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War Will Impact F1, 80s Cars Hated/Now Loved - Shift & Steer EP558

War Will Impact F1, 80s Cars Hated/Now Loved - Shift & Steer EP558

Shift and Steer Mar 06, 2026 74 min
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About this episode

The hosts share a casual conversation covering personal updates like a neighborhood garage sale, including funny and nostalgic moments about selling vintage items and interacting with buyers. They discuss the impact of current events on Formula 1 racing, reflect on the changing perception of 1980s cars from disliked to beloved, and touch on various automotive and lifestyle topics with a laid-back, conversational tone. The episode blends car culture with everyday life anecdotes, offering a relaxed and personable listening experience.

Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

cult following

"...some of the 80s cars that nobody really wanted when they were new, but now are beginning to get like maybe a cult following, nostalgic following..."

A cult following means a small group of people really love a car, even if most others don't. They are very passionate fans.

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Concept

nostalgic following

"...some of the 80s cars that nobody really wanted when they were new, but now are beginning to get like maybe a cult following, nostalgic following..."

A nostalgic following is when people like a car because it reminds them of good times from before, like when they were younger.

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Term

pro stock car

"I saw one that looked like a pro stock car that some guy had built for the street. And it was so cool."

A pro stock car is a special race car that looks like a regular car but is changed a lot to go very fast in straight-line races.

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Ford Pinto
Oleg Yunakov (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Pinto

"...become of interest to collectors is the very rare Pinto panel wagon, which kind of was a carry-on from t..."

The Ford Pinto was a small, cheap car made in the 1970s. It had some safety problems that made it famous, but some rare versions are now special to collectors. People remember it because it changed how car safety was looked at.

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Term

van windows

"which kind of was a carry-on from the van craze because it had like one of those van windows in the back from the factory, had a multicolor stripe. Do you remember that one? Oh, yes. So I just looked up the pictures. I do remember that. Yeah. It had like a, like a, like a, like a porthole glass, you know, like in the back. One of those bubble windows, like a van, a custom van would have."

Van windows are special small windows on vans that look round or bubble-shaped. They make the van look different and let you see out better.

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Chevrolet El Camino
Bull-Doser (Public domain)
Car

Chevrolet El Camino

"... Man, I just found a 1980 Ford Pinto made into an El Camino. Can you see that? Yeah, I kind of say, oh yeah,..."

The Chevrolet El Camino is a car that also works like a small truck, letting you carry things in the back. It was made a long time ago and is special because it looks like both a car and a truck. Sometimes people change other cars to look like this.

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Term

slotted mags

"It's got like scallops on the side, some slotted mags, 21,370 miles."

Slotted mags are special car wheels that have holes or slots in them. They look cool and can make the car lighter.

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Term

custom paint

"74 panel wagon with custom paint. 73,000 miles, $69.95. Let's see if you can see. Okay, so you get the panel wagon for seven grand. And it's got a custom red paint job."

Custom paint means the car's color or design was changed by a person to look different or special.

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Ford Pinto station wagon
Oleg Yunakov (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Pinto station wagon

"Yeah, this, oh, it's a station wagon. Pinto station wagon. Yeah, it's not getting better. It's getting worse."

This is a Ford Pinto with extra space in the back, like a small van, so you can carry more people or stuff.

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Ford Pinto panel wagon
Oleg Yunakov (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Pinto panel wagon

"Oh, and it is a panel wagon with the bubble window. With the bubble window. With the bubble window."

This is a Ford Pinto made for carrying stuff, with solid sides instead of windows. It has a special rounded window called a bubble window.

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American Motors Corporation (Amc) Pacer
CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz, releases all rights but a photo credit would be appreciated if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia. Please leave a note at Wikipedia here. Thank you! (CC0)
Car

American Motors Corporation (Amc) Pacer

"...her one that's on the list from AMC, which is the Pacer. Yeah. The Pacer. The Pacer never looked good to..."

The AMC Pacer was a small car made in the 1970s that looked very different from other cars because it was round and had big windows. Some people didn’t like how it looked or worked, but it’s remembered because it was unusual.

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AMC Matador
dave_7 from Lethbridge, Canada (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Car

AMC Matador

"AMC had really strange designs. I mean, are you old enough to remember the ads for the Matador? Where it was, so that's a Matador. Right. So, no, but we did a, we did like a retro thing years ago on CarCast and Adam and I on this show, like watched a bunch of commercials because he would remember things like the Matador and Ricardo Montaban."

The AMC Matador is a medium-sized car from the 1970s that had a unique look and was featured in some famous commercials.

