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A Texas Muscle Car Cathedral Filled With Neon · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:05
  Don Armstrong: You know, I this is not the first time that I've done this this morning.
• 0:09
  Don Armstrong: I just lost track of time and I'm going, oh, it it's time to start the show.
• 0:14
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 0:16
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, there's some jiggling going on there.
• 0:18
  Mike Marrs: Yeah.
• 0:19
  Mike Marrs: Getting jiggy over there.
• 0:20
  Mike Marrs: Yeah.
• 0:21
  Don Armstrong: Hey, good morning to you.
• 0:24
  Don Armstrong: And thank you from our dual city studios in Texas, USA.
• 0:27
  Don Armstrong: It is the award-winning in real time car talk show.
• 0:30
  Don Armstrong: Just ahead.
• 0:31
  Don Armstrong: He's the man of the hour.
• 0:33
  Don Armstrong: And we haven't even visited with him since last summer.
• 0:39
  Don Armstrong: To be the man of the year, though.
• 0:41
  Don Armstrong: The Hemi Hideout creator John Hovis joins us.
• 0:44
  Don Armstrong: Jeff will have his motor minute, and I'll review the electric GMC Sierra.
• 0:50
  Don Armstrong: Howdy.
• 0:51
  Don Armstrong: Along with Mike Out of This World Mars.
• 0:54
  Don Armstrong: Way over there.
• 0:56
  Don Armstrong: We always need more Jeff Zeken over here.
• 0:58
  Don Armstrong: Chief Engineer David Ainsley.
• 1:00
  Don Armstrong: I'm Don Armstrong.
• 1:01
  Don Armstrong: Hey, thanks for joining us on this Saturday for our live version of the in-real time car talk show.
• 1:08
  Don Armstrong: Let's uh let's just get on with it, shall we?
• 1:10
  Don Armstrong: Let's get on, get it on.
• 1:12
  Don Armstrong: Ladies and gentlemen, here he is, the creator of the Hemi Hideout, John Hovis, in front of in front of a fireplace, which I think is kind of ironic since it's about to turn 100 degrees out there.
• 1:22
  Don Armstrong: But it's perfect for you, John.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: It is indeed.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: Hola, amigos.
• 1:26
  Don Armstrong: How are you, my friend?
• 1:29
  Don Armstrong: Is that where you are?
• 1:30
  Don Armstrong: Nearby, anyway.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: I am, yes.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: Just down the street.
• 1:33
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, just down the street.
• 1:34
  Don Armstrong: Well, uh, so you're out there, and uh, are you vacationing out there?
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: We're just kind of listening to our arteries hardened today.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: There is that.
• 1:46
  Mike Marrs: Well, hey man, can you pull that mic up just a little bit closer to you?
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, sure can.
• 1:51
  Mike Marrs: Very good.
• 1:51
  Mike Marrs: There you go.
• 1:52
  Mike Marrs: There you go.
• 1:53
  Mike Marrs: Got it.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, and it's a professional microphone.
• 1:55
  Don Armstrong: You've been in touch with you've been in touch with David Ainsley, haven't you?
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: No, I've been in touch with my grandson.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: One and the same kind of.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, same thing.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: Anyway, John, how have you been?
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: All good, buddy.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: Miss you guys.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: We need to get together again.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't realize it's been a whole year now, so pretty close, yeah.
• 2:14
  Don Armstrong: It is.
• 2:15
  Don Armstrong: Well, you know, uh, when somebody picks up the phone and says, Hey, we're having an open house out here, you guys want to come, we'll be there.
• 2:21
  Don Armstrong: Okay, well, it'll be spring.
• 2:22
  Don Armstrong: We'll do that again.
• 2:24
  Don Armstrong: Okay, spring.
• 2:25
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, the last time we were out there is when we were uh rearranging the studios.
• 2:28
  Jeff Dziekan: That's correct.
• 2:28
  Jeff Dziekan: He afforded us a place to stay.
• 2:30
  Don Armstrong: That's right.
• 2:30
  Don Armstrong: We were hidden in a closet, which was perfect for us, and that's where we came from anyway.
• 2:35
  Don Armstrong: We appreciate it.
• 2:35
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 2:36
  Don Armstrong: So uh let's talk about the Hemi Height out and how things are going out there.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: All's going good.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we've got a lot of visitors coming, you know, Monday through Friday we do the tours and uh getting busier and busier and busier, all out as busy as I want to be.
• 2:49
  Don Armstrong: So well, that that's right, because uh you've been quote unquote in retirement for a number of years.
