Latest / In Wheel Time Podcast / From Nervous Driver to Hill Country Hero: A 21-Year-Old’s First Bronco Off-Road School

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From Nervous Driver to Hill Country Hero: A 21-Year-Old’s First Bronco Off-Road School · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_03: And welcome everybody to the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_03: Coming up, Olivia Wayner, a 21-year-old college student who's new to off-roading and first-time buyer of a Ford Bronker going to talk to her about her experience.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_03: Later in Jeff's car culture, muscle cars that promised power but didn't deliver.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_03: Nope.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_03: Boy, and I had one of those.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yours is featured.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_03: Is it?
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_03: Great.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_03: Of course it is, with my name written all over it.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_03: Howdy, along with Mike out of this world Mars, who's also going to have a feature of five of the largest October festivals around.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_03: We always need more Jeff Seek and Chief Engineer David Ainsley, who we've been on the phone with already this morning and was feeling a little paranoid about everything.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Don Armstrong.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_03: Glad you could join us on this Saturday morning for the in-wheel time car talk show.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_03: Jeffrey, it's uh it's good to be seen and good to be with you this morning.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_03: And uh we've got music, and uh I don't know how we've made it on the air again because of our fumbling around, my fumbling around, not yours.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_03: No, it's it's uh it's it's a teen effort.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_03: It's in the air.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's in the air.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_03: So to tell it, tell you what's happened.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_03: We got here at 8 30 this morning, Central Time, and uh we got all set up to do the show.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_03: We did a little test, talk to everybody, everything it was beautiful.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_03: We sat on the couch, watched some stupid wild, wild west repeat from 1969, and uh then we go over here and we start to look at fire it all back up, fire up and we Mars can't hear us.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we're going, what?
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: We that didn't know less than 30 minutes ago, yeah.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_03: So then the panic sets in, which we're really good at at this point in our lives.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, we've had a lot of practice with it.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_03: We don't even take medication anymore for it.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_03: No, we just live with it, but at any rate, on with the show.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_03: We got two hours of a great uh program for this Saturday, October the 4th, 2025.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_03: And let's just get right to it, shall we?
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_03: Olivia Wayner, off-road enthusiast.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_03: She's with Sue Mead, an auto journalist, a friend of ours from way back when.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_03: Uh Sue, it's always good to meet you, but you're not the subject of our show this morning.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_03: Right now, we're gonna talk to Olivia.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_03: Olivia, good morning.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: Good morning.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_03: That's great to be with you.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, we were looking forward to talking to you once I learned that uh Mr.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_03: Mars had this set up with uh Sue.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_03: And um, so 21-year-old college student, where are you going to college?
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: I go to Berkshire Community College.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: It is a really small school in Berkshire County, and I'm studying nursing.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_03: Berkshire County.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_03: And where is that county located?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: Western Massachusetts.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_03: Western Mass.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_03: I've got a granddaughter that's uh gonna be studying nursing.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, how about that?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, that's awesome.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, exactly.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_03: So uh you're are you you're going for your undergrad degree, and then you're gonna go to nursing school, or are you already in nursing school?
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm finishing my prereqs right now, and then I'll have two years out from RN and then hopefully BSN.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: So that's all.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_03: Very good.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_03: Well, best of luck to you.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_03: That's uh that's quite a career, and and it's greatly appreciated by all of us old people.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, it's old people.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_03: Oh yeah, did you like that?
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_03: So it would give you a career, something to look forward to.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_03: Uh okay, so let's get into it.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, so have you always been an auto enthusiast?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: I haven't.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I actually waited till I was 18 to get my driver's license, and then I failed the first time.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: So I haven't always been the most confident driver.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I always avoid the highway and I prefer back roads, but I grew up off-roading on four-wheelers, and I've been um really engaged in that.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_03: So, uh, how did you meet meet uh Sue Meade, who we've known as an auto journalist for many, many years now?
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_03: How did you meet her?
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_01: She's my aunt.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I've always known Sue Meade.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_03: She's 21 years.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_03: So you you you obviously uh have been influenced a lot by Sue if you didn't get your driver's license until you were 18 years old.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_03: So did she grab you and say, Come on, let's go off-roading?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: She taught me how to drive when I finally felt like I was ready.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: She took me um off-roading and places we probably shouldn't have been off-roading, really.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: She took us to like churches and stuff.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_07: And now wait a minute.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_07: I have a question.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_07: You said you failed your first time, but yet Sue taught you how to drive.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_07: What?
