Motormouth Radio

In radio timing is everything, and although we may not hit every mark perfectly, today Chris showed off his chops by talking about the timing marks on his Chrysler engine and how he couldn't see them. Ray told a story about a particularly difficult serpentine belt replacement in a family car, and was also plagued by a seat belt installation in a '66 Mustang. The same Mustang reminded us that bad grounds and wiring are everywhere in older cars, and Chris took us home with a story about polishing his cars headlight lenses.

This week we fondly remember our good friend and show contributor Chassis John Guerriero. John passed way too soon and we share some audio clips from past shows in his memory. Chris' Chrysler fuel injector fiasco comes to a happy ending, as does the "on the fly" timing adjustments he made to his Tracker. The trouble isn't over for him yet though, as he still has a P0507 idle circuit code to rectify. The show wraps with a classic show ending quote from John that (as always) entails food.

The latest Cars & Coffee held at Celebrity Chase Collision kicks off and Ray makes an appearance, then we get a call-in report from the event. Chris finds out that Police spec vehicles use different fuel injector seals than the civilian cars get, so his project is stalled. Ironically we get a call about fuel injector cleaning, with a great tip about a unit made for a small shop or the home garage. Internet influencer Bob4GTO calls in to talk about his cars, the various Pontiac shows he attends, and his photography background.

Chris shares his lack of love for the Holley carburetor on his Chrysler due to its loading up and poor idle quality, which leads to a primer on the 4160 model carb and a lesson on how its choke system functions. Ray details some of the pitfalls associated with buying a car sight unseen from an online site, using firsthand experience as his guide. Chris details a beautiful 64 Galaxie barn find and the boys wind up talking about finding body damage in some hidden places on a car.

The boys are jumping over any and all obstacles this week to bring you an action packed show featuring the lead mechanic who became a stunt driver from the Dukes of Hazzard TV show Mr. Tom Sarmento. Tom's N.E. rep Billy W. joins Ray in the studio to talk about his TV correct General Lee, and Tom springs a big surprise on Chris with a bit of MotorMouth trivia. Tom talks about his upcoming book "The Man Behind the General" which gets us all revved up to read about the exploits and history surrounding the man and this iconic show.

Long-time show friend Steve Linden sits in to discuss changes in car collecting, and his opinion shift on Resto-Mod cars. A listener's email conveys the perils of using old tires on your car with explosive results, and driving older cars as a choice gets kicked around by the panel. The position that older station wagons are cooler than ever is raised with some interesting examples being cited. Sticking with the minutia of our hobby, the guys talk about how chrome and stainless trim can make of break an older cars restoration.

This week the boys start off by discussing the differences in the H and X pipe configurations used in Muscle Car exhaust systems which leads into "Day 2" and resto mod car build trends. Chris professes his love for driving his new Tracker and Ray warns him about taking it into NY due to the new 24/7 speed and red light camera roll-out campaign. Talk quickly turns to the California Low Rider culture that surprisingly the boys both like! Our favorite tool-man Brian calls in to talk about working with the tools he usually sells for a living.

What do you do when your intended guest doesn't show up? You talk about the crap you did during the week, that's what! The boys cover the failing fuel injector in Chris' Explorer, the ripped out shock in Ray's Fiat, and what their favored parts changing strategies are. They move on to car cleaning tips from a pro, and talk to a friend who's at a car show who had an interesting break down in his dune buggy recently.

The boys have special guest Mike Manning from Celebrity Chase Collision and the Autoseum in the studio this week. Ray kicks it off by talking about oddities seen at the Bellmore train station Friday night cruise, and Mike reveals his latest old car of choice to drive around in. Hint- Ray had his hands on this car and talked about it on a previous show. A caller brings up the subject of mobile techs vs dealership computer module reprogramming, which leads us into the parts shortage problem we're all having. We cap it all off by comparing body shops of old vs new ones.

