The Best of Car Talk - #2454: Shark Attack

Episode Date: July 6, 2024

Scott from Scottsdale is an attorney suing a local mechanic who cracked the engine block on his client's car. The mechanic fessed up immediately and offered to fix it with epoxy. Will Click and Clack side with a lawyer preparing to pounce on a fellow mechanic? It's shark vs grease monkey on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalkLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Last year, over 20,000 people joined the Body Electric study to change their sedentary screen-filled lives. And guess what? We saw amazing effects! Now you can try NPR's Body Electric Challenge yourself. Listen to updated and new episodes wherever you get your podcasts. Hello and welcome to Car Talk from National Public Radio with us, Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers, and we're broadcasting this week from the platform committee room here at Car Talk Plaza. Now, as you know, well, if you didn't know, you're about to know.

My brother and I are running for president this year as write-in candidates, and with all these conventions going on recently, we realized that we too needed to work on our platform. In fact, we had a little platform fight ourselves. It's like a food fight, right? Oh, I knocked my brother off the platform, he hit his head, he called me a butt head.

No, actually, we announced earlier this year that the centerpiece of our platform is the 35 mile an hour speed limit. Hear, hear. He kinda twisted my arm a little bit. Anyway, saves lives, saves gas, and saves me from having to drive to visit my brother-in-law in Unidilla, New York,

because at 35 miles an hour, it takes like five days to get there, and my wife wouldn't want to go. Yeah, but after a lot of discussion, we have decided to add one more plank this week to our platform, a tolerance plank. You may have heard of other people discussing tolerance planks, but our tolerance plank is this. We call for tolerances of nine ten-th 10 thousandths of an inch on the reboring of cylinder walls throughout the United States. So when you decide to rebore, so if you have boring cylinders, now that's tolerance.

Oh, are you kidding me? Actually, I think we should ask the listeners to help us develop the platform. Do you think? Sure. I mean, they should write to us. If you think, if you have some platform planks, is that it? Is that the terminology? Well, they start as proposals and then they become planks.

Okay, well, so we start out with two by fours and they become planks later. Four by twos. Four by twos. So if you have some four by twos you'd like to discuss, send them to us at platform committee, Car Talk Plaza, Box 3500, Harvard Square, Cambridge...

Our fair city? Massachusetts... Our fair city? Did I come in too late? No, that's all right. Cambridge, our fair city, Matt, 02238. We will also set up a special booth at Cafe doctor on the website car talk.com for platform debate I mean, this is very important and I wonder how many votes we get we do this stuff

Do we have to wear our platform shoes? That will be part of it What I want to know yes, who's gonna be the first lady you or me? I mean if we both get elected. Well, I'm on a waiting list, actually. Okay, it's time to take a call. We haven't done this in a long time. Our number is 1-800-332-9287.

Hello, you're on Car Talk. Hello. This is Tony from Woodstock, New York. Tony with an I. Tony with an I for Antoinette. Antoinette. Antoinette. Yes. Woodstock, New York. That's right. or tony with an i tony with an i for antonette and twenty and twenty that's yet stock new york that's yes well well i have uh... ninety five can read that i bought in october

and uh... i got a problem it rocks from side to side like a cradle and also from front to back and that's really over bumps in the road yeah and my five-year-old grandson get car sick in it he's gotten car sick twice what was your previous car it was a

uh... tell you what it can now which i adored and he decided that to uh... trade-up well i i i've decided to get a heavier car. I remembered you recommending something that would be close to 3,000 pounds, and this is, you know. Sure.

And my son recommended it very highly. He has a 90 Camry and never had any trouble with it. Yeah. I mean, the Camry is probably the- Pound for pound, dollar for dollar. The best deal in America today. I mean, there's no question that if you wanted... Granted, a relatively boring vehicle.

