Speed, Style, and Sonic Booms

Automotive passion takes center stage as we broadcast live from the Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise-In at Lupe' Tortilla Tex-Mex in Katy, Texas. The spring air is filled with the rumble of engines, the scent of breakfast tacos, and the undeniable camaraderie that defines car culture.

Our featured guest, John Thuman, brings his breathtaking 1965 Cobra Daytona Coupe replica that stops everyone in their tracks. This isn't just any kit car – it's a meticulously built Factory 5 Racing creation powered by a Gen 3 Coyote engine pumping out 500 horsepower in a 2,500-pound package. Painted in what John calls "Medina yellow" (a deliberate jab at Ferrari enthusiasts), this tubular-frame beauty represents the perfect blend of vintage aesthetics and modern performance. When John casually mentions reaching speeds of 160 mph because he "ran out of road, not out of car," you understand this isn't just transportation – it's a passion project that demands respect.

The show shifts gears with Jeff's valuable insights on car show preparation, covering everything from cleaning supplies (including the game-changing "rinseless car wash" technique) to safety essentials like fire extinguishers. 

Meanwhile, Marrs delivers a comprehensive review of the 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo – Ford's sporty new trim level featuring distinctive black emblems, lowered suspension, and a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine delivering 250 horsepower through a seven-speed transmission.

Whether you're a dedicated gearhead or simply appreciate automotive culture, this episode captures why we devote countless hours to these mechanical marvels. They're not just vehicles; they're expressions of individuality, engineering excellence, and the thrill of the open road. Subscribe now and join us next week as we hit the road for the Hot Rod Tour of Texas!

The Lupe' Tortilla Restaurants
Lupe Tortilla in Katy, Texas

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Transcript

Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise-In Kickoff

Speaker 1 0:00

Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast From the tailpipes and tacos cruise in at the Loopy Tortilla Tex-Mex in Katy, texas, usa. This is the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show. Just ahead, a guest from today's event he's standing by. His name is John. We're going to find out about his ride that he brought this morning. We're going to have lots of guests throughout this three-hour it's a bonus hour edition of the In Real Time Car Talk Show. We'll also bring you the stories making automotive news headlines this week. We'll look at the cruise in and events calendars and we'll also have a new car review. Mr Mars, what are you reviewing?

Speaker 2 0:42

The Maverick. Lobo A Maverick. Lobo A Maverick.

Speaker 1 0:45

Lobo. So that would be the Ford Maverick. Yes, sir, okay, just to make sure we're on the same page.

Speaker 2 0:51

Yeah, it's new on the market. In fact, some of the dealers haven't even got it yet.

Speaker 1 0:55

The Maverick.

Speaker 2 0:56

Lobo, lobo, the.

Speaker 3 0:58

Lobo.

Speaker 1 0:58

Okay, that's a trim level.

Speaker 3 0:59

Yeah, but they don't have that level yet. Okay.

Speaker 1 1:03

Well, isn't it? Yeah, okay.

Speaker 2 1:04

Yeah, it's top-of-the-line shrimp. That's their new top-of-the-line All right.

Speaker 1 1:07

Well, I just wanted to make sure.

Speaker 2 1:09

Yes.

Speaker 1 1:09

Because I think a Lobo's a dog, isn't it?

Speaker 2 1:12

I think it's like a coyote-mixed dog coyote thing, it's a dog.

Speaker 1 1:17

Yeah, I Saturday morning to you, if you're watching, listening viewing here at this live event. This is the Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise Inn. I have a couple of them every year now and this event well, people started rolling in about an hour ago.

Speaker 1 1:37

And they were just now officially underway at 8 o'clock. We go to 11 o'clock here today and the awards being handed out today are three of them. We're going to have the best in class classic, we're going to have Hot Rod and the Modern Classic. Those are the three trophies that we'll be giving away a little bit later on. Before everybody leaves, you have to have a car that hasn't won here before. So if you've won before, you've already got one. So spread the wealth as they say. Yeah, and they're special.

