Latest / In Wheel Time Podcast / Revving Up Passion for Classic Cars with Jeff Mason: Restorations, Vintage Racing, and the 2024 Toyota Tundra

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Revving Up Passion for Classic Cars with Jeff Mason: Restorations, Vintage Racing, and the 2024 Toyota Tundra · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast, a 30 minute mini version of the In Wheel Time car show that airs live every Saturday morning 8 to 11am, central Shieldcom.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Beaming around the globe from the Sugar Shack Studios outside Houston, Texas, usa.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: It's the In Wheel Time car talk show.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Just ahead from the Piston Foundation, ceo Jeff Mason Class will have an in depth review of the 2024 Toyota Tundra Capstone edition.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: That's the top of the heap of the Toyota truck line Howdy, along with Mike out of this World, mars.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: We always need more.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Jeff Zekin, I'm Don Armstrong, glad you could join us on this Saturday, and we are also welcoming into the show the CEO of the Piston Foundation, and his name is Jeff Mason.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: Jeff, good morning to you.
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: Good morning fellas.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: How are you?
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: Oh, we're doing great.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us this morning.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: Did we get you out of bed to do this?
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: It is a little earlier in my time zone.
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, what time zone are you located in?
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: I am in Mountain Time.
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: I'm in Denver, Colorado.
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: Oh, not bad I know somebody who lives there.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: It's like 8 o'clock it is, it is, it's 8 o'1.
• 1:20
  Speaker 4: Well, Jeff, we're just getting in from last night.
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: Yeah, so there you go, as you could well imagine, I love the talk of the cars and coffees that are happening around the country, because here it's a little too cold for that stuff.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: Is it snowing up there?
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: It did last night, so we are living in a beautiful white landscape.
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: I got you.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Well, my daughter lives there and I talked to her a couple of days ago and she loves living in Denver and hey, more power to her.
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: She's got a great job it looks good from here, yeah, yeah, it looks great from here.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: There's no doubt about that, Jeff.
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Tell us what the Piston Foundation is so.
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: Piston Foundation is a public charity that focuses on helping young people start careers as classic car technicians.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: That's unique.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: Is there anybody else that does that sort of thing?
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: Well, there's a few organizations that focus on sort of the technician side of workforce development, like Tech Force.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: So we focus specifically on classic cars, classic car restoration.
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: We look at that skill set that exists inside that industry and the craftspeople that we all know who have taken care of our classic cars, and we know that that workforce is graying.
• 2:37
  Speaker 3: We know that there hasn't been a lot of youth coming in.
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: I resemble that remark, yeah, yeah, I'm getting close myself.
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: So there's a couple of issues that are the source of that problem and we're working to solve those.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: What are those issues?
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: Well, it's a couple of things, and mostly it's about access and awareness.
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: So young kids, teens, who may be really into cars when they look forward and think, is this an interest I could turn into a career, they really don't see a path there and so that prevents a lot of young people thinking about that as a career path.
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: The next piece is education.
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: Technical education is expensive, so our scholarships are focused on addressing that issue.
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: And then that next jump to hands-on training.
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: Getting a job as a starting technician.
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: That's very difficult still, and technicians without education with education but without experience have a hard time landing that job.
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: So our apprenticeship program is focused on solving that issue.
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: Well, Jeff, I think that part of the problem also is the fact that these kids, their parents, the dads, the wives, the mothers, all of them, they are.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: Well, my oldest daughter turns 40 this year.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: Well, I exposed her to my hobby, cars, but she doesn't know anything about restoring cars.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: It's a unique field.
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: There aren't, there's not a garage on every corner like a repair shop.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: I mean, a restoration could take years to perform and a lot of money.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: So where do you find a shop to actually get these kids in, get them trained, so now they could go out and open their own shop or really take over the shop that somebody older like you and I have?
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: So there's a complicated bunch of factors going on there.
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: There is and it's also, you know, when we look at classic cars, there's service and maintenance of these cars, what keeps them on the road on a daily basis.
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: So we're not always talking about frame off, register restoration type of work.
• 4:55
  Speaker 3: I mean, it's everything around that, and including a lot of vintage racing, because vintage racing is coming out of those same shops and there's about 3000 shops across the US that sort of operate in that classic car world.
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: And then there's custom shops.
• 5:11
  Speaker 3: There's also, you know, small manufacturers, people like Singer, who are all tapping into that same craft skill set of machining, metalwork, paint and body, interior mechanics, engine building, and that's the, that's the body of skills that is at risk of being lost.
