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Save The V8 And Pass The Breakfast Taco · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:05
  Don Armstrong: It is the award-winning Edwill Time Car Talk Show today coming to you from the Easter edition of Tailpipes and Tacos The Cruise Inn at the Lupi Tortilla Tex Mex in Katy, Texas.
• 0:16
  Don Armstrong: Just ahead, we're going to have uh recalls and uh maybe what the new car is sold for.
• 0:25
  Don Armstrong: Well, new car to us.
• 0:27
  Don Armstrong: It's off a hemming, so it's probably old.
• 0:30
  Don Armstrong: Anyway, we've got all of that coming up, and uh we've got more fun things to talk about as well, including our story of the week.
• 0:38
  Don Armstrong: Thanks for being with us today.
• 0:40
  Don Armstrong: Uh we're coming to you from the Lupi Trotea in Katy, Texas, along with Mike out of this world, Mars.
• 0:46
  Don Armstrong: We always need more Jeb Zekin, our chief engineer, David Ainsley.
• 0:49
  Don Armstrong: My name is Don Armstrong.
• 0:50
  Don Armstrong: So glad that you could join us today.
• 0:52
  Don Armstrong: Mr.
• 0:53
  Don Armstrong: Mars, we're gonna do your national parks thing here in just a second, if you want to get ready for that.
• 0:57
  Don Armstrong: But in the meantime and in between time, I thought that we would do our story of the week here.
• 1:02
  Don Armstrong: And um, it's this U.S.
• 1:05
  Don Armstrong: car market sputtering into the spring selling system, a s season, and bracing for more volatility, signaling the potential for a new near repeat of the shocks, ebbs, and flows of 2025.
• 1:19
  Don Armstrong: U.S.
• 1:19
  Don Armstrong: sales by numerous automakers declined in the first quarter as a confluence of factors, vehicle affordability, huge, surge in gasoline prices, big, lackluster job growth, and waning consumer confidence pushed the market lower.
• 1:35
  Don Armstrong: On top of that, the industry didn't have the added tailwind of looming tariffs to motivate price-conscious consumers, as dealerships experienced a year ago.
• 1:44
  Don Armstrong: And the loss of a sizable federal tax credit credit toward electric vehicles continues to be a drag on volume as well.
• 1:53
  Don Armstrong: First quarter deliveries fell at most of the biggest automakers, GM, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Nissan, but it was the sixth consecutive quarter of growth for Honda Kia and the third straight for Stellantis at Toyota.
• 2:10
  Don Armstrong: Lexus posted its first quarterly decline in more than three years.
• 2:17
  Don Armstrong: In addition to having the industry's leanest inventory and high churn rates, Toyota is juggling the launch of a redesigned RAV 4.
• 2:25
  Don Armstrong: Have you seen it?
• 2:37
  Don Armstrong: What?
• 2:38
  Don Armstrong: Sales have fallen for two consecutive quarters at GM, but executives say the automaker can weather more headwinds.
• 2:44
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 2:45
  Don Armstrong: Because Mary Barrow is still making what a bit billion dollars a year.
• 2:49
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, and they're doing some kind of uh welcome all, welcome everybody at the factories or something, some kind of and and they moved from the Ren Center in Detroit to their own.
• 2:58
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, uh there's a thing, and not not to interject on that, that uh it's empty.
• 3:02
  Jeff Dziekan: It's empty.
• 3:03
  Jeff Dziekan: What's empty?
• 3:04
  Jeff Dziekan: The uh Ren Center.
• 3:05
  Mike Marrs: The Ren Center?
• 3:05
  Jeff Dziekan: Oh yeah, I think there's only a couple of there's a uh what do they have it where you get your passport and things?
• 3:10
  Jeff Dziekan: The uh passport center.
• 3:14
  Jeff Dziekan: Whatever.
• 3:14
  Jeff Dziekan: Anyways, but they've they only have two of those in there.
• 3:16
  Jeff Dziekan: You can get to the hotel, but that's it.
• 3:17
  Mike Marrs: Is the Starbucks still there?
• 3:19
  Mike Marrs: I don't know.
• 3:19
  Mike Marrs: Oh god.
• 3:20
  Don Armstrong: Some of the biggest first quarter declines occurred at smaller automakers, including those more dependent on import.
• 3:27
  Don Armstrong: Sales fell 14% at Mazda, 15% at Mitsubishi, at Subaru, volume dropped for an eighth straight month, down 24% in March, and 15% for the quarter.
• 3:39
  Don Armstrong: That's surprising.
• 3:41
  Don Armstrong: Uh and the reason I say that is because I just got finished driving as a test car, the all-new, all-electric Subaru, uh Uncharted, which is a new name for them.
• 3:55
  Don Armstrong: Are you doing a review this week on that?
• 3:57
  Don Armstrong: It's a very nice car that'll be next week.
• 4:00
  Don Armstrong: And uh, not that that's gonna bring them out of the doldrums, but you know, you can only carry uh the same cars so long with the same sheet metal, so you put some different paint on it, you can you know jack it up, make it look off-road, but it's still the same.
