Episode 101 - A new SLATE

Episode 101

 

Welcome to the automotive podcast that is starting with a new SLATE…  Get it?

 

On this episode of Throwin’ Wrenches…  

 

• SLATE is the rage.  Do you know about this cheap EV truck?

• GM recalls half a million vehicles, and says it’s not related to the other possible recall. They think. 

• 100 episodes?  What about 100 kids?  Its time for a new Moment of Musk.

 

All of that and more on this episode of Throwin’ Wrenches. 

 

THEME!

 

Thanks for listening.  To join in on the fun of the show, just email us at [email protected] or post a review on itunes to be heard worldwide!

 

SPOTIFY COMMENTS and polls - 

About your hosts:  

Daryl Scott - Some people go to Europe for the history… The culture…  The food.  Actually, that's what most people do…  Unless you are a Scott.  Then, you might roadtrip to Terre Haute to see the masked singer traveling show.  OK.  That's a bit of an exaggeration…  But those scotts will pass by all the culture of the old world to hear some of that amazing eurovision music that the kids are all going nuts over.  

 

Eric Stahl - When people think of volcanos, salt-cured fish and pop singers with funny hair, they think of the same place this co-host is heading to. I hear Iceland also has cool 4x4’s on monster truck tires that you can drive over the lava with… if you drive quick enough. He’s the biggest “Bjork” fan this side of the Atlantic, he’s Eric Stahl. 

 

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Welcome new members!  I need to do the rundown with the magic mirror-like romper room!

Musician Preshows

 

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Thanks for listening.   

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THANKS FOR REVIEWING!!!!   

 

Projects

Eric:  MOORE EXPO

New 4Runner was pimped

 

Daryl: Took the ‘55 Plymouth out for a great tour to Pontiac, IL and she didn’t miss a beat.
Fury dash lights - Or - How to cut your hands and arms on thin sheet metal

 

NEWS:

World:

Tariffs Tariffs Tariffs.  We are not going to get into it.  Mostly because this show could be 2 weeks old by the time you hear it, and he could change his mind again.  The Foxconn story intrigues me…  

As Deals and Tariffs Loom, Foxconn Sees U.S. Production Power in Former GM Factory

Front and center at the Foxconn booth here sits a midsize crossover with supersize ambitions. If all goes to plan, the Model C all-electric utility could help catapult the Taiwanese electronics giant into the U.S. market as one of its newest automotive players. Foxconn, best known as the world’s largest contract manufacturer of iPhones, plans to start shipping the Model C to a customer across the Pacific by the end of the year. And if the Trump administration’s tariffs prove too thorny for long-term exports from Foxconn’s factory in Taiwan, Foxconn has a formidable Plan B.The company is rapidly refurbishing a former General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio, as a U.S. production hub. The plant, which has capacity for hundreds of thousands of vehicles when fully tooled, could be pumping out vehicles as early as next year.

Source: Automotive News

 

Excessive Tech on display at the shanghai auto show

Imagine vehicles with holographic instrument panels floating in thin air; cars with see-through doors that allow drivers to see nearby pedestrians and cyclists more easily; biometric health monitoring using facial recognition and various health metrics; and less-costly massaging car seats. This is a small sample of the diverse technologies French auto supplier Forvia is showcasing at the Shanghai auto show beginning April 24.

Source: WardsAuto

National:

GM 6.2L V8 L87 Engine Recall Unrelated To Valve Lifter Issues
Source: GM Authority

General Motors recently announced a wide-ranging safety recall involving the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 L87 gasoline engine, affecting nearly 600,000 vehicles in the United States. While the recall addresses two potentially serious mechanical defects that can lead to engine failure and a loss of propulsion, GM has confirmed that the recall is not related to the well-documented valve lifter problems experienced by some owners.

The recall identifies two specific manufacturing defects at the supplier level, namely potential contamination leading to rod bearing damage, and crankshafts that were either improperly finished or otherwise out-of-spec.

As covered previously, the new L87 engine recall impacts a wide array of full-size GM vehicles, including GM trucks and SUVs built between the 2021 and 2024 model years. In total, 597,630 units are impacted in the U.S.,with global recall figures approaching 721,000 units.

Used Vehicle Prices & Availability
Used-vehicle prices are on the rise as U.S. trade tariffs disrupt the overall automotive market. Prices increased in April at almost double the normal spring rate, according to vehicle data provider Carfax, which said used-vehicle sales more than doubled year-over-year. Used prices rose nationally and in all segments, Carfax found. Pickup trucks and luxury SUVs saw the biggest price increases in April, surging $660 and $600 on Carfax’s website, respectively, according to its data.

