Hank Watson's Garage Hour - Cars, Trucks, Beers & Guns

Take a cautionary stance as gearheads, geeks and the great unwashed makers look forward to 2025 - it's our year to make great, but some of that tin needs straightening.  From the evil of your refrigerator conspiring with the dishwasher to convince the thermostat to drop the house to 42ยบ, to the sloppy software from fool programmers on the wrong side of the wall allowing your data to be hacked by your car before you even get out of the driveway, it's time to get paranoid and understand that bad governance won't fix itself.  We've never seen so much of the tail of hidden corruption than we can now, so take a running start.

It's in there: Sagan's theory on why tech without morality can end worlds (where's the stop sign?), why bad governors in sad states will still push failed technology (because it benefits them), and how the companies you shop need to be held to your standard (because Costco won't fix itself).

Direct download: HWGH123124.m4a
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 4:16pm MST

If you want to celebrate your mechanical success before you've succeeded, don't expect much success - Hostus Maximus Justin Fort and Ryan the BMWery Guy test their livers with a debate of all the excellent mistakes they've made when the sips start before the work stops. From the Perrin charge tube that's supposed to take a half-hour to install, not a half-week, to the little things we miss like which way the brake pads go (and what sort of sparks they throw), there's a way to do it and a way you shouldn't (and we've tried both).

Not to get too far afield, there's more gearhead goodness to be had: thinking out tube bumpers, sliding your truck into a snow drift before you crash into it, loud and noisy thug trucks, SVT's good old days, verbicide, Mitsubishi Outlanders, vintage Garage Hour cohosts, plus tasting Bushmills and Breckenridge whiskeys, Peach Crown Royal, Absolut Vodka and High Country Lager.  There's also a host of tunes from Karma to Burn, 16 Volt and Deadbolt.

Direct download: HWGH112224mp3.mp3
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 10:47pm MST

If you want to celebrate your mechanical success before you've succeeded, don't expect much success - Hostus Maximus Justin Fort and Ryan the BMWery Guy test their livers with a debate of all the excellent mistakes they've made when the sips start before the work stops. From the Perrin charge tube that's supposed to take a half-hour to install, not a half-week, to the little things we miss like which way the brake pads go (and what sort of sparks they throw), there's a way to do it and a way you shouldn't (and we've tried both).

Not to get too far afield, there's more gearhead goodness to be had: thinking out tube bumpers, sliding your truck into a snow drift before you crash into it, loud and noisy thug trucks, SVT's good old days, verbicide, Mitsubishi Outlanders, vintage Garage Hour cohosts, plus tasting Bushmills and Breckenridge whiskeys, Peach Crown Royal, Absolut Vodka and High Country Lager.  There's also a host of tunes from Karma to Burn, 16 Volt and Deadbolt.

Direct download: HWGH112224.m4a
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 10:37pm MST

Well, it's that time of year - time for the Garage Hour to cram the episode full of silly holiday fun and outros.  How about some good gearhead up-to-stuffs while we're at it?  Tesla is facing another recall, but this one's full of shed.  Street-takeovers are violent, stupid, dangerous affairs, which we'd usually encourage so long as they are away from people, but crowds tend to get stupid in the worst places.  The postal service's electric trucks still suck.  Automotive journalist of great repute (and high-Q oddball) Jean Lindamood/Jennings gets a classic Garage Hour excellent-weirdo sendoff.  Also, Upslope Brewery's Draft Lager joined in for sips and grins.

While we're at it, there's some fun thoughts about Christmas movies and family time (because it matters), the so-called government eradication of the Chinese murder hornet (and what could happen if they joined up with the desert helicopter wasp), Dennis Farina, Ray Liotta, and a set of chintzy Chinese (is that redundant?) foot warmers that cooked some ice-fisherman's toes.

Direct download: HWGH122224mp3.mp3
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 10:03pm MST

Well, it's that time of year - time for the Garage Hour to cram the episode full of silly holiday fun and outros.  How about some good gearhead up-to-stuffs while we're at it?  Tesla is facing another recall, but this one's full of shed.  Street-takeovers are violent, stupid, dangerous affairs, which we'd usually encourage so long as they are away from people, but crowds tend to get stupid in the worst places.  The postal service's electric trucks still suck.  Automotive journalist of great repute (and high-Q oddball) Jean Lindamood/Jennings gets a classic Garage Hour excellent-weirdo sendoff.  Also, Upslope Brewery's Draft Lager joined in for sips and grins.

While we're at it, there's some fun thoughts about Christmas movies and family time (because it matters), the so-called government eradication of the Chinese murder hornet (and what could happen if they joined up with the desert helicopter wasp), Dennis Farina, Ray Liotta, and a set of chintzy Chinese (is that redundant?) foot warmers that cooked some ice-fisherman's toes.

Direct download: HWGH122224.m4a
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 9:50pm MST

This episode's got all sorts of trafficky truckin' road-interface goodness to assist you in your daily gearhead existence, but it's mostly about how to understand your tires and what's right when the white stuff is falling down in Front Range fashion.  Or any range...  We've got the grok on tire width, suppleness, temperature range, snow treads, chemicals and materials, ice versus snow driving, why it's a fine idea to have a second set of llantas for the off-season, and why you probably wouldn't wear hiking boots to a formal dance.  ...And why all that and a bucket of fish heads still won't save you if you aren't good at driving.