Speaker 2 2:16

They are, they're very special. We're not hoarding.

Speaker 1 2:18

No, we never do that. I've also got some features, and the boys have brought features as well, and we're going to have those throughout the show. And we're also going to have news headlines, and there's always that to contend with. I've been working on those all week long, so we'll bring you the very latest on the ongoing saga of the tariffs. We've got all the latest for you, so we hope that you'll stay with us throughout the three-hour show this morning. If not, tune in, go do your thing. Then come back and join us, because we're here until 11 o'clock. You know this. I guess that is correct, but not for today.

Speaker 2 2:55

No, not for today. This is our special today.

Speaker 1 2:59

So in our guest studio today is Mr John Thuman, and John, it's good to meet you and good to see you.

Speaker 4 3:06

Glad to be here.

Speaker 1 3:06

You're looking sharp. Thank you. I know you're really excited about wearing the Sportscaster headsets.

Speaker 4 3:11

Yes, yes, it was exciting. It takes me kind of back to my racing days, I guess.

Speaker 1 3:15

Really, yeah, were you on the microphone the PA system.

Speaker 4 3:20

No, the headset we ran in the cars.

Speaker 1 3:22

Oh, I see.

Speaker 4 3:23

Yeah, I did SCCA and NASA racing for many years.

Speaker 1 3:26

You did and you're not involved in that anymore.

Speaker 4 3:29

Well, as you advance in years, your reflexes may be not.

Speaker 1 3:32

John, do we have to go there?

Speaker 4 3:34

You're refining all that stuff.

Speaker 1 3:36

That's right, that's right, we're refining it. Yeah, you've gone from the student to the teacher aspect of your career. Yes, to the teacher aspect of your career. Yes, we I have been. Yes, yes, grasshopper, grasshopper. So, um, what did you bring out here today?

Speaker 4 3:50

for us to today. I bought out my 1965 cobra daytona coupe replica. It's a factory 5 racing car.

Speaker 1 4:00

It's got a Wait a minute. A 65 Cobra Daytona Coupe, Uh-huh.

Speaker 4 4:05

It's a replica, it's not an original car. I've done well in life, but not that well.

Speaker 1 4:12

Yeah Well, I would imagine that real honest to God, 65 Cobra Daytona Coupe original would be worth what? A million bucks.

Speaker 4 4:22

Oh no, the last one that sold sold to a doctor in Philadelphia by the name of Dr Simone, and he paid $20 million for his car.

Speaker 1 4:34

What, so obviously he's got a lot of stupid money.

Speaker 4 4:37

Yeah, yeah, he's got stupid money. And the interesting thing about the car that Dr Simone has is it's the only one of the six original that hasn't been restored so there were only six original original built.

Speaker 1 4:50

Yes, sir so were they strictly a race car yes they were strictly a race car built by it was a shelby.

Speaker 4 4:57

It was built by carol shelby and his team. The guy that designed the body on the car was a man by the name of Peter Brock.

Speaker 1 5:04

I remember the name.

Speaker 4 5:05

Yeah, and he designed. The original design for the body was done on the floor inside Shelby's shop.

Speaker 1 5:14

Is it not a Mustang?

Speaker 4 5:16

No, no, no, it's a tubular frame car.

Speaker 1 5:18

Okay.

Speaker 4 5:19

It's not a re-bodied or re-skinned car. It's a tubular frame car.

Speaker 1 5:25

Wow.

Speaker 4 5:26

I'm driving around. I go to the grocery store in a full-on tubular frame race car.

Speaker 1 5:32

Is it mufflered?

Speaker 4 5:33

No, no, gosh, no, no, absolutely not. Why would I put mufflers on it? Why would I do that?

Speaker 1 5:39

Yeah, exactly have you ever got stopped because it had an open exhaust.

Speaker 4 5:45

No, Exactly. Have you ever got stopped because it had an open exhaust? No, no, no. Surprisingly enough, you bring up our wonderful law enforcement and surprisingly enough, I have found that most police are.

Speaker 1 5:55

Enamored by the car.

