In Wheel Time Podcast

Behind the Scenes at the 63rd Annual AutoRama: A Conversation with Larry Way

• In Wheel Time Car Talk • Season 20232 • Episode 242

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Get ready for a wild ride as we take you behind the scenes of the 63rd annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Auto Ramma! We've got Larry Way, the public relations director of Auto Ramma, on board to give you the inside scoop on everything from the Cavalcade of Customs to the World of Wheels events. Our conversation isn't just limited to the glitz and glamour of the auto show; we also discuss the recent F1 race in Las Vegas and share our personal tales of being spectators. For those with a curious inclination, you'll find our car clinic segment and news update particularly enlightening.

Settle in as we regale you with tales from our explorations of the vibrant world of car shows. From stories about astonishing vehicles and celebrity appearances to hilarious anecdotes that will keep you chuckling, we have it all. Among the gems we discovered at the auto show was the Magnificent Seven - the most awe-inspiring cars that stole the show. We're also thrilled to introduce our conversation with legendary car designer and builder, Gene Winfield, whose contributions to the hot rod industry are nothing short of legendary. 

Switching gears, we delve into our chat with Larry Way about the timeless charm of car shows and their impact on local communities. Larry sheds light on his extensive involvement in the Super Feast, a heart-warming initiative that provides food and services to those in need. On a lighter note, we also take you on an appetizing journey through the original Loopy Tortilla restaurants, famous for their award-winning beef fajitas and frozen margaritas. Join us on our live show every Saturday morning on our InWheelTime.com website, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch for more automotive goodness. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

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 11 am, central, anywhere From the 63rd annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Auto Ramma at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, texas. Welcome everybody to the In-Wheel Time car talk show. Coming up, we've plucked Larry Way, public relations, director of Auto Ramma. The cavalcade of customs and World of wheels. All of that did I do. How did I do? You did fantastic.

Speaker 1:

It's very good Very good, I'm glad that you liked it, because I ripped, worked really hard on my memory.

Speaker 3:

try to remember all that boy, because I have nothing written down here, but Larry is with us this morning.

Speaker 1:

Conrad's gonna have the in-wheel time car clinic at the end of this particular segment and we'll have this week's auto news Howdy, along with Mike out of this world, mars King, conrad DeLong we always need more. Jeff Zekin, chief engineer and head bottle washer, david.

Speaker 3:

Ainsley.

Speaker 1:

I'm Don Armstrong, glad that you could join us today. Thank you so much. Larry Way is in the hot seat now and let's see, we talked to you a couple of weeks ago when you were in Las Vegas.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Did you go back home after Vegas? I did, I was, I got the grass most.

Speaker 2:

No, it was cold, was it? Um, most people go to Las Vegas for three or four days. I was there for 11 days. I like Las Vegas. I don't gamble, but I like the city and they did a lot of fun things.

Speaker 1:

Well, wait a minute, that was. Was it that? Around one of the big shows?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I was around the SEMA show, which is four days for the F1. No, the issue it made the F1. Yes, and no, well boy, oh boy, the F1 it was crazy the people in Las Vegas are so upset because it's disrupted things for so long I'm trying to get to work and they started on this, like in March, and they were paving Las Vegas boulevard has been nothing but. Yes you know and you heard a lot of four letter words when people talked about F1, because locals.

Speaker 5:

They really erupt. They're still taking that track apart, oh it's there.

Speaker 2:

There's gonna be another month, they say, before it's back to normal the most photographed place in in North America's the Bellagio fountains in front of like they cut all the trees and they put Grandstands up, and so they did not they cut the trees and put grandstands up in front of the Bellagio fountain so you could watch them from the side, maybe 20 feet, and on the other side maybe, maybe 30 feet, but that's the only they were so runny that was such a gathering place out in front of the fountains.

Speaker 4:

I mean to the point where you know they even had all the speakers set up so you could listen to the music that went along with the there's.

Speaker 2:

There's a volcano show at the mirage right, so they put grandstands up. They drained the water where they have the gondolas at the Venetian and put grandstands in there. Yeah, so someone that was going there, a couple, let's say we're going to get married or just going for and ever just going for a weekend. The city was terrible. Yeah, I mean because of the grandstand.

