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Episode 39 – Stolen Supras, Cosplay and a Fox Body Education

Thanks for tuning in to the Automotive Podcast that CAN actually sell a car!  Eric unloaded Red Mist last week, and now can boast that he has one less car than Daryl.  Baby steps, people!

We’ve got a lot of content packed into this latest show, and you won’t want to miss some of the local news updates. We also talk a fair amount about Knight Rider and why role-playing is kinda cool if your wardrobe ensemble happens to include a wicked cool 70s or 80s car.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Forts Toyota of Pekin

Casey Law Office of Morton

Yes, you read that correctly. There’s a fresh new local venue and web domain for the Casey Law Office. More to come – Stay tuned for details!

Get Even More Throwin’ Wrenches on Patreon

We’d also like to give a big shoutout to our Patreon Subscribers. Patreon is an easy way to support the show and get access to the super cool Throwin’ Wrenches Pre Show. This episode rang in at a hefty 58 minutes. Lots of non-show content and a much longer conversation about the stolen 2020 GR Supra from Fort’s this past week.  You can join at any time and plans for the preshow start at $5/mo.

Episode Highlights

Stolen Supra Update

Many of you have followed along as Eric brought us live updates on the Fort’s Toyota 2020 GR Supra race car which was stolen earlier in October and thankfully recovered by the Peoria Police Department.

The case is still ongoing, but what we’ve learned is this: Not all auto thefts are carried out by an international crime syndicate with a network of high-tech gear and access to chop shops. Sometimes they are (allegedly) carried out by young kids with nothing better to do.

Thanks to Central Illinois Cars & Coffee and everyone in the local and regional automotive community for sharing this story on social media when it broke, and to the Peoria Police Department for recovering both the GR Supra and the 2020 Toyota Tundra CrewMax that was stolen in the same incident. Both are back safely in their rightful home.

Race. Daily. Kill.

Eric lined up this week’s picks for our Race, Daily, Kill segment… and it’s another epic field of automotive talent. If this is your first time, this show segment is where we select three cars or trucks and then pluck out one we’d race, one we’d drive daily, and one that we would take out back and kill.

First, let’s set the stage. 

The Year… is 1984.

Denim and leather jackets were in. Van Halen blasted on every radio station across the nation. Aqua Net hairspray depleted much of the ozone layer, which helped everyone tan better. Pizza Hut was actually edible.

Meanwhile, most of the new cars were choked by early emissions equipment. The Big Three’s offerings were mostly stale, but a single black Trans Am ruled the high-tech automotive world thanks to its computer control center, turbo boost and voice command system. Alexa, who? This is 1984, son!!!

Of course, we’re talking about the sleek Pontiac Trans Am, K.I.T.T. (aka Knight Industries Two Thousand).

Ladies and Gentlemen, we proudly present this week’s lineup.

Year: 1984 1984 1984
Make: Pontiac Ford Jaguar
Model: Firebird
Trans Am/K.I.T.T.
Mustang SVO XJS
Engine (HP): 5.0 Liter
V-8 (190 hp)
2.3 liter
turbo 4-cylinder (170hp)
5.3 liter
V-12 (262 hp)
MSRP: $11,103 $16,500 $34,700

Verdicts

Eric: Race the SVO. Daily the T/A. Kill the Jaguar. Maintenance alone would kill any fun that V-12 had to offer.

Daryl: Race the SVO. Daily the Jaguar. Kill the T/A. Turbo 2.3’s are fun, and Jags are classy even on a flatbed trailer.

As always, we’d love to hear your picks this time around. Feel free to play along on Facebook or hit us up at info@throwinwrenches.com.

Rabbit Hole

While researching cars for our Race, Daily, Kill segment, Eric spent a few days/weeks/months on the interwebz discovering just how many Ford models shared the same platform as the Fox body Mustangs, similar to our SVO this week. Not only did Ford use the Fox platform for the Mustang from 1979 to 1993, it also used the same underpinnings to roll out dozens of other models in that time frame.

