Bastrop’s Heroes & Hot Rides: Inside a 400-Car Main Street Takeover for Veterans

Live Show Kickoff & New Backdrops

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast. Hello, everybody, and a pleasant Saturday morning to you, and welcome to the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show. Coming up, a preview of the Bass Drop Cruisers car show. Later in Jeff's Car Culture, the good old days of buying a car. Oh, yeah. Let's look at the Moronis. And Mars has five sport cars to take on a fall road trip with somebody that you really, really like a lot. All right. Howdy. Long the bike out of this world, Mars. We always need more Jeff Zeke and Chief Engineer David Ainsley. I'm Don Armstrong. Glad that you could join us and be with us on this Saturday for our live show. If you're listening, watching on a podcast, well, thanks to you too.

SPEAKER_03 0:52

Yeah, and let us know how you like the new backgrounds. Uh and if you have a background that you're interested in having seen, send it to info at inrealtime.com. Michael, check it out. He'll go through all the criteria and we'll load it up and see what we can do. It could be a picture of your car or a neighbor's car or feature somebody's car. You could feature somebody's car in in the background here. Right outside, right outside here. And it ran out the window. I think we need to wash our window. There's a spot right there. There is a spot.

SPEAKER_05 1:21

Need to get the vacuum out.

Meet Bastrop Car Cruisers

SPEAKER_05 1:23

Well, you know, um we've we've really had a good time with uh the commercial for the bass drop car cruisers car show. And um we we didn't have anything to do with the commercial, but we sure do enjoy it, and uh it's tons of fun. And so thank you to Neil Jones and Bill Zelag, Bass Drop Car Cruisers, gentlemen. Are you in position now? Yes, sir. Yes, we are. All right, you got the ears on, good buddy. Yeah, we're all set, man. Okay, well, it's good to have you guys with us. And so uh we've all been listening and having a good time. Who did the commercial?

SPEAKER_02 2:05

Gil. Uh Gil did our commercial. He's a club member, and um he did a good job with it. We're it uh shows at the local movie theater, and uh it's you know been a good way to promote the show.

SPEAKER_05 2:17

Well, it certainly has, and we we've thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes me want to get out of the chair and go there right now, but it's not till when.

SPEAKER_04 2:24

That's not his normal voice. He's kind of a part-time uh you might say actor. You know, he does like local theater and stuff like that. He's so he does lots of things like that, and he he's uh he's full of energy, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_05 2:40

But uh yeah, we definitely enjoy

Two-Day Show Overview & Schedule

SPEAKER_05 2:44

that. Well, so let's talk about the Bass Drop Car Cruisers Car Show.

SPEAKER_02 2:48

Uh yeah, so it goes over two days. We have a cruise in, which is uh Friday, uh November 7th, and that's where um you can bring your cars. You can park down on Main Street uh and just go through the uh lots of businesses we have downtown, get something to eat. Uh and then Saturday is our big show, and that's uh November 8th. And uh that starts at uh we start parking cars at 7 o'clock, uh usually 7:30. Uh usually the public.

SPEAKER_05 3:16

Well we get there early. By God, you'll get a ticket.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

Yeah, we're early there enough. We're always there at five o'clock in the morning.

SPEAKER_05 3:22

Yeah, well, we know all about that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:24

Yeah, and usually the crowds start coming in around 10 o'clock. Uh that's when we really kick off the event uh after we park all the cars. Uh, it's um we park along the street, so we're taking over all of Main Street in Bastrop and then some of the surrounding streets all the way to the courthouse.

SPEAKER_03 3:40

How big is the city of Bastrop?

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Yep, city of Bass Drop.

SPEAKER_03 3:44

Yeah, how big is the city of Bastrop?

SPEAKER_04 3:46

Population-wise, in the city is probably now close to 11,000, 12,000 people.

SPEAKER_05 3:52

Really? That much? Oh my god.

SPEAKER_04 3:55

Surrounding area, it's much more. It's it's kind of the hub for Bastrop County.

SPEAKER_05 3:59

Well, it's funny because um going to the hill country, that's kind of your way to go. Yeah, you got to go through this beautiful part of the country. Yeah, and I remember going through there and getting bogged down in the two-lane street that went right through the middle of town that's now a dang highway. Yeah, but uh yeah, you know, always a good time in Bass Drop, and you always stop there, whether you needed to or not, you know, get something to eat, get something to drink. Yeah, and uh, you know, take a bass

Downtown Takeover & City Vibe

SPEAKER_05 4:25

drop was a a stop along the way. Now it's a destination.