Speaker 4 5:56

Yeah, enamored, that's a good word to use. Yeah, so it's a lot of fun. It's definitely a different car.

Speaker 1 6:02

What kind of motor does it have in it?

Speaker 4 6:04

It's got a Gen 3. Does it have in it? It's got a gen three coyote in it. Puts out 500 horsepower.

Speaker 3 6:10

The car weighs 2,500 oh my wait to reach wait to well.

Speaker 1 6:15

how do you, how do you, how do you take off from a stoplight without, uh, squeaking the rubber on it?

Speaker 4 6:22

Okay, very gingerly and very slowly, If there's any. You can't drive the car when it's wet. Yeah, it doesn't go out in the rain.

Speaker 1 6:32

And what kind of tires do you claim to have on that?

Speaker 4 6:34

It's got Nitto X-Tremes on it right now.

Speaker 1 6:37

And those are street tires.

Speaker 4 6:38

Yeah, yeah, it's got street tires.

Speaker 1 6:40

Okay.

Speaker 4 6:40

Yeah, they're super soft. They're G2s, so they're pretty soft.

Speaker 1 6:44

Yeah, yeah, have you had it on a track? No no no, you've not taken it down there to the Motorsports Ranch or whatever it's called these days.

Speaker 4 6:56

Yeah, well, we might be taking it down there. Here I'm working on something to maybe be a pace car for some of the club racing with it possibly, but I didn't build a car for competition.

Speaker 1 7:10

I built a car to bring it out to shows.

Speaker 4 7:15

I know, but how do you have a car like that and not sling it around the corner a couple of times?

Speaker 3 7:24

Well, let's say that in the area there are opportunities that have presented themselves. He's such a liar. Let's just fill the groceries. All the groceries go tumbling over.

Racing Stories and High-Speed Adventures

Speaker 4 7:30

No, I've had the car do 160. I ran out of road, I didn't run out of car 160?

Speaker 1 7:37

Yeah, that would be more than a quarter mile. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, so it wasn't at a straight strip that you had it up to 160. You had it on a straightaway.

Speaker 4 7:48

Yes, it was a very straight paved surface that may or may not have been a public road.

Speaker 1 7:54

I see that might have been an airport.

Speaker 4 7:56

Could have been. Could have been lots of different things. There's lots of different places where you could drive that fast.

Speaker 1 8:01

Yes, I know, if you're looking for them, you'll find them.

Speaker 4 8:03

Yeah, maybe not necessarily on the public road.

Speaker 1 8:06

Yeah, is this your first time to come to a Tailpipes and Tacos.

Speaker 4 8:10

Yeah, this is my first time here.

Speaker 1 8:11

yeah, Well, welcome.

Speaker 4 8:13

Yeah, I'm having a great time so far.

Speaker 1 8:15

Well, that's good. And hey you're on the In Real Time Car Talk Show from now until eternity.

Speaker 4 8:24

Okay, that's cool. It's on the Internet, it is on the.

Speaker 1 8:27

Internet. It's on our website, it's on Facebook, it's on YouTube, right, it's on all of those things, so you'll be able to go back and watch and listen to your famous debut here on the In Real Time Car Talk Show.

Speaker 4 8:40

Well, I feel like a real celebrity now.

Speaker 1 8:43

Well, you are, yeah, well, uh, so is this your only race car or show car, or whatever you want categorize?

Speaker 4 8:50

it as yeah, yeah, this is really my. This is my fastest car that I own yeah, yeah, I have.

Speaker 1 8:56

What do you have for a daily driver if you've got this car stashed away? I?

Speaker 4 9:00

have a 2006 mustang three valve car. I've got, uh, I have a 2006 Mustang three-valve car. I have a retired 1988 Mustang race car. I've got a Thunderbird, a clapped-out Jeep. Everybody's got to have the clapped-out Jeep, absolutely.

Speaker 1 9:19

Yeah, there's a guy out there by me I'm going. You know, I can't even imagine when the last time he washed that thing, because it's so old that it has rust remnants from the rain that has fallen. Right right, yeah, right well I.