Speaker 2:

Fill the grandstand no the week before I was, they were discounting packages by 80%. If you want so, then the week of and that well, the whole, for example, hotel where I stayed at, which is off the strip it's a totally a 20-minute walk to Bellagio from where I stayed their rate was 499, then it went to 299. It went to 199 the week of because they're only 50% they lost money.

Speaker 5:

They lost a ton of sponsorship. They wanted to get large Corporate money to have all these tickets and blocks of hotels, like you do and they. There was already the price. They couldn't do it.

Speaker 2:

If you wanted when it started. It's Bellagio's a beautiful hotel. Three nights at Bellagio, two seats For the weekend, to to a couple, kind of say, for three days for racing, dinner for two and spa for two for $17,000.

Speaker 4:

I'll take two.

Speaker 1:

I'll take two, so what? So then?

Speaker 2:

they. So then the week two weeks before the discounted 80%, so all of a sudden you're sitting beside this guy paid 17 grand and you paid two.

Speaker 1:

So, what?

Speaker 2:

how's that gonna reflect on next year? And they were upgrading locals. Well, locals didn't want to go because they're so upset with it, because this is just.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, it makes it to mess with the locals work in the casinos and the restaurants, and they do all that because they have to be there.

Speaker 2:

There's a one lays at the front desk at our hotel. I said how long is it normally before if one to get to work? She's a 15 minutes and now it's 45.

Speaker 4:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well, I have to tell you I've been going to races all of my life, since I was a child and I, like I'd, appreciate road course races on TV. I love going and I've been many times to the Indy 500 great. But as a spectator at the event you have to understand You're only going to see this little section of the track.

Speaker 4:

You're not gonna see the whole as you say, if you're lucky you can get two turns, but you're gonna pay dearly for that seat on on the road course after the second lap.

Speaker 2:

You don't know what's going on, right?

Speaker 1:

Right, and if you don't have a television monitor sitting in front of you, one of those big screens, you're lost. You have no clue. You're lost because you know you, you did you depend on.

Speaker 5:

What is it? No, I was to go ahead.

Speaker 3:

I was going to say I want to find out more about Audorama Flap in the back of the head, maybe we should talk about Audorama.

Speaker 1:

Well, I mean, I think we didn't have a good bitch session about Las Vegas, don't you? That's just what we got.

Speaker 2:

I love Las Vegas, I love the city of Las Vegas.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I like going. I'm not a gambler either. I like going to the shows and watching the the lights at the Balasio Everything.

Speaker 2:

Show girls there too, and that too.

Speaker 1:

You would know that. You would know that.

Speaker 4:

Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

We have a terrific show again this year.

Speaker 1:

I was going to say speaking of shows. We have a show here.

Speaker 2:

We have probably six under vehicles on the floor.

Speaker 1:

You know I'm really proud of it. Talk to Steve Reen. I said so. There's only room to get. There's no room to get anything else in here. They're jam packed. Every space is taken.

Speaker 2:

In fact he said they had a waiting list. Yeah, he had cars on standby. We've got, you know, the FMX Motorcycle Show, which is always fun. We have celebrities, that's really.

Speaker 1:

You know what I've noticed? Yesterday, when I was walking around, I noticed that the layout has changed significantly. Really, the low riders man, that whole thing back there has exploded and they have some of the most gorgeous cars, aren't they beautiful?

Speaker 2:

Whether you like low riders or not, take a look at those cars. The work and the workmanship, the artwork, the art, that's exactly what it is.

Speaker 1:

That segment has really grown, and it's not just you know, there's one car back there that's sitting really literally on the ground with the nose in the air, but the rest of them, they've all evolved and they've become much more complicated and beautiful. Some of the paint jobs.

Speaker 4:

The mural work to me belongs in a museum. Some of the mural work on some of those cars Exactly Right, you're exactly right.

Speaker 1:

The other thing that I noticed walking just right here in front there's more trucks here this year than there has ever been. Well, it's Texas.

Speaker 2:

There's trucks. Well I know, but you're right, there's more trucks than we've ever, but really good quality.

