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I’M A UNITER w/Reggie Rocko
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Join us on this episode of Drive Radio, where we explore critical automotive topics ranging from winter driving tips to understanding the intricacies of vehicle registration. As the winter season officially begins, we bring you expert advice on ensuring your vehicle is ready for the colder months ahead. Our listeners call in to share their concerns and experiences dealing with common car problems, offering valuable insights for both novice and seasoned drivers alike.
SPEAKER 17 :
It’s 106 miles to Chicago. We’ve got a full tank of gas. It’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses. Hit it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Our lady of blessed acceleration, don’t fail me now.
SPEAKER 09 :
It’s time for Drive Radio, presented by Colorado’s select auto care centers.
SPEAKER 06 :
Ba-ba-da-ba!
SPEAKER 09 :
Whether you need help diagnosing a problem. I want to ask you a bunch of questions, and I want to have them answered immediately. Or just want to learn about all things automotive.
SPEAKER 08 :
Hey, how exactly does a positive track rear end on a Plymouth work?
SPEAKER 09 :
It just does. Then you’ve come to the right place. So start your engines, buckle up, and get ready to ride. Drive Radio starts now on KLZ 560 The Source.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, here we are, guys. Drive Radio, KLZ 560. Last show, by the way, of 2025. Of course, we’ll be back in 2026, but we’ll take a couple of weeks off here as we go through the holidays. Myself, Josh Goff from Ridgeland Auto Brokers up in Boulder and, of course, Legacy Automotive. Thanks. Thank you. Welcome. Glad you’re here. Here with us on Fix It Radio. Already had a good morning with you. Exactly. Mark Ernst from Accountable with us as well. Mark, good morning. Good morning. You know, when I got up this morning, guys, and went outside, it was actually warmer than it is right now.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, it’s gotten colder.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, it’s gotten colder. Yes, I was up at, I don’t know, it was outside about 630 or so this morning. And as the sun was coming up a little bit, speaking of, so today is the day. Winter officially starts. We gain daylight hours now every day here after. So it’s a great day, the best day, because we start going the other direction now. So I want more daylight each day. So, yes, we are going to head in that direction. But, guys, we’ll get after it. Phones open. By the way, lines are open, 303-477-5600. The text line, 307-200-8222. And I’ve had a lot of text messages this morning because of what we talked about on – Fix-It Radio with the power outages and so on. So thank you. Keep those coming in, by the way. I’ll answer them as quickly as I can. I know sometimes it’s hard for me to do over juggling everything. But if you text me, trust me, I’m reading it. I’ll respond as quickly as I can. And I’m working on, by the way, for 2020. is somebody that might be able to sit in the studio with us on the weekends and read those messages so that i’m not handling all of those myself so i’m working on that as we speak to try to help that out to make that even more interactive than what it is right now so a few things i’m working on for next year so yes we will definitely be back in 2026 never fear about that john and cheyenne you are first today go ahead hey good morning john good morning if i don’t get a chance hey thank you sir
SPEAKER 17 :
So I got to give a shout out to Pat at Alltech. Okay. Quick story. Took the wife’s truck in to get the tires rotated. Big O said it needed a whole bunch of front end work. Don’t trust Big O. Took it to my regular mechanic, and he said it was nothing, but there was a shake in the front end. He said it didn’t see anything, but the tires maybe need to be balanced and aligned. So he did that. But it was still there. And, of course, my wife forgets to tell me when she’s having an issue with her truck. So I have to drive it once a month.
SPEAKER 04 :
Gotcha. You know what I mean? No, that makes sense. No, absolutely. I get it.
SPEAKER 17 :
So I said, well, let me get a third opinion. Trusted John. Took it down to Pat. It wasn’t cheap. But he found a bunch of stuff wrong with the front end.
SPEAKER 15 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 17 :
So… they did great work uh i’m driving the truck now as a matter of fact front end’s perfect after he did it he did of course an alignment straight and narrow and uh you know went over but what really impressed me i don’t know if your other shops use it as much is the detail in the diagnostics that he sent me online i mean it was phenomenal with pictures and videos and So it was really, really nice. So big shout-out to Pat at Alltech.
SPEAKER 04 :
Nice.
SPEAKER 17 :
I don’t know. So, again, I’ve used one of your sponsors, and it worked out well for me.
SPEAKER 04 :
Good deal. We appreciate that. That’s awesome. Good to know.
SPEAKER 17 :
So, and, yeah. So one other thing. Can I come back to the end of Fix-It Radio? Of course.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely. Go right ahead. Yes.
SPEAKER 17 :
Okay. So I think it was Steve that talked about the metal roof.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right.
SPEAKER 17 :
Best money I ever spent. And if you have to get a roof replacement, you want to go to metal, it’s going to cost you extra up front. But my insurance, this was Paul, another one of your sponsors, got me a discount on my homeowners because, one, the metal roof does such a better job in the wins we had at our house over the week. I didn’t even think about it. The contractor I used to put the metal roof on I told him, but he knew the area. So he did some like three extra rows of screws on the west side of the house where I get the bad wind. So instead of having them every 18 inches, I got them like every foot. And because of that, I don’t have any concerns at all about that roof in the wind. And anybody who needs a roof after this, look at the new metal roofs. They’re so, so nice. and so worth it, and you just don’t have to worry about it. And mine’s 20, I think it said 26-gauge steel, if I remember right. I’ve had hailstorms, and you can’t even, no damage whatsoever. So that was what I wanted to say. Then the other thing, you were talking a lot about generators.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 17 :
For people whose money is tight, Look at a, you can go to probably Harbor Freight and some of those other places and pick up a small generator for like what you’re using today, the refrigerator and stuff.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right.