• 4:19
  Don Armstrong: No, not like that.
• 4:21
  Don Armstrong: No, we got one foot.
• 4:23
  Don Armstrong: We got one foot in the grave here.
• 4:25
  Don Armstrong: Lots of body putty.
• 4:26
  Don Armstrong: There are other signs that consumers are seeking more value in new car showrooms.
• 4:30
  Don Armstrong: Ford, after discontinuing one of its least expensive models, the Escape, hopes to entice shoppers into other utility vehicles, notably the Bronco Sport, which I've always liked.
• 4:40
  Don Armstrong: That set a first quarter sales record of 35,000, up five percent.
• 4:44
  Don Armstrong: Entry-level trims of the Maverick, Ranger and Bronco Sport rose 8.4% combined, Ford said.
• 4:52
  Don Armstrong: And Stellantes.
• 4:53
  Don Armstrong: Oh boy.
• 4:54
  Don Armstrong: Here we go.
• 4:54
  Don Armstrong: Appears to be finding its stride after years of market share losses.
• 4:57
  Don Armstrong: Automakers U.S.
• 4:58
  Don Armstrong: sales rose 4.1% in the first quarter on gains at Ram Jeep and Dodge, despite the fact that they stopped making the V8 engine.
• 5:07
  Don Armstrong: What moron would come into a company, make a bajillion dollars himself, and then oh, we're not gonna make the Challenger and uh the Charger anymore.
• 5:18
  Don Armstrong: Yes, they were our top sellers for years and still are, but we're not gonna make those anymore.
• 5:23
  Don Armstrong: We're gonna make it all electric.
• 5:25
  Don Armstrong: Go tell a hot rotter that he's gonna get into an electric, not.
• 5:41
  Don Armstrong: Jeez, talk about shrinking sales.
• 5:44
  Don Armstrong: Delanis received a boost from the redesigned Jeep Cherokee and the freshened Grand Wagoneer, which I understand that Sheila's driving.
• 5:51
  Don Armstrong: Ram sales jumped 20 percent, marking its first best quarter since 2023.
• 5:56
  Don Armstrong: Sales of 15 uh the 1500 pickup surging 27 percent.
• 5:59
  Don Armstrong: Company revived its 5.7 liter V8 engine on the 2026 Ram 1500 last year after dropping it from the BS years.
• 6:10
  Don Armstrong: Who who would do something like that?
• 6:13
  Don Armstrong: Not a car guy.
• 6:15
  Don Armstrong: And it's funny, they keep hiring CEOs that aren't car guys.
• 6:18
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, why would you do that?
• 6:20
  Don Armstrong: Yep.
• 6:21
  Don Armstrong: We had a CEO of our uh Mike is gonna get into brain surgery.
• 6:25
  Jeff Dziekan: Yep.
• 6:25
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, I can see I could see that.
• 6:28
  Jeff Dziekan: No.
• 6:29
  Jeff Dziekan: We had a CEO of uh company that came from Coca-Cola, he lasted less than a year.
• 6:34
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, yeah, but it but that's the thing at the CEO level.
• 6:37
  Mike Marrs: They think that they're so high.
• 6:38
  Mike Marrs: They don't need to know what we know how to run the business.
• 6:42
  Mike Marrs: They need to know how to tell other people, to tell other people, to tell other people, to tell other people how to run the business.
• 6:47
  Jeff Dziekan: Look how good he did over there.
• 6:48
  Jeff Dziekan: It doesn't mean you're gonna do good over here.
• 6:50
  Mike Marrs: Exactly.
• 6:50
  Mike Marrs: They're do-gooders.
• 6:51
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, there you go.
• 6:53
  Jeff Dziekan: That's all they are is do-gooders.
• 6:54
  Don Armstrong: Wannabeers, the wannabees run them out of town.
• 6:56
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 6:57
  Don Armstrong: Um I I I I don't understand the philosophy of these folks that uh continually hire CEOs that know nothing about the business.
• 7:09
  Don Armstrong: I I'm I'm the stupid one.
• 7:12
  Don Armstrong: It makes no sense to me.
• 7:13
  Don Armstrong: Is it to you?
• 7:14
  Don Armstrong: We're the stupid ones because we're not doing it.
• 7:16
  Mike Marrs: Well, it's my my experience in the C in that world, it's not about what you know.
• 7:23
  Mike Marrs: Guys like us, yeah, I only know of one that ever started that made it top, and that was in Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.
• 7:34
  Mike Marrs: Both.
• 7:34
  Mike Marrs: Oh.
• 7:35
  Mike Marrs: But you know, other than him, all about what school you you went to, who you met, who you know that can get you in it.
• 7:42
  Mike Marrs: Yep, exactly.
• 7:43
  Mike Marrs: Same thing in politics.
• 7:44
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, that's that's pretty much what it amounts to.
• 7:47
  Mike Marrs: And that's what I told my grandkids.