Speaker 1:

There's a truck back here in 1984. I'm sure that you saw it. It's still got the plastics on the seat, yeah, and it's like it rolled right out of the showroom floor. I don't know how they did that, because that cannot be a still original car with the plastic on the seat. It is beautifully restored and the way that they did it is so cool because it does look like really it looks right. It came out of the show.

Speaker 4:

Right off the transport truck.

Speaker 2:

The low riders. They're also. They have hoppers and dancers right which you've seen on TV. Yes, and I used to. I co-managed a show in Louisville, kentucky, and we had the low rider national. So one time early morning TV it was like 6 or 6 30 in the morning the reporter got in this truck A hopper. So I'm with the morning reporter.

Speaker 2:

So the morning reporter's in the truck and I'm standing beside the guy, so he's going, he's bouncing. I said higher, higher, so he's going. But he's got no seat when he's going. So he almost stood it straight up and he's going, stop, stop. And I'm going higher, higher. But people are sitting at home killing themselves and he's bouncing around inside. So he gets out and I help him out. I said I told him to stop.

Speaker 3:

He says you're so full of baloney I saw you talking to him.

Speaker 5:

It was great TV, I guess.

Speaker 1:

I would have wish I had been there. It was fun? Yeah, no doubt, but a great show, and you've got special guests today and again tomorrow.

Speaker 2:

We have Noel G who played Hector in Fast and Furious movies, so he's on. So I picked him up at the airport last night. He said and he's on from two to five. He said can I come all day? I said, excuse me. He says maybe come in at 10 or 10 30 and stay through the whole day. He said I've merged to sell and I'd like I've got nothing else to do. I said cool. Well, of course we're not used to that. So he's going to be in this morning. So maybe if he does come in I'll drag him over here.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, please do, absolutely. Like I said, the 11 o'clock hour is wide open and pf that is 24 hours off. We'll make room for him, I promise.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, we'll make room, but we got somebody coming to 1130.

Speaker 5:

Who. We got that watermelon truck over there.

Speaker 1:

I missed the watermelon truck. What I saw. One crashed on the freeway a couple of weeks ago.

Speaker 5:

It shut down 59, literally.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it did, but I'm not sure about that. That went over there. But I'll take your word for it. Mars, don't ask me why I trust you at this point in our relationship.

Speaker 5:

It's too early in the morning. It is the way you get woke up, so tomorrow we have Lou Frigno.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, Lou.

Speaker 2:

Frigno, the Incredible Hulk. So we have him tomorrow afternoon.

Speaker 1:

That was a 70s show, wasn't it? The Incredible Hulk yeah.

Speaker 5:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

I love that.

Speaker 2:

It is, it's great, I mean.

Speaker 1:

Is he going to be in green?

Speaker 5:

Probably not you have to make him mad.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 5:

You got to make him mad for it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, real easy, yeah, ask Craig Beerman, he'll tell you. Oh boy, I can tell you that it is quite a show this year. Have we selected the Magnificent Seven yet? Yes, they are selected, and so I think yesterday I didn't see them, but you know, most of them are on the front row.

Speaker 1:

Right, and they have a plaque, and I didn't. Maybe I missed it, I don't know, but at any rate so got to be sure. And when you come in, that's the first thing that you look at is the Magnificent Seven, and each of the seven has a plaque in their display that shows that they are one of the Magnificent Seven.

Speaker 2:

There is one car here from Moncton, new Brunswick, canada, which is in the far provinces, far eastern provinces. He was at the seam show in Las Vegas and they brought the car here and stored it and then brought it here and then from here they're taking it to West Virginia and leave it stored, fly home, come back and get it and come to the championship finals in Cincinnati in January.

Speaker 4:

Oh cool.

Speaker 2:

So I saw this car.

Speaker 5:

I saw this car all the way back to New Brunswick.

Speaker 2:

New Brunswick, new Brunswick, and it's a million miles from here. It's a long way from here, yeah.

Speaker 1:

You imagine hauling really a big show car all the way.

Speaker 2:

That's an awful long way.

Speaker 1:

It really is.

Speaker 5:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And you would know about the provinces of Canada.