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: This was after I failed.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_03: Well, how fun.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_03: So, how long has this off-roading thing gone on since you were 18?
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um not in a vehicle.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like I've been in ATVs, but this was my first time ever going off-roading with Sue in Texas this past uh and a in a real in a real vehicle.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: What what was your first experience in?
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: What what kind of car vehicle?
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, we were so lucky.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: We got the Ford Bronco, we got one of the Badlands.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my god.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_03: So, in other words, you were indoctrinated in one of the best off-road vehicles there is.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: We were picked up in a Bill Strope edition.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_03: Don't tell your parents that.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_03: You were picked up where?
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: At the airport in Austin, Ford left us the special edition, and we drove back to the Hill Country, spent the night at um the resort that is partnered with um the driving school, and then we went at it the next morning at 8 a.m.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: and stayed through dinner.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_02: It was a long and fruitful day.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_02: But I just want to add that Olivia often works until two or three in the morning and drives home over roads that become dirt at the end of her drive in the darkness, and we're going into winter weather, and I really wanted her to have confidence in her big band Bronco, her first vehicle.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_02: I wanted her to have confidence just driving it on the road, but also we all know that off-road enhances the handling off-road enhances your driving comfort and confidence on-road.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_02: So that was the motive behind calling Ford and saying, Would you put the two of us through the school?
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_06: So you're talking about the Ford off-road off-rode is what they call it.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_02: That's correct.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_06: They have it in like five locations around the country, and Austin happens to be one of those.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_06: I did not know that.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, and and it's for Bronco owners, but correct me if I'm wrong, Sue, but a public person, anybody can can talk to Ford and make a reservation and go through the school.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_06: Of course, it costs money, but anybody could if they wanted to learn something.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_07: Well, that's an option to give the Ford buyer, whether they want to do that.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: That's that's correct.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh new Bronco owner, I believe, has one year to go to the school free five locations: New Hampshire, Moab, Utah, Texas, Las Vegas, and uh Tennessee now.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_02: But I wanted to go to the Hill Country because I love that location.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: I went there when it opened and Olivia hadn't been to Texas.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_02: But also, as Mike said, you can bring your Bronco even if it's not new, and pay to have a half day program.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_02: You can bring up to three guests.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you can also go for a half day program and pay to use their Bronco.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_02: So there are a lot of options.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_06: Okay.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_06: So, so Olivia, so you went to the school with Sue.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_06: So, what was what was your impression of going through the school as a basically, I mean, you had some background, and I'm sure Sue taught you a lot before you got there, but still, what was the experience like?
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um it starts off like a lot of tutorial and a lot of information that I felt like wasn't like super easy to grasp until I was in the vehicle, like seeing it myself and doing it myself.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um but the whole course is very user-friendly, and I think it really helps having the guide kind of give you the confidence that you know the the vehicles are built for the course, and the course is kind of built for the vehicles in the way that it really shows off everything they do.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_03: So did was it somebody from Ford or some a contractor from Ford that sat in the car with you guys?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: We had a Ford Bronco off rodeo guide outside the vehicle, kind of just being our like trail guide.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_02: Bronco Off Rodeo has a number of experts that they hire and work at each location.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: And this woman is super talented and has done the rebel rally.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: But as Olivia said, it started with tutorial and then some demonstration with drivers at the wheel.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_02: But Olivia, I'd love for you to talk about the progression of the day.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_02: But for me, one of the most exciting things was to part with you the afternoon.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_02: It wasn't just the instructor guiding individuals were asked to get out of their vehicle and guide each other over difficult objects to show that they understood what was going on with the vehicle and to encourage the driver.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_03: And and and uh it's it what we like to call as a spotter to kind of guide you through and not get you in trouble in something that you can't see, correct, Sue?
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: So Olivia, it would be so fun to hear like the start, the middle, and the end.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: So I guess the progression for me was starting off pretty tired, um really excited, but mostly a little scared, like getting in the car.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't want to damage the vehicle in any way.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um and you know, I always want to impress my dear aunt Sue, who's an expert in the field.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's you know, hard having somebody who's so.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_06: It's hard to live up to that standard, yeah.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so the beginning of the day was definitely a little rocky.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the middle of the day, I feel like I I learned the most and I trusted myself more and got more confident, you know, doing the maneuvers.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: And then by the end of the day, it was like doing the maneuvers on my own and laughing and having the best time ever.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_03: Well, so if you had it to do all over again, would there be something different that you would have done or have tried to learn before you got in the car?