• 2:56
  Don Armstrong: Actually, I met you and you just had been in retirement for a couple of years, I think.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: You are correct.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's been almost 15 years now.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it is you were a young buck back in those days.
• 3:07
  Don Armstrong: Yes, I was.
• 3:08
  Don Armstrong: He's not anymore.
• 3:09
  Don Armstrong: No, none of us are, as a matter of fact.
• 3:12
  Don Armstrong: So uh let's talk about the Hemi Hideout for those that uh really don't know.
• 3:16
  Don Armstrong: And uh we we continue to have this influx of people that come and visit us uh either on our live broadcast or mainly on podcasts.
• 3:24
  Don Armstrong: And the Hemi Hideout is located just outside of Brookshire, Texas, and uh it's a fabulous place that John has built as an homage.
• 3:34
  Don Armstrong: There's a word for you an homage to the Hemi culture and mainly late 60s, early 70s, right, John?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: That's correct.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: That's my love of my life.
• 3:44
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, and but here of late, and I say of late, meaning the last I don't know, seven, eight years, you've kind of backed off of the cars and you're into the signs now.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, into the signs, it's getting a little cozy in there now, so even that's starting to slow a little bit, but we still put things in almost every day.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: So uh, you know, special things.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_01: So fill in the holes.
• 4:08
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 4:09
  Don Armstrong: Well, let's go back to the cars for a second and tell everybody uh what is the what is the collection, what is it made up of?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so uh basically uh my love when I was 18 years old, uh 1970, and the muscle car era was in full swing, as we all know.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: And for me, uh I had a Dodge Super B and uh I love the Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: I loved all the cars, but uh Hemi Hideout is uh certainly got a theme behind it uh because of my love.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: But uh collected the cars, try to get one of each model from say 68 to 71.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: That was my heyday, so that's what I've basically done.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: All 446 packs and Hemis except for one 340 duster, which is my favorite.
• 4:54
  Don Armstrong: Leave it to me to be the oddball out, right?
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's in the will, okay, pal.
• 5:01
  Don Armstrong: I appreciate that, but don't look for it today.
• 5:04
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, you also have um a super bird in there amongst your collection.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: Sure.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: Is that an original?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: That's an original.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: That's uh I'm the second owner.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: It's got like 38,000 miles on it, it's a 446 pack, and out of the 1,840 that they built, only 277 had the 446 pack.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: So that made that kind of special.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: 77 had uh Hemis, and the rest were all 444 barrels.
• 5:31
  unknown: Wow.
• 5:32
  Don Armstrong: Interesting.
• 5:32
  Don Armstrong: And I guess yours has got the most horsepower.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: Well, mine's a 446 pack, so it's underneath the Hemi.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I see.
• 5:41
  Jeff Dziekan: So there's a there's a lot of these Mopar shows or car collector shows.
• 5:44
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh do any of these folks that think they know what they're doing contact you about any of your vehicles that maybe want to buy them or maybe sell you one?
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: They do, Jeff, but you know, uh I I'm really not a professional on any of that.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just uh the ultimate enthusiast.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I sometimes I get called out on some of my facts that I spill out.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: But uh I'm just uh an enthusiast really and not a professional, but just love those cars.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, we get calls all the time, uh, people wanting to buy one of those cars or trade or sell one.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: So but it's getting it's cozy in there now, so it's it's almost a full nest.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:19
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, and when you have an event out there that isn't really car theme related, um, you also have other events in there that you have to move some of the cars out and allow room for the tables.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: So we you can rent the place out for a private event, and uh we do that uh well, whatever, normally for corporate events is what it's mainly for.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: But you can come and have a 50-person lunch and it's very affordable.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: If somebody comes out and rents the place, we match the funds and all of it gets donated to local charities.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: So it's amazing.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: Don't want to run it, I don't want to have a full-time business, but it's fun to share it with people anyway.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: So for a nice size, let's say a corporate Christmas party, how many people comfortably can you hold in there?
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: 250 is perfect.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: Anything under 125, it kind of runs out of the pizzazz.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta have the party atmosphere, you know.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: So uh to say we know that you're the party guy.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm old, but I ain't dead yet.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: He's taking care of his arteries out there, doesn't he?
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_01: I gotta keep those going.
• 7:24
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, yeah, I gotta keep them breathing out there.
• 7:27
  Don Armstrong: Right.