Source: Auto Dealer Today

 

Dealers should prepare for a shortage of affordable vehicles and manage inventory carefully as the impact of tariffs begins to hit new-car supply, David Greene, principal, industry and marketplace analytics at Cars.com, tells WardsAuto. Two learnings emerge from the Cars Commerce Q1 2025 Auto Market Review: “The most affordable vehicles come from our neighbors to the north and the south, and those are going to be under the most (price) pressure,” Greene says.

Source: WardsAuto

 

Volkswagen Keeps 2025 GTI for the U.S. After Deleting Standard Golf

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI continues its legacy as a quintessential hot hatch, blending performance, practicality and the best modern tech that the Volkswagen Group could muster for the enthusiast crowd. While the GTI, introduced 50 years ago in Germany, retains the core elements that have made it a favorite among devotees the world over, the 2025 model introduces several updates and changes that enhance its appeal. Under the hood, the U.S.-spec 2025 GTI maintains the turbocharged 2.0L inline-4 delivering 241 hp and 273 lb.-ft. (370 Nm) of torque. This engine is exclusively paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, as the manual option has been discontinued for this model year. Oh, the pain.

Source: WardsAuto

Slate Auto Unveils Refreshingly Simple And Small Two-Seat Electric Truck Designed To Be Customized, Starting Under $27,500

Jalopnik

 

After a brief but very buzzy teaser campaign, Jeff Bezos–backed startup Slate Auto just revealed its electric pickup at an event in Long Beach, California. The extremely simple, refreshingly small truck is designed to be a blank slate for owners to easily customize how they want — hence the Slate name — with a wide variety of more than 100 accessories available at launch. You'll even be able to transform the two-seat truck into a five-seat SUV, and the rear-wheel-drive Slate will have a range of up to 240 miles. Slate says the truck will proudly be made in the U.S. "as part of a commitment to re-industrializing America," and it'll cost less than $20,000 with federal incentives factored in when it starts production late next year.

 

At 174.6 inches long the two-door Slate truck is more than two feet shorter than a Ford Maverick and almost five inches shorter than a Honda Civic Hatchback; Slate makes the comparison that it's sized closely to a 1985 Toyota pickup. The Slate is 69.3 inches high, a bit taller than a Maverick, and its 5-foot bed is half a foot longer than the Ford. This is the tiny truck y'all have been begging automakers to build. Slate wanted the design to tug at your heart and be desirable for everyone, plus have the truck be easy to drive and get in and out of. Despite the Slate's diminutive size, it can fit a lot of stuff. There's a drainable frunk that fits 7 cubic feet worth of stuff, with the hood extending to part of the nose to give you a better opening, and the bed has 35.1 cubic feet of volume, with a width between the wheel wells of 42.9 inches and a max width of 54.9 inches.

 

Though the Slate leaves the factory in a singular body style, it doesn't have to stay that way. Slate will offer a flat-pack accessory kit that turns the truck into a five-seat SUV, complete with a roll cage, more airbags and a bench seat. (No word on if the seats can be added to the truck bed Subaru BRAT–style.) There are two different SUV rear ends to choose from, a traditional, squared-off tailgate or a slanted fastback one. You can also choose to drive the Slate without doors on no matter which body style is on.

 

The interior is where I think the Slate gets a little too simple. Don't get me wrong, the rectangular design is great, with a flat dashboard that opens into a huge glovebox and an overall look reminiscent of the really cool stuff IKEA made back in the middle of last century, just with a lot less color. The door panels have cool fabric armrests, and the air vents, steering wheel, climate controls and column stalks have a great '80s vibe. You'll be able to buy all sorts of interior accessories too, like decal kits, different metal or wood accents, and other colors for the interior panels and seat covers. There are also things called Slatelets, cute little badges that clip onto the air vent that runs across the dash. 

 

As you'll notice, there's a small display in front of the driver, but no infotainment screen at all. Slate is instead making you get a phone or tablet mount and using your preferred tech. The problem is, you can't just get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto as an app on your phone, so either you're just driving with maps up the whole time, or you're swiping through your actual phone to change the song or respond to a text. There will be a Slate app that works as an infotainment system and is how the car gets over-the-air updates, but again, you've gotta interact with your phone on the dash.

 

It also doesn't come with speakers as standard, offering them as accessories or giving you a mount for your own Bluetooth speaker. A set of Bluetooth controls for the steering wheel and an extra row of auxiliary buttons are found in the accessory catalog, as are a center console with an armrest, door pockets, power windows — it's got cranks as standard.

 

Read More: https://www.jalopnik.com/1843154/slate-auto-electric-truck-suv-customizable-design-specs-details/

 

The press conference was terrible… Which is refreshing.  These people looked like dear in the headlights when it comes to a TED talk.  Much better than I could do, so kudos to them for even standing up there and getting uncomfortable.  