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I don't think so.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: I think that the day is so um perfectly like revolves around teaching you.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I think the not knowing was a little exciting.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: And even coming back home, the first thing I said to my parents, I was like, we have to go to the New Hampshire one.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I want to take you guys.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like you guys would have so much fun.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_03: Sure, yeah, of course.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, what did you learn about the off-roading as far as the vehicle is concerned and the capabilities uh like the the goat system and all of the things that that Bronco comes with?
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love the goat mode.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: The Badlands definitely have more than the Big Ben one I have.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um but there's a button for just about everything, like things I didn't even know cars could do, and the car can basically drive itself in certain scenarios.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: You put on like a little speed control, like no more than three miles per hour, and you know, you guide it, but it will eat pretty much anything you put in front of it.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I mean, you grew up with computers, and obviously that particular vehicle is loaded with them, and uh as as we used to say back in the day, or we were taught back in the day, as long as you don't do anything stupid, the car will pretty much help you along and guide you in what you need to do and what you can't.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_03: You got flashing lights, you've got all sorts of help uh with the vehicle from the vehicle itself.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the vehicle definitely does not want you to crash.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think a lot of cars definitely, you know, you see that more in the backup cameras now, which are great.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: But this car even has like a front camera.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you can pull up the full display of what's happening uh in in front of your pursuit tires.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, it it is pretty incredible.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_03: And and Sue, uh, if if I could kind of pin you against the wall there and say, how much was this loaded up Bronco?
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_02: Olivia, what was the sticker on ours?
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: I believe it was just under 50,000, wasn't it in the 40s?
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_02: We had a Monroni that I saw once.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_02: I believe that was the price tag for it.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I mean, that's reasonable compared to the competition because of all of the things that this particular vehicle will do.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_03: What kind of motor did it have in it?
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: The turbocharged four-cylinder?
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_03: And so it had enough horsepower to be able to get yourself uh in low gear and up across any kind of problems that you may have encountered on the trail.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_03: It's got spunk.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh one of my favorite moments with Olivia was when the instructor toward the end of the day said, Come up to this uh spot in the trail.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: I want you to use your um speed control.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: And I believe we had Olivia had hill descent control.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_02: You're not going to be able to see where you're going.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_02: Trust me, trust the vehicle and go off the edge.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: And Olivia said, Are you kidding?
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_02: I can't see.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you know what?
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: I'm trusting the vehicle.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_02: And she just went off the edge of something called roller coaster and was laughing.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_03: Well, she is 21, and we expect that from a 21-year-old.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_03: I know that you know that we would all would have loved to have had that experience at 21 years of age.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you all can go talk with some of our friends at Ford.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_02: They love putting people through the program, and it's it's really fun.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_02: I had been, as I said, when it opened, but it was fun, so much fun, obviously, to go with Olivia.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel so much more confident in her driving home through snowstorms and in the dark at night.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_02: And um, but also I enjoyed seeing some of the other participants who were very quiet and not aggressive drivers by the end of the day to see their accomplishment and their comfort grow.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_03: So, how much does this course cost if you're a Bronco owner and you want to take this course?
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: The if you're a new Bronco owner, there's no fee.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_02: If you're a Bronco owner and you want to go to the Hafdi, I believe it's$465.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_02: And then you pay if you want to bring some guests along.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_02: You can bring guests uh that are over 12 years of age, but drivers have to be 18 years of age and over.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_07: Well, I tell you what, next time you uh Olivia, next time you do that, take Mike with you because he needs some pointers.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_07: He does, he needs all the all the time.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_07: He needs confidence, he really does.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_03: And of course, we're we're uh down the road from him a piece as we do this show, so we're not worried about him hitting back and hurting anybody here.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_03: Take a minute.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_03: This has been a great experience and a great conversation, Sue.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you very much for introducing your daughter to the In Wheel Time show.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_03: Your I'm sorry, your niece.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, sorry.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, but um what what a what a great adventure for both of you.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_03: I I can't even imagine such a thing.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I know that there was a program many, many years ago.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_03: My youngest daughter had just turned 18, and uh we did a uh uh basically a rally course that was taught by, I don't remember, I think it was BMW or something, and she won a little trophy and it meant the world to her.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_03: So I would imagine that uh Olivia that that your trophy is having the experience with your aunt and having the experience of learning something that you didn't know before.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm hoping that they can hear us.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_03: I think we'll make a lot of them.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_03: There was supposed to be a comment there, but uh apparently there there was no comment.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_03: Just nod your heads.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, agreed.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_03: There you go.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_04: I think the audio went.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_03: Well, at any rate, Sue, again, thank you both um Sue Mead and Olivia Wayner.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_03: Both of you guys, thank you very much for joining us on this Saturday.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_03: We appreciate it.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you, ladies.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_02: Enjoy the rest of the day, guys.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_02: Bye-bye.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_03: You do the same.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_03: Just ahead, Jeff's car culture.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_03: Muscle cars that deliver.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_03: Plus, Mars has five October festicles.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_03: Festivals.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_03: He's only got two of those, but two out of the other.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_03: See what I wrote there?
