In Wheel Time Podcast

High School Auto Tech goes racing at Hwy 105 Speedway! New Caney ISD and Couch Automotive Racing Services

• In Wheel Time Car Talk • Season 2023 • Episode 326

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Get ready to shift gears and get your hands dirty as we delve into the world of car maintenance, specifically the troubles our co-host Don is having with his Corvette C5. With the expert guidance of our esteemed guest, Jonathan Couch, we explore possible wheel options and crucial offset measurements for a seamless fit. You'll get a valuable lesson on how to find cost-effective solutions. 

We don't stop there! We transition to the exciting world of mini stock race car construction in a school environment. You'll feel like you're right there in the workshop with us and Wyatt, a senior in the AutoTech program, as we overview the process from instructor-led demonstrations to the weight rules of the class. Experience firsthand Wyatt's journey of working on a Beretta and Jonathan's teaching style that makes car building a breeze. We also introduce you to Guillermo, the driver who's just as new to racing as some of you might be to car maintenance.

As we hit the homestretch, we take a detour through the scenic landscape of classic and modern car culture. We shed light on different classes offered in high schools and the upcoming Tailpipes and Tacos car show. As we navigate through the latest in automotive news, we discuss the slowing growth of EV sales, Ford's decision to cut back on EV spending, and the grievances of Mercedes-Benz dealers. We conclude with a thought-provoking discussion on why people hesitate to switch to EVs due to the charging process. Make sure to tune in every Saturday morning, 8 to 11 am, Central to our live show where we keep you in the driver's seat of all things automotive!

Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!

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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. It's the In Wheel Time car talk show coming up Jonathan Couch, Couch Racing and New Kani ISD Auto Instructor. Later a look at the automotive news headlines this week. We got lots of them too. Howdy, along with Mike out of this World, mars King, conrad DeLon we always need more. Jeff Zekin, I'm Don Armstrong, glad you could join us on this Saturday. It's a beautiful day here in Houston, texas, in the neighborhood. In the neighborhood. It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Speaker 2:

Well, should be my neighbor.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and tomorrow is chrome and coffee at the Avalon diner down in the mountains. Yep, I'm planning on taking the Corvette down there, if I can get it in gear.

Speaker 2:

As the battery holding out Battery's doing good.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, richard. Richard did that, but somehow, some way it's not shifting gears. What I've got, one, three and five available to me.

Speaker 2:

Or you can get to the fountains with that.

Speaker 1:

And that's what I plan on doing. And then next Wednesday it's going to go over to Carolina For fluid changes yeah, fluid changes For its diaper change, for its oil change and filter and state inspection sticker. And she's going to have the boy over there look at it and say, hmm, I'm going to have to leave it with me and I hope that it's not something serious, because I've spent a buttload of money on that car this year and I'm ready for all of that to end and for me to be able to drive it again, because it's been one thing after another. But somebody that knows all about that. His name is Jonathan couch and he's with couch racing and the new Cainie independent school district. He's the auto instructor over there. Yep, he's a jack of all trades. Maybe I should bring the Corvette out there to you, jonathan. Oh, maybe. What is it? It's a C five.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, With a six speed manual and a new clutch. Yep, yeah, you good with that.

Speaker 3:

Oh, maybe you don't know. You say you lost, you lost second.

Speaker 1:

Well, I haven't lost it, I just can't get it. Get the shifter to make it go into second.

Speaker 3:

Oh, I see, or Well, what would you been doing with it?

Speaker 5:

I tell you the right question, right that is what you do beating it up I wasn't beating it up.

Speaker 1:

I took it to check on a flat I can, and now it's going to have to be Mr Morris, he wants your attention, I'm sorry. Yeah, a flat. And so I took it in there waiting for some nail or something that I've gathered up, guess what. I was not able to find anything in there, and I will tell you that what they did found is more corrosion on the wheel bead again. So what that means is that I'm not going to have to buy some new wheels, because this is the second time this has happened.

Speaker 2:

You might be able to bring it to a wheel company. Well, I've got to talk to get him to clean it up.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I've got to talk to Mr Gray. Clean it up and seal it.