Speaker 2:

Well, Moncton, New Brunswick. They have an indoor show there, which I worked for. I've judged shows for 40 years. I was the judging supervisor there for 30 plus years and they replaced me. But they have an outdoor show the largest outdoor show in Eastern Canada and I'm on the committee and I help the celebrities and I work with them, and that's the second weekend in July, so it's fun. But our Eastern provinces is where the warmest Canadians are, so it's a wonderful thing.

Speaker 4:

Well, the second weekend in July is like the only day of summer in that part of Canada.

Speaker 2:

Actually this whole climate change has been good for Canada, because our summers are longer, no doubt. But we really do have a great show here, and sometimes we'll just stand and watch as people come in, Because when they come in and see all these cars on the front line and the nice displays and it's rolling out of motive art, we all know that and the cars are just cars, and trucks, especially trucks, are getting better and better. I mean the availability of parts and there's manufacturers re-manufacturing parts and the quality of the paints and on and on and on.

Speaker 4:

Well, in the interest and that kind of drives, all that and nobody would know that better than you, because you've been doing this for a long enough to watch the show cars 63 years. Well, to watch the show cars evolve.

Speaker 2:

It really has changed. And every year things just get better and better. And what happens? When someone the people, lift the bar? So to be competitive, you've got to. If you want to be competitive, you've got to lift the bar too.

Speaker 1:

You've got to stay there with them and to that end, I will tell you that my memory is not all that great. But when it comes to cars and the cars that show here, most of the stuff that I'm looking at that hasn't been here before or if it has, it's been completely redone. So don't think that you're going to see last year's show this year. No, that's not the case.

Speaker 2:

It's hard to fill a big show like this with new cars. But Steve's done a great Steve and his team he is a team that helps them. He's done a fantastic job.

Speaker 4:

And there's been some memorable cars here, you know. To me, the one that I continue to remember is the Gray Vicky from I think it was two years ago, and then the Graham. The shark knows, graham, those those cars kind of stick out in my head shark knows, car that's a rare car.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we asked him. I said so how much money you got into it? He says I can't tell you, because my wife would kill me if she knew.

Speaker 2:

So so someone brought up a point recently so what happens when you don't have a value on your cars and you pass away? So your wife says, well, I don't know, he's think he's got like 50,000.

Speaker 3:

But actually he's got 150 of those, I think I think he spent 50 on it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I want to talk quickly about our friend Jean.

Speaker 3:

Winfield.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I um, jean's health is failing. He's having dialysis three days, three times a week and he's just. He's got a full-time caregiver. There's a firestorm going on that she's after. She's a gold digger. There's not a lot of gold there. Jean doesn't have any money, right, um, not that she's perfect, but she's taking care of him and he got to go to see me. He wouldn't have been there had it not been for her. And she drives them and she loaded the. She had help. They loaded a car on the trailer, took it there and unloaded, drive, drove them around, did everything there's. There's banquets and stuff. All think kinds of things going on at the seaman show. So I was. I said are you going to the hot rod industry alliance banquet on Wednesday night? And she said yes. I said I want to sit beside Jean because I want to chat with them, so I'm waiting. It's a boring banquet. I shouldn't say that.

Speaker 2:

We'll edit that out 15 minutes before she calls and says he's exhausted. So I called her on Friday. Seaman runs Tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday. I said you guys coming to the show today. She says I'm not sure what she said. She says I'm packing. Why don't you come to our hotel room and talk to gene while I'm packing? And I spent 90 minutes with gene, just him and I oh cool.

Speaker 2:

That was the best time of my whole trip, that 90 minutes I got. We talked about. We talked about houston, talked about having Thanksgiving dinner here, because he always looked forward to having Thanksgiving dinner here with me and all the years and it was just wonderful. He's mid 90s, 96 and there he is still and he's going to pass away sitting at a table. Sign in the autograph.

Speaker 4:

And he is automotive history, he is sure.

Speaker 5:

Are you collecting your historical Moments with him and maybe putting it in a book or a document? I should write a book.

