for the stupid Corvette because you aren't around once.
I know. But you know, things like that.
It's a clutch goes out though. It makes it a little tough.
That's right. It's actually what, 25, 26 years.
Well, I know, but it's only got 35,000 miles on it.
I didn't burn it up by myself. Thank you, Greg Enders.
Well, if that length of time, that's a pretty good, pretty good longevity for that clutch.
I guess. I guess. But I mean, the point matter is that, you know,
we do spend money on things that only mean something to us.
You're more of a reasonable kind of guy.
Exactly. Yeah.
Well, there's massive Ferguson collection. It is John Deere collection.
That's right. Hey, Sinclair Lubricants.
Yeah. What are you going to buy this week?
Sinclair Lubricants. No, I like that tractor over there. I think I'm going to go for that one.
You never know what's now.
We're going to actually have plans to travel to maybe go for something.
Well, we've got a couple of auctions that we know we're going to go to.
There's different ones we try to do.
Honestly, in this world here, I'm not a player anymore because billionaires are not coming in.
I can't compete with those guys.
Do you have a favorite place that you go to more often to look for things?
Yes. Part of the country that you know it's going to be a honey pot, so to speak.
Yes. The Northeast is where everything happened.
And that's where you find the vast majority.
But we like going to auctions in South Carolina, Richmond auctions.
They always have the high end good stuff that we all want.
And Morphe's in Pennsylvania.
It's mainly Northeast kind of a thing that circuit that we follow.
When you started collecting signs, did you know that it was going to go into this?
No way. I had no idea. I kind of stumbled into it.
How did you still believe it?
I saw some beautiful, pretty neon signs.
I think those are nice. I'll buy a few neon signs.
The next thing I know.
There are three stories.
And your electric bill is going through the roof.
My wife made me do this.
Did she really?
No.
She's not here.
Let me walk down to the house.
Let's go confirm that.
Disregard that comment.
And you know, here's the other thing about the hippie hideout.
One thing is led to another with John.
But also with the people that know about the place, they tell somebody.
Then the next thing you know, I'm sure Shelley gets a phone call.
He goes, listen, I'm so-and-so corporation.
And we'd like to come and talk to you about maybe having an event at your place.
Yeah.
And then that leads to another one to another one to another one.
It does.
You've booked up a long time in advance, aren't you?
Well, a little bit.
But everything we do here when we rent this place out, we match the fee that they pay.
And it all goes local charity.
So I'm getting older.
I don't want to keep working.
So we have maybe 12 or 15 paid events that people do your year.
It's interesting.
Yeah, mainly busier in the Christmas period.
Sure.
But we like corporate events because nobody gets out of hand with the bosses here.
Right.
And you do you-
Unlike your crew.
And what we bring to the table.
Yeah.
We've done wedding receptions and I just corporate stuff.
That's right.
Yeah.
But we've done funerals and weddings and all kinds of stuff in here.
There's an idea.
There's not this.
Hey, they're nice.
They're airy and nice and you know, nothing.
And I could see the same thing you were talking about.
Everybody that comes in here.
They're smiling.
They're happy to be here even for a funeral.
It would be kind of uplifting.
It's a very depressing obviously sad time.
Okay, we're going to have a celebration alive.
Yeah.
And for a car guy, it's perfect.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
It's not just the building itself.
You pull in here.
We got here early in the morning.
This one we come out here is early in the morning.
And you take that road.
And you drive that nice windy road through the property.
And you can see the wildlife coming up.
You know, the birds or squirrels run around.
The property is gorgeous.
And then you come into the building and go,
it's just double.
Hey, speaking of the building.
Did you do away with the pond and the windmill out in the back?
At some point.
You used to have a pond out the back door out there.
It's still there.
It's all grown over.
Well, it's still there.
I forgot to get my wife got there and trim all the weeds.
Yeah.
It's still there.
The windmill, the seals on the windmill have dried.
And it's not pumping water, but it's about half full.
It needs some attendance.
But the pond's still there.
Windmill's still there.
It is.
It is.
Okay.
The windmill's like three stories high.
You can't hardly miss it.
Well, you know, you see these?
I need these really bad.
Exactly.
Uh-huh.
And you're parked right up there.
I am.
I guess so.
You're underneath the windmill.
I'm still there.
Is it that?
Isn't that water part of the air conditioning system here?
Well, that water isn't.