• 7:28
  Don Armstrong: Well, and and we're gonna get to the signs in just a minute, but uh you got a good friend that actually uh put us together uh by the name of Bill Sites, and uh uh Bill painted this uh beautiful thing for me for for my current Corvette.
• 7:44
  Don Armstrong: And uh so I said, you know, Bill, I really have never done anything for you and Sharon.
• 7:49
  Don Armstrong: I said, let me run some spots for you guys and uh your autographics uh business.
• 7:55
  Don Armstrong: And so we're doing that, and uh, I don't know, he probably has gotten hate calls because of it, but uh whatever the case may be.
• 8:03
  Don Armstrong: But uh Bill was instrumental in helping you build the Hemi hideout.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: He's a prince of a guy, as you well know, just like you three guys, you know.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's it.
• 8:14
  Jeff Dziekan: I mean, come on, but uh didn't he say that he's he's fabricated stories?
• 8:18
  Jeff Dziekan: I think he's doing one right now.
• 8:19
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, well, there's that.
• 8:20
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: No, but Bill played a major role and really was the catalyst that got me going.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'd still be sitting there talking about it if it hadn't been for Bill.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_01: And it's been a wonderful journey for me, Bill, really all of us, you guys, for everybody, the car industry has really been a wonderful ride for us in our lifetimes.
• 8:40
  Don Armstrong: Well, yeah, and uh, you know, the and I met Bill back in the car club days when I was actually uh a member, uh, became a member of the San Jacino Corvette Club.
• 8:50
  Don Armstrong: And I'll never forget meeting him, Sharon, uh, out there at uh I think it was the town and country, whatever hotel was out there at the time for the monthly meeting where they read the minutes and all the all the garbage that goes along with that.
• 9:03
  Don Armstrong: But um, you know, that was 1978, I believe it was.
• 9:09
  Don Armstrong: And uh Bill and I have been friends and gone to every kind of event when it comes to cars that you could possibly imagine.
• 9:16
  Don Armstrong: Actually, we even started our own club called Corvettes of Houston, which is from what I understand, uh or has been at least a Corvette dealership, if you want to call it.
• 9:27
  Jeff Dziekan: I think it's still there.
• 9:28
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 9:29
  Don Armstrong: Anyway, uh so we and it was Bill that said, Don, listen, I'm involved in this project with this guy that I have met, and uh it's called the Hemi Hideout, and we're in the process of building it right now, and as soon as it gets built, we want you to come out and take a look at it.
• 9:46
  Don Armstrong: I went out there and was blown away.
• 9:48
  Don Armstrong: Are you kidding me?
• 9:50
  Don Armstrong: And what it looks like a church to cars in there.
• 9:53
  Don Armstrong: And uh, you know, and you I'll have to explain briefly exactly what the makeup of the actual building itself is.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, make you uh well uh okay, so the building is a uh uh 21,700 square foot uh uh car venue, if you will.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's also neon signs and different memorabilia things of the good old days.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's a scissor arch timber frame building, which is kind of unique for the Texas area because all the timbers have to come from the Pacific Northwest.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: So in this case, Idaho, and uh you bring the trees down.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_01: Most people will build like a gazebo or a great room, but very few people will build a whole building out of timber, but it made just uh gave you the wow factor naked before anything ever went in there.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: It looked beautiful, and everybody said it looked like a church or a cathedral.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: And then as we started to hang the neon signs originally 15 years ago, we had collected 240 neon signs.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: There's 342 neon signs in there now out of 4,500 pieces.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: But when people come in, they think they're all neon signs.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: Only 7% of those signs are actually illuminated.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: What inspired you to go with that kind of the timber frame technology?
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: I I always wanted to build a like a log home or some kind of wood structure.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: And then when I so-called retired, uh I thought, well, you know, the clock's ticking.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: If I'm gonna do it, I better do it now.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm glad I did it when I did.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: I wouldn't do it today.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: Why wouldn't you do it today?
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm an old goat now, and and you know, don't I wouldn't have enough time to to really enjoy it, or it doesn't, it wouldn't make sense.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: It really didn't make sense then, but I'm I'm so proud and glad that I did it.
• 11:40
  Mike Marrs: Well, you got it's 15 years that you've been able to enjoy it now.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly, exactly, yeah.
• 11:45
  Don Armstrong: So and as and more uh important than all of that, I think, is the fact of uh all of the people that you through the HIMI hideout have brought together.