Speaker 4 9:36

I cured all those kinds of problems with my jeep. I painted it in bed liner, so ah, who cares?

Speaker 1 9:43

yeah, I got you, yeah yeah, and you know there are companies that actually do that and they yeah yeah I, I did not know that I do so. Huh, you can actually do it yourself yeah, well, the professional way would, if you want to have it looking good, uh, with a consistent finish on it oh no, there's nothing consistent or looking good on this. Jeep. I see, was it a rattle can job. Yeah, yeah yeah, it was a rattle, can yeah?

Speaker 4 10:07

yeah, yeah, I bought the car. I bought the Jeep that way.

Speaker 2 10:11

I see.

Speaker 4 10:12

Everything got sprayed.

Speaker 1 10:14

The fenders, the mirrors, the steering wheel, everything.

Speaker 4 10:16

Everything on the exterior got sprayed with that liner. So, yeah, we tow that behind our motor coach.

Speaker 1 10:25

Gotcha.

Speaker 4 10:25

And that way, when the rocks come up, who cares? Sure and not a problem, yep who cares?

Speaker 1 10:29

So do you live out here in the Katy area?

Speaker 4 10:32

I live west of here. I live where well, where I live, used to be the middle of nowhere but, now it's somewhere apparently.

Speaker 1 10:40

Yes, yes, I have a friend. Well, we go out to the Hemi Hideout. Yes, yes, I have a friend. Well, we go out to the Hemi Hideout.

Speaker 4 10:45

Have you ever been out to the Hemi Hideout in Brookshire? Oh yeah, I know John.

Speaker 1 10:47

Okay, Well, you know that used to be out of town.

Speaker 4 10:51

Yeah.

Speaker 1 10:51

It's not out of town anymore.

Speaker 4 10:53

Yeah, I live just north of Hemi Hideout.

Speaker 1 10:55

Okay. Yeah, just a few miles north of it, yeah, out there by the massive Amazon warehouse and all those huge warehouses that they're building out there.

Speaker 4 11:04

Oh, yeah, and Tesla's going to be putting a warehouse up out there pretty soon. I think they may have already gotten it up and selling stuff out of it. Yeah, so yeah, we've lived out there for 30 years.

Speaker 1 11:17

Have you really? Yeah, yeah. And so you had to buy into the future when you but you didn't look at the future. When you bought out there, you were going to buy out in the country.

Speaker 4 11:30

No, no, I did real estate development.

Speaker 1 11:35

Oh, you did, Okay, yeah, so you saw the city moving out there to you, yeah, 30 years ago, because it was kind of Right, Well, 20 years ago we bought almost 100 acres and then developed a subdivision. Gotcha, and you live in that subdivision. No, no.

Speaker 4 11:57

Are you close to that subdivision, Sort of kind of?

Speaker 1 11:59

Yeah, out of the general area, right right.

Speaker 4 12:01

I live on other acreage, gotcha.

Speaker 1 12:03

Yeah, I don't mean to get too personal, I just find it fascinating oh it, it, it.

Speaker 4 12:09

It was a very interesting ride and the good news is is that it afford. It affords me now to do things like this yellow car. The yellow car is a very, very unique car. There's lots of people that have built these kids okay, and every kit car that's built is different no two of them are the same.

Speaker 1 12:33

Did you seek a kit car out? When yes, you sought one out and you sought that car out.

Speaker 4 12:39

Yes, I specifically wanted to build this car.

Speaker 1 12:43

Gotcha.

Speaker 4 12:44

It's got like I said it's got a Gen 3 Coyote in it.

Speaker 1 12:49

Who made the kit?

Speaker 4 12:50

It's a Factory 5 racing.

Speaker 1 12:52

Oh yeah, Out of Waterham Massachusetts.

Speaker 4 12:55

It's owned by a guy named David Smith. Yeah, it's a very interesting car. It's a tubular frame, it's IRS in the rear, rear air conditioning, heater, power steering really yeah yeah, it's all a and hard. It's either a in line or hard line.

