2026 In Wheel Time Episodes

The Ford Model T gets talked about like a simple origin story, but the real history is full of weird details and big misunderstandings. We walk through the facts that actually explain how the Model T changed American transportation and manufacturing, including what it cost in 1908, why “black only” became a thing, and how Ford’s choices around simplicity and efficiency helped put everyday drivers behind the wheel. We also clear up a major myth: the Model T didn’t launch with the moving assembly ...

A giant EV factory can feel like a town’s future on opening day and like a crater on closing day. We sit down with Sunderesh Heragu, professor at Oklahoma State University and President of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, to unpack what really happens when EV manufacturing plants, battery factories, or assembly projects get paused midstream. We talk about why EV production is built differently than internal combustion, and why that difference can make a restart or a quick repla...

The gas price sign can feel like it’s mocking you: crude oil dips on the news, but your local station still sits above four dollars a gallon. We walk through the real mechanics behind that disconnect and why it’s rarely a simple one-to-one relationship. From supply and demand to politics, weather, shipping constraints, and the time it takes crude oil to become finished gasoline, we map the chain that turns headlines into what you pay at the pump. If you’ve ever asked why prices jump fast but fal...

A one-door BMW microcar shows up at a Texas cruise-in and instantly steals the whole parking lot. We’re live from the Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise-In in Katy, and we sit down with the owner of a 1959 BMW Isetta to unpack why this tiny, strange-looking classic is actually a rolling masterclass in packaging and creative engineering. From the front-opening body to the steering wheel mounted on the door, the Isetta is proof that great design is not always about speed. We also zoom out into the real li...

The easiest way to understand car culture is to hear it happening in real time, with engines cooling in the parking lot and families weaving between rows of chrome. We’re live from the Easter weekend Tailpipes and Tacos cruise-in at Lupe' Tortilla Tex-Mex in Katy, Texas, where breakfast tacos, hot sauce debates, and a surprise Easter Bunny are all part of the soundtrack. Then we jump into a fast, addictive “sold car roundup” game: we name a car, guess the sale price, and reveal what it actually ...

The moment a repair estimate lands, every driver asks the same question: am I maintaining a car or financing its last years? We get specific about the “sell it” repairs that blow up budgets fast, from a blown head gasket to a transmission replacement, cracked engine block, air suspension failure, and the kind of electrical problems that eat shop time without guaranteeing a clean fix. We also talk overheating damage like warped or cracked cylinder heads, heater core replacement that requires majo...

New car shopping feels like it should be getting easier, yet the spring market is doing the opposite. From our live remote at the Tailpipes and Tacos Easter edition at Loopy Tortilla in Katy, we break down why U.S. auto sales are sputtering as the season changes and why volatility may be back on the menu. We connect the dots on the big forces squeezing buyers right now: vehicle affordability, a jump in gasoline prices, soft job growth, and consumer confidence that just is not there. We also talk...

Your car does not usually “die” in one dramatic moment. It wears you down with a stack of estimates, a new noise every week, and that sinking feeling when the shop calls back. We’re broadcasting live from the Tailpipes and Tacos cruise-in at Lupe Tortilla Tex Mex in Katy, Texas, and we bring the same energy you get walking a real parking lot full of drivers, hot rods, classics, and daily beaters with stories. Along the way we talk community, the fun of showing up even when the weather threatens,...

Seven big events can shape your whole driving year if you know what you’re looking for. We lay out a coast-to-coast hot rod and classic car travel plan, starting with the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals and the Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run, then moving into the Hot Rod Tour of Texas, the massive Hot Rod Power Tour, the Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals in Ohio, the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, and the bucket-list Woodward Dream Cruise. If you’ve been searching for the best hot rod events, s...

Gas prices are high, but the fastest way to make them worse is chasing “savings” with the wrong plastic. We sit down with Chip Lupo from WalletHub to sort out the confusing world of gas credit cards, gas rewards, and cash back credit cards, including why some gas cards run 30% to 40% APR and the one rule that makes rewards actually work: pay it off in full every month. We get specific about how to choose a card without wrecking your credit score, from hard inquiries and timing your applications ...

Stellantis ticketing employees for parking a rival-brand car at headquarters is the kind of story that sounds petty until you realize what it reveals about modern car culture and workplace control. We react to the reported policy, the fines, and the “wrong spot” rules, then connect it to other brand-loyalty pressure we’ve seen at manufacturers and even at dealerships where driving anything else meant a long walk from the back of the lot. It’s a real question for any auto worker: should your empl...

Half of the frustration people feel at a dealership service department often comes down to one thing: nobody tells them what is actually going on. We dig into a new wave of customer complaints and online reviews that call out unclear updates, shifting timelines, and the awkward silence that starts the moment your car disappears into the bays. We talk about what great service advisor communication looks like, why “fast” is now a baseline expectation, and how the best fixed operations teams focus ...