Yes. But one that would serve you well and last a long time... Yeah. And ride real...and be comfortable and give you a decent ride and not make your car sick, it would be the Camry. Right. I should add that most people actually like the ride of this car be comfortable and give you a decent ride and not make your car sick, it would be the Camry. Right. I should add that most people actually liked the ride of this car and they were glad to

get out of a car like a Tricel which gave you a rather bumpy and harsh ride and most people enjoy the swaying and the rocking of a larger car. Now I don't think there's anything wrong with your car necessarily, I just think that you were just so accustomed to the ride of the Tracell that it's going to take you. It's like getting one's sea legs. So you may have to. Have you gotten car sick?

No, no, no. Well that's good. So who does get car sick? Your nephew? My grandson. How old is he? Five. He's five.

Yeah. See, I mean, the first thing to determine is whether or not there's anything wrong with the car. Because I mean, I've driven in many Camrys and I haven't noticed that it has a particularly American type Cadillac ride Well, you know the mechanic at the dealership said that that's what they're doing more of he said the Toyota people

Are trying to make it more like American specs, you know. Who told you this? The salesman? No, no, the mechanic. Don't believe anything that anyone in any automotive dealership or anyone remotely related to the automotive industry ever tells you because they are so full of it. They will tell you anything to get rid of it. Excuse me, do you think I might have faulty struts? Well, it's possible, but unlikely.

I mean it's unlikely. Well here's what I would do. I would go to this dealership and ask if you could drive a 1996 or if they have another 1995, another one on the lot. You just want to drive it around for 15 minutes and right your grandson with you And first take him to Burger King And make sure you get him one of those fraps now get a wrap and a double order of fries And and take him around in the car seat for 10 or 15 minutes and see how he feels and you too will be able

To tell because then it's possible I mean who knows it's possible that they did something wrong when they made this car Uh-huh, maybe they left out one of the struts No, no, it is possible that you have a couple of bad struts You would need to have two of them can they tell by putting it up on the lift Well, they can tell by bouncing on the on the car and they can also tell by looking to see if any of the shocks Is leak yes, but whatever they tell they won't tell you Because I mean no you'll need someone else to tell you you also need you need to go around and have a few places

Look at it. Mm-hmm You know take it to one of the big tire dealers in your area and have them look at the struts have them check the tire Inflation and tell them what your complaint is would my old faithful mechanic be good enough Maybe you got an old faithful mechanic. I have a my old faithful mechanic be good enough? Maybe. You got an old faithful mechanic? I have a wonderful old faithful mechanic. He's the guy to go to, and he'll be honest with you. Yeah.

Because he knows eventually he'll get your business again. Yes. So go back, go to him. Sure. And he'll give you the straight poop. And if it's unsatisfactory, then he'll fix it. But I'm going to guess, I will guess that you will find. That it's me.

That it's just the car. That's the way way it is and they have tried to engineer it to ride more like an American car because after all they are selling a lot of these cars to Americans who want that that you know cushier ride didn't happen with the turtle no you know why because the trisels was perfect yeah you may simply be having memories of the tricell because you have cellars remorse. Tricellars remorse. Tricellars remorse, right. And even though the tricell is a little piece of junk you have somehow elevated in your memory.

Well, I had it for 12 years. Yeah, you had it for 12 years? And you probably had many happy memories. And my brother still has it See if you can get it back swap. I'm even for the 95 Good luck, Tony. Thank you so much Hi, my name is Lois Lois Lois Lane no no no no but like Lois Lane like Lois Lane Yeah, well, we'll find out how where you from I live in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

I thought you guys say Gotham. So what's up in Sugar Hill New Hampshire well here I own a 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon camper oh yeah now there's a vehicle yeah really is it a stick shift no oh an automatic okay yeah so what about? Well on Mother's Day I was driving south on route 93 to go home and and I driven about 45 miles and then suddenly I heard a Sort of a rhythmic thumping sound in the rear of the van. Yeah, so I pulled over to the breakdown lane and I had my Vanto to a service station. Uh-huh. They mechanic on duty Remove the hubcaps and notice that the lug nut uh... all of the lug nuts on on the rear both retired loose

were looped the ramps are just ready to come right off and that well i think you stopped it sure is that you would have stopped sooner or later but i thought it might help both real wheels both real wheels what i want to know if you think that that the volkswagen vandigan is inclined to do this again no no no has anyone worked on this vehicle lately well the last time i had the um...

the wheels removed within november of ninety five now the answer is no. November of 95. What year is this? This is 96. And what did they do? Well, I had my snow tires put on. Hmm. So...