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, you did.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_03: I did write that.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_03: In capital letters in red.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_03: In red, uh-huh.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_03: Festicles.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_03: After this quick break here on the In-Wheel Time Card Talk Show, Steve.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_03: Disappointment on it.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_03: You've waited all summer and it's finally here.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_03: The Tailpipes and Tacos Fall 25 Cruise In Car Show.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_03: It's been a while, but the popular Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise In returns to the Loopy Tortilla Tex Max in Katy, Saturday, October 18th.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_03: Make any donation to Shirley's kids and get a free breakfast taco.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_03: There'll be mimosas and bloody merry's, too.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_03: Get to the best cruise in of the year.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_03: Tealpipes and Tacos Car Show, Saturday, October 18th, 8 to 11 a.m.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_03: Cruise in, make a donation of any amount, and grab a free Loopy Tortilla Breakfast Taco.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_03: Tail Pipes and Tacos only happens at the Loopy Tortilla Tex-Mex in Katy, 703 West Grand Parkway at Kingston Boulevard, just south of the Katy Freeway.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_03: Join the Car Camarottery, and your car will automatically compete for one of three Chili Pepper trophies at no charge.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_03: Paul is here, and what better way to celebrate than with a free taco at Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise In Car Show.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_03: Saturday, October 18th, 8 to 11 a.m.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_03: It's the cruise in you won't want to miss.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_03: Loopy tortillas, tailpipes and tacos in Katy.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: Time to fire up those engines and pay tribute to the folks who make freedom possible.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: Friday night, downtown cruise.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: Saturday, 400 of the coolest rides in Texas.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: Proceeds, help veterans, shelters, food pantries, and scholarships.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: Sponsored by Craig's Jewelry, November 7th and 8th, Main Street, Bastro.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: Don't miss it!
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_03: That's your favorite part.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_03: That's my favorite part.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, the Inwheel Time Car Talk Show invites you to join us 10 to 9 every Saturday, Central Time for our live show about all things automotive, and we thank you for being with us today.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_03: Time now for Jeff's car culture.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_03: You ready, Michael?
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_03: Muscle cars that didn't deliver.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not one of those.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_03: You bet.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_07: Muscle car badges uh implies that asphalt melting torques, stoplight showdowns, and even engine roar that rattles windows, but not every muscle car lived up to the hype.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_07: Emission stragulations, heavy bodies, marketing misfires meant these machines take a big uh game, but don't walk the walk.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_07: So our first one, Mike, is a 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_07: Excuse me.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_07: The Z28 struck fear into the hearts of other cars at red lights, and by 1980, its 190 horsepower V8 was all bark and no bite, weighing nearly 3,500 pounds.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_07: It had the looks, but couldn't outrun a well-fed minivan.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_07: Turned back to a disco era disappointment wrapped in racing stripes.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_07: So there you go.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_07: The next one we have is a Ford Mustang 2 Cobra 2.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_07: That nameplate promised venom, yet in 1976 it was defanged.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_07: All it delivered was a wheezy 140 horsepower 302 V8 with the Cal Glores.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_07: Uh it looked like a race car but performed like a budget commuter.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_07: Carol Shelby probably winced with emotional pain every time one drove by.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_07: The next one, Mike, is a Dodge Charger Daytona, borrowing the iconic Daytona name, could have come with uh horsepower.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_07: Instead, this bloated B-body weighed down, it's obviously a 400 cubic V8 engine.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_07: It handled like a yacht in a parking lot.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_03: It looked like a Chrysler Cordoba with rich Corinthian leather.