Speaker 2:

I should write a book or something, but it was wonderful and we talked about one year, um, the woman he was, I think was two weeks before they were coming here and he said to the woman I was dating are you coming with me to houston? She said, well, no, all you talk, you and larry are having dinner. He says no, I'm actually chopping a top and I'm going to be selling my merchandise. She said all you talked about was Thanksgiving dinner with larry. So, uh, so she ended up coming with him and but he's, um, he's still going.

Speaker 1:

I mean, he still loves the people, loves to make appearances and just it's funny because you know I watch a lot of automotive television of all sorts.

Speaker 2:

And you watch some of those crazy canadian shows. I do, I love russ valley restores.

Speaker 5:

Those guys are crazy russ valley restores one of my favorites, Um.

Speaker 1:

But I will say that some of the shows Um are have been. They were done years and years and years ago and some of them go back to the uh, george barris days. Jean winfield was all part of all of that era. He did all of that.

Speaker 2:

He's got his own stuff and then he helped other people see but barrett george, who was the best thing ever happened to car shows. You put him in front of a microphone. He lit up like a christmas tree. He was so full of baloney but it was fantastic.

Speaker 2:

He was fantastic, but gene just worked. Gene built cars and built tv cars and did all these things and I started working with him Maybe 35 years ago and started gene we need to do some interviews and and helped him develop and that and today you know as you know he's done. You would always come here and yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well. I will never forget all of the times that he's appeared on our show, at this show, uh, that they always had a big crowd around us, because people knew who he is and wanted to hear him. Yeah always the biggest crowd when he was on with us. He's a wonderful, wonderful guy. Yeah, he is, he truly is and very welcoming, and I have a great picture with uh, he and I and uh, my daughter and I and it was uh, it was great, great fun and great, great times to talk to him.

Speaker 5:

He lives out by uh Ian in russo, out in the desert Russell, yeah, so he, he is in the mahogany.

Speaker 2:

His place is, I'd say, five, six miles from the town of mahogany and he's in the middle of the desert. Yeah, nowhere.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, um Ian Russel, I think is a good friend of his. Yeah, that's why he and moved out there, I think yeah, there was um.

Speaker 2:

There were some people that have gone there and just gone there for six months and you know, gene says yeah, I'll put you up.

Speaker 3:

You know you want to come and work with me and learn from gene.

Speaker 2:

Yeah he had built a museum and he cut a model, a pickup, at 29 and a half and put it on the wall and the bed of the of the pickup was a bed. So he said the first person that's going to sleep in that bed is going to be larry way. And I said I love you to death, gene. I do, but I'm not coming to visit I and we sleep on your wall for.

Speaker 2:

For a year. For a year you wouldn't let anybody sleep in there. So we're talking oh, we were chatting and we laughed about that and and his caregiver, michael Ann, said Sometimes I take a nap in there. She says I didn't know I was sleeping on larry's bed, but but gene is just so darn wonderful. So I hope he, I hope he continues for a long time and, and like Don said so, interconnected in the industry.

Speaker 4:

You know Things he did. People mimicked in doing what they did because I do and we're taught by him how to do some of those things.

Speaker 2:

They still call it the windfield favor. One color goes to another. Gene started that, I Mean. He just did Incredible things, but he never promoted himself, he just you just was just in the shop the work speak for itself. My car and you know, now he's doing so many workshops and he's sharing his crap and so many people don't share their craft. Like, do you guys go give lessons on how to be a broadcaster?

Speaker 4:

No, Don's been trying to teach us for years.

Speaker 1:

Our engineer, david Ainsley, says man, you need to get rid of those sportscaster headsets and you need to go to real microphones. Listen, I can't even get these guys to put this microphone in front of their mouth. Can you imagine what my troubles are when I put a real Freestanding microphone in front?

Speaker 2:

of the. So here's really here's gene, one of the innovators and he's sharing his craft, he's teaching people all the time and he's done that his entire life, sharing his craft, and that's wonderful that people will do that yeah well, and it becomes an extension of him, exactly because people know Billy Bob because he was trained by mr Winfield and and he continues that skill set as well.

Speaker 1:

I'm sure that they're probably about a dozen guys that have continued that era on as a Gene Winfield trained mechanic. Oh yeah, body sculptor or whatever it may be.