Well, you recently taken your snow tires off. No, no, I hadn't quite done that yet. This is all they were taking themselves off. They knew it was time. I've got to think that they didn't tighten them up sufficiently. It's surprising that it took six months for it to show itself, but that's the only logical conclusion that you can reach. Are these snow tires mounted on wheels or do you have to have them changed over? I have to have them changed.

You don't own two extra wheels in other words. No, no I don't. You don't? Well, here's the other question. Why would that make a difference? Well, because you might have the wrong wheels for example. Ah. That's why I asked.

Oh, that was good. Very good question. Someone has to ask the good questions. Well, my problem is why do you think I've been sabotaged? You think you could have been sabotaged? Yeah, I mean. Oh, that's an interesting one. That's another possibility.

You wouldn't be thinking of this unless there were a reason. Yes. Have you been uh... divorced recently now but i think i'm thinking of getting divorced nobody i have to die but i just want my job we do for a living what do you do here teacher

teacher and for all you do you teach those little law a little new hamps Hampshire hoodlums? How old are the kids you teach? Kindergarten through fifth. Did you flunk anybody? I'll tell you, those fifth graders can be a tough lot. Yeah. I hope they're not listening.

Yeah. I mean, that doesn't sound like... Well, I would have to rule out sabotage. I think it is reasonable to assume that whoever put the wheels on simply did not tighten them enough. Uh-huh. Well, now that you know what the sound is like and the feeling, Right. you will be vigilant.

Oh, I've already checked them a couple of times since then. And they haven't loosened up in IO. No, they haven't. No, if you are really worried about it, you can have your mechanic, for example, put Loctite on the bolts. OK. Loctite is a thread locking compound that is designed to keep bolts from loosening up. Okay.

Of course, when you get a flat tire, you will never be able to get the wheel nuts. No, you'll get them on. Hey, have a lot of fun up there in Sugar Hill. Okay, thank you for your help. Thanks for calling. Hey, hey, more calls are coming up right after this. Hey, hey, more calls are coming up right after this. All that sitting and swiping, your body is adapting to your technology. Learn how and what you can do about it.

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In the 1950s, paranoia gripped the nation. Are there homosexuals in government agencies? And do they pose a threat to national security? There was almost no one who stood up to object to it. On NPR's ThruLine, the Lavender Scare, find NPR's ThruLine wherever you get your podcasts. This message comes from Wondery. It's time to enter the discourse. Wondery's newest podcast, Let Me Say This,

with hosts Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix, is the show for weekly hot takes on pop culture you didn't know you needed. Follow Let Me Say This on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, this is normally the time in the show when we answer last week's puzzle. Yeah, so go ahead.

Just to show what sweet, understanding guys we are. We're not going to disturb your summer vacation with a mind-numbing, chin-scratching, stay up all night tossing and turning car talk puzzler. Nope, we've got a few more weeks of rest before we start bothering you with those again. But- You think people actually think about the puzzler

to that extent? Absolutely, I do. You do. And I know the answers. Yeah. But if you happen to be one of those type A personalities and you can't go a week without one of our lousy Car Talk puzzles, we do have a provision for you. We refer to it as inpatient services.

Now we're posting archival puzzles, puzzles from Car Talk's past, all summer on our website cartalk.com. So log on and go to it. Yeah, good luck. Well, if you want to call us, the number is 1-800-332-9287. Hello, you're on Car Talk. This is Jean. Hi Jean. Hi. Where are you from? Somerville, Mass. Somerville, Mass? No kidding. You know there are only two Somervilles in the entire... Oh, he is... Yeah, is the other one in Tennessee? No, it's in New Jersey. Oh, New Jersey.

