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A No-Reserve Mecum Bid Turns Setback Into A Dream Convertible

• In Wheel Time Podcast | Automotive talk with Don Armstrong, Michael Marrs, and Jeff Dziekan • Season 2026 • Episode 56

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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 the origin story. Charlie lost a Buick Skylark GS to Hurricane Harvey, then took a friend’s advice to get out of the house and head to the Mecum auction. He targeted a no-reserve Chevelle, landed it for $42,000 plus fees, and realized the final paperwork was being signed with a check that matched what he’d just been paid for the flooded car. We also dig into the details that spark real debate in the classic car world: Baldwin decals that hint at dealer-era performance culture, an automatic column-shift setup, optic lighting, and a bench seat mystery that points across the street to Buick. 

Then we zoom out to everything else car people care about. We run through the racing calendar with NHRA, NASCAR at Darlington, IndyCar, and Formula 1 schedule updates.

 “This Week in Auto History” connects Ford’s moving assembly line to the explosion of car culture, then tracks big-block milestones and the Clean Air Act’s impact on muscle cars before efficient icons like the Honda Civic took off. 

We finish with straight automotive news: Honda’s shifting EV plans around the Prologue and a Hyundai engine recall lawsuit that shows how costly recall decisions can get. 

Subscribe, share this with a fellow car nerd, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the best classic car comeback story you’ve ever seen?

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Welcome From Loopy Tortilla

Don Armstrong

Welcome to another In-Wheel Time podcast. This is your place for all things automotive, the award-winning In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show today, coming to you from the Loopy Tortilla Tex-Mex in Beaumont, Texas. Yeah, it's tailpipes and tacos just ahead. This week's recalls and what it's sold for. Later, Mars has This Week in Auto History. Jeff has the racing calendar, and I'll get you caught up on the stories of making automotive news headlines. Howdy, along with Mike out of this world, Mars, who always takes a lot from all of us. We blame everything on him. The good stuff we still love him. Yeah. The good stuff we don't really get pay much attention to, but if there's something goes wrong, it's his fault. But we figured that he has been beaten down so many years by being married, and I have some experience in that department too, that I figured you're used to it by now.

Mike Marrs

Pretty much, yeah. I'm sitting here going, this guy living my life or what?

Don Armstrong

Exactly. We also we always need more Jeff Zegner. Chief Engineer David Ainsley is with us today. I'm Don Armstrong. Glad you could join us. Thank you very much. The sunshine is out, and somebody else showed up from TechStot or one of their subcontractors to join the other one person working on the damned I-10 highway over there.

Jeff Dziekan

And he's leaning on it, so we know he's working. But there we go. He's leaning on it. Yeah, he's working.

Mike Marrs

Yeah.

Don Armstrong

What did you say? What did you say?

Mike Marrs

I was gonna say I saw a hi-ho move over there. Somebody's digging some dirt. So a hi-ho. What is a hi-ho? It's a real tall backhoe. Okay, you should have said a real tall backhoe.

Don Armstrong

Oh, so you know, but but you know, you don't have to you have to give him a little yeah, you have to give him a little break because he is from Neeterville, and that's in the area.

Meet Charlie’s 1968 Chevelle SS

Jeff Dziekan

Oh, hi-ho. See, who's our guest? Well, that's another story.

Don Armstrong

All right, uh, time now for our guest in the studio. We have an actual participant in today's cruise in. Mr. Mars, would you introduce our guest?

Mike Marrs

Yes, sir. This is Charlie Domain. He is the proud owner of this white 1968 Chevelle SS drop top convertible, no less. That uh beautiful car setting over here, and he's going to share with us what he knows about his car. And what's his name again? Charlie Domain. Charlie. Domain. Yep. Really? Not to be confused with Buddy Domain down in Groves, that's a drag racer, but this is Charlie.

Don Armstrong

Charlie, you got a really cool car. I don't know anything about you, but you got good taste in cars.

Mike Marrs

Thank you, sir.

Don Armstrong

Yeah.

Mike Marrs

Pull this up a little tighter there.

Don Armstrong

There you go. There you go. Perfect. Uh 68 Chevelle S is it you got the original motor in it? Yes, sir. It's a number matching car. It's a 396 numbers matching car. Yes, sir. Well, it's beautiful. Thank you. White, white. With a black interior. Black interior. Bench seat. And yes, and you're going to talk about that. And the top is white or black? Black. Black. Good for you. Yep. You're the man. You keep it in the garage? Yes, you do. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Under a cover.