SPEAKER 17 :
And then that GenerLink object that goes between your meter and the meter socket, and it’s UL listed, utilities authorize it. You could be on a generator for less than $1,500 that way. So I just, you know, one of the other things. And then last, can I give you a quick pet peeve?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, sure.
SPEAKER 17 :
The person who is so either inconsiderate or lazy that they have to get back in their car while their gas is pumping.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, I know. I watched that this morning.
SPEAKER 17 :
Me too. I was just at Costco, and they got back in their car. They couldn’t just stand there for the three minutes it took. And then the other person is the person who… doesn’t wait for the second car to pull through to pull off the pump. He just wants to go right away, so he’ll block that car behind him. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER 05 :
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER 17 :
So those are my two pet peeves. Hey, John, everybody in the studio, Charlie, Larry, have a great Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER 04 :
You betcha, man. John, appreciate you very much. All right, let’s do this. Give plenty of time for Jim. Jim, Eric, you guys hang tight. One line open, 303-477-5600. We’ll come right back. Drive Radio, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 08 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
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SPEAKER 01 :
Picture this, you’re cruising down the open road, the wind in your hair and the sun on your face. Now imagine doing it in a car that looks as good as the day you drove it off the lot. That’s where ProTech AutoShield and Nano Coatings comes in. ProTech, the name you can trust for top tier automotive protection. Your car isn’t just a set of wheels, it’s an investment. And we’re here to make sure it stays pristine. Step inside our cutting edge facility where we craft the latest in automotive protection. Our advanced paint protection films acts like an invisible force field, shielding your car from road debris, rock chips, and whatever Mother Nature throws your way. And for that showroom shine that lasts, our premium ceramic coatings offer unbeatable protection against dirt, water, and those harsh UV rays. But ProTec isn’t just about the exterior. We care about every detail, inside and out. Our interior protection products ensure spills, stains, and wear and tear are a thing of the past. Worried about making the right choice? Our expert team is here to guide you, ensuring your car gets the treatment it deserves. Elevate your driving experience with ProTec AutoShield and Nano Coatings because your car deserves the best. Visit ProTecAutoShield.com today or call 303-423-2841 and shield your investment with confidence. Drive on, protected with ProTec AutoShield.
SPEAKER 13 :
Looking for the right car at the right price? Ridgeline Auto Brokers makes it easy. They specialize in quality vehicles priced between $15,000 and $25,000, perfect for first-time drivers, families, or anyone who wants real value without the hassle. Every vehicle is thoroughly inspected by Legacy Automotive, a trusted drive radio sponsor. That means you can buy with confidence, knowing your next ride is ready for the road. No dealer fees. Competitive financing and trades are welcomed. A 30-day warranty on every vehicle and your first oil change is just $1. Explore detailed videos of every car at RidgelineAutobrokers.com before you visit. Ridgeline also has a great consignment program to assist you in the sale of your car, truck, or SUV. So if you’re ready to buy, trade, or sell your vehicle, call 303-442-4141 or visit RidgelineAutoBrokers.com. Ridgeline Auto Brokers, the right car, the right price, right now.
SPEAKER 15 :
Accidents never happen at a good time, but getting your vehicle repaired just got a whole lot easier. At Brighton Auto Body, they offer pickup and delivery anywhere in the Denver metro area. North, south, east, or west, if you’re in the metro, they’ll come get your vehicle and bring it back when the work is done. No arranging rides, no waiting for tow trucks, no taking time off work. Brighton Auto Body handles the logistics so you can get back to life. And whether it’s collision repair, dent repair, or a job other shops won’t touch, their team makes sure the repair is done right, safely, professionally. and with the customer service they’ve been known for since 1974. So the next time you need body work, let the shop come to you. Call 303-659-4612 or visit brightonautobody.com. Brighton Auto Body, Metro-wide pickup, Metro-wide delivery, and repairs you can trust.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, we are back. Drive Radio, KLZ 561 line open. Josh Goff with me, Mark Guernsey as well. Jim and Centennial, you are next. Go ahead, Jim. Oh, great. How are you doing today? I’m good, sir.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hey, I just want to first thank you. I wish you, your family, your entire team down there a Merry Christmas. Thank you. I’ve been listening to you for like 20 years now, and I look forward to your show every Saturday, and I’ve learned something. just a ton. You’ve turned me on to Ken Rackley, who’s been my mechanic now for probably just as long, so I just want to thank you for your show.
SPEAKER 04 :
Likewise, Jim. Back at you. The same to you, your family as well. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER 03 :
Just a question, kind of goes along with maybe aftermarket stuff. I bought one of those, I think it’s an Ansel battery monitor systems for my car. I just wanted to see if you had an opinion on those. They seem pretty cool. I just installed it a few days ago, and Just tells you the overall health of your battery at all times. Do you have any opinion on those? Are they junk? Are they worth it? Are they a waste of time?