• 7:49
  Mike Marrs: You want to know how to do something, go to the school that teaches you.
• 7:51
  Mike Marrs: You want to know how to move up in the world, go to UT or go to AM, someplace where you can make connections, because that's most important.
• 7:58
  Mike Marrs: Yeah.
• 8:00
  Don Armstrong: Well, same speaking of things that are important, everybody's kind of looking forward to summer vacation now that we're at Easter and making plans for that.
• 8:07
  Don Armstrong: And I know that you've got a special feature on uh national parks and summer road trips.
• 8:12
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, there was so much to do.
• 8:14
  Mike Marrs: I kind of split it up.
• 8:15
  Mike Marrs: So we're gonna take kind of the west side of the country uh this week, but when you start thinking about summer road trips to the national parks, then we're not really close to any of them, so you've got to make some plans.
• 8:25
  Don Armstrong: Well, we do have a national forest nearby.
• 8:27
  Don Armstrong: We do.
• 8:28
  Mike Marrs: Well, you do, but that's not quite where you're gonna find uh from a driving perspective, you're not gonna find a lot of switchbacks or long straightaways to to really get into some elevation changes and things.
• 8:38
  Mike Marrs: Enjoy your car.
• 8:39
  Mike Marrs: Enjoy the car.
• 8:41
  Mike Marrs: So trying to do both of them, these are a few places you might go to.
• 8:44
  Mike Marrs: So Glacier National Park, and it's called Going to the Sun Road.
• 8:49
  Mike Marrs: Oh, now it's it's got a lot of tight switchbacks, it's got a lot of narrow lanes, uh drop offs, the Glacier National Park.
• 8:59
  Mike Marrs: But the glaciers, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 9:01
  Mike Marrs: So if you really want to go out driving wise, you go to or go in the early morning when there's not a lot of people out there, the mountain air is a little more crisp, a lot of cooler, it's easier to drive the in a more spirited manner whenever you're doing that.
• 9:16
  Mike Marrs: And a couple of cars you might want to look at if you're out there.
• 9:18
  Mike Marrs: If you have an opportunity, maybe use something like a Mustang, a Ford Mustang.
• 9:22
  Mike Marrs: But of course, if you got the family with you, then you're going to be looking for something, maybe an SUV like the Explorer to uh carry the family with you to go see all the sites and all the uh valleys and the hills and everything that the family's gonna want to see.
• 9:37
  Mike Marrs: I knew that.
• 9:40
  Mike Marrs: The other one we want to talk about that would give you some uh a little bit of both worlds would be the Tyoga Pass in Yos Yosimite Yosemite, Yosemite.
• 9:51
  Mike Marrs: However, you want to do it.
• 9:52
  Mike Marrs: I'm trying to cover all the bases.
• 9:53
  Mike Marrs: There you go.
• 9:54
  Mike Marrs: It's Yosemite to me, National Park.
• 9:55
  Mike Marrs: We knew you were bilingual.
• 9:58
  Mike Marrs: Now, the thing about this is whenever you're going on this drive, you're gonna run into a lot of sweeping curves.
• 10:03
  Mike Marrs: It all gives you a nice steady pace to go through it, but you go up above 9,000 feet.
• 10:09
  Mike Marrs: And so your car is going to be running on some thin air in there.
• 10:13
  Mike Marrs: So whenever you start coming back down, you're doing going through the curves and along straights, you gotta kind of get into a rhythm, but you really don't want to get too spirited with it because uh your car is not gonna react like it does down at sea level or down even down here below sea level.
• 10:28
  Mike Marrs: There you go.
• 10:29
  Mike Marrs: Uh something you might want to look at for that.
• 10:31
  Mike Marrs: If you got a whole family with you, of course, something like a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
• 10:35
  Mike Marrs: You still got plenty of power, you can still feel the road and enjoy that.
• 10:39
  Mike Marrs: But if you're just you, maybe your special friend or something, you might try and do the Honda Civic.
• 10:44
  Mike Marrs: Get a little more spirited driving going.
• 10:47
  Mike Marrs: A little bit more oof.
• 10:49
  Mike Marrs: Then uh the other one would be the Trail Ridge Road in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
• 10:58
  Mike Marrs: So this is kind of the this is actually the highest continuous paved road in the United States.
• 11:03
  Mike Marrs: Wow.
• 11:03
  Mike Marrs: So you got long climbs, steep descents.
• 11:06
  Mike Marrs: You can center, you can got a lot of wide open views above the tree line, so you can see a lot of place.
• 11:11
  Mike Marrs: But here's the problem with this one when you're coming downhill, you got to worry about your brakes.
• 11:16
  Mike Marrs: You got to do some brake management because you don't want your brakes to overheat in the steep descent.
• 11:21
  Mike Marrs: Um, and then you've got engine cooling you're gonna have to worry about if you're up there in the summer, even though it's up high, the elevation is a little cooler, but the engines really got to work a lot harder when they go through all these sweeping curves and above the tree line, and you're gonna see all the horizon that's like way over there, endlessly away.