Speaker 1 13:13

Got a big oil cooler that's got a fan on it, that's so it was done the right way and it was done to put on the street yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 13:21

it was done to be a very unique car and it has a lot. I added a lot of things to the car that didn't come with the kit to make it more user-friendly and more drivable.

Speaker 1 13:33

Did you put your CB radio in it, sir?

Speaker 4 13:35

No, there's no radio. Yeah, you're not. No, it's an earplug car. Okay, gotcha, you're not hearing anything. You're either wearing headsets on the intercom or you're uh, I, I usually wear earbuds and my radio is my phone. Sure, my earbuds absolutely yeah, the noise canceling earbuds. Yeah, it's the loudest car that I've ever been in did I hear it come in this morning? Oh, why?

Speaker 4 14:01

yeah, you might not have known it, but yeah, you heard it coming okay, trust me, yeah, yeah yeah, you don't sneak up on anybody in this car just checking, yeah, well, well listen, it's great to meet you well, it was nice being able to spend some time with you guys today and talk about the yellow car a little bit. A lot of people ask me if the car has a name and the name of the car is the all in capital letters and people ask me, why is it that name? Well, because Carroll Shelby in on another manufacturer suit performance. He wrote, and they don't have it up there anymore. I tried to look for it the other day but he had all the different colors that coupes had been painted the, the classic colors that the teams used in their livery when they were being raced.

Car Show Preparation Tips

Speaker 4 14:49

And at the very end of it he says if you want your Daytona coupe to stand out, v in capital letters, color of choice is yellow, so I painted it a Ferrari yellow. So when I go to shows and Ferrari guys are there, I can make a statement to them that they may not necessarily like it.

Speaker 1 15:11

That's a personal thing. Yeah, kind of rub it in a little bit. Yeah, just a little yeah.

Speaker 4 15:17

So the car is painted a Medina yellow.

Speaker 1 15:21

Medina.

Speaker 4 15:22

Medina yellow.

Speaker 1 15:23

Okay, very nice. Well, it's a pleasure to have you on the show this morning.

Speaker 4 15:27

Well, thank you for that.

Speaker 1 15:28

Great to meet you and we'll be looking for the car and we'll be sure and take a snapshot of it.

Speaker 4 15:34

Oh, please do. Yeah, we will Please do. I appreciate your time today and the opportunity, man. Yeah, thank you.

Speaker 1 15:39

Thank you, john Thurman, with the 65 Cobra Daytona Coupe replica Bad to the bone, I might add Coming up, jeff has the cruise in and events calendars and I'll have the stories making automotive news headlines. I think we're going to do something. I don't know, we'll figure it out, but we've got more of the show coming up right after this quick break. You've waited all winter and it's finally here the Tailpipes and Tacos Spring Cruise Inn. It's been a while, but the popular Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise Inn returns to the Loopy Tortilla Tex-Mex in Katy, saturday, april 19th. 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 inn of the year Tailpipes and Tacos Saturday, april 19th, 8 to 11 am. 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 Kingsland 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.

Speaker 1 16:46

Spring is here and what better way to celebrate than with a free taco at Tailpipes Tacos Saturday, april 19th, 8 to 11 am. The In Wheel Time Car Talk Show will be there too. We hope to see you then. Come on out. Be sure to follow the In Wheel Time crew. When we join the Hot Rod Tour of Texas beginning next Thursday evening in Victoria, in Wheel Time will be there to give you a taste of the three-day trek.

Speaker 1 17:11

Next Saturday's live two-hour show will come to you from the Houston stop at Spindletap Brewery, beginning at 10 am. You'll be able to get a feel of 300 plus cars traveling the back roads of Texas from Victoria to Madisonville. We hope you check into Facebook, youtube and InWheelTimecom for live updates as we take the Hot Rod Tour of Texas beginning next Thursday evening. Come join us All righty. Welcome back to the InWheelTime Car Talk Show. And, as you just heard, inwheeltime hits the road literally when we join the Hot Rod Tour of Texas April 26th. Check out our link to the website through inrealtimecom. Thanks for being with us today, and I did want to bring in Jeff, who's going to do his car culture with car show season prep. And are you ready to?