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_07: It was uh more of a showboat than a muscle car.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_07: The next one, Mike, is a Plymouth Valari Roadrunner.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_07: This Roadrunner name once meant speed and simplicity.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_07: By 1980, it was a sticker packaged on a Valari.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_07: Powered by an asthmatic 318 V8, it beeped and probably wheezed right after.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_07: A sad final lap once a great nameplate.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_07: Next one, Michael, is a Ford Thunderbird.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_07: 1980, the Thunderbird had evolved into a personal luxury coupe rather than a performance machine.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_07: The base 255 cubic inch V8 struggled to produce 115 horsepower.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_07: There's your answer.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_07: Leaving this heavy cruiser with all the thunder of a polite cough.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_07: Despite his name, it was flying, it wasn't flying past anything.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_07: Buick Century, Free Spirit.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_07: This bicentennial edition, look the part with its red, white, and blue paint and gold graphics.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_07: Yet the 455 V8 couldn't overcome its age, the emissions, the constraints of that, and the extra weight.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_07: It was a patriotic parade float with a drag strip demon.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_07: Nasty.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_07: Had a sporty uh aesthetics, stripes, and badging.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_07: Unfortunately, the performance it gave was lukewarm.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_07: Even with an optional V8, it drove more like a parts hauler than a powerhouse.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_07: Sure, it was cool and it had street cred.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_07: It wasn't really quick enough to justify the muscle car name.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_07: That's sad.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_07: One more here is the Javelin AMX 1974, once battled on equal ground with the Big Three, Ford GM, and Chrysler.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_07: But in its final year, his performance was stifled by emission rules and weight gain.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_07: The styling was aggressive, but it was like a washed up bodybuilder with muscles fading out.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_07: Don Armstrong, rebadge.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_07: And the last one, my favorite, is the Ford LTD 2 Sport.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_07: This sporty trim was a lumbering LTD 2, had a blackout trim and a big bravado, but its performance numbers were anything but athletic.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_07: The 302 350 351 V8 moved it all with the urgency of a jogger in sand.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_07: There you go.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_03: By the way, Michael.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I am proud to say that I completely forgot about those cars.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_03: And they were very forgettable.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_03: I had one.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_03: It was the Chevy Monza.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_03: Do you remember that?
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I had a Monza from 1975.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_03: I traded in my 74 Vega GT.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_03: I had a 77 V8.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_07: I had a V6, 77, Chevy Monza spider, and I told him if it came with any spider stuff on it, I wasn't buying it.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_03: Mine had a V8 in it.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_03: But it probably your V6 probably had more horsepower than my V8.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_03: Could have been.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_03: I remember having my very first trip in it, the road trip to Dallas in a bowling tournament I was in.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_03: And the heater didn't work.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_03: And it was ice cold.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_03: You told me that story.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_07: Yep.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_03: Holy slows.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_03: All right, Mr.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_03: Mars has uh driving destinations.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_07: I gotta find it.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_03: Today it's going to be five Oktoberfests that he has deemed worthy, Mr.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_03: Mars.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_06: There's a surprising number of Oktoberfests out there across the United States.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_06: And uh it was kind of how do you weasel them down into something of the bigger ones?