SPEAKER_04 4:28

Yeah, but how many it's kind of interesting not to interrupt you, but uh many people kind of like you're talking, they drive on 71. Of course, now we got Buckeys there too, and they drive past and they say, Yeah, I've passed by bass drop a lot, and then they come downtown like for our car show, and we've got 30 30 restaurants all within walking distance of downtown. Wow, we have all kinds of night neat boutiques. Obviously, the city is really growing. Uh, we have uh a great museum uh for any anyone who's coming to the show as spectators or the obviously the participants. It has a history of Camp Swift, and Bastrop played a very large part in uh because Camp Swift was the main training place for World War II, and uh obviously the the city of Bastrop, the residents kind of adopted many of those soldiers, and we had a theater and all that, but there's a great exhibit there. There's an exhibit about the the tragic fires in 2011 that we had in Bastrop and all kinds of restaurants, really a lot to do downtown. We're gonna have kids, the kids' area, and car show, so it's really a family event, really a family event.

SPEAKER_05 5:36

Let me ask you about uh the fires. How how are things coming back? I know last time I went through there, you can still see the damage that the fire had left. It's

Growth, Museums, and Family Appeal

SPEAKER_05 5:45

like a scar. But yeah, I see a lot of greenery and I see trees growing again, and things are coming back.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Well, unfortunately, we had another fire after that. It was a lot smaller. Uh, but yeah, for the most part, all the trees are really coming back, and they've done a good job at uh repopulating the forest with trees. A lot of people, volunteers went out there and replanted, and uh, so you're really starting to see the uh tree line come back again, which is great.

SPEAKER_04 6:10

Some of them are uh I would say at least 18, 20 feet tall now.

SPEAKER_03 6:14

Yeah, well, that well, yeah, time flies. How many cars do you anticipate at this event?

SPEAKER_02 6:20

We uh we have a limit of 400 cars. Uh, we believe we'll be really close or on par with 400 cars. Uh the city, with the way the city's laid out and how we take over downtown, uh, that's uh just a hard number that we have to uh stay within.

SPEAKER_04 6:34

Two days ago we filled up already. 400 cars were already registered. Wow, wow.

SPEAKER_05 6:40

So if I wanted to bring the Corvette and I'm not registered, what do I do?

Wildfire Recovery & Community Spirit

SPEAKER_05 6:45

We suck it up and stay home.

SPEAKER_04 6:51

Lots of party down the street and everything. So there are, you know, obviously it's a very busy time because it's it's probably the largest event in Bass Drop each year. All the businesses say that it's their best day, whether it's a bar or restaurant, we have a distillery downtown, cigar place, uh lots of boutiques for the ladies and things like that.

SPEAKER_02 7:09

Um the uh museum uh for veterans is free the day of the show. So if anyone wants to check out the museum, there you go.

SPEAKER_04 7:15

Yeah, veterans free. Uh other and yeah, for veterans' families, uh, yeah, they're but all the time we actually donate money to the museum so they can so they can allow veterans to have no cost for admission for veterans all year long. That's very nice. So we we use their facility as kind of our judging headquarters and and everything right there by the DJ on the on the corner.

SPEAKER_05 7:38

Well, that was uh uh one of my questions.

400-Car Cap, Sellout, and Logistics

SPEAKER_05 7:40

Is this a judged show?

SPEAKER_02 7:42

Yes, yes, it's judged, and uh we have different categories. Um and um 33 classes. Yeah, 33 classes that we judge.

SPEAKER_05 7:51

Wow, 33 classes, 400 cars, chances are pretty good somebody's gonna win a trophy in any way.

SPEAKER_04 7:56

Yeah, we it's kind of unique, and we get uh we usually get a high high uh quality of vehicles there because we actually do judge by class. Uh we when the cars park, we put numbers under the cars, like one to two hundred on one side of chestnut, and two hundred to four hundred on the other side of chestnut. So if you're judging, let's say, the tri-5 Chevies, and we got eight or ten or twelve Tri-Fi Chevies in there, the same two or three judges will find those cars by the spot and judge those same cars. So it's very fair, you know, whether you're a more strict judge or whether you're lenient, you're going to be judged by the same uh vehicles in your class, will all be judged by the same people.