Speaker 1:

Well they've already done that. They've already cleaned it up once and I think it's beyond cleaning up, because I felt that bead and it's corrosion to the point where I don't think it can be sealed unless they, you know, weld it and grind it and all that. Do I want to do that? Do I really want to do that? No, no, I don't want to do that. If I'm going to spend that kind of money to do that, then I think I'm just going to buy some new wheels. The question is, what kind?

Speaker 2:

of I was going to say, talk about spending more money. I easily spend a thousand plus buying wheels for that car Correct. I know that If not closer to a 1500.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, or if I go the carbon fiber route, then no, you're not going to go carbon fiber.

Speaker 2:

You don't want carbon fiber wheels. They sure do look good they do, but you damage one. It's $3,000 a wheel, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well, we're not going to spend that kind of money. Yeah, so then going to look and see what kind of wheels are available for the Corvette, is it? Yeah, the front's smaller. Yeah, what'd you say, jeff? Staggered fit, yeah, or just be staggered, staggered around Staggerly Well that's.

Speaker 4:

That's where Mike in his area, where he lives.

Speaker 1:

In the staggerly.

Speaker 2:

The brown water staggered.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I got it. So Mr Zeke over here is going to help me find the back spacing on these wheels. Oh, because I'm going to have to find wheels that fit the car correctly, Correctly, and then I want it sticking out of the wheel wells and having problems with all the. I don't want any of that. Just give me what I got out there. But I don't know what that is. Yeah, I know that size of the hoop. There are 18s and 19s, I think.

Speaker 4:

I always start at zero. Yeah, because that's what we did on your Corvair. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well, that, that's what I want, but I don't know what the offset is on those, so we have to find that out.

Speaker 2:

Well, anyhow, we have Mr Couch on yeah.

Speaker 1:

Sorry we got. We got kind of off subject there, but I'm sure you're familiar with this kind of thing because you got a bunch of teenage kids that love to put big tires and wheels on their cars. Yes, sir, and that's the answer.

Speaker 3:

I was going to tell you if you you know, if you're really strapped, you just go find a C five at a dealership late at night sometime and grab yourself.

Speaker 1:

No no, and the problem with that is I really don't want stock wheels on it, because the C five stock wheels, yeah, not too appealing to me.

Speaker 2:

They're the original wagon wheels for some of the ugliest ones they ever made.

Speaker 4:

I like wagon wheels.

Speaker 1:

No, all right, so we're not going to do that. We're going to look in the catalog. As a matter of fact, what I was over at Discount Tire getting the tire fixed, but what I thought was going to be a fix, all I did is slap it back on there and say, hmm, I think it's going to happen, it's not going to happen. I was looking through the wheel catalog, which is about an inch thick, from every wheel manufacturer in the entire world that they could put on your car there at Discount.

Speaker 2:

Tire today for a price yeah.

Speaker 5:

So, so. So, Jonathan, what kind of wheels y'all running your race car?

Speaker 3:

Well, right now the race car we have in Newtainey High School is a 95 Beretta, and a 95 Beretta at every sense of the term. It's not a tube chassis car that looks like a Beretta. It's a 95 Beretta that someone put a cage in, so it's got. It's still got stock wheels, stock wheel studs. Basically, a stock is a 95 Beretta. It can be just with a lot of missing parts.

Speaker 1:

All that, and have you done anything to the motor?

Speaker 3:

Not yet. So actually, while we're sitting here, I've got one cylinder head in the machine already. Here's one that's done. I did a fancy big valve valve job on it. Of course this is all educational right. So I've been teaching the kids that sometimes factory parts are your best friend for cheap racing Absolutely. In the early 2000s, for 95, the upgrade was bigger intake valves and a cylinder head redesign. Well, we have a die grinder and we bought factory valves for 2000, something Chevy Malibu, and so that's what we cut the valves to use for. And so that's one upgrade we've done or in the process of doing. Now you say we've.

Speaker 5:

only you teach the kids what you're doing. Do you teach them to actually do the machine work?

