Latest / In Wheel Time Podcast / How To Save On Fuel Without Debt

Transcript

How To Save On Fuel Without Debt · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:00
  Don Armstrong: Welcome to another In Wheel Time Podcast.
• 0:05
  Don Armstrong: Welcome to the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show.
• 0:08
  Don Armstrong: Just ahead.
• 0:09
  Don Armstrong: We talk gas credit cards with Chip Lupo at Wallet Hub.
• 0:14
  Don Armstrong: Boy, have I got some things to tell him.
• 0:16
  Don Armstrong: In Jeff's Car Culture 5 tool brands that mechanics buy over Snap On.
• 0:22
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 0:23
  Don Armstrong: And Mars has seven hot rod events to plan for in his driving destinations feature.
• 0:29
  Don Armstrong: Howdy along with Mike out of this world, Mars.
• 0:32
  Don Armstrong: We always need more Jeff Zeken.
• 0:34
  Don Armstrong: Chief Engineer David Ainsley sleeping in today.
• 0:37
  Don Armstrong: Getting ready for next week.
• 0:38
  Don Armstrong: I'm Don Armstrong.
• 0:39
  Don Armstrong: Glad you could join us today.
• 0:41
  Don Armstrong: And uh do we have Chip with us?
• 0:45
  Mike Marrs: Yes, sir.
• 0:45
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 0:46
  Don Armstrong: Well, let's just get right to it, shall we?
• 0:47
  Don Armstrong: Chip Lupo, wallet hub, gas credit cards, and the best ones to combat high prices.
• 0:55
  Don Armstrong: Well, Chip, it's good to see you, and we thank you very much for joining us today.
• 0:59
  Don Armstrong: How you been?
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_05: Good guys.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_05: Hope you guys are doing well.
• 1:02
  Don Armstrong: Well, we are.
• 1:03
  Don Armstrong: We are doing just fine.
• 1:04
  Don Armstrong: Thank you for asking.
• 1:06
  Don Armstrong: So it's been several years, probably five years ago.
• 1:11
  Don Armstrong: I thought, you know, I haven't had a gas company credit card in forever.
• 1:18
  Don Armstrong: And I always used to have a gas credit card.
• 1:21
  Don Armstrong: I don't even think that they took Visa and MasterCard back in the day.
• 1:26
  Don Armstrong: You had to have a gas credit card.
• 1:28
  Don Armstrong: I always had a Chevron card, always bought my gas at Chevron, all that.
• 1:32
  Don Armstrong: So for whatever reason, that credit card went away.
• 1:36
  Don Armstrong: And um I've been without one for a long time.
• 1:38
  Don Armstrong: I thought, you know, I'm going to check the gas credit card.
• 1:41
  Don Armstrong: Oh my God.
• 1:43
  Don Armstrong: I thought that, you know, 20% interest rate on the credit card was a lot.
• 1:48
  Don Armstrong: Oh no.
• 1:49
  Don Armstrong: The gas company credit cards were like 36, 40% interest rate on the gas credit card.
• 1:56
  Don Armstrong: I thought, why would I buy one of those?
• 1:59
  Don Armstrong: So I know that you've got some insight for me.
• 2:02
  Don Armstrong: Do you?
• 2:05
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, we just lost him.
• 2:07
  Don Armstrong: Well, that's great.
• 2:08
  Don Armstrong: Well, I'll let you I'll let you repeat that question to uh Mr.
• 2:12
  Don Armstrong: Lupo when he comes back.
• 2:13
  Don Armstrong: How's that, Morris?
• 2:14
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 2:15
  Don Armstrong: Can you remember that question?
• 2:18
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 2:18
  Don Armstrong: What the hell?
• 2:20
  Don Armstrong: Okay, well, I'm gonna let you do that for you.
• 2:24
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 2:24
  Don Armstrong: You just you just continue doing whatever it is that you're just trying to get back in here.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_03: So uh I don't understand our connections.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_03: There he is.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_03: There you go, Mike.
• 2:37
  Mike Marrs: I think it was on Mr.
• 2:38
  Mike Marrs: Lupo's end.
• 2:39
  Mike Marrs: I'm back, guys.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_03: There he is.
• 2:41
  Don Armstrong: Are you back?
• 2:42
  Mike Marrs: There he is.
• 2:43
  Mike Marrs: He was.
• 2:44
  Don Armstrong: Or at least I thought I was.
• 2:50
  Don Armstrong: Okay, well, I'm gonna let you take it over from the I can hear you guys.
• 2:53
  Don Armstrong: You can hear us?
• 2:54
  Don Armstrong: I can hear you guys.