SPEAKER 04 :
No, I don’t think anything that you can use to monitor things. I don’t know that specific brand all that well, but, no, I think anything you can do to monitor that end of things, there’s not a thing wrong with that. In fact, I think, Jim, if more people did, they’d find themselves with less issues. Hmm.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, nothing worse than getting in your car, turning the key, and you have a dead battery. Absolutely. It seems to be a pretty good… It’s pretty cool. It looks right to your battery, then it has a display inside your car that tells you your state of health, your voltage, your state of charge, and gives you a warning when it’s not good. It tells you to replace it and stuff, so… It might be a great Christmas gift for anybody out there, too. It’s like $30 on Amazon.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s a great idea, actually. That’s a great gift idea.
SPEAKER 03 :
Some of them now have it where it’s hooked to your app. I don’t want to open up my phone to see my battery health. I’d rather have it just to display inside my car every time I turn it on. But you can buy either one of them, and they’re great.
SPEAKER 04 :
I’m on their website, and, yeah, they make a device where you just put something in the ALDL connector, then you can use the app on your phone to look at things. But, yeah, I agree with you. The problem with that is unless you’re making yourself periodically open that app and look at it, it’s out of sight, out of mind.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right, right. The other one, I think they’re probably phasing it out, but the other one that has the display that you just – It either is solar-powered or you can just hook it into your USB port. But every time you turn it on, boom, it tells you your cranking amperage, everything. But for $30, I was like, what the heck? Let me try it. So far, I like it. I’m just curious if you had any experience with it, if they’re really good or not.
SPEAKER 04 :
I have not experienced that particular brand, but all of us, I think, in the industry do things to look at things constantly.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. Well, that’s all I had.
SPEAKER 04 :
Awesome. And, Jim, thank you again. Appreciate the kind words very much. Thank you. All right. Have a good day. You too, man. Appreciate you very much. Eric is next. Eric, go ahead.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yes. Well, likewise, I will wish all of you a blessed Christmas and New Year. Thank you, sir.
SPEAKER 04 :
Likewise.
SPEAKER 16 :
Happy New Year. So I’ve talked to you many times, of course, and mentioned that I’m rebuilding my Toyota Hilux. I just got my renewal notice for the registration, you know, the tags and stuff, and it’s $95. And I’m wondering, since you own so many vehicles, is there a program in Colorado where you put a car through the state into storage for… You’re doing the rebuild. And then now.
SPEAKER 04 :
Nope, if you do that, what you’re going to end up having, great question. We don’t talk about this much, so great question, Eric. For those of you that do any kind of, you know, you’ve got a car, you’ve registered it, then you’re deciding, listen, I’m going to go ahead and make some big changes on the car. I’m going to basically, you know, it’ll be off the road for X amount of time. There’s no sense in renewing the tags. Maybe you’re at that point, Eric, where tags are, you know, due, but you’re not going to do anything. What will happen is, I believe it’s three months. Am I right, Josh? Three months. They’re going to hit you for three months of registration when you re-register it, period. So if you wait 18 months to re-register it, you’re still going to pay those three months no matter what.
SPEAKER 06 :
And it’s usually $100 like that.
SPEAKER 04 :
So it’s cheaper to register it. If it’s a newer car, the three months might be more than $100. It just depends on how new the car is.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I think it ends at $100. Right.
SPEAKER 16 :
I’ve noticed with the Hilux, they started taxing on something. I don’t remember the exact term, but basically it’s an older vehicle fee. And it’s like, you’re kidding me. Just because this thing’s a 1989, you’re charging me extra?
SPEAKER 07 :
I’ve seen that. It’s not a big charge, but it’s just kind of annoying and, I don’t know, it’s not friendly and it shouldn’t be there.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah. So it’s frustrating that they don’t have something like that where you’re doing a, Whether you’re putting in lift kits, whether you’re doing engine rebuilds or something, Colorado just wants your money.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, there you go. And the state wants to get rid of the old cars, too. They don’t want any old cars. They just want new cars all the time, like California’s been doing.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah. Well, thankfully, my insurance, when the boys moved out and the younger boy never got his, driver’s license. We had a vehicle, the Honda CRV that was supposed to go to him, you know, just reasonable sale price type thing. Well, he, he never got his license. So now I’ve got a glut of cars. Not all of them are really worth trying to sell, but at least the insurance they’ll, they’ll put it in storage and I’m not paying extra money to, on insurance for a car that sits in the driveway until I need to put another car in the shop, and then I take that one out of storage and drive it for a while. But just one of those things where, you know, that might help some of your other listeners, you know, that a lot of times an insurance company will work with you if a vehicle is parked more than it’s run, and then you just call them and say, hey, I need this vehicle activated.