SPEAKER_05 8:38

Is there a is there an age limit to the cars?

SPEAKER_04 8:42

No.

SPEAKER_05 8:43

No. So you can have a new car in there if you wanted.

SPEAKER_04 8:46

Yeah, we do, but we make sure that the new cars are by themselves. We don't judge like uh 20 2022 against uh 2019 or or uh I'd say uh you know an older car. So we do put the new cars and trucks all in a separate class.

SPEAKER_05 9:00

Yeah, so you classify them not only by make model, all that sort of stuff, but you also classify them by years, I would assume.

Judging System & Classes Explained

SPEAKER_02 9:08

Yes, yeah, none of the club cars uh our club cars are in the show, so you're not participating against us.

SPEAKER_05 9:15

I was gonna say because you you guys are working the dang show. Uh who's got time to fiddle with uh your own car when you're working it?

SPEAKER_02 9:23

So we do have our our cars at the show, but they're in a separate section, and uh the participants of the show can actually judge us.

SPEAKER_04 9:31

Yeah, but they vote for us, and we do have some awards, but it's completely separate.

SPEAKER_05 9:34

Now that's cool. Now I've never heard that before, but that's a great idea. Yeah, it's really kind of like a people's choice award for your your cars, right?

SPEAKER_04 9:44

Right.

SPEAKER_05 9:44

Yeah. I I I love that. Do you have anybody within the how many people are in your club?

SPEAKER_04 9:50

I would say 140. Yes, 140.

SPEAKER_05 9:53

So uh what uh you know uh a hundred uh a hundred cars?

SPEAKER_02 9:58

No, we oh well because we limit our cars, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:02

So we because most people are working or driving their trucks and stuff like that, we we normally have about 35 or 40 of our cars on display.

SPEAKER_05 10:10

Oh, I see. Okay, yeah, sure, of course.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

And that's a great way to get your your spectators involved in the show as well, exactly right.

SPEAKER_05 10:17

Yeah, yeah. Well, I I yeah, I I love that aspect of it. So and the between the 400 registered cars that are going to be in the show, uh your show, where are your cars located?

SPEAKER_02 10:33

They're over by the uh courthouse. We have a designated lot. Um, and uh we have signs up showing where our cars are at.

SPEAKER_04 10:40

Um and our cars would have a different placard on it too.

SPEAKER_05 10:44

Yeah, you're so in other words, you're you're closer to the police department where you should be.

SPEAKER_04 10:50

Yeah. At least the jail, but the police department, that's it. We're closer to jail.

SPEAKER_05 10:57

Uh yeah, well, you know, obviously I'm just teasing, but uh yeah, but how fun. Yeah. So and I assume that uh

Club Cars, People’s Choice, and Layout

SPEAKER_05 11:05

the city's on alert for all you hot roters that are gonna be piling in over there that weekend.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

Yes, yeah, we'll have uh we'll have police officers on site uh for the show. Um and they you know they do give us some liberties, not much, but we get a few.

SPEAKER_04 11:19

Well Neil's yeah, Neil's kind of the main. Well, he's our car show chairman, head chairman, or primary chairman, and he he works with the city. We have a matter of fact, this just past week we had a meeting with the city, police department, fire department, uh all the all the streets and sanitation have put up the barricades because it's it's hard to control. And we we try to park at least the first two or three hundred cars, we try to get those parked within the first hour or two, and that's uh because we're backing the cars in, and you know, so it's uh it's very time consuming. We've got quite a few parked people that help park the cars.

SPEAKER_05 11:50

Listen, I I've I've I've been involved in car shows for a long, long time. And listen, I you know, you think, oh, well, this is just a car show, no big deal. Oh no, it's a big deal for those that are working it and organizing it and getting it all together. I would imagine that you guys have probably been working on this for all close to a year.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

Yeah, it's been about a year. Um, we've had a couple meetings with the city um and then a lot of communications back and forth, and we really couldn't put it on without their help.

City Coordination, Safety, and Parking Ops

unknown 12:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 12:17

What what year? Uh when did this when did this show start?