• 2:55
  Don Armstrong: I can hear you, but we don't know what the what the video problem is.
• 2:58
  Don Armstrong: So the question is why do I get a gas credit card to begin with?
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_05: Well, it's interesting because you your choices are the gas credit card from which you were referring to a second ago, or you can just uh or you can have a general rewards card that would give you rewards for gas and other purchases.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_05: You would want a gas credit card if you are new to credit, if you're looking to rebuild credit, and if you are someone who pays your bill in full every month.
• 3:32
  Don Armstrong: Because as you mentioned, as you mentioned, I mean I just gonna I'm just gonna say that I mean if you pay it in full every month, then this is not a problem.
• 3:43
  unknown: Right.
• 3:43
  Don Armstrong: But I'm almost like, why would you have that?
• 3:45
  Don Armstrong: Why wouldn't you just go get cash and you know, uh, here's my uh forty dollars for a tank of gas this week and just pay cash for it instead of having a credit card, other than you're trying to rebuild your credit.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_05: Now, um in some cases the gas card will work if it's one that you frequent.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_05: If there is a particular brand that you always go to, whether it's Shell or BP or some local chain, then that's a good idea because you do get significant discounts.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_05: Usually the first time you use it, you they'll give you an offer where you can get up to 30 cents per down on your first bill up, and then usually it's like 10 cents.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_05: But again, you you have to pay that and regardless of what credit card you use, you have to pay it off in full because the because of the interest, and that would also cancel out any rewards that you earn.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_05: So it's would be kind of pointless to even use it if you're not going to pay it in full every month.
• 4:44
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, the incentive is to pay it off with a high interest rate like that.
• 4:47
  Mike Marrs: That would be well, but you know, so Chip, my my question would be I I understand what you're saying exactly, and that's what I try and do as well.
• 4:54
  Mike Marrs: But instead of having a credit card that may have a 30% interest rate on it, why not have one that's got less just in case I go over or I have an emergency or something and I can't pay it off?
• 5:06
  Mike Marrs: Uh and and the idea of using cash instead trying to do that, because a lot of places don't want you to use the credit card because of the credit card charges.
• 5:15
  Mike Marrs: I don't leave tips on the credit card if I can avoid it, but I but there's a problem, I gotta go to the bank to get cash.
• 5:21
  Mike Marrs: And then I gotta go do whatever I'm gonna do.
• 5:24
  Mike Marrs: Right, and you must barn bars.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_05: He's rich.
• 5:28
  Mike Marrs: One, I got one.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_05: You brought up a good point there about the um about the surcharges because some some gas stations will charge you a higher price for credit card purchases.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_05: So if you're using a a gas card, basically you're gonna recoup at least part of the of the processing fees.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_05: You're not gonna get the full reward, so always keep that in mind.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_05: And yeah, cash is always the preferable option.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_05: And either one of those, which is key here, is preferable than using a debit card.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_05: You want to avoid using debit cards at the pump because they're more susceptible to fraud.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_05: They don't have the protections that credit cards offer for fraudulent purchases.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_05: So all uh with either cash or credit card, avoid using debit cards at all costs at gas pumps because they're easily those card readers are easily easily manipulated to retrieve key information off of your credit card and off the debit card, and traditional credit regular credit cards offer you much more fraud protections.
• 6:31
  Mike Marrs: Well, I'm not a big fan of debit cards either, but I went to fill the truck up the other day and it was eighty-eight dollars.
• 6:37
  Mike Marrs: And I don't generally carry a hundred dollars cash with me all the time.
• 6:41
  Don Armstrong: But if you know, if you know, then it's pretty easy to go to your bank's ATM, uh, wherever that may be around you and get the cash and go pay cash for the gas.
• 6:55
  Don Armstrong: I mean, um every once in a while I will pay cash for gas.
• 7:01
  Don Armstrong: Like I got a$20 bill.
• 7:03
  Don Armstrong: And there's a gas station along the way, some no name, you know, fly by night thing.
• 7:09
  Don Armstrong: But I don't care that the gas burns in the car, it doesn't know the difference.
• 7:13
  Don Armstrong: And so I I'll buy that and I get the whole ten cents per gallon uh extra uh taken off of my bill.
• 7:22
  Jeff Dziekan: Right.
• 7:23
  Jeff Dziekan: And but the same principle on my end, I use the Kroger card because you get pennies off or cents off.
• 7:28
  Jeff Dziekan: Right, the fuel point.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_05: And that's and that's a good way to just get out of your money.
• 7:33
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, I got five cents off the the gallon.