SPEAKER 04 :
take this other one off it’s it’s going to be in maintenance or whatever i wish they had a program for that but they didn’t i think their feeling is that with that three months they’re essentially kind of doing that already but they’re not because they’re nicking you the hundred bucks it’s causing a hundred bucks to do that no matter how you do it right correct yeah yeah no it’s and that that’s frustrating for me because you know the high lux i got sold on doing all the the uh
SPEAKER 16 :
auto body work around the windshield that it had rusted out and I’ve been remediating that and it’s to the point where if I find the time I can start tack welding in the new sheet metal but right now I don’t have time and we’re heading into the cold part of winter I don’t have a properly heated slash ventilated garage for welding during the winter so So it’s going to be another three months at least until I can get to it. Right, right.
SPEAKER 04 :
No, and you’re not the only, you know, one, Eric, that goes through these things. There’s a lot of folks where, you know, even buy, you know, it doesn’t even have to be a classic car, but they buy a car that’s, you know, 10, 15 years old, and they decide to do some things to it. Maybe they’re going to, you know, do some sort of a, you know, minor restoration on a, you know, you know, we call them classics but you know there’s a lot of vehicles on the road running around that are 20 years old i mean i drove my old uh five nine cummins down today that is a 2024 making it what 22 years old now so it doesn’t seem like it’s that old but it is right time flies let’s just say that oh way too fast yep time flies
SPEAKER 16 :
All right. Well, I appreciate it. Just unfortunately, it’s not the news I was hoping to find.
SPEAKER 04 :
I’m sorry. Appreciate you, though, Eric. Thanks for all of what you do for me as well. I appreciate you very much.
SPEAKER 16 :
Y’all have a blessed one.
SPEAKER 04 :
You too, man. Appreciate you. Eric’s been on my other shows at times. He was stationed at South Pole in Antarctica. Great guy to talk to. McMurdo, yeah. So, Eric, thanks for all you do for me as well. We appreciate it. All right. Lines are open. 303-477-5600. That was a great question that he had, by the way, something we haven’t covered for quite some time when it comes to registration and plates and so on. But we’ll be back, guys. Don’t go anywhere. Text line 307-282-22. Drive Radio, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 13 :
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SPEAKER 10 :
KLZ’s relational financial advisor Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial can make a big difference in the success of your retirement. Al looks at your entire picture, your goals, your lifestyle, the time you want for volunteering, and even potential long-term care needs because it all matters. We’ll be right back. We’ll be right back. We’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 04 :
Have you ever thought about owning a classic car, hot rod, older truck, or an out-of-the-norm vehicle? Worldwide Vintage Autos is the place to go for all your vintage car and truck needs. With over 80,000 square feet of indoor showroom and warehouse space, they make the shopping experience easy. Every vehicle they sell is checked out by their own staff and is verified as a roadworthy vehicle, and this includes consignment vehicles. When you buy a vehicle from Worldwide, it’s a vehicle you can safely drive home. They sell over 1,200 vehicles a year, and most of their inventory comes from people like you and me. If you want to eliminate the hassle of selling your vintage or unique vehicle, Give them a call today. By the way, sign up today for the VIP list. They’ll give you updates on all their new inventory that the general public doesn’t see yet, and it’s at a discounted price. Worldwide Vintage Autos. Don’t let the name fool you. They sell worldwide, but their showroom is right here in Denver. Find them today at worldwidevintageautos.com or call 877-378-4679 and make sure you tell them John Rush from Drive Radio sent you.
SPEAKER 13 :
Finding the right home and auto insurance can be confusing, and picking the wrong plan can cost you thousands of dollars more out of your pocket. You need an expert in home and auto insurance to help you find the best coverage that fits your needs and at the very best premium. Call Paul Linegro at GIA Insurance, and his team of home and auto insurance specialists will help you find the right plan for your needs. We’ll be right back. Whether it is your home, auto, classic car, or liability insurance, GIA has got you covered. Call 303-423-0162, extension 100, or go online to e-gia.com. Get more without paying more.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, we are back. Drive Radio, KLZ 560. Thanks for joining us today. Becky, you are next. Go ahead, Becky.
SPEAKER 14 :
Hey, John, it’s Becky. You helped me about a month ago with my conundrum on my F-350, my 95 F-350 and my van. And I’m just calling to tell you thank you, and Parker 4WD was phenomenal. I just appreciate you guys and your show so much.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, thank you. I appreciate that, and I’m glad that all worked out. And for those listening, conundrum as in, do we fix an old vehicle? Do we trade it off for a different vehicle? Lots of different scenarios there, I guess you could say, Becky, that you and I worked through, but I’m glad that worked out.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, and you tell people all the time, call in, don’t hesitate, email, and I’m here to tell you guys it’s a real deal. Like, I emailed you, you helped me out, it was a tough situation, I’m a single gal, you know, I didn’t want to get taken advantage of, and thanks to you and your advice. My old pickup is running like a top, and I love it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Awesome.
SPEAKER 14 :
So thank you so, so much.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, you’re very welcome, Becky. And, A, thank you for letting other people know that, yes, we will do the things that we talk about on air, and I appreciate you saying that. And that’s a reminder to everybody else listening. If you’ve got any issue at all going on, something where you just need some advice, yeah, Becky, as you know, you’ve experienced this. Sure, I will help any way I possibly can. I’m happy to do it.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, and Parker Four-Wheel Drive, man, shout out to them. What a stand-up group. I knew what was going on. You know, they didn’t take advantage of me. Anyway, it was just a great experience, and I wish you guys a Merry Christmas, and thank you so much.