Speaker 3 18:03

do that. Yeah, we're just going to have a couple of technical things here.

Speaker 1 18:06

Yeah, absolutely. Why are we having technical issues? Because we're where we are, okay All right, you ready Michael. Okay, I don't think that his microphone is up where it needs to be, but at any rate, here's Jeffrey.

Speaker 3 18:19

All righty so items to bring to a car show. So what's the difference between a car show and a cruise in? Car shows are more formal and commonly require a fee for everyone involved. They're usually prizes, vendors, food, music, all that good stuff, swap meets, cruise ins are a lot less formal and most likely entail a smaller group of people. What about cleaning supplies? If you're going to take your car to a classic car, to a car show, it's important to make it look clean as possible. Get off all that little nature dew out there and spectators around you and appreciate that.

Speaker 1 18:49

I have natural dew. There you go.

Speaker 3 18:51

It's very easy to get caught up and bring too many supplies and obsess about the way the car looks. Remember it's okay to clean your car, but some people aren't going to see all that minuscule dirt that you're trying to get off there anyways. Extra towels Some people argue it's good to take extra towels cleaning supplies but that's actually under a cleaning supply category. Extra towels are always good, they're handy, but the biggest reason is in case you get that extra storm or a little cloud burst over you, that kind of messes up your day. Usually sunny, sunny skies will go forward, can.

Speaker 1 19:24

I just interject something. I want to say that, while you're in that section of your review, that the greatest thing that John Gray ever sent me to was what they call a rinseless car wash Yep, and it works wonders. Two buckets, one with the rinseless car wash juice in it and the other one is a clear water rinse for your rag and man. You can wash your car without a hose, and it was uh, it was truly an eye-opener for me. So there's a little suggestion for you.

Speaker 3 19:57

There you go uh also antifreeze and coolant. Middle of summer day gets really hot, especially in certain parts of the country. You may be uh unlucky is to have your car parked right in the middle of a field with zero shade. There have been several times. The worst case scenario is that cars will overheat. Summer heat usually is very kind to cars, but especially older cars. You have to be careful of them. Folding chairs, walk around a little bit, you get tired. You can come back and have a little si uh, siesta behind your car, have a, you know, get to load off your feet. Uh, also pictures. Bring pictures, photo albums, anything that you've done in the past with it. Some feel like they travel back in time. Uh, it's always good to have those and get some conversation going. Awards and trophies, like we're here today at lupe tortilla. Bring your trophies and awards. People like to see those things. It's a kudos to you. Sunscreen I always bring sunscreen because if you're in the sun and you bring pets too, make sure that the pets are covered.

Speaker 1 20:51

Hey, you know what I found out this week about sunscreen? Did you know that it actually has an expiration date on it?

Speaker 3 20:56

Yeah, they do.

Speaker 1 20:57

I did not know that because the older that it gets, the less effect that it has right, cash.

Speaker 3 21:03

Bring cash too, because a lot of times you need to pay cash to get into the show, uh, to do the entry fee and also to pay off the judges and if I'm a judge you're going to bring a lot of cash. Coolers and drinks, don't worry about that. You just make sure you throw your, your cold soda pops in there, your iced teas and maybe occasional adult beverage. You can throw those in the back of that. Cooler. Extra, extra tools Always bring an extra 10-millimeter socket in case you lose one. Older cars have different ways of running and you know they kind of poop out all the time. So bring a lot of extra tools.

Speaker 1 21:36

Is that a?

Speaker 2 21:36

technical term. That's a technical term, poop out.

Speaker 3 21:39

Poop out all the time. So there you go. Make sure you're prepared, bring some of those things with you.

Speaker 1 21:45

I try to do that. I don't bring a lot when it comes to tools. What can I do on the Corvette on the road? Not much. Call the wrecker, maybe that's true. Well, aaa is a good thing.