Some of these include:

  • Ford Fairmont
  • Ford Thunderbird / Mercury Cougar
  • Ford Granda / Mercury Cougar
  • Ford LTD / Mercury Marquis
  • Mercury Capri
  • Lincoln Continental
  • Ford Mustang
  • Lincoln Mark VII

That’s what we call getting your money’s worth out of your engineering team. We discuss the history of the Fox cars and link them all the way back to the “Father of the Mustang”, none other than Lee Iacocca himself.

International News

Maybach or May-Blah? You Decide!

Mercedes will have a shiny new bauble for America’s 1-percenters to park in their driveways for Christmas — a Mercedes Maybach SUV. In early December, Mercedes-Benz will enter the rarefied world of ultraluxe SUVs with the most expensive passenger vehicle made in America. The 2021 Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC starts at $161,550, including shipping. Fully loaded, the SUV tops out at nearly $200,000.

Source: Automotive News

Eric’s Take: Perhaps it’s time to admit that a luxury SUV by any brand (even Lamborghini, Rolls or Mercedes-Benze) will always look terrible? Give it up!

National News

GM Debuts Electric Hummer Pickup With $80,000 Starting Price

General Motors Co. showed its much-anticipated battery-powered Hummer pickup in an online video, spearheading the automaker’s renewed push into the electric-vehicle market. The 2022 model-year truck will have a starting price of $80,000 and a range of 350 miles when fully charged. GM will sell it at GMC brand dealerships once production starts in the fall of 2021, the automaker said late Tuesday. The GMC Hummer’s driving range is about the same as Tesla Inc.’s Model 3, and the truck’s zero-to-60 miles per hour acceleration in three seconds is equivalent to a gasoline-powered sports car. With the new truck, GM is seeking to retain its traditional strength in pickups.

Source: Bloomberg

Shaken Up By Trump, Auto Lobby Eyes Impact of Biden Presidency

A Biden administration would be likely to restore aggressive Obama-era emission targets that Trump has tried to roll back. In addition, the former vice president would likely put more of Washington’s focus on electric and autonomous cars going forward to ensure American autoworkers build “the vehicle of the future.” An extension of the $7,500 per EV tax credit is more likely if Biden becomes president, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Conversely, four more years of Trump would see a continuation of efforts to rollback auto mileage standards and revoke California’s power to issue its own standards. As much as anything, the carmakers say they want certainty on matters such as trade and mileage rules.

Source: Bloomberg

It’s Not DiGiorno: Most Recent Car Buyers Now Want Home Delivery

Real-time messaging and chat functionality, virtual vehicle walk-arounds and test drives with video, and completing financing and trade-ins online. Those are some of the new methods consumers are using to purchase their new or used cars from local dealerships. Consumers have turned to personal car ownership as their “preferred and safe mode of transportation” at the start of the pandemic and far beyond, Cars.com chief executive officer Alex Vetter said in a news release.

Source: Auto Remarketing

Recalls

Ford Motor Co. warned Monday that certain 2019-2020 Ford Transit Connect vans have an engine flaw that could create fire risk while certain 2020 Ford Escape SUVs have tire pressure monitoring flaws that could lead to loss of control. Both vehicles are the subject of recalls, along with the high-performance of the Mustang Shelby GT350 and Mustang Shelby GT500 for its light system. The company said it is unaware of any accident or injury related to these situations.

Source: Detroit Free Press

Local News

Amazon Shows Off New 100% Electric Rivian Delivery Vehicle

Amazon and Rivian have pulled the sheet off the first four-wheeled product of their new sustainability venture. This custom, all-electric delivery van is the first of many Amazon plans to introduce to its fleet in the coming years.