There's Somerville, New Jersey, and there's Somerville, Massachusetts, and that's it. I don't think so. I don't think so. I don't think so. So what's up? Yeah, what's up? Well, I have a 1989 Volkswagen Jetta that I bought used. I bought it from my sister and her husband and I thought it was getting a great deal, but it's been nothing but trouble for the past two and a half years.

Are you still on speaking terms with them? Well, yeah. Kind of? They live long distance away. What do they call? Do they ask about the car? No. No, of course not. Of course not.

Anyway, what have you been having trouble with? Mostly my transmission. Uh-huh. Several times. Really? This is a stick shift. Yeah. Really?

Yeah. And what's the problem? Well, when I first got it, six months after I had it, the bearings in the transmission wore out and I had to get a new transmission. And so I took it to a gas station that I knew. My brother owns a gas station and so he fixed it for me. He put a used transmission in?

Yeah, a rebuilt transmission. Rebuilt or a used one? Rebuilt or used? This is your brother? Yeah. How many miles did the car have on it when this happened? Well, 98,000 and it had been in a car accident, but it was fine really yeah because they had the frame straightened So maybe I bought a lemon but no no no I wouldn't jump to any conclusions

The accident occurred while your sister owned it Yeah, yeah, it did. okay, so you had the transmission replaced But see that only lasted me four months, and then I had to get another one Was it under warranty um he told me it wasn't So I don't know trust this brother what do you trust your brother? No no you don't he's a sleazeball I don't know. I don't trust my brother either. I don't know him well enough. You don't know your brother well enough? No. Okay. Well enough to get him to put a transmission in? Well, yeah, he had a good

price. Did your brother also diagnose the original problem as being bearings in the transmission? No, we took it to a transmission place and they did. So what is the problem? What are the symptoms? Well, each time one gets fixed, it makes a loud barreling noise when I go into like 60 miles or higher and when I stop it starts to leak a lot of transmission fluid. Well, a howling sound could come from your tires, it could come from a bad wheel bearing, or it could come from bad bearings in the transaxle. Yeah. Uh, I suspect because it's leaking oil that the problem is coming from inside the, inside the transmission itself. So, I'm kind of theorizing that maybe this leak is because there's an extra torque on the transmission because the frame just isn't quite right from the accident.

Boy, that sounds so good. But every professional I say that to tells me I don't know what I'm talking about. Well, you do... you do... no, you don't know what you're talking about. We had... I remember a few years ago in the shop, we had a Honda Civic that came in that had been in an accident and the frame had been straightened like your Jetta. Uh-huh. And this guy would lose his transmission fluid, every couple of weeks the thing would be out and he'd know it because it would start sounding like a cement mixer.

Uh-huh. Yeah, that's what it's doing right now. He'd come in, we'd fill it up and we couldn't figure out why it was leaking except we could tell it was leaking where the axles entered the transaxle. Exactly. And what was happening was because they had not straightened the frame correctly. When he would make a turn, one of the axles

would actually pull out of the transmission enough that the fluid would leak out. And then when he straightened the wheel out again, the axle would pop back in. And there's a little spring clip that holds it in. And it was going on repeatedly until finally they managed to straighten the frame correctly and stop this

from happening. Now it sounds like the same thing could be happening to your car, except it can't. Except it what? It cannot. And the reason for that is your axle flanges are actually held into the trans axle with clips and they cannot come out. At least they shouldn't be able to come out. But you can verify this by putting the

thing up on the lift and seeing if they can pry either one of the axles out of the transaxle. You would see a trail of fluid coming out and it would be cleaning off a spot on the housing and you'd be able to see where it was coming from. So it's possible that that's happening and if it is happening it's because the frame is crooked. Is that something that can be fixed or is it a goner? No, it can be fixed. Because the car is really pretty. It's really pretty?