Speaker 3:

Yes, yeah, a lot of it's just instructor led demonstration, as we like to call it, because there's a lot of money tied up in those tools and the machinery itself. It can get away from you pretty quick and tear stuff up beyond repair. So they'll stand there and observe me do it. We have a vertical mill at school that all used to do that. This one's actually getting fixed because someone went a little too far with the die grinder so I've got to fix it now. The students are part of all of that and I try to make them as part of everything as I can in the process, even sitting down to look through old parts, catalogs to find parts and those kinds of things.

Speaker 2:

So what kind of race car are you building?

Speaker 3:

It's called a mini stock, so it's any front or rear wheel drive, v6 or four cylinder powered car I guess you could renovate. The trick to this class is it has to weigh what it has in CCs and the engine. So if you wanted to run a 350, that's fine, but the car has to weigh 5,700 pounds. If you want to run a 3,100, like we're doing, the car has to weigh 3,100 pounds. If the car's got a 2.3 liter and it can weigh 2,300 pounds. So it's a pound per CC, which pretty well self limits the class. A lot of Ford 2.3s are in the class. A lot of Volkswagen's run in the class. It's really pretty neat. But the engine rules are wide open so you could do just about anything you wanted, so long as the car weighs what the engine size is.

Speaker 4:

So, jonathan, who you got next to you there on the screen.

Speaker 3:

Wyatt, wyatt, wyatt's here. Hey, wyatt, have you heard from Garamot this morning at all?

Speaker 6:

He just texted me. He said he just joined, but I don't know.

Speaker 5:

Well, I haven't let him in because I did not know he was coming.

Speaker 4:

So what is your part of this, Wyatt?

Speaker 6:

I like the pit crew, basically, and anything that happens to the car, I'm there.

Speaker 1:

You're the pit crew. One person pit crew. I like it. How easy is the Beretta to work on?

Speaker 6:

So far. It's been a bit of a challenge but it's still fun, like learning how to do all this stuff and machining and all that.

Speaker 1:

So you're new to this as well.

Speaker 6:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so where are you in this program?

Speaker 6:

What do you mean?

Speaker 2:

Well, I mean sophomore, junior senior.

Speaker 6:

Oh yeah, I'm a senior. I've been in the AutoTech program for like two years, so I'm not new to working on cars, but new to working on race cars definitely.

Speaker 1:

Okay, and so Jonathan is teaching you the difference between a street car and a race car.

Speaker 6:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

Or the blend of the two Is the car still streetable.

Speaker 3:

No.

Speaker 1:

It's not.

Speaker 3:

No, no, no. There's no lights, there's no signals, there's no horn, there's no airbags.

Speaker 2:

Not a single luxury.

Speaker 4:

Right that shouldn't matter. That doesn't matter.

Speaker 1:

I guess it has a roll bar in it and I assume that it has no glass, no glass. I mean it's a real honest to God race car. Where do you race this?

Speaker 3:

105 Speedway. Oh the dirt track.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, yeah, it's a dirt track car.

Speaker 1:

I got you, that's right. And what class is that Mini stock, mini stock, and who is the driver?

Speaker 3:

Guillermo Gutierrez so far. He just joined us, guillermo.

Speaker 1:

Very good. And Guillermo, how old are you? What grade you in?

Speaker 2:

Oh, can't hear him, Can't hear you. Check See if you muted on your end. Well, you know the lemons.

Speaker 4:

There you are, yes.

Speaker 1:

Yes, we can hear you now.

Speaker 5:

So, yes, I'm a teen, I'm a senior, so you're a senior as well, and you're the one that's posed out on the hood of the car in the pictures on Facebook.

Speaker 8:

Yes, sir. That's it for all the girls to see, yeah, yeah, ooh, I want to make that race car driver guy, I'll show him the goods.

Speaker 4:

I like that, like that.

Speaker 1:

He's got the style he's there, he's ready, he's got it. Okay. Well, that's good, that's good to know. So did you have any driving experience in a race car before this course?

Speaker 8:

For legal reasons no.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I got it. I get it, yes, okay.