SPEAKER_02

Under a cover. Do you do you drive it very much? I usually go to car shows on the weekend. Like this one. Yeah. And special events. I mean, uh something for the kids. Uh go to Calderwoods, you know, for the senior people, and we have a little get together there once a year. What do you mean the senior people? You mean what do you think we look like? High school seniors. High school seniors. Yeah. Still wear mini skirts.

Mike Marrs

There you go. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

Don Armstrong

They don't even make those anymore. I don't know.

Jeff Dziekan

They still wear them. What are you talking about?

Hurricane Harvey And A Lost Classic

Don Armstrong

Yeah. Well, never mind. Um, Charlie. I I I I know you told us the story earlier off the air. Yeah. So I want to let share everybody, share with everybody the story of this car.

SPEAKER_02

I had another old car in uh Hurricane Harvey. Wanted it more than I did. Uh-oh.

Don Armstrong

Oh, Hurricane Harvey.

SPEAKER_02

So it they they took it, and then my car buddy enthusiast told me, Let's just go to Meekham. I said, Well, I said, I really don't need to go to Meekham. I got a house to put together and a lot of damage. They said, Well, you need to take your mind off of it. Go to Meekham.

Jeff Dziekan

And bring your checkbook.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Are you married, Charlie? Yes, sir. Okay. Been married 54 years. Good for you. There you go. I know y'all was talking about that a while ago, but it it don't change. Well, that's good to know.

Don Armstrong

We need to have uh knowing that. Confirmation that we've got to look forward to. So anyway, continue on.

SPEAKER_02

We went to Meekham and I I targeted the car well I looked on online first and I picked out the car I wanted. And uh collision specialist David Fetter went with me and he picks out cars, he buys cars from Meekham a lot. But anyway, we targeted.

Don Armstrong

Is he buying for other people or buying it?

SPEAKER_02

No, buys them for himself. He's got his own car collection going on.

Don Armstrong

All right.

SPEAKER_02

So we targeted that car and it came up during the lunchtime. It's a no reserve. No reserve. No reserve. And we bid on it, and I actually wanted it$42,000.

Don Armstrong

You got that car for$42,000.

SPEAKER_02

Well, you but you got to pay them 10% in an auction fee. I understand. So then when I was signing the papers over, I started smiling, and the lady says, What's so funny? I said, Well, this is the exact check I just got paid for my other classic car that flooded. So I really got a nicer car, you know.

Baldwin Clues And Dealer Mod Talk

Don Armstrong

So that worked out well. It just moved around now. Um I asked you, I said, so is it a frame off restoration? Because that paint job on that car is really nice. You don't know. I don't know that, no, sir. And and it also has a special sticker on it that I believe one of our my two partners here noticed that if it is one of those cars, we have no way of I've that's been asked about many times.

SPEAKER_02

It's got a Baldwin sticker on the rear on the tail panel, like they sold it, and it's got a Baldwin tune sticker on the valve cover. Wasn't Baldwin Chevrolet, weren't they in Pennsylvania?

Mike Marrs

I thought they were in Detroit.

SPEAKER_02

No.

Mike Marrs

I was I was thinking East Coast, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02

New York New York, yeah.

Mike Marrs

New York, yeah. They were in New York.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. I could tell by the accent it was something up there. And they was probably the forerunner of the Copo Camaros and stuff. Uh Yanko makes them, you know, they they were just a dealership that did their own thing. Right. Right. You know, put the bigger motor in it. Uh so yeah. But I I have no way of proving it or disproving it.

Don Armstrong

Right. But it was a numbers matching car. It is a numbers matching car. Chances are that there's maybe some truth behind all of that. Is it necessary? Is it called a four-speed? No, sir, it's automatic.

SPEAKER_02

It's an automatic, three-speed on the column. Three-speed on the column.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. That was individual.

The Buick Bench Seat Mystery

SPEAKER_02

It's got optic lighting on it, which was a tornado feature. Yeah. So that car's got it also. So that's why I'm thinking a dealership probably put that car together for somebody special ordered.

