MotorMouth Radio
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378 episodes
Chris kicks us off with a story of clogged drains, to which Ray counters with his worst cabin air filter encounter. Show friend Mike Mooney gets some air time this week talking about the Griffith automobile and Ray warns that one can never take anything for granted when working on an older car. A caller talks about fixing broken parts on the fly, raising some MacGyver stories, and we close with Chris' tale of three questionable recalls.
Ray recounts the Rolls Royce pre-purchase inspection he did this week, then Chris tells a story about how a local tire shop raked him over the coals for a simple service. Using a new USB soldering iron and charging old battery types gets discussed, as well as the Matco tools Ray bought and put right to good use.
The boys propose a thought that everyone should get in the Spring spirit and dust off and complete an old car project. Ray takes it in another direction and suggests that hanging out with good friends is the real gift of Spring, while Chris battles with changing clips that hold parts in place. Weird noises that you can't identify come into play, as does a small spring that has a mind of its own in Ray's garage.
Ray recounts a haunting issue with a Jeep where the radio dies when the lights are turned on. Carl Anthony from Automoblog.net is back and Ray gives him the full-on Grunge talk-up. Chris poses the question asking when you know it's time to keep or sell a collector car. A caller asks about the whereabouts of the Art Cars from Steve Hooper's collection, and the origins of STP treatment are questioned.
This show covers the relationship between car guys and good NY pizza, MatcoMan Brian talks about the recent tool expo and the new Matco flip-out panel clip tool. Callers respond by talking about their tool buying experiences and the benefits of buying from a local tool truck vendor. Ray relates how he would have recently bought a specific tool from the 1st truck that would have stopped by the shop.
Ray relates how pathetic the show's social media presence is, Chris has luck selling a used car to a young buyer, and the boys talk about the cool articles in the 50-year-old car magazines Ray is still reading. A caller's ABS brake trouble and some winter projects keep the show moving for the rest of the hour.
EVEN THOUGH OUR BOYS THINK THEY'RE SLICK AND EXOTIC THEY KNOW THE REAL SCORE AND HAVE SECURED AN INTERVIEW WITH A REAL PRO IN FIELD, MR. LAKE SPEED JR. WHO'S A VERIFIED TRIBOLOGIST. OIL BRANDS, BLEND SPECIFICS, ADDITIVE PACKAGES AND TESTING PROCEDURES ARE COVERED, AS WELL AS THE CONTROVERSIAL CONCERN ABOUT ZDDP LEVELS.
This week we reported on a resolution from the contentious Kawasaki sold at a Hagerty auction, then Ray brought up the correct interpretation of local highway bridge height markings. Holley carburetor and Sniper EFI cold start protocol's were discussed, then chrome from spray cans and factory coatings got tossed around.
It was a trivia filled hour when the boys talked about the iconic 60's show car "The Uncertain-T" and a local custom Corvette that surfaced recently. Ray is jazzed over an Olds 442 that's coming into the restoration shop for him to work on, and a friend's 63 Lincoln is making forward progress in its re-do too.
As has been our emerging pattern, when the Hagerty Bull list report comes out we're sure to have Carl Anthony from Automoblog.net on with us to share his industry based thoughts since ours are firmly from the streets & garages of America. This week we also covered the auction purchase of a C2 Corvette a friend made, and all of the specifics associated with a purchase of that nature.
Ray kicks off the show explaining his deep dive into Southern Rock then follows up with a warning about carrying a floor jack in your car trunk. A caller brings up his experience with Fluid Film & cavity wax coatings which gets everyone chuckling. Cold driving tips are brought up as well as a very special customized window washer made by a show friend.
What would a new year be if it didn't bring a control board problem for the boys. Chris had to be brought up on the phone line so there were no callers, but we still talked about our use of classic cars as junk haulers, the classic MMR "dirty T-shirt" contest, hydro locked engines and Motor diagnostic manuals. Ray's favorite, ABS brake bleeding techniques were also covered in this week's show.
The boys start the year by looking back at the highlights of the last one. A caller finds great joy in the eclectic Uncle Floyd music selection, and talking about old racing legends like Broadway Freddie. Fluid film technology and ABS brake bleeding procedures are also covered in this show.
WITH CHRIS OUT ON A FAMILY ROAD TRIP MATCOMAN BRIAN MAKES HIS 4TH GUEST HOST APPEARANCE AND CRUSHES IT! "NO CODES RAY" IS BORN AFTER HE TRIED TO DIAGNOSE TWO VEHICLES BUT GOT NO SCAN DATA TO WORK WITH. EV CHARGING DISFUNCTION AS WELL AS BRAKE BLEEDING AND ADJUSTING TECHNIQUES GET DISCUSSED, THEN A LONG TERM MUSTANG PROJECT, BLOWOUTS & JUNKYARD PARTS WRAP UP THE SHOW, AND THE YEAR.
THE BOYS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE ITALIAN SONGS AND TALK ABOUT THE TRADITIONS THAT THEIR FAMILIES FOLLOWED. ROAD TRIP DRIVING DURING THE HOLIDAYS IS DISCUSSED ALONG WITH THE VARIOUS STRATEGIES FOR GETTING WHERE YOU'RE GOING SAFELY. NO HOLIDAY WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT FOOD, AND THE BOYS DIG INTO THAT TOPIC TOO, THEN IT ALL COMES BACK TO DEALING WITH THE ADAS STRATEGIES FOUND IN RENTAL CARS.