Yeah, I mean whoever straightened the frame obviously didn't do it enough. Well maybe they didn't do it enough. I'm just saying that it's possible that this is happening. But it would take an incredible amount of force to pull that snap ring off of that stub axle and get that flange away from the transaxle. It would be very difficult for that to happen. But it could happen. And also, this does not explain why it would happen when you drive at high sustained speeds. Yeah.

Well, it could. It could explain. And also, like for instance on 128, how it curves and winds, if I turn to the left a little it doesn't make the noise, but if I'm curving to the right it makes the noise. But every time you park this thing you see a puddle of oil underneath it? Yes. And the last time I... The neighbors must love her. ...I basically had to tow the last time I drove it.

I'm sorry? The not... Nothing. I said the neighbors must love you. Well, I live in Sarvel and we have street cleaning twice a month, so. Oh, yeah. Do they spend an extra 20 minutes at your house? Well.

Well. You need help. I mean, you know I'll be right. The first thing you're going to do is ditch the brother. Okay. He's an obvious, he's a loser. Yeah, I mean it may well be that we have several different problems here that are unrelated to each other. It may be for whatever reason the first transmission died because the bearings got chewed up for who knows

what reason. Yeah, I was told age, okay. It could be. Okay. Secondly, it could be that your brother really screwed up when he put the second transmission in. Maybe he got tired and left off a couple of bolts. No, I don't think so. I think the problem is... Pouring oil out like that, boy, you've got to really find out where is the oil coming from.

And it's a relatively simple thing to do. Someone can put it up on the lift and in a few minutes figure out where the oil is leaking from. Is it coming out of the axles, like my my brother says or is it coming out of some other place where your brother forgot to put bolts in? Or it could be coming out of the case, the case could be cracked. I think that might be it too, it's just an amazing amount of fluid that's coming out. Yeah.

And you sure it's transmission oil? Yeah because I got it all over my hands and I was smelling it. Yeah it's stinky. That's the stuff. Geez Jean. Because I got it all over my hands and I was smelling it. Yeah, it's stinky. That's the stuff. Geez, Gene. Now, if it turns out that your brother did something improper in the installation of the second transmission, are you prepared to sue him? Well, I don't know.

Well, you're going to have to. I think so. I think you're going to have to. You don't have to have another brother who's a lawyer. No, but I work with the law. With the law. With the law. NYPD? No, no I work with the law. With the law? NYPD? No, no, no.

SPD, more likely than not. Well... Take it back to the original transmission place to diagnose the bad bearings and have them take a look and see where is the fluid coming from. Okay. And I would certainly not buy anyone any Christmas gifts until this is resolved. Cis included. All right. Yeah.

See you, Gene. Thank you very much. Good luck. Bye. Bye. Be sure to stick around for more calls coming right up. On Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me, we have very important people on our show and then ask them about very unimportant things.

Here's U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. We are also reliably informed that among your enthusiasms, in addition to macroeconomic policy, is mobile games. There is some truth in that. There's some truth in that. Join us for the NPR podcast that considers all the other things. That's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. hear a podcast that considers all the other things that's wait, wait, don't tell me. Was it just me or did brands seem a little quieter for Pride last month than they usually are? Actually, brands generally aren't jumping at the chance to advertise to marginalized communities or weigh in on politics like they used to. This week,

we look at why brands got woke, then unwoke. Why was that so unusual? And what could it say about you? Listen on It's Been A Minute from NPR. How does the brain process memories? Why is AI a solution and a problem for our climate? What is leadership in 2025 and beyond? The TED Radio Hour explores the biggest questions and the most complicated ideas of our time

with the world's greatest thinkers. Listen now to the TED Radio Hour from NPR. Here at Shortwave Space Camp, we escape our everyday lives to explore the mysteries and quirks of the universe. We find weird, fun, interesting stories that explain how the cosmos is partying all around us. From stars to dwarf planets to black holes and beyond, we've got you. Listen now to the shortwave podcast from NPR. We're back. You're listening to Car Talk on National Public Radio with us, clicking clack the Taffer Brothers,