• 11:55
  Don Armstrong: It's a people place.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it is.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: It it really is, and uh we continue every day we get new people to come by and tour and they bring other people.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_01: We don't advertise it, it's by word of mouth.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_01: So uh every day we have busloads of people that come out, community centers, church groups, whatever.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um again, we collect a ten dollar fee when they come, we match that, all that goes charity too.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: So it's fun to share it and we're having fun.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: All of a reason for the friends to get together and we explain what all that stuff is because when people walk in, most people don't know what is this.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: They look at it like, what in the heck happened in here?
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: You guys know, you recognize all this.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of people just don't get it, they don't understand what they what they love it, but they don't know why they love it.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's just pretty, you know.
• 12:41
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, I I find myself when I've walked into it, it's just you you don't talk for a few minutes, you just kind of look around and your eyes are about this big and you're going, wow, this is incredible.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, when we see somebody like that, Jeff, that's when we go get them because we know we're gonna have a lot of fun talking with them.
• 12:55
  Jeff Dziekan: And you do, you have your staff is very knowledgeable on all the details of all the things that you have in there, and they give tours, and they're you it's it's just amazing how they can remember all that since you keep adding and changing and things.
• 13:06
  Jeff Dziekan: You talked about corporate events.
• 13:08
  Jeff Dziekan: Do you do weddings in those places?
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: We've done weddings, uh, but we try to steer away from those because we don't allow kids under the age of 12 to law uh for lawsuit purposes.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: We do rehearsal dinners and we do receptions, so those are pretty popular.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: But again, you're limited to no kids under 12, and that usually uh nixes the the uh wedding venue.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, gotcha.
• 13:31
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, we don't want little Johnny scratching up the super bird.
• 13:35
  Don Armstrong: Or Don Armstrong.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say took the word right out of my mouth.
• 13:41
  Don Armstrong: Oh, you won't know me too well.
• 13:44
  Don Armstrong: Uh yeah, yeah, exactly.
• 13:46
  Don Armstrong: Um so you you have a lot of help and you have these volunteers.
• 13:50
  Don Armstrong: It's a staff of volunteers, and I say staff because it really is a staff, an unpaid staff, because they love coming there, helping you, and they love meeting the people, and the people love them.
• 14:01
  Don Armstrong: It's a it's a it's a big love fest going on out there.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's a win-win-win all the way around.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: We just have a great time.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: So onward through the fog we go.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 14:11
  Don Armstrong: So let's talk about the signs here before we l get out of time.
• 14:15
  Don Armstrong: Um, okay.
• 14:15
  Don Armstrong: What what have you got since uh we saw you last?
• 14:18
  Don Armstrong: And by the way, we saw you last August?
• 14:24
  Don Armstrong: Could have been I think it was August that because we that was when we didn't.
• 14:28
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, end of August.
• 14:30
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 14:30
  Don Armstrong: So uh since last August, have you acquired anything that you're mighty proud of?
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we've got a new sign we're working on now.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: You remember Bill Prokopic, he's a restoration guy.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, and we've got a really cool sign that's gonna go up here in a couple of months, and it says everything is bigger in Texas.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's a porcelain sign, and Texas is great big with two X's, and uh it's got a cowboy lassoing a big giant jackrabbit.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: It's a neon sign, it's huge, it's about 10 by 4, and uh it it's a it's gonna be a neon, it's gonna look really cool.
• 15:08
  Mike Marrs: So you're gonna hang it or mount it on the wall?
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: It'll be it'll be hanging probably in in the the front entry, uh, you know, Mike, where where you where you drive in under that portico because we're running out of space.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: I love that I was gonna go to the outside under the roof and pretend it'll be under the roof, but it'll be cool and say everything's bigger.
• 15:28
  Mike Marrs: Entry, yes.
• 15:29
  Mike Marrs: Talk about it.
• 15:30
  Mike Marrs: Entry.
• 15:30
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 15:30
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 15:31
  Don Armstrong: You know what?
• 15:31
  Don Armstrong: Before you go, I did want to mention to everybody that John's last name is Hovis.
• 15:36
  Don Armstrong: And when I moved to Texas and to Houston uh back in the 60s, uh it was Hovis furniture.
• 15:45
  Don Armstrong: And uh I know that you're you're your family has a rich history here in in Texas, and especially out in the Brookshire area, because uh was it your grandparents that had the uh mercantile out there?
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_01: That was in 18 late 1800s when they moved from Armenia, and then in 1920 moved into Houston, started Star Furniture Company, and then uh we sold out of three people that started Star.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: And uh in 1939, my grandfather sold out and we started competing against Star.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: We lost the war by 1972.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: That was the end of Hovis Furniture Company, and a few years after that is when I started my manufacturing company.