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: And there's a lot of young people that are interested in those things and we're trying to give them a path to get into it.
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: So back in my day, I didn't have that, and had I had that, I mean I went to work for a Chevrolet dealership.
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: Well, I mean, you know we're talking about Worse the car.
• 5:48
  Speaker 4: And we all did that.
• 5:49
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, the paint off.
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: But we're talking about a level that's obviously and clearly a level above that and can be very different, mm, hmm.
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: Yep, yep, and it doesn't.
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: You know, everybody starts somewhere, just like starting at the dealership, right and what.
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: But what's happening right now is young people with an interest can't find their way down that path to build a career, and so we're trying to connect the dots with our scholarship and apprenticeship program to make sure that that path is there for them.
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: Jeff, how did you get involved in this?
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: I am a vintage rally racer myself and so kind of a long time car guy and you know, being in rally you clearly understand the value of your technician when you're, when you're putting your yourself at risk on a rally course and so through that, those relationships I got connected with with Robert Minnick, who founded the Piston Foundation, and I am also a tech school graduate myself, so felt a lot of affinity for these young people who want to take this path, and so it's kind of a mashup of my interest in technical education, my interest in cars and my business experience as an entrepreneur.
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: So I felt like I could get this, get this project off the ground and change some lives.
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: Jeff, my question to you the relation to the NASCAR experience.
• 7:26
  Speaker 4: That's a big heavyweight name that you got there in the title.
• 7:29
  Speaker 4: How does that relate to it?
• 7:31
  Speaker 4: And you've got an auction coming up.
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: Sure, and that comes out of some friends in the vintage racing world and we made a connection with the broadcast team at Fox Sports, their NASCAR broadcast team, and work with them to sort of pull that that together.
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: And it's a very unique experience that gives the winner a chance to not only be at a race weekend but also meet the broadcast team Mike Joy, kevin Harvick, clint Boyer, get tours of the garages, get to see the Fox TV compound, all of the broadcasting compound that they use to actually broadcast a Fox TV, the NASCAR race.
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: Well, you know, and after you give that away, you could also have another giveaway with the in-wheel time yeah, car talk show.
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: I mean, who would want to be on this car talk show?
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: I think that's a great idea.
• 8:35
  Speaker 4: You mentioned three key people.
• 8:37
  Speaker 4: You got the Kevin Harvick, you got to Clint Boyer and Mike Joy.
• 8:39
  Speaker 4: I watched some of their broadcast leading up to Daytona for tomorrow and I think that's a good trio for that program for announcing.
• 8:48
  Speaker 4: I think that's going to be a wonderful asset this year going into that.
• 8:52
  Speaker 4: So kudos to NASCAR and kudos to Fox Sports for that as well.
• 8:56
  Speaker 4: So how does the charity work?
• 8:57
  Speaker 4: How does Mike go by a car?
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: You're talking about the auction.
• 9:03
  Speaker 4: Yes, the auction was yes.
• 9:04
  Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, so it's up on Bring a Trailer.
• 9:06
  Speaker 3: Bring a Trailer is a partner of the Piston Foundation and they support us with their platform and charity auctions on their platform, and so it is live on Bring a Trailer right now.
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: You can jump up there and bid on this experience.
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: The auction ends at 1030 Pacific on Monday morning.
• 9:28
  Speaker 3: And what are you auctioning?
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: So it is tickets for up to four people for this NASCAR race weekend experience.
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: That includes qualifying the Sunday race, as well as pit passes and a tour of the Fox TV compound, introduction to the pit reporters, a chance to see how they do all the in-car camera work that Fox Sports does, as well as a chance to meet Clint and Kevin and Mike Joy in the broadcast booth during qualifying on Saturday.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: How exciting yeah that's pretty cool.
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly.
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: Well, what a great experience for especially a race fan.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: And now all the money that is being bid, I assume, is going to go to the foundation and scholarships.
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: And money well spent, I'll say.
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: Yeah, all the money from the sale will go directly into our scholarship and apprenticeship program so that will then show up in young people who are able to afford a tech school education or a young apprentice that gets a start being placed in the shop, so that money comes back into the community.
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: That's really the power of the Piston Foundation.
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: We're looking to use the giving power of the car community because we're all very, very generous people and create a way to bring some of that giving back into the car community to serve the grassroots needs that we see need to be met.