Don Armstrong

And uh you also mentioned the fact that uh it had uh bench seat in it. Tell the story about the bench seat.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, we if you look at the little number plate, uh bench seats, you break all the numbers down, and it it shows you the paperwork, and there's an asterisk at the bottom. It says Chevrolet did not offer a bench seat in '68, so they went across the street to the Buick plant and got a Buick seat and installed it. Buick offered a bench seat in the Skylark. I was just gonna say that, uh that's a Skylark body. Yeah, basically, yes.

Jeff Dziekan

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Uh-huh. They called them all A-bodies back then. General Motors called them all A bodies. A lot of the parts interchange. How does it look like underneath that car? Spotless, spotless.

Don Armstrong

Do you know how many miles it's got on it? What does the odometer say?

SPEAKER_02

Right now, the odometer said like 863. So it just turned over 100,000 miles in December of last year. So I don't know whether that's original, if it's 200,000, or you know, I mean, there's 60 years. Well, it's so well taken care of. Did has it ever been wrecked or bumped or not? Not that I can tell. No, sir.

Don Armstrong

Can't see anything.

SPEAKER_02

I've had body men look at it and they they finger the cracks and stuff and tell you all the door edges are just right. Uh you know, the putting it together, all the lines. Yep.

Mike Marrs

You baby that's it sure is pretty.

SPEAKER_02

I love about black and white car. I wash it and clean it and cover it up. Love it. Look at it, kiss it, kiss it, start it, rub on it.

Don Armstrong

Uh, four four-barrel carburetor on that 396. Yes, sir. Does it have cowl induction? No, sir. They didn't offer cowl induction 68. 69 is when they offered cowl induction. Yes, sir. Because somebody along the line, that would have been a big temptation to put a 69 hood on it because I think it would interchange. Yes, right. Whereas the front end, the grill and the fenders, they don't interchange. Because the way that the headlights and the bezels around the headlight go back into the wheel wave.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, that's the first year of the dual headlights.

Don Armstrong

Yeah. It's a beautiful car. Well, thank you. Yeah, really. I know you're proud of it. And you probably have idiots like me that want to know all about it and ask the same questions that I asked.

SPEAKER_02

Well, that's the that's the purpose of coming to the car show. You share that information. And they what you share what you know, and they share what they know, and it it all is a Chevelle Club? No, sir. You know, we don't have a Chevelle club in this area that I know of.

Jeff Dziekan

Or any club?

Retirement Life And Car Show Habits

SPEAKER_02

No, sir, no club, no. No, we have a lot of clubs, but uh I just go independently. Yeah. Retired, I don't have time for what did you do when you were working? I worked for Exxon Mobil. Mobil to start off with, and Exxon purchased it in 2000. And I retired from in 2007. You're a refinery. How long did you work there? Well, I went back for 10 years as a consultant, so I got all together at 37. Then I worked back, so I had 47 years total.

Mike Marrs

You you can quit now if you'd like. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I have. My age, age caught up with me. Did it? Yeah. But you are you enjoying your retirement? Yeah, I enjoy it. I do something to do all the time. People call me. My wife will say, Well, what are you gonna do today? Well, whoever calls first. Whoever calls needs something.

Don Armstrong

Hey Charlie, I need you to come over here and put this new manifold on this car. Will you help me? Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02

Is that the kind of thing? Or go to the beach and turn the water on or turn the water off or just you got a beach house? No, sir, I don't, but I have friends that have beach houses. You don't need to buy a beach house because you know everybody else that's got it.

Mike Marrs

It's kind of like having a beach house, it's like having a boat. You always want it, you have a friend that's got that.

SPEAKER_02

Here comes an old mobile retiree right here. There you go. And what did he drive today? Did he just come down here to have? What did you drive, Randy? What do you have today?

unknown

What's up?

SPEAKER_02

What'd you drive today?

unknown

A Durango.

Mike Marrs

A Durango. A Durango.

unknown

Going to Stingery restaurant.

Mike Marrs

Oh my god. Speaking of going to the beach, that's where he's headed. Stingery.

Don Armstrong

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. Well, that's why he drove the Durango. He doesn't want to mess up the good cars that he's got.

SPEAKER_02

Do you have any uh good cars? He's got numerous good cars. Does he? And he he helps people with built and mechanic work on them too. He's got a little restoration shop. But he didn't bring one.