This show finds Ray asking if people have experienced problems when buying car parts online like he has, then he goads Chris about buying a 1960 Ford that's sitting in a junkyard a listener told them about. A caller talks about EVAP codes and asks if the proposed E15 gasoline is harmful to our cars, which brings up the topic of the one barrel Ford carburetor Ray has been charged with rebuilding. The age old question of the best way to sell off your old car parts is broached, then Chris drops his recent Chevy tracker purchase on us all which opens up a discussion about economy cars.

Ray explains how doing simple maintenance can lead to seeing the dreaded "check engine" light. Carl Anthony from Automoblog.net joins Ray & Chris to talk about extended warranties, along with current trends in the automotive world. Carl then talks about his new Twitter "Summer Breeze" video series premiering this month. To cap off the hour Chris asks which car, past or present, the guys would like to own for economy purposes.

Ray & Chris kick off the hour by talking about some of the bread & butter repair tasks they've encountered recently, then the door burst open and in walked "Uncle Tony", Tony DeFeo from the wildly popular YouTube channel Uncle Tony's Garage. The trio covers subjects ranging from classic motorcycles to slant six engines, to the future of our financial system. This is a show not to be missed.

This week, the boys have Bob Jones from the L.I. & NYC Oldsmobile car club in the studio to recap this year's historic car show event. Talk turns to rare and oddball Oldsmobile's, insurance regulations for certain cars & motorcycles, as well as car show planning and strategies. Ray plays a clip of the 1951 song "Rocket 88" as performed by Jackie Brenston & his Delta Cats, and the gang goes on to cover a modern engine swap into a 1956 Olds as relayed by a caller. Can you say "project car"?

Ray & Chris dive right into the nagging topics of lawnmower repair and maintenance then ask a prolific question; "Is the MotorMouth Radio jinx contagious?" That leads to talk of bringing car parts into the house and cleaning them in a kitchen dishwasher, and a list of automotive fluids that have stained our family lawns when we were growing up. You don't get stuff like this on NPR my friend, not by a long shot!

As has been our tradition since the beginning of this show when no guests were available on Mother's Day, we decided to compile a "best-of" show of sorts. Highlighting some of the most interesting and funny calls from the previous year, this installment is no different where we cover new tools, guys who skip out on paying their tool bills, and what makes us all continue staying in this hobby we love so dearly. Join Ray & Chris as they take a drive back through time and share these moments with you all.

This week is an enlightening show with talk about how to properly adjust your car mirrors, & the new MMR "blown bulb curse". New caller Nick professes his love for the early Mazda Miata's, which takes the boys down the road talking about Triumph's, Fiat's and old Honda's. The show turns back to lights with an LED headlight upgrade for the FJ Cruiser, and how to adjust your headlights at home.

The boys talk about finding unrelated problems while doing an oil change, then Ray rants about people who don't stop correctly for red light cameras. Stories of challenging bulb and battery replacements lead to another rant about tailgating drivers. Dune Buggies used in Shriner's parades round out the rest of this raucous hour of automotive content.

The ago old conundrum over whether to use Dino or synthetic motor oil is busted whenChris finds the determining factor at Walmart. Oil change intervals and a somewhat weird flush technique gets discussed by the boys, and a surprise younger listener calls in to test our car knowledge. A recent government mandate regarding the sale of E15 fuel gets kicked around, as does a DMV mandate for motorcycle exhaust system inspections. The group grumbles but moves on.

The story of GAK spilled in a Rogue cup holder gets resolved this week. The question of when to purchase a specialty tool leads to a smack-down in a Maryland Harbor Freight parking lot where MatcoMan Brian is hunting down scofflaws. The pros and cons of doing car maintenance is talked about, as is the lack of conscientious car owners.

Dune Buggy fine points are discussed in depth with our expert "Pirate Paul" and a caller, then noted author and Barn Find Hunter Tom Cotter calls in to share some of his secrets for finding hidden automotive gems right in your own neighborhood. Tom's new book works into the conversation and the specific differences between collecting and hoarding are covered by the panel.