Hank Watson's Garage Hour - Cars, Trucks, Beers & Guns

The Garage Hour: ignoring life's biggest questions because gearhead (or racecar - you choose). We've got everything in this one: why lift your car when you could buy a truck; why the Concorde's awesomeness was so early we missed it; why Volkswagen is building missiles for Israel (mis-Israel?) (and why Ford, GM, AM General and 100 other good manufacturers did the same); why the FTC is eyeballing car sellers, why the cooling needs of AI and data centers will make your brain hurt (and drive their neighbors crazy); why more automakers are not making electric cars; and why so many car magazines have a long way to go in recovering from their electric-car madness. What else? Russian cosmonauts kick ass (on manual), squirrels hang best (in effigy), Omni Magazine was always awesome (laser beams and nuclear accelerators), Microsoft and Three-Mile Island (what could go wrong?), and what happens when an A-10 and R2-D2 get together.

The Garage Hour: ignoring life's biggest questions because gearhead (or racecar - you choose). We've got everything in this one: why lift your car when you could buy a truck; why the Concorde's awesomeness was so early we missed it; why Volkswagen is building missiles for Israel (mis-Israel?) (and why Ford, GM, AM General and 100 other good manufacturers did the same); why the FTC is eyeballing car sellers, why the cooling needs of AI and data centers will make your brain hurt (and drive their neighbors crazy); why more automakers are not making electric cars; and why so many car magazines have a long way to go in recovering from their electric-car madness. What else? Russian cosmonauts kick ass (on manual), squirrels hang best (in effigy), Omni Magazine was always awesome (laser beams and nuclear accelerators), Microsoft and Three-Mile Island (what could go wrong?), and what happens when an A-10 and R2-D2 get together.

Time for an hour of Black Forest Excellence at Dan's Burrito & Taco Emporium... With enough beer in us to speak Jeep (many F.I.A.T. jokes, plus tonned and LS'd), the Gearhead Consultancy got together in the deep dark woods to chat out the things that matter: 1UZ oil pans, JFS4, Bud Light (back when chainsaws were still funny), tire pressure, heat cycling, expensive brake pads, and keeping the leafs from bonking the frame (of a 4Runner?). There's also Fat Foot Syndrome versus heel-and-toe, rollover Exploders versus the '99 4Runner, and the value of expensive brake pads. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, have some: using up the old tear gas, MikeRoweAgression, erranding sans horn, M.O.A.B.s and Daisy Cutters for Iran, the 'Springs' winterless winter (lousy Smarch weather), and the importance of winter wood. ...And remember, only trash leaves trash.

Time for an hour of Black Forest Excellence at Dan's Burrito & Taco Emporium... With enough beer in us to speak Jeep (many F.I.A.T. jokes, plus tonned and LS'd), the Gearhead Consultancy got together in the deep dark woods to chat out the things that matter: 1UZ oil pans, JFS4, Bud Light (back when chainsaws were still funny), tire pressure, heat cycling, expensive brake pads, and keeping the leafs from bonking the frame (of a 4Runner?). There's also Fat Foot Syndrome versus heel-and-toe, rollover Exploders versus the '99 4Runner, and the value of expensive brake pads. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, have some: using up the old tear gas, MikeRoweAgression, erranding sans horn, M.O.A.B.s and Daisy Cutters for Iran, the 'Springs' winterless winter (lousy Smarch weather), and the importance of winter wood. ...And remember, only trash leaves trash.

Hostus Maximus Justin Fort and regular liveregulator Ryan the BMW Guy were roaming backwoods 'Springs and happened upon the compound of PPIHC Open Class contenders Jim and Jimmy Ford. These guys are so serious about homebuilt, homedriven all-comers competition in the most famous hillclimb in the world they didn't even waste time on new names. ...And lurking in the the Ford Garage Bar is one very evolved, poked and stroked Roush-Yates Windsor-powered Trans-Am TA-1 car (and all the stories that power it). ...This episode was so good we had to skip a few. (Don't worry, they're comin' up next.) Thanking their sponsors with every breath they had, Jim and Jimmy (and Hero too) wanted to mention Hoosier, Shoup and Scooter's, Jesel, Newcomer, Iron Wolf, Driven and G-Force (plus everyone they didn't get to before we ran out of time). Because gearheads are people too: this episode's got Coors, loving your belts (and your welds), flying stewardesses, Smokey Yunick, the 9/10th Camaro and the vinyl-top Challenger, getting the right shoes, and some Excellent Weirdo R.I.P.s for Ozzy Osbourne, Chef Jeff and Chuck Norris (the knife died before he did).