Mike Marrs

He's gonna go to the damn beach. He's going 78 miles to eat dinner.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I think there might be a lady behind that.

Jeff Dziekan

Probably. If he's if he's going to dinner, he better leave now because that traffic's well, you know, it's supposed to be a nice warm day.

Don Armstrong

It is. I know in Houston it's supposed to be close to 90 degrees. I don't know about here, but it's probably something.

Road Trips And Local Car Culture

Mike Marrs

It'd be a little cooler down there on the bay because the restaurant's right there on the bay. Ah, the old bay. Yeah.

Don Armstrong

Yeah. Well, um, it it's uh it's interesting to talk to you because you know, uh, we talk to all sorts of different car people. Yeah, but uh there's something special about that particular age of automobile that we can all relate to.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

Don Armstrong

We all wanted that car that you have. Now, when you were working down there at Exxon Mobil, what'd you drive?

SPEAKER_02

Well, started out as driving a Volkswagen when I hired on. Yeah. And then I think I turned to a Toyota and maybe a Shivvy truck or a GMC truck. Just I keep them 10, 12, 15 years.

Don Armstrong

Yeah, I mean, did you have uh any hot rods back in that day?

SPEAKER_02

No, sir. No, I had I had motorcycles, four-wheelers, and jet skis. And kids. A wife and kids. A wife and kids. Yeah. I didn't get a classic car until after the family had left, and it was just something for me to do. So how long have you been into classic cars?

Don Armstrong

Because obviously you had one in Harvey.

SPEAKER_02

Uh maybe what was 2019. What was it? No, no, no, no. What was that car that got uh ruined by Harvey? It was a Buick Skylark Grand Sport. Well, hello. And then my buddies out there at the refinery. Here's a car like you had in high school, and it was in San Antonio, and I went and bought it, and but it was a convertible. You and your convertibles. Well, of course you got hair to cover up that head. Well, yeah, I mean it don't get messed up too often. Yeah. But I I also have a Volkswagen convertible. A little wheel.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, the cars. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Well, that was the high school car. Well, that's the car took took the motorcycle's place. The motorcycle flooded in Harvey, also. Isn't there a song, Jesus Take My Buick? You know what Jesus Take the Wheel, that's what it is.

Don Armstrong

Oh, that's right. Take the Buick. Well, it's a real pleasure to talk to you. It's an honor to do that. Yeah. And uh do you ever make it over to Houston? Just about once a month to go to a doctor.

Mike Marrs

Really? Yeah.

Don Armstrong

Well, you need to make that doctor's appointment right around Easter because you know they got another tailpipes in tacos. Yes, that's how I heard you talk about that. And uh the interesting thing about it is is that we're far enough away, different cars here. Sure. We love different cars.

Jeff Dziekan

Sure. You got any low riders coming in, the different stuff.

Don Armstrong

And that's not to say that we don't love everybody that has cars, but you know, you get to see the same cars because we're not we are all creatures of habit. Sure. And so we know that you're gonna see a lot of the same cars, but you come over here, it's a whole different world. So we need to get some of these cars, we need to intermingle, we need to coalesce, we need to love one another and take a little road trip early on a Saturday morning in the dark over to Houston.

SPEAKER_02

Well, we gotta we gotta worry about the price of gas. You know, maybe eight, nine miles to a gallon, you don't want to go very far. That's true.

Mike Marrs

Maybe we meet in the middle like an Annawak or someplace. Not I have no idea where that's at.

SPEAKER_02

You you go over there and you wait for everybody to show up and tell me how it worked for you. They have a car show in Annawak once a year to Gators, to Gator Fest.

Mike Marrs

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02

Well, Mars, I'll let you set that up.

Mike Marrs

We tried to do that one time when Danny Coker was coming down. He was gonna him and his band were gonna be there. Danny Coker. And we thought, well, that'd be a good time for us to go, but we just is he is he in jail still?

Don Armstrong

No, he was.

Mike Marrs

I think he's in jail. I see his reruns, I couldn't.

Don Armstrong

Well, I know because uh apparently he got sued by everybody and his mother.

Jeff Dziekan

Oh, I don't know about all that. I'm sure he did. They all get sued.

SPEAKER_02

His painter's from Waco. He comes down to a car show, the Carvet Club puts on here in Beaumont in September. Yeah.