Well, okay.
Yes, I guess in a way.
The water that comes out of that windmill goes into the pond
and all the air conditioning system here is geothermal.
Yeah.
Explain that to folks.
They don't know that.
Okay.
So we have a heat exchanger in the bottom of our pond,
21 feet deep.
And we circulate glycol.
Any freeze, if you will.
Six, one, six, horse, sparer pumps.
Move the glycol and bring it into the compressors.
But there's no air conditioning units around him.
He'll hide out.
It's all cooled off in the pond.
So.
So it's almost like.
You go friendly.
Yeah, it is.
It's almost like a solar.
It's not really solar because it's not the sun,
but it's geothermal.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The thing is.
Natural cooling, I guess.
Natural cooling.
Yeah, you get the heating and cooling from the earth.
So that's where you have to be 10 feet below the surface
in the water to make that work right.
Did you discover that yourself?
Did somebody propose that to you?
I've been proposed many things in my life.
And that was one that was proposed to me.
I probably shouldn't have done.
Because in my lifetime, I've been 20 years old.
I don't think I would have recovered enough savings and electricity
to pay for what we did with that.
Really?
The technology's not there.
It's like solar and wind power.
It's all wonderful and great on paper.
But it doesn't make any sense.
It doesn't make any sense.
Not yet.
Not yet there.
Yeah.
And the long run had probably been cheaper for you
to just buy the electricity from the electricity company.
I suppose our light bill here is still $5,000 a month.
So that's mainly neon lights going on.
So if you had the air conditioning, we'd probably have a $7,500 or something.
I thought about putting solar panels out,
but they're not maintenance free either.
Yeah.
And they're not very efficient either.
I mean, it could possibly be if you had enough of them for your house.
You know, a $5,000 square foot house.
But something this big.
Ooh.
Yeah.
That have to have a big battery.
You have them out in the back, back here.
It feels like, you know, I did not realize this,
but I flew over it not that long ago,
because they had a fire out.
There was a grass fire that ruined a lot of panels.
But it's got to be a mile square itself between here and the coast.
A huge solar panel array out there.
And like I said, it's got to be a mile square.
Yeah.
I've never seen so many panels in my life put together.
Well, anyway, listen, thanks from the bottom of our heart.
We really appreciate it.
Anytime.
You guys are welcome.
We love you, man.
And we love you guys too.
Thank you.
And let us know when we can come back
and we're going to have a new setup.
It's going to be a different day with our new setup.
You're going to go, all of that stuff you guys used to have.
What happened?
Hey, that's technology.
That's cool.
It is cool.
But thank you very much.
Our pleasure.
And be in touch.
All right.
John Hobus.
Hemi, hide out.
Hey, be sure and join us for our live show every week right here
on Inwheel Time.
It airs 10 to noon on Facebook, YouTube, and InwheelTime.com.
Coming up, Jeff has the cruise in and events calendars
and I'll have stories making automotive news headlines.
Stay with us back after this.
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Thanks for joining us today from the Hemi Hideout.
Our last little two week adventure here will be back in our new studio next weekend.
At least we hope we will.
Time now for the cruise in and events calendars on InwheelTime.
Here's Jeff.
You bet.
Blast to the past car show is September 20th, 830 to noon.
It's at North Point Place in Katie, Texas.
So that's coming up.
Blast from the past.
Take place on Saturday.
Vehicle check-in registration at 8AM with registration open.
Just 1030.
North Point Place in Katie, Texas.
In Katie, West.
Right.
Okay.
What the road goes north.
All right.
Figure it out later.
All right.
Family friendly events, classic rides, giveaways, activities for all ages including David,
sponsors, polo pizza, garages of Texas, and so on.
And guess what?
Hemi Hideout to sponsor.
You bet.
Nifty 50s is back and track.
That's always cool.
A lot of music, a lot of cars out there.
You go see our friends out there at Nifty 50s.
You've got Fredrick's classic car, Fredrick's bird classic car in truck show.
This is at 11 a.m. to four.
It's at 5244 Texas, 16 in Fredrick's bird Texas, where the Brazilian dollar winner was on a lottery out in Fredrick's bird.
Is that where that was?
10th in one in Missouri, I believe.
10th annual Fredrick's bird classic car in truck show will take place September 20th, 11 a.m.
At the historic Beacon Grove store in Fredrick's bird.