SPEAKER 04 :
Becky, thank you very much. I appreciate that as well, and Steve is the owner there. We’re doing our best to get Steve on air on a more routine basis, but yeah, those of you that… And she had a really tough situation where we needed somebody in the truck world to help her out because we didn’t really have… No offense, Steve at Geno’s or Ken Rackley, neither one were set up to do what she needed to be done on her diesel truck and that, and so… Yeah, got those guys involved and got her taken care of. And for a lot of you listening, and Josh, you go through this all the time, this was a decision of, okay, do I take what I have, knowing its value is X, knowing it needs X amount of repairs, of course, as well, do I take and fix it, or do I try to replace that with something that, as you know, you don’t buy anything used right now that’s decent for… Oh, gosh. What are you, 15 grand at least? Yeah. And then you’re probably still going to do some work to it after you spend the 15.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, anything below 10, you’re definitely going to do. It’s going to need a little work relatively soon.
SPEAKER 04 :
So you start looking at, okay, I know my vehicle. I currently already own it. It’s registered and insured, and I’ve got all those things, and all those bases are basically already registered. So you look at all that and you put that into the equation, if you would, and then say, okay, if I were to exit out of that, what’s something else now look like? And, folks, it’s rare. It can happen. But it’s rare that you’re going to find not fixing what you’re driving to be your cheapest option.
SPEAKER 06 :
Great.
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s rare that it’s not.
SPEAKER 06 :
And that’s why it sounds like they did the right thing. Get it in. See what’s wrong with it. Do a full inspection.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s right. Full analysis.
SPEAKER 06 :
Kind of give you a heads up of what’s coming down the road, like what you need now. And then also run just not only have the spreadsheet of which is which, but changing cars for a lot of people is hard. They’re used to what they drive. They know how to drive it. They know how it feels. They know they have all their stuff in it. And sometimes that’s even the biggest part. It’s just changing, driving something different. Good point.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, it sounds simple. Well, I’ll just sell it and get another car. And, you know, both of you guys have heard, you know, your customers say something to that effect. And I think it’s our job, and this is the way I look at it, and even the way I try to teach, you know, my clients. It’s our job and the service advisor’s job to really sit there and say, well, time out. Time out. You know, let’s really take an analysis of what you have going on. And is it really in your best interest? I mean, we’ll do as a shop whatever you want, because if you buy something else, guess what? We’re working on it anyway. So at the end of the day, this isn’t about us. This is about you. But at the end of the day, how can I, how can we help you save the most amount of money and have the most reliable car when it’s all said and done? And, again, I’ve done it for enough years now, guys, that there are occasions, although I will tell you in the 40-plus years of me doing what you guys are now doing or what you guys are still doing, it was rare that you couldn’t fix what somebody was driving cheaper than them buying something else. Mm-hmm. It was a rarity, because normally you can, even if it, guys, even if it’s 10 grand or the repairs, Josh just said it’s 15 to replace typically what you’re driving. Right. So, you know, do them, and that car’s not going to not need things. In other words, you’re still buying a used car at $15,000. It’s not a brand new car with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty. No, it’s not. You’re going to still do things to it as well. And I think the misconception, guys, is – and it’s a good time to talk about it because at the end of the year, people look at making deals on cars and trading and doing this, doing that. And for some of you, great. And if you’re doing it for tax reasons or whatever, you’re not who we’re talking about. You’re in a whole different world than most people are. I think the one thing folks forget about is just the simple fact that you’re buying another car. It’s not going to be trouble-free. It’s not. You still have to take care of that vehicle just like you’re taking care of your current vehicle.
SPEAKER 06 :
And we see it all the time at work. They’ll be like, well, just go buy another car when they have a big repair. And a few days to a week later, guess who’s back in my shop usually? After they’ve gone out, looked at what they have, what’s in their price range, supposedly cheaper than, you know, what it would take to repair, and they’re back repairing the car. Especially right now, it seems like.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, you crunch the numbers, it’s going to show you that almost every time.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I used to literally on the front counter for people, I would literally go get a notepad, you know, a legal pad typically, and I would draw a line down the middle of it and say, okay, here’s your current car. here’s what we’re looking at we already have done your full you know inspection here’s what we know it needs and by the way we know exactly what your vehicle needs because we’ve gone through now again I can’t predict what kind of future repairs you know you may have but currently right now here’s where we sit and here’s our bottom line to get everything back up to speed and oh by the way I’m going to throw a detail into this because if you get the car all detailed out, you’re going to think it’s a new car. So at the end of the day, here’s where we’re at with everything. And I’ll throw the detail in. And I did that in a lot of cases for people because when they come pick the car up after spending decent money to get it revived, they’d be like, number one comment I always heard, this is the car that I bought originally and why I loved it.
SPEAKER 05 :
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER 04 :
After you got it all cleaned up, looking good, spiffy, et cetera, you always hear that comment of, well, this is why I bought the car in the first place. Thank you. And then on the other side of the aisle, though, on the other side of the page, I would put down, okay, we can go buy other vehicles, multiples of, by the way, and here’s the options of replacing what you have and typically the cost of. And here’s what we know from doing prepurchase inspections on these types of vehicles, by the way, that you’re now going to go replace your current vehicle with. And here’s what they average on repairs. So here’s your total price. And, oh, by the way, depending upon how you do this, you may have other costs like insurance and license plates and so on. So let’s factor all of that in. And I’d go to the right side and have a total. And the right side is always higher. Oh, by far. Yeah.