and we're had to discuss cars Car repair and the five toughest questions We have a letter a couple weeks ago about the woman the woman who says what would you do if I died to our husband? Yeah, this is an elaboration of that. There's the five toughest questions that women ask and their answers The five questions are one. What are you thinking? Oh,. Two, do you love me? Three, do I look fat? Four, do you think she's prettier than me? And five, what would you do if I died? Who said this to us? Jorah Lavon. What are you thinking? The proper answer is this, is this, I'm sorry if I've been pensive dear, I was just reflecting on what a warm, wonderful, caring, thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful woman you are and what a lucky guy I am to have met you. Obviously,

this statement bears no resemblance whatever to what the guy is really thinking at the time which was mostly, most likely, one of several things. Baseball, football, how fat his wife is, how much prettier she is than his wife, and how much would he get to spend of the insurance money if she died? Let me see if there's another one here that's good. This came on the internet. There's no reference to Dave Barry, but it certainly sounds like Dave Barry.

It does sound like Dave Barry. I like this one. Do I look fat? The correct male response to this question is to confidently and emphatically say, no, of course not, and then quickly leave the room. Wrong answers include, a little extra weight looks good on you. Wrong answer B, compared to what? Wrong answer C, I've seen fatter. You could be in a lot of trouble.

With any of those. Hey look, this is normally the time where we give you the new weekly puzzler, but there is no new puzzler this week because our dear puzzler is on summer vacation. Where is it? San Diego? No. Chicago? No.

Atlantic City? Possibly. Like the rest of us, the puzzler needs a little time every year to get refreshed, renewed, and with any luck, a little less crummy. Right? Yeah. Well, we took a few weeks off. We didn't get any less crummy.

It didn't help us. Just a little preview as to what the puzzle will be like in the fall. So if you're dying for a puzzler, you can try one of our archival puzzlers on the worldwide web, which you can find at Cartalk.com. And if you have a puzzler you think we can use next puzzler season, please, please, please send it to us here at CarTalk Plaza. That is Puzzler Tower, CarTalk Plaza, Box 3500, Harvard Square, Cambridge, our fair city, Math 02238.

Or you can email it to us from CarTalk.com on the web by clicking on the Talk to CarTalk section. And if we use your puzzler and your lawyer contacts our lawyer, we'll send you a best of CarTalk. email it to us from cartalk.com on the web by clicking on the Talk to Car Talk section. And if we use your puzzler and your lawyer contacts our lawyer, we'll send you a best of car talker setter. You know how people talk to a lot of people and you know what happens. Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you'd like to call us with a question about your car, the number is 1-800-332-9287.

Hello, you're on Car Talk. Hi, this is Scott from Scottsdale. Scott from Scottsdale. How convenient. Yes, well, you know, I could have been John from Johnsdale, but I decided not to be. Damn, that's very good! What's in your mind, Scott baby? Well, I'm not calling you about my car. I'm calling you about a client's car. Of course, of course, we understand.

I am an attorney. You're an attorney. i'm attorney uh... attorney yeah i have a problem with the client of the problem with a car and they want to you the repair shop but uh... i don't i don't want to do the repair shop really

yeah she could be despised by the fact that i have to i'm looking at the window i got a line full of lawyers you know coming up the door of waiting for this party uh... well here's the problem with the car she She went to the repair shop to get her timing belt replaced and in the process of replacing the timing belt they had to repair her water pump as well. Well they replaced it. What kind of car is it? It's a 1990 Pontiac Le Mans with about 85 five thousand miles on it uh...

the water pump was corroded into the engine i guess and in the process of removing the water pump they cracked her engine block they repaired the cracker attempted to repair the crack with some type of a proxy material uh... and uh... gave the car back to her and now the car has all that all for the

problems uh... the the biggest in her mind that it has this crack in the engine block and she wants them to repair the engine and she wants me to sue them to get the engine replace human so they actually told her this yeah and they have to you know no but they didn't have to crack the block either.