The van itself is fairly barebones and practical, as you’d expect from a delivery vehicle. While Amazon and Rivian remain tight-lipped regarding the van’s exact specifications, they say it will offer 150 miles of total range (which would be class-leading). Rivian will announce its battery supplier for the project later in 2020.

“The vehicle we’ve developed with Amazon is not just electric. We prioritized safety and functionality to create a vehicle that’s optimized for package delivery,” said RJ Scaringe, Rivian CEO. “We thought through how drivers get in and out of the van, what the workspace feels like and what the work flow is for delivering packages.”

While Amazon is heavily invested in the electric startup, that is not the only avenue it has explored. While the size of the order may pale in comparison, Daimler is slated to provide 1,800 electric Mercedes-Benz delivery vans to Amazon’s European operations.

Source:  Autoblog

Moment of Musk

“The acid test, really, is, if the ships from Earth stop coming from any reason, does Mars die out?” Musk told interviewer Robert Zubrin during the live-streamed event. “For any reason. It could be banal, or it could be nuclear armageddon,” he added.

Let’s unpack some of the questions this open-ended comment raises. First, Musk recently also said that he expects many Mars settlers will die during the process of traveling to and settling on Mars in the longer term. That’s a common theme, from imperialist settlements like Jamestown or Roanoke to the explorers who first crossed Antarctica or sailed across the Pacific Ocean.

Source: Popular Science

Grinding the Gears

Daryl thinks the day of the alloy wheel has run its course. They scuff, they suck to clean and they are expensive. Most aren’t even lighter than steel rims, which was the point of having them in the first place.

Bad.
Good.

Can’t we just go back to steel wheels and dog dish caps? Land Rover is on their new Defenders… and so does Ford on the new Bronco and they look pretty slick. Need a change of attitude? Paint your wheels. Done.

Cars of the WEAK

Eric: 1972 Lotus Europa S2 – $13,900

Source: Craigslist

Eric’s occasional taste for the exotic brought him to the greater St. Louis area this week for a butterscotch-flavored Brit. Check out this elegantly-written description of the lovely Lotus, and tell us if this car isn’t a well-loved machine:

It has the original 1565 CC Renault 4 cyl engine. The engine head was obtained from an early Lotus 46, it has larger intake valves, siamessed ports, and has had .030 inches machined from the face; this gives a compression ratio of 12:1. It has a Weber 45 DC0E13 carburetor and equal length headers, this produces about 120 bhp at 6500 rpms. It has a four speed manual trans with new linkage. It has new brakes, new master cylinder, new rear wheel cylinders, the front calipers are rebuilt, and it has new rubber brake lines. It has a new water pump, the radiator has been recored, new radiator hoses, new thermostat, and new coolant. It has a new alternator and a new battery. It has a new breather and it has had a fresh oil and trans oil change. It has five original steel wheels and four original Lotus mag wheels. The windshield is in very good condition. It runs and shifts fine. This ol’ girl gets up and goes! The car does need cosmetic work inside and out but it is very solid. For more information call Keith

Could you see Eric buzzing around a road course in this low-slung Europa? Perhaps it should / could find a new home in the cozy confines of the Stahl ranch now that Red Mist has been sold.

Just a thought.


Daryl: 64 Chevy Bel Air Sedan – $3,900

Source: Sullivan Auctions

Daryl says this base-model ’64 Chevy is just like my first love… his high school car. He owned one from 1995 to 1997 and he will always have a soft spot for these Giant rectangles with room for 9 people. Built with an X-frame, they are solid and sturdy sedans and hold up to the elements fairly well.

A skinnier Daryl in 1997 with his ’64 Bel Air

This low-mileage example from Missouri is equipped with a 230 six and a Powerglide trans would run forever and deliver decent mileage in the upper teens or low 20s. He’d rock this in a heartbeat for under $5K, but it doesn’t make sense to bring home another car right now. He needs to follow Eric’s example and release one back into the wild.

Thanks for listening!

Keep in touch with us in between episodes at info@throwinwrenches.com.

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