Don Armstrong

Well, you know, there's another car show that I was uh telling Chase about. I can't remember the name of it, but it's up at College Station. And it happens in the early spring. I remember going up there with Michael Wooding when he had the uh Pontiac. And it's a big cruise in on a Saturday. Do you know what I'm talking about? Yes, sir. I've heard of it. I can't think of the name of it either. But uh it it it's not in one parking lot, it's in about a dozen parking lots in one area of town, and you go from here to here to here in any colour.

Mike Marrs

Almost like a woodward cruise type thing to take in that?

Don Armstrong

You kind of no, it's not a Woodward type cruise, it's a parking lot cruise.

Mike Marrs

Oh, okay.

Tailpipes And Tacos Event Details

Racing Calendar Highlights

Don Armstrong

But we're gonna find out, we're gonna get involved in that with uh the loopy tortilla because apparently that loopy tortilla that is in uh college station, it has parking lot from here all the way to Cady, Texas. Wow so uh we're in. Yeah, that's it. So we could readdress all of that problem that they've got over there. Charlie, it's great to talk to you. Nice talk to you guys. Thank you very much for stopping by and sharing your story. Yes, sir. We appreciate it. All right. Just ahead, Epicar. Jeff has the racing calendar and he's gonna talk about a muffler shop. Mars has this week in auto history, and I'll bring you this week's automotive news headlines. When the in-wheel time car talk show continues. The tailpipes and tacos renowned cruising expands to Boma. Bolton tropical cruisers will want to experience tailpipes and tacos at the Loopy Tortilla High Tent South in Boma near Washington Boulevard. Grab free loopy breakfast tacos with any donation to Shirley's kids. Enjoy a coffee or an adult beverage. Every cruising vehicle is automatically entered to win one of the beautiful chili pepper trophies for Best Hot Rod, Classic, and Modern Classic. Tailpipes and Tacos Baumont happens Saturday morning, March 21st, 8 to 11 a.m. If you're a car geek like we are, this is the event you'll want to attend. The Intel Time Cover Talk Show will be online live, and you may be interviewed about your ride. Talepipes and Tacos Baumont edition Saturday, March 21st, 8 to 11am, at the Loopy Tortilla 2050 I-10 South in Baumont. The Katie Tailpipes and Tacos happens Easter Saturday, April 4th, 8 to 11. The free tailpipes and tacos cruising is a production of Loopy Tortilla Tex Mex, Baumont and Katie. It's pretty good. Apple or Android InWheel Time podcasts can be found everywhere, on the stream and through downloads. Whether you're on the road or at home and Jones in for a different kind of car talk show, give in wheel time a try. Honest new car reviews, fun, informative interviews with real car people, weekly automotive news, features like Jeff's car culture and Mike's driving destinations, all on In Wheel Time. Check us out on Sirius XM Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or while you're shopping on Amazon through Amazon Music. Mm-hmm. InWheeltime.com has a list, and we know you love lists. Cruise in in Beaumont's loopy tortilla Tex-Mex. Thank you very much for joining us. Time now for the racing calendar, sponsored by the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.

Jeff Dziekan

Thank you for that. Hey, we got NHRA going on this weekend. It's the Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Sparkplugs. It's at the Firebird Motorsports Park in Maricopa Road in Chandler, Arizona. You got quite a compliment of all the racers going out there, top fuel. You got bikes and all that. It kinda is. And then you got indie car schedule. They're going to be uh on the end of this month as they're at Barber Motorsports Park. Uh good stuff to watch there. And then this weekend you've also got uh Darlington, Darlington, Darlington. You got NASCAR Cup, you got uh the O'Reilly trucks. I'm sorry, the O'Reilly uh cars, and then you got the Craftsman trucks. So they're all out in Darlington. Uh it's on a different channel. Darlington. Darlington. Uh and then you got Formula One schedule, which uh they got the Japanese Grand Prix on the 29th. And you know what? The Saudi Arabian uh I'm just gonna take that back, the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix have been canceled. Uh they're moving because of the conflict in the East. Because of bombs. Because of the East. Well, more of a terrorism thing. So that's pretty much it. Uh go support your local tracks, your local drag strips, your local circle tracks, all that stuff. Just go out and be a supporter.

Auto History From Assembly Lines

Don Armstrong

Okay. Uh I'm I'm a good supporter, an athletic supporter. There you go. Um, time now for this week in auto history, Mr. Morris.