Speaker 3 21:57

Also safety kit. Safety kit, yeah, first aid kit.

Speaker 1 22:03

That's what I'm trying to say Bring a first aid kit.

Speaker 3 22:05

That's what I'm trying to say. Bring a first aid kit.

Speaker 1 22:06

Yeah, those are two, Not necessarily for you but for someone else who might have an injury or stubbed your toe. Well, one of the things that I did put in the Corvette because of Robert B McIntyre who had a carburetor fire under the hood of his 69 Corvette and it was bad and it was bad. It burned up all the wires in the car and did considerable damage to the paint and under the hood before we finally got it out. So just a small fire extinguisher is always a good little thing.

Speaker 3 22:36

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 1 22:38

Because if it doesn't run, hey, at least it's not going to burn up.

Speaker 3 22:42

And know somebody with a tow truck.

Ford Maverick Lobo Review

Speaker 1 22:43

Yeah, exactly All right time now for this hour's car review. Mr mars has a look at the maverick ford lobo los lobos all wheel drive.

Speaker 2 22:56

Just thought I'd throw that in there. There you go. So this is the uh, it's a new trim level for 2025. The maverick's been around for a couple of years now, but but it's now the new trim level. It was. Final assembly point is in Sonora Mexico. Now it comes in five trim levels an XL, xlt, lariat, trimmer and the new Lobo. The Lobo is more of their sport truck, if you will, but with the trimmer being styled towards the off-road target. So it is an all-wheel drive. It's classified as a small pickup. It will seat five, it says.

Speaker 2 23:34

Now this is again the logo edition and so it's got a lot of features that are particularly for that trim level. It's got the black grille and the new thing they did the Ford emblem. Instead of being blue, the blue oval, it's now a black oval with white lettering and it looks really good on a solid black vehicle. It's on the wheels as well. I've got the body, body colored, door handles got painted bumpers, painted rockers underneath and again the black ford ovals. Now this is a lower pickup. It's lowered a half inch in the front and one and a half in the back to give it a little more sport styling, because that's the market it's targeted at. Got power side mirrors that are heated. Got a power tailgate lock. You know you lock the doors, it locks that as well. Got a moonroof.

Speaker 2 24:20

It's on some nine team by 7.5 style a wheels is what they call them. Basically it's the smooth look. It's like kind of like the 70s and 80s turbo fan style, if you will. A lot of the european things. Yeah, it's kind of like a centerline. 17 inch wheels are standard, so this again is the optional that comes with this package. Got a lot of other things off the shelf, like the mock e struts up front. Got the focus st uh braking parts in the braking system, so they used a lot of those parts to kind of make it more of a sport truck. And uh, the interior, very much kiss principle. It's very simple. Uh, it's got the activix highlight high end synthetic trimmed the kiss, the kiss.

Speaker 1 25:03

That would be the keep it simple, stupid method yes well they were.

Speaker 2 25:08

They broke up. I hate to tell you, jeff, did they? Yes, did, and uh. Front row has got the bucket seats. The second row has got the flip-up with the storage underneath, which has got quite a bit of storage under there. Surprisingly, it's got a 13.2-inch touchscreen in the center stack, which is new it's larger for this year Digital driver info screen. The door panels on it are kind of unique in that they're kind of half panels. They've got a lot open so you can actually put a large water bottle in that storage area. But when you go to grab it to close you've got to look what you're grabbing for. Now. When you get again into the interior, go to the engine. Up under the hood you're going to find a 2.0 liter EcoBoost. Now this is a turbocharged engine 250 horsepower, 277 pound-feet of torque, ecoboost.

Speaker 1 25:57

EcoBoost 77 pound feet of torque. Eco boost, eco boost, uh-huh. Or echo. Okay, you say, is that what I'm hearing? An echo?