• 11:39
  Mike Marrs: So uh something you might drive there, maybe if you get a chance, maybe one of the BMW 3 series, uh a Subaru has got some all-wheel drive vehicles that could work really well, or you might try the Miata MX5, which would be what I would think would be really fun if you don't have the kids with you.
• 11:55
  Mike Marrs: Of course.
• 11:56
  Mike Marrs: So you get to kind of look at what you're in.
• 11:58
  Mike Marrs: So when you go to these national parks and you start thinking about them as destinations, obviously you know you may want to take the kids, you got a lot of scenics uh scenes to drive through for the elevation, the surface, surface scenery that you can see and stop and make some changes and uh get the family involved, or you can enjoy the drive a little bit more depending on what you're driving.
• 12:19
  Mike Marrs: So do some planning uh to go to the national parks for this summer.
• 12:23
  Don Armstrong: There you go.
• 12:23
  Don Armstrong: Thank you, Mike.
• 12:25
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 12:26
  Don Armstrong: Um let me let me look at the time.
• 12:30
  Don Armstrong: I have uh thinking then that it's maybe time to take a break.
• 12:36
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 12:36
  Don Armstrong: Are you okay with that?
• 12:37
  Jeff Dziekan: I'm fine.
• 12:38
  Don Armstrong: Anybody else is asking to take a poll?
• 12:40
  Don Armstrong: Take a poll.
• 12:42
  Don Armstrong: You know, there's more people here than I thought.
• 12:44
  Jeff Dziekan: They're rolling in.
• 12:44
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, they are still rolling.
• 12:46
  Jeff Dziekan: Not bad, a little overcast.
• 12:48
  Jeff Dziekan: It's a little humid, humid.
• 12:50
  Jeff Dziekan: But it's it's cool.
• 12:51
  Mike Marrs: It's nice and cool without being cold.
• 12:53
  Mike Marrs: It's hot like us.
• 12:54
  Mike Marrs: Hot.
• 12:55
  Don Armstrong: The humidity is 150%.
• 12:57
  Don Armstrong: But um, you know, if you're good with that, I'm good with it.
• 13:00
  Don Armstrong: Uh is my having a bad hair day.
• 13:03
  Jeff Dziekan: I truly am.
• 13:04
  Don Armstrong: Are you?
• 13:05
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 13:05
  Don Armstrong: Both of them are like going crazy.
• 13:09
  Don Armstrong: Coming up.
• 13:10
  Don Armstrong: Jeff has the cruise in and events calendars, and I'll have the stories making autumn's headlines this week, hopefully.
• 13:17
  Don Armstrong: So we invite you to stay with us.
• 13:19
  Don Armstrong: By the way, we're coming to you today from Tailpipes and Tacos, the cruise in at the Lupito, Texas, near the intersection of I-10, the CD Freeway, and 99, the Grand Park.
• 13:32
  Don Armstrong: Far come on by.
• 13:33
  Don Armstrong: We'll be here till eleven o'clock this morning, and the restaurant opens at 11, so you can go in and get yourself some really fine.
• 13:40
  Jeff Dziekan: And they're good.
• 13:41
  Jeff Dziekan: I had one.
• 13:43
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 13:44
  Don Armstrong: We've got all that coming up.
• 13:45
  Don Armstrong: We hope you'll stay with us here on the Inwheel Time Car Talk Show.
• 13:48
  Don Armstrong: We continue after this quick break.
• 13:52
  Don Armstrong: The Easter Bunny's coming.
• 13:53
  Don Armstrong: To the tailpipes and tacos cruise in at the Loopy Tortilla Tex Max in Katie, April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m.
• 14:00
  Don Armstrong: And you're invited to.
• 14:01
  Don Armstrong: Bring the kids and grandkids.
• 14:03
  Don Armstrong: It's a cruise-in like you've never attended before.
• 14:05
  Don Armstrong: With the donation to Shirley's Kids, you'll get a free Loopy Tortilla breakfast taco.
• 14:09
  Don Armstrong: There'll be coffee and adult beverages, plus chili pepper trophies for the best hot rod, best modern classic, and best classic.
• 14:15
  Don Armstrong: There's no entry fee and no registration.
• 14:17
  Don Armstrong: Just bring your ride and the kids.
• 14:19
  Don Armstrong: Best bunnies aren't allowed, but the Easter bunny will be there, and he'll be full of joy to help make this tailpipes and tacos a very special one.
• 14:26
  Don Armstrong: Photo opportunities abound.
• 14:28
  Don Armstrong: The NRL Time Car Talk Show will be streaming around the globe, and you can be selected to tell your car story to a global audience.
• 14:34
  Don Armstrong: It's the Tail Pipes and Tacos Cruise and Easter edition, Saturday, April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m.
• 14:39
  Don Armstrong: at the Loopy Tortilla Tex Max in Katy, located on 99 the Grand Parkway, just south of I10, the Katy Freeway in Katy.