I think we've been there.
It's a $30 per vehicle entry and go out there and enjoy it.
And then you got clear lake cars and coffees September 21st, which is a Sunday 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
At Grace Church on the Gulf Freeway.
Go on out there and enjoy it.
There's a lot of car clubs.
There's a lot of car shows going on.
Fall is good.
You got the nice crisp weather.
Go out there and enjoy it.
When is that crisp weather going to get here?
Probably December around the end.
Yeah, that any time.
So there you go.
Well, here's not a surprise.
Electric vehicle charging in the U.S. is improving according to this article.
Although I'd be hard pressed to tell you where one is.
Yeah.
Mars.
More stations, higher power, greater reliability.
Yeah.
Yeah, most Americans remain wedded to gasoline vehicles,
unlike their European counterparts who are more open to an electric future.
According to this study, U.S. added 37,000 charging points,
a 19 percent increase from nothing.
A boosted average charger power, 52 percent from June of 24 to June of 25.
Most buyers, combustion fuel remains king.
In a survey conducted as part of the report, 57 percent of U.S. consumers said
they were most likely going to choose a gasoline powertrain for the next vehicle,
followed by 32 percent for hybrids and 10 percent for battery electric.
The remainder chose hydrogen.
Go find a hydrogen charging station.
Yeah.
I'll tell you where it's going.
They're on the east side of town.
Yeah, closer to NASA where they're blowing off rockets.
The refinery area.
So you said they added 37,000 or they're up to 37,000?
In the United States, 37,000 charging points were added in the past year,
which is a drop in the bucket, because there is a gasoline station at a U-todom
on every street corner here in the United States.
Well, they've added them, but do they work?
Well, not really, do they work, but there's over 250 million vehicles out on the road.
They're going to use 37 or 50,000, whatever it is, chargers for two hours.
I'm thinking, I'm not going to do that.
Did I tell you how much I paid for a fast charge in that last electric that I had?
Oh, let's go.
I'm staying 60 bucks.
It was $55.
What?
A fast charger that only gave me 80 percent charge on the electric vehicle that I had.
It took me 20 minutes to get it, and it cost me $55,000, John Hobus.
No, thank you.
I'll stick to the hammy.
Exactly.
$55.
He doesn't have any electric charging stations.
It was a shell recharge station that's called, and that's all they had.
The gasoline, just electric.
It was a nice place, but boy, tell you what I paid for it.
$55.
Yeah, you paid for the nice place.
Are you kidding me?
I really was.
Was it 200 miles, maybe?
250?
250.
What does it cost to charge one of those electric cars like, hey, you're home.
I wonder what it cost to an electric car.
I don't know.
But I can tell you, you know, when I plugged it in at the house on the 110 circuit that I have,
not the drier version of it, my electric bill went up by, I don't know, 50 bucks.
How many hours did it take?
A lot because I'd plug it in when I'd get home seven o'clock in the evening.
Unplug it by the time I left for work at 10 o'clock the next morning every day.
You know how many miles I got on that?
30 miles.
Yeah, I was going to say overnight on 110.
30 miles was added to it.
That's all.
I plugged one in and it said I went and looked at the factory.
I think it was the Chevrolet Blazer.
You know, four days.
Plug it into a 110.
If you wanted to go from where I was, it like 30% to 80% four days is what it would calculate.
Then it's going to sit there plugged in waiting.
Well, that's a 110.
Now, if you own the vehicle, you're going to get a level two charger.
That's basically, well, you have it installed in your house.
It's basically a dryer hook up.
Yeah.
That they plug into that.
And usually overnight, depending on what charge you have left,
you'll be able to get enough charge out of it.
But if you want a full charge and you want to do it quick,
most you can do is the level one charger.
And it is, I don't know how many volts it is, the hose on it's that big around.
You don't want to drop it in the water.
I can tell you that.
But yeah, 80% charge.
But it's always back to that.
You can get enough if you do this.
You can get enough if you do this.
15 minutes of the gas station.
I've used the bathroom filled up.
40 gallons of gas.
I'm gone.
Yeah.
So my buddy, Joe Chopper that I work with, he has a Tesla.
He says, when I'm done, when I'm going back to gasoline,
I'm not doing this again.
Because of the expense of electricity.
Not the expense.
The inconvenience.
Yeah, the inconvenience.
The lifestyle changes you have tonight.