• 7:35
  Don Armstrong: And you know, I I don't know where the misnomer comes in about gasoline.
• 7:40
  Don Armstrong: Oh, well, you know, that that no-name gas station at the end of the of the street.
• 7:45
  Don Armstrong: Oh, I would never buy gas there.
• 7:47
  Don Armstrong: Why not?
• 7:47
  Don Armstrong: Well, because it's not a shell or a conico and a gas station.
• 7:52
  Don Armstrong: Guess what?
• 7:54
  Don Armstrong: The gasoline that are that is at those stations?
• 7:59
  Don Armstrong: Those are the same, it's the same gasoline.
• 8:02
  Don Armstrong: I asked a guy.
• 8:03
  Don Armstrong: He was he just dumped a whole load of gasoline into the tanks over there at what the no-name gas station.
• 8:10
  Don Armstrong: I said, So what brand is that?
• 8:13
  Don Armstrong: Oh, I can't tell you.
• 8:14
  Don Armstrong: I said, Come on, man.
• 8:15
  Don Armstrong: What do you mean you can't tell me?
• 8:16
  Don Armstrong: Okay, it's Conoco.
• 8:18
  Don Armstrong: That's what he that's that's what he said.
• 8:20
  Don Armstrong: That's they're in the business to make and sell gasoline.
• 8:25
  Don Armstrong: It doesn't make any difference what station it is.
• 8:28
  Don Armstrong: If it's a conaco station, they're gonna charge you more because now you've got the brand name.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_05: You've got the brand name.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_05: It's like, why would why would you buy peanut butter from Walmart as opposed to another brand?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_05: In a lot of cases, some of these major, some of these major chains are the ones that are providing these store brands with those um products.
• 8:45
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, it's it's it's a product like Michelin tires.
• 8:47
  Jeff Dziekan: They make they make uh OEM tires and then they make tires for the general public in aftermarket.
• 8:53
  Jeff Dziekan: So it's just a name, just like you said.
• 8:54
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 8:55
  Mike Marrs: And once in a while you used to, you could hear about somebody having bad gas.
• 8:59
  Mike Marrs: They got water in the tank.
• 9:01
  Jeff Dziekan: And and so people done that this morning.
• 9:04
  Mike Marrs: Yeah.
• 9:04
  Mike Marrs: But but nowadays with social media, if somebody gets a tank of bad gas, I mean it don't take long words out.
• 9:09
  Mike Marrs: Don't go buy any gas there until they get it changed out.
• 9:12
  Mike Marrs: So that's not really too much of an issue anymore.
• 9:16
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, you never you you rarely hear of some like the bad gas anymore.
• 9:21
  Don Armstrong: Just don't don't pump the gas that the the tanker is there filling up the huge underground tank because it stirs up all the crap in the tank and you're just pumping it right into your car.
• 9:33
  Don Armstrong: Exactly.
• 9:34
  Don Armstrong: Granted, it's got a filter in place, but you know, many times you don't want that.
• 9:39
  Jeff Dziekan: But why would you have uh debris in the tank in the ground?
• 9:43
  Don Armstrong: Well, I mean over the colour.
• 9:44
  Don Armstrong: Most of it's moisture, I think.
• 9:46
  Don Armstrong: It's inevitable because they open up the tank.
• 9:49
  Don Armstrong: I'm sorry, Chip, we've got this discussion going on.
• 9:53
  Don Armstrong: Don't mind us.
• 9:54
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, they're pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
• 9:57
  Don Armstrong: So they open up the lid and the wind's blowing, and okay, a leaf drops down in there.
• 10:03
  Don Armstrong: You there's only so much that you can do.
• 10:05
  Don Armstrong: So whatever the case may be.
• 10:07
  Don Armstrong: But uh Chip, back to back to you know, the credit card thing with uh buying gasoline in particular.
• 10:16
  Don Armstrong: You know, the last time I looked at gasoline credit cards, there is all of this fine print to get you know whatever credit card it is.
• 10:27
  Don Armstrong: And not only that, but I think it's a point to say is that if you apply for a credit card, it's gonna take a hit on your credit report for getting that credit card for a short period of time, but you are gonna take a hit.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, exactly.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_05: Now, if you're just gonna apply for one like maybe once a year every six months, that uh it'll will ding your credit report because the lender does have to pull a copy of your credit report.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_05: That's known as a hard pull or hard inquiry, and it'll it'll ding your credit report by a couple of points, but those will go away within a couple of months as long as you're maintaining you know a good credit history.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_05: What you don't want to do is apply for a a gas rewards card and a gas credit card at the same time or within a day or two of each other.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_05: Because that sends a red flag to the lenders that okay, this guy's gonna be loading up on credit.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_05: Let's get ready for a wave of irresponsible spending here, just raises a red flag, and those and those inquiries, those add up, and that could that could cause considerable damage to your credit score.