• 14:46
  Don Armstrong: Make plans now.
• 14:46
  Don Armstrong: Loopy Tortilla is pretty good.
• 14:50
  Don Armstrong: Apple or Android in Wheel Time podcasts can be found everywhere, on the stream and through downloads.
• 14:56
  Don Armstrong: Whether you're on the road or at home and Jones in for a different kind of car talk show, give In Wheel Time a try.
• 15:01
  Don Armstrong: Honest new car reviews, fun, informative interviews with real car people, weekly automotive news, features like Jeff's car culture and Mike's driving destinations, all on In Wheel Time.
• 15:11
  Don Armstrong: Check us out on Sirius XM Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or while you're shopping on Amazon through Amazon Music.
• 15:17
  Don Armstrong: Mm-hmm.
• 15:18
  Don Armstrong: InWheel Time.com has a list, and we know you love lists.
• 15:22
  Don Armstrong: Welcome back to the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show.
• 15:24
  Don Armstrong: We're coming to you live today from the Lupitourtia Tex Mex in Katy for tailpipes and tacos.
• 15:31
  Don Armstrong: And we'll be here till 11.
• 15:33
  Don Armstrong: Hope you'll stop by.
• 15:34
  Don Armstrong: I've got a nice turnout here for the cruise in, all sorts of cars, lots of fun stuff going on.
• 15:39
  Don Armstrong: The Easter Bunny is here.
• 15:41
  Don Armstrong: We've got a display of all the fine pedal cars.
• 15:43
  Don Armstrong: Did you see the pedal cars?
• 15:44
  Jeff Dziekan: I did.
• 15:45
  Jeff Dziekan: I did.
• 15:45
  Jeff Dziekan: They're getting loaded in.
• 15:47
  Jeff Dziekan: Sheila's taking them out of some of them out of her car.
• 15:49
  Jeff Dziekan: And look what you have in front of her in front of you.
• 15:52
  Jeff Dziekan: So this is the new Wally.
• 15:55
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, Stan Talk well, the 50th anniversary Wally.
• 15:57
  Don Armstrong: That's a special edition for that year.
• 15:58
  Don Armstrong: That's what I say.
• 15:59
  Don Armstrong: It's the new Wally.
• 16:00
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, 75 years.
• 16:02
  Don Armstrong: 75 years, I apologize.
• 16:03
  Don Armstrong: The Wally Park.
• 16:04
  Don Armstrong: So it's kind of a silver kind of uh color.
• 16:09
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 16:09
  Don Armstrong: It's not silver.
• 16:12
  Don Armstrong: It's not it's not gold like the other one.
• 16:15
  Don Armstrong: Right.
• 16:15
  Don Armstrong: And this is a 2026 class winner.
• 16:18
  Don Armstrong: No problem raceway Belrose, Louisiana.
• 16:21
  Don Armstrong: And it's a diamond that he's standing on.
• 16:22
  Don Armstrong: Yes, he's standing on.
• 16:23
  Don Armstrong: Wally Park.
• 16:24
  Don Armstrong: So um it's very nice.
• 16:26
  Don Armstrong: I like it.
• 16:27
  Don Armstrong: It's heavy too.
• 16:28
  Jeff Dziekan: Would you hold it?
• 16:29
  Jeff Dziekan: Feel how heavy that is.
• 16:30
  Jeff Dziekan: Oh, yeah, that's heavy.
• 16:32
  Jeff Dziekan: I want to thank the Academy and everyone that's not in the Academy.
• 16:36
  Jeff Dziekan: Okay.
• 16:36
  Jeff Dziekan: Appreciate the award.
• 16:37
  Jeff Dziekan: Very nice.
• 16:38
  Jeff Dziekan: So we'll put that right there.
• 16:40
  Don Armstrong: This is the only time that we get to see these kinds of things.
• 16:43
  Don Armstrong: So we have to bring the show out here for it all to be displayed.
• 16:47
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 16:48
  Don Armstrong: Um be sure and join us for our regular live show every Saturday from 10 to noon on Facebook, YouTube, and in real time.com.
• 16:56
  Don Armstrong: Podcasts everywhere.
• 16:57
  Don Armstrong: Thanks for joining us today.
• 16:58
  Don Armstrong: Time now for Jeff's cruise in and events.
• 17:01
  Don Armstrong: Oh yeah, let me get that.
• 17:02
  Don Armstrong: I knew I had something to do here today.
• 17:03
  Jeff Dziekan: That's all right.
• 17:04
  Jeff Dziekan: There you go.
• 17:04
  Jeff Dziekan: Okay, well, next Saturday, uh which we always do a week ahead of time.
• 17:08
  Jeff Dziekan: This one, I'm sure a shout out to our folks down south from us.
• 17:11
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh the Corpus Christi Car Show is going April 11th, starts at 10 a.m.
• 17:16
  Jeff Dziekan: It's at 247 Houston.
• 17:17
  Jeff Dziekan: Corpus.