Yeah. Well, but I mean, accidents can happen. Sure. Yeah, well, okay, we'll listen. She's not comfortable with the idea of driving around with an engine that has a cracked block. Right. And I can understand why she would feel that way. They're willing to put a two-year warranty on the epoxy repair

and so my question is should i go back to her and tell her that she shouldn't sue them she should accept their settlement offer and everyone can live happily ever after no kick butt well i mean first of all two years is not enough because if they hadn't cracked the block the block would have lasted forever well no and then a few two years passed

wait a minute this is a ninety lamans now let's get serious no no i didn't say the car i said the block would have lasted forever the car won't last much longer how many miles does she have on this thing? 85,000. 85,000. Yeah, that's trash. Well, two years, I mean, they're willing to give her, it's like an unconditional guarantee. What troubles me is not the warranty, though.

It's the fact that if the epoxy doesn't hold, then what's going to happen is she's going to have a catastrophic leak someday when she's driving through the desert. And these guys are gonna replace her engine when that happens. Well, when the see when the vultures get through with her, right? I mean she's gonna be out there in the desert in the middle of Noah talking about Arizona here. And she could be lost for weeks out there in the desert and the vultures come take out or pluck out her eyeballs and she's lying there with her last gasp of breath waving this warranty around. Big deal, the warranty is not going to keep the vultures from plucking out her eyeballs. You keep talking about vultures, I keep thinking you're talking about lawyers again.

Well, either. So I mean, I would be concerned about breaking down. Right. No, I mean, as I don't need to mention that there are epoxies that are absolutely fantastic and you can actually adhere these to metal surfaces. You can then drill the thing and machine it, tap threads in it and do all kinds of things and it's as strong almost as the, don't forget, what they repaired was aluminum. Right. You know, it's probably as strong,

or maybe stronger than the aluminum that was there. And it's one, it probably repaired one area where a bolt went through, that's probably what broke. Yeah, I mean, I can see exactly what happened. And there might be six other bolts that hold the water pump on. I don't know what it looks like on this car. Yeah. Right.

Well, my big thing is I don't wanna spend a lot of the client's money suing these people if she can get an effective repair. I know this is all sounding like a foreign language to you guys that I don't want to use. Especially coming from a lawyer, it doesn't make any sense at all. Yeah, I know. What if they hadn't divulged that this had happened?

Oh, then I'd see their a** in court. Right, so they immediately became good guys because they somehow showed their vulnerable side. Their sensitive side. Yeah, the sensitive mechanic of the 90s side. That's what you get for being honest. I think you shouldn't sue them simply on the basis of their honesty. No. I know, it's true. I mean, there are so few. I mean, there isn't one sharp in a thousand that would have admitted. Because don't forget, it's practically impossible for her to have

ever discovered this unless the epoxy fails and the thing starts leaking like mad and she takes it somewhere else and they say, huh, someone cracked your block here. Yeah. So the vultures pluck out her kidneys. So what? It's all in the interest of making mechanics more honest, and that's more important than a couple of kidneys on some woman

that we don't even know. Well, I think it's a... Oh, that cruel guy. It'll be an effort wasted because these guys are going to be out of business in six months anyway. I mean, they haven't got the killer instinct to stay afloat. It's clear to me. But just to mention one little item, they may have some kind of liability insurance. Sure.

And most garages do for just these kinds of things. Sure. My gut tells me that you for just these kinds of things. Sure. My gut tells me that you shouldn't let them off the hook. However, my sensitive side says, what the heck, it's only a 90 Lamans anyway. And probably a head gasket will probably, of course, you know that no matter what happens to this thing in the next two years, she's going to blame them. Yeah. And she's going to sue- She has a flat tire, she's going to blame

the crash one. And she's going to end up suing you for having done this lousy agreement with them Oh, so you're gonna be careful. I mean, I hate to give a lawyer legal advice, but I think you're putting your neck in the noose No, I think we at some point someone's gonna bite the bullet so to speak and and trust that good and so to speak, and trust that good and justice will out. I have relied on you to be the arbiters of justice and now I have to go in and be a blood-sucking demon. Yes, I can see. Tell her when she drives across the desert to bring a snakebite kit.