• 11:30
  Don Armstrong: So, what how how do you decide which credit card you are going to apply for?
• 11:37
  Don Armstrong: A gasoline credit card.
• 11:39
  Don Armstrong: How do you make that decision?
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_05: Well, Fortnite Wallet Hub, we have tools available to help consumers make those types of decisions.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_05: We you have we have all kinds of filters that you can tailor to your needs.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_05: But when it comes to gas credit cards, if you're going for a gas rewards card, your best bet is to find one that does not charge you an annual fee.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_05: Most reward cards will charge you an annual fee, usually$95.
• 12:07
  Don Armstrong: Are you kidding me?
• 12:08
  Don Armstrong: I'm not paying an annual fee for anything.
• 12:11
  Don Armstrong: It's like the American Express card, and they charge you whatever it is today,$500 a year?
• 12:17
  Don Armstrong: No.
• 12:18
  Don Armstrong: Are you kidding?
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_05: Well, that's the thing.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_05: You have if you're going to go that way, you have to ask yourself, um, am I going to spend and now in a lot of cases, if you're a frequent traveler or if you're a frequent whatever, if you're hotels or whatever, if you used it enough, in a lot of cases they'll pay for themselves, but you have to ask yourself that up front.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_05: Am I going to use this card enough this year and every year?
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_05: Because those cards are renewable.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_05: Those annual fees tack on every single year.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_05: Are you going to use that card enough for it to pay for itself for that annual fee?
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_05: Now, some folks, like yourself, myself included, why why even bother?
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_05: Why bother?
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_05: Why pay someone just for the privilege of using a credit card?
• 13:00
  Don Armstrong: Their credit card that they're going to charge you interest on if you don't pay it off every month.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_05: Well, that too.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_05: Now you can also, there are credit cards out there that'll give you an introductory 0% APR from anywhere from six months to 18, 21 months, depending on the card.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_05: Now you can use those to um for major purchases or just for holiday spending or whatever, and then pay that off over time at 0% interest.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_05: The trick is though, once that introductory rate expires, if there's a balance on there, then that's going to then the regular interest rate.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_05: Now for a regular credit card, that's going to be somewhere about 22 to 23% if you have good credit.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_05: A store card or a gas card, upwards of 30% interest.
• 13:48
  Don Armstrong: Chip.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, sir.
• 13:51
  Don Armstrong: I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you how old I am by by making this statement, okay?
• 13:57
  Don Armstrong: My dad taught me that if you want something, save for it.
• 14:02
  Don Armstrong: My God, what a novel idea.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, your dad, your dad and my dad must have been taking they've been sharing notes.
• 14:10
  Don Armstrong: Exactly.
• 14:10
  Don Armstrong: Because I don't know.
• 14:12
  Don Armstrong: Because money doesn't grow money doesn't grow on trees.
• 14:16
  Don Armstrong: Right.
• 14:16
  Don Armstrong: Well, there's that too.
• 14:17
  Don Armstrong: Yes.
• 14:18
  Don Armstrong: But you know, if you wanted something, you save for it.
• 14:21
  Don Armstrong: You know where I learned in in reality that method?
• 14:26
  Don Armstrong: I got 50 cents a week allowance.
• 14:31
  Don Armstrong: A week.
• 14:32
  Don Armstrong: 50 cents.
• 14:33
  Don Armstrong: And I would take the 50 cents to the toy store and I'd put a toy in the layaway.
• 14:41
  Don Armstrong: I still have those trucks as rusty and as old as a lot of people.
• 14:46
  Don Armstrong: But I will tell you, it taught me that if you really want something that bad, pay for it.
• 14:52
  Don Armstrong: And I I knew somebody else that that bought a brand new 69 Malibu.
• 14:59
  Don Armstrong: She saved her money for the car and paid cash for it.
• 15:03
  Don Armstrong: She got 50 cents a week.
• 15:04
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 15:05
  Don Armstrong: Hopefully she got a lot of time.
• 15:06
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 15:07
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 15:07
  Jeff Dziekan: Or the alternative is go to your local auto parts store and buy a siphon.
• 15:12
  Jeff Dziekan: A stiphon.
• 15:14
  Don Armstrong: With with a hand crank on it so you can get the gas.
• 15:17
  Don Armstrong: But pay cash for the siphon.
• 15:19
  Don Armstrong: Pay cash for the siphon.