• 16:22
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, and uh and you you went to Memorial High School?
• 16:26
  Don Armstrong: I did, I was a legend over there.
• 16:30
  Don Armstrong: When you weren't on mine, when you weren't under arrest.
• 16:33
  Don Armstrong: That was I've seen pictures of you, including your, I think it was your high school graduation picture.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_01: Well long hair hippie.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: Man, I was I was driving a 1970 yellow super B hair down to my past my shoulders and uh Rolling Stones on ride open.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: So it was the good old days.
• 16:54
  Mike Marrs: Hey John, we have a question that came in from the internet.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, sir.
• 16:57
  Mike Marrs: Uh the question is uh once somebody wants to know, somebody named Diane Hovis wants to know if you're planning on selling any of this stuff.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know who you're talking about.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: Wrong number.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: Wrong number.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: Hang up quick.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: She'll sell everything for half price.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: She's got a sign in there that says this is not a museum, everything's for sale.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: See Diane.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: Hey Mike, Mike, Mike, get her number.
• 17:24
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, get her number.
• 17:25
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, right, right.
• 17:26
  Mike Marrs: Yeah.
• 17:27
  Don Armstrong: Uh listen, uh, we love you guys, and we thank you so much for taking the time to join us today.
• 17:32
  Don Armstrong: I know you were going to sleep in late today, but guess what?
• 17:35
  Don Armstrong: The in-wheel time car talk show came a knocking, and we sure appreciate you spending the time with us.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate you guys, your friendship, and all man.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you guys again.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: Y'all are a great big part of our ride that we've had.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you all.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_01: Love you both.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: Love you too, man.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: John.
• 17:50
  Don Armstrong: Thanks, and we'll talk again soon, John.
• 17:52
  Don Armstrong: We appreciate you.
• 17:53
  Don Armstrong: All right, Jeff's Motor Minute and a review of the Electric GMC Sierra when the Ed-Wheel Time Car Talk Show continues right after this quick break.
• 18:01
  Don Armstrong: The Tex Max dining experience is defined by Lupi Tortilla, your destination for Texas's best beef fajitas and frozen margaritas.
• 18:10
  Don Armstrong: Since 1983, Lupi Tortilla has served authentic and time-tested recipes made with the freshest ingredients.
• 18:16
  Don Armstrong: Atmosphere is part of the award-winning experience of Lupi Tortilla, all developed in a little house near Highway 6 and I-10 in Houston.
• 18:23
  Don Armstrong: Visit any of the Luffy tortillas and you'll see the same attention to detail at each and every location.
• 18:29
  Don Armstrong: Start your loopy experience with queso flamillato and guacamole, along with a classic frozen margarita.
• 18:34
  Don Armstrong: Dine on famous loopy beef and chicken fajitos or pepper shrimp brochette, or a French or vegetarian entree, and finish with a scrumptious flan for dessert.
• 18:43
  Don Armstrong: Find Loopy Tortilla in Houston, College Station, Beaumont, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, Fort Worth.
• 18:48
  Don Armstrong: There's a Texas location near you.
• 18:50
  Don Armstrong: The recipes are authentic and time-tested.
• 18:53
  Don Armstrong: The ingredients always fresh.
• 18:55
  Don Armstrong: Loopy tortilla eats pretty good.
• 19:01
  Don Armstrong: Apple or Android, In Wheel Time Podcasts can be found everywhere, on the stream and through downloads.
• 19:07
  Don Armstrong: Whether you're on the road or at home and searching for a fun car talk show, give In Wheel Time a try.
• 19:12
  Don Armstrong: Honest new car reviews, fun informative interviews with real car people, weekly automotive news, features like Jeff's car culture, Mike's driving destinations, all on In Wheel Time.
• 19:22
  Don Armstrong: Check us out on Sirius XM Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or while you're shopping on Amazon through Amazon Music.
• 19:27
  Don Armstrong: Inwheel Time.com has a list, so check us out.
• 19:32
  Don Armstrong: Join us for our live version of the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show every Saturday at a regular time, 10 to noon Central, on InWheeltime.com, YouTube, and Facebook.
• 19:41
  Don Armstrong: Or you can always grab a 30-minute podcast of our show from your favorite podcast store.
• 19:46
  Don Armstrong: It is free.
• 19:47
  Don Armstrong: And a reminder that next week we're going to have an extra bonus hour.