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: Are you still?
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: racing.
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: I am.
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: What do you race?
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: So our primary race that my brother and I do is the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico.
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and there we race 65 Volvo Amazon 122S.
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: That is a that's a real specific Carrera prepped car.
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: We've raced that three times and had some good success there.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: That did you range out the car yourself?
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: We do a bit, but most of it at that level is done by a shop up in Stratford Connecticut called Vintage Racing Services.
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: On the road we take care of some things, but we do have a crew that supports us.
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, you know, next time you're trailering through Houston, texas, on your way to Mexico, pick me up and I'll hit you, I'll hit you.
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: I'll hit you right.
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: Are you sure you want to do that?
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: I don't know yeah.
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: He knows where all the cantinas are.
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: You can join us this summer.
• 12:11
  Speaker 3: This summer we're racing the, the Mille Mille in Italy.
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: Oh, okay, so I guess I guess all I need is a ticket on an airplane.
• 12:20
  Speaker 4: There's a song in that.
• 12:21
  Speaker 4: I think there is.
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah.
• 12:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah, but that'll be a very different car.
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: That one is a 13 will race a 39 Fiat 508C called a Balila.
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: Oh, and so that'll be a new experience for us as as a rally racer.
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: Now, how did you?
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: get into this antique racing, vintage, vintage, antique, whatever you want to call it.
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: Because, listen, there is some cars that I have seen on the track I'm going.
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, don't anybody hit that car or is it going fast enough?
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: Yeah, is it going fast enough that there's another thing?
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah.
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a.
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: It's a niche, for sure, but we love it.
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: My brother called me one day years ago and said hey, I've got this idea to race this race down in Mexico.
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: Would you be my co driver and I?
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: I, you know, I.
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: I looked at it for a moment.
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: I said yeah, sure, it looks like a great adventure and let's do it.
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: That was the start and we've been at it ever since.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: How many years ago was that?
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: That was five years ago and we've raced the Carrera three times.
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: We've done some other regular, some regularity rallies, and that's how we got ourselves to the Mila this coming year.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: So are you taking a car to Italy, or there's a car no, that one no that one we're going to rent.
• 13:36
  Speaker 3: This is the first time we've raced the Mila, so we're going to rent that car from a great outfit up in Brescia and race it, see how we like it, see how we do.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: And and then man what, but wait a minute.
• 13:49
  Speaker 4: Wait, I got time out what I'm going there.
• 13:52
  Speaker 4: To what?
• 13:52
  Speaker 4: What if you wreck the car?
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: Pit crew.
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: Yep, that's a good question, that's a good answer.
• 14:00
  Speaker 4: That's a good answer.
• 14:03
  Speaker 4: You don't get your deposit back.
• 14:04
  Speaker 4: How's that we?
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: have a mantra in our race team, which is keep it on the road and don't get lost.
• 14:10
  Speaker 3: So if we live by our ethos, we will, we will, we will be so what's it cost to rent a car like that?
• 14:18
  Speaker 4: I?
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: mean it's not inexpensive, although for a once in a lifetime opportunity to race the Mila Milia it's.
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: It's pretty reasonable.
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: I mean all racing is expensive Anybody.
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: Everybody will tell you that.
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: So yes, we know that.
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: It's pretty, it's pretty affordable.
• 14:35
  Speaker 3: We raced in November at a USA Mila Milia warmup it is run by the same organization and we were lucky enough to win our class there and that gave us a guaranteed entry into the EU, into the Italian melee.
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: That was our, that was our door in.
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: I don't think we would have could have gotten there any other way.
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: But, just just real quick.
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: So if, if Don decides he wants to go over there, does he have a, have a special license, special qualifications?
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: He can he just go over there and read the car.
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: Deep pockets, deep pockets, mike, besides deep pockets.
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: It's really driven by the car.
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: The Mila only accepts certain, certain years of car.
• 15:18
  Speaker 3: It's 23 to 59.
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: And so it's got to be a specific car in a specific year.
• 15:28
  Speaker 3: And you, you know, you make your entry and they either accept you or they don't.
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: So you might have the right car in the right year but they may not accept you.
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: So it's, so it's not necessarily a special.
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: You got to have license, experiences and all that stuff.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: You're silly enough to get in there, and you got the money, though, and they'll accept you.
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: You're after it, right?
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: Exactly, exactly.
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: He never did say how much?
