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)
EV Oregon road trip hassles with vandalism, cable theft & charger squatting. Ford admit to losing billion$. Tesla success misunderstood by legacy OEMs? ...Volkswagen analogy from history?
Metal thieves discover copper EV charging cables will bring $ while ruining plans for travelers. Do road trips in EVs always involve conflict? Are OEMs misunderstanding the Tesla appeal (much like the Corvair attempt to battle VW in 1960?). Ford CEO Jim Farley boldly reports the losses in their EV division that the ICE division is having to subsidize. Why are many EV advocates opposed to alternatives that still can cut fuel use +90%? We love to hear from you and learn from your thoughts and suggestions! [email protected]
Ram REV and Toyota Prime find magic missing ingredient? GM Volt idea sprang from towing a generator on a trailer? More outdated terminology that can cost unaware car owners. Engine plastics are a ticking time bomb. Prioritize repairs to maximize dollars.
RAM and Toyota's adherence to ICE may pay dividends as they electrify their fleets. Did GM accidentally invent Voltec by towing a generator behind an EV1? Don't let outdated notions and terminology cost you more as you maintain your vehicle. New concerns and issues have replaced once-common problems of the past. No need to fix the entire laundry list of repairs your shop provides you. We love to hear from you! [email protected]
(Audio fix) California Dreamin'. Stranded from delayed maintenance. Tesla launches price war that rattles all OEMs. Corvette ingenuity. Toyota rekindles Prius.
Deferred maintenance can cost you time, money and undue wear. Examples galore. Tesla uses their thick margins to cut prices and apply pressure to entire industry. Bill discovers manic drivers exist elsewhere. Don discovers being frugal can be dumb. Chevrolet applies some lessons from Volt to new E-Ray AWD. Don and Bill love to hear from you! [email protected]
(rebroadcast) Repair vs Replace decision. Used car prices up 60% in 3 years. Insurers total more cars as repair costs climb. 14,000 electric miles annually enough? PHEV will work. OEMs underestimate the Tesla seamless ownership appeal.
Costs for rental & repairs drive insurers to cut checks for wrecks. Used car prices suggest little relief in near future. Public charging issues are being ignored by those in power making the decisions but not forced to live with them. We love to hear from you! [email protected]
Costs behind a proper diagnosis. Tesla appeal goes beyond electrification. Corvette, Hummer and others thwart flippers with warranty threat.
Experience, education, tools and knowledge are costs built into any diagnosis for your car. Don't waste time throwing parts at a problem. Avoid the mistake of replacing perfectly good OEM parts with inferior aftermarket parts. Do other OEMs see that part of Tesla's advantage is their lack of hard-sell, cringey marketing? Will anyone ever challenge their huge public charging headstart? We love to hear from you! [email protected]
Depreciation at all-time low, but still brutal; Jeep, Porsche and Toyota hold strong residuals. Carfax is great, but not foolproof. Our testimonies to limitations of electric cars. Mustang deliberate head fake on Camaro & Challenger? GM sets lofty 25x goa
Services like Carfax provide great timeline and mileage data, but won't report all the issues you want to know. Depreciation affected by shortages - some vehicles like Wrangler, Cayman, 911 & RAV4 actually appreciated the past 3 years. Ford pulls trick move on pony car rivals?
Ford regret Lightning price? Toyota and Koenigsegg downplay EV hype. Warranty history, value & relevance. Oil burning GM, KIA and Hyundai. EcoBoost woes.
Did Ford underestimate Lightning popularity and cost? Toyota and Koenigsegg display prowess with PHEVs and Range Extenders yet get pilloried by extremists: Fair? Relevance of warranties, both OEM and 3rd party. Whose fault are repairs after years of use & abuse? Insurers look for any excuse to shirk responsibility. Both GM and Hyundai Kia experience oil burning claims. Bill's recent examples show why even extensive repairs are preferable to the cost of a replacement vehicle now. We love to hear from you! [email protected] If you enjoy the topics please rate and review at Apple Podcasts
Beware hurricane cars coming to your area. Avoid salt & standing water? Intact Ford Expedition totalled. Rationale for buying next car?
No matter where you live, watch out for cars that have hidden water damage from several states away. If you happen to get salt on your car, what should you do? It's easy now to total a car by getting a simple but obsolete module wet. Never buy as much house or car as the bank allows - only purchase what will satisfy your need. We love to hear from you! [email protected]
Prep for winter. Seek mechanic's opinion before buying a car. Engine swapping update. Used car shortage puts emphasis on quality vehicles. Radwood-era JDM firetruck.
Bill spots some light at the end of the parts shortage tunnel. Do Plaids and Lucids and Rivians actually take pressure off traditional OEM's horsepower wars? Toyota, Chevy, Ford and Ram durability is welcomed when vehicle pricing and repairs are inflated. Rare, low mile, 4x4 diesel 90's Nissan fire truck from Japan makes a compelling 2nd car. We love hearing from you! Suggestions, questions or just say hello at [email protected]
Radwood & The End of the World. Do looks matter? Tesla gets access to stimulus again. Hoard Honda, Toyota and Chevy ICE while you can? Mandates creating tribalism. EV plug rage on the way.
A look at two car events with massive turnout. Who says car culture is fading? Is it time to buy a "forever car" with an ICE powertrain? EVs have major pluses, but also unavoidable downsides. Why can't we let people choose what suits them best? Does Longer, Lower & Wider always win the beauty contest? We love to hear from YOU! [email protected]
Repos on the rise! Are dealers gouging ...or just adjusting to free market? Tell us! Blame from OEMs. Tesla just adapts. Jeep Wrangler is #1 plug-in hybrid. All customers face tough wait for parts or cars.