• 19:51
  Don Armstrong: Yep.
• 19:52
  Don Armstrong: We're going to be on 9 to noon instead of 10 to noon, because we're going to come in to you from the Alone Star Street Rod Association State Run.
• 19:59
  Don Armstrong: It's a yearly event at uh at uh Granbury, Texas.
• 20:02
  Don Armstrong: And we hope that you will join us for the live show.
• 20:05
  Jeff Dziekan: It'd be a lot of fun.
• 20:06
  Jeff Dziekan: Is that Central Time, Mountain Time?
• 20:08
  Jeff Dziekan: That'd be Central Time.
• 20:09
  Jeff Dziekan: Just make sure that's the question.
• 20:10
  Don Armstrong: Okay, time now for Jeff's motor minute.
• 20:12
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, how about this?
• 20:13
  Jeff Dziekan: We asked folks to send in pictures of their vehicles, and if you look behind Mike, there's a 1955 Rambler American.
• 20:18
  Jeff Dziekan: It was designed by Panin Farina.
• 20:21
  Jeff Dziekan: And that is Mr.
• 20:22
  Jeff Dziekan: George Skelton's car.
• 20:24
  Jeff Dziekan: It's a 1955 Ramble, like we said.
• 20:26
  Jeff Dziekan: In 1960, his parents drove it to California.
• 20:28
  Jeff Dziekan: He uh rode in the back with a dog, had no seat belts, uh no seat, just a pillow and a blanket.
• 20:33
  Jeff Dziekan: He rode back there with old yeller.
• 20:35
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh had uh a one-wheel luggage uh trailer behind it on a bumper hitch, and they had a swamp cooler because it had a swamp cooler because it didn't have any air conditioning.
• 20:45
  Jeff Dziekan: Swamp coolers have water and air induction on the window.
• 20:48
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh 68, he wrote he shared it with his mom going to high school.
• 20:51
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh it had an 195 horsepower flathead six, three-speed stick, and if you push the clutch all the way down, you could start the car.
• 20:58
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh seat was folded down.
• 20:59
  Jeff Dziekan: Remember that.
• 21:00
  Jeff Dziekan: Had a four-track tape player, speakers that could reach extended about 50 feet if you wanted to take them to the beach or any party.
• 21:06
  Jeff Dziekan: He had his Hobie surfboard on top, and the car chimmy'd at 55 miles an hour.
• 21:10
  Jeff Dziekan: Maybe you should take the surfboard off.
• 21:12
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh and he was blacklisted because he was uh trying to date the Westbury Rebelettes in that car, and they said no, no.
• 21:18
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh and the car's nickname was Green Goose.
• 21:20
  Jeff Dziekan: So thank you, George, for that.
• 21:22
  Jeff Dziekan: Send pictures, a little bio, and we'll get you up there.
• 21:24
  Don Armstrong: Love you, George.
• 21:25
  Don Armstrong: Thank you very much.
• 21:25
  Don Armstrong: All right, time out for this hour's car review.
• 21:28
  Don Armstrong: Your old pal Don Armstrong had a chance to drive the 2026 GMC Sierra.
• 21:33
  Don Armstrong: Now, this is not just any old Sierra, this is the full-size uh EV Denali max range.
• 21:42
  Don Armstrong: And it comes in these trim levels elevation standard range, denali uh standard range, denali extended range, AT four extended range, AT four max range, and denali max range.
• 22:00
  Mike Marrs: Big battery just for the name.
• 22:01
  Mike Marrs: I need a drink.
• 22:02
  Don Armstrong: And I'll tell you this it will it shows on the dash anyway that once it's got a full charge, it'll do 500 miles.
• 22:11
  Don Armstrong: Seats, well, um gosh, it depends on how you've got it loaded up.
• 22:16
  Don Armstrong: But this particular one here is seats five.
• 22:18
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 22:19
  Don Armstrong: Exterior changes, it was all new in 2024.
• 22:22
  Don Armstrong: Sharp looking body style reminds of the old Avalanche in some sort of way, if you look at it from the side.
• 22:28
  Don Armstrong: Attractive, unique grill with a solid panel in place of the open grill, like most uh trucks and SUVs have.
• 22:36
  Don Armstrong: Big open wheel wells with side marker lights embedded at the top of the you can see them up there at the top of the uh wheel well trim.
• 22:47
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 22:48
  Don Armstrong: Um short box is attractive.
• 22:51
  Don Armstrong: I really do like the short box.
• 22:53
  Don Armstrong: Uh what could use improvement?