• 15:50
  Speaker 4: is it above 10 grand or below 10 grand, or at one of these Above?
• 15:53
  Speaker 4: Ah, okay, well above.
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: Well above, well above.
• 15:56
  Speaker 4: I was trying to put them on the spot.
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, I, I, I.
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: I don't know specifically, but I have a good idea, and so I'll speak on your behalf.
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: You're way too low?
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but it's a once in a lifetime thing, that's it, that's it, that's it it is it?
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: is a once in a lifetime thing, and it's one of it's one of those kind of things that you don't want to tell the misses.
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: Honey, I'm going to go to Europe.
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: I got a business trip.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: And you're staying home.
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: I've got to go for a race.
• 16:22
  Speaker 4: That's all you got to say when you get meatballs and spaghetti and give me a break.
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: That's the fact that you're going to participate in the race.
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: Lots of pizza.
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm going to wrench on a couple of cars, well okay, what does that entail?
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: Well, not much, but I'll be back.
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: Don't worry, I'm directing I'm racing.
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right.
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well me, is there any difference?
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: Really, all right, so Tell me the.
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: So the auction is underway now and it closes on.
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: Monday Closes on Monday 10 30 AM Pacific Yep, and so uh we headed up on our screen for a few minutes so people could see it and get an idea of what they're looking at when they go there.
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: And I guess you could.
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: All you had to do is go online to bring a trailercom, and I'm sure that there's a link on there to get you where you need to go.
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: It's under charity auction.
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: There are charity auctions section, and one of the great things about our partnership with bring a trailer is uh, not only does the the proceeds of the auction itself go to our our scholarship fund, but also bring a trailer donates the buyer's fee from the auction to the piston foundation for our scholarship and apprenticeship program.
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: So bring a trailer really is a great partner supporting the car community.
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: Well, I have to tell you that it is a real pleasure to talk to you, sir, and uh, we wish you the best of luck and I hope that you'll stay in touch with us.
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: Uh, if nothing else, we'll get you out of bed on a Saturday morning and and we can rib you and tease you and poke at you and get some great information.
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: Get out there and shovel the snow.
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: Maybe we can package that up an auction it, so somebody else can enjoy the tea.
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: There you go, there you go.
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: Next time you're in Houston, look us up, were you Definitely.
• 18:01
  Speaker 3: Thanks fellas.
• 18:01
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: Jeff Mason, ceo of the piston foundation, very cool.
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: I want to remind everybody that the in wheel time car talk shows available 24 seven through the iHeart radio app Just look for in wheel time car talk.
• 18:11
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• 18:20
  Speaker 1: The in wheel time car talk show continues right after this quick break.
• 18:23
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• 20:23
  Speaker 1: Hey, thanks for joining us on this Saturday where our live broadcast is blasted around the globe the in-wheel time car talk show.
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: And I didn't want to remind everybody that the 28th annual Kiehl's and Wheels car and in the water boat show returns to the Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook May 4th and 5th this year, featuring 60 cars of the Ford, mustang and Donzie Boats and a special display of RestoMoz.
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: Learn more at kehls-wheelscom.
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: Also, next weekend we're going to be broadcasting live from the Hemi Hideout at a special time.
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: Yes, we're going to forego the eight o'clock start time and push it back to 10.
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: When the doors open at 10 30, we'll be there with all the people and we get some more interviews and that sort of thing.
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: So, and if you want, if you're interested in coming on out to join us along with all the Corvette people, go to himmihideoutcom and learn more about the event for next weekend.
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: All right Time now for the events calendar.
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: Is it the events or crews?
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: And events.
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: Events.
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: It is All right.
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: Speaking of, next weekend, february 23 through 25, is the Lone Star Throwdown up in Conroe, at the fairgrounds up there Big event.
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: It is sold out for entries, cars and trucks that are going to be there as well as vendors, so it's going to be a it's always a big event.
• 21:40
  Speaker 2: Go to LoneStarThrowdowncom for more information.
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: Also, february the 24th, and I like the name 2024 CardiGross CardiGross.
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: CardiGross, cardigross, cardi Graw, uh-huh, yeah, I guess you pronounce it Illinois too, don't you?
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: Uh, could be 1721 spring no he does.
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: Boulevard at the social bar and grill in Katie, texas, march 16th.
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: Looking a little further out Corvette Chevy Expo down at Galveston Island Convention Center.
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: Go to Corvette Chevy Expocom for more information on that.