Speaker 8:

Technically, it was my first time on a racetrack. It just happened. I was very I was very new to it and the way it happened was actually kind of funny. There's this guy, his name is Jason Christensen. He brought his daughter's car Piper Christensen's number 27. I mean he's stuck as well. I ended up test driving it and after that I got hooked and that's pretty much like the only experience I had with race car before beforehand.

Speaker 1:

So you clearly haven't had any experience driving on ice, because driving on dirt can be very similar.

Speaker 8:

Yeah, no, I'm from a very tropical place, so ice is very new to me. We're sliding around it's very new to me.

Speaker 1:

Right, and you know, in the track preparation usually the early part of the evening the track is really gooey.

Speaker 2:

Kind of wet it up yeah.

Speaker 1:

Wet it up and then toward the end of the evening it's all dried and got lots of ruts in it and all sorts of ugliness and you know that takes a real skill for a driver on a dirt track to be able to adjust through the racing in a front wheel drive car and a front wheel drive car. So did you. How much progress did you make this season?

Speaker 8:

Well, there's actually the last race of the season and, to be honest, for my first time I did okay. I passed one person and that wasn't last. I didn't crash the car.

Speaker 4:

There, you go Crash the car, so you'd qualify for the lemons race this weekend.

Speaker 1:

Yes, we had another guest on earlier talking about the 24 hour lemons race that's going on down at Motorsports Resort down in Angleton right now. So, at any rate, that's another story, but I will tell you that I'm impressed. So tell us about your instructor, mr Couch.

Speaker 8:

Well, I actually just joined his class this year. I'm a transfer student and it's been really a change of pace for me because I'm back in my old auto tech classes. This is not the first auto tech program I've taken. We didn't do any sorts of engine machining or engine work at all and we were just servicing. You know, break job, both changes and replace this, replace that like nothing wrong. Against that, it was actually a pretty good class. I liked it. I had some really good classmates and we're all very productive. But in coaches class I really feel like I've learned more in depth about how an engine works, like down to the minimal details, like how much this can affect that you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, the technical aspect of the engine, as opposed to just just the outward appearance of it. What about you, wyatt?

Speaker 5:

What the Well, can you contribute to that?

Speaker 6:

Well, I've been in an era like the two years.

Speaker 6:

Yeah, and you know I've learned a lot about basically how to do anything to a car. At this point I don't think we haven't torn down a car completely, but I can do just about anything with Couch there to help. And you know he doesn't just like leave you, he'll like tell you what to do and then you do it. And then you know if you mess up he'll be there. He doesn't just, you know, leave me to mess up. And you know, no matter how much you want to choke him out, he's a really good help.

Speaker 8:

That happens very often.

Speaker 1:

I'm sure it does. Well, so my question, I guess, is that Gotta kind of wrap this up. Do you have any females in this class?

Speaker 6:

Yeah, we have. I think we have like four.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that's good. And how do they rate, among all of the class members, how many members in the class?

Speaker 3:

Each class is about 15 to 18. Okay, and the girls run with the boys. They hold their own. Some girls do more of the service rider side of things, which is just as important.

Speaker 6:

Absolutely yeah.

Speaker 3:

Because it allows me to step away from that to monitor shop operations.

Speaker 2:

So well. Plus the service rider is the communication between the customer and the technician. And that's a critical part of what happens is making sure that communication is effective so that the technician can properly diagnose and repair the vehicle.

Speaker 4:

So 15 to 18 students in a class. Is that increased over the past years or is this the first year? How is that affecting the school?

Speaker 3:

No, the class cap is usually about 18 in a CTE class with a lab element or a lab component, and so when If you had more than 18, it would be really hard to keep track of everyone. So it's good that we keep the class size of small. I teach four classes a day. The auto basics class is the principles class. It's much larger, usually around 25 to 30. But the longer classes, the classes where we're putting hands on stuff, are smaller and that's good. It's good because it gives me time to get to everybody and talk them through things and it also gives me room in the shop to keep them busy. You got to have enough projects in the shop to keep all 18 kids busy and that can be difficult because, like a real shop, there are slow days and then there are days when you're really busy. So just sort of balancing. That can be a challenge sometimes. So are you?

Speaker 2:

are you getting any support from local dealers?