SPEAKER_04 12:22

This is the 19th year. It wasn't always downtown, but I would say at least 15 of the years were downtown. The club, our club is actually now celebrated its 25th year. Uh, I guess this show was downtown because this is the the the down show show, but the the club actually had a show off site for the few years before that. So, but uh the other thing that's really critical or to the success of the show, and you know, even though it is a car show, it's uh more importantly honoring our veterans. That's our key thing. Uh we normally raise $50,000 or so from this event, and 80% of that goes to veterans. A certain amount goes to high school automotive scholarships, you know, the food pantry and other local, you might say, organizations that help people. Uh, but and so there is a uh a veterans march, and uh Neil can tell you a little more how that goes, but it's it ends up at the it ends up at the courthouse, uh, and it's uh the courthouse actually has a veterans memorial statue or memorial, I don't know, statue you call it a monument there. And uh so Neil, you can talk more about that.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Yeah, the veteran march uh starts at 10:30. Uh if you're a veteran, you're at the show and you want to participate in the march, you

History, Mission, and Fundraising Impact

SPEAKER_02 13:40

need to meet down at the post office. Uh, we'll also have bagpipers that will kind of lead the march. R O T C R O T C. And um they will come straight down Main Street, um, and then the police officers will help us cross chestnut, which we don't close for the event. Uh, and then it ends up at the courthouse where we have our veterans ceremony.

SPEAKER_04 14:01

It's a it's a very emotional time, kind of like you've seen uh honor flight, you know, where everybody's applauding for the veterans as they walk down the street. And you don't have to be a uh car show participant, uh obviously to be in a veterans march. Any veteran or current military person is welcome to participate.

SPEAKER_05 14:17

Well, I have to tell you, from uh I've been to lots of car shows. So many I can't even begin to count them all. But what I find really attractive about this particular show you guys are putting on there in Bassdrop is the small town vibe. And you know, you that just doesn't come along that often. And this it there's a certain aura around it that it just you really I I don't know. I I'm attracted to it. It reminds me of a small town that I grew up in in Walkershaw, Wisconsin. And the the fact of the matter is is that the Fourth of July was always the parade. Uh we had uh the local uh uh army barracks there, and they would all get together and march down there with the high school band and that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_03 14:59

The BMWs and things.

SPEAKER_05 15:00

Yeah, and it was it was fun.

Veterans March & Ceremony Details

SPEAKER_05 15:02

It was a fun time, and you know, we'd eat uh sausage sandwiches and and uh and and wave at all the guys that were marching in the in the parade. And now it's got a car vibe to it, and just it's very attractive to me. And I I got I yeah, and I got a feeling that uh there are a lot of other people that feel the same way.

SPEAKER_04 15:20

Yeah, it's uh it's a it's quite successful as evidenced by the fact that we not only you know the the uh participants already we have the full registration, but people look forward to this, and it is highly supported by all the businesses. Well, businesses downtown and even surrounding areas and the hotels, obviously, because usually about 30 to 40 percent of our people are from more than 100 miles away that participate in the show. Yeah, so yeah, obviously you've got the local flavor too. Uh speaking of flavors, I like the Johnsonville brats myself. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_05 15:55

Yes, Wisconsin, Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_04 15:57

I grew up here south of Wisconsin and Chicago area. So there you go.

SPEAKER_05 16:01

All right, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:02

But anyway, the the our main sponsor is Craig's Jewelry. They're our presidential sponsor. We have our sponsorships by military names. We have an Admiral sponsor, which is the next level down, and that's Covert Chevrolet, our one of the largest dealers here, or the largest dealer in Bastrop, and they have many other dealerships in the Austin area. Uh, and they're uh they're they do a great job. We have about a hundred other sponsors or donors of goods and services, like for our silent auction. Uh we have door prizes that they donate, and uh it's just everybody's I mean, I don't know if we ever said we weren't gonna do it, we probably all get shot, I think.

SPEAKER_05 16:39

Yeah, exactly. Well, and we'd be the first in line. Send you to brig. Neil, Bill, it's great to talk to you guys. Good luck. What's the date again?

SPEAKER_02 16:47

It's uh November 7th and 8th.

SPEAKER_05 16:50

All right.

SPEAKER_04 16:51

So some people aren't confused. If you are entered in the show, you come on Friday, but you gotta move your cars. Well, some people think they could park overnight and then save their space, but we have we have a process, and the streets close off like at four o'clock in the morning, so you have to drive in. We have two entrances uh that go on either side of Chestnut

Small-Town Charm & Regional Draw

SPEAKER_04 17:10

Street. So we really appreciate very much you guys having us on the show of the last several years. We appreciate how much you like the show, and we'll look forward to seeing you here sometime whenever you can make it. We got it. There you go.