It is wife travel back and forth to San Antonio a couple times a month,
maybe once something like that.
Is he enjoying getting his car keyed every week?
Yeah.
I don't know.
Just anything about that.
And he plugs it in at his garage at night.
But to go to San Antonio, he can make it all the way there on a single charge.
But when he gets there, he's out.
He says, if I get a stuck in traffic or something, I am screwed.
So right before he gets into San Antonio, when he leaves here on the full charge,
he has to recharge it before he gets to where his destination is in San Antonio.
Wow.
No, I'm good.
Wow.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Not me.
U.S. New Vehicle Inventory rose again in August.
Even as the days supply of electric vehicles fell below those combustion powered vehicles,
as dealers and automakers, sell down stocks ahead of the expiration of the federal EV subsidies next month.
Inventory rose from 2.69 million a month earlier to 2.76 million vehicles to start September.
So they're selling off as fast as they can, the electric vehicles,
and bringing up the gasoline and hybrids.
And I'll tell you what, hybrids, for me, the way to go.
I agree with that.
Yeah.
I've got a whole lot of power, generally speaking.
But I'll tell you what, the mileage is fantastic.
One of those vehicles that I had to remember which one it was.
I got 40 miles to the gallon.
Yeah.
40.
I get 32 consistent on mine.
Yeah.
And there's a whole lot of people like my hybrid, generally speaking,
her 30 miles on electric of the hybrid, she could run on that all week.
You know, it's just because she doesn't, her, her circle of travel during her normal travelings during the day,
it works great.
And then when she decides she wants to go to Houston or someplace else,
she's got the gasoline motor support that sounds like the way to go.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
Good stuff.
Anything else?
Yeah.
What?
I can't convince her of that, but yeah, that's.
That's where you got to get over that mindset of range anxiety.
Most definitely.
All right.
We're going to wrap up today's show after a quick break.
Stay with us here on the in-wheel time car talk show.
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Ainsley, I'm Dodd Armstrong.
Big thank you to John Hobus and Shultty Gates here at the Himmie Hideout.
We'll let him use the back room while we work on our new digs that will debut
next Saturday if all things go according to plan.
And you know about plan.
From all of us here at the in-wheel time car talk show, have a great week
and we'll see you soon.
That's it for this podcast episode of the in-wheel-time car show.
I'm Dodd Armstrong.
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About this episode
John Hovis shares his journey as a car collector and the evolution of the HEMI Hideout, a unique automotive venue. He discusses the challenges of maintaining a collection of HEMI-powered vehicles and the joy of hosting events at his hideout. The conversation touches on the growth of his collection, the importance of community in car culture, and the various events hosted at the hideout, including corporate gatherings and charity fundraisers. Hovis reflects on the friendships formed through cars and the unexpected success of his passion project.
Original notes
Step into the extraordinary world of the Hemi Hideout as we chat with owner John Hovis about his remarkable journey from car enthusiast to curator of one of the most impressive automotive sanctuaries in Texas.
Surrounded by vintage neon signs and classic cars, John reveals how what began as a personal "man cave" evolved into a destination venue that now hosts everything from corporate events to weddings. His collection of 24 vehicles—half powered by legendary Hemi engines—forms the heart of this automotive paradise, but it's the community spirit that truly defines the space. Every rental fee is matched by John and donated to local charities, transforming his passion project into a force for good.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn as John explains the hideout's innovative geothermal cooling system, which uses heat exchangers submerged 21 feet deep in an on-site pond. While this eco-friendly approach might not pay for itself during his lifetime, it reflects the forward-thinking approach that permeates everything about this unique venue.
We shift gears to discuss the current state of electric vehicles in America, sharing personal experiences with charging infrastructure challenges and the practical limitations of EV ownership. Despite improvements in charging technology, our real-world stories highlight why many Americans—including dedicated car enthusiasts—remain hesitant to make the switch from gasoline to fully electric vehicles.
Whether you're fascinated by classic cars, interested in alternative energy solutions, or simply enjoy authentic conversations among passionate automotive enthusiasts, this episode offers an intimate look at how car culture continues to evolve while staying true to its roots. Tune in to experience the unique charm of the Hemi Hideout and the people who make the automotive community so special.
Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!
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In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show
In Wheel Time Podcast | Automotive talk with Don Armstrong, Michael Marrs, and Jeff Dziekan
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