SPEAKER 07 :
An argument I always get is, well, the value of my car is only $4,000. I’m like, is it? What does it cost you to replace it or drive a car?
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s the real value.
SPEAKER 07 :
If it costs you $10,000, your car is worth $10,000.
SPEAKER 04 :
Great point, Mark, because it’s the real cost to you.
SPEAKER 07 :
A lot of Toyota Priuses, when their battery goes dead, Their value back at the dealership is $0. But you put $3,500 worth of a battery in that thing, it’s good for 10 years, and you’re not paying anything. Correct. So all of a sudden, that car is worth $10,000 to $15,000, and you didn’t know it. Exactly.
SPEAKER 04 :
Exactly. So Blue Book doesn’t mean much. Thank you, Mark, for bringing that up. Because the other thing you used to tell people is, okay, time out. Because everybody would always say, yeah, but my car is only worth. Okay, time out. Time out. What does it cost you to drive? Yeah, I understand the value in Kelly Blue Book and NADA and all that. Yeah, I understand all of that. If you go to trade this vehicle and here’s its value, I get that. But… At the end of the day, what’s your cost per mile? If you decide to do all this work to the vehicle and drive it another three years, that’s always the number I used was three years because people may do something different in that three-year time frame. And a new car has a three-year warranty, so I always use the three-year time frame. So let’s look at what this cost per mile is going to be over the next three years. And at the end of the day, again, it became really apparent as to what the best deal for the person was at that point in time because you had it all spelled out.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right.
SPEAKER 04 :
Just lay it out on paper, and it’s all right there. And I’m picking on our own industry, for all of you listening. This is me picking on our industry. Unfortunately, our guys, Josh, Mark, others that are in our group here at Drive Radio, they will sit down and do that with you. But unfortunately, by and large, in our industry, most don’t. And that’s the problem. They’ll give you everything your car needs, and, oh, here it is. And, you know, you make the decision as to what you want to do to fix it. And they’re not aiding you in this decision of what’s best for me as a driver, like Becky just said a moment ago. Unfortunately, they don’t take the time. And, Becky, thank you, by the way, for the kind words. And did I spend some time on that truthfully? Not a lot. I mean, I’ve done this for so long that in a lot of cases, I can pretty much throw out what the right answer is typically within 10 or 15 minutes. So am I spending hours on this? No, by no means. And by the way, a really good trained service advisor on the front counter isn’t either. That’s my whole point of this. If you’re knowledgeable in the industry and you know what you’re doing and you’re informing the customer correctly, these are decisions that you can literally put in front of the customer in a matter of five minutes. This isn’t rocket science, I guess, is where I’m going with this. The problem is in our industry, and I’m picking on it a little bit right now, we don’t do enough of this. So then what happens is people make bad choices. I’ll just sell this car. I’ll go trade it off. Well, no offense. They just moved their problem from one car to another. They didn’t solve anything in what they did. In fact, depending upon the price and how they had to finance and handle the next purchase and so on, they may have actually exacerbated the problem they had, meaning they now have more out-of-pocket when it’s all said and done than if they would have just fixed what they were driving. And I know some of this isn’t what people want to hear, and I think there are times, and I mean this sincerely, especially when it’s a, how should I say this, when it’s your kid’s car and they’re driving it. I do think there are times where they just want another car.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, of course they do, but they’re not paying for it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right, and I understand that. I think there’s even sometimes full-fledged adults with kids and so on where they just want another car, and they’re kind of trying to think of any excuse they can. And here’s the other thing I learned. There’s usually one half of the equation, husband-wife, that wants that car. The other half is looking at it like I am, like, well, wait a minute. Is this really in our best interest, or should I just fix what I own? And that’s where, for me, I always tried to get both sides together. of the equation and talk to them because I wanted to do what was best for the customer. Because again, for me as a shop owner, I was going to get the work no matter what. In fact, truthfully, I probably should have been pushing go buy something else because I probably would have been doing more work on the next car than the current car. So I probably took money out of my own pocket by suggesting they fix what they own. But at the end of the day, I wanted to do what was best for them and their family, not what was best for me.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yep, good.
SPEAKER 04 :
And that’s what we, by the way, in Drive Radio and all the shops that we have do. And just a little side note for all the folks that we have involved. And unfortunately, not enough in our industry do what I just said. All right. We’ll take a quick timeout. If you have any questions along those lines or comments, please let us know. Any other questions, by the way, as I said, this is our last live show of 2025. Yes, we’ll be back in 2026. But if you’ve got something in particular you need to ask before the end of the year, please get it in now, 303-477-5600. This is Drive Radio, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 08 :
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SPEAKER 13 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
All right, text line, and I forgot, I apologize, asking what the question of the day is. Top automotive failures. Now, I know that’s a negative, but as we kind of end the year, and what made me think about this is I got several notifications from some of you this week on, did you see Ford scrapping the Lightning program? And yes, I saw that, and that’s what made me kind of think, okay, what were some of the You know, automotive failures. I’m not saying, by the way, that the Lightning is a failure, although here’s my feeling on the Lightning. That was Ford’s dabble in full-size truck electrification because they took an existing F-150 platform and then did an EV off of it. Whereby, you know, GM and the truck that I own, the Silverado, it’s built off their quantum platform. It is not a Silverado any way, shape, or form like the regular gasoline-powered Silverado is. It is its own deal from the ground up. Ford didn’t do that.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, but Ford was able to put a truck out faster. They did. Get it on the road faster. And, you know, it’s a rolling lab. All the information they’ve learned from doing this, you know, this is what we can do with drivetrains, batteries, all that thing, you know. So, yeah, it was expensive in theory, but I’m sure Ford has a mountain of data.