• 15:21
  Don Armstrong: That's right.
• 15:22
  Don Armstrong: Don't don't leave a footprint back there to find to come find you, okay?
• 15:26
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 15:27
  Don Armstrong: So I assume that Wallet Hub has the info that we need to be able to make an informed decision of what kind of credit card we really want to stick our neck out in and put it in our wallet to have in there to go, ah, I got one of those credit cards.
• 15:45
  Don Armstrong: I'm going to use it today to buy gas with.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, absolutely.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_05: All we have all the tools available to help you make those decisions.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_05: And another thing also about rewards cards, and again, always opt for one with no annual fee, is that you can earn an initial bonus, like a first-time, like a spending bone, like a sign-up bonus, if you spend X amount of dollars in the first six months.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_05: For example, one of one of the best crop rewards cards for gas that we that we found is called the City Custom Cash Card because it will give you 5% cash back in your top spending category, up to$500 for billing cycle.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_05: So you can use that for a solid month for gas and get five hundred dollars and get five percent cash back.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_05: Now, it also gives you a$200 initial bonus if you spend$1,500 in six months.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_05: Now, the trick is don't rush out and just make a$1,500 purchase just for the sake of earning the initial bonus because too many people make that mistake.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_05: They overspend in anticipation of the bonus, and then next thing you know, you're carrying a balance with the interest, and then your bonus is basically going to pay off the interest.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_05: So be realistic and how much you'll be able to how much you plan on spending during that six months before you consider a card with an initial bonus.
• 17:06
  Don Armstrong: Chip, are you married?
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_05: I am.
• 17:10
  Don Armstrong: Does your life does your wife like being married to a guy that counts every penny that he spends?
• 17:17
  Don Armstrong: Yes, yes, she does because a good answer because you know I I can only imagine the conversation after we hung up talking to you about all of this savings and credit cards and everything else.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_05: She'll use a wrong credit card.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_05: I have credit cards set aside for specific parts, whether it's gas, groceries, general spending.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_05: I cringe if she uses the wrong credit card, quote, wrong credit card as a gas pump.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_05: That's nothing for groceries.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_05: We've already got three percent off that.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_05: Now we're only gonna get one percent off the gas.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_05: Next turn, yeah, going straight, we're driving straight to the courthouse.
• 18:02
  unknown: Oh boy.
• 18:04
  Mike Marrs: But you better put the gas in your tank first.
• 18:06
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, there's a disturbance in the force, and Chip starts going, oh, oh, something, something's going on.
• 18:12
  Don Armstrong: Like it's the money force.
• 18:14
  Don Armstrong: Oh my god, Chip, you are a blast to talk to.
• 18:17
  Don Armstrong: We love you, man.
• 18:18
  Don Armstrong: Thank you so much for sharing all this information.
• 18:21
  Don Armstrong: Now I've got to process it for the next week and a half and thinking, oh my God, what am I doing with my credit cards?
• 18:27
  Don Armstrong: I I I I feel so guilty about using a credit card on anything anymore if it's not specific for the taco that I bought this morning or the gallon of gas I bought for the lawnmower.
• 18:38
  Jeff Dziekan: Kathy does that too.
• 18:39
  Jeff Dziekan: Hey, we've got extra rewards this month on this particular card, so if you're going to this particular store, use it.
• 18:44
  Jeff Dziekan: And sometimes it works out.
• 18:46
  Jeff Dziekan: Or is it wallethub.com, Chip?
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_05: WalletHub.com, gentlemen, for sure.
• 18:51
  Don Armstrong: Well, we love talking to you, man.
• 18:53
  Don Armstrong: Hey, hit us up anytime, okay?
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_05: We'd love to talk again, guys.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_05: Look forward to the next one.
• 18:58
  Don Armstrong: Us too.
• 18:59
  Don Armstrong: Thank you so much.
• 18:59
  Don Armstrong: Hey, just ahead of Jeff's Car Culture, five tool brands that mechanics choose over Snap on.
• 19:05
  Don Armstrong: And Mars has seven national hot rod events to plan for in driving destinations.
• 19:10
  Don Armstrong: All coming up after this break on the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show.
• 19:18
  Don Armstrong: The Easter Bunny's coming.
• 19:20
  Don Armstrong: To the tailpipes and tacos cruise in at the Loopy Tortilla Tex Max in Katy, April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m.
• 19:26
  Don Armstrong: And you're invited to.
• 19:27
  Don Armstrong: Bring the kids and grandkids.
• 19:29
  Don Armstrong: It's a cruise in like you've never attended before.