See you later, man. Yeah, thanks. While you squander another hour of your fleeting summer listening to car talk, our esteemed producer is Doug the Subway Fugitive, not a slave to fashion, Punk and Lips Berman. Now, remind me next week to address the Subway Fugitive issue because this is something that has to be dealt with. Yeah, some interesting stuff going on. Our associate producer and dean of the College of Automusicology is Ken Babyface Rogers.

Our assistant producer is Catherine Cathode Petuti-Ray. Our engineer is Karen Given. And our technical advisor is the elusive Petuti-Ray. Our engineer is Karen Given and our technical advisor is the elusive John Bugsy-Sebastian. How'd he do in the Olympics? Goal to the 200 meter buffet and the freestyle hero build? Pretty good. How about the dessert decathlon? Did he do well in that one? Yes he did. Oh is he here today? Yes he is. The, is he here today? Yes he is.

The dessert decal, I like it. Our public opinion pollster is Paul Murky of Murky Research, assisted by statistician Margin O'Vara. Our automotive medical researcher is Dr. Denton Fender. Our marriage counselor is Marion Haste. Our director of new product repair is Warranty My Foot. Our director of gender studies is Amanda B. Reckonwith. Our Director of Pedestrian Operations is Carlos Castaneda. The designer of our casual clothing line is No Tai Wu.

Our nutrition consultants are Eaton, Wright, and Livinggood. The curator of Tom's Car Collection is Rex Galore. Our staff carburetor expert is Leslie Stahl. Our Director of Country Music is Stan Beierman. The Chairman of our Underemployment Study Group is Art Majors. The Chairman of our Joint Chiefployment study group as art majors, the chairman of our joint chiefs of staff is John Shalai-Papawele, and our timing director is Benjamin Not Yet Yu-Yahoo!

And our chief counsel from the law firm of Dewey Cheatham and Howe is U. Lewis Dewey, known to the summer tourists in Harvard Square as Uee Louie Dewey. Thanks so much for listening. We're Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers, and Don't Drive Like My Brother. Don't Drive Like My Brother. We'll be back next week.

Bye-bye. and we're clicking clack for Tapper Brothers and don't drive like my brother. Don't drive like my brother. We'll be back next week. Bye bye. Now if you want a cassette copy of this week's show, which is number 33, you can order it electronically on the worldwide web through the shameless commerce division of CarTalk.com. Or if you'd rather interact with a real human, you can call 303-823-8000. You can also order the best of Car Talk and other useless Car Talk junk the same way.

Click on the shameless commerce division at cartalk.com or call 303-823-8000. Car Talk is a production of Dewey, Cheetahman, Howe and WBUR in Boston. And even though it sounds like a PBS nature show gone bad, this is NPR National Public Radio. Do you want to maximize your summer? Well, LifeKits got you covered with tips on staying safe in the heat, planning your big vacation, becoming a grill master, and exploring your neighborhood on a budget. Make the most of every day this summer.

Listen to the LifeKit podcast from NPR. On the Ted radio hour over the last few years, former White House chef Sam Cass has been hosting meals that he calls last suppers. On the menu, ingredients that are at risk because of climate change. I hope it's not that people feel guilty or depressed. My hope is that we understand what's at stake is really like fully our way of life. The future of food, that's on the TED Radio Hour from NPR. Hey there, this is Felix Contreras.

And I'm Ana Maria Sayre from the All Latino podcast. This week, we offer you a peek behind the curtain into the creative process for one of Latin music's most prolific composers and producers. Ana and I visited with Edgar Barrera in his home studio while he broke down track by track some of his greatest hits.

You may not know his name, but you know his work. On the next Alt Latino podcast from NPR.