Hostus Maximus Justin Fort and regular liveregulator Ryan the BMW Guy were roaming backwoods 'Springs and happened upon the compound of PPIHC Open Class contenders Jim and Jimmy Ford. These guys are so serious about homebuilt, homedriven all-comers competition in the most famous hillclimb in the world they didn't even waste time on new names. ...And lurking in the the Ford Garage Bar is one very evolved, poked and stroked Roush-Yates Windsor-powered Trans-Am TA-1 car (and all the stories that power it). ...This episode was so good we had to skip a few. (Don't worry, they're comin' up next.) Thanking their sponsors with every breath they had, Jim and Jimmy (and Hero too) wanted to mention Hoosier, Shoup and Scooter's, Jesel, Newcomer, Iron Wolf, Driven and G-Force (plus everyone they didn't get to before we ran out of time). Because gearheads are people too: this episode's got Coors, loving your belts (and your welds), flying stewardesses, Smokey Yunick, the 9/10th Camaro and the vinyl-top Challenger, getting the right shoes, and some Excellent Weirdo R.I.P.s for Ozzy Osbourne, Chef Jeff and Chuck Norris (the knife died before he did).

Ever look up and wonder what you're looking at? Well, this time it's the Garage Hour. We're too busy to pull a Strangelove, however - there's a space station (international), a satellite (train or track), and a semi that got punted into orbit by Ktulu's little brother, Bl'Slyu. Pile them in with a mess of auto manufacturer recalls from the likes of Ford, Porsche, Tesla and BMW (just in case your driveshaft is separating, your cameras are shorting, or your fuel pump ain't), a few robot semis (those that escaped Bl'Slyu's wrath), an out-of-control tram (a trolley, but for fancy people), the return of the Bodycount Conundrum, some sporty urban shooting and a few deranged urban robot cars, and it's definitely good gearheadness. Just for sport (more of it): Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails, Ray Liotta, bad drivers, bad kitties, excellent cops, tactical gun training, terrorists, sinkholes, cloud seeding and more pinko spying.

Ever look up and wonder what you're looking at? Well, this time it's the Garage Hour. We're too busy to pull a Strangelove, however - there's a space station (international), a satellite (train or track), and a semi that got punted into orbit by Ktulu's little brother, Bl'Slyu. Pile them in with a mess of auto manufacturer recalls from the likes of Ford, Porsche, Tesla and BMW (just in case your driveshaft is separating, your cameras are shorting, or your fuel pump ain't), a few robot semis (those that escaped Bl'Slyu's wrath), an out-of-control tram (a trolley, but for fancy people), the return of the Bodycount Conundrum, some sporty urban shooting and a few deranged urban robot cars, and it's definitely good gearheadness. Just for sport (more of it): Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails, Ray Liotta, bad drivers, bad kitties, excellent cops, tactical gun training, terrorists, sinkholes, cloud seeding and more pinko spying.

Old stuff! Told'ja there were leftovers from 2025 lying around in the Garagosphere... This gem from July was special because we got about 10 years of hate off the collective gearhead chest about bad P.S.A. ads that make you wish any car guy had been a part of any of the production. On the plus side, now we know what to look out for (patronizing betaboys and their bullygirl narrators). There's better bits to be had, like a trucker from New York City (see, there's still good things there) who built a 1500 sq-ft balsa replica of the city (because why not, or perhaps because X-Acto Knife), plus the selfsame city's plans to spend $2,000,000,000 to REMOVE 300K parking spots (because what, what?) while its parking garages do their best impression of a Denny's pancake breakfast. There's also the tale of unscheduled monster truck disassembly mid-show (and the cars the parts landed upon). Back to the warnings: Raiders, Dredd, Snatch, Urban and Reeves, Animal House, Jenny in Japan, any PR ≠ good PR, '80s Fleppard, old Subaru Foresters, the soundtrack rule, foreign coverage of domestic stories, and the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack.

Old stuff! Told'ja there were leftovers from 2025 lying around in the Garagosphere... This gem from July was special because we got about 10 years of hate off the collective gearhead chest about bad P.S.A. ads that make you wish any car guy had been a part of any of the production. On the plus side, now we know what to look out for (patronizing betaboys and their bullygirl narrators). There's better bits to be had, like a trucker from New York City (see, there's still good things there) who built a 1500 sq-ft balsa replica of the city (because why not, or perhaps because X-Acto Knife), plus the selfsame city's plans to spend $2,000,000,000 to REMOVE 300K parking spots (because what, what?) while its parking garages do their best impression of a Denny's pancake breakfast. There's also the tale of unscheduled monster truck disassembly mid-show (and the cars the parts landed upon). Back to the warnings: Raiders, Dredd, Snatch, Urban and Reeves, Animal House, Jenny in Japan, any PR ≠ good PR, '80s Fleppard, old Subaru Foresters, the soundtrack rule, foreign coverage of domestic stories, and the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack.