SPEAKER_05 17:23

Gentlemen, gentlemen, thank you all so much. We really appreciate it, and y'all have good best of luck to you, and we'll be in touch. We will want to get an update.

SPEAKER_04 17:31

Okay, thanks so much.

SPEAKER_05 17:32

Thank you, Neil Jones, Bill Zelag, uh Bass Drop Car Cruisers, Car Show. Just ahead, Jeff's Car Culture. Good old days of buying a car.

SPEAKER_03 17:41

You bet.

SPEAKER_05 17:41

Plus, Mars has five fall road trips to take in a sport car. I can only imagine. I'm looking forward to this. It's all coming up after this break on the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show. Stay with us. You've waited all summer and it's finally here. The Tailpipes and Tacos Fall 25 Cruise In Car Show. It's been a while, but the popular Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise In returns to the Loopy Tortilla Tex Max and Katie Saturday, October 18th. Make any donation to Shirley's kids and get a free breakfast taco. There'll be mimosas and bloody marys, too. Get to the best cruise in of the year. Tailpipes and Tacos Car Show, Saturday, October 18th, 8 to 11 a.m. Cruise in, make a donation of any amount, and grab a free Loopy Tortilla breakfast taco. Tail Pipes and Tacos only happens at the Loopy Torchia Tex Mex in Katy, 703 West Grand Parkway at Kingston Boulevard, just south of the Katy Freeway. Join the Car Craudery, and your car will automatically compete

Sponsors, Donors, and Community Buy-In

SPEAKER_05 18:35

for one of three Chili Pepper Trophies at no charge. Paul is here, and what better way to celebrate than with a free taco at Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise In Car Show. Saturday, October 18th, 8 to 11 a.m. It's the cruise in you won't want to miss. Loopy Tortillas, Tailpipes and Tacos in Katy.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

Time to fire up those engines and pay tribute to the folks who make freedom possible. Friday night, downtown cruise. Saturday, 400 of the coolest rides in Texas. Proceeds, no veterans, shelters, food countries, and scholarships. Sponsored by Craig's Dory, November 7th and 8th, Main Street, Bass Drive. Don't miss it.

SPEAKER_05 19:23

All right, well, we just talked to the folks there at the Bass Drop Cruise. So uh looking forward to that. You know, come to think of it, I may I may take the Corvette up there just for a Sunday afternoon or something. That's a good idea. That's far a drive, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 19:37

Of course, I don't want to come home with all the prizes. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 19:40

Well, and you would, there's no doubt about it. And we'll time invite you to join us 10 to noon Central Time every Saturday for our live show about all things automotive. When we thank you for joining us today. Time now for Jeff's car culture. The good old days of buying a car. Shall we reckon this?

SPEAKER_03 19:55

Yeah. Let's look at this. Let's uh get this opened up here, Michael. You can give me a hand on your end. Uh crud, let's go back to the beginning.

SPEAKER_05 20:03

Oh, I see. There you go.

Dates, Entry Process, and Street Closures

SPEAKER_05 20:05

Good old days of buying a car. So these are the uh crud. Yeah, crud. Yeah. Crud. I like.

SPEAKER_03 20:10

I could say that on on radio. Uh just look at the moronies. I mean, these are a lot of good things that people were offering back then. You can see that uh there's a Mustang, and this rascal is a Mach 1. You got one roof. Well, this should be around a 70, I believe. Um it doesn't actually give the dates on it. I've been looking, it does got the dealership name and things of that nature, but you got wide overbelted tires, you got the Acapulco blue uh tint on the windows, all that good stuff, and then that's a picture of the car. This came from Greenville, Texas, the Frank Hudson Ford in Greenville, Texas. So that's where that moroni comes from. And you can see all the cool stuff.

SPEAKER_05 20:46

$35,200.

SPEAKER_03 20:49

Oh, $3,500. Yeah, what did I say? You said $35,000. So it's okay. Yeah. But you can see that the uh uh $428 is $200, I'm sorry, $347.

SPEAKER_05 21:02

Uh was $76.

SPEAKER_03 21:04

Yeah. Let's move on to the next one. You got some cool stuff here. Oh, look at that Corvette. Um is that a $69? Could be. Yeah. It's the GM Overseas Distribution Corporation, so it's Fifth Avenue in New York. So was that one going overseas somewhere, possibly? Probably. Don't know. Don't know, but it's a St. Louis, Missouri vehicle. That's where they were building that. And that's $2,300. Yeah. Then you got this one here, you got the old Nova Chevy 2, black trim. Uh free of charge, of course. Four speed.