Speaker 2:

Now Gene is also womanizer, so a lot of us are proud of 96 and he's still.

Speaker 4:

I was good, I wasn't gonna say, but I was thinking. When you said her, I thought yeah he would have a.

Speaker 2:

Not 40 years old. Cute little thing, but she does. But she is this caregiver, yeah, truly she does, I hope that this doesn't turn into a casey-case, some thing.

Speaker 5:

No, it sounds like that's the longevity, if you want to live that long.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, the key to the longevity was Steve Darnell.

Speaker 5:

I think you know who Steve is, from Vegas, right I?

Speaker 2:

was Steve and Steve and I are good friends. I have a lot of friends on acquaintances, but Steve and I are friends. Whenever I go to Vegas we get to spend some time together. But we look both look up to Gene. Yeah, one time we're at a show and and Him and Barbara Dave Barbara Dave was on the show with him, who's his first cousin, and they're doing a rap song and it was because it was. We're celebrating Gene's 90th birthday and I go to and then and Steve's doing the thing and he says and there's little windfields all over the land.

Speaker 1:

Perfect. Well, let's bring it back home. So we're gonna come down here for the first time at the at the O'Reilly Auto Parts, auto Ramah, and what are we gonna see?

Speaker 2:

Well, first you want to stop by your local O'Reilly Auto Parts store and pick up discount tickets.

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah, here that's right, and then you buy the tickets there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you buy the tickets, discount tickets at all local.

Speaker 1:

O'Reilly. So go into the O'Reilly Auto store, where there's a Bajillion of them here, where they're yeah and then come.

Speaker 2:

But when people, when people walk in and see it and what we've done and you guys know this is promote family entertainment. 20 years ago it was a guy thing, there was bikini contests and so on. We've been trying hard to to get out of that which we have for a long time, but it's family entertainment is what we want what? Mom and dad and the kids and there's a lot of Families that come, yes, they can watch the motorcycles, even if you're not interested in cars.

Speaker 2:

This is millions and millions of dollars of rolling automotive art. That the, the imagination that a lot of these people have and the things that they do, is just incredible.

Speaker 5:

Well, there's family builds. Families have built some of these exactly right.

Speaker 1:

Well, and for the ladies, there's the, the trinket.

Speaker 2:

show down at the we have women's world we have women's world, we have an automotive Flee market, so there's just a little bit of everything, but in the size of this building I mean, yeah, it's huge, it's huge, yeah, most definitely.

Speaker 1:

So different cars, all kinds of cars. There's late model cars, there's a lot of classics, a lot of restomods, a lot of costumes. You know I wanted to say something about. This is the 63rd annual and I think that I went to the first.

Speaker 5:

I hate to wooden spokes on the wheel.

Speaker 2:

Shut up.

Speaker 1:

Shut up, just shut up. No, it wasn't quite like that, but the original one, I believe, was at the Albert Thomas Convention Center, which is across from where we are to downtown, and Then it moved out to astral hall when that building was there and then, when that went away and this was built, it moved down here and it really is a fun place. And I will say this this Discovery Green area in front between the two hotels, I was going to say it really is very unique, special and all of the greenery now that's in front of the convention center it's really impressive to walk out in front At night. It's beautiful.

Speaker 2:

Yes it is. It's all lit up, it's beautiful downtown.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it truly is, so it's a great venue, it's easy to park, there's underground parking right there underneath Discovery Green, and there's plenty of garages around which used to not be.

Speaker 2:

That's a big problem with a lot of our convention centers that are downtown. It's parked right.

Speaker 1:

And so it's all connected and it's all. It's good now. So it's a great place at a great time and the weather is supposed to be pretty good today. So get out and come on down to the George R Brown. We're going to be broadcasting today an extra hour. This is the Larry Way bonus, Autorama.

Speaker 5:

Hour. So what's going to happen? Did you?

Speaker 2:

Did George.

Speaker 5:

Barris teach you. Did you go to the Super Feast or have the connect? Did you do that? I?