Not to put too fine a point on it (we're ALL fine points here at the Garage Hour), there's also a little free gas (at the pump), a few thoughts about why that guy is following you (such a nice bumper), plus Floyd, FLeppard and Pantera.

Direct download: HWGH101224mp3.mp3
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 10:44pm MST

This episode's got all sorts of trafficky truckin' road-interface goodness to assist you in your daily gearhead existence, but it's mostly about how to understand your tires and what's right when the white stuff is falling down in Front Range fashion.  Or any range...  We've got the grok on tire width, suppleness, temperature range, snow treads, chemicals and materials, ice versus snow driving, why it's a fine idea to have a second set of llantas for the off-season, and why you probably wouldn't wear hiking boots to a formal dance.  ...And why all that and a bucket of fish heads still won't save you if you aren't good at driving.

Not to put too fine a point on it (we're ALL fine points here at the Garage Hour), there's also a little free gas (at the pump), a few thoughts about why that guy is following you (such a nice bumper), plus Floyd, FLeppard and Pantera.

Direct download: HWGH101224.m4a
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 10:30pm MST

It's tired and we're late.  No, wait a minute...  Okay, that's right.  There's much afoot at the Circle J, and the Garage Hour goons have another insightful batch of geekbrain excellence for you: the other side of the coin of our skillset episode a few weeks back, thanks to a gal in the #3 lane who couldn't look up from her Distractomatic 5000 long enough to not drive into the bumper of the truck in front of her.  Don't be the anti-inspiration for our incompetence episode (and don't be a Carl).  There's also guidance on measuring up to 100% you, avoiding the shallow end of the tool pool, using your head to avoid the obvious, and trying to use your capabilities once in a while instead of sucking all the time.

Moving beyond the need for being the best you you can do (coocoo k'choo), there's insight on more electric car fails by the OEs (begging the G for good money to keep spending on bad ones), wildebeests and crocodiles and educational television (back when it was worth a beer), and steering clear of incompetence multipliers (and bent pliers).

Direct download: HWGH092324mp3.mp3
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 11:32pm MST

It's tired and we're late.  No, wait a minute...  Okay, that's right.  There's much afoot at the Circle J, and the Garage Hour goons have another insightful batch of geekbrain excellence for you: the other side of the coin of our skillset episode a few weeks back, thanks to a gal in the #3 lane who couldn't look up from her Distractomatic 5000 long enough to not drive into the bumper of the truck in front of her.  Don't be the anti-inspiration for our incompetence episode (and don't be a Carl).  There's also guidance on measuring up to 100% you, avoiding the shallow end of the tool pool, using your head to avoid the obvious, and trying to use your capabilities once in a while instead of sucking all the time.

Moving beyond the need for being the best you you can do (coocoo k'choo), there's insight on more electric car fails by the OEs (begging the G for good money to keep spending on bad ones), wildebeests and crocodiles and educational television (back when it was worth a beer), and steering clear of incompetence multipliers (and bent pliers).

Direct download: HWGH092324.m4a
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 11:21pm MST

It's one of those episodes that seemed totally disjointed but turned out GREAT (kind'a like good ribs)... White Mark the Diversity Hire had Hostus Maximus Justin Fort down to his dungeon for some 6.5 Creedmoor loading and a dissertation on the goodness of bad times - learning to be better (geek it!) with what you can get, such as when the Obama gun shortage taught builders and loaders to make excellent firepower out'a what they could find. Whether it's Winchester, Sta-Bal, Hornaday, Benchmark, Lever Revolutiopn, IMR, Accurate, Hodgon, or CFE, a shooter's got to shoot and a loader's got to load, and everyone got smarter.

The original point of the episode was to visit another good side of Uncle Donald getting back into office: brooming the useless bureaucrats like Buttgig and Granholm who've been making a corrupt mockery of the job of the American government (and shine a little light on the effects of four years in Biden's basement). Then it's trucks, rocks, ribs, rubs, a Garage Hour sendoff for excellent weirdo Bernie Marcus of the Home Dee Pot, and a little bit of Herb Alpert, because beer (Red Leg's Spring's Lager).

Direct download: HWGH111524mp3.mp3
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 10:16am MST

It's one of those episodes that seemed totally disjointed but turned out GREAT (kind'a like good ribs)... White Mark the Diversity Hire had Hostus Maximus Justin Fort down to his dungeon for some 6.5 Creedmoor loading and a dissertation on the goodness of bad times - learning to be better (geek it!) with what you can get, such as when the Obama gun shortage taught builders and loaders to make excellent firepower out'a what they could find. Whether it's Winchester, Sta-Bal, Hornaday, Benchmark, Lever Revolutiopn, IMR, Accurate, Hodgon, or CFE, a shooter's got to shoot and a loader's got to load, and everyone got smarter.

The original point of the episode was to visit another good side of Uncle Donald getting back into office: brooming the useless bureaucrats like Buttgig and Granholm who've been making a corrupt mockery of the job of the American government (and shine a little light on the effects of four years in Biden's basement). Then it's trucks, rocks, ribs, rubs, a Garage Hour sendoff for excellent weirdo Bernie Marcus of the Home Dee Pot, and a little bit of Herb Alpert, because beer (Red Leg's Spring's Lager).

Direct download: HWGH111524.m4a
Category:gearhead personality -- posted at: 9:58am MST

1