SPEAKER 04 :
True. Good point.
SPEAKER 06 :
And things they learned not to do and to do off that truck.
SPEAKER 04 :
Good point. Got another text message from somebody. And I won’t give names out because this person is saying that they know someone that owns one of the new 2026 Acadia Denali. Nice car, by the way. And those cars… come with super cruise my truck has super cruise meaning it will drive itself and i’ve explained that on air as to what it actually will do it’ll change lanes the whole nine yards so anyways this person said um she loves the super cruise system especially after drinking during dinner out yeah that’s not what it’s supposed to be used for This sounds like an asking for a friend sort of. Yeah. Well, no, I think in this case, this person is somebody that is known in this particular area. And again, I’m not mentioning names, but this is somebody that I will tell you right now that is not – how that system is supposed to be used. And again, not to get all off in the political weeds or so on, but it’s a driving, you know, we’re Drive Radio, we talk about driving and so on. Faith Winter, who was a Democrat politician here in Colorado for the longest time, was city council in Broomfield, or in Westminster, by the way, is where I first met her and learned of her and so on, because I had some things going on up in that area. And I’ll just say straight up, and I said this on Rush to Reason, that never celebrating somebody’s death, but was she my favorite politician? Not by a long shot. Now, it’s come out. News last night. Came out, I don’t know, 6 o’clock-ish or so last night. She was drunker than a skunk when she caused her own accident that killed herself and probably had other property damage and so on at the same time. She literally ran her Hyundai Ioniq into the back of an F-350 flatbed. And that’s how she died, and it turned out that her blood alcohol content was about two times plus of what it should have been. And going back to this comment about Super Cruise, folks, don’t drink and drive. It’s not a good thing, not a good combo. Yeah, Super Cruise is great. Yes, it’ll drive the vehicle for you. But, yeah, that’s not what any of these driving systems do. that a lot of vehicles now have, self-driving, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring. Some will actually turn the steering wheel for you, like in the case of my truck. Yeah, those are not to be used that way. You’re supposed to be sober behind the wheel at all times, no matter what. And if you get pulled over, you’re still going to have a DUI and a problem because even though the car is driving itself, you as a driver are responsible for what’s going on in that vehicle.
SPEAKER 06 :
You’re still the driver.
SPEAKER 04 :
At all times. And I know every state looks at that a little bit differently. But anyways. All right. Somebody also mentioned… People getting into their cars while refueling in Colorado. It’s illegal to get into while refueling. During drier weather, it’s more likely to have a static discharge. Yes. Again, if you’re out pumping gas, just finish pumping gas. If it’s super cold, then dress accordingly.
SPEAKER 07 :
You’re not supposed to be even using your cell phone for the chance of a static spark.
SPEAKER 04 :
Correct. You’re not supposed to.
SPEAKER 07 :
But that happens every day.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, most do. Most do. Somebody says I sound exhausted. They think I should actually go out for a nice hot meal or Kohl’s or Target for some Christmas. Yeah, no, I am not going to Kohl’s or Target. That would be totally depressing. Not this time of year. Am I a little tired? Yeah, not having any power on and off for like three days of the week. Yeah, it can get a little bit… Why during Fix-It Radio I talked about doing a whole home generation system? Because I can tell you right now, with Xcel Energy, we are not done with this. This will happen again. Anytime we get high winds, I think you can plan on having this again. Somebody also said on the whole plate issue that we talked about with Eric when it comes to the registration and so on, he could probably register that as a collector vehicle for five years. It depends on the age of the vehicle. Is it 25? No.
SPEAKER 07 :
I think they just did a date cutoff and stopped doing the 25 years old.
SPEAKER 04 :
Is it 1975 and older?
SPEAKER 07 :
I think it’s 75 and older or a similar date.