Speaker 2:

did. I went at 7.40 and I walk six miles a day. I walk an hour in the morning and an hour either in the afternoon or evening. I went and helped organize the food and then we walked the aisle stuffing bags. So I walked probably three hours Just walking and they had a guy and with a big white guy, but he was with a really loud voice, he was his own sound system and I said, I said you're really something and he's a professor and he would. But he would say, okay, we're doing this and you could hear him and he had it all organized.

Speaker 2:

Everybody heard and it was yeah, so they fed. They said that 10,000 people that's a lot and they had. They probably had 3,000 bags of food. So they had cars lined up forever and they so we were on the it was on the third floor and volunteers brought their cars up and they loaded bags and drove them down and get the hand of them out. And then people that came for the feast a lot of them came and got there. There was a lady there I met her two years ago. She had 10 herself and nine other hairdressers there from different salons, cutting hair, trimming beards. They were doing flu shots, covid shots. They had live music. They had live service in the community.

Speaker 2:

It was really something. It's really something for these people Now not everybody's homeless, but times are tough right, yeah, a lot of people there just just people that are just just people that are just, you know, in need, in need.

Speaker 1:

You've got about a minute and a half Larry and I wanted to talk to you briefly about the things that that you do once you leave here. You got other shows that you produce as well.

Speaker 2:

I produce my own series of shows in the summer months.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so you're busy year round really with car shows.

Speaker 2:

And they do and I do automotive appraisals. So that's I don't do a lot of that, but I've. Last year we had four. We had four Barris cars and four Ed Roth cars that we toured but they needed to be appraised. We needed to put a value because when when they're in the position possession of the owner in his garage, they're insured, and when they're in the trucks coming to the event, they're insured, but we're on the show floor, we're responsible, something happens. So I sent a sample of mine and I and they accepted my, our insurance company accepted my appraisal. So I got to appraise eight of the most famous cars oh wow.

Speaker 1:

That's awesome.

Speaker 2:

And they paid me for it.

Speaker 1:

That's even better. That's always important. Win, win, so to speak.

Speaker 2:

It's always a pleasure. You guys do a fantastic job for us. Thank you for all you do. We love having you here and you're a big part of the car community here and we appreciate it Well.

Speaker 1:

we thank you very much for letting us come here and show our wares, take up space or our rear ends.

Speaker 2:

You do a fantastic job, yeah something, and we've been doing this a long time together. Yes, we have, we certainly have and we always Do we have dark hair when we started?

Speaker 4:

I think that we did, we had hair. I think I had hair. No, I don't know. I don't know.

Speaker 1:

Larry Way, pr director of Auto-Rama here in Houston at the George R Brown. We're going to take a quick break. We're going to continue our show right after this. Stay with us here on the In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show.

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 Shields 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.

Speaker 3:

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

Speaker 5:

The Ultimate.

Speaker 3:

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 Swat 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 Looja Bros. 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 AutoRama this weekend at the George R Brown Convention Center. Discount tickets at O'Reilly Auto Parts, part of the Summer Racing Equipment Show Car Series. See AutoRamacom for more info.

Speaker 1:

The original group of loopy tortilla restaurants will have you telling your family and friends just what the original recipes mean when it comes to the best fajitas in Southeast Texas. Founder Stan Holt invites you to visit the original loopy tortilla near I-10 and Highway 6. Here's the original house that inspired the design of all the rest and the original charm that helped make loopy tortilla the go-to destination for Houston Tex-Mex. Speaking of original, nothing can compete with the original lime pepper marinade that everyone will agree makes loopy tortilla award-winning beef fajitas, the best anywhere. Loopy tortilla Katie is another location that gives you the same quality and service Historians have come to expect at loopies.

Speaker 1:

It's located just off I-10, in the Grand Parkway. At Kingsland Boulevard in Katie, find yourself an Aggie Land. Head to the loopy tortilla in College Station, located just around the corner from Kyle Field, it's a great place to enjoy those famous frozen margaritas before or after the game. Head to East Louisiana. Stop in at the loopy tortilla in Beaumont. It twos on I-10. You can't miss it. The original group of loopy tortilla restaurants invites you in for the best Tex-Mex anywhere. 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. Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts.

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