Snap-on may be the headline brand, but it’s not the only way to build a serious mechanic tool setup. We walk through the tool brands professional mechanics reach for when they want strong build quality, fair pricing, and a warranty that actually helps when something breaks. Along the way, we talk about what “premium tools” really means in a working garage, and why availability and easy replacement can matter more than status. We also get honest about the kind of buyer pain that never shows up in...

Southeast Texas can feel like a straight shot on the map, but it’s packed with stops that turn a simple drive into a full day of stories. We build a listener-friendly route through the Golden Triangle, starting in downtown Beaumont with the Texas Energy Museum for the oil boom history that still shapes American energy and industry. From there we keep it walkable and air-conditioned with the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, then step into a restored 1927 station at the Fire Museum of Texas, capped ...

Tailpipes and Tacos in Beaumont isn’t just a backdrop for us, it’s the whole point: real car people showing up early, swapping stories, and rolling through like a moving car museum. We’re live at Lupe' Tortilla watching everything from classic Chevy metal to modern muscle, and we hand out the Chili Pepper Trophy awards for Best Hot Rod, Best Classic, and Best Modern Classic. If you love cruise-ins, car shows, and the small details that make a build stand out, you’ll feel like you’re standing rig...

A 1971 Corvette that “didn’t have enough horsepower” turns into a blown street machine with a 6-71 supercharger and a backstory you can’t make up. We’re live at Tailpipes and Tacos at the Lupe' Tortilla in Beaumont, Texas, where the parking lot is packed with the kind of builds that pull you into conversation even if you planned to “just look around.” Racer and longtime car collector Randy Blackwell joins us to talk about his 200 mph street car, why 1971 was a turning point for factory power, an...

A flood can wipe out a classic car in minutes, but it can also set up a comeback you never saw coming. From the Lupe' Tortilla Tailpipes and Tacos cruise-in in Beaumont, we sit down with Charlie Domain and his white 1968 Chevelle SS convertible, a numbers-matching 396 big block that looks as clean underneath as it does in the sun. Charlie walks us through how he found it, how he cares for it, and why a black-and-white muscle car still stops people mid-conversation at a car show. The best part is...

Your tire pressure monitoring system might be doing more than keeping you safe, and your next pickup truck might be nicer than your living room. We’re coming to you from the Tailpipes and Tacos cruise-in at the Lupe' Tortilla in Beaumont, Texas, where car people turn a Saturday morning into a rolling meet-up full of stories, engines, and the kind of conversations that only happen when the microphones are on and the parking lot is packed. We talk with Sheila May about growing up around the Orange...

A Cadillac convertible bought after “quite a bit of wine” sounds like a punchline until you hear what happens next. We kick off from Tailpipes and Tacos in Beaumont, Texas with a 1961 Cadillac story that goes from ratty auction find to TV-ready restoration, then right back into the shop for a drivability-focused rebuild. It’s a candid look at how classic car restoration really works when deadlines, budgets, and “while we’re in there” decisions collide. Then we get hands-on with a Ford F-150 Hybr...

Fog, freeway noise, and the sound of classics rolling in one by one, that’s how this live car talk morning starts at the Tailpipes and Tacos cruise-in at Lupe' Tortilla in Beaumont, Texas. We’re set up right off I-10, talking with the people who actually show up early, bring their rides, and keep local car culture alive. Stan Holt joins us with the kind of stories you only get from someone who lives in the drag racing world. We get into racing plans for Belle Rose, Louisiana, what makes a “racer...

Gas station hot dogs and performance cars sound like an odd pairing until you’ve done enough road trips to know they belong together. We start with a no-nonsense ranking of seven of the best gas station hot dogs in America, breaking down which convenience store chains actually deliver the kind of quick, low-cost bite that keeps a long drive on track. From topping bars to value combos, we talk about what makes a roller-grill classic worth your money and which stops are easiest to find when you’re...

The best part of doing a live car show from a mega meet is that the day keeps changing under your feet, and the conversation goes with it. We’re set up at Team Gillman with cars rolling in and out, then we kick things off with a straight-shooting review of the 2025 Ford Mustang GT Convertible. We dig into what the GT Premium feels like as a real daily driver, from the lined cloth top and cabin tech to the stiffer performance ride, tire noise, and the big headline numbers: a 5.0-liter V8 with 480...

Houston car culture is hiding in plain sight, and once you know where to look, your weekends fill up fast. We’re set up at the Mega Meat Cruise In and we’re talking with the people who connect the dots across the city, from meet promoters to motorcycle crews, plus the small details that keep a cruise-in fun instead of chaotic. First up, we hang with Omar from HTXCars.com, a new Houston-focused car meet and car show platform built to list events across Houston, Stafford, Richmond, Sugar Land, and...

A car meet is fun. A place to actually work on your car without fighting apartment rules, HOA complaints, or a garage full of storage is the part most of us are missing. Broadcasting from the Team Gillman Mega Meet, we start with a fast, useful scan of current automotive recalls, including a Kumho tire issue and a stack of vehicle recalls that touch everything from windshield wipers to rear view cameras and fuel delivery. If you have been putting off checking your VIN, this is your nudge to hit ...