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: April 25th through 28th the big one we're looking forward to really big here.
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: Hot Rod Tour of Texas kicks off with live music in Victoria.
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: Three days of cruising across Texas.
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: There is a 350 car limit.
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: They have a few tickets that are still available to register your car if you want to join Big parade.
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: Leaves Friday morning.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: Leaves Victoria.
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: Goes all the way across to New Bronzeville for the night at Drive-In Saturday.
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: End up in Fredericksburg for the night and then Sunday.
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: There is even more to come.
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: Nice job, quibbado.
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: I think it's.
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: Tibidow, isn't it Quibbado or?
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: Quibbado depends on which one they're cousins.
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: It's Illinois, there's too much noise in here, remind me to tell you my, my, my best Tibidow joke I can only imagine what that would be Off the air.
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: All right, let's move on, shall we and talk about a review of the 2024 Toyota Tundra Capstone.
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: Now I will say that I've seen a couple of these out in the wild before I actually got one and got the opportunity to drive it, and I was really impressed with some of the styling changes.
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: So this is the 2024 Toyota Tundra Capstone Crew Max, four-wheel drive.
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: They get it a big redo in 2022 and they've been styling it out since then.
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: It is available in two cab styles, two engines, got three different bed links, so you can kind of mix and match things.
• 23:29
  Speaker 2: But there's actually seven trim levels, starting with the base SR, then it goes to the SR5, a limited platinum 1794 and then you got the TRD Pro, which is the big off-road, and then you get to the Capstone, which is the top line premium model, which is what we happen to have for our review.
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: Now it's got a lot of things on the outside of it, including LED lighting that's all the way around, including fog lights, got the automatic leveling headlights and it's got tow mirrors that actually extend out from the sides and fold that are heated.
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: It's got a panoramic sunroof and it is really a big sunroof on the inside of that cab, got power running boards and it's got a bed step that's on the back so you can get up into the bed.
• 24:11
  Speaker 2: My wife really appreciated these power running boards because they were a pretty good height for her and they came out quick.
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: They didn't diddle around trying to get there.
• 24:19
  Speaker 2: We were rolling on some 22-inch dark chrome alloy wheels, which really stood out well on the white paint that we were riding in.
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: It's got on the inside of it.
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: It's got an aniline leather seating surfaces.
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: Now the front seats are heated and ventilated, as well as the rear seats.
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: On the outboard positions it's got a 14-inch Toyota multimedia screen in it and that's where you're going to find your carplay, your android, all of your navigation, your convenience controls.
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: It's all going to be right in there.
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: Now for the driver, there is a 12.3-inch digital gauge package and it's gota big 10-inch heads-up display right there on the glass.
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: So it's really big, really easy to see, particularly at night.
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: It was really nice running down the road.
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: Now, if you want to really have some sound in this thing, it's got a JBL 12-speaker audio system with a subwoofer on it and it really sounds well in this vehicle because it's got a lot of the sound deadening glass and stuff on it.
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: It's got a big glass face.
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: You've got big, plenty of windshield, the big glass on the back of it, so there's not a lot of road noise, so that audio system really stands out.
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: Now to make all this stuff work, up front you've got a 3.5-liter twin turbo V6 hybrid under the hood.
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: So this equates out to 437 horsepower, 583 pound-feet of torque, and it's got a nice sound to it.
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: I thought first time I cranked it I thought they had a V8 on it.
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: So it's got a really cool sound to it.
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: It's got plenty of torque.
• 25:46
  Speaker 2: It's a 10-speed automatic with this thing.
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: Now, the one we had was rated to 11,200 pounds.
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: You can do a couple of mods, get it up to 12,000.
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: Hall rating of 1,940.
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: So plenty of stuff to put in the bed.
• 26:00
  Speaker 2: Now the EPA says that in the city you should get 19, the Highway 22 combined, 20.
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: It's always been kind of the the shortfall of the tundra.
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: The fuel economy has always been a little weak.
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, like 13.
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: So I drove 228 miles in this vehicle and I got 16.0 on the average across it, which is better than I got in the past, but still, yeah.
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: But you don't really buy vehicles like this.
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: If you're looking for gas mileage, you're going to buy something else to begin with.
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: Toyota says 0 to 60 in 6.6 seconds.
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: It's got two different drive modes.
• 26:33
  Speaker 2: You can get the tow, the tow mode, the haul mode, and I will say I thought it had great highway dynamics.