• 17:18
  Jeff Dziekan: The car show will take place at the Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi.
• 17:22
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh again, it starts at 10.
• 17:23
  Jeff Dziekan: The event invites car enthusiasts to display vehicles ranging from classics to modern.
• 17:27
  Jeff Dziekan: The first 50 entries will receive a free car show t-shirt.
• 17:31
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh everybody that registers, uh, it benefits the bikes for kids in Corpus Christi.
• 17:35
  Jeff Dziekan: So go on out there and get that.
• 17:37
  Don Armstrong: Hilliard.
• 17:38
  Don Armstrong: You know, uh, I believe that was uh that was the name of uh the character that Robin Williams played in Mrs.
• 17:46
  Don Armstrong: Dowdfire.
• 17:47
  Don Armstrong: Okay, that's that's good to know.
• 17:48
  Jeff Dziekan: Mr.
• 17:49
  Jeff Dziekan: Hilliard.
• 17:49
  Jeff Dziekan: Okay.
• 17:50
  Jeff Dziekan: And then we got West Temple Motors and Monthly Cruise In.
• 17:54
  Jeff Dziekan: And this is in where?
• 17:56
  Jeff Dziekan: George would know.
• 17:56
  Jeff Dziekan: It's in Temple, Texas.
• 17:57
  Jeff Dziekan: It's 7070 Stone Hollow Drive.
• 18:00
  Jeff Dziekan: Goes from 5 p.m.
• 18:01
  Jeff Dziekan: to 10 p.m.
• 18:02
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh it's at the Bold Republic Brewing for laid back evening of laid-back uh evening of engines, good vibes, and great beer.
• 18:10
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh all vehicles are welcome.
• 18:12
  Jeff Dziekan: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, if it's got wheels, bring it.
• 18:15
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh George will be out there.
• 18:16
  Jeff Dziekan: I hope George will be out there.
• 18:17
  Jeff Dziekan: He enjoys those things.
• 18:18
  Jeff Dziekan: Whether you're a gearhead or just appreciate good conversation about classic rides, custom bills, your daily driver, this is the spot.
• 18:24
  Jeff Dziekan: There's no entry fee, there's no judging.
• 18:26
  Jeff Dziekan: So just go on out of the way.
• 18:28
  Jeff Dziekan: We don't judge here.
• 18:28
  Jeff Dziekan: And judge out there.
• 18:30
  Jeff Dziekan: We judge out there, that's right, the cars.
• 18:31
  Jeff Dziekan: Then you got the Austin Monthly Lunch Meet.
• 18:34
  Jeff Dziekan: This is at 7525 Burnett Road in Austin.
• 18:37
  Jeff Dziekan: It goes from 1030 a.m.
• 18:39
  Jeff Dziekan: to 2 p.m.
• 18:40
  Jeff Dziekan: This is basically uh well it's at the top-notch hamburgers in Austin, Texas.
• 18:44
  Jeff Dziekan: Next Saturday.
• 18:45
  Jeff Dziekan: Next Saturday.
• 18:45
  Jeff Dziekan: It welcomes all fiat and Italian car enthusiasts, and the activities begin at 10.30.
• 18:50
  Don Armstrong: All things Italian.
• 18:51
  Jeff Dziekan: All things Italian and uh Yeah, you go out there and get a meatball or something.
• 18:57
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh casual car discussions, community hangout, and classic uh classic drive-in atmosphere.
• 19:02
  Jeff Dziekan: The organizers invite attendees to bring classics.
• 19:04
  Jeff Dziekan: So uh Top Notch is a well-known Austin drive-in, recognized for its retro style and casual setting.
• 19:11
  Jeff Dziekan: Then next Sunday, uh Crazy Train Car Meets.
• 19:14
  Jeff Dziekan: Mike, you'll like this one.
• 19:15
  Jeff Dziekan: It's in Magnolia.
• 19:16
  Jeff Dziekan: It's a 38925 FM 1774.
• 19:19
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh goes from 3 p.m.
• 19:20
  Jeff Dziekan: to 7 p.m., so it's an evening evening cruise.
• 19:25
  Don Armstrong: Wasn't that a uh crazy train?
• 19:26
  Jeff Dziekan: Wasn't that a rock and roll song?
• 19:28
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, that was uh Ozzy Osborne.
• 19:29
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, Ozzy.
• 19:30
  Jeff Dziekan: Crazy work.
• 19:32
  Jeff Dziekan: The event encourages respectful behavior and uh request attendees to refrain from bringing outside food order.
• 19:38
  Jeff Dziekan: Don't bring Ozzy then.
• 19:39
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, don't bring Ozzy.
• 19:40
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh Kingwood, the last one we got for next Sunday is the Kingwood Family Dentistry.
• 19:44
  Jeff Dziekan: It's a spring car show.
• 19:45
  Jeff Dziekan: It's at 2876 West Town Center in Kingwood, Texas.
• 19:49
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh the Kingwood Family Dentistry will be held that day.