Speaker 3:

No, not yet. The most supportive people believe it or not in this whole thing had been Jason Christensen, joey Smith, tasha Smith, jesse, all the owners at 105 Speedway. They've been very gracious and given us a lot of leeway. Nice. This all started as me pitching the idea of having my high school auto tech kids go out there and be pickers for other race teams, and Then Jason Christiansen kind of picked us up and put us in a race car, and so we've.

Speaker 3:

We've raced one race with that race car and, like Guillermo said, he did a very good job. He was very consistent. Every lap was 19 point something seconds, so all within the one that one second pace, the the leader was running about a 17-3, so we were about two seconds off the pace of the leader per lap. But his lap times are very consistent here and a good groove on the racetrack. He really showed like he knew what he was doing. He did like he said. He didn't hit anybody. The car survived the race, he didn't hit a wall, so all good news there. And then there's only one way to go from here We'll only get faster. So all in all, pretty good.

Speaker 1:

So you're wrapping. You're wrapping up this semester. How are things looking to take the Christmas break?

Speaker 3:

So now's now, it's time for research and development. We've got one, I think one test in tune coming up Right before the Texas Grand of the last race of the season. They haven't released the schedule yet that I've seen anyway, so I don't know if many stock is on that or not. If many stock is on the list, we will definitely be in that race. If we're not, then there are a few practice days in February usually, and then there's a practice day before the Texas Grand will be out there doing some test and tune and then research and development on the car to get it faster.

Speaker 1:

Now do you guys have your own web page, facebook page, something like that, that we can keep up with your class?

Speaker 3:

I, we do. I need to. I need to figure out how to link the link you guys to that.

Speaker 1:

But yes, we do okay, well, would you get a Send?

Speaker 3:

it to.

Speaker 1:

Mars or send it to Conrad. Could you do that for us?

Speaker 1:

because we'd love to keep up with you guys. I mean, it's it could be fun. Yeah, it would be fun, and we don't have any Really high school classes like y'alls that we would really love to connect with, because it seems like a very well-rounded Program and we want to stay in touch and and wish you guys the best of luck. Well, thank you, Yep and gentlemen, good luck in your senior year and have fun with it, because it only comes around once a lifetime, absolutely, you bet if you're looking for something to do this afternoon, get out to a bullsalas park north side.

Speaker 2:

Mustang is Having their meat out there. Wanted to give them a shout out as well.

Speaker 1:

Okay, well, jonathan, it's always great to talk to you. Thank you so much for joining us and if we don't talk to you beforehand, merry Christmas and happy new year to all of you guys out there.

Speaker 3:

Thank you, thank you, thank you guys take care.

Speaker 1:

All right, jonathan, couch couch racing and a new Kani high school race team. Automotive class, high school Ah.

Speaker 4:

I took home ec.

Speaker 1:

I did too. I actually major in home back. Yeah, I took three semesters and made it explains a lot yeah, I had auto shop.

Speaker 2:

We did auto shop, did a little welding, did all things.

Speaker 1:

Automotive kind of gave me my opportunity to get well, the metal shop guy was a total jerk and had nothing to do with cars and he first thing out of his mouth at the beginning of the class We'll have nothing to do with cars in this class, it's all about metal. Metal shop.

Speaker 5:

Our middle school had wood shop, but the time I got to high school you either grow cows and pigs, or that was it.

Speaker 4:

Well, we had wood, we had wood shop, we had drafting, which I love drafting, and then we had home economics. Yeah, we had to sew our own aprons for shop class.

Speaker 5:

We weren't allowed to tame. Let the boys in the sewing class.

Speaker 1:

There was no boys in there. Oh, I wasn't involved. Oh yeah, I was strict. No, was all boys.

Speaker 4:

You could not take the wood class unless you had an apron, and to do that you had to go into home economics and make your apron. So it oh yeah. Well, that's certainly very interesting.

Speaker 5:

No, but yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

How about you did you?

Speaker 2:

sew your own apron. No, I started in.

Speaker 5:

He's so an automotive.