Repo mania as values and interest rates climb. Hypothetical $5k used car reality? Is it fair of OEMs to scapegoat their franchised dealers for responding to a free market? Do $20 million salaried CEOs have the moral authority to berate small business owners adjusting to supply/demand imbalances? Tesla's vertical integration allows them to respond to market signals overnight (and to price accordingly). Bill describes a multi-state RV detour to avoid California's high diesel prices. Jeep has a surprise hit: the PHEV 4XE models that outsell any other plug-in hybrid in the USA. Please send us your comments and objections to [email protected] We love arguments! We'd also love it if you could give us a rating at Apple Podcasts. Let us know how we can serve you better!
Chevy Duramax hidden fix. GM LS V8 a genius of simplicity. Subsidies a waste of money? Hybrid & PHEV overlooked in rush to Electric? Analogy of energy density in popular fuels. Stellantis and Toyota stubbornly smart?
Bill stumbled upon an easy fix to Duramax diesel woes on 3,000 mile towing trip. American simplicity of the pushrod V8. The rush to all EV is overlooking the brilliance of PHEVs and the complementary benefits of having both in a vehicle. Stellantis and Toyota's stubborn adherence to internal combustion is gaining traction amongst others in the industry. Public EV charging pitfalls are being ignored by those who are making decisions but not forced to deal with them.
MPG scams, myths and tips. Simple physics can't be ignored: Weight, drag & speed won't participate in efficiency schemes.
We go over some of the most commonly promoted and hyped cures for gaining more efficiency from your vehicle. High oil prices are luring scammers and snake oil salesmen from their hibernation of the past decade. [email protected]
Gas prices spur EV sales. Car and parts shortage to persist. Insurance write-offs due to parts wait and rentals. Duramax tow 2,600 miles to New Mexico. PHEV satisfaction.
Bill preps for summer RV tow to mountains and desert. Can gov't pass gas tax relief while pushing EV cars? Long waits and car rental expenses force insurance companies to cut checks.
The Grass ain't Greener idiom rings true. Fix what you have! Taxes and fees discourage trading. Rare Ford Woody wagon used for work.
Bill and Don defend living in a scenic high-cost area, but grumble about funding mobile meth labs. All the good cars are now taken, so finding a good used one takes extra discernment. We love hearing from you! [email protected] Instagram? CarsThePodcast
VW history plus ID Buzz and Scout hopes. No ethanol in boats. Jim Farley of Ford new Podcast. Jeep RV. New studio hires.
Bill and Don give USA and GenX perspective on VW past and future with ID Buzz and now Scout : attempts to capture Rivian, Tesla and Ioniq market. Ford CEO Jim Farley - welcome to podcasting! Coast Guard advises against ethanol mix for boats.
Used F250 masking internal issues. Olympus Rally visits nearby. Ram Revolution range extender viable?
Beware many used cars concealing serious problems. Russian military suffering from deferred maintenance. Could a gas range extender in an EV pickup be the panacea? Are state EV mandates helpful?
Detour: Bill's adventure pulling RV from Ohio behind Duramax Silverado: Hail, tornadoes, snow and squirrels.
Just in time for camping season, Bill offers some practical advice for RV buyers fresh off a purchase and a 4,800 mile tow. Advance preparation and some cool modern tech can prevent a vacation disaster. Wifi and remote access can make camping even more comfortable than home.
Tesla twice-weekly price bump. Long-term fixes are best. Right to Repair facts. Job Specialization. '73 Ford Bronco updated.
Old-school 4x4s coming out of the woodwork for fun and $$. Tesla boosts prices twice after seeing no lack of demand. High car prices bolster the need for proper, long-term repairs. OEMs create hurdles to independent shops accessing proprietary data. We love to hear from you! [email protected] View Instagram at CarsThePodcast
Oil changes overrated? Platform flexibility. Jeep Wrangler 392. VW ID Buzz
Maintenance may seem cheap vs thousands in repairs prevented later. Wrangler 392 spurs V8 swaps into earler Jeeps. VW ID Buzz may reignite the van market. We love to hear from you! [email protected]
Mechanic shortage compounds the parts shortage. Ancient Toyota Tacoma becomes best-seller in multiple states. Tesla charging network is their secret sauce
Bill and Don discuss reasons for mechanic shortage and why it may be the right career path; Changing landscape of best-selling vehicles across the US. Companies that are slow to adopt new technologies are often smartest.
Ram Range Extender novel solution. SS396 worth restoring? Wrangler is #1 plug-in hybrid. Tribalism in car world is pointless.
Bill's customer uncovers a legit vintage Chevelle SS396 stored for four decades. Jeep Wrangler steals PHEV crown again to the surprise of many. Vintage 70's pickups fetching six figures. Median new cars cresting $46k while used are nearing $30k. We love to hear from you! [email protected] Instagram? CarsThePodcast
Bad Bet Warranties. Symptoms without CEL? Defending Subaru. Maverick and Lightning sell out.
Experience symptoms without any Check Engine Light? Many warranties are like a casino where The House always wins. Criticism of the CUV craze close-minded? Subaru: historically tight inventories bite them now. We love to hear from you! Please send topic ideas: [email protected]
Median new cars exceed $45k. Used $30k. Maverick sells out. In defense of markups? Take care of your cars!
Both new & used prices blow up (and vary by region). Maintaining your current fleet will be money well spent for the next year or two. EV owners get real about hidden EV downsides. We love to hear from you! [email protected] Instagram? CarsThePodcast
Rebroadcast: Collateral Damage - Repairs can affect other components.
Age, materials and complexity of cars results in other parts getting damaged during repair and maintenance, despite careful work.