• 19:31
  Don Armstrong: With a donation to Shirley's Kids, you'll get a free Loopy Tortilla breakfast taco.
• 19:35
  Don Armstrong: There'll be coffee and adult beverages.
• 19:43
  Don Armstrong: Well, we just heard you say what the hell.
• 19:45
  Don Armstrong: So uh Well, then that should that should give you a hint.
• 19:49
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 19:49
  Don Armstrong: Well, uh, did you hit the table the wrong way and uh the right?
• 19:54
  Don Armstrong: The Easter Bunny's coming to the tailpipes and tacos cruise in at the Loopy Tortilla Tex Max in Katy, April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m.
• 20:02
  Don Armstrong: And you're invited to.
• 20:04
  Don Armstrong: Bring the kids and grandkids.
• 20:05
  Don Armstrong: It's a cruise in like you've never attended before.
• 20:07
  Don Armstrong: With the donation to Shirley's Kids, you'll get a free Loopy Tortilla breakfast taco.
• 20:11
  Don Armstrong: There'll be coffee and adult beverages, plus chili pepper trophies for the best hot rod, best modern classic, and best classic.
• 20:17
  Don Armstrong: There's no entry fee and no registration.
• 20:19
  Don Armstrong: Just bring your ride and the kids.
• 20:22
  Don Armstrong: Bad bunnies aren't allowed, but the Easter bunny will be there, and he'll be full of joy to help make this Tail Pipes and Tacos a very special one.
• 20:29
  Don Armstrong: Photo Opportunities abound.
• 20:30
  Don Armstrong: The NRL Time Car Talk Show will be streaming around the globe, and you can be selected to tell your car story to a global audience.
• 20:36
  Don Armstrong: It's the Tail Pipes and Tacos Cruise in Easter edition, Saturday, April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m.
• 20:41
  Don Armstrong: at the Loopy Tortilla Text Max in Katy, located on 99, the Grand Parkway, just south of I-10, the Katy Freeway, in Katy.
• 20:48
  Don Armstrong: Make plans now.
• 20:49
  Don Armstrong: Loopy Tortilla is pretty good.
• 20:53
  Don Armstrong: Apple or Android NWL Time podcasts can be found everywhere, on the stream, and through downloads.
• 20:58
  Don Armstrong: Whether you're on the road or at home and Jones in for a different kind of car talk show, give In Wheel Time a try.
• 21:04
  Don Armstrong: Honest new car reviews, fun, informative interviews with real car people, weekly automotive news, features like Jeff's car culture and Mike's driving destinations, all on In Wheel Time.
• 21:13
  Don Armstrong: Check us out on Sirius XM Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or while you're shopping on Amazon through Amazon Music.
• 21:19
  Don Armstrong: Mm-hmm.
• 21:20
  Don Armstrong: InWheeltime.com has a list, and we know you love lists.
• 21:24
  Don Armstrong: Hey, uh InWheel Time invites you to join us 10 to noon Central Time every Saturday for our live show about all things automotive.
• 21:31
  Don Armstrong: Next week we adjust our schedule a little bit for the tailpipes and tacos cruise in at the Lupi Tortilla in Katy for a special Easter show that happens 8 to 11 next Saturday.
• 21:41
  Don Armstrong: We hope you'll join us in person or online.
• 21:44
  Don Armstrong: Thanks for being with us today.
• 21:45
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 21:45
  Don Armstrong: Time now for Jeff's Car Culture.
• 21:47
  Don Armstrong: Tool brands that the mechanics choose over Snap On.
• 21:50
  Jeff Dziekan: There you go.
• 21:51
  Jeff Dziekan: But uh just because Snap on is the top brand used in the field doesn't mean that it's the only one.
• 21:56
  Jeff Dziekan: There are several other companies that manufacture premium tools that have planned.
• 22:00
  Jeff Dziekan: Of professional mechanics using them in their garage.
• 22:04
  Jeff Dziekan: There are multiple reasons why people choose or recommend different names over Snap on, including brand loyalty, accessibility, personal preferences, and another big reason is that uh just filling out the budget, uh filling out your toolkit, too expensive, some cases depending on the tool itself.
• 22:19
  Jeff Dziekan: So here we go.
• 22:20
  Jeff Dziekan: One of the tools we have is uh Sun X.
• 22:23
  Jeff Dziekan: These tools have been around for 50 years, and the American brand has built a strong reputation for its itself in the automotive repair industry.
• 22:30
  Jeff Dziekan: The company makes all kinds of mechanics tools, hand tools, shop tools, hydraulic presses, simple socket sets, and useful things and fittings.
