Cars The Podcast
Don Swier and Joe Black
Last episode 18 days agoDisturbingly curious about cars? We're with you! Podcasting from the shadows of Mt Rainier
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Episodes (180)
Bill's Euro trip - Tesla making inroads. Different Horses for Different Courses. Warranties? House always wins! Maintaining is cheaper than ignoring.
Bill's impressions from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, France & UK car scene. Why differing uses dictate car and energy types in America. Warranties profit from irrational fear. We love to hear from you! [email protected] comments, sugggestions, corrections!
Rebroadcast: Learn from our mistakes! Obsolete parts. Ramcharger a Goldilocks truck? Average car age at new high: creating new issues. Ford EcoBoost?
Average age of cars has gone from 7 years to 12 years since 1984. Owners encounter issues they've never seen. Ram Ramcharger: a locomotive for the highway? Engines like Ford EcoBoost are powerful but complex.
Rebroadcast: Cars aren't investments. $3,000 GMC taillights. $7,000 wraps. Ford losing $36,000 per EV. Tesla opens charging to nearly every OEM. Weather limitations.
Real investments appreciate. Complexity and regulations conspire to make many vehicles worse. EVs have positives but OEMs struggle to profit. Tesla inks deals with nearly every maker to standardize charging.
Rebroadcast: Bill's career advice. DeLorean snowcat trip. Stellantis layoffs. GM OnStar tracking customers without permission?
Guidance for those curious about automotive careers. OEM Satellite tracking without permission? Layoffs at Dodge Ram Jeep Chrysler.
Car buying? Media frenzy vs mechanic advice. Assess needs vs wants. Dodge veering off message? $4800 brake parts for Jeep!
Dealers are eager to see what you "qualify for". Your task is to satisfy your needs with minimal cost. Flashy new models and features pale quickly when problems arise ...an experienced mechanic can help you choose wisely. Upgraded brakes may come with upgraded profit margins for the dealer's parts department. Please reply with any factual corrections (or harsh criticism for that matter!) We love to hear from you, and will call you out for anything constructive you offer. [email protected]
Olympus Rally. Waymo driverless ride. Boeing and Tesla reports overblown? Pump and charger etiquette. Elon making life hard for Rivian, Ford & GM? Kei cars OK in Texas.
Olympus Rally: Racing through our woods since 1973 with a WRC legacy. Taking Silent Generation parents in a self-driving Waymo car. Hydrogen Highway progress in Arizona and California. Etiquette rules at the pump & EV charger.
Running costs electric vs petrol. Japan slow to adopt EV: reasons? New & used car prices fell 4%. Don't let dealers push you into their inventory - car guys don't get duped. 25 year import law. A Honda made by GM?
Real car guys are like real estate investors - savvy, not impulsive. Actual running costs for EV vs petrol in the Pacific Northwest using residential electricity. Japan is only 2% EV. Pragmatism? Honda Prologue a true Honda?
Bill's career advice. DeLorean snowcat trip. Reckless and senseless Audi tragedy. RAM and Jeep cutbacks. Ford Triton part scarcity. GM OnStar suit.
Bill's guidance for those curious about automotive careers. Local families rocked by senseless abuse of traffic laws. Muscle cars banned from meets in Texas. OnStar was caught tracking GM drivers allegedly without permission. Uncertain future leads to layoffs at Stellantis. We love to hear from you! Suggestions, topic ideas and feedback: [email protected]
Rebroadcast: Glacier and Japan trips. Lowball dealer offers. Fuel costs EV vs Gas. Toyota museum, history and pragmatic values. Shelby Mustang Tribute.
Magnussons get a laughable lowball on their Chevrolet Volt. Trips to Glacier National Park and Japan's automotive heartland. Suzuki, Honda, Toyota, Nissan Kei cars. Tribute 1967 Mustang Terlingua.
Car prices are challenging parts & repair costs. Ramcharger: road locomotive? Hertz - Tesla. Timing chain woes. Aging car issues.
Car prices are escalating as fast as repair costs. Does Ram have the ultimate EV truck - carrying its own powerplant? Some carmakers have trouble building proven mechanical components. Vehicle choice legislation. We love to hear from you! Suggestions? Ideas? [email protected]
Dave Ramsey says sell your car! Cybertruck - hype or historical? Serious EV charging issues with cold weather and "free" charging.
Can cars be the biggest money issue in your life (& easiest to solve)? Serious cold weather EV charging issues persist. Cybertruck reveals some serious engineering under its paintless skin. Gasoline proves to be a valuable complement to electricity! We love to hear from you! [email protected]
Dave Ramsey says sell your car! Cybertruck - hype or historical? Serious EV charging issues with cold weather and "free" charging.
Pitfalls and pluses of cold weather EV usage. Gasoline proves its irreplaceable benefits. "Free" charging is a negative. Cybertruck appearance distracts from its serious benefits. We love hearing from you! suggestions? [email protected] We love 5 star ratings and comments!
Rebroadcast: New Years Rewind. Bad forum advice. Tesla advertise? EV charging confusion.