When life gives you all sorts of junk and a few cups of coffee, you get a smoothie episode (ie: it's in there)... It was kicked into gear when we watched a dude in Queens bury his neighbor's car during the last snowstorm because their dog won't shut up. Seems reasonable. ...Maybe they parked too close to his driveway as well. Neighbors. Be considerate and bury the car they use less. There's a report on alien technology: an app that warns us about glass-holes and their Fakebook spy glasses, concerns that our constant car shopping has gone mental(ist), and a guy in Norway with so much T.D.S. that he Havana Syndromed himself. Also: Kalifornistan's fuel island is so desperate they're importing gas from the Caribbean, but their highways are so good that the state has four of the five most dangerous superslabs in the country. Nice work, CA. More in there: Rob Zombie's forgotten hit "Living Dead Tree (Laying on the Roof)", not pulling a Sagan, plus lots of Red Fang, including tales from Pacific Beach at the Doc's and why "Wires" is a gearhead must-see.

When life gives you all sorts of junk and a few cups of coffee, you get a smoothie episode (ie: it's in there)... It was kicked into gear when we watched a dude in Queens bury his neighbor's car during the last snowstorm because their dog won't shut up. Seems reasonable. ...Maybe they parked too close to his driveway as well. Neighbors. Be considerate and bury the car they use less. There's a report on alien technology: an app that warns us about glass-holes and their Fakebook spy glasses, concerns that our constant car shopping has gone mental(ist), and a guy in Norway with so much T.D.S. that he Havana Syndromed himself. Also: Kalifornistan's fuel island is so desperate they're importing gas from the Caribbean, but their highways are so good that the state has four of the five most dangerous superslabs in the country. Nice work, CA. More in there: Rob Zombie's forgotten hit "Living Dead Tree (Laying on the Roof)", not pulling a Sagan, plus lots of Red Fang, including tales from Pacific Beach at the Doc's and why "Wires" is a gearhead must-see.

Order, schmorder - this much gearhead goodness doesn't need "order" (especially when an episode at the junkyard had to hit beforehand)... This episode is in good Garage Hour form: reporting from the industry (the stupid stoplight shutoff feature that nobody likes and does literally nothing beneficial is no longer necessary - kind'a like that belt buzzer from the '70s), musings on interesting/weird/underappreciated automotive trends (hypermiling, anyone?), warnings for idiots (about idiots?) about driving in the fog (because "smart" cars just make soyboys and bullygirls dumber), a couple recalls for bad manufacturing, and a few ideas about not being a psycho liar when you get pulled over by Johnny Law (and advice on how treat the fuzz and NOT to get a ticket when you do something adventurous in your vehicle). Then it's the usual awesomesoup: sheetrock sucks, string cheese and scamorza at Mollica's, the neighbor chick caught pickin' her nose again, why CO2 is just great, why Scapa Flow in particular and shipwrecks in general are just interesting, why you should never plant the mystery seeds, PPIHC 2026, phones not in your bedroom, and COC, Contagion, the Blues Bros., Tom Waits, Dire Straits, and Dog Fashion Disco.

Order, schmorder - this much gearhead goodness doesn't need "order" (especially when an episode at the junkyard had to hit beforehand)... This episode is in good Garage Hour form: reporting from the industry (the stupid stoplight shutoff feature that nobody likes and does literally nothing beneficial is no longer necessary - kind'a like that belt buzzer from the '70s), musings on interesting/weird/underappreciated automotive trends (hypermiling, anyone?), warnings for idiots (about idiots?) about driving in the fog (because "smart" cars just make soyboys and bullygirls dumber), a couple recalls for bad manufacturing, and a few ideas about not being a psycho liar when you get pulled over by Johnny Law (and advice on how treat the fuzz and NOT to get a ticket when you do something adventurous in your vehicle). Then it's the usual awesomesoup: sheetrock sucks, string cheese and scamorza at Mollica's, the neighbor chick caught pickin' her nose again, why CO2 is just great, why Scapa Flow in particular and shipwrecks in general are just interesting, why you should never plant the mystery seeds, PPIHC 2026, phones not in your bedroom, and COC, Contagion, the Blues Bros., Tom Waits, Dire Straits, and Dog Fashion Disco.