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Ford Get Ford
Calreyn88 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Get Ford

"...nterior? Yes. That was AMC. Ford Vans. You could get Ford Vans and then Hot Rod did the Levi van that they ..."

The Ford GT is a very fast and special car made by Ford that looks like race cars from the 1960s. It uses new technology to go really fast and is rare. People talk about it because it’s a cool and powerful car.

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AMC Gremlin Levi's Edition
Captainpisslord (CC0)
Car

AMC Gremlin Levi's Edition

"the AMC, I think it was the Levi's Pacer, wasn't it? Yeah. Maybe it was a Gremlin. Levi Gremlin, yeah. Yeah. And it had, you know, it basically had jeans for interior."

The AMC Gremlin Levi's Edition was a car made with jeans-style seats and decorations from Levi's, a famous jeans company. It was a fun, special version of the regular AMC Gremlin.

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Chevrolet Chevelle
Mr.choppers (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Car

Chevrolet Chevelle

"But it had like a, talking about this, it gives me an idea of my Chevelle. Maybe I do a Levi interior with my Chevelle."

The Chevrolet Chevelle is an old American car that many people like to fix up and make look cool. It was made a long time ago and is known for being strong and fast.

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Term

vinyl

"I actually have scrolled through some of the photos and it had like vinyl, but then it had some. Like an insert?"

Vinyl is a type of plastic used inside cars for seats and doors. It lasts a long time and is easy to wipe clean.

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Ford Mustang
Hans-Jürgen Neubert (CC BY 4.0)
Car

Ford Mustang

"... they downsized it. And that's when the Fox body Mustang came out. And it really didn't, it really didn't..."

The Ford Mustang Fox Body is a version of the Mustang made between 1979 and 1993 that was smaller and lighter than before. People like it because it’s easier to work on and can be made faster. It’s important because it changed how Mustangs were built.

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Chevrolet Corvette
Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)
Car

Chevrolet Corvette

"... some cars are like that. It's like the Chevrolet Corvette. Nobody liked those cars. And now people like, o..."

The Chevrolet Corvette is a famous American sports car that’s been around for a long time. Some versions weren’t liked at first but became popular later because people saw how special they were. It’s a car many people admire for being fast and stylish.

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Term

small block engine

"And all these photos of like 427 Corvettes, big blocks, small block Corvettes, all from the 60s."

A small block engine is a smaller but still powerful engine that helps cars go fast without being too heavy or using too much fuel.

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Term

big block engine

"And all these photos of like 427 Corvettes, big blocks, small block Corvettes, all from the 60s."

A big block engine is a type of powerful engine with a large size that helps cars go very fast. It uses more fuel but gives the car a lot of power.

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Term

daily driver

"that big block Corvette or that small block LT1 Corvette and driving it and driving it as a daily driver where now even a Corvette, which is a pretty good value for a supercar that it is,"

A daily driver is a car that someone uses every day to get around, like going to work or running errands.

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Concept

muscle cars

"is outpriced the average person. It's not like somebody can go, it's like muscle cars. Kids used to go down, guys in college and just out of college and finance a muscle car"

Muscle cars are fast and powerful cars made in America, popular a long time ago. They have big engines and look cool.

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Challenger Hellcat
Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Challenger Hellcat

"...ne flipping burgers and go getting a, you know, a Hellcat or a Supercat. That's a lot of burgers. A lot of..."

The Dodge Challenger is a fast car that looks tough and has very strong engines called Hellcat and Supercat. It’s a favorite for people who like powerful cars that are fun to drive. It’s famous for being loud and quick.

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Pontiac Fiero
MartinHansV (Public domain)
Car

Pontiac Fiero

""Yeah, I remember. Pontiac Fiero. Yeah. It was a red one with Fittipaldi wheels...""

The Pontiac Fiero is a sporty car made in the 1980s that had its engine in the middle of the car, which is unusual. It was cheap when new but had some problems that made it less popular at first.

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Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Greg Gjerdingen (CC BY 2.0)
Car

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

""...because sitting right next to it was my Monte Carlo SS with weld wheels...""

The Monte Carlo SS is a faster and cooler version of a regular Chevrolet car from the past, made to look sportier and go faster.

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Chevrolet Monza
Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Chevrolet Monza

""...and sitting in the street was Charlotte's 1980 Monza with center lines...""

The Chevrolet Monza is a smaller car from the 1980s that looked sporty and was fun to drive for its time.

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Toyota MR2
TTTNIS (CC0)
Car

Toyota MR2

"of an audience around the Toyota MR2, right? A lot of people like those."

The Toyota MR2 is a small sports car made by Toyota that has its engine behind the seats. It is fun to drive because it handles corners well and feels balanced.