• 19:52
  Jeff Dziekan: The event features uh display of more than a hundred vehicles, ranging from cars over a hundred years old to modern vehicles.
• 19:58
  Jeff Dziekan: And you know what?
• 19:59
  Jeff Dziekan: They're giving away as trophies, they've got a little plaque.
• 20:03
  unknown: Woo-hoo!
• 20:05
  Jeff Dziekan: I get it.
• 20:06
  Don Armstrong: Thinking, well, yeah, they've got all dentals.
• 20:11
  Jeff Dziekan: I'll drill down on that next time.
• 20:12
  Jeff Dziekan: Please do.
• 20:16
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 20:18
  Don Armstrong: Did the wheels come off of this extra early?
• 20:21
  Don Armstrong: 805.
• 20:22
  Don Armstrong: No, I think it came off about six, didn't it?
• 20:25
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 20:27
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 20:28
  Don Armstrong: Um, I have some stories to tell you about, um, and that would be news stories.
• 20:35
  Don Armstrong: Have you heard about the Chinese?
• 20:38
  Don Armstrong: Heard about them?
• 20:39
  Don Armstrong: You know, they make everything, they make pretty much everything that we buy.
• 20:43
  Don Armstrong: Everything.
• 20:44
  Don Armstrong: Well, guess what?
• 20:45
  Don Armstrong: We really haven't had an influx of Chinese cars yet.
• 20:51
  Don Armstrong: They're coming.
• 20:54
  Don Armstrong: More than half of China's car dealerships, of which there are a lot, since they are the number one consumer of cars.
• 21:04
  Don Armstrong: Did you know that?
• 21:06
  Don Armstrong: More than half of China's car dealerships became unprofitable last year amid the market's cutthroat price war going on over there and sliding domestic sales, kind of like here.
• 21:16
  Don Armstrong: Some 56% of dealerships booked losses in 2025.
• 21:22
  Don Armstrong: Up 42% the year before, the China Automobile Dealers Association reported March 18th.
• 21:28
  Don Armstrong: China's ongoing new car price war further undermined retailer financial results as vehicle sales fall in the world's biggest auto market, more so than Houston.
• 21:41
  Don Armstrong: Uh intensifying competition forced 82% of dealerships to retail new cars at prices below wholesale.
• 21:48
  Don Armstrong: How do you make money doing that?
• 21:50
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, below wholesale.
• 21:51
  Don Armstrong: I don't know, but I'll tell you what.
• 21:54
  Don Armstrong: The Chinese are coming.
• 21:55
  Don Armstrong: And have you seen have you seen a Chinese car?
• 22:04
  Don Armstrong: They are really nice.
• 22:06
  Don Armstrong: And it's quite surprising on one hand.
• 22:09
  Don Armstrong: But on the other hand, it's not surprising.
• 22:12
  Don Armstrong: I mean, the Chinese can make some real junk, pens, pencils, stuff like that.
• 22:18
  Don Armstrong: When it comes to high-end pens and pencils, it's not like I've got one.
• 22:28
  Don Armstrong: I used to have one.
• 22:30
  Don Armstrong: I lost it.
• 22:31
  Don Armstrong: Oh no.
• 22:32
  Don Armstrong: Lindsay Automotive Group.
• 22:34
  Don Armstrong: Okay, you attorneys out there and automobile dealerships.
• 22:38
  Don Armstrong: Lindsay Automotive Group agreed to pay a$3.1 million penalty in what potentially could be more than$75 million in restitution.
• 22:48
  Don Armstrong: Wow.
• 22:49
  Don Armstrong: Two settle allegations including tacking unadvertised charges onto vehicles it sold and deception about add-ons, such as service contract, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
• 23:04
  Don Armstrong: Lindsay Auto misled consumers by advertising false low car prices and adding mandatory fees and other charges during the car buying process, according to Christopher Muffridge, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
• 23:20
  Don Armstrong: This has been a story that I've been telling you about now for about the past three or four weeks.
• 23:24
  Don Armstrong: Lindsay Automotive and three people named as individual defendants did not admit or deny any wrongdoing under the terms of the settlement reached with the Maryland Attorney General's office and FTC and FTC, which to get case.
• 23:37
  Don Armstrong: This automotive group is going down.
• 23:39
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 23:40
  Don Armstrong: Because uh there's a new there's a new sheriff in town, and if a car dealership advertises the price, now I'm not talking about taxes.
• 23:52
  Don Armstrong: You go to the store, the shirt price is 1099, you know that your taxes are going to be added onto that.
• 24:00
  Don Armstrong: So that's been left alone.
• 24:02
  Don Armstrong: But anything else, the window tent, or how about that surcharges on your financing that we do?
• 24:13
  Don Armstrong: Nay, nay, none of that.
• 24:16
  Don Armstrong: And so these guys got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
• 24:20
  Don Armstrong: And uh they're not going to be the only ones.
• 24:23
  Don Armstrong: So if you're a car dealer, and I know that we have car dealers that listen to this show, uh, you might want to check to make sure that you are all legal and above board.