• 22:55
  Don Armstrong: That plasticky rear bumper.
• 22:56
  Don Armstrong: I think I'd take that off and put me a big chrome one up there for 1968.
• 23:00
  Don Armstrong: Well, you could do a roll pen.
• 23:02
  Don Armstrong: Interior highlights.
• 23:03
  Don Armstrong: Each trim gets its own unique upholstery, huge uh vertical mounted center screen there with a phone charger directly below it.
• 23:12
  Don Armstrong: Uh steering wheel controls are easy to understand and use.
• 23:16
  Don Armstrong: Uh as far as uh the sidesteps, they're folding and they are handy, I will tell you that.
• 23:24
  Don Armstrong: Uh as far as room, it's got a frunk up in the trunk up in the front there.
• 23:28
  Don Armstrong: It's small but handy.
• 23:30
  Don Armstrong: Uh the back seat folds up.
• 23:32
  Don Armstrong: Uh, what I liked about it, overall layout extremely attractive.
• 23:36
  Don Armstrong: What could use improvement?
• 23:38
  Don Armstrong: Infotainment system does not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and the instrument cluster is a little bit too small for me and my blind eyes.
• 23:47
  Don Armstrong: Uh, no shade for the sunroof.
• 23:49
  Don Armstrong: And I put on there in Texas?
• 23:52
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 23:52
  Don Armstrong: No, it's got one of those auto dimming kind of roofs on it, which is cool, but man, it's gonna be 100 degrees here before too long.
• 24:00
  Don Armstrong: You do the math.
• 24:01
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, engine dual motor, 760 horsepower, torque 785 pound feet.
• 24:09
  Don Armstrong: Um four-wheel drive is standard.
• 24:12
  Don Armstrong: Toe rating 10,200 pounds, haul rating 1,500 pounds in the bed.
• 24:20
  Don Armstrong: Uh it gets a 478-mile range when I got it.
• 24:24
  Don Armstrong: It's 500, is what the uh folks at GM say.
• 24:28
  Don Armstrong: Um I got 2.0 miles per kilowatt hour.
• 24:32
  Don Armstrong: If you want to do the math on that, be my guest because I can't.
• 24:35
  Don Armstrong: We can call Katie, she'll do it for us.
• 24:37
  Don Armstrong: Um it uh gets uh 385 miles per charge according to the computer on the thing.
• 24:45
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 24:46
  Don Armstrong: What I liked about it, the range.
• 24:48
  Don Armstrong: So you don't have to stop every 10 minutes to get it recharged.
• 24:51
  Don Armstrong: What could use improvement?
• 24:53
  Don Armstrong: No, more of it.
• 24:54
  Don Armstrong: Just keep it coming.
• 24:55
  Don Armstrong: What I liked about it, uh independent rear suspension when it comes to riding handling.
• 24:59
  Don Armstrong: What could use improvement?
• 25:01
  Don Armstrong: It feels heavy because it is 8,867 pounds, is what it weighs.
• 25:06
  Don Armstrong: That's over four tons, folks.
• 25:08
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, uh rear axle stealing steering, which you did a feature on last week, that is available so you can get that as well, because it is big and trying to get it into grocery store parking lot space is challenging to say the least.
• 25:21
  Don Armstrong: Okay, so here's the pricing.
• 25:23
  Don Armstrong: Base trim price,$98,600.
• 25:27
  Don Armstrong: Prices tested,$103,715.
• 25:32
  Don Armstrong: Base model price.
• 25:34
  Don Armstrong: That's the cheapo version, starts at$62.4.
• 25:38
  Mike Marrs: That's that's the cheap EV price?
• 25:41
  Don Armstrong: That's yeah, that's the cheap EV price.
• 25:44
  Don Armstrong: Competitors to the vehicle in base size and price.
• 25:48
  Don Armstrong: The F-150 Lightning starts at$49,780 for the 25 model because they stopped building it.
• 25:55
  Don Armstrong: Tesla Cybertruck starts at$71,985.
• 25:58
  Don Armstrong: You always wondered how much that cost?
• 26:00
  Don Armstrong: Yeah,$71,985.
• 26:02
  Don Armstrong: Rivian R1T,$70,990.
• 26:07
  Don Armstrong: All of those are trucks.
• 26:08
  Don Armstrong: Wow.
• 26:09
  Don Armstrong: Next week, gonna review the Subaru Outback.
• 26:12
  Don Armstrong: We've had them before, but they've changed it up, so they gave me another one, a new one, and uh we hope that you'll join us in.