Mike Marrs

Yes, sir. Got a few things here that we thought was really interesting this year, or this week in auto history. And uh we wanted to start off with March the 16th, 1913 was actually the first uh year that I was born? Yes. Where the heck did you go? There we go. Did you lose your place? Well, I can't see the light. I can't see what the light sun. Hold on. Here it is. There you go, Jeff. Thank you. How about it? Anyway, Mars is the 16th, 1913.

Don Armstrong

Look at that impact. You'll never see that. That's a 396 in power.

Mike Marrs

Anyway, I'm sorry. No problem. So Ford's moving assembly line just didn't change manufacturing. It made uh it made performance more potential. It cut the building time so it put more cars out and accessible to the masses, and people became enthusiasts overnight. So it expanded the whole car culture because there were more racers, more modifiers, and people that were just tinkering with their cars. And then when the aftermarket industry was developed, it really kicked things in. Now, in March 21st, 1952, mobile economy run, highlights efficient engineering. Now, this was really a marketing contest between the automakers. The objective was to win the title and show that your car had more uh excellence in the build and the quality of the engine, the quality of the car and how it rode and drove, and it was truly a marketing thing that in people used it for years and they win when they could win that title. Then March 18th, 1965, Chevrolet Mark IV Big Block V8 came out. Now, this is when Chevrolet pumped this out and got into the horsepower wars of the 1960s. They were big engines with big displacement and big torque. It became a favorite of drag racers and street machines. One of them was the 366 cubic inch, six point zero liter big block V eight engine. Primarily used for talking about no stinking liters back then. It was all cubic inch. 366 cubic inch.

Don Armstrong

Thank you. They know liters. We don't care about that.

Mike Marrs

No obla liters. Okay. So this is the big truck engine, and it found its way into a lot of race cars because it was built heavy duty. Now then came the 396 cubic inch engine. This was in the 1965 Corvette. It was an L78 option rated at 435 horsepower. Now you could also get a C Z16 Chevelle, and it came up with 375 horsepower. Now in the 1970s the 402 came out, and this was really just a 396 bored out by 30. And it wasn't that much larger, but they continued marketing as a 396 and putting it in smaller cars at the same time, which I did not know. Then March the 19th, the Chevrolet Cabaro was actually pulled out and codename was Panther. I thought that was rather interesting. It was built to compete with the Mustang. What they call it the Panther because a Panther, a Cabaro is a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs. That was the marketing thing. March 17, 1970, Clean Air Act pressure advanced reshaped performance cars. Basically, they killed the muscle cars when they did that. And uh they started shifting to the smaller cars, not necessarily brute performance performance, but everything fuel economy. Then in March the 21st, 1972, as a result of the Clean Air Act in 1970, the Honda Civic came in and it led the way for a lot of small cars that were more fuel efficient, and a lot of people went that way because of the high price of gasoline, car insurance, and everything else that went into killing off the muscle cars. Perfect.

Don Armstrong

What goes around comes around.

Mike Marrs

There you go. That was this week in automotive history.

Don Armstrong

Let me swallow this bite of taco here. All right.

Jeff Dziekan

They're good tacos, too, by the way. If you haven't come out here and enjoyed a taco, you need to get out here because they're good tacos. They've got all kinds, they've got chorizo ham and eggs, eggs, they got breakfast beverages.

Don Armstrong

And the tacos are free if you give a donation to Shirley's kids and Couture. And Stan will match that money. So um can't go wrong. Plus, it's a great car show. Yep. And you don't have to show a car, you can come out here and look at the car.

Mike Marrs

Yeah, come out and enjoy it. It's a free car show.