Speaker 2:

The problem with automotive is, you know, my, my experience welding Burn lots of holes in my clothes Because I always well a little too hot and they go poppin it, you know, and you get all this little molten metal holes.

Speaker 1:

It was either that or the ashes from the whatever you were smoking at the time, yep.

Speaker 2:

Those are seeds, seed pop, twigs and stems that's weed.

Speaker 1:

All right time now for some of the stories making out of that we're going to break.

Speaker 4:

I'm sorry.

Speaker 1:

I was prepared.

Speaker 4:

Do we need to do that? Oh, we had one at 49. Oh.

Speaker 2:

No 46 46. We didn't take, we didn't. We're watching the clock down.

Speaker 1:

Well, I Okay. Well then, let's take a break, shall we sure? You guys are such I.

Speaker 2:

Got forty you're the one who put the note up, the 46 is wrong on that.

Speaker 4:

It's 49.

Speaker 2:

Okay, yeah, let's go.

Speaker 4:

Okay, well, which one do you want to start with? We're gonna do with that tailpipes and tacos and an RDC.

Speaker 1:

Okay, but we're gonna take this break and I'm gonna figure out what I'm doing alive. Stand by. Tailpipes and tacos is back. It's been a while, but the popular tailpipes and tacos cruise in returns to the loopy tortilla Tex-Max in Katie, and it's an extra special one. Bring your hot rod classic or modern classic to compete for one of the famous chili pepper trophies and get a free breakfast taco. Just make a donation of any size to God's garage and loopies will match it. You'll be helping single mothers who need a set of wheels. It's been almost a year in the making so you won't want to miss tailpipes and tacos.

Speaker 1:

Saturday, november 11th, 8 to 11 am. Cruise in, donate what you want to God's garage and grab a free loopy tortilla breakfast taco. Tailpipes and tacos only happens at the loopy tortilla Tex-Max in Katie at 703 West Grand Parkway at Kingsland Boulevard, just south of the Katie freeway. It's car show season and what better way to kick it off than a free taco and camaraderie at tailpipes and tacos. Saturday, november 11th, 8 to 11 am, the in real-time car talk show will be there to proceeds benefit God's garage.

Speaker 9:

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Speaker 1:

Thank you, rodney. Welcome back to the in wheel time car talk show. Some of the stories making automotive news headlines EV sales growth is stalled this month. General Motors delayed EV pickup production and Honda cancelled a deal to build affordable EVs with GM. Ford said it's pushing back 12 billion dollars in EV spending, reducing Mustang Machi production and Delaying one of two planned battery plants. Ev only maker Tesla saw its revenue growth fall in the third quarter to its slowest pace in More than three years.

Speaker 1:

Mercedes-benz dealers complaining about slow-selling EVs piling up on their lots. It took 82 days on average to sell the battery powered EQ models in September. According to Edmunds data Industry wide, last month dealers had 97 days supply of EVs, excluding Tesla and Rivian, compared with 57 days for internal combustion engine vehicles. According to Cox automotive, battery electric vehicles made up 7.7 percent of US light vehicle sales in September, down from 7.8 percent in August. According to S&P global mobility, early estimates show share declining again to 7.5 percent in October. Us new vehicle light sales forecast to rise three to four percent in October. So you can see.

Speaker 2:

There's a lot of resistance to buying EVs, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well, I think that people are discovering the fact that Charging is an absolute nightmare.

Speaker 2:

It's a good second car, but it shouldn't be your primary correct.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, we've got a trying to schedule a guess that talk and talk about a report that was done and explains the three reasons for that that Everybody and all three reasons everybody wants to ignore.

Speaker 1:

Slowing demand for EV is prompted GM and Ford to postpone billions of dollars in investments as the automakers decide they don't yet need additional production capacity. There's that, hmm, and here's an interesting story. Oh, uber and Lyft will pay a combined $328 million to settle New York Attorney General's claims that the ridesharing company systematically cheated drivers out of pay and benefits. Attorney General Letitia James said Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft will pay $38 million to resolve her office's multi-year investigation into the company's, calling it the largest wage theft settlement in Herc's office's history. Yikes.