• 26:18
  Jeff Dziekan: I have questions about your review.
• 26:20
  Jeff Dziekan: You said it late up 500 miles when you got a full charge.
• 26:23
  Jeff Dziekan: Didn't they have some things with Volkswagen about messing with the cafe standards and wrong mileage ratings?
• 26:29
  Jeff Dziekan: So, how you said there's a formula calculation to do that.
• 26:33
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, you know, interesting.
• 26:33
  Don Armstrong: And I will tell everybody this if you're not driven an EV or not familiar with them, that what they say it'll do, okay, it'll do that.
• 26:42
  Don Armstrong: Turn the air conditioning off, turn all the accessories off, and uh feather the throttle and then put it on cruise control at about 40 miles an hour, and then you'll be able to get close to the mileage that they state.
• 26:58
  Don Armstrong: Now, I've I've was privileged to find out about how they calculate mileage, and they do it on a test track, and they do it down at the bottom of the test track.
• 27:08
  Don Armstrong: Mars, you were there to witness it yourself.
• 27:10
  Don Armstrong: They were doing it up there at uh Chrysler when we went to that event up there, and uh, and that's what they do.
• 27:16
  Don Armstrong: They hit the cruise control button and round and around.
• 27:20
  Don Armstrong: Can you imagine having that job?
• 27:21
  Jeff Dziekan: If you do it on the road and you hit the cruise control button, as soon as you get all those calculations set up and done, you got to stop for the stop sign.
• 27:27
  Don Armstrong: Well, there's that.
• 27:28
  Don Armstrong: But I'm we're I think we're talking about freeway driving.
• 27:31
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, yeah.
• 27:31
  Jeff Dziekan: I have more, but we're running out of time.
• 27:33
  Jeff Dziekan: Okay.
• 27:34
  Don Armstrong: Well, uh, that's it.
• 27:35
  Don Armstrong: I mean, it it was it was a great vehicle, and if you're into electrics and you're into trucks, this is something that you definitely want to look into because it um it's pretty darn nice.
• 27:45
  Don Armstrong: Because the GMC is a step above uh the Chevrolet.
• 27:50
  Don Armstrong: And I would imagine that they both come down the same assembly lineup in Arlington.
• 27:53
  Jeff Dziekan: It looks like it's an off-road visual of the does look like it, but it's not.
• 27:58
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 27:58
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, I really look.
• 27:59
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 28:00
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 28:00
  Don Armstrong: I I don't know.
• 28:01
  Don Armstrong: It could very well be a good off-roader.
• 28:04
  Don Armstrong: I haven't done any tests like that, but uh it's something to check out if you're into it.
• 28:08
  Don Armstrong: Hey, if you'd like to get in touch with us, send us an email.
• 28:11
  Don Armstrong: The address is info at inwheeltime.com.
• 28:14
  Don Armstrong: We'll be right back after this break.
• 28:15
  Don Armstrong: Stay with us.
• 28:17
  Don Armstrong: Your car is a direct reflection of you, so don't be satisfied with color fade or a dingy dull appearance.
• 28:23
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• 28:26
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• 28:46
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• 28:52
  Don Armstrong: John will help you understand the many options and pricing right on the spot.
• 28:56
  Don Armstrong: He's your guy to have your ride looking its best and protected too.
• 29:00
  Don Armstrong: See the state-of-the-art shop yourself, free tours anytime.
• 29:03
  Don Armstrong: Gulf Coast Auto Shield is easy to get to, located just south of the Southwest Freeway on the Sam Houston Parkway.
• 29:09
  Don Armstrong: Gulf Coast Auto Shield, full service luxury car care today and online at gcautoshield.com.
• 29:16
  Don Armstrong: Gift giving should be meaningful, and we have an idea: a hand-painted custom illustration of your car from one of the nation's leading artists.
• 29:24
  Don Armstrong: Now you can get one or a car show poster customized for you, a friend or a loved one.
• 29:29
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• 29:31
  Don Armstrong: No matter what the day, birthday, anniversary, or any day, an autographics custom illustration adds an extra touch of class to any home.
• 29:39
  Don Armstrong: Call Bill today, 832-922-0963.
• 29:42
  Don Armstrong: That's 832-922-0963.
• 29:48
  Don Armstrong: That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show.
• 29:52
  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.
• 30:02
  Don Armstrong: Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartPodcast, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
• 30:10
  Don Armstrong: Keep listening, and we'll see you soon.