SPEAKER_05 21:34

No, the

Segment Close & Transition

SPEAKER_05 21:35

Malibu Malibu SS.

SPEAKER_03 21:39

Yeah. Yeah. I was mistaken. Black trim, but look, you got $188 for the four-speed transmission, and you got two oh two oh two for the three fifty.

SPEAKER_05 21:50

That's interesting. So they charged for the four-speed. I guess they didn't charge for the automatic. 350 horsepower V8.

Ad Break: Tailpipes & Tacos

SPEAKER_03 22:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then of course the next one, you got a Pontiac here. Now, this one's a little deceiving. I was looking at this one. The description is not for a convertible in this particular one, but they threw a convertible picture up on there. Power door locks. This is when you're getting all the fancier stuff. The power, power this, power that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_05 22:15

See the first one here, turbo automatic transmission, they charge you $227. That's the most expensive add-on on it. Yeah. So did they also charge for do they even offer a manual transmission?

SPEAKER_03 22:29

It's very possible they did, but I don't know if the this is actually matching that. So uh it could be. And then you got your your tires, you got your G7814 white wall or white better. White wall, white. G7814. And they're fiberglass, too, by the way. Yeah. Okay. And then you got Bale Chevrolet in Little Rock, Arkansas. Look at that, Rascal. That's a nice little car. That's a sleeper there. Is that a 63? Could be. Well, uh, it could be. Impellet 8 two-door sport coupe again. Base price is $27,000.

SPEAKER_05 22:59

$10,000. But look, it's it it's uh it's a hardtop and it's a two-door hardtop. Yep. Steel belt.

SPEAKER_03 23:07

Oh, look, permanent anti-freeze was a five dollar up chart. You know what that is today? About 40 grand. So these are just some things you can find on the internet. Uh looking at them all, it's kind of fascinated me that to see because you always talk about moronies, you're always looking at things that uh you can buy as options and what it has here and what it's not going to take. So take a look at and these these are old Monronis that are the window stickers, as exactly what you call them.

SPEAKER_05 23:33

But notice that there's no

Ad Break: Heroes & Hot Rides Spot

SPEAKER_05 23:35

EPA stuff on it, miles per gallon, none of that stuff that's on it on a moroni today.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

But you will see one page. You know, it doesn't take up two pages.

SPEAKER_03 23:44

It doesn't take up the whole rear window. You will see destination charges on these two. They're right up top. $74 destination charge up there. So they were they were hitting you back then, Mike. Yeah, but not the $1,500 that they're charging you today. Here's a $70 Mustang. So this is actually true, true form. Uh sport roof with eight-cylinder package vinyl, high back bucket seats, color keyed carpeting. Oh boy.

SPEAKER_05 24:07

Ooh, tachometer and tripodometer. Look at that.

SPEAKER_03 24:10

Four additional four-speed manual transmission drag pack. Oh, 259. So, in other words, it's got uh some special

Jeff’s Car Culture: The Old Car-Buying Days

SPEAKER_03 24:20

gearing inside that. That's expensive. There you go.

SPEAKER_05 24:28

Well, that was fun. Yeah. All right. Uh time now for Mr. Morris to do the driving destinations. You got about five minutes here, Mr. Morris.

SPEAKER_01 24:37

I could do it. So I want to start with, you know, when when we start talking about Paul Road trips, everybody thinks changing colors in the woods and the trees and the leaves and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_05 24:47

We don't they they ain't from these parts.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

No, they're not because we don't have the trees. But you generally don't go by yourself. You generally have to bring your somebody you like, your your or maybe even your spouse to go along on these roads.

SPEAKER_03 24:59

Or maybe somebody somebody like, or maybe even your spouse.

SPEAKER_01 25:02

So one of the places that you can go on these road trips in your sports car because you want to enjoy driving the road and you want to provide some scenery for them. So the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now, this is 469 miles of mountain curves that winds between the Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountain National Parks. So you got sweeping overlooks, tunnels, you got bank turns, and that's where you get into the fall, where you get the red maples, the golden hickories, and the orange oak trees that are going to provide you with all the color and the scenery because you're going to be going through some elevation shifts that you can change these colors, and it's really considered one of the drives you should make before you drive if you're an enthusiast driver.