Speaker 1:

Uber and Lyft have long defended against claims nationwide that they shortchange drivers, many of whom are immigrants, out of pay and benefits, including refusing to classify them as employees. The payments equal a little under 1% of Uber's and Lyft's annual revenue. However, james Probe arose from concerns from the New York Taxi Workers' Alliance, which says it represents about 21,000 yellow taxi, green cab and app-based livery and corporate car drivers. Under the settlements, drivers outside New York City will receive a minimum $26 per hour during rides and for sick leave, adjusted annually for inflation. So yeah, and that's just for New York. So you know that that's going to go nationwide. All right time now for a quick break here on the In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show. We are back right after this, hey.

Speaker 7:

Houston America's greatest hot rod tradition is back Thanksgiving weekend, the O'Reilly Auto Parts Auto-Rama At the George R Brown Convention Center. Four action-packed days of hot rods, customs classics, trucks and performance cars.

Speaker 3:

The Ultimate.

Speaker 7:

Lowrider Showcase Sponsored by Shorties Hydraulics, see Lone Star Throwdowns, texas-sized truck spread. And don't miss the traditional rod and custom section. Friday, saturday and Sunday see wild, high-flying freestyle motocross stunt shows. Shop the swap meat and women's world all weekend On the celebrity stage Presented by Nick's Auto Repair and Classic Car Restoration. Friday, meet AEW Tag Team Superstars to Luchapro. Saturday it's Noel G Hector from the Fast and Furious. Sunday it's Lou Ferrigno, the original, incredible Hulk. The O'Reilly Auto Parts Auto-Rama November 23rd through 26th at the George R Brown Convention Center. Discount tickets at O'Reilly Auto Parts Part of the Summer Racing Equipment Show Car Series. See auto-ramacom for more info.

Speaker 1:

Houston's finest cars are invited to another Gulf Coast Auto Shield Car Social Saturday, december 2nd. And you're invited too. Show off your personal pride and joy, or just stop in to see the likes of Lucid Lamborghini, porsche, ferrari and more. Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your one-stop shop for paint, detailing, coatings, window tint, clear bras and wheel repair. The Car Social is your opportunity to get a tour of this state-of-the-art facility located at 11275 South Sam Houston Parkway, just south of the Southwest Freeway. It all takes place Saturday, december 2nd, 9 to noon.

Speaker 1:

This is the perfect opportunity to connect with other car enthusiasts, from BMWs to Bentley's, corvettes to McLaren's. The Car Social is a different kind of show. Talk to the owners. See Gulf Coast Auto Shield's facility. You'll be amazed. Put it on your calendar now the Gulf Coast Auto Shield Car Social Saturday, december 2nd, 9 to noon at 11275 South Sam Houston Parkway, just south of the Southwest Freeway. The In-Mill Time Car Talk Show will be there too. We'll see you then. By the way, that's Rodney's cell phone number, so if you don't want to buy anything, just call him up at 3-4.

Speaker 4:

Blow it up Hi.

Speaker 1:

Hi, rodney, I heard your number on the radio and hey, or use it and give it to you?

Speaker 4:

No, I was in the In-Wheel Time restroom and saw it on the wall.

Speaker 1:

Retail demand for new vehicles cooling along with the temperatures outside in the wake of high interest rates and elevated prices, even as inventories and incentives rebound, US light vehicle sales edged up 1.8% to 1.2 million in October. According to global data. A seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales slowed to 15.66 million vehicles, down from 15.73 in September and the 2023 high of 16.22 million set in June. After an unprecedented increase during the pandemic, zero percent financing deals have all but disappeared from the market.

Speaker 1:

The story from automotive news the share of all loans financed at zero percent hit a new low in the third quarter of this year at just 1.1%, down dramatically from a peak in the second quarter of 2020 at 24.2%. According to headlines, the average quarterly rate of zero percent financing for the three years before the pandemic was 7.1%. Zero percent financing is also declined in vehicle categories that typically have a larger share of these deals. The share of all financing at zero percent was 15% for both large SUVs and pickups in September of 2022, but it fell this September to 1% for large SUVs and 5% for large pickup trucks. But no surprise. Has that build back better working? Yeah, not too well, Don't you think?