• 22:38
  Jeff Dziekan: Sun X also makes air tools, lifting equipment, some storage gear stuff, and uh they even make knives.
• 22:44
  Jeff Dziekan: For a professional grade brand, Suntech's tools are modestly priced, they're widely available.
• 22:49
  Jeff Dziekan: Mechanics can easily order many of these things, products online and from different retailers.
• 22:54
  Jeff Dziekan: That's Sun X.
• 22:55
  Jeff Dziekan: Sun X, that's correct.
• 22:57
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh the next one is Gear Wrench.
• 22:59
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh one word.
• 23:00
  Jeff Dziekan: Many different gear wrench tools, products, and mechanics can use every day.
• 23:04
  Jeff Dziekan: When mechanics list their favorite tools, many of them list gear wrench.
• 23:08
  Jeff Dziekan: Technician Garage, which is a company, built a starter mechanics toolkit, included many of the brand's products, including most of the socket sets, uh, saying that the gear wrench quality, pricing, and warranty and availability are big points in its favor.
• 23:22
  Jeff Dziekan: Other tools from the selected brand uh for the mechanics sets include uh flex head ratchets, mini combination sets, a whole myriad, right down to oil change wrenches and things of that nature for your super serp serpentine belt.
• 23:34
  Jeff Dziekan: So they have a vast variety of that as well.
• 23:37
  Jeff Dziekan: The next one, we all know this one as well, uh Mac tools.
• 23:41
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh these tools owned by Stanley Black and Decker.
• 23:45
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh other brands are offered under the same name, umbrella like Craftsman and DeWalt, uh, which are also good brands there as well.
• 23:52
  Jeff Dziekan: Also Chinese made, by the way.
• 23:53
  Jeff Dziekan: Very good.
• 23:54
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh professional mechanics also recommend Mac tools for similar reasons.
• 23:58
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh the at least one of them calling out it might be overpriced for some mechanics, but they use Mac tools specifically for their hose cutters, radiator clamps, uh, radiator lines, calipers, pistons, and things of that nature for uh different specifics on that repair.
• 24:14
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh the next one we've got, Michael, is called Tekton.
• 24:17
  Jeff Dziekan: Tecton Tools is a family-owned business based in Michigan that's appreciated by many mechanics because of its provides plenty of detail about where each products are made, uh certain specifications about the materials they use in those tools as well.
• 24:30
  Jeff Dziekan: The company focuses on hand tools, making ratchets, wrenches, screwdriver sockets, and many more things that you use on a daily basis.
• 24:38
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh these tools, uh more notable brand uh than anything is an acceptable warranty.
• 24:43
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh the users claim that the professional mechanics saying the tecton tool products are are easily replaceable thanks to their lifetime warranties.
• 24:51
  Jeff Dziekan: And the last one we've got is called gray tools.
• 24:53
  Jeff Dziekan: Mechanics emphasize the durability of gray tools also by adding that they still use their grandfather's gray wrenches from the 60s.
• 25:01
  Jeff Dziekan: I can attest to that, uh, which uh continue to work like they're just came off the uh box, right out of the box in the in the store.
• 25:09
  Jeff Dziekan: They strongly recommend the brand, though concede that it they can be expensive for some of the products.
• 25:14
  Jeff Dziekan: Others note that the high quality of gray tools, while others are less enthusiastic about the brand.
• 25:19
  Jeff Dziekan: All of these that we're talking about, they are options for you.
• 25:22
  Jeff Dziekan: If you don't want to uh spend a whole lot of money and you want a quality tool, check some of these out so they'll you can mix and match as well.
• 25:29
  Jeff Dziekan: So very good stuff to look at.
• 25:32
  Don Armstrong: So um craftsman used to be sold at Sears and Rican Made and all that.
• 25:38
  Don Armstrong: You got a torque wrench?
• 25:39
  Don Armstrong: They ticked me off so bad that uh I swore I would every chance I get would put them down.
• 25:46
  Don Armstrong: Because you know, they were sold with an unlimited forever lifetime warranty.
• 25:52
  Don Armstrong: They lied.
• 25:53
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, they did.
• 25:55
  Don Armstrong: And uh good luck in getting your forever lifetime warranty fulfilled if you have a problem with one of the tools, like for instance a torque wrench, which I did.
• 26:05
  Don Armstrong: It was a you know hundred dollar torque wrench back in the day, and uh it wouldn't lock on.
• 26:11
  Don Armstrong: And so they tried to they're out of business.
• 26:15
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, somebody else bought the name and uh it's now Chinese and don't buy them ever.
• 26:20
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, there's my brother-in-law was on a ship in the Navy for uh a long, long time.