Speaker 2 25:59

yeah, theoretically yeah, and it uniquely it's backed by a seven speed transmission. And again, this is supposed to support that sport driving concept about pulling it down and trying to make it things, uh, make it a little more sporty. Uh, the regular Maverick has an 8-speed automatic in it. Now the regular Maverick can be equipped to tow 4,000 pounds, but because of the difference they've done in the suspension on the Lobo, it'll only tow 2,000 pounds. Now it will load up 1,045 pounds on it, so it can still carry some weight in it. The EPA says you should be looking for 21 miles to the gallon in the city, 30 out on the highway and combined 24. And I drove this vehicle 214.5 miles so far and I'm getting 22.5 miles per gallon overall. I'm quite happy with that.

Speaker 2 26:46

Now, it is a real small truck. It's smaller than the Ford Ranger and they talk about it as a small truck, but it's got that feel to it as being a small truck. The ride's a little bit stiff, it sits a little bit lower because of the low bow suspension and it actually has got a little bit better road banners, I think, than the maverick. I'd like to have go back to the drive the maverick right behind it, just to kind of double check it. Um, but it's definitely geared more to that. I think biggest problem I have with it I think it's tires, because it's more of an all-terrain tire, which I don't know why they didn't put a sports tire on it, if that's what they want it to be is a sports truck. So I think if I had it I'd have to change the tires.

Speaker 1 27:20

Did you call them and ask them?

Speaker 2 27:22

No, I did not. Okay, I'm still driving it. I wanted to wait until I got through. They might.

Speaker 1 27:27

Say okay, well, we'll just take it back then. Yeah, we'll fix that. You don't like it. We're coming to get it.

Speaker 2 27:34

So the base trim price on the Maverick is $26,995. Now the base model price which, again into the top tier of the trim and everything that goes on them, it's $40,750. We had a couple options that kind of went on top of that. Lobo trim brought our MSRP up to $42,345.

Speaker 1 27:54

Okay.

Speaker 2 27:55

Now, if you're looking for something to compare that to, again trying to stay a little more on the street, hyundai Santa Cruz starts at $30,200. The Nissan Frontier which they still sell it surprisingly $32,050. And the Honda Ridgeline the big one $40,150 is where it starts. So this is actually a throwback to a small truck. They've done a lot of things to make it feel like and look like a small truck Not quite as small as they used to be, but it's the ideas there. So if you're looking for a small truck, this might be one you can finally look at and say, yeah, it's a real small truck.

Final Segment and Outro

Speaker 1 28:28

Okay, well, thank you. The In Wheel Time Car Talk Show will continue right after this quick break. You own a car you love. Why not let Gulf Coast Auto Shield protect it? Houstonian John Gray invites you to his state-of-the-art facility to introduce you to his specialist team of auto enthusiasts. We promise you'll be impressed. Whether you're looking to massage your original paint to a like-new appearance, apply a ceramic coating, install a paint protection film, nano-ceramic window tint or new windshield protection called ExoShield, gulf Coast AutoShield is where Houston's car people go. Curbed your wheels. Instead of buying new, why not have them repaired? How about a professionally installed radar detector? Gulf Coast AutoShield does that too. Get a peek inside the shop and look at the services offered by getting online and heading to gcautoshieldcom. Better yet, stop by their facility at 11275 South Sam Houston Tollway, just south of the Southwest Freeway, and get a personal tour. Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your place to go for all things exterior. Call them today 832-930-5655 or gcautoshieldcom. 832-930-5655 or gcautoshieldcom.

Speaker 1 29:34

The award-winning In Wheel Time Car Talk Show now reaches 5.3 million folks each year. Check us out on inwheeltimecom, the Odyssey Radio app, youtube, facebook and just about every other entertainment source out there, including our live broadcast every Saturday 10 to noon Central Time. The In Wheel Time Car Talk Show has informative automotive guest interviews, new car reviews, along with popular features, including Jeff's Car Culture, the latest new cars, cruise ins and racing dates. It's InWheelTimecom. Join us. 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 InWheelTimecom website. Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, spotify, stitcher, iheart Podcast, podcast Addict TuneIn, pandora and Amazon Music. Keep listening and we'll see you soon.