Speaker 2:

No, I would say Not at you know, 10% interest rates on cars and we didn't have a chance to do himmings.

Speaker 1:

I know I'm disappointed. Well, I can do a couple. 1956 Cadillac El Dorado beerits convertible I think we talked about this 50,000.

Speaker 4:

I'm talking 18. Talking 17.

Speaker 1:

$136,500. I didn't go over, it's one. 66 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe, big block, small box 90 grand it doesn't say.

Speaker 2:

But I can't really see it.

Speaker 1:

It's done, it looks like maybe a big 90,000 and 800.

Speaker 4:

It's got to be a big block.

Speaker 1:

I got that one Got to be and a couple more A 2004 Chevrolet SSR, one of the most disappointing vehicles known to man.

Speaker 5:

No, the things are like 12, 14, say 11, 20,000, 475.

Speaker 1:

Take them to dinner. A 63 Chevy Impala. Our last one, $7,900. I would get that one. Okay, that's the one out. That'd be the bargain. Okay, quick break now, and we're going to wrap up today's show right after this.

Speaker 7:

Hey, houston, america's greatest hot rod tradition is back Thanksgiving weekend. The O'Reilly Auto Parts Auto At the George Hart Brown Convention Center. Four action packed days of hot rods, customs classics, trucks and performance cars.

Speaker 7:

The ultimate low rider showcase Sponsored by Shorties Hydraulics. See Lone Star Throwdowns, texas-sized truck spread. And don't miss the traditional rod and custom section. Friday, saturday and Sunday see wild, high flying freestyle motocross stunt shows. Shop the swap meat and women's world all weekend On the celebrity stage Presented by Nick's auto repair and classic car restoration. Friday meet AEW Tag Team Superstars to Luge a Bro. Saturday it's Noel G Hector from the Fast and Furious. Sunday it's Lou Ferrigno, the original incredible HULT.

Speaker 3:

The.

Speaker 7:

O'Reilly Auto Parts. Auto At the George R Brown Convention Center. Discount tickets at O'Reilly Auto Parts Part of the summer racing equipment show car series. Visit theautoramacom for more info.

Speaker 1:

Houston's finest cars are invited to another Gulf Coast Auto Shield car social Saturday, December 2nd, and you're invited too. Show off your personal pride and joy or just stop in to see the likes of Lucid Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari and more. Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your one-stop shop for paint detailing, coatings, window tint, clear bras and wheel repair. The car social is your opportunity to get a tour of this state-of-the-art facility located at 11275 South Sam Houston Parkway, just south of the Southwest Freeway. It all takes place Saturday, December 2nd, 9 to noon. This is the perfect opportunity to connect with other car enthusiasts, From BMWs to mentallys, Corvettes to McLarens. The car social is a different kind of show Talk to the owners. See Gulf Coast Auto Shield's facility. You'll be amazed. Put it on your calendar now. The Gulf Coast Auto Shield car social Saturday, December 2nd, 9 to noon at 11275 South Sam Houston Parkway, just south of the Southwest Freeway. The In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show will be there too. We'll see you then. And now we have one more thing we need to know about this state-of-the-art facility. The multipurpose vehicle is available on Facebook, YouTube and on InWheelTimecom Every Saturday, 8 to 11 am.

Speaker 1:

Central daily thirty-minute podcasts available on your favorite streaming provider. There's a new episode every day. The In-Wheel Time Chief Engineer is David Ainslie, a marketing advertising advisor and video technical director. As we need more Jeb Zeican, I'm Don Armstrong. We hope you'll join us for another live, award winning production of the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show, where we'll be at Tail Pipes and Tacos the cruise in next Saturday, November 11th, from 8 to 11, weather permitting, on all of our In Wheel Time Car Talk outlets Right here on the Smoke and Mirrors Network. Have a great weekend. We hope you'll join us again and Roll Tide. That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show. 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 InWheelTimecom website. We recipient your

People on this episode

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Don Armstrong

Host
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Jeff Dziekan

Co-host
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Michael Marrs

Co-host