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: The ride was nice and smooth.
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: It was firm, without being wishy-washy.
• 26:43
  Speaker 2: There was not a lot of road noise.
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: It handled nice and, again, the V6 engine really had a nice sound to it.
• 26:49
  Speaker 2: I was really impressed with it.
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: And the big glass, the big windshield, the glass on the side, it just had a nice big view to where you could see everything.
• 26:57
  Speaker 2: It was really a pleasure to drive the vehicle.
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: Now I will say pricing-wise that Crew Max that we were in the base model price starts at $42,015.
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: Now the base trim price that we were at, again seven levels up, starts at $78,845.
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: The capstone, the capstone Top of the line as tested here we go, $82,423.
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: Which was a little.
• 27:22
  Speaker 2: It was actually less than I expected it to be.
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: I was waiting for you to say $100,000.
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: Yes, exactly.
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: Now if you look across at the Ford F-150, the base on it for the again the big crew cab is $43,515.
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: The Silverado $425,500.
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: And the Ram 1500s at $42170.
• 27:40
  Speaker 2: So they're all on the base level all in that $42,000 range for the standard half ton four door pickup truck.
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: Then you kind of go up from there with whatever you want.
• 27:51
  Speaker 2: All all of them have plenty of stuff to put into where you can push it up that 80 or $90,000 range.
• 27:56
  Speaker 2: You get whatever you want.
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: But I do like the restyling they've done on this truck.
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: It looks nice.
• 28:01
  Speaker 2: We've always liked to drive the tundra.
• 28:03
  Speaker 2: It was just the fuel economy and some of the styling keys on it, but they've really made some changes in you know.
• 28:09
  Speaker 4: Jason's got a tundra.
• 28:10
  Speaker 4: I don't know what year's his it were, your his is, but he likes his hey, if you'd like to get in touch with us, shoot us an email.
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: The addresses info at in wheel time calm, and be sure to follow us on Facebook.
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: Back in just a couple of momentos, the original group of loopy tortilla restaurants will have you telling your family and friends just what the original recipes mean when it comes to the best Fajitas in southeast Texas.
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: Founder Stan Holt, invite you to visit the original loopy tortilla near I-10 and highway 6.
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: Here's the original house that inspired the design of all the rest and the original charm that helped make loopy tortilla the go-to destination for Houston Tex-Mex.
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: Speaking of original, nothing can compete with the original lime pepper marinade that everyone will agree Makes loopy tortilla award-winning beef fajitas the best anywhere.
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: Loopy tortilla Katie is another location that gives you the same quality and service Historians have come to expect at loopies.
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: It's located just off I-10 in the Grand Parkway.
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: At Kingsland Boulevard in Katie, find yourself an Aggie land.
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: Head to the loopy tortilla in college station, located just around the corner from Kyle Field.
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: It's a great place to enjoy those famous frozen margaritas before or after the game.
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: And at East to Louisiana, stop in at the loopy tortilla in Beaumont.
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: It twos on I-10.
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: You can't miss it.
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: The original group of loopy tortilla restaurants invites you in for the best Tex-Mex.
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: Anywhere you own a car you love, why not let Gulf Coast Auto Shield protect it?
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: Houstonian John Gray invites you to his state-of-the-art facility to introduce you to his specialist team of auto enthusiasts.
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: We promise you'll be impressed.
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: Whether you're looking to massage your original paint to a like new appearance, apply a ceramic coating, install a paint protection film, nanoceramic window tent or a new windshield protection called exo shield, gulf Coast Auto Shield is where Houston's car people go.
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: Curved your wheels instead of buying new one.
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: I'd have them repaired.
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: How about a professionally installed radar detector?
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: Gulf Coast Auto Shield does that too.
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: Get a peek inside the shop and look at the Services offered by getting online and heading to GC Auto Shield comm.
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: Better yet, stop by their facility at 11 to 75 South Sam Houston Tullway, just south of the Southwest freeway, and get a personal tour.
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your place to go for all things exterior.
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: Call them today 832 930 5655 or GC Auto Shield comm.
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: That's it for this podcast episode of the in-wheel time car show.
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: I'm Don Armstrong, inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning 8 to 11 am Central on Facebook, youtube Twitch and our in wheel time comm website.
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: Podcasts are available on Apple podcast, spotify Stitcher, iheart podcast podcast addict, tune in Pandora and Amazon music.
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: Keep listening and we'll see you soon.