A mysterious non-working key fob kicks off the show and has the guys scratching their heads for an answer, then special guest Carl Anthony from Automoblog.net joins the show and talks about an event held at Greenfield Village in Michigan where Carl took a ride in a classic Model T Ford. Carl talks about other significant cars like the Chrysler Turbine and the spooky 1970 Challenger "Black Ghost".
Jumping into the holiday spirit Ray shows off part of his "Rasta-Claus" party outfit while Chris rants about parking lot & traffic ethics and oddities. An out of town caller relates how he drove 500 miles for some local food, and agrees with Ray's love of "Utica Greens." Interior panel clip removal tools has MatcoMan Brian coming to the rescue, then body control module placement is discussed.
It's another fun filled show where the boys talk about the benefits of having a car purchase inspected by a qualified professional, with Chris providing his thoughts about selling a car privately. The sunroof water leak on Ray's car gets diagnosed in a most simple and ingenious way, then he shows off a paint thickness gauge that wows the crowd. A caller declares the MMR "person of the year" for 2023.
Still suffering from a Turkey infused haze, Chris tell stories about how car pictures found on eBay can be utterly confusing to follow, and Ray relays his yearly tradition of working at the shop on Thanksgiving while listening to Alice's Restaurant. Tracking down water leaks in car windows and funny speaker noises are covered, as well as the Turkey Rod Run in Florida & engine sensor changes.
Last minute guest Pirate Paul drops in on the MotorMouth's to talk shop. Since he and Chris share the love of working on old Chryslers, the topic of what it takes in time, labor and cost to restore these cars comes up. Auto parts prices in general are discussed, which leads the boys to share their small parts storage strategies. The mystery behind a drawer of razor blades with an interesting graphic is confirmed by a caller, and another caller calls to report some shoddy shop practices during a recent service.
The boys talk about a recent model car show and the skills needed to compete with the masters of today, as compared to their meager offerings. Ray reports having a "ghost in the machine" with his GTO power trunk opener, and Chris talks up the benefits of changing ignition coils as a maintenance procedure. Ray works on a Barris Bugazzi, and a caller updates us on his 67 Camaro 4 speed trans issues. The Corvette Society meeting and the Pacers race team are upcoming show guests.
Our long-time caller, listener and friend, Christian Price visits the studio to share the good news about the return of Orient Express Motorcycles right here on Long Island. Partnered with K-Tech suspension they're working with racers and technicians alike with trackside help and classroom seminars to teach others how to work with the latest in race suspension. Callers share some surprise stories and Christian surprises Ray with a very special Orient Express gift.
Chris questions the sanity of the recent road trip to Indiana Ray took to pick up a project car with a couple of friends. The choice to buy a car that's out of state vs shopping locally gets thrown around until a caller brings up the topic of EFI vs carburetion, followed by talk about the current GM strikes & EV possibilities.
On this show the boys ponder if the price of classic cars isdropping, and how to best transport the one you do buy. A callers question about the ball joint fitment on his QA1 control arms, ignition coil replacement intervals, Chris' flaky voltage regulator, and carbs vs EFI are all covered.
The boys start the show reporting the sad news that "Mr. Motion" Joel Rosen has passed away. Ray dives deep into the way back machine and talks about a party he attended that was 70's themed...and he's still dressing the part! Evan Steger joins the show to talk about the products his company sells, one of which turned the GTO rims into shining jewels.
Chris goes to the extreme to stop a garage roof leak while Ray battles another family car with a P0300 code that led to bad coils & spark plugs. A second family car is down with a bad catalytic converter, leaving Ray in the role of chauffer until they're fixed. Chrome plating procedures are discussed, as well as a rebirth of the Soapbox Derby racing here on Long Island.
Chris relays a story about a rental company "mystery car" offer, and itwinds up he made out a lot better than a caller did. Listeners report in from the Tobay Beach car show, then Ray reports on people getting ticketed for the new NY inspection stickers. A World's Fair license plate for the GTO, a power trunk release & a new Hurst shifter stickkept Ray busy this week. The S600 Kingbolen scan tool gets talked about as it's being tested.
MatcoMan Brian fills in for Chris this week and interviews Kenny Wessel with Ray. Topics include state inspection rules, Brian's money collection at Harbor Freight Tools, and tool & scanner tech. The budget priced scanners from Kingbolen are discussed, and Ray busts out his old (very old) Brainmaster early digital scan tool.
While Ray makes his annual pilgrimage to the only car show he'll attend; the MALBA Display On the Bay, Chris gets to make MotorMouth Radio history by doing a remote broadcast with MatcoMan Brian as his co-host. If you haven't laughed while listening to a radio show in a while listen to this one and you'll have something to talk about.
With luck (all bad) that could only befall the MotorMouth's, this weeks show is shorter due to an unforeseen power issue in the studio. Be that as it may, guests Elliott Weiner from the L.I. T-Bird Club and John Bianca from the T-Bird Owners of NY were in the studio and special co-host MatcoMan Brian was helping co-host. The boys pulled it off with a lot of help and were able to get the word out about the upcoming car show these men were promoting.