SPEAKER 04 :
We’ll look that up. But they kind of cut that off. I think it’s 1975 and older. I don’t think it’s any longer just a 25-year-old car is a collector now. We’ll double-check that. We can do that at the top of the hour break. Thank you, by the way, for that, because if it is potential for a collector, yes, you can get plates, and it’s good for five years. And by the way, collector plates are cheaper anyway, so if you have the ability to do that, then… You have to sign an affidavit when you get collector plates that you won’t drive over 5,000 miles, but nobody’s checking your odometer in that. So somebody also said in the late 1970s, General Motors introduced its problematic Oldsmobile diesel V8 engine. Yes, it was an Oldsmobile gas converted into diesel engine. It was a response to the fuel crisis based on gas engine architecture, but suffering from weak head bolts. It was a piece of crap. It had more than just that. They are still offered the smaller V8s, 4.3s and 79 and V6s later, but the 350 diesel is the most memorable for its widespread issues. Yeah, in fact, I’ve said this before. The problem with the Oldsmobile diesels, the converted gas engine diesels, is it really put the United States of America… back in time on diesel engines. The rest of the world advanced when it came to diesel technology and putting it in their cars and so on. We went the other direction. That was one big, huge mistake. That’s, by the way, an answer to the question of the day, top automotive failures. Yes, the Oldsmobile gasoline-converted diesel engines, because what it really did at the end of the day is no one wanted to buy a diesel.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, they didn’t.
SPEAKER 04 :
On any level, by the way. If you had been around one of those, even driven one, or had a neighbor that had one, or a family member that owned one, or you owned one, nobody wanted to after that. And when you said diesel, they just looked at you like you’re a demon. Literally, like, get out of here, Satan. Right. Literally, they did not want to talk to you. That’s how far behind we became. I’m not joking, folks. We lost two decades of Maybe more, but at least two decades. Literally 20 years setback on diesel technology moving forward in the United States of America because of GM’s debacle on the diesel engine.
SPEAKER 06 :
And manufacturers that built diesels running all over Europe and the rest of the world would not even send them here.
SPEAKER 04 :
Nope.
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, you know, I’ve been in diesel. No, because they wouldn’t have sold. No, they wouldn’t have sold. That’s why. It was such a bad taste, nobody could even sell them.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, nobody wanted to mess with them because of that. One more message. Hi, Merry Christmas. This person’s in Kansas. Agree with the caller last hour. I don’t want to be starting a generator in a blizzard or a windstorm. I did that for years. We have a lot of folks around here that are worried about the expense and the cheaper option. Automatic is worth it and the way to go. I guess the Denver area city slickers learned that this weekend. Yep, they have. And again, for somebody like myself, I’ve been looking at this for a while. I just have been – I’ll be straight up honest. Looking at the cost and the fact that I haven’t had a power outage in 10 years and a decade, at that point, it’s like, okay, well, do I really need one? Well, then you go through something like this, and the answer is yes, you do. Yes, you do. Somebody else said, boyfriend has a 2018 Tiguan SE. Wasn’t great at maintenance by the husband. Changed the oil. It was four quarts low. The drive shaft is about to go out. He wants to get rid of this vehicle. What is the best way to do this and get the most money out of it? Josh, that’s more for you. What’s your suggestion? 2018.
SPEAKER 06 :
2018? Take one. Does it need a turbo or anything like that, like they usually need?
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s not saying. It’s just basically saying that it was four quarts low on oil, and the driveshaft’s about to go out.
SPEAKER 06 :
I’d have to call Justin on Monday.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay. So I’ll text back. Probably needs an engine and a turbo. Let me just do this. Call Justin. What’s the phone number? 303-442-4141. All right, so I’m texting you back that phone number. If you’re listening to me, you’re going to get it that way as well, but I’ll just send that. And that’s Ridgeline Auto Brokers. It’s always hard for me to type and talk at the same time. But, yeah, that’s one of those where that’s tough because probably need a little more information on – The actual vehicle, what other kind of maintenance does it need? In other words, what’s its value? You don’t know its value until you start figuring out some of the other things that are on the vehicle and what it needs. Once you do that, you can start determining, okay, number one, if we fix certain things, do we increase value? In other words, do you get some of that money back and does it make it easier to sell? All sorts of other factors come into play on that as well. But yeah, first things first, and for those of you that, or whoever texted that in, yeah, first things first, figure out what else the vehicle needs. Why was it four quarts low on oil? Does it have a turbo issue, for example, that’s sucking oil in? Because if that’s the case, then… then, yeah, we’ve got other issues that need to be solved. Otherwise, the car is not going to bring much money at all because the first time somebody goes to get it checked, it’s going to turn up that way.
SPEAKER 06 :
And that’s the big thing. It either could be a turbo issue or they have a PCV valve issue, which is easy to replace, and that could cause the oil to be lost too. Or it could have a leak. So it could be something simple where $1,000, this car is back together, or it could be it’s time to get rid of it. So that’s why it’s just best to get it in, like I said, and get it looked over and get real answers on.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, because once you do that, you start really learning what else does the vehicle need is what I’m trying to say there. And when it’s all said and done, what’s it going to cost me versus what can I sell the vehicle for? And in this particular case, can I at least make it a wash?
SPEAKER 05 :
Right.
SPEAKER 04 :
Because if you’re going to lose money by fixing it, well, now you have different decisions to make. Exactly. All right, Jeff, hang tight. You’re going to talk to us about registering cars out of state. Don’t go anywhere, guys. Myself, Josh, and Mark from Accountable. We’ll be back in a moment. This is Drive Radio KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 11 :
Still haven’t had enough? Go to drive-radio.com, email your questions and comments, download previous programs, and find lots of useful information, including your nearest Colorado Select Auto Care Center. That’s drive-radio.com. Thanks for listening to Drive Radio, sponsored by the member shops of Colorado Select Auto Care Centers. On KLZ 560.