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_06: But some of them that I thought were particularly interesting was Oktoberfest USA is in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_06: I thought this would be good for you, Don.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_06: Bring back some pleasant memories.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_06: Since 1961, the La Crosse Oktoberfest has become a Midwest tradition.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_06: It's settled along the Mississippi River, they have lots of pageantry, they have parades, they tap the golden keg as part of the deal, and they have a vibrant poker hall that played lots of music where visitors don their leaderhosen and durdles.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_06: I'm not sure what that is.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_06: None of us do if you pronounce it like that.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_03: I think somebody slipped a word in there that you'd not suppose.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_07: But then if you wear leaderhosen, your dolzers are exposed.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_06: No, derndles, derndles is, I think, the way you say it.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_06: Anyway.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_06: So it's kind of a big carnival rides and contest for all the family.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_06: So then you go to Denver, of all places, where the Mile House City has become a tradition where they bring in this German cheer with Denver's energetic beer culture.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_06: They have a lot of beer there, among other things.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_06: So they turn six blocks the downtown area into this festival area with uh they have keg bowling, they have stein hosting contests, and they have live polka bands.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_06: Lots of breweries, you know, of course it's Colorado, and they have lots of things to go along there.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_06: Then moving on to something a little closer to home, Fredericksburg Oktoberfest.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_06: Now, this is the, as they've designated it, the polka capital of Texas, and it sets at the heart of the hill country, and it's kind of replaced some of the other areas that seem to have like lots of polka stuff, but it really doesn't.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_06: They this has grown bigger and better.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_06: They get together at Kinder Park and they have lots of wine here, as well as 50 varieties of beer, arts, crafts, exhibits, all this stuff goes around into the area's proud German heritage.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_06: Again, with the leader hosing for travelers and parades and contests, sing alongs.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_06: It's um Fredericksburg Oktoberfest offers a family-friendly celebration with Texas hospitality.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_06: Now, this is one that I thought was very interesting.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_06: Helen, Georgia.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_06: Now, this is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it's a story brook book, Bavarian.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_06: I cannot talk today.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_06: The town's built much, very, very much the architecture along the Bavarian mountains, houses and homes, and they have a lot of brass bands playing polkas.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_06: They have uh traditional German attire because this is kind of what the town looks like.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_06: A big uh German festival.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, yeah.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_06: And it's on the Chattahoochee River, so that makes it even better.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, yeah, Hoochie.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_06: Now, this one is the big one.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_06: Oktoberfest Cincinnati.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_06: Cincinnati with Z's is the way it's pronounced.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_06: Happens and uh becomes the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the country.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_06: They got a lot of polka, uh Bratwurst, and eight hundred worst uncontrollable brats is the bratfort.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_06: Eight hundred thousand people show up for this event.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_06: They have uh, you know, of course, they've got all the I guess not.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_06: So they have lots of live bands, costume uh people, and they had the world's largest chicken dance, Don.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_06: I looked for you in this picture, but I could not find you in that crowd.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_06: But I looked.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_06: Where's Waldo?
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_06: Yes, where's Waldo?
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_06: And uh they have dash hound races, which I thought several of the places have dash hound races.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_03: Dash hounds, yeah.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_03: I both would be called dochens.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_03: Is it like a dock?
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's a dash hound is a dochin, but yeah, but they have far be it from me to uh correct anybody on the air.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_06: That's right.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_06: And or you some of them actually they have it called the running of the wieners instead of the dash hound races.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_03: For me, they're not dash hounds.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_03: I think that they're called dochshans, but again, um dash doch, it's whatever.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I guess it's like sauerkraut balls, you know, and strudel and network, it's all kind of sauerkraut balls.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_05: That's what it said.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_05: They serve plates of sauerkraut balls.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_03: You know what?
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_03: I think we're gonna leave this segment right here.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_03: Where do I get off the screen, Michael?
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_05: Oh yeah, we uh see that picture or something.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_03: I don't I don't know what else to tell you, but all I can tell you is that the in-wheel time car talk show will continue after this break in our recovery.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_03: You own a car you love.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_03: Well, why not let Gulf Coast Auto Shield protect it?
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_03: Houstonian John Gray invites you to his state-of-the-art facility to introduce you to his specialist team of auto enthusiasts.
• 28:40
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• 28:41
  SPEAKER_03: 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 tent, or new windshield protection called Exoshield, Gulf Coast Auto Shield is where Houston's car people go.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_03: Curbed your wheels?
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_03: Instead of buying new, why not have them repaired?
• 29:00
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• 29:02
  SPEAKER_03: Gulf Coast Auto Shield does that too.
• 29:04
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• 29:10
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• 29:17
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• 29:21
  SPEAKER_03: Call them today, 832-930-5655 or gcautoShield.com.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_03: Wrap up your engines.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_03: It's time to roll back in style at the Back to the Pass Car Show.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_03: Join the Spring Branch Senior High School Foundation Saturday, October 18th at Cornerstone Academy, 9016 Westview Drive in Houston.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_03: Classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles, family fun, food, music, and memories.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_03: There's something for everyone.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_03: Proceeds benefit local students and programs.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_03: Don't miss the shine, the chrome, and the nostalgia.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_03: 10 to 2 Saturday, October 18th.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_03: Back to the Past Car Show.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_03: Springbranch Bears.comslash Car Show for more information.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_03: In real time, we'll be there too.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_03: That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheeltime Car Show.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_03: 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.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_03: Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartPodcast, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_03: Keep listening, and we'll see you soon.