Avoid Parts Cannon method. Toyota to copy Tesla. Doug DeMuro: warranty or reliability better? Good looks trounce quality?
A good diagnosis saves money by avoiding unnecessary repairs & parts. Tesla's NACS & Gigacasting adopted by Toyota. Unless your time is worthless, a reliable car beats a warranty. We love to hear from you! [email protected]
48% car price increase since 2019 podcast debut. $10k per hour Detroit employee? Strike aftermath. Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V values. Car opinions shaped early on.
Used cars under $20k becoming rare. Inflation, interest rates and strike combine for higher prices. When a CEO employee makes more in a day than annual worker pay, does it dilute their argument? Opportunity for China and transplants? Should profits go to those who risked their own capital? We love to hear from you! [email protected]
Dave Ramsey "Car Guy"? Women wary of EV push. Tesla benefit from strike. How to address repair quote.
Addressing estimates as a consumer. "Toddler Test" and personal safety during EV charging is a real concern for both women and men. Dave Ramsey furthers confusion about the term "Car Guy". We love to hear from you! [email protected]
UAW strike benefits Tesla, Toyota & VW? Hyundai V8 $40k! Jim Farley & Granholm EV road trip fails. Plugshare fails. Cool '63 Ford camper.
GM, Ford and Stellantis vs UAW. Are mandates dooming OEMs? Energy Secretary blocks public chargers for political event. Both frustrating and pleasant charging results. We love hearing from you! [email protected] All comments & suggestions welcome!
Mechanics don't have a crystal ball. Car inventories are up - temporary? EVs plateaued in their strongest US markets - permanent? New cars are not immune to catastrophic failure. Car of the week: Mitsubishi Pajero Mini
Your mechanic can spot potential problems, but many issues with cars are entirely unpredictable. Interest rates, inflation and production have boosted inventories. How long will it last, and how will prices react? Multiple paths to make EVs palatable - Tesla seems to have a solution. Do Americans rebel when a radical change is imposed upon their lifestyle?
Japan trip. Glacier camping. RV shoddy build. Toyota museum. Volt and Silverado lowball offers. Gas prices exceed Tokyo? America and Japan philosophy similar? Shelby Terlingua Team Mustang
Bill recounts camping trip to Glacier NP; more makeshift RV repairs demanded. Don was treated to amazing hospitality in Japan. Toyota's own museum gives much credit to other OEMs. Japanese practicality takes long-term, strategic approach to electrification. Can US learn pragmatism, too? Cool Mustang Terlingua tribute spotted locally.
Beware Forum and YouTube advice. Jeep Forward Control idea? Diagnosis is paramount. Tesla ponders advertising. Confusion over EV charging.
Bill's decades of ASE Tech experience meets keyboard warriors online who suggest faulty fixes. Elon Musk hints at reversing course on his distaste for advertising: extortion? Industry is unclear about EV charging and Levels 1,2 & 3. Jeep FC adventure van proposal. Constant mid-year updates affect repairs.
Real Car Guys are Savvy - not flashy. Ford is first OEM to deal with Tesla over access to NACS port and Superchargers. VW ID Buzz. Markup$ will bolster a brand, not tarnish it. Used prices up 45% in 3 years.
Tesla's landmark deal (starting with Ford) for access to the Supercharger network and the NACS port - will this temper the costly need for L3 public charging? Journalists who claim that dealer markups on popular models tarnish the brand may need to attend business school. Will the ID Buzz mark a Sea Change in the perception of vans?
Real Car Guys are savvy - not flashy. Ford is first OEM to deal with Tesla over access to Supercharger and NACS port. VW ID Buzz revive microbus? Markup$ will bolster a brand, not tarnish it. Used prices up 45% in 3 years.
Tesla's landmark deal (starting with Ford) for access to Superchargers and the NACS port - will this answer the costly need for L3 public charging? Journalists who say markups on popular models will "tarnish the brand" may need to go back to business school. Will ID Buzz mark a Sea Change in the perception of vans? We love to hear from you! [email protected]
Can you ignore some dashboard lights? Keep older car or trade: Make & model, location and use are all factors. Tesla is the tail that wags the dog now.
Is it ever financially justified to trade in your old car? Rust, condition and parts availability all factor in the decision. OEMs losing billions on EV programs. Tesla signalling that they dictate pricing for entire car market. We love to hear from you! [email protected]
How would a mechanic design cars differently? Olympus Rally: Subaru with Ferrari V8. Used car prices down vs 2022, may not last. Mustang Raptor? Lose billions each year chasing Tesla? . Hyundai curbside EV charging ...obvious pitfalls ignored?
If car engineers had to be mechanics, repair time and costs would fall. Olympus Rally had great variety (Lexus IS stickshifts, Ferrari-powered WRX, 1969 AMC AMX, BMW 2002 and many more). Used car prices simmer, but low inventory will prop it up. Can OEMs keep losing tens of thousands on each EV for long? Is perfect still the enemy of good?