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Concept

replica kit

"It's on eBay. It's a 1986 Ferrari replica kit on a Fiero chassis."

A replica kit lets you build a car that looks like a fancy or rare car, but it uses parts from a different car so it's usually cheaper and easier to fix.

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Ferrari F40
Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ferrari F40

"...I. It's the wrong Ferrari. This is bodied like an F40. It's the wrong Ferrari. No, this is bodied like..."

The Ferrari F40 is a very fast and special car made to celebrate Ferrari’s 40 years. It looks unique and was one of the fastest cars when it came out. People talk about it because it’s very rare and exciting.

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Ferrari 308 GTS
Sherwin (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ferrari 308 GTS

"It's the wrong Ferrari. No, this is bodied like a 308. It even says on the back, 308 GTS."

The Ferrari 308 GTS is a famous sports car from Italy with a removable roof panel and a powerful engine. It was popular in the 1980s and appeared on TV shows.

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Concept

Magnum P.I.

"Oh, I'm looking at a Magnum PI one. Yeah, there's one that looks..."

Magnum P.I. is a TV show from the 1980s where the main character drives a red Ferrari 308 GTS, making the car very famous.

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Buick Grand National
MeanBuicks at English Wikipedia (Public domain)
Car

Buick Grand National

"... the G bodies, you know, the Monte Carlo SS, the Grand Nationals, the GNXes, all of those. Man, I wanted to buy a ..."

The Buick Grand National is a fast car from the 1980s that was all black and had a turbo engine to make it go really fast. People like it because it looks cool and is powerful. It’s special because not many were made.

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Car

Buick GNX

"GNX because I've had a Grand National that I got rid ..."

The Buick GNX is a special, rare version of the Grand National that was made to be even faster and stronger. It’s very valuable because only a few were made. People love it because it’s a super powerful car from the 1980s.

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Concept

aftermarket

"I started looking at, you know, aftermarket replacement of the catalytic converters"

Aftermarket parts are car parts made by other companies, not the one that made your car, and they can be cheaper.

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Term

smog

"I could drive it again. I just got to get it through smog and it had no problem passing smog."

Smog testing is a check to make sure your car isn't polluting the air too much.

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Byd Seal
Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)
Car

Byd Seal

"... on it and I get that oil leak fixed on the main seal and I could drive it again. I just got to get it ..."

The BYD Seal is a new electric car made by a company from China. It looks modern and can drive a long way without needing to recharge. People talk about it because it shows how electric cars are getting better.

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Part

transmission cross member

"You got to drop the transmission cross member. You got to take the exhaust out."

The transmission cross member is a metal part that holds the transmission steady under the car.

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Toyota Land
TTTNIS (CC0)
Car

Toyota Land

"... guy that maintains my daily drivers and he had a Toyota Land Cruiser in there and it had something fairly min..."

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a big, strong SUV that can drive on rough roads and last a very long time. People trust it because it doesn’t break down easily and works well every day. It’s popular for being tough and dependable.

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Concept

demo vehicle

"The window sticker from Porsche cars North America says, do not sell because it was a demo vehicle for technicians and some dealer pawned it off as"

A demo vehicle is a car the dealer lets people try out before buying. It has been driven a bit but is still sold as almost new.

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Term

warranty

"And you're like, you built the dash. And you're like, you built the dash. We can't warranty it if you built it."

A warranty is like a promise from the company that if something breaks or doesn't work right in a certain time, they'll fix it for free.

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Part

steering wheel

"when I opened it up, I opened the box up, and the steering wheel was there. And it had the airbag, because we were going to recover everything. And so they sent me another one that we could have, the steering wheel leather covered."

The steering wheel is what you hold and turn to make the car go left or right. It also usually has the airbag inside it for safety.

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Concept

drag racing

""...we've been talking to some of the drag racers on CarCast. We had Ron Capps on, Maggie Gordon...""

Drag racing is a fast car race where two cars race straight ahead to see who is quicker.

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Dodge Challenger
Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Dodge Challenger

"...her and he's redoing a, it was either a CUDA or a Challenger, but it had a radio delete, you know, back when ..."

The Dodge Challenger is a strong and fast car that people have loved since the 1960s. Sometimes, older versions didn’t have radios to save money or weight. It’s famous for looking cool and having a lot of power.

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Plymouth Cuda
Bull-Doser at English Wikipedia (Public domain)
Car

Plymouth Cuda

"...ow each other and he's redoing a, it was either a CUDA or a Challenger, but it had a radio delete, you ..."

The Plymouth Cuda is a fast and strong car made in the 1960s and 70s. People like it because it looks tough and can go very fast. Some special versions didn’t have radios, which makes them rare and interesting.

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21 cars featured

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