• 24:32
  Don Armstrong: I think the ones that listen to this show are.
• 24:34
  Jeff Dziekan: They're all legal and above board.
• 24:35
  Jeff Dziekan: I with Houston Auto Dealers, I would say yes.
• 24:38
  Jeff Dziekan: Absolutely.
• 24:38
  Jeff Dziekan: I mean you started out with the Chinese Auto Dealer Association.
• 24:41
  Jeff Dziekan: I don't is there such a thing?
• 24:44
  Jeff Dziekan: I not that I've heard of yet.
• 24:46
  Jeff Dziekan: So when you're in the dealership too long, they change you, you've been here too long, you gotta go.
• 24:52
  Don Armstrong: Well, should I forget should I continue to do that story?
• 24:56
  Don Armstrong: Sure.
• 24:56
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 24:57
  Don Armstrong: I just want to make sure that I don't get uh carried on here.
• 25:00
  Don Armstrong: Uh the settlement involves restitution for customers who bought vehicles between April 1st, 2020 and December 31st, 2025.
• 25:07
  Don Armstrong: Lindsay Automotive must pay them the difference between the advertised price and the price they actually paid, or the cost for any add-on products or services.
• 25:15
  Don Armstrong: I did not agree to purchase uh or thought would be required.
• 25:20
  Don Armstrong: The most recent version of the complaint by the two agencies filed in July alleged Lindsay advertised one price but charged customers more in reality, incorporated rebates into its advertised prices, and falsely called advertised prices contingent on financing through the dealership.
• 25:37
  Don Armstrong: More than 88% of its customers in a random sample of deals from April 2020 to March of 2023 paid more than the price Lindsay advertised on car gurus and cars commerce and complaint the complaint said.
• 25:55
  Don Armstrong: Um did you want me to not do this?
• 25:57
  Don Armstrong: Or uh we're gonna figure out all of that.
• 26:01
  Don Armstrong: But anyway, it's a big mess, and I'm sure that uh they are going to finally straighten all that stuff out so you don't get ripped off.
• 26:10
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 26:10
  Don Armstrong: Uh we have the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show coming to you from the Loopy Tortilla Tex Mex and Tailpipes and Tacos.
• 26:17
  Don Armstrong: It's coming up after a quick break, and we'd love to hear from you anytime.
• 26:20
  Don Armstrong: Shoot us an email, the address here below at inwheeltime.com.
• 26:23
  Don Armstrong: We'll be right back after this.
• 26:26
  Don Armstrong: You own a car you love.
• 26:28
  Don Armstrong: Well, why not let Gulf Coast Auto Shield protect it?
• 26:30
  Don Armstrong: Houstonian John Gray invites you to his state-of-the-art facility to introduce you to his specialist team of auto enthusiasts.
• 26:37
  Don Armstrong: We promise you'll be impressed.
• 26:38
  Don Armstrong: Whether you're looking to massage your original paint to a like new appearance, apply a ceramic coating, install a paint protection film, nano ceramic window tint, or new windshield protection called Exoshield, Gulf Coast Auto Shield is where Houston's car people go.
• 26:53
  Don Armstrong: Curbed your wheels?
• 26:54
  Don Armstrong: Instead of buying new, why not have them repaired?
• 26:57
  Don Armstrong: How about a professionally installed radar detector?
• 26:59
  Don Armstrong: Gulf Coast Auto Shield does that too.
• 27:01
  Don Armstrong: Get a peek inside the shop and look at the services offered by getting online and heading to gcautoshield.com.
• 27:07
  Don Armstrong: Better yet, stop by their facility at 11275 South Sam Houston Tollway, just south of the Southwest Freeway, and get a personal tour.
• 27:14
  Don Armstrong: Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your place to go for all things exterior.
• 27:18
  Don Armstrong: Call them today, 832-930-5655 or gcautoshield.com.
• 27:25
  Don Armstrong: Gift giving should be meaningful, and we have an idea.
• 27:27
  Don Armstrong: A hand-painted custom illustration of your car from one of the nation's leading artists.
• 27:31
  Don Armstrong: You've seen his work in car shows and on display of the heavy hideout.
• 27:34
  Don Armstrong: Now you can have an illustration or car poster customized for you, a friend or loved one.
• 27:38
  Don Armstrong: Bill Sites is a real car guy that speaks the language and will be happy to guide you through the process.
• 27:43
  Don Armstrong: No matter what today, birthday, anniversary, or any day, an autographics custom illustration adds an extra touch of class to any home.
• 27:49
  Don Armstrong: Call Bill today, 832-922-0963.
• 27:52
  Don Armstrong: That's 832-922-0963.
• 27:55
  Don Armstrong: That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show.
• 27:59
  Don Armstrong: I'm Don Armstrong, inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and our InWheeltime.com website.
• 28:09
  Don Armstrong: Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartPodcast, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
• 28:18
  Don Armstrong: Keep listening, and we'll see you soon.