 

Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto announces factory location for its $25,000 electric truck

By Benjamin Zhang

Personalized Slate EV pickups at its reveal event this month. Greg Doherty/Getty Images for Slate

Apr 29, 2025, 3:40 PM CT

• Slate Auto said it would assemble its $25,000 EV in Warsaw, Indiana.

• The 1.4 million-square-foot facility was occupied by a printing company until 2023.

• Slate says it expects to make its first customer deliveries near the end of 2026.

Slate Auto, the Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup, confirmed to Business Insider on Tuesday that its $25,000 electric pickup would be assembled at a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana.

New bill would require speed-limiting tech on cars of frequent speeders  By WNYT

A new bill could limit how fast delinquent drivers can go in New York state.

The Stop Super Speeders Act would require speed-limiting devices on cars that get six or more red light tickets in a year, or any drivers who get more than 11 points on their license in a two-year span.

Those devices would prevent cars from going more than five miles per hour over the speed limit.

Three states have already passed similar legislation, and the National Safety Transportation Board has even recommended the policy.

 

Bonus Article… ARe we going long????  

 

By 

SecurityApr 28, 2025 6:30 AM

Car Subscription Features Raise Your Risk of Government Surveillance, Police Records Show

Records reviewed by WIRED show law enforcement agencies are eager to take advantage of the data trails generated by a flood of new internet-connected vehicle features.

Automakers are increasingly pushing consumers to accept monthly and annual fees to unlock preinstalled safety and performance features, from hands-free driving systems and heated seats to cameras that can automatically record accident situations. But the additional levels of internet connectivity this subscription model requires can increase drivers’ exposure to government surveillance and the likelihood of being caught up in police investigations.

A cache of more than two dozen police records recently reviewed by WIRED show US law enforcement agencies regularly trained on how to take advantage of “connected cars,” with subscription-based features drastically increasing the amount of data that can be accessed during investigations. The records make clear that law enforcement’s knowledge of the surveillance far exceeds that of the public and reveal how corporate policies and technologies—not the law—determine driver privacy.

“Each manufacturer has their whole protocol on how the operating system in the vehicle utilizes telematics, mobile Wi-Fi, et cetera,” one law enforcement officer noted in a presentation prepared by the California State Highway Patrol (CHP) and reviewed by WIRED. The presentation, while undated, contains statistics on connected cars for the year 2024. “If the vehicle has an active subscription,” they add, “it does create more data.”

Local:

 

Stellantis to Build New Truck in Idled Belvidere Plant

Jan. 22, 2025

The recommitments follow a threatened national strike by the UAW.

 

Stellantis Says Its Still On Track To Reopen Belvidere Assembly

Tariffs or Not, Reopen Is Still On Schedule For 2027

Despite all the chaos surrounding the auto industry lately—tariff battles, production pauses, temporary layoffs—Stellantis says it’s still full speed ahead on reopening its Belvidere Assembly Plant in 2027.

That’s straight from the company, which told the Chicago Sun-Times this week that nothing has changed regarding the timeline agreed upon in last year’s UAW contract.

“The launch timing for the plant has not changed,” said Stellantis spokesperson Jodi Tinson. “We’ll honor the timing indicated in the 2023 [UAW] Collective Bargaining Agreement, so still expecting to launch in 2027.”

Super Car News Search

Moment of Musk:

 

Atlantic Writer Speculates Elon Musk Could Have ‘100 or More’ Children: ‘Definitely More Than 14’

“Sanity” podcast co-host Alisyn Camerota says “there’s something very dystopian” about the billionaire’s family planning

 

Stephanie Kaloi  April 26, 2025 @ 10:23 AM

 

Elon Musk is known to have at least 14 children, but the real number could be much higher than that, The Atlantic’s Elizabeth Bruenig told Alisyn Camerota and Dave Briggs on the “Sanity” podcast in an interview 

shared Friday

.

“I believe he has 14 known children, but people who spoke to the Wall Street Journal for their exposé on his childbearing habits suggested the number is much higher,” she said. “I have heard people estimate [it] at 100 or more.” Bruenig is the author of the piece “The Harem of Elon Musk.”

 

Camerota jumped in and added that “the reason we don’t know about “all these other children and women is because he makes his baby mamas sign NDAs and he’s very lawyered up and he’s litigious and he does suit them if they speak” — and Musk pays the mothers of his children a lot of money to stay silent.

St. Clair reportedly received $15 million and a $ 100,000-a-month living stipend to keep news of the birth of the pair’s baby quiet, Bruenig added.

Cars of the Weak  Eric:

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236,160 Miles

 

Daryl: 1948 Kaiser Custom - $8950
Source: Facebook Marketplace

Original 6 cylinder flathead motor - 3 speed manual transmission with overdrive - original interior.

 

Located in Emden, IL