SPEAKER_03 25:44

Sir Drive before you die.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

So the Cherihola and National National Nantahala National Forest. I said this three times right. 43 miles to the Cherokee uh forest, and it goes from 900 feet above elevation to 5,000 feet. So that's where you get your mix of elevation. You get sweepers and the pavement that you can actually make some time on these high altitude curves. It's got a lot of panoramic outlooks so that your companion can see all the pretty trees as they go by at a high rate of speed. Best time to go is late October to see all the colors that are in there. Then the third one is the Talamina National Scenic Byway. Now this runs through Oklahoma and Arkansas 54 miles, and it goes through the Washington Mountains with the bottom sweepers again, the ridgetop views. So you go over the top and you can see these vast uh areas there that's got all the changing colors in it so that you can keep the other half of the car happy. It's got plenty of oaks and reds and the golden hickories, and the cool temps that really make it nice to make this fall ride. And uh it's really popular on motorcycles, but again, uh cars really have a good time in this run. Now, this one I really this one caught my attention. It's in Arkansas Highway 23. It's called the Pig Trail Scenic Byway. That's a right one.

SPEAKER_05 27:11

Squeak like a pig.

SPEAKER_01 27:13

Yeah, it sneaks through the Ozark Mountains between Ozark and Eureka Springs. So it's right there outside of Eureka Springs, a very popular destination for tourists.

SPEAKER_05 27:21

She's got a real cute nose.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

You've got tight turns, technical curves, a lot of elevation changes. Again, in October, as you go through these elevation changes, you can see the forest canopy and see all the changing colors in it. And uh you get this really comes in whenever you get into Turner Bend and close to the Mulberry River. And one thing about this road, it really has a strong connection with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks because it runs between uh central Arkansas and it drops down in the northwest Arkansas area so that they go to the football games and go to the university. Best time to go mid-late October. Now, while we're up in Arkansas, Scenic Highway 7. Now, I've been on parts of this for several times, and it's 290 miles from El Dorado to Hot Springs to Harrison, Arkansas. Now it goes through the mountains and the river valleys again. It's got a lot of elevation changes, corners, got a lot of small town stops, kind of like you would see uh on the pig trail. And during mid-October, again, there's a lot of color changes in the forest as we go through there because of the oaks and the maples, etc. And um it's in the Washington

Window Stickers, Options, and Prices Then

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Mountains, and so it's a great time to go through this with an autumn road trip, and the best time is mid to late October to go up through there. It's a great run, it really is. I've been on part of that. And that is some destinations you can take a sports car in with some colorful scenic scenic areas to keep the other half of the car happy.

SPEAKER_05 28:49

All right, thank you, Mr. Mars. In real time, car talk continues after this quick break. You've waited all summer and it's finally here. The Tailpipes and Tacos Fall 25 Cruise In Car Show. It's been a while, but the popular Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise In returns to the Loopy Tortilla Tex-Max and Katy, Saturday, October 18th. Make any donation to Shirley's kids and get a free breakfast taco. There'll be mimosas and bloody marys, too. Get to the best cruise in of the year. Tailpipes and Tacos Car Show, Saturday, October 18th, 8 to 11 a.m. Cruise in, make a donation of any amount, and grab a free Loopy Tortilla breakfast taco. Tailpipes and Tacos only happens at the Loopy Tortilla Tex-Mex in Katy, 703 West Grand Parkway at Kingston Boulevard, just south of the Katy Freeway. Join the Car Camaraderie, and your car will automatically compete for one of three Chili Pepper Trophies at no charge. Paul is here, and what better way to celebrate than with a free taco at Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise In Car Show, Saturday, October 18th, 8 to 11 a.m. It's the cruise in you won't want to miss Loopy Tortillas, Tailpipes and Tacos in Katy.

SPEAKER_00 30:01

Time to fire up those engines and pay tribute to the folks who make freedom possible. Bass Drop's own heroes and hot rides is rolling in for Veterans Day weekend. Friday night, downtown cruise. Saturday, 400 of the coolest rides in Texas. Proceeds help veterans, shelters, food pantries, and scholarships. Sponsored by Craig's Jewelry, November 7th and 8th, Main Street. Fast drive. Don't miss it!

SPEAKER_05 30:33

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 on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and our InWheelTime.com website. Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartPodcast, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Pandora, and Amazon Music. Keep listening, and we'll see you soon.