Hyundai Lawsuit And Recall Fallout

Don Armstrong

Honda is expected to pull the plug on its uh sole electric vehicle in the U.S., the prologue after the current production run ends in December. The automaker isn't planning a second generation of the mid-size crossover, which GM builds for Honda on a shared EV platform, according to industry forecaster Auto Forecast Solutions. Honda spokesperson declined to comment on future product plans, but said the prologue remains in the lineup. Thank you. Killing the prologue built in a GM factory in Mexico would mark the latest retreat in Honda's US EV push and cap a brief but volatile chapter for the brand's first major battery electric offering in the market. They are in some deep doo-doo. They are currently fifteen point eight billion dollars in write downs and expenses tied to the change in strategy going from ice engines to battery electric and now back to ice engines, and they have nothing that looks good, so I don't know what they're gonna do. I think they're looking for a buyer. Of all people, are you kidding me? Hyundai Motor America extorated by a judge for destroying evidence, was ordered to pay a Pennsylvania used vehicle dealership nearly$10 million after losing a key ruling in a fraud lawsuit that dates to 2019. Pennsylvania judge called out Hyundai for a filing baseless fraud lawsuit against two used car dealerships that bought 628 recalled 2011 to 2014 Hyundai Sonatas at auction between February 18 and March 19. Dealerships bought the vehicles with defective Theta 2 engines to Hyundai's franchise dealerships for engine replacement or buyback. It didn't come out, and uh the amount represents, let's see, part of the sanction for destruction of evidence. He ordered Hyundai to pay Knight, which is the name of the company, representing storage costs the dealership incurred for 163 recalled vehicles titled in Knight's name and still in its possession. The amount represents$25 a day for almost seven years. Wow. Dealer Christopher Pantella said in an affidavit. Honey, we called more than 1.6 million of those vehicles with the Theta 2 engine. They bought them thinking they were gonna, you know, put another engine in it and make some money. Guess what? Didn't work. That's some big doo-doo on that. Big duty on that.

Jeff Dziekan

There's a little thing going on here. They're trying to take pictures of the of the youngster.

Don Armstrong

What is that, a car? I don't have no idea.

Mike Marrs

It looks like it's got the light hand on it, but I can't really tell about the rest of it.

Don Armstrong

Well, Morris, I think that you need to get up, go over there, and find out what it is for all of us.

Mike Marrs

After I kick this commercial off when we go to break. Yeah, you don't want to be late on that. I don't want to be late. Don't be late.

Don Armstrong

Don't be late.

Mike Marrs

Don't be late. Again.

Don Armstrong

Again. And be sure and make bring the checklist and that piece of equipment that you keep leaving at the house.

Mike Marrs

I have it. It's in my pocket. It's in his pocket.

Don Armstrong

Did somebody bring it to you?

Mike Marrs

No. No, I had it in my pocket. The point that I left at the house is in my pocket. Oh my god. The other one's broke. We're shipping it back. And that's in the other pocket.

Don Armstrong

I don't want to know what's in his pockets. I can only imagine. Probably a whole. Yeah. Then there's a whole nother story too. There's a whole nother story to that.

Jeff Dziekan

Yeah. How many fingers you got in your pocket? 11.

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Katy Cruise-In Easter Promo

Gulf Coast Auto Shield Spotlight

Where To Watch And Listen

Don Armstrong

Oh my God. You know, there is that. All right, I'm done with all that. We'd love to hear from you. Shoot us an email. The address is info at nwheeltime.com. And we are back. The Easter bunnies coming. To the tailpipes and tacos cruise in at the Loopy Tortilla Text Max in Katie, April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m. And you're invited to. Bring the kids and grandkids. It's a cruise in like you've never attended before. With the donation to Shirley's Kids, you'll get a free Loopy Tortilla breakfast taco. There'll be coffee and adult beverages, plus chili pepper trophies for the best hot rod, best modern classic, and best classic. There's no entry fee and no registration. Just bring it ride and the kids. Bad bunnies aren't allowed, but the Easter bunny will be there, and he'll be full of joy to help make this Tail Pipes and Tacos a very special one. Photo opportunities abound. The NRL Time Car Talk Show will be streaming around the globe, and you can be selected to tell your car story to a global audience. It's the Tail Pipes and Tacos Cruise and Easter Medition, Saturday, April 4th, 8 to 11 a.m. at the Loopy Tortika Text Max in Katy, located on 99, the Grand Parkway, just south of I-10, the Katy Freeway, in Katy. Make plans now. Loopy Tortika is pretty good. You own a car you love. Well, 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 tent, or new windshield protection called Exoshield, Gulf Coast Auto Shield 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 Auto Shield does that too. Get a peek inside the shop and look at the services offered by getting online and heading to gcautoshield.com. 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 gcautoshield.com. That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheeltime 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.

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Don Armstrong

Host
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Jeff Dziekan

Co-host
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Michael Marrs

Co-host