• 26:24
  Jeff Dziekan: They couldn't go, they couldn't take their tools into certain ports because of where they were made.
• 26:28
  Jeff Dziekan: It was a religious thing because of Japan, you know, Chinese, Japanese, uh Israeli, and things like that.
• 26:33
  Jeff Dziekan: Depending on what port they went into, they couldn't use certain tools.
• 26:35
  Don Armstrong: So at the dealership we had the Cornwell man that came by uh every other week, I think they did.
• 26:41
  Don Armstrong: So I bought my stuff from him, a dwell meter, uh a timing light, and those things they were expensive at the time, but quality stuff.
• 26:50
  Don Armstrong: I still have them and they still work.
• 26:52
  Jeff Dziekan: And and like I said, I've got I've got hammers, I've got wrenches and things from my dad.
• 26:55
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 26:56
  Jeff Dziekan: From you know, like back in the 60s, they hand me down because they're just that quality of a tool.
• 27:00
  Jeff Dziekan: And they're not craftsmen or they're not snap on, they're one of these other brands.
• 27:04
  Don Armstrong: Uh Mr.
• 27:05
  Don Armstrong: Morris, I think we've run out of time in this section, and I think that what we're gonna do is we're gonna move your driving destinations first thing out of the box in our next segment, if that's okay with you.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_03: Very good.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that works.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_03: It does, okay.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_03: We'll catch up in two weeks.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we'll yeah.
• 27:21
  Don Armstrong: Two weeks.
• 27:23
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 27:24
  Don Armstrong: The patio will be ready in two weeks.
• 27:26
  Don Armstrong: Two weeks.
• 27:27
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 27:28
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 27:29
  Don Armstrong: Five months later, they finally opened the patio.
• 27:32
  Don Armstrong: It was two weeks.
• 27:34
  Don Armstrong: It was crazy.
• 27:35
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 27:36
  Don Armstrong: Um, right, we do.
• 27:38
  Don Armstrong: We're gonna take a little break.
• 27:39
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, and then when we come back, we're gonna do driving destinations.
• 27:42
  Don Armstrong: The seven national hot rod events to put on your calendar.
• 27:45
  Don Armstrong: That's coming up when the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show continues after this quick break.
• 27:50
  Don Armstrong: You own a car you love.
• 27:52
  Don Armstrong: Well, why not let Gulf Coast Auto Shield protect it?
• 27:55
  Don Armstrong: Houstonian John Gray invites you to his state-of-the-art facility to introduce you to his specialist team of auto enthusiasts.
• 28:01
  Don Armstrong: We promise you'll be impressed.
• 28:03
  Don Armstrong: Whether you're looking to massage your original paint to a like new appearance, apply a ceramic coating, install a paint protection film, nano ceramic window tint, or new windshield protection called Exoshield, Gulf Coast Auto Shield is where Houston's car people go.
• 28:18
  Don Armstrong: Curbed your wheels?
• 28:19
  Don Armstrong: Instead of buying new, why not have them repaired?
• 28:21
  Don Armstrong: How about a professionally installed radar detector?
• 28:24
  Don Armstrong: Gulf Coast Auto Shield does that too.
• 28:26
  Don Armstrong: Get a peek inside the shop and look at the services offered by getting online and heading to gcautoshield.com.
• 28:32
  Don Armstrong: Better yet, stop by their facility at 11275 South Sam Houston Tollway, just south of the Southwest Freeway and get a personal tour.
• 28:39
  Don Armstrong: Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your place to go for all things exterior.
• 28:43
  Don Armstrong: Call them today, 832-930-5655 or gcautoshield.com.
• 28:50
  Don Armstrong: The award-winning In Wheel Time Cover Talk Show now reaches millions of folks around the globe each year.
• 28:56
  Don Armstrong: Check us out on InWheeltime.com, YouTube, Facebook, and don't forget our podcasts.
• 29:01
  Don Armstrong: Catch our live show every Saturday, 10 to 11 Central Time.
• 29:04
  Don Armstrong: The In Wheel Time Car Talk Show has informative automotive guests, new car reviews, along with popular features including driving destinations, Jeff's car culture, the latest car news, cruise-ins, and racing days.
• 29:16
  Don Armstrong: It's all on inwheeltime.com.
• 29:18
  Don Armstrong: Join us.
• 29:21
  Don Armstrong: That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show.
• 29:25
  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.
• 29:35
  Don Armstrong: Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartPodcast, Podcast Addict.
• 29:41
  Don Armstrong: Tune in, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
• 29:43
  Don Armstrong: Keep listening, and we'll see you soon.